Squidhead/Cult[ist]/Phenix Promotion/2018 CD Review

  Squidhead  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  modern  and  melodic  mixture  of  death  metal  and  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Cult[ist]"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Phenix  Promotion.

  A  sci-fi  orientated  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  a  few  seconds  later which  are  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  that  are  very  easy  to  understand  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  progressive  and  technical  fashion.

  All of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  elements  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  both  the  leads  and  riffs  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Squidhead  expands  on  their  modern  and  melodic  style  of  death  metal b y  adding  in  more  industrial  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  writings  of H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Squidhead  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  industrial,  modern  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Abyssal  Worshipers"  "Lucid  Nightmares"  and  "Torn  Skies".  8  out  of  10.



  

Cadaver Putrefacto/La Maldicion del Zombi Errante/Brutal Records/2018 CD Review

  Cadaver  Putrefacto  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  very  brutal,  old  school  and  guttural  form  of  gore/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "La  Maldicion  del  Zombi"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Brutal  Records.

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  guttural  death  metal  growls.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  stick  to  a  very  chaotic  and  old  school  death  metal  style  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  screams  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  some  of  the riffing  also  beings  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  as  well  as some  modern  elements  also  being  used  at  times  and  the  music  always remains  very  heavy  and  brutal.

  Cadaver  Putrefacto  plays  a  style  of  brutal  death  metal  that  has  a  lot  of  90's  influences  while  also  capturing  some  of  the  more  modern  guttural  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  horror,  gore  and  deprivation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cadaver  Putrfacto  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal,  old  school  and  guttural  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sangriento  Frenesi"  "Gerontofilia"  "Cadaver  Putrefacto"  and  "La  Evolucion  Del  Dolor".  8  out  of  10.



 



      

Beyond The Styx interview

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

A lot of work, we're a DIY band you know.
We're doing mor than 69% by our own: to the booking of our upcoming tour to the the merch design, via our new abum preorders.

It's a long process. But as they say: "No pain. No gain."



2.You have a new album coming out near the end of February, 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 have fundamentally evolved musically over the last 3 years.

The live forge a lot of things. Even we're always the same I think ... Our way of sounding has changed.

The departure of Anthony (former - lead guitar) for his side project: AO, related to our desire to perform a music ever more hardcore and much more catchy for live (whatever the kind of venue where we perform); necessarily influenced the composition of this album.

We want to share more than just music with our audience. We have something else to say and to interact with them. Hardcore is definitely more than music.

The meetings that we have been doing in recent years have revolutionized the way we compose music: more raw, more incise, more violent. Like the world around us.

The arrival of Victor (lead guitar) combined with the experience of David (rhythm guitar) gives a kind of 90's Hardcore Metal crossover in our musical expression, combined with our respectives fields of influences: Death Metal Oldschool, Hardcore Modern, Metalcore Oldschool and even Mathcore ...

Our progressive and modern influences belong to the past, now.





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

"STIIGMA" addresses various crucial issues in this dark period of our history, such as: the arms race, the animal cause, the migration crisis, the media trap, the hypocrisy of international politics, the dystopia ...

So many topics that continue to animate the insatiable flow of this torrent of energy!

Take a look to our lyrics, that's definitely less metaphorical than during Leviathanima.

It is no longer time for us to hide.





4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Beyond The Styx'?

This is not the first (nor the last time) that I am asked this question.

It is not a nostalgic mythological delirium as many people tend to believe ... It's more a kind of philosophy: "Who are we? Where we stand on the border of the two worlds that split the Styx? Are we dying people waiting for the living or the living waiting to die?"

A whole lot of questions related to what makes the essence of our beings: life and death.





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?

The best shows are often the most surprising.

Places where you do not expect much and where the alchemy between the crowd and the band suddenly takes shape.

In France regions such as Brittany or Alsace have offered us some nice surprises in this area. For overseas, Holland where we have a little over turned by the past we had also reserved a warm welcome!

Describe our shows?

A French expression says: "We can not be at the window and watch the world go".

It would be best to take the step and come to our meeting on stage.

