Overwind/Illustrator/M & O Music/2014 CD Review

  Overwind  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  modern  form  of  progressive  metal/rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Illustrator"  which  was  released  by  M  &  O  Music.

  A  very  heavy  and  modern  prog  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  electronic  music  in  their  sound  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  they  also  use  some  aggressive  parts  at  times  and  the  music  would  be  a  perfect  it  for  mainstream  rock  stations.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  brought  into  the  music  they  bring  a  classic  and  melodic  metal  sound  to  the  bands  musical  style  an  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  80's  style  progressive  rock  and  metal  are  added  into  the  songs  on  a  more  regular  basis  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  band  also  adds  in  more  modern  metal  elements  as  the  album  progresses  as  well  as  a  few  seconds  of  death metal  growls  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  also  utilize  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  at  times  and  towards  the  end  of  the  album t here  is  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  along  with  a  power  ballad  and  the  last  track  is  all  instrumental.

  Overwind  plays  a  very  modern  style  of  progressive  metal  that  has  enough  catchy  hooks  to  be  played  on  the  radio  while  also  having  enough  heaviness  to  appeal  to  extreme  metal  fans  and  they  also  have  a  great  amount  of  80's  and  90's  meal  influences  in t heir  musical  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  philosophical  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Overwind  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  day  progressive  metal  band  and  if  you  are   a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Giant  leap"  "Daily  War"  "Myself"  and  "Crystal  Prison".  8  out  of  10.

  

Under Attack/High On Metal/The Aftermath/Iron, Blood & Death Corporation/2014 CD Compilation Review

  Under  Attack  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  ep's  "High  On  Metal"  and  "The  Aftermath"  which  where  both  re-issued  as  a  compilation  album  by  Iron,  Blood  &  Death  Corporation  in  the  year  of  2014.

  A  very  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  first  ep  along  with  some  guitar  leads  and  solos  and  after  the  intro  you  can  hear  sounds  of  thunder  which  leads  up  to  a  very  old  school  and  epic  heavy  metal  sound  along  with  some  power  metal  style  vocals  which  also  combine  the  roughness  of  thrash.

  The  music  after  awhile  becomes  a  mixture  of  heavy,  power  and  thrash  metal  and  there  are  also  some  viking  chants  being  utilized  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  influences  and  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  the  music  starts  adding  in  a  more  heavy  style  of  thrash  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  The  Second  ep  starts  out  with  a  riff  that  combines  thrash  and  heavy  metal  together  and  a  few  seconds  later  power  metal  screams  and  aggressive  vocals  find  their  way  into  the  music  and  the music  is  more  raw  and  heavier  than  the  first  ep  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  black  metal  in  the  vocals  at  times  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  on  this  ep  are  in  a  more  traditional  heavy/speed  metal  direction .

 Under  Attack  remain  true  to  an  80's  style  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  with  their  musical  style  while  also  adding  in  a  more  update  sound  to  this  musical  genre,  the  production   sounds  very  heavy  and  powerful  while  the  lyrics  war,  metal,  fighting  and  Norse  Mythology.

  In  my  opinion  Under  Attack  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hammer"  "High  On  Metal"  "Knee  Deep  In  Blood"  and  "Issues  With  The  Fists".  8  out  of  10.

       

Straightline/Alteration Of The Rules/2014 EP Review

  Straightline  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  melodic  skate  punk  thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Alteration  Of  the  Rules".

  A  very  melodic  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  sounding bass  guitars  and  blast  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  pop  punk  vocals  find  their  way  into  the  music  along  with  some  back  up  shouts  and  aggressive  screams  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  find  their  way  into  the  music.

  A  good  portion  of   this  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style  of  pop  punk  but  with  the  heaviness  of  thrash  and  a  few  touches  of  more  emo  and  screamo  touches  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  throughout  the  recording  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  show  a  slight  death  metal  influence.

  Straightline  play  a  style  of  pop  punk  that  was  done  quite  a  bit  in  the  mid  90's  but  with  more  of  a  metal  and  thrash  influence  being  added  in  and  while  the  music  is  not  completely  original  the  songs  are  very  well  executed,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  and  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Straightline  are  a  very  decent  sounding  melodic  skate  punk,  melodic  thrash  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE    "Blind  Leading  the  Blind"  and  "Wake  Up  Call".  7/5  out  of  10.

