Someone is bringing a light to our exorcist camp. The pressure on #10 aka. X series was too damn high! Damn you universe! Have you ever heard such names like Vilkacis, AttAck, Topon Das and Olaf Schindler? Well these are couple of people/ bands/ artists that totally rock my socks off! Read each word they say! It’s not like we don’t like you, but there’s a summer break for interwebs. We are moving out to be a part of great gigs & fests, and crazy sh*t, yo. For those who will be here in Baltic states, Archiv Hate crew recommends you to be a part of Rupjmaize fest in Latvia (July 11- 12, w/ TESA, Anna Kijevā, 9horizon) and Devilstone open air festival, which is happening in Lithuania (July 17- 20, w/ Arch Enemy, Suma, Blues Pills, Obscure Sphinx, Talbot and more). See you out there you drunk headbangers! Btw, all mighty WINAMP is born from ashes like mafuka phoenix; it’s stayin' alive! There are millions and billions people who lost their mp3 virginity to this master audio tool, yeah, either myself. Skins and trippy visuals was cracking! Welcome back you modern life LSD! CREW :
DAN IAL GAMB LER . D AWI D S C HIND LER . M ORG AN G LEAV E . ART URS VI L MANI S .
-ARCHIV HATE, June 2014
..and now the blood creeps.
by Arturs Vilmanis.
FUCK THE FACTS & MERDARAHTA; THE APPROACH ON BOTH IS VERY DIFFERENT SINCE ONE IS GUITAR & VIOLENCE DRIVEN MADNESS AND THE OTHER ONE IS DOOMY DRONE/ NOISE PROJECT. CAN YOU THROW SOME FACTS ON US ABOUT THESE OUTSTANDING CREATIONS? Fuck The Facts started as an unnamed recording project in the late 90’s. As I slowly started to compile recordings I eventually gave it its name in 1999 and started releasing cassettes through the underground. In 2001, I decided to take the next step and put together the first formation of Fuck The Facts as a full band. My main purpose for FTF was to have a project (and band) where anything goes. If you listen back through the FTF discography you can really hear all the different ideas and changes that we went through over the years, but now especially since we’ve had the same line-up for the past 7 years, we have really found our “sound”. That doesn’t mean that the door isn’t open to experimentation and trying different things, but I have a better idea of what I want from a FTF release now. The roots of Merdarahta obviously stem from FTF, as that’s my main project and 4/5 of FTF are involved in Merdarahta. There’s a bonus song on the Fuck The Facts album “Die Miserable” called “October 26th”. That song is basically the template for what would become Merdarahta. The “Snake Charmer / Towers” release is the first Merdarahta release, but it was originally meant to be released as a Fuck The Facts recording, which is why it’s the B-side of the “Die Miserable” cassette. I wanted to do more recordings in this style, so it was decided that we would put this under a different name. Like you said, Fuck The Facts and Merdarahta sound very different, but even aside from the sound, the approach is also the complete opposite. FTF is more traditional in the way we write songs, rehearse them and record them, but Merdarahta is based entirely on improvisation sessions.
THE BAND NAME IS TAKEN FROM A SONG BY NAKED CITY. NAKED CITY IS AN ALBUM BY JOHN ZORN AND IT’S EVERY SINGLE TRACK WOULD WORK PERFECT AS A BAND NAME! WHAT ABOUT MERDARAHTA ORIGINS?
BOTH, FTF & MERDARAHTA, ARE LIKE CONSCIENTIOUS TRUTHFULNESS, BUT SEEMS THERE IS ANOTHER NEW PROJECT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. HOW MUCH OF YOUR CREATIVE WORK IS AFFECTED BY THE PEOPLE SURROUNDING YOU?
Merdarahta is actually the title of a Fuck The Facts song from our split CD with Feeble Minded. The FTF track itself is ambient noise. It was important to me that both projects be connected; so choosing the name came easy.
I’ve been doing a bunch of solo guitar/ noise stuff recently. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, so I finally found the time and built up the guts to do it. The approach is very similar to Merdarahta in the way that it’s based on improvisation sessions. Even when I play shows, it’s
improvised. I use various pedals and loops to build up textures and noise. My favorite kind of noise is when it’s dynamic and has parts that you can grab onto, so this is what I aim to create. I start with a simple passage and just see where it takes me. This allows me to use a completely different part of my brain than I use in FTF. I think my solo stuff will take over what I started with Merdrahata, and Merdarahta will continue as more of a revolving door/collaboration band. The people that have already been involved have definitely shaped the direction of that project. I love to surround myself with different musicians, and now that I record bands as well, I am always learning for different people. I always have my eyes and ears open to learning different things that I can apply to my own music. FTF STARTED AS A SOLO PROJECT 15 YEARS AGO. HOW DID THE BAND SOUND CHANGED WHEN FEMALE VOCALS CAME IN AND OTHER BAND MEMBERS EMERGED? Everyone in FTF writes, now more so than ever, but I always got everyone that was in the band involved in creating the music we played. This is really important to me. FTF sounds the way it does because of the 5 people in the band, non of us could recreate this if we did it on our own and that what I think makes being in a band so exciting. As for the female vocal thing, I really don’t think that’s an issue. Yes, Mel has a very distinct voice, but I think that’s more because of her background. She grew up playing in punk & hardcore bands, and now she’s in more of a grindcore metal band. When she started doing vocals in bands, she wasn’t trying to do the normal growls and screams that are typical in death metal and grind, but over time her voice has developed to have a bit of that character. Obviously I’m a big fan of Mel’s vocals, it’s the voice of this band and I think it’s one
