A Storm Of Light/Nations To Flames/Southern Lord Records/2013 CD Review

  A  Storm  Of  Light  are  a  band  from  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  metal  and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Nations  To  Flames"  which  was  released  by  Southern  Lords  Records  and  contain's   Soundgarden;s  Kim  Thayil  and  Indian/Nachtmystium's  Will  Lindsay  on  select  tracks.

  "Fall"  starts  off  with  audience  chanting  before  the  drums,  guitars  and  bass  kick  in  with  the  music  going  into  a  heavier  direction  after  that  which  leads  to  some  clean  singing  vocals  as  well  as  doom  metal  and  post  rock  elements  along  with  a  brief  use  of  guitar  lead  effects  while  focusig  more  on  rhythm's.

  "Apostles  Of  Hatred" starts  off  with  people  sounds  before  going  into  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  melodic  elements  which  leads  to  the  vocals  as  well  as  the  bass  lines  and  the  song  getting  alot  heavier  and  going  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  as  well  as  mixing  in  post  rock  elements  as  well  as  some  semi  industrial  parts  while  remaining  heavy  and  utilizing  elements  of  spoken  word  samples  before  going  into  a  guitar  solo  while  retaining  the  rhythm  elements.

  "The  Fore  Sermon"  starts  off  with  some  dark  and  melodic  chanting  before  going  into  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  as  well  as  some  dark  sounding  melodies  while  also  remaining  heavy  which  leads  to  some  keyboards  and  vocals  and  going  into  a  mid  paced  but  heavy  direction  for  a  few  minutes  before  a  guitar  solos  kicks  in  and  combine's  with  the  rhythm  guitars.

  "Omen"  starts  off  with  some  samples  before  some  heavy  industrial  guitar  riffing  and  drums  kick  in  which  leads  to  the  keyboards  and  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  distorted  sounding  guitar  leads  make  their  presence  known  briefly,  after  awhile  there  is  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  mixing  in  with  the  heavy  riffing.

  "Dead  Flags' starts off  with  noise  elements  as  well  as  powerful  bass  playing  which  leads  to  the  drums  and  spoken  word  samples  with  the  heavy  guitar  riffing  kicking  in  shortly  after  that  and  as  the  song  moves  on  vocals  make  their  presence  known  as  well  as  some  melodic  elements  and  after  a  few  minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  harsh  vocals.

  "All  The Shining  Lines"  starts  off  with  noise  effects  before  kicking  into  heavy  technical  guitar  riffing,  drums  and  powerful  lines  which  leads  to  the  vocals  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  the  riffs  get  more  diverse  mixing  doom  metal,   industrial  and  post  rock  rock  together  along  with  the  bass  playing  getting  heavier  and  utilizing  industrial  vocals  and sound  effects  and  the  song  closes  with  psychedelic  elements.

  "Disintrate"  starts  off  with  sound  effects  and  powerful  drums  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffing  which  are  heavily  influenced  by  industrial  which  leads  to  vocals  that  are  in  the  same vein  along  with  some  keyboards  and  the  song  switches  from  slow  and mid  paced  structures.

  "Lifeless"  starts  off  with  spoken  word  samples  and  keyboards  before  the  drums,  guitars  and  vocals  kick  in  which  leads  to  the  music  getting  alot  heavier  and  as  the  song moves  on  it  adds  in  a  variety  of  different  styles  of  riffs.

  "Soothsayer"  starts  off  with  sound  effects  before  the  keyboards,  clean  guitar  playing  and  spoken  word  samples  kick  in  and  as  the  song  moves  on  drums  make  their  way  into  the  music  with  the  song  only  being  close  to  2  minutes.

  "Yout  Are  The  Hunted"  starts  off  with  spoken  voices  samples,  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  drums  which  leads  to  the  rhythm  and  lead  guitars  as  well  as  vocals  which  leads  to  the  music  going into  a  heavier  direction  and  as  the  song  moves  in  the  music  gets  alot  more  diverse  while  remaining  heavy  as  well  as  mixing  in  mid  paced  sections  and  chanting.

