Tag Archives: symphonic extreme metal

Album Review – Zen Disdain / Inanition (2024)

Posted on by
Reply

An up-and-coming Netherlands-based Blackened Doom/Death Metal outfit will reach deep inside your soul with their incendiary first full-length opus.

Formed in 2021 by the creative minds behind the Symphonic Extreme Metal band Esperoza, Enschede, Netherlands-based Blackened Doom/Death Metal outfit Zen Disdain has quickly expanded into a full-bodied act, drawing talented musicians from different bands, having already released their debut EP Premonition in 2023. Now the band formed of Zoya Belous (Zoya, Esperoza) on vocals, Dmitrii Prihodko (Esperoza) on the guitars, Ivo Bijker (Krijs, Dimensional Psychosis) on bass, and Ronny Meinders (Diseased Brains, Death Squad) on drums will unleash their highly anticipated debut album, Inanition, an album that will surely captivate new audiences and solidify their place in the metal world.

The scorching, strident riffs by Dmitrii ignite the venomous opener Everpresent, with its deep guttural vocals sounding haunting and absolutely impressive throughout its almost seven minutes of a first-class hybrid of Death and Doom Metal; whereas a tempest-infused intro explodes into a feast of Blackened Doom in The Shore, also presenting elements from old school Black Metal, in special in the riffage by Dmitrii, with Zoya also delivering classy operatic vocals. It’s truly interesting how the band managed to add hints of an amalgamation of styles to their music, like in The Woods, where we can sense some Gothic and Symphonic Metal nuances thanks to the dynamic vocals by Zoya.

The title-track Inanition will darken your minds and thoughts in the name of extreme music, with the metallic, reverberating bass by Ivo and the pounding drums by Ronny hitting us hard until the very last second; and then investing in a much heavier, more electrifying sonority led by the hammering drums by Ronny we face Spiritual Desert, while Zoya continues to hypnotize us all with her powerful vocals. Symbols again presents a strong and hammering Doom Metal vibe, with the piercing riffs by Dmitrii walking hand in hand with the blast beats by Ronny, and the closing tune What Remains of Us is sluggish and pensive from the very first second, with Zoya delivering her most melancholic, somber vocals lines of the whole album, sounding and feeling like a classic by Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride.

Blending diverse influences to craft a style that’s as haunting as it is dynamic, Zen Disdain are on fire throughout their entire first full-length opus, which you can grab a copy from their own BandCamp page. Don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and stream their music on Spotify, letting the dark and mesmerizing music by those Dutch metallers reach deep inside your soul while they conquer the world of heavy music with more excellent albums like Inanition, setting the bar high for any other band hailing from their stunning homeland and, of course, darkening the skies with a huge dosage of high quality doom for our total delight.

Best moments of the album: Everpresent, Spiritual Desert and Symbols.

Worst moments of the album: Inanition.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Everpresent 6:48
2. The Shore 6:07
3. The Woods 6:01
4. Inanition 5:57
5. Spiritual Desert 6:37
6. Symbols 7:30
7. What Remains of Us 8:42

Band members
Zoya Belous – vocals
Dmitrii Prihodko – guitars, harsh vocals
Ivo Bijker – bass
Ronny Meinders – drums

Album Review – Diabolical Raw / Elegy of Fire Dusk (2022)

Posted on by
1

Behold this grandiose album of Symphonic Black and Death Metal, telling a deep and detailed story inspired by ancient Central Asian Turkish mythology.

Having entered the Turkish Extreme Metal scene in the city of Izmir in the now distant year of 1998 under the name Diabolical and currently located in Hanover, Germany, the fantastic Symphonic Black/Death Metal duo now known as Diabolical Raw, comprised of vocalist Ozan Erkmen and multi-instrumentalist Ozan Tunc, is back from the pits of hell with their sophomore full-length opus, the imposing and epic Elegy of Fire Dusk, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2019 album Estrangement. Recorded, mixed and mastered by the band itself, and displaying a sinister yet gorgeous artwork by Mukadder “Muko” Karaoğlan, the album tells a story inspired by ancient Central Asian Turkish mythology that develops around Kaygun, the daughter of a small clan leader, showing that not only the music found in the album is grandiose, but there’s also a lot of depth in its lyrics.

