Insaniter/Half Faces/2014 EP Review

  Insaniter  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Half  Faces".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  after  awhile  the  bass  guitars  get  powerful  and  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  thrash  direction  along  with  some  melodic  riffs  being  utilized  at  times  and  the music  also  gets  even  more  heavier  after  the  intro.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  very  rough  yet  melodic  sound  to  the  songs  and  the  music  has  a  very  vintage  80's  style  of  thrash  metal  sound  to  it  and  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  clean  playing  does  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  solos  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  and  old  school  thrash  sound  and  the  songs  also  use  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  vocal  style  briefly  that  seems  to  be  influenced  by  death  metal  along  with  a  small  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.  

  Insaniter  remains  true  to  the  old  school  thrash  metal  style  of  previous  recordings  while  also  bringing  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  give  the  songs  more  of  a  harder  edge,  the  production  sounds  very  heavy  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Insaniter  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  thrash  metal,  you  should  enjoy  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chuck  Norris  Final"  "Gods"  and  "Spirit  revelation".  8  out  of  10.  

Secret Rule/Transposed Emotions/2014 CD Review

  Secret  Rule  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  gothic  form  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Transposed  Emotions".

  A  very  dark,  melodic  and  symphonic  gothic  meta  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  female  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  add  a  more  power  metal  feeling  to  the recording  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  modern  industrial  and  goth  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  have  more  of  an  80's   metal  sound  to  them.

On  a  great  amount  of  the  tracks  modern  metal  elements  are  added  in  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  band  also  adds  classical  guitars  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  that  influence  is  also  added  in  the  heavy  parts  at  times.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  briefly  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  few  power  ballads  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  adds  in  elements  of  ebm  style  industrial  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  musical  style  which  also  brings  in  thrash  influences  on  some  of  the  later  songs.

  Secret  Rule  plays  a  style  of  gothic  metal  that  also  brings  in  elements  of  industrial,  power,  progressive,  thrash  and  modern  metal  to  create    a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Secret  Rule  are  a  very  great  sounding  gothic  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Journey"  "Lifeless"  "Sleep  Forever"  and  "Dawn  of  Crisis".  8  out  of  10.    

      

Craang Interview

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

Craang is a three member band from Thessaloniki Greece, Nick on the Drums, Manos guitar and vocals and Theano on the bass. We play a mixture of "heavy" "psychedelic" "stoner" "rock" or whatever, we just enjoy what we play.

2.Recently you had put out an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

We tried to record the album in several ways, starting with the drums, then adding the bass and a bunch of other silly techniques and finally we decided to record it live, which apparently worked just fine for the style we play. We just added vocals and keys afterwards.
The album was recorded at Red House Studios in Thessaloniki and it was mixed and mastered by our guitarist Manos, who happens to be the resident engineer at that studio. The sound we guess is the fingertip of our performance. The reviews so far put us side by side with bands like Elder, Monkey 3, Color Haze, which is a great honor four because these bands are our top noch for us.

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

In this album we used the vocal "thing" more like a solo instrument and it appears rarely in the songs with just a few lines, but this dosen't mean that we didn't take care of our lyrics. Manos wrote most of the lines and they all refer to Asimov's novels but not in a straight way so you won't hear a title or a phrase taken by a book, but they 're all inspired by Isaak's  stories.

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

It just popped up. It is an onomatopoeic word and is the sound of our instruments, specially the guitar which goes CRAAAAAAANG. I guess it suit nice :D

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

We took part at the fuzztastic festival in Drama this summer for a second time and it was awesome, we totally rocked the stage and then we also kicked the jams at the international Tattoo convention in Thessaloniki last september. Our stage performance is an one shot show, we start and play the whole set with no pause. If the stage permits it we add a projector which .....projects :P psychedelic images on us, which is nice and creates atmosphere.

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

At this moment we already have a couple of shows booked, supporting some local bands but we plan on going abroad march 2015 to promote our album which will be released on vinyl by Pink tank and Hevisike records.

7.The new album was released on Pink Tank Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this record label?

The album will be released on late february 2015 by Pink Tank and Hevisike records. Hevisike is a UK based record company with a marvelous catalog and bands we listen to, and pink tank records is an upcoming German based label with very interesting and known bands in her catalog, consisted by people with passion for music who work really hard.

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

From our point of view, huge. We were n't expecting such a great "accoglienza" (ITA) the reviews were way above our prospectives and people write to us day by day asking us about tours and CDs and other info about the band, how we recorded the album what instruments we use or just to say hi and give us hope to go on.

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

Craang had long way until this form, musically and in terms of people in the band. The only original member is the Nick on the drums and recently our former bassist Mike left the band to explore other ways in life. But Theano filled rapidly the bassist empty spot and now we are heading towards new musical paths. We are three totally different people in musical taste and when we jam you hear the genres popping up like tin cans and spray their freshness, :D .

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?

As we said to question above we listen to different kinds of music, with some kind of common "rock" line which we all like but i thing this question cannot be answered, but we like bands like Elder, Kyuss, Led Zeppelin, The Machine, Queens of the stone age when we are all together of course 'cause everyone listens to whatever he wants at home :P

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Nick is a graphic designer, he put up the whole artwork of the album, Theano is a very artistic person, and multitalented in things like paint and sculpture and she is the one who draw the cover image of the album. Manos is married and has a son so he has no time for non musical interests :D

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

We hope to keep it always fresh and maintain our music important in our lives and in the lives of others. Music keeps us humans, makes us interact and be creative. Expression frees us from chains of repression making us just better people.

Sarpedon Interview

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

Eirik: Well, we’re a friendly bunch from Oslo. (Surprisingly friendly, perhaps, considering that we’ve recently “waged war on Progressive metal as we know it” - but then most metalheads are, aren’t they?) But we’re a band who believe that we have quite a lot to offer, and are anxious to do so, having carried this around for quite a while now. As soon as we’re out and about, you won’t know what hit you - and we might not know either, but please feel free to ask!

2. You have your first full length coming out in December, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Eirik: Self-evident things first: the word Metal is a given. So’s Progressive, and Extreme and Melodic should be in there as well - maybe even a touch of Doom, and the word Opera can scarce be forgotten considering there’s quite a bit of theatricality to the music. All these are there, we’re just not quite sure in which order. We believe we cater to quite a diverse audience - as diverse as our own influences, really - so which of these become the most prevalent really depend on the listener.

3. The band has been around since 2005, but so far has only released 2 demos and a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

Torgeir: There are really no good reasons, just many bad ones – we have had a really hard time getting a stable line-up without friction, and that has definitely harmed the ability to think in a longer perspective. Also, to speak for myself I’ve had to focus on my day job for a few years and have put a lot of effort into that, and Carl and Eirik have had lots of both metal and non-metal related bands and musical projects all the way.

