Friday, December 27, 2019
Friday night right now: Excuse All the Blood
Listen to the live broadcast right now, Friday night:
radiofreeamerica.com/station/kaos
Excuse All the Blood is a metal music show from the state of Washington, U.S. The show features black metal, heavy metal, death metal and other metal genres, too. The show is on Friday nights, but it is also available any time here: www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/seamus-o-reilly
Friday night, 10pm to 1am Pacific Time (Seattle), listen to Excuse All the Blood metal music, out of Olympia, Washington state, U.S.
www.kaosradio.org
www.twitter.com/EATBRadio?lang=en
Thursday, December 26, 2019
in case you missed it: Overthrust 2019
in case you missed it: Angel Witch 2019
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
interview: Austin Pattison, drummer for Ex Nihilo; former drummer for Opropos
interview: Austin Pattison, drummer for Ex Nihilo; former drummer for Opropos
Hey, Austin, how was 2019 and what music do you have planned for 2020?
2019 was a pretty solid year, musically. Despite dissolving the band near the tail end of the year, Opropos killed out a few good shows but even before then, things started to slow down and become stagnant for reasons I did not wish to continue trying to push through. Eli and I in Ex Nihilo became increasingly restless after releasing Ego Ex Nihil at the beginning of the year and just could not stop ourselves from bringing on more projects. For almost a year now, I have been working with a dear friend of Ex Nihilo – Josh Fitzner of Peanutbutterfly & Jellyfish Film Productions – on a music video for one of the tracks from Ego Ex Nihil. Eli even got shot into the video when he visited during the summer of 2019!
As for music already recorded… Yes! Ex Nihilo has just recently signed on with a label based out of the UK called Black Spark Records. Eli and I recorded two tracks this year titled ‘Total Waste ov Humanity’ and ‘Funeral Beneath the Cold Moon’ which will be released through BSR on cassette titled ‘Praeludium’ – Which will be two tracks on the upcoming album (Hoping to release BY 2021) titled ‘Enantiodromia’
In how many entities are you active?
As stated above – Opropos, who was set to become Visceral Descent, was dissolved. Whether or not the other lads will continue as VD is not anything I have info on.
Besides Ex Nihilo, Keanu F (vocalist from Opropos) and I are working on a two-piece project titled ‘Hewa’. It is a beautiful project Keanu approached me about mid-2019. It’s all songs about the oppression of his native Hawaiian people and the stuff Keanu is writing on guitar is wildly crushing and groovy at the same time!
Besides sitting in for Done to Death as their interim drummer, an idea for a DSBM band has started to fester inside my head but it is something I am going to take a good amount of time to bring to the surface. Not only because I want things arranged perfectly, but because I am also learning bass for it and hope to front a band for once instead of be behind everyone on the drums!
The Ex Nihilo album Ego Ex Nihil was released in 2019. Who are the members of Ex Nihilo and how did this project begin? Where were the different parts of the music recorded?
Ex Nihilo consists of Eli and I. Eli writes all the music and primarily all the lyrics. Eli records at home in North Carolina and emails me his ideas – I’ve hardly ever turned them down so he just slaps a click track over them and I download them to my phone and spend some time coming up with what I want to do on the drums. Two tracks from Ego Ex Nihil were recorded somewhat decently through an interface and using microphones, but my computer was going through some PSU problems and would shut down randomly in the middle of recording. It became frustrating, so I bought a decent field recorder and recorded the drums best I could through that. I would then line the drum tracks up to the demo click that Eli sent me, isolate just drums, then shoot them over. Eli mixes and masters everything back on his end. As for the two new tracks on ‘Praeludium’, Keanu F recorded my drums for me under the name of Dirt Eater Productions. Everything else was done as per usual on Eli’s end.
What is the future of Ex Nihilo?
As far as Eli and I are concerned – Ex Nihilo will continue on for as long as we live. We would absolutely love to take our music on the road some day. We were very inspired by Sacrament ov Impurity/Weary with how full of a sound they could reach as a two piece, and we feel determined to be able to do the same. I’m even in constant contact with Sam of Weary and he’s been a very big help and supporter on what Ex Nihilo has been doing this year!
What is going on with Opropos at this point?
Opropos is finished. Starting in 2017, Opropos was simply just Calvin Burns reaching back out to me years after a failed high school death metal band never came to be. He writes some pretty fucking crazy death metal widdly widdlys on the guitar, and I told him I was primarily just looking to play black metal. We combined our efforts and came up with some pretty cool stuff in my opinion, finding a good balance between black and death. Keanu was next to join in, one audition as the vocalist and we were both sold on him instantly. We went through a few bassists, Gadge Becraft being the first. Then, Liam Hughes joined and he brought some vile fuckin’ blackened riffs and for the first bit we all just piled our ideas together. I wrote some lyrics – ‘Fate ov the Faithful’ and ‘Opropos’. Keanu then took over on that part and changed the game, putting a lot more thought into the themes. For the most part, we started out just as any other edgy metal band – Satan and anarchy – But Keanu really started putting some deeper meaning into the words he wrote. In the end, we were pretty heavy into the death side of things, which I actually came to like because it pushed me to become a more solid and versatile drummer outside of the trve and slow blast beasts. Opropos lasted about two years, and I was the drummer the whole time!
Why did Opropos come to an end?
From my point of view, Opropos dissolved because of scheduling and priorities. I have always been a very ambitious person, always wanting to write music with serious people that had kindred dreams of creating a life with music. Things seemed to go well for a time, then it felt like just an immediate severance. We couldn’t keep a bassist, and then it felt Liam and Calvin were putting a lot more thought and effort into any new project that they could start up. Despite telling them that I would be at my drums every night of the week ready to go, it felt like Opropos was in the back of others’ minds. One day a message shot across the group chat saying we all need to take things more seriously and blah blah blah and I said aloud to myself upon reading it “Nope, fuck this. This is exactly what I’ve been complaining about and they’re acting like I haven’t been trying.”
What other instruments, besides drums, do you play? What instruments interests you, besides drums?
HA! Anything besides drums? Nope. But, as stated I am hoping to pick up bass for a new band I want to start. But no other instrument has really made sense to me besides drums. I played keyboard in the beginning of high school marching band, but even then I never learned how to read the music. I would have someone show me what keys to hit and learn by muscle memory.
I used to write some of the most insufferable electronic music in my free time by sampling stupid shit and titling them after the nicknames and inside jokes of my friends.
The tracks have never, and will never, be released because they are such (purposely made) trash!
At what age did you begin playing drums? How were you introduced to the drums?
