Morti Viventi Interview

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

Mörti Viventi is a one-man thrash metal project. I'm from Stamford in Lincolnshire and I write and record all the music myself. If you like thrash metal and horror, have a listen!

2.A few months back you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It's fast, hard and heavy... Listen to it loud! The music is definitely old school at heart. When I'm writing songs I look to write music that grabs the listeners attention and keeps it for the duration. The album starts out fast and ends fast but in the middle there's a lot more depth than that. Particularly on the instrumental track which goes from slow and heavy, to really fast, then there's a solo trade-off between bass guitar and lead guitar, then there's the really heavy riffs with the harmony guitars at the end! I like to add an eerie sound to the music as much as I can as well.

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

A lot of the lyrics are horror inspired as I'm a big fan of horror in general. Sometimes I like to use horror as a commentary or metaphor for a deeper meaning. For example on the opening track 'Hell On Earth' I'm exploring the bad side of humanity, people giving up hope, the end of civilization and people not looking out for those in need. Other horror topics you'll find on the album are zombies, vampires, maniacs, aliens and... Metal.

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

'Morti Viventi' is Italian for living dead. I came across the phrase a lot when I first became interested in Italian horror movies as a teenager. Being an absolute zombie fanatic I wanted to have a band name relating to the living dead as that's what I'm into, there were a few on the short list, living dead, zombie... But I went with Mörti Viventi in the end. I added the umlaut not to change the pronunciation, but just because it looks cool!

5.With this project you record everything by yourself but have experience working with other bands and doing live shows, are you open to working with a full band again in the future or do you prefer the solo route?

When the time is right I'll take the band route again and gig the hell out of Mörti Viventi!

6. UKEM Records recently put out your album, do you feel they have done a good job on getting your music out there heard?

UKEM have done an excellent job so far and I'm proud to be part of the UKEM roster. They have great contacts and have certainly helped share the music to a larger audience. Having your own shirts and CDs available is excellent too.

7.You play a musical style that has its roots going back to the 80's, do you feel a lot of the younger thrash bands have made this musical style more aggressive again over the years?

I think thrash has always been aggressive and it's great that thrash bands these days are still as aggressive as ever! What I really like is that thrash has grabbed the attention of the metal audience once again in recent years. The internet has really helped music fans as a whole find the style of music that they're into. No longer do you have to suffer the crap that's fills your TV screen or floods certain boring music magazines. You can search the web and find music that you enjoy!

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

I've had really positive feedback so far - outside of the UK I've had contact with people from Argentina, Slovenia, Cyprus, Greece, USA and more! One guy went as far as saying it was the best album they had heard in years which is very flattering. It's awesome to hear that people are enjoying the music.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I'd like to see my playing and singing improve! Hahaha! I'll definitely continue to write and play the style of music that I love the most, hopefully the audience will continue to grow and I can keep releasing albums for as long as possible after this one.

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?

I could list loads and loads of bands that have had some kind of influence on the music but Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Vio-Lence, Sepultura and Metallica I think would be the main ones. In recent years I've become a big fan of Thin Lizzy. Their Greatest Hits DVD is on heavy rotation in my house at the moment! I listen to rock as well as metal, stuff from the 70's, 80's, even big hair stuff that I remember from when I as really young, Whitesnake etc. Thrash-wise, the album 'State of Insurgency' by Hexen really caught my attention when it was released in 2008. Nowadays I have my iPod set to shuffle... About 10,000 tracks I think. Awesome stuff all round!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I like watching movies, 3D stuff, brewing beer, trying different real ales, eating out, exercising. I like a bit of gaming now and again too.

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

Always be yourself and make time to do what you enjoy doing. All the best to you and thanks for listening to Mörti Viventi!

Quartz Interview

Q1  Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
MALCOLM COPE (Drums) [MC] - Following on from our successful reunion back in 2011 the band are now mainly involved in writing, developing and recording new material and new songs.
MICK HOPKINS (Lead Guitar) [MH] - We are currently recording and mixing a brand new album for release sometime in 2015/2016 and will be planning to play some gigs and festivals to  promote the album.

