…rack, right?) has this beautifully gothic sense of longing to it, all but crushing the listener in its gloom and cyberpunk fusion. “Secret Devotion” has an almost industrial meets Sisters of Mercy vibe to it, with cold, mechanized feelings meshing with dreary rock-ish vibes. Closer “God Says” ends things on the most serene yet chilling, ending in some righteously anguishing vibes. On the other side sonically, “Excess” has that get-up and go mental…
…es too. It almost feels like there is more personality with the tracks. It runs the gamut, I guess. So was that intentional? Diamante: Yeah, I think so. Even if it was just at a subconscious level. Since the album was done independently, I didn’t have to follow any rules or regulation. I could do whatever I wanted. So I wanted to be as Diamante as possible and tap into all sides of me. I wanted the rock songs to be heavier. I also love pop music,…
…our fans love us because it checks every box for them. It’s been a real struggle though, in terms of trying to tour with other bands. We have really struggled to get support slots. We once did an Underoath tour, which was fucking amazing and we fit nicely. But because we aren’t metal enough for the metal bands, and we aren’t mainstream enough for the mainstream bands, we sit in this no man’s land. It works for us and against us. I think we are a…
…sound effects lead into “Atlas Endures”, the ideal opener featuring nifty drum fills against some sick main tempo work, circular guitar melodies, and the deep bellow from Garrett Nelson that would make Johan Hegg proud. He can also rise to the blackened scream occasion when necessary, as showcased through the chorus on the monumental title track. All five cuts are top notch – each showcasing strong hooks and dynamics, even if it’s in small flashes…
…p the scenery apart as much as they can, with blazing speeds and scathing brutality – they will get the blood really pumping! Interestingly, the last track is an instrumental cover of the theme from John Carpenter’s “Escape from New York.” The way they shifted this synth-based song to a fully metallic one is worth noting, as well as a nice way to wrap up the album on a more relaxed note (yet still full of crunch and groove in its own way). Endseek…
…f an improv player. I think the guitars in Wheel have been more of a sound design and structure, and the drums do the crazy improvisation stuff. So we parted ways just before the recording for Resident Human. I ended up playing basically the guitar, the exception being the solo on “Hyperion,” where Roni came back to do it for us. So we figured it was good for now, and we would figure out the guitarist stuff later. Our drummer actually suggested Ju…
…an extra piece for the bludgeoning. Some songs have some atmospheric sections to them as well, which offers a nice change-up from the otherwise pounding energy that radiates from the tracks, and work well as a slight breather, or opening builder for “Simulacra” and “Labyrinthine Torment.” Brutal and intelligent in design, Amidst Voices that Echo in Stone conveys a bright future for Ominous Ruin. It checks off all the boxes that you’d hope for in…
…grittiest of ways. It’s knuckle-draggingly primitive at times and always brutal. A combination for some savage destruction if that’s what you are into. Ultra brutal vocals and churning riffs at times gives Jarhead Fertilizer an Incantation or even Mortician-like quality to them, but that’s not the only trick they have up their sleeve. Explosive bursts of grind come into play, and spark some real energy into things – “Trials and Tribulations” feat…
…heavy, and there may be a surprise bridge where they will do verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, bridge, end of chorus, solo, then come back in with a pre-chorus and chorus. I love that unexpectedness you get with Dio. I love listening to and watching Sacred Heart live from 1985 on YouTube. They are performing the song, there’s this dragon on stage, a light saber, he guts it and out comes this glowing neon heart design out of there. The…
…that. So it’s a very good relationship that we have with him, and a very fruitful relationship as well. Dead Rhetoric: You’ve done a lot of acoustic tracks with the new Epica releases, as well as the Design Your Universe re-release. Do you feel that a good song should shine, regardless of how it’s presented? Jansen: If you have a good song, you can do multiple versions of it and it remains a good song. You see that with many old hits from the pas…
…t said, there’s still some considerable talent that Riverin pulls from instrumentally, but with his writing, each track has a remarkable flow to it. It’s still melodic metal/melodeath of the highest order, full of some massive riffs, powerful choruses, and gorgeous melodies. Riverin has a great sense of matching the vocalist with a suitable track and plays to their strengths. “Requiem” starts things off with some frantic speed and blast beats, and…
…ead. Dropping further into their own concept about the death of a King who ruled over the mythical Hyrethrone, The King is Dead runs for the anthemic metal hills, in particular, vocalist Nick Raykovich, who is equal parts sage and high-wire wailer. The whole thing is DIY but executed to the hilt, proving that you don’t need a big budget and/or label to pull off adventurous metal of this sort. – David E. Gehlke (Odax Bandcamp) Persuader – Necromanc…
…tral beds first, send them over there and then they add their guitars and drums and stuff. When those guys write songs, they send me over guitars and drums and I add on my keyboards after the fact. I would attribute the fact that we can have twelve or thirteen songs on the album and have the album sound fresh and never sound boring all the way through because the dynamics and diversity that are created from such a creative process such as this. De…
…on on the map. The formula reverberates around darker power chord/riffing crunch, a steady supply of mid-tempo to slightly faster drum templates and the proper pounding transitions/ groove hooks along with the extreme edge for vocal growls/screams. When the band chooses to be calmer for say the opening section of “Living Scars” or the title track, it’s usually followed by blackened style electricity and bellowing vocalization from the grave where…
…this book came into fruition when this pandemic hit. I was in LA all of February doing photoshoots. That was when Coronavirus was starting to be thing. Nothing was shutdown. I was in Disney nonstop before March. Then around March 4th I flew home for a day, then flew down to Nashville to shoot with Dave from Megadeth for the cover of Metal Hammer. Flew back home, and did a shoot with a high school music teacher, and then the next day the pandemic h…
