Syndrome/Floating Veins/ConSouling Sounds/2011 CD Review

  This  is  another  review  of  an  album  from  Syndrome  with  the  music  being  dark  ambient  drone  mixed  with  doom  and  post  metal    and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  recording  "Floating  Veins"  which  was  released  by  ConSouling  Sounds.

  Drum  programming  are  all  slow  beats,  while  the  synths  and  sound  effects  bring  the  dark  ambient/drone,  post  rock  and  experimental  elements  to  the  music,  while  the  bass  guitar  when  it  is  utilized  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  as  for  the  guitars  are  all  slow  doom/post  metal  riffs  along  with  some  clean  playing  and  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  when  they  are  utilized  are  all  clean  singing  vocals, while the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  music  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Syndrome  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient/drone  mixed  with  doom  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Floating  Veins"  and  "Absence".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

 

  

Syndrome/Monotonos/Sequences/Fall Of Man/ConSouling Sounds/2011 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Belgium's  Syndrome,  France's  Monotonos  and  Sequences  called  "Fall  Of  Man"  which  was  released  by  ConSouling  Sounds  in  2011  and  we  will start  of  the  review  with  Syndrome  with  their  music  this  time  being  dark  ambient/drone/doom  metal.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  riffs  that  combine  drone  and  doom  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own   as  well  as  a  good  amount  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  sound  effects  bring  the  experimental  and  dark  ambient  sounds  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  and  song  writing  are  all  absent  from t heir  side  of  the  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  song  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Syndrome  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambeint/drone/doom  metal  you  should  check out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Monotonos  a  band  that  combines  dark  ambient/drone  with  neo  folk.

  Acoustic  guitars  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  add  the  neo  folk  elements  to  the  recording,  while  the  synths  bring  the  dark  ambient/drone  elements  to  the recording  and  they  are  the  only  2  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals and  song  writing  are  all  absent  from  their  side  of  the  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  song  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Monotonos  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  dark  ambient  and  neo  folk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of   the  recording.  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Sequences  a  band  that  plays  dark  ambient/drone.

  Synths  and  song  effects  bring  the  dark  ambient  drone  elements  to  the  music  along  with  some  distorted  noise  elements  and  they  are  the  only  musical  instrument  present  on  this  side  of  the  recording  bringing  a  ritualistic  quality  to  the  split.

  Vocals  and  song  writing  are  all  absent  from  their  side  of  the  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental, while  the  song  theme  covers  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  song  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  the  last  song  all  3  bands  team  up  together  to  create  a  very  long  and  epic  dark  ambient  drone  song.

In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to all  fans  of  dark  ambient/drone.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

  

Amenra/Live/ConSouling Sounds/2012 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  live  album  from  Amenra  which  continues  their  hybrid  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  hardcore  which  was  released  by  ConSouling  Sounds  in  the  year  of  2012.

  Drums  are  all  slow  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  sound  effects  bring  elements  of  experimental  and  drone  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  riffs  that  combine  sludge,  doom  metal  and  hardcore  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well   as  some  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  doom  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  sludge  screams  with  some  clean  singing  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  everyday  and  ritualistic  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  with  all  of  the  songs  being  recorded  live  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Amenra  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Your  Shapelss  Pain"  "Thurifer"  and  "Razoreater".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Amenra/Mass II/2005 EP Review

Amenra  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  has  been  featured before  in  this  zine  with  a  music  style  that combines  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  together  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2005  ep  "Mass  II".

   Drums  are  all  slow  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording, while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  sound  effects  when  they  are  utilized  they  bring  elements  of  drone  ad  experimental  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  riffs  that  combine  sludge,  stoner,  and  doom  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  to  add  more  psychedelic  elements  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  sludge  style  screams  with  some  spoken  word  samples  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  clean  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  depression  and  ritualistic  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Amenra  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  hunt  down  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Promise  To  Make"  and  "Ritual  I".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Chve/Nate Hall/ConSouling Sounds/2012 Split 7 Inch Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  7  inch  between  Belgium's  Chve  and  U.S's  Nate  Hall  which  was  released  by  ConSouling  Sounds  in  the  year  of  2012  and  we  will  start  the  review  with  Chve  which  plays  dark  neo-folk.

