Locrian/The Crystal World/Utech Records/2025 Album Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  an  older  recording  from  Chicago,  Illinois's  Locrian  which  showed  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  drone,  noise,  ambient,  experimental  and  post  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  201o  and  called  "The  Crystal  World"  and  was  re-issued  in  2025  by  Utech  Records.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  drones  onto  the  recording  and  a  lot  of  the  music  goes  for  an  experimental  direction.  Tortured  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  as  well  as  some  distorted  sounding  noises  and  power  electronics  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  One  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  choirs  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Electronic  guitar  sounds  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  post  metal  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  drum  beats .

  All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.  Slow  guitar  riffs  are  also  introduced  on  the  album  with  a  later  track  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  solos  and  leads,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  are  based  on  J.G Ballard's  novel  "The  Crystal  World".

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Locrian  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone,  noise,  ambient,  experimental  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Triumph  Of  Elimination"  and  "Elevations  And  Depths".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IrqiPTKMnM   

Locrian/End Terrain/Profound Lore Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Locrian  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  mixture  of  drone,  dark  ambient,  experimental,  avant  garde  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "End  Terrain"  which  was  released  by  Profound  Lore  Records.

  Distorted  soundscapes  and  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  harsh  vocals  bring  in  elements  of  black  metal.  Dark  ambient  syn5ths  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  clear  vocals  bringing  in  more  of  a  post  rock  style  when t hey  are utilized.  All  of  the  songs  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  touches  of  noise  and  shoegaze.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  future  earth  consumed  by  waste.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Locrian  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone,  dark  ambient,  experimental,  avant  garde  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chronoscapes"  "The  World  is  Gone.  There  is  No  World"  "Black  Prisms  Of  Our  Dead  Age"  and  "After  Extinction".  8  out  of  10.

  https://locrian.bandcamp.com/album/end-terrain

The tour-dates would include:

7/19 – Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery – TICKETS 7/20 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer – TICKETS 7/21 – Voorhees, NJ – Tunes — TICKETS (Doors Only) 7/22 – New York City, NY – TV Eye – TICKETS 7/23 – Providence, RI – Alchemy – TICKETS 7/24 – Boston, MA – O’Briens – TICKETS 7/25 – Portland, ME – Geno’s Rock Club – TICKETS 7/26 – Montreal, QC – Cabaret Foufs – TICKETS 7/27 – Toronto, ON – The Baby G – TICKETS 7/28 – Detroit, MI – Sanctuary – TICKETS 7/29 – Milwaukee, WI – X-Ray Arcade – TICKETS 7/30 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle – TICKETS (Doors Only) 7/31 – Chicago, IL – Cobra Lounge – TICKETS

Wilderness Hymnal/Duncan Evans/Until Liars Fear You/Trepanation Recordings/2021 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Netherlands  Wilderness  Hymnal  and  United  Kingdom's  Duncan  Evans  called  "Until  Liars  Fear  You"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Trepanation  Recordings  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Wilderness  Hymnal  a  solo  artist  that  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  post  metal,  folk,  psychedelic,  chamber  music  and  glacial  electronics.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  clean  vocals  and  atmospheric  sounding  drones  while  one  track  also  introduces  clean  guitars  onto  his  side  of  the  recording.  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  music  also  adding  in  some  electronic  and  psychedelic  touches  at  times.  All  of  his  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  the  percussion  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  tribal  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  some  songs  also  add  in  stringed  instruments.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  overcoming  violence  and  escaping  grief  with  some  alchemical  touches.

  In  my  opinion  Wilderness  Hymnal  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  drone,  post  metal, folk,  psychedelic,  chamber  music  and  glacial  electronics  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Buried  My  Teeth"  and  "Three  tempers".

  Next  up  is  Duncan  Evans  a  solo  artist  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  folk  and  post  punk.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  post  punk  and  new  wave  style  synths  while  the  vocals  are  all  done  in  a  clean  style.  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  along  with  some  electric  and  bass  guitars  also  being  utilized  at  times as  well  as  the  screams  also  adding  in  touches  of  black  metal  and  industrial  when  they  are  utilized.