    

Johnny Touch/Inner City Wolves/Shadow Kingdom Records/2014 CD Review

  Johnny  Touch  are  a  band  from Australia  that plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Inner  City  Wolves"  which  will  be  released  by  Shadow  Kingdom  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  melodic  80's  style  traditional  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  with  some  guitar  leads  and  vocals  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  spoken  word  parts  become  a  part  of  the  recording   and   the  music  also  shows  a  great  amount  of  NWOBHM  and  1982  U.S  metal  elements.

  On  the  following  tracks  speed  metal  elements  are  mixed  in  with  the  bands  old  school  sound  along  with  some  power  metal  style  vocals  which  also  get  aggressive  at  times  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  band  also starts bringing  in  a  few  long  and  epic  songs  as  well  as  adding  acoustic  guitars  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  power  ballad's  towards  the  end  of  the  album  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental  which  displays  a  very  powerful  guitar  solo  before  going  into  a  more  heavy/speed  metal  direction  on  the  later  tracks.

  Johnny  Touch  play  a  very  classic  mixture  of  heavy  and  early  speed  metal  with  their  music  sounding  like  a  band  from  1982  but  are  actually  a  younger  band  and  they  got  the  retro  vibe  down  perfectly,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  everyday,  and  heavy  metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Johnny  Touch  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  an d if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Metal  Embrace"  "End  of  A  Daze"  and  "Black  Company".  8  out  of  10.  
     

Lehmann/Lehmanized/Massacre Records 2014 CD Review

  Lehmann  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy,  progressive,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Lehmanized"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  Electronic  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  leads  up  to  an  atmospheric  groove  metal  sound  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  spoken  word  parts  are  added into  certain sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  starts  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  On  the later  tracks  elements  of  progressive  rock  and  thrash  metal  become  a  part  of  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the guitar  solos  and  leads  the  bands  use  are  in  the  traditional  metal  vein  and  the  music  also  utilizes  elements  of  power  metal  in  the  vocals  at  times  and  they  also  bring  a  hard  rock  approach  to  metal  in  their  musical  sound  at  times.

  As  the  album  progresses  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  some  of  the  later  songs  show  a  more  symphonic  metal  direction  to  them  and  there  is  a  great  amount  of  diversity  throughout  the  album  and  all  of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other  while  you  can  still  tell  it  is  the  same  band  playing  all  of  them.

  Lehmann  creates  a  very  original  and  diverse  sound  with  their  music  combining  heavy,  thrash,  groove  and  progressive  metal  together  along  with  a  great  amount  of  symphonic  and  electronic  music  to  make  the  album  sound  very  diverse,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lehmann  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy,  progressive,  symphonic,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Secret"  "Let  Me  Pray"  and  "Laid  So  Low".  8  out  of  10.  

Unherz/Sturm Drang/Massacre Records/ 2014 CD Review

  Unherz  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hard  rock  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Sturm  Drang"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  Dark  sounding  synths  which  also  bring  a  symphonic  feeling  to  the  recording  and  clean  playing  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  after  a  few  seconds  which  leads  to  a  more  hard,  heavy  and  melodic  direction  which  combines  mainstream  hard  rock  with  metal  and  after  awhile  hair  metal  style  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  bands  musical  style.

  There  is  a  great  mixture  between  clean  and  heavy  parts  throughout  the  recording  and  after  a  few  tracks  the  band  brings  in  elements  of  punk  rock  and  ska  into  their  musical  sound  and  the  vocals  also  have  a  power  metal  feeling  to  them  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  brief  power  ballads  before  returning  back  to  a  harder  direction  on  the  following  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  band  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  rockabilly  elements  and  the  last  2  songs  are  bonus  live  tracks.

  Unherz  create  a  very  original  sound  with  their  music  taking  a  melodic  form  of  metal  and  mixing  it  with  the  energy  of  punk  as  well  as  the  catchy  structures  of  mainstream  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  which  is  both  old  school  and  modern  all  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  real  life  and  rock'n'roll  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unherz  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  rock  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Der  fir  Duch"  "Ein  Lied  fur  unsere  Feinde"  "Viva  Rock'N'Roll"  and  "Minerva".  8  out  of  10.   

Electric Funeral/Total Funeral/Southern Lord Records/2014 Compilation Album Review

  Electric  Funeral  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  d  beat  and  crust  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  compilation  album  "Total  Funeral"  which  will  be  released  by  Southern  lord  Records  in  the  month  of  July  and  contains  all  of  their  ep's,  splits  and  a  few  unreleased  tracks.

