NEWS NEW OPETH ALBUM RELEASE RESCHEDULED TO AUGUST
Upcoming Opeth album “Pale Communion”, due to be released on Roadrunner Records, has been postponed from its original June release date until August 26th 2014. Since the announcement the band have released the artwork for the album, as well as a track from the album “Cusp of Eternity” online for streaming. Although their last album, “Heritage” was well recieved by critics, it polarised fans due to its confinued foray into progressive territory.
BLOODSHOT IN THE
DAWN STUDIO
Acclaimed and unsigned death-metal group from Hampshire are currently recording their forthcoming, yet to be titled full length album. The release will follow their self-titled 2012 LP which was also released independently. Bloodshot Dawn play a thrash infused style of melodic death metal with occasional progressive elements. Their last album stood testament to the fact that you don’t necessarily need to be on a record label in order to release an epic, professional sounding full-length album. The band funded the album via Kickstarter, a platform which allows artists to finance projects through donations from fans and others interested. They managed to not only meet, but exceed their targets: proving the dedication of their fanbase! We can only hope this results in the creation of a stellar miscreation in their sophomore LP. On the page, the band states “We are hoping to record the songs during July this year and then being mixing and mastering of the album at the beginning of August with the planned release date being October 25th 2014!” The page also lsits guest artists linedup for the recording sessions, “Vocals from Sven De Caluwé (ABORTED), and guitar solos from Chris Amott (Ex-ARCH ENEMY), Per Nilsson (SCAR SYMMETRY), Teemu Mäntysaari (WINTERSUN) & Andy James (Previously of Sacred Mother Tongue)!!!”.
June 2014 STEAK
RECORDING ALBUM
NEW
London based heavy electric stoner-rock visionaries STEAK have announced a new full-length release due to be released through Napalm Records in September, as well as album release shows. The band play a hard-hitting rhythm laden style that is sure to appeal to fans of Kyuss, Clutch, or Mondo Generator. Many of the bands albums are available for streaming on their bandcamp webpage.
Win free vinyl in association with...
NILE at The Underworld
June
23
South Carolina, U.S.A death metal legends Nile return to London as part of their 2014 European tour in continued support of their most recent release “At the Gates of Sethu” (Nuclear Blast). The album has been well received by critics and fans alike, and hailed as one of their most brutal miscreations yet, featuring the return of tyrannical guitars of both Dallas Toler-Wade and founding member (and vocalist) Karl Sanders; as well as the inhuman drumming of George Kolias. While the band have not released any news about any forthcoming albums, from the patterns in their release history, it is fair to assume that we can expect another by the end of next year. Having released “Sethu” 2 years ago now, we can expect the band to fill the set with lots of classics and crowd-pleasers! Support for the band comes from classic heavy metal titans Vicious Rumours, veterans who’ve been consistently delivering awesome and surprising metal since 1979. Over the course of their career, they have created albums in a range of styles, while never losing their core identity or musical ambition. Still sounding as strong as ever, Vicious Rumours play a combination of old and new material, adapting older songs to the expectations of the modern heavy-metal audience.
What is the name of Nile’s latest album? A. Egyptian Relaxation Songs IV Email answers, with choice of vinyl* to: B. At The Gates of Sethu Comp@Londonmetalmonthly.com C. What Would Anubis Do? *Full selection available at www.DeadRhythmVinyl.co.uk
Interview
We speak to Darren Ivey, drummer for Sigiriya, about the new album (Darkness Died Today), replacing a long-term band member, and more… Born in 2009 from the ashes of 90s stoner rock luminaries Acrimony, Sigiriya features the same collection of musicians. Despite this, the reformation is clearly a different beast entirely from the 90s band. Darren talks about the new album, which stands testament to their evolution... “We’re really happy with how [the new album] turned out. Yes, there’s a different voice on the record and, of course, that naturally has a big impact on the overall vibe of the record because you’re changing the most identifiable part of the sound… I don’t think we consciously decided to change anything from the last record (apart from doing a better album). “For me, the first album [Return to Earth, 2011] was us finding our sound after a long time apart, whereas this one feels like a more coherent, flowing album from start to finish. “Dorian [Walters], our old vocalist, used to blend his melodies into the overall sound of the band, and would mimic the guitar melody, so in fact became another melodic instrument in the mix. Matt [Williams] on the other hand can do that, but also has the range to take the melody to a different place, and to stand alone from what the guitar is doing. I like that, and [it] has given us a lot more scope when writing to explore different melodies and riffs that we might have not gone for in the past. I hope people who liked the debut will dig the new album; of course some will and some won’t but we can’t do anything about that anyway. We’ve still made an album of songs that we would want to listen to. We’re selfish like that.” Having performed in a band that has since achieved a legendary cult status over 20 years ago gives most of the current members of Sigiriya something of an edge over many bands of similar size in the scene. Additionally, Sigiriya wasn’t formed until 8 years after the dissolution of Acrimony. “I’m learning lessons all the time but I suppose in terms of being in a band, we just enjoy it for what it is - no big plan to take over the world, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. As long as you don’t believe your own hype you’ll usually be OK. I think we are a bit more focused than in the old days, and have matured a very small amount since those days so that now, we put the playing first, and the getting smashed a close second. We always did get that one the wrong way around, ha-ha! “The main philosophy of the band is to not give a fuck [about] what’s trendy or what other people are doing. Just sail your own ship and course 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 people then want you to reform cos you were doing something unique or a bit different - just like with calls for [an] Acrimony reunion, we say ‘fuck you and you should have been there the first time around’ ha-ha.
