Home Blog Page 10

Hanabie. – Passions and Fashion

Katarina McGinn
-
0
Hanabie. – Passions and Fashion

It’s a sunny evening in Brooklyn, NY outside of the Metal Injection Festival. The doors have long been open and it’s only about 2 hours away from the performance from one of the most unique bands on the day’s line-up, that of Japan’s Hanabie. Touring alongside Jinjer as direct support, this small festival is only the second performance for the band on this run, with a previous night in NJ at the Starland Ballroom.

As I enter Hanabie.’s tour bus, I’m greeted by the waving and smiling band members seated in the back of the bus, a sight that instantly jogs my memory from almost a year earlier in the downstairs of The Gramercy Theater (see interview HERE) as they were beginning the headlining portion of their first US tour. The group has had nothing less than a whirlwind year, with that particular run coming after one that sold out across Europe and then lead to more touring runs across the world, including Australia, their homeland of Japan, and an additional run through the US and Canada previously this past spring, with a subsequent summer festival tour of Europe. That’s not even to count the numerous singles that the band has released since, nor their upcoming EP due out in December.

All of this activity is not lost on the women of Hanabie., who seem to have quite the pulse on what they are doing. “We have been recording songs and rehearsing for shows, but we have also been having some breaks,” explains guitarist/vocalist Matsuri. “We have been watching a lot of TV shows, whether it’s Netflix or whatever. We have been watching season after season. When we are in Japan, we all go drinking together!”

Infiltrating the Anime Scene
This elicits a laugh and a cheer from the group, and I mention that the EP isn’t the only thing the group has to look forward to in the near future. In January 2025, the anime Momentary Lily will begin airing and features a first: an opening song [OP] from Hanabie. themselves. The group has recorded a song called “Oishii Survivor,” and with it comes another checking off of a box from the group’s collective bucket list. “All of us, from a long time ago, it was a goal of ours. It’s been a long time dream to have an OP tie in with an anime. We have really been looking into the world of anime and it has been something that really fits in perfectly with Hanabie.,” notes Matsuri.

Unlike some anime where the seiyuu simply sing a song that was written for the show specifically and not by themselves, Hanabie. continues to take the DIY approach. They were approached to write a song for Momentary Lily, and they made sure they did their homework. Matsuri explains, “We watched the show, understood it, digested it, and then made the song based on that.” It’s something that they would love to do more of as well in the future, and they seem to have their sights set on one animation studio in particular: Shaft. “What they do is really great. We would like to make OPs for anything that they do.” Some smiles and laughs fill the bus as I politely wish for them to do something for the series Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Considering their knowledge of both anime and the Japanese music scene, they also seemed a good choice to discuss the idea of anime mirroring the rise of ‘girl bands’ in real life Japan, with the success of franchises like Bandori [Bang Dream], Bocchi the Rock, and most recently with Girls Band Cry. Matsuri explains her thoughts, “It depends on the band anime. For example, Bocchi the Rock and Togenashi Togeari [Girls Band Cry], those two have bands as the main focus. I watched both of them. The whole story and base of the anime is very realistic. It’s a mirror of what is going on in Japan right now in reality. Bocchi the Rock is very popular. From there, girl bands have gotten more popular. So in a sense, it goes hand in hand and back and forth.”

Given the real-life bands that have risen from those particular shows, I can’t help but take it a step further and express my adoration of the recent Girls Band Cry and Togenashi Togeari, showing off my t-shirt and discussing the possibility of a joint show between Togenashi Togeari and Hanabie. Matsuri seems to share the same sentiment, “I would love to play with Togenashi Togeari!”

In keeping with the anime theme, which has encompassed a portion of their early 2024 single “OTAKU Lovely Densetsu,” there was just something about the stylization of the band members in their most recent video “Metamorphose,” that seemed to warrant an investigation. Hanabie. themselves do not appear in the video, which Matsuri says is something that was intentional, “we wanted something that wasn’t us in it and something that felt more anime-related.”

But in regards to the idea that their drawn eyes almost resemble something from a shoujo manga, with an almost sparkle to them, that was something more unintentional. Digital illustrator PONKO, who has done the art for Hanabie.’s singles and Reborn Superstar, amongst other projects, is responsible for the illustrations for the video, and the band’s request for a merger of 2D and CGI artwork, coupled with the anime inspiration, led to the look of the group in the video.

Hanabie.’s Character and Clothing Design
Another point to reach back on was that of the theme of “OTAKU Lovely Densetsu,” in which the members expressed themes of not only Japanese culture such as anime and games, but that of personal authenticity. It’s a message that does reach further for the band than just in one particular song. “We always put our characters/ourselves into whatever it is. For example, in the lyrics or music, it’s what we like or things we find interesting. There’s always a good part of our character in there and what we like, wherever it fits the song,” explains vocalist Yukina.

Not only in the songs themselves, but one only has to look at the always impressive and unique stage outfits that bassist Hettsu crafts for them to see the link into the band’s ‘Harajuku-core’ fashion sense and appeal. It’s clearly a passion of hers, and one that she is happy to talk about in terms of the band’s evolution. “There are some friends of mine that went to the same school, they are the ones that kind of expand my ideas, so we kind of work together. It’s not just me.” She elaborates, “Last time [Spring 2024 tour], we had more of a suit kind of feel, after we signed with Sony and I feel like we had kind of grown up a bit. We had something that was cute and childish, but young, so we have moved up a little bit with age, with the suits in a way. It’s more formal but still it has the colors and the essence of Hanabie. Even though it’s more of a suit.”

She also has to think about how it affects the band’s movement on stage, as they are doing anything but sitting still. “We are playing shows so when you move, it has to look good. So the costume needs to move with your body. The four of us each have a different characteristic, so we always think about what works for that individual. So it might be the color or the design. So it has to be easy to move in. That’s what I look at. This time I went colorful and more of a sweatshirt/sport jacket kind of thing. It’s more casual and playful.”

Given Hettsu’s skill at design, it almost seems a waste to stop it at designing fashion for the solely the band members. Thankfully for all of us, she has some aspirations about taking Hanabie.’s fashion to the next level and starting up an entire brand in the future. “We have our Hanabie. merchandise but that’s different. We want something that people would wear on a day to day basis that isn’t just Hanabie. merch.” With growing world fervor for the band, it seems a golden opportunity. “We want to do that as soon as we possibly can. Everyone all over the world wearing Hanabie. clothing and coming to shows, showing up as a Hanabie family.”

Fans and Fugglers
Speaking of family, with the band’s spring 2024 tour, they began doing meet & greets before shows in both USA and Europe. Something that has allowed them to get greater insights into their global fanbase rather than just being on-stage and hitting various cities. “There are entirely different generations of people at our shows. There’s say, a dad with a little kid, and you see it [fans] up front and close. You can communicate and talk with people, and that helps us go to the next step and gives us energy,” states Yukina.

It has also allowed for some more surprising and memorable fan interactions for the band. Yukina, for one, has a very specific fond memory. “I’ve realized that a number of people wear a strawberry hat [based on the video for “We Love Sweets”], and one time there were four people with the hat on. I really remember that!” Matsuri is impressed by the dedication that some have, even when on a different continent. “Every time we tour, there are repeaters. We see them at every show or every tour. We see them all the time.”

