Dunnock  are  a  band  from  San  Francisco,  California  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw,  atmospheric  and  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  promo.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  depressive  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lo-fi  atmosphere  being  present  in  their  musical  sound  and  after  awhile  synths  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  On  the  following  track  the  music  is  all  instrumental  and  starts  out  with  some  dark  ambient  style  synths  and  after  awhile  spoken  word  samples  find  their  way  into  the  song  and  they  avois  any  trace  of  heavy  guitars  or  black  metal  elements.

  Dunnock  bring  in  a  very  raw  and  atmospheric  approach  to  depressive  black  metal  on  the  first  song  and  go  for  a  more  dark  ambient  direction  on  the  following  track  to  give  this  2  song  promo  a  decent  amount  of  variety,  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dunnock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  depressive  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  promo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Dwells in  Mud".  8  out of  10.  

  Cepheide  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "De  Silence  Et  De  Suite".

  A  very  raw  and  mid  paced  atmospheric  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  depressive  screams  being  added  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  later  which  leads  to  the  band  speeding  up  a  bit  and  adding  in  blast  beats  and  you  can  hear  an  atmospheric  sound  being  utilized  in  the  background  as  well  as  the  music  adding  in  more  melody.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  being  utilized  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  elements  of  post  rock  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  band  also  seems  to  be  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  cascadian  style  of  black  metal  which  they  also  mix  in  with  a  more  depressive  sound.

  On  a  few  of  the  songs  the  band  cuts  back  on  the  vocals  and  lets  the  instruments  take  over  for  awhile  and  it  also  shows  a  more  raw  approach  to  the  bands  musical  style  as  well  as  adding  in  a  more  aggressive  and  heavy  approach  and  ignoring  some  of  the  lighter  elements  of  their  American  counterparts.

  Cepheide  create  an  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  that  seems  to  be  heavily  rooted  in  the  American  cascadian  sound  but  done  in  a  more  fast,  raw  and  depressive  manner,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  when  they  are  used  are  written  in  French  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cepheide  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  la  Croisee  Des  Ames"  and  "Deluge".  8  out  of  10.

  Infernal  Awakening  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  melodic   form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Enlightened  By  Lucifer's  Flame".

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  guitar  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  more  fast,  raw  and  melodic  direction  along  with  some  fast  drumming  and  you  can  hear  some  synths  and  orchestras  in  their  music  which  leads  up  to  blast  beats  and  grim  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  in  the  bands  musical  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  added into  the  music  the  band  starts  having  a  more  technical  and  melodic  edge  to  them  and  after  awhile  the  riffing  and  vocals  start  combining  death  metal  influences  into  the  bands  musical  sound.

  You  can  hear  a  quite  a  bit  of  Norwegian  and  Swedish  influences  of  90's  black  metal  in  the  bands  musical  sound  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  synths  and  orchestras  enhance  the  deathphonic  elements  of  the  bands  musical  sound  and  at  times  the  blast  beats  bring  a  more  brutal  death  metal  feeling  to  the  recording  and  on  the  last  track  the  band  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  clean  playing  to  clam  down  the  chaos  a  bit.

  Infernal  Awakening  creates  a  very  synth  orientated  from  of  black  metal  that  is  not  overproduced  like  the  more  mainstream  bands  that  play  this  style  and  they  have  a  more  raw  and  evil  approach  with  their  musical  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences  being  mixed  into  their  style  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  and  Darkness.

  In  my  opinion  Infernal  Awakening  are  a  very  great  sounding  deathphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Enlightened  By  Lucifer's  Flame"  and  "The  King  Ov  Hell  Has  Arrived".  8  out  of  10.

  

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band in the last 2 years since we talked?

