Madness Of The Night/Asgarda/Massacre Records 2013 CD Review

  Madness  Of  The  Night  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  gothic  rock  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Asagarda"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  "Oppression(Remix)"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  melodic  guitar  leads  and  drum  programming  and  a  few  seconds  later  synths  kick  in  along  with  some  melodic  female  vocals  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  male  vocals.

  "The  State  of Madness"  begins  with  gothic  rock  style  riffs  that utilize  a  good  amount  of  melody  along  with  programmed  drum  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  before  the  vocals  kick  in  along  with  some  guitar  leads.

  "Theater  Of  Life"  opens  up  with  drum  beats  along  with  some  bass  and  melodic  guitar  leads  which  leads  to  vocals  kicking  in  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  sections  in  the  song  for  a  few  seconds  before  it  returns  to  its  normal  pace.

  "We  Are  Goth  Rockers  And  We  Don't  Care"  kicks  in  with  heavy  gothic  rock/metal  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  programmed  drum  beats  and  synths  which  also  leads  to  melodic  vocals  kicking  in  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background.

  "She  is  the  Demon"  starts  up  with  dark  ambient  sounding  synths  and  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  a  small  amount  of  guitar  and  bass  riffs  find  their  way  into  the  song  and  there  is  no  use  of  heavy guitar  parts  in  the  song.

  "Terrorroom"  comes  in  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  synths  and  drum  beats  which  also  leads  to  some  clean  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  while  also  keeping  around  the  heavier  parts  and  towards  the  end  the  bass  guitars  start  getting  more  powerful.

  "Voices  Of  The  People"  hits  it  off  with  synths  and  vocals  before  adding  in  programmed  drums  beats  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  leads  and  the  song  sticks  to  an  old  school  gothic  rock  formula  while  also  having  a  small  amount  of  metal  influence.

  "Java  Zigenare"  is  introduced  with  80's  style  songs  and  programmed  drum  beats  as  well  as  some  clean  guitars  which  also  leads  up  to  melodic  vocals  before  getting  a  little  bit  more  heavier  while  also  being  melodic  at  the  same  time  as  well  as  switching  between  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  sue  of  guitar  leads  as  well  as  the  vocals  getting  more  aggressive.

  "Stand  Up"  makes  its  way  in  with  operatic  style  vocals  along  with  some  synths  before  adding  in  programmed  beats  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  the  song  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  over  7  minutes.

  "Jephania"  finds  its  way  in  with  some  dark  organic  sounding  synths  and  a  minute  later  programmed  drum  beats  and  melodic  guitar  leads  make  their  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  melodic  male  vocals  shortly  after  that  as  well  as  female  vocals.

  "We  Are  Goth  Rockers  And  We  Don't  Care(Remix)  which  is  also  the  last song  on  this  album  is  a  remix  version  of  the  song  with  the  same  name  that  was  on  the  album  early  on.

  Lyrics  cover  darkness  and  tolerance  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  this  recording.  

  In  my  opinion  Madness  Of  the  Night  are  a  very  great  sounding  gothic  rock  band  with  elements  of  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  State  of Madness"  "We  Are  Goth  Rockers  And  We  Don't  Care"  "She  is  the  Demon"  and  "Java  Zigenare".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Crystal Ball/Dawnbreaker/Massacre Records/2013 CD Review

  Crystal  Ball  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Dawnbreaker"  which  was  released  by Massacre  Records.

  "Zarathrusta"  which  is  also  the  intro  for  the  album  opens  up  with    dark  sounding  synths  and  a  melodic  guitar  lead  and  the  song  is  a  metal  remake  of  the  2001  theme  song.

  "Break  of  Dawn":  which  is  also  the  first  official  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  classic  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  hard  rock/metal  vocals  make  their  way  into  the  song  as  well  as  guitar  leads  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  some  bass  guitars.

  "Anyone  Can  Be  A  Hero"  begins  with  some  heavy  metal/hard  rock  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  guitar  leads  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song  which  also  leads  to  the  vocals  kicking  in  and  there  is  also  some  clean  parts  getting  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  parts.

  "The  Brothers  Where  Wright"  opens  up  with  clean  guitar  playing  and  melodic  vocals  and  then  going  into  a  heavier  direction  a  few  seconds  alter  along  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  as  well  as  some  drums  and  you  can  also  hear  synths  in  the  background  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  guitar  leads  start  coming  into  the  song.