  "The  Year  Is  One"  starts  off  with  Rosemarry's  Baby  samples  along  with  some  keyboards  which  leads  to  drums  shortly  afterwords  and  as  the  song  moves  in  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  bass  playing  makes  it's  way  into  the  music.

  Song  lyrics  cover t he  falls  of  government,  religion,  and  nations,  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  album.

  In  my  opinion  A  Storm  Of  Light  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  doom  metal,  industrial  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "Apostles Of  Hatred"  "Omen"  "Lifeless"  and  "The Year  Is  One".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Dark Design Interview

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

Ray Lewis: The band started forming in 2008; me, Robbie and Mike got together with a bass player named Anthony Taylor and started writing songs. Anthony left and was replaced by Mark Whichard from a band called Jonin. After several months Mark left and was replaced by Robbie's brother Matt on bass. Matt was supposed to be temporary, but he stayed. Finally Andy walked into the practice place and assumed the vocal reigns. Then we were off and running.

The idea was simple, we wanted to play metal and the kind we enjoyed, pulling from all of our collective influences of course, though we shared a lot of common ground.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Andy Bertrand: Imagine the technical thrash movement of the late 80s, congealed with mid 90s death metal and got sexed up by the new millennium progressive power metal scene.

R. Lewis: Our sound is like Prego spaghetti sauce it's in there. We've been described as Toxic , Death , Mercyful Fate , and Fates Warning. However we've been described as Iron Maiden meets Iced Earth also.

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

R. Lewis: Andy writes all our lyrics so it's up to him. Some of our songs are based on sci-fi novels such as ‘Dragonmount’ based on the novel “The Wheel Of Time" by James Oliver Rigney Jr., and "Spice World" is about the Middle East situation; the title is an allusion to Frank Herbert’s "Dune" and the “spice” is oil, well if you have read the book you will get the correlations. But all in all it just depends on Andy.

A. Bertrand: Distrust of authority/power, depression, escapism, war. A few of the songs are based on books. I'll listen to the band play a new song and try to feel some vocal melodies or cadences for words. Only our titular song & ‘No Death’ had concepts going into them. The others just kind of occur to me at some point and I go from there. Most of my lyrics are written in “fortuitive” bursts on a Sunday morning before practice. ‘No Death’ is the only one that went through major changes, losing a verse, changing whole sections of words-hell. It was originally performed under the title ‘Trouble Man’. I like using alliteration, wordplay, turning turns-of-phrase on their heads. There are nods to other bands' songs & album titles. I'll make so many references; Family Guy's people will call me for material. At some point I'd like to have a site online where we can put the lyrics and have hyperlinks to explanations of the various lines.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band’s name?

A. Bertrand: There seems to be a dark design at work in things, mobilis in mobili, a pervasive sense of being socially engineered. The dark designs of the rich & powerful, the intelligence community, down to the dark designs of a man in his mind, the lone wolf, the radical.

R. Lewis: The band name comes from the premise that what we see in Washington and in the media is not exactly what is real. Like the lyrics in "Dark Design" says "Conductor of this dark symphony, never at the podium, always in the wings". There is a Dark Design behind what we see , there is a puppet master pulling the strings behind the curtain.

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

A. Bertrand: Opening for Queensryche earlier this year was a career highlight for all of us. The Warriors of Metal Festival in Ohio summer of '12 was our first real road trip as a band. It was filled with unforgettable hijinks & a lot of calls to the hotel's maintenance man every time the toilet/shower. were used. We met a lot of cool cats, JP from Borrowed Time & his crew was the first friends I made there with their TV/VCR & their Rocktober Blood. Keith & Pickill from Mystic Force were staying at the same hotel & became good buds. James Rivera from Helstar was there too for a late night rock n' roll hotel drink'n sing-a-long. We did a benefit show opening for one of my favorite bands, While Heaven Wept, along with Twisted Tower Dire, Widow and Hellrazor.

