One of the longest running bands in the arsenal of Rogga Johnasson, I have been on this Paganizer train for almost ten years and one thing is for sure. This band always brings the thunder like nobody’s business, and with each album they seem to get better. Such is the case with this 13th and latest studio album offering Flesh Requiem. If you want your head kicked in sonically and the aural equivalent of getting a beatdown then this is the album for you. Rogga Johansson on guitars and vocals is one of my favorites when it comes to death metal growls, and that’s just how it is!
So, having said all that, how are the tunes this time around? Welp, I’ll put it this way: locked, loaded, and ready to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting ears of both longtime fans and the innocent bystanders caught within any blast radius. “World Scythe” comes in with a really super groove, and the duo of Johansson and Dennis Blomberg on lead guitars helps to make this the best track on the disc. Meanwhile, “Fare Thee Well (Burn In Hell)” is the sonic equivalent of an action movie. “Life of Decay” opens things up like a bone saw on the autopsy table, and “Meat Factory” comes in like bombers on a strafing run. Title track “Flesh Requiem” has a killer intro that bleeds into an all-out war, making this another favorite. Martin Klasén (bass) and Matthias Fiebig (Drums) really shine here.
“Just Another Doomsday” is the other runaway favorite for this guy, as it had me ready to break things while headbanging like my life depended on it. The bottom line is this: Paganizer has delivered yet another winner with Flesh Requiem, and it would behoove you all to get on it!
Fresh Finnish act Arctis make no apologies or excuses for their innovative approach to modern metal. Embracing elements of pop, EDM, and trance into their heavy base, it’s a sound that’s undeniably catchy and infectious. Not to mention fun. Their self-titled debut is just around the corner to being released through Napalm Records. So we had a chat with vocalist Alva Sandström and guitarist Björn Johansson to get an impression of what went into their particular sound. We also were treated to their sound within the Finnish spectrum, their goals as a group, and thoughts on pop music itself.
Dead Rhetoric: What is the vibe that you are trying to cultivate with your sound? What is your vision of the sound that you’ve started with Arctis?
Alva Sandström: We were kind of experimenting and trying things out as we started. But as we made new demos over the last few years, I think it’s going to be a bit less ‘rock’ but have even more of the ‘pop’ metal that we are promising. It’s definitely a start and we really wanted to get this mystique and magic of the North. There’s a bit of melancholy to the songs.
Björn Johansson: Also in the sound, we have this cyberpunk style interweaved with it. We have the traditional instruments of a metal band, the guitars, bass, and drums, but to the symphonic stuff we have added elements from trance and EDM. I would say that it’s hard to describe what we are aiming at. In a way, it’s quite natural and organic for us, because this is what happens when you put a bunch of maniacs into a studio in Finland.
Sandström: It’s really a blend of a lot of things, and we find inspiration from so many different types of music. So it’s really a blend and you don’t really know what way it’s going to go, because it can go in so many ways. We were aiming to have this heaviness and would layer in on top with the pop crown, which are my vocals and the EDM stuff. That’s sort of our redline, so to speak, that we need the heaviness and the lightness and trying to bring them together. So we are on that path at least.
Dead Rhetoric: In listening to it so far, it’s hard to compare it to much other than maybe Amaranthe if you removed the heavier vocals from it. I hate to throw the band comparisons around, but I am curious with the pop elements. Is that a piece you tried to aim for from the start?
Johansson: Yeah, actually. We have told this story a few times, but we actually had a band that was heavier and darker than this. But then we went into the studio with Jimmy Westerlund, who was our producer, and from the first song, we felt it was so much different than what we would usually do. We felt like we should make a new band from scratch. It was never a thing where we had to make it more melodic to appease someone. It came straight from us. We wanted to do something different and new, and I’m very happy with the result. It feels like we did bring something new to the table.
Sandström: With the pop elements, we felt like we needed something new. We already knew the dark and heavy, and we wanted to try something else.
Johansson: By going into the pop genres and borrowing ideas from them, we feel like we are discovering something new in the metal genre. I’m excited about it!
Sandström: Definitely! It’s a lot of freedom. To not be like, ‘we are symphonic metal.’ We have so many boxes. In people’s attempt to like it, they are getting angry if we aren’t symphonic metal so we are trying to say that we have the freedom to do what we want.
Dead Rhetoric: At least when it’s from the beginning, when you go outside the box, you aren’t going to get the close-minded people who complain that you went from one thing to another.
Sandström: That’s a good point. With our freedom from the start, we aren’t putting us into a specific box. You can have a lot of variety then. The people won’t go away. You can just get more people.
Dead Rhetoric: Most Finnish bands I speak to have more of a dark, morose sound. You are influenced by Finland but how does that play into your catchy and futuristic sound?
Johansson: The thing is, which is very unknown in the world, is that we are Fino-Swedes. We are a minority in Finland. Swedish is our mother tongue but we still aren’t Swedes. It would be like Canadian-Americans or something like that. We aren’t regarded as Swedes but we aren’t regarded as Finns either. They are really mean to us. But this influences the sound. We are on the west coast of Finland, and we are usually brought up with Swedish music and Swedish pop culture. When Sweden gets something new, we usually hear about it first, then it takes like 10 years and the Finns hear it. So we are quite caught up with the trends, and that’s why we sound very different from Finnish bands, because we are a small group of people who have a different culture and music than regular Finns.
Sandström: There’s definitely a bit more of the Swedes in us than the really Finn-Finns [laughs] but we are Finns at heart as well. We have this culture from Sweden too that does influence things.
Johansson: So it’s basically a pint, mixed with Swedish and Finnish booze. That’s what makes us, basically [laughter].
Dead Rhetoric: You mentioned the production a bit before. How did you assemble the production and mastering team for the album? There are some pretty big names in there.
Johansson: We had contacts from our management to Stefan Glaumann, who has done Rammstein and Svante Forsbäck, who we worked with before. We knew him before, but Jimmy was new. He was like a friend of a friend, and he is a Fino-Swede too. We are only 250,000 people but we run into each other eventually. That’s how we came into contact with him. But it was a lot through our management.
Dead Rhetoric: How important is the concept of the band and album? You have that dark and white piece and the futuristic look. I noticed that you all also have an occupation/character piece like “Captain, Magician, and Rambler.” How does that all play into the overall concept?