Q2  You have an album coming out that consists of some unreleased material from the early 80's, can you tell us a little bit more about this album?
[MH] - Yes that’s correct. The compilation is called “TOO HOT TO HANDLE” and will be available through SKOL Records. The CD will be released on 31st January 2015 and will be exclusively premiered at The METAL ASSAULT V FESITIVAL at Wurzburg in Germany on that date. The album will include some unreleased rarities and demos from 1981/1982 plus alternative versions of songs from that era of Quartz music.

Q3  The band was broken up for a long time, when you made the decision to split up back in the day, did you ever think you would get back together?
[MC] - Given the vast amount of time, energy and effort spent plus the numerous sacrifices made in trying to break into the big time, I think it’s fair enough to say that we had all become very disillusioned with and jaded by the music business at that stage in our lives. However, there has always existed a very strong bond between the original band members who have remained very close friends and kept in contact with each other over the interim period of time. Family responsibilities and work commitments had to take priority for a while although we did still continue to write and play through various side projects and ventures. To be honest we never really thought about reforming until a few years ago. Now we have with the benefit of hindsight we all wish we would have done it sooner on reflection.

Q4  The band was one of the first bands in the NWOBHM movement, do you feel you inspired a lot of the bands back in the days and also what are your thoughts on the way metal has evolved over the past 40 years?
[MH] - We’ve never really thought about it until now. After reforming and getting back into the music scene we are discovering several new sub genres of Metal music exist like Black, Death, Power, Doom, Speed, Thrash, Proto and Epic Metal. The people and fans we meet at gigs and festivals tell us how we have inspired or influenced them which is quite uplifting for us to hear. We know that bands have named themselves after some of our song titles such as WILDFIRE & MAINLINE RIDER and that is cool.
[MC] - When Punk Rock exploded onto the music scene in the late 1970’s the Heavy Rock movement slowed right down and several bands we knew did not survive that period. We continued to write material and gig heavily during these difficult times with the support of mainly Danny Reddington from Reddington’s Rare Records. This gave us a lot of credibility with metal fans and in the music industry too and when we emerged through the other side we were rightly or wrongly given the label of NWoBHM.

Q5  Back in the day what where some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explored with the music?
[MH] - Back then, as now, any topic or subject is considered for lyrics e.g. drugs, dealers, death, demons, devils and even some topics not beginning with the letter “D” too. Many songs are from just general observations but some are from personal or real life experiences. Others come from watching films or are fantasies and others come from ideas that are brought slowly through to being and can be likened to having and raising children. Geoff Nicholls is a prolific song writer and that’s reason why Tony Iommi asked him to join him in the summer of 1979. Initially it was supposed to be for just two weeks but Geoff actually ended up staying with Black Sabbath for nearly twenty four years. In many instances though we all bring something different to the table for consideration and writing is a group effort.

Q6  The band was originally known as 'Bandylegs’, what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Quartz'?
[MC] - From 1973 to 1976 we were known as Bandylegs and we worked the club scene around England as a cabaret act and were Jimmy Helms backing band for a while too. Our big break came when were asked to support Black Sabbath on their 1975 Sabotage Tour. Our musical style was constantly changing and developing at this time. We were writing heavier stuff and watching Sabbath perform night after night on stage simply confirmed what we all felt in our hearts. In 1976 we got signed by Jet Records and the rest is history.
[MH] - Whilst with Jet Records it was felt by all involved that a name change was required ahead of our debut album launch in 1977. The boss of Jet Records at the time was Ronnie Fowler and he seemed to have an uncanny knack of coming up with band names that began with the letter “Q”. He had been reading a book about various rock formations and rock geology and suggested “QUARTZ”. As quartz is a hard crystalline rock and the crystal was used in old radio sets to produce music we all agreed it was very apt and indeed appropriate as it reflected the type of music we were now writing and playing ….. So that’s what happened.

