Saturday, March 25, 2017

Wolfbrigade/Run With The Hunted/Southern Lord Records/2017CD Review


  Wolfbrigade  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust,  d  beat  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Run  With  The  Hunted"  which  will  be  released  in  April by  Southern  Lord  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  crust  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  d  beats  and  aggressive  hardcore  style  screaming  vocals  and  the  music  also  takes  a  very  old  school  style  and  makes  it  sound  very  modern  along  with  the  heaviness  of  metal  and  the  riffs  and  guitar  leads  also  use   a  great  amount  of  melody. 

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts    and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  with  no  clean  parts  ever  being  utilized.

  Wolfbrigade  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  hardcore  punk,  crust  and  d  beat  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  heavy  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  socio-political  and  dystopian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolfbrigade  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  hardcore  punk,  d  beat  and  crust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nomad  Pack"  "No  Reward"  "War  On  Rules"  and  "Dead  Cold".  8  out  of  10.

 

Carnero/Assalto/Retro Vox Records/2017 CD Review


 Carnero  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust,  d  beat,  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Assalto"  which  was  released  by  Retro Vox  Records.

  Distorted  amp  sounds  along  with  soem h eavy  guitar  riffs  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  d  beats  a few  seconds  alter  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  aggressive  hardcore  style  screams  and  the  music  also  mixes  in a  lot  of  crust  and  post  hardcore  elements.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  using  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending of  the  recording.

  Carnero  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  hardcore,  crust,  d  beat  and  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  violent  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Carnero  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust,  d  beat,  punk  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Citte  Nere"  "Ignoranza"  "Veleno"  "-+Punk".  8  out  of  10.    


Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Heavy Temple Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? Heavy Temple started in 2012. I [Nighthawk] started writing that summer for a band that had yet to be. Then I found a line up and we started playing out. We've been through several incarnations since, but the current roster is not to be missed, with Tempest still on drums, and the newest addition Thunderhorse on guitar.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings? I have to think about this every time. It's everywhere. There are elements of doom, psych, stoner, desert, whatever kind of rock you want to assign a name to. It's really just heavy. If one listens carefully, from the first EP through the new one, they'll notice some hidden riffs. Like easter eggs. Though this EP is slightly more frantic, I think. Key and Bone is nearly 8 years old, Ursa was scrapped from the first EP, and the other two were written for a two piece.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? The first album was about an exorcism of sorts. And the last track presented a new demon. This new album, Chassit, is inspired by the Dark Tower. And how it seemed to creep into my life, having somewhat parallel experiences with some of the characters.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Heavy Temple'? It just seemed fitting for the aesthetic of the music.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? We just wrapped up a tour with Pilgrim, and I'd have to say one of the best shows was at Geno's in Portland, ME with Manic Abraxas and Hessian, both killer locals. It was a party. Also Windhand were terrific. We've played with some killer bands, and Valient Thorr is on the top of that list. Being out really gave us a chance to work on our vibe. After the departure of Barghest we didn't know that we'd be able to find someone who do him justice. But we did, and we like to shred to the fullest extent of our capabilities.

6.What are some of the touring and show plans for 2017? We have a few shows lined up, mostly in the Philly area. But we'll be heading to Psycho Las Vegas this year in August, and then Shadow Woods Metal Fest in September. We're very much looking forward to both of those.

7.The ep was released on both 'Tridroid' and 'Van Records', are you happy with the support both labels have given you so far? Absolutely. Christine and Sven, respectively, have both been great to work with. They've both known us for about the same amount of time, and we're flattered that they still want to be involved in supporting Heavy Temple.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by  fans of psychedelic and doom metal? The response has been overwhelming. We wanted to put this album out the right way, since the first one was just supposed to be a demo. We're flattered and humbled by all of the support.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? The full length has pretty much been written for a year. With the addition of Thunderhorse I think we can finally start working on fleshing out the songs and get into the studio before the end of the year.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? Well, there are the obvious influences, which I'll leave to the reader/listener to decipher. But I draw on a lot. Everything from classical to Sabbath to early 2000's post punk. Recently we just hit Record Archive in Rochester so I can tell you what we listened to in the truck. In no particular order, Metallica, Wu Tang, Tool, Primus, Against Me, Die Antwoord, Motorhead, Jesus Lizard, The Dead Weather, Type O Negative, just to name a few.

11.What are some of your non musical interests? Reading. A lot. And currently Resident Evil 4

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Buy the ticket, take the ride. You won't regret seeing us.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Ibyss 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 ep?
Jens: Well, songwriting for a follow-up has slowly began to take shape. Right now, we are preparing for a series of gigs.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, 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?
Nihil: Our debut album was experimental as we wrote the songs via demos without entering the rehearsal room a few weeks before our first gig. We came from a five man band and had to start at zero. After lots of gigs we knew which direction to head to. We wrote the new songs in the rehearsal room with the live performance in mind. Less baggage, more dynamic hooks and focus on songwriting. 

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

Jens: We are living in strange times. The rise of what I call "false individualism" has created a society of self-centred fucks. Everyone seems to be an egomaniac asshole this days. Nobody takes responsibility for personal misbehaviour anymore. Everything is instantly covered up by excuses like “it is my right as a modern person to treat you like shit” or “you are preventing me from self-expression”, which ultimately leads to “if you point out my faults, I´ll label it as hate speech”. So, there are these little trigger terms everywhere, and everybody seems to get away with them quite easily. Personally, I´ve always tried to stand true to my inner self, my faults and good or bad behaviour. And, I´ve always tried to get in touch with people, rather than to point out my so-called individuality by treating them like shit and hide behind some artificial key phrases or trigger words.

