Xaon/The Drift/Sliptrick Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Xaon  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Drift"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Symphonic  sounds  and  clear  vocals  start  off  the  album  before  mixing  the  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  together  as  well  as  adding  in  aggressive  screams,  shouts  and  growls  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  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  and  the  music  also  mixes  in a  great  amount  of  modern  metal  elements  while  on  some  tracks  the  music  mixes  in  more  of  a  sci fi  atmosphere  along  with  the  riffs  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Xaon  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  melodic  and symphonic  style  of  death  metal  from  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover mythological,  philosophical,  angst,  melancholia,  death,  dementia  and  mourning  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Xaon  and if you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  symphonic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "On  The  Nature  Of  Flights"  "Zarathustra"  and  "The  Wounded  Gods".  8  out  of  10. 
 

Trinity Site/After The Sun/2017 CD Review

  Trinity  Site  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "After  The  Sun".

  Symphonic  style  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  melodic  direction  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  of  the  genre.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  when  synths  return  briefly  they  add  a  progressive  rock  feeling  to  the  music  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also a   brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  as  the  album  progresses.   and  the  music  also  mixes  in a  great  amount  of  modern  electronic  music  elements. 

  Trinity  Site  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  has  its  roots  in t he  classic  Swedish  sound  while  also  adding in  elements  form  the  more  modern  approach  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Trinity  Site  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  "After  The  Sun"  "Lost  Colony"  "Still  Water"  and  "Revenants".  8  out  of  10.

Lost Dreams Interview

Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
The biggest task between recording and release was the mixing of the album, as always. This time we had the opportunity to work with Kristian “Kohle” Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studios, Germany, who added a great sound to our material and completed our work perfectly. At this point, thanks brother you did an amazing job, “Exhale” wouldn’t sound like it does, without your magic.
Another huge challenge was the shooting of the video for the song “Finding X”, because we had to finalize it completely within a few weeks. This caused some sleepless nights for Andreas, in the truest sense of the word, because he edited the whole video - material. In addition, there are plenty more things you have to do until the release date, like all the promotional things, booking some shows, producing merchandise, and so on.

Recently you released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I would describe it as melodic death metal with a modern touch. In my opinion the main difference and biggest advantage at the same time, compared to our older material is, “Exhale” is the most diversified album yet.

This is the first album in 6 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
We had a time of substantial changes within and in the environment of the band. We acclaimed Sebastian Brandauer 2013 as our new singer, who familiarized with the band in lightning – speed and gave an unknown new quality to our sound. Furthermore, we had to deal with relocations, new jobs, vocational training and new blood, many things which disallowed to focus on our music. After that we began to work with emphasis on our forthcoming album “Exhale”, although we took us the time to work on the material and let it grow.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Our music is primarily concerned with, let’s call it nihilistic subjects paired with slowly resignation. Sometimes it’s kind of autobiographical to a high degree, sometimes it’s because of terrifying and tiring things that surround us. Our music deals with anti – religious, fantastic or socio – critical topics too. Mainly we only try to capture strong emotions in our lyrics, as well as we do with our sound.   

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lost Dreams'?
It’s a secret and if I would tell you, I’d have to make you disappear. (laughs)

What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
According to the countless amount of shows we played yet, the shows as tour support of Six Feet Under or Kataklysm as well as opening the Main Stage on Metalcamp festival in Slovenia, could count as highlights of our band history. Although we have recognized over the years, every show could get very special, independent of performing in front of 20 or 500 people, if the energy you fire into the audience is coming back. Our stage performance, I don’t know how to describe it, every time we enter a stage I go berserk and can’t remember anything.

Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Of course, first and foremost the official release show that takes place at our musical hometown Innsbruck, on the 9th of June, as well as some more shows are booked already and we plan to go on tour this fall. If you want to be up to date, please check our homepage frequently or visit us on Facebook - Lost Dreams official.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death metal?
It’s stunning that people from all over the world listen to our music. For example, some guys from India asked us, if we could send them the lyrics of “Where Gods Creation Ends”, because they wanted to cover the song. I can tell you, it is incredible to see a video, where people from India perform your song. Or another example, a few days ago we sent 5 CDs - our whole discography so far – to a fan in Australia, such things are amazing, it makes us thankful.

Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I think our sound is subject of constant development and so we will refine and redefine it in the future. In addition, we will enter as much stages as possible, because playing live, sharing that unbelievable amount of energy with the people out there and leaving a sweat soaked, happy audience with neck pain, is everything that counts to us.

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?
In the early days of LOST DREAMS, many variations of extreme metal, especially black metal had a big influence on the sound and the lyrics, but by achieving our own sound the obvious influence of other bands and styles decreased. The spectrum of music we listen to is too manifold to explain, but it reaches from classical music to electronic sounds, or every kind of other serious, honest and handmade music.

What are some of your non musical interests?
There’s a wide choice of interests within the band, if there is time left beneath making music. Herbert for example is very sportive and loves to go biking or ski touring, Raphael is interested in gaming, Andi is a technical genius, working on various projects like his classic car, my time is often very short because of my kids, so I think they are my biggest non musical interest. And Sebastian, I don’t know if he has any other interests than music?

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Move your ass, go out and try to see, as much bands as you can see on stage. Because metal is one of the last fortifications in music business, where people create art regardless of earning money or not. They do it because they want to, as like as we do.
So we hopefully meet you out there in the near future, sweat soaked and with neck pain.

Dead Asylum Interview

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

HEY THERE! This is Mike talking to ya!

We are really focused on pushing the new album, doing as much promo as we can before the release (June 2) as well as getting prepped for a couple shows we have on Vancouver Island with Unleash the Archers June 9-10. We have also been planning the biggest tour for Dead Asylum yet--a 4 week trek across the US!

