Sinister Realm Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

We just released our third album entitled "World of Evil" which we're very excited about! We also not to long ago released a video for the title track to the album. We're also lining up some dates now for a few short tours heading south to places like Virginia, Carolina, Atlanta and were ever else we can add. So in a nutshell, we're pretty busy and we like that.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

I don't think it's anything radically different. It's still traditional metal with some doom influences. We did try some different things, there's a long epic number that closes out the album called "The Forest of Souls/Four Black Witches". There's another epic number called "The Ghosts of Nevermore" that has some cool stuff going on. We tried to go in a bit more of an epic direction and just kept trying to write strong songs.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

Good vs. evil. The end of the world, madness, fortune telling witches, buried ghosts and other fun stuff like that.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Anyone out there who has had to try and come up with a band name knows it's really hard to do as every possible name feels like it's been taken. I wanted a name that had a real old school 80s feel to it and also had a bit of a darker feel. I was reading a magazine about power metal bands and it said their subject matter tends to be "tales of sinister realms" and I thought it sounded really cool. I was sure someone must have used that name but to my shock and luck no one had.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Metal Assault in Germany was awesome. We've had some really killer shows locally opening up for people like Diamond Head, Accept, Lizzy Bordern and Y&T. I would say we definetly rise to the occasion when we play live. We put on a good metal show with lots of energy. Our frontman Alex is great at getting the crowd moving and invloved.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new album?

Yeah, like I mentioned in the first questions were in the process of working on some dates south of us. We live in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Were basicially going to try and be playing anywhere we can. Hopefully we can make it over to Europe at some point. Anyone out there who wants us in their town, let us know!

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of traditional and doom metal?

Overall is has been positive. Traditonal metal fans seem to relate to us because they can hear the Maiden and Priest in our sound and because we have that bit of an epic vibe and some slower heavy moments the doom fans find something to like also. I don't really consider us to be a doom band though, we are influenced more by albums like "Heaven and Hell" or "Diary of Madman" which have some slower heavier moments but aren't really straight up doom albums. I'm also really into Candlemass so I think that's where some of the doom sound comes in.

8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases/

Longer more epic songs. The next album is definetly going to be moving into some new territories musically speaking. It feels like it's time to try some different stuff. I want to go a little more epic with some longer songs. Maybe try an acoustic ballad like Sabbath's "Planet Caravan". Maybe a multi part concept song. We shall see as I haven't really started working on the next album yet.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I listen to lots of stuff. Trad. metal and doom are my favorites and biggest influences, like Ozzy (first 4 albums) Priest, Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Savatage, Candlemass, Dio. Lately I've been listening to the new Sabbath album "13". VoiVod "Target Earth", Queensryche "2013" and Carcass "Necroticism"

10. Does Occultism play any role in your music?

No. I do like darker subjects like death and the afterlife, good and evil. I'm also a fan of supernatural horror movies like "Suspiria" and books by Poe and Love Craft so that probably influences some of the songs. I like to put a twist on things though, the same way someone like Dio did. From our first album the song "The Demon Seed", the main character, the demon seed, is a good guy fighting against opression. The title track off our new album is about all the evil we have in our world and how sometimes being a good guy can make you feel like you are standing alone wondering what went wrong in the world. I like to write songs about the underdog, the little guy winning. I'm a Catholic so if anything some of those religous stories of good versus evil have probably influenced my writing.

11. outside of music what are some of your interests?

I collect vinyl records, metal vinyl to be exact. I'm a big hockey fan, the Philadelphia Flyers are my team. I like to watch 70s horror movies and documentaries. Mostly though I just love listening to music.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks a lot for the interview! Please visit our facebook page and like us to stay on top of all the latest news. www.facebook.com/sinisterrealm. Were also working on www.sinisterrealm.net that should be up soon. Buy the new album from Shadow Kingdom Records and it should be in your favorite metal store soon. See you on the road and long live heavy metal!!!

Bangladeafy Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We are a Long Island based duo that arranges and performs music reserved for more than 2 people.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

We translate world/fusion rhythms into an abrasive thrash dynamic via rapid drumming, polyharmonic bass tapping and the occasional live synths and vocals.

3. What are some of the concepts and ideas the band brings out with the music?

Conceptually, you can see and hear how we heavily use drum rudiments on instruments that aren't traditionally percussive.

