Funeral Circle/Self Titled/Shadow Kingdom Records/2013 CD Review

  Funeral  Circle  are  a  band  from  Vancouver,  British  Columbia,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  traditional  and  old  school  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013  album  which  was  released  by  Shadow  Kingdom  Records.

  "Scion  Of  Infinity"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs/leads  and  drums  and  a  minute  later  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  make  their  presence  known  as  well  as  utilizing  a  brief  use  of  aggressive  elements.and  after  awhile  another  guitar  solo  kicks  in  as  well  as  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  the  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

 "Amaranthine  (Wandering    Dreamer)"  begins  with  a  mixture  of  electric  and  acoustic  guitars  along  with  some  drums  which  then  lead  to  some  vocals  and  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction  but  he  acoustic  guitars  do  return  at  times  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  being  utilized  as  well  as  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  along  with  some  other  solos  being  utilized  and  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background.

  "Corpus  Of  Dark  Sorcery"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  solos  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  drums  before  going  into  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  which  lead to  some  clean  sections,  melodic  singing  and whispers  and  after  a  few  minutes  another  guitar  solos  starts  kicking  in.

  "Tempus  Edax  Rerum"  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitars  that  utilize  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  which  lead  to  some  spoken  word  parts.

  "The  Charnel  God"  begins  with  some  dark  synths  which  lead  to  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  lead  to  a  brief  use  of  demonic  vocals  that  turn  into  melodic  clean  singing  shortly  after  that  and  then  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melodic  elements  and  then  acoustic  guitars  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  adding  in  guitar  solos  and  leads  in   certain  sections  of  the  song.  

  "Black  Colossus"  begins  with  some  distortion  and  heavy  bass  guitars  which  lead  to  the  rhythm  guitar  riffs  kicking  in  as  well  as  some  drums  and  then t he  vocals  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song  and  then  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  kicking  in  and  out  of  the  song  along  with  some  traditional  metal  style  mid  paced  sections  being  utilized  briefly.

  "Obelisk"  begins  with  some  drum  beats  and  after  awhile  rhythm  and  bass  guitar  riffs  start  making  their  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  dark sounding  melodies  which  lead  to  some  acoustic  guitars  and  vocals  becoming  a  part  of  the  song  while  also  keeping  around  the  heavier  and  dark  elements  and  around  the  5  minute  mark  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  the  vocals  start  mixing  in  some  aggressive  elements  and  power  metal  screams  in  certain  sections  of  the  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  occultism,  anti  christian  and  Lovecraft  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  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Funeral  Circle  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  old  school,  traditional,  epic  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Scion  Of  Infinity"  "The  Charnel  God"  and  "Obelisk".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Mark Deutrom Interview

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

The update is : The album is out today for downloading and there will be a couple of vinyl packages next year.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous albums you have been a part off?

This is more lush, orchestrated and organic than some of the previous releases. It's heavier in a psychic and sonic sense, and also plays with space more.

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

Everything from surveillance to pantheism to Dutch 15th Century painting to cardiac pathology. It's a veritable Las Vegas buffet of the arcane knowledge that rattles around in my head making connections that are even mysterious to myself.

4. You worked solo on the new album, how would you compare it to working with other bands?

I'm probably more demanding and less forgiving of myself that I would be with other bands. I miss some of the camaraderie that goes with that type of working situation, but working with just one or two other people allows for intense focus and maximum results.

There is also less beer and smoking.

5. What are some of the best shows you have perfromed in your career and how would you describe your stage performance?

Some of the shows I did with the Melvins in the 90's were strange but memorable : with Kiss at the Superdome, with Rush at the Cow Palace, and Nine Inch Nails in Dallas. My best playing has always been on guitar, and not many people have actually seen that since most of my live exposure was playing bass. Some early Clown Alley shows were cool with Suicidal Tendencies, and Corrosion of Conformity.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new album?

No band currently, so no plans for that at the present time.

7.The new album was self released, do you feel it added more to the creativity of the music?

If it was on a label it would be exactly the same. It would be great to have a label just so

I could concentrate on music only, but that didn't happen this time.

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

Just came out today, so I'll have to wait for the surprise and delight the planet has in store for me.

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

Horns. There's going to be a lot of horns. With drums. And a choir.

