Xenosis Interview

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

We just shot our first music video for the opening track "Night Hag." It should be out some time late January or February. We also have a Death tribute band called Cross-Turned Dagger. We are constantly learning more Death tunes to perform live, but first and foremost, refining our own original material.


2.You have a new album coming out in 2018, 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?

One of our main goals is to always outdo ourselves. We are a "progressive" death metal band, but songwriting and heaviness are the key factors. We try to make sure every track is unique, heavy, and catchy. We do not settle for anything less.



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

We cover sci-fi/horror themes. Some examples; sleep paralysis, ancient deep sea reptilian aliens, a widow/drifter who achieves astral projection to escape the torture and experimentation of her alien captors, and a tribute to the evil dead series.



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

Xenosis is the introduction of something alien. We decided on the name at a rehearsal when we first formed the band. As a matter of fact, our co-founding guitarist, Alex Perez, came up with that name. Even though he lives on the opposite coast from us now, he still writes a song with us for every album. On 'Sowing the Seeds' he wrote the music for Rebuild, Renew. On 'Devour and Birth' he co-wrote the first single, Army of Darkness.



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

We are big fans of playing DIY shows at small venues. We are done with the pay to play venues that plague the metal scene. We have a blast on stage. We give it our all. You don't come to a Xenosis show to be bored.



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

The official release date is January 19th. We have a performance lined up for the same date at Pacific Standard Tavern in New Haven, CT. We are also hoping to do some touring.



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

We have not been actively looking for a label. Nor have we been approached by any labels. However, we would certainly be interested in the right offer.



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

Our 2015 release, 'Sowing the Seeds of Destruction' was very well received. We got a ton of press for it. The reviews for 'Devour and Birth' are already rolling in, and the record isn't even released yet.



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

As long as Xenosis exists, we will be heavy. We will be death metal. A lot of prog death bands go mellow after a while. We will not do that. We work hard to constantly become better at our instruments and better at crafting songs.



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

We are all metalheads who come from a wide variety of musical backgrounds. When making this record, we were listening to a lot of Behemoth, Voivod, Death, Morbid Angel, Gojira, Meshuggah, Textures, King Diamond, etc.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Beer.



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

Thank you for taking the time to review 'Devour and Birth' and interview us. Stay tuned for the music video, along with play through videos, and more.

Scaphism Interview

Answered by Evan Woolley (Guitar)


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

We're currently busy getting ready for the shows we've booked to support the release and rehearsing more new material! Even though the album isn't released yet, I'm already thinking about the next one. Its already mostly written.

2.You have a new album coming out in early 2018, 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?

I think we've finally captured our true live sound with this one. Its a hard thing to try and replicate in the studio but I think we nailed it this time around. It's also a much darker album than Festering Human Remains. We ditched the samples and most of the silliness. Lyrically its less "gore" and more macabre. I think thats largely because Tony wrote all the lyrics on this record so there aren't any simplistic "offensive just for the sake of being offensive" contributions from yours truly.

3.This is your first album since 2012, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

We've gone through some pretty serious changes since 2012, both as a band and in our personal lives. This album took WAY longer to get completed than we ever anticipated, but there were a number of things that slowed the process down. Through all of it however, we never stopped practicing or playing live. We've just been keeping it low key until we had some new material to present. Now the process is complete and we're excited for everyone to hear the fruits of our labor.

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

Well as I said before, Tony wrote all the lyrics on this record, and while each song is different, I think they all fit into a common theme (which inspired the album title) of "Unutterable Horrors". Each song tells it's own grisly tale of terror with a clear beginning, middle and end to the story, and they usually end badly for those involved.

5.I know that the band name came from a  Persian  method  of  execution, how does this name fit in with the musical style you play?

Haha, the band name often becomes a topic of discussion when people ask me the name of my band, I tell them, they look confused, and then I go into a lengthy and gory description of the whole process. I don't know how it fits in. I just picked it because at the time it was the grossest thing I had ever heard of, and it wasn't already taken. It doesn't go much further than that. I just wanted to be as offensive as possible in those days.

6.Originally the band was a solo project what was the decision behind hiring a full time line up?

