Tysondog/Cry Havoc/Rock Sector Records/2015 CD Review

  Tysondog  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  where  a  part  of  the  NWOBHM  movement  and  plays a  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Cry  Havoc"  which  will  be  released  in  April by  Rock  Sector  Records.

  Sounds  of  war  and  chaos  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  powerful  bass  guitar  lead  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  leads  that  leads  up  to  a  heavy  heavy  and  fast  speed  metal  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  clean  singing  vocals  that  are  very  close  to  heavy  and  power  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Guitar  solos  and  leads  are  a  huge  part  of  all  of  the  tracks  and  on  some  of  the  songs  you  can  hear  back  up  gang  shouts  being  utilized  at  times  while  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  brings  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  ballad   which  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  songs.

  Tysondog  plays  a  style  of  heavy/speed  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  but  done  with  a  more  modern  approach  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  heaviness  that  is  very  rarely  heard  from  NWOBHM  bands  while  there  musical  style  is  still  100  percent  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Fantasy,  Legends,  War  and  Real  Life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tysondog  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  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cry Havoc"  "Nemesis"  "Relentless"  and  "Addiction".  8  out  of  10.

  

Ostrogoth/Last Tribe Standing/Empire Records/2015 EP Review

  Ostrogoth  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Last  Tribe  Standing"  which  consists  of  4  original  tracks  and  4  live  songs  and  was  released  by  Empire  Records.

  Clean  playing  and  melodic  guitar  leads  which  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  which  leads  up  to  a  more  heavy  traditional  metal  direction  and  the  vocals  also  get  more  rough  and  adds  in  more  touches  of  power  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  in  the  early  80's  and  the  live  tracks  also  continues  the  bands  old  school  heavy/power  metal  direction.

  Ostrogoth  plays  a  style  of  power  and  heavy  metal  that  is  still  very  much  rooted  in  the  80;s  and  you  can  tell  even  after  30  years  the  band  has  remained  true  to t heir  roots,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ostrogoth  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Clouds"  "Last  Tribe  Standing"  and  "Rock  Fever".  8  out  of  10.  

Presumption/From Judgement To Grave/2014 EP Review

  Presumption  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "From  Judgement  To  Grave".

  A  very  heavy  bass  guitar  sound,  melodic  guitar  leads  and  chanting  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  psychedelic  sounds  and  clean  playing  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  the  band  expands  on  what  they  established  in  the  first  minute  and  also  add  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.

  One  the  heavy  guitar  riffs  kick  in  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  stoner/doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  both  rough  and  melodic  at  the  same  time  and  you  can  hear  a  good  mixture  of  70's,  80's  and  90's  influences  from  the  doom  and  stoner  genres  of  those  eras  but  done  with  a  more  modern  sound  and  production  and  they  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  heavy  and  acoustic parts  and  some  of  the  heavier  riffs  also  add  a  touch  of  sludge  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples.

  Presumption  takes  the  old  school  genres  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  mix  them  together  with  more  of  a  modern  approach  to  create  some  very  dark,  heavy  and  retro  music,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Hell,  Magic,  Serial  Killers,  Hell  and  War.

  In  my  opinion  Presumption  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Albert  Fish  Blues"  and  "Anvil  Devil".  8  out  of  10.

  

Messenger/Captain's Loot/Massacre Records/2015 EP Review

  Messenger  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Captain's  Loot"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records  and  features  3  of  their  own  tracks  and  the  rest  of  the  songs  are  cover's.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  old  school  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melodic  riffing  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  pure  metal  direction  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  add  in  rough  parts  bordering  on  growls  while  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Back  up  chorus  vocals  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  while  the  music  sounds  like  it  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  the  aggressive  vocals  and  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling.

  At  times  the  music  brings  in  a  70's  metal  and  hard  rock  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  some  clean  playing  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  Rainbow,  Running  Wild,  Zed  Zago,  Helloween  and  Dio  covers  and  you  can  also  hear  the  speed  metal  elements  being  utilized  in  the  faster  riffing.

  Messenger  takes  the  heavy  and  speed  metal  genres  of  the  80's  and  update  them  for  the  modern  day  with  the  original  tracks  while  the  covers  pay  homage  to  the  bands  that  where  a  huge  influence  on  them,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  mostly  written  in  English  with  one  song  being  written  in  English  and  they  cover  space,  pirates,  darkness  and  heavy  metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Messenger  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  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sign  Of  The  Evil  Master"  "Kill  The  King"  and  "Dont  Talk  To  Strangers".  8  out  of  10.

