Thirty years into their musical career, it doesn’t take much of an introduction to cover Arch Enemy. Blood Dynasty is their twelfth album in as many years, and the perpetually prominent act has continued along despite some member changes through the years. The latest transition, and first in quite some time, has been the departure of Jeff Loomis and replacing him on guitar is that of Joey Concepcion. While Blood Dynasty continues to follow the usual pathways for Arch Enemy, it also has a few tricks up its sleeves that established fans should enjoy.
There are certain facets of the Arch Enemy sound that simply aren’t going anywhere, and that’s okay. Michael Amott’s flashy and identifiable guitar melodies and soloing have been one of the group’s standouts from the beginning, and they still continue to provide a number of highlights. “March of the Miscreants” features a high-flying and notable solo in its second half that features all of the staples you’d expect from the group, in addition to the song’s soaring riff patterns and headbangable chorus. “The Pendulum” dellivers the group’s punishing intensity when they go for the mid-tempo grooves, merged with the flashy guitar heroics. The title track sits as a solid reminder of a ‘classic’ Arch Enemy track, with it’s flowing melodic leads, stomping tempos, and standout solo, as well as an anthemic chorus.
But there’s still some noticeable differences this time around too. There’s a bit more adrenaline to be had through a number of the tracks, starting with the thrilling opener “Dream Stealer,” as well as stadium rock power of “Paper Tiger.” “Illuminate the Path” gives vocalist Alissa White-Gluz a much larger opportunity to display her clean vocals and it makes for a riveting power metal-esque chorus that is sure to become a live favorite. Probably the most notable track on the album is that of “Vivre Libre,” which again features some clean vocals sung in French (it’s a cover song). The slower pacing and greater emphasis on clean vocals make it stand out significantly, though they have done a great job of making the cover their own.
Blood Dynasty showcases Arch Enemy still has plenty of drive and hunger in the tank, 30 years in. It’s a great mix of some of their signature melodic death metal sound, with some increases in both tempo and heaviness, and some outside-the-norm melodies. It all comes together for a compelling listen that proves that Arch Enemy are still a force to be reckoned with in the metal scene, and worthy of the continued hype.
A new-ish entry from Japan in the symphonic metal category, though according to the band’s own description it’s ‘symphonic metalcore.’ But regardless of subgenre, Fathomless Skywalker has been slowly moving towards this first full-length since their 2017 inception and releasing an EP in 2018, with several singles ever since, leading up to Anthems of the Resilient. What you will get with Fathomless Skywalker is a modern mixture of power metal, bombastic symphonies, a nod towards some melodic death metal and some modern metal as well, topped with operatic vocals from Chihiro.
The band’s varied influences reflect an often energetic and potent mix of fiery metallic landscapes melded together with vivid symphonic backdrops. The orchestral arrangements were worked on by Freddy from melodeath act Serenity in Murder, and the visceral riffing patterns make a thrilling combination. One of the stand out songs, “Pirates of the Fathomless Sea,” has that seafaring atmosphere to it, but the introduction of winding riffs and soaring melodies. Some of the guitar melodies capture that old school In Flames feeling to them in a way in how jovial they sound. “REVOLUTION” starts things off with all guns blazing, with boisterous synths trading blows with heavy riffing, while Chihiro provides a potent operatic voice, one that carries plenty of weight and can hit all the proper high notes with flair. This is a track that has a more modern and thrashy feel to the riffing at times, giving it that urgent vibe as it clashes with the more traditional bombastic sound. Some properly place gang vocals only amplify the energetic flow of the track.
“POWER” is a cut that feels very European in it’s guitar melodies as well, as the uplifting nature of them has that classical sound, nodding towards NWOBHM while the thunderous impact helps it to stand out a bit in a modern way. “Paradiso” concludes things in a more classical meets metal way, delivering bombastic elements of a classical music nature while the guitars buzz equally in the foreground, while the soaring chorus should make power metal fans quite pleased and want to hit the repeat button instantly.
Similar to an act like Lovebites in that they have plenty of frantic guitar shredding and European influences nodding in their Japanese symphonic metal, Fathomless Skywalker should easily grab a foothold with a wide variety of metal fans. There’s a heavy enough feeling to pull in some modern fans, the guitar heroics to earn favor with the more traditional heavy metal crowd, and still hit the marks for their symphonic and bombastic approach. Anthems of the Resilient is a solid debut that Fathomless Skywalker can build on and grab some international ears as they continue to fine-tune their intriguing take on symphonic metal.
We’re excited to partner with Massachusetts stoner thrashers Asasara on a giveaway of their latest EP 777, which was recently just released on vinyl and tape. Give this smooth and riff-filled rager a listen:
Grand prize: One (1) copy of 777 on vinyl.
Runner-up: One (1) copy of 777 on tape.
All you need to do is fill out this form and enter 777 in the answer field! Be sure to enter by Tuesday, April 1 to have a chance to win!
