One subgenre dripping in classic elements of heavy metal is epic doom. Beyond the slower tempos the listener becomes enveloped in this grandiose weight of the riffs, while the vocal melodies often shimmer in a mountain-top presence that tie together the deep emotional context these musicians deliver. Entering the fold from Münster, Germany is High Warden – a three-piece started in 2022, releasing the Land of Stone demo shortly thereafter to be picked up by Dying Victims Productions. Pulling from the works of historical events, legends & myths including familiar J.R.R. Tolkien fare on the lyrical front, Astral Iron as a debut album continues the group’s barbaric, mammoth approach to slower epic doom, heavy metal – injecting a mix of classic influences plus thoughtful transitions that heighten eternal impact.
The tasty, meaty riffs plus subsequent melodic or traditional branches guitarist / vocalist Alastair van Morgue-Gul build off present plenty of crushing moments to savor. Be it in a more compact, straightforward context on the relatively tidy “Pale Hunter” or the naturally Candlemass meets Doomsword-ish unfurling that takes place over the almost nine-minute “Devil His Due / Whore of Yerusalism”, his natural nuances create this force of steel that’s hard to resist. “Burgfrieden” as a synth interlude gives the record a refreshing breather – the guitar feedback adding horror-like tension before the next proper track kicks in. Bassist Lord Parish and drummer Sadistic Hammer understand their roles in setting up the foundation while occasionally settling into a specific, morose mood next to slightly energetic transitions to keep the songs dynamically appealing – the title track a shining example in all facets of their professional abilities. Acoustic guitars and water flow filters into the massive finale “We Shall Burn at Foreign Shores (The Choice of Achilles)” – titanic in its epic riffs once kicked into distortion mode, conjuring up aspects of Grand Magus, Mercyful Fate all the way to early Trouble. Alastair layers specific parts in harmony to raise the intensity of the hooks while his vocals have this forceful magnificence, a la J.B. of Grand Magus – the speedier, almost thrash-like blitz that occurs in the last minute of the song a brilliant surprise.
Once again subscribing to a less is more philosophy in keeping the record at six tracks in under thirty-eight minutes, Astral Iron proves epic doom metal can still register quality releases in 2024. High Warden has plenty of experience and ability to churn out fist waving anthems that speak to the ardent followers of this genre – and this is an ideal way to get in on the ground running.
Swiss modern death metal/deathcore act Conjonctive was a group we featured seven years ago with their sophomore effort, In the Mouth of the Devil. It had lots of groove and ‘core-driven chugs, but it succeeded because it offered more than those to the listener. While the time lapse was long, due to a brief hiatus and some line-up changes, it seems that time has not tempered the band’s fury in the least. New album Misère de Poussière brings lots of heavy riffing and frantic energy to the table, offering fans of extreme music a well balanced release that never lacks for urgency.
Admittedly, the biting energy is the band’s finest weapon. Their modern sound is filled with heaviness, and the riffing has some massive weight to it. Regardless of if they are blasting at full-speed or chugging through a groove, the music grabs you. “Dying Melody” opens with some exemplary material in this regard. Thunderous riffs hit hard and don’t take long before they accelerate in tempo. Inserting just enough melody into it as the song progresses, it comes off as incredibly hooky for as visceral as it is. As they switch up tempos and riff patterns, they never relent for a second. Going along with this intensity is their vocal approach. Dual vocals from Sonia and Randy, such as those on “Summer Hunt,” offer a powerful variety and also keeps the listener guessing as they never go for a ‘set pattern’ as the pair face off throughout the tracks. It’s particularly refreshing to hear them avoid the cliched patterns that male/female vocal patterns usually fall prey to. Lastly, the aforementioned melodic aspect. While it’s all death metal from beginning to end, the way the melodies are woven in, such as “Nocturnal Terror” they try to bring in a number of extreme metal influences without watering down their sound, even providing some dips into blackened territory.
Conjonctive are back, and they’ve brought a heightened sense of urgency to their music. It’s as brutal and downright heavy as anything else you’d expect in the genre, but Misère de Poussière provides an impressive array of diversity without any compromise. Which gives it an edge to much of it’s competition. An act deserving of more attention for sure.
King Diamond surely requires no introduction. One of the most iconic acts in metal history, starting with the punk band Brat, then the legendary Mercyful Fate, and from the ashes of that band’s first split came King Diamond. The man himself is legendary for his glass-shattering falsettos and iconic corpse paint. He also owned Gene Simmons, which is a huge plus for yours truly. Moreover, the King’s live shows are that of theatrical legend. Having caught King Diamond twice over the years – 2013 at MetalDays and 2014 in Pittsburgh – the realization that it had been over a decade (that show was 10/19/14) set in while writing this. I’m truly surprised it had been that long, but alas, here we are for his latest North American romp. To be somewhat fair to myself, late 2019 was the last time the band toured anywhere near us, and a few months later, yadda yadda, the world shut down.
