Saturday, January 28, 2017

Aborted Fetus/The Art Of Violent Torture/Comatose Music/2017 CD Review


  Aborted  Fetus  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  brutal  and  slamming  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Art  Of  Violent  Torture"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Comatose  Music.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  after  the  intro  brutal  blast  beats  and  guttural  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  elements  of  slam  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  chaotic  extreme  metal  approach.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavy  influenced  by  the  brutal  American  death  metal  style  while  some  tracks  avoid  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  is  also  introduced  briefly  while  the  main  focus  is  more  on  a  brutal  style.

  Aborted  Fetus  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  brutal  and  slamming  form  of  death  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  medicine,  and  perversion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aborted  Fetus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  and  slamming  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Boiled  Alive"  "Pouring  Molten  Lead  Into  A  Throat"  "Buried  Alive" and  "Hanged  And  Quartered".  8  out  of  10.

       

5Rand/Sacred/Scared/My Kingdom Music/2017 CD Review


  5Rand  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  thrash,  industrial  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Sacred/Scared"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

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

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls,  high  pitched  screams  and  melodic  singing  and  elements  of  groove  and  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  stick  to  a  more  melodic  style  of  extreme  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  as  the  album  progresses  traces  of  industrial  can  be  heard.

  5Rand  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  industrial,  modern  thrash,  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  5Rand  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  industrial,  thrash  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Erase"  "Cordyceps"  "Preacher  Of  Lies"  and  "The  True  Death  Show".  8  out  of  10. 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Depeseblo/Nightmare Desolation/Selfmadegod Records/2017 CD Review


  Depeseblo  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Nightmare  Desolation"  which  was  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melodic  riffing  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  era  of  the  genre and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  20  years  ago  and  high  pitched  screams  are  also  used  at  times and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  and  melodic  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Depeseblo  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Depeseblo  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Odious  And  Obscene"  "From  Ancient  Times  To  Present  Lies"  and  "From  Present  To  Destruction".  8  out  of  10. 

Those Who Bring TheTorture/Necromancer/Selfmagegod Records/2017 CD Review

'
  Those  Who  Bring  The  Torture  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017 album  "Necromancer"  which  was  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  A  very  heavy  sound  along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  starts  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  and  screams  are  also  used  at  times.

  Elements  of  melodic  death  metal  can  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  grindcore  influences  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  onto  the  recording  briefly  and  distorted  vocals  are  also  used  on  one  of  the  later  tracks.

  On  this  recording  Those  Who  Bring  The  Torture  take  the  more  melodic  side  of  90's  Swedish  death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  create  an  album t hat  is  very  dark  and  heavy,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  gore,  political.and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Those  Who  Bring  The  Torture and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  World  Disorder"  "Relics  Of  A  Future  Past"  "The  Morons  Are  Running  the  Asylum"  and  "Humanity  has  Left  The  Building".  8  out  of  10.   

Obsolete Incarnation Interview

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

Well, since the recording we played a couple of shows in Germany and Switzerland and we had to deal with all the administrational stuff that comes with a new release. At the moment we are preparing for a small release tour and are writing new songs. So no time to relax...haha

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

We think that the sound of the EP is much more elaborate than on our last album "New breed Of An Uncurable Disease". We have learned a lot during the last years in songwriting and you can hear that on the EP. Ramon, once again, did an awesome job in the mix- and mastering. Everything is clearly hearable, but still it's a brutal sound.

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

We didn't really change our topics with our new music. It's still about (in)sanity, gore and social topics.

4.Form 2010 to 2015 there was no new material, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?

During that time we had some major lineup changes (Jens and Marius joined; Christian left the band), which led to a relaunch of Obsolete Incarnation in 2014. New band members, new logo, new songs. That took some time but it all worked out very well for us.

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

There is no further meaning behind our band name. Our drummer came up with it and we thought: Hey it sounds cool, lets take it.

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 got a lot of great shows during the years, but a highlight was definitely our appearing on the Death Feast Open Air 2015, Germanys biggest brutal death festival. When we are on stage we do what we love. Playing live is an incredible feeling and we want to give our energy to the crowd in front of the stage.

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

We have a mini tour with Cytotoxin and Human Vivisection for our release and some smaller festivals during the year and maybe something bigger...

