Interview
decapitated
words: Dan J. Mitchell
We spoke to gutarist, riffmaster, and founding member
Waclaw “VOGG” Kieltyka
Your previous album ‘Carnival Is Forever’ was quite a significant evolution in style for Decapitated. How do you describe the change in style that you’ve been going through for the last album and for this album (Blood Mantra) after it?
It was almost three years ago so many things changed. We have a little bit of a different lineup right now. We have a new drummer onboard and he brings a new style of playing, and a new sound. This new album has got different production also as we changed studio. I produced the whole album myself this time. I composed 100% of the material, even drums, guitars, bass and even some vocal lines. The new album is for sure more natural, and we have more groovy parts. We pay attention to choosing the right tempos for the songs. Carnival [is Forever] was really wild, and a very fast album. Right now we are more calmed down. There are a couple of songs you can find on ‘Blood Mantra’ that are really fast and heavy, especially the first 2 songs from the album. But we have something new in our style, we bring some new things into the music, like more groovy parts, more catchy riffs. The title song, Blood Mantra, is kind of a Rock song on 7 string guitars and double kick drums. There are many differences between those 2 albums. Blood Mantra is more natural, more heavy sounding, even more diverse. Every song is different, has a different atmosphere and touches a different style of playing Metal.
What made you go for the more groove style for this album?
The reason was probably that we’ve spent the last 3 years touring with bands such as Meshuggah, Lamb of God, those kinds of bands. I always wanted to play groovy parts. I am a fan of bands like Pantera, Alice in Chains, Sepultura. I always liked their groove based styles of playing of Metal. The last tours we played, we discovered that we had so much really fast sounds already. So many blast beat, and double kick sounds all the time. We wanted to do something different this time and put something fresh into the songs, so it would be catchier for the crowds, more groovy and better sounding too. Now that your vocalist, Rasta is writing all the lyrics on the album, would you say that his position and involvement in the band has changed?
For sure, on this album he debuts as a writer in Decapitated. Before, we chose another guy from outside the band. I think Rasta has grown as a writer and a dude. We discovered that he is ready to write good lyrics, and he’s done a great job to write all those lyrics for the new album. The lyrics are a continuation of the way we wrote lyrics on Carnival is Forever. It’s a bit of a similar concept lyrically. It fits with the music, fits with what we’re thinking, and the lyrics are not some bullshit and things that don’t exist. It’s about real things and what’s going on in our lives. I’m really happy that Rasta did it finally. So he’s not only a performer on stage, he’s also someone who can give something of himself to the band.
Did you teach yourself how to play all the instruments if you write all the music as well?
If we’re talking about guitars and bass, that’s no problem, I’ve been doing that for years. With drums, I was kinda forced to do it myself this time. I was always working with the drummer on previous albums, but this time we had a situation where we didn’t have a drummer for the band during the writing process. We’ve been through 3 guys already! This was also the reason why it took 3 years to record the new album. I had to decide one day that if we have this kind of problem, I have to write drums myself. I learnt how to do this myself on a program called “Drumkit From Hell”. It’s quite simple. You said you were inspired by a lot of the larger bands you were playing with, like Meshuggah and other bands…
Influence to me comes from touring mostly. If I’ve spent lots of time with bands on tour and listen to them every night, and watch those guys every night, that’s the inspiration. Sometimes after the tour when you come back home and start to play, and you can hear that hear, well that sounds a bit like this guy and that guy. Many bands have this kind of experience, like Behemoth. After touring with Nile, they started to play like Nile. Meshuggah also after tours with Tool, started to use these kind of atmosphere and sounds.
Decapitated Blood Mantra Out Now! Nuclear Blast Records
Interview
revocation
It has been less than a year since your previous release. How do you manage to create such a volume of content in half of a typical album production cycle (2-3 years)?
I guess I just write a lot, I’ll go through periods where I’ll just be constantly writing and feeling really creative. Other times, I won’t be writing stuff – but I’ll be working on music in some capacity. For me, I kinda get obsessive over stuff: if I sit down and have some riffs together, start writing a song, I’ll focus on it until I get it to a point where it feels completed. I guess we’ve just been lucky in that sense, we’re constantly working on new material. How much gets left on the cutting room floor in the writing of songs/riffs?
I do have spare riffs, and that’s the thing. If I’m hitting a wall with something, let’s say I really like a riff, I’ll record it and save it and then I can revisit it at a later time. All of our records have a mixture of riffs that are both older and brand new – we always have material simmering on the backburner. You decided to self-title your previous album. What does the name, Deathless, for your latest, signify?
