Wednesday, October 31, 2018
interview: William Wallace
The independent band William Wallace (U.S.) is impressive from the first listen to the 2018 debut album How Gods Are Made, an enthusiastic sound that seems to put together a multi-genre approach within the framework of thrashing, progressive music that features guitars and melodies prominently. This publication presented the band with some questions about the album, and the band’s history, and they were generous and professional with their answers and took it upon themselves to give an informative interview.
Greetings, William Wallace. Where is the base of operations for the band? It seems like you all might be in California. If so, can you tell us about how things are for your band in the local scenes? The world has many ideas about California: Hollywood, earthquakes, Lakers, rock music, beaches, so on and so forth. How are things for you there?
Jordan: Greetings, Metal Bulletin Zine. You are correct. The band is out of California. Modesto and Riverbank to be exact. Modesto has over 200k people, and Riverbank is just under 25k. The metal scene has improved a lot over the years, and we are proud to be part of the metal community. The metal scene here has always been tight knit, lots of support from everyone involved. Everyone knows each other, and always has positive things to say. It isn’t out of the norm to play a show and see members of other bands that just wanted to come out and support his fellow musicians.
Brandon: Yeah, the local music scene may not be the biggest in the state, but it has always supported its local artists. Especially now as William Wallace makes their return to the stage.
Aaron: California is just where I happen to live. I was born here. My friends and family are here. Don’t make it to Hollywood that often, and I haven’t felt an earthquake in a long time. But I can get to the beach within a couple of hours. Same with the mountains, so I like it.
What is the real life like for William Wallace metal music in California?!
Jordan: I think we are fortunate to be in California. People get so involved here. A ton of great metal acts have originated and thrived here. It’s very inspiring. Some of them as close as an hour away. We are 6 hours north of L.A. and 2 hours east of San Francisco, and that is great for playing shows to cities with over a million people in them at one time.
Joel: I like California. I think we have some problems politically, but I won’t get into that. I think the only negative is the population of this state is massive. I sometimes wonder if we lived in a smaller state that maybe we would be easily discovered, instead of having to compete with all the great musicians and bands here. But other than that, it’s great here.
Metal bands have names like Zombie, Zombie Killer, Zombie Killer Apocalypse, Zombie Killer Apocalypse Cult. Is one of you named William Wallace? Please tell us about the name of the band and how it came about?
Jordan: That would be cool if one of us was named William Wallace! (laughs) We were hanging out one day and began throwing names around. There was something about William Wallace that stood out. Something we all agreed was different from the typical metal band name and decided this was the name we would go forward with.
Joel: Without turning this into a history lesson, William Wallace was a Scottish rebel that fought in the first war of Scottish Independence, against King Edward I. William Wallace made a name for himself, but you would most commonly know him from the Mel Gibson movie, Braveheart. For me personally, the band name is more of that attitude, or way of life. I won’t be a slave to what some people feel metal MUST be. I don’t wear black every day, have tattoos, long hair, piercings, or anything that is a stereotype when it comes to metal music. I won’t follow the common layout for what a metal band is “supposed” to be.
When did William Wallace actually begin? How long have you all been playing music? Do you remember what inspired you to pick up an instrument?
Joel: William Wallace started with my brother Jordan and me. We had been writing and playing music for years, but we finally reached out so some friends and were able to form a band. In April of 2009 we officially became William Wallace and started playing shows. I was inspired to play music first by my father. He had always been playing acoustic guitar and singing to me since I was a baby. I always loved the sound of his fingers sliding across those strings. After that it was guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman and many more. Now that I think about it, my step-brother started playing guitar around 13 or 14. I remember thinking that I could be better than he was. So, I quietly and quickly learned as much stuff on my own until I felt I was better (laughs).
Jordan: I have been playing guitar for around 14 years. I was inspired by my family and favorite bands. I grew up watching my pops and big brother Joel play. I was quickly drawn to it and have been hooked ever since. Joel was my mentor when it came to learning guitar. He showed me a lot of bands during those early years that were pivotal in finding my own playing style. Megadeth, Metallica, Dream Theater, Trivium, and Iron Maiden just to name a few, but the list goes on and on.
Brandon: Playing music was just a way of life for me as a child. I took to vocals when I was 13 after my first local hardcore show. I was amazed by the way the vocalists were able to share their lyrics with their vocal dynamics. As a young writer it seemed like the best way to share my own lyrics.
Josh: When I was 8 my dad bought a drum set to learn how to play as a hobby. I started messing with them and he got lessons for both of us for a month. I didn't like the lessons, but I kept playing on my own. I started practicing more seriously when I got into my first band, Silo, at age 13 for a talent show. I picked up a guitar around this time as well. Then I was in a band named Chaos AD for a couple years with an older friend who got me into metal. I was hooked on playing thrash metal from then on and got into a band with Aaron Wheeler named Descend at age 16. Descend played all over the central valley and the Bay Area for a while, and versions of it jammed for at least 12 years. We played with some awesome bands during that time, including Forbidden, Dragonlord, Skinlab, HMP, Rebel's Mother, Kranial Damage, Better Left Unsaid, Makeshift Grey, The Venting Machine, and Stigmurder. After Descend I joined Decimate the Opposition and even got Aaron to jam in it as well for a short while. After two versions of DTO playing some kick ass shows over a few years, we disbanded on good terms and we all joined other projects later. And that's what got me to William Wallace, dragging Aaron out of "retirement" to play with me again. The kit I play is still made up of parts from my dad's original kit. I have a need to play metal. I always feel better and more positive after every jam session, as I am naturally negative, pessimistic, and misanthropic. I really believe jamming in metal bands and writing music has kept me healthy, physically and mentally, over the years. Some play music in hopes of making money or getting famous, but I play purely for the music and self-fulfillment. I could give a f*** about what people want to hear, and I always try to play music I enjoy listening to or at the very least, enjoy playing. A funny note; Aaron has played every combination of guitar, bass, and lead vocals in bands we've been in together. Just bass, just guitar, vocals and bass, lead vocals and guitar, just lead vocals, etc.
