Shaman  Ritual  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  with  some  tribal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2017  album  "Sinister  Totem"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Caligari Records.

  Tribal style percussion  starts  off  the  album  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  as  well  a s mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  grim  and  harsh  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  tremolo  picking  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  and  the riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music speeds  up  blast  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Shaman  Ritual  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  melodic  and  traditional  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  heavy  and  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness,  Occultism  and  Shamanism  themes.      

  In  my  opinion  Shaman  Ritual  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ritual"  and  "Being".  8  out  of  10.

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



The band started when Malum and I recorded a song on a four track wth a drum machine for a compilation that was coming out. Although we were in other bands, we loved black and death metal and wanted to take it further. We hooked up with some other musicians and recorded a demo CD in 2001 called American Evil. In 2002 we took a hiatus due to everyone's commitments with their main projects. In our down time Malum and I would occasionally write a song here or there. In 2015, we decided to finish a few of the songs. Envied and Pig Digger were the result of those sessions. The songs turned out better than we expected and we rolled on with the creativity. We released the songs on our Bandcamp page and Redefining Darkness contacted us to say they liked the songs. It took some time to record but by mid 2017 the record was finished. I recorded and mixed it in my home studio. The two of us played all the instruments alone. Which leads us up to now.



2.In September you have a full length coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?



The release is titled Envied. The music is black metal with a little rock n' roll vibe.  Although we have a "sound" we believe that each song is different. We used a mix of tempos and writing styles to keep it from being stale or repetitive. It wasn't a conscious decision in any way. We just let it go and wrote what we wanted like we always do. We adhere to no formula or genre expectations. We are extremely happy with the end result. I also should mention the awesome cover art by Misanthropic-art. Custom drawn for us from ideas we gave him.



3.The band broke up in 2002 but got back together in 2016, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?



Although things were going great and we loved being a band, commitments with our main bands kept us from going on. The band I was in was hitting it hard and it was just too hard to get together regularly. Malum and I decided to start again because the songs we were coming up with were very inspiring to us. The vibe was amazing and it was flowing out of us. Most nights we got together we would write and record basically a whole song.



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



A good deal of the lyrics have to do with our belief that gods were just men. People using power and persuasion to gain control over others. The use of fear in religion. It's interesting to me that people believe that they know what happens after you die. There are just so many theories on that. Living your life following an ancient set of rules and stories is just nonsense to me at this point. It seems likely that there is nothing beyond this life. On the other hand, having faith in something can be a good thing for others but let's face it, no one really knows where you go in the end.



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



The name Nailblack came to me randomly. It sounded good, and we just liked it. It's a made up word so we knew no one else could have the same name. That was important to us seeing that so many bands are called the same thing. I think the name Nailblack fits our sound and vision perfectly.



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



We have only played 1 show ever and that was in 2001 in our home town. It went well and we got a great response. As far as our stage performance, it was just us being ourselves and letting loose our rage and fury. Head to toe black of course!



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



We are working on a live lineup as we speak. Malum and I will be doing the guitars/vocals, and a couple guys from our scene will play bass and drums for us. We hope to be playing live by November. Touring at this point would be hard because of our personal lives and family situations. We would however love to make appearances at metal festivals to help spread our music and word when we can. If the right touring opportunity does come along it would be something that we would talk about then.



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



The feedback so far has been great. We are connecting with people around the world through our social media and music sites and selling our merch all over. With the help of our label partnership, we hope to spread our music as far as we can obviously. It's a great feeling hearing from fans abroad. Inspiring.



9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical  projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?



Both of us have been involved in some really solid bands and projects through the years. None of them have been black metal. We have done tours, had record deals and lived and breathed music from our teenage years on. With this project we aren't using any kind of "featuring members of" press to persuade people to check us out. We look at Nailblack as a fresh start and want to be thought of as a new band. Our musical past and current projects are out there for people who are interested in researching that on their own.



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



We plan on taking our sound to the next level in every way. We have a vision, but it has nothing to do with over thinking things. Just go with the flow and write what we feel at that time. There will be no drastic changes that I can imagine as of right now though. Exploring different tempos and creating dark atmosphere is what's on my mind currently. We have already started writing for our next release.



