Thursday, August 31, 2017

WarCall/Invaders/Plan B Musique/2017 Full Length Review


  WarCall  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Invaders"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Plan  B  Musique.

  War  samples  start  off  the  album  along  with drum  beats  a few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  thrash  and  speed  metal  musical  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  fashion  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly,  some  songs  also  show  the  vocals  adopting  more  of  a  thrash  style  and  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  power  metal  vocals.

  WarCall  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  battles,  aliens,  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  WarCall  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Riding  With  Zombies"  "The  Man  Who  Suffers"  "Through  The  Dusk"  and  "Alien  Forces".  8  out  of  10.    

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Meat Train Interview

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

IKI: Mainly preparing our live seminars for the road, as well as starting on new material. Mike just pukes riffs out as quickly as he can drink beer. He’s like some bottles to metal machine.



2.You have a new album coming out in September, 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?
Mike: we've brought the raw sound of the first album up to date with a more brutal clearer sound to make the messages shine through the light in short we've become more brutal in the delivery of our sermons.
Iki: There’s stuff that happens in life that can only be channeled into angry riffs and wretching vocals and gut shaking drums. I’m pretty sure we have our core sound, but we’ve definitley moved on in a stronger direction with Random Acts



3.This is your first album in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was been gong on during that time span?
IKI: The usual. Flipping tables, defying death, drinking beer, staining hands with blood and dye. We built our own studio to hone our craft and all collectively work together easier longer and louder, and not upset the locals at our usual place.

Mike. We also played shows in Vietnam the Philippines, Thailand, Nepal, Germany, Austria, Scotland and the UK then took time to redefine our Acts.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
IKI: Pain, suffering, inevitable doom, blood, futility of humanity and healthy injection of Zombies. We do like a good zombie song; both types of zombies, the undead and the ones that just sit by and let evil happen in their name.


5.I know that the band name came from the writings of Clive Barker, how does this name fit in with the musical style you play?
IKI: Heavy, pacing, once you’re on board you kinda want to get off but you’re hooked into staying from morbid curiosity and that little bit of the brain which you usually ignore is shouting “Fuck yes this is it! This is living”.
Mike: If you take a ride on the Meat Train you'll discover a dark brutal ride that grinds.


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?
Mike. That's a difficult one. Asia and Nepal were awesome. We met so many cool bands on our journeys there. Germany with our friends the mighty Fleshcrawl was awesome too. Svenson is onboard the meat train contributing his own Random Act on the title track of the new album. My personal favourite show was in Chromebox Manila. They knew how to get onboard the Meat Train. Brutal beautiful people.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
IKI: Everywhere possible


8.Currently the band is signed to 'Contagion Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Mike. Contagion are an independent British label who contacted us when we finished our first album. They support the UK scene and have a lot of love and support for us.


9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal and grindcore?
IKI: Pretty damn awesome. Can’t wait to spread more globally.


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?
IKI: *Jedi hands* There is no side project

Mike. We're all committed to the message that Meat Train wants to deliver.


11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Mike. Random Acts Of Carnage is a statement of intent. The style is open to development in a more brutal way.


12.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?
IKI: The chains tear at their flesh... Hear their screams. Such sweet music.
Mike. Death, grind, thrash. I love Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Testament. Whitechapel and Decapitated's offerings are suitably dark.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?
IKI: Personally, working in the lab. Stitching skins and making new horrors. I’ve got a fridge in there now – put a hammock in and I can spend days in there at a time. Until Mike summons me to make noise.
Mike. Preparing for the dark times ahead.


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Mike. Get Random Acts Of Carnage and prepare for the apocalypse. Get to a live seminar and become part of a brutal journey.
IKI: Always wear gloves.



Shahyd Legacy/Gateways/2017 Full Length Review


  Shayd  Legacy  is  a  solo  artist  with  a  full  band  from  Maldives  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine and  plays  a  mixture  of  hard  rock,  neo  -classical,  power  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  album  "Gateways".

  Melodic  power/heavy  metal  style  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  elements  of  neo  classical  and  shred  and  a  all  of  the  tracks  are  all  instrumental  as  well  as  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  experimental  and  progressive  sounding  along  with  a  great  amount  of  80's  influences  but  also  keeping  everything  modern  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  they  also  keep  everything  in  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Shayd  legacy  drops  the  melodic  death  metal  influences  of  his  previous release  and  focuses  more  on  a  mixture  of  neo-classical,  heavy  and  power  metal  mixture  while  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Shayd  Legacy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  instrumental  neo-classical  and  progressive  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dominion"  "The  Imitation  Game"  "Stardust"  and  "Kingdom  of  Eden".  8  out  of  10.     

