Blackdahilia/Fragments/Aereasonica Records/2013 CD Review

  Blackdahilia  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  gothic  form  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Fragments"  which  was  released  by  Aereasonica  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  melodic  female  vocals  along  with  some  synths,  drums  and  heavy  guitars  as  well  as  samples  and  the  music  will  be  tragic  and  soft  at  times  as  well  as  heavy  and  when  guitar  leads  are  added  in  the  music  starts  getting  a  lot  more  dark  and  melodic  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  industrial  music  and  trip  hop.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  a  lot  more  atmospheric,  dark  and  tragic  sounding  along  with  the  bass  guitars  getting  more  powerful  in  sound  and  the  music  on  this  recording  is  very  modern  and  radio  friendly  sounding  along  with  a  good  amount  of  power  ballads  and  on  one  song  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  into  the  mix.

  On  this  album  Blackdahilia  take  the  best  elements  of  heaviness,  darkness,  melody  and  emotion  and  create  one  of  the  best  sounding  gothic  metal  albums  that  has  been  released  in  years  and  I  can  see  this  band  going  very  far  in  the  future.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  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  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Blackdahilia  are  a  very  great  sounding  gothic  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Falling  Down"  "Wounds"  and  "Goodnight".  8/5  out  of  10.       

Toxic Waltz Interview

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

 

We are preparing us for a powerful release show to offer our fans a special event when they’re coming to it. Also we’re already working on new Songs for the next record. I think the second record of a band should be released as soon as possible after the first one so one forgets the band after the first record.

 

2.Your new album came out this month, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the album?

 

Just take a bit of Exodus, combine it with Forbidden and Heathen and also a small piece of Dark Angel and you have a bit of the direction where it goes. Of course we want to have our own unique style but those band were a huge inspiration while the songs were written so you might recognize it I think.

 

3.Your music is heavily rooted in the mid 80's early 90's thrash sound, what was it that made you want to go in this direction and also what are your thoughts about the newer forms of metal?

 

Well, for me personally that was the time when a lot of the best thrash records were released for my kind taste so I wanted to create something that has a smiliar style and spirit. Also I am interested in new music and not only metal and don’t want to avoid influences from new records. I just want to keep a raw direction with the style we created with that record.

 

4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrics and topics you have covered with this album?

 

The topics are mostly cover different stories about war, hate, society and also something different like agrarian economy which can lead to suicide. I think it’s good to write about established thrash metal topics but also about current things to criticize and show what’s wrong with the world today.

 

5.Is the name Toxic Waltz a tribute to the legendary Bay Area thrash band 'Exodus'?

 

Definitely! While I created the band with our ex-drummer Tim I listened very often to Exodus and we wanted to create music which led to do the “Toxic Waltz” so simply that’s it.

 

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?

 

We already played with Six Feet Under and Debauchery (well-known band in Germany) which were intense shows. To play in front of a huge crowd that escalades totally is an incredible feeling and that’s what we try to reach at every show. Simply image the Toxic Waltz on stage – literally. Then you can get a feeling what is going on on stage. I think it’s very important to have an energetic show as part of a good concert. Especially in our kind of music! A good live show I think is almost as important as the music.

 

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album and 2014?

 

We try to play as many as shows as possible to promote our record and establish the name when you think about Thrash Metal in Germany. Unfortunately we don’t have a record deal and no booking agency but I hope we can manage it without it and spread our music anyways.

 

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

 

We already got positive responses from all over the world and it’s a great feeling our music is appreciated in many countries. I hope with our record we reach more people and get positive results or at least constructive critics so we can improve.

 

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

 

It definitely gets a bit faster and more aggressive but also I want to get more variety within the songs. The future style more goes into the direction of old Sepultura or Evil Dead but parallel I also want to work on the melody’s and harmonies. Our new songs for example will have more two voiced guitar parts.

 

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

 

I think most of the influential bands I already mentioned. Of course I don’t want to leave it with them. To grow as a musician I think it’s really important to get to know more music constantly and have an open mind to other music apart from (thrash) metal. Beside of a lot of thrash bands I am also a big fan of Glam/ Sleaze Metal like Mötley Crue, Steel Panther and Skid Row and outside of metal I also like Bands  like CCR , Turbonegro and a lot more.

 

11.Do you have any non musical interests?

 

I like to go out with my friends often and simply enjoy life. Sometimes I also play computergames such as GTA or Half-Life. In winter I sometimes go snowboarding.

 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

 

I really want to thank you for the very good review of our record which makes us very proud as band! It’s a good thing to see that the people who are listening to this record understand what we want to express with it.