Now, you ask my mother and I apparently told her at a young age that I didn’t want to upset my father - a bassist/guitarist – but I wanted to play drums. However, it wasn’t until 7th grade just after turning 12 that my dad came to me and said “You need an elective class. Orchestra, choir, or band?”
I had already tried my hand at stringed instruments growing up and could never understand how to play them, and I had no interest in singing. So, just before school started, my father bought me my first snare drum, which was a vintage 1970s Ludwig… I regret selling. Now, 11 years later I am still at it! I had enthusiasm since the beginning, but kit drumming didn’t become the main focus of my percussive career until about 2012/2013. I didn’t actually play live for the first time until 2015, and even then it wasn’t an extreme metal band. It took a few years until I started playing the type of music that I wanted to.
Did you like any drummers in particular? What music did you like when you were a child; then in middle/high school? What kind of music was popular amongst high school kids back then?
It took up in to high school before I found my true musical identity. Growing up, my mother and father always listened to heavier music. My father showed me the ways of Rush, Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Dio – You know, the usual stuff!
My mom was always into heavier rock, but not a lot of it is anything that stuck. I distinctly remember my very first album I ever owned was American Idiot by Green Day. I listened to that album until I became absolutely sick of it.
Fast forward through the bullshit music phases of middle school and we land in high school. I always had a bad habit of finding one artist I really liked and listening to them and just them day after day, never branching out. Then, a friend I met online showed me Volbeat. At the time, their most recent album was ‘Beyond Hell/Above Heaven’ and on it was the song ‘Evelyn’ featuring Barney of Napalm Death doing guttural vocals. This song surprised me as it starts with a rather heavier death inspired riff and that first “OOOOH!” that is belched out had me wanting more instantly. From Volbeat, I went into the only other heavy band I remember hearing about growing up – Lamb of God. I listened to those two bands back to back for a few years, with some of my own discoveries trickling in. It wasn’t until my best friend’s cousin popped in Wolves in the Throne Room’s ‘Black Cascade’ album that I was introduced to black metal (elitists need not say a FUCKIN’ thing!). Then, my next exposure was when my sister visited home and put a blank CD in my computer after hearing I liked WITTR. Computer loads it up and that striking opening riff to Transilvanian Hunger started to play. At first, it didn’t make sense to me. I skipped through the album. It all sounded the same. I took it out, but kept it with my music for years. As time went by, I got more into different heavier and more abrasive black and death metal bands. Then, one day I popped Transilvanian Hunger back in and it hit me like a fuckin’ wave and it made immediate sense. I had found home within it.
As for the music, my friends and classmates listened to, it was 2010-2014. I could give a shit about their music. My friends hated what I got into but I never asked them to care. There were a few metalheads at my school, but they listened to extreme stuff that didn’t come to me for a few more years.
As for drummers I liked, of course Neil Peart from Rush was brought to my attention when my dad shared their music with me. But Chris Adler was my first definitive inspiration in drumming around the same time I was finding the crazy lads like Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy, Inferno of Behemoth, Fotis Benardo and Krimh of Septicflesh. Now, I still dig them all but I can’t stop myself from being constantly floored by the performances of Darkside on all the Mgla albums he has performed on. I feel I have began to emulate him in an unhealthy way.
In your own time, do you listen to a lot of music? Is there any genres or bands that you find fun to listen to nowadays?
I am always listening to music, as much as possible. When it comes to leaving the comfort of extreme metal, I like my shit weird and different. I got into some rap, but for the most part the way the beats resonated with me just never really kept me. I still go back to cringey bands like Mindless Self Indulgence because their music actually pops off and can be fun as fuck to sing along to when you’re in a weird mood. Other than that, some electronic stuff like Daft Punk, Pendulum, and Alex Clare will come on. I am also shamelessly into – what I assume is – the French equivalent to the Jonas Brothers. When in high school French class, I discovered the BB Brunes and if I don’t understand what the hell they’re saying and like what they play, I’ll always find time to listen!
What are some personal goals of yours for 2020? Some people plan to get a new job, become a world-famous puppeteer, take up the tuba, or finally begin training to be a professional cage fighter whose hands are legally considered “lethal weapons.” What are your 2020 life-changing goals?!
I keep telling myself, 2020 is the year of self-sustain. I will cook more for myself and become the absolute best me inside and out. I am already getting way back into working out. Running, lifting, and drumming every day if I can help it. No excuses!
I will spend my money more wisely. I will finally get out of this town for the first time in years and take a few well-deserved vacations.
I’ve never seen myself becoming rich, but I will be successful in the choices I make. Ex Nihilo WILL play live for the first time (and many more times than that), because Eli will be moving back the summer of 2020! We have an ambitious idea for a tour, as well. It will take time to plan out logistics, but even if it doesn’t work out we can just shoot down the west coast with another band for two weeks or so and spread our sound to whoever will listen.
I’m also going to finally buy a kayak and be out on the water as much as I can because that’s been something I’ve wanted to do forever. As much as I hate inner Bellingham these days, the natural areas around me never cease to amaze me. 2020 will be the perfect foundation for what my future holds with music. I do not hope it, I know it!
exnihilocult.bandcamp.com/releases
Monday, December 23, 2019
interview: Overwrought (Washington State) [conclusion]
interview: Overwrought, black metal from Bellingham, Washington State, U.S.
This is the second and concluding part of the interview. If you already have read the first part, scroll down to the pictures: the second part begins after the pictures below.
Hello! What is up with Overwrought heading into the new year of 2020?! For people who do not know much about your part of the country, is Overwrought based in the city of Bellingham (a few hours north of Seattle)?
Greetings MBPZ, thanks for the interview! Overwrought has a CD release show for our "Volatility" EP on December 21st in Bellingham, then we'll be gearing up to enter the studio to record our first full-length album in early 2020. Other than that, we'll be playing Idaho Deathfest in April and I'm sure a slew of other shows to help promote said album whenever it comes out.
Overwrought is fully based in the beautiful city of Bellingham, WA. This city always used to be one of Washington's best kept secrets, but with time, both the city and naturally, our metal scene, has grown exponentially; I'd liken it very much to Olympia (shoutout to Grim Earth). There are plenty of places to play here for a metal band, such as The Shakedown, The Firefly, Make.Shift Art Space, and some buddies of ours are even trying to book shows at the local veterans’ hall.
Is Overwrought the only metal band in Bellingham or is there a metal scene? If there are other bands, what metal bands do you like in Bellingham? Do Bellingham metal bands share anything in common, such as a sound?