of our more unique qualities. HELL HAS HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON YOU: DEMOS, SPLITS, EP’S, FULL-LENGTHS, COMPILATIONS – THE NUMBER OF RELEASES IS CONVINCINGLY MOVING TO HUNDRED! There are a lot of releases from the early days and many of them share the same tracks. As a solo project it was a easier to get things together, and my filter back then wasn’t as picky. Over the years we’ve settled into doing about one release per year. APARTMENT 2 RECORDING IS YOUR OWN STUDIO, A PRIVILEGE THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR EVERY BAND OR MUSICIAN. CAN YOU NAME THE APPROACH TO PRODUCTION FOR BASEMENT STUDIO IN CONTRAST OF A “BIG” LABEL? We did “Disgorge Mexico” in a “big” studio, but that’s my only experience in one. Since I started playing music it’s always been home studios or very modest studio spaces. Apartment 2 is actually the basement apartment of my mother’s house. It started when we decided to record “Die Miserable” on our own and my mother gave us the space to do it. After we were done the album my friends in Biipiigwan asked me to record them so we did it there as well. The drummer in Biipiigwan at the time plays in Alaskan, so I recorded them and their guitarist had another band, and so on… I got busy enough that I decided to keep going with the studio. It’s been really great because with all the recordings I do, I’m able to slowly build up the studio and it’s improved a lot since we first started down there four years ago. The trickiest part is just balancing my work with my own band/projects. YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF BANDS IN YOUR CAREER. YOU MIXED AND MASTERED GREAT CANADIANS - ALASKAN, BIIPIIGWAN, COLLIDER AND MORE. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE HIGHS AND LOWS THROUGHOUT
APARTMENT 2 RECORDING? I’ve been working with Biipiigwan and Alaskan pretty much since they started, so those two bands definitely mean a lot to me. I’ve seen these bands grow and really perfect their art, and at the same time it’s enabled me to get better at my production skills. The highs are always working with really talented bands. When a band comes into the studio with all their songs tight and all their gear dialed in, it’s really easy for me to do my job. The last Alaskan album is a good example. We spent a lot of time
on that album making sure everything was done right and those guys came in the most prepared they have ever been. The result I think is some of my best work to date. Obviously on the other end, when a band comes in unprepared those are the low point and when I really have to do everything in my power to make a solid record. Over the years I’ve become more confident in my work, so I have an easier time dealing
with bands and telling them what works and what doesn’t. But no matter what, once the band is in my studio it’s my job to make them sound good. Sometimes there’s only so much you can do with “computer magic”, before you suck the life out of a recording. YOU DID A FREAKING BADASS COMBO WITH KEN MODE’S JESSE MATTHEWSON ON FTF TRACK “RUNNING THE WOLVERINE'S GAUNTLET”! Yes, it was a lot of fun. When we did the Misery EP we wrote 2 extra songs in the studio. We gave one to Jesse from KEN Mode to write lyrics and vocals for and the other one to Elliott from Beneath The Massacre. I think they both did an awesome job, and it’s really cool to hear these guys do their thing over our music, which sounds very different from their own bands. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SONGWRITING PROCESS FOR FTF & MERDARAHTA? HOW YOU ARE DEALING WITH A LONG DISTANCE ISSUE BETWEEN THE BAND MEMBERS? I ASSUME THAT THE DISTANCE CREATES A LARGER VARIETY OF IDEAS, THAN IF YOU WERE CLOSER. E-mail and file sharing makes it really easy. With FTF we usually just write demos and send them to each other. Our drummer Vil and I live in the same city, so we can get together more often and sometimes we’ll write songs by just jamming out ideas. Even with the demos, it’s usually Vil & I that will start playing them and getting a feel of how the songs will go. We often do a few pre-production recordings, so we can hear how the songs will sound, and with this we’ll work on second guitar parts, melodies and even arrangement. Songs can sometime change drastically from the original demo, stay the same, morph into each other or even just disappear over time. Once we have all the songs done for a release, we give them to Mel and she’ll work on the lyrics and vocal patterns. Marc has started to be
involved a bit more in that part as well. For Merdarahta, I’ll have a “base track” that I’ll send to all the people that will be collaborating and they send me their parts to mix in. With Vil and Mel, I’ll usually just record them myself. They usually have never heard the track before, so what they end up doing is also improvised. Then I’ll take all the tracks from everyone and mix them together into something that works well. My mixing work on Merdarahta is always very minimal. I try and keep everything sounding as natural as possible and really not over analyze it like how I would a FTF record. DESPITE OF THE DISTANCE ISSUE FUCK THE FACTS HAVE DONE A LOT OF TOURING! Yeah, we’ve played more shows together than we’ve ever practiced as a full band. Over the years we’ve averaged to doing around 60-70 shows a year. It actually makes more sense to do tours than just one off dates, because of the distance. Johnny & Marc live about 6 hours away from Mel, Vil & I, so getting together for regular practices just doesn’t work. Usually we’ll get together 3-4 days before we leave on a tour. THE NEXT FUCK THE FACTS FULL-LENGTH ALBUM IS IN THE WORKS. WHAT’S THE STATUS ON THIS RELEASE? We’re finishing up Mel’s vocals now and then Marc will do his. We still have a few small instrument overdubs to record, but all the music for the album is basically recorded. We’ll probably start mixing sometime in June or July, but we’re still not sure on an actual release date yet. THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US! No problem. Thanks you! TOPO N D AS WWW. FAC EBO OK. COM / FUCK THE FAC TS FUCK THE FAC TS. BAN D CAMP .CO M WWW. FAC EBO OK. COM / MERD .RA HTA MERD ARA HTA .BA NDC A MP.C OM TOPO NDA S.B AND CAM P .COM
As loud as barking dogs behind an opaque fence, Vilkacis, the solo project of Michael Rekevics, drew my attention, so shrill that you can not ignore it.. HEY, HOW'S YOU? Hello. I’m well, if a bit busy. I have been going nonstop recently working on several releases and preparing for a Vilkacis tour. WHAT ROOTS YOU SHARE WITH LATVIA AND DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AS A LATVIAN?
