Thursday, September 29, 2011

Nocturnus/E.P/Moribund Records/1994 CD Review

  Nocturnus are a band from Florida that I would describe aatmospheric/progressive/blackened death metal and this is a review of their 1994 e.p which was released by Moribund Records.

Drums are very technical with alot of fast parts and brutal blast beats, while the keyboards sound very dark and give the music a very evil edge, as for the bass playing it is very fast riffs that follow the guitars and at times the instrument has a very powerful sound.

Rhythm guitars are mostly fast technical death metal riffs that have a small amount of thrash influences, while the lead guitars are very technical guitar solos that are very distorted and melodic sounding with alot of talent behind them.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched and deep death metal growls with a blackened edge, while the lyrics are a mixture of anti christain and Egyptian occultism thmes, as for the production on this e.p it sounds very professional and you can her all of the instruments.

In My opinion Nocturnus where another great underrated band from the 90's and this is a very good e.p, if you are a fan of occult orientated amospheric album you should check this band out. RECOMMENDED BUY

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Nokturnal Interview

1. Can you tell us about Nokturnel and your long history in metal?
Sure, but you will have a long beard and gray hair by the time I finish if I go into detail so let me give you the short version.
Before Nokturnel I was in a band called Savage Death. We were what was considered Black Metal for that era which was in in the mid 1980s. I still get mail from Savage Death fans and am proud of that but Nokturnel was far superior.
When Savage Death broke up the drummer found original Nokturnel bassist and introduced us at a sort of test rehersal. We wrote and began playing songs almost instantly and knew we had potential to offer the underground something different. We created our own version of high speed technical metal and were hailed as "ahead of our time". Again, I can tell you this original lineup of Nokturnel made music that still gets a great deal of respect from metal heads of ALL ages... older guys tell me they were just shocked by the insane style which followed NO trends and young kids tell me they have never heard any other band like mine. Being original however left many people turned off, they simply preferred to hear 100 bands that sound exactly the same. For us, this defeated the point of being a band. The way we saw it we may as well have been a cover band. So after the delusions of becoming a huge band left our twisted minds we said fuck everyone and continued to write this over the top technical metal.
Eventually, about 2 years after our only full length record Nothing But Hatred and less than a year after the Anti Grunge 7 inch the original lineup disbanded. Before the second coming of Nokturnel happened I had helped Ripping Corpse on bass for 7 shows, and sang on all the backing vocals on their Dreaming With the Dead record. Next I joined Morpheus Descends and played a few shows and wrote the lyrics for The Horror of the Truth MCD which I also sang on and played some killer guitar solos. After that I ended up fronting Incantation for about 2 years and probably did about 80 shows. I was fired after many arguments and had some downtime before I began playing again. I must ad that unlike the fucking MAJORITY OF PUSSIES who were in and out of the scene...I NEVER stopped going to shows and supporting metal just becuase I was not in a band at the time. So many people constantly encouraged me to do what I do best, and that is destroy guitars with technical metal. I gave those people and myself my favorite contribution to metal...which was the Fury Unleashed record. I wrote and arranged everything and used 2 studio musicians who were good friends and did a great job. I released it myself and it was well recieved but the industry turned their backs too me once again because....you guessed it....I was not trendy enough. I still to this day can not find suitable members for a lineup to do shows but I am still working on that. Close to a year ago I finally got motivated enough to use a new studio drummer and recorded the single Demonic Supremacy. This time I did EVERYTHING except the drums and intend to release 2 more songs the same way. I will write and arrange everything, play guitar, and bass, and sing...and once again Chad Walls will handle the drums in the studio.

2. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
Well part of what I now realize was a mistake was the lyrics on Nothing But Hatred. Back then there were plenty of people who knew what my Black Metal band was like, and since the initial wave of Black Metal fizzeled out I was often fucked with over my uncompromising beliefs. Being Satanic was suddenly a joke...and I was the odd man out. Back then I felt that I had no reason to explain to anyone why I hate religeon, and I still don't today. Keep in mind in the 80s I had songs like Crucified in Hell, Spit on the Cross and the classic Bring Me the Guts of the Priest. Must I keep going? Is this not enough? Can people not get the point? So... regardless of what people wanted to hear I wrote fucked up lyrics with many humorous twists. Welcome to New Jersey was a ferocious song with 87348392 riffs and all these time changes and was a semi auto biagraphical lyric about growing up the way I did. The song Disturbed was similar...and many missed the point of Global Suicide. It wasn't that I cared the world is being destroyed...it just fucked with my head that in my lifetime I may actually be here to see the world simply die. So...lesson learned,,,,, no more humor. Fury Unleashed was mostly fiction. The songs are not so chaotic and all over the place. They're straight forward and have lyrics that suck you in and bring out emotions. More traditional topics, werewolves, bloodlust, destruction,and lots of hatred. I despise the thought that someone will be into what I am into because they were influenced by one of my songs.... think for your fucking selves! It's only music... My goal is to offer people music that will fire them up and get thier blood boiling. I don't want influence anyone... I just want people to actually know the lyrics well enough that they can actually sing along to the song. Part of enjoying music for me is screaming along to my favorite songs with fists in the air. FUCK moshing... I am sick of retarded virgins running into each other... they dont give a shit about the music... some bands look at this as some kind of honor. For me, seeing someone singing along with me was the real honor. It shows how much they love your music.

3. I know that the band is originally from New Jersey, what made you decide to relocate to Texas, and how would you compare the metal scenes in both states?
I met my wife while I was in Incantation and she was here in Austin. I loved Texas and knew I could be happy here so there was never any doubt that I would end up here for good. Back in the early 90s the scene in New Jersey was pathetic. I bet it still is... I will NEVER play there... I despise that state. Texas on the other hand is killer. Tons of metal heads and though local shows are nothing to get excited over the more well known bands that come here are usually enthusiastic about playing here, dont fuck with Texas!


4. What is your opinion of the modern metal scene, some people feel alot of it has gotten mainstream over the years,and then there is the other half that wants to keep it underground which in my opinion is the way it should be?
There's too many sub genres. The same goes for Black Metal. In my opinion...death metal should be DARK. It should be ugly, nasty, and evil. Now in death and black metal its all about extremes.... Death metal can be about swimming in shit and fucking in it... and Black Metal is too the point where the extreme is anti everything. Anti-Human, Suicidal... down right gay semen guzzling.....and best of all the fucking swastika is a fucking fashion statement....that even people of color wear? How fucking ridiculous can this get? Now... not to contradict myself... but there's always an exception. Autopsy sang about some demented shit but they were about the most perfect Death Metal band ot ever exist. Do yourself a favor and get some records like Death-Scream Bloody Gore, Autopsy -Severed Survival, Pestilence-Consuming Impulse, and Entombed-Left Hand Path. Those records make me wanna go fucking crazy. I knew it was a bad sign when death metal bands in the late nineties begand having nice hair and wearing button down shirts..... or better yet one popular band in Canada starting wearing sweaters and argyle socks....I think I need to fucking puke!


5. I know that you are a very busy person, besides the band you have a record label/distro, Spiked Leather company and a business breeding and selling snakes, which one takes up most of your time, and can you tell us a bit about the other projects that you pursue?
Busy? Who me? Haha! Hell yes I am busy.... and I never have enough time to do everything I need to do but for the record...that has nothing to do with why Nokturnel never plays shows. Once I find a drummer....I WILL play again. In the meantime it's the snakes that take the most time. I never have any less than 250-300 and caring for them all is a lot of work. I am always Spiking Leather too... The Distro is done.. I have no time to haggle with people over the price of music... but if I must I will release the next Nokturnel full length myself. Snakes are mostly dormant during winter...which is when I bust out the guitar. Winter approaches now...which is why I am currently working on new Nokturnel material.


6. What are some of the best shows that you have played so far?
Unfortunately the old days were shitty. Many of our shows had shitty turnouts BUT the bands we played with were often good friends of ours. The 3 that standout over all others for me were Ripping Corpse, Human Remains and Deceased. Many good times with those guys. Out of those 15 guys that made up those bands only a few are still "metal". It would figure that truthfully...my best shows as far as attendance and playing with well known bands was in my Incantation days. We toured with Morbid Angel, Vader, Nile, Angelcorpse and Krisiun and traveled a lot in the US. The biggest show of my life was with Incantation in Santiago Chile with Death and Cannibal Corpse. It ruled then, but after Chuck passed away that memory had even more meaning....