  The  music  also  has  its  experimental  moments  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  Elements  of  folk  music  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  capturing  a  very  melancholic  atmosphere  and  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  overcoming  violence  and  escaping  grief  with  some  influences  of  classic  literature.    

  In  my  opinion  Duncan  Evans  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark  folk  and  post  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Deadheading"  and  "Mouse  Mask".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  i  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  drone,  post  metal,  psychedelic,  folk  and  electronic  music.  8  out  of  10.

https://wildernesshymnal.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2l9PObsEAJC6uGUBjMcnFQ
 www.instagram.com/wildernesshymnal

www.facebook.com/wildernesshymnal/

https://duncan-evans.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1j003jL9LhCKjE7ouSguGT
 www.instagram.com/duncanevansmusic
www.facebook.com/duncanevansmusic

www.twitter.com/DEvansMusic    

Sleepwalker/Monument From The Void/Ksenza Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Sleepwalker  are  a  solo  project  from  Russia  that  has  been  interviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  drone  and  ritual  with  some  elements  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Monument  From  The  Void"  which  will  be  released  on  August  13th  by  Ksenza  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  the  synths  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  ambient  elements.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  guitars  also  adding  in  touches  of  post  black  metal  when  they  are  utilized  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  cinematic  sounding.

  Clean  playing  and  melodic  guitar  leads  are  also  added  on  one  of  the  tracks  while  all  of  the  music  is  also  instrumental.  All  of  the  songs  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  and  when  singing  bowls  and  Tibetan  gongs  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling,  there  is  also  some  session  work  from  Liholesie.

  On  this  recording  Sleepwalker  takes  dark  ambient,  drone  and  ritual  and  mixes  it  in  with  some  touches  of  post  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sleepwalker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient,  drone,  ritual  and  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Monument  From  The  Void"  and  "Neverending  Journey  Through  The  Void".  8  out  of  10.

www.ksenza.bandcamp.com/album/monument-from-the-void

 

Felgrave/A Waning Light/Personal Records/2021

 

  Felgrave  are  a  solo  project  from  Norway  that  plays  funeral  doom/death  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "A  Waning  Light"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Personal  Records.

  Nature  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  funeral  doom  metal.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also be  heard  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  Melodic  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  acoustic  instrumental. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  time,  death,  mystical  and  futility  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Felgrave  are  a  very  great  sounding  funeral  doom/death  metal  solo  project  with  some  elements  of  black  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Millenium  Shroud"  and  "Oracular".  8  out  of  10.

felgrave.bandcamp.com

https://youtu.be/GNYC8934QPg

Unalei/Galatea/2020 CD Review

 

  Unalei  are  a  musical  project  from  Italy  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  ethereal,  goth, progressive  and  folk  with  some  touches  of  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Galatea".

  Classical  music  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  nature  sounds  while  the acoustic  guitars  also  bring  in  elements  of  folk  music  when  they  are  utilized.  Vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  clean  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  some  symphonic  and  orchestra  sounds  and  the  electric  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  then  while  the  music  also  captures  a  goth  orientated  atmosphere  at  times.  When  female  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  ethereal  and  operatic  atmosphere  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  percussion's.

  The  songs  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  types  of  folk  instruments,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  songs  also  being  instrumentals  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  Italian,  Spanish,  Russian  and  English  and  is  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  discovery  of  roots  through  time  and  space.     

