DOOMMANTIA

Anguish – Through The Archdemons Head ...

2012-02-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

Swedish doom band Anguish have already been given the tag of Candlemass clones by some people but it is rather unfair and just plain wrong in my view. Yes, there is a distant similarity to the doom metal legends but Anguish stand out to me as being a band with clear influences and yet sound like nowhere in particular. The music presented on almost an hours worth of crushing doom metal riffs sticks closely to the traditional doom metal values and yet, it sounds nothing like Saint Vitus, Reverend Bizarre, Lord Vicar or Black Sabbath. The one ingredient they have that is a Candlemass trademark is eerie emotion and sinister atmosphere.

The album is one captivating, monster doom riff after another which are all held together with breath-taking melodies. The one area where they beat Candlemass hands down is in sheer heaviness and slow-tempos that are ponderously slow and kind of awkward sounding at times but if you like levels of sorrow cranked to 10 on a doom metal album, this is it.

The vocals are not what I consider great in the context of the songs. The bestial vocal approach which is similar to the sound that someone makes while trying to squeeze out a big turd takes some time getting used to. Luckily there is enough variation within his style to keep it listenable but it still sounds like the bands weak-link to me.

The album starts with an intro which is the title track, 'Through the Archdemon's Head' and it is a gem, setting up the mood for the rest of the album. It quickly bleeds into the lumbering 'Book of Fox' and then the band pretty much get stuck in the same gear for the rest of the album but it sounds great anyway so who cares.

Oddly enough, 'Book Of Fox' is perhaps the weakest track on the album (even though it is a wonderful heavy piece of epic, menacing doom metal) as the album gets even better from here on in. Guitarists David Eriksson and Kribbe Christoffer Frylmark are masters of melodic but punishing riffs of doom and gloom and this album is packed full of memorable riffing. The rests of the band are no slouches either, drummer Ralle pounds and assaults the kit so the band is an incredibly tight unit.

While the riffs are memorable, there is nothing in the way of catchy hooks or grooves, the band is way too slow and ponderous for that but these songs are mesmerizing and hypnotic so that makes up for it. One of the biggest highlights is track three, 'When the Ancients Dare to Walk' which is towering, elephantine doom at its best. 'Dawn of Doom' follows on in a similar vein and next track, 'Lair of the Gods' features perhaps the only real groove on the entire album. It is the album's only upbeat moment and believe me, you need it but this stage in the album. 'Illusive Damnation' and 'The Veil' offer no real surprises but no surprises are needed really. The songwriting quality is excellent and these two tracks don't let the listener down. The final track 'Morbid Castle' at least offers some diversity. This is the albums longest track and also features the most variance in tempos and melodies. The track is excruciating, grievous, grim, and about as oppressive as doom metal gets but is a bit on the long side at almost 12 minutes.

This album is a keeper but it has one or two question marks, the main one being the vocals which are the love/hate variety. I can see some people digging this mans style while others will find the vocals just plain awful. I am in the middle of those two as there are tracks where they seem to suit the grimness of the compositions but at other times, they are just a bit irritating. The only other weakness I can find is the songs all tend to sound the same after a while. There are really only two tracks that break away from the meandering, trudging style but that is a minor gripe. If it is sinister doom that you are after, this is a "must-have" and if you think traditional doom can not come up with anything remarkable anymore, this album should prove you wrong. I don't think Anguish can be put on the same pedestal as Wounded Kings or even Candlemass at their best just yet but they come close at times. The moments of sheer excellence that 'Through The Archdemons Head' has are plentiful enough to make this an essential buy for 2012. The official release date was February 8th so you should be able to buy this now so go and get it. This is a band to watch out for, the Swedes have done it again....9/10.

Anguish @ Myspace

Bitter Resolve - Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning ...

2012-02-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

Bitter Resolve are a fuzzed-out stoner doom outfit from North Carolina. Within seconds of pressing play, all the obvious references points are there. Saint Vitus, Cathedral, Weedeater, Electric Wizard and the hardcore side of The Melvins is what comes across in these grooves but of course there is also lashings of sabbathian riffage as well. One thing has to be said right away, the production is a major issue with this release. I love deep, fuzzy, distorted sounds as much as the next guy but the production here is almost a complete wall of sound, almost to the point where everything is indistinguishable most of the time. This doesn't do the songwriting any favors and the riffing, which is great by the way tends to get lost in the sonically excessive wall of noise.

Because of the rough production, you have to listen very closely to identify a lot of what is going on but it is still worth the effort. While the band stick to the classic stoner and doom style most of the time, they also blend in other approaches that catch you by surprise. There are punky passages and even grunge elements that pop up within the doomy, stoner fuzziness so at least it keeps you guessing where the songs will go next. There are only 6 songs and roughly 27 minutes worth of material and that time goes past fast with the way these songs are put together. 'A Day Without Fairies' which I am guessing is a nod to Black Sabbath's 'Fairies Wear Boots' is the opening track and a instant winner despite the production flaws. It is a diverse track in its own way that even has a acoustic ending section that caught me totally by surprise on the first listen.

'...An Arch That Spans Regret' is a very good tune but seems to end while it is still progressing to something like there is a section missing, maybe there is a part-two in the works? 'Perfect Alignment' is a powerful track that leads into the more mellow and psychedelic 'We Must Build An Atomic Blaster...' so the band does have more than one trick up their collective sleeves. 'Molly Brown' has the grunge element that I referred to earlier and comes off as a bit of a throwaway track because of it. It is not because of the "grunge" thing, it just sounds ordinary compared with the other five tracks on the EP. The EP ends on 'Large Hadron Collider' which is another solid tune with great guitar work. Bitter Resolve manage to fit a lot in its 27 minutes of this recording. On first spin, it may seem kind of straight-forward but with various mood changes, tempo shifts, and the addition of some bluesy solos, this EP stays interesting for its duration. Lovers of the fuzzy riff will find plenty to get excited about with this release, just a pity the production doesn't do it justice....7.5/10.

Bitter Resolve @ Facebook

Eyes Front North - EP ...

2012-02-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

Formed in 2010 as a project of Lionel Forest (vocals/guitars) Eyes Front North are a very interesting French metal quartet that quite frankly I am going to have a tough time describing in just a few words. Blending doom, post-rock, sludge, and black metal, this band has created a very diverse 3 track EP. The atmosphere on the EP is one of pure dark anger and musically, it is hypnotic and gloomy. The style is very much in the sludge-metal style but at times verges on aggressive metal that is closer to the likes of Sepultura than any sludge and doom bands but if you can think of a very metallic, more angry version of Neurosis you would be getting close to the sound of Eyes Front North.

This hybrid is interesting and I don't normally get too excited about anything with a post-rock, post-metal angle but this band is so diverse at the way they blend the styles that I can't help but be captivated. There are only 3 tracks on this for a total playing time of about 24 minutes but it is still very memorable regardless. The opening and closing tracks, 'Words' and 'A Reaching Hand' stand out as the best tunes on offer here. The music is almost too intense to fall under the typical sludge-metal banner, the anger and aggression coupled with a guitar onslaught that blends black metal and doom metal all at the same time makes this a unique affair that might not to everyone's tastes.

The track sandwiched in the middle of these two is something called 'Worn As Mask'and this is the only track out of the three where this hybrid of genres doesn't come off so well. It is always going to be a tough call anyway, blending all these styles which in essence clash with each other. However, 'Worn As Mask' is still a solid track but the fusion doesn't seem as hypnotic and memorable on this track. I have to mention the vocals with this band, they are a great, an intense combination of half-screaming and a more spoken word kind of approach and they are done wonderfully well. The guitar sound for the most part is nicely balanced distortion and the band as musicians are very accomplished. So in conclusion, if you are looking for something a bit different in the sludge field, Eyes Front North could be the band for you....8/10.

<a href="http://eyesfrontnorth.bandcamp.com/album/ep">EP by EYES FRONT NORTH

Eyes Front North @ Facebook

Fellwoods - Wulfram ...

2012-02-12T08:34:00.001-08:00

For the ones between you who do not follow the perpetually moving fauna or Heavy Rock, Fellwoods were once known as “The Moss”

The Moss were (and basically are, under a new moniker) a band that delivers quintessential fuzz laden hard rock, almost on the edge of proto metal. They have now re-delivered their album Wulfram, previously released as The Moss on Bandcamp, with new tracks added.

To keep it simple: if you love Sir Lord Baltimore, Blue Cheer or Budgie, and the whole series of riff loving, heavy as lead, viscous and rocking bands that made the seventies one of the greatest ages for heavy rock, and makes the whole idea of “retro” magical, you'll love this album.

Throughout the tracks you can hear early MC5, catchy guitar-fests (like the amazing “Widow Trakk”), thick pre-metal ponders à la Leaf Hound and lots of Zeppelin, Purple and early Sabbath touches.

The riffs, solos, and savage drumming build the mood well, and while the whole thing is, without a doubt a giant trip into the past, driven by love of classic sounds and bordering on homage, the energy and warmth of the sounds is a winner. The vocals, delivered in the over-the-top, semi-nasal style that was also present in a lot of the seminal fuzzers of the 70's, might not be your cup of tea (especially if you're more into the gutsy style of Sir Lord Baltimore, which are a big influence on the sound), but they're not too obtrusive.

Give it a listen on Bandcamp first, but I'd say go for it. 7/10

Words:Andrea Contanzo

<a href="http://themoss.bandcamp.com/album/wulfram">Wulfram by Fellwoods
Bandcamp

10 Q & A's with Trevor Brauw from PELICAN ...

2012-02-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

1) Can we go back to 2000 when Pelican formed-how did you meet the other members of Pelican and how was the band formed?

Before we started Pelican Laurent, Larry, and I were in an oddball prog-grind band called Tusk. Laurent was the bass player, which was limiting for him because he's actually a guitarist. At some point he brought a bunch of guitar parts to practice. They definitely didn't fit what we were doing, but the songs were great, so we figured it warranted starting another band. We recruited Larry's brother Bryan to play bass and Pelican was born.

2) Why did the band decide to record without vocals?

We practiced for a year before playing out. The whole time were looking for a singer, but nobody who came to try out could figure out how to sing over our songs. Finally we decided to give it a shot as an instrumental band and against odds it worked!

3) Are you influenced by what you may call Progressive music, most certainly doom metal?

We're all avid music fans and listen to countless bands and styles. Definitely music that is progressive and experimental, but also stuff that's regressive and primal and everything in between.

4) What is the band currently working on?

We have a new 4 song EP entitled Ataraxia/Taraxis coming out on Southern Lord on April 10. Following its release we're headed to Europe for a two week tour.

5) Tusk is a Pelican side project-any planned side projects for yourself?

Yes, this is actually a pretty crazy year for me. My power ambient band Chord has an album coming out in the spring on the UK label MIEmusic. My defunct noise pop band Teith are self-releasing the album we recorded right before we split up. I have a newer band, Let's Pet, that's tough to describe... kind of a post-goth shoegaze band... we're recording next month but we're not sure what we'll do with the recording yet. In addition to all this stuff I home record solo stuff and have actually started to book some solo shows here and there.

6) Are you a fan of horror films or an occultist?

Not sure those things are related, but yes to the former. I actually did my undergraduate thesis on the narrative transcendence achieved did my undergraduate thesis on the narrative transcendence achieved. An excuse to watch horror films for college credit.

7) Have any books influenced your writing subjects?

I don't think we're a very literary band in the sense of books inspiring our music. I'm a fan of literature, but I don't think it has much bearing on our work.

8) What are you doing when not recording or writing?

I work a music PR firm. I have a roster of bands whose press I work-just general stuff like writing press releases, reaching out to writers to tell them about bands, scheduling interviews for my artists, etc. it's a full-time occupation, and it can get very intense during the busy part of the year.

9) Any bands that you may call doom metal, that you may like?

Sure, many. Eyehategod, Cathedral, Warhorse, Kyuss, Sleep, many others.

10) What lies in the future for Pelican?

We've just begun writing our next record. As always we hope to bridge the gap between raw heaviness and melodic sensibility, but we're always looking for ways to broaden out pallet.

Thanks Trevor

Interview By John Wisniewski

Pelican Official Website

THE OBELISK PRESENTS: Why Bill Ward Matters ...

2012-02-10T22:37:00.000-08:00

I don't normally do this but this is such a great article, it is worth it. This is from The Obelisk and it sums up my feelings exactly. I got nothing to say that hasn't already been said about this garbage. The Black Sabbath reunion has turned into a disaster, a media circus, and Sharon Osbourne has again proved herself to be a dreadful, nasty piece of money-hungry filth. Like the banner say's, NO BILL WARD, NO BLACK SABBATH......Ed

First off, to a lot of people, he doesn’t. For better or worse, probably the majority of those in the legions who would attend the original-member reunion Black Sabbath announced in November either don’t know or don’t care about “the drummer.” They’re there to see Ozzy Osbourne sing “Paranoid” and maybe watch Tony Iommi play the “Iron Man” riff. Geezer Butler‘s bass and Bill Ward‘s drumming are secondary concerns.

These casual fans, those who would just show up, probably don’t realize it was Butler who wrote the lyrics Osbourne sang or that the rhythm section played such a huge role in making Black Sabbath‘s earliest records — 1970?s Black Sabbath and Paranoid, 1971?s Master of Reality and 1972?s Vol. 4 — as heavy and groundbreaking and stylistically definitive as they were. And even if they did realize, or even if they heard the band themselves say so — I know Iommi said it flat out in the Classic Albums: Paranoid DVD — they still wouldn’t care.

Outside of the context of the heavy rock underground that still so vehemently flies the flag of and takes influence from those four albums in particular, Black Sabbath is a heavy metal footnote en route to Osbourne‘s solo career and the commercialization of metal that first took place in the ’80s and continues to this day. Black Sabbath is important, but they’re more important because Pantera or Slipknot or Metallica says they are than because Master of Reality was a life-changing event.

Last Thursday, when Bill Ward released his statement that the contract he was offered was “unsignable,” the internet almost immediately blew up with support for his case. My feed on Thee Facebooks — which, though I don’t use it as a measure of overall cultural relevance, at least lets me know what people are talking about — still has posts of pro-Ward propaganda memes like those I’ve included with this post: “Back Stabbath,” “No Bill Ward, No Black Sabbath,” “Bill Sabbath” t-shirts. Sloganeering from people who (I would say rightfully) appreciate Ward‘s contributions to the original lineup. In an era that produced many great British drummers — John Bonham, Carl Palmer, Ian Paice, etc. — Ward‘s work stands out as singularly characteristic. No one before or since sounds quite like him, executes a fill quite the same way or keeps the same kind of swaggering beat that makes “Lord of this World” one of the heaviest songs ever put to tape.

Read the rest of the article here: Why Bill Ward Matters

FLOWER-POWER DOOM RAAAAWK – AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSA AND JOCKE FROM RISE AND SHINE …

2012-02-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

I have to thanks two cool people, Josabeth “Josa” Leidi and Joakim “Jocke” Knutsson, musicians and co-founders of band Rise and Shine, definitely one of the best kept secrets of Sweden.
Rise and Shine is a long-lived, Stockholm-based band devoted to a style delightfully blending doom, retro/hippy proggy/folk psychedelia and hard rock since 1993. The band is fronted by Josabeth Leidi on stunning vocals, Joakim Knutsson and Daniel Josefsson on guitars, Dennis Pålsson on bass and Magnus Rydman on drums
In spite of its early birth, this band was widely exposed to the world (me included) by Terrorizer’s fine lady journalist Kim Kelly about one year ago.
Basically the same day I read the article by Kim Kelly on her blog I suddenly discovered that some albums by Rise and Shine were since long time distributed by the Italian label Black Widow, which is basically “round the corner” for me and for many other doom lovers in Italy. So I submitted a review of the latest album, Empty Hand (2011) here at Doommantia and started getting hold of the rest of the discography by this fine band.
Out of curiosity, and in order to verify to which extent I had been so “blind”, I checked the web. Well, I noticed that in the (recent) past few, too few (English-speaking) webzines hosted news and infos about Rise and Shine.
So there’s space and need for dealing more with and build up an interview to this bunch of cool Swedish hippy-loving heavy doom rockers.

Doommantia review of Empty Hand
-----

MARI - Hails to Jocke (Joakim Knutsson) and Josa (Josabeth Leidi) and thanks for taking part to this interview!
So, I still feel quite embarassed when I remember that I missed Rise and Shine for long time. I guess later is better than never! But please, try and explain, from your side, why Rise and Shine are a late discover for many of us.

JOCKE - I can only guess but a couple of reasons is: Before getting in touch with Black Widow we had released a couple of seven inches (and before that demos) that had made some impression on labels. But it never came to the point were actually anything were being released. We also had a lot of member changes early on. One reason which can’t be denied is that we aren’t very popular in Sweden. In the early nineties Sweden was not ready for a pissed off punk attitude woman using her voice just the way she wanted instead of cute and singing wimpy and beautiful all the time. When we signed the deal for our third record it was on a semi major label. They had not the ability to cope with what we do. We should have stuck with Black Widow at that point.

MARI - Rise and Shine is a top quality band. Your style is anything but unbearably or offensively extreme. On the contrary it is belonging to genres that keep and have been keeping Scandinavia under continuous spotlight. In addition the band is fronted by you, Josa, a lady musician endowed of an impressive, powerful and warm voice, that duly contributes in recalling Janis Joplin’s vibes.
So what may be the reason of this relative “isolation”?

JOSA: I don’t know. Sometimes I think the blame is on me. If there was someone else singing I think it would have been different. My vocals tend to irritate a lot of people. We’re not unique in any way, and play quite traditional heavy music but it’s like our music still makes some people a little insecure. It’s like “is it ok to like this or not”? And it’s easier to choose not!

MARI - Eh, I must say it’s hard for me to imagine people who can get irritated by such great voice …
Well, Doommantia hosts just a review of your latest album, the beautiful Empty Hand (2011), but in that review only minor details were given about the band’s story which is quite long.
So let’s go back in the 90s. How did you start your experience and what brought you all to choose to devote to mixing retro-psychedelic rock, doom, hippy vibes etc. in what became Rise and Shine’s trademark?

JOCKE - The members of the band and especially I got a very broad music influence. This kind of music is probably what you get if you are into bands like Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Venom, Sisters of Mercy, Amebix, Trouble, Waylon Jennings, Jefferson Airplane, ABBA, Metallica, The Stooges, Elvis, Louis Armstrong, Depeche Mode, Candlemass etc.
JOSA - I didn’t have a band at the time and was very bored just playing acoustic on my own. I wanted to try my songs out electrically and asked some friends if they wanted to help me out. They liked it and asked me if we could start the band. Of course – I was more than happy!

MARI - Rise and Shine started and developed in a decade (the Nineties) dominated by fading fortunes of grunge and the rise of (infamous) nu-metal. So not a lucky period for heavy metal in general. However your activity back in time was almost frenetic. Beside demos, EPs and a split, Rise and Shine released two substantial full-.length albums in the late 90’s, the début Flowerpowermetal and Roadflower. Then there was a long gap, until 2006. So how was that early period?

JOCKE - Actually I do not have a big problem with the grunge era. Some of us in the band do but I don’t. I always been quite open to new music. That interest has been fading a bit but so has my interest to listen to music in whole. I find it more rewarding to write music. But I still buy lots of records, I am only more selective. The early days we were still quite young. Even though we had an agenda of what we wanted to do, our main focus was to go to the pub and hang out with the rest of the punks and metalheads of Stockholm. You also have to remember that the kind of music we play was not at all the shit at the time. Pentagram was not the shit to listen to back then. Guys like us were aware of them but not like nowadays. Pentagram is probably after Springsteen and Maiden the biggset shit in Gothenburg nowadays, hahaha!
Josa: We had a lot of fun and loved playing together, we could stay in the rehearsal studio for ever! We were pissed of that it was so hard to get shows and we were dreaming heavily of playing music fulltime!

MARI - And what made you go back into activity after many years?

JOCKE - Negotiating with record labels and negotiating with life took alot of time during a period. Some of us got kids and some of us just got pissed. We are slightly more focused today.

JOSA - Actually we’ve been rehearsing reguarly all this time (accept 6 months some years ago). So there has not been a before/after for us, we’ve been going on in the same way. It’s mostly been a problem of getting records out and keeping the spirit up when nothing seems to happened...

MARI - How did things change for Rise and Shine in the process of music- and songwriting and in the relationship with labels, promotion and with fans and support in the second part of the band’s live?

JOCKE - We always had total freedom coming to the music. Talking about record covers is a total different thing. The first record “Flowerpowermetal” on Black Widow had a total different cover which was very much hippie that they didn’t like. I had to do a new one.

MARI - On the database in precious Metal Archives, Rise and Shine apparently hosted a great number of musicians in the past. However at the same time there seems to be a remarkable stability in the core of the line-up. So was early Rise and Shine a “turbulent” band?

JOCKE - Yes very turbulent. Again we were young and had a lot of temper in the band. We also party and drank alot. Not all people can cope with that. Back then I was the only one that had a day time job. The rest of the gang could Rock and Roll all Nite.

JOSA - Me and Jocke were very devoted and wanted everyone else to be as dedicated as we were. We wanted everyone to put “all in”. When things seems to stand still with labels and shows it’s not everyone who have the patience to be that faithful.

MARI - A question for Josabeth Leidi. Josa, can you tell to the ladies among us something about your experience of woman fronting a band in the traditionally male-dominated metal scene? I know this is one of those questions that have actually nothing to do with music for those who truly care about music, and that may sound either trivial or even irritating. But sometimes this issue comes out, views may be different and from my position of female listener and addict to heavy music sometimes I am curious to get some impressions from a tough lady metaller right on the other side of the barricade, the stage ....

JOSA: In one way I wanna answer – no problem at all! As a member of the band I have never seen myself as a female. In the sense that I have never put any importance in it – I have never seen any difference in me or the other members grounded in male/female. We play hard rock, we do music together and they were not born with at “hard rock-gene” that I didn’t have. And actually I think that you would get more info if you’d asked the guys in the band what difference it has made. As a female you are always used to meet people that treat you as second class. In hard rock as in usual life. But the guys in the band don’t have that experience and has got quite “shocked” sometimes when me or the band get judged on a different scale because I’m female. But I’m not surprised.
So, on the other hand my answer is not “no problem”. Sometimes I get really fed up with it! No male in hard rock/metal have to answer this kind of question. And I don’t mean that it’s wrong of you to ask it! It makes sense to ask it, it’s even important to do it as well. I guess you have to point out the problem to make anything about it. But it’s like the question in itself both grabs the problem and recreates the problem.
Well – actually I see a scene that has changed a lot over the years I’ve played in the band. There are so many women in the scene now – even you don’t see so many in the “well known bands”. When I go to a metal concert today it’s crowded with cool ladies and there are many females writing about metal, working doing shows, at record companies, and playing in heavy bands. And they are claiming space! Good!
Fuck male or female – lets make good music and go crazy together!

MARI - In Rise And Shine a “side” feature in particular made me curious, i.e. the sort of musical “schizophrenia” of both past and present band members who were and are variably involved in extreme metal bands, like Nominon, Repugnant, Devian, etc., and, last but not least, the thrash/metal punk band Satanarchy involving you, Jocke and Josa, and the thrash metal act Beneath involving guitarist Daniel.
I personally enjoy these “braided” paths in the story of bands and musicians, but please tell me/us something about this “second nature” of the band, your previous and parallel musical experiences coeval with the activity in Rise and Shine,and whether and how the activity in other, “nasty” genres influences Rise and Shine (if it is the case).

JOCKE – We were and are into thrash, punk, goth and rock and roll stuff as well. Bands like Satanarchy, Shit out of Luck, The Rockets, Slush Puppies, Swamp Cunts, Downforce of Doom.
One thing that I can think of is that we sometimes don’t use classic rock structures of the songs. Actually Satanarchy’s songs is more in the Elvis Presley style than Rise and Shine. Some of the riffs also got extreme metal style. It becomes less obvious without a fat ass growling like a wounded bear behind the microphone.

JOSA: I think the background in more extreme music made us more free! For me personally starting out playing hardcore in the 80:ies meant a lot for my confidence in singing later on when I started to sing doom/hard rock. I never thought that I had to sing in a special way – there’s no right or wrong. I’ve just felt free to do it my way. I think I can thank punk for that!

MARI - While listening to Rise and Shine’s old and new releases that I’ve got I have the impression that all in all Rise and Shine’s flamboyant and multifaceted style did not change that much. Of course there are some differences among the albums, or at least this is my feeling. For example I find Flowerpowermetal slightly “heavier”, faster and “electric”, or better with more contrast between the heavier and the more melodic/acoustic songs included. Road Flower sounds slightly more homogeneous style-wise. And I did not find too much difference with the 2000’s albums, notably Empty Hand, apart from obvious technical improvements and more experience.
I mean, you guys and gal, outlined and basically “invented” a hybrid style long time ago and it is still working well and can stand out even in this period of “explosion” of interest by many bands towards retro rock and proto-doom.
But these are my impressions. What can you say about the evolution of your sound during the years?

JOCKE - Hard for me to answer this one. I prefer to have a drummer that is more into bands like Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath than Metallica. I also like when you combine “complicated” riffs with basic ones the way Mercyful Fate used to do it. One thing that I personally think makes us a bit different from most bands in the vast doom genre is that we got song that are very melodic and actually got a potential to reach people not into that kind of music.

JOSA - I’ve always been writing songs acoustically, just with the acoustic guitar and trying to find a basic melody/song to the chords. And I like the difference between the clean acoustic sound and heavy riffs. So me writing songs acoustic has affect on the song-structures in that way. During the years me and Jocke have been writing about half of the material together – sometimes by playing acoustic and often by using riffs. Jocke writes music going wild on the riffs! So this affects the different styles in the songs. We have never decided that “we gonna sound like this”, we’ve always felt free to make every song the way that suites that special song.

MARI - Well, that’s probably why Rise And Shine sounds so refreshing and cool, in the old as well as in the new albums!
You are now on label I Hate Records. Are you doing a lot of live activity? Are you planning gigs, also outside Scandinavia? Ah, I guess you would be perfect for the coming Heavy Days in Doom Town festival in Copenhagen …
And can you tell us about some new projects/albums?

JOCKE - I suggest you write to them and demanding them to let us play, haha! We have never played in Copenhagen. It has been some talking about a short Italian tour. Josabeth is half Italian, you know, and speaks the language really well. As to the coming releases, we recorded “The 7 Gates of Hell” by Venom for a split 7” with el Camino (they play In League with Satan). That one will be released soon on Night Tripper Records. At the moment we got 4 new tunes which are half ready and I hope we will record a record soon. I also hope our latest record soon will be released on vinyl. We have been talking to a couple of labels about it, including I Hate.

JOSA - We always want to play more live! But we hate kissing ass and you have to kiss a lot of ass trying to get shows! So, we only play live whenever anyone asks us to come. And that’s not too often. But just send us a mail or give us a call and we’ll come and give you a hell of a show!

MARI - Oh, I would sooo much love to see a show by Rise and Shine! I know that Josa has an Italian origin, and this makes me even prouder for sharing something with such a cool doom rock lady! Having a Swedish-Italian doom band playing in Italy would be a blast, although I know that metal-wise three-quarters of the Italian metallers wouldn’t mind to move to the Northl, lol … We always think Scandinavian metallers are among the most envied metallers ever. North Europe seems to be the happy kingdom of heavy music where musicians are encouraged, appreciated and respected. Or at least this is what we, in much of the rest of the world, believe. Is it a true picture? Have metallers and rockers an “easy” life in Sweden?
Also, do Scandinavian fans come to gigs in big numbers or are they lazy or spoiled by all the goodies available?