Meanwhile, drummer Chika is impressed by a different form of dedication, that of an overseas fan showing her their Hanabie. tattoo. Hettsu recalls, “There’s a person that came to almost every show in America that made a bracelet that had the name of the venue and the date of the show, and was giving them away as gifts, to fans too.” All four of them seem to come together over one memory in particular that Matsuri describes. “There was a really small kid, but I think it was the dad who came, and he gave us a letter and the kid had tried really hard to write in Japanese. The dad brought it and it almost made me cry.”

One gift that fans seem keen on bringing to the band at these meet & greets since their first tour of Australia is that of Fugglers. Small plushies that more or less resemble their name to varying degrees. Cute, but maybe not in a conventional way. If there was anything about Hanabie.’s music that relates to that of a Fuggler,  Hettsu describes it as, “There’s a really colorful, rabbit kind of Fuggler. It’s gotta be colorful.” She then goes on to say, “We want to get a whole bunch of Fugglers and morph them into one!” Something that evokes a cavalcade of laughter from her bandmates, as well as some jests of ‘she’s crazy!’”

Given the band’s enjoyment of the particular critters, I suggest that perhaps they should try to get some sort of endorsement from the Fugglers brand. Hettsu is quick to state, “We are already on it. We would like to see an original Hanabie. Fuggler. That would be great!” She also notes the rising prevalence of the Fugglers, even in their homeland. “Fugglers are starting to be seen more and more in Japan as well.”

Travels and Touring
As the group has continued forward on an impressive global trek over the past year, it’s come with a greater understanding of the world around them. Yukina describes her takeaways as coming in several avenues. “We have taken in so many things. First it’s the music. You can go to these festivals and see all these different bands with different sounds. It’s very educational. You become very open to the way of thinking. Being more open to things…”

Matsuri is happy with some personal gains from her traveling experiences. “Japanese people are shy. When I come overseas, whether it’s in a restaurant or someone at a meet & greet, I like it, it’s very open. People overseas are very communicative. When I go back to Japan, I consider myself a shy person but when I go overseas, and someone starts talking to me, like an Uber or taxi driver, I can talk to them. Up until now, I couldn’t but now I can talk to them. I think in that sense, I have grown and developed in my communication.”

Chika then describes her thoughts as grounding, stating “Everytime I go overseas, I realize I don’t know as much as I think I do.” Something that draws some laughter from her bandmates as she continues, “I meet so many different people and I learn so much. I look forward to coming and learning.” Last up is Hettsu, who acknowledges her perceptions of the world have changed as she has gotten to see more of it. “Before I came over here, I had different views on things based on what I learned in Japan. I had certain assumptions about what different countries were like. I don’t want to be too dirty, but for example, bathrooms. Bathrooms in Japan, all of them were clean everywhere. If you go to nice hotels, all over the world, it’s always nice, but sometimes you go somewhere and it’s just a hole in the ground. I have seen everything!” Something that once again brings the bus into a state of laughter.

Such learnings are bound to continue and expand, even after their tour with Jinjer. Having saw the group the night before in New Jersey, it was the first time that they had been an opening act in the US since the beginnings of their fall 2023 run with Galactic Empire. The band had quickly won over the crowd in NJ in visible fashion, something that the band strives for and is very cognizant of.  “I saw the crowd after the first song and compared it to the last song and the change in expression and their smiles, and their actions,” says Hettsu. “If there’s a person looking at their phone, I will stare at them to make sure they are engaged,” she goes on to say, eliciting another chuckle from the rest of the group.” In all seriousness though, she adds as her peers nod along, “it doesn’t matter if they are our fans or their fans, we just want everyone to have a good time.”

Certainly a facet of that comes from just how energetic the band is on stage while they are performing. Clued into the crowd, actively engaging and providing encouragement for all to have a good time. At the head of all of this unified band effort is their vocalist Yukina, who jumps, runs, and races her way across the stage in impressive fashion. How does she keep it up throughout an entire run? “Adrenaline! I have some lavender masks to wear to help me sleep better. Tour after tour, when I’m tired, my body knows I’m tired so I buy things that help me massage my body. I make sure to maintain my body to keep up my physical health. But the first thing that keeps me going is adrenaline.”

“As soon as I hear the crowd on stage, it automatically switches on. There’s nothing better than seeing a crowd having fun,” she concludes. Even behind the drumkit, Chika keeps that energy going alongside her bandmates, viscerally bashing the drums to the point where she’s accumulated quite a number of broken drumsticks, which she quickly and humorously states that, “I always play at 120%,” while bringing her hands down abruptly in drumming fashion, once more causing a burst of laughter to erupt in the bus.

The New EP and The Road Ahead
As noted at the beginning of our chat, the band has a new EP set to release in December. While the group is elusive to give out too much information, those who have been following the singles do at least have some clues about what’s coming. But don’t expect the EP to include all of those recently released tracks from 2024. Matsuri says, “There are a few on it. Not all of them. The EP has a concept and the singles that we released after that which fit the concept are on it, but if they didn’t fit the concept we didn’t include them. I can’t say which ones are in and which ones are not.”

Probing for some more information as to if some of their writing has been influenced by their global touring, Matsuri spills a little more information about it. “There is a song that is about what I felt when I was touring in Europe and playing the festivals. It’s about how I was influenced and what happened during those festivals. It’s not in the lyrics, but in the sound of the song. Its the first time we were able to take something that we learned on tour, especially a festival tour in Europe and put it into a song. I think it might be something the fans will feel is very fresh. We are touring now, maybe there will be something that we can pick up and write about next year and move us forward in terms of what Hanabie. is. It’s something I’d like to do. I can’t tell you what’s really in the next EP, but I want everyone to look forward to it”

Given their intensive touring over the last year and the fact that this is far from the end of their journey, could EPs be the way forward, to keep them out and busy on the road? Not according to Matsuri, who explains, “Not at all, we aren’t just going to keep releasing EPs. We don’t have a set pattern for when we want to do an album. Right now, the EP works for what we are doing. There’s no way we won’t release another new album, but we can’t say when it will be.”

There’s also a big event in the band’s life coming up next year, and they are coy to release more of that in terms of specifics. “Next year is our anniversary, so we can’t tell you what we want to do but we have been planning and planning. We will be overseas, and we will play in Japan as well. Since it’s our 10th anniversary, isn’t it?” The band is all smiles as we conclude the conversation, confident and ready to go out for their performance at Metal Injection Festival. With more touring, music, and surprises in store for fans, there’s a lot to be excited about. One thing is for sure, Hanabie. is on the cusp of a major breakout with their 10th anniversary, and they are going to make sure they do everything they can to ensure it happens with passion and flair.

Hanabie. official website
Hanabie. on Facebook
Hanabie. on Instagram
Hanabie. on X

Saiseiga – The Black Hole (Self-Released)

Katarina McGinn
-
0
Saiseiga – The Black Hole (Self-Released)

Melodic groove metal act Saiseiga have been coming out quick since their beginnings in 2020. The Black Hole is the third full-length for the Japanese band, following up from last year’s Nostalgia. Touted as their darkest and heaviest release so far, The Black Hole ultimately succeeds in that goal due to it’s sheer weight in riffs. Saiseiga’s unique take on groove metal is entirely intact, but it’s quite relentless compared to their previous material and it’s something that should prove effective in continuing to separate them from the pack.

