Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Phantom Carriage/Falls/Throatruiner Records/2013 CD Review


  The  Phantom  Carriage  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  mixes  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  dark  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Fall"  which  was  released  by  Throatruiner  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording  as  for  the  sound  effects  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  bring  a  very  dark  sound  to  the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  dark  hardcore  as  well  as  throwing  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  in  the  riffing  as  well  as  some  technical  parts  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on t his  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  to  hardcore  style  growls  and  shouts  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  in  addition  there  is  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  being  utilized,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has a  very,  dark  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Phantom  Carriage  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Today  We  Stand"  "Dreamers  Will  Never  Stop  Dreaming"  and  "Devils,  Gods,  Us.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Phantom-Carriage/203189889692934

    

Yuvyr/Eiskalt/Throatruiner Records/Blastbeat Mailmurder/2013 CD Review


  Vuvyr  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Eiskalt"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Throatruiner  Records  and  Blastbeat  Mailmuder.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they h ave  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  post  rock  as  well  as  utilizing  some  melody  in  the  riffing  and  there  are  little  to  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  some  hardcore  style  growls,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  cold  and  hateful  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Vuvyr  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Betrayers  Of  The  North"  "War  Of  100,000  Centuries"  "Slaves"  and  "The  Wyvern".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.facebook.com/vuyvr

  

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Blood Stone Sacrifice Interview


1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

The band is from Massachusetts, and started as a one-man project in 2007. I (Jesse) recorded and released a demo cdr in 2009 entitled "If I were King for a Day..." with the use of an old Tascam cassette 4-track. In 2010 my friend Mike (Ex-Rancid Christ) showed interest in what I was doing and signed on as a second guitarist. We began writing new material and recorded "Cult of the Serpent Sun" in 2012 with the use of a digital 8-track. 

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

We play old, stripped down black metal accented with a lot of early punk/hc influence. There is a lot of "groove" to what we do, rather than just playing as fast as we possibly can. There's also some doom elements thrown in for depth. Really we write songs that we truly FEEL.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The lyrics involve a lot of storytelling. I grew up reading a lot of books on the occult, satanic folklore, 
witchcraft and became involved in alternative religions and beliefs. There is a lot of folklore in New England, 
everything from human sacrifice to the Salem witch trials, so topics come easily. Other songs just deal with absolute hatred and disgust for religion, society or the world in general.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Blood Stone Sacrifice is based on a location nearby that was a popular place for occult activity. There were rumors of the city's homeless being lured into the woods and sacrificed on a very large flat stone at the edge of a river, (making for easy disposal of the bodies). We used to frequent the woods in that area as teenagers, and did in fact stumble on this particular location. It always stayed with me.

5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you choose to remain a duo?

As of December 2012, Blood Stone Sacrifice is a 4-piece band, and will begin playing live in February 2013.

6. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?

As of right now, we are not actively looking for a label, but we're always open to it. Now that we have a full line-up, and  plan on recording in a studio this year, a label would be helpful.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

It was, for the most part, positive right from the beginning. Even with the release of the first demo in 2009, which as I said was a 4-track recording. If people like it, great. As long as we continue to love what we play, then that's all that really matters. Everything else that happens in just a bonus.

8. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

We have some other individual projects going on. I sing for Engorged (Massachusetts Engorged). We were a local death metal band that started in 1992, and reunited for some shows a couple years back.
Our Drummer Brian has a couple other bands going on with Blood Of The Gods, and recently The Scimitar.
Our Bassist Martin, is also in Dead Languages. But, we are able to divide our time, and keep everything a priority.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

I don't see it changing very much. The newer songs are still aggressive as hell. Perhaps adding a little more of that punk sound here and there to keep things fresh. 

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

The four of us have such a wide variety of personal influences, but we try not to let it influence what we are doing when writing music. I'm sure people will have opinions, and think we sound like this band, or that band, but I think we bring something original back to the table.

11. How would you describe your views on Satanism and occultism?

I can only speak for myself. I am not a Satanist, however I agree with, and live by many of it's morals. I am intrigued by anything that involves common sense and free-thinking.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

I think we would all agree that music is our main interest, and our escape from all the "normal" daily shit that we deal with.


