Diesto/For Water Or Blood/Eolian Empire/2013 CD Review

  Diesto  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  metal  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "For  Water  Or  Blood"  which  was  released  by  Eolian  Empire.

  "Trail  To  The  Sun"  starts  off  with  melodic  guitar  playing,  before  the  heavy  and  slow  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  kick  in  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  the  clean  singing  stoner  rock  vocals  which  gets  more  aggressive  as  the  song  moves  on  which  borders  on  noise  rock,  after  awhile  powerful bass  guitars  and  clean  playing  make  their  way  into  the  song.

  "Edge  Of  The  World"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  drums  and  heavy  noise  rock  guitar  riffs  and  then  melodic  70's  rock  style  guitar  riffing  comes  into  the  song  combining  with  the  power  chords  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  aggressive  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  bass  playing  gets  heavier  and  the  vocals  melodic  and  then  a  70's  hard  rock/heavy  metal  guitar  comes  in  and  closes  the  song.

  "The  Road"  starts  off  with  clean  playing  classic  guitar  riffs  which  get  heavier  and  melodic  after  awhile  along  with  the  bass  and  drums  getting  heavier  setting  up  the  paced  for  the  clean  singing  vocals  as  the  song  moves  on  their  a  few  seconds  of  proto  metal  sounds  coming  from  the  guitar  leads  along  with  the  vocals  adding  in  aggressive  screams  after  awhile  a  bass  lead  makes  its  presence  known  in  the  song  before  the  guitar  rhythm's  combine  doom  and  noise  rock  together  along  with  some  70's  rock  guitar  solos.

   "Sirens"  starts  of f with  some  drums  and  70's  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  before  going  into  a  cleaner  direction  which  leads  to  heavier  guitar  riffing  and  clean  singing  vocals  and  around  the  4  minute  mark  they  start  sounding  alot  more  aggressive  while  also  clean  and  heavy  parts  together  for  awhile  before  focusing  more  on  the  heavier  elements.

  "Adrift  At  Sea"  starts  off  with  drums  and  powerful  bass  playing  before  heading  off  into  the  slow  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  introducing  the  melodic  vocals  and  the  song  remains  the  same  pace  until  the  end.

  "Dirty  River"  starts  off  with  powerful  bass  playing,  drums  and  70's  style  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  which  also  utilize  some  melody  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  melodic  vocals  kick  in  along  with  some  psychedelic  guitar  leads  while  the  music  retains  the  heavy  riffing  elements  adding  in  an  epic  feeling  to  the  music

  "Arrows"  starts  off  with  melodic  noise  rock  guitar  riffs,  before  the  drums,  bass  playing  and  70's  doom  metal  guitar  leads  make  their  way  in  the  song  as well  as  the  guitar  riffing  adding  in  more  doom  elements  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  some  aggressive  sounding  vocals  and  the  song  closes  with  some  powerful  distortion  reverb.

  Lyrics  on  the  album  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Diesto  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  doom  metal  and  noise  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Trail  To  The  Sun"  "The  Road"  and  "Dirty  Rivers".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

      

Serpent Crown Interview

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

Serpent Crown is a three piece band San Francisco Bay Area Band that plays heavy, riff driven music,  inspired principally by sludge metal, 80s thrash, and hardcore.  The band was formed around 2008 but due to lineup issues we've had a lot of trouble being as active as we’ve wanted to be. But we’re looking to get out there more  in near times to come.

2.How would you describe your musical sound.

A head banging voyage of  heavy sonic regurgitations from the underworld, fueled by rage and misanthropy...

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

The end of the world, the mind of a serial killer, entering the realm of death, vampirism , mental illness..... all kinds of fun stuff.

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

The Serpent Crown is a mystical power object, which is a part of the marvel comic lore.  I appreciate it’s symbolic value, and I think it’s role as vehicle to for the evil god Set lends itself to the concept of the band since many of our songs explore the evil ways of humanity.  I also like that fact that visually it is a crown of Serpents since I have an aesthetic fascination with snakes.