My Latvian background echoes the immigrant histories of many of those living in the United States. My grandparents moved to the U.S. from Rīga in 1949, fleeing Soviet occupation and forced assimilation policies. My father was born a year later and was raised in a Latvian speaking household. My mother however is not Latvian, so I was raised speaking English, learning little more than basic pleasantries in Latvian when visiting my grandparents. That said, my grandparents’ national identity has played such a tremendous part in the shaping of my entire family history, that I cannot ignore it. It
might be a bit of a stretch to identify outright as Latvian, but I suppose LatvianAmerican would be accurate. YOU'VE PLAYED IN MANY BANDS, THE LIST OF NAMES IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS PROJECTS? YOU PARTICIPATED AS A DRUMMER? I’ve been playing music since I was a child, and I’ve always tried to keep busy, so over the years the list of bands I’ve played in (black metal or otherwise) has gotten quite long. I suppose the longest running project of mine is Fell Voices. More recently I’ve also played in two other projects, Ruin Lust and Vorde. And yes, I’ve played drums in each of those projects. HOW DOES THE LOCATION, FROM WHICH YOU CAME, AFFECT YOUR CREATIVE WORK? While I don’t actively try to manifest my surroundings through my music, I suppose location
does have an impact, be it through direct inspiration or through adverse reaction. For example, when I lived in Santa Cruz, both Fell Voices and a solo project of mine, Sleepwalker, fed very directly on the dense coastal fog and the power of the sea and I feel as though our music reflects it. Alternately, since moving to New York, two of my primary projects, Ruin Lust and Vorde, share a sonic and thematic emphasis on hate, deviancy, and sickness; adverse symptoms of citylife. In keeping with that train of thought, the anti-modern and fiercely individualistic themes of Vilkacis could also be seen as a retaliatory response to living in an impersonal, hyper-modern space USUALLY WORLD METAL-MUSIC SCENE RARELY SEE THE NAMES WITH LATVIAN ORIGIN. WHAT IS VILKACIS ALL ABOUT? The conceptual beginnings of the Vilkacis project are linked both to the
mythology from which it takes its name as well as another solo project of mine that I mentioned earlier, Sleepwalker. The myth of the vilkacis (literally meaning wolf’s eyes), as it was told to me, involves a werewolflike spirit that materializes out of a mortal human’s dreams, wreaking havoc through the night, only to return and dematerialize back into the dreamer’s subconscious at dawn. I was struck by both the lack of physical transformation in the story as well as the healing function the beast seemed to serve in dealing with psychospiritual repression. There was an intelligence and nuance in the myth that was largely lacking in the other werewolf mythologies I had studied. In 2007, the myth became the central lyrical and thematic point of focus for my then new recording project, Sleepwalker. In fact the name itself was inspired by the myth. I had considered naming
that project Vilkacis, but opted to go with something a bit subtler to better suit the sonic qualities I was working with. The dream that spawns the beast rather than the beast itself. In keeping with that logic, Vilkacis is the other edge of the dagger. Arcane, violent, unyielding; the beast itself manifest. WHAT RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH THE LYRICS FOR VILKACIS? IT IS EASY TO CREATE? The lyrics have come very naturally. Being a solo project, there is zero compromise. That freedom, along with the fact that the project has such a clear concept allows for a quick and intuitive lyric writing process. BRINGING VILKACIS ON STAGE! WHO ARE THOSE MUSICIANS WHO SUPPORTS VILKACIS OR IT IS COMPLETE SOLO? For the live version of Vilkacis, I will be joined by three trusted friends and
collaborators; individuals that I respect not only as musicians but as possessors of the warrior spirit that music of this nature demands. I’ve played with all of them before in recent projects Vorde and Ruin Lust as well as others, so there is no learning curve in adjusting to their playing styles. The situation is ideal. IN YOUR OPINION DOES THE ALBUM AND TRACK TITLES COMPLEMENT AN ALBUM IN ADDITION TO THE MESSAGE? Black metal, for me, is an act of spiritual warfare. A spear in the side of the Abrahamic worldview that has choked and colonized the hearts and minds of most the world. Vilkacis is the berserker on the frontlines of this war against the conditioned mind. This is the war that the album title references. So in regards to your question, yes, all of the titles have a deep significance. The titles, the lyrics, the art; all are meant
as part of the liberatory, selfactualizing spell that is Vilkacis. WHAT’S THE STORY WITH THE NEW ALBUM, "THE FEVER OF WAR"? LP WILL BE RELEASED VERY SOON, WHAT IS THE FEELINGS OF WAITING FOR THIS? The album was recorded almost a year ago at this point, so it has been a long process. It saw a very limited cassette edition on Psychic Violence, and now after many delays, it is finally seeing a beautiful vinyl pressing thanks to Psychic Violence in the U.S. and Dead Section out of Denmark. I’m certainly excited about the release, but to be honest, my attention has already moved onto upcoming releases. WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE VILKACIS ONCE THE ALBUM IS OUT? There are already two upcoming splits planned. One with Mongrel from New York, and another with Yellow Eyes who are also
based here. Additionally, I’ve begun work on a second album that I hope to complete in the coming months. The spirit of this project is very much alive in me right now, so its been natural to remain productive. Besides recording, we have a short tour planned for the beginning of July and then we intend to continue playing live when it is possible and conditions are right. WHICH LATVIAN ARTISTS OR BANDS DO YOU FOLLOW AND WHO ARE THOSE, WITH WHOM YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY A GIG HERE?
Honestly, I’m relatively ignorant to what is going on in Latvia musically, currently or otherwise. The bands Kartāga and Tesa are the only ones that have made any lasting impression on me. Years ago, while travelling through Rīga, I had the good fortune of meeting and staying with Janis, the drummer of Tesa for a few days. I unfortunately never got the chance to see them
live, so regarding the second part of your question, Tesa is certainly one of the bands I’d love to play with, in Latvia, or anywhere else for that matter.
VILKACIS
VILKACIS “THE FEVER OF WAR” LP, 317 copies worldwide, out on Psychic Violence shop, Bandcamp and Dead Section Records, and as cassette via Caligari Records.
OLAF SCHINDLER OF STUDIO ORKANA39 BY ARTURS VILMANIS
Silence is what usually kills me. The “deadlier” I become, the more certainty is that I will have a special chat. Olaf Schindler share his thoughts and opinion about existence, he brings out a lot of great names that moves his inspiration & talent. It is a really inspiring and great meet; so many moments of revelation and truth.
+ IF EVERYONE HAS TO DIE, WHO WOULD DIE FIRST? My neighbour from downstairs – hate that guy, haha.. Really there's no if. We all gonna die and it is one certain thing in life. It's just we not gonna die at once. I can safely bet now that the youngest person on the planet will die in 70, 80 years tops. Maybe more but I wouldn't recommend that. He or she will probably get tired, bored and sick... Everyone has to die it's also a name of my old project. Whole idea was to publish a sort of comic strip every few weeks. Each episode is about two imaginary opponents, each time they fight to death. The winner or survivor to be more accurate gets to next episode to fight again and most probably die. Cruel stuff. + YOU ARE USING A PSEUDONYM IN PLACE OF YOUR OWN LEGAL NAME. SHIN, SHIN SHINMAN, MAAD BUSINESS. WHO ARE YOU ANYWAYS? My name is Olaf Schindler. I work as freelance graphic designer and part of a duo called Studio Orkana39 with beautiful Lenka Kubica who is also my partner and lover. We own this weird, old dog Ms Alina. + TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE AREA YOU’RE COMING FROM? I come from Wroclaw, Poland. I was born and I live now in Karlowice an amazing part of town. Although it's situated next to busy streets it is full of green areas and parks. It also has a river going through the heart of the district and that is where my house stands. View is incredible and makes you realize the beauty of nature especially at this time of a year. It even makes me leave my flat during daytime and I have this rule: never go out before the dusk. + MOST OF THE PEOPLE DISCOVER THEIR TALENT PURELY BY ACCIDENT, OTHERS ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP IT FOR YEARS. See, I don't really think it's like that. Talent is one thing and, as I understand it, it's more like a knowledge about
yourself, a feeling that you are able and have this need to share your thoughts and opinions with others. Banksy once said most common thing in the word is wasted talent. I think it's because it takes a difficult decision to make it a job to develop your talent. You can't really paint a good picture, sing a nice song or design a house by accident. I think it takes a lot of work and effort to produce a piece of art.
In the movie about Jason Pollock at some point main character answers questions about his art, I believe this scene is based on facts. Asked about his work he admits that there's no room for randomness, everything is carefully planed. Have you seen his paintings...? Another thing is that today artists are more like a products or projects. Ones project is finished or product has expired it's time for another one. I don't like that. I would like to see work of favorite artists from different times and stages of their lives assuming more mature they become more interesting art they produce. + WHAT INFLUENCED & INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST? NAME YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST, FILL IN THE BLANK.
