Bastard Noise/Incineration Prayer/Self Righteous Suicide/Armageddon Label/2023 Full length Review

 

  Bastard  Noise  are  a  solo  project  from  Claremont,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise,  power  electronics,  death  industrial  and  power  violence  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2023  album  "Incineration  Prayer/Self  Righteous  Suicide"  which  was  released  by  Armageddon  Label.

  Harsh  noises  and  brutal  power  electronics  start  off  the  album  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  brutality  of  death  industrial  along  with  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  good  amount  of  diversity  and  touches  of  dark  ambient  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  High  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  also  takes  the  music  into  a  more  brutal  direction  with  its  noisecore  and  power  violence  orientated  style  mixed  in  with  some  growls  and  angry  shouts.  Both  of  the  tracks  sound  very  different  from  each  other  and  the  second  song  is  divided  into  4  chapters.

  Bastard  Noise  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  harsh  noise,  power  electronics,  death  industrial  and  power  electronics  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  harsh  realities  of  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  Bastard  Noise  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  harsh  noise,  power  electronics,  death  industrial  and  power  violence  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Self  Righteous  Suicide".  8  out  of  10.

  https://armageddonlabel.bandcamp.com/album/incineration-prayer-self-righteous-suicide

www.bastardnoise.com      

Serpent Omega/II/Icons Creating Evil Art/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Serpent  Omega  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  crust  with  some  elements  of  black  metal,  d  beat  and  NWOBHM  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "II"  which  was  released  by  Icons  Creating  Evil  Art.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them. Vocals  are  done  in  a  sludge  style  of  screaming  along  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  slower  riffs  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.

  Clean  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  some  the  more  darker  riffing  and  screams  also  adding  in  elements  of  black  metal.

  Some  of  the  melodies  also  show  an  influence  of  NWOBHM  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up  as  well  as  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  introducing  touches  of  crust  punk  and  d  beat  onto  the  recording,  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythological,  death  and  space  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Serpent  Omega  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  crust  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Land  Of  Darkness"  "Through  the  Gates"  and  "At  The  Mountains  Edge".8out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/serpentomega
http://www.instagram.com/serpentomega
http://serpentomega.bandcamp.com

http://open.spotify.com/artist/6TYDhQnCSqqZD9mjHC2xxV   

Swarn/Black Flame Order/Raw Skull Recordz/2019 CD Review

  Swarn  are  a  band  from  Estonia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death,  doom  metal,  d  beat  and  crust  with  some  touches  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Black  Flame  Order"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Raw  Skull  Recordz.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  music  show  some  influences  of  crust  and  d  beat  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  90's influences.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  the  dark atmosphere  of  black  metal.

  Grim  screams  are  also  added  into some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Swarn  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death,  doom  metal,  d  beat  and  crust  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  "Mental  Inbreeding"  "Black  Flame  Order"  "Labyrinth  Of  Amygdala" and  "Enlightenment  From  The  Dark".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

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Spotify

Excruciation/[E]met/Auric Records/2019 ompilation Album Review

  Excruciation  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  around  for  more  than  30  years  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  metal,  crustcore  and  80's  era  post  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  compilation  album  [E]met"  which  was  released  by  Auric  Records.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  riffs  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  some  melodies.  Vocals  are  mostly  mid  80's  to  early  90's  era  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  Elements  of  thrash  and  first  wave  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  clean  vocals  onto  the  album.

  The  album  also  brings  in  covers  from  The  Undisputed  Truth,  Kiss  and  Mercyful  Fate  which  also  sound  a  lot  more  heavier  than  the  original  versions.At  times  the  vocals  also  add  in  more  of  an  aggressive  yet  semi  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  crustcore  and  post  punk  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  compilation  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  slow  and  mid  tempo  parts  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  used  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  humanity  and  human  emotion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Excruciation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom,  death,  black,  thrash  metal  and  crsutcore,  you  should  check  out this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Haunted"  "Libya  1942"  "Dignitas  (Magick  Ritual)"  and  "Kissing  Your  Life  Goodbye".  8  out  of  10.

