Sunday, January 31, 2016

Unborn Suffer Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Sfenson: To answer this question I have to briefly describe how non-standard the recording session of „Nihilist” was. First of all, until July of 2014 we had about 8-9 tracks ready for new album and our drummer LukaSS was expecting a son on October. So we got really busy in the summer of 2014 and composed rest of the tracks, mainly riffs, structures and drum parts. After playing a quite important gig on Muszlafest 2014 ( our local festival ) in September 2014 LukaSS recorded his drum parts for “Nihilist”. Than me and Dreadrock focused on learning and practicing the riffs, writing lyrics, arranging vocal parts and from December 2014 till February 2015 we recorded vocals, guitars and bass. In the meantime I had a nose surgery and was unable to play rehearsals or gigs untill April 2015. After that we came back to playing live and decided to show new tracks from “Nihilist” to see how people react to them. In June 2015 after choosing a local INVENT SOUND STUDIO we started to mix the new album. When It was ready we started searching for a polish label that would release our new album. All the previous albums were released by foreign labels, from Russia, Japan, we finally wanted a local label support and scored a deal with polish Selfmadegod. “Nihilist” will be out on 01.02.106.

 2.In February you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Sfenson: It is definitely our most grindcore album. All the previous LPs had somewhere around  12 tracks, this one has 17. The production is a bit less “bassy”, there is a lot less shredding which is a big feature of brutal death metal. Instead you have more grind/crust type of riffing. But elements of brutal death metal are still present in our music in tracks such as “Vain In Cage’ or “L.A.W. (Lost All Worth)”. Also Screams have definitely become a big factor on this album. Believe it or not, this is the first 100% UNBORN SUFFER album , on all the previous ones we always had some guest appearances, cover songs and/or old songs re-recorded. None of that is present on “Nihilist”, no covers, no guests, no old stuff re-recorded. In the end you have a closing track “Nervous Breakdown Of The System”, I think it’s the slowest thing UNBORN SUFFER ever played, almost no blast beats, clean guitars.  You will find a lot of new things in our music but you will also hear that it is still an UNBORN SUFFER album.

 3.This is the first full length to be released in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Dreadrock: Well… when you’re drinking a lot, then time’s going very fast! That was a very busy time for us. We had several line-up changes during that time – two vocalists in turn left us. Then we started playing as trio with me and Sfenson on vocals. Now - after few years we’re sure that this is the best way for us. During that 4 years we’ve played several dozen gigs across Poland. We’ve also recorded and released two albums: “Live Suffering” (live album) and “Revisited Suffering” (compilation). Composing material for “Nihlist” also took us a lot of time. So, as you can see, we had a lot to do. Of course, 4 years is a quite big break between full-length albums, but playing and releasing heavy music in Poland isn’t easy. You can’t always do whatever you want and however you want. Releasing full LP one time for few years is still better, then doing nothing.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Dreadrock: We like to write and singing about important things. We take lyrics seriously and spend a lot of time and work.  There is no room for joking or doing something half-heartedly. Some people think that we have lyrics about dead fetuses, molesting dead bodies and something similar. That’s very far from the truth. We write and sing about condition of today’s society, enslaved by religion, human tragedies, beliefs, rebellions. For example, in our lyrics you can find stories inspired by priests molesting children, people fighting with regime, like Ryszard Siwiec or fighting with lies and slavery, like “Fight Club’s” heroes. Sometimes we also relate to our personal stories. I invite everyone to read our lyrics. It’s hard to understand, when we’re singing them, but it’s definitely worth reading.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Unborn Suffer'?
Sfenson: The name  is taken from NAPALM DEATH’s track “Twist The Knife (Slowly)”. When we started the band in late 2001 we didn’t have a name yet so one afternoon I sat down with all the cassettes, CD’s of bands I listened to, started to read the lyrics and wrote down any “cool” lyric/word I came across. One of them was UNBORN SUFFER. Co-founder of the band and then-bassist Wojciech Dąbrowski loved that name and drew a logo which looked really badass. That’s how the name UNBORN SUFFER came into existence.
The name has a very dark tone, It means that we simply suffer even before we are born, we suffer because of the life that awaits us after we exit our mother’s womb.

 6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Dreadrock: Our normal concert has 30-40 min. length and it’s consists from 20-30 songs (lol). Our concert are mix of energy and fury. We like to improvise, so you will not find similar shows with some kind of choreography on our gigs. Our priority is sharing our energy and feelings with people. We talk a lot with our audience, inviting them to dancing and fighting near the stage. If you want to fully understand us and our music, than you should see our shows. We’re kind of some “live-band” – you’ll find our biggest values on concerts. We love playing music and I think, that we show that on stage.
I don’t want to choose our best shows. I still want to believe, that the best will be in the future. We recalling welcome most of our shows from the past. Both the small and the big ones. Off course, playing with famous bands like Suffocation or Cannabis Corpse was valuable experience but we have also a lot of great shows in smaller cities like Gostynin, Płock, Włocławek where audience was really crazy. Of course, playing in our home city – Bydgoszcz is also very valuable for us. These shows have a specific atmosphere every time. We’re planning to do some special concert here in Bydgoszcz for our 15th anniversary in this year.

 7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Sfenson: Yes, definitely, new concert dates are coming in daily, It’s best to follow us on www.facebook.com/unbornsuffer for new concert dates.

