Beansidhe/Mont/Via Nocturna/2016 CD Review

  Beansidhe  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  death  metal  with  elements  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Mont"  which  was  released  by  Via  Nocturna.

  A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  melodic  yet  epic  guitar  leads  which  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very long  and  epic  in  length  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with some  progressive  elements.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  more  thrash  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  music  and  the  fast riffs  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount of  classical  guitars  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of melodic  singing  while  the  last  song  adds  in  symphonic  and  classical  music  touches.

  Beansidhe  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  progressive  while  also  mixing  in  influences  of  thrash  and  black  metal  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  spiritual  and  nature  themes.

 In  my opinion  Beansidhe  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  and  melodic  death  metal  band  with  touches  of  thrash  and  black  metal  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spazi"  and  "Diavol".  8  out  of  10.

 

Cannibal Accident/Encyclopedia Cannibalicum:Minimal Results With Maximal Effort/Nailjar Records/2015 CD Compilation Review

   Cannibal  Accident  are  a  band  from  Finland  that has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  that  plays  a mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  compilation  album  "Encyclopedia  Cannibalicum:  Minimal  Results  With  Maximal  Effort"  which  was  released  by  Nailjar  Records  and  consists  of  some  of  their  older  albums,  ep's  and  songs  from  split's  and  compilations.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  that  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  elements  of  groove  while  the  vocals  can  also  get  very  guttural  at  times  while  most of  the  songs  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  approach to  grindcore  and  as  the  compilation  progresses  they  bring  in  a  cover  of  Nephritis's  "Abominable  Death"  and  Torture  Killer's  "Motivated  To  Grill"  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  heavy  musical  direction.

  Cannibal  Accident  plays  a  very  brutal  mixture  of  grindcore  and  death  metal  throughout the  compilation  with  some  songs  being  on  the  raw  and  aggressive  side  while  some  are  more  on  the  groove  side,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  murder,  butchery  and  cannibalism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  compilation  from  Cannibal  Accident  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Accidental  Cannibal"  "Eat  The  Prisoners"  "Torso  Fucker"  and  "Dawn  Of  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.

Unlit Face Interview

 1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We started playing together in 2009 and had a few line-up changes so far. All current members come from different countries and have different music backgrounds, but we have met in Gothenburg, which is a really cool place for playing heavy music. The idea from the beginning was to play some form of metal incorporating influences from the Gothenburg scene but also from several other styles.
During that first year we released a demo which got pretty good reviews and we could play many gigs around gothenburg. The next step was the EP "Your Truth Lies” which was also received well.

>
> 2.You have a new album coming out during the end of June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
The backbone is somewhat the same from the beginning, but we wanted to explore and experiment more, using what each one of us is best at.  At the same time we wanted to revisit some old influences and we wanted to sound heavier. The result is a quite varied record with a strong link between the songs and very clear progressive elements. The guitars are heavier and more detailed, the drums are quite dense, the vocals focus on growls and cleans, and the synths are based on the 70s/80s and more present than before.

>
> 3.This is your first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
After the release of the EP we felt like we needed to take a step back to work more on our music and find our own sound. And that’s what we’ve done during most of that time span. We also had some line-up changes with our previous guitarist leaving and Rafael taking over all the guitars for the album.

>
> 4.The lyrics on the new album cover a lot of the different mythologies across the world, can you tell us a little bit more about which cultures you have explored lyrically on the new album?
The concept of the album is about the creation of the world and mankind based on several different mythologies. But the approach is not to talk about gods and mythological places and creatures, but rather write in a more subtle way, using one or several stories as inspiration. It was difficult to choose the cultures because there is a lot of nice stories, but in the end the selection is:
Overcoming the Sky – Sumerian
Child of Chaos – Chinese
Failed Creation – Native North American
Three Worlds – Eskimo
Foundation – Slavic
Conception of Souls – Maya
Voice of Thunder – Native South American
Conquering Darkness – Egyptian
Everlasting Transformation – Nordic

>
> 5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Unlit Face’?
It is about the parts of us that we hide away, but that can at some point appear in different forms. We all are very complex and can be social chameleons, adapting to the situations. But there are some features in our personalities that are rarely shown to others. Sometimes they emerge in stressful situations, sometimes only in very close relationships and sometimes they are not even morally right or socially accepted, but they are nevertheless part of who we are.

>
> 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 had some nice concerts around Gothenburg playing with some of our friend bands. Our stage performance is quite energetic, with a dense sound, but at the same time we deliver the songs with precision.

>
> 7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We are currently organising the release show in Gothenburg and will play around Scandinavia in the autumn. In the beginning of next year we are planning to go for an european tour. More news will be posted on our Facebook page soon.

>
> 8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive and melodic death metal?
So far we’ve released just the video for “Overcoming the Sky” and it has been going very well. It seems that most of the fans are concentrated in Sweden and Europe, but also Brazil since Rafael still has quite tight connections there. Recently we’ve got a few reviews before the album is released and they have been positive.

>
> 9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are quite pleased with the result of the album, although there is always room for improvement. I would say that we will probably continue in roughly the same direction in the near future. At the same time we will for sure add other elements and explore different things in the next album. It will probably be a concept album as well. But it is a bit early to say exactly how it will sound and what it will be about.