4.According to the information I have received so far the band has been turned down by a lot of metal and industrial websites due to the album title, do you feel this politically correct attitude that the modern underground music media has these days have is harming or destroying the music?
Nihil: Yes, sadly. I believe in free speech and liberty. Our culture is facing a rush for regulations and laws against "Hate Speech". It won´t take too long to turn those laws against our beloved Metal and Rock subculture. Just wait and see....
It seems the mainstream news and entertainment media picked up the same doctrine that was upheld by the old religious institutions. They are the new pseudo-religious institution now by promoting the "institutionalized sin": You´re born evil and immoral thru no false or action of your own.
You know, it´s very annoying to be lectured about political correctness and ethics by the same magazines who share Corey Taylor´s Tweets as their main journalistic ouput on a daily basis.
If they deny to review and write about our band: fuck ´em. We found your magazine and more and more readers will follow and discover all the unbiased and open minded webzines around the world once they are tired of the mainstream media.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ibyss'?
Nihil: Pretty simple. It´s a combination of "I" and "Abyss". Spelled [aiˈbɪs]. We went for a short name which had to fit our stripped-down concept. Back then we created a concept around "exploring the Abyss within yourself" but without the usual element of "Angst". Due to our budget we did not pick it up again in terms of artwork or presentation but we sticked to the name as it sounds cool.

6.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?
Jens: Sometimes, I would be happy to play in a full band again, especially live. But working as a duo is much faster and easier.
Nihil: Our band will always be the two of us but we are open to the idea of hiring a live-bassist
should we ever enter bigger stages on a regular basis. So far everything worked out fine for the two of us on-stage and off-stage.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Nihil: Our last gig at a location in Düsseldorf, which has been the center of the alternative music scene back in the day, where bands like Die Krupps started. We opened for Tommi Stumpff. It was the biggest crowd so far and our best performance to this day. And our first gig in a small store which was completely packed with our friends.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Jens: Touring isn´t an option at this stage of our career. It would be simply too expensive and you know, we both have regular dayjobs and this strange little thing called private life. At least Nihil.
9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Nihil: Strangely, we did receive some offers from distributors and labels but after checking
we had to pass. Makes no sense to spend thousands of bucks for simple services we can organize for much less while keeping artistic control. 

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and industrial?
Jens: Suprisingly well. Not a single bad review until now. Honestly I don´t give a flying shit on other peoples oppinions, because you know....you can´t force somebody into anything. But we are surprised by the support we get from international webzines.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Nihil: Probably adding an 8string guitar into our sonic arsenal very soon. But I can promise it won´t sound anything DJent. We might just explore the deep regions of the "Ibyss" and add
a lower dimension to our repertoire without the Meshuggah riff-cloning that´s been going on in the last years. 
Jens: Yeah, like Nihil said. I don´t know for sure. I don´t think it is a good idea to overthink or plan creativity. I definitely want to see some faster and more aggressive stuff, but maybe we are going to end up making electro-hillbilly. We´ll see.
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.

Nihil: I won´t deny I´ve always been a fan of so-called Groove Metal. Back in the day when Pantera, Sepultura, Helmet and Machine Head kicked ass. Nowadays I´m looking for bands I missed back then like Nailbomb. I also fell in love with demos as they have this raw, unpolished sound. The first Fear Factory demos are just amazing. Discogs and Bandcamp are places I spend hours searching for bands like Maximum Sexy Pigeon, Viral Millenium, U.L.A.A and so on.
Jens: I certainly didn´t miss out on Nailbomb. Helmet and Godlflesh have been great influences too. But to be honest, I don´t listen to much industrial-metal anymore. Today I prefer all kinds of Black and Death Metal. Further I recommend everyone to give King Dude, Darkher, Netherbird, Albez Duz and Coldworld a listen. Oh, and I love Meshuggah.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Jens: Getting old and losing shape, licking sermons?! Just normal everyday stuff. Otherwise, I do read quite a lot.

Nihil: I have a hard time staying focused while reading books but I´ll admit I´m a huge fan
of William Gibson. Soccer has been my virtiol since my childhood and I love running. Oh and I love to shake and throw some dice in an imaginary dystopian environment from time to time, if you know what I´m talking about....

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Jens:  "I've always rejected being understood. To be understood is to prostitute oneself. I prefer to be taken seriously for what I'm not, remaining humanly unknown, with naturalness and all due respect" - Fernando Pessoa
Nihil: "Give me Liberty, or give me Death" is my favourite quote these days. Let´s keep our liberties and freedom of artistic expression in this amazing subculture we call Heavy Metal.


Saturday, March 18, 2017

The Obsessed/Sacred/Relpase Records/2017 CD Review


  The  Obsessed are  a  band  from  Maryland  that  has  a  40  year  history  and  are  one  of  the  first  American  bands  to  play  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  comeback  album  "Sacred"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Relapse  Records.

 
  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  a  70s  metal/rock  style  to  the  modern  era   while  also  being  very  melodic.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  aggressive  drumming  can  be  heard  and  back  up  gang  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  touch  of  proto  punk  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  blues  rock  can  be  heard  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  all  instrumental  while  a  later  song  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  a  couple  of  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  Obsessed  creates  a  recording  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  doom  metal  tradition  while  also  mixing  in  touches  of  70's  rock  to  create  something  a  letter  bit  more  different  than  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  personal  struggles,  despair, and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another great  sounding  recording  from  The  Obsessed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sodden  Jackal"  "it's  only  Money"  "Stranger  Things"  and  "On  So  Long".  8  out  of  10.  

Clouds Of Dementia/Seventh Seal/2016 EP Review





 
  Clouds  Of  Dementia  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  traditional  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "Seventh  Seal".

