Distorted Sound Issue 5

DISTORTED SOUND FESTIVALS | GIGS | BLOGS | ALBUMS | SINGLES | OPINIONS | INTERVIEWS & MORE

HEART OF A COWARD RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR ACT OF DEFIANCE THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER MUCH, MUCH MORE...

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Editors Note.

Death metal has always been one of metal’s most consistent sub-genres and Suffocation has always been of death metal’s most consistently brilliant bands. It’s quite remarkable that they are still going after all this time and still producing high-octane, gut-wrenching filth. That’s why they are on the cover, we go in depth with bassist Derek Boyer about how Suffocation can keep going and what fans can look forward to.

Issue 5 continues our new style and it’s bigger and better than ever! Absolutely jam-packed full of great stuff. To Chris Broderick’s new band Act of Defiance, AHAB’s doom driven assault to UK rising stars Heart of a Coward and a whole stack of records reviewed by the team. So enjoy!

James Weaver

facebook.com/distortedsoundmag www.distortedsoundmag.com

Staff.

Jim Forsyth

Becky Callaghan

Katie Louise Needham

Alex Piercy

Jessica Howkins

Laura McCarthy

Jack Fermor-Worrell

Neale McGeever

Alison Pitcairn

Wesley Needham

David Creamer

Henry Jones

Robert Bieganski

Eddie Sims

Tim Redman

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Distorted Sound Issue 5

6 - Choice Cuts 8 - INTRODUCING: Jackson Firebird 9 - INTRODUCING: Lost Soul 10-11 Rise of the Northstar 14-15 - Heart of a Coward 18-21 - Act of Defiance 24-25 - A brief look at New York’s alternative music scene 26-29 - Ahab 32-36 - Suffocation 38 - The Black Dahlia Murder Album Review 39 - Myrkur Album Review 40 - Iron Maiden Album Review 41 - Black Tongue Album Review 42-43 - Album Filler Reviews 46-49- Ghostfest Live Review 50 - Suffocation Live Review 51 - METAL KID 05

CHOICE CUTS

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what’s the Distorted Sound crew been listening to this month?

James Weaver (Editor)

Jessica Howkins (Review Editor)

Jack Fermor-Worrell (Review Editor)

Katie Needham (Photographer)

Myrkur - M

Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls

Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls

Down - Down II

Jim Forsyth (Designer)

David Creamer (Writer)

Tim Redman (Writer)

Laura McCarthy (Writer)

Elder - Dead Roots Stirring

Moss Horrible Night

Saxon Call To Arms

BTBAM Coma Ecliptic

Eddie Sims (Writer)

Henry Jones (Writer)

Alex Piercy (Writer)

Robert Bieganski (Comic Artist)

Black Tongue The Unconquerable Dark

Ebonivory The Only Constant

Mastodon Once More ‘Round The Sun

Arms of War Legions of Steel

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INTRODUCING

Composed of guitarist/vocalist Brendan Harvey and percussionist/vocalist Dale Hudak these two aren’t your average guitar/drum duo. Think a bluesy BLACK KEYS sound booming through sello-taped together megaphones, with further influences drawn from a variety of different genres such as NOFX, BODY COUNT and FLEETWOOD MAC. Immediately when seeing the band on stage you will notice their extensive DIY collection of strange, wonderful and unique additions to their instruments, resulting in a backline that resemble something straight out of Fallout 3.

Please don’t simply see these as gimmicks to distract you from their performance. Check out the

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video for their cover of TOM WAITS, Goin’ out west and you’ll see for yourself how these tacky tape modifications visually display the inventive nature and talent of this pair of renegades.

The point behind that ‘revealing’ tale is JACKSON FIREBIRD are an intimate band who are enjoying themselves, the sort of guys who make an effort to share a beer with you after their set and this pours through into the music they produce. This is evident in the new album they released last week over here in Europe Shake the Breakdown.

WORDS: Alex Piercy

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INTRODUCING

Poland has become a country well know for exporting some of metal’s leading names in the underground. Behemoth, Decapitated, Hate and Vader to name but a few. Lost Soul have never quite managed to achieve the same fame in the metal scene as their countrymen.

Through their intricate song structure, complicated riff patterns and rapid blast beat drumming, Lost Soul are the perfect technical death metal band. Combining brutality with intricacy, the Polish four piece display a wealth of talent. Throughout their 25 year career the band have been consistent with their quality of music but it was 2009’s Immerse In Infinity that started to turn heads. With the band releasing their first music video for ...If The Dead Can Speak, Lost Soul started to embrace recognition in the metal

underground.

Now, the band are preparing to unleash their new opus, the hotly anticipated Atlantis: The New Beginning with a release date penciled in at the end of October. With the first single, Aqueous Ammonia, released earlier this month, fans have a glimpse into what expect from the Polish metallers; brutality.

If Lost Soul can continue their sound which is so resected in metal’s underground then the world is truly their oyster.

Atlantis: The New Beginning is set for release on October 30th via Apostasy Records.

WORDS: James Weaver

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WORDS: James Weaver

“We picture oursel charac

Since their breakthrough into the hardcore scene, Rise of the Northstar’s popularity Rise of the Northstar are perhaps one of has sky-rocketed. Yet performances in the most interestingly bizarre bands in the UK are rare, however earlier this year modern hardcore. With musical styles the band made a surprise appearance at ticking the boxes of rap, metal and London’s Comic Con. Bassist Fabulous hardcore and lyrics intertwined with Fab and frontman Vithia explains that anime and manga, Rise of the Northstar the decision wasn’t down to the band, are reinventing hardcore. “Our musical more their record label, Nuclear Blast style is natural!” Explains frontman Vithia. Records. “The UK office put us on because “We all grew up with all this different of our lyrics really, it was strange for us music; a lot of rap music, a lot of thrash because it was the first time we played music, metal music and hardcore. So when in an environment like that, there were we wanted to create our own music, we some weird people in the crowd which just put it all together and we put in all the was really funny” explains Vithia. “It’s manga and Japanese comics too!” important for us to play in front of a different crowd than the typical metal

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lves as MANGA cters!” or hardcore crowds we normally get,” continues Fabulous Fab. “So playing Comic Con was a good opportunity for us.”