13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you for the exposure, we appreciate all of it. You can keep up with upcoming shows, releases, get shirts and cds through our Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/BloodStoneSacrifice 

Fiends At Feast Interview


All questions answer by Guitarist David Uttal-Veroff of Fiends at Feast

     1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

  1. Currently, we are writing new material for a follow up album to “Towards the Baphomet’s Throne.”  Nothing is set in stone yet but the plan is to record an EP featuring new songs that were written over the course of time it took us to release the LP.  Afterwards we will begin recording our sophomore full-length album.  The body of the album will be built on fresh song writing to ensure both consistency and innovation.  So far the material we’ve come up with is more aggressive and evil sounding then the stuff we’ve written in the past so I am excited to see how it turns out as a whole.  We recently started working with Claw Hammer PR to gain further promotion and exposure for the band, and so far things are going really well.  

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs           
from the previous ep?
2.The music on “Towards the Baphomet’s Throne” showcases a more pronounced black metal influence and a greater emphasis on atmosphere.  It still retains the idea of fusing black and death metal together but it does it in a more consistent and fluid manner then the EP.   The tone of the music is dark and sinister with a helpful dose of melody to carry the music above the usual grit and grim.   There is far less pure riffing on the album and more tremolo- picked chord and melody lines to bring out more feel and atmosphere.   The main difference between the full length and EP is we honed our songwriting approach so that each song relates to each other instead of the scattered array of influences that the EP encompassed.


3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?
3.The lyrics on “Towards the Baphomet’s Throne” explore a wide array of satanic and apocalyptic themes.  For example, “After the Gates of Hell” proposes an individual’s vision of a time when demonic forces have taken over the world, oppressing humanity and crushing their faith in religion.  The song “Hedonistic Hersey” portrays various satanic cults and groups through out medieval and more contemporary history that practiced black magic rituals and sexual rites.  There is also the inclusion of more traditional satanic themes as in the case of “Walls of Worship” that explores the horrors and lies of the Christian church.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
4.The name Fiends at Feast was the title of one of the first songs we ever wrote as a band.  The name refers to a scene in the lyrics where a man who has journeyed into a hellish underworld encounters a group of demons feasting on human flesh.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

5.The most memorable show we’ve played was when we shared the stage with Goatwhore.  It was in Santa Cruz,CA which is where we are based out of so there was local support  from our fans and  many people showed up that had never seen us before.  We played with proficiency and passion that night and everyone was banging their heads vigorous throughout our set.   The ‘Towards the Baphomet’s Throne” CD release show with A Band of Orcs was particularly memorable with us co-heading the show and playing to more people then I think Fiends has ever had the privilege of performing to.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
6.We are trying to organize a west coast tour for the summer of 2013 so for anyone that lives on this side of the U.S stay tuned for possible dates.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by fans of black and death metal?
7.The feedback has been overall good on an international level.  Many people have shown interest in our music in countries such as Brazil, France, Russia, Singapore, and Canada.  We contributed a track to a compilation that was organized by a guy out of Scotland, which was a very cool opportunity for us.   I think many fans enjoy the no-frills solid approach we take to Blackened Death Metal and are interested to see how we progress further as a band.  Others are not so impressed and enthusiastic and have criticized us for our lack of originality or black metal authenticity.  Ether way I’m happy people outside of the U.S are listening to our music since I have a lot of respect and admiration for the international metal community.


8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
8.I see us going in a much more aggressive and extreme direction.  One thing I think we’ve lack musically in the past is raw ferocity and I would be interested to see if would could maintain the same level of melody and atmosphere with a more violent and visceral approach.   We will always continue to progress as musicians so I think you can expect raised level of technicality and musical experimentation in our future releases.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
9.Bands like Deathspell Omega, Portal, and Impetuous Ritual have influenced some of the stranger and more disturbing sounds we have begun to incorporate into our new music.   On the flipside, bands like Negura Bunget have also influenced us to continue writing music that is melodic and musically diverse.  We have also been able to re-connect with some of our older influences such as Morbid Angel and Immolation to sustain the death metal side of our sound.  Some bands I’ve personally been listening to a lot recently are Deathspell Omega, Morbid Angel, Evoken, Vollahn, Immortal, Dark Fortress, and Ruins.