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

Torgeir: We’re touching upon various subjects, some more specific than others – “Dead Birds”, for example, deals with a horrific series of suicides in a certain area of Wales. The number “17”, which is sung several times, is the number of young people that had committed suicide in Bridgend at the time of recording. “Lusk Letter” deals with the Jack the Ripper mystery, which has always fascinated me – George Lusk was the man who received the infamous “From Hell” letter in October 1888. Another recurring subject is the little man against the big society – “Anomic Nation”, “The Claustrophober”, “My Mysteries…” 1 and 2.

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

Torgeir: Traditionally Sarpedon was the name of one of Zeus’ sons, but I got it from an episode of MacGyver (!). Graphium Sarpedon is the latin name of a butterfly species, and in that particular episode MacGyver was fighting a villain that was a butterfly collector. I thought the name was cool, and the rest is history. Actually, a weird but true story – I used to work as a security guard a few years back, and I got to know a guy selling the Norwegian equivalent of the Big Issue on the streets of Grünerløkka in Oslo. A friend of his had a (rather peculiar) hobby of making model butterflies, and he made me a Graphium Sarpedon butterfly for free. I’ve kept it in my guitar case ever since, and we used to have it with us on stage.

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

Torgeir: It’s been a few years since last time now, but we did a few very cool ones, it was very, very much fun playing with Communic at their home turf in Arendal, same with Leprous at the festival they organized in Notodden. And everyone who has ever met the legend that is Ingar Amlien know how good he is both at entertaining people on stage as well as partying afterwards – so it was just fantastic to play with his Crest of Darkness on several occasions.

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

Torgeir: Although nothing is booked yet – I’ll give you a big YES on that one. There are talks about a first show this winter, but nothing confirmed yet, but we definitely plan to do a few gigs. It will be a blast to perform the material live, and

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

Torgeir: So far – very good. To be honest we’re a bit overwhelmed with the reviews so far. To some extent the reception of Anomic Nation has been a “reality check” for us – the material has been with us for so long time that we to some extent had lost the ability to judge it properly, and due to the long periods of passivity we needed this “reality check” to see if it was worthwhile to keep on doing this. Also, your question is a good one because I think we appeal to quite a diverse fanbase. Traditionally we have not been so well received among fans of straight ahead, clinical prog metal, but this time around we have seen very good reviews from both prog metal, heavy and extreme metal people as well. For that matter – the other day I heard someone recommend to us that we should aim our music at the LGBT community – so maybe that’s where we are heading next :-D

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

Torgeir: Oh, quite a lot actually. Eirik is making a living singing in some of Norway’s most respected choirs, as well as solo concerts, theatre work etc, and Andreas and Carl are very busy with both Troll, Urkraft, Endezzma, Unspoken and other projects, both working on new albums and touring in both Norway and Europe. In the end Sarpedon definitely benefits from this – we are a much better band, both individually and as a whole, now than we were in 2008.


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

Torgeir: More of everything! To quote a certain hero of mine: “MORE IS MORE” J The riffs will be even heavier, the choirs will be bigger, the extreme metal influences will be more evident.

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?

Torgeir: In no specific order – Savatage, Nevermore, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Queen, Emperor, Broadway and West End musicals, Mayhem, Rainbow, Blind Guardian, Judas Priest, Pantera, The Beatles etc. etc. etc. At the moment I’ve been listening a bit to the new Sanctuary album (but to be honest I’m a bit disappointed), as well as rediscovering a totally random set of bands – Lefay, Tad Morose, Old Man’s Child, and Anaal Natrakh. I’d forgotten how good all of them were.

12. What are some of your non musical interests?

Torgeir: Way too much – personally I live with my girlfriend and a cat bed and -toy (but no cat), and love my day job as a crime reporter at a national newspaper, as well as working out, watching Manchester United games, travelling, good food and wine, driving and reading about cars, and reading both fiction and documentaries.

Eirik: Seeing as I work as a musician full time, learning new music, rehearsing, performing and occasional travelling take up most of my time - often with my girlfriend, who also works as a singer. Other than that, I enjoy good TV, good literature and the weekly pub quiz as well as far too much football, which together occupy most of my spare time. What’s left, I waste.


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

Torgeir: For those who haven’t checked in at our Facebook page yet please do – facebook.com/sarpedonnorway – you’ll find links to a few free songs there as well as information about everything the band is up to. Also – for those who HAVE visited the page – please keep on doing it, and thank you really very much for doing so (really). It’s a certain sense of relief to finally see the album hit the streets, to good reviews as well – the feedback is what made it worth it in the end. Same to you John – thanks so much for taking the time to do both this interview and the review. We really (honestly) appreciate it.

Zero Down Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Since finishing up the recording and getting all the artwork done and over to our label Minotauro  Records we have been doing press to promote the upcoming release and gearing up for our CD Release show in Seattle and playing a couple shows with Jake E Lee's Red Dragon Cartel.

2.You have a new album that comes out in December, how would you describe the musical sound of the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released?
The new record "No Limit To The Evil" is a  sure fire updated NWOBHM slab of metal done with our own twist. Very much influenced by the 78-83 era of Metal/Hard Rock. Think Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Maiden, Accept,...Lovedrive era Scorpions. Our earlier releases lean a little more towards the rock side of things with Metal tendencies but our last two releases are definitely full rooted in that era of Metal I described earlier.

3.the band members have a history in the Seattle scene since the mid 80's with previous bands, what is it that keeps the band members motivated to write new music after all of these years?
I think it boils down to the right group of people still having fun at creating together. It wouldn't work with just anyone. We're all in the same age group and love this kind of style of music and are still inspired by those bands and records from our youth/formative years. We are lucky to have each other really. No matter what is going in our lives we have band time to forget about everything else and get in touch with our inner youth...ha...ha..Plus for me you never ever get it all figured out when it comes to writing. There is always something new to discover, learn, get better at. It keeps me coming back for more.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
For the songs I tackle lyrically its usually about something I have experienced when I travel abroad. Traveling is a big part of my life so I bring those experiences into the music. Three songs on the new record are based on that. "Black Rhino" and "The Devils Thorn" (poisonous flower) both come from my trip to Africa and "Leche De Tigre" is what you drink to cure a hangover in Peru. The Milk Of The Tiger...its the good stuff when you need it bad!

