…cial media, but I haven’t really noticed if we’ve gained more fans through Instagram versus YouTube or Facebook. I do like interacting with fans on social media, but personally I find the need to make content all the time very exhausting and inauthentic as a musician. I don’t want to be an influencer; I have no desire. I just wanted to be a musician, and I find it very unfortunate that the industry is focused on cranking out content to keep releva…
…y thrash ending. Although the original plan was to release a full-length in 2021, we all know that the pandemic slowed things for many musicians to a halt. Blood on Canvas nonetheless achieves its intended target for those who love aggressive thrash captured in a potent manner. Maybe Darkness still has some vitality left in that tank – the proof is in this record. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKq5ZdD3vw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYda_kc_…
…sive metal act Loch Vostok continues the Opus Ferox trilogy that started in 2021 with the stellar Opus Ferox – The Great Escape record, issuing the sequel Opus Ferox II – Mark of the Beast. What’s always been intoxicating about the quintet is their innate ability to construct a modern angle to their attack while incorporating left field or extreme influences that sound natural to the dynamic songs offered. The multi-pronged sonic landscape on disp…
…al sound, I think. Dead Rhetoric: You acquired latest drummer Timo Claas in 2021 – what do you think of his abilities and how does his work ethic and personality help the current lineup of Disbelief? Jäger: I think with Timo we have the first drummer in Disbelief that is a real death metal drummer. He listens to death metal, and he loves to play death metal. All our previous drummers are not so typical death metal-wise. It makes things easier for…
…or the group (although the three-song Downward Spiral EP hit the streets in 2021), and for Extinct it seems like all ships sail to port in a similar, competent thrash manner for Incitement of Violence. An ideal record for those who love neck whipping riffs, Gus Chambers-like vocals, and a sense of authenticity when it comes to passionate thrash no matter what trends seem to be taking place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPGnylT6htA Extinct on Fa…
…versation, hot on the heels of their last EP release Abhorrent Rapture from 2021 as we have the group’s third album in Funeral Sanctum ready to obliterate your senses through a tactical series of crushing tracks, mixing up influences from numerous US/Swedish artists throughout this half-hour playback. The main riffs of CL and Tempter come at you from a slow churn to blitzkrieg angles – one minute possessed in frantic chaos, the next soul crushing…
…Kingdemonium from two years ago, but reverted chorus-wise more back to the 2021 album. Combine the heaviness with the light-hearted approach of big choruses, singalong parts in the songs. Kingdemonium was more of a studio album, something you have to listen to start to finish at home or in your car, not all of the songs were destined to be played live. So, this time, that’s different. Dead Rhetoric: When it comes to your songwriting, do you find…
…quad, and lead singer Jón Aldará was part of one of the very best albums of 2021 via Iotunn’s Across All Worlds. Nevertheless, we’re glad Hamferð have returned with Men Guðs hond er sterk. Conceptually, the album tells the story of a famous whaling catastrophe that occurred in the town of Sandvík in 1915. Two boats ultimately sank, with 14 crew members lost, while the village watched in horror from the coast. A story that has long been remembere…
…th in terms of their latest set of songs. Coming off the fine Atrophy EP in 2021 that focused a bit more on the heavier to tranquil sides style-wise, this latest outing Alter (the second in a trilogy of EP’s) explore more of the wide array of influences at play – be it more modern, more cultural, or more exotic, without sacrificing the authenticity of the band’s main platform sound. Opener “Writing Red” contains a floaty, Celtic-like charm in spec…
…e world (US tours opened up borders a little quicker for the summer/fall of 2021), choices were made to either sit on the sidelines or get back in the studio to record as much as possible. Washington band Greyhawk took the latter route, as they followed up their 2020 album Keepers of the Flame with a 2022 Call of the Hawk EP – which sets the table for this second full-length Thunderheart. The combination of classic heavy/power metal elements next…
Venues’ second album, 2021’s Solace, saw the band implement a heavier sonic template that put them more in line with the modern metal groupings of acts like Deadlock or The Unguided. The type of sound that can push elegant melodic guitar work and punchy riffs into a blender with a dual vocal combination of screaming and singing. Transience follows up this successful reinvention by not playing things entirely safe. Venues is back, and have brought…
…ade their performance tick. The set continued with another track from their 2021 debut full-length Prophecies of Eternal Darkness via “Darker Than the Night,” flashing the more melodious side of their multi-dimensional output nicely. The tempo slowed a tad with “On Wings of Death We Burn the Sky” to pulverize with a brooding menace. Necrofier certainly has a lot of variety in their bag of riffs, with this being one of their best examples of such….
