Interview
Genres: Alternative Rock
We spoke to the band’s frontman
Cormac Neeson
It’s been two years since your previous release ‘New Horizon’ and ‘Raise A Little Hell’, your new release. What do you feel has changed, and what has stayed the same between these two albums?
“I think they’re very different records actually. [For] ‘New Horizon’ we kind of set ourselves a target to make a hard-hitting hard rock record, and the songwriting process of many songs didn’t fit that remit and they fell by the wayside. “This time round we thought ‘let’s not limit ourselves to any kind of agenda, let’s just write this record for ourselves, for no one else’, you know? Not for our record label, not for our management. Not even for our fans. ‘Let’s write a record that the four of us can truly love and express ourselves as individuals and as a band’, and so I think this record sounds a little freer, a little bit more organic. “‘New Horizon’ was a fantastic record and I think we achieved what we set out to achieve, but this album was all about doing it because we really love doing it. We had a lot of fun writing the songs, a lot of fun recording it and I think you can see all that on this record. It’s essentially a good time rock and roll record, but there’s a few surprises in there, a few changes of pace, a few extra flavours which makes for quite a diverse kind of electric blues album I think.” It seems to be a very varied album. Do you feel there are any tracks in particular that stand out as something very different from what you have done in the past?
“I suppose songs like ‘Strange Kind Of Nothing’ are quite different, a different flavour on there that we normally wouldn’t have had in the main body of the record; it begins with acoustic guitar for a start. We normally confine the acoustic side of the band to bonus material and B-sides, but with this one we kinda let it breathe and gave the song a chance to develop. It gets kinda heavier as the song goes on and really opens up at the end but at the
Hard Rock Blues Downpatrick, Northern Ireland.
same time, I think it might… you know, it comes right after one of the dirtiest, heaviest songs on the record ‘Last Days Of Summer’ which is probably the most stoner-rock song we’ve ever done, and over all five records we’ve been listening to bands like Kyuss and ‘The Desert Sessions’. Stuff like that. “So you know, if you listen to ‘Last Days of Summer’ and you get yourself prepared for the stoner rock that follows and then all of a sudden like almost like an acoustic-y ballad rips in off the back of that one. You might confuse a few people, but in the best possible way we hope.” Would you say this is could be attributed to letting more of your influences seep in on this record, or perhaps new influences?
“No, I think everything on there is kinda pretty deeply intact if you know what I mean. I don’t think we’re trying anything on a whim, every song on there comes from the heart and comes from the solid foundations that we build our music on. “I think it’s just more a case of, again, letting our songwriting process breathe a little bit, you know, sometimes it’s easy to put all this unnecessary pressure on yourself as song writers and as a band to make the right records. We just wanted to leave all that pressure behind us and clear the deck and, as I say, have fun and just do what we know we can do and write some good songs and get in the studio and get a really good vibe, and lay those songs down you know. “It’s really not rocket science, you know, you can very often let outside influences just impede your song writing and we just took great pains not to let that happen this time around.” So I guess it’s the opposite: less from influences, but rather a further development of your own style?
“Yeah, I think our style right from the first record, we’re aware that there’s an onus on any band playing rock music to develop your
Raise A Little Hell Out Now! Napalm Records
style, you know, and not fall into the trap of just recycling old Led Zeppelin riffs. I think it’s something we’ve been working on this whole time and I think we’re getting better at it as we go. Basically I think the music that we’re putting out there now sounds like The Answer and it doesn’t sound like anybody else. That’s always something we’ve been aiming for ‘cause I think, you know, modern rock music is crying out for originality and you need to put your own twist on what you do otherwise you know, go and join a Rolling Stones cover band.” Way back, before you joined The Answer, what was your musical background if you had one?
It was varied. My family all actually played Irish traditional music, I’ve got three brothers and they all will have learned the uilleann pipes, and the tin whistle, and the fiddle and instruments like that. I kinda dabbled with traditional Irish guitar playing, but never really was for me, you know. I always, right from when I formed my first band when I was 14 I think, I was always interested in just being a front-man and getting up there and you know, I never really enjoyed having a guitar over my shoulder – I always liked having my arms free so I could express myself and have some fun up there. Even though I [only] became a singer in my first band because we already had three guitar players and didn’t need another one - it was one of those weird twists of fate that set me on my way I feel... I mean I’ve been playing in bands all my life basically as far back as I dare to remember. Yeah, it’s just took me a while to find the right set of guys but eventually I bumped into the scruffy lads I now tour the world with.”
words: Dan J.G Mitchell
Interview
We spoke to the founder and frontman
Fernando Ribeiro words: Dan J.G Mitchell The last album ‘Alpha Noir/Omega White’ was a double record, and presented a something of a duality in styles between the discs. What made you decide to travel down more of a singular path this time, and with arguably more of a rock approach?