Aaron: I’ve had a guitar since I was in junior high. I didn’t try to be in a band until freshman year of high school. We learned part of Metallica’s “Unforgiven” and that was the end of it. After that some other friends and I started a band called Proficy (prophecy spelled wrong on purpose because the logo made a symmetrical symbol). We did all of two songs and had a few riffs we jammed on. After that I was in Descend. That was the first serious band I was in. Many songs were created, many shows were played, and all of it was f****** bad ass. Egos and other unfortunate things broke that apart. I played a little with Decimate the Opposition but couldn’t get into it. Now I’m playing with William Wallace and I’m really liking the music again. Musically I range from traditional stuff like Metallica and Megadeth to heavier bands like Amon Amarth and Slayer. A couple songs here and there from newer bands but not much. I’ve always loved music and being a part of a band. Creating with friends is an awesome experience.
Who are the members of the band now in 2018 and who is answering this interview? Is this the same personnel that recorded your album How Gods Are Made?
Brandon: The lineup has The Brothers Soto (Joel & Jordan) on guitars and vocals, Josh Ruloph on drums, Aaron Wheeler on bass and vocals, and me as the front man. I am the most recent addition to the band. I have been the frontman for 3 months. We are all here answering the questions together. No. Josh, Aaron and I did not work on the album. That was all Joel and Jordan’s work. Though I was not part of the creation of How Gods Are Made, I can say I am happy to be part of the live performance of the album and look forward to creating future William Wallace album.
Jordan: When we recorded the album, William Wallace was just Joel and me.
Joel: Yeah, Jordan and I wrote everything and have had it on ice for a while. When it came time to record we did all the guitars, bass, and vocals. We had a close friend, Erick Rodríguez do the drums for us, and he also provided the narration. Another close friend, Bret Morgan, offered up his home recording studio. Along with recording and mixing the album, he stepped in and provided lows and high vocals.
Jordan: Yes, Brett and Erick were instrumental in the making of this album. Without them, it would’ve taken a hell of a lot longer for How Gods Are Made to come out or get made at all. We couldn’t have done this without them, and we are eternally grateful.
William Wallace is new to me, and probably new to most people reading this interview. In your own words, now that you have completed the album, what emotions would you say that your music embodies? People are looking to connect with music in some way. What type of connection do you think that people may find in your music?
Joel: I’m hoping the music comes off as having a wide range of emotions. If you follow along with the story by reading the lyrics, you can better understand what is going on and what our Hero is thinking. He’s really going on this epic journey and things are going his way one minute, then the next he’s in the heat of battle, and it’s up and down for him. We really tried to show that in our music.
Jordan: Exactly. In Chapter IV: Ashes of the Tyrant, our Hero and his men are in a battle with the Tyrant and his forces. Joel had this vision of the fight happening and swords clashing everywhere so brought some broadswords into the studio and recorded the sounds of the blades striking each other. When you listen to that song you hear all these swords clashing and we want that to convey onto the listener the fact that this is the heat of battle, everyone is going all out, and everything is on the line.
Joel: Yeah, that was a fun day. As far as what type of connection people find, I really want everyone to come away from the story having been entertained. I think of the album as an audio book told through music. You have narration, songs bleeding into the next, and I want everyone to come away wishing it never ended. Like a good book you’re reading. If it’s good, you just don’t want it to end. Once it has, you don’t know what to do next. Having the lyrics are going to be a very important part as a listener. If you don’t have them, of course you can enjoy the music and flow of things. But if you want the full effect we are aiming for, you must have the story. Everyone that gets a physical copy will have the lyric booklet. If you get How Gods Are Made digitally, you won’t. We are urging everyone that purchases HGAM digitally to reach out to us. Email us, send us a message on Facebook or Twitter and request a copy of the lyrics. We will send a PDF copy of the lyric booklet to everyone that gets a copy and wants to follow the story.
Jordan: We would like to have the lyrics on some online sites for everyone to get also, so we are working on that.
How long did you work on the album? Is it your debut? I have been impressed with the skills in the instrumentation, the guitar work, the ambition that you show in making an album with a bit of an epic or concept vibe. Have you been cooking up this album for several years?
Joel: Thank you very much. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Yes, this is our debut. We worked on this album for a good number of years. Jordan and I were finally able to get everything recorded and produced the way we wanted. I had the story concept in my head for over a decade now, but never sat down to write it all out. I finally finished it up and we got to recording and had a blast along the way.
Jordan: You can say we’ve been cooking it up for years. The music has been written for a while, and like Joel said before, we just needed the story written out and to get the vocal patterns done. We were only guitarists before, we always had a front man to sing. When we decided we just had to record the album with just the two of us, we stepped up and got the singing done. That was a whole different beast, since we never had the duty of putting lyrics to music. Once we went into the vocal booth it surprisingly came easily. The songs were ripe for vocal parts, and everything fell into place.
There is variety in the vocal styles used. How many people do vocals?
Joel: I would say there is variety for sure. Jordan did fry vocals and cleans. I did clean vocals, but mine are higher where Jordan has more bass in his voice. Brett did lows and highs. So that’s 5 different vocal styles?
Brandon: When we perform live, I handle all the highs, lows and frys. Jordan and Joel both do their clean vocals, and Aaron steps up to do backing vocals as well as lead the charge with highs on a chapter or two.
