Saturday, August 30, 2014

Madrost Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Tanner: Hey guys, so far the band has been doing really well since recording "Into The Aquatic Sector" back in March-May. We have been playing shows non stop and our fan base is growing every show we play. We are currently jamming to some new riffs for potential songs and are getting a bunch of positive reviews on our new record.

2.You have a new album coming out in September, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Tanner: I would describe the musical aspect on this record to be more technical in terms of the riffs are concerned. The overall sound still has that high energy aspect that we have done from day one. The differences between this release and the last release is that this release(Into The Aquatic Sector) offers more in terms of variety goes. It's technical, offers more melodies in the lyrics and guitar parts, it is a lot heavier than our last record "Maleficent" and I feel is more mature and miles ahead in terms of the overall sound compared to our last release.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

Tanner: The lyrical content in this release deals a lot with sci-fi themed stories. It's actually half a concept record. There are four songs on the record that tie into each other but are not in order on the actual record. We also explored more on the life aspect this time around instead of focusing on mainly death and gore lyrics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Madrost'?

Tanner: Madrost(Ma-drost) is actually Bulgarian for "Wisdom". When I first saw it, I knew it was the right choice for our band name.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Tanner: I would describe our stage show as a high energy performance that make us stand out in terms of the live setting goes. I feel we offer something different in our stage shows compared to other bands and so far its been working for us. Our best shows for us is every show ha ha. We put out the same energy whther there are 5 or 5000 people at the shows.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Tanner: We actually did some touring right before this album is being released. We want to go out and do some road shows again very soon and have a couple shows including a Metal Invictus show with Dr. Know and our buddies in Night Demon. We are also playing with Gravehill and in October with Fueled By Fire, so we have a couple shows coming up.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Tanner: Yes, we are very much looking for a label and still havent been contacted back from any of them. I hope this release can finally put us in good hands because its a tough business for our line of work
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8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?

Tanner: So far its been 99% positive for us. Every show we play we get more and more fans and support. Whether its Orange County, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, etc. It has been mostly positive feedback for us and our live shows.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Tanner: I see us moving more musical in terms of our song writing goes. I would like to see us write some longer songs with cool intricate parts and melodies but at the same time having a brutal high energy performance in the song.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Tanner: Bands such as Obliveon, Pestilence, Depressive Age, Bonded By Blood, Exmortus, Judas Priest, Exhumed, Exodus, Dio, Ted Nugent, etc. Bands like these have really influenced our sound today and we still listen to these bands today. I personally like a lot of jazz as well which is definitely a cool style to add to this style of music that we play.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Tanner: Just every day to day stuff. We like to hang out with our friends and families. Some of us like to go lift weights and get in shape.

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

Tanner: Thank you again for interviewing us and thank you to those who have supported us throughout the years. Thank you to all the new Madrost fans who are just hearing us for the first time and checking us out. Hope you guys dig "Into The Aquatic Sector" when it comes out. See you on the road!
https://www.facebook.com/madrost 

Gory Blister Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Joe: The Fifth Fury has been released just before summer, so it was too late to get in the summer festivals bill; what we have tried to work out was the promotion of the album thru the webzines and mags Europewide. As a first result, a track from the new album (Thresholds) has been included in the comp CD attached to the Terrorizer issue of August 2014. Anyway, the promotion goes on and we are getting some interesting feedback.

2.In May you had released a new album, how would you describe the music sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Raff: For each of our albums we try not to repeat what we have already done before, trying to introduce elements of novelty in the arrangements and the sound that distinguishes the new album from the previous stuff, without distorting the personality of the band, and without leaving the Technical Death Metal boundaries. The Fifth Fury is therefore the fifth evolution of our style, for which we have chosen a darker riffing and more groovy tunes, surrounded by suffering as well as more direct vocals; the ultimate goal was to achieve an "In Your Face" sound from the album, but at the same time technical enough and easily recognizable.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Joe: In the first albums I used to write lyrics based on arts, literature, science fiction. This time I decided to get back to the cruel reality. First of all I created a new figure based on the myth of the Erynies, that is the Fifth Fury, who wants to give the hourglass of death back to mankind. No more Gods. So I reconciled with life. I explored some troubles such as the spreading of new chemical drugs (Psycho-Crave and Devouring me), the massacre and rapes of the Bosnian women (Mass Grave), the mass pollution of the biggest steel mill in Europe (search for the Ilva in the city of Taranto, The Grey Machinery). At last, I would like to say something about Thresholds; I dedicated the lyrics of the songs to my friends Claudio Leo(former Lacuna Coil) and Mauro Caporale, who died within the same week in January 2013. It was the most tragic week ever.