Middle-Eastern elements spice up the bold, obscure intro Revelations, opening the gates of the underworld for the duo to crush our souls in Commands of the Gods, with Ozan Tunc generating a menacing ambience with his riffs, drums and all orchestrations, resulting in an imposing Dimmu Borgir-style aria showcasing the demonic vocal potency by Ozan Erkmen. Wise Old Woman is another blast of obscurity in the form of top-notch Symphonic Extreme Metal that feels like the soundtrack to a hellish horror movie, where Ozan Tunc sounds possessed by an evil entity behind his drums; and there’s no time to breathe as the duo’s fusion of Black Metal with symphonic elements and a Stygian storytelling is offered to us all in Entry into Erlik’s Hell, with Ozan Tunc extracting sheer darkness from his guitars, bass and drums while Ozan Erkmen roars and barks manically for our total delight. They keep guiding us through the realms of Turkish mythology in the incendiary aria Tilgen’s Fall, blending the most pulverizing elements of classic Black Metal with pure symphony, and get ready to be decimated by the duo in Face the Judgement, a brilliant Symphonic Black and Death Metal extravaganza spearheaded by the massive, unstoppable beats by Ozan Tunc, flowing into the instrumental interlude Uprising, which will captivate our senses before we’re treated to Talking With Gods, sounding as if it was taken directly form the soundtrack to an epic, demonic movie, with Ozan Tunc being simply majestic throughout the entire song.

No sign of slowing down as Diabolical Raw keep hammering our heads with their Symphonic Black Metal in The Invincible Army, where the wicked, evil vociferations by Ozan Erkmen will haunt your soul for all eternity while Ozan Tunc generates a beautiful wall of sounds in the background. Then an otherworldly roar by Ozan Erkmen kick off the infernal tune The Last War With Evil, the perfect combination of the rawness and violence of traditional Black Metal riffs with the finesse of Symphonic Black Metal, reminding me of some of the most visceral creations by Cradle of Filth, followed by its second part entitled The Last War With Evil II, once again exploding our senses with their somber sounds and wicked vociferations. Put differently, I must say that Ozan Erkmen might be one of the best Extreme Metal vocalists of the current scene. The Council at the Asar Land is one of the most symphonic and detailed of all songs, a flawless fusion of heaviness and orchestral elements thanks to a brilliant job done by Ozan Tunc, in special his venomous blast beats, before the album ends with the cinematic outro Epic Grandeur, putting a classy finale to all the madness and obscurity crafted by the duo.

In a nutshell, Diabolical Raw simply nailed it with Elegy of Fire Dusk, one of the best Extreme Metal albums of 2022 hands down, and if you want to show your support to such talented duo you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel and stream more of their hellish creations on Spotify, and of course, above all that, purchase a copy of such awesome album from their own BandCamp page or from the Base Record Production’s BandCamp page. Do you think you have what it takes to face ancient Central Asian Turkish mythology in the form of Symphonic Black and Death Metal? If your answer is yes, don’t waste your time and go prove to Diabolical Raw that you’re a loyal servant of the dark side of music, inspiring the duo to keep embellishing the airwaves with their unparalleled music for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Commands of the Gods, Entry into Erlik’s Hell, Face the Judgement and The Last War With Evil.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Base Record Production

Track listing
1. Revelations 2:31
2. Commands of the Gods 6:18
3. Wise Old Woman 5:33
4. Entry into Erlik’s Hell 8:02
5. Tilgen’s Fall 7:19
6. Face the Judgement 6:06
7. Uprising 2:06
8. Talking With Gods 6:37
9. The Invincible Army 5:54
10. The Last War With Evil 8:30
11. The Last War With Evil II 7:42
12. The Council at the Asar Land 7:45
13. Epic Grandeur 2:36

Band members
Ozan Erkmen – vocals
Ozan Tunc – all instruments

Concert Review – Cradle of Filth (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/04/2022)

Posted on by
Reply

Existence might be futile, but witnessing Cradle of Filth live in Toronto every single time they come to the city is more than essential.

OPENING ACTS: Phantom High and Frayle

I always find it truly impressive how the traffic to get in and out of Toronto during the spring and summer seasons, mainly when the weather is clear and the temperatures are above +20oC, is multiplied by a thousand or more, making it impossible to arrive wherever you have planned on time. That’s the main reason why it took me hours to get to The Opera House this Saturday for the Existence Is Futile Tour with the bands PHANTOM HIGH, FRAYLE and the almighty CRADLE OF FILTH (not to mention American Thrash Metal act Misfire, who are missing part of the tour due to Covid-19 related issues), and because of that I sadly missed most of the awesome concert by Toronto’s own Glamcore/Death Pop/Alternative Metal outfit PHANTOM HIGH. Anyway, the few minutes of their performance I was able to witness were excellent, with their frontwoman Peril Erinyes showcasing all her talent, charisma and passion for what she does. I hope I can see them again in a not-so-distant future as their music and onstage performance are outstanding, and next time I promise I’ll beat traffic (even if that’s humanly impossible).