  "Eternal  Flame"  starts  up  with  soft  classical  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  vocals  are  added  in  which  also  leads  up  to  drum  beats  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  ballad  formula  with  no  heavy  guitars  present.

  "Skin  To  Skin"  kicks  in  with  melodic  guitar  leads  along  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  vocals  make  their  way  into  the  song  and  as  the  song  moves  on  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Wall  Fall  Dawn"  comes in  with  bass  guitars  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  also  lead  to  some  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  in.

   "Back  For  Truth"  is  introduced  with  some  sound  effects  before  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  kick  in  as  well  as  some  synths  in  the  background  which  also  leads  to  bass  guitars  and  vocals  and  then  the  guitar  riffing  starts  getting  more  melodic  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  guitar  solos  make  their  presence  known.

  "Power  Pack"  makes  its  way  in  with  some  clean  blues  guitar  and  vocals  before  adding  in  drums  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  song.
 
  "Stranded"  hits  it  off  with  a  melodic  guitar  lead  and  synths  in  the  background  as  well  as  some  classical  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  which  also  leads  to  drum  beats  coming  in  as  well  as  some  bass  guitars  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  heavier,  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  leads  make  their  presence  known  and  the  song  closes  with  classical  guitars.

  "Sun  Came  Out"  finds  its  way  in  with  atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  come  in  along  with  some  drums  and  vocals  as  well  as  some  clean  sections  getting  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  parts  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  sue  off  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  "Touch  The  Sky"  has  its  start  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  drums  and  background  synths  before  adding  in  clean  sections,  bass  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  while  also  being  heavy  at  the  same  time.  

  "Bond  Of  Love"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  vocals  and  clean  parts  come  in  as  well  as  the  solos  coming  in  and  out  and  you  can  also  hear  synths  in  the  background.

  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  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Crystal  Ball  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  power  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Break  of  Dawn"  "The  Brothers  Where  Wright"  "Power  Pack"  and  "Touch  the  Sky".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

   

Nigromante Interview

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

I am A.M. guitar and singer in Nigromante is an old-school Dark Heavy Metal band trying to get back the true Heavy Metal spirit, not just trying to copy a specific band, we are into getting our own sound from our influences that include bands from the 70s, NWOBHM, US Metal, early Thrash and Black Metal.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is present on the album?

Guitar riffs are the key, all the songs come from guitar riffs, that’s what Heavy Metal is about since Black Sabbath invented it. We are playing a Raw and Dark Heavy Metal with aggresive vocals, the production gets and old-schoool vibe that will make any metalhead enjoy the album.

3.The lyrics cover Satanism and Occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

We are interested in the figure of Satan or other Gods and Black Magic as the only possible way for a world that can’t find solutions through their old and decadent Gods.

4.The band has been around for 10 years but are now finally getting ready to release the first full length album, what was the cause of the delays?

The band started as a five piece band in 2003 singing in Spanish and now we are a three piece band singing in English which can tell you how many line-up changes we have gone through, I am the only member that remains from those days. We were active until 2007, and then I was alone in the band and needed some time to restart.

It wasn’t until 2009 that I decided to get J.S. on the drums and start to prepare for recording a full-length album. When we started to choose the songs, change lyrics to English and writing some new ones the main goal was getting our personal style and that’s not something you get in two days… we are not another band trying to copy “Iron Maiden” or any other “NWOBHM band” or “Black Sabbath”… like most are doing today.

Now we feel that the band can start working non-stop to take our message as far as we can to bring back the Heavy Metal Age!

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Nigromante?

Nigromante is the Spanish word for Necromancer, Nigromante will summon all metalheads to raise against an unjust system and lead us to the Metal Age. The name in English has been used before by Extreme Metal bands so we preferred to keep the Spanish word.

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

In 10 years we have been playing a lot in Spain but in the last year I would remark the Black Magic Night III festival supporting Pagan Altar, there was some real magic there… Our stage performance is a power trio approach, we play as wild as we can everynight.

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

We are booking dates in Spain and trying to make a European tour together with another band. Anyone interested in booking the band can feel free to contact us.

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

The album isn’t still out, but after uploading three songs we are getting great feedback from everywhere, specially loving the vocals. We are also getting a lot of  feedback from people in Spain about the new songs in English, our old demos were in Spanish and they are loving the change!

