Zealot Cult Interview

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

At the moment, we’re writing and demoing material for a new album and we have a couple of shows coming up over the next few months so we’re quite busy, we’re certainly not sitting around ha ha! “Karmenian Crypt” is being released by Swedish label Blood Harvest on October 24th on vinyl so we’ll be promoting that with our shows. Exciting times to be playing Death Metal!

2.In March you had released a new ep, 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?

When we initially started we just wanted to play extreme music, the earlier material on the self titled demo had grind influences in there, a lot of blast beats and was all played on 7 string guitars. Very chaotic sounding at times and dark. The progression to Karmenian Crypt was very natural, we all know what we like, late 80’s/early 90’s death metal, the old Florida bands and the early Earache releases, we all grew up listening to those bands as they were coming up so they are massive influences. We also tuned up to a higher pitch, to give the songs a bit more excitement and use the 7 strings for slower, heavier stuff.

3.This was your first release in 6 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?

Ah, we went into the wilderness for a while, don’t get me wrong, we were still playing shows and working on material for a second release but that material was never released. We also started another project with other musicians at the time but that fell through so back in 2015, we went back to Zealot Cult and started writing again and the material that is on Karmenian Crypt is the result of that.

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

The lyrical themes and topics vary from song to song. Some songs are based on fantasy, the darker side of humanity and other songs are based on very real topics such as war, brainwashed religious nutcases, tyranny, mental illness etc.... All the good stuff haha!

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Zealot Cult'?

A zealot is defined as a religious fanatic, back in early times they would have had authority, they would police people and had no problem killing for their beliefs. A Cult is pretty explanatory so the two words work together to make a very death metal band name. We feel it suits the music and the lyrical themes of the songs.

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?

Twice a year in our hometown of Limerick, there is an all day festival called “The Siege Of Limerick”. It has 3 stages, runs from noon til 2am and is always a great gig when we are asked to play. A lot of cool bands have played it over the years including bands like Primordial, Grave Miasma, Cruciamentum. The next instalment in October has Dead Congregation headlining and we feel very proud to be part of this upcoming one. Other shows that stand out for us, we were very lucky to share the stage with some great bands such as Decapitated, Exhumed, Atheist, Hail of Bullets, Necros Christos... The last show we did was an all day event with some Invictus acts like Malthusian, Vircolac and Coscradh, that one was a lot of fun, very underground. Our stage performance is very straightforward, we don’t rely on gimmicks like flames or inverted crosses, it’s just song after song after song. We like to fit as much material as possible into an allocated slot.

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

We don’t have any tours planned as of yet as we are busy writing for our debut album that’s coming out on Blood Harvest records but we have some shows booked. We have a show coming up with Akercocke in October, the Siege of Limerick fest at the end of October, we are playing alongside Destroyer 666 on New Years Eve and we have a show with Napalm Death in early 2017 so there is a lot to look forward to.

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

So far, all the feedback we have received for Karmenian Crypt has been extremely positive. We are overwhelmed with the good reviews the EP has gotten so I’d say it is going down very well with death metal fans, everyone that has heard it enjoyed it.

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

The album should be done early 2017, everything going to plan. Musically, there isn’t that much of a deviation from the EP, the music we have written follows the same vibe and ideology. We have some fast stuff written, slower heavier stuff, a good mix of material that seems to flow well together.

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?

We still have all the same favourite bands as we had when were kids, I reckon time just reinforced that haha. We’re big fans of all the late 80’s/early 90’s releases so it would be bands like Morbid Angel, Death, Pestilence, Deicide, Obituary, Immolation, Carcass etc.... Nowadays we are still listening to the same bands and also stuff like early Sepultura, Dark Angel, Possessed but newer bands like Dead Congregation, Deathspell Omega, Cruciamentum etc...

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I don’t think any of our interests are non musical to be honest. You’d have a better chance meeting any of us at gigs, drunk out of our minds than at, say, a football match or any “normal” event. All our interests are musical, either going to gigs, playing gigs or drinking at house parties listening to early Metallica and Slayer.

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

Thank you for the interview, we really appreciate it. Also, please be sure to grab a vinyl copy of Karmenian Crypt which is coming out on Blood Harvest records on October 24th. Be sure to check out the Blood Harvest bandcamp and Zealot Cult bandcamp pages too to listen the material. Thanks for your time!!

Virvum Interview

.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We're based in Zurich Switzerland, and we like Deathmetal a lot. It's the music we grew up to.
We've been a band since more than 8 years now, but only around 4 years in this current constellation (Berger, Gruhn, Morenzoni, Koelman).
We had the renowned Arran McSporran of De Profundis laying down bass for "Illuminance".