  A  noisy  and  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growls  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  crust  core  direction  along  with  some  d  beats  and  aggressive  shouting  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  guitar  solos  and  leads  become  a  huge  part  of  their  musical  sound.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  fast  crustcore  songs  that  pay  perfect  homage  is  Discharge  and  other  bands  that  have  their  names  start  with  the  first  3  letters  'dis'  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  noisy  distortion  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  you  can  hear  the  heaviness  of  metal  and  thrash  in  all  of  the  songs  that  are  present  on  this  compilation  and  some  of  the  alter  tracks  show  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts.

   Electric  Funeral  play  a  very  pure  mixture  of  d  beat  and  crustcore  on  all  of  these  tracks  as  well as  adding  a  great  amount  of  heaviness,  rawness  and  brutality  to  this musical  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  heavy  and  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  hateful,  political,  war  and  punk  rock  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Electric  Funeral  are  a  very  great  sounding  d-beat  crust  punk  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Am  The  Dead"  "Haunted  By  Ghosts"  "Hellish  Afterworld"  and  "Realities  Of  hell".  8  out  of  10.   

Evil United/Honored By Fire/MVD Audio/2014 CD Review

  Evil  United  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Honored  By  Fire"  which  was  released  by  MVD  Audio.

  A  very  heavy  and  skull  crushing  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  the  riffing  also  starts  to  utilize  some  melody  and  then  the  power/thrash  metal  style  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  an  80's  metal  direction  which  combines  power,  heavy  and  thrash  metal  together.

  After  awhile  elements  of  modern  metal  start  to  mix  in  with  the  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  and  the  vocals  also  found  a  perfect  balance  between  melody  and  aggression  and  on  some  of  the  later  songs  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  which  also  brings  in  a  more  dark  and  evil  atmosphere  to  the  bands  musical  sound  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  elements  of  death  metal  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  After  a  few  very  hard  and  heavy  tracks  the  band  brings  in  a  brief  instrumental  that  utilizes  some  soft  classical  guitars  and  they  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  both  instrumental  and  vocals  tracks  throughout  the  album  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  brings  in  elements  of  groove  metal  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  while  the  music  sticks  mostly  to  an  80's  style  of  thrash  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  being  utilized.

  Evil  United  display  a  great  amount  of   talent  and  skill  with  their  music  along  with  band  members  that  have  been  a  huge  part  of  the  metal  scene  since  the  80's  and  they  play  a  very  old  school  style  of  power/thrash  that  also  has  a  modern  edge  to  it,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Evil  United  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy,  power  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  Can  See"  "Grave"  "Viking  Funeral"  and  "Bloody  Water".  8  out  of  10.      

Vivid Remorse/Down To The Wire/Art Gates Records/2012 CD Review

  Vivid  Remorse  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Down  To  The  Wire"  which  was  released  by  Art  Gates  Records.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  aggressive  and  melodic  at  the  same  time  and  after  awhile  spoken  word  parts  and  elements  of  nu  and  groove  metal are  added  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  on  the  following  tracks  punk  and  hardcore  influences  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  melody  and  almost  death  metal  like  vocals  and  the  bass  guitars  have  a  dominant  impact  on  some  of  the  albums  tracks.

  When guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  in  the  melodic  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  power  metal  screams  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music   also  has  a  more  modern  style  with  some  deathcore  style  vocals  and  blast  beats  being  mixed  in  with  the  bands  old  school  thrash  metal  style  on  one  of  the  tracks  while  the  following  songs  are  in  a  more  traditional  thrash  direction  while  the  other  influences  are  still  mixed  in  an d on  the  last  song  clean  and  soft  playing  is  added  into  the  music  and  the  music  goes  for  more  of  a  power   ballad  direction.

  While  Vivid  Remorse  plays  a  very  old  school  style  of  thrash  metal  they  also  bring  in  influences  from  other  metal  and  punk  genres  to  update  the  musical  style  for  the  modern  day,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes  with  one  of  the  songs  being  written  in  Spanish.
 

  In  my  opinion  Vivid  Remorse  are  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Imaginary  Actress"  "Overdosed"  "Seven  Days  Of  Fire"  and  "The  Never  Falling  Cries".  8  out  of  10.    

Phrenetix/Demo 2013/Symbol of Domination Productions Review

   Phrenetix  are  a  band  from  Lithuania  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  demo  which  was  released  by  Symbol  Of  Domination  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  80's  style  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  wit h some  powerful  bass  lines,  fast  riffing  and  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  and  the  guitars  also  utilize  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added into  the  music  and  they  also  continue  the  old  school  thrash  metal  tradition  of  the  bands  musical   style.