The Bay Area may be best associated with thrash metal, but it’s always been an active musical community in many other heavy genres. Coming from the hardcore scene while injecting that muscular thrash component, Doomsday has actively been cultivating a sound that really engages the listeners. Energetic and crunchy with the perfect amount of call-to-action gang voices, breakdowns, and two-step transitions, their latest album Never Know Peace showcases a current band taking decades of influences with their own personal experience to meld a sound that many will not resist. We were able to have a conversation with vocalist Charlie D. about the formation of Doomsday, the band’s outlook on their crossover sound, albums that formed the DNA for the new record, differences in the old versus new breed of crossover thrash, concerns for the community in general, and what’s in store for live touring.
Dead Rhetoric: Describe your life growing up in childhood – what are some of your earliest memories surrounding music back then, and when / how did you make the progression into heavier forms of music, and eventually the desire to perform in your own bands?
Charlie D.: I grew up in Puerto Rico. Metal really wasn’t a big thing over there, it was mostly reggaeton and salsa, all the Latin music. My dad is a big metalhead, he loved Metallica and Iron Maiden. Growing up I would listen to what my dad listened to, basically. Once I moved to the states when I was 18, I got into the hardcore scene over here.
I didn’t know anything about music and performing, it was just some of my friends at the time who invited me to a show. There was this band called King Nine, from Long Island, New York. It was the scariest moment of my life, that show. There was a moment where this guy was getting swarmed by eleven dudes because he was just being obnoxious and drunk. Everyone was windmilling everywhere, throwing hands and I thought it was the coolest thing that I’d ever seen in my life. I just had to start a band and keep going to shows, and eventually started a straight-edge band with Joseph, the singer of Sunami, that one big hardcore band. That didn’t last too long, but then I met Ryan, our guitarist, and we just had this mutual love of this band Iron Age from Texas. Without Iron Age, Doomsday would not exist, and I would not be making music at all, the influence starts from there.
Trying to do something different in the hardcore scene, we wanted that metal tinge but still having breakdowns and two steps. Now it’s gotten to the point where we are writing all these crazy solos, these crazy parts. The metal influence is showing way more than the hardcore influence at this point. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but it’s really cool to see the progression of the band with this new record. This is a metal ass album, and I’m super excited for it.
Dead Rhetoric: Never Know Peace is the first album for Doomsday after delivering a series of EPs, singles, and demos over the years. How did the songwriting and recording sessions go for this set of material – and where do you see this record sitting in the catalog for the band?
Charlie D.: I think this is the best (material) that we’ve done, so far. When it came to all the other stuff we’ve done, from the first EP through Depiction of Chaos, a lot of it was writing riffs and songs. They would send me the tracks, and I would pull out a thesaurus, and I’m going to write all these intricate lyrics. It was taking what Ryan had sent me and trying to do the best that I can as a lyricist to be all intellectual. When it came to this album, we wrote it with a lot more purpose. Every song has its own vibe. I can only speak on the lyrics – I’m a horrible musician. In the other band I’m in, I’m not even the best bassist in the band. We wrote every song with a lot of intent. When it came to the lyrics, I wrote stuff that matches with what Ryan is bringing to the table through each song. Trying my hardest not to recycle the same kind of imagery I had been doing before.
When it comes to metal, you can only write about so much stuff. I’m writing about demons, war, and I feel like when it comes to this album, I feel like this is the best material I’ve written. The solos, the breakdowns, everything – I truly believe this is the (greatest) thing that we’ve done so far.
Dead Rhetoric: As you mention, it’s a challenge to develop fresh ideas consistently within the metal realm. Is that why you draw from your own personal experiences and view points to make things more interesting?
Charlie D.: Yeah, 100%. When it came to the single we just dropped “Never Know Peace”, I mentioned in another write-up that I don’t want this band to be afraid to be vulnerable. I want to have moments of going through something real, and something that everyone goes through. The lyrics are about me being in the lowest point of my life, and wanting to… commit (unsafe behavior). I really hope that I could somehow help someone when reading that, that they are not alone. For the next song we are going to release, it’s the other side of the coin for mental health, you are feeling that way, but don’t give up, you got this. I feel like that song is one that if we somehow ever perform in a stadium, I want that song to be one that people sing back to us. I want to continue with those topics in the band in the lyrics we write. I want to be real.
Dead Rhetoric: Ripped to Shreds guitarist Andrew Lee contributed two guest leads on “Holy Justice” and “Remnants of Spite”. Did this come about through Ryan’s status as well with the group, and what do you enjoy most about Andrew’s work that colors those songs in a better way?
Charlie D.: Andrew is insane. We recorded a bunch of stuff at Andrew’s place, his little recording spot. Ryan asked him to do a guest spot. Anytime I watch that guy shred, be it through Heavy Metal Shrapnel, Houkago Grind Time, all this stuff, he’s a literal savant. I don’t know how he does that stuff. To me it doesn’t matter what he ends up doing, I know it’s going to be good. I’m super appreciative of him taking the time to do that. It was just as cool as him having me shout in his basement.
Dead Rhetoric: Where did you want to come across with the cover art for this record?
