“I’m a sucker for bands who incorporate their country’s cultural sounds into their music. Whether it’s Orphaned Land’s Israeli instrumentation, Chthonic’s weeping erhu-induced Thai melodies, or Nile’s violent riffing recalling the war-torn sand dunes and ancient pyramids of their home country of South Carolina, peppering your music with your country’s native sounds can make things a bit more interesting.” Think globally, listen locally.
Zgard
Zgard – Totem Review
“Do you remember what life was like prior to 2015 B.V. (Before Vardan)? Back when the phrase “monthly visitor” meant something radically different than black metal’s most notorious one-man sweatshop, the busiest man in black metal was Ukrainian pagan mastermind Yaromisl and his own one-man machine, Zgard.” C’mon boys, it’s not a competition. You’re both totally obscure.
Ashbringer – Vacant Review
“When one thinks of one-man black metal projects, one immed… WAIT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING!??!?!? NO, COME BACK HERE!!! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING? Yes, I know, another one-man black metal band. But this one is different, I swear! Come back… it’s okay… I love you.” It’s time for more basement metal. You love basement metal.
Zgard – Contemplation Review
“You never know when the winds of inspiration will go wafting through your soul like a favorite home-cooked meal. People will spend a good long time hammering out songs, putting hammer to anvil, cooling them off for a short time before honing them to perfection, and presenting their bared souls to the festering masses. Unless you are uber-prolific like Ukraine’s Zgard and release album after album, and I mean “four albums and one split in two years” prolific. And now, mastermind Yaromisl has unleashed Contemplation upon us.” The Ukraine may be in upheaval, but you can still count on Zgard’s productivity.