    A  very  heavy  and  dark  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the recording  while  all  of  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  clean  singing  fashion  and  the  guitar  leads a re  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  traditional  80's  style  of  the  genre  while  mixing  in  a  more  modern  production  and  bass  guitar  leads  can  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  speeding  up  a  little  bit  and  as  the  ep progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  stringed  instruments  can  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clouds  Of  Dementia  plays  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  very  traditional  and  goes  back  to  the  early  days  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Clouds  Of  Dementia  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Welcome"  and  "Love  Song".  8  out  of  10.  

Gossamer/Self Titled/2017 EP Review


  Gossamer  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner,  doom,  and   post  metal with  elements  of  chamber  music  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  and  self  titled  2017  ep.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  ep  and  also  adds  elements  of  post  rock  onto  the   recording  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  heavy  doom  metal  riffing  is  added  onto the  recording  and  the  songs  also  mix  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  together  at  times.

  Elements  of  stoner  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  solos  and  leads  have  a  melodic  shoegaze  style  to  them  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  songs  start  adding  in  touches  of  chamber  music  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  while  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  aggressive  screams a re  used  briefly  on  the  closing  track.

  Gossamer  plays  a  musical  style t hat  takes  stoner,  doom  and  post  metal  and  mixes  it  with  chamber  music  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gossamer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner,  doom,  and  post  metal  with  a  touch  of  chamber  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Medusa"  and  "I  Never  Said  Yes Ton This".  8  out  of  10.    

 

Friday, March 17, 2017

Ibyss/Hate Speech/2017 EP Review


  Ibyss  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  industrial  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "Hate  Speech".

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  programmed  drum  beats  while  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  after  awhile  aggressive  industrial  metal  style  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  influences  of  90's  era  Earache  industrial  bands.

  Clean  playing  can  be  hear d in  the  music  at  times  and  some  of t he  vocals  also  add  in  a  touch  of  groove  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  a  touch  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  also  always  remaining  heavy  while  clean  singing  is  used  briefly  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Ibyss  plays  a  style  of  industrial  metal t hat  is  more  closer  to  the  90's  Earache  and  Roadracer  bands  and  brings  back  a  sound  that  is  rarely  heard  these  days,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  hateful  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ibyss  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  and  brutal  industrial  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  S  INCLUDE  "Face  Off"  and  "Frontlines'.  8  out  of  10.

 

Missiles Of October/Better Days/Pogo Records/2016 Full Length Review


  Missiles  Of  October  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  stoner,  punk,  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Better  Days"  which  was  released  by  Pogo  Records.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  noise  rock  direction  along  with  sludge  style  screams  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  energy  of  punk  rock  while  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  there  is  also a   great  amount  of  influences  from  80's  to  modern  era.

 Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  elements  of  stoner  rock  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  tracks  also  mix  in a   great  amount  of  bass  guitar  leads  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  album  also  remains  very  hard  and  heavy  from  beginning  to  end.

  Missiles  Of  October  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to t he  sludge, stoner,  punk,  and  noise  rock  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another great  sounding  recording  from  Missiles  Of  October  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  stoner,  noise,  and  punk  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "State  Of  Crisis"  "Better  Days"  "Chainsaw"  and  "Two  Feet  In  Sludge".  8  out  of  10. 

   

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Scornthroats/Misfortune/Strikedown Conspiracy/2017 LP Review


  Scornthroats  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  both  Italy  and  the  United  Kingdom  and  plays  a  very  chaotic  and  metallic  mixture  of  crust  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album "Misfortune"  which  was  released  by  Strikedown  Conspiracy.

  A  heavy  hardcore  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  a  decent  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  mixture  of  both  d  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  a  great  amount  of  crust  style  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  A  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  extreme  metal  influences  and  back  up  shouts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being very  short  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Scornthroats  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  crust,  hardcore  and  extreme  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,violent,  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Scornthroats  are  very  great  sounding  chaotic  and  metallic  mixture  of  crust  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,s  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Rise  Of  The  Wolves"  "Forever  Cursed"  "Pure  Scorn"  and  "Evil  Reigns".  8  out  of  10.      

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Statiqbloom/Blue Moon Blood/Translation Loss Records/2017 CD Review


  Statiqbloom  are  a  solo  project  from  new  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise,  experimental,  industrial,  electronic  and  ebm  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Blue  Moon  Blood"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Translation  Loss  Records.

  Industrial  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  programmed  beats  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  elements  of  electronic  music  and  ebm  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  at  times  and  industrial  style  vocals  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  goth  style  singing  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  dance  music  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  synths  are also  a  very  huge  part  of  all  of  the  songs  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  harsh  noise  elements  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  and  90's  emb  industrial  dance  music  influences.

  Statiqbloom   plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  industrial,  electronic,  experimental,  harsh  noise,  and  ebm  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Darkness,  and  Philosophical  themes.

  In  my opinion  Statiqbloom  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  industrial,  electronic,  experimental,  harsh  noise,  and  ebm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Despair  Are  Shadows"  "Talons  Teeth"  "Mortuary"  and  "Phantom  Eye".  8  out  of  10.  

Dead/We Won't Let You Sleep/We Empty Rooms/2017 CD Review


  Dead  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  punk,  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "We  Won't  Let  You  Sleep"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  We  Empty  Rooms.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  they  mix  in  a  touch  of  sludge  and  stoner  metal  and  after  awhile  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  noise  rock  style  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  hardcore  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  fashion.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  very  experimental  while  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  and  90's  influences  while  also  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  melodic  singing  along  with  psychedelic  and  punk  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Dead  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  sludge,  punk,  experimental,  and  noise  rock  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dead  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  noise  rock  and  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Frankly"  "Where's  My  Gold  Star"  "Don't  Skimp On  The  Change"  and  "Pylons".  8  out  of  10.           

