Obelyskkh/Hymn To Pan/Exile On Mainstream/2013 CD Review

  Obelyskkh,  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  an  occult  and  psychedelic  form  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Hymn  To  Pan"  which  was  released  by  Exile  On  Mainstream.

  "Hymn  To  Pan"  begins  with  nature  sounds  nad  after  awhile  war  sounding  horns  start  kicking  in  which  leads  to  some  psychedelic  style  clean  guitar  playing  and  drums  which  leads  to  the  guitars  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  bringing  in  some  melodic  vocals,  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  adding  in  melodic  leads  in  certain  parts,  around  the  4  minute  mark  the  music  goes  into  a  more  psychedelic  direction  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  before  returning  to  a  heavier  doom  metal  sound  and  mixing  the  psych  parts  with  the  heavy  elements  along  with  some  background  chants  and  the  song  closes  with  leads  getting  mixed  with  the  rhythms.

  "The  Ravens"  begins  with  some  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  powerful  background  bass  guitars  before  heading  into  a  cleaner  direction  before  getting  heavy  again  and  adding  in  some  stoner  rock  vocals  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  being  utilized  at  times  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  psychedelic  guitar  leads  as  well  as  some  synths  in  the  cleaner  parts.

  "The  Man  Within"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  spoken  word  parts  along  with  some  powerful  drums  before  heading  into  a  cleaner  direction  for  a  few  seconds  before  returning  to  is  heavier  roots  and  adding  in  some  melodies  and  vocals  which  utilize  more  aggressive  elements  this  time  around  and  after  a  few  minutes  psychedelic  sounding  guitar  leads  start  kicking  in  briefly,  and  towards  the  end  the  music  goes  into  a  more  psych  and  drone  sound  with  the  sound  effects  and  guitars.

  "Heavens  Architrave"  begins  with  some  drone/ambient  sound  effects  which  leads  to  some  soft  acoustic  guitars  that  utilize  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  melodic  doom  metal  vocals,  and  you  can  hear  some  powerful  bass  playing  in  the  background,  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  adding  in  more  diverse  elements  while  remaining  heavy  all  at  the  same  time.

 "Horse"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  which  leads  to   some  spoken  word  samples  before  kicking  in  heavy  guitar  riffs,  bass  and  drums,  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  aggressive  vocals  which  also  utilize  some  melodic  elements  as  well  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  bass  guitars  get  more  powerful  for  a  few  seconds  before  reverting  back  to  the  heavier  guitar  rhythms  as  well  as  mixing  in  more  movie  samples,  a few  minutes  later  in  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  classic  rock  guitar  solos  getting  mixed  in  with  the  riffs  and  vocals.

  "Revelation:  The  Will  To  Nothingness"  begins  with  some  spoken  word  parts  which  leads  to  some  melodic  guitar  riffs,  bass  and  drums  which  lead  to  the  song  going  into  a  faster  direction  and  adding  in  aggressive  vocals  before  heading  into  a  slow  doom  metal  direction,  a  few  minutes  into  the  song  you  can  hear  some  slide  guitar  playing  kicking  in  for  a  few  minutes  before  going  back  to  its  heavier  roots  along  with some  more  spoken  words  getting  mixed  in,  along  with  some  psychedelic  guitar  leads,  and  around  the  17  minute  mark  the  song  goes  more  into  sound  effects  and  talking  before  heading  into  silent  mode  for  a  couple  of  minutes  before  closing  the  song  and  album  with  some  soft  piano  playing.  

  Song  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Paganism  and  Esoteric  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Obelyskkh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  psychedelic,  sludge/doom  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hymn  To  Pan"  and  "Horse".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.          

     

Argus Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Jason: We spent our Spring and the first half of Summer recording the new album, Beyond The Martyrs; while that was all going on we tried to keep our schedule free to focus on that.  We did some traveling around along the East coast in July and now we’re basically trying to coordinate as much time as we can together as a band to practice up for our stint in Europe this October.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

Jason: This album definitely has more elements from the traditional heavy metal side of our sound.  We’ve always been a bit of a dichotomy in that we carry this Doom tag around; and while we like to add a bit of that epic doom feel into some of our songs, none of us really feel rooted in the genre at all.  So, this album brings out a more aggressive tone overall, the guitars are more out front and the writing ended up with a slightly more consistent medium tempo.

Kevin: This album still sounds like Argus. The biggest differences I think are there are less doomy passages and the songs are shorter in general.

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

Butch: The lyrics are mostly from personal experience. It’s been an interesting couple of years for me. “By Endurance We Conquer” and “Trinity” are based on historical events being the Shackleton attempt to cross Antarctica in 1914 that ended with his ship, The Endurance, being crushed by ice floes and he and his team stranded until August 1916 and the atomic bomb creation is the subject of “Trinity”. I had meant to explore a few weird fiction kind of things but nothing worked out this time. Overall the tone of this album’s lyrics is melancholy. I like to leave it up to the listeners to interpret what I’m talking about.