2.You have a new album coming out in 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?

I would say that we hug the line between melodic death and thrash. With the new additions to the band (Roger on bass and Eric on lead guitar) the sound has become much fuller and tighter and the overall feel is much more aggressive than the previous record. Eric possesses an incredible knowledge of music theory, which allows him to convey a jazz/classical influence in his solos. Roger brings with him an amazing amount of energy and talent to the band; he almost plays the bass like a lead guitar allowing for some very cool moments on the record.

3.This is your first album in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

For sure. Definitely a lot has been happening in that span of time, some great, some not so much.

We have had the opportunity to play some amazing shows with some incredible touring bands here in Vancouver, such as Soulfly, Soilwork, and Warbringer.

We completed our first tour down the west coast of the US as well as a few tours in Canada.

We also have had to replace two members of the band which is tough both professionally and personally. But we gained two amazing musicians and we were feeling incredibly inspired to write and record again.

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

A lot of the songs on this album, such as “Welcome” and “Between Me and the Grave”, deal with being isolated inside your own head, trapped and slowly losing touch with reality, cut off from everything except the voices and sounds inside your own mind.

We also touch on themes such as political uprising and questioning those in power.

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

We all just thought it sounded really fucking cool. We were actually inspired after we came up with the name. We have shaped our artwork, logos and even sound to fit what we feel would be found in the “dead asylum”.

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?

One of our favorite shows to play is the annual Armstrong Metalfest, which happens in Armstrong, BC. We have played that festival on four different occasions. For me personally, opening for some of the bands that I have looked up to for years, like Anvil and Soulfly, was absolutely amazing.

Hmmm, describe our on stage performance..well, first I would say we absolutely love being on stage. To me, it's the best drug in the world and I think that comes through in our performance. It doesn't matter if there are 5 people or 500--we give it all we can. I always say, if you don't walk off stage completely exhausted having given everything you possibly can, you haven't done your job.

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

Definitely. First would be our album release show at the Rickshaw theatre in Vancouver on June 2nd with Unleash the Archers. The following weekend, we are heading to Vancouver Island to play a pair of shows in Victoria (June 9th)  and Nanaimo (June 10th) again with Unleash the Archers. We are also planning a 4 week tour around the US.

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

We are going to be looking for interest from labels for sure. We have received some interest from smaller indie labels and management companies in the past but nothing has lined up yet.

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

We have received nothing but great feedback! We have some amazing fans! We appreciate every message we get from them. It makes us want to work that much harder to get out there and play for as many of them as possible.

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

Both Roger and Eric are in other projects. Roger plays lead guitar in a sweet band called God Said Kill (GSK)--if you are a fan of 8 string guitars and crazy progressive riffs, check them out!

Eric is in several music projects, both playing guitar and bass--check out Selfist!

Sam (Samantha Landa – drums) recently finished a European tour with Brazilian thrashers Nervosa where they played alongside Destruction and Flotsam & Jetsam.

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

We are always growing as musicians; our styles and influences are always evolving. We will continue to incorporate those influences into our music.

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?

For me personally, I am very influenced by old school metal like Slayer, Pantera and Metallica, and definitely the music and attitude of Motörhead. I like listening to playlists people put together on Spotify. I really like Lazarus A.D., Kalmah.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I enjoy watching sports, Hockey, Football, MMA. I have been really getting into doing some boxing, fantastic way to exercise and hit things at the same time.

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

Just a huge thank you to all our friends and families for their unwavering support! Thanks to the Dead Crew for all the help.

Most of all we’d like to thank our fans, THE INMATES!
YOU FUCKIN RULE!!!

And thank you! Great questions! I hope this gives you some insight into the Dead Asylum!
Pre-order the album here: https://deadasylum.bandcamp.com/album/death-always-wins

Serenius/Cocoon/2017 Full Length Review

  Serenius  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Cocoon".

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile t he  riffs  get  more  melodic  along  with  high  pitched s creams  also  making  their  presence  known  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of t he  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic fashion  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly,

  Atmospheric  and  modern  metal  elements  are  also  used  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also b ring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also b rings  in  a  small  amount  of  pianos  and  clean  singing  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Serenius  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal t hat  is  more  rooted  in  the  modern  era  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  confinement  of  a  human  being  by  society,  intellectually,  as  will  as  psychically  manipulating  his  perceptions  to  shape  him at  the  discretion  of  the  slavery  system.

  In  my  opinion  Serenius  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Worrld"  "The  Shell"  "Core  Depths"  and  "Infinity".  8  out  of  10.
 

The Summoned Interview

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

First off, Thank you guys for taking the time to listen to "Sessions" and for giving us an 8/10 review. We've been playing shows in the surrounding states as they come. Making our way up to Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire; as well as heading down to New Jersey to play with our good friends in Cognitive. We've also been hard at work tighten up our new material to take out on the road and share it with everyone.

2. You have a new album coming out in 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?

Yes, "Sessions" will be dropping on June 16th and we can't wait! I would personally describe it as Experimental Metal, we take a lot of different stylistic approaches to writing songs. We took a lot of influence from so many different genres of music from death metal to jazz fusion & avantgarde rock to math metal. In my opinion no style is not usable for The Summoned. As for how it differs from our last record "If Only Minds Could Paint Pictures", I would say that we've grown-up a lot since it was released, we all pushed each other to become better musicians as well as writers. Every aspect of what defines our sound has been amplified one-hundred fold on "Sessions". I'm very proud of the work we put into it.

