This Sun No More Interview

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

We're a 7 piece post-metal band from the midlands just getting ready to release our debut EP "Segments" April 17th. All our songs are about hell.


2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
"Segments" is a few songs plucked from a concept we're in the process of writing based on Dante Alighieri's "Inferno", in which he presents hell as a series of circles each one representing a different sin. So we used that landscape and the punishments administered in the circles to write the music.

3.The band has been around since 2008 but waited until 2015 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait?
In short we just weren't ready. We've written and then scrapped and re-written these songs so many times over, the version of Storm on "Segments" is it's third incarnation and I think we're finally at a point now where we're playing music that we'd really enjoy as a listener. Added to that we've had a bit of a carousel of members in the past I think we're onto double figures with bassists now, our third drummer, second maybe third synth player it's really starting to feel settled now though.

4.Unlike most bands, the band has 7 members, do you feel this adds more to the originality that comes out of the music?
I'm not too sure about originality, it certainly keeps things interesting we only recently added our 7th member, our friend Charlotte to provide more vocals and it really feels like the last piece of the puzzle. Having seven members can make writing a little bit of a nightmare but it's definitely worth it in the long run.

5.What are some of the lyrical themes the band brings into the music when vocals are actually used?
Hell, haha yeah sometimes we'll use passages taken from "Inferno" or use the imagery from Inferno to write our own lyrics.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Sun No More'?
I guess it's the whole hell theme again, end of days and what not. If I'm honest it wasn't very inspired haha we all kinda liked it and it just stuck.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Last year was a pretty busy one for us gig wise, we had the chance to play with some great bands, playing with the brilliant OMSQ who are from Belgium was definitely a high point and we played a few shows with Structures who we've become fast friends with.
Like you already said we're a pretty large band and that's definitely reflected live, we have a big sound, it can get pretty intense.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We're releasing "Segments" in April so we're just in the process of booking gigs a bit further from home to push that and a few minor festivals throughout the spring and summer.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We've kept a pretty low profile for the last few years till we felt we were ready, we planning on gigging for the next year or so and hopefully play to a wider audience and then see what interest we can muster from labels.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive and post metal?
I'll let you know haha we've only had one song up to listen to for the past year which was "Storm" and we've had a really positive reaction from that, we're hoping "Segments" is as well received

11.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
If we keep up the rate we have been the last year as far as recording goes probably sometime early next century. Like I said "Segments" is a couple of songs from the full length we're working on called "In Circles", it'll have 9 tracks each one representing a circle of hell, all of the songs are pretty much written now we just need some more time to get them well rehearsed and we'll hopefully begin recording about this time next year. After that I've already started messing around with riffs for the next concept EP which will be based on Pokemon, much to the dismay of our bassist I'm deadly serious.

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?
Black Sabbath, if you're playing in a metal band you're influenced by Black Sabbath that's a given haha, Neurosis are definitely a big influence on us musically as well as are Isis (the band obviously).
My music taste hasn't really had chance to settle down recently I've been listening to Have a nice life a lot recently and YES and they make for pretty odd bedfellows

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
We're all pretty avid readers, hence the strong literary influence in our music

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
San Dimas highschool football rules!

Shroud Eater/Face The Master/Primitive Violence Records & Visual/2015 EP Review

  Shroud  Eater  are  a  band  from  Miami,  Florida  that  plays  a  very  heavy  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Face  The  Master"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Primitive  Violence  Records  &  Visual.

  Spoken  word  and  horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  ep  and  after  a  few  seconds  a  heavy  sludge  sound  along  with  aggressive  shouting  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  that  also  have  a  melodic  tone  to  them  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  the  energy  of  hardcore  punk  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  a  great  amount  of  doom  metal  elements.

  Clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  sticks  mostly  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  stoner  rock  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  guitars  also  mix  in  some  melody  into  both  the  heavy  parts  and  guitar  leads  on  the  2  songs  that  are  present  on  this  ep.

  Shroud  Eater  creates  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  mixture  of  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  on  both  of  these  tracks  and  mix  retro  influences  in  with  more  of  a  modern  and  heavier  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Shroud  Eater  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Face  the  Master".  8  out  of  10.

Satori Junk/Self Titled/Taxi Driver Records/2015 CD Review

  Satori  Junk  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  psychedelia,  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2015  album  which  was  released  by  taxi  Driver  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  which  also  appear on  some  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  very  heavy  sounding  bass  guitar  a  few  seconds  later  which  leads  up  to  a  70's  style  doom  metal  sound  and  elements  of  psychedelia  and  the  vocals  that  are  brought  onto  the  recording  are  clean  singing  stoner  rock  style  vocals  and  the  music  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  70's  psychedelic  rock  style  synths  are  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  riffs  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  heavy  dose  of  classic  rock  influences  and  the  songs  also  add  in  jam  sessions  at  times  that  have  an  improv  feeling  to  them  and  the  whole  atmosphere  of  the  recording  brings  in  a  feeling  of  either  a  LSD  or  mushroom  trip  and  most  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  while  the  album  does  contain  a  small  amount  of  mid  paced  parts.

