Saturday, April 30, 2016
NEWS: Distant Past
NEWS:
Distant Past (Switzerland)
Rise of the Fallen
release date: April 8th, 2016
label: Pure Steel Publishing
Below you will find the link to hear the complete album by Swiss melodic/traditional/prog metal band Distant Past. In addition, here is the band's biography and discography. Supporters of melodic metal in general will want to get more acquainted with this band for sure, due to the band's history, experience and overall quality.
Distant Past was founded by Adriano Troiano in 2002. Together with guitarists Alain Curty and Christof Schafer he works in his rare spare time in his home studio on songs that will appear as albums at some point. The singer on "Utopia Void " is former Emerald singer Jvo Julmy, with his unique voice and melodic oriented songs with some progressive Elements as well as Thrash-Metal Influences.
BIOGRAPHY:Distant Past is the brainchild of Adriano Troiano. After leaving “Emerald” in 2001, he formed his own group “Evil Eye” the same year. The group featured Alain Curty on guitar and Kaspar Zwirner on drums, two of his school friends. After being disappointed by the direction the band was taking, Troiano opted to drop out his own group, to concentrate on a Studio project, which eventually became Distant Past. Setting up a studio at his home he contacted a few friends to make his first recording experiences. The fist Album “Science Reality” was finished in 2003. Right after the completion of this album, Troiano immediately started to work on the follow-up “Extraordinary Indication of unnatural Perception” which was released as a retail CD in 2005. Guest featured Christoph Schafer on guitars (who also worked on the first album) and new singer Reto Guggisberg, next to Zwirner and Curty. The brothers Michael and Thomas Vaucher of “Emerald” also made guest appearances on the Album, which would pave the way for Troiano to return to their band in 2006.
The recording process of the “Alpha Draconis” took shape in 2008. Joining him on his most sophisticated and aggressive work to date were: new drummer Al Spicher and new singer Angelo Schafer (Remote Lane). The CD features guests Andy Bächler (ex-Emerald / Tar Queen), who drums the 13-min Epic “the Serpent”. In 2011 the downloadable single “Touched by the Gods” was released as a tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio. Featured on these songs was former Emerald Singer Jvo Julmy. He continued working during 2012 with Distant Past on songs, of which a collection has been released in 2013 as a new album entitled “Utopian Void”. The Focus was laid on more melodic songs and catchier songs, although some progressive references remain. The songs of the last album “Utopian Void” were mixed and mastered by Metal legend VO Pulver. The Reviews were very positive and hailed the return of Jvo Julmy. The new Album “Rise of the Fallen” goes even further adding Gloryhammer Singer Thomas Winkler. Both battle vocally in a fight of biblical proportions: The Temptation of Satan against the Son of God. The Goal: to rule Mankind. Who will win or are both on the same side? The album offers Heavy Metal, the way it was ment to be and sounds very chatchy, more accesible to human ears.
An album like no other!
REVIEW excerpts:
"Distant Past succeeded to producea high quality heavy metal album, which has a really great sound and features very capable and convincing musicians. The record probably needs some runs more than usual, but thanks to the existing variety, it has many things to be discovered and is definitely a successful Metal Album."
"The Work of the two singers is good, often alternate in the same song to emphazise the duality of the lyrics ("Scriputral Truth" and "End of the World"). The guitars riffs chasing each other in efficient powermetal mode, the efficient and precise rhythm section always ready to make the changes of time required by the songs. An ambitious work, well produced, that presents us with a sparkling group, full of ideas and ready to rule the modern metal scene."
DISCOGRAPHY:
Science Reality 2003
Extraordinairy Indication of Unnatural Perception 2005
Alpha Draconis 2010
Utopian Void 2014
Rise of the Fallen 2016
www.distantpast.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/DISTANT-PAST-118966528115058/
www.distant-past.ch
www.twitter.com/distantpast
NEWS: Begrime Exemious
NEWS: Begrime Exemious
The Enslavement Conquest
Dark Descent Records
4 March 2016
Extreme metal band Begrime Exemious has a new album that is already out. The album has stood out due to the attention to quality found on it. People have remarked that the production sounds great, and different from clinical computerized extreme metal and the album is also a slap in the face to all the "old school" bands that have shoddy production jobs in which you can't hear the music. How did Begrime Exemious manage this album? How did they do it? To learn more, below you will find a Metal Archives review of the album that shows the difference about the album. After that, you will find an excellent biography by the band.
Take note of what this excerpt from Metal Archives says: "[T]he drum production, one of the hardest parts of mixing extreme metal well, is absolutely on point here and immediately stands out both for the variety of beats within a song, the sound-carrying fills that other founding member Lee Norland so effortlessly pounds out, and the sheer viciousness through which the powerful sounding drums carry the songs." The reviewer continued: "The drumming isn’t the only exceptional thing on record, though- Orthner’s powerful, reverbed-out rasp cuts over the mix, augmented at times by a lower growl that Thibaudeau throws over the lead vocals for a powerful layered effect. The riffs range from blistering thrash-influenced death metal to slower, groovier black/death to immaculate death/doom with interludes of Deathspell Omega-style swirling slow bits mixed in throughout (most noticeably on Subconscious Nemesis); for every few minutes of incredibly groovy headbanging blasting Angelcorpse riffs that we get there are another couple of Celtic Frost or Autopsy, and unlike a lot of somewhat similar bands, Begrime Exemious does a fantastic job of really changing up pacing and riffage to keep each song interesting."
Begrime Exemious formed in Edmonton, Canada in late 2005 with the intent of forging raging black/death metal. After executing demo recordings and performing their high energy live shows, the band signed with Dark Descent Records for the release of their debut LP, "Impending Funeral of Man". 2012 sees the band's second album, "Visions of the Scourge", along with an extensive tour of western Canada. Combining their black/death metal influences with a DIY crust punk attitude, Begrime Exemious have honed in on their signature sound as they continue to spread their filth across the world.
BIOGRAPHY: Begrime Exemious were formed in the late parts of the year 2005 by guitarist B. Symic. He was soon joined by drummer L. Norland, guitarist P. Jansen, vocalist B. Leland, and bassist D. Orthner. This line up recorded a demo in 2006 as well as executed several live shows in their hometown of Edmonton, AB, Canada. P. Jansen left the band, and the second demo was recorded. Due to a shortage of a lead guitarist, D. Orthner played leads on the 2007 demo, which remained unreleased for several years.