  All  of  the  songs  on  the  demo  go  back  to  the  1985  era  of  thrash  metal  before  the  genre  became  commercialized  and  there  is  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggressive  energy  being  utilized  in  the  music  from  beginning  to  end  and  as  the  demo  progresses  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Phrenetix  plays  more  of  an  underground  style  of  80's  thrash  metal  that  has  the  perfect  balance  between  heaviness,  aggression  and  melody,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  all  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Phrenetix  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Art  Of  Jail"  and  "Do  Or  Die".  8  out  of  10.

  

Telepathy Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Hi, sure. We've been playing the odd show here in England whilst finalising our European tour for September, and coming up with some new ideas. 

2.Recently you have released a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction the band has taken with the newer music and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

On the new album, we focused a lot more on delivering a cohesive, whole record. We feel the new record is bigger in sound and intention than anything we have released so far, and we worked incredibly hard on blending all of our musical influences and the different aspects of our sound into a cohesive body of work. 12 Areas is a lot more textured than our previous releases, and we're introducing elements of noise and drone in some places and aiming for an overall atmosphere (all be it a menacing one), rather than just a collection of songs.    

3.So far all of the music that has been recorded has been all instrumental, are you planning on using vocals in the future or do you chose to remain instrumental?

We're completely happy with our material instrumentally. We enjoy the fact that people can interpret it in it's own way whilst maintaining a theme across the album. However, that isn't to say we won't feel the urge to add something vocally in the future. It all comes down to the music itself really, we're not against it in any way, we just haven't felt the need to add any up to this point. We don't feel the need to be limited to simply "instrumental" music, nor defined by a presence of vocals. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Telepathy'?

I believe Krys, our bassist, was chatting about a Rupert Sheldrake experiment on telepathy while we were in the long, torturous process of finding a name for the band. It just stuck, i suppose!

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

Too many to count, every show brings something special in some way, whether it's the performance, sound or simply spending time with friends and hanging out. On the last tour Gdynia and Siegen stood out as particularly crazy shows. On stage we just try to be honest as possible, and to feel the music. It's always an emotional experience, we just try to convey it in the best way we can.   

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

Yes, we'll be playing Incubate Festival in September, which is a dream line-up to be a part of. We'll also be fortunate enough to tour Europe around the show as well.  We'll also be sporadically playing throughout the UK , including one hell of a show at the Underworld in London in October.

Here are the dates so far (more to be added)

September 17th: Le Garage, Liege (BE)

September 18th: Music City, Antwerp (BE)

September 19th: Vortex, Siegen (DE)

September 20th: Incubate Festival, Tilburg (NL)

September 22nd: Nexus, Brunswick (DE)

September 24th: KultureKafe Manfred, Leipzig (DE)

September 26th: TBC, Gdynia (PL)

September 27th: Klub u Bazyla, Poznan (PL)

September 28th: Reil78, Halle (DE)

October 18th: Ouch my Generator Fest w/ Oathbreaker, Bastions, Coilguns, Kruger, BAst + more, Camden Underworld, London (UK)

7.The new album came out on Devouter Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It's a great label, they've helped us out massively with the packaging and release, and allowed us to present the record exactly as we would want. We couldn't ask for more for our debut record.  

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

It's been incredible to have such lovely comments and reviews coming in the for the album from all over the world, it never ceases to amaze us. We have always intended to blur the lines between the styles you mentioned, so it's been wonderful to have a great reception from listeners across the board, and have people noticing that intent rather than try to label us in one particular direction.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

It's hard to say, we've begun rehearsing some ideas for the next record already, and it's sounding heavier, with a greater emphasis on atmosphere. I'm sure people who listened to both the E.P and album can see the progression, and I'm sure it will be a continuation of this while emphasising some new ideas

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Too many to list! Anything from crust, doom through to ambient electronica and drone music. 

At the moment, i'm really enjoying: Year of no Light - Tocsin, Jungbluth - Part Ache, Sunn o))/Ulver - Terrestrials, Amenra - Mass V, Kavinsky - Outrun, all of the Dalek albums and lots of Sebastien Tellier. Also been digging out various Mike Patton records in preparation for seeing Faith No More in July. 

  11.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

A sincere thank you for the support, it's wonderful to see our record reaching so many people. We're grateful for everything. It's only the beginning. 

Death Denied interview

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

Vincent: Well, we've been around since 2009. The band was started by Gecko and me in our dorm room when we were still students. We've been playing together for years in various thrash/death metal bands but we've been listening to a lot COC, Down and so on and while drinking we would always say that we should try to play some tunes in that style. Finally it happened.

2.So far you have released a demo, ep and one full length, can you tell us a little bit more about your musical sound?

