Lightning Lord Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

 Sure, we're a three piece speed metal band out of NYC. We have Gregory Swanson on Vocals/Bass, Lou Lamore on drums, and Alex Abendroth on guitar. Three guys, three instruments, a raw approach to metal. We go fast, like big vocal melodies, and thrive on intensity.

2.How would you describe your musical sound? 

 We're really inspired by the NWOBHM, which is a very broad statement because there are so many different sounds within that genera, and 80's hard rock. We like speed, and melodies that you can sing y'know, anthems that make you want to stand up and throw your fist in the air. You'll hear the speed of punk, the riffs range from hard rock to metal to thrash, delivered with a fuck you attitude.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

We write about life. That's to say we could touch on a vast area of topics. Hellas Waiting Arms is about going in to battle in a frenzied state, while Children Of The Night talks about homeless youth and the coarseness of the streets. I write the lyrics, and never rule out exploring in life, so we wouldn't rule out to many things…. we like sex and partying also lol. We're never more ourselves, than when we're walking on that edge.

4.I have noticed when I listened to your music you go back farther than 30 years, what was the decision behind going on this direction? We had older brothers and family members that would play music for us, so when we we're babies, we were hearing Iron Maiden, Led Zepplin, Avenger, KISS, Metallica, ect… instead of nursery rhymes lol, so yes, we did intend to go back to the kind of music that made us want to be musicians, and hopefully, find our own sound in that. In the same breath, we don't consider our music to be throwback in anyway, our line of thinking is, yes, that music that influenced us came out when it did, but, if we make our own music, are sincere in it, and it's being done in the present, that makes it current doesn't it?

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

LightningLord is named after Thor, the Norse God Of Thunder. He calls down the thunder, and lightning with the hammer of the gods, slays the giants, and kills the serpent. Epic. 

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 love to play live everywhere. We aren't guys who enjoy sitting at a computer with pro tools, we came to turn up and be a live band. We like to bring high energy, and seek out new ways to get over the top. We don't like the false pretenses of bands who go on stage, and act like they don't care. We see that attitude as contrived and fake. We want to put on a show for people. If they're going to take time to appreciate our band, we're not going to slap them in the face and say "oh, I just want to stare at my shoes?" Fuck that, we came to party metals with you, metal is bold and fearless and if we can blow something up, we will lol.

7.Do you have ant touring or show plans for the future?

We're an indie band, so we don't have a big record label budget backing us. We play where ever we can. Right now, we have shows coming up in the NYC, and northeast region of the US. We would love to go on the road and never come off lol. Speedz Metalz to the people.

8.The ep came out on Swords And Chains Records can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Swords And Chains is an indie label out of Chicago run by a very cool dude Mike Mendyk. They usually put out cassettes, and when he came to me with the idea, I thought it was really cool. I believe he's moving in to putting out cd's also.

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

It's been surprisingly good actually. Being a small band, we haven't had a lot of exposure, but, people have really gotten behind what we're doing, been really cool to us. In a scene where death metal and hardcore have become mainstream, we're coming from a very different place musically, it's just who we are, we didn't know what to expect, and people have been throwing up the metal horns, saying "ya, that's metal, let them play". So we all just rock out and have fun…… 

10.When can we expect a full length album?

We're in the studio right now, working on the full length follow up to the "All Father Death Stalkers" EP. It'll definitely be out in 2014. It'll be out sooner if I can go in the studio and figure out what that blinking button on the left does…..

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

Really big NWOBHM fans. Avenger, RAVEN, Weapon, Gaskin, Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Tyger Of Pan Tang, Tytan, TANK, Judas Priest, Tokyo Blade, Motorhead as well as bands like Metallica, Motley Crue, Guns n roses, Sabbath, Zepplin, Sex Pistols, KISS…… we definitely go back to go forward.

12.The band was originally from England but now lives in New York, what was the decision behind the move?

Well, I've spent time in England, but, I'm actually a half breed, American and adopted by Europeans. Now that you ask, it's kind of a crazy story lol. I had an idea to make a NWOBHM band, and no one in LA, or NYC would talk to me at all lol. Still I kept trying to make this vision a reality and kept posting add after add for about a year, until I got two responses in the same week. One was Legendary drummer Gary Young, founder of Blitzkrieg and Avenger, the other was Big Kev Riddles legendary bassist of Angel Witch and Tytan. They we're so cool, and had me send them my crappy home recordings, and both said they would play, and help me make the demo EP. Gary did the drums, recorded with Dean Thompson at Bear Sound Studio, even introduced me to NWOBHM legend Paul Gaskin for some guitars, and unfortunately, I didn't have the money to get Kev or Paul studio time, but, they were totally understanding and cool as always. It was my first time trying to organize something like this, and there are all these legends, who are my heros, no pressure kid if you know what I mean lol. With that recorded, I now had something in hand instead of just an idea, and Lou and I had played together in another band in NYC, we got together, and he knew Alex, and now we're here chatting with you.

