Thursday, October 31, 2013

Implosion Circle Interview


 1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We are working  right now on a new full length album. There are lots of new song  ideas, pre-recordings and riffs  to form new songs. With the experience we gained there we will probably be this time more efficient with the next songs.
Besides that we use every possibility for concerts. 

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new ep and also how does it differ from your past release?
The sound of the new EP we consider as “modern” Trash Metal. We want to clearly differentiate from the common Hardcore Metal bands and we focus on our strength, which lies to a great extend in the instrumental skills and the interaction of the guitars backed by solid base and drums.
It is almost 5 years since we released our last album. This was recorded shortly after we won the largest band contest of central Switzerland at the KKL in Lucerne in front of more than  thousand people. With the price we won we partially financed our CD which we recorded in a studio. The songs of that CD are much simpler and not so mature as on the new EP - neither the lyrics nor the compactness of the sound. Since then we have grown a lot in the way of playing our Instruments live and at the studio. We also have substantially improved our technical skills and our know how as musicians. 
For “The Angry And Enraged” we went to a new level with our songwriting. It took us a long time just for these five songs as we wanted to explore new ways in composing, in the dialog and in adjusting the sound. We took much more care about each tiny little detail of the songs.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?
The lyrics have a wide span: they range from battlefields to the question of time, to a killer agent without any feelings and to the idea of a circle which is the beginning and the end of a billion years cycle.
Some of the meanings of the songs are clear and direct and some have a bigger radius to leave open space for own pictures and imaginations while listening to the music. For example the song “The final battle” poses a very strong anger and speaks directly of ultimately destroying the enemy (“..include the women and the children…”) while the song “Clockwork” questions the meaning of time for mankind compared to nature (“..or could it be that time stands still and we are just passing by..”)
4.That band was on hiatus for a couple of years but got back together, what was the cause of the break and also the decision to reform?
Actually the band never fell apart. During this time we played a lot together and became much more mature also for our life performances. Practicing in our band room also  led us to a lot of new song ideas. The major difficulty was that there were just a lot of interruptions for each band member like serving in the Swiss army for 6 months (three of us at different times), job and exams, language course in USA including some travelling etc. and maybe we also let the focus slip a bit

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Implosion Circle?
We had our first stage performance organized but we did not have a band name. So we listed a long list of strange and curious sounding words together and decided during a boring school day that we wanted to have a band name with two words. The best placed two words  were Implosion and the Circle. We knew it’s a strange mixture but that is what we find special about it. There is no band in the world with that name. Try it on Google..

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the year and alos how would you describe your stage performance?

The biggest and one of the best shows we played was at the KKL Lucerne which was the final show of the biggest band contests in the central Switzerland. We were the first metal band ever who won this competition - the crowd was boiling!
In 2012 we played another hilarious show at the Nothing But Metal warm-up show in a medium size club. The fans were incredible and we created an Implosion Circle atmosphere- moshing, circle pits for everybody in the room from head to toe.
Our passion is definitely playing live shows, every concert we rock with more than 100% of our available energy and melt the Band and the Crowd together to an unforgettable Metal happening.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Because of directing all our attention to writing new songs and advance them we have no tour or shows in view, but we are always in for playing shows. 

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received  any interest?
So far we are making everything by our self which became much easier with the modern developments of the Internet. And we keep it this way until we get big enough to receive the attention of the labels.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
We just played a lot of shows in Switzerland so the most of the reviews came from Swiss but the reviews from the people are always extremely enthusiastic although we had some good reviews from DC Maryland, and SD California. 

10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
We are completely open minded for new styles and directions so we don’t know exactly in which direction we are heading, of course we always will have our core in the Thrash Metal. 

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Every band member has his own favorite Bands and music styles, sometimes even from classic music the whole way through to death metal and from Blues to Funk… But the most inspiration comes from Bands like Metallica, Devil Driver, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Aborted, Rammstein and more. At last we all love listening to heavy music.

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Watching movies, reading books, doing some sports, (most time Drinking at the baar with friends).

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
We always will make music and play some heavy stuff together.


  

Monday, October 28, 2013

Implosion Circle/The Angry And Enraged/2013 EP Review


  Implosion Circle  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays a  very  modern  form  of  thrash  metal  mixed  with  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  ep  "The  Angry  And  Enraged".