Their love of anime is clear within the music of Rise of the Northstar.

With anime driving the mood of the lyrical interpretation backed with an explosive sound, Fabulous Fab reveals this approach was to capture the essence of the characters within the world of Japanese animation. “It’s almost like we picture ourselves as manga characters.

We hope that kids that are into our music can picture themselves into Rise of the Northstar just as we bring all these

influences on stage.”

With the band still supporting last year’s Welcame, the band’s adoration for the culture of the Far East will become a reality with a tour of the area set to unfold over the rest of 2015. For Vithia, this is a dream come true. “We are playing in China at the end of this month, and then we play in Taiwan and Japan” explains Vithia. “Our album came out in Japan very recently and people are coming to our shows and saying because they love anime and manga they love us! So really we will see!”

Welcame is available now via Nuclear Blast Records.

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“We’ve been descri other than rap The UK metal scene has blossomed over the past decade. With bands emerging from all over the British isles, it comes really as a double edge sword. Whilst more metal bands are enjoying commercial success it becomes increasingly difficult for emerging bands to really make a name for their own.

with Severance. It’s straight up metal!”

Deliverance is the follow up to 2013’s Severance and with the stakes higher, Steve explains that when it comes down to writing, his influences are a driving force to the sound of Heart of a Coward.

“Structurally and stuff like that I like songs Heart of a Coward burst onto the metal with standard structure, so like big choruses scene back in 2009 and ahead of their latest and stuff like that. Bands like Killswitch release, Deliverance, guitarist Steve Haycock Engage play a bit of a presence on the new reveals that the band have had to experiment album, influences from Slipknot are on with their style to upkeep their identity. there as well. But our songs are a bit more “We’ve done things that we’ve not really well-rounded with catchy choruses. I don’t done before and we’ve tried certain things, want to say it’s a more sing-a-long album I think it’s more vocally dynamic” explains but there are a lot more hooks! We tried to Steve. “There’s a few bits that are slightly do that and make it have a bigger crowd more ambient and it’s a quicker album, participation.” there’s a lot more pace on this than there was

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ibed as every genre p and techno!”

With the metal scene enjoying it’s biggest period of success since the 1980s, it is a good time to be a metal band. With metal’s many sub-genres increasingly crossing boundaries, bands tend to cater for a wide selection of fans across the heavy metal umbrella. For Steve, it is both a blessing and a curse. “I’m pretty sure we’ve been described as every genre other than rap and techno. We’ve always been lumped into these weird genres!

The metal scene is quite broad now isn’t it?

It used to be quite segregated, there would be emo, then there would be metal. Then the deathcore scene exploded and now it’s really just a mish mash of everything now which is good, guys who like death metal are going to see hardcore bands” explains Steve. “Me and Jamie (Graham, Vocals) we are both really into our classic death metal so it is really cool

to see when you have older metal fans in Pantera shirts coming over to compliment you as much as somebody who has a Terror t-shirt on! It’s a really nice thing to have.”

With the new record set to drop in October, Heart of a Coward are focused towards touring in support for their new opus. “We’ve been itching to get it out for months and it’s been put back by the label by a few months so we just really want to get it out now! We are at the end of the album cycle for Severance so we just want to hit it fresh!”

Deliverance is set for release on October 2nd via Century Media Records.

WORDS: James Weaver

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WORDS: James Weaver

“Dave Mustaine The metal world was stunned when the news broke that both Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover were both leaving thrash behemoths Megadeth. Yet they wouldn’t remain quiet for long and the closure of 2014 saw the birth of Act of Defiance. Featuring members of Shadows Fall and Scar the Martyr, Act of Defiance have been busy gearing up for the release of their debut record and for Chris Broderick, he admits there has been some nerves ahead of the album’s release. “It’s one of those things it’s like this nervous angst because, when you create something you become very attached to it, for better or

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for worse and I guess the ultimate thing is you want people to like it but you have to really kind of distance yourself from expecting people to like it or not because its personal, you know, it’s a personal thing and you can just hope people like it.”

Birth and the Burial is a straight out metal album. With hard-hitting riffs, plenty of solos and a strong vocal performance, Act of Defiance stick to the book of heavy metal. The recording of the record was more complicated than fans originally perceived, with the record being recorded across three

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e, he is Megadeth!” studios. Yet for Chris, he feels that this actually enhanced the final product. “It went really smoothly!” Exclaims Chris.

“I think part of that is making sure you kind of set it up to run smoothly, knowing how to fly-in files and files out and making sure that the sessions are set up the same in each studio so that everything just imports really easily and there’s no time alignment issues, there are no misunderstandings of anything that could throw a song off in the mixing and engineering realm of things.”

Whilst bands in the more extreme

realms of metal tend to focus towards the grotesque in terms of their lyrical expression, for Chris and Act of Defiance, this is a channel for his own personal experiences. “for me I think the album explores a lot of personal themes of nature and life experiences, “explains Chris. “A lot of relationship type things, not in terms of, you know, a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship but just relationships with people in general, and for me personally, lyrically, I tend to prefer songs that really, they convey a sense or an idea or a concept, but they don’t pigeon-hole it in a story or anything that’s so specific

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the listener is now listening to your own personal experience. I want the listener to be able to hear a song and identify with it and be able to apply their own experiences onto what the song is saying.”