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Unalei  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ethereal,  goth,  progressive,  folk  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anarada"  "Azalea"  and  "Lola".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/unaleiofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/unalei_music/

https://unalei.bandcamp.com/

Czern/Zgliszcza/Selfmadegod Records/2020 CD Review

 

 Czern  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  post  metal  and  hardcore  punk  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal   and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Zgliszcza"  which  was  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  done  in  a  growling  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  brings  in  blast  beats  and  elements  of  black  metal.  One  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  atmospheric  soundscapes  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  post  metal  style  melodies  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  music  also  capturing  the  raw  energy  of  hardcore  punk  at  times,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Czern  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge,  post  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  mixes  them  together  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  veganism,  anti  fascism  and  anti  chauvinism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Czern  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  post  metal  and  hardcore  punk  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  "Strach"  and  "Krzyk".  8  out  of  10.

 https://czern.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/wszystekczern

Lament Cityscape/The Old Wet/2020 EP Review

 

  Lament  Cityscape  are  a  duo  from  Wyoming  that  has  had  music   reviewed  before   in  this  zine  and  on  this   recording   plays  a  mixture  of  avant  noise,  ambient,  post  punk,  industrial,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  ep  "The  Old  Wet".

  Ambient  style  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  ep  while  also  adding  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  add  times.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  shouting  industrial  metal  style  along  with  the  slower  riffs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal.

  Programmed  beats  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  guitar  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  distorted  style.  The  music  also  mixes  elements  of  both  the  post  styles  of  metal  and  punk  along  with  each  track  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  and  the  music  also  adds  in  some  touches  of  avant  noise,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Lament  Cityscape  takes  the  industrial, post and sludge metal styles of metal and  mixes  it  with  ambient  and  post  punk  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Lament  Cityscape  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  noise,  ambient,  post  punk,  industrial,  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Among  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/LamentCityscape
https://www.instagram.com/lamentcityscape
https://www.youtube.com/user/lamentcityscape
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7BKlBNGP2YrJQ2wHTWFgot

Aisumasen Interview

 

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

It's been a while so we have mainly focused on perfecting our live performance, since 2 of our members no longer are among us. It's a world gone up side down for me, since I've played with these guys since fucking 2009! But we are definitely getting there regardless, grief or not. And what with all the streaming possibilities nowadays we get a lot of practice. We have been at it a long time all of us, so it's not really a problem, haha! Also, we do a lot of interviews, thank you <3

2.In September you also released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I have to be honest with you. Most of our songs are compiled with ideas we have had since the very start. The only little thing that would actually be the difference is that i am now the one arranging and organizing those ideas. We used to sit around and drone riff after riff for hours on end and that was the way we worked... Musically, I don't think that there is too big a difference from the first release really. Instead of 4 weird songs there are 8 of them, you know? Although, this time I personally tried to produce the album with "heavy" in mind instead of just pressing record on the tape recorder.

3.The band has been around since 2009 but waited until 2017 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?

The early years were chaotic to say the least. We were very productive, but had no focus, no plan, no deadline, just alcohol and weed. We loved to hang around and drink. It was when I realized that we were too good to just let things slip away that things began to happen and that alone took several years. Also, we all had problems in our relationships, job situations, social presence, what have you, and very few thing could change that in a sober manner. Personally, I am divorced so I am recovering, haha! The other guys are dead so they are okay. I guess we all had our various personal problems, which may be the reason we are musicians and why we worked so well together.

Musically, we always loved to experiment and that is where post metal comes in, we always loved heavy music, which is where doom comes in and we always regarded honesty as highly important, which is where sludge comes in, if you can understand that. 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Musical progression is a boring topic in my world, since I consider myself being a better song writer and lyricist every year and it is so very difficult to explain it without sounding like a tedious and uptight bastard, haha! The only real change I can mention is where we put the bar on what we allow ourselves to show...you guys...you know? We experiment and allow ourselves to just let go of inhibitions and ideas about genres and all that crap. If I want to play the harmonica backwards accompanied by distant rumble along with Poxpandemic crying in a fetal position we do it! I'm not saying that we will, but having the freedom to do it is freedom enough!

