Friday, January 18, 2019
Overwrought issues a new video
The Bellingham, Washington State melodic extreme metal Overwrought today posted the news that they have a video. Watch it below. Below the video you can find the link to listen to their 2018 recording.
"Hey everyone, we have a new music video for our song 'Wander' to share with you! Our very talented friend Austen Donohoe at Circle Strafe Ltd made this and did an excellent job creating exactly what we had wanted! We absolutely recommend him if any of you need any video work done! Anyways, enjoy the video, and we hope to see you all at an upcoming show soon! Thank you!"
Overwrought- Wander music video
overwroughtnw.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/overwroughtnw
Thursday, January 17, 2019
interview: Malphas
Malphas is melodic extreme metal from the city of Philadelphia, U.S.A. The 39th Spirit is the name of their debut full-length album on Via Nocturna (Poland). Some years ago they released an EP called The Conjuring (2015), and that’s when their name began to make the rounds more broadly. This interview takes up the music and lyrics of the most recent album. The band also reveals some plans for the future.
What has it been like for your band to get to the point of your debut album?
The 39th Spirit is a culmination of our first five years together as a band. We recorded a rough demo back in 2013 and came back in 2015 with our first professional release, The Conjuring EP. The EP served as a blueprint which we built upon to create The 39th Spirit. It’s been a long road and is still a long road ahead, but we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and have great optimism going forward from here.
Eric Dunleavy plays the drums, Paul DeSanctis does vocals and guitars, and Damian DiFrancesco plays guitars. Who played bass and keyboards on the album?
We’ve had a revolving door at bass for the entirety of the band’s history. Dave Gugleilmi was our founding bassist, but he left in 2016. Dallas Lutz played with us for a year and recorded bass on the album, but quit the band right before we went on tour with Tengger Cavalry in Summer 2017. We didn’t want to lose the opportunity, so we had to run the bass through the PA with the live tracks. Jon Sutherland (Seraph in Travail) recently joined us on bass, and is a great fit for us musically. We’re excited to have him on board, along with our new violinist Thuy Nguyen. The keyboards on the album were programmed using Metropolis Ark 1.
Has Malphas been playing shows around the Philadelphia area?
We’ve played consistently around the Philadelphia area the past 5 years and have done two tours now. We’re definitely excited to get back on the road with our new album and lineup. We’ve already been playing some of the songs from the album live the past couple of years and received some great feedback on the Tengger tour. We played the album in its entirety at our CD release show December 7th.
There are some six bands named Malphas. Have you had any legal problems with the name?
There were only two bands with the name at the time we started up, one of them being inactive for more than 20 years. The other is a French band whose EP title was the same as our album, but have no clue if they’re still active or not. Our album is simply a story about Malphas who is the 39th goetic spirit. None of our music is plagiarized from their EP. Over the years we noticed more bands named Malphas surfacing, so we obtained the trademark. We now own the rights to the name; none of the other bands would have a leg to stand on in trying to sue us. We’re cool with them continuing to release music, though.
How much did you know about recording music when the band began?
It’s been a learning curve every step of the way. Our demo back in 2013 was very raw, but we came back in 2015 with a more polished product in our EP. We took another step forward with The 39th Spirit, but are setting our sights even higher with album 2, which we are soon to begin preproduction on. It will be our best sounding release yet, without a doubt.
What has happened to the band’s profile internationally now that you have a foot in Europe with Via Nocturna?
Having distribution always makes things easier. Being signed has indeed turned some heads and helped us out a bit. We’re planning to come over to Europe for a tour on this album cycle, so keep an eye out for us.
Do you have more Polish fans now?!
I guess we’ll find out when we play there ;)
Metal Archives says that your lyrics revolve around demonology. Can you tell us the story of Malphas the demon and how the story fits in the world of demonology and the occult in general?
In demonology, Malphas is the 39th of the 72 goetic spirits in the Key of Solomon. He commands 40 legions of demons, builds high towers, and brings artificers together. He will appear as a crow when summoned and speak in a hoarse voice. He will give good familiars and accept a sacrifice graciously, but then will deceive the conjuror. The Conjuring EP and The 39th Spirit are a story about a man who encounters Malphas and forms a pact to sacrifice his life to lead Malphas’ armies against the Church in the afterlife. The events in the afterlife influence the real world - which is set in a dystopian future plagued with natural disaster and economic recession.
How would you describe your interest in the occult? Does Malphas have a particular political objective?