I think it was inevitable. I had done the Butchered and Devoured demo and was working on a solo full-length with programmed drums but it just wasn't clicking. There was so much more I wanted to do, plus I was getting really bored not playing live so it just had to happen. It took a while to get it together though. I jammed with a ton of drummers before I met Alex and nobody seemed to be on the same page as me. Once we got together though, it seemed like we hit the nail on the fucking head so it wasn't long before Tom showed up to try out on bass and he knew a vocalist, Tony. The rest is history.

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

One of my all time favorite performances was at the 5 year anniversary for Metal Thursday, a long-running local metal night out in Worcester, MA. Some of it ended up on Youtube. The crowd was rowdy and it was just a great fucking time. Other standouts that come to mind are an illegal practice space show with Defeated Sanity that was just nuts, and Philthadelphia Infest 2. Our stage performance isn't anything fancy. There's no spectacle, no gimmicks. We just get up there and try and play the songs as best as we can and put on the best show possible for those who come out to see us.

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

Yes! We've got a CD release show booked at Ralph's Diner in Worcester, MA for January 26th, and we have a few other regional shows in the works to promote the album. Beyond that we'll just have to wait and see what the future brings!

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

Most of the feedback we've received over the years has been positive. We've been involved in trading since the first demo and its helped us connect with so many different metal fanatics across the globe. Its always cool when you find out that someone in Brazil, India or Jordan is jamming your shit and wants to write about it or reach out to you.

10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Oh yes. Alex is always involved in the most projects. I think right now he's in three bands: Scaphism, Black Mass and Fuming Mouth; but he's done a shitload of projects over the years. Erik plays in two other bands that share members, Kontra and Perpetual Slaughter. Tony and myself are currently working on a black metal project that we hope to get off the ground soon.

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

Well judging by the new material I've been writing, I only see it getting faster and more complicated musically, but also darker and more abstract. I'm taking more chances as a songwriter. More odd time, more riffs from out in left field, but still catchy enough to bang your head to.

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?

Old school death metal and thrash are the obvious influences for our music, but I pull influences from all over the place. Black metal, punk, grindcore, hardcore, even jazz, prog and fusion. All sorts of things leak into the riffs, they just get translated into a death metal context. These days for metal I'm listening to Throneum, Necros Christos, Horna & Deaden to name a few. For non-metal, I'm really into Goblin, Frank Zappa and Jean Luc Ponty.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

My other passion beyond music is collecting, watching and obsessing over horror and exploitation movies of the 60s, 70s and 80s. A very niche interest I know, but the more I uncover the more into it I get. Sometimes horror inspires me to write death metal so I guess the interests tie in on some level. I guess I'm just obsessed with death and violence. Maybe I need some help...,

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

Thanks for the interview and for supporting the band! Our new CD comes out January 12th on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions so make sure you grab a copy and support the underground! Thank you

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/unutterable-horrors
http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/store/hpgd163.html

Wretched Spawn/Self Titled/Atomic Zombie Records/2017 EP Review

  Wretched  Spawn  are  a  solo  project  from  Lawrence,  Kansas  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  ep  which  was  released  by  Atomic  Zombie  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  all  of t he  musical instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  screams  while  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  25  years  ago  along  with  the  solos  and leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Wretched  Spawn  plays  a  style  of  gore/death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  horror  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wretched  Spawn  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  gore/death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blood  Shed"  and  "Undead  Wasteland".  8  out  of  10.

Scaphism/Unutterable Horrors/Horror Pain Gore Death Productions/2018 CD Review

  Scaphism  are  a  band  from  Boston,  Massachusetts  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Unutterable  Horrors"  which  will  be  released  in  2018  by  Horror  Pain  Gore  Death  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  the  vocals  are mostly  death  metal  growls  and  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in a   great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  songs  also  sounding  like  thew  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  than  20  years  ago  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal.

  Scaphism  plays  a  style  of  gore/death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror,  pain,  gore  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Scaphism  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  gore/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gruesome  Unmentionables  and  Unutt"  "Trepanate  The  Undesired"  and  "Hypovolemic  Purification".  8  out  of  10.  

Eye Of The Destroyer/Starved And Hanging/2018 EP Review

  Eye  Of  The  Destroyer  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  a  mixture  of  slam  death  metal  and  deathcore and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "Starving  And  Hanging"  which  will  be  released  in  2018.

  Horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  slamming  and  brutal  direction which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  screams  onto  the  recording  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  east  coast  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in a   great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Elements  of  death  and  metalcore  are  also  added  into  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  while  all  of the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal  sounding.

  Eye  Of  The  Destroyer  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  slam  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  mixes  them  together t o  create  a  sound  of t heir  own, t he  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  murder,  gore  and  cannibalism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Eye  Of  The  Destroyer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  slam  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Obsessed  With  Death"  and  "Mandatory  Bludgeoning".  8  out  of  10.  

Xenosis/Devour And Birth/2018 Full Length Review

  Xenosis  are  a  band  from  Connecticut  that  plays  a  very  melodic,  progressive  and  technical  form of  death  metal  with elements  of  groove metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  album  "Devour  And  Birth"  which  will  be  released  in  2018.

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  technical  fashion  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  prog  elements  along  with t he  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  groove  and  modern  thrash  metal  are  added  into  the  music  and  there  is  also  a  brief  intro  that  gives  the  music  more  of  a  sci-fi  atmosphere  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Xenosis  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic,  technical  and  progressive  sides  of  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  elements  of  groove and  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Xenosis  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic,  progressive  and  technical  death  metal  band  with  touches  of  modern  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Night  Hag"  "Concave"  and  "The  Projector".  8  out  of  10.  

Dead Meat/Preachers Of Gore/Vomit Your Shirt/2017 CD Review

  Dead  Meat  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  very brutal  and  guttural  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Preachers  Of  Gore"  which  was  released  by  Vomit  Your  Shirt.

  A  horror  movie  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  direction which  also  introduces  guttural  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  screams a re  also  used  at  times.

  A  great amount  of  slam  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  pig  squeals  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal.

  Dead  Meat  plays  a  style  of  slam  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  guttural  and  while  some  of  their  vocals  are  not  my  thing  they  make  up  for  it  in  brutality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  death  and  disease  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dead  Meat  are  a  very  decent  sounding  brutal  and  guttural  death  metal b and  and  if  you  are a   fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Died  With  Open  Eyes" "Fluids  From  The  Infected  Urethra"  "Preachers  Of  Gore"  and  "Killing  People".  7/5  out  of  10.  

Chronic Xorn/For These Sins Who Must Die/2017 Full Length Review

  Chronic  Xorn  are  a  band  from  India  that  plays  a  mixture  of  groove,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "For  These  Sins  Must  Die"  which  will  be  released  on  December  18th.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  with  keyboards  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  symphonic  elements  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  and  brutal  direction  which also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  riffing  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  groove  metal  and  metalcore  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads a re  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars.

  Chronic  Xorn  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  groove,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  love,  hatred,  dark  side  of  life  and  society  and  anger  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Chronic  Xorn  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  groove,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "For  These  Sins  Who  Must  Die" and  "VoxPopuli".  8  out  of  10.  

VileDriver Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit abut the band?
1. We're not your usual metal dudes. The drummer listens to a lot of free jazz, the guitarist a lot of RnB and Drum N Bass, and the singer, well, the sickest metal out there really. We get together only to bust out tunes, and rarely see each other otherwise.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?
2. I describe our musical sound as a collage of our favourite sub genres of Metal, and decorated with advanced phrasing and grooves derivative of jazz and funk.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. The lyrics are very generally about inner anguish, inner struggle, and shit-slinging against opposers.

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

4. The name VileDriver was a unanimous vote, which kind of encapsulated speed and evil, and proudly represented metal with the name and logo alone. Apparently there's a video game character in Megaman by the same name....and that's A Ok with us.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. Most of the best shows happened at our home base of Toronto, at Coalition. It's run by metal enthusiasts that attracts metalheads for every event. I think my favourite show was the most recent Ontario Death Fest 4 - Every one was up front and excited by our set, and were both friends and members of the other bands, who totally get the tech metal message. There's a YouTube video filmed by Capten Zomby that captured the first two power-packed tunes at
https://youtu.be/-MuAQcGShgc.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new release?
6. We have a CD release show Dec 15 at the Geekery in Niagara Falls, and a CD release show Jan 19 2018 at Coalition in Toronto. We aren't a touring band, so one needs to come to see us

7.The new album was released on 'CDN Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
7. I'm exasperated by how much support CDN Records gave to VileDriver, as well as Black Market assisting in the media and promotions. It's been an amazing experience working with them, and they've given Canadian metal a fighting chance

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of brutal and technical death metal?
8. Feedback has been unbelievably encouraging and positive. We're very excited not only to provide our contribution to the pond of extreme metal, but to contribute to entertain and inspire with many follow-up releases in the near future.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9. Musically we have already upped the game in respect to technicality. Songs on our first release are songs written about 3-4 years ago. We won't let anything out of the gate unless its full potential has been realized. Once we have the hook-in-your-mouth, we're going to lead faithful followers on an incredible musical journey of unexpected twists and turns, and humour. Yes humour.

