This is not a record that wants to be comfortable. It was not designed to be.

BARREN MOTHER OF ALL takes its title from a quote by Indian guru Nisargadatta Maharaj: “Consciousness is only a concept. Therefore, I call the entire manifestation, ‘The child of a barren woman.'” That paradox — something vast and undeniable built from something that cannot exist — runs through the album’s entire conceptual architecture.

Moore tackles the all-consuming void, the catastrophic path humanity is currently on, and the unflinching honesty of someone experiencing a genuine depth of despair, shapeshifting, and rebirth. The album serves as anarchy — aimed at provoking an inner uprising, an internal reckoning with the forces bearing down on all of us from outside and within.

“The musical approach is meant to act as anarchy,” Moore says. “I wanted to be really brazen and reflect the inner spirit. Most of the vocals are one take and many of the songs were written and recorded within an hour. I wanted to capture the energy of the moment. Iggy Pop is one of my heroes — I take inspiration from him being so incredibly loose and free.”

Equal doses of industrial, trap, witch house, post-punk, gothic rock, noise, metal, 80s horror soundtracks, and dystopian psychedelia combine into a devilish brew that refuses to stabilise or settle. The album blurs industrial abrasion with witch-house murk, post-punk tension with goth-rock theatre, blown-out noise with metal heft, synth-horror camp, and chemically altered psychedelia — all moving in the same dangerous direction.

“I’ve got a living womb and a buzzing hive. You want to kill the Queen, yet I’m still alive. My babies all in formation. There’s no contemplation. If you approach the hive… that’s a SITUATION.”

The Queen metaphor runs throughout — Moore sending his baby bees to battle against random chaos, positioning himself as a figure of radical, reproductive, unstoppable force. Confrontational. Theatrical. Completely sincere.

The Covers and the Only Guest

BARREN MOTHER OF ALL includes covers of PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, The Doors, and Rage Against the Machine — and the highlight is a raucous reimagining of Beastie Boys’ “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun,” among Moore’s favourite songs and one he has long wanted to properly reclaim.

The album’s only guest is Shenzie — Moore’s black cat — who can be heard chirping on “District 8.”

IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE established the trilogy’s template — 30+ songs of uncensored chaos, frustration, and outpoured beauty, a tour through danger, mental illness, and the darkness we avoid. GRIST deepened the philosophy — named for Ram Dass’s concept that all of life’s experience, trauma, transcendence, and suffering is “grist for the mill of awakening” — hunting, laughing, mourning, and challenging listeners to step into their true selves without fear.

BARREN MOTHER OF ALL completes the arc. It is the void at the centre of all of it, stared at directly and documented without blinking.

In addition, Metal Blast is bringing back its educational musical workshops, reaffirming its commitment to giving back to the community and supporting the growth of the metal and alternative music scene.

The 15-year anniversary also marks the beginning of a new branding phase for Metal Blast. Updated visuals, anniversary identity, event dates, and lineup announcements will be revealed gradually later this year.

More details and further announcements will follow soon.

The journey begins with “Planet Earth”, whose deceptively catchy riff and bouncy rhythm mask a profound meditation on digital-age loneliness. Despite its anthem-like qualities, the track dissects how our desperate attempts at connection often leave us more isolated than ever. Vorpal crafts an ironic juxtaposition between the song’s accessible sound and its existential weight.

From there, “Manhunter” transforms the EP’s trajectory entirely. The guitar tone creates an unsettling spaciousness, as if the instrument itself is stalking from the shadows. Vorpal inhabits the perspective of journalist Freddie Lounds from Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon, narrating serial killer Francis Dolarhyde’s story with genuinely eerie vocal delivery. The track succeeds not through cheap thrills but through atmospheric dread that will leave you genuinely unsettled.

Taking a sharp sonic turn, “House of Capricorn” introduces reversed sounds and warm synthesizers, creating a dreamlike yet sober reflection that evokes themes of addiction, compulsion, and the cycles of gambling. This dramatic shift demonstrates Vorpal’s range, moving from horror into introspective territory without losing emotional impact. You’ll find yourself drawn into its hypnotic atmosphere.

The emotional journey continues with “Charlatan”, where Vorpal explores the psychology of someone fully aware of their destructive behavior. A relentless drum machine and somber synths create the perfect backdrop for late-night contemplation. The kind of track that demands you listen alone during long drives.