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Zero Down'?
There is absolutely no meaning in our name to us really...ha...ha...when me and our singer Hawk started the band we were throwing around ideas. We both liked the sound of two word names and just started putting words together. For whatever reason that one was catchy enough and is a phrase people know either from financial association or from World War 2 with Japanese war planes being shot down.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band ha splayed over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We have been really lucky to open for some truly great bands that we love. Accept, Y&T, Michael Schenker, Paul Dianno, UDO, Diamond Head, etc...but playing a few shows with UFO was probably the highlight. Playing packed theaters with a band I loved growing up. The band and their crew were so cool to us. I mean just amazing memories.  As far as what we are like live. I think our biggest strength live is that we are having a blast up there and people see that. Sure I think we are tight and deliver when it comes to our playing but you have to entertain people and I think we can rock you and make you grin at the same time.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Right now we have our CD Release show in January and those shows with Red Dragon Cartel but we are looking into doing some touring on the West Coast with our main goal of getting to Europe to tour. It's honestly where I think we can really make a big impression as there is still a good market there for our style of metal.

8.Over the years how has the feedback been to your music by fans of both metal and punk/
You know because we play pretty up tempo and have an early Iron Maiden fire in our playing we have gone over good with both the Metal and the punk crowd. We certainly appeal to the Metal crowd better but we honestly don't get to play with many bands that are in our type of style so we just do our thing no matter what the situation is.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other bands or  musical projects these days?
Both Ronnie Banner our bass player and Matt Fox our other guitarist have Country bands they play in. Ronnie is in the Shevering Denizens and Matt is in a band called Hartwood. Chris Gohde's (drummer) old band My Sisters Machine just got back together to do a couple shows as well. One is enough for me. I don't know how they do it.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are extremely excited about the songs on the new record so I'm sure we will keep it in this vein for now. There is one song on the record "Leche De Tigre" that is a little different for us and I can see us doing a little more experimenting with heavier more dynamic material to break things up but we like to play uptempo too much for it to be more than one or two songs on a record.

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?
I mentioned a lot of our influences musically earlier. The NWOBHM was just so huge for me growing up after I had moved past 70's classic rock. Riot, Saxon, Diamondhead, Tank, Savage, you name it. But also the next Metal Movement was important as well. Maybe not an influence you can hear so much in our sound but we were all huge fans of the early Thrash years. Exodus, Megadeth, Kreator, Slayer. I will say you hear a little Mercyful Fate in us but it really goes back to the stuff that came out right before it. Today, I'll be honest there isn't a lot of new stuff that kicks my ass but I do really like the new Accept and Kreator records. The Germans still know how to do it sooo good. The newest Carcass record is really great. Lot of bands can really play good out there now but I don't hear a lot of great song writing.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
As I mentioned earlier traveling is a huge part of my life. The more remote the better for me now as most big metropolitan cities are pretty similar now. In general life experience is the best. Without stimulation man life can get pretty boring and tiring...so you have to make an effort and make time for it. As much as I love living in Seattle, I gotta get out of here periodically or I get a little cagey. Big movie fan as well. Me and my girlfriend Karla go to the Sundance Film Festival every year and try to check out as much stuff as we can all the time. Everything from Horror to Documentaries.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts/
Thoughts...well I just saw Judas Priest on Saturday and Rob Halford is up there still doing it at 63 years old. I mean I know he's making a shit ton of money up there but you can tell he still wants to be up there no matter what. It’s in his soul and I think that's indicative for most people that like Metal. My Dad kept asking me when I was going to grow out of it when I was 13 years old. I'm 49 now so I think it’s a little late for that now!

Skullwinx Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Sevi: We’re a young old school metal band from southern Bavaria, Germany.
Somehow we created our own style, which we call EPIC SPEED METAL. It’s maybe hard to imagine what this would sound like, but it really is speeded up epicness. We underline our heroic lyrics with old school riffing like Running Wild did it in the 80’s.

2.So far you have released 2 ep's and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on those recordings?
Sevi: Lenny, that’s a question for you!
Lenny: All right, the first one was rather a tryout than a real release and it was with our first singer, who quit the band quite fast. The second one “St.George” was with the same tracks plus bonus tracks and with our current singer. This one is slower and sounds more NWOBHM. One of our favorite bands SPARTA said it sounds like them 30 years ago.

And in June we released our full-length album “The Missions Of Heracles”, which is a concept album. It deals with the missions Heracles has to solve to save the souls of his family. He has to defeat different creatures, like the “Horses Of Diomedes” or “Hydra”, which is our most popular song so far.
Sevi: On this record we received the EPIC SPEED METAL sound we wanted to create.
Lenny: Yeah, It’s more … BAM!It is definitely more powerful than“St.George”.

3.Your lyrics cover some historic and mythological themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
Sevi: Yeah, we dealt with historical themes already on “St.George” and then came “Hydra” and we thought it would be cool to make more missions of Hercules.
Lenny: The missions were lyrically very good material to write songs, but it was a lot of work. Of course it’s a songwriting corset to concentrate yourself only on one theme, but the result is quite nice I think.
And I can tell you that our second album will contain a concept, too.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Skullwinx'?
*Sevi laughs*
Lenny: Ouh … that is very complex to answer. The story behind the name hides behind our add-on “The Relic Of An Angel”.
The idea deals with the question: “What is if god sends us a sign?”. We’re no white metal band, I can tell, but the topic is a good one to think about.
The name is explained in a song, which might appear on the next album.
The story of the song takes place in the middle ages. And a monk finds a piece of an angel, a bone of a wing (This is where “Skullwinx” comes from). Of course all the people want to see or even own this real proof of god’s existence. So a big battle starts, just because of this relic. At the end of the battle, when everyone is dead, this monk stands on the field with the wing in his hand and thinks about the meaning why god sent the sign. The question if it had been better when god wouldn’t have sent the evidence to earth.
Kind of cheesy-deep stuff but….hell yeah!

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Sevi: Our stage performance is very energetic and active. We have a straight leather look inspired by Judas Priest and Tank.
Our best shows so far were our release gig, because of the many people who came and the cool other bands we played with. The other awesome gig was in “our hometown”Holzkirchen, our metal family. The concerts there are relaxed and much fun.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Lenny: yes we do! We just signed at a booking agency and we hope they can deliver us great shows all around Europe.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
 Sevi: Yes we’ve received interest, but these weren’t the deals we’re looking for. Currently we want to stay free with our debut album. So we have the control about the pressing and get the full support from the fans through the sales. But it’s not easy to support yourself.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?
 Lenny: It is very interesting that many Greek fans enjoy our concept album. One may think they already know the story of Hercules, but I think they like the epic music combined with their tradition. We like them .

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
 Sevi: I think we’ll head to more speed and even more epicness! I think that Lenny can develop himself for songwriting and maybe one of these characteristics will get stronger. Well, let’s see what the future will bring.

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?
 Lenny: *heavy breathing* I can’t decide … Of course you can hear some Riot and Running Wild influences in our riffs. The rhythm changes may come from Iron Maiden. Our singer listens a lot to Blind Guardian and one can definitely hear these influences.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
 Sevi: We’re from Bavaria, so beer is an important part.
Lenny: Sevi does a lot of sports.
Sevi: And Lenny tries to!
Lenny: Hahaha. And we’re all still in the education part of our lives (school or university).