13.Do you have any non musical interests?

We're definitely musicians first and foremost, but, Greg likes to do martial arts, comic book and anime fan, world traveling viking… Lou likes to Skydive and crash cars, Alex will dissect any machine and rebuild it with only spare parts and chewing gum, and it'll work.

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

We've got one life, so let's live it up in true metal fashion. See you all at the rock show! Speedz Metalz!

Eternal Judgement Interview

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

We are currently recording our first album !

2.How would you describe the musical sound of both releases that you have put out so far and also how do they differ from each other?

First release and second a very different . I think we evolved a lot with the Ep by changing are tuning from '' D '' to '' E '' . It helped the vocals a lot too . Also the recording equipment and techniques are way better in the ep .

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

Anger , Society , corruption , police , war ... also some other songs are more party on songs !

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Eternal Judgement'?

It's a good reflection of the society ... the constant judgment we are facing 

By the way it's written '' Judgment '' not Judgement lol ... just to fuck every body up ... ( just kidin , it was better lookin for the logo ) .

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

Plain at the Theatre le National in Montreal was sick ! Also the trailer thrash fest is among the best gigs weve played .

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

Yep probably a little canada usa tour ... may be also Europe after our release .

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

Of course we are ! And yes some label shown their interest .

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

Great ! Specially from the typical thraher !!! Video clip we released not long ago reached over 6000 views .

9.When can we expect a full length?

April should be a good guess !

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

Metallica ( yeah like 99 percent of each metalhead on earth ) ... old school thrash , rock , blues , country , blue grass , grunge ...

11.Do you have any non musical interests?

Yeah thats for sure . Video games sure take the lead haha .

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

Yeah ! I hope everybody who saw this interview check out our stuff on line !!! We are on facebook , youtube , reverbnation , bandcamp ... name it haha !

 

ThermiT/Encephalopathy/2013 EP Review

  ThermiT  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  heavy  and thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  ep  "Encephalopathy".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  thrash  metal  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  powerful  sound  as   well  as  some  chaotic  old  school  extreme  metal  guitar  leads  which  leads  up  to  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  and  back  up  gang  shouts  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  heavy  and  power  metal  influences  being  added  into  the  music  along  with  melody  and  the  last  song  is  a  Metallica  medley.

  When  the  ep  goes  into  the  next  song  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  briefly  before  returning  to  a  heavier  direction  and  adding  in  blast  beats  but  the  acoustics  also return  on  other  songs  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  for  a  very  heavy  power/thrash  direction.

  On  this  ep  ThermiT  take  the  heaviest  elements  of  old  school  thrash  and  mix  it  in  with  the  melody  of  heavy  and  power  metal  along  with  some  acoustic  passages  to  create  a  very  heavy,  diverse  and  melodic  recording.

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

  In  my  opinion  Thermit  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  aggressive  thrash,  power  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band  and  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zombie  Lover"  and  "Other  Man".  8/5  out  of  10.  

Mad Agony/Chernobitch/2013 CD Review

  Mad  Agony  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Chernobitch".

  The  album  starts  out  with  an  intro  that  has  a  weird  and  somewhat  silent  side  to  them  in  the beginning  but  gets  more  powerful  as  time  goes  on  by  and  you  can  hear  guitars  being  added  in  and  when  the first  song  starts  the  music  goes  into  a  more  old  school  metal  direction.

  The  music  really  come s off  to  a  powerful  start  and  the  band  mixes  heavy,  speed  and  power  metal  together  along  with  solos  and  melodic  vocals  and  the  album  has  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  mixing  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  together  as  well  as  bringing  out  metal  anthems  and  at  times  there are  demonic  vocals  and  black  metal  influences  being  utilized.

  As  the  album  progresses  clean  guitars  are  brought  into  the  music  briefly  on  the  power  ballad  which  enhances  the  epic  qualities  of  the  recording  and  after  that  it  returns  to  a  heavier  direction  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  few  seconds  of  growls  and  blast  beats  but  sticking  mostly  to  an  old  school  metal  sound.

  On  this  album  Mad  Agony  take  the  early  80's  sounds  of  heavy,  speed  and  power  metal  and  bring  in a  small  amount  of  death  and  black  metal  influences  to  update  this  musical  genre  for  2013  but  still  sounding  very  80's.

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

  In  my  opinion  Mad  Agony  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy,  power,  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chernobitch"  "Subconscious  Fear"  "Boundaries  Of  Death"  and  "Tribute  of  Blood".  8/5  out  of  10.      

 

  

Lightning Lord/All Father Death Stalkers/ Swords and Chains Records/2013 EP Review

  Lightning  Lord  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  speed,  heavy  metal  and  NWOBHM  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "All  Father  Death  Stalkers"  which  was released  by  Sword  And  Chains  Records.