Charlie D.: Originally, I had this whole vision of the artwork to be striking, iconic. I look at the South of Heaven album cover, and you can take away the album name, you can take away the Slayer logo, and you know what album that is. I wanted things to be more abstract like that, single-minded. When I contacted Spencer Davie, an Oakland artist, I was trying to find an artist and he had the exact type of color palate and paint strokes that I liked. I gave him some ideas, and he sent a sketch of things that wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but was way better than what I was thinking. I wanted to be like our own thing, and I feel this captures the album name. This necromancer, he’s raising the hordes of the dead. They don’t know anything, they just know about war. He’s an amazing artist, and I hope he gets way more people hitting him up.
Dead Rhetoric: You mention in the background information to this record that it’s a love letter to every record we grew up listening to, while still being us at the core. What are some of those albums that form the essential DNA to Doomsday, and for a follow-up – what would you consider some of the essential elements that have to make up a composition for the band?
Charlie D.: We were listening to a lot of South of Heaven, Chaos A.D., a lot of Iron Age, a lot of Metallica, and wanting a lot of what we heard in those albums. I wanted it to be dope, but I didn’t want it to be a cookie cutter version of those albums. One of the songs that we are releasing, I stole something from Live Undead. I am more than fine with taking that and making it my own way. We listened to the rest of the song, and we understand why borrowing that part makes sense, it’s not like we are just ripping stuff off. Imitation is the best form of flattery, they say.
When it comes to trying to write for the record, we want to be like a hardcore band in the end; at the same time, I feel like there’s no way we can’t not put a two-step part, a most part, that’s our roots. We want to have those elements there, because we are going to keep playing hardcore shows at the end of the day. We want to have those ass beater parts – but we want to have some dual leads, dual solos. We still want to keep the same ethos of the band like when we first started. This is going to be a different thing, we will have these crazy parts, lyrics that not a lot of people do. We are trying to do stuff that we like at the end of the day.
Dead Rhetoric: How would you describe Doomsday when it comes to your live performances versus what people hear and experience on the record? What do you want people to take away after seeing you live – and what have been some of the more memorable or standout performances for the group to date?
Charlie D.: At least for me, I like going all out. I want to be really active, really intense. I want the people seeing us to feel how I feel. I’m super pumped; I want this to be an energetic time. I’m not going to have other people feel that if I am just standing still. With the record, we wanted that feeling to be on the record. A more intense, energetic sound because it wasn’t matching up all the way to how we were performing live. We were more amped; we could be doing way more on the record.
As far as shows, we just did a couple of shows with the Warriors at Cornerstone, and one was at the Great American Music Hall. One of my dream venues, and those were a lot of fun. We played this one show in Lubbock, Texas. I had never heard of that town in my life, and it was in a small tattoo shop. This was a run we did with Denial of Life, another dope band. It was a small, packed-out room of people just going apeshit. That’s one of my favorite things to experience, going to a new city that I have no preconceived notion about, and it being the greatest time ever. We did a three-day run with Fugitive, that was great. There are a lot of shows. Every show I’ve played in Oakland, dope times.
Dead Rhetoric: Being a part of the Creator-Destructor Records roster since the 2022 Depictions of Chaos EP, what are your thoughts on the staff, their outlook on the genre, and what they’ve been able to give Doomsday in terms of a bigger profile and footprint in the scene?
Charlie D.: Shout out to Ben who runs the label. We hit him up, we emailed him telling him we really liked his label, let’s do something. He got back in touch the same day, saying this was sick, let’s do this. He has turned out into our biggest supporter; he’s an amazing friend. He has a great ear for music, every single band he’s put out, he knows what sounds good. He knows exactly what to put out. He’s put out Gulch, Sunami stuff, Iron Front, and those kids go to make the scene better in the Bay Area. He is releasing music that he believes in. He is one of the biggest reasons the live hardcore and metal scene in the Bay Area is in my opinion the best in the United States – maybe even the whole world. His efforts, ear for music, and being a down-to-earth dude.
Dead Rhetoric: Did you have any trepidation going into recording the Metallica song “Trapped Under Ice” on your self-titled EP from 2023?
Charlie D.: I’m still waiting for that email. That’s my favorite Metallica song. It has the greatest two step part towards the middle of the song. I may record another Metallica cover. I am nervous that one of these days we are going to get an email from Sony Music, telling us to cut it out. Even with the name Doomsday, we were trying to think of a bunch of names to start this band. One of them was going to be Twisted Fate, and I thought Doomsday was cool. It just stuck, and I was going through Spotify and there are like fifty other Doomsdays. What have I done? Thankfully I feel like we are the Doomsday now, with enough effort. Hopefully Metallica sees that and won’t sue us for everything they have.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the differences between the first generation of crossover thrash artists and the current generation that are bursting through? Do you believe the diversity of influences has contributed to more acceptance of genre blending?
Charlie D.: 100%. Look at us. When we first started this band, I didn’t think about the thrash aspect at first. I wanted riffs, I wanted solos, in a hardcore band. Then it just became, we noticed a lot more people in the (thrash) scene accepting us. Okay, that’s sick! Bands like Enforced, Dead Heat – I feel like Dead Heat are very similar to us, coming up through the hardcore scene, doing a sound that they liked a lot. They like the Crumbsuckers, Suicidal Tendencies, stuff like that. But still wanting to blend their own sound to it, and I really relate to that because I was having a conversation with my friend Ace who is in another band called Mutually Assured Destruction. I really hope that there is another boom for thrash.
