Deviate Damaen/Propedeutika Ad Contritionem (Veltram !)/AvantGarde Music 1999 CD Review

  Deviate Damaen are a band from Italy that plays a style of their own which probably would be in the noise/avant garde/metal category and this is a review of their 1999 album "Propedeutika Ad Contritionem ( Veltram ! ) which was released by AvantGarde Music.

There are a lot of spoken word samples and weird clean vocals throughout this album that gives the music a weird feel, while the piano has a very crazy avant garde sound to it mixed in with a lot of noises.

Drum programming has a gothic/industrial feel to the beats, while the synth only enhances atmosphere, as for the bass playing it has a very powerful feel to it.

Guitars are mostly distorted sounding guitar solos with a small amount of heavy rhythms that have some thrash and hardcore punk influences while the vocals are a mixture between clean singing that have a small amount of high pitch and some distorted vocals that have a black metal fell to them.

Lyrics are written in a mixture of English and Italian and they cover depressing themes, while the production on this album sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments that are on this album.

In my opinion Deviate Damaen are a very good band and if you are looking for something weird and original you should check out this band.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "s : s = Spirto : santo" "i'll teach you how to be a virgin" and "let those swallows rape my heart away". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.facebook.com/deviatedamaen/

Hatred Embraced/Suffering Of The Holy/FDA Recotz/2011 Cassette Review

Hatred Embrace are a band from New Jersey that plays a very old school form of dark death/doom metal with a thrash edge as well as a slight black metal feel and this is a review of their 2011 cassette "Suffering Of The Holy" which was released by FDA Rekotz.



Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful tone with riffs that dominate throughout the recording.



Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast Swedish style death metal riffs that also utilize some doom and thrash influences and morbid sounding melodies, while the lead guitars when they are utilized are very dark and distorted sounding death/doom metal guitar solos and leads.



Vocals are mostly high pitched growls that have a slight black metal feel to them, ahile the lyrics cover dark and occultic themes with an anti christian edge, as for the production it has a very heavy, dark and raw feel to it.



In my opinion Hatred Embraced are a very good old school sounding dark death metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Moloch The Devourer" and "Suffering Of The Holy". RECOMMENDED BUY.

www.facebook.com/hatredembraced

Forgotten Backyard Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?

Forgotten Backyard is a Experimental Dark Ambient project, born in January 2010. Forgotten Backyard includes and
combines reality and dreams to create a unique atmosphere. Goal of the project is to forge a unique atmosphere
of darkness, emptiness and paranoia. Forgotten Backyard offers a unique journey through emptiness and desolation.
This is the journey of a lost drifter who wants to find reason of existence and at the same time who wants to escape from the past.
But in this dark-skyed world he only finds emptiness and a silent horror.
This is in short, but you can always find more details about FB on official sites.

2. What is the musical sound that you are going for and how do you feel you have achieve it so far?

I want to create different sound styles, it depends how I feel about the album i'm making, and what concept it deals with,
my first two albums were not very detailed, they are rather empty,hollow and desolate just like their concepts. In future I
plan to use different sound styles, It all depends of what kind of concept I will use, so yeah I don't have a specific musical
sound that I strive for.

3. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the project's name?

The inspiration behind the name is modern world and industry. Our world is becoming one big factory, people don't care about the nature,
forests, seas, mountains, it's all about the money and industry, and that destroys the Earth. They build more and more cities, factories,
artificial islands, and that all believe it or not destroys our Earth, so soon Earth will become a forgotten backyard, full of machines,
garbage, metals and smoke, of course under polluted black sky. Forgotten Backyard (Project) is like a mirror that reflects all this modern darkness
and desolation.
"World became a forgotten backyard, under infinite black skies, destroyed by the man,
an Earth of Steel."
But, the project itself deals with other themes, like nature, emotions, abandoned places, cities, melancholy, horror etc...

4. Do you have any prior experience with other musical projects?

Forgotten Backyard is my first project, and I have never been a part of any other project.

5. Your album has been available for free download from Ambientaria Records, how would you describe the support that the label has given you so far?

I have joined Ambientaria Records just before Cerulean Wasteland came out, and I have to say it's much easier when you have label that helps you promote music,
build up social profiles, and generally spread the word about the artist, and Ambientaria Records is the right label for that kind of job! Unlike
many of amateur labels Ambientaria helps artist to promote themselves completely. The important thing is that Ambientaria Records offers high quality music, and
contacts the artist regularly in order to satisfy our wishes, give advice's, so yes, Ambientaria isn't just a simple list of music like many of labels.
Quality is more important than Quantity.