4.The band has been around since 1991, what you had formed the band more than 20 years ago did you ever think you would of still been around today?
Joe: Of course yes, but maybe I imagined to be a professional artist now. Actually that is true in the sense that we act as professionists, but the music business has changed in a very negative way for the emerging bands. After the Art Bleeds recordings (2001) we happened to sign a deal with the german label Noise records for their “sonick attack project”. When this project had started and our record was selling good, the major label Sanctuary group bought Noise rec and cut off the project, so we were left without any deal. Of course, we did not surrender and searched for a new one to release the record. Finally we found a licensing deal with Sekhmet records (France) and that’s why Art Bleeds was officially released only in 2003. Even if we got the deals under Mascot records for Skymorphosis (2006) and Graveyard of Angels. (2009), under Bakerteam for Earth-Sick (2012) and Sliptrick Rec. for this new album, I think that that gap of three years between the recordings of Art Bleeds and its real release, has never been erased. I cannot have regrets, or something, but I know we could have been more lucky at the very beginning.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gory Blister'?
Joe: Ah, this is something young drummers can easily understand. When I started playing drums I got those wounds on my fingers due to the hard playing. I was not so good at English, but when I wondered how do they call them in English, the result was “gory blisters”. So when we had to think up a name for the band, our choice fell on that!

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Raff: Although Gory Blister is not a band on tour throughout the year for a variety of obvious reasons, we try to play live as much as possible. The Live dimension is our ideal habitat, especially when there is a good response from the audience. We have done many concerts in the past and there have been several good shows. I particularly can remember the show in Essen (Germany), and a festival in Groningen (The Netherlands) during the European tour with Sadus and Darkane(2006), or the Evolution Festival in Florence (Italy-2007) where at the end of the show the entire audience screamed Gory Blister..Gory Blister. In general, during our performances we care at first a stage, of playing correctly the songs, and then if the Stage conditions allow it, we try to involve the audience as much as possible, an example can be this show we played not long ago supporting Obituary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94GmVt4PZc4

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Raff: Yes, we are trying to promote The Fifth Fury Europewide the next winter, with the support of our label, mainly in the countries where we know that the sales are stronger, that is Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Italy. I hope that this project will be realized. We'll see.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of technical death metal?
Raff: By Internet and the social networks, the band have approached new boundaries, allowing us to reach many more people and potentially expand the number of fans. The feeedback of the people who listen to our works is good and fortunately always positive in the world; this is  obviously pleasant for us and it's the proof that our music is genuine.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?
Raff: Yes, our bassist Emi Dattolo is playing in 2 other Death Metal bands, Illogicist and Faust. I started myself a solo project; it's about a guitar instrumental album, it's in the first demo stage yet and I hope to accomplish it in 2015.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Raff: It's hard to say in general, but especially in these days man!..All I wish is playing live in professional shows as much as possible, and I keep my fingers crossed to have the fan support in buying our albums, cause only in this way we can continue our underground career.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Raff: In general almost the whole '90 death metal scene that came from USA and North Europe, influenced me for a very long time, and still does. But I have also changed my listenings during the latest 10 years, moving on differents genres, from Blues/Rock to Classical music, soundtracks and some Pop stuff(very little).
Joe: I agree with Raff about the 90’s death metal scene, but I have to say that the early albums of Coroner and Pestilence had a strong influence on my drumming. I must not forget the early Kreator and Sodom.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Raff: Divings, I love to explore the underwater world, and food!
Joe: What I do far from the music activity deals with jobs… I have to get a salary, you know! I’m an English teacher, profession that I try to take on not without strong difficulties in Italy. But I have also worked for TV and cinema productions, I’m a production assistant and runner.

13.Before wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Joe: Yes, of course. I would like to thank all the real supporters who still buy an official copy of our albums or a T-shirt. Thank to you guys, cause you give us all the dedication, commitment and passion we can put into our death metal! See you live! The Fifth Fury is haunting you!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Gory Blister/The Fifth Fury/Sliptrick Records/2014 CD Review


  Gory  Blister  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  technical  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The  Fifth  Fury"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  A  very  distorted  and  melodic  guitar  lead  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  fast,  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  direction  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  display  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  to  them  and  the  band  also  keeps  around  the  atmospheric  elements  as  well  as  well  as  utilizing  a  good  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  death  metal  influences  and  you  can  also  hear  some  spoken  word  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  the  songs  at  times  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  very  heavy  and  technical  sound  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  atmospheric  outro  which  also  brings  in  elements  of  classical  music.

