Beneath/The Barren Throne/Unique Leader/2014 CD Review

  Beneath  are  a  band  from  Iceland  that  plays  a  very  brutal  and  technical  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The  barren  Throne"  which  will  be  released  by  Unique  Leader.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  they  bring  a  very  dark  feeling  to  the  recording  and  after  a  minute  the  music  starts  going  for  a  more  technical  death  metal  direction  along  with  some  growls,  blast  beats  and  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  music  starts  to  get  more  fast  and  brutal  as  well  as  bringing  in  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  On  the  other  songs  there  are  more  brutal  elements  along  with  a  mixture  of  slow  and  fast  parts  and  they  also  add  clean  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  in  the  more  brutal  and  melodic  moments  of  the  recording  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  mixture  of  short  and  long  tracks  and  later  on  the  acoustic  guitars  make  a  brief  return  before  the  album  goes  back  to  a  more  heavy  and  brutal  direction.

  Beneath  bring  in  a  very  brutal  and  technical  sound  to  the  album  with  the  brutal  parts  being  the  main  focus  as  well  as  adding  in  more  melody  than  most  bands  of  this  genre  to  create  a  very  great  quality  death  metal  sound,  along  with  a  very  professional  sounding  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  a  concept  that  involves  an  entity  that  consumes  and  devours  everything  around  until  its  forced  to  consume  itself.

  In  my  opinion  Beneath  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical,  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Depleted  Kingdom"  "Putrid  Sea  of  Affection"  "Veil  Of  Mercy"  and  "Unearthed".  8  out  of  10.      

Ninjaspy Interview

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

These days we are touring western canada and crowdfunding on indiegogo to make a new album this summer! 

2.Recently you have put out a new ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from your previous album?

No Kata took us to some interesting new places musically. We explored a lot with effects for the drum & bass style parts, and really got into washy psychedelic dub reggae stuff as well. Basically a natural expansion on genres from what we started with Pi Nature. 

3.There was a 6 year gap between release, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during those years?

We toured on our first album A LOT in Canada. Went through many a tour van haha. For a good three years we toured. Then we went to tour Japan in 2010. After that we wanted to do a quick, short, cheap project to get some new music out. The No Kata Musical Graphic Novel seemed ideal. But then the artwork for the graphic novel took so long due to artist flakiness, before we knew it three more years had gone by. So we wrote and toured the single, then toured the EP without the book, then finally released the book last year. Now we have a lot of new music ready to record a full length. 

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

I tend to write about my ideals, and my emotions. I try to be positive and uplifting, and speak to the troubles i see in the world with solutions and reflections. Most often the things i describe are ways of being that i aspire to, but most often do not accomplish. I write about what i strive for and what i'd like to see in the world, and the feelings i have about the fucked up world in which we live. 

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

Who would win in an international battle to the death, a ninja or a spy? I answered that question by suggesting that combining the ancient artistry of ninjutsu with the modern gadgetry of the spy would be a much better alternative than both of the former fighting to the death. Then i actually started studying ninjutsu. We like to incorporate the silliness and violence of the modern ninja image with influence from authentic ninjutsu training and philosophy. 

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?

So many good shows! Always a good time big or small. One of my recent favourites was the No Kata book release in Vancouver at the Rickshaw. We performed the music live in sync video projected images of the book playing on two huge screens. It was invigorating to finally see the completion of that project. 

Our live performance i would describe as heavier and bloodier than any of our recordings. It doesnt matter if there are five or five thousand people, we'll always bring the violent spin kickin fun. Im all about dancing violently without hurting anyone. 

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

Nothing concrete but once we have the new album we will be looking to bring it to as many places as possible. 

8.According to the fb page, the band is signed to Zestone Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Im not sure if Zestone is still around. They were our label in Japan. Very small outfit, really good guys from a band called Lost. They had a few international acts on board. Havent spoken to them in a while though. 

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and other extreme genres?

Its hit and miss. With our mix, people either love or hate us. But those who like us, like us a lot. 