There is growling and singing, some death metal vibes, some metalcore feels, some progressive elements and plenty of thrashing riffs. Did you use acoustic guitars on the album, too? (like on Chapter V: Solace in Sadness).
Jordan: Yes, we did. We have three chapters that are acoustic only instrumentals and were written solely by Joel. That recording process was tedious, but we’re very pleased with the outcome. I did my share of lead guitar work on those chapters and I am pleasantly surprised with how well they turned out. Overall, we had a lot of fun recording, and I’m looking forward to getting back in the studio for the next album.
Joel: The music in these acoustic chapters go well with the flow of the story. In Chapter II: Calm Before the Storm, our Hero is sailing into a massive sea storm, and it’s still calm weather, and he is calm of mind. But in the next chapter that changes very quickly. Then on Chapter V: Solace in Sadness, he is finally able to grieve over the loss of his wife, son, villagers and men. These are all calm parts of the story where the Hero is given a moment to breathe and reflect. But it never lasts long. Since these are intended to be calm parts of the story, it didn’t make sense to me to have distorted guitars and shredding guitar solos to convey that emotion.
Would you mind giving us insight into your thinking about the composition of your music? How did you envision that the album was going to sound?
Joel: For composition, Jordan and I arranged everything the way we felt flowed the best. Nothing was forced or planned out. We would come up with a riff and work off that. A lot of the parts were just asking to be written since they felt so good together. I really didn’t have any idea how it would sound on the album. I knew how the parts sounded when we played the songs live and knew there was potential for them to sound crisper, and cleaner than at practice or live. I also had no idea about the vocals and how those would sound. I knew I wanted to harmonize some parts and sing some parts, but when Jordan and Brett would record their vocals, I wouldn’t listen. I wanted to be surprised by their first pass through. They blew me away with the stuff they created. Really awesome vocal parts I was not expecting. When I finally was listening to the finished project, it was better than I imagined. I am very happy with the way it turned out, and really hope people enjoy the journey we take them on.
What is the concept story and who wrote it? Is it inspired by a movie or a book?
Joel: I had thought up the story a long time ago, but never put it to paper. Just never had the time. I talked about it with Jordan and he wrote some lyrics for our old demo we recorded. Once we decided to make the album, I finally wrote everything down. The reason the songs are called chapters is because they are literally that. Each song is a chapter from the overall story. I think of it as an audio book with guitar solos (laughs). I believe I was inspired by all sorts of things; movies, comics, mythology. I used to watch older movies with my dad, stuff like Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans. I was always interested in Gods and mythology, and that comes through in How Gods Are Made.
Jordan: Without giving too much away, the story is about a nameless Hero that is returning home from battle. He and his men just want to get home, get back to regular life. As they approach, they see the smoldering ash of their families, homes and crops. The Hero knows the evil Tyrant from across the sea is the monster who did this. Even though there is a massive sea storm in the way, the Hero and his men set sail straight into it. Along the way they battle sea creatures rising from the depths, the Tyrant, a battle with the Octobeast, and possibly a trip to the underworld? *wink* The title really tells it all. How Gods Are Made. The Gods from mythology aren’t really made. They’re born that way or have always been that way. But how is a God made?
Brandon: Get yourself a copy of the album and find out!
When is the album available and how can people hear it and get it?
Joel: The album officially released on Oct. 26th. You can purchase it digitally from iTunes, Amazon, Google Play Music and other online sites. If you prefer a physical copy, you can email us @ williamxwal-lacex@yahoo.com and tell us you want a physical copy. We can get shipping info and use PayPal to carry out that transaction. Of course, we will have copies available at all shows we are booked on. As far as hearing it, we have released a single on YouTube and SoundCloud and are planning on releasing one or two more as the year progresses.
What type of merchandise do you have?
Brandon: Right now, we have the album and shirts. We are in the process of getting more shirts designed and made, so be on the lookout for those. If you want to support the music, buy the album, listen to it and share it with everyone you know that enjoys metal. Word of mouth is just as good as advertising, maybe better. We already are working towards the next album, and the success of How Gods Are Made will propel us to create better recordings on the upcoming one.
facebook.com/williamwallaceband
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
interview: Dracena (part 4: conclusion)
Sunday, October 28, 2018
interview: A Forest of Stars
In the year 2018 there is a new grandiose work by A Forest of Stars: Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes, a most interesting epic album. Perhaps it is wise to point out that the music is meant for those listeners that are willing to explore a band (U.K.) with a big imagination in the creation of progressive extreme metal, with a substantial foundation in black metal. Expect an adventure on this, their fifth, work! This interview is answered by multiple members of the band, as you shall see below.
How is Leeds (or the part of England where you operate) for your music? Metal Archives says that you have been active since 2007. Things must be going fine for you, to keep be at it after all these years.
Curse: We hail from various locations in West Yorkshire, many of which evoke Blake’s dark Satanic mills. My own home is in Bradford, a place that has been referenced indirectly in a number of songs. A place with an interesting heritage that has fallen on hard times. In regard to our persistence as a band, we do it because we love it. It is of the utmost importance to us. We’ve seen some success, though little in the way of fame or fortune. That said, we never expected or even desired such!
Kettleburner: I think that we were encouraged by a fertile and friendly live music scene here in the early-mid 2000s (or 1880s using our timeframe), all very low key, but very creative and with a real “do it yourself” kind of attitude. We definitely got to cut our teeth in other bands for a few years. The band itself wasn’t really influenced by a local scene, not in the musical sense anyway – probably the biggest influence of the location is the fact that the industrial revolution made its mark on our landscape in a big way that is still absolutely unmissable today. We do only play locally once in a while, but it’s a great place to play when we do.
