…rows to start over again – the 45-minute outing just perfect in terms of delivering enough material to not cause ear fatigue. In Vain love a lot of early 90’s thrash meets mid/late 90’s power/traditional influences – the type that just galvanizes festival hordes. Back to Nowhere provides proof to the positive that you can be catchy, heavy, as well as melodic without watering down your sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPfgZAwKpW8 https://www….
…a new wave of thrash metal. We got good reviews, we played live a lot, mostly locally. When it was time to write the follow-up to Thrashing, other things came in the way. Our vocalist took over his family’s business, another one started studying classical music to become a music teacher, I had kids. We didn’t really want to throw in the towel, so we continued to jam, write some songs in the rehearsal room. One of the guitarists went off to Civil W…
…dings, while “By the Throat” is a more mid-tempo offering that showcases a bit more of the crossover, gang-like mentality that can elevate the mood when frustration settles into your average day. Thirty-two minutes of metallic hardcore, Night Fever with Dead End prove that they’ve lost no intensity, scrappiness, or sheer determination to shove their songwriting into tight windows of explosive madness. In the end, it’s a wonderful sound that hopefu…
…handle. But you can’t deny much like Skull Fist or early Helloween, his delivery on “I’m Alive” is 100% metal, while his versatility on the Maiden-esque closer “The Second Death” could be something worth exploring a bit more in the future. Show N Tell may be a relative newcomer on the scene, but it’s easy to see plenty of potential right away for The Ritual Has Begun. Proof that this style shows no sign of dying, and it’s a welcome treat for all…
…back at the group’s roots, while showing a glimpse at how they can move forward. Hopefully we get more soon. (Ladybaby official website/Ladybaby on Instagram) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGQXLCVFOIU PaleNe0 “aLiVE” Straddling the hard rock/metal line, Japanese act PaleNe0 manages to combine upbeat, almost pop-ish energy along with heavy riffs and even some dabblings into more extreme territory (especially the vocals). Their newest single, “a…
…The duality cheerleader frontman next to an ear-shattering, multi-octave delivery allows the audience to easily accept Michael’s elite vocals, especially in the higher, upper note activities that take place in a potent anthem like “Bomb Food”, the militant, mechanical-oriented transition going down a storm with the festival audience. The setlist contains plenty of rebel rousing moments, encouraging crowd chants, stomps, or swinging/swaying motion…
…der my skin. The topic of it might be obvious, but it’s about the topic of war. Luckily I can’t speak from my own experience, but it’s the type of feeling I have when I see people suffering, I see mighty people in power and how they completely lose connection. They just want to rule something and the people just think minute by minute and try to survive. Dead Rhetoric: Any goals for you this year? Either personally or with the band? Kerk: I don’t…
…the talent, the songwriting, and depth of performances they’ve executed since the start. Mycelium represents another powerful example of what the metal genre can offer on multiple angles without compromise, facing forward to deliver a top-notch record that takes what Nevermore and Communic offer to the next level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaKbLmb1ySE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFD_qJQhP0E Manticora on Facebook…
…ority richly reward the curious and open minded listener. Ultimately, this may be Mourning Dawn’s most intimate and intricate record, most assuredly warranting your undivided attention. Mourning Dawn on Facebook…
…most of the songs were about positivity, and somehow around COVID and the Ukraine war and all this, we just learned and saw it in bands like Electric Callboy. A lot of people cope with negativity in their day – they don’t want more negativity anymore. They want something that gives them hope and makes them feel like they can be a part of it. We just want to give people what they need, or at least get them out of the downward spiral of negativity….
…icking to strengths while cutting away any excess to push the best foot forward track by track. Probably the larger cult appeal of Dust & Bones lies in their home country to extend possibly into other European countries – as Mission Back to the Forbidden Planet contains adequate performances through catchy hooks yet is very familiar to those who love the stripped down, bluesy / punk-oriented heaviness on display. Kudos though to the space-oriented…
…ompelling core. Something that the justly named Evolve capitalizes on greatly. Really and truly, diversity is the name of Nemophila’s music, and it’s on full display here. There are some absolutely frantic tracks and pull you in with visceral fury and aggression, some that tow a more mid-tempo and branch into their own subset of categories, and even some ballad-y material to gracefully expand their boundaries. To dive into the hard and heavy first…
…moment. I think we are all just living for the day. We have one eye on the news, living our lives is what we do. When it goes so bad that we have to change what we are doing, we are going to have to adapt to a new world. I think the only thing we can do is just carry on. Dead Rhetoric: What’s left to accomplish in your twilight years on this earth – either within the field of music, or in your own personal world? Byford: Bucket list, I don’t know….