 

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

We played a cool show with Holy Grail and Slough Feg recently, it's hard to compare since the shows we've played have been pretty far apart.  We also played another really fun one in the not too distant past with Witch Mountain.  There are only three of us, and I try and rock as hard as I can considering that I'm kinda "chained" to my mike stand as the guitarist/vocalist.  Fortunately Dave (the bass player) is a really animated performer, and he likes to play without his shoes on.. (?)

 

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

We have a short tour at the end of the month, and will be planning a longer one in the not too distant future.

 

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

It has generally been positive.  It seems overall everyone has a different stylistic take on the music, which rests fine with me because it means that we're doing things  a little differently and not trying to be emblematic of a specific genre.  Some people say we're old school, others say we're similar to High on Fire, there is that melding of doom/thrash/punk, and elements of Voivod.  I'm just happy that's no one has said  "that we don't bring anything new to the table," which seems common critique of so many bands out there. In writing material for Serpent Crown I combine what I enjoy most in metal, with some punk/hardcore sensibilities, and things come from a real emotional place. It’s about expressing what I really feel and what gets my blood flowing.  I think a lot of people look externally in their stylistic approach to music and really seek to fit in a certain genre, I find that can be limiting.  For me music ultimately is about self-expressing, and I express what comes from within.  

 

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days?

 

Dave and I have dabbled in some other stuff but nothing concrete coming up.

 

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

 

I am looking to make the heavy parts even more crushing and the thrashing parts even more brutal, in general upping the ante in what we've already been doing. Also thinking of adding some more death metal elements to the songs, while having some good atmospheric interludes.  I am also looking to refine the production values in the next recording. Definitely want to put more time in working on all the material and making the next album a step up in all respects. I’ve definitely have refined my own chops and have a new arsenal to bring to the table.  Been working on  new material that I’m really excited about.

 

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 

I’m influenced from anything to 80s thrash, heavy sludge (i.e. Crowbar, High on Fire), some grind, and hardcore.  The classics are also an important basis, anything from Sabbath to the Scorpions.  I’m not so fixated on certain bands but the various stylistic devices that are out there and integrating them in my own way.

 

Recently I’ve been getting into Kingdom of Sorrow, I’m a big fan of Kirk Weinstein, and the most recent Goatwhore album 'Blood for the Master,' it’s excellent on so many levels.  I don’t check out as much new stuff as I should because there’s always so many older band I’m discovering that I haven’t gotten into before.  Right now Coven’s 'Blessed is the Black" in on my Turntable. I'm also completely fixated on Flotsam Jetsam's 'No Place for Disgrace.'  That album has an amazing balance of super fast, brutal riffs, and heart rending emotional parts, completely awesome.   I also enjoy Toxic Holocaust and Black Breath.

 

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

 

I have a background in fine arts that predates my heavy metal guitar playing endeavors.  I was actually an active exhibiting artist for a number or years but I put that on the back burner several years ago to concentrate on music and my guitar playing.  But I still do all the artwork for my band.  I like to keep it looking old school.

I also like furry animals.

 

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

 

Just happy there has been some interest in our release and am looking forward to getting out there and unleashing ourselves upon the world. 

Pigs/You Ruin Everything/Solar Flare Records/2012 CD Review

  Pigs  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  punk,  hardcore  and  noise  with  ex  members  of  Unsane,  Converge,  and  Freshkill  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "You  Ruin  Everything"  which  was  released  by  Solar  Flare  Records.

  "Give  It"  starts  off  with  some  slow  noise  rock  style  riffs  and  aggressive  hardcore  vocals  as  well  as  some  sludge  style  vocals    and  the  riffing  switches  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  mid  paced throughout  the  song  until  a  powerful  bass  line  and  brief  guitar  lead  closes  the  song.

  "Whitewash"  starts  out  with  some  powerful  drums  and  melodic  post  hardcore  riffs  before  going  into  a  heavier  punk  rock  style  rhythm's  and  introducing  the  shouting  melodic  vocals  while  also  retaining  the  melodic  elements  as  well  as  the  bass  playing  getting  powerful  as  the  song  moves  on  with  the  song  retaining  the  whole  pace  till  the  end.

  "Massive  Operator  Error"  starts  off  with  some  clean  playing  before  the  drums,  bass  guitars  and  heavy  but  melodic  riffs  kick  in  as  well  as  the  clean  singing  which  also utilize  some  aggressive  elements  and  the  riffing  switches  from  slow  to  mid  paced  throughout  the  song.