Well Deathless the song is about our lives on the road, being in a touring band; the obstacles that arise, and how you rise to that challenge. We are always pressing forward because of the love that we have for this music. Deathless is synonymous with ‘ceaseless’, and I feel like that definitely describes our attitude in terms of touring and constantly working on music: I think there’s definitely a ‘deathless’ work-ethic that we have in this band.
David Davidson
Another word that it would be synonymous with would be ‘timeless’. Hopefully there’s sorof a timeless quality to the music we create: and we certainly feel passionate about it. You know, we’re not writing music to be the ‘flavour of the month’ band, to follow trends, or anything like that. We just want to make music that we feel passionately about. This band has always been a melting pot of different genres and ideas, and we always experiment with every release. A timeless quality is something that we aim for with our music. So you don’t consider yourselves to be a thrash metal band, or a death metal band in particular?
We’ve had so many labels over the years. I think our earlier material was more thrashmetal driven, but even on the very first record that we ever did there were always multiple aspects to the music: death metal, thrash, progressive elements. Certainly on Existence is Futile (the band’s 2009 sophomore LP) record for example, there were little flirtations with black-metal and stuff like that: external influences always creep in more and more. I think because of this, we are hard to define because on the one hand we might put out one song that will sound more like thrash metal and another that is death-metal driven. In the UK you are touring alongside Cannibal Corpse and Aeon: a brutal lineup. Are you looking forward to this one?
Oh my god, yeah! The Aeon guys are actually good buddies of ours – we’ve toured with them once before when they were in the States on the Summer Slaughter tour and we had a blast
words: Dan J. Mitchell
We got the latest from
with those guys. Cannibal Corpse are just such a legendary band. I remember growing up listening to their music, watching the videos, and stuff like that. It’s a real honour to be on tour with them. This album is your debut for Metal Blade Records, after a string of releases with Relapse. You have also changed producer this time around: has it brought any changes to the recording process?
I think Deathless is the best sounding album we’ve ever done ever, and I think Zeus just nailed it on this one. We’ve worked with Zeus before on the Teratogenesis EP (Scion A/V, 2012) so it wasn’t like we were unfamiliar with him, but of course doing a full length instead of an EP you have more time to work with the person which I think is nicer as Zeus has a really great ear for certain things, and he’s always willing to let us try things in the studio which is nice: so we really didn’t feel rushed at all. It was like “hey I got this idea for this little backing guitar line” and he’d be like “Oh cool, why don’t you lay it down” you know? Which was fun.
Revocation Deathless 14th October 2014 Metal Blade Records
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Interview
1349
Archaeon
This is your first album in around 4 years. What was your reason for such a long gap this time?
How do you divide the song writing between yourselves? Is it quite collaborative or does one person write the whole song?
Well as a matter of fact, it’s just the natural situation around it. We’ve been touring, we’ve been playing festivals, we’ve been composing: it all takes its time, and for the level of quality that was demanded for the album it took a long time to rehearse, to compose and for everything to happen. It was just natural circumstances really that made it take its time unfortunately.
On this album it’s been pretty much down to me, writing the songs and laying down a template to tell the guys. Some things are a given, like the drum structures. Frost will mostly lay down his own and figure out his own things. He’s got some special takes on things. He’ll take a song home and listen to it first, and think about it closely and try to come up with unique twists. They are twists that are quite untraditional sometimes, and where it’s traditionally used, it’s done because that’s his belief of what will work best. But composition has been more down to me. Frost has composed one song which is quite Thrashy. Which helps to get more diversity into it. I always prefer when we have some other input just to get that bit of thinking in the way that I couldn’t have done myself.
I’d say that this album is one of the most diverse albums that you’ve recorded. Was this a conscious part of the songwriting process?
I had the idea to have a bit more of a simple structure on the album. Not so much simple actually, but a more classic-metal structure. We’d been experimenting for quite a bit at that point, so at some point, that had gotten experimenting for experimenting sake and it was more right to approach it in a more classic-metal way and go more into the more retro aspect of production and overall soundscapes. We want the sound to be good, not just on mp3s, but to sound good for those interested in hi-fi stereos as well. Everyone in the band prefers vinyl as their preferred medium. So it’s a bit of a task like that, to make it sound good in all ways, you know?
words: Dan J. Mitchell photo: Jorn Veberg
We spoke to vocalist
In the early days of the band we had another guitarist, and it was pretty much me and him working together, or working alone. Sometimes just coming in and throwing riffs together. Now it’s done more properly. We think about every part which is used in the songs. That’s pretty much how it came together Would you say this record is a progression of the style taken on Demonoir?