As I touched on before, Bellingham has a very healthy scene right now, though we have taken a few casualties in the metal department as of recent, but there are plenty of new projects in the wings that we know of that are close to being gig ready. That being said, our brothers in Gallows Hymn are also from Bellingham and are absolutely killing it. Aside from them, Bellingham has plenty of other great metal bands: Melancholia, Serpent Sun, Cavurn, Necrotic Divine, Noceur, Mount Saturn, Dryland, Thoughts for the Builders, Tetrachromat, Purulent Conception, and our drummer is in a new death/doom band called Inexorable. Otherwise, there's plenty of other awesome punk and oddball bands such as Done to Death, Monstress, Gallowmaker, Proud Failures, Earth Years, Boxcutter, Slothmonger, The Sheen, and I'm sure plenty of others I'm forgetting. We are especially excited to see what our friends in Ex Nihilo are brewing up in 2020.
As for a Bellingham "sound", there was definitely quite a large amount of black metal bands running in Bellingham as of last year, but since some bands called it quits and new projects have gotten off the ground, there's been a healthy leveling out of different sounds within the metal scene as of recent.
Did you grow up going to metal shows in Bellingham? Are there older bands from the 1980s and 1990s from Bellingham? Or, are you a pioneering metal band in Bellingham?
We all grew up playing and going to different local metal and punk shows in Bellingham (outside of Andrew, who spent more of his teenage years in Lake Stevens). Full Frontal Assault was a huge band for Bellingham back in the day and any project that has been touched by a member of that band since has turned to absolute gold. Black Breath is without a doubt the biggest metal band to originate from Bellingham, but I have no clue as to their current status. We did also have another local progressive metal band called Wild Throne that ended up getting signed with Roadrunner records, but unfortunately split up after one album.
There were bands here back in the 80's, though that's a little before our time; the only one I know of for sure is Catastrophic Disaster. Then through the 90's and early 00's there was more of an influx of metal with bands such as Immoral Intent (which eventually sort of became Umbillical Parricide), Blood Shit, Piano Mover, and some others.
We are definitely not pioneers in this scene; it's only from all the massive groundwork that was laid out by other bands, artists, and scene supporting folk (like photographers, interviewers, promoters, etc.) before us that we have the opportunity and privilege of getting to play shows and have people attend them.
Your first recording is from 2018 and it was a demo, correct? Did you record that demo by yourselves at home? Overall, how was that experience?
Yes, our first recording was "Demo 2018". The demo was recorded entirely by our bassist, Andrew Shore, in our rehearsal space. Andrew had recorded for a few bands back in the day, such as Abject Offering, and even did some mixing and mastering on an EP by Gallows Hymn's proto-band, Empyrean.
Overall, we don't have many fond memories of the recording experience for the demo. We were working with pretty subpar recording equipment that failed numerous times within the process. Laptops crashing, headphones cutting out, mics clipping, overall, not the best time (and the demo took entirely too long to get released). But looking back on it all, we’re immensely proud we stuck it out and got those songs recorded with some level of quality.
Before the demo, how did Overwrought form and how long were you all active in the Bellingham area before recording some music?
Overwrought was originally formed as a side project by our guitarists, Trevor and Nate, and our drummer, Drake. Andrew and Keanen joined shortly afterwards on bass and vocals respectively. Trevor was playing in a tech-death band called Defenestrator at the time and Drake and Andrew were playing together in a doom project called None. Both of those projects ended around the same time at which point Overwrought became all members’ main musical focus. Trevor, Nate, and Keanen had also previously played together in a band called Bastard Son, so the formation and quick transition came very natural.
Trevor and Keanen have been playing longest in the Bellingham scene, with their first serious band being a black metal band by the name of Harlot. Overwrought has deep roots in everybody knowing each other, as Keanen and Drake were childhood neighbors, and Keanen, Trevor, Drake, and Nate all grew up in a small outskirt of southern Bellingham called Sudden Valley. It's very forested and isolated, so naturally we developed a pretty deep connection to nature and music there.
Who started this band and what were the main reasons to form a band and what were your influences? How did you all gravitate towards black metal, as opposed to other genres?
Trevor was sort of sick of all the stress that came from playing in a tech death band and had wanted to rekindle some of his initial musical loves in black metal and classic heavy metal. Trevor, Nate, and Drake all started Overwrought together to overall play anything we thought was just plain good music, and we've generally stuck with that mindset ever since.
Probably the two biggest mutual love bands we had starting out were Nachtmystium and Dissection. I'm not honestly sure how we all gravitated more towards black metal, it probably has to deal with growing up in such an isolated part of Bellingham. Living basically in a forest, we all got really absorbed in our individual instruments and artistic passions, and those early childhood experiences have continued to follow us even into adulthood.
Do you feel content within the framework of melodic black metal? Is a there a particular person driving the music of your band?
We are only interested in playing what feels natural and honest to us at any given moment in time. Lately, some more of the stuff we've been writing has been a little more thrashy, which really harkens back to some of our members early roots. Overall, we believe that if you're going to create music, you should ultimately be trying to ADD SOMETHING to the music scene as a whole, so I actively seek to add new dimensions to our sound and not get comfortable in just one particular styling. We play this music to expose and express the inner contents of our being, even if that means lifting the veil on really ugly or delicate parts of our personalities. But worthwhile art is, above all things, honest, and should never seek to put its performers on a pedestal. If we ever feel we need to write a song to cater to a certain crowd, that's when we'll know it's time to throw in the towel.
Generally speaking, Trevor and Drake do the majority of the writing, but with that being said, everybody in this band adds their own personal touches to help shape and contour the sound of each song we have, and without these contributions, our songs would undoubtedly not be as strong as they are. Nate has written a song and a few chunks for others, and Andrew and Keanen are both in the process of writing material as well. We'd love to get to the point where everybody is regularly contributing songs to this project.
Being such a young band, do you care at all about an old band like Dissection? Is that simply too old for you and you grew up listening to younger bands?
We're all in our mid to late 20s, so we weren't around for that time. That being said, there's been a lot of great bands that came out of the post-2000 scene that were huge in helping to mold us into who we are today (such as Nachtmystium and Crebain). And yes, we all love Dissection and the other Swedish black metal bands. We all grew up mainly on the old stuff, it wasn't until we got older that we started paying more attention to newer bands.
How would you describe to fans the objectives of your music?
The objective of our music is to be honest about ourselves within our art and with our audience. We have an undying respect for bands that keep their noses to the grindstone (i.e., Abigail Williams, Crowbar, Motorhead, etc) and stay true to themselves in the face of goofy trends or fan expectations. Hopefully, a listener feels we've been honest with them, first and foremost, and if we're ever able to help someone out with our music during a tough time, that would mean all the world.