  Satori  Junk  take  a  very  heavy  style  of  sludge  and doom  metal  and  mixes  it  with  stoner  and  psychedelic  rock  to  create  a  very  dark  and  heavy  drug  induced  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Shamanism,  Occultism,  Horror,  Dreams and  Nightmare  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Satori  Junk  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  psychedelia,  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Monsters"  "Shamaniac"  and  "Lord  Of  The  Pigs".  8/5  out  of  10.

   

    

This Sun No More/Segments/2015 EP Review

  This  Sun  No  More  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "Segments".

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodies  which  also  give  the  music  a  post  metal  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts.

 More  traditional  post  rock  elements  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  are  mostly  utilized  in  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  along  with  the  clean  playing  bringing  in  more  progressive  elements  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  spoken  word  parts  and  the  songs  also stick  to  a  slow  to  mid  paced  musical  direction  which  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  on  the  last  track  you  can  hear  a  touch  of  harsh  noise  along  with  some  aggressive  screams  being  added  into t he  song  halfway.

  This  Sun  No  More  plays  a  progressive  style  of  post  metal  that  is  very  dark,  melodic,  and  heavy  as  well  as  focusing  more  on  the  instrumental  side  of  things  while  there  are  some  spoken  word  parts  and  aggressive  vocals  which  are  only  utilized  rarely  and  the  production  also  sounds very  powerful  fro  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  This  Sun  No  More  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  post  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Gut".  8  out  of  10.      

Pryapisme 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?

Well, we just did a few gigs in France, ate a lot of cheese and drank a huge amount of red wine bottles. Our keyboard player, Benjamin, also played golf a little bit. We are also working a new material but the main work recently was to learn how to play live some parts of our last EP.


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 in the past?

The big difference is that it's a one and only track, longer than on our other releases, but there is still what Pryapisme is about from the beginning : many different influences, no boundaries in the composition and the arrangement process, a lot of exotic instruments and electronic sounds. Maybe this time we have used more of orchestral instruments than before. « Futurologie » is maybe more influenced by classical music and film music, that's the main difference i think.

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

We haven't got any particular theme, it's just music. It's thought to be an album with lots of visual elements but we wish the audience to find their own pictures without too much clues from us. That's how i like music : when people can feel emotions by themselves. Also we wanted to make an album to push your guests out of your house at the end of the party. When you want to be alone with your cat and drink the last whisky bottle but all those douchebags won't leave and puke here and there : You put the last Pryapisme EP in your stereo and...bingo ! In five minutes maximum, all the guests run out and say: « What a shitty music ! Your party sucks ! Let's go to next bar to listen real music like Katy Perry »


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

When we find the name in 2000, we were 17 years old, we were at college, we still had pimples all over the face… so the name Pryapisme made us laught as if we were zebus. If we begun the band today, i guess we would choose a different name. Maybe something more metalphysical like « Antic souls against the technodrome 2.0 » or « Radioactiv firmwares from the vault of Cassiopeus » and simply  « Baruch and the Spinozas »...

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?

Stage performances looks like the game « Guitar Hero » in our mind. There are lots of notes which are streamed in our cerebral cortex : if we play the most simple songs, it's ok : We are at the practice level. And when we play the hardest tracks, it's like the expert mode and the audience hears cuts and sounds of exploded guitar strings. Most of the time, when we play in concert, we just hear « boooooooohhhhh », take few dead rabbits in the face so we quit the stage to join the limo and get back to the hotel as soon as we can. Seriously, most of the show are very cool for us, the audience is  often curious about what we do. I really can't tell you what our best show was, most of them are awesome for us for many different reasons : furious audience, very good stage's sound, very  good vegan foods for the golf player and tasty saussages for the others, naked girls in front of the stage (well, ok, it never happened but fingers crossed…).  

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new release?
Yes, we wish to play the more we can. For now we mostly tour in France but we really hope to get outside our country and if possible worldwide. But it's hard to organize ! We are on it.



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

They are polite and well-educated. They don't put fingers in their noses for instance. They also signed other very good bands like « Hardcore anal hydrogen ». We share a little tour with this amazing band and they are absolutely hearty and joyful.


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

On a worldwide level it's hard to tell. We can tell that we have very positive feedbacks at our show but outside France, it's blurry for us because we don't have that much human contact with fans. Online feedbacks are pretty great. Reviews are great for now too, we are very happy, that's all i can tell you.


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

We will continue to do the music we like, that's the only certitude. Also we will try to conquer the world in a polical aspect, maybe put an end to global warming and find how to cure AIDS. We have also the secret project to transform France into an island and give to all French people an oar to travel across the world. Maybe say hello to penguins in Antarctica and drift a few years in the Pacific ocean before the end of the world.

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?

Lots of bands had influence : from German harsh electronics to Indian or Balisese traditionnal music. We all listen a lot of different styles. The big influences are maybe MrBungle and John Zorn. Here is a name-dropping list of what we listen for now in the tour bus ( to be honest : the tour van ) : Secret Chiefs 3, Chrome Hoof, Motor, Shnabubula, Gentle Giants, Guillaume Perret and the Electric Epics…

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Science, metaphysic, food, philosophy, videogames, geopolitic, movies, books, porn, wine, bier, whisky... and mainly cats.