Now, if you’ve read our article on this next song, then you should already be pretty familiar with how  “Q” assaults you with synchronized guitar, drums, and vocals pounding identical rhythms while lyrics overlap in tongue-twister fashion: “Get it, you don’t get it, you don’t get to…”. This psychedelic experience challenges conventional song structure, creating something genuinely unique that will polarize you and your friends’ musical tastes.

Finally, the EP concludes with “Overboard” my personal favorite track on the EP, and in my opinion, Vorpal’s most accomplished composition. The track achieves genuine artistic expression of psychological drowning through brilliant songwriting and a tangibly eerie atmosphere. It’s a bone-chilling experience that transcends typical genre attempts at creating fear, delivering something that will stay with you long after it ends.

“Memes” showcases an artist unafraid to traverse vastly different sonic territories while maintaining thematic coherence. Vorpal has created something that challenges you as a listener while rewarding those willing to engage with its darkness.

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• Paleface Swiss – Cursed [January 3]
• Ex Deo – Year of the Four Emperors (EP) [January 10]
• The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard [January 10]
• Oni – Genesis (EP) [January 24]
• Obscura – A Sonication [February 7]
• Bleeding Through – Nine [February 14]
• Killswitch Engage – This Consequence [February 21]
• Architects – The Sky, the Earth & All Between [February 28]
• Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty [March 28]
• Memphis May Fire – Shapeshifter [March 28]
• Landmvrks – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been [April 25]
• Bury Tomorrow – Will You Haunt Me, with That Same Patience [May 16]

• Stick to Your Guns – Keep Planting Flowers [January 10]

• Dark Fortress – Anthems from Beyond the Grave (live album) [January 17]
• Harakiri for the Sky – Scorched Earth [January 24]

• Avatarium – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead [January 24]
• Pentagram – Lightning in a Bottle [January 31]
• Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression [February 14]
• Nightstalker – Return from the Point of No Return [March 14]

• Labyrinth – In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye [January 24]
• Majestica – Power Train [February 7]
• Dynazty – Game of Faces [February 14]
• Lacuna Coil – Sleepless Empire [February 14]
• Nachtblut – Todschick [February 21]
• Avantasia – Here Be Dragons [February 28]
• Brainstorm – Plague of Rats [February 28]
• Crematory – Destination [May 2]
• Primal Fear – Domination [September 5]

• Thomas Erak – (AU) [January 31]
• Dream Theater – Parasomnia [February 7]
• Jinjer – Duél [February 7]
• Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis Act III: The Father of Make Believe [March 14]

Vocalist Anca Scurtu opens Conflicted in Tears with her soothing dreamy voice, that’s when mixed with Jay Ross’ atmospheric arpeggios created the perfect doomy mood, a perfect fit for a cold winter night. The multiple vocals layering cemented Conflicted in Tears’ melancholic texture, while its slow pace provided the perfect emotional buildup, preparing the listener for the big-sounding dark chorus. The guitar melody was 100% on point, and in total harmony with the vocal melody, hitting the listener right in the heart and making him/her feel every note. Conflicted in Tears has a bittersweet gloomy sound, it flows smoothly like a stream of heart-hitting beautiful melodies, with well-calculated and written dynamics that seamlessly shift from a bigger sound to a quieter one softly without losing its vibes or emotional core.

Thine Inner Sanctum managed to create the perfect setup for such a gloomy tune as Conflicted in Tears. The musical progression goes hand in hand with its deeply emotional flow with the most fitting sound and tone, altogether within a tight atmospheric structure that affects the listener deeply, creating a bond between the artist and the fans. Totally recommended for pure hardcore doom fans, will make me keep on looking forward to more from Thine Inner Sanctum, cheers!

