…victims of 9/11 who got forgotten in the hoopla. A range of topics, “World War 4”is about World War 3, the dangers of nuclear proliferation. Dead Rhetoric: Do you believe that the traditional, classic, power, and thrash movements seem to be on a decent upswing as far as popularity not only in mainland spots like Europe, South America, and the Far East, but here in the United States as well? Especially given the interest in the latest records from…
…M, and other well established AOR-oriented bands from the 80s. With future live gigs planned in Spain, A Neverending John’s Dream through Coming Back to Paradise have established a debut effort rich in melodic hard rock/metal tradition, delivering catchy songs that stay in your brain for quite a while. An act to watch if you enjoy this style that may be cult-like in appeal, yet still vibrant to those who clamor for more. https://www.youtube.com/wa…
…that doesn’t let up in its’ entire run time. This is gonna be a treat in a live setting, definitely. “Desolation’s Harp” concludes the opening salvo of fast-as-fuck drumming and soaring dynamics anchored by Paparo’s unreal vocal performance. Joel Moore, Inter Arma’s newest and (hopefully) permanent bass player, makes his dexterous presence known with the title track and breather “Endless Grey”, as Trey Dalton and Steven Russell solo the shit out o…
…, and the tremolo guitars. It also allowed for me to do my vocals a little bit more powerfully. It’s hard to produce those screams acoustically. I wanted the audience to feel them a bit more. It’s not as subdued. I love acoustic – I’m a sucker for folk music. Dark folk is my sweet spot, I love that. I will always go back to that. But it’s good to release the demons [laughs]. Dead Rhetoric: What did the formation of a full-band mean for Anthesis? H…
…King’s X molding in this treasure trove tenacity that moves people physically, emotionally, intellectually. Another point in the band’s favor is the avoidance of specific intro or interlude pieces that could extend the proceedings. First track “Distant Assistance” unleashes a progressive guitar, bass, and drum barrage not unlike Meshuggah meets Fear Factory/ Strapping Young Lad before the rollercoaster unfurls, 48 minutes or so later intense in it…
…e want to name it. Dead Rhetoric: I know with Nightfall you were particularly pleased with the lyrics and they are really important to you. What stands out to you about the lyrics for Bad Blood? Mitch: That’s really difficult – it’s so hard to pick something. There’s a song called “Halo,” and it turned out to be my favorite, because it’s such a revenge type of song, but it’s really cool in its writing. It’s my favorite breakdown, and I’m a huge fa…
…eciate. That atmospheric yet heavy, headbang-friendly sound that doesn’t rely solely on the vocals to sell the material (even if they likely could). Ghost Kill are onto some potential with their first eponymous EP offering. While there’s only four songs on Ghost Kill, it’s a case of quality over quantity. It gives Ghost Kill plenty of time to showcase what their sound is all about as well. Opener “Heartbreak” has that djent-y/modern groove with pl…
…ther into the album you go. So that injection of some melodic vocals add a bit to that track. Unfortunately, the one faltering moment is that of instrumental “Numinous.” While the point to diversity is good in theory, it’s a bit of a shift here and just feels kind of ‘there,’ in that it’s not particularly interesting as it meanders through some proggy instrumental melodies and minimal heaviness. Thankfully the follow-up “In Nothingness,” is likely…
…the idea [laughs]. There aren’t any plans that I know of, but we did recently have the Wacken live stream so that people could watch it. It would be really nice to have a big show so that we could film it. Dead Rhetoric: What do you feel are the best tips for surviving the touring lifestyle that you have? Siirala: I think the music has to speak for itself. It has to have the quality, passion, vision, and everything has to mesh together and work. Y…
…their child is – and then she’s murdered, they found the girl. It’s a really, really tough thing – fascinating for me to see how a human being can touch a young child and make bad things happen to this child. I don’t know what’s going on in the human mind to do things like that. Especially at the end, they find the murderer, but the father of the family died before he got the satisfaction of knowing they caught the murderer. At first, I want to d…
…dequate but occasionally kick-dominant compared to the other tones – probably something for Extinct to temper a little bit on the next record. It’s been eleven years between albums for 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 Chamber…
…e to the pandemic? Do you believe you’ve been able to reset yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally to come back reenergized for your musical endeavors? Joensen: Yeah. I made a completely different album in the meantime, and I moved twice. I had my hands full with a few things. We set up our own webstore when touring stopped, we started our own podcast. We’ve been doing our own things here and there. This left us a lot of time to think abou…
…ntriguing, and cohesive sound that manages to pull everything from incredibly heavy to gloriously catchy, all while keeping a vibe that feels more like an engaging party than a stale bout of anger. Electronic infusions, djent-y progressive noodling, soaring melodies, deathcore-inspired breakdowns, it’s only a portion of what Avralize bring to the table. While the surface level of their music might indicate more of a fun, almost party atmosphere (s…
…ose below where the big bird is. Dead Rhetoric: Where did you decide to go lyrically on this record, because it was not a concept album like the last time with Recurrence? Kim-Marius: I can answer for some of this. There are a lot of different themes. Most of them are related to humanity. I know “The Singularity” deals with the rise of artificial intelligence. “Promised Paradise” is more like going from being naive in your youth to being like you…
…bad! Dead Rhetoric: “The Devil Will I Do” is a tribute to Monty Python’s Holy Grail, especially the infamous ‘Swamp Castle’ scene. Can you tell us more about this track and your affinity for this brand of UK humor? Titan Fox V: Absolutely. Gino (Wilde) the guitar player and I are tremendous Monty Python fans, the other two to a certain extent as well. We are mad about them – there is an in joke in the band whenever Gino doesn’t get something which…