 8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of brutal death metal and grindcore?
Sfenson: I would be more capable of answering this question in, for example, a month time. But what I can tell you now, from few reviews that appeared before album release, and few radio plays of tracks from “Nihilist” that the response is awesome. People are really digging this album, praising the production, the aggression, pre-orders are coming in. everything seems to be going “according to plan”, so to speak.

 9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Sfenson:  Our drummer LukaSS has released a second album with his other band, grindcore formation NORYLSK, called “Cathlotic Dictatorship” via Selfmadegod on 15.07.2015 and I released a second album with other band I play in, KONTAGION, entitled “[R-!-E]LEN+LESS” on 22.06.2015 via Infernum Media. We play a mixture of industrial, groove and death metal with some djent influences. You can check out both of our bands on www.facebook.com/norylsk and www.facebook.com/kontagion

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Sfenson: honestly I don’t know yet. “Nihilist” is just out and we only have one new song written. We haven’t talked yet about what the next album will look like, there is too much going on with “Nihilist” now, we will see, maybe It will come out spontaneously, or maybe we will pre-plan everything from scratch. I personally have two plans in my head for the next album – coming back to our death metal roots from the first albums OR doing even more grindy album then “Nihilist” – 20,25 tracks, 30 minutes. But that’s just my propositions.

 11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Dreadrock: There was a many influences from a lot of genres. Most of our favorite bands of course  play death metal and grindcore. My riffs and vocals on “Nihlist” were inspired by many different bands, like Dying Fetus, Napalm Death, Celtic Frost, Pig Destroyer, Antigama but also by some other polish bands and few Czech grind bands like Spasm, Pigsty and Gutalax (lol).
Personally I really enjoy different genres.  I love electronic music, like house, big beat and trance by Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers. On the gym I always listen to Scooter and Paul Oakenfold (lol). From the other side I of course listen to many rock and metal genres. I love classic bands like Led Zeppelin, The Doors but also Limp Bizkit, Korn and Static-X. Lately I was on Suicidal Tendencies and Slipknot concert and they still kick ass. My friends from band are unfortunately not so open minded like me (laugh). They listen mostly to extreme metal, Vader and Iron Maiden.
Sfenson: Well, I have to say he’s right to some extent as far as my person goes. J It’s mostly metal, and the extreme types of music ( thrash, brutal death,  grind, a bit of crust), but I really got into grunge and industrial music lately, same with rap and hip hop. I still respect bands like Queen, Genesis or Black Sabbath but I listen to them very rarely.  LukaSS mainly listens to black metal and polish metal bands but he also likes Dead Can Dance which, I think, will always be out of reach of my comprehension J

 12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Dreadrock: Well, we are pure musicians, so we’re addicted to drugs, sex and alcohol. Sometimes we’re also like to beat our women, but that’s just for sport. But seriously, we’re doing some boring and normal proffesions in our daily life. Besides job and music I like to spend my free time with movies and books. Lately  I’m again reading novels from my favorite authors: H.P. Lovecraft and Stanisław Lem. I also like to read some historical books. Last time I also watched new Star Wars (quite good) and really great movies like “Carnage” by Roman Polanski, “Birdman” and “Macbeth” with Michael Fassbender. That was really inspiring experience. I have wide interests so I’m not feeling bored, when I have some time for myself. To be honest, I don’t have enough time to read all the books and to watch all the movies, that I want to.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Dreadrock: I have only one motto: do everything what you like or love, but don’t hurt anyone. Unless someone is asshole or stupid. Then you can hurt him… a little bit.
Please support and follow us on facebok.com/unbornsuffer. There will be a lot of new stuff very soon. Please support bands and heavy extreme music in Poland.
Thank you very much for the interview.

Friday, January 29, 2016

In White Interview

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



It is pretty noisy around here nowadays. We are continuously working on our second record, which we plan to release later this year.





 2) How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?



Well, our debut album Heredity is an attempt to create a sound between Old School Death Metal and Modern Melodic Death. We are enormously excited to put more on top of it.



3)     Originally, the band played more of an alternative metal style and then went into more of a melodic death sound, what was the decision behind going into this musical direction?



It wasn’t as much of a decision as it was a change of heart, I guess. When we have released the EP that was what the band had in them to give, we were younger, and definitely we weren’t as angry as we are today.



4)     What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with music*



Heredity is mainly about the social structure of today’s world. Most lyrics are an attempt to explore our ‘inherited evil’, that is to say. Also, a clear condemnation of monarchy, not only in a political sense but also the hierarchical power relations in our families, schools, governments etc.



5)     What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ‘In White’?

We are all big fans of Katatonia and we took the name from their song ‘Sweet Nurse’ in which we all loved Jonas’ way of saying ‘In White’. There is actually no deeper meaning to it, we were all somehow content with the name which we’ve decided upon, on a cab drive to our rehearsal.



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



            We’ve played at Heavy Stage 3 in Ankara, it was our first show and we’ve received really encouraging comments about the gig itself, I can say it was one of the best shows we have played. It is not really easy to continuously play gigs throughout Turkey for obvious reasons, but I can say whenever and wherever we played, the audience seemed really happy.



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



Currently we are focused entirely on our second album, after which we plan to tour as much as possible. Though, there is a chance that we might play at Sweden Rock Fest 2016 this year, only if we can pass the voting rounds that is, we’ll see.

          

8) Currently the band is signed to MK2 Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?