Yes, the same spirit is the still there. The vibe is there in a way, but it’s also an evolution in its purest form. When Frost came up with the title, we all embraced it whole heartedly, because it’s got that 1349ish vibe to it...
On “Cauldron of Chaos” the material is very varied. It’s all things people are commenting on. Thrash, Death Metal, while having its feet firmly placed in Black Metal. You find things from more ancient genres. We’re into a lot of music like old Thrash Metal. We’ve always had bits of that in 1349 too, but I guess a bit more maybe now than before. So you’re taking on more influences?
Yeah I guess in a way, we’ve chosen to take that Thrash approach a bit further with this album. I’ve been listening to bands like Voivod, Exodus & Possessed. And more Thrashy, agressive dark things that have tied bones to the Black Metal stage. Bathory was a guiding light for this album. To get like a dark sharp edge from this album. The bottom line is a lot of 70s sound you can trace from this album is meant to have this authentic organic sound to it. And I think we succeeded. There’s quite a warm sound in the drums. There’s more bass in this album than we’ve ever had before. On touring in Europe
We decided we wanted to go to Europe and it has to be the first priority as it’s been so long since we’ve been out. First and foremost we want to go out in Europe. The UK has always been good for us!
1349 Massive Cauldron of Chaos Out Now! Indie Recordings
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Interview
photo: Justin Reich words: Dan J. Mitchell
We spoke to Frontman
Elias Soriano
Nonpoint’s last two releases saw their chart popularity grow considerably. I asked Elias whether they consciously approach songwriting with a regard to expanding their fanbase.
Always. Our fans are who we write for ultimately, with the occasional selfish song here and there on the record. For the most part when we sit down to write a record we think about how our fans will react and we try to impress whenever we can. Our fans influence every decision we make, from T-shirts to song titles. It’s what we all do this for, and I quote Benji from Skindred, “There’s nothing like that hour long ego massage mate.” The very least I can do is consider their opinions in return for the inspiration and support!
Earlier this year a post was made on the band's Facebook in which they said that they are “digging deeper into [your] influences” on the new album. How do these influences shine through on this record?
I think that was my drummer Robb that posted that. He was probably referring to our love for classic rock and the bands that got us into this whole mess to begin with. We listen to the old shit on the bus. We watch Metal Mania and try to guess the next band coming up. We gather around the old flatscreen and try to answer the STUMP THE TRUNK questions on That Metal Show. We’re fans of the movement that put us where we are today. Lately, more than ever, I think we’ve been enjoying that love again.
This album is titled The Return: what does this title imply, and what kind of return is it talking about?
On the last record we really felt like we hit the reset button and made a new mark for fans, especially new fans, to see that we are a band that plans on doing this for a long time. We see no reason why we couldn’t release 8 more records, especially after the response to our “self-titled” record last year. Once again we “Return.”
BC Kochmit, guitarist, is the latest member to join the band – in 2014. What role does he play in the band, does he have an influence in the band’s sound or songwriting? Is he expected to be a long term addition to the band?
BC has not only been a friend to this band since the very beginning, but he was our first choice when Andy first bowed out. When we asked him to join us this time he hit the ground running! In the first month he’s been in the band he helped us design the album cover, a T shirt, edited together a teaser, learned about 20 songs and has written a handful of riffs. So you ask long-term? I think it’s safe to say he is a permanent fixture in the house of Nonpoint. Being in a band is more than showing up to the gigs and talking to fans on Facebook. It’s the hours of design, discussions, writing, practicing, planning, sacrifice, commitment and over all chemistry that makes a member of this band a permanent. Anything else would just be a lazy, rock cliché!
Do you consider yourselves more of a metal band or a rock band?
At this point I think it’s safe to say, it depends who you talk to. Those who haven’t seen us live or only know our radio singles tend to think we’re a rock band. Those that come to the show and see us in action swear up and down that we are a metal band. Those who know us and have been with us from the beginning know we are simply Nonpoint. How do you divide music songwriting duties, and how influence does each member have?
and much
Like I mentioned before, this is a band that requires its members to pull their weight and be involved. So everyone writes their parts with the occasional “HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS COOL! KEEP DOING THAT!” moment to help them lock down parts. It’s also safe to say that 90% of what you hear was written by the person playing it, or singing it. The guys dig the way I arrange the riffs they send me and the lyrics I write for the most part, so I handle that portion. Riffs, beats and bass lines are written by the guys.