  Acoustic  guitars  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  bring  the  neo-folk  sound  to  the recording,  while  the  vocals  are  all  clean  singing  vocals  that  have  a  very  dark  and  haunting  sound  to  them,  with  the  lyrics  covering  dark  and  depressing,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  the  vocals  and  guitars  very  well.

  In  my  opinion  Chve  are  a  very  great  sounding  neo-folk  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Nate  Hall  who  plays  neo  folk  mixed  with  post  rock  and  blues.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  riffs  that  combine  post  rock  and  blues  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  melody  in  the  riffing  as  well  as  some  lead  guitars  and  solos,  while  the  acoustic  guitars  use  full  chords  to  add  the  neo  folk  elements  to   the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  neo  folk/blues  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  professional   song  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  guitars  and  vocals.

  In  my  opinion  Nate  hall  is  a  very  great  sounding  neo-folk  blues  rock  hybrid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  music.  RECOMMENDED.

  in  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  neo  folk  music.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.     

The Sea Charmer Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Well, we're  bunch of guys who brought together in Spring 2011. Our previous bands were stagnant so we decided to make a new project. Actually, the first impulse to found a band went from Zdenek Kurka (nowadays in Born Again) who had left Five symbols some time ago. Then we found new members and started writing stuff and so on. Unfortunately he and our former guitarist Tomáš Pípa left us within few months so we had to find a good replacement. The guitar's gap were filled by Lukáš Slavík. We also tried few guys on voc but that was definitely a loss of time so we are vocalless now, even still trying to get the right guy or a girl in. The current line up is: Petr Pádivý - guitars, Lukáš Slavík - guitars, Jakub Štefl - bass guitar and Jakub Žáček - drums.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

It's not that hard to find the right words. Yeah, it's just a more or less experimental concoction of hardcore, punk and metal. Easy ;). 

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

Our lyrics mainly point to the fact how mean and stupid the human being is. Sad but true. The forthcoming full-length called "Farewell to the gods of flesh" is a conceptual worship of misanthropy. The lyrics are veiled in a sorrowful form, but they are nihilistic by no means. There is always a way to change our future.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

The Sea Charmer might be felt as a fictious person evoking ancient powers off the sea to finish the reign of man.

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

Well, we've played just four gigs so far, so it's hard to review that, but yeah, we've got a chance to share the stage with such a great bands like Suffocate with your fame etc.. We are also going play a show with the The Psyke Project or All We Have in a few weeks so we are fucking thrilled!!! We try to be always as vigorous as we can when performing the live set. Ofcourse there are licks which can't be played well if you mosh as a jerk :D. 

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

In fact, nothing particular at the moment. Our second guitarist has got it's final exams at high school and I will try to pass the entrance exams at university so these are the biggest goals right now :D.  

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?

That would be cool to get under a label, but we really don't care that much about. It's always fun to do what you love, DIY or in a high style.

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

The feedback is really good, especially from abroad, especially from US and UK. We ain't that much known here. But we believe it's gonna change while we play more gigs and stuff. 

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

We are fully involved in just The Sea Charmer, except our drummer, who plays in Awaken the bitter star as well. But who knows, we may found a project in the future :).

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

I believe we will still be devoted to experimentation within the boundaries of cliche.  I am sure we can't bring anything new to the table, but still we love making the music we love.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Mate, that's a pretty long list, actually! We are kinda openminded persons so our musical range is really wide. From pop, jazz and classical music to furious deathcore and mathcore. When speaking of me, my biggest influence comes from The Dillinger Escape Plan, Architects and Meshuggah. There are thousands of others which should've been mentioned though.  