www.excruciation.net

www.facebook.com/excruciationofficial

www.instagram/excruciation_official

www.youtube.com/user/AuricRecords

www.excruciation.bandcamp.com

www.reverbnation.com/excruciation 

Friendship/Undercurrent/Southern Lord Records/2019 Full Length Review

  Friendship  are  a  band  from  Japan  and  on  this  recording  expands  on  their  mixture  of  grindcore,  power  violence,  sludge  and  doom  metal  by  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Undercurrent"  which  was  released  on  vinyl  by  Southern  Lord  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Elements  of  power  violence  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  influences  and  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  aggressive  growls  influenced  by  both  death  metal  and  hardcore  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  melody  being  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  influences  can  be  heard  and  the  music  always  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  hateful  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Friendship  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  grindcore,  power  violence,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vertigo"  "Abandon"  "Garbage"  and  "Hatred".  8  out  of  10.

http://southernlord.bandcamp.com 

    

Split/Cross/Rise Of Discontent/2019 Full Length Review

  Split/Cross  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  d  beat,  crust  punk,  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Rise  Of  Discontent"  which  will  be  released  on  January  31st.

  Distorted  amp  noise  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  along  with  some  powerful  sounding b ass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before going  into  more  of  a  d  beat  and  crust  punk  direction  while  the  vocals  bring in  a  mixture  of  hardcore  style  shouts  and  growls.

  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  influences  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  short  in  length  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  traces  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard.

  Split/Cross  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  d  beat,  crust  punk,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  along  with  some  touches  of  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  wile  the  lyrics  cover  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Split/Cross  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  d  beat,  crust  punk,  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blindspot"  "Splinter"  and  "Soaked  Ground".  8  out  of  10. 

https://splitcross.bandcamp.com/album/rise-of-discontent      

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

  

Nequient Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

We've played local gigs and did some light touring while continuing to write new material. Though we've taken a while to put out a proper full-length, now that we've settled on a stable lineup and a sound we're happy with, we don't plan to have any long waits between our future releases.

2.You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from from previous demo's and ep?

A big change was setting aside the buzzsaw-style HM-2 distortion in favor of a cleaner guitar sound where you can pick out individual notes more easily. Our guitarist, Patrick, was the primary composer for this album, so his style guided the songwriting and choices of tones. The riffs have become more complex and varied than on the band's previous releases. I think our d-beat and sludge roots are still readily apparent, but we're also digging deeper into influences from other metal subgenres. There are some rhythmic left turns along the way that allow our drummer, Chris, to show off his chops even more than in the past. Keenan, our bass player, is the most recent addition to the band, and I think he brings a unique melodic sensibility to the low end that adds some really interesting layers to a lot of sections.

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

The biggest lyrical inspiration is the current political state of the world, which I find endlessly horrifying and infuriating. The Trump presidency, Brexit, the Flint water crisis, mass shootings, and Middle East turmoil all come up somewhere along the way. I do also find space to address some more personal situations, reference several of my favorite authors, pay tribute to some of the great artists who have died in recent years, and make fun of overly self-important metal guys.

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

It's an archaic term that means "not being able." That gives the name both a certain punk rock snarkiness and the benefit of being good for search engine optimization. We have one of those curious situations where the guitarist and bass player who orginally decided to call the band "Nequient" have since departed at different points over the years, but our sound evolved in an organic enough way that we never felt any need to change it.

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've opened for a lot of great bands, but I think we particularly liked playing in a direct support slot for Zeal & Ardor on one of their first U.S. shows late last year. There were some technical hiccups, but it was great playing in a room where people were all so excited to see this band for the first time. On tour, we tend to have the best times in smaller cities, where crowds are a little more enthusiastic and we always seem to make new friends. Places like Bloomington, Indiana and the Quad Cities have been particularly excellent in that way. Also, there was the time we played at an arcade bar here in Chicago with Big Trouble in Little China projected behind us - that was pretty cool.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Yes, we'll be celebrating the album release on May 18th with a weekend of shows in DeKalb, Illinois, Minneapolis, and Chicago. Then, in July, we'll be headed toward the East Coast for several dates that we'll be announcing shortly.

7.The new album is coming out on 'Nefarious Industries', how did you get in contact with this label?

Several bands we knew, like Mine Collapse and Jar'd Loose from Chicago and Tovarish from Rhode Island, had worked with Nefarious in the past, so I dropped them a line. We share in the same DIY ethos, so we've been enjoying working together.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal and hardcore?

It's too early to say, but we've never been the sort of band to worry too much about catering to a particular market or set of tastes. We just try to make music that we're all excited to play.

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

The next album will probably have some more collaborative songwriting with both Keenan and Chris contributing more riffs. I think for the most part we'll continue to write fast, heavy hardcore songs with influences from various forms of extreme metal. However, I could definitely see possibilities for some experiments with longer, more conceptual  pieces, as well as some increasingly technically demanding sections.

