Undecimber/Dead Inside/Downfall Records/2013 CD Review

Undecimber  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  dark  form  of  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their    2013  album  "Dead  Inside"  which  was  released  by  Downfall  Records..

  "Three  Pages  From  Hell" which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  electronic  music  synths,  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  gothic  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  gothic  metal  formula.

  "Tears  From  The  Past'  starts  up  with  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  drums  and  synths  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  both  industrial  and  goth  which  also  leads  up  to  metal  guitars  and  melodic  vocals.

  "Solitude"  begins  with  synths and  spoken  word  parts  and  a  few  seconds  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  guitars  and  drums  kick  in  along  with  elements  form  other  genres  of  electronic  music.

  "Scars  Of  Pleasure"  opens  up  with  synths  and  heavy guitars  which  bring  the  gap between  metal  and  electronic  music  and  a  very  few  seconds  later  drum  beats  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  melodic  vocals.  

  'Fatal  Kiss"  comes  in  with  heavy  metal  guitar  riffs  before  adding  in  gothic  rock  style  synths  and  drums  and  then  the  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  is  a  mixture  of  80's  style  old  school  gothic  rock  and  metal.

  "War  Hero" makes  its  way  in  with  depressing  sounding  synths  and  military  style  drums  before  the  heavy  guitars  and  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  sticks  to  the  same  gothic  metal  formula  that  is  also  found  on  the  other  songs.  .

  "Hell  And  Back"  is  introduced  with  some  EBM  style  synths  before  the  drums,  guitars  and  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  continues  in  the  same  direction  as  the  other  songs  and  not  adding  more  diversity  in.

  "Wait  In  The  Dark"  kicks  in  with  melodic  guitar  leads  along  with  some  drums  and  regular  guitar  metal  riffs  as  well  as  the  synths  being  influenced  by  a  variety  of  electronic  music  genres  and  then  the  vocals  kick  in.

  'Dead  Again"  becomes  a  part  of  the  album  with  some  heavy  metal  guitar  riffs  and  80's  style  new  wave  synths  along  with  drums  and  then the  melodic  gothic  rock  vocals  kick  in  and  the  song  goes  into  a  gothic  metal  direction.

  "Beyond  The  Grave"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  some  sad  sounding  synths  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  vocals  kick  in  and  brings  back  thew  goth  metal  sound  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressing  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Undecimber  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  gothic  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Three  Pages  From  Hell"  "Scars  Of  Pleasure"  "Wait  In  The  Dark"  and  "Beyond  The  Grave".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Run After To/Run After To/Gjinn And Djinn/Shadow Kingdom Records/2014 CD COmpilation Review

  Run  After  To  where  a  band  from  Italy  that  played  heavy  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  compilation  which  contains  1988's  Run  After  To"  and  1985's  "Gjinn  And  Djinn"  and  will be  released  by  Shadow  Kingdom  Records.

  "Who  Cares  For  Children" which  is  the  opening  track  of  the  first  ep  starts  up  with  synths  which  bring  a  classical  feeling  to  the  song  and  2  minutes  later  doom  metal guitar  riffs  along with  drums and  melodic  heavy  metal  vocals  start  to kick  in  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  and  the  synths  also  mix  with  the  heavy  parts.  

  "Melancholy"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  old  school  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  as  well  as  some  drums,  melody  and  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  synths  in  the  background  and  a  minute  alter  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "My  Name  Is  Man"  which  is  also  the  last  song on  the  first  ep  starts  up  with  some  synths  before  adding  in  some  spoken  word  parts  and  a  minute  later  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  bass  and  drums  before  adding  in  some  vocals  which  also  lead  up  to some  psychedelic  elements  while  also  remaining  heavy  all at  the  same  time  as  well  as  adding  in  acoustic  guitars  which  use  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  they  take  over  for  a  few  minutes  before  reverting  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  "Occultism"  which  is  the  first  song  on  the  demo  opens  up  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before  adding  in  some  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  start  to  come  in  and  out.

  "Walking  On  The  Rainbow"  opens  with  some  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  and  the  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  a  minute  alter  hard  rock/metal  guitar  leads  and  solos  are  added  into  the  song  as  well  as  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars.    