Nonpoint The Return Out Now! Metal Blade Records
ssSHEENSss
with
words: Demitri Levantis
Interview Harr
i Pikk
a
What were the biggest influences on this album?
The boys in the band are the biggest influence! The overall atmosphere and good buzz. Good riffs, awesome guitar sounds, AC/DC and ZZ-Top also inspire me endlessly. How would you describe the new album’s sound?
It’s classic rock with great riffs, raw and massive sound, superb vocals and bursting energy. Music to drink beer, party, drive fast, listen like a proper music enthusiastic with fancy headphones and find the different nuances in sweet guitar and vocal harmonies, and music to make love to beautiful people. Try it! Do it! Yes, I think we have almost some “prog” sounding stuff included in our straight forward rock/punk action this time. We also have two cover songs on the album (Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart and ZZ-Top’s Concrete And Steel) so yeah, experimental. The overall sound is still ssSHEENSss, we’re spreading our roots to the ground of rock ‘n roll. The recording process was also completely new for us: live basic tracks and some overdubbing. We were in new studio also so lots of experimenting all the time, it never stops.
COMPETITION
Who was involved this time around?
The original ssSHEENSss lineup is here: three guitars, bass, drums and vocals. We got some keyboards here and there though. In the production part we have new men aboard: Tomas Skogsberg of Sunlight studio doing the mixing and Brad Boatright of Audiosiege studio doing the mastering. How different is this album from the last?
When we did the first album we went straight to studio, we didn’t play any shows before that. So now we had played live and had studio experience together. We have tuned down to C right now, so a slight change there. The three guitars we have in band have found their places and we are going to take that further. The songs have ingredients from a wider spectrum this time. STRAPPING STALLIONS IS OUT NOW ON SOULSELLER RECORDS
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STUDFAUST words: Hilde Chruicshank
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How did you come about starting the band in the first place?
The talks about the band first started when I met my old mate Bård Faust (Emperor) at Elm Street [legendary rock pub in Oslo] one evening in 2011. I said I had just moved to Oslo and had some songs I wanted to record. He wanted to hear them, and we jammed just me and him and it rolled on from there as a natural consequence. Where did you record the album, and what was the recording process like?
The album was recorded in Caliban Studio in Oslo. Ruben Willem was the engineer and he mixed and mastered it too. The whole recording process was done in something like 15 hours or so. We were quite well rehearsed and one song we did in 1 take! Just the way we like it, allright!
It’s my opinion that the more time you spend in the studio, the less edgy the product's sound. We wanted to keep the rawness! All my favourite albums are the one that were recorded low budget and fast (with some exceptions). For example the first Black Sabbath album, the first Mötley Crüe, the first Ramones, the first Kiss, the first Slayer, the first Sodom, the first Kreator etc.
We just set up the equipment the same way as a normal rehearsal and started playing. No more rocket science than that! WHERE THE UNDERDOGS BARK IS OUT NOW ON SOULSELLER RECORDS
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Interview
antropomorphia
We spoke to
photo: Justin Reich words: Dan J. Mitchell
Ferry
This album and its predecessor were your first full-lengths since you formed in 1989. Released two years apart, would you say you are more active now as a band?
When we started out we were very young, I mean we were 16 when we decided to form a band – cause we loved music. We loved listening to bands like Celtic Frost and Hellhammer. We were just a bunch of friends, who’d never played any instruments, and said “Well, let’s begin our own band”. When our first demo came out I was about 20 years old, and the main thing then was just to play live at your local pub and see what comes out of it, you know. We weren’t as focused as we are now. Now we’re a little bit older. We are proud of what we had accomplished, but now we want to take this as far as possible. We started off as a trinity and throughout all these years that trinity still remains the same. We didn’t want anyone from the outside within the band, that was our state of mind at a time – because where are you going to find someone that really connects with you and inside a group that’s been together for more than 20 years, you know, it’s a very strange and good relationship we have with each other. Then we came across Jos [Van Der Brand], who we’ve known for quite a while within the scene – he used to play in Acrostichon. He kindof fit in, and from that moment on, we started to feel like a band. We got that feeling we had when we first started out, it felt like being kids again. Would you say you have a wide range of influences?