10. How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
10.Our singer Loki gave his personal sentiments on Satanism and said “it is a choice to accept true freedom and enjoy all the carnal pleasures without hypocritical deceit”.  I think everyone in the band can stand behind that philosophy whether or not we consider ourselves to be Satanist in the truest form of the word.  

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
11.Along with music, I’ve always been deeply interested in film and literature and I think this holds true for the others in the band as well. Guitarist Sammer has been writing movie scripts for the last few years and also has an interest in opening a small business. Drummer Trevor is passionate about English studies and Bassist Nathan is a classical music major at the University of California Santa Cruz.  

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
12.I would like to thank you for giving us an opportunity to do this interview.  Much respect and gratitude to Mike Juliano of Horror Pain Gore Death Productions for distributing and releasing Fiends at Feast’s albums.  I want to thank Scott and Ryan of Clawhammer for their great PR work and for all their help and support.  To all our fans thank you and be on the watch for news in the Fiends camp.  2013 should be a very busy year for us and we’ve got some exciting stuff in the works.

For Contact/Booking: fiendofthefeast@gmail.com
http://fiendsatfeast.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/FiendsAtFeast
http://fiendsatfeast.com/
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Fiends_at_Feast/3540325915






  

  


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Blood Stone Sacrifice/Cult Of The Serpent Sun/2013 Demo Review


  Blood  Stone  Sacrifice  are  a  band  from  New  England  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  satanic,  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  demo  "Cult  Of  The  Serpent  Sun".

  Drum  programming  ranges  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  beats  which  sound  as  brutal  as  a  real  drum  kit,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  a  good  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into t he  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  and  other  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  the  songs  not  being  either  too  short  or  long.

  In  my  opinion  Blood  Stone  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and primitive  satanic/occult  black  metal band  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Plague  Of  End"  and  "Cult  Of  The  Serpent  Sun".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

 http://bloodstonesacrifice.bandcamp.com

Monday, January 28, 2013

Illnulla/Self Titled/2012 CD Review


  Illnulla  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  black  metal  with  thrash and  death  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  album.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars,  as  for  the  sound  effects  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  bring  in  elements  of  electronic  music  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  some  melody,  death  and  thrash  metal  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  black  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls,  spoken  word  parts,  samples  and  shouting  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  philosophy,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Illnulla  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  band  with  elements  and  thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lupo"  "Bandiere  bianche,  rosse  ginocchia"  "Non  credo  nel  tuo  dio"  and  "Credimi".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Fiends At Feast/Towards The Baphomet's Throne/Horror Pain Gore Death Productions/2012 CD Review


  Fiends  At  Feast  are  a  band  that  mixes  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Towards  The  Baphomet's  Throne"  which  was  released  by  Horror  Pain  Gore  Death  Productions.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  are  following  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  as  well  as  having  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into t he  riffing,  while  the lead  guitars  are  very  dark  sounding  black/death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  utilize  some  melody  at  times,  as  for  the  classical  guitars  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  add  another  dimension  of  darkness  to  the  music.

  Vocals  range  from  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched black  metal  screams  to  some  deep  death  metal growls  as  well  as  a  brief  spoken  word  part,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Anti  Religion  themes,  as  for t he  production it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  and  heavy  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Fiends  At  Feast  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "After  The  Gates  of  Hell"  "I  Am  Death"  "From  Hell  They  Rise"  and  "Cold  Grey  Sky".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://fiendsatfeast.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/FiendsAtFeast

Ruins Interview


1.       Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?



Well we are about to do a few more shows here in Australia, and otherwise I am just kind of in pre-production at the moment for what will be the next album eventually.  This latest album has been out a little while here in Australia, it is only just seeing release in U.S.  It is the first we have actually had all 4 members of the ‘live’ unit appear on an album.  Earlier I had just handled all the playing myself and later shown to the other guys how to play etc.  I am still writing the stuff, but Joe has stepped up in his role as producer and started to get a bit more involved beyond just the technical side... also he is actually playing guitar on this latest one. And Kai is playing bass and was more involved in the actual stylistics of the bass parts.  So despite it basically being my song-writing the band has certainly evolved over the years.



2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?