The band’s former vocalist, Dorian Walters, had been performing with the group since the Acrimony days. The loss of a founding member is arguably a hard one that nobody wants to see happen. Ivey explains: “Family commitments came first, and we respect that. There was no bad feeling or anything, that’s just life. We got really lucky with Matt because he’s a local guy, and a top bloke to-boot. I’d heard him sing on his other band Tabula Rasa’s CD and I liked his voice a lot. I hit him up and asked him if he’d be interested in jamming… you never know with these things because you’ve got to like the voice and the guy, and vice versa him with us. “Luckily he loved the band and we knew as soon as he opened his mouth that he was the real deal. Matt is an integral part of the band and we wrote everything together on the new record. We really didn’t want to ask someone to be a clone of anyone else or to sing a load of tracks that someone else had written with us. It was a fresh start and a productive few months before recording the album. “ Regarding the scene in the band’s hometown of Swansea, Wales... “[It’s] very healthy, [and] always has been to be fair, even since the Acrimony days. HARK are doing really well and a great band, Prosperina are also out there doing the do, The Arteries are well established in the punk scene too. Continents are another heavy band making strides across Europe and beyond, and Suns of Thunder are also well known around the stoner scene. “Swansea has always punched way above its weight when it comes to heaviness. We’re sort of regarded as the old tramp-core anti-heroes these days with a mix of delight and wonderment that we’re still alive and making a right din.” On the future... “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!.”
“WE’VE MADE AN ALBUM OF SONGS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO LISTEN TO”
Interview
Interview
Throughout your music I’ve sensed a strange sense of humor, both in your song titles and some of your artworks. Break one or two things down that you have done, that crack you up.
“Lyrically there are countless things that are in there for a giggle. The new song, ‘Eve’s Droppings’, is based on overheard conversations that I have written down over the last year or so - one of which being, ‘For a guy dressed as a girl, they say i look dead sexy in specs’, which never fails to make me chuckle! Also, there is a riff somewhere in the new album that is based on the main theme to the 90s show ‘This is your Life’ see if you can guess which one.”
Featuring a groove laden, immediate sound, it’s no wonder that London Sludge-mongers GURT have forged a strong name for themselves in the scene. We speak with vocalist Gareth Kelly...
The influence of bands such as Iron Monkey can be heard distinctly through your music, are there any other bands that have fed into your music? Conversely, what are your biggest influences apart from that band?
“Loads. I love Nu metal, The Tiger Lillies, Cradle of Filth, Earthtone9 and 90s British metal. Basically anything with interesting vocals. We have Rich who loves Stoner rock bands like Kyuss, and rock bands like Faith No More and Soundgarden. Simo loves the sludginess of Weedeater and more classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin, and Spicy loves more obscure bands like Primus and Mars Volta.”
I’ve been dying to ask since I first heard about you guys! What, or who is a GURT, how did the name come about , and what influenced the choice?
“We wanted something short and sharp and thought of a couple of things, one being GUNT, but with a certain amount of affiliation with Bristol and Somerset (with our original guitarist being from there) we settled on GURT. Why? Because it’s both a great word, and its Bristolian slang used to exaggerate what you are saying so it means ‘Great’, ‘Very’ or ‘Massive’. We think our music is quite massive so it fits pretty well!” What made you realise it was time to release your first full-length album (Horrendosaruus, 2014), and how did you find the process of writing something longer than you have before?