            The label is owned by our producer Erkan Tatoğlu, he has an extensive and diverse client list in his label. And it is pleasure to work with him!



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



            We had really good reviews since we have first released the album. The wonderful guys of In Flames shared our video clip for ‘Sacred Orchard’ through their official facebook page, which helped us to spread our music to wider audiences. And all the written/unwritten feedback we have received so far is really, really good!



10) Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or projects these days?



            Gürkan, our bassist also works in another band named ‘Centurion’ which is on hiatus nowadays, but we definitely expect to hear much more from them soon enough!



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



            For now, we are very much happy with the music we are playing, that is melodic death metal, and it doesn’t seem like it would change in near future.



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?



            It goes without saying, we are all huge fans of Melodic Death Metal, there are countless bands that have influenced us, but if we are to name some: In Flames, At The Gates, Opeth, Katatonia, (it seems that we are fans of Swedish metal in general). Nowadays we mostly listen to Gojira and At The Gates, and also some progressive stuff as well.



13) What are some of your non musical interests?



            Well, I can say literature, films, drawing and generally arts.



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



            We’d like to thank you very much for this interview; we really had fun answering the questions. We’d also like to thank everyone for their support so far, we’ll be coming with something heavy soon enough!

Educated Scum/The Chaos Complete: From Chaos to Disorder Re - Visited/Symbol Of Domination Productions/More Hate Productions/2015 Compilation Album Review


  Educated  Scum  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  compilation  album  "The Chaos Complete: From Chaos to Disorder Re - Visited"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  by  Symbol  Of  Domination  Productions  and  More  Hate  Productions.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  compilation  before  going  into a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  guitar  solos  and  leads  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  with  only  one  going  over  3  minutes  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  deathcore  and  they  also  bring  in  a  few  tracks  that  are  all  instrumental  along  with  a  few  karaoke  tracks  and  as  the  compilation  progresses clean  playing  can  be  heard  briefly.

  Educated  Scum  plays  a  style  of  grindcore  that  is  very  catchy  and  they  also  bring  in  elements  of  old  school  death  metal  along  with  some  modern  touches  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  politics,  religion  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Educated  Scum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  grindcore  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cannon  Folder"  "Stop  The  Madness"  "From  Chaos  To  Disorder"  and  "Senile  Dementia".  8  out  of  10.      

Rage In Silence/Doomsday Butchery/Symbol Of Domination Productions/2014 CD Review


 Rage  In  Silence  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Doomsday  butchery"  which  was  released  by  Symbol  Of  Domination  Records.

  Dark  sound  effects  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  goes  into  a  very fast  and  brutal  direction t hat  also  sees  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  guttural  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  a more  modern  style  of  death  metal  and  grindcore.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  a  very  chaotic  style  of  death  metal  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  electronic  music  samples  and  as  the  album  progresses  technical  elements  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  also  being  brought  in  at  times.

  Rage  In  Silence  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  guttural  and  also  mix  in  the  energy  of  grindcore  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  angry  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rage  In  Silence  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Braineater"  "In Pain  And  Suffer"  "Man  ANd  Decomposed  Pig"  and  "16  Victim". 8  out  of 10.

Blade Of Horus/Monumental Massacre/Lacerated Enemy Records/2016 CD Review


  Blade  Of  Horus  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  futuristic,  technical  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  grind  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Monumental  Massacre"  which  was  released  by  Lacerated  Enemy  Records.

  A  very  dark,  science  fiction  style  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a heavier  direction  that  also  introduces  technical guitar  leads  onto  the recording  along  with some  death  metal  growls  that  also  get  very  guttural  at  times  and  high  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  bring  in  a  very  brutal  style  and  there  is  also  a  touch of  deathcore  being   brought  into  the  music  at  times  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  more  of  an  atmospheric  direction  that  also  utilizes  synths and  you  can  also  hear  prog  metal  influences  in  some  of  the  riffing  and  the  middle eastern  music  sounds  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  original  feeling.

  Blade  Of   Horus   plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is very  brutal, technical  and  complex  sounding if  they  would  drop  the  deathcore  style  vocals  they  could  be  one  of  the  best  bands  of  this  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  and  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Blade  Of  Horus  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal,  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Monumental  Massacre"  "Death  Of  A  Spartan  King"  and  "Return  Of  The  Dark  Gods".  8  out  of  10.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Glutton For Punishment/2015 Full Length Review


  Glutton  For  Punishment  are  a  band  from  Minnesota  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Purified  In  Blood".

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  once  the  death  metal  growls  start  to  kick  in  the  songs  start  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  harmonics  throughout  the  whole  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  feeling  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  grindcore  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  and  high  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  briefly  while  some  of  the  heavier  riffs  also  start  incorporating  more  melody.

  Glutton  For  Punishment  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  brutal  death  metal  sound  that  they  are  known  for,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while the  lyrics  cover  fear,  life,  punishment,  torture  and  gore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Glutton  For  Punishment  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Purified  In  Blood"  "Bound  To  be  Dead"  and  "Homicidal  Impulse".  8  out  of  10.

  
 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Unbreakable Hatred/Ruins/Unique Leader Records/2015 CD Review


  Unbreakable  Hatred  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  brutal  mixture  of  technical death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Ruins"  which  was  released  by  Unique  Leader  Records.