When the St. Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 tour was announced, we immediately marked off that date in the old Google calendar. Joined by thrash legends Overkill – who we also hadn’t seen for a hot minute – and the ascending old school heavy metal warriors in Night Demon, the full bill was a damn fine one. Furthermore, King Diamond was coming with a brand new stage show based on, according to the man himself: “Another timeline in 1920, where I experienced some hard times, and they have to come to our time to steal from us to survive.” Also boasting the band’s most intricate stage show yet, how could one go wrong?
This obviously opportunity wasn’t going to be missed, though there was a bit of a fear that this particular show would happen at all. You see, that bastard hurricane Milton had ravaged West Central Florida not too long prior, and St. Petersburg had been hit incredibly hard with wind damage and massive flooding. The Mahaffey Theater had a few cancellations and postponements due to the storm’s aftermath, but through it all, this thankfully wasn’t one of them. Also by this point, we hadn’t been able to live at home due to a combination of power and internet outages for over 2 weeks. It was a trying time for many, though thankfully our place was back to functionality just when the show was rolling around, and we’d be heading back the following day. So in a lot of ways, this show represented a bit more to the wife and myself than the usual.
Notably, the photo setup at the venue was literally the strangest we’ve ever seen in going to well over 1,200 shows in our lifetime. All photographers were positioned near the back of the venue, which is incredibly strange. Photographers also weren’t allowed to hold onto their cameras, and had to check them with security after each set. Can’t get a photographer’s camera in the way of hundreds of cell phones raised over everyone’s heads for entire sets, right? That said, the staff was friendly as can be, and we thank everyone for their professionalism and courtesy. However, the Mahaffey’s policy for photographers needs some serious changes, as it made capturing the show incredibly challenging.
There are plenty of bands who have contributed to the revival of classic heavy/speed metal, and none so more than Night Demon. Having written some of the most engaging, shred-filled songs in the style for quite some time, they’ve been a band on my list to catch for some time. For one reason or another, the ripping three piece have been quite elusive. Avoid me no more, fellas! This was one of those instances where the wait was ever worth it.
With the crowd still filing in from the lengthy merch line and other shenanigans, the initial number of folks there was disappointingly low – much less than Night Demon deserved. As any concert going veteran knows, don’t skip on opening acts if you don’t know them, folks! You may be missing your new favorite band. Undeterred, the band launched forth with “Outsider” from their latest LP Curse of the Damned. Brimming with energy, vocalist/bassist Jarvis Leatherby and crew exploded out of the gate with fury and a point to prove. Leatherby’s delightfully melodic croon, Armand John Anthony’s crunchy riffs, and Brian Wilson’s pace-setting percussive wizardry enthralled the now tuned in onlookers with an assertive grip.
“Screams in the Night” followed, keeping the undeniable energy escalating while the crowd filled their seats. Yup, this was a fully seated venue. An obvious rarity that reminded me of the Megadeth/Testament/Exodus tour back in 2010 for the Rust in Peace 20th anniversary tour that was also set at a seated venue in Greensburg, PA. This crowd was a bit less rambunctious and out for violence than that evening, but it still felt a little strange. Undeterred, the galloping guitars and rhythms of “Hallowed Ground” kept Night Demon’s momentum with a deft touch and top-notch skill.
To date having released an EP, three full-lengths and a compilation of singles and covers, the band have a solid number of tracks to choose from to fill their all too brief 30 minute set. Wisely drawing from all over the spectrum of their career, the latter half consisted of rippers such as “Ritual” and “The Chalice” from their self-titled debut 2012 EP, as well as the delectable “Escape from Beyond” from their latest.
The band did acknowledge the seated elephant in the room, proclaiming that this is a metal show and everyone should stand up, blasting into their namesake track “Night Demon.” During which, Letatherby and Anthony charged into the crowd at near sprint speed, while continuing to shred away to everyone’s delight. Absolutely one of the highlight moments of the evening, to which left an impression on the now filled crowd.
For those who had seen Night Demon previously, we’re willing to bet that they were unsurprised and elated with the performance put forth. To anyone unfamiliar with the band until then, they sure as hell were now aware of what Night Demon is all about. No doubt making new fans and having a good time doing it. We’ll hopefully take in a Night Demon show again in the future, as they surpassed my lofty expectations and then some.