MF Ruckus/Thieves Of Thunder/2015 Full Length Review

  MF  Ruckus  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  a  mixture  of  metal,  rock,  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Thieves  of  Thunder"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  70's  influenced  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  both  rough  and  melodic  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  leads  and  punk  influences  are  added  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  classic  and  southern  rock  elements  being  added  into  the  songs  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  NWOBHM  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  at  times  and  all  of  the  songs  sound  very  diverse  while  also  mostly  sticking  to  a  very  hard  and  heavy  musical  direction  while  some  songs  do  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  the  later  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  blues  and  country  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  acoustic  guitars.

  MF  Ruckus  plays  a  musical  style  where  they  take  mid  70's  and  early  80's  metal  and  mixes  it  with  punk,  southern  and  classic  rock  to  create  their  own  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  mythological,  real  life  and  party  themes.

  In  my  opinion  MF  Ruckus  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  metal,  rock  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thieves  Of  Thunder"  "Hall  Of  Champions"  "We  Don't  Party"  and  "Cheatin  Up".  8  out  of  10.

  

Deathblow Interview

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

We were formed in 2008 as a cover band under the name, ‘Dethblo’. Soon started writing our own material and gigging. The goal is to keep it aggressive and interesting.


2.You have an ep coming out in April, 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?

I’d say this release is a little more live sounding that our last one, ‘Prognosis Negative’ The process this time was much quicker where we were able to record quick and together. For our last album we recorded bits

at a time and the whole process from start to finish was literally more than 6 months, (mostly due to poor contact from our producer). I think the music on that album has developed more as well. The song structure

on the new material was a little more thought out and I think there’s more of a death metal influence to these songs.


3.Originally the band started out playing covers, what was the decision behind writing your own songs?

It just came naturally. Our first original song was, ‘Master’s of War’, which we threw into our cover set early on. It didn’t take long to realize that if we can play this kind of music we should be able to write it too. When you can get a finished product that came from your own work, that’s when it actually becomes rewarding.


4.The band has been around since 2008 but waited until 2014 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 6 years?

Since we formed it’s been a slow process. Only since we released ‘Prognosis Negative’ have we received much attention outside of Salt Lake City. We relocated from Logan, UT to Salt Lake City in 2009 and some of the original members weren’t that into it taking it to the next level. It took a long time to get the ball rolling and to find members that actually gave a shit. Once we finally had a line-up that was into it and sincere about the music, things started to move a lot quicker.


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

Prognosis was a bit scattered as far as subject matter. We have songs about everything from horror movies to H.P. Lovecraft stories as well as more serious topics like war, eugenics and the confusing nature of humanity. For the new album there is no large theme or concept but by the large we’ve shifted from random horror/fantasy inspired songs to more real-life and philosophical based topics.


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Deathblow'?

Well it’s so simple and it basically sums up the bands sound in two combined words, we thought it was perfect. Let’s just pretend the name didn’t come from a popular 90’s based sitcom…


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?

We’ve played a lot of shows in Salt Lake City over the years and have hit the road three times now for short tours. Some of the more fun ones have been small house shows and all ages venues. The younger crowds just give off so much raw energy. We were lucky enough to open for Kreator and Accept in Salt Lake City when they toured a couple years ago. It wasn’t our best performance but those our two of our favorite bands of all time and probably our biggest show. We try to keep everything tight live but like to approach it with a punk edge. We certainly rehearse everything a certain way but don’t mind changing it up during a show. We definitely feed of the energy of the crowd. If they’re going wild and into it that will always affect how hard we hit it.


8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new ep is released?

In the works right now, West Coast Tour. Hopefully hit the East soon after.


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

We would definitely be interested in getting signed. So far we haven’t had too many labels hit us up. We are proud that we’ve done everything DIY up to this point but we’ve learned that the business, licensing, distribution and pressing side of things can be incredibly overwhelming, especially on your own dime.


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

Just in promoting this E.P. it’s been amazing so far. Clawhammer PR has played a major hand in getting our name out there. We’ve been getting great feedback and a lot of people who are interested in picking up the album when it comes out which always pushes us to take it further.


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

We are definitely a band that sticks to our principles and roots. We are always going to strive for that raw, aggressive, thrash edge but I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear a little more death-metal influence in the future.


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?

We have always been really inspired by thrash bands that bridge that gap between death/thrash/punk and just play the craziest music they can without losing sight of songwriting. Bands like Gwar, Kreator, Sodom, Pestilence, all examples of bands that have inspired our sound.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Films. Always wanted to produce a full length horror film.


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

Buy the new album when it comes out April 21st!
https://deathblow1.bandcamp.com/

These Mountains Are Ghosts/Legacy Of War/2015 EP Review

  These Mountains  Are  Ghosts  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hardcore,  progressive  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "Legacy  of  War".