6. How has your music been received so far by ritualistic/dark ambient fans worldwide?

Well, not all of my music is ritualistic, that's why I like to call FB Experimental Dark Ambient, I have never focused on the one Ambient type,
for instance my first album "la nuit eternelle" is not ritualistic at all, it's nature (autumn) inspired album with focus on silence and
melancholy with some industrial touch, and yet "cerulean wasteland" isn't fully ritualistic as well, so i'm not pure ritual ambient artist. But since you asked my first album
got very good reviews from what i've heard, so as my secund album.

7. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

I'm currently working on new material, it should be different then my previous albums, more experimental industrial dark ambient
i'm going from empty and silent to much more detailed and shorter songs then my previous ones, darker and more melodic, and interesting
with touch of horror, melancholy and much more unique elements. So my future release will not be simple and empty/hollow as the previous ones, I will create
different type of darkness then on those albums. The journey continues.
I'm also making split album that will be very easy and light , abstract-spiritual
ambient for relaxation (I know, not really my style), but you will find all about it in time.


8. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?

I don't think I have any musical influences, I find the inspiration for my music in the world, and you can see on each album I make what my inspiration was to make it.

9. Where did you come up with the title for the new album?

"cerulean wasteland", that's hard question, It just fall on my mind just before it was released, cerulean - a shade of blue, greenish blue, in my case darker
blue, and wasteland, or desert. The original name of the album supposed to be "cerulean acacus" or "cerulean desert" but I changed my mind for some reason.
I've wanted to create wasteland experience, desolate with not much details.
the album is empty, dark and desolated, just like desert, with elements of ancient gods. It's unique wasteland, cold and hollow, hopelessness, in eternal night where
you can hear only howling wind sand and emptiness.

10. What role does Occultism or Paganism play in the music and how would you describe your views on those topics?

I'm familiar with both occultism and paganism, and I think those could come up in my future releases. I'm interested in both and have studied about
different kinds of occult, and about paganism,wicca, witchcraft.. At the moment they play no role in my music but that could always change.

11. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?

I'm pretty busy with general life obligations, though I have many interests and hobbies, just not enough time to do them all :)


12.Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?

Embrace the emptiness :)

__________________________________


Myspace- http://www.myspace.com/forgottenbackyard
Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/ForgottenByard
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/ForgottenBackyard

Ambientaria Records - http://ambientariarecords.wordpress.com/

Forgotten Backyard/Cerelean Wastleland/Ambientaria Records/2010 CD Review

  Forgotten Backyard are a ritualistic dark ambient band and this is a review of their 2010 album "Cerelean Wasteland" which was released by Ambientaria Records.

Noise effects bring in a lot of avant garde and ambient sounds that are very ritualistic and dark, while the synths are very dark sounding and have a feel that reminds me of some black metal bands, as for the drum programming when it is utilized it brings a sound of war.

Songs are all instrumental with the song titles dealing with darkness, rituals, and fallen gods, as for the production it is very dark and primal.

In my opinion Forgotten Backyard are a very decent ritualistic/dark ambient band that should appeal to all fans of this genre. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Black Blood And Oil" "Ingignia Of The Fallen Gods" and "Unknown Rain Ritual". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://ambientariarecords.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/amb002-forgotten-backyard-%E2%80%93-cerulean-wasteland/ )

Halgrath/Liquid Mine/Ambientarra Records/2010 CD Review

  Halgrath is a one woman dark/ritualistic/ambient product from Russia and this is a review of their 2010 album "Liquid Mine" which was released by Ambientarra Records.

Noise effects are mostly avant garde with some sounds of nature mixed in with a lot of ritualistic dark ambient elements while the female and occasional male vocals are conjurations to spirits with somewhat of a new age feel, as for the percussion when it is utilized it sounds very tribal and shamanistic with some drum programming being used on the last song.

Lyrics are mostly Shamanistic, Occultic and Ritualistic, while the production is very dark sounding.

In my opinion Halgrath are a very good ritualistic/dark ambient band that should appeal to all fans of this genre. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Shaman's Prarie" "Her Winter Of Loneliness" "Spiral Path" and "Palace Of The Lustful Lord". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://ambientariarecords.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/halgrath-liquid-mind/ )

Aghast/Hexeri im Zwielicht der Finsternia/Cold Meat Industry Records/1995 CD Review

  Aghast where a dark black ambient/ritual music band from Norway that consists of the ex wives of the band members from Dark Throne and Emperor and this is a review of their 1995 album "Hexeri im Zwielicht der Finsternis" which was released by Cold Meat Industry Records during the year of 1995.

Synths are very dark and avant garde sounding which adds to the ritualistic nature of the music, while the vocals are females doing rituals with a lot of spoken word passages with some clean singing, as for the percussion when it is used it has a very shamanistic feel to them.