Well I spent a very long time with the ideas on this before even really getting to work on production, and same again at each turn of the road during the production process, so it was well considered like this at every step, taking some time, separating myself from it, then coming back to it and evaluating.  I am very pleased as I have been with all of our albums so far, with the flow of songs.  The sequence, the structures belong in this sequence.  I see the songs in their own right, but I also see them as they relate to one another within the scheme of the album, and how the album sits within the scheme of the other albums.  “Place of No Pity” is certainly our epic effort.  I personally consider this album to be completing a circle back to our first release.  I always wanted to rework a couple of our earliest songs and I felt it was a good time to do that because some of the newer material was very thematically linked to some of the oldest stuff.  So I guess you can look at the dates and see the first four albums as linear progression; but I think really I see it more as our first cycle.  All of that said and each of the albums has a different kind of character, reflected by differing approaches happening through each production.



3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?



They are kind of multi-layered sets of meanings.  To a point I speak about attacking rationality, and attacking myself.  The idea of Death is of great importance, Death as an advisor, not an enemy.  Death informing our decisions, Death is our challenger.  Death gives us courage, puts us in the moment, and creates a heightened awareness.  When consciousness moves, the self crumbles or dissolves.  This is the Place of No Pity.  With ruthlessness the self-image cannot be sustained, this results in a greater range of perception. Ruthlessness is a premise of sorcery.  Ruthlessness is the opposite of self-pity.  Ruthlessness is the opposite of self-importance.  We try to present a warriors view, which is sometimes a sorcerer’s view.  It is just a personal expression of ideas that I may find resonate with me.  We are attacking self-image, attacking the position of rationality, weakening the position of ‘common-sense’; and asserting the power of the will.  Lyrically it is filtering important things for me, it is dealing with issues in my personal life but done mostly with metaphors, which are mostly just echoes of philosophy or poetry, and other things that I may read, or hear, and that resonate with me; this can in turn make ideas slightly more tangible for others to comprehend, and at the same time actually make the structures that bit more surreal.  I am always thinking about the lyrics being perceived from multiple viewpoints.  It is definitely a death themed album.  It is about life and death I guess, consciousness.  I like for others to find their own more direct meanings, as I have my meanings within my personal sphere, which I am unlikely to share more than this.  This is a reason for the art for me, I guess dealing with my thoughts and feelings, cryptically discussing things in my personal life; but the lyrics can be taken less personally also, in a different context.  I try to write multi-dimensionally, because I know that many viewpoints will interpret this, as they will.



4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?



I wanted a one-word band name I remember.  Not sure exactly why this word emerged.  It just seemed right.  It described the more personal view, and the more collective view of the world, from the standpoint of where this band is at.  It can be a quite broad idea conceptually.



5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

There are many.  First show, first interstate shows, SATYRICON tour, CELTIC FROST, IMMORTAL tour, WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, the shows with ABSU and PORTAL, GOATWHORE and IMPIETY.



6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?



We don’t exactly have any solid plans right now.  We have a lot of interest internationally. We will probably play quite a bit through 2013 I feel.



7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of darker metal?



Well from the very beginning we have had interest from all around the world, it is pleasing for sure that there has been a lot of positive reactions to our stuff.



8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?



Well Ruins is my only real musical concern I guess.  I have done a stack of different stuff over the years but for some time now Ruins is the only thing I really write for or work for or whatever.  Dave likes to be busy and push his abilities as a drummer in different directions, by playing with a lot of different bands.  They are all cool bands in totally different ways I suppose, so he gets to really enjoy diversity in his work.



9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?



Our next stuff which I have started to demo is much more stripped back and simple at the moment, much shorter, more minimalistic, kind of just sharp and angular ideas at the moment.  This is probably a reaction to the last work, I do like to try and do different things, so I am not surprised after the epic long structures and format of this last album, then probably the next one will be contrary to this.



