…n and break our heads putting this together. Whatever is natural, whatever comes out, comes out. Dead Rhetoric: Were there specific songs that were more of a challenge to come together than others – or possibly easier to develop? Leduc: The song “Mainframe” that was on the demo, which is one of my personal favorites, it felt incomplete when it was already recorded for the demo. The song comes in during the slow part – I had this idea of this littl…
…through Hell, Fire and Damnation. Still believing in the album format, let’s hope retirement isn’t in the cards for another five or ten years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJ1T_tGSBc Saxon official website Saxon on Facebook…
…end. The disturbingly buzzing “Scourge of Humanity” begins with cavernous, low-tuned guitars, conjoined with deep bellows and quick bass drums. Their tone is rumbling and gritty, serving up the needed aesthetic, aided by songwriting that is anything but conventional, keeping their compositions unpredictable. Continuing with “Aeons of Spiritual Starvation,” the songwriting goes deeper towards the maniacally offbeat, emitting sweltering riffs and od…
…., ex-Massacre) surrounding the vocals, guitar, and bass duties of Rogga. Slower, doom-like chords ring out for opener “The Skeletal Towers” before the mid-paced effort gains energy, Rogga’s deadly low roar next to some sick riffs and double kick injection mandates hair windmill activities. They’ve really taken certain tracks into more aggressive, speedier terrain – “A Fleshless Gathering” and “Further Into Decay” possessing locomotive qualities,…
…spoken word pieces that are diverse and emotive. Weaving intricately to a slower, almost doom-like pace is “A History of Cages and Broken Bones,” while an ominous ambient/drone type quality dominates “Annihilation.” These sort of tracks are well placed, giving a breather from the breakneck pace of their more bombastic material. No track epitomizes this harmonious balance like “Suffocate O Earthen Lungs; They Now Lungs of Ash.” The heavy portions a…
…each track to take the potent instrumentation to the next level. Femmes Fatales should be just what Exit Eden needs to stand tall above their symphonic peers in this year to come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5p917OyAnI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Y0jm2LFRk Exit Eden official website Exit Eden on Facebook Exit Eden on Instagram…
…. So nothing concrete yet, but I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and encourage everyone to request Exit Eden everywhere they can [laughs]! Photo by Stephan Heilemann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5p917OyAnI&pp=ygUJZXhpdCBlZGVu Exit Eden on Facebook Exit Eden on Instagram Exit Eden official website…
…f the Storm” finishes the record, an almost six-minute adventure into some low-tuned modern progressive metal action, the bass/guitar synchronization set to stun mode. Cedric probably has more appeal with axe maestros than the general public for Inner Kingdom – but there are plenty of metalheads that will enjoy this instrumental outing, and it should be interesting to hear what the follow-up outing explores. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbGdq-k…
…going throughout the year. We’ve got a couple of festivals confirmed, and we are looking to get some actual tour dates. One or two shows a year is not enough anymore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oX9LFx2szs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrG-mSSvIeo Striker official website Striker on Facebook…
…cinematic, drama-filled playfulness in a semi-ballad format during the follow-up “We All Taste the Same”, the lyrical content tongue in cheek as humans are ‘caught in the food chain’. The triumphant strains plus push/pull accents between the bass, guitars and vocals carry “Danger Danger” to that ideal Dominum anthem status – the harmony-fueled melodies, ‘woah—oooh’ big background vocal spotlights beyond keyboard sprinkled accents sure to go down…
…f 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? Bel…
…orgion” gives the listener further disquieting fright, especially with the low-register spoken word pieces that close out the song, with dreary lead guitars and a pulsating bass line that may give a chill up the spine. Finally, we have the compelling final track “Blazing the Trail in the Land of Suffering,” which is the longest at nearly eight minutes, seamlessly blending all of the many pieces that build Crust’s unique sound into a memorable fina…
…the 89 second “The Middleman’s Universe (Short)”, while the extra cut “Supa-a-star” soothes the conclusion of the record as a guitar-oriented jam instrumental piece, showcasing more of Mark’s bluesy meets psychedelic/doom/stoner rock fusion approach to the instrument. The production values appear to be very DIY and low-budget – which could be a deal breaker for some, as this scribe felt a stronger attention to detail would have paid bigger dividen…
…ies to the fullest. Cool to see, as Tampa’s metal community is truly one-of-a-kind, and one we’re proud to be a small part of. Immolation continues to be one of the leaders in death metal, and their continued run of high quality albums and live performance continue to cement their legendary status. A lot of the old guard haven’t been able to keep turning heads like Immolation does, and from our perspective, there’s zero chance of a decline in sigh…