Q7  What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
[MH] - We’ve played on tours with some real heavyweight acts such as BLACK SABBATH, AC/DC, UFO, RUSH, GILLAN, IRON MAIDEN, SAXON and DEF LEPPARD and they were all great shows with nice people and great experiences in general.  I personally think the best times were those with SABBATH and with RUSH. As far as our performances are concerned we just go out and try to enjoy ourselves on stage which is something carried over from our earlier Bandylegs days. More importantly we hope that the audience enjoy themselves too and interact with us and our music.

[MC] - Most of the times then were amazing given all the excitement, organisation and logistics involved with big tours and who we were appearing with back then. I do however enjoy the smaller and more intimate gigs too. Each has its own merits, place and purposes in my opinion.


Q8  Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
[MH] - Yes we do. We are planning a hometown gig ahead of us appearing at DESERTFEST in London on Sunday 26th April 2015 where we will share the stage with some old friends of ours namely ANGEL WITCH and catch up with some new friends of ours too AMULET. Hopefully with the imminent SKOL Records CD release, a new album in the pipeline and the increased exposure from interviews like yours then more gigs and festivals will naturally follow.
[MC] - We have some dates pencilled in at the moment but are keen to do more festivals especially in Europe and in America if possible so if any promoters are interested then message us at     quartzrock@hotmail.co.uk

Q9   On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your reunion by long-time fans?
[MH] - The responses we have received since our reunion through e-mails and via the Quartz official Facebook page are simply over whelming. We have received messages from literally all over the world congratulating us on getting back together etc. Some are from fans that have followed us right from the very beginning but in the main a lot are from young new fans that have discovered us through the internet and on You Tube.

Q10   When can we expect a new album of material and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
[MC] - As both Mick and I have already alluded to earlier in the interview we have written several brand new tracks that have been recorded and are currently in the mixing stage. I think people are going to be very surprised at how powerful the new songs are as they are in my opinion some of the heaviest stuff we have written to date. So as they say “Watch this space ..........” then we’ll have to take stock and decide what’s next.

Q11  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?
[MH] - BLACK SABBATH, VAN HALEN and RUSH plus others too numerous to mention. I am listening to NICKELBACK on my Hi-Fi system at home at the moment.
[MC] - Many styles and bands have made a mark or lasting impression on the members in the band over the years but we still play with an energy and a driving approach allied with a strong conviction to our own material. I follow what METALLICA are doing because our sound engineer from the mid 80’s Mick Hughes aka Zoom joined them. So if by chance he reads this - Micky wants his Wah-Wah pedal back that you took to repair

Q12  What are some of your non-musical interests?
[MC] - Music has been and still is my whole life really, apart from taking some time out to raise a family and run a home, like many others during this economic recession I’m finding it difficult just to manage and cope.
[MH] - I like following my local football team which is BIRMINGHAM CITY FC, plus I spend time researching my family tree and I am also fascinated by conspiracy theories.

Q13  Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
[MH] - Hey thanks for asking us to do this interview it’s been a pleasure chatting with you.  Plus I want to say a very big thank you to all our fans that have supported us throughout the years. You can keep up with everything related to QUARTZ by visiting our Facebook page at     www.facebook.com/QuartzBackintheBand
[MC] - If anyone reading this article gets the chance to see us performing “live” in the near future then please come up afterwards and say hello and share a beer with us because without you there would be no QUARTZ !

