Wednesday, December 10, 2014
ancient death metal: PENTACLE
Pentacle (Holland): The Fifth Moon…Beyond and Back (2014 expanded edition)
Personally, I don’t think that death metal gets much better than Pentacle, particular this recording and the follow-up album “Rides the Moonstorm …” This “new, improved, and expanded” reissue will appeal to the Pentacle fanatics. Pentacle exhibits a huge early Celtic Frost/early Death vibe and it is very proud of those influences. The band started in 1989 and the original version of this recording is from 1996, and the new version is from 2014. If you live for “ancient death metal” as Pentacle calls it, don’t forget Pentacle, and as the band says, “Don’t forget the ancient feeling.”
www.vicrecords.com
Pentacle - Black At Heart
tech-metal from Italy: BLOODTRUTH Obedience (Unique Leader)
Some people say ridiculous things like: “I don’t like bands that play tech-metal because those bands do not play with any feeling.” What is that supposed to mean, anyway? Is it an excuse for being a slowpoke that cannot keep up with inhuman speed and arthritis-causing musicianship? Everyone in Bloodtruth will end up with arthritis or tendonitis or carpel tunnel syndrome or something like it. “Obedience” is the 2014 debut by Bloodtruth, tech-metal freaks from Italy that started in 2009. What a debut it is! A thousand riffs packed into a few minutes, a growler that sounds like a crazed bear running down the street knocking down all the trashcans, and a drummer who will need some serious pain medication after playing these songs. Bloodtruth uses a bit of “monk chanting,” but they need to use it more as part of their songs because it gives them something that is a bit unique. Sometimes the band uses the chanting as an intro, but on a song like “Suppurating of Deception” they actually use it as part of the song, in the background, and this is when it works the best because it is an integral part of the sound, not just a side element. Bloodtruth has hit upon something a bit different within the realm of superhyperultra fast blasting tech-metal. Good work.
www.uniqueleader.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Bloodtruth/205949072801419
Bloodtruth – Suppurating of Deception
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
thrash: Game Over (Italy)
Game Over (Italy): Burst into the Quiet; For Humanity
Game Over’s “Burst into the Quiet” is the 2014 album and “For Humanity” is from 2012. Of course, the band’s name comes from the Nuclear Assault album and the band’s logo is in the style of Nuclear Assault. Game Over concentrates on classic-style riffs, speed, shredding and gangshouts. Nobody wants Game Over to slow down and the band aims to please. The 2012 album is no different, thrash and speed all the way. The glory days of thrash were not just the 80s if you listen to this band: this is now and this is classic-style thrash.
www.facebook.com/GameOverThrashMetal
www.scarletrecords.it
Game Over - Masters Of Control (2014)
thrash: NervoChaos (Brazil)
NervoChaos (Brazil): The Art of Revenge
NervoChaos’ music has got to be one of the most shamelessly mosh-inducing albums of the year. This is probably as perfect as an album can get for causing mass mosh pits. This riffing is practically made to make a thrash and death metal fanatic jump of out her or his seat and start a pit. NervoChaos makes songs to play metal live and instigate a physical reaction. In some ways you could say that they take the best of early 90s thrash in the guitar sound, that chunky, groove-laden sound somewhere around the neighborhood of Slayer/Sepultura/Pantera: direct-impact and to-the-point riffs.