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of t he  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  melodic  riffing,  death  metal  growls  and  blast  beats  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Angry  shouting  grindcore  vocals  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  a  very  technical  style  of  death  metal  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  elements  of  thrash  and  while  the  music  sounds  very  modern  you  can  hear  some  influences  from  the  mid  90's  style  of  American  death  metal  at  times  and  the  whole  album  remains  true  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Unbreakable  Hatred  plays  a  musical style  that  takes  the  brutal  and  technical  sides  of  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  grindcore  to  create  a  very  heavy  album  that  also  displays  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  conflict,  destruction  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unbreakable  Hatred  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  mixture  of  technical  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "Dysfunctional  System"  "Unpredictable  Brutality"  and  "Primitive  Thoughts".  8  out  of  10.

   

Pyrrhon/Growth Without End/Selfmadegod Records/Handshake Inc/2015 EP Review


  Pyrrhon  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  technical  form  of  death  metal  but  expands  with  this  recording  by  bringing  in  elements  of  grindcore,  experimental  and  noise  rock  and  this is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Growth  Without  End"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Selfmadegod  Records  and  Handshake  Inc.

  A  very  heavy,  progressive  and  technical  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be heard  and  the  screaming  vocals  give  the  music  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

   Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to  a  very  technical  style  of  death  metal  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  experimental  and  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  both  math  and  noise  rock  while  also  remaining  brutal  at  the  same  time  and  one  song  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Pyrrhon  creates  another  recording t hat  still  has  the  technical  and  brutal  death  metal  style  of  previous  recordings  and  they  change  their  sound  around  more  incorporating  more  grind,  math  and  noise  rock without  losing  any  brutality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover reverse  psychology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Pyrrhon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Forget  Yourself"  and  "Turing's  Revenge".  8  out  of  10.  

   

Ogotay/Dead God's Prophet/Selfmadegod Records/2015 CD Review


  Ogotay  are  a  band  from Poland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  technical  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Dead  God's  prophet"  which  was  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  sound s tarts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  while  the  riffs  do  add  in  melodies  at  times  and  after  awhile  the  songs  start  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fat  parts  and  atmospheric  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  brings  in  more  of  a  technical  style  of  death  metal  and  some  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  spoken  word  samples  in  certain  sections of  the  recording  while  some  songs  also bring  in  angry  shouting  vocals  and   a  couple  of  the  later  tracks  also  brings  in  a  few  seconds  of  clean  playing.

  Ogatay  creates  another  recording  that  takes  the  90's  style  of  death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  more  modern,  brutal  and  technical  side  of  the  genre  to  create  a  very  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  anti  religion,  violent  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great sounding  album  from  Ogatay  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  God's  Prophet"  "Entering  The Void"  "Bastards  And  Orphans"  and  "The  Wasteland".  8  out  of  10.  

Inhuman/Conquerors Of The New World/Satanath Records/Sevared Records/2015 CD Review


  Inhuman  are  a  band  from  Costa  Rica  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form of  technical  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Conquerors  Of  the  New  World"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Sevared  Records.

  A  very  fast,  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  also  has  a  progressive  feeling  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  growls  and  some  of t he  riffs  bring  in  melodies.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain true  to  a  technical  style  of  death  metal  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  faster  sections  and  screams  gives  the  music  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  the  whole  album remains  true  to  a  very  brutal  and  technical  sound  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Inhuman  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  technical  and  brutal  while  also  demonstrating  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skills  as  musicians,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  religion,  murder,  war,  and  revenge  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Inhuman  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  and  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Conquerors  Of  the  New  World"  "Extermination  By  Depopulation"  and  "America  Rises".  8  out  of  10.           

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Dark Oath/When Fire EnGulfs the Earth/WormHoleDeath Records/2016 CD Review


  Dark  Oath  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2016  album  "When  Fire  Engulfs  The  Earth"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  epic  sounding  keyboard  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  variety  of  many  different  keys  that  also  gives  the  music  a  classical  music  feeling  and  after  a  minute  the  music  speeds  up  adds  in  blast  beats,  high  pitched  screams  and  clean  singing  pagan  shouts  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  melodic  musical direction  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  and  as  the  album  progresses  more  technical  and  modern  metal  elements  are  added  into  the  songs.

  Dark  Oath  plays  a   style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  epic,  melodic  and  symphonic  sounding  while  also  bringing  in  a  touch  of  folk  music,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Viking  Battles,  Norse  Mythology  and  History.
 
  In  my  opinion  Dark  Oath  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Tree  Of  Life"  "Thousand  Beasts"  "Vengeful  Gods"  and  "Brother's  Fall".  8  out  of  10.      

 

Monday, January 25, 2016

Worth Dying For Interview

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





Hey! Alex here from Worth Dying For. Well, it’s a very, very recent record. We just had our release party last Monday (jan 18th) and had an increadible response from our fans and friends. Most of our energy right now is going toward organizing a tour in the coming months and promoting our album. Since we’re self-promoting, that’s a whole lot of time!





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



We named the album Chimaera partly because of our band situation, but mostly because of our sound. We’re releasing Chimaera, a three-headed beast harboring the dark and aggressive side of the band, destabilizing progressive elements and a touch of groove that should trigger the most focused headbanging. If we are to compare Chimaera with our last album, Tears and Ashes, I would say that we’re definitely more focused. Simpler and stripped down when needed, more intricate and technical when relevant. A mature sound, maybe a little less “epic” but more efficient, polished.





3.This is the first album to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?





