THE SHORTLIST

DECAPITATION

Ryan explains. “I might not write any “Positivity, if anywhere, would defiriffs, but arrangements change big nitely be in the subconscious,” time when I bring lyrics into play, and Ryan notes. “There’s absolutely we’ve all adapted to writing catchier nothing positive about our lyrics. songs. They keep me in mind when But there is positivity in the way writing choruses and I keep in mind we approach writing and recordthings I could be doing when they’re ing now, something that was never writing, and it all ends up coming there before. We have a renewed together, mostly in the studio. We’re vigor going on in the band the last making honest-to-god albums now couple years, and I haven’t been instead of collections of songs. Not this happy with everything since I to take anything away from the predon’t know when.” �� �� �� vious albums, it’s just different. We’re more experienced now.”

As dark as Death Atlas is (and rightfully so, for Cattle Decapitation has always proved to be a voice of reason – and now more than ever, we really need that voice), positivity and mindfulness abound on the album. The record exudes an organized and fluid form, reverberating in the creative process, and sending warm vibes down your spine. The album’s message may be death for us all, but the vitality contained within is pure enlightenment.

IN THE FACE OF A BLEAK FUTURE, THESE BANDS WILL BE USING THE STAGE AS THEIR BATTLE GROUND. DAWN RAY'D

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST SIMON BARR BY MARIKA ZORZI S imon Barr has no doubts - the new Indeed, Dawn Ray'd have a clear idea of Dawn Ray'd album Behold Sedition how to carry their ideas forward. Plainsong is a call to arms for a positive, radical change in society. “We have to organize within our communities in non-hierarchical ways, and not “This album is angry in different ways,” rely on governments or capitalist entities

Barr, singer for the U.K. band, explains. to save us,” Barr suggests. “And we have “That said, [this record] is also quite sad to organize to overthrow capitalism and at times. Politically, it's slightly more to resist fascism. That would be my simple focused on ways to resolve some of the answer. Whether it's possible to overthrow issues we're talking about, rather than capitalism or not is a whole other conjust banging your head against the wall versation, but the only way we're going to thinking about it." stop these disasters that we see around us all the time is to strike at the source. Dawn Ray'd are firmly convinced that While it's important to do small things in underground music should have a strong our day-to-day lives, ultimately we have message during this particular historical to overthrow capitalism to save what's left moment. of the world.”

“I like a lot of music that is apolitical,” Barr says. “I do like that escapism sometimes, because it's hard to be just angry all the time. But I do think if you're going to be playing heavy, fast, aggressive-sounding rock or heavy metal music, it's meant to be about something. It's not just an aesthetic, surely.”

“The world is fucked, fascism is on the rise, and the environment is in dire straits,” he continues. “We have to be having this conversation everywhere we possibly can. But I also think these ideas have to go beyond music. It's important to be taking action in your life to try and make this world a better place." Obviously, Dawn Ray'd are also completely in opposition to the National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM) scene, and any trend within black metal that promotes fascism or similar ideologies.

"I think de-platforming bands is really important,” Barr says. “If bands are explicitly Nazi, we can't allow them to play shows in our towns, because there are people whose lives are put at risk by those ideas being expressed. The town I live in is a multicultural part of England. I can't, in good conscience, let those shows happen. We have to try and cancel shows, get tours canceled, and not allow white supremacists a platform. I do think NSBM

PIG CITY BY NICK SENIOR T here’s something about the sur“When we wrote Terminal Decline,” they rounding Phoenix, Arizona desert state. “We were battling everything that unearths when listening to the from unemployment to gender identity. cataclysmic despair on Terminal Decline, We're proud of how it came out, but the out now on To Live A Lie Records. This unsustainable living conditions created isn’t a record for the hopeful or the under capitalism and lack of resources happy, the proud or the rich. Every riff for people to get the help they need and breakdown is fueled by the desola(whether it be mental health or finantion and fury Pig City are both channelcial security) drove every lyric and note ing and calling out. Their brand of crust on this record. This band has been our punk-inflected grindcore carries on way of documenting the frustration the spirit of His Hero Is Gone, but with and anger that stems from the dystoa sense of pace and purpose all their pian reality we are all forced to live in.” own. Pig City are here to lay waste to hatred and corruption, and their music Pig City aren’t afraid to bring down is inseparable from the political and systems of oppression, one blast beat personal vitriol they call out here. and breakdown at a time. ��

and right-wing bands are such a small percentage of metal, though. In my experience, metal shows are made up of good, decent people. It's a community I really love, and I'm really proud to be a part of it.”

“We try to talk about politics at every show,” he continues. “Sometimes we have anti-authoritarian groups that will run tables with information. It's a pattern we saw in the punk and skinhead movements

PHOTO BY ALEX REMPEL

in the ’80s and ’90s. Fascism tried to creep into those youth movements and tried to radicalize them towards the far right. And now fascism is trying to do the same thing in metal. Ultimately, that is not what heavy metal is about. I think we all have a moral duty to look at what our skills are, and to see how we can apply them to the struggles to stop fascism happening ever again, to stop it happening now." ��