B. Leland parted ways with the band after that demo. B. Symic was also suffering from tendonitus, and decided to take over vocals as he still wanted to contribute to the band's maniac style of death/black metal. D. Orthner took over on guitars, A. Rintoul was recruited for bass, and finally B. Harbak came in as a second guitarist. This line up hit the stage again and shortly after, in summer 2008, recorded the "Set Ablaze the Kingdom of Abraham" EP, including an AUTOPSY cover. This EP as well as their notorious stage performance lead to a union between BEGRIME EXEMIOUS and DARK DESCENT RECORDS from the USA. The band entered the studio at the end of 2009 which resulted in their first full length, "Impending Funeral of Man" being released in 2010.
After the release of the album, B. Symic parted ways with BEGRIME EXEMIOUS but B. Leland was available and joined up with the band again. A. Rintoul also quit, so a session bassist was recruited to tour for the album. After tour, T. McClelland was recruited to fill up the bass situation, and B. Harbak left the band to persue a different musical path. The line up of Orthner, McClelland, and Norland started composing songs for their next record, just when singer Leland ran into some legal troubles. Unable to play live, the band spent the winter months of 2010 and 2011 writing and recording what was to become "Visions of the Scourge". Symic came in to lend his voice, and the record was complete. The band played some live shows throughout western Canada with J. Wroth on second guitar and Orthner handling both vocals and guitar.
At the end of 2011, Leland rejoined the fold, just in time for the 2007 demo he sang on was released as a split with fellow Canadians NUCLEARHAMMER, "Heretical Serpent Cult". Wroth was also replaced by F. Thibaudeau, just before the release of "Visions of the Scourge" and the subsequent supporting tour in West Canada.
BEGRIME spent the fall/winter of 2012/2013 working on new material to be spread out on a couple releases - the "Primeval Sattelite" mLP (released August 2014 on Dark Descent Records), a tour tape featuring rerecording old songs (self released June 2014), and the "wasteland of Damnation" 7" EP (released August 2013 on Fuel Injected Records). Following these recording sessions, the band hit the road and saw themselves in the west coast of Canada/US as well as shows across the prairies to support the new and upcoming releases.
Again, at the end of the year 2013, the band started composing material for the next full length and some tracks for an upcoming split 7". During the composition of this material, vocalist B. Leland parted ways and the vocal department was taken over by guitarist D. Orthner (as he had been taking over that duty on the road more often than not). Bassist T. McClelland also stepped down and his role was given back to the man he replaced - A. Rintoul. The recording and writing sessions included some rerecordings that were released on a new tour tape that included the "Wasteland" 7" tracks. The band hit the road once again, playing 10 dates in the midwest/east coast USA and select dates across Canada - the most extensive tour in the band's history at this point. "Primeval Sattelite" was finally released the summer of 2014.
After a few hometown gigs, BEGRIME shut themselves into their jam space to finish crafting their thrid album. L. Norland had finished renovating his basement to include a small recording studio, which lead the band to record there during the winter and spring months of 2015. Following the recording of the album, the band embarked on a cross Canada tour, boasting 18 shows from coast to coast, in addition to some festival apperances in western Canada. At the end of the year, the band had entered their 10th year of existence, and opted to play an Edmonton show in the new year to celebrate the milestone. Shortly after, "The Enslavement Conquest" was released on March 4th, 2016 by Dark Descent Records to critical acclaim. With several regional shows upcoming, BEGRIME has also planned a west coast US tour for later this summer.
www.begrimeexemious.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/begrimeexemious/
Friday, April 29, 2016
interview: Rapheumets Well
Rapheumets Well
It has been a while now since this North Carolina, U.S. band came to the attention of this publication through Twitter. At first, the music sounded interesting: symphonic-progressive extreme metal, with both extreme and melodic vocals. After listening to the band’s 2016 album The Exile it is more than clear that there is a tremendous amount of work that has gone into it. As you will read below, getting to this point in quality and skill has taken a long and winding road and lots of time, but once you learn a bit about the band and what they are all about, you’ll appreciate their objectives of creating something great. Give this interview a read and begin the exploration. By the way, metal friends in Canada, the say that they headed your way this summer.
Congratulations on your album The Exile! It sounds like the accumulation of years of experience, knowledge and hard work. So, who is Rapheumets Well?
Hello and this is Joshua "Nassaru" Ward, Drummer and co-writer for Rapheumets Well. Rapheumets Well consist of Jonathan Finney (bass), Tripp King (harsh vocals), Daniel Presnell (guitar), Hunter Ross (guitar), Annette Greene (operatic vocals and synths), and of course me though I am elected in narration. The band has had a long history, I myself have been in the same project for about sixteen years. We have been constantly reforging our sound to equate what is before you. Our sound is a bit rare for this area, being in the South-Eastern U.S., so it has been tough getting a foot in the music scene. But we are finally getting some representation and we are absolutely happy with what has come to fruition.
Metal Archives shows Blue Man’s God as a predecessor of the current band. Was there no music released under Blue Man's God? Is Rapheumets Well a studio project or a band with plans to tour?
Well, Rapheumet was born from the remnants of Blue Mans God. Too many people thought we were trying to be "Blue Mans Group" which actually was created after we constructed the name. I was around thirteen years old when the first primordial version of Blue Man's God was derived, so there have been a lot of stages in progress from then to now. Blue Man's God did create an album, but we dare not release that, ha!
Rapheumets Well is absolute priority in regards to even our career decisions. It has been hard, though. I myself spent 8 years of college gaining a masters level education in alternative medicine and acupuncture. Other members are nurses, computer technicians, a pharmacy tech, and a business owner. We came to the realization that at the end of our lives we do not want to look back and think "Wow, I worked and now I am going to die." Test Your Metal Records has given us hope that a band from the "sticks" of North Carolina can succeed, thus giving hope to others in our area to succeed at their passion. We are going to Canada for our first tour in July and we are already eyeing Europe, Mexico, and Japan. Though we humbly will say we are still learning and working ever so hard. I personally log about 6-8 hours a day in working on music, PR, networking, researching, distribution, everything I can to help our project succeed.
I think that the album is ambitious. Today I am listening to your 2014 album Dimensions too. I have not heard your 2007 demo. Which members remain from that demo? Was there the same vision of your art back in 2007?
Unfortunately, the right members were not present to make this happen throughout the years. Drugs, alcohol, personal differences, all distracted the original mission. You have five to six personal universes and when you blend them in the band room, it can be an erratic concoction for disaster. Every band goes through it, managing the social, personal, and business issues a band can develop. Recently, we did lose two founding members. Due to personal reasons we departed. These are great people and Aaron Rogers still helps us with input (so in some ways, he is still part of the project). We gained two young members recently to help us complete "The Exile" and they have brought a magnitude of talent and revival to our music. Annette Greene is not only a vocalist and keyboardist, but an actress and she is using that talent to shape our visuals. From the 2007 demo, Jonathan Finney and I are the remaining members though we want to acknowledge the work and foundation building of the band that previous members have done.