Is the membership information from Metal Archives correct?
Mr. T.S. Kettleburner: bass (2007-2011), vocals, guitars (2007-2011, 2013-present)
The Gentleman: drums (2007-2008), keyboards, pianoforte, percussion (2007-present)
Mister Curse: vocals (2007-present)
Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts: vocals, violin, flute (2007-present)
Mr. John "The Resurrectionist" Bishop: drums, percussion (2009-present)
Mr. Titus Lungbutter: bass (2011-present)
Mr. William Wight-Barrow: guitars (2014-present)
Curse: Your information is correct in regards to the members of the band. Those of us answering questions will use this section as a roll call of sorts. Our current lineup is a solid and stable one, a family unit first and foremost.
Given that the new album is more than an hour of music, would it be perhaps a concept album? The way the album flows, it feels very unified.
Curse: This particular record is not specifically a concept album, though common themes do persist throughout. ‘A Shadowplay for Yesterdays’ is our only so-called intentional concept album so far, though there may very well be others in the future. I cannot comment musically, but lyrically there are certainly threads throughout Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes that could suggest a common theme or concept, though this is more due to obsessions and trains of thought at the times of writing than to a specific intent.
Kettleburner: In terms of the music, conceptually we wanted to invoke a lot of older atmospheres but try and bring some more of the tighter arrangements we’ve learnt along the way. I’ve always wanted to create an album of extremes – of both tension and release – and feel like we achieved this.
The album feels very creative, very ambitious. But you do play live and you play with everyone live, correct? It seems like you do have the personnel to make your music come life on the stage.
Kettleburner: Yes. Many hands make light(er) work. I think that we have got quite adept over the years at translating our recordings – which are very much a product of layering and building songs in the studio – into something that works in a live setting. In some cases I prefer how the song turns out live to how we recorded it. It’s always a fun challenge either way and there are only ever a small number of songs that we haven’t managed to make work live.
I am wondering, though, with this many people in the band, how much of a headache is it to make the different schedules work for your band to play shows, especially outside of your region?
Curse: We do indeed play live as frequently as is possible, though as you suggest, it is not always easy to marry our schedules outside of the band to our desires for performing. Most of us work full time or have other commitments that we must ensure are met appropriately before we can apply ourselves to getting out on the road. Oftentimes our best intentions are thwarted by outside influence, though I expect this is a common problem for most bands.
Kettleburner: Absolutely! There’s a lot more in terms of logistics as well than there is with a 4-piece band. But we love what we do and have a very strong sense of kinship - the band feels like a family in itself. That really makes any amount of hard work seem trivial. That said, I don’t think we’re built for long tours – we generally completely crumble physically after about 9-10 dates! I applaud bands who manage to make staying on the road work for them. There’s a lot of stamina and sacrifice involved in doing that.
Your previous album is called Beware the Sword You Cannot See and it is from 2015. It also has tremendous reviews on Metal Archives and it seems like those reviews are thoughtful; the reviewers have listened seriously to your music. That brings to mind a question, however. Exactly how long have you been working on the new album Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes?
Curse: For various reasons we took a year’s break from band activities (through choice) which delayed things somewhat. It is true that the record was a labour of love for us all, but we are all very proud of it and feel that it represents us well in the given period of time in which it was created. We are already looking towards the next record and are inspired, so perhaps the wait will be shorter next time.
Kettleburner: We began writing some parts of the new album before Beware The Sword You Cannot See was released in fact. We went on to write this album slowly over the course of about 18 months, which was really quite enjoyable. It was William Wight-Barrow’s first time writing with us as well, so that added a really good dynamic and lots of positive ideas.
However, the recording itself was actually quite stressful this time around, but only because we have held ourselves up to a much higher standard in terms of performance and production quality that we have before. Some guitar parts got re-tracked three times before they were right!
For A Forest of Stars, how does money, selling and buying, and merchandise intersect with the making of the art? Do you spend your own money making the recordings?
Curse: It is true that what we do, we do for the creativity of it and our own desire to make music for ourselves. We are lucky to have a label in Prophecy that understands that art must be art first and foremost. It is true that there have been occasions that we have funneled our own money into the band for various reasons, but when it comes to sink or swim, we bloody well swim!
Connected to the above question, does your band sell enough merchandise for you to not lose tons of money from recording albums? If fans are reading this interview and they like your music, and they want to support your band, what can they do?
Curse: We tend to teeter on the edge between profit and loss. We’ve never made any money to speak of from the band, though as I mentioned previously, our hearts and souls are utterly invested in what we do, so money, whilst being a necessary evil is tertiary. In answer to your question, we do have merchandise, some of which is available directly from the band via our recently cobbled together online shop and from Prophecy themselves. Any sales help us to pay for logistical inputs to touring.
Do you have invitations to play in Europe so far?
Curse: We have played many gigs in Europe in the past and at present are trying to work towards another tour. Time will only tell!
Kettleburner: More shall be announced next year on this front. We had planned to play in Germany, Netherlands, France and Belgium at the end of this year, but there were a few issues that stopped that from happening. We all love playing in Europe… there are so many great people, bands, promoters, venues and strong beers in places like the Netherlands, for example.
Has your band ever played in the United States?
Kettleburner: I think that playing in the United States would be incredible, but it would be difficult undertaking and not something we would want to promise will ever happen... but never say never.
The older British musicians had a fascination with bringing their rock and roll to the U.S.
Kettleburner: Oh, it was definitely seen as a rite of passage for a British band’s success, wasn’t it?
Have any of you ever been to the United States?