One of the best live reviews I read was describing us as "a torrent of energy". I think that introduces us rather well. For the rest, I'm waiting for you!





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

To be sincere: yes!

More in France, that goes without saying...
Already more than twenty gigs and several festivals of national fame. Take a look at the "STIIGMA TOUR 2018".

And if not a few touches in Europe for the end of the year, probably even festivals for 2019 ... Hope this will happen by then. We look forward to defending STIIGMA beyond our borders!





7.The new album is coming out on 3 different labels, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

It's not exactly that.

Let's say that Klonosphere is indeed our national label, but our physical distribution is mainly through Season Of Mist (which did not sign us).

Regarding Diorama records, it's a different story. That of a beautiful meeting between hardcore metal fans. They are the worldwide distribution of our new album in tape format from Indonesia.

An exceptional country that we are looking forward to discover ...





8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metalcore and deathcore?

We have very good returns from America, Germany and Japan where we already sell, even if we can not still tour there for now.

England, Canada, Indonesia, Spain and Eastern Europe are also quite present in streaming ...

I don't think we talk a lot to deathcore fans, we don't have deathcore technicals codes or deathcore bands values. We leave that to others.

We are a hybrid "hardore metal" band, metalcore if it's easier for some ...
But the Metalcore (just like the post Hardcore) have been soiled by years of mainstream stereotypes, and the simple fact of evoking these music genres now causes me nausea.

Even if fortunately for us some bands still ardently defend the essence of this extreme music.

I think finally, that we address ourselves not only to the aficionados "deathcore" and "metalcore", the returns of the audience in gigs proves it to us.

We are speaking more to the passionate about live music than to the fans of media appearances.





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

As I have said in the past, most likely in something harder, ever more violent, dark, incisive, groovy and exacerbated.

The "powerful and corrupt" men of our society don't do each other any favors, they reassure themselves. We neither!

The experimental will always have a place to play in BTSTYX ...

We do not want to lock ourselves in the shackles of Hardcore Metal. But when simple things sound, nothing serves to make it more complicated as long as it remains spontaneously heavy. That's Rock!





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

Lots of things...

We are 5 members with tastes and colors of literally different influences ...

If I had to summarize in only about ten groups our few common influences over the last 3 years, I would spontaneously say: Harms Way, Hatebreed, Sworn Enemy, Walls Of Jericho, Nasty, Orange Code, Sepultura, Knocked Loose, Power Trip, Cancer Bats, Slayer ...

Outside the fields of extreme music, we really listen to everything from classical to hip-hop music.

Not to mention our disproportionate passion for the flute and the music of the 80s.





11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We are a team of teachers and social workers ...

We are therefore necessarily activists, because of our professionals activities.

News, the social divide, geopolitics, ecology, the animal cause ...

And more relaxing things for the mind: fantastic, horror and comedy cinema, good food (vegetarian especially!), video games, mangas, comics ... With a lot of dark humor on the road.





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

Support the difference & the different forms of artistic expressions.

Don't be subdued by the medias.

Open your mind. Support your local scene.

Hardcore is more than just music. Together we can everything!

See you soon on tour!

Kingdom/Putrescent Remains Of Dead Ground/Godz Of War Productions/2018 CD Review

  Kingdom  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  blasphemous  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Putrescent  Remains  Of  Dead  Ground"  which  will  be  released  in March  by  Godz  of  War  Productions.

  Melodic  riffing  along  with  some  grim  black  metal s creams  starts  off  the  album   while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  A  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  having  their  guttural  moments  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard,  one  of  the  tracks  is  an  instrumental  and one  tack  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Immortal's  "Blashyrkh".

  On  this  recording  Kingdom  expands  on  their  blasphemous  style  of  death  metal  by  adding  in  more  black  metal  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  death,  darkness,  blasphemy  and  anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Kingdom  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  blasphemous  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Walls  Of  Askalon"  "Black  Light  To  The  Rotten  Wombs  Of  Disgrace"  and  "Karma  Slayer".  8  out  of  10.