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  singing  starts  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  noise  rock  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  some  traces  of  post  metal.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  melody  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  also  being  very  progressive  at  the  same  time  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound to  them  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats  and  the  last  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads.

  These  Mountains  Are  Ghosts  plays  a  very  aggressive  style  of  hardcore  that  also  bring s in  elements  of  noise  rock  along  with  the  melodies  of  progressive  and  post  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  have  a  concept  to  them  and  deal  with  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  These  Mountains  Are  Goats  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  hardcore,  progressive  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "March  Of  A  Dead  men"  and  "Die  A  Thousand  Deaths".  8  out  of  10.

    

White Mantis Interview

White Mantis
Extreme Underground MusicZine
Questions answered by Andre Krimbacher (guitar)

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
White Mantis is a Thrash Metal band based in Munich, Germany. It was formed in 2012 and in late 2014 the first demo cd was released.

2. In November you had released a demo, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
The foundation of our music is old school Thrash Metal, fast and heavy. Added to this you’ll often find a punk vibe in our songs as well as the occasional weird twist. We like to keep the sound as raw as possible without losing a certain craftsmanship in the music. Thus we deliver a sound that hits you straight in the face but still offers a lot to discover.
The demo, including the artwork, is completely self-produced. In our opinion a lot of today’s productions sound too mechanical so we were aiming for an organic sound in which every instrument has got its distinct place.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The lyrical topics range from fictional stories about life in the post-apocalyptic wasteland to more serious issues, usually related to the society we live in. Examples are the effects of life drifting into the digital sphere in the song Singularity or how people tend to blindly trust strong leaders in The Seer.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'White Mantis'?
That’s a creation of the weird mind of our vocalist Matthias, who developed the concept for the band. The White Mantis exists in a bizarre parallel world dominated by chaos and violence after almost complete nuclear annihilation of human societies. Many of our lyrics take place in this setting and use it either for fictional stories or as an allegory to convey sociopolitical messages. In this context the Mantis serves as a totem animal and symbol for the ultimate obliteration of human ethics.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
It’s hard to define your own stage performance. There is no master-plan or anything like that. We just try to keep up with the energy of the music and animate the audience.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
There are no plans for a tour at the moment. Maybe after the release of our first full-length album an opportunity might come up but till then we’ll keep playing shows whenever we can get them. Currently there are two shows scheduled for the next three months. Check our website for the latest news.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
With the release of our demo we hope to find a label that is interested in us. In 2015 we plan to release our first full-length album, so it would be great to find a label at least for distribution.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal?
So far we can’t complain.

9. When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
As mentioned above we plan to record and release our first album in the course of 2015. The new songs we are currently writing continue the general course of the demo but add more of our own distinctive style to the formula.

10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
The major influence is definitely the first wave of Thrash bands from the early to late 1980s. Besides the obvious bands from the Bay Area you can hear influences in our music from German bands from that time, especially Kreator. Added to that, bands like Voivod or Anacrusis have left their mark on our sound when it comes to including weird harmonies and twists.  
To this day I love all of those early Thrash bands and listen to them frequently. When it comes to the younger Thrash bands Dr. Living Dead are my personal favorites. Besides that I’m pretty much a music nerd in general and will listen to anything that appeals to me, be it different subgenres of metal and rock or stuff that’s got nothing to do with metal at all.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?
Actually there is not much worth mentioning besides music. Skinning mice to sew fancy coats is something everyone in the band enjoys.

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

S.F.D/The Complete Works/Into The Pit Records/2014 Double CD Compilation Review

  S.F.D  where  a  band  from  Australia  that  played  a  mixture  of  thrash  and  crossover  in  the  early  90's  before  disbanding  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  double  compilation  album  "The  Complete  Works"  which  was  released  by  Into  The Pit  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  compilation  before  going  into  more  of  a  thrash  pink  musical  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  a  few  blast  beats  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  very  aggressive  screams  yet  understandable  and  also  have  a  touch  of  early  death metal  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  remain  true  to  a  crossover  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melody  in the  riffs,  solos  and  vocals  at  times  and  one  of  the  tracks  also brings  in  a  brief  use  of  synths  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.

  A  few  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and also  bring  in  traces  of  speed  metal  and  NWOBHM  at  times  and  there  are  also  a  few  instrumental  tracks  and  songs  that  use  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  the compilation  shows  a  good  amount  of  diversity  in  the  band  music  style  over  the  years  along  with  the  music  being  very  technical  at  times  and  the  songs  on  the  second  part  of  the  compilation  have  more  of  a  90's  thrash  sound  to  them.

