Tile/You Had A Friend In Pennsylvania/Limited Appeal Records/2013 CD Review

  Tile  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  noise  rock  with  elements  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "You  Had  A  Friend  in  Pennsylvania"  which  was  released  by  Limited  Appeal  Records.

  The  album s tarts  out  with  some  drums  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  and  you  can  hear  some  heavy  doom  metal  parts  being  mixed  in  with  noise  rock  and  on  the  second  song  the  bass  guitars  get  a  lot  more  powerful  sounding  and  you  can  also  hear  reverb  noises  being  added  in.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  diverse  while  also  having  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  always  stays  very  dark  and  heavy  sounding  as  well  as  mixing  in  influences  from  garage  and  punk  rock  and  on  the  6th  song  the  music  gets  more  doom  metal  influenced  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  sludge  being  added  into  the  screams.

  On  this  album  Tile  create  some  very  good  quality  noise  rock  and  mix  it  in  with  the  heaviness  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  while  also  having  a  small  amount  of  stoner  rock  influences  without  resorting  to  the  more  mainstream  side  of  that  genre  and  you  can  hear  the  rawness and  primal  aggression  of  punk  and  garage  rock  on  this  record  as  well.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Tile  are  a  very  decent  sounding  noise  rock  band  with  elements  of  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Half  Tooth"  "Lazy  Mannequin"  "Snake  Woman"  and  "Night  Crawlwr".  7/5  out  of  10.

Black Space Riders/D; REI/BSR/Cargo/2014 CD Review

  Black  Space  Riders  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  metal,  stoner  rock  and  psychedelia  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "D:  REI"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  BSR  and  Cargo.

  The  album  starts  out  with  some  ambient  sounds  and  a  minute  later  clean  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  the  sound  of  oceans  before  going  into  70's  style  doom  metal  guitar  and b ass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  some  solos  being  mixed  in.

  As  the  album  moves  on  stoner  rock  and  elements  of  early  90's  grunge  and  80's  heavy  metal  are  brought  into  the  music  and  they  also  start  bringing  in  more  aggressive  sounding  vocals  at  times  that  almost  add  a  death  metal  type  of  heaviness  to  the  recording  while  also  bringing  in  more  melody  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  psychedelia  and  every  song  sounds  different  from  each  other  and  on  the  last  song  growls  are  added  into  the  record.

   Clack  Space  Riders  show  a  lot  of  diversity  on  this  album  and  while  their  core  sound  is  stoner  rock  you  can  can  hear  a  lot  of  metal  influences  ranging  from  doom,  70's,  80's  and  90's  metal  as  well  as  some  grunge  and  70's  psychedelic  rock  and  with  all  of  these  musical  styles  mixed  together  this  album  it  ends  up  not  sounding  all  rehashed  and  I  can  see  this  band  going  somewhere  in  the  future.

   Song  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  on  retreat,  outbreak,  total  destruction,  escape,  transformation  and  new  beginnings,  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  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Space  Riders  are  a  very  good  sounding  mixture  of  stoner  rock  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band  and  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stare  At  The  Water"  "Way  To  Me"  "The  GOD-Survivor"  and  "Major  Tom  Waits".  7/5  out  of  10.

Youth Forgotten Interview

1.Can you give us an introduction to the band for those that will be hearing of you for the first time?  

We are Youth Forgotten, a Metal infused Hardcore band from Cleveland, America

2.You have a new album coming out later this month, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction you haven taken with the new recording?

Alot of thrash punk influence with tons of musical overtones to give the listener something fresh throughout the record... 

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

The eternal battle of overcoming pain, betrayal and loss... Trying to live in the light with so much darkness weighing on my soul.  

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Youth Forgotten'?

We believe we are the forgotten youth of the last century... After nearly 2 decades in the music scene we have watched so many trends come and go.  So much of today's "Core" is mid tempo breakdown based.  We intend to change that with speed, passion and true aggression.  Slayer with a serious chip on its shoulder... 

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

Any of the UNITE CLEVELAND festivals 

We aim to bring all the pissed intensity of the album to the stage when we play.  

6.DO you have any touring or show plans for 2014?

We are planning on playing the east coast as much as possible.  Cleveland Hardcore is more alive out there than it is in our own city... 

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

We had a few offers due to the Chimaira name attached to the record, however we want to get it out there and hopefully land something based on our own music.   We have every intention of working hard to earn everything Youth Forgotten achieves.  

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

Its been heartwarming and life changing.  Cant wait to start writing the second record.  

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

More Slayer.... More Punk and played as fast as we feel it should be played...  

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

Raised Fist

The Haunted

Integrity

Strife

Chimaira

Sick of it All

Its hard to go a day with out listening to the new Queens of the Stone age or Dillinger Escape Plan.  

11.Do you have any non musical interests?

ProWrestling, Body Building, Good Jokes and spending time with our families.  

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

Ask yourself.... 

What the Fuck is wrong with the Scene today?  

and then do whatever you can to fix it...  Its up to you... excuses are laziness... change the the world around you..  