Battlesword/Banners Of Destruction/2016 CD Review

  Battlesword  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  melodic form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Banners  Of  Destruction".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  easy  to  understand  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  screams  are  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  as  well  as  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  a  brief instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Battlesword  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  is  more  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  instead  of  the  more  modern  form  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self released  recording  while  the lyrics  cover  death  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Battlesword  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spirit  To  The  Flesh"  "Grave  New  World"  "Left  For  The  Vultures"  and  "Enemy  Divine".  8  out  of  10.

Mors Subita Interview

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

First of all, we went through a quite long process of finding a label for the upcoming album. After we shook hands with Inverse Records, we´ve been working hard on the release of the album, producing video material, organizing the upcoming shows etc.

All in all, it´s going great at the moment and we´re very excited about the new material and the fact that we get to hit the stages again.

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

It´s more melodic than its predecessors for sure. I am constantly trying to find the perfect balance between beautiful melodies and aggressive riffs and I think this time it worked out better than ever before. The album as a whole is more solid which is probably due to the fact that the band as its current line up since 2014.

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

Mostly life in general; human fates, personal struggles etc. Our lyrics tend to lean towards the darker side of life but there´s also hope amongst all the suffering.

4.I know that the bands name means 'Sudden Death' in Latin, how does this name fit in with the musical style you play?

Very well I think. It hits you when you least expect it.

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?

After our previous album we got to play the biggest heavy metal stage in Finland in Tuska Open Air. I think that was one of the best experiences so far. We are very energetic on stage and we try to exchange that energy with the audience as much as possible.

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

Yes, first we tour Finland in april and may and then in the end of may we head to Japan with Turisas, Beast In Black and a few other bands. Then it´s time for the summer festivals. We are releasing the finnish show dates soon.

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

Very good. Both previous albums had great reviews and the overall feedback has awesome. I hope we will continue on the same route with our new album.

8.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?

Wolfheart is preparing to record its 3rd album. Thyrane is playing some shows in Finland. Funeral for the Masses is working on new material. Eternal tears of Sorrow is on a hiatus for now.

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

All killers no fillers.


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?

Everyone in our band has their own go-to bands but I think that for many of us the 90´s melodeath sound has been a big influence. Nowadays we listen to all types of music. For me it varies from extreme deathmetal to fusion jazz.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Cars.

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

If you want our band to continue making music, pre-order our album and come to our shows.

Pungent Stench/"Club Mondo Bizarre" For Members Only/Dissonance Productions/2018 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Austria's  Pungent  Stench  which  showed  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  death'n'roll  direction  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1994  and  was  called  "Club  Mondo  Bizarre"  For  Members  Only"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  March  of  2018  by  Dissonance  productions  and  the  newer  version  has  live  tracks  recorded  in  1992.

  Groove  orientated  riffs  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  70's  rock  influenced  guitar  leads  while  the  death  metal  growls  are  very  easy  to  understand  along  with  some  blast  beats  when  the  music  speeds  up  as  well  a s spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  bass  guitars  are  used  as  a  lead  instrument  along  with  the  songs  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced   direction  and  some  songs  still  show  some  of  the  bands  more  grindcore  influenced  past  while  one  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of melodic  vocals  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  funk  rock  and  the  live  tracks  consists  of  songs  from  the  first  2  full  lengths  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Carnivore's  "Race  War".

  On  this  recording  Pungent  Stench  went  for  more  of  a  style  that  could  be  referred  to  as  death'n'roll  and  where  also  pioneers  of  this  genre  which  other  bands  over  the  years  would  take  into  a  different  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  perversion,  gore,  depravity  and  sick  humour  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Pungent  Stench  and  will  longtime  fans  may  already  own  this  recording  I  would  recommend  it  to  younger  people  who  missed out  on  this  album  when  it  was  released  more  than  20  years  ago.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "True  Life'  "I,m  A  Family  Man"  "In  The  Search  Of  The  Perfect  Torture"  and  "Fuck  Bizarre".  8  out  of  10.