  "The  Final  Battle"  starts up  the  album  with  some  clean  and  soft  guitar  playing  before  getting  heavier  with  some  riffs,  drums  and  melodic  thrash  vocals  before  adding  in  some aggressive  elements  along  with  the  guitars  utilizing  some  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  and  halfway through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos and  leads  as  well  as  some  death  metal  screams.

  "There's  Nothing"  kicks  off  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few seconds  later  semi  death  metal  vocals  kick  in  before  adding  in  some  clean  singing  and  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  solos  and  leads  start to  come  in.

  "The  Angry And  Enraged"  begins  with  a  short  lead  before  the heavy  guitar riffs  and  drums  kick  in  and  a  second  alter  soft  and  clean  guitars  come  in  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  another  guitar  lead  and  a  few  seconds  after  the  music  gets  heavy  again  along  with  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  thrash  style  vocals  before  alternating  between  soft  and  heavy  sections.

  "Clockwork"  is  introduced  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  along  with  some  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  as  time  moves  on  by  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Circle"  has  its  start  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  along  with  some  bass  guitars  in  the  background  as  well  as  some  drums  and  then  the  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  a  brief  use  of  spoken word  parts  and  later  on  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  into  the song  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  which  also  lead  up  to  some  clean  singing  and  towards  the end  there  are  some  acoustic  guitar  parts  that  come  in  for  a  few  seconds  while  mostly  focusing  on the  heavier  parts.

  Song lyrics  cover  anger  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording.    

  In  my  opinion  Implosion  Circle  are  a  very great  sounding  mixture  of  modern  thrash  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Final  Battle"  and  "Clockwork".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

  

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Untimely Demise/Systematic Eradication/Punishment 18 Records/2013 CD Review


  Untimely  Demise are  a  band  from  Saskatchewen,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  combines  thrash and  melodic  death  metal  together and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Systematic  Eradication"  which  was  released  by  Punishment  18  Records.

  "Spiritual  Embezzelment" begins  with  heavy guitar  riffing  and  drums  before  adding in  some  melodic  guitar  solos  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  then  the  thrash  style  vocals  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  screams  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  riffs.

  "The  Last  Guildsman"  begins  with  some  guitar  leads,  bass  guitars  and  drums  before  getting  heavy and  having  the  aggressive  thrash/death  metal  vocals  kicking  in  along  with  some  melodic  style  singing  and  after  awhile  the guitars  start utilizing  some  melody.

  "Somali  Pirates"  begins  with  some  thrash  style  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  the  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  thrash  style  vocals  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads and  blast  beats  are  added  into  the  music  and  you  also  can  hear the  bass  guitars.

   "Redemption" begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  leads  up  to  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  kicking  in  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  which  also  utilize  melody  later  on  in  the  song.

  "Navigator's  Choice"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  playing  along  with  some  drums  which  leads  up  to  some  thrash  and  death  metal  vocals  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  later  on  the  guitars  and  vocals  start  utilizing  some  melody  and  after  awhile  solos  and  leads start kicking  in.

  "A  Warrior's  Blood"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffing  along  with  drums  and  then  the  vocals  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  to  kick  in  and  towards  the  end  clean  sections  are  added  into  thee  song.

  "Revolutions"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  drums  as  well  as  some  melodic  elements  which  lead  up to  the  thrash  style  vocals  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  "Escape  From  Supermax"  begins  with  some  bass  guitars  and  drums  before  adding  in  some  heavy guitar  riffs  and  thrash/death  metal  vocals  and  after  awhile  the music  speeds  up  a  bit  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  after awhile  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in.

  Song  lyrics  cover  science fiction  and  fantasy  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy and  professional sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion this  is  another  great sounding  recording  from  Untimely  Demise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  thrash  mixed  with  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spiritual  Embezzelment"  "Redemption"  "A  Warrior's  Blood"  and  "Escape  From  Supermax".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.          

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Oblivion Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Nick: We're a mix of musicians that have previously been in other bands for years, some of us have toured extensively and are done with it. We are all fans of extreme metal, death metal in particular, and want to release the best modern extreme metal we possibly can.
Ben: Nick reached out to me to join in on Bass after I had left ALL SHALL PERISH last December. I couldn't think of a sicker project to get involved in! Nick and I go way back, playing together in the 90’s grind band ANTAGONY, So I knew going into this if would be a good fit.