Lyrics are written in both English and Norwegian and they are about rituals which I assume are influenced by Andrea's involvement with the Church Of Satan during that time and there are some influenced by Asataru as well, while the production has a very dark and professional feel.

In my opinion Aghast where a very good band for this style and if you are a fan of either black or dark ambient you should check this band out.RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Sacrifice" and "Call From the Grave". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aghast

Dead Man's Hill Interview

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

- I'm working for a new album, but things are going very very slowly. It's a new experiment, a combination of everything I did in dmh in the past. So for the rest things are going very calm for this project - but you can expect some new planned releases soon.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

- Goh, it's very difficult to tell, since almost every album sounds difficult, let us say, a sort of ritual neoclassical industrial with a lot of influences of nature and nature religion.

3. What are some of the lyrics and subject matter that you bring out in your song lyrics?

- They're mostly about nature and all her aspects, in combination with animist religion. Others are about my own fantasies or things I feel or experience. In the past I was also very inspired by various horrormovies :)

4. Have you had any opportunities to do live shows yet

- Yeah, I did several live-shows during the years, especially in Belgium, but also in The Netherlands, Germany and Portugal.


if so what are some of the best shows that the band has played so far

- The best show was definitely on the live noises festival (2008, in Hof ter loo - Antwerp, Belgium). It was together with Con-dom, Sect, Section B, Grunt, and others. This concert is released on cdr in the meantime - and the album is called "speaks in the tongues of the universal reporter". Another one which was special was in January 2006,also here in Belgium, together with Allerseelen, Sanctum and Predella Avant. It was a very short one with the most powerful tracks from the dmh-discography, and with pretty brutal videoprojections.

and how would you describe your stage performance?

'till 2008 I worked with live singers/musicians but thereafter I decided to work solo on stage - I always work with synthesizers, soundeffect boxes and videoprojections. The reactions on those solo-concerts were always very good, so I decided to keep it this way.

5. What kind of influence do you feel you have on other death industrial bands that have came out in the last few years?

- To be honest, I have no idea. I don't follow the industrial scene anymore since 5 or 6 years or so...and silence can often bring more original inspiration than listening to whatever type of music.

6. How has your music been received so far from fans of death industrial worldwide?

- According to the things I hear it all seems to be okay. I already received a lot of mails and messages trough the years from a lot of people living in several regions on earth, who enjoy dmh a lot and buy the albums from me directly, and most (totally not all, but most) of the cd-reviews I receive are telling good things about it, so I'm very happy with that, it motivates me to keep continuing with spreading the music as much as I can.

7. Out off all the releases that you have put out so far, which one are you the most satisfied with?

- Via Occulta, definitely. And Songs from the forthcoming Apocalypse too. But the one I'm the most satisfied of will be released soon (I think at the end of this year), and will be called "Spirits". You can expect a (super)natural horror-dark ambient soundtrack.

8. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

- I think I work much more precisely, regarding to more recent releases. And about the future...I don't know..with each release I'm trying to bring more power in the music, and also more mystic and unexpected / unusual sounds in it, so that the entire album is a deep and fargoing journey on itself. That's what I want to achieve - to let people use the music, so that they can travel to deeper or higher stages.

9. I have read somewhere that you have a lot of black metal influences, what are some of the black metal bands that have influenced your style

In the past I listened some time pretty intensive to black metal, and I feel that especially Taake and Limbonic Art influenced me a lot. What doesn't want to say that you'll hear those influences in my albums, since I'm inspired by so many things. Life is so diverse that becoming a giant mix happens very soon. But dmh has certainly not the intention to sound like a black metal band.

, and since your music is very diverse what other musical styles or bands that have influenced your music

- In Slaughter Natives have been a giant influence for me in the past, nowadays I notice that I'm very inspired by Gaë Bolg and cabaret oriented singers, what concerns music.


and also what are you listening to nowadays?

- These days I listen a lot to didgeridoo music - especially when it's inspired (or when it is) by traditional yidaki playing, cabaret singers like Wannes Vandevelde and Dimitri Van Toren, and also more Deathrock/wave oriented stuff.

10. When I have listened to your music and looked at the song titles, you have some songs about kaballah and voodoo, what are some of the esoteric or magickal paths that you find the most interesting, Eastern or Western?

- All those paths are very very interesting, as long as they are practised in a consequent ethical way in balance with nature. And the best of all is to combine all those paths - to take out what you need and what suits you the best, and to use it all together. To unite them all is the strongest medicin.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

I'm addicted to didgeridoo playing, so I spend also a lot of time with this wonderful instrument. For the rest I read a lot, and I'm a lot outside in nature.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?

Yes: I want to thank all the people who supported dmh 'till so far.
Thanks for the interview!

https://www.facebook.com/deadmanshill/