…comfort zone. I pushed myself to write something in that style. Me personally, I have been heavily influenced by 70’s rock production, and I wanted an interlude to have that feel. I thought it would be a nice contrast to as you said for one of the heavier tracks, as it’s so out of nowhere. That’s pretty much it. The rest of the band dug the demo, so we recorded it for real. Real drums, real instruments, and that’s how it came together. Dead Rhetor…
…of The Burden ov Faith is its production. It all but begs to be played loudly and proudly, even on a more melodic cut like “Wide Open,” which boasts some expectedly potent vocal work from Howard Jones. A band like this should have a sound that shakes and rumbles with life, and Ov Sulfur have this in spades, thankfully without losing any ounce of venom. It’s caustic, but entirely listenable while keeping all of the meat on its bones. An impressive…
…mpo anthem “Perfect Illusion”, the musical components slither about perfectly next to the seductive lower register delivery from Cat Rodgers – recalling the greatness of W.A.S.P. next to Metal Heart-era Accept. Call and response chorus work beyond the natural crunchy power riffs makes “Stranger” another barnburner, the double kick foundation very energetic while the lead play incorporates the proper tasty to shred quotient that brings out the air…
…enjoy things. I learned the hard way from the cancer stuff, you can’t really live every day like it’s your last, that robs you of the joy of planning ahead and thinking about your bucket list or where the roads might take you in the wonder of opportunity. You have to live in such a way to enjoy whatever the day brings you, if you can. I know it’s not always possible, I had a really lousy day a few days ago. I started practicing this by finding on…
…f shredding metal glory, with soaring riffs and melodies with Asami’s equally high-flying vocals creating a mixture that makes one want to raise a fist or two and headbang furiously. The opening one-two of “We are the Resurrection” and the title track reassures fans that nothing has been lost in their seeking to claim the shred crown from Dragonforce. But they also realized that it’s okay to slow down, at least a little, every once in a while. “Wi…
…truly, and likely some of those reading this as well, tend to gravitate towards is relatively complex and grandiose in scope. However, one must also embrace the boisterous and less taxing side of metal. There’s a ton of old school, straightforward death metal that does the trick nicely in these parts, and Angerot has yet to disappoint in that niche. With their third album The Profound Recreant, the Sioux Falls natives are delivering another dose…
…much experience to the band, and we even experimented with our older songs live, changing bits that made them sound better. So right now, the identity of the band is usually good metal songs that tell a story, and we hope the people will love as much as us. Dead Rhetoric: You’ve appeared on a number of recordings as a guest vocalist – including your work on The Great Mass from Septicflesh. Do you believe these spots improve the profile for Enemy o…
…le “Mercenary” forces your ears to submit to the caveman riff groove that Obituary put on the map – Marc channeling those Tardy-esque soul swallowing screams/growls from below. Alexander Krull (Atrocity/Leaves’ Eyes) takes care of the production, mixing and mastering from his always reliable Mastersound Studio – leaving Discreation in the capable hands to focus solely on the execution of these tracks. This beefy style intertwines a mix of European…
…y you saw bands like Dokken, they sold millions of albums, they had “Dream Warriors” in a Hollywood movie, it was crazy. Today, which normal rock band is able to play a song in a Hollywood movie? Impossible. Metallica, maybe? Dokken was not a band that was headlining Monsters of Rock – they were a well-known band, not on the top of the bill but they were able to be very well known in those days, thirty years ago, even more. I don’t want to complai…
…their eighth studio album I Am the Storm following the release of a double live CD/Blu-ray Alive in Color to tide over the faithful in the midst of COVID-19 during the summer of 2020. The quintet possesses the requisite experience/talent balance to infuse the songwriting with extra attack, incorporating elements of thrash, power, and modern/melodic metal beyond the obvious progressive foundation that keep the original songs enticing while throwing…
…evastation. My goodness, one can’t get past those riffs, and even a little bit of black metal inspiring leads that add further dimensions. Brutal death metal blends seamlessly with meaty hardcore on “Burn the System” and “Reincarnation” – both featuring furious guitar work and well-incorporated breakdowns that flowingly add weight to the compositions. A significant doom essence drives “Maze of Suffering” with its crawling and imposing pace, being…
…ld require sacrifices, I don’t think any of us could keep our jobs, our daily lives. No matter how much the record sells, I don’t think we could sell enough to keep up the way we are living right now. Our families would have to make sacrifices. That’s kind of a dream, to someday be able to support yourself through music. We will see. The balance on our day jobs, we all have them, spare time, family time, it’s not easy at this point. Although we do…
…ell as pit-moving transitions with key ivory tinkling to keep things slightly in the Soilwork vein. Surprisingly short at a thirty-three minute, ten seconds playback time for a record especially considering the six-year break between studio albums (although this probably has more to do with budget limitations when you have a top-tier guest like George for the full recording), Embryo possesses strong melodic death abilities along with that sense of…
…’t say that. You can’t travel to certain places. We are normal people, the war in the Ukraine that’s horrible. I can help, but I’m not able to change things, you have to send specialists over there. I prefer to talk about music, actually. Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the agenda for any activities related to Haliphron over the next year or so? Will there be more work coming out for Izegrim or any other musical related activities, side projects, or gues…
…umphs isn’t just the album title, but an apt description as to what this band has accomplished with this release. Foretoken is going to be on the lips of many, and deservedly so, as they’ve painstakingly crafted a true breakout release that’s a career high water mark. Foretoken on Facebook…