Yeah. For me, it’s not influenced only by
extreme music. I like to listen to new-wave records, I like to listen to The Cure, Fields of the Nephilim… Chelsea Wolfe, a new artist. All music can be inspiring when you create: it doesn’t even have to be music. It can be other stuff: a good book, whatever gets you to that point where you can let out that part of creativity that’s inside. I don’t like to limit myself to just one thing, you know? It’s a big palette from which I draw my inspiration from, it can be occult literature. I’m studying Luciferian philosophy for myself but the other guys in the band don’t share my spiritual beliefs, so I try to keep that to a minimum in the lyrics. I combine it with real life horror stories from serial killers to just whatever comes to mind. It’s a mixture of traditional death-metal lyrics with my personal spiritual beliefs sometimes, and sometimes it’s just a fantasy story. It’s a combination. The band is referred to as a Tilburg band. Are you all from Tilburg, or is that where you met?
We’re actually from a little town called Kaatsheuvel, it’s a really small town but it’s about 14km next to Tilburg. Me and Marco (Stubbe), we grew up in Kaatsheuvel. I moved to Tilburg after a few years, and our bass player [Marc van Stiphout] lives in Tilburg. Marco used to live in Tilburg, but he’s moved back to Kaatsheuvel, so we were all around this area and we all lived here. Now 3 of the guys live here. We have a very healthy metal scene here in Tilburg – we’ve got black metal bands, we used
to have Sauron, we used to have Flesh Made Sin – the guitar player from them now plays in Legion of the Damned. Our drummer and our bassist played a part in that band – you have a healthy metal scene but we’re all kindof linked in one way or another to each other: either through friendship or we play in each other’s bands. Would you say you listen to more modern metal music or classic bands?
I’m stuck in the 80s, 90s when it comes to the main part of what I listen to. I’ve been spinning Endless Pain by Kreator for the last 4 days: reliving what I went through when I was that young. I listen to Bathory, the old Darkthrone, old Venom. Death’s Scream Bloody Gore is one of my favourites. Possessed Seven Churches. That kindof stuff. How do you share songwriting duties?
I write all the music for the band. Sometimes I write a song with our drummer, but most of the stuff comes from me. I record demos at my home, send them to our drummer Marco, and he starts arranging them into a song – he’s the main ‘arranger’ of the band, so to say. And then the other guys have their own opportunity to get their input into a song but the main structure, and most of the riffs, come from me.
Antropomorphia Rites Ov Perversion Out Now! Metal Blade Records
Interview Interview
Drummer and founding member
Donald Tardy Obituary Inked In Blood October 27th 2014 Relapse Records
words: Dan J. Mitchell photo: Ester Segarra
were younger, inspiration came from other bands and new music we discovered.
It has been five years since your previous studio album Darkest Day. Can you give us a recap on the bands activities and lineup changes in that five-year recording hiatus?
It’s amazing to us that it has been five years since the last release. We never intended to take this long in-between records but we also knew that we didn’t want to rush anything and wanted to take our time with the new songs. We spent nearly 3 years writing music for the new album and in between that we started to play the classic set list live, and that really kept us busy for the last two years. Looking back I think it was a blessing that it took this long to write the songs because each song has its own character and own vibe and really makes for a monster album. The band has also gone through some changes in members, and we could not be more excited about the line up right now. Terry Butler has been a longtime friend of the band and we couldn’t happier with he brings thesince table with his Having be performed in what a band that to has achieved a knowledge just ago awesome have legendary and cult professionalism. status over 20 It’s years gives to most of the current members of Sigiriya of an kindest edge over him as part of this band now, he’ssomething one of the coolest, manyyou bands of similar in solid the scene. dudes will ever meet andsize just as of a bassAdditionally, player. Ken Sigiriya wasn’t formed until 8 years afterhas thebeen dissolution Andrews is a local Florida metal head who in the of Acrimony. music scene here in Florida for a long time but just never had “I’mopportunity learning lessons I suppose terms of being in a band, the to beallinthea time bandbutwith much in success.
we just enjoy it for what it is - no big plan to take over the world, and we When we asked him to join the band he took it very seriously, don’t take ourselves too seriously. As long as you don’t believe your own studied what Allenbe West James the in the hype you’ll usually OK.and I think we Murphy are a bit had morebrought focusedto than table, andand somehow combined both their stylessince to get Obituary old days, have matured a very small amount those days so that back on put track where weand need to be. smashed Ken is an awesome now, we the to playing first, the getting a close second. We band always in awrong goodway mood, always ready to throw alwaysmember, did get that one the around, ha-ha! “The main philosophy of the band is to not give a fuck [about] down some chops when necessary: he’s the final piece to thewhat’s trendy or what other people are doing. Just sail your own ship and course puzzle. and don’t worry what anyone says or does. In fact, we do have a habit of producing music that’s the antithesis of what’s trendy just to be different. Usually after 10 years peopleand theninspiration want you to reform cos you new were doing Where did the decision for writing something come unique from? or a bit different - just like with calls for [an] Acrimony material reunion, we say ‘fuck you and you should have been there the first time After being a band for nearly 30 years, inspiration comes from around’ ha-ha.
many different places than it used to. In the past, when we
excited about writing new material.
