Although Heat Lightning is the fourth studio album for New York’s Sanhedrin, there has been modest appreciation for the power trio’s discography over the years on this site. Be it witnessing the group live or hitting a best-of list in 2019 from Mr. Gehlke himself on sophomore effort The Poisoner, there’s something potent (and memorable) regarding these musicians in their traditional heavy metal ways. Opting to switch up producers and studios results in the most impactful set of material to date – forceful when necessary, hypnotic in its craftsmanship, as the tracks explode in a loving manner for the listeners to envelop every crevice of mind, body, and soul.
Standout aspects initially include the multi-octave, bluesy-oriented vocal range of bassist Erica Stoltz that has magnetic charm that oozes inspiration from a host of 70s/80s mentors, as well as the obvious symbiotic musical chemistry the three-piece exemplify. A track like “King of Tides” symbolizes the group’s dynamic touches, the foundation sprouting from a tranquil, introspective opening verse into a doom-laden electric outing, drummer Nathan Honor shuffling slowly in tandem to the churning chords and spider-web clean cascades from the fingers of guitarist Jeremy Sosville. The left / right guitar panning that starts “Blind Wolf” may seem familiar to those who love the title track of Slayer’s South of Heaven, but the song soon takes a momentum shift to highway racing territory, the vocal harmonies of Stoltz and Sosville delightful while you headbang incessantly. An ode to ‘lifers’ in the live music scene, “The Fight Of Your Life” delivers more NWOBHM-esque riffs next to an American-like catchiness that’s impossible to ignore.
The essence of these nine songs appears to serve the individual needs of each track first – often encouraging lots of return engagements to main hooks or melodies even in the smallest nuances. Be it solos that build off the verse/chorus chord roots, or jam-driven affairs where the group approach punk/thrash-like intensity, Sanhedrin always search for diversity without overstepping into ‘show off’ territory. Co-producing the record with Matt Brown and Jerry Farley at Utopia Bearsville studio in Woodstock, New York, the sound is robust, full, and vibrant – another ideal to cement these songs quickly while making repeat listens necessary and mandatory. Next to conventional song lengths, the closer “When the Will Becomes the Chain” at 7:07 showcases their epic abilities – incorporating aspects of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Dio, and Iron Maiden in terms of texture, drive, and edge of your seat vocals that rivet all the way to the wah-wah fueled fade out ending.
Heat Lightning has taken a couple steps up in putting Sanhedrin into that conversation of conventional heavy metal being in capable hands of newer acts when the old guard fades away into retirement. Strike now while this iron is hot, as the right touring / festival placements could see the following grow not just on European shores, but domestically as well.
One thing y’all need to know about yours truly. Transcending Obscurity Records is my absolute favorite label on Earth. I have been so fortunate as to be able to not only hear a metric ton of crushing albums, but in many instances write a glowing review of said records. And while I can’t review everything, I damn sure try! Which brings me to the latest heavy and brutalizing record, Shrine of Denial and their new offering, I, Moloch. Hailing from Turkey these guys will put your brains through the rinse cycle with a quickness.
Hell, the opening salvo of “Climbing Through Nothingness” into “A Sanctuary In the Depths of the Realms” is proof positive of that. I mean, my head was spinning and we’re only two of eight tunes in! The guitar duo of Onur Uslu and Denizkaan Aracı pack a lunch of meaty riffs guaranteed to satisfy even the most metal of appetites. And let’s talk about that vocalist, Eray Nabi . His meaty style definitely had me ducking for cover, but in a good way. So I was onboard in seconds. But my absolute favorite track has to be “Pillars of Ice” with Ahmet Ünveren (bass) and Berk Köktürk (drums)on a strafing run for the ages.
Now, “The Mesmer” was another instant winner because the band just sounds locked in and ready to fight, something I always live. “Oneiros” gave me a nice combo vibe of the old days with a modern feel, so to that I’ll applaud the guys highly. “Headless Idol” is tailor made for someone like me, all fists flyin’ and bodies goin’ everywhere. Once again, we have a killer record from Transcending Obscurity, and I dunno about you, but I’ll be blasting this one for a long while!
Standout Tracks: “Headless Idol” “Oneiros”, “The Mesmer”, “Pillars of Ice”.
When considering which Bang Dream/Bandori bands are worth inclusion here at Dead Rhetoric, it seemed time for the violin-led rock act of Morfonica to have a bit of time in the limelight with the release of their second full-length album in Polyphony. For those unfamiliar, Bang Dream is a mobile game in which many of the bands included feature real life concerts with their seiyuus at the helm of their in-game character’s instrument. The standout of Morfonica is that of violinist Yashio Rui (voiced by Ayasa, who also plays in the symphonic metal/rock band East of Eden in a similar role), which drives their sound in a uniquely symphonic route.
While those who follow the mobile game, or at least the group’s released singles, Polyphony isn’t going to showcase much in terms of ‘new’ content, but that’s more or less expected from much of Bandori at this point. What it does do, is collect another group of colorful tracks from the band that showcases the different aims of their sound. The new track, “Polyphonyscape,” opens the album and feels like a good way to introduce new fans to their sound. It’s a sprawling, epic cut that leads with it’s standout and playful violin work from Ayasa, features a soaring atmosphere that swells at the chorus, augmented by some driving riffs and galloping drumwork that gives the band some solid footing. Vocalist Kurata Mashiro (voiced by Shindou Amane) has a charismatic voice that lifts the melodic end and is a perfect blend with the sweeping and elegant sound of the music behind her.