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

Kevin: Gin, Ween, and D&D

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

Erik:  Dublin Doom Days in 2012 and Hammer of Doom in 2011 were my personal highlights.  We’ve played quite a few Doom festivals in the U.S. that have been a great time as well.  On stage there’s no real theatrics or frills to our live show.  We just jam and have fun – hoping that same vibe transfers to the audience.

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

Jason: We just revealed the dates for our European tour, it’s not a large one but we’ll be doing 8 or 9 gigs over there starting in Ireland and ending at Dutch Doom Days in The Netherlands.  A full list of everything we have booked currently is available on our website,argusmetal.com.

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

Erik:  Regarding the new album, we’ve had quite a bit of positive feedback in general from most people we’ve talked to about it.  The reviews are starting to roll through; and, we’ve seen a couple of them with the indifferent tone and middle-ground scoring – but, those are mainly from blog sites I’ve never really heard of that seem to cover a gamut of bands and sub-genres. We shall see - only time can tell for the new album and what the fates have in store.

Butch: It's still early. The album isn't out yet. I expect that most fans who hear what we've done are going to love it. There will always be some who like the older stuff better and some who don't get it. Most folks who hear us i think come away feeling positive about us. Looking forward to the reaction from folks.

8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

Erik:  Jay and I have nothing else going on with any other projects at the moment.  Butch has a couple other bands he plays with.  Andy still does some shows with Oh Shit.. here and there.   Kevin sits in on drums for a cover band once in a while.

Butch: I have an album on the way with a band called Molasses Barge. Need to go record my vocals for that. Also working on an EP for a project called Hexenhammer. This is with Tim from Seamount, Wilbur from Count Raven and Kenta from Goatess.

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

Jason: We don’t try to think too much about the direction of things right away when we’re finished with an album but rather really get into the material we just recorded and start performing it.  New songs typically get finished in such a pieced out way that we’ve often not really heard what a song sounds and feels like until the mix sessions.  I’ve written a little bit here and there though, and in my head I feel like I want to put more depth in the next record, focusing on smaller nuances in the songs that add to the overall.  I think we’ve made clear what Argus generally sounds like and we’ll not veer too far from that because that’s just who we are but doing some new, interesting things with the guitar and my solos is always on my mind with each new release.

Kevin: Only time will tell, but I'm always excited to see where we're heading. Like Jay said, we don't really think too much about a direction. Generally we see where the riffs take us. "Beyond the Martyrs" is missing a longer song, so maybe we will have to work on one for the next record.

Butch: I like that we do things in a way that we don't repeat ourselves yet we stay true to what we do. No wild jumps that make our fans scratch their heads in bewilderment. I'd like to see us attempt a longer format song on the next one.... Maybe not an entire concept album but an album side.... We won't force it though because when you force art it falls short and reeks of being pretentious.

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

Jason: I didn’t really listen to a whole lot of new music during the writing of Beyond The Martyrs, if I had to name a couple bands who were an inspiration several times to pick up the guitar and write a song, Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden come to mind.  They’re both such great bands with so much inspiring material that never gets old.  Lately I’ve discovered The Winery Dogs though, I’m really digging their debut album.

Erik:  I haven’t been listening to much newer music at all lately.  Rather, I’ve been getting away from the doomier stuff and revisiting nostalgic/upbeat metal from my youth.   Also, I’ve been listening to a lot of classic, guitar-driven hard rock from the 70s/80s:  Riot, UFO, Scorpions, etc.

Kevin: I've had my Sirius radio locked on the 50s and 60s channels lately.

Butch: I'm all over the map from metal to R&B to southern rock.... Just depends on my mind. I find having a wide taste in music opens me up to more ideas or avenues when we write. As for newer bands Age of Taurus and The Monolith Cult are really deadly bands. Tremendous.

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

Erik:  I just became a father – so my family is a big part of my day-to-day routine.  Other than that, mainly just stupid little hobbies and work keep me busy.

Jason: I have a little guy in Kindergarten and work full-time as an IT Manager and Web Programmer, so I have plenty to keep me busy.  I typically try to spend most of my free time that I’m not with my family or at work just jamming or reading.

Kevin: I started brewing beer again, so that has consumed a lot of my non-music time. I also like to help with animal rescue and cancer fundraisers. Most of my time is spent with my wife and dog.

Butch: Other than family I try to watch films, read. Music is my biggest hobby though.

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

Erik:  Thanks for the opportunity to talk!   Cheers!

Jason: The interest in the band is much appreciated and we can’t wait for the album to be out and in people’s stereos.

Kevin: Thanks for your interest in Argus!

Butch: Thanks for the interview and to anyone reading it !  Hope to meet you all someday.