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

There was some minimalist concepts that were interesting me when I was putting some of the album together. I happened to be going through a phase of listening to some ECM stuff from the 80's, as well as some recordings of French and Spanish baroque music. The use of space in that music reflects a quieter time.

Lately I've been listening to Wagner quite a bit, specifically Tristan and Isolde.

The golden oldies section in itunes radio has some excellent lounge and crooner stations.

It's inspiring to listen to real singers, real players, and really good song writing. There's been

some reissues of Nat King Cole that are jaw dropping.

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

Photography. Cooking. Reading. Traveling. Camping.

Shooting. I need to do more of that.

I have a series of short films called Riffology that I make with my wife, who is an animator.

Check my youtube channel for those.

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

The further you go, the less you know.

Chron Goblin Interview

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

We've been very busy preparing for the release of the album (which occurred officially on Sept 13th) - lining up album reviews, interviews and press, receiving our vinyl and CD orders, ordering new merchandise for our fall tour, finalizing bookings for our fall tour, mailing out pre-sale packages.  All in all a lot of the business end of things to set ourselves up for a successful release!

We also had the honour of opening up for Weedeater in July and Vista Chino in early September here in Calgary, which were both amazing shows to be a part of!  And, believe it or not, we played a stoner rock wedding for our friends Clint and Isabelle who got married on a property in rural Alberta (this is the second wedding we've had the honour of playing!).  We setup outside between two trees and played a bunch of new songs and a few covers as well (Sweetleaf, Green Machine, Fortunate Son). 

2. You have a new album out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction the new album has?

I think overall Life for the Living leans in a heavier direction, although we've made an effort to keep a strong presence of melody, groove, and an atmosphere of fun.  The production on the album is definitely superior to our last release and that really enhances the punch and presence of the songs.  I think our sound has naturally evolved on this latest release to be tighter, more concise and direct, and I think that is due to all four of us having a strong involvement in the writing process and ensuring that we rework each song until we are all satisfied with it.  Furthermore, I think that our musical influences and interests have been channelled more directly with the songs on this album and that the artists that continue to make great music have inspired us to challenge ourselves to become better musicians, songwriters and performers.

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

Our singer Josh Sandulak handles all of the lyrical content for our songs and I know he focused a lot on his perspective of the various socio-political changes that have been occurring globally in recent times.  Many of his lyrics are rooted in sentiments of the need to grasp the opportunity for betterment and personal freedom and expression and I think that is reflective of many of the world events that have occurred in the last two years.  In tandem with this, Josh has written about his observations of our own smaller social group and witnessing their struggle to achieve success as young adults in a highly competitive society and finding one's own place to be creative and expressive.  I think Josh has taken these observations and channelled them through his creative muse, and that's what you hear in the songs and see on the lyric sheet included with the CD.  

4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the name Chron Goblin?

The name stemmed from one of our band members who used to be a part of a work crew that would partake in some "herbal activities" while on the job.  One of the crew members commented that they were a bunch of "Chron Goblins" as they would light up extremely frequently, and we've always thought that would be a hilarious tongue-in-cheek name for a band.  I think the name represents us well that we have  a sense of humour, it's unique and fun, and can also align us with a genre of music that we are heavily influenced by - that being stoner rock of course!

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

I think our biggest highlight so far has been the honour of playing the UK's Desertfest this year in London.  It was our first show out of Canada and it was such an amazing experience playing at the legendary venue that is The Underworld.  We've also had the privilege of opening up for some amazing Canadian and USA bands such as Vista Chino, Weedeater, 3 Inches of Blood, Bison BC, and The Devin Townsend Project.  We'll also be opening up for Orange Goblin in Edmonton this fall which we are extremely stoked for!

I think most of our fans will attest that our live performance is very high energy and aggressive.  We always dig for a deep cosmic headbanging nod but like to play fast as well.  I think we manage to pull off some great dynamics in our live performance as we move from riffs to psychedelia to  swing and even some thrash.  All in all we like to crush beers and always have fun on stage as we put out our best effort to make the crowd move.

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

Absolutely!  Our local album release show is Saturday Sept 21st at The Palomino here in Calgary.  Below are the rest of our fall dates we've booked so far.  We also have a serious goal of making it into the States and back to the UK for 2014 as we continue to promote our new release.