“We love the freedom of doing everything ourselves, and obviously EP’s are lower cost and quicker to get out, but we really think after this long we needed to get our acts together and work to fund an album. So we saved money up from gigging and merch [sales] to put towards doing the best piece of work we could, which also takes of time too.has A lotsince achieved a Having performed in aa bit band that bands over search a suitable legendary cultofstatus 20for years ago gives most of the label, of which can take a lot moreof an edge over current members Sigiriya something than justsize fronting the scene. money Additionally, Simany bands time of similar in the giriya wasn’t yourselves. formed until after As 8foryears writing thethe dissolution of Acrimony. album, that all came together pretty quickly, all work wellalltogether. It was just finding “I’m we learning lessons the time but I suppose in terms of being in a band, the enjoy time to allwhat get in same room, we just it for it isthe - no big plan to as takewe over the world, and we have families and jobs that obviously’ means don’t take ourselves too seriously. As long as you don’t believe your own hypethat you’ll be OK. I thinkstuff we as arefrequently a bit more focused than in the weusually can’t work on new old days, havelike. matured a very since those days so that as weand would It’s all donesmall nowamount and we now,can’t we put thefor playing getting wait all tofirst, hearand thisthework as smashed it’s the a close second. We always get that one the wrong way bestdid thing we have produced: thearound, songs ha-ha! are “The main philosophy of the band is to not give a fuck [about] what’s strong and the money was put to good use trendy or what other people are doing. Just sail your own ship and course as Nick Kinnish, who mixed and mastered and don’t worry what anyone says or does. In fact, we do have a habit [the record], done an of producing musichas that’s the antithesis of what’s trendy just to be different. incredible job people on the Usually after 10 years then want you to reform cos you were doing production of - just like with calls for [an] Acrimony something unique or side a bit different reunion, we say ‘fuck you and you should have been there the first time things!.” around’ ha-ha.
The scene in Europe is expanding at an unprecedented rate and has been for quite a while now. Do you agree? How would you like to see it progress?
“Yes, for sure it is. We are finally getting a chance to do lots in Europe as are many of our peers, so it’s fantastic to see, and even better when you see our home grown festival Desertfest spreading out toinplaces like Belgium. It’s anof ever expanding Regarding the scene the band’s hometown Swansea, Wales... scene and I think it’s got a lot of life in it yet!“ “[It’s] very healthy, [and] always has been to be fair, even since the Acrimony days. HARK are doing really well and a great band, Prosperina The scene in the UK more relevantly is are also out there doing the do, The Arteries are well established in the growing well, inside London at least. Are punk scene too. Continents are another heavy band making strides across there any fellow up and coming bands you Europe and beyond, and Suns of Thunder are also well known around the would like to give a shout out to? stoner scene. “Swansea has always punched There way above its weight when ittocomes to “Bloody-hell! are way too many mention heaviness. We’re sort regarded the old would tramp-core anti-heroes these BUTofour closestasfriends have to be shouted days with a mix of out delight and wonderment that we’re still alive and making at: Diesel King, LIMB, Iron Witch, Sedulus (Rich’s a right din.”
other band), Swamp Machine, Slabdragger, Dead Existence, Trippy Wicked, ENOS, TORPOR, and War Wolf.
On the future...
“I really want to get another album done as soon as we can and just loads of new out there tooand like see what happens.“There What’sare done is done, and ones we move onwards PIST, Greenhorn and WORT immediately upwards:no medalsGHOLD, to ‘til the battles done!.”
spring to mind. Basically look at the awesome bills that are being put together across the country and make sure you get off your arses once every couple of weeks and go and support [the] underground music scene as it’s there that all the great bands are waiting!”
GURT WILL BE SUPPORTING DOPETHRONE AT THE UNDERWORLD, CAMDEN ON 25TH JUNE
feature FEATURE
Dance of Death
1
Clandestine Horizons
2
Darkness, Mother of Dreams
3
Midnight Ectoplasm
5
tHE PSYCHEDELIC ARTWORK OF...
COSTIN CHIOREANU
iN HIS OWN WORDS 1. This artwork was exclusively made for the band
The Devil’s Blood. It was made in 2012. I wanted to make a devilish image, with a strange felling: a combination of horror flavours taken from various cultures and periods of time in order to have something... timeless.
2. Made in late 2013, for the front cover of my
own band Bloodway. The handmade illustration, made using black ink on white paper, is scanned and combined with textures and colors digitally. The artwork is about how you can find your own path using introspection.
Event Horizon
4
3. This is the newest artwork from this presented selection. It was made in April 2014, exclusively for John Gallow’s record entitled “Violet Dreams”. This artwork deals with the inner eye and the world, opening once you are crossing the border of black... or once you are starting to build up on that infinite black board...
