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      

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      

Gridfailure/Megalophobe/Tasukete/Nefarious Industries/2018 Collaboration Album Review

  Gridfailure  and  Megalophobe  team  up  once  again  to  create  another  recording  that  is  in  the  ambient  and  experimental  style  of  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Tasukete"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Nefarious  Industries.

  Harsh  noises  and  avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some demonic  growls  and  screams  in  the  background  which  also  adds  in  touches  of  death  and  black  metal  as  well  as  some  tribal  sounding  percussion  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  ambient  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  synths  and  keyboards  also  being  utilized  at  times  while  one  track  also  introduces  electric  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  grindcore  influences  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  harmonica's  accordion's,  drums,  bass  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  experimental  atmosphere.

  On  this  recording  Gridfailure  and  Megalophobe  team  up  once  again  and  mixes  experimental,  ambient  and  noise  along  with  some  touches  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  to  create  something  very  original  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  collaboration  from  Gridfailure  and  Megalophobe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  ambient  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tension  Benders"  "Agoraphobic  Claustrophobia"  and  "Live  broadcast  Seppuku".  8  out  of  10.   

http://www.facebook.com/gridfailure

http://www.gridfailure.bandcamp.com

https://twitter.com/GRIDFAILURE

https://www.instagram.com/gridfailure

https://megalophobe.bandcamp.com

https://twitter.com/megalophobe

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     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  

Gridfailure/Irritum/2018 Full length Review

  New  York's  Gridfailure  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music going  into  more  of  a mixture  of  experimental  and  harsh  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  album  "Irritum"  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  Distorted  reverb's  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  in  the  background  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  atmospheric  soundscapes  and  harsh  noises  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  and  some  tracks  also  add  in    a  touch  of  death industrial.

  Acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  keyboards  when  they  are  utilized  bring  in  a  touch  of  psychedelia  and  when  theremin's  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  take  the  music  into  more  of  an  experimental  direction  along  with  the  bass  guitars  adding  in  more  of  an  extreme  metal  style,  one  of  the  later  tracks is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  harmonicas  and  drum  beats  can  also  be  heard briefly.

  On  this  recording  Gridfailure  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  avant  garde,  experimental  and  harsh  noise  and  mixes  them  together  while  elements  of  grindcore  and  extreme  metal  are  also  added  into  some  tracks  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gridfailure  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental, harsh  noise  and  underground  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Internalizing"  "Hatecompulse"  "Gid  The  Impaler"  and  "Decoration".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/gridfailure

http://www.gridfailure.bandcamp.com

https://twitter.com/GRIDFAILURE

https://www.instagram.com/gridfailure

Bologna Violenta/Cortina/Dischi Bervisti/2017 EP Review

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

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

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

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

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

www.bolognaviolenta.com



 

    

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

The Sound That Ends Creation Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
1. I started writing material for The Sound That Ends Creation late last year when I was trying to write material for a technical blackend death metal project I had going on at the time. The riffs I kept writing were definitely not fitting that style, and I was starting to get bored with the polished tech death that's been gaining popularity. So I decided to stop trying to confine myself to one kind of style and just go with whatever I came up with. What I came up with was the Sound That Ends Creation. It's basically my adhd mind's attempt at playing all of the genres at once.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. Well other publications have called it technical grindcore, so I guess I'll go with that. But it's really just all of the genres of extreme metal thrown into a woodchipper, then I put the pieces together like it's a jigsaw puzzle.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that you explore with your music?
3. I write about a lot of different things. "The Complex" is about depression, "Machinations of Progress" is anti-war, "A Cyclical Dawn" is about the idea that our world has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, "Bottom Feeders" is about how crappy we are about protecting the environment. So it's really just a whole host of ideas

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Sound That Ends Creation'?

4. Well there isn't a meaning really. It's just an awesome name!

5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, how would you compare that to working with a full band?

5. I'm not much of a people person. The full bands I've been in just haven't worked out for one reason or another. I've just got a vision for my songs, so doing it all by myself is the best route.