7. Are there any plans for a tour?
I wish...my wife is a very supportive and understanding person. We have a daughter and they come before anything in my life... but since she is metal and metal is a huge part of our life she would let me tour....the thing is I can not find a drummer. Either they simply suck...or they want a ton of money, or they want to be trendy. Until I get a drummer I will have to do what I can in the studio and be happy I am still making music. You'd probably be surprised to know how many well known very established bands look at Nokturnel as a talent... but things just have not fallen into place and I need to focus on things outside of music. If I dont, when opportunity knocks for Nokturnel I will not be able to capitalize on it.


8. How would you describe the musical progress over the years?
If you go back to Savage Death, well that was very simple and went into my first attempt at technical metal. Early Nokturnel was technical but by the time the original lineup disbanded I looked back and said OK i proved my point. I can play other bands music but they look completely baffled when they watch me play mine. Then instead of going into some math metal bullshit.... I took what I learned from playing straight death metal with Morpheus and Incantation and tried to make really solid songs and I wanted them to be more memorable. I think I achieved that on Fury Unleashed. With the single Demonic Supremacy I took the structuring of the song very seriously...it's the most straight forward song I ever wrote... now, here I go again, back into studio to mold ALL of this into one. Two well structured memorable songs filled with chaotic technical guitars. IT'S GONNA BE FUCKING SICK!


9. What should we expect from new material in the future?
As I just mentioned, I intend to take everything I have learned about music and composing the greatest songs of my life. I am a quality over quantity type of person. I may not have a million songs, but the ones I do have I am very proud of... there's not much I have done that I do not like now, but the truth is if a label would back me I'd make a full length record that would turn the underground inside out. That is a promise! For now I am proud and fortunate to have Diabolist Services backing me for not one, but two 7 inch vinyl releases for 2010. Check out their profile www.myspace.com/diabolistsrv Diabolist Services - Intolerant Black/Death Metal VINYL ONLY Records. An uncompromising label that caters to the true underground.



10. What are some of the bands or styles of music that inspired you to become a musicain?
Since I am an older guy I'd have to say my earliest influence was Kiss, but more seriously Priest and Maiden. From there I had a close call with glam...which we though was metal back then if you can believe that haha! Around the time Motley Crue and Ratt caught my attention I was turned onto Bathory, Slayer, Destruction, Sodom, Kreator, Venom, Voi Vod and Mercyful Fate. I knew this was the direction I needed to be in. Unfortunately some of the bands in the next wave of heavy music decided guitar solos were not cool...and commerical or whatever. One of my goals with Nokturnel was to show people that is just not right. My solos are chaos....not much melody.... it's just a high speed attack to show people I am not fucking around. I am a shredder and love to play but instead of going prog and following the master Malmsteen I decided to keep it ugly and incorporate shredding into my music. Sick, filthy, guitar abuse...I live for that!

11. What are some bands that you are listening to nowadays?
The same as always... meaning Bathory, Kreator, Pestilence, Entombed, Autopsy etc. I like lots of metal but that for me is the definitive era of when metal and the scene ruled. I am a huge Destroyer 666 fan, also very into Sinister, Macabre will always be a favorite and I think Immortal has some incredible material. I also love Aura Noir and any bands that incorporate thrash into modern metal...in other words the riffs are killer but the drums are 1000 times faster than the old days. After all that's part of the Nokturnel formula for songwriting too.

12. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in the music?

No, not really.What's left to say? I LOVE THE DEVIL! ME FUCKING TOO! I enjoy black metal, but I see way too many kids who think they're doing something extreme and current when I was doing that shit in 1984. Skinny fucking faggots walking around with no shirts on and copse paint growling and hissing and shit... now that cracks me up! People need ot understand....music is music.... you do not have to listen to metal to be into satanism or the occult. Many people seem to think you do. They slag techno and shit like marylin manson yet some of thier music IS satanic or occult. Now dont get the wrong idea...I personally have no use for this kind of music...but to say you're not satanic unless you like black metal is fucking idiotic. When I watch the Simpsons am I suddenly not Satanic? What until the shows over and I put on some Spikes? I am trying to stick ot fiction. I have been called a great storyteller many times...I talk a lot, probably too much. Now when I write lyrics I am trying to tell a story...a damn good one that fits the mood of the music. If I could get a new record deal I intend to re-record 2 old Savage Death songs. I went balls out anti christ on that shit and am proud of it but if I am going to sing about the devil I will stand by my old music, there's no need for a batch of new songs like that.

13. I know that you are a fan of horror films, which ones do you find the most interesting, and what is your opinion on modern horror, also whaw kind of literature do you have an interest in?
The Excorcist is still the best, it's the Reign in Blood of Horror haha! I wont shit on modern horror. Some sucks, but its like metal. If you LOVE metal you should pay attention ot all of it, and support it. I feel the same way about movies. The day people stop paying for horror because too many shitty movies come out is the day you wont see ANY horror playing in theatres and we cant have that now can we?
I love shit like The Thing, The Howling, An American Werewolf in London, Dead Alive, Evil Dead, Halloween etc... and for newer shit I am getting into a lot of foreign films like Tokyo Gore Police, Martyrs, Dead Snow and one of my newer faves Black Sheep.
I used to read a lot. I loved old Stephen King and Clive Barker and worship H.P. Lovecraft. Then I discovered Brian Lumley and just lost inerest in anything else. He is THAT fucking good, the Necroscope saga and all his work is incredible. I can not say enough about his work, if you have not read any of his shit start with Necroscope and know that by book three there's no turning back. You will be devoured by his stories and become possessed. Brian Lumley IS GOD.

14. any final words or thoughts?
Anyone interested in auditioning for the drummers position please email me at TomsSnakes@gmail.com. On Nokturnels myspace profile you will see my Spiked Leather page and Nokturnel Eclipse which has tons of other satanic and kinky sex stuff for sale including the cross shaped pyrex sex toy! My snakes are on TomsSnakes.com. I always close by saying thanks for interviewing me and encouraging anyone and everyone I have met over the years to contact me. Your support then and now means everything to me and motivates me to keep on making the sickest music I can still call Nokturnel. It sucks I have not played any shows in over a decade, but if I can not do it right, i will not do it at all. THRASH TIL DEATH!!!!!!
Tom Stevens-Nokturnel

The Wretched One/Omnnious/Candlelight Records/2010 CD Review

The Wretched One are a band from Norway that is another one of Sammoth from Emperor, Zyklon and Scum's band and instead of being black metal or black metal influence this band goes for more of a modern death/thrash sound and this is a review of their 2010 album "Omnious" which will be released by Candlelight Records.

Drums range from midpaced to fast playing with alot of blast beats, while the synths bring industrial elements to the music, as for the bass playing it has some very heavy riffs that follow the guitars.

Rhythm guitars mix death metal and thrash together with some more modern groove metal elements and the riffing ranges anywhere from midpaced to fast, while the lead guitars sound very skillful in the solos and gring back the old school thrash guitar way of solos.

Vocals mix death metal growls with some thrash influences and elements that have a hardcore style growling edge with some spoken word elements being used at times, while the lyrics cover somewhat philosophical themes, as for the production it sounds very proffessional and all of the instruments have a very heavy sound to them and it seems like all of the songs are clued to each other.

In my opinion The Wretched One are very good at their modern day style of death/thrash and while fans of Sammoth's more black metal orientated band's might not like this album< I can still see fans of modern day death/thrash liking this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Red Forest Alienation" "The Armagaddonist" "With Ravenous Hunger" and "Human Corporation". RECEMMONDED BUY

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Enemy Of The Sun Interview

> 1. Can you tell us al little bit about the band for those that have
> > never heard you before?