Nowadays it comes from inside of us. We know that we are the band that inspires others, and that alone is inspiration when writing new material, but it really just comes from the heart. We don’t think too much about it, we believe that if we write a song that we love, our fans will also love it because after all: we are metal fans and still get
Do you have any plans for another live album or DVD? the scene in the band’s hometown of Swansea, Regarding Wales... We are in the middle of producing our next DVD for metal fans
the world believe willtobebeone everybody “[It’s]around very healthy, [and]and always hasthis been fair,that even since the Acrimony days.to HARK doing and a great band,but Prosperina will want see. are It will notreally only well be about Obituary, about are also out there doing the do, The Arteries well established in the Florida’s death metal history and theare history of Morrisound punkStudios. scene too. Continents are another heavy band making strides across Europe and beyond, and Suns of Thunder are also well known around the took a film crew into Morrisound with us and performed stonerWe scene. all the has old always classic punched songs that haveitsrecorded thereitover ourto “Swansea wayweabove weight when comes career, and sort filmed it so fansascan a feel of what it was these like heaviness. We’re of regarded the get old tramp-core anti-heroes days for withusa to mixperform of delightinand that we’re still alive and making the wonderment studio. a right din.” We are now working on the documentary side of the DVD,
andfuture... compiling stories and tales from all our metal friends and On the band-mates to re-live the Morrisound Days
“I really want to get another album done as soon as we can and just see what happens. What’s done is done, and we move onwards and upwards:no medals to ‘til the battles done!.” Were there any songs that didn’t make it to the record that may see a release in the future?
I’m not allowed to answer this question right now or I would have to kill you!! Haha! I can say that the fans are in for a real treat these next couple years with Obituary and the plans we have for new material, releases and tours for the fans because we know they deserve it!!
Reviews
and drumming techniques, the lyrics, and song structure. Pure Heavy shows the band at their best, paying homage to some of the greats from 70s through 90s heavy music, such as Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden. This outing displays strong song writing skills, with catchy hooks and a great sense of melody. Buy this album and rediscover the highlights of three rocking decades all in one record!
record Carnival Is Forever, the man sounds even more at home on this record, having written all the lyrics this time as well. His delivery is angrier and tighter with the rest of the band, enhancing the ferocity of tracks such as “The Blasphemous Psalm To The Dummy God Creation” and the sprawling “Blindness”. Any self-respecting metalhead needs to hear this record. Lee Carter
Hilde Chruicshank
Antropomorphia Rites ov Perversion
| Metal Blade Records
In Death Metal, there’s sometimes a thin line between the brutal and the bone-headed. This is something Dutch death-bringers Antropomorphia probably know all-too well, as their name is usually invoked more for the attention-grabbing offensiveness of their early work, rather than for their obvious talents. It’s unfortunate too because these guys certainly do have talent, and a lot more to offer than simple shock-value. Their latest album is a prime example: heavier, smarter, and more focused, it’s a real step up for the band on almost every level. Added to this is a fantastic production job: it really makes every razor-sharp riff, neck-snapping drum pattern or cavernous growl positively punch through your speakers. With strong hints of both Grave and Morbid Angel, Rites ov Perversion takes a crushingly old-school aesthetic and fuses it with a very modern sound and intensity. Andy Walmsley
Cannibal Corpse A Skeletal Domain
Falloch
This Island, Our Funeral | Candlelight Records
| Metal Blade Records
Cannibal Corpse never stray too far away from their signature sound, and this album (their thirteenth) is no exception. They do, however, always bring something new and unique to the table. If you thought their previous effort, Torture, was as heavy as it gets, think again: Corpsegrinder and the rest of the boys have taken it to a new level here! The band are on top form on this one, as Corpsegrinder pushes his voice to highpitched howls on several songs. It is amazing how the band still manages to be so inventive after all these years, proving they truly are the kings of American death metal. As for the sound, the band has opted to go for producer Mark Lewis at Audio Hammer Studios (The Black Dahlia Murder, DevilDriver, etc.) this time around: resulting in an even more brutal twist to the vocals but at the same time ensuring the old school sound is preserved. Buy this record. The artwork is (as always with Cannibal Corpse) an added bonus.