www.facebook.com/NervoChaos
www.greyhazerecords.com
Nervochaos - For Passion Not Fashion
thrash: Algebra (Switzerland)
Algebra (Switzerland): Feed the Ego
Algebra plays a technical form of thrash, with vocals reminiscent of early 90s Sepultura, perhaps the intensity/complexity of technical-thrash-era Coroner, and huge riffs to make thrashers feel the music. Algebra’s combination makes it a unique form of thrash, though: technical, uptempo and serious. This is not “party thrash.” This 2014 album sounds vibrant and detailed. A success. www.facebook.com/Algebrathrash
www.unspeakableaxerecords.com
Algebra "Survival Nowadays" (Unspeakable Axe Records)
thrash: Foreseen HKI (Finland)
Foreseen HKI (Finland): Helsinki Savagery
You know how Finland has a reputation for melodic, symphonic and sad bands? Foreseen is here to change all that. These gutter punk hardcore thrashers make people in Helsinki run away in horror. Foreseen is rude, barbarian, angry, violent and disgusting by day, and smelly, sweaty, criminal and violent by night. They are up all day, and up all night; dirty punks playing a dirty form of thrash. It’s not melodic thrash, it’s not technical thrash, it’s not progressive thrash. Really, Foreseen barely knows how to play two chords, but they play fast and they are angry about Finland’s reputation or just angry because it’s frickin freezing in Finland, Mr. Bigglesworth. Recommended if you like thrash to be urban, street, angry and fast. All of Finland is feeling angry right about now. It’s December.
www.facebook.com/Foreseen
www.foreseen.bandcamp.com
www.20buckspin.com
Foreseen - Death Injection
thrash: Shards of Humanity (U.S.)
Shards of Humanity (U.S.): Fractured Frequencies
Shards of Humanity is thrash/death along the lines of Sepultura’s “Beneath the Remains,” but perhaps the pace of this band is tighter, faster. The vocals are semi-growled, not too death-ish. The drummer makes sure to keep it intense and fast, and the guitars are all about big riffs and shredding. Shards of Humanity is a more modern of form of thrash, you could say. Expect tight execution, a bit on the technical side of thrash.
www.facebook.com/SHARDSOFHUMANITY
www.unspeakableaxerecords.com
Fractured Frequencies
thrash: Necrodeath (Italy)
Necrodeath (Italy): The 7 Deadly Sins
Necrodeath started in 1985 and these veterans have a long history in thrash. On this 2014 album the band balances the speed and simplicity of thrash, with a bit of melody and a bit tempo changes, too. Everyone in this band has lots of experience, so you don’t have to worry about professionalism and sound quality. The sound is mostly direct “old school thrash,” with a bit of the modern sound. In 2014 Necrodeath keeps thrashing, fast, with a bit of melody. www.facebook.com/necrodeath.official
www.scarletrecords.it
Necrodeath - Gluttony
thrash: Untimely Demise (Canada)
Untimely Demise (Canada): Systematic Eradication
Untimely Death’s album is actually from 2013, but let’s not be nitpicky. This band is not friendly towards the government or politicians or nuclear radiation. The vocals are a bit shrieked, but the riffing and shredding will be instantly recognizable to the thrash supporter that says “yes” to thrash and “yes” to headbanging metal. To the mosh pit, total love-it-all thrash fanatics!
www.facebook.com/UntimelyDemiseMetal
www.untimelydemise.bandcamp.com
www.punishment18records.com
Untimely Demise - A Warrior's Blood
win free stuff from Texas metal band Giant of the Mountain
Texas metal Giant of the Mountain
says:
"CONTEST TIME FOR FREE MERCH!! Draw us an extremely weird picture..."
"We have reached 2,000 likes and we want to celebrate so... CONTEST TIME FOR FREE MERCH!! Draw us an extremely weird picture and post it to our wall for a chance to win ALL 4 SHIRT DESIGNS & Moon Worship, Valley of the Rogue, and Mother Hydra on CD. Contest ends 1/9/15 and only ONE will win so get to it!"
https://www.facebook.com/giantofthemountain
Seattle metal band HEDON has a show this Thursday in Seattle
HEDON
Seattle metal band
do the toxic waltz!