  "Visions"  start's  up  with  sound  effects  and  then  the  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  vocals  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  guitar  leads  and  solos  are  added  into  the  mix.

  "Melancholy"  comes  in  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  lead  leads  to  the  guitars  getting  more  melodic  and  a  few  seconds  alter  vocals  are  introduced  into  the  song  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Run After  To"  makes  its  way  with  sound  effects  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  and  melodic  dark  guitar  and  bass  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  drums  before  the  vocals  start  to  creep  in  and  a  couple  minute  later  guitar  solos  and leads  start  to  come  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  utilize  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  

  "Exorcism" which  is  the  last  song  on  the  demo opens  up with  some  horror  movie  samples  and  then  goes  into heavy guitar  riffs,  drums  and  melodic  vocals  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as some  faster  riffing.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Darkness  and  Melancholy  themes,  while  the  production  had  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  for  the  time  it  was  recorded  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Run  After  To"  where  a  very  great  sounding  doom metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Name  Is  Man" "Occultism" and "Exorcism".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.                

Hammer Fight Interview

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

Drew: The new record comes out November 12, and aside from that we're just getting our shit together before we hit the road.

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

Drew:  I'd say it's pretty rad.  A good mix of Rock n Roll, Thrash, Hardcore and Death Metal.  Lots of noodley guitar stuff.  It will make you drive real fast.

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

Drew:  Mostly sex, drugs and Rock n Roll.  The harsh reality of being in a touring band, being a scum bag, disappointing sexual experiences.  Ya know, standard stuff.

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

Drew:  It was on a list of names while I was trying to name a hardcore band I was in before Hammer Fight.  I just thought it sounded cool.  So did the guys.

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

Todd: We calculate exactly how much we can drink, and how hard we can headbang without making and mistakes... Then we drink and headbang just a liiiiiiittle bit harder Best show? Basement in Reno, August 2012.  Best show with Ryan? Maybe the Richmond one that I sucked at?

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

Drew:  We have a short tour that starts on November 12.  We got something else planned soon after that should be announced soon.  Then we should be back on the road in the Spring.

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

Drew:  Pretty good I guess.  A surprising number of our Facebook fans are from Indonesia. 

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

Drew:  I'm also in a band called No Holds Barred that never plays. Ever.

Justin: Todd and I have a death metal band called Abacinate. We do shows in the tri-state area occasionally. I'm also playing for Kalopsia and Slasherthroat.

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

Drew:  I've already started writing new stuff, so I can say for certain that the next album will be darker, angrier and more overtly sexual.  It will still be tons of fun though, I promise.

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

Drew:  Metallica, Motorhead, Slayer, Iron Maiden.  The stuff I first got into definitely has the biggest influence.  Plus tons of hardcore and death metal.  Right now I'm mostly listening to Gypsyhawk, the new Motorhead album, Revocation, Ramming Speed, 3 Inches of Blood.  Stuff like that.

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

Drew:  I really enjoy drawing stuff, drinking too much and chasing women.

Justin: Drinking too much, eating too much, quoting Andrew Dice Clay lines on a daily basis, and listening to the Howard Stern show.

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

Drew:  Keep it tucked in, keep it compacted...

Groan/Ride The Snake/2013 EP Review

  Groan  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  plays  a  musical style  they  describe  as  being  party  stoner  rock and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  ep  "Ride  The  Snake".

 Woman  Of  Doom"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  ep  opens  up  with  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  adding  in  some  melodic  clean  singing  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  mid  paced  direction  and  adds  in  some  classic  sounding  heavy  metal/  hard  rock  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Drug  Lord"  starts  off  with  some  spoken  word  chants  before  adding  in  some  hard  rock/metal  guitar  riffs  and  vocals  along  with  some  back  up  vocals  and  melodies  and  after  awhile you  can  hear  some  bass  guitars  in  the  background  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  70's  rock  style  guitar  leads  and  solos  being  utilized.

  "Slice  Of  That  Vibe"  begins  with  a  bass  lead  before  adding  in  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  vocals  and  then  the  song  starts  combining  hair  and  doom  metal  together  along  with  some  guitar  leads  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Blessed  Is  My  Blade"  kicks  in  with  some old  school  heavy  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  adding  in  some  vocals  and  hard  rock  influences  and  after  awhile  the  song  goes  into  a  more  doom  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  leads  and  solos  are  added  in  along  with  some back  up  shouts.