Arabrot Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Just released a new self-titled record produced by Emil Nikolaisen of Serena Maneesh (4AD) to great reviews (NME 8/10, Metal Hammer UK 8/10, Ox 8/10 etc). A new European tour is coming up in October. We're doing film music to Die Nibelungen by Fritz Lang in Tromsø in September. Also new EP to be released this fall. Lots of stuff coming up!

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

Sound wise it's maybe closer to The Brother Seed or even Mæsscr than Solar Anus. Due to the nature of the songs we decided to change back to a more conventional set-up compared to the heavy synth-drones of Solar Anus. Though, we did arrange the songs using unusual instrumentation - harmoniums, trumpets, piano, pump organs. Also, we invited quite a few guests - Lasse Marhaug, Erland Dahlen, Laura Pleasants. Fantastic musicians who contributed so much to the overall sound.

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

The dark and dirty side of surrealism. Bible and porn. Also taking a lot of inspiration from filmmakers such as Arrabal, Cocteau, Tarkovsky and Fassbinder.

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

Årabrot is a place outside native town Haugesund on the southern west coast of Norway. By chance also the town's local garbage dump.

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

Oooh, too many to name here. The one that didn't happen that comes to mind was when David Yow asked us to warm up for Jesus Lizard but fucking local booking agent overruled the proposal. An Arabrot stage performance is loud and sweaty.

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

Release tour in September in Scandinavia with Americans Jucifer, then Europe in October with Kvelertak.

7.A few months back you put out a split with Rabbits, what are your thoughts on the other band that participated?

Rabbits is one of the greatest noise rock acts on the planet!

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

You might refer to the Mæsscr EP? Usually noise rock fans are open to a wide and eclectic range of music so feedback is generally very good.

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

It's as always a continuous sonic exploration, currently using the Mæsscr and self-titled album as a platform or catalyst.

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

To put it this way - When me and Kristian Kallevik started the band back in 2001 we where about the only ones our age in Haugesund listening to Captain Beefheart. And a brief look to the record player here I see my girlfriend just put on Lick My Decals Off, Baby. When in Stockholm a couple of weeks ago I found a great vinyl basement store and invested in Butthole Surfers, Der Blutharsch and Residents' Elvis record. A decent overview on my musical palette I guess.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Food and wine. Eating, drinking and cooking with my girlfriend. I am also devoted fan of Liverpool FC and Vard Haugesund.

12.Any final word sor thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

For all Arabrot news and updates please visit facebook.com/arabrotofficial. And don't forget to like!

 

Throat/Manhole/At War With False Noise/Kaos Kontrol/Made In Kansas/Rejuvenation Records/2013 LP Review

  Throat  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays a  mixture  of  sludge and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Manhole"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  At  War  With  False  Noise,  Kaos  Kontrol.  Made  In  Kansas  and  Rejevenation  Records.

  "Gift  Gas"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  after  a  minute  singing  makes  its  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  aggressive  shouts  and  a  minute  later  a  distorted  guitar  solos  makes  its  presence  known  for  a  few  seconds  before  the  song  end.

  "Asbestos"  starts off  with  some  powerful  bass  playing  and  drums  which  leads  to  some noise  rock  style  guitar  riffs  setting  up  the  mood   for  some  vocals  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  some  amplifier  distortion  in  the  background  which  leads  to  some  melodic  sounding  guitar  leads  that  make  their  way  in  on  at  least  2  different  times  before  returning  to  the  rhythms.

  "Katoye"  begins  with  some  distorted  guitar  riffs  which  leads  to some  drums  and  some  fast  playing  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  some  vocals  and  growls  before  reverting  back  to  the  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  you  can  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  make  their  presence  known  as  well  as adding  in  some  powerful  bass  playing  and  switching  back  and  forth  between  fast  and  slow  parts.

  "Holey"  starts  off with  some  doom  metal  style  guitar  riffing  before  the  drums  kick  in  and  the  music  starts  mixing  in  more  noise  rock  elements  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  distorted  melodies,  vocals  and  bass  guitars  make  their  presence  known  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  brief  guitar  leads  and  aggressive  shouts.

  "Soft  White  Walls"  starts  off  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  strong  bass  guitars  shortly  after  that  setting  up  the  mood  for  the  vocals  which  also  utilize  some  screams  and  shouts,  as  the  song moves  on  guitar  solos  start  kicking  in  before  going  back  to  rhythms.

  "New  Pest" begins  with  some  drums  which  leads  to  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  setting  the  mood  for  some vocals  and  as  time moves by  the  music  starts  getting  alot  more  daker  and  aggressive  sounding  along  with  some  laughs.