  "Drained"  starts  off  with  a  melodic  post  hardcore  lead  and  sludge  style  screams  along  with  a  heavy  bass  riff  before  the  guitar  rhythm  guitars  kick  in  while  also  maintaining  the  guitar  leads  throughout  the  song.

  "Outburst  Character"  starts  off  with  some  clean  playing  and  powerful  bass  playing  and  then  the  heavy  but  melodic  guitars  and  screams  kick  in  while  also  switching  back  to  being  heavy  and  soft  throughout  the  song.

  "Contrition  Dilemma"  starts  of  with  some  powerful  drumming  and  noise  rock  style  guitar  riffs  which  also utilize  some  melody  before  the  heavy  mid  paced  riffing  and  clean  singing  kicks  in  while  also  utilizing  some  screams  before  the  song  goes  into  a  slow  but  heavy  direction  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  leads.

  "Scrum"  starts  off  with  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  with  the  guitars,  bass,  drums  and  screaming  vocals  which  retain  some  melodic  elements  before  heading  the  song  with  some  melodic  post  hardcore  guitar  solos  while  also  using  the  same  riff  and  closing  the  song.

  "Small  c  Celebrity"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  drums  and  clean  playing  as  well  as  the  heavy  bass  coming  in  around  the  same  time  which  then  leads  to  the  heavy  noise  rock/sludge  riffing  and  aggressive  while  still  melodic  at  the  same  time  vocals  and  the  song  switches  back  and  forth  between  the  soft  and  clean  parts  throughout  the  song  until  the  melodic  riffs  start  kicking  in.

  "Mashantucket"  starts  off  with  a  powerful  riff,  fast  drumming  and  heavy/melodic  guitar  riffs  until  the  singing  kick  in  while  also  getting  heavier  more  into  the  song  which  also  leads  to  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  and  the  song  going  more  into  a  post  punk  sound.

  "At  Least  It's  An  Ethos  Part  1"  starts  off  with  some  clean  playing  before  the  drums,  bass  guitars  and  heavy  riffs  come  in  which  also  utilize  some  melodic  doom  metal  before  the  singing  kicks  in  and  as  the  song  moves  forward  the  post  hardcore  and  noise  rock  elements  start  kicking  in.

  "At  Least  It's  An  Ethos  Part  2"  starts  off  with  a  semi  heavy  riff  and  spoken  word  parts  before  getting  even  more  heavier  as  well  as  mixing  some  avant  garde  noise  elements  while  maintaining  the  heavier  riffing  throughout  the  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album.

  In  my  opinion  Pigs  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  punk,  sludge,  hardcore  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Give  It"  "Drained"  ""Scrum"  and  "Mashantucket".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

Bl'ast/Blood!/Southern Lord Records/2013 CD Review

  Bl'ast  where  a  band  from  Santa  Cruz,  California  that  played  skate/surf  style  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Blood"  which  consists  of  unreleased  tracks.

  "Only  Time  Will  Tell"  starts  off  with  some  heavy  bass  playing,  clean  guitars  and  slow  drum  beats  while  throwing  in  reverb  parts  before  the  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  kick  in  along  with  a  dark  sounding  guitar  lead  and  then  the  song  kicks  off  into  some  fast  hardcore  punk  riffs  with  shouting  vocals  while  also  utilizing  some  slow  and  mid  paced  parts which  bring  in  some  heavier  moments.

  "Ssshhh"  starts  off  with  shouts  and  then  the  fast  punk/hardcore  riffs  and  vocals  kick  in  with  some  powerful  drumming  which  also  slow  down  in  some  parts and  add  in  a  slight  melodic  part  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  whispers.

  "Sometimes"  starts  out  with  some  distorted  parts  before  the  faster  riffs,  drums  and  aggressive  vocals  kick  in  while  adding  some  diverse  parts  to  the  riffs  as  well  as  a  semi  guitar  lead.

  "Winding  Down"  starts  off  with  a  powerful  bass  line  before  going  into  the  fast  drums,  guitars  and  vocals  which  utilize  a  great  amount  of  aggression  throughout  the  song  along  with  some  guitar  leads  that  have  an  early  grunge  feeling  to  them.

