Mentally Defiled/Aptitude For Elimination/Violent Solution/2014 CD Review

  Mentally  Defiled  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Aptitude  For  Elimination"  which  was  released  by  Violent  Solution.

  Horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  thrash  metal  direction  and  after  the  intro  the  band  adds  more  melody  into  the  riffs  and  also  add  in  aggressive  screaming  vocals  and  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  while  the  music  has  a  very  vintage  mid  80's  feeling  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  and  up  to  date  feeling  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  whole  album  remains  true  to  a  heavy  sound  from  beginning  to  end.

  Mentally  Defiled  plays  a  style  of  thrash  that  is  very  heavy  and  aggressive  and  they  make  an  old  school  sound  more  modern  without  having  to  resort  to  any  modern  trends,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  thrashing  and  real  life  themes.

  In my  opinion  Mentally  Defiled  are  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aptitude  For  Elimination"  "Thrash  Till'  Afterlife"  "Beyond  Redemption"  and  "Soldier  Of  The  Underground".  8  out  of  10.      

Comaniac/Return To The Wasteland/iMusician Digital/2015 Full length Review

  Comaniac  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Return  To  The  Wasteland"  which  was  released  by  iMusician Digital.

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  very  aggressive  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  back  up  gang  shouts  at  times.

  Melodies can  be  hear  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  in  both  the riffs  and  solos  and  the  lads  also  demonstrate  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals  also  add  a  touch  of  melody  into  the  more  aggressive  parts  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Comaniac  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  old  school  sounding  while  also  being  very  melodic  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  hateful  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Comaniac  are  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Secret  Seed"  "Killing  Tendency"  "Solitude"  and  "Flakhead".  8  out  of  10. 

Salem's Lott Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.     Salems Lott is the brainchild of Jett and myself.  We were tired of hearing and seeing the same bands over and over and over again.  Everyone seems to be playing it real safe and are too scared to put themselves out there.  Especially in an industry where not a single young (in their 20’s) rock or metal act is having immense success.  So why not put together a band so insane that will cause people to have polarizing views?  I found Kay and Tony who shared our vision of insanity and a dream that would overwhelm god.  In short I put together a band that has the whole package, shocking image, intense live show, SONGS and can play like no ones business.

2.In January you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2.     Unexpected, Intense, un-relenting, powerful, versatile, powerful etc.  That’s what we’ve been told thus far and it’s pretty accurate.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3.     We are not limited to any one topic.  We are human beings and we go through allot of experiences in this sad existence of ours.  Our music is about those experiences.  Whether it’s something we are witnessing or apart of first hand.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Salems Lott'?
4.     I’m a history buff and so is Jett.  We talking about the Salem witch trials and though “Salems Lott” would be cool for a band name “Lot” meaning a group of individuals.


5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far an also how would you describe your stage performance?
5.     The House of Blues gig would have to be one of the top gigs.  Why?  Because the stage was great, the audience was shocked and we happen to win over people who are not necessarily into metal music.  Our stage performances are chaotic, alive and unpredictable.


6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6.     We have some L.A. dates right now.  We would love to tour, just got to find the funds.  As of now we do everything ourselves, there is no outside help whatsoever.

7.The ep was released on Red Moon Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
7.     Of course I can since we started it.  Like I said we do everything and are involved in every aspect of this band.  That includes the business side as well.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of heavy, power and speed metal?
8.     It’s actually been overwhelming to say the least.  People are really digging what we’re doing.  We seem to be attracting those who listen to the much heavier side of metal as well as the lighter stuff, to even some rappers.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9.     The sooner the better.  Keep in mind the songs from the EP are very old.  They were written a couple of years back. The new material is sounding really intense and amazing.  I think people are going to be shocked of what we have in store.  The EP was just the tip of the iceberg.

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?
10.    Too many to name.  Our influences span many genres and styles.  There’s allot of good stuff out there.  I’m currently listening to the stuff I’ve always been listening to and more.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11.  Nothing to be honest.  Everything else really is just second fiddle to me.

12..Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12.   Thanks to those who are supporting us and understand what we’re trying to do.  You’re more than some stupid “army”, you’re blood.          

 SL
Rēd Moon Rēcords
Los Angeles, CA
http://SalemsLott.com
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Wicked Inquisition/Self Titled/Tridroid Records/2015 Full Length Review

  Wicked  Inquisition  are  a  band  from  Minnesota  that  plays  a  very  traditional  form  of  doom  metal  with  elements  of  psychedelic  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2015  album  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Tridroid  Records.

  A  very  dark,  hard,  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  70's  hard  rock/metal  solos  and  leads  a  few  seconds  alter  that  are  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  all  done  in  a  clean  singing  fashion  and  the music  is  more  closer  to  the  early  beginnings  of  the  doom  metal  genre.

  While  the  bands  musical  style  is  more  in  tune  with  the  70's  and  early  80's  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  stick  to  either  a  very  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  very  style  of  doom  metal  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Wicked  Inquisition  plays  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  70's  and  early  80's  and  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  psychedelic  rock  in  the  guitar  leads  to  create  an  album  that  is  very  retro  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  occultism  and  social  issues.

  In  my  opinion  Wicked  Inquisition  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  doom  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  psychedelic  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Magik  Nacht"  "Death  of  Man"  and  "Wicked  Inquisition".  8  out  of  10.

    

Kantamus/II/2015 EP Review

  Kantamus  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  hardcore  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2015  ep  "II".

  A  very  dark,  distorted  and  heavy  noise  rock  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  aggressive  sludge  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  some  spoken  word  parts  in  some  sections  of  the  guitars  as  well  as  a  doom  metal  influence  in  the  slow  and  heavy  riffs  and  after  awhile  the  music  incorporates  more  elements  of  post  hardcore  but  done  in  a  lot  more  heavier  fashion.