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Sevi: We’re happy that young bands are supported well in the scene and there are still people who are interested.
Lenny: So thanks for the interview!

Supernova Plasmajets 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 ep?
Our latest EP has just been released and so far the feedback we got is quite good. There are more
offers to play shows than ever before. Since playing live is the best thing in the world for us we are
more than happy to take those opportunities and conquer the world.

2. Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented
on the recording?
The whole project is to mix up modern vocal lines with the heavy guitar and synth sounds of the 80s
and that’s basically what we were going for with the latest production.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Nassi writes all lyrics for the band and the topics are mainly love, heartbreak and the troubles of
everyday life. We want to give people something they can relate to when they listen to our music.  

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Supernova Plasmajets'?
In the first place the project was just fun and games for us so we were brainstorming for something
ridiculously long. Also we wanted something related to space, science fiction and cartoons. So
'Supernova' as a symbol for power and creation was there right away and with the sci-fi theme the
word 'Plasma' came soon after. If you then remind yourself of the famous cartoon 'samurai pizza
cats' you are almost there naturally.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe
your stage performance?
To us it’s all about connecting with the crowd. We will put on a show no matter what and send you
home with a smile on your face. That said, it’s really tough to pic the best one ever. I would count the
big ass stage of 'Schlossgraben Fest - Darmstadt' and the EP-release gig among the best ones. At the
moment we are particularly looking forward to opening for our buddies Eskimo Callboy. The show is
going to be fantastic and we are planning on plasmafying almost 2000 Eskimo Callboy fans on Dec,
4th in Frankfurt.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
The EP so far is getting us loads of gigs so we definitely working out tour plans for the EP. At the
moment there is a short tour of 6 dates here in Germany going on. All the dates that are already
fixed can be found on Facebook (hit like and you'll be notified) and future shows are planned
throughout Germany up to Italy but not jet verified.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
In fact there are several labels that reacted to the EP release and the release of the video to 'Leave
Forever'. So currently we are evaluating the possibilities they give us. No decision made jet.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sleaze rock and
alternative?
Here in Germany it’s basically black or white for us. If people are in to this genre of music they love it
and are passionate about it. If they don't they are hard to come by at this point although having a hot
singer defiantly helps in winning people over.

9. When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into
musically during the future?
We are already working on new materiel while on tour so we can hit the scene with a new album late
2015. I don't think we will stray very far from what we are doing right now. The 80s vibe is what we
love so we'll stick to that for sure. A full length album obviously gives you more room for variety so
along with some up tempo songs I can see a ballad be put on there as well for example.

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?
There is really a different answer to this question for every one of us. Nassi is a die heart HIM fan and
loves Placebo and Paramore, Markus and Mourice are more into the raw sounds of Turbonegro,
Boris bangs his head to modern heavy metal bands and Andi is basically a 80s rock / classic rock guy.
We all share the love for the 80s pop-metal sound. So bands like Reckless Love, H.e.a.t. and Steel
Panther are on our private playlists.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?
Those are quite different throughout the band members. Andi plays organized hockey, Boris is all
about tattoos, Nassi does paintings and Markus and Morice are creative in digital media or work as
photographers.

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are just thankful that you guys showed interest in the project and gave the opportunity for this
interview. Final words? May the world reign in Plasma!

Pineal/Smiling Cult/2014 EP Review

  Pineal  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grunge,  stoner  rock,  progressive  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Smiling  Cult".

  A  very  distorted,  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  also brings  in  a  doom  metal  feeling  at  times  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  heavier  rock/metal  direction  along  with  some  clean  singing  grunge/stoner  rock  style  vocals  that  also  have  an  aggressive  edge  to  them  at  times.

  At  times  you  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  the  early  90's  Seattle  sound  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  sticking  mostly  to  a  slow  and  dark  sound  that  is  very  heavy  and  also  brings  in  mid  paced  sections  at  times  as  well  as  adding  element s of  progressive  metal  and  mixing  it  with  grunge,  stoner  and  modern  post  metal  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples.

  Pineal  plays  a  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  musical  style  that  brings  in  gunge  and  stoner  rock  and  mixes  in  with  the  heaviness  and  melody  of  post  and  progressive  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pineal  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  grunge,  stoner  rock,  progressive  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Theta"  and  "Acerbic".  8  out  of  10.

          

Vanish Interview

.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
RALF: Well, we were working hard on issues. We put lots of sweat and tears in the process of finding out what our main goals for Vanish are. We really wanted “the big deal”, so we completely focused ourselves to achieve this goal. Nearly every day we worked on the strategy, the positioning and how to go into the negotiation. At the end we were successful and got our sponsoring deal with the best brewery, DINKELACKER, in Stuttgart. Free beer for the band. That’s awesome! So our creativity in the songwriting will be endless now. Besides that we signed a record deal with Massacre Records, also a very nice fact. But a beer deal is the best you can get with a band. We made it! (laughs)
BASTI: We really want to spread the word and want the people to know the name “VANISH” and associate it with killer songs and quality music. So we go out have a couple of beers with our fans and try to play our asses off to recruit more and more fans.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound of the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
RALF: I think we have grown up and we have found our style now. Our old songs are way more influenced by classical 80s metal. Not bad, but we wanted the good old music to sound refreshed and modernized. So some years ago we changed our sound more into modern metal with 7 string guitars, samples and loops. So today you can hear the good old trademarks of the 80s with guitar riffs, great solos and nice melodies combined with newer, harder elements that give the music the “ass-kick factor”.
BASTI: We try to be the real deal and stand behind the songs we have put out on this album. There is not one song that I consider a filler. So from the get go we wanted to make a balanced album that has lyrical and musical themes that come and go. Some of these recurring themes are very subtle, but we have always wanted to make a record that people can listen to dozens of times and still discover new things.

3.I have noticed that the album title is the same as the 2010 ep, how is the concept of the new album related to the ep?
RALF: Correct, the EP was recorded in 2010. This pre-EP of the album was a first try to define our new style. After we recorded and published the EP we sent it to some labels and online mags to receive some feedback. We wanted to get an idea if our new style is welcome in the scene. After many positive results and some offers we decided to continue that way. Over the next 2 years we wrote new songs and recorded the whole album COME TO WITHER.
BASTI: We rerecorded the tracks from scratch, so there is no leftover material on the new album. We have had some lineup trouble before 2010, so that year was really the formation of the band you can hear and see today.