At least off the top of my head, I’m still stuck on the old stuff that I like, but I’m not noticing a lot of newer acts that are really trying to go all in on thrash 100% at the level we are at. Dead Heat, Enforced, Pest Control, I want to be right besides them. I want this genre to keep going. It has literally everything – you can do anything with a thrash band, and it will be the sickest thing. This is one of the few genres where you can take a lot of risks with what you are doing, and still be a thrash band at your core. I hope our little drop in the water is a good contribution to the scene.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you consider some of the biggest challenges the group faces currently?
Charlie D.: When it comes to challenges, we had a conversation with Ryan and I last year. What do we really want to do with this band? This could be really dope if we keep working as hard as we are doing now. But what do we really want to do? Are we going to quit our jobs for this? Hit the road – and we were super scared about leaving our lives behind for our band and our music. We had a long ass conversation, and it just came out that we have to be down for this. I feel like our biggest challenge is how do we get more into the metal scene outside of the current hardcore scene. I will play a hardcore show in a basement or outside anywhere. I will do it anywhere, anytime. I want to also embrace that metal side of us and also do more of that stuff. How do we break into that world even more? Not just be a hardcore band with good riffs.
Dead Rhetoric: What are some of the biggest worries or concerns you have about the world that we are going through today? If you had the ability to get the common person to focus on one or two key aspects to make their community or world a better place, what do you believe needs to be worked on the most?
Charlie D.: I feel like I say this at every show. About how the only thing that we have is each other, the community. Especially within the hardcore community, the only thing we really can depend on is ourselves. We are getting stripped of a lot lately. My trans friends getting their rights taken away, genders getting changed on their passports back to like what they don’t identify as. Women’s rights, or what is happening to Palestinians. I say almost at every show, Doomsday stands up for a free Palestine. The most important thing you can do is use your voice. You can have what you might think is no impact, or x amount of followers – but if you believe and stand up for something, you should use your voice. There are so many people that don’t and have that taken away from them against their will. Being louder in what we want. Not just on the internet. Not just posting something on your stories. Actual, tangible change. A tangible contribution.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you see the next twelve months shaping up for Doomsday as far as promotion and activities?
Charlie D.: We are planning a four-day record release tour with our homies in Iron Front. We announced some of the shows – one with Despise, Age of Apocalypse, which will be at Neck of the Woods in San Francisco. Just confirmed two more shows in Sacramento and Oxnard. We are trying to figure out the last date. We want to hit the road, hard, this next twelve months. I can’t wait to figure that out.
Togenashi Togeari (トゲナシトゲアリ) has gotten some considerable coverage here due to the complexity that they have in their particular brand of rock. This scribe came upon them back in 2023 with their first singles “Nameless Name” and “No Rhyme Nor Reason,” because of the distinctive 3d animations for their first single and a compelling need to check out more anime-based bands. After a steady stream of singles that year, leading into 2024, the group had a strong collection of tracks before the anime Girls Band Cry even started in April 2024. To the point that released a full album, which gathered the singles together in one collection (Togeari). All of this background goes into this 1st One Man Live (the equivalent of a solo headlining performance), as it was done on March 16, 2024 at 1000 Club in Yokohama. A month before the anime began airing.
So in that regard, this 1st One Man Live: Prelude to Twilight was meant to do two things. First, it provided an intimate showcase (a 1000 person venue) to fans who had checked out the group prior to the anime’s release and give them a shot to get some more growing buzz. It also provided some first listens and a preview of the anime itself. As you view the live show, after “Hurtful and Painful,” there’s a sizeable portion of the show where the five members of Togenashi Togeari introduce themselves, both in a video portion with the character their voice and an introduction for themselves live in the venue. There’s several portions where they will stop playing and you can see short preview portions of video (with one time the group is amusingly ducking off to the side while it plays). It was also the first time that anime OP “Wrong World” and ED “I’m Nobody” would have been played live. So this would have been a major treat to anyone following the group to get this sort of scoop one month in advance. Hearing the crowd reaction after the encore to watching the first few minutes of Episode 1 of Girls Band Cry, through the OP, was a fun experience to hear the “ooooohs” and “ahhhhhhhhhhs” as real-world locations popped up and the vividly animated opening sequence flowed across the screen.
But that’s enough about the set up, let’s talk about the live performances themselves. TogeToge essentially plays all of their available songs up to that point. All the previous singles get a shot to shine, and the band itself is impressive to watch. Consider that Togenashi Togeari was formed from a talent search back in 2021 by Toei Entertainment to form a girls rock band, and no experience was required to apply. There was little live experience prior to this gig, though you’d never know it by watching. The five members hit all of the notes, and do so with plenty of energy. There’s a large amount of stage presence, which you can check out in the video for “Bleeding Hearts” below, and see how Shuri’s basswork is just as ear-grabbing live as it is on disc, and Mirei hits the drumkit with passionate force. Yuri’s guitar work also stands out, and the interactions between her and Shuri are fun to watch. There’s a certain energy that the whole band casts, particularly on the more uptempo songs like the punk-ish “Underneath,” the driving anime OP “Wrong World,” and the proggy yet bouncy “Answer to Extreme.”
