PowerXChuck Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Powerxchuck is a 5 piece powerviolence band from Adelaide South Australia. Started in November 2013 with Cheese (Guitar/Vocals), Hannah (Bass). Fryz (Vocals) and Louis (Drums). Heavily influenced by old school powerviolence bands such as: Spazz, No Comment, Crossed Out, Hellnation and later PxV bands like To The Point, Eddie Brock, The Afternoon Gentlemen. We added a second guitarist Mikey mid 2014.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?
Old school powerviolence like crossed out, Spazz, Charles Bronson, No Comment.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We dont sing about anything serious, mainly stupid things, life experiences.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'PowerXChuck'?
I think the drummer Louis came up with the name, just something silly.

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?
We haven't played many shows unfortunately, favorite show was East West Death Grind fest last year in Sydney. The powerviolence scene in Australia is basically non existant.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We are playing Distort Byron Fest on the East Coast of Australia in Feburary.

7.You have been on a good amount of splits, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands you have shared splits with?
Our first split was with Cancer Patient, a cool band from California, it was released on Bloody Scythe Records. Our second split is with ANF from Italy on Wooaargh records.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of power violence?
We have received better feedback from overseas, unfortunately there is no powerviolence scene here so we are pleased to see people enjoying out music elsewhere.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
More old school powerviolence, I would like to play faster but its up to our drummer i guess.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I mainly listen to grindcore but i also like old school powerviolence. Lately i have been listening to Fiend.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Cooking, photography, surfing, skating.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for the interview, grab a copy of our latest split 7" with ANF from Wooaargh Records (Ger) Here And Now (Italy) Capitao Lixo Coisas (Brazil) Straineyes (Malaysia) Mono Canibal (Spain) BMX Outlaw (Ger) Ecosentric (Ger) Made In The Meth Lab (UK)

Charm Designer Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of
the new album?
R/. It has been a long road since the recordings  until now that there’s finally a release
date…Everything took its time, from getting to the final mix to start looking around for artists and
ending up  with Costin developing the artwork, having the material sent to different labels an
choosing the one to release the album with, etc. We had to do everything by ourselves and it all
took place outside Colombia, so even with the advantages offered by the Internet today it still has
its complications timewise.
Now with a release date we’re focused in its promotion and also getting the songs 100% ready to
hit the stage soon!

2.You have a new album coming out in 2016, how would you describe the musical sound that is
presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the
past?
R/. It is an album in which we were able to achieve a nice balance of heaviness and atmosphere,
and that ends up with a dynamic group of songs which are able to evocate a wide range of
intentions, even if inside a mostly mid-tempo scenario. Most of the songs in the new album were
written and arranged from a denser and more concrete perspective when compared to our older
material. The composition process was more string oriented, so the synths are more in function
of that structure and less part of its core, which was mostly the case of the songs featured in
Blood Sounds.  In addition to that, I think we took a huge step forward in this album with the job
that Waldemar did in terms of production, so it all went to a new level, from the songs as
individual elements to the sound of the whole album. That is also a noticeable point when
comparing against our previous stuff.