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

As far as the conceptualization of "Sessions" as an entire album is presented, we spent a long time fine tuning everything about it. I would bring all of my ideas to the table and whatever worked stayed and whatever didn't in the grand scheme of things got trashed. It takes a lot of trust and respect to be able to take that kind of criticism from someone and I have absolute trust in Stephen, Sam, and Jarred's opinions on what we keep and what we change. There were many times where Stephen would tell me a riff sucked and that it didn't work, and I would just hammer out something and we'd all be like "That's it!" The whole album was pretty much that. Keeping the amount of intensity and tension that we wanted to portray about each track is what really ties the whole thing together where as we get to the end of the album and the patient begins to have his own self realization about what's going on, we bring in more melodic elements to ease the tension.
 
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Summoned'?

Sam, Stephen, and myself had been playing together before The Summoned for a few years and when we decided that it was time for an overhaul, we chose the name. Personally I felt like we were called to do music together or summoned if you will and that's what it means to me.

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?

We've had the opportunity to share the stage with a ton of amazing acts. I would say one of the best shows would be when we played the Massachusetts date for The Summer Slaughter Tour in 2012. We played that as our last date on our 23 day tour, we'd been on the road through the northern US and southern Canada and coming home to play with Cannibal Corpse, Between The Buried and Me, The Faceless, Cerebral Bore, Exhumed and so many other bands was surreal. I would describe our stage performance as intense yet enjoyable to watch, we have fun on stage and play well off each other.

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

Yes, we are currently working things out with our management. That's all I can say right now as nothing has been announced. 

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

We decided to go the D.I.Y route this time around as well, we did some shopping around and had some interest but ultimately we want to prove that we are a tour de force and see what comes up down the line.

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

Our last release got a lot of positive feedback and every time we've played out we have a great response. I'm optimistic that "Sessions" will receive the same amount of praise if not more.

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

At this time, everyone is currently a little too busy with The Summoned to pursue other full-time projects. 

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

I love this question, I feel like the sky's the limit. We all have such a diverse taste in music that who knows what will be added into the mix. We all love extreme metal so that will always be at our core whether we add more jazz and avant-garde style parts who can really tell. I feel like the music just comes through us and whatever wants to be played will come out. I can see us experimenting more with synths as well as compositional changes as we progress.

11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music?

For me personally, I draw influence from everything. I'm a huge progressive rock fan and Rush is one of my favorite bands, but even more of an influence has been Cynic from a progressive death metal aspect. To hear the way they utilized Allan Holdsworth's jazz fusion style with the death metal edge changed me forever. Last Chance To Reason would definitely be another great influence on my own playing and writing. Another big influence on all of us has been Between The Buried and Me, Colors and The Great Misdirect were always on, we actually have a tour ritual of playing The Great Misdirect to fall asleep (laughs). Vocal wise Stephen draws a large amount of influence from The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Red Chord. From a drumming perspective I would say bands like Necrophagist and Decapitated have been huge on us as well as jazz fusion drummers like Dave Weckl and Marco Minnemann.  

12. What are some of your non musical interests?

I'm a Yoga Instructor so that form of spiritual and physical work on myself is huge for me, as well as hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I'm an avid beer drinker as well so I tend to go out of my way to find great local craft beer wherever​ we go. Jarred's into fine carpentry, Stephen is a pretty big video game nut, and Sam enjoys being outdoors and traveling.

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

I want to thank you guys once again for taking the time to share your thoughts on the album with your readers. Keep your eyes and ears open for more new material as we get closer to June 16th. Be sure to head over to store.thesummoned.com to Pre-Order "Sessions" we've got a ton of great deals for you. Thanks for reading. Much Love, Shaun

Thanks,
The Summoned
band@thesummoned.com

Official Website: www.thesummoned.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesummoned
Twitter: @thesummoned
Official Store: store.thesummoned.com

 

Dead Asylum/Death Always Wins/2017 Full Length Review

  Dead  Asylum  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Death  Always  Wins"  which  will  be  released  in  June.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  you  can  also h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  thrash  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a   very  melodic  fashion  and  the  songs  also b ring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  while  the  main  focus  is  mostly  on  a  heavier  style.

  Dead  Asylum  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  modern  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  revolution,  political  uprising,  the  apocalypse  and  human  psyche  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dead  Asylum  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  "Death  Always  Wins"  "Forgotten  Sacrifice"  and  "Inmate  666".  8  out  of  10. 

 

Gravestone Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Gravestone formed in October 1992; the line-up was: Marco Borrani (lead and rhythm guitar) Marco Mangone (bass)  Andrea Cipolla (rhytm and lead guitar), Massimiliano Buffolino (keyboards), Fabio Mociatti (drums and vocals). They dedicate themselves to death sounds, progressive and melodic metal and even to funky influences. They are refined with various gigs honing their skills and writing new songs. In 1993 signed a contract with the Audiostar Production for a CD that will be released in June 1994. In 1994 sign a contract with the drachma Records in Turin. After a few time the band deals off.
In 2013 the band reunite and signs a 3years-contract with Sliptrick Records, but some problems (line up, differents musical points of view) bring the band to its end. Anyway, Marco is strong and refuses to give up; in a few, he finds new musicians and forms the new Gravestone line up:
Marco Borrani- Guitar
Pierluigi Fiore (Phenium)- Guitar
Alessandro Iacobellis (Lunarsea, The Gambler)- Voice
Massimiliano Maax Salvatori (Rosae Crucis, Forgotten Dust)- Bass
Fabrizio DI Carlantonio- Keyboards
David Folchitto (Stormlord, Streaming Banshee, Prophilax and many more..)- Drums (collaboration).
After a few time in the practice room, Gravestone begin the recording session for bringing to life "Proud to be dead", the mini-cd out on February 2017; obviously, the setbacks are always at the door and during the recordings, Pierluigi is forced, by personal reasons, to leave the band. He's replaced by Gabriele Maschietti (Crystal Fury), which is the new Gravestone axe. Unfortunately, for short-time reasons, Gabriele can't record his parts for the tracks, but his harmonies still give a great helping hand in the live shows, well defining the new and definitive sound of the band. In the following months of the recording sessions, Marco Maax and Gabriele sign two important endorsment : Grosmann Guitars and Bulk Strings.
So the Phoenix can be born again from its ashes , and the show begins...

