Gift Of Blindness/Automation/Blindsight Records/2014 Single Review

  Gift  Of  Blindness  are  a  1  man  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  post  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2014  single  "Automation"  which  was  released  by  Blindsight  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  single  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  singing  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  start  adding  in  more  aggression  after  a  few  seconds  and  you  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  sounds   along  with  elements  of  post  rock  throughout  the  song.

  Gift  Of  Blindness  creates  a  10  minute  long  epic  long  that  is  very  dark,  melodic,  heavy  as  well  as  always  remaining  true  to  a  low  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover

  In  my  opinion  Gift  Of  Blindness  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  post  doom  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  8   out  of  10. 

Helldorados/Lessons In Decay/Massacre Records/2014 CD Review

  Helldorados  are  a  band  from Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hard  rock  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Lessons  In  Decay"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  70's  style  hard  rock/metal  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  later  back  up  shouts  are  added  into  the  music  and  at  times  you  can  hear  elements  of  blues  rock  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  the  energy  of  punk  rock.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  an  early  80's  pop  metal  vibe  to  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  some  slight  thrash  influences  in  some  of  the  tracks  mixed  in  with  a  NWOBHM  vibe  and  all  of  the  music  sounds  very  old  school  but  with  more  of  a  modern  day  production  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them..

  Helldorados  plays  a  style  of  heavy  metal  that  is  more  closer  to  the  hard  rock  and  pop  metal  side  of  the  genre  bringing  in  a  70's  and  80's  sound  as  well  as  making  it  sound  more  updated  for  the  modern  days,  the  production  has  a  very  professional  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes  with  a  touch  of  darkness  and  a  sense  of  humor.

  In  my  opinion  Helldorados  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  old  school   hard  rock  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seven  Deadly  Sins"  "The  Devil  Takes  The  Hindmost"  "To  Live  Is  To  Die"  and  "We  Wont  Back  Down".  8  out  of  10.   

Bleach Everything/Vors/Magic Bullet Records/2014 7 Inch Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  7  inch  between  Virginia's  Bleach  Everything  and  California's  Vors  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Magic  Bullet  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  split  with  Bleach  Everything  which  plays  a  very  aggressive  form  of  hardcore  punk.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  off  with  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  hardcore  punk  riff  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  the  guitars  also  have  a  metallic  tone  to  them  and  the  song  also  sticks  to  mostly  a  mid  paced  style  with  some  melodies  and  is  under  2  minutes  in  length  and  I  would  like  to  hear  more  from  this  band  in  the  future.

  Next  up  is  Vors  a  1  man  project  that  is  all  done  on  synths.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  off  with  a  very  dark  ambient  synth  sound  along  with  some  programmed  beats  as  well  as  some  melodic  vocals  and  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  reminds  me  of  some  80's  new  wave  and  synth  pop  bands  with  the  song  only  being  a  little  over  3  minutes  and  there  are  also  some  deeper  demonic  vocals  which  makes  the  music  sound  more modern.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  hardcore  punk  and  dark  synth  music.  8  out  of  10.      

Gust 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 busy rehearsing all of the new songs, touring Europe and preparing for the release of our new album!

2.You have a new album coming out in September, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have release don the past?

It's a blend of D-beat and classic hardcore punk directness, combined with a lot of finesse, progressive elements, dark metallic undertones and catchy riffs. This record feels like a refined version of Gust, and compared to our previous releases it sounds both angrier and catchier.

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

This cold political climate that we're living in right now where capitalism,individualism, fascism and fundamentalism prevails, and where "what's best for all of us" has been traded out to "what's best for me and my fucking business". Even though most of the lyrics are pretty cynical and hopeless, I hope that people can relate to what I'm saying and feel some sort of connection.

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

I guess we just wanted a short name, and this was the best we came up with.

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?