Inverted Serenity/As Spectres Wither/2017 Full Length Review


  Inverted  Serenity  are  a  band  from  Manitoba,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  technical  and  progressive  form  of  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  black,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album "As  Spectres  Wither"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  some  death  metal  growls  making  their  presence known  while  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the music  also  gets  very  technical at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  prog  and  groove  metal  along  with  the  clean  parts  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  modern  thrash  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Inverted  Serenity  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  progressive,  technical  and  brutal  sounding  while  the  black,  groove  and  thrash  metal  elements  gives  the  songs  a  lot  more  originality,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy,  consciousness,  Gnosticism,  Nature,  Science  and  Enlightenment  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Inverted  Serenity  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  and  technical  death metal  band  with  elements  of  black,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t hose  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mitral  Genesis  "Paragon" and  "Lunar  Cradle".  8  out  of  10..

      

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Fragarak/A Spectral Oblivion/Transcending Obscurity India/2017 CD Review


  Fragarak  are  a  band  from  India  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays a  very  experimental,  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "A  Spectral  Oblivion"  which  will  be  released in October  by  Transcending  Obscurity  India.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  along  with  some whispers  also  being  utilized  in  the  background  at  times  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  high  pitched  screams  also  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  along  with  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  music  also  has  its  technical  moments  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  most  of  the t racks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  progressive  and  experimental  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  instrumentals and  a  later track  introduces  elements  of  Indian folk  music  and  female  vocals  onto  the  recording.

  Fragarak  creates  a  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  melodic  and  progressive  style  of  death  metal  from  their previous  release  while  also  getting  more  experimental  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  society,  injustice,  anarchy  and  defiance  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fragarak  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of melodic,  progressive  and  experimental  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Pahaneron  Eclipsed"  "Fathams  Of  Delirium"  and  "Of  Ends  Ethereal".  8  out  of  10.    

 

    

Friday, August 25, 2017

Meat Train/Random Acts of Carnage/Contagion Records/2017 CD Review


  Meat  Train  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Random  Acts  Of Carnage"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Contagion  Records.

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some dark  sounding  melodies  also  being  utilized  at  times  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  being  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  be  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  remain  very  true  to  and  old  school  style  of  death  metal  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  bluegrass  before  returning  back  to  a  more  brutal  direction  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount of  clean  playing  and  keyboards  and  there is  also  a  brief  use  of  hip  hop  elements.

  Meat  Train  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  death  metal  and  grindcore,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence  and  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Meat  Train  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Random  Acts  Of  Carnage'  "Redneck  Zombies"  "Wolf"  and  "Block  11".  8  out  of  10.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Discreation Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since recording of the new album?
After the recordings we played two shows in Germany, subsequently we started with the work on the artwork for the album. The Italian artist Roberto Toderico did an awesome job by drawing the cover and the photographer Peter Kunz captured some great pictures of us. Right now we are preparing our upcoming tour with the mighty Master which starts on the 28th of September in Hamburg.

2.You have a new album coming out during the end of September, 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?
One of the biggest differences to our last album “Procreation of the wretched” is the singing because Kai the former vocalist left the band last year and I joined the band. Aside from that our songwriting has become more focused which resulted in songs that are straighter and more in your face.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
All lyrics address the dark sides of mankind and how they will bring us to our end of days. The only exception is ‘The Pentagramm’ which is in fact a peom by Aleister Crowley and an homage to mankind. We picked it not only because it’s a really great poem but also because it shows that humanity has so much potential to create sublime things and overcome giant problems which makes our inevitable downfall even more tragic..

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Discreation'?
Discreation means destruction, annihilation. Back in the days when the guys were looking for a band name that fitted their vision, they came across that word and immediately knew that it would be their bands name.

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?
Last year we played on the Rock Hard Festival in Germany which was a really great experience for us because of the awesome amphitheater and the big crowd in front of the stage. But aside from that we had many great experiences over the years. It’s always a good show when there’s a connection between band and audience and this special energy fills the room. If we may believe in the feedback we get after our shows our live performance is very tight and bursting of energy.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Yes. As mentioned before we will go on tour with Master from the 28th of September till the 7th of October. We will play 10 shows around Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
What we know from reviews the last album has been received pretty good everywhere. But we haven’t been invited to play somewhere abroad. So you can’t really say how much people really got aware of us.