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

Thank you and thanks to the readers. To end the interview, i would like to encourage the reader to think about our project  «  Operation Make France an island ». If you have ideas/ advices/ tools/ free time to find a way to make our dream come true, please contact us. We also accept money and donations to buy us drugs. It's for our cats : if those stupid little animals are stoned enough, i'm sure they won't eat our couches any longer.

Lifeless Interview

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

The Lifeless freight train keeps moving... Writing new songs, playing some shows here and there, but mostly preparing for the drop of the new album by lining up some week-long tours and release shows.

2.You have a new album coming out in March, 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 viscous, honest, raw, and unfiltered from beginning to end but there's something for everyone in there if you simply love heavy music. When you hear it, you'll know it's Lifeless there's no doubt about that... but a more mature, together, and together version of Lifeless.

3.This is your first full length to be released since 2011, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

A lot of shows, a lot of growing and losses (both independently as people and together as a band), and a lot of writing. Before, we would write a song and pretty much be done and have it written with it in a few hours... but we learned to take our time writing and work things out; giving them some time to breathe and see if we wanted to add, take out, or completely change anything.

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

Honestly, it's the same old Lifeless flow but much more honest and "poetic" if that's the right word. Self-hatred, disappointment, the hardcore scene, loss of friends from drugs, money, fame, betrayal etc etc... We did, however, delve a little into "worldly" issues and how the human race is destroying itself and the world we live in from the inside out, but maybe that's just the beginning of that topic. We'll see!

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

Outside of the band, the world will simply take and take and take until that's how you feel: Lifeless. Work, people, broken promises, let downs that were once dreams, and most importantly yourself can leave you not wanting to wake up the next morning.

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?

The last show we played in Philly, honestly, was the best feeling I've ever had after playing a show. The crowd was relentless and punishing and as much as people feed off of us when we're up there, we also feed off of them and their energy. From the stage to the floor, everyone lost their minds for 30 minutes and it was a powerful feeling I never want leaving my body... Oh, and we did play a chicken coop in Marlyand once earlier on in our lifespan as a band haha, no lie.

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

We have some release shows lined up in our tri-state area, a 1 week tour down the east coast to South East Beast and back, some festivals here and there, and Europe in August.

8.The new album is going to be released on Fast Break! Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It's always nice working with friends and not letting numbers, money, or other bullshit that can come up get between you. They have worked as hard on preparing for the release as we did writing it all and recording it... It's been a completely rewarding experience.

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

I'm sure there's some negative feedback out there but honestly we haven't seen very much of it. Generally, we have received great feedback and we do pretty well where ever we have played. I never dreamed that having fans in other countries was really possibly but with Lifeless we have talked to many people from every continent (...except Antartica) and knowing that our music and message have reached so many people so far from home is way more of an impact than we ever expected to have and that, too, is very rewarding and meaningful to us.

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

The core of Lifeless will never change. It will always be angry, hard, heavy, and most importantly REAL... but who knows what the future holds. I sure as hell don't. I just live the music we write like the rest of my life: one day/song at a time.

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?

On our band as a whole, I'd definitely say 100 Demons, Crowbar, Merauder, and uhhh Behemoth influence our band. Me though, I'm listening to all of that and other hardcore acts (King Nine, Turnstile, Not Til Death, Strength for a Reason to name a few) but mixing it up with some Nirvana, Fiona Apple, Mudhoney, Daylight, Alice in Chains, Banks, Helmet... Whatever floats my fancy that day I guess.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

X-files, nature, exploring abandoned buildings (or as the cool kids say, "Urbex"), data and information security... mostly shit I do by myself. I love my alone time, now... That's where a lot of this lyrical content came from was being by myself and really thinking about the person I am and the world around me.

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

Thanks to everyone who ever gave us a chance early on, to the people from that time who are still here with us today, and to anyone in general who gives a fuck about our music and our message. This may be called Lifeless, but playing and going to shows is literally the thing that makes us feel the most alive. NLFTW

Black Capricorn/Cult Of Black Friars/Stone Stallion Rex/Funeral Industries/2014 CD Review

  Black  Capricorn  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  psychedelic  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Cult  Of  Black  Friars"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Stone  Stallion  Rex  and  Funeral  Industries.

  A  very  psychedelic  and  avant  garde  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavy  doom  metal  parts  that  kick  in  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  bells  are  brought  onto  the  recording  giving  the  album  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  also  continuing  to  expand  on  the  heavy  doom  metal  from  the  intro.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  the  darker  side  of  70's  rock  in  the  bands  musical  style  at  times  along  with  the  vocals  also  being  all  clean  singing  and  having  a  sound  from  that  era  as  well  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  at  times  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  occult  atmosphere.