  "Perfect  Teeth"  begins  with  some guitar riffs  and  drums  which  lead  to  some  aggressive  sounding  vocals  kicking  in  along  with  some  80's  style  noise  rock  guitar  riffing  which  also  mix  in  some  melodic  parts  while  remaining  heavy  at  the  same  time  and as the  song  moves  on  the  music  gets  alot  more  diverse  with some  distorted  parts  and  bass.

  "Euthanasia  Coaster"  begins  with  some  old  music  samples  before  getting  heavier  with  some guitars  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  vocals  to  kick  in  along  with  some  powerful  bass  and  distorted  riffing  and  the  song  closes  with  some  reverb  noise.

  "Bad  Heat"  starts  off  with  some  guitar  riffs  along  with  an  atmospheric  background as  well  as  some  drums  and  after  awhile  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  utilizing  some  melodic  and  aggressive  elements  and    after  awhile  the  guitars  start  bringing  some  noise  rock  style  melodies  and  leads  before  going  into  somewhat  of  a  silent  direction  and  staying t here for  15  minutes before  closing   the  album  with  heavy  noise  distortion.

  Song  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong, powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album.

  In  my  opinion  Throat  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  noise  rock  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band,  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gift  Gas"  "Holey"  "Perfect  Teeth"  and  "Euthanasia  Coaster".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Diesto Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Tour to live, live to tour...wait that's another band...Well we just finished building out and sound proofing the crap out of my basement for the official Diesto headquarters which is awesome. We are hitting the road in support of For Water or Blood in September. I think its safe to say we all want to keep playing and stay busy and maybe take the band a little bit out of our comfort zone. This tour is only two weeks but we might want to go out again if the opportunity presents itself.

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

Its more to the point then High as the Sun. Its punchier, more melodic, while still staying heavy, a bit more clever, and also naturally psychedelic, with shorter songs...We were really stoked on how High as the Sun came out, but on For Water or Blood we set out to capture and consolidate all of the riffs of the songs into more concise jams, less expansion. I think we succeeded in doing so.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the song lyrics on the newer release?

There's lyrics on For Water or Blood that are very close to my heart. One of which is about a close friend of mine that passed away and the other is about one day being a functional part of society and the next being homeless and kind of giving up and making huge mistakes...and the rest of 'em are good ole stories with some real life shit thrown in. I like to paint a visual picture with the lyrics that tie in with the overall sound of the song. Some of the stuff that comes out can be pretty heavy. It all ties in to the over all theme of the record. Which is trying to survive under extremely difficult circumstances.

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

The name Diesto is derived from the book " The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Book two; the Restaurant at the End of the Universe I believe. The concept came from the loudest band in the universe which was fronted by Hot Black Desiato...we took the Desiato and made it Diesto. They had speakers on planets ya know? The loudest band in the universe!

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

Some memorable ones for me were in the earlier days, when we were a three piece and more of a Noise Rock band would be opening for Today is the Day, and Unsane. I'm a huge fan of both those bands and to get to play with them in their peak was rad. Playing with our friends Gay Witch Abortion in Minneapolis on tour was special for me because that's where I grew up and have been buds with Shawn Walker way before either of us started our bands. Locally opening for Red Fang at Dante's stands out because I remember having a great crushing performance personally, then later found out that Mark and Captain (bass on High as the Sun) were having a volume war on stage and twisting each other's knobs on their amps and totally going at it. It took a few beers to settle them down that night. It was also cool that John Sherman of Red Fang vouched for us with the promoter who didn't want us on the bill. He basically said if Diesto is not on the bill Red Fang isn't either...I thought that was pretty fuckin cool. Our record release show for High as the Sun with Rabbits, and Lord Dying was super sick too!

6. Do you have any touring or show plans?

Yes! you will be promoting our tour dates very soon!

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer recording by fans of doom metal and other forms of underground music?

Super sick! All of the pre-release reviews have been stellar thus far!

8.Are there any other musical projects going on these days?

Not for me. This is the only band I've ever really done. I'd like to entertain the idea of doing a two piece with a really crazy sick drummer for fun, but that is just fantasy at this point. I can't speak for the other dudes but I'm certain they have some stuff cooking. Our Bass player Rusty Powers has some cool stuff working. He is usually fronting bands and playing guitar...super talented dude.

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

I think natural progression and playing together has taken us to this point. I think that is very apparent on For Water or Blood. Its got a real organic sound and vibe because it is. I would like to explore a bit more of a spontaneous approach with the new stuff with more writing influence from Rusty for sure, and maybe explore some different tones, and maybe some effects...We only use straight tube amps with no effects thus far.

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

Well that's a long list my man. Of course there's all the stuff from the 80's and 90's that got me into playing music like; Early Soundgarden, Melvins, Sleep, Hammerhead, Unsane, Steel Pole Bathtub, Cows, Jesus Lizard, Shellac, Harvey Milk, Cherubs, Neurosis, Fudge Tunnel, Helmet, Today is the Day, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, etc...