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

Through social media you get a lot of response from all kind of people from all over the world. The responses we get are amazing and confirm that we are doing something right way.

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

Currently they aren't. Martin an Jens sometimes do some session work for other bands but nothing fix.

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

We will continue writing brutal music. There won't be a big break to our older stuff, but we will improve our songs, that's for sure.

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

We are all big fans of death metal, especially the technical and brutal one. Bands like Aborted, Dying Fetus or Benighted always had a big influence on our songwriting.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Music takes a huge part in all of our lives, but on others we got quite different interests like Motocross, Fistball and stuff...

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

Thanks for this interview!
If you would like to get in touch with us, just send us a message via facebook or mail (info@obsolete-incarnation.com).
Keep supporting the brutal underground, Cheers!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Spirit Of Rebellion/A Taste Of Death/PRC Music/2017 CD Re-Issue Review


  Spirit  Of  Rebellion  are  a  band  from Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "A  Taste of  Death"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  March  by  PRC  Music.

  Ritualistic  sounding  synths  along  with  spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  introduces  blast  beats  and  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  screams  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  melodic  while  also  adding  in  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  style  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Spirit  Of  Rebellion  played  a  style  of  death  metal  on  this  recording  that  had  the  modern  brutality  while  also  adding  in  some  old  school  influences  and  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  death  themes  along  with  the songs  being  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Spirit  Of  Rebellion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  death  metal  with  a  blackened  touch,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beg" "The  Great  Harbester"  and  "Imminent  End".  8  out  of  10/  

 

Friday, January 20, 2017

Nasty Surgeons Interview

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

Hello,
Nasty Surgeons is a new band formed in 2016 in Spain. We play Grind-Death or Death-grind (as you prefer) and we have just released our first album through Xtreemmusic entitled Exhumation Requiem and you will find ten songs in the vein of Carcass, General Surgery, Necrony,….We haven´t invented the wheel but we didn´t want it. We play the music we like and wanted to play and we´ve done our best to get it, that´s all.


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

As I´ve told you in the previous question, it´s a mixture of Grindcore and Death with a Gore thematic for people who like the bands mentioned above.


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

We write about gore, death, body snatchers, dissections,… only love and peace 



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

Well, when I started the band (only a project in the beginning) a year ago I knew the style I wanted to play and I knew I couldn´t write about love and flowers for this kind of music so, as I had things very clear, I had to find a suitable name and I had something about Surgeons so I decided to add Nasty and I think it sounds awesome, don´t you?



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

At the moment we haven´t played live yet. A year ago I started with the idea and composed the songs, then in April we recorded drums and a couple months later did the guitars and bass and I recorded the vocals in September. We play in more bands and we couldn´t find the moment to finish it all. Then we did the final mixings and mastering in December and we found the label and everything has been really fast so we couldn´t concentrate on live performances but we have our first gig in May, at a festival called Brutologos. Our live performance is gonna be something brutal and I can grant you all will like it hehe.


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

Apart from that fest, we don´t have anything yet but we want to play as much as possible so, if anyone reading this want us to play at his fest or whatever, get in contact at solobscurabitur@hotmail.com


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

To be honest, this feedback has been greater than expected. It´s been only a month since Xtreem announced our signing and only five days since the album has been released and we´ve been answering to many people from all over the world interested on getting copies, this interview, a couple of reviews,… We have other bands and this is totally different.


8.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?

Ramon and me are in Mistweaver and we have just released a new album four months ago and now we are preparing new stuff, I also play in Mass Burial and now we are recording our third album, Gonzalo plays in Dalle but we all try to manage to rehearse and play with the other bands and, at the moment, there´s no problem with that.


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

Right now we are preparing songs for a new album and brutality and speed will be present as we´ve done with our debut album. We don´t want/need to change. We have more bands where we can play different styles so if we want to play Grind-death we have Nasty Surgeons then, I can give you the guarantee the style will be the same (for good or for bad).


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?