Curse: We have not yet had the opportunity to play in the United States, though I’m sure we’d all like to have the opportunity. We like to try to play anywhere there is interest in what we do. Personally, I have never visited the U.S. though once again, who knows what the future may hold? Up to now I don’t think there have been many opportunities for us to get over there – with seven of us it would be a very expensive proposition and would require careful planning (not to mention selling organs on the black market to finance it!)
Is there a place where people can hear the full album now?
Kettleburner: The full album Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes can be streamed on Prophecy’s Bandcamp page. The physical releases of our albums are adorned with lyrics and as much imagery as possible, so to distract you from our horrible racket. There will be no music video this time around, but the music and a lot of the associated imagery and concepts help serve it in the same way I think.
What else do you have for people who want to learn more about the band and the new album? Will you be making the lyrics available?
Curse: Our apologies for the delay in answering this interview – unfortunately it arrived at an extremely busy time for us in so-called real life, so by the time you read these answers, the album should be readily listenable online. We do have a Bandcamp site for those wishing to tread the digital path.
Kettleburner: The lyrics are in the physical prints of the albums. There’s much to get your teeth into… I would say to anyone who ever wants to find out anything about us just to get in contact via email. There were some videos put up on YouTube that go into the making the model city that we photographed for the main artwork for the album.
Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
Curse: Thank you for your considered questions and my apologies for the brevity of my answers – time is, as ever, the ever-present enemy!
Kettleburner: Cheers!
Thank you for your time!
www.aforestofstars.ecwid.com
a-forest-of-stars.bandcamp.com/
a-forest-of-stars.bandcamp.com/album/grave-mounds-and-grave-mistakes
Friday, October 19, 2018
interview: Solium Fatalis
What the future holds nobody seems to know for sure, although it might be not the happiest if you check in with the American death metal band Solium Fatalis. Their new 2018 album is prophetically named Genetically Engineered to Enslave. What death metal is in 2018 is perhaps perfectly exemplified by the sound of Solium Fatalis. Disturbing. Dystopian. Solium Fatalis is new to this publication, and for this reason it is about time to find out more about this New England band.
This is your fourth album in seven years?!
Four albums in five years is the actual number. Jeff Demarco, our bassist and vocalist and I have been in the band since the beginning in 2012. Ryan Beevers the other guitarist joined in 2015 after we released Undying Season and Jeff Saltzman the drummer has been around 2 years now.
You formed in 2012 and then in 2013 there was the self-titled debut. Did your band not go through the stage of recording demos and finding the sound?
I wrote the first album in two weeks and Dirk and Loic did drums and bass as a favor. At that point I was 33 years old. I had a professional work ethic and a very good idea of how to make metal so we established the sound of the band after that album in a very unconventional way. Since my previous bands had done the ‘demo and do shows’ route and it hadn’t gotten me anywhere.
On Facebook you mention your multiple tours. Is this a touring band?
We all have normal jobs and no we don’t tour regularly but it’s been based on opportunity and less so on capability. But we certainly have done a couple tours.
What is driving your band to be making albums at this pace? I have been listening to the album and it is a serious production.
It has far less to do with finances than you think and more to with ingenuity and work ethic. We all know how to engineer ourselves in the studio and have jobs we work at and careers that we bust our asses doing to pay for the equipment we use and record with. Effective operating systems and a little bit of learning go a long way. There is no money in this business and it’s all for the love and we love this music and that’s why we do it. And thank you for the compliment on the production that’s Christian Donaldson work at his studio The Gird in Montreal and he’s a bad ass.
You are in New Hampshire. How is your fan base there?
We are 45 mins from Boston so geographically we have no issues with fans not coming to shows or opportunities to play them. But our NH faithful sure as hell show up to our shows and it’s awesome and they rule.
Is there a concept that connects all the lyrics on the album? Have you always had lyrics dealing with futuristic themes like artificial intelligence?
There is a loose concept, yes. All our albums are themed that way but no one seems to read lyrics anymore so they’ll never know. It’s not just about AI it’s about so much more, I also enjoy interpretive art so it means what you want it to mean.
I was looking at art work of the covers of the four albums and they all have a very dark, cosmic or mechanical vibes. How much input have you had in discussions with the artist(s) about what you want?
The last three albums are the same artist Pierre-Alain D. At 3mmi and the first album was Septicflesh frontman Seth Siro Anton who’s done work for Exodus, Paradise Lost, and a whole slew of killer bands. We have brief discussions but it’s usually me saying I like single figure art and here’s the music and they have made their interpretation.
Is the art work computer generated art or is it a painting done by hand?
I believe it was computer stuff mixed with his own hand drawings. He has a bit of a process and method, I’m sure.
Metal Archives says that you are on Wicked Music Records. Is that true?
We are NOT on Wicked Music. Everyone keeps printing that statement and it’s inaccurate. We are on our own label “Disfigured Records”. Yes, self-financed because why beg someone and be an ass kissing sycophant when you can rule your own world and tell everyone to fuck themselves? Better to rule in hell...
Did you work with a producer on this album?
We’re the producer. We handle all creative direction. We do this ourselves and no outside sources tell us how to write or alter our sound. We like it that way.
I see that you have several guests on the album.
We have guest vocalists Matt McGachy from Cryptopsy and Haydee Irizarry from Carnivora on the song “A Gathering of Storms” who have been friends for while and Phil Tougas from First Fragment on the song “Fiery the Angels Fell” with a guest solo who’s work we’ve admired for such long time.
What motivated you to pick up instruments and play extreme metal?
I always loved heavy music since I was a kid. I can’t speak for the band but my early influences are all over the place from Exodus to Morbid Angel, to movie sound tracks and Prince and Hank Williams Jr. all music has something to offer creatively if you know where to look.
How do you see the future of your music?