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

I am singer and guitar player here, but also play bass guitar in another Heavy Metal act called Steel Horse, and we are recording the third album right now. I’ve been also recording and producing bands like Omission, Wild and Beast in the last months.

The drummer is bass player in a thrash metal band called Rancor and the live bass player is the Steel Horse guitar player… it’s funny, everyone playing different instruments than on their other bands ahahah

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

We have 5 songs written for the next album and they are following the same path of this album, 100% heavy riffin’, straight forward Dark Heavy Metal.

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

Our influences come from early NWOBHM like Angel Witch, Diamond Head, US Metal in the vein of Cirith Ungol, Manilla Road, Omen, early thrash from bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, early Black/Extreme Metal bands like Venom, Celtic Frost and the 70s first Heavy Metal bands, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy…

Today, I have next to my stereo albums of Hell, Speedtrap, Slough Feg, Striker, Iron Curtain and Doomsword.

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

Beer? Ahahah. I’m recording engineer and music teacher so most of the time is going on music, after that I would say that riding bycicle, literature and cinema cover the rest of the time.

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

Thanks for your interest and hails to all the readers of Underground Musick Zine. Keep Metal Alive!!!

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Wild Dawn Interview

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

We went on the road with great bands such as Electric Mary, Girlschool.. We played at the Hellfest. It was pretty fucking cool. And to top it all, the band has just released his second album "Pay Your Dues".

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and alos how does it differ from past recordings?

"Pay Your Dues" is more "metal", more mature than the first which was more spontaneous and youthful. This probably comes from the fact that our style has evolved but also because the recording method was not the same.

We are really satisfied

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

After our tour with Electric Mary, we changed management. We were down in the dumps, but after a few weeks, we thought that we should not stop there and we started writing the album.

The topics are varied, festive, darker, but say that our shit inspired us well !

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Wild Dawn/

Nothing more than 
"hey, cool name ?" 
"cool name.." 
"ok, done"

But because the question comes up regularly, say it inspires youth, enthusiasm and wildness !

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

Many gigs excites me but if i have to pick one of them, i'll say that Hellfest openair was absolutely awesome. Big crowd, big sound, big lights... We was impressed but just before hitting the stage, we all thought "Let's kick some ass".

Good memories and pretty big show.

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

We would love to play in Germany, it will also be very soon.

We also plan some things in canada

In general, we will try to export the band and play as more as possible.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and rock/

I don't know, the feedback from other bands are good but I admit that I am not interested by that.

8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band?

I don't think, unless you've been hiding things from me!

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

I really can't determine at this. I think we're refining our sound and our style. I think we found ourselves. Now we have to write. We'll see

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

Our influences are quite varied. Romain and Morgan listen much AC / DC while Alex is very focused on the 70's. Personally, I am a huge fan of Metallica and Gojira but I also love stoner bands such as Clutch, Spiritual Beggars, Corrosion of Conformity, Vista Chino ...

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

Sleep and catch up on sleep I'm missing because of Wild Dawn...

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

Excuse my english !

Thank you all for your support to the METAL!

Greg.

Bat/Primitive Age/Tankcrimes/2013 EP Review

  Bat  are  a  band  from  Virginia  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  punk/thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "Primitive  Age"  which  was  released  by  Tankcrimes.

  "Bat"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  ep  opens  up  with  drums  and  distorted  bass  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  first  wave  style  black  metal  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Total  Wreckage"  begins  with  crust  style  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  towards  the  end  it  goes  into  a  mid  paced  direction  along  with  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads.    

  "Code  Rude"  opens  up  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  vocals  and  then  the  song  starts  to  alternate  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  and  towards  the  song t here  is  a  small  amount  of  guitar  leads  being  utilized.

  "Rule  Of  The  Beast"  kicks  in  with  old  school  style  metal/punk  style  guitar  and  bass  riffs  that  utilize  some  melody  as  well  as  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  kick  in  and  closer  to  the  end  there  is  a  brief  guitar  lead  being  added  in  for  a  few  seconds.

  "Primitive  Age"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  ep  as  well  as  title  track  begins  with   heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  before  going  into  a  thrash  direction  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  before  the  music  starts  getting  fast.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Darkness  themes,  while  the production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark,  old  school  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  ep.