Cerebrally, I like to think that we're sonically melting everyone's mind ice cream while bullet ants are feasting on the cone.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

It's a portmanteau that we jokingly came up with referencing Atif's Bangladeshi origins and my sensio-neural hearing loss(deaf is an exaggeration).

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

The best shows we've done were the "anything goes" Halloween shows where not getting knocked over while you're playing is a real challenge.

Additionally, it's tough to develop a following outside of your homebase but we've been killing it in Rhode Island every time we perform there.

Our stage performance has been described as dizzying and inspiring but i'm sitting too close to the fire to tell you how hot it is. Come check it out for yourself.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Being a two piece with limited funding makes it very hard to tour, but you can find us going up and down the east coast quite frequently throughout any given season. We perform on a regular basis and have plans to hit the west coast in the spring. We're also impulsive and could quit our day jobs at any moment to share this beast with the world. Or feed the world to this beast.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and experimental?

We've been very thankful and shocked at the mostly positive critique and ever increasing fanbase. What we play is not accessible to all but we could be underestimating ourselves as I see more and more musicians and non-musicians totally getting into it. We may be chaotic but we still hold that bass and drum groove for folks to wiggle their jiggly parts to.

8. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

This is a full time line-up for sure with 100% dedication. We don't like to venture out or put ourselves on the market as "hired" musicians. Lately, with the increasing attention being paid to us, we've gotten some great offers that we have to turn down or commit to at our own convenience. Aside from a few creative workshops with friends, it's Bangladeafy all the way.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases/

From an instrumental standpoint, I see more use of me simultaneously playing synth and bass in addition to Atif utilizing more cowbells. He loves his cowbells. From a thematic standpoint, we've been getting very inspired by natural earthly phenomenons and it may lend itself to the next release.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Ebu Gogo, Squarepusher, Battles, Fat32, Secret Chiefs 3, anything Zach Hill related, Animals As Leaders, Zu, Tub Ring.

Lately, I've been listening to tons of NES soundtracks as I go through my day. I absolutely love 8 bit/16 bit compositions and have been eating up anything by Disasterpeace. Black Moth Super Rainbow also gets a lot of slots on my playlists.

When it comes time to spend hours between shows riding in Atif's car, it's strictly live comedy or podcasts. That's his life right there.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

By day, I'm a dogwalker and I'm freakishly into it. Dogs don't give a shit about where you've been or where you're gonna be, so for that I give them tons of love and attention. I'm also a huge nerd as I play NES emulators and watch cartoons because I'm overly attached to my inner child. Atif is heavily into comedy culture and lifting weights. What a dweeb.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

July 9th, we'll be dropping our new EP, The Briefcase on Nefarious Industries. If you're already a fan of our live show, you'll eat up this recording as it is chock-full of awesome thematic bonuses that will take place of the visual aspect.

 

Elmsfeuer Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We play pirate-rock, a mixture of various styles including folk, rock and some slight metal influences. Besides a classic rock lineup we have two pirate wenches on board who play accordion and violin. The german lyrics, which are sung in a clear voice, are about the ups and downs of a pirates life and the love to the ocean.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Elmsfeuer has a very unique sound and especially catchy tunes that always ignite a fire in the audience. We mix classical parts of accordion and violin with our modern rock lineup to create this special sound of ours.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The lyrics are mostly about the life of pirates and rum-drenched parties. But we’ve also got sad songs that tell stories about the loneliness of the sea with a lot of metaphorical words and other songs with ambiguous lyrics.


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Elmsfeuer (St. Elmo’s Fire) is a natural phenomenon, which mainly appears during a thunderstorm where little thunderbolts emerge at the top of the mast. We chose this name because it’s a symbol for instant energy and mystical fascination just like our music.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Beneath a lot of gigs we played the last year one of our highlights was our CD-release-show in Hamburg where a lot of people gathered to celebrate this milestone with us. It completely blew our minds how many folks came just to party with us while listening to our music. Another great show was the newcomer-event at the Festival Mediaval in Selb, where we won the golden dwarf for the best medieval-rock-newcomerband. 
Once we enter the stage, we completely forget everything around us so we can focus on our music and making party with the crowd. 