2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
A journey to a place where timelessness reigns and nature blooms in strangest colours; A heavenly place far beyond comprehensible perception.
In particular we tried not to focus on writing a pure death metal Album, but focused on the essentials of creating music that pleases our own ears.
We focused on integrating a lot of abstract, cinematic, "beautiful" elements. For me, as I'm influenced by a lot of Drone, Ambient or Post Rock music, I tried to combine those elements with my natural playing style - which includes a lot of stereotypical palm muting and alternate picking etc.

3.The band has been around since 2007 but waited until 2016 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait?
We didn't just "wait". Growing up as musicians, your influences may change rapidly. As we are slow writers, there were times when, whenever we wrote a new song, the next song would sound a lot different to the previous one and so on. There was no way we could have put such diverse songs on one album. Plus, we were not always taking this band as serious as we've been taking it for the last 1-2 years. Around 2 years ago, the plans for this album were drawn and we worked hard on putting together an album that stands out as a whole.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
As a whole, "Illuminance" is a lyrical (and musical) concept album about natural, spiritual and sensual abstractness. The lyrics go into a more Sci-Fi driven direction.
They include sci-fi based topics such as the liquefaction of light, the existence of unknown colours and the general captivation of the human mind.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Virvum'?
People have been asking us this question a lot, specifically because it's also a song by Deeds of Flesh.
After DoF, Virvum can be described as the humanly unknown energy that holds any mass in the universe together, the primordial energy that makes all life possible.
As the term is really memorable, and the meaning after DoF fits perfectly into our lyrical concept, we knew all we needed is a good symmetrical logo.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Direct Support to Dying Fetus was definitely something special and meant a lot to us.
 As we have no big touring history, we're looking forward to hitting the stages of this world as soon as possible.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans fir the future?
As we are currently with no label to put us on a tour, we are always looking for opportunities. There will be a couple of shows coming up in late 2016/early 2017 but if you are a promoter in Europe, do not hesitate to book us.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Yes, we have received some offers. They were not of any big advantage for us. We refused because we believe that this new album is a great product, and the reactions we got from fans so far have proven that this decision was right. We are still interested in signing with a label if our expectations are met.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive and technical death metal?
So far, extremely positive. The hardest part about all of it though, is to reach the people that are potentially interested in hearing your music.
There, I can say that there is still a lot of potential in terms of scalability.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
More concept albums, more cinematic stuff, more natural-, less artificial tunes :-)

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?
Getting up to speed at guitar, I'd say bands like Necrophagist, At The Gates or The Black Dahlia Murder have been some of my biggest long term influences.
Some newer bands I dig lately are definitely Fallujah (whom I played guitar for in 2013), Vale Of Pnath (who put out a fantastic record this year), or Animals As Leaders.
On the non-metal edge, I'm into a lot of artists like This Will Destroy You, Tides From Nebula, Tipper, amm.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Next to this band, we currently all still work ordinary jobs five days a week. There is not much time left for other stuff, but we all love to see new places around this world and hope that our music can soon enable us to do that.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for reading this and supporting Virvum in any way, especially if you purchased "Illuminance". I hope to be able to meet everyone of you in person asap.

https://virvum.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/virvum
 

RTM CxOxMxP 1/Rebirth The Metal Productions/2016 Compilation Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  compilation  released  by  Rebirth  The  Metal  Productions  called  "RTM  CxOxMxP"  which  consists  mostly  of  death  metal  bands  and  we  will  review  the  songs  one  by  one.

  Sacramental  Blood  brings  us  "Sanctimonious"  a  song  that  is  rooted  in  a  very  old  school  yet  brutal  style  of  the  genre  while  also  being  more  heavily  rooted  in  the  more  blasphemous  style  of  the  genre.

  Morass  Skoffin  brings  us  "Blindfold"  a  song  that  goes  for  more  of  an  early  90's  style  of  death  metal  with  a  slight  thrash  influence  while  also  still  having  a  very  modern  sound  and  you  can  also  hear  some  Swedish  influences.

  Enthrallment  brings  us  "Totally  Dismembered"  a  song  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  more  brutal  side  of  the  genre  while  still  having  melodic  guitar  leads  and  some old  school  elements  and  all of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Horrific Disease  brings  us  "Waste  It  Now"  a  song  that  takes  the  old  school  styles  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  adds  a  more  up  to  date  approach  to the  style  while  the vocals  are  more  rooted in  the  mid  80's.

  Abrasive  brings  us "Addicted  To  Flesh" a  song  that  goes  for  the  more  brutal  east  coast  influenced  style  of  the  genre  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  track a long  with  some  blast  beats  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  song.