…iddle instrumental sequence to cast your mind into spacious tranquility. Odyssey Into the Grey showcases Lost in Grey in the highest watershed moment of their career. An ambitious undertaking should pay long-term dividends, especially to those who live for musicians who take the wide lens, far reaching approach to this genre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXI0-uD6Q8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrPhnTxfS-4 Lost In Grey official website Lost…
…ific riff to tempo interplay that allows the vocals of Krista Sion to equally shift between semi-operatic to folk/symphonic textures, the instrumental sections doing a bit of a Skyclad/Nightwish meets Maiden-esque dalliance while Alasdair Wallace Mackie’s guitar work injects heavier overtones as necessary. “Ironbound” may seem very straightforward as a power metal commercial offering – but the surprise lies in the sophisticated saxophone solo work…
…the record, but also share what we are feeling and experiencing in our daily lives. Dead Rhetoric: It was cool that I went through the playlists and there was a good chunk that wasn’t all metal. Which isn’t always the case. Clark: The cool thing about it is that the guys are pretty diverse in just listening to different things. Just look at Moose. He’s into a lot of the old school punk. I grew up on a lot of old school punk and was in a punk band…
…40th anniversary as a group, Rage felt that creative burst of energy to deliver Afterlifelines – 21 new songs with the records split between the Afterlife album recorded purely as a trio, and the Lifelines effort which include classical orchestral arrangements with the support of Duisburg’s keyboardist Marco Grasshoff. With plenty of songs to consume, has the band given the listener enough dynamic diversity for deep appreciation – or is it a case…
…f adventurous double kick / fill work allows vocalist Rev Taylor to literally accelerate from lower to upper register abilities – even in spots semi-operatic or classical through his note choices. At times the more commercial, mid-tempo guitar hooks or clean verses evoke elements of early Queensrÿche meets Dokken – check out the specific elegance that penetrates the main riffs or comfortable lower verses to rising chorus for “Ombria (City of the N…
…also gives the record that extra catchy, melodic touch – proving these musicians know when they have to let some segments breath a bit more before the next crossover, all out assault barrels you over like a pack of wolves on the prowl. An intriguing concept that probably hasn’t been done that much before, Slice ‘Em All has the ready-made chaos captured for those who live for crossover thrash – and could put Catbreath on the map. Let the claws clim…
…i – label owner) the demos for Cerebral Purgatory and he was keen immediately. We already really liked Transcending as a label, so when he was on board, so were we. Kunal has been amazing to work with. He’s made everything as easy as possible, we know he believes in what we do, and we fully trust him with his end of it, so together it works seamlessly. Dead Rhetoric: Your music is a raging ball of fury, yet contains a technical aspect that helps p…
…nterplay even in a slower, emotive format. The organic production values reward listeners as well – almost as if you are taking in the group live off the floor peaking into a white hot band session. The cover art gives plenty of little nuggets to behold – while the lyrical content explores themes relating to personal introspection, human resilience, and the enigmatic nature of reality. Wheel of Illusion offers ardent followers of The Quill another…
…eat choirs, those are the main features I love about this music. Also, the lyrics are really important for me. I know some people don’t care, but for me they are special and I think power metal has some of the best. The lyrics might be a bit too cheesy on the fantasy side, but I like it anyway [laughs]. I’m a fantasy girl! When you listen to pop music, there’s a lot of talk about love and stuff like that, but I’m not interested in those stories. I…
…ightly faster variety, these musicians also excel at when to place the timely, emotionally/theatrically-driven power ballad. That’s where “Send Me a Light” comes in, the additional howls as well as piano/orchestration setting the stage for Jörg’s softer melody approach in the verses building up the choir-fueled chorus to a tremendous payoff. The marching power riffs create instant connectivity to the quality audience intended – most will be hard p…
…mixer. Roland has been a fifth member as a co-producer, he’s someone I really trust, and we get along really well. The most difficult thing for me being the producer sometimes you have problems with your bandmates. They look at you and are used to you in the rehearsal space and the live stage as Tony, my bandmate, the guitar player. We are equal – but when I am in the studio with them as a producer, I’m the boss. It’s difficult, I don’t want to be…
…tiated, Necrofier represents a melodic black metal sound that eschews heavily towards the more abrasive side of that particular sub-genre. Also known for their intense live performances, we were definitely excited to see what these Texans would bring to this evening’s stage. Adorned by a microphone stand decorated with antlers, vocalist/guitarist/Hell’s Heroes booker extraordinaire Christian Larson steamrolled the eager audience with the speedy pa…
…Rites” top of mind, vocalist Meister Cagliostro using all facets of his delivery from terror-filled melodies to inhuman screams to match the roller coaster musical parts. The two interludes “The Covenant” and “Up In the Castle” serve not only as aural breathers but chilling atmosphere dynamics to set up the next proper song that gallops into your soul. Pulling from a mix of older classic influences with a bit more of that evil blackened touch whe…
…nt songs when focusing on a particular topic or theme, and their tremendously powerful soundscapes that they place this variety into. Myths of Fate serves only to strengthen those notions, as the band conjures up some impressive tracks that meld heaviness and melody into an immersive atmosphere. Triumphant, almost melodic death metal-esque folky romps such as “Sons of Triglav” and “Sail With the Dead” carry some potent synthwork that brings you to…
…d, which I am still learning and discovering. The singing just came naturally, we really enjoy working on this. It’s written from a drummer’s perspective; we try to come up with weird time signatures. The main focus of the band is the drums. Dead Rhetoric: What are the biggest concerns you have about the world that we are living in currently? Perez: Everything is terrible. My biggest concern is how much xenophobia is happening. People are okay wit…