>
> 10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We are quite broad in music styles that we listen too. All the way from some forms of progressive music to death metal and a lot in between. Some of the influences are Dark Tranquillity, Paradise Lost, Opeth, Machine Head,  Amorphis, but also Karnivool, Animals as Leaders and TesseracT. Lately there has been quite a lot of good releases, but In Mourning, Fallujah, Enshine, Alkaloid and Ihsahn have been looping in our players.

>
> 11.What are some of your non musical interests?
All of us work with technology and practice some sports. And all of us are into series and films.
Rafael is very interested in music and keeps digging up new bands and records all the time. He is also into books, specially sci-fi and fantasy.
Roberto is a swimmer. Trains several times a week and also likes to swim in open waters. Traveling is in his top list of hobbies and every now and then plays along some cool bass lines at home.
Tomas passion besides music is cooking. He explorers all kind of cuisines, and is very keen on capturing the original taste from different countries.

>
> 12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We would like to thank you for this opportunity and thank everybody who’s supported us so far. We are really looking forward to release the album, start playing live and meet people.

Deathfare/Shotgun Surgery/Heathen Tribes Records/2016 Full Length Review

  Deathfare  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  brutal  death  metal  and  this is a  review  of  their  2016 album  "Shotgun  Surgery"  which  was  released by  Heathen  Tribes  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  brutality.

  A  lot  of  90's  influences  can  be  heard  in the  music  while  the  songs  still  sound  very  modern  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of t he  riffs  also bring  in  elements  of  grindcore  and  there  is also  a  quest  appearance  from  Attila  Csihar  which  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of dogs  barking  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  clean  playing  and  melodic  guitar  leads  are  added  onto  the  last  track.

  Deathfire  plays   a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  old  school  death  metal  while  also  mixing  in  influences  of  grindcore,   the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deathfire  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  style  death  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Final  Cut"  "Kitchen  Massacre"  "Great Minds  Think  Like  Me"  "10.000  Nightmares".  8  out  of  10.    

 

Banned From Hell Interview

 1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
1- In these days we are working, with our Label SLIPTRICK RECORDS, on the album promotion, preparing the shows (especially the first gig where we'll present our new work “Fall of Humanity”, tons of work!

    2.You have a new album coming out during the end of June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the ep you had released in 2012?
2- There are so many differences between the old EP "Nightmare (2012)“ and the new full-length ”Fall of Humanity", we used the latest digital technologies to record this album and every detail has been taken care.
In “Fall of Humanity” you can find more aggressive riffs, melody and our particular horror sounds. We worked so hard to reach this quality and hope you'll enjoy it.

    3.This is the first release to come out since 2012, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
3- After “Nightmare” release in 2012 we immediately started with gigs and tours with important bands like Gorillaz SS, Rotting Christ, Eyehategod, Cryptopsy, Decrepit Birth, Cattle Decapitation, Hate and more, it was really a rewarding experience.
Then we started to work on “Fall of Humanity” and some members left the band for personal reasons.
After all we rebuilt the band with the new members Andrea Giordano, Lorenzo Vullo, Andrea di Gregorio and Federico Taccini.

    4.You lyrics cover some splatter and paranormal themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
4- We're not really interested in paranormal or similar, but we try to put these themes into our lyrics mixing with social and world problems, some example: “You Are my Blood” talks about a man possessed by the evil, “Bleeding Digital” talks about cyber pedofilia.

    5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Banned From Hell'?
5- The meaning of “Banned From Hell” has no satanic reference, but far from it.
The band's name reflects the topics used in the lyrics, it's a way to fight the evil of our current society, corruption, terrorism, global pollution, human cruelty and more.

    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?
6- There were many nice festivals where we played, one of our best shows was in 2013 in O'clock Summer Fest, with Destrage and Dreamshade.
Our performances were full of energy, we like to stay in contact with the public and try new stuff to keep them entertained,
a funny story about one of our first shows during the song “Killing in Cold Blood” we pulled out a chainsaw (without chain), for the future shows, you'll see.

    7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7- Currently we're preparing a tour planning with our agency, stay tuned for more information!

    8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
8- We received a good feedback from worldwide fans, especially from the South of America, North Europe and Asia.
They have a good feeling with extreme metal

    9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
9- Currently we are all very involved in the project BANNED FROM HELL, but maybe one day we could have some solo project.

    10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10- We are confident about what will and in our potential, we believe that the future holds for us nice surprises.

    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?
11- We have a lot of different influences from different kinds of music. We listen so much of classical music, we really love it because some of our components studied it. Our main metal influences are progressive, death, melodic, power and core, we love bands like Death, In Flames, Stratovarius, Suicide Silence, Dream Theater and many others.

    12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12- We have so much interests, like sports, fitness, technology some of us are studying at university, Leonardo is a programmer and Andrea is a lifeguard, our life is full of inspirations!

    13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13- Lastly we would like to thank you and greet the fans who follow us.
STAY TUNED, BIG NEWS COMING SOON!

Red Dawn/Algorithim Of Destruction/Finisterian Dead End/2016 CD Review

  Red  Dawn  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  technical  form  of  slam  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Algorithim  Of  Destruction"  which  was  released  by  Finisterian  Dead  End.