In terms of show-boating Act of Defiance is a guitar enthusiasts wet dream. Solos are plentiful and there are enough intricate riff patterns and guitar hooks to keep the whiplash at a steady dosage. For Chris, the writing process for Birth and the Burial allowed him to take a new approach to his song-writing and to allow the creative juices to flow. “The one thing that I really liked being able to do this time was being able to look at the rhythms

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beforehand, because, as a guitarist there are certain rhythms that make for a good solo and certain rhythms that don’t” reveals Chris. “So the awesome thing is this time I was able to look at the rhythm and make it fit around the solo in a way so I would write a rhythm that, for example, didn’t rhythmically dictate how the rhythm of the solo should be too much or it didn’t dictate the harmony or the tonality of the solo either, so I really kind of cleared those things out and made the rhythm more sparse so that the solo could do more of the talking.”

Whilst leaving Megadeth has it’s impacts, for Chris Broderick, he feels that this is a weight of his shoulders and

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“I want the listener to be able to hear a song and identify with it”

now he can enjoy full creative freedom.

Act of Defiance is evidence of that. “I think it was definitely under control and it was one of those places where, you know, Dave Mustaine, he is Megadeth and he is known for it and so, it’s understandable that he needs to make sure that his band sounds the way he

wants it to, and I can totally understand that, but it became time for me to venture out on my own because I really wanted to have that kind of creative freedom that Dave enjoyed.”

Birth and the Burial is out now via Metal Blade Records.

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A brief look at New York’s alternative music scene Words: Laura McCarthy

Finding a good place to enjoy a drink is great.

When you come across a pub that has great live music, a good selection on the juke, and nice people, there’s simply nothing better. In the UK it seems that the alternative has been embraced by many pubs and bars, with . Yet, what about the scene across the pond? Considering a huge amount of music we listen to here in the UK comes from the US, it seems appropriate to look into the music scene, and the places that support alternative music and people.

I had the opportunity to spend some time in New York, and looked into the bars and pubs within the Island of Manhattan to see what was different and what was familiar. It was a hard task, but someone had to do it. Firstly, I got myself down to Manitoba. This is a fantastic haunt for those looking for good, loud music and cheap drinks.

The history of this bar is pretty cool, there’s been some names through its doors, with “Handsome Dick” Manitoba from THE DICTATORS actually owning the place. The nice thing is that just like in any decent bar in the UK, you don’t feel intimidated or unwelcome because you’re not a “local”.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s those people who

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clearly visit regularly, but it’s by-the-by. There’s all sorts of folk around- I had a chat with a group of Hell’s Angels outside, and sat no far away was a group who welcomed my conversation and banter.

This is what a good bar is all about- like minded people, regardless of age, race or gender enjoying each other’s company.

My next visit was to Cake Shop, which is a tiny little place. It’s quite the trendy set up in the café upstairs, with cool tenders behind the bar and a place you can easily take a moment to chill.

However should you want some live music, pop on downstairs to the bar. It’s dark, cool and packs some great bands in. The vibe of the crowd, however small, is energetic and enthusiastic towards the musicians. Those of us in the UK can appreciate a small premises, and personally I felt right at home. Personally I’d like to see more of this kind of thing in the UK, a nice divide in atmosphere depending on your needs.

I did wonder if there was somewhere more akin to the softer sides of scene, where one could find some peace, but still feel that musical vibe. I ended up in a place called Hi fi which is more casual, indie sort of joint. However, there was word that their music selection was epic in scale. So I had a

DISTORTED SOUND MAG. look at the jukebox. And true to the rumour, it’s rammed. In fact, there’s over 4000 albums on this thing! I’d give anything for my local to have this piece of kit!

What makes a good bar for me personally is sitting with friends, and being able to enjoy whatever record is on; when an unexpected gem runs through the speakers and you grin to yourself.

Well, this can happen at any time in this bar.

Noticing that there was also comedy nights and live acts coming up, I have to say I felt pretty at home. Going on a night out in the UK, a chilled kind of evening just catching up with mates, this could easily be somewhere in the Northern Quarter of Manchester or Leeds. (Pointless point, I was also intrigued because an owner shares my name, which is interesting to only myself.)

To be objective on two scenes is difficult. Being from one cultural background obviously influences your opinion on the places you experience elsewhere. However, there was a common feeling between the bars in the UK and those in New York.

There was the same musical appreciation, the same desire to enjoy the time spent with likeminded people and appreciate new and old music.

As in both cases, the young and new bands that play in these dives may not be the shinning stars of tomorrow, but the energy and performances are just as fun, off the wall and enjoyable no matter

Stateside or in a dank old pub in the UK. What I will say, however, it that while there is support over in NY for the bands and the music, you can see why bands become bigger here in the UK much faster.

Word travels faster, the area to cover is obviously much smaller and the general amount of reception for these bands is much higher.

More so, there’s obviously not quite the scale of competition. Conversely, from what little I have gleamed from my travels, the critical aspect of American bar-goes is lacking. This is perhaps to it’s benefit, as the atmosphere is generally very laidback, therefore potentially being more open and interesting.

America, and New York especially, has always been a hugely diverse space, and therefore people from all walks of life mesh quite well in these kinds of bars. The folks of the UK, no matter what city, are more reserved generally, and those of a more unconventional nature have to push a little harder and have more pride in their difference.

The bars and pubs that welcome a diverse range of people have to be savoured. Both sides have their up and down sides. What matters is that both are hugely fun places to be as a fan of music, and it’s rewarding to see the expansion of that music no matter the location. In all its forms, rock and roll is here to stay.

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AHAB’s rise to the top of the funeral doom genre over the last decade or so has been inescapable.

A force of nature, with each album like waves in the sea they base their lyrics off, the band have put out consistently good releases and carved out a reputation as a first class act. We talked to guitarist Christian Hector about the new record, the band’s themes and the popularity of doom metal.

Since forming in 2004 AHAB have put out four albums, one every three years. Christian says this is “probably just the time we need to free our minds from the last album.” The band don’t consider there to be much change between these albums although he admits that “The listeners only hear what finally is on the album. Of course they lack the three years of musical evolution within the band during the three years in between the albums.”