  Gory  Blister  plays  a  very  technical  style  of  death  metal  that  covers  3  different  decades  of  this  musical  genre  as  well  as  adding  a  great  amount  of  talent,  skill  and  melody  in  their  musical  style  and  while  the  music  is  not  completely  original  the  band  can  still  pull  of  this  musical  style  very  well,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  psychology,  inner  thoughts  and  outer  space  themes.

   In  my  opinion  Gory  Blister  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Psycho  Crave"  "Devour  Me"  and  "Prometheous  Scars".  8  out  of  10.    

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Diskord/Oscillation/Hellthrasher Productions/2014 EP Review


  Diskord  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  very  technical  school  form  of  death  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Oscillation"  which  was  released  by  Hellthrasher  Productions.

  A  very  technical  and  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  good  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  dominant  presence  on  this  recording  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  good  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  music  and  the bands  musical  style  is  more  closer  to  the  Atheist,  Cynic  and  Pestillence  style  of  80's  technical  death  metal  than  the  modern  variation  and  the  solos  and  leads  they  use  display  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  progressive  sounds  are  added  into  their  musical  style  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  heavier  musical  style  and  you  can also  hear  a  great  amount  of  rawness  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times.    

  Diskord  go  back  to  the  beginning  days  of  technical  death  metal  and  bring  out  a  style  that  is  very  old  school  yet  progressive  at  the  same  time,  the  production  has  a  very  old  school  and  professional  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  obscure,  abstract  and  void  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Diskord  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lethargic  Regression"  and  "Symbiotic  Whims".  8  out  of  10.  

Madrost/Into The Aquatic Sector/2014 CD Review


  Madrost  are  a  band  from  Lake  Forest,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Into  The  Aquatic  Sector"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  Dark  avant  garde  sounds  and  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  a  melodic  high  pitched  scream  a  few  seconds  later  which  leads  up  to  the  band  adding  in  blast  beats  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals   that  bring  in  elements  of  early  80's  death  metal  and  the  bass  guitars  also  bring  a  technical  feeling  to  the  music  at  times.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  elements  of  Florida  style  death  meal  into  the  bands  musical  sound  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  being added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  is  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  the  band  returns  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  on  the  later  tracks.

  Madrost  plays  an early  style  of  death/thrash  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  early  days  of  the  genre  in  the  mid  80's,  the  production  has  a  very  raw,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  to  it   while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Madrost  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band,.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Frozen  Beneath  the  Snow"  "Subterranean  Nightmare"  and  "Depravity".  8  out  of  10.   

Innsmouth/The Shadow Over Innsmouth/Crime Records/2014 CD Review


  Innsmouth  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  very  technical  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2014  album "The  Shadow  over  Innsmouth"  which  was  released  by  Crime  Records.

  A  very  melodic  and  technical  guitar  lead  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  a  more  old  school  death  metal  sound  along  with  some  growls,  screams  and  blast  beats  while  also  keeping  around  the  technical  elements  and  after  awhile  atmospheric  synths  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  sound  very  powerful  and  there  are  also  some  spoken  word  ritualistic  parts  being  utilized  at  times  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  small  amounts  of  clean  playing  and  the  band  focuses  more  on  a  90's  style  of  technical  death  metal  instead  of  the  more  modern  variation  of  this  genre  along  with  some  leads  and  solos  that  are  more  in  an  80's  shred  metal  direction  while  the  guttural  elements  the  vocals  use  at  times  make  the  album  sound  more  modern.  

  Innsmouth  go  back  to  the  90's  era  of  technical  and  brutal  death  metal  and  mix  it  in  with  the  80's  style  of  shred  music  as  well  as  bringing  in  more  modern  atmospheric  and  guttural  elements  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  on  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Innsmouth  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dreams  Of  Drowning"  "Under  the  Pyramids"  and  "The  Shadow  Over  Insmouth".  8  out  of  10.   

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Bloodtruth/Obedience/Unique Leader Records/2014 CD Review


  Bloodtruth  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Obedience"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  unique  Leader  Records.

  Melodic  Gregorian  chants  start  off  the  album  giving  the  music  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  brutal  death  metal  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats,  growls  and  melodies  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  the  music  sounds  technical.

  High  pitched  screams  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  feeling  to  the  bands  brutal  death  metal  sound  while  also  have  a  very  melodic  and  dark  atmosphere  to  them  at  times  and  th e band  also  brings  back  the  Gregorian  chants  in  a  few  of  the  songs

  Bloodtruth  plays  a  very  old  school  and  brutal  style  of  death  metal  that  they  mix  in  with  Gregorian  chants  which  makes  the  music  sound  more  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodtruth  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Surrounded  By  Blind  Bigots"  "Coerced  to  Serve"  "Summoning  the  Heretics"  and  "Obedience".  8  out  of  10.