  On  this  compilation  S.F.D   shows  a  lot  of  diversity  with  their  style  of  thrash  mixing  in  melodic  songs,  crossover  and  some  songs  that  almost  border  on  death  metal  and    if  they  band  formed  5  years  earlier  they  probably  would  of  been  a  lot  better  known,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  the  era  it  was  recorded  while  the  lyrics  cover  humorous  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  S.F.D  where  a  very  great  sounding  crossover/thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sign  Of  Despair"  "Man  Of  War"  "New  order"  and  "Griffins  Tale".  8  out  of 10.

Sea Of Disorder/Merging Land And Sky/Talheim Records/2015 CD Review

  Sea  Of  Disorder  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  rock  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Merging  Land  And  Sky"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Talheim  Records.

  Nature  and  machine  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  gives  the  music  a  post  rock  feeling  and  they  also  use  a  good  mixture  of  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  a  good  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  heavy  and  clean  parts  start  to  mix  together.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  once  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  have  a  very  rough  yet  melodic  tone  to  them  and  after  awhile  elements  of  ambient  and  drone  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  the  heavy  riffs  also  add  a  good  dose  of  doom  metal  to t he  bands  musical  style.

  One  of  the  tracks  is  all  instrumental  where  they  also  display  there  talent  and  skills  as  musicians  while  the  vocals  do  make  a  return  on  the  following  tracks  and  also  bring  in  elements  of  hardcore  and  sludge  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  spoken  word  samples  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  they  also  close  the  album  with  another  instrumental  track.

  Sea  Of  Disorder  takes  post  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  style  of  doom  metal  along  with  some  elements  of  sludge and  hardcore  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  epic  structures  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sea  Of  Disorder  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture of  post  rock  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ghosts  Of  Yesterday"  and  "As  The  Clouds  Disperse".  8  out  of  10.

Kantamus Interview

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

We're a trio from Oulu, Finland who strive to create heavy and rockin' tunes without sticking to any strict rules.

2.So far you have released 2 ep's, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

Both recordings contain a variety of slow and fast songs with elements from hardcore, sludge, death/black metal etc. The second one has more experimentation and variation than the first one, and the production is much better.

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

Frustration with life situations, depression, nightmares, existential crises. All the nice things.

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

It's a neutral word for "burden". Just something you carry. We could have chosen a more negative one ("taakka") which would have been more obvious. Which is not what we like to do all the time.

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've only played six shows so far. The best one (for me at least) was the last one. Our performance is just us rockin' out, nothing too special.

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

We're probably gonna play on a local punk festival in the summer called Hässäkkä-Päivät. Nothing outside of Oulu so far. Hopefully that will happen sometime soon.

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

We haven't thought about it. It's kind of fun to release little EP's by ourselves once a year. Maybe if we make a full-length album in the future we might look for a label.

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

I can't remember any negative reviews! Maybe we should experiment some more and try to piss people off.

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

We're in the process of writing new songs. Nothing's been planned yet. There's probably gonna be more experimentation, the slow songs will get slower and the fast ones will get faster and so on.

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?

Hemi has written most of our songs but she doesn't really listen to heavy music that much. Mainly Nasum and local bands like Viisikko and Vene. Also Oranssi Pazuzu, who are from the southern end of Finland. I come from a metal/punk background, but that's only a part of my taste as well. I’ve been into some downtempo  stuff lately, like Scorn, Bowery Electric and Labradford.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Movies, getting responsibly hammered.

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

Come to see our gigs, buy our cassettes and shirts and keep on rockin'!

White Mantis/Fukkin Demo/2014 Demo Review

  White  Mantis  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  recording  "Fukkin  Demo".

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  some  speed  metal  style  guitar  leads  and  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  and  the  music  has  a  very  vintage  80's  sound  to  it  along  with  the  faster  sections  bringing  in  blast  beats  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  spoken  word  parts  in  certain  sections  of  some  of  the  songs.

  Melodies  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  heavy  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  end  of  the  demo  and  avoids  all  modern  trends.

  White  Mantis  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  85  to  86  era  while  also  being  very  heavy,  aggressive  and  melodic  all  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  White  Mantis  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Favourite  Chainsaw"  and  "The  Seer".  8  out  of  10. 

Cyrence/The Hospital/2015 EP Review

  Cyrence  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "The  Hospital".