Sandström: We didn’t show much nature yet, which is the biggest influence as well. The redline is this light and dark – in the music it’s the metal and the pop. Then we have Finnish summers and Finnish winters, which are very light and very dark. We have me, the frontwoman, in white, and the guys in black. We have everything in contrast, and in that we find a lot to work with.
Johansson: The characters we have are kind of like extensions of ourselves and our personality traits. I am “The Captain,” and I’m a bit like a 19th century captain myself. I’m the oldest soul in the band. My personality fits into that characterization. Michael [Mikander] is “The Magician,” and to be honest he is a bit of a magician because he’s very mystic and no one really knows what the hell he is doing. He’s like a magician in his tower, working on stuff. Mika [Paananen] “The Sage,” the guy who loves books and self-learning. He’s like our secretary [laughs].
Sandström: The other thing I wanted to talk about with contrast was about nature and technology. You have everything in the organic state and then there’s the digital technology. We like to combine the contrast and see what happens in the middle. On top of that, we wanted everyone to be their own artist. To have a character. We aren’t a concept band, but the characters just amplify ourselves. It’s not like we are playing theater, but we wanted everyone to have their own character in the gang.
Dead Rhetoric: Does the character piece help to push you outside your comfort zones too?
Johansson: I would say it helps us get into other people’s comfort zones! You should see me when I get rum! That’s when I’m really “The Captain.” [laughter]
Sandström: I think it’s something that you can hold onto. Like it’s the essence, to have a character or personality. You take the essence of it to take a straight path to when you are performing and so on.
Dead Rhetoric: The video came out today, so what prompted the Lambretta cover “Bimbo?”
Johansson: It was suggested to us by our team. Someone in our management said that we should do it. The fun thing is that I listened to Lambretta back in the day when they released it. I thought it was really nice, and I’ve listened to it over the years and thought it was a really good song. It would be fun to do something with it. Our drummer hated the song, and then they suggested we should do it [laughs]! It turned out really good, and our drummer doesn’t hate it anymore. He doesn’t hate it anymore. He won’t suffer on tour [laughs].
Sandström: He just needs to play it for the rest of his life, maybe. That’s hope we get new songs! But yeah, it’s pretty fun. It was a song that we listened to when we were teenagers, and they are another Nordic band with a female-fronted group. There’s a lot of cool coincidences. It just happened.
Dead Rhetoric: You mentioned playing that song for the rest of your life. What do you want Arctis to accomplish? What are your goals for the band?
Johansson: We are always in it for the long game. That’s how we work with everything. That’s why we waited so long to release this album. It was done in 2020. But during the pandemic, it didn’t make sense to release anything, because we would not have been able to promote it live. We have written songs in the pandemic, so we have material for the next album and probably the third album as well. That’s how Arctis works. We bide our time and we are in it for the long game. Personally, I would love to see Arctis play in big arenas around the world. Making these insanely advanced shows with both projections and scenery. Everything to make a universe and experience with the music and the visuals. So that everyone who comes to the shows feels that they got the value for their money.
Sandström: I think that’s really where we will come alive. That’s how we were thinking from the start. We want to bring the North to everyone. They can get into this different kind of world. If we get to the point where we can have big live shows, we can do a lot of stuff on stage, that’s where we can really do this. So we are in it for that. And well, we just want to live and work with your passion, so we are not backing down. We are trying to make a living from it and do it for the rest of our lives. I’m really looking forward to everything that’s coming. We have waited a long time for this. Let’s make it happen now!
Another thing, when you are in this genre-fluid space, we want to get to this point where we are a band that is part of the evolution in metal. Like Bring Me the Horizon, who have done a lot of things. They were one of the first to put together other genres into metal, in a way. They started so different, so we want to be a part of that evolution of how metal will sound in the future. We want to be one of the first to be there. We are trying to work our way to that point.
Dead Rhetoric: So in terms of the evolution of metal, what do you hope to see as you move with it?
Johansson: I really hope to see lots of young people really getting into metal, so we have fresh blood in the scene in the future. That’s my biggest wish. I love the metal culture, because it’s a caring culture and it’s about cool music and having a great time. So I want to see a continuation of that. So I hope that we grow with it and bring in new fans and young people. That’s what I want to see.
Sandström: You try to trick them into going into the metal community by maybe sounding a bit less metal. But eventually they will come to love the metal in all of the music. We are actually trying to be a part of making metal continue on in the future, and to be something fresh.
Dead Rhetoric: There is a portion of the metal fanbase that is very stuck in their ways, to be somewhat nice, but I do think there is that need. In bands like yourselves, there’s this push towards breaking that traditional barrier and allowing other people in. I think it’s good to have that crossover potential with other genres. It definitely helps bring in new blood when you have a sound that people haven’t heard before.
Sandström: You can make it heavier again. It’s always the super heavy that is going to scare ‘normal’ people away. If you start a bit nicer, then maybe they will say, “Oh, I like this too now!”
Johansson: It’s like having an afterparty at your house. You start with the soft stuff, but then you have the really hard stuff over here!
Sandström: We aren’t super metal, and you can hear that on the album. We will have some heavier stuff, maybe.
Dead Rhetoric: You have been sitting on this music since 2020. When you look at it as you have been moving through time, do you ever have any times where you wish you tried something different and then apply it to something you are working on now?
Johansson: You definitely learn stuff by completing stuff. But you also come to accept that it is different, and things are moving and evolving. We are very proud of the first album and satisfied with the songs. It will be a bit different on the next album, but the essence of Arctis will still be there. The stuff that people love. But I think as artists, we evolve and make different records from time to time. It’s hard to be the same person you were four years ago. It’s hard to say how the third album will sound, for instance.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you like about pop music, in terms of inserting it into metal?
Sandström: [laughs] I don’t really like pop music! I just like to do what we do. I just like to experiment in the songwriting and there is so much…the typical pop music isn’t for me, but I take a lot of inspiration from other electronic genres. One of the things, vocals for those genres, can be very majestic and beautiful. You don’t go all in, like raw power like in metal. There’s a lot of dynamic I can bring in from other genres. But the soundscapes, that’s really what we love to work with. All of the atmospheric elements and soundscapes, that’s something we really take from other genres. So we like to get new elements and not just stick with heaviness. I’m not someone who listens to happy songs, I listen to more melancholic songs. But you can also find that in pop.