…ssive metal outfit of which classic albums like El Niño all the way through 2021’s EoS thrilled this scribe to no end. Leaving in 2022, this solo venture Holler explores more of his classic rock, AOR, and 70s/80s influences for this debut album Reborn. The results are quite inspiring, especially for those who seek broader horizons for the musicians that they love and cherish over the years. A reflective nature sweeps over the atmosphere of these t…
…ts willing to put their own stake in the game. Finnish act Miehala began in 2021, developing their sound over the next year or so to release their debut album Gods of Death in the December 2022 independently as a trio. They would recruit second guitarist Mika Kähärä for live shows in 2023, gaining a permanent place as more songs would develop and live shows took place. Now aligning with Inverse Records, Sons of Alaheim is a quick five-song EP that…
…e, live streams, keep in touch with people and our fans. The second year in 2021, I made a solo record that was all instrumental, that was cool. No pressure at all. I was itching to get back on the road. Every time they announced new measures and restrictions, I thought it was more depressing. Towards the end of 2021 into early 2022, it was depressing. That was a negative thing, I was feeling it. Early 2022 when things slowly started opening up, w…
…equilibrium in 2015 independently and the follow-up on Frontiers Frontal in 2021. Which sets the stage for Binary Dream, an album that explores, questions, and awakens through its conceptual theme of 8b + 1 – an experimental robot taken through a carefully crafted storyline about consciousness awakening. You’ll get a nine-track odyssey that contains intriguing vocal-led material sitting side by side with thoroughly entertaining instrumental songs…
…e this big stadium band. It doesn’t work that way anymore. People are more online based, so you have to create most of your content online. You have to be putting out music videos, you have to be putting out constant posts, pictures, music, little clips so that you can reach a bigger audience. It doesn’t just happen organically by going to shows anymore. Unfortunately, as I wish it still did. I feel like that would be a lot easier in some ways bec…
…rld than every day life. People need to pay attention. You may meet people online, but it’s important to pay attention. Dead Rhetoric: Do you believe it’s harder for people to engage in more face-to-face communication, versus the use technology to communicate? Melissourgos: I’m an old school person. I prefer talking to someone straight in their face. I will give you a small example. I didn’t used to have my own Facebook account until a year ago. I…
…here do you see the greatest differences compared to The Beast Awakens from 2021? James Durbin: The greatest difference with Screaming Steel compared to The Beast Awakens is between the release dates there’s almost three years, almost to the release date. The last song on Screaming Steel is called “Rebirth”. That was the very first song I wrote for the second record following The Beast Awakens. With this one, it’s not a concept album, although som…
…t’s what we heard through his debut Durbin effort The Beast Awakens back in 2021– which continues on this sophomore outing Screaming Steel. The lineup contains seasoned players from the USA (bassist Mike Roberts) and Italy (guitarists Aldo Lonobile and Luca Birotto, drummer Marco Sacchetto), beyond the numerous guest solo spots from members of Exmortus, Paladin, Archer Nation, and Aldo himself. Take thyself on a journey into 80s landscapes – magic…
…ning and growing by doing the smaller steps. This morning, I saw a drawing online of two people. One side had the person going up normal steps and the other they went up big blocks. But the destination was the same, so which one would you choose? I would still choose the small steps and go little by little, enjoying every bit of it. I was taught, since I was small, since I was very passionate about sports, and I was pretty good at it too so there…
…re. Also the shorter attention spans, the lack of focus and the culture of instant gratification doesn’t help either, but I don’t think we should present this as a good/bad dichotomy either and romanticize the past. It is a greatly positive thing that so many talented artists are able to share their music nowadays, and even though, fair enough, there will always be a lot of questionable music making the rounds, I do believe that music made sincere…
…can sometimes be challenging. Czech outfit Dymytry started on this path for 2021’s Revolt, which along with touring situations with Pantera and Lordi upped their profile – beyond a sold-out 13,000 seat arena show last November in Prague. AFM Records signed the group and hopes to elevate global awareness through the new album Five Angry Men. Referencing the band’s martial outfits and masked imagery, the title also addresses mankind’s increasing des…
…name of Upon Stone. This four piece from Los Angeles have been around since 2021, dropping an EP in Where Wild Sorrows Grow that garnered enough attention to land on Century Media Records. Having somehow not previously listened to said EP (well worth checking out), there was no inclination of what to expect from Dead Mother Moon. It only took about a minute for these dudes to have our undivided attention. Where the members of Majesties lean into t…
Hiraes’ debut, 2021’s Solitary, proved to be a shining beacon for old school melodic death metal fans. They showcased their knowledge of the genre’s capabilities (4/5 members were in the long-running Dawn of Disease and vocalist Britta Görtz came from Critical Mass) and gave it a more modern polish to let the gallant melodies shine. With that capability down pat already, Dormant exploits the group’s knowhow, embracing a live-ready energy and uppi…
…ce we had the two demo songs for “Warped” and “Mainframe” which were on the 2021 demo, we got that out there to finish the album out there. Knowing full well that those two songs would likely appear on a future album. I needed an opener for an album, write a fast song that’s under four minutes, probably the fastest one on the album. And then there’s a title track, and then there will be an instrumental track. I had these ideas already in my head,…
…ngwriting, plus war-inspired subject matter. Fresh off the debut album from 2021 Onward to Glory, the band released their sophomore outing A Storm of Steel, another pounding effort that has similarities to the feel and atmosphere of artists like Bolt Thrower, Sinister, and Deicide. We recently got the chance to catch up with Jason to discuss the major differences between the two albums to date, his war-themed lyrical content, his development as a…
…at go all the way back to 2015 within the Japanese alt idol scene. In early 2021, yurushirezutsurezure disbanded but the group was resurrected in fall 2023 with only Mei Yui Mei remaining from the previous line-up along with three new members. This first resurrected outing in Ouroarboros is an interesting one, taking old songs and giving them not only English lyrics but entirely reworking them. The songs are still recognizable, but this far from a…
Moving from an instrumental act to a vocal-backed one for 2021’s Sarcoma, Alluvial left a lasting impression for an intelligent death metal album that still brought plenty of aggression and melodies. Looking forward three years, the band has delivered a new taste of material in a 4-song EP Death is But a Door, the first offering since Sarcoma. For fans of said album, this EP will be a must-hear, and serves as a nice initiation for those who may h…
…the Canadian dark power metal act Hyloxalus on their previous release from 2021, the Aposematic EP. You would hear elements from symphonic to folk to extreme influences, ensuring a diverse set of material that could evoke Primordial or Equilibrium one minute, then Therion, Nightwish on to Strapping Young Lad the next taken into the power realm. Reaching out to all three members of the band with guitarist/bassist/synth player Mike Bell, vocalist N…