Youth Forgotten/Ghost Of A Fallen Empire/2014 CD Review

  Youth  Forgotten  are  a  band  from  Cleveland  Ohio that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  hardcore  and  thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Ghost  Of  A  Fallen  Empire".

  The  album  starts  off  with  some  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  aggressive  vocals  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  thrash  influences  and  the  band  also  breaks  slower  breakdowns  with  their  fast  assault  as  well  as  having  back  up  gang  vocals.

  When  the  album  goes  into  the  second  song  guitar  leads  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  band  sticks  to  a  more  hardcore  direction  on  these  songs  and  stay  away  from  the  modern  metalcore  and  emo  influences  that  ruin  modern  hardcore  and  the  way  they  combine  it  with  80's  thrash  creates  a  sound  that  is  very  heavy,  dark  and  brutal.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  band  starts  adding  melody  to  their  heavy  hardcore/thrash  assault  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  some  dark  sound  effects  on  one  song  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  all  of  these  elements  seem  to  be  influenced  by  80's  metal  as  well  as  making  the  bass  guitars  sound  a lot  more  stronger  and  powerful  and  you  can  also  hear  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  being  utilized,  and  on  the  last  song  violins  are  added  in.

  Song  lyrics  cover  forward  thinking  mentality  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album  as  well  as  the  last  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length

  In  my  opinion  Youth  Forgotten  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark  hardcore  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band  and  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anthem"  "The  Passion"  "Nobody  Cares"  and  "End  Times". 8/5  out  of  10.

Cyrus Gold/2013 Demo Review

  Cyrus  Gold  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  hardcore  punk  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  demo.

  The  demo  starts  out  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  before  adding  in  drums  and  heavier  guitar  riffs  which  also  utilize  some  melody  along  with  some  aggressive  clean  singing  vocals  and  then  the  music  starts  adding  in  some  faster  parts  and  a  few  seconds  later  noise  rock  style  guitar  leads  are  added  into  the  music.
 
  The  band  continue  their  heavy  punk  rock  assault  as  the  demo  moves  on  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  hardcore  being  added  to  the  music  and  these  3  songs  bring  back  memories  of  80's  punk  rock  and  on  the  last  song  the  vocals  start  utilizing  a  lot  more  aggression.

  Song  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  and  heavy  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  demo.

  In  my  opinion  Cyrus  Gold  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  hardcore  punk  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Bones".  7/5  out  of  10.
  

Leviathan Interview

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

After the completion of the album, the permanent members of Leviathan slowly returned to our normal day to day lives.  Jeff Ward lives in Texas, so he flew home after finishing the vocals.  Derek Blake and I still hang out and work on music occasionally.  We keep busy by performing with our acoustic group. 

We are very excited about the new album and hope that with proper promotion this time, we can get back to the sales numbers we had in the 90's.  We want to be able to earn our old fans back.  I am confident in this album; I want it to be our greatest work yet.  I felt less than happy with the last album we released. So it was vital for me to redeem myself.  I spent over two years and 2000 hours working on "Beholden to Nothing, Braver Since Then."  I hope the passion and effort is recognized and well received. 

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

I think the musical sound of this album is a perfect blend of old and new.  Point in fact; some of the songs were created from pieces I wrote when I was a teenager.  Some of the songs were written only months ago.  The album is a musical journey taking the listener through all possible genres and styles.   Some songs have very heavy sections while others are mellow.  From a lyrical stand point, I am very proud of the writing. 

All of the guys in the band and friends that contributed musical pieces did outstanding jobs. 

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

About half the album is a conceptual set dealing with my life long struggle with religion.   I tried to write from many different perspectives and not be biased.   The other half of the album relates to topics such as the daily hardships humans face with poverty.  Material possessions, government control, corporate deceit, environmental disasters and the general human condition. 

4.The band was broken up for a long time, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

The band broke up in 1998 over financial issues regarding the album we had just finished, "Scoring the Chapters."  It was a terrible experience and really tore us apart.  It was so sad because the whole writing/ recording experience making that album was the greatest time of my life.  We were all such close friends and touched on magic in the Morrisound.   It is rather typical and cliché to say but money ripped us apart.  We financed the album ourselves and when Century Media blocked us by pressuring distributors to not buy from us, the sales never happened. 

The decision to reform was an easy one, Derek Blake, Trevor Helfer and I had got back together a few years after Leviathan disbanded.  We formed a band called, "Braver Since Then".  This was the plan all along if something happened to Leviathan.  Jeff Ward, had moved back to Texas so he was the hardest person to bring back on board because of the Geographic obstacles.  We all got along great so that wasn't a problem.  Convincing Ron Skeen to reunite was a different story.  He had pretty much quit playing music and had a successful business and growing family.  After a few phone calls he thought he would give it a shot.  

He participated in the Live Reunion DVD set but didn't want to make any more albums.   I am still hopeful that he will rejoin us someday.  He has a few great tunes left in his catalog.  

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Leviathan?