When AHAB started out the underground doom scene was small. “I think it still is.” Christian continues. “There are no big bands like in the

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Black Metal scene for example and I guess it’s good that way. Most of the Doom bands are happy to play in front of 100 to 300 people.” Indeed this is just for the fans. “Many of these bands seem to support each other. We do like this a lot.”

Despite the high acclaim they’re held in amongst the doom scene AHAB remain modest. They regularly interact with their fans on social media which in Christian’s own words “it’s bad for the “Rock Star Image” and you’re not mysterious anymore. But we do not like such Rock Star platitudes. If someone posts something nice, why not say thank you?”

The bands respectful and friendly tone doesn’t extend to those they see as enemies of the ocean.

Despite claiming to be a “non-political band” Christian admits that they are all “political persons”. “We have a strong opinion about different things and we do not hesitate to tell people if we think, it is the right time to do so.

Some fans dislike that, but what can you do. We won’t be still just because someone wants us to be.

We’ll speak our minds whenever we want.”

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The pessimistic Germans have just put the finishing touches to their upcoming album The Boats of the Glen Carrig based off the 1907 William Hope Hodgeson book of the same name.

“It just fitted our sound perfectly with all the psychedelic components, the horror novel stuff and the social level of the book.” Says Christian.

“When a fan hinted the author to us, we started to read some of Hodgson’s works and “The Boats” just turned out to be the perfect fit for our sound nowadays.”

And what a sound it is. Packed with riffs, laden with atmosphere and crafted by a band who very clearly know exactly what they’re doing The Boats of the Glen Carrig is a monolith of a record.

Clocking in at over an hour long the band uses its trademark contrast of beautiful cleans vocals and soft acoustic passages with harsh pounding beats and riff and the angry roars that have made them so recognisable to great effect. Despite the length and the similarities in style used across the album it does not get stale, far from it, with each track bringing something different to the table.

Featuring beautiful artwork, crushing riffs and haunting vocals this is a band that have reached new heights with this record and whose slow crawl to the top of the doom metal genre shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

The Boats of the Glen Carrig is now out through Napalm Records.

WORDS: Tim Redman

“Contrasts make music interesting.

If a whole album is only fierce, it will soon be boring.”

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Words: James Weaver Suffocation have been considered one of the pioneers of death metal for years now. The New Yorkers have been raising the bar for extreme music over the course of their 27 year career.

Now in 2015, the band are on the road touring Europe with fellow label mates Nile and for bassist Derek Boyer, the tour has been sensational. “The tour is great

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man!” Exclaims Derek. “The Nile guys are awesome, sick musicians and it’s the same with the opening acts; Blood Truth and Blood Corroded. Everything is going good.

The very first show we played was killer, it was a big festival. The agency that put this tour together, I believe it was their festival, it was in Poland. A bunch of sick bands played that festival, it was my favourite because Vader played, Marduk played,

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Suffocation, Nile and then a couple of local bands. It was such a good show.”

Suffocation have been setting the bench mark for death metal bands since their origins in 1988. 1991’s Effigy of the Forgotten and 1995’s Pierced From Within are regarded as two of the best records for the sub-genre. Whilst time can be a cruel mistress to some, for Suffocation their musical direction is simple. With a new record on the horizon, Derek explains that the Suffocation formula is simple, “We always try to stick to the tried and true Suffocation format but there are a couple of new elements in there, nothing so far off the path that people would be like “what are you thinking?!” So there is no clean vocals, there is no keyboards or anything. It is still Suffocation but there are a couple of

new twists” explains Derek.

“We have all of the concepts but we aren’t letting that out of the bag right now. We’ve been doing pre-production so it’s not the actual recording, it’s a demo of the final product. So we will probably go in, maybe in January. We will probably produce the record at the end of this year and then we will probably release it in either the spring or summer of 2016.”

Perhaps what is most interesting about Suffocation today is that the band’s touring lineup contrasts from their studio lineup.

With long-term vocalist Frank Mullen departing from international touring duties for the restrictions of financial earnings in death metal in 2013, many thought this would spark the demise of the band. Yet Suffocation have continued

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“Some of the fanboy promoters have been a little bit AFRAID!”

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by having guest vocalists join the band on tour, from John Gallagher (Dying Fetus) in 2013 to Ricky Myers (Disgorge) for this European run. Derek reveals that despite early hesitation from promoters, the live sound of Suffocation is still as brutal as it was when Frank was performing on stage.

“Some of the fanboy promoters have been a little bit afraid but when we show up with Rickie, he does a really sick job. When we played Rickie’s vocal submission to Frank and he said “when did you record me doing this?” We were like “that’s not you!” And he goes “well that’s who you should take.”

We’ve tried a couple of different guys and Rickie is a permanent fit, Frank is still in the band but he will be doing a lot less.

We’ve just played a show in New York with him and it went great, Rickie came on stage and did a song with Frank. It’s working and we haven’t seen any real negative feedback.

You’ll get a little bit of hesitation but once we show up all is fine. There is no problem.”

Frank’s departure in 2013 signalled to the extreme metal world that living the life of a musician is not a straightforward path.

Derek explains that to craft a living in metal, you have to put passion above all else, “if you can earn good money playing and you don’t have a lot of expenses in life; if you’re driving a brand new car, living in a big house and you have a wife, I don’t if death metal can afford you that lifestyle.

But if you own your car and have lower expenses in life, you can definitely make a living doing it” explains Derek. “We do it because we love it and the more you work, the more earnings you can make. So that’s the tricky thing, Frank only wants to go out on tour for a couple of weeks but you

can’t live on that. We’ve also looked at it like if you did 150-200 shows a year, you can definitely live on it. But again, do you have a brand new car? Do you have a wife and kids? If you have all of that, you have to pretty much work every day of the year.”

Alongside Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Death, Obituary and Morbid Angel, Suffocation are in the circle of death metal’s elite. With their career spanning over two decades, the New Yorkers have seen death metal evolve into the Goliath it is today.