To every fan I want to say if you like us or any other band please support us / them by purchasing the music, merch and go to their shows. Music is a really though business!

 

Finally thank you for the interview! J

 

Cheers

 

Jimi – Toxic Waltz

Toxic Waltz/Decades of Pain/2014 CD Review

  Toxic  Waltz  are  a band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Decades  of  Pain".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  an  acoustic  guitar  intro  before  going  into  some  heavy  and  melodic  thrash  metal  along  with  some  solos  which  also  leads  to  the  music  going  into  a  more  mosh  orientated  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  thrash  vocals  and  when  they bring  in  slow  parts  they  have  a  very  technical  sounding  feeling  to  them  and  on  other  songs  acoustic  guitars  do  make  their  return.

  As  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  some  Sepultura,  Kreator  and  Dark  Angel  influences  being  mixed  in  with  their  Bay  Area  sound  along  with  a  small  amount  of  growls  which  brings  an  almost  death  metal  like  feeling  to  the  music  while  not  being  close  to  that  musical  genre  and  on  some  songs  the  bass  guitars  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  On  all  of  the  songs  that  are  present  on  this  ep  Toxic  Waltz  show  they  have  a  great  amount  of  ability  and  skill  with  their  guitar  leads  and  their  music  does  not  seem  to  have  any  influence  past  1990  and  they  music  is  pure  Bay  Area  80's  style  thrash  metal  and  there  is  no  groove  or  neo-thrash  elements  added  which  is  actually  a  great  thing,  all  you  hear  on  this  ep  is  pure  and  true  thrash  metal.

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

    In  my  opinion  Toxic  Waltz  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Decades  of  Pain"   "Suicide  Squad"  "Morbid  Symphony"  and  "Priest  Of  Lie".  8/5  out  of  10.

Dark Forest Interview

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

We had a couple of line up changes during 2012 which slowed the band down and forced us to set back our plans for recording. Over the course of the last year it’s been a case of getting back on track, rehearsing with the new line up until we were ready again to go into the studio. At the moment we’re preparing for upcoming gigs and are constantly writing new material.

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

I think the production is far better than our previous releases, which we were never completely happy with. This album is far closer to how we think the music should sound, it’s quite earthy and organic sounding but also very clear and clean. The music itself has a slight brooding feel to it, at times slightly heavier than usual and also more reflective than other releases but there are still quite a few upbeat, joyous moments as well.

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

The Awakening is about the nature of reality and consciousness. Similarly to Dawn of Infinity, there are a number of songs on the album which share a common theme or lyrical connection. For example, Rise Like Lions deals with the Orwellian police state, Turning of the Tide is about the control of nature through things like geo-engineering, GMOs and mind control technology and The Awakening itself talks about humanity breaking free from all of this. There’s also songs dealing with themes like life after death and clairvoyance and also some like The Last Season and Sons of England which are to do with people returning to their roots.

4.The music is in the classic metal direction, what was it that motivates you to play this musical style and also what are your opinions on the more modern forms of metal?

It’s just the style of music that I’ve always loved and which I listen to the most. It’s never a conscious effort to write a song that specifically sounds like traditional metal, it’s just automatic really, that’s the style of music I write. I would also say though that there are definitely other elements in our music which aren’t just straight forward classic metal. We’re fans of other genres from power to thrash and from folk to classical and I think you can hear this at times. We’re not fans of many modern forms of metal though, it’s just not our thing.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dark Forest'?

Well I have to say that I came up with the name years ago and now I often think “you could have done better than that!” But the original idea was to do with the folkloric/medieval themes that we often delved into. In fact, those original kind of themes are something that we’re starting to get back into again.

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?

Some of the highlights for us have been headlining Stronghold of Metal festival in Portugal, playing Hammer of Doom and Metal Assault festivals in Germany and also touring Ireland but in terms of best shows for our delivery, the Defender release show in Wolverhampton is hard to beat. We always put the same amount of passion and energy into our performances and when you see us you can tell how much sincerity and emotion we have for our music but also when the crowd really gets behind you, singing along and headbanging, the energy all around can be just amazing.

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

Our album release gig will be in our home town of Dudley on 22nd Feb and shortly after that we’re playing Brofest in Newcastle on 1st March. We’re also hoping to organise a small tour to support the album this year and hopefully we may be able to include some dates outside the UK.

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

It’s always been very positive since the early days really. Even before we released our debut album we never heard much negativity and as the years go by, the support seems to get stronger and stronger. It’s a great thing to know that so many different people from around the world enjoy the music that you make.