In 2019 you have the EP Volatility. Compared to the 2018 demo, how is the EP different? Your logo is now more legible!
"Volatility" was recorded with all the same guys, but this time around we enlisted the help of Rich Canut, a tried and true producer with an actual studio. Sound wise, the difference between the two recordings are night and day, with "Volatility" being the far and away superior product. We stayed local and recorded in Bellingham.
I think this EP has a better continuity throughout than the demo, which was very intentional. The demo was essentially recorded just to give to friends and prove to venues that we're a competent enough band to book for shows. With this EP, we walked in with way more to prove. We wanted to experiment a little more with a producer who could take our really crude, ambiguous ideas and be able to flesh them out without a hitch. That's the benefit of working with a guy who's been around the block and has heard every "mouthed out" guitar part in existence. There was also a lot of duality to this recording, with the first song being more of a straightforward asskicker written by Trevor (which just so happens to feature the nastiest riff we've ever had in a song at the end). Then "Labor" takes a complete 180, with it being really melodic and written by Drake.
In regards to the logo change, basically, the logo seen on the cover of "Volatility" we've actually been working with for quite some time. When we initially formed Overwrought, Gage from Melancholia whipped us out a logo immediately. All the while, Keanen had been working furiously on a logo for quite some time. When it came time to release the demo, Keanen still had some finishing touches to add to his logo, so we decided to use Gage's. Consistently, gigs we've played always feature our old logo on flyers, so we really wanted to make a point to feature our new logo on this cover as we're immensely proud of the work Keanen put into it and think it's distinct look helps to separate us from most bands within this genre.
What can you tell us about “Telepathic Hallucinations”?
Telepathic Hallucinations is basically about a general annoyance and disregard for certain people who believe they are psychic or intuitive who are in fact just reading too far into nothing and making wild assumptions based off a vibe they claim to pick up on. I feel like we all know a person or two like that. It’s sort of an obscure, Chuck Schuldiner-esque idea that we thought would be an interesting theme for a song. All this being said, we aren’t discounting the possibility that ESP is real, especially as we do have some pretty big X-Files fans in this band!
What about “Labor”?
Drake wrote the music and lyrics for Labor. The music was written in the very initial stages of Overwrought's existence and was actually the very first song Drake wrote for the band. We ended up shelving it for a while because it's initial form was too long and needed some changes. We always kept that song on the backburner though and after cutting the length and making some other changes, the song became the version you hear on the record today.
Lyrically, the song is essentially about life having no intrinsic point and humanity's capability to dictate that point. Generally speaking, we'll all be living a lot longer than we think, and each day that passes counts towards our future and who we are, whether that's to our individual benefit or detriment. "Labor" is an exploration of that choice we make every day.
What cities in Washington State have you played in so far? Have you played in Everett yet?!
We've played all over Western Washington and would love to play anywhere else in the US or great white North, it just hasn't been in the cards for us yet, but anyone who might be reading this in a different state or country, please feel free to hit us up to play your show! And yes, we have played Everett and would love to play there again, just book the show and we'll be there.
So far, your band has five songs released to the public. Are you going to use these songs for the album? If you were going to record the songs again, what would you change?
We're beyond satisfied with the production on "Volatility" so we'll leave those songs be, but we absolutely want to re-record all of the demo tracks for a full-length album now that we're a little more "studio smart". There's a lot of things we've changed or wanted to add in the studio for those songs as well, so they're past due for a recording touch up. When we do re-record the songs, we obviously want to beef up the sound quality, but also add a few more atmospheric elements with keyboard and other sound effects, as well as change up the arrangement a bit potentially where we see fit.
How can fans support your band at this point?
Anybody interested in our band can check out the following links:
Music/merch on bandcamp: overwroughtnw.bandcamp.com/music
Booking/Info on facebook: facebook.com/overwroughtnw/
Booking inquiries: overwroughtnw@gmail.com
Thank you so much for taking the time to interview us, it seriously means a lot. Keep an eye out on our social media for information regarding shows and future album updates. Thanks also to everyone who's ever supported us, you know who you are!
Saturday, December 21, 2019
interview: Overwrought
interview: Eighty One Hundred
Eighty One Hundred is Italian traditional heavy metal from Naples. Their debut is called Heaven in Flames and will be out in January 2020. This publication sent out questions to the band to find out more about the music. Below is the exchange.
Please tell us about band: the name and the members.
That’s me, Screamer, singer. Mr. White, on the lead guitar. Taker, on the rhythm guitar. Doc, on the bass guitar. Thunder on drums.
We were born in 2016. This is a new band. Each one of us had his background in underground music scene. We used to play in several underground HM bands such as Endless Scream, Black Inside, HeavenInShine, The Boorish.
E1H has several meanings: Literally it is the zip code of Naples (80100). The real meaning has to be searched in a system that wasted and turned our land in a colony and that won't let us emerge.
How is Naples for heavy metal music? Do you plan to tour in Italy and Europe (especially Germany)?
There are amazing Neapolitan HM bands, but sadly all of us have to play outside Naples or our region, especially in Northern Italy (such as Florence, Milan...). We have played around Italy across 2018/2019. We performed about thirty gigs. Honestly, we want to focus on countries where heavy metal is more considered than in Italy, such as Germany, Poland, USA. In Italy it’s very complicated to go out with our music. We don’t know if the Germany fans know about us, but we hope so and it would be very nice to play there.
What bands inspired your music?
Our music draws inspiration by classic heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Helloween, Queensryche, Metal Church, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, but we don’t want to forget band such as Rammstein, Symphony X, Nevermore. I’m trying to have my own sing style, but it’s undeniable for me to be inspired by Bruce Dickinson, Geoff Tate, Michael Kiske and Devin Townsend.
Is “Power of Revolution” a political song?
It has not to be considered a violent song. It’s a song dedicated to all that people tired to be enslaved by this conformist society.
Is “Mater Gaia” about the environment?
You’re right on the environment. We are living in a devastated and polluted world, especially in our land. We are sick of it. In the middle of the song, there is a speech by Severn Cullis-Suzuki when she was just thirteen about the nature who impressed us a lot.
What types of situations apply to the song “Heaven in Flames,” in your experience?
Living in a city denigrated by people that think it is dirt, violent and full of Camorra [crime syndicates]. These stuffs exist, but there is more. When something of good pops up it is immediately choked in our land. We may be not saints, but we are no devils either.