The album sounds like an album by capable artists. What things have made it possible to "arrive" finally at this sound?
We, we are humble in saying that we are always working to get better and convey our mission. As you might have seen, we have a really elaborate story. We built a multiverse and added a plethora of properties and dramatic conflicts which give rise to our musical inspiration. We are storytellers. This has always been our mission. When I was young (as well as other members) I listened to bands like Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Acid Bath, Cradle of Filth, Opeth, Iron Maiden, and so on. Truthfully, I never envisioned the lyrics in which they written as the meaning of the music. I would imagine (while hearing the layers of symphonic sounds and brutal riffs) cosmic beings warring on each other; beings with immense powers that transcended human affairs. I have seen a world of oddities, giants, both archaic and futuristic. In this, we founded the visuals and mission in which our music conveys.
You write exactly to the emotions of the present and in correlation with the ability you technical skills allow you. We were not mature enough in 2007 to write what we have produced recently. I would not go so far as to degrade it as it had meaning for that time. But we have been able to sculpt our techniques and vision a bit more since then.
How many people in total do you have doing vocals on the album? There are extreme metal vocals, operatic vocals, melodic vocals.
Tripp King is the lead vocals and he conveys the harsh sound that defines us as "extreme metal". I actually do the male clean vocals and our influences are not limited to metal but to classical music, ambience, jazz, and so forth. Annette Greene, being a renown chorus student (being featured in plays and community musical events) she came in and added our latest element of operatic vocals. To be honest, she came in (first time ever singing on a recording) and the very first track became what you hear as “Planetary Cenotaph.” So, it was exceedingly natural and was actually the easiest part of writing and recording.
Now you have the album out, what is on your list of things to do?
Tours, lots of tours. Our next mission is to convey the complexity of our mission which is our story. We spend a lot of time developing planets, species, and the story concepts. In this regard, we are musical storytellers and we invest a lot of time in this. We want to bring something more to our fans. We want to bring a complete package, and entire world for them to be able to spend ample time exploring. Eventually we want to turn it into something more rather it be a book or even a movie/video series. But one step at a time I would presume. We are already playing with ideas for the next album as we tend to be an entire album ahead of what we release. There is a ton of musical ideas floating so writing wise, we have more than enough to keep our fans engaged.
I can only imagine the late night hours of work involved in making the album. For those that understand it, what can they do to support your work in a real way?
Simply engaging with us is support being through email of publicly expressing their joy for our music. Support can be as simple as purchasing our album. This helps not only keep some food on the table, but it is a moral boaster that helps us work even harder each album.
What other news do you have?
We will be coming to Canada in July and that is exciting. We are looking at international shows as a lot of our fan base is in other countries. So we want to honor our fans by performing for them so that is our main mission currently. Grant Truesdell of Test Your Metal Records has given us a lot of support and hope as an aspiring metal act so there are no limitations to passion to make Rapheumets Well succeed.
Thank you for having us and we are very appreciative!
(Official) Crucible of Titans - Rapheumets Well
www.facebook.com/Rapheumetswell
www.rapheumetswell.org
THE END
Fugly NEWS: No new album from TESTAMENT until they figure out what trend to follow next
Testament has not made a new studio album since 2012 and they issued a statement on the matter.
www.fuglymaniacs.com/Templates/fuglyspin2016-testament-newsupdate.html
new Metal Bulletin Zine: number 87
Read online and download for free the most recent issue of Metal Bulletin Zine. It is number 87.
**NEW** METAL BULLETIN #87
Thunder Lord (Chile) STUD (Finland) Hyperion (Sweden) Fuglymaniacs (Texas, U.S.) Twisted Heroes (WA state, U.S.) Losna (Brazil) Metal Church (WA state, U.S.) Pentacle (Holland) Desaster (Germany)
www.fuglymaniacs.com/pdf-files/MetalBulletin87.pdf
NEWS: Sinphobia
NEWS:
Sinphobia
Awaken
Bakerteam Records
Release: 26 February 2016
Below you will find a video from groove/extreme metal band Sinphobia from Italy. Their new album is already out. See this official info and bio to find out more about them.
“Assault Your Fears!” is the “motto” that identifies Sinphobia, a band whose message is quite simple: fear, in all its forms, is the biggest limitation of mankind and needs to be overcome. In other words, people need to become masters of their own existence. The word "Sinphobia" combines two other words, "Phobia" ("Fear") and "Sin", the latter incorporating a double meaning, "without" ("sine" in Latin) and "with" (originating from Greek). Musically, Sinphobia can easily be described as a mix of modern American Death Metal and old school European Thrash Metal, and they do it on their own terms, with the right dose of energy, groove and captivating live performances. ‘Awaken’, Sinphobia's debut album, was released on February 26th and will be available in digital format only.
BIOGRAPHY: The first embryo of the project dates back about to 2003 from ideas and compositions of
the guitar player Vain, but the stage is reached only from the beginning of 2009. A year later, with the arrival of Alessandro 'Darkoniglio' on the bass guitar, the band is nally able to take their rst steps even outside of their city (Verona) until some experience in foreign countries. With the entry of Cristian 'Conso' on vocals, a couple of years later, nally arrived that ‘extra’ that had been lacking before. Recently, the line up was completed with Francesco 'Falsi’ on drums and now Sinphobia are ready to continue the path, even more aggressive. ’Assault your Fears!!’ is the ‘motto’ wherewith the band is usual to sign itself and it’s the common thread between music, text and scene. The message is that Fear in all its forms is the only real bridle, so the band encourages all its listeners to face it and overcome it once and for all, to become masters of their own existence. Inside this concept comes also the name of the band which takes shape between the oldest languages of mankind, where fear PHOBIA is preceded by SIN, word by double meaning: the Latin ‘without’ (from 'sine') contrasted by the greek 'with 'or' set of’. The impact sound is a mixture of modern American death and old school thrash metal, with a typically Sinphobia’s taste which fuses energy and groove to give high involvement live performances.
Sinphobia - "Guilty of Downfall" Bakerteam Records
www.facebook.com/sinphobia/
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Metal Bulletin Zine issue number 86
Read online and download for free a new issue of Metal Bulletin Zine, number 86, which features the following bands.
Lust of a Dying Breed (Kenya)
Phazm (France)
Aestees (Indonesia)
Interment (Sweden)
Arkona (Russia)
Necrot (U.S.)