September 20 @ The Slice
Lethbridge, Alberta
with We Hunt Buffalo and Lethbridge’s Lustre Cream and Dirt
*Album Release Show

September 21 @ The Palomino
Calgary, Alberta
with We Hunt Buffalo and Temple
*Album Release Show

October 17 @ The Pawnshop
Edmonton, Alberta
*opening for Orange Goblin

October 19 @ The Gateway
Calgary, Alberta

with Throne of Vengeance

October 25 @ Logan’s Pub
Victoria, BC
with Buzzard

October 26 @ The Media Club
Vancouver, BC
with Kicked of the Farm and very special guest

November 8 @ O’Hanlon’s Pub
Regina, Saskatchewan
with Black Thunder

November 9 @ Amigo’s
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
with Shooting Guns

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

We have received some interest from small label groups, but we haven't really found someone who we are ready to call home yet.  We are absolutely open to working with a label - in particular we are hoping to setup some national distribution and representation.  However, we've managed to accomplish a lot in the last four and half years with self representation and we will continue down this road for the time being!

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

We have been absolutely blown away by the international response and support we have received in the last few years!  Darty and myself attended Desertfest in 2012 simply to check out some great UK and European bands that rarely make it across the pond to North America, and we met so many great people and handed out hundreds of download cards.  The opportunity to play Desertfest 2013 helped solidify a stronger presence in the UK and Europe and that's been demonstrated by thousands of international hits on our website and many sales through the online store we've created.  I was personally mailing out some of the presale items yesterday and I sent copy of our new vinyl album to someone in Australia and more to the USA and UK!  We've also had many album reviews for Life for the Living come out in Russia, Hungary, Italy, the UK, USA.  It's been so amazing to see support come from all parts of the globe and we can't wait for the opportunity to play live for all of these great fans.

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

We'll continue to write our favourite songs that we've never heard.  We haven't gotten sick of riffs, groves and melodies yet, so I'm sure those will continue to take a strong presence in future songwriting.  Although as our musical interests continue to expand and diversify, those influences will be sure to creep into our songwriting and playing.  At this time we don't necessarily have a master plan for the direction of our music, but I think that is advantageous as it allows us to create what we feel is strong and powerful at the time of writing.  We like to be spontaneous as well as goal-oriented so I'm sure we'll find a balance between the two that will lead to more challenging and exciting songwriting.  

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

We are of course huge fans of a lot of the current stoner rock stuff out there like Clutch, The Sword, Red Fang, Truck Fighters, Graveyard, Orange Goblin, Kadavar and these guys never leave our playlist.  We must mention our devotion to Black Sabbath and we were fortunate enough to catch their set at The Gorge, Washington a few weeks ago.  It was also great to see Dozer and Lowrider reunite at Desertfest this year for some amazing shows.  Locally we'd love to give a shout out to Black Mastiff, a superb band from Edmonton, and our doom brothers in Witchstone from our hometown.

But our music catalogues range from everything including hardcore, soul, funk, metal, blues, etc.  We appreciate it all and those influences definitely creep in to our playing and jamming.

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

Josh is a talented videographer and has his own production company called Pretty Dead - he spearheaded the creation of our  music video for "Bring Your Idols" and we are super stoked on how it turned out!  Darty's big into the skateboarding scene and we all like to ski or snowboard in the winter and take advantage of the great mountains we have.  We also do a lot of camping and general drunkenness in the time off we have between our full time jobs and our dedication to making our band successful. 

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

We really appreciate the opportunity to be interviewed by Extremeundergroundmusikzine!  We'd also encourage anyone interested in us to check out our music on iTunes, CD Baby or through our online store on our website at www.chrongoblin.com (you can also buy merch there.)  Add us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and shoot us a message! We love hearing from new fans and we've made a lot of great international friends that way.  If you're able to catch a live show make sure you come say hello and have a beer with us! Thanks and long live the riff!!!

Sorrows Path/The Rough Path Of Nihilism/Rock It Up Records/2010 CD Review

  Sorrows  Path  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  power  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2010   album  "The  Rough  Path  Of  Nihilism"  which  was  released  by  Rock  It  Up Records.