   

Pungent Stench/Dirty Rhymes And Psychotronic Beats/Dissonance Productions/2018 EP Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Austria's  Pungent  Stench  which  was released  in  1993  and  called  "Dirty  Rhymes  And  Psychortronic  Beats"  which  was  an  ep  consisting  of  a  couple  of  original,  re=mixes  and  covers  and  the  re-issue  will  be  released  in  March  by  Dissonance  Productions  which  also  adds  a  few  live  tracks  recorded  in  1993.

 A  horror  movie  orientated  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  a  few  seconds  later before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  is  also  influenced  by  70's  rock  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  easy  to  understand  death metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  they  also  bring  in  Warning  and  Mentors  covers,  goth  rock  style  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  techno  and  electronic  music  elements.

 At  times  the  bass  guitars  are  used  as  a  lead  instruments  at  times along  with  the  riffs  also bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  groove,  the  bonus  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  is  also  a  power  ballad  which  also b rings  in  clean  male  and  female  vocals  and  the  live  tracks  where  recorded  in  1993.

  On  this  recording  Pungent  Stench  still  was  mostly  influenced  by  death  metal  and  grindcore  mostly  but  also  get  more  experimental  and  changed  their  style  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  perversion,  depravity,  gore  and  sick  humour  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was a   very  great  sounding  recording  from  Pungent  Stench  and  while  it  was  not  quite  as  a  good  as  their  previous  release,  it  was  still  a  good  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Why  Can  The  Bodies  Fly"  and  "Horny  Little Piggie  Bank".  8  out  of  10.   

  

Pungent Stench/Been Caught Buttering/Dissonance Productions/2018 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Austria's  Pungent  Stench  which  kept  a  lot  of  the  death  metal  and  grindcore  style  of t heir  previous  releases  while  also  adding  in  more  catchy  and  memorable  songs  this  time  around  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1991  and  called  "Been  Caught  Buttering"  and  the  re-issue  will  be  released  in  March  by  Dissonance  Productions  and  also  brings  in  a  couple  of  bonus  studio  songs  and  a  few  live  tracks  from  1991.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal growls  a  few  seconds  later  which  are  also  very  easy  to  understand  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  as  well  as  the  solos  being  done  in  a  very  raw  fashion.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  tracks  also  showing  both  the  riffs  and  leads  incorporating  more  groove  which  almost  sounds  like  stoner  rock  which  was  not  really  a  genre  in  those  days,  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  on  some  tracks  the  bass  guitars  also  bring  in  some  leads  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  70's  influences  can  also  be heard  and  all  of  the  live  tracks  where  from  their  earlier  material. 

  On  this  recording  Pungent  Stench  kept  mostly  to  a  death  metal  and  grindcore  style  while  showing  a  great  amount  of  progress,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  perversion,  depravity,  gore  and  sick  humour  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Pungent  Stench  and  while  most  long  time  fans  have  the  original  version  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  death  metal  and  grindcore  fans  that  have  not  heard this  classic.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shrunken  And  Mummified  Bitch"  "Brainpan  Blues"  "Sputter  Supper" and  "Splatterday  Night  Fever".  8/9 out  of  10.  

Pungent Stench/For God Your Soul...For Me Your Flesh/Dissonance Productions/2018 Double CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Austria's  Pungent  Stench  which  continues  the  grindcore  and  death  metal  mixture  of  the  demo's  and  splits  but  also  showing  more  progress  as  musicians  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1990  and  called  "For  God  Your  Soul..For  me  Your  Flesh"  which  will be  re-issued  in March  2018  by  Dissonance  Productions  and  the  re-issue  is  a  double  album  consisting  of  the  original  version,  the  1993  remastered  version  and  a  couple  of  live  shows  from  1989.

  A  horror  movie  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a   very  dark  yet  chaotic  fashion along  with  the  faster  sections  of the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  Open  note  riffing  is  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  bass  guitars  also  being  used  as  a  lead  instrument  at  times  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  start  utilizing  more  groove  and  the  live  tracks  demonstrate  a  more  raw  style and  the  re-mastered  version  also  brings  in  a  more  professional  sounding  production  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts.