There is a lot of good stuff going on currently; Shiiit...Graveyard, Whores, Mastodon, Baroness,Kylesa, YOB, Torche, to name a few...

Locally here in Portland and in the NW we have some sick fucking bands damn!; Rabbits, Lord Dying, Gaythiest, Honduran, Drunk Dad, Fist Fite, Prizehog, Sioux, Witch Mountain, Dog Shredder, Hungers, Caligula, Fellwoods, oh man there's way more too...

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

Mark and I play Hockey. We're usually on the same team too. Its a great time! Since I grew up in Minnesota and Mark is from Alaska, we've both been playing hockey since we were like 3!

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

That's a fairly broad question bro but I'd just like to say thanks for having us, and for all those younger readers out there, stick with what you love to do and keep on playing!

Mark Deutrom/Brief Sensuality And Western Violence/2013 CD Review

  Mark  Deutrom  is  a  solo  artist  from  Texas  that  plays  a  very  experimental  form  of  music  with  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2013  album  "Brief  Sensuality  And  Western  Violence".

  "Dick  Cheney"  starts  off  with  nature  sounds  and  after  a  minute  organs  make  their  way  into  the  song  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  some  distorted  guitar  drone  sounds  which  in  return  leads  to  some avant  garde  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  background  noises,  after  awhile you  can  hear  some  drum  beats  which  lead  to  the  song  going  into  a  noise  rock direction  and  introducing  melodic  singing,  as  the  song  moves  on  the  guitars  get  more  melodic  while  remaining  dark  and  heavy  at  the  same  time  and  as  times  goes  by  their  is  a  brief  use  of  psychedelic  effects  along  with  some  leads  that  never  venture  into  solos,  minutes  later  military  style  drums  find  their way  into  the  mix.

  "Winter  Haystacks  At  Twilight"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  utilize both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  which  leads  to  some  drums  and  melodic  guitar  leads,  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  song  closes  in  a  cleaner  direction.

  "Sky  Full  Of Witches"  starts  off  with  some  melodic  70's  style  doom  metal  riffing  which  leads  to some  drums,  power  chords  and  melodic  singing,  and after  a  few  minutes  guitar  solos  make  their presence  known  and  going  with  the  rhythm  parts  which  in  return  leads  to  some  drones  coming  out  of  the  amplifiers.

  "Temple  Smasher" starts off with  some  70s  style  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  after  a  few  minutes  it  heads  more  into  a  cleaner  direction.

  "Other  Gods"  starts  off  with  some  synth playing  which  leads  to some  melodic  vocals.

  "A  Shaky  Rabbit"  starts  off  with  some  soft  jazz  style  guitar  playing  along  with  some  percussion  work which  in  return  leads  to some  drum  programming,  psychedelic  sound  effects  and  singing,  after  a  few  minutes  open  note  bass  riffing  makes its  presence  known  along  with  flutes.

  "Venrerate  The  Relic"  begins  with  some  avant garde  guitar  riffing  and  percussion  and  after  a  couple  of minutes  a  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riff  makes  its  presence  known  along  with  some  powerful  drumming.

  "Turn  Toward  The Sun"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  utilizes  both finger  picking  and  full  chords setting  up the  mood  for  some  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile psychedelic  sounds  make  their  presence  known  and  close  the  album.

  Song  lyrics  cover  metaphysical  and  existentialism  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  dark  and  heavy  sound.

  In  my  opinion  Mark  Deutrom  is  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  music  act  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dick  Cheney"  "Sky  Full  Of  Witches"  and  "Turn  Toward  The Sun".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

Unshine/Dark Half/Massacre Records/2013 CD Review

  Unshine  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  gothic  form  of  metal  they  call  "Druid  Metal"  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Dark  Half"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  "Nadjas  Wailing  About  Coming  Of  Frost"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  folk  playing  which  utilizes  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  leads  to some  melodic  singing  as  well  as  some  whispers  making  their  way  in  a  minute  later  and  serving  as  an  into  for  the  album.

  "The  Oath  To  Wilderness  Of  Unredeemed  Nature" begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  keyboards  which  leads  to  some  melody  getting  mixed  in  and  after  awhile  powerful  bass  playing  and  singing  makes  its  presence  known  which  slowly  leads  to  some  melodic  guitar  leads  which  combine  with  the  other  instruments  as  well  as  taking  the  music  into  a  melodic  gothic  metal  direction  with  some  variety  among  the  rhythms  and  leads  as  well  as  whispered  vocals  being utilized  at  times.

  "Arduinna"  begins  with drums,  bass,  guitars  and  keyboards  which  leads  to  some  singing  and  melodic  riffing  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  gets  more  diverse  with  elements  of  metal,  goth,  and  symphonic,  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  heavy  and  soft  parts.

  "Spellbinder"  begins  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitars,  drums  and  keyboards  which  take the  song  into  a  symphonic  direction  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  gets  more  diverse  while  focusing  alot  on  the  chorus.