JOCKE - We got probably per capita the best scene in the world but we also got the shittiest live scene I ever seen. 75 percent of the audience in Sweden is also involved in a band which is in a way cool but it kind of lacks on a fanbase. Of course the big bands and festivals like Sweden Rock Festival draws shitloads of people but those are seldom into their local heroes.

MARI - Hahaha … good point! I had never considered this “technical” backdraw of living in a part of the world with a high ratio of heavy bands in the population … so you got a lot of “competitors” in the moshpit, hahaha … So I guess that the life of the underground bands is not a smooth path even in Sweden. Anyway, I do hope there will be soon the occasion for you, folks, to come and try the Italian underground stages. In the meantime I’m looking forwards to new albums soon out from you, rockers.
OK, thanks Josa and Jocke for the nice chat. We’ll keep you under our radar. Keep on rocking hard!

Interview by Marilena Moroni

Myspace
I Hate
Black Widow Records

Official video for Softer Crofter (from Roadflower, 1999)

Cool live video of Empty Hand (from Empty Hand, 2011)

Anathema - Eternity ...

2012-02-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

This is the “departure” release that so many bands have. It’s the one where the style, vocals or song writing, change, typically leaving a foul taste in the mouth of the hardcore fans. On this there is a bit of everything mentioned above. The production is good, better than ‘The Silent Enigma’ and the song writing is amazing. The vocals are clean straight through with perhaps some gruffer semi-Thrash inspired moments here and there.

Musically one could argue that this is a logical progression from ‘The Silent Enigma’, but one could also argue that there are a few records missing in between to allow acclimation for such an abrupt change. The guitars sound as though they’ve been tuned up to either standard or ‘D’ (Everything from the ‘Crest Fallen’ EP through ‘The Silent Enigma’ was in ‘B’). The guitars are undeniably catchy yet have that confounding atmospheric presence that is when used with the subtle keyboards add a thick layer of accessible misery to the sublime riffs.. There are some solos (more leads really) here and there. with a sufficient amount of crunch thrown in as well. After this release they stopped utilizing their signature two guitar harmonies.

The bass has a very interesting tone to it, somewhat comparable to the bass tone heard on Paradise Losts’ ‘One Second’, but unlike PL’s Gothic foray, this is more organic and really suits the music. The drums are a little on the minimalistic side but manage to add to the over all depressive sound (this is also the last album where double bass is used as well.)

Lyrically this album is once again a progression as they are perhaps more relevant to everyday life and a little less abstract as heard on their prior releases. If there are any flaws with this album it would be the lack of heaviness the band had become known for. Aside from that this album is amazing. Utterly depressing and ponderous, keenly melodic, yet surprisingly catchy. Despite what some would tell you this is very guitar driven recording. The melodies and vocals are very haunting and rather ethereal at times. This is also the bands last Metal release (its follow up ‘Alternative 4’ has some Metal in it, but it’s more on the dark alternative side of music.) This is a beautiful piece of original Doom and worthy of your money. 9.5/10

Words: Grimdoom

Official Website

Solothus - Ritual of the Horned Skull ...

2012-02-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

If you ever wanted proof that the old school ways of doom and death were always the best, then look no further than Solothus's 'Ritual of the Horned Skull.' This might be just a demo but it puts a lot of official releases to shame in terms of sound, style, and sheer quality of songwriting. Yes, I must admit, it is still not perfect but stand it up against some more well-known professionally recorded bands out there and you will see, this is exceptionally good for what it is. The band are another in the long line of great Finnish doom metal acts that are currently talking over the world. There are only three tunes on this demo and only 15 minutes of playing time but it is all good, not a minute wasted here. This is death-doom, pure and simple and total old-school. Think of early Candlemass, Cathedral, Paradise Lost, Trouble, Runemagick, Black Sabbath and perhaps the slower, doomier Pentagram stuff blended with the hellish horror metal of a Hooded Menace and you have the sound and style of Solothus. So we are talking about ground-breaking originality or anything new but I am talking about infectious chugging riffing and ominous atmosphere.

The demo won me over immediately with the opening bass-laden groove of 'Throne of Bones.' It is pure atmospheric death-doom at first before it erupts into chugging Cathedral flavoured doomy grooves. If you love the Cathedral song 'Soul Sacrifice' then you will love where this track goes. The bass-laden thick sound drips with menace out of the speakers but it is also instantly memorable and catchy. This is doom to head-bang to rather than a plodding, sloth-fest but this is HEAVY!!! The second track, 'Embrace the Cold' is shorter on chugging grooves but higher in menace and melody. This track is more overly simple with bass just following the guitar riff so it is not as much of a mind blower as the opening track but I still can't find much to complain about it as it is another solid tune. The demo then ends on 'Darkness Gathers Here at Night' which is more of the same but far more interesting. This track has what I think is the best riff on the demo and that alone makes the download worth it and the download is FREE so you can't lose any way you look at it.

This is one of those bands that are generic but so good at it that the question over originality is quickly forgotten about. The playing is very good and the songwriting puts a lot of older bands to shame, even some of those bands that this band is influenced by. If there is a weakness, it would be the vocals but that is usually the case with most death-doom bands and in this case, the vocals don't hurt the overall listening pleasure that this demo gives. Another Finnish super-doom group in the making, check them out....8.5/10.

<a href="http://solothus.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-of-the-horned-skull">Ritual of the Horned Skull by Solothus

Solothus @ Bandcamp

Attention Bands! Open the Book of Riff Elations! ...

2012-02-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

Via Gary From Steaming Heathen ...

“As the seventh chord was strummed on the First of April, the Book was opened to a great swelling of sound!” ~ Heathenicus 69:33:16

April 1st 2012 is a special day here at Grip Of Delusion Radio, it will be the rapture otherwise known as our 1 year anniversary! To celebrate this event we are putting together a FREE digital download compilation excellently named:

{The Book of Riff Elations: A G.O.D.r Compil-ex}

(Imagine the cool image here)

We have the name and we have the art and all we need now is YOU, the bands.

If your band plays sludge, stoner rock/metal, doom, fuzz, psychedelic or even a combination of these sounds peppered with blackish, deathlike, grinding elements, then we would love to have you as a part of this event! If this sounds like a cool thing to be a part of then here is what we need from you.

    Submit your best track no longer than 10 minutes in length.
    Higher quality MP3s are preferred, and please have the track properly tagged.

    Also include the following info: Band name, track name, album title, label(if applicable), website(or facebook, myspace, reverbnation etc) and email address.

Please send this to: GripODR@gmail.com no later than March 25th, 2012

By submitting the song, it is implied that you give us permission to place the song on the compilation that is provided FREE of charge to everyone out there with good musical taste that wants it.

**The more bands that submit, the bigger this will be, so send in a track today and spread this like a virus!**

Steaming Heathen.Com

Reido - Minus Eleven ...

2012-02-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

Many words have already been said about this, but if you don’t read doom-forums and you heard the previous album of Belarusian doom-duet Reido “F:\all”, then I think I should say I have some news for you: Reido don’t play funeral anymore, they play sludge-oriented doom metal with some elements from the other subgenres (including funeral). It’s not sudden, it’s predictable. Everything is said.

There are -16 degrees outdoors, +19 indoors and -11 in my dynamics… such unusual temperature phenomena… The album’s title is left untold by the authors, and free for your interpretations, but I don’t think that this number can describe coldness of perverted mental and physical violence producted by the human conciousness and reflected on this album. Alexander Kachar, Reido guitarist and vocalist, tells that he wanted to make “harsher and angrier stuff, melodically minimalistic and monotonous”. What do we have as a result? The extreme guitar sound is really harsh, and I see the musucians’ good judgement in it, because particularly this kind of sound provides the compositions containing no “sludge fat” but the cold-blooded suicidal attacks with real advantage and maximal hardness. But minimalism is not Reido’s cup of tea. Though the slow and mid-tempo tunes reach the hypnotic monotonous effect really successfully, yet they are extremely angry due to grunting furious vocals, and contain dynamics due to pretty lively drums. Moreover there are some uncompromising furious attacks when music becomes faster and hurts the listener’s nervous system with kick combinations. Aggression and antihumanism of this music are especially emphasized with the lyrics, which are more personal and angry on this album.

The lyrics tell “about feeling like an alien in this world, about craving for violence, rejection of human and humanity, awareness of inutility of existence”. All these emotions are understood, and those who feel posessed by them, will dig into this album. I told that Reido music contained some elements from doom metal subgenres. Yes, it’s true, but the main element of Reido new style is pure and technically flawless sludge doom, which, however, has no sludgy “dirt” and laxity, yet at the same time the stuff is extremely heavy and melodic within the framework of the style. Is there anything else needed? I think there isn’t.

“Minus Eleven” is a mature serious work. Even the most extreme explosions of rage and hate sound cosidered and naturally at the same time. The stuff is composed in such way that nothing seems to be irrelevant or out of the common idea, but it remains interesting. There are no fantastic tricks or unpredictability, but Reido skills level has really become much higher. Will the guys become the new leaders of the genre in post-Soviet territory? It depends on them, but the groundwork is serious. “Minus Eleven” should be appreciated by those who prefer extreme and delicate music; a poignant soundtrack to a dark side of the social human nature.

Words: Aleks Evdokimov

Russian link: Metal Library
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Heads Up: Caligari - Clint Beastwood EP ...

2012-02-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Bless Bandcamp, as I often praise, for the quickness and delicate way with wich it allows people like me, who have an addiction to music that plagues them to the point of bankruptcy, to discover bands that would have never crossed my view for even a second, to actually enter my iPod and stay there. Caligari, is one of those bands. Young, talented and hard to simply pigeonhole in one specific type of sound, they are for one, heavy as fuck. They have chosen to outplay the type of Metallic Sludge that mixes the deep, viscous riffs of early Mastodon and Baroness with a lot of the old school heaviness of acts like High On Fire.

Actually I hear a lot of the latter's fury coated in iron distortion in their songs. Whether it's for the shredding vocals or the love for building layered, bestial mountains of riffage while keeping a love for cavalcades of frantic drumming. A lot of Matt Pike's latter heavy sensibilities are in this. Still, don't let that limit the guys' sound. They are raw heavy and fierce, and extremely personal. The ep is little more than 20 intense minutes of epic pummeling, but honest, talented and neck snapping. you wont be disappointed, even if all you want is a simple brick to the face musical experience. Support them, they deserve it.

Words: Andrea Contanzo

Bandcamp

Clint Beastwood EP by Caligari

Ararat – II ...

2012-02-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Great stoned soundscapes on Ararat’s 2nd album. I remember I liked their debut album, Música de la Resistencia, but I don’t have any conscious recollection of it. The same goes more or less for this album: it sounds really great, but don’t expect any radio friendly memorable mighty stoner riffs. Feauturing Los Natas’ singer Sergio Chotsourian from Argentina, this is of course interesting material if you’re into Los Natas. Which I am. The album starts rather peculiar, with a piano and an acoustic guitar only (Tres De Mayo) after which an electrified guitar sets in. Tres De Mayo ends quietful and on we go to Atanas. A piano again: this is actually a little kick to the ball sack because I was expecting a mighty riff. But hey, I listen to Brian Eno en Harold Budd all the time, so a piano is fine with me. But I must be frank: the piano solo wears me out, so I’ll skip to the next tune: Caballos. This one starts with a riff at last, supported by eerie synthesizer sounds. You can check out Caballos HERE. The vocals are the same as Los Natas, which is even more fine with me. I really, really could use a new Los Natas album by the way. Alas, Los Natas are on hiatus. Caballos is a fine, slow & heavy as f**k psychedelic track which will win you over probably. The track lasts a good 16 minutes, and the added synthesizers and the Brant Bjork like caveman style of drumming do the overall mood very good. In other words: you can listen to this over and over again without getting bored the least. I don’t even know three words of Spanish, so I have no idea what Sergio is singing about. But that’s fine.

El Carro starts with a driven riff and accompanying flute sounds, synths and is slowly building up to El Inmigrante (sic), which kicks off acoustically. Sergio’s voice is really put to the foreground on this track: beautiful. Lobos De Guerra Y Cazadores De is an awesome slow track that fits perfectly on this album. Closer La Ira Del Dragon (Uno) lasts a good fifteen minutes, and starts with an acoustic guitar. The heavy sets in after about two minutes, and the heavy psychedelics win you over completely if you weren’t already.

Actually, the album works out as one gigantic movie score and it works actively to put you in some sort of trance. The overall feel is very loose and free, which works perfectly for this release. I have no idea if Los Natas is planning on getting together in the future. In the mean time we have to make do with this (and the first!: Música de la Resistencia) great release....8/10.

Words: Sandrijn van den Oever

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Ararat Official

Rituals of the Oak – Come Taste the Doom ...

2012-02-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

I can see this album as creating some deeply divided opinions; and, to be honest, Australian four-piece Rituals of the Oak were going to have to pull something damn good out of the bag to convince me this time. I’m happy to report they’ve succeeded in spades, but first let me explain. Their 2009 two song demo held considerable promise, on which the band failed to capitalise with the subsequent album ‘Hour of Judgement’. It did not of course help that of the album’s five songs the best two were taken from the demo while the remaining three were positively underwhelming. The band’s contribution to last year’s three-way split with Apostles of Solitude and The Flight of Sleipnir looked set to ensure complete audience indifference – a slow seventeen minute single riff snooze-fest, the final up-tempo seconds of which reinforced the impression of a band perversely baiting their audience. .

Even more so than with their first album, on ‘Come Taste the Doom’ (a play on the title of Deep Purple’s 1975 album ‘Come Taste the Band’) it is as though Rituals of the Oak have decided to take the idea of ‘no-frills’ trad doom to its logical conclusion – to the point where are few obvious hooks onto which listeners might grab. Sabine has a strong, charismatic voice, but rarely pushes herself beyond a few well-worn vocal grooves; there are few guitar leads as such; and the production, where it should be crushingly heavy, is decidedly quiet. And yet … ‘Come Taste the Doom’ rewards patient and attentive listening. Whereas on the first album less was a bore, on ‘Come Taste the Doom’ less is truly more.

Openers ‘Here’ and ‘The Horla’ (a reference to Maupassant’s superb short story; a more interesting literary reference than the standard Lovecraftian fare) set up a template of sorts: quietly lulling clean guitar passages contrasting with well-played, minimalist trad doom; each song’s understated crescendo emphasised by the contemplative quietness of the whole. ‘On the Sixth Moon’ delivers a pagan vibe with some nicely atmospheric acoustic/rock interplay, complemented by some subtle, tricksy drumming and understated guitar harmonies. It’s lovely stuff, helping to make retrospective sense of where the band were going with the slow-core conclusion to ‘The Spell of Doom’, the first album’s closing track. ‘Serpentine Tongues’ is almost progressive in its various twists and turn, with a catchy ‘serpentine’ bended-note guitar figure pulling both song and audience out of any potential doldrums. As long-time folk-rock fan, final track ‘All Wells Are Poisoned’ was always going to draw me in. Needless to say there’s as much Sabbath as Sandy Denny here, while the electric guitar passages continue to signal the band’s love for all things Revelation and ‘Strength to Dream’ era Warning – consistent reference points throughout this album. Remarkably, an acoustic (or rather, clean electric) interlude threatens to break down into soft free-rock freakout, spazz-jazz drumming (are they brushes I hear?) almost breaking free of the underpinning guitar before the whole band marshal their forces for a final doomed assault.

The increasingly hermetic minimalism of Rituals of the Oak’s previous releases had almost lost me for good, but on ‘Come Taste the Doom’ the lack of obvious hooks drives listener interest instead of driving listeners away. In this way the band seem to have finally found their sound. While even sympathetic listeners might not find themselves humming these tunes, they will surely come back for another taste.

Words: Matthew Jamieson

Blogspot
Aussie customers: band's own store at Big Cartel
International: Northern Silence Shop

Anathema - Pentecost III ...

2012-02-08T06:37:00.001-08:00

Art comes in many different shapes, sizes, packages, etc… but it rarely comes in the form of music. While many “musicians” claim to be “artists”, less than a handful truly are. On this recording we see that music can be art and that it can also be heavy and moving. This is arguably the bands best recording as it’s full of emotional insanity the band have made us accustomed to. It’s truly a poetic movement from start to finish; even when the music is playing without the vocals the music has such a weight to it, it’s unreal.

The production is a bit muddy. It took the band a few albums into their career to fix this. The guitars are massive and rather heavy. They drone and yet never stagnate. There is certainly enough crunch to open chorded parts to appease all. The trademarked harmonies created prior to this release are used to their fullest, had this not been Darren's last album with the band its follow-up might have sounded stale as a result. The amount of atmosphere that is created without the use of keyboards is astounding to say the least. There is even a solo of sorts on track three ‘We, the Gods’. The bass wanders around the drums, both of which are near trance like when combined with the guitars. The vocals (the last to be heard from original vocalist Darren White) fit perfectly with the ponderous nature of this sprawling release. This is where he created the “moody” clean vocals that are still used by various Doom/Death, Doom Metal bands to this day. He only really growls on the last track, the rest is cleanly moaned/sung/shouted.

If there is any complaint to be had it is that this is only an EP and not a full length. This album is almost indescribable. It’s epic, mournful, and ponderous, yet it leaves the listener with a sense wonder and longing. The lyrics are rather abstract but fit in a beautifully poetic way. This is one of few instances (in the history of music) that a piece of music can truly be called ‘art’ without being clichéd. 9.5/10

Words: Grimdoom

Official Website

Trouble recruits Former EXHORDER Singer ...

2012-02-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

Today as reported on Blabbermouth, that king of douchebags, Kory Clarke quit Trouble and left some horrible comments on his way out. I won't reproduce them here because why give the fool, even more publicity. Kory Clarke was a terribly bad choice for Trouble and it should have never happen. His commentary just proves what a low-life he really is. Those guys did nothing but defend him from fans that HATED him being in the band. And this is how he thanks them. All I can say is good riddance and don't let the door hit your cocaine rattled ass on the way out.

The good news he has been replaced by a real singer and someone who could bring some much-needed credibility back to the band. Here is the story posted on Blabbermouth ...Ed

Chicago doom-metal legends TROUBLE have recruited Kyle Thomas as their new singer.

Thomas, former lead vocalist for EXHORDER, FLOODGATE, WITCH, and ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY, is no stranger to TROUBLE as he previously fronted the band for four live shows between 1997 and 1999, including Stoner Hands Of Doom festival in Maryland (see video below) and Expo Of The Extreme in Chicago. Thomas has also collaborated on projects with members of SLIPKNOT, DOWN, OBITUARY and DEICIDE.

"We are really excited to be working with Kyle again," states Rick Wartell, TROUBLE co-founder/guitarist. "The shows we played with him in the past were very well-received by the fans and now we'll have an opportunity to work with him in the studio on our new record. His vocals are amazing and a perfect fit for the band."

Bruce Franklin, TROUBLE's other co-founder/guitarist, adds, "The history with Kyle and TROUBLE really goes back to his teenage years as he told me that he and Jimmy Bower (of DOWN) would drive around in his old Pinto and listen to TROUBLE. He's an excellent, highly energetic singer and it's great to have him be an official member of the band now."

TROUBLE is currently working on its ninth studio album with Thomas on vocals and plans to release the record this spring.

TROUBLE's current lineup is:

Kyle Thomas (vocals)
Rick Wartell (guitar)
Bruce Franklin (guitar)
Shane Pasqualla (bass)
Mark Lira (drums)

TROUBLE formed in 1979 and released several classic albums like "Trouble", "Manic Frustration" and "Plastic Green Head".

Singer Kory Clarke (of WARRIOR SOUL fame) announced his departure from TROUBLE earlier today to start a new project with guitarist Russ Strahan (PENTAGRAM, LAND OF DOOM) called THE BONES OF CHILDREN.

Clarke's predecessor, Eric Wagner, left TROUBLE in April 2008, citing his disdain for the touring life as the main reason for his departure.

Thunder Noise From Miami - Interview With Shroud Eater ...

2012-02-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

I wage that you already heard about noisy and thunderous sludge-trio Shroud Eaters from warm shores of Miami. And if you didn’t then shame’s upon you! These two fragile lasses and one sturdy build man with a beard play one of most exciting form of sludge music., so it’s obvious that if you heard them once you never forget their sinister tunes. Who but no Jean Saiz (guitars, vocals) can tell Shroud Eaters story better?

Hi Jean! How are you? I hope that you have time to answer few questions about Shroud Eater, do you?

-Absolutely!

What kind of questions about the band do you dislike more than others? Something about fragile lasses playing harsh and sludgy stuff, isn’t it?

-Haha, questions about the band being ⅔ female comes up fairly often, I guess it is still a novelty for some people to hear something and assume it’s a bunch of bearded dudes, and then see something totally different. It’s cool to twist people’s minds up.

You’re live in Miami and it seems (to me from winter Russia) that the place is quite warm and peaceful, we know that environment somehow must inflict onto artist, how does the city inspire you? Why such savage tunes were born there?

-If you’ve ever driven a vehicle in Miami, you would understand the ferocity of our music. Driving is the only time I feel very close to committing vehicular homicide. Seriously!

What kind of vehicle do you have? Is it decorated with horns and skulls? Oh, and what do you usually listen driving your car?

-Janette and I share vehicles - she has a small SUV, and my car is our big touring van. Both vehicles are plain to not garner too much attention. Usually during the week I drive her vehicle because my van is too tall to park in the garage where I work! Recently I've been playing a lot of Saviour's new album "Death's Procession" in my car rides.

Shroud Eater sounds bloody wild and anarchic but I see that you very carefully come to production of your Ep and first full-length CD “Thunder Noise”, was this release a kind of emotional burst which you simply needed to do or was it absolutely conscious process of artistic creation?

-It was a little bit of both. I would say the music on ThunderNoise didn’t have a conscious process of creation - it was way more instinctual. The material we’re working on now has more of a conscious effort put in, at least from my own standpoint.

b>So you understand that I just have to ask you about new material, do you?! So bring it on! Which stage of composing did you already pass?

-We have four songs completed, and we've just recently slotted time at the end of March to record those songs with Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Shitstorm). We are just beginning working on a 5th song, so hopefully it would be great to record that as well if it makes the cut, we'll see!

Jean, you are a graphic designer, but we know your works only due to Shroud Eaters releases, did you ever decorate releases of other bands? Where else can we see your works?

-I don’t have a proper website to show projects I’ve done, but I’m working on it, I swear! I did a Medusa design for my friends in Germany, PLANKS. The design was on back patches and tote bags but I believe it’s been sold out. I recently completed the art for our Florida brothers JUNIOR BRUCE - their record “The Headless King” is being released by A389 Records at the end of the month. I’m completing the art layout for my other good Florida friends in FIRE IN THE CAVE, their “Civilized Swamp” EP is being released via NK Tapes soonish, I believe. I’m also working on the album art for a compilation album of some of Florida’s heaviest, I can’t release more details on that other than the comp will be chock full of the sickest Floridian stoner, doom, sludge, thrash & black metal bands. Other than that, I usually design flyers for gigs we have coming up. No biggie.

It would be good to share a link or two onto your works! By the way do you have some common source of inspiration for you as a painter and as musician?

-Yeah there's definitely a common source, the things I read about or have interests in, (poetry, the occult, etc) with music and words it's one aspect of the interpretation and then artistically it's more of a visual interpretation. I'm really quite interested in doing "music videos" for our band, something that finally mixes all the media together as one unit - visual, musical, lyrical. That would be quite cool.

Firstly “Thunder Noise” was pressed only in 100 copies, and then was second edition (50 copies) with different layout. I know that you always try to play as much as possible and I know that CDs are better sell during gigs, does this rule works with Shroud Eater? And haven’t you still got any good offer from some labels?

-Merch always goes fast at live gigs - we are currently sold out of our album, and the ep, although they are both available at our bandcamp page for digital downloads. I’m not planning on doing more pressings of either of the albums, as I would personally rather invest in new recordings and releases. It is funny, so many interviews I get asked if the band has been contacted by labels interested in our tunes! Unfortunately we have not been contacted by any labels, but that is not a deterrent for us making and releasing music. Maybe one day we will have a label that backs us up, but I won’t be holding my breath waiting on that day.

“We Are Beasts” – the song which still represents Shroud Eater clearer than other songs, I bet that none could withstand it’s charm; do you have another killer-track which will be more popular than this one? Well, which of your songs has more of a warm welcome at your gigs?

-Funny that you should mention that track. We have not played “We Are Beasts” in probably about a year. A lot of people do ask us after shows why it’s not part of the live set, but I feel as if we, as a band, have outgrown the track.

It seems to me while playing, when I look out into the audience, that people quite enjoy “Baying of Jackals” and “Pale Rider”. We have a new track titled “Tempest” that recently we have gotten many people telling us after gigs that they were really into it.

Hey, Jean, how did you find that you could sing with such harsh voice? Is it another effect of hard traffic in Miami?

-Probably, yes! I certainly yell a lot of terrible obscenities at drivers. The car is one of the best places to practice screaming for me because I do so much of it already.

Okay, which song represents your own nature sharper than others? Do you unleash your “beasts” only when you’re on stage or is it your natural way of living?

-I would say my inner beast comes out only on stage (or when quite inebriated). To me, the track “Baying of Jackals” represents a lot of what I deal with on a daily basis, and how i react and interpret the world around me.

I just wonder how your live shows go… Does anything except for bar are left unbroken after your barbaric attacks? Can you tell about most terrible and most successful gigs you ever played?

-In all honesty people usually just stand with their arms crossed and watch us. Someone told me once we have a “hypnotic” vibe, but on the few occasions that people have been rowdier at our shows it’s just a hell of a lot more fun, for me anyway. Looking out into the audience and seeing people having a great time, moving around, laughing, screaming or singing along makes me think “OK, we are all on the same vibe, let’s fucking party!” and leads to a very personally rewarding performance for me. When i look out and see non-moving faces I often just think “These people hate what we’re doing and can’t wait for it to be over.” I’d say our most terrible gig to date was when we were severely misplaced on a bill of hardcore/moshcore bands. When we played, we blew the power out at the venue. FIVE TIMES. It was embarrassing for us and the sound guy (who was very apologetic about the whole thing), and we ended up cutting our set short and the audience was not having our music OR the technical difficulties. I’d say one of our more successful shows was just a few weeks ago when we had the honor of opening for KYLESA. People were actually head banging, so I felt like we accomplished something.

Oh, shit! I know such gigs where good bands play as pathetic and solemn dudes just stay in a crowd with their hands crossed! Do not understand such shit at all… And what do you do visiting gigs of other bands? Do you do headbanging exercises, havoc and drive?

-When it's a friend's band or a band I enjoy, there's definitely head-banging and have a good time. I'm definitely past the age of stage diving or getting in mosh/circle pits - I like to be able to have a drink, bang my head, sing along, high-five my friends or bands, just have a good time without being too raucous. But that's just my perspective as a spectator. As a performer, of course I want to see people really releasing something out in the audience, go nuts!!

I don’t remember if I ever did an interview with band from Florida, so please can you tell us about local scene? You see, it’s for doommantia so “doom scene” would be more accurate term.

-There is definitely not a unified “doom scene” in Miami, and I would say Florida in general. There are bands scattered throughout the state that have similar musical ideals, but I would be hesitant to call it a “scene.” In our hometown shows, it is usually a mixed bag of people who at least like “heavy music,” in its most broad term. The bands here that have similar musical ground in the sludge/stoner/doom vein generally play shows together, but more often than not we are put on mixed bill shows instead of say a show of ONLY doom bands or ONLY sludge bands. There’s a great collective of bands that are working together to make people aware that there’s cool shit, music-wise, that’s happening down here. I’m hoping it can continue to pick up steam over the next year or so.

How does Shroud Eater help you in daily life besides outlet of boiling and mostly dark energy?

