Organ Dealer/Visceral Infection/Horror Pain Gore Death Productions/2015 CD Review

  Organ  Dealer  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  an heavy  and  fast  form of  gore/grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Visceral  Infection"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Horror  Gore  Pain  Death  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  extreme  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  reverb  sounds  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  grindcore  direction  along  with  some  screams  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording t here  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  old  school  death  metal  melodies  at  times  and  on  some  parts  of  the  songs  angry  shouting  style  vocals  are  utilized  and  the  band  only  uses  a  small  amount  of  guitar  leads  and  the  music  also  goes  for  more  of  a  modern  grindcore  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Organ  Grinder  plays  a  style  of  grindcore  that  is  very  modern  and  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences  to  create  a  very  heavy  and  fast  sounding  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  suffering,  disease,  pain,  human error  and  society  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Organ  Grinder  are  a  very  great  sounding  grindcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Answer"  "Festering  Maze"  "The  Creeper"  and  "Small  Talk".  8  out  of  10   

Either Way Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1-Either Way began as a solo project. I played in several bands (Dead N Crazy, Scythians, Osm'oz ...) and I wanted to create my own album. I began to compose and record songs. Jean Michel Cervoni, a longtime friend, recorded the guitar solos. Everything was done in my home studio.Then, we sent the songs to Kevin PANDELE (USA) who did the mixing and mastering. Fabrice Pelletier, my guitar in my other band Monolyth, joined us.

2.In June you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2-
Behind the light is a mixture of many emotions. Joy, Hate, Hope, Despair ... Melodic passage with piano, but while trying to keep rock n roll and heavy side. For solos by exemple. I wanted to keep chorus easy to remember.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3-
we talk about human emotions generally. The hypocrisy of the people, ready to put everything to succeed and lower earth person. But above all that we must fight and be proud of to be. Raise the head and forward

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Either Way'?
4-
In French, it means that in one way or another. Even with problems, when we do not give up, it's OK. This is a positive message

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5-
We all have in the group a good stage experience. With the first parts of Gojira, Gotthard, The Gathering. Festivals with Paradise Lost, Anathema, Pretty Maids. But Either Way begins and we will make our first stage in September. We are excited!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6-
We have many proposals for dates. With dates in belgium, germany, poland. We put it all in place. we hope to play wherever they want from us!

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
7-
I had some contact and we expect the following. For now nothing defined. I prefer to take my time rather than sign quickly and in the end did not have the expected support. So to see. But remain independent does not scare me. It is more work, and harder to prove himself.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death metal?
8-
For now, we have very good return. Many people are surprised that this is the first album. We are quick to defend him on stage.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9-
We will turn up to defend this album which is a business card. Starting next year, in parallel, we will begin to write a new cd (some pieces are already in works). Fabrice and Jean-Michel will participate fully in this album. but above all we want to play as much as possible and do as much as possible headbanger!

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10-
First: Evergrey, Before The Dawn, Dark Tranquility, Dream Theater. My 4 favorite groups. Also Wintersun Death, At The Gates, Yyrkoon, Sentenced, Amorphis. And those who have given me want to make music: Iron Maiden, Emperor, Dissection, Slayer, Europe, Weather Report, Marcus Miller and Toto!
For jean-michel: Gun's and Roses, Motley Crue, Dream Theater.

Fabrice: Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Children of bodom

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11-
Laughing with my son. there's nothing better. No morale, it makes me smile and all is well.
We all love good food, good drink, a concert evening

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12
-We hope to meet up with people. Share intense moments on stage. View many countries as possible. we hope to see you !!

Party Cannon/Bong Hit Hospitalisation/Gore House Productions/2015 CD Review

  Party  Cannon  are  a  band  from  Scotland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  brutal  form  of  slam  death  metal  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Bong Hit Hospitalisation"  which  was  released  by  Gore  House  Productions.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  before  going  for  a  more  brutal  and  slamming  style  of  death  metal  that  also  uses  very  deep  and  guttural  sounding  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  grindcore  screams  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  melodic  and  technical  sounding  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  morbid  sounding  melodies  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  deathcore  and  pig  squeals  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  musical  direction.