6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We’ve got a lot of upcoming shows the next time, for example the Hörnerfest, Festival Mediaval, the special pirates show “Pirates – eine abenteuerliche Zeitreise” as well as various MPS festivals. Of course we also play smaller club gigs like Taverna Cerritus in Hamburg, where we’ve already played several times. 


7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or received any interest?

We’ve released our album “Schatzsuche” via Totentanz Records with our distribution partner Al!ve.

8. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Of course some of us do play in smaller combos, but Elmsfeuer is our main project which always comes first.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

With our first release we’ve found our very own musical style. Despite some varieties which may occur, we’ll stay true to ourselves.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Every member of our band has a different favourite music which he or she brings into the songwriting process. This is why Elmsfeuer has its own unique sound and is hardly comparable to other musicians. 

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Wenches and rum

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview/

We want to thank you for the interview and of course thank all of the people who supported us so far. There’s a little pirate inside of everyone of you and it’s our goal to let him out. Yarrrrrrrr!

 

www.piratenrock.de

 

Sinister Realm/World Of Evil/Shadow Kingdom Records/2013 CD Review

  Sinister  Realm  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2013  album   "World  Of  Evil"  which  was  released  by  Shadow  Kingdom  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  no  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  traditional  metal  with  doom  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into t he  riffing,  while t he  lead  guitars  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  traditional  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  classical  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  use  finger  picking  to  enhance  the  darkness  of  the  music.

 Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  traditional  metal  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  evil  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional sound  where  you  can h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Sinister  Realm  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  traditional  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  band. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Angel  Of  Fate"  "World  Of  Evil"  "Prophets  Of  War"  and  "Four  Black  Witches".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Night Demon/Self Titled/Shadow Kingdom Records/2013 EP Review

  Night  Demon  are  a  band  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  NWOBHM  style  occult  power/heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013  ep  which  was  released  by  Shadow  Kingdom  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  no  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  NWOBHM,  power  and  traditional  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while t he  lead  guitars  are  very  old  school  sounding  mid  70's  to  early  80's  style  heavy  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals a re  all  clean  singing  traditional  metal  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Black  Magick,  Witchcraft  and  Occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy ,  old  school  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Night  Demon  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  occult  NWOBHM  style  metal  band  and  if  you  are  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Night  Demon"  and  "Ancient  Evil".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Bangladeafy/The Briefcase/Nefarious Industries/2013 EP Review

  Bangladeafy  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  extreme  metal,  hardcore,  avant  garde,  experimental,  progressive  and  jazz  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  'The  Briefcase"  which  was  released  by  Nefarious  Industries.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  sound  effects  bring  elements  of  experimental,  avant  garde  and  noise  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  is  the  lead  instrument  with  no  regular  guitars  on  this  ep  and  they  combine  extreme  metal,  hardcore,  experimental,  funk,  progressive  and  jazz  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.

  Vocals  when  they  are  utilized  are  hardcore  style  screams,  while  the  song  themes  cover  weird  concepts,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Bangladeafy  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  extreme  metal,  hardcore,  experimental,  avant  garde,  progressive  and  jazz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fruit  Flies"  and  "Pest  Control".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

   

NitroVault/Panzer/Mausoleum Records/2013 CD Review

  NitroVault  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  speed  rock,  punk  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Panzer"  which  was  released  by  Mausoleum  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  no  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  speed  rock  with  punk  and  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars a re  very  old  school  sounding hard  rock/punk/metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean singing  hard  rock/metal  vocals  with  some  punk  style  shouting  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  everyday  and  party  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  NitroVault  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  speed  rock,  punk  and  metal  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pay  The  Price"  "Twisted  Shot  Of  Booze"  "Hardrock  Queen"  and  "So  You  Die".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Memory Garden Interview

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  1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

  1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?1. We have been working on the new album since the summer of 2011, and a year or so before that we started to put together the songs for it.
  Right now everything is finished, the album "Doomain" is being released on the 15th of april. We're rehearsing again and look forward to start playing live as soon as possible!

  2. How would you describe the musical sound of the newer material and how it differs from previous releases?

  2. I think it 's very difficult to compare and tell exactly what the differences are. Some parts of the songs are about the heaviest and most doomy we have ever made. We still have the mix between really heavy power metal and doom,
  and that makes it more fun and varying to play. Also a few progressive parts are found in some songs. All these elements have been with us since -98 at least, so I guess there's not too many differences today but the songs are way better if you ask me.
  One thing is that we have put more effort in the vocal-melodies to make it a bit more catchy and memorable, and the songs might be a little more structured than before. We did a lot of riff-stacking in our older stuff.
  Some songs actually fit that way but others not so much.