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
The sound is the result of the different musical ideas and experiences of the members of the band. So you can find tracks  that remind classic music, prog music, power metal and, of course, horror atmospheres. The use of keyboards together with guitars helps us to express those oppressive claustrophobic and obscure feelings typical of horror movies; so we could define our music as a technical death metal.

3.The band was broken up for almost 20 years what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
I can tell you that there was no real cause for the dissolution. I was tired of playing the same songs always. It's true the band went strong we had a lot of requests for many dates but I wanted to make new songs too. Perhaps the triggering cause for the split can be found in this episode: we were chosen by Dracma Records in Turin to participate in the “Nightpieces III” compilation whose result the label would have chosen one or two bands to offer a full-length contract. They choose us and another band (i do not remember which one). In fact, the label arranged concerts with the Broken Glazz band that was already under contract with Dracma. The label contacted us and told us that they had organized a date in Turin, in which only the journalists would have participated, and at the end of the show we would sign the contract. However, our original bassist for personal issues told us he could not participate and as a result we did not play in Turin. Of course, the Dracma Records pissed out us. After this episode, I matured my choice to leave the band, after one last show at Circolo degli Artisti (Rome).

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The topics covered in the lyrics are different. There are no lyrics that praise Satan. The first track that provides the title to the album is PROUD TO BE DEAD, whose lyric refers to the hectic life, empty of values ​​and affections, which we lead and which the same protagonist of the text leads. However, at the time of passing, he finds himself in another world from which he can see his old world and as an external observer finds himself expressing a negative judgment of the life that living leads, taken only by the frenzy, ignoring the true values; for this reason, our protagonist comes to the conclusion that life after death is better than the previous one and for which it is Proud to be dead. The second song CORPSE EMBODIMENT is a composition that dates back to twenty years ago that was included in the first album of the Gravestone Symphony of Pain whose lyrics inspired Lovercraft and the myths of Cthulu. It is a song that has been rearranged compared to the original one, and it comes close to the songs that today write the Gravestone and we would like to re-design it in a more modern way since it was the first piece composed by the Gravestone in 1992. The third track, EYES WITHOUT SIGHT, is inspired by the Lovercraft cycle with particular attention to the places and their symbols, and the magic formulas of the evocations of the various figures of the cycle. The initial and central riff is inspired by the harmony of classical music. It is the most melodic and commercial song of the Gravestone. It's as if it were a journey between the places described by Lovercraft in the dream cycle, and then a review of the waxing and the places through which our protagonist moves. The fourth song FLAGELLATION is an allegory against those attitudes of some religious groups who through injuring their body believe that they will come to their own God, understanding the pain as a viatic to divinity. The fifth and final song MATRES is inspired by the trilogy of the three mothers of the films of Dario Silver Inferno, Suspiria and the Third Mother, who recount the vicissitudes of the three witches protagonists of the films. There are texts in Greek, German and Italian.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gravestone'?
No particular meaning; it’s just a name we liked for the music we've been suggesting.

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?
The best shows I remember are the concerts made with Sadist Broken, Glazz, Insidia and a date at Woodstok in Brescia where we went to play as soon as we released our first Symphony of Pain
album and I remember that the room was full there were people Outside they wanted to come in. We did not expect such a welcome. Nice satisfaction. And for the recent dates I can mention that played in support of Anvil in Rome at Jailbreak.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have different dates already confirmed. On April 29, we will be supporting Onslaught in Catania;  on May 11th  in Tivoli will support  IN.SI.DIA.; on August 19th we will be attending the Agglutination Metal Festival in Chiaromonte to support IN.SI.DIA, Sodom and Venom. On June 11th we will be playing in Rome at Traffic Live Club for the realease party of our ep. Other are unofficial and so we can not talk about those yet, but it's about dates all over in Europe.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive death metal?
I can say that the feedback is good even though today compared to the period we started is completely different. Every day there are hundreds of disc releases, so if you do not have a label that you know how to promote and a management that follows you all your labors, you may miss unnoticed. We are lucky to have a label that follows us, Sliptrick Records, and a management that follows us for every step we do, the Brothel of Sound. I can tell you that the label itself has informed us that in Mexico we are ranked sixth in the Itunes ranking. Nice satisfaction.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
The next album will be a full length. We're going to make a concept album even if they are a bit fashioned.

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?
Each of us also listens to different genres. I love old school bands such as Slayer, Carcass, Morbid Angel but I also like Children of Bodom, Amon Amarth ecc... Then I like to hear a bit of everything from classical music also to pop because to me, if well done, all music is beautiful.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
My interests outside music are sports, travel. I like football, formula one, motorcycle races. I like skiing and speed in general.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First, thanks to VarietyOfDeathZine for the interview. Thanks to all those who have been there for a long time and who do not know us yet. Hey you!! Have a look to our cd on Spotify and, if you like it, you can buy it through the label Sliptrick Records or on our onlineshop (https://gravestonemerch.jimdo.com/) , where they can also find shirts and other stuff. Come and listen to the concerts and give a liking to our Facebook page Gravestoneofficial you will always be informed about the band's activities. Thank you all and hope to see you soon to our live. Stay metal Stay Gravestone.