concert on 12/11/14 7pm @studio7seattle Seattle
http://www.reverbnation.com/q/5dvqbu
Seattle metal band FALLEN ANGELS show this Thursday in Seattle
W/ EXODUS @Studio 7
110 S Horton st Seattle, WA 98134
Date and Time
Thursday, December 11th at 7:00pm
www.reverbnation.com/fallenangelsthrashband
classic-style doom: In Aevum Agere (Italy): Limbus Animae (Pure Steel Records)
In Aevum Agere (Italy): Limbus Animae (Pure Steel Records)
This four-song EP is my first encounter with In Aevum Agere, a classic-style doom band that with its music declares an everlasting love for early Candlemass. The band are the inheritors and continuers of the glory of perfect and classic doom, namely “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” (1986) and “Nightfall” (1987), both masterpieces by Candlemass. In Aevum Agere, of course, does not have the stoner/sludge guitar sound so popular today; just a heavy, clean guitar tone that says it is doom metal. The singing is melodic-melancholic, with a singer that feels the spirit of perfect doom. The drums sound full; definitely a good thing. The band decided to pay tribute to perfect doom by covering the master of all miserable-melancholic songs, namely, “Solitude” by Candlemass. People into traditional and classic-style doom, you now have new a band for a new year. It’s so nice to hear a band play doom the way that the father of classic doom Leif Endling himself insists. Very recommended.
www.facebook.com/pages/IN-AEVUM-AGERE/35718522561
www.puresteel-records.com
In Aevum Agere - Awaiting
brothers in classic metal: Johnny Touch and Convent Guilt (Shadow Kingdom Records)
Johnny Touch (Australia): Inner City Wolves
Convent Guilt (Australia): Guns for Hire
Maybe the bands Johnny Touch and Convent Guilt know each very well and have for years held conversations about the need for bands to play heavy metal in the classic style. Or, perhaps that is not the case at all and they just happen to be from the same country. Whatever the case may be, if you are a die-hard lunatic for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal AND the sounds of the neo-NWOBHM, then don’t forget to put these two bands on your search list.
Johnny Touch means catchy choruses and lots of guitar hooks with a street heavy metal that is rough around the edges, maybe like the first Iron Maiden album or like old Angel Witch, but still melodic. Like Johnny Touch, Convent Guilt sounds in the style of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, late 70s-early 80s heavy metal. This traditional heavy metal is uptempo with giant metal riffs that seek to be remembered quickly and choruses that sound like classic metal instantly. These bands do not play mid-late 80s polished, glossy, stadium metal of Priest, Dio and Maiden, but rather the tougher, more street, less fancy sounds of early Saxon, Di’Anno-era Maiden, and young bands of the late 70s breaking through in the early 80s.
The fundamental thing about both bands is that they write songs that sound like classic metal songs. The reason is that they have studied classic metal and they are reclaiming the legacy and the heritage of those classic albums. This is why supporters of the style—especially the fanatical NWOBHM listeners—will welcome this band immediately. Yes, these bands sound like NWOBHM bands, and this cannot be an accident. They take possession of the classic sound with pride.
www.shadowkingdomrecords.com
www.facebook.com/conventguilt
www.facebook.com/JohnnyTouchAus
Johnny Touch - It's Alright (2014)
Convent Guilt - Guns for Hire (Unmastered Version) OFFICIAL
the melodic/brutal black metal of Inferion (U.S.): This Will Decay (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
Inferion from Florida, U.S. has been around since 1995 and has three full-length albums, including this one, and some three EPs and some splits and demos, starting in 1998. This 2014 album has 14 songs in more than 55 minutes of “extreme metal” modern black/death guitar-centered riff attack. Equal parts “grim,” “brutal,” and “melodic.” Inferion is in-your-face-guitar “extreme metal” with the philosophy of not wasting time with overly long songs. It looks like for a long time Inferion has done recordings independently, but this one is on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Anyway, Inferion adds a bit of melody in the riffs, but overall the music, including the vocals, remain aggressive. Metal Archives says that Inferion main man Nick Reyes has been in lots of Miami bands, so it’s likely that in the Florida bar/club metal scene people know of this local band already.