-It gives me an excuse and a reason to spend way too much money on guitars, amps, pedals and other music gear.

Okay, you already told us about Shroud Eater plans in our New Year interview so, Jean, just let me thank you for your time and company! I wish you and other Shroud Eaters all the best in 2012, so if you add few more words for our readers it would be suitable final of this interview. Good luck!

-Thank you and cheers to you all!!

Interview By Aleks Evdokimov

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Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion ...

2012-02-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

Here we have a band that has gone the route Katatonia could/should have gone after ‘Brave Murder Day’. Calling them a clone wouldn’t be accurate or fair, however they do bear more than a passing resemblance to early to mid-period Katatonia in a few places. The biggest differences would be that Daylight Dies is far more aggressive than Katatonia and they create busier pieces of music.

The guitars are heavy and melodic. This band really utilize the concept of lead and rhythm guitars as they rarely follow what the other is doing. There are a few solos (leading one to believe that Barre Gambling was/is a shredder) interspersed throughout. The melodies are passionate, intricate and intense. There are a lot of good ideas on display here and for the most part they are used to good effect. There is more palm muting on this album than on their début.

The bass is thunderous and the drums tight. The rhythm section here cannot be accused of slacking. They compliment the guitars very well. The vocals are another standout feature on display as they are vicious. New vocalist Nathan Ellis is an outstanding Death Metal vocalist. His range is mostly low to mid, but it fits so well compared to the bands prior vocalist its like night and day.

There are some clean vocals (provided by the bassist) that add nice touches throughout the recording. Over all, this is by far the bands best work and prime example of modern American Doom/Death Metal. The song writing is original and excellent.

One of the drawbacks would be this album had a tendency to drag on a bit as some of the songs blend towards the end of the recording. They do have enough strength to stand on their own or together however. The songs are slow to moderately slow and are very consistent. The good production only adds to this. The band take bleak misery to a whole new level. Being both epic and melancholy, brutal and elegant, the songs contained within are will take your breath away.

This is very recommended for all walks of Metal as there is something in here for everyone. This get's an 8/10

Words: Grimdoom

Daylight Dies Official
Daylight Dies @ Facebook

Swallow The Sun - Emerald Forest And The Blackbird ...

2012-02-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

I have only had this album in my possession for a short time and I don't normally make albums jump the queue for a review but in the case of Swallow the Sun's 'Emerald Forest and the Blackbird' I already done with any listening pleasure I will get out of the album. I must explain, it is a decent, solid recording and I am sure many people will rate this as their best album yet but for me, it is one of those frustrating albums that sounds awesome while it is playing but instantly forgettable once you hit the eject button.

In terms of innovation and experimentation, don't go looking at this album to find anything new. The band seems to be treading water on this one as it is simply another album following in the footsteps of their other albums. Nothing new yes but that doesn't mean, it is not good. Fans of the band will find this satisfying enough but for my tastes, it just sounds like they are just recycling something they have done many times before. Something about this band has always rubbed me up the wrong way. I always find some of their music kind of cheesy with their "tugging at the heart-strings" melodic tendencies and it gets a little grating after a while.

This is their fifth full length album and if you like doomy atmosphere and dynamic musicianship, then this album will be a treat for your ears. Fans of band who are wanting something a bit different from the band may feel a bit underwhelmed but the album does indeed have some major highlights.

Despite some very mediocre songwriting, there are elements within each song which are breath-taking, it is a pity they couldn't write entire songs like that. The main thing they seem to be after is emotional melodies and they excel in that department but strip the album of all that and you are left with tedious, run-of-the-mill riffing that is so generic of the whole melodic death-doom scene, it gets boring very quickly. Swallow the Sun have never been a band to fit into a neat box, they are death-doom but highly melodic verging on commercial at times. They have acoustic elements which are closer to Pink Floyd than any kind of metal band but they also have a traditional doom metal element as well. Trying to pick out tracks that stand out against the rest is difficult but I will try. The opening, way too long and tedious title track has some killer moments where everything comes together for some truly captivating moments.

'Of Death and Corruption' tends to stand out for its sheer intensity which is something this album lacks overall. 'April 14th' is one of the albums real 'gloomy' moments but like the title track it drags on and on with too much bleeding of the same ideas. 'This Cut Is the Deepest' is relaxing yet heavy at the same time and has a hypnotic kind of vibe and on 'Hate, Lead the Way' they let loose with some pure aggression but elsewhere, it is a bit hit and usually miss. 'Cathedral Walls' sounds like a million other melo-death bands and is quotidian to the extreme and the rest of the tracks are just average to slighty above-average material. There are some killer guitar leads on the album which seem to be the albums strong-suit, at least to my ears. The keyboards are beautiful at times but at other times, overblown and too high in the mix. At times it has painfully repetitive moments ('Labyrinth of London (Horror Pt. IV)') but scattered throughout all the songs are moments of true excellence so you can see why I call it a 'frustrating' album.

I am likely to get some flak over this review but so be it. I have tried to love this album but it has too much padding and recycling that it just comes off as very ordinary. I will admit, when I first heard it, it I thought it sounded great but it was playing in the background while I worked and there's the problem. It is great as background music, not so interesting if you sit down and truly analyze it. I get the feeling too that the band seem to be trying too hard to be deep and meaningful but have done it without having nothing to be inspired about. You can start sending in your hate-mail now but this album will get mixed reviews, wait and see......6.5/10

Swallow the Sun Official
Swallow the Sun @ Facebook

Reason To Celebrate? : Singer KORY CLARKE Quits TROUBLE ...

2012-02-07T09:30:00.001-08:00

After four years and a minimal amount of touring and no record deal or album release date in sight, singer Kory Clarke (of WARRIOR SOUL fame) has decided to leave Chicago doom metal legends TROUBLE to start a new project with guitarist Russ Strahan (PENTAGRAM, LAND OF DOOM) called THE BONES OF CHILDREN.

"This metal album will be high energy, with a fresh artistic approach to the genre without the limitations of the over-50-something religious crowd," Kory laughs. "It will be so nice to be working without the shackles that a previous singer has left behind of a band that is over 30 years old and acts and sounds like it. I like to do progressive, pushing-the-boundary lyrics in an individualistic style. I don't want to sound like Ozzy, like [TROUBLE's] old singer [Eric Wagner] tried to do. I am also glad when I look to my left on stage from now on I will not be seeing 'Derek Smalls' in my peripheral vision. [Laughs]." He adds, "I just cannot play with people who are fundamentalist Christians, or too family-oriented to the point that they can't tour, do records or knock down a few margaritas with me at the bar. This is rock 'n' roll, guys, not the Family Channel."

THE BONES OF CHILDREN will make its debut release available sometime this fall.

TROUBLE's guitarist/co-founder Rick Wartell previously stated about Clarke's contribution to the band, "Kory is an incredibly talented and dynamic singer. He's a great addition to the band as he brings a high level of professionalism, which has positively affected the creative process. Working in a no-limitation environment is great."

TROUBLE has spent the past couple of years working on its ninth album with Bill Metoyer, who has produced albums from SLAYER, D.R.I., SACRED REICH and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, among others, and has worked with TROUBLE in the past. Also involved in the recording process was TROUBLE's longtime engineer Larry Burns, who is entrusted with capturing the band's signature sound not only behind the studio console helm but at the group's live shows.

TROUBLE formed in 1979 and released several classic albums like "Trouble", "Manic Frustration" and "Plastic Green Head".

Eric Wagner left TROUBLE in April 2008, citing his disdain for the touring life as the main reason for his departure.

New Days Of The Doomed Poster ...

2012-02-06T20:34:00.001-08:00

Like this? Check out more of this mans art at Matt Schmitz Blogspot

Evocative Doom: Interview With Reido ...

2012-02-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

If you’ll go and check early releases of Solitude Productions then you find that one of the first ones was Reido “F:\\all”. It was first album of duet from Belorussia and comrades performed hard, solid and fresh funeral stuff with a bit of experimentations. Oh, it was 5 years ago… I couldn’t believe it! A year ago Reido crew awoke from their slumber and new CD “Minus Eleven” was officially released exactly in 11:11 of 11.11.2011. But another fact was most important indeed: Reido casted away all funeral shrouds and broken up the old coffin with violent and merciless sludge attack. And once again their sound is fresh and anew, it’s fierce and darkness incarnate, so (hey, Mari, I bet you’ll get it!) all sludge-worshipers beware and heed the call! For something wicked this way comes! Alexander Kachar, the man who growls and strike the strings, answers the questions today.

Hi, Alexander! What’s up? Receive my belated congratulations on the release of the second Reido album “Minus Eleven”. How do you feel about this great event?

- Hi! Thank you, my emotions have almost calmed down, though it’s really cool to release an album. It happens to us not so often.

Let me guess… You’ve still been sitting with your guitar and roaring in microphone! Who plays in Reido with you? You know, so much time has passed since “F:\all”, things could have changed!

- You’re right, I regularly do it, though usually separately, either scream, or play the guitar. I’m used to doing it in such way. And you know, my neighbours are rather nervous creeps, they heard both albums, they heard them being created. But I guess they are not yet aware of their luck.
There are two members in Reido, nothing has changed since “F:\all” times. Though we have improved the process due to a more certain division of labour. I make all the music, and Anton deals with all that concerns sound engineering. Each of us does what he’s good at.

Perhaps I should ask this question – why did it take you so long?..

- Recording of “F:\all” took us about three years, we wanted to make the second album quicker, but... I composed the stuff as I felt the inspiration, about a half of it was thrown away, the album contains not all tunes that we recorded. We re-recorded them many times, changed the sound, some details, the drum parts. Anton was improving his sound engineering skills during all this time, so it took us really long. We created this album completely by ourselves, without any help, without sound producers, studios and so on.
But I think we should work quicker, because we are more experienced now.

Anton works with sound at home, doesn’t he? How does it feel? And where did you record your screaming vocals for the album?

- Yes, he has made a little studio at home. He lives with his wife and daughter in one room. There is a common kitchen in their flat, and there are neighbours living in the other rooms. They’re gonna move house soon. Of course it’s impossible to keep studio with tube amps, cabinets and other kinds of analogue equipment at home. But digital technologies are developed enough to let us own a small set of equipment. The main element of this set is a PC. And we don’t need to make terrible noise.
We recorded my vocals in the same studio-room. We had to choose a suitable time for our record sessions. We have a folding workplace for a vocalist, and it takes several minutes to set it up and to take it away after recording. I had to make some noise but not too much, I think.

The band’s name means “below zero”, if nothing has changed during 4 years since our last talk. Is the album title “Minus Eleven” somehow linked to it?

- The band’s name means not “below zero”, but “zero temperature”. This Japanese word usually means “zero degrees Kelvin”, and this temperature is the lowest possible.
The title “Minus Eleven” is not linked to it . We prefer not to explain the meaning of it, to let the listeners think about this number, if they want to.

To be honest, I doubt that listeners will ponder over the title :-) The album was released on 11/11/2011 at 11:11 by the Moscow label Slow Burn Records – everything looks extremely serious! Is that true? Where were you staying at that moment, in Moscow or in Belarus?

- At that moment I was sitting at my computer, and at 11:11 the news about the album appeared on the label’s website. We didn’t intend any of these tricks with the date and time while giving the title to the album. But then we noticed that there would be year 2011, and even month 11, and thought “why not to make the date 11/11/11, and why not to make time 11:11?”. And we did it all together with Slow Burn Records.

What do you usually answer to those people, who find out that you play in some band, and ask you about the kind of music you play?

- I usually answer that I play in a metal-band, and this information is often enough for those people who are not into metal. But sometimes they ask “and what is it about?”, then I say that we play dark, slow and angry music. Sometimes I hear “Metal, hmm, metal is not only dark and angry music. Isn’t there a positive kind of it?”. Then I answer “Yes, there is, but our metal is angry. And negative”. Some people try to dig deeper but they are afraid of negativity and search for kinda “gleam of hope”. I prefer to disappoint them immediately.
I don’t like telling about my music activities to those people who are not into such kind of music.

And who do you tell about you music? Do you and Anton participate in the album promotion activities or the guys from Solitude Productions do everything themselves? And what is this process like?

-I think telling metalheads about my music is more relevant. But my colleagues and those who know me from non-music field... They often know that I am “some kind of musician” but no details.
The label send s the CDs for reviews, and I do something in the Internet, social networks, and interviews.

What is your main expectation, to attract Belarusian listeners, russians, or maybe Europeans, americans?

- I don’t think about it, no priorities. And my information regarding Reido listeners is rather poor and flawed. Only last.fm statistics, some posts in the Internet, reviews, and nothing else... Playing live provides musicians with better feedback with listeners. You can see your real fans at the show. But we don’t play live, so I can’t even tell who Reido listeners are, what they are like...

What do you think about “F:\all” now, after all these years? Do you listen to it? Do you know if the album on CD is sold out?

-I hadn’t been listening to it for years and I did it again not so long ago . And I liked it mostly) Of course there are some flaws, some moments seem immature now. But the album is rather decent, I think. Yes, the CDs are sold out completely.

I heard something like “Oh my God! Reido are not the same anymore, they’ve changed a lot!”. But even in “F:\all” times you used to tell about longing for such kind of changes – more harshness, avantgarde, and you told about more “electronic” introductions into your music. Were you able to embody all those things in “Minus Eleven”?

- Hmm, “electronic” introductions are not really embodied in “Minus Eleven”, perhaps you have noticed it. There are some electronic sounds on the album, but even less, than on “F:\all”. Yes, in 2006 I composed not “F:\all”-like stuff, so it was clear, that the second album would be different. But despite all these things I don’t think that we have changed so radically that one can not recognize Reido in “Minus Eleven”. Just listen to the first album attentively, and you will find those elements that are developed on the second one. Funeral, sludge... These are just the cliches, we didn’t crave for corresponding with them, and we don’t do it now. And the information like “the band played funeral, but doesn’t play funeral anymore” is not very exact.
We re all the things embodied on “Minus Eleven”? Yes, mostly. But I never know in advance the way the ultimate version will sound like. I thought, there would be more electronics... But I wanted to make harsher and angrier stuff, melodically minimalistic and monotonous. I think we have managed to do it.

Anger and monotony, where do these wishes come from? Do you read newspapers and watch TV?

-I watch TV, almost all kinds of shit. I like “Nostalgia”channel, particularly all that concerns 1990s. It was an awesome, wild, chaotic, free epoch, I really feel nostalgic.
It’s hard to say where all these wishes come from, that’s what I feel, something deep inside me.

Reido sound more dynamically, more aggressively now – these characteristics are good for playing live, if one means metal music. Are you going to play concerts in cities and villages?

- I would prefer cities rather than villages) I do want to play live, but it’s impossible since there are just two members in the band. So now we are trying to make a full line-up, which will be able to play live shows. If we manage to do it – that will be very cool.

Your vocals have also become more harsh and extreme, so tell me if it was hard to change your vocal style? Or maybe you had enough time and your manner and sound were changing without any suffering?

- Vocal was probably the only thing really putting me into trouble during long time. Of course I had enough time but it was hard to change my style and to reach the necessary sound. It seems that you have learnt everything, that you understand the technique, and you can do it; then you try to record something, and then you listen to it and understand that it’s absolutely not what you wanted to hear. Sometimes I used to think that I would never be able to do it, and we would have to search for a new vocalist for Reido. I used to be upset, but I was persistent trying to find out my mistakes, to understand what was wrong with my technique. And by the time we began the vocals record session for “Minus Eleven” I’d been prepared for it. We recorded everything rather quickly and there was no need to process the vocals with special soft.

Did you put the lyrics into the album booklet? I don’t have a CD, so I have to ask this obvious question again: what are your lyrics about?

-We didn’ t. The booklet is minimalistic, it doesn’t contain much info. And the lyrics are more personal and angry on this album. It’s about feeling like an alien in this world, about craving for violence, rejection of human and humanity, awareness of inutility of existence. One can find the lyrics on metal-archives.com (http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Reido/Minus_Eleven/314454).

What do you think about the contemporary virtual doom-society? I don’t want to persuade you to accept my point of view, but I think that the doom-society is most active in downloading releases, not in supporting musicians in more effective ways.

-I’m not sure if it’s possible to talk about so-called “doom-society”. There are just people who listen to such kind of music, and the same thing with any other kind. More and more music is being downloaded now; less is being bought on CDs, that’s true... But our music is not a way to make a living, this is underground.

Thank you for answering! I hope that Reido will be playing live soon, and your new stuff will come soon. Good luck to you, send my regards to Anton :-) And now your final words for our readers please.

- Thank you for the interview, may your words be prophetic! And I wish our readers all the most heavy, droning and dark. In music at least)

Interview By Aleks Evdokimov

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Russian text: Metal Library

WIZARD’S BEARD: Premiere New Track ‘Seeth Inside’ From Their Forthcoming Album. Streaming Now at the SLEEPING SHAMAN ...

2012-02-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

THE SLEEPING SHAMAN has the absolute pleasure of premiering the new WIZARD’S BEARD track ‘Seeth Inside’ taken from their forthcoming coming album ‘Four Tired Undertakers’ which is released this Friday, 10th February 2012 via Altsphere Productions on CD and you can pre-order your copy right HERE!

Guitarist Craig from the UK Sludge deviants commented on the new album…
“This new album makes Pure Filth seem a little bit like play time. It’s intention is to leave you feeling bleak and hollow. Don’t expect an easy ride with this one!”

Listen to a stream of 'Seeth Inside' at THE SLEEPING SHAMAN

Lord 13 - 2013 ...

2012-02-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Lord 13 were formed back in 1999 by Dee (bass), Costas (drums), Jim (vocals, guitars) and John (guitars) but only recently have made a name for themselves outside of their native Greece. The band has supported the likes of Hawkwind, Nebula, Orange Goblin, Cathedral, and Los Natas and have received some very good reviews so I made sure I found out what all the fuss is about. From the outset, this album had me excited.

The front cover art of a hot girl sitting upon a killer motorbike was enough to grab my attention and if there is two things I have a weakness for it is hot chicks and killer bikes. The front cover art is very fitting as this is pure biker-stoner-metal - hard rock with an attitude that is all about booze, bikes, chicks and weed. The band hasn't got a huge recording back catalog but they have done some great things for their scene. They formed their own label and production company and in 2005 they put together a 24 band festival which was a huge success.

Listening to this album for the first time, it is easy to hear why, some people call them the Greek answer to Orange Goblin and it is not only because Goblin frontman Ben Ward has a guest spot on the album either. This album is very much in the style of early Orange Goblin and early Monster Magnet, retro, high-energy riff rock with a psychedelic edge. There are beefy riffs galore, grooves all with a 70's rock feel but I have to be honest, it has left me a little underwhelmed.

There is killer riffage everywhere but nothing is overly memorable or catchy so even though, this album is great to have a beer and a smoke with, it tends to be forgettable. The bulk of the album is up-beat, up-tempo rockers but it is when they slow down into more psychedelic realms that they are at their most interesting. The albums longest track, 'Not Over' is a highlight as there is a bit more going on and a tad more psychedelic depth. Anyone who is a big fan of 'Spine of God' era Monster Magnet will dig what this track is about.

Wicked Thing featuring Ben Ward from Orange Goblin is another standout tune along with the album's opener 'Fire' which kicks off proceedings in a high-octane burst of energy. The rest of the album however is just kind of predictable, by-the-numbers material and none or it is bad, there is just nothing that gets stuck in my head. This will make a great backing soundtrack for your next smoking, drinking session or party but outside of that, I don't hear much that warrants repeated spins. The band is giving this album away for free from their website so either way, you can't lose by downloading a copy of '2013' and despite my disappointments, I am sure some listeners out there will dig the hell out of this.....for me though this one scrapes in for a 7/10.

Download The Album Here

Wino And Conny Ochs - Heavy Kingdom ...

2012-02-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

To fully understand this new side-project between our beloved Wino and the singer/songwriter prodigy Conny Ochs (which some of you might have seen supporting mister Weinrich in his acoustic tour), one should, first of all, have in mind the sort of sound that Wino focused on for his solo album “Adrift”.

We're not talking about heavy rock, or even the retro juiciness of Wino's first solo outings. What is instead displayed on the tracks of “Heavy Kingdom”, is two immensely talented musicians (you probably know and love Wino, but if you havent, check out Conny's beautiful album, the short and incredibly sincere and emotional “Raw Love Songs”) baring their hearts almost to the point of rawness and pouring out what comes out in musical form.

Most of the songs here, have almost a jam feeling, not in the sense of improvisation or looseness but in the feeling of spontaneous, un-laboured and natural interplay that they have. When you hear Wino's characteristic, imperfect voice, crooning on the frail, almost antes notes of “Somewhere Nowhere”, it is really hard to not fall under the spell.

This is pure, natural and honest music, acoustic, close to the tradition of folk, and americana. Its raw and to the point but never repetitive or boring. The chemistry between Conny's visceral songwriting and Wino's deeper and gutsy style, creates something that is almost magical and close to what has probably been like to see them work the magic out on stage.

That's also a good description: what really “Heavy Kingdom” gives, it is a peek at what the two probably delivered in front of an audience, or at least something close. The tracks clearly melt into one another, and feel like they are born out of the same spontaneous soul storming session, with precious gems like the beautiful and warm “Heavy Kingdom Jam”.

Buy the record, it's a beautiful keeper, no matter what you like.

Words: Andrea Contanzo

Mainstream Records

Ataraxie - Project X ...

2012-02-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

This 2CD set has been released to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ataraxie but don't get too excited, it is mostly just a compilation of the 'The Other Path' demo that has been re-recorded and a couple of new tracks and some live recordings. Not being a huge fan of the band, I am not sure how NEW these new tracks actually are either but it has been three years or more since their last new recording so anything is better than nothing. For fans of this French death-doom band, I would imagine this 2CD set is essential.

The artwork and packaging is excellent and its 150 minute plus playing time offers real value for money. It is still kind of funny when bands do these kind of compilations though. In the case of Ataraxie the band has been together for 12 years but only ever released two full length albums, 2005's 'Slow Transcending Agony'( their best album) and 2008's 'Anhédonie' so I would have preferred a new studio album but I can't complain about the work that has gone into this release.

The 'The Other Path' demo came out 9 years ago and it has been just about that long since I have heard these tracks. Digging out the original demo and comparing it with these re-recorded versions makes it clear how much time and effort has gone into this. The tracks sound 100 times bigger, fuller, and benefit from some new arrangements that have given the songs a new sense of life. Of course it must be noted that in the early days of the band, they were very different from what they became later on.

It is still falls within the boundaries of death doom but there is a lot more black and death metal influence and the material is generally more up-tempo with a lot more mid-tempo chugging riffing. Running through disc one's track listening and there is several highlights, the demo title track that opens the album, 'Behind the Mask,' 'Unholy Prayer,' and the epic 'From Agony to Eternity' are all killer tracks jammed with excellent riffage and captivating atmosphere. The rest of disc one's material isn't quite up to the same standard but it does sound huge and you can't fault any of the musicianship that is on display.

The second disc features one of the new tracks, 'A Jamais' which is a 14 minute monster tune that is easily one of the best pieces of music than have ever come with, perhaps even the very best. The rest of the disc is live so you get around 60 minutes of pure live performance and again the sound is excellent. One thing that comes shining through is the band are a powerful, tight live act. One point of interest here is they do a cover of 'Aphel - Die schwarze Schlange' originally recorded by Bethlehem and it stands out as one of the more interesting live tracks on the 2CD set. As with most live albums, there are rough edges to some of the tracks and some tracks seem to lose some of their hypnotic appeal with the rawness of the live recording but this isn't no bootleg, this is still more than satisfactory live recording.

At 150 minutes or more, this album is the kind of release that only the hardcore fan will listen to from start to finish. How much you like this also depends on how much you like the classic death-doom style like My Dying Bride, Mourning Beloveth and Evoken but even then, the older, re-recorded demo tracks have more of a black metal edge so some newer Ataraxie fans may be put off or confused by some of the material presented here. For fans, this is essential, no question there. For other doomsters, you would be better off hunting down a copy of 'Slow Transcending Agony' before forking out the $$$$$ for this one......7.5/10.

Ataraxie Official

Second Opinion: Pilgrim - Misery Wizard ...

2012-02-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

The beauty of discovering a band that plays exactly what you feel like enjoying at that moment, is one of the great pleasures in life. And when it happens in the life of us Riff Worshippers, it's even greater. Happened to me with the newest Pilgrim album. I was relatively familiar with Pilgrim, I know NOW that they had a very beloved demo circling in the underground and after reading more about their sound, I grabbed the album with no hesitation. Simply because describing a sound as “close to Electric Wizard and Ramsses” it's an instant win in my book. And, bless the Riff Gods, I wasnt disappointed at all. Not even cynically unimpressed, as I often am in these rougher times of my life. I pushed play and as the vicious, plodding yet quite epic riff from opener “Astaroth” plodded its weight into my skull, I felt that rush of adrenaline that great heavy music gives us.

Also, beneath the layers of crushing, slow, ultra thick, riffage, Pilgrim never forget to place an epic sense of occultish mood. This is inspired by Electric Wizard but goes more into the epic storytelling of the classic british doom of the seventies. And the combination works. Few tracks but long and unrelenting. All I know is that I had a very rough day and the album, which will definitely be in my heavy rotation for a while, made me bang my head, raise the volume and feel the joy of the Crushing Riff...8.5/10.

Words: Andrea Contanzo

<a href="http://hailthepilgrim.bandcamp.com/album/misery-wizard">Misery Wizard by PILGRIM

Pilgrim @ Bandcamp

Its Official: Black Sabbath says they'll continue without Bill Ward ...

2012-02-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans...we have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open... We are still in the UK with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll... See you at Download!!!
- Tony, Ozzy and Geezer

The above statement (in a Facebook post!) comes in response to the public statement that Bill Ward made about not wanting to sign their contract.

SUNN O))) Confirm June European Tour ...

2012-02-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

SUNN O))) are pleased to announce a set of shows culminating with a concert at the legendary Hellfest Festival in France June 2012.

On stage will be: TOS Nieuwenhuizen (Moog), Attila Csihar (vox), Greg Anderson (Les Paul), Stephen O'Malley (Travis Bean). 6 Sunn stacks, 6 Ampeg stacks, Randall Dunn at the desk. O)))

SUNN O))) Europe June 2012:

6/10/2012 TBA - UK

6/11/2012 The Ritz - Manchester, UK

6/12/2012 Koko - London, UK w/ Nurse With Wound

6/14/2012 Milkweg - Amsterdam, NL w/ Aluk Todolo

6/15/2012 Fort8 BE - Hoboken, BE w/ Aluk Todolo

6/16/2012 Gâité Lyrique - Paris, FR

6/17/2012 Hellfest - Clisson, FR w/ King Diamond, Black Sabbath

The Moon Mistress Silent Voice Inside CD out in March ...

2012-02-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

"Without a doubt, this band is one of the best new bands to emerge from Russia and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world catches on" - Doommantia.Com (March 28 2011)

The world indeed might catch on to the wonderful psychedelic, raw doom sounds of this band very soon when they released the 'Silent Voice Inside' album next month. In the meantime visit the band @ Bandcamp or check out some tunes right here....

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://themoonmistress.bandcamp.com/album/silent-voice-inside"&amp;amp;gt;Silent Voice Inside by The Moon Mistress&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>

Wizard’s Beard – Four Tired Undertakers ...

2012-02-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

When I first heard the 'Pure Filth' release by UK's Wizard's Beard I knew this band was going to be something out of the ordinary, a band to take over the UK sludge-metal throne from other past greats such as Iron Monkey and thankfully they haven't let me down. 'Four Tired Undertakers' is a nasty, toxic dose of afflicting, agonizing, cruel, excruciating doomed sludge that should have ALL fans of the riff drooling with delight. On first spin, this album seems less varied than 'Pure Filth' but that just makes it just that bit more intense and unforgiving.