Derek believes death metal is in a peculiar position today and that the internet has only enhanced the reach of metal’s most extreme sub-genre.

“Death metal today is interesting. There are a lot of young kids playing the slam stuff. It’s cool but we don’t want it to be too redundant, we are looking for creativity in the youth. But everyone is playing really well and it is good to see the youth doing it because it brings younger fans and those fans go “oh I’ve only heard of Suffocation.”

But maybe we can do some touring with the younger bands just to reach out to the younger fans” explains Derek. “Everyone is seeing what everyone is doing, everyone is hearing what everyone else is doing but in the past you had to go to the show or it would be word of mouth. Your friend would go “oh man you have to check out this band!” Now you can get anything you want so yeah it is a little bit lost.”

With the new album pencilled in for release in 2016, Derek and the rest of Suffocation are focused. Whilst still supporting 2013’s Pinnacle of Bedlam, he admits that the touring cycle is drawing to a close and looks forward to the new horizons for

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Suffocation. “We are looking at a North American run but we are still working out the details, we’ve heard a couple of things and now we are hearing something different. So we don’t know which offer we are going to take but we will definitely do something in North America this year and then it’s just focusing on the new record. It’s been two years since we put out Pinnacle of Bedlam so we really need to get the new record out so then we can do a new touring cycle.”

Pinnacle of Bedlam is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

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“if you’re driving a brand new car, living in a big house and you have a wife, I don’t think death metal can afford you that lifestyle.”

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Few bands make it to their sixth album. Fewer can achieve six releases without stagnating into disrepair and repetition. And even fewer still can claw past their sixth album as a death metal band. It’s often easy to forget just how long THE BLACK DAHLIA MUDER has been strutting the scene because of the band’s appeal to a much wider, younger audience than most death metal bands. However, Abysmal marks the band’s sixth studio album, and they certainly aren’t merely clawing past the benchmark, as has befallen other notorious names in the scene. No, this is a breakneck sprint.

If there is one thing THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER can be relied upon for, it’s consistency.

They have never failed to deliver an album every other calendar year, and with each release, they have honed and defined their signature sound into something iconic. Unfortunately, this has propagated a distinct “don’t fix what isn’t broken” quality to fester with their more recent output.

Abysmal, one can surmise, is an answer to the question of what weighs heavier in the mind at the stage of a sixth studio album, trying something new, or simply further perfecting a sound perfected. This album is a curious case, proving devastating and volatile in its own right, while continuing to be more of the same from the band.

While it succeeds in every way its predecessors did

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beforehand, one can’t help but wish THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER would take a few more risks with their music.

While this album is an expertly executed offering of the most viscous components of melodic death metal, it exemplifies the need for the band to experiment and further their scope within the genre. This is perhaps a rather tragic case of a band perfecting their sound too far. While the album is passionately crafted and achieves everything it sets out to achieve, it will only faintly surprize the veterans among the fans of the band. And, at the sixth album benchmark, wouldn’t a surprise be welcome?

Alas, the band won’t fix something that isn’t broken. Abysmal delivers the very best elements of the band’s signature sound in a new, refined, and overtly violent package. While it does suffer slightly due to the back-catalogue of a familiar sound floating in the background, this is the best THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER has ever sounded.

Rating: 8/10 Abysmal is set for release on September 18th via Metal Blade Records.

WORDS: Henry Jones

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The sound of black metal has been firmly consistent since it’s explosion in the early 1990s. With the formula so concise, large scale experimentation often results in a backlash from the movement’s core fanbase. Along comes MYRKUR, a one-woman black metal project originating from Denmark who sent ripples across the black metal world with 2014’s self-titled EP. A year later and the debut record is finally here. Is this the album that reshapes black metal?

The musical style of M is both fresh and instantly mesmerising. Amalie Bruun‘s soft orchestral vocals are an absolute delight to listen to, something that one would not expect with the genre. For example, Dybt I Skoven features a dynamic orchestral vocal performance backed with a consistent drumbeat and solemn guitar tones making the track incredibly moving. Whilst MYRKUR‘s style is very much focused in the atmospheric realm of black metal, M is so dynamic that it ticks the boxes across the whole variations of the genre as a whole.

Skaði‘s raw guitar tones accompanied with the trademark blast beat drumbeat resembles artillery whilst Hævnen batters the listener with huge down-tuned riffs that come straight from the book of doom metal.

With so much variety, there is a plethora of experiences to be had with M. From the subtle

folk-tinged opener Skøgen Skulle Dø to the more melodic riffwork of Onde Børn to the thrashy old school opening of Mordet, the entirety of the record is a fantastic combination of what makes black metal so intoxicating. And yet the album flows incredibly well, a rare trait indeed. The transition from Vølvens Spådom, a track laced with epic orchestral vocals backed with a subtle use of the piano, to Jeg Er Guden, I Er Tjenerne which resembles the raw power of the likes of DARKTRHONE is so slick that the tracks geltogether. Atmospheric black metal demands immersion and M sucks the listener in from the very first second.

M is a phenomenal record and injects new life into the black metal scene. MYRKUR have single-handedly raised the bar for not just the atmospheric side, but for black metal as a whole.

M is a gem in the dark world of metal’s most controversial sub-genre. It boasts originality, character and transcends such a variety of emotion all whilst sticking to the formula of the genre.

Whether you like black metal or not, M is an absolute must for any music fan’s collection.

Rating: 10/10 WORDS: James Weaver

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After what feels like a lifetime, despite only being five years, British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have released their sixteenth studio album, The Book of Souls.

There is one thing for sure though, Bruce Dickinson may have endured cancer of the throat before the records release but he has certainly not lost that beauty and power to his voice that makes him IRON MAIDEN’s most favoured vocalist. Second in is the first single from The Book of Souls, Speed of Light. The track in itself had mixed views but it is without a doubt an exciting move, it’s fast, it’s catchy and it’s 100% MAIDEN. Listening to the album for the first time, Speed of Light is definitely a comfort to all fans out there who are itching to belt out their own vocals to the newest IRON MAIDEN material.