As a teenager I thought I was gonna become a writer. Maybe one day I will but the point is literature used to inspire me a lot. I liked every author who was a committed drunk or drug addict. Jerofiejew, Bukowski, Cendrars were my favorites. A little bit later I discovered Alber Camus and his books. I admit, his philosophy and Sartres is pretty much what I think about life till this day. I like realism in visual arts. Edward Hopper was great. Paintings of Gerhard Richter are fantastic. I don't like performance art but recent movie about Marina Abramovic was really strong. Her bold statements, sometimes scary and sometimes beautiful, moved me. Mentioned Banksy, is important for me. Starting as a graffiti artist he become someone like Picasso or Salvador Dali for previous generation. I mean, you can appreciate his work or not but certainly you are aware of his existence. I like his sour commentary and I value the fact he stays away from media. In general illegal graffiti is very inspiring. I'm thinking about unconditional freedom and working on your unique style. Religious art is fascinating too. I don't believe in any god or religion but studding artwork that obeys some greater rule or purpose is interesting. For example icons are truly beautiful although artists use similar colours and same composition through centuries. Almost every day at work I go through pieces of many talented designers and illustrators from all those crazy places. It's so interesting, unfortunately because of the amounts of information and fast way it's served it is impossible to
remember all the names. + WHAT ABOUT MUSIC? ARE THERE ANY MUSICAL INFLUENCES THAT BLAST YOUR INSPIRATION TO THE MAX AND YOU START TO CREATE MIRACLES? I have to say I put a record on first thing after waking up. Music plays all day long. I like simple, repeated rhythm so I explore genders like old delta blues, rap, reggae and minimal electronics but idea can come from any good song. One condition though: it's got to be sad. Couple years back I saw Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, a movie made by musician Jim White. White shows south regions of USA, southerners, poverty, swamps and wastelands. He claims that south is not only a place but more of a state of mind. Maybe he's right because all the artists he presents are super original, like nothing I heard before. Strange ballads of Johnny Dowd and exceptional music of singer and banjo player David Eugene Edwards are just examples. First time I saw the movie I learned about something powerful and new to me. I knew it's gonna be a source of great inspiration and it hasn't expired yet. I come back to watch it again every now and then just listen to these songs and watch great images of south of USA. + “PEOPLE I SPEAK TO� IS A GREAT PIECE OF ART. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE IDEA OF THIS CONCEPTUAL ART? Actually the reason was pretty trivial. Lenka, my partner brought ones her old tablet and I tell you one thing it was nothing like Wacom products. I plug it in to play around and just to start with something I drew a portrait of Andre the Giant a rapper I like. It turned out nice so I drew couple more. All of them where portraits of artists that influenced me. You got another rapper Baldhead Slick better known as Guru. You got Jim Jarmush one of the most original filmmakers I know, painter Basquiat and two comedians: crazy Rodney Dangerfield and Peter Sellers as unforgettable Jacques Clouseau.
+ WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE? Lack of drugs for more than 6 months, haha... It's true but let me be more poetic and say it is silence. I hate silence on many levels. First thing I do after opening my eyes in the morning is singing last song I heard day before. I keep going like that till I hear some real music and it stays with me all day long. It also means people should speak for them selves. I think that many bad things happen to people just because they are afraid to say what they really want. One of the worst things I can imagine is not being able to express myself. Also in political sense, the right to speak your mind freely and openly is fundamental and every single person should be able to do so. It's very sad that there's so many governments that fail to fulfil this basic need.
OLAF SCHINDLER WWW.SH I NMAN. NET WWW.BEH AN CE .NE T/SH I NMA N
ART BY: OLAF SCHINDLER
ART BY: OLAF SCHINDLER
ART BY: OLAF SCHINDLER
كافر -REV IEW -
THE CHILD IS BORN THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DARKNESS & EMPTINESS OF THE SOUL SUICIDE KING, THE ANTICHRIST. K.F.R IS A ONE MAN RITUAL, THE MUSIC OF THE UNDERWORLD, CURATED BY A MONARCH, FRENCH ARTIST MAXIME TACCARDI. IT’S AN AUDIO INTERPRETATION OF MR. TACCARDI PAINTINGS, WHERE BLOOD IS USED AS INK. K.F.R FIRST ALBUM "ANTI" IS A TEN SONG RITUAL FULL OF HAUNTING SCREAMS, DARK GUITAR RIFFS & CREEPY KEYBOARD SOUNDS, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE AN IMMORTALITY, THE ENDLESS CIRCLE OF THE BIRTH AND DEATH THROUGH TRAUMAS, FEARS AND DISGUST. "ANTI" SETS ONLY ONE QUESTION TO THE LISTENER - DOES OUR ROTTEN SOUL HAVE CONTINUE, WITHOUT INTERRUPTION BY DEATH, WHICH IS JUST INEVITABLE? IT NEEDS TO BE HEARD! YOU DESERVE TO BE FREE, ENJOY YOUR NIGHTMARES! LIMITED EDITION VINYL, 100 UNITS HAND-NUMBERED AND SIGNED WITH MAXIME TACCARDI BLOOD ARE AVAILABLE VIA ARTIST PERSONALLY, CD LIMITED TO 500 WITH A 20 PAGES BOOKLET CAN BE ORDERED VIA DARK ADVERSARY PRODUCTIONS.
WWW. FAC EBO OK. COM / KFRK AFI R WWW. FAC EBO OK. COM / MAXI ME. TAC CAR DI W W W . F A C E B O O K . COM / MAXI MET ACC ARD IAR T WORK S WWW. DAR KAD VER SAR Y .COM
guitar AttAck AttAck Back in the 80’s my father had a self-made, sort of Gibson SG guitar. This relic no longer belongs to our family but I hope that someday it will find it’s way to a Latvian guy, a guitar builder Janis Kuzminskis guitar museum. Janis demonstrated his build, AttAck battleaxe, to Dominic Miller (who’s playing guitar on every Sting album and tour since 1990), he emphasized that AttAck guitar is very handy and it is easy to play. Rock world will be overtaken by AttAck guitars! More AttAck in the following pages..
WHEN IT’S ALL STARTED? IN FACT, DID YOU TRIED TO BUILD OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BEFORE YOU STARTED WITH GUITARS OR IT WAS INSTANTLY CLEAR THAT IT NEEDS TO BE A GUITAR WHEN YOU PICKED UP YOUR FIRST FENDER?
board which was the first thing by hand, the neck from birch with an oak fingerboard and the frets were not even put together and I gave in, because of the lack of information that grew into despair).