  "Tomorrow"  starts  off  being  really  fast  and  aggressive  hardcore  with  the  guitars,  drums  and  vocals  sounding  real  powerful  with  an  early  mosh  pit  feeling  which  lead  to  a  distorted  sounding  guitar  lead  which  changes  the  pace  around  a  bit.

  "Your  Eyes"  starts  of  with  some  powerful bass  playing  before  the  guitars,  vocals  and  drums  kick  in,  this  time  with  the  music  being  slow  and  heavy  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  this  song  also  has  somewhat  of  a  doom  metal  feeling.

  "Poison"  starts  off  with  some  fast  drumming,  guitar  riffs,  aggressive  vocals  that  also  utilize  some  back  up  shouts  while  also  slowing  down  for  a  bit  before  going  back  to  being  really  fast  again.

  "Sequel"  starts  off  with  a  slow,  heavy  and  melodic  riff  along  with  the  vocals  with  the  riffing  being  dark  for  a  while  before  getting  fast  and  having  the  drums  kick  in  for  awhile  until  the  song  changes  riffs  around  before  going  back  into  fast  mode  along  with  a  brief  guitar  lead.

  "Something  Beyond"  starts  off  with  a  fast  drum  beat  before  the  aggressive guitar  riffs  and  vocals  kick  in  along  with  some  punk  rock  style  guitar  leads  while  also  utilizing  some  dark  sounding  melodies  to  go  along  with  the  fast  riffing.

  "It's  In  My  Blood"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  bass  playing  and  whispers  before  the  drums  and  guitars  kicking  starting  off  with  a  mid  paced  hardcore  style  riff  until  the  vocals  kick  in  before  going  into  a  more  fast  and  aggressive  direction  while  still  mixing  in  some  slow  and  dark  parts along  with  some  melody.

  Lyrics  on  this  album  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  time  it  was  recorded  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Bl'ast  where  a  very  great  sounding  hardcore  punk  band  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Only  Time  Will  Tell"  "Your  Eyes"  "Sequel"  and  "It's  In  My  Blood".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Tarja/Colours In The Dark/Armoury/2013 CD Review

  Tarja  is  a  solo  artist  from  Finland  best  known  for  her  work  in  Nightwish  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  symphonic  rock/metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  2013  album  "Colours  In  The  Dark"  which  was  released  by  Armoury  Records.

  "Victim  Of  Ritual"  starts  off  with  a  slow  drum  beat  before  the  orchestra  kicks  in  which  leads  to  the  clean  singing  operatic  female  vocals,  shortly  the  heavy  metal  guitar  rhythm's  kick  in  and  join  forces  with  the  orchestra  as  well  as  some  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riff's.

  "500  Letters"  starts  with  some  some  gothic  sounding  vocals  and  soft  synths  before  going  into  a  semi  heavy  and  melodic  hard  rock/metal  riffs  for  a  couple  of  minutes  until  a  brief  guitar  solo  makes  itself  known  before  the  song  switched  back  and  forth  from  soft  and  heavy  along  with  a  brief  use  of  whispers,

  "Lucid  Dreamer"  starts  of  with  a  classical  music  style  orchestra  along  with  some  regular  synths  until  the  vocals  kick  in  and  add  to  the  other  elements  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  some  heavy  metal  guitar  riffs  to give  the  song  more  diversity,  then  the  song  goes  into  a  more  avant  garde  direction  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  samples  before  the  classical  and  metal  elements  return.

  "Never  Enough"  starts  of  with  some  radio  friendly  metal  riffing  before  the  soft  parts  and  vocals  kick  in  along  with  a  powerful  bass  guitar  and  then the  song  goes  into  a  more  melodic  and  heavier  direction  while  still  utilizing  goth  rock  elements  and  going  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy.