6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

6. Sure I wouldn't mind getting signed at some point. I'm trying to do the whole independent thing right now though.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your album by fans of underground music?
7. Well my family members hate it haha. I haven't gotten any negative feedback outside of that though.

8.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
8. Nope, The Sound That Ends Creation is my only focus right now. I honestly haven't felt as good or as free as I do when I'm working on it.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
9. With this project, nothing is off-limits. I'm going to keep pushing the boundaries of extreme metal, and I'm not quite sure where that will take me. 

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?
10. I decided to start this after hearing The Number 12 Looks Like You, they combine so many elements into their songs and it ended up being something that I've never heard before. Then I started looking into the whole mathcore scene of the mid 2000's and found a lot my influences there. I could go on and on about my influences, so I'll keep it short. See You Next Tuesday, The Red Chord, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Number 12 Looks Like You, and Pig Destroyer are my "core" influences. But I also listen to a lot of sludge/stoner metal, as well as death metal and black metal. I'm also a big fan of the newish blackened sludge bands that are coming out like Wolvhammer.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. Right now I basically live and breathe The Sound That Ends Creation. Well, that and Game of Thrones haha.

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

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The Sound That Ends Creation/We Are The Burden/2016 CD Review

  The  Sound  That  Ends  Creation  are  a  solo  project  from  Texas  that  plays  a  very  technical  form  of  grindcore  with  some  elements  of  sludge,  black  and  death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  album  "We  Are  The  Burden".

  Screaming  vocals  and  technical grindcore  riffs  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  elements  of  math  rock  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  sludge  and  most  of  the  songs  are  short  in  length.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  some  of t he  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  elements  of  metalcore  and  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  with  the  later  mentioned  being  in  the  fast  tremolo  picking  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clean   playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of   the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  technical  guitar  leads  and  there  is  also an  instrumental  interlude  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction..

  The  Sound  That  Ends  Creation  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  more  rooted  in  a  technical  form  of  grindcore  while  the  math  rock,  metalcore,  black,  death  and  sludge  metal  influences  gives  the  music  more  of  an  original  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Sound  That  Ends  Creation  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  grindcore  project  with  elements  of  sludge,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Complex"  "The  Fires  Are  Growing"  "Bottom  Feeders"  and  "A  Portrait  Of  Inhumanity".  8  out  of  10.

bandcamp page:

https://thesoundthatendscreation.bandcamp.com/

 facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/thesoundthatendscreation

Full Album Stream on YouTube:

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

Tides Of Sulfur 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 a few gigs, most notably with Vision Of Disorder on a Temples festival replacement gig, we did a weekender with our friends in Greenhorn and Victorian Whore Dogs in April and we played with Hang The Bastard on one of their final runs as a band. We've been jamming loads and have 2 new songs written, we're hoping to play at least one at Red Sun festival! We've always got band stuff happening, getting tshirts made and looking into other gigging opportunities and the like. Other than that, I'm getting married in July so I've been busy with that.

2. In July you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

It's a good, diverse album. We try not to play the same riff or style too many times. It's heavier than an anvil sandwich and the album dynamics are a lot more...dynamic I guess! I wouldn't say it differs much from other stuff we've put out, the only real change is that Ant and Tom are chipping in vocally. Our philosophy has always been that nothing is really off limits, every riff, every idea is explored and only the heaviest remain!

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

We tend to write about the grim prospects of reality, whether that be relating to organised religion, political views, the dangers of solitude, disassociation and depression. It's all the usual nihilistic misanthropy.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Tides Of Sulfur'?

I found the word 'Sulfur' in an old encyclopedia I think. It said something about Brimstone now being called Sulfur had one of those F's that looks like and elongated S and it just stood out for me. We equated Brimstone/Sulfur/Sulphur being inherently evil and the tides are an unstoppable force so it's like being enveloped in a negative energy.

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?

Now that's a difficult question! I wouldn't be able to judge any of our performances as I'm always playing...and personally, I'm always thinking about how we could do better on the next one so am always reflecting in a constructive matter. Our stage performance, I'd say, is usually described as 'fucking heavy' by people who've seen us and that's the only encouragement we need! I always tend to glare menacingly at whoever I see in the crowd; this has made a number of people a little uncomfortable at times but it's all love!

