Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Demetrius Grave/What They Deserve, Naughty Children/Dipsomaniac Records/2011 Demo Review


  Demetrius  Grave are  a 1  man  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a mixture  of  raw  black  metal  and  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of his  2011  demo  "What  They  Deserve,  Naughty  Children"  which was released by  Dipsomaniac  Records  in  the  year  of  2011.

  ''Intro" starts off  the demo  with  some  sound  effects and  spoken  word  horror  film  samples  and  serves  as  a  perfect  introduction  to  the  music.

  "Silent  Night  Deadly Night"  starts  off  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  programmed  drum  beats  along  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  and  a  minute  later  the  music  gets  a  lot  faster  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the song  getting  more  primitive  and  brutal  sounding  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  music  slows  down  and  you  can  hear  some  synths and  melodic  clean  singing  before  alternating  between  slow  and  fast  parts  and  during  the  last  minute  of  the song  the  synths  and  atmospheric  sounds  take  over.

  'The  Hierophant"  kicks  off  with  harsh  noise  sounds  and  goes  into  a  breakcore/gabber  direction  along  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  black  metal  screams  which  also  mix  in  with  the electronic  music  genres  and  you  can  also  hear  some  clean  singing  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  the  song  closes  with  some  atmospheric  synths  and  demented  xmas  sounds.

  "Dead  Souls At The  Fallen  Emperor's  Court"  begins  with  grim  black  metal  screams,  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  break  beat  programmed  beats  and  towards  the  end  the music  speeds  up  and  adds  in more  primitive  elements.

  "That's  Your  Present, Bastards!"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  demo  starts  up with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  drone  sounds  which  also  lead  to  some  experimental,  avant  garde  and  noise elements.

  Song  lyrics  cover  demented  xmas,  violent  and  esoteric  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful sound  that does  not  take  away  from  the  raw  nature  of  the  demo.

  In  my  opinion  Demetrius  Grave  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  raw  black  metal,  breakbeat  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Silent  Night  Deadly Night"  and  "Dead  Souls At The  Fallen  Emperor's  Court".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

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Martian Moth/Tudo No Lugar/Dipsomaniac Records/2012 Demo Review


  Martian  Moth  are  a  1  man  band  from  Brazil that  is  a  side  project  of  the  guitar  player  from Black  Vulture  with  the  musical  style  being  a  mixture  of  depressive  black  metal,  experimental  and  harsh  noise  and  the demo  was  released  by  Dipsomaniac  Records  in  2012  and  called  "Tudo  No  Lugar".

  "Super-Romario"  opens  up  the demo  with  fast,  brutal  and  primitive  black  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drum  beats  which  bring  in  harsh  noise  elements  and  a  few  seconds  later  depressive  screams   start  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  avant  garde  and  experimental  elements  start  becoming  a  part  of  the  song,  as  the  song  moves  on  there  is  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  spoken  word  and  clean  singing  parts  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  black  metal  parts  which  also  take  over  again  before  the  end  while keeping  the  melodic  vocals  in  certain  sections.

  "Video0016.3gp"  starts  up with  some  traditional  Brazilian  music  sounds  and melodic  yet  tribal  vocals  and  towards  the  end  elements  of  harsh  noise  along  with  some  folk  instruments  are  thrown  in.

  "A  Celtica  Arte"  kicks  in  with  drum  beats,  melodic  guitar  riffs, and  depressive  black  metal  vocals  and  towards  the end  the  guitar  riffing  starts  getting  a  little  heavier  and  the  song  is  under  2  minutes.

  "Dinossauro  Chines"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the demo  starts  with  drum  beats and  acoustic  guitar  sounds  which  have  an  avant  garde  feeling  to  them  and  a  few  seconds  alter  grim  black  metal  vocals  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  noise  sounds  and  later  on  heavy  guitar  riffing  starts  to  make  its  presence  known  in  the  song  and  also  utilize  some  noise  rock elements and   towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  clean  signing  before  adding  in  more  depressive  screams.

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  their  song  and  cover  Brazilian  culture,  while  the  production  has  a  very  heavy, raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  along  with  the  first  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Martian  Moth  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  depressive  black  metal,  experimental  and  harsh  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  solo artist.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Super-Romario"  and  "Dinossauro  Chines".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://martianmoth.bandcamp.com/    

      

Ivpiter/IIII/Dipsomaniac Records/2013 Demo Review


  Ivpiter  are  a  project  from  Brazil  that plays  a  mixture  of  raw  black  metal  and  crust  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  demo  "IIII"  which  was  released  by  Dipsomaniac  Records.