  In  my  opinion  Bat  are  a  very  great  sounding old  school  punk/thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Total  Wreckage"  and  "Primitive  Age".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Demona/Speaking With The Devil/Inferno Records/2013 CD Review

  Demona  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Speaking  With  The  Devil"  which  was  released  by  Inferno  Records.

  "Intro"  starts  off  the  album  with  classical guitar  playing  and  a  small  amount  of  drum  beats  in  the  background  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads.

  "Malvenidos"  which  is  also  the  first  official  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  heavy  speed  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  from  the  drums  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  thrash  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  then  the melodic  female  vocals  kick  in  which  also  leads  to  guitar  solos  and  leads  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Dirty  Speed  Metal"  begins  with  vocals  before  adding  in  fast  and  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  guitars  start  utilizing  some  melody  as  well  as  guitar  solos  and  leads  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  a  minute  later.

  "Speaking  With  the  Devil"  which  is  also  the  title  track  kicks  in  with  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  start  making  their  presence  known  in  the  song  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.  

  "Traitors"  opens  up  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  drums  as  well  as  guitar  solos  and  leads  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song   and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  which  also  leads  to  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody  as  well  as  the  vocals  kicking  in.

  "Bad  Boys"  starts  up  with  old  school  heavy  guitar  guitar  riffs  that  also  utilize  some  melody  as  well  as  some  drums  and  a  few  second s later  guitar  leads  along  with  vocals  come  in  and  the  drums  also  utilize  some  blast  beats  and  towards  the  end  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars.

  "Demona"  which  is  also  the  name  of  the  band  comes  in  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  as  well  as  some  solos  and  leads  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  before  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  as  well  as  the  vocals  making  their  way  in.

  "Stronger  Than  The  Hardest  Stone"  kicks  in  with  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  drums  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  guitar  solos  and  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background.

  "Mercenario"  hits  it  off  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitar  leads  become  a  part  of  the  song.

  'The  Sorcerer's  Escapade"  which  is  also  the  last  real  song  on  the  album  kicks  in  with  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitar  leads  and  vocals  become  a  part  of the  song  and  towards  the  end  the  music  slows  down  along  with  some ritualistic  chanting  before  getting  fast  again.

  "Outro"  closes  the  album  with  some acoustic  guitar  playing

  Song  lyrics  cover  deception  and  destruction,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful ,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

In  my  opinion  Demona  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  speed  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dirty  Speed  Metal"  "Speaking  With  the  Devil"  and  "The  Sorcerer's  Escapade".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Nigromante/Black Magic Night/Shadow Kingdom Records/2014 CD Review

  Nigromante  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  classic  form  of  metal  with  a  touch  of  80's  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014 album  "Black  Magic  Night"  which  was  released  by  Shadow  Kingdom  Records  during  the  year  of  2014.

  "Heavy  Metal  Age"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  old  school  heavy  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before  adding  in  some  vocals  that  combine  Venom  style  metal  with  power  metal  clean  singing  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  also  starts  to  utilize  melody  before  adding  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Black  Magic  Night"  which  is  also  the  title  track  on  the  album  begins  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  kick  in  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "In  Nomine  Pater"  begins  with  some  70's  style  hard  rock/heavy  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  vocals  make  their  presence  known  into  the  song  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  melody  and  during  the  last  minute  of  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.  

  "Saturnalia  Of  Blood"  opens  up  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  kick  in  and  you  can  hear  bass guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  few  seconds  of  guitar  leads  before  returning  to  the  main  chorus.

   "False  Idol"  starts  up  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riff  along  with  some  drums  a  few  seconds  alter  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody  along  with  NWOBHM  elements  before  adding  in  vocals  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  a  guitar  solo  and  a  few  seconds  later the  song  come s to  and  end.

  "Syndicate  Of  Crime"  kicks  in  with  melodic  guitar  riffs  that  get  heavy  a  few  seconds  alter  along  with  some  drums  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  backgrounds  which  also  leads  to  a  mixture  of  rough  and  melodic  vocals  and  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out.

  "Soy  Un  Macarra"  hits  it  off  with  speed  metal  style  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  before  adding  in  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  punk  influences  being  utilized  in  the  song  and  the  song  closes  with  some  guitar  solos.