 

    

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Bottlekopf Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Sewko: Hi, Bottlefopf is a new band. It was found by guitar player and vocalist Chłosta – who played i.e. in Mastiphal or supported Furia and Massemord on tours in 2010. I joined in 2011 as a bass player. During last four years four drummers tried to play with us. ‘Completely Nothing’ was not recorded by our actual drummer – DaveBro. Second guitar is played by Pieklak.

2.Recently you have released a full length album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

If we have to put our music into some genre it would be death metal played with average speed, without solos and without blast, inspired by Swedish (but not In Flames!). In some tracks you can hear some Pantera inspirations or even some classics like Black Sabbath of Motorhead. It is simple music, simple and heavy.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Our first assumption was to write only about alcohol, but we held to it only in three cases (Our Veins Burn, Queen of the Night Has Fallen, Crushing to the Ground). Twice we are wondering about single human life, which is very small in comparison to whole society, humanity and the fate of the world (Machine and You in Her Gears, Whoever Win, We Lose).The rest is rather autobiographical and fantastic and matters only to the writer, but the most important is that Chłosta has something to scream out.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Bottlekopf'?

Common ground of our relations is (or was) an alcohol. For a very long time the name of the band was Overdoze, but we came into conclusion that, first of all, it is not very wise to give so much importance to alcohol abuse, and secondly, it is quite common name. Using first name we created a logo using the Tottenkopf symbol in the very mocking way – by knocking out a tooth, add cigarette, replacing bones by bottles and changing the shape of the original skull so it looks like hydrocephalic. Following that way of thinking we discover new name. Conjunction of Bottlehead and Flaschenkopf – BOTTLEKOPF.

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

As Bottlekopft we are at the beginning of our way. Considering that everyone of us has a lot of different commitments besides Bottlekopf, we have just recorded what we’ve got and now we can start to play gigs. No rush. On the scene we are putting on a lot of freedom and music, without any fireworks or dancers.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

No, there is nothing planned, but we are opened to propositions.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?

We have just released the material, but we already got e-mail form Peru and something is starting to happen.

8.What is going on with the other musical projects these days that some of the band members are involved with?
For the founder of the band – Chłosta and second guitarist – Pieklak Bottlekopf is the only project at the time being. Drummer – DejvBro and me play in thrash metal band Snake Eyes, where we are preparing to record next long play. Dave plays also in more progressive band called Sicknest, which is at the finish of work with debut album.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We will do nothing dishonest. If in the one year from now we would play power metal, it will be only because whole band feel like we need to do that and that will be honest. Although I don’t believe in that. I think we’ve got couple of riffs to discover in our genre, maybe even we will play some solo…

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

The biggest influence is definitely Entombed, Swedish death metal scene. Me and Chłosta very much like Death Breath! Of course many famous names impressed us. I also like a lot of underground music, and I frequently find bands that really knock me down. I like many different genres, not necessary metal ones, and I’m often pleased with music, where guitar is not the most important Powerful distorted guitars, double bass drum and growl, it is what releases endorphin in my body, but I’m searching for emotions in various musical regions.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I like to watch and play football. I very much like reading books, I take a lot of inspirations form them. Besides, I spend time with many different people, I like it, you can live an interesting life just walking around and watching people, listening to them.

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

Thanks for interview. We’ve said some words, now it’s time for music.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Dying Out Flame/Shiva Rudrastakam/Xtreem Music/2014 CD Review


  Dying  Out  Flame  are  a  band  from  Nepal  that  plays  a  very  brutal and vedic form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Shiva  Rudrastakam"  which  was  released  by  Xtreem  Music.

  A  very  dark  and  ethnic  folk  music  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  exotic  sounding  musical  instruments  and  a  few  seconds  later  female  and  male  hindu  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  after  the  intro  tribal  beats  found  their  way  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  direction.

  Growls  and  blast  beats  are  used  on  a  regular  basis  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  and  bring  in  some  exotic  sounding  musical  scales.

  The  Ethnic  folk  music  elements  of  the  intro  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  bands  brutal  death  metal  sound  and  the  guitar  riffing  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  melody  at  times  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  and  high  pitched  being  added  into  the  music  at  times.

  Dying  Out  Flame  creates  a  very  original  sound  combining  Hindi  music  with  brutal  death  metal  and  there  is  nothing  I  have  heard  that  sounds  like  this  and  I  can  see  this  start  up  a  new  genre  of  death  metal  in  the  next  few  years,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  worship  of  Lord  Shiva,  Vedic  Literature  and  Hindu  Mythology.  