Opener “Strange Rain” wastes little time in pelting the listener with punchy grooves alternating with some catchy melodies as the song progresses. For first time initiates, vocalist Regan will likely grab your attention equally with her ability to go into vicious snarls and barks, eerie choral chants, and powerful cleans in the span of this song alone. “Catharsis” continues to keep the abrasion level high with a frantic groove to open the track before Regan begins some vocal acrobatics and the drums get some speed bursts. What’s really important here is how Wakkun’s guitar melodies playfully encircle her and take the forefront at the heaviest moments to ensure headbanging status. But the track also has a fun side that you can’t help but move a bit to. It’s a contrast that “W.O.L.F.” maintains in it’s uptempo chorus that feels as heavy as it does memorable.

Elsewhere, upticks and slowdowns mark the course for Saiseiga where other groove metal bands simply focus on the groove element. “Butterfly” opens with an almost punk-ish fury, and “Go-on Bakusan Tornado” oozes with rage, taking an almost militaristic march to it at times in defiance of its hooky chorus and later melodic solo. “Tracker” takes an almost thrash-level of intensity when really takes off, only grounding itself for a more melodic moment here and there. Specifically on the melodic side of things is the duo of “Eclipse” and “Equinox.” The former fashioning itself as the closest thing to a ballad on the album, though taking care to bring along enough groove to still get heads moving when Regan isn’t ensnaring the listener with her singing. “Equinox” has a more melancholic, brooding sound before the riffing picks up with high-energy grooves kick in.

Saiseiga continue to perfect their sound, and The Black Hole hits a sweet spot between menacing grooves and addictive melodies. Regan will undoubtedly impress with her vocal range, but the infectious and dynamic mix of memorable riffwork will keep you on your toes between headbanging and sheer smiles. It’s a winning combination across the board, and should elevate Saiseiga into a more prominent position as more word gets out there.

Saiseiga official website
Saiseiga on Facebook
Saiseiga on Instagram

Earthburner – Permanent Dawn (M-Theory Audio)

Katarina McGinn
-
0
Earthburner – Permanent Dawn (M-Theory Audio)

A very long-standing act, originally formed over twenty years ago in 2002, Earthburner has a bit of a storied history. Originally a new act for Broken Hope’s Jeremy Wagner while said act had gone on a ‘hibernation period’ around that time, the only release to the band’s name is that of a 3-song EP back in 2011. To make a long story a bit shorter, in more recent years the line-up has come together and now features members from Broken Hope, Sanguisugabogg, and even Napalm Death’s Mitch Harris as an ‘honorary member,’ and their full-length debut Permanent Dawn is set to be released.

Given the death metal hands at play, don’t expect something in the brutal realm. Earthburner is a band that’s more akin to that of Terrorizer and early deathgrind than anything else. It’s buzzing and blasting galore for sure, and the 2-ish minutes that seem to be the average for each track will give you a quick reminder of their vicious direction as needed. Opener “Necrodisiac” features Ross Dolan of Immolation guesting with his immediately recognizable growls alongside vocalist Devin Swank (Sanguisugabogg), and gives a solid first impression of the band’s contrasting blazing speed and groovy, headbangable slowdowns. While “Like Dogs” is an all-out assault and 37-second blitzkrieg of old school grinding violence, “Broken Head” keeps a variety of tempos considering it’s 2-minute runtime, hitting some momentary chugs to frantic blasts, and somehow hitting everything else in between. Mitch Harris adds to a number of tracks with his high shrieks, which just like with Napalm, do a nice job of layering intensity into the mix.

For such a caustic, brusing grind album, it’s got that buzzing guitar sound but it sounds relatively clean. It’s not super grimy, which is a positive, so you can get a better ear on all of the instrumentation occurring. It’s a nice balance of overwhelming chaos, so this little tweak keeps it sounding like deathgrind, but never at the point where it sounds too undecipherable. Also, the more hardcore-influenced lyrics are a nice deviation from this usual style where things routinely divulge into porno-grind or the more grotesque. Considering the members involved, it’s something they could have done, but nice to ensure that Earthburner stands out a bit more from their other acts.

While it isn’t going to revolutionize the extreme metal scene per say, Permanent Dawn offers a solid wink to the past without rooting itself there and a copious amount of fun. It’s scorchingly heavy and as devastating as one could expect from the genre, and done with a pristine level of polish from some veteran players. With any hope, it won’t take nearly as long for a follow-up release.

Earthburner official website
Earthburner on Facebook

One Morning Left – Neon Inferno (Arising Empire)

Katarina McGinn
-
0
One Morning Left – Neon Inferno (Arising Empire)

80’s rock, synthwave, video game music, and metalcore might not be the first combination that you think of, but it’s one that Finnish act One Morning Left has come to embrace over the years. The appropriately named Neon Inferno is the band’s fifth album, and while some of the fun of a band like Electric Callboy can come to mind at times, it’s safe to say that the group have made their way into one of the most quickly identifiable and unique sounds within the modern metal umbrella. If you enjoy any of the above subgenres of music, chances are you’ll find something to enjoy here.

One Morning Left have a sound that’s certainly not the norm. The electronic elements are prominent and make up a solid portion of the band’s musical identity. If that’s something you can get behind, prep yourself for an energetic and fun experience. Opener “Emerald Dragon” drops you right into this particular groove. Big, bombastic synths that feel cut directly from the synthwave scene, driving heavy riffs, effective drum battery, and a combination of both screamed and sung vocals that weave through more metallic ‘core segments (which border on melodeath) and some soaring melodies that hit in the chorus. “Tonight” brings some heavier danceable grooves to the electronic section, and a chorus that instantly makes its presence known and won’t let go of your attention.

The band dabbles in a variety of different directions as the album moves ahead, from the more pop/rock driven such as “3,2,1 Go” and “Summerlovin” which build up some almost danceable and sing-a-long elements and others like “Tokyo Love” and “Ride Till I Die” that move in a more frenetic, metal direction with a stronger emphasis on guitarwork being intertwined to the soaring synths. A very fun and video game-y sounding cover of “Beat It’ hits all of the right notes, particularly as it fuses that tone with moments of heaviness. Likewise, the very 80s feel of “Maverick” melds some heavy riff moments with some gentle melodies.

Ultimately, the strongest element of Neon Inferno is how downright fun it is. The upbeat synths and very 80s feel gives it a strong hook for the guitars to latch onto, creating a feeling that embraces retro to its fullest while bringing it forward to the current times with an undeniable heaviness at times. It’s a sound that feels full of energy and promise, and One Morning Left have a strong grapple on how to use it wisely.

One Morning Left official website
One Morning Left on Facebook

Seven Kingdoms – Keep Pushing Forward

Matt Coe
-
0
Seven Kingdoms – Keep Pushing Forward

Photo: Camden Cruz

High quality power metal of the US variety is what you will take in through veteran Florida act Seven Kingdoms. Consistently releasing a mix of singles, EPs, and full-length records, their perseverance on all fronts continually impresses followers stateside and abroad. Their newest EP The Square continues to showcase a versatility in terms of the diverse songwriting, chock full of memorable performances that can be speedy one track, then more streamlined going into pop/anthem-like avenues the next. We recently got the opportunity to speak to vocalist Sabrina Cruz about the confidence the band has through each release, her melody / lyric capturing process, deep thoughts coming out of COVID-19 and their never say die mentality, special memories through their latest videos, lots of touring experiences, exercise/ diet regiments, and why doing more legwork in Europe is important to capture a stronger foothold in all parts of the world.