  "All  Love  Is  Lost"  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  violins  which  lead  to  some  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  melodic  and  heavy  rhythm  and  lead  guitars  along  with  some  drums  kick  in  and  take  the  music  into  a  power/doom  metal  direction  and  as  the  song  moves  on  there  is  a  brief  use  of  aggressive  vocals  getting  mixed  in  with  the  melodic  singing  as  well  as  some  whispers  and  a  few  seconds  later  there  are  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  for  a  short  time  as  well  as  a  variety  of  many  different  riffs  as  well  as  some  orchestra  parts  and  the  song  closes  with  some  acoustic  guitars.

  "The  Beast  (S.P.R)"  begins  with  some  classical  music  style  sounds  as  well  as  some  female  vocals  before  going  into  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  drums  and  lead  guitars  which  set  up  the  mood  for  some  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  some  keyboards  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  during  that  time  you  can  actually  hear  the  bass  guitars.

  "Honestly"  begins  with  lead  guitars,  bass,  keyboards  and  drums  before  bringing  in  some  rhythm  guitar  riffs  and  vocals  which  utilize  many  different  melodic  keys  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  and   solos  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Fetish"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  before  drums,  guitars  and  bass  come  into  the  song  along  with  a  brief  lead  before  the  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  take  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction  and  bringing  in  some  keyboards  as  well  as  guitar  leads  and  solos  coming  in  and  out.  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  and  aggressive  vocals  before  going  more  into  a  classical  direction  along  with  some  male  and  female  operatic  vocals  and  then  the  song  goes  back  to  its  heavier  roots.

  "Dirty  Game"  begins  with  some  screaming  samples  before  going  into  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  lead  to  the  melodic  vocals  and  melodic  guitar riffs  and  as  the  song  moves  in  it  starts  adding  in  orchestra  elements  and  after  awhile  the  vocals  get  more  aggressive  in  some  parts  before  bringing  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  spoken  word  part.    

  "MR.  Holy"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  orchestra  which  then  lead  to  some  vocals,  rhythm  and  bass  guitars  along  with  some  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  combining  clean  and  distorted  guitars  together  briefly  before  heading  off  into  a  more  melodic  and  heavy  direction  and  a  few  minutes  later t here  are  more  guitar  leads  being  utilized  as  well  as  the  vocals  using  a  variety  of  many  different  melodic  keys.

  "Getting  Closer"  begins  with  some  drums  before  going  into  bass  guitars  and  keyboards  which  then  lead  to  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  before going  into  a  heavy  direction  which  then  leads  to  some  vocals  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  some  clean  guitar  being  utilized  briefly  before  adding  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  for  a  short  time  before  focusing  more  on  the  rhythm  parts  and  vocals  and  closing  with  acoustic  guitars,  female  spoken  words  and  whispers.


  "Queen  Of  Doom"  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitars  which  utilize  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  which  then  lead  to  some  vocals  and  after  awhile  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  orchestra  elements  which  then  lead  to  some  clean  guitars  and  slides  before  going  back  to  a  heavier  direction along  with  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  shortly  after  that.

  "Prostitute" begins  with  some  keyboards  and  vocals  before  the  rhythm  guitars,  bass  and  drums  start  kicking  in  and  a  minute  later  into  the  song  there  is  a brief  use  off  guitar  leads  and  solos  kicking  in  and  out  as  well  as  the  guitars  utilizing  some  melody  in  certain  parts.

  "Hymn  Of  Differentiation"  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitars  before  going  into  drums,  rhythm  and  leads  guitars  as  well  as  some  powerful bass  guitars  which  lead  to  some  vocals  kicking  in  as  well  as  the  leads  kicking  in  and  out  along  with  the  vocals  getting  more  diverse.

  "Empty  Eyes  And  Blackened  Hearts"  begins  with  some  clean  guitar  riffs  and  bass  guitars  which  then  go  into  some  solos  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  with  some  rhythm  lead  guitars  as  well  as  some  drums  which  then  lead  to  some  vocals  and keyboards  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  starts  utilizing  more  guitar  leads  briefly.

\  "Nihilsm"  begins  with  some  keyboards  before  going  into  some  drums,  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  background  shouts  which  lead  to  some  melodic  leads  and  bass  guitars  that  set  up  the  mood  form  some  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  you  can  hear  some  background  laughter  and  guitar  leads  kicking  in  and  out.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness,  depression  and  metaphysical  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  this  album.