Yet again with a gorgeous intro, all breaks loose and we are introduced into IRON MAIDEN creating a classic anthemic track. From start to finish, the progression from all of the past eras is stunning and done flawlessly. It is exhilarating to listen to and is possibly one of the most fantastic tracks Steve Harris has written to date. It is stuffed with everything that has been done before by the band, from the rhythms and riffs neatly

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tied together and the “woah-oh’s” that hit a soft spot, however, it is done so differently and so if this isn’t a fan favourite then it will be a surprise.

The solos and riffs that follow suit from Janick Gers, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith only offer more beauty to the track. It is 18 minutes of sheer beauty and nothing less. From start to finish your attention is grabbed, your eyes are watering and you are left feeling captured, tranced by what IRON MAIDEN have created.

The Book of Souls went through its hardships to be created and whilst there are always the classics out there and whilst IRON MAIDEN have always had the ability to touch so many people around the world, this album just captures emotion so perfectly. THIS is the album that will have such an impact on listeners in terms of finding your soft spot and having IRON MAIDEN enter it and having them soothe it.The Book of Souls might have made everyone wait for five long years but those five years of needing more was worth it and what the IRON MAIDEN have created this time round, it is sensational and a masterpiece. This album displays the band at their peak and only proves the saying that beauty grows with age.

RATING: 10/10 WORDS: Jessica Howkins

DISTORTED SOUND MAG.

Hull’s BLACK TONGUE have been building a solid reputation in the underground scene for a number of years now. Since signing with Century Media last year, fans have been eagerly awaiting the band’s first studio record. Now, The Unconquerable Dark is finally here, but does it carry the same punch for the Hull City Hate Crew or does it fall at the first hurdle?

BLACK TONGUE have always flirted into doom metal and The Unconquerable Dark continues this trend in fine fashion. Riffs are slow yet immensely powerful and this is an incredible achievement with the fact there is no bass. The combined efforts of Eddie Pickard and James Harrison add a huge weight to the punch of The Unconquerable Dark and their guitar tones are key to the impact of the record.

One thing that makes The Unconquerable Dark so striking is the variety that lies within. For the first time, BLACK TONGUE incorporate a whole range of elements across metal’s varying sub-genres and yet still carry their own unique blend of metal drive rage. For example L’appel du Vide screams black metal influence with Aaron Kitcher’s blast beats adding a surprise addition of speed before unleashing into a barrage of torrential riffs whilst Prince of Ash

resembles that of a consistent death metal track.

It’s incredibly satisfying and it speaks volumes for how far BLACK TONGUE have come in their short career.

The real star of the show however has to go to vocalist Alex Teyen who’s vocal abilities are nothing but impressive. From start to finish, he delivers a vocal performance that resembles the band’s attitude; anger, aggression and sheer rage.

A combination of snarls and growls on A Pale Procession II: Death March raises the hair on the back of the neck and with his lows being a highlight throughout the record’s duration, one cannot but admire Teyen’s lung capacity. The guest appearances of Eddie Hermida (SUICIDE SILENCE) and CJ McMahon (THY ART IS MURDER) only improve what is already a phenomenal vocal performance.

The Unconquerable Dark is a finely tuned assault of the ears. Yet the record still unleashes sheer devastation across nine tracks of pure filth, still executing all the characteristics that make BLACK TONGUE so revered in the underground world.

Rating: 9/10 WORDS: James Weaver

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ALBUM FILLERS

Words - Jack Fermor-Worrell

Words - Alex Piercy

After a short break between first album Course of Human Destruction, Costa Rican death metal band INHUMAN come full force with their second album Conquerors of the New World (7). Having only formed in 2012, INHUMAN push to create a name for themselves with yet more exciting sounds.

The album overall is a great success, with the latter half being perhaps the stronger, there’s no doubt there is great talent to INHUMAN, each musician having great skill in his own right.

There is also variety that can occasionally be lacking in death metal, and the injection of the melody without ever giving up on the intensity of the record as a collective is impressive. For a second offering, this band not only has a huge potential to grow, but shows massive progression from the first album.

Words - Jack Fermor-Worrell

Inhuman – Conquerors Of The New World

Four years has been a long time since the announcement of beloved heavy metal veteran’s DISTURBED hiatus and following on from the release of latest single, The Vengeful One, Immortalized (8) sees a band who understand the strengths of their earlier material, whilst still attempting to make some steps forward towards creating a new sound for themselves. A solid return for the heavy-metal group despite some minor flaws, giving plenty of opportunity to add an increased diversity to their live set list, something they hopefully will capitalize on during their full tour next spring. Regardless of your opinions upon listening to Immortalized at least they’re back, and the wheels are certainly turning, something we can all be grateful for either way.

Words - Eddie Simms

Disturbed - Immortalized

Soilwork - The Ride Majestic Ultimately, The Ride Majestic (8) does nothing if not solidify SOILWORK as one of, if premier act in the melodic death metal scene.

Whilst fellow comrades IN FLAMES and AT THE GATES try to keep up with the times with faltering success, SOILWORK seem to effortlessly keep on top of the continuously changing trends with such ease it’s almost laughable. The double edged sword of remaining true to their roots and not really progressing does still stand but it’s blown out the water by the sheer technical brilliance that The Ride Majestic offers. If you’re yet to get behind them then look no further for an excellent introduction into one of metal’s most trustworthy acts.

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Huntress - Static By no means a bad album, Static simply feels underwhelming when compared to HUNTRESS’s previous output. In sticking to their traditional-meets-occult template, the band have simply failed to bring anything new to the table this time around. Its riffs feel weaker, and its vocals less ferocious than on their last album Starbound Beast. On the whole however, it feels as though this is merely a misstep, rather than a complete derailing of an otherwise solid band. There are a couple of saving moments, namely the ferocious.opener Sorrow and the bizarrely-named Brian, but it’s not quite enough to save Static from being a sadly mediocre release.

