Ape Machine Interview

1.Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never

> heard of you before?

>

1. Listen to Ape Machine and the rest will make sense. 

> 2.How would you describe your musical sound?

2. If an airplane take-off was mixed with sizzling bacon, mating narwhals, and the keys of e flat. Add some weed, beer and a deep love for rock n roll. 

>

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

> the music?

3. That varies from album to album. Usually ranges from saying fuck you to the criminal enterprise known as government to a more abstract and profound brain dump of the inner workings of Caleb's psyche. Sometimes it's just about stabbing a motherfucker. 

>

> 4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

4. The name comes from a console in my recording studio. A tape machine label was missing a "t" and reads ape machine. It fits the music. Plus our drummer looks like an ape. 

>

> 5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how

> would you describe your stage performance?

5. Every show is our best show. Stage performance is like four like-minded musicians loving, hating, living and harmonizing through amplifiers, vocal chords and drums. Come to the show.

>

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

6. Yes. We tour Europe in June and the US in August. 

>

> 7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of

> stoner rock?

7. Well, if they're stoned, they love it! haha

>

> 8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full

> time line up?

8. We do studio work for other people. As far as a group of guys piled in a smelly van touring the world, this is it. 

>

> 9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

9. Who knows. We just keep writing and whatever comes is what we do. Too hard to predict something like that. Chances are it will be fun for us and if we do it well, fun for you too.

>

> 10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music

> and also what are you listening to nowadays?

10. Shit. A whole lot. I could give a list as long as all of our figurative arms put together. You could range from the Kinks, to Dust, Traffic, XTC, Deep Purple, Godflesh, Carcass, King Crimson, Willie Dixon, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Ministry, Killing Joke, Budgie, Foreigner, Neil Sedaka, Quicksilver Messenger Service.. yeah.. that doesn't even scratch the surface.. If it's music, and it's good, chances are we're influenced by it. Nowadays we listen to our friends and label mates because we're generally on tour with them or in the studio recording their stuff. Or just a mix of whatever we feel like. One hour it's Acid Bath, another hour it's Willie Nelson.. 

>

> 11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

11. Outside of music? hmm.. 

>

> 12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

12. Go see some good live music!

Rabbits/Arabrot/Eolian Empire/Fysisk Format/Split Ep Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  between  Portland's  Rabbits  and  Norway's  Arabrot  which  was  released as  a  joint  effort  between  Eolian  Empire  and  Fysisk  Format  and  we  will  start  of  the review  with  Arabrot   which  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  noise rock.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on t his  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  sludge,  noise  rock  and  industrial  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  and  there  are  little  to  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on t heir  side  of  the recording.

  Vocals  range  from  aggressive  style  sludge  sludge  style  screaming  to  clean  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  to it.

  In  my  opinion  Arabrot  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  sludge,  noise  rock  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Rabbits  a  band  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  noise  rock.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present on  their  side  of  the  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  song.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  sludge  and  noise  rock  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  with  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  song.

  Vocals  are  all   aggressive  sounding  sludge  style  yells  and  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t heir  song.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Rabbits  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  sludge  and  noise  rock.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Corrections House/Hoax The System/Grin With A Purpose/War Crime Records/2013 7 Incg Review

  Corrections  House  are  a  super  group  from  The  United  States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  7  inch  "Hoax  The  System/Grin With  A  Purpose"  which  was  released  by  War  Crime  Recordings.

  Drum  programming  ranges  from  slow to  mid  paced  beats,  while  the  bass  playing has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  synths  and  sound  effects  they  bring  an  industrial  sound  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  doom  metal  and  industrial  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  spoken  word  parts  along  with  a  brief  use  of  aggressive  sounding  screams  and  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  poetic  and  misanthropic  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Corrections  House  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  industrial  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hoax  The  System".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Power Trip/Manifest Decimation/Southern Lord Records/2013 CD Review

  Power  Trip  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  thrash,  hardcore  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Manifest  Decimation"  which  was  released  by  Southern  Lord  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they h ave  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  old  school  thrash  metal,  punk  and  hardcore  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  old  school  sounding  punk/thrash  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  crossover  style  shouts  and  yells  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional  sound  to  it  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  recording.

  In  my  opinion Power  Trip  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  old  school  thrash  metal,  hardcore  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Heretic's  Fork'  "Crossbreaker"  and  "Power  Trip".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Stone Magnum Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Stone Magnum is a Northwest Indiana/Chicago based heavy metal band, with obvious stylings from doom and traditional metal.  Stone Magnum formed in 2010 and after a number of lineup changes and the release of a demo in 2011, Stone Magnum released our debut album on Chicago’s Rest In Peace Records in January of 2012.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
I think the apparent sound of Stone Magnum harkens back to classic heavy metal music.  Some would describe us as a Doom band, which could be an accurate assessment of our style, but I think we also capture elements of classic heavy metal as well. Unlike a lot of doom bands, Stone Magnum does not rest in a straight forward slow, drawn out style of music.  We like to switch things up and have uptempo songs, as well slower powerful music.  Some of the influences of the band are obviously Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Venom, Pentagram, Candlemass, Count Raven to name a few.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
A great deal of our lyrics depict the disturbing side of man’s existence, and the forces controlling such.  Throughout history man has been controlled by forces, both apparent, and unknown, and our lyrics can be interpreted in such a way that the narrator of the song portrays the role of those forces or beings who are in control of others,  in most cases.  Some songs are introspective, questioning the mind’s sanity, and contemplating the choices made throughout times of turmoil.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
The name has no specific meaning.  Stone Magnum is a name that has been kicked around for 20 years in different contexts.  At one time it was a nickname given to me in a previous band, and it has just always been lying around waiting to be used in a band scenario.  For this band, and the style of music we play, it seemed like the perfect title for our band.