2. How would you describe your musical sound for those that have yet to hear to the music?
Nick: Fast, emotive, and dark.
Ben: Oblivion is fast and technical death metal, But at the same time there is a whole other level of musical awareness that is apparent throughout the playing. CALLED TO RISE has a lot of very interesting moments that challenge the listener, Leaving them to discover more and more on repeat listens.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about your song lyrics?
Nick: Our lyrics deal with events in history that are not discussed in mainstream culture.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Oblivion?
Nick: When we were thinking of a name, I was reading a lot of different writings of evolution and such (recommended by Ted). And I kept seeing the word "Oblivion." It fit perfectly with what we wanted to convey. Most people don't know what it means. We interpret it as "the state of being lost or forgotten." Like knowledge.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
Nick: We've yet to play an official live show.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Nick: Nope.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of technical and brutal death metal?
Ben: AMAZING!! We seem to have a very dedicated following in Italy of all places. I have traveled there many times, and I have seen how nuts the scene is out there. They are ravenous for anything heavy and loud… I love it.
Nick: We've received a tremendous amount of accolades and positive response from just one album and a few videos. We are overwhelmed and extremely happy to be received so well by metal fans.

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days?
Nick: My solo work as a classical composer. http://nickvasallo.com/

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
Ben: I would like to take Oblivion to a much deeper darker place
Nick: Yes, and into more esoteric structures and atmospheres. Some of which you can hear on a few of the songs on "Called to Rise." I'd like to involve a more modern classical influence as well. Maybe incorporate different instruments into our next album.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Nick: I don't listen to Metal much anymore. But I have been listening to modern art ensembles like The Living Earth Show, they are a fringe band bordering on Indie Post-Rock, minimalist, and modern art music.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Nick: I teach music theory at Cal Poly Pomona, so I am always thinking about theory. I love cooking, I probably would be a chef if not a music professor. I also love MMA and American football.
Ben: I own a screen printing shop that specializes in custom band merch –http://www.weneedmerch.com. I have pretty much committed myself to making sure bands get quality printed t-shirts at a price they can actually afford. It’s important these days, since merch is where bands primarily make their month on the road.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Nick: Stay tuned for more, we promise an ever-involving musical approach to what we release!
Ben: Expect even more new music soon!!!!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Mental Killing Spree Interview

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

Hi there, first we’d like to say thank you for the interest of the Variety of Death zine in our band, it’s always great to see that the underground gets support.
Well, we are Mental Killing Spree, since 2008 a Brutal / Old school Death metal band from Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The band and its name were originally founded in 2003 but we found our final musical style and final line-up in 2008, when we released our first EP called “Vae Victis” that was recorded at Rosenquarz-Studio in Lübeck, Germany. By exclusively publishing this demo via Internet (Myspace) we were able to establish contacts all around the world, that resulted in two gigs in Sweden (Gothenburg and Malmoe) and our songs being played in several radio-shows (Internet or “broadcast stations”) and in receiving several magazine interview requests from Europe, Asia, North- and South America, not to forget the very positive feedbacks we received so far.
Now, in October 2013 we finally published our first 10-track-full-length called “Centrifuge of Man” that was recorded mixed and mastered at the Sound Division Studio in Warsaw, Poland by Filip “Heinrich” Halucha, who is known as the former bassplayer of Decapitated’s “Carnival is forever”.


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

Although the demo-sound already united a really powerful and pressing mixture, the current production of the Sound Division Studio on “Centrifuge of Man” is far more differentiated while keeping the essential dynamics alive. Each instrument and the vocals can be heard clearly without any loss of brutality and drive. Musically we remained completely loyal to our own style and interpretation of Brutal / Old school death metal; compared to the songwriting on the EP, we’d say that the full-length song structures have become more complex and compact without losing the permanent dynamic flow.


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

Our lyrical topics are mainly deriving from psychology and sociology, they’re about human exploitation in capitalism, psychiatric sickness and common strains and stresses of the daily grind that lead to a certain common madness. Lyrically we follow the opinion that hell is always an entity of the subject’s brain, there’s no objective hell, the hell is inside the person’s mind and its interpretation and perceptions of life. Things that can be mentally imagined by Man can by far be more cruel and sick than the things that can be executed or achieved in the physical world. That’s what our lyrics are all about, the personified and personalized horrors that everyone experiences even in so-called civilized societies.


4.The band has been around since 2003 but so far have only released one demo and 1 full length, what has been the cause of delays?