If you know thrash metal, you know Overkill. The brazen New Jersey natives have been a major part of the scene for over 40 years. To be exact, 44. How is that possible? Time is cruel, but it hasn’t been to Overkill’s output. Having to date released 20 albums, they’ve been consistently churning out material at an impressive clip. Even more impressive, their later material can be counted amongst Overkill’s strongest, further cementing their longevity and workhorse mentality. Having seen them headline many times, it was somewhat unfamiliar to not see them at the top of the bill.
The Wrecking Crew began with a heavy helping of fiery vitality with the title track of their most recent album Scorched, and what a choice of starters. Their latest has received many plaudits – including from our own Matt Coe – and represents all of the major elements of the band fused together. Hearing “Scorched” and “The Surgeon” live in this 45 minute set showcased that their new stuff fits together seamlessly with the old, and it’s all very much Overkill. It’s hard to ask for more than that.
Naturally, classic cuts such as “Rotten to the Core” and “Hello from the Gutter” made their way into the evening, coming off as exuberant and vital as they always have. The band still has that presence in the live arena that’s impossible to teach. Frontman Bobby Blitz wields his distinct, sharp snarl as well as ever – orchestrating the frenetic crowd with ease. He’s truly a one-of-a-kind performer and human who connects with the audience in a special way. In several interactions over the years, he’s always been a real human who is as authentic as can be, and that personality helps make the performer that he is. This night, he was “on” as one can be.
Bassist and original member D.D. Verni really drives the rhythm section, and his importance can never be understated. He looked as energetic and dialed in as he did when I first saw the band well over 20 years ago. It’s definitely good to see him back and healthy after a shoulder surgery that sidelined him for a few tours, and hopefully he’s feeling as good as he played. Drummer Jeramie Kling did a fine job blasting away on the skins, with big shoes to fill after Jason Bittner’s departure earlier in the year. He fit in nicely with the group, with Blitz giving him due plaudits between songs.
Guitarists Dave Links and Derek Tailer have been here for quite a time, and their contributions are obvious – the duo’s work in the band is amongst the best they’ve had, and it shows. They especially showed their collective chops on the effusive monster “Ironbound” and the riffy “Elimination.” With such a vast catalog, one can only imagine how difficult it is to put together a set list – especially in a shorter set than Overkill is used to. However, they were up to the task, pulling together a tight mixture that showcases the band’s wide array of accomplishments.
Naturally, Overkill signed off not caring what you say. You should know the rest, and if you don’t, well “Fuck You.” The crowd joined in kind to the defiant chorus, and it was a fitting conclusion to the thrashers’ part of the evening. These veterans may not sprint around running stage marathons like they used to, but that bright green fire burns ever brightly for these thrash legends. It’s always fun to take in a show from the Wrecking Crew, and I’ll gladly be dragged into the proverbial gutter when these dudes come around.
King Diamond really thrives on stage. Their visuals and elaborate production is an integral piece to the band’s ethos that needs to be experienced in person to get the full experience. “It’s good to be the King,” as Mel Brooks as King Louis XVI in History of the World, Part 1. For us, it’s good to see and experience the King, who has been on top of his live game ever since his return years ago. This time, for the first time in over 20 years, his wife and the band’s backing vocalist and organist Livia Zita would not be joining the band on tour, instead focusing on her quickly growing voice acting career. Definitely good luck to her! Joining for this live trek is the hugely talented Myrkur, who has made quite the name for herself in recent years with her solo black/folk metal project.
When the set was revealed, it indeed was huge and ornate, with large staircases, an ice-laden balcony, and other pieces. The mood was indeed set substantially as “Funeral” echoed throughout the theater. Soon after, the band made their “Arrival” with gusto. See what we did there? Tearing into the set immediately with a trio of tracks from their legendary Abigail album was a wise decision, with “A Mansion in Darkness” making up the latter part of the first section of their performance. King’s voice was in top form, from his forceful barks and shouts to his falsetto screams, while displaying that commanding presence in a style that only he can.
Guitarist (as well as a damn fine producer) Andy LaRocque riffed and shredded along with intense precision, showing that he still has the chops and then some. LaRocque is one of the reasons I picked up a guitar, and seeing him perform is such a treat that isn’t taken lightly. His singular playing style rang through the high ceilings of the Mahaffey Theater, with onlookers dazzled by his prowess. The seasonally fitting “Halloween” from the incredible Fatal Portrait record was one of his many top moments, as was the following “Voodoo.”
