Doom's Day Interview

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

DooM : Sure, Doom’s Day is a trip back to the old school 70’s/80’s heavy metal era. The lyrics deal with occultism, religion, sacrifices, orgies, addictions and other insanities. All that mixed with thoughts on modern society. For a better idea you can stream our music on:http://prcmusic.bandcamp.com/.

2.How would you describe the musical sound of both albums and also how do they differ from each other?

DooM : First of all, there’s a big step between the first and the second album. The Unholy was a self-made project that I mostly did alone with the help of Antoine Guertin (Aeternam) and Pat Gauvin. We got the deal with PRC Music with it and I’m very proud of this first album.

The Devil’s Eyes is more aggressive and has a better production. David Lizotte (Southern Cross) did an amazing job mixing the whole thing and J-F Dagenais (Kataklysm/Ex Deo) also did an awesome mastering job. Overall it’s the same concept but just bigger and better.

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

DooM : We do have occult topics in our songs but I think we cover much more as I mentioned earlier. Of course, I take my inspiration from many supernatural events or rituals. But at the end, it’s more about storytelling you know. It’s all about our way of life, our beliefs mixed with tons of horror movies, books, music and many other things. I’m more fascinated with anything related to the unknown. Occultism is a part of it but that not all. This is why I love Lovecraft’s work.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Doom's Day?

DooM: The name has many faces and there are some personal stories related to it. But to make it short, when I started the project it was simply called the “Doom Project”. It later turned out to “Doom’s Day” for its apocalyptic meaning.

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?

DooM : We didn’t have time to do a lot of shows because we mostly made two albums back to back. After the Unholy in 2012, the label wanted a second album for the end of 2013. So we put all our efforts into that second release, which is The Devil’s Eyes. We needed more time than was allowed to finish it, so the release date was pushed back to February 2014. We’re really proud of the result. We hope people will like the new stuff.

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

DooM : We’re not touring right now and we don’t have any plans to do it. We’re going to play with Primal Fear in May and maybe a few other gigs during 2014. That’s all.

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

DooM : Generally very good, but I think we’re a love or hate band. We do not belong to a style in particular. We’re mixing classic heavy metal with some elements of doom metal and horror punk. Some purists who are praising top-notch production, specific genres and styles don’t like us. But we don’t give a shit!

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

DooM : Pat Gauvin (bass) and Dominique Verreault (drums) are involved with another band named Netsuzo. It sounds like a mix of Black Sabbath and Deftones. Frank Breton (live guitar) plays with his rock band Truckin’ Outlaws. They’re going to release an EP soon. I’m also currently working on a mythological acoustic & electric doom metal project called Succubus Irons.

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

DooM : We will add new elements to the music for sure, but we’re not heading into a new direction. I’m thinking about using some strings or violins for the next release. They’ll be heard on a song about witchcraft. But mostly we’ll keep everything the way it is.

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

DooM : Many old school bands such as The Misfits, Venom, Mercyful Fate, Cathedral, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Candlemass and many more… Nowadays I listen mostly to the latest Carcass album Surgical Steel and Doyle’s Abominator.

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

DooM : The usual stuff : watching horror movies, reading books, playing video games. Recently I watched the Fangoria’s Blood & Guts with Scott Ian. I played The Last of Us and I’ve read the latest Walking Dead comic book. I think they should end the series now. They’re just starting the same story all over again with new characters.

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

DooM : The Devil’s Eyes will be released on February thought PRC Music so check it out! Thanks for the interview!

Midnite Hellion/Hour Of The Wolf/Witches Brew/2013 EP Review

  Midnite  Hellion  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  that plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "Hour  Of  The  Wolf"  which  was  released  by  Witches  Brew.

  The  ep  kicks  off  with  guitar  riffs  that  combine  80's  heavy  and  speed  metal  together  while  also  bringing  in  NWOBHM  style  guitar  leads  and  then  the  melodic  vocals  start  to  kick  in  as  well  as  some  back  up  shouts  and  the  music  also  start  getting  heavier  and mixing  in  thrash  influences  while  also  keeping  the  traditional  metal  sound  around.