“I think when you set yourself to do a project like ‘Alpha’ and ‘Omega’, you could see very clearly that it would be a one-off, or something that we won’t repeat within a certain time. Not to do whole albums like this one, but to split into two… This allowed us, in a way, as Moonspell, also to close a cycle [regarding] songwriting. I feel that ‘Alpha Noir’ and ‘Omega White’ do go to all the places [that] we probably have been before as musicians, with all the repertoire and experience that we have been getting throughout these years. “So I think ‘Extinct’, actually, was born on a very, very free basis of thought, inspiration and composition, and we thought it was high time, you know… within each song to try to approach these atmospheres that we have, these contrasts that we have been working and have also become a little bit our style as a band, so this time around we decided definitely to use a musical approach that was not so layered, or was not so er, split.” So if you could say the previous album explored all the places you have been before in different ways, might you say that ‘Extinct’ explores something new?
“Well we like to think there’s some novelty attached to our music, and we like to think we are the kind of band that actually gives some priority to sound fresh and original and challenging with every album. “But I believe no man, or no band, is an island. So everything that you’ve learned, and everything you’ve done, and everything that went right, everything that went wrong; through straight lines, or more crooked lines, it ends up on your album. Even though [we are] not necessarily, and it doesn’t happen that much with Moonspell… looking to what
Genres: Gothic Metal
Art Metal Progressive Amadora, Portugal.
we did wrong or right with a new album… we always start a little bit fresh and I think that new albums are a great, let’s call it ‘chance’, you know, for you to redeem yourself from things that probably the crowd didn’t even notice, but from things that you thought that could have gone further and deeper. “It all [comes] down… actually [to] where you stay while doing music. You know I think that with Moonspell we were always unable to tap into the success of one album, or the other way try to revive something that was less successful. That was never the intention for us. Of course, we have learned our lessons, but they are much more lessons in the musical and lyrical field than anything else, because anything else does not really depend on us. We definitely looked hard and we definitely tried to have some novelty in this album; through many forms, through the addition of many elements, and also through a great effort of putting everything together in a way that we never did, or a way that we haven’t done so much. “I think that’s more [what we mean] when we talk about novelty. It’s still a Moonspell album, you know, it has some characteristics that people definitely can search for and will always look for in our music. What we don’t do, is ‘business as usual’ sequel: we never actually found a style we did ourselves that was probably something [where] we just wanted to pursue that style and nothing else. “It’s a very open way that we have of making music. People who listen even to our early albums, you know, all songs are different, there’s many moods and changes. For us, it’s a totally new experience because the feelings are new and the way we are playing the songs is new, but it’s not something completely revolutionary like if it was a first band with a first album. It’s just another step hopefully to something better; hopefully to something better played, better sung, and better produced [resulting in] better songs that can reach people deeply in an emotional form. Those
Extinct Out Now! Napalm Records
are the simple goals, you know, we never have goals of making something completely new that will take the scene by surprise, but we are content enough to challenge our fans a little bit, and the fans of this style of music that also has become, in a way, a dead-end style. “Nowadays when people speak about dark and gothic metal I’m sure they’re not thinking about me or Moonspell or, you know. They’re probably thinking about a girl singing together with a guy, and all that stuff that became cliché, but also that became probably what most fans of the gothic and symphonic metal do. If we can pose an alternative, and sound a little bit like a novelty to some people, even to our fans that know us very deeply: I think that’s something that can be a win-win situation for everyone.” Do you expect that the level of surprise from the audience/fans will be more or less than usual for ‘Extinct’?
“I have no idea, I expect nothing. I have learned my lesson from the years, you know? “With this album, we had an urgency to express some feelings. I was in a dark place and the only way I know how to get out of that dark place is definitely to make an album. Not to say I was broke, or you know that I didn’t have money to buy drugs, or something extreme like this, but more on a personal and emotional level. “It’s why we did the album of course. We are thankful that we have people around the world that are paying attention, are excited, and are in a way on a compromise with Moonspell which they took willingly, because they were seduced by our music. We for sure expect that we can give more to these people and have them buying our album, but the questions of understanding the album, commenting [on] it,
of judging it… “Honestly I have learned to expect nothing because there’s so many different sensibilities listening to Moonspell; some like it harder, some like it softer, so I think the only way you can do as a band to avoid all this noise and confusion inside your head [is to] just cut a straight line, and hopefully our music will speak a little bit more than everything we can say in interviews or anything we can do to promote the record. “Of course we are a professional band, we have a label and we know (laughs) how to play the game, it’s [been] 23 years in the business, but I have no idea if this album is going to alienate [from] or make [us] more approachable [to the fans]. It really depends on the minds of [the] people. “If you judge by the scene… well people don’t listen to this sort of stuff. At least the bigger bands in the scene are not sounding like this so nobody really knows, the only thing that we do hope is that this old magic happens, you know, and regardless of the style and the direction and the reviews, that people are independent enough to make [up] their own mind about the record. I think it’s a record that can be important, and it’s a record that we definitely worked hard [on] obviously also to gain some recognition, but we never [count on] this recognition. “…Believe me, we recorded so many albums… that some people will adore it, some people will say it’s the worst shit [we] did, and who the hell is right anyway? The only right thing you have is when you [have] finished the album and like I do since we did demos in ’92, I just put the stuff on my headphones and listen to it and then I realise what’s going to be our relationship with the album; and I loved what I heard just after recording everything for ‘Extinct’, the rough mixes; it didn’t have strings, or arrangements, but you know that’s my moment there. “Everything else, we have to deal with it. There’s no other way around it. There’s no secret formula that you can [use to] pass your love and dedication and vision directly to a fan, that’s something that they will have to do. It will be very bad scene if we mouth-fed fans with everything. I think there’s room for them to research, to buy it, to download it, to do whatever they need to do and to have an opinion. “…It’s always been like this. There was never a brand sponsoring Moonspell, or a big hype in America or in the UK. We just did well in some countries, did worse in some other countries, [and] seems that we could survive in the middle of the glory and all the humiliation that every band goes through, acceptance or not, in their career. In our careers, I can say probably I think this album is a little bit more of a divider than a gatherer, but I could be wrong, so I will just wait for the verdict like all other musicians.” Do you still perform often in Portugal?