Lots. Of. Things. First of all, we’ve had significant lineup changes. Since the release of Tears and Ashes in 2011, both our lead guitarist and vocalist were replaced with fresh forces. Our keyboard player and founding member stepped down as well and we decided afterward to become a 5-piece, using electronic sequences during gigs. This of course impacted our composition pace, as we had to find quality replacements and rehearse a lot. The whole process of getting the band back on track, composing, recording and promoting our newest release took about 4 years.



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





We decided to go all over the place, lyrics wise. Our vocalist Dave Tweddell has been writing most of the lyrics, with contributions from guitarists Dave Langlais and Alexandre Fisette. Lots of our lyrics tell stories from both a narrator’s perspective and a main proponent point of view.



Our epic two-part song “Demonic Chronicles” relates the events leading to the death of Anneliese Michel, where she’s “bleeding down, down on [her] knees, praying over and over” on which the movie “The Exorcist” was loosely based. “Resolve”, in turn, is about the revenge of an abused woman, who wishes to “break the curse” and “pass it on to you”. “December” is a dark and very personal song about the premature death of a good friend, where we “knocked at your door a plenty of times but, you were gone away”. Hey, we even have love songs, so much for a death metal band! “A Name That You Don’t Know” and “Lost In Brightness”, for example, are very personal songs about failed or could-have-been relationships.





5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Worth Dying For'?





I wish I had something clever to say here. Reality is that we were pretty much geeky teenage boys that listened to the preview of “The Matrix : Reloaded” where Morpheus said “Tomorrow we may all be dead .... isn't that worth fighting for? isn't that worth dying for?” We thought it sounded badass. I guess that now, as we’re almost all past 30 and are fathers, we may have a different take on it. But that’s the true story!





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





We had the opportunity of opening for The Agonist back when Alyssa White-Gluz was their lead singer. The ambiance was incredible and the venue almost sold-out. We had a blast. Since then, we’ve had our first gig in years in Montréal at the defunct Café Chaos, a gig that we were headlining. We had no clue how many –if any- people would show up. The venue was once again very decently filled and the audience was completely crazy. One of our best show, for sure. Playing with Protest The Hero was indeed another great experience. These guys are by far the most friendly professional band we’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with. Down to earth and very generous guys.



On stage, we’re the mirror of our music: all over the place, but still coherent. Our songs can be tough to play, so we do have to concentrate on our instruments a bit. However, we try to be as energetic as possible, and no one will ever live a complete life if he doesn’t see our bassist Vincent live at least once!! That’s one crazy dude.





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





Absolutely. We’ve just released our album in Québec city and played two gigs in less than a month, one of them with The Agonist again. Now, it’s time for us to spend some time outside of our home town. We want to play in Montréal as soon as possible, and on we’re setting up a spring tour to promote Chimaera. Who knows, we may even cross some borders.





8.The new album was self released but according to the Metal Archives page the band is signed to 'Hellstorm Recordz', can you tell us a little bit more about this?



Long story short, with our significant downtime in between Tears and Ashes and Chimaera, we didn’t have much opportunity to be active. Even though we have a great relation with the mastermind behind Hellstorm Recordz, we had to take some time off to get things back together for the band. We then decided on releasing Chimaera as an indie album. But yeah, we’re most definitely interested in collaborating again with Mr Hellstorm, and you’ll find that out sooner rather than later. Stay tuned!



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





We’ve had some nice comments coming from abroad and several album sales as well. However, most of our fanbase really seems concentrated in Canada and the USA for the moment. The life of a band can be a little tough, and we think it’s better to focus at first on your local fans, which will attend your shows and buy merch. They’re crucial, and you can use that support as a stepping stone. Right now, we do have some incredible fans at home, and we’re trying to expand a little bit! 





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



We’ve already composed a few songs and we’re still playing with them a lot. Right now, we feel like we know when a song sounds “worth dying for”-y, which means that we have somewhat forged a distinct, unique musical identity. We’re trying to evolve of course, but we want people to “feel” that our new songs will still be Worth Dying For songs.





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





Remember when I said that we named our last album Chimaera because of the nature of our band? That’s also because we’re a weird bunch. Some of us listen to pure death / black metal, others to prog rock and power metal, djent, metalcore… but in the end, I would say that the albums we unanimously enjoyed lately are the last Scar Symmetry and Soilwork. I personally enjoyed a lot the new records from Rivers of Nihil, Arcturus, Leprous and Evergrey. Looking forward to the next Dark Tranquillity and Gojira records in 2016!





12.What are some of your non musical interests?





Once again quite diverse. We discuss politics, even though we have some major disagreements. Sports is for sure important, as our drummer Keven is also a pro basketball trainer. And food. Of course, food. Barbecue is Québec national sport (during our 10-days summer) right after hockey!





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



Well, I want to thank you for the interest in our band. And, of course, if anyone has NOT heard out record yet, I’d like to invite you to do so. You can stream the whole album a few times for free over BandCamp, and you can then purchase it for a insanely low price if you like it. Bands need your support, and not only financial support. They need you to be there when it counts. Go to your local shows, get some merch and wear it proudly!

Life's December/Colder/Dark Wings/2016 CD Review


  Life's  December  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  down  tempo  form  of  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Colder"  which  was  released  by  Dark  Wings.