Lyrics are nowadays some of the funny things! I never thought so, but I am getting better so I'm allowed to say that, haha! Aisumasen lyrics are almost without exceptions about the end of the world, the post apocalypse, a dead world, etcetera. I'm sorry, but there we are. Clichée no 1: "One Day Poff Gone" is basically inspired by the movie "The Divide". Clichée no 2: "Miasma" (from The Greater Good) is about stealing/robbing from other scavengers in a post apocalyptic world. Clichée no3: "Staring Into The Sun" is about people running from something in a post apocalyptic future. Actually, most of the bands I play in has something to do with a world gone nuts.

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

This is simple and interesting: We all love The Beatles and while we may hate John Lennon as a person (let's face it, he was a fucking asshole!), we love his music. So when we talked about how it could be a good idea to put a name on whatever it was we were doing and we loved the kind of freedom The Beatles had musically and the blissful ignorance of John Lennons musicallity. We decided to use one word from any of The Beatles titles or its members titles and I came up with the very bluesy song Aisumasen by John Lennon. This song is very heavy musically but not production wise, but I felt it straight away! Aisumasen means "I'm sorry" or "forgive me" in Japanese and he wrote it to Yoko after he cheated on her. This means it is honest, which is what we are 24/7, it also means that we are humble in our honesty (we bend for nothing, but we apologize in the process) and it also sound really cool and mysterious. It's a win/win/win. Also, it is a tribute to our heroes, needless to say.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

Actually, that was me looking for film clips for a post humous The Preachers video way back. I was looking for atom bomb video clips, ran across a video thumbnail with this house being just brushed aside by an atom bomb blast wave and simply fell in love with it! It's a very strong image and being just a picture, I don't think it has the same impact. The film clip is very powerful and I believe there is a plan to make a video made out entirely of blast waves hitting buildings, vehicles, vegetation, and so on.

7.Has the band had any opportunities to do any live shows?

Never. We had plans, but 2019 killed 2 members and COVID 19 killed the rest of the plans. Let that be a lesson, kids: stay away from the number 19! It seems like we are stuck with online streaming, which is no where near as fun, but if we are going to practice, why not tape it?

8.The album was released on 'Social Blasphemy Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Social Blasphemy is a very small label, which I myself have been helping out with on and off. They try to stick to weird metal, as they call it, but I think sludge, noiserock and industrial metal is what they mean. It was founded when the mother company Preachers Cath (goth rock and alternative) was put on hiatus after almost all of their bands was disbanded or had some kind of problem. Today, Preachers Cath is flourishing with more releases every year and Social Blasphemy has 2 staff members plus me when they need help packaging cds and shit. I am happy to help out, since I see my own tees and cds go out to all corners of the world, haha! Happy happy joy joy!

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

Oh...I...don't think I've seen any statistics as such, but I hear Asia and the US are very keen on extremely heavy music. I like that! I always knew USA had a very good taste in music, but when I get 200 orders from Delphi, India, I get confused. Also, Arabic countries are fucking weird, which I like, because weird is good. I hate statistics until I receive fan mail from a country that I thought couldn't spell "metal". I love getting my prejudice crushed.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Well, "Ye Old Codgers" will release the debut album next year and that will be a blast. "Grate" will put out a few videos, but probably no new song as far as I have heard. "Windymills" is thriving and will release single after single and maybe an album next year. "RadioniRadion" will do the same, "The Last Of Us" will release videos, "Poxpandemic" will release an album, etcetera. "Aisumasen" will release videos and maaaaayyyyybe finish the second album.

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

More experimental stuff, I guess. No limitations, remember? I always thought jazz could be really heavy and you have seen proof of that on "The Greater Good", you can do some serious damage with electronics and anything that hurts you is good. We are still going to be above that bloke that throws shoes at a snare drums, or that park music person, or those cute screaming unplugged chicks (all Japanese, but no racism here), but we are going to do whatever we feel is necessary to accomplish our goals.