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

The band started from a desire to play crust inspired by bands like Amebix, Disfear, Disrupt, and Skitsystem, along with some Eyehategod-style sludge. Influences from metallic hardcore groups such as Converge, Botch, and Coalesce have definitely come into play on some of the more recent material. We also borrow ideas from old school death metal like Death, Morbid Angel, and Obituary, as well as classic black metal bands like Darkthrone.

So far this year, I've been most enjoying the new albums from Antigama, Rivers of Nihil, Lychgate, and Judas Priest. Probably my most anticipated release for the year is Janelle Monáe, though, so we'll see how I feel in a couple weeks.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I do a lot of reading and writing. I'm particularly into 19th-century British poetry, science fiction, and comic books.

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

Thanks for helping us to get the word out about the record. We can't wait to get on the road and play for some new people.

https://www.facebook.com/nequientband/

Nequient/Wolves At The Door/Nefarious Industries/2018 CD Review

  Nequient  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal,  crust,  grind  and  hardcore  with  some  elements  of  sludge  and  black  metal  an  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Wolves  At  The  Door"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Nefarious  Industries.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  screams,  death  metal  growls  and  hardcore  style  shouts  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  incorporating  elements  of  d  beat  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  adding  in  touches  of  sludge,  when  tremolo  picking  is utilized  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  influences  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Nequient  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  death  metal,  crust,  grind,  hardcore,  sludge  and  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent,  occult  and  drug  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nequient  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust,  grind,  hardcore,  sludge,  death  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Scorcher'  "Mammon  And  Moloch"  "Blast  Beats  And  Cocaine"  and  "The  Devil's  party".  8  out  of  10.

https://nequient.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/nequientband     

Bittered/Foreign Agenda/Lost Apparitions Records/2017 CD Review

  Bittered  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  black,  thrash,  traditional  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Foreign  Agenda"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Lost  Apparitions  Records.

  An  atmospheric  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  screams  that  have  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  them  and  hardcore  style  shouts  are  also  used  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  in  the  slower  riffing  and  after  awhile  crust  style  vocals  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy.

  On  this  recording  Bittered  remain true  to  the  grindcore,  doom  and  sludge  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  black,  thrash  ,  heavy  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  to  take  their  style  to  another  level,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry,  hateful  and  political  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bittered  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Follow  Your  Leader"  "Planetary  Meltdown"  "Bible  Fucker"  and  "Witch  Hunt".  8  out  of  10.

For merch - www.bittered.net
Facebook – www.facebook.com/bittered
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bitteredus
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bitteredus
Bandcamp: www.bittered.bandcamp.com
 

Viscera///'3/Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals/WOOAARRGH/2017 CD Review

  Viscera///  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  experimental  and  psychedelic  form  of  post  metal with  touches  of  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "'3/Release  Yourself  Through  Desperate  Rituals"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  WOOAAARGH.

  High  pitched  blackened  sludge  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  and  melodic  chanting  a  few  seconds  later  and  most of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Elements  of  crust  and  grindcore  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  more  melodic  post  metal  approach  while  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  slower  sections  also  being  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  melodic  singing  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  crust/hardcore  style  back  up  shouts  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  psychedelic  elements  while  other  tracks  also  bring  in  experimental  and  avant  garde  touches  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  radio  station  samples.

  On  this  recording  Viscera///  takes  experimental,  psychedelia,  crust,  grind,  black,  doom,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  mixes  them together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Viscera///  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  psychedelia,  crust,  grind,  black,  doom,  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Uber-Massive  Melancholia"  and  "In  the  Cut".  8  out  of  10.

www.wooaaargh.bandcamp.com/album/viscera-3

Like Rats Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?


Sure thing. The album was actually recorded about a year ago, so we've had plenty of time to go about our lives. Since finishing recording, one of the big things was starting to work with Greg and Southern Lord to get this thing released - which has been fantastic. Kind of a shot in the dark to start working with Greg when our previous plans to get the record out fell through.

In reality, though, most of us in have real lives that involve some sort of small business - either owning one (I own a gym - www.southloopsc.com - and Dan owns a restaurant - www.thesweetandsavoryspot.com/), working as a recording engineer (Andy - www.bricktoprecording.com), working for a small business (Drew - www.chicagomusicexchange.com/), or working for a large business and doing some freelancing on the side (John - www.destroydesigns.com/)

So, the band is a nice thing to do on a weekday night and a place to get the ol' riffs out, you know?


