Gra  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Vasen"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Carnal  Records.

  Grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  few  growls  start  off  the  album  while t he  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  mixed  into  the  music  on  a  few  tracks.

  A  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also be  heard  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  style  melodies  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's.  and  the  a  couple  of  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  song.

  On  this  recording  Gra  expands  on  their  Swedish  style  of  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  by  adding  in  more  synths,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Swedish  and  cover  Satanism  and  the  dark  aspects  of  Scandinavian  culture.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gra  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  melodic  Swedish  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Till  Sorjerskorna"  "Krig"  and  "The  Devil's  Tribe".  8  out  of  10.

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

Dwarrowdelf is an epic/atmospheric black metal project, which draws upon symphonic and melodic influences in order to make as grand a sound as possible. Lyrically, the project focuses on the world of J.R.R Tolkien like many other bands!

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

The EP was very much an exercise in finding the sound I wanted for this project. All the songs were experimental in the fact that there were lots of different styles being combined; for example, there were a couple of riffs that were based on some of Emperor’s more progressive writing, as well as more standard black metal. For the album, I think I refined my pool of influence and created a more cohesive sound, although there’s still a decent variety throughout the album. Regardless of the differences between the songs, the most important thing was to make sure that each song was truly epic in nature.

3.Your lyrics are based upon the writngs of J.R.R Tolkien, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his works and also are there any other fantasy authors that you are into?

I first got the idea for Dwarrowdelf when I was rereading Lord of the Rings last summer; I got to Gimli’s recital of the song of Durin in Moria, and thought it would make a fantastic metal song! I’d also been listening to a lot of Summoning in the previous months, so I was in a pretty Tolkien-focused frame of mind… As I explored the idea, I found that there was a lot of elements of his world that I wanted to explore, like the tragic tale of the seven sons of Fëanor. Fantasy-wise, aside from Tolkien, I’m a big fan of the Elder Scrolls series; I’ve played a ridiculous amount of Skyrim in my time! I’m tempted to sneak a couple of Elder Scrolls themed songs onto the next album…

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

Dwarrowdelf is the name of a dwarven city in Moria, and also is derived from the old english word for dwarves. Seeing as the first EP used lyrics from three of Tolkien’s dwarf hymns, it seemed like an appropriate name to choose, and no one else on the Metal Archives had taken it! It doesn’t mean I’ll only ever write about dwarves though, as the elven focus of the album shows.

5.With this project you record everything by yourself but also have experience being in a full band, how would you compare the two?

The bands I’ve been in have generally focused on playing live, so I think the songwriting is always focused around being playable in a live environment. For Dwarrowdelf, I could be as ridiculous as possible, with loads and loads of layers, which meant that the creative process was so much fun! On the other hand, having bandmates means that you have multiple opinions, which is useful for providing constructive criticism for your ideas. To make up for this I decided to send the early drafts of “The Sons of Fëanor” to a few musically inclined friends to get their feedback, and their comments really helped shape the latter stages of development for the record.

6.The album is coming out on 'Wolfspell Records', how did you get in contact with this label?

I sent out the album to every label I could find that has showed an inclination for epic black metal and had a good reputation! Wolfspell were particularly notable in my mind because of the fantastic Druadan Forest album they released in 2017, and their tribute to Summoning the year before. Luckily, Michał loved the album and offered me a fantastic deal within about 3 hours of receiving the record! He’s been brilliant to work with throughout the process, I can’t thank him enough.

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

The feedback has been going really well so far! The first two singles have had a lot of positive comments and likes on YouTube, and there are some really dedicated fans who share every Facebook post I make and really help spread the word; I can’t thank them enough for supporting the band, I really appreciate every like and share. The reviews are starting to come in now as well, and I couldn’t be happier with the feedback!

8.What is going on with your other band 'Deavhronun', these days?