Johansson: First and foremost, just like everyone else in the band, I’m a metalhead at heart. I love big guitars. So for me, in feeling satisfied with a song, I need the guitars to be there. But I can still enjoy pop music for what it is. It can be very fresh and uplifting to listen to something completely different to what I usually do. What we incorporate into Arctis is that sense of freshness and open sounds.
I also enjoy the simplicity of pop music sometimes. Simplicity should not be mismatched with easy. It’s rather hard to get something easy and simple to carry a song. So I can admire the songs and the craft from the composer. The productions are always really inspiring. You can hear the hours that went into making it. A good pop song is awesome, but I do prefer melodic pop. An arrangement that supports melodies. I can’t really enjoy just vocals and beats, like some of what comes out today. There needs to be something more than a repetitive beat.
Dead Rhetoric: What are your plans for next year at this point?
Johansson: We can’t say much, but we are going to be busy. We will be so busy that we don’t stop until we are 70 years old, or something like that. But things are happening that cannot be undone. It’s like a wild horse that is going on a mad run, we just have to stay on it now. If we drop it, then we lose it. We have to be on top of it. Now is the time to forge while the iron is hot. We are going to make new music, do a lot of shows.
Sandström: We are hoping for another tour, discussions are ongoing with tours and festivals. We are working on album number two, and we will try to get that out pretty fast as well. As Bjorn said, we just want to get it out now and get the years back that we waited for. We aren’t getting any younger. We are all in.
Fortunate to watch the development of Raptore through the progression of their discography in previous reviews for the debut album Rage n’ Fever and the follow-up Blackfire, it’s always great to hear what comes next through the fruits of their labor. Renaissance as the third album positions itself in an interesting amalgamation of styles – still traditional metal at heart, yet incorporating a mix of Sunset Strip sleaze, hard rock grooves / choruses, and a bit of speed / mystical charm that should resonate with followers of the 80s scene.
Specific chord progressions and attention to the small details from killer vocal melodies to fluid, catchy lead breaks gain immediate favor for fist waving action – most will be hard pressed to not sway their hips or sing valiantly to the main verse / chorus parts within “Satana” or high octane thrust within the Riot meets Warlock-esque “Imperium”. Drummer Angel Smokski and bassist Cristian Blade not only provide solid rhythm section foundational work in this material, but also offer a great selection of tasty fills or intricate angles that supplement the proceedings to advanced Iron Maiden / Judas Priest characteristics – most evident in the front half highlight “Abaddon”. Expect riffing and complementary lead passages from Nico Cattoni and Jamie Killhead that provides electric vitality for the ages – the smaller touches in clean ambient passages for the verses during “Darklight” setting the stage for Dokken-like mid-tempo riff payoffs that transport the listener back to those mid 80s heydays. Nico’s natural helium-oriented vocal register has similar qualities to Skull Fist or Enforcer – able to soar with the eagles yet be very playful in that Sunset Strip manner on the more commercial sounding “Kingdom Come”. The band continue the lean and mean time frame to their records – clocking in these nine tracks (one of which is a synth/organ style short intro “Ecclesia”) at a tidy 33:20 to ensure maximum entertainment value without risking ear fatigue.
The background information speaks of an ‘underdog metal’ classification when you take in Renaissance – the time period when artists like W.A.S.P., Warlock, Fifth Angel, Riot, Liege Lord and a host of others clawed their way up the ranks to respectable followings globally. Raptore has all those special qualities to be a force in the traditional meets speed metal category, mostly because they understand their strengths and eliminate most of the weaknesses to create a very engaging discography – of which this record could be their best to date.
Coming out of the pandemic slumber German thrashers Assassin pull together a special EP release in Skullblast – the first of its kind in the band’s long-running career. Consisting of four original tracks plus a Fleetwood Mac cover, it’s the additional elements of guest vocals, gang shouting background support, as well as lengthier guitar solos that expand upon the already established style that put the band on the map back in the 80s through albums like The Upcoming Terror and Interstellar Experience.
When it comes to the four original songs, “Blood for Blood” and “Cut Your (Own) Throat” receive special guest vocal appearance treatment by Patrick Pagliaro, known for his work in gothic metal/rock act Child of Caesar – serving up a fitting compatriot to add special coloring next to main singer Ingo Bajonczak’s potent bark. The groovy side of things takes “In and Out By the Tide” into different pastures – the subject matter of attracting attention by using generalized violence in various ways (the media to fundamental religions and real-life situations), drummer Björn ‘Burn’ Sondermann proving that you can slam your kit at mid-paced tempos to cement the hooks and key gang shouts into the brain. And for those who want an old school sounding throwback effort chock full of ripping riffs, tight fills, and frantic soloing, look no further than the title cut to become a future live staple. The EP closes with the group’s interpretation of “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” – vastly different than Judas Priest’s interpretation, as its given a thrash overhaul while still keeping the occasional bluesy nuances in play. Going with a fresh recording studio in Lucky Bob Studios via Rage guitarist Jean Borman, the sound has hefty attack jumping through the speakers – ideal for these adrenaline-fueled compositions and performances.
Ardent followers of Teutonic thrash know the big four best – but there was a solid second tier of impressive bands as well, of which Assassin belong in that conversation. Skullblast sharpens their wide array of abilities, leaving us waiting patiently for the next album.
Modern metal encompasses a wonderful fusion of aspects that pull from outside sources to create a wide array of sounds that can capture people. Italian quintet Never Obey Again may seem like a newcomer on this scene, but their years of experience in other bands / projects pays huge dividends to their appeal. Their latest album Trust contains so much focused interplay with aspects of metalcore, EDM, pop, and groove metal whirled together in such a way that these songs connect instantly – deeply embedding themselves into your soul. We reached out to guitarist Alessandro Tuvo to find out about his personal musical upbringing, the openness of tools that the band incorporates into their songwriting / output, the DIY video / social media content philosophy, favorite albums, plus deep thoughts about the Italian metal scene versus Europe / America in terms of support and what the future will look like for the group.
Dead Rhetoric: What can you tell us about your earliest musical memories from childhood? At what point did you start discovering heavier forms of music, and eventually the desire to perform in your own bands?
Alessandro Tuvo: Cool, that’s a good one to start things off. I’ve been playing music for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a music family. My father was a guitar player, I started off playing drums, I ended up taking up the piano, and the guitars when I was 17. Around high school something changed – I was in a band doing Rage Against the Machine covers, which was when I heard the distorted guitars, and I went on that path. I can play acoustic and jazz stuff too, but when I hit the distortion pedal, I am very happy! (laughs).