2.Your new album was released in March, 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?


Like Rats is essentially a Celtic Frost worship band. In terms of influences and goals, we want to sound like bands like Incantation, Immolation and Morbid Angel without actually *sounding* like them.

In the past, we've trended more towards the punker side of Celtic Frost, but, on this record, we pushed the songs in a longer, more death metal direction based up on the riffs and melodies that we were writing.


3.This is the first album to be released in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?


Well, four years ago I opened up a gym in Chicago which has pretty much destroyed my life in many ways - both positive and negative.

After our last LP came out on A389, we played some festivals like A389's annual bash and Maryland Deathfest while doing a few weekends here and there with friends.

We continued to write riffs and songs until we had enough for an LP, booked the studio time, and knocked it out.

There's also been some stuff in Syria.


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


The lyrics on this particular record deal with personal, political and fantastical subject matter (dealing with death, depression, ancient beings, propaganda, planetary/human rights etc.). However even the Lovecraftian type lyrics still have a political agenda to some extent. I don’t mind hearing lyrics in songs about the misuse of the earth and all, but when it can have a spin where the earth will just start eating us; I feel this is a better way to express those hippy feelings.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Like Rats'?


First track off of Godflesh's "Streetcleaner" album.

"You breed, like rats."

You'd have to ask Justin Broadrick about the meaning there - we just wanted to copy Godflesh since we think they're cool.


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?


Well we definitely do a lot of synchronized stage moves so I would describe it as "choreographed" and "bombastic."

I had a great time at Berserker Fest in Detroit since we played in an awkwardly shaped room and people flipped out. We also "technically" played with Incantation, so that is nice as far as I'm concerned.


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


Right now, we're playing with our friends in Disrotted in Milwaukee and Chicago 4/30 and 5/1 respectively.


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


We have one pretty good review of our last LP on Metal Archives, and a guy on the Southern Lord Instagram said that we sound like an "opening band in a bar."


9.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?


Weekend Nachos is breaking up, so that's a big relief to everyone who wishes powerviolence could just get back to its roots and get away from this corny, beatdown nonsense.

However, some people on the internet seem to think that Weekend Nachos is breaking up to form Like Rats - which is funny and wrong, but has resulted in some extra attention to our new LP, so I'll take it.


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


Probably into a variety of dead-end musical sub-genres appreciated only by nerds with social problems.


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


Our biggest influences from a riff-writing and song-structuring perspective are Celtic Frost, Slayer, Sepultura, Incantation and Immolation. I've also been known to lift riff ideas from composers like Prokofiev and Strauss.

I'm certainly not as much of a music freak as I used to be in terms of obsessively listening to tons of stuff, but the most recent things I've listened to off the top of my head have been:

Obituary - Cause of Death
Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
Immolation - Dawn of Possession
Koopsta Knicca - Skrewged (RIP)
Dead Rider - The Raw Dents (ex US Maple members)


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I am a massive jock and own a gym called South Loop Strength & Conditioning. I coach several people to compete in the sport of CrossFit as well. So, based upon this, I spend a lot of time researching and working on the following areas:

Exercise program design - In theory and in practice. The FitzGerald brothers at OPEX and OPT Calgary are my mentors here.
Physical therapy and Movement correction - I learn the most when putting myself in situations where everyone else is massively more qualified than I am. I've had great experiences recently at courses like GRIP Approach and Shirley Sahrmann's Movement System Impairment Syndromes. I also am taught a lot by folks in Chicago who work on me and answer my questions like Evan Osar, Robert Lardner, Liz Yerly, Roy Settergren and Shawn Allen.
Nutrition - Understanding best practices here for athletes and general population folks is a massive rabbit hole. Love the work of Precision Nutrition and Dynamic Nutrition (now Driven Performance).
Psychology of behavior change - Coaching isn't about Xs and Os - it's about understanding how to create buy-in and change outlooks over time. The book on Motivational Interviewing is huge here, as are Ramit Sethi's blog posts and courses as well as all the pop psychology books like "Switch" and "The Power of Habit."
Marketing - I didn't get into business to become a marketer, but that's what happens when you have to figure out how to get people in the door. Jay Abraham, Ramit Sethi, Seth Godin, and Robert Cialdini have helped me massively here.
Meditation and mindfulness - I struggle here to remain consistent with this as a habit, but I love Sam Harris and Tara Brach's work here.
Physiology of stress - I messed myself up pretty good trying to train like a serious athlete while running a business in survival mode, so I've been very interested in how human beings tolerate and adapt to stress. Robert Sapolsky's work is great here: "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" as well as some of his Stanford courses and lectures on YouTube.