Dead Rhetoric: The Square is the latest EP release for Seven Kingdoms. How do you see this set of material sitting in the catalog of the band – do you feel much more comfortable and confident with where you want to take things in terms of songwriting and performances than ever before?

Sabrina Cruz: Yes, I feel like every time that we do an album, or any time we do a song, you can hear the growth both musically and honestly vocally from me. Every song we have to offer is one more extension of growth from us. The album that precedes this is just going to be another level of maturity in every way.

Dead Rhetoric: Are you consistently developing melodies and lyrical content when inspiration strikes, or do you work best when under deadlines to achieve the best results for the band’s songwriting?

Cruz: I continually write. Sometimes I’m in the middle of doing dishes and I’ll have a thought come through and I’ll write it down. The way I write happens to be more story-based, I’ll write an elaborate thing. This may be my idea, and then Camden will come in and find good lines within the story because a song can only be so many lines. I’m sure if I wrote a really big, awesome piece we could make it like a trilogy or something. Most of the time, I’m normally jotting down lyrics or ideas on these little sticky notes, and then I have it on a notepad, and then I have it in a notebook, or in my cell phone. Because it ends up being me having to condense everything. Wherever I am, whatever I can write with, that’s how I end up writing the lyrics.

Dead Rhetoric: Does the lyrical content come easier to you than the melodies, or are you able to capture melodies as well and marry them hand in hand when the right material strikes?

Cruz: For me, normally lyrics are the thing that I can vomit out. Sometimes I will get… I like to joke around that I am cockblocked by the universe because the only thing I can do is sing. I have music in my head all the time. One of the funny things is I have to go to Jim Morris a lot, he’s like a magician when I say I have something in my head – and I don’t know how to make it music. It’s like translating beats and clicks. I’ll go to Jim to hum stuff, hit my legs, try to make noise at him. Sometimes he finds a way to turn it into something. Other times the guys have written a piece of music and I can immediately hear a melody, and immediately start singing it. The funny thing is I’ll always start with the harmony because I hear the lead in my head, but I normally sing harmony with a lot of people. With the radio, I normally don’t sing the lead, but I’ll sing the harmony with somebody. Jim laughs at me, I just naturally sing the harmony out loud (laughs).

Dead Rhetoric: You mention in some of your recent social media posts the trials and tribulations that happen throughout a band’s career – how you will be tested in good times and bad and that confidence can be destroyed, but never giving up on yourself in the pursuit of your dreams. Can you elaborate more on some of those situations and how the band has learned and persevered through them?

Cruz: Obviously one of them was COVID-19. When the world shut down that murdered so many different bands. A lot of people encountered a lot of depression. The entire music industry just disappeared overnight. The saddest thing was like nobody cared. Nobody thought about the light guy who his entire life revolved around following the tours around, and now his family is like ‘just go get a job!’. What? The entire music industry had a hard time,

One thing that I’ve run into is a lot of people have a tendency to expect you to be a version of you that they want you to be. I even have people who tell me – and it kind of bothers me in a way that may be unnecessary – but they tell me to get rid of the burger (shoes) because it’s not professional. You are trying to make me change my identity for you. I find the music industry can be beautiful and while it’s full of a lot of wonderful people, it is full of a bunch of trolls. One of the things that bothers me the most is the inability to accept people as they are – whatever is that’s them. We are so serious, and we have a tendency to ruin the magic and the experience. In a silly way, my burgers are a defiance to the seriousness. I recently referred to myself as a visual mullet – fancy on top, cheesy on the bottom.

When people start telling you that you need to start changing things about yourself, sometimes people experience the constant comparison to other people, their identity can get squashed, and people can have depression they come into. Sometimes I think we strive too much for external validation and acceptance. For me, watching what happened from COVID-19 on, watching people lose something that they care about and having to experience a lot of hardship. A lot of people had issues with drugs, alcohol, depression – to me even though it was a really terrible time, it was very inspirational for a lot of our songs. For the stubborn ones who won’t give up – this is what we want to do, no matter what happens. We tried to make the best out of this – that’s where “The Great Goat Rodeo” came from.

We try to use as much as we can, experience from life, and try to realize at the end of the day, you are your own biggest critic and also your own biggest cheerleader. You have to decide who it is you are walking with and what kind of support system you have in the end. It is easier to say than actually do. Try to accept that person in whatever capacity you are able to, one day at a time. Keep pushing that person forward to achieve something that a lot of people aren’t going to believe in you. No matter how well and successful you are, there are the nonbelievers among the believers.

Dead Rhetoric: And that is frustrating. People won’t accept that you as musicians are people behind the music that you play. You can express your personalities – why does everything have to be put in a certain category or box, delivered a specific way? People are people… and I know people are aware of you because of the affinity with burgers.

Cruz: I am trying to take some of the seriousness away. There’s a dynamic – there are people who think it’s funny, and she wants to wear burgers, whatever. And then there are people who think it’s not professional, I should get rid of it. Then I’m going to wear them more! (laughs). Because you think it’s stupid. Is it true to who I am ever since I was in the womb? It’s an ode to my mom when she was pregnant with me. She craved cheeseburgers to the point where she would cry. What is my favorite food? Cheeseburgers. (laughs).

Dead Rhetoric: The video work this time around has more of a cinematic, narrative storyline aspect that can really capture all types of people into your style (and beyond). How were the video shoots for you, and what was the thought process behind taking a different approach for the visuals?

Cruz: Camden has been doing a lot of work learning how to do photography from scratch and also learning how to do film work. He’s worked a lot with Jimmy Edward. They do music videos, but for us this time because we wanted to tell a story, we found a way to capture the creativity of the storyline. To us, we just wanted to give a different dynamic because again, people like to put you in a box and tell you that this is how you are and this is what I think of you, things like that. It was our way of showing that we have a wider range than what you are giving us. You can’t put a baby in a corner (laughs).

Dead Rhetoric: Did you enjoy those different acting sequences during these shoots, and the shots you were able to capture because Florida does offer a lot of picturesque moments with outside scenery?

Cruz: Yeah, I enjoyed acting. This time, I gave Camden the story, ideas, some of the imagery, and then I let him and Jimmy just direct me. It was like I took my creative idea, and I gave it to somebody else. There were a few things where I wanted it to be this way, but I still allowed myself to be directed. They would ask me to do something, and I would do it – I wouldn’t even think about it. My favorite thing was early in the morning for “Through These Waves”, there was the part of where I had to go into the water and come out of it. The whole album itself is about the stages of heartbreak and finding your way through grief to find yourself. “Through These Waves”, where I’m coming out of the ocean, it’s like starting over, starting from scratch. Whatever crap I was going through, the person that was going through it, it got washed away.