Briefly moving into Them territory is the haunting self-titled interlude track, which was utilized as a set up for a new cut in “Spider Lilly” that will be part of the band’s upcoming new album. King stated that a music video was being shot in a few days at the famed Pennhurst Asylum, and is about a little girl that he protected at St. Lucifer’s Hospital in a 1920s timeline. The song itself is an energetic, melodic piece that is pure classic King Diamond.
“Two Little Girls” – during which an actress interacted with two little girl dolls in a wonderfully creepy fashion – was used to set up the speedy “Sleepless Nights.” The middle part of the set contained a lot of theatrical bits with the usage of these interlude tracks, which was done to maximum effect. The stage show is integral for King Diamond, and those elements were excellently choreographed and executed.
“Out from the Asylum” kicked off a section of classic Them songs, to which the crowd was all anticipating eagerly. “Welcome Home” came complete with King donning a creepy geriatric mask while wheeling about our collective, delightful Grandma about the stage. The mesmerizing guitar leads and licks of “Invisible Guests” was next, with guitarist Mike Wead giving the crowd a lead guitar masterclass while LaRocque ripped away with rhythmic bliss. These two have a chemistry that simply works, with this song being a runaway example of their combined dexterity.
The ghostly keys and organs of “The Candle” kept the momentum flame stoked; burn, burn, burn. A personal favorite that was an obvious inclusion, but one that we were overly excited to hear nonetheless. Myrkur helmed the organ with presence and skill, adding her stamp to the proceedings on this song as well as the show as a whole. We do miss Zita being here, but Myrkur was as fine of a choice as one could hope for. The 2019 single “Masquerade of Madness” fit into the set nicely to keep the show going, giving the fans another cut from more recent King Diamond output, no doubt whetting the appetite for the future new album.
A duo of cuts from The Eye began counting down the set in a grandiose fashion; “Eye of the Witch” being a more mid-paced, subdued and haunting piece while “Burn” echoed forth with power and emotive moments. Another new track titled “Electro Therapy” was the conclusion, with a coffin-like apparatus with a woman enclosed was subjected to electrical shocks via our King throughout. This song has a dark, brooding undertone that shows a bit of a different side of the band. It works, and it’ll be interesting to see how this song contextually fits into the new album. King stated after the song wrapped up, “I’m not even a doctor, but I’m just a priest. I think this was a success, huh?” before thanking the crowd and making his exit via a door under in the stage setup.
As we all know, this wasn’t the actual end of the set. In kind, the band returned quickly to play the famed “Abigail” to the audience’s delight. Predictable? Maybe. The right decision? Undeniably. The crowd ate it up, erupting in approving screams and fists in the air, giving the band the loud sendoff they truly deserved.
Conclusion
My personal journey into heavy metal music involves King Diamond’s music in the early discovery of the genre, and being able to see them now makes one realize the indelible impact they’ve had on my musical leanings ever since I came across a used copy of Them and a late 90s reissue of Mercyful Fate’s Melissa at a now defunct shop in Pittsburgh. It’s been a long and fruitful journey, and the King’s music is a huge part of it.
There certainly isn’t anything that King Diamond needs to prove at this point in their illustrious career. Yet, when they come out on the road, you’re guaranteed a show that will dazzle and entrance you audibly, visually, and psychologically. The fact remains that there isn’t anything quite like a King Diamond show (unless it’s Mercyful Fate, of course), and on this evening, we got what was hoped for and then some.
It was really cool to see a diverse crowd in attendance; both grizzled scene veterans, legendary musicians (Cannibal Corpse’s Rob Barrett was near us for part of the show, having an absolute blast), and younger fans who may have been experiencing these bands in person for the first time. The entire package put forth their best – Night Demon keeping classic sounds alive with their effective and fresh perspectives, Overkill showing that thrash is stick defiantly kicking, and King Diamond humbly producing a live experience that is difficult to match.
Be grateful that acts like this are touring and making music in our current time, and be sure to not pass up an opportunity to take in a performance. This tour runs through early December, so if it’s coming anywhere close, you know what to do. Until then, we’ll wait with anticipation of when more details of this new album will be revealed. No doubt, it’ll be a release fit for a King. It’s good to be the King, indeed.
Poppy undoubtedly flew under the radar of the heavy crowd for much of her early career. The YouTuber seemed quite far removed with her android shtick and early material. Then 2020’s I Disagree came in with it’s eclectic and chaotic approach with songs like “Concrete” and “Bite Your Teeth,” entering the heavy music space with no concern for musical boundaries. It was an impressive and unpredictable album that ping-ponged between modern metal, industrial, and pop with a unique flavor. While her follow-ups in Flux and Zig saw her move into alt rock and electro-pop, recent collaborations with Knocked Loose and Bad Omens seemed to hint at her moving back into heavier waters. With Negative Spaces, that turned out to be mostly true.