  3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the newer music explores?

  3. The biggest influence for most lyrics are the cruelties in this world, and different ways people are being exposed to it. For example a pedofiliac priest, dangerous unquestioned religious leadership, mr "angel of death" Joseph Mengele, a devastated world and so on...

  4. When can we expect a new album?

  4. It will be out on the 15th of april.

  5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

  5. A few of our best or most memorable shows for ourselves must be Wacken Open Air, Sweden Rock Festival, Up the Hammers in Athens Greece plus another show in Athens with Candlemass and Grand Magus. Also Headbangers Open Air in Germany was cool.
  We always try to do the best show we can of course, though we are not a band with a specific image or any theatrical stuff going on. Just doom'n roll and a few hard-ass poses 

  6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

  6. No touring plans at the moment. But we are in contact with a few festivals in europe, and if the economic parts work out hopefully we can get some cool gigs during the year.

  7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal?7. I think we have been pretty well received everywhere we have played. However, our gigs in Greece felt really special for us. Everybody was so dedicated, it was well organized and the fans really made us feel loved! I remember a show in Germany where there was like 90% powermetal bands with swords and other shimmering shit on stage...Not the right place for us, both us and the audience agreed on that!
  But we get a lot of nice words from all different places in the world, so we can't complain.

  8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

  8. Well, Simon has been very busy with Wolf the past year. I think they are about to record a new album in the near future.
  Nightingale is also in the process of making new songs and we will probably start recording during the summer. Andreas has his other band Evil Conspiracy, they are about finished with a new album as well.
  So, there are a few other things going on. Hopefully nothing of it will cause a major collision...

  9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

  9. Probably pretty much the same path we've been on since the nineties, but who knows? Every album has had a little different feel to it, but of course that is also about the whole production and not just the songs themselves. We have found a type of powerdoom that we are comfortable
  with, guess there won't be no drastic changes.

  10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

  10. It's hard nowadays to find new inspirational music, a lot sounds copied and pasted from something else. We can appreciate all sorts of genres, from folk music to thrash to the hardest death metal. I don't listen that much to doom metal, one spin of Candlemass every once in a while will do the trick for me. Two bands I recently got interested in are Omnium Gatherum and Anubis Gate. Very melodic, atmospheric and powerful. AG being the more progressive of the two.

  11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

  11. There's not much time left for other hobbies. We all have daily jobs and families, so just getting the band together for one or at the most two times on the same week is good.
  Other than that for me, just a few visits at the gym now and then.
  Stefan likes to get his hands dirty, he's fixing up old VW cars when he gets a little extra spare time. I know Johan and Simon likes photography, Andreas on the other hand....hmm. Not sure about him. Maybe he is into genealogy... 

  12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

  12. Thanks for your interest in Memory Garden, I hope you will enjoy the new album and come see any nearby show.
  Cheers!

  Tom Björn, Memory Garden

Stone Magnum/From Time To Eternity/R.I.P Records/2013 CD Review

  Stone  Magnum  are  a  band  from  Indiana  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical style  I  would  describe  as  being  traditional,  old  school  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "From  Time  To  Eternity"  which  was  released  by  R.I.P  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  old  school,  traditional  doom  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  in  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  traditional  doom  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  they  are  only  used  on  the  last  song  and  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  bring  a  classic  80's  metal  feeling  to  the  album.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  traditional  doom  metal  vocals vocals  with  some  more  aggressive  elements  being  used  at  times  as  will  as  a  brief  use  of  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  evil  and  personal  struggles,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Oliver  Magnum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  Time  To  Eternity"  "By  An  Omen  I  Went"  and  "In  The  Garden  Of  Beasts".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Havok/Unnatural Selection/Candlelight Records/2013 CD Review

  Havok  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  old  school  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Unnatural  Selection"  which  was  released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  thrash  riffs  that  are  very  heavy  and  old  school  sounding,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  old  school  and  melodic  sounding  thrash  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  aggressive  sounding  thrash  style  vocals  that  utilize  some  melodic  elements  at  times  along  with  some  back  up  shouts  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  political  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Havok  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Give  Me  Liberty...  Or  Give  Me  Death"  "Wast  Of  Life"  "Worse  Than  War"  and  "Unnatural  Selection".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

SaaR Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We are SaaR, a french instrumental (so far) band. We try not to put any kind of label on our music but we often hear it's post-rock, post-metal, "score like". The band is Yann, Seb and Ju on guitars, Aurélien on bass and Constantin on drums.