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

The new album we are crowdfunding for on indiegogo will be out this fall. It will include some older material and some brand new songs. It will represent seven years of writing and musical evolution along the reggae metal lines. We've been playing around with a lot of heavy odd time and syncopated riffs then making them into psychedelic dub reggae. 

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

So many influences! Between the three of us, hundreds. All nuanced into the big picture of our sound, if we even have one haha. These days im loving Gillian Welch, early Hatebreed, Blind Melon. My favourite band is Pearl Jam. I just realized i have no idea how the hell i write what i do or why, i just do whatever i want haha. 

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I study Budo Taijutsu, and read occasionally, big into Tolkien lore. But other than that i work full time and spend time with my family. Between work family ninjutsu and music there really isnt time for hobbies. Im interested in a lot of things i dont find time for! 

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

Just that music keeps me going, and i enjoy sharing it with anyone who wants to. If anyone reading this wants to make music with us, donate to our indiegogo campaign and get your voice on our album! 

--

Joel Parent (Ninjoelspy)

Vox.Geets.Tech.Ops.Mgmt

hq@ninjaspy.net

www.ninjaspy.net

Super Massive Black Holes/Calculations Of The Ancients/Minotauro Records/2014 CD Review

  Super  Massive  Black  Holes  are   a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  very  experimental  and  progressive  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Calculations  Of  the  Ancients"  which  was  released  by  Minotauro  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  progressive  sound  starts  off  the  recording  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  the music  gets  more  melodic  and  technical  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  along  with  solos  and  leads  becoming  a  part  of the  recording  and  after  awhile  blast  beats  are  added  into the  album.

  When  we  get  into  the  other  tracks  you  can  hear  clean  playing  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  elements  of  jazz  music  while  also  keeping  around  a  heavy  sound  and  when  they  bring  in  acoustic  guitars  it  enhances  the  progressive  nature  of  the  recording  as  well  as  adding  in  symphonic  and  psychedelic  sounds  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  they  bring  in    movie  samples  along  with  a  few  instrumentals  and  on  the  last  track  they  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  slide  guitars.

  Super  Massive  Black  Holes  have  a  very  original  sound  with  their  music  where  they  mix  technical  death  metal  on  the  heavier  side  with  progressive  and  jazz  fusion  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  blues  on  the  softer  side  to  create  their  sound  along  with  a  very  professional  sounding  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  science  theories  and  human  experiences.

  In  my  opinion  Super  Massive  black  Holes  are  a  very  great  and  original sounding  progressive,  experimental  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dyatlov  Pass  Incident"  "Holographic  Principle"  and  "Ghosts  of  Bhopal".  8  out  of  10.

Beyond Mortal Dreams/Lamia/Lavadome Productions/Unholy Prophecies/2014 EP Review

  Beyond  Mortal  Dreams  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Lamia"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Lavadome  Productions  and  Unholy  Prophecies.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  growls  and  melodies  which  also  leads  up  to  some  blast  beats  and  the  band  brings  in  a  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  death  metal  elements  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  when  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  a  very  dark  and  evil  atmosphere  to  the  recording.

  The  second  song  starts  off  with  a  mid  80's  style  raw  death  metal  sound  while  also  having  a  more  updated  take  on  the  genre  as  well  as  keeping  around  th e evil  atmosphere  that  was  present  on  the  first  track  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  ritualistic  elements  in  the  track  at  times.

  Beyond  Mortal  Dreams  stick  to  their  trademark  sound  with  this  ep,  combining  brutal  death  metal  with  the  more  old  school  side  of  the  genre  along  with  a  very  professional  sounding  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  darkness  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Beyond  Mortal  Dreams  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  both  old  school  and  brutal  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Demonsword  infernal".  8  out  of  10.      

Seprevation/Consumed/2014 CD Review

  Seprevation  are  a  band  from  England  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Consumed".