In typical Poppy fashion, there’s genre-blurring all over the place. It’s undoubtedly heavy, unified by the Jordan Fish production, but it’s rarely straight-forward. Opener “have you had enough?” begins with murky electronic elements and explodes into almost NIN-inspired industrial rhythms and grooves. It ultimately culminates with speaker-filling chugs and Poppy switching into full-on screams. In contrast, it’s followed up by early single “the cost of giving up,” with it’s melodic riffing and hook-filled chorus, leading up to another corrosive bout of downtuned riffing and scathing screams, sounding very much akin to what’s going around in modern metal and rock. That said, “they’re all around us” wastes no time getting right to the more brutal moments. Industrial-laced guitar riffing and screams get the blood pumping before a more serene chorus offers an excellent contrast. The first of three short transition tracks moves us into “crystallize,” a foray into more electronic and less heavy waters. More electropop than anything else, the pounding synths will drill their way into your skull upon first listen. “vidal” keeps up the pop elements and fuses it with more of a rock base, at times almost sounding like something from the early Avril Lavigne catalog.
With the middle of the album pushing a more electronic, pop-driven tone, “push go” bridges the gap sonically to swerve back towards heavier ground with more industrial buzzing, leading into the nu-metal grooving of “nothing” which swells with more dark electro elements bubbling below the surface until the screams pick back up. An absolutely soaring chorus offers a real bright spot for the entire album. Those familiar with her work on Knocked Loose’s “Suffocate” will be thrilled by “the center’s falling out,” which almost feels like the spiritual successor to that visceral, unrelenting track which features a crushing breakdown towards its finale. After the second transition cut, the title track flirts more with grunge than anything else, while “surviving on defiance” utilizes more melancholic notes and dark pulsating grooves, allowing for a sense of dreary resolution before “new way out” brings back more immediately catchy riffing and electronics to the forefront while the lyrics cling to more darker thoughts. The album ends on a brighter note though with “halo” offering a more positive outlook, with it’s catchy ballad-esque approach and gentle electronic beats that build up to culminate into arguably the album’s prettiest moment.
Negative Spaces is an album that likes to flirt with boundaries when it’s not smashing through them. Far from a ‘traditional’ metal release, but one that’s remarkably heavy in both it’s sound and intent. Poppy has always had a unique vision with her sound, and this album seems to culminate much of her expression and experimentation. Given her trajectory, it’s better not to guess where she’s heading in the future as she’s completely unattached to genre, but open-minded fans of heavy music are bound to find something worth celebrating with Negative Spaces.
It’s been almost 10 years since Iniquitous Savagery released their first assault of brutal death metal done in the purest of forms. While it didn’t pretend to change the game, one could attest to the fact that it very much followed the uncompromising rules of brutality. Ten years later, this sounds very much like it could be the logical follow-up. The difference is the idea that fewer and fewer acts are now going for this particular sound.
Being in the realm of those brutal death metal bands that make you want to curse yourself for having to type up a title like Edifice of Vicissitudes (or even look up the term vicissitudes for that matter), its easy to mark comparisons to older acts like Deeds of Flesh, Devourment, or Disgorge. You know, the most brutal of brutal. Ultra low gurgled vocals, a torrent of blastbeats that only relent to the dropping of massive breakdowns and grooves, and some absolutely brain-melting riffage. It’s a sound that’s almost like a time capsule of when it was most popular, and to their credit, Iniquitous Savagery very much nail it. At least a track like “Omnipotence Negates Self-Affliction” does its best to break away from the formula, even if it does rely on crushing grooves and frenetic high-speed blasts – it feels like there are some dynamic shifts here that keep it from getting too ‘same sound-y’ at the middle of the record. But regardless of that, unless you absolutely live for the most brutal of death metal, it’s going to weigh on you by the end of the record. That said, their dedication to the craft of the most devastating of brutal death metal is a testament to its authenticity.
Edifice of Vicissitudes is exactly what you’ve come to expect from brutal death metal. Punishing, uncompromising, visceral, and with just the slightest amount of technical stuff sprinkled in. Take it or leave it, but Iniquitous Savagery know exactly how to play to the strengths of the formula and squeeze out every ounce of heaviness.
Hot off of last year’s Time Will Take Us All, Entheos made a quick return with a new EP An End to Everything. Continuing their evolution as a band (who have been functioning as a two-piece), it’s another strong example of how they can take extreme metal elements and make it something that sounds unique and powerful. They don’t just stick to one thing, but incorporate a multitude of elements to make a more interesting yet still cohesive product. We spoke with vocalist Chaney Crabb about how the two work together, the benefits of having a more unique sound, experiences with social media and their KoperCrabb podcast, and even a bit of make-up talk in this expansive chat.