The doom riff quota in the band has been increased ever so slighty with this album being closer to a kind of early Electric Wizard styled lumbering stoner doom album. There is still the slime and filthy, swampy sludge attack but it is in smaller doses on this CD. There are six tracks stretching the album out to 53 minutes but the way the songs flow one to the next makes it feel like this is one long, torture-filled epic track.

In the past I compared them with Grief, Buzzoven, Eyehategod, Iron Monkey, Negative Reaction et cetera but now I would like to add one more band to that list - Sleep as the sabbathian element is here in larger doses than in the past with Wizard's Beard.

Also in the past, I commented on their infectious grooves. Well I must admit, there are less of those on this album but they make up for that with more bombastic, caustic and sinister doom riffage. The quality of the songwriting has gone up a notch too, while it may not be as catchy, the tunes are more interesting. The album starts its seething, ominous voyage with 'Subirse El Muerto' and 'Abandon the Wolf' which are based around simple riffs but at the same time, it kicks the listener in the nuts with its relentless intensity. The band is not original in any way really but riff for riff, they can match it with anyone. The vocals are delivered in a pure agonized frenzied attack but it is hardly the focal point of this song or any other track on this album, the focus is always on riffing, whether it be doom-laden sabbathisms or chugging more energetic head-snappers.

When you listen to this album, it is easy to forget, there are six tracks on here. The mutant, monster-like riffage of 'Daemon' bleeds right into the very bleak 'Seeth Inside' and it is so deceptive, you may (like me) lose track of where you are in the albums playing order. Being the captivating album that it is, after a while you realize song titles mean nothing and you just soak it up as one long meandering epic piece of sludgy doom metal. 'Accursed' switches gears ever so slighty but it is the closing 11 minutes of 'Harbringer' that really seals the deal. While the album could be accused of just repeating the same formula for the first five tracks, 'Harbringer' is a different dose of doom all together. There is more depth, variation, and twists to this epic tune that easily makes this an instant highlight. Don't kill the CD player though when it ends, there is a hidden track to come if you wait long enough and it is worth waiting for.

For the experienced sludge-metal listener, this easily qualifies for a classic status in terms of sludge-doom. What they lack in originality, they more than make up for in sheer ferocity and intensity. This album is more blackened than what you might be expecting and is certainly not for the timid doom metal fan wanting emotional, melodic doom pieces. Often people cry, there is nobody doing anything original anymore. Hearing Wizard's Beard's "Four Tired Undertakers" and you wonder, does it really matter. This is about as good as it gets for sludge-laced doom metal, this album is monstrous, you have been warned....9.5/10.

Wizard's Beard Official Website
Wizard's Beard Official Facebook
Altsphere Production Website

She Devil - The Supernatural Kind ...

2012-02-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

A demo is short for ‘demonstration;’ in our context, it’s a small package that showcases a band’s capabilities, inclinations, style, influences and more often than not, the demo is a contained make-or-break-it situation. Further, demos are usually unrefined, raw and a bit modest on their quality, so I usually approach demos with caution. Couple it with my natural aversion to review requests, and you can get how there was every reason I could just throw this one away.

I’m glad I didn’t.

She Devil is a band from Texas, who play a swagger-laced, groovy variant of heavy rock. There is a definite stoner rock influence in the guitar usage, but there isn’t really all that much fuzz – rather, they pack that Witchcraft-esque classical rock punch in their delivery. What awaits are simple, yet catchy hard rock riffs, cool bass to go along with it, nice drum attacks, fast bridges and cool as all hell soloing. This is a band with some serious attitude. This comes across most clearly in the classical rock vocalizations employed throughout,

The demo kicks off with “Blues or Bad Luck” which carries a lazy, sleazy rock riff throughout the first parts, making you feel like you’ve been crawling through beer joints. The verses churn, the hooks use this singular groove but it’s the bridge where they shine. They kick it up, starting with the drums, and make way for some fast-paced (however brief) riffing and a cool solo. Nice opener, it does what an opener should do and makes you curious.

“Black Meadow” has the bait-and-switch opener: a melancholic guitar partition and heavy cymbal work set the tone for a somber song, but then the guitars kick in and the band raises the spirits quite high with rockin’ riff that leads into a calmer chorus marked with the bass wandering wherever it wants to go and keeps up the majestic flow these songs carry. The bridge is, again, where they just take a subtle, under-the-bridge riff and run with it to fast-paced, nuanced grooving and instigate a big rock moment. Cool.

“If I Could” is a heartbreaking ballad. It’s a contemplative moment and the lyrics, I guarantee, will get stuck in your head. The vocals show off the range Matt Hudnall has with tender vocals. The bass is exquisite, and when the song kicks off a notch, it soars. The mood, flow and atmosphere make this song and it is arguably my favourite of the four songs on the demo. The solo thrown in is beautiful as well.

The demo comes to a close with “Pale Horse,” and in keeping with the tradition, it has its attitude going. The main riff is quite nice, and the song itself carries itself quite well. The band carry a great pulse around mid-tempo, once dropping under it and a few times going over it, and they do so by having the guitars keep pace while the bass, vocals and drums to the work. The lead section, born out of another rock moment is very impressive.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO TAKE AWAY FROM SHE DEVIL? Cool, classical-rock influenced songs that carry enough swagger and attitude to fit the bill and a cool spin on things. My one complaint is that the experience is a tad underwhelming; the band’s “less but more” approach makes it a pill easier to swallow, but then again, it’s a bit too easy at times and you often need to hear the riff to jog your memory on the song itself. The rock moments are cool, but it can feel a bit contrived at times. One further problem is that “Pale Horse” has better production than the preceding songs, which makes it a bit abrasive. Other than that, if you want no-frills, on-the-dot heavy rock with a cool riff and some beer-joint grooves, this is your cup of tea. 7.5/10

Words: Sarp Esin

Buy The EP @ CD Baby
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Drummer Bill Ward Threatens to Quit Black Sabbath ...

2012-02-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

I predicted something like this would happen, I don't want to blow my own trumpet on this but I told you so - read on... Ed

Bill Ward just posted a bombshell on his website. Not quite sure what to make of it at the moment, but if you’ve been following the band, it seems like the same kind of thing that happened in 2004 again. Here’s what Bill posted on his site:

Los Angeles, CA – February 2, 2012

Dear Sabbath Fans, Fellow Musicians and Interested Parties,

At this time, I would love nothing more than to be able to proceed with the Black Sabbath album and tour. However, I am unable to continue unless a “signable” contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band. Last year, I worked diligently in good faith with Tony, Ozzy and Geezer. And on 11/11/11, again in good faith, I participated in the L.A. press conference. Several days ago, after nearly a year of trying to negotiate, another “unsignable” contract was handed to me.

Let me say that although this has put me in some kind of holding pattern, I am packed and ready to leave the U.S. for England. More importantly, I definitely want to play on the album, and I definitely want to tour with Black Sabbath.

Since the news of Tony’s illness, and the understanding that the band would move production to the U.K., I’ve spent everyday getting to or living in a place of readiness to leave. That involves something of a task, and as I’ve tried to find out what’s going on with the U.K. sessions, I’ve realized that I’ve been getting “the cold shoulder” (and, I might add, not for the first time). Feeling somewhat ostracized, my guess is as of today, I will know nothing of what’shappening unless I sign “the unsignable contract.”

The place I’m in feels lousy and lonely because as much as I want to play and participate, I also have to stand for something and not sign on. If I sign as-is, I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician. I believe in freedom and freedom of speech. I grew up in a hard rock/metal band. We stood for something then, and we played from the heart with honesty and sincerity. I am in the spirit of integrity, far from the corporate malady, I am real and honest, fair and compassionate.

If I’m replaced, I have to face you, the beloved Sabbath fans. I hope you will not hold me responsible for the failure of an original Black Sabbath lineup as promoted. Without fault finding, I want to assure everyone that my loyalty to Sabbath is intact.

So here I am. I lay my truth down before you. I’m good to go IF I get a “signable” contract. I don’t want to let anyone down, especially Black Sabbath and all the Sabbath fans. You know I love you. It would be a sad day in Rock if this current situation fell to the desires of a few.

My position is not greed-driven. I’m not holding out for a “big piece” of the action (money) like some kind of blackmail deal. I’d like something that recognizes and is reflective of my contributions to the band, including the reunions that started fourteen years ago. After the last tour I vowed to never again sign on to an unreasonable contract. I want a contract that shows some respect to me and my family, a contract that will honor all that I’ve brought to Black Sabbath since its beginning.

That’s the story so far.

Stay safe and stay strong.

I love every single one of you.

–Bill Ward

Black Sabbath.Com
Bill Ward.Com

Live Review: BLOOD CEREMONY & GRAVEYARD – Portland, Oregon 1/31/12 ...

2012-02-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

Blood Ceremony

I had never been to either venue before in my life. When I arrive the stamp guy gives me static over which wrist he prefers to mark. It doesn’t matter, I’m only here to see Blood Ceremony. Not a lot of people here for the opening act but those who came out are showing their support. Radio rock ballads with Mercyful Fate lyrics and I need a beer. We’re only allowed to drink at the back of the auditorium now. What is this the ice cream social? It doesn’t matter, I’ve got all the time in the world. After I finish my tall boys of Rainier I cross the threshold in anticipation for Blood Ceremony, who I actually never had the pleasure of seeing live before. Look around the half empty room and get the impression that I might be alone in my pursuit of doom flute majesty. I proceed toward the stage as some really rad audio over the house speakers sets up the young Canadian four piece perfectly. The lights dim and things get real. Vocalist, flutist and organist Alia steps to the mic and I can’t not hang on every syllable but when she goes for that flute all bets are off. That flute sends me. It’s so commanding the way that she plays it on tracks like “The Rare Lord”, “Coven Tree” and “Daughter Of The Sun”. After the ceremony commences the room starts to fill in some more and it becomes apparent that I’m no longer the only person having a great time and showing it. It must be tough for dudes who really want to appear masculine to have to sit through something as beautiful and moving as Blood Ceremony and not be able rock out.

Their loss. I don’t care how hard you try, you’ll never look tough wearing a Ghost shirt. The ceremony is in full swing and incredibly tight jamming together considering they have a newer rhythm section than they had on their first self-titled album. Sean and Andrew have a real nice “old guitarist/new drummer” thing going for them and it works very well. New bassist Lucas plucks away merrily at his four strings like a fiddling forrest imp in a Magic card painting the whole time and I really love all the open-ended parts where they slow things down and open the songs up for some of that motherfucking flute! At this point the effects of the hash have been somewhat overshadowed by the high of the live musical experience. On wax they’re an aural feast but if you love that then you really haven’t lived until you see Blood Ceremony live. They mostly played material from their latest album, Living With The Ancients, which happened to rank pretty nicely on my best of list from last year. I love that Blood Ceremony aren’t afraid to reach back in time and pull from their influences in such a pure and honest fashion without coming off like just another two-bit Coven rip off band. There are too many of those floating around out there today but this lot are definitely adding something fresh and exciting to that pedigree. Blood Ceremony are a band that might come off a little obvious on a record but are actually quite surprising and dare I say… ceremonious in the flesh.

I like Ghost from Sweden. Ghost is fun, especially when I saw them finish up last year’s death fest in Maryland. Graveyard are a another Swedish band that I’ve actually been digging on longer and harder than Ghost. Since Portland got hit with the Swedish Invasion on the same exact night I had to make this decision a while ago and it was a very easy choice. As soon as the ceremony ended I booked it out of there to catch Graveyard across town. Luckily Portland is a small town.

Graveyard

So apparently Graveyard hold some heavy clout with the hipsters? That’s cool ’cause the outside of this gig is crawling with babes and I’m all kinds of plastered. Wow this place is fancy. Modern, chic, swanky and earthy being the best four adjectives I can muster to describe it. It isn’t my vibe at all but it’s very inviting and I feel right at home. Judging by the direction that the frantic heavy blues jamming is coming from I guess that the show must be downstairs so I follow the sounds toward the staircase and low and behold there’s another stamp guy here to worry about my wrists for me. Only this guy is way higher than the one at the last place, “Nah man, it’s sold out. I’m sorry.” FUCK. Throw him a look like I might be able to make him some kind of burnt offering if he would let me through, no dice. It would’ve been too good to be true.

Lick my wounds and step outside to see if I can get an American Spirit off one of these Whole Foods girls and only after I stepped back out did I realize just how packed the joint really was. My friends are just arriving to the show and I tell them it’s sold out so they decide to bail and invite me to a party back in the neighborhood. Something keeps me from skipping out to that party, just yet anyway… Of course! This place is packed! Not a lot of bands I care about ever come through here… “I’m getting in this place.” my New York mind tells me as I proceed past the front door toward the courtyard with the raging flame pit. Hipsters abound and I don’t see any other leather jackets so I probably stick out like Tony I.’s stubby finger. Walked far enough away from the door now that I’m confident enough to hop the torso high, faux lincoln log fence set up and into the courtyard of skinny smokers in expensive scarves. Rapidly approaching the side entrance into the bar and another stamp guy cuts me off half way to check my pulse. This one is dead sober but not too fast on his toes. I show him the stamp I got at the other venue and he doesn’t give it a second thought. So far I’ve learned that no two stamp guys are alike in this town but I’m not home free yet.

I’ve still got to get downstairs past the first stamp guy but he was pretty ripped so I have a fair shot… Didn’t even notice me. I’m in for real now. Downstairs was a pretty surreal sight. Packed shoulder to shoulder with a lot more attractive people than were at the other venue and all for four Swedes playing some obscure, seriously dark and bluesy heavy psych rock. Here’s one thing I love about hip bars – Pabst in bottles. Since I snuck in I figured I should at least size up the merch booth situation out of support for a band that’s given me the fuel for countless hours of good times over the past few years. Impeccable timing when just as I empty my bottle Graveyard start taking the stage, which was draped in old psychedelic looking carpets and tapestries not to mention the lava lamp imagery projecting behind the band for the duration of their set. An old Fred Gwynne-with-a-lot-of-white-hair looking dude mans the light controls and I’m on autopilot at this point. I smell buds and can’t locate them but that’s okay because Graveyard look like they’re having just as great a time as I am! They sound loud as hell and fuzzy as shit! They ripped through most of their latest album, Hisingen Blues, which made a serious splash last year for it’s balls deep approach to playing the blues. Fast, hard yes but they know how to take things slow without weighing things down or beating you over the head in the slightest.

Like real blues, the lyrical content is all pretty dark with these guys which is something I verily respect seeing as how they could probably quite easily go be another radio ballad type band and play to way larger spaces than this dank but classy watering hole which is a serious hybrid of a mid-60?s Ken Adam set and the gentlemen’s club in Twin Peaks. I give the hipsters a lot of credit, I enjoyed this crowd’s reaction to the music just a tiny bit more than the seemingly divisive “love it or hate it” vibe I picked up from the Ghost crowd. but then again maybe that’s because there were a lot more people in this smaller space so there was a lot more visible participation. Only thing I know for sure is that I’m having a killer time! After Graveyard encore with “Satan’s Finest” I join the rush toward the bar which was so busy I didn’t even get charged for my beer. I acquire a cigarette, new friends are made. I rule at Tuesday nights.

Words: Wes Cueto ( Graveyarns )

Blood Ceremony @ Myspace
Graveyard @ Facebook

The 11th Hour - Lacrima Mortis ...

2012-02-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

I will cut right to the chase with this, this is one of the best death-doom albums I have heard in the last 10 years. That is a big call coming from someone who isn't really a big death-doom fan but this album is utterly mesmerizing at time.

The band consists of Pim Blankenstein from Officium Triste fame and Ed Warby from bands such as Ayreon and Hail of Bullets. The band have one other album (without Blankenstein ) called 'Burden of Grief' and while that album is a bit more assessable than this one, this album unleashes more interesting passages of emotive music over time, in other words, this is a grower but the more you listen, the more majestic music comes out of it. This is a deeply personal album based around songs of depression, heartache, and intense pain so yes, not exactly a happy listening experience but you wouldn't want it any other way would you?

A couple of things make this album stand out, one is the vocals. On the one hand you get Warby's emotional delivery along with Pim Blankenstine's trademark growl. This approach has been done to death (pardon the pun) but in this case it is a combination that works off each other making each and every track, immensely dramatic. The music will still in the gothic-doom vein, most of the time also benefits from basic but memorable riffs and chilling keyboard parts.

If there is weakness, it is some of it could do with some extra bite and kick but once you get used to the lack of heavy dynamics, the rest of ride is smooth sailing. Oddly enough for me, 'Lacrima Mortis' kicks off with the albums two weakest tracks in my opinion and I hate it when albums start like that. 'We All Die Along' is very gothic, very lightweight and has too much emphasis on keyboards and also drags on a bit long at 7:23 in length. The following, 'Rain on Me' is a little better but suffers from being too much of a generic death-metal attack and this one drags on for a painful 8:24.

After these two tracks though, the album is a masterpiece. 'The Death of Life' gets the keyboard/guitar balance just right and the pure emotional depth to this tune is staggering. At times it is pure doom metal, at other times it is simply crushing old-school death metal at its best. Already by this early stage of the album, the amount of variation presented blows away most other death-doom acts and even if you are like me and don't think much of the opening two tracks, you still have to be impressed by the sheer scope of what they are trying to do. Even when it misses the mark which isn't very often, it is still a captivating hell ride. If 'The Death of Life' didn't knock you in the dirt, the following 'Tears of the Bereaved' will. This is the highlight of the album for me and if the entire album was like this, I would be giving this the "potential album of the year status."

'Tears of the Bereaved' is just pure emotion dripping from every single note for all of its almost 9 minutes. Even the guitar seems to be in an emotional turmoil in this track as it pure weeping misery. Once the keyboards enter the piece just a minute or so into the track, it is hair-raising, spine chilling material that just rips at the heartstrings while giving you a kick in the ass at the same time, incredible track. 'Reunion Illusion' sounds weak by comparison and of course it is not really but it does seem like a come-down after the previous track. While musically, it is not as exciting, vocally it offers some of the best singing the album has from Ed Warby especially.

The album ends on two monumental, melodic crusher's in 'Nothing but Pain' and 'Bury Me.' Both songs are epic, melodic masterpieces of the highest order. While this is seriously emotionally draining material, the melodies will stuck in your head for days, if not for weeks afterwards. I guess what makes this album so striking is the beautiful melting pot of melancholic, melodic doom metal and sheer face-melting death metal. The two have been mixed together like this millions of times before but it is rare when it is so infectious as this and yet so emotionally draining at the same time. When one track has a "crying woman" in it and yet that almost seem joyful compared to some of the music, you know you have one hell of an emotional musical album on your hands.

It is not perfect however. At times, like most death-doom albums with the gothic touch, the keyboards get a little overbearing at times and haven't got the greatest sound. I have never understood why so many death doom band persist in these fluffy, cheesy keyboards sounds when they could be using the throbbing sounds of a Hammond organ or something but that is a minor gripe. The opening two tracks are average numbers compared to the rest of the album and that is always disappointing. The albums other fault is it takes a while to get into so many people will never give it the chance it deserves and that is a shame. Despite all this, 4 incredible tracks, one really good one and two average tunes makes a pretty decent scorecard for this release. The depth to the songs is intense, some of the riffing is phenomenal and the vocals are superb. Without a doubt one of the best death-doom releases in a long time indeed....8.5/10.

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The Loathsome Couple – S/T ...

2012-02-01T17:56:00.001-08:00

The Seattle-based, US band The Loathsome Couple released their self-titled début full-length album during mid October 2011, but I stumbled upon them only recently, not long before the end of last year. Actually for me this band was one of the last tasty fruits of 2011, an exceptional year for heavy music.
And with The Loathsome Couple we are dealing with a really cool slab of Heavy Metal, with capital letters mandatory.
The line-up of this band also caught my attention because of the presence of Tobias Burch, the man behind a cool, gloomy, drony funeral doom act, Amort. Hence the band involves Tobias on really crushing vocals and two brothers (I guess), Mike and Matt Vogan on drums and guitars, respectively.
The bleak dark cover art and the fact that The Loathsome Couple band is fronted by a funeral doomster may be tricky. But the curiosity of the bold this time will be fully rewarded.
Officially the band is tagged as “sludge-doom-noise” on Metal Archives and as “experimental heavy metal” on Bandcamp. Uhm … Well, take both tags, blend them, skim the noise, add loads of atmosphere and of other substantially “heavy spices” and you’ll come closer to a proper definition, if needed.

The debut full-length by The Loathsome Couple is indeed a complex, sometimes unpredictable vortex of heavy, massive riffs, grimness and devastating drumming acting as a nest for Tobias’ powerful voice. The tracks may start developing according to typical down-tempo rhythms but sounds may actually range from sludge-doom to experimental dark, blackened prog via kickass mid/up-tempo mammoth thrashy “heavy” metal. All of this magically combined in 46 minutes …
The album includes 6 tracks, i.e. 5 suites with a length ranging between 7:30 and 11:50 minutes and a short “intermission” towards the end. Not tremendously long album but bearing some substantial munch!
The opening track “Kublai Khan (The Patriarch of Amstetten)” has a long, very atmospheric and dark intro. Acoustic guitar plus some echoing effects, soft touches of the skins and Tobias slowly whispering and declaiming in the background last for about the first half of the track until the explosion of pure fury takes place. Howling distorted guitar, martial to rumbling drumming and double vocal charges (involving a dominant deep roaring and some subdued creepy screaming) act like a typhoon for a few minutes until some calm is restored and a soft and melancholic sound of acoustic guitar ends up vibrating in the silence.

But we are not safe from the storm, we had just entered the “eye of the cyclon”, so with the second track, the magnificent suite called “Aleph (The Blind Architect of Destruction)”, we are back into action. Forget melancholy: this track is an incredible attack of pure no-mercy heaviness. The guitar (only one?!?) relentlessly unleashes violent mid/ up-tempo thrashy charges possessing the heaviness and the density of the filthiness sludge metal as well. Sludge and doom are actually explored in the central and final part of this immense track, when the pace slows rapidly down until reaching almost complete silence. The introspective moment soon slides into pure down-tempo, doom-sludgey heaviness following some complex, proggy patterns. Eventually the rhythms grow to the initial mammoth fury into a final explosion of roars, riffs and war-like drumming. Aaaah, I’m dead …
Dark introspection is again coming back thanks to a soothing, although sinister, “gothic”, acoustic/electric melody opening the third suite, “ Love Letter Pt. 1 (The Travails of a Dutch National)”. As to be expected, the tension slowly grows into a rumbling, crushing sound possessing the complex, clever patterns, the passion and the aggression of the best progressive death metal in the vein of Opeth or Enslaved.

The band has a remarkable ability in composing and smoothly inserting beautiful semi-acoustic slow parts for diluting their aggression in a way that no edulcoration of the evil or lowering of tension actually take place. These atmospheric intervals are able to create expectation of the disaster coming. They are scary …
So the atmospheric ending of “Love Letter Pt. 1” and especially the echoing sliding guitar sound opening the following suite, “Love Letter Pt. II (A Drowning)”, recall the extremely charming, magic yet grim atmospheres as those found in black-shoegaze bands like Alcest. This suite in particular is devoted to experimentation and the brothers Mike and Matt Vogan dominate the first half of the track with delicate spacey interplays of pedal effects and unusual drumming patterns. Then Tobias suddenly triggers the storm back: three minutes are enough to flatten any resistance again.

More obscure, menacing-sounding spacey psychedelic experimentation reminding of Oranssi Pazuzu duly comes with the short track “Intermission” which merges with the spoken intro of the last track, the monumental suite “Born Into This (An Evisceration at Holy Mountain)”. The first part of this almost 12 minutes-long song develops according to an unusual way, at least if compared with what heard before. Sustained by background echoing guitar effects, the initial leading melody has a sort of desert rock/retro-funky vibe and flavour. Only after a few minutes you slowly plunge back into the “normal” thundering metal attack, although genuine atmospheric sludge doom metal sounds mixed with more experimental spacey psychedelia are adopted instead of the fast-paced thrashy attacks previously heard. Nevertheless the final part of this spectacular suite evolves like a row of exploding nuclear bombs, it’s pure cataclysmic chaos, is the End of the World.

The Loathsome Couple guys offer their beautiful album as free digital download via Bandcamp.
However it is possible to support the band by getting hold of the physical release which comes as cool folded apparel (not the same old plastic box) or else in “old school” tape cassette format. There’s a cool t-shirt as well in limited amount. You’ll find all the options in the said Bandcamp page.
This is an impressive début and the musicians involved, well, rule! Tobias’ vocals are definitely roaring, nasty and passionate, not as sepulchral or bestial as some death metal growling and not as barking as often in hardcore. They convey rage and passion, they are the voice of the Storm. Mike and Matt provide a no less stunning, breathtaking and versatile performance by surfing across so many musical styles in such a natural, smooth way. I would so like to see a full gig of these metallers! If a tiny defect is to be spotted, well, that would maybe be the lack of a bass. A bass would likely add even more depth and density to an already impressive attitude for producing monumental and polymeric walls of sound. But that is not restraining me from proposing full marks for this awesome album. 10/10

Review by Marilena Moroni

The Loathsome Couple by The Loathsome Couple
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The Lonesome Couple @ Myspace
The Loathsome Couple @ Bandcamp

Mournful Cries - Interview With Falling Leaves ...

2012-02-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, man, you’re right! The band with name such as this has no chance but to play some kind of old school death doom metal. And what is difference? Well, here we go! First of all, I’ve known about Falling Leaves due Pim Blankenstein’s New Year interview for doommantia, he said that he recorded vocals for some band from Jordan, so as you see it was about Falling Leaves and it was enough to awoke my interest and check their MySpace. And there I found information that Falling Leaves has done a record of their first full-length album “Mournful Cry Of a Dying Sun” with such honorable guests as Paul Kuhr (November’s Doom), Josep Brunet (Helevorn), Pete Johansen (Tristania, Sirenia, Morgul and etc.) and Pim Blankenstein himself (Officium Triste, The 11th Hour). Oh, things turn more interesting now, do they? I know not too much bands from Middle East (only 2 indeed and 1 of 2 is disbanded), so it was natural choice to write few questions to Falling Leaves crew. Abdul-Aziz Asaf (vocals) has patiently answered all of them.

Good day comrade! I’ve read your interview for exterminal.com e-zine but – sorry – I’ll probably repeat some of those questions and I hope that you’re not bored too much with such questions as “how did your band started?” Aren’t you?

-Good day, not at all, as something to begin with – Ala’a and me got the idea of starting the band late in 2006, when we DID some jamming on some songs. We gathered the rest of the band members in 2009 after long time discovering talents to work and to find a teamwork spirit with... Such a boring exchanges were made but we still had our dream together to stop in that point...

I wonder what did drive you to step upon the path of doom… I’m sure that you understand that doom death band from Jordan is a bloody rare thing! What are your motives besides passion to play slow and mournful dirges?

-I think that might be a positive thing... beginning a new market in the music industry here in Jordan by this style .. Where there's not much of a competition even in the whole Middle East melodic doom death metal is something rare to find... At the same time and actually this goes above what I started .. you just can't be creative in something you don't love... This style has been something we're so attracted to and loving it... even if it's sad but still makes us happy to do so.

When and how did you learn to play instruments?

-Well, I don’t play any instruments, only a little bit bass guitar, I started singing since I was a little kid in school's band...