  Party  Cannon  creates  another  slam  death  metal  album  that  is  very  brutal  and  also  seems  to  have  a  comedic  feeling  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  partying,  women,  corporate  control,  war  operation  and  decay  of  earth.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Party  Cannon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  slam  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Russian  Zombie  Snack  (Krokodil)"  "Keg  Stand  by  Me"  "Interested  Is  Not  the  Word"  and  "We Prefer  the  Term  Living  Impaired".  8  out  of  10.

Kronos/Arisen New Era/Unique Leader Records/2015 CD Review

  Kronos  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Arisen  New  Era'  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Unique  Leader  Records.

  A  very heavy  and  brutal  sounding  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  some  technical  elements  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  faster  sections  utilizing  a  very  heavy  dose  of  blast  beats  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  the songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  high  pitched  screams  also  add  a  touch  of  black  metal  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  also  bring  in  atmospheric  elements  at  times.  and as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  be  heard.  

  Kronos  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  mixes  in  the  more  technical,  brutal  and  melodic  sides  of  the  genre  along  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology.

  In  my  opinion  Kronos  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zeus  Dethroned"  "Rapture  In  Misery"  "Brotherlords"  and  "Hellysium".  8  out  of  10.

Azurica/Warriors Don't Die/AMRC/2015 CD Review

  Azurica  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Warriors  Don't  Die"  which  was  released  by  AMRC. 

  A  very  hard  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  thrash  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  keyboards  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  in  a  very  melodic  musical  direction  and  the  music  also  gets  symphonic  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  and  one  of  tacks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  growls  that  the  band  uses  are  very  easy  to  understand  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars.

  Azurica  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  also  mixes  in  symphonic  elements  of  thrash  to  make  their  music  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  power,  warriors,  and  war.

  In  my  opinion  Azurica  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Followed  By  Society"  and  "Deathblow".  8  out  of  10.

VHS Interview

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

Mike (guitar/vocals): Hey man! Thanks for doing this interview first and foremost. Basically VHS came together through three guys who have known each other for years but have never played music together. I've known Andy (drums) and Jimmy (bass) for a long time and while our bands have played shows together, this is the first project we have all played together in. When the idea for VHS came up, I demoed a few songs and sent them to the guys and everything just kind of fell into place. VHS is a lot of fun and playing music with these two dudes is super relaxed. The music has been turning out even better than we could have ever anticipated.   

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

Rewind or Die essentially started out as a rehearsal demo but actually turned out I think much better than the three of us anticipated. We recorded the tracks live off the floor and then I added vocals and we managed to capture a lot of energy and the feel of the band came together really quickly. If I had to describe the demo I'd say it's definitely a throwback to the 80's and early 90's. I wouldn't say we consciously tried to leave out modern influences, but at the end of the day I've always loved the early days of death metal that still had a lot of thrash in the mix. Actually you said something in your review which I think really nails the band on the head. You said we could have existed 25 years ago and that really speaks to what we are trying to accomplish with this band. In a nutshell I'd say the music on the demo is fast, catchy and bloody.

3.Your lyrics cover a lot of horror movie subjects and you also refer to your musical style as 'horror metal', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in horror.

Horror is pretty much an integral part of my being! I've been a fan of horror since I was probably 8 or 9 and still am a diehard fan to this day. I've been playing music for a long time as well and have always wanted to have a band that was solely about horror movies thematically. Basically the lyrics are homage's to all of my favorite movies or movies that fit the overall feel of the band. We tend to stick to 80's horror for VHS but I'm a huge fan of horror from every decade. I've always been a big Italian horror fan. There's just something about the way the gore, the music and the atmosphere of the movies came together that made them special. That said, if the movie has practical effects, a cool villain and the right atmosphere, I'll enjoy it regardless of when it was made.     

4.I know that the band name refers to the VHS's of the 80's and 90's and the band also shows an interest in the 80's, do you feel metal or horror has changed a lot since those days?