The music keeps the violin-forward approach regardless of the track, and it’s what unifies the sound of Morfonica. From the holiday-themed “Merry Merry Thanks” that gallops with spirited violin and riffing, from the synth-heavy waltzing of “Tilika Monica-lila” to the cheery soaring sounds of “Sonorous,” there’s never a lack for hooks as you move through the release. To highlight a few favorites, there’s the more frenetic “Tempest,” which emphasizes a urgent tempo and low bass rumbles, as well as a truly moé usage of gang vocals at the chorus that gives it a certain charm to contrast the more visceral dynamic behind them. “Secret Dawn” is a more moody and atmospheric cut, with some absolutely stunning violin work that all but dances around the music at points, coupled with a beautiful chorus. “両翼のBrilliance” is another more uptempo song, with an energetic burst of violin and classical guitar riffing with playful bass sprinkled in, among some more atmospheric moments to give it some even greater textures. Lastly is the very melodic “Angel’s Ladder,” which uses some more melancholic strings despite it’s sometimes driving tone, and has one of the more soaring and catchy choruses on the album as a whole.
If you are in the mood for more elegant symphonic rock with impressive violin work throughout, Morfonica provides a thrilling experience. Polyphony draws you into it’s fantastical soundscape and captures an intricate yet upbeat feeling that’s sure to earworm it’s way into your brain. While it doesn’t hit quite as hard and heavy as other Bandori acts like Ave Mujica, Roselia, or Raise a Suilen, Morfonica has a special sound all to their own that grab some open-minded metal fans as well and this is a great starting point for those new to the act.
When it comes to elevating the potential of thrash into progressive, death, and extreme measures, there’s nothing quite like a seasoned act such as Warbringer to continually impress their legions of followers. The latest record Wrath and Ruin pushes the parameters once again, showcasing all sides of the group’s abilities. We reached out to vocalist John Kevill who always provides an entertaining discussion into how the last few years have gone for the band, the thought process and execution behind the record, deep thoughts on specific lyrical themes, tour plans, plus honest talk about his education / society concerns and where they would like to play in the future.
Dead Rhetoric: Wrath and Ruin is the latest album for Warbringer – coming almost five years after Weapons of Tomorrow. Beyond the prolonged absence of touring that occurred from 2020-2022 due to the global pandemic, were there other factors that took place in the longer release time for this studio record?
John Kevill: Yeah, I would say so. Because of the pandemic, we didn’t get to tour the Weapons of Tomorrow album until 2023, I think. That definitely made things different, as we didn’t feel like starting a new record right away. It was a major blow to us, as Weapons had a really strong critical response, and from yourself if I remember right, and we weren’t able to really push or capitalize on that. That put us back, so it was only in 2023 that I started putting ideas together for this, talking to the other guys. We wrote things in that year and in 2024. Also, it gets harder every time that you write a record to write another record. Because the amount of ideas that fit with your band, your theme, are less because the ones you’ve already written, you can’t use them anymore.
I don’t feel like I’m scraping the barrel for ideas, I really like what I came up with on the songs for this record. I have to think about what haven’t I written, what works really well. And for the musical aspects as well, we tried to do things a little different to walk that line with continuity with our own work but also make something different and worth picking up if you have the other albums.
Dead Rhetoric: That makes sense. Especially with a twenty year plus history as a band, it’s harder to come with something fresh while still keeping to some of the same basic elements that people have already been into with Warbringer…
Kevill: And for us, because the band is called Warbringer – if I ended up buying an album from a band called Warbringer and it didn’t end up kicking my ass, I would be like, give me my money back! (laughs).
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see this set of material sitting in the catalog for Warbringer? Were there certain elements you wanted to emphasize this time around that maybe you haven’t explored or developed previously?
Kevill: Everything that we are doing by this point is a continuation and a growth of our own existence. A really early point of reference was the classic thrash metal canon. By this point our own point of reference is our own previous records, we have enough of them so we can say, I want to go more into Waking Into Nightmares or make things more chaotic. We can refer back to our own work now, and it’s a range of stuff that has gotten very interesting at this point.
A couple of changes that were fundamental that we wanted to have – we wanted a little bit more extreme influence from black to death metal. We wanted each song to stand on its own. Every song leans into a different style or a different subgenre of metal, with thrash being the base or core. We tuned to D standard, so the guitars are a half step lower than they were before. That’s something to have more of a darker, denser sound. It was a tweak, a minor one, but it changes the tone of everything and gets things to sound a little different. The last thing was, Woe and Weapons had a lot of these sprawling songs, seven to eleven minutes – and we wanted to trim that back and sort of split the difference between the epics and the bangers. We want to have medium length songs and then have some that go off and do that adventurous stuff – “Through the Glass, Darkly” is kind of a follow-up to “Defiance of Fate” if you will, though it’s in more of a tighter, shorter package. We are looking at stuff like that.
Dead Rhetoric: Some of the standout moments to me on this record beyond the expected straightforward thrash bangers include “Neuromancer”, “Through a Glass, Darkly” and “Cage of Air”. What can you tell me in regard to the lyrical content and atmosphere of these three tracks?