4.There has been only a small amount of releases from the past during its 14 years, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?
RALF: As I mentioned already the band was initially a much more traditional metal band. After the SEPARATED FROM TODAY record we decided to refresh our music. That took a while and we had some discussions and lineup changes. When we decided what way to go, there was a lot of work in writing new songs and redesign the whole identity. We have also high expectations to our own quality, we don´t want to release songs which we do not support 100%.
At the end we now have the perfect lineup for VANISH. Our musical skills are pretty equal, we know exactly where we want to go and the chemistry between us is very good.
BASTI: Everyone asks about the 14 years. But we had different projects and day jobs. So before 2010 VANISH was never the priority, as we never really considered it to be that relevant and successful. But when we found our lineup we realized that people really dig what we are doing. We rarely played a gig without great response from the audience. So we decided “Let’s do this!”

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
BASTI: The concept of the record pretty much deals with today’s corruption of society through fundamentalism for example or power struggles that in the end will make the world a worse place to live on. So we express this in an extreme metaphorical way through the apocalyptic allegory in the songs and the artwork. But it is not a hopeless or depressing record. It is basically about the ability of humanity to redeem itself and pull itself out of this mess. So it is not a concept record, but most or all of the songs very loosely with these ideas. However, I believe we did not make it sanctimonious or preachy, you can still shout the lyrics after ten beers (laughs).

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vanish'?
RALF: We had a first lineup change and a complete new direction of our music from hardrock to metal in 2000, so we were looking for a new name. It is really hard to find a good name for a band. The name has to be unique and good to remember. After checking out many possibilities and some internet research we find out that there is no other metalband that is called Vanish. We also like that you can play with the meaning in some lyrics. So we committed to this name. After that a big and famous company for chemicals has been inspired by our music a band name that they decided to bring out cleaning products to promote our music. We appreciate this marketing and promotion support, worldwide. So our record-sales will soon shoot through the ceiling.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
BASTI: I think our music works best in medium sized venues – if they are full (laughs) But our music has some big, epic moments, so we benefit from big lighting and huge speakers. But we like to be still close to the fans and really have fun.
We consider our performance to be very grounded and in your face. We have no bells and whistles or theatrical performances. We want to show real emotion in our performance everything else would get in the way. So we go out and rock, cry, shout and jump – then we hope everyone is happy and tired.
RALF: Of course it was very cool to support the big names like Queensryche, but I prefer the smaller shows in clubs. There is way more energy and feedback from the fans. Our stage performance is pretty crappy. We are all ugly and old and nobody likes to move on the stage. It is so boring, you have to come to a gig and see this!



8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
RALF: We are playing some shows in the region to promote our album. Touring is rather difficult for us because all of us are working in day jobs J. We will concentrate 2015 to play some festivals.
BASTI: WACKEEEEEN!!! (laughs)

9.The new album had the singer of Primal Fear as a quest,  can you tell us a little bit more about his performance and contribution on the album?
RALF: We first had no contact to Ralf Scheepers, our engineer Axel Heckert showed him some of our tracks in the Studio while we were recording. Ralf liked the music and offered to sing a little bit on the record as a favor. We of course appreciated this offer and send him some playbacks. We also met him in our rehearsal room to have a DINKELACKER and listen to the great Rock Star stories he told us. We are very happy with the result, it sounds great and it is the icing on the cake.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of power and progressive metal?
RALF: So far the feedback is way better than we all expected. The reviews are great and we already see a growing fanbase on facebook and twitter. We were pretty surprised what songs are the favorites of the people that reviewed us. Our impression is differing constantly. And we were not sure if there will be critique of the variation in our music. We expected that the journalists write something that we would have no clear style. But we like the issue that nobody can put us in a single category, very good to write interesting music for different metal people.
BASTI: We are really happy. But we have a bone to pick with one of the big magazines (laughs)

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
RALF: We completed our style and trademarks since we were composing the Come to Wither songs. We like the music we write ourselves and want to keep the style pretty similar to Come to Wither. That means our new Songs are having some progressive, some rock, some powermetal parts as well as we continue to metal it up a little bit with more thrash. We want to keep our songs and records interesting and innovative so the modern party with some electronics, samples and loops will rest, but on the other hand we don´t want to hide our origin and try to include the good old classic metal.  We try to put this balancing act on CD, which I think, was successful so far.
BASTI: Ralf put it very well. I think from my point of view, we will have a bit more programming go on. So the keys will be more programmed than played, as we switched in our live shows from live keyboards to backing tracks. So I think we will incorporate more loops and electronics to accompany our killer riffs. We have a lot of ideas. I think the next one will be the longest song we have ever recorded. Lyrically it will go into a more psychological direction. What makes us human and why are some people not functioning in the world.

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?
RALF: This is not an easy question because everybody from us has different influences. We all started listening to metal in the 80s and 90s (except Tommy, he already started in the early years of metal because he is very old).When we were teenagers metal was in the “speed and loudness” phase. We listened to the German power metal heroes like Blind Guardian, Running Wild, Helloween. After that the US Power Metal and the Scandinavian bands was our music. As a musician you are getting better and with this development your claim to the music becomes more and more progressive. We all like the Prog heroes and like listening for example to Queensryche, Savatage, Dream Theater and Symphony X. In the last few years we (re-)discovered many great thrash bands like Testament, Kreator, Artillery, Exodus and of course the mighty Slayer. Last but not least there is a big influence by melancholic bands and modern metal bands. As you can see there are lot of different influences that also take place in our music. At the end we all prefer melodic songs with interesting arrangement and a good groove.
BASTI: When I came to VANISH I was pretty much done with metal. I listened to it religiously when I was a teenager, but then I moved on to other influences – more into the 70s (Gentle Giant, Yes, Kansas, etc.) and pun krock. Currently I am really into folk and singer/songwriter stuff. So if you listen closely you can find all these influences in our music. If you sing and play piano or keys…metal is not your first influence. I am also a huge Beatlemaniac.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
RALF AND BASTI: DRINKING BEER!


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
RALF: First of all I l want to thank you for your support, additionally I like to recommend our Video “SILENCE”  HYPERLINK "http://youtu.be/gwIcFa975h4" http://youtu.be/gwIcFa975h4 to your readers. Visit us on facebook or twitter and drop us a comment.

Answers: Bastian (vocals) & Ralf (drums)

Savage Master interview

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



We just got back from a short U.S. Tour to promote our debut album, “Mask of the Devil.” We had a blast doing it. Now we are back to working on new material and planning for the next tour. In both we will go to new places. We are very excited for what the future holds.



2.In October you had released a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?



This album hearkens back to a raw, old-school occult heavy metal sound. We wanted to make music that clearly stands for itself, music that is fun to listen to and memorable, stuff that champions the strengths of the old days into new days.



3.On the fb page you had labelled your music as NWOTHM, can tou tell us a little bit more about the tag?



We carry the heavy metal traditions of the 80's into the 21st century for fans who have always loved the old stuff and to hopefully spark some newer fans to look back and dig music with passion rather than just taking what is handed to them.



4.Your lyrics cover some satanic and occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these subjects?