The Evenfall Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Hi, thanks for this interview. We are The Evenfall, a Progressive Metal from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

2.Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Our debut album, The Waiting Room, handles a very particular sound. It shifts through a lot of moods, atmospheres, according to its concept. From a lovely cozy passage changes to a raw heavy one, creating the constant movement across the story.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
As i mentioned, it's a concept album. The Waiting Room is the mixture of thoughts, feelings and actions of the main character of this story. It is narrated through a metaphor: a room full of objects and at the same time empty, lacking meaning.
The album is about the daily challenges and crossroads the character goes through, and in a more utopic level the pursuit of  permanent happiness.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Evenfall'?
The Evenfall is something that happens in a cycle. The Sun goes down, after very different stages, and the next day it happens again. We are trapped inside this circle. The Evenfall tries to get out of it, to seek further horizons, and remove the routine.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Our very best show was at La colorada, Argentina. It was the perfect mixture between music and visual.
Our stage performance is quite eclectic. We try to generate a bridge that connects the audience to the very inside of the music, that is what really counts. The atmosphere is all, it's something yo have to live directly at the venue.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Yes, we are touring in Buenos Aires in a couple of month, when the CD is fully promoted.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are unsigned but we were contacted recently by a mayor local label, so we are trying to work things around. Of course, we are open for new proposals.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive metal?
It's quite astonishing how the CD was received. We've got a lot of great feedback from people from countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and the US. Thank guys for buying the record!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We don't actually want to know. We like to constantly evolve musically and mentally, so we don't know where we are heading.

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?
Our influences are many: Genesis, Deep Purple, King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Spock's Beard, The Tangent, Pain of Salvation, Symphony X, among others.
We enjoy a lot of music: Steven Wilson (always near perfection), The Dear Hunter, Haken, Anathema.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We love football, watching and playing it.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks again for this space, I hope everyone that loves prog could reach and enjoy our music, which we love to do! You can always contact us here:

BandCamp
Facebook

Other links:

iTunes
Amazon
Youtube
SoundCloud
Spotify

Follow Their Lead Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your musical project?

So I was always fascinated by cinematic music, how powerfull it sounds and also I am fan of good proggresive metal music sound. I just wonder how it would sounds like so I made my first orchestral backing track for song Zero Hour and I jam with guitar into it and thats basically how was this project created.

2.Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

I´m really not that guy who everything throw in genre but if I must describe it than it would be "Orchestral Metal" (haha how original)

3.What are some of the themes and images you bring out with your musical sound?

If you mean that album image it is picture called "String Theory" Charmedy from Deviant art have some amazing stuff in her channel so she created that for me. Space themes along with orchestral music is fascinating me also.

4.So far most of the music has been instrumental, are you planning on using vocals in the future or do you prefer to remain instrumental?

Yeah I think so. This is just start for me. Just finding the road i will step into.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Follow Their Lead'?

Oh, I don´t want to get political but. It is basically about that we have to find leaders who aren´t mentally ill like we have now. But also it can be presented like "If you have someone to follow, follow"

6.So far you have recorded everything by yourself, are you planning on using vocals in the future or do you chose to remain solo?

Not everything is made up myself. Those crazy solos are made up by my fellow who is playing with me. And I would like to make a band in the future. But this is about time.

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

I just started year and half ago so labels are not fighting about me yet haha.

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

I have not heard about bad feedback on my music. If i will, they will know my hatred ! Haha, just kidding like always.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

My interests are in making better stuff. Like I´ve been making new songs on my second album. I think I might go in the footsteps of sounds like "zero hour" and "Curator of the sands". I will keep it updated on my youtube channel Wish me luck.

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?

Oh my biggest influence is band called "Mechina". Those guys are incredible. Really love their orchestral themes in their songs, brutal but aslo smooth. I followed their lead haha. And I really love bands like "Septicflesh" or "Soilwork". But I am not rooted in this style. I always trying to find good melody in everything.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

In free time I sports alot. Hanging out with friends, traveling and trying to live healthy a little.

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

So I will say on the end that I´m trying to inspire many people as I could with my music. If you have talent on something and it fills you with happiness just keep doing that. You don´t need to be a milionare to create something good. Spend some time into something and it will return back to you.