Then, of course, there’s vocalist Rina. Considering her unique and masterful vocal delivery, it could be make or break live, but she nails her lines. As the frontwoman, you can see she’s working on her crowd interactions and effectively banters with them between tracks, and there’s something compelling about her passionate delivery, with “I’m Nobody” acting as a standout in that regard, as it also does for Natsu’s graceful keyboard playing. “Nameless Name” allows her a few moments to belt out lyrics with no instrumental backing, and it’s chilling in the best way. To level one small gripe, some of the more technical guitar melodies on “Ideal Paradox” are clearly being played through the backing tracks, which was a bit disappointing. But given the backstory on the group, it’s impressive that it’s the only noticeable time it happens, and other cuts, like the frenetic “Underneath” and “Answer to Extreme” are done in pristine condition. So hopefully over time, those backing tracks for that song will be fully executed live. As for the quality of the video itself, there’s frequent cuts to the members and the crowd but it’s never jarring and keeps the energy as high as the music that’s playing on the screen. The sound is crisp, and let’s you hear all of the members, which is a keen quality as their recordings mirror that same ideal.
For international fans who are unable to catch Togenashi Togeari live, Prelude to Twilight provides a stellar watch. It’s further proof that this group has somehow captured something truly special, not even in just the anime space, but rock as a whole. The lighting, the sound, and the production of this makes for a perfect watch for fans, or to show to someone else to get them into the growing act. TogeToge deserves a wider audience than just the anime-adjacent spectrum, and hopefully they continue to grab a bigger international foothold. They are going to be performing in the US for the first time at Anime Expo this summer after all.
Setlist:
1. Na mo naki nani mo kamo (Nameless Name)
2. Itsuwari no ri (No Rhyme Nor Reason)
3. Kizutsuki kizutsuke itakutetsurai (Hurtful and Painful)
4. Risō-teki paradox to wa (Ideal Paradox)
5. Reimei wo ugatsu (Piercing the Dawn of Time)
6. Sayonara sayonara sayonara (Underneath)
7. Kiutsu, hakudakusu (White Drizzle in Gloom)
8. Gokushiteki gokusaishoku answer (Answer to Extreme)
9. Unmei ni kaketai ronri (Lonely Fate to Be Destined)
10. Zattō, bokura no machi (Wrong World)
11. Hazete saku (Bleeding Hearts)
12. Dare ni mo narenai watashi dakara (I’m Nobody)＜Encore＞
13. Na mo naki nani mo kamo (Nameless Name reprise)＜Encore＞
The formula of Ginevra may be simple – the execution par excellence. Assemble some seasoned musicians in the melodic hard rock, metal, and AOR fields and allow them to create a new outfit that has stellar songwriting plus magnificent performances at the heart of a record. Featuring vocalist Kristian Fyhr (Seventh Crystal), guitarist Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear), bassist Jimmy Jay (H.E.A.T.) and drummer Magnus Ulfstedt (Nordic Union, ex-Eclipse), the debut album We Belong to the Stars in 2022 impressed a lot of fans out of the gate – leading to this sophomore outing Beyond Tomorrow. These eleven tracks embrace a Nordic-sounding melodic hard rock/metal foundation, although exhibiting a bit more heaviness when necessary to establish themselves slightly different from the pack.
The keyboard presence often sits side by side to the guitar action – filling the sonic landscape in swaths of AOR-like tranquil beauty. Especially evident in the tradeoffs between Fyhr and Karlsson with some twin guitar harmonies that lead into a crunchy, mid-tempo groovy musical hook for “True North”, where Kristian’s glorious voice shines like a bright beacon surrounded by a plethora of multi-tracked background choir-like melodies. Propulsive rhythm section work carries the opening instrumental sequence and verses that make “Let Freedom Ring” another stellar composition, similar to the greatest efforts of Pretty Maids and Masterplan. It’s not as easy as one thinks to create compelling commercial hooks in such a way that captivate listeners through every pass – but that’s what you’ll hear in toe-tapping tracks like “Beat the Devil” (the gang vocals volley next to this 80s Kansas meets Eclipse musical wellspring) and highway ready “Higher”. Intertwining clean passages next to uplifting electric chord progressions, “Echoes of the Lonely” has that extra epic aura in certain vocal parts that fuse brilliantly next to the steady supply of arena rock, upper register melodies. Never fear that Magnus also knows when to rip out a shred-fueled lead break next to his thoughtful main songwriting duties – injecting the metal / heroic axe licks in all the ideal places.
The track record of Frontiers Music when it comes to these projects like Ginevra showcases more winning hands than losers. Beyond Tomorrow allows the quartet to once again develop material that crosses numerous melodic hard rock/metal styles in a tasteful manner – the results of which should be well received from plenty of followers.
Getting albums for review is crazy, y’all. I mean, a label or PR firm actually wants to hear what thoughts you might have, be they good or well, not so much. I’ve been so fortunate to do these for well over a decade now, with no plans to stop in the near future. And sometimes we get records months before release. When that happens, oh man am I happy. Such is the case with Throne and their new disc That Who Sat Upon Him, Was Death. I’ve been sitting upon this beast of a metal disc since January, like an asp guarding the Lost Ark.