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Opening with a big theatrical intro that instantly gets you in the mood, Stratuz gives the listener a hint of what to expect on Osculum Pacis as they prepare us for the battle to come.  Morning Star picks that epic sound up and even magnifies it, it’s dark, raw, and extremely heavy with cleverly written and arranged melodies and clean vocals that balanced its heaviness, while the orchestrations pushed those relentless riffs forward in a highly balanced dynamic structure, plus an EPIC solo included. Still pushing their sound further, Father Amorth (E) comes next with fast riffing, pounding drums, preaching vocals, and threatening orchestrations. Around the 1:20 minute mark, they steer the song’s dynamics into a slower pace, introducing a beautiful melodic acoustic section that shows another side of Stratuz before they smoothly shift into more dense sound without losing their momentum or compromising their sound. Stratuz explores new territory on Holy Grail, it has a more atmospheric sound with carefully written guitar melodies, heavy melodic piano, and subtle Lovecraft-ish vibes that perfectly fit their direction. Using such an approach helped spice the record’s dynamics, and showed their diverse writing and knowledge of their direction. Moving towards the middle of the record we reach Caelibatus, a massive sound journey that sums up everything that happened in previous songs and adds to it. The orchestrations powerfully uplift the song’s dynamics, while the guitars and machinegun drumming managed to sustain its edgy rough sound. The structure has an amazing progression, it keeps on relentlessly building up and engaging the listener more and more into a larger sound leading to the perfect ending, totally my favorite so far. Diving into the depths of doom comes In the Name of God, its dark evil sound and slow thick riffs are simply mesmerizing! It keeps on digging deeper into a more brutal and extreme sound as it carries on. Back to the Sun cools down the album’s extremity with its more melodic and neat approach, it has a unique sound with atmospheric clean guitars, hypnotizing riffs, and overwhelming vocals that speak directly to your soul. Stratuz are back to the doomy vibes but with a more melodic approach on Sodomized. A powerful hard-hitting one with a big wall of sound and a captivating groove. Dawn cements Stratuz’s melodic twist, with more orchestrations and melodic guitars leading the song’s dynamics even on the extreme parts, it feels like these guys are flexing their writing abilities, pushing their boundaries further. And the female vocal part was surprising and added a deeper layer to their mix. With a leading keys melody and groovy slow guitars comes Left, a melancholic piece towards the end of the record, offering a more open sound that smoothly progresses into a brutal fest, creating dynamic shifts that keep things interesting. Condemned epically ends Osculum Pacis with amazing songwriting, layering, and arrangement. It has a mature sound with a well-structured and well-engineered progression, and fluid dynamics that organically shift from highly energetic banger riffs into atmospheric and emotional soundscapes using everything they have, with each and every instrument playing its role in the perfect time and place. 
Osculum Pacis is a brutally artistic journey with Stratuz, it loudly demonstrates their abilities and vision, which they stayed true to throughout all the changes and dynamic shifts that we’ve been through on this sonic trip. I loved how packed is it with pure emotions of anger, melancholy, and growing brutality. Osculum Pacis is definitely going into my AOTY list, totally recommended to all extreme music lovers, I’m looking forward to more guys, keep on rocking!

● Hey guys! Tell me more about how you gathered up and shaped the idea of the band.

First of all, we would love to thank you for giving us such an opportunity for such a prestigious magazine to interview us the idea started with a dream and our love for doom death metal back in 2014 it started off with just amateur riffs then through ongoing years it has become the entity that is catharsis now.

● Catharsis is a very strong word indeed. How did it come up?
The main theme and the main topic of catharsis is to get rid of all the negative emotions and the purification of the soul and mind of all the dark emotions. a funny story when we were looking for a name for the band we actually looked through a vocabulary book to find a name that suits our theme.

● ” A Journey Of Remembrance” what quite a name! What’s the album concept about?
Actually, a journey of Remembrance was an article made by Rana Atef, who interviewed us back in 2017. And called she called the article a journey of Remembrance. to honour the first interview we decided to call the album the journey of Remembrance. the name itself holds a very deep place in every single one of us as we explore an adventure through our pasts and letting go of our past either toxic or moving on.

Rana Atef – Catharsis; the Rise of Doom in Egypt!

● It seems like ‘KoldHavenson’ had a huge impact on the album production and vision. Can you please elaborate more about his role?
Not only was he a huge impact on the album but also he is considered a hero for the whole album! We needed someone with composition experience to influence us into creating epic music that can reach out to everyone – either they are metalheads or not. Definitely, he is a hero, and you will hear a lot of his influences in the upcoming releases.

● I noticed that mixing and mastering processes were at Silver Steel Studio in France. Was it just a coincidence or it was planned?
Silver Steel Studio was planned out ever since the start of the studio, we talked to Yass who is the founder of Silver steel studios multiple times and we reach a perfect agreement for not only releasing this album but for future releases as well. And the reason why we chose a foreign studio because with respect to a lot of Egyptian studios we needed the expertise in mixing and mastering when it comes to our type of genre and the studio delivered it perfectly.

