Damage Source Interview

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

FRANK DAMAGER: The Band was formed in 2007, but in the first couple of years we had several line-up changes and didn´t get to the point really. So in 2013 after years of getting drunk in the rehearsal room, but not getting anywhere else, it was me, as the last founding member, and Jo Fingergrinder, as the bassplayer for quiet a while to set up the band for a second time. We decided to concentrate on our Old School Thrash/Death-Roots and stripped down our music to the bone and started all over again. The only thing we kept, was the name. We found guitarist NIKO and singer PLORATOR, who gave new life and fresh blood to the band. NIKO with his Death Metal Roots from Bands like Death or Morbid Angel took the riffing in our songs to a new direction. PLORATOR comes from a Black Metal background and is still the singer of the infamous Black Metal band SADISM UNBOUND, celebrating the true evil with their blood soaked performances. (And I really mean blood-soaked, because they use pig blood as corpsepaint for their shows.)

So most of the old DAMAGE SOURCE songs then were dumped or changed completely. It was a total rebirth of the Band in Blood, Death and aggressive Thrash Metal. Since then we keep writing stuff and it´s getting more intense all the time. I am totally happy with the way things were going, even if we still have Spinal Tap-like situation regarding the drums. For the moment Dominick, the Drummer of SADISM UNBOUND is our drummer for live shows. We played a lot of shows with Bands like FUNERAL WHORE, EXHUMED, TOXIC HOLOCAUST or PRIBJAT.  And this is exactly where I see the band: In between Death-Metal and Thrash Metal  with an aggressive Old School vibe. Like old German Thrash, like Destruction or Kreator´s first records. Like it should be. No nice melodies in the music, no nice things on stage.

JO FINGERGRINDER: Well, the band itself is what it is: 5 guys with the passion for heavy, entertaining old school metal. We all grew up with the thrash and death metal of the nineties. after some lineup changes we got NIKO and PLORATOR into the band and it suddenly took it´s way. We sounded more evil and blacker than before!



2.A year back you had released a demo, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

JO FINGERGRINDER: It sounds the way it sounds. It´s a demo. Nothing more to say about it. No predemo, no frills, just a demo.
FRANK DAMAGER: The Raise HELL-EP are some of the first songs we had written with the new band members back then. We didn´t have a drummer but we urged to have a record out, so we asked a friend of ours, Hannes Feder, who is a professional drummer with a Jazz-Background, to play on the recordings. He listened to the songs for a couple of days, came into our rehearsal room and layed down the drum tracks you hear on the CD within four hours, including setting up the drumkit and the microphones (!). The rest was recorded in our rehearsal room as well, though recorded with a Macbook, it is a rough demo after all, with no expensive studio sound and no copy/paste-stuff. The sound might be a bit too muddy, but well, that´s how it sounded at the recording session! You can almost smell the old carpet in the rehearsal room, with the gallons of beer and sweat soaked into it.
Today the main focus for recordings seems to be on the post-recording side, with all  that re-amping and editing going on, but that is something I really  don´t understand. How can I play a guitar track, without hearing the final sound? I could play an acoustic guitar or a banjo as well, reamp it with two Triple Rectifier and there is the next big thing in Melodic Death-Bullshit! WTF??
Our next record will be recorded the very same way as the first, with the only difference, that we will use better microphones to get a less muddier sound.



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

FRANK DAMAGER: The lyrics are written by NIKO, JO or me and everyone has different approach to the lyrics, so I can speak for myself. I write lyrics about my thoughts about life, death and spirituality. Though I am not a spiritual person, I like to use occult patterns or metaphors, to point out my view about Humanity in contradiction to divinity, spirit in contradiction to matter, religion in contradiction to freedom and finally the fatal contradiction between life and death. So for example there is the metaphor of Lucifer as the bringer of light, the bringer of individuality and freedom of will in the song „Enlightenment“. But I would not say, we are a satanic band, at least not in a theistic way. I would describe myself as an atheist, with a morbid fascination for satanism, but even that is not completely fitting. I try to be an individual and develop myself in every shape of my individuality. To me, the development of a conscious individuality, with the power to choose between instinct and consciousness is the most important achievement for mankind and every individual as well. And more or less, that´s what I am writing about in the lyrics. We are going  to release a lyrics video for the song  „Enlightenment“ on our Youtube-channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/DamageSourceMetal
JO FINGERGRINDER: Inspiration for me is life itself and the human habit to make someone else responsible for their situation.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Damage Source‘?

FRANK DAMAGER: Well, actually the main inspiration was to find an name, that has not been used yet, so back in 2007 we spent hours of searching the internet with a long list of names and words, and finally DAMAGE SOURCE was the one left. It sounded good, looked good as a logo, so we took it. Besides that, there is no deeper meaning behind it.


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?

FRANK DAMAGER: The best show so far was to play with EXHUMED/TOXIC HOLOCAUST at the Underground in our Hometown Cologne. But we enjoy every show, as long as the bands we are playing with are cool people and there are none of the big ego-backstage-performers, you sometimes meet in the modern metal-scene.
Well, our stage performance is just a bunch of old, half-drunk guys, trying to make an evil face…well, not really, but basically it is us playing as intense as we can. We don´t use stage prompts or anything. Just less lights and more power. It is  the music, that should be in the focus and people should bang their hands excessively instead of looking at my fat belly struggeling with my guitar.
JO FINGERGRINDER: The best show was definitely the EXHUMED / TOXIC HOLOCAUT gig. And our stage performance is passionate! You should show up, if you have the opportunity and see PLORATOR on stage. He´s a maniac!



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

FRANK DAMAGER: We will play some shows with HUMILIATION from Malaysia here in Germany in October , we will support REPUKED and NEKROFILTH hier ein Cologne, and some more gigs are planned, but not fixed yet. We all have jobs, so unfortunately it is difficult to go on a real tour, but we would really like to. Especially in other countries, but for the moment we play shows at the weekends. For us it is more important, that we like the music of the other bands we are playing with, then if the location is interesting or how big the crowd will be. We will never make any fortune with our music, so we prefer to be with good bands in a small locations to a fine crowd of metalheads instead of playing with some Metalcore bands in front of a bigger crowd of emo-kids, performing karate dancing.