“Well, Portugal is a small country, you know, so there’s not a lot of venues to perform. Even though the scene got better, and we get a lot of international shows… and Porto is always a stop for the touring bands, but I would say we don’t play more than 10 shows per year in Portugal. We never wanted to play that much.
“Also the way that the scene is built around here, like the promoters, they always want the same bands every year for big/small festivals, or you know city hall or university parties, so sometimes you can… have a great experience - like last year during the final leg of ‘Alpha Noir’ tour we did a couple of shows, like five or 6 on a string in Portugal, and they were all very successful and very packed. “You know, it’s a kind of a weird scene so we just play [shows] that really do matter and stuff that really helps the band in any way. It also doesn’t help that [during] the hot time to play in Portugal, like the best time normally, we are abroad playing tours. Also another thing about Portugal is that sometimes, you know, people just book the bands (especially big festivals or city halls) because they will sell shitloads of tickets anyway or it’s going to be for free, so they book it like one month before the gig, and most of the times one month before the gig we’re not available. But whenever we play it’s always enjoyable and people show up.” Would you say that the scene is better in Portugal now, than when you started Moonspell?
“I think it’s better, yeah. I think the bands have grown and everything else has grown. But also I see it in the perspective that we’re not driving horse carriages anymore, so progress is unavoidable in a way! So bands have progressed, they know better what they want. There’s great bands operating in here, but the fact is that you don’t get to know many Portuguese bands outside because I think [the bands] not only from metal, from rock and pop in general, they do think at a national level. They are content enough to impress the Portuguese, to eat well, to sleep in nice hotels. “Once you go on tour, especially on the first tours and sometimes it still happens, it’s not really your comfort zone and [with] Portuguese musicians it’s like they live with their mums (most of them). They don’t want to get out of their comfort zone and they want to go and play the UK, which we know is hard for a start, and they want to have the same conditions as in Portugal, you know; money, nice hotel, catering, nice food, and sometimes that stops those big expectations, it kind of stops their international career. “Having said that, I think that the metal scene especially has become more interesting and more active, but when it comes to Moonspell it’s still a very love and hate thing, you know. It’s a very Portuguese thing normally that when someone can just get out of the bucket, if you can break through the small four walls of Portugal (it doesn’t need to be Moonspell it can be a scientist or an athlete); it’s unavoidable, and it’s almost scientifically proven, that they get shit in Portugal from their peers, and press, and their scene. “But I think bands who look up; there’s this other band called Bizarra Locomotiva, which is ‘Locomotive Bizarre’ in English, they sing in Portuguese including some more industrial metal, very very good… there’s this cool band called Iron Sword, as you see by the name it’s more of a Manilla Road thing… erm, Midnight Priest is a good band... “Moonspell got rid of that Portuguese mentality really quick, you know. We were working with Germans so they didn’t allow us anything like
bizarre behaviours or ‘I want my mum’s food’. It was something really professional, clean and clinical, and [we had] to just go for it and [not] stop at anything. I think some other Portuguese bands [however] would definitely improve if they have gone through a similar experience [as] Moonspell.” When you are performing live is there any reoccurring drinks or food, or anything you try and avoid before a show?