As we mentioned above, MKS in the line-up and musical style of today started in 2008 after a complete reset due to the fact that from 2003 to 2008 we had an additional guitarist and more thrashy influences in our songs that had been drastically replaced by brutal death metal elements in new songs before we recorded the EP in 2008.
Further reasons for such a long timespan were organisational incompatibilities with our full-time jobs and the problem to get things organized for ourselves without a label and distro. Even planning the Warsaw-trip to record the full-length was quite difficult to manage due to a certain lack of leave days. But finally we made it!


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Mental Killing Spree?

The inspiration behind the name Mental Killing Spree is quite similar to the entire inspiration of our lyrics described in question 3, the hidden aggression that lurks in all of us but that can rarely be seen in its pure outbreak because it mostly gets blocked by morale or ethics or just fear, the only way for natural instincts or the unconscious in general to show up is in fantasies or dreams. The simple question behind our bandname is: How would our society look like when we all would just act as our raw drives and instincts are telling us to act? In some way we’re just animals equipped with a consciousness but the archaic source of our actions is still present deep inside our mind. We’re even able to partially shape our instincts but nevertheless they are still there.


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

Well, our best shows we had here in our own region because we didn’t have that much gigs outside that radius, but with the new CD out we are now willing to change it! It’s always hard to describe how our own show might appear, but after a gig one of our fans once told us that “it’s like a fuckin’ freight-train with full speed mangling your body over and over again”, lol.


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

Yeah of course, we will now work on expanding our radius and apply for some gigs in Germany (festivals or open air) and beyond, if possible, so we are parallel working on spreading our word all around the world. We plan a small tour in next year’s summer through Poland at the moment but we are open for all gig-offers we can get!! So don’t hesitate to contact us via Facebook, which is currently our mainpage as well.


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

Yeah, we are very interested in getting fair contract-offers for distro and label-support, we haven’t received any interest requests yet but our CD has just been published, we’ll see what the future holds in store according to this.


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

According to the quantity and quality of reviews we received so far, we are very hopeful, the feedback since the official release has been awesome! The deathmetal-scene, as far as we can evaluate it by the received feedbacks now, seems to like our new stuff!


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

Right now, we are already working on writing new songs and it seems that our main direction will remain the same, we will stay straight and brutal because that’s our way to interpret Brutal / Old school deathmetal!


11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

This is always a difficult question, we’ve been compared with several death-metal bands like Morbid Angel, Decapitated, Asphyx, Hail of Bullets, Vital remains etc., every single comparison is a big compliment for us but we would never ever compare ourselves with one single band, well, when we are writing a song the final product is always a product of all the bands we ever have listened to in the past and we are listening to right now. I think it’s always better to just enjoy the music without thinking in stereotypes or similarities.


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

Our main interests are of course creating deathmetal and scanning the underground scene for new gems that we haven’t heard of before. Further-on we like to party and meet friends and fans for some alcoholic and musical orgies, haha.  The other half of the day we have to hold down our full-time jobs.


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

We’d like to thank you very much for the possibility of this interview and the awesome review, further-on we’d like to thank all the other fanzines and magazines as well for the outstanding support they granted us! You’re the ones who keep the scene alive! Our special thx go out to Filip “Heinrich” Halucha and Tomek at Sound Division Studio in Warsaw, Poland and to Björn Gooßes at Killustrations.com for the creation of the great CD-artwork. We want to send out greetings to all our fans and friends and to those who haven’t listened to our stuff yet: check out our facebook page and listen to some of our brandnew songs there!
Horns up!
See ya!
Timm+MKS

Monday, October 21, 2013

Sordid Flesh/Torturer/Vic Records/2013 CD Review


  Sordid  Flesh  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  with  elements  of  heavy,  thrash  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Torturer"  which  was  released  by  Vic Records.

  "The  Thelema  Way"  begins  with  some  distorted  and  dark  clean  guitar  playing  and  you  can  hear  some synths  in  the  background  before  going  into  a  heavy  and  fast  direction  along  with  some  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  which  lead  up  to  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  takes  a  90s  direction  and  close  to  the  end  the  synths  and  clean  sections  make  a  return  to  the  song  before  adding  in  some  guitar  leads  and solos  before  getting  heavy  again.

  "Mark  OF  The  Fallen"  begins  with  heavy  and  old  school sounding  guitar  riffs  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before  the  growls  kick  in  along  with  some  punk  influences  and  small  guitar  leads  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  after  awhile  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  but  mostly  sticking  to  slow  and  mid  paced  sections  and  towards  the end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  real  guitar  solos  being  utilized.