● You mentioned guys that the album reflects from personal experiences of the vocalist to the effects of depression. Can you please tell us more about it?
That is true. The album talks about relationships, either family or lovers, about people that caused suffering to one’s mental health. It talks about remembering and letting go of the past, letting go of everything that a person can hold, -either negative or positive. The album talks about depression in a narrative way, about a man that subsided to the voices inside his head that let him into a phase in which he can never come back. So our message from this album is you’re not alone, and we are all here together so do not be afraid to shout and scream if you need help or assistance.

● All elements were pretty stunning in your record, you choose to add some orchestral melodic elements in your tracks. Do you think this is a normal evolution for the early 90s death-doom sound?
Of course, everything has its evolution and what we try to present is the evolution of the genre that we hold dear as we try to make the album Audible to everyone who listens. We want to reach all levels of musical approach through heavy riffs medium-paced drums directed by grand majestic orchestration.

● Kudos to your selection of the session musicians, guys! Was it planned or just came during the recording process?
It was all planned out indeed. We seek to find musicians that share the same passion and love for the genre so that their influence can not only change the direction and the course of the music but also direct the music in a manner where it reaches the international standards of the music industry.

● I was expecting to find a music video, are you aiming to publish one soon?
We are aiming to make a video clip of one of our favourite tracks which is 1.11.11.

● Since there’s no active live scene, how do you plan to promote your album guys?
Actually one of our plans is to revive the metal scene back to its good old days through a live show very soon with one of Egypt’s biggest metal bands we’ve been in contact with them and we will try to revive the metal scene back to its glorious days apart from that will be promoting our music through Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and a lot of other musical outlets and we will try to reach out to global music and metal magazines.

Rana: Finally, I am interviewing one of Wintersun members. Actually, this band is one of the most favorite bands. Thank you so much, Teemu for accepting our invitation to this interview and for being with us today.

Teemu: Hey Rana, actually, it is my first interview with a Middle Eastern webzine through Zoom, so thank you for having me here;
Rana: So, let’s warm-up together and let me ask you about your relationship with Middle Eastern bands and musicians.
Teemu: Well, the first name that comes to my mind is Equilibrium’s drummer “Hati”, he is from Israel, although Equilibrium is a German band. We have played some festivals together and have gotten to know each other over the years. 

I guess Orphaned Land is probably the most known metal band from the Middle East. I also know Melechesh, having seen them live at 70000 Tons Of Metal in 2015. I’m also a fan of Blackfield, so I know Aviv Geffen from there. Other than, that I’ve also had some students from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Rana: So, after this warming up, I need to start with “Time I”, it was your first album with “Wintersun” as you didn’t catch the very first album “Wintersun”. This album means a lot to Egyptian metalheads as they are big fans of Wintersun and it means a lot to me too. So, can tell us more about TIME I and your memories of your early days with Wintersun?
Teemu: Before answering your question, I had a quick check of the countries we have the most Facebook followers from and actually, Egypt was there, I think the fifth. So, it is like what you said about having a lot of fans there which we appreciate a lot.
I joined Wintersun three months after the first album came out.

To go a little bit back in history, Wintersun originally started as a solo project by Jari as he had songs that didn’t fit for Ensiferum. In 2004 Jari had booked a studio to record the first Wintersun album and the schedules didn’t match to Ensiferum’s touring plans, so Jari decided to quit Ensiferum in order to focus on Wintersun. Jari asked Kai Hahto to play drums and the two recorded the self-titled “Wintersun” debut during the first half of 2004, and it was released in September 2004.

After the successful reception of the album, the record label asked Jari to put a band together for live shows so he started looking for members.
Jari knew Jukka Koskinen from Norther and asked him to play the bass. Jari had originally asked his childhood friend and Ensiferum drummer Oliver Fokin to play the second guitar, and Oliver can be seen on the Beyond The Dark Sun music video, which was filmed before the album release, but soon he decided that not to continue in Wintersun. In October 2004 Jari announced on the Wintersun website that he’s looking for a guitarist and a synth player, and I sent him a message to ask about the audition.