Horror has definitely changed a lot since the 80's. I definitely would say that my favorite decade for horror was the 80's, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy anything modern. I wouldn't say that I really keep up with all of the newer horror films but there are a few that have surprised me. It Follows was really well done. There is a smaller independent movie called Circus of the Dead which is really well done and very nihilistic. I also really liked High Tension which isn't new by any stretch of the imagination but I thought it captured the gore and dread of classic horror perfectly. And while remakes are usually not really all that well done, I really thought the remake for Evil Dead was super well done. I'm a giant fan of the original films, so I was a little apprehensive but they took it in a more nightmarish direction and the gore was just sick and unsettling. I also really liked the remake of The Hills Have Eyes. I thought it was depressing, dark and just bloody as all hell! Slither, The Descent, and Ginger Snaps I also enjoyed.

One thing I don't like about the direction horror is heading or has been since Grindhouse came out is the fake retro grindhouse feel that directors are tacking on to their movies. Grindhouse was excellent and seeing the double feature in the theater was a really cool cinematic experience. But people are throwing in 70's music, making the film look old and adding in poor attempts at humor. It just drives me nuts and it is just directors trying to cash in on the type of film and feel that Rob Zombie was going for. That said I thought The Devil's Rejects was surprisingly good and much better than his other films.

I think CGI and remakes have really taken horror down a different path than I would have liked. I also really have no interest in the current glut of PG-13 released horror flicks. I need more than a throwaway story and jump scares to keep my interest. 

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

We actually haven't played a show yet. The town we are from is a little bit hit or miss as far as metal shows goes. If a well known band comes through town, maybe people will show up, but unknown bands are pretty much just playing to the bar staff. One thing I'd like to point out is that we are definitely a full fledged band. I know there is a stigma that bands that only have recordings and don't play live aren't a real band.  We are most definitely a "band". Like I mentioned before, our demo was recorded live off the floor and we are really firm believers in feel. This is what we sound like and what we would sound like live, it's that simple.

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

I don't really foresee VHS becoming a touring band. We all have families and jobs, and to be honest I don't think this band is looking to be a touring band. Bands that tour really end up becoming a product and the overall musical output usually suffers. Right now we are looking at doing some select shows throughout the year I guess. We are looking at something around Halloween probably, but this band exists more because of the love of playing music as opposed to playing shows. I don't feel like we need to try to play for people to win them over. If people like us, that's awesome, but I don't think playing in front of 15 disinterested people will get our music out to the right people that would appreciate it.  

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

We haven't received any label interest as of yet, but we are a really new band so that isn't all that surprising. Would we be interested in working with a smaller label? Absolutely. I think once we get the ball rolling and the demo circulates we will see what happens. I'd love to do a split with a like minded horror influenced metal band or bands. That said, we aren't doing this to try to get signed and we will continue to put out music in the future.   

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

People seem to be really digging what we are doing with VHS. There are a lot of maniacs out there that prefer a more old school sound and while it isn't really conscious on our part, we seem to have a sound that people enjoy due to it. It's rewarding that people understand what we are going for. We could have tuned down our guitars, played to a click and done what was fashionable these days, but that's not what are all about. We just want to strip things down to their barest and people seem to be responding to that. Surprisingly no hate mail as of yet, but the demo just came out so maybe once it spreads a bit more the trolls will come out from their holes. But overall the response to the band has been excellent and much better than I think the three of us anticipated.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We are definitely planning on having a full length done at some point this year. Before that though, we are going to spread around our current demo and work on the follow up demo which is tentatively called Rewind or Die 2: VHS' Revenge. We have a lot more material to demo want to get everything recorded and set in stone before we hit the studio to do a more full blown recording. I think we have 6 or 7 songs that will be on the second demo. A sneak peak of some of the movies, we will have songs about A Nightmare of Elm St, Halloween, The Beyond, Nightmare Beach, Burial Ground and while it is a stretch there is even a song about Robocop. That's sort of a horror movie, isn't it?  

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

It's hard to say who specifically influenced VHS. I never really sat down and thought about what we wanted the band to sound like, I just picked up my guitar and these are the riffs that came out of me. I think the stuff that influenced me the most were probably old death metal and thrash. I'm a huge fan of bands like Impetigo, Necrophagia, and Rigor Mortis as far as horror influenced metal is concerned. I'm also a really big fan of Autopsy and old Swedish death metal. The earlier releases from Razorback Records were also a big influence I would say. Ghoul, Engorged, Splatterhouse and pretty much everything the label released during that time was amazing and really inspires me. I think a lot of the older bands are what made us decide to play in a higher tuning. We really liked the razor sharp feel of thrash and wanted to heaviness to come from the riffs themselves and not from using a ridiculously low tuning.