4. An artwork made exclusively for the UK band
De Profundis, for their E.P. entitled “Frequencies”. This art deals with connections between universes, where the human mind is the filter. As always, the art has another meaning as well. I always have this dualistic component of my speech.
5. Created in 2014 for the Swedish band
Tribulation. This art was used for their unique live appearance at Roadburn festival 2014. Concerning the theme, I think the artwork speaks for itself. A horror story from the night in the essence of King Diamond.
6. Also created in 2014, for the legendary
comeback of Mayhem. This artwork was used for illustrating the American edition of their single “Psywar”. The artwork deals directly with the theme imposed by the song . It deals also with the war between two ages, where the human is stuck as a point without reference, in between those ages. Trapped in continous present.
7. Made for Finnish band Oranssi Pazuzu, and
Psywar
6
The Ocean of Mind
7
their album “Valonielu”. In this case, I had to illustrate a very complex and abstract concept the band had about the macrocosmos: everything which surrounds us, affecting our minds, and our perception.
Reviews Arch Enemy War Eternal
Seprevation
(Century Media)
Melodic death metal pioneers Arch Enemy return with a new album, as well as new singer Alissa WhiteGluz: hand-picked by Angela Gossow (former lead-vocalist) to continue their reign as the most brutal female fronted band in metal. ‘War Eternal’ earns its name with shredding riffs, melodic solos and, of course; the screams, and growls of a psychotic upset girlfriend (We’ve all been there!). The album is full of catchy death-metal anthems as you would expect and Alissa brings a darker,
grittier style into the mix. ‘Time Is Black’ begins and ends with an eerie instrumental containing quite possibly the best song they’ve written, an epitome of what the band does right: a well written, yet catchy chorus; awesome riffs, a phenomenal solo; and a great orchestral arrangement. Alissa completely takes centre stage, as her vocal range is outstanding throughout the album. It seems there is a new Metal Queen, and her name is Alissa White-Gluz. J.A. Smith
down
DOWN IV: PART II
(Down Records)
NOLA’s sludge heavyweights release their second EP and although nothing new, it’s refreshing to hear parts of the old school seeping in through the chords, riffs and Anselmo’s vocals, which get stronger with every release, It’s obvious from ‘Steeple’: with its long drawn out intro and classic guitar riffs that you’re listening to an extremely talented group of musicians whose song writing is spot on. The variation on this EP: from sludge to heavy rock is fused together as well as any of their previous albums. If you are a fan of the band you won’t be disappointed by this album, but if you are unfamiliar – you would be better off buying their first album, ‘NOLA’.
J.A. Smith
Consumed
Eyehategod ‘Self-Titled’ NOLA (New Oleans, Lousiana, USA) sludge titans Eyehategod’s latest release has been riddled with hype: their first album in 14 years (the last one being 2000’s ‘Confederacy of Ruined Lives’), and the final recordings of the late drummer, and founding member, Joey LaCaze’s prior to his passing last August. Pre-release anticipation for this new album may have been greater than for any previous release from the group. Fortunately, the band’s latest release fires on all cylinders!
(independent)
Bristol 80s style Thrash/Death metal. The band’s debut album kicks off with ‘Divine Devastation’, an acoustic introduction to a time warp of 80s/90s extreme metal at its best. The album continues to impress with every song packed with awesome solos, punishing riffs, diaphragm breaking vocals, and a barrage of drum fills and solid grooves. ‘In Torment They Burn’ is another example why Seprevation are such a refreshing act to hear in the UK scene today: their songs are heavy, well thought out and grueling to the core – and the lead guitar work is inspired. ‘Between Two Worlds’ is the final track of this barbarous album. It reminds of ‘Desperate Cry’ (Sepultura – Arise) with an eerie brutal and relentless feel to it. It also features some amazing guitar solos, fading out as it began with the acoustic guitar: another old school touch that doesn’t go unnoticed, Hail the resurrection of classic death/thrash ideals in modern metal! This reviewer’s ‘Album of the Month’. J.A. Smith
(Century Media)
The band confidently sound like themselves in their best moments – and surprisingly more adventurous at times. While still inhabiting the misanthropic body of the beast, with all the stylistic dissonance that has defined the band in the past. You can hear the ideas on this album bursting from the seams: only masters such as Eyehategod could manage to reign them all in and arrange them into an opus. Those 14 years did not go to waste! D.J.G. Mitchell
Reviews
Gurt
Horrendosaurus (independent)
Triptykon
London sludge trippers GURT, purveyors of big riffs and heavy, swampy amplification mark a personal milestone after a succession of killer splits, EPs and singles with their self-released debut LP album ‘Horrendosarus’. GURT’s debut is a headnodding fuzzed out smash, featuring some of the best work of their career (‘Spiced Doom’ ‘Hoboreaper’) showcasing their development into one of the best UK sludge acts since Iron Monkey.