Sometimes I have a fear of water. A couple of weird things have happened to me in my life because of water, so I respect it. One of the things especially with the ocean is I got caught up in a riptide. You can die from those. I got rolled for about half a mile quickly. The only thing I knew to do was to just let go, and rolled with it until it let me go. I have a little bit of fear in the water, and early in the morning is when sharks like to hang out (laughs). Cool – face your fears girl! I stood out near the water, trying to hype myself to get into the water. When you have a respect and also a fear of the water you have a different level of things – there could be a shark, a giant fish, you overthink and spin your wheels. In the distance I saw two dolphins and I immediately calmed down. If the dolphins are here, I am safe – they will protect humans. Sometimes I don’t think we deserve it, but dolphins still care about us. They will troll and push away sharks. I knew I would be fine, so I went out and did it. There was all this inner turmoil for me to just get out into the water.

Dead Rhetoric: You chose to cover another 80s pop/rock classic in Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie”. Has there ever been any worries or apprehension going into yourself (or the band) making the song your own while also living up to the expectations that the original has in the hearts (and minds) of others?

Cruz: Honestly, when we did the cover, the worst thing you can do is worry about what everybody else is going to think. Before I started singing for Seven Kingdoms, I was just a karaoke fan. I went to the bars, and I was called the Water-o-holic, because I would drink water all night. Careful, she’s getting sloshed on her H2O (laughs), and I would just sing. I was just going to sing this, make it fun, and make it the best I can sing it. And I feel that I did. Jim and I worked together- you may not notice it as a listener, but as a singer when you go into it, (Richard) the original singer does very weird, intricate things with his voice, it feels like awkward timing because it’s always on the offbeat. When he comes in on a certain part, he doesn’t come in on time as you would call it. That was the part of the sanding I had to do with Jim, to get me solid on certain timings. There are specific things you have to sing exactly in a specific way because if you don’t sing it that way, people would be disappointed. I did my best to nail it and also make it my own. There is some riffing he does at the end I didn’t want to do it that way, I did it my way.

Jim helped us with the synth part. We had a hard time finding the actual plug in. We found the synth they used, and it was one of those things where Jim said, ‘why is this so hard?’ (laughs). The guys had a lot of fun with it, but the biggest challenge was on Jim and I’s side.

Dead Rhetoric: You recently had the opportunity to work with your husband on the road slinging merchandise for Unleash the Archers as he was the tour manager for the US leg of dates of the Powerwolf / Unleash the Archers tour. What’s that experience like for you – do you gain new insight and appreciation into how an act like that is making an international breakthrough and take away aspects that hopefully you can apply to Seven Kingdoms down the road?

Cruz: When we were working for Unleash the Archers, we treated things as if it was our band. We did have the opportunity to open for Powerwolf when they came through here in 2023. We got to witness things from the other side of the table, literally. Being able to know what the audience was going to be like, what the experience was going to be like. One thing I like about it is the music industry, a lot of people think that it always has to be about competition. I really enjoyed the idea of being able to help our friends succeed. That’s the kind of energy I took away from that mostly. It’s not always about being on the stage in that moment – sometimes it’s all the moments behind the scenes that makes those things function well. The thoroughness that you can bring literally to the table.

At the merch table, Camden has a very structured way that he does things. Knowing that there is this amount of people, it can be insanity. To be by yourself and also have this support system in place helps. The goal is, as you grow, to figure out both those problems from being on the stage and being behind the scenes. Witness what it feels like to be the merch person behind a table dealing with that amount of people at the table buying stuff and also random stuff helping people. When a company gets too big, and they get all upstairs and have these great imaginings to implement them, without actually walking in the shoes of the employees… do you know what I mean? That’s the most important part that we took away from it. You have to see all the perspectives so you can create your own well-greased machine.

Dead Rhetoric: Through social media I remember seeing the transformation of your bandmates when it comes to exercising, fitness, and better eating habits. How difficult of a process is this to maintain while out on the road – are there specific rituals and regimented things you put into place in that regard to stay in tip top shape, both mentally as well as physically?

Cruz: Being on tour is probably the hardest as far as maintaining healthy eating habits and also exercise regiments. Your sleep cycle is jacked up, because that’s jacked up what you can get for food that’s available at certain times – you have to be very mindful of what you are putting in your mouth. I find that when we are performing, that’s doing cardio all the time so that’s helpful. It mostly comes down to what you are putting in your mouth on tour. In the United States it’s actually the hardest – especially the smaller of a tour that you are doing, you literally get fast food. And at certain hours, the healthiest thing you can get is Subway – if they are even open. At that point, if a venue honors your (tour) rider, it’s up to you to make sure you put smart snacks on that rider.

Also, when you are thinking about them giving you a buyout, it’s normally not 100% enough to cover your whole meal – and you only get one. A lot of times part of the weight loss is helpful, because you basically get a snack and one meal a day with the amount of money you get. One of the things you have to think about is what is around me, what’s the healthiest thing I can eat? If I have to eat junk food, choosing when I’m going to eat it. Sometimes 3 o’clock in the morning it’s a McDonald’s drive-thru because that’s the only place open, it is what it is.

This time, we are probably going to have protein shakes with us. Which is a good meal replacement, and it’s normally about the same amount of calories of a meal if you are watching and counting your calories. Because the worst thing to do – on tour, you are always going to be dirty, that’s just how it is. You have to get used to taking what I call ‘whore baths’ which is cleaning yourself up with the sink, having baby wipes. The worst thing to be is tired, hungry, and dirty. When you are not cleaning yourself, you get ill. If you are not maintaining a healthy diet, you get ill. All those different things.

A lot of people don’t think about the foreign countries where you are consuming raw water from areas. If you are used to for example… I am used to Florida water. If I go to Canada, even though the water source may be better in Canada, there are different germs and things in it. Sometimes your body is like, ‘woah – what did you just give me?’. Even being careful down to water sources. If you are going to travel to all these different places in different times, I would stress picking a brand of water and trying to stay with it because everything you eat from everywhere destroys your stomach.

Dead Rhetoric: What would you say have been key moves or moments you’ve made in the career of Seven Kingdoms that have helped you make more of a stronger, bigger footprint in the scene – both in North America as well as Europe and other international markets?

Cruz: 100% the Unleash the Archers / Aether Realm tour. Beside the Blind Guardian tour in 2010, which actually gave us the push to even existing in the thoughts and minds of people. That was number one. Unleash the Archers, because of the moment. The Evergrey tour was a good tour, but the moment of UTA being on tour was imperative for us. It was right after COVID-19, it was the first tour that came out, people were so thirsty and hungry to experience being together in a group like that again and just enjoying good music and having fun.

Recently I would say the Powerwolf tour. It was almost the same timeframe as the Blind Guardian tour. We played with Blind Guardian at the time that they were the biggest power metal band in the genre, and now we’ve played with Powerwolf who are one of the biggest power metal bands in the genre right now. And then Wind Rose. I really enjoy the Wind Rose guys. The phenomenon with them is cool, but I really enjoy them as people. It’s not just about how big the tour is and how much it draws, it’s the people that you tour with that make it a big deal. You can have a big draw, and it can be business – or no matter what it is, you can have a really fun time.

Mad with Power and ProgPower, those festivals were magical. Those were huge moments. Mad With Power was amazing, I’ve never seen that many people wearing Seven Kingdoms t-shirts, I was like what is happening? It was a good thing. It took me half way through the set to realize there were people wearing Burger Crowns the whole time. (laughs). The sign phenomenon that is our Discord community – we are big fans of wrestling, and we had people write funny interpretations of “Love Dagger”. Those have been my favorite moments, including being over in Europe with Wind Rose recently, us breaking ground again. We went with Stratovarius and Amaranthe to Europe in 2013, but then we had all kinds of crap happen to us, so we fell off the map there in Europe. People who liked us kept tabs on us, but others forgot about us. We have reintroduced ourselves into European culture once again.

Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the agenda for Seven Kingdoms over the next twelve to eighteen months? Do you have long-term plans or goals set for what you would like to achieve and where you would like to be?

Cruz: The goal is to always grow and be active. We realize that Europe is the place where we need to be active and grow the most. Because just like the fashion industry, if it becomes big in Europe, it’ll become a thing in the United States. You can try your best to become big in the United States, but if it doesn’t happen in Europe also, there’s no translation. It can stifle your growth. You have to go to Europe, you have to apply for those tours, and hopefully you get the tours that are financially worth your time. Europe is a different animal -the way that shows work, the way that merchandise sells over there. In the United States – people buy merchandise. One thing that Camden knows is the tipping culture is big here. If your job is merchandise, people are buying and sometimes people are tipping if they don’t buy merch. Over in Europe, tipping isn’t a part of the culture as much. That is a weird thing, and some people find it rude to ask at all. If they like you, they buy merch and support you.

Sometimes over there, people buying a ticket sometimes is a big deal. You want to be in a position where not only are you on a tour that gives you a broader audience to perform in front of, eventually we have to break into the festival market. That is one thing we’ve never been able to get into because we never had good label support. Crowdfunding has been the reason why we still exist. Because we didn’t have any label support or anybody of a specific stature speaking on our behalf, we couldn’t get over there. That’s the wall we have to break. Europe is the dog that we have to tackle.

Seven Kingdoms on Facebook

Seven Kingdoms on Instagram

Seven Kingdoms – The Square (Reigning Phoenix Music)

Matt Coe
-
0
Seven Kingdoms – The Square (Reigning Phoenix Music)

Thanks to numerous touring opportunities both here and abroad, Florida power metal band Seven Kingdoms have been steadily rising up the ranks beyond their potent discography. Now aligning with Reigning Phoenix Music, their latest EP offering The Square offers four more original tracks plus another special cover of an 80’s pop classic to keep their followers satisfied as they continually attain new people to the fold. The professionalism in every facet for the quartet assures listeners that experience and confidence will ensure long-term appeal much like many of the seasoned headliners that have influenced them over the years.

The title track begins the record in energetic fashion before traversing a mix of melodic mid-tempo power metal passages where vocalist Sabrina Cruz can rear back into upper register, leather lung melodies in multi-harmony support for the irresistibly catchy chorus. Shifting into a bit more of a mystical, modern Savatage meets Evergrey-like guitar tone on the follow-up “Through These Waves”, the shape shifting double kick / fill action against a solid main groove foundation will have toes tapping as the killer rhythms plus twin harmony / lead break branch offs between Camden Cruz and Kevin Byrd send shockwaves of delight into the aural landscape. 80s synth patches next to melodic hard rock guitar lines conjure up sunshine fueled memories for “Wilted Pieces” – Sabrina once again mesmerizes in her ability to reach for the right notes, scooping up and riding down at key verse / transitional moments to match the reflective chord progressions.

The final original “The Serpent and the Lotus” could be the heaviest offering, another charging effort that contains all the requisite power metal aspects to elicit cheers, screams, or shout-a-long action, including some interesting stutter step guitar/drum action and additional mysterious, robotic vocal effects for dynamic context. “Kyrie” was a number one Billboard hit for Mr. Mister – handled brilliantly by Seven Kingdoms on this release. All the subtle keyboard parts (handled by producer Jim Morris) shine, Sabrina once again tackling a vocal that’s not easy timing wise gracefully, the guitars hitting at the right explosive momentous arrangement needs. The versatility could garner the band that outside the box interest that expands followings beyond the metal community – always necessary for the vitality / longevity of a band that has been around for 17 plus years.

Seven Kingdoms will release their next full-length in late 2025, following more touring excursions in North America and in mainland Europe. For now, The Square serves notice that the band’s power metal foundation contains all the key pop, traditional, and left-field accents to give the group ample opportunity for sustaining their careers. If you haven’t discovered them yet, this would be an ideal time to be a part of the movement.

Seven Kingdoms official website

Seven Kingdoms on Facebook

Delain – Dance with the Devil (Napalm)

Katarina McGinn
-
0
Delain – Dance with the Devil (Napalm)

Quickly returning with a new EP after last year’s Dark Waters, which saw a massive line-up shift for Delain, some might think that there isn’t enough material to warrant an investigation. In fact, Dance with the Devil is nothing less than a smorgasbord of material from the band if one really wants to nitpick. However, to make that assumption would be a mistake, as it’s more of a treasure trove than anything else.

Starting off the EP are two new songs, which are the most appealing piece for fans. The title track, to be frank, is just one of the strongest Delain tracks in recent memory. The heavy grooves of the song work as an excellent counterbalance to Diana Leah’s soaring vocals, and it’s got one of the band’s soaring signature choruses. But it’s also not afraid to really dig in with some teeth with harsh vocals later on in a completely headbangable section that feels like a natural step for the group. “The Reaping” has more of a dreamy, atmospheric vibe to it, but again has a nice contrast between the heavy riffing and the electronics and Leah’s dynamic vocals. After this song comes a re-recorded/re-mastered of the band’s classic “Sleepwalkers Dream,” giving Leah to put her own stamp on the song with vocals, to which she does a nice job of doing.

Nine live songs follow those studio tracks, and while the individual’s mileage might vary on them, there’s no doubt that they are nicely recorded. It’s not a surprise move from the band, given their usual release of live performances and songs, and with the still somewhat recent member influx, it makes sense that they’d put them here. A mix of songs from Dark Waters alongside their older tracks shows off how the band hasn’t really lost a step along the way. Two instrumental versions of the new tracks comes up next, and the EP ends with an ‘alternate ending’ to the song “Underland.” While the end of the EP may not be ‘must hear’ material, it’s a nice bonus to provide more content.

For an EP, there’s a lot to digest in Dance with the Devil. Given the sheer strength of the two new tracks, it’s worth checking out for even casual Delain fans. But the diehards will get quite a value from this considering how much material they have placed onto the disc. Hard to complain when there’s this much available. In fact, more bands would do well to take notice of the TLC put into this particular release.

Delain on Facebook
Delain on Instagram

Tungsten – Wind in Our Sails

Matt Coe
-
0
Tungsten – Wind in Our Sails

Swedish band Tungsten contains some notable players in its lineup – drummer Anders Johansson a part of Yngwie Malmsteen, Stratovarius, and Hammerfall among others, while vocalist Mike Andersson spent years fronting Cloudscape. Add in Anders’ sons Karl on bass/keyboards and Nick on guitars, and you’ll hear a style with one foot in the classic heavy/power metal past, with the other adding in industrial and modern hard rock/metal touches to the sound. The latest album The Grand Inferno contains songwriting chock full of strong musical components, where the arrangement and its logical hooks/melodies are king. We had the chance to speak with Mike about the new record, their move to Reigning Phoenix Music, what it’s like to work with Anders and his sons, special memories around Sweden Rock Festival, prized vinyl possessions, wisdom imparted to his family, and what’s in store for the group.

