Thursday, March 29, 2018

Declared Dead Interview

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

Sure. I'm Anders (Milovovich). I play guitar and am the lead vocalist for Declared Dead. Dimitri Nagel III (yes, "the third" - to add such regal distinction) plays guitar along with me (we share both duties of rhythm and lead). Then there's Deiter Cox who's our bassist (and sometimes backup vocalist - deeper lead growls in some sections of songs, too). Last but, surely, not least is our inimitable drummer - Mikhel Van Zaal (the barefooted psychotic hippy-lookin' pussy-hound and occasional keyboard player).
I started Declared Dead in mid 2014 with another string of chaps (we recorded the "Subterranean Nightmare" demo, together). I split to a new flat miles and miles away, shortly after, and gathered the aforementioned line-up during the year of 2015. From then on we've been fab chums and mad bandmates storming forth from the gates of the abyss!


2. How would you describe the musical sound that has been presented on the recordings you have released so far?

Each sonic offering has it's own individual charm and atmosphere, I feel. Yet, they retain a core element of our overall style. I started the band with the vision of summoning and swirling together Old School Death Metal and Thrash. There could be tinges of Black Metal, as well. Our demo, definitely, had that vibe! It's "primitive" and "savage"! We were planning to do three demos but, again, I moved and a different "fate" took hold. When I got together with my main Metal brothers of now - the music took on more sub-genres of Metal (like Progressive, Gothic, Avant-garde, and even "Traditional Heavy Metal/Hard Rock" - though, mixed with all the other "categories" gives the finished music a more "original" sound, I think). With our first full album ("Denounced and Defiled"), I wanted a sound that was like being pulled into another time and dimension.  The "Declared Dead world". So, I opted for a more "unorthodox" guitar sound. It became our "trademark" vibe (whether appreciated or despised) for the next sequential releases (it was especially noticeable on "Revel in the Macabre" and "A Date with the Coroner". The mastering of the e.p. "Shiv" made some of the "trademark" aspect less apparent). With our latest "Blood Bender" excursion, I decided to go for a more "percussive" guitar tone (since this one was meant to be a full on "thrasher"). The newer sound - definitely - has a stronger presence. So we'll, probably, stick with it for the next few releases! Most likely "tweaking" it here and there to suit the mood.


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

Hmm...there's - probably - some deliberately "cliche" type of references (but expressed in a somewhat "unique" way). Some of these ideas might be in relation to "anti-religious matters",  "war", "misanthropy", "misogyny", "necrophilia", "serial killers", "hypocrisy", "depression", "loss", "dying", "sadness and sorrow", "misappropriated anger", "fear", "mental disorder", "impermanence", "oppression", "perseverance", "hate"...


4. Some of your lyrics cover satanic and occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

I'm not sure they are "overtly" Satanic, necessarily. I've read all the books by Anton LaVey, back in the day, and would agree with much of what  he had to say. I don't remember all the tenets ("Nine Laws of This and That" or  "The Eleven Blah, Blah, Blahs") but I appreciate what he contributed to in terms of "free thought" and "expression". I'm sure I'd be considered a "de facto Satanist" in his terminology. I don't practice any form of "religion" or adhere to "definitive beliefs".  I'm drawn to "occult" things/ideas in various forms. "Occult" (of course) meaning "hidden knowledge". I'm open to anything and everything, for the most part. I tend to gravitate towards more of a "Buddhist/Zen" aspect (not the religious form of those - the "awakened" form of those). "Does a dog have Buddha nature?" Of course it does. All has Buddha nature (if "Buddha nature" means "intrinsic divinity"...the "breath of the Great Spirit"..."Nothing is not The One"..."The Finite in the Infinite, The Infinite in the Finite"..."Grace within iGnoRAnCE", etc.). Some say, "All paths lead to 'God'." Others have said, "All paths lead away from 'God'." Then, there's the realization that "All paths ARE 'God'." Go explore and be. ;-)

The new album ("Blood Bender"), probably, has a more overt and slightly more serious "Satanic" expression ('cuz it's "fun" for Metal to have such things!), than any of the other Declared Dead releases. Though, they all have a reference to the "hellish realms"..."dark entities"..."the devil" - as metaphor, mostly. But there's a "winking" type of "glint" here and there throughout the majority of Declared Dead works, referring to a more "cartoonish" and anthropomorphic "Satan/Devil", as well. I can't do it with a straight face, is all. It has to have a smirk... I'm - naturally - "rebellious"...and LaVey mentioned that "satan" use to be a verb meaning "opposition" or "to oppose", if I remember correctly. So, "Satan" could just be the "Father of Duality"...everyone and everything "opposes" something...so, everyone/everything "satans" this or that...falling under the "Rule of Satan"...or rule of "satan-ing"? All is "Satanic". Making "Satan" obsolete. God is, also, dead - remember. ;-D

In terms of the "direct" sounding title ("Segue to Satan") off of "Blood Bender". That was just a phrase I thought rolled off the tongue nicely (and is a bit satirical in the sense that this kind of music tends to speak about Satan, quite often. "Hail to the horns!!!" I'm thinking of stuff like Venom, Bathory, Impaled Nazarene, and various "Black Metal" type of bands..."raw underground metal", you know). Not as an "insult"...just a "tongue-in-cheek" homage of sorts ("Homage to Satan" - Deicide?). The actual lyrics kind of represent a more "true" nature of the so called "Satan" (in the LaVeyan tradition). But it's really referencing the magical totem spirit of the Galactic Jaguar. Bound to nothing, yet pervading everything. The unknown is feared by those too scared to tread in darkness.