“Well not really. I mean, I don’t get too crazy about that stuff. I think when we do it balanced; sometimes I party, sometimes I drink alcohol, sometimes I smoke, some days I don’t. I believe being dependent on anything to make it work is not that good, and obviously it tells a little about yourself. If you are a person that has already addiction problems and if you go on the road, good luck with that because, you know, it’s just like entering an inverse rehab: you just go there and [you] have easy access to everything really. So I don’t get crazy with being stoic about it, but also when I have to party, I do party. Also I am 40 I cannot party every day. “One thing is for sure, I think people that buy the ticket... they really don’t want to care if you drank too much the other day. I think you have to be a professional above all. Especially coming out from Portugal, touring internationally is such a rare thing, and it’s such a privilege for a Portuguese band especially that we definitely don’t want to, in a way, corrupt that just because of our personal shortcomings and vices. “I hate those bands that try to have their homes on tour. Touring is touring, so if you don’t smoke in your place and someone smokes on the tour-bus, that’s it.. you cannot have your place’s rules in a tour-bus, it doesn’t work. On the other hand, I think I can definitely tell very well what’s me at home and what’s me on the road. It’s not totally two different people, but behaviour has to be definitely different. “... But there’s no big secret. I mean we’ve toured since ’95, we never actually really stopped altogether sabbatical even for a month so we’re already used to it, and we definitely know how to behave, and also we have learned how to misbehave and get away with it and still play the show.” You changed producer also on this album from Tue Madsen, so why did you decide to make this change to Jens Bogren?
““We spent much more on ‘Extinct’ because we wanted something different, we want the whole band there travelling, eating, and we want guests like the Turkish orchestra. “We wanted Jens as well because I know that his client list is great, you know; Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Kreator, but they were all bands that sound very, very different from us, but I think he always did a great job. My idea was a little bit to clash between our more Gothic sound, and these more powerful sounds. “And also he was a big Goth fan… his studio was even named ‘Fascination Street’ … the music we did, the fact we had no problem in making a more personal album, a more emotional album, was something that definitely won over Jens’ heart.”
Welcome to the first of our regular coverage of live music., concerts, gigs and festivals.
mESHUGGAH Roundhouse, London. 20.12.2014 What are the reasonable expectations that one can set for a legendary headline act who have been elevating their artform for over a quarter of a century? The set-list geared towards celebrating this (the band’s 25th anniversary), and featured old and rare tracks which, according to frontman Photo: Marie Korner Words: Daniel Mitchell Jens “will never be performed again”. Despite the celebration of past: there was great turnout from younger fans, who were perhaps the largest demographic (and some of the most enthusiastic). The Roundhouse venue (located minutes from Chalk Farm underground station) earns its namesake by providing a suitably colosseum-eque environment for the event. With a huge, densely populated standing area and upstairs seating (much like the Kentish Town Forum for example), I opted to witness Meshuggah for my first time by diving right into the sweaty centre pit in front of the stage, a choice that could no doubt be felt in the morning, but for this band, transcends the experience. Meshuggah dominated the stage with a 2 hour long set of classic material interspersed with hits from their 2012 opus ‘Koloss’. With a set that simultaneously showcases past and present, this performance may be a staggering precursor to the future of the band, as an awaited successor album can’t come soon enough.
mALTHUSIAN. pRIMORDIALwINTERFYLLETH, 05.02.2015 Doom outfit Malthusian was the first band on stage this evening at the seemingly near soldout gig tonight. Hitting the audience with a wall of sound and their skilfully played dirges, along with guttural vocals and a heavy dose of blackened doom chugging, you’d struggle to find anything wrong with this performance. Definitely worth buying the album as well! The second act to enter the stage this tonight is Manchester’s black metal horde Winterfylleth. Their unique blend of vocal harmonies and dirty black metal sound really comes into its own in a live setting. A captivating performance, and one that very much warms up the room for the main act. Enter Primordial: tonight’s headliner and an Irish metal machine extraordinaire. As I have only seen them at larger venues before, I was blown away in an instant. Despite some technical difficulties with Alan Averill’s (lead vocals) mic during the first song, the band kicked
off their performance with brilliance, and the crowd doesn’t seem to even care about the aforementioned sound debacle. It only seems to make Averill compensate by giving it his all and more throughout the show. The band’s majestic sound is perfectly tuned to the eeriness of each song. Primordial opened their set with the title track from their most recent release ‘Where Greater Men Have Fallen’, a great choice for tonight’s gig. Continuing from this, they include quite a few songs from their more recent releases, including ‘Babel’s Tower’, ‘The Alchemist’s Head’, ‘The Coffin Ships’ and an unmissable rendition of ‘Bloodied Yet Unbowed’. Their grandiose anthem ‘Empire Falls’ brought their two-hour set to a close. This is the best I have seen them in a while, and that is saying something as I’ve never known them to do anything but deliver to exceptionally high standards. Hat’s off to Primordial! Hilde Chruicshank
