Bloodsoaked/Religious Apocalypse/Comatose Music/2014 CD Review

  Bloodsoaked  are  a  band  from  North  Carolina  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Religious  Apocalypse"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Comatose  Music  and  contains  a  mixture  of  new  songs,  cover  tunes  and  live  tracks.

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  a  few  seconds  alter  death  metal  growls  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  band  also  brings  an  old  school  feeling  into  their  brutal  sound  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  3  new  tracks  display  a  very  brutal  style  of  death  metal  and  they  also  add  in  some  high  pitched  screams  at  times  and  then  they  go  into  a  couple  of  Cinderella  and  Ratt  covers  and  they  sound  close  to  the  original  versions  but  in  a  more  death  metal  manner  and  with  growling  vocals  instead  of  the  melodic  vocals  that  the  original  versions  had.

  On  the  live  tracks  the  music  returns  back  to  a  more  brutal  style  of  death  metal  along  with  a  more  raw  feeling  that  was  presented  on  the  regular  versions  of  these  tracks  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melodies  in t heir  music  at  times  and  they  avoid  solos  and  leads  to  focus  more  on  a  brutal  sound.

  Bloodsoaked  on  the  new  tracks  remain  true  to  their   brutal  death  metal  sound  on t he  new  tracks  while  they  take  the  hair  metal  covers  and  add  a  death  metal  twist  to  them  while  the  live  tracks  display  a  more  brutal  sound  of  their  musical  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  anti  religion  and  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bloodsoaked  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Abomination"  "Shake  Me"  "Suicide"  and  "No  God".  8  out  of  10. 

Those Who Bring The Torture/Piling Up/Selfmadegod Records/2014 CD Review

  Those  Who  Bring  The  Torture  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  Swedish  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Piling  Up"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  old  school  Swedish  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  which  leads  up  to  growling  vocals  kicking  in  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  and  after  awhile  the  vocals  start  using  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams.

  Once  blast  beats  are  added into  the  music  the  music  starts  getting  a  little  bit  more  faster  along  with  the  raw  energy  of  early  grindcore  and  you  can  hear  a  mixture  of  both  the  Stockholm  and  Gothenburg  variations  of  death  metal  in  their  musical  sound  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  become  a  huge  part  of  their  musical  sound  and  the  songs  use  of  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  retaining  a  heavy  and  melodic  sound from  beginning  to  end  of  the  recording.

  Those  Who  Bring  The  Torture  go  back  to  the  roots  of  melodic  Swedish  death  metal  with  their  musical  sound  going  back  to  the  days  when  the  genre  was  not  full  of  the  happy  melodies  or  mainstream  elements  that  have  watered  down  the  genre  over  the  years  and  they  also  add  a  doe  of  grindcore  into  their  musical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Those  Who  Bring  the  Torture  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  old  school  Swedish  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Under  Twin  Sons"  "Piling  Up"  "Lifesucker"  and  "Turrets  Of  A  Forgotten  Castle".  8  out  of  10.

Crucifyre/Black Magic Fire/Pulverised Records/2014 CD Review

  Crucifyre  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  satanic  death  metal  with  some  black  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Black  Magic  Fire"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Pulverised  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drums  and  bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  some  female  chanting  vocals  which  are  also  utilized  on  the  last  track  as  well  before  going  into  a  very  fast  old  school  death  metal  direction  along  with  blast  beats  and  raspy  vocals  which  bring  in  elements  of  black  metal  into  the  bands  musical  sound.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  the  vocals  utilizing  a  decent  amount  of  growls  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  the  band  bring  onto  the  recording  are  very  old  school  sounding  and  in  a  death/thrash  metal  direction  and  they  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  After  awhile  the  band  adds  in  vocals  that  have  a  melodic edge  to t hem  while  also  sounding  very  evil  at  the  same  time  and  throughout  the  album  the  band  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  mid  80's  and  early  90's  death  metal  album  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  evil  sounding  organs  and  funeral  bells  while  the  focus  remains  more  on  a  heavy,  old  school  and  evil  metal  sound. and  as  the  album  progresses  more  elements  of  thrash  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  as  adding  in  elements  of  raw  black  metal  onto  one  of  the  songs.

  Crucifyre  continue  their  evil  old  school  death  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  as  well  as  having  more  of  a  blackened  metal  feeling  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Black  Magick,  Occult  and  Left  hand  Path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Crucifyre  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  evil,  old  school death  metal  with  a  blackened  thrash  feeling,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Magic  Fire"  "Baphomet's  Revenge"  "Faces  Of  Death  (His  Satanic  Shadow)"  and  "One  And  One  Is  One".  8/5  out  of  10.  