  A  great  amount  of  dark  and  evil  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  also  bring  in  more  of  a  retro  and  stoner  doom  metal  vibe  to  the  songs  they  are  utilized  on  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  instrumentals  on  the  recording  while  most  of  the  songs  have  vocals  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  trace  of  folk  music  and  clean  playing  can  be  heard  at  times  while  the  main  focus  remains  more on  a  heavy  style  of  doom  metal.

  Black  Capricorn  plays  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  70's  and  80's  and  also  mixes  in  a  touch  of  psychedelia  and  ritualistic  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Magick,  Mythology,  History  and  Astronomy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Capricorn  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cult  Of  Black  Friars"  "Cat  people"  and  "Arcane  Sorcerer.  8/5  out  of  10.

    

Hands Of Orlac/Figil del Crepuscolo/Terror From Hell Records/Horror Records/2014 CD Review

  Hands  Of  Orlac  are  a  band  originally from  Italy  but  relocated  to  Sweden  that  plays  an  occult  form  of  traditional  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Figil  del  Crepuscolo"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Trror  From  Hell  Records  and  Horror  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  synth  starts  off  the  album  giving  the  music  a  feeling  of  an  Italian  horror  movie  from t he  mid  70's  to  early  90's  and  after  the  intro  the  album  starts  to get  a  lot  more  heavily  and  adds  in  a  traditional  doom  metal  sound  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Flutes  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  on  the  recording  giving  the  music  a  progressive  rock  feeling  and  the  vocals  that  are  utilized  are  all  clean  singing  female  vocals  and  the  solos  and  leads  also use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  doom  metal  and the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  70's  and  90's  influences.

  Clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  few  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  alter  tracks also bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  and  the  vocals  also  throw  in  a  few  aggressive  screams  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  stick  mostly  or  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  NWOBHM  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.

  Hands  Of  Orlac  play  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  very  traditional  while  also  bringing  in  the  atmosphere  of  an  Italian  occult  horror  film  along  with  a  touch  of  progressive/folk  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own ,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror,  magic  and  evil  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hands  Of  Orlac  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burning"  "A  Ghost  Story"  and  "Mill  Of  The  Stone  Woman".  8/5  out  of  10.  

        

Blackened/Underground Attack/Witches Brew/2015 EP Review

  Blackened  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom that  plays  an  old  school  mixture of  thrash  metal  and  crossover  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2015  ep  "Underground  Attack"  which  was  released  by  Witches  Brew.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  also  goes  into  a  fast  Bay  Area  influenced  direction  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  a  few  blast  beats  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  also  uses  remain  true  to  an  80's  extreme  metal  sound  and  after  the  intro  aggressive  and  screaming  style  vocals  are  added  into  the  music.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  hardcore  punk  elements  being  mixed  in  the  bands  brutal  thrash  metal  style  which  also  gives  the  ep  more  of  a  crossover  edge  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  music  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  the  songs  have  a  very  vintage  80's  sound  to t hem  while  the  production  gives  the  music  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  along  with  a  few  back  up  gang  shouts.

  Blackened  plays  a  very  extreme  crossover  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  metal  as  well  as  showing  more  of  a  heavier  side  of  80's  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  political,  thrash  and  social  criticism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Blackened  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crossover  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Underground  Attack"  and  "Third  World".  8  out  of  10. 

Acero Letal/Veloz Invencible/Duro Metal/Witches Brew/2015 Single Review

  Acero  Letal  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2 song  single  "Veloz Invencible/Duro Metal"  which  was  released  in  2015  by  Witches  Brew.

   Drum  beats  start  off  the  single  along  with  some  old  school  speed  metal  style  riffing  and  clean  singing  vocals  that  add  in  a  touch  of  heavy  and  power  metal  and  at  times  the  music  has  the  heaviness  of  thrash  along  with  the  music  sounding  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  in  1984.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  traditional  metal  element s in  the  bands  musical  style  while  they  are  a  bit  too  heavy  for  that  genre  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  melodic  and  NWOBHM  inspired  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  bring s in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  on  both  tracks  and  the  last  song  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  keyboards.

  Acero  Letal  takes  the  heavy  and  speed  metal  genres  of  the  early  80's  and  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  thrash  to  create  some  music  that  is  very  retro,  old  school,  melodic  yet  very  heavy  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  heavy  metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Acero  Letal  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK "Duro  metal".  8  out  of  10.

Warfaith 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 are currently working on a videoclip and some new merch. We also work our new live set to promote our new album and we had to replace our bass player. Now we look for gigs !

2.You have a new album coming out in March, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the ep you had released in 2013?

First of all our personal work was stronger. We went in a professional studio (studio de la forge) to have a better sound and we decided to have better graphics for the artwork. Everything around the mere music was better and we put more money to get a final product that was extremely higher than the ep.


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

Every society’s problem

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

War and Faith mean what they mean but in fact for us it means the contrary of what they mean, which is what we 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 better gig is always the same : you don’t expect much people to come and when you start the show there are a lot people watching you, especially in small bars where energy is full
When we play on stage we just want to have fun and take pleasure in what we do and the public can feel it and gives it back to us

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

Some gigs are scheduled but we work mostly on promotion for the album. No touring is scheduled but if want to invite us in touring it’ll be a pleasure for us to come

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

We didn’t receive interest yet but why not in the near future.