5. According to the Metal Archives page, one of the members has a background in black metal, as a musician how would you compare that musical style to the more traditional slower metal the band plays nowadays?
Yes, I was a member of one of the early primitive American black metal bands.  It  really has no bearing on what we do in Stone Magnum.  Stone Magnum is a completely different band and is comprised of actual musicians writing and preparing music that comes naturally based on our skills and abilities, rather than a pre-outlined script of the way a certain style or outcome should be.  In the black metal bands, we wrote strictly for the purpose of sounding black metal.  Stone Magnum is different…our songs are not written in such a manner of achieving this preconceived notion of how the band should sound..

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
I think without a doubt the best show so far, as far as crowd response and turnout was our show in Chicago with Macabre.  It was a packed house and the response was great.  The other notable experience for us was our spot on the 2012 Days Of The Doomed Festival in Milwaukee.   The lineup of bands that were on that bill was a perfect compliment to the style of music that we play, so our music fit in perfectly with the theme of the festival and the audience in attendance.  We’ve had a number of great shows.  I think maybe the most memorable show we’ve played was our first show opening for the legendary Raven.  

7. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
We have a few things in the works.  I don’t believe Stone Magnum will ever be a heavy touring band, but we will take to the road for a few dates on the east coast in Late 2013.   Of course we would entertain any offers that come our way as far as extended tour dates, but the situation would have to be ideal for us.

8. The new album came out on R.I.P Records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that have given you so far?
Our debut album, Stone Magnum, was released on R.I.P. Records in January 2012 on vinyl only format.  The album was recorded with our previous 4 piece lineup, prior to the addition of a new bass player and permanent vocalist.  R.I.P. Records is a label that I have worked with in my previous band, and they have always believed in the music that I’m involved with.  R.I.P. was also somewhat responsible for Stone Magnum developing into a full blown band, since initially there was no concept for the band until R.I.P. heard a couple of crude demo songs and immediately began it’s agenda for the formation of a permanent band to perform these songs.

9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal?
Everyday Stone Magnum is picking up fans in every corner of the globe.  We don’t do much promotion, and have remained somewhat hidden from the mainstream doom and metal circles, so we expect this will take time before all self respecting metalheads notice the power and majesty of Stone Magnum.  We are an underground band, and plan to always be underground, so this suits us fine.  99% of feedback and reviews from our debut album has been met with much praise and positive response.  We think that with the release of our upcoming new album “From Time…To Eternity” that another step in exposing more people to our music will be taken in the right direction.

10. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?
Stone Magnum is the only musical  project currently happening.

11. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
It’s hard to say.  We have been categorized mostly as a doom metal band, which I think is a fair assessment given the styles of the songs and the subject matter in our music, and I don’t see that changing dratstically.  I think as we gel as a band, and grow as musicans, the music could become more complex at times…or perhaps it could become simpler…or maybe not change at all.  It really depends on circumstances, emotions, life situations as to how things will pan out musically. 

12. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We are all aging old men who have been around heavy rock/metal music for 30+ years or more, so the list of influences can go on forever.  The obvious influences would be Sabbath, Purple, Priest, Candlemass, Trouble, Pentagram, Venom, etc… But really everything from The Beatles, Cream, Blue Cheer, Frank Marino, or Leslie West can be considered an influence.  Also, huge influence is taken from old death metal bands such as Carnage, Dismember, Unleashed, etc….  While maybe we don’t replicate those sounds in such a way that it is apparent, they are all influences in some respect. 

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Shooting guns, Steel, logging, record hunting, going to concerts, and tactical defensive training.

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thanks for the interview.  Always keep your eyes open, and take notice of what is happening in the world around you….for those with eyes unopened..there shall be no mercy!  Visit www.stonemagnum.com for more band info, concert announcements, merchandise etc.  Visit www.restinpeacerecords.us to inquire about all of R.I.P. Records releases and propaganda.

Neuronspoiler/Emergence/2013 CD Review

  Neuronspoiler  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy,  power  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Emergence".

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  playing  with  no  blast b eats  being  present  on  this  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  classic  metal  bass  leads.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  heavy,  power  and  thrash  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  classic  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  add  a  power  ballad  feeling  to  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  clean  singing  power/heavy  metal  vocals  with  some  back  up  shouts  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album  along with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Neuronspoiler  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  heavy,  power  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Take  The  Stage"  "Invincible  Man"  "Through  Hell  We  March"  and  "Dying  Worlds".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Syndrome/Floating Veins/ConSouling Sounds/2011 CD Review

  This  is  another  review  of  an  album  from  Syndrome  with  the  music  being  dark  ambient  drone  mixed  with  doom  and  post  metal    and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  recording  "Floating  Veins"  which  was  released  by  ConSouling  Sounds.

  Drum  programming  are  all  slow  beats,  while  the  synths  and  sound  effects  bring  the  dark  ambient/drone,  post  rock  and  experimental  elements  to  the  music,  while  the  bass  guitar  when  it  is  utilized  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  as  for  the  guitars  are  all  slow  doom/post  metal  riffs  along  with  some  clean  playing  and  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  when  they  are  utilized  are  all  clean  singing  vocals, while the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  music  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Syndrome  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient/drone  mixed  with  doom  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Floating  Veins"  and  "Absence".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.