…to heavy metal has been an important part of my life, since I was in my early teens, for basically thirty years. I get lost in a good book, movies, all kinds of nerdy stuff. Comic books. Anything that can occupy my mind, other than whatever trials I’m going through at a certain time. Life for me has been pretty good. Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for Ravage, Iron Will, or any other music related activities for the members of the band coming…
…Drawing from experiences of the human condition, music, and nature for the lyrics, the music also has that interesting balance between bright guitars and a bevy of keyboard tones that compliment the softer, alluring vocal approach Joan employs. David gets ample opportunity to flex his axe skills, especially in the lead sections of “Equilibrium” and “Save Me From Myself” where you can tell he pulls from a bevy of classic hard rock/metal guitar maes…
…, 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…
…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…
…hat it is. You have to take it as it is. With everything, I don’t take overly positive or overly negative things – you have to filter it. It’s a little frustrating that things, in my opinion, are not so important, seem to get more engagement and attention than the things that are important to me. Who knows where that comes from? The algorithm? I don’t know. I’m no expert. It’s not my passion for sure. I love it for keeping in touch with people and…
…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…
…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…
…limit ourselves on this record – otherwise it narrows you down really quickly. Early on, we had some more mellow ones on The Sinner, and I think people respect having that diversity on the record. So we made it clear early on that we were going to cover everything, but tastefully. Dead Rhetoric: This might actually sound a little silly after all the talk we’ve had, but do you feel there is cross-over appeal with a larger base than just metal for K…
…r”, the hoarse, menacing vocals seething with contempt, punctuated seamlessly by gang background heroics and a hefty dose of double kick action. Minimalistic impact with an oddly constructed lead break sets “Beauty of the Splattered Corpse” into familiarity for those into the classic Speak English Or Die record from S.O.D., 72 seconds of thunder, while the see-saw jagged riffs and tantalizing bluesy runs push “Plastic Smile” as one of the album’s…
…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…
…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…
…ypnosis, equating to a long form black metal trance that grabbed hold tightly. A doubtlessly fitting conclusion to an effort that lived up to the hype, yet wisely leaving a craving for more. Devil Master More Devil Master images this way Devil Master sure has a somewhat cheesy, theatrical punk approach to their black metal. In this lies their charm and appeal, with many in the crowd eager for the Philly natives to arrive. Swathed in red lighting a…
…arts. 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 when needed, Attic has plenty in the tank to keep you motivated album by album. Return of the Witchfinder doubles down on all their influences, in turn serving up a deli…
…o rhythm claps appear in the softer ballad “Those Eyes”, where Terence really grabs the key verse / chorus moments to showcase his versatility as an emotionally captivating vocalist. On other occasions the musicians of Holler get a chance to showcase a bit of their musical interplay abilities, adding some funk/jazz sections a la Toto in the 80s to make “Falling Apart” very engaging, beyond its memorable melodies or soothing background vocals. What…
…auricio Toledo even more firmly in place, it appears that the group willingly expands their influences into a bit more blackened tremolo-induced direction through specific riffs/runs or energized blast beat sections – yet resolute in that speedy thrash foundation that got them acclaim in the first place. These musicians understand the delicate balance between the creation of melodic hooks, runs, or riff sequences that are quite catchy / memorable,…
…w delivery from vocalist Kai Hagemann. He has a tendency to inject a slightly whiny or warble nature in specific verse components, almost sounding a bit more epic/folk-ish versus your Halford, Dickinson, or Dio-styled powerhouse singer. Additional chimes make the ending of “This Is the Way” charming, settling the stage for the next double kick / power barrage within “Evil Dead” – a personal favorite featuring some killer Mercyful Fate-like riffs a…
…hallenge to try to write in between tours, stuff like that. Dead Rhetoric: Lyrically you often tackle psychological horror fiction-related themes – especially the work of Stephen King. What fuels the word outlook to match up so well to the furious music on display – have you always believed that heavy music and shock/horror-style themes go hand in hand? Moate: Yes, I think that’s always been a classic thing. But I also think of our lyrics as like…
…the rapid-fire chorus plus grunts/growls an ideal match for the relentless proceedings. Sons of Alaheim allows Miehala to establish themselves as another newcomer worthy of investigation if you enjoy an old school form of thrash given a bit of life in some death, doom and groove textures. Hopefully the second full-length hits the streets in 2025, as it could be a barnburner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHcQLbZTAO8 https://www.youtube.com/watch…
…more for the Grim Reaper Fest with Weedeater. Following that, we are actively booking a tour for July on the southeast – North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, back up the coast to Virginia, Pennsylvania, things of that nature. We don’t have anything on the books, and we want to be on the West Coast for September/October. That’s about it for right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deQwH7NN03A https://www.youtube.com/watch?…
…g because there’s so many different things going on. That’s what I personally really like about the scene. Dead Rhetoric: If you were to teach a class on something that wasn’t music, what would you teach? Wolf: Drawing maybe? I do a bit of drawing, but I would like to dive into that more. Erni: I think something like meditating would be good for me, and the whole world. I’m sure about it [laughs]. Dead Rhetoric: What are your plans for 2024? You h…
…ve just as much, if not more at times. Bands like Anathema and the criminally underrated ShamRain (seriously, listen to them and try not to be moved) are a constant, especially when the often unpredictable monster known as depression rears its suffocating shadow. My wonderful wife and – somewhat ironically – sad, downtrodden music are my most important things to lean on when that crushing feeling in my chest is ever present. Another act who ticks…
…iece for Aborted to pull off with their veteran status. The band know exactly how to mold and meld their groove-friendly death metal into caustic levels of aggression while still keeping it relatively memorable. Nothing has changed here, and some of the guests bring an added bit of depth or variety to the fold. “Death Cult” is probably the biggest stand out with its staggering grooves and wall of sound approach to aggression, with Sven trading voc…
…y 2022, it was depressing. That was a negative thing, I was feeling it. Early 2022 when things slowly started opening up, we jumped at every opportunity. And it snowballed from there. Everybody in the band felt similar feelings, we had to get out of the house. Dead Rhetoric: What has Gus G. learned about himself as a person and a player in your early 40s that may have grown or differed from who you were as a person going through your 20s and 30s?…