3.This is the first album to be released since 2008, can you tell us a little bit more about what
has been going on during that time frame?
R/. Well, we were able to do some shows and to play some festivals in our country in support of
Blood Sounds  and since then we already started working on new songs that began to take shape.
At some point  our keyboardist/guitarist at the time left the band since he was moving to Canada
and that turned to be kind of a big deal for the process of the band and its future projects, since it
led us through a long time frame in which we tried to complete our line-up again and two other
guitarists played with us for a while, so at the time it was all about trying to get the band running
the way we wanted to, but it was tough as hell and it took way longer than we expected. It was
during that period that we also were able to do important shows for us, like opening for The 69
Eyes here in Bogota and playing outside  Colombia, which we did in 2011 when we went to
Caracas, Venezuela.  n In  2012 we started to work with Diego A. Hernandez on guitars and that
allowed us to stop worrying about completing our line-up  and to focus entirely on the songs for
the new album and its preproduction, which  started in 2013. Last year was when everything got
real, as we reached an agreement with Waldemar and he came to produce and record our album.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
R/. We’ve always been into personal reflections and introspective topics when it comes to lyrics.
For Everlasting I think that they’re just more concrete and less subjective. There’s one  line that is
mainly  related to the  constant  interaction and feedback between the self and  its environment
and how both get mutually affected by each other, unavoidably. There is another branch that is
strongly related to the concept of mortality and it leads to various reflections and questionings
regarding the awareness  (or the lack of it) towards a finite existence.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Charm Designer'
R/. t It  s is an attempt to put  together  into words  the purpose and the method,  for a title. t It s is
basically the summary of what we wish to accomplish  and the way we try to do it. It is about h the
balance between the  conscious, calculated  process we follow to shape something that could
(hopefully) be able to organically evocate  a completely opposite, unmeasurable and mystical
effect....and well, it was a band of architects  at the beginning (now it’s kind of 50/50, haha), so
that structure of thought also had something to do with that  and sounded right for us at the time.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would
you describe your stage performance?
R/. As far as I remember, the show we did  for the release of Blood Sounds and  when we opened
for The 69 Eyes in our hometown were  really great as well as when we headlined the Cali Gothic
festival in Cali, Colombia back in 2009.
As for the stage  performance, it is  pretty  obvious we’re not the kind of band to  mosh  with, so
that’s not our bet. We try to create a dense atmosphere instead  and to direct the energy from the
stage  to generate a connection with the people in front of us.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
R/. We’re on it by now, actually. To be established in Colombia is not very helpful, since we’re
really far from where the real action happens. After the release of the album we’re planning on
touring some cities in Colombia and if things go right it would be ideal to play some shows in Latin
America. That requires a lot of time because distances are huge, but we’ll see.  Aside from that, t it
all belongs to our wish list. We’ll do our best to make things happen, if the opportunity comes.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of goth and doom
metal?
R/. It is interesting since I don’t think that we have a specific niche to be exclusively linked with.
We can be too metal for goth music fans or too soft for metal fans  depending on the case, but on
the other hand we can also have the best of both worlds, where fans who like those styles dig  and
appreciate  our music. We’ve had  great reactions for our new stuff so far, and we’re  hoping to
have a wider spectrum of feedback now that a big effort is being  made to promote Everlasting
internationally.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these
days?
R/. Yeah, our drummer is the busy guy at the time. He has been working for some years now with
an industrial rock/metal band  called Cyberia Orgánica  and he has also been playing a for a couple
of years with  Herejía, a death metal band which has been around in Colombia since the 90s.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
R/. Frankly it is a big challenge to think  about that, since we took this huge step with Everlasting,
doing something that no band of our genre has ever done before in Colombia, so our future  can
only ask more from us as a band. We’ve learned and grown a lot from this experience and that
wlill definitely  be an interesting input  for us to start  writing new stuff and consolidating  our style.
Every stage will have its own language, of course, so you never know...but based on how things
have been naturally going, it wouldn’t surprise me if things keep taking a denser road.


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and
also what are you listening to nowadays?
R/. Even if we all grew with slightly different  backgrounds  within the rock/metal spectrum, we all
share a special connection with the gothic/doom sounds from the early 90s, so I’d say that can be
considered as an actual influence. Pioneers to this  kind of sounds such as Paradise Lost,  Type O
Negative  and Katatonia  are a good example f of  that background that s is  common to us before we
even met each other. And well, it is hard not to keep enjoying those nowadays, the classics  as well
as the new stuff.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
R/. Well, the drummer and I are architects, so there’s that on one side...oh, and he’s also into
cycling. Andrės likes videogames  a lot…


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
R/. Firstly, I’d like to thank  you for this interview  and for reviewing our new album.
I’d also like to remind that Everlasting will be out worldwide on February 19th. and you  can  go to
Inverse Records’ online store where it is already on pre-sale if you  want to support us by buying it.
We have a lot of respect for the people that no matter the times that we’re living in want to have
the real thing and still buy  physical  albums, especially  from independent bands.  t It  is something
that isn’t that hard to do as a music fan, but it means the world to the bands, so, I’d just say that if
you like it, you should try  your best  to support it.
And lastly, please don’t hesitate to contact us through Facebook or Twitter if you want to say
anything to us.  Happy 2016, people!

Motus Tenebrae Interview

Answers by Andrea Cosci (Bass)

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Hi and welcome, the album was finished in August 2015 at the MarbleChair Production (own studio). At the moment has been released the first official video of the titletrack "deathrising". In the first days of January will be published another one video lyrics for the song "our weakness" and in the meantime we are releasing a lot of interviews and worldwide on-air radios playlists.


2.You have a new album coming out in early 2016, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Yeah, the new album will be out in January 25th via My Kingdom Music and the pre/order is just available. This new record signs the Luis on vocals comeback and in the early stages of preproduction we wanted to create a big dark doom atmosphere on it, with mid tempos and marked classic gothic melodies in the songs. It is in our style and I think it’s the natural evolution of the previous album "Double Black".


3.This is the first album to be released in 3 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

In these three years we changed the drummer and a keyboard player added. It required us to us a long time to have the right musicians, so in this time we started working very quietly to the new album doing a lot of recording sounds experiments to reach the goals.


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

Has always been our tradition to speak of sacred things, anguish and thoughts about the divine God and the evil, the gothic romantic feelings…anyway everything concerning the dark side of the human soul, but also of love and eternally damned suffered. All of which are unfortunately the reality of this world we are living!


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Motus Tenebrae'?

Motus Tenebrae is our grotesque way of interpreting the natural human fears. Darkness in agreement with the movement and then with life! Everything that moves generates life, can’t exist light without darkness and vice versa. But I think that if you know see in the dark, (by the time), you can find solutions that makes you worried and afraid someday.


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

Each live performance is always a great satisfaction for us and we have a lot fun on stage. We always try to include in the live set the songs more live oriented because there are tracks that work very well on stage and others that their strength is on record. In these days we have established the tracklist that includes old songs that we can’t wait to play in the new year supporting “Deathrising” album.