8.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?
Our guitarist Dave plays in a Thrash/Power Metal band named ‘Odium’ which released a new album in July this year and I also do the grunts in the Death/Black Metal band ‘Horresque’.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Discreation belongs to Death Metal and will always celebrate that by fusing the best elements of the American and European forms of Death Metal.

10.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?
While I am more into Black Metal nowadays, our guitarists are still very much into Death Metal. Overall I`d say that we all have a pretty wide spread musical taste. But our common denominator is Death Metal of course.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Some like gaming, some are more into sports like bouldering or mountain biking.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the interview. We are very proud of our upcoming album and hope that the Death Metal maniacs out there will know to appreciate it! So long, stay alive but love Death!

Friday, August 18, 2017

Buried Realm/The Ichor Carcinorma/2017 Full Length Review


  Buried  Realm  are  a  solo  project  from  Colorado  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  technical  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  album  "The  Ichor  Carcinorma"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  an  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  fashion  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  technical  direction  along  with  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams.

  Elements  of  neo-classical  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  leads  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  symphonic  elements  are  also  used  at  times.

   You  can  also  heart  touches  of  traditional  metal  in  the  guitar riffing  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a small  amount  of  clean  singing.  while  a  later  song  adds  in  industrial  style  keyboards  briefly  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  instrumentals  while  touches  of  progressive  rock  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  synths and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Buried  Realm  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  melodic,  progressive  and  technical  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  mental  and  physical  battles  of  terminal  illness  and  diseases  and  the  attempt  to  rebuild.

  In  my  opinion  Buried  Realm  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  technical  death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Ichor  Carcinorma"  "On  Serpent  Soil"  and  "SuperSpell".  8  out  of  10.

    

Cranely Gardens/House Of Decay/2017 EP Review


  Cranely  Gardens  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  deathcore  with  elements  of  thrash,  death,  black,  nu  metal  and  metalcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "House  OF  Decay".

  Radio  and  horror  movie  samples  start off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  vocals  that  add  in  death  metal  growls  and  the  more  aggressive  side  of  thrash  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  metalcore  elements  along  with  a  touch  of  nu  metal.

  When  the  music speeds up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  pats  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  technical  fashion  and  the  music  also  incorporates  elements  from  the  more melodic  side  of  black  metal  and  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Cranely  Gardens  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  melodic  side  of  deathcore  while  also  mixing  in  some  metalcore,  thrash,  death,  black  and  nu  metal  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cranely  Gardens  are  a  very  decent  sounding  deathcore band  with  elements  of  thrash,  death,  black,  nu  metal  and  metalcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Muswell  Hill"  "Savages"  and  "The  Challenger". 7/5  out  of  10. 

Crejuvent Interview

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

I sure can! Crejuvent is my little musical love child that is a direct result of not getting laid in my teenage years coupled with clinical cynicism. It incorporates everything that I love about heavy music into a seamless musical concoction. Being a regular working musician working in different project, I wanted to release my own music without anybody else’s objection to the dumb shit I wanted to do. As of now, the band is only a studio project with myself as the sole member, but who knows what will happen in the future!



2.So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

The first demo ‘Pretty Demos’ was just that, a small collection of songs I had written and recorded that were just lying around in my laptop. The demos are a bit rudimentary, the tracks differ quite a lot from each other and it sounds a lot less cohesive as a release. But hey, the songs themselves are pretty cool! There are probably more elements of old school death metal in that one as the song writing is a bit less defined, band the recordings are also a bit more raw, mainly due to the fact that I wasn’t as good at producing as I was when I released ‘Time’.

‘Time’ is my first attempt at a solo EP. IT sounds much more cohesive and I feel the whole EP has a more unique feel than ‘Pretty Demos’. It’s somewhat more atmospheric and I toyed around with musical ideas a bit more, I got to do all sorts of dumb shit with it that I didn’t get to do with the demos. The sound is rooted more in progressive death metal and is arguably a bit more melodic, but it’s miles heavier in terms of feeling and intensity. Plus there are samples from Simpsons, which is an element that I feel was extremely lacking in ‘Pretty Demos’.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

Typically, it’ll be some sort of abstract concept, or existential crisis, or even a small narrative that explores the theme. You know, typical depressed teenager sorta stuff. I’m not a very literal lyricist, and I like to mask things in metaphors and allegories, I like to think it allows the listener to make up their own interpretation of the song and ultimately makes them more attached to the songs. Sometimes the lyrics have to be implied rather than expressed, ya know?



