…rumental metal from Countless Skies’ guitarist James Pratt. It’s a bit more modern in tone than the melodeath act in which he plays, but it’s no less melodic. Short, 2-3 minute tracks are easily digestible, convey their points, and never veer into the self-indulgent. Some highlights include the lively “A Ship in Harbour,” groovy “Ripples,” and fun melodic antics of “Seraphim.” Truthfully, each of the tracks has a rather playful vibe that just seem…
…ays just a big honor to play in front of people. Certain festivals are really, really special – I love Wacken. It’s one of the best heavy metal festivals in the world…but there are other great heavy metal festivals too. And now playing club shows, you can see the fans right in your face, you can feel their sweat. Sometimes I’ve gotten their sweat in my eyes, but I love it…it’s so heavy metal! That’s why I wanted to be a metalhead and I love it! If…
…xactly, and I really can’t wait to play these live. All the songs are totally playable live, and at the moment we are debating which ones we should play on the upcoming tours. Some members would like to play the whole new album. But we aren’t going to go there, don’t be afraid. As an example, I’m a big fan of Iron Maiden, but I have only seen them live a few times in my life. One time, I think it was the A Matter of Life and Death tour, they came…
…ther countries (visa issues). Nevertheless, in the future, we will definitely make a live band. We have true friends who are ready to go with us till the end. As soon as decent proposals appear, we will not hesitate to tour. Dead Rhetoric: This may or may be exaggerated, but it has been said it used to be difficult to find western music in Russia. In your case, was that true? When were you exposed to metal? Morbius: It was like that in the USSR, b…
…truth, we don’t have to lie about it. So, you have to make sure that you deliver, especially in terms of shows, in the best way. To always give, not 100% but 150%. It’s really exhausting- we’ve toured a lot- the two support tours for the first album, we did them actually for free because we wanted to grow. We’ve played nearly 100 concerts already and I’m very proud of it- we’ve played a lot of festivals too. We’ve done a lot more than some bands i…
…feels more hypnotic than abrasive. The type of thing you are going to really get only by taking it in it’s totality – get lost in the moment and absorb it in. Otherwise the lengthier tracks will definitely drag. For what it is, Kval is solid, but it never really reaches outside the atmospheric black metal boundaries – making it oddly straight-forward for a label that usually presents some really “out there” stuff. – Kyle McGinn (Kval on Bandcamp)…
…twelve months for Concordea in terms of activities? Has work begun on the next recording, and if so what shape are the early ideas taking? Will there be an official video or two released from Over Wide Spaces? Daria: We’re preparing something to develop our project, but it’s a bit early to spread the news since we don’t know yet which form our ideas will take. But be sure you will hear about us in a while! Alexey: Well, we would like to have some…
…m all countries, Time Shadow come from the Eastern European country of the Ukraine – originally developing their power metal sound with native language lyrics. Feeling the need to go after a broader international following, they’ve since moved to English lyrical content – issuing A New Day as a four-song EP last year, setting the stage for the full-length follow up A World Beyond. The artwork alone almost made this a dead giveaway of sonic expecta…
…ric: Was it difficult to find like-minded people to form a band like White Ward? White Ward: Starting the band wasn’t really difficult. At the beginning of 2012 Yurii Kazaryan and his drummer friend decided to play some canonical raw depressive black metal. They quickly found other dudes and started rehearsing, recorded one horrible demo which has never been released and then it all ended. Everyone except Yurii has left the band, he started lookin…
…ve Conception, it became a challenge for Joe to deliver those lyrics, vocally live. He really wanted to fit them into the music, and you know what, bless him – he made it work on the album and he made it work live. But it was a challenge – he challenged me and put me back to the drawing board and I delivered for him and then he found out that it was a lot of words [laughs] to sing on those songs. So that’s a little backstory on that one – thank yo…
…ng for fans to chew on. Epic riffing, great vocal work, and an unsurprisingly killer production from Jon Howard – this is a great start for Empress. Loads of potential as they continue on, so get in on this completely free track while you can! Grind of the Dead – No Lives Matter Release Date – May 2017 Location – Massachussetts, USA Style – Grindcore/death metal As expected, Grind of the Dead fires off short blasts of sonic chaos. Plenty of full-s…
…in Europe than here in the US? Federoff: To put it in perspective, we really only ever played one show in Tucson, Arizona. It’s not a market…most of America is not a market for that matter. Montreal is a much bigger hub for all styles of metal, which is why in the end, we decided to re-establish most of the band in Montreal. That’s made it easier because we have found musicians who are familiar with the style and love the style. It’s a huge weigh…
…r reliance upon shorter compositions to allow the ideas to sink in relatively quickly for the type of music on display. When most progressive/power metal groups expand thoughts into prolonged interplay combinations, Over Wide Spaces only exceeds the five-minute mark once, and finishes as if in a throwback vinyl release market place at under 40 minutes. An ideal album for those who love these two sub-genres and prefer the enjoyment of thoughtful ho…
…so much time and devotion to the instrument/vocals from a person and the only reward is a good show. It is the most sincere genre, that is why it is still surprising everyone today that you can still find new bands that kick ass. I have been a metalhead for over 20 years now and yeah, I do dress differently, but when I am with the guys at a practice or at the concert I am still the same beast I was 20 years ago… I guess my conclusion would be: met…
…s the same style with plenty of finesse and ferocity. The riffing effectively melds the early approach of Broken Hope with their more technical side (a la Loathing) but never takes it too far. The tech flavors are held in check in reverence to the overall song flow, as the opening “The Meek Shall Inherit Shit” quickly points out with a spiraling melody that is as intricate as it is catchy. Speed runs in “The Carrion Eaters” lead into slower and mo…
