…make it easier or harder to come up with new material? Tägtgren: It actually makes it a bit easier. To just be spontaneous when you write. I have no boundaries or frames I should stay inside. It’s like it always has been for the last 25 years. It’s my own little ego trip to learn productions with other musical instruments and ways of thinking. But it’s tricky, coming from a metal dude. It takes a while, and then you have to figure things out, lik…
…European influences. The continuity of styles allows the five-piece to truly embrace diverse aspects this time around a bit better, with stronger melodic/emo-oriented vocals sitting well next to the normal growls/screams, along with a bevy of mid-tempo circular twin guitar harmonies sitting side by side to the heavy rhythmic framework. It’s the finer details that really showcase the band’s desire to expand into fresh territory – be it a killer, p…
…Damnation,” itself being the most doom oriented track on offer. It’s acutely orchestrated, applying many chunks of visceral death crunchiness, and a layer of blackened aura. Multiple time changes keep the listener guessing, smashing away slowly with precision. Tracks like “Incinerated Evil” in the majority go full throttle, while “Bound to the Funeral Pyre” methodically plods forth, representing the band’s most doom adjacent and atmospheric compo…
…pture listeners long-term? Freyberg: Music is more important to me personally. Lyrics are also important, but in a different way. If the lyrics are totally off, it won’t work for me. Lyrics are more of a challenge, luckily Tommy is doing a lot of these and is good at those. My concerns are more on the musical end. There are some common subjects, personal growth or personal self-battle, transformation and what not. Dead Rhetoric: Was it an easy dec…
…d” and the title track to heights of passion, the former also containing a bit more playful personal tidbits in laughter or lower register twists that could enhance deeper engagement. Even when the rhythms and double kick work possesses that crunchier or more extreme muscle (prevalent within “Requiem”) or the male growls sprout up from Johan Husgafvel (“Take a Stand” or during the melodeath sequence on “Heed the Call”), the performances never wave…
…e technical, in reality the whole umbrella of metal has influenced me greatly. I’m probably leaving out some significant players. Those had the biggest impact on my playing. Amarin: When it comes to Esodic, we are all involved in other projects, but thrash/death metal, one of the first albums that comes to my mind is Enemy of God – Kreator, I really love that. I think about that album when I write. Exodus- Tempo of the Damned. Some of the early Me…
…Bay: Yes. I’m careful with brand new topics or new directions. It’s not only about the lyrical side, it’s also about the musical side because you are always criticized about always doing the same shit, it would be nice if you change a little bit the direction of Freedom Call. And I’m totally convinced to say – no. Freedom Call is Freedom Call – and if you are longing to listen to different music, then listen to a different band. Where there is Fr…
…e vocals from keyboardist Yamaha Reface (supported with growls/semi-spoken bit from guitarist/Ebow player Ian Arkley encompass a mix of bard-like, folk-oriented charm next to darker growls and mysterious, haunting whispers. The arrangements vary from the direct, compact offerings for “When You Look Back” or the relatively faster, peppier “Another Light” to much more maudlin, epic tracks such as opener “The Liar and the Fool” or “The Last Lullaby”…
…ryone, and from an objective point of view, there’s enough going on musically that it could easily attract a heavier crowd than some of the music presents just for those keen to dive into some of the little details in each track. It’s been a while since something sounded so playful and energetic to these ears, and the way each track captures it is nothing short of magical at times. Effectively timed at the onset of the anime to catch more eyes of…
…ibility. I know, it’s strange to say that about your own work, but I’m really, really proud of that video. Such a dense cool atmosphere, dynamic cut, cool colors, and Andreas did an amazing job with the props! It has been a great symbiosis; I think we will continue that path! Dead Rhetoric: How did the process develop with Mario Lopez for the cover art on Sentinels? To my eyes there is a lot of symbolism and deeper thought to specific color scheme…
…erating in waters that tend to shift a bit with each new album – occasionally leaning further into black, folk, or progressive metal, and never really returning to the same mixture. Yet they always find a way to make things seem so captivating. New album Reclamation, due to length, was broken into two parts so we are investigating only part 1 at the moment, with the second half set to be released this summer. We’ll just say that the band has lost…
…quite a bit of bang to it, while also ending on a hopeful moment that really shines as the finale – urging the listener to quickly hit play and run through the album again. For those seeking some ragers, there’s no reason to feel slighted. Early cut “Death Grip” brings plenty of hardcore stomp and breakdown energy to the table, and “Light Years” contains some riffs that are groovy enough to roll away on their own. “Split” all but rumbles with fur…
…sta Sion: The series of EPs we decided on because Extinction Six was a really ambitious album, especially for a band that has no label backing, financing it all ourselves. We decided we wanted to keep the quality of work, but just to make it more feasible we did a series of EPs that will culminate in one full album at the end. This particular EP (had) no surprises. At this point we’ve been in the studio for three previous releases, so we kind of k…
…anyway. Everything has to be recorded, and if you have a bad day, especially vocally, there’s no second chance for you. It was cool that we had three sessions and good time management to record these songs. Gruber: It let us really focus on the songs themselves. Baumann: Yeah, if you have to just record three songs, you can 100% focus on each of the songs, as opposed to doing 10 at once and just knocking them all out. Dead Rhetoric: So do you fee…
…s, and I didn’t know what to think of it. In the end it made the cut, luckily Mark wrote some great lyrics to it. He was approaching it from the standpoint of looking at the world from the viewpoint of the monster itself, he doesn’t think of himself as a monster, he just wakes up one day on this guy’s operating table and he hasn’t done anything wrong, yet people are freaking out. I thought that was an interesting angle. “Ravages of Time” started w…
…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…