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

This is probably going to sound very boring, but this is what we talked about the last time: The sense of musical freedom that we all felt from The Beatles, the epic feeling we got from semi-early Pink Floyd, the hippiesque absurdity of Hawkwind, the drony sense from old school Tangerine Dream, the heaviness of Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore and voila: There we have it! What we listen to has nothing to do with it however: We talk Bowie, New Model Army, electro, and so on. Also, my girlfriend is into old school goth and deathcore, but she is a pierced and tattooed goth model so I accept almost anything she says or does...

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

I try not to think: it hurts. However awkward it may seem: we love you more than you love us, keep listening and hear our doomy prayers. Until the 10" vinyl of "The Greater Good" and the cd of "Tunguska" comes along you just have to stick to Bandcamp and Spotify and we are SORRY! Okay?! Sorry!

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I, The Weapon Interview

 

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

1.(D.R.)We are a group of experimental heavy music or at least that is what we understand about what we have been working on until now. We are originally from Argentina more precisely from the city of Moreno on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and since 2014 we have been writing music under the name of I, The Weapon. At the end of 2018 we have digitally released our debut album titled The Ivy, which is the realization of many years of hard work within the Buenos Aires underground scene.

2.So far you have released one album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

2.(S.A.) We work a lot on the concept of an album beyond a particular musical style. Each one of us likes many different things musically speaking, so intuitively we came to this sound that we captured in The Ivy. The album is basically conceived as an introspective blog. We had in mind that it was something episodic, like a story as a narrative and the idea of ​​segmenting it as if they were chapters of a book arose, hence the existence of the prologues that are like a kind of introduction to the song that precedes it. Originally we wanted to work on the lyrics in Spanish that we had previously written, but due to tonal reasons we couldn't find what we were looking for so we experimented with using them in environmental pieces that I had been working on for a long time. We liked how they looked so we opted to interpret the songs in English and the Intermediates in Spanish to somehow not completely disengage from our native language and make it more interesting to listen and to the character of the album as a whole. And when it comes to the style we practice, we focus on sludge and post metal because we feel that it is a sound that perfectly suits those of us who seek to transmit with our music and our vision of reality.

3.The band has been around since 2014 but so far there has only been one release, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

3.(D.R.) Our main obstacle since we started this project was completing our lineup. We had drums, guitar and vocals, but there was no one to take care of the bass, so while we wrote and worked on the first songs we began the titanic task of finding the musician in charge of the low frequencies. During all that time there have been several bassists who for one reason or another did not quite convince themselves or understand the idea we had been working on. The different bass players auditions were added, such as the injury I suffered in February 2017 that left me in bed for almost a year and without realizing it we were almost at the end of the year without having been able to play a single time live or recorded anything, like this It was like after I was able to recover we started the pre-production of the album so that in March 2018 we could enter the studio.

4.A lot of your lyrics are inspired by the writings of Macedonio Fernandez, Alejandra Pizarnik and Charles Baudelaire, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in their works?

4.(S.A.)Since I was a little girl I have been a very inveterate reader and I suppose it is natural that a lot of that will end in one way or another influencing the music I play. Both Pizarnik and Baudelaire have been my favorites forever with those cursed poems that were so heartbreaking and so beautiful at the same time. Since it occurred to us to form the band, we talk about the idea of ​​doing something lyrically oriented within the style of these authors, as well as the life and work of Macedonio Fernández, who, upon losing his wife, plunged into the more absolute and profound sadness thus creating the pillar works of Argentine literature. All that melancholy, that dark uneasiness, that desperate existential and metaphysical search simply fascinated us. Unconsciously they have always been within us as part of our DNA, as a beacon to show us the way forward. That total dedication is what motivated us and inspired to a large extent to do what we do. Art from our perspective is that, total surrender and continuous search for oneself.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'I, The Weapon'?