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

Yeah! We have some gigs confirmed and of course the release album party. Other dates will be scheduled when the album is out and we hope to play some big festivals or even supporting some great bands.


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

There are many gothic and doom metal bands worldwide, but we think that in underground scenes Motus Tenebrae was able to have great feedbacks in 15 years of good music level. I’m very proud of my band and what will do in the future!


9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Yes! Our current drummer Andrea plays drums in his project called “Deathless Legacy”. This project has just signed a new deal with Scarlet Records and they played at the Wacken Open Air Festival last year. I recommend this band to all who love horror metal with great and nice live scenographics.


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

As I said before I am very proud about Motus Tenebrae. We recently got a new label, a new management team that works really really well! With the new album we are very pleased with its production and we believe it’s a great little Italian gothic doom masterpiece, and why not, also around the world. Hoping it will give us endless excitement and satisfaction to work best in the next records.


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

It is clear that our influence is to be found in classic bands like Paradise Lost,Moonspell,Type O Negative and so on. But anyway we try to shape those atmospheres with our sound trying to put our brand! Not always easy to do, but when you put your nude soul in what you are creating you get to fantastic results. This is what we do to give emotions to the listener our music. I currently listening little gothic or doomy bands, in these days I discovered a cool finnish stoner band called Doom Unit and I love his sound!


12.According to the fb page you have an interest in Esoterism, Magick and Graveyards, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

You said the right thing man! all members of the band is concerned and like esoteric stuff. I personally really love the cemetery architecture,not modern but old and rusty! As I like so much churches, breathing the magic that lives in those place and every time it happens I feel regenerated…I love all that is divine,sacred and unknown. I live these emotions and try to put them in music to elevate what I feel inside to the listener.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

First of all I want to thank you for this interview and the time spent together! I want to mention the release of the official video "Deathrising" available on YouTube,and the next video lyrics soon. And of course pre/order the copy to those interested through our label My Kingdom Music. For every detail,news,music,videos,and pics visit the official FB page Motus Tenebrae . See you soon and stay on death !

Ravens Creed/Ravens Krieg/Xtreem Music/2015 CD Review

  Ravens  Creed  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust,  thrash  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Ravens  Krieg"  which  was  released  by  Xtreem  Music.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  crust/grind  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  old  school  death  metal  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  thrash  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  as  well  as  traces  of  d  beat  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's.

  Morbid  sounding  melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of t he  guitar  riffing  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  except  for  the  last  track  which  is  13  minutes  long  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  only  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  the  whole  album  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recoridng.


  Ravens  Creed  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era's  of  crust,  thrash  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  touch  of  early grindcore  to  create  a  very  heavy  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ravens  Creed  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust,  thrash  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Palmer  The  Hammer"  "Victory  In  Defeat"  "Bitten  by  Witch  Fever"  and  "While  You  Were  Sleeping".  8  out  of  10.   

Motus Tenebrae/Deathrising/My Kingdom Music/2016 CD Review

  Motus  Tenebrae  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays gothic/doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Deathrising"  which  will  be  released  in  2016  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  guitar  lead  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  yet  depressive  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  adding in  a  great  amount  of  clean  singing  vocals  which  also  gives  the  music  a  goth  rock  feeling  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  mix  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  together.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  tradition  doom  metal  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  they  also  bring  in  a  lot  of  influences  from  90's  gothic  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  and  symphonic  sounds  can  be  heard in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  couple of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  one  track  they  also  bring  in  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats.

  Motus  Tenebrae  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  goth  and  doom  metal  and also  adds  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  create  a  very  dark  and melancholic  sounding  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  emotional  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Motus  Tenebrae  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  goth  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Our  Weakness"  "Light  that  We  Are"  "Haunt  Me"  and  "Desolation".  8  out  of  10.

Charm Designer/Everlasting/Inverse Records/2016 Full Length Review

 Charm  Designer  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  plays  gothic/doom  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Everlasting"  which  will  be  released  in  2016  by  Inverse  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  epic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  and  when  keyboards  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  horror  move  soundtrack  and  also  bring  in  a  heavy  dose  of  goth  to  the  bands  musical   style.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  use  a  great  mixture  of  both  death  metal  growls  and  clean  singing  and  when  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they give  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  elements  of  doom  metal  in  the  slow  guitar  riffs.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses female  vocals  are  brought  onto  a  couple  of  the tracks  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  throughout  the  recording and  they  also  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Depeche  Mode's  "Moment  Of  Truth".

  Charm  Designer  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  goth  and  doom  metal  together  with  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  to  create a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Charm  Designer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Everlasting"  "Disruption"  "Endowar"  and  "Policy  Of  Truth".  8  out  of  10. 
 

Svalbard Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

 We're fiercely independent. We pride ourselves on being mindful, hard-working and have a strong DIY ethic. All of our songs are thoroughly researched social commentary. We won't ever lyrically or musically dumb ourselves down. We all have very ecclectic music tastes, which reflects itself in our music - we're not concerned with fitting in with a genre. We just play whatever we love. We know we're never going to make it!