Ever since I was a child everything I loved was said to be of Satan, so that means I need to be grateful to him. We enjoy what is beneath the surface, what few people understand. If you love satan and you don't care, we are here. If you are offended, then we are giving you exactly what you are looking for as well.



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



 Adam and I wracked our brains trying to think of a good name. We were listening to music and heard the words in a song and it seemed like the perfect name for us. We thought of a few others and it remained the strongest and we could not find another band of the name so it was ours.



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



 From my standpoint the most important thing in a show is the connection with the audience. When they bang their heads along, when they recognize the cover we play, when I can point the mic to them and they know what to do, these are the times that I can feel their enthusiasm for heavy metal and that takes the show to a magical place. Chicago has been a stand-out place for us in terms of how well the two shows we have played there went. Well we hope our stage performance is captivating and fun but that's for the audience to interpret and decide.

7.I know the band has recently done a tour but are there any plans for a more bigger tour in the future?



We do plan on doing a bigger U.S. tour next year and hopefully do some international touring as well. We have heard from fans from many countries asking us to come closer and play and we feel this desire mutually. We hope to get the chance to meet our fans from every part of the world if at all possible.



8.The new album was released on Skol Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?



Skol Records was founded in 2009, by Bart Gabriel. They release official reissues of classic, rare and forgotten albums. Beginning with Savage Master, they have started releasing the material of new bands as well with focus on the new wave of traditional heavy metal. Their goals are aligned with ours in terms of spreading and keeping traditional heavy metal alive and thriving for metal fans to enjoy.



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



 The feedback I have seen and heard has been mostly positive in the online metal community, more positive than we expected. There are times when there are criticisms mingled within a mostly positive review and that is a very good thing that we appreciate. It is good to hear, whether we agree or will be affected by it or not. We are not delicate flowers. No one is perfect and everyone has different tastes. Gotta take the bad with the good.



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



 I see our songs becoming even stronger, more anthemic at times, exploring more territories. I think things will be more solid. The best is ahead of us, definitely. No drum machines, ever.



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?



 Nowadays I am listening to Uriah Heep, Black Oak Arkansas, Amulet, Slasher Dave, Manowar, Orion's Sword,  Lana Del Rey, Loretta Lynn, I like listening to these 60s garage band compilations; Back from the Grave and Nuggets and more. I'm a bit all over the place in my listening habits as you can see.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



  I am interested in a lot of things, mostly in learning about things that I feel I do not know enough about. I am interested in culture particularly from the 60's- 80's. Movies - horror films, exploitation films, documentaries, musicals, art-films, --anything that can scare, shock, offend me or make me think, feel or laugh. I am interested in art -paintings, architecture, photography. I am interested in life forms- deep sea creatures and all plants, animals and fungi. I often ponder life’s toughest questions. I find resolution in the fact that there is not always resolution. I like to read mostly non-fiction. I like to learn about topics such as the occult, history, the decomposition of human bodies, how to do things and all kinds of other stuff.



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



Thank you ExtemeUndergroundMusicZine for the interview! Thank you to all of our fans worldwide!!!

Kouzin Bedlam/Longing For The Incomplete/Inverse Records/2014 CD Review

  Kouzin  Bedlam  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy,  progressive  and  pop  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Longing  For  The  Incomplete"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Inverse  Records.

  Sounds  of  war  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  that  are  also  used  on  later  songs  which  leads  up  to  a  very  heavy  guitar  sound  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  and  symphonic  metal  sound  which  also  brings  in  a  huge  amount  of  80's  influences  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  that  are  very  close  to  hair  metal  while  the  music  is  slightly  heavier  than  that  genre.

  You can  hear  some  heavy  and  power  metal  elements  being  mixed  in  with  an  80's  style  AOR  hard  rock  sound  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  true  metal  edge  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  are  also  a  few  power  ballads  being  added onto  the recording  as  the  album  progresses.  

  At  times acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  band  also  mixes  in  modern  symphonic  and  prog  metal  element s into  an  80's  style  of  hard  rock  and  metal  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  elements  of  90's  alternative  metal  into  the  albums  musical  style  while  some  of  the  other  ones  seem  to  be  influenced  by  thrash  and  speed metal.

  Kouzin  Bedlam  combines  a  variety  of  many  different  metal  and  rock  style  together  and  brings  out  a  sound  that  is  progressive,  retro  yet  modern  all  at  the  same  time,  the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology,  spirituality,  psychological  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kouzin  Bedlam  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy,  progressive  and  pop  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Accusation  Of  Job"  "Shadows In  The  Dark"  "Return  To  The  Caves"  and  "Longing  For  The  Incomplete".  8  out  of  10.

        

Desert Near The End/Hunt For The Sun/Metal Scrap Records/2014 CD Review

  Desert  Near  The  End  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  an  epic  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Hunt  For  the  Sun"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  then  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  fast  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  melody  is  added  into  both  the  riffs  and  vocals  and  also  mixes  power  and  thrash  metal  together.  

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  a  very  melodic  80's  style  power/speed  metal  sound  to  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  songs  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  epic  structures  into  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  power/thrash  metal  sound  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  shows  clean  playing  making  a  comeback  for  a  few  seconds.

  Desert  Near  The  End  plays  a  style  of  power/thrash  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  heavy  while  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  epic  structures  as  well  as  having  a  slight  early  90's  sound  at  times  that  is  very  close  to  the  earlier  Iced  Earth  albums,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark themes.

  In  my  opinion  Desert  Near  The  End  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  heavy/thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Across  The  River"  "Angel  Of  The  Deep"  and  "A  Distant  Sun".  8  out  of  10.      

  

fubear 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 ep?
1. Hey  Currently we are playing gigs in support of the new EP. We've also been practising like hell and are working on new songs too.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your previous recording?
2. This time the overall sound is a little gloomier and perhaps slightly heavier compared to our earlier release "First Time You're Alive". Someone could also state that it's a bit more stonery. Perhaps the most important thing is that the new EP, Hopeless, sounds more like we actually sound live. Hell, the hidden track is a live recording!

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
3. fubear. lyrics in general are about feelings, ideas and views of the world. Perhaps in the new release, Hopeless, the mood of the lyrics is a bit darker than before. Santeri, who writes the lyrics, chooses not to reveal too much about the lyrics of the songs, as he feels that lyrics should be open to interpretation.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'fubear'?
4. Long story short: before we had a drummer, Martti (guitar) and Santeri (vocals, bass) watched this Canadian movie called Fubar. It's about two headbangers who drink beer and break stuff. Later on, Santeri said that if Martti was an animal, he would be a fubear. So there you have it! It doesn't mean anything and it's a reference to a movie about beer drinking, so there couldn't possibly be a better name for the band. We actually watched the movie with Vellu (drums) just a few weeks ago. He liked it!