5.(D.R.) As many of you will know, the name is taken from a song by the Swedish band Cult of Luna, more precisely from the Vertical album. We had liked the song very much of course, but the name touched us very strongly, to the point that it resonated in our heads for some time. So much so that it seemed to us that it perfectly described our conception of what our music should be: a channel, a means where we can fight what happened to each one of us to everything that seemed unfair, to everything negative that affected us and to be able to turn it into music, into art and resignify it. It is our vision about the goal that music and art in general should have. It also perfectly posed the duality of the human condition, which is clearly the source of most of the evils in the world. That nature of creating or destroying that is inherent in the human race. We clearly do not think about it from a strict warlike sense, but rather from a purely artistic position.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?

6.(S.A) The idea of ​​the cover is based on the whole concept included in the album, the beginning of the descent into hell, of an irremediable descent. It was inspired by a book by H. G. Wells called The Door in the Wall. We raffle many ideas of how the cover should be, we work with many things since we both have some knowledge in photography and illustration, but we were not convinced how much we had available at that time. So doing a little research we found an extremely interesting an old place on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, in a rural area excactly that we thought might be what we were looking for. This place was previously a very busy train station in its heyday at the beginning of the last century and then abandoned to its destination some time later. This little by little was deteriorating to the point that it was totally absorbed by the vegetation and many stories and legends were born from it. So we set out to take a trip there, which is a few hours by car from where we live, since there is no other way to get there. It is undoubtedly a very special place and is charged with an indescribable energy since during the entire course of the trip the day was in the worst weather conditions until we came to think that it would not be possible to take the photographs. Once we arrive at the place, the sky clears up completely and lets us work at ease as if someone were waiting for us. It was an amazing and strange experience.

7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

7.(D.R.)Yes, our idea is to be a three-piece band and not just a duo, which by force majeure we always have been. Although from the beginning we have only been two people working on guitar and drums, we always composed with the idea of ​​adding the bass later. The sound that we conceive is intended for a complete band, that is: guitar, bass and drums, so logically we hope to complete our line-up soon. We are convinced that shortly and after all this Covid 19 problem is resolved and we return to normal, we will find someone. Meanwhile we continue working as is our custom.

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

8.(S.A.) I must say that our best show was our debut, it was very strange but emotional at the same time. It was at a concert that was originally thought of as a festival and ended up becoming a tribute. One of the members of one of the bands that would play at that festival dies suddenly days before the concert. The organizer asked the rest of the bands if we agreed to go ahead, as the affected band wanted to do it anyway as a tribute to their deceased member. Knowing this, most of us agreed to move on as well. It was one of the most emotional concerts we have ever witnessed. Playing for an audience mourning the loss of a friend is simply unreal. The public was very warm and respectful towards us, since they did not know us more than the organizer of the event. We had no idea how they were going to react to our proposal. So we let everything flow. And it was well received. It was a kind of celebration of friendship and a reminder of how fleeting our journey through life is. A unique but sad experience at the same time.

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

9.(D.R.) It is something we would like to see happen soon but we understand that everything happens in due time. It is something that will happen sooner or later I have no doubt about it. We work hard to grow little by little with our proposal and make it known. DIY is a great medium for us but it poses many challenges, we cannot just cover it all. There are many labels out there that work very hard and take care of their artists. We hope soon we will have the opportunity to work together with one of them.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of post, doom and sludge metal?

10.(S.A.) The reaction in general has been very good, we have had many messages from people who have expressed their support or their good impression about the album. It is surprising and gratifying to see how many people connected in some way with what we did, even more so due to the fact that they have only heard it through a digital medium such as bandcamp. I think the majority connected with the essence of the proposal. We leave a lot there and perhaps that is perceived; he knew how to win the appreciation of many people. That for us is a success in itself.

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

11.(D.R.)What we are currently working on has a more intense and aggressive character than what is embodied in The Ivy. It can be said that it will be more extreme but with the same emotional tune as always. It would be rash to talk about a particular style right now because as we work each idea decants and transforms into something different from what it was at first. There are many things that were left out of the debut album that were pending to continue working and experimenting so I can only predict that it will be more extreme than its predecessor, darker and more emotional.

