Strauss/Luia/2015 EP Review

  Strauss  are  a  band  from t he  united  Kingdom  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "Luia"  which  will  be  released  in  May.

  A  very  heard  and  heavy  stoner  rock  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  both  aggressive  and  melodic  at  the  same  time  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  70's  rock  influenced  melodies  but  done  with  more  of  a  heavy  and  modern  sludge/southern  metal  sound   and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  A  good  portion  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  of  the  songs  brings  in  shouting  type  vocals  which  are  also  influenced  by  hardcore  and  the  riffs  start  bringing  in  more  of  a  progressive  metal/rock  feeling  to  some  of  the  tracks  while  some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  the  melody  of  post  metal  and  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  very  dark  and  melodic  and  at times  the  music  bring s in  elements  of  grunge,  funk  and  psychedelic  rock.  

  Strauss  plays  a  style  of  stoner,  doom  and  sludge  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  also  brings  in  the  melodies  of  progressive  metal  and  post  hardcore  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sound s very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Strauss  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Humanphobic  (To  Mary  Shelley)"  and  "@015".  8  out  of  10.

  

Big Business/Battlefields Forever/Solar Flare Records/2015 CD Review

  Big  Business  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hardcore  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Battlefields  Forever"  which  was  released  by  Solar  Flare  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  melodic  vocals  start  off  the  album  and  they  start  getting  aggressive  after  awhile  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  direction  while  the  music  still  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  raw  energy  and  on  the  other  tracks  the  band  brings  in  more  elements  of  noise  rock.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  yet  distorted  sounding  and  also  adds  more  of  a  90's  feeling  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  at  times  some  of  the  slower  riffs  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  drones  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  always  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Big  Business  plays  a  style  of  noise  rock  that  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  hardcore  while  you  can  hear  a  touch  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  poetic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Big  Business  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  noise  rock  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chump  Chance"  "Trees"  "Heavy  Shoes"  and  "Lonely  Lyle".  8  out  of  10.  

[P.U.T] Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Loïc: well, after a hiatus of approximately 10 years, I’m officially back in the band. My brother Lionel and I started together in 1998 and in 2003, I had to focus on finishing my PhD, find a job… it was a tough decision because I love playing music with Lionel, but my lifestyle had changed and was not compatible anymore with rehearsing every week, playing gigs on weekends, etc… I was never too far away because I kept on doing music on my own (garlic.wav and dark//light) and my work include quite a few remixes for [P.U.T].
Lionel went on with Alex, the guy who, funnily enough, had already replaced me in my previous jam band. Then Nico, our brother, joined on guitar (he was already the 3rd official member anyway). Then Alex went, for reasons similar to mine.
To make a long story short, my personal situation hasn’t changed, but Nico doesn’t feel like doing gigs so often anymore, and Lionel is very busy with his new band Missiles Of October (noise power trio from Bruxelles). So it seemed like a good opportunity to use modern technologies and start a long distance experience. It's very exciting to be the three brothers together: it feels like it's what it should always have been.
In 2013, LiB sent us some tracks he had demoed and Nico and I started mutating things, turning them into the little monsters you can now hear on the split CD with Grünt Grünt.
We are currently working on the 6th album. As I said, I was still creative over the last 12 years, so I have accumulated a lot ideas, riffs, etc… Having children has stimulated my creativity, because I need to be organized to have time to play music. All together we have at least 10 tracks coming from Nico and myself, and more keep coming! There’s no real deadline so I keep writing new tunes, and we’ll see what happens.


2.Recently you were a part of a split, 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?
Loïc: I would say the major difference is the fact that we are now 3 contributors. Also, I have produced the EP and I brought a new vision to the sound that was previously handled by Nico for the 2 previous records. I used a more acoustic drum kit for each track to bring more organic sound. Because there are now two guitars, they are naturally a bit more prominent in the mix. Overall, I think we have achieved something more spacious but still very heavy and quite aggressive at times.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Nicö : On my side, my lyrics are about everyday life or fiction. I do not do politics or propaganda, I let that to those who do it better than me.
Lionel: yes [P.U.T] is not a political band but have beliefs. We are against human stupidity ahahah and lyrics are often around this. Some texts are also inspired by Lovecraft, stranger….


