Saturday, September 17, 2016

Stojar/At Twilight Of Battles By The Hammer Of Thunderstorms/Stygian Crypt Productions/2016 CD Review


  Stojar  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "At  Twilight  Of  Battle s By  The  Hammer  Of  Thunderstorms"  which  was  released  by  Stygian  Crypt  Productions.

  Folk  music  instruments  start  off  the  album  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  pagan  feeling  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  guitars  while  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  female  vocals  along  with  black  metal  screams  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  Nature  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Stojar  plays  a  style  of  pagan/folk  metal  that  can  be  symphonic  at  times  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  black  metal  which  also  gives  the  music  a  heavier  edge,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Slavonic  Paganism  and  Patroitism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Stojar  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan/folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Molotom  groz  v  sumerki"  "Na  styage  plammenoy  zari"  and  "Pamyati  Slava".  8  out  of  10.  

 https://soundcloud.com/user-94176499/stojar-at-twilight-of-battles-by-the-hammer-of-thunderstorms/s-ZoqQs)


 

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Astroplex Interview


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

The Astroplex is a two men team, Herr Nox & John Steele. Between the both of us, we share the work load that needs to be done. in order to get this project going. We are from Canada, in two different Provinces, Quebec and Ontario. Herr Nox is the singer, lyricist, graphic designer and wrote those really cool 80’s movie soundtrack tunes on the album. I, (John) play most of the instruments, wrote the main songs and handled the production side of things, including recording and mixing. Our good friend, Jonh M.Miller, did a fantastic job on the mastering of the album.

2.You have an album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

When we decided to record the album, we both had a very precise vision on what we wanted the album to sound like. We aimed for songs that would be reminiscent of early 2000’s melodic death metal and melodic Black metal scene. We also wanted a faux 1980’s, sci-fi flick, soundtrack to serve as the catalyst for the story we wanted to tell. It was the combination of these two genres that helped facilitate our narrative.

3.You refer to your music as 'Space metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

We approached the writing of this album like you would writing a book. We developed a story line, with plots and sub plots. When we were done, it was clear that this could not be classified as a traditional black/death album. We tried looking up metal genres that we could be associated with, and we concluded that it was perhaps best to come up with a classification that would describe us best. The album is set in space, with space ships and droids and other-worldly planets. It only made sense to call it what it is, Space metal!

4.Your lyrics cover science fiction themes; can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?

We both grew up loving the sci-fi movies of the 1980’s. Although some of these movies may look a bit outdated in both special effects, or even story-telling, the fact remains that it still holds fond memories for the both us. So we set out to have an album where each songs are a chapter that helps tell the main story. Herr Nox is a great lyricist, and he has crafted a really interesting way of telling the narrative through each songs.

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

The Astroplex, is the name of the ship used by Satis, (our main character in the story), and her crew. We wanted a name that would reflect the genre we play, so we went with this name. We just shot band names back and forth, and The Astroplex was the one that we both agreed on.

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

Our situation is different than most people. We both reside in two different Provinces, separated by an 8-hour long car drive. This creates a bit of a challenge when wanting to rehearse songs or finding band members, but that being said, we are both open to the idea. Should we get an interesting offer, who knows? As far as involving other people in the writing process, we’ll see. Writing the songs, producing, recording, mixing and overall doing everything ourselves is very difficult and time consuming. Maybe, if need be, we’ll recruit other people to help us on in the future.

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

We have not received any offers as of yet. To be honest, we both agree that to sign to a label, we would have to come out on top. I will never sign a 360 deal! Being an independent band means that we have 100% control over the creative process and the income we generate. We set our own deadlines and get to work in an environment of our choosing. No big costly studios, which we end up having to pay back to the label before seeing any revenues. We are not saying no, but in order to sign, we’d have to have a really sweet deal, and that is very unlikely.

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

 The reviews are coming in and feedback from the fans is abundant. In general, people get it. Actually, they get it way more than we had anticipated. People know that this is not by any means a traditional black metal band. We have elements of it for sure, but it is not flat out what we set out to do. We live in a great time for music, where you can experiment musically without totally alienating your fan base. We love Emperor, Immortal, Gorgoroth and Dimmu Borgir. But this is not what we do. It’s in the song writing for sure, but it’s not the main focus. Today’s metal audience is very open minded and diversified, which helps bands such as ourselves find a “niche” market.

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

We decided to put out this album as a mean to introduce our fans to the band, and to the concept we wish to explore. Now in the future we are entertaining the idea of releasing songs independently. So, for example, we may put a song out each month instead of waiting a year to put out an entire album. The concept is being used by other artists in other genres, and they are doing better than traditional album releases.

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?

John: For me, during the writing of this album, I was listening to a lot of Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and 70’s rock. I think it comes through in the songs. Nowadays, I’m listening to Bloodbath, Opeth, Katatonia and The Devin Townsend Project.

Herr Nox: for this album, I immersed myself completely in 80s movies and listened to plenty of synthesizers soundtracks. The likes of John Carpenter and Vangelis can be heard in the instrumentals, I'm sure. As for today, I would say I listen to almost anything. From Mozart to My Dying Bride, from Perturbator to Igorrr. David Bowie is always in my playlist.