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

I would say we sound like an explosion in the heart, a lump in the throat or a punch in the gut; depending on the song. Our album is a cake of many layers, most of them bitter sweet. 

There is definitely a post-rock / dream pop influence within our heaviness; we're big fans of bands like Alcest, Mew, Mono, Dirty Three etc. In general, we all have varied and eclectic music taste, which amalgamates itself into some kind of Swedish Crust Hardcore Post Rock beast. 

I always find it complimentary when people say they find our music hard to describe / categorize, because all of my favorite bands tend to be like that. I don’t think we consciously try to sound like part of a particular genre, or have obvious, direct musical influences. We just go with what we love, whether it’s distortion, delay, clean passages, blast beats, or d -beat – if it feels good to us to play, then it becomes part of our sound.

The most important thing for me in music is atmosphere; so anything dark, broodying and heartfelt is what inspires me the most. When I write a Svalbard riff, I search for that feeling not for the ‘right’ notes.

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

Track by track, 'Perspective' is about the glamourisation of sadness in alternative music. People who promote depression as a cool thing; as if it's a necessary artists requirement. It bothers me because genuine mental illness is still hugely stigmatised in society. If only we could be as accepting of the reality of despair as we are of the image of it.

'Disparity' is about the gap between the projected self and the real self. The dangers of manipulating your own identity to perfection online; thus creating an unattainable target for yourself in the real world. This song is asking the question: how much does social media breed discontent? 

The Vanishing Point is about ex band members, who claim to be in it for the long haul but they run away from any real commitment. It's about when you can see that change in someone, the growth of their disinterest and you can just feel them pulling away.

Expect Equal Respect is about how when you define a musician by their gender - you reduce them to it. I hate it when Svalbard are called 'Female Fronted' - A) I'm not the front person, I'm the guitarist who does a bit of vocals! B) Highlighting someones gender makes it seem as though it's a relevant factor when it's not. You can't hear my ovaries on the album. But when someone describes your band by a physical attribute such as gender, it makes you feel as though that's all they've noticed. They don't care about your songs, they care about the fact that your a girl. Which is so stupid. Stop treating women as if they are novelties - anyone who plays music should simply be referred to as a musician, regardless of their sex, orientation, race or religion.

'Unrequited' is a bit of a lovelorn ballad. 'Unnatural Light' concerns how social media has become the "opium of the masses" by locking its users into a permanantly distracted state. It provides an outlet for people to moan, thus preventing them from taking action in the real world. They just type a status, then stare at the screen all spent and subservient.

Our album is called One Day All This Will End. It sounds like a pessimistic title, but it wasn't intended to be. The idea that we're trying to convey is that both all good things and all bad things will pass. The happiness won't last, but neither will the sadness. It's about the flow of opposites that rise and fall against each other, never settling in one state forever. When I think about the phrase 'one day all this will end', it fills me with a sense of relief because it celebrates the eternal possibilities of change and the passion that embeds itself within an awareness of the finite.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Svalbard'?

Svalbard is an archipelago, all on its own. Sometimes we feel like that as a band, as we don't really fit in with a particular scene or sub-genre. So the name kind of symbolises that. 

Svalbard is also one of the settings in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy; we really love those books and I think our icy, post-rock tones would make a fitting soundtrack to the bleak tundra setting of that story!

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

The two words I would use to describe our live performances would be 'sweaty' and 'cathartic.' I completely lose myself every time we play our songs, which is a blissful state to achieve for an over-thinker like myself! 

Our 30 minute set always passes by in a blur; when it’s over it feels a bit like being woken up from sleep – because you realize how immersed you were in the music. Even when gigs go badly, the rush of playing heavy riffs as loud as you can with 3 of your friends is always the best feeling ever. 

Playing in Svalbard is by far the most physically exerting band I have played in. Something that isn’t mentioned often in metal / hardcore is how much screaming hurts; after every show I ache all over and feel completely drained. But even that ache itself is a lovely feeling, because it symbolizes that you played your fucking heart out.

It's hard to list the best shows we have played, because every gig is different and has it's own good or bad parts. Playing festivals such as Temples and Fluff Fest was an incredible experience - we were overwhelmed by the positive responses we received there. I always find it particularly moving when I can see the crowd shouting the lyrics with us as we play.

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

Our next, and last gig of 2015, is in Cheltenham next Friday. We are currently planning 2 European tours for 2016, plus a few weekends in Scandinavia and the UK. We hope to be as busy as possible touring the album next year!

7.A year back you were part of a split with 'Pariso', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?

There’s not many people / bands you meet who straight away you instantly click with. But from the moment we played our first gig together in 2013, we had that with Pariso. They've since become our best friends. Whilst hanging out in London together, Liam and Alex from Pariso came up with the idea for the collaboration record outside an ice cream parlor. It felt like the next logical step for us and Pariso to get musically married, after the honeymoon that was our European tour together! We even have matching 'P / S' tattoos, which stands for Pariso and Svalbard forever.

