…ive with soundscapes and effects, some touching cover songs as bonus tracks, writing versus producing music, and much more! Dead Rhetoric: What are you most proud of with Dormant, as your third album? Vikram Shankar: I think I’m most proud of well, it’s simplistic to just say growth. I mean, that’s part of it. But the expansion of the universe is drastic for me. It’s difficult for me to think about other people’s perspectives and how drastic it fe…
…as a specific goal on this album to have some more compact and precise songwriting, if you will. “A Future to Weave” is the shortest song on the record and it was actually not that hard to write. It’s a riff-fest and the vibe was there from the get-go so the process was pretty flawless. “Frenetic Standstill”, on the other hand, was written by the other guitarist, Morten, who provided the full riff structure and ideas, and then we just expanded on…
…ten other band/projects active these days) tackles guitars, bass, keyboards, fx, plus recording, mixing, and mastering duties – fleshing out this material through the vocals of Ralf Hauber, drummer Jon Rudin, as well as lead guitar help courtesy of Sentient Horror’s Matt Moliti. The use of keyboards weaves a haunting aural tapestry around the growls and screams Ralf employs as the guitars chug at a low mid-tempo to slightly faster pace during earl…
…xecution and a high level of songwriting. There are a few tracks that very well would have been bonafide classics if made back in the style’s heyday, and the album as a whole is a crisp homage that also boasts an uncommon compositional instinct. The Rarity of Reason is one of the best melodic death offerings thus far in 2023 that will bring back old memories and hopefully help form new ones. After Earth on Facebook…
…to piano lessons and she took Adrian to drum lessons. We were seven, eight, nine, really early on. Dead Rhetoric: How did you decide to move from Mexico to Los Angeles – did you have the support of family and friends in making this move to better your musical aspirations? Geezar: Absolutely. It was because at that time when we moved, we couldn’t see a future in what we were doing. Who is taking this seriously in this business, here in Mexico, eve…
…d Rhetoric: Could you talk about the inspirations for writing To the Wolves, coming off of 2020’s Darkness? How did you see the writing coming between albums? Demner: I’ll start from Never Alone! We had just gotten signed and we were all hopeful – ‘there’s a light at the end of the tunnel guys! It’s all gonna be okay!’ You can tell it’s all very positive. Then there was Darkness, which was right after I had my vocal chord surgery, and I was wonder…
…um. We just continued writing songs, the label was very happy with Madness Comes, they were easy to work with. We told them we might have enough songs for an album, do you want to release it? The label said yes, we booked the same studio, the same producer, the same crew as the first EP. All five of us were in the studio for six days. We did everything, so it was a super quick process drinking beer, playing death metal, and having fun. Dead Rhetor…
…went with that song first, and then “The Siren” which is the second single, is compositionally probably the best song, in my opinion, catchy and inventive. The third one will be “Starbound Stories”, which is a nice middle ground between the two previous ones. Trying to cover all bases and give the listeners a good cross-section of what the album has to offer. Dead Rhetoric: Had you signed with Napalm separately before announcing that Dragonforce…
…you along for a poignant ride that isn’t like much else out there. Elegant, catchy, and ultimately moving, this is one release that really glimmers and shines – particularly as it makes you examine and reflect on your own feelings, be they good or bad ones. That is the sign of an album that deeply resonates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LAYwedyWI4&pp=ygUMc2lsZW50IHNraWVz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMXS0JF8DTs&pp=ygUMc2lsZW50IHNraWVz Sile…
…something like that. I took a course one time called Languages of the World, it compared the different grammars and sounds of different languages, the possibilities of how certain sentence structures work, to give insight into how our minds work. It came out logical and natural to me that way. Get people interested in different aspects of linguistics. To take German literature, and that could be your forte. Or become an ESL teacher. Just to give m…
…le to do it. I offered them my help when it comes to studio work, producing, composing, but I can’t go on tour with the guys. It’s not possible because of all the other bands I’m playing with. I wish them nothing but the best. They will have a cool album coming out. Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for The Unity, Primal Fear, and other projects/band activities for yourself over the next year or so? Ehré: The focus is on The Unity and Primal Fe…
…ting a solid performance video? Warman: Both of the songs are simple enough, compared to other songs that are more complex and difficult. The songs that felt like they have this old Warmen sound with the melodies but also this new style with more aggressive songwriting and vocals – we decided these two (songs) were the best choice for people to see that our sound is a bit more aggressive without being so complex to listen to. We did this video, it…
…are places where you can still improve. After we listened to the album more, and writing / rehearsing new songs, there’s a natural development because we found our sound a little bit more. Many people may say our second record sounds exactly like the first one, but that’s okay because we think the first one was pretty cool too! (laughs). Dead Rhetoric: When it comes to the lyrics, are you the type of band that has to get the music complete first b…
…t and Fear Factory. Wait for the album to come out, working on a live album, writing new stuff. The new stuff is probably the heaviest stuff I’ve ever written. We have some other plans. I know High On Fire is putting a new record out next year, I’d love to tour with them. Maybe tour with Baroness. Have been talking to Green Lung over in the UK. We will see what happens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMPPMhRHtag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v…
…grown in the gardens of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash, Carcass, and olden days In Flames abound with glistening might, Katy Scary’s effortless vocals commanding the fray with a steel fist, alternating between the eagle’s cry of Helloween belter Michael Kiske and the haunting, otherworldly chant of Cirith Ungol’s Tim Baker and back again without stumbling. It could be quite easy to overlook Owlbear given that they’ve landed in…