A Scar For the Wicked/The Necrobutcher/2014 EP Review

  A  Scar  For  The  Wicked  are  a  band  from  Perth,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  heavy  form  of  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "The  Necrobutcher".

  Aggressive  shouts  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  more  fast,  brutal  and  technical  sound  along  with  screams,  growls  and  blast  beats  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  melody  and  deathcore  breakdowns  and  after  awhile  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  bands  musical  sound  and  they  are  in  a  more  melodic  direction.

  There  seems  to  be  a  decent  mixture  between  the  brutal  and  technical  sides  of  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  they  are  just  as  much  as  a  huge  part  of  their  musical  style  as  the  deathcore  elements  they  bring  in  and  after  awhile  the  vocals  start  adding  in  more  of  a  guttural  style  into  the  death  metal  growls  and  towards  the  end  of  the  ep  they  add  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  the  bass  guitars  also  have  a  more  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  Scar  For  The  Wicked  creates  a  very  brutal,  melodic  and  technical  sound  with  their  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  while  there  music  is  not  all  that  original  they  play  this  style  better  than  most  bands  of  this  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  A  Scar  For  The  Wicked  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Within  The  Rot"  and  "The  Blood  Ritual".  7/5  out  of  10.  
  

Red Hills Interview

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

Red Hills has existed since 2009, playing in the style of melodic death metal. During the existence played a lot of gigs, published a Pleasure Of Destruction album with support from label Metal Scrap Records (http://metalscraprecords.com). Currently, a team site and will soon be launched, but now you can get acquainted with our group photo on the pages:
https://www.facebook.com/redhillsmdm
http://instagram.com/redhillsofficialcommunity
Members:
Kirill Boyko - guitar
Dmitriy Vinogradov - guitar
Anatoliy Kolumba - vocals
Sergey Mits - drums
Artyom Adamenko – bass

2. Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Old School melodic death metal, I think it will be the correct name of our sound.

3. The band has been around since 2009 but this is the first album, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time?

The band’s road was long and challenging. The frequent change of the band’s composition gave no chance to work to the full extent. But it is a thing of the past. In spring 2013 Red Hills became a fully enlarged band.

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

Lyrics based on the story of the social problems of our society and the problems of a specific person in our society.

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

It’s that simple. The red mine spoil piles i.e. hills (hence the name “Red Hills”) are the main feature of the Donetsk Region landscape. They are scattered around this coal mining area of Ukraine

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

We have not played at big festivals, concerts of those that played the best was at the club kunderbunt. Our stage performance can be described as an explosion of positive emotions with the public

7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new release?

Yes there is, we plan to tour in the fall.

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

Difficult to say, I think will be satisfied with our music, but we'll see time will tell.

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

It will be skillful and promising group invariably plays melodic death metal and popular in the world.

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

Great influence on the style group had Dark Tranquillity, At the Gates, In Flames, Kalmah, Insomnium, Children of Bodom, Norther. We listened and wanted to play as cool as these teams.Now listen to the Finnish melodic death school and old school thrash metal.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Many of them, we diversified our interests people besides music - motorcycles, books, girls, computer games, sports, nature  generally do not like to sit in one place.

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

We're working hard to make the dream began to run, anything is possible, most importantly - a wish! Thank you to everyone who supports us, and the meeting at concerts.



 

Icethrone Interview

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

(Algiz, Vocals): Hello! Yes, we are currently working on new material. So far we have 4 new songs ready and we alredy recorded the single "Dreams of Death" that will be released shortly.

 2.So far you have released 2 albums, how would you describe the musical on both albums and also how do they differ from each other?

(Algiz, Vocals): The genre we follow mainly is the swedish death metal, but the main difference between the first and the second album is that in "Beggar's Song" there weren't the synths so the second one "See You in Valhall", and it is still like that, is more melodic and epic than the first one. Also there has been a major line-up change, and we always try and fuse all the genres we prefer to compose something unique and entirely ours, so this is why they are so different from each other.

3.You lyrics cover Norse Paganism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

(Algiz, Vocals): I have always been interesed in all kinds of mythologies, but here in italy we tend to focus on the roman and greek ones so this is where the norse mythology has fascinated me so much. it is so different than those two and i started to focus on it to know more about the norse gods and goddeses and their way of thinking and their relationship with men.

4.Most band with Pagan lyrics usually play black or folk metal, but you have a sound closer to death metal, do you fell you stand out with your musical approach?

(Algiz, Vocals): Actually we are followed mainly by people who listen to black metal, the audience doesn't seem to notice the fact that we are closer to death than black metal.

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

(Algiz, Vocals): There is really not much inspiration behind the name, we just wanted not to be so predictable but we also wanted a name that gave the idea of what we wanted to express with our music and lyrics.