The Dread Crew of Oddwood (U.S.)
www.fuglymaniacs.com/pdf-files/MetalBulletin86.pdf
Washington Deathfest June 16
Aggression (Canada) on tour, including WA state
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
NEWS: Desaster
NEWS:
Desaster
The Oath of an Iron Ritual
Metal Blade Records
Release: 8 April 2016
The veterans of black thrash have a new album and what an event it is. Once more and again, Desaster delivers the goods big time. As any die hard Destruction supporter can recognize, Desaster's name comes straight from Destruction's 1984 EP "Sentence of Death." Desaster is perfect for people into the original sounds of early black/thrash/death. That's what they do and that's what they are. Don't forget to check out the new album. The spirit of the cult classics never dies!
The history of Desaster goes back as far as 1988 when two young metal maniacs from Koblenz, Germany decided to follow the path once paved by bands such as Hellhammer and Destruction. The band played their first and now legendary live concert in 1989 - which also marked the official birth of Desaster. After making several line-up changes between 1990 and 1992, original member/guitarist Infernal soldiered on with vocalist Okkulto and bassist Odin.
Upon hearing the group's first two demos, The Fog of Avalon (1993) and Lost in the Ages (1994), Merciless Records released a Desaster / Ungod split 7" in 1995, before Desaster's debut album, A Touch of Medieval Darkness, was unleashed in 1996. Garnering respect in underground circles worldwide, the band then released their Stormbringer EP (1997) and welcomed new drummer, Tormentor, to complete their line-up.
Hellfire's Dominion - Desaster's second full-length - was released in 1998, containing the speed metal, fan favorite track, "Metalized Blood", which featured guest vocals from Pentacle's Wannes Gubbels, Violent Force's Lemmy, and Living Death's Toto. The follow-up to this highly successful album, Tyrants of the Netherworld, arrived in 2000, and soon after, the band introduced new vocalist Sataniac, from German black-thrashers Divine Genocide.
After their fourth album, Divine Blasphemies (2002), Desaster joined Metal Blade Records, which released 2005's Angelwhore and 2007's Satan's Soldiers Syndicate - the latter offering an array of riff-heavy neck-breakers that proved that the band was more aggressive and murderous than ever. Even having reached their 20-year anniversary mark in 2009, Desaster showed no signs of slowing down and went on to release 2012's The Arts of Destruction to rave reviews.
Now, with their eighth studio album - The Oath of an Iron Ritual - fans can expect a barrage of uncompromising metal, that's been perfected by the German quartet over the last 27 years. Prepare for cutting riffs, pummeling drums, growling bass, and hellish screams! Bang or be banged!
Desaster discography:
A Touch of Medieval Darkness (1996)
Hellfire's Dominion (1998)
Tyrants of the Netherworld (2000)
Divine Blasphemies (2002)
Angelwhore (2005)
Satan's Soldiers Syndicate (2007)
The Arts of Destruction (2012)
The Oath of an Iron Ritual (2016)
www.desaster.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/666Desaster666
Pentacle
Pentacle (Holland) began in 1989 and were inspired by the classics of extreme metal: Venom, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Bathory, Death and the other names at the foundation of the genre. They are a cult band, but metal people into the sounds of the classics of extreme metal, of black/death/thrash, would be pleased to learn about this band, if they have not done so. Who is Pentacle and what is Pentacle about? Below you can read excerpts of reviews at Metal Archives and the band's biography, too.
BIOGRAPHY: Chained within the mythical realms of primeaval black/death metal, so graciously unveiled in the early 80's by hallowed cults such as Venom, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Messiah, Destruction, Necrovore, Bathory, Treblinka, Slaughter (CAN) and Necrophagia, Pentacle's sepulchral tribute, to this unforgotten legacy, started back in winter '89/'90 when Mike (guitar), Wannes (bass/vocals) and Marc (drums) joined forces...
Entangled in the growing urge to inspire their own roaring metal quest, Pentacle soon developed a highly ambitious conspiracy; forging twisting death metal rhythms and haunting doom chords in the archaic traditions of the crafts. 1992 spewed forth Pentacle's first official rehearsaltape, "Caressed by Both Sides"; a primal anthology of pounding horror, which contained 4 of their own compositions as well as the band's gloomy interpretation of Hellhammer's "The Reaper". Shortly after the tape's release, Pentacle gained stage experience supporting bands such as Asphyx and Gorefest.
The heretical spawn crawled on into 1993 with the trinity's one and only studio demo, "Winds of the Fall", which unleashed 5 more charnel hymns to conquer souls enslaved by ancient metal. Their earthly testimony of doom was reflected in praising reviews and encouraging respect from kindred bands. More stages were shared with the likes of Occult, Anathema, Sentenced, Ancient Rites, Acrostichon, Eternal Solstice and Samael...
1994 witnessed Pentacle descending into the recording dungeons once more, to evoke "A Dance Beyond"; exclusively destined to be included on the DSFA 6/"Paradise of the Underground" compilation CD, for the Dutch based DSFA label.
Pentacle's first vinyldesecration "Exalted Journey", emerged a few mooncycles later; from the Belgian Midian Creations; a 2 track 7" EP to spread the ceremonial onslaught even further...
In March/April 1996, Pentacle's ranks of the depraved were joined by axewielder Edwin, to create an even heavier and deadlier storm of slashing metalscythes, as the 12 " Picture Disc/ CD, "The Fifth Moon", proves. Selected to be released by Displeased Records for the CD, and Damnation Distribution for the vinylversion, it contains 4 new blood wrenching grapes of wrath and, again a recording of Hellhammer's "The Reaper" as a bonus track for the vinyl version.
After the release of this infernal storm of evil Pentacle did in november 1996 an small European tour with Belgian warriors Ancient Rites. Countries as Belgium, France, Germany and Holland fell under this deadly Metalstorm... The reactions on the new product were very supporting. The limited Picture Disc (525 copies) sold as hell and the CD sliced many unexpected throats through pure aggression! Many gigs were done to spread the ancient message.
The year 1997 started with the departure of their second axewielder Edwin as he wasn’t able to commit himself to the band anymore. The band continued to spread their mayhem as the everlasting ancient lineup, the threepiece. In the meantime gigs were done with bands as Obituary, Katatonia, Immortal, Cannibal Corpse, Emperor, Hades Almighty, Marduk, Desaster and In The Woods... . Several compilation CD’s have been desecrated through Pentacle's contributions.
Indeed, 1998 awaited the new album which has the obscure title "...Rides the Moonstorm". Again, Damnation Records was chosen to unleash their new release which is available on CD and DOLP. For this purpose the band recorded at Harrow Productions, Losser, Holland 9 tracks, of which 8 compositions are of their own and a cover of Chile's own Death Metal Gods Pentagram, called "Spell of the Pentagram". 2000 spawned a true metal coöperation with the German metal Gods Desaster. Both acts have covered a song of the other band and have contributed a new song. Named “Desaster in League with Pentacle” this hellish release was released on the German label Iron Pegasus as a limited 10” picture disc (100 copies) and a regular version (833 copies).