Dead Rhetoric: Did you have any formal training at this point, or are you totally self-taught?
Tuvo: I was referring to my dad as my first teacher, although he never really pushed me. Growing up in a family where you have guitars around the house, there is a subtle impact of that aspect to make you get involved with it. I started jamming with my father, and then I learned I had to switch to something more professional. Up until 18 years of age, you have regular school and then you can choose to go to college or to go through another path. I went to the music academy, and after getting my degree there I have been teaching for a while.
Dead Rhetoric: Trust is the second album for Never Obey Again. How did the songwriting and recording sessions go for this set of material – and where do you see the biggest differences between this record and last year’s The End of an Era debut?
Tuvo: It’s a question that opens different doors. Starting off, we never do anything – the name of the band itself described the thought process behind this thing. Let’s do this the way we want to do this – we are eager to achieve and climb the ladder and do things like we are able to sustain this activity as a full-time job. The American dream, right? Besides the drive, the passion, the high that we have, we just try to do whatever comes up in our minds. From the creative perspective, things have been going very smoothly. Differences from the first album – surely the new one sounds more mature to me. At least to my ears, but I’m too biased to say because I am so close to the material. It was very smooth – myself and Alex the other guitarist is in charge of the production, the songwriting – we were very lucky that he is definitely better at writing the music, and I am better at handling the lyrics, the vocal melodies. We do compliment each other very well.
The main difference in the first album is Alex joined the band while we were recording the album. He could only support things on the arrangements and the production part. This album it’s a merging of all our skills that comes together in the same album. There is more influence on each other to get to the final result.
Dead Rhetoric: Carolina chose to inject some harsh vocals this time around. Were there any fears going into this different aspect of her already impressive clean/melodic range – how much more planning and effort went into these spots?
Tuvo: Carolina, she’s a lead singer to my ears. She wants to accomplish this new thing under her cap with the screaming thing because we listen to a lot of metalcore. Most of the oldest metalheads hate this type of sound, but I just don’t care. We love Spiritbox, Bring Me The Horizon, even if you go back to Pantera, we love this type of music. We thought many times about implementing harsh vocals just to get to a level where we have this tool in the box. It doesn’t matter if we are going to use it or not, we just know that we have all the tools to go wherever the creativity tells us to go. That to me is the beauty of it. Some songs you will hear we are overly using this, some other times it’s not even present. It’s just a tool that we can stick in if we want to. It felt like a limitation to not be using it. Sometimes even in the songwriting, we think it would be great to go into this thing – to have a harsh vocal to support it. The main point is Carolina, she has a lot of expectations towards herself. Since the clean vocals are up here, it wouldn’t be fair to have harsh vocals not at that same level. So, we waited until she could get them up to that same quality as the clean vocals, now she has it and that’s why we added it to this album. Once she mastered this, then she could use it.
Dead Rhetoric: Where did you want to come across with the lyrical content for this record? Did you use your own personal experiences, or observations based on things going on within the human experience?
Tuvo: I’m very emotional as a human being. I’ve been through a lot like other people in the world. I don’t really care about the type of music that you dress up your concept with or dress up your lyrics with. I don’t care if it’s jazz metal or whatever. It’s very important though to bring some emotion with your content, and it’s nice when it resonates with other people. Of course, with some wisdom, as we are not younger anymore. We may look younger, but we are in our mid-30’s, so we have some experience on our shoulders, it’s easier to write something more meaningful than just writing about the well-known topics of love, war, hate. In metal, you have to sometimes throw other words in there. At the end, it’s difficult to match the vocal melody with the lyrics. In certain songs, I started writing off the lyrics before the melodies came to me. If it continues on this path, it would be very nice.
I tend to write about personal experiences, ups and downs. Rage, fear, loneliness, a bit of anxiety and depression here and there. It’s very difficult to find somebody in society that hasn’t experienced some or all of these things. Overcoming it, struggling with it, it’s always good to take inspiration from and write about it.
Dead Rhetoric: The style of the group incorporates modern metal with electronic elements as well as some pop / rock sensibilities. What are the ideal components you want to present in each Never Obey Again song?
Tuvo: The ideal components. I don’t really know. To be honest, this is a tough question. We just want to leave all the doors open, at the end of the day. For sure, we are not going to make country pop records. The moment we try to put ourselves in a little niche, I understand it’s way easier because the more vertical the niche, it’s easier to get leverage, get people to come to your shows, the big shark so to speak in a small aquarium. The more you stay generic, the more you have the jellyfish in the big ocean. You can sting, but you are still under attack constantly. You don’t have bones (laughs). We are at the moment jellyfish in the ocean, so it’s hard for me to fully answer this question. We want to stick to the name of the band – Never Obey Again.
Dead Rhetoric: Which makes sense… you are open to different influences as long as it stands authentic and organic for what the band wants to achieve, correct?
Tuvo: Yes. I love this type of philosophy, because at the end of the day, if you think about it – we are influenced by music. We do listen to music daily, not just music but our surroundings, nature, the heavens, the belongings. Anything can influence you. If you think about successful bands, I don’t want to be the one who writes music trying to look like somebody else. I know it sounds pretentious or cocky, but in the future, I want to be in the other category where people take inspiration from (us). Because I created something different. Maybe I won’t achieve that, but I’m fine with failing rather than trying to look like somebody else. All the cool bands are cool because they are unique.
Dead Rhetoric: The band also is very involved in the video content as far directing, filming and production. What can you tell us about this process – do you enjoy exploring the visual medium with your songs, and how do you feel its impacted your following on a global scale?
Tuvo: I am the one in charge for the video clips. We just finished shooting the latest video for the song “Trust”, the title track. To be fair, 100% it started off with a money issue. When you start off a band, people don’t really understand the process behind things. It’s nice to see some cool social media stuff, and if the band releases music videos, it’s cool. We recorded the very first video clip with an amazing professional, for “The Storm”, it cost us $3,000-$4,000. If we wanted to be consistent, that’s totally impossible to keep up with in terms of costs, especially if you want to release four to five video clips per year, per album. Not going to work. I looked on the internet for the best camera for the best price, got a couple of good lights and a lot of sleepless nights watching tutorials on YouTube. Alex, from now on, he will care about the audio components, I’ll care about the video components, and we will keep things DIY.