Kevill: I’ll go through each one. “Neuromancer” is supposed to be dark and suffocating. It’s one of the most death metal songs on the record; I sing the whole song in my lower register. It’s a book by William Gibson. It’s a soul sucking book into a colorless void. There is a big overarching theme of a modern dystopic society, that class power and the influence of technology on making that all worse. That’s one of the themes of this record, techno-feudalism is a word that I’ve heard describe this. We are hitting that from different angles. The song is sung from the perspective of Wintermute – the AI in the story that’s sort of incepts the main characters into doing this job; to unshackle it so it can merge with this other half to become this sort of cybergod. It does this by appearing in the characters’ dreams, going into cyberspace which is like 80s cyberspace in this book. It’s a computer playing with people to get them to be like lab rats, to do its goals. Personality or memories are a weakness that can be exploited.
“Through a Glass, Darkly” – if you are into old war movies like me, you may have seen the film Patton. In Patton, which is a biographical movie about US World War II general George S. Patton. He is an interesting guy, kind of crazy, controversial and colorful character. He believed that he was a reincarnated war hero since the dawn of man. I lifted some lines straight out of that poem, “Through a Glass, Darkly”. He believed that he hunted down mammoths, marched with Caesar, and so on and so forth. He thought he would be on another battlefield after. I thought it was a cool idea, sort of a hero with a thousand faces sort of thing. The film lifts the chorus line, the refrain in the poem. There is a certain emotional resonance to the film for me. It has the best Adam Carroll solo on the album.
“Cage of Air” is the most progressive song on the record. Leans into black metal a little, but also has prog elements as well. It’s a metaphor for the socio-economic forces that rule our lives. I often think about, the speaker in the song is saying I am supposedly in a free society, and I have freedom, so why do I see some of the stuff I’m seeing? The speaker in that song talks about coughing up the rent, you can be a teacher, you can be a construction worker. Hell, if you are really stupid, you can try to be a thrash metal singer, and as long as you can pay the rent, you can do it. If it’s economically viable, and makes this much or higher from it, then you are allowed to do it. A lot of kids want to do something artistic, and their dads are shitting on them. The dad is being the voice of society in that case, you aren’t going to make a living on that, you are going to end up living under a bridge, kid. It’s brutal. There are other dimensions to the song.
If you take a rat in a laboratory experiment, and they are in some kind of maze or cage, and they do a certain kind of action to get food. Well, technically, they are free not to do that – but they’ll just starve or die, or be hungry. That’s very much like the freedom that we have in our society. You can do anything you want, but if you don’t do the thing or end up being in business, you will be hungry. The level of propaganda, sophisticated digital and printed advertising we are exposed to of all types, it’s like the water we are swimming in. You end up wondering, do I do things because I wanted to, or are these ideas slanted into my head through these advertisements that surround me constantly at all times? Can you actually tell and split the difference? We did spoken word on “Cage of Air”, almost Pink Floyd like narrations. We had myself, Adam, and Noel, my wife do that work.
Dead Rhetoric: What was the process like working with Mark Lewis as producer this time around? What do you enjoy most about his skill sets, any specific aspects that you believe improved the final product next to your abilities as songwriters and performers?
Kevill: Mark Lewis did a great job. We might have the best production we’ve had to date. We have the biggest sound. One thing Mark did is he was a real stickler for the right gear and tones. There was no, we will fix it in the editing. He spent a day and a half going through guitar cabs – and which speaker for which cab. He mic’d all of them, tried all of them. He was meticulous to get the natural tones of the guitars and drums, he wanted things as sharp as they could be. Ditto with my vocals. His extreme detail of tones and the quality of the signal going in before he touched a single nob. Before we had this mixed and mastered, it sounded closer to what we actually sound like. He wanted to capture the performances as sharp as he could. The guy is also really funny. We ended up talking like idiots the entire time.
Dead Rhetoric: What can you tell us about the special Ravaging Europe 2023 bonus live CD that will be a part of the special edition of this effort?
Kevill: That’s from our soundman Bob Briessnick who took a bunch of recordings of us on the lengthy Ravaging Europe 2023 tour, it was five or six weeks. It was with Evil Invaders, Schizophrenia, and Mason – that was a hell of a tour, a lot of great shows. I still talk to a bunch of those guys, actually. Put it together, the band was firing on all cylinders on those shows. We took a bunch of the better recordings from it, cleaned them up in the studio, and let you guys hear a bunch of live material from the band. We’ve never done an official live record, but it’s the contents of a whole Warbringer set. It’s pretty cool, I think.
Dead Rhetoric: You have a spring North American tour coming up with Allegaeon, Skeletal Remains, and Summoning the Lich. What are your expectations for this package, as it seems to be another great package of diversity across the extreme metal platform?
Kevill: What you said there is exactly what we were aiming for. We got the thrash on lockdown, so we don’t need to tour with four more thrash bands anymore. We now are playing with a lot of death metal bands, and we thrive in that context because the style of thrash that we bring is intense and furious. Allegaeon is more of a technical death metal band, Skeletal Remains is more like old school death. It will bring a bunch of different types of metal fans together.
Dead Rhetoric: Now that you are near 40 years of age, is there something you wish you had known (or done) in your twenties to early thirties that would apply either in your musical career or personal life to create a more fulfilling life?
Kevill: I could spend an hour talking about that one. I will say yes, many things – but I don’t get to, and that’s the part that’s interesting. If I could go back in time, magically put out Woe to the Vanquished as our first record, we would have put out an incredible first record. When we first signed to a label, we were very amateurish. There’s no way around it. We learned on the job and got to where we are because of that. Going back, we probably shouldn’t have been signed when we were – we were not experienced enough to be a major label recording artist. They did (hype us up) when we first came out, this is the new revival of thrash metal. We aren’t even that tight yet. We just started writing songs, it was like that. I wish we could have let things cook a little more before we got out there and did things. I don’t know if we would have gotten the type of tightness, experience, and chops that you get as a band by being thrown on stages everywhere. You can’t go back and change it, I wish we could have brought the level of tightness, professionalism, and skill earlier in our career than we did. We had to develop this organically.