  Epic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and you  can  also  hear  all  of  the musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  fo blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  death  metal  growls  and  screams  while  the solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  technical  fashion  while  also  having  their  melodic  moments  and  on  some  tracks  the  vocals  incorporate  deathcore  elements  while  elements  of  slam  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  on  the  last  song  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  the  music.

  Red  Dawn  plays  a  style  of  death  metal t hat  is  very  technical  while  also  adding  in  touches  of  slam  and  deathcore  which  also  sets  them  apart  from  most  band s of  then  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark and  violent  themes.

  In  my opinion  Red  Dawn  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Casked  Clock"  "Looking  Through  The  Eye  Of  God"  and  "Infinity Of  Time".  8  out  of  10.

Myth Of A Life/She Who invites/Sleaszy Rider Records/2016 CD Review

  Myth  Of  A  Life  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "She  Who  Invites"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

   Classical  guitar  playing  and  atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  heavy  musical  direction  that  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  and  blast  beats  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  bringing  in a  great  mixture  of  both  growls  and  high  pitched  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  spoken  word  parts  also  making  a  return  on  a  couple  of t he  tracks  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  throughout  the  recording.


  Myth  Of  A  Life  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  is  very  true  to  the  Swedish  style  of  the  genre  while  also  being  very  modern,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Myth  Of  A  Life  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  "Scourged  And  Crucified"  "Taking  Back  What  Is  Mine"  "She  Who  Invites"  and  "Burning  Vision".  8  out  of  10.

   

Mental Disaster Interview

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

1: Mental Disaster started as a 2-piece back in 2011,when guitarist Bernt asked me(Jan,vocal),
if i wanted to join him in starting a thrash band.
He already had ideas for a couple of songs, which I really liked, so of course I joined.
Bassist Bengt,and drummer David got onboard shortly thereafter. I 2013 we released our first album; "Let the demon speak".


2.You have a new album coming out this year, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the album you had released in 2013?


2: When we finished our first album "Let the demon speak",it was altogether a more thrashier release,
we started from scratch with what material Bernt had presented.
But it didn't take long before we really wanted to incorporate more death metal etc into the concoction.
And now everybody is adding their own ideas for how songs are build,and how they should sound.


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

3: Basically everything from how I(Jan)see where this world is going,the horrors that are happening right before us every day,to tales of my own creation and so on.


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

4: The name MD was something Bernt already had decided on when I was asked to join.
I think he wanted to paint a portrait of a crazy,demented metalband


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?


5: We have only played gigs in Norway thus far..
All from the smallest,sweatiest stages to more comfortable venues. Being opening act at last years Southern DisComfort was quite comfortable. Our perfomance is quite energetic I would say.
In my opinion they have all been great experiences without much trouble.


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

6: We are going to do a local release party in August, also we're discussing doing a mini release tour with a band from Rogaland, but nothing is set in stone yet.


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

7: There has been some interest, but none of the offers felt right. Hoping that will change of course, and we'll find a suitable label.

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

8: The feedback has been great! That goes for both live and what we've released. Really looking forward to see what people think about our new album.

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?

9: Bernt, (guitar), has a side project called Grøftefyll which i a more boozeridden party band,and David, (drummer), plays with Faanefjell.
Bengt, (bass), an me have another band called Blot,a more black/Viking /folk band.


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

10: Pretty much in the same track as our upcoming sophomore release "Raping the symbol of humanity"
Making the songs more intense,brutal and technical.


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?

11: Way to many to mention but,we draw inspiration from bands such as Slayer, Nile, Decapitated, Emperor etc,etc

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

12: Bernt literally is all about metal music from when he comes home from work,to when he goes to sleep.
Bengt travels a lot and is passionated about riding his motorcycle.
David is younger than the rest of us,so I guess he loves to party,haha.
Myself I train martial art's in various forms and shapes, I read and write alot to mention a couple of things.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13: Nothing much really,check us out if you like brutal death/thrash/black metal from Norway.
We value all opinions, be they good or bad ;)

Unlit Face/Everlasting Transformation/Sliptrick Records/2016 CD Review

  Unlit  Face  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Everlasting  Transformation"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  bring  in elements  of  progressive  rock  while  also  mixing in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  solos  and  leads a re also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  there  is  also  a  decent  amount  of  melodic  vocals  and  clean  playing  throughout the  recording.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album h ave  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  songs  also  go  for  more  of  a  modern  metal  style  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  60's  and  70's  progressive  rock  influences  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Unlit  Face  plays a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  melodic  death  metal  which  they  also  mix  with  progressive  rock  to  create  a  very  original  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  based  upon  the  creation  of  the  world  from  a  variety  of  many  different  pagan  and  shamanistic  cultures.

  In  my  opinion  Unlit  Face  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  death  metal  band  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Angelina"  "Lexi"  and  "Silvia".  8  out  of  10. 

Scythe Beast Interview

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



In 2012 a good friend of Koopie (Producing) and me had to face the 40th birthday.So we thought about creating a little song for him, just for the fun of it.

But it figured out, that we both fit in that process really good, so the wheel started spinning. Finally the song “God of Carnage” was the result for our friend, who is a huge Amon Amarth Fan. Just in case you asked yourself of that track sounding like a rip-off: that was the plan ;-)

Andreas Tegeler, who is a good friend of mine  is the drummer in Scythe Beast., besides his band Povertys no Crime and other projects. I´m very grateful to have this talented yet busy guy on board.

