Entropy Coding is an Italian symphonic prog metal band and this is their new album out on Agoge Records, so it was about time to hear the album and review it in the zine.
Entropy Coding was founded in 2015.by mastermind keyboardist and main composer Susanna Coltrè. She tried to combine power epic metal influences with symphonic elements and progressive metal and she made an interesting album on which she collaborated with 10 musicians, specialized in different musical genres.
The album contains a kind of intro and eight songs. After the intro “Once upon a time” I was not really happy with the opening track “Neon in the dark” because it gave me too plastic sound of the production like its lacking something in being alive but quite the contrary I found it to be too studio polished and sterile, both in song structure and production wise. Luckily the situation improved with next couple of songs especially with “Feel the air”, the single for which they made a nice lyric video which you can find below. The most beautiful song on this album for me is definitely “Luna” and its epicness, melody, sadness and beautiful keyboard and vocal lines put goosebumps on my skin and tears in my metal hardened eyes.
The musicianship on the album is really tight and although the production is somehow too plastic for me as I said before, this is quality and nice melodic metal for the fans of such music. I think that main goal of this album was to explore the boundaries of metal subgenres and they explored them well through and through. Interesting band, let us see what the future will bring for them.
Los Angeles, CA’s No Legacy Recordsformally announces their debut full-length ‘No Legacy Vol. 1: Socal/Norcal‘ is available strictly on vinyl pressing. Featuring nine of California’s modern heavy music acts that span the full genre spectrum of ‘heavy’, including Ironaut, Disastroid, Madrost, Astral Cult, Void Vator, and others. There are ‘no legacy’ acts on the compilation, as the label was created to specifically highlight professional up & coming bands not already in popular awareness.
DETAILS:
Label Name: No Legacy Records
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Genres/Styles: Heavy Metal, Thrash/Speed Metal, Doom, Heavy Rock
California is long-known for its contributions to the heavy metal music world. Be it bands, venues, and for many eras – record labels. With the digital stream eruptions, physical music sales plummeted and many major labels focused only on their ‘legacy’ artists, or outright folded. This gave smaller, independent labels room to grow and their underground artists found that same sunlight. Recent years sprouted a resurgence of physical format music on CD, Vinyl, and even cassettes. Yet, major labels still tote primarily ‘legacy’ artists, with reissue after reissue of legendary artist releases in every color vinyl in the rainbow.
However, music lovers still attend live music shows, searching for new heavy music that doesn’t carry that hefty legacy price tag. No Legacy Recordswas launched for this specific purpose. Erik Kluiber, label founder and executive producer of the compilation, knows his way around the California heavy metal scene. Erik is a long time heavy music artist, currently a member of both Void Vater (guitar) and Ironaut (bass and vocals), as well as former guitarist for Gypsyhawk and White Wizzard.
According to Kluiber, “The title is called No Legacy, because this album features exclusively contemporary up-and-coming bands in the underground California heavy music scene. From my perspective, the heavy metal movement has shifted over to an unhealthy focus predominantly fixated on established legacy acts. Metal has become all about the brands, instead of the bands.”
“I met all of the bands included on ‘No Legacy’ by sharing the stage with them at club shows across California. I hear and see hundreds of bands every year and the good ones stand out. In 2017, I had this idea of the compilation album in my head. I approached bands that made an impression the night I played with them and asked them if this idea of a compilation album was something they would be interested in participating in. I was surprised on the immediate positive feedback. They reminisced about albums like ‘Metal Massacre’ from decades ago and understood the fan crossover potential.”
Compilation of Artists – Information:
1. Ironaut – Los Angeles, CA(Facebook) 2. Disastroid – San Francisco, CA(Facebook) 3. Madrost – Lake Forest, CA (Facebook) 4. Astral Cult – Folsom, CA (Facebook) 5. Void Vator – Los Angeles, CA (Facebook) 6. Aboleth – Los Angeles, CA(Facebook) 7. Grand Lord High Master – Apple Valley, CA(Facebook) 8. Hazzard’s Cure – San Francisco, CA (Facebook) 9. Tzimani – San Diego, CA(Facebook)
Caedeous is Portuguese symphonic black metal band and this is their new album and I am proud that I listened and reviewed it for my webzine.
This project was born in the dead of night as a child of Portuguese composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and producer Paulo J. Mendes. The album was recorded at Studio7 and mastered at Finnvoxx Studios by Mika Jussila.
It contains 7 songs and I can surely say that this is by far the best symphonic black metal that I have listened in a last couple of years. Heavy riffs, aggressive passages, but also emotional and heartfelt melodies mixed with atmospheric parts and vocals sung in various voices, from whispering to screams, topped with choirs and excellent female vocals that sing, laugh, croon and talk, make this record a must. This record could easily be one of the best horror movie soundtracks that I have listened to in a while. I still love symphonic melodic black metal and this record is a must if you are a fan of such music. Top songs: “Fall of Mankind”, “Siege of Draedemor”.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 