 

Damnation Plan Interview

Jarkko Lunnas the Damnation Plan co-founder, drummer, songwriter, lyricist

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

Well after the album release we did album release shows in Helsinki and Jyväskylä in Finland. After those I was still trying to finishing the shooting of the Rise Of The Messenger music video. That turned out not to be a walk in a park. It was shot partly outside during Finnish spring which means that during the same day the weather can be anything between a sunny spring day and snowing horizontally - read: a pain in the ass. Anyhow, got the music video eventually out (be sure to check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo5ca7jwWR8!), and basically at the moment for me personally a little creative break and we are looking for new opportunities to play more live shows to support the new album.

2.Recently you have released a new album how would 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?

Compared to the first one, this one has more clean vocal parts and more lead & solo guitar to the songs. Of course I wanted to write more catchy songs as well than the first album had, and improve all the other aspects that I felt the first album was possibly lacking a bit, such as focusing on tempos and tightening the songs to the max. The songs have probably more details and they are a bit more complex and demanding playing wise. All in all it's a more complete album all around in my opinion.

3.This is the first album to be released in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

Some time after the The Wakening release gigs I started coming up with ideas for the new album which we demoed this time with Antti (lead guitars) up until end of 2014. We also did some initial vocal demoings with our vocalists as well on top of them here and there. Out of those I then put together the pre-production versions of the songs roughly ready by 2015 summer with electric drums on them. I also moved to a new house that summer with full renovation which didn't exactly go as smooth as it could have, which also delayed things a bit.

We then decided to book the D-Studio for drum recordings 2015 November, and after that started recording the album ourselves in our rehearsal room for vocals and at the homes of mine and Kalle's (guitars) for guitars and bass. We also didn't have a synth player at that time, but then Jari Pailamo joined us in beginning of 2016 to work on those. Doing all this recording at the side of our day jobs was quite heavy and one of the main reasons why it took so long time + the guys hadn't really practiced their parts until the actual recording moment heheh! So we were a bit late on the schedule and decided we wanted to finalize the synths and everything properly so the mixing got postponed til October 2016.

That spring and fall we played a couple of gigs in mean time and also visited Tallinn to play as support show for Suicide Angels (see a documentary episode about it from the album's pre-order campaign at https://www.facebook.com/damnationplan/videos/1394125687276342/).

The mixing was finally ready by christmas 2016 as we did that again entirely by email - commenting the mixes from Finland to Germany where Dan Swanö mixed the album. There are tons of details in our songs and we want them to be there exactly as we've planned and with this method it was again quite a tedious task. During this time I was also finalizing the album cover designs and we started shooting the playing parts of the music video and so forth.

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

It's been always mostly about the injustices happening around us, or any other personal observations I've witnessed or had to deal with one way or another personally. This album is from most of its part lyrically a kind of a capture of our current times - about phenomenons that seem to dictate how the world is perceived and why certain decisions are made. We've learned to live in a sort of a bubble in our stable modern western societies to the extent we've deranged ourselves from certain realities. We don't really seem to understand what's happening and what are the results of some of the naive decision making with seriously damaging and long lasting consequences.

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

It relates to about how things are going in the world. If you look at the world and what's going on, it could make one think is there some "damnation plan" the way the world events tend to keep on turning the way they are. That's the "meaning" other than being "just a band name" - which as a name I think matches the way we sound like.

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

Our previously mentioned first outside Finland gig in Tallinn 2016 was pretty special for us. Based on the feedback that we can be a pretty intense live act, people can really feel the energy and intensity that we put to our performance. Possibly to the extent that it is "our thing" rather than bringing bombs to the stage or other gimmicks. Just plain raw live energy and emotion.

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

On top of the album release gigs we did after the album's release, there is currently no more confirmed shows at the moment. We are very much open to live playing possibilities though, hopefully more gigs coming this year also outside Finland.

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

Pretty much anywhere we get exposure, the reaction is mostly positive or very positive. We've gotten now some quite praising reviews for the new album, mostly being 9, and some 10 out of 10s.

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?

Just recently our clean vocalist Asim joined a Finnish metal band Wintersun as their guitarist, who have a pretty wide global following. He's also in an Estonian band Cantilena. Antti (lead guitars) plays in Whorion, Kalle (guitars) in Enthrope and Jukka plays (bass) in Thescape, Bob Flesh and Kiihdytyslaite. I've been doing at times some tribute gigs, such as a Black Sabbath tribute here and there.

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

Well, not planning on making our own "Risk" or "Load" album next! At least not at the moment! At the moment I personally need to keep a little creative break, re-charge some batteries and then at some time little by little start getting back on it more. I do have a certain vision in my mind from certain aspects and certain directions I want to focus a bit more next, but nothing really much to share about it at this point. Likely we will put out next some smaller release such as a single or an EP, instead of another 3 year mega project album.

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?

Mostly our influences come from the melodic death metal Göteborg scene, progressive metal and the solid base comes from the more of traditional metal acts such as Megadeth, Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Tarot, Savatage etc. That is kind of our mix which has probably had biggest influence on us - at least on me. The latest releases by Gojira and Disillusion has been probably the most interesting ones most lately to me. Also the latest Evergrey album has some cool "mature metal" tracks if you will hahah! Of Finnish newcomers I've been digging the Mors Subita's latest album recently.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I'm very much into all kinds of visual arts, cinematography, documentaries, directing, anything visual from digital designing to modern house planning! I've been also a dedicated fan of NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins since '92 which tends keep me awake during spring playoff time!

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

Well, check out the new album (https://open.spotify.com/album/3gVzJiiXHrIFNzZVucAaYQ)! Other than that, keep your eyes and ears open! Remember to support the things you feel worthy and want to see more in the future!

And thanks HatredMeansWar for the interview!