It's such a shame that Pariso have split up now, they had so many crushing riffs and released tons of awesome records. We played at their final show in September this year, that gig was insane. It was a very mosh-tastic, very emotional farewell. We miss that band already.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

As I write this, I am currently listening to the new Ghost album 'Meliora.' Boy, do they know how to write a prog chorus! Amazing stuff. I have also been enjoying the 'Les Revenants' soundtrack by Mogwai and 'Excercises in Fulity' by Mgla this week. 

Many of our influences aren't directly obvious in our sound: The Cure, Nasum, Fuck The Facts, Nick Cave, Tragedy and Explosions in the Sky inspire us greatly with the feelings their music evokes. It's always the "feeling" we want in our music, not necesssarily the emulation of a particular style. 

We've recently been going crazy over Pink Shiny Ultra Blast, but that doesn't mean our new album is going to sound anything like theirs! But when you find a band whose music affects your heart, it can lead to your own little explosion of ideas, however different they may be. The Svalbard mentality is that different is always good. 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Well, I'm a bit of a roller coaster enthusiast. I travel the world riding roller coasters and writing about them. At the moment I have ridden 339 different roller coasters! 

I also draws cute, Japanese-inspired art under the name 'Cherry Cats.'

Liam and Mark both love riding their bikes and watching films.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Yes, check out the following bands! Dawn Ray'd, Mine, Cady, Hexis, We Never Learned To Live, Anta, Earth Moves, Group Of Man, Ojne, The Tidal Sleep, Venom Prison...we could go on and on!

The Mild Interview

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

Sure we can! Ahaha anyway.. We've just came back from our first European Tour with our mates Zeit. We are planning to record a couple of new songs in order to understand how they sound in the near future. We will also play two shows, We are playing at the Groove Studio Party in Lughignano (Treviso - Italy) on December 23rd and in Schio (Vicenza – Italy) on January 15th with Hierophant (Season Of Mist), Zeit and Cioran.

2.In November you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

In my opinion it could be defined as Hardcore which sounds Metal with Grindcore influences. But it is not too easy to describe it precisely, many reviews have written that our sound has more Black Metal and PowerViolence influences than Metal or Hardcore.

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

Very good question. Left To Starve had been thought as a Concept Ep based on the human experience of death in many different situations and the reflections it concerns. Then when I write down some lyrics I try to tell a story.. so, like a novel.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Mild'?

Finding the band name was a real pain in the neck. We tried with many names but they finally end up not to convince us and sometimes they were already used by other bands. We figured out that situation by chance calling our band "The Mild" which probably reveals a position between good and evil.

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

Some of the best shows we've played so far can be both shows we played in Czech Republic during our European Tour. We played the first at the Klub 007 in Prague with Birds In Row (Deathwish) and we were very thrilled to play with them. The second show was in Olomouc where the people who attended there got crazy and we lived one of the most insane situations so far.
Throughout our stage performance we try to create an atmosphere with feedback's and delays, then We aim to reach the audience with the song intensity.

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

We are planning to come back to Europe in July or maybe August, then during the next fall too.

7.Can you tell us about the many different labels that had helped you release your ep?

We succeed in releasing Left To Starve thank to 9 different labels, divided between tape format and vinyls. The ep has been released in vinyl by Assurd Records (Italy), Zas Autoproduzioni (Italy), 5 Feet Under Records (Denmark), Rip Roaring Shit Storm (Uk) and Crust Or Die Distro (Brazil). In addition, I Want To Believe Tapes (Italy), Dullest Records (Usa), Vleesklas Records (Belgium), Epileptic Media (Austria) had co-produced all the tapes with the 5 Feet Under and Rip Roaring Shit Storm help. Every label we dealt with has been friendly, pleasant and accepted our conditions and timetable.

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

We are glad that our music reached Brazil and United States. We played through Italy, Germany and Czech Republic during our first European Tour and we had a good response from the audience. We haven't recieved a great amount of reviews about our Ep so far but those we got were positive.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We're now writing new songs and yes, you can expect a full length. We don't know when but it will surely be recorded. We are going to maintain the Left To Starve sound with more noisy parts maybe and we have a couple of new long songs (for our average ahaha) so the Lp could be made up of "long songs". However, I think that our future record won't be so different.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I remember when I was playing and writing the first riffs for this band and I was paradoxically really interested in the Entombed and Eye Hate God sound. So these two bands had a great influence on me and my guitar riffs.
I'm very keen on noisy music and metal but The Mild is a three member band and each one listens to different bands and genres. From Hardcore to Grindcore, from Crustpunk to Metal. It's probably for this reason that the stuff we play is a mixture of different genres.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Bean curd, Wheat gluten and Motorbikes.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank a lot for you patience. Hope to see you sometimes, somewhere.
Fuck Music, Make Noise.

