The Black Widow's Project/Heavy Heart/2013 CD Review

  The  Black  Widow's  Project  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  rock,  metal  and  grunge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album "Heavy  Heart".

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

 Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  stoner  rock,  metal  and  grunge  together  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  stoner  rock  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  used  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  bring  a  classic  rock  feeling  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  stoner  rock vocals  with  some  screams  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  The  Black  Widow's  Project  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  stoner  rock,  grunge  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  of  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Devil'[s  Waiting  For  Us  To  Fail"  "The  5th"  "Got  The  Devil"  and  "Night's  Damp".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

     

Deadlands/Evilution/Massacre Records/2013 CD Review

  Deadlands  are  a  band  from  Sacramento,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  power  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Evolution"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  used  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

 Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  thrash,  groove  and  power  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  power/thrash  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  thrash  style  screams  and  growls,  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  and  some  back  up  shouts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  political,  war  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful, heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Deadlands  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  thrash,  groove  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pandemic  Genocide"  Final  Solution"  "Shes  On  Fire"  and  "Legions  Of  The  Damned".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Damnation Angels/Bringer Of Light/Massacre Records 2013 CD Review

  Damnation  Angels  are  a  band  from  England  that  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic,  gothic  and  power metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Bringer  Of  Light"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  used  at  times,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  dark,  symphonic,  gothic  and  classical  sound  to  the  music  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  violins,  as  for  the bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  gothic  and  power  metal  together  to  create  sound  of t heir  own  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into t he  riffing  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  gothic/power  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  with  some  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Damnation  Angels  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  symphonic,  gothic  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Longest  Day  Of  My  Life"  "I  Hope"  "Bringer  Of  Light"  and  "Pride  The  Warriors  Way".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

The Unclean/The Eagle/2013 CD Review

  The  Unclean  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  metal,  punk  and  blues  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The  Eagle"  which  was  released.

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

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffing  that  combine  sludge,  metal,  punk,  and  blues  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while the  lead  guitars  are blues  rock  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they use  full  chords  to  add  a  classic  rock  feeling  to  the  recording.  

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

  In  my  opinion  The  Unclean  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  sludge,  metal,  punk  and  blues  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Live  For  The  Day"  "Away  Too Long"  "Strange  Kind  Of  Living"  and  "Nothing  Left  To  Say".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

  

Nightbitch/Chainmaker/Ear One Productions/2013 EP Review

  Nightbitch  are  a  band  from  Connitecutt  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  on t his  recording t hat  combines  doom,  occult  rock,  heavy  and  sleaze  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "Chainmaker"  which  was  released  by  Ear  One  Productions.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing t hat  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they h ave  a  very  powerful  sound.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  doom,  occult  rock,  traditional  and  sleaze  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  metal/rock  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals a re  all  clean singing  metal  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark,  old  school  and  professional  sound  to  it  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Nightbitch  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy t his  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Disrober".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Molllust/Schuld/2012 CD Review

  Molllust  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  opera  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2012  album  "Schuld".

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  to  fast  playing  with  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats,  while  the  violins  and  keyboards  bring  a  very  atmospheric,  dark,  classical  and  opera  music  sound  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  heavy/power  metal  riffs  that  sound  very  modern  sounding  with  mostly  power  chord  riffing  with  some  melody  being  utilized  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  signing  female  opera  vocals  with  some  male  back  ups  being  used  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  dark  themes,  as  for t he  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Molllust  are  a  very  great  sounding  opera  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sternennacht"  "Spiegelsee"  "Puppentanz"  and  "Schatten".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

The Omega Experiment Interview

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

We are eagerly anticipating the re-release of our debut album on Listenable Records. We started talking to them last fall, and they have been amazing so far. They really seem to be into what we're doing. We will be back out live this summer, and look to get to Europe and possibly the UK in the fall. We're currently in the demoing process for album two also.

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

A colorful and emotionally taxing journey of self-discovery. The synths are loud, the bombast is abundant, and the melodies are rich and dense.

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

The debut is a loose concept detailing my life from birth to the end of my active addiction to drugs, and looking toward a brighter future. I say loosely because my best friend and keyboardist Ryan was right there along with me. I also want people to be able to relate it to their own life, so sometimes the lyrics are vague and metaphorical. The subjects range anywhere from the teenage years of "Stimulus" and everything feeling new and exciting, to dealing with the death of my mother and also mourning the loss of my drug in "Terminus". The new stuff gets into life after active addiction, and learning how to live life on life's terms. Sometimes those lessons are more painful than addiction itself, but the spiritual rewards are plentiful.

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

Initially the name was just "Omega", which means "end"....signifying the end of my addiction. As we progressed in the recording and writing process, that seemed too simplistic, so we added "experiment" to symbolize what was going on in the studio. Everything was essentially an experiment as far as manipulating sounds and just seeing what worked.

5. Currently there are only 2 members in the band are you planning on expanding the line up in the future?

Yeah we actually have a permanent bassist now. His name is Matt Ryan, and he is amazing. We have had two different live lineups thus far. We hope to be more solidified sometime in the future, but for now we have to take what we can get. We've worked with some amazing talent, but unfortunately those people were only available for a limited time. Either way, we do what we can to get out to the people.

6. I have read that this is a studio project, do you have any plans to do shows in the future?

See previous questions

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

It's completely exceeded our expectations. We knew we had something special once we unleashed it on the Devin Townsend forums and put demos up on Myspace. It's been overwhelmingly positive. We never went into this with any expectations, so pretty much every positive response is amazing to us. We are very grateful and fortunate for where we are.

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

I do things on the side like guest solos, vocal spots, and sometimes the one-off grindcore song or whatever, but this is the real deal for me. This is my passion. Ryan isn't involved in anything else. Matt is a very busy guy musically. He is part of a drumline, and plays in another band with his brother.

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

The new stuff goes to further extremes. The heavy is heavier, the epic is more epic, the soft is softer, the prog is proggier haha. There are blasts. It's just more intense.

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

Our influences are vast. Devin Townsend is a big one, as well as Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Pain of Salvation, Fear Factory, John Williams, Soilwork, Death, Michael Jackson, Frost*, TesseracT, Styx, trance music, pop...there are so many. These days my primary listening source is Spotify. My fave playlist is 80s, which has tons of classic stuff like Kiss, Def Leppard, Phil Collins, Genesis, Yngwie, Ratt, Tears for Fears, etc. I'd say the second fave is my black metal playlist, which has early Emperor, Dark Funeral, Wolves in the Throne Room, Darkthrone, Carach Angren....tons of awesome stuff.

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

Me personally, I don't have time for much else besides school and music. I'm pursuing a degree in mathematics. Otherwise, I enjoy chilling out and watching good TV with friends. I am active in a 12 step recovery program as well. I keep a steady workout regimen, which I believe is vital. I try to stay disciplined haha. Ryan has a family, and is an engineering student so he literally only does that. Matt stays active with music and works installing cable or something like that. I can't remember.

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

Not particularly. Thanks for the opportunity, and look out for our re-release on Listenable Records February 25!