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

 I love reading books, watching films, the rest of my guys love hanging out, drinking beer and schnaps until they're dead, going to gym etc. :D

 

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you,  , so much for your time and this space. Guys, try to change yourself before you talk about how you'd change the world. Thank you. Petr 

Syndrome/Now And Forever/ConSouling Sounds/2012 CD Review

  Syndrome  are  a  1  man  band  from  Belgium  that  is  a  side  project  of  AmenRa  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  a  mixture  of  post  rock  and  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Now  And  Forever"  which  was  released  by  ConSouling  Sounds.

  Percussion  are  all  slow  beats  which  give  the  music  a  tribal  feeling,  while  the  synths  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  they  use  full  chords  and  finger  picking  to  bring  a  post  rock  sound  to  the  recording  along  with  some  amplifier  effects.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  neo  folk  vocals  along  with  some  female  back  ups,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  the  only  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Syndrome  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  post  rock  and  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

    

Maudlin/A Sign Of Time/Consouling Sounds/2013 CD Review

  Maudlin  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  experimental,  progressive  and post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "A  Sign  Of  Time"  which  was  released  by  Consouling  Sounds.

  Drums  are  all  slow  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  synths  when  they  are  utilized  they  brings  elements  of  psychedelic  music  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  riffs  that  combine  sludge  with  experimental,  progressive  and post  metal together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  and clean  playing  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  post  metal  guitar  solos  and leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  add  more  diverse  elements  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  range  from clean  singing  male  vocals  that  have  a  gothic  feeling  to  them  at  times  as  well  as  some  female  vocals  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts, while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  esoteric  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my   opinion Maudlin  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  sludge,  experimental,  progressive  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hours"  "Lilith"  "Goddess  Of  The  Flame"  and  "Chasing  Shades".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Circle Of Silence Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Hey, thanks for the interview. Right now we are busy with getting ready for the album release. Many things have to be organized. There are always busy days right before an album release.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it
differs from previous releases?
In my opinion the songs have a better songwriting this time.The new songs sound a bit more old school and thrasy than on the previous album. Everything feels better in a more professional way.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores
with the newer music?
This time the lyrics are again about books, movies or just fictional stories. Some lyrics were inspired by the spirit of revolution that started against dictatorship in some countries. That's also the reason why the album has the title "The Rise Of Resistance".

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
Well, the band name was just a cool idea when we were on school.We had some band names in mind but we thought that Circle Of Silence was the most catchy one. Today i think it stands for the friendship between the band members. We still have the same line-up since we have begun with his band.

5. I have read that the band started out with only 2 members, what was
the decision behind getting a full line up?
The decision was quite simple. After fooling around with some demo 
songs, we were crazy about to get on stage to play for the people.

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and
how would you describe your stage performance?
We played the Dong Open Air 2012. Maybe it was not the best performance but the whole festival was just amazing. We had a great time there and have met a lot of cool people. Definetly one of best experiences of the last months.

7. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
Touring is a bit difficult these days because of our regular jobs.With the new album we try to get a good booking partner and than let's  see what happens.We hope that we can play live as much as we can to promote the new album and
deliver you some smashing power metal.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans
of power metal?
The fan reactions for our first official album were great. We've got feedback from all over the world. One crazy guy from South Korea just bought nearly  everything we had to offer. It is absolutley amazing to see how the people react to the music.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
We don't have started with new songs yet but i think we will keep on walking on the straight way to write power metal songs. It is hard to say how future songs will sound like, everything can happen. For my personal taste i can say 
that i want tofocus on the heavy and thrashing parts of the COS sound for the new songs.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your
newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
During the songwriting i always try to keep my mind clear for the sound of COS. We don't try to write songs that sound like band X or Y. Maybe you can hear a bit Iced Earth or Brainstorm in the new songs.Nowadays i listen to nearly every style of metal. Sometimes i'm more into the modern stuff like Soilwork or Heaven Shall Burn but than there are 
also times when i love to listen some old school metal like Steelwing or Enforcer.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Beside the band and the job we are interested in stuff like football, ce hockey ormotorcycle racing. All the things that everyone likes i think.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Friends and fans out there we hope that you like the new stuff just as 
we do.Thanks for your support during the last two years. Stay heavy!