  "I"  opens  up  the  demo  with  distorted  noises  before  adding  in  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  alter  drum b eats,  crust  punk  style  guitar  riffs  and  black  metal  screams  start  to  kick  in  and  the  song  is  mostly  mid  paced.

  "II"  starts  up  with  punk  rock/metal  style  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  black  metal  vocals  and  starts  speeding  up  a  bit  after  awhile  along  with  some  d-beats  getting  thrown  into  the music  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  "III"  kicks  off  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  distortion  before  the  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  screams  kick  in  and  the  song  does  speed  up  a  bit  for  a  few  seconds  without  getting  too  fast  or  brutal  sounding.

  "IV"  begins  with  some  old  school  style  punk/metal  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  black  metal  vocals  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  very  simple  and  old  school  sounding  formula  along  with  some  d  beats  while  also  utilizing  a  dark  sound  and  after  awhile  noisy  distortion  and  powerful  bass  guitars  as  well  as  some  regular  guitar  leads  kick  in.

  "V"  has  its  start  with  some  fast  and  primitive  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  black  metal  screams  before  going  into  an  old  school  crust  punk  direction  while  still  keeping  the  black  metal  elements  in  the  vocals.

  "VI"  has  its  beginnings  with  some  heavy  bass  guitars,  noise  reverb  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams   along  with  some  drum  beats  and  towards  the end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  riffing  in  the  crust  vein.

  The  start  of  "Vii"  is  an  old  school  punk  rock  guitar  riff  along  with  some  drums  before  the  black  metal  screams  kick  in  and  then  the  song  adds  in  more  crust  and  d-beat  elements  while  sticking  to  a  mid  paced  formula..

  "VII"  which  is  the  last  song  on  the  album  starts  off  with  some  punk  rock  style  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  screams  and  then  gets  a  little  bit  more  dark  and  heavy  while  focusing  a  lot  on  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Anarchist  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  old,  school,  raw  and  primitive  sound  while  you  can  still  hear all  of  the musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  demo.

  In  my  opinion  Ivpiter  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of  raw  black  metal  and  crust  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I"   "V"  and  "VII".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Frater Ximenes Is Dead/Nihil Perpetuum/2010 Demo Review


  Frater  Ximenes  Is  Dead  is  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of   occult  black metal,  ritual,  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2010  demo  "Nihil  Perpetuum".

  "Prelude  At  The  Bottom Of  Heaven  (Revenge  Of  YHWH)"  opens  up  the  demo  with  noise  and  drone  sounds  along  with  some  Gregorian  chants  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  some experimental  guitar  riffs  in  the  song.

   ''The  Antichrist  Revealed  (Mammon  In  Excelsis)"  starts of  with  harsh  noise  sounds  and  primitive guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  then  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  start  to  kick  in  while  also  combining  with  the  harsh  noise  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  towards  the  end  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody.

  "YHWH  Is  Dead"  which  is  also  the  final  song  on  the  demo  begins  with  harsh  noise/power  electronic  noise  sounds  and  drum  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  grim  black  metal  screams  come  into  the song  along  with  some  distorted  guitars.

 Song  lyrics  cover  anti  White  Light  and  Occultism themes,  while  the  production   has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Frater  Ximenes  Is  Dead"  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  occult  black  metal,  ritual  and  harsh  noise  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Antichrist  Revealed  (Mammon  In  Excelsis)".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Song Of Melkor/Bled Dry (Exsanguinated Christ)/Dipsomaniac Records/2002 Demo Review


  Song  Of  Melkor  where  a  1  man  band  from  new  York  that  played  a  very old  school  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2002  demo  "Bled  Dry  (Exsanguinated  Christ)"  which  was  released  by  Dipsomaniac  Records.

  "Bled Dry (Exsanguinated Christ)"  opens  up  the  demo  with  some  demonic  laughter  and  slow  yet  primitve  old  school  black  metal  riffs,  drums  and  hateful  screams  and  you  can  hear  some  dark  melodies  in  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  vocals  utilizing  some  first  wave  elements  and  towards  the  end  the  music  speeds  up  with  some  blast  beats.