You have good melodies. Is there a method to the madness?!
Those melodies that give us creeps. 😊.
We don’t have any patterns or rules to follow at the very first stage. Usually I come with a vocal melody or someone proposes a new riff. Than we work on it and, after several hearing, we may change everything if the song is not valid for us.
The album is actually from 2018. Is there a second album planned?
Both things. We are preparing a “melting” album and bring either the debut and the new one on the stage on 2020.
What do you want new fans to know about your band?
Our dream is to bring our music all around the world. For any bands, I guess, coming to USA is a dream. We’ve grown up with Bay Area influence and the Sunset Boulevard myth.
Where can we hear your music?
You can hear and buy our music on our social channels and our website or buying Heaven In Flames on Pure Steel Records web store.
YouTube Channel: youtube.com/channel/UCaN9f3LTp3OPYWAeyxX2DRg
Facebook: facebook.com/EightyOneHundred/
Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/754s0lV9vSr4TNmS4AeSjT
Website: eightyonehundred.com
Thanks!
Thanks to you for this chance to hear us out.
Stay Rage.
Stay E1H.
Friday, December 20, 2019
Excuse All the Blood metal music show ON now Friday night
hear a new RAT KING (WA state) song
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
interview: Iron Kingdom
Classic-style heavy metal band Iron Kingdom finished its two-month tour in Everett, Washington State on December 1, 2019. The new album is called On the Hunt. If you have not heard the band yet, check out this interview and listen to the album by checking the link below. Guitarist/vocalist Chris Osterman answers the questions.
In 2019 Iron Kingdom returned with a new album since 2015’s Ride for Glory. The band is based in the smaller town of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, right? So where did y’all go to record the new album?
The band was originally based out of Surrey, but now we’re all spread out across Vancouver and other nearby municipalities. We still rehearse in Surrey and we actually turned our jam space into a recording studio for the new album On the Hunt. It was all written and recorded at the studio/jam space.
Have you always done the recording yourselves?
On previous albums we hired a trusted friend and engineer, Andy Boldt to handle engineering and even some co-producing of the albums, however, for this new album, we decided we wanted to try something different and do it ourselves. Even though it added a lot more stress and work, it also allowed us to do whatever we felt necessary to make the best album we could with the music we had written. I personally engineered the album, and Megan (guitars) helped to co-produce it with me. We called Andy to come by a couple times to make sure we were on the right track, he gave a few pointers and went on his way, it was great having him still be a part of it, even if it was much smaller this time.
People say that Iron Kingdom sounds like the New Wave of British Heavy Metal from 1979-1981. Is that weird?! Did you know those obscure bands that recorded only demos? If you were stuck on an island, and you had to choose ten albums, would you not choose the pioneers like Scorpions, as opposed to Jaguar or White Spirit?
I don’t think it’s weird, there’s been a resurgence of popularity amongst the NWOBHM acts over the last decade or so, and you have to keep in mind acts like Iron Maiden or Saxon, for example, are part of the NWOBHM and they are quite well known. We grew up with more of the obvious choices for metal as you say, Rush, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, etc... however, we all knew some obscure bands when we were young, you need to remember this is what we worshipped as kids and still do to this day. There are of course some bands we only heard of recently, but the internet is a great place to learn about bands and we certainly looked for them. You have to realize, loving the classics, we wanted to make music like they did, when people say that we sound similar it is an absolute honour, we could hardly ask for a greater compliment!
Only Leighton (bass) and Chris (guitars; lead vocals) remain from the early days. You have Megan the new guitarist, and drummer Chris Sonea joined in 2018, correct? What was their involvement on the album?
Megan recorded her own lead and rhythm guitar tracks, now although she did not sing the harmonies on the album, she was very involved in helping me find the correct notes in the studio. She helped co-produce the album and even though she has a great voice, we felt it would sound more complimentary to use my voice to harmonize with my vocals. It’s a stylistic choice for the album, but it’s not meant to take away anything from her, it’s absolutely wicked having Megan sing with me live, as we have so many more options and the songs sound very full. The album was mostly written and after we found Chris and Megan, and we recorded it with them. We wanted them to be a part of the new release and to have something of their own, otherwise, it just feels like you’re in a cover band, and that’s not nearly as fun as playing your own tunes.
Did you use Chris’ actual drum work on the album?
Those are real drums, my man, yes, there are some effects here and there, you need to enhance things with EQs and compression and what not, but yes those are his drums, we recorded him and edited together the best takes and here we are! He was absolutely fantastic to work with in the studio.
Your previous album is from 2015. What types of practical problems prevented you from making an album more quickly?
The time between 2015 and 2019 was a bit odd for the band. 2015 and 2016 were filled with touring, Amanda (our original drummer) had left the band and we found a drummer who we thought would be recording the next album, but when the tours finished he decided this wasn’t for him any longer and so he quit the band, Kenny followed. At the beginning of 2017 all that remained was Leighton and me. There was a level of uncertainty, we were definitely scared it might be the end for Iron Kingdom, but we thought it best to be productive in the ways that we still could. So we put up ads for new musicians and we worked away on things we never had time for, we rebuilt our website and we started researching microphones and recording techniques to build the studio that we ended up using for On the Hunt and finally in 2018 we found Chris Sonea and Megan Merrick and things kicked into high gear once again, we wrote and recorded the new album, and hit the road immediately after its release. I think the new album proves we’re not done yet!
The new song “Road Warriors” (and video) is all about touring and the road. Has this tour been worth the troubles of going on the road to rock with the fans?
We often profit from our tours, and this current tour was no exception to that. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of time, but it’s our only way to pay off studio time, merchandise costs, and all the other things that go into the making and releasing of music to the world. On top of it all, we get to perform for the people who listen to our music and we get to show them what we do in a live setting, it’s a hugely humbling experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Didn’t you have some serious transportation problems on this tour? Have you had anything as scary as the 2015 accident when the van rolled over three times?
Yea, I mean traveling that much, something was bound to happen, basically, it comes down to that the bus starter was busted. The problem is there were too many possible other factors that it was never clear what the problem was, and because we were in the middle of New Mexico with no real automotive stores nearby we were essentially at the mercy of a small mechanics shop. They rebuilt the starter, but it only lasted a day or so before we had to take it out again and fix it, and then eventually replace the entire starter at a later date. It happens, it really sucks, but it happens.