Cant believe there are people that never heard abot ENEMY OF THE SUN! (haha)
Its not really easy to describe your self. When you say to much good, people
will say you are big-headed. When you sayto much bad people say, you dont
even believe in your self. But i dont care what people say, ENEMY rules! For
us does. Its a great combination between hard and brutal sounds mixed with
special styles like flamenco, oriental, rock and and. Its not only a
mixture, its a compact and original aggrassive piece of music.Technical, yes
but also with no remorese, just pure power.

> >
> > 2. How would you describe your musical sound?

> >
> > 3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

ENEMY OF THE SUN doesnt mean we hate the sun. Sun is who gives us live but
also who can destry it. The whole nature is our home but also our enemy when
we dont learn to live with it.
The name goes directly to the deep side of darkness. We all have both sides
of us. WE search for the light but are fascinated by darkness.
> >
> > 4. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?

Most Lyrics on CAEDIUM goes deep into the dark side of or lives and our
death. How to live with a big LOSS. What makes people go so far and kill
other ones, or kill them self. Thoughts, Memories and a lot of personal
stuff. After the suicide of Gus Chambers (singer of GRIP INC.) in October
2008 big sadness came to my life. This tragedy brings you of course new
views and deeper way of thinking about DEATH. THE END. LOSS. You think you
have many question but the you see there are way more. Most of them will
stay with no answer.
This feeling is the base of ?CAEDIUM?. You find many songs with this
emotional atmosphere with roots on killing, suicide, amok and death overall.
This brings for sure also a touch of brutality but also sadness.

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

What this band need is a longer tour. We had some really big festivals in
the past like Wacken, With Full Force, Summer Breeze, Rock Hard etc....but i
always feel those are like souveniers. Fun factor GREAT but you get more
band feeling on the tour. You perform every day, ones in a big ones in a
small hall and you dont care. Only misic is what to be cared off.
> >
> > 6. Are there any plans to tour the United States?

When we could we would start tomorrow but a tour is not a mood, a tour is
business and costs money. Just to give it strait, its not business for us
but for those who organize it. Its a big calculation between how, where and
how much money is to make. A newcomer band has without big support not
really a chance. Sorry but thats reality. Our choice will be to start
?CAEDIUM? tour already yesterday when we would hold it in our hands.
> >
> > 7. Are there any side projects that the band members are involved with
> > these days, if so who are they and what kind of music do they play?

We are people who love music. All of us would go everywhere for music.I dont
want to say of course we have some projects going on, that shouldnt be a
normal thing but we just cant stop doing it and like to share it with many
people.
> >
> > 8. How has the reception been to your music so far from metal fans
> > worldwide?

I Think good, at least what comes to us but honestly, when not you think i
would say it ?everybody thinks we suck!? hahaha, oh maybe i even would but
nobody did say it yet.
> >
> > 9.How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what
> > direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

Music has a lot to do with feelings. Even when you in deep sadness you must
put it out. Music doesnt change any situation but NO music does. I would go
crazy. Its just something i have to do. And of course i enjoy every note at
recording becouse bihind every one its a story.
In this case i do not make plans right now what would be tomorrow. I really
dont know. Onyl one i know for sure, it will be a ENEMY OF THE SUN record
and never a rip-off whit a look for the charts.
> >
> > 10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your
> > music and what are you listening to nowadays?

In a song writing process I dont spend time of thinking which style my
neighbour would like. I just make songs, music! In the studio I open my
producer eyes. The best about music is not the review you read, its not
stage you play on, it is the music it self.
We are open to any styles of music, flamenco, punk, hardcore, metal,
classic, rock....can name much more, important is the music comes from you.
> >
> > 11. What are some of your interests outside of music?

To paint. I never wouldnt call my self a painter but on the other side when
i see who in this world calls him self musician then i must be a great
painter.
Another passion is somthing which isnt that popular in US, we called it
football, you will say soccer. But we play it with foot and its a ball
(haha)
My team over here is Borussia Dortmund. Every time i can i am visiting the
stadion, and this one is BIG!!!! fits over 80 000 people, crazy people,
crazy singing people and its mostly sold out. Thats i gues is my other
passion .
> >
> > 12. Any final words or thoughts?

Be healthy and dont kiss asses

Enemy of the Sun/Caedium/Massacre Records/2010 CD Review

  Enemy Of The Sun are a band from Germany that consists of many metal veterans and play a style that I would describe as progressive death/thrash with a small amount of black metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Caedium" which was released by Massacre Records.

Drums cover alot of variety with some slow to midpaced drumming with some fast playing and brutal blast beats mixed in with some tribal parts, while the bass playing follows the riffs coming out of the guitars and there are some industrial style of keyboards being used at times.

Rhythm guitars have alot of variety with some midpaced to fast riffing that mixes thrash and death metal together with a good amount of melody, while the lead guitars are very technical and melodic with alot of exotic scales being used and some classical guitar.

Vocals mix clean singing, melodic death metal screams, deep growls and thrash style od singing together, while the lyrics cover some political and everyday style of themes, as for the production on this recording it has a very professional sound that captures all of the instruments.

In my opinion Enemy Of The Sun are a very good band and while some of the elements are a little bit too commercial for my tastes I still feel that this is a good amount and if you are a fan of melodic/technical death/thrash you should check this band out.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Castaways In The N.W.O" "Ticket" "The Golden Horizon" and "Sky Shooting Stars". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Goregast Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?


Yes of corpse, I can. Goregast has his origin in 1993, under the name of DISTRESS. 2 demos were

released in the mid 90's, then in 1998 we put the band on ice. In 2004, the band was heated again

with some new musicians. Therefore, we change the name into GOREGAST. 2006 the first album,

"Viva el Animal", 2007 "La Revancha" and now number 3 "Desechos Humanos".


2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from

previous releases?


The sound on our previous albums sounds fat too, but this time it's perfect. The guitars sounds a

little bit more "Swedish" than by the predecessors, what even makes the whole more powerful.

As by the previous albums, Andreas Hilbert (also playing guitars/vox in German veterans GOLEM)

had the finger on mix control and done a great job !


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


"Desechos Humanos" in the whole is about human disease. The songs are about many things that

affect people. Sadists, murderers, boring workerholics, rapists, etc..

For example the title track "Desechos Humanos" . There is a sadist who likes to torture his victims,

whether humans or animals in the most disgusting ways. Aaarrrggghhhh


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?


That's easy to explain. Close to our practise room is a small village called Gorgast (without "e"), so

we add and "e" and created was the bandname. It has no other significant, sorry...haha


5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you

describe your stage performances?


The best shows...mmhhh..let's think about it.

I remember one show in Castellon / Spain in 2007, we were crazy, the people also insane, it was hot

as hell ... great. The club called Averno. The best shows are there, where people going crazy.

Our stage performance is very wild and energetic, sometimes I fall down and start to tug...yeah

really..haha


6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?


In 2012 we want to make one or two small tours through Spain and Germany, but also hopefully

playing a lot of concerts at festivals.


7. You have songs written both in German and English which language do you prefer writing

in and how would you compare the 2 languages?


We used some german lyrics on our first album "Viva el Animal"only. Don't know why, it sounds

silly. The second and now "Desechos Humanos" including a mix of spanish and english lyrics. I like

both languages but prefer Spanish, it sounds more strightly if you know what I mean. Maybe a

upcoming album will be written in Spanish only.


8. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?


No other bands, we're already have families and spend our free time with them. I'm also running a

record label/ mailorder called FDA REKOTZ. Check it out at: www.fda-rekotz.com


9. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by grind/death fans?


The response of our two previous albums was great specially in Europe and South America. At that

time we or better the record labels who released the first and second albums, had no good

distribution and no promotion agency in North America, which has changed now with our new

record label FDA REKOTZ. We are optimistic and hoping that the people like what we do.


10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?


A difficult question, and unless you're not a clairvoyant, you can't really answer.

I personally hope that we maintain this mix of old school death metal and grindcore. But in one

point, I'm sure, no modern shit.


11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are

you listening to nowadays?


A lot of influences, the good old bands from the end of 80's, early 90's such as CARCASS,

ENTOMBED, GOREFEST, DISMEMBER, GRAVE, GENERAL SURGERY, ASPHYX, DEAD

INFECTION, TANKARD, KREATOR, PYOGENESIS, MORGOTH and a lot more. The other

members have a similar taste.