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  that  are  a  huge  part  off  most  off  the  songs  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  to  get  a  lot  more  heavy  and  goes  into  a  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  that  also  have  a  rough  and  aggressive  edge  to  them  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  the  production  gives  the  music  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  you  can  also  hear  aggressive  screams  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

   Clean  playing  is  also  brought  back  at  times  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  style  of  thrash  metal  which  also  shows  the  riffs  mixing  melody  in  with  the  faster  riffing  and  they  also  add  in  modern  metal  influences  at  times  along  with  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  some  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Cyrence  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal t hat h as  its  roots  in  the  80's  but  also  mixes  in  modern  elements  and  a  great  amount  of  melody  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sound s very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover   dystopian  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cyrene  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  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dystopia"  and  "You  Kill  Me".  8  out  of  10.

  

Tornado/Black President/WormHoleDeath Records/2015 CD Review

  Tornado  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  glam,  sleaze  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Black  President"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  semi  melodic  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  solos  and  leads  and  the  music  also  has  a  punk  edge  at  times  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  in  certain sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  sleaze  and  glam  metal  influences  and  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  and  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  few  whispers  and  all  of  the  tracks  stick  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  end  of  the  recording.

  Tornado  plays  an  updated  style  of  80's  thrash  metal  and  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  glam  and  sleaze  metal  in  some  songs  while  the  music  is  too  heavy  to  fit  in  that  category,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  angry  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tornado  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  glam,  sleaze  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I,  Individual"  "David  &  Goliath"  "Under  The  Crimson  Moon"  and  "Ghetto  Wasteland".  8  out  of  10.  

Anthropia Interview

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

Hi everyone! Well, after a lot of work, “Non-Euclidean Spaces” is finally released. We are currently in the promotion step and everything is going smoothly. Feedback is already great!

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
I'd say it's a good mix of power and progressive metal, with some classical music elements. As a classical guitar player, it was a real pleasure to try to turn my favorite tunes in a metal way,
it's clearly one of our specificities. We also have 2 singers : first Nathalie who takes care of most of the vocal parts, and myself.

3.This is the first full length to be released in 6 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Well, we all had a lot to do during those years, especially other musical projects to take care of. That's why Anthropia was a bit delayed in the process. But we also took all our time to study Lovecraft’s work and to give the best album possible.

4.The lyrics are based on the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author?

I've always been a Lovecraft fan and this since my teenage years. I read all the short stories, played to all the related board games, card games... Also mastered some role playing games too! I especially love the atmosphere of this universe and the background around it : 1920's, magic, curses, old cults worshipping ancient forgotten gods... Just love the ideas around it. It's quite the same for the other band members, I remember some very good Arkham Horror games with them!

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

It of course comes from entropia. It's a physical concept I discovered during my studies ; it measures the disorder at microscopic level in a manner of speaking. I found that merging it with Greek prefix anthros (man), was quite a good idea, to illustrate how destructive human beings can be: they can indeed create the biggest disorders.

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?
We performed some very good shows for the first Anthropia albums, particularly one with Magnum some years ago in Paris (Trabendo). It was a great souvenir, there are some videos on Youtube. We also shot an acoustic show in 2010 to release “Acoustic Reactions”, with some songs from “The Chain Reaction” but also some covers (for example Wasted Years, Iron Maiden). You can again find all those videos on Youtube.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
It’s sad, but nothing is scheduled as we speak… but everything’s possible, so who knows? J

8.Currently the band is signed to Adarca Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
We actually created this label to release Anthropia albums. We were a bit tired of asking labels to take a look on Anthropia : with all due respect, they don't have the time or money to put to grow new bands. So we are our own label now, and I must say that I really like the concept. We can take our time to release albums, and even if it is a lot of work, we're totally free. It’s priceless for me.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of metal?
We already get great feedback for our previous studio album “The Chain Reaction”, it was even “Album of the month” in the biggest metal magazine in France, RockHard. I must say that we received a lot of messages the last 5 years, to know when its successor is coming. This cheering was quite helpful for us, it gave us the strength to finish asap “Non-Euclidean Spaces”. As we speak, we already get 8-10 reviews, all going from very good to great. I couldn’t be happier!

10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Yes, we all have/had other projects at some point. Nath and Yann got cover bands (Cold Train, Acid Rain, Karma…), they play very often on the French Riviera. Julien is also a member of Lord of Mushrooms and of Ivrogne Maiden, a great cover band of you-know-who. Finally Damien works as a sound engineer in Los Angeles. He -of course- took care of Non-Euclidean Spaces, but also of many albums from famous artists (Fear Factory, Almah,…).