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name [P.U.T]?
Loïc: it’s an acronym that we have kept secret for all these years. We like that mystery and encourage people to find their own meaning. We’ve had good suggestions like “Pour Usage Thérapeutique” which means “For Therapeutic Use” in French. And it actually fits what this band is for us: a therapy, something we use to feel better, escape for a few hours from the world.


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?
Lionel: it's very difficult to say. In 17 years I’ve done 170 shows in Europe with [P.U.T] and by luck, most of are good remembrances for me: nice places, nice people or nice bands most of the time. I have many best shows in my head.
On stage we are 100% focused on music, it’s a physical/emotional performance for us. On our last show with have add some video projection to give more ambiance to people.


6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Loïc: At the moment no. Again, I cannot tour and even the occasional gig could be difficult for me to be a part of. I travel a lot for my job already, so I need to spend time with my family on weekends. If LiB and Nico can and want to do some gigs, it’s fine with me. We’ll just need to think how they can present the newer tracks at their best. But you never know what may happen.


Lionel: we hope to have some few proposal for single shows in coming months, but I do not think that we will do intense touring like over last years (120 shows in 5 years). Today, we prefer to tour less but in better conditions. I’m living in Belgium and my brothers are in the Paris area so it’s financially difficult too.


7.Recently you where a part of a split album with Grunt Grunt, what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?
Loïc: Grünt Grünt approached us with this idea of a split together. I had my doubts at the very beginning when Lionel mentioned they were a grindcore band (even though I like this genre). But I think this works very well in the end and I’m really happy with that association.


Lionel: Bert from GG and me are drawing for the same comic book zine “juke box”. we met through Alexis Horellou who "directs" the collective. Bert, who is a big fan of our band, proposed me to release a split together and I really like Grünt Grünt. 2 years later, the CD is here and we asked to Alexis to do the cover.


8.You worked with a decent amount of record labels on this release, can you tell us a little bit more about them?
Lionel : At first, P.O.G.O. records, which is the DIY label that I've been running since 1993, and Bonobo stomp which is Bert's Label. Since the beginning Bert and I had decided to find more people to help us do it and distribute it.
I have sent many proposal to labels and Brutal Arratia, Trashfuck rds, THC+DIY rds, vleesklak rds and Krach Macht Frei have decided to give us their help. We thank them a lot!


9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, noise and industrial?
Lionel : very difficult to know … but year after year [P.U.T]'s name continues to grow, bringing new people who like our music. We’ve got for all our albums many amazing reviews. But the most difficult people to convince / approach are live promoters or bigger labels. And this new record shows us that international labels are interested in our music and want to be a part of it by co-producing it.

10.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Loïc: we would like to be able to release the new full length in 2016. It’s always been a DIY thing and even though we are looking for labels to release it, we are not putting extra pressure on the process.
In terms of sound, it’s too early to say because at the moment all the basic skeletons we have are only the result of one person’s vision. For instance Lionel’s demos for the split CD were really different from what you can hear now. Nico and myself really brought something different, changing even initial mood sometimes. There is no limit and we are trying to experiment as much as we can. I remember having the idea of adding completely new drums and techno beats on Under Most Darkest Sea, just to give it a try. I liked it and that led me to had these guitars, with a more Killing Joke feeling... I stepped back and thought “Wow, Lionel’s going to freak out! I changed it so radically!” But he loved it and so did Nico
We are all open-minded but not afraid of suggesting things / criticizing, and we all listen to each other. So even though there seems to be two kinds of direction at the moment with more noise rock vibe (ala Unsane) or more slow moody industrial sludgy metal, I hope this will change in the near future when Lionel and Nicolas send me their contributions.
It’s safe to say though that the split CD is giving you a hint of where we are starting from. So it should be something powerful with hopefully an even better sound and production.