Upon pressing play (for the first of many, many listens) I was all in. I mean I was ready to take out a second mortgage just to get these guys to play my next birthday gig! Nathan Barnes (rhythm guitar & vocals) and Tim Kenefic (lead guitars) bring the riff hammer down on heads that are not only unsuspecting, but destined for concussions. Then there’s the rhythm section of Kollin Perpignani (drums) and Leslie Drake (bass) who take a track like “Upon Deathless Winds” and make it their insane business to melt it much like the T-1000’s liquid metal in Terminator 2! Fuckin’ Hell, this song destroys!!
“Behold Impurity” comes for you with great vengeance and furious anger, while opener “Disentombed” and subsequent follow-up tune “To Breathe the Unknown” are like two sides of the same coin, equal parts chaos and mayhem. Guess what? I am here for it! As if the preceding tunes hadn’t already rained down blood and flames, closer “Where Angels Cower In Fear” comes in to gut you sonically like a fish, just for good measures. At day’s end That Who Sat Upon Him, Was Death is a fantastic album from Throne. You should get this one in you with a quickness!!
These days we have plenty of metallic hardcore-oriented thrash piping into our ears. Probably thanks to the success of Power Trip, we have newer artists that intertwine two (or more) heavy genres to distinguish themselves in the crossover pack. The Bay Area in Oakland is home to Doomsday, previously receiving kudos for their energetic take on this style from yours truly on their 2022 Depictions of Chaos EP. A subsequent self-titled EP hit the streets in 2023 that included the band’s take on “Trapped Under Ice” from Metallica – which leads us to this debut album Never Known Peace. Pared down to a five-piece, you can expect another merge of hard-hitting tracks that seesaw between hardcore and thrash – containing a fierce vocal presence as well as proper half-time breakdowns guaranteed to cause mayhem in the pit.
You may know when the circular groove parts are coming, and yet they never fail to cause incessant foot stomps, hair windmills, or body smashing antics. Stop/ start thrash riffs may get the proceedings started on the gallop heavy “The Outlaw”, but the supplementary venomous roar from Charlie D., gang background support, and savage double kick, half-time transition sustain mandatory interest, the final sequence reminiscent of early S.O.D. Tight downpicking as well as crazy lead breaks from Ryan Calaveras and Robert ‘Big Rob’ DeLorenzi make “Killing Fields” a hard hitting effort in the vein of early Metallica or Slayer pushed through a Nuclear Assault meets Enforced template – all in under two minutes. The pace of the record contains ideal variety – a track like “Everyday War” sure to be a back half favorite, it’s mid-tempo chugging foundation racing to two-step high gear during the lead spotlight tradeoffs before returning to that crossover seamlessness that spits nails and shatters glass. Seeking out Zach Ohren (All Shall Perish, Exmortus, Machine Head) for recording, mixing, and mastering duties ensures a lively sound, the performances captured in such a way that you can feel the live energy bursting through.
Never Know Peace takes the spirit of early thrash, hardcore, and punk ethics to solid heights of appeal in the current marketplace. Doomsday could start a newer revolution from the Bay Area, so get in while you can, sweat out all your daily frustrations to come out renewed, reinvigorated, and ready to conquer the world.
Swiss melodic hard rock / metal band Gotthard probably is one of the most well-accepted bands in their style within their home country, mainland Europe, and other territories outside of North America. They’ve been releasing albums since 1992, headlining in arena-level venues while achieving number one chart status. Their 14th studio album Stereo Crush continues to supply listeners with a variety of catchy songs, some classic in texture while others venture into more modern elements – yet unmistakable to the band’s ethos in connecting to their audience. We reached out to vocalist Nic Maeder to learn more about the new record, the differences between the three primary songwriters, what it was like to replace the late Steve Lee, career highlights, future touring expectations, and advice for younger musicians.
Dead Rhetoric: Stereo Crush is the 14th studio album for Gotthard. How did the songwriting and recording sessions go for this set of material – and where do you see this record sitting in the discography of the group in terms of what you wanted to achieve?
Nic Maeder: I guess it’s got a sort of freshness to it. We haven’t made an album in five years. Prior to that we would make an album, then get in a cycle of album, tour, album, tour. COVID-19 came along, as it did for everyone else, and it was the first time we kind of had a break. We were signed with Sony Music at the time, and we finished with our contract, so we were free. We didn’t have a deal, and we didn’t have any kind of pressure. We had the itch to make an album. Probably the reason why there’s so much freshness.
There are a lot of different styles on this album. It’s very varied, and it’s quite heavy as well, but in a fresh way. I think it’s good for the times in 2025.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you feel like the extra down time because of the pandemic allowed you guys to dig a little deeper into the details of this record?
Maeder: Not necessarily. The detail stuff comes into play with the three main songwriters, we have very different musical tastes. Until we are all really happy with a (song), it takes a while. We started writing this stuff in mid-2023. By the time we decided, let’s make an album – we had a lot of songs, I think over twenty songs. We really picked which ones are going to fit the best on this album. We got quite picky with those details, going into the songs. There is a certain aspect I felt, we have already so many albums out, we have been around for quite some time, so I don’t know how many more (albums) we can make. In a lot of ways, we could keep playing, and in this day and age, we probably don’t need to do another album. It’s going to be very hard even to fit new songs into a set, because there are so many songs over the years that the fans have expected to see live. We will do it, somehow.