www.horrorpaingoredeath.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Inferion/121467614565453
www.inferion.bandcamp.com
Inferion - "Lament"
Inferion - Carrion for the Scavengers (2014)
the black metal of Empty (Spain): Etica Profana Negativa (Osmose Productions)
Empty’s black metal straddles the line between In-the-Nightside-Eclipse-era Emperor and depressive, alienating black metal. “What is it about Empty that sounds so unapproachably monolithic and even alienating?” It is elitist black metal in the sense that Empty constructs the songs designed to be no cheap melodies, no catchy this or catchy that. It is a mountain of dense fog. They do a wonderful job of sounding nihilistic and unfriendly to the ear. Come for the negativism and pessimism. Stay for the nihilism. This band has been active since 1995, with a total of four full-length albums, including this one. Expertly nihilistic and depressive professional album.
www.facebook.com/pages/Empty/178245985566026
www.emptynegative.bandcamp.com
www.osmoseproductions.com
Empty - The Deepest Void
the modern black/death of Stigmhate (Italy): Zodacare Od Zodameranu (Bakerteam Records)
Push “play” on this 2014 album by Stigmhate and hear it go nonstop blastattack Belphegor-style black/death for some 48 minutes. This band plans in a detailed way the black and death parts, the riffs alternate between the styles, and with this approach could play live with black metal bands or with death metal bands, as long as the audience is into fast, aggressive metal music. Stigmhate works with modern technology for a sound of perfection in speed and sound. Recommended for Belphegor devotees.
www.facebook.com/stigmhate
www.bakerteamrecords.com
Stigmhate - Radiant Darkness
Stigmhate - The Third Obsidian
the modern black/death of Noctem (Spain): Exilium (Prosthetic Records)
Noctem’s been around since 2001 and the 2014 album sees the band forge a path that followers of Belphegor, Negator and Behemoth would appreciate. Fast, blasting with a clinically perfect production that goes for fireworks, loudness and “brutality,” the kind of album that uses the template set by Behemoth’s “Demigod” and by Belphegor’s “Bondage Goat Zombie” that sounds like Deicide playing black metal. Noctem wants perfection in studio technology and if you do, too, give them a listen.
www.prostheticrecords.com
www.facebook.com/noctemofficial
Noctem - Decrepit Human Kingdom
Noctem - Apsu Dethroned
traditional heavy metal from Colombia: IRON COMMAND: "Play it Loud"
Iron Command (Colombia): Play it Loud
Iron Command is a young, classic-style, fast heavy metal band from Colombia. “Play it Loud” is the band’s debut album in 2014, preceded by a demo in 2013. The band started in 2011. The sound is traditional, screaming, riff-centered heavy metal. More specifically, Iron Command lives for the fire of cult heavy metal. Stubborn, confident, and self-aware, Iron Command often displays the speed and the grit of early, fast Saxon, as well as the spirit of bands likes Blitzkrieg and Angel Witch. Iron Command is 100% committed to playing cult heavy metal and to sounding like classic cult heavy metal because it sure seems like the band has recorded the album to sound like a genuine classic-style band, which means that the drums sound like real drums, not like plastic bottles or drum programming. When listening to this album, the band gives the listener control of the volume. The album is not set to sound all compressed, high tech and annoyingly loud, which means that you can set it to the volume you want in order to hear the different instruments. This album needs to be found by enthusiasts of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal; by people into early 80s U.S. metal bands like Jag Panzer, Omen, Savatage and similar bands; and by supporters of modern neo-classic heavy metal like Kaine, Osmium Guillotine, Johnny Touch, Convent Guilt and similar sounds. Expect high energy and street heavy metal.
www.facebook.com/ironcommandheavy
IRON COMMAND - Play it loud.
IRON COMMAND - Power abuse
IRON COMMAND - Rush slaves + Heavy metal queen (Trance cover) (Live at E...