  On  this  recording  Pungent  Stench  kept  their  grindcore  elements  while  the  death  metal  influences  started  having  a  more  dominant  presence  on  this  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  perversion,  gore  and  sick  humour  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Pungent  Stench  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hypnos"  "Pungent  Stench"  "Blood,  Pus  And  Gastric  Juice"  and  "A  Small  Lunch".  8  out  of  10.   

Pungent Stench/First Recordings/Dissonance Productions/2018 CD Compilation Review

  Pungent  Stench  where  a  band  from  Austria  that  started  out  in  more  of  a  grindcore  and death  metal  mixture  style  before  evolving with  later  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  compilation  album  "First  Recordings"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Dissonance  productions  and  consists  of  material  recorded  between  the  mid  80's  to  early  90's.

  Distorted  amp  sounds  start  off  the  compilation  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  along  with  death  metal  growls  also  being  introduced  onto  the  recording  while  the  bass  guitars a re  also  used  as  a  lead  instruments  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  be  heard.

  Screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  bass  guitars  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  funk  elements  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  the  mid  80's  style  of  death  metal  and  as  the  compilation  progresses  horror  movie  samples  can  be  heard  briefly  and  they  also  bring  in  some  live  tracks.

  On  this  compilation  Pungent  Stench  seemed  to  be  more  in  a  grindcore  style  while  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements  are  utilized  as  well  as  the  music  being  more  raw  than  later  material,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics cover  gore, perversion  and  sick  humour  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Pungent  Stench  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pulsating  Protoplasma"  "Festered Offals"  "Embalmed  in Sulfuric  Acid"  and  "Extreme  Deformity".  8  out  of  10.

      

Bloodhunter/The End Of Faith/Xtreem Music/2017 CD Review

  Bloodhunter  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  End  Of  Faith"  which  was  released  by  Xtreem  Music.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  adding  in  a  touch  of  thrash.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  be  heard  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental,  one  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  movie  samples  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Death's  "Crystal  Mountain".

  Bloodhunter  plays  a  style  of  melodic  death  metal  that  s  very  modern  but also  heavily  influenced  by  the  old  school  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodhunter  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  "The  End  Of  Faith"  "The  Queen  Beast"  "Spirits  Of  Sin"  and  "Possessed  by  Myself".  8  out  of  10.    

Teratoma 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 ep?
- Greetings, thanks for the interest in our band. Since we finished the recording of "In the inside ... Reborn the flesh" we got down to work on composing new songs for a next job and also preparing some songs for the next shows .

2.In December you had released an ep, 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 don’t think the sound of this new EP varies much from our previous work. Of course, there is a little evolution in these years but they will find the sound of Teratoma, death metal with riffs influenced by grindcore and brutal death metal, the sound of the first years of death metal, basically.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band covered on the new release?
- Our lyrics are created by our singer. They have, almost always, dealt with issues of human suffering, the dark and morbid side of society, the cruelty of the church and some lyrics based on old horror films, all taken to the extreme.

4.The band was broken up for 14 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
- The year 2002 was a difficult year, a few days before starting the recording of what would have been the second album of the band, our guitarrist Juanma was leaving the band. Consequently that recording did not go forward as the band wanted and we completely undid that recording. The bandmates entered a state of discouragement that caused the split-up. A great question, the return of the band (..... laughs); one day, we met again at a birthday party and the beer did the rest…we had spoken many times but nothing serious until that day.

5.Originally the band was called 'Suffering', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Teratoma'?
- Well, actually the band started to call itself Teratoma, but we were not convinced by that name and we decided to change it to Suffering. But this change did not last, there were too many groups called suffering and we went back to our old name. It seems a typical story but the name was taken from the medical book of a relative of a member of the band, it seemed a rather hard name for a death metal band.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has payed over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
- In our history we have had many performances that we have enjoyed. We would not know to  pick one in particular, there have been many anecdotes (... laughs) and we have always enjoyed the bands we have shared the stage with; we always try to unload all our rage on our shows and try to be intense and crushing.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
- Of course, we are preparing some shows but we can not advance anything since they are being closed and also the participation in some summer festival as the "Move your fucking brain" in Spain.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of brutal death metal and grindcore?
- They have always been very positive, luckily, a lot of people likes the music of the band. It has always been better outside of our country but that is something normal here in Spain.
9.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
- As I already mentioned, since the recording of our EP was finished we have started the composition of new songs with the intention of editing a new album maybe before the end of this year. We hope to continue enjoying playing our music, work hard on it without setting too many goals to reach.