I'm also a big fan of punk and power violence and I think some of the simplicity and energy comes across in VHS.

As far as current metal, I really don't have much interest in the hyper technical super polished death metal style happening right now. Surprise, surprise, I'm more of an old school guy. That said, I do really enjoy Cropsy Maniac, Boneyard, The Grotesquery, Cardiac Arrest, and the latest Death Curse album is pretty awesome as well! 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Besides watching too many movies, my time is pretty much devoted to my family. I have a very supportive wife and two awesome kids. I'm lucky to be in a relationship with a person who understands my love for horror and metal and is very encouraging. I also play far too many video games, but that addiction has subsided a little bit lately as I've been using my spare time to watch "inspiration" for VHS. I've also just recently started writing again. I used to have a few 'zines that I ran, Engulfed in Gore, and Unbound Zine, but haven't been writing in a while. I started a horror blog called Hairspray and Bloodspray, that is going to focus on interviews and reviews of horror flicks. Check it out! http://www.hairsprayandbloodspray.blogspot.ca/

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

Just want to say thanks for the interview once again. It is truly appreciated that you are helping to spread the word about VHS. And to everyone out there that still enjoys death metal without the bells and whistles of the modern era, check us out!
https://vhshorror.bandcamp.com/releases
www.facebook.com/vhsthunderbay
Email: massmrdr@hotmail.com

Inhuman Depravity Interview

    1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the first full length?
1. A sick hello from Turkey to VarietyOfDeathZine.. this is Murat on behalf of Inhuman Depravity. After a long recording period we finally released our debut album in the end of april from Coyote Records. Nowadays we are dealing with the promotional things, trying to make our music reach as many people as possible and looking for some gig possibilities.

    2.Recently you have put out your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. I can describe our music as an chaotic and aggressive form of brutal death metal. While composing the tracks we didn't recognize that the recording is going to be such a severe one but when we got the final sound, it was a bit suprising for us.. I think our producer got the devil out of us, multiplied by three and put it to the album haha.

    3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. Our lyrical concept is based upon the dark side of human, which we can call as the 'inhuman' side. Blind believes, sanity limits and some symbolism upon this theme is becomes the material of lyrics by nature.

    4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Inhuman Depravity'?
4. When defining band's name our goal was putting today's evil on center. 'Depravity' is the main evil tendency of today's people and with their technical and social weapons this depravity becomes 'inhuman' easily in today's world.. so 'Inhuman Depravity' refers to the primal sickness of 'today'!

    5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. As a new death metal band with a low pitched and chaotic music, we thought that it wouldn't mean much to be on stage before we release the album, as audience would lowly react to the performance. So we decided to complete the recordings first and then begin the gigs. We haven't played any shows yet, so the next one will be the best one haha.

    6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
6. It is hard to plan a complete tour by only band's effort so we are open to any tour and show offers.. especially in Europe

    7.The new album was released on Coyote Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
7. Coyote is one of the major death metal labels in Europe with many many releases in this genre. Also they are organising Coyote Brutal Fest every year which is a good facility for bands in label's roster. I think Coyote is going to grow much bigger in next few years.


    8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of brutal death metal?
8. I can say that we have recieved really good reaction for our debut! Most important thing was being defined as unique and we got comments in this way. Every comment and review is motivating for us so also we have big thanks to VarietyOfDeathZine!

    9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
9. Yunus is also growling in great death metal act Decaying Purity and Eren is also blasting for black metal acts Malefic Order and Nihil Kaos.

    10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. We don't want to put limits to our musical direction but our primal criteria is being unique. Whether it is more groovy, melodic or aggressive, I guess it will be death metal and we will have good time with the people who come to our shows!