Metaltech Monster Magnet Bombus, 14.02.2015 Metaltech kicks the night off, and what an act they can put on. Never have I witnessed a trio putting on such a show this early in the evening… If Rammstein and Rob Zombie had a lovechild, Metaltech would be it. Sound effects, guitar solos, steady riffs and wheezing vocals, with a dash of glow sticks (!) and pyrotechnics: this was a full-on show from start to finish, and the audience had gone from mouths open in shock to glow stick weaving clubber maniacs in just over 25 minutes! Bombus from Gothenburg, Sweden are up next. With a powerful and energetic stage presence, Motörhead-esque riffs, inspired vocals and an old school sound, they have the audience bobbing their heads along to their tunes right from the first note they played on ‘Raised by Pigs’ from their 2010 début. Their 30-minute set includes the hard-hitting ‘Master the Reality’ and quick-paced ‘Enter the Night’. Nearing the end of the set, the drummer rocks an amazing solo while the rest of the band get ready for the final push. The band finish with ‘Into the Fire’, which leaves the audience buzzing and ready for the main act of the evening. Definitely a band you should check out live, if you haven’t already done so. In no need of introduction, New Jersey space rockers Monster Magnet enter the stage with a hard-hitting version of ‘The Right Stuff’ to a booming cheer from the crowd. With Dave Wyndorf on top form, they continued straight into ‘Dopes To Infinity’… off to a great start and it only seems to get better. A band of this calibre, with a back catalogue of ten studio albums, can only put together a prime set list. Tonight is a blistering hit parade interspersed with classic hidden gems, including ‘I Live Behind the Clouds’ from 2013’s Last Patrol and ‘Twin Earth’ from Superjudge. The band leave the stage with ‘Stay Tuned’ before coming back to do a few encores for the already ecstatic crowd. The sound is perfect, and the lighting helps set the mood even further. Rarely have I seen a venue full of hardcore fans singing along to every note like this. Some may have been baffled by the band’s decision not to play ‘Powertrip’, but on a night like tonight, they didn’t need it. Needless to say, Wyndorf is a living legend and has earned his name as the ultimate ‘Space Lord’. After three encores, none leave the venue unsatisfied. All hail Monster Magnet! Hilde Chruicshank
with eerie heavy riffs since forming in 1994. Expect a melancholic yet powerful set from them!
Witchsorrow
Festival Preview Doom Over London is back this April with its fifth edition, featuring thirteen crushing bands across one day.
Forgotten Tomb Returning to London for this year’s event is Forgotten Tomb from Piacenza, Italy. These are certainly ones to watch, with their unique nihilistic style of Black Metal.
Asphyx This year’s headliners are old-school Dutch doom-death metal legends Asphyx, long awaited to set foot upon UK shores! With eight studio albums under their belt, Ashypx will undoubtedly be met with an with an army of long-standing fans to witness their performance at The Dome. Main support act is Swedish downtempo melodic doom-death band Draconian. They’ve been making a name for themselves with their unique style of fusing melodic vocals
Serpent Venom always deliver punishing sets and Doom Over London V will be no exception! Their heavy Sabbath-esque riffing style and haunting sound has been making waves in the scene from their London hometown.
Candlelight-signed Witchsorrow are a band often talked about within the UK Doom scene since their formation in 2005. This threepiece from Farnborough create a devastating wall of sound live, and leave audiences with a memorable experience. Pombagira will be opening Doom Over London V. They have developed a unique sound that has as much to do with the innovation of 60s psychedelic pioneers as it does with contemporary forms of presentation.
words: Nimai Pujara
Birmingham’s Khost, however, create chilling experimental and industrial soundscapes that pummel the listener into a vortex of disturbing gloom. This is interesting music that breaks free from many musical conventions. From the darkest depths of North-East England, Uncoffined have very dark elements in their music with influences from the occult, clandestine Satanic rituals and the stench of death & decay.
Limited tickets for Doom Over London V are available from: www.dometufnellpark.co.uk
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ALBUM Reviews | Century Media Records
tHE agonist
The Eye Of Providence
Losing a band member can be tough on any band, but losing a vocalist is arguably amongst the worst things that can happen. Suddenly the band’s focal point, and most notable sound, has departed... what does a band do? For some it’s an opportunity to make some changes, whilst others opt to stay the course. The Agonist opted for the latter, and new frontwoman Vicky Psarakis sounds right at home in the Canadian band. Perfectly and seamlessly blending growls with cleans, this has been a change that couldn’t have been smoother. ‘Danse Macabre’ demonstrates Psarakis’ range; from shimmering high cleans to bowel-shaking low growls, whilst ‘A Gentle Disease’ showcases the band’s softer side (albeit with a slight chilling edge) and Psarakis’ ability with a pseudo-ballad. It’s a polished effort. With enough tasty riffs and furious drumming to satisfy any palette, fans of The Agonist will feel very much at home. There is a slight feeling of “playing it safe” that purmeates the record, however, if this is safe for the sake of steadying the ship then whatever follows may very well be an absolute Lee Carter belter!