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

FRANK DAMAGER: Of course we would prefer to be on a label, because that would mean less work for us, but it should be a good one, with the same attitude as we have. We do not sign a label contract, just to get signed. Therefore we are organizing everything by ourselves now, wich is not a bad way to handle things nowadays. At least you have total control. With the opportunities of the internet we still can reach fans worldwide and they can order CDs or merchandise via bandcamp (http://damagesource.bandcamp.com). So if we would decide for a label, they should offer something more than this, something we cannot do by ourselves. ….or a shitload of money ;-)


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

FRANK DAMAGER: We received a lot of good feedback, good reviews in underground magazines, we receive orders for CDs and stuff from different countries, so it is working quiet well.  But especially at our shows, people really give us a good response. To have a bunch of complete strangers headbanging to our tunes, wich they have never heard before, is something, that really makes you proud as a musician.
JO FINGERINDER: Some people get it and some don´t. And it´s great to see the ones at our show headbanging and moshing although they´ve never ever seen or heard us before.


9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

FRANK DAMAGER: We recorded drums for some tracks with our Drummer ULAS SAGLAM, who left the band in the meantime, and we will release some of them digitally, like the lyrics video of „Enlightenment“. For next year we are planning a 7“ or maybe 12“ on vinyl first, and then another CD by the end of 2015, wich will be a full length or at least much longer than the RAISE HELL-EP.
Musically we will maintain our simple, rough and aggressive style, maybe with a bit more Death Metal influences. But it will always contain a whole lot of aggression. You can be sure, that we will keep stripping our songs down to the core, the riff, the essence of the songs and avoid things like never-ending guitar solos or endless repetition of meaningless bridges and stuff, that destroy the dynamics of a song. We will not change our style, because we have battled a long time to develop it.
JO will also have a release with his other band TANKOBOT by the end of this year. Cool thrashy stuff, with a more technical approach, you should check them out. I am writing stuff for a new Doom-project called NAVTIKH, with JO and PLORATOR joining me for the recordings. A release will be mid of next year, earliest.


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?

FRANK DAMAGER: I initially started playing guitar because of Black Sabbath and still Toni Iommi is a huge influence for me. He is the God of Riffs and he has already played everything, so we all are just bad copies of his style and creativity. I also like a lot of Doom-Bands like Trouble, Candlemass or Saint Vitus, Windhand, Blood Ceremony, but also modern Death Doom bands like Ahab or Isole. Then the Swedish Death Metal like Dismember or Entombed and bands in between all this like like Venenum, Grave Miasma or Nekromantheon.
Finally, of course the German Thrash movement of the early 80ies is a main influence for DAMAGE SOURCE! Bands like Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, Living Death, Assassin, together with Venom, Motörhead and the almighty Slayer. While I am writing this, I listen to the new GOATWHORE record, wich is a real killer!


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

FRANK DAMAGER: My main Interest is Heavy Metal Music. Full stop.
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12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

FRANK & JO: Keep supporting underground metal! It is the underground,that keeps the spirit alive! Thank you for supporting DAMAGE SOURCE! Stay Metal!

Paodemonio Interview

EXTREME UNDERGROUND MUSIC ZINE (USA)
(http://undergroundmusickzine.blogspot.com)



1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Ricardo: We are a quartet from the city of Porto (northern Portugal), founded in 2014. We play contemporary fusion music that blends Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop, Progressive, Metal and so on… Not only we blend different styles of music, we also use acoustic and electronic instruments. And while our basis is sax, keys, guitar and drums, we also use analog and digital effects to extend our sonic possibilities. Our songs have different structures and atmospheres but the common factor is that we always improvise; we never play a tune the same way twice!


2.A few months back you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Marcelo: It is a fusion of musical approaches and atmospheres – it’s one of those recordings you have to hear at least twice to really feel the nuances and layering that is happening, kinda like a musical journey. Picture a marriage made in hell between something like Chris Potter, Frank Zappa and Meshuggah!

3.What are some of the themes and images the band brings out with its musical style?

Nuno: The image of a beautiful green pasture that extends to the infinity and meets a deep blue cloudless sky! No, I’m kidding (and now I notice that I might be confusing Pãodemónio with a background image found in many computers). Music being an abstract art, I personally find it very hard to answer this. Ricardo did have external sources of inspiration when composing the music, and you can read about them on the liner notes. For once, I didn’t know about them when recording the album. If any themes or images are brought out by the music, maybe it’s more a subjective thing for each one of the listeners.


4.Currently the music is all instrumental, are there any plans on using vocals in the future?

Nuno: I’d say there are no such plans. At least I can’t imagine that anyone would actually want to hear me sing. Once I recorded an album of me singing jazz standards, and recently I was told that in some Arab countries they use it as a penalty for people caught stealing. By the way: how does a singer change a light bulb?

Marcelo: Don´t think so, specially with Nuno singing! (laughs) Now seriously – since the beginning we wanted an instrumental project, and I guess we will always keep it that way.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Pãodemónio'?
Ricardo: That is an invented word: is the combination of Pão (bread) and Demónio (demon). But actually, in Portuguese, it sounds like you’re saying Pandemonium with Porto’s accent. Furthermore, not only it is interesting to think about a demonic piece of bread, but it’s also relevant to think about a musical Pandemonium, made in northern Portugal. So that word sums up all those intentions while keeping our music as uncategorized as possible.


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

Nuno: I would describe our stage performance as sober. A significant part of our audience certainly enjoys toying with the impairment of some mental capacities and the freeing of others, and as to the band members themselves, I wouldn’t put my hands on the fire. However, this is demanding music; not only from a technically point of view, but more because it’s so open that it demands that our ears are tuned to what’s going on, and our senses in a state of readiness to interact musically at any given moment. For me it’s hard to do that and jump around at the same time. But I swear that I’m enjoying myself, even when the headbanging is minimal.
We do admit that the visual part of a stage performance is important. To that end, we’re trying to get rid of the music stands (and Fábio always dresses up).

Fábio: I think the best show will be the next one! Most of our music is improvised, so every show is different, not best or worst, just different, but I must confess I do get more excited in bigger stages. As a saxophone player I have a lot of experience playing in horn sections, but this project offers me a new kind of section that transcends my instrument, the “crazy digital madness” section; pandemonium really happens in our performances, but it´s always a controlled chaos in the tension resolution balance. The musical result is kind of cool and mysterious because sometimes people get confused about the origin of the sounds: is it a guitar or a saxophone delay? Only we know the answer to that, and we have a lot of fun mixing up our digital soup! Sound engineers and musicians are starting to make fun of how big my pedalboard is, asking me if I’m the guitar player! Having said that, we try to surprise each other all the time exchanging ideas, and we give it all in the stage, every gig is played as if it was the last one, we that a lot of risks musically, and I think the audience can feel that.

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

Ricardo: Yes, we’re planning on hiring our own sound engineer for the road and hit the big stages because we feel those are the things we need most now, to make our live performances sound the way they should!