  'Hell's  Dungeons"  starts  with  some  slow  black/thrash  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  then  the  grim  vocals  kick  in  and  then  the  music  gets  fast  and  adds  in  blast  beats  in  certain  sections  while  also  utilizing  some  melody  when  the  music  slows  down.

  "Nauseator"  kicks  off  with  drum  beats  before  adding  in  some  fast  and  primitive  guitar  riffs,  and  drums  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  more  old  school  formula  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

    "The  Gods  Of  Pestilence"  begins  with  drum  beats  and  dirty  yet  heavy  old  school  guitar  riffs  which  also  leads  up  to  some  drums  and  screams  before  speeding  up  a  bit  and  adding  in  some  punk  and  thrash  elements  and  towards  the  end  blast  beats  and  primitve  guitar  leads  come  in  for  a  few  seconds.

  'Systematic  Slaughter  Selection"  has  it  opens  with  drum  beats,  heavy  guitar  riffs, drums  and  black  metal  vocals  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  more  first  wave  formula  but  speeds  up  and  adds  in  blast  beats at  times.

  "The  Obliteration"  has  its  beginnings  with  drum  beats  being  adding  in  slow  first  wave  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  topping  it  off  with  some  second  wave  screams  before  speeding  up  and  adding  in  primitive  elements  and  blast  beats  in  certain  sections.

  "Gut  The  Priest"  which  is  a  rehearsal  track  starts  off  with  fast  and  primitive  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  a  mixture  of   black  metal  screams  and  deep  death  metal  growls  which  also  lead  up  to  some  distorted  guitar  leads  and  the  song  alternates  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  'Wrath"  which  is  another  rehearsal  track  and  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  a  drum  beat  before  some  heavy  guitar  riffs,  growls  and  screams  kick  in  and  after  a  minute  distorted  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Anti  Christian,  Dark  and  Occult  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  old  school,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Song  Of Melkor  where  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  black  metal  project  that  combined  influences  from  both  the  first  and  second  waves  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hell's  Dungeons"  and  "Gut  The  Priest".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Song_of_Melkor/5133

    

Immortal Gate/Slaves/Dipsomanic Records/2013 Full Length Review


  Immortal  Gate  where a  duo  from  Indiana  that  played  a  very  atmospheric  and  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Slaves"  which  was  released  by  Dipsomaniac  Records.

  "Foul  Ancestors  Of  The  Beast"  opens  up  the  album  with  dark ambient  and  atmospheric  elements  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  vocals  and  after  awhile  drum  beats start  coming  into  the  song  and  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  guitars in  the background.

  ''The  Night  Is  Negro,  Diabolical  Murder  Of  The  Cross"  starts  off  with  some  background  guitar  leads,  drum  beats and  keyboards  which  also  lead  up  to  some  grim  black  metal  vocals  and  you  can  hear  some  bass  guitars in the background.

  'Descent  Into  The  Black Maelstrom Of  Eternal  Suffering"  kicks  off  with  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  atmospheric  dark  ambient  keyboards  which  also  lead  up  to  some  grim  vocals  and  then  the  drums  start  adding  in  more  power.

  "Epilogue"  begins  with  some keyboards,  background  guitar  riffs,  drums  beats  and  grim  black  metal  vocals  and    is  another  dark  ambient  song t hat  utilizes  some  atmospheric  black  metal elements  while  still  being mostly  ambient.  

  "Memoirs  Of  A  Godless  Soul"  is  another  song  that  continues  the  same  approach  that  is  utilized  on  the  other  songs  but  does  add  some  melodic  elements  in  the vocals   at  times  which  sets  it  aprt  form  the  other  ones.

  "Burial  Testaments"  continues  the  same  approach  of  the  other  songs  but  opens  up  with  some  melodic  grim  vocals  and  the  keyboards  also  have  a  very  evil  sound  to  it  along  with  some  mysterious  sounding  guitar  riffing.

  "Infested  Palace Of  Shit"  utilizes  more  darker  sounding  guitar  riffs  than  the other  songs  and  the  vocals  are  even  more  grimmer  than  the  other  songs  while  everything  else sticks  to  the  ambient  bordering  on  black  metal  formula.

  "Prologue  To  Eternal  Slavery"  has  its  focus  on  the  ambient  black  metal  sound  down  really  good  and  the  vocals  range  from  melodic  depressive  cries  to  grim  screams  and  the  keyboards  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  epic  and  atmospheric  elements  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  being  utilized  in  the  song.