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

It has zero meaning. It’s a dumbass word that I made up and decided to use because it had zero results on Google when I looked it up. Plus it’s great when people ask me how to pronounce it cus it’s like “pfft, I don’t know” and people can pronounce it however they want. Plus I’m really shit at coming up with names for songs or bands, like REALLY bad…making up my own word was an easy way for me to skirt from that responsibility



5.Other than a few quests you record most of everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?

Yeah I’d love to, there’s just no available musicians in my are that are open and willing to devote time into my own artistic vision! Which is completely fair enough. Depending on how my finances are in the future, I would definitely consider getting session musicians for recordings, but that’s more of a one-off thing. For this project I definitely prefer writing solo.



6.How are some of the quests that have participated on your recordings?

When ‘Pretty Demos’ was released, I had my friend from university sing on the track Dualism. I knew what I wanted but couldn’t pull it off myself at the time and knew he had the vocals for it and he fucking nailed it! I also wanted a berserk and overkill guitar solo in Projection, so I asked my friend Max (who I’m currently playing bass for in the studio) to go nuts on a guitar solo and he whipped that bad boy out in a second! I enjoy letting people in on these things every now and again, it provides a small break from the monotony and ultimately they bring something to the table that I probably wouldn’t have thought of. Plus I’m an extremely mediocre guitar player at best so, you know.



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

So far with Crejuvent I’ve only ever played two shows. One was right after ‘Pretty Demos’ was release and I didn’t really know what to do with myself. There was barely anybody in the crowd and the venue was less than ideal, so my friend ended up giving me a tortilla wrap that I fixed on the microphone, which was humorous but looking back totally made it look like I just wanted a good. Which is sorta true, but not the whole truth. The second show I did was the year after that and it went off great! Given that it’s just me on stage playing bass and singing to backing tracks, people absolutely loved it for what it was. I really try to go all out on stage, cus nobody wants to see some asshole playing guitar or whatever standing awkwardly, people come to see a show and be entertained! I’ve injured myself so many times on stage and at almost every gig I end up jumping around so much I almost puke, it’s great, it’s intense.



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

Not much is going on at the moment really, I wanted to wait and see how the release for this EP goes first and then get on that gigging horse.



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

Well of course I’d be interested. I’m not actively looking or anything just yet, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled. I’ve had a few small independent labels approach me on Facebook, but they usually seemed like they just copy and paste their messages to bands so I never really pursued them. If a label, no matter how small, is GENUINALLY interested then they’ll be willing to write to me personally. I wouldn’t want to sign with someone who doesn’t really give a shit.



10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

No full length yet. I’m considering doing a single in these next few months, but since I’m already really busy with my other bands who knows what will happen. I got a few tracks already written, it’d be just a matter of reworking them, re-recording them, getting artwork, doing some PR…see, it’s not as easy and quick as it seems!



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?

Main influence for Crejuvent is by far Strapping Young Lad. It’s their intensity, sarcastic layers, and production that I really fell in love with. Fear Factory have also been a big influence, especially in terms of adding synths and industrial elements. That said, I’m big on my progressive death metal, bands such as Beyond Creation, Cynic, Obscura, to name a few, have been huge influences on my bass playing and songwriting. Nowadays I’m listening to metal a bit less and more to whatever Spotify chooses for me, from Toto to Leprous and anything in between.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Eating, Rick and Morty, bouldering, and World of Warcraft. And plenty of sitting. I love sitting down.



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

I’m going to assume you mean final words for this interview and not final words for like…life. Because that’d be nuts.

All I wanna say is go and check out Crejuvent’s ‘Time’ EP out now and get ready for the most sexually arousing listening experience of your life BAR NONE. It’s out everywhere, on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, all of it!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Under Eden/An Aeons-Long Shadow/Sleaszy Rider Records/2017 CD Review

  Under  Eden  are  a  band  from  St.  Paul,  Minnesota  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "An  Aeons-Long  Shadow"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  Movie  samples  start  off  the  album  before  adding  blast  beats  and  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  and  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted in  the  90's  as  well  as  mixing  it  in  with  a  more  modern  edge  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  add  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  male and  female  female  vocals  and  they  close  the album  with  a  live  bonus  track.

  Under  Eden  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  old  school  melodic  death  metal  and  thrash  together to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  influence  of  extraterrestrial  beings  over  humanity's  creation,  beginnings  and  history.