  "Rites  At  The Cemetery"  begins  with  some  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  few  second  later  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  guitar  leads  kick  in  and  then  the  music  gets  a lot  more  faster  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  deep  growls  and  after  awhile  the  music  returns  to  the  slower  parts  but  it  does  go  back  to  the  faster  riffing  at  times.

  'Gravebitch" begins  with  death  metal  growls  and  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  as  well  as  adding  some  black  metal  influences  into  the  vocals  and  towards  the end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  black  metal  guitar  leads  being  utilized.

  "Through  Vile Infanticides"  begins  with heavy  black/death  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  getting  a  little  bit  faster  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  old  school  death  metal  guitar  leads  which  leads  up  to  some  growls  and  screams  and  after  awhile  dark  sounding  melodies  are  added  into  the  song  and  towards  the  end  you  can  actually  hear  the  bass  guitars.

  "Torturer"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  leads  up  to  some growls  and  grim  screams  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  "Where  Art  Thou  God"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  leads  up  to  some  blackened  death  metal  vocals  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  an d halfway  through  the  song  thrash  elements  and  blast  beats  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brie f use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  for  a  few  seconds.

  "Until  Your  Dead" begins  with  drum  beats  and  old  school thrash  metal  guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  deep  death  metal  growls  kick  in  and  the  music  starts  getting  a  lot  heavier  sounding  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  as  well  as  some  black  metal  screams.

  "Rise  From  The  Abyss"  begins  with  some  bass  guitars  and d rums  which  leads  up  to  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  before  getting  even  more  heavy  and  adding  in  some  blast  beats  and  deep  growls  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

 Song  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Anti  Christian,  Death  and  Gore  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  recording.

 In  my  opinion  Sordid  Flesh  are  a very  great  sounding  old  school  death  metal  with  elements  of  heavy,  thrash  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "The  Thelema  Way"  "Rites  At  The Cemetery"  "Where  Art  Thou  God"  and  "Rise  From  The  Abyss".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

      

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Mental Killing Spree/Centrifuge Of Man/2013 CD Review


  Mental  Killing  Spree  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form of  death  metal  with  elements  of  grindcore  and this  is  a  review  of their self  released  2013  album  "Centrifuge  Of  Man".

  "Atrocious Generosity"  begins  with  brutal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  the  death  metal  growls  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  blast  beats  as  well  as some  high  pitched  grindcore  screams  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  slowing down  a  bit  and  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  before  speeding  up  again  and  adding  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Lymph  Node  Monstrosity"  begins  with  some  brutal  blast  beats,  fast  guitar  riffs  and  deep death  metal  growls  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  slowing  down  and  adds  in  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  before  speeding  up  as  well  as  adding  a  brief  use of  melody  and  then  the  song  switches  back  and  forth between  fast  and  slow  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  some  high  pitched  screams.  

  "Creator  Of  Hatred"  begins  with  some  deep  growls  and  slow  guitar  and  bass  riffs  as  well  as  some  drums  before  getting  heavier  and  adding  in  some  high  pitched  screams  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  fast  along  with  some  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  and  the  song  closes  with  the  slower  riffs.  

  "Equal  Zero  Coincidence"  begins  with  brutal  guitar  riffs  and  heavy  drums  which  lead  up  to  some  blast  beats  and  deep  growls  and  after  awhile  some  screams  are added  in  along  with  some  slower  riffing  which  also  leads  up  to some  melodic  sounding  guitar  leads  and solos  before  getting  fast  and  brutal  again.

  "Centrifuge  Of  Man"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffs  before  getting heavier,  fast  and  brutal  along  with  some  blast  beats,  growls  and  screams  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  where  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  before  getting  fast  and  brutal  again.

  "Autoaggressive  Leviathan"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  leads  up  to  some  brutal  sounds  and  growls  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  screams  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  some  melody  and  guitar  leads and  then  getting  fast  again.

  "Indecipherable"  begins  with  some fast  brutal  guitar  riffs,  drums,  screams  and  growls  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  the  music  slows  down  for  awhile  before  speeding  up  again  towards  the  end.

  "They  Still  Have  A  God"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  before  adding  in  blast  beats,  growls,  screams  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile  the  music  slows  down  for  awhile  and  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  before  adding  in  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads as  well  as  mixing  them  with  some  of  the  faster  elements..

