Bostjan Zupancic: MicroMetal

Synopsis:

Bostjan Zupancic: MicroMetal (hence BZMM) is a microtonal heavy metal project founded by Russ Hayes (Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Keyboards, Drums), in 2015. Hayes also plays guitar and bass with Naegleria Fowleri, a microtonal band fronted by a parrot, and the two acts cross over from time to time.

Style:

BZMM is heavy metal music played on instruments specifically tuned to a microtonal scale called 19-EDO (19 equal divisions per octave) or 19-TET (19 tone equal temperament). The music makes use of odd time signatures and exotic scales. The vocal styles used focus on clean vocals, but also include screaming and speaking. Influences are drawn from death metal, doom metal, thrash metal, classic heavy metal, and progressive rock.

Releases:

Quiet, Please was released in 2015, under the name "Bostjan Zupancic." The album was almost entirely instrumental, with one track including traditional sung vocals, and a few other tracks containing short parts with spoken word or sung melodies. The musical style was more varied, but had many similarities with the project's more recent material, after adding "MicroMetal" to the name. The album is considered the intial framing of the musical genre known as "micrometal."

The debut release of the project, as BZMM: Vol I, received some mixed reviews in the press, with positive reviews praising the album's originality in songwriting, composition, and style, and negative reviews criticizing the album's avoidance of tradition and lack of diversity.

Happy Halloween was released on 17 Oct 2016. It is available here. One track from the album, "Psychoclowns," recieved minimal press and received positive reviews.

Vol II was released 17 Mar 2017. The album was made as a follow up to Vol I, but branched out into some different influences, including pop punk and electronica. The album received mostly negative reviews, primarily citing the vocal delivery and production.

Nothing Special was released in 2017 as well. The album received mixed reviews in the press.

Associated acts:

Hälberwolf, Sounds and Scenarios, RaiZed on Radio, The Classix, Naegleria Fowleri.