  Dark  sound  effects  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  distorted  sounds   before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  that  bring  in  deathcore  breakdowns  and  high  pitched  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  there  are  also  a  great  amount  of  growls  and  hardcore  style  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  riffs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  djent  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  classical  guitars  and  when  the  solos  and  leads  are done  in  a  melodic  musical  direction.

  Life's  December  plays  a  style  that  is  less  brutal  and  more  mid  tempo  than  most bands  of  this  genre  bringing  in  a  lighter  yet  still  heavy  take  on  the  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  angry  and  melancholic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Life's  December  are  a  very  great  sounding  down  tempo  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  genre, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lest  I  Forget" "Snow  Falls  Silently"  and  "Colder".  8  out  of  10.

Meadow's End/Sojourn/2016 Full Length Review


  Meadow's  End  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Sojourn".

  A  very  dark,  melodic  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats and all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  while  whispers  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  screams  can  also be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  tracks  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  also  remain  true  to  a  very  melodic  style  of  metal  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  while  later  tracks  also  add  in  acoustic  guitars  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  edge  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  violins  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  towards  the  end  some of  the  songs  start  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  choir  vocals.  

  Meadow's  End  creates  another  melodic  death  metal  recording t hat  is still  very  symphonic  while  also  getting  a  bit  more  progressive  this  time  as  well  as  adding  in  new  elements  to  their  musical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Meadow's  End  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Remnant's"  "Soulslain"  "All  Of  Them"  and  "Forever  Haven". 8  out  of  10.

  

 

Unborn Suffer/Nihilist/Selfmadegod Records/2016 CD Review


  Unborn  Suffer  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Nihilist"  which  will  be  released  on  February  1st  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  Horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music s tarts  getting  more  heavy  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  powerful  as  well  as  some  guttural  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  the  songs  adding  in  high  pitched  grindcore  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  brutality  while  some  of  the  more  annoying  pig  squeals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of the  recording  and  spoken  word  samples a re  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  few seconds  of  clean  guitars. 

  Unborn  Suffer  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  brutal  and  slam  genres  of  death  metal  and  mixes  it with  goregrind  to  create  a  very  heavy  recording  and  if  they  would  drop  the  pig  squeals  they  can  be  a  lot  better  band  but  are  still  very  good  at  what  they  do,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  personal  struggles  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unborn  Suffer  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Open  Defiance"  "Extorted  Humanity"  "Existence  Dies"  and  "Filthy  Liars".  8  out  of  10.

In White/Heredity/2014 Full Length Review


  In  White  are  a  band  from  turkey  that  plays   a  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2014  album  "Heredity".

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar leads  and  the  music  also  has  a  heavy  Swedish  vibe  to  it  along  with  a  great  mixture  of  both  growls and  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  influences.

  Clean  singing  can  be  heard  on  some  of  the  songs  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  couple  of  later  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  atmospheric  effects  along  with    few  power  ballads.

  In  White  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  they  start  off  the  album  very  heavier  while  the  more  emotional  and  melodic  style  of  their  sound  dominates  the  other  half  of  the  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  album  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  In  White  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  "Descendancy"  "Sacred  Orchid"  "Left  Unsaid"  and  "Asphalt".  8  out  of  10. 

Once Was Never Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are a four piece metal band from Slovenia. We started jamming in 2012. We self recorded and
released our first work the EP called »Lighthouse In The Abyss« in October 2015. We are a hard
working band, constantly working on new material and thinking about future plans.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the ep?
It's a mixture between Death and Groove Metal. Some people said that our genre is similar to
Deathcore, but we don't really care about the labeling as long as you enjoy our music.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Our songs cover different topics. We write about our experiences that we've collected through life
and about the world we see around us. But we also take inspiration from fantasy or sci-fi works as
movies, comic books and books.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Once Was Never'?
When we give the answer to this question in Slovenian we usually say something very poetic and
noble...but in English it just doesn’t sound right. Let's just say it has something to do with putting
your past behind and focusing on the present.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you
describe your stage performance?
The best shows are the ones we had in our hometown Sezana where the majority of our crazy
supporters live. Usually they are moshing before the first song starts and finish moshing at the bar
after the gig. Like our supporters we also give our best on the stage and at the bar.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have a few shows planned and looking for more as we would like to play as much as we can,
before we lock ourselves in the studio.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Of course we are looking for a label. We have received a few offers too.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
We would like to wait a bit more before answering to this question, we'll see how will our EP
spread around the globe. For now we can say that more than half of our fans on Facebook are from
foreign countries. We are confident about the future response.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these
days?
One of our guitar players has left the band a while ago, we wish him all the best for his future
projects. Some of us play more than one instrument and has some minor projects going on right
now.

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into
musically during the future?
As we turned recently in a four piece the music will of course change, we are confident for the
better cause the band has never been so united and confident before. Our new material already
sounds heavier/punchier/rawer.  As for the full length we hope to start with the recordings at the end
of 2016. But first we are realizing our official music video and we have a few surprises planned.

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?
Our influences are countless. Maybe the more important among them are: Pantera, Gojira, Slipknot,
Cannibal Corpse, Machine Head, Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory and all that is brutal.
We like also other genres, whatever sounds good...sounds good.
These days we are listening to Decapitated, Jinjer, Mastodon, Textures, High On Fire, Noctiferia
and many others.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Everybody has something going on apart from the band in his life... spearfishing, bike adventures,
agriculture (wine production), graphic design, ... lots of different things.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We said already a lot of things about us, but there's much more to tell. So, keep an eye on us this
year be cause this is only the beginning.