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

(Algiz, Vocals): The most important show for us was in January 2013 in our city, Genoa, we were supporting a black metal band 'Kurgaal' beacuse after that show we became a bit more known and also a great friendship began with the great Lord Astaroth. During our shows we try to be as professional as possible never forgetting to have fun and entertain those who come to our gigs.


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

(Algiz, Vocals): We don't have anything planned for now because we want to focus on the recording of our new material. Of course we are ready and willing to play both in and outside italy.

8.Both of the albums came out on Blacktears of Death, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

(Algiz, Vocals): It was a very important label in the 90s, especially in the black metal underground field so it was a warranty of professionality.

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

(Algiz, Vocals): We received a good feedback both in North and South America and Australia, but unfortunately we didn't have the chance to go there.


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

(Algiz, Vocals): Every one of us has at least another band active at the moment: I, Algiz, sing also for the black metal band 'Thy Winter Kingdom' Metheus and Vlaad play together in the black metal band 'Mystical Crisis' Metheus plays and sings in the thrash metal band 'Perceverance' Loke plays in the brutal metal band 'Soman' Herian plays in the ambient black metal band 'Blaze of Sorrow' Hugin plays in the power metal band 'Illunia'

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

(Algiz, Vocals): As already said we are working on it with more epic influences and new themes to explore and lyrics in our native language

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

(Algiz, Vocals): Every one of us listens to different genres but we all listen to Amon Amarth, which is the band I am most influenced from.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

(Algiz, Vocals): I am interested in sports, especially rugby, comics and videogames. Metheus, for example, is also interested in sports and he is a jiu jistu brown belt, he also writes for different journals and is very active in social matters. Vlaad is involved in a historical reenactment group and practices swordplay. Loke is interested in videogames and technology Hugin and Herian's interest is mainly music

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

(Algiz, Vocals): As always we thank everyone for the support and the time dedicated to us, we would like to invite the readers to come to our shows and support us with their presence because the audience is the nourishment of the underground bands.

Zephyra Interview

ZEPHYRA INTERVIEW - VarietyOfDeathZine

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

Since we got back home from the recordings in Italy, all the focus has been on getting all the things around the album done; Listening to mixes and masters, booklet, promotion etc. On top of that, we´ve been rehearsing the new album to prepare for promotion gigs and touring. 
We have done a couple of changes in the line up since december, and the new guys are really doing a great job with the new songs. New blood also gives an extra energy boost!

How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new recording and also how does it differ from the demo and 2 EP's you had released previously?

We always get to hear that our music is a bit hard to put a tag on, and we find that very complimenting. The main big influences are taken from thrash, power and melodic death. All that mixed together, with a big pinch of growls and pretty rare clean vocals, creates the Zephyra sound. 
On our first demo, ’Behave’, we had not found that specific sound we wanted. The first real EP, ’First Blood’, produced by Mathias Lodmalm (who also helped Åsa explore her vocal range) was released in 2012. It contained 4 songs, all of them in the right direction. The EP ’Kämpaglöd’ was self produced and released in February 2013. This was actually the first time that we really felt that we had achieved what we were going for as far as song writing and arrangement goes. The fact is, that it was the songs on ’Kämpaglöd’ that gave us our record deal. Gotta mean something, right? ;)

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

Mental Absolution is a compilation of emotions. All the lyrics are related to self experienced things like burn outs, fear of failure and betrayals. Tony does most of the song writing and also writes the lyrics, along with Åsa. We don´t typically have lyrics about fiction, it´s only one song on the album that can fit in that category. The rest of the songs are based on true self experienced emotions and events.  Many songs have been written while being on a vacation or holiday, when you get the time to relax, think back, and the emotions are flowing. The guitar is almost always brought along for a quick spontaneous song writing moment.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ’Zephyra'?

This question is wonderful to answer! In the dictionary, Zephyra means ’west wind’. That is beautiful itself, but for us, that wasn´t the purpose of the choice of band name. Åsa and Tony´s dogs name is Zaphira, and back when we started the band, Åsa simply did a modification on Zaphira´s name: Zephyra. We´ve been happy with the name all along, and it has stuck to us since then. 

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

Best shows? Gonna have to say that playing at the festival Metaltown, in Gothenburg 2012, was a great experience and a lot of fun. Playing a show at Big Bang Rock Club last year was also great. Superb backstage/dressing room as well! 

Our stage performance is kind of intense. Åsa has a lot of energy on stage, and she loves to release all of her theatrical faces up there! :P We always deliver a 100%, since it´s what the audience deserves. 

Do you have any touring or show plans for the new release?

Yes indeed! The bookings have started, and we want to bring Zephyra and Mental Absolution to the masses. The plan is to promote the album in- and outside Sweden. 

The new album comes out on WormHoleDeath Records, do you feel this label has been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?