Citadel  Of  Chaos"  which  is  also the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some bass  and  drums  before  adding  in  some  vocals  before  combing  70's  rock  and  doom  metal  together.

  SOng  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  party  themes,  while  the  production  has   a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  ep.

  In  my  opinion  Groan  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  stoner  rock  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Woman  Of  Doom"  and  "Citadel  Of  Chaos".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Tidal Arms/Self Titled/Black Numbers/2013 CD Review

  Tidal  Arms  are  a  band  from  New York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  hardcore, noise  rock  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013  album  which  was released  by  Black  Numbers.

  "Gooskis  Ladder"  which  is also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  heavy amp  distortion  before  adding  in  guitars,  blast  beats  from  drums  and  hardcore  style  vocals  before  slowing  down  a  bit a s  well  as  adding  some  melody  to  the  vocals  and  guitars  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  during  the  last  minute  sludge  style  screams  start  coming  in.

  "Mirror  Box"  starts  up  with  some  bass  guitar  riffs  and  melodic  guitar  leads  along  with  some  clean  elements  before  adding  in  some  clean  singing  and  drums  which  end  up  taking  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction  and  then  alternating  between  clean  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  some  aggressive  screams  in  certain  parts.

  "Dunston  Mass"  begins  with  clean  guitars  and  drums  before  bringing  in  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  going  into  a  mid  paced  direction  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some   melody.

  "Jungle  Of  Dust"  opens  with  some  melodic  noise  rock  guitar  riffs  before  adding  in  some  drums  and  clean  singing  vocals  before  getting  heavier  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars.

  "Molasses'  comes in  with  clean  and  soft  guitar  playing  along  with  some  drums  and  then  starts  to  add  in some  solos and  leads  before  getting  a  little  bit  heavier  and  adding  in  bass  guitars  and  vocals  along  with  some  heavy  reverb  a  few  seconds  later  that  bring  in  noise  rock  style  guitar  riffs  and  halfway  through  the  vocals  start  getting  more  aggressive  along  with  some  shouts  and  screams  while  also  keeping  around  some  clean  singing

  "Mad  Glacier"  which  is  an  instrumental  opens  up   with  heavy  drone/doom  metal  style  guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  alter  drums  start  making  their  way into  the  music.

  "On  The  Train"  kicks  in  with  clean  guitar playing  before  getting  heavier  along  with  some  bass,  drums  and  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody  and  then  acoustic  guitars  are  dded  in  before  alternating  between  soft  and  heavy  parts.

  'Jelloshotgun" hits  off  with  melodic  guitar  leads  and  drums  before  adding  in  drums  and  vocals  as  well  as  getting  a  little  heavier  and  you  can  also  hear  some  bass  guitars  when  the music  speeds  up  a  notch  for  a  few seconds.

  "Beach Torture"  makes  it  way  in  with  acoustic  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  alter  vocals  are  added  in  along  with  some  drums  and  bass  guitars  which  also  lead  to  the  music  getting  a  lot  more  heavier.

  "I  Am  The  Owl"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  as  well  as  some  melodic  vocals  before  going  into  a  cleaner  direction  along  with  some  bass  guitars  and  a  minute  later  it  goes  into  a  more  heavy  doom  metal  direction  along  with  post  rock  style  guitar  leads.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  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  Tidal  Arms  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  post  hardcore,  noise  rock  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gooskis  Ladder"  "Jungle  Of  Dust"  "Molasses"  and  "I  Am  The  Owl".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Rabbits/SOS[Singles, Other Shit]/Eolian Empire/2013 Compliation CD Review