I dealt with woodwork from a young age. At 8- 9 years of age I created my first carvings, taught to me by a neighbour who was a great master of restoration work. I had always been tied to everything that is related to the tree. By the end of school I learned my first chords and started to play acoustic guitar. I'd always loved good rock music and I still do, I think that is why my eyes immediately looked at the direction of the electric guitar. Shortly after I had my first guitar, I don’t remember the brand. Someone gave it to me because it supposedly was not tunable, but it turned out that the body and neck were taken from different guitars and of course they both did not match. I made a primitive bridge, put everything in the right place and that’s all. Of course the pickups sound was terrible, plus it had a flat and awkward neck comparing it to the Musima which was played by a band member.
After a few years I worked for a carpenter in Riga who was engaged in the production of exclusive items. There I learned that all the work has to be perfect down to minor details, everything is connected - if you make the mistake at the beginning, it would certainly appear at the end. And then, after a long break, I set to the next guitar build. This time I picked Gibson SG body, but immediately added personal neck strengthening tricks. This construction took me almost a year until I got all the necessary parts. When the work was done I showed my success to more experienced guitar guys to evaluate. After a hundreds of recommendations I realized that I needed to build the next one – better! Next came easier and faster.
So I got the idea to build a guitar of which I liked everything, and started to work (it was about 1993 - 1994). I chose Strat style body. Of course I was lacking of knowledge and the internet did not exist back then, I completed only the body (spruce
THERE ARE ONLY ELECTRIC GUITARS? At the moment, I’m building electric guitars only. I can offer a guitar with my head held high, because their quality has appreciated by known musicians. I tried my hand in creating acoustic guitars, but a certain quality threshold needs to be achieved before offering them. INDIVIDUAL DESIGN, PRECISE
SELECTED WOOD AND CAREFULLY SELECTED COMPONENTS, IT IS WHAT DEFINES YOUR TECHNOLOGY, WHICH CREATES A UNIQUE SOUND OF THE INSTRUMENT? Wood choice is important, it is personally prepared. Materials for guitars are dried in a natural way, very slowly, in the shade for 5 years, prior to use I keep it indoors up to two months, the end result of wood moisture is 5-7%. In contrast to simulated dried wood, naturally dried material does not change the structure, which positively affects the sound. Each year I prepare materials that can be applied only after five years. Latvian timber is designed to be transformed into a musical instrument, because it does not grow rapidly and wood structure is denser and more resonant. I focus my attention to the design, I try to tell my customers that each instrument has to be an individual as a simple copy of a guitar is unworthy. Each project has something special which distinguishes it from any other guitar, whether it’s visual or technological. IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR PERSON, WHOSE GUITARPLAY HABITS HAVE LED YOU TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU BUILD THE GUITARS? One of my guitars ("Attack" Ultra, these type bodies I made most) the inspiration could be Herman Li playing style, it shows that the guitar has to be super comfortable and durable, was based on the Ibanez E-Gen thinness, but with many improvements that can be seen
if visually compared. "ATTACK" IS A GUITAR DESIGNED FOR A PARTICULAR GENRE OF MUSIC? I have to admit that rock and heavy music lovers are more common clients than calm music lovers. A key feature of all the guitars is an excellent sustain. The easiest way to check is to lay guitar on a table, put an ear to the body and pulling the low strings, then there is a feeling that the transformer hums long and beautifully. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT AND THE MAJOR CHALLENGES FACED BY IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY CARRY OUT THE ATTACK? The biggest problem is longstanding stereotypes developed by an advertising, settled deep in the people's subconscious. However, stereotypes disappear when the guitar is actually played, there is a realization that it turns out to be much better than an ordinary guitar. For example, my standard string height at 12 fret is not greater than 1.5mm and the clean sounds is without a buzz. GUITAR BRAND IS QUITE LOUD, AGGRESSIVE AND EXTRINSIC TO LATVIAN NATION. HOW DO YOU CAME TO IT AND WAS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE? I am a Latvian patriot, however, I admit that we are quite a small country and guitarists-patriots are even less.
Considering the brand name it was clear that it should be simple and easy to memorize. If a guitar is called “Sprīdītis” (*Tom Thumb) or “Auseklītis” (*Morning Star), you’ll not go beyond patriotism, but the “Attack” is also a playing technique, there’s no contradictions. I was also recommended to be called by the initials (JK), but I realized that it would not be a second JZ Microphones success story rather than mixed with some eastern tacit copies. IN ADDITION TO GUITAR BUILDS YOU'RE ALSO A COLLECTOR AND YOU ARE MAKING UP A GUITAR MUSEUM; HOW MANY GUITARS YOU HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTION AND HOW MUCH OF THEM ARE FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS? The museum is forming slowly, but with its own charm. I am not trying to build it on the amount of guitars but to be more interesting with their stories, who played them and what they played and so on. Currently in my collection are a few dozen guitars, some of the "Soviet times" Musima, Jolana, Formanta, Elgava, Unika, Yamaha, Ibanez, and many others as well. I have bought some with interesting stories, bartered for guitar repairs,
also I received some as gifts. Unfortunately the original Gibson and Fender only as copies, but looking forward, maybe some will be donated. Recently one Latgalian band which ended their career in 1996 gave their 3 guitars and 1 banjo. WHICH OTHER GUITAR MAKERS DO YOU ADMIRE? WHAT ABOUT THE COMPETITION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING? I do not have any favorite makes. I would improve all mass-produced guitars, which were held in my hands, to my personal taste. I am more inspired by personal guitar builders who put in their souls & stories. But there are not many! HOW PEOPLE CAN ORDER / BUY ATTACK GUITAR? Currently guitars are only available to order, but I have received an offer from some proprietors who want to see "Attack" guitars in their stores, so I’ve created some models which are affordable and will soon be offered in some Latvian musical instrument stores for the general public. For orders you can contact me vie e-mail: tiptops@inbox.lv, after that all will be good.
JĀNI S K UZM INS KIS WWW. FAC EBO OK. COM / JANI S.K UZM INS KIS TIPTOPS@INBOX.LV WWW. ATT ACK .MO ZEL L O.LV
WWW.MANIYAX.COM
XVERBICIDEX // TOPON DAS “Split” 2014 So I'm sitting here finally checking this out and I'm trying to think of the band that Topan Das reminds me of. His solo stuff reminds me of something that I used to listen to back in the mid 90's but I can't quite put my finger on it. Plus I don't remember the names of all the bands I used to listen to back then either. So all in all is what it comes down to is that on the first listen is. Topon Das's solo stuff sounds like.. Topan Das. Slightly eccentric, slightly out there. But not so much eccentric or so far out there that it scares you. Just out there enough that it makes a person wonder. "I wonder what it would be like if I went further out?“ Really cool really spacy ambient experimental is about the only way I can think to describe his stuff. Now for the xVERBICIDEx side of the split. Imagine an acid trip lost on a spaceship. That's the first thing I think of while listening to the first song on their side of the split. Or even better yet. Imagine being lost in a 1970's Sci Fi movie. Not quite there but you're there just enough to know that you're lost. It's a really interesting listen. I can't really says that I would listen to the xVERBACIDEx side of the split on a regular basis. But if it was 5 AM and I was awake doing nothing. Yeah this would definitely be on the playlist of things to listen to. On full listen Topon's side is a little more listener friendly on the ambient side of things. While xVEBICIDEx is a
little more on the darker side of ambient. A little more heavy would be another way to describe it. Both sides are put together amazingly. A split definitely worth looking up. So far the only way I've been able to find it though is through bandcamp. Doom & Bloom DIY it's realesed through. I guess there is supposed to be a cassette issue released at some point but Topon isn't sure about that when I talked to him about this release. So I don't know if there is any vinyl or cassettes or CD's available or not. But look this up if you need something different to listen to.Also be sure to check out his other band if you don't know about them yet.Fuck The Facts, Merdarahta, and I forget all the other stuff he has going on also.