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

 John: I love History, politics (although I am getting a bit saturated with it lately) and philosophy.
I love to read up on psychoacoustics and the physics behind the sounds we hear and how we perceive them. I do a lot of recording and mixing, so this translates well into the work I do.


Herr Nox: movies, visual arts, psychology and science-fiction. Anything related to space (from a scientific standpoint) will get my attention. I find space exploration fascinating.

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

John: I would like to thank you for giving us the chance to speak about this project with your audience. We love to connect with new people. Thanks again for the review, we really appreciate.

Herr Nox: thank you for the interview, it's greatly appreciated. Also, to anyone reading this, support your local scene. A few good words will make a difference for it is passion that fuels any artist.

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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Vorgrum/Last Domain/Via Nocturna/2016 CD Review


  Vorgrum  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  pagan/folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Last  Domain"  which  was  released  by  Via  Nocturna.

  Epic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  heavier  along  with some  black  metal s creams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  they  also  mix  the  symphonic  side  in  with  the  heavy  material.

 Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  some  songs  and  as  the  album  progresses  more  folk  instruments  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  tribal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vorgrum  plays  a  style  of  pagan/folk  metal  that  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  black  and  death  metal  while  also  having  its  melodic  and  symphonic  moments,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  high  fantasy,  trolls  and  drinking.

  In  my  opinion  Vorgrum  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan/folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Legacy  Of  The  Ancient"  "Troll  Villa"  "Legions  From  Niflheim"  and  "Ancient  Rulers".  8  out  of  10. 

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Saturday, September 10, 2016

Khepra/Cosmology Divine/Rain Without End Records/2016 CD Review


  Khepra  are  a  band  from  Turkey  that plays  a  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Cosmology  Divine"  which  was  released  by  Rain  Without  End  Records.

  A  very  epic  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with t he  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are d one  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Most  of   the  vocals  are  black  metal  screams  while  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  there  are  also  some  female  vocals  in some  parts  of t he  songs  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  lot  of  ethnic  folk  music  elements  which  also  shows  different  types  of  musical  instruments  being  added  onto  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  more  melodic  death  metal  style  and  you  can  also  hear  traces  of  Arabian and  Oriental  music  in  most  of  the  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  riffing  starts  getting  more  thrash  influenced  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples.

  Kephra  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  ethnic  folk  music  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Cosmology,  Occultism,  Mythologies,  History  and  Religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kephra  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Enki  (Diaries  Of  A  Forgotten  God)"  "Obsession  Of  The  Mad"  "Evil  incarnate"  and  "Cosmology  Divine".  8  out  of  10.

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Friday, September 9, 2016

Ominous Eclipse/End Of Days/2015 Full Length Review


  Ominous  Eclipse  are  a band  from  Ottawa,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "End  Of  Days".

 Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  a  few  seconds  later  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  symphonic  edge  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  a  technical  style  to  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  thrash  and  groove  metal.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  part  and  their  is  also a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  heavier  style  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals.

  Ominous  Eclipse  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  black,  melodic  death,  thrash and  groove  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  some  symphonic  and  technical  elements  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  death  and  Armageddon  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Ominous  Eclipse  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Morning  Hate"  "Desecration"  "Abandoned"  and  "Beyond  the  Apocalypse".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/rWOn9PhNGS4       

   

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Astroplex/The Chronicles Of Az'hul'Tar/2016 Full Length Review


  The  Astroplex  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  space  metal  with  elements  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released 2016  album  "The  Chronicles  Of  Azhul'Tar".

  Ambient  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  bringing  in  the  atmosphere  of  an  80's  science  fiction  movie  and  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  being  utilized  and  rough  yet melodic  vocals  are  also  used  quite  a  bit.

  Keyboards  are  also  used  on  the  heavier  tracks  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while later  tracks  also  start  incorporating  more  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  can  be  heard  along  with  more  spoken  words  and  back  up  shouts.

  The  Astroplex  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  them  with  sci-fi  orientated  sounds  and  symphonic  elements  to  create  their  style  of  space  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Astroplex  are  a  very  great  sounding  space  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  original,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Prophecy"  "The  Red  Emperor"  and  "Battle  For  Azhul'Tar".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/theastroplex
http://theastroplex.com
https://theastroplex.bandcamp.com/releases
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA3UIvhZ_14

Monday, September 5, 2016

Ironhand/Hello, Operator/Xperiemnt XIII Records/2016 EP Review


  Ironhand  are  a  band  from  New  jersey  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  industrial  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Hello,  Operator"  which  was  released  by  Xperiment  Xiii Records  and  also  consists  of  a  great  amount  of  remixes.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  nature  sounds  and  radio  static  noises  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  into  ore  of  a  heavier  yet  atmospheric  industrial  direction  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  while  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  ebm,  ambient  and  aggrotech.

  A  great  amount  of  samples  can  be  heard  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  vocals  also  start  bringing  in  more  of  a  traditional  industrial  style  while  the  synths  also  start  getting  more  powerful  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  symphonic  elements  and  the  remixes  focus  even  more  on  the  electro  industrial  side.

  Ironhand  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  many  different  styles  of  industrial  and  mixes  them  together  with  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ironhand  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  The  Shadow  He  Follows"  "You  Will  Be  Dead  Soon"  and  "Choke".  8  out  of  10. 

https://ironhandnj.bandcamp.com/track/from-the-shadows-he-follows