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. I think generally we enjoy bands like Decapitated, Dying Fetus, Ion Dissonance, Cryptopsy, Dumpster Mummy, Origin, Nile, Mr. Bungle....those are the bands we admire.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. The drummer is a photographer and explores the visual arts. The guitarist lifts weights and very much enjoys Drum N Bass and Rnb bands. The singer brings up various species of reptiles.


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. Final thoughts are, that we very much acknowledge the listeners looking for something outside of the normal, the people with minds open enough to appreciate music that doesn't fit a normal structure. And, like free jazz, you have to let go of the control and let the music lead you on a journey. It doesn't matter if you like Mudvayne or Meshuggah.....we're all still speaking a special language, and we'll be there to continue the tradition of underground music when the underground music isn't so underground anymore.

The Last Of Lucy Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We're a Technical Death Metal with Jazz, Experimental, & Ambient elements. TLOL originally started as a Mathcore/Experimental/Death Grind 4 piece outfit from Huntington Beach California. We are now a 5 piece.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
'Ashvattha' is a story about The Tree Of Life from Hindu culture. I simply made a story about these newly arisen deity that are in search of eternal youth & enlightenment. The 3 chapters cover the beginning & end, of being thrown into this dimension where the deity are faced with adversities along the way in search of 'Ashvattha'

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Aside from the concept the remaining songs on 'Ashvattha' consist of personal experience. Your day to day feelings that we all can relate to, such as feeling appreciated, growth of knowledge, paranoia, aggression, love, & hatred.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Last Of Lucy'?
The original members derived the inspiration of the name from the movie 'Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas' being one of the Characters was named Lucy.

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've played Summer Slaughter as opening acts a couple times & we also opened for Trivium that was alot of fun. Played Tijuana, that was super sick! Any show we play we try and bring a high intensity value, We want you to move & get aggressive lose your freakin minds!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We have a CD release show happening at The Observatory in Santa Ana December 16th. No Tours planned yet. We need some Good tour mates!!!

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are interested in working with a label, no calls yet.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal and experimental music?
It's been pretty good! I'd say Asian & European countries have been the ones giving the most feedback, which they definitely love us!
When we play shows throughout the states and people see us we get a great reaction & sell merch quite often, Everyone's usually thrown off by the name at first.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
More Dark. Darkness is emerging..

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?
Wormed, Beneath The Massacre, Necrophagist, Archspire, Dillinger Escape Plan, Animals As Leaders, The Kennedy Veil, Arkaik, Inanimate Existence

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I (Josh) collect video games retro & new. Also love making beats Hip Hop & Trap. I serve up weed at a dispensary.
Gad loves serving beer up at Slater's 50/50 in Huntington Beach. We Pays for all this album shit. Lol
Brandon just plays drums everyday, and he makes dentures. pretty sick.
Ricky plays guitar & bass all day everyday at Griffdogs Studios. Christian works hard all the time & shreds with his other band Transcend The Realm!
The dudes practice their instruments nearly every fuckin day, We live this.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
THE LAST OF LUCY is very excited to bring you new music! We are already in the works of new music & cant wait to shred in front of y'all one day!

Viledriver/Primary/CDN Records/2017 CD Review

 Viledriver  are  a  band  from  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  technical  death  metal  and  progressive  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Primary"  which  will  be  released  on  December  15th  by  CDN  Records.

  Avant  garde  style  pianos  and  atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  brutal  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of t he  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  along  with  the  vocals  bringing  in a   mixture  of  death  metal  growls and  high  pitched  screams.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  progressive  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  technical  fashion  as  well  as  having  their  melodic  moments  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  throughout  the  recording  you can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses experimental  elements  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Viledriver  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  technical  death  metal  and  progressive  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Viledriver  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  technical  death  metal  and  progressive  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gnaw  Your  Tongue"  "Frightener"  and  "Your  Religion  Has  Failed  You".  8  out  of  10.