In regards to your second question, no we haven’t had anything that horrible happen again, the aftermath of that accident was that we had to purchase a new touring vehicle and we had to replace a few pieces of equipment, thankfully no one was hospitalized, the worst physical damage that happened was Amanda (our previous drummer) had some soft tissue damage and she needed to go through physiotherapy a few times to help strengthen those areas. Thankfully between the Kickstarter campaign we made to raise funds and whatever help we got from the insurance company we were able to cover most of our expenses. We performed the rest of the Canadian dates on that tour missing only Calgary which was supposed to be on the night that we crashed, we had no options as they wouldn’t pull our gear out of the trailer until the next day, and currently had no vehicle.
Are fans understanding what you all go through, all the problems, just so that you can rock with the people in places far away from your beloved Surrey, Canada?
Many of our fans are aware, and many offer a place to stay with showers, or food, they buy merchandise and come out to shows. It means a lot to us, and it certainly helps, all we can say is keep spreading the word, keep sharing our music, it gets easier the more people that attend the concerts and support the music, but we still have a long way to go before things are sustainable, so we still need all the support we can get. We’re very blessed to have such kind and generous fans and we hope we’re giving them music that means something special to them, in the end, we just want people to enjoy our art and to make our mark on music.
Chris and Megan are a couple. How did you guys meet and are you still a couple?? Have you had loud arguments on the road about where to stop to eat and the like?
We met at a metal festival in Vancouver named Hyperspace, Iron Kingdom was headlining one of the nights and Megan was in attendance, she came by to say hi, and I invited her out for some beers the next day, I liked her personality and we had a lot in common so we ended up hanging out quite a bit after that! Yes, we’re still together, we do get frustrated sometimes, but what couples don’t from time to time? Yes, being in a band adds extra stress, but we both wanted to be in a band anyways and now we get to pursue it together, I think we work quite well together, she’s great at putting me in my place, so hopefully, I’ll learn something from it too, haha!
Iron Kingdom in 2011 was on Canada’s Got Talent. But didn’t the band form in 2011?! How did you make it on the show and how was the experience?
Yea, we just re-formed the band in 2011 into Iron Kingdom, we had been playing for years previous to that, but had wanted a fresh start. Canada’s Got Talent was pretty simple actually, we applied, they liked our act and put us on the show, we performed the song “Legions of Metal” on a stage to 2500 people, and it was aired on TV to another million across the country. We were given all yes from the judges, they loved the show, and claimed we could be a voice to help bring back 80s metal. It ended there, they didn’t want to pay to send us to Toronto and so we never did a second performance, it was fun to do at the time, mostly we just wanted some exposure, and we got that. I guess it was a little nerve-racking, but mostly just fun to be honest.
Chris’ grandmother died some years ago and the album Gates of Eternity has some songs about that. Did her death grandmother give you some new perspective on life and death, God and heaven?
Well, I certainly think there’ something to an afterlife, I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m religious, and most definitely not practicing any religion, however, I do believe in some form of the spirit world. “Gates of Eternity” asks a lot of questions, it gets people thinking, and on top of it writing a few songs from my personal experiences of what happened to my grandma (along with my sister Amanda’s experiences) was a positive outlet for me and Amanda, so ya those songs really came from the heart.
Are some of you agnostics, atheists, etc.? Do you all feel comfortable to talk about such things?
Yea, we’ve discussed it a few times, I think most of us are pretty similar in that we don’t believe in religion so to speak but we would consider some idea of an afterlife or spirit world. Nothing uncomfortable to discuss the topic as long as people are being open about it, everyone’s allowed their own personal opinion as no one truly knows the answer.
Iron Kingdom is classic-style heavy metal with high singing, big riffs and solos. Iron Kingdom does not have the backing of a corporation funding your tours and albums. Why is it important to support the DIY traditional heavy metal of Iron Kingdom in 2019?
Well, it’s important to support the music you enjoy, if you like what we do then please buy the albums, get a shirt, tell your friends, spread the word and share the tunes, without a label we have to do exponentially more work than other bands that are signed, but we also gain the rewards whenever they do come. We do this for us, and unless a label is willing to see the value that we see in it we will remain DIY as it’s worked so far. A label that works with us as a partner is the kind we want, not a corporation that sees us as a way to profit. We want to make a difference with our music, we want it to mean something and each person’s life it touches means the world to us. We also need to make something to cover our expenses, and maybe one day be able to live on the music, but until that time or until a label decides we’re worth the extra negotiation we will continue as we always have.
Please give the information to support your band.
Absolutely, you can find us at:
iron-kingdom.com
facebook.com/ironkingdom
iron-kingdom.bandcamp.com
and many other sites including Instagram, twitter, itunes, amazon, spotify, and the list goes on and on. Go find us, say hi, and play it loud!! We’re just going to keep on keeping it steel!
Thank you for responding to this interview!
Thanks for helping us spread the word of Iron Kingdom! Rock on, man!
Cheers,
Chris Osterman
(IRON KINGDOM)
Iron Kingdom - Road Warriors (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS new music:
Saturday, December 14, 2019
IZTHMI (2020) DEBUT ALBUM "THE ARROWS OF OUR WAYS"
Washington State's IZTHMI has made an announcement:
IZTHMI (2020) DEBUT ALBUM "THE ARROWS OF OUR WAYS"
After the long wait, we will be releasing our debut album "The Arrows of our Ways" on February 14th, 2020 through Within The Mind Records. In light of this, we released the title track off the album as a single.
We have put in a lot of hard work into this album behind the scenes and couldn't be more excited to release this thing!
The Arrows of our Ways is a concept album focused on the journey of the self and finding solace through love in a time of extreme oppression and ecological detriment.
Pre-Order's available now:
izthmiseattle.bandcamp.com/album/the-arrows-of-our-ways
Friday, December 13, 2019
ALDA announcement
Toxic Reign (Tacoma)
This is a Toxic Reign announcement:
It's finally time to announce this bad boy. The first full-length Toxic Reign album "The Nuclear Waste Disposal"!
Here's the artwork done by Tyler Mcp. It's inspired by a drawing that Ian made for Lance a few years back and Tyler did an awesome job re-imagining it and throwing on the Toxic Reaper (who I guess is our mascot now????).
ANYWAY! It was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Cody J. Brumlow who was insanely badass to finally get to work with! Here's the track list!