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. Opening for Red Fang in our hometown was just amazing. It was our fourth gig, so that was pretty big at least for us! The gig was good and Red Fang were really nice, so we have warm memories about that. More recently we played in our Hopeless EP record release show, and we had a fucking blast! Overall, we try to be as tight as possible live. fubear live shows are energetic and a bit tongue-in-cheek. We really enjoy being on stage and we hope that it shows! The feedback from our fans has been very positive about our live shows.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. Well, of course, we would like to play live as much as we can. We have some shows coming up in Finland next year, and we have also talked about getting our funky asses to tour somewhere in Europe, perhaps Germany or something. But since we don't have a label or anything, it would be a DIY-kinda tour and needs a lot of work to book the gigs etc. Of course if we get discovered by a label it's gonna be a totally different ball game. So we'll see what happens.

7.Inverse Records released your ep on digitla format, are there any plans in the future to release your music on either vinyl or compact disc format?
7. Both EPs have been pressed on CD, however we're talking about small pressings for promotional purposes mostly. There's still a limited edition CDs left, which you can order from Record Shop X. They ship worldwide! Vinyl would be very cool and it would really showcase the awesome artwork Sirpa Varis has done to all our releases. We have to look into that..

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of grunge and stoner rock?
8. The new EP hasn't been out even for a week now, so it's pretty hard to say. It's our first proper release with Inverse so it's the first one to get reviews outside of Finland. We've only had a few reviews so far, but mostly they have been pretty good.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9. We have started writing our debut album, but we still have a shitload of work to do before we could even talk about heading back to studio. First lets see what happens with the release of Hopeless. We haven't talked about where we're heading musically, but most likely the new stuff is also going to be fuzzy, raw, full-on rock n' roll, cos' that's what we do. Of course, we are constantly improving as musicians and as a band so there is definitely some awesome shit coming your way.. Beware of the bear..

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?
10. When Martti and Santeri started the band, they talked about playing some sort of grunge, influenced by Soundgarden and Alice in Chains and stuff like that. When they got Vellu to join the band, there was already talk about having some Kyuss influeces etc. But since we really started to play and make our own songs, we kinda quit comparing our stuff to any other. Sure, there are influences here and there, but now we just like to do our own thing. We got a nice connection with each other, so it's easy just to jam and play something that we all find cool. We all listen to all kinds of music. Lately, Martti has been into doom, "retro rock" and some a little more occult stuff, like Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, Mount Salem, Electric Wizard, Conan, Graveyard, Seremonia, Witchcraft, Horisont etc. Santeri used to listen to a lot of metal some years ago, but nowadays prefers softer rock bands. Some of his favorites include Soundgarden, Beck, Father John Misty, Bruce Dickinson, Audioslave, Pink Floyd and Queens of The Stone Age + many others. Drummer Vellu listens a lot of music from different genres, from stoner rock to funk, especially likes psychedelic and groovy stuff. Lately Vellu has been listening to the new Monster Magnet records (Last Patrol & Milking the Stars), new power trio KXM, new & old Funkadelic, a lot of Clutch, and to mention some other big ones for Vellu: Nine Inch Nails, Suicidal Tendencies, Public Enemy, James Brown...

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. Beer & kebab.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. May the bear be with you! Hopefully we can play our music live to people all over the world. Meanwhile, listen to us in Spotify (you can find our earlier release there too!) or buy our EP from a digital store and give us your support, if you can! Thanks for the interview, John, we appreciate it!

Superflesh Interview

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

Superflesh is a hard rocking motherfucking ensemble of lighthearted music lovers. We’ve all done a good career in music with a bunch of other bands and Superflesh is our idea of having fun and letting the creative juices flow free.

2.Recently you have released and ep, 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 last EP Fleshbox (2012) and the new EP LOVE (2014) are a good match musically. Our history is rather long, starting all the way back in 2001. The musical idea has always been to walk the line of metal, hard rock, punk and a pinch of glam and sleaze. In our current installation this has crystallized as retro-influenced rocking metal. We're oozing 80's from our pores and the smell of David Hasselhoff is quite strong around us. Still, we refuse to fit any molds. We infuse a lot of different flavors in our stew and that comes out like the craziness in 'Rock Out With Your Cock Out' and 'We're Gonna Superflesh All Over You'.

3.The band has been around since 2001 but so far have only released 3 recordings, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

In 2001 this band started as a therapy group for Tyrannosaurus Sex and Jonas, who was the drummer in the early days. After bouncing around the walls for the following five years eventually an EP called 'Too Stoopid to Live, Too Dumb to Die' saw light of day in 2006 with X-0 Wylde on guitars and Mike Vodka on vocals. Then life happened and musical interests were promoted with other bands. TS and X-0 made Flesh-music through the years though and after many twists and turns 'Fleshbox' started happening. At this point the name of the band changed to 'Superflesh' and along for the ride were Gulliver 5000 on drums and Penos Emporio on vocals. After the release of 'Fleshbox', X-0 moved to Dubai to play and coach hockey (true story). Turbo-Ragnar took up the duties on rhythm guitar and Nick the Dick was instated as the band's stuntman. Fleshbox was released in 2012 and LOVE in 2014. New material is in the making, so one could state that the band has found its true form in the last three years and is really picking up the pace.

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

Our hyper-masculine approach on everything we do takes up a sweaty, hairy and ballsy form. Whatever we sing about is so butch even Tom of Finland would be ashamed. With titles like 'Rock Out With Your Cock Out', 'We're Gonna Superflesh All Over You', 'Kings of the Street', 'Get Ready (to Fuck) and 'Mustachio' you don't have to ask what we're on about, but with other tracks we like to explore different angles of pop culture. 'Godzilla Jesus' and one of our older tracks 'Knight of the Night' are takes on known fictional figures and this is something we'll continue to do until the grave.

5. The band was originally known as 'Flesh', what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Superflesh'?

Times are a-changing and so are the men. After many line-up changes and even philosophich changes we wanted to cement the new beginning with a name change. We didn’t want to jump too far from our roots though, so we ended up keeping the original name in the new name as well.  Very convenient.


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

Touring is a bit of a pickle for us currently, as Turbo-Ragnar lives in Berlin and the rest of us in the Helsinki region in Finland. There are plans of course, but we'll have to see when we start realizing them. It might be first after the next EP that we'll run amok across Europe. We’ll see. When we hit the stages, we want to do it properly.


8.The ep was released on Elitbolaget, how did you get in contact with this label and also how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

Elitbolaget is a group of musicians interested in promoting good music in releases and shows. Some of the the Superflesh guys are a part of the group, so it was a natural move to release the new EP through Elitbolaget.


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

The interest is constantly growing and hardcore fans are popping up here and there. A Berlin-based musician decided to do a modern metal cover of our heavily 80's influenced song 'Get Ready (to Fuck)', which in itself already was a tribute/cover of oldschool tracker legend Lasse Öörni's tracker-tune. The reviews for LOVE have been mostly positive as well, so we look at the future with bright eyes.