Vanny Piccoli – The Mild

Razoreater/Vacuum Of Nihil/WOOAAARGH/Skin And Bones/2016 EP Review

  Razoreater  are  a  band  from  the  united  kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hardcore  punk,  d  beat,  grind  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their ep  "Vacuum  of  Nihil"  which  will  be  released  in  2016  as  a  joint  effort  between  WOOAAARGH  and  Skins  And  Bones  Records.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  and  spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  before going  into  a  very  fast  grindcore  direction  that also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  old  school  death/thrash  style  vocals  and  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  slow  parts  that  also  mix  in  d  beat,  hardcore  punk  and  crust.

  Guitar  solos  and  leads  are  mostly  done  in  an  old  school  style  hardcore  punk  style  and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length  and  also  mix  in  extreme  metal  and  punk  influences  from  the  80's  up  to  modern  day  along  with  a  few  shouting  and  screaming  vocals  and  the  music  also  remains  heavy  and  brutal  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  along  with  a  brief  use  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  harsh  noise  elements.

  Razoreater  plays  a  very  raw  and  brutal  musical  style  that  mixes  hardcore  punk,  d  beat,  grind  and  metal  to  create  a  very  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sound s very  powerful  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Razoreater  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  mixture  of  hardcore  punk,  d  beat,  grind  and  metal  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I,  Dreadnought"  and  "Wrath'.  8  out of  10.

   

Prolefeed/War All The Time/WOOAARGH/Doomed Future Records/Prejudice Me/BSD Records/2015 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  the  United  Kingdom's  Prolefeed  and War  All  The  Time  which  will  be  released  on  December  24th,  2015  as  a  joint  effort  between  WOOAARGH,  Doomed Future  Records,  Prejudice  Me  and  BSD  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Prolefeed  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grind,  power  violence  and  hardcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split starts  out  with  screaming  vocals  and  a  fast  crust/grind  sound  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  d  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  they  also  mix  in  hardcore  style  shouting  and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  one  being  under  2  minutes.

  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  melody  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy  and  aggressive, the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Prolefeed  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  grind,  power  violence  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "First  World Problems"  and  "Verbal  Bore".

  Next  up  is  War  All  the  Time  another  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grind,  power  violence  and  hardcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  aggressive  hardcore  style  vocals  and  a  fast  crust/grind  sound  and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  one  being  2  minutes  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  d  beats  in  the  drumming  along  with  a  few  blasts.

   The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  also  always  remains  true  to  a  very  raw  and  aggressive  musical  style  and  you  can  also  hear  a  slight  old  school  punk  influence  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  War  All  The  Time  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  grind,  power  violence,  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Revolution"  and  "Gods  Will  Listen".

  In  conclusion  I  fell  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  recording  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  grind,  power  violence  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  split.  8  out  of  10.   

Grindlover Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Mr.UKGrind: We're not a band but two-piece project of two men playing some electro grind together


2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?


Mr.UKGrind: That's electro grind passionately mixed with some porno samples and ambient/acoustic parts



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


Mr.UKGrind: We have no lyrics except the only song for which Kai Grimmsberg from selftitled project and several other underground activities recorded vocal for invited by us and topics of other songs explored in their titles because our music it's mostly circulating around different kind of pornography, it's aesthetical side, our own preferences in it, fetishes and fantasies


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Grindlover'?


Mr.UKGrind: We think our name just speak for itself!


5.I have read on 'Spirit Of Metal' the band had split up, is this still the case and also can we expect new material in the future?


Mr.UKGrind: Not the best site to get the info from. Look, there even just our album added and no split. So we never had been in a split up status, we two-piece project so we can't go and tour so how else we can inform about our activity?

And yes, we already working on a new material, expect new full-lenght album from us already entitled "U.K. Is Shit" to be out at the first half of 2016. Any labels that interested in it can contact us through: greendlover@gmail.com

6.Has the band done any live shows or is this a studio project only?


Mr.UKGrind: It's studio project only


7.You where also a part of a split with 'Scum Noise', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?


Mr.UKGrind: Our recording label at that time Symbol Of Domination Prod. asked us if we'd like to do a split with Scum Noise because that project was in search for a split partner. We checked the material and whynot because it sounded sick and raw and it's totally ok for us! Project doesn't think much about qulity of production but blasting raw mixed rusty noiseblack and that's was enough for us!

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

Mr.UKGrind:Label said copies of our previous releases is sold out and we got few reviews here and there and well you contacted us right now 2 years after our latest release and asked to interview us so it's not bad at all

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects?

Mr.UKGrind: Yes, but we can't unleash that because we don't want additional hyper attention to Grindlover. We want to just let people discover it on their own

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Mr.UKGrind: It's definitely chaos of blasting musical walls of Anaal Natrakh and all the grind bands all over the world and their talentless sounding drums/guitars and voices

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Mr.UKGrind: I'm a hunter as my grandad and father was, also I work in local metal bar/pub/club here in London

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Mr.UKGrind: Thanks you for this interview, it's a pleasure to be on a pages of your zine. Listen to good music, eat pork and keep grinding! \m/\m/  \m/\m/

Jesusegg/Self Titled/Seeing Red Records/2015 CD Review

  Jesusegg  are  a  band  from  Cleveland,  Ohio  that  plays  a  very  brutla  form  of  noise/grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2015  album  which  will  be  released  on  December  25th  by  Seeing  Red  Records.