I don’t practice the occult, but find things like demonology and astrology interesting. Demons represent the dark side of humanity; greed, envy, lust, hate, gluttony, etc. You can observe that in looking at paintings of some of them. Pretty scary stuff. Doctor Faustus was a particularly significant influence on the story - Malphas plays a role similar to Mephistopheles. This is referenced in Red Constellations when Man’s corruption by Malphas in taking his own life is lamented. Malphas has no political or religious allegiance; his simple objective is to obtain power for himself. He deceives atheists into thinking they’re fighting for a noble cause in destroying religion, but Malphas only wishes to enforce his own regime. This why at the album’s conclusion, Malphas is killed by Man; as Man understands he has been deceived. Now he must inherit the ashes and assume responsibility for what he’s destroyed. These concepts will continue to be expanded upon in album 2. Though our music is influenced by religious and political themes, our lyrics don’t have an agenda. We’re simply telling a story involving those things and hope that it can be enjoyed by everyone.
Can you tell us where people can hear the full album now? Where can people buy your merchandise?
Our album is available digitally on Bandcamp, Spotify, and iTunes. Physical copies are available online at Via Nocturna’s website, and from us if you come to one of our shows. We don’t have a band store up yet, but will in 2019; along with lots of new merch. Keep an eye out for us – we’ll see you on the road soon!
vianocturna.bandcamp.com/album/the-39th-spirit
facebook.com/malphasband
read online number 161 of Metal Bulletin Zine
Below it is the link to read online issue number 161 of Metal Bulletin Zine USA. Number 161 features Helrunar, Artillery, Septagon, Gross Misconduct, Master and Bane.
fuglymaniacs.com/pdf-files/MB161.pdf
Below is the general link for Fuglymaniacs, the friends that post the issue of Metal Bulletin Zine USA.
fuglymaniacs.com
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
western Washington state concert calendar, updated January 15, 2019
read online number 160 of Metal Bulletin Zine
Saturday, January 12, 2019
out now: Mo'ynoq
Fans of black metal, listen to Mo'ynoq's new 2019 full-length album at the link below. They are from the United States. It looks like they have released this album independently. It also appears that the band has been only a couple of years in existence, but the album should be interesting, most of all, to the die-hard black metal fanatics that are always looking for new black metal to hear. Check out the official propaganda below.
Mo'ynoq: Dreaming in a Dead Language
Self-released; 11 January 2019
From Raleigh, North Carolina emerges Mo'ynoq, an American Black Metal outfit that brandishes feral riffs and a uniquely humid atmosphere. Influenced by the likes of Immortal, Nachtmystium, and Wolves in the Throne Room, Mo'ynoq has lured audiences across the eastern United States into their pummeling sonic labyrinth, spinning dire narratives from which listeners struggle to escape...
June 2016 bore witness to Mo'ynoq's limited-edition cassette demo, and the four-piece released their EP Bardo on 7” vinyl in February 2017 to much acclaim. The band is now poised to release their debut LP Dreaming in a Dead Language in early 2019. Featuring seven devastating tracks and haunting cover art by French artist/tattooist Perichaud Pierre, Dreaming in a Dead Language is sure to carry Mo'ynoq's message far from the southern hills they call home.
Praise for Mo’ynoq:
"It’s always risky to employ genre terms for a band’s music that they may or may not agree with. Mo’ynoq are a black metal band, that much is inarguable, but their music reflects so many changes of mood and pace and incorporates so much instrumental exuberance and intricacy that you might be tempted to classify Bardo as progressive black metal, atmospheric black metal, post-black-metal, or all of the above. But whatever shorthand you might choose to use, the music is electrifying and emotionally powerful." -- No Clean Singing
"The band’s set was obscure and vibrating: a progressive touch layered every proposal, but there was equal rawness, a symbiosis that worked well and created a lively current throughout the crowd. The group ran through compositions which ranged from quick/punk to long/colossal to first-wave black metal. There was crushing width throughout, intricacy and transcendence.” -- Invisible Oranges
moynoq.bandcamp.com
out now: Archangel A.D.
Fans of good old-fashioned traditional U.S. thrash, check out this Texas thrash machine called Archangel A.D. This is a young band inspired by physical thrash metal for headbanging and moshing. Their music is a promise, a promise to give you their young thrash with the spirit of straightforward, no-nonsense metal. Read about the band below in this official propaganda.