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

We are not a worldwide band , but until now the feedback was always good especially because each one puts his one influence and every one can find himself in our music

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

Music will stay thrash and a little bit of death and the lyrics will be more hardcore. We don’t have a special way to play music we just play what we like to play

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?

Basically each one listens some different thrash bands : Exodus, Sepultura,Slayer…. But also other metal genres, that’s what makes our music : each one influence

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Cats! Lol, each one has his own hobbies

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

Thank you for your interest for us and our album! We hope many people will like the album.

Lightning Bolt/Fantasy Empire/Thrill Jockey/2015 CD Review

  Lightning  Bolt  are  a  band  from  Rhode  Island  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  style  of  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Fantasy  Empire"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Thrill  Jockey.

  A  very  distorted  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  once  the  bass  guitars  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  post  punk  style  clean  singing  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  hear  quite  a  bit  of  the  early  90's  noise  rock  sound  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  solos  and  leads  that  also  utilize  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  in  some  parts  but  done  with  more  of  a  structured  style  and  you  can  also  hear  traces  of  electronic  music  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  more  punk  rock  influences  being  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  a  few  tracks  that  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and most  of  the  song s stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  while  some  of  the  tracks  do  have  their  fast  moments.

  Lightning  Bolt  plays  a  style  of  noise  rock  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  while  also  being  very  melodic  and  heavy  at  the  same  time  and  they  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  experimental  and  avant  garde  noise  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sound s very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lightning  Bolt  are  a  very  great  noise  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Metal  East"  "King  Of  My  World"  "Runaway  Train"  and  "Dream  Genie".  8  out  of  10.

  

Soup Moat/Enjoy Your Hobbies/Triple Eye Industries/2015 7 Inch Review

  Soup  Moat  are  a  band  from  Wisconsin  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  noise  which  they  call  party  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  7  inch  "Enjoy  Your  Hobbies"  which  will  be  released  in March  by  Triple  Eye  Industries.

  A  very  powerful  bass  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  psychedelic  elements  and  when  the  music  gets  heavy  they  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  along  with the  energy  of   punk  and  you  can  hear  some  noise  rock  elements  in  the  more  heavy  and  aggressive  side  of  the  vocals  which  also  use  clean  singing  at  times.

  Elements  of  noise  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  speed  up  at  time s and  bring  in  a  crust  influence  and  blast  beats  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  songs  start  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  amount  of  early  80's  hardcore  punk  elements  and  when  leads  are  utilized  briefly  they  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  70's  classic  rock.

  Soap  Moat  creates  a  musical  style  that  combines  the  heaviness  of  sludge,  the  distortion  of  noise,  the  energy  of  punk  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  touch  of  psychedelia  and  the  melody  of  garage  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sound s very  raw  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Soap  Moat  are  a  very  great  sounding  party  sludge  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  this  7  inch.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Uptowner  Girl"  and  "Envelope".  8  out  of  10.

  

King Hitter/Self Titled/Plastic Head Distribution/2015 EP Review

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  King  Hitter  are  a  band  from  North  Carolina  that  plays  southern/stoner  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2015  ep  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Plastic  head  Distribution.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  stoner  rock  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  and  the  music  also  brings  in  the  energy  of  punk  rock  as  well  as  incorporating  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  heavy  southern  influenced  metal  sound in  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  melodic and  bring  in  even  more  of  a  retro  metal/rock  sound  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  the  90's  elements  of  some  of  the  other  well  known  bands  that  some  of  the  band  members  where  a  part  of  back  in  that  time  period  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  slow  and  mid  paced  parts.

  King  Hitter  plays  a  style  of  stoner/southern  metal  that  is  more  in  touch  with  the  90's  style  than  what  bands  are  doing  these  days,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  King  Hitter  are  a  very  sounding  stoner/southern  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fna  of  this  musicla  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Drone  Again"  and  "Suicide  (Is  The  Retirement  Plan".  8  out  of  10.     

Lifeless/Dream/Fast Break! Records/2015 CD Review

  Lifeless  are  a  band  from  New  Jeresy  that  plays  a  very  dark  and  heavy  from  of  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Dream"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Fast  Break!  Records.

  Wind  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  samples  from  a  very  old  style  of  music  before  going  into  more  of  an  aggressive  hardcore  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  that  almost  have  a  death  metal  feeling  to  them  and  they  also  bring  in  back  up  gang  shouts  at  times  and  in  some  sections  of  the  songs  the  music  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  style  or  mid  paced  style  of  hardcore  while  also  still  being  very  brutal  at  the  same time  while  there  are  some  fast  moments  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  add  in  influences  from  both  80's  and  90's  extreme  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  breakdowns  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  the  vocals  have  somewhat  of  a  melodic tone to  them  that  almost  borders  on  groove  metal  and  the  last  song  also  bring s in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  is  also  7  minutes  in  length.