Of course Carcass, they invented this shit and we praise them every night before going bed . Then all the bands mentioned above but we come from Death-metal as well so I can tell you from Entombed, Dismember, Deicide to Iron Maiden, Accept,.. Nowadays we listen to our new album in order to learn the songs hehehee, and the same music we´ve been listening in the last years.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Drinking beers  and ( I speak for myself) travelling, looking after my kids, riding the bike,…


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks a lot for this cool interview (you can say you´ve been the first one in interviewing usJ), I hope everybody likes our album (and buy it, or course). I hope we are invited to play in some festivals or gigs or whatever and STAY

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Obscure Infinity/Dawn Of Winter/FDA Rekotz/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

 Obscure  Infinity  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2010  album  "Dawn  Of  Winter"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  March  of  2017  by  FDA  Rekotz.

  Dark  sounding  ritualistic  synths  start  off  the  album  and  stringed  instruments  are  also  used  briefly  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  evil  sounding  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  Most  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  early  90's  Swedish  style  and  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  the  songs  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  dark  and  melodic  fashion.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  couple  of  brief  classical  guitar  instrumental  tracks  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  there  is  also  a  song  that  introduces  melodic  chants  onto  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  an  influence  of  thrash  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Obscure  Infinity  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  rooted  in  the  90's  while  also  adding  in  newer  things  to  the  style  and  mixing  in  some  black  metal  and  thrash  influences  which  makes  their  music  a  little  bit  more  different,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Death,  Nihilism,  Winter  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Obscure  Infinity  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  death  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sacrificial  Ritual"  "Everlasting  Fires"  "Dawn  Of  Winter"  and  "Transmitting  Life  Into  Darkness".  8/5  out  of  10.

Nasty Surgeons/Exhumation Requiem/Xtreem Music/2017 CD Review


  Nasty  Surgeons  are  a  band  from  Spain that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Exhumation  Requiem"  which  was  released  by  Xtreem  Music.

  Horror  movie  style  synths start  off  the  album  and  a  minute  later  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with t he  vocals  bringing in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while t he  solos  and  leads  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  dark  and  melodic  edge  and  spoken  word  and  horror  movie  samples  are  also  used  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  influences  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Nasty  Surgeons  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  old  school  death  metal  and  90's  era  gore/grind  and mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  heavy  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nasty  Surgeons  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Creation  Of  Monstrosity"  "Autopsy's  Protocol"  "Burnt  With  Sulfuric  Acid"  and  "Exhumation  Requiem".  8  out  of  10.  
  

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

So This Is Suffering/Palace Of The Pessimist/Unique Leader/2017 CD Review


  So  This  Is  Suffering  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a technical  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Palce  of  The  Pessimist"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Unique  Leader.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  deathcore  style  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  high  pitched  screams  are  also used  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  A  great  amount  of  technical  style  riffing  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  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  fashion  and  there  i  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  So  This  Is  Suffering  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  deathcore  and  mixes  it  with  technical  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics cover  violent  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  So  This  Is  Suffering  are  a  very  great  sounding mixture  of  deathcore  and  technical  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sleeper  Hold"  "Palace"  "Portraits  Of  Fixation"  and  "The  Sum  Of  All  Fears".  8  out  of  10.    

 

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Ethmebb/Le Quete Du Saint Grind/2017 Full Length Review

Ethmebb  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  epic  and  progressive  mixture of  death  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Le  Quete  Du  Saint  Grind".

  A  very  symphonic  and  epic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  choirs and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  while  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  and  adding  melodic  power  metal  influenced  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  and  when  the music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  high  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  they  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  there  is  also  power  metal  style  vocals  in certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  classical  guitars  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  songs  while  a few  of the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  folk  instruments.

  In  my  opinion  Ethmebb  are  a very  great  sounding  epic  and  progressive  mixture  of  death  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lost  My  Grind"  "GPS - Gobelin  Per  Satellite"  and  "Pirates Of the  Caribou".  8  out  of  10.

 Ethmebb  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  progressive,  power  and  power  metal  and  mixes  them  in  with  an  epic  and  symphonic  style  of  metal  to  create  something  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of French  and  English  and  cover  dark themes.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Samskaras/Asunder/2017 EP Review


 Samskaras  are  a  duo  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  technical  and  progressive  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "Asunder".

 A  very  heavy  and  technical  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  a  great amount  of  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  and  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  groove.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  guitar  leads  are  very  melodic  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  apced  and fast  parts  while  the  clean  vocals  gives  the music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  and  acoustic  guitar  playing.