They have been like a fifth member of Zephyra in some sense, all the way from the beginning. When we got the offer from WormHoleDeath last year, we didn´t accept it right away. We thought about it carefully and at the same time we tried to feel what the label was about. We wanted a label that could help us break new ground and reach out to more people world wide. 
The commitment and engagement they have showed us during our time together makes us believe that we did a very good choice to sign with them. 

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the newer music by fans of extreme and melodic metal?

We have only released one song from the album so far as the album is not out yet. The song, ’Undone’, that we made a promotion video for, has gotten some great response world wide. 
That song in particular can interest people that like the more progressive and melodic death metal music.
It´s gonna be interesting to see what people think of the album as a whole when it comes out. It´s not like all songs on the album is like Undone, quite the contrary. Undone is only one slice of the Zephyra pie! Wow, that almost sounded poetic, haha! 

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

More is the key word! Our upcoming album Mental Absolution is new for the general public, but for us the songs are already old in a sense. Of course we love the songs and are dying to play them live for everyone, but as far as song writing process goes, we have moved on. New songs are already being written, we have like 4 songs that are in the demo stage. The new songs are similar to the ones in Mental Absolution but they have a more electronic vibe to them. It´s too early the tell how it will sound in the end. It also depends on how Mental Absolution is received, and what lessons we can learn from it.

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?

We listen mostly to the same music we always have listened to, with a few newcomers popping in from time to time. It can be anything from Metallica, Blind Guardian, Morgana Lefay, The Agonist, Gamma Ray, to Evergrey, Dark Tranquillty, Kamelot and Nightwish to name a few. All of these bands influence us, some more than others. The main core is that it have to have melodies in it. 
Even if it´s bad ass hard stuff, it has to have som kind of hook to it.

What are some of your non musical interests?

Åsa and Tony like to play video games. They are real Battlefield nerds! Other interests among the band members are motorcycles, traveling and decoration.

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

All of you guys: Be sure to hit our merchshop in the beginning of september. There will be an awesome bundle for pre ordering the new album! Find it at www.zephyra.se 

Cheers mates, and as always, thanks for the support! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adgiyg9Syeg

Zephyra/Mental Absolution/WormHoleDeath Records/2014 CD Review

  Zephyra  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  power  metal,  thrash  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Mental  Absolution"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  screams  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  groove  and  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  which  brings  a  more  traditional  metal  feeling  to  the  album  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  guitar  solos  are  more  in  a  melodic  direction  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  a  good  amount  of  power  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  they  also  combine  the  old  school  and  modern  forms  of  metal   together  and  the  band  sticks  to  mostly  a  mid  paced  direction   as  well  as  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  on  one  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  couple  of  power  ballads  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  harder  musical  direction  and  on  a  couple  of  the  later  tracks  sees  the  band  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  synths  which  gives  the  music  a  more  gothic  feeling.

  Zephyra  creates  a  sound  that  combines  power,  thrash  and  melodic  death  metal  together  along  with  a  more  modern  day  feeling  and  there  music  is  diverse  to  appeal  to  both  old  school  and  modern  day  metal  fans,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  situations.

  In  my  opinion  Zephyra  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  power,  thrash  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should c heck  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Imprisoned  Queen"  "Lies  And  Deceit"  "Atychiphobia"  and  "Undone".  7/5  out  of  10.

 

Fight The Demiurge Interview

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

Well, Fight The Demiurge is a Brutal Death Metal project of mine, in which I currently handle every aspect.

2.So far full length, demo, ep and and a split, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings and also how has the music progressed over the years?

The new record, The War at The Edge of Existence, is a pure BDM record. Past attempts have either been poorly written slam, or just poorly written death metal. I think with TWATEOE I've finally hit my stride as a musician and a song writer.

3.According to the metal archives page the band was more in a desthcore/stoner/groove metal direction what was the decision behind going into a more brutal death metal direction?

I prefer BDM to deathcore. It was supposed to be a deathcore band back when other people were involved.

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

I've explored lyrical topics such as the factory farming industry, esoteric mysticism, and giant space worms.

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

In Gnosticism, the Demiurge is the tyrant god. The name means exactly what it says.

6.You have done this project mostly solo over the years but have worked with other band members before in the past, do you prefer working alone on this project?

I do. I have other projects that I collaborate with others on. FTD is my baby.

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

I'd be interested in getting some more promotion, and a label could certainly help with that. I haven't been informed of any interest on the part of others though.

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

Most people, from what I've heard, have reacted positively. Most can't believe I'm a woman, with vocals like mine, haha.

9.What is going on with the other musical projects these days that you are a part off?

Broken Anatomy – Funeral Doom. Currently starting to write the followup to The Lazarus Regret. My guitarist is currently on tour with his other band so it might be a bit. We're looking potentially at a late 2015 release.