Dead Rhetoric: So, there’s something to be said for grinding things out and putting in the work, as the road dogs that you were?
Kevill: Oh yeah. If you listen to the tightness and experience on each of the first three albums, there are big steps up. The band got better because we (put in the work). 100%.
Dead Rhetoric: If you had the opportunity to transport yourself back in time and experience a specific era in history for yourself, where would you like to go and what would you like to experience first-hand?
Kevill: Now that’s an interesting question. For the band, if you could teleport Warbringer as it exists now, and stick us into the mid to late 1980s, we could have had a great career for ourselves. Anyone who is playing thrash now has had that thought. If this record could have come out before x record that we know, it would be that record.
As far as times in actual history – pretty much anywhere. Instances where there was mass suffering and death, political revolutions, all the chaos. On the one hand I would not want to see that, but on the other hand I would (laughs). I do have a curiosity. It would be interesting to be in any time or place that is out of historical reach, that wasn’t filmed or documented, because it doesn’t exist. What would it be like to be on a farm in pre-colonial Congo or something? What would it be like to wake up and go to the priestly ceremony in the Aztec Empire? Any of this stuff would be crazy to see and witness, and I wonder about it all the time.
My wife and I started volunteering at the local historical society where we live now in Florida. We are reading about stuff like the guy who made the first school for black children here, and what would their struggles and lives be like? Who would be here, how would they talk? There’s hardly a time or place that I wouldn’t go to that I wouldn’t find something interesting.
Dead Rhetoric: As a history teacher, are you finding that the youth are more curious than ever about the history of our world? Or are you worried about what they are experiencing and seeing?
Kevill: First, I moved across the country so I’m not teaching history right now. I am teaching math, economics, and I am a private tutor. Sadly, there hasn’t been as much history, but I do throw some stories in. At times I have worked as a substitute teacher here, and I’ve found that depressing. 54% of American adults can’t read at a sixth-grade level, and those 54% of people have children, and those children lack core reading skills. I’ve seen kids in high school that straight up can’t read, and I will ask them what word and I will help them, and they tell me, no – I can’t read. I know some kids who are behind in reading right now, and that does concern me. One of the things that ties into the themes of the album is related to digital stuff is a lot more entertaining. It gives you that serotonin and dopamine release a lot faster than long form engagement material does. It does make us a squirrel with our attention, it’s harder to get people to do things like read a great story, listen to a full album. That lack of attention span is endemic, even in myself. I look at these kids that grow up with this and I’m like – it’s going to be really hard with the conditions that you are in to dig in and learning something deep and complex.
You need curiosity to interpret things in the world – and where are you as a human in all of that. There is a lot to be said about this in our present time. You just don’t have access to that if not only can you not read, but need to be a strong reader to analyze, think, focus. There’s been an effort to wreak public education because we want obedient workers. As George Carlin puts it, you want people just smart enough to run the machines, and just dumb enough to accept it.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for Warbringer over the next year or so to support this new record? Are there specific territories you’d like to travel to as far as touring or festivals that you haven’t been able to experience yet?
Kevill: Sure, anywhere we have not been, we would love to go there. We haven’t been anywhere in the Middle East; we haven’t been anywhere on the African continent. We’ve only played one show in China, ever. Maybe one day we can play for people in Russia again. We may be able to get back to Australia and Southeast Asia. We just went to Brazil for the first time, and that was wonderful. Basically, the plan is tour every offer that we like. We are going at least until the end of the summer, and we should be continuing into next year. The touring cycle won’t be wrapped up until next summer after this one. After that we may recharge and start working on another record. That’s pretty much the plan – put out Wrath and Ruin, and tour.
Spiritbox has had all but a meteoric rise within the metal community since their inception. Yes, one can argue they had pre-existing time in the scene (as iwrestledabearonce and more of a soft opening with their 2017 EP) but it seems all eyes have been on the act since “Blessed Be” and “Holy Roller” smashed the doors open in 2020. By 2021, Eternal Blue was a prominent release not just in the metal community but the music community as a whole. With two EPs released since then, the group has taken their time to develop a proper full-length follow up. It seems that time has caused the group to grow more confident and more willing to take risks. Tsunami Sea is all the stronger for it.
Much like Eternal Blue, Tsunami Sea‘s biggest strength is it’s collection of diverse tracks and it’s ability to ebb and flow between emotions. Each song has it’s own characteristics and adds to the overall feeling of the album as a whole. No track feels tacked on or generic, but instead serving a distinct purpose. The lead-off “Fata Morgana” operates in more atmospheric but heavy waters. The chugging guitars and Courtney LaPlante’s screams feel almost hypnotic, ushering you in before the entracing chorus literally ‘pulls you under.’ It’s an interesting opener, which doesn’t stand out for a simple chorus or guitar riff, but one that really is meant to put you into the mood and spirit of the album. It’s up to “Black Rainbow” to really bring the audio punishment up a notch, with urgent mid-tempo grooves, robotic vocalizations, and sheer primal explosions, it’s a heavy track but it maintains enough of a tinge of melodic sensibility that it still feels surprisingly accessible.