V: We've basically stayed in the same style since the  beginning. Our skills have improved by the yeas of course. Also Gecko became a better vocalist, more aware of his skills and his limitations.

3.Your music is heavily rooted in what Americans would call a redneck style of metal or rock, how do fans in your home country of Poland react to your musical style?

V: Mostly in a positive way. I would say that death and black metal are the dominant styles in our country but there's a lot of people who love Pantera and Down. Basically when your up on the stage and you rock hard and bang your head like a psycho the crowd will buy it.

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

V: We more less stay in the 'drinking in a good mood, drinking in a bad mood' zone. I don't think killing dragons or eviscerating zombies are the appropriate topics for southern metal.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Death Denied'?

V: We were playing Magic the Gathering (which was very power metal of us) and Gecko played a card called 'Death Denied' and said that would be a cool name for a band and it sticked.

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

V: As far as our live performance is concerned – we're four guys standing on stage banging our heads and sometimes jumping into the pit with our guitars. No leather bat wings, no crab walk, no exploding dragons.
The best shows we did were usually at small venues. Personally I prefer playing in small towns where people are hungry for the music and they  are really wild. When you play in big towns people are usually jaded because they saw Exodus the other night so us playing is not a big deal.
We also unfortunately did some shows when we were drunk as fuck and they were less than stellar performances – if you get my drift.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

V: We want to play some gigs around Poland in fall and maybe we'll go East but it's all in the stage of planning.

8.A few years back you did a cover of 'Tired Of Being Alive' for a Danzig tribute album, what was the decision behind doing a cover version of one of their songs?

V: Gecko and me are big Danzig fans and our former guitarist Jackobh is one of the biggest Danzig maniacs I know. He was supposed to record a version of 'Snakes of Christ' with his other band – Strandhogg, but they had some kind of problems so we filled the slot with our own cover deciding to do 'Tired of Being Alive'. We had to do it ASAP but we managed to get it done on time.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or open to the idea of signing to one?
V: Well we wouldn't mind a label handling the production and the distribution. Fame and fortune would be a good bonus to.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and hard rock?

V: Usually positive.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

V: Same shit but better. I'm not a big fan of bands changing styles between albums. Very few bands can pull it off. Being a big fan of AC/DC and Motorhead I'm more into just writing good songs in the same style than changing musical direction every few years.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

V: I think i partially answered this question earlier in the interview: Danzig, AC/DC, Motorhead, COC, Pantera, Down. I also listen to a lot of old school thrash and death metal.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

V: I'm into Warhammer 40k miniatures and I'm a huge film buff so I spend a lot of time painting little figurines and watching films.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

V: Check out our LP. Send us whiskey and pictures on necked ladies.

Six Months Of Sun/And Water Flows/GPS Records/2013 Full Length Review

  Six  Months  Of  Sun  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  stone r rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "And  Water  Flows"  which  was  released  by  GPS  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  heavy  blues  rock/metal  style  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  stoner  and  melodic  classic  rock  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  there  are  of  vocals  or  lyrics  to  be  found  anywhere  on  this  recording  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  bring  in  the  energy  of  punk  rock.

  All  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  as  well  as  having  the  heaviness  of  metal  to  them  as  well  as  evoking  an  improv  feeling  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  being  utilized  on  any  of  the  tracks  with  all  of  the  music  focusing  more  on  a  rhythmic  and  heavy  sound.

  Six  Months  Of  Sun  play  an  instrumental  style  of  stone r rock  and  while  they  do  not  add  a  lot  of  originality  to  this  musical  genre  they  still  sound  very  great  for  what  they  are  trying  to  accomplish  with  their  musical  style  and  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  and  heavy.

  In  my  opinion  Six  Months  Of  Sun  are  a  very  decent  sounding  instrumental  stoner  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bearded  Thunder"  "Coyote  Paranoia"  and  "Desert  Whispers".  7/5  out  of  10.

  

Twisted Sister/Under The Blade/Secret Records/1982 Album Review

  Twisted  Sister  where  a  band  from  New  York  that  where  really  big  in  the  80's  hair  metal  days  and  on  this  recording  they  had  a  more  harder  metal  sound  than  what  was  presented  on  later  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1982  album  "Under  The  Blade"  which  was  released  by  Secret  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  80's  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  with  some  vocals  that  are  very  rough  yet  melodic  sounding  all  at  the  same  time  and  the  music  goes  into  a  more  faster  direction  and  has  a  NWOBHM  feeling  but  mixed  in  with  a  more  commercialized  American  sound  and  the  guitar  solos  are  in  a  more  hard  rock/heavy  metal  direction.