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

12.(S.A.) The influences are really many, but the main ones at the beginning were undoubtedly Neurosis, Isis, Amenra to name just a few. Each of us has acquired our influences over the years. We listen to all kinds of things like black metal, electronic, synth wave, crust punk, hardcore, ambient, industrial, power electronics, and jazz. But if there is something that we listen to a lot today, it is tango. Julio Sosa and Astor Piazzolla are our favorites. It is probably due to the influence of our parents, as their records used to be played frequently at home.

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

13.(D.R) We invite everyone to enter this first work, which is only the beginning of a long journey. We leave a lot of ourselves there and surely something that many people will also find theirs. The music is a magnificent means to unite people with a positive purpose, for self-improvement and self - knowledge.

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I, The Weapon/The Ivy/2020 Full Length Review

 

  I,  The  Weapon  are  a  duo  from  Argentina  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  with  some  elements  of black  metal  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "The  Ivy".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements  while  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  at  times.  Touches  of  dark  ambient  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  another  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals.

  Aggressive  growling  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music also  capturing  the  dark atmosphere  of  black  metal  at times  as  well  as  all of  the  music  also  sticking  to  a  slower  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  sadness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  I,  The  Weapon  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  with  some  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sybil"  "Vacuum"  and  "The  Ivy".  8 out  of  10.

https://itheweapon.bandcamp.com/track/the-ivy 

Aisumasen/Tunguska/Social Blasphemy Records/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Aisumasen  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  funeral  doom,  death  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Tunguska"  which  was  released  by  Social  Blasphemy  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Stringed  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  one  of  the  songs  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  dark sounding  melodies  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  as  well  as  some  elements  of  alternative  and  post  metal  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  One  of  the  tracks  also  shows  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  as  well  as  introducing  clean  vocals  onto  the  album.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also being  utilized  at  times  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  end  times.

  In  my  opinion  Aisumasen  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  funeral  doom,  death,  post  and  alternative  metal  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  those  musical  genres, you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Ray  Of  Darkness"  "Ocean  Desert"  and  "One  Day  off  Gone".  8  out  of  10.

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Six Steps Above The Earth/I, The Chaos/Sublimination/Submersion Records/2020 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Greece's  Six  Steps  Above  The  Earth  and  I,  The  Chaos  called  "Sublimination  which  was  released  by  Submersion  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Six  Steps  Above  The  Earth  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  noise,  drone  and  doomgaze.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts out  with  some  distorted  sounding  guitar  drones  while  the  riffing  also  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  and  sludge  metal.  Their  track  is  also  over  20  minutes  in  length  while  also  adding  in  some  loud  distortion  and  elements  of  noise  along  with  a  lot  of  the  music  sounding  very  improvised  as  well  as  adding  in  some  touches  of  shoegaze  at  times  and  the  whole  song  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction  and  also  keeps  everything  instrumental.

  Six  Steps  Above  the  Earth  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  noise,  drone,  shoegaze,  doom  and  sludge metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Six  Steps  Above  the  Earth  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  noise,  drone  and  doomgaze  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  

  Next  up  is  I,  The  Chaos  a  band  that  plays  a mixture  of  drone,  noise,  experimental  and  doom  metal  with  some  touches  of  post  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  synths  and  atmospheric  sounding  drones  along  with  some  slow  and  heavy  riffing  that  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  while  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.  Most  of  their  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  sounding  at  times.

  Distorted  sounding  noises  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  their  side  of  the  recording  along  the  tremolo  picking  riffs  also  shows  an  influence  of  black  metal.  Harsh  power  electronics  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  also  being  instrumental  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  I,  The  Chaos  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  noise,  drone,  experimental  and  doom  metal  with  some  touches  of  post  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  the  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Harmonic  Disaster".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  drone,  experimental,  noise,  doom,  sludge  and  post  black  metal.  8  out  of  10. 

https://submersionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sublimation

https://www.facebook.com/sixstepsabovetheearth/

https://www.facebook.com/ithechaos/