…ne is that At the Plates is far more than a gag offering. Do you enjoy well-written, all-around solid death metal? Because Omnivore is stuffed to the gills with it. Catchy, worm it’s way into your ears type of stuff. Opener “With Their Cutlets” kicks off things with plenty of blasting energy and a barrage of frantic riffing to the point where your ‘gimmick mindset’ is going to drop off immediately. The riffs hit hard, whether they are more speedy…
…e VR controllers) as this song feels very ‘classic’ Dragonforce in its over-the-top theatrics, yet grounded with a sense of melody to make it feel incredibly balanced. The music video is quite an amusing treat too! (Dragonforce official website/Dragonforce on Facebook) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jovdRlXz8sk I Legion “Broken Mirrors Pt. II” (featuring Chris Clancy) Such a treat to be able to say that there’s a new I Legion track! A second part…
…t of East of Eden is going to be very strongly utilized. Starting off the 5-song EP in a one-two punch is some of the most energetic and bombastic material of the release. “Evolve” showcases the frantic mixture of guitar riffing and Ayasa’s violin entanglements in the best possible way. The driving tempo just makes you want to move around and then it elevates to a potent, soaring chorus that lets Akane shine while still keeping the rest of the ins…
…ribadism,” where the blasting drums hit with more buzzing riffs and tremolo-esque melodies that twist around the chorus. Falling into that category of ‘I can’t believe it’s one person,’ Bloody Cumshot deliver an explosive dose of Gothenburg-styled melodies updated to modern times that’s sure to win any genre fans over. As a second effort, Deflorantism showcases Junya’s talent as something to keep your eyes and ears on in the future. Feel free to c…
…ld you want to be on our song? Sent him the demo, and he loved it. He’s low-key, and he thought it would be volcanic. We are all fans of funk and old rhythm and blues, classic hip-hop and stuff. He wrote this really fun rap about being a lady killer (laughs). Gavin is a really old friend of my wife’s. He has played saxophone with lots of bands here in Ireland. We wanted someone to play sax, but we also knew he might be the kind of guy who might sa…
…it’s been very surprising indeed, because the band formed just one year-and-a-half ago! We got a bunch of songs, we recorded them, and that’s it! We choose the more catchy and straight in your face; it’s a demo, so you don’t need to be so bothered after all! I didn’t expect such a thing! Consider that we’ll have our first album out soon, and we re-recorded “Krushing All Altars,” “Sepulchrist,” and the title track with something new! Also, the cove…
…lready has the big personality she needs, it’s just a matter of getting it exposed to the rest of the world for all to see. All live photos courtesy of Jonathan Lane Jonathan Lane official website Jonathan Lane on Instagram Jonathan on Twitter/X https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Xybqz6cEE&pp=ygUHaXNpbGllbA%3D%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMICdxaG0wY Isiliel official website Isiliel on X Isiliel on Instagram…
…where everytime she stopped to take a drink of water, people would chant “H-2-O.” That excitement led into the music itself of course, and looking across the room you could see everything from people swinging lightsticks to the music to others headbanging along. It was hard not to be pulled into Himari’s intimate performance. The heaviest moment came with the thrilling “Keisei Densetsu,” which borders on a melodic death metal rampage at points, an…
…singles which turned into EP efforts. Dream Up is the latest of these, a 5-song affair that follows last year’s D-X. TRiDENT’s consistent energy and knack for catchy melodies makes Dream Up an easy point to be introduced to the band, as well as please long-time fans. Starting off with the rollicking and aptly-named “Kickass,” the threesome waste no time in introducing some very ear-pleasing melodic riffs that seem to ooze energy and flair. The dr…
…be.com/watch?v=DmzObvj80UM Maze If you want heavy idol music, Maze is an up-and-coming act worth a glance. They’ve released six songs in 2023 and they are all varied and monstrous in tone. Low vocals and chugging riffs that dip into deathcore levels, yet they can flip things back on their head instantly with an electronically-laced chorus and clean vocals that offer a thrill without entirely letting go of the heaviness they’ve built up – it’s just…