The origins and inspiration of the name comes from Ron Skeen.  He used to practice next to Satan's Host and at the time, Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer, Titan Force, Etc.) was the singer going by the name Leviathan.  Ron really liked it and thought it created a powerful vision.  He trademarked the name in 1989.  Since then the official world wide ownership has changed hands a few times.  I hired a lawyer and have successfully obtained rights to it through the US patent office.  To all the other bands in the world using "Leviathan" not cool!

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

The most memorable shows for me have been opening up for my idols, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Savatage.  Our show at the 2011 HOA festival was incredible.   Our stage performance is energetic and focuses on reproducing the albums accurately live.  Jeff Ward is an incredible singer and has only gotten better with age.  Derek Blake is solid and a monster on stage.  We used to run around a lot more on stage.  Gone are the days of serious head banging, hair twirls and back flips off the drum risers.  I am more conservative now I guess. :) 

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

As always, we are ready and willing to play anywhere.  We are hoping that the new album will generate enough sales that we can finance a European tour ourselves.  Otherwise, we are waiting to hear from Festivals and other opportunities to get us back to Europe.  So anyone out there who might need a band, Email me, Leviathan will be there. 

8.The new album came out on Stonefellowship Recordings, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Stonefellowship Recordings was a label I started back in 1994.  It was a simple thing to just have a home for my solo stuff, (which later became, "Braver Since Then" music) Now days, the necessity of having a label is over.   Distribution has always been the requirement.  Anyone can record and album, form an independent label and start selling their music. 

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your reunion by fans of power and progressive metal?

Overall, it has been great.  All of the fans that remember us and are aware that we are still alive are very supportive.  The problem is that we haven't been able to really reach our former fan base.  We know the numbers of CD's we sold throughout the 90's.   Like every artist, you just hope to keep building that fan base and creating new supporters.  We are far from where I want to be. So that gives me something to strive for. 

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

To tell you the truth,  I can't really think about another Leviathan album yet.  I put so much of myself into "Beholden" Any future Leviathan albums really depend on how this one is received.  Don't get me wrong, I am already working on another album.  This is my passion right now.  It is going to be collaboration with two of the best guitarists in the world; Chris Lasegue and Jason Boudreau.  They both contributed solos for the B2N, BST album.  This project is going to be a modern guitar shredding album.  The whole concept is to be able to begin tapping into a great market here in Colorado, where we live.  The music is a blend of Classical, Flamenco, folk, Jazz, blues and world sounds, all with foundations using acoustic guitars.  We will have the album finished by December 2014.

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

Lately all I have been listening to is Jazz. Stuff like Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk.  That is what has been inspiring me for this new guitar trio.  There are quite a few jazz clubs opening up in Denver.  I am confident that this new project will bring some much needed recognition to the talents of Chris Lasegue and Jason Boudreau.   If you knew the history of these guys you would be blown away.  It is strange, I consider myself to be a pretty good guitarist.  I never thought that I would find relief in working with two guys that put me to shame.   I am confident as a song writer and lyricist so my self-esteem isn't challenged in that regard, I just think it is great and my honor to work with these guys.  Obviously I am very excited about this project. 

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

Movies have always been a huge part of my life.  My day job as a computer systems administrator keeps me pretty busy and submersed in technology.  I ride bicycles, motorcycles and race motocross as my main physical outlet.  I spend a fair amount of time volunteering for the Denver City parks.  Derek and I also Snowboard every chance we get. 

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

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to answer some questions and give potential fans some insight into Leviathan.  I really appreciate all the help and support.  To anyone that has bought the album, Thank you.  To everyone else, please check it out and if you like it, buy it.   

Queen Elephante/Scarab/Heart And Crossbones Records/2013 CD Review

  Queen  Elephantie  are  a  band  from  Rhode  island  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  metal,  sludge  and  drone  with  touches  of  psychedelic  and  ethnic  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Scarab"  which  was  released  by  Heart  And  Crossbone  Records.

  The  music  starts  out  with  some  Hindi  style  music  sounds  and  drum  beats  and  a  minute  later  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs  are  added  into  the  music  and  they  bring  a  70's  doom  metal  sound  to  the  recording  as  well  as bringing  in  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  then  some  melodic  vocals  make  their  presence  known  in  the  music.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  psychedelic  and  experimental  and  the  music  also  starts  to  speed  up  at  times  and  a  variety  of  many  different  musical  instruments  are  added  into  the  recording  and  this  album  brings  a  lot  of  new  elements  to  a  doom  metal  record  that  has  not  been  explored  by  any  band  of  this  genre  until  now  while  mixing  older  genres  of  metal  and  psychedelia  with  ethnic  sounds  and  the  music  would  be  a  perfect  setting  for  a  shamanistic  trance  with  all  of  the  drones  this  album  produces  and  on  the  last  song  there  is  some ritualistic  chanting  being  utilized  and  then  the  music  starts  going  into  another  great  display  of  heaviness  and  psychedelia  sounds.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  metaphysical  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Queen  Elephante  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  doom  metal,  drone,  ethnic  and  psychedelic  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musicla  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Veil"  and  "Snake".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.