And there were some really cool guitar players helping out with some solos: Ville Pajala,Joshua Cole,Richard Steward and Frank Schwenker.





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



I´m a huge fan of the Swedish Death Metal scene, but that´s only one small facet. Growing up with the first releases of Slayer,Kreator also there is also a great influence from the thrashy side of life. We had really no particular approach, what we´re doing. It just turned out what it is; a bastard from several styles.





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



At first, singing was really not my sector in that project, but after a while I was bored of listening to “instrumentals”. So I started to try that vocal part, including the lyrics. It´s really hard work for me (and leo.org ;-)) to write in English and not sound like a complete moron. There are different topics i´m working on, from that classic gore stuff to religion or other dark sides of life. I´m watching the news and start writing ;-)





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



We looked for a name, that represents the style and the attitude. Scythe Beast must be a well known name for those guys playing the game “Doom”. It was a tough opponent with scythes at the arms. Mike from Dragon Design turned this in a catchy, a bit old-school cover. There is no name for it, but i´m proud to have my own Eddy J





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 actually are a studio project. But maybe if Amon Amarth ask us for tour support we´ll think it over :-P





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



See above





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



Our drummer Andreas Tegeler from the Prog-Metal Band Povertys no Crime went out to contact a few guys he knew from his work on the new album ( which is Spiral of Fear), but there is far too much music with many bands wanting a record deal.

Though the responses were good, there is no such deal in sight. From the start I wanted to do this music just for fun and having a good time. So there is unfortunately no cd to buy or something. You can download our album for free on our bandcamp page. Any money you pay us,´cause you think it´s worth it, will be donated to an organization, doing something good for children or fighting cancer or similar.

 I once wrote a song for a 6 month old kid suffering on leukemia.I told his dad to use it for a donated download or something like that to raise money for a typification.

On these days this little boy is regaining strength and starts to live like any other kid. It´s great to have the opportunity to do things like that!





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



Well, we really don´t expect to leave a huge impact on the metal scene, and that never was the plan. We just did what we did and got some very kind words from people around the world, saying that Breeding Devastation is quite better than we thought ourselves. You dudes make us a bunch of insane grinning lunatics (who we are of course!)





9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?



Andreas is the drummer in german prog-metal legend Povertys no Crime and in other countless projects.

Koopie is always doing anything, starting from his own musical efforts to producing other musicians. He´s like Batman: you don´t know what he´s really doing, but always there when you need him ;-)





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



I´m the songwriter, and I already do what I like most. So we go on with this style , but maybe we won´t record a complete album the next time, because it´s a huge time-eating process. But we are working on a follow-up, maybe in ep-format.





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?



Early Entombed,Dismember,Dark Tranquillity,Death,Morbid Angel, Dark Angel,Slayer also.





12.What are some of your non musical interests?



My kids and when there is a short gap in time cycling (like i´m playing: as fast as I can ;-))





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



I really like to say a huge thanx for giving me the opportunity, to say these words. We do this for the scene, so everybody is invited to get our album for free on Bandcamp (or any Russian one-click hoster you trust), leave your thoughts on our Facebook page and pay me a beer on the next concert you´re at ;-)



https://www.facebook.com/ScytheBeast/?fref=ts

https://scythebeast.bandcamp.com/album/breeding-devastation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZSKJ7dEjyY&feature=youtu.be

Banned From Hell/Fall Of Humanity/Sliptrick Records/2016 CD Review

  Banned  From  Hell  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  melodic style of  deathcore  with  some gothic  horror  style  keyboards  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Fall  Of  Humanity" which  will  be  released on  June  30th  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Symphonic  sounding keyboards start  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  recording  an  epic  feeling  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  high  pitched screams  being  utilized  at  times  and  they also  mix  the  heavy  and  symphonic  parts  together.

  A  great  amount  of  metalcore  elements  can  be  heard  throughout the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic yet  technical  style  and  the  keyboards  also  mix  in  a  gothic  horror  movie  feeling  at  times  along  with  some  progressive  elements  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  screams  also  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  the  music  also  brings  in  clean  playing  and  melodic  vocals  on  one  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  some  back  up  gang  shouts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  modern  metal  element  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Banned  From Hell  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  melodic  death  metal  which  they  also  mix  in  with  some  metalcore  elements,  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  symphonic  gothic  horror  style  keyboards  to  create  something  very original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are a  concept  album  based  upon  international  social  problems  along  with  some  cruel,  splatter  and paranormal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Banned  From Hell  are a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic,  melodic  death  metal  and  metalcore  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "You  Are  My  Blood"  "Hate"  "Amigdala"  and  "Fall  Of  Humanity".  8  out  of  10.   

  

   

Unmerciful/Ravenous Impulse/Unique Leader/2016 CD Review

  Unmerciful  are  a  band  from  Kansas that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  with some  elements  of  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Ravenous  Impulse"  which  will  be  released  in  July by  Unique  Leader.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast beats  as  well  as  a  good  mixture  of  both  screams  and  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  an  influence  of  grindcore  in  the  music  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  also  having  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  east  coast  death  metal  influences  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  the  genre  and  all  of  the  songs stick  to  a  very  heavy  and brutal  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Unmerciful  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  also  adds  in a  touch  of  grindcore,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  violence,  and  depravity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unmerciful  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unmerciful"  "Socialpathic  Predation"  "Enduring  Torture"  and  "Methodic  Absolution".  8  out  of  10.