Ennoea – Stoner Death/Doom. Debut album is released next month on Exalted Woe Records. Currently demoing songs for album 2.

Guttural Slug – Slam. Currently anticipating a December 2014 release of the new album.

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

I have no idea. I don't ever plan my music out. I don't go into writing with a concrete idea. The music forms itself.

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

As far as death metal, the usual. Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Devourment, Cerebral Bore.

I listen to a LOT of stoner metal though. Sleep, YOB, Dark Castle, OM, etc. Absolutely my favorite kind of music.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Non-musical interests? Those exist?? All kidding aside, I'm a UNIX Systems Administrator when I'm not busy with my guitar.

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

Not really. I have an album to get back to writing

Strider/Balance Of Terror/Obdience To Dictator/Hunters Of Men/2014 Split EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  3  way  split  between  Italy's  Strider  France's  Balance  Of  Terror  and  Obdience  To  Dictator  called  "Hunter Of  Men"  which  was  self  released  in  2014  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Strider  a  band  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  off  with  a  symphonic  sound  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  and  after  awhile  death  metal  vocals  and  modern  thrash  elements  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  powerful  sounding  production  and  there  is  a  perfect  balance  between  melody  and  heaviness  in  the  track  and  at  times  the  music  also  has  a  sci-fi  feeling  to  it  along  with  a  small  dose  of  prog  and  the  song  closes  with  some  spoken  word  samples.

  Balance  Of  Terror  plays  a  very  decent  and  symphonic  mixture  of  melodic  death  metal  and  melodic  death  metal  with  their  track  "Hubris"  and  I  would  like  to  hear  more   material  from  the  band  in  the  future.

  Next  up  is  Balance  Of  Terror  who  play  a  brutal  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore.

  The  song  starts  off  with  am  radio  noises  before  going  into  a  heavy  and  groove  orientated  direction  along  with  some  growls  before  speeding  up  and  adding  in  high  pitched  screams  and  brutal  blast  beats  and  the  song  uses  a  good  mixture  of  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  growls  sound  very  guttural  at  times  and  the  production  on  the  track  sounds  very  professional.

  Balance  Of  Terror  creates  some  great  quality  death/grind  with  their  tack  "Graveyard  party"  and  they  mix  old  school  and  modern  death  metal and  grindcore  together  in  this  track  and  this  is  another  band  I  want  to  hear  more  of  in  the  future.

  Next  up  is  Obdience  To  Dictator  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  brutal  death  metal  and  deathcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  off  with  science  fiction  movie  samples  before  going  into  a  fast  and  brutal  direction  along  with  some blast  beats  and  they  also  bring  in  mid  paced  parts  and  melody  and  after  awhile  growls  and  screams  are  added  into  their  musical  sound  and  the  production  is  professional  enough  up  to  the  point  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  and  the  deathcore  elements  show  up  in  the  slower  side  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  track  closes  with  some  very  epic  sounding  synths.

  This  song  was  also  on  their  ep  that  I  previously  reviewed  and  this  is  another  great  track   from  Obdience  To  Dictator.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  brutal  death  metal  as  well  as  deathcore,  you  should  check  out  this  split.  8  out  10.    

Obedience To Dictator/The Greater Of Two Evils/2014 EP Review

  Obedience  To  Dictator  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "The  Greater  Of  Two  Evils".

  A  very  symphonic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  along  with  soem  growls  and  blast  beats  and  they  also  mix  in  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  black  metla  influence  in  their  musical  sound.

  Melodies  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  hardcore  style  shouting  and  they  also bring  in  a  good  amount  of  samples  from  science  fiction  movies  and  the  deathcore  breakdowns  are  added  into  the  ep  as  the  music  progresses.

  Obedience  TO  Dictator  plays  mostly  a  brutal  form  of  death  metal  which  also  brings  in  a  bit  of  deathcore  and  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  influences  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  and  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Obedience  To  Dictator  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pillars  Ov  The  New  Reign"  and  "Wicked  Space  Wolves".  8  out  of  10.  

Torn The Fuck Apart/Sexually Transmitted Torture/Ossuary Industries/2014 CD Review

  Torn  The  Fuck  Apart  are  a  band  from  Kansas  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  an d plays  a  brutal  form  of  gore/death  metal  mixed  with  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Sexually  Transmitted  Torture"  which  was  released  by  Ossuary  Industries.

  Tortured  sex  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavy  direction  along  with  some  melodies  which  leads  up  to  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  melodic  guitar  solos  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  starts  getting  more  fast  and  brutal  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  the  leads  also  start  getting  more  technical.