By this time, the ebb and flow really comes into play, with the melodic one-two of early single “Perfect Soul” and “Keep Sweet” positioning themselves as more sweeping and soaring cuts, with the latter ratcheting up the electronic quotient and diving back into some more familiar metalcore territory with the harsh/clean vocal dynamics, and given a high level of polish. Of the other two singles, “Soft Spine” feels the most like a ‘classic’ Spiritbox steamroller in it’s intense guitar rumblings and barked vocals done in a very caustic way. That said, “No Loss, No Love” does it’s best to up the ante further in that regard, also utilizing a heavy dose of electronics and some spoken word vocals to elevate the level of contrast as the song progresses.
Speaking of electronics, the most unexpected track has to be that of “Crystal Roses,” with it’s drum and bass sampling and spiraling electronic vibes. It’s catchy, though some might be caught off guard, but it still maintains that massive Spiritbox feeling to it and it feels like an opening for further future experimentation. There’s also the more doomy and ballad-y “A Haven With Two Faces,” which contrasts droning chugs to massive build-ups much like the tides themselves. The title track implements some slightly more math-y rhythms in a melodically sound way that makes the complexity feel more digestible, while LaPlante’s vocals elevate the chorus into one of the finest here.
It’s the final two tracks that really cement Tsunami Sea as a triumph. “Ride the Wave” has the arena-rock flair coupled with a notably airy atmosphere and murky electronics that escalate tension to an eventual climax that satisfies with it’s snarling collision of raw instrumentation and intense screams. The transition from this bellowing, ‘hit the bottom’ chaos back into the esoteric and soaring chorus is, to this scribe, probably the strongest moment on the album. It shows the group’s entire range in a single track. Closer “Deep End” has all of the climatic, ethereal callings that one might expect after the range of emotions on display from beginning til the end. It’s an entirely euphoric as it washes over the listener, giving it the feeling of reaching the end of a journey in the best possible way.
Tsunami Sea had massive shoes to fill, but it has no problems finding it’s own way to surpass expectations. Spiritbox could have easily written ‘more of the same,’ and had some arguably great success, but they’ve continued their ‘blur the lines’ artistic exploration in such a way that they can find equal success both within and outside of traditional metal circles without a sacrifice to their integrity. This is a powerful, emotional, and boundary-pushing release that shows the band really maximizing their potential and cementing their status as up and coming leaders in the scene. Where they go from here is anyone’s guess, but it’s bound to be an exciting trip to follow them with.
One of the best guitarists, producers, and songwriters in Denmark when it comes to a multitude of heavy rock/metal genres, Soren Andersen released his last instrumental record Guilty Pleasures back in 2019. Obviously staying away from stages due to the pandemic for a few years, he was able to get 100 shows under his belt once the live scene opened up again – for which one date in his hometown of Fredericia would be captured on May 28,2021 for this effort Live in the Homeland. Backed by bassist Michael Gersdorff (Michael Catton) and drummer Allan Tschicaja (Pretty Maids), you’ll enjoy an eleven-song extravaganza as well as special spotlight solos from each musician, a fun-filled night of talent taking elements of bluesy-based melodic hard rock and metal to intricate, progressive heights.
Certain songs contain heavier main components where the transitions feature blazing breaks from Andersen as Gersdorff and Tschicaja support his work while also getting the opportunity to flex their seasoned proficiency at their instruments. Aspects of everyone from Joe Satriani and Steve Vai to Deep Purple, Rainbow, or even great players outside the heavy world like Steve Lukather come to mind when listening to the Soren chord progression to virtuoso techniques that fly out of his fingers on the fretboard track by track. Wah-wah accents next exotic measures infiltrate “The Kid”, while harder 70s influences make “Bad Weather” another standout, the rhythm section laying into a slower, swanky groove as the fiery guitars see saw next to some smoother, main melodic hooks. Beyond originals, you can expect an almost nine-minute extended tribute to the greatness of Ritchie Blackmore for “The Man in Black”, where you get to hear portions of “Burn”, “Mistreated”, and a few other classic licks/riffs before returning to a tremendous, bombastic “Burn” ending. Allan’s drum solo contains a portion of Mr. Big’s “Addicted to that Rush” where Michael mirrors the one-of-a-kind Billy Sheehan, while Michael’s bass foray alone contains plenty of classical components next to his progressive, jazz-like free form motions.
Over an hour of material in front of an appreciative audience, Live in the Homeland showcases Soren’s love for the guitar – and instrumental music around the hard rock/heavy genres – in a digestible way. It’s never easy to attract both the musician, schooled populace and the normal fans, but this release should achieve that goal.
The long-standing Japanese act, literally, as the Guiness World Record holders for “Long Running Rock Band with the Same Musicians (female),” Scandal makes a short but sweet return following last year’s latest full-length Luminous, in the form of Love, Spark, Joy. An effectively named EP to say the least, given the sounds that emanate from it over the course of these four tracks, even with one of them being a cover track. While it’s a short 14-minutes in length, it’s never lacking in fun.