  On  some  of  the  later t racks  you  can  hear  some  punk  rock  influences  being  added  into  the  bands  musical  sound  and  all  of  the  songs  on  this  album  are  more  metal  sounding  than  their  later  albums  where  they  went  for  a  more  mainstream  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  this  recording  sound  very powerful  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  some  of  their  earlier  hair  metal  style  that  became  a  more  dominant  force  on  the  later  albums  and  the  last  track  also  displays  elements  of  blues  rock.

  On  this  album  Twisted  Sister  showed  a  more  metal  sound  on  this  recording  and  they  sounded  a  lot  better  with  this  direction  than  the  one  that  made  them  famous,  the  production  sounded  very  rough  and  heavy  for  the  time  it  was  recorded  and  the  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  great  sounding  album  from  Twisted  Sister  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this b and,  you  probably  already  own  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "What  You  Donn't  Know  Cannot  Hurt  You"  "Sin  After  Sin"  "Destroyer"  and  "Under  the  Blade".  8  out  of  10.

    

The Throbs/The Language Of Thieves And Vagabonds/DGR/1991 Album Review

  The  Throbs  where  a  band  from  new  York  that  played  a  very  sleazy  form  of  hard  rock/hair  metal  with  a  touch  of  punk  rock  and  blues  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1991  album  "The  ALnguage  Of  thieves  And  Vagabonds"  which  was  released  by  DGR.

  Exotic  sounding  scales  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album   before  getting  more  distorted  and  the  music  starts  going  for  a  more  harder  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  become  a huge  part  of  the  bands  musical  style.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  of  clean  and  hard  parts  throughout  the  album  and  the  later  tracks  see  the  band  adding  blues  and  punk  rock  into  their  hair  metal  sound  along  with  some  psychedelic  sounding  organs  being  added  onto  the  album  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  a  bit  of  rockabilly  and  50's  rock'n'roll  elements  in  their  musical  style.

  Some  of  the  later  tracks  show  a  slight  symphonic  element  which  was  a  very  rare  thing  for  this  genre  and  on  some  of  the  alter  tracks  the  acoustic  guitar  makes  a  return  on  some  of  the  songs  and  the  band  also  adds  in  a  couple  of  ballads  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  more  hard  rock  orientated  sound.

  The  Throbs  really  stood  out  in  their  time  while  the  music  was  rooted  in  the  hair  metal  genre  the b and  focused  more  on  an  old  rock  sound  and  the  band  broke  up  and  where  dropped  shortly  after  this  album  came  out  and  have  been  forgotten  all  these  years,  the  production  sound s very  professional  and  the  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Throbs  where  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sleaze  rock,  blues,  punk  and  hair  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Underground"  "It's  Not  the  End  Of  The  World"  "Ocen  Of  Love"  and  "Strange  Behaviour".  8  out  of  10.

  

Badlands/Self Titled/Atlantic Records/1989 Album Review

  Badlands  where  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  played  a  mixture  of  blues,  hard  rock  and  mainstream  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  classic  self  titled  1989  album.

  A  blues  metal  riff  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  takes  the  heaviness of  the  radio  friendly  80's  metal  and  mixes  it  with  70's  classic/blues  rock  and  they also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  into  their  musical  sound.

  In  certain  sections  of  the  recording  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  while  the  main  focus  is  on  more  mid  paced  or  slow  riffing  and  after  awhile  more  traditional  hair  metal  songs  are  added  onto  the  album  while  there  is  still  a  great  amount  of  blues  orientated  track  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  and  an  instrumental are  added  onto  the  album.

  As  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  also  found  their  way  onto  some  of  the  regular  tracks  along  with  a  couple  of  power  ballads  before  returning  back  to  a  harder  direction  on  the  following  tracks  as  well  as  adding  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  after  a  few  metal  orientated  tracks  the  album  returns  back  to  the  blues  direction  on  the  earlier  songs  and  they  also  bring  a  brief  use  of  psychedelic  organs  on  one  of  the  alter  tracks  and  mix  it  in  with  the  hard  blues  metal  sound.  

  Badlands  where  an  underrated  band  for  their  time  and  they  had  a  big  label  and  talented  musicians  as  well  as  having  a  minor  success  in  the  80's  but  they  came  during  the  last  years  of  the  hair  metal  trend  and  where  kind  of  lost  in  the  mix  but  their  mixture  of  blues,  hard  rock  and  metal  sounded  a  lot  better  than  a  lot  of  the  bands  of  that  era,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes  with  a  touch  of  darkness.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  album  from  Badlands  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band  you  probably  already  own  this  album, but  if  a  younger  person  wants  to  hear  some  of  the  more  forgotten  bands  of  this  era,  they  should  check  this  band  out.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dreams  In  The  Dark"  "Streets  Cry  Freedom"  "Devil's  Stomp"  and  "Ball  And  Chain".  8  out  of  10.      