It’s cool, because when you are tight on the budget, you have to get your head working more. If you don’t overthink, this is where the good ideas come from. Some of the greatest video clips – one video I use as a reference is “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve. There is just a guy walking towards the camera for the entire video. How much can that cost? Nothing, especially if you have a good camera. Probably less than our first video clip. When you have a low budget, you get your head rolling, you get creative. It’s stressful and draining I’m not going to lie – but it’s fulfilling because we have full control of it. We are on schedule; we can do it when we want. We have a lot of friends that lend us their houses, a cool sofa, some lights. We take inspiration, keeping in mind that we have to make things realistically achievable. I cannot wait until I can delegate this, I have to be honest.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ve been working on some interesting behind the scenes content on YouTube for the band’s upcoming European tour. Discuss the challenges the band faces in trying to make more of a proper footprint in the scene through normal social media platforms – how are you hoping to stand out next to the sea of other artists?
Tuvo: Yes, that’s a big one. It’s a big headache we have daily. There is so much noise around to be able to focus on what’s important. If you don’t take part in the noise, then you are on the outside. The trends and stuff, I don’t know. The best answer, which I try to tell myself, within the noise is a rat race. We have to stay through, be consistent, and have patience. At the end of the day people have to understand that when you try to chase trends, you may end up having something go viral, but at the end of the day it doesn’t make much of a difference. When is the last time you saw a good meme that made you laugh, but did you end up following the page of the person who did it? Did you find any meaningful content about a band that would get you to the point of becoming a fan of the band? Probably not – the essence that brought you in doesn’t represent the band that put out this type of thing.
Maybe it’s better to have smaller numbers that grow very slowly. We really want it now, and we want it all – to mention Queen! (laughs). Once you get into this mindset, you need to be consistent without chasing the numbers. As long as you can see your feed, and the things that you post represent you and make you proud of what you are posting, forget about numbers. Stay authentic, things will work out in years. Like a diet, don’t focus on losing on 100 pounds in like three weeks. Think long-term. If you enjoy doing content, it’s better. I like going around recording stuff, and if I have a spare hour, I edit it. I put it out there for entertainment or community building.
Dead Rhetoric: I definitely enjoyed the extra content. The rehearsal videos reveal some of the choices you make in preparing for the tour – and also showcase your individual personalities…
Tuvo: I love it! Thanks a lot for mentioning. If I wasn’t on the other side of the barricade, I do enjoy when bands go a little in depth. All the glittery, shiny things are great, but YouTube is great for longer form content against the Tik Tok, shorter formats. It’s very nice when you can get to know the personalities within the band. Our bass player (Cristiano) – he’s such a funny character and I love to showcase him to the other people. Or even Alex that can be nerdy and grumpy but he’s a good artist. Carolina is always complaining about something, it’s always a bit of a comedy show in our band. It’s a good family vibe that I want to share with the rest of the world.
Dead Rhetoric: What are three albums that are most important to you to help shape your tastes and outlook on music – they can be heavy or not in choices? And what’s the best concert memory you have, purely attending a show as a member of the audience – plus what made that show so special to you?
Tuvo: Don’t do that to me, man! (laughs). So, albums. As a youngster – Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park. As far as songwriting, that album was great. I want to paint it to that part of my life. Thinking about genius when it comes to blending styles, production values, and braveness, I would say – Bring Me the Horizon did a super cool album in Sempiternal. I remember that was one of the very first times you had so many different influences from metal and other stuff, blending stuff that could be the heaviest (thing) in the pop scene, but not the sloppiest in the metal scene. And then – I do have like a massive influence in acoustic folk singer / songwriters. I’ll sum it up, John Mayer. He did a live concert in the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. I saw it thousands of times, it’s such a great concert.
Regarding the live shows that I have attended. I have so many good bands – some of the bands I had the good luck to open for them when I was playing in another project. First time I heard Parkway Drive – I couldn’t believe the wall of sound that was coming towards me. I am a fan of the band – I am a huge fan of the story of the band. I love the vibe of the band, even if I don’t listen to the band’s music all the time. They are so real, authentic, it’s just – boom. I have played with them on a couple of shows, and they are amazing.
Dead Rhetoric: What would be surprising for people to learn about the members of Never Obey Again as people away from what they hear in the music and when they get the chance to see you perform live?
Tuvo: I hope that people will have the same interest in knowing us as people. As a band, I think of this like a big party. It doesn’t matter if you get in because you like the band, the music, the food. If something makes you feel good, the environment, the color of the walls, whatever – it’s great. I want to see it like this.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you view the Italian metal scene? Do you look at bands like Lacuna Coil and Rhapsody (Of Fire) as inspiration to break through on an international basis?
Tuvo: It’s a tricky topic. I’ll tell you this. Rhapsody (Of Fire) – amazing band. Lacuna Coil – amazing band. We do know some members of each of those bands. The hate, jealousy or whatever in Italy – it’s a bit fucked. I don’t know how to put it in different words. Italy – it’s a short-tempered country. It’s a passionate country. With passion, it brings a lot of down sides. A lot of anger, a lot of competitiveness. Most of society lives in this average championship mentality. Everything below deserves support. When you get over the top, you deserve to be made fun of. In this middle thing, you feel like everything is a threat. These people – those two bands you mentioned, we often get compared to them. We wish we had 1/10th of what they’ve achieved, and I wish them all the luck. On the other hand, I see some other people hated by the local scene, they have built barriers to keep them in some safe space. Even when you try to engage with those bands, they seem skeptical, even if we know many members of the band. When they are alone, you can hang out – but when they are together, you can’t. This is the wrong side of the Italian scene.
There is so much genuine support in other countries. We are doing a small tour, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany – it’s going to be like five- or six-day tour. We are getting paid for every gig we do, be it a door deal or a flat fee. We are getting back to the tour with money in our pockets, which is very rare. But in Italy, we are doing a release party. I texted, emailed, phoned every single venue within 150 kilometers of my house. No one accepted to have us do our release show (there). We took all the money we had and rented a club. It’s expensive, we have a chip on our shoulders, and we hopefully will get the money back we have invested. Some fans are here, we have a fanbase, we hope to get 150-200 people to our venue in Italy. Meanwhile we travel to other parts of Europe, get packed venues and will get paid.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the agenda for the band over the next twelve months? Are there any other side projects or bands with these members that we should also investigate and look into?