Archangel A.D.: Warband
independent; 11 January 2019
Sometimes it’s best to take it back to the good old days of metal, back when long hair was an unwritten law, boomboxes blasted on every street corner, and double denim was considered less of a fashion faux pas. It’s a time that Archangel A.D. may not have been present, but they certainly channel it as part of the newest generation of thrash and heavy metal bands. Their second release Warband is a throwback to a heyday that hasn’t aged a bit, packed full of metal, thrashing mad.
From the off, it’s abundantly clear that Jacob García and Matthew Karr are practitioners of the art, weaving effortlessly around Mustaine-esque technical solos and Testament-inspired meaty riffs. Though there’s an air of familiarity, it never devolves into outright copying from the tomes they’ve studied, and each song takes on its own character. The drumming aids in this with its freneticism, such as on the frenetic title track as it clatters to a close, or the aptly diabolical “Evil Dreams” which harks back to Candlemass at their most bewitched. Leading the pack, Justin López brings a sneer honed from many years of singing along to “Whiplash” - the band’s own “Metal Horde” is no doubt an homage to Metallica and the many other bands who imparted their wisdom to Archangel A.D.
Warband is a speedy statement, clocking in at just over half an hour, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do: remind unbelievers that thrash is still a vibrant style of metal with plenty of raw power, and Archangel A.D. are just getting started in building a force to be reckoned with.
Archangel A.D. is: Jacob García - Guitar; Matthew Karr - Guitar; Justin López - Bass/Vocals; Edward Vera, Jr. - Drums
archangelad.bandcamp.com/releases
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Usurper release lyric video "Lords of the Permafrost" from their upcoming album Lords of the Permafrost
Chicago, U.S.A. old-school extreme metal battalion Usurper will have a new album in March of 2019. It will be called Lords of the Permafrost. Known for providing the old school to the old school of extreme metal, watch the video below and hear for yourself what the Chicago metal syndicate Usurper will bring in 2019. Read the official news, hype, propaganda and sales materials, and get all excited for the end of the Usurper studio silence.
The band commented about the upcoming album: "After a 14-year hiatus, Usurper are proud to return with our sixth full length album entitled, "Lords of the Permafrost". Back when we formed in 1993, we had the goal to create heavy, memorable songs with the anthemic quality of traditional Heavy Metal, combined with the heaviness of death metal, the fury of thrash metal, the atmosphere of black metal and the straight-forward, ass-kicking of 70's Hard Rock.... 25 years later, we feel we have stayed true to our original objective and have recorded the quintessential Usurper album. Lyrically these songs explore topics such as monster folklore, the paranormal and other obscure tales, all while being delivered with a lethal dose of Heavy Metal bravado. Usurper never have, and never will chase trends. We have only returned to bring our next chapter of metal to the Worldwide Warriors of Iron and Rust, and kick maximum ass!"
About Usurper: Formed in the early 1990s, Usurper has released five full length albums and toured worldwide, headlining metal festivals in Europe and the United States and also supporting the likes of Manowar, Cradle of Filth, Enthroned, and Enslaved. Eschewing social and political ideologies, the band writes classic heavy metal anthems that incorporate folklore, science fiction, and paranormal topics. On the eve of releasing their sixth album Lords of the Permafrost, which may be their strongest work yet, this Usurper delivers a heavy metal punch in the gut that's just as relevant today as when they rose through the ranks of the underground music scene twenty-five years ago.
Biography: 1992: Guitarist Rick Scythe and vokillist, General Diabolical Slaughter and Joe "Apocalyptic" Warlord began writing some songs, to simply create music inspired by the early-mid 80's thrash/black/underground heavy metal, for their listening pleasure only. The band was a concept and ideas were still being worked out.
1993, Usurper became a full time band; the three spent many hours in Joe's patio crafting their songs and by 1994, entered Eaton Records to record their first demo...
1994: The classic "Visions From the Gods" 4 song demo cassette tape was pressed and 1,300 were sold and distributed worldwide.
1995: Jon Necromancer (bass) joins the band. Usurper sign a European deal with the cult Norwegian label HEAD NOT FOUND, run by Metalion of Slayer Magazine fame, who released their debut album Diabolosis on CD.
1996: Usurper sign with The newest, most metal label on the planet, RIP Records (USA), who release Diabolosis on gatefold vinyl.
1997: Usurper signs to Necropolis Records (USA) who released their classic Usurper MCD "Threshold of the Usurper" - which sold over 10,000 copies on 4 different labels on CD, Vinyl, Picture Disc, and cassette tape.
Later that year Usurper headline their first show and also appear at Chicago's EXPO of the Extreme. Apocalyptic Warlord leaves Usurper. Usurper tours US with Dark Funeral with drummer Andy Von Chaos. Later that year, Dave Hellstorm joins the band.