Marcelo: In terms of touring, for the moment, I think it would be great to have a chance to play and express our music on some of the best venues here in Portugal. We noticed that our live sound needs a lot of power and dynamic, and you can just work that out with the best conditions possible (usually the music festivals are also a great option!). Later on we would love to take Pãodemónio beyond frontiers, but for that to happen everyone knows you first have to get a lot of support, from promoters to managers, and we’re currently working on a DIY way.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your album by fans of music in general?

Fábio: We are getting very good reviews from all over the world, I have been told that our music is very open and as so, it reaches Metal, Rock, Punk, Noise, Funk, Jazz, Fusion, Electronic, Avant-Gard fans, we are receiving some positive feedback from all kinds of fans and that´s rewarding.

Marcelo: It’s like Fábio said – until now we’ve getting some feedback from all kinds of music departments, thankfully positive. I think the main idea for the project is this whole mix of musical approaches, which can get the attention and feedback from all kinds of listeners.

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

Fábio: In Portugal we say, “the older the wine, the better”, and we do love Porto wine, so we surely will try to follow that saying, pushing the envelope forward with new fresh and demanding songs and sounds, with lots of groove, energy and head banging.

Ricardo: I agree with Fábio and I must say I already feel we’re now beyond what we achieved in “Pirraças Pueris”. Right now we’re already rehearsing new tunes from other band members and we’re introducing new sounds, new compositional styles, new interplay approaches and we’re very excited about how the new music is coming along! It’s very important for us to keep the spark alive, specially considering how much time and energy we devote to each of our compositions and to the development of our group-sound.

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?

Ricardo: I will name only bands and composers which I think had a direct influence on my compositions on this record: Olivier Messiaen, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Meshuggah, Chris Potter, Marcus Miller, Rage Against the Machine, Miles Davis. Now I will let my bandmates talk about their reading of my scores!

Marcelo: I think the influences come from a lot of stuff – for the drumming department, I focus mostly on metal, jazz, drum’n’bass and funk, and it can be from Snarky Puppy, Esbjorn Svensson, London Elektricity, Tower of Power or Meshuggah – but then, in a “playlist” point of view, I usually listen to a lot of music so it’s kinda hard to specify something in particular.

11.Currently the band is unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Ricardo: We are doing research on what will be the best option for us. We haven’t received any interest yet, although that doesn’t surprise us because in our country almost no one supports the really good music. Both the media and the governors have no interest in promoting the development of contemporary original Portuguese music and supporting the really talented Portuguese musicians. As usual, they care only about what’s easier to sell to the general public. So we’re actually trying to find out how to reach out to the audience through other means…


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Fábio: Fine wine and visual arts in general.

Nuno: For years I’ve been interested in astronomy. I also enjoy playing chess, even though I’m terrible at it.

Ricardo: Cinema, Theater, Dance, Painting, Sculpture, Literature, Science and Technology.

Marcelo: I’m really fond of arts, science, sports and technology in general (for this last one, a particular nerdiness and total addiction in the videogames department!).

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

Nuno: Thank you for your kind words on the review that you published. We really appreciate it, but I’d like to make two little corrections. One: we didn’t “avoid” bringing in any vocals, it simply never crossed our minds. Likewise, we didn’t avoid having someone play cor anglais (now, that would actually be cool). Two: there’s no record scratching… I think you may be referring to some electronic effect that we used on the guitar or saxophone.
Again, thank you!

Ricardo: Thank you for your interest in promoting contemporary music!
Marcelo: Thank you very much for the opportunity to share our thoughts - we hope to keep making the music we love, without boundaries. Cheers!

Wormwood Interview

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

Bev and I played together for the first few years of Doomriders' existence. With me on guitar and he on drums. Years later we decided to get together again to make a much darker, more evil noise. After recording the e.p., we recruited Mike Gowell of Phatom Glue for second guitar and Thomas Moses of Disappearer on bass for the live band.

2.In October you have an ep coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Our sound has a lot of different aspects of heavy music. Doom, sludge, punk, psychedelia, noise and a touch of black metal is mostly what you'll hear. We enjoy all kinds of music, so it's no surprise that the music we make covers a lot of ground.

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

Brain washing, genocide, people living phony, shallow lives, murderous rage, cults in the woods...you know, real cheery shit.

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

I really just like all aspects of the word, from just the ring of it, to the story of the wormwood star, to the psychedelic root.

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

Haven't played a show yet. We've been offered great shows but we're still priming the live band. Rehearsals are few and far between because 3 out of the 4 of us have multiple children and regular jobs, as well as having other bands to work around. That said, we will be playing shows very soon.

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

^^^!

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

People seem to dig it so far.

8.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects or bands these days?

I'm in doomriders, Bev has a project with Nate of doomriders which I'm blanking on the name of. Thomas has a band called Flowers with Jebb of doomriders, and Mike is in Phantom Glue. It's all very incestuous.

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

We'll probably stick to the sound we have now until we get bored of it. There's enough styles involved to keep it interesting I think.

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?

Like I said earlier, doom, sludge, punk, psychedelia, black metal. I've been really digging the new Yob record, the new midnight record, raspberry bulbs, and lots of Louvin Brothers and Sabbath.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I collect a lot of weird, old stuff like art, taxidermy, creepy religious art, skulls. I like documentaries and creepy films.

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

We'd love to record a full length at some point. If there's a label out there willing to pitch in to help pay for recording that would rule! Buy our new e.p and keep an eye out for shows! Thanks!

Obliterations Interview

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

-Well, everyone has been working, staying busy etc. I broke my shoulder skateboarding early in the Summer. So that kinda put me out til recently. Austin took a 6 week motorcycle trip across the USA, Stephen and Flo have been touring with Pink Mountaintops. Now we're all just gearing up for the release and some touring behind it.

2.You have a new album coming out in October, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

-It's really hard for me to have any true perspective on it to be honest. In the most basic terms it's aggressive, heavy and dark? I'd like to believe the new record offers a progression to the band. There is a more diverse palate of songs, tempos and structures. Some of the lyrics have a more personal directive as well.

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

-Narcissism, shame, denial, emptiness, misguided patriotism, the acceptance of mediocrity, the human race, the end of the human race, fear and consumption, relationships.

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

-It seems kinda seems self explanatory right? Stephen came up with it. It's a play on the song off of "The Process Of Weeding Out" LP by Black Flag. I like to think Its about living everyday like it's your last. Maybe it's about destroying to rebuild? Maybe It's about nothing at all? What do you think?

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

-Every show is the best show. it's a privilege to be able to play music and say the things you want. Let alone to be seen and heard doing it. I have no idea what our stage presence is. We did this video recently from a show we played. That might give you some insight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D38aT4BbvDs

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

-Yea US, UK and European tours.