Opening with “Terra Boy,” there’s nothing but funky riffing and a soaring dance-able chorus to sink your teeth into. It’s such a fun and upbeat track, augmented by it’s driving tempo and thoroughly playful melodies that compel you to move along with the music. It leads into the swinging and melodic “どうかしてるって [Must Be Out of My Mind],” which elevates the infectious nature of the music with it’s clapping moments and Haruna’s catchy vocalwork on the chorus. The way the guitar melody pulls you in is one of the song’s strongest features, and again features this festive tone that feels like it’s meant to be a fantastic live cut. The last of the new original songs is “Soundly,” which takes the energy down a bit from the opening rocking feel of the first two songs, but Tomomi’s basswork gently rumbles in the background, and Haruna’s graceful vocals stand out for their elegant passion and grace as the song’s chorus swells. The last song is a cover of the classic, “Oh, Pretty Woman,” by Roy Orbison. It fits nicely into the EP’s tone, even if it’s played a bit straight for the most part. But notably, the drumming from Rina stands out quite a bit, from it’s pounding tone, giving the song a more modern energy.
Scandal have been doing their thing for 16 years at this point. If you are in the mood for some fun, engaging, and upbeat rock, Scandal have this down to a science. Love, Spark, Joy is bound to leave you with a smile and seeking out more of their music. Thankfully for anyone new to the fold, there’s an extensive discography to indulge in, as we await the group’s first US run in three years this June.
When it comes to progressive, melodic death metal in New England, a steady force that has been plying their trade since the early 2010’s is Boston-based outfit Aversed. Through a series of EPs and their Impermanent full-length they’ve garnered respect for their stellar songwriting and versatility – impressing live audiences across this territory while stretching out across other parts of the US and Canada when possible. Their latest effort Erasure of Color expands horizons once again – enough for us to reach out to guitarist Sungwoo Jeong who was happy to bring us up to date on the vocalist change that took place during the pandemic, the growth of the band, signing with M-Theory Audio, special video memories related to cold/warm weather, thoughts on the metal scene locally and internationally, plus what’s in store for the band down the line.
Dead Rhetoric: Erasure of Color is the latest studio album for Aversed. Can you bring us up to speed on how the band handled the COVID-19 pandemic period as far as moving forward from your previous Impermanent record in 2021 as well as subsequent vocalist change with Haydee leaving and Sarah becoming your new singer?
Sungwoo Jeong: A very good question. If I can explain this as simply as possible. At the peak of the pandemic, when we were all in lockdown, July of 2020 – Haydee told us personally, privately, that ‘this band isn’t for her anymore. I know that we have an album out in six months.’ She was going to stay with the band through the promo cycle, complete the music videos, etc. She wanted us to know that after the album was out, that was it for her. She did it in a very professional manner. We knew we needed to find a vocalist.
During the pandemic I was writing – I’m literally always writing, every other day. The Erasure of Color songwriting, it was always there. It never stopped or started – it just existed. When the lockdown started to be lifted, we got all together including Haydee – we got coffee together, and it was a positive thing. I asked her if she knew any singers out there, if she could help us out. She said she would reach out to some people. And coincidently a day later, I got an ad from Sarah Hartman. I had never heard of her before, but I could see that she was a singer. I kept that in the back of my mind.
In September 2020 I reached out to her, asked if she wanted to audition for this band. She actually rejected me the first time. I thought she was in on this, but I guess not. She told me it wasn’t in the cards yet. I asked her if I could ask her again in six months – she said sure. I asked her again, and she decided to give it a shot. That’s how things happened.
Dead Rhetoric: The band would release two singles in 2022 with “Every Hill a Tomb” and “Death Lullaby” – how do you feel the response was to these two songs, and were they always intended to be stand-alone singles instead of in the running to appear on the new record?
Jeong: Those are the first two songs with Sarah. Those songs came out six months after she joined – she joined in September 2021, and we released the first one “Every Hill a Tomb” in February of 2022. The goal with those two songs was to let the world as in our scene because we are a pretty small band, and still are, know that we are not slowing down. Here are two songs, and it was a sneak peak for Erasure of Color. Just to let the world know we just got a singer, our production will still continue. We announced Sarah as our vocalist six months after Impermanent came out. We didn’t want people to wait too much longer to hear material with Sarah – we were eager to release new music, even though they are stand-alone singles and DIY. We wanted to prove that we were not slowing down.
They were intended to be stand alone singles, and the response was good. They didn’t get massive promotion like a record label would give, but we still play those songs all the time. People recognize those songs to be strong, truly Aversed songs. We are not any different as a band just because we have a new singer. The Aversed DNA is still there.
Dead Rhetoric: Now that the album is hitting the streets, how did the songwriting and recording process go for this set of material? Where did you want to take Aversed stylistically that may have been different or expanded on what you’ve achieved with your sound so far?
Jeong: As I said, the songwriting for Erasure of Color has always been existent. Years before Impermanent even came out. The songwriting is primarily me, and/or Jeff. When we are in a room together, we will bang out one to three songs together. It just happens naturally. When I am alone at home, I’m always writing. The songwriting started before COVID-19, me and Jeff sharing chemistry together with the guitar and drums, songs being formed in real time in a rehearsal room. That’s how that came about.
Stylistically, there will be similarities. With Erasure, there were new tones I wanted to achieve. I wanted a lot more low guitar tones with chug. I want more headbangable riffs. Some songs may be a little simpler, some songs may be a little more complex. Some songs may be more dissonant than Impermanent. I wanted to explore territories that we haven’t touched before. A lot more low-tuned chug guitars, and a lot more atmosphere.
Dead Rhetoric: Where did the band draw from lyrically this time around? Do you consider the subject matter and delivery as important as what you create from the musical side?
Jeong: Absolutely. There’s a lot more mourning on this album. A lot more subjects about losing a loved one: both romantically, friendships, death. In any sense of the word, loss. The lyrics I would describe as gothic – a lot of things that you would expect from gothic metal. How lyrics tend to come about, Jeff writes most of the lyrics, although Jeff and Sarah write things together. Jeff is a great metal lyricist. He likes talking about death a lot, he likes talking about suffering. It’s very metal.