  Rabbits  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  combines,  noise  rock,  hardcore  punk  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  compilation  album  "SOS [Singles,   Other  Shit]"  which  was  released  by  Eolian  Empire.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  used  in  certain  songs,  while  the  bass  guitars  have  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  that  dominates  throughout  the  album.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  sludge,  noise  rock and  hardcore  punk  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  along  with  some  melodies  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  which  are  only  used  briefly  are  very  noisy  and  distorted  style  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  aggressive  shouts  and  screams  that  combine  hardcore  and  sludge  together,  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  everyday  themes, while  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  compilation  and  the  second  side  is  all  cover  from  bands  such  as  Discharge,  Rudimentary  Peni,  Cro  Mags,  Bikini  Kill,  Negative  Approach,  D.R.I,  Poison  Idea,  Minor  Threat  and  Black Flag.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Rabbits  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  hardcore  punk  and  noise  rock, you  should  check out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wooze"  "Lungs"  "i'd  Rather  be  Sleeping"  and  "Wasted".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Wild Dawn/Pay Your Dues/2013 CD Review

  Wild  Dawn  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  rock  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Pay  Your  Dues".

  "Back  On  Track"   which  is  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  melodic  vocals  and  hard  rock  style  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  classic  70's  rock  style  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  'Bitter  Mind"  starts  off  with  some  guitar  riffs  that  combine  70's  metal  and  stoner  rock  together  before  adding  in  some  vocals  and  throughout  the  song t here  are  some  whammy  bar  effects  coming  in  and  out  as  well  as  some  back  up  vocals  and  after  awhile  guitar  solos  and  leads  making  a  part  of  the  song  and  you  can  also  hear  some  bass  guitars.

  "Sometimes"  begins  with  some  distorted  effects  before  adding  in  some  bass  guitars,  drums  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  which  also  lead  up  to  some  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  hard  rock  style  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  as  well  as  the  music  getting  heavier.

  "S.A.D.  Story"  opens  up  with  heavy  and  melodic  stoner  rock  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  vocals  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  back  up  shouts  as  the  song  moves  on  and  towards  the end  guitar  solos  and  leads  finally  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song along  with  a  small  amount  of  clean  parts.  

  "Ain't  Life  Grand"  kicks  off  with  some  bass  guitars  before  adding  in  some  drums  and  70's  style  hard  rock  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  old  school  style  distortion  effects  before  the  vocals  start  coming  in  along  with  some  shouts  and  some  guitar  leads  and  leads  start  coming  in  halfway  through  the  song.

  "Plague  Of  the  21st  Century"  makes  it  way  with  some  clean  guitars  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  drums  and  bass  guitars  as  well  as  some  NWOBHM  elements  before  adding  in  some  vocals  and  towards  the  end  guitar  solos  and  leads  starting  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "My  Own  Worst  Enemy"  comes  in  with  heavy  bass and  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  as  well  as  a  bit  of  melody  and  70's  rock  sounds  which  lead  up  to  some  vocals  which  also  use  some  back  up's  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  guitar  solos  and  leads  make  their  presence  known  in  the  music.

  "Ain't  Your  Life"  hits  off  with  some  clean  classic  rock  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  they  get  more  heavy  and  melodic  along  with  some  drums  before  adding  in  some  vocals  and  as the  song  moves  on  there  are  some  guitar  leads  as  well  as  a  return  to  some  cleaner  parts.

  "Better  Days"  is  introduced  with  some  soft  clean  guitar  playing  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  drums  and  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  and  a  few  seconds  later  vocals  kick  in  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  guitar  solos  late  until the last  minute  before  they  finally  come  in.

  "Stone  Cold  Motherfucker"  enters  in  with  blues  rock  style  guitar  riffing  and  a  few  seconds  alter  drums,  vocals  and  guitar  leads  start  to  come  in  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  more  solos  which  also  lead  to  some  back  up  shouts.

  "Lets  Make  A  Big  Mistake"  is  brought  in  with   clean  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  alter  drum  beats  start  kicking  in  before  getting  heavier  along  with  some  vocals  as  well  as  some  melodic  riffing  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  some  bass  guitars  before  the  guitar  leads s tart  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "I  Hate  My  Band"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on t he  album  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  also  lead  up  to  some  vocals  as  well  as  some  back  up  shouts  and  halfway  through  the  song  is  when  the  guitar  solos  are  finally  introduced.

  Song  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional 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  Wild  Dawn  are  a  very  great  sounding  stoner  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Back  On  Track"  "S.A.D.  Story"  ''Stone  Cold  Motherfucker"  and  "I  Hate  My  Band".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.