Scythe Beast/Breeding Devastation/2016 Full Length Review

  Scythe  Beast  are  a  band from Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Breeding  Devastation".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  drums  and  melodic  guitar  leads  become  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  songs  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  tremolo  picking in  the  fast  riffs  and  there  is  also  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences  being  utilized  throughout  the  recording  which  they  also  mix  in  with  elements  of  thrash  and  on  the  last  track  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard.

  Scythe  Beast  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  Swedish  influenced  style  of  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  thrash  to  create  a  very  heavy  sounding  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Scythe  Beast  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bloodmoons  Bane"  "Enter  Oblivion"  "The  Long  Walk"  and  "Vortex".  8  out  of  10. 

Deathevoker Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
  we are from the jungle of North Borneo, Sabah, Malaysia. started few years back, released few materials and we play death metal.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
  Rotten,Raw,putrid straight forward and in your face kind of Death Metal

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
  The usual morbid stuff such as death,dark fantasies,places and there are some historical are written as our lyrical topic,
  depending on the band member who wrote the lyrics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Deathevoker'?
  Nothing to deep and to important to mention. I just think it fits well and sounded good.


5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
  We just play local show for now and we played only a few of them. For me me all of them are quit good but it could be better.
  If you want to have great time and wanting musics to bang your fuckin head, Deathevoker would be quit a choice for you then.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
  I would love to. But now we are lessened to 2 lineups and i need to find a session player or new lineup that are commited enough
  to the band activities before making an plans on any touring for the future.

7.On one of the recordings you had done a cover of Sepultura's "Troops Of Doom", what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?
  We got some spare time during the recording so the drummer and i decided to do Troops of doom from sepultura because we always cover that song
  from way back then and i guess it is one of metal anthem worldwide. It was fun doing things that are not that planned.

8.Over the years you have been a part of plenty of split's, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands that have  participated on these recordings?
  Pathogen are very well known in the underground movement worldwide and they released tonnes of material during all these years.
  The frontman Willie are very supportive and a very nice guy indeed. We are honor doing the split with such a great band as Pathogen.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
  There are few reviews i founded on the web and mostly given a very positive review and they really like what we are doing. The reception are quit good rather than our local cold feedback.

10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
   Yes!!Mann our drummer also played with Kalabanganz from Kota kinabalu,sabah Malaysia.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
   I am not planning on any of it for now as we dont have budget and offer to do it right now. We will try to stick on what we had  done until now and its not like we are experimental band that changes concept once in a while. But nothing are for certain as we just cannot sees   what the future might hold  for deathevoker.
 

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?
   I am influenced by to many bands that i heard since way back then. Some of it are Carcass, Dismember, Massacre, Terrorizer, Pungent stench,  Silent Death, and the list goes on and on. I am open to any kind of musics, and if i can enjoy it..i will listen to it. Lately i've been listening  to variety of Metal,punk and some 60s oldies songs.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
   there are not to many, as i really like Walking, Reading, video games etc.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
   Sorry for the late respond and short answers and i hope people reading the interview will   be checking our latest and past materials.Thank you for for the interest and for the interview.

Pequod/False Divinity/2016 EP Review

  Pequod  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "False  Divinity".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  bats  and  you  can  also h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  while  most  of  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  death  metal  growling  style  and  the  music  is  also  perfectly  balanced  between  both  modern  and  old  school  influences.

  A  great  amount  of  melodic  Swedish  influences  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  screaming  vocals  can  be  heard  at  times  and  they  almost  border  on  black  metal  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  melodic  fashion  and  the  whole  ep  also  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  sound  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Pequod  plays  a  musical style  that  takes  a  Swedish  influenced  style  of  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  thrash  and  a  touch  of  modern  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Pequod  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "False  Divinity"  and  "Pride  Of  Creation".  8  out  of  10.   

 

Hour of Anguish Interview

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

A1. We formed Hour of Anguish in 2014, as the duo of Andreas Henriksson & Richard Lee. Our intention has always been to create intensely brilliant, brutal, and beautiful soundscapes that transcend the status quo of Melodic Death Metal. We left our bands Somber (Suicide Records) and December's Shadow (Blue Pie Records) we knew there had to be a better way to create the music we loved. We both felt music is a pure expression of will and that art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known. Our next musical creation had to be more than what we had done before. We formed Hour of Anguish a living embodiment of musical intensity, force, ferocity, balance and beauty.


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

A2. The guiding principles for our First Album, "Solace of Sorrow" was to stand tall on the shoulders of the giants that inspired us like - Soilwork, In Flames, Lamb of God, & Dark Tranquility but  push farther beyond the horizon of these masters of metal through constant growth, exploration, and evolution of sound and style. Our challenge is to get the listener to forget what they think they know about metal and get lost in our album. We wanted to create a genre bending amalgamation of force, ferocity, balance and brutality. Solace of Sorrow is beauty and the beast; unrelenting, compelling, melodic metal for the masses, giving listeners a little of what they know but a tremendous amount of what they would never expect.