  "Demons  Rejoice  In  A House  Of  Blood"  has  its  start  in  the  dark  ambient  vein  before  the  guitars  and  grim  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  is  another  combination  of  dark  ambient  and  black  metal  but  is  also  the  longest  song  on  the  album.

  "Executor  Of  Gods  Creation"  closes  the  album  and  follows  the  same  pattern  the  other songs  follow  but  is  under  2  minutes  and  brings  a  perfect closing  to  the  album  along  with  some  creepy  melodic  vocals,

  Song  lyrics  cover  blasphemous,  dark,  unholy  and  demonic  themes,  while  the production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Immortal  gate  where  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  dark  ambient  and  atmospheric  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Night  Is  Negro,  Diabolical  Murder  Of  The  Cross"  "Memoirs  Of  A  Godless  Soul"  "Infested  Palace Of  Shit"  and  "Demons  Rejoice  In  A House  Of  Blood".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Immortal_Gate/76266

  

Valdur/Self Titled/Bloody Mountain Records/2007 CD Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Valdur  which  continues  their  black/war  metal  sound  of  the previous  demo  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  pagan  metal  with  the  album  being  self  titled  and  released  in  2007.

  "Bolthorn"  which  is  the  first  track on  the  album  opens  up  with  fast  and  primitive  guitar  riffs,  blast  beats,  and  high  pitched  screams  and  after  awhile  the  song  starts  alternating  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  melody  in  certain  sections.

  'Step  Into  The  Pentagram"  which  is  also  a  re-recorded  song  from  the  previous  demo  starts  off  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffing, drums  and  black  metal  screams  and  gets  fast  after  awhile  but  not  in  the  same  direction  of  the  original  version  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  some  melodic  chanting  in  the  background.

  "Thors  Hammer"  starts  off with  some  primitive  black  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  before  adding  in  some  drums  and  grim  black  metal  vocals  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  song  slows  down  and  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  stays in  that  direction  till  the  closing  of  the  song.

  "Slekt  av  Fortidens  Krigere"  kicks  off  with  dark  ambient  soundscapes  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  it  goes  into  a  more  fast  and  primitive  direction  along  with  some  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  before  adding  in  mid  paced  sections  and  pagan  shouts  and  then  alternating  between  fast  and  mid  paced  parts.

  "Battlescars' another  re-recorded  song  from  the  demo  begins  with  nature  and  people  sounds  before  going  into  an  all  out  black/war  metal  assault  along  with  some  grim  screams,  fast  and  primitive  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  from  the  drums  as  well  as  some  slower  and  atmospheric  elements  being  utilized  at  times.

  'Fire"  which  is  the  last  song  on  the  album  as  well  as  being  another  re-recorded  track from  the  demo  is  another  all  out  black/war  metal  assault  like  the  original  version  that  was  present  on  the  previous  demo.

  Song  lyrics  Satanism  and  Norse  Paganism  along  with  one  song  being  Norwegian,  while  the  production  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  war and  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bolthorn"  and  "Slekt  av  Fortidens  Krigere".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

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Valdur/Battlescars/2006 Demo Review


   Valdur  are  a  band  from  California  that has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  being  satanic  black/death/war  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released 2006  demo  "Battlescars".

  "Step  Into  The  Pentagram"  opens  up  the  demo  with  chainsaw  sounds  before  throwing  in  some  dark  sounding  black/death  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  a  few  seconds  later  it  speeds  up  adds  in  some  war  metal  elements  and  deep  growls  as  well  as some  blast  beats  and  towards  the  end t here  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting  being  utilized.

  "Battlescars"  starts  off  with  some  old  school  black  metal  guitar  riffing  before  adding  in  blast  beats  and  grim  vocals  which  also  take  the  song  into  a  more  war  metal  direction  and  after  awhile  mid  paced  sections  are added  into  the  song  while  also  keeping  the  faster  parts  around  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  deeper  vocals  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  "Fire"  which  also  the  last  song  on  the  demo  begins  with  burning  sounds  before  adding  in  blast  beats  and  fast  and  primitive  black/death  metal  guitar  riffs  which  also  lead  up  to  some  high  pitched  and  grim  sounding   screams  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  music  slows  down  and  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  before  returning  to  the  more  fast  and  primal  parts  as  well  as  bring  spoken  word  parts  into  certain  sections  of  the  song  along  with  a  brief  death  metal  growls.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Satanism  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  demo.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  great  sounding  recording  from  Valdur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black/death/war  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Fire".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Sxap/Monument/Bloody Mountain Records/2009 CD Review


  This  is  another  review  of  a  recording  from  Sxap  which  continues  his  experimental  approach  to  black  metal  with  the  album being called  "monument"  and  released  by  Bloody  Mountain  Records  during  the  year  of  2009.