Glasgow based atmospheric metal act. A new line-up has resulted in a more coherent dynamic in the band’s sound, allowing more room for experimentation, as well as creating a slightly thicker, heavier sound. The six tracks on this record are a bit more ‘straight to the point’ than those on their debut album; they do however retain the same ambiance and melodic qualities. The production is as close to perfect as you can get for this genre of music. Every sound is highlighted without it getting messy, and the outcome pulls you into a glorious, soulful soundscape, painting a picture of the vast Scottish landscape, complemented by soaring vocals and haunting melodies backed by a strong rhythm section. Hilde Chruicshank
Hilde Chruicshank
Audrey Horne Pure Heavy
Gormathon
| Napalm Records
Norway’s own Audrey Horne is out with their new record Pure Heavy this month. The first thing that hit a few songs in is that this sounds nothing like their previous efforts. After a few more spins though, you can hear distinct traits of what must have influenced the band over the years. The first track has an upbeat Imperial State Electric kind of feel to it, whereas the second is closer to heavy music in the vein of Judas Priest, and it just keeps on getting heavier from thereon out. Whilst it is still clear to an avid listener that this is indeed the Audrey Horne we know and love, very much through the mere energy of their sound; the guitar solos and
Following The Beast
Decapitated Blood Mantra
| Nuclear Blast Records
From start to finish, Blood Mantra is a tour-deforce in how to write furious and technically astounding death metal. Thunderous drums, bristling and brutal riffs centred around vocalist Rafał “Rasta” Piotrowski’s barks. Having made his debut on the excellent 2011
| Napalm Records
The Swedish DM outfit’s second album comes with guitars, breakdowns, melodic vocals and blasts to please anyone who loves old school Death Metal and the current Deathcore scene. This album has Scandinavia written all over it, and reminded me strongly of Unleashed and Domgard. If you are into mainland European metal more than anything, you should give this album a listen. By stepping into the world of melodic breakdowns, while not fully diverging into the world of Deathcore, there’s something here for everyone and that’s a good thing. Demitri Levantis
sublime, beautiful, enchanting, haunting, and uplifting. Myrkur may mean darkness, but with these vocals sitting atop memorable songs, the album shines and it is a joy to hear. If you are a fan of Alcest (before Neige cut out the black metal), then prepare to feel right at home with this release. Raw, flawed, yet compelling. great debut.
this type of sound, rather than just resting on the achievements of others. Ultimately Pale Communion aims higher than its predecessor, takes more chances, and is all the better for it.
Andy Walmsley
Lee Carter
Krieg Transient
| Candlelight Records
It’s been four long years since Krieg released The Isolationist, and the band’s absence from the ever-fluctuating Black Metal scene has certainly not gone unnoticed. As a result, the release of Transient comes with some heavy expectations weighing on its leather-clad shoulders. This doesn’t seem to matter however to Krieg main-man Neil Jameson, as Transient sees the band pissing fire and brimstone over these expectations and continuing to twist and contort their blackened formula in strange, often unpredictable ways (while retaining a grim core of suffocating negativity). Over the course of the album’s 11 songs the band switch seamlessly from destructive blasting to wounded crawl, all while experimenting with touches of desolate melody (“Walk With Them Unnoticed”) or injections of discordant electronica (“Ruin Our Lives”) and shadowy acoustic strumming (“Home”). Unpredictable and uncompromising, Transient is a welcome, if slightly uneven, return for these nihilistic filth-mongers. Andy Walmsley
Posthum
Nonpoint
The Black Northern Ritual
| Indie Recordings
The Return
| Metal Blade Records
What comes as a real surprise, is that The Return doesn’t sound overly derivative; honing their sound into a strong amalgam of groove metal, grunge, and nu-metal, with something of a modern hardcore punk approach. Undoubtedly the band’s best release for a while: perhaps not a return to form, but a chance at returning into the global metal and hard-rock spotlight – in a new form. Not wholly consistent, and could have benefited from less songs, and a reining of ideas (their attempts at extremity and aggression, more often than not, fall flat). Regardless, an album full of hooks and grooves that wouldn’t be out of place on the biggest stages. It sounds like a reimagining/ reinterpretation of the core tenets of NuMetal, from a more experienced 21st century perspective.