Faustian Dripfeed/Faustian Escapades/2017 EP Review

  Faustian  Dripfeed  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays a  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  f  their  self  released  2017 ep  "Faustian  Escapades".

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  faster  direction which  also  introduces  blast  beats  onto  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  along  with t he  solos  and  leads  being  done in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  riffing  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  also  being  used  briefly  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's,  electronic  music  elements  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Faustian  Dripfeed  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  melodic  death  metal  style  that  was  established  on  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Faustian  Dripfeeed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Headless  Body  In  The  Topless  Bar".  8  out  of  10.

Stercore/Eternal Sunlight/Slovak Metal Army/2017 EP Review

  Stercore  are  a  band  from  Slovakia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death,  groove  metal,  grind  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Eternal  Sunlight"  which  was  released  by Slovak Metal  Army.

  Electronic  music  elements  along  with  soem  heavy  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  growls  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  some  groove  metal  and  deathcore  elements  being  added  into t he  mid  tempo  sections  of t he  songs.

  Elements  of  grindcore  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  both  the  riffs  and  solos  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  metalcore  influences  also  being  used  at  times  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also be  heard.

  Stercore  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death,  groove  metal,  grind  and  deathcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Stercore  are a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  death,  groove  metal,  grind  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flower  Of  The  Concrete"  "Aurora  Borealis"  and  "Breed".  7/5  out  of  10. 

  

Torso Murder Interview

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

For those who haven't checked us out yet we're a brutal metal band from Cleveland Ohio formed by a group of people who are totally sick of all the usual bullshit watered down "metal" in our local area. We just figured let's try to create something original that sounds like us and our influences.

2.Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical style that is presented on the recording?

 A mixture of death metal, djent, mathcore and a little bit of thrash and prog basically if you were to take our individual influences and throw them into a blender thats kinda what came out in the recording. I think the recording is a good representation of the band but it's nothing compared to what will come.

3.Both the band name and song lyrics have a concept to them involving a serial killer from the 1930's, can you tell s a little bit more about the story?

 In a nutshell the Cleveland torso murders took place between 1935 and 1938 during which time there were 12 murders with only 2 of the victims ever being positively identified making this one of the most gruesome yet interesting unsolved crimes in American history. It was one the only case that Elliot Ness never solved.

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

As a band we haven't been playing shows all that long; however, that being said I would say that our album release was one of our best shows in terms of performance and on stage presence. Also our first show was really cool it was so fun to get out and play these songs. On stage you can expect the typical metal stuff everyone Moving, headbanging and everything loud as Fuck.

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

Right we are staying in our region playing a few shows as in our A December To Dismember show in Youngstown Ohio Dec. 2nd and Our next show is in Cleveland at The Foundry January 13th. We will be hitting some tour action Summer/Fall 2018.

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

Currently we are not looking for a label. These days the music business in shambles and we believe no label would give us an offer that would be worth taking. That being said, we do plan on looking eventually, but on our terms. Till then, we will continue to run independently.

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

Feedback has been really good. I think most people are surprised once they get past the name and listen to the music. They are expecting some typical death metal band, and get slapped in the ear hole by Torso Murder.

8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects?

Yes. Mark Moats is also a Bass player for the band Orwellian as well as vocals/keys for a symphonic project called Inherently Lost about to be released in 2018.
Aaron O'dell(Bass) is a very talented guitar player and is about to release a Solo album in 2018.
Justin Ricci(Guitar) Plays Bass in the the band Trephine.

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

We look to progress our sound and refine it moving forward. Fans can expect our sound to get far more diverse and technical compared to our 1st release. We don't want to take steps backwards or even lateral. We intend on becoming better and better as we move forward with our art.

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?