We talked and I sent him some audio clips of me playing the guitar. After live auditioning about 10 potential guitarists Jari couldn’t decide between me and another guy, so he Jari gave us the guitar tracks of the first album on a CD to learn in a couple of weeks. Then after the final live auditions, he chose me and I was the happiest guy ever! This was Christmas 2004.
In early 2005 I met Kai and Jukka for the first time as we started practicing together. In summer 2005 we started playing live shows, the first couple shows in Finland and then internationally as well. In December 2005 we had our first bus tour across Europe supporting Exodus and Hypocrisy, which was really magical! I was 18 years old at the time.
In May 2006 we started recordings for the TIME album – which was still supposed to be one album at that point – and I got to visit the legendary Sonic Pump Studios for the first time and see what professional studio work looks like. That was all very exciting.
Later in summer 2006, we played again some big festivals.

 

Performing at Wacken Open Air in front of approximately 40000 people was one of the most memorable experiences. At the end of 2006, we also got to tour with Amon Amarth and Tyr. Those were great times!
Rana: So regarding the “Wintersun” album, how did you feel when you listened to the album for the first time?
Teemu: I first saw the music video of “Beyond the Dark Sun” – I think right before the album came out – and I became a fan of the music immediately and went to buy the album.

I had known Jari from Ensiferum but for me, the “Wintersun” album was something totally fresh. I felt it had a really nice mix between various styles and moods, and a lot of interesting guitar riffs, melodies, and solos; great vocal performance and lyrics; awesome blast beats and the kind of drumming I had never heard before; and moreover – really awesome songwriting! In my opinion, it is a perfect album. I listened to it every day back in 2004-2005 and I love still to listen to it nowadays.

Rana: You were attached to the music since you listened to it, so from being a fan of Wintersun’s music to a really active member in the band, Wintersun music is really unique, I can see the landscapes of Finland and its nature through the music, it seems so visual. How does the process of writing such music go as you participated in “Time I” and “The Forest Seasons”?
Teemu: Jari is very much the mastermind in Wintersun and the songs are all written by him. He usually has a clear big vision in his mind but of course, sometimes he asks our opinions and thoughts on the songs as well.

He has so many ideas in his head that coming up with strong songs never seems a problem for him. But he’s also very particular about sounds and production so recording and mixing is usually the harder part. We, the rest of the band members, try to help him with all the practical things and everything that is needed “behind the scenes” to run a band.

So, going back to Time I: After completing the basic drum, bass, and rhythm guitar recordings Jari started working on the orchestrations. With his vision growing and getting clearer along the way he was always learning more and more about making and arranging orchestrations but at the same time, he was facing a lot of trouble with his computers which could not handle the huge song projects.

After finally finishing the orchestrations, recording the remaining vocal and guitar lead/solo tracks, and having also learned how to mix himself in the last years, Jari mixed and mastered TIME I and it was released in October 2012. After that, the band had a long touring period lasting for almost 2 years.

Rana: Regarding Time II, when will the album come out? This is the question of every Wintersun fan! Is Time II is already written?

Teemu: The basic songwriting for the whole TIME album was completed around 2006. Most of the music was written between 2005-2006 and some ideas even before that. In 2012 the record label had the idea to split the album into two parts and so TIME I was released first. Jari was trying to work on TIME II in between tours but eventually, around 2015 it became clear for him that he was not able to finish TIME II as he wanted with his current gear and possibilities. 

Thus TIME II was put on hold and the band started planning a crowdfunding campaign to fund those better music production possibilities. The Forest Seasons album, with more simplistic production, came out of this situation and was a great start to our bigger crowdfunding project, which is planned to be three parts and three albums in total. Currently, it is still unclear when Jari will be able to finish the TIME II album, but most likely it won’t be yet the next album coming out.
Rana: Moving to another point, why does your relationship with fans on social media look controversial? There are a lot of discussions between the fans, and Jari.
Teemu: Yes, I think a lot of that is because of misunderstanding the crowdfunding and also our new Patreon community. I have to say I do understand fans sometimes being irritated having to wait for new music for a long time, and I think Wintersun has always had an amazingly supportive and loyal fanbase, which we are very grateful for!

Also, unfortunately in social media, even a smaller group of people with negative things to say often tend to be louder than the majority who try to stay more positive. And when somebody is misinformed we try to reply to comments to help them understand the situation better.
When we announced the crowdfunding the fans were expecting the release of “Time II”, so we explained in detailed documentary videos why there is a different new album, what the “The Forest Season” and the crowdfunding are, and that we hoped our fans to buy the album in a presale directly from us along with “The Forest Package” so we could eventually fund better conditions for Jari to work on the music.