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I have some good ideas about it, but it’s quite early to talk about it. What is certain is that I’d like to continue merging classical guitar with metal, I really like the concept. There are so many amazing guitar pieces waiting to be adapted in a metal way J

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?
Actually, I’m not listening to a lot of “new bands” these days. I’m pretty convinced that some of them are great, but I just don’t have the time to listen to them. My main influences are of course prog metal bands like Symphony X, Pain Of Salvation, Opeth… and of course Ayreon, and all the projects of Arjen Lucassen. His new one The Gentle Storm is really great! On the classical music side, I can mention here Heitor Villa-Lobos, a great Brazilian composer, and Roland Dyens, an amazing french one. I borrowed them 2 tunes on Non Euclidean Spaces : Etude 11(Villa-Lobos) for Silver Twilight Lodge and Fuoco from Dyens. Roland has personally approved our cover, which is a great satisfaction to me.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Well, I have a lot of hobbies. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day, so I can’t do it very often J. I like playing board games a lot, essentially in the Cthulhu Mythos universe of course! I also love books, movies and stays in the countryside.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Well, thank you, and I hope your readers will enjoy the album. It was really a lot of work but we’re now very proud of what we have done. You can get it on all digital platforms, and on Digipak mainly on our site: http://www.adarca.com/store. Cheers!

Deathblow/The Other Side Of Darkness/2015 EP Review

  Deathblow  are  a  band  from  Salt  lake  City,  Utah  that  plays  a  very  fast  and  aggressive  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "The  Other  Side  Of  Darkness"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  also  adds  in  melody  at  times  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  aggressive  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  screams  have  almost  a  death  metal  feeling  to  them  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  while  the  musical  style  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  the  solos  and  leads  that  band  uses  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  and  the  whole  ep  also  remains  heavy  from  beginning  to  end  of  the  recording.

  Deathblow  plays  a  style  of  thrash  that  is  very  heavy,  aggressive  and  brutal  sounding  while  also  using  melodies  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  humanity  and  eugenics.

  In  my  opinion  Deathblow  are  a  very  great  sounding  fast  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Means  To  An  End"  and  "Death  Wish".  8  out  of  10.

YDI/A Place In The Sun/Black Dust/Southern Lord Recordings/2015 Compilation Album Review

  YDI  where  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  played  a  very  speed  obsessed  form  of  hardcore  with  some  elements  of  punk  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  compilation  album  "A  Place  In  The  Sun/Black  Dust"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Southern  Lord  Recordings  and  consists  of  there  whole  discography  from 1983   to  1985.

  A  very  raw  and  heavy  80's  era  hardcore  punk  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  before  speeding  up  and  adding  in  blast  beats  and  aggressive  shouting  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggression  and  most  of  the  songs  are  very  short  in  length.

  At  time s the  music  has  almost  a  garage  like  feeling  and  all  of  the  instruments  on  the  compilation  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  good  amount  of  the  tracks  bring  in  an  early  punk  sound  but  done  with  more  aggression  and  as  the  compilation  progresses  guitar  leads  can  be  heard  at  times  and  they  also  remain  true  to  a  raw  style  of  hardcore  punk.

  Back  up  shouting  vocals  can  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  on  some  of  the  songs  the  vocals get  semi  melodic  at  times  and  all  3  of  the  releases  they  had  in  83  that  are  present  on  this  compilation  stick  to  a  very  raw  musical  style  and   when  the  compilation  goes  into  the  85  material  more  thrash  and  metal  influences  are  added  into  the  bands  musical  styles  and  the  songs  also  start  getting  a  lot  more  heavier.  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  start  to  get  longer  in  length  and  one of  the  songs  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  YDI  where  very  underrated  for  their  time  and  they  bring  all  of  their  songs  onto  the  compilation  and  you can  hear  everything  from  their  raw  and  fast  hardcore  punk  songs  to  the  later  material  which  was  more  metallic  and  also  had  more  structured  songs,  the  production  on  these  recordings  sounds  very  raw  for  the  era  it  was  recorded  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  YDI  where  a  very  great  sounding  hardcore  punk  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Out  For  Blood"  "I  Killed  My  Family"  "Haunted  House"  and  "Black  Dust".  8  out  of  10.        

Steel Inferno Interview

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

We formed the band back in early 2012. Krzysztof (our drummer) and I have been playing together for many years but around that time we started to look for people to form an old school metal band. We hooked up with our bassist Thierry who was already part of our rehearsal room back then but did not have a band. We then put out an ad and our singer Karen luckily replied. That is when the music started taking form. We tried and tested numerous guitar players before we found Patrick who had been playing with Karen in a hard rock cover band before that. That was around august 2013.

2.In 2014 you had released both a demo and a single, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both recordings?