-Your music has absorbed mostly European traditions of doom death scene, most songs’ composition, instrumental techniques, certain number of clichés are taken from middle of 90s, though you have few uncommon for now features. How can you describe them? What are main characteristics of Falling Leaves?
-Us... the way we work together... the things that influence us... how we like it and since we mostly were born listening to bands from the 90s... This influenced us the most to get that style... And for me I think it's the golden age of all kinds of music... this new age sound is as much beautiful as much disturbing... You can find some new ideas and good feelings but still not like the past days of us...

Yes, I understand you but look – you seek for “old school” sound, but your songs mostly sound smoothly and atmospheric, it’s okay for me because I’m not a fan of brutal aspect of death doom but was it your own conscious decision or it just happened in this way?

-Composing something to be likeable in this new era with its beauty is missing something. That's what we thought about when we start composing. The old school sounds prettier to all and gets more in touch with our hearts and minds.

I guess that initially classical doom death bands were somehow inspired with European decadent and romantic poetry or they played something with lyrics in this clue… Why didn’t you try to get something in cultural legacy of your country to perform it in your songs?

-This would be our next step my friend... On the mean time we're trying something from our legacy, our experiences and what we're bothered from.

What feelings did you try to express via the new songs and do you feel that you finally did it as you planned?

-Oh yes we did… it’s mostly about inner struggles and how life and personal problems can put somebody in a closed box where he's totally lost and can’t forget to mention the grieving that can be touched from the music and the lyrics .

How do you think – is it possible to use radically new lyrical conception in doom music? Something actual and vital – not only romantic stuff or themes of witchery and dark philosophy…

-Doom music has every single feeling you can search for. Not just what you mentioned. Actual and vital mentality is something more receptive for any human being. Talking about facts makes us feel real. So, it would do just fine. And actually, it does because it's already exists.

I’ve read that your first demo was taken coldly, what do you think about this record?

-It was our first time entering the studio. We paid the price for lack of experience, bad mixing and mastering. But I believe it was a good try. I believe the Demo still has good ideas and nice melodic sad atmospheres. We officially stated at our fan pages that the demo will be re-mixed and mastered at Clintworks by Dennis Israel, You will feel the good progress that we made since the demo album.

Look, man, you have a full line-up for the band but you have an astonishing company of great doom-musicians into your début album “Mournful Cry Of A Dying Sun”. Did you suppose to play live? It’s quiet unimaginable to get all these guys in one place though there’s possibility… if you’re going to take part in some European fest, are you?

-Its one of our goals to take part of the world metal scene, having the great guest list, which we really work hard to get. Of course we have the ability to play our own songs without them, but in the other hand some of them gave us the approval to join us on stage.

Do you play live in Jordan or in neighbor countries? What is a common attitude to heavy music in your environment?

-We played in Jordan once and hope to play again that's a sure thing. Hoping to make other concerts soon in the neighbor countries too. It's just like most environments, having a problem with heavy music.

Of course we must speak about honored guests who did their contribution in “Mournful Cry of a Dying Sun”, but first of all how did you record your parts of the album?

-We did it in our guitarist Ala'a Swalha home studio... We tried to make it as much simple as we could but with as high quality as it should...

Okay, and now… How did you recruit Paul Kuhr of November’s Doom, Josep Brunet of Spanish Helevorn, Pete Johansen (Tristania, Sirenia, Morgul and etc.) and Pim Blankenstein (Officium Triste, The 11th Hour) for this record?

-Our guitarist Ala’a done all of the communication with our guest list, they showed the approval after reading the lyrics, and hearing the songs sample.

Also you announced participant of Niclas Frohagen (Forest of Shadows) and Natalie Koskinen (Shape of Despair, Depressed Mode, Before the Rain), but as I understand the “Mournful Cry of a Dying Sun” has been recorded without them, am I right? What did happen with them?

-It was a recording issues, so we decided to include the song with the upcoming mixed and mastered demo "Falling Leaves 2010".

Don’t you fear that people will not take Falling Leaves as independent band after participant of such good company of famous musicians from other bands? It’s really interesting idea to call all these guys, but how many of yourself in Falling Leaves after all?

-In the end it's our music my friend. We're independent with our own music. We called these great musicians to improve our selves with their experience and working with them was more than amazing. So, having them by our side I think would never make us non-dependent.

I’ve seen that you promoted Falling Leaves via METALITY UAE Radio, tell us about it please.

-Yeah, we played some of our upcoming album songs on METALITY UAE Radio, and Mr. Yusef Hashish helped us a lot, and there's next show soon. Of course there's other radio stations who`s promoting our songs like Metal Messiah Radio & Extreminal Radio.

How do you promote Falling Leaves beside that Radio station?

-Well of course with our pages, besides the metal zines, metal magazines, commercial sites, also we are currently looking for a good label..

It’s not a secret that disturbances in countries of Middle East are closing to their highest peak, I hope that situation isn’t so fatal, but I would like to know your opinion of the situation because western media mostly lie and it’s hard to find any truth in that they say.

-It’s a new revolution I have to say but... There’s a big chance for it to be an inside job even... as much as we're happy as much as we're afraid it might be an inside job from the same group that destroys our lands and minds everyday and every time... Hope it would be better in the next days...

Do you feel that you need changes in your country? Do you feel that it’s right when another country from the other corner of the world try to make it’s rules in other regions? I always think that such shit always means “colonization” and pathetic words of “fight for democracy” is amazing bullock.

-As for my country I think we're having enough of what we can get. Our country doesn't suffer any of the "fight for democracy" theory. So, I think we're good.

Okay, thank you for your answers, man. I wish you all the best on your way and hope that your road will lead Falling Leaves to success. Good luck!

-First I'd love to thank you Mr. Evdokimov (comrade, Evdokimov! – I insist! – comment by Aleks). I think you've done a good job in here. Thanks for the beautiful guests for their support to us. We love you so much. All supporters and Falling Leaves for making a dream come true. It's our beginning. But, I must say a beautiful one having you all by our side. Hope you'll enjoy listening to our Debut. And, have a good idea about the demo. The remastering will be a better idea. Thank you all.

Interview By Aleks Evdokimov

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Guitarist Poll Results: Dave and Matt Rule Supreme ...

2012-02-01T09:16:00.000-08:00


Matt Pike - High on Fire

Dave Chandler - Saint Vitus

Here are the results for the guitarists poll. Note the bottom five, this is the real surprise here. Those five guys should have all finished way higher in the list than what they did but what can I do, YOU voted for them.

1. Dave Chandler - 129 Votes
2. Matt Pike - 93 Votes
3. Mike Scheidt - 74 Votes
4. Scott Wino Weinrich - 73 Votes
5. Gaz Jennings - 62 Votes
Jus Oborn - 62 Votes
6. John Perez - 61 Votes
Steve Mills - 61 Votes
7. Al Morris - 60 Votes
8. Patrick Walker - 52 Votes
9. Lars Johansson - 37 Votes
10. Alan Jones - 28 Votes
11. Chad Davies - 23 Votes
12. John Brenner - 22 Votes
13. Victor Griffin - 21 Votes
14. Dale Flood - 18 Votes
15. Dan Fondelius - 16 Votes

The Febuary poll should be up by the time you read this, this time it is bass players.

What Happened in January ...

2012-02-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Last month we pulled in a very respectable 194,000 plus page views but that is still 30% or more down on the kind of view counts we were getting six months ago so you have to wonder if doom metal and its related genres are once again entering a dead period of existence or maybe this site is to blame, maybe we are just getting slack and losing our edge.

The lowering page view counts are interesting when you consider who had questions asked of them in the last month. What other site do you know of that can pull these many bands together for interviews in just one month, take a look at this....

Who we talked to: Aarni, Black Oath, Castero. Conan, El Hijo De La Aurora, Elder, Elliotts Keep, Esoteric, Ethereal Riffian, Evoken, Fraility, Hooded Priest, KYPCK, Lazarus Complex, Lord Vicar, Mar De Grises, Mirror of Deception, Mournful Congregation, Mourning Beloveth, Mythological Cold Towers, Officium Triste, Reido, Reino Ermitano, Sendelica, Shroud Eater, Stoned Jesus, Temple of the Smoke, The Grand Astoria, The Wounded Kings, Void Generator, Without God, Uzala, Plow, Wedding in Hades, Hands of Orlac, and Ego Depths. Even most of the writers of Doommantia got interviewed this month in a two- part special article.

There wasn't as many album reviews as usual but there were some killer releases reviewed that are worth mentioning once more. They include albums by Herem, King Giant, Low Sonic Drift, Temples, Grave Siesta, and Stone Magnum. We also debuted a new feature called Blast From The Past where I will be digging up old concert reviews. The first ever Doommantia Raffle was also launched, remember $5 is all it costs for your chance to win $500 or more worth of CD,s Shirts, and other goodies. The other big news is the site crossed over the 3 Million page view mark, so that is quite the milestone.

Thanks as usual to the readers and the writing team for keeping this site going for another month.....

Enter The Worms: Interview With Ego Depths ...

2012-01-31T18:29:00.000-08:00

"Project Ego Depths, whose releases came out on the Russian and Ukraine underground labels from it's very beginning caused me some questions. And true to say I already had my own answers because of habit to hear same boring common pathetic hypothesis from guys who play similar stuff. Yes, really, Ego Depths is Ukraine / Canadian one man band project and from the start I had my prejudice about it. But to my own amusement this interview with Stigmatheist, one and only member of Ego Depths, isn't so naive and boring as I supposed to get! I did dare to ask some provoking questions in my ignorance and the I faced indeed impressive and brave answers. In fact there are much more of interesting ideas were hiding behind black curtain of that slow and dark music. So I hope that you'll get from this discussion as much fun as I got.
In addition - few days ago Ego Depths and another Russian death doom act Who Dies In Siberian Slush released brand new split-CD "Four Fragments of Fading Life" which is also available for download. The link is below, so you're free to check it while reading this doom-revelation.
Comrade Stigmatheist is in our studio today! Bring it on, man".

Q: Salut, Stigmatheist! How are you doing? Frankly speaking, just for myself (first of all) I wanted to get an answer for the following question: geographically speaking, the home countries of your project Ego Depths are Ukraine & Canada. Why and how did you manage to do that?

-Hello! Thanks, everything is alright on my side.

… The story is quite simple in itself: I collected some money for a ticket, bought it, and then packed my suitcase and - voila! I am here. But if you mean the certain preconditions and reasons, here the story turns to be more interesting? First of all I am a chemist according to my professional background. Being a fan of science since my childhood, I grew up in the relevant environment which wasn?t completely scientific, but it favored me to get the required information. It helped me a lot in developing my own interests and, as a result, guided me to the right choice of profession. So, when the moment of truth arrived, I had chosen a few universities around the world and sent my data along with the application form to them. That wasn?t so easy, but the first one to answer was the University of Montreal. So, since then I am here, finishing my Phd in physical chemistry. I cannot say that it was my dream to arrive here and live „till the end of my days, but for now I must admit that Canada became my second homeland.

Summarizing, it can be said, that the primary reasons were scientific only and then followed by the other ones, less important.

Q: After you moved to Canada, did you feel that the self-expression through music shall embody some other form? Has the geographical factor affected the inspiration? Or the negative states of your consciousness, which obviously push you to create, are the same everywhere?

-It depends on the definition of the “negative state”. I hadn't any special feelings about the fact that my music is going to change its shape or form. As soon as I initiated the work on new material, that guy was the same me as I was before and I am now, but the tools and the knowledge, which I started to use more efficiently and wisely, have changed. It is more correct to say that they have improved. The ability to hear the music of others has been developed; I began “to hear more”, than ever before. At the same time, I have learned to hear and understand myself more clearly and accurately. Nevertheless, the geographical factor influenced me, but the fact itself is supported by the time-dependent changes inside me. I stopped earning the inspiration from the typical “negative emotions” and mournful suicidal tendencies, so widely used by th e modern underground musicians. More deeply I was carried away by the human being, his role in the nature and universe, in the fractal world organization, finalement… A lot of interesting information I perceive from the science.

Q: How do you see from that shore that hell which is going on in Ukraine?

-I see it quite funny through the tears, but not full of joy. I check the news regularly and the situation there is nothing but crap, which from time to time improves or disproves itself. Because for now I live in the different society, I have different point of view and can clearly see all paints of that crap in full color, but I cannot change even a smallest thing in this case (except myself, but that is not going to help in our country).

Q: I've got a chance to visit your website (btw, website for a metal band is a rare thing, why not bandcamp?) and I read there, that “the conception lies in the process of self-cognition”. Don't you think that within the scope of extreme metal genres this turns only to uncovering of the “dark side” which is rarely conceived from a view nowadays?

Well, website is not that rare thing which should be avoided, the same concerns about facebook.com and vkontakte.ru\vk.com. I?m still having a lack of time to set the bandcamp properly… Getting back to “the dark side”… Exactly, it is all about usual swirling around this term. The common definition behind is completely inflicted and has solidified with years in the body of extreme music genre, the stereotype, if you want. From the other side, maybe it happens because on behalf of the dark side it is possible to manifest the most sincere (pure) feelings and emotions, not blended with artificiality and hypocrisy (as an opposite to another term “love”, for example)? Perhaps, that is the reason of everybody?s following this direction. But of course everything is relative and you may not agree…

-Yes, I don't. Practically, the so-called “dark side” is nothing more than an easiest approach. Well, let's get back to the question of self-cognition. What was the after effect of this process for you (of course if it is not the simple and common d efinition)? Analysing yourself it appears to be logical to ask the question: What is the condition of my mind? Which skills I do own and what is on my way to show them up? The results of the search should be worked off.

-The main obstacle on the way of manifestation of our abilities is our unawareness about the latter, because we cannot be aware about something without trying it out and studying yourself a bit. After achieving some information about our skills and abilities on the concrete example, we go forth, because of the inquisitiveness of our mind, it is starting to be the main driving force in your moving ahead, being warmed up and blurred by some “half-a-success”, doing mistakes which lead to a variety of consequences, not exactly negative. We call it “experience”. If in time you?re going to hold your horses, the experience will become a strong fundament for your future actions and accomplishments.

So here, the self-cognition is more like a common term and not formulating something particular example or narrow field of research. My example is still on going and someday it will set its real shape, but after I will stop existing, because until my last breath I will be developing myself. It is sufficient to add, that creating music helps you to take a look on yourself from aside, but what exactly you will be able to make out and understand and use later – that is the personal matter of every one. The same picture may be seen everywhere, not exactly in music, in any source of information by the means of creativity.
Q: Would you agree that the Ego Depths has debuted quite successfully? Arx Productions released your first full-length album “Equilibrium Sickness”; Endless Winter helped with the release of your split-CDs, one with Dispersive Light called “Follow the Skua”, and now, the one with Aura Hiemis and Sculptor. It is a successive and serious approach. Does this approach fulfil the ambitions of your Ego?

-Of course it does for all 98%, because it is the Ego with its ambitions and prejudices which have to be satisfied. They drive the man to act leaving behind some unsolved questions and using them as initiators for the next step up, which is also fuelled by the sweet aftertaste of the previous successful satisfaction of the few Ego?s ambitions. I was very lucky with my debut and that means a lot for me. Speaking about the “Equilibrium Sickness” release, you?re egging the listeners on: “Stop simply looking with your eyes, start feeling the pain deep in your brain”. Is this a call to accept yourself as you are or an attempt to really force the listener to self- analysis and thinking?

-Yes, it is the call to accept yourself as you are now; who you were before; who you may become. Speaking simply, all of us are miserable at our worse hour. And this is the call to compare and experience the side from which is better to carry out the self- comparison. It is the call for audacity, without which the self-analysis and self-development are impossible. It is the call to live. This is the call to accept the life free from stuck forms, images, algorithms and wanna-be conception. Also, there is a warning about the ugliness of such way, but the verity justifies its price and grants the freedom, which was impossible to reach by any other way. Understanding the “meaning of your life for you” will not let you losing the time.

Q: Why have you chosen the doom/death/funeral genre as a display of your “freedom”? Does it really fit the embodiment of your priorities?

First of all, I was impassioned by exactly this genre since my early days of getting into the extreme music. I grew up on this music. I was listening and analysing, in other words I did all my best to make it a part of me. And I am not offering a “freedom”, per contra I release just the call, a tool or even just a spark, which should help to initiate, to nudge. And finally, playing the slow and heavy music – what can be better? Btw, regarding the music of Ego Depths I heard the mixed epithet like “experimental”. Were there any experiments on “Equilibrium Sickness”? At my point, cover version of MDB?s “Sear Me” is more like a common established stereotype.

-Ok, about the cover… I have added into the song my own piece, during which I am narrating the English version of lyrics. I believe by doing this, the song started to sound more like my vision, where I present exactly “cover in honour of” but not the “copy of”.

And about the experimentalism, I have never followed any revolutionary ideas, because it is a way to the burning flame. To experiment on smth is to do something you are able to do and achieve afterwards something you never were aware of. Here and after, my answer is yes, I did experiment on a lot of things. I used some dissonant chords and intervals, let?s say, during the composition of solo lines, as an opposite to the common harmonic ones with the only aim to smooth the border between “perfect” and “imperfect”, and pour it there into the reek of moor. I tried to make a theme following and development not in the traditional manner, but in completely opposite direction or at least in non-repeating the common trends. Could we associate this with the experiments? The listener decides. I would not care anymore about the music in the case if I could fully accomplish the aim by the method give/receive. The component of experimentation in creativity is always present. Experimentation with the purpose of synthesis, as a matter of your experience fixation point, is the way to go.

Q: And the next question I want to ask is about your country-fellows on the split CD “Follow the Skua”. Did you know anybody of them before your move to Canada?

-Unfortunately, I did not. We have started the communication over the Myspace with subsequent continuing via the email. I liked their debut material (which is not easy!) and suggested that it would be nice to combine our material into a split CD. At that moment I had almost finished the fresh material, guys from DL accepted the idea enthusiastically and we decided to give this collaboration a chance. We found Endless Winter who agreed to release our work in March 2010. I really enjoy the combination of the material we were able to do, despite the quality of my realisation. I have got a lesson and obtained a valuable experience.

-Again, according to your site information, the music of Ego Depths is constantly changing, growing up and developing. What kind of developing appears on “Follow the Skua”?

-Well, I used the simplified approach in idea exploitation during the moment of its embodiment, in both of the tracks. Also, that was the first time I have used the acoustic guitar and tambourine samples in the recordings. I tried to find the direction which I have to follow forth, but after I understood that the direction was false and not driven by my true feelings. The material almost repeats the Timelorn Madness and the neighbours, but in a slightly sleek and smooth form. Following the way of development, you always sprout somewhere you don?t really need. In other words, your being is always accompanied with something that branches out and stops its growing, though the main matter continues to improve and to grow up.

Q: You are recording your material at your home studio or you have a professional place to do that?

-Yes, I have my own home studio, not that kind of professional one unfortunately. For now I have no sufficient resources to work in the professional recording studio, as many of my colleagues have, but gradually I am acquiring and improving my own equipment and the experience to work with all of it. So I do live. A key event for Ego Depths was the release of split-CD “"Synthèse Collectiff - The Dark Whormholes": the release has united three bands, which contributed with their tracks to a one-piece work. What is this work about?

A key event for Ego Depths was the release of split-CD “"Synthèse Collectiff - The Dark Whormholes": the release has united three bands, which contributed with their tracks to a one-piece work. What is this work about?

-This work is about metaphorical and allegorical discussion and research on the topic of wormholes of human soul; how realistic and dangerous they are. What is the importance of them? Despite the fact, that this definition comes from high physics and still it appears as an unproved phenomenon in the scientific world, we decided to think on our own version of the events united under the latter term and to apply its carcass on human mind, which also constitutes a part of our time universe and, accordingly, it obeys the similar principles. Every participant represents its own vision of the problem. Sculpto with his track “The Three Shadows”, for example, has shown his vision in the brightest manner, with the clearest explanation. During the listening of his track, you can lose your mind, if you will be able to carefully perceive the hidden information and follow all that dozen emotional changes, which he used to put into the monolith of his “shadows”.

And by saying “everybody should think out the idea by themselves” I will not say anything new, but anyway – it holds its place here. It appears something like unchewed aliments for mind, besides the pathos.

Q: He-he… if so, it should be important to sing more clearly?. The lyrics are the imagery of “dark wormholes” and general description of the concrete emotions or it hides besides itself some kind of considered subjects which complete the music?

-You want to say, that it is possible to sing anything we want with this kind of vocals and style of music, no way to understand? Surely, I am not writing lyrics even close literature white ones, but I create them during the moment of creation of music, so they come as inseparable part of it. I think the same considers the lyrics of Aura Hiemis, but in the case of Sculpto, you are right in your second supposition.

Q: By the moment, when you have got the proposition to take a part in the split CD, you had all your tracks ready? Were you needed to adjust yourself to conform to the conception of “The Dark Whormholes”?

-Initially, this split CD was planned only between Aura Hiemis and Sculptor. After we talked in the chat altogether, we were agreed on the common idea about the three-way split, and I was offered with part in it. I agreed promptly and we started the work on embodiment of the idea. At that moment, my first track was completely ready and the second one I finished a bit late. Because the guys did not have any final idea before my entrance, so there was no hard time for me to adjust my part. Indeed, I have created my second track completely “being under” our idea, so from my side I can say that it fits the direction very well.

-What are the tracks “Feed My Ravenous Worms” and “…into the Empty Maw of Universe” about? During the time of your self-cognition, you really did not find anything else except that, what is possible to categorize as a slow, heavy and extreme music?

-Your first question is a kind of “let us know how to follow you, in the case if we would not like it, just not to lose our time”. But, because the lyrics were not printed somewhere in the CD?s layout, I have to say a few words. First one is about feeding the one man by another. It is how one devours another by the means which he is now aware of. He doesn?t realise that, but this happens. This happens beyond the time flow, as an empirical reference point, and by the end we cannot know, is this related to reality or not. In my second track, the name speaks about itself – into the Empty Maw of Universe. I have nothing to add. And of course I have discovered a lot of things, thanks to my being in music, even if it is my personal music. Your first question in this interview and my first answer partially point out the current answer.

-Good, that you have mentioned the worms… Did you think that an attempt to develop your theory of self-cognition creating some extreme form of music is about a way of self-deception? Maybe that is not the right question for a hot discussion, but most of the people listen to the extreme music only with the purpose of getting some extreme experiences, but to make the conclusions on the basis of deeply hidden secret sense… I doubt that somebody needs this.

Surely, you are right. I thought about this. Repeating myself, I should say that my creativity means a lot more for me, than just linking two chords with the third, their recording and growling something undecipherable, simply to accompany them.

The self-deception is our life?s omnipresent thing, just the portion varies sometimes. And sometimes we cannot distinguish or even until the end of the life we remain unaware of it, from this point I understand why you have asked this question. Believe me in my particular case it is not true.

Q: It is known, that by the end of spring 2012 you plan to finish the work on your second full-length album called “Bardo”. Which phase this work is currently on?

-All the tracks are ready for now, but the final work is going pretty slowly because of several reasons, interfering between each other. I want this work to be more sophisticated and better produced, then the first one, even if I am doing almost everything alone. So, I have no reason to be in hurry.

The self-deception is our life?s omnipresent thing, just the portion varies sometimes. And sometimes we cannot distinguish or even until the end of the life we remain unaware of it, from this point I understand why you have asked this question. Believe me Will “Bardo” be conceptually different from the previous works? The name may be interpreted dually: “bardo” is the sort of wine, and, “Bardo Thodol” is the name of the Tibetian tractate, which describes the events happening to the soul after the death of body.

-Oh, no way. It is neither related to wine nor the region in France (actually spelled Bordeaux). Of course, I love the wine quite much, but not that much to dedicate it the whole album under ED name. Of course, it is about the second variant, but here I have allowed myself some kind of freedom to use the word, slightly changing the initial meaning. Conceptually, it will be different from my previous works. It will sound strangely, but I had never done something like that.

-One of multiple ideas of “Bardo Thodol” is the ability to discern among the illusions, induced by the darkened human mind, the spiritual reality. Will this reality be presented on a new album or you left the place only for “the judgement of wrathful gods” and for “the hell of voracious spirits”? Let us not to go in deep, regarding the book, but I want to say there will be enough place for spiritual reality, for the judgement and for the hell at the same time. Everything has its own time to come.

Q: Have you already received any propositions concerning the new album release?

-No, I have not spoken to anybody about the release yet.

-Ok, so let us know when you will have any variants! I wish you plenty of success and the best of luck in your development, thanks for the thorough conversation! Would you advise our readers with how to use the extreme genres in their life most effectively?

-Kidding^) Music must be heard and not simply skipped through your ears. But if you did not find anything, which forced you to stop by it, you must perform a second attempt. If no result, repeat once again. Finally, if nothing happens to you at the last time, throw the CD out, delete it from you hd and never ever think about it. Thanks to you for a good conversation too! I wish you the best of luck and to never lose yourself! Thanks for the interest in my creativity and I thank you for the support!
Salute!

Interview By Aleks Evdokimov ( Translated From Russian - you can find the Russian version here - Metal Library )

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Blast From The Past: Electric Wizard Live Review from the year 2000 ...

2012-01-30T20:24:00.001-08:00

I recently moved house which I hate to do but one good thing about it is, in the process you always come across stuff you forgot you had. In this case, there was many things but the main one was an old computer, circa 2000, anybody remember Windows 98? With great hesitation, I plugged this monstrosity in to discover, it didn't blow up in my face and it also contained a swag of never-before published album reviews but more importantly live reviews and they really brought back some memories. I have decided then to published a select few in something I am going to call - Blast From The Past. The first one I am going to share with you (after a little rewriting and editing) is a review of a Electric Wizard show but there is no record of the exact date but I do remember is was way back in 2000.

It is all too easy to forget that once upon a time, Electric Wizard was a very different band to what it is now. There was no beautiful blond goddess on guitar and no crazy looking tattooed dude either. It was a three-piece consisting of Jus Oborn, Tim Bagshaw and drummer Mark Greening and there is still many people who say this was the best Wizard that ever existed. Thinking back to the gig, it is easy to see why but more of that a little later. Memories of the venue and other such matters are sketchy but the performance is still clear in my mind to this day. Electric Wizard hit the stage at around 11:30pm to a packed audience and a huge applause. The support bands on the bill, (the names of which I don't remember) were loud but nothing had me prepared for the onslaught of volume and pure bottom-end that was about to be unleashed. The guitar and bass seem to be melted together in one humongous wall of sound that not only seem to push the crowd back a few feet but actually made me feel kind of nauseous.

The wall of sound from guitar and bass was so loud and thick, it drown out most of the drums and even vocals at times but that didn't matter at all. This was a like a celebration of sonic musical excess and I love every gut-wrenching moment of it. Electric Wizard played an odd set in my opinion. They didn't play one single track from the debut album to my utter disappointment (that album still remains one of my favorite EW albums by the way) but instead focus on tracks from the 'Come My Fanatics' album and the 'Dopethrone' album that had only just been released a few weeks earlier. Some of the songs played were 'Supercoven,' 'Son of Nothing,' 'Return Trip,' 'I, The Witchfinder,' 'Wizard In Black,' and 'Funeralopolis.' Every song was played super tight but the biggest surprise was the amount of improvisation, something that I wasn't really expecting from a Electric Wizard live set.

The band played a solid 75-80 minute set with the last song, an encore sounding like a orgasmic spaced-out doom jam that seem to last forever, gaining strength, volume, and heaviness with each earth shattering note that they played. I was actually wondering if I would make to the end of this tune as it was reaching ear-splitting levels that became quite painful. I staggered out of the venue 100% satisfied and exhausted.