I think the greatest amount of sick shows has been in Poland. There's always a lot of people showing up and we've got a lot of really good friends over there that always helps us out. The more I think of it, the harder it is to just name a few shows, cause there has been a lot of sick ones all over Europe. So many cool places and so many unbelievably cool people!Regarding our performance: We've got no moves or dress codes going on, we just play our songs pretty damn good on maximum level and hope that the music speaks for itself.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Yes,we're doing a "release tour" together with a band called Correction between the 2nd and 12th of October covering Sweden, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia and we're also booking another one in December focused on southern Europe. Other than that, we're also working on a plan to get over to the U.S next spring.

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

The feedback has been great! We're probably not pleasing the hard moshing beat-down guys, but other than that we seem to have pretty much something for everyone that's into hardcore punk.

8.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects?

I (Fred, drums) play drums in a band called Anchor and guitar for Correction. I also run my own studio called Fuck Life Studios where we record everything with Gust and a bunch of other Swedish hardcore bands.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We'll continue doing our thing, keep pushing, keep on exploring and keep on challenging ourselves wherever that leads us, but this is a hardcore band and it's what this band will always be.

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

We listen to a lot of different kinds of music, everything from hardcore punk and progressive metal to sing-and-songwriters and basic rock so t's hard to point out any specific genre or band as an influence. All of us have a weak spot for melancholic tunes whichever genre though, and combining that with the aggressiveness of d-beat and some musical technicalities and you've pretty much got the basic ingredients of our music. I know a few of us been listening A LOT to the latest QOTSA record, new Beast Milk record is ace as well, but most of my spotify playlists at the moment consists of hip hop.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

There are no other interests.

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

Shoutout to Greg at Southern Lord, Brad Boatright at Audiosiege and all of our friends across europe!

Kreyskull Interview

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

Killgast:

-Sure, we started the band around 2008..and it was a typical thing, you know…old friends get together and start insane jamming…and few years after that we released out first album “Year of the octopus” in 2012..and about year ago we started the recording of “Tower witch” and here we are…giving you something witchy.

 
2.You have a new album coming out in October, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Killgast:

-well, I`d see our music as melodic, doomy, moody and groovy heavy Rock’n roll..Influenced by 70`s heavy and progressive bands. Sometimes we`ve wondered ourselves what the hell is we`re playing, but we`ve never managed to come up with any single reasonable term. Expect “heavy rock`n doom” …that sounds quite catchy, right?

But, you know…”Tower Witch” is more experimental album than the first one. most definitely…it`s also really much more” let loose kind of thing” we`ve always wanted to do…the overall feel we get from “Tower witch”, as a band is one of total involvement….and insanity (haha)

Pasi:

-yeah, 70s influenced doom rock. To put it simple.We try to spice it up with some prog-elements thou.

Killgast:

- …and little “welcome to the jazz-club” elements too, Right?

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

Killgast:

-Mysteries of life and here and beyond for sure…the mighty evil in many different forms. And strangely enough…positivity.

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

Killgast:

-Masters of the universe (haha) …I mean we wanted something short and catchy…but yeah, it came from my childhood..where He-man ruled the world …just changed the first letter and…ka-boom, kick-ass name.

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

Killgast:

-we just love to play live, we have a lot of groovy heaviness  and some crazy energy going on..you just have to see one our shows…entertainment for sure. But our best show…is yet to come, wait and see

 

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the album is released?

Killgast:

-Lots of talking and whispering but nothing can be confirmed, not yet

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

Killgast:

-Quite good…actually I was quite surprised from the feedback of our first album, but i`m still wondering how people are going to take this record. we have tried some very weird things this time.

 
8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other musical projects?

Killgast:

-Well, I do sometimes cover things…but right now Kreyskull is our priority number one

Pasi:

-Not at this moment. We concentrate on this band.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Pasi:

-The idea we`ve been tossing around, is to make a full sized concept album. Musically and lyrically. But we will see if its the next or after that... or never, ha ha ha.

Killgast:

-We don`t want to be stuck as part of some certain genre, musically Kreyskull will never limit itself…we`ll never paint ourselves into a corner…but still what ever we might do..it still sound like Kreyskull…weird isn`t it? but the concept album…why not?