…seek out more of what they desire to quench that fixation. From Pittsburgh, PA, Signs of the Swarm is another act surging, signing with Century Media for their fifth album Amongst the Low & Empty. Probably delivering their widest array of material to date, these gentlemen incorporate elements of industrial, metalcore, djent, and death to keep interest elevated. We reached out to drummer Bobby crow to provide insight into the work on the new recor…
…ockholm. It was a career highlight. Ekberg: A great night, a sold-out venue, 4,500 people. Liljestam: A special vibe, that even would have been there if there was only 500 people. It was a very special vibe, an appreciation for music. Ekberg: When we played Sweden Rock Festival in 2022. That was so great. There were a lot of people that were there for the love of music, to experience something new. Some to experience a band they knew. The most spe…
…ntastical subject matter. Album one Eternity’s End was more about mortality, time, multifaceted with death. Across the Aeons is a little more the examination of the frailty of humankind over the ages. Everything from our need to consume and to conquer, at war with each other, at war with ourselves, the inner turmoil, and we examine our insignificance within the universe itself, which is truly just a speck in the great mass of things. I think it is…
…absorbing tracks like “Heroes On Ice”, the crunchy/driving “We’re Falling”, or commercial-leaning, 80’s-oriented “In the Heat of the Night”. There are times when the musical interplay through keyboard/guitar syncopation plus double kick/progressive drumming showcases a bit more sophistication (“Fools” the clearest example), which keeps listener engagement a bit higher than on the normal, highly choir or vocal harmony driven efforts. Dark Sky carr…
…e have kept on working with them makes things much easier. We know the crew, staff, we already knew all the people when they signed us with Crypta. When we first started Crypta, we didn’t know we were going to be pushing this band forward as hard as we have now. It was very good for us to be on Napalm, they trusted our work before they even heard any of the music. They sent us a contract based on our abilities as musicians. They are a big reason t…
…of the approach to your music? Andersen: It’s the freedom. Being only drums, bass, and guitars/vocals, means the whole idea with Blindstone is we get to jam and improvise. That’s easy to do, being just a trio. There’s more room for everybody musically to do their thing, when the opportunity arises. It’s also kind of demanding on me – being the only guitar player and the singer. I’m in other bands with other guitar players, it’s definitely a differ…
…with acts in their twenties and thirties. WTFortyfive? makes this scribe hopeful for another long touring jaunt as the fiftieth anniversary is closing in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTsJiI4S7uo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0n1IJvstUc Girlschool on Facebook…
…O Negative, Sisters of Mercy. We have an interesting lineup, so I could say, yes, it could be a supergroup. We have a really good band. Dead Rhetoric: How much do you think about scheduling so there are no conflicts between either? Vanhala: Luckily, both bands have good eggs in them. We operate pretty far ahead, like 15 months. We usually know one year ahead for what’s coming touring-wise. It’s doable. Some guys have other jobs, and some don’t wan…
…hell yes! But it can also be simple. I think our artwork is very intriguing, compared to our music, and it suits us really well. I like the crazy colors and the imagery, and I can also just appreciate a black background with some skulls. We went with Andrej because he reminds me of old school comics. Dead Rhetoric: Where did you want to come across for the lyrical content on this record? Radtleff: Usually I’m just very pissed at someone. We have a…
…than two weeks. We book two weeks, and we have to do it in that time. Drums, bass, guitars, vocals, and we are done. We won’t spend three months on one vocal like some bands will do. Dead Rhetoric: Do you also try to be spontaneous when it comes to your solos for the record? Chambers: Sometimes, yeah. A couple of songs I had ideas ahead of time for, this time. I often want to try to make certain solos a little more melodic, instead of twiddling. S…
…er are Justin, our other guitar player, and Joe our singer. The three of us, Gabe, Scott and I, have been together for almost twenty years. Dead Rhetoric: Relentless is the latest full-length for the band. You took a methodical approach when it comes to releasing a number of singles before dropping this album – can you discuss the thought process behind this, do you believe it’s necessary to compete with the multitude of bands by consistently givi…
…nergy to do so? Selleby: I like to just be at home. I work a lot with music, write music all the time. More of a hobby now is to be starting to produce a little bit and learn the technique behind the recording. I’m not on the highest professional level but I’m getting better all the time. I have a wife and a dog that I try to spend as much time with as I can. Dead Rhetoric: Being a veteran artist, I’d imagine you have a lot of younger musicians th…
…numerous best of the year lists – as the future looks quite bright for these gentlemen if they keep the attention to killer songwriting/ execution top of mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80C2Z3j5Bvk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suCxxWXRKn8 The Night Eternal on Facebook…
…-quality attention to detail in all regards of the performances, production, tones, artwork, etc. should be well rewarded in garnering a wider following. We spoke with guitarist Pietro Paolo Lunesu about his early musical memories, the formation of Wonders, how the new album differs from the debut, being a part of the Limb Music roster, a love of running, walking, and fishing, plus insight into the future of these busy musicians. Dead Rhetoric: Wh…
…ice example of this, with grooving riffs that embed themselves in your head, accompanied by (not overpowered by) orchestral energy that helps to augment their epic approach. You can feel those riffs, and that in and of itself is quite a cause for praise for an act that can have the symphonic stamp applied to it. Despite having an excellent vocalist in Madeleine Liljestam, they don’t rely on her (or Rikard Ekberg’s menacing growls) to carry the mus…