  "Bloody Mountain"  opens  up  the  album  with  dark  sound  effects which  lead  up  to some  drone  style  black  metal  guitar  riffing  and  a  few  seconds  alter  drum  beats  start  coming  into  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  halfway  through  the  song  spoken  word  samples  start  coming  in.

  "13,731  ft"  starts  off  with  dark experimental  sound  effects  and  spoken  word  samples  before  adding  in  some  melodic  leads  and  drum  beats  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  primitive  black  metal  guitar  riffs,  blast  beats  and  demonic  growls  start  coming  into  the song  for  a  few  seconds  before  returning  back  to  its  regular sound.

  "North  Peak  Part  1"  kicks  off  with  some  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounds  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental  with  no  black  metal  elements  being  added  in.

  "Woods  Below  The  Little  Matterhorn"  begins  with  some  spoken  word  samples  before  adding  in  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drone  sounds  which  also  lead s up  to some  drum  beats,  melodic chanting  and  more  black  metal  elements  coming  out  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  some  black  metal style  vocals  being  utilized  for  a  few  seconds  and  after  awhile  it starts  combining  the  experimental  parts  with  the  black  metal  elements.

  "Morth  Peak  Part  2"  which  also  is  the  last song  on  the  album  starts  up  with  some  ambient  noise  sounds  along  with  some  experimental  elements

  Song  lyrics  are  not  really  utilized  on  the  album,  while  the  production  has  a  very,  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  only  one  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Sxap  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bloody Mountain"  and  "Woods  Below  The  Little  Matterhorn".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

http://www.bloodymountainrecords.com/sxap.html

Sxap/Self Titled/Bloody Mountain Records/2006 CD Review


  Sxap  are  a  1  man  band  from  Mammoth  Lakes,  California  that  is  also  a  side  project  of  Valdur  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  experimental  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  2006  album  which  was released  by  Bloody Mountain  Records.

  "Depressions"  opens  up  the  album  with  noise  sound  effects and  dark  ambient  synths  along  with  some drones  before  the  drums  and  black  metal   guitar  riffs  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  high  pitched  depressive  screams.  as  well  as  combining  them  with  the  experimental  sounds.

  "Zero"  starts  up  with  some  nature  sounds  and  military  style  drums  and  then  the  raw  black  metal  guitar  riffs,  blast  beats  and  deep  blackened  death  metal  growls  start  coming  into  the  song  and  a  few  seconds  later it  goes  back  to  an  avant  garde  sound  along with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  then t he  black  metal  parts  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  a  small amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  "Negative  2 Degrees"  kicks  off  with  dark  ambient  sounding  synths  along  with  some  experimental  elements  and  drone  style  guitar  riffs  and  a  minute  later  drum  beats  and  deep  demonic  growls  slowly  start  to come  in which  also  lead  up to  some  spoken  word  samples  along  with  some distorted  guitar  leads  a  few seconds  later,  halfway  through  the  song  you  can  hear  some  black  metal  style  guitar riffing  slowly  creeping  into  the  song  along  with  some  drums  and  the music  gets  more  primitive along  with  the  demonic  growls  making  a  return  and  a  few  minutes  later  there is  a  brief  use  of  chanting  being  utilized.

  "Negative  Ten"  which  is  also  the  closing  song  off  the  album  begins  with  some  synths  that  combine  experimental,  ambient  and  drone  together  along  with  some  drum  beats  in  the  background  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  spoken  word  samples  start  coming  into  the  song  along  with  some  dark,  black  metal  guitar  riffs  that  combine  melodic  and  primitive  parts  together  which  leads  up  to  some  grim  and  evil  sounding  screams  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  and  depressive  cries,  as  the  song  moves  in  its  goes  into  a  slower  direction  for  awhile  along  with  some  guitar  leads  before  returning  back  to an  experimental  direction  a  couple  of  minutes  later  while  also  keeping  around  the  black  metal  elements

  Song  lyrics  are  rarely  used  on  the  album,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  along  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Sxap  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  black  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Depression"  "Negative  2 Degrees".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.bloodymountainrecords.com/sxap.html   

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Bal Sagoth/Aprocryphal Tales (Demo 1993)/Godreah Records/2013 CD Re-Issue Review


  Bal  Sagoth  are  a band  from England  that  has been featured  before  in this  zine  and  are  a  band  known for  fantasy and epic  approach  to  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1993  demo  "Aprocryphal  Tales" which  was  re-issued  by  Godreah  Records  which  displays the  beginnings  of  their epic  metal sound  with  a  more  raw  approach.