  Lifeless  plays  a  style  of  hardcore  that  is  very  dark,  heavy  and  also  incorporates  a  touch  of  extreme  metal  which  makes  their  music  sound  more  brutal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lifeless  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  and  brutal  hardcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Truth  Of  Life  And  Death"  "Sinking"  "How Hatred  Starts"  and  "Broken  Home".  8  out  of  10.
 

    

Red Scalp/Ep. no. I/2015 Review

  Red  Scalp  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  southern  and  stoner  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep.

  A  very  melodic stoner  rock  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  quite  a  bit  of  Southern  and  70's  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  you  can  also  hear  spoken  word  parts  bring  utilized in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  done  in  a  clean  singing  style  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  some  psychedelic  elements  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  influences  from t he  Southern  metal  and  stoner  rock  bands  of  the  90's  era  in  all  of  the  tracks  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  retro  rock/metal  direction  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  bring s in  a  brief  use  of  Native   American  tribal  dances  before  going  for  more  of  s  toner/doom  metal  sound  along  with  one  of  the  songs  being  all  instrumental.

  Red  Scalp  takes  the  90's  southern  metal  and  stoner  rock  styles  and  mixes  them  with  psychedelia  and  70's  doom  metal  to  create  a  style  that  is  very  heavy,  melodic  yet  retro  all  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sound s very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics cover  dark,  real  life  and  Native  American  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Red  Scalp  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  southern  metal  and  stoner  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tatanka"  and  "Sin  City".  8  out  of  10.

  

Reign Of Fury/Death Be Thy Shepard/Static Tension Recordings/2015 CD Review

  Reign  Of  Fury  are  a  band  from  The  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015 album  "Death  Be  Thy  Shepard"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Static  Tension  Recordings.

  A  very  dark,  and  melodic  guitar  solos  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffs  a  few  seconds  later  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  which  leads  up  to  be  more  of  an  aggressive  and  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  and  the  vocals  are  also  very  melodic  yet  aggressive  at  the  same  time.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  melodies  the  band  uses  bring  in  elements  of  NWOBHM  and  some  of  the  tracks a re  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  that  are used  throughout  the  recording  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  also  bringing  in  more  of  an  80's  British  thrash  vibe  to  the  bands musical  style.

   A  couple  of  the  later  tracks  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  deep  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  which  also  give  the  music  a  brief  touch  of  death  metal  while  a  later  song  is  a  power  ballad  that  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  very  aggressive  and  melodic  style  of  thrash  metal.

  Reign  Of  Fury  plays  a  style  of  thrash  that  is  very  aggressive  yet  melodic  at  the  same  time  and  they  seem  to  be  more  heavily  influenced  by  their  British  counterparts  of  the  mid  80's  with  the  way  they  mix  melody  and  brutality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Reign  Of  Fury  are  a  very  great  sounding  aggressive  and  melodic  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Faustian  Mastery"  "Gates  of  Sanity"  and  "Death  Be  Thy  Shepard".  8  out  of  10.

    

Steel Inferno/Arcade Warrior/Inferno Records/2015 EP Re-Issue Review

  Steel  Inferno  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  very  traditional  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2  song  2014  ep  "Arcade  Warrior"  which  was  re-issued  in  2015  by  Inferno  Records.

  Video  game  music  from  the  80's  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  hard  and  heavy  metal  direction  that  also  has  its  roots  in  that  same  era  and  a  few  seconds  alter  clean  singing  female  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  30  years  ago.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  on  both  of  the  tracks  that  are  present  on  this  ep  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  that  the  band  uses  also  remain  true  to  a  pure  style  of  80's  traditional  metal  while  the  music  also  has  more  of  a  dark  edge  to  it.

  Steel  Inferno  plays  a  very  dark  and  true  form  of  heavy  metal  that  is  very  heavily  in  the  80's  and  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  melody,   the production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  video  games  and  a  darker  subject  on  the  second  track.

  In  my  opinion  Steel  Inferno  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Arcade  Warrior".  8  out  of  10.        

Booze Control/Heavy Metal/Inferno Records/2015 CD Re-Issue Review

  Booze  Control  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  traditional  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2013  album  "Heavy  Metal"  which  was  re-issued  by  Inferno  Records  in  the  year  of  2015.

  A  very  hard,  melodic  and  old  school  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  leads  that  use  melody  and  dominate  throughout  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  all  clean  singing  true  metal  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  a  heavy  NWOBHM  influence  in  the  band s musical  style  along  with  a  touch  of  German  and  American  metal  from  the  early  80's.

  There is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  present  throughout  the  recording  and  the  songs  have  a  very  vintage  80's  metal  feeling  to  them  and  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been recorded  and  released  during  that  time  frame  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them  and  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  you  can  also  hear  traces  of  speed  and  power  metal  and  some  of  the  alter  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing w hile  th e main  focus  remains  on  a  true  and  heavy  form  of  metal.

  Booze  Control  plays  a  very  true  and  pure  style  of  heavy  metal  that  takes  the  German  sound  of  the  early  80's  and  mixes  it  with  the NWOBHM  sound  of  that  era  to  create  some  very  heavy,  melodic  and  retro  sounding  headbanging  heavy  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  mythological,  heavy  metal  and  drinking  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Booze  Control  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  heavy  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Night  of  the  Drinking  Dead"  "Outlaw"  "Atlantis"  and  "Swim  With  the  Shark".  8  out  of  10.