 AK-11's first Demo/EP 'Legendary, Demonic & Invincible' (2011), my solo project, was & a blueprint for a : 'Strategic, Left Hand Path, Military, Pagan, Propaganda Band'. I was living in Germany at that stage & had a good opportunity to do the demo recordings. Upon returning to Melbourne, Australia in 2012, I immediately began searching for like minded Heathens, who would help me terrorise the feeble music world & join me in the WAR against the organized religions of the 'white light'. An old comrade & drummer - Morturus offered to take up the Battery. At this stage the six string Axe duties was taken up by the rookie, Davddareth.

The Black Metal WAR spirit fueled AK-11's drive for triumph. Preparations for debut album recordings & the first wave of AK-11's live assaults began. After hitting the stages of Melbourne & Brisbane, we entered the studio in late March 2014 to record our debut full length album 'Once Upon A Time In Europa.' The recording was completed at the end of April. This was immediately followed by a trip back to Germany in May 2014 for the very first AK-11 European album launch-show dates & the spreading of our Propaganda internationally.

Currently, back in Melbourne, we are re-grouping & getting ready for our Australian album launch in September. A new battle plan & 2nd album material is also in the works.

2.Recently you have released your first full length album, how much progress do you feel you have made as musicians since the demo that you had released a couple of years back?

  A fair amount of practice is required for sure. You can say I am a much better bass player now then I was during the 2011 demo sessions. I can also scream my head off for longer periods of time. I have known Morturus for years now & I can say he has evolved into a drummer who excels in his craft. He can really get those war-beats going.

3.Also how would you describe your progress as a song writer with the new album?

   I always had a hunger for writing morbid & sinister music. Like with others, developing as a song writer over the years has been just a natural progression. The hate never dies but grows stronger, fuelling the desire for personal musical conquests. It sharpens the visions of one's objectives, which expose new inspirations, granting the will to write more demonic tunes, as well as to be a better composer.

 The tracks on new album compared to the demo, have more diversity, with longer intros, instrumentals, stronger new music passages & rhythm changes. There is a lot more controlled anger in the lyrics. With 'Once Upon A Time In Europa', the tracks are like chapters in a book, tying into each other & also there is a (Europa) song trilogy which defines the title.

4.On the new album you also re-did a couple of tracks from the demo, what was the decision behind re-doing some of your older material?

The demo was a solo project with a drum machine. My goal was always to re-record those songs for a proper album with a full line up & inject new & stronger dark energies into the music.

5.On the demo you where all solos but with the new album you have a full line up, do you feel this has made your music sound a lot more powerful?

Yes, of course. The 'Legendary, Demonic & Invincible' demo is only my personal aggression & demons. 'Once Upon A Time In Europa' is a 3 piece band attack, so the feel & dynamics are a lot more complex. Having real drums smashing away to the devastating style of Black Metal is second to none. And even though 95% of the guitars were recorded by Davddareth, he managed to capture the melodies with conviction, bringing forth the obliterating sound track of our 'message' which is essential to the WAR.

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

 Two come to mind. The first is a Melbourne performance which occurred on the 12th April 2014 at the Central Club. Leading up to the night, my two comrades & I have been perfecting our set for some time. We were more than ready for battle, so when we came out on stage, we blasted away with speed, precision & hate. Playing Black Metal at a rapid pace & screaming out in the night can summon up some pretty unholy feelings.  I felt that we had a bond with something 'profane' that night. The crowed response was very positive as well.

The second assault I will mention was our debut European album launch show, which occurred on 31st May 2014 at Gaby's Gruft in the German city of Stuttgart. The venue was a small 'Keller' with limited stage gear & needles to say it was packed. And once again we did not falter in executing our material, with aggression & speed being the essence in our performance.The crowed response was really intense & they would not let us leave until we played an encore. Some maniacs were already familiar with the material, so that is always a great feeling especially when performing in a foreign country. What also made that night was the copious amount of beer with old mates & the new bonds, friendships that were formed. A memorable night indeed.