  There  is  a  decent  amount  of  slam  death  metal  elements  being  used  throughout  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  there  are  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  on  the  recording  and  the  slam  parts  are  also  mixed  with  groove  metal  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  between  the  melodic,  technical,  slam  and  brutal  death  genres  all  being  mixed  in  together  and  some  of  the  speed  and  blast  beats  border  on  grindcore  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  is  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  before  the  music  returns  back  to  a  more  heavier  and  brutal  musical  direction.

  Torn  The  Fuck  Apart  show  a  great  amount  of  progresses  this  time  around  making  their  music  more  brutal,  melodic  and  technical  as  well  as  something  for  every  type  of  death  metal  fan,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  demented,  perverted  and  rape  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Torn  The  Fuck  Apart  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Autopsy  Of  A  Cunt"  "Skinned  And  Sodomized"  and  "Inserted  Vaginal  Castration  Device".  8  out  of  10.

  

Cwn Annwn/Metamorphosis/2014 CD Review

   Cwn  Annwn  are  a  band  from  Minnesota  that  plays  a   heavy  metal,  prog  rock  and  melodic  death  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Metamorphosis".

  Clean  playing  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  which  gives  the  music  a  progressive  rock  feeling  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  melodic  female  vocals  which  are  mixed  in  with  growls  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  melodic  and  technical  death  metal.

  There  are  a  lot  of  traditional  metal  elements  being  added  into  the  solos,  riffs  and  vocals  a  good  amount  throughout  the  recording  while  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  a  more  modern  day  direction  and  you  can  tell  the  band  is  heavily  influenced  by  thrash  and  the  screams  enhance  the  melodic  death  moments  of  the  music.

  As  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  classic  rock  traces  in  their  musical  sound  and  after  awhile  there  is  more  groove  being  added  into  the  song  structures  and  they  also  make  each  track  sound  different  from  each  other  while  always  remaining  true  to  a  heavy  and  melodic  metal  direction  and  towards  the  end  of  the  album  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  in  for  a  few  seconds  before  making  a  return  to  a  heavier  direction  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Rush's  "Subdivisions".

  Cwn  Annwn  create  a  very  original  sound  that  takes  from  old  school  metal  and  thrash  while  having  a  bit  of  groove  and  a  modern  feeling  to  their  sound  along  with  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  and  the  talent  of  progressive  rock,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  and  real  life  situations.

  In  my  opinion  Cwn  Annwn  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of    heavy  metal,  prog  rock  and  melodic  death  and  modern  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Metamorphosis"  "Beyond  Response"  "Two  Minutes  hate"  and  "Subdivisions".  8  out  of  10.    

Fight The Demiurge/The War At The Edge Of Existence/2014 EP Review

  This is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Fight  The  Demiurge  which  shows  her  sticking  to  a  brutal  slam  style  of  death  metal  with  the  ep  being  self  released  in  2014  and  called  "The  War  At  The  Edge  Of  Existence".

  A  very  heavy  slam  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  guttural  growls  and  after  awhile  distorted  yet  melodic  guitar  leads  start  finding  their  way  into  the  music  and  the  vocals  also  start  getting  more  demonic  sounding  and  the  music  also  has  some  old  school  death  metal  elements  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  As  the  ep  progresses  there  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  one  being  over  3  minutes  while  there  seems  to  be  a  great  balance  between  old  school,  brutal  and  slam  death  elements  present  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  utilized  at  times.

  Fight  The  Demiurge  shows  a  great  amount  of  progress  with  this  recording  with  the  music  sticking  mostly  to  a  guttural  and  slam  style  death metal  sound  while t heir  are  some  more  old  school  elements  and  melody  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  ep  from  Fight  The  Demiurge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  guttural  slam  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  End  Of  All  Things"  "Torn"  and  "Blinded".  8  out  of  10.    

Fight The Demiurge/Hypostasis Of The Archons/2012 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Fight  The  Demiurge  which  shows  her  continuing  her  brutal  slam  death  metal  sound  with  the  ep  being  self  released  in  2013  and  called  "Hypostasis  Of  The  Archons".

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  growls  before  going  into  a  more  fast  and  brutal  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  there  is  also  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  present  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  melody  being  utilized  at  times.

  The  music  is  more  focused  and  brutal  than  what  was  on  the  demo  while  still  evoking  a  very  dark  and  raw  feeling  and  the  growls  also  sound  very  guttural  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  some  high  pitched  screams  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  slam  death  metal  style  riffing.

  Fight  The  Demiurge  shows  a  great  amount  of  progresses  on  this  recording  and  the  music  sounds  more  brutal  than  the  demo  while  still  having  a  bit  of  a  raw  feeling  to  it,  th e production  sounds  very  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fight  the  Demiurge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  and  slam  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rotting  In  The  Depths  Of  Flesh"  and  "Hypostasis Of The Archons".  8  out  of  10.