Looking back at it now, it was the heaviest gig I had ever been to at the time and it would be a good number of years before any band came close to topping it and in some ways, no band ever has. I have seen Electric Wizard a couple of times since this gig, both times with the current line-up and I have to admit, something isn't the same. The volume is still there but perhaps the power isn't anymore. Not taking anything away from the band these days but the original Wizard seem to be more of a full band effort where as now it seems more like Jus Oborn and the band that backs him. I don't know if anyone would agree with me on that point but looking back at this show, I can't help but think something is missing these days.

Attention: Doommantia Raffle Reminder ...

2012-01-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

This is just a friendly reminder that we still need bands to donate CD,s Vinyl, Shirts or anything they may have to the Doommantia Raffle. Thanks to the bands that have already generously donated but there are still a few of you out there that promised but so far haven't delivered. It is important we get your merchandise sent in ASAP. The raffle prize is still growing and its value is up around the $500 mark but I would love to see it go even higher. I know shipping rates are expensive, especially for those bands OS but it is going to a good cause and is much appreciated by us here at Doommantia and of course whoever is lucky enough to win all the loot. The prize package is so great, I wish I could enter myself.

For those folks who still haven't entered the draw, what are you waiting for? $5 for the chance to hundreds of dollars worth of killer music is just too good to miss. Some of what you can expect to win include Nevertanezra, Reclusiam, Mortalicum, Ride The Sun, Lazarus Complex, Quicksand Dream, Borracho, Alunah, Lethargy of Death, compilations from the Metal on Metal label, Solitude Productions and Endless Winter labels. There is also a a Borracho CD, Shirt, and Shot-Glass Special Package up for grabs and that is just for starters. Most people don't buy this much music in a year and you get the chance to win it for a measly $5. Just do it. Click the "BUY NOW" button in the sidebar.

PS: The offer of a CD for general donations still stands, details for that offer is also in the sidebar but any amount is much appreciated.

Low Sonic Drift – Shadows of the Titan ...

2012-01-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

Before listening to this band and their album I had distractedly given a look to their bio and automatically just taken note of their provenance. OK, cool, Scottish, Glaswegian. But since from the start, Low Sonic Drift’s debut album, 2009 Shadows of the Titan, gave me a strong impression of something quite “exotic”, both in the sense of “oriental” as well as, and especially, in the sense of “flamboyant”. How weird! Not what I expected from a Scottish band from my sunny Southern European viewing site (and maybe according to the southern cliché about the gloomy, chilly, wind-battered northern lands and their inhabitants …).
Then I went back to the bio and, well, got a few hints, probably …

Let’s start with the band’s name, Low Sonic Drift or better its initials, LSD, uh?
Then let’s mention the band’s members, Omar Aborida on guitar / vocals, Paul Wilson on bass and Javaud Habibi on drums.
Let’s eventually look at these three metallers and at the smart Kufi-styled Farsi/Arabic-inspired logo of their band in the cool official picture. You can’t but expect “flamboyant” metal from these guys, at least if roots and past and present cultural heritage mean something.
In this sense it is true what one of the most intriguing definitions found for this band says, “Bay Area meets Marrakesh”. However this colourful definition is not exhaustive at all because Low Sonic Drift make a “ big mess” of much else, in a good sense, at least for me!

The 32 minutes of the 5 tracks in the mini-LP “Shadows of the Titan” are just a taste of what these guys are able to do and draw inspirations from, i.e. genuine “western/Scandinavian” metal of different styles (thrash, prog and good old-school classic heavy metal), psychedelia and fuzzy desert rock à-la-Karma To Burn/Kyuss, maybe some grunge and, undeniably, “(middle) eastern” music.
So if one looks for reassuring, sharp tags, well, it’s bad news with this band.

But if one longs for metal able to make one’s neck and head move according to the riff charges, well, the cool, intriguing, polyhedric style of Omar and his mates in Low Sonic Drift from proud Glasgow is a great choice!
Yes, because one of the main features of LSD is that they are really good in making your neck move according to their tight sequences of heavy-as-f**k riffs and complex, clever but extremely catchy and nicely bass-driven melodies.
One thing only: as with dangerous drugs, if you listen to LSD more than once, you’ll be “hooked” …

The opening track, the 9:11 minutes-long suite Sun Doesn’t Rise, has an intriguing as well as luring start throwing you in the kasbah in front of a sunset while sipping your mint-scented sweet Moroccan tea. After a bit less than two minutes of “ethnic” magic created by violin-, piano- and bass-driven melodies, distant chanting and some “tribal” rumbling drumming, your Maghreb adventure is taken over by the cool tight, massive thrashy riffing often heard in this album. The Bay Area metal adventure starts and its ferruginous taste overlaps with the sweet mint flavour still lingering on your lips … Actually the dominant style in this part of the track (and in the band as well) is not simple old-school thrash metal. Riffs are incredibly heavy, fuzzy and fast but they are also following complex, if not virtuous, proggy metal patterns reminding of Tool, Opeth, and also in some instances, Porcupine Tree when they “go metal”.

The +9 minutes flow away fast and heavy and joyfully furious, and fresh as well, like the rumbling and tumbling waters of a mountain river.
The transition to the following track, the +7 minutes-long suite Hyperion is marked by a slow-down in the rhythms of the opening track but the pace dominating Hyperion is still fast. However there are a lot more changes in rhythms in this great, truly “heavy” metal track where the role of some cool (double) vocals is maybe relatively subdue and where the trio likes to make some spacey psychedelic experimentation as well, but without loosing the power of making your neck move in time.
The third track, the 5:45 minutes long As The Crow Flies starts soft and rather grungy, with a cool bass-driven leading melody. This track especially reminds me a lot of Porcupine Tree and Soundgarden. It’s really pleasant, although I must say I prefer when the guys give their riffs the full boost.

Quite a surprise comes from the short fourth track, Tamrine Namayesh, +3 minutes of full-immersion trippy chill-out in slow rhythmic drumming, sitar-like notes, soft touches of cymbals and eventually the smoothest of all sounds, the waves of a calm southern sea …
The closing, +7 minutes-long suite Shadows, is puzzling and misleading in its rather long subdued, “soft” desert rock-styled intro. But soon the trademark of this band, i.e. the mid- to up-tempo powerful and multifaceted bass/guitar riffing and acrobatic drumming, comes back in this mostly instrumental track where cool vocals give their passionate contribution during the last two minutes.
There’s a remarkable smooth interaction between the musicians here, in spite of the sometimes frenetically changing patterns of guitar- and bass riffs and the almost jazzy drumming style, all of which is often reminding me a bit of Faith No More’s “King For A Day …”. This seemingly easy, smooth interaction is likely to be attributed to the fact that these guys play together since 2007 and that they must have done a hell of a lot of live performances. The list of the bands they played with is impressive, let’s just mention some of the big names: Lesbian, Orange Goblin, Stinkin' Lizaveta, Weedeater, Abominable Iron Sloth, Black Sun, Pombagira, Koresh, Domes of Silence, Electric Mud Generator, Berserkowitz…

The vocal parts are maybe not as powerful as the dominant riffing, however they are intriguing, with their sounding halfway between those of a young aggressive thrasher and the strained vocals heard in grunge or in stoner, maybe. Sometimes Omar is producing some haunting deeper chanting, like the one heard in the charming double vocal parts hard in Hyperion. Omar’s voice is not roaring or menacing, but it is duly energetic, firm and fresh at the same time, and Omar’s moderate ability to tonal modulation is fair enough for the variety of LSD’s music.
The release of Low Sonic Drift’s debut mini-album “Shadows of the Titan” by Glasgow-based independent label Theoretical Records dates back to May 2009.
Apparently the band guys are currently working on the follow-up to “Shadows of the Titan” which should be out in the Summer of 2012, “hopefully allowing some time for listeners to get a feel for the record before the End of the World on the 21st of December 2012” ....
Well, I enjoyed this debut so I have great expectations for the coming album by Low Sonic Drift, such a cool surprise, and well worth being “exported” to stages in the Continent, to start with … 8/10

Review by Marilena Moroni

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Pilgrim - Misery Wizard ...

2012-01-30T16:59:00.001-08:00

Pilgrim are a three-piece doom metal outfit, hailing from Rhode Island, USA who are getting a major promotional push at the moment. The album has only just been released and the internet has already been flooded with reviews of this album they have called 'Misery Wizard' so you have to ask yourself, is all the hype and publicity worth it. Well the answer is both yes and no. This band is pure old-school doom metal and it is good but it is also so much of a recycling of other bands that it is a case of being there, done that before. The main reference point with Pilgrim is Reverend Bizarre, so much so that it could that band reformed under a new name. There is also major nods to Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath and Pentagram so we are not talking about originality here. However, I think most people would agree that originality is overrated when it comes to a genre such as doom metal and it is better to have killer riffs that crush than be original but be completely boring and a lot of that has been creeping into the doom metal scene over the past couple of years.

Pilgrim have been signed to Metal Blade Records so that is somewhat of an oddity in the doom scene and in fact this is one of the first Metal Blade releases I have ever reviewed but of course, being signed to a well-known label means nothing if your songs are garbage so it still all comes back to the music, so what about the music of Pilgrim? Well there is plenty here for the traditional doom metal fan to get worked up over. First of all, the riffage crushes and it is insanely infectious at times while never getting stuck in plodding mode for long. The worshiping at the altar of bands like Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus and Reverend Bizarre never quits and never shifts direction. This is a pure doom-laden riff feast from start to finish. This is the kind of doom metal that purists insist is "real doom-metal" but we can argue about that for months can't we? 'Misery Wizard' features six songs, half of which top the ten minute mark and none of them get too dull but they don't offer any surprises either.

This album follows the sabbathian blueprint to the letter and never throws you a curve ball but thankfully, their riffs are very good so that is what saves this from just being another throwaway traditional doom metal release. The album highpoints are when they strike at something that has more of an original flavor and I use the term "original" very loosely in the case of Pilgrim. The album opening and closing tracks are both highlights, they being 'Astaroth' and 'Forsaken Man.' On 'Forsaken Man' they up the atmospheric end of their style with a very bleak, harrowing piece of epic doom. While it is still very similar to Reverend Bizarre's better works, they at least put their own spin on the style. 'Astaroth' 'Adventurer' and another track 'Masters of the Sky' work by mixing up the tempo just a tad by injecting a little speed with some galloping rhythms and if you can stop your head from moving during these two tracks, you must be on some serious downer drugs.

Elsewhere on the album however, it is pretty standardized traditional doomy fare. The title track can get a bit tedious after a while and never really gets off the ground and 'Quest' is a sinister tune but it cries out for some dramatic tempo and riff changes but it never really happens so it tends to get meandering. The production is great and the guitar sound is big, fuzzy and thick. Drums pound with unrelenting power but the vocals are the bands weak point. There are far from horrible but the vocals seem rushed and buried in the mix. Whether this is intentional or not, I have no idea but the voice is average at best so maybe the vocals are buried for a reason, who knows? Despite all its flaws however, 'Misery Wizard' is an album that is impossible to hate but it would help a lot if you are a dedicated traditional doom metal fan as fans of funeral doom and death doom may find the Reverend Bizarre worship a bit like overkill after nearly an hours worth of these tunes.

Without a doubt this is an album that will get mixed reviews and opinions, I can hear and read it all now. Some will love it, but some will find it predictable and boring. Yes, originality is overrated but if are going to walk in sabbathian footprints, you got to at least appear to be trying to put your own stamp on the style and at times, Pilgrim don't do that at all. It is just the recycling of a well-used formula and as good as that formula is, maybe it has been used one time too many by now. Fans of Reverend Bizarre, Saint Vitus, Cathedral, Black Sabbath and Candlemass will dig it but what kind of shelf life it will have remains to be seen. I get the feeling, it will be gathering dust pretty quickly for a lot of doom listeners out there. It must also be pointed out though that this band is very young as a band and as people so with that in mind, this is still a worthy release.......7.5/10.

Pilgrim @ Facebook
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Pilgrim @ Bandcamp

Hanged Ghost - Knowledge of the Occult ...

2012-01-30T13:10:00.000-08:00

This album comes from the Portuguese label Bubonic Productions and anybody who knows anything about this fine label would know they have a taste for extreme doom but in the old-school tradition. Hanged Ghost are no different, they are a band straight from the Thergothon school of extreme funeral/death doom. This album, their first full length comes hot on the coat tails of a couple of very interesting demos titled 'Remembrance' and 'Remembrance II.'

This two-piece band haven't gone for the big production approach with this full length and to be quite honest, this album sounds more like another demo than a proper full length recording but that doesn't take anything away from the depressive, haunted vibe that the band puts across in these mostly extremely long tracks. This album has 4 tracks in total, 3 epic pieces and one short instrumental that finishes the album and in a word, this stuff is creepy.

The main thrust of their style is minimalism and extreme atmospheric bleakness with little regard for creating anything with any polish. There is very little to say about the songs, 'Calvarium,' 'The Wood & the Stone' and the absurdly titled 'Abhorrence as a Necessary Vision of a Cruel Analysis of Those Who Live Hidden in the Radiance of Treachery.' The songs are slime covered dirges that are raw, rough and with a black metallic vibe that seemingly go on forever at times. These three songs range from 13 to 17 minutes and are a bit of an ordeal to get through as they are not exactly bursting with variation or dynamics but if nihilistic doom is your thing, then you should appreciate the suffocating nature of these epic tracks. The Thergothon reference I made earlier tells the tale here, the band isn't ripping them off at all but that sums up their style and sound in a nutshell but they have even less in the way of variation. The music here is hypnotic at first but has a tendency to drag on after a while and by the time the 17 minute third track comes along, it seems to be stuck in repeat mode. I love the extreme doomed minimalist approach but it has to remain interesting to keep my attention and by the third track, my mind always starts to wander.

The odd track is the untitled instrumental that closes the album but it is pretty much forgettable. If you like your doom to reflect the pain, depression, and stress you may be feeling in your life right now, 'Knowledge of the Occult' could serve as a perfect soundtrack for that. However if you are looking for dynamic musicianship, tempo changes and infectious riffing, you better stay clear from this mob of cave dwellers. Listening to one or two tracks of this album at a time is hypnotic and interesting but as a whole, the mind-crippling bleakness gets a little tedious and loses its impact 20 or so minutes into the album. This album is for connoisseurs of extreme doom and might be too depressing for the casual doom listener but either way, this is a band with serious potential for creating some captivating doom metal in the future. As it is, this one shoots a bit clear of the mark but still, its worth checking out....7/10

MySpace*

*The link given to me is either down or wrong so don't blame me if it doesn't work.

Hands of Evil (Interview with Hands of Orlac) ...

2012-01-30T08:29:00.001-08:00

Dr.Doom: Thanks for this opportunity Hands of Orlac! Congratulations for your debut! Tell me, how was the writing and recording process? Everything went according to plan? How do you feel now?

Hands of Orlac: Hi to you, Doctor and thank you for your interest in our band.
The recording process started it all for the way the band is now. When we departed to get to Studio Misantropen in Sweden we were a 4-piece/full Italian line-up. Let’s say that the first session didn’t go well. The solution came in the shape of local “friends” to help us record the album. These two “friends” later became the Puritan and the Clairvoyant. Things are now absolutely more difficult, logistically speaking, but musically we definitely found our way.

Dr.Doom: Before we go on with this interview do you mind introducing yourselves and tell us about the history of the band?

Hands of Orlac: In late 2009, me and the Sorceress decided that we needed a heavy metal band with 70?s influence but basically a horror themed band. As people sometimes decide to make short movies to fulfill the need for specifical characteristics, we decided that we wanted a certain “flavour” to go beside the music. We asked to some friends with suitable black-sabbathish skills in Rome, our hometown, to help us out and so the first line-up was made. With such line-up we played some shows and recorded our demo in 2010. On July of the same year at Metal Magic festival in Denmark we casually got in touch with Horror Records that.After a careful examination of our tape we’ve been offered the possibility of a vinyl release, that marked an important turning point for us. With such opportunity we decided to set sails to Sweden, heading for Studio Misantropen. Master Philip Svennefelt helped us to go toward the realization of the album. Unfortunately, the first recording session didn’t come out in an appropriate way so we re-recorded the entire album with a different line-up, still running at the moment. Recently our original guitar player left the band too so we are going through some settlements that are hopefully about to end. We now have a new Executioner.

Dr.Doom: …Plus you don’t reveal the real names of the band members…Is this part of the band’s image?

Hands of Orlac: We have no particular purpose for stage names and our identities are no secret. As I said, we’re a horror-inspired band and we wanted to pay a tribute to our predecessors and inspiring ones. We never introduce ourselves to new people with the stage names, anyway.

Dr.Doom: I noticed all sorts of influences on the debut. Some Italian prog rock, some 80?s classic heavy metal, some 70?s proto-doom…What would you describe as the common base of all band members?

Hands of Orlac: In the beginning it was a bit different but now it can be affirmed that our common base is about heavy metal. Different musical influences are a matter of the personal taste in the band’s stylistic choice. Movies from Hammer Productions played a big role in those choices we made. We like to turn certain images into music using what we find the most appropriate forms.

Dr.Doom: Unlike most doom acts nowadays that try to sound as heavy as possible I would say guitar in Hands Of Orlac sounds sharper and a bit distant in the production. Was that delibarate?

Hands of Orlac: During the recording session we decided to move toward a certain direction, specially in the second, quick recording session. That kind of construction in the sound comes from the mind of the Master. We all thought that it was the right sound for our music even if now many people complained about it. We are as well firm on not lowering the tuning of instruments that has part in the responsibility of the overall “lightness”. Let’s say that we were more into 70?s Judas Priest than Saint Vitus for the guitars.

Dr.Doom: Metal fans and especially doom fans are some of the most diehard lovers of rock style described as “Italian prog rock”. I totally love bands like Black Hole. I was wondering what is the impact of such bands to the local scene? Do you believe that newer Italian metal bands still get inspired by such bands?

Hands of Orlac: Hands of Orlac definitely owes something to such bands, one of the main reasons why we decided to put “Demoniac City” on the album. I don’t feel to talk for other bands but I think that there’s something that links many of us. There must be a similar way to express ourselves.

Dr.Doom: Italian bands adopted the occult theme quite early. Would you say that Italy is the godfather of this occult style on rock music?

Hands of Orlac: Probably the fact that we are victims of the Church has influence on it. We still have the Pope to dictate so-called moral issues. As I heard from people who was there in the 70?s they really had to fight against bigotry and the Christian grip.

Dr.Doom: Do you believe that this whole female vocals, occult, 70?s inspired rock act is becoming a bit more predictable? I mean, I am quite sure that many people will label you as Blood Ceremony rip-offs when they hear that you have female vocals and flute.

Hands of Orlac: That’s a point. More than once they compared us to Blood Ceremony. I love the band, their first album really hit me when I heard it first time. But as well I think it’s very superficial to consider us a rip off or a band based on their music. Female vocals add some special atmosphere, same for the flute. Many bands from the 70?s had one or the other or both elements that we decided to keep. The use we make of the flute is mainly for atmospheric purposes.

Dr.Doom: I’ve been talking with many international metal fans and we all came to the conclusion that Italians know how to doom. Why Italian bands never (O.K., O.K. almost never) become extremely popular but stay as underground legends waiting to be discovered? Again my mind goes to Black Hole (Pure Legends) and what would have happened if they were born in Sweden for example.

Hands of Orlac: In the 80?s as well as now we have way less opportunities here in Italy on both the practical and the cultural sides. In my opinion difficulties and obstacles concern more effort, resulting sometimes in more personal and less conventional music. Taking your example, Sweden has way more possibilities, for what I could witness. And of course more than legendary bands. But think of Heavy Load, they absolutely didn’t get the right acknowledgement.

Dr.Doom: Do you feel that things are changing for the better now with the internet, facebook etc? To put it otherwise do you feel you have been benefited from all these alternative means of promotion or perhaps it has acted in a negative way?

Hands of Orlac: Probably without the internet this band would not be existing. We are not really pro-facebook but we must be thankful to the media as we are able to be in touch with realities far away from us. We have many possibilities for shows, friend bands and of course label.

Dr.Doom: Which other Italian bands would you recommend to the fans of Hands of Orlac?

Hands of Orlac: On the top of the list will go our friends from Black Oath and Focus Indulgens but probably everybody will already know them.

Dr.Doom: If I am not wrong there is an upcoming split with “The Wounded Kings” and “Wooden Stake”. Do you have any info on that one? What are the other plans?

Hands of Orlac: I never heard about a colloboration with Wounded Kings. We’ve been in touch for a while with Vanessa from Wooden Stake. The plan for a split has been in the air for some time now. Nothing went any further. The only real plan is that our album will be released on cd by the irish label Blind Men & Occult Forces in early 2012.

Dr.Doom: Tell as something about your upcoming lives! Any plans for a more extensive European tour?

Hands of Orlac: The band is very difficult to manage. International memebers are usually financed to travel by rich labels. We have no other financial support than our own money. Even rehearsals and shows are very heavy to bear. Plus many members have very busy schedules with other project or work. We really hope to hit the road in mid 2012. Up to know we have a show in Italy(after more than a year) supporting the mighty Pagan Altar and a show in Dublin in May with Cauchemare.

Dr.Doom: O.K. guys I think this is it! Final words are yours…

Hands of Orlac: HANDS OF EVIL, KILL TONIGHT!

Interview By Dr Doom Metal ( Dr.Dooms Lair )

Hands Of Orlac @ MySpace

Part Two of the Doommantia Writers Special ...

2012-01-30T07:49:00.001-08:00

Ever wondered who writes all these ramblings on Doommantia.Com? Well Sarp has put together this two part special of short interviews to the Doommantia Writing Staff just so you, the reader can get to know us a little better. It is just a bit of fun and a bit of harmless self promotion. This is part two.

ALEKS EVDOKIMOV

Who are you and where are you from?

Aleksey Evdokimov, Russia.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

I guess that I’m here because of same old difficulties of awkward age. Mind-shields are low when you’re only 14 and heavy metal stuff just entered your brain easily.

How did you find your way to the genres that we cover here in Doommantia?

It’s a matter of dispute, but my first “doom” album was Tiamat “Wildhoney.” At least I thought that it was “doom.” Then I’ve learned about Russian bands Deceptive and Great Sorrow, then were Celestial Season and Jack Frost but somehow we guessed that death doom is only doom which never existed. Much later I opened for myself trad doom, stoner and psychedelic scene. For now it’s most suitable heavy music for me.

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

It was in 2006, I just was trying to write reviews for metallibrary.ru because there was a chance to get CDs for free and I really thought that I had something to say. Most important – as I think – was the fact that I suddenly have realized that I can’t find interviews with bands which was interesting for me, since that moment I bore good gentlemen with same old questions.

How did you come to write for Doommantia?

I needed to publish somewhere original English versions of interviews (‘cause guys of metallibrary.ru publish only Russian translations) and suddenly I’ve known about Doom Metal Alliance via R.A.I.G. records. I wrote to Ed, Ed answered “yes,” and here I am. It was not for glory of course… I guess it was important at that moment – to spread Word of Doom as wide as I could.

How was your experience writing for other websites?

I write mostly for metallibrary.nu though my publications also were placed into 2 or 3 other metal-sites. Need to say – the more you write, the more experience you get. I have about 400 reviews and 190 interviews in my list but now I see that most of my first tries were at least miserable.

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

Amrit Kirtan “Sacred Circle”
Deva Premal “Mantras for Precarious Times”
Krishna Das “Heart as Wide as the World.”

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

Sacred chants, kirtans and mantras.

We all know Ed Barnard to some degree, but still, tell us a little bit about the Man Himself for those out there who don’t.

What do I know of Ed? A kind gentleman from a strange country. Good husband, good father and bloody devoted follower of Doom Cult. I watch as Doommantia grows for 2 years, and the job that Ed does is simply amazing, really – I’m serious as coffin. Needless to say how deep doom genres are in underground so it’s incredible task to rise such site so high. I would like to drink with him (hi Ed!)

Any last comments?

Thank you for a chance to write it down. I just hope it doesn’t feed my Ego too much. Speak no evil, see no evil, fear no evil.

ANDREA COSTANZO

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Andrea, I’m 33 years young and I’m from the Northeastern part of Italy. The doomiest one.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

Since I was a kid, I always had a deep love for music. No matter how dark the times were, the right band or song could make me feel all sort of emotions that no other art form, scratch that, nothing else could. Music to me is a sort of odd spell through which a human being can communicate emotions to another person, in their purest unadulterated form. It’s emotions from one heart to the other. And metal is that, just in its shiniest, most powerful and pure form. Metal is emotions, visceral ones. And I’m all about strong feelings. So this is MY music.

How did you find your way to the genres that we cover here in Doommantia?

The bands that I loved the most all had some common traits: they were from the seventies or were inspired by them. And they worshipped the riff. Even thrash metal, in its own way has an eye for the riff. I think that a great, glorious riff is what wins me over in a song. Also, I love vocals that come from the guys, whether they’re theatrical, melodic or aggressive. I found that in early grunge, the sub pop, but the land of dreams was the land of doom, sludge and stoner. I got there, and never went back.

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

I always had a thing for writing, whether it's about my thoughts, stories or something I love. I think writing about music is a great way to share it and spread the word about it. So I wrote for a large number of webzines, some of which kinda made me learn the dark side of music journalism. In the later years I found that I take more satisfaction in writing about this music, and about bands that benefit from my words. I love helping the underground even if only with my articles (and buying the records, going to shows…)

How did you come to write for Doommantia?

I used to be part of the Sludge Swamp and befriended a lot of people there, especially Mari, who’s an Eye-talian like me. So, after the Swamp shut down, I asked Mari how to get on Doommantia. She just told me to get in touch with Ed and I did…

How was your experience writing for other websites?

My longest writing experience was with the Italian webzine Kronic (which now exists in another form.) It has its good sides, but I never liked the needed ass kissing of the labels. I often found myself having to write stuff I didn’t believe in, or modifying my articles in order to please the labels. Being part of the old Sludge Swamp was way better, it was such a great step for me with regards to the idea of helping the scene grow by spreading the word.

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

Aaah. The toughest question in the world. Ack. Damn. Curse you Sarp!
(after a pause for pondering)
Kyuss: “Blues for the Red Sun”
Sleep: “Dopesmoker”
Soundgarden: “Badmotorfinger”

Three is too little! (Duly noted. I will try to modify our desert island policy a bit. – Sarp)

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

I’m a music junkie, so I keep my ears filled for 8 hours a day, or close, so at the moment I’m loving a lot of dark electronica, singer/songwriter music and early noise rock. I never quit listening to all sorts of blues derived stuff. And metal. Always.

We all know Ed Barnard to some degree, but still, tell us a little bit about the Man Himself for those out there who don’t.

Ed is a man who knows and loves music more than anyone I know, has excellent taste and on a human level, he’s a gentleman and a delightful guy to interact with. Even when I’m just sending some reviews we always end up chatting. He is a guy I’d love to hang out with, and he’s definitely one of those I consider a “brother in doom.”

Any last comments?

Well, I’m having a great time writing for Doommantia and I think I’ll always love this music and everyone I’ve met through this common passion. That is something I will always treasure!

MAHESH

Who are you and where are you from?

Mahesh from India, and basically a metalhead for the last 21 years.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

I was into hard rock way back in 80’s and gradually got into metal as I was looking for some extreme music. I knew there was something like that. But in 1990, I heard Death and Deicide for the first time, and was blown away. I gradually got into black metal. Thanks, Burzum. Over a period of time I got into thrash metal, power metal and last but not least, doom metal.

How did you find your way to the genres that we cover here in Doommantia?

Doom metal was always there on my list but it was 1997 when I got to hear Candlemass and My Dying Bride. That’s when I started digging into more and more bands like Saint Vitus, Count Raven, etc.

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

I wanted to write music but ended up writing reviews and interviews (no regrets at all.) Writing music is in my cards in the near future. But writing reviews and promoting some new bands always gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

How did you come to write for Doommantia?