  Samskaras  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  technical  and  progressive  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  relesed  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion Samskaras  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  and  progressive  death  metal  band  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  "Solar"  and  "Conqueror".  8  out  of  10.   

Obsolete Incarnation/Eradication Of Society/Rising Nemesis Records/2017 EP Review


  Obsolete  Incarnation  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  brutal  and  technical  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Eradication  Of  Society"  which  will  be  released  on  January  27th  by  Rising  Nemesis  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  a ff  the  ep  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  blast  beat and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  high  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and   riff  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  a  great  amount  of  technical  elements  are  also  utilized.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  also  get  very  guttural  at  times  along  with  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  slam  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  and  pig  squeals  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  none  of  the  songs  ever  use  any  guitar  solos  or  leads  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  synth  orientated  interlude  before  closing  the  ep  with  2  brutal  tracks.

  Obsolete  Incarnation  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  modern,  brutal  and  technical  sounding  with  a  touch  of  slam  and  deathcore,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  serial  killers,  insanity,  witch  hunts  and  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Obsolete  Incarnation  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Faceless"  and  "Witch  Hunt".  8 out  of  10.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Ambivalance Interview

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

1. It so happened that after the recording of this album in a short period of time three out of four members of the band became parents. Thus, we mostly focused on our families and took a little time out before the release of the album and new shows.

2.You have an album coming out in 2017, 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?

2. Each AMBIVALENCE album differs from previous in both the general sound and the musical component. We experiment with sound every time. This time several invited guest musicians have taken part in recording of the album and of course it has affected its sound in general. We wanted to make a brutal sound and integrate vanguard keyboards into it. But without becoming a sympho, he-he) There were some guidelines, some bands, whose sound we like. But anyway we've got our individual specific sound. In the studio while recording we improvised a lot. Some of the tracks led own life out of our control and became as surprise even for us)

3.This is your first release since 2013, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

3.During this period, we have been working on new material for the album and playing gigs in Ukraine, Moldova and Poland.

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

4. For a long period since the band's beginning we were focused on the theme of society or rather on the topics of its diseases: human meanness, one-track mind, duplicity, manipulation of public opinion, false values, consumerism raised in a cult, plastic surgery addiction, aggressive marketing etc. But then Ukraine has experienced too many shocks for a short period. And after in my country there was revolution against the corrupted political regime, hundreds of peaceful protesters have been tortured and killed, the president has fled... And then the country which had not had time to recover has been forced to enter defensive war against the external aggressor after occupation of the Crimea and open military invasion in the east... After thousands of Ukrainians have been killed and thousands more wounded in this war, millions have become refugees... Everything else has become less important. The lyrics of most  tracks on the last album is about all this.

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

5. It is conflicting emotions that exist in one subject and do not let him live in peace. It is lack of harmony with oneself and the outward things.

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.We had a lot of good shows over fifteen years of existence of the band. We played on the same stage with Nile, Vader, Cephalotripsy, Hate, Katalepsy, Severance and many other wonderful acts. It’s difficult to isolate any show that stands out in my mind more than another, there were many ) Our performance on stage can be described as affect ) This energy exchange with the audience, it's damn madness!

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

7.Yes, we have plans for touring in Europe in support of our new album, but it is too early to talk about it in details now, I think.

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

8.We received a lot of  feedbacks about our previous albums, most of them are good, and rightly so) However, we do not depend on this too much, we just make music that we like. If someone else likes it - well, then that's great)

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

9.Our bass player involved in 1914 (blackened death/doom), drummer  plays in Dexessus (Alternative industrial metal) project. Me and our vocalist currently engaged only in Ambivalence but I plan to expand the field of activity.

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

10.This is a difficult question, I do not know how will change our musical tastes and what kind of music we will like and create in the future. I have no idea in what format we will work. But it will definitely be extreme. And of course we will experiment with a mix of styles)

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. Our playlists constantly changed over the years) In the last few these were Cryptopsy, Origin, Job for a Cowboy, Gorgasm, Sadist, Dying Fetus, Aeon, Hate Eternal, Marduk, Rotting Christ, Ocean, Colossus , Aborted, Clouds, Tool...