Our live show is pretty straight forward. The instrumental aspect of the performance requires the other guys to focus while I do the opposite and just do whatever I feel in the moment. I'll throw out copies of the books we've written songs about, snacks, merch. We have a few songs we favor opening and closing with, a cover or two. We usually play ‘Dust in the Wind’ as part of our set but we've been known to encore with ‘The Trooper’ from time to time. I'll get down in the crowd & share the mic for that one since everyone knows the words & I'm usually hoarse by then.

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

R. Lewis: Nothing major at this time. First thing first, the album needs to drop in September. There are some things in the works currently and hopefully they will be announced soon.

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

R. Lewis: Worldwide we are just starting to break, but fortunately what feedback we have gotten is positive. The debut has not officially dropped yet so it has not gotten around on a mass scale yet. I do understand that a label in German has shown interest in possibly putting ‘Prey for the Future’ out on vinyl, now that would be pretty cool.

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

A. Bertrand: Robbie plays in a hard rock band called Devyce that plays throughout central & eastern NC. I'm currently playing drums for a crossover/punk thing called Vacant Planet & am in two bands with Alan Rueda of Hellrazor. The first is a heavy take on Nirvana, the other features Charley from Hellrazor/Daylight Dies on guitar & Jerry from my old band BlackWatch on bass playing Fastway's Trick or Treat soundtrack. Jerry & I are working with Mark on giving the BlackWatch album we did in 2007 a proper release. We only made 100 copies & barely finished it before people moved away. The three of us recorded some folkier stuff over the intervening years that will make up some of the bonus material.

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

R. Lewis: Our musical direction depends on what we come up with at practice.We have various influences so there is no telling.LOL

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

R. Lewis: Metallica, Death , Slayer , Iron Maiden , Iced Earth , Atheist , Cynic are our influences to name a few.

Right now Robbie is listening to Between The Buried And Me , I'm listening to Redemption and Into Eternity , and Andy is listening to everything

A. Bertrand: Dark Design's music, to me, seems influenced by Confessor, Watchtower, Atheist, early Fates Warning, King Diamond, Iron Maiden. Vocally, I'm channeling Messiah Marcolin, Rob Lowe, Blaze Bayley, Danzig, Dio, Matt Barlow, King Fowley. I don't feel I sound like any one of them but I'll borrow the bits that seem to work.

Lately I've been listening to a lot of Carnivore/Type O Negative, the last two Trouble releases with Eric, Satan's newest album ‘Life Sentence’ kicks my ass pretty hard.

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

A. Bertrand: I play disc golf whenever free with a group that includes Jerry, Alan & Charley from the Fastway tribute, Drew from BlackWatch & Jim from ShadowRealm. I read in my few spare minutes but have been cracking out on all the Star Trek & Doctor Who I've missed in life. 

R. Lewis: Beer, women , movies , you name it.

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

R. Lewis: Our debut album, ‘Prey for the Future’ has been a long time in the making and we hope that people enjoy it. John E Wooten of the band Widow recorded us and Jamie King who has worked with many great bands mastered the album and it sounds pretty damn good. Heaven and Hell Records are pushing it and hopefully the metal fans will like it.

Please go and check us out on Facebook or over at the Heaven and Hell Records various media outlets….See you in the Future. Pre-order the album here: http://heavenandhellrecords.bandcamp.com/album/prey-for-the-future-pre-order

Dark Design/Prey For The Future/Heaven And Hell Records/2013 CD Review

  Dark  Design  are  a  band  from  North  Carolina  that  plays  a  technical  form  of  power/thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Prey  For  The  Future"  which  was released  by  Heaven  And  Hell  Records.

  "In  Media  Res"  starts  off  with  soft  classical  guitar  playing  which  uses  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  setting  up  a  perfect  introduction  for  the  rest  of  the  album.