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Mountain God Interview

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

Ben: 

Things have been pretty quiet for us.  It took us over a year and a half to get the record planned, rehearsed, and ready, and the writing sessions were pretty intense.  We also did a lot of experimenting with amps and sounds during the recording process, so in a way, we have the opposite feeling of what it is normally like to put out a record.  I think for many bands, it’s the start of a process of touring/etc, where as for us it feels like the culmination of a long journey. That said, we talk fairly regularly, though we’re each doing our own thing currently.  Ryan has a successful touring band called Thera Roya, I’m a full time teacher in Westchester, and Nikhil is always doing something musical whether it’s with Hollow Senses, Quiet Lights, or running Archaic Revival Records.  All of that said, Nikhil and I have had some pretty specific conversations about where to head next.  As Hannibal Lecter would say, “all good things for those who wait!”

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

Ben:

Generally speaking, I look at musical notes in the same way as I do words on a piece of paper, or paint on canvas.  They are a means to communicate ideas and thoughts.  Thus, for me at least, I always start with a story, theme, or emotion in my head, and match the songs to that.  In a way, “Bread Solstice” is almost like a sound track to the narrative being presented.  It’s meant to be listened to straight through. Musically, the record is pretty diverse, though it’s primarily rooted in doom and sludge.  So, while there is the occasional clean guitar, or more nuanced, effected melody line, most of the riffs are pretty heavy and dynamic.  The same can be said of the vocals.  Most of them are pretty harsh, with the occasional break from that.  Also, noise and synths played a very major role in rounding out the songs, bringing the music together almost like a binding agent.  Nik in particular is really well versed in creating atmosphere. I also used feedback and effect pedals with my guitar to create some of the washing effects in Hymn to Nothing.

I feel like the new record is the apex of a process started with “Experimentation on the Unwilling” and “Forest of the Lost”.  While each record is its own entity, there is a clear pathway from where we were in 2011/2012 and where we are in 2017.  I personally always wanted to make a record that was heavy in a “metal” sense, with all the atmosphere of Pink Floyd paired with the unexpectedness of King Crimson and other bands of that ilk.

Nikhil:  Somehow both claustrophobic and expansive with a kind of churning cosmic backdrop.



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

Ben: 

“Bread Solstice” is a story that focuses on an unnamed person who sacrifices himself for his community.  The inspiration for this came from the Nazca Lines in Peru, as well as the people who lived in that region.  While accounts about human sacrifice in the Nazca culture is pretty well known, there are mentions of the fact that some people willingly gave themselves to the priests in order to appease the Gods.  I find this admirable and frightening all at the same time, especially when religion and politics are so closely intertwined with the danger of corruption and deviousness looming.

Ryan:

On Bread Solstice my goal was supporting the dark, jagged riffs and themes Jared brought with heavy groovy rhythm. Nikhil and I locked in and would do a lot of arranging with Jared's raw material so parts of all our personalities really came through. I think besides the overarching dark madness theme of Bread Solstice, I'll always think of it having a lot of personality each of us brought to the songs


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

Ben:

I have to be honest- naming the band took us quite a long time.  I remember that I badly wanted to name us Owl, but it was taken.  So each and every practice, we would shoot some ideas around the group (at the time we had Ian Murray on drums and Jon Powell on keys) and nothing seemed to ever stick.  Then one day we had just finished up rehearsing a song, right after Hurricane Sandy destroyed Nik’s old place.  Our new space was in this beyond shady spot run by really shady dudes who I’m pretty sure were doing something illegal in the place.  So we were dealing with that, and Nik sort of looked at us and said, “Mountain God”.  We all looked at each other and were like….sold! 

Nikhil:  On one level it represents Animism, which is a world-view that I think important and lacking in the modern world. On the other, it is a reference to Shiva, the Hindu god of music, dance, destruction and marijuana.


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?


Ben:

 We’ve played some great shows over the years.  In total, I think we’ve done 30.  The standout gig for me was in 2015, with Ufomammut and Usnea at St. Vitus.  It was sold out- tons of people at one of our favorite venues.  Ufomammut is one of my favorite bands, and a huge influence on the way I think about music, so to be opening for them was unbelievably surreal- particularly for someone who has a career outside of music that is pretty serious.  It was a real honor to share the stage with those guys and something I will always remember.  We also played the first Hoverfest back in 2014, with Yob, Acid King, Witch Mountain and others.  That was a lot of fun.  Meeting Mike from Yob was awesome.  He was really cool to both my wife and I, and one of the nicest people on the scene.  It was a challenging set for us, to be honest.  It was unbelievably hot, using borrowed gear.  I had just got my Monson guitar, so that was new, and my microphone (a copperphone) didn’t lend itself to being outdoors.  I think the Invisible Oranges reporter doing the review said something along the lines of “these guys belong in the darkness!”.  He probably wasn’t wrong!

Our stage presence is what it is- certainly no coordination in outfits, synchronized guitar motions or twirling guitars!  We get up there and do our thing, mostly in the shadows.  Again, not to beat a dead horse, but for us it’s all about atmosphere.  We try to create an interesting scene for our audience to engage with the music.  I think I’ve calmed down over the years- I’m pretty chill up there, not to mention I have to focus on playing well and singing at the same time.



Ryan:

Our show with Ufomammut at St.Vitus has been a highlight of my music career. It was something like an out of body experience to play our big home town venue with a sold out crowd, it made the set effortless. I love playing MG sets with how amorphous and natural our sets flow. A dark/psych. vibe is conjured at the beginning and never lets up till the amps turn off.