SKAVEN “Discography� 2014 For some reason I always get Skaven and Skarp confused with one another. Fuck, I don't get it. Oh well.. Anyway, I think something is wrong with me. I think I'm getting old or some shit. For some reason some of these songs don't have the.. OOMPH (for lack of a better word right now) that they did several years back. They don't seem as crusty and as dirty anymore. I used to listen to these guys way back in the day. Well more like 2005 and until a few years ago quite a bit. I think it's been since probably 2011 since I last listened to them. Many a drunken drug filled nights listening to Skaven. I first heard them via Life Is Abuse Records. You used to be able to download a lot of other band's songs from that label way back before Bandcamp came along. You used to be able to do that too with a lot of other labels also. But yeah, anyway.. Yeah I used to listen to these guys a lot when I was wandering around the western states of the US pan handling for booze and just seeing where I ended up. The Swarm and Flowers of Flesh and Blood bring back a lot of memories of waking up in jail, detox, other places wondering where the fuck I am. 2011 when I last listened to them I was wandering around Jackson, Wyoming. Wondering what the fuck I was doing? Fucking good times, yo! If you're into crust driven metal goodness and haven't heard these guys yet. Fucking check these guys out! They will change your life. Next thing you know you'll be heading down to the freight yard with a couple bros and a half gallon of whiskey. Waiting for the next freight train heading out and hopping it out of where ever the fuck you are and getting the fuck out. Well that is if you're not already living that life, anyway.
I don't know if they're playing shows or not anymore. But if they are and you get word of it, be sure to go! And be sure to buy this fucking album too. There is a digital download available via Moshpit Tragedy. Vinyl and everything else the info I have is via Skuld Releases but that sight was under maintenance when I went to check. So I'm not entirely sure at this time. I'm betting you would find a copy of it though if you went to your local record store asked the guy running it. If you go to your record store have him look up some of the splits also. The split with Stormcrow is fucking bad ass. I haven't heard the Dystopia split though. But if you can get those, get them! CHEERS! or HAILS! or what the fuck ever.
66 REVIEWS
THETAN “Laughed At By The Gods” 2014 I think it might be time to go to the liquor store, get a buzz on, and get all this shit done. But then smoking some weed is pretty fucking tempting too. Hmmm.. Decisions, decisions.. Okay fuck it. I'll write this one up then go do my thing for a little while. So Thetan.. I guess they're from Tennessee. I had no idea there were people playing this kind of shit out there. I always thought there was nothing but moonshine, country music, cousins named Jed, and bourbon out in them parts. HAH! Just kidding. I think Appalachian Terror Unit is from out that way, but I forget. Anyway, some kicks ass punk or hardcore or whatever you want to call stuff like this right here with Thetan. If you need some good drinking music and you're not really in the mood for any metal. Check these guys out. Lots of screaming, lots of playing fast, and lots of other fun stuff too. I can't tell if there is going to be any vinyl available or not since everything is pre-order right now while I'm typing this. But I'm guessing there will be. But by the time the next Archiv Hate comes out there should be an LP release for this album on Anti-Corporate Music Inc. Plus I guess there will be a cassette release also from Failed Recordings also. So do what you can and get yourself a copy. Now with that being said.. Off I go!!
THE GREAT SABATINI “Dog Years” 2014 For some reason I've had a hard time putting words together for this release. I've tried to several times prior to this one. But have always fallen short on the right words. All I can really say is that I bet they're bad ass live. I've seen several reviews saying it's a sludge album. But for some reason I have had a hard time calling this sludge. I'd say it's more of a late 90's era punk/ hardcore album with moments of sludge elements in it. The whole sludge moniker doesn't seem to really fit for me. But that could just be me. The beginning of the album starts out with what seems like it could be some bad ass thrash. But then it progresses quickly into something completely different. It's a little too upbeat and not as pissed off at the world wanting to make political changes like a lot of what I used to listen to when I was in junior high did. That's not to say it isn't bad. It's just hard to put it all together into words. A lot of different changes in the songs. Plus all but three of the songs are no longer than 3 minutes each. I don't know, it's not a bad album and definitely worth checking out. One of the songs that stands out this most to me is number 7 "Munera“. I guess this would be one of the ones where the album gets labelled as a sludge album. The one previous to that one is another interesting song. I have no idea how I would describe it. All I can say is track down the album and check it out. You may you may not be amazed by it. If you get a chance check them out live. I know they're touring here in the states this summer. Well this June anyway, they will be in Salt Lake City. I forgot what the rest of their schedule is like. But it's not hard to find. I've seen it listed on several pages.
BASTARD NOISE // LACK OF INTEREST “Split� 2013 I've known about Bastard Noise for quite some time. I've know about Man Is The Bastard for even longer. I used to own the split with Merzbow quite some time back but then I got fucked in the head and said "Fuck you world and everything in it." Including my own shit. Yeah I was in a fucked up place that day. But anyway I'm still not sure if Bastard Noise is a different entity from Man Is The Bastard Noise or not. I remember reading interviews and they weren't ever sure either back in the day. But that was back in the day. Anyway.. Bastard Noise.. This is a rerecording or whatever it's called of some tracks they had from back in the day from what I understand. I could be missing something though. But all I can say is that it's more reminiscent of Man Is The Bastard than it is Bastard Noise. But then I've only heard the split with Merzbow. And it's a completely different album from that one. Really bad ass stuff though regardless. If this is one of those bands that you have been meaning to check out for quite a while like I was when I first heard about them. I recommend checking them out.
If you're expecting a noise burst on this one like the Merzbow split, you won't get that on this one. Just straight up hardcore goodness for this. Not east coast (US) sXe hardcore like so many kids are used to hearing where I'm from. But just hardcore in everything that it encompasses. I guess about the only other band I can relate them to is Bloodlet, off hand. For the most part mostly slower stuff with a few up beat moments.