I am writing for a couple of magazines – Forbidden Magazine and Mutilador. Both are about death/black and thrash metal. I always wanted to write something on doom metal as wel, and that’s where I got in touch with Ed. He was kind enough to give me an opportunity to fulfill my dream.

How was your experience writing for other websites?

I am still writing for Forbidden and Mutilador Magazine. It’s a truly amazing experience.

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

Three albums is pretty little, maybe 30,000 would be better. It is pretty tough to choose as all bands are really god. But to pick three from doom metal, then it has to be Count Raven – all albums (hey, you cheated the system! - Sarp); Pale Divine – Cemetery Earth and Memory Garden – all albums.

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

My interest has always been extreme metal – mainly death and black.

We all know Ed Barnard to some degree, but still, tell us a little bit about the Man Himself for those out there who don’t.

Ed is an amazing human being. He is someone who appreciates your writing every time you send him a review. This is something I really like, as it helps you to do better every time.

Any last comments?

Doommantia is a great Ezine for doom metal, but things like Crestfallen / Soggybog on the site helps a lot of folks know what doom metal is all about. Thanks to Kevin of Crestfallen Radio who mentions Doommantia in his show each and every time. It’s a great way to get new fans to check this Ezine. Thanks to Ed for taking a lot of pain in getting Doommantia to move forward. Doom on!!

Caveman Battle Doom... CONAN Live 1/22/12, Plus New Track Streaming / Download ...

2012-01-29T12:11:00.001-08:00

Conan are one of England's best kept metal secrets right now. The Liverpool trio have been hammering out some of the slowest and heaviest doom to fall off Crom's anvil since the release of their 2007 EP 'Battle In The Swamp' and they didn't start to garner international attention until 2010's 'Horseback Battle Hammer'. Their mammoth, wall of sound approach to songwriting brings to mind such west coast acts as Earth and Samothrace and the depth of some of their tracks is akin to certain sections of 'Dopesmoker' in terms of their effectiveness in transporting the listener from point A to point B in just under six to ten minutes. This past year they released a split with the Irish sludge group Slomatics on Head Of Crom records and the three Conan tracks on that split show a lot of promise for what's in store from this band in the year to come. They have already been selected by Voivod to play the Friday show of this year's upcoming Roadburn festival and are planing a European tour with Slomatics which should take them from to Finland to Ireland throughout the summer and fall. They also have an album due out in March on Burning World records but in the meantime have a listen to and enjoy a free download of their most recent live performance in England on January 22nd. This has got to be the best live doom recording of the year so far!

Words: Wes Cueto

<a href="http://conan-conan.bandcamp.com/album/conan-live-recordings">Conan Live Recordings by Conan</a>

Conan @ Bandcamp

Source of Deep Shadows - Fading Emptiness ...

2012-01-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Polish gang Source of Deep Shadows has been in doom-service since 2004, and even though their first death-doom opus "Source of Doom and Perpetual Night" was qualitatively superior versus standard works of some beginners, it lost a sufficient definition of musical sharpness in it’s canvases due to a certain proportion of rawness, which was one of characteristics of their early material. Several years have passed, and the trio offers to the audience their new CD with title brief and sacramental "Fading Emptiness" which pushes us to the right conclusion – guys are on their path of death doom again, though a press release of band’s label Redrum 666 confuses me as it says of "funeral especially for fans of Evoken, Skepticism, Mournful Congregation, Paradise Lost ".

Well, why not, let it be funeral! In the end I could agree with that sentence after listening of that mystical "Intro" and six-minute long track "Fading Desolation", Source of Deep Shadows rocks with measured and very slow death doom stuff, but I’m not sure that this song was the best choice to open the album – too slow to start. Next one, “Dark Escape”, comes with enticing acoustic chords but it’s atmosphere is heating up fast and bursts into death doom storm breaks off after a while simply in the death-vortex. Dod, band’s frontman, still may be proud with his reverberating brutal roar, so the story about the night creatures, "separating the flesh from the bones" sounds pretty convincing in his interpretation. The song "Primordial Fears" is structurally similar to its predecessor, but Source of Deep Shadows crew has reserved more space and time for fierce death-attacks.

At the same time, changing of tempo, growing tension of composition make an compelling effect and it becomes absolutely nonessential thing – which genre dominates in these tunes. Dod once said to me that main challenge which Source of Deep Shadows set before them was to write doom music which wouldn’t be boring. Okay, I have to assure you – they did it! "Endless Cold" sounds like a more elegant version of "Fading Desolation", but the composition is not so overloaded with heaviness of tombstones and smell of black soil; guitar’s acoustic passage brings a thrilling effect of necro-coldness so this theme is widely open in the song. I think it would be right to admit sharp compositional sense as one of few advantages of Source of Deep Shadows, for example they know when and how guitar solos should sound and even the absence of a live drummer seems unimportant factor considering common record’s quality. "Crystal Cage" (pt.I) combines the leading motives of the whole album – it moves from the hurricane shred to lengthy straying in musical spaces, disappearing in the distance solo with clear heavy bass and persistent growling. The second part of "Crystal Cage" sounds a little more avant-garde and melodic. The album closes with triumphal march of mournful procession of "Only Dust". The curtain falls. Correct tombstones, level the ground on the graves.

Source of Deep Shadows have shown a conscious, non-trivial approach to interpretations and recording of well-known doom patterns. They were able to transcend death-doom canons, which were kept in their previous work "Source of Doom and Perpetual Night", they almost abandoned the ambient background, so it was good to hear of them again though they absolutely refused for practical reasons lyrics in Polish, and that fact is a bit disappointing. But as you noticed, the release has made me a good impression – it’s content worthy of high praise, and it shows that men tend not to adhere to specific structures, the music for them is above all – it’s an art, and shouldn’t such approach be valued above everything else? There is a category of musicians who claim that they want to create something of their own, should I say that not everyone is obtained; "Fading Emptiness" demonstrates - there are exceptions to these rules, you can keep the boundaries of style and at the same time a bit to extend them. Pay attention to it.

Words: Aleks Evdokimov

Source of Deep Shadows @ Myspace

We Just Reached Another Milestone, Cheers.

2012-01-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

UK's Groan Make A Unholy Pact with Soulseller Records ...

2012-01-28T11:51:00.000-08:00

This update in from the Groan camp...
Let this UK-based doomsters have their own statement about this signing: “If the apocalypse happens in 2012 we hope that our next album, The Divine Right of Kings, can be the soundtrack to people drinking, dancing and pumping their fists into oblivion. We plan to play more live gigs this year and take over Europe. Who better to make this unholy pact with than Soulseller Records?” – Mazzereth (Groan vocalist)

Groan @ ReverbNation

Interview Special: Getting To Know The Writers Of Doom Part One...

2012-01-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered who writes all these ramblings on Doommantia.Com? Well Sarp has put together this two part special of short interviews to the Doommantia Writing Staff just so you, the reader can get to know us a little better. It is just a bit of fun and a bit of harmless self promotion.

Some Giger Art, Posted Just Because I like it.

ED BARNARD

Who are you and where are you from?

I am Ed Barnard, originally from Australia, now an American-Australian citizen. Been here on and off for a long while now.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

I grew up surrounded by music. My parents listened to heavy, psychedelic and prog-rock every day of the week, and the television was rarely even turned on, so there was always music playing. So I think it was just natural for me to finish up a music fan. I got to heavy-rock as it was known back then, because those bands stood out from the rest. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and the singer/songwriter types of the era like Crosby, Stills and Nash did nothing for me, but Sabbath, Purple, Zepellin and bands like that sounded exciting and different, and that was where my love for metal started.
The real starting point was 1973 because that was when I first started getting an allowance, so I started spending all the money on records. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” was one of the very first records I ever bought, it was a new release at the time. Why I have stuck with metal all these years is hard to say but I basically don’t like anything else except for some 70’s prog-rock and some psychedelia like Pink Floyd. Other genres of music just don’t do anything for me, so for some 40 odd years, it has been the heavy that has kept me a music fan.

How did you find your way to the genres that you cover in Doommantia?

I have always loved the slower, heavier bands, starting with Sabbath in the 70’s. In the 70’s I used to spend a hell of a lot of time browsing second-hand record stores looking for other slow and heavy bands, but it wasn’t until the mid-to-late 80’s that they started to appear more regularly. When Trouble released their debut, and The Skull, and then Saint Vitus and Candlemass appeared on the scene, it was when I became a concrete doom metal fan. I have listened and still do listen to other genres of metal, but nothing beats doom metal for me and I can’t see that ever changing. It is the heaviness, both musically and emotionally, plus the atmosphere of doom albums that do it for me. I just find the genre totally mesmerizing.

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

I have been writing since the mid 90’s. I just like putting my thoughts down. It used to be me sitting at a typewriter, painfully typing away but with the birth of the internet, it became an avenue to put my thoughts to good use by posting blogs and writing for other websites, usually as just a guest.

How did you come to start Doommantia?

I started Doommantia because I got tired of waiting for other people and having to meet other websites’ demands and restrictions and rules. I got censored once by one website that shall remain nameless and that was the final straw for me. I had to do something myself.

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

I want to name just Sabbath albums really, they satisfy all my musical needs but for three different ones, I would have to include “Sabotage” by Black Sabbath (my favourite Sabbath album), Saint Vitus – “Die Healing” and Pink Floyd’s “Meddle”, I think that would work.

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

I like 70’s prog such as King Crimson and Yes but generally, it is the more obscure bands that I like the most usually. Bands like Camel, Nektar and Gong. I’m a big fan of proggy hard rock from the 60’s and 70’s too, bands like Captain Beyond, Atomic Rooster and the later Argent albums. Psychedelia is big with me too, the trippier the better.

Any last comments?

Keep on viewing Doommantia. Not much else I can say except, thanks for all the support.

DR.DOOM METAL

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Victor von Doom, but I am also known as Dr. Doom. Contrary to common belief, I was born in Greece but I currently live in Latveria.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

It seemed like a nice idea getting Fantastic 4 and Iron Man while listening to Black Sabbath’s Iron Man. The cool t-shirts of these bands were also a plus.

How did you find your way to the genres that we cover here in Doommantia?

I am addicted to metal. I like music in general but metal takes most of my time, so I can’t really get into other kinds of music as much as I would like to. At some point around the late 90’s, I realized that downtuned music was my thing!

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

An opinion is like an asshole, everybody has one. I just wanted to show my asshole… sorry, I meant, my opinion.

How did you come to write for Doommantia?

Ed contacted me! It was an honor.

How was your experience writing for other websites?

I wrote for various fanzines, mostly for underground thrash/black metal bands. It was a really expensive hobby at the time, as the ‘zines were printed on paper. The internet rules!

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

Is that disk player a DVD one? ‘Cause maybe then I could rip about 2000 albums to mp3’s and burn them on 3 DVD disks. Sorry if that’s cheating… I am evil by nature…

(I actually had never considered the possibility… huh. – Sarp)

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

Thrash is good, death, black… I’m mostly extreme music, but not as much as I used to be.

We all know Ed Barnard to some degree, but still, tell us a little bit about the Man Himself for those out there who don’t.

If something you really like has offered you a good time, then you have to give something back… I believe Ed went by that rule when Doommantia was created… and he, in turn, inspired me to do the same.

Any last comments?

Doom over the World!

MARILENA MORONI AKA MARI

Who are you and where are you from?

I am Marilena, Mari, and I live in Milano, Italy.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

I love music in general and I dig many genres, although, yes, metal is one step ahead of the rest. I have been attracted to music since I was a little kid. Music was played and listened to at home in my birth valley, and old-school rock’n’roll was there. Moreover, my aunt was managing a soda shop, where one of the few jukeboxes of the valley was active. I am a kid of the 60’s, so I was a teen in the mid 70’s, when the first private radios started spreading tunes by the coeval, early psychedelic, hard rock and prog bands from the foreign and Italian scene. I was an early teen when I first heard Black Sabbath by chance on a tape, and I was struck immediately. Back in time I have been enjoying “old” hard, psychedelic and also prog rock a lot, much of it captured more from radios and less by buying LPs (those available in the shops were quite expensive.) I also enjoyed the first punk rock wave, when radios were flooded by tunes by primarily British and later US bands. What first dragged me into the more “brutal” metal, though, was the impact with early Sepultura. That was a shock and I discovered, or better I had to admit to myself, that I dug brutal and morbid sounds and terribly obscure, sepulchral atmospheres.

How did you find your way to the genres that we cover here in Doommantia?

Well, the early fire imprint by (early) Black Sabbath made me appreciate a kind of downtuned, oppressive and sinister sound coupled with groove, which was unique back in the day. So it was a pleasure to catch that sound again after some time, in bands like Saint Vitus and Pentagram. I must say that I worship early Black Sabbath only.
First scarring encounters with sludge came via Acid Bath and the early stuff of Eyehategod. Those were totally sick tunes…
Desert and stoner rock came somehow via the grunge wave, especially inspred by Alice in Chains and Mudhoney. Needless to say and, surely, quite unoriginally, the first albums I bought were by Kyuss…

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

Ah, it was something completely casual and it came after some months of interaction with the Sludge Swamp bloggers, and by tenreing the writing team of the blog (after overcoming my huge shyness.)

How did you come to write for Doommantia?

Ed was a good friend of the Sludge Swamp for a long time and we at the Swamp were admirers of Doommantia. At a certain moment, Ed was kind enough to propose a collaboration with Doommantia to me. I still remember, it was in a thread about “early” Black Sabbath, heh… now that’s “dooooom”!

How was your experience writing for other websites?

Well, when Cheeto, the owner of the Sludge Swamp, wrote to me with the proposal to enter the Swamp team I couldn’t believe it, and I was a bit scared as well, hahaha! I love(d) music but, well, writing about it, and in a foreign language, was something else… Also, I am not a journalist, and my “real” job has nothing to do with music (I work as a geologist… okay I actually study rocks and metals, hahaha!) But those years at the Sludge Swamp have been simply great. I had massive time and I learnt a huge amount of things from my fellow bloggers and from the interaction with the bands.
I must say, it was another big emotion when Ed proposed to me to enter Doommantia. Well, I feel that, as an experience, it is quite different from a blog. Maybe I’m wrong, but for me, Doommantia was the “serious place”, the “temple” by definition, even though I did take the writing on the Sludge Swamp as a serious thing as well. I mean, at the Swamp we were joking a lot, but the blog was tough, otherwise it would not have grown and become popular also among many bands as it did.

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

Oh, too difficult! Instinctively, I would say:

Black Sabbath – S/T
Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion.

But in such an extreme situation, after a while, I’d start to hate those albums so I probably wouldn’t take any.

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

I also like death, black, thrash/speed metal and their sick/filthy/nasty hybrids, and some prog and gothic metal as well (or, better yet, some gothic rock a-la-Christian Death.) I like some technical metal, and I also like the hybrids between metal and free jazz. I like grindcore, old-school hardcore punk, crust/d-beat, crossover/metallic punk and punkish rock’n’roll a-la-Helicopter/Peter Pan Speedrock. I like a little bit of industrial metal every now and then, and I like some electronic music like in Prodigy, Mortiis or Combichrist.
I do like classical music (and to se opera at the opera theater,) some jazz and blues, world music (Arabic and Sufi music, some Indian music, African music, etc.) I have contrasting feelings towards post-metal/post-rock. I can’t stand symphonic gothic metal with sopranos singing, goregrind, emo/screamo and some mixtures involving melodic hardcore, though.

We all know Ed Barnard to some degree, but still, tell us a little bit about the Man Himself for those out there who don’t.

Well, for what I know and I have known of Ed in these years of Sludgeswamp/Doommantia interaction, I have always had the impression of him as being a very serious and dedicated man and a very kind person with a huge passion for music and great respect for the scene and the musicians, even when he gives negative reviews.
As of late I realized that this huge passion for music is a great help to make him hopefully overcome some difficult moments of life. I have the impression that Ed's writing style tells a lot of his character, or better, of his present attitude, which is sometimes poisoned by a little bit of pessimism. But he is tough!

Any last comments?

(Mari offered none.-Sarp)

SANDRIJN VAN DEN OEVER

Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Sandrijn van den Oever, I currently live in the dirty South of Holland I’m 34years old. But I look young. Very young. I was born in the darker regions of Geleen, and I lived in Rome (Italy), Leuven (Belgium), Amsterdam, Heerlen, Sittard,Geleen and Maastricht (Holland.) I have two master’s degrees (arts & sciences, and literary studies) and one bachelor (education.) I was into literature and psychoanalysis, but nowadays I read everything, ranging from thrillers to literature. Besides ‘the arts’ I like walking, bicycling, jogging and cooking. People seem to like me because I am polite and am rarely late.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

It all started with Meat Loaf, of course. I love Meat Loaf. In elementary school, I had a friend who was into Iron Maiden. I picked that up because of the rad music, but also because of the awesome shirts. At the beginning of high school I was into Maiden, Priest, Scorpions, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Saxons and Pink Floyd, but unfortunately the whole ‘alternative’ rock thing happened, and I was getting more and more into Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. Even more regrettably I later got into the whole Epitaph punk thing, but luckily (musically, not morally) I steered towards (straight edge) hardcore. I’m still not a big fan of punk, I still think qua music punk hasn’t got a lot to offer. Conceptually, it is an okay movement, but musically disappointing to say the very least :P. I have the same thing with Jimi Hendrix, Iggy Pop, The Pixies, Sonic Youth: I just don’t understand what all the fuss was all about. But back to my musical journey. Being a vegan straight edge nerdario, I was very happy to listen to ‘metallic’ bands like Integrity, Strife, Bloodlet, Gehenna, Ringworm, One Life Crew, Sangraal, Acme, etcetera. I also got the basics around that time, like Slayer, Pantera and Dissection. After and during this hardcore thing I started listening to hip-hop and I got into more and more easier musical waters. I ended up catching up to the whole indie thing at the beginning and the midst of the 2000’s and then when Goatsnake’s Flower of Disease came out, I was hooked and sold.

How did you find your way to the genres that we cover here in Doommantia?

Accidentally. Integrity released Integrity (2000) at the time, and that’s when I dropped out of hardcore. Flower of Disease! (2000) Together with First Daze Here by Pentagram (2001): these actually were the first bands that really got me into what I called stoner at the time. Alongside these bands, I listened to QotSA, Kyuss and Fu Manchu, Desert Sessions, but when I look back, I think only Kyuss and the first QotSA are still very, very good. QotSA went the “Dave Grohl way” of making lots and lots and lots of money, which is a shame as far as the music is considered. But, I also dug and dig Brant Bjork, you gotta love the guy. Goatsnake and Pentagram both served as massive eye-openers to say the least. Then Staring at the Divine came in 2002, and what I liked about that release was the intensity and anger of Alabam Thunderpussy: a kind of hardcore vibe but sleazy, drenched in whiskey. For me, Goatsnake and Pentagram are still these cozy, laidback heavy rock, doom bands, especially Goatsnake with their special mix of groovy heavy rock. From then on I got into the lot of them: Orange Goblin, Hermano, Acid King, Dozer. Then, when I lived in Italy, I found Electric Wizard’s “Come, My Fanatics” in a flea market, and basically I stayed focused on that particular niche of doom. So first it was stoner, but right now I’m listening to a lot of retro, female-fronted doom, and occult/evil doom in general. What can I say, I just like the horror poetics of the occult doom. It doesn’t mean a bloody single thing to me, literally (what else is Satan but a nice metaphor, anyway?) but I dig it symbolically. Right now, I love The Devil’s Blood, In Solitude, Ancient Wisdom and those kinds of bands. The great thing is that, Ancient Wisdom actually features two members of Integrity, so how cool is that?

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

When stonerrock.com went to shit, I started searching for other places to read reviews, and I ended up reading Doommantia a lot. At the same time, I was thinking about doing something more than downloading everything like a mongoloid I could come up with, and right about that time I saw a post by Ed, asking for writers of doom. I wrote a piece on the Devil’s Blood, and I was allowed on board. I didn’t write a word on music before Doommantia.
(A man after my own heart, I must say. –Sarp)

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

Probably “Bat Out of Hell” by Meat Loaf, “Taking Tiger Mountain by Srategy” by Brian Eno and “Sad Wings of Destiny” by Judas Priest. Oh, and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.”

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

Ambient (I think Brian Eno is a God), overall sixties and seventies heavy rock, psych because I think the most spaced out music was conceived in those decades (Hawkwind!) and notwithstanding the tremendous amount of nowadays awesome acts, I don’t think that particular standard and atmosphere have been captured since. And of course the eighties für my Metal!
The last year I really got into the origins of hardrock and heavy metal, and I haven’t lost interest since. I really dig Judas Priest, W.A.S.P., Dokken, Thin Lizzy, Manowar, Vandenberg, Girlschool, The Runaways, Motörhead, etc. But I also like the new occult metallers like Ghost, In Solitude, Cruel Force, etc. My vce of choice nowadays is (raw black metal), but I also like jazz, old R&B and R. Kelly a lot. When I look at my iTunes, these genious mixes are available (meaning I have a lot of that particular genre in my library): Classic Rock – Heavy Metal- Mainstream Electronics – Americana – Indie Rock – Jazz – Classic R&B – Singer/songrwriter – Contemporary Folk – Alternative Pop/Rock – Honky-Tonk/Outlaw – Punk. Damn. Still pun… but my punk mix on iTunes features Neurosis & Integrity!

We all know Ed Barnard to some degree, but still, tell us a little bit about the Man Himself for those out there who don’t.

I think Ed is a really supportive guy who shows a lot of love and interest in the music he loves and he dedicates his life to writing this great ‘zine which gets a heap of positive feedback. He’s really a nice guy as far as I can say, and he is also interested in the personal life of his writers. Hope to catch a beer with him sometime in the future!

Any last comments?

I hate it when bands contact me about a negative review: get over it and don’t be a bitch about it. After all, what do I know? It just sucks that the review got read by lots of people, though.

WES CUETO

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Wes Cueto and I was born in New York City and grew up there and in New Jersey. I currently live in Portland, Oregon, USA.

What got you into music, and metal specifically?

Music has always been there. I can remember dancing around to the Beetlejuice soundtrack as a very small child. I really wore that cassette tape out. When I was older, about 11 or 12, I discovered Black Sabbath and really latched onto them. That led me to get more into bands like Slayer during my teens.

How did you find your way to the genres that we cover here in Doommantia?

I was working at a record shop in Pittsburgh when “Witchcult Today” was released, and I have to say that when I first heard Electric Wizard as a 21 year old, it made me feel like I was 12 again, listening to Sabbath. Maybe it had something to do with the spooky occult give that got me so interested in the movie Bettlejuice when I was very young… Once I realized how much I was into Electric Wizard, I went back to discover older doom/stoner/psych bands that influenced them and through that I came to realize just how important doom and all of its related sub-genres are. Doom is the Blues and the Blues is everything.

What made you decide to get involved and to start writing about the music?

I was taking film classes at a local college while I was working back at that record store. I became a lot more interested in writing than filming so I took some writing classes and really enjoyed them. This led me to pursue writing more so than film related work but in all reality, I am interested in working with both.

How did you come to write for Doommantia?

I have never been a passive listener and since I was already listening to the music, I was reading about it too. Doommantia has been a well known source for news in the doom/stoner/sludge/psych scenes for a while. When I noticed I tended to gear my music journalism toward the Doom scene, like my first two interviews were with Orange Goblin and The Gates of Slumber, I figured I would contact Ed to see if he was accepting contributors – and as luck would have it, he was.

How was your experience writing for other websites?

When I first started doing music journalism, I Wrote for some more Grindcore, Punk and Thrash oriented ‘zines, which were great! I had a lot of fun working on those sites and collaborating with different people in addition to the work I do on my own blog (graveyarns.wordpress.com)

You have three albums you can take with you to a desert island you are being condemned to. You’ll be given a disc player, unlimited batteries and will have new of the same three albums as they get worn out. What are those three albums?

The Best of Chuck Berry
Black Sabbath – Vol. 4
Hellhammer – Demon Entrails

What other genres are you into? What do you sneak in between the covers at night, when you’re not drenched in doom and sludge and psych and drone?

I love it all: black metal, death metal, thrash, punk, hardcore, grindcore, noise, jazz, blues, funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, electronic/ambient, latin and afro-beat,country, rockabilly, classical, you name it. Hail Hail Rock’n’Roll!

We all know Ed Barnard to some degree, but still, tell us a little bit about the Man Himself for those out there who don’t.

Well, I don’t know Ed very well, but in the short time I’ve been contributing to the site, he has been very open and encouraging of different ideas. It was really cool of Ed to accept me on his team of writers, given that I haven’t been doing this for very long at all and am still learning a lot about it, it’s a lot of fun and he’s been very cool with me along the way, which has really been inspiring. Thanks, Ed!

Any last comments?

When I got involved in music journalism, I was going through a very rough patch in my life and needed an outlet. I feel really privileged to be a part of this international community of amazing people who all share the same passion for the same music. Doom Over the World! Long Live Rock n’ Roll!

Article By Sarp Esin.

Movie Review: God Bless Ozzy Osbourne ...

2012-01-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

I must admit, I didn't hold out much hope for God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, produced by his son Jack Osbourne, I thought like many people it would end up just another self-promotional piece with not much substance. I also thought, like most people that there is really nothing else to be said about Ozzy. This movie however is a surprise and for those people still intent on throwing crap at Ozzy at every chance they get, you may have to re-think your opinion on the man after seeing this. All the negative stuff you read about Ozzy is still mostly correct. He or should I say his wife did turn him into a laughing-stock with the The Osbourne's reality series and Sharon Osbourne has made some awful career decisions for her husband over the last 30 years. Speaking personally, I am not even a Ozzy solo fan at all. I think the Blizzard of Oz album is one of the most overrated metal albums ever recorded and to be honest, in my opinion I think he has only ever made one really good solo record in his entire career, that being Diary of a Madman.

So I watched this movie for the first time with a very biased and opinionated outlook but the truth is, this movie is a totally engaging look at one of heavy metal's most famous and celebrated frontmen. Yes, we all know his voice is shot these days and his albums are nothing on his time in Black Sabbath but put all that aside and watch this movie with a open-mind and should find it very entertaining. The film begins with Ozzy performing for a very wild South American crowd. The camera follows his life around from dressing room to the stage and it gets very upfront and personal. The movie shifts to the fans throughout the years before taking a look at Ozzy's 60th birthday celebration in Las Vegas. From there it covers most of his career, I say most because there is some people who are left out of the movie completely that played major roles in his career. Poor old Bob Daisley again gets the shove even though he wrote most of Ozzy's lyrics on the first two solo records and people like Jake E Lee are ignored as well so the movie is very selective in that way. That in itself is a big point off in the rating of this movie for me. I know they had to crammed a lot into 90 minutes but still, there is a hell of a lot that is left out of the film that I feel should have got at least a mention.

There are interviews with his Sabbath band mates, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward but not enough in my view and there is some background on his upbringing. "A lot of kids turned to crime, but I wasn't very good at it," reveals Ozzy which is interspersed with footage of bombed out Birmingham buildings. One of the film's big scores is Paul McCartney who makes the quote that darkness "hadn't been dealt with until Black Sabbath started dealing with it". The interview with Mc Cartney proves to be one of the films most important features and one of the most interesting. There is one section of the film where Ozzy tells how his father made crosses for the band, something I never knew about and he also goes into some detail over his passing. You get to see not much in the way of rare footage, I think most hardcore Sabbath/Ozzy fans would have seen all of what this film has to offer but there is some interesting commentary to go along with it. Then of course there is drugs and the death of Randy Rhodes along with other topics that have been discussed a million times before, the biting the head of a dove, how he almost killed his wife and so on.