The new millenium has seen the release of a special anniversary release. A MCD / 12” called “Ancient Death” has been released on Damnation Records / Dark Realm Records. Containing 3 new tracks, an old song and 2 Mantas / Death covers (“Witch of Hell” and “Legion of Doom”) this deadly piece is a mark in the band’s history. At the same time a tribute to one of the ultimate bands, the almighty Possessed, should have been released on the Polish label No Mercy. Pentacle has recorded the “Beyond the Gates” track “The Beasts of the Apocalypse” for this purpose, but used it for a split 7” (“Dunkel Besatthet”) with Swedish act Repugnant as No Mercy didn’t react on any of the band’s inquiries concerning the tribute. In the meanwhile original drummer Marc left the band unfortunally. Marc wasn’t willing to do shows anymore. He has been replaced by Robert. This year the band did a small tour with Pulverizer (NL) and Desaster (GER) which attended Holland and Germany. More than 200 gigs have been played by now.
After having done gigs in Italy and Germany, it was decided that the band needed another second Axe-maniac. The search for such an addition was very short. Mike’s brother Alex joined the band after a small test period. After he had gotten his baptism of fire in Switzerland, he became a full member of the band. His second gig was as a support for the mighty cult band from Peru, Mortem!
In 2004, the much delayed Possessed tribute (“Seven Gates of Horror”) has been released through the Dutch label Karmageddon Records.
At the end of 2004, Pentacle entered Harrow Productions again to record 11 songs. The band recorded 8 tracks for the album on the German label Iron Pegasus Records, called “Under the Black Cross”. The CD version of this album is out now. The 3 remaining songs will be used for an EP (“Archaic Undead Fury”) on the US label Metal War Productions and a contribution for a tribute to Necrovore LP for the Dutch label From Beyond Productions.
After so many years of active service, the musical concept of the band is still firmly rooted in the golden ‘80’s, though remains far from being a mere copycat of the forefathers of extreme Metal. Don’t make the mistake to file Pentacle under the current retro-trend. They started performing their music when only a selected ( and loyal) audience still was interested in this honest style of music. Others sailed the seas of successive trends. Pentacle didn’t. Together with an obscure, yet individual lyrical approach, the band always worked hard to create a personal style, based on ancient Metal values. Remember this when listening to Pentacle’s releases...
...Rides the Moonstorm Full-length 1998
"...Rides of the Moonstorm" is one damn brilliant album. It includes songs, which I find 100% metal and killer and dare to say, it was one of the best death metal albums from that period of late 90's. The recipe is very simple here... The Dutch crew brought a lot of Celtic Frost feeling to their music (the LP even starts with an intro, with Tom Warrior's screams recorded live in 1985!!!!). There are many riffs that will remind you "Emperor's Return" or whatever and trust me, they sound great. They're heavy, brutal and will force you to bang the skull without any mercy. And at the same time I feel that Pentacle had a lot in common with their legendary countrymen Asphyx. If you listen to such tracks as "Yielding to the Scepter of Flesh" for instance, then the similarity is pretty obvious, especially with the slow beginning in this song, but not only, as also the faster playing here reminds me the greatest Dutch band ever. Of course Wannes Gubbels (whose vocals really may remind you Martin van Drunen's!) has joined Asphyx / Soulburn at the same time... So both bands started to play very similar music, but I have no problems with that, as long as it sounds killer, it's fine. And here the songwriting is not worse than on the Asphyx records. "...Rides of the Moonstorm" has also a strong thrash metal influence, one which sometimes reminds me the German satanic troops of Desaster!!!! Listen to "Raised By Night's Chaos" and make your own opinion, but doesn't this song match the brilliance of "Tyrants of the Netherworld"?? Anyway, putting all these three main ingredients together, you'll get what I find as crushing and totally memorable old school death metal. It may seem as so obvious and simple, but trust me, not many bands were able to capture this old school feeling so perfectly. The songs are full of blasting energy, the riffs are killer, the production raw, but deadly as hell... And even the fact that the songs are quite lengthy doesn't disturb, they're just well composed and diverse. I think that the songwriting here is one of the best ever, if we speak about such music.
Under the Black Cross Full-length 2005
I think that music wise "Under the Black Cross" doesn't really bring anything new into the once created style of Pentacle. If you've heard the first album or any other releases the band unleashed in the late 90's / early 00's, then you already know what to expect. Pentacle doesn't need to experiment, it's the old school death metal they shred with and for sure it sounds great to my ears. I totally like the atmosphere the band creates. Again there's lots of similarities to such bands as Asphyx (of course!!!), Celtic Frost in the slower parts, then there're hints of Desaster (with some thrashing riffs and slightly in vocals), finally I think early Death and also Sadistic Intent can be mentioned here as the bands that have influenced Pentacle a little. Anyway, whatever bands I mention, one thing will remain important - this is classic death metal, so don't expect over technical and complex structures, the riffing here is about to create a certain atmosphere and that's something I love about such music. As well as the fact that you just want to bang your skull when hearing these sounds. The album is solid throughout and all the songs are of the same quality, with few standouts that rip the skull especially.
DISCOGRAPHY:
Caressed by Both Sides Demo 1992
Winds of the Fall Demo 1993
Exalted Journey EP 1995
The Fifth Moon EP 1996
...Rides the Moonstorm Full-length 1998
Desaster... in League with... Pentacle Split 2000
Ancient Death EP 2001
Dunkel besatthet Split 2002
Under the Black Cross Full-length 2005
Archaic Undead Fury EP 2005
Eternal Solstice / Pentacle Split 2013
Liquefied Blood of the Saints / Five Candles Burning Red Split 2013
Into the Depths of Mill Live album 2013
Five Candles Burning Red EP 2014
The Fifth Moon…Beyond and Back Compilation 2014
www.facebook.com/Pentacle-86420806112/
www.pentacle.nl
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Tuesday, April 26, 2016
NEWS: WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM Announces Diadem Of 12 Stars Reissue And North American Tour Dates
review: Metal Church
review by Jojo from Fuglymaniacs
Metal Church - XI (Rat Pak Records / 2016)
Ever left a band for dead? You know they are done no matter how they spin their new line-up. How they tell you that they were inspired on this release and it felt like ol' times. NO? really? We do it all the time. After a while you just move on ...Ok, so where are we heading with this?
One band that we were done with is Metal Church. As of 1999 they haven't peak our interest in over a decade. Yes, we know that they have put albums out. But we just didn't care. We figure let's see METAL CHURCH 2016 is?
Mike Howe (vocals) Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar) Jeff Plate (drums) Steve Unger (bass) Rick VanZandt (guitar)
Looks like the KVP to us, but Mike Howe is well regarded around this fugly complex so lets give him the benefit of the doubt. Now, we are very familiar with Jeff's drumming and he's a capable guy.