  Most  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  yet  heavy  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  which  does  not  take  away  from  the  raw  aggression  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  when  the  music  eventually  speeds  up  you  can  hear  influences  of  punk  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times  and  the  last  track  also  bring s in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads.

  Kantamus  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  sludge  and  mixes  it  with  the  raw  energy  of  hardcore,  noise  rock  and  punk  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kantamus  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  hardcore  and  noise  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hakki"  and  "En pysy  nahoissani".  8  out  of  10.  
  

DeadlySins 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?

Since the recording of the album, we play some gigs to show our fans how our new song are killing !
We are also on promotion way, with lot of interviews, lot of cd sends to label and webzine.


2.A few months back you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how this it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
THRAAAASH !!!!!!
We play thrash metal since 2003 and we like it !
The new album kills ! It's in the same way of thrash metal of our past release, but with a very better sound !
We have also include influences of our new musicians like death metal drumming parts.



3.The band has been around since 2000 but so far has only released a demo, ep and 2 full lengths, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

First, the band is born in 2000 but play heavy metal stuffs for few years because it was the principal influence of the band member in this time.
In 2003, only Lk and LB rest. Inspired by bay area and german thrashing metal bands, we spend time to find the good musicians to complete our line up.
It's done in 2004, and we play somme gigs before recording our fisrt demo.
Between 2004 and 2012, we record one demo, one ep and one album. And play a lot of gigs. the time between these release is just the time to write new stuff, to play gigs and to win money to record another material.
In 2012, with the departure of 2 memebers, we had to find another time the good musicians to play with. We rapidly found them, but after, we have to learn to play our past songs with them and play gigs.
then go back in writting mode to be able to realase our new album.
Music take times. Music take money.


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

In the beginning, we want to spoke about gardening or knitting,....but finally we prefer to speak about Zombis, serial killers, war, sometimes personal feelings, but there is always a story about drinking beer and moshing with friends..





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

When we have to choose a name, we think about song's names of band we like.
There is a song we liked at the moment, which is called Deadly Sleep.
But after reflexion, "Sleep" in french is the same sound of "slip" which is mean "panties".
and we don't want to be called "Deadly panties" ! But "Deadly" was a cool word....
In Iron Maiden's Moonchild, the lyrics in the beginning of the song are : Seven Deadly sins, seven ways to win.
As great Iron Maiden's fan, we love this name ! DeadlySins was born !

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

Our stage performance is a melting of balls. high power. speed. brutal, groovy and melodic parts; All their things plays with lot of fun and beer.
Opening for Death Angel, bay area thrash legend, was very great !
But for us, our best show, is the opening gig for Mumakil. The audiance was very amazing, the pit was so violent and crazy.



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

We are actually in search for booking and touring. Contact us !


8.The new album was self released, are the band members open to working with a label or do you prefer the DIY approach a lot more?

We want to work with a label ! Contact us !
But today, it's a dream. 95% of the French band are in DIY way. It’s a reality.
Not by choice but by necessity.
In France, the music business is not interested about metal stuff. We have a big local underground scene, with lot of very good bands, but French music industry is not interested about it because you don’t heard metal in classical media.
The majority of us want to be payed do play music and to record albums. But today, they need to have a job, and pay to live their music’s dreams.

I liked the idea of DIY spirit, with a complete control of all parts of the business.
But If someone want to give us money to record new albums,…..please contact us ! We want ! lol



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

We had a wonderful feedback by thrash metal fans mainly in US and Easter Europe.
We have been selected by THRASHMANIA FB PAGE (USA)  to be one of the best thrash album of 2014.
In France, the underground metal people are more in black metal, death metal or grind.

10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other musical projects or bands these days?

Yes, Lambert is the lead singer of LUGH
And Kevin plays with several bands like Svart Crown, Mithridatic, Death Lab, The Arisen and play live session for Aggressor, Melechesh and many more !
LK and LB are working together on a very different material.




12.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?
THRAAAAAASH !!!!! It's our more evident influences. The old school band from bay area and Germany scenes like : Testament, Exodus, Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, Tankard…..
But we also came from different scene and we put all good things in our music. Kevin like tehcnical Death metal, Lambert like heavy things,...I really like Disco music but I don’t understand why my band mate always say no about incorporate it…..lol
To be serious, all styles of music have good things. We listen to a lot of style and take what we love on it….but we always go back to our Thrash roots !



13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Mine ? Sport ! Winter sport, martial arts, basketball....
I also like travelling and discovering countries.


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are DeadlySins, and We play Thrash metal ! Listen to our new album called "Anticlockwise" ! It gonna blast your ass ! 

Impalers/God From The Machine/Crime Records/CD Review

  Impalers  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  Teutonic  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "God  From  The  Machine"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Crime  Records.

  Classical  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  starts  to  get  more  heavier  and  goes  into  a  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  fast  riffs  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  adding  in  screams  that  have  an  early  death  metal  feeling  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  80's  style  of  German  thrash  metal.

  You  can  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  throughout  the  recording  while  it  is  mostly  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  riffing  and  solos  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  back  up  gang  shouts  and  the  classical  guitars  also  make  a  return  later  on  during  the  recording  along  with  a  power  ballad  and  a  few  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  an  instrumental  towards  the  end.

  Clean  singing  can  be  heard  on  one  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  faster  sections  dominate  most  of  the  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Impalers  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  close  to  the  80's  German  style  but  done  with  more  melody  and  a  touch  of  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  religion,  mankind,  politics  and  violence.

  In  my  opinion  Impalers  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Future  Void"  "Beyond  Trinity"  "Ghost"  and  "The  Vulturine".  8  out  of  10.