11.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?
Loïc: That’s a very tough question for me! I personally think I am influenced by all the music I listen to, and believe me: I listen to a lot of different things, new or old, and in many different genres. It can be any kind of metal, experimental, techno, jazz, hardcore, noise…. I gather musical ideas and production ideas from all these genres.
I think our basic influences like Godflesh, Scorn, Unsane, Sonic Youth or Killing Joke are still there. There are also bands that keep coming back regularly in my player, like Helmet, Shellac, Neurosis, Nine Inch Nails, High Tone, Hint, Ez3kiel, Tool, The Yound Gods, Dälek, Deftones, Converge,… that will necessarily have an impact on the sound I want to achieve.
Lionel: like Loïc say, we listen to a lot of music in many genres. But currently, it's mostly noise rock sludge metal industrial genres that influence me for [P.U.T]'s music.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Loïc: I like drawing, reading comics and watching movies. But when you have two kids, you need to prioritize things and get organized. So my free time is nowadays focused on music.
Lionel: I’m doing illustrations or comic books for a few fanzines like “Juke Box”, “Jaja” or “La gazette du rock”. I participate occasionally to collective art exhibitions. I love reading or watching movies too.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Loïc: This is only the beginning!!!
Lionel: thanks a lot for support!



https://www.facebook.com/pages/PUT/78005182411
https://putmusic.bandcamp.com/

Atreides Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.Atreides is a heavy-power metal band with lyrics written in spanish. I(Dany Soengas) started the project in late 2014 after stopping for some time my other band, Skydancer.  We have one album out now.

2.Recently you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. ¨Cosmos¨ is a power metal album loyal to the roots, without the topics of the late 90´s. No dragons or stuff like that. I've tryed to write very personal lyrics and hi-speed songs to make contrast with mid tempos. The are no ballads on the album. I´ve also tried to sound a bit fresh but whitout losing the essence of the style.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subject the band explores with the music?
3. The lyrics are mostly focused on my personal feelings and my concerns about things that I can't explain. Some mysteries about the universe, some about sci-fi suff, about the feeling of loss...there is not a single topic.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Atreides'?
4. I was reading Frank's Herbert  ¨Dune¨ when I started project. Atreides is one of the main houses-families on the book. I like the values that they represent, so I took the 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?
5.For now we haven't played a single show. The album was recorded by only 2 musicians, Emi Ramirez (now replaced now by Ivan Lopez) on vocals, and me on the instruments. The band itself came before the recording, so we are really starting to move on now.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. On the 2nd of May we'll play our first show in our city. From now on we will announce some gigs here and there, but nothing  more is confirmed yet.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of power metal?
7. More than good. Outside our country I thought that the media would reject the album  for beeing sung in spanish, but the reviews are going really well. One of our labels thought that that the language was going to be a handicap to sell the LP, but now is working well.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a a part of?
My other band, Skydancer, is now on standby, we plan to release a new album in the future. David Borjas plays live with a spanish metal singer, Angel Rubin.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9. Atreides started as a Power Metal band, and so it will remain. We have some details taken from other genres, but I'm totally focused on getting the old school stuff and sound as a band of our days.

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.My influences and the bands that I listen now, are more or less the same. I can name Rage, Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, Kamelot, and from our country only a few records of the old Avalanch. I´ve also liked the last Iced Earth record recently.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. For me the band and all arround it, takes the most of my time. I´ve also try to have some  for computer games and movies, and of course I a have a job. The other guys are also studying or working, and trying to have some time for the music. I don´t kwon very well what they do the rest of the day jaja.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. Just say thanks for the interview, and for the readers, if they want to know more about the band, they can visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/atreidesbanda
Best wishes

Succubus Irons/The Gogron's Lullaby/PRC Music/2015 CD Review

  Succubus  Irons  are  a  band  from  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "The  Gorgon's  Lullaby"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  PRC  Music.

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  album  goes  into  more  of  a  heavy  doom  metal  direction  while  also  having  acoustic  guitars  in  the  background  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  all  in  a  clean  singing  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  and  folk  music  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  heavy  and  acoustic  parts  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  evil  sounding  whispers.

  Succubus  Irons  plays  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  and  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  folk  and  progressive  rock  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occult  and  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Succubus  Irons  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cult  of  the  Gods"  "The  Stygian  Witches"  and  "March  Of  The  Titans".  8  out  of  10.

  

Shawn James & The Shapeshifters Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We’re a 5 piece rowdy, southern “Rock & Roar” band featuring banjo & violin outta Fayetteville Arkansas that began as a folk band and has transformed into what we are now.

2.You have a new album coming out,how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
The new album, "The Gospel According to Shawn James and the Shapeshifters” is the hardest hitting record yet. For lack of any term whatsoever, the record could be described simply as “rock and roar”. At times, it evokes both Son House and SunO)))), with haunting fiddle and plucking banjo amidst swampy, fuzz driven slide guitars. Some parts are like a fog rising from a cave, some crashing like a thunderstorm.  We’ve all been in heavier bands growing up and wanted to fuse aspects of that with american rock and blues music.