Zex/Fight For Yourself/Magic Bullet Records/2015 CD Re-Issue Review

  Zex  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  NWOBHM  inspired  mixture  of  heavy  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Fight  For  Yourself"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  February  by  Magic  Bullet  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  more  of  a  retro  70's  punk  style  sound  along  with  some  female  vocals  and  melodic  guitar  leads  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  lot  of  NWOBHM  elements.

  Most  of  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  in  the  mid  70's  to  early  80's  along  with  all  of  the  songs  ignore  all  of  the  trends  that  have  came  out  since  then  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  back  up  gang  shouts  being  utilized  throughout  the  recording  and  there  is  never  a  soft  or  weal  moment  to  be  heard  anywhere  on  this  recording.

  Zex  plays  a  style  of  punk  rock  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  70''s  which  they  mix  in  with  the  melody  and  heaviness  of  NWOBHM  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  anger  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Zex  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  heavy  metal  influenced  punk  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fight  For  Yourself"  "Scream  At  The  Wall"  "World  Of  Trash"  and  "Savage  City".  8  out  of  10.  

  

Crowned In Earth Interview

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

I’ve been working with Chris and Paul at Imperative PR on the release of Metempsychosis. In addition, I’m already working on new compositions as I’m constantly writing new music. I’m also in the thought process of putting a live line up of the band together!

2.In January you has released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I would describe ‘Metempsychosis’ as a Progressive Space Jazz Rock album! There is much more depth to the songs than on earlier recordings due to the further prog related sounds. For example, if you listen to the first Crowned In Earth album it sounds nothing like the new one. I like that though as I always planned Crowned InEarth would continually expand musically!

3.The earlier material was more doom metal and the new album goes for more of a pure style of progressive rock, what was the decision behind going into this musical direction?

After the release of ‘A Vortex of Earthly Chimes’, I was feeling very bored musically. I actually lost interest in playing music for a while as I felt like I was treading water and when I tried to write riffs they sounded a little doom by numbers.

My favourite parts of the ‘Vortex…’ album were the proggier elements as I felt I could stretch my wings a bit more. I took that excitement and feeling of adventure into the composing of the new songs which eventually made up ‘Metempsychosis’.

For me as a musician, there’s nothing more boring than to keep playing the same things and style over and over again. I like how the sound of CIE has opened up where there’s no boundaries and anything can happen.


4.This is the first album to be released in 2 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

It took me a while to write this album and get the compositions to flow. It’s great to have lots of different sections to the song but there has to be some sort of continuity to make each track work. Once I have these tracks finished I then demo them and send them to Darin. We don’t live in the same country so we can’t get together and rehearse them. So, I have to give Darin time to learn the songs and record the drums. This time around I invited Pug into the line up to record bass. Again, there is a time frame there for him to learn and record. Then the tracks get sent to Brian Anthony to work his magic on them.For me there’s a lot of waiting!

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

The lyrics in CIE are almost secondary to the music as I’m no Peter Gabriel or Peter Sinfield. My lyrics are based on everyday experiences. For example, the lyrics to ‘Morning Light’ came into my head one frosty morning when I was out walking my dog watching the sunrise.


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Crowned In Earth'?

The name Crowned In Earth has a specific spiritual meaning to me. I tend not to share my view on this as different people who have spoken to me about it have their own thoughts about what it means. I quite like this, and I wouldn’t want to change anyone else’s thoughts on what it means to them.

7.Originally the band was a solo project, what was the decision behind forming a full lein up?

CIE is still a solo project at this stage. To all intents and purposes, they are Kevin Lawry solo albums. I think that Crown In Earth sounds more exciting than Kevin Lawry!
I enjoy having Darin on the records as I love his style of playing. He is a key part of the rhythm section and more than just a session member to me. I bounce lots of ideas of him when I’m writing. I invited Pug to play on the album as I wanted to try and introduce the idea of having another musician play on my songs.


8.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?