Band members
Peril Erinyes – vocals
Seven Six – guitars
Greg Shier – guitars
Faraz Jabbari – bass
Joey Prolx – drums

After a (very) quick break it was time for Cleveland, Ohio-based Doom Metal/Occult Rock band FRAYLE to kick some ass onstage with their massive, low-tuned, sluggish sounds, spearheaded by the angelic vocals by their stunning frontwoman Gwyn Strang, who by the way grew up on the east coast of Canada in the province of New Brunswick (which is why she said “I’m home” to the crowd several times during their performance). Playing a mix of songs from their awesome 2020 album 1692 plus a brand new song entitled Treacle & Revenge, from their upcoming album Skin & Sorrow (to be released on July 7), Gwyn and the boys put on a mesmerizing show, with Sean Bilovecky extracting sheer electricity from his guitar while bassist Eric Mzik and drummer Pat Ginley added endless heaviness and groove to the music. Nobody was capable of taking their eyes off Gwyn during their entire set, as not only she was at the same time the personification of good and evil, but her minimalist, delicate vocals and moves were a thing of beauty. There weren’t any mosh pits for obvious reasons, but everyone at The Opera House loved what Frayle had to show us, and Toronto is waiting for Gwyn to “return home” whenever she wants with her whimsical music.

Band members
Gwyn Strang – vocals
Sean Bilovecky – lead guitar
Eric Mzik – bass
Pat Ginley – drums

CRADLE OF FILTH

The last time I saw the unparalleled CRADLE OF FILTH was at the same venue back in 2019, before all this Covid-19 madness hit the world and still with Lindsay Schoolcraft on keyboards, and as you can see from their 2019 setlist only two songs were the same this Saturday, those being Nymphetamine (Fix) and Her Ghost in the Fog, with everything else being either based on their 2021 ass-kicking opus Existence Is Futile, such as Existential Terror, How Many Tears to Nurture a Rose? and Necromantic Fantasies, or some welcome surprises the likes of Nocturnal Supremacy, I Am the Thorn, A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil’s Whore) and Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds). Was it better, the same or worse than their 2019 performance? Well, I don’t like to compare concerts, as I strongly believe each performance has its own taste, its own details and its own energy, but what I can say is that Dani and his horde were as electrifying as expected, inspiring the fans at the venue to slam into the nonstop circle pits (even if you’re on a power mobility scooter) while screaming together with the band in the name of evil.

Most fans of course had an absolute blast with classics such as the aforementioned Nymphetamine (Fix) and the closing song Her Ghost in the Fog, but I might say their new songs Crawling King Chaos and Us, Dark, Invincible sounded simply superb live, proving once again how alive the band is and that we can expect at least a few more decades of pure filth from those devilish metallers. Dani, Ashok, Daniel Firth and Marthus were on fire as usual, but I must mention how powerful the performances by guest guitarist Donny Burbage (of Melodic Death/Folk Metal act Æther Realm) and the gorgeous keyboardist Zoë Marie Federoff (of Symphonic Metal act Catalyst Crime) were as well, translating into an even more incendiary concert by one of the trailblazers of Symphonic Extreme Metal. As a Cradle of Filth fanboy I think they should return to Toronto next week already, but of course I think all fans who attended another memorable concert by Dani and his crew will be more than happy to wait another year or so for the band to come to our beloved city again. The traffic back home was just as bad as when I was going to the concert, but who cares? It’s CRADLE OF FUCKIN’ FILTH, a metal institution that deserves all our admiration, and if next time they come to Toronto I have to walk 40km to get there, so be it.

Setlist
The Fate of the World on Our Shoulders
Existential Terror
Nocturnal Supremacy
Lilith Immaculate
I Am the Thorn
Crawling King Chaos
Nymphetamine (Fix)
A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil’s Whore)
How Many Tears to Nurture a Rose?
Scorched Earth Erotica
Us, Dark, Invincible
Portrait of the Dead Countess
Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds)
Necromantic Fantasies
Her Ghost in the Fog

Band members
Dani Filth – lead vocals
Marek “Ashok” Šmerda – guitars
Donny Burbage – guitars
Daniel Firth – bass
Zoë Marie Federoff – female vocals, keyboards
Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Eonian / The Nomad EP (2021)

Posted on by
2

Raise your horns to the first-class fusion of furious riffs, drums, and vocals with epic choirs and orchestral arrangements carefully brought forth by this international Symphonic Extreme Metal project.