10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



Well I grew up in the 80s and I guess like many people of my kind of age group it all kind of started with metallica and slayer; and then digging a bit deeper to find more extreme expression like Sodom and Kreator; celtic frost and bathory.  I guess I was just into rebellious and extreme sounding stuff, because I got into a lot of punk and hard core and other stuff along the way too.  So I discovered the grind and death metal that finally kind of reached us around early 90’s.  The whole time I was into pretty diverse stuff, into Misfits/Samhain/Danzig , Killing Joke, Sepultura.  Also looking back to what came before me pretty much my earliest influence was finding the heaviest stuff from my parent’s collection like ac/dc black Sabbath, led zeppelin, things like that.  I was just into a heap of stuff, but I guess getting right into Dark Throne and Burzum and mayhem early to mid 90’s had a major effect.  So I guess we did have a reasonably clear vision of what it was we were going to try and pull together pretty early in the piece at least theoretically.   The style developed itself slowly over years and it’s still happening now.  We took it pretty slow at first... I guess you could say we were inspired by the way certain black metal bands were able to operate as individuals and duos in writing recording and production, I guess given the timing and situation we were most inspired by bands like dark throne, immortal, and satyricon, knowing that a band could operate that way. We were just much more interested in writing music and producing albums.  Playing live was a bit of an afterthought really, once we realized we had a set of songs together.  To be honest I just make what I want to listen to really.  Ideas kind of filter themselves, so I am just doing what I am into doing, making the music I want to hear.  Then I get really motivated when Dave likes some of that and same again if Joe is into it, it helps me get things done.  The music is just what I want to hear, and that is drawing from very diverse tastes and experiences; yes the Norwegian scene of early to mid-90’s was huge impact on me as a kid at the time, I was definitely inspired as a youngster with a guitar by bands like mayhem, burzum, immortal, dark throne and satyricon, thorns.  I also instantly liked the unique character of one-man stuff like isengard and ildjarn, but among so much other stuff too.  Honestly all kinds of things.  To be honest we were joking the whole time we made this album that we were making our ‘...And Justice For All’, this was a hugely important album for us when we were really young kids, and subsequently it still is, actually.  There are many bands current from all over Europe, and all around the world for that matter that I am into.  But I don’t really keep up with stuff that much.  I basically have a few friends who know different areas of my musical tastes pretty well.  They recommend me things from time to time, but I really don’t keep up with that much. I am mostly into just rockin all my old classics haha!  This is not some attempt to appear ultra underground or old-school or isolationist or anything like that.  This is not an image I am trying to cultivate; this is just how I am here, that is just how it is.  Bands of note from more recent times would be Craft/Shining, Leviathan/Lurker of Chalice, actually I don’t even know where to start and finish with all this so I will leave it at that.



11. Does Occultism play any role in your music?



Well you can take what you will from the lyrics and my explanation of them I suppose, butregarding religion, I was raised with no spirituality.  My family never attended any kind of church.  I am not Christened, none of it.  But of course this is Christian society, and the West is at war with Islam so I guess I am at best a secular Christian haha!  As a result of the spiritual void I suppose I was always open for some stimulation in that area, so I think I learned quite a lot as a younger person about a variety of religious ideas and different cultures.  I guess strict Christians feel I was dealing with the devil already.  In some ways we are a kind of apocalyptic band, I feel we embody the necessity of the destruction, and oneness with it, a detachment from it, whilst embracing it... so it is aggressive and violent and dark, and primal.  But inspiring and uplifting in its way.  So this obviously can represent struggle or triumph for those who want it to symbolize that... they will just try to see it through the eyes of the survival of their cause.  I enjoy the presentation of the seductive Satan.  Spiritually speaking you can say we are a nature worshipping band, but our view of this is obscure, and like I said ‘apocalyptic’, my view of nature and time, it is probably just my own appropriation of some Shamanic, or Taoist ideas in essence.  This band is my church I guess?  It is my way of dealing with my spiritual side; the ‘other’, the ‘dreaming’, the ‘psyche’.



12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?



I guess the band deals with my other interests through the themes we discuss.



13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?



Thanks for the support!


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Vreid/Welcome Farewell/Indie Recordings/2013 CD Review


  Vreid  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  I  would  describe  as  being  Norwegian  black  metal  with  influences  from  70's  rock  and  80's  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Welcome  Farewell"  which  was  released  by  Indie  Recordings.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  Norwegian  style  black  metal  riffs  that  take  influences  from  70's  rock  and  80's  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  old  school  metal/rock  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  and  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  brief  use  of  deep  growls  and  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  occult  and  philosophical  themes,  as for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  dark  and  heavy  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Vreid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Way  Of  The  Serpent"  "The  Devil's  Hand"  and  "Black  Waves".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.vreid.no
https://www.facebook.com/vreidofficial?fref=ts

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Rex Anglorum Interview


1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Timothy: Rex Anglorum started as a solo project. I did guitar and vocals, and that is all. Thematically, it is based around English history during the medieval period.  I recorded and released the first demo on Deathstyle Records. It went out to four different record stores, but was never performed live.
Iain: I was interested in playing drums with him but we were never able to find the right time to practice. The two songs with drums were rehearsed the day of the performance.