  Concrete  brings  us  "A  Slasher's  Thrill"  a  song  that  goes  for  an  early  90's  style  of  the  genre  and  you  can  also  hear  a  heavy  Cannibal  Corpse  influence  in  the  song  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Corpse  Garden  brings  us  "Evoking  A  Dead  Sun"  and  the  music  also  sounds  very  technical  yet  brutal  at  the  same  time  and  the  vocals  also  use  a  good  mixture  of  growls  and  high  pitched  screams.

  Extermino  brings  us  "Bond  By  Blood"  a  song  that  goes  for  a  more  modern  and  brutal  approach  to  the  genre  and  the  vocals  also  use  guttural  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  mix  in  some  morbid  sounding  melodies.

  Among  Rats  brings  us  "Art  Movement"  a  song  that  goes  for  more  of  a  fast  style  of  death  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  grindcore  elements  in  the  track  while  still  having  an  old  school  vibe.

  Deformed  Cadaver  brings  us  "Brutalized  Mutilated"  a  song  that  mixes  grindcore  and  brutal  slam  death  metal  together  along  with  a  touch  of  deathcore  and  the  song  is  also  very  short  in  length  and  east  coast  influenced.

  Nexus  Clandestine  brings  us  "The  Purge"  a  song  that  goes  for  more  of  a  darker  yet  heavy  style  of  death  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  song  while  also  using  spoken  word  parts  at  times  as  well  as  some  clean  singing.

  Macabre  Demise  brings  us  "Resurrection  Of  The  Walking  Dead"  a  song t hat  goes  for  more  of  a  brutal  and  guttural  style  of  melody  and  the  blast  beats  have  a  very  dominating  presence  when  the  music  speeds  up.

  In  conclusion  I  feel    this  is  a  very  great  sounding  compilation  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  death  metal.  8  out  of  10.

  https://rebirththemetalproductions.bandcamp.com/album/rtm-cxoxmxp-1



    

Mercyless/Pathetic Divinity/Kaotoxin Records/2016 CD Review

  Mercyless  are  a  band  from  France  that h as a  history  of  almost  30  years  and  also  have  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2016  album "Pathetic  Divinity"  which will  be  released  in  October  by  Kaotoxin  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro starts  off  the  album  having  the  atmosphere  of  a  horror  movie  and  spoken  word  samples  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  that  also  shows  the  riffs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  old  school  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  while  the  music  has  its  roots  in  the  80's  and  90's  the  production  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  feeling  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  an  old  school  death  metal  style  while  also  being  very  melodic  at  times  and  spoken  word  samples  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording while  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  heavy  style.

  On  this  recording  Mercyless  go  for  more  of  an  old  school  approach  to  death  metal while  also  updating  the  genre  for  modern  times  and  the  music  is  also  less  thrash  influenced  than  their  earlier  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  Christianity  and  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mercyless  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pathetic  Divinity"  "To  Exhort  the  Heretic"  and  "Hoe  Deep  Is  Your  hate".  8 out  of  10.      
 
   

Hostis/Self Titled/Miner Recordings/2016 CD Review

  Hostis  are  a  band  from  Montenegro  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2016  album  which  was  released  by  Miner  Recordings.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  a  very  melodic  and  traditional  style  of  metal  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  lot  of  old  school  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  are  all  death  metal  growls  and  while  the  music  has  its  roots  in  the  past  it  still  sounds  very  modern  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples.

  Hostis  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  old  school  forms  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  for  the  modern  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  social  issues  against  the  political  and  religious  dogma,  indoctrination  and  media  manipulation.

  In  my  opinion  Hostis  are  a  very  great  sounding mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mutilation  Of  Truth"  and  "Gods  Are  Dead".  8 out  of  10.     

     

Sacramental Blood Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Well we did lot of shows, had some line up changes and we recorded/released our 2nd demo "The Second Death" between recording and release of album, since we had few years gap between recording and mixing/mastering and then again till release of album. After the release of album we were forced to focus only on promotion of album through magazines and internet due to our drummer's health issues, but we are looking now for his substitute and hopefully from November we will be able to hit the stage again and tour as much as possible. In other news, in coming weeks Miner Records will release limited edition of single cd "Destroyer of Thought and Form", that will contain title track and experimental version of another track from album, "Sanctimonious", enriched with keyboards.