1998: Usurper tour Europe for the first time with Enthroned and Hecate Enthroned. Usurper record Skeletal Season.
1999: Skeletal Season is released on Necropolis Records. Usurper tour West Coast with Sadistic Intent and Exhumed supporting and US and Canada supporting Cradle of Filth and Rotting Chrst. Visions From the Gods [re-issue] is released on digi-pack CD. Merciless Records (Germany) releases Skeletal Season on gatefold vinyl.
2000: Usurper record Necronemesis at Nomad Studios, Texas. The album features guest vocals by Proscriptor of ABSU and KING DIAMOND on the title track. Later that year Usurper support Cradle of Filth and Christian Death on a 26 date tour of Europe. Usurper enlisted 2nd guitarist (for live shows only), Carcass Chris. Later that year Merciless Records (Germany) releases Necronemesis and Visions from the Gods on Vinyl.
2001: Usurper sign with Earache Records. Earache re-issues both Visions from the Gods and Necronemesis on CD. Usurper headline a show at the legendary New York club, CBGB's
2002: Usurper tour US supporting Manowar. Usurper record TWILIGHT DOMINION.
2003: Twilight Dominion released by Earache Records. Dave Hellstorm leaves the band and is replaced live by Cleveland Stever for US tour the with Enslaved. Joe Warlord rejoins Usurper, General D. Slaughter leaves the band. Dan Tyrantor joins Usurper on vocals.
2004: Usurper records CRYPTOBEAST for Earache Records.
2005: CRYPTOBEAST is released by Earache. Usurper play various headlining mini-tours in 3 countries to promote the release.
2006: Usurper headline mainstage day 1 at INFERNO FEST (Norway) and headline Minneapolis Metal fest.
2007: Usurper disbands. Primitive Reaction (Finland) re-issues "Threshold of the Usurper on CD and Vinyl.
2014: Usurper (original line-up) first started rehearsing again for a possible appearance at the R.I.P. Records 20th Anniversary Concert. This line-up of Usurper however disbanded shortly before the show could happen, due to certain members inability to rehearse or ability to perform.
2015: Joe Warlord, along with Rick Scythe assemble a new version of Usurper. The two original founding members (Rick and Joe) decided that Usurper fans deserve better than just assembling the original line-up simply for nostalgia sake, who were not dedicated or not up to par musically with what Rick and Joe demand. Instead, the duo thought it was better to enlist Die-Hard members with 100% conviction, desire and ability to join Usurper. Long-time Cryptobeast era vocalist Dan Tyrantor rejoined the band. Shortly after Joe enlisted Project: Tsunami bassist & long-time Usurper fan: Scott Maelstrom to step in as the newest member of Usurper.
The current line-up of Usurper is stronger than before and musically superior to any past line-ups. Usurper will perform for the first time in 10 years at the 2015 Holiday of Horror Festival in Chicago.
Usurper - Lords Of The Permafrost (Lyric Video) 2019 // Soulseller Records
facebook.com/usurper.chicago
Jolly Roger Records reissues GUNFIRE "Gunfire"
Jolly Roger Records (Italy) has announced a new version of the 1980s heavy metal band Gunfire (Italy) debut EP. This was the debut EP all those years ago. If you are looking to add more titles to your 1980s heavy metal collection, then check out official press release below and the band's biography.
GUNFIRE "Gunfire". Debut Ep originally released in 1985 only on vinyl and now considered a rare and valuable collector's item. The reissue, completely remastered, includes as bonus tracks 6 tracks from the demo of 1984, the song "Firecult" released only in the compilation "Heavy Metal Made in Italy" (1985) and for the CD version a live track of 1984. The album, suggested for all true heavy metal maniacs, will be available in the Lp formats (first 100 copies in red vinyl), Cd and Digital from 25th January and is dedicated to the memory of the guitarist Fabio Allegretto "Lord Blackcat" passed away recently. At this link (below) 3 songs available for audio streaming and pre-orders opened. "Death, Torment & Pain to the enemies of the Firecult!"
