…r long-standing career, it’s a balancing act between stretching into new territory yet giving the ardent followers what they most desire from you as a group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxwKBpdin0Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ0Qh_lVivc Sonata Arctica on Facebook…
…d up for the new year, more writing. We are already starting to be like, when can we write again? We have the itch again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl5SfC-oTMI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRmAZiLedvA Lutharo official website Lutharo on Facebook…
…ad groove come to mind on the mid-tempo “Slave Of the Blade”, while the one-four-five chord progressions reach a fever pitch on “Deliver Us To Devil”. These are anthems for the devoted – seething in angst, dripping in that bestial spirit that rages yearning to break free. Over in a scant twenty-five minutes and change, closer “F.O.A.L.” contains those rally cry movements in terms of a proper riff/vocal combination, another wild lead break, plus ch…
…get your bearings before holding your head high! “Centipede Bite” is a full-on attack of the senses, which is A-OK with this guy! Meanwhile “Soul Observatory” just rocks, and “Acid Bath” is a tune that makes you wanna break things to. The album ends with “The Venus Baroness I” and “The Venus Baroness II”. Both tracks work well together and wrap up this journey perfectly. Again, I didn’t know these guys before, yet love them now. The album is out n…
…ital and as creatively fruitful as they are in the 2020’s – let’s enjoy these recordings, as if it’s the final studio full-length, they will have finished out brilliantly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLPaGqGzdY0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BExNIGlVJTw Judas Priest official website Judas Priest on Facebook…
…sorts of things, should we, could we? Does everyone want to do it? It’s an exciting thing to think about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMlvMsGRouM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_l-trEOtbk Judas Priest official website Judas Priest on Facebook…
…only an absolute beast of an album from Suicidal Angels, it is one of 2024’s best…period. Standout Tracks: All of them! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-nTIX8IU6Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ofxYJgSXAk Suicidal Angels on Facebook…
…the chill bump nature to his key verse / chorus melodies in more of a doom-like marching template for “The Haunting” or contrast lower register note holding against some savage bellows during highlight “Valkyries (Raise the Hammers)”. Kalli’s rhythm guitar work possesses this proto-metal meets 80s edge, his lead breaks naturally intuitive for the service of the song, while he allows space for the progressive bass lines from Phil to also rise to t…
…pleasantly surprised by what Kill the Lights can do, if you’ve been below their radar so far. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcdrsLWExTY&pp=ygUPa2lsbCB0aGUgbGlnaHRz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-xFlLRJh04&pp=ygUPa2lsbCB0aGUgbGlnaHRz Kill the Lights official website Kill the Lights on Facebook…
…stals. (laughs) Maestas: Between that and lots of records. I’ve got the Cha-Cha-Cha records. I’ve had this record for as long as I can remember. My aunt put her own return address on the label of the record. She passed away many years ago. I collect old 8 mm films. I have 8 mm film nights with my friends, we watch old horror movies and other people’s vacation videos from the 50s and 60s. Whatever else I find on there, sometimes I find these for $1…
…is more difficult than composing progressive music. Anybody can do fifteen-minute-long songs, it’s easy to do this. It’s not easy to do a three-minute song which is not regimented. The world changed, and there seems to be no place anymore for big progressive new bands. Dead Rhetoric: How do you balance the music responsibilities you have with your career as well as maintaining the business side of things, plus the relationships, friends, and fami…
…Dead Rhetoric: Do you believe it’s harder for people to engage in more face-to-face communication, versus the use technology to communicate? Melissourgos: I’m an old school person. I prefer talking to someone straight in their face. I will give you a small example. I didn’t used to have my own Facebook account until a year ago. I just use it for the promotional stuff of the band, and maybe talking with friends or people that are not living that cl…
…ng the 1990’s on the first run for Morta Skuld? Gregor: We have a very long-standing history with Peaceville. We were on their sub-label Deaf Records. We got picked up by the actual Peaceville roster for As Humanity Fades came out. After Morta Skuld had broken up in 1998, I kept in touch with them, started a newer band (9mm Solution) and was trying to get them signed to Peaceville, even though they weren’t death metal. They couldn’t touch it, I lo…
…bum comes out in February, and a lot of music videos after that. There’s a lot going on! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7t9SspFWKA&pp=ygUNaW5mZWN0ZWQgcmFpbg%3D%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-JGQgnwpGE&pp=ygUNaW5mZWN0ZWQgcmFpbg%3D%3D Infected Rain on Facebook Infected Rain on Instagram…
…ple. I can’t wait to go back and make the next album, I’m excited about the future and writing more and more material. Bringing Dust Bolt out to the world! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxCqdAM5SvU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ8e2bJAj0k Dust Bolt on Facebook…