…heric bobs and weaves here are what does the trick), Eoront, not surprisingly, are proponents of long-form songcraft. The dominant keyboard patterns of Valea are the main propellant, mainly on album highlight “The Glow,” where her keys manage to cover the song like a star-gazing blanket. Similar refrains emerge on “The Sea,” which in a way, remind one of the way Dimmu Borgir used their keyboard arrangements in their halcyon days, meaning, dominant…
…raining or was it just what you picked up on your own? Boyer: That’s actually a really good question. I picked up everything on my own, but I’m not a professional…I’ve never had any professional training so when I first got into the band I growled in a way that completely destroyed my voice. I could not speak anymore, I could not talk anymore, I could not sing anymore. I was speaking like someone who smoked a lot. I got really messed up, and it wa…
…e pits opened up and the moshing and body slamming began. But just as quickly as the bodies were flying, all of a sudden fans were wrapping their arms around one another and doing a high-step dance while spinning around in circles. Those who weren’t taking over the “dance floor,” were just as engaged clapping, chanting and raising fists into the air. And just Sirenia had done with their 75 minutes, Arkona delivered a varied set referencing both ol…
…is a very long song. That’s a fantasy story. It depends on who writes the lyrics. Marco is really into fantasy and I like to write about things that I’ve been through or different vibes. For example, the first song, “Where the Heart is Home,” is about touring. It’s about the not-so-nice end of it, like leaving your loved ones at home. Sometimes it’s really hard – when you leave someone who is sick for example. You can’t take care of someone, or b…
…on their hands with White Ward’s Futility Report. A sextet from the unlikely region of Ukraine, White Ward could be considered avant-garde except for the fact their songs have this natural staying ability that belies their experimental nature. On their first proper full-length Futility Report, White Ward turns in an album devoid of convention. Black metal is the root, as evidenced by the band’s extreme, brash bent found on “Stillborn Knowledge.”…
…ld be fine. But to think about a new album before this one is out – it’s a bit early. I don’t know what to do – the war themes have worked out well for me from a lyrical point of view, but maybe it’s time for something else as well. Dead Rhetoric: Is there anything different you added to The World Ablaze to make it stand apart, or do you feel it’s more about staying consistent to God Dethroned’s music, given the seven year interval between albums?…
…y quelled with a few seconds of the band’s breakneck sound kicked in. This Russia-based thrash act should leave you with anything but a poker face once you engage their third album Game On. Aggressive, snarling thrash with modern groove and some melodic moments captures a good image of what Pokerface is all about. A timeless crunch (think Slayer or Kreator) soaks the guitars in enough heaviness for you to immediately take notice, let alone the fre…
…hat style for us as much. So this record, I got to do things my way, visually, lyrically, and musically. This is the most meaty record- it’s a good thing that John Laux left because I got to do the record I always felt we had in us, and paradoxically the guy I thought I needed and depended on to make my voice be heard, actually needed to be gotten rid of, because he just didn’t have the passion for this anymore. I think I’ve learned a lot, becomin…
…album from the Russian power metal crew Ghosthill. The cover doesn’t exactly scream power metal, but it effectively shows that Ghosthill aren’t your usual power metal band either. Ghosthill fall more towards the more modern end of the spectrum, with a focus on electronic elements to accompany their symphonic approach. The standout track in this regard goes to “Vega,” where the bouncy electronic components bring an almost danceable vibe to the cho…
…stage, with frequent dancing and clapping filling the Palladium, particularly towards the end of their set, which featured “Stenka na Stenku” and “Yarilo.” While the authentic folk instruments (flute, bagpipes) added some flair, they never overtook the rest of the instrumentation, which kept the intensity high. An impressive set that made me recall the glory days of the Paganfest tours and the fun factor that was always present there. Upping the h…
…s human, citing Lovecraft and Asimov as writer influences? Zayarny: Primarily the lyrics concentrate on story-telling. That’s what I grew up on. I think that stories are what captures the human imagination. And again, at the risk of sounding too pretentious, every good story has to be frightening in some way, that’s where I’m coming from in terms of Lovecraft. I think he was fantastic in the sense of taking the reader into the semantics and the wa…
…, but it’s the marathon crash and collide of the title track that effectively seals off an album that is utter BM annihilation. Not sure if there’s going to be market confusion over the two Arkonas (the Russian version has enjoyed more success and are on a bigger label), but there’s no mistaking which Arkona has the extremity edge. Lunaris is thoroughly uncompromising…let’s just hope no happy, nature-loving folksters don’t get their Pagan knickers…
…ive deathcore act Shokran shifts focus from the ancient Eygyptian themes towards, well, The Book of Exodus. Of course, this means that their Middle Eastern influences still have their place within the music, and serves to expand their sound past the sometimes constricting borders of deathcore. With progressive deathcore being a fairly vague descriptor, it’s safe to say that Shokran takes influence from bands like Born of Osiris. But on Exodus, the…
…hooks, and some excellent female vocals. The type of sound that could easily go places if properly exposed to the music fans of the world. With that in mind, we reached out to the act (with responses from vocalist Valerie Laitinen, keyboardist Ivan Popov, drummer Dima Loboda, and guitarist Roma Kovalenko) to learn more about Phase One, their approach to cover songs (which can be easily found on YouTube), and what comes next. Dead Rhetoric: Where…
…ey are already signed, but in this case, Kauan was not. So, we spent a really, really long time knocking out the terms of the deal cause both of us are very particular. I can see here in my inbox, the first mail I sent to the band was on May 10th, 2012 (so, only about half a year after opening), but that album was not released until December 15th, 2013. It was a long process of negotiating, writing, recording, and releasing, and it was a huge lear…