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

Ben:

 It’s hard to say exactly.  As I mentioned, Ryan, Nik and I all have different lives outside the band, so sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to synchronize our schedules.  We would love to rekindle the pace we set back in 2013-2015.  More Mountain God is certainly looming in the near future. 


7.Currently the band is signed to 'Artificial Head Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Ben:

 Working with Artificial Head has been phenomenal.  Walter Carlos is an awesome guy and easy to work with on a business level. Initially, we talked on the phone for around 30 minutes or so, and haven’t looked back since.  I sincerely hope that our partnership with the label lasts a long time.  Walter is also the guitarist/vocalist in Funeral Horse, a fantastic doom band from Texas.  He has great taste in signees as well.  Cursus, another band just about ready to put a record out, is heavy as balls.  We’d love to do some shows with them at some point in the future.


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

Ben:

We’ve generally gotten positive reviews from people, and our audiences tend to dig what we do during live sets.  It’s funny- the public and press often use the word “experimental” to describe our sound. In thinking about it, I guess that is true, though it was never something I thought about when I started the band.  As we have evolved, our sound continues to develop and break away from tradition. I genuinely believe that Mountain God can’t be lumped into a particular category like so many other bands.  We don’t go out of our way to blend genres.  It just sort of happens organically.  I think this is due to the fact that each member of the band has his own tastes and influences, all of which impacts the songs.  This is particularly true of “Bread Solstice”- it’s pretty easy to see a bit of myself, Nik, and I Ryan in the songs.


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

Ben:

Because of my teaching job, it’s hard to have any other musical projects besides Mountain God.  I’ve dabbled here and there jamming, but nothing serious is on the horizon.  I did get an offer to do some vocals for a death/black metal band- we’ll see how that goes.

Nikhil:  Currently working on a new Hollow Senses record as well as an experimental project with Bozzler from Kosmodemonic. Have a few other irons in the fire, though it's probably a bit premature to talk about them.


Ryan:

I run a rock project called Crusasis and is also a founding member in brooklyn sludge band Thera Roya, both projects have been pretty busy with shows and releases.

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

Ben:

Nik and I have spent some time talking about this here and there.  Getting nastier, uglier, more abrasive are all things to expect in the future.  Given the times we live in, I can’t see getting away from that.  I personally have been listening to a lot of Godflesh, Unsane, the Jesus Lizard, and Unearthly Trance for inspiration. While Mountain God is often identified as a metal band, I’m not sure how much we have common with a lot of those kinds of acts.  Noise rock comes up a lot, particularly when Nik and I think about our music.  So, it’s not a huge surprise to me that when I’ve picked up guitars recently, a lot of what I find myself working on is exactly that- noisy, nasty, scathing riffs.  Also, while I brought most of the riffs in for the first 3 records, Nik and I have pondered a different writing approach as of late.  We may do some instrument switching.  I particularly would love to spend more time working on my voice, and do some Battilus-esqe vocal process stuff on the next record.

Nikhil:  Pretty hard to say since we've allowed ourselves a fair amount room for experimentation and we're pretty set on making sure we're whatever we do is interesting to us. The current record definitely took a few weird turns that we wouldn't have predicted.


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?

Ben:

 I’ve had pretty distinct phases of music worship in my life.  Growing up, the first “metal” band I ever got into was Metallica.  From there, I got into really alternative styles of metal like the Deftones, Tool, and bands of that ilk.  When I was in college, listening to Tool helped me discover King Crimson, and I had a very serious prog phase, listening to everything from Genesis, to Floyd, to Yes.  2004 was a big year for me, as it was the first time I heard Mastodon’s “Leviathan”.  Almost within a day of that, I read an article in Guitar World about the band Isis, and from that day forth I was pretty hooked on heavier, more extreme music.  Isis, Neurosis, the Melvins, Ufomammut, Primitive Man, Weedeater, Yob are all bands that I started to discover and really get into.  Nowadays I’ve been listening to more technical bands.  The new Gorguts lineup and records is pretty awesome.  I’m pretty all over the map, but tend to gravitate to the heavier stuff. 

In terms of what inspires my actual playing, it’s mostly doom riffs, like the stuff Jus Osborn would play, or the meaty stuff that Steve von Till comes out with.  I’d be a liar to say Adam Jones wasn’t a huge influence, though it’s cliché to say.  While I don’t listen to Tool much anymore, I’ve always appreciated how he looked at the instrument almost like a palate, using the wah to color his tone.  The downright sludginess of Undertow still impresses me.
As a vocalist, I’m a pretty huge fan of Chuck Schuldiner from Death, and there is no greater inspiration for me than Roger Waters as a writer.  He is a legend.

Ryan:

Neurosis, Melvins, Zeppelin and Isis were big influences for how I play in MG. Today I've been rocking the new Cherubs, Alex Calder, Cocteau Twins and my friends in the black metal band Umbra from Charlotte.



Nikhil:  I grew up listening to a lot of European doom bands, especially a lot of funeral doom. That sort of harsh gothic vibe has always been a huge influence. Nowadays I think Tim Hecker and Virus have probably had the biggest influence on me. I also love pretty much anything Aidan Baker puts out.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Ben:

I’m a huge nerd.  I’ve been running roleplaying games for years, everything from D&D, to Vampire the Masquerade, and Dark Heresy.  It’s a fun, creative outlet for me, and a way to write stories as a shared narrative.  I also play tons of miniatures games, and have thousands of painted figures that I’ve done myself.  I’ve been painting since 4th grade or so.  Also, I have a passion for learning and reading; my career as a history teacher has had a huge influence on the way I look at the world. I have a BA and multiple MA’s in history.   I’ve been working in schools for around 14 years, and have taught both western and non-western subjects to middle school, high school and college age students. 