Minot/Equal/Opposite/Golden Antenna Records/2014 CD Review

  Minot  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  experimental,  post  rock  and  melodic  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Equal/Opposite"  which  was  released  by  Golden  Antenna  Records.

  Melodic  post  rock  style  guitars  and  drum  beats  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  bass  guitars  start  making  a  powerful  presence  in  the  album  and  the  music  also  starts  to  get  a  little  bit  heavier  and  the  music  is  in  mostly  an  improv  style  jam  direction  along  with  a  few  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  spoken  word  samples  and  elements  of  kraut  rock,  psychedelic  and  ambient  being  added  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  you  can  hear  tribal  style  beats  coming  out  of  the  drums  at  times.

  Minot  bring  in  a  lot  of  different  styles  into  their  musical  style  taking  the  heaviness  of  early  Fugazi  and  other  Dischord  bands  of   the  early  80's  Washington  D.C  scene  and  taking  away  the  vocals  and  replacing  them  with  elements  of  krautrock,  psychedelic,  post  and  indie  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  the  productions  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Minot  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  post  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Left  hand  Of  Darkness"  "The  Horizon  Problem"  and  "White  Castle  Doctrine".  8  out  of  10.  

Telepathy/12 Areas/Devouter Records/2014 CD Review

  Telepathy  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  instrumental  and  progressive  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "!2  Areas"  which  was  released  by  Devouter  Records.

  Sound  effects  and  drones  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  heavy  guitars  find  their  way  into  the  music  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  for  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  sludge/post  metal  direction  as  well  as  throwing  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  at  times  while  the  main  focus  is  on  slow  and  mid  paced  parts.

  There  are  no  vocals  anywhere  on  the  album  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental  and  the  guitar  leads  that  they  use  are  in   a  melodic  post  rock  direction  and  the  guitar  riffing  uses  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  also  being  very  heavy  all  at  the  same  time  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  adding  soft  and  clean  playing  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  which  also  adds  a  more  progressive  feeling  to  the  bands  musical  sound  and  on  some  of  the  songs  the  bass  guitars  bring  a  very  powerful  sound  to  the  recording.

  Telepathy  create  a  very  slow  and  heavy  sound  that  takes  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  the melody  of  post  metal  which  they  also  mix  with  progressive  and  indie  rock  to  create  a  sound  their  own  and  they  never  use  vocals  and  it  leads  to  an  instrumental  atmosphere  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Telepathy  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  and  progressive  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Saccade"  "Sleepwalker"  and  "To  Kiss  the  Ocean's  Floor".  8  out  of  10.  

Clouds Taste Satanic Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

 

Clouds Taste Satanic (CTS) is a doom metal band from Brooklyn, New York made up of Steve Scavuzzo (Guitar), Christy Davis (Drums), David Weintraub (Guitar) and Sean Bay (Bass).  We’ve been together for about two years as CTS but the band members played together in different configurations for many years.  We have always been into metal but really started getting into doom and stoner seriously about 4 years ago, then made the conscious decision that musically, that is what we wanted to do exclusively and put CTS together.

 

2.Recently you have released you first album, how would you describe your musical sound?

 

Straight doom metal.  Slow, heavy riffs and long songs.  We have some quieter interludes for the sake of dynamics but try to keep them on the ominous side.  We are an instrumental band so there are no lyrics to convey any themes but that just drives us to make the music as intense as possible and to convey a sense of evil in the songs we write and perform.

 

3.What are some of the concepts and images you bring out with your musical sound?

 

The satanic elements are the more obvious but in general we try to convey the concept of darkness as something that should be embraced rather than avoided.  The world in general is dark and rather than seek to avoid that side of life, one should welcome it and explore it.

 

4.The album had no vocals and it consisted of one track, are you planning on using vocals or writing shorter songs in the future or do you choose to remain instrumental?

 

We have no plans to add vocals to our music but we would never say never to anything. In general, we are very picky about the vocals we hear in other people’s music and an annoying vocalist and/or the lyrics they put forth can ruin an otherwise amazing song.  If we found someone whose voice complemented our music and his or her lyrics were compelling and had something profound to say, we would consider it.   As for shorter songs, we have been writing several for the next record but we find the entire concept of song lengths to be utterly irrelevant.   Song lengths only matter to people who have short attention spans or seek to maximize the profit potential of a song.  We have no interest in either.  Our only constraints song length wise are the physical limitations of a side of vinyl.