Dying Behind Interview

1.1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
1. We are thrash metal band from Prague (Czech republic). Members - Libor (Drums), Peterson (Guitar + singing), Filas (Bass). We started in summer 2009. 

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
2. We play thrash metal - metalcore. (Metallica, Slayer, .....etc.)

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. lyrics are about problems, war,...

4. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
4.Hard to say, every concert is awesome , on stage, we are trying to attract people with out thrash riffs.

5. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
5. Definitely yes

6. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
6.Full time line up

7. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
7. we hope that we have good direction, we are still trying to improve our music.

8. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
8. bands that influenced us are: Lamb of God, Machine head, Kreator, Slayer and many others

9. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
9. climping, riding on motorcycle, winter sports,......

10. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
13. metal in heart!!!  
Thank you and sorry for mistakes 

Lilium Sova Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Kim Makombe (Guitar): Since late 2012 we released "Epic Morning" on Cal Of Ror Records, did a small tour and played a couple of gigs. Now, we're taking advantage of the downtime by working on new material, then we'll hit the stage again.

Cyril Chal (Bass/Samples): With Michael (Saxophone/Synth - founding member) leaving, then Loïc (Cello/Guitars) and Kim joining in, we needed to rethink our working method. But at the beginning we primarily wanted to play shows, so we didn't really take time to do it. Now we're finally so far, and it's very stimulating for the future!


2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous efforts?
Tim Cervi (Drums): "Epic Morning" is a tale about a nightmare. As such, each song represents a step of it, so it switches between intensive, brutal, soft, and ambient parts, depending on the tale's needs. It's really different from the first album "Tripartite Chaos", which is more primitive and instinctive, a collection of songs without any real concept behind.

C: And "Epic Morning" takes more time to settle a mood, contrary to "Tripartite Chaos". The later one was extremely intense, with very short songs. The new one is more ethereal and more melodic as well.


3. What are some of the concepts the band brings out in the music?
C: The concept behind "Epic Morning" could be summed as follow: The eight first hours in the morning are represented by it's respective song. The tracks titles are there to guide the listener through the journey, while leaving it open enough so he can use his own imagination.
The song "8.00 a.m. - Epic Morning" is a particular one though, since it's a 22 minutes showcase of what the previous line-up could do (a bassist, a drummer and a saxophonist/keyboardist). The only guest on the song plays at the very end: It's the acoustic guitar thing that closes the track, and it can be considered as an omen to what the future line-up would be.


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
C: The band's name is based on a concept of symbolic dualities: "Lilium" (latin word for the lily flower) stands for the purity. While "Sova" (russian word for the owl), depending on the culture, is usually associated with death, night, sadness or sorcery. We liked how the association of this two words in a different language sounded, it's a very rich symbol and yet opposed. It's relatively abstract and open to interpretation, so it suits us very well...

K: And "Lilium" is both a plant and a Hungarian female first name. "Sova" is the Swedish word for sleep.
So it has something to do with plantophilia as well, as you might guess (sleeping with female plants)...


5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
C: I've got plenty of good memories... If I'd pick randomly, I would say the last show we did with the previous line-up. It was in Basel (Switzerland) and it was incredible, it had such a mad atmosphere! More recently, we did a show in Leipzig (Germany) in front of a crowd that was there to see crust and grindcore shows... and we didn't scare them away, on the contrary, some of them even bought merch! So it was really cool!
Otherwise, I don't really know how to describe us on stage... we just try to give our best and put some energy into it.

K: Personally, I think our best show so far was the one we did with TIDES FROM NEBULA (Post Rock/Poland). We where just back from touring, so we where pretty honed. It was "fast'n'brutal" (inside joke)!
There's also a cultural place in Switzerland, Le Pantographe, that's in a small town called Moutier. We played there with our buddies from YOG (Switzerland, Division Records). There were a handful of people but we both played all balls out,
and then we ended up jamming and drinking 'til late at night! Nothing really original, when you think about it...