  Classical  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  evil  sound  effects  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  very  raw  thrash  metal  direction  mixed  with  the  beginnings  of  death  metal  along  with  a  mixture  of  screams  and  growls  and  the  guitar  leads  are  heavily  rooted  in  80's  underground  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  As  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  some  blast  beats  being  added  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music,  and  the  guitar  riffing  also  brings  in  a  mixture  of  slow  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  melody  when  it  is  needed  and  the  album  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  of  been  released  in  1988  at  the  beginning  of  the  first  death  metal  wave  while  the  last  track  has  traces  of  the  late  90's  material  of  Death  and  also  bring  progressive  structures  into  the  track  before  adding  in  an  Iron  Maiden  style  sound.

  Seprevation  goes  back  to  the  more  raw  and  evil  origins  of  death  metal  and  thrash  with  their  music  and  take s the  old  school  sound  and  adds  a  modern  day  and  professional  sounding  production  to  their  music  along  with  lyrics  that  cover  dark,  evil  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Seprevation  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  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  "Divine  Devastation"  "Sarcophagal  Chamber"  "Sea  of  thoughts"  adn  "Between  Two  Worlds".  8  out  of  10.

Skelethal/Deathmanicvs Revelation/Caligari Records/2014 EP Review

  Skelethal  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2014  ep  "Deathmanicvs  Revelation"  which  was  released  by  Caligari  Records.

  Dark  and  evil  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  keyboards  which  bring  a  horror  music  feeling  to  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  the music  goes  into  a  fast  and  raw  old  school  death  metal  sound  along  with  a  mixture  of  leads  and  riffs  which  also  lead  up  to  some  deep  growling  vocals  and  in  the  slower  sections  you  can  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  being  utilized.

  In  the  other  songs  blast  beats  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  starts  going  for  the  more  darker  and  raw  style  of  early  90's  death  metal  and  they  bring  in  the  heaviest  elements  of  the  Florida  and  Sweden  scenes  of  the  mid  80's  to  early  90's  and  ignore  all  modern  trends  of  death  metal  and  on  the  last  track  synths  make  a  return  to  the  music  and  bring  an  epic  sound  to  the  recording  while  the  music  remains  in  a  heavier  direction.

  Skelethal  remain  true  to  an  old  school  death  metal  sound, remaining  in  the  same  direction  they  played  on  the  split,  along  with  a  heavy  and  old  school  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  death,  darkness,  horror  and  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skelethal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Putrefacation"  and  "Curse  Of  the  Neverending".  8  out  of  10.    

Hannes Grossmann/The Radial Covenant/2014 CD Review

  Hannes  Grossmann  is  a  solo  artist from  Germany  better  known  for  his  work  with  Obscura  and  plays  a  very  progressive  and  technical  form  of  death  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2014  album  "The  Radial  Covenant".

  A  very  technical  and  heavy  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats,  heavy  bass  lines  and  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  as  well  as  a  good  amount  of  guitar  leads  and  there  is  also  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  being  utilized  and  the  music  also  gets  brutal  at  times.

  As  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  is  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  clean playing  and  progressive  parts  and  in  some  of  the  heavier  parts  combine  both  old  school  and  modern  death  metal  together  along  with  a  touch  of  djent  and  thrash  and  in  certain  sections synths  are  brought  in  and  bring  an  atmospheric  sound  to  the  recording.

  By  the  time  the  album  goes  into  the  3rd  track  acoustic  guitars  become  a  part  of  the  recording  while  the  main  focus  is  still  on  the  heavier  elements  and  as  time  goes  on  by  you  can  hear  prog  elements  coming  out  of  the  synths  in  a  couple  of  the  tracks  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  parts  and  towards  the  end  the  music  starts  adding  in  traces  of  classical  with  the  last  track  being  on  all  piannos.

  Hannes  Grossmann  shows  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  diversity  with  the  7  tracks  on  here  creating  some  original  sounding  progressive,  technical  death  metal,  along  with  a  professional  sounding  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  occult,  ufo,  scientific  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hannes  Grossmann  is  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  technical  death  metal  solos  artist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alien  Utopia"  "The  Sorcerer"  and  "The  Radial  Covenant".  8  out  of  10.