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ALBUM FILLERS Words - Jacmes Weaver

Words - Laura McCarthy Terror - The 25th Hour

Each of the collective of THIS CITY LIMITS comes across as good in their own right, but unwilling to push their boundaries.

It is only the first and final tracks that adds real vigour to the EP, and unfortunately it might not be enough to make this band memorable. Sure, Here’s To Hoping (5) is a fair effort for a first EP, and there are some nice elements, but there is definitely a long way to go. There needs to be some more bite or more soul in the makeup of THIS CITY LIMITS. The pop punk/ rock genre has literally heard it all before, and the EP name ironically does have you hoping that as THIS CITY LIMITS grows, there might be a bit more to chew on.

TERROR have always been a band firmly established in the hardcore scene. Since their inception in 2002, the Californian five piece have taken hardcore back to its roots; crushing riffs, huge choruses and consistent pummeling rhythm. With the musical characteristics locked in standard hardcore, The 25th Hour (8) really does showcase the band at their very best, directing the attention towards the riff work of Martin Stewart and Jordan Posner and the vocal delivery of frontman Scott Vogel.

These aspects are incredibly strong throughout the entirety of the record, with Vogel’s hard vocal approach channelling the aggression of the genre to fine fashion. In terms of the guitar play the dual efforts are incredibly satisfying, with riffs consistent and powerful it gives TERROR that knockout punch that is so demanding in the hardcore genre.

W.A.S.P. – Golgotha While not perfect, this is a good album, showcasing modern W.A.S.P. well and proving the quality the band is and has always been capable of. A fine addition to their impressive catalogue, just hope the next one doesn’t take another six years. Where the previous two W.A.S.P. albums (Babylon and Dominator) both tended towards shorter rockier songs, Golgotha (8) does the opposite, embracing its length and allowing the songs to grow, giving them time to show off the different approaches the band is capable of.

The lyrics do not shy away from Blackie’s quest for redemption and allow him to be introspective.

Words - Laura McCarthy

Words - Tim Redman

This City Limits – Here’s To Hoping

Funerary – Starless Aeon As a debut album Starless Aeon (7) is atmospheric, deep and soul crushingly emotive. There is a sense of beauty and painful sorrow that thisambient music produces. The morbid, heavy tone of FUNERARY makes them something juxtaposed in their freshness, something imaginative and desperate that few take the time to explore. This album is the soundtrack to your worst nightmares, and leaves the hairs on the back of your neck and a cold sweat for all the right (or perhaps all the wrong) reasons.

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UNIVERSITY UNION LEEDS

Sheffield metallers MALEVOLENCE aren’t your standard hardcore band. With influences rooted in sludge, hardcore and groove metal, MALEVOLENCE have the rare trait to appeal to anyone in the alternative scene and their performance at Ghostfest packed an almighty punch. Opening with Delusions of Fear, the Sheffield mob quickly set the tone for the proceedings; fast, hard hitting riffs with plenty of groove. With the setlist comprised entirely of the band’s debut, Reign of Suffering, there was little room for new material, yet this benefited the band allowing the fans to connect with songs they have grown much accustomed to. Make no mistake, MALEVOLENCE set the bar high for the rest day with a tight-knit performance showcasing the utmost professionalism.

Rating: 9/10 Belgium’s NASTY have built up a solid reputation in the hardcore underground throughout their ten year career. With the band releasing their latest record, Shokka, earlier this year it made sense that the majority of the setlist was comprised of material from the band’s latest record. Riffs packed an almighty punch and the rhythm was steady and consistent. Unfortunately for NASTY, repetition reared it’s ugly head and the performance became stale rather quickly.

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There was no doubting the band’s enthusiasm to incite carnage but unfortunately their performance was rather forgettable.

Rating: 6/10 The UK hardcore scene has been flourishing in recent years and Lincoln’s BLOOD YOUTH are the latest export to emerge boasting big riffs and loud hard-hitting vocals. Their performance at Ghostfest demonstrated true potential, with riffs hard, heavy and packing enough groove to give the band their own identity in a over-populated scene. Frontman Kaya Tarsus did a wonderful job of keeping the crowd pumped throughout the band’s 30 minute slot whilst Sam Hallet‘s skills behind the drums was nothing but impressive.

From that performance alone, BLOOD YOUTH have made a lasting impression and are set to cement themselves in the UK’s hardcore scene.

Rating: 8/10 RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR are perhaps one of the more bizarre bands in modern hardcore.

With anime influences clear from the band’s lyrics and album artwork, RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR‘s musical style is best summarised as a combination of rap, metal and hardcore.

With a rare performance at Ghostfest, the packed

DISTORTED SOUND MAG. Words: James Weaver Photos: Katie Needham Check out the full article at distortedsoundmag.com

crowd lapped up every riff, every breakdown and every guitar solo throughout RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR‘s set. Opening with the anthem What The Fuck followed by fan favourite Welcame (Furyo State of Mind) incited chaos from the crowd and this trend continued for much of their performance. Musically the band were on fine form with Evangelion-B and Air One (ridiculous stage names right?) providing enough groove and rhythm to keep the pit moving. Vithia‘s vocal performance was oozing in charisma and despite sporting a crutch, moved around the stage, holding the audience in the palm of his hand. With such a hard-hitting performance, one could assume that it won’t be long before RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR return to our shores in the very near future.

and technical out of Ghostfest‘s lineup. The American deathcore act have been mesmerising fans with slick riffs, chaotic breakdowns and a powerful dual vocal performance for years now.