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

Well actually, we already have a lot of new material already written for the next album! I can say that, at the moment, we seem to be heading ‘back to the woods’ in terms of that old folkloric/medieval feel which we used to have. At the same time though the music is still definitely progressing in terms of musicianship and songwriting sophistication. Partly due to our new line up, we have so much more musical dexterity and potential than in the past.

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

These days it’s not really other bands or even genres which influence the music, although I do think having a wider musical taste in general helps, it’s more to do with finding influence in atmospheres, moods or feelings. If I have an idea for the theme of a song, then I’ll try and write a melody which, to me, captures the mood or message that I’m trying to put across. In a way you should try and be your own influence.

I’ve recently been enjoying The White Goddess by Atlantean Kodex and also getting back into the early works of Elvenking.

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

I love to spend time amongst nature, especially in the woods (preferably drinking ale around a fire). I’m very much interested in folklore, history, the paranormal, conspiracy theories/facts and then also ale, pubs and brewing!

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

Cheers for reading! Drink Bathams and listen to the Fozz!

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Haymaker/Let Them Rot/A389 Recordings/2014 EP Review

  Haymaker  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  very  heavy  form  of  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Let  Them  Rot"  which  will  be  released  by  A389  Recordings.

  The  ep  starts  out  with  some  fast  and  heavy  hardcore  punk  sounds  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  the  music  is  very  old  school  sounding  and  brings  back  memories  of  the  80s as  well  as  mixing  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  together.

  On  these  4 songs  Haymaker  show  they  really  know  their  old  school  punk  rock  and  hardcore  and  all  of  the  songs  are  a  very  short  and  fast  with  no  songs  that  go  over  the  2  minute  mark  and  their  is  a  lot  of  aggression  displayed  in  this  music.

  Song  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  raw  and  heavy  sound  with  the  bass  guitars  being  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix.

  In  my  opinion  Haymaker  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  hardcore  punk  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Let  Them  Rot"  and  "Shit  Magnet".  8  out  of  10.

Kayser/Read Your Enemy/Listenable Records/2014 CD Review

 Kayser  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of    heavy  and  thrash  metal  with  soem  death  metal  influences and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Read  Your  Enemy"  which  will  be  released  by  Listenable  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  soft  and  dark  sounding  acoustic  guitars  before  going  into  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  solos  along  with  some  drums  and  melody  and  then going  into  a  more  thrash  direction  and  adding  in  vocals  that  range  from  melodic  and  aggressive.

  The  band  continue  this  approach  throughout  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  influences  to  their  80's  style  thrash  approach  and  on  other  songs  they  bring  in  elements  of  traditional  metal  and  hard  rock  and  you  can  also  hear  some  of  the  more  mainstream  90's  metal/rock  sound  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  music  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  organs  and  mellotron's  being  utilized  briefly.

  Kayser  show  a  good  amount  of  diversity  with  their  music  and  the  music  is  some  very  good  quality  80's  style  thrash  metal  that  uses  some  death  metal  influences  in  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  while  also  incorporating  elements  of  90's  mainstream  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  you  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  talent  being  displayed  in  the  music.

  Song  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  along  with  the  bass  guitars  being  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix.

  In  my  opinion  Kayser  are  a  very  decent  sounding  heavy/thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bark  And  Bowl"  "Dreams  Bend  Clockwise"  "Where  i  Belong"  and  "Roll  The  Dice".  7/5  out  of  10.   

Drawers/Self Titled/Kaotoxin Records/2014 CD Review

  Drawers  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2014  album  which  will  be  released  by  Kaotoxin  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  some  heavy  guitars  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  aggressive  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  you  can  hear  blast  beats  being  added  in  before  the  band  goes  back  to  a  slower  direction  and  brings  in  clean  singing,  bass  and  70's  style  guitar  leads.

  The  band  when t hey  go  into  other  songs  show  they  are  not  afraid  to  add  in  blast  beats  which  is  very  different  for  bands  of  this  musical  genre  and  you  can  hear  a  good  amount  of  melodic  vocals  being  mixed  in  as  well  and  the  music  shows  some  radio  friendly  elements  while  also  remaining  very  heavy  all  at  the  same  time.

  Drawers  show  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  diversity  in their  music  with  their  ability  they  play  the  heaviest  sludge/doom  metal  as  well  as  having  some  blast  beats  which  adds  some  originality  to  the  sound  and  the  melodic  parts  bring  back  memories  of  the  stuff  you  would  hear  on  the  radio  in  the  90's.

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

  In  my  opinion  Drawers  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Once  And  For  All"  "Bleak"  and  "Words".  7/5  out  of  10.