  In  my  opinion  Under  Eden  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aeon-Alpha-Storming  Primordial  Shores"  "Catalyst  For  Massacre"  "Ensnared  In  The  Rapture"  and  "Veil  Of  Twilight".  8  out  of  10.  

Darkfall/At The End Of Times/Black Sunset/MDD Records/2017 CD Review


  Darkfall  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their 2017  album  "At  The  End  Of  Times"  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  by  Black  Sunset  and  MDD  Records.

  Tragic sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  onto  the  recording  while  the  music  is  also very  heavily  influenced  by  the  Swedish  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  modern  thrash  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  symphonic  elements  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times,  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  a  later  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  female  vocals.

  Darkfall  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  a  modern  style  of  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Darkfall  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ride  Through  The  Sky"  "Deathcult  Debauchery"  "Your  God  Is  Dead"  and  "Land  Of  No  Return  MMXVII".  8  out  of  10.

  

Crejuvent/Time/2017 EP Review


  Crejuvent  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  melodic,  progressive  and  technical  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  relased  2017  ep  "Time",

  Heavy  riffs  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  screams  start  off  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  as  well  as  the  music  getting  very  technical  at  times  while  the  keyboards  gives  the  song  a  more  progressive  feeling  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  both  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  singing  are  also  used  at  times  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  technical  fashion  along  with  some  elements  of  industrial  and  djent  and  blast  beats  are  also  used  briefly  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  spoken  word  samples  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Crejuvent  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  prog,  technical  and  melodic  sides  of  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Crejuvent  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  melodic  and  technical  death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Code  orange"  and  "Word  Vomit".  8  out  of  10.     

Monday, August 14, 2017

Gutslit/Amputheatre/Transcending Obscurity India/2017 CD Review


  Gutslit  are  a  band  from  India  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plys  a  brutal  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Amputheatre"  which will  be  released  in  October  by  Transcending  Obscurity  India.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  war  samples  before  going  into  a  more  brutal  direction  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  be  heard  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  screams  and  pig  squeals  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  have  a  sense  of  melody  to  them  while  also  sticking  to  a  more  traditional  death  metal  style  and  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  few  tracks  and  the  music  always  remains  heavy  and  brutal.

  Gutslit  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  brutal  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  from  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  murder,  torture  and  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gutslit  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Brazen  Bull"  "Blood  Eagle"  and  "Death  Hammer".  8  out  of  10.

Slice Of Sorrow Interview

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

Roman: Hi! Slice of Sorrow is an atmospheric death metal band from Russia. It’s my side project which I founded in 2015. All the material I write by myself: music, lyrics, arrangements. The songs have headbanging riffs, melodic leads, atmospheric keyboards and extreme vocals. Right now we’ve got one album out. It’s called “Execution” and we have very tasty and spicy video for song “Brutal”. You should definitely check it out.

2.So far you have released a demo and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

Roman: The full-length album sounds massive, strong, full of energy and passion. It’s got headbanging rhythm guitars, melodic leads, cool keyboards as I said before and the most important thing is that it gives you strength and confidence when you listening to it also it relaxes you for example the song “Kingdom of Suffering”. I gotta tell you “Execution” is very varied and professional sounding. That’s all I wanted.

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

Roman: Lyrics are about anger, hate, vengeance, passion, inner strength, sex. That’s pretty much it. The main message is “Don’t be a victim, be a hunter!”

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Slice Of Sorrow'?

Roman: Actually it's very funny ‘cause I didn’t come up with this title, Marina Nemtseva did - guitarist and cofounder of Instorm (my another band). The story goes like this. I had a lot of ideas for the title but the thing was that they just were not good enough for the band. I felt that it needs something cooler, something better. So one day Marina said: ”Hey, what about Slice of Sorrow?” And I said: “Wow, it’s actually pretty cool!” It’s damn good because it’s a big title, it’s catchy and the most important thing it perfectly reflects the mood of the songs.

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

Roman: Well, it’s my favorite part definitely. The best concert so far took place in Novomoskovsk it's a town in Russia. There was the biggest audience so far that we played for. The club was filled with people they were very responsive and it was such a pleasure playing there. We was giving them our energy and they gave it back like in 100 times more. It was so cool, the crowd was really kicking ass. Well, it was the best feeling in my life so far. Thanks Novomoskovsk for that! \m/
Speaking of our stage performance I'd say - it's very energetic, dynamic, headbanging. We do everything to bring people joy. I like seeing people headbanging, jumping, dancing, singing and slamming with us. It's the best feeling.