Biography by Robert Drake: First time i held a microphone in my hand was in 1981.At the time the first records from Saxon and Iron Maiden came out but apart from them i used to listen also Deep Purple and Kiss. I started to sing cause i didn't have enough money to buy a guitar or take any lessons.My girlfriend encouraged me and i tryed to learn by myself how to sing practising on songs like Wheels of steel and Child in time. In that period i met Maurizio Leone (Maury Lyon),a guy that was very much into rock music and used to led a radio program called “Rock stage”,one of the first in our region,of wich i still remember the opening song: “Into the arena” from MSG. With him i decided to built up a heavy band (he played guitar at the period) and with many effort we found a drummer and a bass player.”Metal road” was built,with few experience but the will to compose our music. We rehearse in some kind of dungeon in the center of our town Ancona. Find a good place for rehearsing always been a great problem!…no other bands played metal in our town,maybe only few punk bands were around at the period…...but we were in 1981-82.
In 1984 happened the big kick: we met Fabio Allegretto (Lord Blackcat) a very good guitar player interested in the thing. After few rehearsales to see if “could work”, GUNFIRE (the name was given by Maurizio) was built. Maurizio left the guitar and move to play bass guitar while we composed our first song ever: "Thunder of War".......
Gunfire was on the move!
We never changed line up as Gunfire and after only two mounths we recorded our first demo tape that,despite the fact that was product in very few copies, was knewn worldwide!! We got a lot of attentions from many parts of the world including Canada, USA and so on. The demo was recorded in two days in a very small studio using a 4tracks Fostex but we were enough satisfied of it considering the obvious limitations and was never sold (it didn't even got a cover) but simply given in 50 copies to friends and magazines; this was enough cause with a chain-coping it spreads all over the world! In the same year we took part of an important italian festival near Mantova and for the first time we played in front of a big crowd in a big stage with very knewn italian bands of the period. It was amazing!
After a little while we got in contact with the guys of Discotto Irae records from Florence,first label of Litfiba, who asked us if they can take care of the distribution of our record. We decide to autoproduced our first record: we took an entire week for the recording sessions and it cost us about four millions lire of the time…many songs were available but for economical reasons we were forced to choose only 4. The record was published in about 2.000 copies only in Italy. The reaction from the press was very good and so among the fans,if the record would had been distribuited and supported better i think it would sold a lot more...
The situation of the italian metal scene during the ‘80s was really tough, the productions here weren't at the same standard of bands from USA,England or Germany and the lack of support and promotions from the labels made the thing even harder. We didn't had the chance to play as supporting act with famous foreigner bands although we became friends with the guys from Saxon. Gunfire concerts were really “killer acts”: 1 hour and 40 minutes, no cover songs, only our music with a lot of headbanging below the stage. We played in many places around Italy (Bari,Torino,Bologna…) but never abroad unfortunatly.
Three songs of our second demo “The Fire Still Burns” were taken from the 1985 sessions, and choosen to be included in an album for Carrere label but nothing went right and after many troubles inside and outside the band, Gunfire split in 1986.
2002: The Return!
Two new members in the line up: Luca Calò on guitar (ex - Spread Mind) and Diego Romagnoli on drums. We have a lot of new material and we are now back in a good shape! “The Fire Still Burns”….after many years the spirit that moved us is still inside us and we are waiting new and old fans!!
2004: Change of Drummer
Marco Bianchella is the new powerfull drummer of Gunfire! (he's from Spread Mind too)...this guy really kicks many asses!
2004: “THUNDER OF WAR”
That's the title of long waited full lenght album available for BattleCry records! Watch out..this time we are back to stay!
jollyrogerstore.com/release.php?id=76
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
in case you missed it: Feral
Feral
Flesh For Funerals Eternal
Transcending Obscurity Records
Release: 30 December 2018
Turn to Feral when you want a good dose of old-school death metal with the famous Swedish guitar tone. Feral is gruff, throaty growling. The guitar is thick and groove-based, with a certain rock and roll style to it in some spots, injecting a bit of a brutal death n’ roll vibe for good measure. The guitar solos tend to be a bit melodic and midtempo. Given the brutal, groove-based nature of the music, the drumming works with simple, heavy beats.
The result? The fans of the old-style death metal have approved of the band, so check it out for yourself at the link below.
Biography: Formed in the small Northern Swedish town of Norsjö in late 2003 by vocalist David Nilsson and bassist Viktor Eriksson. Feral later relocated to the nearby town of Skellefteå and formed a full line-up along with guitarist Petter Nilsson and drummer Rickard Lundmark before eventually rounding out their roster with the addition of guitarist Markus Lindahl. With the lineup complete, the band soon began writing and performing around their native Sweden. Soon thereafter, Feral began recording demos and playing some very high-profile gigs, including a month long European tour with death metal legends Master in February of 2009 and a mini-tour with Six Feet Under in September of the same year. In between these tours, Feral returned to the studio to record the highly acclaimed "Welcome To The Graveyard" demo, which caught the attention of Ibex Moon Records' owner, John McEntee, who signed the band to his label late last year.