  A  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  speeding  up  and  adding  blast  beats,  guttural  screams  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  brings  in  a  more  technical  style  of   noise/grindcore  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Most  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length  and  at  times  you  can  hear  elements  of  slam  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  some  of t he  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  is  also  perfectly  balanced  between  both  old  school  and  modern  day  grindcore  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  crust  punk  can  be  heard  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  saxophones  and  influences  from  non  extreme  musical  genres  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Jesusegg  plays  a  style  of  grindcore  that  is  very  modern,  brutal  and  technical  and  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  noise,  crust  and  ska  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  social,  gore,  political  and  humorous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Jesusegg  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  and  brutal  noise/grindcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flight  Of  the  Blowfly'  "Violent  Means"  "Toolshed  Surgery" and  "Bane  of  Avalon".  8  out  of  10.

The Maledict Interview

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



We'll be taking a very quick break over the Christmas period and then launching straight back into things - we have a couple of shows lined up and are working at securing more so that we can get out there and introduce our music to new people. Full steam ahead!



2.You have your first full length coming out in December, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?



Around early 2014 I'd finally figured out a clear vision in my head of the type of album I wanted to write - I'll let people draw their own conclusions from what they're hearing, but the intent was to make a very heavy, dark album that had some interesting musical texture and a bit of light and shade going on.



Setting a consistent mood on this one was paramount and not really something we had really tried before. I like to think it's a bit more nuanced and more honest than our demos - they kind of teetered between aggro, pseudo-political death metal and a more morose atmosphere. Dread has a clearer focus in its atmosphere and takes more risks musically as well.



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



Most of the lyrical subject matter is derived from entries out of my own personal journal and then mixed in with a thick layer of fantasy imagery. Looking through it all, concepts of how fear manifested in myself and other people started to become apparent so that's how it became sort of the driving theme of the album: fear of the future, fear over things you've done or not done in the past, fear in the existential, Kierkegaardian sense or just irrational fears when dealing with people. Being afraid is one of those things that most of us really hate admitting or even recognising in ourselves, but it's so often the underlying thing driving so much of the way we act in life and on a personal level, I blame it for a lot of the aspects about myself that I don't like.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Maledict'?



Thought it sounded cool.



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



We've played shows in Geelong, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as our home town - Melbourne in particular received us really warmly, which is nice. Our live show is still something that's evolving as we play - I'd never really considered it before, but you learn it's one of those things like the music in that you want to be conscious of the tone you're setting.



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



We've got a couple of shows lined up here and there in a few different cities but since we've all got full-time jobs and other commitments taking up so much time, we're kind of taking it as it comes and being careful not to overcommit. If the demand is there, we'd be keen to go wherever! We'll see.



7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?



We've been looking, though not very hard. In the age of the web bands have a much better chance of getting their music out there under their own steam, so we wanted to try giving that a go first and just see how people take to the new material.



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of goth, doom and death metal?



It's been really good! Still early days since the album is not quite out yet, but we've got pre-release reviews coming back and some airplay in several places, and the reaction has been really positive. This being our first serious release, we weren’t sure how the reaction would be so it’s been a pleasant surprise.



9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



Too early to get into specifics, but I have some ideas for high-level concepts kicking around that will change things up in future material. We're starting from a clean slate now that Dread is almost out the door. I ended up writing everything on this album but in the future I can see the process getting a little more collaborative. Nothing is off-limits at the moment.



10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



There's lots of Peaceville influence on it - Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema - plus some more funeral doom stuff like Skepticism. Lately I've been listening to a lot of film soundtracks and classical and neoclassical music - Mozart (Requiem in particular), Beethoven, Max Richter, Clint Mansell, Lisa Gerrard, that kind of thing. I can see some of that snaking its way into future material; I want to write something really heavy and dark, but also kind of beautiful and natural in a way.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?



Anything creative - I like doing graphic design and photo manipulation a lot and I do a fair bit of writing, though that comes and goes. Lately I've been starting to get more and more interested in philosophy too - Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Aristotle, Plato, Schopenhauer etc. It's a really cool feeling when you stumble into a passage by someone else that puts something you've always unconsciously thought into a crystal-clear perspective. It draws attention too, to the fact that every brilliant idea you think you've come up with has been done by someone else first, and done better. I guess that's kind of a bummer on one hand, but on the other it lends well to the idea that we're not at all alone in the way we think. Also, lately The Witcher 3 has been stealing many hours of my life.



12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?


Thanks for the opportunity to do this interview, and thanks for the kind words in your review! It's been really humbling. Have an excellent one.

The Mild/Left To Starve/5 Feet Under Records/2015 EP Review

  The  Mild  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grind  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015 ep  "Left  To  Starve"  which  was  released  by  5  Feet  Under  Records  and  a  variety of  many  other  labels  that  would  take  to  long  to  list.