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

A majority of the lyrical content from the Gospel explores areas of spiritual and religious belief from the perspective of someone who used to be apart of that lifestyle but no longer is. Some songs like Back Down & The Sandbox are about war and the devastating affects it can have. Lilith is based on a very old myth from the Middle East. One of my favorites, Lost, is about how our banjo player got lost in the woods one time and how I had to save him.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Shapeshifters’?
I started as a solo performer playing acoustic music. Over time, I added more musicians to the mix but we never adhere’d to one style. We bounced from melancholy acoustic stuff to rowdy southern folk rock and everything in between. I’ve always been into old myths and legends as well. The name Shapeshifters not only describes how we don’t stick to just one genre, but also ties into a trilogy album we released called “The Shapeshifter Trilogy” which was based on native american folklore.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
That’s a tough one. I’d have to say when we play here at home in Fayetteville, The Smoke & Barrel Tavern has hosted some of our favorite shows. It always packs out and everyone always gets rowdy and has a damn good time. Touring Europe is definitely another one of my favorites not only because we get to travel to places we’ve never been but we get to interact with different cultures and see how they relate to our music. Our live shows are intensely passionate, rowdy good fun and now heavier than ever before. It’s a purging of sorts for us.

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

We’ll be touring for the rest of the year across the US, Europe and hopefully more. Our next tour is from April 9- May 2. We’re heading out to the Northwest area of the US and back for our first run this year. We’ll be sure to cover the rest of the US in months to come.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are unsigned still. I wouldn’t say that we’re looking for a label. We’ve been DIY and made everything happen on our own so far. We’d like to keep going and see how far we can take it. That being said, if we found a label that understood us, and made us feel like we were part of a family, then we would definitely consider signing on. Our end goal isn’t about getting signed. The goal is to continuously do what we love, grow as much as we can and have the freedom to choose what musical path we feel that we belong on.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and rock?
It’s been incredible but one thing we consistently heard was that folks wanted more of the rock and metal stuff, especially live. Our album & shows before now have blended elements of Metal and rock, but with a main element of folk and singer/songwriter music. This year our focus is on the heavier side of things.

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

 There’s no telling really but I gotta say that this is the most excited we’ve been about an album and the live shows it’ll produce. I can see us adding to and growing this “Rock & Roar” style for a long while.

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’m all over the map with musical tastes and influences. I grew up classically trained in opera, classical orchestra and choir so i definitely have an appreciation of that world and the use of movements in music. I also grew up attending gospel churches in Chicago so I have that bluesy, soulful musical upbringing as well. Artists that have had huge influences on me include Son House, Muddy Waters, Zao, Otis Redding, Murder by Death, Earth, Tom Waits and many more. I’ve been listening to a lot of Witchcraft, Graveyard, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Wardruna, Russian Circles, Truckfighters and Father John Misty lately. I'm always cycling around different genre’s though.

11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Yes and no. I love all sorts of Nordic, Germanic, Egyptian, Native American and other cultures myths and legends. I wouldn’t say that we truly believe them on a spiritual level, but I definitely draw a lot of life lessons and wisdom from all the different kinds of stories and beliefs of other cultures.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Stuff like woodworking, tattoos, the outdoors, mythology, man shit like guns & knives, and of course smokin that good good.

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

Carpe Diem
New song from The Gospel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSZsJsIQ-7w
www.ShawnJamesMusic.com
www.ShawnJamesSoul.bandcamp.com
www.Facebook.com/ShawnJamesSoul
Music Video for Hunger from The Bear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH28gaXGl-U

-Shawn James

Swirl/Self Titled/2013 EP Review

  Swirl  are  a  band  from  Southern  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hard  rock  and  hair  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2013  ep.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  clean  playing  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  melodic  sounding  and  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  it  still  has  a  very  modern  feeling  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  hard  and  heavy  direction  and  on e of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  synths  that  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling.

  Swirl  plays  a  musical  style  that  combines  the  hard  rock  and  metal  sounds  of  the  80's  but  done  with  more  of  a  modern  take  on  those  genres,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Swirl  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  hard  rock  and  hair  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fourth  Of  July"  and  "We  Are  Alive".  8  out  of  10.