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

When I was trying to come up with a name for the band, it was difficult. Everything I thought of was already taken! Somehow "Declared Dead" showed up in my thoughts. It intrigued me. So, I looked it up  to see if any other band had that moniker. It seemed it was not in use! I decided we would use it for our band name, since it sounded "good enough" for our budding style. Then, various meanings started to make sense for it. Like, everything that is born is "declared dead" at birth (since everything that lives dies). Life itself is "declared dead". Then, there's the idea that "Metal" (music) has been "declared dead" at various times through its existence. Yet it lives on! I also realized that after the demo was recorded - with each release we've done, I've used riffs/songs from other music projects/band attempts I had! Bands/projects that I've "declared dead"! They've been reanimated with Declared Dead! Haha! Also, there's the "God" correlation. We despise Christianity. And "God" has been "declared dead" by Nietzsche, etc. So, we like to add "Jesus" into the mix, quite often. Yet, if you think about it - "God is dead", yet lives on! Christians tend to believe "Jesus" is "God". As the band Immolation has stated in its lyrics - "Jesus didn't die for me, Jesus died". Haha. But ironically - "Jesus" is not "dead"...his name and "presence" lives on through all of us declaring him dead! Think how many times his name is uttered (even "blasphemously") every day! I say, "Jesus fucking Christ" multiple times a day! The bastard is a continual "meme"! Haha! God is dead...like my asshole...oh, whoops! I have to go take a shit! Pardon me! I guess I was wrong! But anyway. One more "meaning" of Declared Dead can tie in with marking someone/something for death, too. "You're dead, motherfucker!" That type of thing.


6. In the 4 years you have been around you have put out 6 releases, does this band spend a great amount of time writing and recording music?

Yes! Definitely! It is our main focus of life, for the most part! Some of us more than the others (but not by very much). We're just creatively driven, I'd say. We want to become more proficient at our craft (in our various ways). We strive for constant improvement. We, also, enjoy experimentation. Trying to come up with stuff that - maybe - no one else really has?


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

Well, we're not currently a "touring band". We've only played small shows to groups of "friends" and "friends of friends" along with a couple other beginning bands. Locally, you know. Mostly for "beers, broads, and bud"...haha! This isn't very often...as we have other obligations that hinder us. As for "stage performance" - we just play our instruments as loud as we can and try not to get elbowed in the eye!


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

No. Not at all. If we can make a gig happen, we will. But we're quite content being so underground as to almost be in the ground...rockin' the graveyard, for now! Nah. That's a bad joke. We'd love to "tour the world"...but for now, we'll have to settle for being "Buried in the Basement" (sorry, another bad joke - it's been a possible Declared Dead song title for a while, now...had to slip it in here, for some reason). We have too many other obligations, simply put. Work...university...all that "fun stuff".


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

No. We've not shopped any label deals. We've been quite "happy" releasing our own stuff digitally, etc. However, shortly after releasing "Blood Bender" - we've been approached by an underground label to do a limited edition professional cd release of it. I'm - personally - in negotiations with him/them, as I type this. That's pretty exciting, actually. It's in its very early stages...so, "anything can happen" (I usually think "in a negative way"...haha). If the deal doesn't "fall through" - it will be viewed as an "elevation" for the band! I will frame the cd/artwork and hang it on my wall (like record execs do with "gold" and "platinum" records, etc.). An achievement type of thing! Otherwise - either way - we'll continue putting our releases out on a regular basis!


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

It's tough to say, really. We don't have "adoring fans", so to speak. They seem to grab the music and keep their mouths shut, for the most part...haha. But we've noticed Declared Dead has shown up on various "blogs", "Metal sites",  and "forums", now and again. So, there's a small stream of supporters - spreading the name. It would be great to see more of that! I'd say, Russia has shown the most interest - for some reason. And surrounding areas, maybe? That's where the aforementioned label interest is stemming from, by the way.  I'd say that's not too bad for hardly promoting our own stuff, you know? We just sort of "toss it out there"..."chum the waters"...and the "ravenous Metal seeking sharks" find what they need, etc.!


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

Any direction is possible, I'd say. We're musical explorers! However, right now - it feels like for the next two Declared Dead releases - we might re-record a number of songs from the first album (using the "stronger" production of "Blood Bender") and release that as an "e.p." (or we'll record a few new songs to add to the re-recorded songs and throw a few "bonus" tracks on there, as well..."unreleased demo tracks" type of thing - to make it a "compilation" release). Then, another full release after that feels like it will be more "heavy, doomy, dark, mid-paced death metal interlaced with a "Blackened Thrash atmosphere", if that makes sense? There will be enough "progressive" elements to make it "interesting", I'd say. We don't want to do "Blood Bender: Part 2" or anything. Not that we won't have a similar type of release later on, if we feel called to it!


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?