  "Satan  Death  Squad"  makes  it  way  in  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  leads  to  melodic  vocals  kick  in  and  you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  as  well  as  the  vocals  getting  more  aggressive  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.  

  "Summoning  Spell"  which  is  also  the  outro  for  the  album  opens  up  with  dark  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  leads  along  with  some  classical  guitars.

  Song  lyrics  cover  heavy  metal,  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  professional  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Nigromante  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  metal  band  with  80's  black  metal  elements  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Magic  Night"  "Saturnalia  Of  Blood"  and  "Satan  Death  Squad".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

    

Starsoup Interview

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

In fact it's mostly PR and promotion stuff we do now. We are also trying to come up with our first video script. It's kinda tough: there's no budget. We gotta think of a very good storyline. Maybe some friends will help with the camera and editing. I hope.

There's also one new song that keeps playing in my mind. Should work on it.

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the album and how does it differ from

the release you put out 2 years ago?

The songs were performed much better than 2 years ago, especially the vocal parts. Even the last few songs are a bit better than the first ones cause the album took so much time to produce. Overall, it's a classical sound from the 90's: oldschool Marshall-headed guitars, reverb'ed drums, like they did at that time. Right now what they do is more like "into your brain", heavily compressed sound which is very close to your ears. I like it too, but I want to keep the atmosphere that I once enjoyed in my favourite albums.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics the new release explores?

It's a very broad topic, really. I write about fantasy, about sci-fi, politics, even religion. Lots of emotional stuff. Love, hate, pity, envy, jealousy. Feelings inspire me. Strong feelings inspire even more. Books, movies, people too. Anything.

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

It was a result of a very consious process. We had a few words we liked. "Soul", "star", "sky", "fall", "sun", something else. First I came up with Soulfall (I still like it!), then Starsoap. But it would sound way too funky. Starsoup is original enough :) I was a bit scared in the beginning, but I totally love it nowadays.

5.Currently this band is only a studio project, are there any plans for live shows in the future?

I very much hope so. It's gonna be hard - the musicians should be able to play well - and sing the backing vocals too. But it's doable. If the audience wants us to come somewhere, it means they like the music. So we really want our songs to spread throughout all the world and then play them live someday.

6.The new album came out on Sublimity, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It's a small Russian indie label. They published my first release (Distant Sun - Sunless Citadel) a year ago and I'm happy to work with them. The album will come out with a very limited number of copies - 125 cds. It's gonna have a nice booklet and all.

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

Everybody says they want more heavy songs. Too many ballads on the first album! But this has some advantages: it means I can play a few songs with just an acoustic guitar, alone. Easier to arrange a gig this way :) I didn't intend to write so many soft compositions, it just came out this way. We'll move on. People seem to like quite a few songs - "Angels", "Past Bites", "Try", "Perfect Loser". It's a good sign.

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

Yeah! I'm the singer for the popular Russian speed-metal band called Shadow Host. We're about to release our fifth album and it's gonna be bombastic. Aggressive and speedy thrash metal like Overkill/Dark Empire/Persuader. I also play a huge part in another project - "Distant Sun". It's more power/thrash metal music. Fast, heavy, but melodic. Like Rage and Iron Savior. I've only released one 6-song EP yet.

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

Definitely not into more ballads :) I wanna do real progressive stuff in the future, maybe with a little hint of modern metalcore tendencies.

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

I love popular stuff: Metallica, AC/DC, Blind Guardian, Dream Theater (gotta check their new album btw). I also listen to totally different rock styles from Green Day and Good Charlotte to Killswitch Engage and In Flames. I rarely check out the new bands. I'm like stuck in the 90's.

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

I work in the internet business - website promotion & seo. I also teach economics (I got a PhD) - a few lectures a year. I love sports - cycling and rollerblading. But music is probably the biggest part of my life now.

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

I only hope a few mp3 files will land on somebody's hard drive after this interview :)

Stay metal!

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Mist/Demo 2013 Review

  Mist  are  an  all  female  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  very  traditional  form  of  occult  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  demo.

  "Phobia"  opens  up  with  heavy  traditional  doom  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some melody  and  then  the  melodic  vocals  kick  in  and  a  few  seconds  alter  dark sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  whispers.