Deavhronun is a student-based black/death metal band; we wrote a not-so-serious album about Mayhem called “Disciples of Cain” and have played a couple of shows in the UK. We’re also still writing songs, although the newer stuff seems to be turning into blackened slam metal - our bassist is a massive tech death fan, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s a great project to be in because we’re not afraid to have fun with the songs, and don’t take ourselves so seriously that we can’t enjoy ourselves; although we do want to write great songs and build an audience!

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musicain in the future?

Hopefully I can keep writing music in all sorts of styles for the rest of my life. Dwarrowdelf is a really promising project, and hopefully is able to build enough of an audience that it can keep going for a while, but I also like to explore as many genres as I can. I’ve started writing some dungeon synth, which might be released under the Dwarrowdelf moniker, and I’ve also got the beginnings of a melodeath project going with a friend, although that’s in the very early stages at the moment. I also dabble in non-metal things, but nothing worthy of release.

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 think Dwarrowdelf takes influence from a large pool of bands from a wide range of genres, which I think is important for creating a unique sound. According to last.fm, my top artists whilst I was writing “The Sons of Fëanor” were Summoning, Wintersun, Sojourner, Twilight Force, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Insomnium, which I think is a pretty decent reflection of the metal sides of my musical taste! So far in 2018, my favourite albums are Sojourner “The Shadowed Road”, Visigoth “Conquerer’s Oath”, Aerith “Aerith” and Heidevolk “Vuur Va Verzet”. I’m really excited for the Obscura and Cân Bardd releases later this year too! I also make a point of exploring bandcamp to find and support really underground acts; recently I’ve been very taken with Runeshard, Ascensions Fall and Nahtram, who I would recommend to you and your readers!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I’m currently nearing the end of my Master’s degree in History, so it’s safe to say I love history! I mainly focus on the ancient world and Byzantium, which is almost like escaping to a fantasy world in itself. I’m also getting really into the Marvel films at the moment; Thor Ragnarok and Spider-Man Homecoming were amazing!

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

Thanks for the interview; I really appreciate the interest in my music, and thanks to all the people listening, liking and sharing the songs! I hope you all enjoy the album when it releases.

  Razorschrieck  are  a  solo  project  from  Russia  that  plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Death  is  Loneliness"  which  was  released  on  cassette  as  a  joint  effort  between  Depressive  Illusions  Records  and  Wulfrune  Worxxx.

  A  very  dark  ambient  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  soundscpaes  and  drones  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  vocals  being  very  grim  yet  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  clean  guitars  when  they  are utilized  bring  in  elements  of  post  rock  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  also  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  ambient  and  black  metal  parts  are  also  mixed  together  at  times.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  guitar  leads  when  they  are utilized  are  done  in  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  fashion  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  briefly  as  well  as  some  touches  of  atmospheric  doom  metal  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  a  slide  guitar  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track  which  is  also  an  instrumental.

  Razorschrieck  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  depressive  along  with  some  post  rock  and  ambient  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  thoughts,  feelings  and  mood  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Razorschrieck  are  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Restless"  and  "Autumn's  Twilight".  8  out  of  10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
In 2008 I got tired of trying to fulfill melodic metal project, so I decided to express my perception of the world using the figurative means common to black metal. I created two projects: Психоз 4.48 (Psychosis 4.48) was meant to show a depressive attitude towards life and  Hexenhammer’s Flame was supposed to express all the accumulated hatred, scorn and resentment. S,W, from Wintercult was helping me with both projects at first, but when the first full-length album has been released, Hexenhammer's Flame turned into one-man band.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that has been presented on the recordings that have released so far with this project?
Hexenhammer's Flame came into being from its demo-record «Мир отвергая» (Resenting the World), which presents the material recorded at home in one day. It was extremely sincere, but had a vast amount of flaws and the sound was rather coarse. Time went by, Hexenhammer's Flame was getting more and more melodic and I began recording the album “ Ad Fines Nivis Aeternae”. It's been re-recorded three times, as I was trying to obtain less coarse but readable sound. Melodic and moderately assertive material was the result of my work.   I added elements of other genres like  death, thrash, modern to two following releases “ Shadow of the Past” and “ Blood of Death Camps” in order to widen the scope of all the figurative means.