Today I'm still listen the good old stuff, but also to new bands who're playing old stuff, haha.. For

example ENTRAILS, REVOLTING, DEATH TOLL 80K, STENCH OF DECAY...and a bunch

more. Today I bought a LP from spanish ATARAXY. Great stuff, check them out.

At all, I don't like any kind of modern musick!


12. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?


My family of course, my little farm, beer, reading, watching, wanking...

But the most time each a day I have to do with musically things.


13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?


Thanx for the questions, for your interest in GOREGAST, thanx for your support ! All the best for

you and your Zine !! Everybody who's interested in our new album, in the band or whatever can

write to fda-rekotz@gmx.de or visit us on Facebook or myspace.com/goregast . Also check out our

record label: www.fda-rekotz.com

- VIVA EL ANIMAL -

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Reign Of Vengeance Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
     

     REIGN OF VENGEANCE is currently in the studio recording a new single that will appear on the Brain Damage Films/Music Christmas releases.  We are also preparing for some live shows we have coming up, are in the process of auditioning new full time drummers to sit in our thrown of brutality, and we are working on a music video for "She's Best Kept Headless".
 2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

    Brutal, Bloody, Death fucking Metal.
 3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new album explores?
   The new album explores many different topics ranging from sexuality, religion, everyday life, and political assassination.  All of these concepts are of course explored with a perception altered by a craving for violence and bloodshed.  Lyrically, each song was written as its own stand alone horror story with a plot-line, climax, and resolution.  The album is then all tied together with the last track "It Shouldn't Have Been Found, It Shouldn't Have Been Written."
 4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
    Brutal, Bloody, Death fucking Metal.
5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

    We did a show in an otherwise pathetic and metro-sexual club in Scottsdale that was rather interesting.  The staff consisted of many bouncers that did not like or respect metal so the tension was blade-cut thick.  They did not show the bands or our fans an ounce of respect so we in turn all did the same.  One large and stupid asshole kept getting in Jon Rice's (Job For A Cowboy) way, who was guest drumming for us that night, as he was trying to set his drums up on stage.  It was fun terrorizing that place and watching their crowd stare at us horrified as we performed songs like "In The Club (with a chainsaw)"- a song about a man hacking people down with a chainsaw in a place exactly like that.
 6. Do you have any touring plans for the new album?
   Yes, we are currently in between booking agents but once we find one that is reliable we will be on the road again.
 7. Currently you are signed to Brain Damage a label that is more known for horror films, how di you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far, in addition what do you think of their horror films I nkow that alot of people complain about some of their movies for being way too low budget?
    
  I met Darrin when I was working a part time job that I hated to finance the album....  There is a song inspired by this job in the album titled "He Hates His Fucking Job, He Hates his Fucking Wife, He Hates His Fucking Life.".......  I commented that I liked his shirt and many of the Brain Damage Films movies and he then informed me that he was the companies owner.  We got to talking about music, met for a few beers, and then decided that REIGN OF VENGEANCE and Brain Damage Films would do best forming a strategic alliance.  Based upon how popular Brain Damage Films made many of the bands from their "Traces of Death" soundtrack the band knew that Brain Damage Films would be able to assist the band in completing many of its goals.  Brain Damage Films has distributed over 250 films to date. They pride themselves on distributing a lot of indie horror so of course they are going to have some that are awesome and some that are not the greatest horror films ever made.  Overall, they are a solid company and have worked well with us so far.
 8. I know that the band members have a lot of experience playing in other bands, what made you decide to go for a more brutal or technical sound with this band compared to the other styles that you have played  in the past?

   It felt like the time to unleash something brutal again.
 9. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by death metal fans?

   Fans... Critics...... They don't fucking matter.  What matters is that the band is very satisfied with our work and the release....for now.


10. What direction do you see the band heading into on future releases?

   More brutal, more technical, but all within classic style song structures.


11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
   Some of the influences came from the other bands of the members that recorded this album.  Other than that we were more inspired by violent films, alcohol, a forensics class I had taken, a ridiculous amount of marijuana, and occasionally crashing my Dr. friends autopsies at the local college.  We do our best not to be inspired by other musicians because that's when all of the bands start sounding the same and the music becomes stupid and pointless.
   
12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

     There is not much time anymore for other interests.  When I do have time to do other stuff I more often or not find myself lifting weights, drinking alcohol, writing, reading, or banging some good looking chick I randomly picked up somewhere.  Tommy has a couple of other musical projects that he keeps himself busy with and he owns/operates The Kompound Studios where the "Disemboweling Swine" album was recorded.  All of those different projects keeps him extremely busy.  He is also very into professional wrestling which inspired one of the songs on this album that was written about one of the superstars that lost his mind a couple years back.
13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
No.  That is efficient.














Marshall "fucking" Beck -Vocalist, Booking, Published Author.
www.facebook.com/vocalistMarshallBeck
www.myspace.com/MarshallBeckmusic
www.BrainDamageMusic.com

Reign Of Vengeance/Disemboweling Swine/Brain Damage/2011 CD Review

  Reign  Of  Vengeance  are  a  band  that  plays  a  very  technical  form  of  death/gore  metal  and  this  is  a  reviewing  of  their  2011   album  "Disemboweling  Swine"  which  was  released  by  Brain  Damage.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  some  brutal  technical  death  metal  riffing  that  is  also  very  dark  sounding  at  times.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to  fast  death/gore  metal  riffs  that  are  very  brutal  and  technical  at  times  while  some  of  their  midpaced  riffing  has  a  sound  that  I  feel  that  has  gotten  too  mainstream  and  boring  to  listen  to  at  times  but  there  are  still  enough  brutal  riffing  that  keeps  the  interest  in  the  music,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  technical  and  brutal  sounding  death  metal  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  deep  death  metal  growls,  while  the  lyrics  touch  on  gore  and  hateful  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  coming  out  with  a  very  brutal  sound.

  In  my  opinion  the  first  minute  a  bought  on  this  album  I  was  not  impressed  at  first  but  the  album  does  get  more  after  the  first  two  songs  and  I  think  Reign  Of  Vengeance  are  a  very  good  brutal  and  technical  sounding  death/gore  metal  band,  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style  you should  check  out  this  band.  RECEMMONDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "She's  Best  Kept  Headless"  "He  Hates  His  Fucking  Job,  He  Hates  His   Fuckin Wife,  He  Hates  His  Fuckin  Life"  and  "As  Seen  On  Tv".  RECEMMONDED  BUY.

Goregast/Desechos Humanos/FDa Rekotz/2011 CD Review

  Goregast  are  a  band  from  Berlin,  Germany  that  mixes  gore  grindcore  with  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  album  "Desechos  Humanos"  which  was  released  by   FDA Rekotz .
.


  Drums  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  in  at  times,while  the  keyboards  which  are  only  used  as  an  intro  to  the  first  song  bring  a  very  dark  edge  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars .

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to    fast  grindcore  riffs  that  also  mix  in  some  death  metal  influences  in  the  music  and  there  is  a  small  amount  of  melody,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  briefly  have  a  very  dark   and  morbid  sound  in  the  guitar  solos.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  deep  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  grindcore  screams,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  German  and  English  with  themes  that  touch  on  gory  subjects,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  powerful,  raw,  heavy  and  brutal  sound.

  In  my  opinion  Goregast  are  a  very  good  grindcore  band  with  with  a  gore/death  metal  edge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECEMMONDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Desechos  Humanos"  "Honor  The  Dead"  "Necrophagic  Patholigist"  and  "Unslave  Yourself".  RECEMMONDED  BUY.



Lividity Interview

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

Von- It has been a busy year for us. We put out the new album "To Desecrate and Defile" through War Anthem Records/Epitomite Productions. The disc is doing really well and we are very happy with it.

2. How would you describe the music and lyrical style of the new album?

- The album definitely has a "darker" feel than other Lividity albums I think. The music has a lot of structure and has a great thinck sound. The music, as always is in the vein of brutal death metal, with elements of grind. Lyrically we call on our old familiar vibes of death/gore/sex and more sex!