   "The  Living  Dead"  begins  with  some  heavy  old  school  sounding  guitar  and  bass  tiffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  halfway  through  the  song  70's  style  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occult  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  old  school  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Mist  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Phobia".  RECOMMENDED.

            

Starsoup/Bazaar Of Wonders/Sublimity Records/2013 CD Review

  Starsoup  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  power  and  progressive  metal  and  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Bazaar  Of  Wonders"  which  was  released  by  Sublimity  Records.

  "Angels" which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  soft  sounding  keyboards  before  adding  in  drums  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  leads  which  are  also  heavy  at  the  same  time  and  then  the music  goes  into  a  cleaner  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  then  the  music  starts  alternating  between  heavy  and  soft  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  more  solos  and  leads  and  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  aggressive  vocals  and  the  song  closes  with  elements  of  progressive  rock.

  "Ain't  No  Superman"  begins  with  progressive  rock  style  guitar  riffs  and leads  before  adding  in  drums,  bass  guitars  and  heavier  parts  and  then  a few  seconds  later  melodic  vocals  kick  in  and  after  awhile  the  vocals  start  utilizing  some  nu  metal  elements  as  well  as  the  song  getting  more  heavy.

  "Try"  starts  up  with  keyboards  and  acoustic  guitars  along  with  drum  beats  and  melodic  vocals  and  a  minute  later  heavy  guitar  riffs  are  added  into  the  song  and  then  the  music  starts  to  alternate  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  some  guitar  leads  and  solos  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background.

  "Cradle  Of  War"  opens  up  with  classical  guitars  and  keyboards  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  a  few  seconds  later  saxophones  start  to  kick  in  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  kick  in  and  the  music  goes  more  into  a  power/progressive  metal  direction  and  you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Rumors  Of  Better  Life"  kicks  in  with  soft  classical  guitar  playing  and  then  the  vocals  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  regular  acoustic  guitars  and  a  minute  later  progressive  rock  style  keyboards  start  making  their  way  into  the  song.

  "Past  Bites"  is  introduced  with  space  sounds  before  adding  in  drums  along  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  then  the  vocals  start  to  kick  in  along  with  background  synths  and  then  the  music  starts  to  alternate  between  clean  and  heavy  parts.

  "The  City  And  the  Stars"  is  brought  in  with  acoustic  guitars,  guitar  leads,  bass  and  drum  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  sticks  to  an  80's  style  power  ballad  mode  throughout  the  song.

  "Bazaar"  which  is  also  the  title  track  opens  up  with  ethnic  folk  music  sounds  and  keyboards  and  then  drums,  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  start  to  kick  in  along  with  prog  sounds  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  before  the  solos  and  leads  start  to  kick  in  and  then  acoustic  guitars  become  a  part  of  the  song  and  during  the  last  minute  Gregorian  choirs  start  to  kick  in.

  "Voices  In  the  Wind"  makes  its  way  in  with  soft  keyboard  playing  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  vocals  kick  in  along  with  some  background  choirs  and  the  song  is  a  very  short  ballad  under  3  minutes.

  "Road  To  Sunset"  finds  it  way  in  with  acoustic  guitars,  drum  beats,  guitar  leads  and  saxophones  before  adding  in  vocals  and  the  song  is  another  ballad  and  is  only  4  minutes  long  at  the  most  and  is  very  simple  and  basic.

  "Perfect  Loser"  has  its  start  with  progressive  rock  style  keyboards  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  guitar  and  bass  solos  and  leads  start  to  come  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Rain  In  The  Desert"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  nature  sounds  and  then  keyboards  start  to  kick  in  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental.

  Song  lyrics  cover  science  fiction,  love,  reality,  and  politics,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Starsoup  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  power  metal  and  progressive  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Angels"  "Try"  "Past  Bites"  and  "Perfect  Loser".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Undecimber Interview

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

 

We just finished recording the new album, so we are kind of high on that feeling right now. But then our drummer decided to leave the band shortly after the production was finished. He had private reasons outside of the band to quit so we parted as friends, we wish him the best of luck. The pick of a new drummer fell on Jan Zombie (no relation to Rob), previously from Feed, Phrank and Machinery. He adds a new dimension to the sound with his technical skills and we're having a blast exploring this new side of Undecimber.

 

 

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how how does it differ from the previous recording?