With this lineup, a firm and strong sound, and all the determination in the world, the group recording their debut full-length, Dragged To The Altar, in 2010 . Which was released on April 26th, 2011 via Ibex Moon Records. The release of the debut album was followed by a European tour along with the Swedish death metal band, Demonical, and supported by Gloria Morti and Arroganz. Writing on the album to follow the debut was begun immediately after returning from the tour. But the recoring of the album was delayed due to line-up changes when Rickard Lundmark and Petter Nilsson left the band to pursue other interest after having recorded the song for "The Deathkult EP", a split EP along with German death metal band, Revel in Flesh, released though Joe Black Records. The band was later joined by ex-Armagedda drummer, Roger Markström, and Markus continued as the sole guitarist and the recording process for the next album could be started. The new album "Where Dead Dreams Dwell" was released in May 2015 though Cyclone Empire followed by the EP/minialbum "From the Mortuary" in December 2016. In July 2017 Feral announced their signing to Transcending Obscurity Records.
feralsweden.bandcamp.com/album/flesh-for-funerals-eternal-death-metal
Monday, January 7, 2019
in case you missed it: Psycroptic
In 2018 Psycroptic toured the United States as part of Devastation on the Nation. Watching them live was a pleasure, to see how they make concise, compact songs that are headbanging tunes while still remaining faithful to the original idea of technical extreme metal. Playing really fast and being skilled does not keep them from writing songs that are easy to understand, due, in no small part, to their experience, given that they were founded some 20 years ago. If you have not heard the most recent album, check it out at the link below. Here is the official information about the album.
PSYCROPTIC
As The Kingdom Drowns
Prosthetic Records
Release: 9 November 2018
Tasmania is known for two things; the Tasmanian Devil and having produced one of the leaders of the modern death metal scene, Psycroptic. Since their formation in 1999, the band have constantly evolved and broken through the boundaries that the genre can sometimes impose upon itself. With the release of their seventh studio album, As The Kingdom Drowns, an album of riff-filled, technical ecstasy, Psycroptic just may have outdone the devil.
Formed by brothers Dave and Joe Haley, Psycroptic have always lived in that very small space between technical and metal. The over the top insanity peaked with their sophomore album, 2006’s Symbols of Failure. From there the band looked to smooth things out a bit, whether it was with some ambience or industrial elements in 2008’s Ob(Servant) or focusing in on the groove on 2012’s, The Inherited Repression. 2015’s Psycroptic seemed to encompass all that the band had done, so where does one go from there? For the band, it was somewhat easy.
The self-titled album gave the band a new and solid platform to launch off of, making experimentation easier. The hard part was where to go and just how far to take it. Singer, Jason Peppiatt comments, “As always with this band we wanted it to have the distinctive sound of a Psycroptic album but wanted to push ourselves further with adding new elements and having a darker vibe than on previous releases. I think we achieved our goal and this is something we are all very proud of!”
D. Haley adds, “It’s always a challenge to continue to evolve as a band, while staying true to the path you've chosen to walk on. With As The Kingdom Drowns we all pushed each other outside of our usual comfort zones, and didn't settle for the easy way out. I’m super proud of everyone’s hard work and dedication to the project; it turned out to be one hell of a catchy riff filled album.”
Riffing is the key standout on the new album. The band chose to lean more towards the metal than the technical and branch out from there. The lead off track, We Were The Keepers has an almost symphonic feel to it. A huge, layered chorus makes this one of the most memorial death metal song heard in quite some time, though that machine gun riff that destroys the bridge certainly helps the cause. The album’s next track, Frozen Gaze, can be described as an exercise on how to fill as many hooks into a 4 minute track and make it as seamless as possible. Directive comes next, slowing it down quite a bit, packing a huge punch, but still showcases J. Haley’s fingers all over the fretboard. The first three tracks set the mood for the rest of the album, with each subsequent song encompassing some of their elements, though at no point seeming rehashed. The standout on the later part of the album is Upon The Stones, which starts off with a dark, doomy riff laid upon thunderous drums that wouldn’t sound far removed from a Triptykon album. J. Haley soon scales his way all over the guitar and brother Dave closes it out with an atmospheric drum off before Jason Peppiatt’s back howling at the moon, giving it that Psycroptic touch.