3. You have been around for a long time, what keeps you motivated to keep putting out brutal music over the years?

- Well this is the style we want to play personally. We couldn't break away from it if we wanted to. While I personally like a lot of forms of music, I stick with playing death metal to push myself at a writing aspect. the goal is to advance and mature as a musician with every album. Until it gets to a point that it just isnt enjoyable to create the music or the flame has burned out (highly unlikely) then I will and I am sure Lividity will continue to create sick music. Lyrically there will always be something fucked up to write about hahaha.

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

- Every show is a different experience. We have played for 10 people over the span of our musical "career" and we have played for 10,000. There is something awesome about a small intenese, more personal show, and there is definitely something awesome about playing for a huge crowd that is louder than the PA could ever be. As far as what you are going to get when seeing us live, is a sick, crushing onslaught of a performance. We give 110% at everyshow. We take the honor of being able to be on stage very seriously. We are going to be as tight as possible, as sick as possible and as primed as possible!

5. What are the touring plans for the future?

- We actually leave shortly to do another tour in Europe. This one will be a smaller tour to focus on some of the festivals, including - Party San Open Air, Germany - Moutians of Death, Switzerland - Barther Open Air, Germany also, as well as several other shows in between all the fests.

6. How has the newer music been recieved so far from extreme metal fans worldwide?

- I think the previous album, "Used Abused and Left for Dead" is the one that really threw people for a loop. The drum aspect was a lot different as well as my vocal style on the album from previous albums with the original vocalist Matt Bishop. It took a minute or two but people embraced the changes quite well, and it was a very sucessful album for us. "Desecrate..." is getting a lot of great feedback. We have a more focused drum element on this album, but its still crazy at times when need be. I don't feel anything was "overdone". I always love being in the studio, and I feel this release shows more musical progression and more thought in the structure of the songs. The response has been great. Can't wait to start on the next one hahaha.

7. Are there any projects besides this band if so who are they and what kind of music do they play?

- Yes there are several projects within the band, Dave, Garrett, and Jake all play in another band called Embrace Damnation which is a more blasphemous creation. Garrett plays in a slew of bands including a terrific Slayer tribute band called Hell Awaits. Jake our bass player also plays drums in a band called Armaros and bass in Human Artifacts. Jake also played bass with me in my other original band, Deaden. I am also working on a couple of new projects myself, but you will have to wait on that info as it takes a little more form!

8. I noticed that alot of the samples come from movies, what kind of movies are you interested in besides the obvious porn?

- Anything Porn, Gore, Horror, and obviously Comedy. You can't take this stuff too seriously. It's entertainment, and lets be honest, its a very brutal style of music, so we aren't going to be singing bullshit love songs that would have serious samples. The funnier, the better!

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced the music and what are you listening to nowadays?

- Oh man... Everything from early Megadeth, to Sodom, Coroner, Entombed, Disincarnate, Cynic, Death to Jazz, Blues, Classic Rock (Thin Lizzy is huge favorite) crazy shit like Zappa. I am all over the board with what I listen to. Currently I have really been listening to the new Cynic, The Faceless, Guttural Secrete, Human Filleted, Mortal Decay, to name a few in the Metal realm.

10. What are some of your interests outside of music?

- Hmmm... guns, guns, and more guns!

11. Any final words or thoughts?

-Thanx for the chance for letting us spread the vile word about Lividity. Look for us, check us out and Cum say hi at a show, but you may want to leave your woman at home, we might just take her with us!
Come check us out at myspace.com/lividity for further information on the band. Check out the labels at Waranthem.com or Epitomite.com

thanx and keep it sick!!



EPITOMITE PRODUCTIONS
PO BOX 286
BONDVILLE, IL
61815 - USA

OUT NOW
DOMINATION THROUGH IMPURITY- MASOCHIST

THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT- THE WHITE CREMATORIUM 2.0



COMING SOON

DEADEN- '95 Demo 7"

The original "And the Dead Shall Rot / Lying In a Ditch" Demo on 7" - 15 year re-issue

Limited to 500!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Brutal Truth Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

We are awaiting the release of End Time, we have a few shows set up (Noctis Fest, Calgary Oct 1st, Japan at end of October) and we are conversing with people like yourself to promote the album.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

It might have a little more variety than the last one, we felt the need on "Evolution…" to come back really hard and show people that Brutal Truth was still as deadly as ever. Now that we proved our point, we included a little more mid-tempo and sludgy stuff on this one. And all the newer stuff since we returned is kind of different from the older BT releases since we have Erik on board now, he really brought something new to the band and it’s great.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explore with the new release/

Apocalypse. Armageddon. It’s the feel-good record of the year.

4. Out of all of the shows and tours that the band has played which one did you enjoy the most?

BrutalTruth/S.O.B. in Tokyo ’93. Sickest show ever.

5. What are the touring plans for the new release?

We don’t really tour like we did in the old days for extended periods anymore , people got families and stuff now. We do strategic weekends and such. Besides what I mentioned above, we play San Antonio in mid-November, Buffalo in mid-December, and there’s talk of a mini-tour in Europe with Lock Up right at the end of the year.

6. You have a history that goes back 30 years and I have noticed while other musicians stay stagnate and rehash their older material, you have always gotten heavier over the years, what is it that motivates you after all of these years?

Thanks man. I don’t know what the motivation is, it can be hard to step back from yourself and analyze these things, I guess I just haven’t lost interest or the ability to play extreme music, so I don’t think about my age, I just go for it as long as I can get away with it.

7. On a worldwide level how has the new album been received by death/grind fans?

That’s still gonna be hard to say until it’s actually out, but so far during the interviews I’ve done with people like yourself, people seem to dig it a lot. Of course, that’s probably not the best way to tell what people think, since if someone wants to interview you, they probably liked it.

8. What is going on with the other projects and bands these days?

Venomous Concept hasn’t done much lately, Nuclear Assault has had a busy summer, Nokturnal Hellstorm just recorded the 2nd half of our full-length, and the other guys are staying busy with Total Fucking Destruction (Rich), Primate (Kevin), and Sulaco (Erik).

9. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

We never know what our music is going to sound like until we actually write it. I’m sure it will stay crazy though.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced the sound of the new album and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Our music comes from outer space and is not influenced by human music. I have been listening to "Iconoclast" by Nazxul.

11. Outside of music, what are some of the bands members interests?

I like to make other types of music that is electronic in nature on my computer, not sure what interests the other guys.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

A big thanks to you and everyone who supports Brutal Truth and all underground music in general, we fully realize that we couldn’t do what we do if no one gave a fuck. Cheers!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Lividity/To Desecrate And Defile/Epitome Productions/2009 CD Review

  Lividity are a band from Illinois that has been around for a long time and they play a very perveted and demented form of death/grind and this is a review of their 2009 album "To Desecrate And Defile" which was released bu Epitome Productions.

  Drums range from midpaced to fast playing that uses alot of brutal blast beats while the bass playing follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars with a very distorted and powerful sound mixed in with some samples from porno films and violent movies.

  Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast death/grind riffs that are technical at times, and there are little to no lead guitars or solos present on this album.

  Vocals are deep death metal growls mixed in with some high pitched grindcore screams, while the lyrics cover sluts, whores, porno and gore, as for the production it has a very heavy and professional sound that gives all of the instruments a brutal sound.

  In my mopinion Lividity are a very good death/grind band that should appeal to all fans of this genre, and while this band has been around for a long time this is the first time I have heard an album from them all the way through and I am impressed. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Sword Of Sodomy" "Dismantle The Carcass" "Gut The Slut Before I" and "Inner Fetal Dismemberment". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Brutal Truth/End Time/Relapse Records/2011 CD Review

  Brutal  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  has  a  history  that  goes  back  20  years  with  a  music  style  that  is  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  album  "End  Time"  which  was  released  by  Relapse  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to  fast  drumming  with  alot  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  in,  while  the  bass  playing  a  very  has  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  some  noisy  grinding  riffing.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  midpaced  to  fast  grindcore  riffing  that  also  utilizes  alot  of  noisy  sounding  distortion  and  the  brutality  of  the  early  efforts  is  missing  from t his  recording  and  the  music  has  more  of  an  experimental  vibe  and  there  are  little  to  no  lead  guitars  or  solos  present  on  this  recording.