Nikhil:  Reading and cooking mostly. Music related stuff like DIY electronics and programming take up the bulk of my free time.



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

It’s been a pleasure talking with you.  Mountain God is really special to me on a personal level, and something I hope that lasts the test of time.  Making music is a lot of fun, and a necessity for me- a creative outlet in so many ways.  Thanks again for the interview!







Monday, March 6, 2017

Morass Of Molasses Interview

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

Once we finished mixing the album, the next job was to find a Label to release it. We were lucky enough to find HeviSike Records, who are the perfect partners to get this out into the wider world. Right at this very moment we are working on a music Video for the track ‘My Leviathan’ which will be released just before the album launch.

You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

This album is a definite progression from the first ‘So Flows Our Fate’ EP that we released back in April 2015. It has grander themes and ideas involved, and as a result the music reflects that wider scope.

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

The songs each explore particular aspects of the Human condition; such as Lust, Greed, Pride, Jealousy, Gluttony & Vengeance. With mythological Gods, creatures  and settings as the canvas onto which all of it realised.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Morass Of Molasses'?

The band name is based on the Boston Molasses Disaster, and this is also the subject matter of the ‘Rotten Teeth’ off our first EP.  However, it’s not merely meant to be a factual re-telling as we are interested in the human stories behind the event. The song, while in a historical context, was written from a first person perspective, as though we were there experiencing the events unfold ourselves.

What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Playing Bloodstock Festival after our EP release was a particular highlight. As was Touring with Ohhms and Slabdragger. We tend to let lose on stage, which adds a level of unpredictability to our performance. No two shows are ever the same.

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

We never really stop touring. Here is a tour planned leading up to the release:

March/April ‘Rise From The Deep’ tour

23.03.17 - Sub89, Reading
24.03.17 - Stag & Hounds, Bristol
25.03.17 - Rebellion, Manchester
30.03.17 - The Star, Guildford
31.03.17 - FreeBird, Newcastle-u-lyme
01.04.17 - Cafe INDIEpendant, Scunthorpe
01.04.17 - Cogs Bar, Birmingham
06.04.17 - Edge Of The Wedge, Portsmouth
07.04.17 - The Facebar, Reading
08.04.17 - The Big Red, London
09.04.17 - Prince Albert, Brighton

The new album is coming out on 'HeviSike Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?

We are so used to doing everything ourselves that it is a pleasant change to have other people involved in helping to move things forward. HeviSike is the perfect home for us right now, and we have been very pleased with how they have let us release the record that we had imagined in our minds.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner and sludge metal?

Everyone we have spoken to directly seems to love the vibe of our music. We have sold music both digitally and CD’s/Vinyl all over the world via our bandcamp store. So I guess that speaks for itself really.

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

We have already started work on the next release, and have a few songs already. The progression continues, with us adding new elements, and honing the sound we have developed. We never want to stand still as musicians, and so are always challenging ourselves to go to places that we haven’t been before.

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?

The band Elder have always been a big influence on us. But we have found ourselves going back to our roots as well, and adding more Heavy Blues elements. The song subjects are becoming less remote and more personal as well.

What are some of your non musical interests?

We like Beer, Photography, Films… and buying Orange amps

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

We just can’t wait until the album is out. We are especially excited about the vinyl version which will feature the artwork of Dominic Sohor based on the Mythic themes included in the songs. After that we intend to tour the UK, and make our first trips into Europe and possibly the US.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Alastor Interview

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

Alastor is an entity born out of our love for heavy riffs, horror films, the occult and our hate towards the modern society and life in general. Alastor is our way to portrait that horror flick that your parents always told you that you could not see but you watched secretly anyways even if it scared you shitless.

2.You have an ep coming out in March, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Imagine being submerged in quicksand while on drugs.

3.Your lyrics cover some occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?

Personally I have always been drawn to the occult. Be it music or movies and art, there’s just something about the dark realms of the human mind that plucks a string inside of me. I guess that part of my interest lies in the fact that the occult is considered taboo and forbidden. 

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

Well obviously it comes from the Harry Potter character ”Alastor Moody”. Or maybe it doesn’t..

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

We haven’t played that many shows but they have all been memorable in some way. But if I had to say just one it would have to be our latest gig in Malmö since the release of the ”Black Magic” single. When we started playing Black Magic people actually came up to the stage and sang along with the lyrics, it was surreal to us. As far as stage performance goes its difficult to answer from the perspective of someone on stage. I try not to think to much when we play, I just want to get completely lost inside the volume and distortion for a short period of time.

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

Nothing written in stone yet but we have some plans that hopefully will come through. Otherwise we will try and play as much as possible anywhere where theres a stage and a stack of amps.

7.The ep is coming out on 'Twin Earth Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Twin Earth Records approached us after we released the single on our bandcamp and wanted to release the rest of the EP. Ric who runs the label is a really great guy that cares for the bands that are on the label. If you want more great music you should check out Haunted and their self titled debut album that Twin Earth released. Really solid doom heaviness on that record.

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

Overall very positive. Its crazy to think that people on the other side of the earth is sitting and listening to our music and enjoy it. I don’t think any one of us could have imagined that when we started this band.

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

Wherever the music takes us. We try not to limit ourselves too much although we have no intention of doing something totally bizarre and unique. We just want to play loud heavy riffs.

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

We all listen to various kinds of music. All from Hank Williams to Kikagaku Mojo to Entombed and Hellhammer. Personally I think all good music and artists inspire me in some way just not necessarily sonically.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

The occult, horror movies, the usual stuff that distracts us from the strains of life. Alastor is in many ways our way of coping with all the stupidity and chaos that exists in this world that we are unwillingly born in.

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

Thank you for the interview! Die in fire!