  "Dark  Design"  starts  off  powerful  drums,  bass  playing  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  heavier  parts  which  leads  to  a  melodic  classic  metal  guitar  solo  and  then  the  guitar  rhythm's  and  power  metal  vocals  make  their  presence  known  along  with  some  speed  metal  elements  and  after  awhile  the  leads  start  combining  with  the  rhythm's  and  as  the  song  moves  on  back  up  thrash  gang  vocals  start  coming  in  mixing  with  the  singing.

  "No  Death"  starts  off  with  a  spoken  word  sample  before  the  bass,  drums  and  speed/thrash  metal  guitar  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  blast  beats  before  going  into  a  guitar  solo  with  some  clean  parts  in  the  background  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  melodic  vocals  and  then  the  heavy  mid  paced  parts  come  along  with  the  thrash  back  up  gang  vocals  while  also maintaining  the  solos  and  combining  them  with  the  rhythm's  as  well  as  mixing  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  "Abiding  Contempt"  starts  off  with  powerful  drum  beats  before  the  bass  playing  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  kick  before  going  in  a  heavier  direction  and  introducing  the  vocals  while  keeping  the  melodic  elements  as  the  song  moves  on  death/thrash  growls  make  their  way  into  the  song  for  a  few  seconds  along  with  the  gang  vocals  while  focusing  more  on  the  power/thrash  elements  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  bass  and  guitar  leads  which  utilize  alot  of  classic  metal  melodies  and  the  rhythm's  start  mixing  in  some  modern  metal  elements  with  the  old  school  parts.

  "Welcome  To  Your  Doom"  starts  off   with  a  powerful  bass  lead  before  the  heavy  guitar  rhythm's  and  drums  kick  in  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  the  vocals  which  mix  power  and  thrash  metal  together   with  the  gang  shouts  and  then  the  song  starts  adding  in  melodic  guitar  solos  with  the  heavy  rhythm's.

  "Dragonmount"  starts  off  with  a  spoken w ord  sample,  before  the  bass,  drums  and  guitar  riffs  kick  which  sets  up  the  mood  for  the  singing  and  gang  vocals  before  speeding  up  and  adding  in  thrash  elements  along  with  some  heavy  mid  paced  sections,  after  awhile  a  melodic  guitar  solo  makes  it's  way  in  the  song  while  still  maintaining  the  rhythm  parts and  going  into  a  slower  but  still  heavy  direction  before  speeding  up  again  and  adding  in  blast  beats  towards  the  end.

   "Meditations"  starts  off  with  a  melodic  guitar  solos  along  with  some  drums,  bass  and  guitar  rhythm's  which  takes  the  music  into  a  speed  metal  direction  before  slowing  down  getting  heavy  with  vocals  that  combine  power  and  thrash  metal  together  while  also  speeding  up  at  times  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  heavy  parts.

  Spice  World"  starts  off  with  heavy  guitar  riffs,  powerful  drums  and  melodic  guitar  leads  before  going  into  a  speed  metal  direction  and  mixing  in  power/thrash  vocals  while  also mixing  in  powerful  bass  lines  and  a  brief  use  of  deep  growls  and  then t he  music  slows  down  but  remains  heavy  with  another  solo,  after  awhile  a  classical  guitar  comes  in  and  the  music  goes  into  a  cleaner  direction  while  keeping  the  solos  before  going  back  to  the  heavier  elements.

  "Dust  In  The  Wind"  which  is  a  Kansas  cover  starts  off  with  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  before  the  drums  and  heavier  guitars  kick  in  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  the  bass  playing  and  melodic  guitar  solos  and  then t he  vocals  make  their  presence  known  while  also  mixing  the  soft  and  heavy  elements  together  as  well  as  rhythms  and  leads  combining.

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

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Design  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical,  power/thrash  metal band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Design"  "Welcome  To  Your  Doom"  and  "Dust  In  The  WInd".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

       

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.