…influence and household god for me here. Dead Rhetoric: What are your short-term and long-term goals that you’ve set for Rifforia? Johansson: Short term goals are to come out and play live, interact with the people on social media, create a good following and community, good atmosphere. We will probably start writing the next album as well, Marcus has already sent me a couple of riffs. He’s on it. Long term goals, it’s hard to say. We want to play…
…a beer, pour a shot or five, and go nuts! Standout Tracks: “Now and Forever”, “Wolves At the Door”, “Hearts of Steel” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sp9X4w19aM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWx_u0O7U_Q The Rods on Facebook…
…t of topics at the ready before the music is done, or do you work on a case-by-case basis as the musical ideas develop and churn out the words/melodies based on the emotions or atmosphere that comes about? Byford: Pretty much, not always, I wait for…. You know I am a musician myself, we spend a lot of time with the boys on the music, arranging, and fine tuning the parts. I have a list of ideas I have, and if the music suits the idea, then I’ll tak…
…lazy and haven’t expanded outside of metal too much, though I have been slowwwly getting into Placebo. And Garbage has long been a favorite of mine. Devost: In terms of listening to non-metal music, I’m pretty sure my top played artists the last couple months are Lady Gaga and John Williams. Dead Rhetoric: When you feel overwhelmed or you have lost your focus, what types of things or activities do you like to engage in to regain perspective? Bell:…
…tivals in the summer. Nothing has been decided yet. I know a lot of people want us to do tours, but it’s just not up to us to decide. We will do our best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ElGs1epZ00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va9SD3ch1k8 Axenstar on Facebook…
…am hearing a crappy streaming MP3 or something like that. As far as the hi-fi playback goes, it’s more or less the same. To the first part of your question, I think it’s great. Musicians want to be heard, right? My attitude has been, and always has been, it should be accessible and on as many formats as possible. Whatever format a particular listener prefers, why would you not want to provide that? From a limited cassette to the Spotify version….
…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…
…ich was a song we released as another project. Those songs were more fringe-y as far as the use of orchestra or being more new age-y, in Frank’s case. “Crater” was my contribution, which ended up being more like a catchy rock/metal song with just like weird time signatures, for me as a Tool fan, I guess that just kind of came out [laughs]. There was that diversity that carried over to this record. But with that being the case, what I think it all…
…sed in the Netherlands, and they are all based in Brazil. It’s a twelve-and-a-half-hour flight to get there. The culture difference is huge. We had different visions of how business should be dealt with. That’s normal, and that’s okay when you have different backgrounds. You have different ways of dealing with the business. I also felt it wasn’t my calling to be full-time in a death metal band. I really enjoyed my time in Crypta, they are very har…
…ming out in their rehearsal space with these songs. They asked Tommi the ex-drummer and Markus the ex-singer to play. From there Markus helped us record the first demo at his studio. Dead Rhetoric: Do you remember Miika when you joined the group, what was exciting about being in this band? Kokko: (laughs). Well, I didn’t have any expectations. I was looking for a new band as my previous band had broken up a couple of years before that. I could thi…
…ecruited the musicians who are now with you? Hurd: Yes. It started as a one-man project. I didn’t want it as a one-man project, but it probably kicked things off for the best. I didn’t have any other musicians to play with out in Dripping Springs, Texas, it’s a country small town. There weren’t guys itching to play melodic death, doom metal. (laughs). It’s not a whole lot of people to choose from. When I moved to Austin, which is twenty miles over…
…couraging them to make a return trip. But for 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…
…member. With Joakim, we didn’t work as much with him. It wasn’t like a back-and-forth thing. With Jani, he’s really great at taking the artwork and designing the whole album around it. We know he’s always going to do a killer job, so why mess with a good thing? I trust him, he’s a cool guy. Ronnie has always been there from the beginning. We trust that he will come up with a great sound, he’s so easy to work with. He keeps raising the bar with his…
…ess. Drummer Jerome Lematua wasn’t about to be outdone, putting on a groove-filled drum clinic, while also making light of his own flashy mulleted locks. The man wears it loud and proud. The majority of their set was built from 2021’s Escapades, their debut full-length, notably featuring pieces such as “Wax & Wane” and “Fountainhead.” The band brought a notable energy and seemed to be relishing the moment of being on a big tour with their fellow c…
…ns, emotional expression, and diversity when it comes to the seven songs for When Worlds Turn to Gray. It’s been a banner year for this genre in 2023 – and this record is another must-buy, must-hear offering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inKYNiQs4CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4GlQ0LAfUg Dead Serenity on Facebook…