4.0rating

eonian-the-nomad-ep-2021Assembled in 2020 by Manhattan, New York City-based Spanish guitarist Jaume Antuñano, the amazing multinational Symphonic Extreme Metal project that goes by the name of Eonian is set to release their debut EP, entitled The Nomad, a must-have for fans of bands the likes of Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Septicflesh. Mixed and mastered by Simone Pietroforte at Divergent Studios, and displaying a classic cover art by Javier Barjollo and a stunning logo designed by Alice Malvisi from Hexibex Design, The Nomad was fully produced online and includes five songs that blend furious riffs, drums, and vocals with epic choirs and orchestral arrangements carefully brought forth by Jaume together with French vocalist DM (Helioss), Italian bassist Francesco Loconte (Koroth, Kormak), Swedish drummer Freddy Ortscheid (Entrails) and Argentinian musician Diego Soldi on all orchestrations, as well as seven other very special guest musicians from all over the world.

A metal storm is about to begin in Winter Wanderer, featuring guest solos by Indian musician Manish Kashyap (Deathknell) and Spanish musician Isaac “Whitefingers” Solanas (Frozen Shield), with Jaume’s riffage and Freddy’s blast beats generating a bold and visceral ambience, all boosted by DM’s infernal roars; whereas living up to the legacy of Symphonic Black Metal the band delivers the imposing Versus The Titan, where the orchestrations by Diego are superb, not to mention the stunning guest violin solo by Russian musician Margarita Chernova. Then a movie-inspired intro grows in intensity until all hell breaks loose in the Dimmu Borgir-like aria Cleansing Fire, featuring a keyboard solo and arrangements by Mexican musician Andrés Samboní (Desvirtual), once again showcasing all the fury of DM on vocals together with the piercing, scorching riffs by Jaume. It’s time for an epic journey with Jaume and his horde in Delirium, offering us all a keyboard solo by Argentinian musician Pablo Pallares (Utópica) and an electric violin solo by Spanish musician Néstor Català (Tales of Gaia), with Francesco, Freddy and Diego generating a beautiful wall of sounds in the background, before the piano solo by Ukrainian musician Polina Chornaya adds a touch of finesse to the thunderous tune Shores Of A Lost Sea, putting a fantastic and climatic ending to the EP with DM roaring and screaming rabidly amidst a top-of-the-line Extreme Metal sonority.

eonian-logoIn a nutshell, the debut EP by Eonian is without a shadow of a doubt a precious gem hailing from the underground of several countries that truly deserves our admiration, and you’ll soon be able to stream it or purchase it from different locations by clicking HERE. Hence, if you want to know more about the team led by Jaume you can start following Eonian on Facebook and on Instagram and click HERE to not only read more about the project, but to also hire each person involved in the creation of The Nomad in case you’re looking for some skillful musicians for your own metal or non-metal endeavor. In a world where we’re all becoming more and more involved with technology yet at the same time isolated from society, it’s always a pleasure to witness guys like Jaume bringing people together in the name of heavy music, providing us fans first-class Extreme Metal and, therefore, pointing to a bright future ahead of the project. And although the name of the EP somehow represents Jaume’s personal and musical life, as if he is the nomad depicted in the album art moving from one place to another, he’s far from being a solitary man in our Heavy Metal universe as you can see.

Best moments of the album: Winter Wanderer and Cleansing Fire.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 Independent

Track listing 
1. Winter Wanderer 4:17
2. Versus The Titan 4:32
3. Cleansing Fire 4:55
4. Delirium 3:37
5. Shores Of A Lost Sea 4:44

Band members
DM – vocals
Jaume Antuñano – guitar
Francesco Loconte – bass
Freddy Ortscheid – drums
Diego Soldi – orchestrations

Guest musicians
Manish Kashyap – guitar solo on “Winter Wanderer”
Isaac “Whitefingers” Solanas – guitar solo on “Winter Wanderer”
Margarita Chernova – violin solo on “Versus The Titan”
Andrés Samboní – keyboard solo and arrangements on “Cleansing Fire”
Pablo Pallares – keyboard solo on “Delirium”
Néstor Català – electric violin solo on  “Delirium”
Polina Chornaya – piano solo on “Shores Of A Lost Sea”

Album Review – Vanguard X Mortem / Amberosia (2018)

Posted on by
Reply

A blend of atmospheric and symphonic extreme music known as “Vampyric Metal”, highly recommended for all admirers of the underworld with an insatiable lust for fresh blood.

There are several amazing bands out there who play what fans like to call “Vampire Metal”, or that at least add a few strong elements of this idiosyncratic subgenre of heavy music to their sound, such as Powerwolf, Theatres Des Vampires, Lord Vampyr, Cain’s Dynasty, Draconian, Lacrimosa, Mandragora Scream, Type O Negative, and perhaps the biggest exponent of the genre, British titans Cradle Of Filth, just to name a few. Hailing from the French capital Paris, here comes a very interesting project named Vanguard X Mortem, also venturing through the realms of Vampyric and Baroque Metal and, consequently, joining all the aforementioned bands in the comfortable darkness where vampires reign supreme.