  "Intro"  starts  off  the  demo  with  some  sound  effects,  spoken  word  samples,  demonic  vocals  and  epic  keyboards  and  serves as  an  introduction  to  what  is  going  to  come.

  "Dreaming  Of  Atlantean  Spires" the  first  official song  on  the demo  opens  with  heavy  black  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  screams  before  some  dark  sounding  keyboards  start  making  its  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  death  metal  influences  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  classical  music  elements  as  well as  a  mixture  of  fast  and  slow  parts  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  dark  sounding  guitar  leads  that come  in  for  a  few  seconds  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  thrash  influences.

  "Bye  The  Blaze  Of  Of  The  Fire  Jewels"  begins  with  some  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  keyboards  before  the  black  metal  screams  kick  in  along  with  some  death  metal  influenced  guitar  riffing  and  deep  growls  along  with  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  and  towards  the  end  the  guitars  start  utilizing  some  melody  and  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background.

  "A  Shadow  In  Th  Mist"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the demo  starts  off  with  some  heavy death  metal  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  deep  growls  and  then  some  psychedelic  sounding  keyboards start kicking  in  along  with  some  slower  riffing  and  then  the  song  starts alternating  between  the  different  style  of  riffing  and  towards  the  end  of  the  song  you  can  hear  a  brief  use  of  melodic  elements.

  "Hyperborean  Requiem  is  an  experimental  piece  that was  recorded  in  2004  and utilizes  some  keyboards  and  avant  garde soundscapes  while  still  having  epic  elements.

"Byond  Hatheg-Kla"  which  is  also  the last  song  on  the  cd  opens  up  with  some  epic  keyboards  and  dark  soundscapes  along  with  some  animal  sounds  and  the  song  also  has  some  classical  influences  and  is  an  instrumental.

  Song lyrics  cover  Atlantis,  Fantasy,  Occult,  and  Science  Fiction  themes,  while  the  production  on the  demo was  more  raw  sounding than  the  albums  that  came  out  after  that  but  the  newer  songs  and  bonus  tracks  have  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  epic  sound  to  them.

  In  my  opinion this  was  a  great  sounding  recording  from  Bal  Sagoth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  demo  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dreaming  Of  Atlantean  Spires"  and  "A  Shadow  In  Th  Mist".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Monday, October 28, 2013