As for me personally, lately I listen to Anaal Nathrakh, Broken Hope, Cryptopsy, Hate Eternal, Lux Occulta and Misery Index.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

12. I am an artist by profession and my main occupation besides music is my work in Gamedev industry and upbringing my two kids. Our bass player’s hobby are aquariums and he, as me and our drummer, raises a child. Our vocalist’s hobby are motorcycles. So we are quite different)

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

13. Now it is very easy to get lost at sea of information that surrounds us. It’s difficult to understand where the truth is. I want people to think critically and did not allow anyone to fuck their brains. And Happy New Year)

Friday, January 6, 2017

Fetid Zombie/Epicedia/Transcending Obscurity Records/2016 CD Review


  Fetid  Zombie  are a  band  from  Virginia  that  has  been   featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  epic  form  of  gore/death  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Epicedia"  which  was  released  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Dark  yet  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  and  horror  movie  style  choirs  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  along  with  high  pitched  screams  make  their  presence  known.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  also  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  classic  metal  influences  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  all  of  the tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  added  onto  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Fetid  Zombie  expands  on  the  gore/death  metal  sound  of  previous  recording s by  adding  in  keyboards  and  traditional  metal  influences  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  gore  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fetid  Zombie  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original  and  different,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Devour  The  Virtuous"  and  "If The  Dead  Could  Speak".  8/5  out  of  10. 

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Undrask Interview

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

Undrask was born from a desire to capture the "epic" feeling that spurred all of us into the world of metal in the first place. We're probably best described as melodic death metal, though we didn't really set out to fit any particular genre. We just write what we want to hear, and we want to hear melodies and brutal vocals!

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

Melodies and riffs abound, with a heavy vocal delivery. Lots of guitar harmonies and variations. The focus is always on the track as a whole, so you'll hear varying degrees of intensity in each instrument throughout the album. We also love bass melodies, so try to listen on a system with a good low end if you can!

3.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the storyline?

Definitely! You can think of the album like a television series - there are individual stories, and an overarching story. The main storyline finds our protagonist in an odd situation, not necessarily good or bad. On the second track, Conscripted, he discovers that whenever he dies, he is instantly reborn into a new reality, always immediately in some sort of conflict or battle. In this track, he comes to accept and even embrace this fact. After an unknown length of time - years, centuries, millennia? - this changes, and he begins to unravel (Final Right covers this bit of the story). Unable to cope with eternal life, especially one so volatile, he begins to fall apart. The title track and album outro, Battle Through Time, holds the conclusion (and explanation) of the story.  We won't spoil this one - you can find the lyrics on bandcamp, or on the physical digipak, and draw your own conclusions!

The remaining tracks each tell the story of an individual reality that our protagonist passes through.  There's a wide range of settings, as each track tells its own sub-story. Primal Revelation was inspired by Lord Humungus and his gang from Mad Max 2, for example, while Champion of the Dawn tells the story of a vampire hunt gone wrong.

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

Steve and Erik were actually working for a Norwegian company at the time, and thought Norway was awesome (still do). They got drunk, dug through some Old Norse words, and picked a few that sounded cool, then narrowed it down to one. "Undrask" means something along the lines of "to stand in awe of," which we thought was fitting for the direction we wanted to head with our lyrical content. While it's actually pronounced closer to something like "Oon-droosg," we're ignorant Americans and just say it the way it's written, though we encourage you to say it however you damn well please.

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

Wow, where to start - the NC/SC scene is full of amazing bands and venues, so it's hard to rank them.  Ground Zero in Spartanburg, SC is our most frequented venue, and we've enjoyed our shows there immensely.  The people are always welcoming and friendly, and the energy is high.  We just played a New Year's Eve show at the Somewhere Else Tavern in Greensboro, and it was fantastic as well. We've actually been there more times as spectators than performers.  The atmosphere is great, it's a small venue but full of the best guys and gals you'll ever meet.

On stage, we just enjoy ourselves! We try to keep the music rolling, taking minimal breaks and keeping the energy high. We take the music seriously, but ourselves not so much, so you'll probably hear us cracking jokes or saying dumb things when we do take them.

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

Currently, we're planning a few shows for the coming months in the NC area. We're working out plans for something of an East Coast mini-tour in the future, though it's still not solidified. We've all got full-time jobs, so that's obviously a challenge, but we plan to play as many shows as possible. We're certainly open to the possibility of touring, either in America or Europe, but we're still quite new to the scene and working out the details.