Tuvo: We are all professional musicians doing this as a full-time job. We do other projects that we try to keep as separate as possible, they are all cover bands or professional musicians assembled for specific things. Luckily, in the previous years, we did everything to get the ball rolling to make more income. We can stay focused on Never Obey Again at the moment. Carolina is a vocal coach, Marco is a drum teacher, Alex and I do our things. I work for D’Addario, the guitar string company. On the agenda, we want to be climbing the ladder. The ladder is crazy high, we will take one step at a time. Like a fighter during his fighting career, focusing on training camp and the fight. Learning in the process and adjusting.
The spirit of heavy metal courses through the veins of this Swedish act Mindless Sinner – and has since their start in the early 80s. Releasing their debut EP Master of Evil in 1983, they would release two albums Turn on the Power in 1986 and Missin’ Pieces in 1989 before shortening their moniker to Mindless and pursuing more commercial hard rock pastures before breaking up a year later. The band returned in the early 2000s and has been going strong ever since, with four of the five members still going strong from those early years (drummer Linus Melchiorsen joining the group in 2022). Metal Merchants as the group’s fifth studio record showcases the soaring traditional metal anthem template reigns supreme in this set of material – eagle high vocal melodies, thunderous twin axe attack action, plus rock solid bass / drum foundational movements all align to create exciting moments throughout the hour-long playback.
It’s hard not to get swept away by the upper register range of vocalist Christer Göransson. His steel pipes command rapt attention, much like Bruce Dickinson, Michael Kiske, and Rob Halford in their prime when you hear his ascension to the star propensities for standout numbers like “Carry On” or the Twisted Sister-esque “Let’s Go Crazy”. Chronicles of the band’s adventures for a trio of delays opening for Judas Priest in Sweden because of COVID-19 restrictions inspired “Third Time’s a Charm” – an interesting mid-tempo anthem that aligns well with those who dig older Dio, 80s-era Judas Priest or classic Accept, the syncopated drum / rhythm guitar movements for the verses leaving a snake charm-like atmosphere that’s irresistible. The fluid lead break tradeoffs and twin harmony accents next to main riff duties between Magnus Danneblad and Jerker Edman excel on “Speed Demon” – while the softer, restrained angle comes out for the intro moments of the adventurous “Mountain of Om”, these gentlemen executing thoughtful runs a la Murray/Smith of Iron Maiden during their prime.
Hooks abound, never losing sight on the intention to get the songs off to a galvanizing push, hammering home the choruses, to leave the followers clamoring for more. Sirens signal the thunderous “Storm of Steel” – a militant march-oriented tempo leading the battle charge, another timeless offering that sounds vibrant in 2024, heads banging to oblivion. While the tape and vinyl owners get ten songs, if you prefer digital or CD copies, you’ll be privy to three bonus cuts – of which “A Madman Is Crying” has standout qualities, the main groove plus bluesy lead spots fantastic as Christer once again sings to heights rarely heard for the 60-plus crowd he is a part of.
Probably not on your radar in those 80s years, Mindless Sinner continues to make the most of their second go around through Metal Merchants. It’s the type of heavy metal that fills hearts and souls with warmth and energy – the denim and leather brigade will celebrate this offering.
If you ask some people, the blurring of genres and incorporation of outside influences into metal is something that is a source of great disdain. However, bands have found some solid success with this flirtation, such as acts like Amaranthe and Spiritbox. Finnish act Arctis are the latest band to embrace a pop sensibility into their music, and what really stands out about their self-titled debut is how openly they are willing to embrace it, and it’s incredibly addictive effect on their music. Arctis is unquestionably one of the catchiest and most fun albums you’ll hear in 2024.
A bold statement, but Arctis have no problem backing up such a claim. For what it’s worth, they at least ease the listener in a little bit before they go full pop metal on them. Opener and first single “I’ll Give You Hell” doesn’t shy away from danceable electronic beats and soaring pop vocals from Alva Sandström, but it’s still tethered by some buzzing guitars and pounding rhythms. Their cover of Lambretta’s “Bimbo” gives the early 2000s pop song some modern electronic elements and heavy guitars to work off of, and works as a spring board into the band’s hooks-first mentality. It’s not until the insanely catchy “Tell Me Why” that the band drops their most deadly melody. Pulsating electronics and driving riffs allow Sandström to really move to the forefront with some incredibly big diva hooks and sweep the listener off their feet. The chorus will get you moving, and it’s more electronic-laced pop verses will ensure it never leaves your mind for quite some time.
While that might be the most overtly poppy moment on the album, there’s plenty of soaring, epic and metal-backed energy for fans to indulge in. “WWM” swirls with synths and riffs intertwined in a build up to an epic chorus that Sandström hits out of the park. “No Slave” takes a similar approach in it’s mid-tempo energy that works as a slow burn to a dazzling chorus where the band unloads some headbanging yet catchy melodies. Yet somehow it’s the fitting finale energy of “Theater of Tragedy” that really sees the band fully capitalize on both their metallic and pop quadrants and pull of something that is decidedly epic.
While the idea of something so thoroughly soaked in both metal and pop might be a turn off for some, it’s hard to listen to songs at both ends of the spectrum that Arctis performs and not embrace it on first listen. “When the Lights Go Out” feels like they took an ’80s pop song, took it through an EDM filter, and then applied a solid coat of metallic heaviness to it. It grooves and works as headbang fodder, yet it’s pop-fueled hooks grab you and leave you wanting more. The more melodic and, dare it be said, melancholic sound of “Frozen Swan” soars as the closest the album comes to ballad territory. Yet it’s somber guitar solo and beautiful synths give it a stronger sense of power to lump it into such a generic category. It also brings up a great point about Arctis’s music. While they incorporate pop mechanics, their lyrics are far from approaching bubble-gum and saccharine. From drug addiction to self-deception to human struggles, they leave a strong note, particularly as they are delivered in such compelling fashion by Sandström.
While a number of modern acts have worked to incorporate pop and rock into their metallic bases, Arctis provides a sound that still feels fresh, futuristic, and inspiring. It’s incredibly fun and catchy while avoiding the pitfalls of sounding superficial. Arctis is a thoroughly impressive debut from an act that seems destined to take the metal/pop hybrid in a way that is going to make people turn their heads. If you want something that brings an upbeat, unrelenting fusion of energetic pop and electronics and couples it with modern/symphonic metal ‘epicness,’ Arctis is bound to be your favorite new act going. It’s truly exciting to see where they will go next, given the strength of this first offering.