Collectively we are all into very different music. Our inspirations have came anywhere from Mr. Bungle, Cradle of Filth, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Meshuggah, Vision of Disorder, HateBreed, Opeth, Between the buried and me, Cannibal Corpse, Heaven Shall Burn, all the way to mozart, huey lewis and the news, After The Burial, prince, Pink Floyd, pig destroyer, Devin Townsend, wu tang, zao, White Chapel the list goes on but we listen to pretty much everything. Djent, black metal, death metal, jazz, r&b, fusion, Caribbean, rap, hip hop, country, industrial, rock, classical and so on

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Our non musical interest include graphic design, painting, video games, drinking beers, smoking, whiskey, horrible Cleveland Browns football, firearms, serial killers, cartoons and chicken wings.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
.
Our closing words would be this... we work really hard and spend a lot of our hard earned money to make our music and art. Almost all bands do. Especially in metal where the market is saturated. That being said, be it us or another band please support your local scene. Buy their merch, come out to their shows and share how you feel about the bands you love. We make our music for ourselves because we love it and hope to share it with as many willing to participate.

Death On Fire/Witch Hunter/2018 Full Length Review

  Death  On  Fire  are  a  solo  project  from Wisconsin  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  album  plays  a  very  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  with  some  elements  of  classical  and  jazz  fusion  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Witch  Hunter"  which  will  be  self  released  in  2018.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  groove  metal  style  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem.

  A  great  amount  of  modern  thrash elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  clean  guitars  bring  in  elements  of  jazz  fusion  and  classical  music  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Death  On  Fire  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  melodic  mixture  of  death,  groove  and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  humorous  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Death  On  Fire  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death,  groove  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Witch  Hunter"  "Betrayal"  and  "American  Scum".  8  out  of  10.      

Frakasm/Century Of Decline/Great Dane Records/2017 CD review

  Frakasm  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Century  Of  Decline"  which  was  released  by  Great  Dane  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  screams  as  well  a s the  riffs  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  A  lot  of  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  than  20  years  ago  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  always  remains  heavy.

  Frakasm  plays  a  style  of  gore/death  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  early  90's  era  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  religion,  hatred,  war,  extinction,  death  and  despotism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Frakasm  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  gore/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cerebral  Torture"  "Inferni  Gloria"  and  "In  The  Womb".  8  out  of  10.     

Burial Chamber/Ripping The Dead/2017 Full Length Review

  Burial  Chamber  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Ripping  The  Dead".

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  the  music  being  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  east  coast  death  metal  as  well  as  the  music  always  remaining  very  heavy  and  brutal  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  instrumental.

  Burial  Chamber  plays  a  style  of  gore/death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  old  school,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  gore  and  torture  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Burial  Chamber  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  gore/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Corpse  Mutilation"  "Lobotomize  Infected  Beings"  and  "Feed  on  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.

The Last Of Lucy/Ashvattha/2017 Full Length Review

  The  Last  Of  Lucy  are  a  band  from Huntington  Beach,  California  that  plays  an  experimental  mixture  of  technical  death  metal,  grind  and  mathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Ashbattha".

  Ambient  style  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  brutal  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  high pitched  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  solos and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  technical  fashion  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  both  the  atmospheric  and  heavy  parts  together  at  times.

  Clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  saxophones  when  they  are  utilized  bring  in  elements  of  jazz  music  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  they  music  gets  very  experimental  and  as  the album  progresses  influences  of  groove  metal,  mathcore  and  technical  grindcore  are  added  into  the  music. 

  The  Last  Of  Lucy  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  brutal  and  technical  form  of  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  elements  of  math,  grindcore,  groove  metal,  ambient,  jazz  and  experimental  music  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Last  Of  Lucy  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  technical  death  metal,  grind  and  mathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chapter  II  Odyssey"  "Obsidian  Archetype"  and  "Agarttha".  8  out  of  10.

Torso Murder/Self Titled/2017 Full Length Review

  Torso  Murder  are  a  band  from  Cleveland, Ohio  that  plays  a  mixture  of  djent,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2017  album.

  A  horror  movie  orientated  synth  intro  starts  off  the  album  and  spoken  word  samples  are  also  used  briefly  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls and  angry  screams.

  Elements  of  djent  and  deathcore  can  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  can  be  heard  as  well  as  some  progressive  elements.

  Torso  Murder  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  djent,  deathcore  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sound s very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  based  upon  the  murders  in  the  1930's  done  by  a  serial  killer  that  was  also  known  as  the  Torso  Murder.

  In  my  opinion  Torso  Murder  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  djent,  deathcore  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Suspended  In  Mind"  "Lady  Of  The  Lake"  and  "Filling  The  Void  With  Corpses".  8  out  of  10.    