We recorded both at our own studio. Our demo was mixed and mastered by a friend of Patrick in Greece and with our single we made the production ourselves with some help from a good friend - who also designed the cover. Sound wise we try to keep it simple and raw. Modern metal has a tendency to get too produced and sound too fat. We like the sound a little gritty. Basically we just mic up a boosted Marshall with an SM57 and record one or two guitar layers in each side. We do not try to sound like anything specifically.

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

We cover a lot of topics. Anti-dogmatism, war, politics, human behaviour, mankind, urban planning and de-industrialisation just to name a few.

We try at one side to be true to a classic metal approach on lyrics and yet try to develop our own approach.

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

I came up with the name because it sounded cool and it screamed heavy metal. First it was meant as a name for a side project but then it ended up becoming the one and only band.

5.While the band is based on Denmark some of the other band members come from Greece, France and Poland, do you feel the metal culture in each country is different from each other?

None of the other members are part of the scenes in their old countries any longer. So it would be memories from their youth concerning the present scene. But the short answer would be yes. In Denmark it is not unusual that people with good jobs - with suit and tie - also listens to metal.

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

Our last two shows have been really great. Mainly because we feel much more confident playing live. We have only played around 6-7 shows and only some of of us had experience playing live shows. Krzysztof and I used to play in a band before which played live a lot. Before our first show our bass player Thierry had not played live for 20 years. Karen and Patrick had very little live experience.

We love playing metal so we try to share our enthusiasm with the audience. We look happy on stage. We are not very good at doing choreography but we try as good as we can. We are not a shoegazer band.

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

Some of us have steady jobs and families so we cannot take out several weeks for touring. But we are definitely planning to get outside of Denmark. We would really like to play some of the festivals in Europe. And of course we would like to be big in Japan too!

8.According to the metal archives page the band is signed to Wargame Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It is a small DIY label run by two really nice punks who bought a tape pressing machine for releasing cool underground stuff. When we were about to release our demo tape we got in contact with them because we were looking for a place to do a our debut show. And they offered  to release the tape and we agreed. We never signed anything. We just agreed to press 100 tapes. It helped us getting started. But we do not have a record deal or anything with them. We are still considering all options for our full length.

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

It is been amazing. We have had people contacting us from Chile, Malaysia, France, Greece and all sorts of places. It is fantastic when people you've never been in contact with suddenly discovers your music and starts spreading the word. And before you know it, you are doing your first interview. Which happens to be this one.

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

We are currently recording our first album. We do it step by step at our own studio. We will have everything ready before this summer. It should be ready either early or late summer. We have not made all the arrangements concerning post-production yet.

Musically you can expect an album with very diverse songs. We got faster speed metal oriented songs, slower and heavier stuff and also some song which are way more melodic than we have done before.

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?

Personally I grew up with death and thrash metal. But from late 90s and 10 years ahead I mainly listened to hardcore and punk. Krzysztof also has a background in punk. But the last 5-10 years my interest has been classic metal. Both new and old bands. From the old school I would mention Accept, Judas Priest, early Slayer and Metal Church. I really dig the period when heavy metal turned speed metal - before it became thrash. I also got a soft spot for 80s pop music when drunk. But don’t tell.

There are quite a few newer bands playing classic metal. Among my favorites are Skelator, Enforcer and Ranger. Right now I am really looking forward to receiving the new Visigoth. I could go on for a long time about great music.

But there is not one band or style that we try to copy. I just write songs that I like.

Patrick listens to to almost everything except reggae and hip-hop but mostly classic heavy metal. His big loves are Thin Lizzy and (the old) Helloween. Karen has been wanting to sing rock and metal for the last 20 years. One of her inspirations is Skin from Skunk Anansie.But she wanted to sing something less nice.  She has listened to a lot of melodic metal. Some of her metal inspirations are Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford. She listens to newer metal and hard rock like Halestorm, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold and Corroded. She also has a passion for 80s and 90s pop. Thierry really digs all sorts of power metal and progressive metal. Rhapsody, Sabaton, Dream Theater and of course Rush.Krzysztof is into all sorts of music but he really digs old polish punk like Siekera and Post-Regiment.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
I don’t have time for much else than music, work and family. We all enjoy concerts. Karen is into role playing. Krzysztof and Patrick are into fishing. Patrick also plays a lot of video games.

13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We really want to thank you for showing an interest in our band. It is all the bloggers and local promoters that is keeping the underground scene alive. It is so easy to put music out on the internet. But without the dedication of the metalheads around the world it would never any airplay.