Melana Chasmata
(Century Media) After their debut release in 2012, met with universal acclaim (the menacing ‘Eparistera Daimones’) and the subsequent ‘Shatter’ EP it would appear that the former frontman of Swiss legendary Extreme Metal band Celtic Frost, Thomas Gabriel Fischer, has secured a successful return to the metal scene.. The band’s new release ‘Melana Chasmata’, like their debut (as well as Celtic Frost classic ‘To Mega Therion’), features artwork from the late H. R. Giger (who passed, just this May) – which has many visual similarities to that of their first album – but with a more close up image of a defined character, compared to the hectic artwork of ‘Eparistera Daimones’. Much like the artwork, ‘Melana Chasmata’ features the band sounding more confident in their definition as a unique sonic entity, – allowing them the space to develop their
Aborted
The Necrotic Manifesto
(Century Media)
The long wait is over for the fans of Belgium’s brutal gore infested deathmetal group Aborted. The follow up from ‘Global Flatline’ is here, bringing fourteen tracks of sickening blastbeats and grooves galore. It’s the complete package: riffs, blastbeats, and vocally more advanced than previous albums. It’s an organized attack on all your senses. ‘The Davidian Deceit’ is a more tradition death metal song pummeling drum fills, brutal riffs then onto ‘Coffin Upon Coffin’ a stand out track, Aborted at their best an onslaught of grooves butchering guitar solos and will be a crowd pleaser live. Aborted have developed their sound well, a true groove death grind demon from the pit. J.A. Smith
D.J.G. Mitchell
sound to new heights. Much like the artwork, ‘Melana Chasmata’ features the band sounding more confident in their definition as a unique sonic entity – allowing them the space to develop their sound to new heights. Each song on the album is distinct and representative of the band’s experimental, crushingly evil Blackened Doom Metal sound; and yet lend themselves to a powerful whole. If ever there was doubt in the abilities of Triptykon, ‘Melana Chasmata’ lay them all to rest. A stunning album, and their best release to date. “Boleskine House” and “Breathing” have been made available free online as audio and video streams, and are a great place to start with the album if you want to hear it for yourself. My personal favourite tracks on the album, however have to be the fierce “Altar of Deceit”, which has a killer groove and an awesome chorus; and the furious blackened anthem “In the Sleep of Death”. D.J.G. Mitchell
Agalloch
Crowbar
Symmetry in Black (Century Media)
It’s hard to call NOLA sludge pioneers Crowbar’s last release Sever The Wicked Hand a comeback, considering that the band have been consistently delivering top-shelf heavy music for a quarter of century now, but it did mark a stylistic change for the band after a 6 year break from recording. A change that divides the bands career into two parts; their classic era, in which retrospectively now, we can hear has influenced many subsequent bands since their foundation; and their modern era, in which they are still pioneering musicians, ones who are creating something great, and original – at the forefront of their genre (rather than attempting to recreate what they have done before). Their new album doesn’t have as much of an impact as STWH, but it is still a worthy successor: with stellar production and unparalleled songwriting. Definititive sludge metal that still manages to sound fresh after all these years. D.J.G. Mitchell
The Serpent and the Sphere Agalloch are no strangers to changing their sound. Their first full-length album, the universally acclaimed ‘The Mantle’ (2002) featured an expansive folk infused progressive black metal style with the aid of complex musical arrangements with additional musicians and overdubbing. Acoustic guitars featured prominently: an unconventional choice for black metal but one that expressed western folklore effectively. They were forced to reconsider their sound, however, in accommodate live performances and reduced their instrumentation to exclusively electric instruments as heard on their subsequent releases. The bands most recent LP showed the greatest departure from their original sound, 2010’s ‘Marrow of the Spirit’, in
(Profound Lore Records) which the band represented themselves on stripped down and intentionally raw album. Their brand new release, the full-length ‘The Serpent and the Sphere’ finds the veteran group changing their sound once again, but is it a positive change? Arguably, it is. ‘The Serpent and The Sphere’ is one of the most organic developments in the band’s career – a result of an evolution and development of their various sonic identities, rather than a reinvention or revolution as they have attempted before. The result is overall a success – combining the immediacy and simpler arrangements with the complexity of the songwriting, and sheer ambition of their debut releases creating a black-metal post rock masterpiece that still manages to incorporate its western folk roots. D.J.G. Mitchell
Costin Chioreanu I Am A Drop of Water In An Ocean of Stars
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