  In  my  opinion  Sorrows  Path  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  power  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "All  Love  Is  Lost"  "Dirty  Game"  "Queen  Of  Doom"  and  "Nihilism".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Empire Of Rats/Self Titled/A389 Recordings/2013 CD Review

  Empire  Of  Rats  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  a  very  heavy  form  of  hardcore  with  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013  album  which  was  released  by  A389  Recordings.

  "Leeches"  begins  with  a  spoken  word  sample  before  going  into  a  heavier  guitar  riff  along  with  drums  and  after  awhile  the  aggressive  vocals,  faster  riffs  and  blast  beats  kick  in  before  making  switches  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  some  powerful  bass  guitars.

  "Another  Minute  In  Hell"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  lead  to  some  aggressive  sounding  hardcore  vocals  and  then  the  music  switches  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  mid  paced  before  a  brief  guitar  lead  that  leads  to  the  song  going  into  a  fater  direction  for  awhile  as  well  as  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Bottomless  Pit"  begins  with  some  drums  which  lead  to  some  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  the  vocals  kicking  in  a  few  seconds  later  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  riffs  start  getting  more  diverse.

  "Untitled"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  lead  to  the  vocals  and  bass  guitars  kicking  in  and  a  minute  later t he  song  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  guitar  leads  before  slowing  down  again.

  :Society's  Zero"  begins  with  some  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  which  lead  to  some  drums  and  vocals  before  slowing  down  but  remaining  heavy  all  at  the  same  time.and  after  awhile t here  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  along  with  some  heavier  bass  guitars.

  'Rats  Reign"  begins  with  a  spoken  word  part  before  going  into  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  in  some  parts  as  well  as  the  bass  guitars  getting  heavier.

  "Sinking"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  rhythms  and  leads  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  aggressive  vocals   before  going  into  a  slow  but  still  heavy  direction.

  "Little  From  The  World"  begins  with  some aggressive  drums  and  guitar  riffs  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  powerful  bass  guitars  and  aggressive  vocals.

  'We're  Dead"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs   before  into  drums  and  vocals  along  with  some  brutal  blast  beats  being  utilized  and  then t he  song  slows  down  and  adds  in  some  heavy  bass  guitars  before  speeding  up.

  "Exposed"  begins  with  some  heavy  bass  guitars  before  going  into  rhythm  guitars  and  drums  and  adding m in  some  aggressive  hardcore  shouts  and  adding  in  some  faster  parts  but  also  slowing  down  at  times.

  "Early  Morning"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  utilize  finger  picking  before  going  into  some  heavier  guitars  and  drums  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  and  solos.

  Song  lyrics  cover  everyday,  violent  and  hateful  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 t he  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Empire  Of  Rats  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  hardcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Leeches"  "Bottomless  Pits"  "Sinking"  and  "Exposed".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

       

 

  

Strangelight/9 Days/Sacrament Music/2013 EP Review

  Strangelight  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "9  Days"  which  was  released  by  Sacrament  Music.

  "Split  And  Divide"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  which  starts  using  power  chords  once  the  drums,  bass  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  after  awhile  they  turn  into  aggressive  screams  while  also  keeping  around  the  melodic  elements  as  well  as  bringing  in  some  clean  playing.

  "Mosh  Party  Ad" begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  lead  to  some  clean  singing  becoming  a  part  of  the  song  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  melodic  guitar  leads  and  after  awhile t he  music  gets  more  diverse.  

  "High  Five  Hailstorm"  begins  with  some  clean  guitar  playing  and  drums  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  after  awhile  powerful  bass  guitars  become  a  part  of  the  song  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  a  few  seconds  later.  

  "White Feather"  begins  with  some  bass  guitars  and  drums  before  the  melodic  guitars  and  vocals  come  on  along  with  some  more  aggressive  elements  being  utilized  as  well  as  some  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile t here  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads   as  well  as  the  riffing  getting  faster  in  certain  parts.

  "Xmas"  begins  with  some  clean  guitar  playing  which  leads  to  some  drums,  melodic  riffs  and  spoken  word  parts  and  after  a  few  seconds  melodic  vocals  are  brought  into  the  song  while  also  keeping  around  the  spoken  word  parts  and  after  awhile  the  song  starts  bringing  in  heavier  parts  along  the  cleaner  elements.