  "Defender  Of  The  Faith"  starts  off  with  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  leads  to  the  melodic  vocals and  keyboards  as  well  as  getting  a  little  bit  more  heavier  while  keeping  the  symphonic  and  gothic  elements  around  as  well  as  introducing  some  melodic  leads  and  powerful  bass  playing,  after  awhile  the  music  heads  more  into  a  softer  and  progressive  direction  while  also  mixing  in  the  heavier  elements  and  switching  back  and  forth  while  also  mixing  leads  with  rhythms.

  "Their  Horses  Never Touch  The  Ground"  starts  off  with  nature  sounds  which  leads  to  some  violins  and  singing  setting  up  the  mood  for  drums,  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  which  in  return  takes  the  music  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  keys  and  leads  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts,  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars make  their  presence known  with  finger  picking  as  well  as  some  powerful  bass  playing  making t heir  way  in  the  heavy  and  soft  elements.and  after  a  few  minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  whispers.

  "Idyl"  starts  off  with  heavy  guitar  riffing,  drums and  keyboards before  going  into  a  soft  and  atmospheric  direction  before  bringing  back  some  heavier  elements  and  introducing  the  singing  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  violins,  after  awhile t he  song  switches  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  bring  in  some  melodic  leads.

  "The  Blood  Of  Ardennes"  begins  with  symphonic  keyboards,  heavy guitar  riffs  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  clean singing  and  melodic  riffing  while  remaining  heavy  and  symphonic  at  the  same  time  and mixing  in  some  variety,  as  the  song  moves on  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  solos.

  "Ikuinen  Taistelu"  begins  with  nature  sounds  which  leads  to  some  acoustic  guitars  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  spoken  word  parts and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  heavy  guitars,  bass,  drums  and  violins  kick  in  along  with  some  violins  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  vocals  and  melodies  before  switching  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  and  after  a  few  minutes  there is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  solos  and  the  song  is very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  "Bone  Fires"  begins  with  some  nature  sounds  and  serves  as  an  intro for  the  next  song.

    "Atengenos  (At The  Death Of Winter)"  begins  with  heavy  melodic  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  violins  before  going  into  a  softer direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  bass  playing  which  in  return  takes  it  back  to  its  heavy  roots  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  heavy  and  soft parts  as well  as  mixing  in  some  keyboards  and  as  the  song  moves on  their  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  solos  which  mix  in  with  the  rhythms.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Mythology,  Folklore,  Nature And  History,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Unshine  are  a  very  great  sounding  gothic  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Oath  To  Wilderness  Of  Unredeemed  Nature"  "Spellbinder"  "The  Blood  Of  Ardennes"  and  "Atengenos  (At The  Death Of Winter)".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

    

Arven/Black Is The Colour/Massacre Records/2013 CD Review

  Arven  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  epic  form  of  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Black  Is  The  Colour"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  "Believe"  begins  with  power  metal  rhythm  guitar  riffs  and  trad  metal  guitar  solos  along  with  some  drums which  leads  to  the  melodic  clean  singing  as  well  as  some  symphonic  keyboards  in  the  background  and  after  awhile  the  song  speeds  up  a  bit  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  powerful  bass  playing  and  violins  before  going  back  to its  normal  pace  and  closing.

  "Dont  Look  Back" begins  with  keyboards  and  guitar  leads  which  leads  to  the  vocals,  bass  playing  and  guitar  rhythms  which  leads  to  the  chorus  as  well  as  keeping  the  leads  and  mixing  in  violins  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  song  goes  into  a  softer  direction  and  combines  it  with  the  heavier  part  and  adding  some  choirs  which  include  both  male  and  female  vocals.

  "Rainsong"  begins  with  some  soft  keyboards  which  leads  to  the  vocals  as  well  as  having  an  orchestra  in  the  background  and  adding  in  some  bass  guitars  before  heading  into  guitar  rhythms  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  violins  make  their  presence  known  along  with  the  music  getting  more  symphonic  while  also  maintaining  a  heavy sound  and  adding  in  some  guitar  solos.

  "The  One  For  Me"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  keyboards  which  leads  to  the  drums  and  the  song  going  into  a  more  progressive  direction  while  keeping  the  metal  elements  and  after  awhile  male  vocals  make  their  presence  known  as  well  as  the  female  singing  which  both  combine  which  return  leads  to  some  guitar  solos  and  bass  guitars,  after  awhile  guitar  solos  kick  in  while  keeping  the  vocals  and  rhythms  before  going  into  a  softer  direction  and  mixing  it  with  metal  elements  as  well  as  returning  with  leads  and  going  in  a  faster  direction.