Regarding our live performances... I think they are less "suit and tie" compared to the albums (specially "Epic Morning").
They're rawer, more frontal and we sound bigger. External sources consider that the albums don't really reflect the energy and the particular atmosphere of our live shows, and I can't really disagree with that.
"Explosive", "visceral", "hallucinated", this are the sort of things that came into my ear...


6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
K: We've been discussing it since late 2012, so the desire is there. But our day jobs and private life haven't really enabled us to align schedules. There's an attempt to do something late 2013, but nothing official at the moment...


7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by fans of underground music?
C: So far we've had really, really good feedback from a bit everywhere, we didn't expect them to be so unanimous!
There's this incredibly long russian review where the guy is amusingly trying to figure out all the references and possible interpretations of the album. After a google translation, I'm under the impression that he pretty much figured it all out!

K: Though there seems to be a bit of a confusion regarding the band, due to the line-up change that occurred during the "Epic Morning" process. But we don't blame them, as long as they buy us merch and give us the bribe money back...


8. What direction do you see your music heading into, on future releases?
K: Well, actually we already have newer songs, written after the "Epic Morning" sessions. While it's unsure whether or nor they hint the future direction, I feel that they're more live oriented, heavier, noisy... and perhaps more "conventional"! Generally speaking, people are more used to stringed instruments (guitar, cello) than twisted saxophone sounds.
According to the feedback we've got so far, it's still as "weird" and "unfitting", and even noisier. So maybe I'm wrong!
I guess Loïc's unorthodox approach to cello plays a significant part in that. Naturally, listeners will have their own preference in the end...

And as I mentioned before, we're working on new musical ideas. Despite the restrictions, this new set-up gives us new possibilities that everyone seems is eager to explore. I've been taping everyone lately, and some of the stuff coming out is truly inspiring! A certain direction seems to sketch itself out, so the gap between releases could be shorter then previously this time, at least on the writing side. Though it's too early to disclose exact details...


9. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?
C: Since 2008, me and two friends have have a stoner trio called SIX MONTHS OF SUN. It works pretty well on stage and we should release our first album this summer.

K: Besides "episodic" musical projects, the last two years or so I've had this "solo-acoustic-thingy" under which I have performed mainly in Switzerland, but a bit in Europe as well. It's called THE HEIROPHANTOM, and I've been obsessionally working on the first full-length, which is already written. But I've gone through some trials and errors when recording it...
And I've already gathered the material for a second release, so it's really a matter of recording things properly (and not loosing takes, for example). I hope I can release the first one some when down this year...

T: I've got another band as well. It's called TEN SECONDS ERA and we play classic rock/metal stuff. The line-up has been completed recently, so we just started looking for our first gigs!
Actually, Kim almost ended up in the line-up, but we finally ended up working together in LILIUM SOVA.

K: Myeah... The fee wasn't as high, at the time...


10. What are some or musical styles that have influenced your newer music?
And what are you listening to nowadays?
C: It's a bit hard to tell... The beginning influences are REFUSED, KNUT and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN ("Calculating Infinity" era). From there on, I don't really know what to say... we just developed our music without really thinking about it. The math-core/rock, post-rock/metal and post-hardcore influences are probably the most obvious, I think...
Otherwise, I'm at a period where I'm listening to all sorts of strange bands from the 70's.

T: Recently, I discovered a french electro DJ called Kavinsky. With the latest Jimi Hendrix, it's actually my playlist at the moment. Nothing aggressive!

K: I've had the humbling luck to cross roads with some talented people. They're not all necessarily "well known", but they sure had an influence on me, one way or another. Of course there are the classics, but here again: There's too many different stuff! It ranges from acoustic to extreme distorted stuff, with some machines in the middle (World music, electronica, rock, film score, metal, trip hop, etc). Lately a printer inspired me a riff, so daily stuff I'd guess...
LILIUM SOVA probably happens somewhere in the crossroads of all our influences.