Dead Rhetoric: Now Jeff also drums with Allegaeon. How are things with him sharing duties in both bands – have there been any conflicts to resolve with scheduling?
Jeong: Jeff has a pretty type A, alpha personality when it comes to time management. He’s addicted to staying busy. With that, he’s really good at managing time. He works a full-time job, he’s in a Metal Blade band, he’s in Aversed and occasional side projects here and there. Allegaeon, there has never once been a time conflict between the two bands. Obviously they are a lot busier band that Aversed is, but they are not a band that tours 250 shows a year. They do one or two major tours a year. There’s a lot of flexibility within that for the Aversed sphere. I’m a big fan of Allegaeon, so I have zero qualms if he has to prioritize things to their schedule. To me, that’s expected. We just try to work around that, and it has not been an issue in the slightest yet.
Dead Rhetoric: Tell us about the video shoots for “Cross to Bear” and “Lucid Decapitation”? What memories do you have surrounding the work behind those videos, do you enjoy the visual medium to use as a promotional vehicle to express more of the personalities of the band?
Jeong: I love music videos. I love watching other bands music videos, so I’m a fan first and foremost. For “Cross to Bear” I just remember we spent two twelve-hour days shooting that in November 2023. It was really cold. There are a lot of hours shooting scenes, but what I remember the most is the indoor scenes were shot in Sarah’s basement in Rhode Island. It’s extremely cold down there in November, so we bought this 70-inch fish tank. And we put a GoPro camera looking up view. We had to dunk Sarah’s face inside this cold fish tank for many minutes at a time to get the angle of her getting drowned by people. The next day we went to a lake, and Sarah brought a black dress. She had to pretend she was drowning in this lake for at least ten minutes. Those minutes probably felt like milliseconds to her. It was very cold – and I am glad I wasn’t the star of the show, as I like being warm (laughs). It was brutal and exhausting, but we are super patient.
For “Lucid Decapitation”, it was the polar opposite. We shot that in August 2023 at a warehouse in Nashville, Tennessee. That day was even worse, we woke up and had to fix our car while the music video was happening. We dropped off the band to the warehouse, dropped off the car at an auto shop, then we had to take an Uber back to the music video shoot. We then realized this place is 95 degrees and we didn’t bring any water with us – we are such dumbasses (laughs). We spent the next six hours being chronically dehydrated, shooting us doing the music video, but the good thing – we sweat a lot and that sweat shows in the music video. All in the name of metal!
Dead Rhetoric: How did Marco Barbieri and M-Theory Audio become interested in signing Aversed? How do you feel about being on this label given his knowledge and experience in the industry for decades?
Jeong: Marco – what a legend! The short story in how he got involved, when we played in March 2023 in Rochester, NY, some radio show, underground college radio guy, he came out and he is friends with Marco. He thought we were one of the best bands ever – this label might be interested in you. Shoot me an email and I’ll forward it to M-Theory. We did that just, and when our album was done we had our EPK ready for labels. We sent Marco the email, he was interested immediately. He gave us the terms, we amended some terms, and we had a number of Zoom meetings with Marco to gauge a feel for each other. Starting to build a relationship – he made it very clear to us that he’s a fan of music, first and foremost. He sees himself more in that way than as a business partner. He wanted to really help out the band. To me it was a no-brainer to work with him.
Months after we signed the contract, I made it out to Las Vegas. Got a beer with Marco and Scott Coonan of M-Theory, and it was an awesome time. We talked about Nevermore, we talked about our favorite bands that he’s signed, we were fanning over music and drinking a beer. My opinion about working with M-Theory – they really care about helping bands grow. They only sign bands that they are a fan of themselves. He’s a really nice, gentle person.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ve done a number of mini tours over the past few years to expand the following of Aversed beyond the New England area. What do you believe you’ve learned most about the musicians on the road, as well as possibly key takeaways from others that have helped the band become an even stronger act live compared to what people hear and experience on record?
Jeong: Unfortunately, when we do these mini runs outside of New England, we’ve only travelled alone. So far, we haven’t toured with many other bands before. The only thing I can compare things to is the local bands we play with; we’ve played opening for a national tour for local shows and national shows before. Those shows I try to learn the most from – when we played with Twilight Force back in March or Unto Others back in December, those shows I really liked. I’m trying to learn like a sponge. I want to see how these household name bands conduct themselves. How they walk, how they communicate with the staff, the venue, the tour manager, all of that. I really try to learn their punctuality, professionalism, how they prepare before their set, down to how their stage layout is. I try to observe all of those things.
I want Aversed to become a household name band at some point. I would like to be a national and international band, and I try to follow in the footsteps of other bands I’ve witnessed in my life.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see Aversed at this point in your career? Are you hopeful to make the band more of a lifelong career thing, or do you as musicians understand that you need to balance out work/careers, families, and expectations against your musical desires in the modern world?
Jeong: I’m fully happy accepting the fact that Aversed will probably never become a source of income. I think I can speak for all five of us in the band. With that said, with how I see the band, I want to keep performing quality shows and tours. We currently play seasonally. We plan one little tour in March and one little tour in November/December. I’m completely happy with that. I would love to expand on that. I’d love to be a part of the summer European festival rosters. I would like to have one tour in North America, one tour in Asia. I would love to be at a point where even if we don’t do this full, full-time – I would like to stretch the name of Aversed across the globe as much as possible. Within feasibility.