…to lean towards much of any poppier elements the genre began to embrace towards the early/mid-2000s. Really, it’s one of the strongest cuts this scribe has found in quite some time, and definitely deserved it’s showcase as a single. The album does some occasional shifts in tone after this, which aids in giving it a more dynamic feel. “Undercurrent” ushers in some melodic moments and melancholy to the mix (and even a few brief clean vocals), and l…
…, Death. The ten tracks serve up volatile, groove-oriented death ‘n’ roll, lyrically touching upon human social conflict, environmental devastation, and the turbulent life of humans in the current society that should assault all senses in the best way power trios deliver for this genre. The stripped-down nature of the instrumentation beyond the natural, in your face tones / production atmosphere gives the material this plug in to play attitude tha…
…n’t that technical of a guitarist. I knew what limitations I had both vocally and musically at the time. This sounds like me, and that was very clear, but it has changed through the years from the band it was then to the band we are now. I’ve developed myself as a musician. Dead Rhetoric: The Path of Decoherence is the latest studio album for the band. What can you tell us about the songwriting and recording sessions for this effort? Where do you…
…eed to find some time and inspiration to finish up. The web of projects and bands we are related to, I can only speak for myself – Phil and Antonie have a lot of stuff on the side. We are definitely trying to see where we can take Dissimulator in terms of live shows. It’s a bit of a challenge, to put together something cohesive in terms of a full lineup. Not a lot of people are playing this style. Make more tech thrash bands! https://www.youtube.c…
…resentation – they immediately piqued the ear, and to that point, we had only really listened to them in passing. Well, a deep dive into their discography later, and we were sold. Seeing them live in 2019 was cathartic, and there they announced Rise Radiant along with a return for a tour the next year. Well, yeah, we know what happened next. This past year’s return to ProgPower was just as memorable, though they once again tempted fate by announci…
…“Outer Worlds” and the chorus is a definite ‘sing-a-long,’ though admittedly “In My Dreams” takes the award for the strongest ‘sing-a-long’ with it’s ballad-y approach and potent use of Erica Ohlsson’s charismatic vocals. Those interested in the high-energy driving tempo showcases the band is known for should be quite happy as well. “Cyberdome” is an all-out romp of energy and fun, from it’s big synth section to the stomping riffs and soaring mel…
…Jason to discuss the major differences between the two albums to date, his war-themed lyrical content, his development as a musician through the work of Psycroptic and this outfit, his views on the current state of death metal, a pivotal moment in his musical development, plus future plans including some other black metal-oriented work to look forward to. Dead Rhetoric: The second Domination Campaign album is A Storm of Steel. Tell us about the re…
…Ouroarboros is an interesting one, taking old songs and giving them not only English lyrics but entirely reworking them. The songs are still recognizable, but this far from a case of a mere re-recording of older tracks. With that fresh imbuing of mostly new members singing, the reworked arrangements, and English lyrics, it gives more than enough reason for older fans to revisit the group’s rebirth, as well as an excellent starting point for newco…
…r lets up. Elsewhere “Thulsa Doom” invites you on a slow yet epic journey not for the faint of heart, and that is in no way a bad thing. Closer “Live to Die” ticks all the metal boxes and will have many heads a-banging for sure. All told The Fallen is a rather enjoyable, if occasionally cliched metal affair. That’s really not a problem, but it does get a little old after a while. But hey, plug in and rock 80’s style to your hearts content, I alway…
…we did more experimenting, which I thought was really cool. Dead Rhetoric: Lyrically this record conveys the character of The Dreamer that you developed on the previous record, in the period of what happens beyond death. Where did you draw for inspiration for the storyline, and is it equally challenging to engage the right atmosphere and tone to match the musical themes with the lyrics? Olson: I guess. It’s sort of something that I’ve always thoug…
…he response has been good. Premberg: The presale started for the album really early, because we started releasing singles before the album, like “Take My Hand” and “Hurricane.” They were meant to be songs between albums, but now they are bonus tracks on the new album. But we want to be continuously releasing singles. You know how the algorithm works on YouTube and Spotify and all that – we have to have new music out all the time. I think that labe…
…know, I’ve seen it coming, I knew it, but I am starting to see the Matrix alive, and I definitely don’t like it. I don’t want to be in a world where reality is hard to define and where discerning truth from lie is our fucking day job. Life is about sharing feelings and connections and, if we lose it, what does our lives amount to? The best change for the greater good of all would be in the direction of feelings but I don’t know if we are losing th…
…usion. This album is a challenging listen, but those up to it will absolutely reap the rewards. Intense, sullen, and immersive, Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze have no doubt realized much of their seemingly limitless potential. Their stance against fascist ideologies is a poignant and timely one that raises the stakes of the band’s lyrical content, fitting well within the complexities of their musical endeavors. Altogether, what they provide is a raw…
…o sharing the new singles, especially the new original songs. We can’t really share any live plans yet. We are kind of waiting on the reaction from the people. On the label side, they are waiting on those reactions to see how people like the new original songs and the second album. I hope we will be able to play live and that there are requests from people for us to play at different festivals. Or maybe a small tour to keep it special and exclusiv…
…ghts. Layers of orchestration, piano, and keyboard parts push the ballad “Fly, Icarus Fly” into theatrical landscapes, Peer Johnasson using every ounce of his gritty pipes to the max, similar in some respects to the attitude of Udo Dirkschneider next to the metal / hard rock registers of Jorn Lande and Rob Halford. Not content to rest on past accomplishments, the quintet explores a bit more modern hard rock/groove context towards the back half of…
…Distance stands tall as leaders on the back of an album that was brilliantly written, ambitious, and executed masterfully to the most minute of detail. From smooth pianos combining with mournful leads, to balanced by crunchy rhythms and thick atmospheres, Air Not Meant for Us has a bit of everything. A true achievement. 4. Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite (Metal Blade Records) San Diego’s prime metal export Cattle Decapitation continues to innovat…
…ackhammer grooves – overall it’s a slower song than the opener, but it really goes all in on delivering more of a murky, haunting atmosphere, particularly at it’s slowest. “Area Code” switches gears to showcase the more frenetic side of the band, also giving vocalist Kevin Muller a greater chance to showcase some massive growls and screams as the band stomps through mostly high-tempo riff-fest that still manages to keep enough hooks in to grab you…