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

-It seems good. People seem to be excited about the band and music.  I don't really know what people are fans of so I can't say they are punk or metal or whatever. I try not to think about that stuff typically.

8.What is going on with some of the other musical projects these days that some of the band members are involved with?

-Stephen released a Pink Mountaintops record in April and has been touring. He begins writing a new Black Mountain record now. Austin just played some 10 year anniversary shows with Saviours. I've been working on some ideas for a new band I'm going to begin working on this winter.

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

-Hard to say really. You might have your own opinion after hearing the new record. I'd like to think that it will be the platform for another progression.

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?

-Spacemen 3, Discharge, The Who, Laughing Hyenas, Celtic Frost, GBH, Swiz, The MC5, The Stooges, Suicide, SSD, just kinda goes on and on.

Currently I've been digging Ryley Walker and Steve Gunn.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

-Staring at our phones?

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

-Hopefully not, cuz then I'd probably be dead.

Riwen/Self Titled/Indie Recordings/2014 EP Review

  Riwen  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  heavy  form  of  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Indie  Recordings.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  hardcore  style  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  leads  which  are  also  brought  back  again  on  the  last  track  and  the  heaviness  of  metal  as  well  as  some  angry  shouting  and  screaming  style  vocals,  the  music  on  the  recording  also  has  more  of  a  darker  and  sinister  edge  than  most  bands  that  play  this  musical  genre.

  Most  of  the  music  on  all  3  tracks  sticks  mostly  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  does  start  to  speed  up  a  bit  and  you  can  also  hear  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  being  added  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  on  the  last  track  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  along  with  a  few  seconds  of  spoken  word  parts  and  violins.

  Riwen  plays  a  style  of  hardcore  that  has  more  of  a  darker  sound  than  most  bands  of  the  genre  while  also  bringing  in  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  and  th e heaviness  of  metal  to  create  3  songs  that  show  how   heavy  this  genre  can  be  at  times,  the  production  has  a  very  dark  yet  professional  sound  while  the lyrics  cover  a  dark  subject  matter  along  with  the  last  track  being  written  in  Swedish.

  In  my  opinion  Riwen  are  a  very  great  sounding  hardcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Values".  8  out  of  10.  

  

Savage Machine/Through The Iron Forest/2014 EP Review

  Savage  Machine  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  traditional  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Through  The  Iron  Forest".

  A  very  melodic  and  80's  style  of  heavy  metal  starts  off  the  ep  with  the  music  having  a  heavy  Iron  Maiden  influence  in  both  the  riffs  and  leads  and  after  the  short  intro  the  music  sticks  to  a  pure  and  true  style  of  metal  as  well  as  adding  in  some  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  and  the music  also  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  to  mid  paced  direction.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  band  also  seems  to  be  heavily  influence  by  both  the  American  and  German  power  metal  scenes  of  the  80's  which  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  while  the  production  gives  the  music  a  more  up  to  date  feeling  and  on  one  of  the  alter  tracks  there  is  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Savage  Machine  goes  back  to  the  80's  style  of  heavy  and  power  metal  on  this  recording  creating  some  music  that  captures  the  melody  and  aggression  of  the  glory  days  of  true  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes  along  with  a  touch  of  sci  fi  on  one  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  being  written  about  metal.

   In  my  opinion  Savage  Machine  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  power  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Iron  Forest"  and  "The  Final  March".  8  out  of  10.

     

  

AlgomA/Reclaimed By The Forest/Dead Beat Media/2014 CD Review

  AlgomA  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Reclaimed  By  The  Forest"  which  was  released  by  Dead  Beat  Media

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  distorted  reverb  and  a  very  heavy  bass  guitar  which  leads  up  to   rhythm  guitar  bringing  in  more  of  a  slow  and  very  heavy  doom  metal  sound  and  after  awhile  clean  sections  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  once  vocals  are  added into  the  music  they  have  more  of  an  angry  and  tortured  approach  to  them  bringing  in  somewhat  of  a  crustcore  style.

  Most  of  the  songs  on  the  recording  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  use  the  spoken  word  samples  on  some  of  the  other  songs  as  well  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  and  heavy  musical  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  distorted  drones  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  vocals  start  bringing  more   of  a  screaming  approach.

  AlgomA  creates   a  very  heavy  and  slow  style  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  while  they  sound  quite  a  bit  like  other  bands  at  time s they  still  pull  it  off  very  well  and  creates  6  songs  that  show  the  heaviest  side  of  the  genre,  the  production  sound s very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive,  and  hateful  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  AlgomA  are  a  very  great  sounding  sludge/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fell  Down  A  Well"  and  "Extinct  Volcanies".  8  out  of  10.        .  

Slasher/Katharsis/2014 CD Review

  Slasher  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  mixture  of  old  school  and  modern  day  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Katharsis".

  Soft  and  clean  sounding  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  which  also  leads  up  to  some  heavier  riffing  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  that  almost  border  on  death  metal  at  times  and  there  is  a  good  balance  between  modern  and  old  school  thrash  sounds.

    Some  of  the  solos  and  leads  bring  a  heavy  80's  influence  into  the  bands musical style  and  at  times   blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  displaying  even  more  of  a  modern  thrash  style  that  also  shows  the  band  having  a  small  amount  of  influences  from  groove,  death  metal  and  hardcore  while  the  main  focus  is  mostly  on  thrash  and  on  the  last  track  clean  playing  makes  a  return  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing.

  Slasher  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  takes  the  80's  style  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  modern  form  of  this  genre  to  create  some  very  heavy  music,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  society,  religion  and  politics.

  In  my  opinion  Slasher  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  " Disposable  God"  'Face  the  Facts"  and  "All  Covered  In  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

              

Ancient Vvisdom/Sacrificial/Magic Bullet Records/2014 CD Review

  Ancient  Vvisdom  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  occult  death  rock  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Sacrificial"  which  will  be  released  by  Magic  Bullet  Records.

  Soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  dark  70's  style  melodies  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  melodic  chants  and  after  the  intro  a  neo  folk  style  of  sound  is  brought  onto  the  recording  while  also  keeping  around  the  doom  metal sound.

  When  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  in  the  70's  style  of  doom  metal  with  the  clean  singing  and  they  also  take  the  retro  doom  style  and  mix  in  some  90's  rock  influences  to  make  their  music  stand  out  a  bit  as  well  as  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  style  death  rock  and  on  the  later  songs  acoustic  guitars  also  make  their  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  some  of  the  90's  style  but  done  with  a  darker  lyrical  content  than  what  was  presented  in  these  days  as  well  as  being  a  bit  more  heavier  with  the  doom  metal  style  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  add  another  melodic  dimension  to  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.      