  The  ep  starts  out  with  with  an  old  school  metal  sound  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  it  leads  up  to  melodic  vocals  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  70's  and  early  80's  and  after  awhile  true  metal  solos  are  added  into  the  music.

  On  these  2  songs  Lightning  Lord  go  back  to  a  sound  that  pre  dates  thrash  metal  and  brings  back  a  lot  of  true  metal  elements  that  have  not  been  attempted  by  any  newer  bands  and  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  released  by  neat  Records  in  the  early  80's.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  mythology  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  lightning  Lord  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  speed,  heavy  metal  and  NWOBHM  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Children  Of  The  Night".  8/5  out  of  10. 

Eternal Judgement/Fatal Virus/2012 EP Review

  Eternal  Judgement  are  a  band  from Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2012  ep  "Fatal  Virus".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  a  heavy  and  old  school  thrash  sound    along  with  aggressive  vocals  that  have  a  hardcore  feeling  to  them  at  times  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  solos  are  brought  in they  make  the  music  sound  even  more  aggressive.

  The  band  also  bring  this  heavy,  aggressive  and  old  school  approach  to  other  songs  as  well  as  well  as  adding  melodies  to  the  guitar  riffing  and  solos  along  with  the  vocals  also  utilizing  a  more  melodic  tone  to  them  at  times  and  on  the  last  song  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  are  brought  in  and  on  the  hidden  track  you  can  hear  elements  of  blues  metal.

  On  this  ep  Eternal  Judgement  take  a  very  aggressive  and  old  school  form  of  thrash  and  mix  it  in  with  the  melody  of  NWOBHM  to  create  a  recording  that  is  very  heavy,  melodic  and  perfect  for  moshing.
 
  Song  lyrics  cover  violent,  philosophical  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  ep.

  In  my  opinion  Eternal  Judgement  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy,  aggressive  and  melodic  old  school  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fatal  Virus"  and  "Kill  To  Survive".  8  out  of  10.  

HI-GH Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

1 . Yeah why not ! Our band is a pure concentrate of Heavy Metal & Speed Metal , with influences from Rock and Psychedelic Rock . It ' a band for all fans of Heavy Metal fast and sharp !

2.A year back you released a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction it has taken and also how does it differ from the ep you released in 2012?

2 . The EP was a great kind of publicity, to warn all maniacs , headbangers of Speed / Heavy scene . Hey HI -GH back in town ! Was also a product that has allowed us to combine our music, and then prepare for future Lp .

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

3 . Is a mix of ideas taken from books, movies , comics, or historical events that actually happened .

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'HI-GH'?

4 . If you remove the dash between the I and the G , the name of the band becomes HIGH ! Yes, we love smoke a lot! Was a friend of ours was to give us the name.

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?

5 . That the best show we ever had was last summer in Milan with Endovein from Turin, our good friends , but the most important , was our realese party for our first full-length with our friends from Belgium , Evil Invaders ! Was fucking awesome !

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

6 . Our plans for the future are very precise , playing everywhere and introduce our music to the world , and bring back the spirit of Heavy Metal of the past.

7.The last album came out on L.A RIOT Survivor Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

7. L.A. Riot Survivor Rec. is a label owned by Anthony Drago and Big Ricchard from Fingernails, the historical speed metal band from Rome. It was a great deal joining it, we grew up in terms of publicity, distribution, gigs and everything and our album sold quite a lot for an emergent band.

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

8. It's been great! Our fans responded well to our both metal and punk side and also the rock 'n' roll part has been a lot appreciated by the fans.

9.When can we expect a new album and also what direction will it be heading into music?

9. The new album hopefully will come out in summer of this year, if everything goes as scheduled. The speed metal part and the punk side will get matured, songs are a bit more complicated that the ones on Night Dances album. We're also taking care of the rock 'n' roll side, showing also our "bluesy" influences, there will be more early 70's riffs very Zeppelin, Sabbath, Grand Funk or The Jimi Hendrix Experience-like. And also, the psychedelic track will be more particular and well studied that Mind's War and Peace which is a great track but everything is improvised, so we decided to focus well on this one also.

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

10. Slowly has been interested into Bruce Springsteen a lot lately and Motorhead, as always. Psyki and RedEyes are into classic heavy metal or speed from the 80's or late 70's. Symley's into all, everything from 60's West Coast's psychedelia, The Beatles, The Stones, 70's boogie/hard rock bands and everything from acid folk to 50's rock 'n' roll like Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard to classic heavy metal and speed. Oh, and also blues....a lot of it, in its every form and shape!

11.Do you have any non musical interests?

11. Yeah, marijuana baby! Ahahahahaha and also alcohol. Smyley loves poetry, though, it has always been a big passion for him, specially the English literature.

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

12. We would really like to advertise our fans worldwide to get ready for our next bomb comin' out. We're pretty sure the fans of the classic sounds will appreciate this one and...see you soon, maniacs!