 

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

A3. Richard: I write lyrics that cover existential, philosophical, metaphysical & occult themes. This album came in a time of my life when I was dealing with addiction and a tremendous amount of personal loss and defeat. Treading along the narrow edge of my own oblivion gave me tremendous amounts of fuel for the fires of introspection and creation. As far as meaning, the ambiguity and semantic dissonance of words has always intrigued me, it is one of my favorite parts about writing! Each song has its own significance to me, the artist, but I challenge listeners to come to their own conclusions and meanings. Music is personal, no words are meant to be definite- speculate, consume, digest, & live your own interpretation. Your personal subjective vision will have a purer distillation and meaning than anything I could give. Live the music.



4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hour of Anguish'?

A4. A perfect quote to explain HOA is by Friedrich Nietzsche, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”

We all have Hours of Anguish in our life. This is a time we are on the cusp of the end, a moment of despair where our suffering is so pure, and so intense, we beg for the ending. But somehow against all odds we survive, we endure, and we are tempered. We become stronger and we become as radiant as the sun, and we see our greatness unleashed.  “What is to give light must endure burning.”― Viktor E. Frankl

5. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?

A5. Richard: The creative process is very fluid between Andreas and myself. We understand how the other writes and are able to work effectively and efficiently together. For writing material we will most likely stay a two piece until we find the right members. We will definitely be putting together a band for all of our show and tour dates. There is nothing like a full band live.



Andreas: As Richard is saying, we do have a perfect understanding of each other's writing process and it will most likely stay that way; however, the possibility of future band members bringing some more creativity to Hour of Anguish is definitely there.



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

A6. Richard: HOA has had interest from both minor and major labels since the release of Solace of Sorrow, but we are taking it slow. We want our growth to be organic. Andreas and I have both been on labels before, and have seen the best and the worst of what they have to offer. We are really looking for the right fit for us!



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

A7. HOA has been receiving a tremendous amount of positive feedback. The biggest responses we have seen have been out of Central/South America and Europe. Both markets are way more receptive to fringe music like ours, and have been giving us tremendous support. Fans are loving the progressive elements of “Solace of Sorrow”, we look forward to touring Europe and South America soon!

 

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

A8. Richard: As soon as we were done with Solace of Sorrow, Andreas started working on our next album! The music style is WAY harder, aggressive, and “in your face” than SOS, I am really working on lyrics that are going to challenge listeners. Let’s push the boundaries of ideas!



Andreas: The writing process on our second album is in full force and is very different from Solace of Sorrow. Writing Solace of Sorrow was a long and experimental process; I actually wrote the first song 2013 and the last song 2015 and it wasn't until Richard joined 2014 that it started to take shape. The new album is definitely different with more intensity, rawness, and originality. The core of who we are as a band is really starting to come together.  I think that I found a more define, explosive sound for the next album.



9. 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?

A9. Andreas: This is always a tough question to answer and I usually try not to compare my music to any genres. If you try to hear differences between songs you may be able to hear the difference in music I was listening at the time. All music influence me, but at the time Soilwork definitely on the top of my playlist. I mostly listen to rock and all sorts of metal, but I try to hit up concerts with local bands to find original music in the area I'm in at the time.



Richard: I listen to everything from Miles Davis to Frank Zappa to Gorguts. There is too much good music out there not to try to listen and be inspired by it. Right now I have Insomnium’s “Shadows of a Dying Sun” on loop; brilliant fucking album. I also love the new by Amon Amarth “Jomsviking”, you can never go wrong with a Viking Metal concept album! ::laughs::



10. Does Occultism play any role in your music?

A10. Richard: Absolutely! Personally, I am heavily influenced by the occult in my writing. The concept of the Macrocosm and Microcosm, hermeticism, and gnostic self-liberation are huge elements of expression for me. I often wander between the Left and Right Hand paths freely, enjoying the sublime natures of them both. Some of my favorite authors are Christopher Hyatt, Stephen Edred Flowers, Joseph Lisiewski, Robert Anton Dawson, & Jason S. Black.



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

A11.  Andreas: One of my biggest interest is sound production and engineering; as you may know, I did all the recording, production, mixing, and mastering of Solace of Sorrow. Even though I'm still an amateur, I'm pretty happy with the end result.



Richard: I am a poet and artist. My poetry is mostly stream of consciousness and existential expressionism. My art is surrealism and abstract expressionism – I am inspired greatest by Käthe Kollwitz, Francis Bacon, and Jackson Pollack. Check my work out at www.richard.lee.potts.com



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

A12. Thanks for taking the time to interview us! We are stoked to release “Solace of Sorrow” out and look forward to touring to support the album this year.  Be sure to check us out at: www.hourofanguish.com, join our mailing list, and like us on the Facebook. We look forward to talking to you again soon!!!

Mental Disaster/Raping The Symbol Of Humanity/2016 Full Length Review

  Mental  Disaster  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  with  some  black  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "The  Raping  Of  Humanity".