  Ancient  Vvisdom  combines  many  different  style  taking  taking  a  traditional  style  of  doom  metal  and  mixing  it  with  occult  and  death  rock  as  well  as  adding  in  a  touch  of  90's  rock  into  their  style  to  create  a  very  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  sound  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ancient  Vvisdom  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  occult  doom  metal  and  death  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chaos  Will  Reign"  "Devil's  Work"  "I  Am  Your  Sacrifice"  and  "We  Are  Damnation".  8/9 out  of  10.  
  

Khaos/Risen/MRR Records/PHD Distribution/2014 CD Review

  Khaos  are  a  band  with  members  from  both  New  Work  and  Germany  that  plays  a  hard  rock  form  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Risen"  which  will  be  written as  a  joint  effort  between  MRR  Records  and  PHD  Distribution.

  Clean  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  heavy  mainstream  metal  sound  as  well  as  adding  solos  and  leads  into  the  music  and  the  band  also  uses  a  good  mixture of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  adding  a  bit  of  the  more  modern  metal  style  into  the  songs  at  times.

  A  good  portion  of  the  music  sounds  like  it  get  easily  be  played  on  the  radio  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  alternative  along  with  some  of  the  heaviness  of  thrash  bring  added  into  the  bands  mainstream  friendly  metal/hard  rock  sound  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  are  added  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  a  few  power  ballads  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  hard  and  heavy  sound  and  a  few  of  the  later  tracks  also  bring  in  some  spoken  word  samples  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  aggressive  vocals  when  the  album  gets  closer  to  the  end.

  Khaos  takes  a  mainstream  style  of  modern  day  hard  rock  and  combines  it  with  the  heaviness  of  radio  friendly  metal  to  create  an  album  that  would  be  a  perfect  fit  for  rock  orientated  radio  stations  and  while  this  is  not  a  style  I  really  get  into  I  still  feel  the  band  is  very  good  at  what  they  are  trying  to  achieve,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  maintaining  hope  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Khaos  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  modern  hard  rock  and  mainstream  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "After  the  Silence"  "Loaded  Question"  "Imagined  Danger"  and  "The  Breathing  Room".  7  out  of  10.

  

Escapetor Interview

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

During the recording process we had to replace our bass player and we had to get the new man (Dan Gundersen) into the new songs and then record these. Now after the recording, we have to go through our old songs as well. Escapetor has also been playing a couple of gigs/festivals.
Currently we are supporting our fellow label band: Dimenzion:psychospehere for their release gig and we are planning our own release gig a couple of weeks after this, where Dimenzion:psychospehere will support us.
New ideas and materials are flying around and putting these together into new tunes. We will go on trying to get to play as many gigs/festivals as we can. That is what it's all about.


2.You have a new album coming out in October, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Let’s start with how it differs from our previous records/EPs and that is probably mainly the vocals and how it's built up. I also have to mention that we have a new vocalist (Claudius Bormuth) for this record. The vocals are more complex with many layers, harmonies than we have been doing before. I think you can still here that this is Escapetor.
On this record we had a better production possibilities and a different goal than before. The knowledge for the production and equipment has been greatly updated. Our music is inspired by the 70/80/90 metal scene but we wanted a much more updated/modern sounding record. The songs are maybe more dynamic and open than before.
I think we have achieved our goals and are really happy with how it came out.


3.This is going to be the first album to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

There has been a couple of members going and coming and we spent the time after our previous records/ep doing gigs and making the new songs. Doing many gigs and trying out the material live was also part of the plan. Then we could do tweaks and adjust things.
Making this record has taken several years, but we think it has been worth it. From when we started to record the record, it has taken almost 1 1/2 year.


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

Mostly the lyrics are about social problems, corruption and greed. But also some songs are about special experiences most of us have, have had or will have. I mean things like depressions, fear or just becoming older. On the record we have an old Escapetor tune called "Escapetor" and this song was first featured on a demo back in 2003/4.


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

When we started the band back in 1999, we went through much "brain storming" trying to find a band name, but we wanted something unique. One of our favorite bands is Annihilator from Canada and the ending "tor" was something we worked on. Somehow the name "escape" came into picture and we merged the two words together. I know the word "escape" came from the Metallica song from Ride the lightning. How this happened is not clear to me, but that is how I remember it.


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

When we think back, the one show that pops up and that was when we supported Tyrent Eyes, in Germany in the home town area of both Axel and Claudius. This was the first time the rest of the band met Claudius, but that is another story.
Playing for the German audience was great. The atmosphere at the venue and how the audience reacted was a big contrast to how things are here in Norway, in a very positive way. We have played many great gigs, but this is the one that we all agree on and the first pops up in our minds.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We don't have any tour plans right now, but we hope to get back to Germany very soon, and also other countries. We have a couple of gigs lined up, as I mentioned earlier and we are working on getting gigs and festivals.


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

I think we have gotten quite good reviews and response from our previous records, and as we write this interview we keep getting review that is looking really good.


9.What is going on with some of the other musical projects these days that some of the band members are involved with?

At the time, only Claudius has Tyrant Eyes back home in Germany and Ragnar is working in the studio (www.studiovahalla.com) where we recorded most of the record and mixed it.


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

We don't have a master plan on where we are going, I think. Making the music as we go along and then time will tell. When we have more material, we can see more clearly where this is heading and start to think about what we should achieve regarding the sound and feel.


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

Most members are rooted in the 70s/80s and 90s heavy/Metal era. This is something we can't escape. Bands like: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Helloween, HammerFall, Iron Maiden, Rainbow, Black Sabbath. Much of the usual suspects.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Is there really anything other than music?? Really?
Things like cooking, football(LFC), training and hanging out with family and friends.
Interests in Cars and motorcycles.


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

Thanks for having us, and hope many get the chance to listen to the record. 

Wormwood/Self Titled/Magic Bullet Records/2014 EP Review

  Wormwood  are  a  band  from  Boston,  Massachusetts   that  plays  a  heavy  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  which  was  released  by  Magic  Bullet  Records.

  Heavy  reverb  and distortion  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  slow,  heavy  and  dark  sludge/doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  both  aggressive  and  melodic  at  the  same  time  and  after  a  few  minutes  you  can  hear  a  little  bit  of  a  70's  influence  being  mixed  in  with  a  more  modern  and  heavy  sound.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  a  retro  doom  vibe  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  on  the  second  track  there  is  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats  while  the  music  sticks  to  more  of  a  slower  style  along  with  the  vocals  having  more  of  a  screaming  sludge  approach  and  some  of  the  riffs  almost  have  the  heaviness  of  doom/death  metal  and  on  the  later  songs  you  can  hear  a  heavy  90's  influence  and  the  last  track  shows  the  band  adding  in  elements  of  harsh  psychedelic  noise's.