Norwegian veterans Posthum have been churning out hate filled anthems for 10 years now, and you would be right in thinking that their sound has matured (it certainly has over time). The group’s third studio album ‘The Black Northern Ritual’ greatly exemplifies the evolution of the Norwegian Black Metal scene in just seven tracks. All in all this is an impressive and pensive release. Anyone who wants to get into the atmospheric black metal world should give this a listen. If you love every traditional cliché of hate ridden Norwegian black metal – you too are in for one hell of a nostalgia trip! Demitri Levantis
Dan J. Mitchell
Revocation Deathless
MYRKUR Self-Titled
| Relapse Records
Taking the Icelandic word for “darkness” as their namesake, Denmark’s one-woman band Myrkur releases her debut in what is arguably proving to be a definitive year for black metal. All the hallmarks are there: scratchy guitars, haunting melodies, sections of intense blasting, quiet interludes…The album frequently lapses in the production quality, however, but you know what? These things don’t matter one iota, because this is a gorgeous record. There is largely an absence of conventional black metal “shrieks”, and their replacement is what knits this chaotic and alluring release together: the clean, choral vocals. They are
Opeth
Pale Communion | Roadrunner Records
Now we’ve got a bit of distance, maybe we can look back at Heritage a bit more calmly. Personally I felt the problem with it wasn’t the lack of “metal”, but that it simply didn’t feel like much more than a direct tribute to its influences. It wasn’t a bad album by any means, but it simply didn’t add much of interest. By contrast Pale Communion takes a lot more risks, most of which payoff, and explores more of what Opeth can do and create with
| Metal Blade Records
Perfectly matching brains with brawn, overflowing with killer riffs and juicy hooks, and amping up the Death Metal influence more than ever before: this is arguably the band’s heaviest, angriest, and potentially best, album to date. Deathless truly sees the band firing on all cylinders again. Atop a foundation of stunning, tumultuous drumming, the rumbling bass lines and scything guitars carve out song after devastating song with almost perverse precision, each one layered with a seemingly endless array of thrilling hooks and scintillating solos. David Davidson’s viciously versatile vocals continue to channel Chuck Billy circa Low/The Gathering, crafting a perfectly proportioned mix of melody and brutality. Andy Walmsley
Reviews ssSHEENSss Strapping Stallions
| Soulseller Records
Finnish rockers ssSHEENSss return with their sophomore release “Strapping Stallions”, a tour-de-force album of rock n’ roll fun. Up-tempo, punk-like energy meets a slight stoner rock vibe while the sludgey, heavy guitars on occasion doff-a-hat in the direction of doomier metals. Raucous at the start, with the likes of “You & Your Daughters” demonstrating the goodtime feel at the heart of this record, it implores one to crack open a beer with friends and rock the hell out. Even heavier prospects like finale “Saigon” and the chilling cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, maintain a rockability about them that demands repeat listens. Recommended listening for a good time at a rock club (or your own home rockout sessions). Lee Carter
steak Slab City
| Napalm Records
With an epic, pounding introduction preluding the album on the first half of opener “Coma” and explosive artwork to match, London heavy-fuzz rockers STEAK’s sophomore LP Slab City is a groovy bluesgrunge fueled stoner rock apocalypse (see London Doomster’s Trippy Wicked – Underground EP, or Slough Feg’s Digital Resistance for more catchy apocalyptic groove goodness). It’s hard to not draw some similarities, however, between the vocal abilities of singer “Kippa” to Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder (particularly on the title track!), and other influences are also worn on the sleeve to great effect. Despite this rare occurrence of aural deja-vu however, the strong foundations of an original groove laden stoner rock titan resides: a mid-paced fuzzy, mildly alcohol-laden slur of an album. Reccommended to fans of Unida or Kyuss. Dan J. Mitchell
Zodiac Sonic Child
| Napalm Records
Germany’s Zodiac bring more blues-rock noise to the fold with the release of their latest record Sonic Child. Essentially more of the same from our favourite Bavarian bluesrockers: the album is chocked-full of tasty riffs, ripping solos and a good-time feel. This feel-good factor permeates throughout each track on offer. “Rock Bottom Blues” is a prime-example – with a less than heart-warming title and content, musically it sounds uplifting and joyous. From simply listening to the album, one gets the impression that the band really enjoy writing and playing this music! The retro production may not be for everyone (what with today’s über-clean recording techniques), but it does the band a service that calls the genre’s origins into play. Fans of Clutch and retro blues-rock will feel perfectly contented by this album. Lee Carter
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