    11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
11. Suffocation has the major influence on our music. Also I think you can find many different influences of death metal in album, it can vary from Cephalic Carnage to Hatesphere! It may sound like a cliche but we just let the music we adore flow into what we do. Hmm, what we listen to nowadays.. Yunus is more into new bands of oldschool death metal nowadays and he shoud be listening to Decaying Purity a lot as he has recently become the new vocalist for this great Turkish death metal act. Eren and Kaan are mostly into black metal besides some avant-garde styles and I still can't get my ears off Skinless's new masterpiece 'Only The Ruthless Remain'.

    12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12. Eren is much into photographing, Yunus generally passes his time apart from his bands with computer games and I'm mostly interested in machine design. I think Kaan can't deal with any of his hobbies nowadadys as he will have a baby soon.

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

13. Thank you very much for your interest and support in our music. We invite VarietyOfDeathZine readers to get our debut album, if they are into chaotic way of brutal death metal they won't regret buying it! Hope to meet our every listener somehow and have good time together.. brutal cheers \m/

M.H.X's Chronicles Interview

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

M.H.X’s Chronicles is a Melodic Death Metal band with a little influence of progressive metal and thematic music. Maybe someone can define us like a mix of some kind of heavy metal with epic movies soundtracks. We cannot discord. Sometimes this is the real intention (lol). The project was created on September, 2013 as a Murillo H. Xavier’s solo project. We just became a band on 2015 when Murillo called Michel Oliveira (Guitars), Raphael Carvalho (Drums) and Wallace Ribeiro (Bass) to enjoy the project.



2.Recently you had released a full length album how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the ep you had released in 2013?


So, as we said before, this really sounds like a mix of death metal with epic themes. We intended to take the listener into an introspective journey through the seas. That’s why the entire atmosphere of the album sounds like the ocean: sometimes furious and impetuous, sometimes quiet and peaceful. It reflects directly to the lyrics and the melodies we play. It’s a half-conceptual album.

“Infinite Ocean” differs from “The Preface” (EP released in 2013) on the form it was composed. The EP was composed to be just a “guitaristic” instrumental project, nothing more than this. So, the compositions construction is a kind different. But it already reflected the project’s concept.

3.The lyrics are based on the 'Chronicles Of Narnia' novels by C.S Lewis, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these novels?

Actually it’s not directly based on “Chronicles Of Narnia”. We just inspired our composition form on the way C.S Lewis wrote Narnia. We use allegories and metaphors to illustrate a kind of “hidden message”. The album tells a true history. But it wouldn’t be much interesting if we tells on the normal form (lol). Murillo is fascinated by the work of Lewis. He was impacted by the depth on the form which Narnia was wrote. So he decided to do a project that follow the same way C.S Lewis took. 



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'M.H.X's  Chronicles'?



The name was inspired on “Chronicles of Narnia”. That’s why we have “Chronicles” on name. “M.H.X” is the initials of Murillo Henrique Xavier (the band’s founder).



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



We haven’t played in much shows, so every concert were the best. Unfortunately is hard to do a concert here in our country because there’s a closed group of bands that plays on all venues and the new ones don’t have opportunity to show their talent. Also, the number of venues that open their doors to authorial bands is very minimal. So, every opportunity to play is marked on our minds. 

About the stage performance, we first care on have fun with the music we play. This is the main reason to play an instrument. However complicated a song can be or how well produced a concert, if you don’t enjoy your music there is not why you do that. So, if one day you go to a Chronicles concert you’ll see 4 guys enjoying their songs together with the crowd.



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


We and Seven Seals of Apocalypse band are booking some concerts here in Brazil to divulge “Infinite Ocean” and their album too. We are also plaining to take the tour to Europe. We are looking for someone who have interesting on bring our show. So, if you know someone, please, let us know (lol).

7.On the new album you had a quest on one of the tracks, can you tell us a little bit more about this contribution?



We have the great honor of have Michel Oliveira (from Seven Seals of the Apocalypse) singing on the chorus of the 7th track called “Havet”. He is a very talented guitarist, an amazing producer (he produced “Infinite Ocean”) and also an exceptional singer. I (Murillo) thought that the chorus of Havet combined very much with the Michel’s tone, so I asked him to sing on this and he accepted.



8.Also on the new album you did a cover of 'Amazing Grace', what was the decision behind doing your own version of this track?