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

We're playing the 2nd anuual Red Sun festival in our home town in July next, after that, there'll be the occasional show here and there. We've got a weekender with Battalions coming up in November and we'll be playing some places we've never played before and we've also been booked for Hibernation Fest in December thanks to our friends at Hibernacula Records. We're hoping to do a few more weekends next year when we can; 2 of us are family men so we have to honour those responsibilities first and foremost7.A year back you where a part of a split with 'The Air turned To Acid', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?

We met The Air Turned To Acid at Doomfest in 2014. We had just finished our set and we're a little exhausted. As soon as they started their set, we all looked at each other with a look of 'what the hell is this?' and we all had to investigate. They absolutely blew us away. I approached them with the idea of doing a split release with them about a week later. They're all great guys and we love sharing a stage with them.

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

We've always played what we wanted to play, regardless of the opinions of anyone but the other band members, so if  people are enjoying aspects of what we do then that's great, no matter what part of the globe they're from.

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

We stole Tom from H O M O H who were fucking awesome, but they sadly don't play anymore. I'm involved in a harsh noise project with Dicky from The Drowning/Gorgantuan/etc called Wraiths and Omens. That's pretty much it.

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

The honest answer would be 'who knows?' Every song we write gets heavier and further away, stylistically, from some of our earliest stuff. We'll keep coming up with riffs as long as we have strings and fingers.

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

Sorry to give you the same, tired clichés that every band gives, but we all listen to a wide variety of musical styles and genres which has a baring on what influences we bring to the table. Mainly it's bands like Crowbar, Neurosis, High On Fire, Unearthly Trance, Acid Bath, Converge and Today Is The Day that have influenced us in one way or another.  Currently, I'm enjoying some heavy stuff but it's getting warm again so I might have to break out something a little bit more accessible. I'll go back to all the gnarly black metal once it gets cold again!

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

We've all got other interests but music is something that's never far from our thoughts. Tom is an avid gig attendee,  I'm always looking to write and perfect riffs, coming up with lyrics, thinking of interesting samples to put into songs, sourcing artists for future design needs...I also do some reviews and interviews for the Sludgelord so I listen to a lot of music.

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

Support your scene, kill your ego.

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Tides Of Sulfur/Extinction Curse/Black Bow Records/2016 CD Review

  Tides  Of  Sulfur  are  a  band  from  the  South  Wales  of  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays   a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  with  elements  of  grindcore  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Extinction  Curse"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Black  Bow  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  amp  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  more  heavy  sludge  metal  direction that  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  high  pitched  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  At  times  the  vocals  start  to  get  deeper  while  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  a  dark  style  of  death  metal  as  well  as  mixing  in  other  genres  as  the  album progresses  while  some  of  the  riffing  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clean  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  off  the  recording.

    A  brief  use  of  melodic  yet  spoken  vocals  can  be  heard  on  on  of  the  tracks  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  they  add  in  even  more  of  a  black  metal  edge  to  the  bands  musical  style  while  some  of  the  fast  riffs  also bring  in  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them.

  Tides  Of  Sulfur  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  death,  black  metal  and  grindcore  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  nihilistic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tides  Of  Sulfur  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with some  death,  black  metal  and  grindcore  elements  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eternal  bleeding"  "Maltheist"  and  "Year  Of  Pigs".  8  out  of  10. 

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Bologna Violenta Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the musical project these days?
- We are currently touring around Italy to promote Discordia, the new album, and we are working to book european gigs in fall and winter. We are also starting to think about the next work, that could be something different from what we did until now, but maybe it’s a little bit easily to talk about it.

2.Recently you have released a new album,how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
- The new album is the natural consequence of what I did during the last decade. I started from a sort of instrumental cyber-grind with very short songs and the sound slowly evolved with the addiction of string instruments (I’m a violinist, so it was natural to me to do it). Now the songs are a little bit longer and the strings are a very important part of the sound of the project. The big difference between Discordia and the previous releases is about the recordings, because most of the instruments are played by real musicians instead the machines.