Oh, man! Personally - so many! I'm quite picky, though. I - probably - like a little out of each "sub-genre" of Metal. I mean, I'll listen to some "pop" type of stuff every once in a while - but who cares about that? Ha! In the Metal vein, some bands that come to mind that have helped develop my own style: TestAmenT, Death, Morbid Angel, Annihilator, Hate Eternal, Flotsam and Jetsam, Metallica, Vio-lence, Exodus, Metal Church, Samael, Dream Theater, Savatage, Overkill, Damn the Machine, Alas, Slayer, Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Immolation, Coroner, Kreator, Death Row, Pestilence, Morgoth, Armored Saint, Skid Row, Lynch Mob, White Lion, Motley Crue, Death Angel, Scorpions, Megadeth, Suffocation, Emperor, Control Denied, Buckethead, Voivod, Napalm Death...

Going blank, now...many more, I'm sure!

These days, I've been trying to listen to stuff I've not listened to yet (like full discographies - even of some of those bands!). Also, "lesser known" bands (like the Declared Dead ilk). Newer - to me - stuff I've enjoyed, lately, have been The Black Dahlia Murder and Charred Walls of the Damned. The latter being more so. I listened to Ozzy Osbourne's "Scream" a few weekends ago and - actually - enjoyed a lot of that, as well. I was surprised. I listened to the new Pestilence album about three times, as well. It's only "okay". It gets redundant and I start spacing out and lose interest around the middle of it. But I still "like" it, for the most part. Their "classic" stuff is "better", though. I love the new Morbid Angel record, as well. It took a few listens to "gel" completely...but now - it's fantastic! I did the same type of thing with "Formulas Fatal to the Flesh". I knew it was "exceptional" with the first listen - but had to listen repeatedly to grasp it more fully. Also, those people who complain about the production - the production is fucking great through "high end" headphones! Probably Eric Rutan's "best", that I've heard! Aside from his "I, Monarch" album...
This last weekend I listened to some Nevermore. I'll continue with their discography this next weekend, I think!

It's tough to listen to as much as I'd like to listen to - having to rest my ears sometimes from my own creations...plus time constraints, etc.


13. What are some of your non musical interests?

It seems everything revolves around the music, really. My mind tends to "always" be active in pulling ideas from this and that. Like, watching a t.v. show or movie and the atmosphere might play a part in later guitar passages (translated in mood/tone) or I'll hear a spoken phrase and I'll be like, "That would be a cool song title!" or something along those lines. Or a song subject might come from various sources like that.

But yeah, everything else besides the music is pretty blase. I don't feel I have a "keen interest" in much of anything. I've gone through phases earlier on but - now - am kind of "settling in" and waiting for the reaper. Haha.

Some things I find myself doing, mostly - in my "free time" - besides working on music would be: watching t.v. shows/movies, hanging out with my "kitty clan" (I have cats that I adore), playing video games (I've gotten into a lot of "first person shooters", in the past couple/few years), and gazing at "beautiful women" via "erotic photos/videos", etc. Haha.
Sometimes I would like to take up many different hobbies but I lack the energy and time.


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

Not really. Though, I want to thank you for your interest! I hope I provided some informative and entertaining insights into part of the Declared Dead world! Anyone who is interested in hearing our music can find it at various Metal related sites. Check our website for links to the main ones: https://declareddead.weebly.com/. Also, check here for quick downloads of our offerings: https://declareddead.bandcamp.com/. You can find us on Twitter, now, as well: https://twitter.com/DeadDeclared. Thanks, again, and best of luck with everything!

Bandcamp
Official website
ReverbNation
SoundCloud
Twitter
YouTube



Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Blood Moon Hysteria/My Sacrifice/WormHoleDeath Records/2018 EP Review


 Blood  Moon  Hysteria  are  a  band  from  Norway  that    plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  metal  and  on  this  recording  adds  in  more  black  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "My  Sacrifice"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  ep  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  grim  screams  that  also  gives  the  music  a  touch  of  black  metal  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  elements  of  melodic  goth  and  post  metal  along  with  some  synths  and  clean  playing  being  heard  briefly  as  well  as  one  track  also  bringing  in a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and as  the  ep  progresses  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  and  also  brings  in a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  that  also  gives  the  song  a  more  90's  Norwegian  black  metal  atmosphere.

  On  this  recording  Blood Moon  Hysteria  expands  on  their  atmospheric  style  of  metal  by  adding  in  more  elements  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Blood  Moon  Hysteria  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark,  black  and  atmospheric  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Sacrifice"  and  "Towards The  Abyss".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/BloodMoonHysteria

Friday, March 23, 2018

Hallux/Self Titled/2018 Full Length Review


  Hallux  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal  and  crossover  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2018  album.

  A  very  dark  horror  movie  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  and  crossover  elements  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style.

  Hallux  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death,  thrash  metal  and  crossover  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  corruption  of  authority.

  In  my  opinion  Hallux  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal  and  crossover  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Herders  Of  The  Weak"  "Call  of  The  Blackbird"  "Chosen  Enemy"  and  "None".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/WAHbvDOdR_4

Misanthropic Existence/Death Shall Be Served/Aesthetic Death/2018 Full Length Review


  Misanthropic  Existence  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Death  Shall  Be  Served"  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  while  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in a   great  amount  of  90's  influences  but  also  keeping  everything  modern  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  rain  and  thunder  sounds  can  also  heard  as  well  as  the  sounds  of  war  and  air  raid  sirens  before  returning  back  to  a  more  heavier  and  brutal  direction.

 One  of  the  tracks  is  an  instrumental  while  a  later  song  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric  and  ambient  sounds  but  keeping  the  focus  more  on  a  brutal  style  and  when  guitar  leads  are  finally  brought  onto  the  recording  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic style  as  well  as  having  a  very  chaotic  side  to  them.