1. Purple Slurm
2. Total Thrashing Death
3. Nuclear Assault
4. Savage Beating
5. Toxic Reign
6. The Iceman Dyeth
7. Fight
8. Fuk'd Wealth
9. Ultra Pit Intro
10. The Ultra Pit
11. The Nuclear Waste Disposal
We are insanely hyped to have this album ready to be released soon! (Digital for now until we can figure out getting CD's printed) Going to throw it up on Bandcamp tonight with one song available right now, which should it be? We were thinking The Ultra Pit, but let us know which you want to hear first!
toxicreignthrash.bandcamp.com
Abigail Williams 2019 album available for name-your-price
In case you missed it, the Abigail Williams 2019 album Walk Beyond the Dark is out now, as the band announced some time ago:
"Walk Beyond the Dark is now released worldwide. It can also be found on Bandcamp at Name Your Own Price.
If you enjoy the album, please chip in / donate and pass around.
This album is downloadable for free - as we do not want pirates to profit from this music. Please donate as you see fit if you enjoy the music. Our suggested pricing scheme:
Low budget = 3-4 EUR
Average budget = 7-8 EUR
High budget = 10-15 EUR
Please tell everyone to download from the official sources only.
license
blood-music.bandcamp.com/album/walk-beyond-the-dark
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
interview: Tanith
To this publication, in 2019 the U.S./British band Tanith seemed to come out of nowhere with an awesome debut album called In Another Time, featuring a mix of 1970s heavy metal filled with the atmosphere of classic and progressive rock for an experience that is a bit different from contemporary metal music yet also very approachable due to the on-point songwriting. When you hear the music, you notice the difference, but you notice that the musicians must come from a heavy metal and classic rock background due to how smoothly it all works. Check the following interview to learn more about Tanith and its music.
In Another Time is warm, memorable and interesting to hear for repeated times. Where is the band based? Who are the members? Is this a side project?
Thanks very much! So we are based in New York, mostly because three of us live here and it’s easier for Russ to come to us. But the band is a band wherever we are and we have rehearsed in both Newcastle and New York. The lineup is the same in 2019 from when we first formed: Russ Tippins (from the British band Satan –Ed.) - guitar and vox, Cindy Maynard- bass and vox, Charles Newton- guitars, Keith Robinson- drums. This band is not a side project at all - we are definitely in the works for a new release next year.
Tanith formed in 2017, right? How did the relation with Metal Blade Records come up? through Satan? Tanith is different from the other MBR bands!
Yes, we are very new! Bart from Metal Blade Europe came across our music on Bandcamp and that’s how we connected with the label. Satan was already on the label, yes, but they weren’t really interested in hearing early versions of the songs until Bart found us. It is different than a lot of other music the label puts out but that’s what makes Metal Blade interesting.
What sparked the original idea for Tanith’s music and sound?
(Cindy) Probably the original idea was for Russ to have work when he came to the States and realizing that venues only put on bands that wrote original material. So he decided to put a band together, and he and I worked on a couple of songs. Charlie and I were clear choices since we both already spent so much time with Russ playing music. We liked the sound of Keith’s drumming and invited him to play with us on the 7” single that came out in 2017. As far as the recording and exactly what it would be, we didn’t really have a goal per se, but what we ended up with was exactly what it was supposed to be, with all members contributing.
What in particular did you want for the guitars, and what roles for the bass and drums? Did you all have opinions about the modern-day plague of sampled drumming/sound replacement technology?
(Cindy) We played the only way we know how- with real instruments. The guitar sounds of Russ’ Les Paul and Charlie’s SG complement each other and using twin leads was always an idea we wanted to go with. As far as the roles of the bass and drums, the bass moves a lot and uses harmony when possible or incorporates interesting lines. The drums are super grounded and always tasteful, not busy just to fill up space. We wanted it to sound like the music we grew up on so we used all vintage gear. The modern sound of sampled drumming has no place in our music whatsoever.
What did Tanith do to make sure the album didn’t set you back thousands of dollars? By doing things the old-school ways, did you want to make a statement about the current state of metal and rock music?
(Russ) Actually, there was no attempt to save money. Having decided upfront to record and mix entirely onto magnetic tape (analog) we accordingly spent around double what it usually takes to make an album. Why? Because we like the sound of all our favourite LP records that were made that way before even CDs existed. I guess it was a statement of sorts, but the response we've had specifically about the sound of IAT has been justification enough for us. Also, we were curious and didn't know if we'd ever get another chance to do it - we'd found a studio in NYC with an operational multitrack tape machine (there aren't many left in the world), so we thought fuck it, let's go for it!
Your band has two vocalists like The Beatles, Cream, 1970s Scorpions and others. How did you all hit upon the idea of having two singers?
(Cindy) Russ and I have always liked how our voices sound together, and really neither one of us wanted to take on the role of exclusive front person. Taking breaks from singing allows us to give our instruments more focus and to keep things dynamic.
Did you have an inkling that the album itself would sound like this? What are some other things that you want to do on future albums?
We made demos before recording, so yes, it sounds similar, but of course the finished product is always greater than something knocked up at home. Some of the vocal lines ended up different and we added different things on the spot in the studio as well. For future albums, hmm... well we are exploring more of the otherworldly aspect to the music currently.
What type of satisfaction do you get after the finished album? Are you ready to move on or do you hear the little things that you want to “fix” for next time?
We are proud of the album! It was a lot of work, and of course there are things we would have liked to have done better, but that will probably always be the case. You do your best in the time you have and keep moving forward. We aren’t the kind of band to spend an eternity obsessing over “perfectionism,” much rather get the ideas down in as spirited a performance as we can at the time.
In Another Time’s artwork recalls a distant land and ancient time. Are the lyrics based on particular literary works?
I suppose the idea for the story of “Citadel” was inspired by Neil Young’s “After the Goldrush.” In turn that song had been inspired by his friend Dean Stockwell’s screenplay for an end of the world movie which never got made. Other than that, “Dionysus” is our take on Homer’s story of Zeus’ illicit union with a human woman resulting in the birth of his half-human son - the eponymous Dionysus. “Cassini’s Deadly Plunge” is based on the true story of the Cassini-Huygens unmanned space mission to Saturn.
The rest of the songs, well we just made them up ourselves. Russ probably writes the bulk of the lyrics, then Cindy and Charlie.
It seems that streaming services provide very little income (percentages) to many rock bands, but do you recommend that your fans buy the album instead?
(Cindy) The absolute best way to support us is to come to our shows and buy the album and merch directly from us.
What is the situation with touring?
(Russ) Because Tanith is such a new name on the scene, we haven't had the opportunity to really tour until now. As I write this, Tanith is half way through a tour of Europe. We've been on the road for two weeks and have another week left to go. Just four of us in a minivan with guitars & combos. We've been to England, Scotland, Greece, Belgium, Netherlands & Germany and the response has been fantastic. Prior to this it had been mostly isolated shows in the US and a spot at Muskelrock (Sweden).