“Amazing Grace” reflects exactly the closure of the “Infinite Ocean” history. It’s the conclusion of the travel. As we said before, the album tells a true history and “Amazing Grace” reflects how it ends: with the man soul’s redemption (this is a spoiler to the next album lol).



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


It has been much better than we expected. This our first album and the feedback is been very great! We have more return abroad than in Brazil. Our music reached countries like Russia, Canada, Switzerland and others. And not just MDM fans but, because of our influences, fans of Prog and Modern Metal too.

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


Yes, we are looking for a label. We know that somethings could be much easier with a label. The range of our music would be much higher. We have not received any interest. We send some proposition but, unfortunately, no return until now.

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


We intend to tour abroad and take the Infinite Ocean’s tour to Europe and North America. We will release new videos (and maybe a lyric video too) and maybe some bonus tracks. It’s too late to talk about a new album, but we have some idea about how it will be.

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


Before the Dawn, Wintersun, Insomnium and Amon Amarth have been always big influences for us. Out of MDM, Howard Shore, Devin Townsend and Enya are influences too. There are 3 bands we particularly are listening nowadays: Omnium Gatherum, Wolfheart and Dreamshade.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?


This is hard to answer, directly or indirectly we are involved with music (lol). I’m video maker and teacher (of music). Michel Oliveira likes to read graphic novels and is producer (of music). Raphael Carvalho has his own school (of music). And Wallace works listening music (LOL). Maybe our common non-musical interest is video game! Yes, this is it! Video Game and Brazilian barbecue (lol)

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

First of all, thank you for the interview and the support. We are very glad to see our music reaching new people. Thank you so much!

For the second, friends, remember always: life is like an ocean, you have to sail away to survive. When you got it, you’ll see that the seas are your best friend! Hope to see you all on our tour!

Archaea/Catalyst/2015 Full Length Review

  Archaea  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album "Catalyst"  which  will  be  released  in August.

  Drum  beats  and  a  thrash  metal  influences  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  modern  metal  elements  and  symphonic  sounds  as  well  as  adding  in  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  groove  in  the  bands  musical  style.

  At  times  some  of the guitar  leads  add  in  a  touch  of  mid  90's  era  melodic  Swedish  death  metal  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody and  there  are  also  times  when  they  synths  add  a  touch  of  classical  music  to  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  presented on  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  faster  sections  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  last  track  brings  in  a  good  amount  of  clean  singing  choirs.

  Archaea  plays  a  musical  style that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  thrash  style  but  also  mixes  it  in  with  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  elements  of  symphonic  metal  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  scientific  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Archaea  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Omnicide"  "Cryosphere"  'Quad  Damage"  and  "Helios  Ascend".  8  out  of  10.  

VHS/Rewind Or Die/2015 Demo Review

  VHS  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  they  label  there  music  as  horror  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  2015  demo  "Rewind  Or  Die". 

  A  very  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  blast  beats  which  also  bring  a  touch  of  grindcore  to  the  music  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  an  influence  of  thrash  in  the  music.

  Some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  melodic  and  also  adds  more  of  an  old  school  metal  feeling  and  all  of  the  songs  remain  true  to  a  heavy  musical  style  and  also  ignore  any  modern  influences  and  the  last  track  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  speed  metal  and NWOBHM  elements..

  VHS  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  mid  80's  and  early  90's  days  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  also  mix  them  together  with  a  touch  of  thrash  to  create  some  music  that  is  very  extreme  and  sounds  like  it  could  of  been  recorded  25  years  ago,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  movie  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  VHS  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Choke  On  It"  "When  Sleeping  Bag  Meets  Tree"  and  "Hairspray  And  Bloodspray". 

M.H.X's Chronicles.Infinite Ocean/2015 Full Length Review

  M.H.X's  Chronicles  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  very  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Infinite  Ocean".

  Ocean  and  nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  seconds  later  atmospheric  and  symphonic  synths  and  orchestra's  are  added onto  the  recording  along  with  some  tribal  beats  and  you can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  operatic  female  vocals  and  after  the into  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  musical  direction.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  also  use  a  good  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  also  alternates  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  gives  the music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling. 