  A  very  distorted  noise  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  that  uses  hardcore  shouting  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  black  metal  in t he  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  riffs  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  one  being  only  a  little  bit  over  2  minutes    and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  small  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  can  be  heard  along  with  soem  elements  of  power  violence  also  being  brought  in  at  times  and  they  also b ring  in  a  brief  noise  instrumental  before  closing  the  ep  with  another  guitar  driven  track.

  The  Mild  plays  a  style  that  takes  grind,  power  violence  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very heavy  and  brutal  style  that  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Mild  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  grind,  power  violence  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Dirac  Sea"  and  "Thresholds". 8  out  of  10.

   

Extreme Noise Terror/Self Titled/Willowtip Records/2015 CD Review

  England's  Extreme  Noise  Terror  have  returned  with  a  new  album  that  goes  back  to  the  grind  and  crust  punk  sound  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  which  was  released  by  Willowtip  Records.

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  very  fast  grindcore  direction t hat  uses  growling  vocals,  blast  beats  and  the  energy  of  crust  punk  and  high  pitched  screams  along  with  shouting  style  hardcore  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  with  only  one  going  pass  the  3  minute  mark  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  melody  can  be  heard  while  most  of  the  music  remains  very  fast,  raw  and  brutal  and  also  has  a  very  vintage  mid  80's  style  to  it  and  some  of  the  riffing  brings  in  a  touch  of  thrash.

  Extreme  Noise  Terror  goes  back  to their  roots  on  this  recording  creating  a  very  raw  and  brutal  crust/grind  record  that  sounds  like  it  could  of  came  out  during  their  earlier  years,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  social,  political,  hateful  and  punk  rock  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Extreme  Noise  Terror  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Punk  Rock  Control"  "Think  Outside  The  Box"  "Cash  And  Trash"  and  "Cage  paralysis".  8  out  of  10.

Die Choking/III/The Compound/2015 Full Length Review

 Pennsylvania's  Die  Choking  have  returned  with  a  new  album  continuing  the  mixture  of  grind,  crust,  power  violence  and  thrash  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "III"  which  was  released  by  the  Compound.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  somr  blast  beats  before  adding  in  aggressive  vocals  that  mix  thrash  and  crust  together  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  power  violence  elements  throughout  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  all  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

 Some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length  and  none  even  get  close  to  2  minutes  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  technical  sounding  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  the  music  remains  very  heavy  and brutal  throughout  the  recording.

  Die  Choking  creates  another  album  that  takes  the  fastest  and  rawest  styles  of  crust,  grind  and  power  violence  and  mix  them  in  with  some  thrash  influences  and  technical  guitar  playing  which  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  social  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Die  Choking  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  grind,  crust  and  power  violence,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dwell"  "The  Prince  Of  Population"  "Dead  Figurehead"  and  "Telos".  8  out  of  10.

The Maledict/Dread/2015 Full Length Review

 The  Maledict  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  with  some  gothic  and  orchestra  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Dread".

  A  very  atmospheric  sound  along  with  some  clean  playing  starts  out  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  that  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  screams  into  the  songs  and  the  music  also  alternated  between  both  the  clean  and  heavy  parts.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos and  leads  are  very  melodic  and  add  more  of  a  post  metal  feeling  to the  bands  musical  style  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  it  brings  in  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  style.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music starts  incorporating  more  atmospheric  and  symphonic  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  songs  also  bring  back  the  early  90's  gothic/doom  metal  style  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  The  Maledict  plays  a  style  of  doom  and  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  also  brings  back  some  of  the  orchestra  and  goth  element s of  that  era  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  more  modern  style  of  extreme  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

 In   my  opinion  The  Maledict are  a  very  great  sounding  orchestra,  goth  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fast  Unto  the  End"  "A  Muse  In  Requiem"  and  "Deadened  Eyes  to the  Horizon".  8  out  of  10.

      

  

 

Grindlover/Deep Dive Into Holes Of Love/Symbol Of Domination Productions/2013CD Review

  Grindlover  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  electro  form  of  noise/grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Deep Dive  Into  Holes  Of  Love"  which  was  released  by  Symbol  Of  Domination  Productions.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  starts  getting  heavy  adding  in  more  of  a  raw  grindcore  style  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  programmed  blast  beats  and  they  also  bring  in  samples  from  porno  movies  and  television  shows  and  also  mix  them  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  High  pitched  screams  bring  elements  of  noisecore  to  the  music  and  they  also  mix  a  lot  of  electro  and  grind  parts together  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  harsh  noise  can  be  heard  at  times   and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  guttural  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the recording.

 Grindlover  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  noise  and  grindcore and  mixes  them  together  with  electro  music,  porno  samples  and  a  touch  of  guttural  death/grind  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  pornography  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Grindlover  are  a  very  great  sounding  electro  noise/grindcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Smurfette  Nymphomaniac  Song"  "Erotic  Japan"  "Drunkcore"  and  "Where  Is  My  Bitch".  8  out  of  10.