Mecalimb/XIII/WormHoleDeath Records/2017 CD Review

  Mecalimb  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "VIII"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Bell  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast,  heavy  and  melodic  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  grim  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  modern  thrash  and  groove  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard and  one  track  also  introduces  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording.

  Mecalimb  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  melodic  death  metal  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  modern  thrash  and  groove  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  and  life  struggle  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mecalimb  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  death,  groove  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Headless  Existence"  "No  End"  "I  See  Dead  People"  ad  "Nothing".  8  out  of  10.

    

Myth Of A Life/Chimera/Sleaszy Rider Records/2017 EP Review

 

  Myth  Of  A  Life  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017 ep  "Chimera"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  and  also  gives  the  recording  an  atmosphere  of  a  horror  movie  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  direction  which  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  Swedish  style  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  before  adding  in  death  metal  growls  and  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  chaotic  fashion  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  at  times  the  music  adds  in  a  touch  of  modern  extreme  metal.

  Myth  Of  A  Life  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  melodic  death  metal  style  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Myth  Of  A  Life  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chimera"  and  "The  True  Face  Of  Death".  8  out  of  10.    

Drawn And Quartered/Feeding Hell's Furnace/Krucyator Productions/2017 Cassette Re-Issue Review

  Drawn  And  Quartered  are  a band  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  dark  and  blasphemous  form  of  death  metal with a  blackened  edge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Feeding  Hell's  Furnace"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  cassette  in  December  2017  by  Krucyator  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  screams  that  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  the  fast  riffs  also  bring  in a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  When  guitar solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  chaotic  old  school death  metal  fashion  as  well  as  having  their  melodic  moments  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  always  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal.

  On  this  recording  Drawn  And  Quartered  remained  true  to  the  dark,  blasphemous  and  brutal  style  of  death  metal  that  they  are  known  for,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  murder,  torture  and  anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Drawn  And  Quartered  and  if  you  are a   fan  of  dark,  blasphemous  and  brutal  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Feeding  Hell's  Furnace"  "Horde  Of  Leviathan"  "Cryptic  Consecrations" and  "Seeds  Of  Insanity".  8  out  of  10. 

   

Asphodelos Interview

Stephan: Vocals Adrian: Guitars

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?

Stephan: No rest for the wicked. We’re continuing to write new stuff and have already started playing new songs on our shows.
Adrian: I want to add, that in „Black Sunset – a Division of MDD Records“ we found a reliable partner and label. Cooperation has been a real joy so far.

2. Recently you have released your first full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the ep's you have released in the past?
Stephan: I think as a band we all have grown over the past few years in what we do, and this is reflected in “The Five Rivers of Erebos”. One of our focuses is to make longer songs more diverse. Harmonious variety is in our eyes especially important when writing them. Looking back at the EP “To the Grounds of Everwhite” there’s more black metal influence in most of our songs now, making the themes of our songs more distinctive and deeper. Also the vocals have evolved over the past years.
Adrian: All in all the music became more dark and melancholic. For me as songwriter it reflects also my personal taste of music and its genesis. But besides all new influences Death Metal is still the essence of what we do.

3.This is your first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
Stephan: Well, we had a little break right in the middle being caused by work and studies in different cities. As to the rest, we wrote a few more songs but we couldn’t really get to like them as much as we’ve hoped. So we rewrote some of them or dropped them entirely – maybe not forever but for now at least. Our main focus was to find out what we want to do as a band and to play a few shows.
Adrian: One problem was that I studied in Leipzig and the band is situated in Jena. It's not a big deal to get there but social environment changes when you live in different cities. And there were also times when we had to ask each other if it's still a good idea to keep the band alive. But after I moved back we lit the spark again and now here we are.

4.Some of your lyrics cover Greek Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
Stephan: Polytheistic religions are overall interesting because believers have a wider range of entities they can cast blame on haha. The stories around the Greek mythology however often reflect issues or topics that can easily be transferred onto our everyday life and they are intrinsically exciting story-wise. The struggle and the tales we found ourselves confronted with are more often than not also described in the tales of gods and monsters. It makes a great and interesting canvas to write songs on.
Adrian: I think Greek mythology and philosophy and many aspects of antique, Hellenic culture build a basis in many ways for Europe and the world. And so it's really exciting to engage with their mythology, because that reflects how people though, felt and struggled. And it's even more exciting to see analogies in today’s life. But as you mentioned in the question, the mythological topic is just one of many topics we deal with in our songs.