The band's previous material plays a role as well. There's fundamental differences in terms of tone (sax'n'synth vs. guitar'n'cello), but still, I want the songs to sound "LILIUM SOVA" (or at least refer to) while adding our new identity to it. And at the same time we can't pigeonhole ourselves with that legacy, so sometimes it's tough finding the right balance...
I obviously don't play saxophone and am not half as skilled as Michael, I took his work as starting point and added my own twist to it. Lucky enough there were already similarities, like some of the jazz stuff, which I'm happy some people recognized (while not necessary connecting the dots).


11. Outside of music what are some your interests?
C: I like science, culture... but music is the most important and it takes lots of time! It would be nice to have many lives...

K: I'm a walking paradox, sort of "reclused no-life geek". Most of times I do music related stuff, be it going to shows, helping out bands, promoters, jamming with other musicians, talking music (management, logistic, technical aspects, etc.), writing idiotic stuff that will probably never see the light of day... But I have a particular interest in philosophy as well. And I like watching movies, when I get to it...

T: Sex, music, motorbikes and scotch whisky!

K: Yeah, whisky for me too!


12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
C: Thank you for your time and interest! And thanks to those that support us as well! Come check us out, if we're around!

T: Stay rock and fuck the star system!

K: I wanna thank anyone who supported, discovered, bought, booked, hanged out and/or stuck with us! Thanks to those that did nothing, as well: without you, we wouldn't appreciate those that do things as much!
I want thank everything actually, water, pandas, kittens, potato chips, sexual emancipation, absolutely everything!

Darker Half/Desensitized/Rockstar Records/2011 CD Review

  Darker  Half  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  power,  thrash  metal  and  NWOBHM  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  album  "Desensitized"  which  was  released  by  Rockstar  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  no  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  power  metal,  thrash  and  NWOBHM  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while t he  lead  guitars  are  very  old  school  and  melodic  sounding  power/heavy  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  to  add  more  variety  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Darker  Half  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  power  metal,  thrash  and  NWOBHM  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lost  In  Space"  "Tomb  Of  An  Unknown  Soldier"  "Catch  The  Sun"  and  "Armageddon".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Circle Of Silence/One Moment Of Hate/Massacre Records/2013 Single Review

  Circle  Of  Silence  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  form  of  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  single  "One  Moment  Of  Hate"  which  was  released by  Massacre  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming   with  no  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  old  school  power  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  riffing  as  well  as  some  thrash  elements,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  power/heavy  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  which  brings  a  modern  touch  to  an  old  school  genre.

  In  my  opinion  Circle  Of  Silence  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  power  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK "One  Moment  Of  Hate".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

The Rabid Whole/Refuge/Bonesdale Records/2012 CD Review

  The  Rabid  Whole  are  a  band  from  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  metal,  industrial  and  alternative  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Refuge"  which  was  released  by  Boneshade  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  no  blast  beats  being  present  on t his  recording,  while  the  synths  and  samples  bring  elements  of  industrial  and  electronica  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  guitar  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to fast  riffs  that  combine  metal,  industrial  and  alternative  rock  together  to  create  a  sound  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  vocals  with  some  female  back  up's  being  used  at  times  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover    dark  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  The  Rabid  Whole  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  metal,  industrial  and  alternative  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Future"  "New  System"  "Stargazer"  and  "Refuge".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Integrity/Suicide Black Snake/A389 Recordings/Magic Bullet Records/2013 CD Review

  Integrity  are  a  band  from  from  Ohio  that  has  a  very  long  history  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  hardcore  mixed  with  extreme  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Suicide  Black  Snake"  which  was  released  by  A389  Recordings.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  hardcore  with  extreme  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilize  are  very  melodic  sounding  old  school  metal/rock  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  recording  along  with  a  brief  use  of  harmonica's.

  Vocals are  mostly  hardcore style  yells  with  some  clean  singing  and  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness  and  Occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  recording.  