  "All  I  Got"  begins  with  some  soft  keyboard  playing  which  leads  to  some  melodic  vocals  and  powerful  bass  and  after  awhile  drums  kick  in  and  after  a  few  minutes  guitar  riffs  make  their  presence  known  along  with  some  melodic  leads  before  returning  to  a  softer  direction  but  maintaining  some  rhythms  and  leads  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  heavy  and  soft.

  "My  Darkest  Dream"  begins  with  some  ambient  style  keyboards  which  lead  to  drum  beats  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  which  also  sets  the  pace  for  the  vocals  to  kick  in  and  after  a  couple  of  melodies  make  their  presence  known  for  a  few  seconds  and  after  that  melodic  guitar  leads  make  their  way  into  the  song  and  combine  with  the  other  instruments  and  vocals.

  "Cercle  D  EMeurade"  begins  with  folk  style  violins,  heavy  guitars  and  drums  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  kick  in  before  going  into  a  softer  direction  with  bass  and  keyboards  and  switches  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  and  there  are  no  vocals  present  with  the  song  being  all  instrumental.

  "In  Your  Dreams"   begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  utilizes  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  then  the  keyboards  start  combing  with  the  acoustics  setting  up  the  mood  for  the  vocals  which  leads  to  some  drums,  bass  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  it  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  heavy  and  soft  parts.

  "Fireside  Stories"  starts  off with  heavy  guitar  riffing,  bass,  drums  and  keyboards  which  lead  to  some  melodic solos  and  after  awhile  vocals  make  their  presence  known  among  the  rhythms  as  well  as  some  back  up  singing,  as  the  song  moves  on  guitar  leads  make  a  return  and  combine  with  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  other  instruments.

  "My  Fall"  begins  with  some  soft  keyboard  playing  and  after  awhile  it  starts  using  a  variety  of  different  keys  which  leads  to  some  bass  kicking  in  and  shortly  after  that  guitar  rhythms  and  leads  make  their  presence  known  along  with  an  orchestra,  as  the  song  moves  on  it  goes  into  a  softer  direction  and  introduces  some  vocals  and  switches  back  and  forth  between  heavy  and soft  parts.

  "Black  Is  The  Colour"  begins  with  some  soft  keyboard  playing  and  classical  guitars  setting  up  the  pace  for  some  vocals  and  there  are  no  heavy  parts  with  the  song  being  a  soft  ballad.

  "Ride  On"  begins  with  some  classical  guitars  and  violins  setting  up  the  pace  for  some  keyboards  and  singing  which  utilizes  both  male  and  female  vocals  and  there  are  no  heavy  parts  with  the  song  being  a  ballad.

  Song  lyrics  cover  fantasy,  nature  and  emotion,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Arven  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  epic  power  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dont  Look  Back"  "My  Darkest  Dream"  "Fireside  Stories"  and  "Ride  On".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

  

The Mezmerist/The Innocent, The Forsaken, and the Guilty/Shadow Kingdom Records/2013 Compilation Album Review

  The  Mezmerist  where  a  band  from  California  that  played  a  very  psychedelic  form  form  of  doom/heavy  metal  and  also  used  Bill  Ward  from  Black  Sabbath  as  a  session  member  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2013  compilation  album  "The  Innocent,  The  Forsaken,  And  The  Guilty"  which  was  released  by  Shadow  Kingdom  Records  and  contains  their  1983  and  85  ep's.

  "The  Forsaken"  starts  off  with  avant  garde  sound  effects  which  lead  to  some  demonic  spoken  word  ritualistic  parts  as  well  as  some  synths  and  the  song  serves  as  an  intro  for  the  ep.

  "Dead  Ones  Cry  No  More"  starts  off  with  heavy  guitar  rhythms  and  leads,  along  with  occult  vocals  and  drums  which  also  leads  to  solos  and  powerful  bass  playing  as  well  as  introducing  the  clean  singing  and  after t he  while  the  song  starts  mixing  in  psychedelic  elements  with  classic  metal  sounds  as  well  as  a  variety  of  many  different  styles  of  metal  riffing  and  leads.

  "Arabian  Nights"  starts  off  with  hard  rock/metal  style  riffing  before  introducing  the  drums,  vocals,  lead  guitars  and  bass  before  going  into  the  chorus  and  mixing  in  psych  elements  as  well  as  going  into  a  more  progressive  direction  at  times  and  the  song  switches  back and  forth  between  leads  and  rhythms  while  also  keeping  the  vocals  all  at  the  same  time.

   "Victim  Of  Environmental  Change"  starts  off  with  early  speed  metal  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  vocals  before  slowing  down  and  mixing  in  doom  metal  and  psychedelic  elements  as w ell  as  mixing  in  guitar  leads  and  powerful  bass  playing  and  the  song  switches  back  and  forth  between  rhythms  and  leads  while  also  mixing  in  a  good  amount  of  variety.