Oh yeah and I also love memes. Can't get enough.


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


Have a kick-ass summer and c ya at the pool.

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Like Rats/II/Southern Lord Records/2016 CD Review

  Like  Rats  are  a  band  from  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  power  violence,  grindcore  and  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  sludge  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2016 album  "II"  which  will  be  released  on  March  25th  by  Southern  lords  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  you can  also  hear  some  groove  and  melody in  the  music  and  the  music  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  the  music  slows  down  a  great  amount  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  also  throw  in  hardcore  style  screams  at  times  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced and  fast  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  d  beats  and  90's  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  couple of  tracks towards  the  end  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  keyboards.

  Like  Rats  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  old  school  death  metal,  power  violence  and  sludge  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  touch  of  black,  groove  metal  and  hardcore  to  create  something  very original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Like  Rats  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   power  violence,  grindcore  and  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  sludge  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  Beyond"  "Gates"  and  "Evil Winter".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.likerats.net 

http://www.facebook.com/likeratschicago  

   

Seven Sisters Of Sleep/Ezekiel's Hags/Relapse Records/2016 CD Review

  Seven  Sisters  Of  Sleep  are  a  band  from  Southern  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  sludge  with  elements  of  death,  black  metal,  grindcore  and  d  beat  hardcore  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Ezekiel's Hags"  which  was  released  by  Relapse  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  lot  of  grind,  crust  and  d  beats  eleemnts  while  the  vocals  also  mix  in  death  metal  growls  at  times  and  when  the  music  slows  down  it  goes  for  more  of  a  sludge  and  doom  metal  direction.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric  sounds  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long,  epic  in  length  and  there  are  also  some  riffs  that  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melodies  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  stoner  metal  and  the  vocals  also  mix  in  sludge  style  screams  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  one  track also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  cello's

  Seven  Sisters  Of  Sleep  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  mixing  in  the  brutality  and  aggression  of  death,  black metal  and  d  beat  to  create  something  very  dark  and  original  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and   occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Seven  Sisters  Of  Sleep and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  doom  metal  or  any  other  extreme  musical  style, you should  check out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Denounce"  "Brother's  River"  Sacred  Prostitute"  and  "Bastard  Son".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.sevensistersofsleep.com 

http://www.facebook.com/sevensistersofsleep 

http://www.sevensistersofsleep.bandcamp.com 

Black Shape Of Nexus/Carrier/Exile On Mainstream/2016 CD Review

  Black  Shape  Of  Nexus  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  drone/doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  crust,  sludge  and  black  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2016  album  "Carrier"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Exile  On  Mainstream.

  Drones  and  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  direction  and  after  awhile sludge  style  growling  vocals  along  with  some  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  at  times  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a touch  of  ambient  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  some  elements  of  crust  and  black  metal  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  used  briefly  they  bring  in  even  more  of  stoner  doom  metal  style  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Hellhammer's "Triumph Of  Death" .

  Black  Shape  Of  Nexus  creates  another  very  dark  and  heavy  sounding  recording  that  remains  true  to t he  drone,  sludge  and  doom  metal style  of  previous  recordings  while  also  getting  a  lot  more  experimental  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Black  Shape of  Nexus  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  this  band  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lift  Yourself"  and  "Facepunch  Transport  layer".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/blackshapeofnexus 

http://www.blackshapeofnexus.com 

http://www.blackshapeofnexus.bandcamp.com 

 

Wake/Sowing The Seeds Of A Worthless Tomorrow/Sentinent Ruin Laboratories/2016 CD Review

  Wake  are  a  band  from  Calgary,  Canada  that  started  out  as  more  of  a  crust/grind  band  in the  beginning  but  have  incorporated  elements  of  avant  garde,  black  metal,  sludge,  and  post  hardcore  into  their style  this  time  around  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Sowing  The  Seeds  Of  A  Worthless  Tomorrow"  which  was  released  by  Sentinent  Ruin  Laboratories.

  A  very  dark  and  avant  garde  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats along  with  some high  pitched  screams  that  have  almost  a  black  metal  tone  to them  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  melodies  bring  in  elements  of  post  hardcore  and  the  faster  sections  remain  true  to  the  bands  d  beat,  crust  and  grindcore  roots  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  noise  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections of  some  of  the  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  songs  bring  in  death  metal  style  growls  and  the  whole  album  also remains  true  to  a  very  brutal  and  aggressive  musical  direction  and  spoken  word  samples  are   added  onto  the  last  track.