When it comes to another pioneer in the death metal scene, French band Loudblast deserve more than a cursory glance based on their history. Hitting the scene in 1985, they were able to record their second album Disincarnate at Morrisound Studios with famed producer Scott Burns in 1991 – setting themselves up for a productive career. Their latest album Altering Fates and Destinies comes on the heels of celebrating forty years together as a group – proving that the creative juices still flow freely. We got the chance to speak to guitarist/vocalist Stephane Buriez via Zoom as he was drinking white wine and representing a love of Saxon with his shirt – he witnessed them last at Hellfest closing out Sunday as the conversation opened. Prepare to learn the special circumstances behind the songwriting development for the new record, his move to the countryside from living deep in the heart of Paris, lots of memories around the early years of Loudblast, thoughts on the success of Gojira plus relationships with other French metal acts, and what’s on the horizon to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the band.
Dead Rhetoric: Altering Fates and Destinies is the ninth and latest studio record for Loudblast. Discuss the songwriting and recording process for this effort – as it greatly differed from much of your previous efforts due to COVID-19, correct? How do you feel about the final product after the work you’ve put into this?
Stephane Buriez: That was kind of a challenge. Manifesto, our previous record, was released during this COVID era. Let’s do that, but there was no tour, nothing normal. Nothing was expected, because we had no clue of what was going to happen. Right after Manifesto was out, I was still at home here in my home studio. Am I going mad? No. So I started composing more songs without the idea of having an album at first. I didn’t know how much time we had to sit down here and be what I am, a musician – or something else, maybe. I started working on new stuff alone in the dark here. After a while, I had 15 songs composed, I composed everything from drums to guitars to arrangements. I left the bass spot to Fred because he’s an amazing musician, plus he did all the lead guitar parts. There was no other way to go ahead. I’m not this kind of guy who sits in a chair watching movies. It’s in my DNA to play music. Without being on stage, let’s compose.
There was a lot of heavier material than what I’ve composed before. At the end, it is what it is. When your back is to the wall, that is totally unexpected. Nothing like this has happened before in my life. I’ve been through a lot of shit, ups and downs during my career as a musician, but this time I am stuck at home. What can I do? I built my own studio, it took months to do this, I had my guitars, my monitor systems. I feel really lucky moving from Paris to the countryside of Paris. I couldn’t imagine being stuck in an apartment in the center of Paris, probably I would have killed someone. This album, there was no goal. It was just every day picking up my guitar, going with the ideas.
Dead Rhetoric: You recorded thirteen tracks – of which ten appear on the main edition of the record, and three bonus tracks will be on the special editions. How difficult of a process was it to pick and choose what would go where – especially understanding today’s modern scene where many times shorter attention spans are at play to consume material?
Buriez: That was a pain in the ass! (laughs). Thankfully, we have amazing people at the record label for Listenable Records. I asked them – send me an email with your four best songs of the album, from what you’ve been listening to. Hopefully that would match with my ideas. The first song I composed, I had been listening to them hundreds of times, you can’t have any real objectivity, you know? It was two years ago I started working on it. Some guys said certain songs should be on the album – in my head, it was a bonus track. I changed a lot of my ideas. All the songs, certain songs on the album, bonus included, are worthwhile. Being a bonus track, I just wanted a shorter time frame for an album because nowadays people are listening to just a single, or a part of the single, except us old people that love listening to full albums. To put the vinyl on your turntable, a lot of other people are listening to streaming music on Spotify. We needed ten songs that can be a good story to tell.
Dead Rhetoric: Thinking in that manner about singles, were the choices obvious of what songs to premiere from this record?
Buriez: We chose “From Beyond II (The Return)” for the lyric video because this was an old school vibe song. I wanted to give the people the best perspective of the album. On this album, there are a lot of different moods and energy. The first video will be “Putrid Age of Decay”, which is a more melodic track. It has this raw energy that contains a lot about what this album is about. Every song has it’s own identity.
Dead Rhetoric: Where did you want to come across with the lyrical themes this time around? Do you find it’s easier or difficult to remain original and find the right inspiration in your lyrics this deep into the band’s career?
Buriez: What I like in my band is composing. Taking my guitar, composing riffs, the drum parts. Building this kind of strange cake, that you want to be tasty sometimes, or you don’t know what’s going to happen. When it comes to the lyrics, this time I wrote half of the lyrics talking about my last years’ experiences with people. Sometimes bad moments in my life, and that I don’t want to talk about dark stuff the whole album. This is a common topic for death metal. I met a friend of mine, we talked about H.P. Lovecraft, we had just re-read some old stories of his, so we tried to work together on half of the album. Going back to the mythos that we talked about in the beginning of the band, sort of like the beginning of the band. Next year is going to be the 40th anniversary of the group, and that made sense for me. I hope it will make sense for other people.
Dead Rhetoric: After living in Paris for the past fifteen years, you chose to move to the countryside in late 2019 where you built your own recording studio. What other factors came into play regarding your move, do you believe this ignited some new energy and creative sparks for life and Loudblast?
Buriez: Yeah, I really think so. Paris, I was not born here, I was born in the northern part of France near Belgium. While I moved to Paris for the business, but Paris can eat you from the inside. It’s a big city, and you can have anything: drugs, alcohol, women, this is really Babylon. But every day, there’s a different show, and its non-stop. That was cool in the beginning. After all those years living there, it’s really expensive. I said to myself, it’s time to make a good move forward. Creatively, thinking about what I want to do, Paris was eating (at) me from the inside. Moving to the countryside, I feel like I was born there. I am in the middle of the forest, all the fields, it’s cool. Taking my bike out there to see wild animals, tending to my garden, but I’m still a metal guy. It did inspire me, I feel settled. When I wake up, I’m not awakened by the cars or the noise of the city, but the birds singing.
Dead Rhetoric: What would you consider some of the career highlights of Loudblast? Specific albums, shows, tours, festival appearances, or other activities when you knew you were making a mark with your work and developing a stronger appreciation or following?
Buriez: I think recording the album Disincarnate back in 1991 changed everything for us, definitely. Before that, we started a band when we were 16. We recorded Disincarnate, our second album, when I was 24. We were at the death metal mecca, Morrisound Studios, with Scott Burns. We recorded that in one month in the best studio in the world. Thanks to Scott also, he did a lot for the band. He introduced us to other guys, Obituary, Death, Morbid Angel. Donald Tardy would come and listen to the mix of our record to see if it was okay. That was insane. That album was successful all around the world, we did a tour with Cannibal Corpse, we did the European tour with Death in the same year. We got to play with Sepultura, we played with Iron Maiden, something is happening. This era in the 90s, that helped create a milestone for us.