10.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?
- Our influences are the ones we've always had, we're unoriginal in that (... laughs) the old thrash, death metal and grindcore bands of the 80s and 90s of course, Sodom, Bolt thrower, Inmolation, incantation, Death and many more. But from the new bands we like, they are not really an influence for us, at least, we do not see it that way.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
- Each of us has their own tastes in music, horror movies, videogames, football  and others sport games... Some of us have children and most of the time it takes time to be with our families.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
- First of all, thank you for this interview and the interest in our band, thanks also to the readers and we hope you like our music and, above all, that you buy the originals and support the bands live shows.

Beyond The Styx/Stiigma/Klonosphere/Season of Mist Distribution/Diorama Records/2018 CD Review

  Beyond  The  Styx  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  metalcore  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Stiggma"  which  will  be  released  on  February  23rd  as  a  joint  effort  between  Klonosphere,  Season  of  Mist  Distribution  and  Diorma  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  metalcore  sound  starts off  the  album  along  with  some  angry  hardcore  style  vocals  which  also  use  death  metal  growls  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  as  well  as  the  mid  tempo  sections  of the  songs  bringing  in  elements  of  deathcore.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  elements  of  thrash  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  piano  but  gets  back  to  being  heavier  for  the  remaining  of  the  recording.

  Beyond  The  Styx  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  deathcore  and  metalcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Beyond  The  Styx  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  deathcore  and  metalcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Poison  IV"  "Danse  Macabre"  "Lightmare"  and  "Checkfate".  7/5  out  of  10.

Formis/Chaozium/Defense Records/2017 CD Review

  Formis  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  on  this  recording  starts  incorporating  more   black  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Chaozium"  which  was  released  by  Defense  Records.

  Heavy  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  being  a  thrash  style  singing  and  death  metal  growls  as well  as  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  old  school  style.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  they  bring  in  a touch  of  black  metal.

  On  this  recording  Formis  sticks  to  the  old  school  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  while  also  getting  more  black  metal  influenced  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sadness  and  pestilence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding from  Formis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal ,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skaven"  "Epigon"  and  "Chaozium".  8  out  of  10.

Sodomized Cadaver/Verses Of Vorarephilia/Immortal Souls Productions/2017 Compilation Abum Review

  Sodomized  Cadaver  are  a  band  from  Wales  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  gore/death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  compilation  album  "Verses  Of  Vorarephilia"  which  was  released  by  Immortal  Souls  Productions  and  consists  of  their  2014  and  16  ep's.

  A  horror  movie  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  compilation  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  at  times  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a very  dark  fashion.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  screams  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  compilation  progresses  an  instrumental  can  also  be  heard  as  well  a s a  brief  use  of  horror  movie  style  synths  and  Gregorian  chants  but  keeping  the  main  focus  on a   more  heavy  and  brutal  style.

  Sodomized  Cadaver  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is very  brutal  as  well  as  being  influenced  by  both  the  old  school  and  modern  forms  of the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  gore  and  sickness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sodomized  Cadaver  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cannibal  Butcher"  "Weapons  Of  Mass  Decomposition"  "Half  Dead  Burial"  and  "Raped  By  Ebola".  8  out  of  10.

    

Teratoma/In The Inside...Reborn The Flesh/Immortal Souls Productions/2017 EP Review

  Teratoma  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  mixture  of  brutal  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "In  The  Inside...Reborn  The  Flesh"  which  was  released  in  2017  by  Immortal  Souls  Productions.

  A  horror  movie  movie  soundtrack  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  guttural  death  metal  growls  and  screams  onto  the  recording  while  the  solos  and leads  are  done  in  more  of  an  early  90's  fashion  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  elements  can  be  heard  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  bring  in  a  touch  of  slam  along  with  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  horror  movie  samples  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  screams  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Teratoma  plays  a  musical style  that  takes  brutal  death metal  and  mixes  it  with  grindcore  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  deformation,  anatomy  and  human  suffering  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tertoma  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  "Taking  Over  Brains"  and  "Suffering".  8  out  of  10. 