  As  the  ep  progresses  slower  guitar  riffs  are  added  in  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  the  music  starts  adding  in  influences  from  the  mid  70's  and  brings  an  old  school  sound  to  modern  days,  while  also  bringing  back  memories  of  my  early  days  of  listening  to  metal  and  this  is  also  the  sound  that  later  evolved  into  thrash  a  few  years  later  and  this  band  really  knows  their  old  school  metal  very  well  and creates  a  sound  that  pays  perfect  homage  to  the  metal  legends.


  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness, magick  and  occultism,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  those  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  ep.

  In  my  opinion  Midnite  hellion  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hour  of  The  Wolf".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.   

Dark Forest/The Awakening/Criz Del Sur Music/2014 CD Review

  Dark  Forest  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  traditional  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The Awakening"  which  will  be  released  by  Criz  Del  Sur  Music.

  The  album  starts  off  with  some  radio  style  sound  effects  before  adding  in  spoken  word  samples  then  going  into  a  traditional  melodic  metal  direction  along  with  the  guitar  leads  on  the  album  bridging  the  gap  between  heavy  and  power  metal  as  well  as  adding  in  a  a  touch  of  hard  rock,  vocals  that  are used  on  the  album  are  all  clean  singing  and as  the  album  moves  on  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  German  influences  being  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  touch  of  United  States  progressive  metal.  

  When  melodies  are  used  on  the  album  which  is  quite  a  bit  they  bring  back  a  lot  of  memories  of  mid  80's  era  Iron  Maiden  without  being  a  clone  of  the  band,  as  the  album  progresses  there  are  no  influences  in the  music  that  go  pass  the  80's  and  this  album  could  of  easily  been  recorded  back  then  and  once  the  classical  guitars  are  added  into  a  couple  of  songs  of  the  album  the  music  starts  having  a  more  diverse  flavor  to  it  as  well  as  the  closing  song  having  an  epic  quality  to  it  and  it  also  leads  to  the  bass  guitars  getting  more  heavy  and  adding  a  slight  thrash  influence  to  the  music  while  still  being  100  percent  true  metal.

  As  time  goes  on  by  the  band  moves  away  from  the  more  slower  songs  that  start  off  the  recording  and  add  a  little  bit  more  speed  to  the  music  which  brings  in  a  NWOBHM  feeling  but  it  goes  back  to  the  more  traditional  sound  on  later  sounds  and  seem  more  close  to  heavy  metal  than  power  metal  while  still  only  utilizing  that  influence  in  the  vocals.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Mythology,  Poetry,  History  and  Patriotism,  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  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in length.  

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Forest  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Awakening"  "Turning  Of  The  Tides"  "Immortal  Remains"  and  "Sons  Of  England".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Halberd Interview