In Reverence Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Yes, we are a band that came into being in the late summer of 2010 and are originally a band with roots in the deathcore subgenre. The band was created by Filip and Oscar who had the purpose to create a project that explored the deep brutality of the extreme metal scene but to also make something original. The music mixes dark melodies with dissonant guitars with oriental instruments and midi choirs to create an atmospheric touch to our sound. We started rehearsing with our first line-up in a suburb in the southern parts of Stockholm called Tumba. Shortly after our creation we started playing shows and recorded a demo in 2011 and also a 5 song EP in 2012 before fragmenting and taking a long brake before returning back with our new debut album in 2017 with a completely reshaped sound. Our sound developed from deathcore to death metal due to disagreements within the band about where our musical direction was heading back then. This made for a more stable ground in which we could continue this musical project.

2.You have a new album coming out towards the end of May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
As mentioned in the previous question, we do have roots in the deathcore subgenre of the metal scene and this was particularly present in our previous releases. But with this new album we really did a dramatic shift towards death metal instead of deathcore but kept the old atmospheric touch that we had to our music before. On our old material we had breakdowns, bass drops, low-tempo parts and a couple of more typical deathcore-ish style instrumental parts. Even the vocals was more of the typical deathcore vibe rather than what we have on this new album.

3.This is your first album since 2012, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Shortly after our “Hallucination” EP back in 2012, we stared having disagreements within the band about where we should develop musically and this eventually lead to the loss of two band members but also made us shift towards death metal. Once that transition was complete we found ourselves standing on a more stable musical ground but this time we were only three people left in the band, me (Pedram), Filip and Oscar. We worked hard to reshape our sound and to buy in the equipment needed to write musical material from home. This took a long time but also completely changed the way we sounded.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
The lyrics are apocalyptic and tell the step-by-step story of a human induced mass extinction. But there is a deeper concept within the lyrics for the listener as well. Behind the story of the human induced mass extinction, the lyrics also illustrate how life carries with it the seeds of its own destruction. An infinite cycle of life and death that always continues because all life-forms are corrupted with evil.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In Reverence'?
In Reverence was suggested by Oscar as an inspiration from the song “In Reverence of” by the band Impending Doom. It’s a remnant of our old deathcore roots that we chose to keep because it describes the feeling that we are trying to create with our atmospheric approach. In Reverence for the evil that corrupts everything.

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?
Two of the absolute best shows we’ve ever played must have been at “slakthuset” with Skitarg and Eldrimner and “debaser, medis” as support for Degreaded. Our stage performance was at its peak back then. There hasn’t been so many gigs after those gigs, unfortunately. We are pretty rusty for the moment.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Yes, plans are being made! Touring might take a while before we get it going but we will definitely play gigs!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
Very positive! We are extremely humbled!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Hopefully sticking to the original purpose of In Reverence, which is to be the brutal metal-project it is supposed to be. Where the musical style is heading to, no one knows.

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?
There are way too many to mention here, but one band that had a huge influence in our music was the band Whitechapel with their album “The New Era of Corruption”. It’s a deathcore band that we still sometimes use as reference when mixing and recording songs. Other bands which also are close to our heart are bands like Behemoth, Hate, Decapitated, Hideous Divinity, Dark Funeral, Bloodbath, Svart Crown, Meshuggah, Gorgoroth, Diabolical, Aborted, Cattle Decapitation, etc.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Meeting with friends, working out, traveling and all the usual stuff people are interested in.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are very grateful for this interview and appreciate what you guys are doing for the metal community! Keep it up!

Divinity/The Immortalist/2017 Compilation Album Review

  Divinity  are  a  band  from  Calgary,  Alberta,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  technical,  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  compilation  album  "The  Immortalist"  which  is  a  collection  of  3  ep's  that  shared  the  same  concept.

  A  very  heavy  and  technical  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melodic  riffing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  groove  metal  style  screams  along  with  some  clean  singing.

   Throughout  the  recording,  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  elements  of  prog  also  being  used  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  tracks are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  influences  of  thrash can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  and  synths  are  also  used  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also used  briefly..
   
Divinity  creates  a  recording  that  remains  true  to t he  melodic,  progressive  and technical  style  of  death  metal t hat  was  established  on  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  cover  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Divinity  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  melodic,  progressive  and  technical  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Atlas"  "D.M.T"  "Lucid  Creator"  and  "All  Seeing  Eyes".  8  out  of  10. 

 

Fumigation Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new
split?
Since recording the "Invasion" Split with THE PATH TO R'LYEH we've just been playing the
occasional one off gig, like the Sherbrooke Death Fest for example, and prepping for the release.
New merch, new promos, new website designs, new errrthang.

2.You have a split coming out during the end f April, 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 "Invasion" Split has a little bit more of everything FUMIGATION does best...heavy headbanging
groove with brutal and techy and melodic bits thrown in just to mix it up. Production wise, we went
for a more dirty, grungy, live sound with this recording as oppose to the full length "Integrated
Pest Management". We'll most likely go back to a slightly cleaner/modern sound on the next full,
but we figured it would be fun to change it up for the split.

3.This is the first recording to be released since 2013, can you tell us a little bit more about
what has been going on during that time span?
Shows man. that’s about it. Sharing the stage with some of our favourite bands like MALIGNANCY,
INCANTATION, FIRST FRAGMENT, just to name a few.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Lyric wise FUMIGATION will always have an underlying pest control theme, but we added some extra
spices this time. "Arachnophobia" is about Spider-man being a perverted voyeur borderline
paedophile.
"Forced Vaginal Harbourage" is about stuffing rats inside one of those 600lbs can't get out of bed
super fatties. "Earwigs & Earwax" and "A Beard Full of Maggots" is self explanatory.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Fumigation'?
Pest Control. Exterminating.