…set-up works, so why bother to change it up – Tarja avoided the goofy, over-the-top feeling that many ‘metal Christmas’ releases go for last time, and she does so here as well. Certainly there’s some hesitance to listen to the dreaded (by many at least) Mariah Carey classic “All I Want for Christmas is You,” or Wham’s “Last Christmas” without having to shake off some annoyances, but this is exactly where Tarja shines. “All I Want for Christmas is…
…) in “OSKR.” It’s a full-throttle track from the band, leaning on the heavy-yet-approachable side that “Rise” latched onto earlier this year – merging some frenetic riffing and tempos with a thrilling and hook-based chorus (not to mention the ripper of a guitar solo). Just like “Rise” and “Night Flight,” it provides a ton of promise for Evolve next year. If you haven’t checked out Nemophila, a covers release such as The Initial Impulse is a great…
…table.” Operating with some monstrously downtuned chugging riffs, that rage-infused attitude is very apparent as you groove through the track, which only relents slightly for a catchier clean vocal chorus from Nana. “Stir Up” follows suit with some rather upbeat riffing and electronics, instantly grabbing your ear with the cleaner vocals and seemingly built for the live show ‘whoas.’ But fear not, ‘the angriest band in Japan’ isn’t going soft on y…
…Dead Rhetoric: What types of goals/ambitions do Temple Balls set on a short-term versus long-term basis? Are you hopeful to make the band a full-time career endeavor, or do you realize as musicians that you may have to balance regular jobs with these musical activities? Vuorela: So far it is like that. It’s a struggle, working on the day jobs and getting the most out of the band. We are focused on the band as things mature, our aim is to make a li…
…now, this is a yet another absolutely cherished memory for fall 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pZziudI7GU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzVYKo-N_lM Neo Japonism official website Neo Japonism on Instagram Neo Japonism on X…
…on melodies in each of the songs, which swing between more triumphant fist-raisers (“Lost to Flame”) to bouts of pensive beauty (“Slowly Light Collides”), while occasionally going further extremes into each direction. “Spirit and Matter” fires up the blast-beat wagon and it fits the band’s sound quite well in adding some extra intensity into the mix to go with some throttling riffs. On the other end, you have the poignant “A Tide Unturning,” whic…
…Fragments of a Bitter Memory, Dying Wish returns in 2023 with their follow-up Symptoms of Survival. An album that seems to build upon everything the band was doing well, and intensifying and augmenting it in every way for the better. We were able to grab vocalist Emma Boster a few days before their current tour was to commence to discuss all things Symptoms, metalcore influences and what she enjoys about the genre, and much more. Dead Rhetoric: F…
…. Take the adrenaline-fueled “To Survive’ as a prime example, with its fist-in-the-air anthem of a chorus, which Alice really shines on. But she can also pull off more melodic cuts with grace, as “Keep on Running” providing evidence of her more elegant side without it getting too mellow. Truly, Reflection takes some great care to provide an album where you aren’t hooked by one thing, but by all of them. There’s enough oomph behind the riffing and…
…actically unrivaled in the scene currently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6R-ZjEgnlo&pp=ygUJc3Bpcml0Ym94 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjnZVpVvJ-k&pp=ygUJc3Bpcml0Ym94 Spiritbox official website Spiritbox on Instagram…
…and that’s something wholly different. Opening the ritual with the melodic-yet-pulverizing soundscapes of “Mantle” was a perfect choice to show this crowd what kind of experience they were in for. Foreboding clean guitars are layered with grisly enormous riffs, sickly twisted with the ghastly screams and contortions of their enigmatic vocalist. His stage movements can be likened to a snake slithering about, combined with moments of cathartic post…