immediately with its varying tempos and inspired drumming, making this instantly a more entertaining listen. As a hard rock album, The Answer’s ‘Raise A Little Hell’ comes across a little mellow in places. There’s still plenty of riffs to get your teeth into however, but it doesn’t quite have the get-up-and-go you’d normally associate with the genre. ‘Raise A Little Hell’ may not exactly do as its title suggests it will, but it is nonetheless a decent hard rock record that maintains that fun that is so often lacking in a good rock album. For those who want the mature AC/DC, but with a “variety is the spice of life” motto, look no further than The Answer’s latest opus! Lee Carter
Lee Carter
| Nuclear Blast Records
Blind Guardian
| Season Of Mist
Beyond The Red Mirror
I have always regarded the power metal genre as the ultimate ‘feelgood music’ in heavy metal, and no band says that more than these German bards - who deliver ballads that rival the veterans of old school prog-rock, and offer us another whimsical tale of adventure and excitement in a universe that will make any science fiction or fantasy nerd weak at the knees. Blind Guardian have done it again. If you like your metal symphonic or just powerful with lots of obscure literary references, ‘Beyond the Red Mirror’ is an essential addition to your record collection. Empowering fantasy fiction, delivered over some truly sick riffs and a crescendo that will send enough shocks up your spine to power a bass amp.
Demitri Levantis
| Napalm Records
tHE aNSWER
Carach Angren This Is No Fairytale
This isn’t an album.. This is a blackened opera condensed into nine tracks, and it is utterly astonishing. There’s symphonic black metal and then there is this, where Carach Angren don’t just simply play their instruments and sing, but actually perform. ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ carries such a degree of malevolence, it almost manifests itself before your very eyes. The trick behind this album’s greatness is the vibrance with which the music is played. The black metal side of the band’s sound is calculated to be dissonant and melodic where appropriate, whilst the symphonic side is exceptionally well orchestrated: it has movement and life. As for the vocals, imagine an operatic or Shakespearean actor has developed a penchant for growling - ‘Deaming Of A Nightmare In Eden’ is the exact sort of performance one would expect in a Wagnerian opera. ‘This Is No Fairytale’, but it is a bloody stormer of an album. Lee Carter
Raise A Little Hell
Some may call it “maturation”, some would call it stagnating. In this instance, it feels as if The Answer have matured and their focus is on writing concise, good-time rock songs, and that is exactly what they have accomplished. ‘I Am Cured’ is a loud, raucous slice of hard rock and ‘Strange Kinda’ Nothing’ is the album’s equivalent of a slow, acoustic ballad. Mercifully the album itself exudes an AC/DC ‘Rock Or Bust’ era-feel
right places. It’s doom metal dressed up in crusty punk leathers, and bears the weight of the world on its shoulders from the get-go. None more so than in the agonised sprawl of ‘Empires Of Dust’, with the first half of this beast being the sonic representation of dragging your own house behind you. Despite the lead-heavy approach, there is even time amongst the strains of ‘La Mano Poderosa’ and ‘I Am’ where Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth demonstrate a keen ear for melody – it’s an extra factor that is most welcome amongst the din, which more than compensates for the one-paced nature the album exudes. This shouldn’t detract from what is a very enjoyable and bloody heavy début album.
| Neurot Recordings
Brothers of the sonic cloth self titled
Doom metal: How do you take it? Wall of sound and crushingly heavy, or crusty and raw? If you’re partial to the latter then the self-titled release from these Seattle sludgers will tickle your fancy in all the
cause peers Blind Guardian to take few glances over their shoulder. This is a very strong album, carried on the back of variety and craft. From the blasting fury of ‘Axe Of Judgement’, to the soft acoustic refrains in ‘Burden Of The Fallen’, the pomp and grandeur of ‘Descendants, Defiance, Domination’, to the pseudo-country ‘Candour & Lies’, there is something for everyone. Fortunately, the band’s craft has trimmed it of any fat and left only the prime cut behind. As a | Nuclear Blast Records result, this is a very worthwhile listen.
| Nuclear Blast Records
Enforcer
Lee Carter
From Beyond
I’m not too proud to admit that this form of traditionally minded heavy metal isn’t usually for me. However, I’m capable of recognising when an album is a good one, even if it’s not generally my thing, and ‘From Beyond’ is without doubt a very good album. It’s obvious from the moment you press play that the impressively talented Swedish quartet have a deep and abiding love for this thing we call metal, pumping out track after track of road-rash riffage (‘Destroyer’), flamboyant melody (‘Below The Slumber’) and swaggering hooks (‘The Banshee’), without an ounce of remorse or regret. Enforcer take what they do seriously. nothing | It’s Season of Mistnew, but it’s not trying to be. It’s just straight-up, bad-to-the-bone and balls-to-the-wall heavy metal, and a testament to the fact that, no matter how far the genre progresses from its roots, there will always be those willing to keep the old-school alive.