  In  my  opinion t his  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Intregrity  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Suicide  Black  Snake"  "Beast  As  Gods"  "All  Is  None"  and  "Lucifer  Before The  Day  Doth  Go".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Ape Machine/Mangled By The Machine/Ripple Music/2013 CD Review

  Ape  Machine  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  stoner  rock  with  some  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Mangled  By  The  Machine"  which  was  released  by  Ripple  Music.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or blast  beats  being  present  on this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  synths  when  they  are  utilized  they  bring  more  psychedelic  and  70's  rock  elements  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from s low  to  mid  paced  stoner  rock  riffs  that  also  combine  influences  from  metal,  blues,  and  psychedelic  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  70's  style  rock/metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  stoner  rock  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  pissed  off  and  protest  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Ape  Machine  are  a  very  great  sounding  stoner  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Every  Body  Bleeds"  "Mangled  By  The  Machine"  "Grind  Of  Defeat"  and  "Pay  Attention".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Magister Templi Interview

1.Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Check out the music… We are in no way the most interesting thing about us. we’re a strange combination hairy, stinking Metal Heads, like any other hairy, stinking Metal Heads. Our rehearsal space looks like shit and smells even worse. I guess the song Denim and Leather by Saxon covers it, along with a bunch of dusty books on classic occultism.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Baphomet: Our sound is kind of a mix of classic Heavy Metal fused with proto doom, with a lot of dramatic, quasi-progressive elements added.

3. The lyrics cover a lot of occult topics, how would you describe your views on Occultism?

Abraxas: Rather than seeing occultism as a set of beliefs or as mere Satanism our take on occultism is that it is an ultimate spiritual rebellion against all such set doctrines. The student of the occult is ever searching to challenge his or her view of the world while the Christian/Satanist/Atheist is always looking to confirm it.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Abraxas: Magister Templi is the name of one of the highest grades of the 18^th century German alchemical order “Gold und Rosenkreuzer“. The title was also used by the British magical order “the Golden Dawn” as the first grade of their third order, or the order of the secret chiefs of the tradition. Not known to anyone except a select few of the greatest adepts.

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

Baphomet: It's difficult to say which show was the best. We had a blast when we played with Pagan Altar. Those guys has been a huge inspiration for Magister.

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

Abraxsas: Not yet. We have some shows planned in Norway, but nothing more so far. Hopefully people will like our record and book us.

7. The band is from Norway a country known for black metal how would you describe the scene for doom and traditional metal?

Baphomet: The black metal tradition in Norway is really strong and the Norwegian metal scene has in many ways been centered around the black metal culture. Even though Magister Templi is not a black metal band, we all listen to black metal and 3/5 of the members play in Svarttjern.

The doom and traditional metal scene does not have a strong identity like the black metal metal subculture, so it's scattered all over the place. The bands are very different. But I guess the whole metal scene in Norway is more aware of the old gods, bands like Pentagram, Angel Witch, Witchfinder General and Pagan Altar. There is a lot more traditional metal and doom metal records around, but especially when it comes to traditional heavy metal, there are very few Norwegian bands.    

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

Abraxas: So far, so good. We’ve had nice people from all corners of the world saying great things about us.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

You never know. We started this band with no preconceptions of what kind of music we wanted to play. The whole idea with this band was to write riffs and lyrics with a free mind, without thinking genres. So the songs we have today are a genuine expression of this process, and if we were to change this, we would lose the creative force in the band. 

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Abraxas: The common ground of the band is that we are all suckers for 70’s hard rock and 80’s Heavy Metal. Lately Slough Feg has been a lot on our minds and in our stereos, apart from that it’s business as usual; Manilla Road, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull and Uriah Heep.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Baphomet: Movies, especially the films of Herzog, Jarmusch, Argento, Carpenter and Jean Rollin, and everything weird, like obscure biker movies from the sixties and stuff like that. I also have a degree in sociology, which is a "once in, never out" type of fascination.

Abraxas: Occultism, literature and Home Brewing.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview? 

Get a bottle of Gammel Opland Aquavit, sit back in you iron maiden and check out our album.

Cheers!