    

Drakkar/Run With The Wolf/My Kingdom Music/2015 Double CD Review

  Drakkar  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  an  epic  form  of  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Run  With  The  Wolf"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  A  very  epic  and  atmospheric  synth  sound  starts  off  the  album  giving  the  music  a  feeling  of  a  fantasy  movie  soundtrack  and  after  the  intro  the music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  power  metal  direction  while  also  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  and  adding  in  clean  singing  vocals  which  also  uses  back  up  vocals  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  both  70's  and  80's  metal  influences  along  with  a  touch  of  progressive  rock  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  while  a  later  track  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  Celtic  folk  music  which  they  also  mix  in  with  the  metal  sound.

  As  the  album  progresses  later  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  close  the  first  side  of  the  album  with  a  very  long  and  epic  in  track  while  the  second  cd  are  bonus  tracks  from  their  first  3  albums  re-recorded  which  also  shows more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction.

  Drakkar  plays  a  style  of  power  metal  that  is  very  epic  and  rooted  in  the  80's  German  sound  but  done  with  more  of  an  up  to  date  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Fantasy,  Vikings,  and  Battles.

  In  my  opinion  Drakkar  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic/power  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Banners  Of  War"  "Ride  The  Storm"  "Gods  of  Thunder"  and  "Call  Of  The  Dragonblood".  8  out  of  10.         

Desert/Never Regret/Raven Music/2015 CD Review

  Desert  are  a  band  from  Israel  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Never  Regret"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Raven  Music.

    Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ethnic  music  elements  and  symphonic  synths  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  for  more  of  a  power  metal  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  that  dominate  throughout  the  recording  and  they  also  ad d in  elements  of  prog  metal  and  clean  singing  vocals  that  can  also  be  very  aggressive  at  times.

  The  music  goes  for  more  of  a  modern  style  of  progressive/power  metal  while  you  can  still  hear  some  influences  from  the  more  80's  side  of  the  genre  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  spoken  word  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  choirs.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  at  times  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  the  synths  also  bring  in  more  of  a  haunting  and  epic  feeling  along  with  the  solos  bringing  in  a  classic  metal/rock  style  to  the  leads  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  power  ballads  and  a  song  that  brings  in  female  vocals  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  heavy  and  melodic  power  metal  style  while  a  different  track  also  mixes  a  bit  of  folk  metal  into  their  sound.


  Desert  plays  a  progressive  style  of  power  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  modern  while  also  incorporating  the  melodic  elements  of  the  80's  bands  to  create  their  own  epic  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Fantasy,  Philosophy  Of  Life  and  Hymns  TO  Courage.

  In  my  opinion  Desert  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  mixture  of  progressive  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Assassin's  Fate"  "Never  Regret"  "Flying  Dutchman"  and  "Invincible".  8  out  of  10.
  

Teufelskries/Spuren Der Vergangenheit/NRT Records/2015 CD Re-Issue Review

  Teufelskries  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy,  hard  rock,  goth,  NDH  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2009  album  "Spuren Der Vergangenheit"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  March  of  2015  by  NRT  Records.

  A  very  hard,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some industrial  style  vocals    that  can  also  be  melodic at  times  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  EBM  and  electronic  music  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  metal  influences  in  the  heavier  side  of  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  a  touch  of  thrash  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  also  very  melodic  and  distorted  sounding  and  at  time s clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  quite  a  bit  of  the  more  commercialized  style  of  industrial  metal  that  was  very  big  in  the  mid  90's  and  they  also  do  a  power  ballad  before  returning  back  to  a  harder  direction  on t he  remaining  tracks.

  Teufelelskries  plays  a  very  mainstream  and  dance  orientated  style  of  industrial  metal  that  would  of  fit  in  perfectly  with  the  mainstream  rock  stations  around  98  to  2000  and  have  a  perfect  mixture  of  melody  and  heaviness,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Teufelelskries  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy,  hard  rock,  goth,  NDH  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zerrissen"  "Eifersucht"  "Verlorenes  Spiel"  and  "Vorbel".  8  out  of  10.    

Cyrax Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
1. Paolo: We have been working on videoclip and website; also, we are wondering how our music can be arranged into a live show.

2.You have a new album coming out during the end of March, 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?
2. Cesare: We guess this new record sounds more heavy, sound engineering has globally improved since "Reflections"; moreover, we managed to include a lot of guest musicians who really gave a boost to the whole album.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
3. Marco: For Reflections, inspiration came from Othello and Richard III from Shakespeare; for the next album lyrical topics goes to Kafka, Bergman, Ancient Greek theatre and many many more

4.I know that the bands name came from Mortal Kombat, how does it fit in with the musical style that you play?
4. Marco: When you have a band name such as Cyrax, it fits in every musical genre you want to explore: Cyrax could be progressive, electronic, power, thrash, nu-metal. Everything you want.