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

A full-length album is in our thoughts. We already have the drums recorded for the next EP, scheduled for release in 2015, so perhaps after that? Musically it's going to be a nice mixture of 80's cliché rock and metal, 70's influences (especially on the guitars) and a wide variety of crazy; including blatant Turbonegro and Electric Six rip-offs and Mike Patton on mescaline kind of grooves. So basically you throw in these and a good dose of Judas Priest and there you have it.


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?

If you'd look at our record shelves you'd find us quite schizophrenic (which to be honest I think most of us are); there's metal, jazz, blues, rock, punk, ambient, disco, etc. Furthermore all of us have quite different tastes in the direction of rock and metal. However it boils down to the common denominators of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Roky Erickson, Turbonegro, Electric Six, The Skreppers, etc. These are our building blocks. If it sounds good and feels crazy, it’s an influence for us.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

It'd be fun to say something incredibly deep, profound and cultural, but I think it all boils down to sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Well, those are the interests, but mostly I think we spend our times whacking off in the candlelight, sobbing and drinking our arses off. If it’s not whacking off, then it’s probably watching movies and drinking, or going for a good ole drink at the local pub. I’d say we drink a lot.


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

Even though we are ridiculous, don’t take us for a silly ploy. We always incorporate a deeper message in the things we do and it is up to you as a listener to decipher what we really are about.

Avenger Interview

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

Ian:
Hi , yeah we have been busy gigging also planning our own promo campaign for the albums release. A few weeks ago we just finished recording a promo video for the album , its for the song Killers the only cover on the album. Its a real eye opener we think and we are looking forward to every ones opinion when it goes out on 18/11/14




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


Gary:
I would identify the sound and style as very typically English and traditional ...The songs we picked were
 specifically because we believed them to have a very English feel with maybe a hint of thrash in places , we were also very conscious of an obvious continuation from our last studio album too even to the extent we would play songs from the past back to back with new songs just to see how comfortable they felt ...I have to say the fit was obvious to anyone who heard the songs presented this way. The material differs because we are now a five piece and have two guitars , back in our early incarnation we were a four piece ,who curiously always wanted to be a two guitar band , like Maiden , Judas Priest , Accept ect we just couldn't find the right guy at the time back then


3.The band was broken up for 20 years, what are your thoughts on the way metal evolved during that time and also where do you feel you stand in today's metal scene?

Ian:

Metal has evolved and branched out into fragmentary genres , its something we never imagined happening back n 83!!! but that's how it is I think we would prefer everything to be under the description of Metal than a thousand sub genres but we are where we are , due to this I think we stand solid within the "genre" of underground UK NWOBHM .
(unlike Maiden and Def Leppard  who are very big but of the NWOBHM)




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

Gary:
This album covers a lot of ground lyrically.  . from doubting the word of organized religion on one song , to deep space exploration , seeking intelligent life and the answer to or own origins on another!!!!   Its complex and a product of storing ideas that would be good for song ideas for a few years prior to writing this album LOL I think we have read a few more books since we were young songwriters!!



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

Gary:
Back in he early days , Brian Ross , Mick Moore and I had played together in another band that didn't work out and we decided to form our own band which became Avenger and maybe Avenger was us deciding we would avenge a situation we were unhappy with as we were frustrated with the earlier band....It felt that way at the time!!



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?

Ian:
Ah its difficult , there's been loads of great shows ,  however I will name three of my personal favorites
Supporting Y&T in 2005 at he old London Astoria before it was demolished , it was a sold out show and we had not long re-formed , we got an awesome reaction and I then knew 100% it was worthwhile getting back together.

 Playing at HOA Germany 2007 which was the first time we played any real amount of new material . Gary and I were very worried  how the songs would be accepted but the crowd loved them and It was a very big deal to us all , that we could write convincing new material that the fans of the band could still identify with.

I would like to add our last festival as my third choice which was the "Rock you to Hell festival in Athens Greece.... great people , great line up and organization and for a city we had never played in before a killer reaction from the Hellenic metal fans for Avenger.

Our stage performance....that's easy...no bullshit down to it.....in the style of our hero's  Riot , The Rods , Raven ect...no tinsel no gimmicks.

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

Gary:
Yes we will be out on tour in Europe in March and October 2015 with summer festivals in between , we are currently working on returning to both South and North America too.



8.On the new album you did a cover of Iron Maiden's "Killers", what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?

Ian :
No deliberate decision to do it , we had covered it live for years and knew we done a good version of it. We recorded it and because the recording come out well we used it thats all.



9.The new album was released on Rocksector Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Ian:

They are a family run label from Manchester UK who supports old school UK metal , amongst their current artists are Avenger (of course) Tygers of Pan Tang , Tysondog , Absolva and a good 12 more , It looks like they are expanding into even more acts for 2015.



10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the newer music by fans of metal?

Gary:
Feedbacks been 100% positive and what's more positive is more and more young people discovering our music , its is no longer a nostalgia situation. It has a future and continuity.


11.What is going on with some of the other musical projects or bands these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Ian:
Here we go . I do not have any side musical projects , Sean and Liam our guitarist's have recently joined UK Maiden tribute band Maiden England , Gary plays in an Old School style Death Metal band called Repulsive Vision a bit like Atheist or Exhumed to listen too  , Ian "FUZZ Fulton our bass plays plays in classic rock covers band called Sweet Sympathy.


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

Gary:
We intend to remain loyal to our NWOBHM roots... and anyone who likes albums such as Iron Maiden 1 , Saxon Wheels of steel mixed with a hint of thrash will need to check out our future releases because that's how we will be thinking when we write.


13.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?

Ian:
I Think we have tried not to be influenced too much on what we have done recently and concentrated on ourselves , how we sounded back then , how we may have sounded if we hadn't split up in 86 and how we dont want to sound!! and what to avoid.
I think these days we listen to all kinds of stuff...literally from 70's classic rock to more modern bands. None of us are really in love with the very modern metal scene though....Black Veil Brides...fucking Baby Metal ect...what the fucks that about!!


14.What are some of your non musical interests?
Avenger:
               Liam:
               Body building , martial arts , chilling with my girlfriend and computer gaming

               Ian:
               Restoring classic English motorcycles

               Sean:
               Reading especially anything conspiracy related , and boxing
 
               Gary:
               Collecting militaria from both world wars , Sea Anglng , Field Sports , Archery and reading.

               Fuzz::
performing stunts (see me on youtube) fire breathing and even though this is supposed to be a non musical answer , collecting guitars.

 

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

              Gary:
                Thanks everyone for the continuing support!!! The new Avenger album "The Slaughter Never      Stops" is released December 1st , check it out and see you in 2015