  In  my  opinion  Dying  Out  Flame  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  brutal  death  metal  and  hindi  music  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original  sounding,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eternal  Mother  Of  Great  Time"  and  "Trinetra  Dhari  (Three  Eyed  One)".  8/5  out  of  10.

Blood God/Blood Is Mt Trademark/Massacre Records/2014 CD Review

 
  Blood  God  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  is  a  side  project  of  Debauchery  and  plays  a  hard  rock  form  of  heavy  metal  mixed  in  with  death  metal  on  the  bonus  tracks  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Blood  Is  My  Trademark"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  music  of  riffs,   leads  and  drums  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  their  musical  sound  and  after  awhile  aggressive  yet  melodic  vocals  along  with  back  up  gang  shouts  make  their  way  into  the  music  and  they  remind  me  of  a  mix  of  Ac/Dc,  Krokus  and  Accept.

  The  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  while  the  production  makes  the  album  sound  more  modern  and  the  music  also  brings  in  some  punk  and  classic  hard  rock  energy  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  acoustic  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  main  focus  is  on  a  hard  and  heavy  sound  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  they  also  bring  in  plenty  of  bonus  tracks  which  are  all  of  the  regular  songs  on  the  recording  but  done  with  death  metal  growls  instead.

  Blood  God  go  back  to  the  mid  70's  and  early  80's  style  of  metal  and  mix  it  in  with  hard  rock  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Blood  God  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death,  heavy  metal,  and  hard  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Slaughterman"  "Warhordes  From  The  Underworld"  "Blood  is  My  Trademark"  and  "Dragon  Beasts  Are  Rising".  8  out  of  10.
  

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Imperious Malevolence/Doomwitness/Rock Brigade Records/2014 CD Review


  Imperious  Malevolence  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  brutal  and  satanic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Doomwitness"  which  was  released  by  Rock  Brigade  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growls  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  screams  and  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  band  also  uses  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  solos  which  can  also  be  very  melodic  as  the  album  progresses  and  atmospheric  sounds  which  are  also  use  again  towards  the  end  are  added  into  the  music.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggression  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  they  go  back  to  the  mid  90's  European  style  of  brutal  death  metal  and  after  awhile  keyboards  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  for  a  few  seconds  and  they  bring  an  epic  feeling  to  the  recording  and  at  times  you  can  also  hear  a  bit  of  the  Florida  style  death  metal  sound  in  the  bands  brutal  approach  to  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  presence  on  this  recordin  and  on  the  last  track  sounds  of  thunder  are  added  into  the  music..

  Imperious  Malevolence  play  a  very  pure  and  true  form  of  death  metal  that  is  very  fast,  brutal  and  blasphemous  as  well  as  having  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  present  in  all  of  their  tracks,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness,  Satanism,  and  Occultism.

  In  my  opinion  Imperious  Malevolence  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  satanic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rot  In  Pace"  "Doomwitness"  "From  Chaos  Shall  Rise"  and  "Seek  For  Mephisto".  8/5  out  of  10.   

Dead Dark Slide Interview



1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
From Ryan The band was founded in 1999 in tampa FL the first  thing we recorded was on an eight track tape
One of those let's make a fun metal project and see work goes nothing serious just have a good time and see what we came up with


2. So far you have recorded an ep and full length, can you tell us a little bit more about your musical sound?
FROM RYAN
I'm really heavily influenced from EYEHATEGOD to slayer & M.O.D & Long Winters' Stare
And also with gothic industrial from evil mother &  sisters of mercy always loved the dark side of Doom & death Metal
And also the underground metal scene

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
From RYAN
It's all about death destruction no mercy no pain think of the zombie wrapping you will part as you're watching them teach your test ends
But also with the Alice cooper thrill ride of demons that's a way we like to, work this project it's like to be rated horror movie that you sink your teeth 

in its a very twisted weird an excitable

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dead Dark Slide'?
From Ryan
The name behind  the name I was trying to figure out a great death name something gruesome something out of Horror movie
This project has been called balcony of blood through dead pigs we came up with hundreds and hundreds of Corinne nasty rotting flesh, the names something that would give you a bad smell if you walk up to it but also if you're into metal or Horror you would want to sink your teeth in it

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
From Ryan 
best show We played at  a metal fast  years ago in tampa and we opened up for an open for Eviscerated Zombie Tampon
Stage performance today is like an Alice cooper meets true Horror when you see are shows we push the envelope
With the most bloodiest stuff you can see it's like something you've never seen before its a Horror music show
That is very entertaining DDS army loves it