In Somnia Interview

Metal at the Gates

IN SOMNIA

Simon- Guitar/ Vocals
Tobi- Guitar
Dominik- Keyboard
Patrick- Bass
Mattias- Drums

Questions are answered by Simon

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

We are formed in 2013 in Autria, we play extreme metal, we have one album out and one in the queue for 2016.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
Something in between melodic thrash/ death metal with some energetic prog and symphonic parts, but there are also a few classic rock and punk vibes going on. Especially in our upcoming record, For The Harvest, we are using a lot of diminished and chromatic tone scales, which gives a really dark and strange feeling to the music.


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

Life in general. I mean, I am that "for risks and side-effects do not ask politicians nor bankers" kind of guy, and then there are things like break ups, with girls or work and whatever as well as the loss of friends and family members, so all negativity that confronts me in life is the main topic for the lyrics. Sometimes it is a joke though.

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

We like the irony that one space changes the meaning to the opposite. In somnia means something like "in dreams" while insomnia is sleeplessness. We use a lot of irony and sarcasm in our lyrics too so that's why we figured out that this name would fit perfect.

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

One of the best shows we did was even one of the smallest so far, there even wasn’t a real public address system. It was a small rock bar in Salzburg and there were maybe 50 guys in there. But at the end of the day, the whole bar was jumping and getting wild to our music. 

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

Not really at the moment, I mean we are in discussion of several gigs in central Europe, but there is nothing fixed by now.


7. Currently the band is signed to 7hard Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
It is a small independent label from Germany. They signed us for our first record “Withered Frozen Perished” and brought that one out. Our second record, which is going to be called “For The Harvest” is still unsigned, but 7us has the option for a 2nd CD contract wise, so we will see. I think we will release it on our own, if they are not interested in it.
 
8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
We got a really great feedback most of the time, especially from Eastern Europe countries. But the reaction from Germany and Switzerland is also ok and from Asia, there was no reaction so far.

9. What can your fans expect musically once the new album is released?

We created a new style of metal these times I guess. It sounds a little bit like fast gothic rock to my ears, so like I said before, a lot of diminished and chromatic tone scales and a few different types of music are mixed into a wired, 13 songs including album. There also will be some old western blues in metal style in 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?

Everything. I'm sure, everything you hear, from movie themes to pop music, and if its only some nearly unrecognized background noise, will flow in the music that you are doing. This is not a concious decision, it is more like a, "you write what you like and you like what you know" kind of thing.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?
Mattias likes to draw and drive his skateboard. Tobi and Patrick are usually spending their free time in gym and Dominik crawls over the mountains as far as I know. I like fixed rope climbing in the summer and going out with friends.

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

Maybe in a few months, but thank you.

Thank you for having me.






Sunday, January 24, 2016

Atrocious Abnormality Interview

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

Nothing much really. We began tracking the new album back in June 2013 and didn't complete tracking until December 2014. Then we sat on it for a while before getting the mixing and mastering finished. We all have been extremely busy with other projects and life in general, it was a very long process to get it done. So we finally wrapped everything up in November 2015 and since then we have just be promoting the March 4th release date through social media.

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

In my opinion the new music is more mature and well structured compared to 'Echoes of the Rotting'. I think it's darker and more haunting, yet still very brutal and groove oriented. A really good mix of technical speed and blasts, mid paced chugging and even some simple slam sections. The production is thick and heavy, yet clear and crisp for maximum definition. We are happy with the end result and hope others will be too.

3.This is the first album to be released in 9 years, do you think  the brutal death metal scene has changed quite a bit during that time span?

Nah, I think it's about the same really. Maybe not as many people buying CDs now compared to nine years ago. But besides that I feel the overall death metal scene has remained steady as far as interest in the genre and show attendance.

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

The lyrics are obscene and offensive, just as you'd expect them to be. The topics range from all out gore and fantasy, to the failure of religion, to apocalyptic 'end of the world' scenarios.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Atrocious Abnormality'?

Well, there really isn't any meaning behind the name Atrocious Abnormality. Brent and I knew we wanted a band name that wasn't too generic, yet not overly complex either. So we tossed around a few ideas trying to be creative and ended up with Atrocious Abnormality.

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

We always had a lot of fun playing festivals and did quite a few of them during our active years. We done a couple tours as well back in 2008 and 2012, those were both really awesome. I would certainly say one of our best local shows was getting to open for Cannibal Corpse, that was a real good one! Our stage performance was always fast paced, with a little humor between songs, but we didn't waste much time with a lot of endless chatter. We just liked turn blaze through our set and really get the crowd worked up in a frenzy.

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

No plans for any shows or touring, we have actually not rehearsed or performed as a band since late 2013. We are basically on hiatus now, just unsure what the future will be for the band.

8.What is going on with 'Comatose Music' these days?

Just staying busy and pushing as much death metal as possible. Lots of really solid releases during the past few years and 2016 is shaping up to be one of the biggest and best years for Comatose Music releases. That includes this new Atrocious Abnormality, plus new releases from Murder Made God, Blasphemer, Neurogenic, Dehumanized, Pathology, Horrific Demise, Cranial Osteotomy, Devangelic and a few other surprises. I'm really excited for what's ahead in 2016 and even going into 2017.

9.So far how have brutal death metal fans reacted to your newer material?