As Psycroptic approaches their 20 year anniversary, it’s nice to see them sounding as fresh as ever. With age comes wisdom and maturity. All the band’s previous work got them to where they are at today. Comfortable in their own shoes, nothing to prove, being able to look back at their earlier years with pride and seeing a long road ahead that they know they are ready to tackle.
Psycroptic is:
• Dave Haley - drums
• Joe Haley - guitar
• Jason Peppiatt - vocals
• Todd Stern - bass guitar
Select Discography:
• The Isle of Disenchantment (2001)
• The Scepter of the Ancients (2003)
• Symbols of Failure (2006)
• Ob(Servant) (2008)
• The Inherited Repression (2012)
• Psycroptic (2015)
• As The Kingdom Drowns (2018)
psycroptic.bandcamp.com
in case you missed it: Amon Amarth
Greyhawk
Greyhawk: Ride Out
independent; October 18th, 2018
track listing
1.Intro 01:11; 2.The Abdication 04:35; 3.Ride Out 05:15 4.Serpent King 03:24; 5.Wisdom of the Wizard 03:51; 6.Circle of Heroes 04:32 total time 22:48
What is an anthem in traditional heavy metal music? Isn't it a song that through its sounds and lyrics sounds catchy, and in various ways celebrates our heritage in music? When a fan of true heavy metal hears it, that person knows that it speaks their musical language. It answers the question proudly and unwaveringly, this, this right here, this is 100% heavy metal. It says that we don’t care about the latest fashions, the most recent trends, or anything like that. Heavy metal is big riffs, plenty of guitar solos, thundering drums and the unmistakable voice of a singer with wildman vocals; and your guitar players have full command and play the solos like their lives depend on it. The leather and spikes is nice, the denim and long hair is cool, but that’s not why we are gathered here. Play your heavy metal with the attitude of Led Zeppelin or Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, whether you have one hundred thousand people in front of you or just those 23 people at the bar in Everett or Tukwila checking out whether you are any good or not. Don’t curl up like a ball on stage, don’t hide, don’t look at your belly button, friend; take the stage and make it yours; eyes up, chin up, and rock!
Do you know who plays heavy metal like that? Greyhawk. Who is Greyhawk? They are anthem-obsessed heavy metal heroes rocking out from the Seattle region. They have travelled all sorts of paths to get here, but they did get here. They are in the state of Washington and this is their debut, but they sound experienced and skilled. This recording is very impressive. As you can see, they are not signed to a big record company, but that did not prevent them from going out and making a recording of good sound quality. More importantly, they have the heavy metal anthems, and they have themselves a real singer, too, not some poser schmuck from down the street. Below is the official information hype about the band. Check it out the hype, get excited, lift some weights, do the Conor McGregor walk and get into this recording at the first link below.
OFFICIAL INFORMATION FROM THE MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA: The story of Greyhawk begins in late 2016, when Jesse Berlin, a neoclassical shredder from New York, and Darin Wall, a proud rock warrior from the northern wastelands of Canada, joined forces in Seattle, Washington. Together they scoured the city for fellow warriors who were true enough to join their cause. After over a year of searching, reinforcements finally arrived in the form of Enrico Mariuzzo, another rock and roll shred demon all the way from Italy, and the booming operatic voice of Revere Taylor, who while dazzling audiences at Seattle Opera also yearned for heavy metal glory. The four gathered on the regular, crafting songs and planning their attack, and then finally the last piece of the puzzle arrived from across the Cascade Mountains in the form of the powerhouse drummer Nate Butler. After many hours of blood and sweat, Greyhawk entered the studio, employing the expertise of audio wizard Cody J Brumlow to forge their debut EP, Ride Out. Now they set out to bring their brand of heavy metal to the unsuspecting masses. Ride Out was recorded, mixed and mastered by Cody J Brumlow at Hangar 12 Studios, Mountlake Terrace, Washington. Album artwork by Jesse White. Greyhawk is: Rev Taylor (vocals), Jesse Berlin (guitar), Enrico Mariuzzo (guitar), Darin Wall (bass), Nate Butler (drums).
greyhawkmetal.bandcamp.com/releases
facebook.com/Greyhawkmetal/
twitter.com/greyhawkmetal
Sunday, January 6, 2019
read online Metal Bulletin Zine number 160
Corporal Dissection
Saturday, January 5, 2019
The Filth Hounds
The Filth Hounds: Hair of the Hound?