Formed in 2011 by guitarist and songwriter Christophe Florian (also known as L.C.F), from bands like Comédie Macabre and Lords of the Cemetery, Vanguard X Mortem birthed in stylistic blending of Atmospheric and Symphonic Extreme Metal to create their debut album titled [vanguardismortem], in 2012, followed by the full-length album Neptune Fragrance, in 2014, and the EP Anthropomorphism, in 2016. And Christophe returns now in 2018 with a brand new opus entitled Amberosia, a powerful and somber album of extreme music featuring a fiendish artwork by RectopusArt, highly recommended for all admirers of the underworld with an insatiable lust for fresh blood.

The phantasmagoric keys in the horror movie-inspired intro Séraphin set the stage for Christophe and his Vanguard X Mortem to darken our minds in Amberosia, where blazing riffs and an ominous aura permeate the air before Christophe begins firing his vampyric gnarls, accompanied by the ethereal voice by Alix Rousselet. Furthermore, its headbanging, heavy and somber pace is spiced up by elements from old school Cradle of Filth, therefore enhancing its impact on the listener. La Morte Amoureuse, which is French for “the dead woman”, is top-notch Gothic Metal bringing all elements we love in the genre such as theatrical keyboards, slashing riffs, sexy female vocals and huge doses of melancholy, with a fantastic job done by the band’s skillful trio with their instruments, in special Chrisophe with his devilish guitar; whereas Automn Orchard feels and sounds more romantic and melodic, but with the demonic vocals by Christophe giving it a harsher twist in a solid fusion of Gothic Rock and Metal with Atmospheric Extreme Metal. Alix once again embellishes the music with her delicate vocals, while drummer Marco De Barros keeps the pace as mournful and obscure as possible with his Doom Metal-ish beats.

In the excellent Parish of Disillusionment the band offers us orchestral and symphonic music thoroughly fused with Extreme Metal, resulting in a song perfect for breaking your neck headanging while its fiery keys penetrate deep inside your mind, feeling absolutely macabre from start to finish. Then we have L’Emperesse (or “the empress” in English) beautifully impersonated by Alix, who effectively tells us who the empress is and how evil and mischievous she can be, all embraced by nuances of epicness and mystery flowing from the band’s impactful Symphonic Gothic Metal, followed by Nocturne in the Moonlight, carrying a classic song name for a flammable hybrid of Gothic Metal and Symphonic Black Metal. In addition, the paradox between the hellish gnarls by Christophe and the operatic vocals by Alix brings a very interesting taste to the music, not to mention the song’s amazing guitar riffs and solos.

The Flower’s Blood is another song that puts together in a compelling way the more brutish sounds emanated by Christophe and Marco with the angelic voice of Alix, all boosted by its background symphonic elements; while Solstice, the second to last ode to vampirism by Vanguard X Mortem, sounds as dark as expected, but not as exciting as the rest of the album, falling flat after a while despite still bringing some interesting guitars and keys. And in the eerie outro If the End…, gracious and smooth lines make the perfect ambience for Alix to mesmerize us once again with her lecherous vocals, concluding the album on a high note.

If you’re one of those creatures who only come out at night and enjoy a good blend of atmospheric, symphonic and heavy music as the soundtrack of your never-ending nocturnal quest for blood, I highly recommend you go check what Vanguard X Mortem are up to on Facebook, YouTube, ReverbNation and SoundCloud, and of course purchase Amberosia through the Noir Carrousel Records Big Cartel as a regular CD or as a special CD + T-shirt bundle, as well as at other online retailers like Cultura and Fnac. And then you’ll become addicted not only to fresh human blood, but also to French Vampire Metal.

Best moments of the album: La Morte Amoureuse, Parish of Disillusionment and Nocturne in the Moonlight.

Worst moments of the album: Solstice.

Released in 2018 Noir Carrousel/Socadisc

Track listing     
1. Séraphin 1:51
2. Amberosia 6:45
3. La Morte Amoureuse 5:16
4. Automn Orchard 4:41
5. Parish of Disillusionment 4:34
6. L’Emperesse 4:32
7. Nocturne in the Moonlight 3:46
8. The Flower’s Blood 5:17
9. Solstice 4:48
10. If the End… 3:14

Band members
Christophe Florian – vocals, guitars, programming
Alix Rousselet – female vocals, violin
Marco De Barros – drums