…gs. We were thinking should we have “Don’t Kill” as a single? That’s a really good question. Helgemo: I really don’t like the process of picking out singles. You have four songs – but what about the others, are they not good enough? It’s like picking from your children. Dead Rhetoric: There was a ten-year break between album releases for Stargazer. What circumstances took place regarding this prolonged absence from the recording studios – and do y…
…sy of Lulu Black on the first half of “Eyes Burning to Skies,” before quickly taking a hard turn towards an emotive second half full of crust-inspired rawness. “Finals Vows” is more compact with effective stop/start instrumentation, leaning towards a sophisticated death metal tonality. “Unredeemable” is a slow burn with an energetic climax, while slowing to transition into “Optograms of Disgust,” which gives a little bit of everything, finishing w…
…we are doing. It’s very theatrical, dark, brooding, and intense. She’s really cool visually too. It was a no brainer. Melissa is an up-and-coming artist. She does harsh vocals as well as clean vocals. We’ve had a person who can do both for a while. She comes with me in the live shows, amongst all the other guest musicians. She’s on the album and does a great job, a beautiful voice. We just had her on tour with us in South America, and she did a ph…
…nal energetic tempo mechanics to get the job done. Over the top of the deadly music singer Chris Ntelis positions himself in the verbal terrorizer role, relentless in his raspy, semi-hoarse delivery as winning cuts like “Merciless” and “Welcome to Hell” land the proper brain/body combinations – the latter possessing similarities to “Killers” by Iron Maiden in certain verses. The final track “Soul Collector” showcases Riffobia in more of an epic ar…
…vored genres. Waves of Loss and Power allows the quartet to return gracefully to a scene that has evolved tremendously – so much so they are a part of the ProgPower USA festival this coming fall. These eight songs continue the fine depth of stellar musicianship, synchronizing interplay, tempo shifting, as well as executing killer hooks and melodies to cohesively express musical ideas in such a way that the appeal isn’t just for the trained set, bu…
…alent. 3. The Halo Effect – In Broken Trust (from Days of the Lost) It really really hurt not having this make the top 15 albums, but part of it is because while it’s amazingly enjoyable, it’s also not breaking any barriers down. This could easily be a Dark Tranquillity record (don’t get me wrong, yours truly loves Dark Tranquillity), and there’s a reason it gets a top songs spot. This is pure Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal, and it’s incredible. T…
…ppear make “Allfather” a mid-record favorite, intertwining the feel of Manowar and early 90’s Iron Maiden where the vocals at times take on a rapid fire, almost spoken word nuance. Most of the cuts average out just over the six-minute mark, the band saving the longest song “Masquerade” for the fitting finale at 8:34, embracing the dynamic twists as electricity surges, Tyler Anderson and Justin Ketterer wielding harmonious guitars beyond the semi-p…
…lying a sledgehammer to your cranium, the mid-tempo pacing aligning favorably for those into Sepultura or Lamb of God. Towards the end of the record the quartet extend arrangements into longer eight-minute plus territory, the syncopation/circular musical movements sure to elicit hair windmills as “Blood Moon” contains numerous mood twists, heavy to serene and back again – while “Choke” contains savage, versatile drum chops, a thoughtful lead break…
…s a lot of work. It’s not just a Friday night, beer drinking thing. We rarely do live episodes – I think we’ve maybe done three in our history. There is lot of care and attention that goes into it. Dead Rhetoric: Now that you are in your early forties, have your views on life adjusted and changed from how you viewed your life and work during your twenties and thirties? Leatherby: Oh yeah. It’s like light years different. They say people can’t chan…
…gn with Metal Assault the following summer – garnering attention with some live show action with artists like Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, and Heavy Temple to name a few. This power trio lineup combines elements of doom, sludge, and stoner styles over the course of these six tracks – providing not only a great mix of diversity as far as sound, but also exploring compact as well as epic arrangements. Groove/hook combinations serve as the foundation t…
…Winds” is one of this writer’s favorite Hulder cuts, and came off brilliantly live – especially that mid-song interlude that gives the song its exalted ambiance. We also were presented with a deeper cut with “Beastial Form of Humanity,” from debut demo Ascending the Raven Stone, being a poignant conclusion to their performance. Hulder have an unmistakable presence live that enhances their stellar recorded work even further, making them a must see…
…utely one of the best shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. Not only because I was seeing my favorite band live again after almost 8 years, but feeling the energy of this crowd, who was just as passionate about this amazing band. Many in the US and Canada have long suspected that Powerwolf does not realize just how much people were desperate to see them. Glenn Harveston, promoter of ProgPowerUSA said back in 2013 “Fourth straight year of…
…e driving mid-tempo riff, in the pocket rhythm section work, plus Tore’s delivery on the microphone sure to charm people into classic Dokken, Skid Row, Axel Rudi Pell, or Van Halen. William delivers thoughtful lead breaks throughout that service the needs of the song while being very emotive, adding the right arpeggio runs, tapping, or exciting ‘wow’ moments that fans of George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Sykes, or the late, great Gary Moore tre…
…didn’t sound quite like it. There are definitely lead layers that are really warm, mid-range sounds that you don’t think are HM-2 unlike an album like The Jester Race, or when you think of Left Hand Path. The little boost you get from it is interesting. I think it’s cool to replicate the feeling of those albums more than necessarily the production quality because it comes down to how those things interact with each other, the emotional impact tha…
…your ears perked up for the next left field sequence that assaults – quickly getting in and out often in three minutes and change arrangements. Bassist Marcus Corich even receives solo props in a small instrumental shift during “If You Can Count”, the backwards guitar break possessing a psychedelic twist against the bone crushing riffs plus twin harmony segments. Guitarist Paul Anop and Marcus share vocal duties – the former more raspy while the…