Dead Rhetoric: The Grand Inferno is the fourth studio album for Tungsten. How did the songwriting and recording sessions go this time around? And where do you see the greatest improvements or differences compared to previous records?

Michael Andersson: Everything was very fluid. The actual song progression, it went just like on the previous albums. It’s very similar. It’s only that myself and Karl (Johansson) collaborated on a bit more vocally and also lyrically. Apart from that, I don’t see any bigger difference, we work more or less the same way all the time.

Dead Rhetoric: You’ve released three singles/videos to date for the album with “Walborg”, “Blood of the Kings”, and “Vantablack”. There seems to be a great balance between presenting the band in a light that is serious about the music but also inject some of your personality into these clips. How do you feel about the visual medium in presenting Tungsten to your followers / audience, does it give people a chance to experience the band in a unique way compared to the records and when seeing the band live?

Andersson: I think so, especially the videos. You have to separate the personal things from the private things, but we like to be humans. After all, we are humans. Some bands are very mysterious, there’s a level of secrecy, a special vibe. We are who we are. We do this, this metal music, because we love it. We like just being ourselves, at the end that’s what counts I believe.

Dead Rhetoric: Does it also help to have a band member working on the videos – I know in the past you used to work with Patric Ullaeus, a famous Swedish music director?

Andersson: The thing is yes, we used Patric for the first album videos, and I think we talked to him about doing things for this album as well. Our guitar player has learned how to create music videos as well, he’s gotten better and better. We’ve come to this point that as long as we have good ideas, we can make a music video ourselves, if we are technically able to. For example, the video for “Blood of the Kings” was a lot of my ideas. The cinema thing was not my idea, but things around there were my ideas that we talked about. “Vantablack” was Nick having a bunch of ideas, everyone contributes. Nick is producing it, filming it, cutting it and finalizing it. All the basic ideas are fine-tuned by the band members.

Dead Rhetoric: When it comes to the cover art, did you work with Andreas Marschall again like on the previous efforts?

Andersson: Yeah – not the album cover, but he did the cover for the first single “Walborg”. That cover was originally intended to be used as the album cover for The Grand Inferno. Since we switched the record label last spring, the record label suggested we stick to our mascot but Tungsten 2.0 since it’s a new start with a new label. During the spring we asked a friend of ours, a very unknown guy named Jakob to see what he could create. It’s as simple as that.

Dead Rhetoric: How would you describe being in a band with a father and two son combination lineup that you have here? Would you say there is a great mixture of influences from the old school and modern aspects because of the differences in approach and ages present?

Andersson: I think there is, and that’s one of the things that makes us unique. When we were together, we are a band – it’s like it’s Anders and his two sons and me. We actually work as friends and as a band. The father and two sons thing – they have that when it’s family time. When it’s band time, it’s band time. We treat each other with tremendous respect. For my sake, I’ve been a friend of Anders for over fifteen years. I don’t think that’s enough. His sons are very musical, and easy to work with. We have fun, we are very creative I would say.

Dead Rhetoric: After three albums with Arising Empire, you are now on Reigning Phoenix Music. Where do you see the differences so far between the two labels, and do you feel they have the right mix of staff, experience, and ideas to push Tungsten into a bigger footprint for the global scene?

Andersson: I think so. Both labels are very experienced, and good labels. I don’t want to bullshit about Arising Empire at all, they are the ones who put us here, they did a tremendous job for Tungsten and we really love those guys who run that label. The simple reason that we switched was music – we were on tour last year in Hamburg, Germany, and we were contacted by people from AFM Records. They told us when it was time for us to renew our contract, contact us. That’s what happened last spring – we had a new offer from Arising Empire, but we also had offers from three other record labels as well. We were in a very nice position in choosing what label we thought would be best.

In this case it was Reigning Phoenix Music. It’s a new label with people from Nuclear Blast as well as AFM. The guys from AFM that contacted us in Germany, they went over and started up Reigning Phoenix. Our music fits their label better, it’s more the right genre. Arising Empire is more hardcore metal, more growls, and a new kind of melodic youngster metal. Nothing bad about that, but we felt that even as they did a great job for us, we felt a bit misplaced. That’s the only reason why we tried with Reigning Phoenix, it might be good for Tungsten.

Dead Rhetoric: What do you consider some of the greatest memories you’ve had in your musical career – specific albums, tours, festival appearances, or other opportunities where you’ve felt that you’ve made a personal mark with your talent/craft that will stay embedded in your memory bank for a lifetime?

Andersson: That’s a tough question. With Tungsten, I would say playing the Sweden Rock Festival last year was fantastic. We played very early on the third day. We thought entering the stage at 11:15 am, there would be no people. People would be still at their tents and cottages sleeping, hangovers and stuff. Oh, we were wrong. The area was filled with people, thousands of people – at least 5,000 to maybe 7,000 watching our show. That became very emotional, because we weren’t prepared for that at all. We did a tour with my old band Cloudscape back in 2014. It was not my first tour, but my first longer tour – I got to visit many different countries. I could go on for hours, but those two things stick out to me.

Dead Rhetoric: When you feel overwhelmed at what life may throw at you and completely out of focus, what types of things do you try to do to regain perspective and ground yourself to push through the stress, anger, or negative feelings?

Andersson: Take deep breaths, lie down on the sofa if possible to get myself together. Give my wife a hug. Those things are the quickest way for me to gain focus again. Which is kind of rare, I rarely lose control. Of course it happens when you are tired, unintentional things happen that you are not prepared for. Relax, a few deep breaths, getting back into shape is the way it happens.

Dead Rhetoric: Do people ever seek you out for advice regarding anything related to the music industry or tips as a vocalist – and if so, what words of wisdom do you try to impart on them?

Andersson: It happens, not that often. I’ve always said when a record label wants you to be a part of their roster, always check out the record label first. What bands do they have? Do they have any band names you recognize? If there is, don’t be afraid to contact the band and actually ask if they are satisfied with the label. When you do get a record contract, never sign anything without getting a professional to look at it, a musical lawyer that knows the business. Never take chances, as it could cost you the rest of your economical life. Always get help with these things. Never trust what someone just says.

When it comes to contracts, it’s always a give and take. You can never get a contract that only is for you. You can make a contract that benefits both parties. Give and take so to speak.

Dead Rhetoric: How do you feel about your voice and technique today at 50 compared to your early days?

Andersson: I quit smoking five years ago, and that’s for the better. For me, I am as good as ever. I still progress. I love to sing. I’m at the top of my game from my point of view, so to speak. I’m 50 years old, in ten years it will be time to seek out other options to sing. As for now, it’s just cool and top notch.

Dead Rhetoric: How do you see the state of the heavy metal / hard rock scene across Sweden and other parts of Europe currently? What do you enjoy most about things – and what changes (if any) do you think need to be made?

Andersson: Changes, it’s hard. In Scandinavia, it would be nice if people got out to more club gigs. Big bands always have the crowds, medium bands, it’s 50-50. Sometimes they get full clubs or arenas, but other bands if it’s a Tuesday, people would rather sit at home with their family. Those things were better back in the day. Start buying tickets in advance and don’t wait until the day of the show. I don’t know how it is in the states, but that’s a typical thing in Sweden. Organizers are having a tough time, they don’t know how many people will come. Maybe 100 tickets are sold in advance, but will it only be those 100 or will the other 400 buy the ticket the same day at the doors? That’s people that need to be there.