  "Directive  Of  Cruelty"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  getting  fast,  adding  in  blast beats  and  growls  and  after awhile  it  adds in  some  old  school  death  metal  elements a s  well  as  slowing  down  for  a  bit  and  adding  in  some  high  pitched  screams.

  "Theorized  Downfall"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  which  lead  up to  some  growls  and  screams  as  well  as  the guitar riffing  getting  faster  but  alos  slowing  down  in  certain  sections  of  the  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  brutal  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Mental  Killing  Spree  are  a very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  with  elements  of  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Atrocious Generosity"  ''Equal  Zero  Coincidence"  "They  Still  Have  A  God"  and  "Theorized  Downfall".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Psychocalypse/Crying Moon/Buil2Kill Records/2013 CD Review


  Psychocalypse  are  a  1  man  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixutre  of  melodic  death  metal, thrash  and  symphonic  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2013  album  "Crying  Moon"  which  was  released  by  Buil2Kill  Records.

  "Intro"  begins  with  some  dark  sounding  synths  that  utilize  a  variety  of  many  different  keys  along with  some  drum  beats  and  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs and  serves  as  an  introduction  to  the  album.

  "Stray  Souls"  begins  with  some  synths,  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls,  screams  and  melodic  guitar  leads  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  whispers.

  'In  The  Lost  Kingdom"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar   leads and  drums  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  growls  and  screams  start kicking  in  and  after  a  minute  the  synths  start coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  there  are  also some  heavy  guitar  riffs  being  utilized.

  "Apacalodia"  begins  with  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs and  leads  along  with  some  drums  and  screams  which  lead  up  to  some  gothic  sounding  synths  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  and  halfway  through  the  song  clean  singing  female  vocals  start  coming in.

  "Crying  Moon"  begins  with  both  clean  and  electric  guitars  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  synths  start  coming  in  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  riffing,  screams  and  growls  before  adding  in  some  solos  and  leads  and  the  song  closes  with  some  finger  picking  guitars.

  "Surviving  For  A  Despair  Growls"  begins  with  some  synths  before  the  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  start  kicking  in  which  lead s up  to  some  growls  and  screams  and  halfway  through  the  song  you  can  hear  some  clean  guitars  being  utilized  in  the  background  and  towards  the end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  guitar  leads.

  "Staring  As  A  Wolf"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  leads  up  to  some  drums  and  heavy guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  some  synths  in  the  background  as  well  a s  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  before  the  guitar  riffing  adds  in  some  melody.

  'Tristesse  De  La  Nature"  begins  with  some  clean  and  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  this  song  is  all  instrumental.

  "Fighting  Against  The  Past"  begins  with  some melodic  guitar  riffing  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  with  some  drums,  growls  and  screams  as  well  as  some  synths  and  there  are  no  guitar solos  or  leads  present  on  this  song.

  "Frozen  Area" begins  with  some  guitar  leads,  drums,  growls  and  screams  as well  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  synths  and  a  minute  later  there  is  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals.

   ''Search  And  See  The  Tear  Of  Stars"  begins  with  some  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  minute  later  the  music  gets  more  symphonic  along with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums,  growls,  and  screams  which  also  lead  up  to  some  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  towards  the  end  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  before  bringing  in  some  female  vocals.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  nature  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  with  the  bass  guitars  being  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix.

  In  my  opinion  Psychocalypse  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  symphonic,  melodic  death  metal  and  thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check out  this  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stray  Souls"  "Staring  As  A  Wolf"  and  "Search  And  See  The  Tear  Of  Stars".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.          
  

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Stormhold/Eyes In The Eyes/2013 EP Review


  Stormhold  are  a  band  from  Belarus  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self   released  2013  ep  "Eyes  in  The  Eyes".

  "Another  Day"  begins with  drums  before  the  heavy  guitar  riffs  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  melodic  elements  as  well  as  some  symphonic  synths  before  adding  in  blast  beats,  powerful  bass  guitars  and  guitar  leads  which  come  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  then  the  death  metal  screams  start  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  melodic  clean  singing  makes  its  presence  known  in  the  song  as  well as  the  music  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts and  after  awhile t here  is  a  brief  use  of  funk  orientated  bass  leads.

  'Eyes  In  The  Eyes"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  synths  before  the  growls  and  blast  beats  start  kicking  in  which  also  leads  to  some  screams  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  as  a  minute  goes  by  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  with  a  classic  metal  feeling  to  them.

  "The  History  Pages"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums and  after  a  few  seconds  the  growls  and  screams  start  making  their  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  synths  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  which  leads  up  to  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats..