  Misanthropic  Existence  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  chaotic  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Spirituality,  Anarchy  and  Anti  Abrahamic  Religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Misanthropic  Existence  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sacrificial  Slaughter"  "Kill  Yourself"  "Molested  by  The  Abrahamic  Gods"  and  "Humanicide".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/misanthropicexistenceuk/

    

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Cardinal Roark/Tales From The Darkside/PRC Music/2018 CD Review


  Cardinal  Roark  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black'n'roll  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Tales  From  The  Darkside"  which  was  released  by  PRC  Music.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  elements  of  traditional  metal  also  being  used  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  growls  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  traditional  rock  music  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  spoken  word  parts  and  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on a  couple  of  tracks  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental.

  Cardinal  Roark  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  black,  thrash,  heavy  metal  and  rock'n'roll  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cardinal  Roark  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black'roll  and  thrash metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nightmare"  "The  Valley  Of  Unrest"  and  "Dreamland".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T70gK6rnWeo&t=37s    

Sectorial/We Are The Titan's Rising Ashes/Noizr Productions/2015 CD Review


  Sectorial  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  blackened  death  and  ethnic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "We  Are  The  Titan's  Rising  Ashes"  which  was  released  by  Noizr  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  grindcore  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  ethnic  feeling  along  with  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  couple of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  shamanistic  feeling.

  As  the  album  progresses a   brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  while  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  tremolo  picking also  being  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  vocals  which  also  makes  the  album  more  diverse  and  when  guitar  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  done  in a  very  melodic  fashion.

  On  this  recording  Sectorial  takes  their  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  ans  grindcore  and  mixes  it  with  ethnic  music  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  social  issues  and  ecologism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sectorial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal,  grindcore  and  ethnic  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tree  Eater"  "Abysmal"  and  "Predator's  Intents".  8  out  of  10. 

https://youtu.be/5_k_flwerFA 

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Theotoxin Interview


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

Flo:No time to rest, thats for sure. We are very busy at the moment rehearsing for upcoming shows and theres a lot going on behind the curtains as well. I´m also collecting ideas for some new songs already.

Michael: The recording of “Consilivm” was a very intense time for every one of us, but now we are warmed up and ready to go further. Everyone is highly motivated.

2.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?
Flo:„Consilivm“ is a big step forward, in my opinion.“Atramentvm“ was kind of a premonition.The new material is more diversified and we wanted a bit more depth in it. As far as i can impartial describe „Consilivm“  is a healthy mix between Black and Death Metal with a lot of high speed blasts and some pitch-black melodies. Our first Output was more direct and simple but i think effective in its own way.

Michael: For I was not involved in „Atramentvm“ the change of the vocals to a more death metal kind of style is surely striking. Also the whole atmosphere has altered in a certain way and everything is growing to something original and recognizable. We are very satisfied with the outcome.

3.Your lyrics cover a lot of anti religion themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your hatred for religion?

Flo:Religion itself isn’t the big problem, its mostly the way how people execute their way of beliefs. I don’t mind if people are having idols to worship, in fact I think there is nothing wrong with it when people are having something to belief in which give them strength. I have only a big problem with all the brainless sheeps who follow their made-up gods into paradise and are willing to kill for it for their own salvation. Look through our history in Europe. The christians, for example, killed thousand of people on their holy crusades. Nowadays half of the priests are pedophiles and in the east they „carbomb“ the shit out of each other. Everyone is trying to put “his“ god on the top as the one and only to belief in, like its a damn race.Thats not how religion is meant to be in my opinion. So fuck that…there is no god who approves this kind of „holy warfare“.

Michael: You must differentiate between a personal spirituality, which I can totally understand, and an organized religion as an ancient instrument of social control. Even today you can see highly educated people turn into primitive cavemen in a second when you face their dumb fairytales with simple logic. This is pathetic. The greatest achievements of modern society were only possible because we almost get rid of this shit. And it makes me sick when I hear someone speaking about the „heritage of our christian occident“. Even centuries after the age of Enlightment this stupidity is still an issue.


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

Flo:Theos means God in greek, Toxin = Poison. As i said above , gods are poisoning the minds of the people and let them do only destructive and horrible things.


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 played a few months back at the Blasphemer Fest in Austria. It was a brutal show at a very well organized festival. I´m proud to say that our live shows are intense and we are very exact when it comes to our live performances. Theotoxin sounds like its played on the album. No compromises, no fake shit just a wall of blackened brutality.

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

Flo: No Tour yet, but we are a live band and we absolutely enjoy our live shows. We have some fixed live dates and some are in queue. Next big Event will be our release show for „Consilivm“ at the Vienna Metal Meeting along with Marduk, Abbath, Nifelheim and many more.







7.The new album is coming out on 'Massacre Records', can you tell us a little bit more about the deal you have signed with this label?

Flo:Massacre asked us about releasing „Atramentvm“ but they couldn’t know that we already had finished the recording sessions for „Consilivm“. So we talked about it and so now the new stuff will be released under the banner of Massacre records. I was at Massacre a few years back with Zombie Inc., were is was active as a drummer too, and they did a great job. So i was happy about the signing and hope that our new piece of hate will be spread like the plague.