1.Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before? Halberd band was created in July 2012 in St. Petersburg , as a remake of “Brain's Damage” from Omsk, which was participated by guitarist Denis Ivanov. The musical direction was not discussed because from the very beginning it was decided to play Thrash Metal in its most classical manifestations . For rather short period of time the material was written and musicians started to record their debut EP. The recording was completed in January of 2013 , and in March of the same year another track “The time of temptation” was recorded, with another guitarist from the same “Brain's Damage” Ruslan Tebenkov , who is in the band “Metropolis” ( Omsk) at the present moment . For the year of existence the composition of members in the group changed not once , and eventually the right people were found, and now everybody wants to do our common work , and not to stop at what we’ve already achieved. The group took part in many concerts both local and out gigs . At the moment, the musicians prepare new material and plan to record it soon . What would it be , EP or full-length album, it has not been decided yet , but surely something will come ! New records will be more energetic and powerful, but in general, the group will continue to work in the same direction which was chosen initially . Group structure: Denis Ivanov - guitar Vladimir Govoruhin - guitar Dmitry Zubov - bass Roman Bobrov - vocals Albert Chizhov - drums Daria Erastova – Lyrics 2.How would you describe your musical sound? The first album was created in the style of classic thrash metal. That's why you can feel the influence of the early work of Metallica, Slayer and Kreator. The album includes one instrumental composition and four songs about human sins and injustice in our world. Powerful riffs in harmony with melodic solos , give to the listeners the opportunity to imagine that they are in America of the early nineties . Generally the album could attract the attention of both lovers of classic heavy and slam fans during concerts 3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? There are themes which must be always reminded. Despite the styles which are close to thrash, the theme of songs can vary and there is a possibility that some of us will have radical new ideas. 4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Halberd? The meaning is a double-edged axe (halberd) and it means not wounds and pain but a powerfull tool for destruction of mind walls which block a way to light, life and freedom from our contradiction and fobias. 5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? Our band now becomes getting popular so first concerts were visited by people which were interested in thrash before. Performance in Petrozavodsk was well remembered because of young public who were, by the first glance, not familiar to thrash. Their presense was especially pleasant because it shows an interest to style. 6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? We have plans to attend to metal-festival in Belarus in august so we hope to meet new people who could show us new possibilities for touring. Also we plan travels to Europe next autumn, we hope, with our own concert. 7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal? We have just started to bring our music abroad and we wait for awesome results. 8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up? Denis Ivanov has another project called “Kronwerk” who position themselves as Russian Crossover Kill Machine. 9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases? We will save an atmosphere of 80-s with sound but themes of songs will yell about another problems which can't be ignored. 10.What are some bands or musical styles

that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? All of us are insane from Big Four, Teutonic Three and, of course, Pantera. These bands are a basis and a target which inspires us. 11.Outside of music what are some of your interests? Playing and listening to music are our only interests. We inspire from other bands songs to create our. 12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview? All are welcome at our concerts, also you can buy our EP "Ruthless game" athttp://metalscraprecords.com   . And listen to to metal!!!

The Eternal/When the Circle Of Light Begins To Fade/Sombre Light Productions/2013 CD Review

  The  Eternal  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  dark  form  of  gothic  metal/rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "When  The  Circle  Of  Light  Begins  TO  Fade"  which  was  released  by  Sombre  Light  Productions.

  "Circle  of  Light"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  keyboards  before  adding  in  clean  singing  gothic  rock  vocals  and  you  can  hear  a  mixture  of  clean  and  heavy  parts  being  mixed  together,  after  a  few  minutes  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into t he  music  briefly.  

  "Beneath  These  Waves"  begins  with  drum  beats  and  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs  that  are  mixed  down  low  before  getting  more  powerful  and  heavy  sounding  along  with  some  synths  and  drums  before adding in  vocals  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  small  amount  of  clean  parts  being  utilized  before  adding  in  melodic  guitar  leads.

  "Motionless"  opens  up  with  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  are  added  into t he  music  which  also  leads  up  to  the  vocals  kicking  in  and  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  in  briefly.

  "Drifting"  starts  up  with  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  before  adding  in  drums  and  synths  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  as  well  as  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  that  mix  in  with  the  clean  parts  and  towards  the  end  there  are  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  "In  Severance"  kicks  in  with  drums  before  adding  in  melodic  guitar  leads  and  synths  which  also  leads  up  to  some  vocals  and  after  awhile  heavy  guitar  riffs  start  to  mix  in  with  the  guitar  leads  as  well  as  the  songs  utilizing  some  psychedelic  elements  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  in  the  background and  towards  the end  the  bass  guitars  get  a  lot  more  powerful  sounding.

  "Divided  We  Fall"  comes  in  with  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  later  drums,  clean  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  as  well  as  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  shortly  after  that  and  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  leads  are  added  in  with  all  of  the  other  parts.  

  "Yesterday's  Fire"  breaks  in  with  gothic  sounding  synths  and  samples  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  70's  psychedelic  rock  sounds  which  also  leads  up  to  some  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  using  more  melody  and  as  the  song  moves  on  you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  music  before  also  adding  in  some  guitar  solos.