Our stage performance can be described as a 'sonic assault' on the pathetic, back word philosophies & consequential actions of the weak minded, human garbage that continues to plague our lands. AK-11 is a weapon against such 'slave mentality' fairy tales, deeds & wishful thinking. The vocals are the victorious battle cries which describe the demise & forth coming devastation. Each beat is a bullet into the heart of our enemy. The notes & chords are the Hell Fire that vaporises & cleanses everything that stands our way. Any remaining ashes are scattered over the abyss.

 The aim of each performance is to inspire & unite all the 'like minded' under the WAR banner of Black Metal & to call upon them to join us in our cause. So each AK-11 performance is not just a group of 'buddies on stage', gathering together for a good time & a few beers. Its an event with a purpose, that requires visual & auditory brutality, mostly relentless style of playing & merciless oratory.

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

A live on air performance at a local radio station (PBS 106.7fm) by Burning Bitumen is being arranged for early September. Our Australian (Melbourne) album launch will take place on Saturday, 20th September 2014 at the Central Club. There is another Melbourne performance coming up on the 6th of December at the Reverence Hotel. Also as mentioned earlier, we are 're-grouping' the AK-11 battalion after the European tour, so there are a few suprises coming up.

8.How have extreme metal fans worldwide react to the musical sound of the newer album?

The metalheads that have been following AK-11 have only positive things to say about the new recording & those familiar with the demo have voiced their opinion on how much progress has been made over the last couple of years. There has been a lot of support & interest for the band locally & internationally.


9.Where do you want to see the band heading into musically during the future/

I envisage AK-11 becoming more brutal & hostile as our mission continues & the WAR intensifies. I always aim to work towards interesting music, something that is memorable & can be listened to over & over again. Some bands just play fast & heavy for the sake of it. Their song ideas have been already done by others many, many times over, so its boring, safe & predictable. For me music like that is heard once & then forgotten. So I do try to experiment when it comes to song writing & I'm open to new ideas. I can say for sure however that AK-11 will remain dark, militant, heavy & always dedicated to the Left Hand Path.


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

COME JOIN OUR WAR. MARCH TO VICTORY WITH AK-11. UNITE IN BLACK METAL.

HAILZ,

VALAK

  Martelo  Negro  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black, death,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Equinocio  Espectral"  which  was  released  by  HellProd.

  Animal  and  demonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  a  very  raw,  heavy  and  old  school  kicks  in  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  as  well  as  the  music  combining  old  school  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  together  and  the  bass  guitars  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  There  is  a  great  amount  of  energy  in  the  bands  musical  sound  that  is  very  close  to  punk  rock  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  metal  direction  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  perfect  balance  between  first  and  second  wave  black  metal  while  the  death  metal  side  of  the  bands  musical  sound  is  heavily  influenced  by  the  early  Florida  wave  of  this  genre.

  All  of  the  music  on  the  album  sound s like  it  could  of  been  recorded  being  88-91  while  the  production  gives  the  music  a  more  modern  sound  and  on  one  of  the  track  they  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  bring  in  some  brutal  blast  beats  which  gives  the  music  a  more  raw  black  metal  feeling  along  with  a  great  amount  of  early  80's  speed  metal in  the  bands  guitar  riffing and one of the later tracks bring in a brief use of spoken word ritualistic parts and they close the album with an outro  that  brings  in  a  very  dark  and  occult  sounding  synth.
 
  Martelo  Negro  take  the  first  and  second  waves  of  black  metal and  combine  them  with  death,  thrash  and  speed  metal of  the  late  80's  to  early  90's  variety  along  with  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  to  create  the  musical  sound  that  is  presented  on  the  recording,  the  production  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Portuguese  and  English  and  cover  occult  and  left  hand  path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Martelo  Negro  are  a  very  great  sounding mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Culto  Hermetico"  "Born  Again  Antichrist"  "Sworn  To  The  Heptagram"  and  "Caronte".  8/5  out  of  10.