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  speeding  up  and  going  into  a  thrash  metal  direction  while  also  using  death  metal  growls  and  some  black  metal  screams  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  extreme  metal  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  fast  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Mental  Disaster  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  heaviest  sides  of  thrash  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  in  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  as  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mental  Disaster  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Victims  of  Fornication"  "Postapocalyptic  Bumfight"   "Thoughts  Of  Rot'  Thoughts  Of   Hell"  and  "Cannibal  Skull  Cult".  8  out  of  10.

Kinnefret/The Coming Of Age/2016 CD Review

  Kinnefret  are  a  band  from  Oakland,  California  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "The  Coming  Of  Age".

  Field  recordings  start off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  high  pitched  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto t he  recording  along  with  some  very  heavy  yet  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  music  speeds up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  you  can  alsohear  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  in  all  of  the  songs.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  violins  and  ethnic  elements  and  there  are  also  traces  of  brutal  death  metal  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  A  lot  of  the  songs  mix  in  a  great  amount  of thrash  influences  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  get  very  technical  at  times  while  some  riffs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  prog  metal  and  djent  and  they  also  bring  in  an  a  couple  of  instrumental  tracks  and  the  screams  are  done  by  a  female  while  the  the  growls  are  done  by  a  male.

  Kinnefret  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  melodic  death  metal  while  bringing  in  a  more  brutal  touch  to the  genre  along  with  some  influences  of  thrash,  prog  and  djent  which  also  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  bit more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the lyrics  cover  dark,  violent  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kinnefret  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Awakening"  "The  Warrior"  "Eternal  Damnation"  and  "The  Prophets".  8  out  of  10.

Lord Of War/Suffer/Unique Leader/2016 CD Review

  Lord  Of  War  are  a  band  from  Oceanside,  California  that  plays  a  very  brutal,  atmospheric  and  melodic  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Suffer"  which  will  be  released  in  July by  Unique Leader  Records.

  Sci  fi  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  brutal  direction  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  growling  fashion  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  mid  tempo  parts  are  heavily  influenced  by  slam  and deathcore.

  Screaming  vocals  can  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melodic  riffing  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  mix  in  some  melodies  while  also  being  very  dark  at  the  same  time  and  the  sci  fi  elements  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  lot  of  the  faster  riffing  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and on  some  songs  the  vocals  also  mix  in hardcore  style  shouting  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also a   small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  on  some  songs  while  later  on  during  the  recording  the  riffs  start  utilizing  more metalcore  style  breakdowns  along  with  touches  of  prog  and  djent  and  one  of  the  songs  closer  to t he  end  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  keyboards.

  Lord  Of  War  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  brutal,  technical  and melodic  styles  of  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  deathcore  and  a  sci  fi  atmosphere  while  also  demonstrating  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  as  musicians,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover the  universe,  space,  earth,  aliens  and  constellations  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Lord  Of  War  are  a  very  great  sounding atmospheric,  technical,  brutal  and  melodic  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  "Nexus  Of  Hate"  "Behold  The  Harvest"  "Carbon  Based  Genocide"  and  "Killing  Must  Feel  Good  To  God".  8  out  of  10.

Korpse/Unethical/Rising Nemesis Records/2016 CD Review

  Korpse  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Unethical"  which  was  released  by  Rising  Nemesis  Records.

A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  and spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  guttural  death  metal  growls  and   the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  slam  at  times  along  with  a  great  amount  of  east  coast  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  songs  avoid  using  any  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  spoken  word  samples  also  make  a  return  on  later  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Korpse  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  slam  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  social  issues  and  political  themes.
 
  In  my  opinion  Korpse are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Collateral  Casualties"  "Stoneage"  "Unethical"  and  "Eternal  Misery".  8  out  of  10.  

Human Vivisection/The Perptual Gap/Rising nemesis Records/2016 CD Review

  Human  Vivisection  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays a  brutal  form  of  slam  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review of their  2016  album  "The  Perpetual Gap"  which  was  released  by  Rising  Nemesis  Records.

  Dark  sound  effects  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  slamming  death  metal  direction  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  at  times  the  vocals  can  get  very  guttural.

  A  lot  of  east  coast  death  metal  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  some  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  focusing  more  on  mid  tempo  sections  and  keyboards  are  also  added  onto  the  last  track  while  the  guitars  remain  very  heavy.
 
  Human  Vivisection  plays  a  style  of slam  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  heavy  sounding  in  the  east  coast  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In my  opinion  Human  Vivisection  are  a  very  great  sounding  slam  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Age  Of  Disgust"  "Feed  The  Warmachine"  "Birth  Of  A  Defective  Race"  and  "Creation  Of  The  Spiritual  Machines".  8  out  of  10. 

Ligature Wound/Self titled/Iron, Blood & Death Corporation/2016 EP Review

  Ligature  Wound  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  very brutal  form  of  gore/death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2016 ep  which  was  released  by  Iron,  Blood  &  Death  Corporation.

  Horror movie  samples  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  goes  into a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  blast  beats  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  melodies  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  high  pitched  screams  can  be  heard  briefly.

  Elements  of  grindcore  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  tracks  also  bring in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  some  of  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  the  whole  ep  also  remains  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Ligature  Wound  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of grindcore  and  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ligature  Wound  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Undead  Of  The  Night"  and  "Obsessed  With  Torture".  8  out  of  10.

Bulletsize/Pansar/2016 Full Length Review

  Bulletsize  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released 2016  album  "Pansar".