  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  deep  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  with  some  spoken  word  passages  being  used  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  powerful  and  heavy  sound.

  In  my  opinion  while  I  prefer  Brutal  Truth's  earlier  material  I  still  feel  this  is  a  good  album  and  if  you  are  a  fan  9of their  past  efforts,  you  will  not  be  dissapointed.  RECEMMONDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuck  Cancer"  "Crawling  Man  Blues"  "Warm  Embrace  Of  Poverty"  and  "Killing  Planet  Earth".  RECEMMONDED  BUY.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Mortician/Hacked Up For Barbeque/Zombie Apoclypse/Relapse Records/1999 CD Re-Issue Review

  Mortician are a band from New York that has been around since the mid 80's and are one of the first bands to play gore/death grind in America and this is a review of their reissue of "Hacked Up For Barbeque" which also contained their "Zombie Apocylypse" ep and both where released by Relapse Records.

  Drum programming is all fast with some midpaced beats while the samples all come from classic horror movies from the 70's as well as 80's before they started censoring all the gore, as for the bass playing it has a very distorted as well as noisy sound with alot of fast picking as well as midpaced riffs.

  Rhythm guitars are down tuned with alot of fast riffs that use alot of grindcore influences and some midpaced playing while the guitar leads are fast and very noisy solos that contain no melody.

  Vocals are all low pitched death metal growls while the lyrics are all gore themes that are influenced by horror films and you can hear alot of slasher type themes, as for the production on this album it has a very raw but professional sound which is perfect for this kind of music.

  In my personal opinion this was a masterpiece album from Morticain and all fans off death/goregrind should have this album in their collection.
STANDOUT TRACKS INCLUDE "Three On A Meathook" "Hacked Up For Barbeque" "Necrocannibal" and "Blood Harvest". RECOMMENDED BUY

Haemorrhage Interview

1. Can you update us with what's going on these days?
We are working on new stuff for our new album but also playing our old songs for the live shows. We will our new album on Relapse so we are motivated, and also we will play in Russia a country where we have never been before so we are excited for this too! I think someday our splits with Dead Infection and Disgorge will be released but that's something its not in our hand.

2. You have been around for a long time, what has motivated you to keep this going on to this day?
We didn't get rich with this, so our only motivation is our love for this music and also the support of our fans. We have been constantly growing up as band, getting more exposure and more fans, playing in new countries and thats something that keep our interest always alive. Also we are friend and we like to pley together.

3. How would you describe your musical sound?
We are Grind Gore but people labeled us as Goregrind, Gore Metal, Death Grind, Death Metal...Who cares?? I think we just want to make brutal, fast and groovy music, and lately we include many heavy and gory riffs.

4. Were did you come up with the idea for the band name?
Our first name was Devourment. We made gore lyrics but the we started to make pathologically oriented lyrics, so I felt this name wasn't mean too much to describe our music. I liked the name of Haemorrhage cause in those days was pretty cool and I always liked the bands with single names like Death, Blood, Autopsy, Cancer, Corpse...it was the 90's trend if you remember it ha, ha.... If a new band choose a name like that it would sound ripe but in those days it was cool. And also I'm happy we changed our band's name cause we let the chance to other band to get the name of Devourment.

5. How would you describe the lyrical content?
Since the beggining of Haemorrhage we made gory lyrics with medical influences. That usuallly called as pathological lyrics. Sometimes we like to make twist lyirics full of medical concepts and sometimes we make more understable lyrics with more simple ideas, but always about death, sickness, blood...Dark Side of life. We like to treat this with a certain humour, but of course never becoming the typical "joke" band full of easy jokes.

6.How would you describe the musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into during the future?
People asked us this from the beggining and the asnwer isn't into us. This is always we can't predict. We can only be responsible for our music and for keeping our style. I think Death, Grind and Metal is a very solid style and would never die.

7. What are some of the best live shows that you have played so far?
Considering the feeling and peoples reaction we liked some gigs in clubs like Uherske Hradiste in Czech Republic, Wermelskirschen in Germany...Those were shows when we really enjoyed playing music, good sound, great feeling and ALL the people going crazy. I mean CRAZY. A total insane show surely you have been at some of these gigs sometime in your life.But for importance the best shows were in big festivals like WFF, Brutal Assault, Party San...where there's 10.000 or 30.000 watching us.

8. Are there any plans for a U.S tour?
I'm sure we would do it in the future but unfortunaltely its easier for us playing big festivals in Europe and they pay better!! ha, ha...Life in the road sucks!!!

9. I know you have released plenty of split ep's over the years, are there any bands that you would like to do a split with, but not had the oppurtunity?
Hmm...I think Impetigo, Macabre, Terrorizer, Repulsion...bands I always worshipped.

10. What inspired you to become a musician?
I'm not a musician, I'm a mortician. Anyway I was inspired by my love for music. I love this shit too much.

11. What are you listening to nowadays new or old?
For new bands I like Captain Clean-off, Jig-ai are quite extreme too...as for old ones I'm listening Testament, Necronomicon, GBH, Bolt Thrower, Misfits, Gorefest, WASP...

12. What are some good films or literature that you would recommend?
I didn't read normal books. I read the story of Burke and Hare and a book about Psichokillers, but are both in spanish, surely people from other countries couldn't get them.About flims I didn't saw flims lately, except when I saw ICE AGE 3 with my son, but its too brutal for you guys!!!!

13. How would you describe the goregrind scene in Spain?
Killer!!! We have Gruesome Stuff Relish who in my opinion anre the new Impetigo, totally killer band, and also other bands like Altar of Giallo, Tu Carne, Monigo, Mixomatosis and other fucking cool grind bands like Difenacum, Looking for an answer, Nashgul, Disturbance Project....Spanish grind scene is one of the best in Europe for sure!!!

14. Any final words?
Yes, I hope you all listen to our new album on Relapse Records, it should be ready for early 2010. They will also re-release "Grume" and "Anatomical Inferno".

15. Thanks for the interview?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Macabre/Grim Scary Tales/Decomposed Records/2011 CD Review

Macabre are a band from Chicago, Illinois that has been around for 25 years and are on the pionering bands in grindcore and this is a review of their 2011 album "Grim Scary Tales" which was released by Decomposed Records.

  Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast with some brutal blast beats, while the bass playing sounds very powerful and has an old school metal feel to it.

  Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast death/grind riffs with some thrash influences as well as influences from many different genres of music, while the lead guitars sound very technical and melodic with a classic rock edge being used at times, as for the accoustic guitars that have a folk/rock feel to them with some avant garde music influences.

  Vocals are mostly high pitched grindcore screams with some clean singing vocals being used at times, while the lyrics cover serial killers, horror films, and ancient history, as for the production it sounds very professional and heavy with all of the musical instruments having a brutal sound.

  In my opinion this is another great album from Macabre, ad if you where a fan of their previous albums, you will not be dissapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Countess Bathory" "Dracula" "Lizzy Borden" and "The Kiss Of Death". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Quest Of Aidance/Dark Are The Skies At Hand/Pulverised Records/2010 CD Review

Quest Of Aidance are a band Sweden that mixes grindcore with death metal and some symphonic elements and this is a review of their 2010 album "Dark Are The Skies At Hand" which was released by Pulverised Records.

  Drums are very fast with alot of brutal blast beats being thrown in, while the bass playing is all rhythm bass that follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and there are also some atmospheric elements being used on and off throughout this album and on one song there are some keyboards that sound very symphonic.

  Rhythm guitars are mostly fast grindcore riffs that are heavily influenced by death metal and the lead guitars are melodic sounding guitar solos which is something that is very original for a grindcore band to have.

  Vocals are deep death metal growls with some high pitched grindcore screams being thrown in alot of times, while the lyrics are based on the Predator films, as for the production it sounds very brutal and professional and all of the musical instruments have a good sound to them.