Malacath Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Malacath is the result of my attempt to recreate the feeling that I get when I listen to old school Black Metal. I released a demo in 2011 called Profound Devilry, a Split in 2013 with my friends in Murrum called Wolves of New England, and an EP in 2013 as well called Songs for the Destitute. I'm currently in the process of finishing the writing process for another EP, and am still waiting to record a Full Length album that I have had written for almost a year. It is a very active project.
2.How would you describe the musical sound that is present on the new recording?
As with my previous releases I've been experimenting a little bit. Songs for the Destitute was very much an Atmospheric Black Metal album, which isn't what I normally play. An Ode to the Loss of Life (the next release that I am currently working on) really more or less continues that same thought. The two releases are meant to go hand in hand with each other, so they share similar concepts. I've gone a little further with experimentation on the new EP though. There will be a lot more Doom in it, still primarily Black Metal, but it will have a lot of Doom elements. Clean and acoustic guitar are also going to play a big role, along with some bass driven sections. The thing I am most excited about is the piano that will be included. I'm really trying to branch out a little bit to make the most out of what could potentially be my last exploration of this sub-genre of Black Metal for quite a long time. I have no intentions of adhering to the stereotypes of Black Metal, I'm just going to do whatever I want. That's the way it should be.
3.A Couple of the songs where based on Lovecraft's writings, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author and also what are some of the other topics you explore as a song writer?
Lovecraft, for some reason, is one of the few authors who has managed to hold my interest with his stories. I could never really place why. Perhaps it his style of writing, or the characters that he makes, whatever it is I always seem to find inspiration after reading it. As for other themes, I guess I really don’t write specifically about certain things. There are a lot of reoccurring themes, such as death and isolation, but nothing in particular. I tend to write lyrics about how I feel when listening to the song. Lyrics are usually the last thing that I do.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Malacath?
I got the name from the Daedric Price Malacath in the Elder Scrolls series. His is the Patron of the Orcs. I guess the inspiration behind the choice was that he is one of my favorite Daedra in the series. The games are a big part of my life, which is probably a sad thing. They provide an escape for me, just like music does, so I guess it is my homage to those games.
5.With this musical project you work by yourself, how do you think the music would sound if you had used other musicians?
It would probably sound entirely different. Everybody has their own style of playing, and to a certain extent, their own sound as well. Malacath is purely mine in every aspect. It has my sound, with my riffing style, my lyrics, and my musical concepts. When working with other musicians you take in everybody’s input and the result is a combination of all of the member’s styles. Adding another member would be equivalent to adding a new ingredient in a recipe for food, it is going to change the result. I would hope that it would still remain in the Black Metal spirit.
6.Recently the project did a split with Murrum, what are your thoughts on the other band that participated on the split and also can you tell us a little bit more about Swampcult Productions?
I consider the guys in Murrum to be good friends of mine. I love their music, especially their most recent EP “In His Acita Atria”. They’re unrelenting and uncompromising, and I respect that a lot. They put on a hell of a show too. As for Swampkult, they are awesome too; very upfront and honest guys, which was really nice to see. It is an underground label that has released some killer bands. Not much more to say really.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
I’m not so sure there really has been a big reaction, but right around 200 people have downloaded my last EP and I keep seeing my music being posted on youtube. Somebody uploaded my full EP and it has a little over 400 views and 21 thumbs up or something like that. If you judge things off of the internet, people seem to be enjoying it. I can’t say I have seen any international reactions in person, but the response on the internet that I have seen has been positive. I’ve read two reviews of Songs for the Destitute, and both were positive. So I guess I’d say the feedback has been good.
8.What is going on with the other band you are a part of these days?
Well I’m actually involved with a number of different music projects, but my main band Sassu Wunnu has been quite busy lately. We just finished working on an EP that needs vocals and then mixing. We are also finishing up our first full length and have been playing more shows. I’ve certainly been busy with that, more so than Malacath really.
9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
I’m definitely going to move away from the Atmospheric Black Metal sound on Songs for the Destitute and my next EP An Ode to the Loss of Life. I’ve explored that genre enough for now, I don’t want that to be all that Malacath is. In the future Malacath is going to be much angrier, and much faster. I’m not the fastest player in the world, but I’m still going to play fast. There will always be a presence of atmosphere, there is no question about that, but I’ll be returning to a more old school style of black metal. Not as experimental, just raw emotion.
10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I think without a question my biggest influence is Darkthrone. They are the band that introduced me to the style far before I knew that there were other bands playing it. I started off with a very narrow perspective of the black metal scene, and Darkthrone, as well as Burzum, were the two bands that really stood out to me, as they have to so many others. At this point though, elements of Doom metal have found their way in to my music. Slow, brooding riffs really add a lot to music in my opinion. I like playing slow more than I like playing fast. However, when it comes to atmosphere, there is no greater band than Nortt. I don’t try to emulate these bands, which I feel like I might be implying by mentioning them as influences, but they certainly have had a profound effect on me.
11.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
Well it is certainly interesting to read about and to write songs about. I don’t really give it much mind anymore to be honest. Some people take it far too seriously for me. I don’t heavily study the occult, and I’m certainly not a Satanist. There is certainly a great allure to the idea of hidden wisdom, but I get just as much interest from general psychology and mythology. Like I said, it makes for great creative writing material, but I don’t personal delve too deeply in it.
12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
There aren’t many to be honest. I like playing video games, and if there is a book that can hold my attention I love to read. Music is really what I do.
13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thanks for taking the time to listen to my music. Support the underground.

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Atrabilis/Negativa/MMXIII Split EP Review


  Spain's  Atrabilis  and  Negativa  return  with  their  follow  to  last  years  split  ep  with  this  self  released  recording  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Atrabilis  which  also  continues  their  experimental  black  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings.

  "Decima  Parte"  starts  off  with  some  melodic,  fast  and  primitive  black  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drum  beats  before  slowing  down  shortly  after  that which  also  leads  to  the  song  alternating  between  slow  and  fast  parts  while  also adding  in  experimental  sounds  and  guitar  leads  to  add  more  diversity  to  the  song  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental  with  no  vocals  being  utilized.