  Wake  creates  an  album  that  is  very  much  rooted  in  the  brutal  crust/grind  direction  of  previous  recordings  but  also  changes  things  around  by  incorporating  more  elements  of  noise,  black  metal,  sludge  and  post  hardcore  which  also  helps  the  music  evolve  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover dark,  angry  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  crust  and  grindcore  with  elements  of  black  metal  and  sludge,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wretched"  "Low"  and  "Endless  Decay".  8  out  of  10.

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Nux Vomica/Self Titled/Relapse Records/2014 CD Review

  Nux  Vomica  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  crust  with  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2014  album  which  will  be  released  by  Relapse  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars,  distortion  and  a  dark  atmosphere  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  keeping  around  the  clean  parts  which  also  leads  up  to  some  aggressive  sounding  crust/grind  screams  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  a  bit  faster  along  with  blast  beats  and  black  metal  influences.

  As  time  goes  on  by  crust  and  death  metal  vocals  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  solos  and  leads  and  you  can  hear  a  good  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  elements  in  the  music  and  in  certain  parts  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  traces  of  harsh  noise  and  on  the  second  track  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  into  the  recording  and  on  the  last  track  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  being  utilized.

  Nux  Vomica  create  a  very  original  sound  with  this  recording  with  their  music  being  based  more  in  the  sludge  and  crust  direction  while  also  being  influenced  by  melodic  death  and  black  metal  as  well  as  having  small  traces  of  harsh  noise  and  they  create  a  very  dark  and  original  sounding  recording.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  all  3  of  the  songs  being  very  long  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Nux  Vomica  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  sludge/grind  band  with  traces  of  death  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Reeling".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/nuxvomicaband
http://nuxvomicaband.bandcamp.com

   

Serpent Omega/Self Titled/Mordgrimm Records/2013 CD Review

  Serpent  Omega  are  a  band  from Sweden  that  plays  sludge  and  doom  mixed  with  black  metal, stoner,  and  crust  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013    album  which  was  released  by  Mordgrimm  Records.

  "Skullwand"  begins  with  some  drum  beats  and  heavy  bass  guitar  riffs  and  then  the  melodic  and  aggressive  female  vocals  start  kicking  in  as  well  as  some  heavy  doom metal  guitar  riffs  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  music  gets  a  little  bit  more  fast for  a  few  second s before  slowing  down  again  as  well  as  adding some  melody  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  towards  the  end  the   music  starts  adding  black  metal  riffs  and  blast  beats.

  "Smoke  Ritual"  begins  with  some  heavy  bass  guitar  riffs  before  bringing  in  the  rhythm  guitars  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  the  music  adds  in  some  epic  doom  metal  elements  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  midway  through  the  song t here  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  being  utilized.

  "Hammer"  begins  with  some  distorted  clean  guitar  playing  and  it  minute  later  the  drums  kick  in  and  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction along  with  some  stoner  rock  style  melodies  and  then  the  vocals  make  their presence  known  in  the  song  and  the  music  remains  slow  and  heavy  throughout  the  song.

  "Warmachine"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  minute  later  some  aggressive  sounding  vocals  make  their  way  into  the  song  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  screams  and  growls  being  utilized.

  "Red  Sun"  begins  with  some  guitar  riffs  that  start  getting  heavy  a  few  seconds  later  with  some  drums  and  distorted  bass  guitars  which  lead  up  to the  vocals  kicking  in  and  a  few  seconds  alter  death  metal  growls  are  added  to  the  music.

  "Serpent  Omen"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and  then  the  vocals  kick  in  as  well  as  some  crust  elements  being  thrown  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  towards  the  end  the  bass  guitars  start  utilizing  some  old  school  hardcore  punk  elements.

  "Konflux"  begins  with  some  heavy  bass  riffs  and  drums  which  also  lead  up  to  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  that  also  utilize  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  then  the  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  as  a  minute  goes  by  there  is  a  brief  use  of  cleaner  yet  distorted  parts  as  well  as  some  clean  singing  and  then  the  music  starts  getting  heavy  again  along  with  some  growls.

  Song  lyrics  cover  mythology,  death,  and  space  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Serpent  Omega  are  a very  great  sounding  doom/sludge  metal  band  with  elements  of  stoner,  black metal  and  crust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skullwand"  "Red  Sun"  and  "Konflux".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

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