Dead Rhetoric: First off, congrats on your recent wedding! Going off of that, what’s it been like in terms of just working between Navene [Koperweis] and yourself over the years? Do you feel you can just push each other to the next level each time?
Chaney Crabb: Absolutely! I think we are really good at doing that, because we are honest with each other. It works really well in a music environment, being honest with each other. At the end of the day, we both just want what is best for the thing we are working on together. We both have strong artistic opinions on stuff. We push each other constantly. We both are good at taking criticism from the other person. It’s never harmful, it’s always constructive and I think that if you learn to work in that way with someone, it can be such a fruitful relationship. It has pushed us to write the best stuff we have written together. I’m really proud of it.
Dead Rhetoric: At one point, Entheos had more band members. It’s just basically the two of you at this point. Do you feel that lets you really explore things more completely?
Crabb: Yeah! Don’t get me wrong, I have always loved being in a band. I grew up being in full 4 or 5 person bands, and when we started this band, we had an idealistic image of what it could be with four people being democratic about everything. I think that naturally as things progressed, people didn’t tour anymore and had to leave, Navene and I became very obviously the two people at the head of the band. Navene is capable of writing everything on guitar and writing the music. I am capable of doing everything vocally. So we don’t really need to operate with more people.
Sometimes, when you do have that many people in a band, the artistic image becomes really convoluted. There might be one person in charge but they have to run things by five different people who are all different. Sometimes there is such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen. Because our band is now stripped down to two people…Evan Brewer does play bass on our stuff but he doesn’t write our material. He doesn’t have a hand in writing the material – he just comes in and plays bass on it. Because it’s just the two of us, there’s nothing we don’t want. There’s nothing that we can’t fully stand behind. I have found that sometimes when you are working with a whole group of people, some of the stuff, you look at and say, “I don’t know why we did that.” But they wanted it, you know? Because of that, it’s a very pure band.
Dead Rhetoric: It does seem like the two of you have really honed in on what Entheos is, which means that it’s more uncompromising.
Crabb: Absolutely. I was kind of saying this, but over time it just eventually became obvious that it would be hard for other people to fully feel like they are putting their whole artistic, creative self into the band. When Navene and I come home from tour, we are still talking about the band all the time. We live together and we are together 24 hours a day. When other people go home, they are with their significant others. They are doing other shit. Their significant other doesn’t care what we do with the band.
So if you are another person in our band, you might feel unfulfilled, because Navene and I write very quickly. Navene is very prolific in the way he writes music. We were just talking about what we want to do for our next album is write like 50 songs and sift through those. Kind of like what a country or pop artist would do. I think it’s really hard for other people to keep up with that. Because of that, we don’t have a sense of unfulfilled creativity in our band, and I really enjoy that.
Dead Rhetoric: How did the As I Lay Dying tour go over? It seems like you were in a good position to win over new fans since it’s not a crowd you might not necessarily hit.
Crabb: Absolutely, it was like you are saying. A lot of times you go on tour and every single person there knows about you. Sometimes you go on a tour and there are a few people that know about you, but not really [overall]. We kind of had that experience on the As I Lay Dying tour. Because of that, it opened us up to a whole new crowd of people. To me, As I Lay Dying is a legacy metal act. They’ve been around for 25 years, they have hit records over a long span of time.
There’s a huge fanbase, and a bunch of fans who might not even be in tune with what’s going on in metal now. They are a more generalized metal audience. That was fucking incredible to go out and play our music in front of those people and gain a lot of new fans. Tim was having me come out and do a guest vocal on stage everything with As I Lay Dying. That really helped people find out about us. It was an incredible tour!
Dead Rhetoric: How do you feel that An End to Everything exemplifies where Entheos is at in 2024?
Crabb: I think that it perfectly encompasses what we wanted it to do. We wanted it to be an EP of singles. We did a concept record before this that ran together as a whole piece. Right now as a band, what we want to be doing is writing good songs. It’s a huge goal we have in writing an album right now that we will probably put out next year. That was the goal with this EP. We want to get better as songwriters. I think this EP is very much us doing that.
It really represents stepping into this place where we want to be really good songwriters and to be able to encompass all of the influences into one thing. I think this is a very good step in that direction. We are incorporating a lot more singing, rock and grunge and doom elements, along with the metal. More and more we are just becoming the band we want to be.
Dead Rhetoric: It’s interesting that you mention it, as there seems to be more of that shift. When you first started the band, there was more of a technical slant to it and it seems like the band has been blossoming this whole time. Do you feel that fans have stayed along for the ride, in that regard? I know it’s not always the case for some bands.