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. Paolo: Underground newcomers are not welcome in Italy, so we invested money in studio recording instead of live performances. However, we are planning to begin promotion of the CDs in such a way since next summer.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
6. Paolo: We have proposed Iron Maiden to open their 2015 shows; we are waiting for reply.

7.The new album is coming out on Bakerteam Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
7. Cesare: Bakerteam needs no introduction. We like the guys and the way they operate. the day we signed the contract, we had a glimpse on cover artworks they were working on, and we suddenly fell in love with this artwork, that later that same month we bought from 3mmi Design. So, working with BT is a great help to find your path, we guess.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive metal?
8. Cesare: As far as we can see, the feedback has been quite good, we've had some enthusiasts and some constructive criticism, but most of the times we think people appreciated our efforts.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other musical projects or bands these days?
9. Each member has his own side-project. Cesare is playing with Ghost Opera (a tribute to Kamelot), Antonio Pecere's Pi Red Project (metal prog); and he still finds some time to get drunk to the bone! Paolo is working on electronic music productions, Filippo with Alzamantes, Lorenzo with Templar's Sword and Marco with Shivers Addiction.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. Cesare: Not easy to say, we struggle to stay exploratory, so our direction pretty much depends on the direction music will globally take. Thinking the absurd, if our style became mainstream and we had emulators all around the world, we would sure have a complete restyle on what we're doing.

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?
11. We like modern metal and soundtracks. We do really appreciate some of the new records coming out these years – Epica, Empyrios, Ancient Bards, Holy Shire; and then the holy elders, Symphony X, Kamelot, Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica and Nightwish. And Obviously Morricone, Zimmer, Silvestri and Basil Poledouris. While Paolo prefers 70's UK prog and classical music.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12. Over and above all, beer. And technology, as it is the underlying layer of any musical production nowadays. Then of course art in general, especially photography and cinema.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
 13. Education will save the world; and it will made possible to grow good musicians. We talk too much! Stay tuned for some good music See ya

Warfaith/Wise Man Is Dead/2015 Full Length Review

  Warfaith  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  aggressive  and  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Wise  Man  Is  Dead"  which  will  be  released  in  March.

  A  very  hard  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  and  after  the  demonic  voice  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  aggressive  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  hardcore  in  their  musical  style.  

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  very  dark  yet  melodic  sounding  at  the  same  time  and  the  songs  also  go  for  more  of  an  early 90's  style  of  thrash  than  the  80's  sound  which  most  other  groups  seem  to  go  for  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  the  vocals  also  mixing  in  elements  of  hardcore  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Warfaith  plays  a  very  aggressive  and  brutal  style  of  thrash  metal  that  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  hardcore  and  death  metal  and  there  is  never  a  soft  or  weak  moment  to  be  heard  anywhere  on  this  recording,  the  production  sound s very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  hateful  and  anti  christian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Warfaith  are  a  very  aggressive  and  brutal  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Jesus  Sucks"  "Purgatory"  "Crack's  Whore"  and  "Redemption".  8/5  out  of  10.

Saboter/Self Titled/Witches Brew/2015 EP Review

  Saboter  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2015  ep  which  was  released  by  Witches  Brew.

  A  very  hard,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  very  melodic  power  metal  style  vocals  that  are  still  aggressive  enough  for  the  thrash  style  riffing  that  is  a  very  huge  part  of  the  bands  musical  style.

  While t h e music  has  a  very  vintage  80's  sound  to  it  the  production  makes  the  music  sound  a  lot  more  modern  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  even  more  of  a  melodic  and  old  school  metal  sound  to  all  of  the  tracks  along  with  an  instrumental  halfway  through  the  recording  and  the  songs  stick  to  mostly  a  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  also  mixes  in  a  lot  of  traditional  metal  elements  into  their  thrash  sound.

  Saboter  plays  a  very  old  school  style  of  thrash  metal  that  also  mixes  in  the  melody  of  heavy  and  power  metal  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  heavy  metal  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Saboter  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Land  Of  Anger"  and  "Redemption".  8  out  of  10.

Velvet Six/Demons Los Divas/Inverse Records/2015 Full Length Review

  Velvet  Six  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  gothic  rock  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Demons  Los  Divas"  be  released  in  April  by  Inverse  Records.

  A  very  hard,  heavy,  melodic  and  symphonic  gothic  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  time s th e vocals  bring  in  aggressive  screams  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  80's  goth  rock  element s in t h e bands  musical  style  at  times.  

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  in  a  very  melodic  sounding  gothic  rock/metal  direction  and  at  times  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  mainstream  rock  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  songs  also b ring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  along  with  some  power  ballads  being  added  onto  the  recording  at  times  and  towards  the  end  one  of  the  songs  also b rings  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals.

  Velvet  Sky  takes  the  melodic  gothic  metal  sound  of  the  90's  and  mixes  it  with  dark  wave  and  an  influence  from  HIM  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive,  poetic  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Velvet  Sky  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  both  the  gothic  rock  and  gothic  metal  genres  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Twist"  "Something  Evil"  "Underneath"  and  "I  Saw".  8/5  out  of  10.