  Some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing  and  the  heavy  parts  also  mix  in  with  the  symphonic  elements  at  times and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this recording  and  some tracks  also  bring  in  elements  of  groove  metal  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  Michael  Oliveira  from  Seven  Seals  Of  The  Apocalypse  and  they also  bring  in  a  cover  of  "Amazing  Grace"  before  closing  the  album  with  2  original  tracks.

  M.H.X's  Chronicles  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  is  in  the  more  modern  style  and  also  mixes  in  a  lot  of  symphonic  and  progressive  elements  to  create  their  own  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  based  on  The  Chronicles  Of  Narnia  by  C.S  Lewis.

  In  my  opinion  M.H.X's Chronicles  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic,  progressive  and  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Conquest  Of  The  Oceans"  "This  Way  Home"  and  "A  Winter  Song".  8  out  of  10.

Carnivora/The Vision/Manshark Entertainment/2015 EP Review

  Carnivora  are  a  band  from  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  modern  mixture  of  melodic  death  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "The  Vision"  which  was released  by  Manshark  Entertainment.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  death  metal  sound   starts  of the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  while t he  mid  paced  sections  bring  in  elements  of  groove  metal  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  utilize  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  While  the  music  sounds  very  modern  you  can  hear  elements  of  90's  era  Swedish  melodic  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  some  of  the  screams  bring  in  a  touch  of  metalcore and  some  of the  riffs  bring  in  thrash  influences  and  one  of  the  songs  has a  slight  symphonic  touch  while  the  music  focuses  more  on  guitars  and  traditional  metal  instruments  and  they  all  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Carnivora  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  melodic  death  metal  but  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  groove  and  modern  metal  into  their  musical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  christian  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  Carnivora  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of  melodic  death  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Vision  In  Red"  and  "The  Reek  Of Defeat".  8  out  of  10.


 

Either Way/Behind The Light/2015 Full Length Review

  Either  Way  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released 2015  album  "Behind  The  Light"  which  will  be  released  on  June  15th.

  Dark  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  keyboard  parts  start  mixing  in  with  the  more  heavier  side  of  the  music  as  well  as  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  that  also  become  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also start  using  more  melodies  after  the  intro.

  When  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  grim screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  the  music  at  times  also  adds  in  elements  of  modern  prog  metal  and  after  awhile  some  of  the  tracks  start  utilizing  more  traditional  death  metal  growls  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing  and  the  songs  also  stick  mostly  to  a  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Either  Way  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal t hat  is  very  modern,  heavily  dominated  by  keyboards  and  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  prog  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Either  Way  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Redemption"  "Evil  In  Me"  "Trouble  In  My  Mind"  and "Black  Soul".  8  out  of  10. 

 

Inhuman Depravity/Nocturnal Carnage by The Unholy Desecrator/Coyote Records/2015 CD Review

  Inhuman  Depravity  are  a  band  from  Turkey  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death metal  with  a touch  of  grind  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "/Nocturnal Carnage by The Unholy Desecrator"  which  was released  by  Coyote  Records.

  Horror  movie  samples  start off  the  album  which  leads  up  to  a  very  brutal  death  metal  sound  along  with  some  deep  and  guttural  growls  as  well  as  a  great amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  are  also  some  high  pitched  screams  being  utilized.

  Some  parts  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the solos  and  leads they  band  utilizes  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  the faster  sections  of  the  songs  have a  touch  of  grindcore  and  the  band  plays  more  of  a  modern  style  of  brutal  death  metal  while  you  can  still  hear  influences  from  the  90's  New  York  style  and  the  whole  album sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Inhuman  Depravity  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  fast  and  also  brings  in  a  touch  of grindcore,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sadism,  anti  religion  and  darkness  themes.

  In my  opinion  Inhuman  Depravity  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dismembered  And  Buried  Instincts"  "Apocalyptic Mass  Murder  Oath"  "Carnivorous  Offering"  and  "Salvation  Through  Bloodvomit".  8  out  of  10.     

Reincarnation/Void/Xtreem Music/2015 CD Compilation Review

  Reincarnation  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  very  brutal  style  of  death  metal  with  an  early  touch  of  slam  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  compilation  "Void"  which  was  released by  Xtreeem  Music  and  consists  of  the  album  with  the  same  title  from  1997  and  their  1995  ep "Seed  Of  Hate"  and  a  few  promo  and live  tracks.

