…ntinue to produce what they have been for quite some time – grandiose, well-executed guitar centric melodic death metal with huge hooks and memorable keyboards. The number of melancholic twists present work well in offering a varied enough flavor as to not get repetitive, though this is a pure Kalmah record that maintains what the band has been composing for over 2 decades. As previously mentioned, the more “live” lo-fi production values may pertu…
…and what we can’t do – and we stand up for ourselves. You have to have self-worth. It’s going to cost money to get places. That part is not fun. You do have to think about things, the business and financial aspect of it. Way more than when I was first playing music. If not, you’ll get steamrolled, and people will take advantage of you. You have to stick up for what you are worth. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to say no. We do hear other people…
…f material and your debut? Cat: We did it old school…we looked up the internet for labels and found a list from A-Z. Luckily, we only had to apply to the letter B, 😉 …We got a few offers from label partners who liked our music, but we decided to go for Black Sunset. They made a good offer for us and have already done a great job in promoting Lankester Merrin! Flo: For the new album we went to a well-known studio in Germany, which gave the album a…
…r the next. Arriving at the third studio record for War Remains, this razor-sharp tone penetrates every song on the vocal/musical front. We reached out to singer Knox Colby to fill us in on the focused nature to the new record – thoughts on the different video shoots, touring responsibilities to learn on the fly, the use of Sirius XM to gain more appeal beyond the underground, challenges with finances, plus what’s in store for touring to support t…
…ock, or progressive accents into their metalcore platform. For Those Who Never Came Home should gain traction for these Canadians into landscapes far and wide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOwHEPVpbt0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C53zTNEexa4 Trapped in Thought on Facebook…
…r in that story that he wants to work on. By June I may see more songs on that. That’s probably about it for now, and whatever else trickles in on the side. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKDjUHFiDQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3woDlmxwz40 Archon Angel on Facebook…
…t the way that we can now. Dead Rhetoric: Trial by Chaos is the second full-length, and follow-up to Guardian of the Fire from 2020. Outside of the lineup changes, how do you feel the songwriting/recording sessions went for this set of material, and where do you see the greatest improvement or differences between the two releases? Bonaccorso: In the production, we stepped it up. We really did produce this record, to having production eyes on this…
…l the pastry, everything. I love making things like pasta, I will spend two- or three-days making soup from a book the other day. A Taiwanese beef noodle soup. I’m just fascinated by it, I like making things – whether it’s food, music, or design. I just love doing that. Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for Sermon over the next year or so to promote this release? Has work already started behind the scenes on the follow-up – and if so, will the…
…who were also tourmates on the first leg of this US tour last year. A three-piece that serves up a healthy diet of traditional heavy metal with occasional speedy or more melodic leanings, they wasted no time getting the crowd energized through a setlist comprised of choice cuts from their two studio records. The one-two opening punch of “H.M.O.” and “Phantomland” (the latter featuring a classic “Mr. Scary”/Dokken riff) saw many headbang or tapping…
…D.O., in April we will go to Australia, Japan – and I may stay a little longer. It depends. My future is open, I’m a busy man, and I’m creative every day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzNpkZmZOV0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBL0Uy0_YD8 Ashrain on Facebook…
…Torment takes that massive leap from promising contenders to genuine threat for winning over audiences no matter what venue/festival they choose to play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjzHH14j6ts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjrhBu5jjM Invicta on Facebook…
…e atmospheres. Once we get past the intro track “Ex Cathedra” – a lengthy 3-½ minute jaunt that sets the album up fine – we come to the gripping “Nine Moons,” which serves up a mid-range song flowing with precision. Highlighted by delectable leads of which are intricately layered with crunchy rhythm guitars, accompanied by a combination of chants and tonally excellent growls via Morgoth (lead vocalist, not the death metal band). “Matricide” leans…
…more, that doesn’t fill me with joy. We select what we want to do, on a gig-by-gig basis. We do spend every other weekend doing shows, 30 shows a year. We do things on our own terms. You have to travel 12-15 hours to a gig and play it. Twenty or thirty years ago it wasn’t a problem, but now at 56 years old, it can be a bit more of an issue. We will do as many shows as we can. It is quite crowded scene wise, a lot of bands touring. We will write al…
…o on tour and not come back in the red. It’s gotten rough, with inflation, cost of renting touring vehicles, gas, food, etc.; many of the costs have skyrocketed. Several renowned artists like Devin Townsend and Dark Funeral spoke candidly about this reality, including some venues taking a large % of bands merchandise sales – a disgusting practice that has been going on for a long time. All of this makes touring incredibly difficult to rationalize…