  In my qpinion Quest Of Aidence are a very good band with an original form of grindcore and if you are looking for something new and original with that genre of music you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Distant World Arrival" "Sirian Breed" and "Yeild". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Mastic Scum Interview

1. Can you give us a brief history of the band?
Harry: Well, Mastic Scum was formed in the middle of the 90`s and is still blasting the daily grind. The band released 3 studio-albums and a lot of split-releases so far and did a lot of live shows and tours. We are already working on the 4th album, so be prepared of some grinding new stuff!! We already finished studio recording so you can check out a studio-teaser at youtube. The album will be mixed at Grindlab Studio and mastered by Jacob Hansen in September, release date is schedulded for middle of November. Artwork will be designed by Killustrations. We are really psyched about it and can`t wait to hear and see the final product. Also new video-clip will be filmed in fall, so check out our news and blogs at our homepages!!

Maggo: Hello there! Also fucking greetz from Austria! Yeah, watch out for our new shit coming up!!

2. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before?
Harry: Just call it deathmetal or grindcore, i don`t care. There are a lot of different opinions about descriptions of our sound, yes, it`s not that normal deathmetal or grindcore, so everybody can make his own opinion about it. New stuff in more in the vein of deathmetal i think.

Maggo: very peppy!!! ha ha ha.... its a blast in your face! with a singer thats hung like a horse, ha ha ha...

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

Harry: it`s a kind of play on words, so i think everybody knows the word masticator and scum???

4. I remember getting a lot of your stuff on vinyl in the 90's and I noticed you still put out stuff now, what motivates the band to keep going?

Harry: It`s just that we like what we are doing, you know, music is my live and i love the record new stuff. We have own recording-studio now and it`s easy for us to record, so we also do lot of covertracks and so on… We already recorded a covertrack from Nasum, this track will be available on "Tribute To Nasum" CD which should be out soon!

5. How would you describe your musical progress over the years?

Harry: I think there is a kind of progress in songwriting, in the technical way and also in the production of our music. We always wants to move forward, we never want to stop improving as a band, also as individual musicians, as songwriters and as performers. Therefore we always do our best to go one step further. We want to make sure that very album we put out and every show we play is better than the last one.

Maggo: i think the music sounds more brutal today, a bit more deathmetal.

6. What are some of the best live shows that you have played so far?

Harry: We played some cool festivals last year… for me every show is a special one for itself, but I would like to mention Kaltenbach Open Air and Summer Nights Open Air in Austria, great festivals!!

Maggo: Harry, where did we get the best beer??

7. What releases have you put out so far?

Harry: As already mentioned we are working on our 4th album right now, but there are also a lot of other releases like Split-EPs, Tapes, and so on… i think it`s more than 15 releases so far…

8. Are there any plans for a U.S tour?

Harry: There are some plans to play in the US after the CD release but nothing is fixed yet. We already played some show in US, so we really would like to to back there for some shows. We will see.

Maggo: If you have a cool offer for us we will come to destroy the USA!!! ha ha ha...

9. What are your main influences music wise or non music wise?

Harry: I have a lot of musical influences, lot of old deathmetal and grindcore stuff but also hardcore stuff from beginning of the 90`s and also new stuff as the musical standard ins high and very interesting for me. Dont like this new metalcore stuff so much but there are some really cool new bands out there.

10. What are you listening to nowadays and what are some good bands or releases that you would recommend?
Harry: I listen to new and also old stuff, I listen to a lot of styles of music, but I prefer deathmetal… about new bands, hmmm??? For example i like latest Suicide Silence stuff, it`s a pretty cool band, also great live shows… but for me I prefer old stuff as there are really very good thrash metal albums in the end of the 80s and great deathmetal beginning of the 90s…

Maggo: Thats a hard question because i listen to so much music and bands but especially some ultra brutal stuff like Internal Suffering for example. I also like experimental bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, specially the EP with Mike Patton is a blast! Or some older stuff like Pantera, and as adjustment i listen to roots reggae, drink some beer and chill out with a spliff ha ha ha...

11. What are some good films or books that you would recommend?

Harry: There are some classic movies from Kubrick and Lynch, also old Tarantino stuff, but you have to check out „Man Bites Dog"!! crazy shiiiiiit!!!! really like this movie!! it`s a france production, not sure if available in english…

Maggo: Guest House Paradiso!!!!! It`s the most stupid movie ever made, but i like it!! :-)

12. How would you describe the grindcore/death metal scene in Austria?

Harry: As i`m living in Vienna since years i love this city and I really like the scene there. There are a lot of live-shows, big festivals, also underground shows, lot of cool locations… really great to hang out!

Maggo: I don`t like austrias musicscene very much and the metal- and grindscene makes me weary. There are to less really brutal bands, it`s more melodic bullshit around, exept my other band watch me bleed ha ha ha... but i like the hardcore scene in austria, there are many really good asskicking underground bands.

13. Any final words?
Harry: Thx for the interview. Don`t forget to check out our pages masticscum.com and myspace.com/masticscum cheeeeers!!!!!!

Maggo: Thx for the interview and watch out for our new upcoming album!! hell yeah!!!

Inhumate Interview

1. Can you give us a brief history of the band?

INHUMATE started in the end of 1990 as a death metal band. After few
line up changes, this was stable from 1994 until 2007. During that time
INHUMATE recorded 2 demo tapes (yes, it was before the CDR era) and 4
full length. In the end of 2006 David (guitar since the beginning) left
the band and was replaced by Damien. We did a fifth full length album
titled « The Fifth Season » with him, this album came out in April 2009.
During its life INHUMATE played more than 150 shows almost over all
Europe : in France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Portugal,
Holland, Czech Rep., Austria…

2. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you
before?

Hum… I usually say that INHUMATE sounds like no other band. We play a
kind of old school grinding death metal. People usually say we are a
grind band, but we don’t think so. We’re all coming from the death metal
scene. Now I think the best thing to answer to anybodyu that would be
interested is to tell him to listen to our myspace : www.myspace.com to
get some tracks from our 5 albums and on our website www.inhumate.com to
get older sound from the demos (1993 and 1995).

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

There’s no real meaning. We choose it because it has no particular sense
but was sounding good, ideas or inhuman, hate or such things… For long
time to people asking me I was answering that i twas the symbolization
of the inhumation of hate, because we consider ourselves as a positive
band. But Damien found that « inhumate » was the anagramm of the French
word « humanite » which means « humanity ».And we think that the real
meaning of INHUMATE is this one. To understand why, just have a look a
tour website and check our concept. This one will be complete after 7
albums and deals with Life and time abolition. Life’e eternity.

4. When listening to your music I can tell you are defiantly old school
death/grind, how would you compare your style to the newer death/grind
bands?

We’re not into the modern way of playing grind core, yes we’re an old
school grind / death band. Our goal is not to play as fast as possible,
but to express as much as possible the animal feelings we all have in
ourselves. Best way to express it is this sentence from Dr Johnson « He
who gets a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man ».
5. What releases have you put out so far?

Abstract Suffering (demo tape 4 tracks – 1993)
Grind Your Soul (demo tape 7 tracks – 1995)
Internal Life (CD 18 tracks – 1996)Ex-Pulsion (CD 13 +1 tracks – 1997)
Growth (CD 17 tracks – 2000)
Life (CD 16 tracks – 2004)
The Fifth Season (CD 18+1 tracks – 2009)
And a shitlod of split tapes and EP with no unreleased tracks. We all
keep them for our own releases.

6. How would you describe your musical progress over the years?

We started as a slow mid temp death metal band, then played faster, so i
twas some death / grind. Later we slowly understood that death metal was
good but grind core even more interesting to play, so we call now our
music grind / death. We still have something to see with death metal,
we’re no punk hehe

7. What direction do you see the band heading into during the future?

Following the track we’re on now. Why should we change ? We don’t want
to hide behind the stupid word « evolution » to explain why we’re
playing sofetr, more melodic or anything like this. INHUMATE is here to
play loud, fast and brutal, nothing to care about people that don’t
understand it. We’ have always played some INHUMATE, we will always some
INHUMATE.