5.Originally the band was known as 'Hatred Within', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Asphodelos'?
Stephan: Before we re-named the band to Asphodelos back in 2010, we realized a change in songwriting and lyrics. They’ve become deeper and darker. There was a change from almostmetalcore-ish influences to death metal and black metal. Hence, we couldn’t identify us with the name “Hatred Within” anymore.
The name Asphodelos describes a part of the Greek underworld – the Asphodel Meadows. Its grounds are covered with Asphodels – a flower as pale as death – which was often used in Wreaths covering graves. It's where ordinary souls are sent after their death to relive their daily grind for all eternity. We found this to be a monument to make something out of your life and to try as hard as you can to surpass yourself. Otherwise you’re just caught in between all your possibilities.
Adrian: I found the word in an historic novella in 2010. When I read about its meaning and different facets, I recognized that it's a perfect description for something existing between life and death. It's kind of a medium that connects the dead and the living, as in mythology so in real life.

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?
 Stephan: I think there’s something about all of them we could mention. But for me there are two I like to remember: The first one was Metal March in 2012. It was a free entry metal concert and we played as the headliner. The crowd was amazing and the sound was great. With roundabout 500 metalheads in front of us it was our first gig that big.
The second one was the recent Zwiebel Assault in Weimar this year where we played with Master. We had a blast with the people in front of us, the resonance from them was really great and the sound was good too.
Performance-wise I think the main theme is just to let loose from everything else and just go with the music.
Adrian: Every gig had its own story. Some more suitable to be remembered, some less. But Zwiebel Assault was really a nice experience to play in front of more than 1000 people, what we usually not do every weekend. I was told for years to be stiff like a tree on stage. But rumors said it changed a little. Of course performance is an aspect that can create a special atmosphere between band and audience but for me it's also very important to play the music on a good level – even drunk and shitfaced, haha.

7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Adrian: We have some shows for 2018 and some more are in the making. We will see what the release of our debut will bring.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death and thrash metal?
Stephan: Well “worldwide” would be great wouldn’t it hehe? Let’s just say after every gig we usually stay to drink something and to watch the other bands. And while doing so we come to talk to a few of the guests. And so far the feedback was cool.
Adrian: I have friends all around the globe that like our music but I wouldn't call that „worldwide level“, haha. But as Stephan mentioned the feedback after shows is usually positive. Nevertheless, we appreciate all kinds of feedback.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Stephan: We continue to watch for diversity in our songs – for us and for the listeners. If something you hear keeps on exciting you, it can go on forever.
Adrian: I wrote most of the riffs except the guitar solos. And our music is always a reflection of what I'm listening to. I don't have concrete plans to develop our music in a special direction. The most important thing is that music is authentic and helps us to express ourselves where words fail.

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?
Stephan: Regarding the vocals I have no idea. Writing Lyrics is something that is mostly influenced by books I read. In my youth I read many Books by Scott McGough and something about how he wrote I might have adapted in how I write the songs. The content of the lyrics is produced by current events, everyday life, something that moves you, you know?

Nowadays, as of right now, I mostly listen to Corroded, Diablo, Dissection, Disbelief and from time to time some Frank Sinatra.
Adrian: For me it's not only Metal that influenced or still influences me. Inspiration can be found in so many other kinds of music. It's not about a specific style it's about sharing something, an idea, a feeling, a dream, a fear. But for my personal genesis bands like Dismember, Immortal, Dissection, Grave, Dark Funeral but also Iron Maiden and Metallica inspired me to make music.

11. What are some of your non-musical interests?
Stephan: I like to socialize, more often than not that involves a certain amount of booze haha. I like to hang out with friends and be with my family. But I also cherish solitude. Reading books, writing lyrics, playing some computer games ... I used to do sports but can’t remember when I stopped. Soo…..Pizza?
Adrian: Talking crap, getting wasted sometimes, playing playstation and yeah... just common things, you know?

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Stephan: Hey Mom! I’m in an interview!
Adrian: Support the Underground! Go to local concerts and support the scene! And Hails to all our friends in Rogash and Infest (Serbia)!