2. How would you describe your musical sound?

_Emotionnelle car sans émotion la musique ne touche personne surtout pas  soi meme. la sincérité ammène d’une certaine façon l’émotion. Sincere and emotional, Saar is first and foremost a human project without any bounderies. We try as much as we can to push our ideas as far as possible.
-Sincere cause there's no will to please a wide audience. When we write, we do it for us, for the sake of our music.
-Emotional cause without emotions, music doesn't ouch anyone, especially not thyself.


3. What are some of the  themes and concepts the band brings out with the music?

It depends of the song, we don't use recurring themes. For instence the last album was about the end of something and everyone in the band had his own idea. The concept is to mix all of our styles to get organic music. We like to think our music becomes alive, some kind of matter.


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Saar is the name of a very wide river in Germany,  that is constantly frozen on one particular spot. We like the idea of that river half frozen half liquid. Saar is also the name of one of the firsts gods of Mesopotamia : the Saar is pictured as a giant fish that lives in the depth of the earth.


5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

The best shows probably took place during our french tour. At Lille it was very intense, there was an amazing energy and the public was very receptive. Our concerts are described like a cosmic experience cause we play with big blue light tubes on the ground and a lot, A LOT of smoke. It's sounds a little "Pimp my Ride" but visualy it's kinda cool. We play loud enough so that the experience is extreme.


6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We're organizing a big tour for february in France and Eastern Europe in addition to bigger gigs we'll have in the current year.


7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or received any interest?

We're indeed actively looking for a label and a tour manager, the organisation takes up so much time and energy. It's a full time job to deal with schedules, events, venues, marketing, etc...


8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your recordings by fans of underground music?

Rather good, we know the band isn't very well known and it's destined to a specific audience so few feedbacks are very positives. It's always cool and a little unexpected to have americans or norwegians liking our music.

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Not at all, we each have different projects :

-Aurelien (bass) has 3 other projects : Crappy Meal(folk pop), No More Excuse ( Hardcore) and Noise Above The Ocean (experimental )
-Seb (guitar) has another project : Owlwood (Stoner Sludge)
-Ju (guitar) has 3 other projects : Owlwood, Crappy Meal and Hopkins (Greasy rock)
-constantin (drums) has another project : Blues Devil (Rock/blues)
-Yann (guitar) has 2 other projets : Crappy Meal and CoolCoolCool (Pop/Rock)


10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Into different ones. We make it a priority not to repeat ourselves from an album to the other. Of course some things will be back but we'll always try to change as much as possible, in the form at least. Like using vocals, we're seriously starting to think about it.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays/

Many influences at Saar, it depends on each member... The common grounds would be : Isis, Pelican, Cult of Luna, Mogwie, Red Sparows, Walk Through Fire, Jesu, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, And So...

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Sound in general, we're all in love with the different crafts surrounding music. The cinema is of importance, video games and beer.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?


It's our first interview and we hope it ain't the last one ! We've been really happy and greatful to answer your questions. We hope we'll play in your country soon.
Thanks.

Ass Of Spades Interview

ASS OF SPADES - INTERVIEW

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Ass of Spades was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, 4 years ago. Four guys coming form different music scenes deciding to play something more basic, wild, strong, poutre, loud and live. Something like making the best out of the good old school stuff.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
As we like to listen to rock’n’roll as well as punk or black metal, we certainly sound like a mix between all these influences. What’s most important for us is to try to sound as natural and honest as possible, meaning getting the sound of a real drum, wild guitars coming out straight of the amps. We’re always writing songs in a way we are able to play them live.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Birth, death and what’s between. Instead of writing about political subjects or trying to convince people we are right in a way or another, we prefer laugh and turn into jokes what’s happening in our lives in a philosophical way. So our lyrics are most about drinking and have fun, driving motorcycles, getting dead on the road.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
There is none. We were supposed to call ourselves My Mom Plays Football. But since none of ours did, we chose another name. As you can imagine, our name is a joke between the “Ace of Spades” from Motörhead and an ass. But… ok. Do you know what I mean ?