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?



We love various styles of music from metal and rock to just random genres. With Nailblack the bands that come to mind are the usual suspects. Black, death, and thrash metal bands that most anyone reading this likes. From all over the world. New and old. Personally right now I'm loving music from Archgoat, Incantation, Toxic Holocaust and Midnight to name just a few.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



Golf, friends and family, tattoos, beer, vinyl records.... I guess that's about it!



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



Nailblack thanks you for the interview. It's actually our first one ever. Check out our newest release "Envied" out September 29th on Redefining Darkness records, and connect with us on our social media sites. We love hearing from you! Hail Dirty Black Metal.



Nailblack.bandcamp.com

Facebook.com/Nailblack

Twitter @nailblack_

Nailblackmetal@gmail.com 

  Nailblack  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  with  some  death  metal,  punk  and  blackn'roll  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Envied"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  raw  sound  starts  off the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  when  the  music  speeds  up  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Most  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  90's  while  also  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  and  the  music also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  black'n'roll  and  punk  elements  and  at  times  the  vocals  get  very  grim  sounding and  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  closing  track  which  is  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Nailblack  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second w ave  tradition  while  also  mixing  in  a  more  modern  black'n'roll  edge  along  with  a  touch  of  punk  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nailblack  are  a  very  great  sounding  black  metal  band  with  touches  of  black'n'roll  and  punk  and  if  you  re  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kingdoms  Crumble"  "Pig  Digger"  and  "Step  Into  Infinity".  8  out  of  10.

 This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Germany's  Ancst  and  King  Apathy  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  by  Supreme  Chaos  Records  Alerta  Antifachista Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Ancst  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  black  metal,  ambient,  and  crust  punk.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out with  atmospheric  soundscapes  which  also  adds  in  elements  of  ambient  as  well  as  the  riffs  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  when  they  are  added  onto  the  recording  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  screams.

  Elements  of  post  hardcore  can  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  some  elements  of  atmospheric  black  metal  while  a  great  amount  of  crust  and  d  beat  elements  can  heard  in  the  music,  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  first  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  while  the songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Ancst  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to t heir  black  metal  and  crust  punk  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  political  and  social  capitalism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ancst  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal  and  crust,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Gehenna  Of  Fire.

  Next  up  is  King  Apathy  a  band  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  post  black  metal,  crust,  metalcore  and  hardcore  punk.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  melodic  post  hardcore  style  guitar  leads  along  with  some  angry  screams  a  few  a  seconds  alter  that  mix  black  metal  and  metalcore  together  along  with  the  music  also  sounding  very  modern  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  elements  of  hardcore  punk.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  focus  being  more  on  a  mid  tempo  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anarchism  and   Environmentalism themes.  

  In  my  opinion  King  Apathy  don't  do  much  for  me  with  their  post  hardcore  and  black  metal  mixture but might  appeal  to  fans  of  this  genre.

  In  conclusion,  while  I  enjoyed  the  material  from  Ancst  I  could  not  get  into  the  following  band , so  I  can  only  recommend  the  first  side  of  the  split.  6/5  out  of  10. 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Germany's  Unru  and  Tongue  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  by  Supreme  Chaos  Records  Alerta  Antifachista  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Unru  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  raw  mixture  of  black  metal  and  crust  punk.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  atmospheric  sounding  drones  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Most  of  the  vocals  are  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  side  of  the  genre  and  mixing  it  with  crust  punk  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  song  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Unru  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal  and  crust  punk,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  split.

  Next  up  is  Tongue  a  band  that  mixes  the  second  wave  and  Cascadian  styles  of  black  metal  together.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out with  some clean  playing  before  going into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  vocals  are  all  high  pitched  black  metal   screams  and  the  tremolo  picking  gives  the  song  a  more  raw  feeling.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  music  mixes  both  the  old  school  and  modern  styles  of  black  metal  together  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and clean  playing  is  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  track  being  9  minutes  in  length,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tongue  are  a  very  great  sounding  Cascadian  influenced  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  split.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t he  crust  influenced  and  Cascadian  styles  of  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  split.  8  out  of  10.