The film is hardly perfect and considering everything he has been though, it is a bit short at 90 minutes but this a heartfelt, warm and honest look at his life and career. Of course I am only reviewing it here because of the Black Sabbath connection but it is a well-made and interesting film anyway. I still cringe at some of the tunes (from the 80's especially) and the song selection for this movie could have been better but the music is not really the focus here, it is about the man himself and on that level it is worth seeing. Love him or hate him, there is no denying his career have been a fascinating one and I thought that there was nothing more to be said about Ozzy, well I was wrong....8/10

Fading Sun - Yawning Void ...

2012-01-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

Fading Sun is a two-man band from Belarus who I confess I know nothing about except they have a split release available with another equally obscure band called DSOLTB, whatever that means. I imagine by listening to this, they are young, fresh and very green in the art of song construction. This release has just one 19 minute monolithic track titled 'Yawning Void.'

The style can only be described as a funeral doom/death doom blend of atmospheric, mostly repetitive dirge. It must be said that the production on this is very rough and raw and doesn't do anything to enhance what they are trying to do so it is automatically a tough listen just for that alone.

The track is long, meandering, and kind of industrial in the why everything sounds machine-like. The vocals are the usual generic growling type and the musicianship is solid enough but unremarkable and certainly nothing to be mesmerized by. One thing that they have though is a great vision for the "doom-epic." Despite the extra-long playing time of this track, it flows very well and never falls into the trap of going in circles even though it is a little repetitive.

There are small but still interesting variations in the style and approach which is the main reason I manage to sit through the rather sub-standard production values. This is another band that falls in the "Has Potential" file but they still have a way to go and while this is nothing to get excited about, it shouldn't be totally ignored either. If you are an extreme doom listener and you treat this as a "rough demo," then you should get something out of this. For fans of Wormphlegm, Hierophant, and Evoken. I am looking forward to hearing (hopefully) more polished works in the future from this band....6/10.

No known Website Link.

Dies Irae - Secret Veils Of Passion ...

2012-01-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a reviewers life is a cruel and painful experience, people expect me to review the most awful garbage at times and usually I just refused. There is nothing worse than having to sit down to write something negative for the sake of a review. I would rather just not published anything but I keep getting requests for my opinion on this album so here we go but hang on, it is going to be a bumpy ride. This album by Dies Irae is an oddball one, it doesn't sit comfortably in any one genre. Some people say, well it is different, or it too original to fall under any banner. It is different, I will admit but no way is it good or that original in my mind. Interestingly enough, the band has had as many good reviews for this album as they have had bad ones. Headlines like "Uh, this got published?" to "Ahead of its time" goes to show you how divided people are over this album titled 'Secret Veils of Passion.'

The only reason I am reviewing it at all is at times they remind a little of Katatonia or Anathema but you can also hear traces of a Alice In Chains and some early Swedish death metal in there as well. As far as the headline, "Ahead of its time" is concerned, I don't know what that dude is on but I want some, I need it just withstand anymore than 10 minutes of this frustrating album. So lets not beat around the bush, here is why I think they stink. The music here is filled with overly ambitious passages which are sections of music they don't seem to have the talent for. It comes off as amateurish most of the time. You have to admire them for trying something a bit different but if you are going to try your hand at jazzy passages of music, at least learn how to play jazz first. The vocals are awful to the point of almost unlistenable - enough said about that.

There are some hints at strong melody here and there but the vocals destroy it and there are moments of some decent guitar playing but the tone of the guitar is extremely thin and irritating. If you dig and dig through the album, you find passages where the band have their shit together and everything works but they are short-lived moments which makes this a very un-even affair. The heavier moments are where the band shines the most but there are not many real heavy passages to speak of at all really and at times the band sounds like a post-rock experiment gone wrong. There are what sounds like alternative rock passages, psychedelia, doom but without the heaviness or the atmosphere, and then there are the aforementioned attempts at jazzy, proggy interludes so it is at least different. Some will see this as "challenging" music but for me the only challenge is listening to it without throwing the CD in the nearest dumpster.....2/10.

PS: Listen with caution if you must but it will take more than a open-mind for most people to enjoy anything about this release.

Dies Irae @ MySpace

Now on the Podcast page: Soggy Bog 60 Music inspired by Moorcock and Howard and song intro by Karl of The Gates of Slumber ...

2012-01-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

From Soggy Bog's Bob:
Im glad i was able to do this show this week. I hope you guys enjoy the epic-oisity of these tunes! All of these tunes were inspired by Michael Moorcock and Robert E. Howard.

I would like to thank Karl for taking the time to send me over his intro to Suffer No Guilt! Thank you sir!

"Dead God's Homecoming. In which, at long last, Elric's fate begins to be revealed to him as the forces of Law and Chaos gather strength for the final battle which will decide the future of Elric's world..."
The Chronicle of the Black SwordMichael Moorcock, StormBringer

"Bloodshed and violence and savagery were the natural elements of the life Conan knew; he could not, and would never understand the little things that are so dear to the souls of civilized men and women. "
REH-Beyond the Black River

Download show here
Tune in at The Doommantia Podcast Page

KING GIANT - Dismal Hollow ...

2012-01-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know why it has taking me so long to getting around to review this masterpiece by King Giant but I apologize to the band and perhaps more importantly to the readers because you guys and gals need to know how kick-ass this album is. If you have ever wondered what Black Sabbath might have sounded like if they had have been born in the deep south of USA instead of the industrial hole of Birmingham in the UK, then listen to King Giant. The band are doomy, down and dirty but with a deep southern rock, almost bluesy type swagger that makes this essential listening for anyone who enjoys a no-holds barred riffy, catchy, boozy kind of heavy rock album.

There are eight irresistible rock masterpieces on this release that kicks off with a tune titled 'Appomattox.' The inspiration for the song comes from the final battle of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and that is important to mention because this song sounds like a band heading into battle with the intent of destroying all in front of them. Vocalist Dave Hammerly has a commanding voice, perfect for the vibe they are putting across. He has a southern style crooning growl that is a killer hook to have in combination with dual guitars of Todd Ingram and David Kowalski. The main element this band has going for it is grooves and lots of them. The following track, 'Tale of Mathias' is a good example of how groovy this band can be without ever missing a beat in the Sabbathian heaviness department. This track is far moodier than what else is on the record, made even more so with the addition of female vocals from Alexia Church.

The album gets a doom boost with the next tune, 'A Steward’s Prayer' which is an atmospheric, menacing doomy piece of cool riffage and infectious but slighty haunted melody lines. The album shifts direction for a brief period with the acoustic opening of the next tune 'Pistols and Penance.' It doesn't last too long though before again, the flood-gates are opened with more of the heavy doom laden riff work but this is one of the albums more mellow moments overall. It even features what sounds a cello in its closing section. Next up is '6 O’clock Swill' that puts the album back on its bludgeoning, ever so heavy journey with more great guitar work, mesmerizing vocals and infectious hooks and grooves. 'The Fog' signals another change in direction to sinister doom riffage and whisky soaked grooves. The album is full of memorable guitar solos but this track has one of the very best, pure magic!

'Road to Eleusis' is the album's instrumental piece and a very moody one at that with great, menacing but with a great melodic feel and again the spotlight is on the excellent guitar work. The album then ends on another classic King Giant stomper called 'O' Drifter' Such is the greatness of this album that this is a killer tune but at the same time, the weakest cut on the record. Without a doubt, 'Dismal Hollow' is a step up from the 'Southern Darkness' album. It is not a huge leap but then again 'Southern Darkness' is a killer album in its own right. If King Giant hadn't made an impact on you before, they should now. This album is almost perfect in every detail....9.5/10.

Official Site

Majestic Downfall - The Blood Dance ...

2012-01-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

'The Blood Dance' is a rawish yet well produced, big sounding record of quality but hang on, this is a one-man band is it not, well one man and a session drummer. One man bands generally are not suppose to sound this good so I don't know what the secret is to Jacobo Córdova (Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards) and his Majestic Downfall death-doom project but whatever it is, he better keep it up and for other one-man bands out there reading this, you might want to listen to this to pick up some pointers. On the death-doom scale of things, the work of Cordova leans more towards the death-metal side of the fence with a sound that is like Draconian butting heads with Amon Amarth with the occasional interference from early Katatonia. Getting the death and the doom in just the right quantities is never a easy task but Majestic Downfall succeed in doing that remarkably well.

The guitar sound is abrasive, sometimes a little too raw and also a little loud in places overshadowing what the bass and drums are doing but it still seems to work as it gives the album a unique atmosphere. The album unleashes many passages of melancholic death-doom and normally the rawness would seem like a mis-match but it actually works wonders for these songs. The drums are slightly buried with mostly only the cymbals crashing and a piecing snare cutting through the sound. Again, normally that would be a big no-no but it gives this album an original vibe even though the songs are hardly breaking any new ground for the death-doom genre. They even manage to take the usual deathly growls to a unique place by pushing them into the background slightly and this is also something that makes this album interesting and kind of hypnotic.

Talking tunes and there isn't a real weak one to be heard. Even though most of the pieces range from 7 to 11 minutes in length, they add enough variations to the well-used death doom formula that it never has a moment of monotony. Right from the get-go the opening duo of 'The Blood Dance' and 'From Black to Dead' have a commanding presence. It is has the chugging riffing to make you nod the head but it is also oddly relaxing in its emotionally-charged approach. These songs are big on melodies and hooks but it also has a grimness to it that can match it with any atmospheric black-metal bands that are out there today. As the album plays on, it just seems to get better. 'Majestic Embrace.' 'Dimension Plague,' and 'Army of Salvation' are a trio of songs that are all energetic yet relaxed doomy onslaughts with equal amounts of sheer heaviness and raw emotion.

The album ends on three of the albums best tunes, 'An Untravelled Road,' 'Cronos' and 'On Silent Wings.' It is more of the same however so if you don't like what you have been hearing by this point in the album, you might as well hit stop and forget about it. 'The Blood Dance' is a surprisingly good album but it is not without its cracks and at times these cracks are of the earthquake variety. First up there are the guitar solos, some are good, some are very weak and sound very amateurish and sometimes, they just sound wrong. These moments I must admit are rare but they are cringe-worthy just the same. Even worse though is the growls. While the band has done the listener a great service by keeping the vocals down lower than what they usually are in this style of metal, at times they are just too over enthusiastic which makes it come off as kind of goofy and childish. Like the issues with the solos, these vocal flaws are rare but they are HUGE monumental clangers.

When it is all said and done though, you could do far worse than check this band and album out. Over the course of 64 minutes, there are some very good moments of death/doom crossover and these songs just keep on moving, developing and expanding so much that even the weak sections are quickly forgotten about. I just wonder how much better than the album would be though if they have done some fine tweaking to some of these tunes. Nevertheless, this is a mostly solid and enjoyable slice of death-doom that deserves to be on your "must-hear" list....8/10.

Majestic Downfall Official Site
Majestic Downfall @ Facebook

Firelord - The Burning EP ...

2012-01-23T07:48:00.001-08:00

This is my first Firelord album, but surely not my last. Firelord started in Turin in 2007 from the ashes of a Doom Metal project named Saint Judas founded by Mario E. Bussini a few years prior. In 2007, Beppe Tozza, Daniele Biffaro and Giulio Buscaglione joined the project. The 6 track EP is a very interesting piece of work.

“Time for Vengence” is the opening track with no fillers and is straight to the point. Typical Stoner Doom Guitar sounds, with very good vocals to support it. The drumming is pretty crisp and fast. It is a catchy track to start off; and very few bands get it right and to be very honest these guys knows which track should come first and which one later. The production of this album is what I’d like to begin with. In a word, HEAVY! Really low, pulsing, riffs bellow out of the speakers thicker than the smoke coming out of your mouth! The same banging riffs are thickly distorted much like the world around you while you listen to it. The music is layered and dense allowing for the listener to pick it apart and examine each aspect of the sound, but at the same time the flow is as smooth as ever.
“Crazy little witch” and “Riding with the death” are really good tracks. Speaking of guitars, the riffs on this album are catchy, rocking, and heavy. Mostly slower catchy riffs that WILL get stuck in your head, but the occasional solo or haunting guitar bending like at the intro.

The bass is not as astounding, but that is for the best. It is audible throughout the work which I like, but there are no moments it does anything you wouldn’t expect. The drums fall into the same category as the bass. It is pretty decent and carries along very well with rest of the other instruments. Each track is very different from the other, which is really good and not boring
I am definitely getting more and more into Firelord now and I hope they will come up with a killer Full length release shortly. It is a pretty good EP and gets you going. Lay your hands on them!!!

Words: Mahesh

Firelord @ Myspace

Wiht Calls It Quits ...

2012-01-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

Sad news, the great band Wiht have decided to call it a day. It wasn't too long ago they released the impressive 'The Harrowing of the North' album but now it seems to be all over. I wish them the best for the future, the doom scene will miss you guys.......Ed.

From their Facebook page ....
It is with sadness and a great sense of pride, that we have decided to call it a day. This is a completely amicable decision and has been made in the best interests of the band. It has come to a point where we are no longer able to progress and take the band further, we feel this band deserves more respect than just to fade away. This simply is an issue of lack of time and funds; two of the three of us now have families and time has become a lot more precious. To progress as a band we need to dedicate a certain ammount of time to write and record, let alone gigging and touring. This is why we have decided to call it a day at a point where we feel this is something to be proud of.

To have played and made music in a band comprised of three oldest and best mates for three years has been an absolute pleasure. We feel incredibly proud of what we have accheived with the limited time and resources that we have had. We are not for one moment suggesting this is something exclusive to our band, many bands manage to write, record and tour with limited funds and with children, unfortunately it hasn't worked for us. We would like to thank the following bands and people for your huge support and influence over the years, it wouldn't have been possible without you. Ross at Ghosttown Studios, Neil Best Edward, Dan at Desertscene Rock, Dave at Future Noise, Chris at Witch Hunter Records, Matthew Lee, Charlie Barnes, Elles, all our friends and family Ceara, Lorna, Bekki, Sydney, Vincent & Oscar.

Huge shout to the bands we have played with and that have helped us out, Khuda; Wizards Beard, Tree of Sores, A Forest of Stars, Haar, Undersmile, Desert Storm, Conan, Slabdragger, Dead Existence, Lords of Bastard & everyone else that we have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with. But don't fret, we have a killer finale for you. Line-up including Khuda, Wiards Beard and Tree of Sores on 30th March at Royal Park Cellars, it would be amazing if you could come and send us off Leeds style! But before that we will be helping Wizards Beard celebrate their album launch at the same venue on 18th February with some killer bands from around the UK.

Hails and Ales.
Wiht.

Wiht @ Bandcamp
Wiht @ Facebook

In Loving Memory - Negation Of Life ...

2012-01-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

After three years between albums, the Spanish band In Loving Memory returned with an album that is more of a doomy effort compared to their last album, 'Tragedy & Moon.' However, the band is one of those crossover acts that still rides the borderline between death metal and melodic doom metal without never really nailing either genre but that is not a bad thing in this case. This newbie, 'Negation Of Life' displays the band sounding more mature and much more sure of itself than in the past. The album released on the Solitude Productions label out of Russia is a natural progression from earlier works in many ways but it is also far more intense and atmospheric.

Starting with 'Even A God Can Die' and 'Skilled Nihilism' the album gets off on the right foot, delivering a barrage of intensity, bleak emotion all held together with catchy chugging riffs. The crossover appeal of this band doesn't take long to rear its menacing head with black metalish growls and even a piano part which has a very atmospheric black-metal vibe about it. The main change for In Loving Memory is the switch from the more gothic-flavored style they had on the early demos and first album to this, a death-doom crossover approach. A lot of this has come about with the addition of Juanma (guitars & vocals) who took over from a female goth-rock kind of vocalist that they had back in 2007. The band has certainly embraced a lot of traditional doom, funeral doom, and death-doom elements and inserted it into their (still) deathly sounds and the band sounds much better for it. The songs are more hook-laden than before but without sacrificing any of the brutality and intensity.

'Skilled Nihilism' proves itself to be one of the album's highlights. It is not the most creative, inventive or original track on the album but it is easily the most memorable. 'Adversus Pugna Tenebras' is a long but interesting track where they DO unleash some creativity and more complex than usual arrangement ideas. The following title track however is when this album seems to dig itself a bit of a hole. This 8 minute epic is pretty much over just as it starts and lacks any of the spark that is heard on the albums earlier tracks. The album does bounce back a bit with 'November Cries' and especially 'Shimmering Divinity' which is a nice blend of pulverizing death-doom riffing and menacing but hooky melody lines. It is with this track the album hits its peak but never regains its strength. The next three tracks, 'Through A Raindrop,' 'Celestial,' and 'Nulla Religio, Solum Veritas ' which ends the album are just more of the same but without the kick factor. Indeed these songs are heavy, emotional, well constructed and played but lack the spark that makes the rest of 'Negation of Life' so memorable.

In Loving Memory deliver some twists to the norm in death doom on 'Negation Of Life' but that doesn't mean it is always good as it is the more straight-forward moments on this release that seem to have the biggest impact. However and this is a big however, most of this 63 minute release is satisfying as even the weaker moments which are mostly in the albums last 20 minutes are still volume-worthy death-doom onslaughts. How much of this that can past as "doom" is debatable as they are still treading the line between death and doom metal but this is an album that is very hard to put down. The flaws are minor and its pleasures are major and the band should be well-pleased with this fine release. A special mention must go to the Solitude Productions/Badmoodman label who have really been releasing some great albums in the past 6 months or so and this is no exception. This will excite both death metal and doom metal fans who like their doominess to be a bit more up-beat and chugging than the usual doom metal that currently being released....8/10

Official In Loving Memory Myspace

Heads Up: Hypnotist 101 EP Review ...

2012-01-22T12:26:00.001-08:00

Well, this is completely out of the left field for me. I usually have these little moments where I am looking for something good, but everything I listen to is shit and I listen to tons and tons of songs and albums, but nothing seems to stick… until an unassuming little piece like Hypnotist that I fully expect to hate comes along, and sticks to me like a leech and won’t let go.

But more than anything, it was the basic concept behind the band that sold me on it. See, hailing from Russia, Hypnotist play doom rock – that is, they can shift to heavier, Sabbathian pastures or to lighter, Witchcraft-like passages but what they always have in abundance is groove, flow and harmony. The band is a focused entity, with each part moving along the song itself – like the flag raising in Iwo Jima. But the twist is that they, at least in this offering, do not write lyrics. No, the songs are basically music to William Blake and Robert Frost poems – and I am so not kidding. There are no lyrics but what’s in the poems themselves (“…and miles to go before I sleep” becomes a chorus line) and that, by itself, is a very interesting idea that the band used to great effect.

Besides all that, I have no info about Hypnotist. The sound is what you’d expect from a band like this: slightly down-tuned guitars churning out easy-going, catchy grooves to a Sabbathian sway, nice drums, pronounced based and sweeping, chilled vocalizations embellishing the landscape with the words of great poets.

The only offering from Hypnotist to my knowledge is on their bandcamp, a three-track EP titled “101.” Which is appropriate, as this is Hypnotist-101, and showcases the band’s general style well. The first song is “Love’s Secret” which is basically a layered, catchy, easy-going riff repeating to great effect, and the song orbits around that. With varied drums, a few variations on the riff itself, great vocals singing William Blake’s words. Nice.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” brings that heavier, more Sabbathian groove into the mix, churns out a slow burn and follows that with the appropriate vocals. The partitions in this one mingle well with one another and they manage to transition smoothly from one part to the next, and the actual groove is a joy to listen to.

“Human Abstract” carries more of a Witchcraft vein, to be perfectly honest, with softer guitars moving to classical-rock-like passages with a nice tempo and cool groove. The main riff is soothing, and the more action-laden parts do so around the mid-tempo baseline, and the slight wahwah passage into the solo is much appreciated – it’s a beautiful example of how to build up layers until you reach the explosion, condensed into about thirty seconds.

As it stands, the offering by Hypnotist may be scarce, but it’s plenty if you want some quality ten minutes or so to kill with grooves and doomy rock beauty. Keep an open mind, and an eye out for these guys, I have a feeling we’ll be hearing from them soon. P.S.: The EP is up for free. Go.

Words: Sarp Esin

<a href="http://hypnotist.bandcamp.com/album/101">101 by Hypnotist</a>
Visit The Band @ Bandcamp

MARES OF THRACE: Calgary Doom Duo Sign Worldwide Deal With Sonic Unyon Metal And Set To Release New Album ...

2012-01-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hamilton, Ontario-based Sonic Unyon Metal are proud to announce the multi-album signing of noise-doom duo MARES OF THRACE to their label’s ever-expanding roster.
Based out of Calgary, Alberta, the crushing MARES OF THRACE is comprised simply of guitarist/vocalist Thérèse Lanz and drummer Stefani MacKichan, who coalesce their talents into an organic style of beautiful and destructive atmospheric doom-laden metal.
“Some of the most influential records in my life, from way back in the 90s up till now, were Sonic Unyon releases,” says Lanz about the signing. “It’s impossible to understate the impact the label has had on Canadian independent music. Accordingly we are incredibly proud and stoked to partner with Sonic Unyon Metal for our upcoming records.”
MARES OF THRACE released their debut album The Moulting in 2010 via Arctodus Records. The Moulting was instantaneously well-received by North American press outlets including Decibel, Revolver, Blabbermouth, even scoring the #1 spot on Hellbound.ca’s Canadian metal album of the year list. The band toured Canada in support of the album immediately after its release, followed by a US tour in 2011. Additionally, Thérèse played bass for KEN Mode for the first half of 2011, touring with them in support of their latest album Venerable (Profound Lore).
The newly completed new LP from MARES OF THRACE, and first for Sonic Unyon Metal, is entitled The Pilgrimage. Recorded in October and November of 2011 at Chicago’s Engine Studio with producer Sanford Parker (Nachtmystium, Pelican, YOB) and mastered by Collin Jordan at Boiler Room, the final touches on the release are being handled now, preparing the album for worldwide release this April.
Stay tuned for more info on the release of The Pilgrimage as well as North American tour announcements for MARES OF THRACE over the coming weeks.
( Source: The Sleeping Shaman )

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Yes, It Is Still Happening...

2012-01-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

Herem - II ...

2012-01-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Herem’s is a quintet from what is becoming a major doom capital, Finland. Even more important is it seems every band you hear from there just blows me away and a lot of other people away as well from what I can tell. This CD arrive in my PO Box with little information, no big sales-pitch, just a CD that I popped into the CD player and got quickly blowed away by. This album is called II so I am thinking they must have another album out and if so, I must hear it if this is anything to go by. This album is released on the Inverse Records which is quickly becoming a major player in the underground doom scene.

When you first hear this band, all you think of is classic, classic, classic doom, stoner, and funeral doom but not necessarily in that order. I am talking about a band that picks the very best elements of Yob, Electric Wizard and Thorr’s Hammer and puts in a blender and stirs it up with menacing fury. In short, this is killer stuff.

The band is fronted by a female doom warrior by the name of Valendis Suomalainen that has one of the most exciting female voices for doom that I have heard in a long time and that was really the first thing to grab me on the first spin of the album. On further spins however, all this spell-binding music emerged that I didn't soak up too much at first. There is the excellent twin-axe playing of Jubo Laitinen and Patrick Ellison who unleashed some mesmerizing melodies and distorted, pulverizing riffage.

The bass playing of Tommi Hartin and drumming of Jani Peltola is equally as potent. Herem are not your usual by-the-numbers kind of doom band. The songs here move and constantly shift in various directions and are always interesting. The one-two punch in the stomach that kicks off the album is solid proof that this band is the real deal. The opening 'Heavens' which in a mass of feedback and orgasmic noise leads into the following track called 'Earth' which blends psychedelia, sludge, funeral death doom and irresistible doomy grooves and it is all served up with lashings of killer melody and hooks.

'Dogs of Doom' throws up more killer riffs, hooks, and grooves and again, it is a melting pot of different doom sub-genres all rolled into one. As a vocalist Valendis Suomalainen really shows her talents in this one, possessing a great range and a flair for unleashing different emotions at will. Just when you thought it wont get any heavier, they present to you 'Promise' that features some of the albums most stomach-churning heavy passages. The following tune 'Water' pushes even more grooves out and a set of riffs that are simply majestic yet bombastic. The last track is the icing on the cake as it is one of the album highlights. This sinister closer titled 'Babylon' is the perfect closing statement for this album. It is more monolithic in terms of atmosphere and it winds the album down to its ultimate spine-chilling, headache inducing climax.

Words are hard to come by with a release as vast and multi-faceted as this one. The band deliver a lot of early Electric Wizard styled dirge but they have as a counterpoint, melodies that would be more at home with a death-doom band but without the cheese watering it down. This is the kind of album that fans of real extreme doom metal crave but only comes along a few times a year if you are lucky. I can't really say they are breaking down any walls with this release but they are certainly delivering all the key goods to an excellent doom album. Riffs, power, melodies, dynamics, powerful vocals and captivating arrangements is what this album has and more. This is an easy early pick for a top 5 album for 2012 so you wont want to miss this one...10/10.

Herem Official Website
Inverse Records
Interview @ Deaf Sparrow

Ides Of Gemini – The Disruption Writ ...

2012-01-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a very nice psychedelic doom three-piece called Ides Of Gemeni. It is not as much doom in the musical sense, as it is qua atmosphere. As I read on I think last.fm, the vocals of Sera Timms (vocals and bass, also of Black Math Horseman fame) are very 4AD-esque: think Cocteau Twins (best band ever?) and Dead Can Dance. Just over sixteen minutes, Ides Of Gemini serve up a nice full platter of doomy psychedelic rock. It’s not easy really to pigeonhole Ides Of Gemini.

There is a bit of no wave / post-punk in their sound too, think of Joyless for example. I find Ides Of Gemini a very rewarding band to listen to. It’s a bit as depressive as Joyless, but it is also beautiful and haunting, in your best Cocteau Twins tradition. The other main member of Ides Of Gemini is J. Bennett (guitar and backing vocals), according to Blabbermouth.net a music and film journalist writing for Decibel, Terrorizer, Revolver, Alternative Press and Thrasher. The complementing third member of Ides Of Gemini is Kelly Johnston: drums and backing vocals. According to the same news item on Blabbermouth, Ides Of Gemini are set to release their debut album on Neurot Recordings spring 2012.

The Disruption Writ is their debut EP, released 14th of November 2010. The four songs: Martyrium Of The Hippolyt; Slain In Spirit; The Vessel & The Stake and closing track Resurrectionists. Relistening to this album also brings Earth – but played somewhat faster – to mind.

Show again how hard it is to pigeonhole them! What is also extremely cool: they made a t-shirt (See It Here) with the exact same image I was thinking of making myself: it’s called Hanging Man and it features an upside down hanging man similar to the figure killed and hanged upside down in the awesome movie The Ninth Gate.

Watch their beautiful Martyrium of the Hippolyt video at the link below. There is also a split release with Vermapyre (Belgian, featuring Integrity’s Dwid) on Magic Bullet Records. This split 12” features Martyrium Of The Hippolyt and a new song called Constantinople. Needless to say I’m looking forward to their debut album! Consider this EP as a warmup! ....8/10.

Words: Sandrijn van den Oever

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Magic Bullet Records

Orchid’s Capricorn Album On Vinyl At Last ...

2012-01-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

VIA: THE SODA SHOP

Been waiting for this masterpiece to hit vinyl? Well good news because the band posted this Facebook status recently:
O.K. OFFICIAL VINYL UPDATE…….We’re in the process of finishing up the last little bit of layout for the gate fold and then it goes out to the presses early next week…then… it’s up to the pressing plant and the dark lord below…but a couple of weeks we imagine. VERY EXCITED!!! cheers!!!
Thanks for your support and patience!! ORCHID