  Song  lyrics  cover  Future  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  ep.

  In  my  opinion  Stormhold  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  History  Pages".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

    

Deprecated/Deriding His Creation/Unique Leader/2013 EP Re-Issue Review


  Deprecated  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form of  death  metal with  some  grindcore  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1998  ep  "Deriding  His  Creation"  which  was  re-issued  by Unique  Leader  Records  in  the  year  of  2013.

  "Deriding  His  Creation''  begins  with  brutal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  death  metal  growls  which  also  lead  up  to  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  and  the  song  is  mostly  in  a  mid  paced  direction.  

  "Mentally  Deprived"  begins with  some  brutal guitar  and  bass  riffs  along with  some blast  beats  and  growls  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  throughout  the  song.

  "Realization  Of  Betrayal"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  blasts  and  growls  and  as  the  song  moves  on  blast  beats  start  coming  in  and  out  as  well  as  the  riffing  going back  and  forth  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  "Induced  Deception"  begins  with  some  brutal  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  growls  and  then   the powerful  bass  guitars  start  kicking  in  as  well  as  some  faster  riffs  and  blast  beats  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Anti  Christian  and  Violent  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  brutal  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In my  opinion  Deprecated"  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Deriding  His  Creation"  and  "Induced  Deception".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.
    

Deeds Of Flesh/Portals Of Canaan/Unique Leader/2013 CD Review


  Deeds  of  Flesh  are  a  band  from  California  that h as  been  around  for  over  20  years and  plays  a  brutal  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Portals  Of  Canaan"  which  was  released  by  Unique  Leader  Records.

  "Amidst  the  Ruins"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  utilize  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  then  the  death  metal  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  melodic  and  technical  guitar  riffing  is  added  into  the  song  and  towards  the  end  more  blast  beats  and  guitar  leads  are  utilized.

  "Entranced  In  Decades  Of  Psychedelic  Sleep"  begins  wit h some  guitar  leads  and  powerful  bass  guitars  as  well  as  some  drums  which  also  throw  in  some brutal  sounding  blast  beats  and  then t he  growls  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  screams  and  then  the  music  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  technical  elements  and  more  guitar  leads  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  sound  effects.

  "Rise  Of  The  Virvum  Juggernaut"  begins  with  some  brutal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  growls  and  after  a  few  seconds  technical  elements  and  screams  are  added  into  the  song  as  well  as  some  faster  guitar  riffing  and  blast beats  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brie f use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  "Celestial  Serpents"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  which  add  in  some  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  and  after  a  minute  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song  and  then  the  growls  start  kicking  in  along with  some  screams   and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  "Caelum  Hirundies  Terra/The  Sky  Swallows  The  Earth"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  and   programmed  beats and  serves  as  an  intro  for  the  next  song.

  "Xeno  Virus"  begins  with  heavy  and  technical  sounding  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  fast  elements  which  also  leads  to  some  growls  and  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  screams  are  added  into  the  song  before  slowing  down  a  bit  but  it  does  return  to  the  faster  parts  at  times  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  'Hollow  Human  Husks"  begins  wit h some  psychedelic  sound  effects  which  lead  up  to  some  guitar,  and  bass  riffs  as  well  as  some  drums  which  also  leads  up  to  some  spoken  word  parts  before  the  growls  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  after  a  minute  technical guitar  leads  make  their  way  into  the  song.

  "Portals  Of  Canaan"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  which  leads  up to  some  drums  and  technical  guitar  leads  before  the  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  the  song  starts  adding  in  some  blast  beats  in  certain  sections  and  towards  the  end  there  are  some  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized.  

  'Orphans  Of  Sickness"  begins  with  heavy guitar  riffs  and d rums  which  utilize  some  blast  beats  and you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  which  also  leads  up  to  some  growls  and  after  a  minute  guitar  solos  and  leads    make  their  way  into  the  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  the  future  of  human  existence,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,   powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deeds  of  Flesh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of   this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Entranced  In  Decades  Of  Psychedelic  Sleep"  "Celestial  Serpents"  "Hollow  Human  Husks"  and  "Orphans  Of  Sicness".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Monday, October 7, 2013

Pyrexia/Feast Of Iniquity/Unique Leader/2013 CD Review


  Pyrexia  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  has  been  around  for  20  years  with  a  musical style  I  would  describe  as  being  slamming  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Feast  Of  Iniquity"  which  was  released  by  Unique  leader  Records.