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
From Ryan
Right now don't have any shows planned waiting for Eviscerated Zombie Tampon to get back in the town so I can start playing shows with them ,All 

let you know when shows to appear but I am working with the cosmic punch project to get that up and running
We'll be at fan boy in September in Tampa signing autographs and hanging out

7. Your recordings have been released on Dead Games Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
From Ryan
What a great label to be on any problems are issues they'll we solve it there doing a campaign to push this new album
They do a lot a advertisements and everything else to get our stuff out there radio play there's nothing like them when they get behind your project, deathly a company I can't wait to do my next album with because it's a record label and actually cares about what you do
And they allow you to have full freedom to do what you want there's not a lot a record labels out there that want you to crawl rate what if you want to create new Cool Metal they are The best record label to be signed to

8.  On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of industrial, goth, and metal?

Pretty good feedback people who get it love it but if you don't get it and you don't get that this is metal and were band that isn't that serious this project is about having fun in chlor rating at what ever you want to all of the critics that don't get it will never get music is about having fun you don't have to be mad because you're making metal or any kind of metal or if it's not up to was tampered because if you only listen  to Metallica you're never gonna like anything if you don't open your mind too all the different styles of metalThis project bands and fans love because it's making fun of metal it a fun way and if you don't understand that and you don't hear it
Once you open your eyes and you can have a sense of humor this is a great project because you can relax and have a good time it has its silly moments I love some of the reviews at we got so far that are taking so serious I think for the critics they need to sit back smoke a joint
Listen to cosmic punch sit back and enjoy a gray record that's what this record and all the other stuff we do it's fun the fan should never
Walk away feeling that they were neglected by an artist we will never disappoint any of our fans or critics because this is what you get a fun project sit back and enjoy listen to DDS I am dead record and enjoy it for what it is something fun


9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

From Ryan
deathly more albums something heavier slower evil something like a dog company a cat and a cat having ferrets
I would probably say 2015 we'll put out another DDS record I am also working on the Man Milk record with Clint listing who is a wonderful artist that 

I known for over 30 years and some of the project said he has been in our amazing like Long Winters' Stare & As All Die & a Darkened Sea
& 4yrs of Suffering & Black Depths Grey Waves we wrote this power electronic metal noise project that once we get it done all the world will understand what is the band Man Milk we'll conquer the world

10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
From Ryan
I am a huge morbid angel fan saw them couple weeks ago in Tampa got backstage passes,i  was hanging on their tour bus what a great bunch of guys I am personally friends with punchy who is their tour manager and a mall so friends with Thor who is there guitar player
Deathly a ban on wanna see more and more of a mean other stuff I listen to mega death evil church there so much good stuff out there,

11. What are some of your non musical interests?
I am a huge NHL hockey fan I'm a big Tampa Bay lightning fan
Also I love the go to flea markets comic book stores & any, game a store so much fun

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
From Ryan
Final word just one join The DDS army come check us out because if you like cool metal without the attitude
But also the joker had a right for metal why is so serious and let me tell you (how I got the scars) I went to a metal show?

Friday, August 15, 2014

Bane Of Bedlam Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band so far in 2014?
1. Nick here, and I'm joined by our close friend and guitarist Pauly Merenda. Some of you might remember Paulys work with us on 'The Last Testament', but possibly not be aware he had alot to do with the writing process of 'Monument of Horror'.
Alot of 2014 thus far has been vested in the future of the band. After the massive delays and setbacks we experienced with 'Monument...' we knew we had to approach things slightly differently from now on. We launched the album in March to a great hometown response and have headlined several other shows around Melbourne as well as travelling as far as Canberra and Sydney to play to new crowds which is always great.
We entered into a worldwide management contract with KillShot Management a few months ago which was a fantastic move for us and has already delivered some awesome opportunities for us. We're not able to discuss much of this as of yet, so you'll have to stay tuned!
On top of all that, we've hooked up a deal with our local studio - The Band Booth, and have permanent lock out access to our room. In here we've nearly completed the writing process for the next album. Always busy, looking forwards.