  "Tiers  Of  Joy"  begins  with  some  clean  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  which  get  more  aggressive  as  the  song  moves  on  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads.
 
  Song  lyrics  cover  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 t he  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Stranglelight  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  noise  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mosh  Party  Ad"  and  "Tiers  Of  Joy".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Unshine Interview

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

We have a new theme album, 'Dark Half Rising', out now. The last two years have seen lots of changes in our musical working environment. We were lucky enough to get an international record deal with Massacre Records, an international promotion agency (Armada Agency) and a great promotion agency in Finland (Metal Asylum Promotions). To achieve all this, it took some time, but fires are burning intensively in our forest camp now.

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

The songs in the album are all pretty different from each other, there are many extremeties and the songs reflect strongly the thematical approach we chose for the album. We also wanted to experiment with more varied styles than on our first two albums. I think we have also matured as a band and as musicians, I can hear that personally very well. The songs are much more guitar-oriented than on the last album and we have paid lots of attention to overall arrangements.

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

As I mentioned, it is a theme album. The whole structure is based on a story I made up from real historical ingredients. Around 2000 years ago, Julius Caesar attacked reign of Gauls in the area of France and Belgium. With our music, we make our own description of the events, it is a perspective of Gauls. We have definitely taken a step in to the world of original druids.

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

We kinda think it unites humbleness and darkness.

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

The great ones include Sweden Rock (Sweden, June 2009), Bilbao (Spain, March 2003), Klaipeda (Lithuania, April 2009) and Seinäjoki as Amorphis support (Finland, April 2009). We do have a good atmosphere and flow at shows, but it requires the invisible interaction of vibes of the place and the audience too, naturally.

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

We hope to tour at least in Europe by end of the year. There are now some confirmed shows in Finland and next week are going to have our album release show at Festival Medieval in Selb (Germany), that is exciting.

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

It would be great to think that we have some kind of a cult status, on the other hand it would be fantastic to play more shows in different countries. In general, people seem to like our songwriting and a bit different approach. We are balancing between metal and folk rock, and sometimes we lean more towards heaviness and sometimes in to some other approach.

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

Our bass player Teemu has his own projects, the rest of us, we are playing only at Unshine. Though, there could be some secret projects that I'm not aware of (haha!).

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

Time will tell, although I do have an inner knowledge of what is going to happen next. More than thinking about the musical direction, I think we'd be ready to release music in much more faster pace. Five years between the new and the previous album was simply too long.

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

I use a lot of YouTube to find interesting music. Still, I love vinyls and I've started to collect my dream collection. My personal favourites from current year: Tangerine Dream and their earlier side projects, Comus and all the other 70's weird-psych-folk, Camel, my ever-favourite Jethro Tull, Jex Thoth, the greatest modern band: Mastodon and the greatest thrash band ever: Sabbat (UK).

11.How would you describe your views on Paganism?

Can't speak for the others, weirdly, within the band we do not talk very much about our personal views on spiritual things. Partly for this, I respect individuality and the importance of personal experience.

I've always, basically since my childhood, been a nature spiritualist with an animistic world view, so any outsider would definitely label me as a 'pagan', a practitioner of the old ways and a romantic admirer of the countryside. That word (pagan), on the other hand, includes a certain religious charge in itself, saying that it is opposite option to the current main religions. That's basically ok, but I dislike this kind of labeling.

Nature for me is the ultimate source for the thing we call divinity and I have experienced my most religious experiences in nature. We can not see or measure everything in the world as most of the current scientists and especially politicians seem to think. Instead, we may sometimes feel the touch of everything and jump in to that other side of reality with our subconscious powers. Of course, I'm very interested in the current waves of paganism, but I have also got myself familiar lately for example with the nature writings of C.G. Jung and some early theosophical writings. Still, healthy environmental thinking is very typical to most of these current nature spiritual ways, and that is something I really really love.

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

Described in the previous section...Gardening, spending time with my family, food (I'm pretty good cook) and literature.

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

Thank You for the interview, I had really nice time answering these questions. Check out our music and hope to see you at our shows! Harri / UNSHINE