As yet, CIE has not performed live and remains a studio project. I have aspirations to play live but I also have my hesitations. I would have to find the right session members to do it. Also, I’d need to work with a good promoter who could make it worth my while. When I say worthwhile, I’m not speaking money but it needs to be in front of an audience that will appreciate what CIE does. This isn’t a band that can play to your average audience at your local bar! The other part I wrestle with here is that my favourite part of music is the creation of it! I love being in my studio and creating new songs. I prefer this so much more than live performances. I’ll be giving this a lot of thought over the coming weeks but if the interest is really there with the release of ‘Metempsychosis’ then I shall do my best to get a live line up together!

9.The new album is coming out on Sonic Mermaid Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Sonic Mermaid is my own label solely for releasing my music through. I’ve been let down by a few labels now and had people makes promises that haven’t been met. I decided I couldn’t be bothered with labels etc anymore and I would put my record out myself. I have Chris and Paul at Imperative PR handling the promo side of things for me which is great as that is a massive part of an album release that former labels have done badly! I’m very excited be working with them as they are fantastic at what they do!

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

Prog fans who like their music on the slightly heavier side enjoyed ‘A Vortex of Earthly Chimes’ and more open minded Doom fans liked the proggier elements of the record too! So the feedback has been very positive. Hopefully, there will be something in the new record that people will like.

11.What is going on with some of the other musical projects or bands these days that some of the band members are a part off?

Darin has formed a new band called Righteous Bloom and they’re recording an album at the moment. I believe that more Pale Divine material is on the horizon too.

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

As I mentioned earlier, I’m writing new material all the time and already have a new record in mind. The sound of the songs have a lot of jazz fusion energy about them and some very expansive sounding parts as well as some nice folky sounds going on. There are no boundaries as to where CIE might end up on the next album!

13.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?

Influences on CIE are the more musical prog bands like Camel, Genesis and Pink Floyd along with Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever and of course Mike Oldfield! I tend to listen to older music from the late 60’s and 70’s as there are very few modern bands which I like these days.
Although, Opeth’s ‘Pale Communion’ has been on constant rotation on my stereo since it was released at the end of last year! I thought that Pink Floyds ‘The Endless River’ was really good too! It was much better than I thought it was going to be actually!


14.What are some of your non musical interests?

When I’m not writing or listening to music, I can generally be found out walking with my German Shepherd through the local countryside and woods. This is where a lot of inspiration for my music comes from as there is a lot of beautiful scenery. I’m an active person so I cycle a lot too!

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

Thanks you very much for the interview and I hope you’re listeners enjoy ‘Metempsychosis’!

Dragonhammer/Time For Expiation/My Kingdom Music/2015 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Dragonhammer  which  continues  the  epic  mixture  of  power  and  progressive  metal  from  previous  recordings  with  the  album  being  called  "Time  For  Expiation:"  which  was  originally  released  in  2004  and  will  be  re-issued  on  January  19th  by  My  Kingdom  Music  with  3  bonus  tracks.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  smyphonic  musical  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  drums  and  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  while  the  synths  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavy  parts  throughout  the  recording  and  at  times  there  are  some  clean  parts  where  the  synths  demonstrate  their  ability  a  bit  more  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  bands  uses  display  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  also  add  even  more  melody  into  the  bands  music  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  couple  of  power    ballads  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  very  heavy  style  of  power  metal  and  there is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  on  one  of  the  tracks  while  one  of  the  later  songs  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  they  close  the  album  with  three  bonus  track  the  first  being  recorded  in  a  studio  while  the  last  two  where  recorded  live.

  Dragonhammer  remain  true  to  an  epic  and  progressive  style  of  power  metal  on  this  recording  along  with  a  great  balance  between  heaviness  and  melody,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  and  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dragonhammer  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  power  and  progressive  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eternal  Sinner"  "The  Pages  I  Never  Wrote"  "Blind  Justice"  and  "Time  For  Expiation".  8  out  of  10.