2.In October of 2013 you had released your first full length album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the newer music and also how does it differ from your previous demo and ep?
2. Although 'Monument...' was only recently released, the majority of the material dates back 3-4 years in parts. We suffered nearly every setback one could handle, including the crushing departure of Pauly after his back was broken in a work accident. We've learnt alot in that time, not least of all musically. But compared to the previous releases, 'Monument of Horror' is alot more technical and progressive, with generally longer song lengths. Also a noticeable difference was the lack of Pauly and his lead work throughout the album. The solos on that album were written and performed by a session guitarist.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. Lyrically, Brad (Vocalist) explores topics of organised religion, government corruption, and the lies and deceit we are all fed on a daily basis. We're quite passionate about all this, and the so called free world in which we live. We're not preachers, we're not trying to convert anyone, we just have something to say. And if someone can take something from that, then that's a plus.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Bane Of Bedlam'?
4. Bane of Bedlam, to us, refers to the worst, most wretched vile thing to exist within a hellish, chaotic world. A somewhat paradoxical relation between the two.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. Pauly and myself both agree that the two Tattoo/Alternate festivals we played in QLD a few years back were definitely stand out shows to us. In terms of crowd attendance and response, the energy was insane. They helped us put our stamp on the local scene, anyway. The album launch was also killer, not a massive turnout but definitely a fantastic response. Our shows are honest, straight to the point and brutal. No gimmicks, just a bunch of dudes playing their music to a room of people. We're always chasing the cycle of energy-what we give out the crowd picks up and returns, and on it goes to a massive, wrecking ball crescendo.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. We do have quite some big news to announce soon, regarding shows/touring, so you'll have to check out our social media sites real soon. We'll just say some pretty exciting things are in the works...

7.Currently the band is unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
7. We have received a bit of label interest both locally and overseas, but we're biding our time til we find the right people to work with. Hopefully, we find the perfect label who sees our dedication, passion and drive, and respects that enough to want to work in accordance with that.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?
8. From a global perspective, the response has been far greater than we expected. As mentioned, the problems with 'Monument...' worried us. But it seems to be going down well with the fans, especially in Europe. Only yesterday, we were given a 4/5 rating in a Polish review from the one and only Metal Hammer magazine. Bit surreal that.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?
9. Personally I've been involved in a bit of session work locally, which is always a great chance to network and just make music. Apart from that, we're all 100% dedicated to Bedlam.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. We're always pushing ourselves individually as musicians. As a result, that comes through in the music we write and play. We've always been labelled a thrash band, but since the resurgence of thrash, we'd be happy to do away with that tag. Basically we want to write whatever we want - no limits. Wherever it comes from. We all listen to a massively diverse range of music, and we dont want to be a slave to the trend. We'll always have elements of speed, groove and brutality, its just in how we approach it that will help define us. Hopefully.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
11. We all love Revocation. Their playing and songwriting has been a massive influence on us lately. Spain's Angelus Apatrida are kicking some serious ass musically, too. Pauly's been getting back into Jeff Beck, Brent Mason, Rob Chappers, Guthrie Goven, guitarist's guitarists. I've been really digging Australia's Psycroptic as well lately, another brilliant band with their own sound. I think as a whole, we're also getting into a lot more progressive bands too. Both modern and old school. Alot of Mastodon. A great diet of Blood Mountain, Crack the Skye.... Cool music that makes you focus on the playing.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12. Chris (Guitars) and Pauly both dig their cars. Myself and Brad both read and write a lot. Glen likes cats. Me and Pauly both have kids, so obviously there's a massive amount of love and inspiration right there. It's only made us better people and given us more drive.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13. We're just glad to still be making this ugly music together, in the same lineup since 2009. We've been through a lot, both as a unit and personally, but something has kept us together, kept us moving forward. We're very excited for the future, we have some big announcements to make, and feel like this is only the beginning of our career. We'll have a brand new album for you real soon, so if you haven't yet, pick yourself up a copy of 'Monument of Horror' or 'The Last Testament' EP and familiarise yourself with the material. Then come along and check us out live when we hit your town.

Thanks for your time

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Sepultura/Les Tambours Du Bronx/Metal Veins-Alive At Rock In Rio/Eagle Rock Entertainment/2014 Live CD Review


  Long time  metal  veterans  Sepultura  who  need  no  introduction  team  up  with  French  industrial  percussion  group  Les  Tambours  Du  Bronx  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  live  album  "Metal  Veins-Alive  At  Rock  In  Rio"  which  will  be  release d in  September  by  Eagle  Rock  Entertainment.

  Tribal  style  drumming  and  industrial  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  kick  in  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  more into  the  extreme  metal  style  that  Sepultura  are  known  for  while  still  keeping  the  percussion's  and  industrial  elements  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  that  lean  towards  hardcore  while  still  having  a  death  metal  edge  to  them.

  While  I  have  not  listen  to  that  band  much  after  1996  I  can  hear  more  groove  and  nu  metal  in  their  sound  than  what  i  can  remember  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  more  punk  rock  style  energy  being  added  into  their  musical  sound  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  in  briefly  along  with  a  cover  of  Prodigy's  "Firestarter"  before  returning  back  to t heir  later  songs.