…at is the biggest challenge at this point when it comes to your songwriting- coming up with strong melodies and lyrics, or more of the music so you don’t repeat yourselves? Winterwild: I guess for me it’s always been lyrics that are the hardest thing. We usually start with the guitars, coming up with riffs, and then put it together in the rehearsal room. The melodies, I will always come up with some okay melodies, but the lyrics often I struggle w…
…th some American fans. For instance, New England and New York City. These are some priorities upcoming, to be back to our usual spots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLd0L0rhP2c High Spirits on Facebook…
…would 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…
…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…
…rch’ Kirchgessner and Jonas Roßner (ex-Beyond the Black) possess a modern, low-tuned heaviness that provides depth to the main heavy/power riffs on display. An obvious Teutonic/European edge to the way certain songs unfold is evident – the exotic touches or stair step chord progression adds extra heightened tension or anticipation to the bigger payoff chorus for “Stand Your Ground”. Singer Matthias ‘Schenky’ Schenk has traits that contain airy, mu…
…nts takes proper time, so it was only last month that we got the proper follow-up in hand, that being Let the Truth Speak. An album that ups the ante instead of backing down, showcasing the band’s virtuosity as players but at the same time, tugging at the emotional core of the listener and inviting them into the world of Earthside. We sat down over Zoom with drummer Ben Shanbrom to talk about the lead up to their new album, their continued powerho…
…ks of AbyssUs. The breadth plus depth of emotion pouring out will appease many who love the work of the progressive side of Opeth, and all facets of Katatonia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwbI-U9BRg4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TClUyRzJRKw Rome in Monochrome on Facebook…
…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…
…e plays bass in a band called Psychework, they released their new album a few weeks ago Spark of Hope. It’s a bit more positive of a band than Satan’s Fall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09kCxQdrG2k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNGsDSlKIvs Satan’s Fall on Facebook…
…of motion. There’s no doubt the quartet embraces solid staccato riffs with low-tuned bass supplementation, ensuring maximum groove passages while Zoltan reaches back into his bag of hardcore to metal vocal tricks as necessary. Cyber-like voice effects add an industrial sheen to “The Best of Me” as other songs like “You and Me” or “Die” obliterate in straight forward crushing heaviness. Closer “REM” takes on a bit more of a horror movie soundtrack…
…x of melodic death with folk, heavy and old school elements, the band’s follow-up album Awakening could stir many souls through its infectious rhythms, set to stun guitar melodies, as well as the brutal combination of dark growls plus venomous screams as the eleven songs take shape. The main frame of crushing musical components that are equally aggressive as they are gallop or hook-driven allows the songs to have that retention effect from immedia…
…bel and its vast roster, and where do you see this set of material sitting composition-wise and stylistically compared to your previous efforts Order Divine and Death of the Cosmic? Hurd: Being on Napalm was a pivotal thing when we released the last EP Death of the Cosmic, as that was right around when we got signed. It’s been awesome, they have a distribution network compared to us self-releasing stuff. They’ve been great to work with, it’s aweso…
…has aspects that can slot easily into a collection of bands such as Frozen Soul or Creeping Death that are emerging younger upstarts that deliver quality records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZn9D-gpT0c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lX2CHLQsLc Embrace Your Punishment on Facebook…
…pursue things in a timely manner? Lur: The truth is that it is not easy to combine non-musical work with musical work, having time to be with the family, rehearsing, having some free time. It is clear that as a band we do not set limits, and we would all love to be able to make a full living from it. It is not an easy path, but if we do not risk and fight it will surely not come. Nothing comes for free, and you have to work to reach your goals. De…
…om/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 rel…
…t is one of my favorite bands, ever. Black Majesty, I remember as a fifteen-year-old going to a local gig when Silent Company the album came out. Very strong scene here in Australia. Dead Rhetoric: How do you feel about the state of heavy metal currently? What excites you most about the bands, the fans, the venues, the festivals – and what changes (if any) would you like to see implemented for the greater good of all parties involved? Batres: I th…