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

We did the distribution by ourselves, so it was hard to reach people that easy and not to drown in a flood of upcoming bands. But i think we managed that very well. We shipped a lot of all over the world and the feedback was always very positive. Also the reviews were always very good. So i guess some people out there liked „Atramentvm“.And we are very thankful for any support. Its not that easy nowadays.



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

Flo:I myself quit all of my bands when i started THEOTOXIN. I wanted to focus on one thing. Before i played, as mentioned, in ZOMBIE INC., RAISING THE VEIL, MOLOKH, SEEDS OF SORROW just to name a few. At the moment im only active as a studio drummer for THE NEGATIVE BIAS. A year ago I also joined my mates in DISTASTE. But my main band is THEOTOXIN.
Fabian our guitar player plays also in ANOMALIE and Joachim also played with me in ZOMBIE INC.

Michael: I am still the vocalist of HORNS OF HATTIN, but this band is currently on hold. My brother Martin just left DISMAL LUMENTIS, where he played the guitar for a long time. We both are playing metal since almost 20 years now.


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Flo:I think we found our sound in „Consilivm“. Very natural, brutal and direct.About the songwriting: sounds cheesy but i write what i feel, so it brings diversity into the songs.


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

Flo:I cannot deny that the old Belphegor were a big influence to me. Our first album were often compared to Belphegor or sometimes Behemoth. Honestly im getting a bit tired hearing that but on the other hand there are worst comparisons.But with „Consilivm“ this will change i hope cause , as i said , we found our sound on the new record i think.
About listening music…I am very open minded and honestly i don’t listen that much metal anymore. I grew up with that kind of music and same as Michael i also started listening to metal around the mid 90s. Clearly I have some bands I can always listen to and of course I m still interested at the new scene and I don’t deny that im also listen to new stuff, but not with the same intensity anymore. I studied drums and guitar a few years back at the university and during my studies i had to play a lot of different styles which kind of opened my eyes a bit.Diversity is the key.

Michael: We have some different tastes and influences within the band and I think this is a great advantage. It’s also because of a certain age gap among the members. I started listening to metal in the mid 90s and most of my favorite albums, which I still hear, are from this period. But I always try not to lose the overview about what is going on in the scene today.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Flo: Short answer: The gym and my dog.

Michael: There are so many other interests and far too little time to pursue them all.

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

Thanks for the support, give „CONSILIVM“ a listen we but a lot of details in it which can be missed at the first run.

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Declared Dead/Blood Bender/2018 Full Length Review


  Declared  Dead  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Blood  Bender".

  A  very  harsh  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  and  drums  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  before  going  into  more  of  a  thrash  influenced  direction  as  well  as  retaining  the  black  metal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  while  also  sounding  modern  at  the  same  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  sticking  to  more  of  an  old  school  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  influences  of  early  90's  death  metal  in  both  the  growls  and  riffing  and  at  times  the  music  also  has  its  melodic  moments  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  vocals  start  utilizing  more  of  a  thrash  approach  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  is  an  instrumental.

  Declared  Dead  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness,  gore,  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Declared  Dead  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ghouls  Around  The  Blade"  "Severely  Severed"  "Segue  To  Satan"  and  "Where  Kali  Dwells".  8  out  of  10.

https://declareddead.bandcamp.com/album/blood-bender

Quantum Hierarchy/Neutron Breed/Everlasting Spew Records/2018 EP Review


  Quantum  Hierarchy  are  a  duo  from Italy  that  plays  a  very  darkened  and  blackened  form  of death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Neutron  Breed"  which  will  be  released  on  March  30th  by  Everlasting  Spew  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  demonic  voices  in  the  background before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  brutal  direction  which  also  introduces  chaotic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals a re  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  black  metal  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal  and  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Quantum   Hierarchy  plays  a  style of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  dark  and  also  brings  in  a mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Quantum  Hierarchy  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  and  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Neutron  Breed"  and  "Mausoleum  Of  Eternal  Absence".  8  out  of  10.

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Friday, March 16, 2018

Lecherous Nocturne/Occultaclysmic/Willowtip Records/2018 CD Review


  Lecherous  Nocturne  are  a  band  from  South  Carolina  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  brutal  and  technical  form  of  blackened  death  metal  which  they  also  mix  in  with  more  atmospheric  elements  this  time  around  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Occultaclysmic"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Willowtip  Records.

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  before going  into  a  very  fast  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  as  well  as  the  solos and  leads being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  at  times  the  music  gets  very  technical  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental  which  brings  in  elements  of  classical  music  elements  can  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  which  also  shows  the  music  also  adding  in  more  of  an  atmospheric  touch.

  On  this  recording  Lecherous  Nocturne  remain  true  to t heir  technical  and  brutal  style  of  blackened  death  metal  while  the  black  metal  influence  has  a  more  powerful  presence  on  this  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  metaphysics  and  quantum  psychic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Lecherous  Nocturne  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  technical  and  brutal  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Quantum  Mysticism"  "Occultaclysmic" "Unidimensional  Eclipse"  and  "Planet  Of  The  Crossing".  8  out  of  10. 

lecherousnocturne.net
facebook.com/lecherous.nocturne
lecherousnocturne666.bandcamp.com 

Theotoxin/Consilivm/Massacre Records/2018 CD Review


Theotoxin  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  fast  and  brutal  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Consilivm"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Massacre  Records.