Mentally Defiled 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?
Album’s release was arranged to be the same day we supported TANKARD’s gig in Athens. We couldn’t possibly find a better way to celebrate our new CD. Since that we had a couple of gigs to promote it here and there, with some more to follow soon. Plus we await for the release in other formats as well; in vinyl and tape.

2.In December you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Well there are differences, for sure. “The Thrash Brigade” - our debut - was a mixture of 75% thrash and 25% of heavy/speed metal. “Aptitude For Elimination” on the other hand is 100% pure thrash. Faster, more aggressive and straightforward than any other recording we ever did.  

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Our lyrical approach is more “earthly”. I mean it’s OK to have satanic and “evil” themes (it’s always been a big inspiration for thrash bands), but if we wanted to refer to phantasy, demons, angels and unicorns we would play epic metal instead. We prefer to talk about society, modern civilization downfall, military and politic exploits upon human rights etc. In addition to cheer up we occasionally refer to alcohol, horror movies and football – those ought to be every thrasher’s concern right?

4.Originally this band started out as a cover band, what was the decision behind taking it to the next level and writing your own material?
When I teamed up with Alex and George back in 2001, we were all teenagers. Our first concern was to listen, understand and assimilate music. Nowadays youth rushes into forming bands, playing their music, without having the “education” for it. Anyway, since we liked covering, I think that the next step followed normally – leading to our first own tracks. I was “Mosh Pit Maniac” if I can remember right.

5.The band has been around since 2001 but waited until 2009 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 8 years?
As it was mentioned, we started as a cover band. Never rushed into going on stage, recording, touring etc. We liked our music fast, not our pace with the band, cause thrash is supposed to be fun first of all and not a race! Ok I admit it took us a while for a full length, but we had some members in/out of the band, plus some (mandatory in Greece) military obligations.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mentally Defiled'?
Modern society’s idea for a “respectable” and normal mentality is to follow act and think according to some rules. We strongly oppose and despise those beliefs, we want our mentality brainwash free and our own. Mentally Defiled in other words.

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?
Our very first show was one of most memorable, because many people (the band included) were really looking forward to it. Besides this one, every show we’ve played was unique, we play like there’s no tomorrow (Alcohol and high speed tunes helps in that I guess). I remember every single show we played (Although alcohol does NOT help in that), but more vividly those with EXUMER, DEATHHAMMER, MORBID SAINT, TANKARD and D.R.I. where Harald (this lunatic bassist), rushed into the stage out of the blue, and singed along a Suicidal Tendencies cover.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We’ve completed a mini tour here in Greece, while another gig is planned in a month with some fellow local bands. For the future we have some offers for some shows abroad, but nothing’s yet confirm.

9.The new album was released on Violent Solution, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Jim, the guy behind “Violent Solution”, was a big help for the band, before the label was even formed and was working as “Athens Thrash Attack”. His offer with the CD release was really generous and he will also participate in the vinyl release along with “Weird Face Productions” label. “VSR” is a new label, although it has a strong background. We’re glad we worked together.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal?
It’s great to receive so many positive reviews and feedback, but it’s awesome that their origin comes from countries so far away like Poland, Serbia, Italy, Spain, UK, USA, Bolivia, Thailand, Russia and many others. In some cases the authors of some reviews were exaggerating giving us a 99/100 or a 10/10, marks that I thing only suit for classic thrash gems and not new releases influenced by those! We really thank those guys anyway, as well as the “common” thrashers that showed us their support by purchasing our CD. Cheers to all!

11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part off?
In our current lineup only me and John participate in other bands and projects, but there’s no conflict on our obligations with Mentally Defiled. We plan carefully and thrash punctually!!

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We will always play humble, pure, non-plastic/modern/commercial thrash metal, that’s for sure!  In this genre hasn’t been much progress though years though, but we do not care. We will remain “Soldiers of the underground” as our relevant track describes!

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?
Our spectrum of influences varies. We listen from classic rock and heavy metal (the beginning of it all) up to hardcore punk and grindcore. All those mixed and blended under a “thrashy distillery” end result to the sound of Mentally Defiled. Bands are too many to mention, sorry!

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
We love alcoholic beverages, junk food (although we sport and practice martial arts once in a while), horror/splatter (trash) movies and we are dedicated to some GEEK activities like Card gaming (MTG), PC gaming and pen and paper board games of course. (And yes - having girlfriends combined with all of those leave us also surprised!)

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Have a listen to our new (and old) stuff. Download, buy, steal or borrow it. If you like it, don’t forget to show us some love. If you don’t like it you probably know nothing of music, we’ll find you, beat and rape you. Then burn you, extinguish you with our urine and rape you again. CHEERS TO ALL – THRASH ‘TILL AFTERLIFE!