  Sepultura  do  mostly  their  mid  90's  to  early  2000  songs  and  add  more  percussion  and  industrial  elements  which  adds  more  variety  to  their  musical  sound,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  decent  sounding  recording  from  Sepultura  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Refuse/Resist"  "Fever"  "Territory"  and  "Roots bloody  Roots".  7/5  out  of  10.  

    

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Dead Dark Slide/I Am Dead/Dead Games Records/2014 EP Review


  Dead  Dark  Slide  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial  and  gothic  rock  with  touches  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "I  Am  Dead"  which  was  released  by  Dead  Games  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs  start  off  the  ep  along  with  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  industrial  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  some  keyboards  in  the  background  and  they  keep  everything  in  a  slow  to  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  melodies  they  use  are  in  an  early  80's  gothic  rock  direction.

  You  can  hear  some  elements  of  post  punk  in  their  musical  sound  at  times  and  on  some  of  the  alter  songs  the  keyboards  start  sounding  more  powerful  along  with  a  very  atmospheric  feeling and  the  vocals  also  get  more  diverse  while  still  having  a  very  aggressive  sound  to  them  as  well  as  sounding  more  tormented  as  well  as  having  a  melodic  edge  to  them  at  times.

  Dead  Dark  Slide  creates  a  very  interesting  musical  style  that  takes  the  heaviness  of  industrial  metal,  the  melody  of  gothic  rock  and  the  death  metal  approach  to  vocals  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dead  Dark  Slide  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  industrial,  gothic  rock  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  thos e musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "JUST  DIE"  "Watching  You  Bleed".  8  out  of  10.
   

  

Gautama Interview




1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
GAUTAMA was born in 2008. Their very first show in 2009 was performed with other well known New-Caledonia bands such as ZOOL and TRIAS during « The Night of the Rock ».
Since then and until 2010, GAUTAMA performed on live stage,in NOUMEA city.
2011 was a particular year when the band shared the stage with MASS HYSTERIA during their tour in New-Caledonia.
GAUTAMA incorporates elements of various influences crafting their very own style of thrash / death metal.
In december 2012 the band recorded their very first album "ALL IS SILENCE"produced and engernired by CHRISTOPHE PLANCHE at BIGSOUNDNC STUDIO.
Mastering was done at CUTTING ROOM STUDIO in Sweden.
‘’ALL IS SILENCE’’ was released on October,31, 2013.
GAUTAMA is : Soriano Cloé Guitar/vocals, Soriano Colin Drums, verdier Alexandre Guitar, Fontebasso Bruno Bass
The passion of the band and to make some music and to play on stage!!!

2.Recently you have released your first full length album, can you tell us a little bit more about your musical sound?
We wanted an old-school sound because nowadays metal music in general seems to be too much alike. The mastering was done at Cutting Room Studio in Sweden. We are really happy of the result and it reminds us of what we used to listen when we were younger.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We explore human emotions and states of mind. For example, Octopus is about disease, At the gates is about madness and Dharma about awakening. We are interested about the philosophical feature.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gautama'?
Gautama is the second name of Bouddha. It explains the philosophical theme of our band.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
There is an event every year in New Caledonia named the Night of the Rock which is a little rock/metal festival. The audience is usually warm and intense. It’s always a great pleasure to play there. Besides, in 2011 we shared the stage with MASS HYSTERIA during their tour in New-Caledonia. It was an amazing experience.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
In New Caledonia we are far away from the big scenes or festivals. A tour needs a lot of organization and money but we are confident about the future. We have in New Caledonia some organisations as the Poemart, that helps local bands to finance tours. Our dream would be to tour whether in the Pacific or in Europe.

7.The album was released on Bigsound-Nc, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
It’s a recent independant label which works with different styles of music from metal to reggae and rock. It is the only label recording metal bands here.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?
We’ve had some nice reviews from Italy, the UK, USA and France. We’ve almost reached the 3,000 fans on Facebook. Our first music video «Octopus» helped a lot. We are very happy that people are interested in our music. We hope it will continue.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Music is to us a pleasure. All four of us have their jobs and family in New Caledonia. That being said, our final goal would be to develop our musical career and to participate in a famous metal festival and tour!!!!!

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We love Sepultura, Pantera, Tool, Meshuggah, Obituary and Lamb of Gods. But we can also like other styles as Björk, Peter Gabriel, Led Zepplin, Tori Amos and Pink Floyd. 

11.How would you describe the metal scene in your home country of New Caledonia?
It’s not easy to gig here. Usually Gautama performs in bars. We still have nice opportunities on big stage and we have a nice metal audience that supports us.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
We like all kind of sports, movies, literature and social activities. We live in this beautiful island where we can go camping, to the beach or to the river.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
The passion that comes from playing music on stage is a great adventure.