 

This album is much darker, and more gritty. We flirted a lot with ambient orchestral sounds on the last album, which turned out great but we wanted to make a contrast to that this time. Also, the first album was a selection of our best material at the time, which sort of turned out to be a "Best of Undecimber" album at that point. It was more a compilation of songs with no tie between them. The new album is written conceptually as an album. It is definitely a more unified production. We were also very involved in the mastering process this time, and asked the studio to go crazy on the bottom frequencies. It turned out to sound really badass.

 

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

 

War, definitely. We felt WW1 and WW2 has been explored to death so we decided to get into the mood of the American Civil War. We actually had a voice actor from Texas to narrate over the intro on the song Solitude to get that genuine southern drawl. The album is not a tribute to war, it's pretty much meant to be from the perspective of a dying soldier. So there's a lot of death, but that goes without saying. As a contrast to death we made the piece Beyond the Grave, a love song dedicated to the city Los Angeles. It was pretty much written in one day, at the Rainbow in Hollywood.

 

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

 

Undecimber is Latin, and can be roughly translated into "the thirteenth month". It was coined by Julius Caesar in 44 BC, he added two months to the year to basically squeeze more taxes out of his people. I think we were just perversely attracted to the concept of the number thirteen, Undecimber seemed mystical enough to fit as a band name. Plus, it sounds cool.

 

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

 

Definitely playing at Bar Sinister in Hollywood, LA. The crowd was crazy, and the place is so gothic it stuns you. We played at Whitby Gothic Festival in the UK a couple of times too, people there are just insane and so in tune with the show. We really love Whitby, and the fact that The Sisters of Mercy declined the offer to play the festival is just beyond me. That's just one awesome crowd they'll never have.

 

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the touring plans for the new album?

 

We are exploring the American market since we are getting a lot of attention over there. We're probably starting off with a smaller tour on the west coast. Then we will tour Europe, the UK is still our biggest fan base and we love them back. If we got any juice left after that we might do some shows in Scandinavia, but the blood level in the alcohol system is usually pretty low at that point.

 

7.The new album came out on Downfall Records, how did you get in contact with this label and also how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

 

We were looking around for record labels at the time, Downfall Records was the one label that showed some mutual respect and didn't just speak Excel sheets. These guys are actually into music and flirted with us on our level as musicians. I'd say they had us at hello. Given the current situations with the music industry, Downfall walked that extra mile to make Undecimber heard all over the world. They take care of everything that has to do with our album, anything from promotion to distribution. Downfall Records is one of the few real record labels left.

 

8.On a  worldwide level how has the feedback been to your musci by fans of gothic and metal?

 

Our US fan base has grown a lot lately, there is something very Scandinavian in our music that makes us exotic with that crowd. Not a lot of Swedish bands manage to make themselves heard in the US so we are truly grateful that they choose to listen to Undecimber. And we always got a great response in the UK which has been a surprise. I mean, they invented goth, but they love Sweden.

 

9.Are there any other musical projects besides this band?

 

You'll probably see more of Snakes in some constellation with American musicians. We're going to leave it at that for the moment, it'll be a surprise. Jan Zombie is a wanted pro drummer and does a lot of sessions in between his duty with Undecimber. He's touring Japan a lot.

 

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

 

With our new drummer and his musical direction we're probably going to explore the industrial side of Undecimber a lot more. Like, noise industrial. Probably with more rock influenced guitars as a contrast. At one point we discussed the idea to make an album with acoustic versions of selected Undecimber tracks but we're not that kind of band really. It would probably be more fun for us than for the fans.

 

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

 

People used to describe us as Rammstein meet Sisters of Mercy, which actually make a lot of sense. There are some more organic sleaze rock feel to some of the songs on the new album too. Sort of like sneaking Mick Mars into the studio while we were asleep, but it's just a flirt and nothing serious. As to what we are listening to, the beauty of Undecimber is that we listen to so vastly different styles of music in the band. And all those influences come together so perfect in Undecimber. But all in all we mostly listen to dark gloomy shit.

 

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

 

Mizzy is a dedicated scuba diver. Lash is a true horror fan and collects skulls and other weird shit. Jan Zombie’s only hobby seem to be playing drums. Snakes is into custom motorcycle painting. His place look like a graffiti artist had a seizure in there.

 

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

 

Check out our new album Dead Inside. And thanks for the Jack & Coke, don’t put so much coke in it next time though.