A lot of good things happened after, but this album changed everything for us.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you see the evolution of the death metal scene from your origins to where the global appeal is currently? Does it surprise you to see a second (and now third) generation of musicians still keeping this movement alive?
Buriez: I think all of us, Carcass, we are all coming from the same underground, tape traders era. There was no internet, it was guys writing letters, sending tapes and just waiting for replies all over the world. The passion for this music, we are all connected, we have a lot of fire, vinyl, t-shirts – I still have this in my DNA. Metal is my DNA. The evolution of this music – I don’t know, I’m still in the Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Death camp and those bands changed the game. I have no other names to put on the board after those guys. There was a lot of amazing bands – but the glorious days were something, definitely. Everything was created during that time, ten years of glorious death metal, and some other bands that aren’t as well known like Ripping Corpse, their amazing album. Back in the 90s, everything was really something. I’m talking like an old man (laughs). I do like new death metal bands too – but everything was already perfect back then. When you listen to Blessed Are the Sick or Bolt Thrower, their second album Realm of Chaos – it was amazing.
Dead Rhetoric: Did you enjoy those early tape trading/ fanzine era days that Loudblast was a part of while the France scene was developing? How were your relationships with other bands like Massacra, Agressor, Mutilator / Mutilated, No Return, and others?
Buriez: I remember spending hours, me and Alex from Agressor exchanging addresses. That was the way, sending tapes, flyers, making the emblems. It worked. Euronymous from Mayhem had his label, he wanted to distribute Agressor’s album – because of the tape trading. Everything was made with passion and time. Nowadays you can take your computer, type in a name, and you can get everything. At that time, we had real contact with people. We knew the guys in Sepultura when they toured Europe for the first time with Sodom, I was in Belgium and introduced myself to the band – that was something really human.
Talking about the bands in France – Massacra were our rivals, we got into a lot of fights with them. At the end, it was a nice end as we did a sold-out tour together across France, big venues together. Mutilated too. In France, there weren’t many bands – like six bands. It was okay to fight, at a point, but then we grew up. We are old men now. We became what we wanted to be, we joined forces together.
Dead Rhetoric: Does the success of a band like Gojira surprise you? Was it a proud moment for them to play at the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Paris this past summer?
Buriez: Their success didn’t surprise me at all. Those guys are different. I remember the first time I got this Godzilla demo tape. It was a CD – I played it, and I said, ‘what the fuck is that’. After a while, they opened for us, and I met the guys. They told me they were really inspired by Loudblast and our album Disincarnate. And then – those guys were always on a vision that I respect them as friends for a long time. I’m really proud of what they’ve done in their long career – it is a long career, over 25 years of existence. They are not newcomers, they worked off their asses off to be here.
When I got the information that they were going to play at the Olympics, I said, wow! I don’t really follow that, but this night I went home and let’s see what’s going to happen. It’s making history. The guys are still normal guys, considering the success they have all around the world. They are going to be one of the biggest bands of all time, one day. An amazing and big band, and they deserve everything that has happened for them.
Dead Rhetoric: What worries or concerns do you have regarding the world that we are living in today? If you had unlimited finances, resources, and energy to tackle one or two major issues, what do you think needs to be worked on for the greater good of all long-term?
Buriez: Just to be really careful for the environment. I work with Dirk from Megadeth on Savage Lands – I am a part of this organization. Reforestation, I try to help. The previous generation didn’t have a clue, they wanted to make money and profits, they destroyed everything. Maybe it’s too late for us. We won’t have much clean air. We can see a lot of things are changing for our children and grandchildren. Maybe it’s time to make good things happen. It’s not too late to keep in mind that every one of us has to have this perspective. There will be no civilization after a while.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for all things related to Loudblast and other bands you are a part of over the next year or so? As we know the 40th anniversary of Loudblast will soon arrive in 2025…
Buriez: Yes, that’s in another part of 2025, that year will be total madness. Besides the tour to support the new album. We will begin the 40-year anniversary of Loudblast in Lille, our hometown. We are going to play five shows in four days, in a small club with 666 capacities, every day. It will be a good audience too. We will play five different gigs, and we are working on 70 songs. We will play Disincarnate, the whole album, Sublime Dementia, the whole album, Fragments, the first album Sensible Treatment, covers, we will ask some friends of ours to be a part of the party. There is a tour right after, the festivals, it will be like I have to get to a spa and gym to get as healthy as I can get.
I feel lucky after these 40 years. I was 16 creating the band – the bucket list is still big. I’m not feeling like an old man, we are working on an EP, covers from Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Michael Schenker, Thin Lizzy. The bucket list is way too big. We have a new album coming out for Sinsaenum next year, with Fred. I feel really lucky, still having this feeling that every day is a new day.
One of the pioneers in the French metal scene returns for their latest studio record – arriving on the scene in 1985 as the first notable death metal act. Loudblast will unleash their new record Altering Fates and Destinies, their ninth studio record – and lemme tell ya, it’s a doozy! Damn near forty years invested in this output and these guys are still chopping you down.
“Crystal Skin” sounds like a bulldozer bent on flattening your house, while “Miserable Failure” is a sonic piñata coming through your living room window. “He Who Slumbers” wraps up this triumvirate of viciousness in a tidy black bow. “Son of Nameless Mist” has this cool yet sinister vibe, and it’s my favorite tune. Stéphane Buriez on guitars/vocals sounds deliciously evil here and I love that! Opener “From Beyond II (The Return)” and “Putrid Age of Decay” showcase how to get us all going, and our blood steaming.
“Dark Allegiance” has a very evil vibe going on, which I loved, while “Fortress” is different, yet similar. It fits within the framework, yet it’s different from the other songs in terms of its haunting, atmospheric vibe that still contains the requisite heaviness you expect from these musicians. Again, this is a good thing. Variety is the spice of life, after all. Closing the disc is “They’ll Never Catch The Glint of Sunlight Again” which shows us how much of a sledgehammer bang this band is capable of bringing on your damn skull!
Forty years in, Loudblast are showing no signs of slowing down through Altering Fates and Destinies. And for that I am extremely thankful!! All who love the diverse and heaviness this band brings will be well advised to seek out this record.