Nula Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? We formed band in late 2013, we’re from Belgrade, Serbia and basically, we gathered around the love for heavy riffs and mighty grooves. We came from different musical backgrounds including death, thrash, sludge metal and hardcore punk but were united by our common passion for aggressive, raw and essentially emotional sound and intense live delivery.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings? We are not into putting labels on stuff, but the best way to describe our music would be as a mixture of sludge, doom and post metal, with a hardcore approach. Although the music is dominated by heavy, groove oriented riffs, we also throw in some moody passages to emphasize the atmosphere from time to time, and are absolutely hell bent on drawing the listener to a specific emotional state that makes him question his own inner space and mindset (that’s maybe caused by our local musical influences, traditionally seen as emotionally intense).

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? The goal is always to be as sincere and as personal as possible, cause it’s the only way to feel the emotional and mental release that comes with playing this kind of music. Lyrical themes are mainly tied to personal inner struggles and often convey a pessimistic worldview that is in itself a call to strength, a form of expressing our protest against all that is predetermined.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nula'? Nula means 'zero' in Serbian and for us, the name symbolizes a state of perfection and internal/external balance, a 'clean slate' so to say, a feeling of fulfillment that is reached through emptying one's mind. Or something like that.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? All of the band members have their own favorites, so it’s hard to say. In most cases, the more ‘personal’ the show, the better. At most times, it just feels more natural and easy going to play clubs then, for instance, festivals, cause the vibe is clearer and the exchange between the people and the band is more intense.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? We would be thrilled to have the opportunity to promote this EP live as much as possible. A tour around Serbia is almost certain, and it would be great to visit other Balkan countries and hopefully Europe.

7.So far you have worked with 'Grim Reaper' and 'Black Bow Records, are you happy with the support these labels have given you? Having in mind that both labels are basically more or less underground and conceived on the basis of love for the music and not financial success, we were and are perfectly satisfied with the treatment we were given, cause we always considered ourselves to be a DIY, independent band, centered around the love for the groove and the pursuit for, so to say, a perfect personal expression and complete artistic freedom.

 8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge metal? We’ve received great feedback from fans and reviewers/critics alike and are basically happy with the way things are developing. We hope that people will dig our vibe and that the fan base will grow.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? We try not to confine ourselves to a certain genre and we are always looking for new ways to expand our musical expression. Most of our songs are conceived through jamming which allows us to experiment a lot. Currently our sound is evolving towards being more atmospheric but without leaving out the skull crushing riffage.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? As we already said, we come from different musical backgrounds so that is kind of a hard question for us to answer. Our main influences include Neurosis, Crowbar, Down and a local band called Bjesovi (check them out). We are also influenced by other genres like electronica, industrial, post punk, ambient and of course good old seventies heavy rock.

11.What are some of your non musical interests? Pork, beer, hard liquor, harder synthetic drugs, fine arts, philosophy, and a strong breakfast. Also, contemplating the noose and promiscuous women.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Life is death, death is life, but before you die, check out our EP.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Nathaniel Shannon And The Vanishing Twin/Trespass/Aqualamb/2016 CD Review


  Nathaniel  Shannon  And  the  Vanishing  Twin  are  a  band  from  Brooklyn,  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Trespass"  which  was  released  by  Aqualamb.

  Acoustic  guitars  and  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  psychedelic  elements  and  clean  singing  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  neo  folk  feeling  and  you  can  also  hear  a  little  bit  of  electric  guitar  distortion  at  times  and  saxophones  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  later  tracks  introduce  sludge  guitars  onto  the  album  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  distorted  guitar  leads and  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  programmed  drum  beats  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  songs  and  a  great  amount  of  diversity  can  also  heard  throughout  all  of  the  tracks.

  Nathaniel  Shannon  And  the  Vanishing  Twin  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  neo-folk,  dark  ambient  and  experimental  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nathaniel  Shannon  And  The  Vanishing  Twin  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  neo-folk,  dark  ambient  and  experimental  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "One  Sixty  Second  Street"  "Lost  Hills"  "Tombs'  and  "Never  Drink  Dead  Blood".  8  out  of  10.  

        

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Kenoma/The Tides Will Prevail/Translation Loss Records/2017 CD Review


  Kenoma  are  a band  from  Ohio  that  plays  an  instrumental  and  melodic  mixture of  atmospheric  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2017  album  "The  Tides  Will  Prevail"  which  will  be  released  on  April  28th  by  Translation  Loss  Records.

  Heavy  yet  slow  sludge  and  doom  metal  riffing  along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  and  none  of  the  songs ever  utilize  any  vocals  or  lyrics  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  clean  playing  is  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Elements  of  post  rock  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  rain  and  thunder sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  synths  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  give  the  songs  a  more  atmospheric  feeling  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  cries  and  drones  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Kenoma  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  heavy,  melodic  and  atmospheric  sides  of  sludge,  doom,  and  post  metal  and  mixes  them  together  without  any  vocals  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Kenoma  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "1913"  and  S'leeping  Prophet".  8  out  of  10. 

 

Space Witch/Arcanum/HeviSike Records/2017 CD Review


  Space  Witch  are  a band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Arcanum"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  HeviStrike  Records.

  Electronic  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  psychedelic  elements  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  clean  playing  being  added  onto  the  recording  and  when  heavy  riffs  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  mix  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  their  is  also  a  brief  use  of  back  up  choir  vocals  and  a great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  are  done  in  a  shouting  hardcore  style  fashion  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  Space  Witch  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  psychedelia,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  metaphysical  and  esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Space  Witch  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Astro  Genocide"  and  "Battle  hag".  8  out  of  10.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Morass Of Molasses/These Paths We Tread/HeviSike/2017 CD Review


  Morass  Of  Molasses  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "These  Paths  We  Tread"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  HeviSike.