IRON COMMAND - Play it loud (Live at Envigado Metal Fest 2)
Sortilegia - Per Atrum Ignem
Sortilegia - Per Atrum Ignem
taken from the full length "Arcane Death Ritual" to be banned late 2014 via Ván on gatefold double vinyl and noble CD.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
new: Demonic Christ - Nocturnal Empire live at BFOB
https://www.facebook.com/DemonicChrist
Demonic Christ live at the Black Flames of Blasphemy Fest V, Helsinki Finland November 14th 2014
Demonic Christ live at the Black Flames of Blasphemy Fest V, Helsinki Finland November 14th 2014
Friday, December 5, 2014
Giant of the Mountain (U.S.): Moon Worship
Giant of the Mountain (U.S.): Moon Worship
Giant of the Mountain comes from Texas and was formed in 2008, and from 2009 until 2014, the band has two EPs and three full-length albums, the third of which is this 2014 title “Moon Worship,” a six-song work that lasts about 38 minutes. Very surprisingly, Metal Archives categorizes Giant of the Mountain as “technical death metal.” That categorization seems so strange in the case of Giant of the Mountain. It’s very likely that the band members will look at each other with eyebrows raised and exclaim, “What? We had no idea we were ‘technical death metal’!” and bust out laughing.
It also appears that Giant of the Mountain has suffered for being from Plano, Texas. All the band’s recordings are independent, according to Metal Archives. Maybe the metal companies are just not ready for an ambitious and brainiac metal band from Texas. I guess that’s what you get for being from Texas and not being a low-IQ macho-posturing thug with a mouth for war, demanding respect and telling people to walk.
Here’s the deal: Giant of the Mountain is one of “those metal bands” that does it all: from abhorrent blasting death metal to mellow, peaceful pieces with melodic singing. At first it sounds like a big bowl of clutter of metal racket, as in “Is this a compilation album? How many bands are on this compilation?” Yet, no, it is all Giant of the Mountain, but if you listen to this work as an album, something else will happen: everything will come into focus and the landscape will be visible as a complete entity. The first song “Moon Worship” is a fast death-ish track, but the guitar work stands out for being prog guitar played fast, backed by fast drumming. The growling seems to have various shades of “brutality” that are something like growling by monsters, by witches and by gremlins, low and high, so on and so forth. The appearance of melodic vocals later on in this same song, at that high speed is both surprising and pleasant. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the band’s guitarist/vocalist Cody Daniels holds in high regard Opeth’s “My Arms, Your Hearse.” Giant of the Mountain’s music is way too aggressive and fast for the classic Opeth influence to be easily detected, but make no mistake, the guitar tone, the riffs and the soloing have a fundamental debt to the classic period of the Swedes. It’s just that Giant of the Mountain has ratcheted up the intensity, speed, “brutality,” and vibe so that this music turns into a different sound. In contrast, “Cult of the Moon” is a mellow song with audible acoustic or acoustic-like sounds, and now that element of classic Opeth jumps out and says, “How do you like them apples, now? Did you know that Giant of the Mountain writes songs this eclectic?”
At any rate, this review is getting too long. As you can imagine, Giant of the Mountain does not have a big budget with which to work, and just the fact that they have lasted this long on their own is a credit to them. If they had more money, I’m sure they would like to give the recording a better quality, as the drumming appears to be drum programming, even though they do have a real human drummer named Randi Matejowsky. In terms of the songs themselves, however, this album is very satisfying. FYI: The band calls its music "blackened progressive sludge metal." These kids today, they think up of all sorts of genres. "Sludge"? Really? Check out the music and argue with your friends about the genre later.
www.facebook.com/giantofthemountain?ref=ts
Giantofthemountain.bandcamp.com
www.reverbnation.com/giantofthemountain
Moon Worship
Cult of the Moon
Giant of the Mountain live @ the Rail 6/17/12
The life of a metal music publicist: Dewar PR
The life of a metal music publicist: Dewar PR
Curtis Dewar is a metal music publicist whose job it is to get press coverage for bands. Curtis is always contacting publications about bands, and he’s on Facebook and Twitter a lot, too. His job is not as glamorous as being a rock star and sometimes people don’t understand what a publicist does. To explore the mysteriously secret life of that person that works to get reviews, interviews and more for metal bands, Metal Bulletin Zine sent Curtis some questions.