Metal Church - XI is a big surprise to us. This thing sounds very organic. The production is excellent. Howe sounds amazing, YES, amazing! What the hell is going here?? They are rocking out on XI. Jeff drumming is precise and solid he's finally puttin' his big boy pants on! Way to go, Jeff. Steve Unger sounds great front and center with Jeff right next to him on "Needle & Suture" that riffing ...love it. Also "Killing Your Time" "Reset" "No Tomorrow" "Soul Eating Machine" are great. Howe has a second layer doing backing vocals on 'No Tomorrow' and he sound fantastic! Slower songs are "Shadow" Steve is anchoring this song. "Signal Path" "Sky Falls In" midtempo songs but solid rock.
Well, there you have it. Metal Church - XI demands a "reset" in your metal discography. This is a must have in 2016. What a great unexpected surprise. This thing rocks!
www.fuglymaniacs.com
Losna
Losna (Brazil)
Below you will find official information about this thrash band from Brazil. Don't forget to check out their page to begin hearing their music, too.
Formed by the sisters Débora and Fernanda, the Thrash Metal band LOSNA, has been distilling its bitter poison effectively since 2004. Year that also saw the release of its demo 'Bitter Flavors'. The band spreads anger and violence, through sharp riffs, speed crazy Bass, destructive and heavy drumming, allied to howled vocals. We can say that the band's style fits in the mix of Thrash Metal, Death Metal and 'Old School' HardCore.
The band went through several formations over the years and took on the new drummer Marcelo the stabilization of the team, who added more aggression to the instruments of the sisters. With stability came the release of the debut album 'Wild Hallucination's in 2007. Along with the release of the work the band also released video clips for the songs 'Grotesque Life' and 'Slowness'.
The year 2011 celebrates the release of the band's second album, 'Distilling spirits', more mature and focused, this album.represents everything the band believes, the characteristic instrumental and the lyrics full of indignation and irony, as always, the trio writes about what they see, feel and suffer.
It was recently released the album 'Another Ophidian Extravaganza'. Like his previous work, the title said that we are in front of an album, sarcastic, furious, and the group style . "Prepare for the attack!".
In addition to the demos and albums, the band participated in various compilations and collections: Rock Soldiers vol 10 and vol 12, Thundergod Zine Compilation vol II, Atrito and Saudosismo Subterrâneo.
LOSNA been distilling its bitter sound since 2004. The band spread rage and violence through cutting riffs, crazed Bass, destructive drums and howled vocals! We can say that the sound is a crossover of Thrash Metal, Old School Hard Core and pinches of Death Metal.
With the creative and acid energy of the sisters, be sure, this band is heading for victory!
www.losna.com.br
www.facebook.com/losnametal
Twisted Heroes (WA state)
Twisted Heroes (WA state)
Twisted Heroes is a new band to this publication. They are from the state of Washington, from Olympia and Lacey, they say. Below you will find more information, including a link to hear their 2016 recording Meet Your Doom. If you enjoy checking out bands from Washington, give this one a chance today.
OFFICIAL INFORMATION: In 2012 the band was originally name Twisted Heroes of Redemption. It went through many line up changes and style changes and eventually disbanded for a short period of time. In early 2014 guitarist Jacob Calica would recreate Twisted Heroes as a Death Metal band. Sooner then later drummer Sam Sandas joins the line up along with Micah Curtis on guitar, Robbie Crisp on vocals and newly recruited Chandler Schmidt on bass. With strong influences such as Job for a Cowboy and The Black Dahlia Murder, the Twisted Heroes bring a show filled with aggression and brutal guitar riffs as well as lyrics. Don't call us sick...Call us Twisted Heroes.
INFLUENCES: Job For a Cowboy,The Black Dahlia Murder, Slayer, Lamb of God, Pantera, I Declare War, Decide, Thy Art is Murder, Dying Fetus, Countless the Dead, Carnifex, Despised Icon, Suicide Silence, Upon a Burning body, Whitechapel, As Blood Runs Black, All Shall Perish, Death, ect.
www.twistedheroes.bandcamp.com/releases
www.facebook.com/Twisted-Heroes-492259694235006/
Monday, April 25, 2016
interview: Hyperion
Hyperion (Sweden)
Even though the band is new to this publication, it turns out that they have been laboring and improving their music for years now. The moment for the debut album has arrived and it is called Seraphical Euphony and it’s all about quality, catchy melodic black metal. Black metal means a lot of things to a lot of people, but in this case it means fast, memorable songs, and skillful instrumentation. Actually, as you will read, the band does not care about categories and they are perfectly satisfied being a memorable band that plays extreme metal to whom quality songs is an important objective.
Greetings! How is the metal life in Sweden?! You are in Sweden, correct?
Hello. Well, Stockholm is a city that has a pretty active metal scene. There are lots of gigs occurring every weekend and even during the weekdays. Many of them quite frankly are boring and uninteresting, but there are a couple of acts that stand out and really make a difference.
Yes, Stockholm, Sweden is our location. The “Metal Life” of Hyperion is the way a life would be for anyone living here, I suppose, except for the fact that we enjoy playing music in our spare time. Then again, metal has always been a bit of an outside sub-culture and that certainly reflects our way of living and our attitude towards the outside world.
Who answers these questions? Can you explain the origins of Hyperion?
This interview is answered by Erik Molnar, one of Hyperion’s 3 guitar players. Here is a short biography of the band:
Hyperion was formed in 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden by former vocalist Erik Thorell, original bass player August Bengtsson and current guitar player Erik Molnar. Shortly after the bands inception, drummer Anders Peterson joined as well. The only 2 members that remain from this line up today are Erik Molnar and Anders Peterson. The original vision was to create melodic music rich in harmony that was also brutal and epic, thus in the beginning Hyperion were inspired by many Swedish bands and still are to this day. In the same year of its formation, Hyperion released a rehearsal demo containing 4 songs. Gigs were performed after the release of the untitled promo demo in Stockholm. After some time, all the band members left except for Erik Molnar. During this period, the band took a darker move towards music that was more inspired by Swedish and Norwegian Black Metal, while still maintaining the original vision of writing epic and melodic music. The result was the recruitment of vocalist Harry Lauraéus, guitarist Mikael Malm and guitarist Efe Guner. Together they and Erik Molnar released the 2010 demo Blood of the Ancients. Gigs were performed after this release as well and the band slowly, but surely started to gain a following in their hometown of Stockholm.