Fight The Demiurge/Mandated/2012 Demo Review

  Fight  The  Demiurge  are  a  1  woman  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  brutal  and  slamming  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  self  released  2012  demo  "Mandated".

  Drums  and  slow  death  metal  riffs  start  off  the  demo  along  with  some  powerful  and  technical  sounding  bass  guitars  and  the  music  starts  adding  in  slam  elements  after  a  few  seconds  and  on  the  second  track  growls  are  finally  added  into  the  music  while  the  follow  track  sees  the  music  going  into  a  faster  and  brutal  direction.

  Blast  beats  enhance  the  brutality  of  the  music  and  there  are  also  a  good  amount  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  on  the  remaining  tracks  and  the  music  has  a  more  raw  approach  to  slam  and  brutal  death  metal  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  start  finding  their  way  into  the  music.

  Fight  The  Demiurge  plays  slam  and  brutal  death  metal  in  a  more  raw  direction  while  having  a  very  dark  feeling  in  the  music,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  conditions  found  in  farm  factories.

  In  my  opinion  Fight  The  Demiurge  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  slamming  and  brutal  death  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  The  Slaughterhouse"  and  "Castrate  The  Newborn".  8  out  of  10.

 

  

Red Hills/Pleasure Of Destruction/Total Metal Records/2014 CD Review

  Red  Hills  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  very melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Pleasure  Of  Violence"  which  was  released  by Total  Metal   Records.


  A  very  melodic  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growls  and  screams  as  well  as  a  good  amount  of  guitar  leads  and  they  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  you  can  also  hear  some  classic  metal  influences  being  thrown  into  the  guitar  leads.

  The  bands  music  is  more  rooted  in  the  90's  style  of  Swedish  death  metal  and  stays  away  from  the  more  modern  elements  that  have  watered  down  the  genre  over  the  years  and  after  awhile  blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  at  times  the  band  also  brings  in  thrash  metal  influences  and  they  close  the  album   with  an  instrumental.

    Red  Hills  plays  an  old  school  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  is  very  heavy  yet  catchy  at  the  same  time  and  while  it  is  not  very  original  sounding  the  songs  are  still  very  well  executed,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Red  Hills  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hard  to  be  A  Good  Man"  "Bitch"  and  "Lies  About  heaven".  8  out  of  10.

  

Under The Ocean/The Dark Waters/Drown Within Records/2014 EP Review

  Under  The  Ocean  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  brutal,  melodic  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "The  Dark  Waters"  which  was  released  by  Drown  Within  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  technical  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  mixture  of  screams  and  growls  before  going  into  a  more  fast  and  brutal direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  metal  core  style  break downs.

  As  the  ep  progresses  the  music  gets  more  melodic  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  in  the  bands  musical style  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  very  melodic  in  sound  while  they  also  have  a  very  dark  and  aggressive  edge  to  them  at  times.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  he  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  on  of  the  later  tracks  sees  the  band  adding  in  elements  of  ambient  and  drone  to  give  the  music  an  occult  and  ritualistic  feeling  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  the  last  track  also  sees  the  band  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  and  acoustic  guitars.

  Under  the  Ocean creates  an  interesting  sound  with  their  music  taking  both  the  melodic and  brutal  sides  of  death  metal  and  combining  them  together  as  well  as  adding  in  some  deathcore  elements  and  black  metal  influences  to  create  their  own  musical  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Lovecraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Under  the  Ocean  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  brutal,  melodic  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Bell  Tower"  and  "The  Creeper".  8  out  of  10.

Defilementory Interview

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

Thomas: Sure thing, and thanks for doing this interview! The recordings were actually finished over a year ago, and since then, Johnny left the band. He founded the band with me, but the pressure of live shows wasn't for him, which is perfectly fine, he contributed a huge deal to our sound, and the album, so a great time to pass the torch.

We had a short time with a guy called Jonathan, but he didn't have the time in the end. Lars joined, completing the line-up yet again, and we couldn't be happier. So it's been turbulent. Been doing a lot of writing in that time too, getting some material ready for when we enter the studio again.

2.You have a new album coming out in July, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction the band has taken with the new album and also how it differ from the ep and demo you had released a few years back?

T: The ep was basically slam death metal, which we've ventured away from. We've basically continued the sound from our 2011 demo, but with more coherent songwriting, and maybe a bit more fleshed out experimental side. We have a big influence from Gorguts, Ulcerate, Immolation and such with the use of dissonance, but also brutal shit like Gorgasm and Defeated Sanity. Our goal is to make death metal that is both brutal and intense, but with experimental and atmospheric edges, using a broad plate of influences.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer release and also how would you describe your progress as song writers over the years?