  "Xnanabsop"  which  is  a Brainikald  cover  begins   with    some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  the  song  is  another  instrumental.


  Song  themes  cover  darkness,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  first  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Atrabilis  and  if  you  are  into  instrumental,  experimental  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Decima  Parte".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Negativa  with  their  music  continuing  their  depressive  approach  to  black  metal.

  "II"  kicks  off  with  some  dark  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  melodic  riffing  and  a  few  seconds  later  tortured  screams  start  making   their  presence  known  in  the  song  and  as  the  song  moves  on  melodic  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  music  along  with  some  faster  parts  being  added  in  certain  sections  and shortly  after  that  the  song goes  into  a  softer  direction  along  with  some  pianos  and  spoken  word  parts  for  a  few seconds  before  getting  heavy  again.

  "Bleeding  Hope"  which  is  a  Life  Neglected  cover  starts off  with  some  melodic  and  depressive  sounding  black  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some drum  beats  and  a  minute  later  high  pitched  suicidal screams  start  to  kick  in  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  as well  as  throwing  in  some  dark  atmospheric  sounds.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes,  while   the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound.

In  my  opinion   this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Negativa  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Bleeding  Hope".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  experimental and  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check out  this  split.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Atrabilis/3540313211
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Negativa/3540343812

Atrabilis/Cero/2013 Demo Compilation Review


  Spain's  own  Atrabilis  are  back  this  time  with  a  self  released  demo  compilation  "Cero"  which  displays  their  experimental  black  metal  songs  from  past  releases.

  "Primera  Parte"  opens  up  the  compilation  with  some  drone  style  sound  effects as  well  as some  ambient  synths  which  also  leads up  to  some  clean  guitar  playing  which  later  start  utilizing  distortion  and  going  into  a  more  black metal  orientated  direction  as  well  as  mixing  in  the  drone  elements  to  make  the  music  more  creative.

  "Parte  Segunda"  starts  off  with  some  old  school  black  metal  style  guitar riffing,  fast  drum  beats  and grim  screams  before  slowing  down  a  bit  and  adding  in  some  depressive  elements  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  being  utilized  and  the  song  alternates  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  towards the  end  synths  start  becoming  a  part  of  the  song  and  bring  in  experimental  elements.

  "Terce  Parte"  begins  with  some  experimental  drone  sounds  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  you  can  hear  some spoken  words  in  the  background  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental.

  "Parte  Cuarta"  kicks  in  with  some  heavy  and  primitive  black  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  depressive  and  suicidal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  slower  direction  but  only  stays  there  briefly  before  alternating between  fast and  slow  parts  as  well  as  adding  blast  beats  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  during  the  last  minute  of  the  song  it  goes  more  into  a  dark  ambient  direction.

  "Quanta Parte"  has  its  beginning  with  some  dark  ambient  sounds  and  avant  garde  synths  and  the  song  is  another  instrumental  with  no  vocals  or  heavy  guitars  being  present.

  "Sexte  Parte"  is  a  return  to  the  black  metal  sound  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drum  beats  and  after  a  few  seconds  high  pitched  depressive  screams  kick  in  along  with  some  more  fast  and  primitive  riffing  while  also  utilizing  some  melody  and  after  awhile  the  song  starts  utilizing  a  combination  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  halfway  through  the  song  clean  and  soft  guitars  kick  in along  with  some  spoken  parts  while  also  retaining  the depressive  elements  and  then  returning  to  being  heavy  again  shortly  after that.

  "Parte  Octava"  is  introduced  with  some  ambient  sounding  black  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  song  is  another  instrumental  but  more  in  the  metal  direction  this  time  around.

  "Sexta  Parte  V2"  is  a  remade  version  of  an  earlier  song  but  with  more  depressive  and  suicidal  elements  and  this  version  is  also  a  lot  more  darker  sounding  than  the  original.

  "I"  which  is  also  a  Velvet Cacoon  cover  starts  off  with  some  ambient  style  black  metal  guitar riffs  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  high  pitched  screams  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  some  nature  sounds  in  the background  before  going  into  a  more  fast and  primitive  direction  for  a  few  seconds  before  returning  to  its  normal  pace.

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  abstract  themes,  while  the production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  most  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Atrabilis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Primera  Parte"  "Parte  Cuarta"  "Sexte  Parte"  and  "I".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Atrabilis/3540313211