   

Depravity/Evil Upheaval/Transcending Obscurity Records/2018 CD Review

  Depravity  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  devastating  form  of  death  metal  with  touches  of  black  and  thrash   metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Evil Upheaval"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  which  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  introduces  blast  beats  onto  the  recording  along  with  vocals  being  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls.

  A  great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  still  capturing  a  modern  atmosphere  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  very  chaotic  yet  melodic  at  the  same  time  as well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in a   great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  screams are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric  sounds  and  clean  playing  can  be  heard  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  incorporates  elements  of  thrash.

  Depravity  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  also  adds  in  touches  of  black and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness, violence,  and  evil  themes.

 In  my  pinion  Depravity  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  with  touches  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Manic  Onslaught"  "Despondency"  "Victimizer"  and  "Evil  Upheaval".  8/5  out  of  10.

Archaic Tomb/Congregations For Ancient Rituals/Caligari Records/2018 Demo Review

  Archaic  Tomb  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  very  dark  form  of  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  demo  "Congregations  For  Ancient  Rituals"  which  was  released  by  Caligari  Records.

  Tribal  style  drumming  starts  off  the  demo  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  screams  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  A  great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  music  also  sounds  very  modern  at  the  same  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  on  the  closing  track  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  briefly.

  Archaic  Tomb  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that is  very  dark,  cavernous,  and  ritualistic  sounding  along  with  a  touch  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Archaic  are  a  very  great  sounding  cavernous  death  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vast  Cursed  Landscape"  and  "Sacred  Ritual".  8/5  out  of  10.

   

Necropanther Interview

ALBUM:  EYES OF BLUE LIGHT

RELEASE DATE:  FEBRUARY 23, 2018

RELEASE SHOW:  FEBRUARY 24, 2018 / HI-DIVE DENVER

RECORDED: GREEN DOOR RECORDINGS, DENVER, CO / FELIPE PATINO

MIX/MASTERED:  STUDIO FREDMAN, GOTHENBURG SWEDEN / FREDRIK NORDSTROM

PRODUCED BY:  NECROPANTHER



PA:  PAUL ANOP, GUITARS. VOCALS

MC:  MARCUS CORICH, BASS

JJ:  JOE JOHNSON, GUITARS

HS: HAAKON SJOGREN, DRUMS



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

PA:  I was in Wichita, Kansas with my bass player, but I wanted to play with the best musicians so we moved to Denver.  Craigslist brought Joe, and Joe brought Haakon.



HS:  Marcus and I played together in HAVOK, and we played both with Joe in MOORE, so when our original bass player moved, we already knew there was chemistry there and he was a natural addition.



JJ:  We have a certain format that is short, fast, and contains a hook. We are a purely metal band, but we touch on a lot of sub-genres. Our lyrics are about futuristic dystopian fantasy. That makes us fairly unusual within the Denver scene, and I think that’s good for everyone.



2.         How would you describe the musical sound that has been presented on the recordings that you have released so far?

HS:  Paul did most of the writing on the first album (Necropanther), and he has a more aggressive death/black metal style than me or Joe.  For that album, we went to Eric Rutan (Goatwhore, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel) for that dark, gritty mix.



PA:  Eyes of Blue Light has a lot more lead guitar melodies, a lot from Haakon’s writing, so we wanted to go to a master of melodic death metal style.  That’s how we chose Fredrik Nordstrom.



JJ:  We’re a melodic death metal band, but we’re an American melodic death metal band, which means we’re more thrash-oriented and aggressive.  We consciously wanted the two albums to have different sounds, both in material and production.



3.         The lyrics on the new album are based on Frank Herbert’s novel 'Dune', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this novel or saga?

PA:  Concept albums work well for us.  We all have very diverse writing styles, and telling a story lets us weave those styles together in a logical format.