The feedback has been great, the fans have been so patient waiting for this long overdue release. We really appreciate it and hope that everyone agrees it was worth the wait. So far we are pleased with the interest and positive reaction from our fans.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands and musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Brent and I are both in Lust of Decay and we are currently writing new music. We are also scheduled to play a couple festivals later this year including Chicago Domination Fest and Full Terror Assault. Brent is also the drummer for the punk rock band Queen City Rejects, really cool stuff in the vein of early Circle Jerks and Black Flag. James is busy with Lecherous Nocturne, I believe they are recording soon for their new album on Willowtip later this year.

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

Well, as I said in a previous question we are on hiatus now and pretty much have been since late 2013. So at this time the future of Atrocious Abnormality is uncertain, we are just happy to finally be releasing the new album.

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

We all have different musical tastes, but we also enjoy many of the same bands and styles. It's obvious when you listen to our new album that we are heavily influenced by bands like Suffocation, Hate Eternal, Deeds of Flesh and Disgorge. But we listen to other styles too, I know James and Brent both enjoy black metal. I like a lot of old thrash and crossover stuff, even some punk every now and again. But I think it's safe to say that our preferred and favorite genre is definitely brutal death metal.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I stay so busy I hardly have time for other activities. But when I get some free time I like to check out horror movies, bowling, hanging out with family, going out to eat and tinkering on my 1978 Trans Am. I live a pretty bland life, haha!

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

I appreciate the opportunity for this interview and just want to thank everyone once again for being so patient. March 4th is the magic date, be sure to pick up 'Formed in Disgust'... you'll be glad you did!
www.comatosemusic.com
www.facebook.com/AtrociousAbnormality

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Cryptopsy/The Book Of Suffering-Tome 1/2015 EP Review


  Cryptopsy  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  sound  that  they  are  known  for  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "The  Book  Of  Suffering  -  Tome  1".

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  direction  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  growling  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  technical  elements.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  also  get  very  guttural  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  whole  ep  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  sound  effects  that  give  the  music  the  atmosphere  of  a  modern  horror  film  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  very  technical  style  of  playing and  the  last  track  brings  in  a  guttural  approach  to  vocals.

Cryptopsy  creates  another  recording  that  is  very  brutal  and  technical  while  also  moving  with  the  times  and  showing  they  can  still  keep  up  with  the  younger  bands  that  they  have  influenced,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent  and  gore  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cryptopsy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Knife,  the  Head  And  What  Remains"  and  "Framed  By  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

Never To Arise/Gore Whores On The Killing Floor/Cimmerian Shade Recordings/2015 CD Review


  Never  To  Arise  are  a  duo  from  Florida  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  brutal  and  technical  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Gore  Whores  On  The  Killing  Floor"  which  was  released  by  Cimmerian  Shade  Recordings.

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  adding  in  technical  guitar  leads  and  a  great  mixture  of  both  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  which  also  give  the  songs  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  some  riffs  display  an  influence  of  thrash.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  melodies  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  heavy  and brutal  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.  

  Never  To  Arise  creates  a  death  metal  album  that  is  perfectly  balanced  between  both  the  brutal and  technical  sides  of  the  genres  and  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  grind  to  create  an  album  that  is  heavy  nonstop,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence  and  gore  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Never  to  Arise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  both  brutal  and  technical  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Butcher  Knife,  Birth  Control"  "Boiled  Alive  In  Battery  Acid"  "Open  heart  Punching  Bag"  and  "Last  Supper".  8  o  of  10.  

   

Enthrallment/Eugenic Wounds/Rebirth The Metal Productions/2015 CD Review


  Enthrallment  are  a  band  from  Bulgaria  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  brutal  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Eugenic  Wounds"  which  was  released  by  Rebirth  The  Metal  Productions.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  high  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of t he  recordings  while  the  riffs  bring  in  melodies  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  sound  very  melodic  yet  chaotic  at  times  and  some  songs  bring  in  sound  effects  giving  the  music  the  atmosphere  of  a  horror  film  and  the  bass  guitars  also  have  a  very  dominant  sound  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  short  acoustic  instrumental.

  Enthrallment  creates  another  recording  that  is  very  brutal  while  also  showing  a  great  amount  of  progress  and  skill  as  musicians,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  murder and  torture  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Enthrallment  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Deserved  Fears"  "Inspired  Lunatic"  and  "Enslaved  by  Your  Own  Seed".  8  out  of  10.

Worth Dying For/Chimaera/2015 Full Length Review


  Worth  Dying  For  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Chimaera".

  Classical  guitars  start  off  the  album  giving  the  music  a  progressive  edge  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  starts  getting  more  aggressive  along  with  some  aggressive  screaming  vocals  and  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  adding  in  some  symphonic  elements  and  shouting  vocals  will  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of t he  songs  and  they  give  the  music  an  influence  of  power  metal  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  very  melodic  and  technical  sounding  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  more  mainstream  modern  metal  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

 As  the  album  progresses  the  songs  also  start  incorporating  more  prog  metal  elements  and  classical  guitars  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  and  you  can  also  hear  the  influence  of  metalcore  and  nu  metal  at  times

  Worth  Dying  For  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  death,  prog  and  modern  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  some  symphonic  elements  to  create  a  musical  style  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  real  life  and  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Worth  Dying  For  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Ghost  Of  I"  "December"  and  "The  Curse  Of  The  Medusa".  8  out  of  10.