T: The title ”The Dismal Ascension” describes the lyrical themes pretty accurately. We've departed from gore themes, which has been done to death, and better than we ever could. We focus on the darkest corners of the human mind, misanthropic themes and dystopian futures. The final four songs on the album form a lyrical whole, that decribes an individuals ascension through rejection of human compassion and morals, to a higher state of being.

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

T: It's an inside joke from way back when we had a different vocalist. ”To defile” was his way of describing getting laid, which gave him the idea of calling us ”Defiler”. We thought that was kinda boring though, so I came up with ”Defilementory” as a place, where defilement takes place. It kinda relates more to the old lyric style of misogynist splattergore we started out with, but it's a fun word.

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?

T: Two years ago, we opened for Gorguts in Copenhagen, which was huge for us, and a great show all around, but in my opinion, our best shows have been the two latest ones with Lars in the line-up, where everything fell into place.

Our performance is meant to be dark, powerful and intense with the music in focus. We use a lot of fog, and dim the lights a bit for darkness, and our presences, headbanging, interacting with the crowd etc, for power. Between tracks, I don't say much, since it kind of ruins the mood. We have some dark foreboding ambience instead, to keep the dark and brutal feeling. A lot of brutal bands rely on humor between the songs, which kinda ”apologises” for the music. We don't do that.

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

T: We have something planned in Denmark this coming fall. If that turns out to be a success, we'll hopefully do some shows in Germany. We'd love to play some shows in the rest of Scandinavia as well, going out to the neighboring countries.

7.The album is going to be released on Torture Music Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

T: It's a brand new label, our album being their third release. It's run from Germany, by just one guy, but he has a lot of distro contacts around the globe. In the death metal scene, online distributors are your best bet for getting your shit out there, aside from playing shows everywhere and having some free streams. He gave us an awesome deal, and has been great to work with. Check his deals out, they're insanely cheap if you're into buying cds!

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

T: We've gotten some great response, from a lot of places, both American and European response, as well as people from Indonesia, they're crazy about BDM over there it seems! The album was mixed in Canada by Hugues Deslauriers who also promoted us a bit there, bringing in some great response as well. Most of all, we just need to get our name out there, since the response is generally very positive.

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

T: Richardt and Lars both play in Abscission, which is more in the blackened death style. They are in the works with a new ep, which should kick ass, check 'em out! Simon plays in the 80's style speed metal band Encyrcle where he gets to play all the Yngwie style shred he wants to. Their debut album is on the way. Richardt and I also play in the black/death chaos band, Apparatus. We are recording our debut album soon.

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

T: Since Lars joined, we've had a joint vision of taking the atmospheric parts further, and experimenting more. We will add more clean parts, as well as dissonance, some small bits of black metal influence here and there, and some more grind-ish parts. Some of the songs will be very long, some just short bursts of intensity. Working with the atmosphere and dynamics makes the heavy parts even more punishing.

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

T: To name some bands, Gorguts, Ulcerate and Immolation would probably be the biggest influences, along with Suffocation as the go-to source of brutality. We all love stuff like experimental black metal like Deathspell Omega and Dodecahedron as well.

I am a big fan of classical music, for a source of absolute musical expression. Some of my favorite composers are Debussy, Shostakovich, Wagner and Schoenberg. Other than that, we all love Toto and Level 42.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

T: I study musicology, so music is basically a constant in my life. I waste my time on video games from time to time. Books and nature are also big interests. I think I can speak for all of us when praising good beer from smaller breweries.

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

T: Thanks for having us!

Anyone reading, look us up on facebook or bandcamp, and keep supporting extreme music!

Exhumation/Bread Buttered On Both Sides/2014 EP Review

  Exhumation  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Bread  Buttered  On  Both  Sides".

  A  very  melodic  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  the music  goes  into  a  mid  90's  melodic  Swedish  death  metal  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  solos  and  leads  in  the  music  and  the  band  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  to  mid  paced  direction.

  As  the  ep  progresses  you  can  hear  a  decent  amount  of  thrash  metal  influences  being  mixed  into  the  bands  musical  sound  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  are  very  easy  to  hear  on  this  recording  and  it  times  the  guitar  leads  also  have  a  very  depressive  and  melancholic  feeling  to  them  and  the  band  also  ignore's  all  of  the  modern  trends  that  have  watered  down  this  genre  over  the  years  .

  Exhumation  plays  a  very  old  school  style  of  Swedish  style  death  metal  that  is  more  in  the  earlier  style  of  this  genre  with  some  of  the  tracks  reminding  me  of  At  the  Gates,  In  Flames  Or  Dark  Tranquility  before  all  3  of  those  bands  went  into  a  more  mainstream  direction,  the  production  sounds very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Exhumation  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blood  thirst"  and  "Windwalker".  8  out  of  10.