 

 Because of totally different, more simple approach to writing, recording, and mixing The Forest Seasons, the whole album was done in only about 9 months between 2015-2016. After that, we meticulously planned and prepared the first part of the crowdfunding campaign in secrecy before announcing it.

The campaign run between March-April 2017 and the album and all the extra content was released in July 2017. From then on we had an active touring period for 2 years after which Jari has been getting back to writing new music again. He’s been actually very productive lately, but he has also learned from the past not to announce new music before it’s actually ready. That’s why sometimes it might seem that the band is inactive between tours because there might not always be frequent updates.

Currently, Jari is working on new music all the time and once the next album is getting ready then we put our heads together to plan and prepare the next part of the crowdfunding campaign.

To offer the most active Wintersun fans more extra content and at the same time keeping the band active even between tours we decided to create a Wintersun Patreon community at the beginning of 2020.

It launched in April 2020 and includes exclusive weekly videos, a forum, podcasts, and other content from all the band members against a small subscription fee. We’ve had a lot of fun doing the Patreon, especially our monthly video podcasts together! As the amount of content keeps on growing weekly we hope that more and more fans will eventually find their way there!

That was our first part with Teemu Mäntysaari so stay tuned for the next part!

Anathema

I prefer to start with “Anathema” from “Distant Satellites” (2014). Yeah, the name of the song is so close to the name of the band, but the lyrics of this song could summarize the journey of the band; “but we laughed, and we cried, and we fought, and we tried and we failed, but I love you.” The music carries beautiful key sounds with charming vocals performance, it is so close to theatrical monologue.

Inner Silence 

It could be not one of the most listened tracks of Anathema, but for me, it is one of the best ones of the band. The track could be short but it is really deep. The intro of the keys and the sounds cellos and guitars conquer your feelings and the wonderful lyrics will absolutely catch your thoughts; “when the light of your life sighs and love dies in your eyes.” Inner Silence is taken from Anathema’s successful release “Alternative 4” (1998).

J’ai Fait Une Promesse 

This song could be somehow unfamiliar to you. This one is taken from Anathema’s first full length “Serenades” (1993) and I was careful to check Anathema’s early stuff. It is closer to early Katatonia, more into death and depressive ones. Moving back to the song, “Jai Fait Une Promesse” is a short French track performed in a pitch closer to the folk music performance. Make sure to listen to it.

Lost Control

“Lost Control” is one of the most listened Anathema stuff and it is one of the definitive tracks of the band. “Lost Control” is a very depressive and heartbreaking song, especially, its final part starting with “yes, I am falling, how much longer till I hit the ground?“. It expresses the human’s tragedy melancholy! The song is taken from the timeless “Alternative 4” (1998).

Springfield

“Springfield” is taken from the band’s latest album “The Optimist” (2017). As for me, this song is so special. It is composed of huge and rich instrumental fusion. Just enjoy the music.

Better off Dead  

“Better off Dead” is also one of the unfamiliar tracks by the band, but it is a beautiful and expressive song. If you a fan of piano songs with emotional pitch, this is for you. “Better off Dead” is added to “Alternative 4” in the later versions of the album. Please note that this song is not an Anathema original, but it is a Bad Religion band cover.

Sentient

“Sentient” is an instrumental track taken from “Eternity” (1996). It is the most track suitable for Autumn, it is cold, full of shivers, melancholic. You can hear the sound of the gray clouds, misty sky, and ghostly nights.

One Last Goodbye

There is no Anathema list without “One Last Goodbye”. This song has unforgotten memories with me, I remember every tune of, it could be a song for forever farewell or a long-gone lover! death, fear, coldness, and sorrow! “One Last Goodbye” is taken from “Judgment” (1999).

 Harmonium

“Harmonium” is a surprising track! It is taken from “A Natural Disaster” (2003) and it is a wonderful progressive track. There are different musical combinations as rock, depressive/atmospheric, and orchestral. I feel strange heat and hate in this music, “I was trying to live my life, it wouldn’t let me feel free to comprehend, what I see will never end.”

Regret

“fear, regret, loneliness,” those three words summarize Anathema’s lyrical themes, and “Regret” is a gate for many people to cross to Anathema’s music. I still remember the moment my best friend sent me the link of this track to travel to Anathemas’s realm.