JJ:  We all like Sci-Fi, too.  We were batting around ideas for this album and someone said “Dune.”  It was one of my favorite books when I was a kid, and there are a lot of concepts to explore in it.



MC:  Reading “Dune” was as much a part of the learning process for this album as learning the music and both endeavors were awesome.  Herbert’s novel is a great read with a lot to it.  I like that telling these stories lets us avoid prototypical death metal platitudes.



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

PA:  I would sometimes play Pantera for fun when warming up/practicing.  Somehow, that morphed into calling band practice “Panther Practice.”  When we added the death element, Necropanther was the obvious evolution.



JJ:  Metal is supposed to be fun.  We wanted a name that’s over the top – something a little different and memorable.  Something that shows we don’t take ourselves too seriously.



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

PA:  We had a show in Wichita this summer on our way back from playing the SXSW music festival .  The place was full of people who were there to see us.  Getting such a great following outside of your home base is pretty awesome.



HS:  Our biggest show was when we played with OVERKILL and NILE.  That show was so much fun.



JJ:  We’re all committed to performing a show that’s true to the record, which means a certain amount of practice. We always play with full stacks, which is again about commitment to putting on a good show.



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

MC:  We are lucky enough to live in Denver, home to an amazing metal scene, so we like to play locally on a regular basis.  That being said, we pride ourselves on being a durable live band- I don’t think much is out of the question for us.



HS:  We’re planning shows in Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Texas and New Mexico this spring and summer, so look for us!



7.         Currently the band is signed to 'Sailor Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

PA:  Actually, we are releasing Eyes of Blue Light independently.  Sailor Records is a great, boutique label that focuses on some of the top original music groups in Denver.  We were honored when they invited us to join them with our first album.  We love the other bands on Sailor, but as the only mainstream/death metal band, we were definitely the “weird kids on the block.”  An independent release allows us to really focus on the metal market.



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

HS:  I’m Norwegian, so I’m really looking forward to some international reviews and commentary on this album.



PA:  It was very cool travelling to Gothenburg, Sweden for mixing and mastering with Fredrik Nordstrom.  Metal seems to be much more of the mainstream culture there.  I actually ate a hamburger in a restaurant owned by one of the In Flames guys.  Anyway, Fredrik was extremely complimentary about the album, so I’m really proud of that international feedback.



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

JJ:  More writing, more recording.  While Marcus played on this album, he wasn’t in the band for the writing process.  He’s a great composer, and I’m already excited to get to the next album where he can be in the creative mix.



PA:  We are lucky enough to have a band where all members are good writers, so that’s always a focus for us.



MC: Stay the course: write, record, play out.



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?

JJ:  Of course, all of the “usual suspects”, but we all have expansive musical interests. We play metal, but there are certain concepts or musical procedures from further afield. Simply playing them with metal instrumentation gives you something new.



MC:  Too many to name.  I have more of a thrash metal/punk rock background but love black and death metal.  I also have experience playing a multitude of styles:  jazz, orchestral, funk, blues, etc.  We draw from all manner of music, classical to avante garde.  If you listen closely, Eyes of Blue Light has a wide array of “nods” to musical genres, crafted into metal songs.



PA:  I probably draw the most inspiration from real life experiences.



11.   What are some of your non-musical interests?

PA:  If I’m not playing my guitar on stage, I want to be deep under the water.  I scuba dive as often as possible.  I was an instructor for many years, and my goal is to teach my whole band how to dive.  One down, two to go.



JJ:  Paul’s an excellent diver and dive instructor. When he’s diving, he’s very calm and deliberate, almost like a different person. Even though the band takes up most of our time together, time with these guys doing something totally different is nearly as fun.



MC:  Skateboarding.  I’ve been shop sponsored for about ten years now and love going on skate-camping trips with my friends.  I’ve been lucky enough to skate a few contests and demos here and there.



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

PA:  Thanks for having us!  We hope you enjoy the new album.



JJ: It’s OK to like different kinds of metal, art other than music, and music other than metal.



HS: Support live music- go out and see a band this weekend!


MC:  Ride skateboards, drink beers, play mu