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?
The best shows are probably the ones where the audience doesn't give a shit about us. We usually
just get pissed off a move around that much more and try harder to get people into it. We're a good
live band. Heavy as fuck, and usually have some sort of pest control thing going on.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We'll do a lot of one-off shows...maybe a mini tour in the fall...we'll see what happens...none of
us are in a position to quit our jobs to tour unfortunately.

8.You are sharing this split with 'The Path To R'lyeh', what are your thoughts on the other band
that had participated on the recording?
THE PATH TO R'LYEH are ready to take Canada and the world by storm! A new band but already have a very intense and techy sound with some groove to tie it all together. Keep an eye on these guys.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of brutal death metal?
Indonesia seems to like us a lot for some reason. Overall people seem to dig us, we just need to
keep extending our reach so more and more people hear us.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the
band members are a part of?
Matt and Teebone are part of SIGNS OF CHAOS that released the "Watch it Burn" EP not too long ago.
Chris and Teebone are live members of NORILSK that are currently in the studio recording a full
length. We think JayDee and MattyDee are doing something together but they won't admit it...

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
The future of FUMIGATION musically is either a turn more brutal or more melodic...tough to say
right now...keep following the band to find out!

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer material
and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Oh I never really say who influenced us as we usually leave that to the listener...but some people
have mentioned Skinless and Cephalic Carnage recently. Personally I’ve been listening to the new
IMMOLATION, ATAXIA, PHOBOCOSM, all kinds of good stuff!

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

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
"INVASION" SPLIT CD OUT APRIL 28th, 2017!!!
Check out a teaser featuring both bands:
https://youtu.be/u1KsJ7TirQE
Audio stream of one full song by both bands:
https://soundcloud.com/fumigat ion/sets/invasion-split-cd- singles
*** PRE ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW ***
For your Physical CD pre-order:
http://www.cdnrecords.com/prod uct/fumigationthe-path-to-rlye h-invasion-split-cd-pre-order/
For your Digital CD pre-order:
https://fumigationmetal.bandca mp.com/album/invasion-split-cd



 

The Path To R'lyeh Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
  Sure. The Path to R'lyeh originaly started when our singer Yan wanted to help a new 

friend, Alain, to start a band. Alain had moved from his hometown in Gaspésie to pursue his dreams 

in Montreal the year before and was struggling finding the right people. They searched for the right 

musicians while composing and bringing songs from Alain's very extensive repertoire. Along the way,  we got Milann, Jonathan and Marc to join the fray and as the line up solidified, the band was born with the collaboration with Fumigation and CDN Records for the split EP ''Invasion''.

 

2.How would you describe your musical sound?
Agressive, evil, catchy yet techy, brutal and twisted.

 

3.Both the lyrics and band name came from the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little 

bit more about your interest in this author?
Yan: What he left behind always fascinated me. His books are written with a grim candor that 

only a writer that swim against the stream can achieve. I played a lot of Call of Cthulhu and I 

found that fan made content really added to my interest of the lore and I found it a cool way to 

pitch in. The band were cool with that and we are going to building on that in the future.

 

4.Are there any other horror and science fiction authors that have an influence on your songwriting?
Yan: I have a way of writing lyrics that derives more of the ''storyboard'' or ''animatic'' 

than actual litterature. What fuels me are images I see on the internet by other artists about the 

lore and also building on stories left with mysterious outcoming like, what happens in the future 

with Y'ha-nthlei in The Shadow Over Innsmouth?

 

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 have not played live yet as we want to wait for the right time and the right place to 

do our first show. 

 

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have very busy lives, touring is not an immediate concern but if the right opportunity 

arises in the future, why not? But first and foremost, we want to be recognized at home before 

anything. 

 

7.You will be sharing this split with 'Fumigation', what are your thoughts on the other band that 

had participated on the recording?

 They are amazing, cool, full of talent bunch and they really deserves your attention. They 

are consistently good in shows and in their theme also, very professional bunch.
 

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been  to your music by fans of brutal death metal?
So far, we have not received any bad feedback. The scene seems to really appreciate what we 

do and we are mad proud about that.

 

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
         We are working on a 10 songs full length concept album developing on the events loosely 

described in  Y'ha-nthlei's Awakening. An album co-written with Jonathan who will bring a tad more 

tech in the leads while keeping the same brutalness Alain brought. Back vocals will also be a thing. 

 

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?
 Wow, this question's answer knows no end really haha! Our main influences would be 

Origin, Beneath The Massacre, Alterbeast and another dozen bands per band members.

 

 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Eating your dreams then regurgitate them as nightmares 

 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you everybody for reading all this, we appreciate a lot and having you headbang to 

our songs means the world to us.

 

https://thepathtorlyeh.bandcam p.com/releases

 

 

 

The Summoned/Sessions/2017 CD Review

  The  Summoned  are  a  band  from  Lowell,  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  very  technical  and experimental  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Sessions"  which  will  be  released  in  June.

  A  very  heavy  sound  along  with  atmospheric  elements  start  off  the  album  before  speeding  up  and  adding  in  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  death  metal growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  mid  tempo  sections  of t he  songs  are  heavily  influenced  by  deathcore  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  very  technical.

  Clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  jazz  and  prog  elements  being  utilized  at  times  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of melody  in  both  the  leads  and  riffs  and  as  the  album  progresses  melodic  singing  can  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  getting  more  experimental  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  synths  and  acoustic  guitars  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  Summoned  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  technical  death  metal,  deathcore,  experimental,  pro  and  avant  garde  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  concept,  space  and  dreams  themes. 


  In  my  opinion  The  Summoned  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  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  "The  Pendulum  Swing"  "The  Grave  Mistake"  "Primogenial  Birth"  and  "Satori".  8  out  of  10.