  Distorted  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also bring  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  also  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  groove and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  more  heavy  and  brutal  direction  and  when  whispers  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling,  a  couple  of  tracks  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  they  also  close  the  album  with  an  instrumental.

  Theotoxin  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  theology  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Theotoxin  are  a  very  great  sounding  fast  and  brutal  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Deus  Imposter"  "Stillstand"  and  "Adoration  Of  The  Blight".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.theotoxin.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheotoxinOfficial
https://twitter.com/theotoxin666
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSlN2f0kvBgtLg-g0CcfvOQ
https://www.instagram.com/theotoxinofficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4uVJiIU7iZqvh2gd4lRcFH

Barbarian Prophecies Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
-. Hi, Oscar Here, one of the guitarists in Barbarian Prophecies. We are preparing the presentation of the new album and looking for as many concerts as possible. We hope to play with the band for all the cities where we can.

2. You have a new album coming out during the end of 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?
-. In this new recording we have tried to get as close as possible to the sound of the old school, in terms of instrumentation and voice sound it can be said it's more classic than the previous ones. We have also tried to record using the digital edition as little as possible, nowadays most bands sound the same, many use the same recording system, roboticizing everything and making the music lose the feeling and aggressiveness of before. This new recording took place in Kollapse Studios in our city (Lugo) by Iván Ferro we worked very hard with him for more than a month until we got the result we were looking for, the truth is that we are very happy with the sound of this new disk. As for the style we keep maintaining the same as in the previous works, that is to say a classic European style death metal with thrash and black metal parts, we have also experienced more including more acoustic parts in the songs.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
-. The theme of this new album is centered on the mysteries that surround the human being, his origin, his soul and his mind. In previous albums we dealt with issues such as war, suffering, origins of humanity, ancient gods, conspiracy, Universe. We know that these are quite treated topics, but we have given them a personal and different approach

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Barbarian Prophecies'?
-. The name comes from the union of the names of two bands Barbarianth and Venomous Prophecies, Barbarianth was formed in the late 90s but in the early 2000 we were without a drummer, we met the drummer of the second band and we proposed To play with us, then the two bands merged and we were left with the name Barbarian Prophecies since it perfectly represented what we wanted to express with our music. We had always been attracted to the old stories of mystery and conspiracy, the old gods and prophets, so it was the perfect choice.

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?
-. During these years we have been able to share the stage with many incredible underground bands and other mythical ones such as Incantation, Napalm Death or in festivals where there were bands like Slayer, Exodus, Lamb of God among others. But one of our best shows were the three tours we have done in Germany where we have been able to meet good friends and great metal and rock bands.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
-. At the moment we will be in one of the most important festivals in Europe and the largest in Spain called resurrection Fest, where there are bands like Megadeth, Scorpions, Kiss, Suffocation, Paradise Lost, Ghost, At the Gates, among many others what will be a good opportunity to reach more people, we also plan to return to Germany or other places in Europe where we can play. For now we are focusing on preparing to be able to defend the album live in the best possible way

7.The new album is being released through both 'Base Record Production' and 'Hecatombe Productions', how did you get in contact with both of these labels?
-. The truth is that I knew them before doing trades of material and they are music labels that defend the underground betting in a real way for it. First he offered to edit the album base records, which was quite a surprise for us since in these almost 20 years it was the first time that someone offered to help the band in an economic and real way. After Gaspar (The owner of Base Records) I look for more collaborators so that the output of the album got more strength and joined Hecatombe Records which is another important label in the Spanish underground. Sincerely we are very happy to have received this support, we had self-published work as usual or pay a label to edit it (which is almost the same)

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
-. There have been  bad and good reactions, it is impossible to like everyone. But the positive comments abound more, which is good, since we always try to deliver a quality work and in an underground band you have to invest a lot of time and especially a lot of money, this implies that you have to sacrifice many other things for the music.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
-. The drummer is the most active in having other projects he is part of several bands currently such as Mileth, Trashnos or Ever Dream. Alicia (Vocals) and I (Oscar) were in a local band called Untides recently, highly recommended for those who like the most modern and aggressive metal, Arnt and Manuel (Guitar and Bass) have had other projects as well, but good now we are more focused on Barbarian Prophecies, it is very difficult to combine a normal work life with a music group, so imagine with two or three bands who want to go 100% with all the time and money involved (Recordings, tours , merchandise, videos, promo etc), in this situation your hobby It can become a burden instead of a mental and personal liberation

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
-. We will continue composing new works and playing everything that we can as we have done so far. I started to forge this project when I was 17 years old and now I am going to turn 39, I have always been clear, I want to continue playing and enjoying this hobby that is music, to know new cities, new friendships and new bands. Positive experiences that are really worthwhile in life and part of the good experiences that we are going to take to the other side.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
-. The truth is that we listen to many different styles of music, from classical to the most extreme metal. But focusing on these styles we like classic bands from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Kreator, Slayer, Sodom, Sepultura, Pantera, Destruction, Megadeth, Necrodeath, Assassin, Holy Mosses, At the Gates, Dissection, Unnanimated, Unleashed, Entombed, Kataklysm, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Carcass, Bolt Thrower, Vader, Behemoth, Lamb of God, Incantation, Immolation, Morbid Angel, Dismember, Enthroned, Marduk, Kalmah, imsomnium, Hatebreed. And we also listen a lot to the underground bands of our country, of which we can stand out not only for their music but also because we know they are good people to Khmer, Untides, KaLte Sonne, Conducto Coloquio, In. Verno, His Anxiety, Bloodhunter, Perpetual, Agónica, As Life Burns, Death Bringer, Wisdom, Hiranya, Oposser, Nakkiga, Ruthless, Swarzenegger, Bloody Brotherhood, Ataxia F, Kuna de Odio, Oceans Garden, Arthropodal Humanicide, Murder Worker, Irredemption, wasteland Riders,Hystolisys, etc.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
-. Sports, reading(history, mythology, science) walking and being in natural surroundings far from the city. The truth is that each one of us is very different and we all have our hobbies apart from music, but we do not stop being normal people with a normal life of family and work.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much for the interview, I would like to send a greeting to the readers of your webzine and especially if someone is interested in contacting us, write us to  this email: barbarianprophecies@hotmail. com or check Barbarian Prophecies in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc

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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Serotonin/Stele/2018 EP Review


  Serotonin  are  a  duo  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  expands  on  their  blackened  death  metal  style  by  adding  in  elements  of  industrial  and  thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep "Stele".

  A  very  dark and  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  some  fast  riffs  that  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  while  blast  beats are  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  alter  as  well  as  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  use  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  clean  singing  is  also  heard  briefly  along  with  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  songs  also  mixing  in  elements  of  industrial  and  thrash  and  also  getting  very  progressive  at  technical  at  times,  melodic  guitar  leads  can  also be  heard  briefly  and  on  the  closing  track  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard.


  On  this  recording  Serotonin  expand  on  their  blackened  death  metal  style  by  adding  in  elements  of  industrial  and  thrash,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Serotonin  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  City  In  The  Sand"  and  "Ict  Grim  Monoliths".  8  out  of  10.

https://digitalserotonin.bandc amp.com/

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Voidhanger/Dark Days Of The Soul/Agonia Records/2018 CD Review


  Voidhanger  are  a  Poland  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal,  d  beat  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Dark  Days  of  The  Soul"  which  was  released  by  Agonia  Records.

  Distorted  amp  noises  start  off  the  album  before  going  into more  of  a  heavier  crust  punk  and  d  beat  direction  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  in  between  hardcore  style  shouts  and  death  metal growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along with  some  elements  of   black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  back  up  gang  shouts  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  always  remaining  very  heavy.

  Voidhanger  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  it  with  d  beat  and  hardcore  punk  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Misanthropy  and  Negativity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Voidhanger  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black, death, thrash  metal,  d  beat  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  Wish"  "Man  Of  Dark  Secrets"  and  "Hailing  The  Devil  in  Me".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/ojALaWqwmXs   

    

Vomitor/Pestilent Death/Hells Headbangers/2018 Full length Review


Vomitor  are  a  band  from  Australia  that has  been  around  for  more  than  20  years  and plays  a  mixture  of   black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Pestilent  Death"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  Melodic  yet  old  school  metal  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  adding  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style of  screams  as  well  as  the  music  being  rooted  in  the  90's  but  also  capturing  a  modern  atmosphere.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while t he  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  old  school  death  metal  elements  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  an  early  90's  fashion  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  speed  metal  as  well  as  always  remaining  heavy.

  Vomitor  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  early  days  of  black, death  and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  nuclear  terror  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vomitor  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Roar  of  War"  "Tremendous  Insane"  and  "Hell's  Butcher".  8  out  of  10.   

http://vomitor-australia.bandcamp.com/album/pestilent-death

Monday, March 12, 2018

Altars Of Grief Interview


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


Things have actually been pretty quiet over the past year or so. We've opted to make finishing the record our priority. Unfortunately, back in May of last year, we lost our guitarist, Evan, who I started the band with. Now that the album is almost out, though, things have started to pick up again and we should be practising with a new lineup soon.


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


We're all over the place, but I think “blackened doom metal” is probably the aptest description of what we sound like for anyone who's never heard us. But, there are elements of death metal and gothic metal in there, as well.

Our goal with this band has always just been to create something meaningful. Having this outlet has given us a way to express a lot of really complex moods and emotions in a productive way.

The biggest difference between this record and our past recordings is definitely in the songwriting. We've had time to grow as musicians and I think we were a little more confident going into this one.

In the past, our previous guitarist would write and record entire demos using programmed drums and the rest of the guys would work with what was there, or emulate it entirely. And, while that has certainly remained a part of the process, everyone was a lot more involved this time around and what ended up on the record feels more like the vision of the entire band. We spent a lot more time rearranging and writing new sections, exploring different dynamic elements and often changed the feel of the original demo altogether.


3. You refer to your music style as 'Prairie Doom' can you tell us a little bit more about this term?


There are a few different answers here. Most of which relate less to the particular sound and more to aesthetic and identity.

We honestly aren't the first ones to use this description, either. A very good, but no longer active black metal band from Saskatoon called Autaric used to refer to themselves as “prairie black metal”. Furthermore, our guitarist and backing vocalist, Erik Labossiere, had a band called Desecrate Scripture that used the same brand.

Back in 2011, Erik also began booking shows and promoting local bands under the name Desecrate Promotions. He did this as a way to bring attention to the local scene here, which tends to get passed over due to our demographic. Regina tends to be a speed bump between larger cities like Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg. Despite this, he and a number of other promoters have worked incredibly hard to grow our scene and give bands from Saskatchewan a platform. The guy has literally got “Prairie Metal Proud” tattooed on his body, and it's really just something that's ingrained in us.