We will destroy, pillage and annihilate everywhere we play and keep making music as long as we have people who want to hear it!
What plans for shows are there?
We are playing a few shows our schedules are snug often times so we make what we can out of it. October 12th at the Stone Church in Brattleboro Vermont we are recording our CD release show for a live DVD and CD release so people should come be a part of immortality with us.
What type of merchandise do you have? Where to hear your albums?
CDs, shirts, patches, clothing.... the usual fare. All of it is available through our Bandcamp. All are albums are available on Bandcamp, Itunes and Google music.
What else would you like mention that I have not asked about?
We just wanna thank everyone for listening and checking us out! Our new album is “Genetically Engineered to Enslave” right now on our Bandcamp page.
soliumfatalis.bandcamp.com/album/genetically-engineered-to-enslave
soliumfatalis.bandcamp.com
Thursday, October 11, 2018
interview: Sage
For fans of traditional singing and very memorable songs, the way that Sage works with traditional, power, symphonic and epic heavy metal should be of interest. They hail from Croatia, in Central-Southeastern Europe. In 2018 they have an impressive debut album of eleven songs and some 55 minutes of music, called Anno Domini 1573, which is an important year in the history of the region, as explained in this interview with the band’s talented singer Davor Bušljeta.The band is Marko Karačić on bass, Branimir Habek and Enio Vučeta on guitars, Andrej Božić on keyboards, Davor Bušljeta on vocals, and Goran Mikulek on drums.
How are you?! Where in Croatia are you and how is life in general in your city?
We are doing quite alright with our day to day life. We are located in the capital city Zagreb. While living here is tolerable, for we have such great politicians that are trying their best, if you know what we mean.
And how is life for your music? Do you have a good metal scene for bands like Sage?
Yeah, we have lots of great metal bands and the metal scene itself is not too shabby, yet it has seen better days. The problem lies in the mainstream media for most of the music is mainstream and for the rest of us that do not play popular music it's pretty hard to get some airtime.
Croatia did very well during the football world cup in 2018 in Russia. Did you watch it?
Of course, if Croatians do anything properly it’s watching the game with a couple of friends and beers by the small screen.
How many recordings has Sage made? How long has the band been active? Were you all in previous bands in Croatia?
We have been active since October 2013 and since then we have released eleven songs and music videos for our debut album. Enio was famous as the frontman and guitarist of Legija (1985-2004), while Marko is currently playing with Prljavo Kazalište that has great popularity in Croatia for the last 30 years and was also playing with Shark Island and many other musicians, while the rest of the band members had several bands in the past and played locally.
What type of jobs do you all have?
We split the day to day band jobs and there is no manager, and we all do different jobs like fireworks, director in a bank, salesman, IT specialist.
The title Anno Domini 1573 seems like an epic title for the album. Where did you record the album? Was it recorded in studios in Croatia?
It was recorded in the studio of Janko Mlinarić Truli with the help of our producer Fedor Boić and sound engineer Franjo Valentić, while it was mixed at Morrisound studio in Florida by the famous drummer Casey Grillo.
The album sounds good and it has catchy songs. Is the album a concept album about the year 1573?
It is about an event that happened, to be precise the Peasants Revolt against the noble man that were oppressing the common man as we are experiencing something similar in the present; therefore, we decided to make the album with that type of a storyline.
Were your people fighting for independence or freedom in 1573?
The peasants had their final fight with the noble man at Stubica a place near Zagreb the city we live in. Back then the feudal lords had a system with high taxes and they were a greedy bunch that never knew to stop milking the cow, for they would take as much as possible from the peasant which then had to make it through the harsh winter.
Do you have any songs in Croatian?
We have made songs only in English so we could present our Croatian history to a wider audience, and our lyrics do describe the situation back in the day.
Did your parents grow up during the 1990s wars in your region? Did any of you grow up during that time?
We all have experienced the war during the 1990s, some more, some less. The war itself took five long years and even most of our family members experienced war at first hand, unfortunately.
Is life more peaceful in Croatia nowadays?
There is peace as in there is nobody shooting, yet there is no peace in the economic and political sense.
Do you think that the future will be peaceful in your region?
We sincerely hope that there will be no war here again, as we also hope for the rest of the world that are experiencing what we have will come to an end as soon as possible.
Where can people can hear the album? Do you have merchandise?
Currently you can listen to our songs on our YouTube channel, or our website, or you can buy a digital version as it was released during September by Rockshots Records. We currently have cd and a cd dvd deluxe version also guitar picks and T-shirts, and we hope that people will visit our gigs as we tour.
Do you have invitations to play in Europe so far? Do you plans to play shows? What news do you have about shows and tours?
We have recently played in Trieste, Italy, and we are currently dealing with booking agencies for the summer tour in Europe, all will be officially released on our Facebook page in due time.
What is your favorite food that is not from Croatia? Is German, Italian or Greek food popular in Croatia?
Croatian cuisine is specific for it is a mix of Italian, Turkish, French, Greek and lots of other cultures, yet we do have vege, Mexican, Chinese restaurants; people prefer Croatian cuisine.
Have you visited the United States? What did you think?
Some of us have visited the U.S.; good food, good women, what’s not to like?!! Some of us have relatives in the States.
It is cool how the last song “Heaven Open Your Gates” begins. Is that a Croatian Catholic song? It is a very nice end to the album.
The beginning of “Heaven Open Your Gates” is a sample made by Fedor Boić, yet the end is sung by the band and several girls from a quire called Medley Teatar, it is an old song usually sung at funerals and we have recorded it in loving memory to a dear friend of ours as also it is a song for the fallen hero of the Peasants Revolt, Matija Gubec
Good job on the album. Last words?