  Clean  playing  and  water  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  a  heavy  stoner  influenced  sound  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  solos  and  leads  that  also  follow  the  same  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  aggressive  sludge  style  screams  and  melodic  singing  is  also  used  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  Touches  of  post  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Morass  Of  Molasses  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morass  Of  Molasses  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Leviathan"  "Serpentine"  and  "Wrath  Of  Aphrodite".  8  out  of  10. 

Temptation's Wings


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album? For the past few months we've been gearing up to play Skulthor live. Getting our CDs printed, getting banners printed for the new artwork, a new t-shirt design, practicing our sets for the next few live shows, and even writing a few new riffs for the future.

2.You have a new album coming out in March, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past? The best way to put it is that it's more fully realized than our previous works. Stylistically, it's pretty similar to our earlier stuff, we've always blended a lot of influences, but our songwriting has matured.  We're always striving to keep improving on our playing and songwriting, and we think Skulthor represents the very best of our abilities at this point in time. We have relentlessly obsessed over this album and the story for over a year now, and we feel like the hard work really shines through.

3.This is your first album in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame? Since Legends of the Tusk a lot has happened musically, and in life for us. We wrote a bunch of songs in that span, some that made it onto Skulthor, and some that weren't up to the bar we've set for ourselves. Our long-time bass player Willie retired from the band to focus on family and building a house. We knew we wanted to keep going as a band, but I think both of us might've had our doubts that we would be able to find the right person. In the interim, we landed a couple good opening spots, one for Black Tusk, and one for Night Demon, for which Willie was glad to pick up the bass and take the stage a couple more times. Enter Chad Barnwell. We knew Chad from playing lots of shows with his band, Through the Fallen. We had become good friends with those guys and were pretty surprised when Chad, a lead guitar player, wanted to play some bass with us. Long story short, Chad has been the perfect fit, and we've picked back up with a renewed drive and energy.

4.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting? Out of the new songs we were writing, we started noticing a common theme. We felt like we could connect the songs into a grand tale of a warrior's journey. We had the core of the album, but we needed a beginning, one for the middle, and then an end. I Destroyer, Treachery of the Blind Raven, and My Name was Skulthor came about very quickly to fill in our missing pieces. The lyrics were written, re-written, and re-written again to make the story as coherent and flowing as possible. We also have most of a short story written, which we will be releasing in the future.

5.Also in the songwriting I can also see the mythological influences, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in mythology? I (Micah) took an interest in Greek and Roman mythology at an early age. The first Clash of the Titans movie was on TV a lot when I was a kid, and I always loved to watch it. Same with Conan the Barbarian and Destroyer. Someone eventually bought me a book on mythology not long after, and I remember reading Beowulf and Icarus and Daedelus, among others. Later on, I discovered Norse mythology and was captivated again. Skulthor combines elements of Greek, Roman, Norse, and Conan, as well as our own mythology we began creating with our Warmallet EP.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Temptation's Wings'? When the band was first starting to come into realization, I was trying to turn a corner in my life, and get it together. I was listening to the first Down album religiously back then, and the song Temptation's Wings really resonated with me. It's still one of my favorite albums to this day.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We've had the opportunity to play with and open up for some great bands including Night Demon, Visigoth, Black Tusk, as well as the mighty Iced Earth. We also landed an opening slot on Y&T's upcoming show in our hometown, Asheville, NC. In the past we always went for the no frills approach, just us and our instruments on stage. With this album we're going for a little more in the visual aspect, with our life sized album art, by David Paul Seymour, and some home made lights.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We plan on playing as many shows in our region as we possibly can, and hopefully landing a spot on a festival or two. In the fall we'll be hosting our Stone and Steel Festival in our hometown, Asheville. It'll include some of our favorite bands from close by, and we'll hopefully landing a national headliner. Last year Cloak headlined. They recently signed a deal with Sea on of Mist, and we'd definitely recommend checking them out!

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? We're currently unsigned and manage ourselves. Our drummer Jason does the vast majority of our booking. Realistically we can't do much lengthy touring, as we all have full time jobs and families, but if the right deal came along, I think we'd all like to make a career out of our music.

10.on a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner and doom metal? We've been blown away and excited by the amount of feedback we've had so far. We've all been playing music for quite some time, and to have our music played around the globe is a great feeling. The UK has been really kind to us, in particular, and we've received some kind reviews from France and Spain too. There have been a couple people who weren't too thrilled with the album, but that's okay, we realize not everyone will like it, and the majority of the responses have been great so far.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? We're going to keep striving to improve our skills on our instruments and as songwriters. Our vision is to keep making music that blends our favorite parts of all our favorite styles of metal. We've already been discussing what kind of story we might want to work on for the next album. Making a concept album was a lot of fun, and one hell of a good challenge. It's very possible we might go that direction again.

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? The ones that stand out most in our songwriting are probably Amon Amarth, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Grand Magus, The Sword, and maybe a little Clutch. SRV, Pink Floyd, and ZZ Top are also some of our favorite bands, but maybe not as prominent in our songwriting. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Opeth and High on Fire. Jason has been listening to Khemmis and the new Overkill album. Chad has been listening to Mastodon and George Lynch.

13.What are some of your non musical interests? We all like to play some video games when we can. We like to watch NFL football, and Chad and I like baseball. We're all pretty good cooks too. We try to get together with our families and friends, smoke some Boston Butts, and have a big feast when we can.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? We appreciate the great questions and the chance to talk about our music! Skulthor Ebonblade comes out on March 10th, and we hope everyone enjoys his tale as much as we do. Bring the metal!
https://temptationswings.bandcamp.com/album/skulthor-ebonblade