Crabb: Totally, I do. I don’t know why that has happened. I don’t know why people have stuck around for the ride. I see that happen all the time! Bands add singing and people are like, “Fuck this, I’m never listening to this band again!” For some reason, I think that we attracted a lot of people who have eclectic taste, from the beginning. We did have tech elements, but we never fully fit in with tech. We never fully fit in on a tour that we were on. That’s a good thing, I’m not mad about it. I like being a unique band. I think that, because of that, the people who were attracted to us in the first place are attracted to that kind of music and are attracted to bands that do that.
For me, my favorite bands are ones that do not easily get defined by one genre. They don’t stick to one thing. The coolest part about a band is seeing what they do over time and how they expand their sound. For some reason, we attracted fans who are also into that, and watching bands do that. It’s also because we never came out and were like, “We’re a tech death band” or “We’re a deathcore band.” We have always been weird…we are like a rock band, I don’t know what we are. We’re a metal band, just listen to us. We have been lucky to attract people that like the same thing.
Dead Rhetoric: It might be helpful that when you don’t fit on a tour, like the As I Lay Dying one, it makes it a lot easier to pull people in because you can go all over the place with different bands.
Crabb: I’ve noticed that the people we pull in, they are the kind of people we are talking about. They are in it for the long haul. They aren’t just interested in what is hot right now and sounding like that. They are music lovers and they love bands and live music, and hearing bands experiment. So I totally agree with that. Sticking out is a good thing.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ve shared a lot of personal information, particularly about your accident, and this EP is also a personal one. Do you find it challenging to be so forward with some of these things?
Crabb: I think when I was younger I did, yeah for sure. The older that I get, the more I think it’s important. I think people resonate with that stuff. I enjoy when people share personal information. It helps us all realize that we aren’t all really alone in this world, and a lot of people go through a lot of similar things.
When I was younger, I was more guarded. It’s probably why I don’t really resonate with the early lyrics of Entheos very much. I feel like I was trying to be someone who I really wasn’t. I was trying to do a more tech thing, and I don’t really give a shit about that stuff. I want personal lyrics, and I realized that over time. That I liked lyrics like that and wanted to resonate with the lyrics. So the older I get the less I give a shit. I’m only here for a certain amount of time. It’s whatever. I like putting that stuff out there now.
Dead Rhetoric: In the last year or two, there’s a bunch of stuff from Entheos in my social media feed, from playthroughs to one-takes to other things. Do you feel you’ve gotten a good grasp on how to use social media to your advantage as a band?
Crabb: I think I do, but social media changes so constantly. Every time I post one of those videos I’m like, “This is going to be the one that doesn’t go viral” or whatever [laughs]. I’m always expecting it to be whatever. Yesterday I had a good grasp on it, but today do I have a good grasp? I have no idea, but I’m along for the ride and I try to learn as much as possible. I do think social media has been a great tool in growing our band. I think it can be a great tool for a lot of people, and you don’t have to adhere to what everyone else is doing.
A lot of people, I think, think that you have to be this cringy type persona to have it help your band on the internet, but I don’t see it that way. I think if you just put out honest stuff that is you, people will gravitate towards that. Social media is so wild. It’s the wild west out there so I don’t know!
Dead Rhetoric: It’s something that a number of bands have talked about lately in some way or another. They mention the cringy bit, but I think it’s cool that you have found a way to make it work for yourself that feels genuine.
Crabb: Thank you! I’m surprised by that. I’m happy but tt’s surreal to me that it has taken off for me and my band. I did vocal one-takes 10 years ago and no one gave a shit back then. It’s not on the internet for me to think I was going to get a lot of exposure from it. It’s cool that it has worked out that way. Like you were saying, if you go into it more genuinely and don’t expect much out of it, it can be a great thing.
Dead Rhetoric: You and Navene have also been doing your own podcast for a while. What do you feel you’ve gained by doing the KoperCrabb podcast in terms of the scene or even how podcasting works?
Crabb: Oh my god, there has been so much gain. I don’t know – I feel like I am pretty up to date with what is going on with the scene, so it’s a way to talk about it. It’s been a cool way to just build a community, and build a stronger community around our band and talk about things that I don’t know if people really know, like what it means to be a touring musician and do this for a living. It’s cool to be able to peel back the curtain for some people. When you do that, it makes it seem easier for some people to achieve, if that makes sense.