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

We're open to discussion with labels, but again we're still very new so our primary concern is getting our name out. We were encouraged to shop Battle Through Time around before releasing, but Darryl and Erik will be on 70,000 Tons of Metal next month (early February), so we wanted the album available by then. It's a great opportunity to put our music in the hands of dedicated metal fans!  December/January isn't really a great time for labels to pick up new, unknown acts, so we made the decision to just go ahead and put it out ourselves. We'll be handing out copies to the fine folks aboard 70,000 Tons, so if you happen to be there, seek us out and get your hands on one for free!

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

So far, it's been better than we could have imagined.  This is our first effort, and to hear so many great things is super encouraging! We've heard from fans in Europe, South America, India, Canada...all over, really. It's an amazing feeling to make that connection with people thousands of miles away.

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

We've learned a ton from Battle Through Time, and certainly hope to improve all aspects of our musicianship and writing by the time the next album rolls around. We've already started on Album #2, which will be another concept album, albeit in a slightly different direction. We're always tossing ideas around, whether music or story related, so nothing is set in stone yet but we're well on the way!

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

As a whole, we just try to write what we think is cool and don't aim for any particular style or genre, but we all have our roots! We'll take this one individually:

Erik - If I had to pinpoint one band, Kalmah brought me crashing into the realm of melodic death metal. I heard "They Will Return" and was just overwhelmed by everything happening, as it was all so new to me at the time. After that it was just a storm of exploration - Scar Symmetry, Amon Amarth, King Diamond, Opeth, Blind Guardian, Gojira, Jeff Loomis, Keith Merrow, Iced Earth, Periphery, Arsis, early In Flames, Mors Principium Est, Tesseract...I could go on for ages, but there's a small "stream of consciousness" sample. Currently I'm listening to Necromancing The Stone's "Jewel of the Vile" a lot. My next pick up will be The Reticent's "On The Eve of A Goodbye" - we just played a show with them and the atmosphere they create is amazing, so I need that!

Steve - When I set out to be the mouth noise maker of Undrask, I modeled my voice to sound as much like Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth as I could.  After a few years I finally found my own sound but, Johan and Amon Amarth remain major influences. I was raised on metal in the 80’s so it’s always been a part of me.  Dio (Ronnie is God), Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Dokken, Judas Priest, and Motley Crue were my early interests. As of today, I cannot get enough of Testament’s Brotherhood of the Snake.

Darryl - I’m a big fan of the melodic metal scene from the early 2000s so a lot of my composition is driven from that. That was one of the best periods of metal in my opinion, and since a lot of bands have moved on I’ve been missing that sound. The old sound of Soilwork, In Flames, Children of Bodom, and Opeth are big influences. A lot of the stuff Erik mentioned. Nowadays, I’m always trying to find new bands that can hit that combination I’m looking for.

Aaron - I’ve been in an array of different bands from jazz to punk rock to alternative and death metal. My biggest inspirations as a drummer are Mario Duplantier (Gojira), Brann Dailor (Mastodon), Alex Rodriguez (Saosin) and Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins)  just to name a few.

Daniel - It sounds cheesy but my bandmates are major influences on me. Their talent and work ethic inspire me to work harder and become a better player. Compared to my bandmates I’m not a metalhead but I love early Deftones and Cannibal Corpse, Pig Destroyer, and Municipal Waste to name a few. I hate to tell people I listen to a little bit of everything but it is true. When I am in the car it is a lot of drum and bass, house and metal. At home like in this moment I’m drinking a 40 while listening to Grover Washington Jr.’s “Winelight” album.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

While most of our free time these days is Undrask-related, we really enjoy good beer (Longhammer is actually a giant metaphor for drinking disguised as a song about a medieval-type warrior guy), and we all dig board games. A lot of us really enjoy travel - we've been to Iceland together recently for vacation. Aaron is into hiking and nature-y stuff. Steve and Daniel are pretty big into football (American). Darryl is a black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu. Erik is probably the most traveled, he's been overseas (out of the United States) a lot for vacation, but mostly he just plays guitar a lot. We all like video games as well, though it's hard to find any time to play them these days.

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

First, we obviously hope you like the album!