  Horror  sound  effects  start  off  the  compilation  before  adding  in  drum  beats  that  takes  the  music  into  a  more  brutal  and  slamming  style  of  death  metal  that  also  uses  growls  that  are  on  the  more  guttural  end  while  some  more  traditional  style  of growling  is  also used  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  also  brings  in  melodies  at  times.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  the  90's  style  of  death  metal  and all  of the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and the  music  also  has  a  lot  of  influences  from  the  New  York  style  that  was  huge  in  the  underground  at  the  time  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  faster  sections  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  grind  at  times  and  the  whole  compilation  tsticks  to  a  heavy  and  brutal  style  from  opening  to  closing  tracks. 

  Reincarnation  played  a  style  of  death  metal  on  these recordings that  was  very  brutal  for  the  90's  and  was  also  heavily  influenced  by  the  New  York  bands  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style  that  later  bands  took  to  create  a  style  of  death  metal  that  became  known  as  'slam',  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  hatred  and  marijuana  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Reincarnation  are  a  very great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fucking  Race"  "Subhuman  Level"  "The  Horror  Within"  and  "Devoted To  Cannibas".  8  out of  10.

Scarnival/The Art Of Suffering/Kernkraftritter Records/2015 CD Review

  Scarnival  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "The  Art  Of  Suffering"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Kernkraftritter  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  growls  that  also  takes  the  music  into  a  more  heavy  and  melodic style  of  death  metal  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  clean  singing  and  high  pitched  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  talent,  skill  and  melody.

  Most  of t he  songs  go  for  more  of  a  modern  style of  melodic  death  metal  while  you  can  still  hear  influences  from  the  mid  90's  Swedish  bands  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  be  heard in certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  songs  use  a  small  amount of  vocals  that  are  more  influenced  by  hardcore  and  groove  metal.

  Scarnival  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  has  its  roots  in  the  mid  90's  Swedish  style  but  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  modern  metal  influences to  create  a  more  up  to  date  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Scarnival  are  a  very  great sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "God  Given"  "Losing  Identity"  "Pathetic"  and  "Lies".  8  out  of  10. 

Amanita Virosa Interview

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

-We're a six piece band from Finland, where Santa wears a corpse paint and eats cabbage and drinks blood.

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

-Melnik13: Well it sounds pretty much like us. Cold and beautiful.

3.The band labels their music as 'hospital metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

-Clamors: we didn't know how to label our sound, so the "hospital" add is there because we have some kind of fetish about hospitals and the props there... You can see that in our live performance and pictures and some lyrics. I find it a little erotic.

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

-Clamors: the main topic is hate and desperation in various forms and what happens at the appointment. Conquering desperate situations also appears every now and then

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Amanita Virosa'?

-Melnik13: Amanita Virosa is latin and means a deadly mushroom called white cap toadstool. It also means "destroying angel". The inspiration came from the Finnish band Trollheim's Grott who have a song called 'Amanita Virosa' and love for mushrooms.

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

-Clamors: at the stage is the only place where i feel that i have a fully open heart. Music is the main thing but it is NOT the only thing, we like to give the audience a full experience to the eyes and to the ears.
-Melnik13: They say that we are rather energetic on stage. You'd better just see it for yourself

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

-Melnik13: I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you. Just follow us on Facebook for further news.

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

-Clamors: it's been fucking great! Really beyond expectations

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

-Melnik13: We aim to keep our own, kinda unique sound in the future also with melodies and kick-ass mixed together. Maybe we make songs more as a band than before.

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

-Clamors: I listen a lot of black metal and deathcore. Recently i found a band named Carach Angren, instantly one of my favourites! My biggest influence on starting to scream and growl probably was Whitechapel and Suicide Silence, i listen to those bands constantly
-Melnik13: My recent influences have been Polish and Norwegian black metal in general and bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Cannibal Corpse and The Haunted.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

-Clamors: Pillaging, blasphemy and denial
-Melnik13: Violence in general and in all it's forms. Denial.


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


Don't believe Jesus. Embrace the bloody cabbage within the depths of your souls.