When you are so withdrawn from something, and you only see artists out there getting their art in Decibel magazine or their album out there, you don’t really know. It doesn’t seem achievable. It seems so far from you. Like in the olden days, when people had to go to Hollywood to be famous as actors or actresses. As a midwesterner, that seems really far away. But when you peel back the curtain and say, talk about how I got here or how we got signed or how our band gets booked…all of those things. When you talk about that, it helps people see that it’s something they can achieve as well.
So it’s been cool to do that, and it’s been cool to just have conversations with our friends, who we sometimes only see for 5-10 minutes on tour and we never really have this extensive conversation about all of this stuff with them. It’s just like a whole new way to experience being in a band, from my side. It’s cool! Now we know our friends, and we can be friends with people who are fans of our band. It’s super sick!
Dead Rhetoric: It also makes it more meaningful for those people involved as well. You dig in and get the fans that are like, “they are kind of cool” and you lock them in.
Crabb: That happens to me all the time with comedy podcasts. I’m a huge fan of people who I don’t even think their comedy is that funny. It’s because of their podcast.
Dead Rhetoric: To go in a very different direction, in terms of the way your eye shadow goes and your eye gems, what has your evolution been with make-up. It almost seems like an element of your persona at this point.
Crabb: I have literally been wearing cat eye eyeliner since I was thirteen. It’s just always been the way that I have liked wearing make-up. Its like when you put make-up on and you are like, that’s how I want to present myself. That’s how I feel beautiful. So I guess it’s been an ever-evolving thing. I have gotten way better at doing my make-up over the years. With adding eye gems and stuff, it’s just shit that I see. With the eye gems, total shout out to my friend Sheena, because she had a certain kind of eye gem on and I was kinda vibing it and decided I was going to wear them now.
It’s a part of me. I don’t know if it’s a persona, but this is just Chaney. It’s how I go to the bar. This is how I went to my sister in law’s baby shower last weekend. So it’s me. It’s how I like to present myself. I really like to experiment with that stuff. I’m really into EDM culture, it’s really cool. When they go to festivals and stuff, it’s different than metal. They are really dressing the fuck up and being a part…I have gone to gay clubs since I was like 17 years old. That’s like, where I grew up. Everyone there is very bodacious and drag queens and it’s like glam is a part of the theme. All of that is very much a part of who I am as a person.
Dead Rhetoric: I kind of feel like metal could use a bit more of that, like a sparkle almost.
Crabb: I totally agree with that. I’m happy to be one of the people to bring it. It’s just something I have used, being so mystical. I think people are beautiful when they feel like they can express themselves in ways that are on their body. That’s an artistic representation of yourself. I always love when I see even older people, who want to do it up. They are glam! I think it represents a part of you that you might not be able to get across otherwise. This is who I am.
Dead Rhetoric: In my own full disclosure, coming out as transgender a few years back, I can completely get that sentiment.
Crabb: Now you can be yourself! This is who I fucking am! I love being able to be like, “This is who I am.” I feel like a lot of people lose that spark over time. They get inundated in the real world and think, “I don’t want to do that,” “I will look stupid like that,” and it’s like, this life is about being able to be the person that you are. Be who you want to be and do it unapologetically! That’s what I’m all about!
Dead Rhetoric: What do you hope for the metal scene as it moves forward?
Crabb: I hope that the metal scene moves away and embraces being unique. That it moves away from this homogenization that I see happening in subsects of metal right now. A lot of bands are chasing what another band is doing. A lot of bands don’t have any unique flavor to their thing. Full disclosure, Navene and I were listening, and I’m not going to say what subgenre it was, but we listened to like 20 bands in the same subgenre like two weeks ago and I couldn’t tell the bands apart. There was no standout thing where I was like, “Holy shit, this band is killing it in a different way!”
So I just want that to continue to be embraced. That we are all unique and that we are doing things differently than other people. That we don’t need to follow certain formulas to get views on TikTok or become big bands. There are a few fucking gems out there, and I was just talking about SeeYouSpaceCowboy earlier in a different interview. I think they are absolutely killing it. I wouldn’t even necessarily be drawn into the genre that they play but I just think they are amazing. I like unique bands and unique voices, and instrumentalists where it’s not all of their artistic ability being scrubbed out by quantization and production techniques to homogenize the bands. I want to see bands experimenting and enjoying being themselves.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s next for Entheos?
Crabb: We are going to be touring a lot next year. We have a tour that we will be announcing a tour soon that is going to be in the southern American states, places that I have never heard of, like McAllen, Texas. But I’m going there [laughs]. Stuff that we wouldn’t hit on a normal A or B market tour. So that, and like I said, we are going to start recording an album at the beginning of December. We are doing the podcast and keeping it rolling over here. We can’t stop, we are obsessed with making music!