Lack Of Interest.. What is there to say about them. I remember my cousin talking all kinds of good shit about them way back in the late 90's. The only way I can really describe them is So-Cal hardcore punk. Nothing fancy, just straight up. FUCK YOU! Really cool stuff. The kind of stuff I was always looking for back when I was in high school. I Guess they call what they do "Powerviolence" what ever the fuck I powerviolence is since there are band like Dahmer that used to be considered powerviolence back in the day. I just call them punk. If you're older, I'm sure you remember them. If you're younger, I'm sure you need to check them out.
66 REVIEWS
EIRÐ “A Silent Sprit's Aftermath” Demo 2014
GALG “Monochroom” 2014
I pretty much forgot about this one until I finally went through my email today and noticed I had this waiting for me. This may only be a demo but what a mighty and majestic demo it is. It has the sounds that just cry out for the various gods attention as you stand on a mountain top blasting this as loud as possible for the world to hear. Solid, heavy, doomy riffs, and..
Holy crapping cow buckles this is cool!!!
I have no idea what else to say. I'm taken aback on this one. This just stands on it's own. About the most I can really say about it is that I'm blown away by it. After a few months of discordant, slightly disturbing (as some would call it), sometimes depressing, and sometimes noise for the past several months.
WOW, all I can say or think is WOW. Experimental harsh blackened noise doom? I don't even know how the hell to describe this one other than FUCKING AWESOME!
This is a breath of fresh air. Brings a person back to reality instead of them looking at things in a negative light and having them waiting for either the end of the world. Or the end of themselves. It makes me want to climb to the top of a really tall mountain and scream out to the world, "THIS IS ME!! I AM HERE!!“ Yup, that's what this one does for me. If you haven't checked this one out yet. I would recommend taking some time tracking it down and giving it a listen. I guess I already downloaded this a little while ago also. But I've had this on repeat for the past hour and a half now and I'm blown away by it every time a new track starts. I keep trying to find more words to give this album the praise it needs but I have said all that I can. I would like to go more into the band and the artist composing this. But even then, to say more that would take away from everything this album is. This stands on it's own as is.
So far 2014 is starting to look like a kick ass year for more experimentation and what ever else on the doom front for me. I was going thought some pages on facebook when I saw this one and I decided to check it out. Another one of those, I don't know what to expect but lets check it out anyway ideas of mine.
It starts out all mellow and experimenty then jumps into some black hardcore grind, then for some doomy goodness and that's for the most part where it stays until the end. Really awesome stuff. Really great stuff to listen from 4 - 5 AM and there no one around but you. Something to listen to while you're dismembering bodies and turning various parts of dead animal and humans into pieces of artwork. If you checked out the Relic Point and NOÛS releases that I reviewed in the last issue. This one would go right along with those ones. Amazing stuff right here. I can't find a facebook page or anything else so I have no idea if they have any other releases or not. About the only way I can seem to find this release an any other minimal info is on Bandcamp. So dig up this album and listen to it a lot really low really late at night or early in the morning.
KING BONG “Pinng or the underwater adventures of a young Cthulhu� 2014 I've been seeing this album coming up on various pages for what feels like a month now. But I think it's only been a week or too. I've been meaning to check it out but I've been slacking on that. Finally I get a message asking me if I wanted to review it and I'm like "Fuck yeah! I'll write a review for it. I've been meaning to check it out anyway." Now with that being said, it's time for me to babble on like an idiot for a little while. Have you ever had one of those mornings where you don't want to do anything? Just one of those "Fuck you world I don't want to do shit" kind of mornings? Yeah that's kind of where I'm at right now while listening to this again and trying to write a review for this album. On first listen of it the first 10 minutes are pretty damn good. Then it goes off on some kind of a funk/ psychodelic experience which made me go, "What the fuck". This isn't what I'm in the mood to listen to right now. But I kept listening to it anyway while playing some Candy Crush. (It's just one of those things I do when I first wake up and I don't really have much else to do.) As the album progressed and I got further into it, it started growing on me. All I could think is, "This is pretty damn cool, I kind of like this" and back I went to crushing more candy. Finally by the time I got into the last 10 minutes of the album I started thinking. What the hell? It's already over? "No! I want it to keep playing."
All in all this is really solid album. Lots of mood changes and lots of other different changes to keep one listening to it while playing lame video games that are on Facebook while they're trying to wake their happy asses up. It just grows on you in the way Cthulu slowly wraps his mouth tentacles around the world in order to devour it for destruction or something. From what I gather the whole release was done in one take but I'm not for sure on that. You can find the CD release and the download via Mother Fuzz Records. I recommend checking it out and giving it a good and thorough listening. All sorts of nuances and different things pop out with each listen.
66 REVIEWS
DEAD BODY COLLECTION & J.ADOLPHE “Deep Into The Halls“ 2014 An album that I've been listening to quite a bit lately is this one. A noise project that I came across while digging around trying to find new stuff to listen to. Something kind of on the.. Fuck I have no idea how to describe this kind of noise. All I can say is that it's more on my side of the noise realm. Kind of darker and less on the harsh I guess would be how I would describe it. It's a really interesting album. There was a compilation that I came across back when I was still in high school. I can't remember the projects name that was on it. All I can say is that it slightly reminds me of that. I wish I could remember the name and the comp that I found it on that this reminds me of. But anyway.. Some really cool and interesting noise right here. Every time I listen to it I find myself wondering. What makes a project "good noise" and what makes it "shitty noise"? I came to the conclusion that if it doesn't inspire any sort of thought or emotion. Then it's shitty. This one helps inspire a lot of though and some emotion for me. Thoughts of the world and my life. Do I want to change any of that or do I just want to keep going and fucking everything up even more? You know all the fun shit that people think about when it's 4AM and there is no one around but themselves. And for some reason that is what makes it good noise. But a little history on this. I guess this was recorded in one session in an abandoned hospital in Germany.
I thought that was probably the coolest idea I have heard of in a while. One of my first rules when listening to a noise project. How much of it is art and how much of it is emotion. I think this has a good balance of the both. This is limited to 50 cassettes via GERÄUSCHMANUFAKTUR. A label I'm not too familiar with but I guess they focus mostly on cassette releases. As how it's always been with stuff like this. But look this release up on Bandcamp. You may like it, you may not.