- Maybe next year…I think we`ll probably do split-album with somebody…before we jump into the great unknown, who knows (haha)

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

Killgast:

-well, in general…we like the older bands…like Sabbath, Thull, Priest, Purple, Zeppelin, Floyd..the list goes on and on…those bands are just timeless, you know..usually we`re kinda dicks about it and tell people we sound like Sabbath or Trouble cos` it`s so damn hard to describe your own sound (haha)

-But personaly, I believe in HDG…Halford, Dio, Gillan…my holy trinity

Pasi:

-The classics (sabbath, zep, purple) visit the turntable periodically. Also 70s prog-giants, Yes, King crimson and Mahavishnu orchestra are close to my heart. And Rush of course.

-But I listen to whole lot of other stuff too. I try to keep an open mind to new stuff too.

Killgast:

-Haha, this week I have been mostly listening…Bathory, Genesis , Tommy Bolin, Opeth  and Venom..so almost everything goes !

11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Killgast:

-Most definitely, that`s where you can find the keys for the locked mysteries and unanswered questions…my opinion of course

 
 

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Killgast:

- Non-musical, is there any?…music is everywhere, where ever I go. But yeah, I see the point.

Hmmmm….I have to say, movies, books, and my beautiful family of course.

Pasi:
-Music, listening and playing sure takes a big part of my life, but i find time to follow some football (soccer). I try to go with my brother to his cabin, in the country side, in the woods when possible. Just being close to nature is awesome.
 

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

Killgast:

-Oh my…come and see one of our coming shows, we`ll get your blood and spirit pumping…and enjoy our new album “Tower Witch” …The little rascal have spirit. Horns UP !!

Endless Recovery/Resistant Banger's/Witches Brew/2014 7 Inch Review

  Endless  Recovery  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  7  inch  "Resistant  Banger's"  which  was  released  by  Witches  Brew.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  some  80's  style  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads  which  leads  up  to  some  aggressive  vocals  that  have  a  melodic  scream  to  them  at  times  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  at  times.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  German  thrash  metal  influences  in  their  musical  style   as  well  as  a  slight  85  death  metal  feeling  in  the  more  heavy  and  aggressive  parts  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  both  of  the  tracks  sound  like  they  could  of   been  recorded  during  that  time  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Endless  Recovery  brings  back  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  sound  playing  a  style  of  this  genre  that  never  was  a  lot  more  heavier  than  the  big  4  during  that  time  as  well  as  having  the  underground  feeling  that  made  all  of  these  bands  sound  very  time,  the  production  sounds  very  heavy  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Endless  Recovery  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  7  inch.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Resistant  Banger's".  8  out  of  10.       

Alitor/Eternal Depression/Witches Brew/2014 CD Review

  Alitor  are  a  band  from  Serbia  that  plays  a  very  progressive  and  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Eternal  Depression"  which  was  released  by  Witches  Brew.

  A  very  fast  and  aggressive old  school  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  both  aggressive  and  melodic  along  with  some  early  elements  of  death  metal  and  the  guitar  playing  can  be  very  melodic  and  technical  at  times  and  when  back  up  gang  shouts  are  added  the  music  they  bring  a  Bay  Area  feeling  to t he  recording.

  The  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  makes  the music  sound  more  progressive  and  they  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads  which  also  bring  in  more  traditional  and  classic  metal  influences  into  the  bands  musical  sound  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  touch  of  80's  crossover  and  all  of  the  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  been  released  in  the  mid  80's  and  at  times  you  can  hear  some  of  the  more  underrated  and  technical  thrash  metal  bands  of  that  time  that  where  forgotten  about  as  being  huge  influences  in  the  way  the  band  approaches  their  music.

  Alitor  plays  a  style  of  thrash  that  is  very  technical  and  old  school  sounding  taking  the  catchy  parts  of  the  Bay  Area  bands  and  mixing  it  with  the  more  European  technical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alitor  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  technical  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Realm  Of  Grief"  "Contorted  Existence"  and  "Drained".  8  out  of  10.