Much has happened since the release of the Blood of the Ancients demo. The line-up has changed to its current state and Hyperion is now officially signed to Black Lion Productions and are about to release their debut album Seraphical Euphony, which contains both new material and more professional re-recordings of the songs on the demo Blood of the Ancients. With this new album marking the first large milestone in Hyperion’s career, the band is now ready to spread their music to all corners of this world with the assistance of their allies at Black Lion Productions.
The album Seraphical Euphony contains 9 songs of epic, melodic, brutal and eventful music that challenges the norm of conventional music. It is also meant to challenge the ears of its listeners, bombarding them with countless, various elements of musical influences.
What is your interpretation of metal music for Hyperion?
Many people label us within various different categories. Some call us melodic black metal, some call us melodic black/death metal, some call us melodic death metal, etc. I personally just describe our music as melodic extreme metal. I don’t have a problem with people putting different labels on our music as long as they listen to it. I know what the music means to me, though, and it’s very personal to me. It is an outlet for the feelings that me and my bandmates want to convey and it reflects us as individuals. Every note within every song and each word within every lyric has been placed there with great care. Therefore, we are not ashamed of anything we have released thus far. The music is also meant to be very motivating with a general positive message, although concealed within multiple layers of metaphors and at times wild and ferocious atmospheres.
I think your 2016 album Seraphical Euphony sounds awesome. What is your recording history and what can the listener expect from Hyperion?
Hyperion has released 2 demos, 1 small live album and 1 full-length album. Our latest full length album can be heard on pretty much every digital platform there is out there. Here is a link to the entire album streaming on YouTube.
Our latest full-length album was recorded in Scarecrow Recordings, Forlorn Halls Studios and on various private locations in our hometown of Stockholm.
As described previously in the biography section of this interview, the music focuses on creating a melodic, epic, but also brutal atmosphere. The keyword, however and the main focal point of Hyperion’s music is epicness. The listener is supposed to be swept away into a virtual world of grandiose dreaming where anything is possible through the force of sheer will.
What led you to become a metal musician? Did it come easy to you or maybe the opposite?! How did you find your audience at first?
Apart from the obvious influence of the first couple of bands I listened to, my cousin Alex (guitar player in the band Descend) was the one that really inspired me to pick up the guitar. Three years my senior, he was a natural role model for me when he made lots of progress in his guitar playing. The song writing came a bit later though and that part is probably the thing I enjoy mostly when it comes playing in a band.
Yes, it was very difficult at first and it still is at times. It’s just like with anything; you take one step at a time, one day at a time. You must also be patient, willing to fail and have a burning ambition in order to make something worthwhile of your guitar playing, or in playing any instrument for that matter. Regarding finding the right people, yes, that was very hard, but I feel that we finally have a strong line-up today. Finding an audience? Well….haha, I think basically we have acquired most of our audience just recently with the release of this new album, so I suppose it was hard, but it was not a priority.
What do you want to see your listeners do in support of your band?
Well, some obvious things they can do is to buy the album, buy a t-shirt, listen to our music, attend our gigs if they live nearby and recommend us to their friends and family should they happen to appreciate what we are doing. Quite a lot of all those things have come to pass since the release of Seraphical Euphony. I could not be more grateful for the warmth, love and support that we have received from the metal community. All I can say about that is; keep it up! We treasure every person that we can reach.
The thing that I hope for the most, however, is for people to get inspired by our music to do whatever it is that they want to do. I want people to become motivated by Hyperion’s music and really get make an effort to dissect the lyrics in order to understand the true meaning of them. Quantity in that sense is not a high priority, though. If our music would manage to only reach say 10 people on a deeper level, I would consider our work a success.
Does Hyperion plan to play shows soon?
Yes, we do. There are no definite plans as of yet, but a lot of hooks have been thrown out so to speak and we are waiting to see what will transpire. We yearn to spread the album for sure!
Where does the passion for metal come from? Is it the desire to take the stage and rage? Could there ever be a financial reward for your extreme metal band?
The dedication comes from a burning love and a deep respect for music in general. Metal music and music in general is very personal to me and it’s one of the few ways I can truly express myself. It is something that is within all of us in the band and we simply MUST create. We have no choice. If I don’t spend time on the band for an extended period of time, I get depressed and anxious.
I did not think that making money of the music was a possibility before, but now since the release of our debut album it seems the tables have turned… I think it is definitely possible to make money of the music one day. One must first believe in the possibility for something to occur in order for it to even have a chance manifest into reality. Why do I think that? I think our music has something real to offer the metal community and I think that people recognize that. And also, I am a firm believer that nothing is impossible. Nothing!
My definition of success is first and foremost artistic success, for lack of a more humble term. Musical success in my eyes is creating the kind of music that you want to create. I want to be able to look back at what we’ve done when I’m older and think that we really gave it all. I want to feel that really made a mark and expressed ourselves wholeheartedly. Financial or more “materialistic” success is secondary priority, although very appealing.
What type of lyrics is important to your band and what type of lyrics do you think work well with your music?
The lyrics we write reflect what goes on within our minds. Each and every song on Seraphical Euphony has a special meaning, or tells a specific story that is linked to one common theme. That theme is for the listeners to discern, but I think if you’ve read this interview closely enough you should have figured it out by now. The lyrics for our songs must be epic and convincing and also have a balance of elegance and rawness to them. Writing a Hyperion lyric is no easy task, but all to rewarding in the end. It tends to become a journey of self-discovery as well as somewhat cathartic, at least in my case.
What other Hyperion news do you have?
As of now, we are trying to handle the enormous amount of orders coming in from all over the world for the physical copy of Seraphical Euphony. The album is selling like crazy and we are working as hard as we can to supply people with the CD: s that they demand - a favourable problem to have. We are also working on a new T shirt design which will be available quite soon I hope. Other than that, there are some plans for some live shows hopefully in the summer as I mentioned previously and every now and then, we work on some new material when we feel like we have the inspiration.
additional Links:
www.hyperionswe.bandcamp.com/releases
www.hyperion.nu
www.facebook.com/HyperionSwe
www.youtube.com/channel/UCXcigOjruqGTjfRnlDWy3ww
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUgdS-M42tw
THE END
interview: STUD
STUD
STUD is traditional metal from Finland. Their debut Out of the Darkness came out in 2013 and their sophomore album Rust on the Rose in 2014. However, that’s not the end of the story: the origins go back to 1986, the year of the band’s first single. Really? 1986? from Finland? This should be a good story, right? You bet! Read on.
You are in Helsinki, right? How are you in cold, cold Helsinki?
Yes. We come from Helsinki, Finland. Actually, due to the change in climate, the winters in Finland are shorter than they used to be. A lot less snow, and the average temperature is higher than before. Of course, it's all relative, what appears to us as a nice winter day, may seem as an unbearable freezing cold to someone else. What's more important, is that the global warming is a really alarming thing, and we all should be worried about it. For metal music, the dark winter nights seem to inspire a lot of bands. And there's a lot of bands in Finland that play metal. In STUD we rather build up from the positive vibe, though. Actually, our music goes through many different moods.