Thank you for the opportunity for presenting our work to the people in the U.S., we hope we will see you one day live at a gig.
facebook.com/sagecroatiaofficial/
metal-archives.com/bands/Sage/3540444863
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
read online Metal Bulletin Zine number 154
Thursday, October 4, 2018
releasing this week: Behemoth
Behemoth: I Loved You at Your Darkest
Metal Blade Records; 5 October 2018
Musically, Behemoth has found a comfortable balance between extreme metal and allowing the music to breathe. Decades of experience (the first demo is from 1992) has taught them to simplify the music (less crowded vocals, less effects; songs sound less busy than ever before) and develop the melodies a lot more and embellish the symphonic elements to fill out the background. The music is black metal, it is extreme metal, while sounding the most friendly to the ear than ever. It is a very nice achievement. All that touring has taught them a lot about what works and what doesn’t. They are no longer trying to be the fastest, most frenetic band in the world. It is quite an experience to hear Behemoth taking in the lessons in songwriting. This is their most mature album and their most accessible.
Some people have observed that the band’s ever more theatrical shock rock imagery and sexism (clothed as lyrical antireligious rebellion) is gimmicky. Of course, rock and roll was built on the capitalist marketing strategy of shocking people, so this is not exclusive to Behemoth. If you accept that Behemoth keeps changing musically, and you can get past the occult imagery, then it is very likely that this might be seen as the band’s best, most enjoyable, listenable and melodic album. The album is done very, very well. facebook.com/behemoth
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Overwrought comes to Everett this Thursday
Noceur comes to Everett this Thursday
releasing this week: Alchemy Chamber
Alchemy Chamber: Opus I: Subtle Movements from within
self-release; released on: 6 October 2018
Alchemy Chamber (Canada) is an instrumental band featuring the cello prominently, in addition to the saxophone. The main ideas for the songs are written Anna Kuchkova (cello); Anna is joined by Kevin Arland on saxophone, Ashar Kazi on guitar, Zenon Shandro on bass and Julia Geaman on drums. Without a person singing or screaming over the music, here is a perfect opportunity to hear the music without any distractions. The music is easy to understand, actually, because it is song-focused. There are ten tracks and not a one of them is longer than 4:20. The band shows a tremendous sense of restraint and taste. To make it perfectly clear, this is not tech-metal and it is not jazz metal, and it is not musicians showing off their skills. Think of it as song-centered, compact, to-the-point instrumental progressive metal with cello and saxophone. Most of all, it is tasteful. You will be surprised by how much these musicians understand that you want songs. They understand that you do not need them to prove to you that this is intelligent music and this is art. Those things are so self-evident that they do not even need to go around reminding anyone of it.
facebook.com/AlchemyChamber
Monday, October 1, 2018
black metal in Everett, WA this Thursday: Overwrought, Noceur
Washington state concert calendar, updated October 1, 2018
Friends in the state of Washington,
Is there a metal music show in your area that is not listed in this calendar? Does your local metal band have a show coming up and is not listed here? Is your band's name spelled incorrectly? Are the dates wrong? If you have information about shows/updates/cancellations, please get in contact with Metal Bulletin zine.
Washington state concert calendar, updated October 1, 2018
October 2 Incantation, Dying Fetus, Gatecreeper, Genocide Pact, Oxygen Destroyer at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
October 3 Graham Bonnet Band, Zero Down at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
October 3 Un, Witch Ripper, Shrine of the Serpent, Old Iron at Highline, Seattle, WA
October 4 Revocation, Exhumed, Rivers of Nihil, Yautja at The Pin, Spokane, WA
October 4 Overwrought, Noceur at Tony V’s, Everett, WA
October 5 Revocation, Exhumed, Rivers of Nihil, Yautja at Highline, Seattle, WA
October 6 Generation Decline, Gravewitch, Oxygen Destroyer, Schmutzhund at The Charleston, Bremerton, WA
October 6 The Accused AD, Zero Down at The Plaid Pig, Tacoma, WA
October 9 Satan, Substratum, Skelator at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
October 9 Carach Angren, Mors Principium Est, Wolfheart, Blood and Thunder, others at Club Sur Rocks, Seattle, WA
October 9 Zeal and Ardor at Neumos, Seattle, WA
October 12 Czar, Odyssian, Deathbed Confessions at The Kraken, Seattle, WA
October 12 Overwrought, Monstress, Fuchsia Groan, Gallows Hymn, Opropos at Little Roadside Tavern, Everson, WA
October 13 Hatebreed, Miss May I, Ringworm at Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
October 13 Avoid, Into The Flood, As Pillars Fall, I Am Infamy, Lurch at The Charleston, Bremerton, WA
October 14 Cognizant, Rottenness, Impulse Noise, Seizure at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
October 15 Enemy Soil, Antigama, Violent Opposition, Treasonist, The Drip at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
October 15 Paradise Lost, Sólstafir, The Atlas Moth at Neumos, Seattle, WA
October 15 Gwar, Hatebreed, Miss May I, Ringworm, American Sharks at Showbox, Seattle, WA
October 16 Vile Effigy, Overwrought, Born Without Blood, Speaks in Tongues at Highline, Seattle, WA
October 17 Expain, Kömmand at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
October 18 Steve Grimett’s Grim Reaper at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