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

Roman: Yeah, sure we've got some plans for the concerts. Right now we don't have the actual dates but we're working on it.

7.The new album was released on 'Metal Carnival Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Roman: With pleasure. 'Metal Carnival Records' was founded by me and Marina Nemtseva. We did it because we wanted to release our albums on our terms 'cause you know unfortunately most average record labels can't offer you a good deal. Their conditions and support are very poor. So we've thought that maybe we can do better by ourselves and we'll see where it gets us. Right now we're doing only our bands but who knows what will be in the future.

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

Roman: You know, feedbacks were really great. I got messages from different corners of the world that "Execution" is very cool, it's awesome music. I didn't expect that there will be so many positive feedbacks about vocals. I was flattered that listeners love the sound quality of the album 'cause it's my second album as a producer. Reviews are pretty great too. I really happy that people like it. Thanks for listening, guys and thanks for the feedbacks.

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?

Roman: Well our drummer Max Konnov also plays in a band called "The Suicider". They released new album this year. Our bass player Alexander Petrov like me and Marina plays in "Instorm". So what's up with "Instorm" right now? It's been quiet for a while but we did a lot of work all this time. And that's all I can say about it right now.

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

Roman: There won't be something extraordinary different style-wise. It's gonna be like the first album, you know, old school death with heavy guitars and melodic keyboards but I've got aces up my sleeve so there will be some surprises definitely. It will be couple songs that you just won't expect from Slice of Sorrow but of cause in a good way;)

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?

Roman: The biggest influence on my music in this project is Hypocrisy. It's an amazing band and I really dig it. Besides it I could say Cradle of Filth, Cryhavoc, Metallica, Dimmu Borgir and of cause classical music like Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart. Speaking of what I'm listening to now, it's classical music, KISS, Hypocrisy, Cryhavoc, Iron Maiden and Metallica. As you can see it's pretty old school stuff.)

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Roman: I like to play video games. My favorite ones are Gothic, The Witcher and Mortal Kombat. Also I like to create websites. I mean from the scratch, design, layout, programming and other stuff, for example our official websites sliceofsorrow.com and instormed.com are entirely my work.

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

Roman: Thank you everyone who listens to Slice of Sorrow. I'm very happy when my music reaches other people and helps them in life. Come to our concerts, stay strong and be yourself no matter what! \m/
Thank you for the interesting interview!

Saturday, August 12, 2017

The Convalescene/This Is Hell/Unique Leader Records/2017 CD Review


  The  Convalescene  are  a  band  from  Toledo,  Ohio  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  deathcore  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "This  Is  Hell"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Unique  Leader  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  deathcore  style  break downs  while  high  pitched  grindcore  screams  which  also  have  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  them  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  symphonic  elements  also  being  mixed  in  with  the  brutality.

  Angry  spoken  word  parts  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in   a  decent  amount  of  melody  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

   As  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  can  also be  heard  on  some  of  the  songs  and  a  later  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  technical  fashion  and  a  great  amount  of  slam  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  The  Convalescene  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  deathcore  while  adding  in  black,  death  metal  and  symphonic  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Convalscene  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  deathcore  band  with  touches  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Scum"  "Murder  Machine"  "This  Is  Hell"  and  "The  World  Infested".  8  out  of  10.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Nemecic Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Tuomo Salonen (TS): It's been busy! Album artwork, lyric videos and all the other stuff related to the album release takes a fair amount of work. We've also been rehearsing for the upcoming shows.

2.In September you have a new album coming out, 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?
TS: Not too much thought was put into what the record should sound like – we did what felt natural. You can hear different kinds of stuff there really – it's not strictly a death metal or thrash metal record. There is aggression, there is speed, there is melody. Some of the songs even have alternative rock influences.
When we first started out back in 2005 we didn't really have a clear vision about what we wanted to do musically other than play metal. The last time we released something was back in 2010, so you can't compare the old and the new material, really. We're quite a different band now.