2.In May you had released a new album, 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?
Well it's continuation of what we did on our 2 demos but it has better sound and we captured better performance. Many reviews state it's old school death metal with modern sound of 16th Cellar studio. Musically it's old school brutal death metal in vein of bands like old Monstrosity, Sinister, Suffocation with Obituary/Death and Deicide kind of vocals. Of course there's also more songs so we could deliver more
variety on "Ternion Demonarchy" than on our 2 demos. It's definitely our best work to date.

3.The band took a hiatus for a few years, what was the cause of the break and also the decision to re-group?
After the tour with God Dethroned and Fleshgod Apocalypse in 2009 I realised I could no longer keep the band functional with the same line up since half of the band didn't want to play tours anymore. Still there were too many factors involved so I couldn't just fire those people. We were also not satisfied how was album mixed, but since there was break in communication between band members, we couldn't agree about the future of the band and what to do with album, so I was forced to go on hiatus and just wait until some things come to right place. In beginning on 2011 we got an offer to tour with Disgorge and Natron and I decided to risk and bring new vocalist/guitarist to the band. That was turning point for us because it gave us whole new sound + we stripped band line up to the core that wanted to work hard and continue touring. Hiatus was something I was forced to, so the question was just when will we regroup and continue our mission.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Our lyrics on "Ternion Demonarchy" deal with religion and destructive nature of mankind, mental and social alienation, cloning and sorcery. Sometimes it's more obvious and sometimes it's multi layer song, with horror stories in first plan and deeper meaning hidden between the lines.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sacramental Blood'?
I came up with idea for band's name after watching some documentary about Mayan civilisation. For decades general opinion was that they didn't know about violence and cruelty, but then few decades ago some archaeologists found some old Mayan wall paintings showing human sacrifices and blood rituals they were practising everyday. Even their kings had to spill their own blood about 5 times a day in order to please their gods. They believed prosperity of whole community was depending on their sacramental blood. If something went wrong they believed gods needed more blood or that king's blood wasn't good enough. All those rituals and beliefs were perfectly described later in Mel Gibson's movie "Apocalypto". I thought the name sounds great and has meaning that perfectly fits our music and lyrics.

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?
The last run of shows we did in 2011-2012 with new line up were some we really enjoyed because of chemistry we had. Also show with Sinister in Belgrade, our debut show in Sofia (Bulgaria) and shows with Cannibal Corpse and Vader stick in my mind

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
As soon as we find new drummer we are going to start booking shows again. We were forced to turn down many great offers this year and that sucks. We just can't wait to get back in touring mode and try to visit some new countries and revisit some old places

8.The album was released on 3 different labels, are you happy with the support they have given you so far?
Yes,"Ternion Demonarchy" is released on cd through Ghastly music (Japan) worldwide. Miner Records (Swiss) released cd for ex Yugoslavia territory and they will also release it on vinyl, while Rebirth the Metal (Germany) released it on tape. We also got few days ago an offer from some Brazilian label to release cd in Brazil too so album should be available to all metalheads worldwide. We are more or less satisfied with labels by means of releases and distribution, I just wish they do more in terms of promotion since we are responsible for 95% of reviews out there.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
It has been great so far. It seems like everybody like it. We are getting fantastic reviews and fans are also full or praise for "Ternion Demonarchy". I can't really remember any single bad comment I read about it

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
No big changes. We will continue to do what we do the best, the same way we did in the past. We have never discussed change of direction we will go except when we got the chance to bring Srdjan to band and change the style of lead vocals. We work on one song until it's the best we could make and then we move to the next song. Each song stands for itself and we try to incorporate in each song all elements we have in our music in general: fast,twisted parts, groovier and mid tempo riffs, thrashier riffs, but like I said, without too much planning. It all comes very natural.

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?
Bands like Sinister, old Monstrosity and Suffocation, Luciferion, Sadus, Morbid Angel, Disincarnate, Dying Fetus, Hate Eternal, Possessed, Death, old Forbidden, Nevermore, Vader, old Slayer, Tony MacAlpine, Vital Remains... basically many, many death metal and thrash metal bands. Right now I'm playing blasting through Sinister - Cross the Styx and Deicide - Legion will be the next.

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?
No, not really. Some of us had some little experience with occultism but nothing big and important and it didn't affect our music

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
I don't have much interests nor time for anything else besides music and my little daughter. Srdjan is into kick box and soon will become kick box trainer. Drummer Ivan rides bicycle and is internet addict, digging anything related to conspiracy theories, secret societies and new world order

14.Before we wrap up this interview. do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are doing our best to get back on the road and once when we get there be sure to come and check us out. Album is available from band directly and we have some nice T-shirts in stock too, so do not hesitate to get in touch with us and order your copy. For orders, booking or any other information write to sacramentalblood@yahoo.com or visit our facebook page. Thanks for your attention!