Ghost Brigade
Andy Walmsley
| Metal Blade Records
Ensiferum
One Man Army
Finns Ensiferum return with their sixth album together with ‘One Man Army’, and fans can rest assured that this is more of what they know and love: folk-inspired melodic death metal, with enough power metal and orchestration thrown in to
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Melechesh Enki
| Victory Records
Feed Her To The Sharks Fortitude
Despite starting with a sound that could be described as indistinguishable from a large number of other metalcore bands, Feed Her To The Sharks do redeem themselves throughout this album. Their use of instruments displays a clear mastery of what makes good music, however their songs consistently follow the same structure which becomes a bit repetitive. It’s mixed up on ‘Heart of Stone’ and a few of the following tracks with a bit of synth in the intro - an almost de rigeur for modern metalcore (along with the outro piano). Lyrically, it’s clearly an emotionally charged album. It is worth noting that there are some moments of real emotional clarity which, if noticed, do enhance the album greatly. Unsurprisingly they’ve toured with metalcore greats Asking Alexandria, and played the famous Warped Tour in Australia - I would be surprised if they don’t become a Warped Tour staple in the next few years. Sadly the album does become noticeably same-y after track 8, although the final track ‘Let Go’ is definitely worth a listen. Not groundbreaking, however overall worth a listen. Josie Adnitt
Playlist
It’s somehow been almost 5 long years since Melechesh unleashed ‘The Epigenesis’. With the intervening time seemingly fraught with setbacks and personnel changes, thankfully the band have channelled their fury and frustration of those lost years into a collection of scorchingly aggressive, impressively intricate songs that rival the very best they’ve ever produced. The reconstituted line-up sees Ashmedi rejoined by guitarist Moloch and original drummer Lord Curse, along with new bassist Scorpios. From the sandstorm savagery of opener ‘Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged’, to the slowburning conflagration of epic closer ‘The Outsiders’, the band are absolutely on fire throughout. Every track is an arcane, adversarial anthem, delivered in the band’s unique and unconventional style. Overflowing with esoteric, thrashy energy and mystical blackened power, all seamlessly woven together by the group’s carefully honed song-craft, ‘Enki’ is the sound of a band effectively reborn, better and bolder than ever before. Andy Walmsley
| Napalm Records
mOONSPELL Extinct
Always a divisive band, and proud of that fact, Moonspell’s eleventh album showcases a band still pretty much at the top of their game. ‘Extinct’ delivers their signature brand of shamelessly melodramatic, sharply melancholic, Gothic-tinged rock/metal with all the raging passion we’ve come to expect. Some songs are definitely stronger than others, it’s true (the opening pairing of ‘Breathe’ and ‘Extinct’ set a very high
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ALBUM Reviews ...bar for the rest of the album), but in its best moments ‘Extinct’ is an incredibly strong piece of work; the album is positively bursting with razor-sharp hooks and red-hot riffs. All this is tied together by the enviably varied and viscerally emotive vocals of frontman Fernando Ribeiro. Quite simply, Moonspell have nothing to prove any more, but although ‘Extinct’ may not be the best of their most recent output (2012’s ‘Alpha Noir’ still holds that title) it stands amongst their best, and definitely serves as ample justification for the band’s status as underground legends. Andy Walmsley
| Metal Blade Records
Motor Sister Ride
In what can only be described as a metal supergroup, Motor Sister; comprising of Jim Wilson (Mother Superior), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Joey Vera (Armored Saint), John Tempesta (White Zombie, The Cult) and Pearl Aday - have released their studio first album ‘Ride’ via Metal Blade Records. Composed entirely of Mother Superior covers, it’s nothing exactly original, but it’s overflowing with heavy rock and hard riffs. It’s everything you’d expect from such an established group of musicians. It’s not difficult to understand why this collection of covers works as an individual album too - the band’s talent is undeniable in addition to their understanding of the songs, and that’s something which is consistent throughout the entire album. While it’s difficult to pick out the best tracks, narrowed down to three it would have to be; the fast paced first track ‘Hole’, the dramatic ‘Head Hanging Low’, and the heavy ‘Fork In The Road’. Undoubtedly, they would be a hell of an act to see live, and for those lucky enough to go, they’ve currently got one live show announced to look out for. Headbangingly good, and nothing short of full-frontal rock god indulgence. Josie Adnitt
instrumentals interspersed throughout (check out the aptly-titled ‘Chants Of Purification’). While not quite reinventing the genre, it’s done so well that you can easily see past the plethora of blasting and tremolo to behold. ‘The Sword & The Dagger’ is an uncompromising, snarling and vengeful beast, and you would do well to listen to it.