If you compare that in Germany, when Tungsten was on tour with Bloodbound a year ago – there were good crowds every night. They have a different culture, the same in Spain and Italy. Scandinavian crowds are awesome, when they are there. It’s getting tougher for bands to tour there because of this.

Dead Rhetoric: I’ve read in other interviews your love of vinyl collecting. What do you consider some of your most prized possessions in that regard?

Andersson: I have all albums by Rush – from the debut album until the last one. Clockwork Angels, is priced around $600 now. I bought it for $20 back in the day when it was released. That’s my pride and joy in my collection.

Dead Rhetoric: What has fatherhood meant to you, and what sorts of skills and tools have you tried to impart on your children to prepare them best for the adult world that they will live in today?

Andersson: Be curious, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Open your mouth if you have problems. Never think you are a burden to someone else. If you are going to drink alcohol, drink when you are happy – and drink with respect. Never drink when you are angry, sad, or think the alcohol will help you out of it. It won’t. It should be for celebration. Believe in their goals, try to support their goals and dreams. That’s what I try to teach my sons. Both of them are very musical, but they don’t do music themselves at all. My stepson plays some drums, my older son is 23 and sings. But he doesn’t like to sing. He developed his own sphere, like Talking Heads from the late 70s. He’s the one who got me into Pink Floyd at an older age. Thanks to my son, I bought him all the vinyl and I like a bunch of their albums.

Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for anything related to Tungsten over the next year or so? Are you hopeful to try and make an impact sometime down the road on North America – even if it’s on a festival basis?

Andersson: Coming next is a Scandinavian tour with the Finnish band Sonata Arctica and Firewind and Serious Black. That’s the most immediate plan. It looks mellow for the rest of the year. When it comes to North America, we have no plans – but we do know we have our fans there. North America is the biggest user of Apple Music, the most streaming of Apple Music comes from there. On Spotify it’s Germany and Scandinavia. If a good offer comes, we are always open for discussions.

Tungsten official website

Tungsten on Facebook

Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe (Century Media Records)

Daniel Barkasi
-
0
Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe (Century Media Records)

Human history is one of many spectacular feats, inventions, and enduring spirit. On the contrary, it’s also tragically stained by destruction, greed, bloodlust, and war. That darker side of us has many examples – one of the most infamous is World War I. A horrible conflict that cost millions upon millions of lives. This point in time has been the subject of a few bands in the metal spectrum – 1914 and Minenwerfer immediately come to mind – all showing the horrors of The Great War with their own sonic stylizations. Germany’s Kanonenfieber hits home in a particularly poignant and unfiltered way.

The mysterious artist known only as Noise has excelled with all three of his projects – Non Est Deus and Leiþa being his other vehicles – each representing a differing purview into his mind. For Kanonenfieber, a craftily constructed melodic black/death metal hybrid, the messaging has been just as strong as the accompanying musical expression. Debuting with Menschenmühle in 2021, the project has quickly evolved into a theatrical live powerhouse (complete with a traveling museum of artifacts) amongst a consistent flow of new music. With several singles/EPs following said first full-length, including Trevor Strnad’s (RIP) last recording on the brilliant “The Yankee Division March” – there has been plenty to hold one over in anticipation of a second album. Wait no longer, as Die Urkatastrophe has emerged from the trenches, bringing a mature and soul-crushing work that will further elevate Kanonenfieber in the metal lexicon.

Partnering with Century Media for Die Urkatastrophe wasn’t expected, with all of Noise’s projects thus far being released on Noisbringer Records. Thus being an example of the project’s deepening boot print on the metal scene. Die Urkatastrophe continues delivering gritty, real examples of horror and tragedy from World War I in a cautionary and reflective tone, all in a grandiose sound profile wrapped in gritty black metal. Opener “Menschenmühle” describes the violent delusion of the early 20th century German war machine in the guise of an overview of the conflict as a whole. The damning chorus – entirely in German, though a synopsis and a full English translation are provided by Noise – rings loudly amongst blistering guitar onslaughts, drenched in dreary melodies and razor sharp riffs that are heavy as they are hypnotic. One cannot envision the album starting off in a more sobering and memorable manner.

Dialing up the melody is the occasionally uptempo “Sturmtrupp,” which describes the Attacks on High Wood with grim realism. The aforementioned melodies are sublime, mixing with crunchy rhythms and Noise’s singular raspy snarl. His vocal ability continues to expand, adding new touches of weightiness in his exhilarating voicings. The mood on this track twists between pure energy and reflection, as the slick blackened death metal offensive rumbles along with accents of haunting trench whistles.

“Der Maulwurf” is one of two songs thus far to feature an accompanying video, telling the story of miners turned into tunnelers, with the goal of digging strategic burrows underneath enemy trenches with the goal of detonating large quantities of explosives in a surprise attack. A stunningly raw recalling of the frightening conditions these people endured, where sadly many never came back from due to tunnel collapse, conflict with tunnelers from the other side, and suicide (the tragic fate expressed here). Musically weighty and filled with tension, cutting leads and thunderous rhythms, this ranks highly amongst the best tracks created under the Kanonenfieber moniker.

“Waffenbrüder” carries a particularly sorrowful emotional tinge of childhood friends who didn’t all return, conveyed by a heavy death metal leaning, layered with dizzying tremolos and chanted vocal lines. Differently, “Gott mit der Kavallerie” slightly pulls back the pace via blackened doom inspired pieces in its telling of the Battle of Halen, while “Panzerhenker” oozes old school death metal by way of thick, chunky riffage ala the mighty Bolt Thrower with a black metal flavoring. “Verdun” serves as a somber introduction using spoken word recordings over light orchestral strings to transition into “Ausblutungsschlacht”; chronicling the long and bloody Battle of Verdun, highlighted sonically with a mid-paced gallop and layered guitar work that emphasizes appropriately bleak, melancholic resonance of what was one of the most catastrophic battles in recorded history.

Die Urkatastrophe moves briskly through its 50 minute run time, with each track giving a deep glimpse into the chosen subject matter, whilst musically raging a harrowing path ever forward. Kanonenfieber’s brand of melodic black/death isn’t a style that’s exactly new or incredibly innovative, but one that’s more potent and memorable than most attempts at creating music within this space.

Taking Die Urkatastrophe as a whole shows an ambitious nuanced, thought provoking composition that’s pensive and stirring at every single moment, invoking a wide array of feelings via a soundtrack of menacing, virulent melodic black/death metal that is as effective and indelible as any release that will grace any ear this year and well beyond. Noise has concocted a work that’s delightfully vicious and further refined in comparison to Kanonenfieber’s releases thus far. It’s bigger, heavier, more spectacular with increased musical diversity. Finding any deficiencies is quite the task, and there’s nothing that sticks out that could be categorized as anything but extreme nitpicking.

As someone who has had an interest in and studied history since they were very young, the level of care and accuracy that was put into Die Urkatastrophe is refreshing and desperately needed these days. Enjoy this important piece of music, and if you get even a fraction of what yours truly has received from this majestic album, you’ll be spinning it over and over. A defining triumph of heavy music and how impactful it can be.

Kanonenfieber on Facebook

1...91011...2,071Page 10 of 2,071

© Copyright Dead Rhetoric 2025 All Rights Reserved