3.You are also involved with many other musical projects, what are some of the things that you do differently with this project that you are not able to bring out in your other bands or projects?
Firstly, the specific feature of the project is socially oriented lyrics. And secondly, it's important to mention the fact that I don't allow myself to put the melodious forward in other projects.

4.What are some of the lyrics and topics you explore with this project?
By means of this project I'm trying to understand human nature and its imperfections, the bonds between a man and the nature, the significance of human life within the context of time and social processes. “ Blood of Death Camps” is a conceptual album and it tells us of totalitarianism, dictatorship and modern propaganda through the images of the past.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'HexenHammer's Flame'?
When I was giving the name to the project I wanted to create a certain ambiguity. The first meaning – I am the flame of hatred. The second one – the fire which destroys the vice. I wanted to point out the resentment towards concrete things in the world.

6.With this project you record everything by yourself but have also been a art of full bands, how would you compare the two?
It's easier to work by yourself, as you rule over everything and self-discipline is the only thing needed. It takes less time to prepare the material and to record it. Also it's a constant process of self-development as you need to learn all the specifics of different instruments, carefully listen to other bands' mixes to take up the way of arrangement  and interesting usage of instruments. However, in a full band there's a dialogue between the members, your brain works more. There's always someone who has a different set of eyes on your work. And you have a possibility of giving concerts as well.

7.You have also released many different albums over the years with your many bands and projects, does music take up all of your spare time?
Yes. Moreover, I make up a huge part of the material when I'm on my way somewhere or at work.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
I don't pay much attention to the feedback. I find it very important to create something I'm concerned about. Following the feedback may affect the material as it could conceive a wish to please someone. The only thing I do is the selling of the CDs to those who are interested in them as I can recoup the costs.

9.What is going on with your other bands and musical projects these days?
Now I'm waiting for the split involving  Hexenhammer’s Flame, getting ready to record the vocals for the following Hexenhammer’s Flame album, mixing and designing the second full-length Planetshine album, mxing Психоз 4.48 (Psychosis 4.48) new album. Пламень Мрака, Selfdestroyer,  Вѣдьма are on the stage of recording of the collaborative split. And I'm making the arrangement for Without Dreams' album

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I live in the present and I'm trying not to think of what will happen in a certain period of time, as those plans make a person stiff.

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?
Nowadays I don't really listen to hard music, I only take a look at the new material of remarkable bands. Ten years ago I could manage to listen 30-70 albums which were new to me, and I don't quite remember what have had an influence on me. I've always listened to various kinds of music genre-wise.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I wanted to thank you for the attention. The most important thing for a human being is a constant self-development and understanding of the unknown. Self-absorption and getting to know yourself. Reflexion. A man without reflexion turns into a useless mud under the feet of eternity. I would like to wish your readers to ponder over the necessary, important, everlasting. Be sincere with yourself and the others. And don't bend over for what the stagnated mass, impeding the development, thinks. Good luck to everyone.

 This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  U.S.A's  Crawl  and  Leviathan  which  was  released  by  Red  River  Family  Records  and  we  will  start  the  review  of  with  Crawl  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  noise.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  drum  beats  and  primal  sounding  bass  guitars  while their  track  is  12  minutes  in  length    along  with  the  music  bringing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  while  tortured  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  and  after  awhile  ritualistic  synths  are  added  into  the  music  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  acoustic  guitars  towards  the  end, the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Crawl  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  noise,  you  should  enjoy  their  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Leviathan  returning  with  another  atmospheric  and  depressive  black  metal  track.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  an  ambient  orientated  sound  along  with  his  track  being  12  minutes  in  length  while  a  brief  use  of  bass  leads  can  also  be  heard  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffing  is  very  depressive  and  raw  sounding and  the  song  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Leviathan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  solo  project,  you  should  enjoy  his  side  of  the  split.

  In  conclusion  i  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  USBM.  8/5  out  of  10.