Lee Carter
| Century Media
Napalm Death
Easy Meat - Apex Predator
Napalm Death have led a long and fruitful career, aiding in the creation of grindcore and death metal. Fans of both of these scenes will not be disappointed with the veterans’ sixteenth studio release. ‘Apex Predator – Easy Meat’ harkens back to the early days of the band with minute-length songs reminiscent of ‘Scum’ and ‘Diatribes’. Vocalist Barney |Pure Noise Records Greenway launches tirade after tirade of anger against topics including the global financial crisis, corrupt politicians, and the Reckoning EP living conditions of British citizens. Following on from their breakout album Bassist Shane Embury and guitarist Mitch ‘The Wrong Way’, San Pedro hardcore Harris have certainly not mellowed either. punks Rotting Out return with a raucous The signature grind of the guitars is still EP that delivers a clear indication of their prevalent with the odd reminder of the upcoming full-length. This is more of the band’s ‘Harmony Corruption’ days. If you same from this rowdy bunch – loud, proud like your old-school, or something that and with enough violence to incite a small isn’t too technical, this is the album for riot. you. Politics are still a common theme in But it’s not just a “heads-down and blast” most death metal and Napalm Death are affair. There’s time enough for the group still keeping that alive. to retain the groove, slow down and keep These guys have not yet disappointed the record from sounding stale. Of course me and I doubt they will anytime soon. being an EP, there’s ample opportunity Demitri Levantis to cover some influences, which Rotting Out make full use of in covering two tracks by hardcore legends Circle Jerks. ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Live Fast Die Young’ sit comfortably beside the three originals and, for all intents and purposes, could have been Rotting Out’s own. Despite not exactly reinventing the conventions of their genre, ‘Reckoning’ is an entertaining record which offers a | Listenable Records short aural bludgeoning, and perfectly befits that day we all experience where you just fancy a good bit of aggressive music to slap you about the ears!
rOTTING oUT
The Order of Apollyon
Lee Carter
The Sword And The Dagger
‘The Sword & The Dagger’ sees The Order Of Apollyon return with a sophomore effort that, from the sounds of ‘Hatred Over Will’, was born out of (and consists mostly of) powerful anger and certain wisps of hatred. It’s almost palpable! The album sounds dark, brooding and utterly menacing, especially through cuts like ‘Hold Not Thy Peace’, ‘O God Of My Praise’, and the chilling ‘The Curse Is Poured Upon Them’ - the opening of the latter making fine use of dissonance to (pleasingly) grate on the ears. It isn’t all relentless metal though, as the album features some cinematic
| UNFD Records
Storm The Sky Permanence
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Taking a softer stance than some other bands of the same genre, Storm The Sky sound incredibly mature here on their début album. Described by the band as “cinematic, atmospheric, and dark”, ‘Permanence’ lives up to its expectations and delivers on many fronts; it’s easy to get into and consistently delivers well composed and executed music. Featuring guest vocals from bands already established (including Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire and Trenton Smith of Hands Like Houses) and produced by Cameron Mizell, whose work includes Sleeping With Sirens’ ‘Feel’, there are obvious moments of influence and this is particularly audible on ‘Portraits’. Don’t be put off by the fact some of the bands mentioned have bad reps however – ‘Permanence’ has a genuine and refreshing feel to it. With the lyrics exploring the concept of existence and the value of life, and providing snapshots of the inner workings of human emotion, this is truly a moving and exciting album. Josie Adnitt
Relapse Records
Torche
Restarter
Sludge Metal is an interesting sub genre that will cause anyone who likes slow, classic or doom metal to be happy. Also included amongst its roots, aspects from the old-school hardcore punk scene: namely Black Flag’s later work. Florida’s Torche have successfully fused all those great elements together to produce their latest weird and wonderful studio album, ‘Restarter’. The band claims to have very abstract lyrical themes, and that is very true when you pay attention to the sound. It shifts from slow and angry to fast and upbeat, with power chords laden down alongside typical metal drumming. Expect lots of distortion and heavy bass, with riffs that will give off a sound like a grindstone or a buzzsaw cutting into iron. Clean vocals are on most of the songs, but the odd growl makes an appearance. Overall a very fun loving record from one very fun band!
Demitri Levantis
| Victory Records
Tear Out The Heart Dead Everywhere
With an intro track that brings to mind a love-child between Asking Alexandria and The Used, Tear Out The Heart’s ‘Dead Everywhere’ continues this feeling throughout. Being the five-piece’s second album, there’s obvious melody development from their debut ‘Violence’, and a generally more educated attitude. There’s less amateurism and instead, a sound which is closer to the metal genre than its predecessor. I felt the heavy editing on some of the vocals wasn’t always necessary, and was in some cases detrimental. Additionally, while the spoken word parts do feel a little bit heavy on the ‘emo’ side, they make up for it by actually being good and definitely add another dimension to the music, and break up what could otherwise be a pretty standard album. The album overall has a heavy, aggressive feel which, if that’s what you’re looking for, is very good. If, however, you’re looking for something which mixes it up a bit - and isn’t necessarily comprised entirely of breakdowns/pig squeals, it’s a easily a top choice.
Josie Adnitt
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19.02.2015 14:21:40