  Wormwood  plays  a  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  style  that  combines  doom  and  sludge  metal  together  and  every  second  and  minute  of  this  ep  remains  true  to  a  very  heavy  musical  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive  and  negative  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wormwood  are  a  very  great  sounding sludge/doom  metal   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hollow  Black  Eyes"  and  "White  Plague".  8/5  out  of  10.  

       

Graveyard Shifters/Brainwashed by Moonshine/Eternal Sound Records/2014 EP Review

  Graveyard  Shifters  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust  punk  and  rock'n'roll  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Brainwashed  By  Moonshine"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Eternal  Sound  Records.

  A  very  hard  rock  orientated  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  more  into  a  fast  and  aggressive  punk  direction  while  also  adding  in   aggressive  crust  vocals  and  screams  along  with  some  melodic  80's  metal/punk  guitar  solos  and  leads  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  present  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  back  up  gang  shouts,  on  some  of  the  tracks  you  can  hear  a  heavy  AC/DC   influence  being  mixed  in  with  the  bands  aggressive  crust  punk  approach  as  well  as  some  screams  that  bring  in  elements  of  hardcore  and  on  the  last  rack  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  into  the  song  briefly  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.

  Graveyard  Shifters  take  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  form  of  crustcore  and  brings in  elements  of  70's  rock  and  deathpunk  to  create  some  music  that  is  very  heavy  while  also  always  having  an  old  school  vibe  to  it,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Graveyard  Shifters  are  a  very  great  sounding  crust  punk'n'roll  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Good  Day  To  Die  hard"  and  "Play  the  Victim".  8/5  out  of  10.  

        

Malakyte Interview

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

Malakyte is an imagining of what thrash metal can do with some input from other extreme styles as opposed to just grinding out purely 80s-inspired (which is still awesome) thrash metal. We all have varying musical backgrounds, mostly in metal, and we want to get a lot of those punching through without losing a fully thrash vibe.

2. Almost a year back you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Our first album “Human Resonance” collects what the band worked on during the first couple of years writing together. It’s a thrash metal album first and foremost, but there are a lot of people out there who would say that means shit-all, so let’s say, “It’s a dark, technically-minded, brutal whisking of thrash while doom influences bring something very different to the party.” Yeah, that. Some of the tracks from the first EP have been re-worked on the full-length; these are more classic thrash tunes while the new songs perhaps lend themselves more to the new vocal style we’ve gone for in depth and just riffing.

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

The less-party sections of humanity. Depression, anxiety, wankers trying to change your mind, war. All classic thrash times, but we’re always looking to write in a way that no one can sit down, read or listen to the tracks and say, “This is about that or this” exactly. That would be boring as shit for both us and the listener.

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

Malachite is a green mineral used in a lot of cultures as a protection stone. In Ancient times it was used to ward off evil spirits, now you can use it to keep yourself out of harm’s way from a myriad of things. The spelling change was used to guide ambiguity, so no one looks at us straight away as a thrash, or even metal, band. It keeps people questioning until they hear us.

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?

Personal stand-outs have to be playing with bands such as Anthrax, Kreator and Municipal Waste. But the hugest for us as a band would be Soundwave Festival. Anthrax, Slayer and Metallica were all on that bill and we were called to play on the festival about eleven hours before doors. It was intense seeing what goes on backstage at a huge festival like that and very eye-opening for us. Speaking on our own stage performance; we’re a live band. We’re performers on stage. We realise if you wanted to listen to our record at home, you could so why would we just play it for you at a show? We’re fans of the styles we take from and we show it. We’re not here to be pretentious and act like we’re not those dudes rocking out to Megadeth in our bedrooms at 3am. We are those guys. We love stage-diving, beers, vomit, blood, KOs etc. at shows. Not in a malicious way, but when people are slamming that hard, we’re there with them. Both physically and mentally in the pit.

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

We keep keen eyes on international bands playing locally and push for supports when we feel we’re a good fit. Our next one lined up is with Sepultura next month and then apart from Australian shows we’ll be writing hard for a new album. The plan is get another record out, then look at South East Asia and Japan for possible tours.

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

Malakyte has always been very DIY when it comes to the business side. We’re unsigned, but we have not really been ‘looking’ for a label. I think the second album could see a change in that. Once we feel we’re happy with our new product, we’ll look for a label but for the time being we’re mostly writing for something to actually show one.

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

It’s been awesome. We’ve been shipping consistently worldwide since we let the full-length out and I think there’s only Antarctica left on the continent list, so we’re super chuffed about that. Coming to feedback, overall it has been really positive. People think we’re doing something different with thrash and that’s our endgame. With all change comes resistors, haha, there are certainly some elements of our music (usually the vocals) that will perhaps raise the eyebrow of a hardened ‘80s veteran but otherwise people are embracing a new take on things with open minds.

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

We’re writing heavier, more aggressive Malakyte now. We’ve been playing around with death metal techniques for guitars, drums and vocals. Deeper technical riffs are on the horizon as well. We want a heavy, crunching band with soaring vocals and leads.

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?

The five of us love Megadeth, that has always been a binding agent. Other thrash influences would have to be Kreator, Overkill, Skeletonwitch, Anacrusis and Vektor. The other metal influences that stand out are Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard. Those are the bands that I think you can hear in our album, for sure. As far as what we’re listening to now; Dalton and I have been listening to a lot of death metal like Suffocation, Bloodbath and Cryptopsy for inspiration which will be coming through on the second album.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

To be honest, just listening to music takes up a lot of my time, but I find mathematics really interesting on an amateur level. A lot of what I read goes over my head but it’s cool as fuck to know a little more how the universe works on a mathematical level. I enjoying skating, too. I really suck, but it’s fun as shit. Drinking and smoking have to be added.

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

Keep it fucking true! True to yourself. I don’t mean in the way of heavy metal (although I am a firm believer in that), I mean in everything that you do. If you can’t do something true to yourself, change what you’re doing. This interview was rad. Cheers.

-Muz

Obliterations/Poison Everything/Southern Lord Records/2014 CD Review

  Obliterations  are  a  band  from  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  very  raw,  aggressive  and  old  school  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Poison  Everything"  which  will  be  released  in  October  of  2014.

  A  very  distorted  guitar  lead  starts  off  the  album  along  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  crust  punk  direction  along  with  some  d  beats  and  aggressive  screams  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  lot  of  old  school  hardcore  elements  into  their  musical  style  along  with  some  Motorhead  influences  that  bring  in  a  touch  of  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  some  of  the  songs  the  band  also  brings  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  combine  metal  and  punk  together  and  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.