3.From 2012 to 2017 the band took a 5 year hiatus, what was the cause of the break and also the decision to get back together?
TS: We had a good thing going on after we released ”The First Morning and the Last Day” in 2010. We played in the legendary Nummirock festival in Finland in 2011 and people were starting to talk about us. After that we took some time off, which we definitely should have not done - you got to strike while the iron is hot and all that stuff. Our vocalist Psycho left the band in 2012. We tried out a couple vocalists, but I think two or three of them dropped out at the last minute for whatever reason, so we were left without a singer. Then it was time for our bassist Niilo to leave the band. Add the fact that we hadn't written anything new in three years, and we were seriously starting to question the future of the band. So it was all a big clusterfuck of bad calls, line-up problems and lack of new material.
Niko and I kept on jamming every now and then while we didn't have an active line-up. I had some ideas that we started working on, but we weren't sure at the time whether or not we would continue under the Nemecic name. Eventually the three of us decided to give it one more shot, and we recruited Emil (Borg, bass) in 2014. Henry (Hämäläinen, vocals) joined the band in 2015 and the current line-up was completed.

4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?
Niko Anttila (NA): Basically it's all about life and death. Humankind has always had a huge need to escape mortality through man-made deities and stories of immortal heroes and I wanted to explore this inextinguishable need regarding this ongoing era where replaceable internal organs and exponentially growing computational power enable us to invent new ways to exist and increase our lifespan. Immortality is a mind-boggling concept and it sure as hell forces us to ponder on the question what life actually is. The album has a sort of dualistic message to it as it explores life and immortality, but on the other hand it also confesses flaws in human nature which will most definitely destroy us - once again it all boils down to human greed and overflowing stupidity which will be our undoing. I really love to wrap all these big metaphysical and philosophical questions into a warm and anecdotal telltale-like environment - I think it makes browsing through lyrics much more fun and it also leaves much room for listeners to make their own interpretations.

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

NA: There is a certain appeal to the concept of rightful vengeance, isn't there? I mean it seems like a good way to express the final nonnegotiable price for all the transgressions done. Mankind has fallen into hubris and Nemecic ascends to pass a check that is most certainly going to bounce.

TS: There were like a gazillion bands called ”Nemesis”, so we went with the Greek spelling. To make things more confusing, we don't pronounce it the Greek way but as if it were written in English: ”Nemesis”.

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?
TS: The aforementioned Nummirock comes to mind. We had a perfect slot – Voivod had just finished their set on the main stage and quite a few people who weren't there to see us in particular were exposed to our music! Another good one was on our home turf in Jyväskylä in a club called Katse; I think the year was 2011. We'll play our album release show there next month.

We've always been an energetic live band. You have to deliver a show – watching people perform carbon copies of their recorded songs is boring as hell. The music has to be pretty damn exiting in order for a band to get away with standing still, staring at their instruments.

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

TS: We have a couple of confirmed dates in Finland so far. We're hoping to do a proper Finnish tour next year and hopefully a couple of festivals as well.

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

TS: Dunno about death/thrash fans, but the reviews from abroad have been positive. We haven't read a single bad review so far. I wouldn't be surprised to see the response in Finland to be a bit more average though... haha!

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?
TS: Me and Henry are the only ones who have other projects. Henry sings in Shade Empire and Asylum 8 (both metal) whereas I play in Tardy, a grunge rock band, and an Alice in Chains tribute band called Men in the Box.

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

TS: Hard to say yet. Obviously we want to challenge ourselves and try to write stuff that feels fresh and exciting for us. There are some riffs and ideas, but we try not to think about it too much at this point. The new album isn't even out yet!

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?
TS: I can only speak for myself and it's impossible to list them all, but if you listen to the album carefully you can hear the the influence of Fear Factory, Alice in Chains, Carcass, Slayer, Lamb of God, Sentenced, Katatonia and Meshuggah, for example. What do we listen to nowadays? It can be ”Licenced to Ill, ”Abbey Road” or ”Reek of Putrefaction” - it totally depends on the mood. We all have our musical favorites and perversions!

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
TS: Anything relaxing that takes your mind away from work. Art, gaming, sports... that kind of stuff.

13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Check out the album, we are proud of it. Don't do anything we wouldn't do! :)

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Discreation/End Of Days/F.D.A Records/2017 CD Rerview

 Discreation  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "End  Of  Days"  which  was  released  by  F.D.A  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and synths  are  also  used  briefly.

  A  great  amount  of  mid  90's  influences  can  be  heard  in  the bands  musical  style  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  much  in  the  traditional  sound  of  death  metal  along  with  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  black  metal screams  are  also  used  briefly  and  clean  playing  along  with  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  at  times  as  the  album  progresses.