What would you like to say to potential fans about what is a bit different or unique about your band?
(Russ) Well you already mentioned how “warm” our record sounds. This is down to the analog recording technique I described above. Unlike digitally produced music, this LP will bear repeated listening and will not fatigue your brain cells. Even the CD version has been mastered from the vinyl acetate. We know that Tanith isn't the only retro band out there but, sound wise, we stand out with our male-female harmonies, our original songwriting and our musicianship. Thanks so much for the interview!
tanithnyc.bandcamp.com/album/in-another-time
tanithnyc.bandcamp.com
Monday, December 9, 2019
Ex Nihilo (Washington State/North Carolina)
Saturday, December 7, 2019
interview: Blood Incantation
In 2019 the reviewers and the fans seemed to agree rather vociferously that Blood Incantation’s album Hidden History of the Human Race is an album worthy of the positive vibes. Working with lots of old-school death metal, progressive and melodic tendencies, the album found its target with many fans of extreme metal. Here is an exchange between this publication and the band about the album and upcoming tours.
Congratulations on the album! Now that it’s finished, what’s on the agenda for 2020? Does your band have the problem that you have too many show offers?!
Thanks for writing. We are excited to share HHotHR with people, especially since it has been so long since Starspawn was unleashed. We have been lucky to have tremendous support for our music since the beginning, and are eager to see where this next album cycle takes the band. For 2020 we are going to be busy working on the first phase of what is ultimately a world tour that will last through most of 2021: Starting in Europe for the summer, then returning to Australia where we will head up through SE Asia and end the year in Japan. We are looking to do both North and South America in 2021, but plans change all the time. We do not have the problem of too many offers, but we do have the problem of too many promoters not understanding the actual logistics of travel and all of the necessary ingredients (such as proper backline equipment, all of the additional luggage for merch, cymbals, pedalboards, etc.) required for us to be able to bring the full BI experience to their audiences.
Given that album continues to get such positive, do y’all feel content with the monetary return for all your blood, sweat and tears?
The money we invested for the recording was basically all of Blood Incantation’s savings from the past several tours – we put all our eggs in one basket because wanted to make the album exactly how we wanted, which paid off in both the production and performances on the album. Not having anyone be able to say, “Oh, I don’t know about that”, “This is too crazy” or “What if we did this a little less psycho?” while we were in the studio was very important to us. Saving the labels that production money gave us more leverage in the negotiations for our respective contracts, as well as the money they saved by me doing all of the album layouts and graphic design, merch, etc. in-house. Similarly, my demands for the album layouts were very specific, and simply would not have been accommodated by the labels had we not held all the cards already. We’d had first-hand experience in the production and manufacturing of records as well, since we self-released the Live Vitrification 12” on our own, so we were able to go to bat with some legitimate economics. To that end, I recommend self-production to every band. There are risks, but the greater the risk...
Now what about the returns on touring? Metal musicians say that touring gets more difficult for DIY bands as the musicians get closer to the age of 30 due to the rigors of the road. How do you y’all feel at your age to tour?
We would be on tour regardless if anyone was showing up, as we simply enjoy the touring lifestyle. I’ve personally been on tour every year since 2007, in the circumstances you described, and it suits me just fine. The last two years are the first time in my life I’ve ever seen a return on all the years I’ve put into the road, which has been really gratifying, but it’s not what motivates me to tour. I enjoy the rhythm of the road, getting into the groove with the load-ins and setups, hanging out with friends I wouldn’t otherwise get to see, and seeing new places every day. Most of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life have been because of touring. More to your questions, I’m 32 and have done 16 tours the past four years between Spectral Voice, Blood Incantation and Scolex, so you tell me.
Your album was recorded “completely analogue.” Can you explain to those us of who are not musicians what exactly does “completely analogue” mean?
Analog production simply means we recorded the music live onto analog tape, rather than digitally into a computer. This means that there was no metronome for the drums, and that the four main instruments (drums, bass, and both guitars) were recorded simultaneously rather than individually – so you are hearing the performances in the same manner you would experience from a band at a show. The only overdubs are guitar solos, vocals, synths, and other ancillary instruments like acoustic guitar, gongs, bongos, tamboura, etc. This also means that the songs were played and recorded as one piece, with the exception of the final track “Awakening…” since there is a natural break for the ambient interlude – but since we were recording to tape, we still had to time out the break and record 90 seconds of silence which were later filled in with the synthesizers.
Why did you make the decision to do it that way?
This is simply a personal preference for how we prefer to record. We rehearse live, we play shows live, the music is written and refined in a live setting – it is only natural to record it live. It is also a more satisfying experience to know that you are able to perform your music correctly, without the handicap of digital conveniences. There’s no inherent right or wrong way to record: Plenty of records are recorded digitally and sound heavy and capture great performances. We simply prefer the old school methods.
What do you think is causing the excitement about your new album?
I personally don’t have an opinion on why people like our band more than others beyond my own simple bias: I like the music, that’s why we make it. If we didn’t think it was sick, we wouldn’t record it, simple as that. So, it seems other people just enjoy the same type of music we do, which is totally natural as we are all listening to the same classic bands, albums, etc.
It’s possible that your lyrical approach is another reason why people are liking your album. Do you think that younger generations are tired of the usual satanic or gore lyrics of death metal?
I’ve personally never been motivated by typical gore or satanic lyrics, for any of my bands. When I was younger, these bands seemed to be everywhere so there was never any need for me to contribute to that style of lyricism. All of my bands throughout my life have been focused on nature, cosmos, mysticism, metaphysics, etc. The mysteries of life in general are my greatest inspiration; it’s simply an extension of my personal being and interests. Bands like Gorguts, Death and Morbid Angel all began with similar, teenage-style shock/gore lyrics but later grew into much deeper introspective, inquisitive, and mystical lyrics, and it is these later styles which influence me the most.
Where is your music available? What are some additional places you plan to tour? Any chance of returning to Turkey and Israel?!
Our music is available on every streaming platform, and the new album is available from Dark Descent Records and many other distributors. In the USA, Blood Incantation merch is regularly available from both our Inferno Screen Printing and Holy Mountain Printing webstores, the Dark Descent Records website, and occasionally our own site (bloodincantation.org). In Europe, we have an online store through Evil Greed in Germany, and HHotHR is distributed worldwide by Century Media. In addition to the tours I’ve previously mentioned, we are always looking to expand our horizons and reach more parts of the world. Istanbul and Tel Aviv were some of the best shows we have ever played, and would love to return someday.
darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-history-of-the-human-race
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