  'Carry  Us  Away"  hits  it  off  with  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  drums  while  having  a  70's  rock  feeling to  it  before  adding  in  synths,  bass  and  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  later  guitar  riffs  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music

  "A  Quiet  Death  Of  The  Sun"  is  introduced  with  clean  guitar  playing  along  with  some  drums  and  middle  eastern  sounds  shortly  after  that  which  also  leads  up  to  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  vocals  and  towards  the  end  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music.

  "The  End  Of  Everything"  is  brought  in  with  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  later  bass  guitar,  guitar  effects  and  drums  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  which  also  leads  up  to  some  vocals  as  well  as  the guitar  riffing  getting  a  lot  more  heavier  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  for  a  few  seconds  before  psychedelic  elements  start  to  kick  in.

  "Without  A  Trace"  makes  its  way  in  with  heavy  and  clean  guitars  along  with  some  drums  and  post  rock  elements  and  a few  seconds  later  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  power  ballad  direction  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  towards  the  end.

  "Dark  Day  Coming"  finds  it  way  in  with  dark and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  synths  and  drums  which  also  leads  to  some  vocals  kicking  in  along  with  some  female  singing  being  utilized  for  a  few  seconds  and  during  the  last  minute  guitar  solos  and  leads  make  their  presence  known.

  "The  Burning  Truth"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  distorted  industrial  style  sounds  along  with  some  synths  before  adding  in  drums  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  which  also  leads  up  to  some  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitar  riffs  finally  start  to  kick  in  along  with  a  small  amount  of  leads  and  solos.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  The  Eternal a re  a  very  great  sounding  dark  gothic  rock/metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Circle  of  Light"  "Drifting"  "The  End  Of  Everything"  and  "Dark  Day  Coming".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Divine Circles/Oblivion Songs/Paradigms Recordings/2013 CD Review

  Divine  Circles  are  a  1  man  band  from  North  Carolina  that  plays  a mixture  of  neo  classical,  folk,  experimental  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  2013  album  "Oblivion  Songs"  which  was  released  by  Paradigms  Recordings.

  "Leaves"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  dark  sounding  violins  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  vocals  become  a  part  of  the  song  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  more  neo  folk  style  direction.

  "Midwest"  begins  with  tribal  style  percussion  and  melodic  vocals  become  a  part  of  the song  a  few  seconds alter  and  the  song  has  a  new  age  shamanistic  vocal  to  it  with  only  vocals  and  percussion  being  present.

  "The  Prayer"  opens  up  with  folk  instruments  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  you  can  also  hear  tribal  style  percussion  being  utilized  in  the  background  along  with  a  small  amount  of  guitar  leads  and  the  music  is  all  instrumental.

  "Ingenue"  starts  up  with  experimental  sounds  and  tribal  style  drum  beats  that  bring  a  shamanistic  feeling  to  the  music  along  with  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  melodic  female  vocals  and  the  song  has  an  alternative  rock  feeling  to  it.

  "Hymn"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the album  begins  with  violins,  drums  and  bass  guitars  which  then  leads  to  melodic  female  vocals  and  the  song  sticks  a  classic  folk  rock  direction  during  its  time.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark  and  powerful  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Divine  Circles  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark  neo-folk,  experimental  and  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  artist.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Leaves"  and  "Hymn".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Redneck/Possession/Eolin Empire/2013 ZCD Review

  Redneck  are  a  1  man  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  harsh  form  of  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2013  album  "Possession"  which  was  released  by  Eolian  Empire.

  "Possession  I"  opens  up  with  natural  sounding  noises  and  a  minute later  harsh  power  electronics  start  to  slowly  kick  in  and  get  more  loud  and  brutal as  time  goes  on  by  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  some  loud  distortion  and  deep  demonic  growls  and   screams.

  "Possession  II"  begins  with  harsh  noises  and  brutal  sounding  power  electronics  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  music  starts  getting  more  dark  and  experimental  sounding  and  after  10  minutes  heavy  reverb  and  distortion  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  crazy  growls  and  screams.

  Song  themes  cover  possession,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  harsh,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  along  with  bot  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Redneck  are  a  very  great  sounding  harsh  noise  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Possession  II".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.