October 18 Witchaven, Xoth, Oxygen Destroyer, Sentient Divide, others at Highline, Seattle, WA
October 19 Witchaven, Oxygen Destroyer, Sentient Divide, Effluvia at McCoy’s Tavern, Olympia, WA
October 19 Tetrarch, others at Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
October 20 Nekrogoblikon, others at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
October 21 Hell’s Belles (AC/DC tribute) at Tulalip Casino, Marysville, WA
October 21 Windhand, Satan’s Satyrs at Neumos, Seattle, WA
October 21 Hell’s Belles (AC/DC tribute) at Tulalip Resort Casino, Tulalip, WA
October 24 Captured by Robots, The Drip, others at The Big Dipper, Spokane, WA
October 25 Captured by Robots, Xoth, Toecutter at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
October 25 Danzig, Venom Inc., Power Trip, Mutoid Man at Showbox, Seattle, WA
October 26 The Accüsed A.D., others at Black Zia Cantina, Burien, WA
October 27 Jesus Wears Armani, Casualty of God, Anthrocene, others at The Plaid Pig, Tacoma, WA
October 27 Blistered Earth (Metallica tribute), Live Undead (Slayer tribute) at Tony V’s, Everett, WA
October 27 Method 13, Arisen from Nothing, The War Within, No Such Season at Madison Pub, Everett, WA
October 27 Hell’s Belles (AC/DC tribute) at Jazzbones, Tacoma, WA
October 27 Ingested, Enterprise Earth, Bodysnatcher, Aethere at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
October 27 Weaponlord (performing a Running Wild set), others at Highline, Seattle, WA
October 28 Hissing, Bone Sickness, Cavurn, Foul at Highline, Seattle, WA
October 29 Ingested, Enterprise Earth, Bodysnatcher, Aethere at The Pin, Spokane, WA
October 29 Trivium, Avatar at Showbox, Seattle, WA
October 31 Trivium at Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
October 31 After the Burial, The Acacia Strain, After the Fallout at Club Sur Rocks, Seattle, WA
October 31 Psychostick, others at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
November 2 Second Sting (Scorpions tribute) at Tulalip Casino, Marysville, WA
November 2 Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Krisiun, Soreption, others at Club Sur Rocks, Seattle, WA
November 3 Resistant Culture, Viveka, Huldrekall, Goon at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
November 4 Mac Sabbath at Jazzbones, Tacoma, WA
November 6 Stryper at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
November 7 Atriarch, others at Highline, Seattle, WA
November 7 Pound, Neck of the Woods, others at The Kraken, Seattle, WA
November 9 Arsis, Decrepit Birth, Internal Bleeding, Pyrexia, Angelmaker, Within Destruction, Orator at Club Sur Rocks, Seattle, WA
November 9 Neck of the Woods at Eagles 2485, Kennewick, WA
November 9 Large Marge, Dilapidation, Oxygen Destroyer, Effluvia, Drawn and Quartered at The Valley, Tacoma, WA
November 9 ApHelion, Salem Knights, Wet Temple, The Wreck’d, Boxcutter PNW, Johnny Yuma at Mirkwood Public House, Arlington, WA
November 9 Coven, Kömmand, Sabateur, Cerna Krev at McCoy’s Tavern, Olympia, WA
November 10 Raven, others at Tony V’s, Everett, WA
November 10 Sadistic Intent, Drawn and Quartered, Oxygen Destroyer at Highline, Seattle, WA
November 10 Valhalla (Led Zeppelin tribute) at The Brothers Gemini, Port Angeles, WA
November 12 Raven, others at The Pin, Spokane, WA
November 12 As I Lay Dying, others at Chop Suey, Seattle, WA
November 13 Korpliklaani, Arkona at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
November 13 Goatwhore, others at Club Sur, Seattle, WA
November 14 Eyehategod, Cro-Mags, Philip H. Anselmo and The Ilegals at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
November 16 Underoath at Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
November 16 Noisem, Blame God, Bruceexcampbell, Gün, Pustulous at The Plaid Pig, Tacoma, WA
November 17 Neck of the Woods, Darkness Stole the Sky, others at McCoy’s Tavern, Olympia, WA
November 18 Noisem, Blame God, World Peace, Impulse Noise at Highline, Seattle, WA
November 20 Behemoth, At the Gates, Wolves in the Throne Room at Showbox, Seattle, WA
November 21 Municipal Waste, High on Fire, Toxic Holocaust, Haunt at Showbox, Seattle, WA
November 25 Castle, Holy Grove at The Shakedown, Bellingham, WA
November 27 Castle at Highline, Seattle, WA
November 28 Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, Oceano, Slaughter to Prevail at The Pin, Spokane, WA
November 29 Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, Oceano, Slaughter to Prevail at Showbox, Seattle, WA
December 5 Yob at Neumos, Seattle, WA
December 7 Zepparella (Led Zeppelin tribute) at Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
December 7 Heartbreaker at Rocko’s, Everett, WA
December 8 Yob, others at The Shakedown, Bellingham, WA
December 8 Devastation in December: Infernal Legion, Oxygen Destroyer, Nocturnal Slaughter, Orator, Violent Hallucinations, Beyond Theory, Something with Teeth, Trojan Swamp Monster at Erebus, Kelso, WA
December 28 Zoso (Led Zeppelin tribute) at Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
January 4 Chemical Annihilation, At the Seams, Trojan Swamp Monster at The Heavy Metal Brewing Co., Vancouver, WA
January 25 Hell’s Belles (AC/DC tribute) at Snoqualmie Casino, Snoqualmie, WA
January 25 Hell’s Belles (AC/DC tribute) at Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
February 16 Keep Metal Alive Fest IV: Xoth, Witch Ripper, Gravewitch, Vile Effigy, Nocturnal Mayhem, others at The Charleston, Bremerton, WA
March 22 Y&T at Club Sur, Seattle, WA
April 19 Washington Deathfest IV at Erebus, Kelso, WA
May 30-June 1 Northwest Terrorfest at Neumos/Highline/Barboza, Seattle, WA
June 9 Flotsam and Jetsam at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
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