  "The  Pendulum"  begins  with  some  dark, melodic  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  alot  faster  along  with  some  blast  beats  which  also  leads  to  some  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  and  towards  the  end  there  is a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos and  leads  being  utilized.

  "Infliction"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar riffs  and  drums  which  leads  up  to  some  bass  guitars,  growls  and  screams  and  after  awhile blast  beats  are  brought  into  the  mix.

  'Death  Wish"  begins  with  some  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  then  the  growls  kick  in  and  the  music  gets  alot  more  fast  and  heavy  along  with  some  bass  guitars  and  blast  beats which  also  lead  to  some  screams  making  their  way  into  the  song  and  then t he  music  slows  down  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  are  brought  into  the  song.

  'Cocoon  Of  Shame"  begins with  some  heavy  and  brutal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums,  growls  and  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  song.

  'Cryptic  Summoning" begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  growls  and  a  few  seconds  there  is  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  guitar  leads  being  utilized.

  'Thy  Minion"  begins  with  some  dark  death  metal  guitar  riffs  and  sound  effects  before  the  drums and  melodic  guitar  riffing  starts  kicking  in  and  then  the  music  gets  alot  heavier  when  the  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars.

   ''Wheel  Of  Impunity"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  evolve  into  blast  beats  before  the  growls  kick  in  and  then  the  music  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  while  also  returning  to  the  faster  parts  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  song.

  "Panzer  Tank  Lobotomy"  begins  with  heavy guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in,

  'Born  Of  A  Jackal"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  powerful bass  guitar  and  a  few  seconds  later  there  is a  brief  use  of  melodic  riffing  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  'The  Feast"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  demonic  growls  before  adding  in  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  drums  and  then  death  metal  growls  start  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  horror  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Pyrexia  are  a  very  great sounding  slamming  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of this  musical  genr,e  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Pendulum"  "Cryptic  Summoning"  "Wheel  Of  Impunity"  and  "The  Feast".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.          

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Dead Toll Rising Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
We finished the tracking back in April, and after that we began working on a series of 10th anniversary shows for the summer.  Since those we've turned our focus on getting everything read to push and release Infection Legacy.

2. You have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?
I think the core of our sound has remained the same for this release, as in the type of sound we aim for, however there is another writing influence on this new album in Tylor.  He wasn't present in the band for the last album, but his stamp is all over this one.  He listens to a lot of progressive music and it certainly brought that influence to many of the new songs.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores and also how would you describe your progress as song writers over the years?
Our lyrics are generally quite satyrical and tongue in cheek.  Necrophilia (Crack Open a Cold One), farts (Septic Entity), medieval torture (Judas Cradle), Resident Evil 2 (Infection Legacy), to name a few, are some themes on the new album.  Our overall songwriting has changed in that now we really try and step outside of ourselves and look back at what we wrote to re evaluate and make sure the songs are as strong as they can possibly be.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Death Toll Rising?
Well, we came up with it when we were 19 year old death metal wannabes, so it just sounded cool haha.  Not much inspiration, and the meaning is self explanitory.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how wold you describe your stage performance/
We've had tons of great shows over the years, but recently our 10 year anniversary show sticks out.  It was great to have all the support of so many people throughout our career.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album/
We will having our local Cd release show on Oct 26, and will likely play some other dates in our province throughout the early winter.  Some more major touring plans will be in the works for the Spring time when it is more feasable to tour around (ie NOT winter).

7. The new album is going to be self released, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We aren't really actively looking at the moment.  Releasing an album is a ton of work on its own, so once it is out we may shop around but for now we just want to get it out there.

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days?
Most of the members of the band have other projects/side projects.  I won't go listing them all, but they are easy enough to figure out using Facebook and/or Metal Archives!

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
We've discussed briefly about where to go from here, but we haven't begun any new writing yet.  Maybe it will be more thrash based, maybe it will be more prog based, its hard to say.  But it will always be fast and heavy!

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to  nowadays?
We are a band that really wears our influences on our sleeve, and we are ok with that because we are not ashamed to show what we love.  Our new album has a few tidbits of styles that previously weren't there, such as shred, djent, and some other proggy stuff.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Not speaking for any one individual in the band, but video games, movies, UFC, aliens, NFL, NHL, golf.... a few things that some of us enjoy.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview? 
When you hit the 1:00 mark of Infection Legacy, it is time to crank it!