Hi, Curtis. How long have you been a publicist for metal music? How did you get started?
I've been a publicist for two and a half years. Basically, I started doing publicity by accident. I was writing for a few heavy metal sites and I ended up becoming friends with Rick Scythe (ex-Usurper). I did an interview with him about his new band Scythe and then started helping him to spread the word. Things just took off from there, to be honest.
I didn't start doing this full time until January of 2014, however. A job I was working at ended and instead of looking for full-time employment I decided I wanted to do something from home so I wouldn't be away from my kids while they were growing up. I decided to see if I could make this work and while sometimes it *can* be tough making ends meet, it is definitely worth it.
Do you play an instrument or have you ever been in a band?
Nope to both. I played the recorder when I was in third grade if that counts :)
How has 2014 been for you in terms of business? Do you have too many bands or would you like to have more?
I don't look at this as a business. This is my job, but this is something I actually enjoy doing, so it never feels like work. In terms of number of people I've worked with this past year, things have been fantastic.
Is this your full-time job? Does it pay the rent and all the bills?
Yes, this is my full-time job. Some months are better than others, but between myself and my wife, we are keeping the bills paid :) Again, choosing extreme metal as your chosen field to promote isn't exactly a lucrative field. You have to do this because you love the music.
Do you work with bands whose music you do not like? Will you be branching out into more popular forms of "metal" like hardcore?
I always like the bands I work with. If I did end up working with a more popular form of metal, it would have to be with a band I thought had potential.
Should your company branch out into all genres, like country and rap?
I don't like country or rap so I can't see myself branching out into those genres. I do like other genres however, so if there was something I liked and the band wanted to work with me, sure.
Are there some things that are unethical to you, that you would not do?
I never make any promises that I can't keep and I would never oversell my services.
Do you reject some bands? They want to work with your company and are ready to pay and everything, but you reject the band because it's not the style that your company does?
Yes, I have rejected some bands either due to the fact that I don't like their music or I don't agree with what they represent.
If I remember correctly, you also write for some publications and you get paid for it. Do you write any reviews that you are not paid for? How do those publications make money, if there is no money in the metal music business, like some people say?
I have written for pay and without pay. I have no idea on the financial state of any publications I write for.
Do you get offered money to review music that you do not like, and you review it anyway for the money?
Nope.
Do you sell t-shirts and metal clothing? Is that a good industry to make money, for someone like you?
I can't answer this, as I've never done that.
What do you think are some common misconceptions that people have about you or your field? Do bands badmouth you if you do not get them lots of coverage?
The main misconception that I've run into is that bands think they can promote themselves and the fact is most can't. There are so many bands who don't know how to use social media or how to contact a publication. The ones that do, will be fine, but many bands think that spamming their YouTube video on someone's FB page is promoting themselves!
I've never had a band badmouth me that I'm aware of. Also, most publicity people I know of in metal are good people.
Do you have to advise young bands on how to do interviews? Some young bands seem surprised that they get asked "the same questions over and over again," but that is exactly what interviews are like, aren't they? What else are people supposed to ask, if not about the band?
Yes, I have had to advise some bands on how to do interviews, as many will just do one word "yes" or "no" answers to all of their questions. I think as they get used to doing them they sort of get the hang of it, you know?
Does your wife get frustrated because you are always working, tweeting, etc.?
Of course! But that's the cost of doing this. You're always communicating with people.
Anything else on your mind?
Thanks for doing the interview and I appreciate all of the support you've given the bands I work with :)
Also, if anyone wants to work with me or has any questions please contact me on Twitter as @dewarpr or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cdewarpr
THE END
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