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  blast  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  the  vocals  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  growls  and  screams  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  When  solos and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  elements  and  there  is  also a  brief  use  of  keyboards  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  songs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  and  the  last  track  is  all  instrumental.

  Bulletsize  plays  a  style  of  melodic  Swedish  death  metal  that  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  thrash,  the  production  sounds  very professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Bulletsize  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Abomination"  "In The  Front  We  Die"  and  "Blackhole  Village".  8  out of  10.     

  

Peripheral Cortex Interview

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



JO:  Hey,, thanks for putting up these questions.  Sure the band's inception happened in fall 2013 when Rob (bass) started seeking musicians to collaborate with back then.  By time, Chris C (drums) showed interest in Rob's creativity, followed by Leo (guitars) and Chris B (guitars) at a later stage.  In the same period, the band had a hard time finding a dedicated frontman, which made things rather tough for the band to progress.  The guys placed various adverts which went somehow viral online and it was till then when I stumbled upon the advert (while being on a short vacation from London to Berlin) and decided to give it a shot.  Regretfully, we also had to part ways with Chris B as his interests drifted apart from the band's direction, and till now we decided to proceed as a quartet.  However at some point we will be looking for a second guitarist to fill in the vacant spot.





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



JO:  Not an easy question to answer!  To be precise we are trying in evolving our own sound and that isn't an easy thing to do.  Worth saying that Mendel Bij de Leij (ABORTED / ORACLES) applied his magical approach in the overall sound by improving both "thickness" and "chunkiness" in our 'Rupture' EP.  All I can say (especially for those who are reading this) is that through our initial package, we've been fairly described as a nice mixture of Necrophagist, Carcass (mid-90's), The Faceless, Beneath the Massacre, Death, and Arsis.  Subject to any evolution, it is highly possible that there will be a significant difference between the EP sound and the sound in our future recording(s).





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



JO:  Lyrical-wise we cover a wide array of concepts falling under the spectrum of psychology (cognition, existentialism), ancient philosophies, Gnosticism, sci-fi, and general struggles from a personal stance to a collective one.  Pretty much we intend to be rather conceptual and at a certain extent to bring something worth reading for the audience.





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



The band moniker can be interpreted in various ways not limited to ‘anatomy’, ‘an edge’ of a cortex such as the edge of the earth or a shell; and last but not least an additional cortex (i.e. mechanical) attached to the brain.  Pretty much sci-fi related!   Worth saying there was a lot of brainstorming in forming a name that suits our musical approach befitting the technical death metal genre.





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



JO:  To be quite frank, we only had one show recently in a local venue which we didn't promote for the sake of being a 'warm-up' gig intended for the few.  The scope behind it was simply to fine tune ourselves before hitting the 'real' stage.





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



JO:  We have plans underway to do performances locally and hopefully overseas such as the Netherlands, Czech, and perhaps the UK at a certain point.  Yet on the other hand we are focusing in writing new material in order to expand our set list (which will set us forth to the studio).

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



JO:  At our current stage it is impossible to seek any record deals, and that's also why we are in a writing-mode.  For the time being we only got 2 studio tracks, and although we are satisfied with the result, in the long run they might not be satisfactory enough to be utilized as a promo to target labels.  Consequently we are still building our audience.  Nowadays, stable labels prefer to sign bands with a good dose of creativity and amount of followers (for marketing purposes).





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



JO:  We didn't have a heavy exposure, not just yet.  So far the feedback was between good to overwhelming by listeners, few press and bands alike.  Interestingly enough we even got invited by two bands from the US and UK to share the stage with.  So I think we can take it as a good sign despite the fact that nowadays it is not easy to promote a 2 track EP unlike in the early 90’s back then…





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



JO:  At the moment it is unrealistic to define release dates and related future plans.  Although we are goal-oriented, we are taking things the way they come instead of setting expectations which may eventually change.  Concerning full lengths we are aiming at entering the studio hopefully by late 2016 therefore the anticipation for a release launch might happen within the same year or early 2017.  On a better note, we will appear on the ‘Official Tribute to Pestilent’ with the track ‘Soul Search’ (from the ‘Spheres’ album) featuring Dying Fetus, Legion of the Damned, Severe Torture, and Forgotten Silence among many others… which will be released via Magik Art Entertainment (Russia).  So at the moment we are getting our hands full.





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?



JO:  In terms of musical styles and tastes, we came from different backgrounds.  There are diverse tastes that we have in common, and others not.  For instance Rob is quite into extreme tech death metal, jazz, and any other technical genres.  Chris has quite a thing for symphonic extreme metal (Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septic Flesh for instance), Leo is quite open though his focus leans towards progressive music, whereas for me, I come from the old school scene of death, black, thrash, avant-garde, and synth music.   Apart from metal, we listen to various genres.  Don’t be surprised if you spot me in an event like Lollapalooza for instance hahahaha.   I hope that sums it up :)





11.What are some of your non musical interests?



JO:  We all have our full time jobs or studies, so to put it that way...anything related with our work (for instance in my case I read a lot about user experience and usability), and sports.



                                                              

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


Well John, thanks loads for this interesting interview. As for the rest, stay tuned with our Facebook page www.facebook.com/peripheralcortex and feel free to download our EP from https://peripheralcortex.bandcamp.com