  Obliterations  plays  a  very  old  school  style  of  crust  and  hardcore  punk  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era  of  the  genre  along  with  a  touch  of  the  90's  style  to  create  some  very  aggressive  and  true  hardcore  punk  that  stays  away  from  the  modern  style,  the  production  sounds  very  heavy  and  old  school  sounding  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Obliterations  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  crust/hardcore  punk  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mind  Ain't  Right"  "Poison  Everything"  "Open  Casket"  and  "Crawl  Inside".  8  out  of  10.          

Helldorados 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?
Pierre (voc.)
A: Hey there, thank you for your questions. First of all we are very happy to release our second album. And between the recording process and the release date there are always many organizational and promotional activities on the agenda. In addition, each of us is still working alongside in different jobs to pay the rent and to get some food on the table.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released on the past?
A: As we got together with the new songs and considering in what direction it could go, we actually had only a few options. Either we participate as all the other bands on the so-called Sound Wars and make it even thicker, wider and faster or we stay with the raw, dry sound of the original instruments. I mean, how much can you be live on stage without actually sounding any live? We had superimposed guitars, additional effects and sounds created by Pro Tools for our first album. For LESSONS IN DECAY everything is very simple and natural hold. As it came out from the amplifiers, it was first recorded on analog tape machines. This is probably the biggest difference to the sound of the first album.

3,I have noticed when i listen to the music it has an old school sound that nobody really touches anymore but more up to date, do you feel that you are doing something very different with your music?
A: I don't think we do something completely different like on the debut. It's still Helldorados music with Helldorados lyrics. They are even more deep. Only the sound on LESSONS IN DECAY might be different and something the audience must learn again. Most of today's productions are only cut, copy and paste and totally  overproduced albums. Most of them not even close reproducible in live sound and performance. So what's all the crap? Let's do it honestly and naturally. Back to basics.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
A: Similar to the first album all lyrics are autobiographical. There are things that affect me as a lyricist in daily life, things that annoy me, things that please me and things that make me pay attention. Take, for example, the single BY THE PROGRESS. We discussed the death penalty during the songwriting process and then I read this article about William Kemmler, the first man who was executed in the electric chair. He is alleged to have murdered his wife with an ax. It has never been proven but they wanted to make a scientific example of him. All in the name of the progress. On the other hand, we also have songs like SOMETHING SWEET. It might sound silly, first listening to it. But in fact, it's about gluttony and obesity in today's society. Megalomaniac is ultimately out there dedicated to all idiots who constantly want a piss on your legs. Believe me, there are plenty out there.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Helldorados'?
A: We all live in Stuttgart, Germany. A region very much influenced by the automotive industry. Alongside Daimler and Porsche, today here are even more global companies like Bosch, Siemens or SAP. Everywhere you'll see construction, deep holes in the ground, holes in the system. The system has also failed for the music industry. They are still stucked in deep depression. For new artists, it has become very difficult. At the same time they try to sell you the inevitability of existing structures. From the El Dorado, the so called golden city, a Hell Dorado it has become. And we as musicians and artists are a part of it.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
A: There were many great moments. To take a single show out, would be unfair. Ultimately, it's all about entertainment. The audience wants to experience something that will be distracting from everyday life. We give them something that excites the imagination and sends you home with a great feeling. Sweat, pure energy and the perfection of the moment. That's what you can expect from a Helldorados show. If we are able to carry that to our audience, then we have done everything right.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
A: First we will do a few shows in Germany and close abroad. Then we have to see what comes up.

8.On a worldwide level how have your fans reacted to the musical sound that is presented on the new album?
A: I have no idea. Honestly, you have to ask the fans!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
A: We always live in the here and now. And so it is with the current album LESSONS IN DECAY. We don't want to bend over backwards for someone. Music and art in general is in constant flow and change. Whatever we will create in the future, it will always be the sound, the songs and the lyrics of Helldorados. We will see (laughs Hah Hah)

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
A: We were lucky to play a few shows with The Darkness from England. They are very open-minded when it comes to their own music. That definitely impressed us. By the time they just returned from a tour with Lady Gaga...I mean, come on! The tour with Rhino Bucket probably influenced us during the songwriting process, too. Steve (git.) has been listening to some Country lately, Chris (dr.) remains very true with the classic Thrash Metal and Hardcore music. Gunnar (bass) and I like it also very diverse. All together then mixes up in the Helldorados sound.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
A: Since I can only speak for myself. Basically, versatile, healthy, fresh food and occasionally a inspiring glass of wine. Traveling and exploring different cultures is also an issue, when I do find the time for it. Otherwise, I am working a lot with the structures of the music industry. But that has already something to do with music ... damn!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
A: Stay true in what you believe. Go out and get our new album. Buy it, steel it and spread the Helldorados message. Crank up your volume to eleven while listening to our music, cause if you guys Rock, Helldorados Roll.

Wild Rose/Hit 'N' Run/AOR Blvd Records/2014 CD Review

  Wild  Rose  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  80's  melodic  rock  and  hair  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Hit'N'Run"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  AOR  Blvd  Records.

  Keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffs,  solos  and  vocals  and  th e music  has  a  very  80's  orientated  mainstream  rock  sound  to  it  and  the band  also  brings  in  a  lot  of  back  up  vocals  and  catchy  chorus'es  and  the  keyboards  also  bring  in  progressive  rock  elements  while  the  solos  have  that  shred  style  that  was  very  common  30  years  ago.

  There  is  a  good  amount  of  clean  parts  and  power  ballads  present  throughout  the  recording  while  the  band  also  keeps  around  a  great  amount  of  harder  tracks  and  all  of  the  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  been  recorded  in  the  80's  and  received  plenty  of  radio  time  during  that  era  and  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  the  guitar  brings  in  more  of  a  metal  influence  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  pop  orientated  form  of  hard  rock  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Wild  Rose  brings  back  to  a very  melodic  and  AOR  orientated  form  of  80's  hard  rock  which  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  hair  and  pop  metal  to  create  an  album  that  is  very  retro  and  old  school  sounding  but  updating  the  genre  for  the  modern  day,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  relationship  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wild  Rose  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  hard  rock  and  pop  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I'll  be  There"  "Without  Your  Life"  "Dont  Walk  Away"  and  "I  Want  your  Love".  7/9  out  of  10.    

No Mercy/Widespread Bloodshed (Love Runs Red)/Suicidal Records/2014 CD Re-Issue Review

  No  Mercy  where  a  band  from  Venice  Beach,  California  that  played  a  very  aggressive  and  heavy  form  of  crossover  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1987  album  "Widespread  Bloodshed  (Love  Runs  Red)"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  October  by  Suicidal  Records.