SPACE WITCH // TROLLKRAFTT “Wychkraftt“ Split 2014 Last week I was listening to my usual jams that I usually listen to while running around town being a dumb ass. I found myself thinking, "Could it be possible? Has it finally happened? Am I finally sick of listening to doom metal?“ So I got off the internet for a few days. Stopped listening to all my usual music that I listen to and took a break. Earlier this morning I finally said fuck it and got back on a computer and decided to check out some of my usual pages that I check out to find new music. I saw this one posted on a couple of different sites. It took me a minute or two to finally say, "Fuck it! I might as well give this one a listen. I've been seeing it spread around quite a bit this morning.“ So now here I am giving it a listen again for the second time. As soon as it's over, it will be going on a third time. So far in my couple of listens it's been nothing but bad ass doom in the best ways doom can be. Bad ass riffs with a little bit of groove to them, a little low end (Not overdoing it of course) and just all out bad assery. A few others on other pages have given this release nothing but praise as well. About the only complaint I would have with this is that there are only two songs. It needs more! Which means I need to get around to digging around on these interwebs and various record stores to see what I can find from both these bands. The first song from Space Witch I would describe as kind of spacey doom for those
that love that feeling of flying through space and smoking blunts/joints/bowls and just getting lost in the ride. It even has the space like sound affects and everything. Fucking awesome stuff. The second Song from Trollkraftt. This one is a crushing beast that will pummel the life right out of you with it's crushing riffs and vocals that snarl as they're doing it. This is a beast of an album. Buy it when you get the chance! So far all I can is a CD for sale via bandcamp. I hope someday a 7" may be released of this. I need a copy damn it! But until then I guess I will just have to settle with a CD and streaming it on Bandcamp.
66 REVIEWS
TACIT FURY “A Social Berserker” 2014
ELECTRIC TAURUS / PREHISTORIC PIGS “Split” 2014
So it's May and this was released in March. I'm just now getting around to checking it out. Well I also didn't find out about it until a week or so ago. So I'm not slacking that much, even though I have been a slack ass lately. Another one of those releases where I got a nifty messages saying I should check out their band. And I finally did.
So something I've been meaning to write for several weeks. Man, I had all kinds of words of praise for this one. But then I started trying to get everything together and it all went to shit. This one took me a few listens because when I was on a completely different trippier trip. But this is some straight up really cool, really catchy, stonier psychedelic shit.
First and foremost this is some solid bad ass death metal. Nothing really too fancy. Just the perfect time changes, breakdowns, blast beats, guttural vocals and guitar leads right where needed. Straight up solid shit for this one. All the good stuff that made me fall in love death metal back when I was a pre-teen brat listening to mostly Vio-Lence, Kreator, Sodom, and Sepultura when I was 12.Right before I discovered the joy of Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Morbid Angel, and all the other good bands that came out in the early 90's. So a little history of the band, from what I gather with their bio. I guess they're from Russia, Moscow in particular. They released a few albums in early 2000 then split for a while. I guess they started righting together again in 2010. And then in 2014 they released this berserker beast of an album. So with all that being said. If you like death metal, just straight up death metal. No "core" or anything added to their description. Check these guys out. Just some solid straight up death metal that won't leave you bored. Oh and I can actually listen to this whole thing without getting bored with it either like I can with a lot of other stuff. So do yourselves and these guys a huge favor and check them out!
Imagine being at a music fest and you just dropped a few hit's of acid. This side of Electric Taurus totally reminds me of right as you're about to peak and get lost for a minute or two. Well more like an hour or two but still. This is something that says, "Listen to me regardless of where you head change may be.“ Catchy, groovy as hell stuff. The Prehistoric Pigs side. They have a completely different groove. As of right now about all I can say about is that you need to listen to them. Quite a bit more heavier than Electric Taurus and less on the psychedelic side. But still bringing it heavy and taking you with them for the ride. Yeah, a lot more on the stoner side of the metal. Actually straight up, if I had a copy of this, I would be listening to it consistently. I get this odd impression that it would be a kick ass album to listen to while partying with your friends. Or even listening to it while working on a piece of artwork (painting or drawing). Really cool split regardless. I can't find any info as to when it's getting released on vinyl or anything. But keep an eye out for it. Solid release of a rocking good time, You can find this through "Go Down Records" so see what you can do about getting yourself a copy!
SACRAMENT OV IMPURITY “Anguishing In Obscurity” 2013 I've been meaning to write this review for quite a while now. But me being the dumb ass that I am. I managed to space that I was going to and lost the info I had stashed away in my piles of random shit. Sorry about that guys. I completely dropped the ball on this one. But any Sacrament Ov Impurity. If you're a huge fan of black metal you'll really like this. Hailing from Washington state, I'm actually kind of amazed this is coming from there. Portland or California I can imagine. But Washington? That kind of surprised me. Especially from Mount Vernon. I used to pass through there when I was heading out to some of the San Juan Islands. Musically these two guys a kind of a black/death metal mix. More on the black metal side with a few low guttural growls. Really bad ass stuff. All the music is put together slightly melodic. But not obnoxiously melodic. A perfect balance between intense blasting furies and slightly mid-paced intensity. Not too mid-paced though. Just the perfect balance between the two. As far as finding this album goes. You can either send them a message on Facebook or you can order it via bandcamp. I don't think they're signed to a label or anything so yeah, check them out. Also they're playing this years Martyrdoom III on June 27th and you can buy a CD directly from them. I'm pretty sure they don't have any vinyl available though. So if you're hoping from that you may be shit out of luck, kind of sucks. But still you can buy a CD and support them anyway. And if you're at Martydoom III you can buy a t-shirt also. I'm pretty sure they had some available when I saw them last September.
VAINAJA “Kadotetut” 2014 This one I can't really can't think of a lot to say about it. Another one that can stand on it's own with very few words. It was released on Svart Records last May. Another one took me a week or two to finally check out. But when I finally did listen to it. Dang! I was blown away by it. Crushing death/doom metal hailing from Finland. They know how to do it right! Dark as fuck, crushing as hell, and sends you on a journey straight to the dark neither realms of insanity. An album not to be missed or worshiped for sure. You can find this release via either Svart Records webpage. It's available on both black and white vinyl as well as CD also. Or you can go to their bandcamp page also and buy the digital download. Either way you need to buy this album and be prepared to be crushed, ground to a pulp, and your ashes spread throughout the various realms of hell.
66 REVIEWS
THE BABA YAGA The Baba Yaga is a mythical female figure from Russian folklore, but can be seen through the folklore of many European countries and in books, films, comics and music. She is said to live in a hut deep in the forest that stands on chicken legs, and fly around these forests in a mortar, holding a pestle, with which she will grind up the bones of her victims. European languages translate the second part of her name as (amongst others), witch, evil woman, fury and horror. There are many variations on her story, but the darker ones resonate within me. Tales that tell of her counting the teeth of every inhabitant of graveyards at night, taking children from their families if they see her and turning people old at a blink of her eyes. She is also said to eat the children that she takes, cooking them in a giant iron pot in her chicken legged hut. To me, she is the grand dame of female deities and spirits in European folklore, and certainly one of the nastiest and most blood thirsty, depending on whose version you read or see. Here, she is portrayed as a withered demented old hag, who eats the eyes of the children she takes. She has lost an eye in battle, and reasons that by devouring the eyes of the young, she will restore her lost sight and former youth and beauty.
MORGAN GLEAVE
BABA YAGA BY: MORGAN GLEAVE
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