…e this possible: producer Charlie Bauerfeind and Martin Häusler, who made a massive 3D artwork this time WITHOUT stressing the whole color range.” States HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath: “This proves what a bit of snow not only is able to but really causes! I personally hate snow and the cover shows that too much of everything is never good. Just like Andi Deris, I’m very happy about the new album.”…
…ere be any chance of seeing Alpha Tiger on a North American tour, or possibly some fly in dates for major cities? What needs to occur to get the band over here? Langforth: Our biggest goal is to play in America one day but it’s very expensive. We have to find a promoter in the USA who is able to realize this. We know that there isn’t much money to earn at first on this tour, but that’s not the important point. We just want to play in other parts o…
…um The Energy of Soul. Now, I’m fairly certain that the title is merely awkwardly worded due to a difference in the usage of articles (or lack thereof) between our languages. No, this is not James Brown inspired Soul, but a mixed-bag serving of some very well-played heavy metal. As you’d observe in listening, the musicianship in Twilightfall is great, given to the fact that these guys have been around a time or two. Comprised of ex-members of Nokt…
…iet Bloc). In the case of newcomers Stryvigor, the homeland in question is Ukraine – a fertile place for metal of this ilk, which also boasts top-tier acts such as Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum, and Khors. Named for the Stryvihor river, which flows into the Carpathian mountains, Stryvigor brings the magic of these old lands into their music, as is felt “In The Icy Embrace of the North”, the instrumental introductory track of deep atmosphere by way of k…
…er 5 – John Dee – Oslo, Norway 6 – Brynerocken – Bryne, Norway November 22 – Winter Masters of Rock – Zlin, Czech Republic 29 – Bingo Club – Kiev, Ukraine December 4 – Göta Källare – Stockholm, Sweden 12 – Zal Ozhidanlaya – Saint Petersburg, Russia 13 – Club Volta – Moscow, Russia February 7 – Folkets Park – Huskvarna, Sweden 11 – Pakkahuone – Tampere, Finland 12 – Lutakko – Jyväskylä, Finland 13 – Rytmikorjaamo – Seinäjoki. Finland 14 – The Circu…
…songs from the new album that we are going to try in rehearsal to play out live. We are surely going to play “Stampede” and “Dying Breed”, and then there is 5 or 6 more we are going to try. Dead Rhetoric: I wanted to throw some songs from your back catalog at you and see what special thoughts/memories come to mind surrounding these tracks. First up from Breaker would be “Son of a Bitch”? Hoffmann: “Son of A Bitch,” yeah. That whole song centers ar…
…k with him. This is a conceptual depiction of the world of terror we actually do live in. It’s about how I see the human race nowadays, how we destroy life/nature, poison ourselves in a variety of ways for many reasons. We work hard to fuck up everything and dig our own graves and destroy the earth in the name of greed and might. On top as always, Anti-god and Anti-life poems. People that support Belphegor find the lyric sheets in the booklet of t…
…nts and its many eccentricities. Despite the length and style it never really drags its feet, utilizing the piano and synth independently from one another and adding assorted choir/choral effects for good measure. While most of the northern hemisphere is enjoying the back half of summer you now have the chance to give yourself fully to the throws of winter made manifest in Ashes To Ashes. The road is hard and fraught with peril but in the end, the…
…dude Daniel Jackson has the necessary grip on the riff tactics found in early-to-mid-90s black metal, leaning heavily on Darkthrone and Emperor’s more inspired, less-keyboard (for Emperor) moments. Production is several rungs above basement quality, rivaling that of many of the Cascadian loons still hanging out, groups Jackson is probably to elude from a sonic standpoint. Nevertheless, the blasting “Cold” gets the job done, while occasional (and i…
…Guaranteed, we’ve never seen the vargan (a.k.a. mouth harp) played so gnarly. Any metaller could easily say “why didn’t we think of that before?” So much for folk metal, bring on the vargan metal! If there’s one good reason own this album, it’s that “Incarnation Memory” pretty much makes it worth it. Contemplation is a fairly good album, but for the most part best as a one-time listen because the dense structure seems to grow weaker every time it…
…and hounds’. The story goes on to tell how his pregnant lover (metaphorically represented as ‘a fallow doe’) comes to his body, tends his wounds and takes him away to be buried; apparently leaving the ravens without a meal. The story is a tale of spirituality that seems to represent how the strength and loyalty of one’s kin can overcome adversity, even in the event of their master/partner dying.” One And All, Together, For Home was assembled by DR…
…think no one was seeing that wasn’t going to happen. We have a festival in Ukraine in July, but it’s in the western part. It’s 1,000 miles from Crimea, and I spoke with the organizer and he told me you don’t see any of that shit in the western part. I think it’s safe to go – Deicide just played there a month ago. Dead Rhetoric: It’s pretty scary considering the history Finland has with Russia. Luttinen: You never know what the fuck is going on in…
…released all year, and with phenomenal musical acumen, these guys absolutely, positively rip! (Check out “Sadness in Summer Rain”) Best newcomer of the year: Caladan Brood / Xanthochroid. No doubt that since my favorite album this year is also their debut, I have to give this distinction to Caladan Brood. But, I also want to give a co-naming to a band that likely missed many a list last year due to their December 2012 release date, and that is Xa…
…rn Crusade. Jason Newsted re-enters the metal fray with Heavy Metal Music. Ukraine’s Munruthel nearly score a perfect ten with CREEDamage. Mike “Gunface” Mackenzie releases his solo album, Stomach Earth. The news in ten 1. Death Angel announces a fall North American tour. 2. Inter Arma makes plans to hit studio less than a year after the release of Sky Burial. 3. Unisonic back to work, this time on album #2. 4. Iced Earth wraps recording for their…
…s an absolutely enjoyable journey of musical depth and weight. It features guest vocals from Arkona’s Masha “Scream” as well as one of best Bathory covers that you’ll hear. This multi-instrumentalist seems, to me, to be painfully unknown or at least, under-reviewed. Not unlike another criminally unknown artist (an Aussie who goes under the name Aquilus), Munruthel deserves to be heard, for he has created something truly special. Munruthel on Bandc…
…VADER’s lead guitarist Marek Pajak recently recorded guitar solos for the new HELL:ON album titled The Hunt. HELL:ON is finishing up the recording of their fourth full length album at T.A. Productions in Kiev, Ukraine, which is slate for release this fall via Ferrum Records. Andy LaRocque, who renowned for his works with heavy metal band KING DIAMOND will also be a special guest on The Hunt….
…snow-covered mountainous glory – aren’t the only black metal band from the Ukraine worth fussing over. Obviously, Khors is the other and if their countrymen weren’t so imposing and majestic, they’d be the first name in Ukrainian black metal. And there’s no real signpost for Khors like Burzum is for Drudkh; rather Khors is their own secular entity and band that should be taken seriously thanks to the strength of their fourth full-length,Wisdom of C…
…ters , thus resisting the temptation to speed things up, which would probably soil this well-plotted land of Gothic BM gravestones. Across the board, Mysticism gets high praise here, as it’s the type of release that ultimately props up black metal and keeps the subgenre fresh and varied. However, don’t mistake this as your dyed-in-the-wool Cradle of Filth “Goth” BM outing – this is darkness, a dish best served cold, Ukrainian-style. www.myspace.co…