When you are thinking about ‘what if this is the possibility that this could be the last album’ – I’ve always felt like I want to get in and make sure everything is the best we can make it. We started in 2023, we had time to look at some of the songs, and those changed drastically. And some songs didn’t even make the record at all. But we recorded all of them, we recorded more than what is on the album. Which means those songs will probably come out at some point as well.
Dead Rhetoric: Considering the group has three primary songwriters, how would you assess the versatility and differences between each musician when it comes to their approach to developing a song? Do you sense a uniqueness in your songwriting philosophy and approach compared to Leo and Freddy?
Maeder: Yeah, I guess we all have our styles. It’s hard to explain. I tend to be a little more, for lack of a better word, modern. I tend to be melodic, and try to get out of the usual patterns, the usual vocal lines and things to move around a little bit. Which you can hear that in a song like “Burning Bridges”. I tend to push the boundaries a bit there with the melodies. Leo is more on the classic side so he’s going to reign things back in. We get a good compromise there. Musically I tend to be quite complicated, actually. A little too complicated. Freddy is very musical – he also will tend to simplify things. He will tell me he knows what’s going on there, but let’s try and make it a little bit easier to listen to. (laughs). I get these jazz things in there. Leo is more the real classic guy with a classic riff, real meat and potatoes. It’s the combination that works quite well, and it takes quite a bit of time between the three of us to get things right. To where we are actually happy.
Dead Rhetoric: Does that also present a bit of a challenge to decide what singles are going to be chosen off each album?
Maeder: Always. We all have different ideas. The person who wrote the song is always going to hold onto their ideas. We usually do a voting system, which also involves the record company and the management as well. At the end of the day, if they are really keen on pushing certain songs, if they are motivated, we listen to them. And in the end, we were pretty close, I think everyone was fairly happy with the choices there.
Dead Rhetoric: The band over the years has tackled a lot of favorite covers to make them your own. How did the idea to cover The Beatles “Drive My Car” come about – as it seems you made things a little heavier and more modern with your approach?
Maeder: Yeah. “Drive My Car”, we recorded that and did a demo version of that back in 2022. It was a while ago we did this, but we never released it. Actually, when we were giving the whole list of songs to the producer, Charlie, as demos, to listen to and decide what’s going to make the record – that song was actually on there. Leo must have put it on the list, the others had no idea. When Charlie came to the studio, he thought that we really should put that one on the record. We hadn’t thought of that, but I’m glad we did as it turned out to be a great cover, I think. It’s really fun to play as well.
Dead Rhetoric: Did you have any worries or apprehensions regarding your acceptance in Gotthard given the tragic circumstances behind the loss of Steve Lee? When did you know that things were going to be comfortable in both the studio and the stage for you?
Maeder: It took quite some time. You have to remember in Switzerland, Gotthard is mainstream, and we are a very big band here. Steve Lee was very famous, and really loved. When he died, his death was heavily covered with the major media. Of course, the new guy coming in, that was hugely covered by the media, I went from one measure to the next. I was on the news every day, it was insane. The first couple of years, I couldn’t go to the supermarket without being recognized, it was quite intense. I didn’t expect that. And of course, the expectations were huge. It took a while for me to find my feet, really there.
We were really lucky that the fans, they were very encouraging. They call it the Gotthard family. Everyone believes in us, and they wanted the band to continue and to succeed. At the end of the day, they decide – you can do the best that you can, but the fans decide. Luckily, they accepted me – and not only accepted me, but really encouraged me along. It took me, I’d say, a few years to really feel 100% comfortable and that it’s my band, and that I’m an integral part of this group.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the state of the heavy music scene and industry today? What challenges do you believe are the biggest for Gotthard to overcome this deep into your career?
Maeder: The hard rock and metal world is still quite big, alive and kicking. In Europe in particular, it’s incredible. There are so many festivals in Europe – most of them all hard rock/metal festivals. It may not be the trendiest thing on the radio. There are a lot of rock radio stations here, and they are doing good things as well. As you know, vinyl is coming back, and I guess I hear cassettes are coming back as well. Which is fantastic. The state of guitar-based music is still very much alive, I think. I’m not worried about that.
The challenges are always going to be, technology. Musicians in general – when cassettes changed, things changed, then CD’s, MP3’s. Everything, we always seem to be bearing the brunt of it, you know (laughs). As creators, actually. There are still some issues there with regards to songwriting, royalties, things like that. In a lot of ways, the writers are not being paid in the way that they should be. It’s always the way in most fields where creators are never the ones that reap all the benefits from their creations. We are lucky that people want to see us play live, people want to get out and see us. And there are lots of shows, lots of old bands that are coming back again, even in the pop world. The basic thing is people really love to go out and see shows. It’s working well – that’s one aspect that AI won’t take away from us, yet.