…ls of thought to enhance their vision. Armed with a backstory of only a one-song demo and 4-song EP back in 2016, Bacterial Husk come out swinging on Anthropogenic Ruin. With members of Razormaze and Scattered Remnants in tow, they aren’t exactly newcomers to the scene. With that in mind, there’s quite a bit that the band manages to accomplish here. First off, the blend of death and thrash feels seamless – some of the riffing techniques will bring…
…rs of many who come across them. With five songs that range in the mostly 3-4 minute mark, Gungire goes straight to the heart of the matter with each song. First track “Summer Love” opens with plenty of rage to back their claim, but also with a copious serving of melodies within the groovy, thrash-driven tempos. Nana’s vocals are fiery and aggressive. Operating in the metalcore range, the song does shift into more melodic gears as it approaches th…
…ping the uptempo Suffocation bludgeoning one might expect. The bounding mid-tempo riffing on “Descendants” also has a bit of newer flavor to it, done in such a way that it feels entirely natural to Suffocation’s template, and serves as another welcome addition. Of course, there is a long-standing tradition with Suffocation albums to keep, and this time, “Ignorant Deprivation,” from Breeding the Spawn, sees itself reborn in a more modern light (whi…
…. Likewise, “Metropolis” is an absolute battering ram of a song, with blast-ridden speed runs and oppressive mid-tempo riffs in the slowdown, all augmented by some excellent melodic enhancements. The first ‘whoa’ comes with “Replicant,” which opens on a much more melodic note, complete with (you guessed it) clean vocals. For those waiting to cry afoul, they are well-executed and serve the more melodic portions of the song to a tee. It’s a new flav…
…. I was a big fan of Kiss, Gene Simmons produced one of our records in 1989-90. That was awesome. I got to tour with Ronnie James Dio, one of my favorite singers. The first gigs we did with Metallica, we did some gigs with the Scorpions. My first big American tour was with Megadeth. Unforgettable, so I feel totally inspired. Sometimes when I see a picture – when we do Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, we do a throwback Thursday. I get so many memor…
…ion, and add to it a greater color palette for the band to work off of. Two-to-four minute songs act as energetic bursts, filled not just with rage but some sorrow and remorse as well. The title track starts things off on the heavier end of the spectrum, featuring some buzzing chugs while incorporating some bits of chilling melodies at times. It acts as a great warm-up and stage-setter before early single “Watch My Promise Die” really rumbles the…
…ear to them as the grooves roll along. “Wheel of Torture” is another groove-fest, complete with bouncy riffs that you just can’t help but move around too – this has been one of Endseeker’s strong points for many years and they continue to find new ways to exploit it with refined songwriting. On the other hand though, they know how to lay out a pounding when they want, as “Our Only Life” grinds its way through as the shortest track of the bunch. En…
…strike up a conversation with people at cons. There’s just a really LGBTQIA-friendly atmosphere at all of the cons that I have been to, which I think is super important. I feel very at home there, and I have met a lot of people there who feel very similar to me, which makes me feel more relaxed and confident. Dead Rhetoric: You had mentioned anime, so what are a few of your favorites? Cherry: I am a Shonen Jump girl: Hunter x Hunter, One Piece, Dr…
…that fans, both veteran and newcomer, will enjoy whole-heartedly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMSuBpmVpdE&pp=ygURd2l0aGluIHRlbXB0YXRpb24%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBilK-h3lRQ&pp=ygURd2l0aGluIHRlbXB0YXRpb24%3D Within Temptation on Facebook Within Temptation on Instagram Within Temptation official website…
…my bread and butter. I was very happy to learn that Ice Giant was a concept-based band in sci-fi. And as we’ve been working on the following, you know, we’re still very much in the early stage just talking about that, but definitely in terms of concept and lyrics and things like that, me being a massive fantasy nerd is absolutely going to have an influence on that. Gallop: I’m so fucking excited because, just, yeah, I’m so fucking excited. Hell ye…