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
Basically, we like to play every one of our lives. Our music is made and thought to be played live. A great memory remains Rock’Oz Arènes Festival 2011 supporting Motörhead. On stage, Ass of Spades is a mix between professional way in playing, loud, rock’n’roll and some other stupid things.

6.Do you have any touring plans for the future
Yes but you won’t know. We’re planning a tour in Europe this year but it’s still in preparation.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your album by fans of music?
It has been out for 2 weeks. Worldwide can wait a bit. But still, reviews are quite good, we’re happy to see that a lot of people understand that we’re not trying to do something original, just play the best we can the music we really like. In some point, we have our own sound and way to play event if rock’n’roll wasn’t born yesterday.

8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
Ass of Spades is still a full time line up but Peter and Sergio play together in a kind of indie-rock-blues-grunge band called The Two Boys Sandwich Club. They have a record out called “Fresh Pot Blues” that you should check out. We’re also playing in two other metal bands quite full-timely. Hyperactive way of life.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
Same shit, different day.


10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
A lot of things from the Hellacopters to ACDC, Motörhead to Bad Religion, Dirty Sound Magnet to Fat No Brain but basically we can assume that Back to the Future is our best influence. Except the second one.
As we’re answering to your questions, we’re listening to Orange Goblin, Karma to Burn, Shape of Despair, Clutch, Paramore, ABBA, Turbonegro, Mork Gryning, Abigor, Vulcain and Anal Cunt.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Our interests fluctuate between 1,3 and 6,9 percents, depending on the exchange rate of the market value and the weather. When it’s cold it decreases.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Kamoulox !

Elmsfeuer/Schatzsuche/2013 CD Review

  Elmsfeuer  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  metal,  folk  and  medieval   rock  with  a  musical  style  they  call  pirate  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Schatzsuche".

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording,  while  the  folk  instruments  bring  a  very  dark,  atmospheric  and  medieval  sound  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  metal,  folk  and  medieval  rock  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing ,  while  the  lead  guitars  which  are  only  used  briefly  are  very  melodic  sounding  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  use  full  chords  and  finger  picking  to  enhance  the  folk  elements  of  the  recording.


  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  folk  metal  vocals  with  some  spoken  word  parts  being  used  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  pirate  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.  

  In  my  opinion  Elmsfeuer  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  metal,  folk  and  medieval  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Schatzsuche"  "Das  Wahre  Leben"  "Der  Seeman"  and  "Der  Zebrochen  Krug".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Caulfield Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We're like the melodic hardcore version of the beastie boys. Word to ya mother.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Loud and proud

3. What  are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Overcoming regret. Not being the person you despise. Having love for your friends. Getting your shit together. Reaching out to your brother.. feeling lost in a crowd.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

It's taken from the lead character in catcher in the rye!

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Parkway drive is hard to beat. We played manning bar with Silverstein last month. That was awesome!!

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Yeh. Every show we play we wanna rock harder faster, harder and louder than the one before. I need a vacation. (I'm aware I said harder twice)

7. Recently you split out a split with Vestiges, what are your thoughts on the other band that participated?

?? wrong band.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and hardcore?

Unbelievable. Everytime I check our fb some new country wants us tour there. It’s so exciting for us.

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Ned’s in a band called  Awaken I am. Check them out!

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Faster, harder, louder & harder

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I really like in hearts wake album divination. Forgive me. I'm runnin bout 9 months late. That shit rules. I think the whole band really dug bmth's last album. 

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

So many things!! We like video games, sports, complaining about stuff, We also go and check bands out together a lot, but I guess that still counts a music.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Buy our album. Please. We will like you and be your friends.