3.What are some of the concepts and images, you bring out with your musical sound?
- I always tried to create a sort of musical storytelling about human beings or, better, about the bad side of them. I used the structures of shockumentaries to do it, putting together very different atmospheres trying to shock the listeners. I used also weird track names to create different and fanciful images of what I wanted to express with music. The second-last album titled Uno Bianca is a sort of soundtrack of what happened in Italy between eighties and nineties, when a criminal gang (with some policemen in it) did more than hundred crimes, killing twenty-four people and wounding more than a hundred. The last album, instead, is about the stupid and continuing arguing between people for silly things.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ‘Bologna Violenta’?
- The first inspiration was the city where I lived for about ten years (Bologna). It was a heavy period of my life and that city was a big part of the thing. I was also highly inspired by italian police movies of the seventies that were often titled with the name of a city followed by the word “violenta”. I thought it was a good idea to recreate with music that violent atmospheres that have been really inspirational for some movie directors like Quentin Tarantino and others.

5.Currently this project is solo, are you open to working with a full band?
- The project has been a one-man-band until one year ago, when I decided to work with Alessandro Vagnoni, a very talented drummer and multi-instrumentalist who helped me to write, record and mix the last album and the previous split Ep. My dream is to work in the future with a real band, maybe with a string quartet, but I think that it could be too difficult for so many reasons. Now we are a due and I’m really happy about it in this way.

6.On the new album you had a few guests, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and their contributions to the recording?
- First of all there is Monique Honeybird Mizrahi, a charango player from Los Angeles (now living in NYC) who wrote the song Colonialismo and recorded the charango parts of it. Then there’s the brass section of Ottone Pesante, a metal trio with trumpet, trombone and drums. The album starts with the piano recorded by an old friend of mine, Paolo Polon, who plays at the Fecnice Theatre in Venice. There are also vocals contributions of Fabio Reeks Recchia, a crazy producer from Rome (who plays with Surgical Beat Bros and Germanotta Youth).

7.The new album was released on Overdrive Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
- Overdrive records is a young independent label from Milan. The three guys who owns it are very passionate about music and honest people. They also owns a vinyl factory in Italy (Phono Press International), so they have the full control of what they produce and release. In this way, it’s a sort of DIY label, and I love to work with people who believe in a so deep way in what they release.
They has just released the last Fall Of Minerva album and they’re going to re-release some old soundtracks by Ennio Morricone.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of grindcore, underground and experimental music?
- I can tell you that I always had good feedbacks from people who listened to my music. I can tell that I’m not really loved by true-metal fans, but I also had some very good feedbacks from international bands like Napalm Death (I recorded an album with Mitch Harris, the former guitarist, under the name of Menace), Godflesh and Agoraphobic Nosebleed. My previous albums have been released also by Grindcore Karaoke, the label of J. Randall (the singer of ANB) who recorded vocals for You’re enough, a song included in my third album, titled Utopie e piccole soddisfazioni.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
- I think I’ll continue producing experimental and extreme music, instead working as a producer, violinist and arranger for other bands and musical projects. I can’t think about my life without music…

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
- I always loved the italian hardcore from the eighties (Negazione, Indigesti, Raw Power), but I also listened to many other genres. I grew up studying classical music and I can tell that one of my biggest influences is Bach and the russian composers of the late 1800. I love also extreme stuff like grindcore, cybergrind and harshnoise, but I listen also to something easier to listen like songwriters or post-rock bands. What I’m listening nowadays? I don’t really know… lot of different stuff. For the tour I choose everytime different Cds (now I’m listening the Drive Like Jesu discography and Fluxus, a noise italian band). In this moment I’m listening the Firebird Suite of Stravinsky.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
- I like travelling, strolling with my dogs, watching movies and reading books, also if it isn’t so easy to do it because most of the time I’m touring with BV or other bands.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
- I just want the people to support the underground music and arts. It’s maybe the best way to improve the world and knowledge is the
way to stop wars and fightings between human beings themselves and also between human race and the world who guests it.

You can be always updated on BV projects and tours here:
facebook.com/bolognaviolenta
www.bolognaviolenta.com

Thanks a lot for the interest in this project!!!
Nicola

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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