  Discreation  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  traditional  and  brutal  while  also  mixing  in  a  touch  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  death,  hatred  and  inhumanity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Discreation  are  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  with  a touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "End  OF  Days"  "El  Magico"  and  "Where  All  Hope  Has  Been  Silenced".  8  out  of  10.    

Monday, August 7, 2017

Slice Of Sorrow/Execution/Metal Carnival Records/2017 CD Review


  Slice  Of  Sorrow  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Execution"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Carnival  Records.


  Horror  movie  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavy  and  fast  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  and  death  metal  growls  start  to make  their  presence  known.

  When  guitar  solos  and leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  keyboards  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also b ring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  also  hear  clean  guitars  also  being  utilized  briefly  along  with a  couple  of  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  stringed  instruments,  flutes,  and  acoustic  guitars  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Slice  Of  Sorrow  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  sounding  with  some  keyboards,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Slice  OF  Sorrow  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Altar  Of  Pleasure"  "Only  Whisper"  "Slowly"  and  "Last  Tear".  8  out  of  10.

  

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Necrosis 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?
 We've taken some well deserved vacation.

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? We’ve used more time on the album to get it right, which we hope is something that can be heard on the album. With this album we've found our path and identity, and therefore rest more confident with the material. While working on the album we tried to keep things simple, and not to compromise our technical level. We kept raising the bar for what we can do and express.

3.This is your first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame? We've used a lot of that time auditioning drummers, but we weren’t successful. In midst of it all; we’ve lost 3 family members almost back to back. In order to cope with the losses, we had to take some time off. All this of course contributed to the delay of the release. Hopefully there won’t be another 4 years before the next release.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music? We primarily focus on existentialism and inner universe. We also contemplate anti-religious subjects.

 5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Necrosis'? To us it’s a metaphor for the degradation and decadence of our society. Which also shines through in our lyrical universe.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? We all have our personal preference of what is our best show, but there is in thing in particular that stands out. We participated Wacken Metal Battle 2014, which meant playing at two separate gigs at either side of the country (Kolding in Jutland, and Copenhagen in Zealand). Prior the event we haven’t played on such big venues before, so it was quite an experience. Our stage performance is very focused, but were still working on our presence.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album? We don't have any touring planned, however, we're having a release party for the album. Hopefully there will be more gigs to come.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? We have been contacted by a couple of minor lab

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal and grindcore? When we play live, we always get positive feedback. The feedback we get is priceless, which is why fans shouldn’t hold back on the feedback. Acknowledgement is among other things that pushes us forward.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? We always try to challenge our technical level, and we’re not afraid to experiment. We feel comfortable in the genre we’re in now, i.e. brutal death / grindcore, and we will try to stay true to the genre and simultaneously evolve our technical level. Speed and brutality, however, is always one of our goals when writing new material.

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? It’s difficult to actually pin-point the bands that inspires us, since we seek inspiration in all kinds of music both lyrically and musically. We listen mostly to death metal and what lies beyond.

12.What are some of your non musical interests? All band members are fathers, so family is important. We love playing PC and consoles. One of us is a board-game enthusiast.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? We want to point out that we have an amazing underground for metal, that are in dire need of attention. There is a massive talent that aren’t getting the well-deserved credit. If you’re a fan of metal; explore the local scene and support the bands by showing up to the concerts, and recognize them on their social medias.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Dimman/Guide My Fury/Inverse Records/2017 EP Review


  Dimman  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  with  elements  of  prog  and  djent  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Guide  My  Fury"  which  will  be  released  on  August  25th  by  Inverse  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  and  blast  beats  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  death  metal growls  a  few  seconds  later  while  you  can  also  hear all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  atmospheric  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  and  screams  are  also  used  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  classical  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  at  times  and as  the  ep  progresses  clean  singing,  prog  and  djent  elements  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  close  the  recording  with  an  orchestra  track..

  Dimman  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  also  mixes  in  symphonic,  prog  and  djent  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dimman  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  with  elements  of  prog  and  djent  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Guide  my  Fury"  and "Pitch  Black  Morning".  8  out  of  10.     

Heathenspawn/Self Titled/2017 EP Review


  Heathenspawn  are  a  band  from  Sydney,  Australia  that plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2017  ep.

  Clean  playing  and  synths  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  along  with  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  whispers  are  utilized  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  80's  metal  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Heathenspawn  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal t hat  is  very  catchy  and  heavy  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Anti  Religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Heathenspawn  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bound  In  Flesh"  and  "The  Vatican  Burns".  8  out  of  10,