 I hope you enjoy our list and keep supporting your favorite music taste. Finally, a few years ago, our co-founder NJ Bakr had the chance to interview Anathema face to face in Dubai, she was the first Middle-Eastern Metal interviewed to had such a huge step in the Middle Eastern metal journalism career, check it through this HERE.

The video in collaboration with Black Lion Records exclusively presents the new TETHRA video, “A Light Year Breath”. 

The song comes from the new album of the Italian band, originally from the beautiful hills of Piedmont region. The album will be released on March 20, 2020.
Rock Era Magazine approached the band for an exclusive interview and despite the current situation in Italy and the COVID-19 came back with some secrets to be revealed for the first time to the Arabic Metalheads who.

1- “Empire Of The Void”, behind every album, there are many stories, which story would you love to share with us? Maybe you give us some taste of it or another teaser!
Close: This third album is the result of an intense composition work that lasted more than a year, most of the songs were composed by Federico, a guitarist who has been playing with the band for almost three years. We wanted to get a more mature and layered sound without losing impact, so he and I spent countless evenings at his house in the company of an excellent bottle of typical Italian bitter, increasingly refining our musical proposal and discarding those parts and those riffs that we thought were too much. For years we have followed the philosophy of Less is More and with it, we have always felt good because I firmly believe that not too many notes are needed to reach the hearts of listeners.

Federico: I started making music for this album just after I learned the “old” songs for the live gigs. As soon as I was relaxed, I tried to bring some new ideas at the rehearsal room just to understand how they were taken by the rest of the band. Then, I admit, I began working all alone on some ideas asking the help of Clode to complete them. I have a very “baroque” style when I approach the composition of a new song and, above all, I wanted that Clode would be at ease with the vocal parts. So I needed his advice and it has been a very deep and intense period because creating music is one of the most satisfying things in life (in my opinion).

2- Do you have an exclusive announcement, news to share with our readers? Any new gigs, tours in the air to support the new release?
Close: Until a few weeks ago we were very busy managing, together with our label, the release of the new album so we didn’t have so much time to dedicate to finding new concerts. If you add that from the end of February here in Italy we are experiencing a very difficult situation because of the Coronavirus you can well imagine our current mood. What I can tell you now is that after the summer, hoping this situation will return to normal, we’ll play in a couple of interesting festivals dedicated to our musical genre, unfortunately, I still cannot anticipate anything because, in these days, we are waiting for the promoters make official announcements but we are sure that the wait will pay off widely.

3- You’re not very present on social media but you exist for 12 years. What’s your approach to keeping in touch with your fans? or to satisfy their curiosity and need to interact and why this distance? Is it a choice, a philosophy? tell us more about it.
Close: If you mean that the band is not very aggressive on social media I have to give you reason, I believe that flooding the web with posts related to the band can only create the opposite effect we desired. In any case, it depends a lot on the moment, when a new album is about to come out we have a lot of news to give to our fans, otherwise, we like to keep confidential about what we are doing. We love when our fans text to us to satisfy their curiosity or just to tell us how affected they were by a particular song. As a band, we are often connected, even in times when we post less, but often we prefer to stay in the shadows and watch the events unfold. Even not being too present on social media, or rather, being present in the right amount, is an important art to master.

5- Today and after 12 years, where do you see “Tethra” and what is that you would love to achieve next?
Close: It’s a good question, Tethra is now like a tailor-made dress for me and this helps me to dispel the negativities that life puts before me, I must also say that this band is a continuous challenge that gives me no respite and this has allowed me to grow and improve a lot considering also that I never wanted to canonically study my instrument, the voice. Since the band was born, we have been in constant evolution and we’re driven and supported by the emotions of the moment, which is why you’ll never hear two of our albums playing in the same way, life is like a journey and changing the landscape also changes our way to see things and compose music. I’d like our music, and our message, will reach more and more people and be supportive in their most difficult moments, this would be a great achievement indeed.

Federico: as a “young” member of the band, I can only say that since I joined it, I always felt at home and free to finally express myself through the music. So I would like to be part of the doom scene as much as we can, taking away the satisfaction a band like us can get and hoping to reach as many people possible with our music. That’s the most important thing: music.