  "Mystique  Voyage"  starts  off  with  some  soft  sounds  and  spoken  word  parts  before  the  piano's  and  drum  programming  kicks  in  along  with  some  synths  and  vocals  for  awhile  until  going  into  a  more  orchestra  rock direction  while  also  utilizing  some  acoustic  guitars  and  semi  melodic  guitar  leads  as  well  as  the  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  "Darkness"  starts  off  with  some  sound  effects  before  the  heavy  metal  guitar  riffs  and  synths  kick  along  with  the  vocals  and  industrial  elements  then  the  song  goes  into  a  more  soft  rock  style  direction  for  awhile  before  going  back  to  the  metal  and  gothic  elements  while  retaining  the  more  softer  musical  parts.

  "Deliverance"  starts  off  with  a  very  symphonic  sounding  orchestra  which  leads  to  the  metal  guitars  and  the  orchestra  joining  forces  together  before  the  vocals  kick  in  which  turn  the  song  into a  more  gothic  rock/metal  direction  along  with  some  powerful  drum  programming  and  the  song  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  towards  the  end.

  "Neverlight"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  guitar  riffs  and  drum  beats  bring  a  classic  metal  feeling  to  the  song  which  leads  up  to  the  vocals  combining  all  off  the  other  parts  with  some  gothic  sounding  synths,  the  music  stays  in t hat  direction  for  awhile  and  then  the  orchestra  starts  combining  with  the  other  elements.

  "Until  Silence"  starts  off  with  some  dark  sounding  synths  which  lead  to  the  programming  and  vocals  and  the  song  stays  in  that  direction  for  a  few  minutes  before  the  orchestra  and  guitars  kick  in  which  also  close  the  song.

  "Medusa"  starts  off  with  some  soft  esoteric  musical  sounds  from  the  folk  instruments  until  the  finger  picking  from  the  acoustic  guitars  kick  in  and  then  the  metal  guitar  riffs  and  vocals  make  their  presence  along  with  the  orchestra,  as  the  song  moves  on  the  male  vocals  kick  in  as  well  as  some  drums.

  Lyrics  on  this  album  cover  Darkness,  Nature,  Feelings  and  Life,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  great  sounding  album  from  Tarja  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  artist,  you  should  check  out t his  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  ""500  Letters"  "Darkness"  "Deliverance"  and  "Medusa".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Abysee/en(D)grave/2012 CD Review

  Abysee  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  En(D)grave".

   "Eagle  Of  Haast"  starts  off  with  an  exotic  guitar  solo,  powerful  drumming  and  heavy  bass  and  rhythm  guitar  riffs  that  bring  in  doom  metal  elements  then  leading  to  a  melodic  post  rock/metal  guitar  lead  along  with  some  shoegaze  sound  effects  before  going  back  to  the  rhythm's  well  maintaining  the  solos  and  before  the  end  of  the  song  the  music  speeds  up  with  a  blast  beat  from  the  drums.

  "Ten  Thousand  Changes"  starts  out  with  a  psychedelic  sound  before  the  music  gets  heavy  with  fast  riffing  and  drumming  for  a  few  seconds  the  music  slows  down  and  gets  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  along  with  some  heavy  bass  playing  for  a  couple of  minutes  then  a  melodic  guitar  solo  makes  it  way  into  the  song,  then  the  music  switches  back  to  being  heavy  and  melodic  while  still  having  the  lead  guitar  parts.

  "Mastodon'  starts  of  with  a  very  slow  and  heavy  stoner/doom  metal  riff  and  powerful  drumming  which  leads  up  to  a  powerful  bass  guitar  line  before  going  into  the  mid  paced  area  and  switching  back  and  forth,  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  a  guitar  solo  which  makes  the  guitars  sound  even  heavier  when  the  rhythm's  return.

  "Forest  Monument"  starts  out  with  some  guitar  distortion  before  the  drumming  starts  kicking  in  which  in  returns  is  the  beginning  of  a  heavy  guitar  riff  and  post  metal  lead,  then  the  song  goes  into  a  more  blues  rock  direction  until  the  clean  playing  kicks  in  before  reverting  back  to  being  heavy  and  melodic  while  still  keeping  the  lead  guitars  which  also  close  the  song.

  "Sharp  And  Chrome"  starts  off  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  before  the  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  powerful  drumming  kicks  in  and  the  rhythm  guitar  adds  in  influences  from  other  styles  of  metal along  with  a  powerful  guitar  solo  and  heavy  bass  playing  make  their  presence  known  while  maintaining  the  heavy  riffing.