…a design background. I have spent a lot of time reading and thinking about design. A good designer is one who designs for people, and not for themselves. That was a problem in the past, as they designed for themselves and not the people actually buying it. That’s our approach to songwriting as well. We give the song the opportunity to grab people’s attention instead of giving each of us the opportunity to individually shine within the song. Charka…
…distinct terms. That is not to say that Behold The Silent Dwellers is an unpleasant listen – far from it. But it is distinctly a mood listen, a mood listen very much tailored to a particular type of audience. Fortunately for all parties involved, yours truly is center in that demographic. For others, however, mileage will vary tremendously. Fortunately for all of us, while closer “The Scribe of Dust” does go hard and end the album in a satisfying…
…nfluences. Not only do a few tracks pass the 7-minute mark, but the song structures themselves are more intricate and flow into extended passages that allow for some playful and serene moments. The title track has an ethereal feeling to it, with numerous floaty guitar leads and some well-implemented symphonic elements giving it an augmented boost without stealing the show. A bit on the somber side too, with some melancholic feelings providing a ge…
…bum #3, I would hope it is this track. Prophetic Era contains a weight concept but does not bring the goods musically to back up that concept. I suspect that there is a niche audience out there, likely drawn to its historical focus and the elaborate concept in play. By design it is not a flashy listening experience and frankly often feels significantly longer than its 48-minute run time. I can and do appreciate the enormous amount of effort and am…
…are cancelled. We are rescheduling as much as we can for next year. The virus makes planning difficult. Ideally we’d like to get on a tour in the US where it’s a good package – something like the Bay Strikes Back tour they recently did in Europe. It would be perfect for Heathen in the US. There is so much space to travel, the tour that we did with Destruction was tough. We had some good shows and had some where the turnouts were really low. We ar…
…re now and looking out for each other. That’s fundamental to who we are as human beings. It’s beyond politics and all that other bullshit. It’s about us all surviving at the same time too. Be as truthful to ourselves, and be careful. There’s nothing wrong with caring – I don’t view compassion as a weakness. Dead Rhetoric: What can you tell us regarding the cover art concept for Dead Elysium? Do you still consider album art as important to giving t…
…n Lamb of God tone. It’s evident that these gentlemen also appreciate the brutality of Behemoth at certain times, while the off-time drumming against the clean/extreme scream tradeoffs push “Nensha” into second half nirvana, another exercise in cascading rhythms closing against walls in a way rarely heard and understood since the glory days of Strapping Young Lad. Smartly adding in some clean dynamics and softer passages for “Rebirth” proves Orbit…
…ts on the bass, and who are some of your mentors and influences at the instrument? Ramirez: Geddy Lee from Rush, Steve Harris from Iron Maiden, and I love Paul McCartney. I love his bass lines. It’s a very important instrument and sometimes overlooked. It’s the base of everything, of the band. I also like the drums a lot. If I wouldn’t play bass, I would be playing the drums. Dead Rhetoric: How do you see the next year or so shaping up for Jet Jag…
…so I got in touch with Tony Koehl towards the end of the year (2018). His design was so intricate and detailed, it was really hard to decide where the logo and album title should go! He probably tried 20 variations but none of them looked like “the final product“ to me. I couldn’t tell what was needed, drove me crazy, haha. After getting input from friends and other illustrators, I decided on what it is now, and that was finalized just a few mont…
…t’s bleak music-wise but there is this feeling of hope and there are other humans who think rationally. I’m hesitant to even say I acknowledge it’s importance, but those bands with all the emotions they put into those messages – an odd feeling of hope for humanity, which I can’t even believe I’m saying that out loud. Nick: Heavy metal in general means to me, it’s stood for what I understand as a very complex and intricate genre. When I started div…
…cenity One look at the name and you know these guys are playing something brutal. Ancient Covenant of Obscenity is as extreme as it can get, with brutal death metal elements merging with some black metal vibes and some atmosphere and melody tossed into the mix. So for as devastatingly heavy as it can be, there’s also a melodic anchor that keeps the music moving forward and rather interesting. Not that the melodies get in the way of the ‘grab you b…
…ched out to him with the demo, he loved it. One of my favorite parts of recruiting him, Tim and I were going to try out drummers and AJ was the main person. When we showed up at his house to try him out, he knew all the songs, we played every single song, first day, first try. We knew immediately he was the guy. Dead Rhetoric: How did the songwriting and recording process go for the debut full-length Metamorphoses – did you find any specific chall…
…Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev, it’s about the generational divide in old Russia. A lot of deep stuff about life and the human condition. Now I’m doing a chapter on the Eastern Front in the first World War – a comparison regarding Russian and Austrian weapons and what the firing properties of the different rifles were. Reading up on a bunch of things- I finished my degree in the summer, and I’m going to go for my master’s degree after this album…
…l-out assault on your eardrums – meant in the kindest way of course. It’s crusty, grinding, and just plain brutal from beginning to end. There’s a rousing cover of Terrorizer’s “Storm of Stress” in addition to three original tracks, and at a ‘name your price’ download, there’s really no excuse not to look into this one if you want something that’s truly intense and in your face. Divine Chaos – The Way to Oblivion Thrashy death metal? Tough to tell…
…s that I’m more confident in my playing. I’m not looking so much to other drummers or instructors to affirm my playing and what I am doing is correct. You can have your own sound and have it be specific to you. But in general, I would say that my drumming hasn’t changed over the past decade. Dead Rhetoric: What’s a positive experience you’ve had with the band that’s embedded in your memory? Griener: The Make-a-Wish Foundation is a great organizati…