Rithiya H. Khievithiya Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your music?
 I've had an ecletic up bringing when it comes to music ranging from Cambodian Folk Music to Symphonic Death Metal. The obsession I have with cats is also pretty scary "laughs".
 Music to me is how I express myself. Everytime I compose a song it always comes out unique because it usually captures a feeling or wandering thoughts at that point & time.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
 I really wanted to push myself to mix different styles of music to give each song their own personality.

3.You are also an multi instrumentalist, can you tell us all of the instruments you play?
 Guitar, Bass, Drums, and a bastardized keyboard player. All self taught by ear "laughs"

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and usbjects you explore with your music?
 My Lyrical interests usually veers towards environmental concerns, Social Constructs, Cosmology, & freeing the Oppressed

5.You record both solo and have full bands, how would you compare the 2?
 Not much of a difference really. I've always been the main creator for every project I've been involved in. When a fellow member
 comes up with an idea I try as best as I can to see if it fits perfectly for the song to incorporate them. I usually write full songs with very little wiggle room but always ask if there's a part that could sound better for the music. I then have that member compose the part and then we A & B the ideas, debate and come to final conclusion.  

6.On the ep you had a few quests, can you tell us a little bit more and also their contributions?
 I've had a slew of guest on this release "laughs" but I digress. 
 Guest musicians I've recruited for "The Finite Cycle" EP are Ryan Knight, Dmitry Demyanenko, Joey Concepcion, Chris Dovas, Jeff DeMarco, & Guest lyricsts Jim Gregory,
        & Charles Ayala.
 Ryan threw down a solo on song "Industrial Demise"
 Dmitry Demyanenko threw down a guest solo on song "The Finite Cycle" During the epic choir breakdown.
 Joey Concepcion added a soulful touch on "For All Mankind" during the 2nd solo.
 Chris Dovas retracked over the Midi drums I composed but also added his own spin on things for certain parts.
 Jeff DeMarco was on vocals for songs "Maelstrom of War", "The Finite Cycle", & "For All Mankind". Jeff also wrote lyrics for "The Finite Cycle"
 Jim Gregory wrote Lyrics for "For All Mankind"
 Charles Ayala wrote lyrics for "Maelstrom of War"
 Nick Scarfo co-wrote most of the beginning of "The Finite Cycle" & the verse section for "Industrial demise"

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
 I would jump on a label if the agreement is mutual. I've turned down many due to the fact that, I would've had to essentially invest a large sum of money into paying another
 entity for promotion & distribution. It just doesn't' make sense this day n age with self distributional companies like "CD-Baby" & "Distrokid.com"

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

 I was quite surprised when countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Belarus & Moscow have been very receptive to The Finite Cycle.


9.What is going on with some of the other musical instruments you are a part of these days?
 I've put Alterius in hiatus to pursue my session work, solo releases & a Blacken Death Metal project called "Plaga Dominus"

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
 I hope to grow my RHK Studios YouTube channel, release more music & continue collaborate with fellow like minded musicians in the future.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an infleunce on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
 Oh man, They're so many to choose from! I'd have to start with Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Symphony X, Death, Metallica, Slayer, In flames, & Scorpions have been deep rooted for influences.
 As for what I'm currently listening to. That would have to be Jason Richardson's new solo album, Paul Wardingham's "Spiritual Machines" , & The Algorithm "Overclock".

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
        Videography, photography, (Casual) adrenaline junkie, & cats

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
 Go try Nutella & Peanut butter on pancakes. It's delicious! Support Local Artist anyway you can!

Macabre Demise/Dead Eyes Stench Of Death/Rebirth The Metal Productions/2017 Compilation Album Review

  Macabre  Demise  are a band  form  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  brutal  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2017  compilation  album  "Dead  Eyes  Stench  Of  Death"  which  was  released  by  Rebirth  The  Metal  Productions.

  A  very  heavy,  brutal  and  technical  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  along  with  all  of  the  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  lot  of grindcore  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  the  vocals  also  get  very  guttural  at  times  and  some  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  slam  along  with  some  riffs  also  using  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy.

  On  this  compilation  Macabre  Demise  displays  a  great  amount  of  their  heavy  and  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore  mixture  that  they  are  known  for,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence, death  and  gore  themes.


  On  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Macabre  Demise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  Eyes"  "Return  Of  The  Walking  Dead"  "War"  and  "Rot In  Hell".  8  out  of  10.

Lost Dreams/Exhale/Massacre Records/2017 CD Review

  Lost  Dreams  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Exhale"  which  will b e  released  in  May  by  Massacre  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  electronic  music  elements  are  utilized  at  times  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their presence  known  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  while  the  faster  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  melodic  singing  along  with  clean  playing  and  acoustic  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  songs  as  the  album  progresses  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Lost  Dreams  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal t hat  is  very  modern,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  religion,  death,  inner  struggles  and  relationship  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lost  Dreams  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal band  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ego"  "Finding  X"  "Silence"  and  "Purple  Clouds".  8  out  of  10.

 


 

Rithiya H. Khiev/The Finite Cycle/2017 EP Review

  Rithiya  H.  Khiev  is  a  solo  artist  from  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  progressive  form of  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of his  self  released  2017  ep  "The Finite Cycle".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  drum b eats  and t he  solos  and leads  are  also  very  progressive  while  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  tracks a re  instrumentals.

  When  vocals a re  utilized  they  bring  in  a  mixture  of  deep  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  the  music  also  has  a  great  amount  of  both  Swedish  and  Finnish  influences  and  female  vocals  and  symphonic  elements  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  some  elements  of  the  mid  80's  Shrapnel  style.

  Rithiya  H.  Khiev  plays    musical  style that  takes  melodic  death  metal,  symphonic,  prog  and s hred  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rithiya  H.  Khiev  is  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  and  melodic  death  metal  solo  artist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Finite  Cycle"  and  "For All  Mankind".  8  out  of  10.