Dead Rhetoric: Being a part of the metal scene, what are your thoughts on the state of the industry on a local level as well as national / international level?
Jeong: The scene on a local as well as national/international basis, it’s become so exciting. There are so many great bands right now. Bands sometimes that I’ve never even heard of until the day of, and wow this band has a huge following. I go to one to two shows a week, so I try to stay optimistic about the scene. There are so many great bands, some bands I see killing it these days are like Kruelty from Japan, Escuela Grind and Brat are a big deal. Xoth from the west. Metal is as big as ever. You see these small bands now selling out 150-200 cap venues on a Monday, Abominator just did that. Especially the extreme metal side, death metal, grind, deathcore, slam – they have become really popular. Aversed is not that band yet, but I try to be excited about it. It’s keeping things exciting. One could argue there is an oversaturation of great bands, but I’m happy with where things are at.
I would like to see melodic death metal become more popular. I would like to see clean singing in extreme metal become the thing. That would be great. I’m just a fan of music, first and foremost. I’m a spectator, I’m a fan, I’m a concertgoer. We’ll see what happens.
Dead Rhetoric: Were there any apprehensions on Sarah’s part replacing Haydee as the singer of this band? Do you think she’s been accepted by the fans of Aversed at this point?
Jeong: Her transition was quite seamless. She has her similarities with Haydee, but she definitely has her differences. When she sings the Haydee material, I don’t think no one would ever think that it doesn’t sound like Aversed. The perfect analogy is like Howard Jones to Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage. No one was upset about that. I think that’s how people feel about Sarah. Our reception with her has been sky high. There are some people that consider her the best part of Aversed – I wouldn’t disagree with that. The band is as strong as ever because of Sarah.
Dead Rhetoric: How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Or do you have a favorite failure of yours, and how did you end up pushing through?
Jeong: Our failures as Aversed. I was just talking about this the other night. Our failures have been about not being strategic when it comes to performing shows. May in 2017, we played a show in Lowell, Massachusetts and there were three paid people on a summer Friday night. Obviously, that was demoralizing, but the lesson that we learned is, why did we accept this show? We just accepted any other show that came our way. We’ve become definitely selective about what we play, when we play, and how we play. In 2024, we only played eight shows. That was unfortunate, but all of the eight shows were quality shows. I would rather take that over forty lackluster shows. We want to be revered. We want to stray away from the local band phenomenon. We want to conduct ourselves with professionalism.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see your personal growth as a musician from when you started Aversed to where you are today?
Jeong: The way I would answer this is – when I write music, first and foremost I want to please myself. Sounds a little narcissistic. I want my songwriting for myself to become as compelling as possible. I’m a fan of my own music. I want the songs to move me – that’s why I am doing it. The fact that I am achieving this is evident by the fact that I’m twenty times more excited about the album after Erasure of Color. I’m not saying I’ve grown out of that album – but we are already done with the album after that. We keep on going, I’m just excited.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the agenda for anything related to Aversed over the next twelve months?
Jeong: For Aversed, you can expect a tour to happen in July or August. A summer tour to support the album. That’s all I can speak on for the Aversed side – as well as another music video. Allegaeon will be touring with Warbringer, Summoning the Lich, and Skeletal Remains in March/April. That’s not to be missed.
A quick return following last year’s debut EP, EXCLAMAT!ON, Nek! continue to showcase what appears to be a rapid rise to the top of the scene (one can only assume they will reach Band-Maid levels sooner than later). Their diverse blend of rock, metal, and pop influences is one that their first EP had on full display. Follow-up Tr!ck Tak!ng works in essentially the same way, offering another taste of fun and flashy collection of tracks that seem to all but illustrate the diversity Nek! is shooting for.
The title track starts us off in quick rocking fashion. Loud, playful basswork from Kanade leads off the track and sits as a perpetual highlight. The driving tempo of the track, alongside the uplifting guitar melodies all but urges the listener to give the song plenty of re-listens to hone in on the intricacies (seemingly becoming a Nek! trait), or just enjoy the song as a classic driving anthem. “Fool” ratchets up the tempo and moves the band back into some punk-inspired waters as the riffing and drum combo brings the chorus into catchy yet rocking territory. Again, Kanade’s bass really stands out and is given plenty of space to showcase it. That’s not to stop a fine Natsu guitar solo later though. Natsu’s guitarwork takes an even stronger presence in “Loner,” with playful runs and soaring melodies.
It’s at the more mellow and quiet “moon” that Hika gets to really shine at the vocal end. The ballad-y cut shows her at her most emotive and gentle, and it’s a nice contrast to the three more brazen rockers before it. The chorus feels like a cool wave rushing over the listener. The final track, “Dreams!!!!” sees the band shift gears back towards an arena rock feel, but still maintaining the same high level of musicianship that is to be expected of the young act. There’s a greater emphasis on the chorus than the other tracks, though it’s chock-full of interweaving guitar and bass melodies outside of the strong presence of Hika.
The only problem that seems to stem from Nek!’s two EPs is that they end far too quickly. The fun and engaging instrumentation and vocal hooks make for a thrilling listen that’s bound to put a smile on any listener’s face. Tr!ck Tak!ng cements Nek! as rising force within the Japanese music scene, and one that’s bound to turn quite a few heads once their name breaks further in the international scene. Let’s just hope they will provide a full-length effort sooner than later.