Dead Rhetoric: What would you consider some of your own career personal highlights when it comes to your musical career – either within Gotthard or other bands/ projects, where you knew you were making an impact on the world through your talents?
Maeder: There has been many. One of the things that’s crazy to see is your name tattooed on people’s bodies. I’ve seen some Gotthard ones, but I’ve seen some others with my name on them. I thought it was very interesting. We are lucky with social media that the fans can directly talk to us, and some of the stories I’ve heard. People have gone through some really difficult times and things, heard our album(s) and said they’ve really helped us get through things. Of course, for us we are sitting here writing the songs and doing our thing, but when that song takes a certain journey and has a particular significance to help people get through whatever they may be going through, it’s amazing. People use some of our songs at weddings, things like this, it’s just like wow. You write a song, and once it’s out it takes on a life of it’s own. A few years later you are on stage and the whole audience is singing your song back to you, it’s crazy to me and I still get amazed by that.
Highlights – opening for the Rolling Stones and getting the chance to play in front of 80,000 people. This was a definite highlight. We run into bands that we’ve admired, and you get the chance to get to know these musicians. A lot of these bands I grew up loving, I’m now friends with them now. That’s amazing to have this kind of community.
Dead Rhetoric: You have some killer tours lined up across Europe with Y&T and Krokus among others. What are your expectations for these shows, and how does it feel playing with such legendary groups as these two acts?
Maeder: Yes, it’s great. Krokus, we know them very well, and we’ve done a lot of shows with them before. Y&T, a legendary band. I don’t know the guys personally, but always when you are touring with a band, you get to really know the guys quite well. So, I’m looking forward to making some new friends. I think it’s a great bill; they should be fun shows. I’m really happy that we are doing them in the spring too, getting out of the whole winter thing. We always tour in the winter, so I’m very happy to be touring in the spring for a change.
Dead Rhetoric: As you said, it must be a big challenge to figure out an ideal set list with fourteen albums now to choose from. Does it feel better to have five albums under your belt yourself to add a bit more of your material to the mix?
Maeder: That’s the thing. There are so many songs. We try to put as many songs as we can from all the albums. The list is quite big. It does pose a challenge. Every album that I’ve made so far, we are always putting one or two songs from those records – and we try to keep things fairly well balanced. This new one will be a challenge to get a few new (songs) in there. Maybe we will do some different set lists, so we are not playing the same songs for different nights. We start rehearsing the set list in a few weeks and we will see. We will rehearse the whole new album and see which ones are best live – of course the singles we will have to play. You try to put a show together that’s a little bit different, I guess.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you define success these days? Has the definition changed from when you started as a musician to what you’ve been able to achieve today?
Maeder: For me, success is to be able to make a living from music. As a full-time job, to be able to make music from your own songs. This is success to me. Any artist, to be able to live from your art is huge success. It doesn’t mean being a multi-millionaire flying around in private jets (laughs). As long as you can make a living from your art, then you are winning.
Dead Rhetoric: Did you feel like you went through a big adjustment period upon moving to Switzerland from your life in Australia?
Maeder: Not so much living in Switzerland. I’ve lived here, as I grew up here because I’m half Swiss. Even though I spent more time in Australia. I started to come back to Europe, every summer I was coming back more and more. With the work that we were doing with Gotthard for the first few years, we could have lived anywhere. It was so focused; we were not really home that much. The touring, South America, Japan, there was always lots of stuff. When we were home, there was a lot of press, television shows, stuff to do, it would not have mattered where I was living.
Dead Rhetoric: Has it always been frustrating to not tour North America considering your long history as a band?
Maeder: No. Perhaps for the other guys when they started in the first few years, they may have felt frustrated. I came into a band that was already like this – to me, it’s very good already if you can be successful. We can tour and make a living in certain territories. It would be fantastic to be successful in the USA and I would love that, but you know, you can’t have it all. We have a lot of fans there as well. I would love to tour there once.
Dead Rhetoric: Do people ever seek you out for advice regarding music, the business, or other aspects of life? And if so, what words of wisdom or ideas do you try to impart on them?
Maeder: Yes. Recently I just filmed a television show, a whole season of a television series here in Switzerland. It’s called Sing My Song – I don’t think you guys have this in America. Seven artists live together and sing each other’s songs, a little bit like a Big Brother situation, sitting together on a couch. One of us will go off and sing another song. A lot of the artists were really young, and many of them were newcomers. I got asked a lot of questions there. The question that came up quite a few times was ‘if you were twenty years old now again, what advice would you give yourself?’. Just keep doing what you are doing. Don’t listen to all the negativity around – you don’t want to be around people that tell you that you can’t do it. And don’t worry so much – you still have a lot of time. Because you always have this feeling in your early twenties or mid-twenties that things aren’t happening, I’m getting old. You have so much time (laughs), don’t worry, relax.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the bucket list for Gotthard to accomplish and achieve over the coming years? Are there places you would like to play that you haven’t been able to reach yet?
Maeder: Good question. Yeah, I actually would really love to do a North American tour, one time. That is kind of on the bucket list. And there are some odd ones out there too. We got asked to play India, we got asked to play China, sort of these things that haven’t happened yet. That could be good as well.