Timothy: While Iain might not have been present when the songs were composed, he had heard the songs in their earliest forms, gave advice, and consulted with me on virtually every aspect of Rex Anglorum's creation.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Iain: Primitive. 
Timothy: Loud.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Timothy: The songs I have written so far have all dealt with king Aethelred. I am not English by birth, but with this subject matter I was able to create an atmosphere and a feeling that really rang true with me. As a student of medieval literature and theater, I see a beautiful society, filled with virtues and folklore that ring very true with me. I also see an imperial, religious structure that challenges that. 

Our songs are about power, war, greed, and death. Militarized Christianity, and the part it played in all of those things, is discussed. Growing up in the midwest, I have been exposed to this kind of hypocrisy my entire life. People that would kill and hate in the name of Christianity. 
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Timothy: Rex Anglorum means, King of the Angles. This would have been a term used before the invasions of the Normans and the like. 

5. What are some of the best shows the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Iain: We have only played one show. Our stage presence is not theatrical. We just play our music. 
Timothy: I have also been developing more material that can be played without drums. I plan on performing more of that in the future.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

Timothy: We plan on playing out this summer. There is not a very large Black Metal scene in the midwest. We hope to change that.
7. Can you tell us more about Deathstyle Records?

Timothy: Deathstyle Records is a label that was started simply to put out music that my friends and I played. I find myself offended and alienated by major labels and the idea that music is a business. We are a label that encourages strong DIY ethics. Music is art, and should be treated as such. It is not a product. 

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

Timothy: We are still working on this. A few musicians that have spoken to me, guys from bands like Nordland and Nuklearenpest, have given me very strong feedback. Most Black Metal musicians are very stand-offish with newcomers and I am not surprised that they are hesitant to even listen to it. I am not offended. It comes with the territory. 

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Iain: I also play drums in a post-hardcore band called Texas Instruments and guitar in another black metal band called Boreas. Rex Anglorum is more of a project for me. It's Tim's music that I play drums on. 

Timothy: Rex Anglorum is my primary source of musical expression. I have had other projects in the past, one of which, Funbucker, was also released on Deathstyle Records. I am currently working on a fol-music project with Chelsie Ports. 

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Timothy: It is hard to say. I feel a shift in the lyrical themes, but I think not much else will change. We want to eventually do a release of ambient music in the tradition of Burzum's "Daudi Baldrs." Although, those albums were made out of necessity. I just love it so much.

Iain: Hopefully tighter playing. I like the raw and primitive sound.
11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Timothy: The music that has influenced the way I use a guitar has been bands like Negative Approach and Agnostic Front. I have always played loud and fast with an electric. The more I listened to bands like Burzum, Nyktalgia, and Maleficencia I started working that into my repertoire. I think I have changed a lot as a guitarist, and what I am doing now is the most creatively fulfilling. 

Nowadays, I've been listening to bands like Nuklearenpest, newer Darkthrone, and Mayhem. Legions of Astaroth is probably my favorite, though. Call me lame, but Satyricon is another favorite. 

Iain: Black metal was the first kind of metal I could really delve into. Black metal is really what has initially gotten me into metal. Primarily, I listen to a lot of post-hardcore. I like chaotic music but I also really like dynamics. Lately I've been listening to The Argument by Fugazi.

12. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?

Iain: I sure hope so.

Timothy: Rex Anglorum has no specific religious motivations. We judge no one by their beliefs, be it pagan, Christian, or otherwise. It just doesn't fit in the parameters of my creative process. At least not yet. I have recently written a song, that will soon be released in video format only, that discusses further the idea of war in the name of Christ. That is, religious issues of medieval.

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Timothy: I have had horror stories published. I am also a theater student.  

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Timothy: Rex Anglorum is what Black Metal is to us. We make no apologies to anyone who says otherwise.

https://soundcloud.com/deathstyle-records/rex-anglorum-live-at-the