What is the history of your band and who are the members of the band; who is answering this interview?
Hi, I'm Mika Kansikas, the guitar player and songwriter for STUD. I'm the one answering the interview. Here's our bio:
PRESENT: Original line-up Ari Toivanen (vocals), Mika Kansikas (guitar), Pasi Hietanen (bass, replaced by Jyrki Partanen in the current lineup) and Stenda Kukkonen (drums) met in February 2012. Soon enough, they decided to record an album. There was some cool new songs, and loads of great songs left from the 80s, from the time they first had a career in music. The recordings continued through spring and summer until the record was ready in September.
STUD decided to publish a single prior to the album. A single containing "Lovers in the Night" / "Out Of The Darkness" put STUD right back on the map, and earned airplay in several radio stations around the world.
STUD's debut album "Out of the Darkness" contains 11 songs, and it was released 18th October 2013. The album have gained loads of great reviews and airplay in 20+ countries. STUD has a contract for worldwide promotion with Metal Revelation, which have also helped to gain a wide audience in social media. The album is available worldwide both in CD, and through digital distribution. With the reception of the debut album and gigs followed by it, it's clear that there is still place for melodic, guitar-oriented hard'n heavy rock, in the style STUD is known for. And the audience growing.
In March 2014 STUD started to record their follow-up to "Out of the Darkness". The recording process was similar to the debut, but the goal was to make an album that could take the band to the next level. With another 11 songs, they have a good chance of doing just that. The band is very pleased with the end result and can't wait to have it available for the fans.
The name of STUD's second album is "Rust on the Rose", and the release date is set to 31st October 2014. The first single "I Don't Know" was already released in May and introduced STUD to new audiences by getting some rotation in Australian radio. With the title track as the second single, released just before the album, STUD brings another portion of radio-friendly, melodic hard rock to the fans all over the world. The band invites everyone to join their journey in the Rock'n Roll World.
PAST: STUD was founded back in 1986, when four musicians who had already played in several different bands teamed up to form one of the period's most aggressive, skilled and loudest rock bands.
The band chose to sing in Finnish, which soon established an interest in several record companies. On the very same year the biggest record company in Finland, Finnlevy published the first STUD-single "Mä Haluun Elää" / "Viimeinen Yö", which later became a collector's item among record collectors around the world.
After publishing the single, STUD toured frequently. They also appeared in famous Finnish TV show MTV3's Levyraati, and got some airplay on radio as well.
The original line-up was ultimately short-lived, and as a new singer came in, the language was changed to English. In 1987 STUD attended Finland's Rock Championship contest, where they achieved a place in the finals, which was quite an achievement for a heavy rock band.
Touring expanded across the border, when STUD among the few Finnish bands toured Estonia's largest cities, at a time when Estonia's independence was still around the corner.
At the end of the decade, after a new change of singer, STUD planned to record a full-length album, but failed to make a deal with a record company, since new, darker music, had increased popularity in Finland.
STUD made their last gigs in 1989, after which the band broke up.
How do you explain your sound and how is it now in comparison with 1986?
STUD's music is more towards traditional heavy rock, however, we have quite wide range of songs from fast, double-bass-drum metal to hard rock and even couple of ballads. We have our own sound, lots of guitars, powerful drumming and memorable melodies. Our two albums both have some great tunes, but there's a small difference in how they sound. The sound on our second album Rust on the rose is a bit brighter and more modern. It's a little heavier as well. The core of our sound was already built in the 80's when we started. We were pretty good already back then. With today’s possibilities in recording and making music, it's amazing what you can do yourself, without having a huge budget. Back in the days there was not so many bands, but less possibilities to promote yourself. Today it's the opposite, lots of bands and many channels for promoting.
What are some places to hear your music? Where do you do your recordings?
You can find STUD's music in e.g. Spotify, Amazon and iTunes. Our two albums are there to stream or download. The CD is available through our website, just drop us a note. The basic tracks for both albums were recorded in Magnusborg studio close to Helsinki. After that we recorded and mixed the album in various locations. I'm responsible for the production, our great friend Puke Kataja is to thank for the engineering. The albums were mastered in Chartmakers. At this point we are working on the next album. We almost have all the material for it, and we're doing the demos now. Some of the stuff we put on a demo will end up on the album too. So it's really inspiring to work on them.
How did you get into music and how was it for you in Helsinki, especially in the 80s?
All of us in the band have a long history in music. We've all played and listened a lot of different styles. Rock and metal has always been the coolest thing. The energy, great musicians and great songs. It wasn't easy to find players to a band back in the days. That's why it many times evolved from a group of friend who were eager enough to spend hours at the rehearsal room to gradually become skillful players. I think it was easier to find audience for rock music earlier. Today lots of the kids are interested in rap. At the same time, it's great to see some fans that come to our gigs now who've seen the band already in the 80s.
What support do you like to see for Stud?
It would be great if the people who are into the kind of music we play could check out our albums. There's some great stuff on both of them. If you dig it, please let your friends know too. Our Facebook-page is the place for our fans. Let us know how you feel about our music. At the moment we're doing gigs in Finland, but we aim to do shows outside of Finland as soon as we can.
Do you plan to tour?
The next album is our priority for near future, but after the summer we will be doing some gigs. To support the new album we'd like to do something bigger and do as many shows as possible. Hopefully we could break the ice and play for our fans in different countries soon.
Have you achieved your dreams? Was it ever fame and fortune?
We don't do it for the big money. What would be great is to be able to tour without going totally broke. We know that there is lots of people around the world that can enjoy our music, so we try to reach those people. Unfortunately, we are still a small band wanting to get bigger. We're working hard to achieve that. At the same time, being able to make two albums and now the third one, is a dream come true for us.
What are your views on the lyrics for your band?
With the songs we're demoing for the next album, the lyrics are having a much bigger role than before. While it's really great to come up with good lyrics, it at the same time raises the bar higher to always find out something interesting to say. It's now more like telling a story instead of just gathering together bunch of words that sound cool. It's a new inspiring element in our songs. The lyrics mean a lot to many people.
Do you have any news?
We had a change in lineup, when our bass player, Matti, decided to leave the band. I called my old friend Jyrki Partanen and asked if he could join STUD. In a week we got a green light from Jyrki. In addition to being a great bass player, Jyrki is also very good at background vocals. At this point we feel that the band is in the best shape ever. Thanks so much for Christy at Metal Bulletin Zine for having the opportunity to do this interview. Thanks also to all STUD fans around the world. Rock on!
www.facebook.com/STUDofficial
THE END