Yet their performance at Ghostfest was nothing but flat. With a setlist lacking material from the band’s most successful record, The Discovery, there was no stand out moment for BORN OF OSIRIS. Whilst the riff work in Divergency and the powerful cleans in Exhilarate turned a few heads, unfortunately for BORN OF OSIRIS, they delivered a performance that is largely forgettable.

Granted, the band had a 45 minute window to make a mark but with a lacklustre setlist and largely forgettable musical display, BORN OF OSIRIS were faded away into the back of the audience’s minds.

Rating: 9/10

Rating: 6/10

BORN OF OSIRIS are perhaps the most intricate

The UK alternative scene seems to be spurting

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out bands that boast quality. MARTYR DEFILED have quickly become a fan favourite in the UK underground and quite rightly so.

Their performance at Ghostfest was chaotic and laced in anger, exactly what was to be expected. With the band performing on the smallest stage at the festival, it only enhanced the band’s brutal performance, riffs were absolutely massive, drumming was consistently chaotic and Matthew Jones‘ vocal deliveries were menacing to say the least. With the setlist mostly comprising of material from the band’s latest studio record, the phenomenal No Hope. No Morality, MARTYR DEFILED unleashed absolute havoc from the first slick riff to the last blastbeat. Demons In The Mist unleashed the breakdowns, 616 burst the pit into life and Lvcifer demonstrated the band’s absolute professionalism. MARTYR DEFILED‘s performance at Ghostfest only enhanced their already stellar reputation in the UK underground and will continue to be a fan favourite for years to come.

Rating: 9/10 With their return at last year’s Impericon Festival, DESPISED ICON have continued the reunion in style with a truly menacing

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performance at Ghostfest. DESPISED ICON‘s biggest trait is the fact the band utilised two vocalist which ultimately provides stronger vocal deliveries. The efforts from both Alex Erian and Steve Marois was nothing but impressive, with the pig squeals in opening Furtive Monologue being a particular highlight, their dual efforts created an atmosphere of true carnage. With the band delivering a set that covered all the band’s strongest material, from Bulletproof Scales to MVP and Day of Mourning, DESPISED ICON ticked all the boxes over their well respected back catalogue and the fans lapped up every moment. Riffs were slick, breakdowns were absolutely massive and Alex Pelletier‘s rapid drumming was absolutely remarkable. It just showcases that DESPISED ICON are still relevant in deathcore today and maybe the band should have second thoughts about returning to hiatus.

Rating: 8/10 With EMMURE cancelling their performance at the Leeds date earlier in the day, rising UK hardcore act BROKEN TEETH stepped up their game to perform on the main stage before headliners HATEBREED. A bold challenge indeed. Whilst BROKEN TEETH are cherished

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in the underground of UK hardcore, speculation was certainly in the air before the band took to the stage. With the band’s philosophy firmly rooted in DIY hardcore, BROKEN TEETH made the challenge look almost too easy. From the thrash driven Soul Destroyer to doom driven On The Edge, BROKEN TEETH delivered a set that will firmly cement itself in the memory of those in attendance. Frontman Dale Graham oozed charisma as he galloped around the stage, taking every opportunity to get in the face of the swelling crowd. With their performance packing an almighty punch backed with huge riffs and charismatic stage presence, BROKEN TEETH have shot themselves up the big leagues of UK hardcore.

Rating: 9/10 HATEBREED have enjoyed success as one of hardcore’s leading bands for numerous years now. With consistently hard-hitting records, numerous appearances at Europe’s leading metal festivals, their performance at Ghostfest

only enhanced their already stellar reputation.

With the band’s setlist covering all aspects of the band’s extensive back catalogue, HATEBREED more than provided enough to deliver a setlist of true spectacle. Live For This, In Ashes They Shall Reap, Destroy Everything and I Will Be Heard all made an appearance and each song was met with thunderous appreciation from the vast crowd. Musically, the band were on fine form with the charismatic Jamey Jasta charging around the stage and delivering an impressive vocal performance that matches his efforts in the studio. The combination of Frank Novinec and Wayne Lozinak‘s guitar efforts provided enough groove, Matt Byrne‘s drumming kept the tempo at an all time high and Chris Beattie‘s bass tones were absolutely thunderous. HATEBREED‘s reputation is already at an all time high and whilst their performance at Ghostfest didn’t break any new ground, it only reinforced the fact that HATEBREED are one of the leading bands in hardcore.

Rating: 8/10

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DISTORTED SOUND MAG. Words: James Weaver Photos: Katie Needham Check out the full article at distortedsoundmag.com

SOUND CONTROL MANCHESTER

SUFFOCATION helped pioneer the breakdown which is now incredibly popular within the realms of metalcore and deathcore. But make no mistake, SUFFOCATION don’t embrace melodic elements to their music. From start to finish their performance at Sound Control was brutal, devastating and phenomenal. Opening with Thrones of Blood the mood of the performance was clear from the offset, huge pummeling riffs, consistent double bass drumming and a guttural bellowing vocal performance.

With the band still supporting 2013’s Pinnacle of Bedlam, it was surprising that the only track that was performed was As Grace Descends and whilst fans may be disappointed to not hear newer material, it in fact enabled SUFFOCATION to deliver a performance covering all corners of their blood-splattered career. Abomination Reborn, Catatonia, Pierced From Within and climatic closer Infecting The Crypts all made an appearance in SUFFOCATION‘s set and were performed in such a professional manner that

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the band had effortlessly replicated their studio sound.

Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais provided slick riffs and crushing breakdowns, Kevin Talley consistently kept the rhythm pummelling and Derek Boyer‘s bass tones sent huge shock-waves to the audience. With lead vocalist Frank Mullen stepping down from long term touring commitments fans were anxious on the vocal deliveries to say the least, yet Ricky Myers (DISGORGE) delivered a vocal performance that was both menacing and charismatic. Holding the audience in the palm of his hand, Myers provided a truly spectacular vocal performance with guttural vocals performed exquisitely and managed to replicate the band’s studio sound, a difficult feat indeed.

Rating: 9/10