It should be out by August and will be called VANITY 

Face Down Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

- We're just a bunch of guys doing what we do, and hoping to be able to make everybody have the best time of their lives while listening to the album or seeing us live.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?- It depends on who you ask, we've all got a variety of musical influences, but of course we've got something in common, and that's what makes us do what we do and love every riff and little detail of it.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?-Lyrical wise I try and make them accord to the southern style that we have, of course some of them relate to some hard situations that I've been through, and I like to try too to send a message out, commenting on some of the bad situations of todays society and world.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?The meaning of the name... well truly it's just about not giving up and keeping your head high. I'd say maybe a bit of putting your troubles on your back, and plowing though with your own will power too.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

- It depends, the concert we had with Lofofora was incredible but it was a different vibe than the concerts we've had in small bars and concert rooms, there we were all so close that the exchange of energy was incredible, and that's what I love most about what we do, I'm an in your face with the public kind of guy. 

Stage performance wise... I'd say energetic, definitely energetic, being a public bound guy, I love to go and scream in the faces of the guys down in the pit. 

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

- Unfortunately not as of yet, but hopefully very soon we will, it'd be incredible to cross the great pond and play our backsides off over there.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?- We're not really looking for a label at this moment because Black wave is taking good care of us in the promotion department and in finding us a nice number of quality concerts. We'll see for the second album if we get any offers, but it's not what we're concentrated on at this precise moment, right now we just want to concentrate on doing some nice gigs and kicking everyone's ass!!!

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and sludge?

- Up to now we haven't had very much, but the little that we've had has been motivating. We'll see as we go on doing more shows and get a bit more exposure out there.

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

- One for all, and all for Face down. hehe

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

- Time will tell, but for sure they'll be as kickass as the first one.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

- As I said before, our music comes from a variety of styles and one common factor "metal", each one of us have groups that the other guys don't like and others that they do, a common factor could possibly be Pantera, but I think essentially that maybe we all like different parts of their songs, and thus, they all being in the same group, make us a little on the same path.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

- Personally I'm a sports addict.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
- Just to stay tuned for future concerts all round, and be prepared to be blown away!!! hehe

Krownn/Hyborian Age/PRC Music/2013 CD Review

  Krownn  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  traditional  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2013  album  "Hyborian  Age"  which  was  released  by  PRC  Music.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  traditional  doom  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy  and  old  school  sounding  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  old  school  and  melodic  sounding  traditional  doom  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  use  finger  picking  to  add  more  classic  metal  elements  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  doom/heavy  metal  vocals  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  screams  being  utilized  on  the  last  song,  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  fantasy  writings  of  Robert  E.  Howard,  Michael  Moorcock,  J.R.R Tolkien  and  George  R.  Martin,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  dark,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional  sound  with t he  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Krownn  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "For  The  Throne  Of  Fire"  and  "Gods  Of  Magnitogorsk".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Get Rad/I Can Always Live/Gilead Media/2010 CD Review

  Get  Rad  are  a  band  from  Wisconsin  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2010  album  "I  Can  Always  Live"  which  was  released  by  Gilead  Media.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  punk  and  old  school  hardcore  with  the  heaviness  of  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  old  school  sounding  hardcore  style  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Get  Rad  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  old  school  hardcore  and  punk  with  elements  of  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Life  Without  A  Plan"  "Fucked  Off  Death"  "No  Easy"  and  "I  Want  To  Kill  A  Priest".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Voodoo Mule/Voodoo Zoo/2013 CD Review

  This  is  another  review  of  a  recording  from  Voodoo  Mule  with  the  music  continuing  their  hybrid  of  doom  metal,  sludge,  and  stoner  rock  with  the  full  length  being  self  released  in  2013  and  called  "Voodoo  Zoo".

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  doom  metal,  sludge  and  stoner  rock  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  old  school  and  psychedelic  sounding  doom  metal/stoner  rock  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  have  a  blues  feeling  to  them  at  times.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  doom  metal/stoner  rock  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark,  old  school  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Voodoo Mule  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom  metal,  sludge  and  stoner  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Honeyland"  "Im  A  Midnight  Moler"  and  "Church  Snake".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Voodoo Mule/Demo 2011 Review

  Voodoo  Mule  are  a  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  metal,  sludge  and  stoner  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2011  demo.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  and  dark  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  doom  metal,  sludge  and s toner  rock  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark  and  old  school  sounding  doom  metal/rock  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  stoner/doom  metal  singing  along  with  a  brief  use  of  high  pitched  sludge  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  desert  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy, d ark,  old  school  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present   on  this  recording  with  the  two  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Voodoo  Mule  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  doom  metal,  sludge  and  stoner  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Powder  Boy".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.