  Telephone  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  person  answering  it  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  aggressive  mixture  of  thrash  and  hardcore  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  both  aggressive  and  melodic  and  you  can  also  hear  some  back  up  gang  shouts  in  the  background  and  after  a  few  minutes  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  bands  musical  style.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  aggressive  style  of  thrash  metal  and  punk  while  the  vocals  add  in  a  more  melodic  approach  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  great  amount  of  these  songs  where  eventually  re-recorded  by  Suicidal  Tendencies  which  also  shared  some  of  the  same  band  members  at  the  time.

  No  Mercy  created  a  very  aggressive  and  heavy  crossover  mixture  of  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  punk  for  their  time  that  was  also  very  melodic  sounding  and  they  had  a  huge  following  with  skaters  and  mosher's  back  in  their  prime  with  this  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  the  era  it  was  recorded  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressing,  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  No  Mercy  where  a  very  great  sounding  crossover  mixture  of  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "We're  Evil"  "Day  Of  the  Damned"  "I'm  Your  Nightmare"  and  "Waking  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.

      

Paodemonio/Pirracas Pueris/2014 Full Length Review

  Paodemonio  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  jazz, metal, rock, hip hop  and  alternative  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released 2014  album  "Pirracas  Pueris".

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  contemporary  jazz  fusion  sound  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  funk  music  along  with  a  psychedelic  take  on  jazz  music  and  all  5  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  awhile  elements  of  electronic  music  start  finding  their  way  onto  the  recording.

  Saxophones  have  a  very  dominating  sounding  presence  on  this  recording  while  the  guitars  bring  in  influences  from  rock,  metal  and  alternative  which  really  show  in  a  strong  way  on  the  4th  track  and  the  band  also  has  a  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  approach  to  the  way  they  create  music  and  they  avoid  bringing  in  any  vocals  on  the  whole  entire  album  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  hip  hop  style  record  scratching.    

  Paodemonio  creates  a  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  style  with  their  music  with  jazz  being  the  main  influence  and  they  also  add  in  some  progressive  elements  as  well  as  the  harder  parts  of  the  guitar  riffs  adding  in  small  amounts  of  metal,  rock  and  alternative  and  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Paodemonio  are  a  very  decent  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  jazz,  metal,  rock  and  alternative  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Karamozav"  and  "Pirracas Pueris".  7/5  out  of  10.    

Gift Of Blindness Interview

 1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
It's predominantly a solo project at the moment, but who knows in the future. It started really from a jam session I had with some friends at the time nearly 10 years ago now. Nothing ever came of that initial jam session until the last year or so, when I decided to pick up some of the ideas and develop the sound into what it is today.

2.You have a new album in the works, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Yes this will be the first album from this project, currently featuring 8 fairly lengthy songs. The sound could be described as slow-tempo doom metal but with alot of experimentation, layered keyboard sounds, drones, feedback and discordant riffs. The vocals are mostly sung but sometimes aggressive. The drums are all programmed but organic sounding, the overall sound I'm trying to create is heavy and dark but also psychedelic and shoe-gazy. I wanted to create a crushing, overwhelming and claustrophobic wall of sound for this project.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the you explore with your music?
I would say fear, feeling trapped/crushed, paranoia, and other psychological/spiritual themes are some of the themes on this album. It's mostly about fear and depersonalisation which I've struggled with for years. Depersonalisation is something like post-traumatic shock but it's a constant feeling of detachment and un-reality. I tend to do alot of soul searching when I write lyrics, that tends to mean I write only about what affects me and whether people can relate to it or not I don't really think about. I don't write with an audience in mind, or to portray a particular image of myself. Or to construe some kind of grandiose intellectual idea, all that is just bullshit to me. Basically I have alot of inner negativity, bile and negative emotions, that this music is an outlet for. Music has always been about that for me. It doesn't necessarily always need to be negative and gloomy, that's just the way I feel alot of the time. Not so much of an escape, rather a release of something inside. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gift of Blindness'?
I got the name from an old song title for another musical project of mine from years ago. The meaning is personal to me but can be applied universally. It's paradoxical. Wishing you were blind because the reality is too painful. I hope people can relate that to a situation or view they hold in their own lives.

5.With this project you record everything by your self, do you feel this gives you more freedom with your musical sound?
Yes I do feel that, although oftentimes great ideas come from jamming with other people and opening your mind to other's ideas. With this project I knew the kind of sound I wanted to create, but with lack of time and availability of collaborators it's been easier and quicker to create everything by myself since I have the skills also being a sound engineer by trade.

6.The album will be released by Blindsight Records, are you happy with the support they have given you so far?
(Blindsight is my own label) I've decided to release it on Blindsight mainly due to time again, because I don't have the time to scout for other labels. And since I already have the infrastructure in place to release my own stuff, it's just easier. I don't really care if alot of people listen to it or even like it, this music definitely isn't for everyone. But I hope that the few people who do stumble across it can relate or get something out of it.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal that have heard it so far?
I have only had a few feedbacks but it's been generally positive so far. The common thing people mention is that it's "dark".

8.Are you also involved with any other musical projects?
Yes my other band is called Abandon, it's a post-rock / slow-core kind of band. Also a cleaner sound, there are some common elements with Gift of Blindness such as atmospherics and slow tempos. I sing and play guitar in that band, joined by my friends Christopher Marshall and Simon Tierney on bass/guitar. I also have other projects on and off, including Bicycles With No Riders which displays my acoustic side, Absence which is ambient music and Old Ghosts which is a new instrumental loop-based guitar project I'm working on.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I'm not too sure at the moment, we will see. Maybe I might wan't to make the next release even more extreme, but I always like to push the boundaries and do something different so it will be a development for sure. I might not even feel the need to do another release. I don't really plan things that far in advance, if it feels right at the time I will pursue it.

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?
I'd say with this project some of my main influences have been Godflesh, Neurosis, Swans, Killing Joke, Warning, Voivod, Burzum, My Bloody Valentine, Today Is The Day... alot of stuff lol. Also I'd the last heavy band I was in (Xmas Lights) influenced the keyboard sound, as I used the same keyboard sound in that band. Nowadays I listen to a wide variety of music depending on my mood... but lately alot of electronic music, post-rock, metal and ambient music.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Working too much? I don't really have that many non-musical interests. I've always been addicted to all things music. I do love films too, but hardly have time to watch them these days.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
The album should be out before the end of the year. Not too sure on the formats as of yet, definitely digital download and perhaps a CD release.