6- In a time where social media is taking over and shaping many aspects of our lives, music, in general, is not spared, and the music scene is almost saturated, what are the challenges facing the metal bands in Italy today compared to other parts of Europe and the rest of the world according to you?
Close: I believe that with the globalization that reigns today, helped by the widespread diffusion of the internet, the challenges are more or less the same for all the bands in the world. Carving out a place in the sun can become a real undertaking, you’re right, we are saturated with bands and all have the aspiration to bring their music on stage, to record albums and make interviews just like their idols and that why is so difficult to get noticed even if you take the right steps and your music is of great value. Furthermore, the gap between the big bands and all the other groups is expanding more and more and the new metal heads prefer others rituals than going to see the shows of the underground bands because for some of them it is more important to post a selfie on social media while they are at the show of the usual big names and they no longer buy CDs because the streaming platforms are more comfortable and cheaper. If these things do not change or we continue to evolve towards increasingly digital and less human ways of enjoying music, I believe that music, as we know it today, will be doomed to die.

Federico: I’m less apocalyptic than Clode on this because I think that the biggest bands today are not as big as the “old ones” were. I believe that there is some more space for everyone because there are less and fewer bands that can take over the scene as happened in the past with names like Metallica or Iron Maiden. Concerning the streaming platforms I think that these are the real killers of the music business, but not for the fruition side of the problem, but because they got people used to the idea of listening to one song and then “skip”. Skipping and skipping is the real killer… there is no more patience in the listeners. And that’s the harmful side.

7- What is your message to the young metal bands in Italy or around the world?
Close: If the kind of music you play is moved by deep feelings, continue with a passion to carry on your music, surely you will have to face a thousand difficulties but this will help you grow and improve day after day. Don’t try to burn the stages, do a lot of apprenticeships, because only in this way you can truly appreciate the results obtained with your sacrifices.

8- If you could choose a band to play within a festival, which band would you choose and which festival would make it the perfect fit and why?
Close: I would love to be able to share the stage with each of the bands that have influenced us most, especially those of the English Doom/Death such as My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost and, I think, at this moment the Doom festival that could call them both is Madrid is the Dark, in recent years I have been able to see how this festival has grown and has, from time to time, invited to play all the doom bands that I like the most.

9- On daily life, what do you enjoy to do?
Close: in my daily life I’m a great photography enthusiast, especially the travel one. I started shooting during live concerts and continued carrying the camera with me on my travels. I love to travel and immerse myself in different lifestyles and cultures, I am also a gourmand so I always try to taste as much local food as possible and, if I can, to take home some recipes to be able to continue living the mood of the holiday even after my return.

Federico: I admit I like playing video games. In my opinion, the good ones, are a proxy of reading a book (another thing I love to do), but with an interaction that can give you the possibility (or illusion) of being part of the story, more than everything else. I love sci-fi in all its declinations (not only starship and aliens…) and videogames can be an immense world to dive in (when I can find the time to play!). Apart from that, I love reading both books and comics, but I’m not a Marvel fan if you ask! I like mangas, but also french production is very interesting. Their way of making a comic is very different from the American or Japanese way. I suggest it.

10- Do you listen to other genres of Metal? Who are your top five Italian metal bands today?
Close: of course! all of us in the band tries to have a good musical culture by listening to everything we can and keeping the best things for us because the inspiration for a song can also come from a very different musical genre from what Tethra plays, Doom Metal is not the only music that we listen to even if it’s the one that represents us most and moves deep emotions every time. Answering the second part of your question I can say that Italy is full of excellent bands, just think of Novembre, The Foreshadowing, Rome in Monochrome, Ars Onirica and Hadal but the list could be much longer.

Federico: I listen to almost every metal genre and won’t give you any list: too many to mention. Besides metal, I could tell you that I love very slow and dreamy music like Lana Del Rey or even some electronic stuff, but nothing is fully attached to me like death doom.

Thank you so much for the interview and I wish you all the best with your new album. What would be your last message before the next opportunity to have you again with new surprises?
Close: we are living in difficult and tormented times and it is precisely for this reason that we should appreciate more what we have and that we take for granted, like music. Go out, go to concerts and be with us in this sonic ritual. You will bring home good experiences for sure and meet people who live life like you. The uncertainty of this period requires us to remain cautious in terms of declarations regarding our future plans so I just hope that this Coronavirus will be eradicated as soon as possible and everything returns to normal and that in a few years we can think of these days as those who have allowed us to improve as human beings and to come out stronger from this situation. Thanks for the interview, I wish you the best for your future.