…e to date. Just make sure someone isn’t slipping you poison, like one of the theories about Charles Bravo’s ultimate demise. It was totally the housekeeper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhExAVNEFRs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuQk5miq6Q4 Ashen Horde on Facebook…
…nor to jump on stage with them. At the moment Remina just has one show booked at the Stella Nomine Festival in Germany, let’s see what the future brings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVDPzwgGMcE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tbhfIOhGbw (EchO) on Facebook…
…rom Screamer. We want to keep it at an album every two to two and a half years. I think that’s reasonable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm8bK7sl-mY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arbwc6ook7Y Screamer on Facebook…
…p on this style or a recent convert to the thrash style, Reanimator can deliver on all fronts to gain proper underground to above appeal through Commotion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd4agJOuXk8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM68–3yz8o Reanimator on Facebook…
…where we can. There will be more singles released next year, and work on the third album has already started. We are pretty deep into that process as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsUryUofeyY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4UqozmoB1Y Induction on Facebook…
…ed last year to release a three-song self-titled EP. Downfall is the follow-up full-length, consisting of those three songs in re-recorded/remixed form, plus five newer songs and a Billy Idol cover to conclude the proceedings. Multiple vocalists participate on the melodic thrash material – Pete Healey possessing killer upper pipes on “Find a Way”, while Hyperia’s Marlee Ryley slays in maniacal form on the heads down basher “Apex Predator”. Loads o…
…of transitions or riff/style shifts, moving one minute from Cannibal Corpse-style bends into a mid-tempo Warbringer/Slayer-esque stomp section before the crazy lead section sends the arrangement into chaos mode. A host of North American/European influences battle back and forth, as guitarist Damon MacDonald floats between a maniacal scream delivery and venomous demon when summoning his darker, deeper inflections (think Death) through excellent, va…
…ic as you get oddly shaped fluid bass passages against some scathing Voivod-ish guitar madness. Then the blasting intensity next to the savage growls and blood curdling high-pitched roars during “Oval Shaped Incisions” once again transports the listener into this turbulent insanity, the slower guitar harmonies next to the dual vocal presence never failing to make hair follicles rise to full attention. The sextet sharpens the attack at a variety of…
…couple of shows here and there – we will be playing locally with the Cavalera Conspiracy and after that we will see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fss-d739ZG8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhINqo5KW2w Rhythm of Fear on Facebook…
…be another four years between albums, but time moves quick. Even when we don’t want to, life gets in the way. We have some new songs already in the works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ2Y2iuzq9A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTf3bsa6WYk Borealis on Facebook…
…with teeth, dynamic intent, moving listeners who crave material that isn’t disposable. Ideal for people into Evergrey, Symphony X, and others in that ilk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ2Y2iuzq9A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTf3bsa6WYk Borealis on Facebook…
…chanics from the precise rhythm section work. Many will also enjoy the back-and-forth crunchy guitar/bass interplay during the early parts of the title track – showcasing a bit more of a traditional/bluesy aspect to these gentlemen before fading into the expected gallops/charge the subsequent musical movements unleash. While other bands vary the template record to record, Razor prefer the reliable method of keeping things at a speedy, thrash base…
…sive headbanging, welts, and fists flying high in solidarity to this anthem-oriented record. -Matt Coe Syryn on Facebook Voodoo Kiss – Voodoo Kiss (Reaper Entertainment) A cult band in the late 90’s in their local area of southern Germany, Voodoo Kiss reunite with three original members plus Sacred Steel vocalist Gerrit Mutz as a part of the 25th anniversary of the Summer Breeze festival where they will perform – plus release this self-titled albu…
…ase? Arruda: It first started in 2006, I joined around 2007. We did a three-song demo, it was pretty raw. When I re-read some reviews on it, it had a little bit more of a black metal vibe to it. Then we did our second three-song demo in 2008, and we sent those out for reviews. We got more into the metalcore scene. When we did Imperium, we were all young guys. The other band members are eight years younger than I am, so they were into that metalcor…
…dgeoning you’d hope for. Plus, it’s sharks! Not another lame zombie or serial killer romp, but deep sea underwater madness! Kudos to some extreme originality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kal6LJa9ik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKQq6XGrZh0 Eaten by Sharks on Facebook…
…ple into the cult of Revocation as possible. Sometimes it’s headlining, sometimes it’s opening for someone else. Onwards and upwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moN0-W8k_mg Revocation on Facebook…