  "Golden  Life"  starts  off  with  a  slow  guitar  riff  before  the  melody  and  drums  kick  in  which  leads  to  the  beginning  of  the  heavier  riffing  for  a  few  seconds  before  a  post  rock  guitar  leads  starts  introducing  itself  to  the  song  which  does  not  affect  the  heaviness,  as  the  song  moves  on  a  soft  acoustic  guitar  comes  in.

  "Light  For  Wheke"  starts  out  with  some  heavy  drumming  and  guitar  riffs  before  getting  into  some  post  metal  melodies  and  powerful  bass  playing  which  in  turns  sets  up  the  pace  for  a  melodic  guitar  solo  while  still  keeping  the  heavy  riffs  before  slowly  drifting  into  a  brief  clean  riff  until  going  back  to  being  heavy  for t he  rest  of  the  song.

  Vocals  and  song  writing  are  all  absent  from  the  music  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a self  released  recording  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Abysee  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  post  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eagle  Of  Haast"  "Forest  Monument"  and  "Golden  Life".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Duskmachine Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Joe: Currently we are working on putting together some sort of tour to promote our new album. We are also planning to release another video in the near future.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

 Nik: The music is more straight forward. We had no concept story this time, so every song stands for itself. We still have fast and slow songs, softer and heavier stuff, but the flow is different. We've grown together as a band. Regarding production it sounds thicker and has more impact I think. "The Final Fall" sounded cleaner and colder, which worked well for the concept story, but this time we were looking for something different.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?
Joe: Very deep and personal! Life...things I have experienced and a personal private relationship.

4. There was an 8 year gap between albums, can you tell us what was going on during those years?
Nik: We had to deny a tour offer opening for Master in 2005 'cause our original singer left. It took us a long time to find a new guy. I started writing new songs in 2006 and then, during the vocal recordings in late 2009 the guy left and we were in the same situation as before. Luckily Joe agreed to join, but new lyrics and vocal lines had to be written, so it took some more time until we could finish the recording. The mix and search for a label was the next obstacle on this odyssey. But, we finally made it and it definitely won't take us another 8 years for the next album!

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

Nik: Our original singer came up with the idea. It basically stands for the combination of our sound, a heavy, machine-like groove with a dark and evil attitude.

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

Nik: We haven't had the chance to play many shows yet, but the best so far definitely was during the "70,000 tons of Metal"-cruise. Regarding stage performance, there's always room for improvements, especially since we only played 2 shows with this line-up.
7. Do you have any touring plans for the new album?

Joe: We don't have any shows booked yet, but we are working on it. Interested bookers can contact us. Festivals in 2014 are up on the priority list.

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

Nik: So far we received very good reactions from fans, existing and new ones. We never tried to follow a certain trend and I think people respect this.

9. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

Nik: I am going on tour with my other band "Necros Christos" this fall and we're also working on new material for the next album.

Joe: I have reformed my old band Liege Lord. We will be writing and recording a new album next year.

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

Nik: We won't try to re-invent metal music and haven't so far, but we'll always try to do our own thing and stay true to ourselves. Maybe even another concept story, even if it's only for 3 songs - we'll see....

Joe: We just want to create music we are happy with, proud of and that is true to ourselves.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Nik: I am a huge fan of Devin Townsend and listened to a lot of his stuff recently. But I also enjoy CCR, Peter Gabriel, Queen but also Depeche Mode for example or oriental music. I'm very open minded - music should have no barriers.
Joe: I agree, but maybe not with those bands! Hahaha. As long as it’s good I’ll dig it.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Nik: well, I have a job, a girlfriend and 2 bands, this doesn't leave much time for anything else, trust me. But sometimes I manage to practice a bit on my guitar....

Joe: I’m an extremely busy person also…I enjoy it all…life in general.

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

Nik: it would be nice if people could compare us less with Annihilator. We have 3 former members in the band and yes, we play Thrash Metal, but that's about it. And, thank you very much for the interview!

Joe: I agree. We play thrash, but I don’t consider us to be stuck with the title of a thrash band. I’d like to think we offer much more variance.

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