 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Clouds taste Satanic'?

 

To us, Clouds Taste Satanic means that Satan and evil can be found everywhere and any one of your senses can access the concept of Satan.  The name was inspired by a Flaming Lips record called Clouds Taste Metallic, which is one of our favorites.  We wanted a name that conveyed the concept of Satan and accurately reflected the music without being obvious or clichéd.  When we found the cover art that depicted Satan in a cloud, everything came together. 

 

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

 

Our best show took place several months ago in New York City.  There are so many elements that need to come together in order to make a show special.  The right venue, the right crowd, the right night, the right sound system, how everyone is playing on that particular night.  It doesn’t always come together the way you hope or expect but on that night everything worked.  As for the show itself, we are not show people.  We are musicians.  We prefer to use lights and movie projections on a screen behind the band (and sometimes on the band) to visualize the musical mood we are trying to convey on stage.  You can see some of our visuals on YouTube.  I believe Electric Wizard does this as well.

 

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

 

We are focused on playing out locally for the moment because we are working on new material and would like to start recording the next record in the coming months.  There is a strong metal community in Brooklyn and clubs that welcome the music.  After the next record comes out, we plan on touring.

 

8.The album came out on Kinda Like Music, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

 

Kinda Like Music is a local Brooklyn label that has somewhat eclectic tastes and releases music from various genres.  This is their first doom record.

 

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

 

Overwhelmingly positive.  We have been contacted by people all over the world who have downloaded the album and just this week CD’s were purchased by fans from Australia, France, Italy and Romania.  We have been blown away by the support of the doom and metal community.

 

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

 

Slowly evolving but with roots firmly planted in doom.

 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 

The two major influences for CTS were Sleep and Earth, hence the title of the record.  I don’t know if you would consider either of those bands doom but they are without a doubt the foundation of CTS.  We have a broad interest in music but when you get fixated on something, it’s hard to let go so lately we’ve been listening to High On Fire, Kyuss, Sunn O))), Pelican, Off!, Yob, Boris, Ufomammut and White Hills along with classics like Slayer, The Stooges, AC/DC and of course Black Sabbath.

 

12.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?

 

It’s fair to say that we have more than a passing interest in Satanism and Occultism but speaking for myself, I have a real problem with any organized religion.  I find the concept of Satan and the mythology that surrounds the occult fascinating and thoroughly entertaining but would probably stop short of actually practicing the dark arts.

 

13.What are some of your non-musical interests?

 

Aside from the usual drinking and recreational drug use, we all tend to be somewhat exercise orientated (those two can go together, despite what some might think) with members who are into kickboxing, rock climbing, various martial arts and swimming. 

 

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

The record should be out on vinyl in the coming months.  We say that not as a sales pitch but because we take the art form seriously and believe that the resurgence in vinyl has come about because the average person can now see what the metal community has known all along.  That a vinyl record and the sleeve it comes in are works of art that should be appreciated and valued along with the music they hold.  We are not Luddites and appreciate the convenience of CD’s and Downloads.  We just really love vinyl.

Wild Witch/Burning Chains/Inferno Records/2014 EP Review

  Wild  Witch  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  very  classic  and  traditional  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Burning  Chains"  which  was  released  by  Inferno  Records.

  A  NWOBHM  style  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  hard  rock/metal  style  guitar  leads  and  solos  which  leads  up  to melodic  female  vocals  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the music  is  in  the  early  80's  direction  as  well  as utilizing  some  back  up  shouts  at  times  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  The  old  school  retro  metal  vibe  continues  throughout  all  4  of  the  tracks  that  are  present  on  this  ep  and  the  singer  brings  back  memories  of  some  of  the more  aggressive  female  metal  vocalist  of  the  early  80's  and  the  music  is  so  heavily  rooted  in  that  era  that  this  could  off  easily  been  released  in  that  era  and  the  last  track  is  a  cover  of  Tokyo  Blade's  "Rock  Me  TO  The  Limit:"..

  Wild  Witch  go  back  to  a  time  where  heavy  metal  was  just  heavy  metal  and  there  where  no  other  sub  genres  and  the  band  has  nothing  modern  in  their  sound  and  they  stick  to  a  pure  form  of  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  history,  mythology  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wild  Witch  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  heavy  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Trail  Of  Bones"  and  "Witchripper".  8  out  of  10.