Second, It's hard to express how grateful we are for your time. There's a lot of fantastic music today, among other distractions, so we're truly thankful and humbled by your interest in us.

Last, we'd love to hear from you! Facebook is probably the best way to get in touch with us (www.facebook.com/undrask). Shoot us a message for any reason at all.

Thanks!

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Acranius/Reign Of Terror/Rising Nemesis Records/2017 CD Review


  Acranius  are  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  brutal  and  slamming  form  of  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Reign  Of  terror"  which  will  be  released  on  January  27th  by  Rising  Nemesis  Records.

  Spoken  word  and  horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  more  heavy  and  brutal  musical  direction  along  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  mix  in a   decent  amount  of  hardcore  style  breakdowns  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  mix  in  elements  of  slam  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  melody  in  some  of  the  riffing.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  none  of  the  songs  ever  use  any  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal  form  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Acranius  plays  a  style  of  slam  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  the  hardcore  influences  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  death  and  triumph  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Acranius  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  hardcore  and  brutal  slam  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kingmaker"  "Built  On  Tradition"  "Warpath"  and  "Died  A  Liar".  8  out  of  10.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Conflict Theory Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Conflict Theory is a one-man death metal band with music written, recorded and produced by me, Kevin Welch. I just released my debut album Monologue in November, and am currently in the writing process for another EP to be released in 2017.

2.In November you had released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Monologue is a death metal album. I'm generally not a big fan of labeling sub genres. I like when death metal has elements of slam, technicality, melody, and even hardcore or punk, but at the end of the day I think it doesn't matter the name of the genre, just whether the music is good or not, so I just tried to write the best death metal I could.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that you explore with your music?
A lot of my themes revolve around politics, drug abuse and technology abuse, as well as introspective themes questioning why humans are the way they are.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Conflict Theory'?
I was sitting in a sociology class in college one day and we were learning about conflict theory. Basically a conflict theorist would argue that society is made up of parts that compete with each other, or were created with the intention of keeping society "in check" by the ones in power. A lot of my lyrical writing revolves around the importance of this in our every day lives, which is why I decided to name the band Conflict Theory.

5.On the album you recorded everything by yourself, do you feel you where able to accomplish a lot more by working solo?
I think I was able to make an album that was very truly my music, so the songs were able to come out just how I wanted them, but I was definitely limited in my skills as an engineer. I will probably record more by myself, but I am looking forward to working with a professional sound engineer in the future to really bring it to the next level.

6.According to the fb page you are looking for other musicians to evolve into a live band, have you had any luck finding the right people?
Yes and no, I have found a guitar player who I've known for a long time that fits my vision for where I want the band to go. I am still in search of a drummer and bassist, but I have a few people in mind.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
I haven't received any interest from labels so far, but I'd definitely be interested in working with the label if I were to find the right fit.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
I haven't gotten a ton of feedback but the people that have listened to it seem to really like it. I guess most of my fan-base is in America, but there are a few listeners (according to BandCamp) in some other countries around the world, which is really exciting.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I'd like to have a full band that's available to play shows and do small tours, as well as just keep getting better and better at writing the style of death metal I like to listen to.

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?
I listen to tons of music, so that's a tough question haha. Some of my primary influences for Conflict Theory are Dying Fetus, Death, Dyscarnate, Suffocation, and Gorguts. I also really like hardcore bands like Incendiary, Terror, Backtrack, and Have Heart. I think my metal influence comes out a lot in my music writing while the hardcore influence comes out a lot through my lyric writing. Some bands I've been listening to a lot recently are Necroptic Engorgement, Abnormality, Beheaded and Despised Icon.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Well I just finished up a degree in Culinary Arts, so I guess you could say I like cooking and eating haha. I also really like craft beer and have fun trying out new kinds. I like traveling to new places, meeting new people, being near the ocean, and drinking tons of coffee. I watch a lot of Netflix and just got done binging Black Mirror so there will probably be some lyrics related to that in the future.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks to anyone who read this interview! Thanks to Variety of Death Zine for giving me this opportunity. Be sure to like Conflict Theory on Facebook, Instagram (@conflicttheoryofficial) and subscribe on YouTube for updates going forward. If you want to get into contact with me, Facebook is great but you can email me at ktwelch1015@gmail.com.