Pure Steel Records; October 26th 2018
The Filth Hounds (U.K.) send a message to rock fans over all the world. Their band name comes from Filth Hounds of Hades, the debut album from 1982 from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Tank, whose bassist/vocalist Algy Ward was in the legendary punk band The Damned. Said Tank album was produced by Motörhead guitarist Eddie Clarke. Seeing that Motörhead’s Lemmy was a guest on The Damned’s classic album Machine Gun Etiquette (1979), Ward and Motörhead already knew each other before Tank was formed. By the way, German thrash legends Sodom have covered Tank on more than one occasion on studio albums, and thereby introduced the band to fans of the German act and of thrash in general.
This 2018 album is called Hair of the Hound? and the expression “hair of the dog” refers to a drink, as you can see on the cover of the album. Moreover, it cannot be a coincidence that the album name is similar to the famous 1975 heavy rock album Hair of the Dog by the legendary band Nazareth (U.K.). Nazareth songs are played on the radio and it is probable that any listener of a classic/hard/heavy rock and metal radio station has heard Nazareth. Many musicians have covered Nazareth songs, including famous acts like the U.S. band Guns n' Roses, and Metal Church, Iron Savior, Artillery, Diamond Head, and others (including covers of Nazareth’s heavy rock version of a Joni Mitchell song).
This brings us to The Filth Hounds themselves. British. Traditional. Heavy. Metal. They are going to give it to you straight. The album sounds down-to-earth honest, like they want you to hear everything, like you are right there in their jam space in the garage. It could be a British thing. Lots of old British bands have this work ethic: make sure that your recording is something that you yourself played. Do not lie. Do not cheat. What you hear is what the band plays. Record what you play. If you didn't play it, then what's the point of putting it on the recording? If it's a computer program that we are hearing, then who are you trying to fool here?
The Filth Hounds is a humble band. Essentially, they sound like an old heavy metal band that you might catch down at the pub on a weekend, giving it all that they got, rocking away, happy to be playing the music that they love. The songs vary somewhere between classic rock and heavy metal. The songs will cure that hangover you get from listening to robotic and computerized rock music. It’s reliable old-time-style heavy metal for those times when you want to hear a band getting down to boogie and rock and roll in an unpretentious way. Rock and roll, friends.
facebook.com/TheFilthHounds/
Friday, January 4, 2019
read the issue number 159 of Metal Bulletin Zine
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Ahnenkult
Ahnenkult
Als das Licht verging
release date: October 26th, 2018
label: Einheit Produktionen
1. Konstellation 04:46
2. Vinland 06:16
3. Sol Invictus 06:28
4. Flux Temporis 05:18
5. Sternenstaub 04:51
6. Gezeiten 06:02
7. Stella Polaris 09:34
total time 43:15
Broadly speaking, the music is European-style pagan metal. The music works with fundamental ideas of black metal: the melodies, the riffing and the vocals come from a black metal tradition. That’s not all, however. The speed of the songs is mostly a comfortable, uptempo/midtempo pace that is very, very appealing, and it helps that the music is melodic and pleasant on the ears. The result is a melodic and memorable album, with some melancholic and folk vibes, in addition to some progressive elements.
The vocals are a black-metal style of rasp. The vocals are mixed in the production in proportion to the overall volume of the music. The vocals do not take over the music, which has plenty of room to breathe and roam. The voice itself is done well, too. The rasp is not too high, suggesting that the band has considerable experience in the vocals department; how to do strong BM vocals, how to work with the strength of the style; how to record them; how to mix them in the recording. There are some parts with a midrange, male singing associated with folk/pagan metal, but that is not the predominant style.
Every song features a good rhythm, and melodies or melodic passages to keep the listener engaged. Sometimes it is a clean (acoustic?) guitar, sometimes it is good riffs, sometimes it is a melodic solo, sometimes it is a recurring simple melody carried by the guitar. At any rate, it seems like the musicians have spent the time crafting the melodies for all the songs so that the listener hear the songs as whole units. The fact that the music is uptempo/midtempo (not blasting speed; not a hectic pace), it just makes it that much easier and quicker to understand what’s going on.
The album is quality. It looks like the band prefers a more organic production. The double bass kicks do not sound clicky and triggered, but I don’t know for sure. The drums sound like real drums. The melodies are catchy, but not happy, either. Fans of European-style progressive black/pagan metal with memorable songs would be very pleased with the album. It is full of charm.
einheit-produktionen.de/einheit-artist-ahnenkult
einheit-produktionen.de/Ahnenkult-Als-das-Licht-verging-Digi-CD_1
facebook.com/Ahnenkult
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)