8. How would you describe your live show?

Sick as fuck. We try to give the maximum we can. We have very energic
shows (especially Christophe who really becomes sick) because we think
this kind of music has to be listened but also seen. When you go to a
grind core show and see the guys standing like statues, it’s
uninteresting as fuck I think. So, as I told it at question 2 about
music, just check our videos on the Internet (myspace or youtube) to get
an idea of what an INHUMATE sho looks like.

9. Are there any touring plans?

Yes of course. We were in Switzerland last week end, following dates
will bring us to Germany, Holland, France, Russia… As we all have day
jobs it’s hard for us to tour, so we have to make only single dates and
it’s ok for us.

10. What are your main influences music wise or non music wise?

I don’t think we wtill have some influences, INHUMATE sound sliek
noother band I think. But we are till open o all new kinds of extreme
music, we do all listen to many underground bands.

11. What are you listening to nowadays and what are some good bands or
releases that you would recommend?

Last albums I bought were :AGATHOCLES : Grind is protest (very good, I recommend)MISANTHROPE : Irremediable (ok)OJCIEC DYKTATOR : Heresy is fun (very, very good, I recommend)CARNAL DIAFRAGMA : Preparation on the daddy’s steack (ok)RESISTANT CULTURE : All one in struggle (too crust for me)Now if I had to recommend some other bands I think you would liten to
some French grinding acts like TREPAN DEAD, BLOCKHEADS, INFEST, XAROS,
YATTAI, MASSIVE CHARGE, PULMONARY FIBROSIS, UNTAMED and many other.

12. What are some good films or books that you would recommend?

I don’t like cinema and don’t fucking read books.

13. How would you describe the death/grind scene in France?

It’s full of interesting bands, just check the list I gave at question
11. I live close to the German border so overhere it’s not hard to find
places to play and the underground scene is very active. In the same
time on the West side of France, there are aslo some cool band,s
unfortunately they have less opportunities to play and that’s a pity….
So if you have any chance to support our scene, do it, it deserves it !

14. Any final words?

Thanx for according this interview. As independant band, all kind of
promotion is welcome !

Monday, September 5, 2011

K.A.S.K Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Hi, first of all, thank you for interest our band! We are K.A.S.K., we come from Poland and we play a death metal/hardcore. Guys has begun make noise in 2006 in Krasnystaw. They played a lots of local gigs, but they didn`t release nothing special except demo titled "Cactus Core".  I joined the band in 2010 and this year we released the first EP "Brutal Abstraction", which contains a 5 tracks of death metal/hardcore in vein Heaven Shall Burn, Job For A Cowboy, Carnifex, All Shall Perish for example. Current members are: "Kelso" - Kamil Michalak (guitar), "Wafel" - Sebastian Witkowski (vocals), Andrew "Satas" Stepniak (drums), Marcin "Kwiecio" Kwiecinski (bass/inhale vocals) and Peter "Peter" Sulej (guitar).

2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the demo and how it differs from the demo?
You mean the differences between first demo and EP? First demo was rather in other style- less brutal and intensive. Stylistically it was rather an amateur metalcore. The sound on "Brutal Abstraction" is more thick and professional of course. "Cactus Core" is the release, which is unavailable at the moment. We don`t want to spread this songs, because we are playing completely different now.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We are the band, which puts the strong weight on lyrical side. We are writing mainly about the things on this world, which make us pissed. That perfectly fits with a brutal, agressive music. Generally our lyrics stigmatize hypocrisy and defects of mankind - stupidity and blindness, following the false idols, thoughtless materialism, lack of empathy in everyday life, religious fanaticism etc. You know, there are a lots of negative things to write about...Unfortunately.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
When the guys were forming the band, they were a big fans of the cactus juice (that`s why the first demo was titled "Cactus Core"). K.A.S.K. is a shortcut from "Klub Amatorów Soku Kaktusowego" - that means something like "The Club Of Cactus Juice Lovers" :) Ideal name for death metal band, right? :)

5. Has the band had any oppurtunities to do any live shows yet, if so what are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
Yes, we played a few concerts during these years. Personally I really enjoyed the gigs in Chelm (during the Chelm Rock Attack Fest), Jaslo and Gdansk. Chelm was great because we played in my family city in a new line-up the first time. There was a lot of people, who had fun during our show and we had many positive opinions. Jaslo, because it was the last concert of "Spring Defloration mini-tour" with Dust N Brush (check them out!) and in spite of there were not many people, but it was the time spent on a pleasant climatic atmosphere. I met my good old friends and we have a great party in a highland cottage of our organiser. Gdansk was an our the farthest gig. We were very excited that we could play at the sea.  We spent lots of time for sightseeing (we practically passed through the entire country ), so the trip was amazing. Club where we played was very dark, so the show was very atmospheric. We met a so many great, positive people on gig and we went with them to a pubs in city. At 3 am we were beginning going back to our cities. Driving after the two sleepless nights was a specific experience for me haha! I don`t know how our gig looks like, because I have never seen hehe. I think we are the solid death metal team without any special effects. We love playing live, so we have so much  fun. We try to move on stage a bit, because it is always something like an impulse to catch attention for audience.     

6. Are there any touring plans for the future?
Not yet, but we hope in autumn/winter we`ll play some shows. Not yet, but we hope in autumn/winter we`ll play some shows. It depends on the interest of organisers.   

7. Currently the band is unsinged, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the band?
Yeah, we are unsigned yet, but everything indicates that "Brutal Abstraction" will release Kuba from Sound Of Madness Records. He has an idea of releasing that stuff on very innovative data carrier. I can`t say nothing more, because we don`t know yet if this idea will works. I don`t know how should be a perfect label for us, because I didn`t think about that. We haven`t much needs and we would like to have an independence in some way. But if some label could provide a concrete release in good number of copies, some t-shirts and wide promotion of course, we would be very satisfied. 

8. On a worldwide level hoe has your music been recieved by death metal/deathcore fans?
We have got a lots of positive words both in our country and from foreign reviewers. They often write that we have a good sound, interesting forms of composition and great vocal parties. It was a big surprise for us and hope that our music have a chance to be liked by the some metal fans. We are especially excited when we`ve got a good opinions from maniacs from another, farthest place on globe. Internet is a power of communication and we use handfuls from that.

9. Are there any projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?
I play in hardcore band named A.D.H.D. (www.facebook.com/adhdhcpl). It`s my first band which I formed with my friends in primary school:) Earlier we`ve had the name Self-Destruction and we played a death metal. So we can say that playing in K.A.S.K. is my "back to the past" hehe. Besides that, our drummer Andrew has his own black metal band - Morgh. They play the obscure and raw music in old-school underground style.

10. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
We would like to compose the better stuff than "Brutal Abstraction". It must be more intensive, thought and interesting. I think that we will still go the path of brutal death metal with the elements of hardcore. We are conscious of disadvantages of EP and we will do our best to fight them :)

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We are the big fans of american death metal/deathcore style in vein of Job For A Cowboy, Carnifex, old All Shall Perish, Suicide Silence, Despised Icon, Ion Dissonance etc. This music has a big potential. We love the brutality and energy in this genre. We are the big fans of german Heaven Shall Burn (we even play a cover of their song). Personally besides the metal I listen to lots of various types of music. I practically listen to everything- hardcore, grindcore, sludge, punk rock, dubstep, post-rock, old hard-rock, progressive, good pop, classical music (even now I listen to "Greatest hits of Mozart" lol). My favourite albums at the moment are: Collapse Under The Empire - Shoulders And Giants, Breakdown of Sanity - Mirrors, Dead Swans - Sleepwalkers, Omega Massif - Geisterstadt, news tracks of Abominable Putridity, Darkest Hour - The Human Romance.  But in a few days for sure it will change haha.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Lots of things too:) I am interested in history (especially World War II), society, religion/philosophy. Besides that I practice a various types of sports. I love travelling by hitchhiking.  Kels is a humanist too, he`s interested in philosophy and history. Wafel was studying a sociology if I well remember. Peter is interested in music engineering and he studies something connected with enviromental. Andrew has his own farm.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thanx for your time and thank you for reading! Keep supporting extreme and underground music! Check out:
www.facebook.com/kaskband
www.myspace.com/kaskband
kaskband.bandcamp.com