We also like it for its aesthetic implications. You're lucky if it doesn't snow seven months out of the year here and winter can get brutally cold and miserable, which is pretty inspiring when you make this kind of music.


4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer release?


On Iris, like most of our material, I tried to write lyrics that were significant in some way, but that also tell an underlying story. I tend to like concept albums in that they unfold almost cinematically and it makes my brain happy when all of the artwork and lyrics and everything is cohesive.

I've always preferred that the listener find their own take away from the lyrics, but the concept is out there if you look for it. The themes on Iris include religion, addiction and terminal illness. We also drew a lot of influence from our prairie surroundings.


5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Altars of Grief'?


Again, this is something that I've heard a lot of speculation on, from literal altars to metaphors for suicide scars?

The truth is, when I came up with the name, it just seemed to conjure up cool imagery in my mind and it really fit the music we were writing. In a way, I kind of look at each record we do as being an altar of grief.


6. I have read that this band originally started out as a side project, how much more active has the band gotten over the years?


You heard correctly, but it wasn't a side project for very long! Both Evan and I had been friends for a while and our bands at the time used to play a lot of shows together. However, things were starting to burn out with the project I was in. So, I had started writing some material on my own, which was influenced by bands like My Dying Bride and Daylight Dies. Coincidentally, Evan had started writing some doom metal at the same time. So, we decided to work together, with him doing the music and me handling lyrics and vocals. Within a couple of months, we had a lineup and a show booked and Altars of Grief became our sole focus from there.


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?


This might sound counterintuitive, but I actually find it's the shows where nothing is ideal that I enjoy the most. Sometimes you play on a floor for ten people, or you have a sound guy who's never worked a board before and those uncomfortable performances end up being the most intense and raw. We've been lucky enough to open for bands like Swallow The Sun and Insomnium, and we've headlined festivals we had no business headlining. Those shows are definitely highlights. But, I've always found that we're most in our element when it's an intimate venue or the circumstances aren't perfect. That's when I find I'm able to step out of myself on stage and perform at my best.


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


Currently, we've got a few dates planned but nothing crazy extensive as of right now. In October, we'll be playing a black and doom metal festival in Edmonton called Black Mourning Light for the second time, which I'm really looking forward to as both a performer and a fan.


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


To me, we're still just a little band from Saskatchewan. I'm always surprised by any positive attention that we've received, much less praise from other countries.

We do seem to exist in this middle ground where fans of different sub-genres will probably be able to find something that appeals to them, but it's also sort of a double-edged sword. We're not likely going to appeal to black metal purists, and we might be a bit over the top for someone looking for straightforward funeral doom.

At least fans of Woods of Ypres have taken kindly to us!


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


Currently, Evan is working on a solo project called The Void of Life. I haven't spoken to him in quite a few months, so I don't know what the status of that is. But, what I have heard is sounding promising. If you're a fan of what we do, you'd do well to keep an eye on that.

Our drummer, who recently stepped in as Evan's replacement on guitar, is also the guitarist and vocalist of a death metal band called Scythra. Those guys will have a new record out soon, as well, which I can honestly say I've heard and it's fucking incredible. Can't recommend them enough.

Erik and the rest of Nachtterror, who we put out our split with, are finishing up their full-length at the moment. I imagine that will be out sometime this year, but don't quote me. He's also an independent pro-wrestler and does film work and photography under the moniker of Wikked Twist Films.

Finally, our bassist, Donny, and I are working on a project called Shoreless with Nic Skog who runs Hypnotic Dirge Records, as well as the singer for another local band called Hell Hounds.


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


As of this writing, I can't say for sure what the future holds for Altars of Grief. It's entirely likely that we won't be releasing any more music under this name. As I stated before, we've kind of made it our focus to release Iris, for the benefit of both those who have been waiting to hear it and the label that has invested in us. But, after this year we may be putting the band to rest. It goes without saying that we aren't the same band without all of our core members intact and anyone who's followed us probably feels that way too.


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?


Thrawsunblat, Neurosis, Harakiri For The Sky, Deafheaven, Amenra, Oathbreaker, Alcest and Chelsea Wolfe were all bands that we probably would've been listening to at the time of writing Iris, and definitely still do. We've also been lucky enough to get to know some very talented bands like Numenorean from Calgary, Adolyne from Saskatoon and Wilt and Ossific from Winnipeg, all of which have had some kind of effect on us.

Some albums that I've been listening to lately are: “Tired Of Tomorrow” by Nothing, “Science Fiction” by Brand New, “Fantastic Planet” by Failure, “Below The Ever Setting Sun” by Grey Waters, “Hiss Spun” by Chelsea Wolfe, “Red Flags” by The Provenance, “Third” by Portishead, “Hope Is Misery” by Walk Through Fire and “Shrines of Paralysis” by Ulcerate.


13. What are some of your non-musical interests?


I have a bit of an obsession with horror films. I'm also into true crime, history and weird folklore stuff and I like to write when I can. I became a vegetarian last year, so things like sustainability and animal welfare have also become interests of mine, as well.


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


If you made it this far, thanks for listening to me ramble and for your interest in Altars of Grief. Go and check out any of the bands that I've listed above if you haven't already and make sure to have a listen to Iris when it's out.

Lastly, go see a show. Support local venues and support local bands; they may surprise you!

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