  "Kingdom  Of  The  Dead"  starts  off  with  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  powerful  bass  playing  which  leads  to  the  drums  and  guitar  solos  kicking  in  as  well  as  keeping  a  rhythm  and  introducing  the  singing  which  leads  to  the  music  switching  from  slow  and  mid  paced  while  also  introducing  some  melodies  and  taking  the  song  into  a  doom  metal direction  while  also  bringing  back  in  the  guitar  solos.

  "No  Family,  No  Friends"  starts  off  with  heavy  guitar  riffs,  powerful  bass  and  drums  before  going  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  while  also  keeping  in  the  slower  doom  sections  and  switching  back  and  forth  and  introducing  some  melody  and  singing  which  lead  to  some  brief  guitar  leads.

  "The  Jam  Song"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  bass  playing  and  drums  with  the  rhythm  guitars  kicking  in  after  awhile  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  guitar  solos  make  their  presence  known  and  there  are  no  vocals  present  on  this  song  with t he  music  being  all  instrumental.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Fantasy,  Darkness  and  Everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  era  it  was  recorded  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album.

  In  my  opinion  The  Mezmerist  where  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic,  heavy/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  Ones  Cry  No  More"  "Arabian  Nights"  and  "Kingdom  Of  The  Dead".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Argus/Beyond The Martyrs/Cruz Del Sur Music/2013 CD Review

  Argus  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  traditional  and  doom  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Beyond  The  Martyrs"  which  was  released  by  Cruz  Del  Sur  Music.

  "By  Endurance  We  Conquer"  starts  off  with  some  melodic  sounding  heavy  metal  guitar  solos  and  a  minute  later  rhythm  guitars,  bass  and  drums  start  kicking  in  and  take  the  song  into  a  heavier  direction  while  keeping  the  leads which  sets  up  the  mood  for  the  clean  singing  vocals  which  leads  to  the  song  becoming  very  old  school  and  epic.

  "No  Peace  Beyond  the  Line"  starts  off  with  a  melodic  guitar  riff  power  the  drums  and  power  chords  start  kicking  in  which  in  turn  take  the  music  in  a  mid  paced  direction  as  well  as  introducing  the  vocals  while  also  retaining  the  melody  and  after  awhile  a  guitar  solos  makes  its  way  into t he  song  on  combines  with  the  rhythms.

  "The  Hands  Of  Time  are  Bleeding"  starts  off  with  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  going  into  a  heavy  doom  metal  direction  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  the  vocals  to  kick  in  and  as  the  song  moves  on  guitar  solos  make  their  way  into  the  song  and  combine  with  the  rhythm  parts  and  vocals.

  "Trinity"  starts  off  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  which  leads  to  the  drums  kicking  in  and  as  the  music  gets  heavier  the  vocals  make  their  presence  known  and  as  the  song  moves  on  melodic  guitar  solos  and  lead  come into  the  song  while  also  maintaining  the  rhythm  parts  and  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  heavier  direction  with  the  song  going  into  doom  metal  and  adding  in  spoken  word  samples.

  "Four  Candles  Burning"  starts  off  with  classic  melodic  guitar  leads  and  drums  before  the  heavy  rhythm  guitars  and  vocals  kick  in    and  the  leads  combine  with  the  rhythms  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  rhythm  guitars  get  alot  heavier  and  the  song  gets  more  old  school  with  melodic  guitar  solos  while  the  focus  is  more  on  the  riffs  and  vocals.

  "The  Cowards  Path"  starts  off  with  drums  and  melodic  doom  metal  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  drums  and  power  chords  kicks  in t he  song  gets  darker  and  heavier  before  going  into  soft  clean  guitar  playing  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  the  vocals  which  leads  to  the  return  of  the  heaviness  and  goes  back  and  forth  between  the  soft  and  heavy  parts  along  with  the  bass  playing  sounding  stronger  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  song  goes into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  along  with  a  powerful  guitar  solo  making  its  presence  known  a  minute  later.

  "Cast  Out  All  Raging  Spirits'  starts  off  with  an  old  school  power  metal  riff  before  the  drums  kick  in  as  well  as  going  into  a  classic  direction  direction  with  old  school  guitar  solos  being  utilized  which  in   return  leads  to  the  music  getting  heavier  and  the  vocals  kicking  in  while  also  retaining  the  melody  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  bass  playing  gets  stronger  along  with  the  solos  making  their  return  before  reverting  back  to the  heavy  parts  and  vocals.

  "Beyond  The  Martyrs"  starts  off  with  a  heavy  doom  metal  riff  before  the  drums  and  melody  kicks  in  while  also  remaining  dark  and  heavy  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  old  school  heavy  metal  guitar  leads  make  their  presence  known  will  also  keeping  the  rhythm  elements  and  towards  the  end  the  music  gets  softer  with  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  there  are  no  vocals  on  this  song  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental.