Oldschool Metal Maniac Magazine - Issue #6

Dear Metal Maniacs,

We give you the farewell issue of our magazine. It has been given birth to in pain and agony. Despite all the obstacles along the way we have fought to the very end.

Oldschool Metal Maniac #6 is an effect of our hard work. We have topped all of the previous editions with a very strong line up of bands. Inside you will find an exclusive interview with Wagner (Sarcofago), Don Doty (Dark Angel), Dream Death, Darkthrone, Voivod, Chakal, Asphyx, Overkill, Mystifier, Attomica, Grave Desecrator, Bunker 66 and many more great bands. I only think of it as of a partial victory as many bands haven’t decided to answer to our questions: Winter, Hobbs Angel Of Death, Possessed, Em Ruinas, Betrayer, Violen Dirge, Vader, Iron Angel, Messiah, Merciless and Living Death. The next important thing is that haven’t manage to give you this issue on paper. Sadly, our financial condition was not good enough to let us do that.

We have always raised the bar for ourselves with every next issue – the connect became better and better. This time we were not able to do it by ourselves. We have asked you for help and support , and we have counted on you all as that was the only way we could have accomplished this project through the website called ULULE. We have launched our campaign which main goal was gathering necessary funds. Sadly, not many of you have answered our call. I would like to sincerely thank all of those who have believed in us and supported us. We have gathered only 10% of the funds we need, this is not enough to bring OMMM in physical form. Well… it was a cold and unexpected shower for me as your opinions about our magazine was always very good. I realized that it is very easy to pat on someone’s shoulder and tell him how fucking great job he does but it’s harder to actually help him. I am aware that it would be easier to get your support if the magazine would have been already printed and ready to be sold, but even that it was impossible without your help. I think that despite all of the good words many of our “fans” didn’t really give a fuck about us.

We have never worked on this magazine planning to gain a fortune out of this but we can not keep sinking our funds in this. This is way I have decide to say goodbye in the best way I can – by giving you a farewell issue in a .pdf form. You will be able to download it from our website totally for free.

Originally the 6th issue was about to have 132 pages and I think you will be happy to hear that you will get even more as the digital form does not put any page limit on us. Sadly the Sarcofago 7 EP is still a big unknown. Maybe we will be able to release the EP but we are still working on it – keep your fingers crossed. I do not plan on ending my adventure with journalism – I am sure that every now and then I will post new articles, interview and reviews on our website but I will not focus all of my attention on OMMM. I have abandoned many of my artistic work and private agendas for OMMM.

I hope that the content and the graphical style of this last OMMM issue will suit your needs. It’s sad that we haven’t manage to release this as a paper magazine – it would be a thing. Something to look up to. Sadly, what you get is just a substitute.

We are also sorry if you will encounter some mistakes or some language slip, but there was a little checking of the whole thing, since the persons responsible for it, left us without finishing their job, so don’t get mad. The same thing goes to some missing reviews and other stuff that should be here but unfortunately it didn’t happened, Incantation and Immolation interviews are on it’s way and as other things will be put online on our website for all of you.

On behalf of the whole Oldschool Metal Maniac I would like to thank all of those who have supported our actions and valued our effort and work that we have put into this magazine. I would like also give my biggest thanks and regards to people that in some way (one or another) contributed in making of OMM Magazine: Michał Kaczkowski, Tymoteusz Jędrzejczyk, Wojciech Lis, Łukasz Orbitowski, Bartosz Cieślak, Magdalena Cichowicz, Cristiano Passos, Jakub Nowak, Krzysztof Biliński, Kacper Rotgar Mosior, Bartosz Wieczorek, Paweł Kaczyński, Piotr Brewiński, Leszek Dudkowski, Amanda Krać and Paweł Ozon.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianiożęcki

Editor-in-chief,

Oldschool Metal Maniac MAGAZINE _____________________ Editor - chief:

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki Magazine editors:

Wojciech Lis Cristiano Passos Michał Kaczkowski Tymoteusz Jędrzejczyk

Guest editors:

Jakub “Oracle” Nowak Lesław Dudkowski Bartosz Cieślak Marek Szymański Krzysztof Biliński Layout by:

Perversor “Mike” K.

Corrections and proofreading:

CONTACT:

Publisher:

c/o Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki P.O.Box 339, 30-960 Kraków 1 POLAND

Bartosz Cieślak (interviews) “Ramil” (reviews)

Oldschool Metal Maniac MAGAZINE

oldschool_ metal_ maniac@wp.pl oldschool-metal-maniac.com

The publisher of the Oldschool Metal Maniac Magazine is not liable for the statements of the musicians, nor the contents of the CD’s presented on the pages of this magazine.

BANDS: (people related to the bands etc.)

Wagner Lamounier (SARCOFAGO / KAOS KOMANDO), Don Doty (DARK ANGEL), Paul (AT WAR), Kevin (BLOOD FEAST), Adrian & Bariel (IMPERATOR) ,Manoel Joker Henriques (UGANGA / ANGEL BUTCHER), Michał (LASTWAR), Brian (DREAM DEATH), (THE NO MADS), Guilherme Grima (CHAKAL), Martin Missy (PROTECTOR), Tomasz (FORTRESS), Uappa & Paua (TERRORDOME), Mekong - TRAKTOR, Kacper (PSYCHOPATH), Transgressor(NECROMANTICAL SCREAMS), Lucass (ULCER), EGZEKWIE, BLAZE OF PERDITION, MYSTIFIER, Elson B. Necrogoat (GRAVE DESECRATOR), ANTICHRIST HOOLIGANS, RAGEHAMMER, Mikołaj & Maciek (MGŁA/KSM), MEDICO PESTE, EXMORTUM, Levi (NEOLITH), Jose Afonso R. (DECAYED), C.B. (CIEŃ/EXMORTYM), ENTRENCH, Wicked (BLACK TORMENT/ ROTTEN), Reed Bruemmer (SPEEDWOLF).

4SZMERY, VOODOO, Gene Palubicki (ex - ANGELCORPSE/ PERDITION TEMPLE), EGZEKUTHOR, Thomas Gabriel Fischer (TRIPTYKON), Paul (PANDEMONIUM), Dave Carlo (RAZOR), Paul (MASTER), Ralf Hollmer (VAMPYR), Freddy (NECRONOMICON), Shannon Hush (TRENCH HELL), Mantas (M-PIRE OF EVIL), OVERDOSE, SLAUGHTER, MUTILATOR, GENOCIDIO, CULTES DES GHOULES,Carl (AURA NOIR), Mirko (BUNKER66), Mike Browning (NOCTURNUS), CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER, MINOTAUR, Marcos Galvao & ATTOMICA, AC Wild (BULLDOZER), OBLITERATION, Zhema Rodero (VULCANO), Sean Gipson (ATOMIC SIN), Dr.Marc (SEXTRASH), Dariusz (MORTAL SLAUGHTER), DEMONIC SLAUGHTER, OPEN FIRE, UNBORN, Peter(VADER), Konrad (EXIDIUM), EMBRIONAL, Thomas (BACKWATER), Krzsiek (NIGHT MISTRESS), Nekron Rriv (IMMANIS), Lizak (MORBID VISION), HELLIAS, Maciek (VOIDHANGER), AGRESSIVE MUTILATOR, CHAPEL, DEVIL ON EARTH, BESATT, Grzegorz Miszuk (MERCILESS DEATH), EXORCIST, GOMOR, WARRANT, John Cyriis (AGENT TEEL), Krzysiek (MARKIZ DE SADE), Mark Shelton (MANILLA ROAD), PEKLA, Miriam

(SYMBOLIC IMMORTALITY), DET GAMLE BESATT, NIGHTMARE, Daren (HOLY DEATH), DEUS MORTEM, ARKONA, DRILLER, STRIKING BEAST, SZRON, PLAGA, .Krzychu (ex MARKIZ DE SADE) Tom Skeleton Godlewski (EXORCIST), COMUNION, INQUSITION, BODY PRETO. LABELS: Steffen Franke (CENTURY MEDIA), Steffen (HIGH ROLLER REC), Christiane Rohr (UNDERGROUND POWER), Peter (I HATE Rec),Yoshiki Kashino(S.A.MUSIC), Yasushi ‘Mats’ Matsumoto SPIRITUAL BEAST REC., SHADOW KINGDOM REC, Jowita (METAL ON METAL), Herbaut Hervé (OSMOSE PROD) Bart (WITCHING HOUR), Tom (UNDER THE SIGN OF GARAZEL), Paul (PEACEVILLE REC), Asia Szyra (MMP), Kieran (SLANEY REC), Luiz Carlos (HAMMER OF DAMNATION), KETZER REC, Tom (REDRUM666), Tomasz Krajewski (PAGAN REC), Joao (COGUMELO REC), IRON BONHEAD REC, Marcin (MYTHRON PROM.), Eric (OLD TEMPLE), Zybi (HELL SHOP), Radek (MALIGNANT VOICES), Przemek (MAD LION), Piotr Pahel (DEFENSE), Radek Szastok, Andrzej Jakub Nowak, INFERNA PROFUNDIS REC, HELLS HEADBANGERS, RUBICON MUSIC, Andrzej (SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT), David (FALLEN TEMPLE), GREYJAZE REC, Armando Pereira (MARQUEE REC), Giulio(FOAD Rec.), Roberto (AVANTGARDE MUSIC) Costa (IRON PEGASUS REC.) Zines & Magazines: Rafał Monastyrski (METAL HAMMER), Bart (HARDRIFF), Wojciech Chamryk (METALZINE HMP), Michał Mazur (HEAVY METAL PAGES), Grzegorz Summera, (SWAMP TRAIL BLAZER ZINE) Kasia, (ATMOSPHERIC MAG), Bredley Smith, (NOCTURNAL CULT), Annick Giroux (MORBID TALES), Paweł Artej Kowalewski (METALZINE), Przemysław Popiołek /Paweł Kaczyński (INFERNAL DEATH MAG), Paweł Ozon (LIMITER WEBZINE), Peter (MUSIC MAG), Paweł Domin (7GATES), Oracle (CHAOS VAULT ZINE), Przemek (CYROGRAF

ZINE / RITUAL LAIR), Adrian & Tankard (R’LYEH MAGZINE), BURNING ABBYS ZINE, Robin (APOCALYPTIC RITES ZINE), NECROSCOPE Zine, METZALZINE, Wojciech Lis (JASKINA HAŁASU / NNCH ZINE), Daniel Ekeroth (Swedish Death Metal - Book), Aadam Agares Oranowicz, Robin (APOCALYPTIC RITES ZINE), Sławek & Bartek (ex BLACK ASTRAL), Tymek (DEJEKTA INFINITUS ZINE), Tomasz Woźniak (PURE METAL MAG), PSYCHO MAG, METAL MUNDUS, METALSIDE, RADIO HERETICE, METALRULES, TERRORIZER MAG, DECIBEL MAG, ROCK HARD MAG, METALSIDE Friends: Takuro Imazu, Lucyna Bobrowicz, Yukii, Łukasz Orbitowski, Agata Kozłowska, Joasia Mika & Jarek Orządałowie, Krzysztof & Asia Biliński, Tomasz Jurga, Michał & Kinga Zajączkowski, Maciek Ślusarczyk, Przemysław Król, Tomasz Kirych, Kuba Morawski, Arkadiusz Kowalski, Cristiano Passos, Piotr Woźniak, Piotr Brewiński, Berzeviczi Laszlo, Tom Struna Teterycz, Paweł Ślusarczyk, Magda Tetrycz, Lenon & Ola (EXTREME TATTOO), Corba, Bodo Preto, Przemek Possessed, Hexe Paweł Białokur, Zbyszek Bielak, Chris Moyen, Marek (METAL FEST ART.), Gabriel, Andrzej Skalski, Eddie Dolynny, Piotr Brewiński, Hecate & Paulo (Italy), Piotr Krybuś, Łukasz Petryk, Pan Marian (TOWER PUB), Artur Łopka, Diabeł Hellion, Zwierzu, Mirek Pasieka, Iron, Abadon, Krzysiek Brankowski (METALTOP 20), Shindy (BRUTAL ASSAULT FEST), Szczurek (KNOCKOUT PROD), Rafał Rafi Raczyński, Romana Makówka, Katarzyna “KaBoo” Buszko, Belek (Video Trade) Przemek & Sylwia (THE NO MADS), Bisqp, Rodrigo HELL Avenger ... and LUCIFER and all his infernal demon family, and all the ones we didn’t mention here or just forget.

In other cases (like Kossa) you are not here for a reason...

Table of Contents

O .................. pages...pag6e-18 SARCOFAG 20 article) .............................................

Slaughter (some review 4Szmery ..................................................................................pages 21-22 ..........page 22 AsphyX ........................................................................

Reviews (Hell’s Headbangers and Under the sign of Garzel).. page 31 Attomica ........................................................................................... page 32 At WAR ...................................................................................... page 35 Blood Feast ...................................................................................... page 39 42 CHAKAL ................................................................................... page 45 Brazilian Underground (bands presentation) ............................. page Bunker66 .......................................................................................... page 49 Cryptic Slaughter ............................................................................ page 51 )........ page 53 Death Strike / Master (Paul Speckman DARKTHRONE ................................................................. page 59 Grave Desecrator ............................................................................. page 65 Gospel of the Horns ....................................................................... page 67 Reviews (CD’s at chaotic random...) ............................................ page 71 l, etc.)... page 73 Mike Browning (Nocturnus,Morbid Ange Hellbringer ...................................................................................... page 81 ...................page 83 Morgoth ...............................................................

Open Fire (Polish Heavy/Thrash Metal Weterans)............... page 87 Reviews (Spiritual Beast - Japan editions)............................... page 89

page 91 Mistifier ............................................................................ page 97 Necronomicon .................................................................................

OVERKILL ............................................................................ page 100

Speedwolf ...................................................................................... page 104 Reviews (Slaney records and demo stuff) ................................ page 107

.. page 111 Triptykon ............................................................. page 113

Reviews (Metal on Metal, Jaskinia Hałasu) ..................

Unborn ............................................................................................. page 115 page 118 Aura Noir .................................................................................. page 120 Sister’s Sin ...................................................................................

Reviews (I hate) ............................................................................ page 123 Vampyr ............................................................................................ page 126 ) ..... page 129 DARK ANGEL (Special OMM bonus pages......... . page 134 Entrench ................................................................................. ................................................................... pages 137-149 Dream Death ................................................................................. page 150 ...................page 155 VOIVOD ............................................................... ............ page 159 Psychopath ...............................................................

ON next pages Thrashing Damnation, Big amount of Reviews and KING DIMOND - Warsaw relation at page 174!

Imperator

Reklama

ven though we’ve prepared some large materials covering Sarcofago’s history in the past, still I felt unsatisfied. The main piece of the puzzle was still missing – the recent statements of the main character of the story, Wagner ”Antichrist” Lamounier. After the band went inactive back in 2000, he decided to distance himself from his previous work and dedicate himself to his professional career. He has vanished for many years from the music scene leaving an empty place behind. We have quoted some of the old interviews in two previous chapters of “A tribute to Sex, Drinks and Metal” but we didn’t manage to fully answer some of the questions many of you might find interesting. This lack of satisfaction is even deeper and stronger as Gerard Incubus - the only musician that accompanied Wagner ‘till the last days of Sarcofago answered my questions in a very lapidaric manner leaving lots of irritating gaps and understatements.

The fact that none of the journalists have pursued Wagner to answer a full interview, in which he would exhaust and cover the topic of Sarcofago was really dejecting. Years have passed without any explanations why the band ceased to exist. What was the actual cause of the split-up of a band of such importance to uncountable legions of metal hordes? For a long time, Wagner has successfully avoided journalists and just when I started losing hope that I would have any chance to get him to talk, something unbelievable happened! Wagner agreed to do an interview for Oldschool Metal Maniac so.... without further ado, Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you the master of the ceremony himself:

Wagner “Antichrist” Lamounier!

Before we start I would like to thank you, that you’ve agreed to do this interview – it’s a great honor for me. I hope the high number of question won’t frighten you but through all these years many topics came up so I hope I’ll be excused. Let’s get it rolling!

Ok man. No problem… Let’s start! A got a lot of shit to talk about… hahaha!

Let’s travel back in time to the beginning of the 80’s before you have brought Sarcofago to life. Do you remember how did your fascination with the heavy sound began? I’m curious which metal band was the first one you’ve heard? Do you remember your first metal album ?

Well, the first band I heard, saw on TV and bought a LP was Queen – “The Game”! Lol… It’s not heavy sound, but I was ten years old at time so you should excuse me for the bad taste. After that, the real heavy LP I heard was Kiss’ “Alive

Sarcofago

The 80’s is a period of a great music transformation due to the NWOBHM. It has launched a great revolution in metal music.

This style mixing the classical heavy ound with the energetic punk rock forced metal to evolve rapidly. As a teenager you’ve had a chance to observe this process ith your own eyes. It seems that the Brazilian scene grew into a monstrous size in no-time. Do you remember how it was developing in your country ?

II”. I got it from an uncle who had it in a pile of LPs… I saw that cover and got scared, also the inside picture with that burning stage blew my 10-year-old mind away. After I heard that LP my life has never been the same again…

That was my first METAL album and I still love the old Kiss. “Creatures of The Night” is one of my favorite album ever! Some months after that a friend gave me the first Black Sabbath album and the AC/DC “For Those About Rock” and heard that two LPs in a row…

I was shocked also by the macabre sound of Sabbath and by the voice of Brian Johnson… these are still some of my favorite bands and LPs. That was how it begun.

Yes, it was very natural for me at the time.

It was a process that we had here that we liked a lot of punk and hard core stuff also together with metal sound and bands… Our scenes in my city (Belo Horizonte) were mixed with a lot of punks and bangers drinking together and playing in the same gigs… The scene in Belo Horizonte become the bigger in Brazil at that time, even bigger than the scene in São Paulo that had a lot of shitty pop and melodic metal bands. There was a lot of good bands in my city like Sextrash, Chakal, Holocausto, Offensor, Komando Kaos…. Nowadays the scene in Belo Horizonte sucks.

In that period metal and punk scenes were quite fond of each other however strangely they were an inspiration to each other ?

We from Sarcofago were totally into hard core bands, particularly some bands from Finland like Kaaos, Rystetity, Tervet Kadett (we played two of their songs in our shows), Rattus, but also we were all fanatics of the LP “Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing” by Discharge. This LP is PERFECT to me! The best hard core album of all times! Zeder “Butcher” also was a big fan of Discharge and incorporated that in his guitar riffs! Also, we were influential for some hard core bands that started to play with “Machine Gun Drum Beats” also known as “Blast Beats” after they heard what we were doing in Sarcofago!

I think that Napalm Death guys heard our music and demos and got some inspiration to play the drums in the same style and beat as D.D. Crazy did.

When did the plan for being something more than just a fan, to become a musician, emerged in your head ?

I don’t remember the moment… I think it was when I discovered “Alive II” and started to mimic Kiss with my “air guitar”, hahaha!

In the 1980 a small record shop opened in Belo Horizonte.

5 years later it evolved into Cogumelo Records. Have you visited this place as a teenager? Did this shop was some sort of a rallying point for young metalheads? Were you guys there to talk or trade records? Gerald mentioned that you used to meet there on Saturdays.

Yes, Cogumelo shop and label were really very important in fueling the metal scene in Belo Horizonte. It was a reference point to the bangers meeting, drinking, finding some bitches, buying LPs, etc.

I used to drop by almost every day after school that was nearby… On Saturdays the guy from Cogumelo used to put some VHS tape in the TV for the bangers to see… In

that time nobody had a VHS player or tapes like “Combat Tour”, so it was really fun. We started to drink at midday Saturday and ended 24 hours later, hahaha! In that time alcohol corroded my liver.

Access to the music was quite restricted and difficult in those days. Imported albums weren’t cheap. Despite all that the metal scene just exploded! Lots of people were trading demo tapes, rehearsals and live tapes. Thanks to that extreme music was gaining more and more supporters all over the world. Did you guys were involved in tape trading? Do you remember any traders from Poland from those days?

No. At the beginning I was not involved with tape trading or Sarcofago mail. It was the other guy that was taking care of that. I was more into spending all my scarce money buying records.

It was after Sarcofago recorded “Rotting” that I took up the mail, tapes and material trades. I got a lot of letters from Poland, but I don’t remember the guys that I used to be in touch with. It’s almost 25 years from now, I can’t remember too much. My brain is totally damaged from alcohol abuse, hahaha!

In 1984 you joined Sepultura as a vocalist for a short time. Do you think that if it weren’t for that there would have been no beef with Sarcofago?

It seems that your quarrel with Sepultura gave you great inspiration for creative, intense musical activity. How do you look back on those events now, after all those years ?

I did not joined that band…. I CREATED that band with those yellow hair posers… Sarcofago was different. Sarcofago existed before me and was created by the genius brothers Eduardo “D.D. Crazy” and Zeder “Butcher”! They only called me to vomit on the monstrous sound that they created! And I threw a big, dirty and BLACK VOMIT into that raw and fast sound, hahaha! My first band gave me nothing I didn’t have before, except for a increase in my disgust for human (rats) beings.

From the very beginning Sarcofago’s music was filled with an unbelievable dose of aggression.

Where did all that rage and rebellious attitude come from? It looked like you wanted to get rid of all of your frustration through this music. Did it function as a kind of catalyst and the ability to forge your emotional states into creative works without devastating your psychic or did something else pushed you into creating this more and more brutal means of expression ?

It came from the shitty place we live in called Brazil! Well man, you are a philosopher…

I think that you are right, haha! Well, to be

Sarcofago

honest I don’t know why so much aggression….

I think we four have born with that.

After releasing your first two demo tapes “Satanic Lust” and “The Black Vomit”, Sarcofago appeared on the great “Warfare Noise” compilation. This split of four bands - Chakal, Mutilator, Sarcofago and Holocausto - turned out to be a great success. From that moment Sarcofago’s career went monumental. Do you remember the circumstances of starting the cooperation with Cogumelo? It looks like till the very last days of Sarcofago there were no conflicts between you and the record company because of the strong bonds of friendship that arose through all these years.

Success?! Hahaha! No. Bon Jovi was a success…

We only made noise. The guys from Cogumelo started a label, heard our demo, saw one or two of our gigs and offered us a contract to record that compilation and a LP. So has the Nightmare started… We never had any real problems with our label.

Let’s return to the “Satanic Lust” for a moment.

Do you remember how you met the guys before this demo tape was recorded?

I think that I met the guys drinking in a bar before the demo was made… Hahaha!

Gerald was the original Sarcofago bass player! He left for some months to play in a JAZZ band, haha! And Jr. “Pussy Fucker” joined and played on one or two gigs and on the demo…. After that Gerald returned because he was NOT a jazz bass player, hahaha. Zeder “Butcher” never left the band at that moment. I only started to play guitar after the Sacrofago 1988 splitup after the release of the “I.N.R.I.” LP. I think that D.D. Crazy played a great role in the creation of Sarcofago as he was considered one of the fastest drummers on your national scene back in the day.

Sadly he left your ranks after recording “I.N.R.I.” – why did he?

Man, the whole band split-up after “I.N.R.I.”, ‘cause otherwise we would have died! We were totally out of control in that moment of our lives. Too much drinking, fucking, fighting and prison was on the horizon. We were only kids and our parents have taken us to different cities to try to save our lives from something REALLY BAD, like PRISON, MUTILATION or DEATH! For example, my parents have taken me to a city (Uberlandia) that is 600 km away from Belo Horizonte. Before that, D.D. Crrazy was taken by his parents to a city (Juiz De Fora) that is 400 km away from Belo Horizonte. Together we were a really explosive mix… Not just as our images on pictures show. We were actual PROBLEM CHILDREN, hahaha!

After the “Satanic Lust” recording session the band was left by two musicians: Pussy Fucker (later replaced by Gerald Incubus on “The Black Vomit”) and Butcher. You didn’t seem to be too concerned about that and just took his place. What was the cause of those line-up changes?

Just before the recording of your debut album Butcher returned and you’ve recorded a twotrack demo “Sepultado”. The aforementioned debut was recorded in only 36 hours which is really short time for something like that even for contemporary standards. Have you rehearsed a lot before that session? How do you remember this time? Did everything went right and without any problems? Was this album recorded in a traditional way – every instruments track separately or the fastest possible way, by playing everything at once? Any funny stories from this sessions?

As I said before, “Butcher” did not returned, ‘cause he has never left. Also, I don’t know what demo is that…

“Sepultado”?! Are you kidding me?! This demo does not

exist.

The only official Sarcofago demos are “Satanic Lust” and “Christ’s Death”! The rest are bootlegs! We rehearsed a little before the recording of “I.N.R.I.”, about ten hours per week. It was recorded separately. First a main guitar line, then we recorded the drums, then the second guitar track, the bass and finally the vomits. Funny stories for that sessions?

Hahaha, the joke was US, hahaha!

“I.N.R.I.” is one of the most extreme albums of all time, not only in terms of music but also lyrics. Despite very strong antichristian themes, those lyrics weren’t hymns for Satan’s glory, even though lots of people thought so. You have underlined in numerous interviews that you’re not a Satanist and those blasphemous lyrics were just an antireligious manifest. Can you explain it?

I think that religions are the worst plague ever to infest the mankind and an instrument of mass manipulation and exploitation. Satanism is a kind of religion for some people, so I think it sucks too. Nobody has any kind of credible information of what’s out there after death.

So, anyone

that says that The Beyond is like this, or like that, is lying and trying to manipulate you.

Do you think the world with no religion at all would be better? Do you think that religion is one of the most important factors leading to conflicts between people ?

YES! That’s the point!

In the 80’s Sarcofago seemed to be a really active local band. It has most certainly strengthen your position in the scene, but I wonder what was the feedback on your music beyond the borders of Brazil? Have you received lots of letters from abroad?

To be honest we got more support from abroad than in our home. The press idiots here were supporting stupid bands trying to imitate Iron Maiden, Helloween, Metallica and shit like that… Nobody here understood what kind of noise we were doing! We got letters from more than eighty countries around the globe at that time.

Satan has always been one of the most inspiring characters for artist all around the world. However his image has been redefined by the Church machine for quite different purposes. For centuries he has been an efficient tool of psychic terror. Eternal suffering in hellish fire, lakes of burning oil, tar and sulfur has been successfully filling the common folk with fear. What once was frightening, now fascinates. What in your opinion drives people to this dark side of human nature? Maybe they saw that there’s and inner “demon” in all of us?

Maybe that is the reason of all the evil deeds?

Someone said once that there are no greater demons than humans themselves. What do you think about it ?

Satan is a concept of the religions created to manipulate people. Evil is inside us and is a part of the human nature… The hell is inside us too.

Let’s go back to the music. There’s one song

entitled “Nightmare” that repeatedly appeared on many of your releases. What made you work on this particular track again and again ?

No, it was recorded only on “I.N.R.I.” and “Rotting”. We recorded this song again, ‘cause we thought this song was not good in the “I.N.R.I.”- version and deserved a better production.

Nowadays we experience a great technological boom. Internet enables quick contact all over the world. Back in the 80’s despite the lack of Internet lots of people were getting demo tapes and keeping in touch with the worldwide underground scene. Maybe it wasn’t that fast but handwritten letters had their charm. You must surely have lots of artifacts like these. There were many underground zines supporting the extreme metal scene. Do you remember the first zine ever to interview you?

Which magazines you were keeping in touch with? Which was farthest corner of the world you were getting letters from? Do you remember any Brazilian zines from that time ?

Yes, that time of tapes and copied zines was really amazing… But I think today it’s more dynamic to know the good bands not only in your area, but around the globe.

I also use a lot of Youtube to listen to some bands I only heard about.

It’s an interesting and efficient way to spread good bands. Well, I don’t remember the first zine, but I remember one that put Sarcofago in the cover… it was “USD” from France.

The guy from this zine was Evil Ludo, a big friend of ours. Later he started an European Sarcofago Fan Club.

D.D. Crazy used to bravely manifest his fascination with punk rock by wearing a “Mohawk” which was really rare for

a metal band in that period considering frequent conf licts with the punk scene.

Did he often have to fight because of his look ? I’ve heard r u mor s t h at he enjoyed street fights so maybe this was a way to provoke people?

Not because of the “Mohawk” but because of the drinks…. We were all kind of walking

trouble, but D.D. Crazy was the craziest guy I ever met! His nickname is not coincidental, haha!

Sarcofago was one of the few bands to get fans from both punk and metal audience. Your gigs were attended both by punks and metalheads, did it cause any tensions or fights?

Yes… We had friends in both movements, but there has never been any problem with that.

The problems was with some fights between skinheads and metalheads or skins and punks, but not in our shows.

The second half of the 80’s was a time of teenage rebellion and untamed aggression. What do you think turned this music into a religion for so many people ? Do you think that the economic situation may have been a one of the causes?

I think that music is something like food and sex - we cannot live on without it. I think that it’s our nature to like the music.

The recording session of “Rotting” was a brand new chapter in the band’s history. With this album your music has become available in wider distribution all over the world. “Rotting” was released not only in Brazil but also in USA and Europe, and some problems with censorship occurred due to the controversial cover art by Kelson Frost. It seems that it wasn’t the only problem with the American label…?

That American label was a shame, they changed the cover without our permission or knowledge.

Also, I think we never saw any $$$ from them…

Two of the first Sarcofago’s albums have been recently re-released as beautiful picture-LPs with large poster replicas of the original cover

art. I’m pretty sure they’re not the only reissues of your works on vinyl…

No. The guy from Cogumelo is doing our other LPs in this way too. Also, there are some labels from USA and Europe repressing our LPs in very special and collectible ways… There’s a vinyl revival these days and I’m a very huge fan of this media.

In ‘89 you have recorded “Rotting” as a trio.

This time D.D. Crazy didn’t take part in the session and was replaced by a young and really talented drummer Manuel “Joker”. The new Sarcofago album was quite different from the first one. There were more slower parts, some keyboards... Did the departure of D.D. Crazy had any impact on the shape of the album or was it caused by something completely different?

The line-up change was really dramatic! Like I said before, I was “moved” away from Belo Horizonte and was locked in a city where only a few guys knew what metal was! So I had to start to learn how to play guitar to get the band going… It’s a shame that I still haven’t learned, hahaha!

Do you keep touch with D.D. Crazy ? Do you know what he is up to these days and if he is an active musician?

Yes, I’m in touch with the brothers D.D. Crazy and Butcher. They both are good engineers, Butcher works in a car factory, D.D CRAZY works with computer systems and networks for the government. They do not play regularly.

For the 25th anniversary Cogumelo records has reissued the famous “Warfare Noise” compilation on CD with some bonus tracks which haven’t been included on the previous LP version. Is there any chance it will be released as a double-LP album?

Good question. I think not, but it would be a nice thing to see.

A year after releasing “Rotting” a new compilation hit the market – “The Lost Tapes Of Cogumelo”. Besides Sarcofago, it included Overdose, Holocausto, Mutilator and Chakal. Despite the great line-up, the album

wasn’t that popular as “Warfare Noise “. Were some of the tracks from “The Lost Tapes…” included on the CD version of “Warfare Noise” or are they completely different ones?

The Sarcofago track on this compilation is another version of “The Black Vomit” from the demo, that we recorded only for test before recording our tracks for “Warfare Noise”. I think this compilation was not a “success” because it has only one song of each band….

Nobody buys an LP for just one song of the band he likes.

Some malcontents say that your musical transformation on the album “The Laws Of Scourge” was caused by the commercial success of Sepultura. How would you comment on that?

Hahaha… Truth is that after “Rotting”, Manuel “Joker” left Sarcofago to do his personal projects and I realized that I’m a very bad guitar player, hahaha, so we have to find a second guitar player to do solos, and a new drummer.

We have found two great musicians and the line-up at that time was the most technical that Sarcofago has ever had. So, the more “soft” and technical Sarcofago sound of that album was a reflection of the high quality musicians playing in the band at the time. It’s interesting because here in Brazil some people think that “The Laws of Scourge” is the best Sarcofago album.

But I don’t think it has anything to do with that other band… For good or for bad it was only a reflection of the line-up that has recorded the LP. I prefer “I.N.R.I.” than anything Sarcofago did later, but I like that LP too. Also, our shows at the time of “The Laws…” was our most professional gigs. We were not falling drunk doing that shows, like it used to be during the “I.N.R.I.” and “Rotting” era, hahaha!

crazy guitar genius and if I know well Jhasko, all these stories seem plausible to me… Hahaha!

I have no idea what is true ‘cause I lost contact with him… but I think he is not in jail. At least at the moment, hahaha!

In one of the tapes you thank Quorthon for inspiration, did Bathory really have such a huge impact on your works? How do you see Sarcofago’s music through the first three Bathory’s albums? What has really inspired Sarcofago back in the days?

Man, that’s a fucking sordid and evil question, hahaha! Apparently it’s the same everywhere, here in Brazil we, with my metal friends, always ask that kind of questions to each other, hahaha! That’s really hard to think about cause I got more than a thousand vinyl LPs in my personal collection and another thousand CDs, so choosing only five is too hard! But I will be a bit tricky and count a double-LP as one, haha! So let’s go, not in order of preference:

Well, at the time we was writing some of our initial material I got a copy of “The Return…” and I loved it. Quorthon’s moaning, (drunk?) vocals and vomits on that album were quite similar to what I was doing in Sarcofago. So I felt that I was in the right (or maybe wrong) way to do my vocals… Along with Wendy O. Williams (from Plasmatics’ “Coup d’Etat” LP) and Cronos he was my biggest influence. “Bathory” is good, but “The Return…” is still my favorite Bathory album. The third one also kills!

Just last year I’ve met some guy from Brazil who claimed that Fabio Jhasko became a priest. Do you know anything about it ?

Hahaha... well, there are a lot of stories about Fabio Jhasko after he was out of Sarcofago.

Some say he became a beggar in Sao Paulo city.

Some say that he became a Kung Fu teacher.

Some say that he got a PHD in music and teaches violin. Some say that he is into crack. Some say that he’s in jail. Well, that man is a

Now it’s time for my all-time favorite question: if you were to go to a desert island, which five albums would you take with you?

1) Kiss “Alive II”

It was my first metal album and I still love that shit!

2) Kiss “Alive I”

I can’t stand without “Cold Gin” and “Strutter”, haha!

3) Black Sabbath “Live Evil” 4) AC/DC “If You Want Blood…. You’ve Got It” 5) Judas Priest “Unleashed in The East” They are all my favorite bands… the most extreme sounds that I love would be included in a list of ten LPs, haha! if it’s only five I would take only the classics that changed my life when I was a kid. If I could take ten albums, the next five would be:

6) Sex Pistols “Never Mind The Bollocks” 7) Celtic Frost “To Mega Therion” 8) Discharge “Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing” 9) Exodus ”Bonded By Blood” 10) Black Sabbath “Black Sabbath”

Sarcofago is considered one of the most inspiring act for the hundreds of black metal acts. Ironically, you’ve never spoken of this genre with kindness. What was so repulsive to you in this music? Did the commercialization of black metal had anything to do with your opinion?

No, I don’t think black metal is repulsive! I love the true and original black metal like Venom, Bathory (first four albums), Hellhammer, Mercyful Fate and I also like some more recent bands like Inquisition and Immortal for example! They fucking rule. Also, I’m very proud of being - with our “I.N.R.I” album one of the creators of this style of music and movement! I despise some people corrupting the purity of music and transforming it in a capitalist product with a lot of faggots that only yesterday were playing shit like Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, painting their faces with the so-called ‘corpse paint’, putting a lot of synthesizers and melodic shit in the music and trying to capture the Marilyn Manson fans with all that crap… My feeling is that black metal was the ultimate and true expression of extreme music when we started to do this kind of music. But now it’s far more commercial than any other style like death, thrash or doom/ stoner metal. Other thing that I don’t like is the fact that some people try to turn black

metal and Satanism into some kind of religion, and I FUCKING HATE ALL KINDS OF RELIGIONS! This shit called ‘religion’ was created to dominate the weak and stupid minds and even a Satanist Religion is pernicious in the moment that it starts to take away your freedom to think and tries to rule over what you should or shouldn’t do! Nobody says what I have to do, only me and my mind! FUCK OFF TO ANYONE WHO EVEN THINKS THAT HE CAN TAKE MY FREEDOM AWAY! FREEDOM is the most important thing in this stupid world! But I know that this concerns metal in a very oldschool way that you must only some of them… The real Satanists preach have a look on: Fascinora, Dunkell Reiter and freedom of thoughts and actions!

Chaos Synopsis.

We’re living in strange times. Oldschool metal made a full circle once again becoming what it used to be back in the 80’s. Many bands return from the dead, lots of new hordes loyal to the oldschool of metal are being summoned. Do you follow what’s happening on the Brazilian scene right now? What do you think of bands such as Em Ruinas, Apocalyptic Raids or Grave Desecrator (which do not hide they’re inspired by the early Sarcofago works). Have any young bands gained your special attention?

Yeah, it’s a bit strange to see 18 years old kids wearing the kind of clothes, jeans, tennis shoes, etc. that we used a lot in the 80’s and playing the same style of music…. But I think it’s ok, ‘cause it was really a strong movement and a time of very creative music and art.

Well, Apocalyptic Raids is one of my favorite Brazilian bands of all time! And they’ve been in battle for many years… Not because of a trend, of course. I am the biggest Hellhammer fan in Brazil (Leon of Apocalyptic Raids will not agree with me, hahaha) so, I am a big fan of this band! Also I love the Warhammer from Europe!

The other bands that you mentioned are good too… Also, there’s some nice new bands here in Brazil that play death/thrash

Let’s go back on the year 1994 when “Hate” was released. This time the drum parts were machine-generated. The lyrics and music correspond with the title, they’re full of venom and teenage frustration. What led you guys to this level of emotional intensity?

“Hate” is a feeling that every open and connected to reality mind must maintain!

Illusion and alienation is all that our politicians and religious leaders want to inflict upon us! So, it’s very natural for me be angry and hateful almost all the time.

About the drum machine, before someone asks or talks some shit, we used and loved it because no human drummer could do that kind of fast drum at that time. I was tired of lazy drummers that always complain that our music was too fast, that we needed to slow down, etc., hahaha! That Japanese drummer from Roland was perfect. Never complained when I wanted five minutes of non-stop blastbeat drums, hahaha!

Was “Satanic Terrorism” from the “Hate” album a reference to the events in Norway back in the 90’s? What was your opinion on those actions?

I think that it had a reverse effect – those acts were delivering new martyrs and strengthening religion.

Yes, I was a friend of Euronymous and he always wrote about it in letters he sent me. First I thought he was joking, hahaha!

I think that they should burn the politicians, the preachers and the priests, not the churches, hahaha!

The evil and manipulation is inside the man’s dominant minds, not in the buildings they raised. They should take off the heads of the system snakes, not the installations of the system machines that can easily be reconstructed… With all the money they steal from their believers it’s easy to raise another bigger church, but to create another manipulator after they see that their asses are the target is a lot more difficult, hahaha!

Two years after “Hate” you released album entitled “The Worst”. It was strong and filled with bitterness. This album has perfectly depicted your emotional state. It’s heard best in “Shave Your Head” in which you expressed your outrage towards what’s been happening in that period.

New trends profaning the old values, bringing vermin and corruption upon everything you’ve once felt was so important. The flood of Pearl Jam, Nirvana and other shit like which were successfully supporting the fall of classical metal. This had to be really depressing.

Yes, you said all! But nowadays I think that Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains are good bands and I got a lot of their albums, hahaha! I’m an ambulant self-contradiction!

I think that I have a very deep problem with trends and fashions. I think that if Sarcofago became some kind of a trend or fashion band I would burn our t-shirts and records at our gigs, hahaha!

Despite all the problems you were carrying on ‘till the year 2000. After releasing a “Crust” EP in 2000 you’ve decided to end this chapter of Sarcofago’s history. Was there really no chance for the band to roll onto some other tracks?

The truth is very simple - you cannot live playing this kind of extreme metal music in a shit land like Brazil. Nobody likes us here, nobody wants or has money to buy records from extreme bands like us, except some die-hard, true fans…. By the way, I love my job in the area of economics and I have a career that cannot be put in second place. Also I would not return with Sarcofago if I cannot put 100% of my time and dedication to

the band! Sarcofago fans deserve our best and not some kind of part-time band, so we decided to end it (or at least stop it), because we were not interested in doing some kind of shit stuff and releasing only keep the band going on…. And to rip off some true fans. Everything we have done and we do is the best what we can or could do at the moment. Sarcofago has always been a true and honest band, so don’t expect us what we are not able to do.

After 2000 you’ve dedicated yourself mainly to the professional career, you haven’t quit making music, though. You were taking part in various bands and formed your own project – Komando Kaos. Can you tell us something more about this one? When did you brought it to life? Who are the other musicians?

Yes, I will never stop listening nor making noise! Komando Kaos is an old (“I.N.R.I.”-era) REAL hard core band, in vein of Discharge, Rattus, Tervet Kadett, Varunkers, Crude SS and Chaaos. I (and all in Sarcofago) have always loved the hard core bands from Finland and UK, also some Brazilian bands like Olho Seco, Colera e Armagedon. So it was easy to me to join the band, they’ve been on their way for more than ten years when I joined. The other guys are: Rony – bass; Marixe – guitars and vocals, Ameba – drums.

Recently, during my intensive e-mail exchange with Joker, he mentioned something about you guys meeting to rehearse for a new heavy/doom metal band. Can you share this

secret with us and tell what’s the name of this new being?

Have you already recorded anything?

Hahahah, Joker has a big mouth! Yes, we are making some noise during my vacations and I can say that this shit is VERY, VERY FUCKIN’ HEAV Y, man... I can say it’s an EXTREMELY HEAV Y SOUND, with some resemblance to Electric Wizard and the slower parts from the first three Bathory LPs. Something like “Enter the Eternal Fire” mixed with Hooded Menace and Acid Witch, hahaha! We’ve recorded a 4– songs-demo and we are looking for a European or American record company to put a 7” EP of the band for people to see, hear and vomit, hahaha!

Any interested record company interested, please write me at wlamounier@bol.com.br.

The name of the band is still a secret, but I can assure that it’s a very sick and conceptual proposal and that it’s a homage to the “beautiful minds” of all serial killers and perverted maniacs in the world’s history, hahaha! Particularly the women of dark desires, hahaha!

I’m sure that you’ve heard this question more than often, but please forgive me, I really have to ask. I think that many of the Sarcofago fanatics are really curious about this one. Is there any chance for the Sarcofago reunion?

I think that you’re aware of having lots of

devoted fans who are waiting for this to happen.

Not now.

What’s been spinning in your player these days? What is your favorite medium – LP, CD or MC? VINYL RULES FOREVER IN MY HOUSE! That fuckin’ eBay will make me broke! I spent a fortune in those auctions, hahaha! But now I have almost all LPs I’ve ever dreamt of…

Including the first UK presses of all Sabbaths in mint condition and tons more!

Once again thank you for your time and will to answer my questions. Do you have anything to say to your fans before the interview is over?

Thank you all from Oldschool Metal Maniac for all the support and patience and all our diehard fans for buying our smelly shit! By the way, there is some more shit on the way for the die-hard fans… And I can guarantee that it’s a HUGE TURD, hahaha!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki Most of the photos used on this interview pages are from Wagner Lamounier personal collection.

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any publications of this album has already occured and even 23 years from the original realease of this material, “Rotting“ still stirs the same emotions without losing its clarity and strength. These six compositions still arouse real emotions, and although “Rotting“ has been so rampant, as was the case with the SARCOFAGO debut “Inri“, which became famous as one of the most profane works in the history of metal, all that time this album had carried the big load of hatred for all that is holy. It’s a real manifesto aimed at representatives of relligion of the cross.

W

agner has repeatedly said: “Religion is the greatest plague of this world! Without it, the world would be much healthier!”

By many people SARCOFAGO was considered as a satanic band, but they were wrong in their assessment. Although the team has repeatedly used the symbolism, which leads them to such associations, it has never identified with Satanism. It was rather a form of rebellion, denial of one of the most decadent and corrupt world religions.

Brutal music perfectly corresponded with lyrics that point out human’s religious blindness, restriction, ridicules faith in Christ, who died and who does not exist.

Only death is real, imminent and certain.

Wagner asks the listener :

“Why do you believe in christ? Why do you believe, that he is not dead? Why do you believe in Those Things? Why do you believe in Hell?”

In this way, he wants to force a moment of reflection: “Why do you believe in god that does not exist“? On the other hand he asks about belief in hell which is also an invention of church. This is a truly atheistic message. Shows the weakness of people who believe in god. What is more, a cover made

by Kelson Frost awakes to this day a lot of controversy. Grim Reaper’s Sprint Vision consisting of Christ, while licking his dead face was a thorn in the eye for many people.

This album was covered by hatred and it was an overt provocation. Wagner was not afraid to mock everything that had any importance for the followers of that faith. He wanted to expose the weaknesses of believers. It is a very dark work that exudes a powerful force.

Definitely more mature compositions show considerable higher level of the group which primarily was after raw and mega extreme gaming. Lyrics on “Rotting“ are no longer so blasphemous as on “Inri“; however, for many they still might be a gauntlet of insults directed against the face of the Christian community. The music itself is much better produced and it shows a slightly different

face of SARCOFAGO. There are a lot of flavors and changes of pace. The band is not afraid to experiment, to use time sensitive keys primers, mature themes, interesting riffs that create a truly gloomy and dark atmosphere.

SARCOFAGO effectively spreads extremes, being considered as an uncompromising team, painfully honest in what it does and becoming a role model for many others around the world, such as BLASPHEMY and BEHERIT - that drew handfuls of creative Brazilians. The “Rotting“, in addition to five new songs, resurfaces track “Nightmare” known from the debut. But this time the composition took on a completely different dimension. It is played slower with keyboards backgrounds a la early recordings of VARATHRON or ROTTING CHRIST. That creates an amazing atmosphere; but on the other hand, the composition is not devoid of aggressiveness and the unrestrained, destructive power, so typical for the debut version. The guitar sound is simillar to the sound from POSSESSED “Beyond The Gates“ which gives an interesting roughness.

I

t is by all means a timeless masterpiece and one of the most interesting albums on metal scene!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

strappado story t

he beginning of the 80’s was a golden age of metal music. It was especially visible in the British Isles, where metal had evolved in the most spectacular way, constantly taking on newer forms and stylistically mixing itself with the very energetic Punk Rock. Others were searching for more complex forms, thanks to which NWOBHM came to be. This exact genre of music had left its omnipotent mark on the whole scene of that time, clearing the way for many young bands, which followed the new trail and bravely began to explore the areas of extreme metal, creating the foundations of that genre’s many new styles.

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ndeniably, Venom had great

significance in these musical transformations.

Venom, which managed to ideally infect many future adepts of metal music with an exceptional atmosphere and a hunger for energetic playing, landing on a fertile turf everywhere they had played concerts and where their albums have reached.

Venom combined heaviness and aggression, creating a new, expressive dimension of metal. The British trio, with their enormous load of emotion, had gripped the audiences with more efficiency than classic heavy metal had. Its thanks to Venom, that bands, which have until then been faithful to the classic formula, began to brutalize their music.

What’s interesting, it was really noticeable on the other side of the Ocean, where Slayer, Exodus, Dark Angel, or Metallica started to manifest that musical transformation in a very visible way.

dditionally, there was the involvement of fans. The underground scene had supported the newborn bands. The underground press and a new occurrence – tape trading, allowed extreme music to arrive in every place, where music stores hadn’t yet seen the future in the brutal variety of metal.

This phenomenon has reached everywhere with lightning speed, Canada too. For unknown reasons Canada’s scene was a little on the side. Band’s from that very region of the world had a lot more to offer, than the American groups, still they’ve lacked the force to break through. Each group had its unique style, creating a really amazing and very original music, presenting a very high technical level while they were at it. While Rush or Anvil sound rather gentle from the perspective of time, the brutalization of music from the beginning of the 80’s didn’t miss Exciter or Razor. These bands in the initial phase of their activity have played classic heavy metal, which in the case of those bands had been gradually transforming into more and more extreme forms of metal. That’s how speed metal and soon after thrash metal were created.

ome bands never hid their punk roots.

Among them are Voivod, Sacrifice or Slaughter, created in Toronto in 1984. The musicians didn’t have to admit their punk fascinations. Punk was accented so strongly in Slaughter’s music, that it was hard not to hear it. A second, although indirect inspiration was NWOBHM. That mixture resulted in an extreme and a bit raw sounding music.

laughter, started by Dave Hewson, had bravely explored new paths of the extreme, moving its border into further regions of brutal metal with every release. It especially visible on the three-track ep7 “Nocturnal Hell”, which was a taste of what was soon going to be revealed to the world by “Strappado”. Brutal and uncompromising, the Canadians’ creation had emerged from the depths of the darkest hell in the year 1987, forever being inscribed on the pages of extreme metal’s history, as one of the most important classics of the genre.

This is how Slaughter’s leader and founder Dave Hewson reminisces those times in an interview for

a

s

s

Oldschool Metal Maniac: “We always wanted to be the heaviest that we could be. I love Anvil and all the other great Canadian bands like Exciter and Voivod etc, but we wanted to crush all of them with our sound. They had their style and we had ours. Heavy is all that mattered at one time and we wanted to prove that we were just that.”

It seems that Slaughter had managed in 100%, to create a new dimension of extreme metal. What the band presented on “Strappado” is something unique and unrepeatable and although it’ll soon be 25 years since this album’s premiere, it hasn’t lost anything from its freshness. A remarkable load of energy emanates from the compositions, there’s a lot of emotion, youthful vigor and heart.

w

e’re dealing with a timeless creation

and true magic woven into the sounds: a heavy and massive sound almost bordering on a death metal stylistic, combined with that punk pulsation. Not very complex compositions add even more power.

It’s hard to find better proof that there’s power in simplicity. No one had forced himself into some mega technique or complicated playing, however there’s madness lurking in the riffs, a total furry dressed in sounds. The effect? It’s impossible to sit in place while listening to this. There really aren’t many albums, that are accompanied by so many emotions. I can imagine what must have happened during that bands concerts, played live these tracks must have been total destruction. Dave mentioned on the pages of OMMM: “Every live show was so much fun, we had a lot of good friends and all of the original heavy Canadian bands were all close. We would make a party out of every time we hung out!!! We never played that many live shows, maybe 15, as both Slaughter and Strappado.

We did have some great gigs though, playing with everyone Sacrifice, Razor, Dri, Coc, Gbh, Exodus, Kreator, Celtic Frost and Voivod. When we first started playing live in 1985/86 the crowds were fucking crazy.” It’s no surprise, that Slaughter had caused such emotions during concerts, moreover because these gentlemen didn’t play too often, which caused fury in their fans.

“Strappado” was registered at a blinding speed for those times. Maybe that’s why it’s a very phenomenal album, full of passion, emotion and that youthful rebellion. The recording session itself seems to be a characteristic impulse which sometimes comes to talented artists, who at that moment are under the influence of creative inspiration. To find out more about the recording session I’ll quote two statements by Dave Hewson and Terry Sadler from an interview by Frank Stöver, that’s how Dave remembers it: “We recorded at Future Sound in Toronto. We chose Brian Taylor as producer (who had worked with SACRIFICE) basically because he was all that was available as there was no producers into our style of music. A guy named Al Warnock did the artwork. It wasn’t difficult to choose the songs to record. We felt like we chose the right ones.”

“We recorded “Strappado” in one 24 hour period and mixed it a week later.” adds Terry “It was all done in one or two takes and was basically our “live” show set list. We originally had 20 songs written for it and we picked the best ones.

Most were re-recorded versions of songs from “Surrender Or Die”, and many were left off because we didn’t like the versions. When I look back at that album now I notice that it was almost a concept album, all about different methods of torture. I was reading a book at the time called “The History Of Torture”. It really shows!!!”

d

uring that period the band had

strongly indentified itself with the underground scene, running a rich correspondence with the whole metal world of that time, sending its demos to everyone who wanted to get to know their works. Dave reminisces those crazy times: “We were definitely a big part of the tape trading scene, we used to send our tapes for free. Just send a SASE(self addressed stamped envelope) and we would send you our latest rehearsal or live show.

Terry really got things happening for Slaughter by doing this, we reached the top of many polls, in a lot of the underground zines and had developed quite a big following because of this underground trading scene.” Those were crazy times and even though extreme metal didn’t yet have enough following back then, the hunger for brutal and painfully sincere sounds, had resulted in the music stores and record labels being more and more keen on having music, which just a few years earlier, didn’t have any chance to reach a wider range of listeners beyond the underground circulation.

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any bands didn’t survive the test of

time, leaving no trace behind not even one demo material, others left recordings, which with the passing years have become classics of the genre and even though they fell apart years ago, their music still pulses with life. That’s the case of Slaughter’s creations, although this exceptional trio did not create anything for many years, they’ve left a mark in the form of an album which is a metal bible for many generations!!!

“Strappado” is a disc which should be found in every collection of oldschool metal lovers, it’s obligatory!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

I’D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU A REALLY INTERESTING BAND UNDER THE NAME OF 4SZMERY. THE GROUP WAS IN 1996 FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF EXPRESSING DEVOTION TO THE MUSIC OF AC/DC. AS THEY PUT THEIR HEART AND SOUL INTO IT, I DECIDED TO SUPPORT THEIR GLORIOUS MISSION OF SPREADING ROCK’N’ROLL. IF YOU HAVEN’T GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE 4SZMERY FOR YOURSELF, INVITE THEM AND A PLEASANT SURPRISE IS GUARANTEED! Most of the artists covering their idols’ songs LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I PRESENT TO YOU 4SZMERY! Polskiego Radia, which was a kind of a tributestart playing their own music at some point.

This happened with ABCD, Airbourne of Seventy Seven, while none of them gave up their fascination with AC/DC’s music. Can we expect some original (and obviously AC/DCinspired) music by 4Szmery…?

We agreed on a couple of rounds, yet you knock me out in the first! Twelve years of copying AC/ DC did us plenty of good and plenty of bad.

Positive thing is that we managed to reach a pretty wide audience and gained some kind of a good name in the music business. We share the stage with our Polish favorites and that’s a great joy and pride for us. On the other hand, we got labeled as the “AC/DC copycats” and it’s hard to undo it these days. It’s difficult to switch from English to Polish language. Plus, there’s the constant lack of time for rehearsals – we do play a lot, mostly on weekends, so there’s little time left for rehearsing. Still, there will be our authorial record, yet I can’t tell how it will sound.

Not necessarily ‘AC/DC-like’, we listen to and draw inspirations from pretty much any kind of music. The purpose is clear. Let me compare it to a situation, when a girl is seduced, undressed, and there’s only one thing left to do…

I heard it’s been quite different in your case. First you played your own songs, then you switched to your personal favorites by you-know-who.

How come you did that?

I wasn’t a part of the first line-up. Jarek Sroga (g.) formed the band with Andrzej Tabor (dr.) and they’ve been playing their songs in Bochnia’s pubs. Piotrek Pastuszak, a guy with a ‘Johnsonlike’ charisma used to sing with them. This lineup dissolved. I don’t know what got into me that I suggested Jarek that we should play AC/ DC’s music. Back then, I used to work as a sales representative in a chocolate company and while driving I’ve been singing along with the songs from the CD player in my car. And I imagined myself being Bon… Jarek picked up the gauntlet and we started rehearsing in his garage.

Your first singer was more into the Brian Johnson-songs, it seems to me you are more fond of Bon Scott’s material. How did you start your quest with the AC/ DC’s music?

It’s not about being ‘fond’ of anything...

gig for the 30th anniversary of Bon Scott’s Brian was the first AC/DC singer death. Some special guests took part in the I heard. “Back in Black” devastated the senses event, including Andrzej Nowak, Jan Galach or of many young boys in the People’s Republic of Jacek Królik. Who came up with the idea of such Poland. I’ve been one of them. Bon appeared in a concert? Are you going to play similar gigs in my world a year later, thanks to the forenoon the future? broadcasts by Wojciech Mann (eternal All those crazy ideas are born in my sick head respect!). “Highway to Hell” played between and are later approved or rejected by my “Teleranek” (a children’s TV broadcast) and a bandmates. The gig in Trójka happened thanks traditional Sunday broth caused a permanent to the goodwill of many people. Mrs. Zofia body disorder. It was a completely different Sylwin, the then-manager of the Studio im. reception back then, yet the meaning Agnieszki Osieckiej, was very fond of the idea, remained… This “wild at heart”, so to say… Two yet also frightened until the very end – ‘Sierściu, years later I bought the “Powerage” LP, the promise me you won’t cuss onstage?’ and so one with “Cold Hearted Man”, and that was it.

I mean, it was the beginning…

Whose vocal parts – those by Bon Scott or the Brian Johnson’s – are more demanding for you?

Regarding the purely physical aspect – Brian’s ones, but you get the possibility to scream your head off. But to sing with the Bon’s feeling… well, go ahead… Anyone can sing, I never considered myself as a great singer, but I put my heart into it. And I’m well aware of that.

Thus, I’ll be singing my own lyrics this way or I won’t be singing them at all.

Some time ago I had an opportunity to see your gig in the “Lizard” Club in Cracow, and frankly it went far beyond my expectations. It seemed that the spirit of Bon Scott actually appeared onstage. You looked as if you were possessed by him. Who knows, maybe Bon’s ghost actually haunts the shows of 4Szmery?

It was when you closed your eyes, wasn’t it…? I’m not possessed by Bon, I am simply his son. My dad doesn’t know that, but that’s the fact. Besides, the driving force behind the band are my friends: Jarek Sroga (g.), Darek Puka (g.), Andrzej Tabor (dr.) and Grzesiu “Gabi” Gruca (b.)…

NOBODY plays AC/DC like they do. Even AC/DC themselves.

I can only clown around to their performance.

So far, you’ve released two live albums – first has been recorded in Muzyczna Owczarnia and second in Studio III Programu

4SZMERY

on. Piotrek Metz, in whose broadcast we played, did us such a publicity we’re grateful for the rest of our lives. As for the musicians-pals, they simply proved to be top-notch players. Nowak brought all the stuff in his van, appeared on a rehearsal, told us how we gonna do it, and played the way he always does. Jacek Królik – king of the world. Jasiu Gałach – true Silesian Heart. Last, but not least – Bejbi, world class bass player… No comments. It was wonderful.

Will we ever play this way again? Maybe for a live DVD? Let’s go back to the „Muzyczna Owczarnia” for a while.

Many art-related events takes place there, attracting wide audience. Do you visit the place frequently?

“Muzyczna Owczarnia” is a special place for the band, as we have recorded our first record there. Plus, it’s kind of a second home for myself. Wietek Kołodziejski, who set up this place, is an exceptional guy. I’ll always emphasize that, as he hitched his wagons to the stars and comfortable? Can you remember your first gig proved that nothing’s impossible. The place ever? taught me to respect various musical genres We feel comfortable everywhere. For real. and to listen to the music played by the best. I Playing in clubs might sometimes be tiring, you made tea for Donovan, poured beer for Henry have to bring all the heavy stuff downstairs. But McCollough and drank moonshine with Nigel you get to feel the people and sweat a bit. This Kennedy. And Janek Nowicki gave me his pack sense of closeness in unavailable during the of Marlboro Lights. open-air shows. We like them too – the lights, Besides concerts, “Muzyczna Owczarnia” the sound, the backline, all this entourage, still organizes music workshops, where young I prefer the clubs. As for my first performance, musicians get the opportunity to play with it was in high school in Bochnia, during the experienced ones and learn from them. In students’ assembly. We played “Money For 2008 you played with some lads, what do you Nothing” by Dire Straits and “Cegła” by Dżem. feel when you play your favorite songs with the Paweł Stompór, later in Balls Power and TSA young generation? (“52 dla przyjaciół”), played drums with us.

The workshops, organized for many years My first public performance as such was the

by Marek Raduli, Wojtek Pilichowski, Tomek greeting of a black-skinned bishop from Congo Łosowski and Piotr Lelite are something in my parish in Nowy Wiśnicz. Eight thousand outstanding. Marek and co. use their connections parishoners came to see a black priest, it was in show business and bring the top-notch Polish 1975, I spoke to him in his language… seriously! musicians. I took part in the lessons by Elżbieta That was awesome.

Zapendowska or Grażyna Łobaszewska, but Do you have any anecdotes about funny things usually it ended up smoking cigarettes… Luckily happening during the backstage parties, gigs, I quit! And about singing with the youngsters? tours etc.?

What fuckin’ youngsters, I am young! They play I’m writing a book about it, haha! But seriously… cool. And we do have really TALENTED youth.

I was working in a pub, suddenly the phone 4Szmery often play charity concerts, with rang – ‘Darek’s finger was cut off’, and that’s all the income handed over to the children it. I’m like, ‘What the fuck, which one?’, and care facilities. When did you come up with after two hours of waiting, his wife texted me this initiative and how many people did you – ‘It’s ok, it’s the right middle finger, a guitarist manage to help? doesn’t need one’… Another story – we’ve been During the Easter, our guitarist Darek Puka playing on a motorcycle convention, and you used to organize some charity gigs in Bochnia have to show your ass, like they do in biker’s for one particular kid. It lasted for a couple of conventions. I’m singing “If you want blood…”, years. The band is always gladly involved in reaching a high “C”, when suddenly I feel I shit such events. We don’t count it. Who saves one my pants… And in two songs I’m doing my life, etc... It’s a normal human reaction, that’s all. striptease! I’m asking the backline guy if he has 4Szmery was formed in 1996, but it took you some paper, I’m running backstage, checking some time to go full throttle on a highway my underpants… It’s clean. And there was once to hell. You’ve played many gigs, both in a truck ride around Warsaw for Bon’s birthday clubs and open-air, where do you feel more anniversary. The set was fixed with the police for about 1 hour 20 minutes… The patrol came, listened to our rehearsal and said they were going to take us for a ride… We’ve been driving around for about 3 and a half hour straight.

You’ve been playing for many years now and you do it really terrific, yet none record label signed a contract with you. What’s the reason?

Nobody wants us. They don’t sign “cover bands”… But seriously. The records we’ve released are ok, both in terms of musical and editorial quality. And they cost 20 PLN. If the contract would made them cost 40 PLN, then what is better? We don’t say ‘no’, because nobody asked us so far. We’re old farts and we won’t grovel just to get the record released…

We’ll release it by ourselves.

There’s plenty of bands around the world covering AC/DC songs and at the same time creating an almost religious-like atmosphere.

I wonder how is it in your case?

I guess there is something here. Maybe it’s the power of the music that affects people so much?

That’s why I’m always concerned by the news about people committing suicide allegedly under the influence of AC/DC… after all, it’s a

pure joy! AC/DC’s message avoids any politics and so-called “involvement”, focusing on a joyful content for a joyful sounds… If that’s what we call religion, then I’m its devoted follower.

4Szmery is undoubtedly a part of the great AC/DC-loving family, do you keep in touch with similar bands? Have you ever taken part in a festival with several cover bands?

Once we played with a Polish The Cultcover band from Kalisz – Love Removal. Fully professional attitude – salute to you, guys!

There was another, from Poznań, called Izotop – playing both their own and ZZ Top songs.

The band was formed by ex-members of Turbo, Heniu Tomczak and Andrzej Łysów. And there’s the Czech Deep Purple, guys in platform-soled boots, wigs – lots of laugh, yet they played fine.

A live set is usually limited by time and I guess it must be difficult for you to pick certain songs? Which songs do you play most often?

I’m sure there are some mandatory ones…

We play our standard set. Depending on a place, we add some specials like “Overdose”, “Cold Hearted Man” or “Dog Eat Dog”. As for the regular set, there’s “Highway to Hell”, “Shot Down”, “If You Want Blood…”, “Hells Bells”, “Ride On”, “Touch Too Much”, “Rock’n’Roll Train”, “TNT”, “You Shook Me All Night Long”, “Whole Lotta Rosie”… and here’s the story: we were on our way to Łeba, it’s Friday and we’re about to play on Saturday, the organizer invited us, ‘cause he likes us. So, we’re driving, chillin’ out, booze, no hurry… We’re there at 8:30 PM ant there’s panic, because a guitarist of the main band broke his arm. And they go – ‘Gentlemen, would you like to play today? Oh, and it would be great if you played a different set today and tomorrow…’ So we played, and repeated only “Highway to Hell” and “You Shook Me…” the next night.

When can we expect another album by 4Szmery? Is it going to be another live recording or studio-recorded AC/DC cover versions?

It’s not up to us, we can’t handle everything. We still have twenty songs recorded in “Muzyczna Owczarnia” (fifteen has been released), but the next album will surely be our own. ‘Third time lucky’. We let go with AC/DC, we’re already full.

The last word for the readers of Oldschool Metal Maniac belongs to you! May all your dreams come true, especially the one of supporting AC/DC! Fulfillment. And for our idols to survive.

May they play until the end of the world.

Besides: great health! Playing with AC/DC? Unreachable, I guess, but playing one song with Angus – why not?! Thank you!

Check out our website: www.4szmery.net and facebook.com/4szmery

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ASPHYX

Hello Martin! Today is the day of a premiere of your newest opus “Deathhammer”. How do you think about it and would it be as much of a crusher as your comeback effort “Death… The Brutal Way”?

Well, we think so. Of course in the end it is depending on what the fans would say, but we think we won’t disappoint and all the reactions that we have so far, especially from the press, are overwhelming. We spent our 100% on the new album and we’re really confident about this one. It is hard to compare our early works and the last one, this is a kind of new era, but from then on I think it is the best album Asphyx has ever made. I know every band says that about their last release, but this is really a special one for us I think.

And how would you compare “Deathhammer” with “Death...The Brutal Way”, as we’re speaking of the new era for Asphyx?

It’s pretty difficult. I think this one is more mature in a way we grew as a band. I know it might sound silly for the guys who are

so ling on the scene, but I mean Alwin replaced Wannes and from then the band has changed for the good. He is very enthusiastic and we finally feel like one piece, like working together to do what we do best. That makes the whole record actually better because now there is people who put 150% behind it and Alwin

is very proud to be in the whole thing. He worked really hard on his bass sound and also he worked on mixing with Dan Swanö.

I don’t know if you’ve heard it already, but if you listen to it the bass sound is way more dominant than on the other Asphyx albums to date. I think we never had a good bass production until this one and Asphyx deserves that, so all the credits go to Alwin. Besides the changes we kind of perfectionized the style that we do. The slow things are really slow and doomy and the faster pieces we did more than on any other album. They are like little, shorter kind of… Hammers (laugh). I think it is also kind of a more bombastic atmosphere.

I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.

Let’s talk abount some history, if you don’t mind…

I don’t. After all you’re called “Oldschool Metal Maniac”, so I could have expected that (laughs) Before joining Asphyx you were a member of Pestilence and recorded with them the classics “Malleus Maleficarum” and “Consuming Impulse”. How do you

ASPHYX

running and I asked “Who is this band doing a Pestilence song” and someone said “Well, that’s Pestilence themselves”. If I remember correctly it was either “Chemotherapy” or “Out of the Body” or something, I’m not really sure, but the fact they re-recorded those songs… I was like “Eeeeh?!?!” (laughs) and I thought it was really ridiculous in way. That is the only shit I’ve heard from them since and I thought it was like not the best decision because if you ask me I would never re-record stuff from the records once done because those albums really stand for themselves. It is completely bollocks to do that in my opinion.

You can’t improve what you did in the past perfectly, you can’t never get that atmosphere back. That is the only stuff I’ve heard from them.

remember working with Pat Mameli and what do you think of their recent resurrection and two no-the-best albums they have released?

Now it is more from Pat’s side, I got my fantastic bands and he does his thing, but when I was still with them and doing those albums we had a great time. If we weren’t a consistent band at the time we wouldn’t have made such killer albums. Those recordings and the collective work put into them together were just wonderful. For me it was also a learning process because for all of us it was the first time when we were in a band that actually recorded albums, so it was a learning process for all of us, but I think we managed pretty well because I still stand fully 100% behind these albums.

Wherever I come to play a concert there are still people coming to me with copies of these albums and ask me to sign it, giving me compliments and calling them classics, so apparently we did a good job. As for the recording sessions these were different times and the whole different atmosphere.

At those times we were just friends and when we were writing the material we were just trying to be the best band ever.

We were working really hard on it, but unfortunately I had to go, as everybody knows (laugh). I don’t like to talk too much about the later stuff, first of all I relay didn’t listened to that The only thing I ever heard was coincidentally at a party in someone’s place and there was a Pestilence song

I was going to ask you what do you think of re-recording the classic albums, like what Exodus did with this horrible remake of “Bonded by Blood”…

See? That’s what I’m saying. “Bonded by Blood” is still a bloody classic! A stalwart for the genre. You cannot make that album any better. All you can actually do is ruin it.

And they did because I’ve heard it recently and it is just a complete bollocks. I mean like why doing things like that? If Venom would do “Welcome to Hell” again it would sound horrible nowadays. There is a certain kind of magic you cannot recapture. It also has a lot to do with what was the spirit in the band, what kind of equipment did you have… You cannot get it back. And it is a bit like showing everyone that you were not satisfied with the record you originally did in those days. And that can make you look like a fool or someone who is hard to believe anymore.

OK, let’s get back to Asphyx. You’re in the band since more or less 1990 and “The Rack” era. How do you remember joining Asphyx and do you still have any contact with Chuck Colli?

Hah, no not at all, but it is funny that you mentioned his name because a few years later we did this band together called Submission. We made a small demo and after that I was asked to join Bolt Thrower and then we lost contact. During the times of Submission Chuck was a nice guy really

and after that we’ve lost contact and never heard of him ever after. As for joining Asphyx Bob and Eric were searching for a vocalist and I was friends with Bob for years due to our involvement in tape trading from the times prior to my singing in Pestilence. We were both Death Metal freaks, going all the time “you heard the latest Massacre demo?”, “You heard this?”, “you heard that?”, “I got to know this band called Malhavoc” and so on, so when he heard that I was out of Pestilence the first thing he said to Eric was “I’m gonna call him” (laughs) and I said “well, I’m gona come to your rehearsal room and we’ll see”. After hearing their guitar sound I was like BOOM! Completely blown away and said “Yeah! Let’s go for it!” and this is how we started recording “The Rack” already.

It was a good time, everybody was really happy and it was just funny because “The Rack” was done in three days. Recording, mixing, everything! It was really funny and I remember when we sent the stuff to Century Media we told them “listen, you stay off of anything that is on this album, this is the way we want it to” and they were like “oh no, that’s impossible! We cannot put it out like that, it’s terrible, the sound is horrible and we have to change it” and I was like “No way!” and I went down to Dortmund to the mastering studio and kept an eye on if they were not about to fuck it up (laughs) Years later the people would call it a classic album and that is so funny…

Hahah, a funny story indeed!

Yeah, back in those days there was more funny stuff like that, for example when we recorded “Consuming Impulse” we had that terrifying cover artwork for it with humans eating each other. That was the original cover of the album and the label said “Oh no, that’s way too brutal. You cannot put that out this way” and we were like “huh?” And then without asking us they came up with this shitty face with these ants on it! That’s how it was done! We couldn’t change anything, that’s how we got the album. We were like “what is this shit??!!??” and they told us the whole story how they ruined it. And then, years later, Cannibal Corpse draws all the attention with their brutal covers. It’s these little stories people don’t know, but in those days record companies either made wrong decisions or were about to make wrong decisions (laughs). Nowadays it’s just impossible, I mean for some it is, but not in that way (laughs).

Asphyx established its brand through

ASPHYX

aforementioned “The Rack” and “The Last One On Earth” After the latter you unfortunately left the band. Do you still think that it was the right decision after all these years?

Now, that’s a tough one. I mean in the end and considering the way the things are going now… I made a right decision. Because you may never know what could happen. Supposed if I stayed everything could go completely other way than it is now and I would never learn how the situation might have been, so nowadays in Asphyx, in Hail of Bullets and also with working with Eric again it couldn’t have been any better for me musically.

And as this goes great then my personal private life goes really well too because I am satisfied and happy man, so apparently I made all right decisions. But that can be seen only on a long track. If I stayed after the “Last One…” … That was the period where Asphyx was about to breakthrough or not. We couldn’t ever know, But after all and from the perspective of time I think it was a good decision. At least this is my personal opinion.

Right after leaving Asphyx you formed aforementioned Submission with Chuck Colli and that declined rather quickly, leaving a handful of demos. The music was a little unusual for what to be expected from Martin van Drunen. Why do you think this project did not last?

As I said, we were in the middle of doing other things. We just made one demo and we were working on new songs, I still got some low quality rehearsal tapes somewhere, containing some unknown tracks, especially one that’s called “Kartel”, I still love this song. Soon after that the Bolt Thrower came up and asked me and it was impossible to combine those bands, as Bolt Thrower is like a full-time job, so I had to quit Submission. It was really sad.

It was hard to tell the fellas like “I’m very sorry, but I got this offer…” and I knew they would understand me, it would be ridiculous to say “no”, cause no one gets asked by Bolt Thrower that easily, so for me it was quite an honour. I knew them also very well, but on the other hand I felt horrible for letting the other guys down, as we were working really hard and creating something different, because Submission was entirely different band, yeah. Randy Meinhard was also in this band, the guitar player from “Malleus Malleficarum”, so there were more people involved from the older days. The fun thing is that Chuck was the one who formed Pestilence and the name they had in those days was Lucifera… There are so many things in the past that now come together and with Submission it was a bit the same until Bolt Thrower came and I just couldn’t say “no” and that was the end of Submission, unfortunately for them.

How do you remember the times when you replaced Karl Willets and what were the main differences between the UK and Dutch Death Metalheads?

Yeah, those times were really different because there was nothing going on. Actually I remember when doing the

inaugurating show with Bolt Thrower there were like 40 people in that bar..

WHAT?!?

Heh, imagine… And the fun thing was there was this guy after the show, coming at me quite drunk and wanting to give me the compliment, so he goes “yeah, for a foreign bastard you’re alright!” (laughs).

That’s what he told me. “You’re not bad for a foreign bastard” and I was like “thank you for the compliment, man”. In those day there was nothing going on for Bolt Thrower in England. They knew that and they hardly played shows, nowadays it’s different, but not back in those days. As for me… Well, Karl’s vocal style is different. I was used to a lot of lyrics in songs, so for me it was quite an easy thing to do, you know, there are many Bolt Thrower songs that hardly have any lyrics, so I was having a time of my life onstage. I could just do whatever I wanted and don’t get tired.

And of course being onstage with the band like that is just fantastic really. I had a really great time, they’re all very nice and very dedicated people and there is not a one bad word for Bolt Thrower from me.

Absolutely fantastic. Besides I will probably be the only foreigner, non-Englishman ever to be in that band and there’s not many people who could say that in the world (laughs). It was a great adventure.

Meanwhile the rest of the guys reformed Asphyx and recorded the eponymous album with Ron van Pol. How do you feel about it after all these years?

Oh, I was still friends with Eric by the time he was recording it. He actually asked me before they put it out and he was really insecure about it because he decided to carry on with the band on his own, without Bob that is and Bob actually formed Asphyx. Without him you actually lose the core of the band, so Eric was very insecure and after that he quit with it. I still think it’s a very good effort. It is overall a very good album, but it is a bit different form the rest of the stuff. It maybe also because he arranged the songs all by himself. He does the riffings, but you know, on “The Rack” and “The Last One..” I also started to bring songs as well, so we combined my riffs and Eric ones together and after that he was just on his own and not even having Bob with his input for the band, so he was

completely alone, but like I said I still think it is a good album. Although the vocals, yeah, that’s another thing. The vocals I didn’t really liked that much.

And then came Theo Loomans and Bob Baghus’ incarnation of the band. What do you think of pieces like “God Cries”? Was it really necessary to drag it on under the Asphyx moniker?

Now, that’s another tough one. I knew that Bob wanted to continue and try it one more time and after it turned out that it don’t work. It didn’t work in the b=past and it didn’t work on the “God Cries” too. But for sure with Asphyx you cannot say one thing. You cannot say that we ever sold out. We never made a horrible album, like for example Celtic Frost’s “Cold Lake” or something. Fortunately that’s not the shame that we have as a band, but everybody says now in the retrospect that “God Cries” probably was the weakest of all Asphyx albums. That’s what the fans said, the overall opinion. It is again different. It brings back a bit of that atmosphere that we had back in the demo days and that’s quite alright, but when you really come to a structure and all… Well, the songs themselves are not that strong. And that’s how the whole band sees it nowadays.

I see. In the meantime you did some guest vocals for the second Comecon album, replacing LG Petrov. How do you recall participating in this Death Metal supergroup? What is your opinion upon the “Fable Frolic” recorded with Marc Grewe? And is that true that Comecon never had a real drummer and it was just the guy posing for photoshoots?

Yeah, there was. It was honest thing… The fun thing though was it was LG Petrov who should do my vocals, but he wnet back to Entombed after all the music was done, so what happened was the record

company, Century Media, called me and asked “hey, are you able to do that job? Because we have a problem with them. They finished the recording, but they have no vocalist”, so I was like “yeah, let’s try it. I’ll see what I can do”. So I flew to Stockholm on Friday and I never heard the songs, I didn’t read the lyrics, I didn’t have anything. So I flew in on Friday, I think I’ve heard the songs there and then I finished on Sunday. As simple as that, so it was more of a professional studio job. I mean they were nice guys and the music was a bit of a challenge for the day, but the fun thing is that afterwards we had to do the photo session and I only knew Rasmus and Pelle and all then this guy walks in and I am like “who are you?” and he goes “well, I’m a kind of figure here, I’m supposed to be posing as a drummer”…. So there he stood on a photo session and that was it, so yeah, they didn’t have the drummer (laughs). But the album was well done. Back in those days there was not easy to find a decent drum sound electronically and they managed to do it quite well. I still like the album though. A lot of people say it’s horrible, but I like it after all.

And then it came Soulburn and it’s change into Asphyx with “On the Wings of Inferno”… Do you think it was a good idea to return to the old moniker after “Feeding on Angels” or should they have remained Soulburn back at the time?

Well, it’s hard for me to speak for them, but Soulburn did a very good album and they all, especially Bob felt they may have as well get back to the name of Asphyx because it is not getting any better than this on that moment. So they basically decided just to change Soulburn back into Asphyx again and then they did “On the Wings of Inferno” which is in my opinion, before we came back together, the best album since the “Last One…” and “The Rack” really. It was quite a good decision, they even got some shows too, but ultimately it didn’t work again, you know. Same old story for Asphyx , as always.

In 1998 Theo Loomans died in the accident.

How do you remember him as a person?

Hard for me to tell because I never had any real contact with him. Don’t forget that when I knew him I was still pretty young and I thought that he was a weird little guy really. I couldn’t really get along with him, he was doing strange things.

I remember I think it was the first show I did with Asphyx and he was doing half the set and then I would pick it up from there. That show was somewhere in the Eastern Germany, really close by the way to Poland. I think it was in Kottbus, close to your border. Ad I saw him backstage and he was cutting out the knees from his pants (laughs). I was like “why the Hell are you ruining your pants?” and he was like “because it’s cool to have holes in them”.

I said “listen, if I have holes in my pants that is because I can’t afford another pair and this is why I wear those. You just ruined a new pair of pants for what? To be cool or something? That’s bullshit” (laughs). Yeah, that’s one of these strange things that I remember of him. Maybe he changed that over the years, I have no idea. I didn’t know at the time he had the accident, so I wil remember him as a bit of a strange guy, also insecure maybe, but you know, we were young, like I said.

Nowadays it would be completely different, I guess.

Now Asphyx is back for good and doing it great. Why did

ASPHYX

you decided to reform for the fourth time? (laughs) Yeah, it’s the fourth time. Well, it was not the pressure, but rather constant asking every year for the partakes of the festivals via various polls of “what band you want to see next year” kind. Every year it was that Asphyx was on top of the list and they were all trying contacting Bob and he was constantly “No, no, no, because it’s impossible and I won’t do it without Eric”. Then me and Bob contacted each other and still we knew it wouldn’t work without Eric and that was until I got to know Paul on the first meeting of Hail of Bullets. At that time Bob was still “argh!” against it constantly saying it’s not gonna

work, but ultimately I convinced him why not giving it a try and then we went to the rehearsal room and… Paul just blew us away! I mea it was the same massive wall of sound that Eric had and the similar kind of style of playing, so me and Bob just looked at each other and we were like “if there is one person to do this job it is for sure Paul, so why not give him a chance”?

With Paul you also have this murderous combo Hail of Bullets where you expand your fascination with war. What are the nearest future plans for this band?

Well… I just finished “Deathhammer” and now I’m working on another band with Eric. The music is all done, I’m only left with some lyrics to finish and then I will record them and it is all done. This summer also we plan to slowly start writing new material for Hail of Bullets. I have a concept already in my head, reading already enough about it, so it just needs setting up. I know what the main thing will be.

As for the thing with war I recently read books by this German author Theodor Plevier, this trilogy “Moskau-Stalingrad-Berlin” and I became fascinated and I wanted to know more about it, so I just started reading and reading and reading until now. Now it’s not just war but the history in general, everything basically that I can get my hands on when I got time to read. It is extremely interesting and this passion keeps on burning.

Definitely. By the way what do you think of the recent wave of merging history and Metal that we witness in recent times, ranging from softer bands like Sabaton to heavier acts like Hail of Bullets or Marduk? Do you feel a part of it with HoB, or not really?

No, we don’t really feel that way. It just came naturally. Thing is when I started Hail of Bullets, oh “when I started”… I didn’t started it, sorry, but when I joined the band and when we were discussing on what direction the band was going for I just told them that I had this thing in my head that I always wanted to do a concept album on the whole Eastern Front thing because I read so much about it and it was quite easy because I had all the information that was needed. And because the kind of Metal we play fitted perfectly to the idea I had we just tried it out and it matched perfectly. The lyrics fitted the music extremely well. As for this whole wave it’s not the bad thing in the end, the kids can learn of it, but the difficulty with it is that it should fit. If you write a song about the final battle in Berlin then it has to be something dramatic and something tragic and has to carry a certain atmosphere with it.

You can’t have any happy tunes in it.

Still I think it is better to have this kind of lyrics than just all this Pray-SatanBow-To-The-Devil bullshit. That doesn’t make any sense to me. For the kids it better to read the history lyrics where they can learn anything form them than all that hail Satan crap. I mean sometimes it is OK and there is a lot of it in the Heavy Metal history, look for example how many history themed songs Iron Maiden did, like “The Trooper” or “Invaders” about the Norsemen invasion.

Did you get any feedback from Polish fans about the “Warsaw Uprising”? Because in Poland it a martyr taboo of sorts. Lot of people considers it an act of heroism too brave to be even discussed, so how do you remember the Polish fans reactions for your EP? I mean I never got any negative reaction, most of them seemed even proud that we did it. They were proud and really happy that I took that theme on the thing is I’ve read a massive novel by Norman Davis who did this enormous research on a whole topic and you know, it’s sad when you look at this whole book and the work that was put into it and you have to compact it to 4 or 5 minutes, so you cannot put everything in there, but the whole story is very tragic and complex, but still I wanted to do it because it was very gripping when I read it and I asked the rest of the guys what do they think of putting it into EP and they agreed that was a great idea. Also the reactions were overwhelming. I think there was even some video on YuoTube where one of your countrymen translated the lyrics into Polish and there was all kinds of Polish reactions underneath. I couldn’t get it 100%, but it seemed like a general positive reaction. And it was indeed a great heroic battle. It is just bloody sad that all the Stalin had to do was to send his troops to the city and then it was done.

OK, let us get off from the heavy historical themes back into Asphyx. In 2010 Alwin Zuur replaced Wannes Gubbels as a bassist. Why did Wannes had to leave?

Do you think he would do another great Pentacle album?

No idea. IN the end the thing was that Wannes didn’t really fit with us and that was just the thing. In the end it was just strange. We just had this feeling that he wasn’t as 100% behind Asphyx as we were.

Maybe he was just more Pentacle than Asphyx really. When we met Alwin it was a coincidence and next to it he came from the region where we live, whereas Wannes lives in another part of the country and he just fitted way more. As I said it was a coincidence we met him and it was a great choice, besides he has way better bass sound than Wannes, he is very proud to b in the band and he was anticipating from the very first moment, so he was a big positive input in the band. As for the Pentacle I have no idea. I know that Wannes now has a second kid, so I think that Pentacle is now for a bit on ice.

You also co-worked with Wannes in that unusual project Bunkur…

No, that is a misunderstanding. I don’t know who put the word out, but I’ve never been in Bunkur. Strange thing was that at the time I told the guy that I might sing in it if I’m not busy with other things. All of the sudden I got mixed up in doing Hail of Bullets, writing the songs and working on a concept, I was working on “Death… The Brutal Way” at this time as well and all of the sudden he comes up to me and I am like “sorry, I got no time for this” and then his label, Displeased Records from the Netherlands, they came with this kind of a newsletter that reached me as well and I saw this, so I called the guy and went like “hey, I never told them that I would join!”, so if they wrote tht Martin there along with Wannes they made a mistake because I never agreed. I only said I will think about it if I were not busy. So they were sorry and they promised me they will set that straight and the next thing is when I got that stupid email form the guy where nothing made any sense, so I was like “you got everything wrong, man” and that was it. But it’s good I have the opportunity to clear up this misunderstanding.

You’re planning something in Poland?

is

Well the thing is that Piotr said something when we were talking at the two shows we did last year in November. He mentioned he wanted to bring us to different cities than Warsaw. I think he mentioned Kraków and Poznań. But then something happened and he said something about moving the thing forward to next year, so we were like “ok, you just contact us when you’re ready” and the thing is we didn’t hear from him until now, so I hope he gets back to us so we can come back to Poland because we had marvelous time in Warsaw and he said that it would be even better to play outside Warsaw because the movement there is way more intense. I don’t know if you know that, but that’s what he told us.

How do you remember your last visit to Poland and the evercrushing show in Warsaw? I’ve been there and it was absolutely brilliant and my friend Paplak actually cried when you played “Pages in Blood”, he was so moved.

Really? (laughs) We had a really great time. What we By the way why don’t you carry on with Death By remember of it it was really special because our guitars Dawn? I remember you gave me the promo in Germany weren’t there. But this doesn’t matter because when at Deathfeast Open Air where we first met and I really you’re onstage and you see the crowd liked the music. walking through the band area and then going berserk…. And the organization was Yeah, I Know, I still like the album. But there is all of the sudden Lemmy passing just perfect. Couldn’t do any better. The actually it was impossible to do because you! You go WOW! And I could watch The show itself was fantastic. I mean we do they were rehearsing every weekend and Exploited for the very first time from the many shows in all kinds of countries, but all of the sudden I found myself between stage like that and I was standing next to apparently our fans are also very dedicated the Bullets and Asphyx and I had to make it and it was just great to me. The whole and happy that we are there and then we certain decisions. There was a bit of a atmosphere... It was just fantastic! I’d love play as long as we can. I thing we also problem between me and Jens because to go back there anytime. played then the one that last for two hours of that, as there was this show we could also. And afterwards they invited me to the Is that true that you practice your vocal have done in Amsterdam and he started bar to have some drinks and we played this skills with gasmask on? to complain about the distance and called game at the bar when you have to throw a it a problem. I was like “hey, man I drive name of the band and the next person has Yeah! Well, it’s not a gasmask it’s an oxygen hundreds of miles to Germany to rehearse to name a band starting with the letter the mask, like a jetfighter pilots wear. Of course with you and all of the sudden when you previous one ended and if you cannot name there is no oxygen coming through, but can come along to Amsterdam you call it you pay a round. I liked that it was kind of there is something to put on my mouth that a problem?”. That started a lot of funny and made the whole evening kind of and that silences my voice, so I can practice mouth fighting between us and in the end special. at home. It is very comfortable. Funny but I said “ok, I don’t need this” and that was it works.

OK, Martin, that would be it form my side. basically the end. But despite that we are Thank you for your time and patience and friends still. I still got contact with fellas.

Do you think that the current lineup of the last words belong to you.

Asphyx is the ultimate?

Continuing the topic of the summer Oh, it was a pleasure. Like I said I really festivals, as I mentioned previously Yes. I can assure you of that because hope that Piotr gets back to us and we Deathfeast, last year you also played at sometimes we look at each other and the can come to Poland for two more shows Brutal Assault in Czech Republic with both atmosphere is so fantastic that if something and enjoy it and show the fans how the of your current bands. How did you found bad happens or if someone has to quit than songs from “Deathhammer” sounds now. it and how did it felt to share stage with it’s over. IT would be the last attempt and it The nearest show we have confirmed is the such great acts as for example Triptykon? will never resurrect. Now we’re grown men, Czech Obscene Extreme and I really hope we’re not little boys anymore, so if we stop Yeah, for us the Brutal Assault was really we can figure something out with Poland now that just call it a day and continue with good. I mean it was one of the best shows as we had a really marvelous time there. our lies until retirement or something. So that both bands ever did really. And also The fans just deserve it and they have for everybody there is feeling that this is the behind the stage it was great, you are always supported us in every way so I just ultimate lineup. want to thank you for everything.

And what are the future plans for Asphyx after the release of “Deathhammer”?

Well, again there are shows; we want to promote the album.

Tymoteusz Jędrzejczyk

Concert live photos from Brutal Assault 2011

by Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki

WITCH CROSS

Fit For Fight (1984) CD Hells Headbangers 2012 Finally, someone remembered this a great band and resumed their memorable work “Fit For Fight”, which originally appeared in 1984 through Roadrunner Rec. Producer of this work was Henrik Lundat, known to all from the realization of Mercyful Fate “Melissa”, moreover, both materials were recorded in the same studio and certainly this is not the end of certain similarities accompanying these two teams coming from Denmark and performing very similar to each other music. The content of the “Fit For Fight” is eight outstanding compositions, referring to the tradition of NWOBHM, but not only, because as I have already pointed out, the music of WITCH CROSS echoes Mercyful Fate. I think that these similarities are primarily due to guitars, but also vocals high, though not as powerful as King Diamond, but still very distinctive. Great guitar solos give the music extra clarity and power. Listening to these tracks now, we can easily be tempted to classification as a timeless works because even though from the first edition of “Fit For Fight” passed nearly three decades, these compositions have not lost any of its strength.

Probably many of you are wondering where the phenomenon of music from 80’s is hidden? It is very interesting, because most of then released albums, permanently has written itself into the annals of history as classics of the genre. Many artists, making music in the 80s, are true pioneers of the genre, so surprising that despite the excellent music WITCH CROSS was not so lucky, as for example Mercyful Fate. Why? It’s hard to say. Anyway, we should be grateful WITCH CROSS for a sizeable contribution to the creation of new, more extreme forms of metal and at least we should not let the memory of that band pass. Any self-respecting old school metal maniac must have this album on his shelf.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

SPEEDWOLF

Ride With Death CD Hells Headbangers 2011 When I first heard band from Denver it totally fucked me up and blow my mind! Since first bars coming out of the car recorder, my mouth was wide open and it seemed like I could consume everything like profound dark-

ness! That music just emanate with speed metal power. It terrifically manhandles me. By the way I noticed that everyone in the car is headbanging already on Up All Night and it’s just the second track on CD. It was totally insane! Until we got on RAGEHAMMER rehearsal I went crazy about “Ride with Death”. After I reached home, the first thing for me was to buy their CD online. My neighbours were listening to the SPEEDWOLF with me and I didn’t really care if they want to.

That kind of music you need to listen in proper volume, that’s why I can’t wait for their concert. Guys! Don’t mess with your fans in Europe and come visit us! For those who doesn’t listen to SPEEDWOLF yet – it’s amazing mix MOTORHEAD with a little bit of speed metal and almighty DEVIL. This will definitely leave moon craters in your head and grind your brain. It’s an obligatory position on true oldschool metal maniacs shelves. Actually SPEEDWOLF released split with SHOCK TROPPERS last year, but there was only one track. Just one more thing – if you want more music from this band, check out Japanese edition from Spiritual Beast label, which includes two bonus tracks.

the texts in our mother tongue tearing the remnants of humanity and drowning the listener in the vast darkness.

The final act of destruction is ongoing dismal number “Albowiem nic nie jest prawdziwe” with a great solo . Everything is constantly flashing dark force.

And also this time, Under The Sign of Garazel showed a perfect sense in the selection of the bands. Both materials are devastating. This is one of the most interesting splits! Recommended!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki CULTES DES GHOULES

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki SZRON / MARTWA AURA

Temples of Genocide Worship CD Under The Sign of Garazel 2013 The first two songs of SZRON are typical for the duo raw sounding Black Metal , but this time the new songs sound more massive and are much better produced. You can hear that this is the same band that so lovingly refers in his work to the early achievements of IMMORTAL and DARKTHRONE. The first to emerge from the cold darkness of is “Genocide “. Marching, gradually taking-up speed pace which for a short time loses its impulse again and again to strike back with renewed aggression. You can feel anxiety, hysteria and even obsession of the whole. Despite this fairly rotten and cadaverous atmosphere, on “Worship” you can hear the guitar madness . Much more intense music throughs the air like a raging winter turmoil in order to sow late morbid atmosphere , slowing down like a heartbeat of a gradually dying human . Very ominous atmosphere penetrates the skull like a cold blade , and when it seems that this is the end, it raises the madness once more. This very complex, almost eleven-minute composition is a great work. As the next song the DEAD AURA “ W dniu bez jutra’’ appears. And there is no way not to feel the ominous aura intensified

by Polish text that breaks through the storm of madness. Hysteria and obsession mixing with outbursts of rage frenzied from time to time by slaked wailing. Another blow is an ultra fast “ Ujrzę cień i ciemność”. Aggression and obsession mix with madness, utter barbarism and rage are intensified by

Henbane CD Under The Sign of Garazel 2013 And also this time, the Kielce-Radom horde CULTES DES GHOULES serves us lurid and ugly black metal with the unique atmosphere, so distinctive from the majority of the colorless groups in the country. What is the phenomenon of the formation? Well, deliberately, in spite of trends and fashions, gentlemen head in the opposite direction, breaking through not very often taken the paths of madness known only to themselves, throwing away everything that is associated with modern black metal, building a very woven atmosphere like a path of horror films. Necromantic rituals, possession, all that is marked by a sinister deathly aura that envelops the listener with dense fog of rot and corruption that eats into the brain as easily as poison which is absorbed by the breath.

There is no salvation, madness must reach the listeners who can not free themselves from the grip of digesting by disease corpse stench.

Dirty and gloomy tone gives a particularly vile character to the album which, at the same time, is extremely unique and gloomy. These sounds stun with their strength and the voice of the past centuries. You can sense almost palpable stench of burned at the stake witch bodies. The stench of decay, pungent black smoke, total EVIL ... It is very cadaverous and putrid album.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

EGZEKWIE

Czarna Noc Duszy CD Under The Sign of Garazel 2013 I have no idea what is it about Lublin air that all the bands from that region represents so deathly atmosphere.

The Devil and Grim Reaper like to walk at night there poisoning the minds of decadence and decay that spews out of the pit so ill of creatures such as the above-mentioned EGZEKWIE. Excellent funeral doom metal with smart Polish texts. Slow and somber playing invades the mind with such force that it’s hard to stop before it. You can hear madness, cadaverous stench rises above the listener, smell of decomposition goes on like a rotting sludge festering being that by its last ounce of strength tries to reach for a blade that could end its agony. You can substantially feel death, cadaverous march of destruction. Slow bone crushing sound pushes the listener into the infinite depths of darkness where the dead tentacles dragged the corpse of still living body into a continuous madness.

The great advantage of this material, in addition to excellent music, is very interesting vocal that uniquely builds the mood. Those who like bands like EVOKEN will go crazy on the point of EGZEKWIE. “Black Night of the Soul” is definitely one of the most interesting Polish albums of the year.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ATTOMICA

Those of you who are longtime followers of the Brazilian scene will be happy to hear about a increased activity of the legendary band Attomica which started working on a new album in 2011.

Surely, many of you were nervously pacing while searching for any information about it. And finally, in 2012 our waiting for the new Attomica’s studio album, entitled simply “IV”, has ended.

To get to know something more about it I asked the band for an interview, what happened – see for yourself: First of all I have to congratulate your new great album!

Thank you man! We think we did our best!

I was inspired by our old material!!! When I take my guitar it is like a voyage in time, the riffs come instantly to my mind! “IV” was made very quickly but it has the same feeling of old times!

When we talked two years ago, you mentioned that you’ve been writing songs for your new album and finally, here it is. The record has materialized under the simple name of “IV”.

Could you provide us with some details about it? Where did you record these tracks and how long did the production last? What about the fans’ feedback?

“IV” was recorded at Oversonic studios in our hometown! We recorded from November 2011 to February 2012. Oversonic is a cool studio and I thought they could do it! I listened to other bands that recorded there, and the result was OK. They are a small label but they have quality.

The fans really enjoyed the new stuff, but I think we should travel a lot to show the album energy live. I would love to have Mutt Lange as the producer, but for

while it is not possible!!!

In 2005 you recorded a demo which was added to the re-release of your debut album.

A lot of time has passed until you decided to enter the studio again to record something.

Why have you waited so long?

Sometimes it is not easy to take the right decision. In 2005 we were not ready to record an album like this. Not because of the creation process, but some of us had different ideas about the band’s work. Now we think that we are ready to take the right decisions about the band’s progress!

What about the matter of concerts? Are you going to do some tour promoting “IV”? If so, will you visit the old continent?

We are waiting for a chance to visit Europe!

If you know a producer that really believes in our song please tell us! It would be a dream come true to play in Europe, US and Japan!!!

After a few listens of the whole album I’m really impressed. I see that this material is a determined return to your roots, there’s a lot of elements which remind of your early records. Is this a homage to the maniacs of an old school metal? A lot of them probably sighed with relief when they heard that you didn’t go into modern sound or some ‘super production’, haha!

I wrote eight songs of the album and Andre Rod – one. Me and Rod are playing together since the beginning and I think this is the mainly reason. There’s no compositions did by the new members, so it was really made by the originals members. We live the 80’s, it’s in our blood!

First thing worth mentioning about this material is it’s very natural sound. Did you record it in an analogue studio? I’m asking because it sounds like the recordings from

the 80’s which I personally find very enjoyable.

It’s not totally analogue, but we worked to look like this. We used old amps and acoustic drums. There’s no trigger! Attomica’s energy made the whole album sounds like that!

You’ve also re-released the “Disturbing The Noise” record this year. From what I know a few labels were interested in this release, for example Marquee Rec. which specialize in metal music but in the end you’ve chosen Oversonic Music, which don’t have a lot of metal in their catalogue. I’m wondering what was the reason for that decision ? Did Cogumelo which released this album for the first time wasn’t interested in the re-release?

I did not know that Marquee Records was interested in our band, but I’d love to have disturbing the Noise released by them. Please tell them about our interest. We can make a deal!!!

“IV” is the second album under the license of Oversonic Music. How does the cooperation

with them work? Are you satisfied with promotion?

They are a small label in our hometown, but I think the promotion could be better, because I think we did a great album! We are looking’ for a new label!

Recently a lot of classic albums of Brazilian crews were re-released on vinyl format - Vulcano, Sarcofago, Mutilator, Anthares and a lot more.

I hope that in your case we will also live to see Attomica released on that format. Are you going to release “IV” on vinyl?

Yes, but I don’t know when. If you know any label interest in release our records in vinyl, please tell us. It will be a pleasure!

From the first line-up of Attomica only João Paulo Francis remained. Despite this, the character of your music hasn’t changed at all. It’s still pure old school thrash metal band made by real maniacs for real maniacs. Tell me something more about you guys, because I believe that your musical adventure didn’t start with this band…?

This album was done only by the original members! I (JP) and Andre Rod did the whole thing. Friggi, of Couse, helped us with the composition process, but all songs were made by the originals members, and I think this makes difference!

In 2004 you have recorded your first official live album with Fabio Moreira on vocals. What happened that you had to change vocalist?

Didn’t you think about the return of Laerte ‘Animal’ Perr? Finally on the new album we’ve got Alex Rangel as a vocalist, with a voice reminding a lot of Katon from Hirax. As I see he has found his place in the band and fits your music perfectly. Can we assume that the current line-up of Attomica is stable nowadays?

Alex Rangel is perfect for the job! I saw him singing in a bar and I thought: ‘this is the right guy for the band!’. Fabio and Perr are friends, but the times had changed. Now the line-up is very stable!

The fact that Brazilian scene had a huge influence on the modern-day bands metal is obvious and undeniable. Despite that South American metal in the 80’s was almost unavailable because of the lame distribution or lack of concert possibilities outside the border of your country, this music has achieved enormous success, even the commercial one. It’s unusual that such an extreme music found so many dedicated maniacs without a proper promotion. Tell me – where is the essence of that phenomena?

We did it with such love and dedication that made the difference! We didn’t have enough money, and it was very difficult for a South American band be known around the world.

But we did with our souls! We did it fast, we did it brutal!

80’s were devoid of fast communication like Internet, it was time of traditional correspondence with a lot of demo trading and underground zines. Tape trading undoubtedly was playing a role of promoter of underground music, which in that times often didn’t interest labels or distributors because of its extreme form. Due to multiple correspondences, people were able to become familiar with a lot of band from all around the world. That’s because of that form of promotion bands could get attention from labels and achieve hordes of fans . How was it in your case? Were you a tape trader too?

We recorded a demo called “Children’s Assassins” in 1986, that was the only way to spread our song. „Rock Brigade” (an old Brazilian zine) loved the result and gave us our first report. I loved that time! It was more difficult than nowadays but it was really cool.

How do you remind old times ? If you were given the possibility of returning to past would you do it or maybe you would rather focus on future, leaving the old times in your memories?

And maybe there’s something you would like to bring from the old times to 2012?

I think the old times will forever be in our memories. But we are still in evolution! Maybe 2012 will be a new age for metal? You never know.

I’m very happy to play now. For me it’s just a continuous process. I’m the same guy. I like the same things and the

same drugs. I’m still alive!

About the old times – your debut from 1987, re-released in 2004

by Kill Again Records, is almost unavailable in Europe. Were none of labels outside the Brazil interested in distributing that masterpiece or releasing the license of this (and not only this) album of Attomica? Now it’s the perfect moment to re-release this album in a super-collector version because its 25th anniversary this year! What do you think about it?

We are really interested in releasing our records in Europe! Please help us with the contacts! I think that a lot of people will meet our job. This will be perfect for our carrier!

In present times labels are more willing to spend money on making the video clips advertising an album, overall the making a good video is no longer such a big problem like it used to be, because even in home-like conditions you can make a really cool video.

Of course if you have proper equipment, a good idea for clip and someone who is able to put it all together in a right way... Are you going to make that kind of promotion for the new album?

We are working in a video clip, I can tell you that “Blood Bath” or “Night Killer” are the chosen ones!

Nowadays the distance between countries is much smaller. Earlier, seeing the band from Brazil was almost impossible, simply because of economical matters and despite that today it’s still not easy I think that booking agencies are more willing to organize gigs of such bands and to invite them to be a part of their shows. Tell me – where did you play outside the borders your country?

We are very interested in play outside Brazil!

We are waiting for contacts to make this dream come true.

In three years from now you will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of your band. Are going to make something special on that occasion?

Yes, a big party in our hometown! A lot of beer and metal! Maybe a barbecue... vodka... ...and friends!

I’m sure you’re listening to a lot of old school music. I’m curious – do you have any favorite old bands from Poland? If you don’t know a lot of polish band, and you would like to get familiar with bands released by Thrashing Madness I can send you some cool stuff to listen to.

I like Vader! Please send me some cool stuff!

Thank you for your time. Maybe you would like to say something to readers of Oldschool Metal Maniac?

Thank you guys! It’s always a pleasure to talk to fans in Poland. See you soon, maybe on the “IV” tour!

- Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki

at war

d speed metal bands from the 80’s. The band was forme ” t War is one of the most important American chase “Rape ded: inclu songs two recorded, with in 1983, two years later a first demo has been ssance, which Renai New label can Ameri the of tion atten the head and “Eat Land”. The demo attracted Kill”. The music, strongly influenced by Motör ded released the band’s debut album – “Ordered To recor band the later years Two since. ever metand Venom, received acclaim hasn’t lost its power h thras l bruta more , great y Strike”, with ten the second full-length album – “Retaliator iced. al-oriented songs. This record also hasn’t gone unnot er to „Retaliatory Strike”, though the album follow the d recor to studio the ed enter ar n 1994 At War of thrash metal, being pushed aside by more popul hasn’t been released, as the 90’s were the dawn s until they finally hiatu of years al sever took it up, splitally offici linegrunge. Although At War has never years later the band returned with the originhalmetal released a vinyl split with Barbatos in 2002. Four thras in d roote y deepl , songs new Ten “Infidel”. up and in 2009 released the new album entitled lly been rephere. It’s hard to believe this album has actua caught me with their integrity and 80’s atmosd the new times. and old the about ions quest some r answe to Arnol corded four years ago. I had to ask Paul

A

I

Hello Paul, it’s been four years now since the premiere of “Infidel” – how do you consider your return from this perspective? Are you happy with the attention it has gained? It seems that lots of people find “Infidel” a very good album.

Yes, I am very happy with “Infidel” and the response it received. We worked very hard on the album. We felt it was very important to put out a very solid, heavy album after so many years. It was important for us to let everyone know we were serious and still had much to offer our fans.

I guess many of your fans are already thirsty for a new album. I hope you guys won’t keep us waiting for another 21 years. Please, reveal to the readers how are the preparations for the new album going, do you have any new tracks ready?

We had gained some very good momentum in 2010 after the release

of “Infidel”, and had built up more fans than ever. We were discussing new material and a new album when I was injured, so this put everything on hold. We are currently discussing our next move now that I am healed up and ready.

Why did At War made us wait 21 long years for some new stuff?

What have you guys been doing for all this time? Have you been active in any other musical projects ?

We all had other pursuits we engaged in. I was doing a lot of hunting and have a business I was running. I had a young daughter and took time to raise her. There was no real intention of taking so long. It just sort of happened.

Your last material offers pretty much the same type of music that can be heard on At War’s classic works from your early days - “Orderd To Kill” and “Retaliatory Strike”. How did you manage to preserve this unique character of the mid-80’s music? Nowadays it’s a hell of a stunt.

It was never our intention to try to sound like anything, and this was no “stunt”. We took making this album

very seriously and decided we wanted to go back and record with Alex, because we trust him so much. We could have gone in a garage and recorded with a computer and “pro tools” like everyone else at the time and saved a shitload of money, But we wanted to do the best album we could, so we did it the only way we knew, and that was having Alex Perialas at the helm.

“Infidel” was released in the most noble form – the LP. It seems that this format is coming back, isn’t it? What’s your opinion on the LP releases? Do you like to listen music from the vinyl discs? I’m really interested if your “favorite records” shelf is filled with vinyl.

What’s been spinning in your player most often?

I grew up on vinyl and it is, in my opinion, the best of the forms since the days of vinyl.

I am glad to see a resurgence of interest in the format. For me, the best part of vinyl was the fact that you had this large cover with photos and information about the band to look at while you were listening to the record. This is lost with digital music. It is just not the same.

It has been a while since I have listened to a vinyl record but I still have Motörhead’s “No Remorse sitting on the turntable now.

Is there any chance for a vinyl reissue of your older recordings? I’m particularly interested in the 1988’ MLP as its price went sky-high.

It would be really cool if “Order To Kill” and “Retaliatory Strike” could come out with their original artwork. Is it even possible?

That is an interesting idea, but we have no plans as of now to re release the older material on vinyl.

Your new record label is the Heavy Artillery Records, which is more and more active nowadays. How do you find your cooperation with them? Are you happy with the promotional support that “Infidel” received? Have you managed to play a lot of gigs during these four years?

The deal we had with Heavy Artillery was a licensing deal and not a recording deal. Dave and everyone at Heavy Artillery were great and did a lot to help us reach more fans. We had many people help us with the gigs we did during that period and we played many places we had never been to.

One of the very important steps during the

“Infidel” promotion was the video clip for “Make Your Move”.

How did you come up with an idea for this animation and how long did it take to prepare this video?

I was fortunate to see a video by a local band here and was impressed by the video. I met the director and we began to talk about doing a video for At War. The director was very interested and told me he had a great idea and asked me if he could go for it. I told him yes, and this is what he came up with. We are very happy with the video he made.

Will the new At War’s album be released with the Heavy Artillery label?

We will most likely release our next album with a new label since Heavy Artillery does not exist an more. They were sold to another label.

Heavy Artillery has some new thrash metal bands in their roster such as Merciless Death, Enforcer, Vektor. How do you see the the thrash metal scene nowadays? Do you listen the any new thrash metal bands? Do you know any Polish thrashers like Fortress, Terrorodome or Psychopath?

This is one of the reasons we decided to go with Heavy Artillery. They had a real understanding and love for real thrash metal.

I definitely believe the thrash scene is much better off because of the young bands who have emerged. I have heard of Terrordome and Fortress. I like what they do.

At War is an infinite source of inspiration to many of the new bands. I’m really curious what has been inspiring you? I could always hear some Motörhead and Venom in your music but I’m pretty sure that were not the only bands to influence you.

You are right. Motörhead and Venom were always two of my favorite, but I also looked up to bands like Rush, Diamondhead, Judas Priest, Broken Bones, and many others.

You have recorded under the watchful your longtime friend Perialas, which was

“Infidel” eye of – Alex there

with you during the sessions “Retaliatory Strike” sessions. How does it feel like to work with him once again?

It was incredible! I just cannot say enough good things about Alex. He really knows how to get the best sound out of us and we trust him so much. We were all a little bit older, but it seemed like yesterday between friends. He did such an awesome job on “Infidel”.

Claudio Bergamin is the author of the “Infidel” cover art. How did the idea of this project emerged?

Claudio had contacted me through Facebook just as we were looking for someone to come up with some ideas for the artwork.

I checked out his work and contacted him. We discussed what we were about and what the album’s title would be and he did the rest. He gave us two concepts and the one you see on the cover is the one we really liked. He is a very talented artist.

As far as I know one of your passions, besides music, is hunting. I also know that you possess a large firearms collection. Can you say something more about it?

Yes it is true that I enjoyed hunting very much for most of my life until December of 2010 when I was almost killed while hunting with a friend of mine. He took a shot in the dark at what he thought was a deer, but it was me.

I was hit in the pelvis below the waist with a high powered rifle at close range.

I spent the last two and a half

years recovering from my injury and many surgeries. It was the most horrible incident in my life and I am only now feeling mostly recovered. I had so much fun hunting, but I have not been hunting since my injury.

Let’s go back to the beginnings of At War. Do you remember how it all started? What did make you guys to start your own band?

I had always loved heavy music and was sick and tired of all the weak bands that were around at the time. So I decided to get other guys who felt like I did to form a band. We wanted to be the band that everyone feared.

I met Shawn who contacted Dave and we just started writing our own music while other bands continued to play other peoples’ music.

You have played lots of gigs in your past.

Are there any that had particularly stuck in your memory? Maybe there are some

funny stories behind those gigs?

My personal favorite gigs are the ones we played in Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Europe. Especially the gig we did in Osaka Japan. I was so impressed with the culture and the metal fans there. We were treated with such respect. It is humbling.

Do you plan to play in Europe – any touring or even single gigs? If you do, where and when can we expect you?

Absolutely! We will return to Europe as soon as we can. I would definitely come to Poland and thrash for all of our Polish fans.

Thank you for the interview. If you would like say anything to our readers, the last word belongs to you.

I want to thank all your readers for all of the great support we have had over all these

years. Please know how much it means to us.

I also am very proud of how the fans of thrash have supported the entire scene. We are all united and must stay that way. Please keep up the support and come see us when we come over to play. Thank you.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

BLOOD FEAST are true veterans of thrash metal scene of 2nd half of the 80s. They come from New Jersey - USA. Their origins date back to 1986, so during the heyday of Thrash Metal Wave and their debut “Kill for Pleasure” was characterized by a remarkable pertness almost exploding with energy. It stood out greatly to other albums of that time and the level of aggression could easily compete with such works as “Darkness Descends” of DARK ANGEL or EXODUS “Bonded by Blood”.

Despite the huge potential for some unknown reasons BLOOD FEAST did not reach such success as the above groups, and in 1991 the band broke up for 16 years.

But their work in the 80s has left quite a mark on the entire mass of the other bands. Reactivated in 2007 and returned with a new album. We decided to bring you this underrated band and find out more what is currently going on in the ranks of the band.

Before you their leader Gary Markovitch:

We started out as Blood Lust. After we released our demo we came to realize that another band called Blood Lust released an album on Metal Blade. Because of that we had to change the name. We went with Blood Feast.

Your beginnings date back to the year 1985, that period is considered by many as a golden age of Metal, do you agree?

YES for sure! It was a time when everything was new. You got to hear new music and discover new bands all the time. Very exciting.

I suppose you have many pleasant memories from that period, do you remember how it all began, who came up with the idea of starting a metal band?

flesh and blood, still a reversed cross appeared in your logo, does that mean that the horned entity had been somehow close to you?

Does your name have anything to do with Herschell Gordon Lewis’ 1963 film entitled “Blood Feast”, or maybe it was supposed to refer to the Egyptian blood ritual? What had inspired you to choose this exact name?

We really did it because of what we were singing about. It wasn’t meant for so much of the satanic image but more for the Horror & to give people a picture of what we were about just from seeing our covers & logo. We wanted to scare you a little. HAAA!

It is from the movie. When we were trying to come up with names we all made a list of them. I believe Mike was the one who wrote down Blood Feast. We went with that because it wasn’t a complete change from Blood Lust. It still had ‘Blood’ in it at least. HA!

The devil is the most gratifying subject of metal music, in the lyrical layers or the covers of many thousands of records. Do you believe in the existence of Satan, or do you consider him to be a purely

What’s your attitude towards horror films?

A great multitude of movies, which had been a source of inspiration for many metal bands, used to come out in the 80’s. How did it look in tour case, what was your source of inspiration?

It was Louie and myself. We were both going to the same school together. I was looking for someone to play with at the time, someone who was into the same music. A friend of mine told me about Louie being a bass player and into the same stuff. I approached him on the bus from school and from there we started playing together and formed Blood Feast.

I like horror films but I like action and drama more. I think horror films were a source of inspiration for us along with books, world news and just our surroundings.

You used to play under a different moniker for some time, in 1986 you released your first demo “Suicidal Mission”, but afterwards you’ve changed the name to Blood Feast. Can you explain why?

“The Exorcist”, “Halloween”, “Dawn of the Dead”.

Can you name three, in your opinion, most important horrors in the history of film?

Blood Feast is a thrash metal band made of

have a ton of bands on the label like Metal Blade did at the time. We thought that would work to our advantage & give us more attention by being on a label like that.

I guess maybe it did but at the same time we couldn’t get the same kind of support from them like a Metal Blade. It is what it is and we made the best of it.

How did the underground respond to “Suicidal Mission”, did you send a lot of tapes out around the world? How do you remember the times, when tape trading had been one of the most effective forms of promoting a band? mythological character?

I believe in Evil. You see it every day by what people do. Does evil have a face like the devil? I’m not sure. I believe it’s more of a sprit more than a physical creature.

There’s no fooling around with your debut album “Kill For Pleasure”, a very brutal material for its times, nevertheless on many occasions, you named Kiss, which had played rather classical metal, as your inspiration.

From where did your urge to play such brutal music come from?

All of us listened to all kinds of music besides just thrash so that’s where you get Kiss etc.

All of us listened to Metal most of the time & we were really into the European stuff.

Destruction, Sodom, Kreator etc. Also Slayer, Venom, Possessed etc. I think that is what gave us the inspiration to play like we did.

After Venom’s first tour in the USA, many classic heavy metal bands started to become distinctly more extreme. It has happened with Exodus, Slayer, Dark Angel and many other bands, did the NWOBHM also have an influence on your works?

I’d say so. We all loved Venom, Raven, Motörhead & so on. So yeah, I’m gonna say it did. You may not hear it so much in the music we did but it’s there.

Your debut has been released under the banner of New Renaissance Records. You have been one of that label’s first bands, along with Anvil Bitch and their “Rise To Offend” and the timeless work of At War – “Order To Kill”. What lead you to sign a contract with that label, have you received any other release proposals in that time, from Metal Blade for example?

New Renaissance was the first offer we received for some comp albums. We put two demo tracks on the comps that NNR released. Soon after that NRR approached us to do a full album for them. We went with it.

We looked at it like this; they didn’t

It did great! We were sending and selling tapes worldwide. We could see that we were making an impact in the underground. Tape trading was like the internet of today. You could send out a few tapes and before you know it your music was heard around the world. A great way for making a name for yourself just like the Internet is today.

Less than a year after your debut album, you released an 12-inch EP “Face Fate”, with only one new track, a song from your demo and two remixed tracks from “Kill For Pleasure”.

Why have you decided to release it so soon, didn’t you want to wait and record a new full-length album?

NRR asked us if we could put something new out ASAP. They said we were selling great and wanted to release something to hold fans over until the next record. At the time we only had one new song written.

That’s when we decided to re-record “Blood Lust” and remix two tracks. They decided to release it as Picture Disc which was cool. I think it was the only Picture Disc the label ever done.

The year 1989 brought your second album, “Chopping Block Blues” and here we’ve got a total surprise, this material is quite different.

There isn’t as much venom or aggression within it and the whole thing really differs from “Kill For Pleasure”, like it’s the same band yet different. Some sort of fatigue can be heard in those sounds, as if something had been bothering you from the inside?

HA! It was a different time and changes were coming over us. We lost Adam and were listening to more of the West Coast thrash stuff. Mike became the main songwriter and his playing was just different from Adam’s. We were trying to be better musicians also. It was just where we were at the time.

Sometimes people & fans don’t understand that but if you are a musician than

BLOOD FEAST

I’m sure you know where I’m coming from.

After Mike’s departure you’ve tried to stay active for some time, you had new songs composed with a new album in mind, did you manage to record that stuff in studio?

What was that album’s name supposed to be?

We did write new stuff but never got to the point of having it together that much.

Nothing really recorded.

An possibility of a contract with a new label had also appeared in that period, however something went wrong, what happened?

We were offered a long term contract by Maze Records based out of Canada at the time. We were making final touches over the contract when all of a sudden the label went bankrupt.

The year 1991 is the year of the band’s break-up. In 1999 you had reformed the band for one single show during Metal Meltdown, which took place in New Jersey’s Ashbury Park. Was it an attempt to resurrect the band, or were there some other reasons behind this gig?

One of the promoters of the show was a friend of mine and talked me into asking everyone if we would do it. We all agreed that it would only be for this one show and that’s it. Besides myself the other guys had other projects going on or were just not interested in playing anymore.

2002 brought a new release from the still inactive band. “The Last Remains” is a compilation with some previously unpublished songs, live recordings and a Kiss “Black Diamond” cover version. Does it mean that you’ve got more of unpublished Blood Feast jewels in your archives?

I may have some other stuff but nothing really good enough to release. I put together that comp for the fans. It was the best sounding stuff I had to offer. I have some really cool video that I’m thinking doing something with. We’ll see.

Militia Records re-released the Blood Feast CDs in 2002. Supposedly the label’s run by

BLOOD FEAST

yourself, can you say something more about its activity? Was it created with the purpose of re-releasing your albums, or did any other bands come out under that label’s logo?

I started it for no other reason but to release Blood Feast stuff on it. If I had heard other bands that I liked I may have done something with them but it never came to that.

After sixteen years, in the year 2007, Blood Feast is reactivated, tell us what have you been doing during those years, did you take part in any musical projects?

The only thing I did was Annunaki. Adam was doing Without End. Annunaki broke up after we released our CD also on Militia Records.

It just wasn’t working out with some of the members in the band. Other than that I just played here and there.

Soon it’ll be five years since the band reformed and despite the announcements, there’s no new record yet. Are you planning to keep on tormenting your fans for long, by keeping us in the dark? Please tell us, on what’s with the Blood Feast’s new CD? Are you going to release it by yourselves, or do you already have some proposals from the labels?

We have ONE New song called “I.N.R.I.”. We had all the intentions to sit and write new stuff and try to release something new but everyone is just so busy with life we can’t seem to find the time to do it. I also think there’s no passion to do it right now anyway.

It is what it is.

As the interview is over, maybe you want to say something to the readers of Oldschool Metal Maniac? As for me, I’m I wish the whole Blood Feast a lot of luck, many great concerts and a legion of devoted fans for whom your music is a religion.

THX so much for the interview & the support!! THX to all the fans from the past & the future. RAGE ON!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Chakal

I considered the release of the new record from the veterans of the Brazylian Scene - CHAKAL entitled “Destroy, Destroy, Destroy” a most sufficient reason to do the interview and learn something more about the comeback! I invite you to enjoy reading, so ladies and gentlemans I give before you

Guilherme Wiz:

The release of “Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!” is getting closer every day. Can you provide us with some details on where have you recorded the thing? Will this be released by Cogumelo rec.? They have been with you though you were out all those years – how do you perceive collaboration with this company?

Yes, we are mixing the album right now and it was fully recorded in the Engenho Studio, that belongs to our guitar player Andrevil. We still don’t know how we are going to release the new CD, we are open to negotiations and they may come from Cogumelo or even a label from Poland or any other place in the world.

Cogumelo has been very important for the release and distribution of several bands here in Brazil, but the world has changed and there are several ways of releasing a new album, that’s why we are still thinking about what to do with “Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!”.

Even though Chakal’s new EP ‘’Possessed Landscape’’ has been released in 2011, you’ve made us wait 9 long years for the successor of “Demon King” – why?

What happens is that we see some bands releasing new albums every year and they don’t make any difference. We enjoyed “Demon king” so much that nowadays, although it is a relatively new cd, it is already seen as a classic album and this is pretty rare to happen. Only when we thought our new songs had this potential to become classic we decided to start composing a new album. Some of them were already played live and te recepction was very good, so these songs deserve to be recorded in a CD. It’s seems that we are having a great time for the return of bands that were doing great back

in the 80’s. Do you think that the music came back to the starting point, in some way?

I don’t see it this way...maybe abroad this is happening, but here in Brazil I dont see this way. On the contrary, here I’ve been noticing that the live gigs are empty and a huge difficulty to schedule some live dates. Now, if you are talking about the mainstream, so you’re right, because big bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Metallica etc. Always have big audiences and guaranteed opportunities to play.

After a nearly 10 years hiatus Chakal has returned to the stage in 2003. What were you guys doing through nearly a decade?

In fact, this hiatus was way smaller, since Chakal did its last live presentation in 1995 and we did our comeback gig in 2002 with Vader, that is Polish, by the way. Each of us has done different things in music and in our particular lives. I took part in the NUT’s cd with Korg and did some gigs when I was invited to become a member of Vultur, that was Andrevil’s band, and so the embryo to the comeback of Chakal was born.

Chakal never pursued releasing your stuff in regular intervals. You have recorded only 5 full albums through last 27 years. You have to admit that this is not an overwhelming number (smile) What causes this ascetism in releasing new works?

Our attitude was always like that and it is very difficult that we change this way of acting, all of this is part of the demand too: i believe that if we were a band that made long international tours, for sure we would release some other records with smaller intervals.

Chakal It’s almost 3 decades now of you being inseparably bonded to the metal scene. How do you see your efforts in laying the foundations for Brazilian Underground?

We have never released the basis of no fucking shit at all. We just had and enormous will to play and the 80’s gave us the basis for everything. We just really wanted to have a banda that was similar to the ones we liked to listen to, but faster than them.

Even though the 80’s were undeniably the most creative era for metal music, not many of Brazil’s awesome bands had the chance to present their work outside of the country because of economic reasons. Happily, this has changed – more and more Brazilian bands are visiting the old continent.

Are you planning on some touring after releasing ‘’Destroy Destroy Destroy’’? Where will we be able to see Chakal in 2013?

We don’t have anything concrete about this so far, but Chakal is not going to get involved in adventures and will never pay to play only to say that we have gone to toher countries. It is good to remember that this my personal opinion, but if the rest of the reditions on LP? I’m particularly interested in the band decide to change thism and adopting timeless “Abominable Anno Domini”. another attitude, we will solve this together.

You have mentioned that there will be some special guests on ‘’Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!’’.

Could you tell us something more about that?

Yes, I really said this somewhere in a previous moment, but I don’t know if this is going to happen for sure. Sometimes, people have some other responsibilites and their agenda doesn’t coincides with ours.

Cogumelo has recently reissued your two first albums on CD will there be any

I have a particular desire of doing something like that, but the high values are turning this into something pratically impossible. If you know any label from your country, maybe we could do something like that, hahahaha.

I know that some of the Cogumelo’s releases are being re-released in LP and even Warfare Noise 1 is about to be released abroad, although I know almost nothing about that so far.

Before the premiere of “Possessed Landscape”, you have released a video. Will the new album be also promoted this way? Are you planning to shoot some more videos for ‘’DestroyDestroy Destroy’’?

At the moment, our priority is to release DESTROY! DESTROY! DESTROY! The release of “Possessed landscape” in video was a way of testing the song before we have entered the studio to record the whole CD. It’s the end of our interview. Thanks for all the answers. If you want to tell something more to our readers – this is the right time to do it.

Thanks a lot for the opportunity! As soon as Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! is released you’ll be one of the first to be informed. We hope to play any day in Poland, if possible in the Destroy Tour.

Cristiano Passos/ Leszek Wojnicz-Sianozęcki

F

or most headbangers around the world, the Brazilian scene made its first strong impact when the “jungle boys” from Sepultura got very famous, circa 1989, after the release of “Beneath the remains” by Roadrunner. Of course, this explosion of popularity ocurred in the mainstream, because for the underground maniacs all over the planet, besides Sepultura, there were other great bands, such as Sarcófago, Vulcano, Dorsal Atlântica, Mutilator, Holocausto, MX, Genocídio, Attomica etc. Although there were many other unknown underground bands, like Necrovomit, Necrófago, Dissector, Masturbator, Headhunter DC, Mystifier, Infantricide, Obskure, Insulter and Invoker, just to mention a few of them, the bands that had already recorded some official stuff (LPs or compilations) were much more popular abroad, helping the Brazilian scene to gain a kind of cult status.

W

ell, most of you may know the history of all these bands very well, but the years passed, Sepultura is not underground any longer and some of the old bands do not exist anymore. Although the Brazilian scene has never died, during the 90’s it has remained more

discrete in the international context, being more known for melodic and clean bands like Angra, for example, which had almost nothing to do with the old raw bands from the 80’s. Besides this, only a misanthropic Black Metal scene developed, following the natural worldwide tendency of that decade, but without the same strength and impact that the pioneers caused some years before, and also the Brutal Death Metal of bands like Krisiun, Abhorrence, Rebaelliun or Ophiolatry, which, except for the first one, did not resist to the wheels of time.

O

n the next decade, however, some insane minds still devoted to the more extreme underground scene started to react against this somehow apathetic reality and, since them, a valuable bunch of brutal and dirty bands has helped the Brazilian scene to be recognized again as a cradle of great extreme metal in its more obscure forms. So, I’ll try to present here some of them, even though my selection may be utterly personal, since there are really many new good bands all over the country. So, let’s go!

O

cuppying an outstanding place in this new wave of old school metal, the Rio de Janeiro state brings many important bands, since it is from there that come acts like Grave Desecrator, Sodomizer, Atomic Roar, Hellkommander and Diabolic Force, and all of them share some common members. The first one I chose out of this rich scene is Whipstriker, formed by Leo (guitar), Pedro (drums) and Victor in 2008, being all of them also in Atomic Roar and Farscape. The bassist Victor has also played in bands like Toxic Holocaust, Warhammer, Besthöven and Apokalyptic Raids in some of their live presentations.

Besides its most famous release, called “Crude rock’n’roll” (2010), Whipstriker has lots of releases, including some demos and splits with bands like Germ Bomb (Swe), Power from Hell (Bra) and Skull and Bullets (USA), always with the same raw speed/heavy metal approach and also with some dirty punk influences.

By the way, their influences come from bands like Venom, Bathory, Bulldozer, Celtic Frost, Warfare, Tank, Anti-Cimex, Crude SS e Discharge, i.e., everything an old school underground freak loves, generating an incredibly energetic mix of punk and metal that leaves no room for unnecessary sophistication. Besides these releases, the band has already toured twice, one in Brazil, with 15 gigs, and another one in Europe, with 26 shows, and they plan to go to the USA next year to spread their name, which, due to all this dedication, is already very recognized on the underground. Keep Whipstriker in mind!

Contacts:

whipstriker

Music: www.reverbnation.com/whipstriker Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Whipstriker/168378886539292?ref=hl Videos: youtube.com/whipstriker

C

oming from the Santa Catarina state, in the South of Brazil, this band was formed in 2005 by Marcelo Fagundes (vocal/guitar) and Fabiano Barbosa (drums), later joined by Jefferson Jr. (bass), in the city of Itajaí. The beginning of the band is related to another band, called Exortar, that played traditional Heavy Metal and had Marcelo and Fabiano among its members circa 2000. After changing to their present city, they decided do form Battalion and their music gained a lot in speed and aggression, turning into a proper-for-headbanging Speed/Power Metal exactly in the 80’s vein. By the way, their influences depict an extremely appropriate background to produce a perfect Speed band: Piledriver, Iron Angel, Warhead, Muro and Living Death, just to mention a few of them. Fuckin’ good, isn’t it?

As for Battalion’s stuff, they have some good releases so far. Their first self-titled demo was recorded in 2007 with 5 songs and, in the following years, they have participated in some compilations as “Underground Attack” vol. I and III and “Maximus Metallus”. In 2013, finally they got their debut CD released by Kill Again Records, called “Empire of the Dead”, with 8 neckbreaking songs for old school maniacs that will take their name to other lands outside Brazil. Titles like “Forged by Iron and Fire”, “Battalion of Metal” and “Steel Avenger” go without any explanations related to the genre they play, reflecting their taste for the usual heavy imagery and thematic. With such a dedication to the metallic ideology, surely you will hear about them in the future. So, keep the name Battalion in your head for the battle has just begun!

Contacts:

BATTALION

Myspace: www.myspace.com/battalionofmetal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/battalionofmetal

A

nother great Brazilian new band which deserves attention from the maniacs around the world is the incredibly raw Bode Preto, one of the most evil sounding Death/Black Metal bands coming out of our country in the last decade. Following the tradition of Vulcano, Sarcófago and Mystifier, the band Bode Preto was formed in 2009 by Josh S., vocal/guitar, who invited Adelson Souza (ex-The Endoparasites, ex-Grave Desecrator and also in Diabolic Force) to play the drums and create and obscure and raw music, with a totally underground feeling and a very straight-to-the-point sound.

Their last release, the full-length “Inverted Blood” (Death Noise/Läja Records) is a perfect example of this posture: direct and heavy music that comes out of the speakers with a furious and satanic harshness, that can be assigned to the inspiration they draw from bands like Sarcófago, Beherit, Von, Bathory and Mystifier, combined with the noisy approach from acts like Agathocles and Rövsvett. Such a background could only produce one of the most notorious present groups of the whole Latin American scene, for sure, but it is certain that they have everything to be appreciated by maniacs all around the underground world. Besides this full-length, they also released an EP in 2010, called “Dark Night”, by Satanica Productions.

Bode Preto

It is important to notice that the two members of the band live far away from each other – about 3.000 km separate both musicians! – but this was not a problem, since the drummer traveled to Josh’s house and recorded his parts in one week in a home Studio. Also, it is interesting to say that in “Inverted Blood” they could count upon the ultra special guest appearance of Fábio Jhasko, formerly Sarcófago guitarrist, who recorded 3 solos for the CD in São Paulo, his hometown.

Contacts:

T

his band is the oldest among the bands presented here, but they just could not be out of this article, because their music is a perfect example of how the 80’s still influence a lot of great bands in Brazil,

www.bodepreto.com | https://www.facebook.com/6bode6preto6

such as Violator, Bywar, Farscape and Mortage. Formed in 1999 by Max (voice/guitar) and Macedo (guitar), Devil on Earth came up with the aim of playing the fastest and rudest Thrash Metal as Kreator, Sodom and Destruction did in the past, i.e., simply the best Thrash on Earth. Despite the German accent of their music, they also acknowledge influences of bands like Artillery, Demolition Hammer, Hypnosia, Vio-lence and Exhorder, creating a personal way of thrashing our heads out. In fact, in spite of all this old-fashioned spirit, their music is so vigorous and lively that I would not call Devil on Earth a mere copycat of their influences, because their music sounds fresh anyway.

Taking back to the band’s history, they released their first demo in 2003 and, in 2007, their debut CD was released by Kill Again Records with the suggestive name of “Hunting, Shooting, Slashing and Thrashing”. This record is simply devastating, one of the best Thrash releases of the last decade, for sure, because the riffs are furiously fast and catchy and Max’s vocals are deadly rotten and... slashing! Summing things up, it’s a great CD, indeed. After this, they released a live DVD with Hirax and Mortage (another interesting Brazilian band) and now are recording a new EP called “Kill the Trends”. Their present line-up is: Max (bass/vocals), Macedo (guitar) and Francisco (drums).

Contacts:

www.myspace.com/devilonearthband

devil on earth www.facebook.com/pages/Devil-on-Earth-OFFICIAL

B

orn in 2005 in the most traditional land for metal in Brazil, Minas Gerais, the cradle of Sepultura, Sarcófago, Holocausto, The Mist, Witchhammer and many others that spread the name of Minas Gerais state to the world, Atacke Nuclear is one of the great revelations of the present underground Brazilian scene. Making a mix of old Thrash Metal with Crossover, their music is breathtaking and enthusiastic, and as they sing in Portuguese, they sound as the old Brazilian bands like Taurus and Anthares with a hardcore approach. Atacke Nuclear’s influences come from undisputable icons of the underground such as Chakal, Mutilator, Lobotomia and D.R.I. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

atacke nuclear

Founded by Iuri Grégori (guitar/backing vocal), the band is completed by Luiz Otávio (bass/ backing vocal), Sérgio Morais (vocal) and Eduardo Lemos (drums) and their lyrics, following the typical HC orientation, talk about social issues, giving the band a critical approach against human greed, alienation and starvation. They have only two releases: the first one was the demo “Massacre Infernal” (2008) and it is such a terrific stuff that lead me to search for more; thus, I found “Caos Mundial”, their first full-length released in 2011, that has a great energy and a good recording, although it is an independent production. I’d highlight songs like “Cidade do Desespero” (City of despair), “Crianças de Rua” (“Street Children”) and “Sexo, Armas, Miséria” (“Sex, Weapons, Misery”) as some of the best from this CD. So, if you like the old mix of Thrash and Crossover, just like in the 80’s, Atacke Nuclear is the right stuff for your headbanging time.

Contacts:

atackenuclear.comze.com | www.myspace.com/atackenuclear atackenuclear@gmail.com

C

oming out from Rio de Janeiro state, Thrashera is one of my favorite bands from the new generation, although its members are not exactly young, having played in some other bands since the 90’s. Formed in june of 2010 by Surtur Impurus (drums), Madcrusher (guitars) and Chakal (vocals), the band is influenced by the satanic 80’s metal (mainly Thrash, of course, as it is in their name) and rock’n’roll, showing a contagious rocker attitude that may help the listener to shake his/her head when in contact with their enthusiastic music.

Despite their short career, the band is really prolific in terms of releases, having about 10 releases in only 3 years of existence! Some of these releases are splits with bands like Rubbish Mob (Australia), Infestator (France), Spavaldery (Italy), Flägelador (Brasil), Zebarges (France) and Galope Mortal (Panama), which show their affiliation with the international underground scene.

Their lyrics talk about several different themes, like insane behavior, sex, drugs and alcohol excesses, horror movies, war, nuclear disasters, underground counterculture and punk and metal culture too. All this thematic prepares the ground for a really old school music, played with strength and dedication to the ancient roots of heavy music, creating an appropriate atmosphere for a beer spree and for drunk moshers. So, those who like a kind of festive metal, made to drink with friends in a perverted party, just look for Thrashera that they will satisfy your wishes.

Contacts:

thrashera666@gmail.com | www.myspace.com/thrashera666 www.reverbnation.com/thrashera | www.youtube.com/user/Thrashra666999 facebook.com/groups/thrashera666/

Thrashera

F

ormed in the city of Curitiba in the late 2003, Offal is one of the most brutal and heavy Death Metal bands of the Brazilian new generation, with experienced musicians who know exaclty what they want to do. As they say, they love old school Death Metal and want to pay homage to the fucking and mighty late 80’s and early 90’s bands and also to the Horror/Gore/ Trash B-cinema in general. Following these clues, you may figure out how Offal sounds like: a midtempo Death Metal, reminding the gods of Gore/Splatter – Autopsy and Impetigo – and some other bands like Master, Nihilist, Grave, Immolation, Genocídio and such.

The band is formed by André Luiz (vocals), member of the Grind/Gore band Lymphatic Phlegm and owner of one of the most powerful gutural voices of the present, Tersis Zonato (guitar), also in the Black Metal project Lutemkrat, João Carlos Ongaro (bass) and Maiko Thomé on drums. As for their releases, they have lots of stuff too, including full-lengths, compilations and splits, but I’d like to highlight the mighty “Macabre Rampages and Splatter Savages” (2010), by Black Hole Records, and that is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest releases of the last decade and one of the best of the whole Brazilian Death Metal history, without exaggeration. Listen to it and you’ll check that I’m not overvaluing this brilliant CD. This year, they are preparing their third full album, that will be released by the North American Razorback Records, a great label responsible for bands like Decrepitaph and Gutwrench, promising not to disappoint the fans of their honest and putrid Death Metal.

Contacts: www.offalgore.com | www.facebook.com/offalgore | rasilka@ig.com.br

Offal

Adress: Offal - c/o André Luiz, Caixa Postal 9095 Curitiba/PR - Brazil - 80611-970

BRUTAL EXUBERÂNCIA

C

oming straight out from the Amazon region, Brutal Exuberância is a promising Thrash Metal band formed in 2004 by some friends: Afrânio Pires (bass), Naldo (guitar/voice) and Sandinho (drums). This team was completed in 2012 by Evaldo Castro on the guitar. They have several influences, but mainly, their proposal is to blend features of Thrash, Crossover and some touches of traditional Heavy Metal, creating an original, aggressive and enthusiastic music.

After two great demos that helped to consolidate this personal style, Brutal Exuberância has just recorded (2012) its first full album, called “Território perdido”, and are now working a lot to make it popular in the Brazilian and international scene.

Although their music is fucking good, they are somehow unknown even in some parts of Brazil, but this can be assigned to the isolation of the region where they live. That is why they are planning to lots of gigs through the whole country in order to spread their name in the Brazilian South and Southeast regions. Despite this, they are very well recognized in the North of the country. In one occasion, according to the band, they were chose by the public to open a Sepultura’s gig in their city, but the organizer of the show ignored this completely, what gave them anger enough to compose the songs of their debut. This has not hindered Brutal Exuberância to open for gigs with acts like Vulcano, Imperious Malevolence, Chakal, Taurus, Andralls and Krisiun, showing their relevance to the amazonic underground scene.

Contacts:

www.myspace.com/brutalexuberancia | www.youtube.com/brutalexuberancia brutalexuberancia@gmail.com Address: Rua Brasília, 167, Coroado 1 Manaus – Amazonas - Brazil CEP: 69080-121

N

uclëar Fröst, as well some others mentioned here, despite being in a certain way a new band – formed in 2007 in the city of São Paulo – has lots of great releases, making them very popular in the underground, even out of Brazil. Initially, Nuclëar Fröst was born to be a project of the bassist Edoom Nuclear Winter, who was playing in ROT at the time and had also another project – Concrete Hammer – and had a long experience in some old school Thrash bands like Nebulizer, Retaliador and Breakdown. He soon called his friend Tom Thunder Machine to play the drums and make a Crust/HC in the 80’s Swedish vein, influenced by Anti-Cimex, Svart Parad, Crude SS, Discharge etc.

As Edoom’s old bands called its quits, he and Tom decided that Nuclëar Fröst should become a real band and so they called Gaby Crust Force to the vocals and Fred to play guitar. Soon, they recorded their first stuff, the cassete demo “D-beat War 83”, with a totally HC sound, but in their second demo – “Winter Bombs” – they incorporated other influences, specially from the British Crust, inspired in bands such as Deviated Instinct and Amebix, and also lots of 80’s underground metal influences, drawing some ideas from Venom, Voivod, Hellhammer, Razor, Sodom, Mutilator and other ancient acts, making their music richer and harder than before.

Nowadays, NxFx has a new line-up, without Edoom, but with Gaby, Tom, Fejão Peligro – guitar and Nilson Slaughter – bass. Also they have recorded lots of official stuff, including 2 full-lengths (“Anti-Christ, AntiNazi” and “Nuclear Winter Gloom”), some compilations, like the Brazilian Discharge tribute, and also 3 split albums with bands such as Children of Technology (Ita), Secret Sect, Minkions (Ita), Retaliador (Bra) and the mighty HC/Thrash classic Armagedom (Bra). All releases are perfect examples of the best atemporal Thrash/Crust/Metal, in the same vein of present bands like Inepsy, Dishammer or Drunken Bastards, keeping the essence of punk and adding the natural influences of the 80’s metal. When I say “natural”, I want to say that what bands like Nuclëar Fröst is doing is to prove what every old school freak already knew: that metal and punk are similar genres and shall live together instead of following its ways apart. So, for those who think that this is true, NxFx is your band.

Contacts: www.myspace.com/nuclearfrost83

O

Power from Hell

ne of the last bands of this scene report is Power from Hell, an act lead by Sodomic, who plays vocals, guitar and bass in most of their recordings, sometimes accompanied by the drummer Evil Destructor.

The band was formed in the city of Guarulhos, São Paulo, in 2002, and has four excellent full-lengths: “The True Metal” (2004), “Sadismo” (2007), “Spellbondage” (2009) and “Lust and Violence” (2011), and a very recent split with Whipstriker, released in 2012 by the German label Fuck the Mainstream.

Power from Hell’s music is an absolutely raw metal punk that maybe could be compared to the very first recordings of Venom, Bathory, Bulldozer and Warfare, combined with anti-christianity and BDSM lyrics. All songs have that simple, crude and noisy atmosphere which was typical in the underground before 1985 and is alive today in bands like Bone Awl, for example. So, don’t expect clean production or any kind of technical approach here: you will find only raw music much more based in emotion than in rational technique.

Contacts: www.myspace.com/dayoflust | facebook.com/pages/POWER-FROM-HELL

A

lso from Curitiba, comes another new band formed by veterans of the Brazilian scene, the absolutely old school metallers called Axecuter. The idea of the band is old too, but Axecuter really started to play in 2010, with three friends who loved talking about metal, drinking beer and eating pizzas. Their initial Idea was to play simply Metal, without worrying about any specific subgenre, blending all their influences straight from the 80’s metal: Venom, Exciter, Dark Angel, Razor, At War, Accept, Mercyful Fate and tons more of that era, when the boundaries among Thrash, Speed, Heavy or Black Metal was not so clearly defined. Of course, their music honestly reflects this attitude, for our luck!

axecuter

The band is formed by Danmented (vocals/guitar) and Baphometal on drums, counting with the help of Buzzard (bass) as a live member. In terms of releases, they have already the Ep “Bangers Prevail” (2011), released in cassete format first and re-released in 2012 with a Vulcano’s cover as an extra-track; the 7” “Innocence is our Excuse” (2012), and this year they put out their full-length, called “Metal is Invincible”, a great work that will certainly be praised by the underground metal press around the world and worshipped by headbangers who are tired of the excesses of technicality and sophistication of the last decades in metal and prefer to listen to the straightforward music of the 80’s.

By the way, they are already calling the attention of some metalheads who are above any suspicion, like Katon de Pena (Hirax), Mark Shelton (Manilla Road) and Sy Keeler (Onslaught), that gave their support to Axecuter’s music recently. This surely give us an idea of what is coming in the future for Axecuter and we hope they have a very long life in our underground scene.

Contacts: | axecutermetal@hotmail.com | facebook.com/axecuter | youtube.com/axecutermetal

W

XXX

ell, this is only a brief view on what is happening nowadays in the Brazilian underground, because there are so many bands, zines and distros that I wouldn’t be able to cover all of them. Besides these 10 first bands, you can also look for more, in all subgenres: Sodamned, Khrophus and Unborn (Death Metal), Örrör, Baixo Calão and Homicide (Grindcore), Clenched Fist and Denim and Leather (Heavy/Power Metal), Mortage and Poison Beer (Thrash) and so on. Now, it is just a matter of chosing your preferred style and turning your mind and ears again to Brazil, because this scene is still strong and deeply loyal to the principles of the underground as it was in the glorious decade of 1980.

Cristiano Passos

Bunker 66

When we talked for the first time you were just after the release of “Out of the Bunker”. Three years have passed since that moment and a lot of thing happened in your camp. How do you rate these five years of your activity? Are you satisfied with what you’ve achieved and worked out?

Oh yes, I remember! I still have my copy of that issue. Well, those were great years, the best of my life, I guess. The enthusiasm is even bigger now as our anger and hunger for metal never rests! These 5 years have been really full of good times for the band, the cool thing is that we did everything in a real natural way, no future plans, you know… just music obsession and lots of vinyls!

Just now your first full-length album came out. It’s called “Infernö Interceptörs” and was released by German label – High Roller rec. How did it come to cooperation and signing contract with Steffen? Did you have any other propositions of release?

Oh, it was very simple and fast, just a couple of e-mails and our collaboration started. Steffen did a great job, we didn’t talk about other future releases, time will tell!

Tell us something more about “Infernö Interceptörs”. How long did it take to finish this material? Does it include only an unreleased stuff or maybe also some rerecorded songs?

“Infernö Interceptörs” is a perfect picture of Bunker 66 in this fucked up 2012, we are very

proud of it. It took about seven months to record it, we had a mandatory stop, but after that we went on fast as a shark! The recordings were very funny, exciting and really natural, without detailed plans, there are also some improvised parts! It contains only unreleased stuff apart from “Storm of the Usuper” and “Still They Lurk”, which were recorded live for the “Alive & Melting” EP, on “Infernö Interceptörs” we recorded them in the studio for the first time, though.

Is Infernö Interceptörs your only release in this year?

No, it isn’t. We did also the split album with Barbarian, Doomentia Records released it a couple of months before “Infernö Interceptörs”, it was a busy 2012!

I always enjoyed the idea of mutual support by the bands in form of releasing split albums, playing tours and so on... I suppose the idea behind Bunker 66/Barbarian split was just like that?

Exactly, we are first of all people on the same wavelength, music freaks that know each other. This split album has a long story behind it, it was supposed to be out in 2010 together with Noia, a band that I love. But they had some troubled times and in the meantime Barbarian spawned from the abyss, their drummer is the morbid mind behind Noia and Murk, so it came natural to ally our forces. Our tracks on that split were recorded in 2010.

The Italian scene in the 80’s was maybe not as big as German or American but always had a lot to offer. Bulldozer, Death SS, Necrodeath, Schizo, Mortuary Drape, Sinoath, Sadist to mention only a few. How do you rate

Bunker 66

the works of these bands and did they affect your music?

The first Bulldozer album influenced Bunker 66 a lot! Death SS rule but they aren’t an influence, same for the other bands you mentioned. I love Schizo’s “Total Schizophrenia” demo and the “Main Frame Collapse” album, so underrated!

Necrodeath’s demo and first two albums are also fucking great, Mortuary Drape’s early stuff is very cool. I listen also to some of the early material of Sadist and Sinoath but I never went nuts for them.

The end of the 90’s has been merciless for metal music. A lot of bands creating the scene in that years have split-up because they didn’t see any sense in playing in the times when shitty grunge dominated musical business.

Some of them attempted to fit the trends of those days which ended even worse (for example CELTIC FROST and their fucked up excess in the form of “Cold Lake”, which ended as a nail in the coffin for the band). In the 90’s many thought that the old-school metal times won’t be back. For me they didn’t have to return ‘cause they never went away but I remember that only few true maniacs remained in those times, and created that kind of music against all odds. Now I think it’s because these few crews, thrash, speed and a lot of genres of classic metal came back to its glory. What do you think about it?

Well, I guess you’re right, the few die hard bands surely gave an input to younger bands to do metal the old way, perseverance pays. It’s also a matter of tastes, times and places, it’s not easy to find the real “why” to such topics.

Celtic Frost were and always will be a band of musical anarchists, I mean who would have the guts to wear lipstick and silly clothes after such monumental and serious albums like the previous two? I enjoy Cold Lake, it’s like evil hair metal,

I listen to it without looking at the logo on the cover and the pics, haha!

Nowadays a lot of young bands praise the classic form of metal against all trends and don’t give a fuck about sterile, clean sound. One of the first bands with this attitude were Toxic Holocaust, Em Ruinas, Baphometh’s Blood, Midnight, Speedwolf, Atomic Sin, Trench Hell... How do you rate your activity compared to these bands?

What did you decide that you wanna play that kind of metal?

I don’t know, I’m not really into comparing things and, though I really enjoy the bands you mentioned (Southern Cross Rippeeeeeeeeeeer!!!!) I never even thought to compare them to Bunker 66. When we started to play we simply jammed together, there were no ready riffs, no plans, no “I want to sound like…”, nothing, just fun. We grew up listening to old thrash metal, heavy metal, rock music in worth mentioning in your opinion ? general so I guess it came natural that Bunker

66 became what they are now.

Turbo, Kat and Vader!

What do you think about latest Darkthrone If, by any coincidence, you came upon a releases? Does this music inspire you? What magic mirror which could take you to any spins in your players most often? place in any time, what destination would you choose and why?

I enjoy them a lot, their attitude surely inspires us, can’t wait to listen to their new album.

Hmmm I guess the Bay Area during the thrash I like everything Darkthrone did, I think I’m metal explosion. Visiting the prehistory and not objective when I speak about them, haha. do some dinosaur watching would also be Well, we listen to lots of music, from Venom extremely cool! to Christian Death, from Thin Lizzy to Vetter,

from Bad Religion to Bestial Warlust, from A lot of musicians mention horror movies as T.Rex to Duran Duran, haha, we are music their inspirations, and Italy is famous for a lot devourers. I recommend you Tangorodrim! of masterpieces in that genre like “E tu vivrai

nel terrore – L’aldilà”, “Quella villa accanto Your new material is being released by the al cimitero” or “Zombi” by Lucio Fulci, plus label specialized mostly in releasing stuff on the movies by Dario Argento – “Phenomena” vinyl, although “Infernö Interceptörs” will or “Two Evil Eyes”. Of course these are only also be released on CD. I guess that LP was a few movies that inspired metal musicians the most important for you ? but what about you? Do you like that kind of

cinema and do they affect your work?

Absolutely yes, vinyls are bigger and sound

better…a huge Lita Ford cover is better than a Those movies rule! We love them but they are tiny one! not in the Bunker 66 world. I’m sure that some drawings of Damien Thorne are inspired by You’re an active live band. Are you going to go those movies, though. on tour to promote “Infernö Interceptörs”?

Are you going to release anything else this We’ll do a weekend tour with Barbarian at the year or are you going to focus mainly on end of November here in Italy and we’re looking promotion of “Infernö Interceptörs”? forward to find some gigs in Germany and the

rest of Europe, fingers crossed!

No more releases in 2012, just some gigs to

promote the new album and after that I guess With what bands did you share stage to this we will start to jam in our rehearsal room. day? I’m also wondering with which bands

would like to share the same stage? What Thank you for your attention. If you want to concert would be a dream come true for you? say something to Oldschool Metal Maniac

readers then traditionally last word is yours.

Aura Noir, Antichrist, Morbus Chron, Elixir,

Black Magic, Pagan Altar, Cruel Force, Thanks for this interview, cheers to all the Witchgrave, Maim, Jaguar, Schizo, Virus, old school metal maniacs that read this killer Carpathian Forest etc. Just take a look eponymous magazine, metal minds aligned! to the Live Evil 2011 line up, it was a blast! It would be killer to play with For any kind of information, insults or Motörhead! whatever write to bunker66@gmx.com or

check www.facebook.com/bunker66 & Now I’m going to ask www.myspace.com/bunker66 you one of my routine questions – do you know - Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki any oldschool bands from Poland which are

Hello Scott! First of all, I’d like to say that it is a pleasure to talk to you and ask some questions which will remind us of Cryptic Slaughter and teach young about the one of the greatest crossover thrash bands-icons.

The semi-reunion in 2003 was only Les again with some of the members of Wehrmacht. I like that song too, but again, I don’t consider it a CS song.

My pleasure man! Thanks for your interest in CS, I appreciate it.

I heard about your current bands, which tend to play hardcore punk most popular and typical for your area - California. Tell us, how is the Black Monday and what happened to So Abused?

As we know Cryptic Slaughter split-up in 1988 after recording three albums. Afterwards, in 1990 came the reunion with new members to record the new material called “Speak You Peace”. Unfortunately you were not involved in this project, can you tell us what was the reason?

Do you consider this album as a real Cryptic Slaughter’s work, although it was not recorded in original line-up?

Well, with So Abused that band just kind of ran its course. It was a fun band to be in and we did a lot of good shows, sadly it wasn’t meant to be with that band. Black Monday is a good mixture of punk rock and dirty rock n’ roll, like GBH meets the Dead Boys. Right now we just finished our EP call “The Black Hell EP”, it will be up on iTunes in January and now we’re just working on new songs and playing shows.

I think it’s a very solid album, but I don’t consider it a CS record. I wasn’t involved in the recording because Bill, Rob and myself were no longer in the band.

Do you stay in touch with mates from Cryptic Slaughter? Are they still active musicians, like Rob Nicholson (Ozzy’s bassist, earlier in Danzig and Rob Zombie) or Brian Lehfeldt, well-known from Wehrmacht?

Well, unfortunately “Speak Your Peace” did not succeeded like the earlier stuff did and the band got suspended once again. In 2003 we witnessed yet another Cryptic Slaughter’s reunion – why few months after “Banned in S.M.” (a live album released by Relapse Records) the band decided to get on hold again?

Well, the “Banned in S.M.” was a limited release that Relapse Records put out to go along with the “Convicted” and “Money Talks” reissues.

Yup, I am still friends with all the old members of CS. I see Rob more than the other guys, but it’s easier since we both live close to each other.

Rob and myself are the only members of

CS who are still playing music. But both Les and Bill are doing great and are enjoying life.

What would you say for another reunion of Cryptic Slaughter? Is it possible? The crossover thrash scene is still strong, you could be on the top with new album!

I would love to tell that there is going to be one, but sadly there won’t be. With Les and Bill living in different states along with Rob and I doing music in other bands, it just would not be possible to put the time into making it happen. Also, we’re all happy with where we left CS back in 1988.

What do you listen to these days? Is there any metal or hc/punk bands which specially rivets your attention?

Of course! I will listen to music every day, ‘till the day I die! The bands that I am really into

right now are Red Fang, Graveyard, Riverboat Gamblers and The Bronx. When it comes to hard core I just stick with the old stuff like Sick Of It All, Hatebreed, GBH, etc. you know, the good stuff!

because we loved and believed in the music and scene. Now there’s no scene like when CS and the other bands you mentioned were doing it.

Lots of your lyrics were about social and political subject matter. You were anti-military, anticapitalistic; what’s more you attacked politics, establishment and the nation. Do you still think the same these days? Do you think the world is better now than in the eighties? What in your opinion are the most problematic issues, which the world of today must cope with?

I’d like to know, what do you do for a living? I think, it is very hard to live only from playing gigs and selling CD’s these days. Do you know how does the situation with jobs look with the guys from Cryptic Slaughter?

Well back in the day, most of the political lyrics were written by Les and Bill. They had a really good understanding of politics. My lyrics were about just being yourself and not letting people take advantage of you. As far my view with politics, it’s still the same as it used to be. You have to vote for the lesser of two evils and you hope that the one that is elected can help make this country and this world better. But in the end I have yet to see that happen.

Referring to the former question, was anybody from Cryptic Slaughter politically active in any other way than music?

Not that I am aware of. I’m sure both Les and Bill keep up with politics more than I do.

Well for me I work a regular 9-5 just like Les and Bill. I only play music as a hobby now because I’m older and I can’t make a living doing it.

I think it’s killer that Rob has been successful in the music business and is making a living doing it. But as long as I’m able to play music, I will! It’s part of who I am and will always be!

Regarding CD’s, what do you think about the situation with easily accessible mp3’s which are available for everybody here and now, killing the music industry? What is your statement about this kind of habit of modern days society?

Well it’s a sign of the times. Part of me loves it,

We have 2012 now. We are witnessing a massive flood of young thrash metal bands. Of course as far as I am concerned it’s a positive phenomenon, but there is the other side of the coin. There is no aggression in many young bands in comparison to Cryptic Slaughter, Minor Threat, Attitude Adjustment and many more from the eighties. There is no poison, less energy or even brutality when we listen to the new wave of crossover thrash metal. Lyrics are about nothing – we can hear stories about beer or post-nuclear mutants and the worst thing is that riffs are usually stolen from many other classic bands. There’s no rebellion or any struggle for innovation. Tell me, what do you think about it?

make time for the other things in your life. Besides playing music I still go to shows and since I don’t have any kids, it’s easier to be doing at my age. Other than that I have my girl and we enjoy traveling when we can and I’m a die-hard basketball fan, so I go to as many games as I can. I’m a pretty boring guy.

LOL! But I love the life I have and the family that I have around me. I’m very lucky in that area!

What bands influenced you to start Cryptic Slaughter with Adam, Rob and Bill? As I had a look on your t-shirts on videos on YouTube from your first gigs you were fans of Excel and D.R.I., weren’t you?

Oh yeah, we were huge fans and friends with Excel and D.R.I. But the bands that really influenced us back when we first started it was Slayer, Venom, Hellhammer, Motörhead, GBH, Minor Threat and many other bands.

I am sure you have heard “Lowlife” covered by Napalm Death or “M.A.D.” by Spazz? What do you think about their interpretations of your hits?

I think they’re both killer! I mean Napalm Death plays “Lowlife” faster than we did!

I just appreciate that both those bands did songs by us, it’s the highest form of respect!

Well I don’t really listen to the new crop of thrash music that is out there. I’ve chosen to stay with the stuff that I grew up on. Maybe, because I can relate to those bands better since I was there when it was all happening.

I think the lack of aggression isn’t there, because most (not all) of these bands are really into it.

They’re doing it to make a living, which there’s nothing wrong with that. But, when we were doing it, we weren’t doing it thinking that we going to make a living at it. We were doing it

Have you ever been to Poland? Or maybe you know some interesting gossips about our country or have you met or heard any bands from Poland?

Never been to Poland. Don’t know any bands from there. But if you can recommend some, I will check them out for sure!

Please tell us what are your future plans, leave a word for oldschool metal maniacs! Thank you very much for having a word with me!

Best regards for you and your family Scott! because it’s easier to find bands that I love and more people can get turned onto these bands.

But the bad side is that it makes it pretty much impossible for any band to make a living off of royalties, because CDs just aren’t selling like they used to. But like I said, it’s a sign of the times.

As I know, life of a musician is very hard. Writing songs, rehearsals, improving skills then recording albums, playing gigs on local scenes and abroad, life on a tour... Where is the time for a family life and fulfilling yourself in any other way – I mean hobbies and career? How do you cope with all these duties? Tell us more about your other hobbies and family.

Well, since like I said I play music as a hobby it’s easier to do and easier to

My future plans is to continuing making music with my band Black Monday, working on getting more CS stuff out the to the fans like t-shirts, back patches, unreleased material, etc. To all the CS fans worldwide, thank you! If it wasn’t for all our die-hard fans the CS name would not be alive and well today! Thank you for the interview! Cheers!

Mateusz Łapczyński/ Konrad Krzysztoń

Ok, I must admit it’s been a pleasure to do an interview with such a brilliant musician as Paul Speckmann. The guy answered my questions in three hours only, can you believe that?! That shows his great respect for the underground and to the people who support him. I know I could have asked him a lot more questions about many other bands, events, memories etc. – but then, it would have become a book, not an underground magazine, haha! Especially, that Paul is working on his own book – who knows, maybe it will include everything about his creations? This time, I focused on his two bands exclusively – Death Strike and Master, thus the conversation is divided in two general parts.

EARLY DAYS AND DEATH STRIKE DAYS

Hello Paul! Hope You are alive and well, as recently there have been a few deaths caused by a poisoned vodka in Czech Republic, hehe?

even metal as such) scene, and that you will release around thirty records and tour all over the world? What were your goals back then?

Yes, they are saying the vodka may have come from Poland actually, but I don’t believe it.

Funny yes, I am alive, but anyway I get my hard stuff from my father-in-law as we make slivovice and wine at home every year so no fear of death here. I rarely go to the bar anyway and if so I only drink the best beer in the world here.

I get my Jack Daniels from the shows across the world and again no fear with Jack Daniels, it’s made in the USA and distributed in Europe!

Where do you still find the power and determination to make the music under Master’s banner? Many musicians, which started in the same time period as you did, gave it up a long time ago...

A bunch of wimps gave up their art, I have never left my vision of global dominance, unfortunately many people still listen to many clones of Master. There is nothing like the original, my friend. Master will continue to divide and conquer until my demise. I find the power inside myself of course and Pradlovsky and Nejezchleba also have killer ideas as well so it still works.

When you joined the White Cross - which was your first band if I am correct - did you even realize or dream about becoming one of the most important persons in the death metal (or

Obviously we were a cover band and just interested in pussy at that time. After all I was only a singer then. It took years after that to perfect the bass. I practiced for at least 7 hours a

day to get the bass down. I had no idea I would be still at it by now but I have always been a very focused individual and after a few gigs I realized this was the direction for me in my life. I have never left the path of Metal. For many people music is a hobby and for me it’s a way of life my friend.

I know that at the beginning you played in a band called War Cry, which was more in Black Sabbath’s vein. On Master’s debut album we can find the “Children Of The Grave” cover, so I suppose it was some kind of showing people the roots of yourself and your music?

We actually hadn’t enough songs for an album and original drummer Bill Schmidt suggested we cover a Sabbath track. I realize later it became fashionable to do this, but in 1989 we were among the first along with Sacred Reich to cover our heroes. I have recently added this track in the live set again and it’s fun to play it for sure.

I know your last show as War Cry was opening for Twisted Sister, who were a pretty big band back then, so I suppose War Cry had its own fans as well? Can we say that War Cry was well known band in the area back then? And I know that the person who inspired you much at the time was Dee Snider himself…?

Sure we were local heroes but nothing more.

We did our best at this show and had a blast and yes, Dee was a cool motherfucker back then

and is the reason I continue to play today. He said a few things to me that really made sense and actually at the time we played with Twisted Sister, they were travelling in a van and were still relatively underground. They broke through a year later with “We’re not gonna take it”.

Let’s continue on Death Strike, ok? I know the music for this band was created during a special, yet pretty hard moment of your life, wasn’t it?

Is this why this stuff sounds so frustrated and angry at once?

Maybe, obviously my father passed away and I had to grow up I suppose and take responsibility for myself and I did. I took the rage inside and put it inside the music.

This was the first aggressive demo I had ever recorded so it was really new to us at this time regardless of how angry and cool it came out. The demo was really an experiment.

After auditioning guitarists for nearly a year for Master the band broke up before it ever began. Schmidt went to record for band in Chicago called Mayhem and I formed Death Strike with guitarist Chris Mittelbrun. He had auditioned for Master the year before but just didn’t get what we were doing, but by the time I began Death Strike in the fall of 1984 he had it all figured out as you can here on the first and only demo Fuckin Death recorded in the spring of 1985!

In the beginning Bill Schmidt was supposed to be the vocalist for Master, but eventually you had to take over vocals in Death Strike. Why did you decide to sing? Were you a better vocalist than him? For many your voice is like a more brutal version of Lemmy with a big punk influence, so was it your goal during the recording session?

When the band Master split up before ever recording in 1984 I put together Death Strike and the obvious choice for a singer was myself. Of course we realized early on

that I was the better singer for Master and so I took over when we reformed in the fall of 1985. These were difficult times for me and these bands and the music were a way to release my anxiety and frustration through the music.

Death Strike’s demo was made only in six copies, is that true?

I think it was some fuckin’ magic that such low number of physical copies made so big commotion in the underground! You wrote that even Death played Death Strike’s covers! I actually heard a few live performances with Death playing “The Truth” as well as Nausea playing “Master” later on and several other well known bands, so it must be true…

I cannot remember how many copies were made but a small amount for sure.

“Fuckin’ Death” had a great feedback in the underground, but the official magazines weren’t on their knees... But the same situation is pretty often, bands like Venom, Bulldozer or the first death metal bands (like Death Strike) weren’t understood by the mainstream (even if they were called “metal”) magazines - now, after so many years, are you proud that in the end you were right?

Yes, the magazines were blind and dead and only interested in commercial music like today, but in the end the bands Death Strike and Master went on to influence a complete new genre in the end, so all is well that ends well I guess.

You said that Death Strike could have been something bigger, a band who could have made something more in the scene back then, but it failed because of the drummer, who drag you out back then. Could you say something more about the situation in the band back then?

John Leprich was a fool in Deathstrike as was Bill Schmidt in Master - both fellas were and are still addicted to drugs and alcohol.

This September you played with Death Strike for the first time! How was it? I saw the line-up of this fest and it seems to be a great party. Was it really your one and only gig? In Poland there is one very well-known band, which played several “farewell tours” and they still play, haha!

Death Strike never played live before and

DEATH STRIKE

yes the response was killer we also played the first Master in its entirety. Such an awesome festival with true underground people and the true underground feeling that I haven’t experienced in years. If the price is right we will play several more Death Strike shows, time will tell. I really enjoyed playing several tracks for the first time ever live! This was great experience that I will cherish for years to come regardless of whether we do it again or not.

Why did you decide to take part in this event?

Were there any financial reasons involved or maybe something else also made you want to play there with Death Strike?

A chance to play the first albums and money of course! We spent several months preparing for this show so I had to pay the guys well for their effort of course.

Death Strike is “blamed” for laying foundations for grind core as a genre, because, in my opinion, bands like Terrorizer (especially) or Repulsion were influenced by your music and sound, would you agree with me?

True.

TURN THE PAGES FOR NEXT PART

MASTER

MASTER

What would you answer if somebody told you that Master is a kind of death metal Motörhead - you know, some listen to a few seconds of your music and can say “sure, it’s Master” - even if the songs vary in some way, the Master’ spirit is unquestionable like in the case of Lemmy and his band...

This is a complete compliment, Lemmy rules and so does Master! Master was influenced by bands like GBH, MDC, The Exploited, and many old rock bands as well. Black Sabbath and Motörhead as well as Venom were major influences. I am not ashamed of this by any means. I listen to these bands still today as they are and were a great part of my youth, my friend.

A few years ago some of your records were rereleased, including “Master” with the original mix. So, is that true that Scott Burns forgot to put several solos on this album during the mixes in 1989, but on the other hand - he triggered the drums...? How did you react when you received the album then, which was something different than you wanted? You might be satisfied now, when the re-release came out..

This is true and I was extremely pissed at the time but he said it was too late. Burns was only interested in the $100 an hour he received in those days, nothing more. As for the triggers I still hate this sound and many of the bands that do this cannot even play their songs live.

Today bands sample drums and cannot recreate

a good live sound and many of the newer bands all sound the same.

Total bullshit. In the early days we had to really play our instruments, there were no computers to fix the mistakes like today.

How do you feel about “The New Elite” today? Are you satisfied with how people react on this album?

People love the album but most have just illegally downloaded it. There is little support for the underground today. The world is filled with thieving bastards. “The New Elite” is an absolutely great piece of Master history for sure.

I am completely satisfied with this recording period!

How did the recording session of “The New Elite” look like? I know that most of your albums have been recorded in a few days only - is it your way of capturing the wrath and anger and transforming it into music? Can you imagine that you are creating Master’s album for several months, perfecting every single sound for long hours...?

I haven’t time or money to waste. “The New Elite” was recorded in a few days like always and mixed and mastered in a short time as well. The best way to capture great songs is very quickly, why waste time on a an album. Besides I prefer live playing anyway.

I really like the front cover of the LP version which is in the old Master’s releases vein, but - sorry for saying that - the artwork for

the CD version isn’t good, looks too modern.

Is it why you decided to make another cover for the Doomentia’s release?

No, the reason is that it’s better to have different versions available to consumer and this was the idea of Doomentia in Czech to do this. I like both covers really.

Ok, let’s talk a bit about the new album. Who or what is the ‘new elite’ in your opinion?

Unfortunately the promo which I own lacks any lyrics...

The New Elite are the controlling powers that be. The governments of the world have too much power

is that true? So, is there a lack of DIY attitude among the young generation of metalheads?

I don’t know, this was a long time ago and they thought we were getting big money and sleeping in hotels when in fact the Master guys slept at peoples’ houses and I usually slept in the van with the equipment. Yes, Master are true underground warriors, my friend.

You play or played in a lot of bands but most of them were death metal groups with small exceptions. So, have you ever wanted to play some other genres? You don’t feel the music like black metal or... I don’t know... heavy/speed? too expensive, hehe - hope you know what I mean?

Yes, the band has struggled to survive for many years, but somehow we do and it works, my friend. Thanks for the kind words. I only need money to survive like all people and do my best to achieve this through hard work and Facebook as well.

In one interview you said that people, especially the young ones, should get rid of the politicians like Bush, Putin or Brown. What do you think about young generations when you compare them to yourself as a kid? I mean – both as music fans and as citizens? I don’t know how it is somewhere else, but in Poland youth is probably more conservative now than twenty years ago...

And on the other hand – what should be the politics of USA like to get your approval? over everyone and everything. It’s time for the youth of today to get organized and take control of their own destinies now. If moves aren’t made soon there will be no freedom to speak of left and all will be part of the greater human machine. This is what I fear the most, the future is bleak. It was once power to the people, it’s now power over the people. The album speaks of fighting control and creating a new freer world for all.

You have a pretty critical opinion about the music business nowadays, including metal music business. I think that’s one of the reason why Master was never so deep in fans’ minds as other death metal bands, which started in the same time as you did?

Master has been ripped off many time over the years and no labels can be trusted anymore.

You need a lawyer and many of them are corrupt as well. We live in a difficult society with a crazy system of injustice, period.

What word comes on your mind when you hear “metal music business”? I think it can be “greed”, don’t you think? Of course I am talking about the major labels, like Nuclear Blast Records for example - by the way, does Markus still owe you pretty big money? As I know now your relationship is better than a few years ago, when you said some bitter words about this label...

Things have been resolved in the last few years.

Our relationship has improved. I was angry at the time when I said these things, but times change, people change. I wish Nuclear Blast Records the best in the future.

I like the way you are honest towards the listener when you say ‘Master is still way too underground and it’s often a struggle for us to survive, so we need every penny we can earn. So please motherfuckers, go out and buy the CDs’ - it shows how down to earth you are instead of saying ‘only the music matters to us’ and then selling CD’s way

Shit the youth of today only watch videos and sit on the computer all day. They have no idea what they will do in the future. I had it figured out by 18 years old already, I had a plan for the future early on. People were more interested in freedom when I grew up. They marched against the establishment when they didn’t like something. Today most not all but most people look the other way. The USA sucks, period. They are nothing but bullies and try to control the entire world continually.

This is bullshit. Both of the latest presidential candidates are losers.

Last year you were about to play a tour with Grave and Massacre, but finally it didn’t work out - what were the reasons? It could have been pretty memorable event for many fans...

The agency from Marcus Schreiber never purchased the flight tickets for Massacre and Grave, never agreed to do the tour and the agency has since disappeared so all is well that ends well. Of course we all wanted to do this tour, but life goes on. Massacre and Master will play in Brazil in November for four festivals so we all look forward to this for sure.

Do you think that metal fans of today aren’t so tough as the old ones? I’ve read about Pathology, which cancelled the tour with Master because they didn’t like the circumstances of their day off or something,

No, only master for me these days brother!

I know you are writing a book, can you say something about the process?

I have yet to find a publisher, one day I hope!

People don’t want to hear the truth about their heroes so it’s hard to find a publisher brother.

“Speckmann, Surviving the Underground” will hopefully be released one day.

OK, this interview could consist of one hundred questions and I think there would be still some interesting things untouched, haha! The last question - is there any young band, which you met recently and you can recommend?

Nope, no one ever recommended me either.

You have to work for yourself and prove yourself and recommendations will come then.

Thank you Paul, it was a pleasure to make those questions for you!

Thank you my friend.

- Jakub “Oracle” Nowak

proofreading-and correction by: Bartosz Cieślak

DARKTHRONE

H

ello my friend, how are you doing these days? What’s blasting through your speakers as you’re answering these questions? We’ve just finished the last Vomitor, earlier we’ve been through: Metallica’s “Ride The Lightning”, Canadian Deathroner and right now it’s time for Bathory’s first album.

I usually don’t listen to music at all when doing interviews, can’t concentrate then.

But let’s put on an LP anyways, hmmm…

Trouble’s self-titled album. Bought it on CD while we were recording our first album in Stockholm Sweden in summer of 1990. Had to buy it on vinyl now, cost me 65 USD. What has got into Ted that he decided to write half of the lyrics for for the new album? Maybe reaching his 40’s made him want to express his emotions?

I have always thought of Ted as of very distancedperson,maybeI’mwrongbut I think that besides those vocals and music we don’t really know much about the other half of Darkthrone.

He wrote half the lyrics for “Total Death” back in ‘95 and ‘96 too, hoss. Anyway, he has written more and more lyrics on the last albums, but I didn’t push him, only encourage. It is much stronger for me to hear him sing his own lyrics, downright scary!

Since “F.O.A.D.” your albums cover arts were home to a bizarre character called Mr. Necro.

I thought he will remain there becoming a part of your style just like it is with Iron Maiden or Motörhead, but you have decided to do something else on the new album. Will this character, created by Dennis Dread, return on the cover arts of the future Darkthrone albums?

For “The Underground Resistance” you have used an illustration created by Jim Fitzpatrick, the artist behind the cover of Manilla Road’s “Mark of the Beast” – did that fact brought your attention to his works? And since we are already talking about Mark Shelthon’s crew, how do you like the last two albums by Manilla Road – “Playground of the Damned” and “Mysterium”?

Strictly coincidental, as you said – Ted wanted something else and then I told that to Dylan Hughes (google him, oldschool metal dude) and he found that image (looking back now, I see he already used a similar Fitzpatrick drawing for my 1968-

1978 podcast for Vice Magazine which he worked for) and we liked it, fit our style of metal, and then we paid the artist like a 1000 USD to use it. We can afford it, we have day jobs. We don’t make plans, but I already have a photo I took for the album cover next and a couple of titles. That might change though. Anyway it was late for us to incorporate a mascot perhaps… that looks better when bands are in the start of their careers, maybe.

Haven’t heard the last two, or three Manilla Roads (damn spellfixer changes ‘Manilla Road’ to ‘manila’ always, arrrgh). Anyway I probably had it on the turntables for some seconds and thought I’d let it rest since the drums sound wasn’t old or real enough. Anyway on the new album I hear that Neudi is playing drums, but I’m not sure if he can push an old enough drum sound through.

I will hear when I get the chance.

Can one say that your last three albums were an attempt to grasp you new sound and an introduction to “The Underground Resistance”?

I’m asking because I feel that the new songs and the sound are much more mature, they truly capture the spirit of the scene between 1980 and 1985.

It’s more like continuing where we left off in 1988 before we started deaththrashing and then just

the experts has to say about that. Anyway our vinyl sounds fantastic, totally lost album from 1985 style. Heyyyy! UGH! We are extremely satisfied with Jack from World Burns To Death mastering the album, he has wanted to do it for a long time, and he knew what we needed extra. We have a very primitive portable studio and can only add effects like echo or reverb on TWO channels, haha. So Jack could equalize it and put some reverbs on various eq’s and then rejuvenate our bottom line which should be bassy, and so it seems he found the ‘Morbid Tales/ DT’ button for us, beautiful organic bass punch. Sounds like a drink I would have tried, haha!

80’s. what sounds like punk on the first track is basically Hellhammer-style stuff, but people forget how punk Hellhammer was, I guess. When it comes to the speed metal like the verse in my “Valkyrie” track, it’s more that I like Swedish early 80’s bands like Parasite, Universe and so on. Vampyr… they’re from France? Anyway, I like Blaspheme and H-bomb and ADX and Sortilege and Trust and Attentat Rock and Trop Feross and so on from France…

I have a tape copy of Vampyr but I don’t remember now what it sounds like. Better find it then. Anyway for the bar we open tomorrow downtown Oslo (KNIVEN, check it on facebook) I even posed with my copy of H-Bomb vinyl for the promo photos. Metal Sword I never heard, old Agent Steel is obviously the main influence for this album, influenced like 35-40% of the stuff, kinda. Witch Cross is an influence, but more like it’s just one of those Scandimetal albums that have better metal sound deathing in ‘89. Also, I have discovered than almost anything else, like Mercyful Fate so much heavy metal from ‘79-‘85 that and Heavy Load, early 80’s Scandi sound is I missed as a kid, cuz of lack of money and the best! Round bottom levels and crispy lack of the albums not having distro in top. Uh! Abattoir is ok, I bought an album as Norway and also demos and singles that a kid, but never got into it, that yellow one.

I never heard, so heavy and speed and With the kid on it. Or what the fuck it was.

NWOBHM which I grew up with before the Then I got that red one, an older one, on CD death and black and thrash and so on… burn, and it’s got both good and mediocre I think it reached critical mass and I wanted stuff on it. Like most metal albums. I am to do more and more in that style. Felt fresh a DJ and always hunt for TRACKS, I don’t and real and my heart ached to do it. expect whole albums to be good. When that happens, almost never, it’s just a plus. D-uh, The metal is deadly serious and furthermore haha. Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road are two I’m the only person in Norway penning speed of those band that were almost forgotten, metal tracks, and also I like the beautiful hadn’t it been for the underground resistance speed metal tracks from back in the day, not worldwide metalheads so much the tough ones… or – that’s wrong, I that brought them back like it all but what I wanna do myself are those to life. And I was one of beautiful ones. them, HOOKAH HEY!!

I think the new album consists of two parts.

Ted’s compositions are more aggressive, postpunk tracks, while yours are exploring the distant landscapes of NWOBHM with some little touches of speed metal here and some epic stuff there. I’m curious what kind of influence the following bands had on your musical taste: Agent Steel, Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Abattoir, Vampyr, Witch Cross, Metal Sword. I’m asking because I can hear the inspiration drawn from this bands, especially in the last track “Leave No Cross Unturned” I don’t think he does punk at all, he just does all the styles he likes from the whole

Are you satisfied by overall sound of the album? Why have you came up with an idea to do a separate mastering for CD and LP? It’s not why, it HAS to be done. It MUST. If you just do the CD mastering and press that as vinyl it won’t be so good. We know cuz we’ve done that. Just google around a bit and you’ll see what

I guess there’s a lot of albums going through your hands these days. Are there any albums that have caught your eye lately? What do you think about the following albums: Backwater “Revelation”, Blessed Death “Kill Or Be Killed”, Exorcist “Nightmare Theatre”, Post Mortem “Coroner’s Office”,Tyrant “Too Late To Pray”, Iron Angel “Hellish Crossfire”, Piledriver “Metal Inqusition”, Recipients of Death “Final Fight”, Armoros “Piece By Piece”, Warrant “First Strike”?

Piledriver has a couple of good tracks on each album, “Sex with Satan” is the best.

It’s got drum machine, so it’s a bit of a challenge to listen to. Didn’t like them much when I bought them in ‘86, got rid of them, but bought them again twenty years later, I missed them in my collection. Armoros I had since 1988 or 1989 from tapetrading, good but not total cult like Poison’s “Into the Abyss”, for instance. Recipients Of Death, that’s good for thrashing, but it’s only better than ok. At least better than all the retro thrash bands that got all the attention in the 00’s, the great retro thrash bands didn’t get attention, instead it was and still is Evile, blablabla, Municipal Waste of time, blablabla. Listen to the good bands instead, like Antichrist. Post Mortem I don’t even remember. Iron Angel I bought when they came out, but it was mostly boring for me then because I wanted only thrash… Wait, I bought them both in ‘86, if I bought “Hellish” in ‘85 I MIGHT have liked it more. But I was tired of most speed and heavy metal then. Anyway I like it better

Lee Aaron on “Beat ‘em Up”. And the Trop Feross’ vocals are out of this world. Yeah, so I didn’t like the typical female metal voxx like Lita Ford or that Warlock vocalist. It’s safe, it gives me nothing, no friction. And friction is what has the nerve of life, the live wire. Think if Bon Scott had been replaced by Dokken’s vocalist, hahahaha, no nerve left. Bah. There has been plenty of great metal vocalists the last years too - Christian Mistress, Murderess, The Devil’s Blood, Jex Thoth, Cauchemar, etc.

We live in extraordinary times – lots of classical bands, that haven’t been giving us any signs of life, came back. Attomica, Chakal, Sacred Reich, Hobbs’ Angel of Death, Morbid Saint, Sanctuary, Hammer, VooDoo, Winter, Pentagram, Wolfspider and many other bands have come back.

What do you think about those reunions?

Is there any band that you would particularly like to see coming back?

now, I never got rid of them (also “Winds of War”) but the second is too soft… or it doesn’t work. So “Hellish” is ok, a bit better than ok, but people seem to blow up the importance of it, I mean look at how they look on album number two, no need to take them THAT seriously. Deathrow’s first two albums are cooler. Tyrant is cool! But I discovered that in the 00’s as Oscar from Old introduced them to me. There were several bands called Tyrant but I have none on vinyl yet. Hm. Blackwater – I’ve never even heard about. And when it comes to Blessed Death, it was not a band I bought back when it came out but Oscar got me into them too, you have to be a total idiot or maybe shouldn’t listen to metal at all if you don’t like Blessed Death. Exorcist’s “Nightmare Theatre” is a bit cheesy but cool, I got it as a patch on my one vest.

Lately I’ve been listening to Arkham Witch a lot but only the good tracks, not the “Infernal Machine” track or what it’s called… and some other weaker ones I skip, but it’s got plenty of catchy old sounding stuff on it. And Corsair and Tusmørke, but most of all I listen to the first album by Turbo from Poland. The 4th song on that was is my fave metal track discovered in 2013, the album is from 1982. Again, I listen to whole albums, sure, but I am always DJ’ing and look for great tracks in that matter, so asking me about albums ain’t so fulfilling.

I really like the newVirus EP –“Oblivion Clock”.

Perfect stuff.

Back in the 80s there we some very talented female vocalists proving that ladies can handle extreme music just as good us men. Wendy O. Williams (Plasmatics) was a great example of that. Sabina Classen (Holy Moses) still has it, Lori Bravo (Nuclear Death) and Dawn Crosby (Détente) are also worth mentioning. How do you perceive this side of metal?

The vocalist of Sentinel Beast was the best.

I dislike typical female voxx, as I dislike typical male voxx, why the market always runs after AND MAKES KIDS listen to the typical is just disgusting and sad. Vocalist of Taist Of Iron was also fantastic, I even like

No, not if they want to sound modern. Many fear that they sound outdated so they do TOTALLY lame things, safe production, listening to people that run modern metal studios (DIE!). I have seen a few that are still really cool, and they have played our Live Evil Festival in London. Anyway, the live thing doesn’t really interest me, if you can’t sound good on albums you are just not metal enough to make the rights choices. You lost the soul of it all, perhaps. And others let their son or sibling take over… that went really well for Venom and Omen… NOT!!!

On the other hand there are numerous bands following the oldschool traditions.

Great examples of this trend are Bunker66, Trench Hell, Atomic Sin, Nekromantheon, Baphomet’s Blood, Deadly Frost, Cult Iron, Em Ruinas, Speedwolf, Grave Desecrator or Barbarian. There’s also a return to the 70’s tradition of evil rock. Jex Thoth, The Devil’s Blood, Ghost, Year of The Goat just to name a few.What do you think about this return? I think that the music has come some kind of full circle…

Speedwolf are almost destroying metal punk with total soulless modern drum sound, it’s unbearable. I was fearing someone would totally misunderstand the metalpunk sound and they managed to fuck it up a bit there, but nothing can destroy the real metalpunk of old times (like Warfare or English Dogs for instance) or new times, like Inepsy, Bastardator, Whipstriker. That’s what real metalpunk is. 2012 was the biggest year of 1970 style since the 70’s themselves, also pushed forward by all of us UG resistance people, thank you. Everyone knows what I think of these styles return since almost all of the bands you mentioned has been a Band Of The Week on my blog. I didn’t hear Cult Iron nor Atomic Sin, I think. For me that grew up with all the styles and didn’t want any new styles (I even had a problem with stoner rock and rawk, haha, but it was better than most extreme modern metal when it came to SOUND PRODUCTION). I am listening to “Kawaleria Szatana” vinyl of Polish band Turbo now, had it since ‘89 as Polish people sent it in the mail to ask for free demos of Darkthrone back, crazy, hahaha.

More and maniacs

more start

using new technologies to rip music from LP’s to digital media such as flac or wav files. It keeps their precious vinyls protected from the bad influence of time.

It also enables to listen to the music that holds nearly the same sound quality as LP. When did you start doing that?

Since I got the program some five years ago, I’ve been using it to record riffs, transfer tapes and so on. And I can only listen WITH QUALITY AT WORK, when I listen like this while doing interview or drinking it’s not a perfect listen. Everything sounds ok, but when I hear at work and can rate every song on the little notes I make of paper for my vast CD holder bags, I have perfect oversight, songs turn into killers or losers real fast, hehe. I also don’t wanna fuck up my vinyls and play instead from CD as a DJ, but often CD’s that are ripped from vinyls, which is the best you can get. Vinyl players have several weaknesses, and as a DJ you face shitty equipment everywhere too, so… Plus, as a DJ you HAVE to get drunk and then the vinyl is even more breakable. It’s just a lot of hassle I don’t need, TRACK SELECTION is the absolute key as a DJ anyway.

Peaceville have reiussed Neptune Towers’ records with some samples of the third, unreleased album called “Spacelab”. Is there any chance that “Spacelab” will be released in the future or maybe you have never finished this project?

Who even likes Neptune Towers? I found a tape that might be a raw mix of it but if I didn’t want it released then and still don’t want to now cuz I don’t think it’s good enough, why would people wanna hear it?

In the mid-90’s there were some rumors about the new Isengard EP, but nothing happened. Do you have any unreleased recordings of Isengard?

I can’t remember anything about an Isengard EP, sorry.

You were great friends with Satyr back in the 90’s,

you used to talk about Satyricon in interviews etc. What do you think about their current music music and Satyr in general? Are you still close friends?

I was fed up a looooooooooooooong time ago and told him to never contact me again.

Satyricon got better and better, it beats the early stuff with flute and so on anyways. As me, he was good at writing those “Messiah” (Hellhammer) riffs, rocking black metal founded by Hellhammer in ’83-‘84.

I remember Euronymous’ words about “Under a Funeral Moon” right after the recordings of this album. He said it was the blackest album ever released. It’s still essential, so tell me how do you see this record after 20 years? Are there any plans for an anniversary release like it was with “A Blaze in the Northern Sky” album?

Yes, but they are late with their anniversary releases. “Under a Funeral Moon” was written from late 1991 till we recorded it in 1992. It is our only real and true black metal album, and only one with all three members, after it was recorded the others disappeared and moved away, they thought the whole ‘Helvete-scene’ was getting ridiculous.“Under a Funeral Moon” was a fist in the face of all the other bands that made black metal progressive and futuristic, “Under a Funeral Moon” is total 80’s-retroBM. And in the studio we did extreme things to get total cold sound, no tom toms, hi-hat louder than the rest of the drums EXCEPT world’s loudest floor tom…

And guitar sound from cold hell. Recorded in our homeplace Kolbotn, only 6000-7000 people still live there and this studio also recorded “Deathcrush: by mayhem in 1986/1987.

Some time ago, you’ve given a great lecture on black metal that was recorded and put on Youtube, entitled “Black Metal University”. How did it happen? Have you prepared yourself for this recording in any special way? Can we expect any sequel?

It was one of the scenes for “Until the Light Takes Us” movie, but they said it didn’t end up in the movie. I never saw the movie. But maybe it was an extra on the DVD. And then someone put it on Youtube. I didn’t see these things BECAUSE I ALREADY DID THEM and I have little time in my everyday life. And being THAT cold as a person is a great part of being norsk black metaller too. You gotta be able to be cold and warm and all ages, hehe. Seriously.

Wandering through the mountains and forests is your great passion, to a level at which you have recorded a track that was a tribute to your Splitkein skis. Also it’s no secret that you’re working with some environmental protection agencies. Can you tell us some more about it?

I never had Splitkein, but many others.

Splitkein sounds best as a title. I also did “ATOMIC coming”. I am into preserving old growth forest areas, I am against them being fragmentized. Not much more to say, nature is a place you gotta BE, I hate talking about why I like it, around Oslo there is 1600 square KILOMETRES of forest and lakes and hills, it is naturally a part of us Oslo people.

As a person contributing to the underground scene since 1987 how do you perceive the relations between death and black metal scene back in the ‘87-‘91 and now? What has changed in people’s mentality? What is the main motivation for young people to play this music nowadays and what was it then?

There was no black metal scene, it was fragmentized but ALL OVER THE GLOBE. Fantastic. And no certain style was called “black metal”, just the way I like it, it was a primordial soup of blackened metal, one can say the first Testament album is thrash and “Infernal Overkill” by Destruction is thrash, but you are total idiot if you can’t hear that Testament is just thrash and Destruction has also black metal in it. So also an album like first Possessed could be both thrash and death and black, no problem. This is where I come from and this is where I always stayed and still am.

Nothing changed. But those of us who were there had already lived through heavy rock of late 60’s and all of the 70’s and punk and all the metal styles before thrash and black and death… it was all just evolving. I almost can’t talk to people who first met metal with some Emperor album from ‘94, those people seem to just ignore the history completely. It was better with the kids meeting the metal scene

in 2004 because then diversity had kicked in, and diversity was growing and Internet gave a real good overview so people quickly knew where metal came from… And it’s even better nowadays.

You guys do not hide your influences from the punk scene. Black Flag’s band name has found its place in one of your record titles. Why did this band was so important to you? Have you been following Henry Rollins’ works after the band broke up?

Nor did Venom or Voivod or Slayer or Sepultura or Metallica. Just to mention A FEW. Nah, I just like to listen to Black Flag a bit now and then, hehe. Dead Kennedys’ “Plastic Surgery Disasters” is my main punk album, but I was never musically influenced by them.

Speaking of the punk scene…Do you know a Dutch band Seein’ Red? What do you think of Polish cold wave bands form the 80s? Do you know any of these bands: Siekiera, Made In Poland, Brygada Kryzys, Republika, Tilt?

I had Siekiera on my podcast for a clothing company called Actual Pain. I don’t know the others, I am just one person and it’s impossible to hear it all, especially as music with distorted guitar is only half my passion, or 60%. I spend a lot of time listening to all sorts of other music as well, I am a music personality more than anything.

Lately there have been few re-releases of your albums such as “Hate Them”, “Plaguewielder”, “Ravishing Grimness” and “Goatlord”, all with changed front cover arts. Many people can’t afford to buy first presses of your LPs as they reach some killer prices on eBay, so this reissues will certainly influence the prices for the original presses, making them even more valuable. This is some bad news to all of those who would like to have your albums with the original cover art. As an oldschool maniac I’m suppose that it is not without any meaning for you if buy the album with the original cover art instead of a totally new one. Well, the musical content of the thing is still most important but many of us have a more sentimental approach to it and every minor change will make their experience less intense. What do you think about it?

Stupid Photoshop covers. No, rereleases are great, great, great, I always only wanted good distribution with my albums AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES. So when someone re-released first Cirith Ungol I am happy cuz I can get it for 200 kroners instead of 950. I think I have the right to change covers but I must let people cry about this in forums unlimited. In the 80’s there were no forums and people got a job and bought albums, much like I do. That’s what happened to the mentality that you were wondering about before, perhaps.

A few years ago a book entitled “Lords of Chaos” came out. It was supposed to document the dramatic events of the 90’s Norwegian black metal scene. Shortly after that publication information about the film adaptation emerged. How do you perceive such initiatives referring to the events you were part of?

What, didn’t that book come in ‘97? And movie plans like 2009? Anyway I just heard what the insiders here told me about the book and it seems very misguided. I have made black metal in my life but for sooo many years I have to talk about a book made by someone who doesn’t even FEEL the black metal?! Fuck that. Totally boycott.

The

well-known

“Moonfog

2000”

compilation had one track from your new project Eibon. You’ve played in this project alongside such great musicians as Phil Anselmo, Satyr, Maniac and Killjoy. The other track from this session can be found on the web, stuff from demo ‘99 can also be found there. How come nobody has ever released this stuff? It just asks for a 7” vinyl EP! I won’t even mention working on full-length album…

Is there any chance that such material from Eibon could be summoned?

“Mirror Soul Jesus” just KILLS! It would be such a shame if all those tracks got wasted…

Maniac never joined, as far as I know. It was great to experience the hospitality of Phil Anselmo, but I can’t work with Satyr at all.

Thanks to you, since 2011 London hosts Evil Live Festival. Can you reveal us the line-up for 2013?

You gotta follow that online, I don’t know what I can say at any time … don’t wanna say too much.

Thank you very much for your time. If you want to share anything with readers of Oldschool Metal Maniac – as always the last word is yours!

Listen to Hour Of 13!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki, Piotr Brewiński & Jacek Kossacki

There has already been an interview with Grave Desecrator before you released your second album, “Insult”. What has happened since then?

Hi Leszek! After the release of “Insult” we did some dates in Brazil, Chile and the extensive and wild “Desecration Europe Tour”.

We played in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Romania and Bulgaria. After the European tour we did some gigs in Brazil alongside the Chilean band Communion, we also recorded an unreleased song for a split with Augrimmer (Ger), but it still has no date to be released. We ended 2012 with the release of “Unblessed Bootleg” with a recorded set in Bressuire, France at the request of the Romanian label Sun & Moon Records. In 2013 we´ll have more dates in Brazil, including a gig in São Paulo with Archgoat, Black Witchery and Impurity, and a gig in Rio de Janeiro with Mystifier. But this year we are focused on the next album.

I know, that you have a new album scheduled. Can you provide some details, like the title, the label and maybe some stories from the recording session?

At the moment we don’t have a title for the new album. It will be released

by Pulverized Records, our new label, and some partners, Hell’s Headbangers and Blood Harvest. We are still working on the songs and we are recording some rehearsals. What I can say is that this album will have a more fetid smell than anything we’ve done so far. Grave Desecrator is rotting constantly. It’s how we see our evolution.

Zbyszek Bielak has been picked to create the front cover. He didn’t want to tell me anything, maybe you can reveal some details?

My words couldn’t describe his art. Just wait for the worst!

Last year, you were touring Europe.

You recorded and released an official bootleg – “Live in Bressuire, France”. What do you think about fans and the old continent? Was it your first visit in Europe?

The “Desecration Europe Tour” was our second tour in the old continent. And I can say that many necromaniacs Europeans are as wild as the people from South America! We will always remember the bottles flying, the bleeding faces and all savagery of gigs in Oberhausen, Oslo, Rome, London, etc. In some places people are calm but the heads of the Europeans are always banging.

Are you planning a new tour?

We don’t have any plans for a tour in 2013.

As I said before we are preparing our new album and we have just booked a few gigs in Brazil. We have plans to go to some countries in South America in 2014, maybe also to USA, and we will return to Europe.

Brazilian metal is growing strong in recent years. You have so many fucking awesome bands like Hell, Em Ruínas, Hellkomander, Kaos Kommando, Nuctemeron, Executer, Necrófago, Insulter, Invoker, Dissector, Infernal Noise, Necrose and many more. It is

similar to the unforgettable 80’s Brazilian metal scene. As a lifelong metal musician, what do you think about that revival?

I am involved in Grave Desecrator producing black metal since the 90’s, and nowadays is the best time ever. Brazil is still full of shitty bands too, singing about snow, Odin, and wanting to be like Behemoth or some other gothic-shit-rock, but the REAL Brazilian bands are producing more and more these days. Look for Poisonous, The Unhaligäst, Ad Baculum and Bode Preto, for example.

Also, many of the oldest metal bands reunite these days - Attomica, Vulcano, Chakal, Holocausto. For me it’s awesome.

It has to be very exciting to share the stage with that bands. Tell me, with which legendary Brazilian band would you like to play on same stage?

I think it isn’t so “awesome”. I haven’t and I don’t want to hear anything new of Attomica.

Vulcano without Angel on vocals, for me, is not Vulcano. Sorry, I wish all the best for them, they still play metal, but fuck it! I’m a fan of old Angel. For me is one of the best singers in the world! Chakal is just OK. The last album of Holocaust is a big SHIT! They made an album on

the wave of reunions.

The same happened with Sextrash. The 80’s are gone! Wake up!

I think if you change your mind, your lifestyle and philosophy, and play metal just for fun and money, your music will be a great piece of shit and you will hear praises from cocksuckers only. Soon we will have the honor of play with the legend Mystifier!

Your music is full of Sarcófago and Slayer inspiration. Many people told me that “Insult” is one of the very best metal album of 2010. What is your opinion about your CD? My inspiration has always been the dirt, the violence and the Satanic Metal! The album “Insult”, and everything I do, is it! And nothing more! “Insult” is a great album and I’m very proud to have done it. I don’t think the best album of 2010. This album is better than that and I hate dates! I prefer to say that this album proves that Brazil still has a place on the top of the extreme metal in the world!

I hope, that you listen to many different bands – both old and new ones. Which records you’ve been listening in the last three months? What do you think about new Darkthrone album?

Yeah, I’m listening to old and new bands all the time but I don’t care about dates.

In the last three months I have listened to the old stuff of Profanatica, the new Autopsy album, The Devil’s Blood, the strange Barn Owl, Necrolust (Brazil), Communion (Chile), Diamanda Galás, GG Allin, horror movies soundtracks, etc. etc.

Just the pain from Hell! I’ve heard one track from the new Darkthrone album.

It’s original but after five minutes gets boring.

Thank you for your time, maybe you want tell something to your fans?

Thanks a lot Leszek! And you, necromaniacs and sinners from this world… Stay in the shadows! See you soon with a new album created in the womb of the mother of all abominations! AVE SATHANAS!

www.gravedesecrator.com www.facebook.com/gravedesecrator666 P.O.BOX 8018 Rio de Janeiro RJ 21032-970 Brazil

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

gospel of the horns

time lapse between “Realm of the Damned” and “Ceremonial Conjuration”. I believe the new tracks contain the raw essence of Gospel, however the big improvement came in the production. We really wanted it to combine the live qualities of the band, as if the riffs were coming at the listener head on like a hammer to the face.

Hail Howizter! First I want to congratulate you for your last release, “Ceremonial Conjuration” really kicked my ass badly – has there been any negative opinions about this EP? If there were any, I think somebody must have listened to some other record by mistake, haha!

Greetings to you and your readers...

Haha, well, I must say the responses to the new Gospel offering have been very positive, especially due to the

Between “Ceremonial Conjuration” and your latest release there’s a five year-long break. What were you doing during that time? I know you split up in 2008, but I don’t know how long did the hiatus last?

And what made you decide to start again?

Certainly around the release of “Realm Of The Damned” it was a pretty fucked up time for the band, in fighting, stressful tours… You name it, it happened. We basically had enough of all the shit. But alas that was then, 2012 is a different story. We have a solid line-up, new songs to play in the live set and lots of killer festivals and gigs to launch into. I can honestly say it’s a really positive time for the Gospel

camp. With the release of “Ceremonial Conjuration” our decision to forge ahead will be more than justified.

When I am listening to “Ceremonial Conjuration” I get the impression that your music hasn’t changed much – it’s just more aggressive in my opinion, and more barbarian as well, if I can use the word. But at the same time it is a little more rhythmic, it isn’t as fast as your previous album, would you agree?

The first thing that comes to mind with “Ceremonial Conjuration” is old school black metal laden with a raw thrashing approach delivered in Gospel’s harshness and devastating energy. I believe it’s much better than “Realm Of the Damned” in that its far more filthy in its deliverance and message. The production is by far the best to date, everything sits well in the mix also. The aim was to get a sound so cutting in its delivery that it felt as if a blackened volcano was coming up through the floor boards when you heard it.

gospel of the horns

I can see where people can see the similarity in both bands with aggression, attitude and power which comes from our scene down under but I must say that in my eyes we really are carved in our own identity, both in the music and delivery. Those are fond memories for me whilst in D666, especially as KK and I came from the same country town and were now going to be recording on the same release. Once the “Unchain the Wolves” LP was out I took over the bass duties for the live shows (to support the release of „Unchain the Wolves”) and we got Wazza (Anatomy) to take over the drums. Once these shows were completed - I decided to activate Gospel of the Horns once more.

“...My lyrics mostly deal with warfare and anti-Christianity.

The constant struggle, strife, ane unending resistance to stand alon against the crowd. Stripping back, then tearing apart religious dictates mass media propaganda etc.

Never give way to conformism...”

“Ceremonial Conjuartion” ends with Goatlord’s cover and in my opinion it fits perfectly. Why did you decide to record this song?

Other than choosing a cover which every known band has done we thought we’d do something a little left of centre. It’s a killer track taken from the bands 1987 demo, pure filth indeed! Actually at Gospel first show back in 1995 we played „the Fog” live also. Also a little while ago Joe Frankulin from Goatlord contacted us and said he really liked our version, which was really cool to hear.

This EP, just like many of your previous recordings, has been released under the banner of Invictus Productions, so probably it’s a trustworthy label – you’re so many years with them, am I right?

Indeed, Gospel have been in collaboration with Invictus since 2002… It’s a solid union, of course there have been some testing times for both parties but we certainly are very happy with everything Darragh has done to promote the band and more importantly stick with us through thick and thin.

“Ceremonial Conjuration” consists of quite memorable yet still extreme metal music. And it is, in some way, your trademark now. Yet in your beginnings your music was more primitive in my opinion. Do you think we can call it progression (it doesn’t matter this word doesn’t fit your music, haha)?

The first thing that comes to mind with our old material is an old school black metal laden with a raw thrashing approach. Of course one will find elements of old Frost, Bathory, Venom and Sodom infused with a hellish jagged edge from one’s own craft… this form of music embodies both the harshness and devastating energy which can only be expected from the infernal realms of damnation. As for “Ceremonial Conjuration”, we are extremely satisfied with it. Neck breaking speed combined with all the attributes Gospel are renowned for… A new day dawns!

Your last recordings are in some way similar to Deströyer 666’s music. And I don’t mean the sound or songs’ structures (but I can hear some similarities, especially if we are talking about catchy riffs), but about the whole feeling - total devotion to the satanic metal and nothing more. How influential was the fact of playing with them at some point or maybe it is a common feature of most Aussie bands?

I’ve read your lyrics and I’ve noticed that in many of them (for example „The Power of Darkness” from your last fulllength album) you compare your band to the some kind of an evil army where members are the soldiers, songs are your armor etc. So, is metal music some kind of battle against Judeo-Christian culture and legacy? Or maybe there are some better ways to fight this plague?

My lyrics mostly deal with warfare and anti-Christianity. The constant struggle, strife, an unending resistance to stand alone against the crowd. Stripping back then tearing apart religious dictates, mass media propaganda etc. Never give way to conformism, Awareness is empowering/ be the master of one’s own fate. My end goal lyrically (and musically) is to enhance the overall feeling and atmosphere with our craft and invoke the will of the listener to take on all comers.

If you are prepared to go along to get along and not think outside of the box, you risk being caught in the undertow of a doomed society or worse… Fight fire with fire!!!

Also on “Realm Of The Damned” there’s a sentence in one of the lyrics: ‘You think that when you die you go to heaven... you come to us’. So, what is your point of view on the religion, how do you describe yourself? As a Satanist or an atheist?

To be brutally honest I took this from my favorite horror film “Phantasm”.. Nothing more, nothing less! Religion along with politics is fucked.. Never compromise, never surrender! My previous answer

helps explain my views on this topic!

One thing I really hate is a stupid phenomenon of Christian influences in metal generally.

Why are some people so stupid to mix those two things? Shit, “Christian metal” is some kind of a fuckin’ oxymoron, don’t you think?

The fusion of this into extreme music in my opinion is total absurdity…

These people are desperate, weak and lacking in moral character… mindless, blind sheep. The mightiest always rise to the fore, whether it is through the power of inventiveness or fierce virtuosity. Our track “Slaves” hammers home this message twofold. Awareness is empowering / be the master of one’s own fate. Activate! Dominate!

Obliterate! Crush!

Another song from “Realm Of The Damned” with some interesting lyrics is „1915” – about the battle of Gallipoli, where the Australian soldiers participated. But they lost and according to my knowledge the main reason was a mistake with landing. Do you think, if they haven’t landed on AZNAC cove the battle would have been won by the Aussie soldiers? What made you decide to record such a song, as a tribute to them?

Yes you are correct in that the original landing at ANZAC Cove was a total disaster. Our troops were sent ashore to the wrong location. They were faced with ragged cliff tops, heavily fortified bunkers etc… The Anzacs were mowed down in heavy numbers. It was none other than the British led by Winston Churchill who made this fateful

blunder! No English troops were sent ashore, just the Australian and New Zealand troops. The track “1915” deals more with the battle at Lone Pine, which was more inland and a bit later than the Anzac beach landing. The fighting was ferocious, mainly with hand to hand combat.. I’m to believe this was the last real battle which was fought with bayonets and fists. This track is dedicated our glorious fallen soldiers who fell that bloodied day.

Concernig the last question... What is so special in your country? Most of the bands from Australia are really asskicking groups, raw and true. To name only a few – GOTH, Deströyer 666, Bestial Warlust, Vomitor... Or maybe it is only a cliché? You know – Australia with only devilish acts, Norway and their clack metal scene, Sweden with lots of melodic death metal bands...

Certainly with the bands you’ve mentioned the Australian scene has a proud and mighty history. I think our scene embodies both the harshness and devastating energy which should only be expected from metal, and with this comes the respect our scene has gotten from the rest of the world. As for today’s environment I would encourage your readers to check out Portal, Mongrels Cross, Cauldron Black Ram, Cemetery Urn, Trench hell, Order of Orias, Denouncement Pyre, Lustration, Grave Upheaval, Innsmouth, Ignivomous, Hellbringer, Assaulter, Destruktor, Impetuous Ritual.

In your career (if I can use the term) you surely came across all the plagues of the underground, am I right? There were some unprofessional labels, unprofessional musicians, band’s hiatus etc. Which was the worst?

I think nothing can ever surpass the complete fuck up of a label Eindstand Records from Italy. This mob were given the simple job of releasing our demo from 1995 on CD (back in 1996) Well didn’t these useless fuckheads totally screw up..

Wrong band photo on the booklet, lyrics incorrectly printed, the list goes on! Was there ever a bigger balls up than this?

I think not! What an unprofessional bunch of cluster fucks they were!!!

I know that some years ago you were planning a gig in Poland, but (according to some gossips) you spent all your money on drugs and chicks in some European country? How far from the truth is that?

Haha, well, there were no drugs, no naked chicks… The reason we didn’t

make it was because we couldn’t get ourselves there physically and mentally!

The distance was totally unreasonable, given the time frame we had to arrive there.

And secondly it was the last date on the tour, we were all burnt out.. That tour was killer indeed, but man it was hard yakka… Total boozed filled mayhem indeed… But I promise Gospel will finally invade your shores in 2013!

I know you provide some exclusive merchandise for your gigs, like for this show with Sodom, where one could buy special t-shirts, etc. – is it because you don’t play too often and each gig is a special one? More than a three monthslong tour would be?

Yeah, well, the Sodom shows we printed 100 special shirts, for these shows. The artwork was done by Deathdealer from the mighty Vomitor… They sold out during the second show. Being that I’ve been a total Sodom maniac from the old days I really wanted to press some shirts as I was gonna be playing shows along my all time favorite band. They are really cool guys, they were really bone crushing, pulverizing gigs. The last big tour we done was back in 2008 in America. Those days are long gone now, we prefer to do 2 week blitzkrieg tours along with Festivals during the summer months in Europe.

Gospel Of The Horns is a real underground band, that is obvious. But where in your opinion the underground ends and mainstream starts? And does the mainstream always equal shit to you?

It never really entered my mind to be honest... However I will say this, mainstream is biased, they want the artists to make music the way that is most popular and most profitable, regardless of the artist expressing himself/herself (what music is truly for)… This something that will never infest our ranks.. Creative freedom, the will to stand alone in the crowd will always be the corner Gospel of the Horns stand in… None shall defy!

I saw that you’ve done some interviews for webzines. I guess you are not one of those oldschoolers, which never ever spot themselves with cooperation with notprinted zine? What is your opinion about this kind of metal media?

Must go with the times man. Of course we don’t want saturated, overkill, in your face exposure.. The scene (for use of a better term) is swamped with to much shit as it is, but I’ve no issues with the continuation of supporting the underground through webzines and the like.

An acronym of your moniker is quite unsuitable to your music, haha – GOTH. What do you think about this kind of music – is it still metal for you?

Honestly, I hate all this bands with sad boys and fat girls in stupid dresses, haha...

I never realised this before haha, we better shit over our records and flush them down the toilet! Maybe use our shirts for ass wipe paper. Man we despise GOTH music Absolute self contrived rubbish… And yes most of the chicks are heavier than a ten tonne wrecking ball haha!

There are books about Swedish death metal, worldwide death metal, Scandinavian black metal etc. Is there any possibility to write a book about the Australian metal scene? What do you think, what role would Gospel Of The Horns play there?

I’m sure we do have a couple of books on this topic, in fact check out “Encyclopedia of Australian Metal”. It dates way back to Buffalo, AC/DC, Rose Tattoo right up to Deströyer 666 and co. The most important thing for Gospel has always been create our own sound and identity, and without sounding arrogant I think we have succeeded in this area both in our releases and live assaults. I think this sums up our dedication, and attitude perfectly Ha! It’s up to the individual on how they will perceive us (creatively or historically)... If they don’t approve of us well fuck‘em, we have always done things on our terms anyway!

Australia is a member of Commonwealth, you are the serfs of the British monarchy, so I wonder– why the fuck sakes do you keep it that way? I know you people voted and your mates agreed on the personal union with Great Britain – but why? Were you for or against, if I may ask?

I’m still asking myself this same question man.. Screw the monarchy. The Monarchy contradicts democracy. Monarchy denies the people a basic right. Monarchs are not impartial, and lack accountability.

I could go and bloody on.

Well, and something light for the end of this interview – what albums did you listen to during this interview?

Cianide “Gods of Death”, Vomitor “The Escalation”, Iron Maiden “Killers”, Antichrist “Forbidden World” and Scorpions “In Trance”. Cheers for the support maniac and greetings to all the crazy Polish bastards.. Take the oath, pledge ‘till Death! Howitzer.

- Oracle

BUNKER 66

Infernö Interceptörs LP 2012 High Roller Rec To that, the Italian scene has always had a strong connotation with the Lord of Hell, I do not need anyone to be persuaded. And while The local scene was perhaps too big, it had a huge impact on the development of extreme forms of expression. Whenever there were always some bands from that region of the world, that had a lot to say. Just mention the few signs to make sure that the Italian metal should be bestow due respect: DEATH SS, BULLDOZER, NECRODETH, Mortuary DRAPE, BARBARIAN or SCHIZO. For this elite group of Italian giants certainly can include Bunker 66, and although the band is only 6 years old, has already done a lot of mess on the world stage. BUNKER 66 blows most of the metal, which is released in the moment. Their debut “Inferno interceptors” is a total homage for old-school metal. On these eight compositions that make up this infernal piece, presented is an engaging hellish rock’n’roll. There is in these tracks a lot of quickness, it smells like sulfur, and at the same time it is very simple in form.

There is no postural to being Yngiwe Malmsteen, from pound to pound giving blows to the back of the head. Rude, full of dirt, squalid sound, and everything lined with punk. This is the real strength of these numbers, and for this great riffs. Each number is memorable for a damn long. Guys do not have their muse resistance to refer to the classic hordes: MOTORHEAD, BATHORY, DISCHARGE, VENOM, MERCYFUL FATE, and at the same time they do so fucking awesome that despite the many references, no one would even think to criticize. I will say more, BUNKER 66 seems to have the same approach to making music as now DARKTHRONE. These two bands do not shun the inspiration of 80s, thats why there is so many relationships in their music, but they have the right approach and understanding of how should sound nowadays metal, which is a very important element. Both bands attach great importance to the organic sound, so this is such an overwhelming force, and at the same time it is as much sincere emotion, passion, true devotion. I think Bunker 66 is one of the most promising bands that will surely achieve much, and certainly not once you will hear of them. If for some strange reason this album has not fallen into your hands off yet, go buy it as soon as possible, because the print run fairly quickly melts, and then will be only gnashing of teeth. “Inferno interceptors” shall be mandatory on the shelf with your favorite albums!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki MANILLA ROAD

Out Of The Abyss LP 2013 High Roller Rec

Already on the previous work, “Mystification” (1987) MANILLA ROAD showed some leanings towards some harsher forms of expression. You can hear there was a fascination with thrash metal and even though it was still quite undirected play, showed in the gentle way the direction in which the group intends to follow on the next album. And so it happened. “Out of the Abyss” is largely an album with considerable influence of the genre. Obviously the material is not deprived of the essential features of the band. There’s still here, epic heavy metal vibe. The band did not change by any means style, but threw to what they already developed over the years some of its elements, which is slightly aggressiveness so characteristic in the thrash metal. 80s in the U.S. is an explosion of thrash metal scene, it is not surprising that this species has partially got through to the music of MANILLA ROAD. “Out of the Abyss” is not a bad album, but unfortunately way of playing by Randy (Thrasher) Foxe is very chaotic, difficult to read and it sounds as if the material was recorded on the pads rather than an acoustic drum kit.

Unfortunately this is the weakest part of the album. It’s hard to believe that this is the same drummer, who came to the band to record with it magnum opus “Open The Gates”. The music itself creates a very interesting whole, because it is a really good album. We have a very spacious recordings with a strong voice of Mark, who occasionally does a high chants. You can hear a wider vocal range and feel that his voice, after chronic illness that plagued him for the last few years, he returned to form.

Therefore Mark is not afraid to experiment, in an interesting way fitting into the whole of their high parts. There is a lot hoarse voice but also clean vocals.

The guitar is also a fucking great done.

Quick thrash metal picking, phenomenal solos. Great playing by Scott on bass.

Well, the drums a little spoil the final effect, too bad. Yes, hear are a lot of broken syncopated rhythms, a technique, but it all sounds like Randy pounded in a cardboard box or tin pots, and the drum sound is strangely blurry, difficult to read. To sum up “Out Of Abyss” as a whole, is a really good album, but the only good one, and it could have been phenomenal if the drums sounded like the “Open The Gates”. I think that the material originally appeared under the name Black Dragon in 1988, and after years in a slightly refreshed as the newlook resumed it on vinyl High Roller Rec.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki MANILLA ROAD

Atlantis Rising LP 2013 High Roller Re-release of Manilla ROAD excellent work that originally appeared in 2001, nearly 12 years after that High Roller resumed this album on vinyl only appropriate carrier. The new release bearing new graphic design, presents itself really uprightly still like to add that this is the issue on the white vinyl makes a really big impression so much for when it comes to basic information about this release, but let’s focus on

the most essential things that is music content of Atlantis Rising first post-reunion album which is undoubtedly a very strong come back from the grave.

Although before Mark Shelton decided to release this material under the name of Manilla ROAD had slightly different plans for these compositions. Fortunately album was released as a manilla ROAD instead of the originally planned SHARK. Atlantis Rising is largely many common of references to Mystification or even earlier The Deluge so that album had a very solid framework for new songs that perfectly correspond to the above-mentioned works. The whole disc divided into four sections. Opening the first part Rise (of Atland) over 8 minute song Megaldon perfectly serves as the introduction to the story. From the first sounds of knocks powerful guitar, attracts a wealth of musical landscapes.

The song gradually becomes more and more spacious, a lot of tempo changes very endearing extended guitar solos are doing really great impression. Another composition is much shorter in less than three minutes, but very lyrical song Lemuria. The last composition closing the first chapter is over seven minute title track Atlantis Rising. From the beginning, emanates a distant oriental atmosphere. This is overflowing with the pathos, a powerful force. Marks vocals very clearly give the whole a kick.

Chapter 2 The Fall (of Atland) begins phenomenal Sea Witch with the ballad character. Mark is a great storyteller, the whole flows from acoustic climate into breathtaking guitar variation on the theme. Great though rather short composition. Another killer on the album is the track Resurrection with the powerful exposed guitar leads. Powerful riffs deal blows like a skillful warrior fighting on the battlefield. Also attracts attention, extremely rich in passages solo, perfectly complementing the 2nd guitar. Closing 2nd part Decimation is a more somber piece carrying the echoes of ancient battles. Some aggressiveness heard in quite guttural vocals of Mark. It is rage in this tempered with climate solos. You can go crazy listening to these sounds. Chapter 3 Bifrost (The Rainbow Bridge) opens Fight Of The Ravens.

Again, for a change, starting with an acoustic guitar composition with narration of Mark which like old bard leads the listener into a mysterious atmosphere. Moments later a hard-sounding guitar dissipates mysterious fog to strike with tremendous force. Here again, solo guitars make on my body goose bumps.

And how can you not be a maniac of this band... Great built climate, Mark masterfully interweaves lyrical passages with strong racial-sounding heavy metal, guitar solos give here even additional noble grinding by creating an incredibly rich in atmosphere music. It is not without significance here, extremely vividly played drum parts, driving all the great music. A lot of frills, breakbeat drums very interestingly arranged. Another blow March Of The Gods is extremely aggressively starting piece for a change. A lot of this venom but also weight. The fourth and final part of The Battle (Of Midgard) begins a little sleepy ballad Siege of Atland.

Perfectly built gradually growing atmosphere with each moment takes on

greater momentum. The whole gradually hardens becoming a powerful war machine. Again and again cut through the whole with lyrical atmosphere creates an interesting piece. Closing the album War Of The Gods has a lot of drama in itself, a kind of theatricality but also the power. Many there uprisings.

Strong cuting through the whole hard riffs that soothe ballad fragments of a mysterious, form an almost magical atmosphere. Once again, amazes intricate structure of the composition. Great arrangements, masterful quality ... The whole Atlantis Rising is a phenomenal work, a true masterpiece.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

WITCHBURNER

Bloodthirsty Eyes LP 2013 High Roller German Witchburner are veterans of the local thrash metal scene. Their origins date back to 1992. “Bloodthirsty Eyes” is their seventh full-length album, and the fourth, in turn, signed with cover of Jowita Kaminska. Choice the most accurate, because she’s talented beast.

As for the musical content of the work, this time we get a little over 35 minutes total thrash metal rocking with this vocals a la Jeff Becerra, which destroys everything. Hecker Piono vomits congealed blood with such force that many a hellish beast would be jealous of that voice. The music from the first sounds not raise doubts with what band we face. “Bloodthirsty Eyes” firmly rooted in the style of the 80s, refers to the time of great KREATOR “Endless Pain” Dark Angel “Darkness Descends” POSSESSED “Seven Churches” or EXODUS “Bonded By Blood”. I wish more of such music. These guys blow the fuck out all other bands no matter old or new. In those days, almost no one does not play thrash metal. All the time it smells like hell, there is this a bit of dirt, but it’s really powerful, and at the same music even shocking classic formula.

It’s a real good old school metal. There is no low number. What one piece, it’s hell hammer blow to the back of the head. After due consideration of the album, it will be hard for you to pick up, there is no place for jokes. Finally, to finish off those who are after all the blows somehow hold on their feet, Witchburner serves us cover EXODUS “Bonded by Blood”. Total destruction and annihilation. Fucking awesome!

I think that album was released on white vinyl and looks really uprightly!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki AUTOPSY

The Headless Ritual CD 2013 Peaceville Rec It seems that this time AUTOPSY were successful in reaching for their first fruits from the times of “Severed Survival”. And although “Macabre Eternal” was quite close to this atmosphere, the new material seems to follow the same paths as the work of 1989. Of course, the previous material held in more dirt and was less accessible, but in “Headless Ritual” you can pick up more space.

The sound is clearer, but not without roughness.

Chris’s vocals are more varied. You can heard a note of madness and obsession which is, of course, nothing new in the case of Chris. You can also hear a lugging emotions; however, there is more drama of vocal diversity. The music itself, however having a strong skeleton embedded in the classical formula, is not afraid to turn a wider circles and to run out of a typical conventions to which we are accustomed when it comes to AUTOPSY. So, on the one hand “The Hadless Ritual” is a nod to the old fans, but also a blink to a new generation of listeners. This material is definitely more accessible and easy to assimilate for not accustomed to this style listeners. However, it is also able to satisfy the appetites of devoted followers of the group.

It is still the same band making stinking with corpse rot death/gore metal; although this time, it seems that the corpse is a little bit fresher.

But still the ugly smell bites everywhere waking madness and terror.

Slow, massive and almost funeral fragments press the listener into the ground with such force that it is hard to pick up. Piercing mind solos cut with such force that the blood pours out of the ears, and black blood poured out of speakers with a continuous stream flooding everyone with haemorrhages in order to like a famished beast hit with the artillery force. Thickens atmosphere can be felt under the skin with the presence of materializing nightmares that take physical form. It gets deathly cold. These sounds can create atmosphere of horror movies. But it should not surprise anyone, since these guys love horror movies that have left their mark on band’s work. In conclusion, the material is not the band ‘s ‘opus magnum’, it is still fucking good. AUTOPSY never recorded an album below certain level. And it is quite demanding with respect to its own music band, so you can easily put your hands on this album. Have a nice neighbour torture with the music.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki GRAVE

Morbid Ascent EP 2013 Century Media The new release of Swedes is a fivetrack EP which featured two new songs and a cover of SATYRICON plus newly recorded track from the “Sexual Mutilation” demo. We can also hear a secial remix of Epos (Risen from the Tomb) and to make it more interesting, it contains guest appearance of Eric Cutler (Autopsy). The first are brand new numbers – opening the whole “Venial Sin” that has a lot of moments in the nature of many of the classic early recordings of this fine group, The next to show is the title

track and it is one of the strongest accents on this record. Really death metal deck number. Ss the 3rd emerges cover of Satyricon “Possessed”.

Surprisingly GRAVE version seems to sound much more interesting than the original, especially thanks to a very solid sound; however, the performance is also really overwhelming.

The next number is a very interesting version of the “Epic” (Risen from the Tomb) In this track there is so much quickness, as well as heaviness which like a tar pleasantly pours from the speakers plus the destructive solo that do awesome job. The entire EP closes my lasting 4 minutes favourite, classic GRAVE number “Reality of Life” known from the second demo.

The perfect “Reality of Life”. This is the face of Grave I like the most.

Excellent version. This is really good stuff and it confirms the great form of the band that despite many years on the scene has lost none of its power.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

WATAIN

The Wild Hunt CD Century Media 2013 Broken fifth seal, complete the prophecy, the time is coming when the earth will flow rivers of blood, awakening dormant evil powers that come on strong winds of Hell announcing the arrival of the new album of WATAIN. Many thirsty souls were looking forward to the successor of “Lawless Darkness”, which brought Swedes beyond Black Metal underground scene, revealing their new face. Thanks to this album the band shown its huge potential, receiving even more of devoted fans. Of course it wouldn’t be possible without their hard work and full commitment. Beside of making awesome music they also make unique atmosphere, which during live shows is intensified, transcend the level of typical music show, bearing the marks of real rituals. All of this with its brilliant choreography, makes something really sinister and fascinating at once. New album is an unusual challenge because “Lawless Darkness” is their opus magnum in some ways and that means expectations for “The Wild Hunt” were really high. Listening new pieces for the first time, i had some mixed feelings. Compositions have become more affordable, they’ve

gained some softness associating to DIMMU BORGIR. I was afraid that new album will bore me pretty fast, but i decided to listen to it few times before i will be willing to judge it. I’ve discovered that another try of this album i reveal from those amazingly complex compositions new emotions, mostly nostalgia, anger but also lyricism. This very complex form of composition makes you can discover this album from the beginning every time you listen to it. There’s a lot of mixed styles, from classic heavy metal (you can hear it especially during the solo guitar parts), through epic climate a’la BATHORY in the title track “The Wild Hunt”. Also it doesn’t lack of some TIAMAT, what we can hear in “They Rode On”, or early WATAIN or even ARCTURUS, KING DIAMOND or SATYRICON. It’s a kind of crucible of clearly known to us climates, creating a multi-dimensional musical pictures. Lethal tempos mixed with the pathos of war. The darkness, evil, and in all this madness virtuosity. This intricately woven web of sounds that make up a powerful catalyst for different, often conflicting, emotions. It’s hard to resist the charm of these compositions, which can so easily possess the listener. The fact that this time WATAIN did not avoid to certain similarities, which is nothing wrong, especially since the arrangements are made in a very intelligent way and the band is by no means blindly copy the ideas of others, exposing only their musical fascinations. To sum up ...

Did “The Wild Hunt” rose higher above the “Lawless Darkness”, it is difficult at this time to state clearly.

However, one thing is certain, this is one of the most interesting albums of WATAIN and I think I need some time to be able to cool to compare the two works. I believe that “The Wild Hunt” for many of you will be an album that will often be spun in your players, making you a lot of fun, and I already look forward to performances to promote the album. I think it will be a real mysterium of Hell.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

BODE PRETO

Inverted Blood CD 2012 Death Noise Productions Nine hymns to the glory of Satan.

Relentless playing. Rage and fury.

Unrestrained bloodlust. Utter EVIL. Intensity at the breaking point. The cult of SARCOFAGO and BLASPHEMY. Another Brazilian horde having all the qualities of the Devil’s genius. This is the music for the few true followers of the Dark Force emanating huge power. Infernal might that kills the God’s sheep with trivial ease. Mere mortal within a few minutes would cut their veins to not hear these manifests praises the Master of Hell. Total

anti-Christian blasphemy, desecration of all that is holy. It is the antichrist hammer crushing everything that defy the power of Hell. What is interesting, next to the intense drum parts played by Adeloson Souza (who, btw, plays extremely fucking well making specific HELL) we can hear a raw-sounding guitar which makes huge confusion time after time serving devastating riffs. Solos also show the utter obsession. Although BODE PRETO music is not too demanding, Josh S. knows how to play the guitar.

This duo turns into dust everything on its way. Genuine bestial devastation. The end of mankind is near.

Days of the reign of the BEAST 666 are coming.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

INFECTED

Infected Generation CD 2012 Metal Scrap Rec Ukrainian INFECTED, existing since 1996, are veterans of of the local Death Metal scene. “Infected Generation” originally released as a demo tape in 1996, and after years was revived on CD and enhanced with an unpublished track. The music itself is painfully classic Death Metal. I must admit that this music largely due to this unique design made my ​​ taste. Unfortunately, there are not many bands playing that way. I have here an ultra high-speed blasts.

Most of the music is played in the mid tempos. Yes, there are sometimes a bit faster passages, but everything is very well balanced. You can hear a technique of playing the guitar, very dense playing gives such a riffs that it is a pleasure. It is unfortunate that INFECTED released only two materials: the aforementioned debut, and a year later cassette split with UNHOLY GRAVE. Would like more of that music, especially in these plastic times, where most bands packed to the music so much unnecessary synthetics. “Infected Generation” is for a 100% organic music, heavily inspired by the early achievements of the period of demo DEICIDE “Amon”. There is a lot of venom but also the transparency. It is also not devoided of techniques. I really am full of admiration for the material. It is unfortunate that INFECTED failed to pierce out during their activities, because they really created a very interesting Death Metal. If you do not know the material, be sure to reach for this album!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Interviews like this one compensate me dozens of others, where I’ve been ignored, and the answers were short and meaningless. I think it’s just a matter of getting a fine talker, who’s got plenty to say and treats an interviewer like a partner, not a necessary evil.

In spite of the fact I didn’t manage to exceed the one from Voices From The Darkside, I sincerely hope you will enjoy my chat with Mike Browning…

Hello Mike! In one of the e-mails we exchanged prior to this interview, you said that you are 100% old school. Considering your words and this zine’s title – what does “old school” mean to you?

Old School to me means the type of music that I did when I first started playing thrash metal back around 1984. It was before the internet and even CD’s when people traded tapes

through the mail and everyone just played Metal, there were no subcategories of Metal and most of all no one was competing with each other, everyone got along and supported everyone else’s music! That is what Old School means to me.

Let’s go back to the very beginnings of the extreme scene, if you don’t mind… Many people say the extreme scene wouldn’t exist without Slayer. As Captain Obvious-like as it sounds, it’s true in Nocturnus’ case, at least if we are talking about the moniker, am I right?

I’m sure those guys have also influenced you musically...?

For me Slayer, Mercyful Fate and Celtic Frost were my top 3 influences and I definitely think that Slayer had a huge influence on most of the early musicians that were just starting out back then and especially me, „Hell Awaits” is still my favorite Slayer album and it was the song „At Dawn They Sleep” and in specific the line “nocturnal specters hiding from the light” that I got the name for the band Nocturnus.

I was originally gonna call the band Nocturnal Specters, but I thought it was too much of a direct rip off from the Slayer song, so when I looked up the word Nocturnal in the dictionary I saw the original Latin form of the word was Nocturnus and I instantly knew that was gonna be the name for the band.

Could we say that Nocturnus at the very beginning was a band formed by sort of outcasts, haha? You just left Morbid Angel

and Incubus, Richard Bateman departed from Agent Steel... How did you met each other?

And how come Vincent Crowley and Gino joined you?

Yes, definitely we were both outcasts, but that is what made both of us unique and different and at first it was just Bateman and I and we wrote probably about 4 or 5 songs with just the bass and drums before we found Vincent Crowley as the first guitarist for Nocturnus. He had a band called Entity, so when he joined the band we used a bunch of his songs too and then I got back in touch with Gino because we really wanted two guitar players for the band, so when I asked him to join he did and so was the first complete line-up for the band.

How do you recall the recording sessions of both Nocturnus’ demos? I know there was a pause in the band’s activity between both tapes, why did it happen?

There were two completely different line-ups on those demos actually. After the first Nocturnus formed and we did a few shows there were some problems between Gino and Vince, they were just not getting along, so Vince decided to move from Florida and start his own band which was Acheron. So after Vince left we got Mike Davis on guitar to replace Vince, Mike was Gino’s cousin so that’s how he got in the band and right about that time Nasty Savage needed a bass player and they were already touring and signed to Metal Blade, so Richard decided to quit playing in Nocturnus and join Nasty Savage. I can’t really blame him though because they were a really big band back then, it was a great opportunity for him at the time.

So after Richard quit we got Jeff Estes on bass, he was a friend of Mike Davis and we also got Louis Panzy to play keyboards and he also was a friend of Mike and Jeff.

I’ve read you used to be an active tape trader, especially after “The Science Of Horror” was released. Do you still keep some of the tapes you’ve received back in the days? And of course – do You miss those times, when everything was more difficult?

Although everything was harder it was actually a lot better because everyone really supported everyone else no matter what style of Metal and everyone got along and there was no competition back then either. But yes actually I still have a whole bunch of my old cassettes that I have saved for all those years. And every

one of those „Science of Horror” demos were handmade and sent out by me, no one else in the band ever wanted to help me do the work part of being in a band.

might not understand such an aggressive and brutal music like yours? I guess you must have been satisfied, since Jon helped you later with the After Death’s demos, right?

From what I know, most of the songs from your first demo were just rearranged tracks by Entity – the aforementioned band of Vincent Crowley, is it true?

I have known Jon for a very long time and I ran into him at a show right before we were going to record that demo and he told me that he was working in a small studio doing a preproduction recording for the next Savatage record and so he told me that for $500 he would record, engineer and produce us a foursong demo, so we took him up on that offer and he even sang some backups on the demo too. I knew that Jon was very talented and he can actually play just about every instrument and he has a great ear for mixing, so I totally trusted that he would do a great job for us. Yes he also did one of the After Death demos for me too, it was pretty much the same situation that I talked about as for the first demo.

It was half and half actually, there were two songs that Bateman and I wrote and two songs from Vince’s old band, Entity.

Both demo tapes were re-released a few years ago on CD by Karmageddon Media. Were you satisfied with the fact? I am asking because I’ve heard some bad opinions about the release…

I think the release was OK, I supplied them with some old flyers and the real story of the band and the music was taken from the actual demo cassettes, so I am not really sure why there were any bad opinions about that, everything was from the original tapes and flyers and the story I wrote was completely true. I know some people didn’t like the guy that owned Karmageddon, but for me he did everything he promised to.

“The Science Of Horror” was produced by Jon Oliva of Savatage. Why did you choose that guy? Were you concerned that the person, who was rather into power/melodic metal

After the demos you have signed a deal with Earache Records, which was one of the first if not the first - label to notice that the death metal bands have a bright future ahead. How do you remember that cooperation?

Earache was definitely the label to be on for

MIKE BROWNING

(Nocturnus, Morbid Angel etc.)

heavy music at that time, so when they offered us a deal we took it! They were not the first label though because labels like Metal Blade and Roadrunner were already signing death metal bands and those labels were even bigger than Earache at the time.

Do you think that adding keyboards parts to your music in fact changed the whole death metal scene? You were first band to use the instrument, I wonder if you remember any negative opinions about that fact? You know, such avant garde bands as yours are sometimes misunderstood by the listeners...

Actually all my life I have listened to bands that used keyboards, like Rush and Led Zeppelin, so when we added Lou to the band it was something that I had wanted for quite a while, I just didn’t know any keyboard players that were into playing in a metal band back then. At the time most people really liked it when they heard it, so there were rarely any bad comments about it. I guess in the death metal genre we were definitely one of the first to use keyboards but I don’t think we were actually the first!

What happened between “The Key” and “Threshold” in the lyrical matter? Early Nocturnus was influenced by occultism and similar topics, while on “Threshold” we have a trip to the cosmic spheres. From what I know, you weren’t pretty happy with it, I wonder why you didn’t do anything back then?

I tried to make the band a more democratic thing when we made decisions, but as you can see it cost me the whole band itself! So that is why I didn’t write hardly any of the lyrics on „Thresholds.”

In one interview you said that you don’t really

like „Threshold” too much, could you explain why?

Again it is about the same answer as the last question. A lot of the stuff on „The Key” was written by me, Gino, Bateman and Mike Davis, but on „Thresholds” it was Davis, Sean and Lou who wrote the music, so that is why it is so different than „The Key”.

As I know you were the one in Nocturnus that lead the band into the occult themes, am I right? Where came your interest from? Is it true that the person that introduced your into the matter was Trey from Morbid Angel?

Yes, I always wrote all the occult lyrics and themes and Davis had most of the sci-fi ideas, but even on „The Key” I put all the lyrics together, Davis just gave me a few ideas and lines here and there and I arranged them all to fit the songs. I was actually into the occult even before I met Trey, we just had a lot of similar ideas which is why Morbid Angel was a total occult band when I was in it.

Do you think that, if Nocturnus would have been active after the release of your second album, you would sign a deal with some really huge major label? Many of the bands, which started with you, managed to sign a contract with labels like Sony, BMG etc.?

I think it would have been a pretty good possibility, but then again look at all those bands and the fact that they almost all failed to meet the expectations of a major labels. So to me a metal band is much safer on a smaller label than a huge major one.

You will probably agree with me, that the music business stinks… It it true, that before Nocturnus’ second album, Earache insisted that you should hire a vocalist, because a singing drummer wasn’t too attractive from a promotional pointo of view?

Yes, that is the absolute truth, Earache told us that if we wanted a bigger budget and a music video for the second album, that we had to either get a frontman or that I quit playing drums and just sing and hire another drummer, which was something that I really didn’t want to agree to, but again it was a democratic decision where I was the only one in the band that didn’t want to succumb to the labels demands!

In “The Key” booklet you thanked the thrashers from Poland, so I wonder if you remember any special people you were in contact with? Did you receive any demos from my country which you recall nowadays?

I think it was mainly that at that point there were a lot of Polish fanzines writing me and doing interviews, we had a very large fan base there back then. I don’t remember exact names, but I was corresponding with a lot of different people in Poland back then, unfortunately even to this day it is a place that I have never had the chance to play a show there yet.

When, in your opinion, the atmosphere in Nocturnus started to be bad? What were the symptoms, did you expect that your bandmates may do what they did? In fact, they ripped you

off, they usurped the rights for the band’s moniker, songs etc...

band.

I think it all started after we got signed and started becoming very popular and touring, it was all mainly Lou Panzy’s fault, he was very jealous of me and got this huge ego and wanted to take over the band. It was his idea to steal the name from me and then get rid of me, so he could run the

Nocturnus’ history is full of line-up changes, in the early period as well as later. If someone’s looking at it, he might think that there was permanently some bad blood among the musicians, how far from the truth is that conclusion? And how did you endure such situation, weren’t you sick and tired of it?

Yes, definitely, for some reason there has always been either problems between the other members that made someone quit or just plain jealousy. It really sucks that people have to be that way because I am a very easy person to deal with and perhaps that is my downfall that I am too nice and not a very controlling person when it comes to being in a band. I like people to have the freedom to write and do what they want, but usually that freedom turns into something more like greed and ego.

After Nocturnus you joined Acheron, how do you remember the cooperation with Vincent? Both you and he are deep into the occult themes, was it the common link, which helped you to play in one band?

How can you describe a differences between your and his ideological views back then?

Yes, that and the fact that we had already played together in a band before. It was funny but Vince had already asked me when I was still in Nocturnus if I would play drums on the next Acheron record because he had moved back to Florida, so when they kicked me out of Nocturnus I literally moved my

drums right into Acheron’s warehouse which was in the same rehearsal spot. There were a bunch of bands that rehearsed there, even Morbid Angel did too at the time. So Vince and I walked my drums right over to his warehouse which was only a few rooms down from the Nocturnus one. It was really a good thing for me being in Acheron at that time because of the fact that both Vince and I were into the same things, so it helped to make the band even more real with it’s beliefs and not just the vision of one band member. I would say the main difference between Vince and myself is that he is focused more on just Satanism and I am more into the whole occult spectrum and not just focused on one particular thing.

Your departure from Acheron, contrary to Morbid Angel or Nocturnus, happened without any bad blood, didn’t it?

Exactly, it was more of the fact that with job I wasn’t able to tour because I had got same job back that I had to quit because of touring I was doing in Nocturnus and in I am still working at that same place today.

my my the fact

Are you proud of being a part of the line-ups, which had a great input into the extreme metal scene?

Morbid Angel and Nocturnus are the obvious ones, but also Acheron’s “Lex Talionis” is considered as one of the most influential black/death metal albums...

Yes, it is quite an amazing thing when I look back at my history and that all 3 of the major bands that I was in were all very influential in the Metal scene and I would like to think that I at least had a small part of that.

You also played in your girlfriend’s band, Lisa The Wolf. You haven’t left any impressive discography.

Was it hard to be in a band with the girlfriend of yours? I guess your private life must have influenced your musical activity, am I right?

Yes, you are definitely right!!! It is very difficult to

that he checked with his lawyers and that the name Nocturnus was never trademarked for Europe, so that anyone, especially me, could use it over there for live shows. I then talked to everyone in After Death and they agreed to do the tour as Nocturnus and play mainly the old Nocturnus songs from when I was in the band and also only stuff that I sang on and wrote at least most of the lyrics to, so we came up with a setlist of Nocturnus, Morbid Angel and After Death songs that I had a very big contribution to and did the tour with a pretty good success overall.

have a relationship and a band with the same person, so if there is a problem in one than there is a problem in both because of that fact.

With Lisa, she played keyboards in After Death and I played drums in her band, so it was kind of a trade off, but when people liked After Death more than her band she would get upset about that and it made things very difficult to work with in that kind of an atmosphere.

Currently your main band is After Death, previously known under the name Nocturnus AD, which you had to give up because of some possible legal issues, is it true? I’ve read that you mustn’t use the name only within the US borders, is that why you played some gigs in Europe under this moniker?

Yes, that was true. In 1999 when I decided to start another metal band again I was going to maybe just call it Nocturnus because after all I did come up with the name and create the first Nocturnus, but I did not know that at that same point the other Nocturnus members had reformed and were trying to start the band again, so as soon as they heard I was going to try to use the name they had a lawyer send me a letter stating that they would sue me if I used the name. So I added A.D. to it and again got another letter saying they were going to sue me if I used the Nocturnus name in any form, so I dropped the Nocturnus and just called the band After Death. Back in 2007 I was contacted by a promoter that wanted to do a Nocturnus tour and I told him that it would never happen as far as me reuniting with those same guys again, but that I had a band called After Death. He then wrote me back and said

I know there’s been some line-up changes in After Death. Could you say something about that? Is the current line-up an optimal one or should we expect some further regrouping in the forthcoming months?

In the beginning I had Gino and Bateman, but it was not long before the two of them had got into an actual fight and Gino left the band. Not long after Richard left too because he really wasn’t into is really all the previous demos from 2000doing a real occult band. Some of the other 2006 on one CD and the new release is more members that left were because of their drug or of an EP in length and number of songs. I don’t alcohol related problems, like Bryan Hipp who know why we haven’t been getting any of the shortly died of a drug overdose only months bigger label interest when I hear all the real after he left the band due to his addiction crap that these labels are putting out today, problems. Right now we have had 4 of the it really baffles my mind! One thing I can say same members in the band since 2007, which though is that I can pretty much bet that you is pretty good I think!!! We have only replaced can’t even find one band that sounds like we our bass player in the last 5 years and our new do and to me that says more than anything bass player is Daniel Tucker, who played bass in the music world these days with so many on the first Obituary record „Slowly We Rot”, bands just outright copying each other, it’s so right now I am very happy with the line-up pretty disgusting actually that there is not that we have. much originality left anymore and the labels Just before the aforementioned lineup changes you released a split with Unaussprechlichen Kulten – I haven’t heard it, but I it looks damn impressive! Are the tracks from this split different from those which appeared on the earlier releases?

Actually most of the songs were from our last demo with one new song added and everything remastered especially for this release by a friend of mine in Germany. But I do think that these are the strongest After Death material yet.

In one interview you described Nocturnus as a synthesis of all of your former projects and bands rolled into one, with even more new elements adde. You know, musicians always say words like that, but I think you are right here, haha! Does it mean you bring together all the experiences from the past and transform it into what we can hear on After Death’s releases?

Yeah, I know you do hear that all the time from people and even when the new band sounds completely different than their old material, but I really do think in this case that there is a little bit of everything I have previously done with some new elements thrown in for sure.

I think people really see that when we play live and mix After Death, Nocturnus and Morbid Angel songs altogether in one set and the they can see how everything fits together in one piece live.

Ok, so if the line-up is full then this questions seems obvious – when we can expect a full album? Are you thinking about it?

It’s strange but we still haven’t really released a full debut album because „Retronomicon”, although it’s over 70 minutes,

don’t even care about that!

For the whole interview I haven’t asked you about your episode in Morbid Angel, but tell me please, have you heard their recent album?

What do you think about it and why do you consider it to be a piece of crap, haha? No, just kidding, but to be honest, it seems to me you don’t like their albums after “Blessed Are The Sick”, do you?

Well, I still think their best album is „Blessed Are The Sick” and I did like the albums that they did after David left but really I don’t even know what they were thinking by releasing this last album and not just doing something like that as a side project instead. But I think it’s really more that Trey has ran out of ideas and David just really isn’t into this kind of music, he is only doing it for the money and it’s really been that way all along! I knew that and said it for years but no one ever believed me until now!

As I know you have two other bands right now: Voodoo Gods and Argus. What can you say about both of them, what is your part in them, besides playing drums of course, haha?

Well the Voodoo Gods was only a small part that Alex had asked me to do for him back when he lived here in Tampa, but he moved back to Europe and I hadn’t heard from him for a few years and all of a sudden one day he called me from Europe and asked if I would want to contribute to his new recording, so I agreed and added some back up vocals and some hand drum percussion parts to a couple of the songs and then didn’t hear from him again for about 2 years, so I thought it was never going to be released and then I get an email from him telling me the CD has finally came out and that he was sending me a bunch of copies. It was really cool to see it finally get released after all the hard work and time I know Alex put into it though. And Argus was a local band I was playing in for a while. They were quite popular back in the early 1980’s and I used to watch them play back when I was in Morbid Angel. They used to play a bunch of

MIKE BROWNING

(Nocturnus, Morbid Angel etc.)

recently that their old drummer was moving back to Tampa, so who knows maybe they will reunite once again with all of the original members.

Black Sabbath and Judas Priest and even stuff like Angelwitch and Trespass and their singer had an amazing voice. I used to see one of their guitar players named Glenn around Tampa at lot of shows and he told me that they were reforming with all the original members except the drummer who then lived in Tennessee, so he asked if I would want to join the band and so I did and it was really great playing all those old songs and especially a 20 minute Black Sabbath Medley that was really cool. But as fate would have it it didn’t last mainly because the singer wasn’t that much into it anymore and kept quitting and coming back. I did hear

Is there a chance you might play some gig in Poland with Voodoo Gods or After Death?

Hmm well I haven’t heard that yet but it could always be a possibility, I would definitely do that if there was an opportunity that came up to do it.

Well Mike, I could have made this interview much longer, but I don’t want to bother and bore you, haha! Thanks for the answers, it was an honor, now we are waiting for next releases of your bands! In the end, could you tell us, which albums did you listen to while answering my questions?

to anything when I was writing this interview, hehe! But right now we are writing some new songs and do have some smaller label interest, but still none of the bigger labels have talked to us yet about a deal, but either way we will keep writing musick and playing shows and hopefully will be touring Europe again and maybe finally play in Poland too!

Well to tell you the truth I wasn’t really listening

Jakub “Oracle” Nowak

Hellbringer

Hail!

At first I must congratulate you - „Dominion Of Darkness” has been killing me since the first listening! I think it is one of the best thrash metal records released in 2012!

How often do you come across such enthusiastic reviews like mine, haha?

Thanks a lot for the high praise! I have seen quite a few good reviews now which is killer, and surprises me, haha.

I mentioned “thrash metal” in the previous question, but you call your music “blackened speed”. This might be a proper term, as I hear a lot of early Sodom’s influences on “Dominion of Darkness”– both their debut album and yours have a great touch of “blackish” metal, don’t you think? For what I know, the first covers you played were songs by Sodom and Venom, so those bands have accompanied you from the very beginning, would you agree?

Yeah, I mean people call us a few different things I guess, whether it be thrash metal, black/thrash, blackened speed or whatever. All those would be correct in the end I suppose, so you can call us what you want! We’re not trying to be too specific, we’re just playing the stuff we love. And yeah, Sodom and Venom along with Slayer are definitely some of our biggest influences so I can see why you hear that in our music.

And how did it all start in your case?

Which particular band is to blame for infecting you with heavy riffs, which record was the first one? Was it AC/DC or rather something from abroad?

Well, one of the bands that first got me and my brother addicted to heavy metal was Metallica with their first album “Kill ‘em All”. Also Iron Maiden was another early one we got into. We loved it of course! And then not long after we discovered Slayer, Sodom, Destruction and it went from there. But of course we have always loved bands like AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and The Angels also. Long live rock’n’roll!

OK, let’s talk a bit about the past and the early days of your band. You had started under the “Forgery” moniker, but you abandoned it because it was already in use by another band. Who came up with the idea of calling the band after the title of the Forgery’s EP? It obviously says a lot of what we can expect from the music of your group, by the way!

Well, to name the band Hellbringer was Luke’s idea. We were thinking of names and he thought why not name it after the EP? It’s a good, simple name, it represents what we do and no one else had it so we decided to go with it. Plus, I think it’s a better name than the old one anyway.

Hellbringer’s debut EP includes the tracks which appeared earlier on Forgery’s “Helbringer” EP – songs

themselves are awesome, but why did you decide to record them again? Wouldn’t it be better to wait for a while and release a fully new stuff?

They weren’t recorded again, they are the exact same tracks which were on the “Forgery” EP, expect for the two last tracks. The original “Forgery” EP was only self-released by us at first.

We then had interest from Costa from Iron Pegasus Records and he wanted to release the EP under his label. He wanted it to be a bit longer though, so we recorded two additional tracks later (one was a new track, and the other was an Armoured Angel cover). So essentially, all the tracks on the EP except for two, were actually recorded in 2009 and except for those last two tracks, it is the exact same release. This shit will confuse people until the end of time I think, haha.

I didn’t hear the Forgery’s EP, are these tracks any different from the Hellbringer’s versions? I’ve heard those are the same songs, not the re-recorded versions, is it true?

Read my previous answer, haha (yeah, now I know, haha! - Oracle). Exactly the same, except the Hellbringer version has two “bonus” tracks, which were recorded later.

Two of you are brothers, so I wonder, how does it all work? When you argue, does Josh say ‘fuck off, you son of a bitch!’ to Luke, haha? And does James feel a little bit like ‘the third wheel’,

if you know what I mean?

You have the same line-up since a few years, so I think everything’s fine, am I right?

Luckily we usually have the same ideas about things, so it works out. But of course, there are still arguments and disagreements. In the past there have been thrown drum sticks, even cymbal stands once or twice, haha. Actually, James isn’t the original guitarist. He has been in the band for around one year now. I don’t think he feels like ‘the third wheel’ usually. He understands what we’re trying to do with the band usually and can write the sort of riffs we’re after.

Everything fits on “Dominion Of Darkness” – the music, the lyrics, the production and the front cover! So, I think you wanted to release something coherent as Hellbringer – like the old bands did, is it true?

Of course. We just wanted it to have a dark, evil vibe bands like Slayer and Possessed used to have. That’s the best sort of sound that suits us best.

What can you say about the recording session, how much it was different than the previous one? Did you work as wild and energetic as the music might suggests - just entered the studio, a few days passed and there’s a diamond at the end?

It was different this time because we recorded with Harris Johns and he can run a “tight ship” at times, haha. It took longer than a few days because there were problems with equipment and what not. Something fucked up with the recording of the drums and they had to be done again which was a real fuck around.

We also did some of the mixing in after the recordings too. We always play with high energy because that’s just how it is.

Music like this can’t be played without it.

Totally agree with you, man! What would you eliminate from the underground metal music if you could? Maybe keyboards, fanpages, panties with band’s logo...? Something which is in your opinion a total denial of underground’s idea?

In today’s day and age things like Internet and Facebook are needed because it’s the online generation and it’s the main way of promoting shows, selling merch and all that these days. So I will admit it does have its benefits. But of course, there are things that I think bands shouldn’t do.

For example those bands who beg for more “fans” on their Facebook page or whatever by doing silly competitions, or offering free CDs etc. What’s the point of forced interest/fans? You also mentioned panties with band’s logos on them I think they are very fucking cheesy, haha.

But if they are on a nice chick’s butt I have nothing against it, haha! If we are talking about the lyrics, you exploit the most popular metal topics, like Satanism, darkness, occultism.

Do you really follow the path of Left Hand or it is just a traditional, cool matter for songs?

We’re not Satanists or anything, we just think it suits our music well because it’s evil and dark. It just goes with it. I would rather play to this music than play to silly music with lyrics about partying.

Your new album has been released

by High Roller Records, a respected underground label. Did you send them your stuff or maybe they were amazed by your previous EP? For what I know this album was supposed to be released by Iron Pegasus Records, so what has changed?

It was originally going to be released by Iron Pegasus again but while we were in the studio we started discussing about trying a different label this time. I had always been a big fan of High Roller and their roster so they were one of the first labels that came to mind. I sent a couple preview tracks to Steffen and he liked it, so we decided to do it.

I ‘m sure he did! Australia has, in my opinion, a much stronger metal scene than many other countries – and when I say “metal” I mean “the real metal”, not some wimpy metalcore shit or anything like that. Do you feel any pressure due to that fact, haha? You know, you can’t underwhelm the Aussie metal maniacs…

We have a lot of good bands here, but trust me, like anywhere else we still have our fair share of complete shit too.

Pressure? Not at all. We just do our own thing the way we know how as best as we can. While of course, keeping the certain “expectations” if you will in mind.

There are books about Swedish death metal, Scandinavian black metal, don’t you think it’s time to write a book about the metal scene in your country? Aussie bands have made their unique way of playing metal, haven’t they?

Yeah, it’s definitely got a unique sound to it. We have a lot of the classic black/ thrash bands with that typical Australian sound. A book would be cool.

A little bit longer answers would have been cool too, bro, haha... You hail from Canberra, and you mentioned in some interview that the place sucks, haha – so, has anything changed since then or maybe you’d still rather played somewhere else?

Are there any particular places you would

like to play?

It depends on the show. We played our first gig here in a long time last weekend actually and it was a total killer! It wasn’t an ordinary Canberra gig though. It was a great lineup and most of the people who showed up were from interstate.

Same with most of the bands. Generally though, it still sucks here. At the moment, Sydney and Melbourne are the best places to play. Our recent shows there had total maniacs!

As I mentioned above, your debut album kills me and I think it is one of the best albums of 2012. Which records should be called hellish diamonds of 2012 in your opinion?

Thanks again. Can’t think of a lot of releases this year actually... Off the top of my head some good releases this year I’ve heard are Gospel of the Horns - “Ceremonial Conjuration”, Deathhammer - “Onward to the Pits”, Nekromantheon - “Rise, Vulcan Spectre”.

There’s still more I need to pick up too.

OK, thanks for this interview, hope to see you in my country pretty soon!

Anything else you want to add?

Thanks for the nterview and keep the burning!

Oracle

fires

Hello Marc! How are you today and how do you like the Brutal Assault Festival?

I think it is fantastic. It’s first time we are here and also the location is very special, this fortress is just awesome. We had a really good show and people really got into it, so all in ll it was fantastic.

Heh, I know what you mean, I still feel all the elbows from the moshpit in my back, hehe. Ok, the fundamental question: why Morgoth had to resurrect after 12 years of silence?

Well, actually I had this other band called Insidious Disease and during the time when we released the album in 2010 a lot of people asked about Morgoth in the interviews and asked if we considered doing anything for the 20th anniversary of the “Cursed” album.

I never thought about it, but I was like “yes, it was 20 years already since we released it” and then the promoters called us, wanting us for this and that festival , doing an anniversary show. I wasn’t sure if we could make it because two of the guys definitely couldn’t do that anymore, but I asked two of my friends and they were like “yeah, let’s do it.” So it was meant to be only for one festival appearance, but people were really into it and there appeared more offers, so yeah… I think we are back now (laughs).

I can see. By the way, you recently released the “Cursed to Live” live album. How is the response so far?

It’s all very positive. The people got really into it and I think it is a great live album. We didn’t actually planned anything like a live album, it just happened kind of spontaneously because the show that is on DVD was taped by the professional team and when we saw the material we said “huh, that’s really cool. Maybe the record company would be interested in releasing it” and they were totally “yeah, it’s really good material, so we can do a live album and DVD out of it”.

By the way, are you planning to release any new studio material ever again?

Yeah, we’re talking about it and it’s like early talks, but of course we haven’t been writing songs for so long together and we want to give it the time it needs. We don’t want to release an album just because we have to. First of all it has to be quality, so first we finish the concert season this winter and then we will go into the writing mode next year and yeah, we’ll see what happens. I don’t know how long it’s gonna take, also with two new members we need to see how the songwriting will be going, so it is an inexperienced field right now.

Anyways it fees great to have these guys in the band now and I’m pretty positive that it’s gonna be good.

As for your last album, “Feel Sorry for the Fanatic”, a lot of people still don’t understand why did you took such a drastic step…

Well, I still don’t really know why we did that.

Even the cover is all yellow and kind of strange, but I don’t know. For sure it wasn’t planned.

It just came out of us. On the other hand we could have done “Cursed” part 2, part 3 and so on to be safe, but as a musician you want to try something else sometimes, even if the fans didn’t appreciate that album too much.

Now, after 15 years a lot of people tell me that it is actually a good album. Back in a day they didn’t really understood it, but now it is fine for them.

Whatever happened to Carsten Otterbach and Rüdiger Hannecke? Do you still keep the contact?

Yes, we still have the contact, but Carsten is very busy with his management company, he is currently managing Dimmu Borgir and In Flames among others, so he is currently so busy, that he cannot do shows anymore. Same with Rüdiger, he is in TV business now and he is a producer, so he just couldn’t do it because of lack of time. But yeah, we are still in touch and we see each other at least once a month and we still remain good friends. No bad blood at all.

How did you got Marc Reign to do the drum duties for Morgoth? He has been involved in Destruction for 8 years and all of the sudden he joined you…

Actually we met Marc at the Thrashfest 2 years ago when Kreator and Exodus played in Berlin.

We were hanging out backstage and Mille introduced us to Marc, as we didn’t know each other before. All of the sudden Mille went “guys, you’re looking for the drummer and here’s the perfect man”. We tried a couple of drummers, but Marc was the first one and he went really well. We are really glad to have him, he’s a machine.

Hehe, the guy’s awesome as a drummer. Almost as awesome as Mille as a person! (laughs) Yeah, he’s always like that.

He helped our band a lot back in the day. He was the one who took us to tour the States with Kreator, so we are really grateful to him. All of them actually. When we were kids of 14 we visited the band in their rehearsal room and they were all

18, but we were their fans and it was awesome this friendship between Morgoth and Kreator.

You’re still fans of Tolkien?

Yes, of course. The name is, as you know from “The Lord of the Rings” and when we formed a band in ’85 we were all really big Tolkien fans and we’re still to some extent…

I’ve heard you were called Minas Tirith for some time…

Minas Morgul. Yeah, but then we thought that this name is a little bit too long or something, so we changed to Morgoth.

Are you waiting for the “Hobbit” by Peter Jackson?

Yeah, absolutely! You know, I’m really curious how it will be. You know back in the day there was this “Lord of the Rings” animation…

Yes! By Ralph Bakshi!

Exactly! This live – action meets animation.

Nobody was into that movie, but I thought it was really great and back in the day everyone said that it was impossible to make a good movie out of “Lord of the Rings” and Peter Jackson did it in a great way.

And how is Insidious Disease these days? You just released “Shadowcast”…

Pretty good, I must say. Actually we could have played here because Napalm Death is playing here, Dimmu Borgir was

playing yesterday and we hanged out together and I think it would be fun to come out and play short set together on the small stage or something. This is actually what Lock-Up guys did yesterday. We thought about going out and jamming a few songs, but the time schedule is pretty tight and Dimmu guys had to fly yesterday do Bloodstock…

Let us now shed some light upon the obscure past. What happened with the 4th unreleased Comecon album?

I didn’t even know there was a 4th album.

I didn’t sing on that. I just san on “Fable Frolic” and after that I didn’t heard anything from them about the 4th release.

There is actually a rumor going around that there is a 4th album and that you did the vocals there…

Oh really? Not that I know! (laughs) I’m not in contact with the guys anymore and I don’t even know if they still do music, but I definitely didn’t sing in this album if it exists at all.

How would you describe your connections on German Death scene? It seems that the main rivers for it would be you and Fleshcrawl.

Is there any united, strong scene like it is for example in case of German Thrash?

Yeah, on the other hand I would say that there are not too many Death bands in Germany. You mentioned Fleshcrawl and stuff… There was pretty big scene for Death Metal in early ’90 and there were more bands coming back in the day, but they all kind of... I don’t know.. Died or something (laughs). So nowadays, especially for the Oldschool kind of stuff I wouldn’t name too many bands apart from Fleshcrawl and us. The Death Metal scene nowadays is a bit different form the ‘90s, everything is more professional I would say, but in the early days it was all like DIY kind of thing, we were going down to play gigs in this little, shitty van and it felt like the Punk Rock kind of way, nowadays every band has bus or something like that (laughs), so it is more professional today, but in the past I guess it was much more fun and less experience and it was a great time. Nowadays it is different. Just different.

OK, that would be more or less it from my side.

Thank you for this interview and the last words belong to you.

Thank you very much to all the Polish fans. We haven’t visited Poland for a very long time, so I guess it is a high time to return there and kick a good show.

I don’t know if there is still these Metal festivals existing, especially since Tommy Dziubinski died, but Poland has always been great for us. We loved to play there, so I think it’s time for our return.

I hope some promoters would read this interview and we are ready for Poland!

Tymoteusz Jędrzejczyk Concert live photos from Brutal Assault 2012 by Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki

What’s the current status of Open Fire – dead or alive? Figuratively speaking, of course… The CD is finally out, will any gigs follow?

Following your rhetoric I’d say neither dead nor alive, rather kind of asleep. The months to come will show if the band should be euthanized definitely and forever laid to rest or rather defibrillated and set in motion. Concerts? First we have to get ourselves together, and as you can see, it’s not that simple…

Are you satisfied with how Klub Płytowy “Razem” released “Lwy Ognia”? Is there any chance for your other recordings to be released?

How could I be dissatisfied!? It’s been like three thousand years, anyone would be more than happy. I’m going to a flea market in Wroclaw next Sunday and I’ll try to sell the record along with Mieszko I’s sickle (Mieszko I – born 922945, died 5.25.992. – a member of the Piast dynasty and the first crowned king of Poland – W.L.) and Tutenchamun’s sandal. All of them come from the same era.

Music Olympics in 1984. He told me nobody wanted to sing with them because of their nasty personalities and so on… So I dropped by on a rehearsal, but ultimately it didn’t work out, apart from a small gig in Ostrów, where we played for a bunch of young commies on their congress…

I know the first gigs you saw was the Polish band TSA and English UFO. Which concerts made the biggest impression on you back in the 80’s?

Have you seen any interesting gig recently?

Yes, besides Polish band I happened to see on various gigs, the UFO concert has been a true experience, and then later two Iron Maiden concerts in Wroclaw.

As for the recent times, I was delighted to see Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax in Warsaw in 2010.

Few people are aware of the fact that you had player some rehearsals with Test Fobii before joining Open Fire. How do you recall your cooperation with the band?

Maciej Różycki is the undisputed father of Open Fire. How did you met? Are you still in touch?

I met Kaczor (drummer in Test Fobii) on the

Maciek

got

my

number from Test Fobii’s Iwar, who wanted to bring down a promising competitors from Open Fire and sent them a Trojan horse by the name of Sobiel… But it turned out completely different. Seriously – Maciek did the most good for the band. Four out of five of the band’s best songs are his work (“Twardy Jak Skała”, “Metal Top”, “Nowy Dzień”, “Open Fire”). Unfortunately we lost contact a while ago, but it’s s temporary state that needs to be fixed. Liquor business will also profit from it.

Open Fire was formed in 1985. Where did you

play your first rehearsals? What were the biggest problems for a band like yours?

We did our first rehearsals in a local Community Centre on Działkowa street in Wroclaw. It used to be a cool place, more of a “brawl” on a regular basis than any form of “community” … The People’s Republic of Poland pestered us badly, we didn’t sing any political songs, to my regret, as we might have been playing heroes and combatants these days.

When did you meet Kris Brankowski (host of the radio show “Muzyka Młodych” – W.L.)? How do you recall you co-operation?

Kris and I lived in the same town – Oleśnica.

I wrote him that I’d like him to listen to our music, which he did and told us to get to work. Kris did all he could, but he’s not the businessman-type of guy, rather a man of passion, which is not enough for the crappy times like ours.

I’d like to ask you about the role of Polish Radio in bringing heavy rock to the people. “Muzyka Młodych”, “Metalowe Tortury”, “Kuźnia” – did you use to listen to these broadcasts? How do you recall them?

Besides Kris, the other hosts had little to do with metal music. Romek Rogowiecki was somewhere in between. They played some songs here and there, but metal didn’t have its place neither on paper nor in speakers. A couple of columns in “Magazyn Muzyczny”, “Na Przełaj” or “Razem” wasn’t that much…

Kris Brankowski organized your first gig with Kat in Wroclaw. Can you remember this concert?

Are there any video recordings from Open Fire’s shows?

Such moments are unforgettable. I only regret we haven’t recorded our gigs, nobody ever thought about that, and that’s a pity… It was

our initiation. And positive reviews ensured us it was worth of going on full force.

You haven’t qualified for the 1986’ Metalmania Festival, yet played there in 1987. How do you recall your gig in Spodek?

It was a kind of mystical experience.

I’ve been dreaming about playing even a small gig since I was a child. We have entered a different, wonderful world, got to know some fine guys, met our fans and bands we’ve been only listening to so far. On the other hand, we have experienced the treachery and assholeness of the business. It helped us to understand what was actually going on.

You supported such big names as Helloween, Running Wild, Overkill… Do you have any particular memories concerning those bands?

Did you have an opportunity to get to know them?

Sure, the Overkill guys were just normal, very quiet. The Helloween dudes – totally nice and outgoing. But the craziest ones were the guys from Running Wild. Some photos show that better than words ever could.

There’s this intriguing story about your chats with… Willem Dafoe, who played the main character in the 1987 movie “The Triumph of the Spirit”, shot in Oświęcim. How did you meet? Does Dafoe digs metal music?

It was during the Metal Battle two years later.

Willem with the Hollywood crew were shooting “The Triumps of the Spirit” nearby Oświęcim, he was playing a Jewish boxer. There was also Edward James Olmos, wellknown from the “Miami Vice” series. Olmos came with his son, who was hanging around in the hotel in Megadeth t-shirt. So was I, so we started talking. He introduced me to his father, Willem and the rest of the crew, I invited him to our gig. In return, he gave me “So Far, So Good… So What?” by Megadeth, signed by Mustaine himself. Cool moments, worth remembering.

It’s not the only movie issue in this interview I know you had a drink with Stefan Friedman during Metalmania ’87. How come he appeared there?

From what I remember it was in 1989, Stefan (Friedman – Polish actor and comedian – W.L.) was skiing in Zakopane with his son or godson. The lad liked metal, so they went to Spodek, and I met him in a bar. We talked about how Bednarski (the main character from the 1986 TV series “Na Kłopoty…

Bednarski”, played by Stefan Friedman – W.L.) got away after he was killed. It took us several bottles to clarify it, but we finally made it. Arguably Bednarski was running away on foot… because he was sober!

Do you regret not signing a contract with Metal Mind Productions? Tomasz Dziubiński was willing to release your album, wasn’t he?

I do regret a bit, but… Dziubiński is on the other side, so I won’t talk too much, still I guess he wanted us more in order to shut us up than to promote us…

Thank you for the interview. The last word belongs to you.

Greetings to all, both our listeners and the ones who never heard our music. I’d like to thank those, who have been writing or talking about our music for 25 years, which sparked the re-release of “Lwy Ognia”. There would have never been the record without you. Huge thanks.

Wojciech Lis

HATRIOT

Heroes Of Origin CD 2013 Steve Zetro Souza I need hardly anyone to portray him. Anyone who has even a little interest in the American thrash metal, probably reminds you of such a legends as LEGACY, EXODUS, AC / DC and a few other more or less wellknown projects. But this time, Steve decided to create a band that next to him appeared his two sons, Cody (bass guitar) and Nick (drums). This almost family band called the HATROIT and of course 100% it is old-school thrash metal firmly in the tradition of metal from mid 80s. To make it more interesting, HATRIOT seems to have much more power than it currently left in the achievements of the EXODUS, which seems it has their best times over.

For those who like good old EXODUS, I think the “Heroes Of Origin” will find lots of nice touches, which quickly possess them. It’s really well-played music.

There is no a weak track. CD explodes with energy, and at the same time is really played on a very high level. It is also worth mentioning that the Japanese edition includes two bonus tracks, a total of 12 pieces of skull sprawling fucking awesome Thrash Metal, which, when combined with such a distinctive and unique vocals of Steve, make even explosive mixture. “Heroes Of Origin” is the band’s full-length debut. Earlier HATRIOT released yet in 2011 a foursong demo and a year later the pilot of new album “The Violent Times of My Dark Passenger”. Those who have not yet had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the achievements of HATRIOT, and are fans of old school thrash metal, should definitely be interested in this excellent album and make sure to visit the band’s website: http://hatriotmetal.com/site/bio/

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

M-PIRE OF EVIL

Crucified CD 2013 The second full-length album from Mantas and companies who, apparently, have to be very good. No, it should not surprise us too much when band forms in such good company. In addition to Mantas on “Crucified” plays bass and singing at the same time as in the good old days Demolation Man, and this time on drums plays JXN. A clear references to the great VENOM in this case should not surprise anyone

when men played with the legendary band for some time, and perhaps many may view this as a blasphemy on my part, but I think now EMPIRE OF EVIL is more like the old VENOM than, what at the moment does Cronos. On the one hand a bit of shame that Cronos and Mantas parted ways, but every cloud has a silver lining. We currently have two awesome bands. I remember the first time I heard the debut EMPIRE OF EVIL “Hell to the Holy”. Even then I knew that there is no place for jokes, but that’s what makes up the contents of the “Crucified”, it’s just a KILLER! Already I cannot wait EMPIRE OF EVIL on tour with ONSLAUGHT and MATER. I think that all will become clear, what means the force flowing directly from the depths of HELL! It is worth mentioning that the Japanese edition has two live bonus tracks “Black Metal” and “Witching Hour” we all know from which band.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ENFORCER

Death By Fire CD 2013 That’s what I like. Nowadays, this kinf of music is honey for the old oldschool soul. Since 2004 the Swedish group carry the metal banner and make a lot of havoc with its music serving fans a piece of fucking awesome metal. “Death By Fire” is their 10th release. With every next album ENFORCER gains more and more interest all over the world. That is why it should not be surprise for anyone that Japanese label is interested int them. I think that should be a sufficient recommendation of music that really stands at a high level. ENFORCER does not invent anything new, it does not even try. The band is not afraid to use best practices to reach the stuff of ‘80s metal. There are a lot of speed metal and NWOBHM elements on this album.

It creates an electrifying impression, despite the fact that ENFORCER consists of young musicians who are strongly familiar with the classic metal. Real passion and commitment, and with this awesome playing, can be easily seen.

Someone will say it is playing some old schemes, but I’ll just say fuck it. So what if the band is inspired by a lot of classic metal music, when their own stuff is phenomenal. I prefer a hundred times more this band to bands that make up the strength of something that they think is original, but in fact, is a plastic crap. At least, ENFORCER music has the spirit of old school. I grew up around this type of music and that is why in our synthetic times, this album is a real return to the years when that type of music was being born. ENFORCER plays very compelling music and it does it masterfully.

That is why this it is not surprising that it gets overwhelming impression. Ten compositions including bonus only on the Japanese release is the essence of everything best in the NWOBHM ! ! You can listen to it the same breath. When you put the album into your player I guarantee you will not want to replace this album with any other. It is a real magic of music that to this day is a trea-

sure trove of inspiration for many young bands . If you do not know the previous ENFORCER publications, you necessarily need to do your homework, because the band deserves your attention!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

VICTOR GRIFFIN’S

In Graved CD 2013 Many followers of Pentagram saddened by news of departure from the ranks of one of the major composers of that group, Victor Griffin. Well, life creates different paths that we follow.

Anyway, Victor didn’t forget about his fans and gave us the first since nine years solo album. As as he has in custom, whole music has very blues vibe and atmosphere of 70s. You can hear a good old school of Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. The new material very much refers to Victor’s solo debut from 2004, where the compositions themselves were not new songs.

Most of them were composed yet in the 80s, but only after years have materialized in physical form. “In Graved” is a natural development of this climate, this somewhat archaic atmosphere, having in itself the mist of climate of PENTAGRAM, TROUBLE but in a much more blues form, with some hard rock and a subtle tint of gloom characteristic to doom metal. All reflect the nature of the music, which came from the hand of the person who for many years formed PENTAGRAM music and it can be heard.

It’s hard to break out of this style. Besides, Victor did not even tried, because it’s his style. He soaked with this too much to try playing something else. It is up to the pain of his style. For many fans of the 70s, especially maniacs of PENTAGRAM, this album will be something very unique. You see there is this bad, always something good does work out, because thanks to Victor’s parting with the crew of Bobby Liebling, we now have two excellent bands, but in the case of Victor’s solo album this is not a doom metal in the traditional meaning.

Borders only with PENTAGRAM, but does not have the occult nature. There are more lyrical climate, very old school sound organic, delicate Hammonds in the background. The vocals in the medium scales without special performances, but with an interesting color, suitable for the whole cool vibe. “In Graved” is a really interesting album, showing how interesting the composer Victor Griffin is. Those who are not familiar with this album, and like this type of music, you should be sure to check this work, and certainly you will not be disappointed! It is also worth mentioning that the Japanese edition has two bonuses.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki DEMON

Unbroken CD 2013 !!! Rubicon MUSIC !!! (not S.B.) After the release of “Better the Devil You Know” in 2005, for a few good years DEMON ceased, not giving of himself too often a sign of life, given

that in 2001 the group has reactivated.

This silence was disturbing. It is true that in 2006 released a CD compilation, and three years later the DVD “The Unexpected Guest Tour”, but it was the archival material “Live at Tiffany’s” from 1982, and over the years DEMON like froze, holding the eight years of its fans in suspense. Fortunately, in 2012, we got nine premiere numbers of highly meritorious for NWOBHM band and although DEMON was not so lucky, as for example IRON MAIDEN, SAXON or DEFF LEPPARD, permanently inscribed into the history of NWOBHM as a very interesting band. That’s one of reasons why it was worth the wait, because the material is really excellent. It is also worth mentioning that the Japanese edition, which appeared a year later, has three bonus tracks: one studio number “Get the Hell Out of Here” and two live numbers which are record of the show “Live In Germany 2006”, during which the team has done “Standing on the Edge of the World” and “Hurricane”.

The whole “Unbroken” is a kind of time travel, a tribute to the loyal fans who love the 80s. The whole CD has a lot of catchy and very haunting melodies.

There are a lot of typical 80s backing vocals. Whole although for me a little too soft, has nonetheless in itself something charming. I do not know, maybe it’s playing on a sentimental note made,despite the fact that I listen to usually much heavier stuff, I like it.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

VEKTOR

Outer Isolation CD 2011 Second album of american VECTOR „Outer Isolation” is a very technically advanced thrash metal as such bands as VOIVOD and MEKONG DELTA. Very inspiring, dynamic compositions, not much different in style than presented on their debut “Black Future” from 2009. But this time, it is much better produced stuff. You can hear greater refinement, everything is polished but on a bigger scale. Many broken rhythms played in truly devilish tempos, perfectly interspaced lyrical themes with fast guitar solos. This music explodes with energy! Frequent tempo changes, it’s impossible to get bored listening to “Outer Isolation” – this album is targeted to the most demanding technical metal fans.

It’s also worth mentioning that albums consists of five new songs and a few re-recorded tracks from 2006 demo.

In addition there’s two extra tracks on Japanese edition of this album. Both of them are demo songs from 2011.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

SKULL Fist

Head of the Pack CD 2011 The origins of this very promising band from Toronto date back to 2006 and although it is a relatively young band, they’ve already messed the metal scene up as a band with a great potential. “Head of the Park” is so far the only full length album. Earlier in 2006 SKULL FIST managed to release a two-track demo and in 2010 MCD “Heavier Than Metal”. Their music strongly inspired with the 80’s can really surprise you and though its old-school character – the music strikes with freshness. There’s a lot of classic Heavy Metal, Speed/ Thrash and NWOBHM influences.

This mixture of transpiring genres definitely strengthens the music

as a whole. At the same time it is played with total bulk and great doze of youthful joy and tribute to Iron Maiden, WASP, Anvil, Motley Crue or Tokyo Blade. Very powerful riffs, a large variety of moods, catchy refrains and very positive energy bursting from their records makes it really hard to tear yourself away from this album. It’s worth mentioning that on this album is Tokyo Blade’s cover of “Attack Attack”, very well played. And on Japanese edition you can find another bonus track “Black Out”.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

SUICIDAL ANGELS

Bloodbath CD 2012 „Bloodbath” is by far definitely the most interesting thrash metal dish served by this band. Excellent technique combined with “Slayeresque” expression and power. Album is full of dynamite and pure energy. Additional advantage of this music is the fact, that it is rooted in old-school metal of the 80’s and thus it really possessed my senses that I found it really hard to stop listening to this captivating sounds. Well, I won’t say that I’ve suffered because of that ;) Especially because the gentlemen from Suicidal Angels can really play “as a gold” and the whole album is very powerful, making it sound KILLER!!!!!!!! Suicidal Angels proved once again that you don’t have to be an American band to play worldclass thrash metal. “Bloodbath” can successfully compete with most bands of the genre. It’s scary to even think what their next album would be like. I will tell more: Suicidal Angels is the band that haven’t said their final word yet! I’m certain you will hear about them many times!!! It is also worth mentioning that Japanese edition of this album consists of two extra tracks which perfectly complement the album as a whole.

Overwhelming darkness covers a dormant city with its obscure veil, creatures of the night are crawling out of their frozen tombs to answer the Devil’s call. They desire his presence. Satan is harvesting more and more souls as possession is reaching its peak, spilling out of the depths of catacombs. Infernal hords have not only diabolical power but also respect for good old metal school. They are inspired by gods of metal like VENOM or MOTORHEAD. Thanks to those great creators CHAPEL decided to create such music. The 80’s have never passed for them, they are still true oldschool metal worshipers. That shouldn’t be a surprise since MOTORHEAD will celebrate their fourty years on stage soon and VENOM is also not that young anymore. Despite many years their music is still powerful and inspiring for thousands of bands all over the world.

Satan willingly watches the seed he sow, the Demons adapt human faces, openly preach the name of King of Hell and having fucking great fun at the same time. Again, thesis about three-members bands doing the most interesting music prove right, for example BATHORY, CELTIC FROST, CORONER, VENOM, MOTORHEAD, BACKWATER, SODOM, DESTRUCTION or VADER. CHAPEL doesn’t clutter their music with expandable second guitar, creating painfully simple but also destroying music, sharp riffing with strong punk influence. That is what fucking metal should sound like! There is no place for virtuosity. CHAPEL plays infernal rock’n roll. It’s hard to stay motionless when CHAPELs music is pouring out of the speakers. Before you notice, your body will be possessed by the sound of Satan’s Rock N Roll. Don’t hesitate and join our Infernal Parade. Raise your glass to the Hell and give yourself to diabolical manifesto. Let the streets go black, raise the banner of Hades and hail to Rock N Roll Hell. Be the next great worshiper of CHAPEL, then Inferno will welcome you with arms wide open. In addition, originally that record was released under Invictus rec, but of course, Japanese label added something extra.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

CHAPEL

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

SATAN

Life Sentence CD 2013 Another return from the grave.

The first studio album since “SuspendedSentence”! Of course in the meantime the band realeased two concert albums in 2000 and 2004, there were also two compilations, but for the premiere compositions of “Life Sentence” we’re waiting for long 26 years. Many of you are wondering how that next album would sound like… Luckily “Life Sentence” turned out incredibly oldschool, strongly influenced by the 80’s. It’s very classical album, in perfect way referring to its roots.

“Life sentence” is very natural expansion of “Court In The Act” and “SuspendedSentence” and it makes it even more accessible to the listener. It is not only about compositions and arrangement, but also sound, which is quite archaic. Extremely rich music is fulfilled with 80’s atmosphere. It’s an unique time travel. Entirety sounds very cheerful, has many positive vibrations, which makes it very honest. It’s pure chemistry! Those guys after so many years can compose music again and have fun at the same time. Standard edition from Listenable Records has 10 songs, but Japaneses, extended version from Spiritual Beast Rec. has two additional live tracks – “Oppression” and “Kiss of Death”. In my opinion this album will definitely stay in your metal hearts!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

EXARSIS

Satan’s Rock N Roll CD 2013

vice! Luckily there are chorus parts, that really help singer, Alex. Music sounds very well, but there is pretty obvious influence FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, VIO-LENCE, DEFIANCE or EVIL DEAD. It’s not reckless copy of those bands. It is just inspiration, played on very high level. Regardless, EXARSIS sounds really nice.

Japanese release has also two bonus tracks: “Cristal Mass” and “A Lesson In Violence”.

The Brutal State CD 2013 The second full-length album from thrash metal group EXARSIS formed in Greece. Another punch in the face and another promising band from this region. EXARSIS first steps were in 2009 but they refere to old metal school. Fast and quite energetic music got big power and guitars sound great. The only thing that bothers me is hidden and shrilling vocal. It sounds like this guy got his balls in

Mystifier

First of all, welcome to the pages of OMM, Armando Beelzeebuth! It’s an honor to interview a band with such a long history of resistance as Mystifier. Is everything ok with the band?

Hail, nobleman. Yes, we are pretty well at the moment, going on with our world tour “Antiguos Himnos para la Dominación Del Mundo” and preparing re-releases of our stuff in Germany, USA, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

We hope to release something new soon to satiat the thirsty of our admirers.

Mystifier was founded in 1989, right?

However, what can you tell us about the period before that? Before starting Mystifier, did you play in another band or at least had plans to form one?

Yes, I was a member of some other bands, such as Putrefaction, Corpus Christi and Death Vomit. All of our music and thematic was based on the underground of the late 80’s.

Our inspiration came from bands like Poison (Ger), Sepultura (“Bestial Devastation”),

at that time?

Nihilist, Kreator (“Endless Pain”), Vulcano (“Bloody Vengeance”), Sarcófago (“INRI”), Possessed (“Seven Churches”), Slayer (“Show No Mercy”), Sodom (“In the Sign of Evil”), Damnation (Can), Messiah (“Hymn to Abramelin”), Necrodeath (“Into the Shine Pentagram”), Septic Death, among so many others that made our scene so great. Our greatest virtue was to overcome the prejudice imposed by the capitalistic slaveholding Christian system.

How old were the members of the band

Our average age was between 17 and 19 years old.

Almost every headbanger remembers very clearly the first stuff he/she has listened and the first bands that inspired him/her to follow this way of life. In your case, which were these releases and bands?

Judas Priest – “Screaming for Vengeance” / ”Defenders of the Faith”, Black Sabbath – “Mob Rules”/”Born Again”, Accept – “Restless and Wild”, Kiss – “Creatures of the Night”, Stress – “Flor Atomica”, Slayer – “Hell Awaits” / ”Reign in Blood”, Sepultura – “Morbid Visions”, Kreator – “Pleasure to Kill”, Destruction – “Sentence of Death” / ”Infernal Overkill”, Metal Church – debut album, and so on.

How was the scene in your hometown Salvador by the end of the 80’s? Were there other extreme metal bands in your area with whom you formed a scene with gigs, demo trading, zines etc.? Or did you explore much

released in 1989, it is impossible not to notice a huge influence of Sarcófago. Were they your basic influence or were there other bands that inspired your music? It seems to me that Vulcano has also influenced your music a lot. Do you agree with me?

Yes, I agree perfectly with you. I have never been the kind of person that would have thought the music made abroad was better than the one made here in Brazil. Can you imagine a Brazilian band sounding like a foreign one? Lots of bands follow this trend, begging for commercial success, but this was never our goal. We always want to sound like a Brazilian band!

How was the demo distributed back in the days? Do you think it has opened the doors for Mystifier’s work in the national and international underground scene?

more contacts with the people outside your state or abroad?

Yes, there were some bands already in our region.

The first one was the great Kranio Metálico, formed by black men like us. Unfortunately, they didn’t record anything at that time, but they even made some gigs in other Brazilian cities with Dorsal Atlântica and Vulcano. As I always wanted to be in touch with the underground and know other bands, I have always bought zines and had contact with bands from other cities and countries.

Everyone knows that the Brazilian scene was highly influential around the world, mainly because it was one of the first to appear. How long have you been following the Brazilian underground scene and which bands have

I don’t have any doubt about it! I don’t want to depreciate other bands, but some seem to have a kind of pending history... Nowadays, we see many bands that already begin their career called your attention? And the foreign bands? releasing a CD or a DVD. They don’t even care about the band’s trajectory! Simply, they don’t The first Brazilian band that I had on vinyl have any history or past... Our first demo-tape was Stress and, some years later, Sepultura. has already been released in several countries and All those releases made by Cogumelo Records in several formats, and this can be assigned to had a great impact on the underground world. what we did in the past.

If we had a better and bigger support for the bands at that time, surely many good bands Do you remember how this demo was would still be active. The first band with which recorded? I’m asking because, at that time, I had contact was MX, from the ABC region usually the demos were recorded during the in São Paulo, I bought everything they had rehearsals or, if the band managed to enter the released up to their debut “Simoniacal”. I also studio, the recordings were usually done with kept in touch with a French guy, with whom limited resources and almost always without I traded lots of releases. I’ll never forget the any kind of sound engineering. Did it apply day I received the Death’s “Scream Bloody to Mystifier too?

Gore”, Bathory’s “Under the Sign of the Black Mark” and Hellhammer’s “Apocalyptic Raids”.

I remember that we recorded all that stuff in Although I already had some of these things less than three hours in a multi-track of four in tape, it was really awesome to have these channels. There was too much improvisation and records on LP/vinyl. plenty of attitude to register our first recordings.

It seems to me that, at the 80’s, the foreign bands and the Brazilian bands appeared almost at the same time, releasing very raw stuff. Do you agree with that?

Yes, but the Brazilian bands were the first to release their works on vinyl. While many bands released only their first demo-tapes, such as Carnage, Nihilist/Entombed, Treblinka/ Tiamat, Horrified, Rotting Christ, Sadistik Exekution etc., the Brazilian ones, mainly from Minas Gerais, were already releasing excellent albums.

Sepultura with ”Morbid visions” and Sarcófago with “INRI” were the records that consolidated Brazil in the international underground scene.

Up to these days, the foreign diehard audience still admires and worships your scene a lot, right? Does Mystifier feel the consequences of this cult abroad?

Your first full album – “Wicca” – was released in 1992, in times when the international scene was dominated by the more technical sound of thrash metal. However, Mystifier didn’t seem to care about this and stuck to its raw and totally underground music. Did this, in a way, make things more difficult to Mystifier or being out of fashion/outdated was never a problem to the band?

I don’t have any shadow of doubt, but we managed to forge a loyal and solid fanbase in the underground. Our debut caused a huge impact in the international and national scenes.

We have been a trendy band and we will never be! Besides, we never cared about making a few gigs, having a few friends or being discriminated by the envious... Our determination was above everything and everyone!

At the time of “Wicca”, Mystifier’s music has also been influenced of other metallic sounds, with keyboards and

Yes, for sure! The Brazilian bands have an incredible know-how in creating a very extreme and cohesive music, as lots of great bands that have appeared here and still appear every day. Some other countries also have been noteworthy during the last years, but they don’t have the same punch and feeling that we do. Some have just mixed hardcore with gothic and folkloric music. It would be an aberration to compare them with us.

By the music that Mystifier has already developed at the time of the first demo, “Tormenting the Holy Trinity”,

slower parts included. What’s the reason for such a higher musical performance? Were you influenced by doom metal and black metal or were these slower and darker parts a result of years listening to Bathory and Hellhammer?

For sure, I always tried to sound original in my compositions, adding som influence of everything I was listening at that time. I like Doom Metal bands a lot, especially the ones with occult/satanic lyrics. However, the bands that have influenced me more lyrically and musically were Sepultura, Sarcófago, Bathory and Poison.

The use of keyboards has been a trademark of Mystifier’s music since the old times. However, in the 80’s, this instrument was usually not accepted in the underground and even today there are some diehard headbangers that dislike the keyboards. Did Mystifier suffered any kind of criticism for adopting the keyboards even while playing basically an old school metal?

As I am an admirer of heavy metal bands that used the keyboards, I decided to bring this influence to my music too, although I use the keyboards/synthesizers to create a somber atmosphere in the introduction of our songs.

I can mention Geoff Nichols, who worked with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple’s Jon Lord (no comments about this one) and Don Airey, who was immortalized for playing the famous intro for “Mr. Crowley” with O$$y Osbourne.

I believe it’s enough.

In a recent interview to a Peruvian journalist, you said that “Wicca” and “Göetia”, besides being your most influential recordings, are also the ones that had more alternative versions. Do you have any idea of how many versions actually exist? Where are these pressings from? Are they official releases or

bootlegs?

It’s difficult to specify the sales of our stuff, it’s almost impossible for the bands to have this kind of control. All our international releases were licensed in direct negotiations with us.

The only bootleg version of our albums were done by a Russian label called CD Maximum (damned bastard$$).

You are the only remaining member of the original line-up in the whole over-20years-long history of the band. Is it too hard to keep a stable line-up? What is the main reason for this difficulty?

Well, people change, but my main purpose with Mystifier can’t change, Our line-up has stabilized a little bit more after the arrival of the great Kastiphas in the vocals, bass and keyboards.

We only have paid studio drummers, because we always had problems with them. So, we decided not to have any drummers as official or permanent member.

By the way, do you know where the old members are nowadays? Do you still keep any kind of contact with them on a regular basis? I remember that, in late 80’s, I was in touch with your old singer Meugninousouan.

I’ve heard that he has been recording as a oneman project called Ad Baculum. Is it true?

Nowadays, we are friends, but when they left the band, we wanted to kill each other, mainly for ideological and musical divergences (hahahahahahaha). Yes Meugninousouan has a project that released an album.

Do you think that anything has changed in Mystifier’s music throughout all these years?

In so, then what? And philosophically? Do you still keep the same antichristian philosophy from the beginning of your career or did you point of view change too?

As I already mentioned before, everything changes in our life. It’s impossible not to change... But our primordial purposes remain intact! As it was written in our first biography, we will spread the death/ black metal fever till the confines of the universe, hahahaha!

Despite all adversities, Mystifier has survived and stood the test of time, gaining respect and admiration in the whole underground scene. Why do you

think that Mystifier has achieved this position of credibility still staying strong up to these days?

My own perseverance! Mystifier is my therapy of survival and it is part of my lifestyle.

I spend my precious time and scarce money with the band, but it satisfies me, because with it a express my deepest and truest feelings about the people and the world.

This credibility has taken you to be invited in 2010 to take part in the Nuclear War Now! Festival in Berlin. How was it to share stage with Blasphemy, Ares Kingdom, Bone Awl, Blasphemophager and so many fuckin’ great bands from the extreme scene worldwide?

As Nuclear War Now! had released a boxset containing all our early stuff and it sold a lot, as well as many people in their Internet forum were asking for our participation, the invitation was unavoidable.

Was this your first time in Europe? It must have been great, wasn’t it? Any curious or interesting stories about this experience to share with us?

It was really rewarding to know how much people still worship us in an international level. Although the festival was happening in Germany, there were people from all over the world, including Brazilians, as Marcelo, from the Minas Gerais band As Prophecies.

We have been recognized by the people in the airport and in the streets of Berlin. However, it is impossible to deny that the emotion of meeting our brother band Blasphemy was something unique. We meet in the first day in

of the plague of the prejudice, of all the lies and all that shit! Occultus should have given better lessons on the underground to Euronymous... The pop-rock magazine Kerrang should take some Norwegian gothic to a show in Disneyland and give Mikka and the big guys from Impaled Nazarene some weapons to make a mortal hunt. It will be very difficult for another mortal to make something so relentless as the almighty Sarcófago’s “INRI”.

between the Latin American and European audiences? the city and we stayed together almost every days of the festival. We drank and used many “things” with Caller of the Storms, Black Winds and Three Hearts of Damnation and Impurity (hahahahhaaaa…). What I do remember and could mention now is the huge number of admirers who said that we were really important for their childhood or adolescence.

There was one that came with his mother and asked her to take a picture with us. She got so nervous that I had to call a friend to take the photo for her. This is when we see how human we are...

By the way, Mystifier has been playing in several South American countries, such as Peru and Colombia. How do you recall the audiences from these and other countries in Latin America? Are there many differences

The Europeans have been living the underground metal world for many years. It’s very difficult to compare any audience with the one of those countries. They’ve got a huge infrastructure over there and this places them many light years ahead of any continent. However, the Latin American audiences is way more insane in concerts! Our energy is really awesome. And, despite all the educational and economic difficulties, we are immortal warriors for keeping metal alive in Latin America.

Brazilian black metal has left a huge legacy for the international scene, with cult and undisputable names like Sarcófago, Mystifier or Impurity. This, in a certain way, shows that the black metal from Brazil can be as influential as the Norwegian one, although the latter has been more commercially successful.

Which differences do you see between these two forms of black metal, if you do think there is any difference?

These scenes are totally different! Norway had absolutely no tradition in heavy metal or extreme metal. I believe that the most “heavy” (hahahaha) band from their cold lands was A-Ha (bleargh!!!). Hardcore and gothic rock were the most influential genres of music over there in Scandinavia. As I mentioned before, the Brazilian bands had already released great albums in the underground death/black scene, while Norway was walking its first steps, with Thy Abhorrent, Perdition Hearse, old “shitty” funeral etc. I don’t wanna lose my precious time talking shit about Norway.

To me, the only band from Norway that were really conscious of the so-called new wave of Norwegian black metal are Dissection and Emperor, but I admit that I’m not a huge fan of this kind of music. My ancestry and filiation come from the 80’s heavy metal.

I was embalmed in listening to albums like “Sinner”, “The Number of the Beast”, “Mob Rules”, “Haunting the Chapel”, “Bonded by Blood”, “Seven Churches”, “Obsessed by Cruelty”, “The Return...”, “Under the Sign of the Black mark” etc. We fought to have an underground free

By the way, how do you find this Norwegian wave that dominated the 90’s? Although we know that black metal has been born way before the Nordic scene, there are people that still think the style was born over there. What do you think about it?

If our international underground black metal movement should depend on certain people and bands from Norway, for sure, everything would be ruined! The ones who betrayed our movement getting along ex-members of bands that preached against black metal paid with their own lives! I laugh a lot when I see some kids crying because their Norwegian idols changed sex, play some The Cure, Madonna or A-Ha covers (hahahahahaha). In fact, I have nothing against that, but the history itself does not deny its origins. Fortunately, Quorthon has died and hasn’t seen some idiots saying bullshit like: ‘I was the creator of the pagan metal, blablablabla’ (coward liar idiot!).

After the black metal boom in the 90’s, we saw the birth of many bands with racist and nazi attitudes in the scene, also in Brazil and in Latin America in general. What is the opinion of Mystifier concerning NSBM? I hate all this shit!! I’ve already declared war against this whole shit! I feel ashamed that there is this kind of damned scum in Latin America! This shit is not a part of my scene!

We’ll never share the stage or get along with this stupid bunch of idiots. Death to NSBM! Are you a nostalgic person? I mean, do you think that the old scene was more appealing than the present one? Are we recovering the old spirit with the comeback of ancient icons and also the appearance of several new bands that resurrect all the old school sounds, as thrash and death metal and even the traditional heavy metal?

Yes, for sure, 666% of certainty! All that are the new reeks of premature death. I love all this revival! Many bad bands have appeared, but many good ones too. The bands whose successful path I’ve been following, in this line of thinking, are: Black Witchery, Grave Desecrator, Morbosidad, Ejecutor, Anal Vomit, Proclamation, Perversor, Sodomizer, Apokalyptic Raids, Goat Semen, Mausoleum, Bode Preto and so many others.

I also got impressed by Beherit’s “Engram” and hope to have the pleasure of listening to something really destructive coming from Blasphemy pretty soon.

Well, we’ve been talking mainly about the past here, since this is the focus of the magazine. However, as Mystifier is still active, I’d like to know what are the plans of the band for the next years. Are there any new releases planned, any gigs abroad, Brazilian tour or such?

Well, following the schedule of releases, this is what we’ve got for the next months: - digipack CD, entitled “Demonized”, with the two demo-tapes “Tormenting the holy Trinity” and “Aleister Crowley”, to be released

by Impaled Records in Brazil; - our second album “Göetia”, to be released in double LP (gatefold) and digipack CD, by Mutilation Records in Brazil; - the first and the second album – “Wicca” and “Göetia” respectively, will be released in LP/CD/digipack formats, each one with

a bonus DVD by the North American Greyhaze Records, that has also licensed many titles of Cogumelo Records, such as Sarcófago, Mutilator, Sepultura, Holocausto, etc.

- digipack CD in A5 format of the two demo-tapes “Tormenting the Holy Trinity”, “Aleister Crowley” and the single “The Evil Ascension Returns”, to be released by the German label Dunkelheit Produktionen; - Nuclear War Now! Productions (USA), together with Iron Bonehead Records (Germany) and Ordo MCM (Greece), will re-release our third album “The World is So Good That Who Made It Doesn’t Live Here” in LP. So, Beelzeebubth, I do thank you a lot for this great interview and by your disposition in taking part. I leave the next lines for your last words...

I’d like to thank everyone that support us for so many years of evilness and crazy things in the name of black metal. Ave Baphomet, morituri te salutant!

Cuuuuurva! (hahahaaaa...).

- Crystiano Passos Photos used by permission from Armando Beelzeebuth archives.

I think that Necronomicon has always been a very underrated band, that’s why I’d like to introduce you to the group’s history. All the more that this year they’ve released their 7th full-length album entitled “Invictus”, which is a good reason to talk about the old and modern times. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you NECRONOMICON! Hello Freddy, first of all, I want to congratulate you on your new really good album!

Hi guys, thanxx a lot for the opportunity to make this interview. It´s an honor to me.

Excluding the “…Possessed Again” demo, you had a ten-years-long break in the band’s activity between “Screams” and “Construction of Evil”. Why did you have us waiting so long for your next album? What happened in 2000 when you recorded the aforementioned demo? Did something go wrong?

Well, we´ve never been away and therefore didn’t really have

a comeback. We had a horrible time after the split with Gama Records, ‘cause we lost all the artists’ rights plus the name to use it in public, for more than 10 years. With “Construction of Evil” we reported ‘back’, and the media interest was amazing. Ranking 6 in Greece rock charts, 12x Dynamite/Rock Hard, etc., etc. A great success and for me the confirmation never to give up. The song material

was cool and the album was selling very well.

Unfortunately, Remedy Records didn’t support the bands as we had hoped. So we decided to change to X-treem Music to record “Revenge of the Beast”.

What have you been doing during these ten years? Have you been active as musicians?

That was a terrible time. Yes, sometimes we were about to give up, but we didn’t want to be beaten so easily. So we recorded the “Lucky Strike” demo and got a new contract. But that was born under an unlucky star. The producer disappeared again and we got no money, too. Then our rehearsal room burned down and destroyed everything.

This is like a hammer in your face. And then we have to keep it slow because we had no choice. We never had a reunion. As I said, we got a lot of setbacks in this era. And then we got the personal problems.

Jogi got a tinnitus, Mac had some health problems too etc... so I formed a new band. Nowadays I got fantastic guys, who help me to

bring Necronomicon back to where it belongs.

Your reunion made a lot of old school metal maniacs happy especially because it was not a one-time spurt like in the case of many long-hibernated bands who couldn’t find themselves in the reality of today. I’m curious how are you feeling as a band on the contemporary metal scene?

Do you think your music stood the test of time?

Absolutely, our success speaks for itself.

“Invictus” is a really diverse album – we have here a lot of thrash metal elements but also some heavy metal especially in “Before the Curtain Fall”. Anyway, the album is unusually coherent. Did you spend a lot of time creating the whole album? How long were you working in studio on these recordings?

I wrote the songs this year, in spring.

After a very successful year across Europe, I finally found the time to write it and produce it simultaneously.

That was a new experience for us, ‘cause we didn´t get the time to practice each song for a long time.

I have decided purely on instinct, how to produce each song. This was really cool, I could create a very authentic atmosphere.

It sounds simply and coherent, without losing their thrash roots. In addition to the outstanding work by the soundmaster Achim Köhler, the album is kickin’ ass.

There’s a re-recorded version of the song from your debut album on “Invictus” – “Possessed By Evil” - a great one, I must add.

Who came up with the idea?

Did you want to know how would this classic track sound with a modern-style production or maybe there was some other reason for that?

The idea with a new version of “Possessed

by Evil” was came during the production of “Construction of Evil”. There we got “Insanity” as a live version and on the “Revenge of the Beast” album, as we all know, “Magic Forest” has been re-recorded. The fans are hungry for the old stuff. And “Possessed by Evil” is a classic.

“Invictus” was released for the 28th anniversary of the band. Did some special celebration took place? All in all, 28 years is a good score!

We are confirmed at the Barge to Hell festival this year. This shows how popular we are these days. After this great event, we are going on tour through Europe and Russia.

From the very beginning your music has been bearing a punk rock mark. It can be heard especially on your debut album, also the lyrics have always referred social and political themes. Your image was more punk than metal too but somehow your cover artworks had a very dark style. In fact, in the 80’s metal wasn’t so divided into subgenres but isn’t it a bit contradictious?

No, I have to tell you a little story: I started with making music when

I was 12 years old, but I only learned things from my teacher, things I wasn’t interested in. So I got a second hand guitar and learned to play rock’n’roll by myself, with all limited to three or four chords in the beginning. Two years later, Axel, Lala and me formed the band called Total Rejection. Our first gig ever was in a small music club, full of alternative students which were not very amused with the things we played. Hardcore and absolutely fucking load.

Within ten minutes the room was empty, so we realized ‘we did rock and roll’. And I´m a great fan of Kiss and Motörhead and before I even

made ​​music I never missed an opportunity to go to every metal concert. So we got our roots in metal and punk music, especially me. Bands like Exploited, GBH or Discharge influenced me as much. There are always two hearts beating in my chest and then the band called Necronomicon was created. This may sound a little confusing, but it’s true. Therefore, we are certainly difficult to compare with other bands.

Two years ago High Roller Records rereleased your debut album as a double-LP. This masterpiece contained a second bonus disc with demo stuff. Are you going to rerelease your other albums on vinyl? Tell me how many such rarities do you keep in your personal archive? Do you still have any unpublished material?

This idea came from a good friend of mine Volker from Swordbrother Productions. He asked me, if it would be ok to make a vinyl edition of the first album and I was thrilled. But

I got no more old material.

That’s a pity.

Nowadays the old school metal is returning to its glory and I don’t mean only classic bands reuniting but also young bands clearly referring to the atmosphere of the 80’s. Do you consider this yet another trend or maybe something truly exceptional? Why in your opinion the youth of today turns to oldschool metal? Maybe this music has turned full circle?

I do not even know that a lot has changed or developed in thrash metal. You can´t even reinvent the wheel, I told you, haha. Thrash metal is a kind of what you´re standing for. I always compare it with the punk generation. It´s just something completely separate.

Something unique. You have to live this style. Sure, the sound will change from time to time but the style will always be the same. Look at Slayer, there is no better example.

Let’s get back to the beginnings of Necronomicon, before the first demo had been recorded. Do you remember how it all started?

How did you get to know each other and what brought you all together to form a band?

Well, in the 80´s Necronomicon consisted of the founding members - Jogi, Axel, Lala and me. We hung out every day, did all together... We were one. It means, all our experience we gained together. The good things and the bad things. We created our own style in music and we were all together in private life.

Freddy, your voice reminds a lot of Schmier, also music of Necronomicon and Destruction had a lot in common. Although both bands were a part of the ‘Teutonic’ scene it looks like Destruction was more lucky that you.

What do you think - why? I guess that the two years between forming Necronomicon and Destruction wasn’t that important?

I do not like these comparisons. Schmier sounds totally different than me and we got a different style than Destruction. No, we got this fucking label. That´s all. Today, without professional assistance, you can’t move forward, especially in this business. But I look ahead, I don’t look back. Our time is coming now, I´m very optimistic. And I don’t think we have to hide behind anyone. Sure, we are not quite as successful as the one or other, but we have increased steadily. The best proof are still the last years’ reviews. We were always at the forefront. I also do not like these constant comparisons. We got our own style and we are Necronomicon!

How do recall the 80’s scene? Did the bands compete with each other to be the fastest, the most brutal band in the world?

It was a new kind of making music.

A mix of hardcore punk and heavy metal. Different, yes, but it will remain in the history of music forever.

It’s unprecedented how smoothly

Do you remember the first Necronomicon concert and the emotions you experienced that day?

the traditional heavy metal transformed into definitely more brutal forms of expression.

What was the main factor that made you want to play this particular kind of metal?

When I was 12 years old, I heard the “Destroyer“ album by Kiss, and my passion for this music has awaken and I wanted to play rock and roll.

German metal scene from the 80’s is one of the strongest in the history of metal ever.

A lot of perfect music has been created in your country, despite the fact that in the beginning it wasn’t easy to find a club which would take a risk of organizing a gig with such a brutal music. Also, record shops didn’t want to sell anything more brutal than classic heavy metal. Despite this, the scene was exploding with hundreds of great bands. How do you see that phenomena?

It was new, it was aggressive, it was fresh. There were so many different genres linked, maybe that’s why.

Despite the fact that radio stations refused to play anything more brutal than Accept or Scorpions, extreme metal was spreading like a plague, mostly due to tape-trading and underground press but also the hunger for brutal sounds. How was it in your case? Did you trade tapes ? What do you consider the most memorable thing from that days?

I got a video of a Slayer gig. Amazing… And all the fanzines around the world communicated with each other in a perfect way, so you got the latest news of all these fantastic bands and the scene was born. The commercial newspapers had no choice not to report of this kind of music. That was really interesting.

Do you remember any underground zines or radio stations that supported the extreme metal back in the 80’s? How did you promote your music back in those days?

We promoted it via the private radio stations and the fanzines all over the world. Internet did not exist... Unbelievable.

Oh yes, it was a festival with all ‘Gama-signed’ bands.... It was so horrible, ‘cause everyone ranted and railed about this fucking label.

A lot of bands creating their music in the 80’s didn’t hide the fact that they were inspired by the punk scene which was definitely more brutal and spawned the birth of NWOBHM. How did it look in your case?

What bands did you listen to?

Anything that had to do with punk or metal. All the bands like Slayer, Metallica, Motörhead or Discharge and Exploited interested me... and Kiss!

With time punk has evolved into more brutal forms like crust or HC – same as heavy metal transformed into a more brutal music. Both scenes have been ‘infiltrating’ each other although there were quarrels and fights between the subcultures. What do you think – why?

That’s all cliché. I’ve never overstated. That’s my opinion.

I wonder where did this aggression come from? We could easily meet punks on gigs of Motörhead or Slayer and also metalheads on The Exploited or Discharge concerts…

That´s what I mean. Thrash metal is a kind of what you’re standing for. I always compare with the punk generation. It´s just something completely separate. Something unique.

Necronomicon was a perfect example of connecting both styles and I suppose that on your gigs both metalheads and punks have been present? Did any fights occur?

No, never... I hate this fucking shit of violence. We can get fun together, not fighting against each other. We are ONE...

Your last three albums have been released every four years. Does it mean that we shall expect the successor of “Invictus” in 2016?

I’m a bit lazy, I know. I promise to improve myself.

If you could return to the 80’s, would you like to change anything in Necronomicon?

Well, the difference from the 80’s is predominantly in the ‘natural maturation process’ of a band. What’s not to say that it has now become commercial or soft. No, I believe every one of us has made ​​ a progress, which must be regarded positively.

Thanks for interview. If you want to say something to our readers here’s the moment.

We got more than 25 years dedicated to this kind of music. We got heaven and we got hell in this area, believe me, but only this fucking noise of this music lets us be alive. Perhaps not for the next 30 years live on stage (grins)... but still for a long, long time. Thanxx again for your interest in us. It was an honor to me.

Thrashy greets!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

overkill

DD, when I did interview with Blitz before your show in Poland in the fall 2012 I’d asked him if he always wanted to be a musician. He answered that as most American kids he dreamed of becoming professional baseball player. Did you also have the same dream?

Baseball was first and later on music has become your life?

Probably yes. But for me it was football, American football. But I was way too small to do that.

Place where you live and people around you have crucial role in making a decision of forming a band by a teenager. Black Sabbath or Judas Priest wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t established in industrial area of Birmingham. How would you describe New Jersey of the 2nd half of the 70s? Was it

magazine deals with old days of the metal genre I’d like to ask you about your beginnings as a musician. As we can read in Overkill biographies you started your first band with Rat Skates while being in high school. Back then you were into punk music and The Lubricunts, the band you’d formed with Rat, performed punk. How did you become fascinated with punk?

a good place to form a band? Were there lots of punk, metal fans? And what is so special in New Jersey that you and Blitz still live there?

New Jersey was a great place to grow up. Very little punk fans, but there was a small group of us and usually you find each other as kids and form friendships.

Jersey is close to New York and the beach and the mountains, and really for me it’s just the place of living here. It’s very fast not very laid back and I tend to be that way.

Teenagers sometimes have some kind of role model, guide in reference to music.

And sometimes such people happen to be inside family. I know that Blitz’s mother has huge influence on him. And how was it with you? Was there anyone around you who introduce rock, punk, metal to you or at least infected you with love to music in general?

There was a guy at school we knew who kind of turned us onto punk. He was not really that into metal but he introduced us to different stuff, a lot of which we did not like. Some of the punk stuff back then like Talking Heads and Blondie had no aggression at all, so we were not into it, but we would kind of pick and choose, so The Misfits and The Dead Boys and The Damned were aggressive and had a metal edge, so it was a natural thing for us. Then we heard Motörhead which was a great mix of both and that was what led us to thrash. The Lubricunts never really accomplished anything frankly, no demos, no recordings. But it did teach us to write original songs and perform.

Is there any chance that you remember anything from The Lubricunts’ first gig or you were too drunk to memorize anything?

The first Lubricunts gig ever – we were in high school and played talent show. We played one song “Blitzkrieg Bob” by The Ramones... And it was amazing.

Not really. It was the bands that were inspirational to me more than any other person. I was pretty much a fairly typical teenage kid, I just happened to love Kiss and Black Sabbath and The Ramones. And there was not a lot of us back then.

It’s commonly known that you and Blitz are creative and business force of Overkill. Both of you take all important decisions, you are always on the same page. But I was wondering if you felt this special connection between you and him when you met Bobby for the first time in 1980? Is there something special, unusual about him from those days that you still keep in mind?

Since

Nothing really unusual about him except

“Old

School

Metal

Maniac”

overkill

his voice. It was unique right away, he just sounded different than a lot of other guys. But he was similar to us, just a typical suburban kid into the same things as us, so we hit it off pretty quickly.

In 1980 Overkill is formed, but first demo tape “Power in Black” was recorded in 1983. Why after three years?! Because of lineup changes or because you have to balance the band with life outside Overkill, I mean keeping day jobs, family life?

Mostly because of money... or lack of it. And lineup changes. We kept going through guitarists, we always had two and eventually just gave up and went with one.

On mentioned above “Power in Black” demo, recorded year later “Feel The Fire” and “Overkill” EP, also from 1984, there are a couple of Overkill classics, like “There’s No Tomorrow”, “Fell The Fire”, “Rotten To The Core”. Could you please tell me a few words of how you were working on songs from these releases back then, where you’d recorded and with whom at the knobs?

remember something unusual, funny, spectacular from that first European tour? And are you guys still in touch with Anthrax after all these years?

Maybe it would be a good idea to set up another joint tour with Anthrax not only for old days’ sake? What’s do you think?

All the songs from the early days just came from getting together and jamming, no plans no organization, just having a few beers and having fun. As far as where and with who the engineer was... no idea. The demo and the EP were done it two different places, both in Jersey, but I cannot remember.

First half of the 80s in regard to extreme music was dominated by classic metal bands, but thrash bands were emerging in increasing numbers year after year and they took over in latter half of the decade.

DD, how do you recall the early thrash scene in New Jersey, New York area? Were there lots of bands, metal maniacs, tapetraders, concert-goers, venues to play? Did you have the feeling that something great is going to come out of out this for you, or you were just the guy who wanted to play music and have some fun?

Actually there was not a lot of places to play. There was “Lamour” in Brooklyn and a few other places. Until we got signed then there were more available. Really, I had no idea if thrash was gonna take off or just die away, really. I just loved playing and writing and performing and so just stayed with it.

If I’m not wrong first Overkill tour outside the US was European tour with Anthrax. I’ve got the feeling that you guys were close friends with them back in the day. Dan Spitz was even Overkill guitar player for some time. Can you

Actually not before we did our first tour together I never really even heard of Anthrax. I kind of knew of them a little because they were on Megaforce, but I never heard them or saw them, did not know Danny was in the band until we put the tour together. It’s weird but they were from Queens and we were from Jersey and that was two different worlds back then. We see them from time to time now and say hello. It would be fun to do a tour again someday. Maybe we will, you never know.

DD, in 2012 there was 25th anniversary of mighty “Taking Over”, one of the best albums in thrash metal history. First tell me, how was recording session in New York studio and working with Alex Perialas?

Second, I know that Blitz wasn’t for celebrating the anniversary by playing the album from start to finish on tour or on selected shows. How about you? And is there any chance that you get back the rights to “Taking Over” from Atlantic (now Warner Bros. Records) and re-release it?

Alex was great.

We worked with him on our first record and hit it off right away. He loved it to be as heavy as possible and he was a lot of fun, so I have great memories of doing that record. I’m not really into doing an album from start to finish. Maybe someday for a few selected shows but not a tour.

It’s been announced that Overkill will come back to Poland at the end of April 2013. I suppose you will still be promoting “The Electric Age” album since it’s been released in spring 2012. But I wanted to ask you about your first visit in Poland in 1987 during communism times. Blitz got arrested back then and even beaten by policeman. How about you? What do you recall from this first Overkill visit to Poland?

I’m very excited to come back to Poland.

Kids are insane there! We played really great shows there. First time there was a little crazy. We came with Helloween. It was probably our first full European tour.

Again, I have great memories of that as well. I think we were the first US band to play Poland or maybe first thrash band.

Thank you for your time DD and see you in Poland again!

Leslaw Dutkowski Live photos from Brutal Assault and concert in Poland by Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki

Speedwolf

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You are quite a young band, your roots reach at least 2008 but on the other hand your music is an absolute tribute to the 80’s oldschool metal. Before we start with your perfect full length album “Ride with Death” which got released on November 2011, let’s move in time a bit earlier- to the very beginning ok? Who initiated the the creation of Speedwolf and how it all started, what was the idea behind assembling the band named Speedwolf?

Greetings from Denver666! SPEEDWOLF was created originally by our drummer Richie Tice and I, Reed, coming together in 2008. We had been in previous thrash bands and wanted to try something different.

Not a year had passed after the creation of

the band when you released a demo called “Bark at the Poon”. From the beginning you seemed to be highly fascinated by Motorhead, is it true that Lemmy and Co. has made such an impact on you works?

What made you play exactly such a music?

Without a doubt, MOTORHEAD is our main influence. Overall we’re a huge fan of early 80s metal and beyond. But at it’s core, we worship bands like VENOM, TANK, DIAMOND HEAD, BATHORY, and other NWOBHM classics.

Since our start we’ve run into a lot of criticism for being a ‘MOTORHEAD rip-off’, etc.

I always just take it as a compliment, haha.

It’s not like we’re ripping off a bad band!

How you remind your beginning period and the reaction on “Bark at the Poon”?

Did you focus on promoting your music live just from the start?

To be honest, we really didn’t expect the reaction that we received so far. We were surprised that people liked this style of metal and we were receptive enough to purchase it on the formats in which we released everything. It was good to hear that people understood and appreciated our efforts with encorporating the specific genre that we do. We never intended to shove it down listener’s throats, only to play and hope it sparks interest.

Just after the release of your first demo there was a single split Speedwolf/ Hookers. This time both tracks got into the vinyl EP. That’s another tribute to the old days, a kick-ass oldschool stuff on the best possible carrier- vinyl. I’m interested in your feelings when it got into your hands for the first time.

I was incredibly satisfied with that release!

I personally did the layout, construction, and distribution of each and every copy. Needless to say, I took it very seriously. It was a relief that they sold as quickly as they did.

Speedwolf good stuff coming and people will be satisfied.

Denver666 has phenomenal cover. The idea of joining those 5 wolf heads into a pentagram is totally cool. A great idea was also the one for “Ride with Death”. Who is the author of those covers?

It is a local Denver666 artist named SAM TURNER. He has done artwork for 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, ZEKE, MURDERESS, BLACK BREATH, and countless others. A very good friend and incredible artist!

It wasn’t a coincidence that motorcycles occured on the cover of “Ride with Death”.

Is it somehow special to you? By the way, it seems that “iron stallions” and speed metal always make a prefect match.

It seemed that we help turn a lot of new people onto THE HOOKERS, who hadn’t released anything for 7-8 years before that split!

Do you collect vinyls? What is your attitude towards this product. It seems that vinyl celebrates its’ second birth. Many people finally understood that the analog sound is the only true one. Do you share this opinion?

Many of us in the band are big collectors of all formats of music, period. We love old metal and only way that most of it can be heard on a stereo at home is on vinyl. It’s unavoidable if you enjoy the style that we play. Regardless, we love collecting all the great gems in heavy metal that are available. Although, I must say that as of lately I’ve become more and more frustrated with the exclusiveness of underground music and the limited format releases. I don’t remember a time when vinyl came and went. I simply remember learning about records for the first time at a young age and buying them ever since, haha! So, to see people stamp-collect, over-price, and act completely cutthroat over copies of music is fucking stupid, in my opinion. All formats for all fans. Quit ripping people off!

Year 2010 brings another EP Denver666. Honestly, you do not spoil your fans highly because this stuff consists of only two tracks but what a quality! Is Splatter Records your label? I’m asking because both 7’’EP were released under their flag and they are your only releases that emerged from Splatter.

Yes, SPLATTERED! RECORDS is my small label/distro. It is not at the forefront of my priorities, but something I do enjoy and take seriously when I have the time to. As a band, we enjoy the idea of putting out a consistent amount of releases with new material available each time. Recycling old junk and rereleasing records in 100 different ways is redundant and arrogant. Just keep the

Haha! You’re absolutely right! Iron Stallions and speed metal do always make a perfect match!

And yes, I am heavily involved in motorcycles.

It is a hobby that has taken over my life. I chop, wrench, and ride almost daily.

Three years have passed since you decided to record your debut album. Honestly, when I heard it for the first time I was blown away right from my shoes. And what a blow it was!

I was not surprised when you caught an interest of Hells Headbangers, the material was released on cd, and what is nice, on LP also. Looking at it from the perspective of passed months, are you satisfied with the cooperation with that label? Did you have more offers? Are you informed how is the selling of your debut going on? There is rather a positive response on your music.

Thanks! Like I said earlier, we are still surprised at how well everything has been with the success of the band so far. Pretty astounding how far we’ve come in a few years. We’re glad that people understand what we’re doing and don’t get caught up in the over-classification of metal sub genres, but rather just listen to it and appreciate it for what it is. Originally our full length was supposed to be released by HIGH ROLLER RECORDS of Germany, but we decided to go with HELLS HEADBANGERS in the end.

We have received some offers from other labels, but nothing too serious yet. So far, the CD and LP are in their 3rd and 4th pressings and have been selling steadily. We couldn’t be happier.

How is the promotion of “Ride with Death” going on, are you having gigs quite often?

Where we could have had a chance to see Speedwolf live lately. Is there a possibility that you will visit Europe this year?

We just finished a month-long US tour of the East Coast. It went very well, and since then have been planning a West Coast tour for the Summer of 2012. We have wanted to tour Europe since we started the band, but don’t have the proper contacts or money to make it happen. If anyone is interested please email us right away: splatteredrecs@gmail.com Hells Headbangers seems to specialize mostly in oldschool metal. A perfect example is their catalog where you can find such magnificent things like Evil Army, Trench Hell, Midnight and at last Speedwolf. How do you fell in such a honorable company?

We feel great being on HHR. We’re all fans of their label from the start, so it’s nice to be a part of a family of killer metal bands!

Let’s get back to your musical inspirations for a while. For sure Motorhead, but what else influenced you? What were the bands that you started your musical education with?

We love classic metal, simply put. The masters!

VENOM and MOTORHEAD mostly.

Every band that play concerts dream about sharing the stage with their favourite ones.

With whom Speedwolf would like to play?

MOTORHEAD!!!!! Haha. Bet you couldn’t have guessed that one, right? I’d love to get on a killer European fest with a bunch of old NWOBHM bands. That would be a dream come true and fit well for most of us, I think.

For sure you are intent observers of the metal scene. Do you know any polish bands?

Could you think of something familiar that you associate with Poland?

Speedwolf have all their releases, killer band! I will support any band that makes an effort to honor the old classic metal bands, and does it well.

This year Doomentia Records has released your split with Nekrofilth. Interesting is that there is only one track of yours on it, and three of Nekrofilth. As a matter of a fact both bands seem to be complately different and does not have anything in common despite the fact that Zack Rose, vocalist of Nekrofilth, is also obsessed by oldschool metal. The music that you play is for sure completely different. What is behind the idea of this split?

Honestly, the only Polish metal bands that come to mind for me are KAT and VADER, haha. I associate racist jokes and good sausage with Poland, since I’m American.

Last years give us a view of absolute craziness. More and more young bands manifest their obsessive worship of 80’s speed metal formula. The same with you.

Your music is fulfilled with this unique atmosphere. If you had a time machine and have had an opportunity to get back to a concert, for example from 1985, with whom would you like to play then?

The ultimate show question, huh? Hmmm….

How’s this? WITCHFINDER GENERAL, MOTORHEAD (with the original line-up), VENOM, TANK, and IRON MAIDEN (Paul Dianno years). That would be one for the books!

What do you think about bands such as Bunker66, Atomic Sin, Baphomet’s Blood, Rotten, Em Ruinas, Cast Iron? It seems very positive when we see what way those bands have chosen.

I’ve honestly only heard BUNKER66 and BAPHOMET’S BLOOD. I had the BUNKER66 CDs in my distro and loved them!

I’ve been listening to BAPHOMET’S BLOOD since they released their demo and

I guess I don’t see it as different as most people do, haha. ZACK ROSE is a personal friend of mine for the past few years. He loves SPEEDWOLF and asked us to do the split with his band after the original one dropped off. We like NEKROFILTH, so went ahead and got a new song recorded for he split. They did 3 short songs and we did one long one. There really wasn’t much more thought put into this release other than that.

You come form Denver. I’m interested how you judge the condition of your local scene. Apart from you and Havok, in witch your drummer used to play, are there any other bands that play oldschool metal? How do the local public respond to your music?

People in Denver666 have been very supportive of us, and we’re grateful. This city has the best fans in the country! There really aren’t any other bands playing old school metal. There are a lot of bands that claim older bands as their main influences, but sound nothing like them.

Denver666 is pretty far from most major cities/tour routes.

So we don’t get a constant flow of new and exciting music.

As a metal fan, you’re left to study your records and come up with what you can on your own. That’s the best way I can describe out scene’s situation in the past couple of years, heh.

Do you use to play some covers during gigs or rehearsals? Is there a track that you play quite often?

Yes, we love covers! We see it as honoring our favorite bands. We usually play one of our choice with each live set. Lately it’s been ‘The Rocker’ by THIN LIZZY. Other times we’ve played KISS, PENTAGRAM, VENOM, and MOTORHEAD. Our interview is slowly reaching its’ end. I would like to ask you about your plans for the closest future. When we can expect the successor of “Ride with Death”?

Hmmm…It’s hard to say, but hopefully we will have our second album out by the end of 2012 or early 2013. So far, we have almost 10 new songs ready to record, but are being picky with which ones we want on the full length.

Overall, we want the best material to make it to the record in the end.

Thanks a lot for your time. Is there anything you want to say to the readers of OMMM? Thanks for the interview Leszek. Stay true to metal and thanks for the support! Speed with the wolf!

Contact here: splatteredrecs@gmail.com Website: www.speedwolf.bigcartel.com

Die Hard

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

full-length album, so I was expecting something really devastating. But this time my expectations slightly exceeded the group that had no idea for the music. Very simple and dull playing, neither the original nor inspiring. There are a dime a dozen of such bands. It is sad, because so far none of the publications of Slaney Rec that hit in my hands disappointed me. Unfortunately, ADRRENICIDE is a boring bunch of music. Not bad when it comes to arrangment, but without any idea. You know what it’s like to hear the same patents again and again.Unfortunately, it is a very average album.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki CONVICTED Convicted

POSSESSOR

City Built With Skulls CD 2012 Another great band issued by the resilient Slaney Records that specializes in thrash metal. Possessor is relatively young thrash metal band formed in 2010 in Virginia, USA. Before the “City Built With Skulls” the band released two demo tapes “Fire from Hell” & “Demo 2010” and a split “Thrashing Invasion”, where Possessor appeared with such crews as Premunition, Paralyzer or Vicious Attack. Possessor’s music is a real tribute to the classic old school speed / thrash metal. It’s a well played metal with a large dose of originality, doing a great job interesting vocal parts with high chants, a lot of changes of pace, a little harsh, but still powerful sound. What is interesting, by listening to “City Built with Skulls” you have an impression that this material could be successfully emerge three decades ago. Very classic form gives the whole an extra strength. The specific mode of expression, there can be heard fascination with ‘80s metal.

Possessor is not afraid to make by its work an connection with classics such as AGENT STEEL, OVERKILL or BLESSED DEATH. Something beautiful. Wish I had more of such debuts in this plastic, deprived of the originality times.

If you do not know Possessor, reach after their debut, and your head will not be realeased from headbanging / moshing madness.” City Built With Skulls” contains thirteen kicking ass thrash metal punches after which I do not think you will manage to rise up.

Great music. It is hard to believe that it has been recorded last year. Shock!

Another item that should be in your collection!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

CD 2009 Convicted is another awesome thrash metal band from Greece, and although the band is not in a hurry to release his debut album, those nine years separating the creation of the group from the release of the album were by no means a waste of time.

The album is flattering in every possible detail and it refers to the best old school models. If you expect modern thrash you will be dissapointed. In Convicted’s music there is no place for plastic or enhancements. It is a flesh and blood classic thrash metal played with incredible energy. The whole has a lot of Punk rage, but by no means is a mindless rush without composition. It is a very interestingly arranged music, referring sometimes to such classics as Exodus, Blood Feast, Possessed, or Destruction. Powerful, massive sound and perfect performance blows the fucking brain. If you do not know this band and you are fond of classics I guarantee that these nine tracks will cut you into pieces. Convicted takes no prisoners. There is no weak number. It blows the fucking head off! I am full of admiration for the Greek scene that always surprises with excellent groups. Convicted and Suicidal Angels are certainly one of the most interesting of the crews of the local thrash metal scene. I hope we will not have to wait another nine years for the next Convicted album and let us hope that this time the band will quickly get us know about the new work. But for now, enjoy this delicious portion of awesome thrash metal! Any self-respecting old school metal maniac must have this album on their shelf!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki VINDICATOR

Adrenicide

War Begs No Mercy CD 2010 his time Slaney Records applies debut of a German formation ADRRENICIDE which origins date back to the year 2002. “War Begs No Mercy” is the 10th publication of this team and the sixth

United We Fall CD 2012 The Americans’ third full-length album has brought exceptional progress. The music has become more three-dimensional and at the same time the sound has become more powerful. A definitely better made material has become more refined without losing any of its

spontaneity. It’s still the same thrash metal band, only much more mature with what they’re doing. It is audible in the new musical arrangements which combined with great technical abilities sound amazing. The album as a whole strongly alludes to the old school tradition which gives VINDICATOR’S music extra power. The only things that interrupt the delight of listening to the record are some vocal tracks that don’t really belong here. That’s definitely the weakest link of the band. Thankfully the music stands for itself. Great guitar tracks do the lion’s share of the job.

Actually, it was pretty apparent even on the previous records. The meaty riffs make for the 60% of the records success. “United we Fall” consists of twelve good thrash metal songs that should create huge moshpits on concerts!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki MUTILATED MESSIAH

Total Fucking Slaughter CD 2010 The first impression was pretty good, but unfortunately the vocals have quickly dispelled my delight.

The music itself isn’t bad at all, it has a lot of potential and the old school character, but the vocals seem to have been recorded at the last moment – they just don’t fit and in addition to that they have been fronted too much. This ruins the effect. Maybe if the singer were charismatic and possessed an interesting voice, or if he were exceptionally talented the record would gain some power, but unfortunately he diminishes the material.

It’s a damn pity because the music defends itself pretty good, there’s a lot going on and you can hear the thrash and death elements. Occasionally the record reminds me of a couple of American bands such as SCEPTER, USURPER and even AUTOPSY. Unfortunately, the monotonous, shrieking voice doesn’t leave a good impression. Maybe it would be a good idea to find a new frontman to get things going, because MUTILATED MESSIAH plays some really neat music.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Brutal Exuberancia

Territorio Perdid CD (self release) Another brasilian horde, which should interest you. The band was formed in 2004. They released two demos – “Planet Cambiado” 2006 and “Guerra Dos Mundos” 2008. A few days ago I received their debut album, a pretty nice thrash metal with strong local influence. Lyrics in their native language give additional power to the music.

In my opinion Portuguese is very demonic, that’s why it really fits in metal sounds. Besides, there are also some neckdestroying riffs and rock n roll climate like “Morro de Fome Mas Nao Thrabalho”. In BRUTAL EXUBERANCIA we can hear some inspirations from bands like DORSAL ATLANTICA or SEPULTURA. Regardless, their music brings many characteristic elements.

This material has only one shortcoming, it’s too short. Listener receives only 21 minutes of really good thrash metal. Come and visit them on www.facebook.com/brutalExuberanci

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki SADNESS

Eodipus MC Demo 1992 Two track promo of the Swiss quartet who was very popular in our country back then, mainly because of their first demo and an excellent debut, “Ames de Marbre” which alluded stylistically to Celtic Frost’s groundbreaking “Into the Pandemonium.”

At that time it seemed that Sadness was bound to become a successful group. Despite all the signs in the heavens and on the Earth, the band didn’t become as successful as Samael, Messiah, Coroner or Celtic Frost, which is quite a pity because of their huge potential. Sadness was able to create an incredibly unique, almost hypnotic atmosphere masterfully.

I think it is worthwhile to pick up this demo in order to remind ourselves of those musical compositions that perfectly managed to stand the test of time.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki SAMAEL

Medieval Prophecy MC Demo 1988 The demo known to most in the ep7” format consist of three cult compositions from the time when the band was still a duet, very effectively spreading their disease on our Polish lands by the way.

It is because of SAMAEL that such Polish aces as PANDEMONIUM or TARANIS and many other groups decided to tread the path of Black Metal. A timeless composition – “Into The Pentagram” - has left its mark on quite a lot of underground

bands playing at that time; a piece played live so many times by so many groups that it has become a sort of a Hellish Anthem to the glory of demonic forces. It was also a bonus track on “The Obscurity” by Taranis from Wadowice. Samael, who with their stylistics and rawness allude heavily to Tom Gabriel Warrior’s group, also had their idols – namely the great HELLHAMMER. Back then no one used to hide their fascinations and inspirations, the music intertwined and “infected” more and more metal maniacs who formed their own music groups under the influence of their favorite bands.

Such was the case of Vorphalack and Xytraguptor who decided to – among their original compositions – honor the aforementioned Helvetians by recording a cover song from “The Third of The Storm” on their “Medieval Prophecy” EP. On the B side you could find an equally timeless track – “The Dark.”

Picking up this tape after such a long time makes your eyes water with nostalgia, those were the days when every recording was more precious than gold and emotions and happiness welled up within me while I was listening to such a gem. I remember the day when I got this tape from the band, it truly is a miracle that it didn’t get damaged from being played so many times :) Even though I got a hold of the ep7” version I didn’t get rid of the tape and I’m glad that I was able to listen to those recordings off of this particular storage medium. It’s a kind of a relic of the past with elapsed time enchanted within it.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

SLAUGHTER

Nocturnal Karnage MC 2010 These Canadian gods of Thrash/Speed Metal don’t need an introduction. This band was one of the precursors of this brutal genre of metal. It’s not a surprise that the archival materials of this great band are often re-released. This time, however, we’ve got something special – A tape compilation that consists of, for example, tracks from ep7” “Nocturnal Hell,” originally released in 1986. Songs out of the second demo, “Bloody Karnage” from the year 1984, aren’t absent as well as one track from a rehearsal session from 1986, which is quite a gem. Nine asskicking old school metal tracks in total. In addition to that, the release is extremely neat: Printed colored typography, overprint on the tape and, last but not least, good sound quality. This tape is a must-have!!!! Publisher’s c/o Terror from Hell Prod: guanonero@kibero.it

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

WHORES OF BABYLON

Eternal MC Demo 1993 I remember getting this tape from my pal from Death Bible zine. It made a huge impression on me back then, almost as vivid as the debut “Fields Of The Nephelim” or “Elizium” and even though I used to listen to more extreme music, “Eternal” has charmed me with its hypnotic ambience. As soon as I listened to this tape I knew that these sounds will get stuck in my head for good. In total, “Eternal” consists of just 6 songs, 3 on each side, I don’t remember how many times I have switched the sides of this tape, listening to it all around the clock for quite a couple of days. Picking up this now battered tape after so many years I discovered that the songs didn’t lose even a bit of their potency. The recordings are still able to charm you with their magical aura.

This might be because of the very original keyboard tracks that masterfully create an oriental ambience of these compositions. Additionally Shaun Atkins’ vocals with high clarity can get a hold on the listener. All this, combined with the unique music, makes the release laden with an exceptional, magical atmosphere. Perfect release. I highly recommend it!

WIDMO

Zawdy wracają …tak zawdy czynili MC Demo 2011 Gruft Production If you like tar pouring out of your speakers and at the same time stinking like sulfur, tar and rot, you’ve found it, because WIDMO’s debut demo meets all the criteria above. It’s just true plain-as-fuck cellar Black Metal without pushing it to a “rock-star” level. This is just four track demo in the form of rehearsal tape, so don’t expect it will sound like WATAIN. This is the underground. The depths of dark dungeons and deserted catacombs in which the Lord of Hell walks with pleasure. Even though the lyrics do not deal with that kind of demonic force, but rather folk parables concerning human suffering and death, you can subcutaneously feel the presence of this Horned Persona. Last but not least – the band comes from Lublin, a city that smells like corpse’s breath and from where more and more new destructive bands show up. It seems like The Master of Hell really likes to visit old forgotten graveyards where wind creates melodies out of corpses’ bones while rocking to sleep deserted souls.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki KURHAN

Cel MC Demo 2011 The second demo from KURHAN – black metal band from Katowice, is very pleasant black metal stuff that reminds of PLAGUE a bit. There’s a lot of classic heavy metal in it, especially when it comes to guitar solos – and that’s the main reason why PLAGUE came to my mind.

Nevertheless the similarities are minimal because both bands have quite different black metal approach. Of course in both cases, there are several elements that bring together those bands, especially guitar solo parts as mentioned before, classic heavy metal soul and polish lyrics. It’s nice that more and more polish bands do use native language in their lyrics. It’s important to say that those two bands do not copy each other. It’s also worth mentioning that Nihil closely watched KURHAN’s demo realization and recordings took place in Czyściec Studio (purgatory studio). This demo sounds really good, with a kick and at the same time it’s catchy – but don’t be fooled – there’s no sign of commerce!

Those six tracks should make a large hole in your head (smile).

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

DEGGIAL

Upon The Path of Damnation MC Demo 2010 Four hymns of destruction, total annihilation, intensity and aggression bordered with insanity. No time to take a breath. It feels like some kind of demonic power has possessed DEGGIAL. It’s no picnic. Bloody scraps of raw meat in-your-face. And after all this ‘have-a-nice-day act of passionate love’ – a powerful pickaxe blow to the back of your head. Yes, yes…

No mercy and no prisoners taken!

Histerical high pitched vocals a’la Hat on the first demo of GORGOROTH “A Sorcery Written In Blood” only add up more morbid and insane atmosphere.

If you got the guts and have no fear of infecting your minds, do reach for this possessed material, and your life won’t ever be the same again. Yes, yes… The Devil himself has his worshipers also in Turkey – and DEGGIAL is the best proof for that!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki ROT

Pedophile Maniac MC Demo 2009 And in this case we are dealing with extreme obsession with brutality, although in more oldschool way. Death metal lined with dirty thrash metal and kind of ‘Bathoresque’ guitar sound. Vocals are roaring like they were made by the

Devil himself. This demo is driven by heavy and massive death metal sound mixed with classical hellish influences – straight from Hell. That’s the kind of metal that I like. The most rude, ordinary, obscure and totally oldschool that it’s hard to believe that this stuff was recorded barely 4 years ago. Not to mention the fact that ROT is a polish crew. Those who haven’t heard second demo “Pedophile Maniac” yet: don’t fuck around! Buy this shit without any hesitation, ‘cause it is really worth it.

Drown out your neighbors’ catholic radio! Maybe it’ll set their hair on fire

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki ORGIA NUCLEAR

Caos Total Promo EP 2013 Just after first few sounds I was in euphoria! That’s the thing I love!

Awesome hellish Speed/Thrash Metal. Very fast riffs give this material a proper momentum, while crude and simple drumming brings nothing but fucking doom. Everything enforced by the vocals, sung with Wagner-esque manner and in Portuguese. They remind me of Sarcofago on their classic album “I.N.R.I.”. Although their music is definitely slower than Sarcofago’s, it still has enough power. It’s a pity the material is so short, as it lasts only 14 minutes, including bonus rehearsal track. On the other hand, I assume they aimed at 7”EP release with no rehearsal song. Anyway, now it’s time to find a proper label who would support and promote this very promising band and I assure you - this material kicks ass so hard it’s almost unbelievable! It would be great to have it on vinyl. Though “Caos Total” is their only offering so far, I believe they have potential for much more and I’m sure you will hear their name gain. Until then, check them out at: facebook.com/Orgia.Nuclear666

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

head breaks off.

“Void” is largely based on an average paces, there’s no dizzying speed with what indeed I am very happy because I definitely prefer this type of playing. It is worth mentioning that the material has been realized as a solo project, which is Necroangel (guitars, bass, drum). “Void” is the second release of this band. In 2012 Urugi released split with HOLOCAUST STORM and STRAŻNICA. Currently Urugi functions as two-man project, and all those who are curious about the music, you can refer to: necroangel@wp.pl or www.myspace.com/Urugi

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki RITUAL LAIR

Morbid Ritual of The Insane MC Demo 2012 Once again, duo Sobiech/Lewan prepared for us quite solid havoc, whole album is in similar vein as “13 świec”.

From the very begining strikes the snout with offal of rotten meat just a while after ominous Intro. “Worship Baal” emerges as first, “Wooden Chalice” uncompromising blast stinking tar and sulphur efficiently killing what’s holy all around leaving just a corpses. Another strike after which is hard to recover is hardly banging “Ritual of the Insane” and here there’s no mercy. Raw and brutal blasts leave deep scars on skulls. Intensity mixes with sepulchral atmosphere, cadaveric poison and scent of decay, “Temple of Sin” beginning with short raid of Beelzebubian nation gladly feeding on human carrion. Another nail in the Christ’s coffin is “Bow to Worms and Plagues” announcing total destruction. Ubiquitous death is fulfillment of this unholy orgy of sounds is very intensive “Satan”. Honestly speaking, fuck, since a really long time nothing smited me with it’s Diabolism. It’s real Devil diatribe 666 anthem for glory of Satan.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki SLOW DEATH

URUGIA

Void Demo CDr 2013 Four anthems for the glory of Satan, a total of 22 minutes infernal music played in an old tune. If your black soul delights in classic black metal in the style of BATHORY, SAMAEL or DARKTHRONE, I’m sure you will find in these compositions something for everyone. Very dark, full of rot music breathing chill like a well full of rotting body remains. Very gloomy and dark sounds echo the dark dungeons, where even today you can hear screams of tortured souls with such an intensity that the

Deadly Visions MC Demo 1989 Doom Zine Production The fact that in these days there are people that try call to mind bands, which for unknown reasons were shrouded in dust of oblivion is really uplifting. In spite of all, underground scene breeds from its guts bands which once appeared for a while just to vanish in depths. Excellent example of such a band is here reviewed SLOW DEATH, which in spite of huge potential didn’t stood out back in those years. Raw and obscure production “Deadly Visions” shocks with its atrocity. There’s no place for

sophisticated sounds, forget about virtuosity, it’s truest essence of old-school death metal. Recording session was realized in late 80’s what makes this music unique atmosphere. Ultra grim and sinister music smelling tar and sulphur for a distance, slow almost funeral parts interspersed with non-trivial solo guitars and this ominous vocals bringing associations with Paul from PANDEMONIUM from the period of “Devilri”. The whole music is definitely Death Metal with style balancing between IMPERATOR and PANDEMONIUM. It is hard to believe that such a perfect material, passed almost unnoticed and it’s been a long time until again this material lived to see tape edition. I hope that someone in future will release it also on the CD. I believe it is really worth it because it is a piece of really kickass material with 6 mind-blowing compositions and it wreaks havoc. Brilliant!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki TRĄD

Trupia Plazma MC Demo 2012 Since first sounds, tape strikes with lurid atmosphere and even though rest is recorded definitely quieter, it has really anxious climate, you can feel it in your bones that something horrifying is going on. Evil flows from the speakers like a tar, pestilence cuts a swath through minds of possessed people, we can hear suffering of writhing in convulsion people. Entirety, obscure and filthy, makes those compositions more demonic as if those sounds for some strange reason had snatched up into human world from the very depths of hell. Sick and ominous, efficiently enslave listener, you can feel tangible presence of EVIL, and besides that, madness, true devotion to the forces of darkness, pain, suffering, agony, bloody rituals reviving long forgotten spells. This is really infernal music. My devil soul cannot remain indifferent to this material. This stuff strikes so hard with its atrocity that you won’t wish to stop drowning in those hellish sounds.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki TERRORAMA

Crimes Against Humanity MC Demo 2011 Blazing Obscurity I am amazed that bands like TERRORAMA, which achieved pretty much on the underground scene, still struggle with releasing their material. This band exists since the 2001. so its quite a long time. In the 2004 they realeased their debut album and 4 years later, american label NWN Prod. released their destructive 2nd album

“omnipotence” which reverbarated as one of interesting material in 2008.

In the meantime band released some demos, like “Crimes Against Humanity” joining elements of old-school Thrash Metal with black metal filth. This really interesting mixture of different styles makes really explosive material, which is able to raise hellfire towards the sky.

Really complex arrangements, intensity mixed with technique and accompaniment of possession. Im not afraid to call this a specific possession of music where demons speak... And how can you not become a fan? 666!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki MORBID FLESH

Dying Lapidation MC Demo 2010 Blazing Obscurity Crew from Spain though they don’t play ballads at all. It’s ominous and totally demoniacal Death Metal with a pint of tar and sulphur. Listening those Records you have a feeling that they get tired with slow parts and that’s why without moment of rest they blast the shit of the instruments and they do it really well. I have to add that it’s not mindless shit without order and any form but really consistent compositions with good arrangements and those beefy riffs. Furthermore it is played on highend level. “Dying Lapidation” should pave the way of this band so remember this name and i guarantee that you will yet not once hear of MORBID FLESH.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki CHEMICIDE

Radioactive Annihilation MC Demo 2011 Blazing Obscurity Another kick in the snout! Uncompromising, energetic thrash metal blowing like a hellish tornado. Since releasing this demo passed 3 long years. What’s with you guys? I demand new cd of CHEMICIDE!!! Since when i heard “Radioactive Annihilation” for the first time, this material left me speechless. That’s how you play Thrash Metal! There’s no inferior composition. Every track if fucking brilliant and besides that, tape apart from 4 compositions has 3 bonus tracks and I have to say, even if there were 20 of them, still it wouldn’t be enough for me! Awesome to listen to it. If somehow you don’t know CHEMICIDE, and you like good old-school Thrash metal, you will be 100% satisfied. This is fucking perfect!!!!!! Band contact: chemicide@hotmail.com

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki ANTICIPATE

Killing For A Living MC Demo 2008 Upir Productions This time we are dealing with some kind of compilation tape, which contains few recording sessions, realized between 1998 and 2005. Summing up we have 27 ultra fast Death/Grindcore Metal tracks in the spirit of TERRORIZER/NAUSEA or even early NAPALM

DEATH. In general, don’t expect any ballads. Very intensive music with squalid and obscure tone efficiently breeds the pestilence. We can hear that they know what they meant.

Compositions played on really good level. And even that I’m not a fan of that kind of music, i Believe some extreme maniacs will find in those sound they favorite climate.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ing. We can also here there infernal Rock’N’Roll a’la VENOM, though in more raw way. The only drawback is length of this tape. Tracks remain insufficiency. So what? Rewind to the beginning and here we go! Really honestly i can recommend this material. Definitely I’d like to hear more of those sort of tracks in those fucking plastic times! AGRESSIVE MUTILATOR remember that name!!!!! c/o mikael_holm@hotmail.com

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki AGGRESSIVE MUTILATOR

SLAV/DAREN

Braterstwo Krwi Split MC 2012 Putrid Cult Production Those, who like pretty and easy to listen to music may better leave this tape because they would get a lifetime trauma. Raw and mega primitive sounds without any effort to sound original or any special idea that would interest listener. That music is full of rottenness and pestilence. It’s true that you can hear there HELLHAMMER from afar but in case of SLAV that would be a little too high compliment. On the B side its way better. Here we can hear any idea for the music and even though very vile quality, we can find its potential. Good arrangements give those tracks some cohesion and a whole brings ominous and filthy atmosphere. Good but a little too much in background vocals doing what they should. A side pales by comparison to Darens tracks.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki AGGRESSIVE MUTILATOR

Skull Torture MC Demo 2012 I was really shocked when for the first time I’ve put this 4 track demo tape from 2012 on my player. Shock and destruction!!! This stuff would also be released around ‘84. Total old-school in the spirit of early BATHORY, BURZUM with heavy metal solos. This literally blew my skull for 666 pieces. To make it even better, “Skull Torture” is work of one man: Mikael Holm. AGRESSIVE MUTILATOR is another Swedish horde which in spite of fashion and trends makes really archaic and poor sounding music, simply staggering with honesty.

Ruthlessly simple riffs pierce the mind like a steel blade forged with hammer from hell. And that’s what i like the most and really i don’t mind the thing that it was recorded a year ago because it sounds like stuff from ‘80s. Mid and slow tempos, totally old-school blasts. Raw and catchy at once.

Smells like hell in a good mean-

War of Extermination MC Demo 2012 I haven’t yet recovered after first demo tape “Skull Torture” and here i get another one with information that it’s 4th releas from this horde.

As we can see Mikael got a lot of great ideas. Whole material as always sounds obscure and filthy what only makes them sound better with this specific old-school tone. This time material has more speed ups, is played way better and riffs aren’t so simple but still it’s hard to call this virtuosity. Of course by no means it’s not a flaw. “War of Extermination” is quite much different from debut and even though i miss vocals from “Skull Torture”, so close to early BATHORY, still it sounds like the same band. Another hit betwen eyes is cover of previously listed BATHORY and it is “Sacrifice”. Really well played track! “War of Extermination” was recorded yet not as one man band but already a duo. On the drums this time played Michael Zetterberg. I think this was quite a progress. Support bands like this one! It is black pearl in the crown of Satan!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki AGGRESSIVE MUTILATOR

They Want to Cut Off My Head MC Demo 2013 Reviewing this material I am aware that, band released another 2 tapes, compilation and another demo “Death Toll IV”. As we can see, they haven’t rested on their laurels but with pride carry the banner of Satan, breeding fear and destruction, exploring furthest depths of underworld, heavily inspired by the immortal HELLHAMMER. Especially we can hear it in the first track opening demo “Sterilization of the Unwanted”. Another shot in the back of the head is “Bloody Hunger” and it’s harsh up here. Rocking track in medium tempo is an anthem for BATHORY or DARKTHRONE. Piece of kicking ass track. It’s hard to believe that such a band didn’t get record deal yet. Another piece is “Eaten up from inside” which starts with real hell storm.

Whole is played with even more intensity. There’ more fire but also more rottenness.

“They Want to Cut off My Head” is another one. Blasts and fucking hell with this psychedelic guitar spacer as a whole rides like a bulldozer crushing everything on its path. Another one is “Storms of Evil”...

Fuck this is a power! We can hear ringing echoes of MORBID and MAYHEM with this beefy riff which proceed into more Speed/Thrash metal parts just to change back into this Mayhemish guitar grinding. Last one is “Ghost of a Misfit”. And here we got this kind of Celtic Frosts sound especially with slower parts. There is no weaker composition and I will keep repeating it, AGGRESSIVE MUTIALTOR deserves 666% of your support. I am looking forward to hear those compositions on the noble vinyl!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

hundred-ton roller. The whole music floating on the dormant corners of the mind like a hellish creature worshiping ghosts slumbering in our mind. This quite poor in the word music has an immense load of confidence. There’s many blacks here.

Very sleepy, almost trance-sounding, easily penetrates into the mind of the listener. There’s a kind of magic that envelops the listener with haze of mystery. Is strongly felt particularly in the first part of the material.

The second composition has more like the morbid anxiety, some funeral atmosphere, somewhat ominous.

One senses here the smell of rot, decay and death. This is a very calming material, very somber, sad. Special mood of this album is certainly not for everyone, although I believe that the “Empty” has a lot of interesting elements that can overwhelm and captivate the listener to focus only on those sounds. It’s the perfect album for winter evenings. I think it’s worth giving it a shot and hear at the works of the ZAKON. All interested can refer to the following address: doomzakon@o2.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki NEOLITH

Iter Ad Inferni EP 2012 (self-released) The three-track EP Levi’s crew surprised me a bit, because this time it has all the hallmarks of old-school metal. In addition, the team was able to break free from the stigma of behemothomania that was so noticeable on “Individual Infernal Idimmu”.

This time NEOLITH made ​​sure that the material is more diverse, have the right climate, which disappeared in the previous two discs in turn. By the way, looking at all the creativity coming from Lesko team that has been in existence 21 years, their music over time, gradually took on brutality, losing on the road this mystical element, heavily shown at the great “Igne Nature Renovabitur Integra”.

At the moment NEOLITH music is definitely different, more aggressive in its form, but not deprived of fine mists of the past. “Iter Ad Inferni” is music much richer in the atmosphere. It seems that this time the band is moving in the right direction, because next to the particular those blasts and fucking hell we can also find a very interesting atmosphere.

A lot is going on, and by the way it’s played very solid. You can hear a refinement of instruments, there is no random sounds, everything is thought out and consciously developed into an extremely complex forms of exploration of the extremes, verging on black / death metal. I must admit that this is the face NEOLITH suits me the most. It remains for us to expect a new album and would it be a continuation of what has NEOLITH achieved with the “Iter Ad Inferni”! band c/o: levi@neolith.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki ZAKON

Empty CD-R Demo 2013 Just two very gloomy and poor in expression compositions, lasting just over 28 minutes, so not a little music, filled with misanthropic vibe. There is a lot darkness, but also gloom and sorrow. Instrumental compositions are embedded in the doom metal and do really overwhelming impression. Painfully raw sound goes like a

KOMUTATOR

Mental Sadism CD 2013 Self-Release As you can see the national thrash scene going through a loads of young bands, preferring just this genre of metal. KOMUTATOR, a native of Ozimek in the Opole province, is the best example. Nine compositions comprising the “Mental Sadism” is maintained in the majority of the numbers in fast tempos, which brings together a lot of energy. Active rushing like a super express, everything sounds nice, well exposed guitar here does a solid foundation based on high-speed picking. Igo really hits the strings, that’s really nice. Draws attention to the good work of drums adrew.

The whole has a lot of very clear emotional charge. You can listen to this pretty cool, but unfortunately Ado’s vocals are so-so, without a word or some of the original color.

Fortunately not interfere, and that’s a big success, but on the other hand as I think of how much could change in this very interesting music, if only vocals were more diversified and with some little higher, clean chants ... Unfortunately, in most of the national crews of thrash metal, singers do nothing to bring some originality. Fortunately, KOMUTATOR music is excellent, though it is sometimes a bit too modern playing for me.

Well, I raised on old school metal, do not fully understand all the modern thrash metal bands, but in this case I sense a breath of this best of schools. In summary, the material is most worthy to get into your paws.

All of which at least a little became interested with “Mental Sadism”, I refer on the band’s website: www.facebook.com/komutator

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

So finally it happened. Triptykon descended for the first time unto Polish ground and hammered the audience gathered in front of the stage during the ceremony conducted at Polish edition of Metalfest 2012 touring festival.

The whole show consisted of four (sic!) tracks (“Procreation of the Wicked”, “Goetia”, “Synagoga Satanae” and “The Prolonging”) and of course turned the whole day into a flop because after that nobody seemed worthy to present their music on the same stage without putting himself to shame. Of course our Live Report Deathsquad couldn’t miss such opportunity and caught the Man behind the Might, Thomas G. Warrior in person in order to conduct a short, yet fruitful interview which should serve as a proper dessert after the longer one presented in “Oldschool Metal Maniac” #2.

Not to prolong anymore, ladies and gentlemen! TOM WARRIOR,

How did you like playing here today with Triptykon? It’s your second time playing live in Poland…

Tom: I actually loved the show today and I’m not just saying that because it’s you here (laughs). It is a shame though that it had to be so early (Triptykon played around 3 P.M. in the middle of the day –annt. T.), but we had a really good sound on stage and I think the audience was fantastic. I have been waiting for quite a long time to come here and play.

With Celtic Frost we played one of our most memorable shows in Poland and ever since then I wanted to come back to play here.

And it was a huge pleasure. We played some songs that are fairly unusual for such a short concert and that was quite a lot of fun for us…

By the way what would be the main differences between today’s show with Triptykon and your last time in Poland with Celtic Frost?

Tom: It is always radical difference between playing indoors and outdoors.

That is the only difference, but as long as the people are there and they give our music a chance that is what counts.

I actually liked today because it was windy and rainy and that is perfect for our music.

If we actually have to play in the daylight then it’s better to be like that. I don’t think Triptykon would look good in sunshine (laughs).

Only under Apollyon’s sun (laughs).

When we were speaking for the last time you mentioned something about a special DVD release for Triptykon, containing

some material recorded during your live shows.

Can you tell me more about that?

Tom: It is a very ambitious project. It is not just a live DVD, it is a concert film. It is also an expensive project and we’re working on it. It is definitely a plan that we want to realize, but I can’t give you a release date yet.

But we are working on it very definitely. There is a second DVD also in the planning stage. I’ve got many projects, but sometimes you have to be a little patient. I don’t like to do quick things. I like to do things right and to do them appropriately. To me what counts is not the speed, but the quality of the outcome and sometimes quality takes a little more work.

For sure it will be worth the wait. Let us dwell a little bit into the past now. Do you keep any contact with Martin Eric Ain? Tom: Well… Almost none. Very, very rarely.

There’s no real disagreement or anything like that, it is just that we have very different lives. He is not a musician now. He owns clubs and bars and I am a musician living on the road. Outside of Celtic Frost we have very different lives and just nothing to say to each other anymore. I think we’re both disappointed with each other in certain ways and certain levels. We’ve made some fantastic music together and that music will exist for all times, but there also have been

some problems, so… Everything has to come to an end eventually.

And now you’re playing with Vanja whom you once called your best friend. Do you think the current lineup of Triptykon is the ultimate?

Tom: Oh, I hope so! We all feel that way. But we’re all human beings, so you’ll never know what is gonna happen, but right now we are so happy to be in this lineup. It has worked together for almost four years, so we all hope it is gonna stay like this. We are four very different people. We are in different ages and have different lives and hopefully we will develop together, so we can stay together for a long time. We all hope for that. Life is unpredictable, but I can tell you that we all love playing in this band very much and actually all four of us are very good friends.

It was visible on stage today. When I saw you back in a day with Celtic Frost you were more backed up and today you ruled!

Tom: It was completely different feeling on stage back then. There were a lot of bad things and everybody were just standing there doing their thing each and Triptykon is a band of friends and we actually work with each other not against each other. It is a huge difference.

Time for bold questions: do you, considering your whole musical legacy and influence, feel yourself an icon?

Tom: No! Why would I? I’m a human being, I mean, what’s so different about me? People took that word, that huge word and they put that on me all the time, but come from a very simple background. I grew up extremely poor, I’ve been abused, I had to fight violence, I had no connections, no friends, no nothing…

Hellhammer was formed in a tiny little village with nothing. No talent, no contacts, no money, no nothing. And that is what I remember very well every day. So I don’t see what should make me an icon. I’ve just been very lucky to create music and there were people who listened to it. And if anything it is the people out there, the audience like today that makes a band an icon, but not, certainly not musicians. You can play all music that you want, but when nobody listens to it… It is the fans, the audience that makes the band big or makes the band special. I hate when musicians walk around and there are one or two bands on this festival too that I know personally, I hate when it gets to their heads and they think they are geniuses or whatever because it’s not true. It’s the people out there. They give you the platform, they are open, they give you the chance, they listen to your music, they create what you are, not the musicians. I’m just a human being, I’m a metal fan, like you. What makes me different?

We both are passionate for this music, that’s all there is.

Why do you think today’s worldwide metal scene fiercely lacks such bold and groundbreaking bands as Celtic Frost used to be back in a day?

Tom: It’s always much easier to play something that already exists. It’s always much easier to go the most obvious way.

It takes much more courage to take a risk and to sometimes gamble your entire career when you do the album that is very bold, very special. I understand that sometimes in my career I’ve had too much courage.

I made an albums that are too far out there and I almost ruined my entire career. You know, there is a thing to be said about both approaches. Sometimes I think I should have played just like AC/DC. It’s also cool. I don’t know. I’m sure there are bands out there that are very bold. Sometimes it takes a few years to get it right.

Have you heard these days something that was special enough to catch your attention and you would think that it’s gonna set the way the metal would go in the future?

Tom: I don’t know about that yet. If I could predict the way the metal would be going I would be a genius, you know. I have no idea, I can only tell you bands that moved me personally, for example The Wounded Kings. I;ve seen them live and I have all their albums. It moves me and touches me deeply.

I don’t know though if they’re the future of metal. I don’t know where the fans would go or what the audience likes. If you’re an honest musician you would do the music that is inside of you and you won’t do the music according to the audience. And if you’re really lucky your feeling would connect with the feelings of the audience. But I don’t know what is gonna be the next big thing in metal. I have no idea. And if it’s the next big thing, who knows if it’s actually good?

That would be it. Thank you for the possibility of the interview. The last words belong to you!

Tom: Not a problem. It’s a pleasure. As I said, it’s a huge pleasure to be back here and thank you very much for giving me this platform. Thank you very much to all those who have gone through all these years and all this path with me. As I said earlier, I owe everything to the audience and to be the musician means that they believed in me and made it

possible, so all I can say is thank you.

Vanja

Triptykon’s driving force, apart from Warrior’s creativity is without doubt the massive tar-thick bass sound. More surprising is the fact that the person who operates the four stringed bulldozer is equally truly beautiful and talented lady, Vanja Slajh. As the opportunity came we didn’t hesitated to ask her a handful of questions to give a little spice to our little Triptykon Tribute. Vanja turned out not only beautiful, but also very nice and open person. What she told us? Take a step and see below…

Hell-o Vanja! How did you liked today’s show? It was your first time with Triptykon in Poland, right?

Vanja: Yeah, I really liked it and enjoyed it, although the weather was a bit strange and windy… But I really liked the crowd. It was cool. And the atmosphere is really friendly here.

Wasn’t it too early for you guys?

Vanja: Yeah, it was actually. We never played so early before that’s true, but still it’s ok for me. I don’t mind as long as we can make it the way we want it (laughs) By the way how do you like playing in Triptykon along such great and influental person Tom Warrior undoubtedly is?

Vanja: The music is my passion and I love the music we are doing, so it means a lot to me of course, as it was my dream to go and play all around the world. We are very grateful to Tom for having a chance to play together and I’ve been friends with him already six years.

We always wanted to make music together and the way it came is beautiful.

OK, this one is gonna be a bit hard. How do you feel filling in a way for Martin Eric Ain? Vanja: A strange question, really. When we started to play with Triptykon I was thinking about that as well and of course I was a bit afraid…

But you’re doing great!

Vanja: Thank you! (laughs) Now I don’t feel all that pressure. I was really nervous when we started with the gigs because I know that Martin is an icon for himself as well and it’s pretty hard to be a woman taking over his position in a way. I mean all these hardcore fans, you’ll never know what do they expect, but in the end I just did it my way. I don’t try to be somebody else and I just do it.

Thank you very much. The last words belong to you.

Vanja: I love Poland! Piwo dobre, cześć! (laughs)

- Tymoteusz Jędrzejczyk

Foto: Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

SACRED GATE

Tides Of War CD 2013 The new, second album of the German formation SACRED GATE was a very pleasant surprise. It’s pretty spiffy Heavy metal, exploring freely the regions of NWOBHM, power metal and classic heavy metal. The core of the music consists of interesting, massive riffs and meaty sound, which is a most interesting combination. The band hasn’t, however, avoided some similarities to other groups. The influence of such bands as IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR, RUNNING WILD and VIRGIN STEEL are clearly audible, but it’s rather a mild fascination than an obvious rip-off. The lyrics are also worthy of note. They tell a story of the endeavors of the fearless Spartans, previously shown in the colorful motion picture “300”. Brave men of Sparta struggling in an uneven battle with the force of Persians. In short, a perfect theme for a metal record. SACRED GATE went beyond that by developing this fascinating story on “Tides of War.” The great lyrical ideas harmonize perfectly with SACRED GATE’S music. What completes the album is the interesting cover made by Jowita Kamińska. I think that “Tides Of War” will seize your minds. It truly is a well played piece of Metal.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ATTACKER

Giants Of Canaan CD 2013 We have been waiting long long time for the follow up to “The Unknown”.

Of course, in 2008 a single “Condemned” had appeared; but really, it only enraged ravenous appetites of fans of this well-deserved for a metal music band. This constant expectation was unbearable. Seven long years to hear new work of ATTACKER. Well, over the years in the ranks of ATTACKER a lot of good and bad things have happened. Fortunately, everything

found its good final as the fifth full album of Americans. Many who waited for “Giants Of Canaan” calmed down because of the information about change of vocalist. Fortunately, Bobby “Leather” Lungs is already quite known and respected in the world of metal. Vocalist who had earlier provided in SEVEN WITCHES, EXHIBITION or OVERLORDE was by no means random selection which does not change the fact that work on the new ATTACKER album was a challenge for him. Happily, experience and remarkable vocal abilities have made Bobby came out with this task exemplary!

Very strong and expressive vocal that bears resemblance to some of the achievements of John Cyriisa (AGENT STEEL) and David Wayne (METAL CHURCH) perfectly integrated into the whole musicof ATTACKER. In addition, Bobby wrote most of the lyrics on the new album and the cover, as in the case of “The Unknown” came from the hand of Jowita Kaminska.

The music itself is a heavy metal at a very high level, with considerable NWOBHM influences. There is no weak composition. All the songs are very intricately arranged, played with great speed metal energy. Great guitar solos are also a big adevantage of these compositions. The new face of ATTACKER shows us the band that we like the most. This is definitely one of the most interesting albums of the group. I am pretty sure that with “Battle At Helm’s Deep” and “Second Coming”, “Giants Of Canaan” will become a timeless classic of the genre.

There is no weak composition and it is extremely strong and very hard album.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

V.A. METAL ON METAL

Compilation Vol. VI CD 2013 Although, I am rather supporter of compilations with unreleased compositions, but somehow I get the idea of making records belonging to the same label. Surely, it plays a pretty effective role in the promotion of young and unknown bands, but in the case of Metal On Metal it is usually about the groups with an established position in the market. Either way, those who have not yet had to deal with publishings signed with Metal On Metal logo can easily reach for this cross-CD on which, this time, a lot of tasty bites have occured, such as great number of American ATTACKER “As They Descend” (“Giants of Canaan”), NOMAD SON “The Vigil”, HERETIC “A Time of Cross” or brilliant OUTRAGE “Go To Hell”. Of course, these are not all of the bands. You will find here 13 groups and the same number of songs in Heavy / Power / Thrash / Doom climate or, as is the case of OUTRAGE - Black / Thrash. The entire CD lasts 70 minutes, and although all of the songs on this compilation can be found on regular CDs, I think when you reach for this album, you should not get bored.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ARKHAM WITCH

Legions Of The Deep CD 2013 Nowadays, less and less albums are able to surprise anybody, at least in my case.

I do not know, maybe it is the matter of indigestion of new sounds and styles.

Another element which has a great impact on my appreciation of music is the stigma of the 80s that shaped my taste in music. In this case I am unreconstructed :) As for the new album of the British, I felt under my skin that I can count on a dose of classic metal.

But “Legions Of The Deep “exceeded my wildest expectations. That what I heard, I can only compare to a hit of pickax in the neck! It surprised me even more, as the team from West Yorkshire have played only for five years and has recorded only two full-length albums and a demo in 2009. nut when it comes to listening to their new work, I feel that ARKHAM WITCH magically found a way to move from 80s to the present day.

It is hard to believe that this band was formed in 2008. It just does not fit it in my head. Shock (smile) The content of “Legions Of The Deep”, except the fact that it is a tribute to the 80s, perfectly combines elements of Doom Metal, Heavy and finally NWOBHM. This album is really dangerous! All the numbers on it are 100% killers (smile)! ARKHAM WITCH succeeded in an unique way by compounding a lot of different styles with great accuracy and created a truly explosive mix of metal. Someone may say, “All right, but I’m hearing a lot of references to the works of Black Sabbath, Angel Witch, Anvil, Running Wild and Pentagram”... I do not think that is a bad thing that ARKHAM WITCH is inspired by metal gods mentioned above, It is important that it is genuine, head-snapping playing! I tell you - this album will battered you mercilessly, for sure.

I have not heard such a great old school music for a long time. Awesome!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

NOMAD SON

The Darkening CD 2013 After three years that have elapsed since the emergence on the market, “The Sternal Return” NOMAD SON is back with double power. Once that they released a new studio material, which about more in a while, and two, that in the same year they re-released debut album of the 2009 “First Light” enriched with DVD material “Pilgrimages Of Doom”. That’s all, in terms of information on publications of Maltese.

“The Darkening”, its third full-length album, was released in late August and

contains nine new songs, including the closing instrumental “Epilogue”. Also attracts attention cover by Jowita Kaminska who, also this time succeeded in creating a very interesting concept.

The music itself is drifting towards the distant regions of music , exploring what often goes beyond the classic doom metal. More often borders on progressive rock, with new compositions referring to the nature of the 70s, and not only because of Hammonds that are uniquely classic sound, but also the construction of the composition.

You can hear echoes of DEEP PURPLE and YES. Of course it is topped with more powerful, more metallic sound, but has in itself a lot of emphasis of this type of music. “The Darkening” is much more mature in every aspect the work. You can hear the extraordinary refinement of instruments, all the music creates a unique atmosphere, it happens a lot in it. Strong, solid sound gives it a considerable clarity. Great production and excellent mastery of the instruments by musicians makes a great pleasure. It really is by all means the best material of NOMAD SON, what’s interesting, being originally a side project of Albert Bell (FORSAKEN). However, it seems that this time the NOMAD SON became the leading team of the artist. The first track on the album emerges with very dynamic “Light Bearer”. Best number to start the album, rich in sentiment, a surprising change of pace. He has a big load of emotions. Great, very lively passages interspersed with slower moments, are driving the listener calm. “Age of Contempt” is another composition. Grim, massive guitars with this keyboards for background and strong vocals of Jordan Cutajar, assisted from time to time by the choir, are doing a thing! Keyboards performances with solo echoes the with this strongly delineated bass, give a song a specific power. Very interesting arrangements make that everything emanates with strength! “The Devil’s Benquet” mysteriously starting number from the first notes builds a mysterious mood. Slow, lazy composition, creates a subtle background for Jordan’s clean vocals, singing with the great power of prophecy. Very gloomy number. “Only the Scars” is by contrast a more Heavy Metal track, but unfortunately those “ochs and achs” from keyboard are really disturbing at least for me, especially when it comes to the first part of the song. Too bad, because it’s a really cool song. Fortunately, there is more of those Hammonds to refine the number. “Descent to Hell”, a progressive very epic with crazy keyboards where each successive bar takes on solidity. It’s very Nemesisal track. “The Darkening” is fairly predictable, but with something of a classic Sabbath character. “Caligula” for that from the first bars carries the ominous character. Keyboards sounding of the trumpets in the background, whispering pronouncing the name of the Roman emperor Caligula, extremely heavy and dark song. It’s probably one of my favorite songs on the album.

It is in this track a battle mood, something disturbing, sinister. “Dryhanded Crown” is another track the with loads of emotion, very crispy. “Epilogue” closes almost an hour of very interesting music. Though while listening to this album, more than once stung me in the devil’s heart, in the end that, the music is paramount. Well, everyone has the right to preach their beliefs. You believe in God, the other in Light carrying Lucifer. It is important not to fall into the madness of fanaticism, maintaining tolerance. Let the music be the connecting factor, not a divisive beliefs.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

STONEGRIFF

Prologus Magicus CD 2013 From the first bars this album really fell to my liking when it comes to the guitar. Heavy, tar-like sound, with the charismatic vocals, sometimes associated with the manner of Bobby Liblinga.

Maybe there’s more aggressiveness, madness, but somewhere in the background we hear the echoes of PENTAGRAM. STONEGRIFF, coming from Sweden, is a relatively young band.

Exists only four years, and yet their music carries a powerful classic character of the 70s, the climate oscillates between the old BLACK SABBATH, PENTAGRAM and CANDLEMASS. It’s a simple, free from too many frills, music, yet it carries a powerful emotional charge. You can hear power of these riffs. Free, tar-like pace, combined with catchy parts, give these compositions suitable cut. Additional advantage of STONEGRIFF no doubt is a very dynamic vocals of Jacob who knows how to move in a very wide band of scales, giving the whole even greater clarity.

These eight compositions that make up the band’s debut, is one of the most promising materials of this type. I think more than once you will hear about this Swedish band. You guys have great potential and a intuition, they can masterfully juggle mood, giving the compositions very specific nature.

I feel the breeze in this severity of the darkness and the Middle Ages, the echoes of burning to the sky stacks of sentenced to death women, not always worshipping the Devil, you hear sadness, but also anger. The whole music fits perfectly with cover, depicting a witch flying to Black Sabbath.

Interestingly, this time the cover is by Jowita a Santiago Caruso. To sum up, “Prologus Magicus” is a very interesting work, the most recommended!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki AFTER OBLIVION

Stamina CD 2012 Debut album of AFTER OBLIVION who come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, represents a fairly decent technical thrash/death inspired with CYNIC, DEATH or KREATOR. Although there’s no madness in it, it is really pleasant to listen and all thanks to very dense, sophisticated guitar riffs - really good job. Rhythmic section is also ok. Unfortunately this stuff loses its potential because of very mediocre screaming vocals without any conception, dynamics or character. Shame… The music per se is a quality, but the vocals ruin this pretty fucking badly. If the band reached for a better vocalist and Adam focused on guitar only, in my opinion the band would be able to lift themselves on a higher level, especially since I can smell a great potential here.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

A

t last there is a book dedicated to the Polish metal scene from the 80’s. It took several years of hard work to prepare “Jaskinia Hałasu” (“The Cave of Noise”), which is completely obvious: gathering and editing the materials into a coherent whole required plenty of time. There’s no doubt it was worth waiting for, especially as that it’s the first release covering the phenomena of Polish underground metal scene.

The book elaborates the early phase of scene’s forming, the role of press and public radio in creating a publicity for the music. This shows how important were the broadcasts by Marek Gaszyński, Krzysztof Brankowski, Wojciech Mann in shaping the musical tastes of metalheads. “Metalowe Tortury” and “Muzyka Młodych” have left an unforgettable imprint on my generation.

Little interest in the metal music from the mainstream media pushed the young people to search the recordings on their own account. “Jaskinia Hałasu” reminds the phenomena of tape-trading as a way of promoting underground bands, as well as underground fanzines, with recollections by Marcin Wawrzyńczak (“Eternal Torment’ zine”), Mariusz Kmiołek (“Thrash’em All”), Tomasz Krajewski (“Holocaust”) and many others.

It’s interesting to read what people connected to the underground labels and bands have to say about the past times. Some of the interviewees are the members of Imperator, Vader, Merciless Death, Hellias, Hektor, Nightmare, Egzekuthor, Mortal Slaughter, Armagedon and many more. There are also recollections from the most memorable gigs (“S’thrash’ydło”, “Thrash Camp”, “Shark Attack”, “Metalmania” or “Jarocin”), both from the audience and the organizers. In other words – “Jaskinia Hałasu” gathers whole bunch of information from people who contributed in various ways to forming the metal scene in Poland.

It’s a shame that despite the author’s interest many of the scene contributors haven’t shared their memories to the readers. Some of the former musicians are ashamed for their metal past and don’t want to talk about it. Others are hard to reach. “Jaskinia Hałasu” could have been easily twice as large as it is. We can only hope that the rest of the musicians and fans will be more outspoken by the second edition or another similar book.

I’ve experienced plenty of emotions while reading this tremendously interesting book. Each page brought back the pictures of the past, when as a teenage apprentice of metal I used to consume the sounds as essential to me as oxygen. Until now metal flows in my veins, which I’m very proud and happy of. The 80’s taught me to respect the music, which has become my most devoted lover, accompanying me in the most difficult moments of my live, giving me strength and power to overcome difficulties.

Besides the information included, the visual form itself plays a huge role, being 666%-tribute to the “cut-and-paste” fanzine tradition. “Jaskinia Hałasu” overflows with unique photos, flyers, posters, demo covers, building a one-of-a-kind impression. Nobody should be surprised that the interest in the book gets larger, even in countries like Peru, Columbia, Chile, Brazil or Japan. People, who can’t say a word in Polish want to get it, which proves how respected the Polish scene is worldwide. Someone should release the English version in the future, with the materials that for some reason didn’t make it to the first edition.

One thing that lacks in the book is some larger comment by the authors themselves, a kind of a summary or any larger presentation of particular bands, like in the unbeatable “Swedish Death Metal” by Daniel Ekeroth. Either way, we should be grateful to Wojciech Lis and Tomasz Godlewski for all the work they put in writing “Jaskinia Hałasu”. I only wish there were more books detailing our metal heritage.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Hello Darek! I called you by your actual name, but I’m curious about your nicknames – ‘Maniana’ and ‘De Press’. Where did they came from and what are their meanings?

Who got y o u into the metal music? It was Peter from Vader, who introduced you to the underground, wasn’t he?

The case is pretty trivial. Back in the high school, which was about 30 years ago, my physical education teacher called me that way and it’s been like that ever since. Later, my friends began to modify it into ‘Manic-Depressive’, thus – ‘Marian DePress’ in Unborn, and ‘Maniana’ in regular life.

Our pal’s brother used to play drums in a hard rock band and infect us with the music, as well as the overall culture. We hanged around with them on rehearsals and gigs, inhaled the atmosphere and ultimately decided who’s who in our band, although none of us had ever played any instrument except glockenspiel and triangle on music lessons at school.

Now I’d like to ask you about the most important bands for you as a youngster – not necessarily the metal ones. Could you name any?

I started to look around for some music back in the primary school. There used to be a hype on Abba (after their concerts in Poland), Boney M. and Afric Simone. A bit later I’ve discovered Kiss, AC/DC, Black Sabbath (I’ve loved them for a long time), then came King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, Manowar, finally – the Vai/Sheehan duo, Pantera, Slayer. “My” first band was in fact Happy End, famous for their hit “Jak się masz, kochanie?”. My aunt used to work in the hotel where they stayed and I got a poster with their autographs. That was enough, I didn’t even have to listen to them to become their fan.

I chose bass guitar, as it seemed to be the easiest one to play.

Until I met Peter in late high school I had no idea there had been any underground, which I associated only with “Solidarność”.

What was the Olsztyn metal scene like? Who was a part of it in those days? Tomasz Krajewski from Pagan Records, when asked about the times said: ‘Peter from Vader told me there’s a service point with two Cannon photocopiers.

I’ve been a pretty frequent visitor, in fact not only me, lots of people used to come from afar to copy demo booklets, flyers etc.

I met many people there, including Manian from Unborn, Docent, who hadn’t played in Vader yet. I saw some guys copying strange stuff, I accosted them and it turned out they had a band. Those trips have been a great opportunity to party and drink with friends, particularly with Peter, Docent, Manian, Dżungla (RIP)…’

The Cannon point was the best photocopy point in Olsztyn. We used to copy flyers, cassette booklets there, and the guy who owned it helped us to put it right, so that the copy was doublesided. He even lend his own correction fluid! You didn’t get that in Poland at that time. Five meters away Zbychu from Raxas (formerly – Vader) worked in a record shop, which Those places became the centre of social life and you always

meet there someone you know. As for the bands, after the tough beginnings at the turn of 70’s and 80’s, with Art-Rock and Haust being arguably the only harder-playing groups, the 80’s were obviously dominated by Vader, but there have been some other, less-known bands like Slashing Death, Raxas, Amen, Monstrum, Exile and many more.

Have you played in any band before joining Unborn? You said: ‘It was the second half of the 80’s. I’ve been involved in a different band, but all of them played live at the time…’

I wouldn’t say I ‘joined’ it, since the idea of Unborn was solely mine, I’ve been only looking for some friendly environment. I started back in the high school with Maniana Blues Band – it was arguably the first band with drums and amplifiers hailing from that school in twenty years, since Kleks, a band of Marek Jackowski from the Maanam fame. Later I joined Monstrum, co-formed Strefa Neutralna, had some episodes with reggae and rock bands, which names I can’t even remember, finally I became a member of Amen.

While leafing through Butcher’zine #1, I found the following piece of information: ‘in January ’89 Maniana started to play with a hardcore band Amen. In July, the guitarist Gawron left and was replaced by Szwagier. Amen turned into Unborn’. Was it really like that?

It’s a funny story with Gawron. Earlier, in Strefa Neutralna, we’ve been looking for a solo guitarist. We barely put the songs together, but we had some good equipment – it was the late- PRL era, and the guitarist’s mother was some sort of an exec in scouting association.

Gawron dropped by after the rehearsal, saw the Marshall bass, two Vermons, later he said he had thought we wouldn’t let him join us, ‘cause we’re big time players, even though he hadn’t heard us before. We arranged a rehearsal in the drummer’s (Borek – we attended the same school, later he played in Amen and Unborn) house, Gawron came, played the “Child in Time” solo he had practiced the whole evening, and our jaws just dropped. In fact, we couldn’t play and the guy is like a pro. I can’t remember how it all ended, I guess he realized he met a bunch of amateurs and called it quits. We met in Amen, when he had replaced Snake. Gawron started to give it up, although we were buddies, I invited Szwagier (formerly in Maniana Blues Band) to replace him and so the Unborn was born.

Amen… Zbyszek “Vika” Wróblewski from Vader mentioned the band in my NNCH’zine #1: ‘Snake and Ronnie left Raxas quite early and formed Amen. The name says it all about the band’s

career’. Could you comment on that?

Snake was supposed to try to leave the country through the green border, or so they said. Amen lasted short after my departure – we put a demo together, but finally agreed to form a brand new, fresh project.

Who’s the author of Unborn’s name and logo (I came across two different ones)? What’s with the “pro-life”-fixation?

I’m the one! Although I wouldn’t say I’m much of a ‘pro-life’, haha! More like ‘pro-death’. The word itself was found on an american flyer proving the mother’s womb to be the most dangerous place in the world. I didn’t dig deeper, the word sounded great and appeared in Mercyful Fate or Slayer’s lyrics. How could I drop it? I also designed the first logo myself, although we’ve been using another, more “metal-looking” one, drawn by a guy from Holland, who had made some other logos, yet I can’t recall the names).

Someone noticed it is similar to Unleashed’s logo and we returned to the old one. Today I find the first one terrific. Szwagier came up with the idea of raising the fetus’ hands to make them look like horns, the design was mine and the applause was universal.

The “Unbirthday” demo was advertised on flyers as ‘thrash-core, recorded in “Studio Polskiego Radia Olsztyn” in eight hours’.

How do you find the material after almost 22 years?

That was a fantastic time.

When I listen to the material these days I regret we have never met anyone to take care of the band.

I couldn’t do it myself, as I started my studies, but our music was pretty interesting for those times. We made up with enthusiasm, and Docent gave us such a kick we felt we could do

anything. With two excellent guitar players we could have made it. My bass was the weakest point, but I humbugged with accords and I guess nobody noticed, haha!

In Butcher’zine, you summed up the PR Studio session as a ‘horrible mix’. In my humble opinion, the recording stands up for itself in terms of music. What was the overall mood among you when the “Unbirthday” demo was recorded? Do you have any idea how many copies you have sold?

The mix sucked, because the guy behind the table used to behave weirdly each time the telltales went red, and as the band was amateurish, there was nothing buck up for.

We were excited enough anyway, it was our first time in a proper studio. I couldn’t sleep for the whole night before. First it sounded cool, if we had more time there wouldn’t be as much improvisations though and the sound would be more solid. The enthusiasm ruled supreme.

Around thousand copies have been sent, some of them were given away, others sold. For the sole purpose of distribution I bought a cassette double-decker, even Peter used to drop by to copy the “Necrolust” demo.

You must have met a lot of bands during the concerts.

What were the coolest bands to party with?

Could you tell

us any backstage story?

Oh, there were lots of befriended bands around, obviously everything circulated around the “Docentdriven” ones – Vader and Slashing Death. For the obvious reasons we rarely played separately at the time. There’s plenty of stories, at least those we are able to recall, I could tell them for hours. For instance, after the gig in Kwidzyn, where more people came than the hall was able to hold, it was like tropics there. surprised if I told you in which bands those The instruments started to sweat before we guys have played afterwards, not only the even started playing. Afterwards we found metal ones) Bartek (later in Prophecy) turned some money, band buttons, clothes and out to be the only proper replacement for huge clumps of hair. Hope it wasn’t a critic!

Docent. Moreover, there was the spectacular Some other time, we went out for a smoke Mike on vocals, some great material written, before the gig, and there’s Snake from Amen everything seemed to be going the right way walking his dog. He happened to live nearby. and… somehow it all misfired. To be honest, I Some other time, in Białystok, Peter invited don’t know why. Later I’ve been playing here everyone for a party in a hotel. First Docent and there, but only occasionally – at a party, came to our room, then everyone else, and doin’ some “pot-boilers”, some jam sessions, finally Peter, leaving the whole company in even at my students’ prom (with the brothers his room, as the crowd was unbearable, not playing currently in a mainstream Polish band mentioning finding a place to sleep.

Enej – funny how things change!). Years later By the end of 1993 you had 40 minutes of recordings. However, you recorded only one track in the studio of Radio Olsztyn. Why couldn’t you record the whole stuff at once?

Times have changed. You had to pay for the session with cash, not a dime and a bottle of booze. We recorded the smoothest song that was supposed to promote the rest of them and attract the interest. The track is great, I get goosebumps each time I listen to the solos. We didn’t make it anyway. We didn’t put enough heart into it, maybe we were hoping for things to happen out of the blue, or maybe it wasn’t as fine as we thought.

Why did the band split-up? What happened afterwards, have you played in any other band?

Unfortunately it all started to dissolve somehow: studies, job, families, Wolf’s trip to London. We were left with Suchy on one guitar, the sound became more clean and I was able to play a bit better. After many rehearsals with various drummers (you’d be

I bought me equipment I’ve always dreamt about, although I don’t need it that much these days, but I keep on playing at home.

Wolf brings me strings from London (it’s cheaper that way) and we have some plans to do something together. It’s much easier nowadays, it’s all about the will only.

Do you stay in touch with other Unborn members? Thank you for the interview, the last word belongs to you!

Wolf visits Mazury every year with his family, we meet then. I come across Suchy once a year on some local gig. I keep touch with Szwagier, he works at a local university. I visit Docent from time to time, whenever I’m around I drop by to ponder over his grave.

I thank YOU for the interview! It’s great to see some increasing interest

in those times. It’s really worth to go back – I guess plenty of promising bands like ours went to waste. It’s easier these days – the equipment and recording studios are more accessible, you can promote your music in Internet and so on, but on the other hand, the competition is also much stronger.

Is there anything else to add? Sure! I’d like to call for the world peace and everyone to be happy, why wouldn’t I!?

Wojciech Lis

at war

e have to admit that some time has already passed since the premiere of Aura Noir’s new album, yet it also took some W time to do this interview, since Aggressor has been out of reach recently… We are grateful that, despite working on the new album of his second (but not less important)

band Virus, he managed to find a moment to answer some questions. In the meantime, Aura Noir played two major European tours and, as you read it, they’re working on their new album, which, as Carl-Michael revealed, will be a bit different from “Out To Die”. It might not be the most complete and insightful of interviews, yet it’s always nice to exchange compliments and chat on your favorite groups, which are also a source of inspiration for Aura Noir. Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s the Master Of The Ceremony himself, Carl-Michael “Aggressor” Elde.

Hell-o, Carl! First of all I would like to congratulate you on, in my opinion, probably the best album you’ve recorded. Do you mind me taking some of your time and ask a few questions for Oldschool Metal Maniac Magazine?

No problemos, my friend… Lets crack on!

It took four years to hear the new Aura Noir album and it’s well known that most music on this one was written by Blasphemer. We have to admit that the machinery took some power, music became fresh and the view that you are getting to your roots from 80’s strengthen...

Yep, I think Blasphemer is the most present one on this album. While Apollyon wrote most of “The Merciless”, and I wrote most of “Hades Rise”, Blasphemer has written most of “Out To Die”. It’s way more guitar-oriented than any other Aura Noir album. It’s obvious that a proper guitarplayer is behind the riffs. About our roots - we have always been very tied up to the eighties. That’s where real metal stems from, I think.

Does Blasphemer’s part have influence on the fact that this time it’s more faster and the tracks are incredibly wild ? I’m not trying to favour the ideas of Blasphemer but it’s essential to admit that the album is faster, more aggressive and extremely bestial !!! There’s a lot of Destruction and Slayer - not only from “Hell Awaits” album, but I think also from the third one.

That was a joint decision within the band, that we wanted the material to be more aggressive.

“Hades Rise” was quite mid-tempo based and

“groovy”, so we wanted to go back to the speed of “The Merciless” or “Black Thrash Attack”, without repeating ourselves of course…For sure…: we’re always inspired by Destruction and Slayer, but also

by Repulsion and early Sadus.

It’s well known that you like to compose slower and more heavier riffs that are spawned by early Voivod/Venom or “Beyond the Gates”-era Possessed. It looks like a different set of ‘bands from the 80s’ had influence on each of you, didn’t they?

Yes, that’s well observed… I can only speak for myself, but I think Apollyon is very influenced by early Exodus and Dark Angel, Blasphemer by early Metallica and Slayer, and me by early Venom and Voivod. You could call those our core influences, I think. But of course we have our Black Sabbath and Motörhead all three of us, plus many other bands.

I remember that on “The Merciless” album, in the song “Sordid” there’s a reference to Possessed of “March to Die” riff. I think that “Beyond the Gates” is really hard to paraphrase because it’s a strangely composed album with strange scales and not so ‘clear sounding’ as rest of stuff from that period.

Do you agree with me? For me personally, the second Possessed album is the best one from the year 1986.

Yes! “Beyond the Gates” is by far the best Possessed album. And it’s one of my favourites from that year along with “Rrröööaaarrr” and “Obsessed by Cruelty”.

“Beyond the Gates” and “Obsessed by Cruelty” ranks, in my world, as two of the best black metal albums… I know many people would label them

as thrash records, but to me that’s just wrong…

Let’s get back to you new album. Four years is quite a long time. Tell us about genesis and making process of this album.

The geographical distance between the three of us is an issue. We live far apart, and it’s a task

Poland.

Can we expect some additional song on the vinyl version? Are there any tracks from this recording session that weren’t put on CD? Why Indie Recordings didn’t release “Out to Die” on LP? It will be released by Black on Black Records, and there’s a concern that they will simply repress a CD version without any mastering. Aren’t you afraid that they may make shit out of it? getting together. Blasphemer lives in Portugal, so we had to do it in sessions spread over two-three years. We got together in Apollyons basement a few times during the period to write the material. And it ended up taking a lot of time.

Though if we were all living nearby, it wouldn’t have taken more than a few months. Anyway, I personally think that four years is a respectable amount of time in between albums…

32 minutes is a perfect timing for that kind of music. Tracks are perfectly composed, it’s really hard to get away from them! They consume listener like a fire. There’s a lot of old Slayer influence this time. Did you have a good time while making it?

Sure, even though we’re getting older, uglier and more grumpy, we seem to tolerate each other. As mentioned, this time Blasphemer took the lead pretty early on, riff-making wise, spewing out about ten riffs per hour.

We just stopped him each time he was onto something and then we went for a drink.

You didn’t get away far from “Hades Rise” production, but everything sounds more clean and dynamic. Work of two guitars is significant, it’s sharper, drums almost burst the brain. Can we admit that you have found ‘your sound’ on this album?

Yeah, sure, to a certain degree, though I think the next album will be quite different, I think Aura Noir has had a specific sound for a long time.

You can’t wait to start touring with “Out To Die”, don’t you? Will you come to Poland? Which songs from new album can we expect during shows?

We were hoping to come to Poland on the next tour, but sadly, it didn’t happen. We’re hungrier than ever to play live these days. Really enjoying it, and we had a great time last time we were in

We did a master specifically for vinyl, so I think BOB will sort it out OK. No extras, I’m afraid, not on this LP. All our extra tracks will be released on the re-releases done on Peaceville. Both CD and LP. You are scene veterans these days and new generations of bands are growing up with you as an influence. We’ve got band like Nekromantheon, Deathhammer or very young Condor. Do you like latest recording of the first mentioned? Their latest album “Rise, Vulcan Spectre” is totally blowing away. What bands would recommend right in this moment?

Exactly those bands you just mentioned.

I’m a huge fan of all of them. Hopefully Necromantheon is joining us on the upcoming tour…

Interesting thing is that you’re making a great work in Virus. The way the songs are composed remind later period of Voivod or Slind and De Press. In Aura Noir there’s more earlier Voivod inspirations. It’s interesting way of passing the feelings. If we take all the dissonances of Virus’ music it’s becoming almost a dream-like sensation. Of course both acts, Aura Noir and Virus have other musical roots but Voivod is for sure fundamental. Could you say something about it?

It’s very easy to come to think of Voivod when hearing Virus, but there are many other influences as well. Like you say, De Press had a huge impact on me when I was a kid. And also the avantgardists in The Residents….. The whole avant garde thing had a huge impact on me, and I wanted to bring that into my music.

Generally I’m really impressed by concentration of feelings in both acts. I mean that both in the Aura Noir ‘vectors’ like anger, blasphemy and in Virus -

phantasmagoria and unpretentious lightness, seemingly different somewhere they have common roots. Is it a expression of feelings of a man who is highly influenced by acts like Coil or The Residents and on the other side Sodom and early Dark Angel?

Yes, for sure. On one hand I grew up listening to Venom and Slayer in the eighties, but on the other hand I listened to a lot of Residents and Coil and even avant garde classical music. I think both directions are extreme in their respective ways.

You like to migrate among musical genres.

What do you think of this acts after all these years:

- Coil – I still listen to a lot of Coil. I think “Black Light District” is my favourite, along with “Astral Disaster”, and of course “Scatology”, even though I’ve listened to that one to shreds.

- Mahavishnu Orchestra – cool music, but they never got to me 100%.

- Sabot – never heard of them, sorry…..

- Cocteau Twins – listened to them in the early nineties, but need to pick them up again.

- Dark Angel “Darkness Descends” – bough it on vinyl as a 15 year old.

- Possessed “Beyond The Gates” – one of the best black metal albums ever released!

I would like to thank you a lot for your time and wish you a lot of great moments during the “Out to Die” tour.

Thank you! And thank you for your patience in regards to my extremely slow response to this interview!

Interview by/ translated by: Piotr Brewiński / Bartosz Cieślak , Live photos from Polish show by: Leszek WojniczSianożęcki

sister sin

Hey Dave! What’s new in the Sister Sin’s camp? Soon you about to release your new album, right? Please, tell as much as you can about it, haha! Will it be still the path of Sister Sin, the one that is well-known to your fans?

Hello there! We have started rehearsing a few of the new songs and we are building a new setlist for the upcoming summer gigs.

The new album “Now & Forever” will be out October 23rd. We are very pleased with how it came out in the end. We had to do a re-mix of it because the guy who did the first mix was totally useless at mixing. So, now it is mixed by none other than Cameron Webb! Of course known for working with Motörhead, Danzig, Social distortion etc.

The new album is definitely still in the vein of Sister Sin. This time the songs are more diverse than before and a lot more melodic but still very heavy. The album is more “alive” than the last one, that in my opinion was very good but a bit static sounding.

I think all of our fans will be pleased with the new stuff, no questions about it!

OK, it’s been ten years since the band’s been grounded. I sincerely hope you don’t find this time wasted? What was the most shining and the darkest moments in your history?

Hmm, yeah it´s getting close to ten years yes.

These years have been nothing but hard work and a lot of fun!! The best moments are when we opened up for Motörhead in 2009, the tours we did with W.A.S.P., Lordi, U.D.O., M.S.G. and the gigs with Doro! The same goes for all the tours we have done in the US. Meeting our fans worldwide is also one of the best things ever! The hardest part of all this is to managing being a band for this long,

I would throw in Motörhead, Wasp and Judas Priest into that mix. We all grew up on these bands, and they are very much an influence and inspiration for us.

Did you named your band Sister Sin before or after Liv has joined the group?

I am curious, does the fact that Liv is a woman (oh, what a woman she is! Haha!) make the way of composing different in any way? I mean, do you write songs for a woman? And if you had a male frontman the way of composing would have been different? it´s not easy sometimes with so many assholes in the business, so I guess this would be the “dark part” haha.

Does that knife and the rose from your logo carry some sort of a deeper meaning for you, any hidden message? The rose reminds me of the Guns’n’Roses logotype... Plus, the music itself in some moments reminds me of “Appetite For Destruction” as well, haha...

No, there´s no hidden message there at all.

We just thought it looked cool you know, but that logo is outdated..we stopped using it like 5 years ago.

Ah, so I am a bit behind, haha! If we are talking about it, I think the best way to describe Sister Sin’s sound would be a mix of hard rock in vein of Mötley Crüe, Guns’n’Roses with pure metal like Accept, Warlock etc., would you agree?

Which bands would you add to this?

Spot on! You basically said it right there.

We came up with the name before Liv was onboard. It comes from a song named Sister sin with a band called Shotgun Messiah. The composing is no different to male-fronted bands. We have never thought about writing and making songs just because of Liv. We make our music from our hearts and for the passion of rock n roll and metal. That’s it.

I am listening to “True Sound Of The Underground” now and it’s doing me really good, haha! You know, I really like such a simple, straightforward music. It is intended to make people have a lot of fun - that was what I thought and felt in the first moment, and I still do. Am I right?

You are right! In the end we want to have fun and we want our fans to have fun too! That´s why we make simple asskicking metal you know.

Ok, one question, which can be annoying for you, yet I need to ask – who came up with the idea for the front cover of your last full–length? Don’t get me wrong, Liv looks hot, some girls will find you attractive as well, haha – but the idea itself reminds me of shitty bands like Tokio Hotel and other awful groups for teenagers, haha...

It was a mutual idea to make that front cover.

I see your point, though I have no idea how Tokio Hotel or other bands of that nature front covers look like. We just wanted to portray the band in the face of everybody.

I saw some of your videoclips, I wonder how important for you as a band is this whole “marketing stuff”, I mean commercials, promotion, etc.? You surely realize that with lyrics such as “Fuck the fashion and prove them wrong...” you won’t hit the popular magazines, haha?

You know, we are a rock n roll band but as far as it goes for commercials, promotion and so forth, we are very aware and we realize how important that is to grow bigger as a band. But we really don´t care if we use the word „fuck” or whatever. We are not the first band to use that kind of language haha..if they dont like us..fuck them!

rock’n’roll in general?

You know, sometimes when you play as an opener on a tour, you don´t have much time or space to haul a big production with you on the road. We like to have a basic setting and let the music speak for itself along with being energetic on stage.

Recently I’ve read an interview with you in “Call To The Infernal Hordes” ‘zine, which is oriented on the most obscure and underground music, haha. So, I have such a theory – music of Sister Sin is probably great to most metalheads even if they wouldn’t admit it - because most of them started their metal journey with the same bands that inspired you for example. What do you think about that?

Maybe you are right, I couldn´t tell really.

Whoever wants to listen to our music is more than welcome of course!

our albums and songs and other concerts they catched us at.

There could be a small percentage of people who goes to our shows just because of Liv but hey, that’s a few more in the audience!

I’m sure You’re right!

As this interview will be published in the “Oldschool Metal Maniac”, please tell us – are you an oldschool metal maniac yourself?

What does every of single word - “oldschool”, “metal” and “maniac” - mean to you?

Those three words sum up up every member of the band haha, we are all about oldschool metal and we ARE certainly maniacs I can tell you!

Ok, thanks for this interview, hope we can meet you in Poland soon! Please tell us, which records did you listen to while answering my questions?

Thank you very much! We played in Poland with UDO and I can say that we HAVE to come back soon!!

You guys know how to fuckin rock!!

Hmm, actually I didn´t listen to any music during this interview... all I listened to was my girlfriend making dinner ready hahaha!!

Cheers and stay true!!

Fuckin’ yeah! Can You tell me how come you’ve recorded a song with the Metal Queen herself – Doro? And why did you choose a Motörhead cover? I think the whole thing sounds great!

Jakub “Oracle”Nowak

Well, at first we decided to do a Motörhead song just because we love Motörhead so much. And we felt that the song fitted us perfectly and that we could really do something with it. Then we came up with the idea to have Doro sing on it because she also is a big Motörhead fan and, and it became just perfect!

I saw some of your live videos and I very like it! It seems you don’t need any fancy stage production, your equipment and the logo behind the drums you is quite enough for Sister Sin, am I right? Don’t you think that’s the pure essence of

If we are talking about the gigs and shows – you’ve played with the biggest bands around, from almost every genre – from Motörhead and U.D.O. up to Entombed... Which concerts do you recall as the most special, the most memorable ones?

The shows with Motörhead is the absolute highlight as of yet. That was really a dream come true to open for them. Also the tours with U.D.O. was nothing but a blast. Same goes with the gigs with W.A.S.P. and Doro!!

Liv took part in the Revolver Magazine calendar - “The Hottest Chicks in Metal”. What do you think, how many people listen to Sister Sin and come to your shows simply because of her body and sex-appeal?

Well, after the shows we usually go to the merch and hang out and talk to people.

I get the impression that everybody is there for the music really, they talk about

began to lose this youthful pursuit of extremism. The music became a lot slower and heavier. Of course, I listen to it with great pleasure, but it can be easily seen that the group started to follow some other way.. Those who can not remember PROTECTOR (which I doubt), or rather these young people who have not had the opportunity to meet the work of this excellent band, before reaching for the upcoming PROTECTOR material “Reanimated Homunculus ‘’, should necessarily begin their musical education from “Echos from the past ...”!! I think that PROTECTOR works are worth knowing, because it is an extremely phenomenal band and a piece of metal history. Finally, let me add that these release is dedicated to the deceased in 1994 PROTECTOR drummer Michael Hasse RIP.

PROTECTOR

Echos from the past...

CD 2003 How pleased I was with the fact of releasing after years of PROTECTOR CD MLP “Misanthropy” which I have been listening to on a vinyl record.

If not for this issue I will soon have to start looking for another vinyl art and although my gramophone is not a router, listen to vinyls very often consumes this player, unfortunately (fuck...). But now I throw this cake for special occasions. Every day I listen to the CD which includes Golem + two extra numbers from the first demo 87.

I should add that the issue I Hate rec has 20-page booklet with all the mass of unpublished photos, a broad history of the band, lyrics, and also the original covers of the CDs. It really gets warmer in heart; especially, when the first editions of Atom Rec cost a fortune on the secondary market and here at the regular price you get well released CD and released for the first time on this type of media MLP from 1988. Of course, some of these numbers was resissued on “Leviathan ‘s Desire”, but I do not like incomplete publishing, the more that I bestow a special sentiment the “Misanthropy” album. This is one of those albums that has lost none of its strength from the first release, which took place 25 years ago. Hmm, not bad! Dynamic, full of venom thrash/ death that still calls shivers down my back. PROTECTOR, however inextricably linked with the Teutonic Stage, strongly differ stylistically from other German bands from that time. This demo is a very hard played metal. Only “Pleasure To Kill” and demo tapes of DESTRUCTION were more extreme.

The rest of the thrash metal crews played much smoother. PROTECTOR had more underground nature, more youthful anger. It had this venom of total intensity. It was quite familiar to IMPERATOR. Blazingly fast solos, a fucking awesome drums play and the vocals by Martin, like the deepest depths of Hades, even now make a huge impression. The tracks on the demo destroy everything. “Misanthropy”, which better produced material, loses some of its intensity; however, it shows much more mixing. The songs became more complex. There can be heard much more refinement of instruments; of course, the band did not give up the attacks of fast paces.

Although, everything is more balanced. Anyway, this grave atmosphere of “Misanthropy” always suited me.

I have always felt this dark element there. After all this years, it still invokes the same emotions. “Gilem” is a natural development of Misanthropy.

However, you can hear a different approach of the musicians. Everything is considered and produced in a better way. But somehow, the band slowly

many years ago. The same the case is with “Leviathan ‘s Disire” where next to the know from the first MLP “Cain And Abel” we can found four premiere numbers. Besides, the above-mentioned “Cain and Abel” occurs here in a slightly refreshed version, which is really cool. But nothing beats “Misanthropy”.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

the violin and the songs sung in the Tani’s mother tongue, give the whole additional clarity. Strong massive guitars ... The whole CD is recorded very organic, which is a huge plus here.

There is no place for the synthetic sound, all is natural and has a really great power. These 10 compositions that make up the content of “Veneracion del Fuego” are really a piece of solid Doom Metal. Absolutely would recommend you work Reino Ermitaño!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki DEATHSTORM

PROTECTOR

Ominous Massage of Brutality CD 2005 Another reissue of PROTECTOR legendary materials as was the case with “Echos from the past ... “ We are dealing with real classics here. And so the first fire go 4 live numbers from 1989.

Then we have whole “Urm De Mad Desire” and “Leviathan”. What is interesting is that in the first edition of “De Mad Urm Attom” we can find an additional live tracks from Metal Mania, and in the case of this issue, which is being described now, we get a bonus in the form of completely different concert recording from Braunschweig registered in may also in 1989. Four songs in a pretty decent quality. That is why I think it is good to have both of the releases. And also this tiem Hate rec took care of nice edition. The booklet contains 20 pages of subsequent history of the band, lyrics and a lot of never before published photos. Concert songs evoke a hint of nostalgia in me.

I remember PROTECTOR performance in Katowice. It was really awesome gig; however, I regret it was without Martin, but Olivier worthily replaced him on the road. I remember this bunch of starving extreme music fans, this euphoric craziness, wildness of the crowd. Nowadays, nobody responds to the music in that way. It was a real frenzy. PROTECTOR occurred in good company, including EGZEKUTHOR, DRAGON, OPEN FIRE, GOMORRAH, HAMMER, ASTAROTH TURBO and the bands from overseas, such as SACRED CHAO (ex-LIVING DEATH) and CORONER which stole the whole show. The party was fucking great. Moments after the concert part of the CD, gradually emerging the intro to “Urm De Mad”. Powerfully sounding CD shocking with gloomy storm of madness.

Much heavier sound. The music gradually changes its face; however, you can still find a distinctive PROTECTOR style in it. “Urm De Mad” is the natural progression of PROTECTOR style and by no means it is a commercial trick. It is still brutal and not deprived roughness album. This is another album that relied time. Still shocking with its freshness raises the same emotions as

As Death Awakes CD 2013 Australian DEATHSTORM decided to remind about himself again, this time presenting his fans a full-length debut.

I must admit that i was waiting with impatience for this material, especially since the “Storming With Menace” blew me with such effectiveness that it has been difficult for me to pick up for a long time. And you must know that DEATHSTROM a relatively young band, existing only three years, but by no means expect them the modern playing. And thanks for that. Many will say, “well, but they sound like KREATOR”.

So fucking what that there are so much refers to the works of the Germans.

Perhaps it isn’t the most original music, but when I listen to this album, it makes me a lot of fun, and I think that’s the fucking point! That’s the old spirit and is played as KREATOR, who forgot that you can play in this manner. It really is a piece of ass kicking old school thrash metal. A total of eight damn great energy-played tracks. DEATHSTORM also this time did a really good job. So should it be fucking played! Thrash!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Reino Ermitaño

Veneración del Fuego CD 2012 Doom Metal is currently experiencing a renaissance. More and more excellent bands, referring to the tradition of the ‘70s. It is in this music more and more representants of fair sex finds herself as a singer, perfectly contrasting with the heaviness of doom metal music. Such is in the case of the Peruvian Reino Ermitaño where Tani Duarte perfectly enhances with her voice, dark and gloomy music. After a four-year break since the last album “Rituales Interiores” Reino Ermitaño returns in a really good shape. You can hear a big progress in their music, which often borders on psychedelic rock, which combined with the typical doom metal vibe gives it a very specific character. The occasional use of

MORBID INSULTER

Funeral Mysticism 2x CD 2012 Swedish double CD release of MORBID INSULTER is post mortem released compilation, containing all the collected materials, which the band managed to record in the years 2004 to 2011. It appeared as a twodisc CD, which you can find among others the first demo from 2005 “Strike from the Grave” Promo 2006 “Womb of Pestilence” plus one unreleased track from the same year, also an excellent MLP from 2008 “Thundering Evil “and the latest footage from the year 2010” Antichrist Blasphemies “. A total of 20 all-devastating metal anthems for the glory of Satan. You won’t find ballads, it’s a very lively played old school black / thrash. It’s hard to believe that the material was recorded just a few years ago. MORBID INSULTER uniquely transferred into his music the spirit of the 80’s, the old archaic sound, combined with a huge load of energy simply shocking with its strength. In this case, it is not a mindless noise. There is no low track. Really a lot is going on here. Of course MORBID insulter has not been immune to certain influences. You can hear a fascination with native Merciless, but also the French MASSACRE and finally the Brazilian SARCOFAGO, especially when it comes to intense fragments.

In fact, it is very rich in tones music, at the same time played with great finesse and flair. Guitar frantic pace with precision of surgical scalpel cut the riff after riff, and the thrash metal feeling from the early 80’s does a really awesome job! A lot of melody as well as hellish fire. Extremely energized material! Listening to the in one breath it is relatively hard to break free from these sounds, and besides of that, why, if it’s so awesome stuff. Those who did not know before MORBID INSULTER, may necessarily reach for this excellent album, and I guarantee you’ll get at the point of the band pretty good fucker. Damn shame that you guys have decided to bury the corpse of MORBID INSULTER. But let’s hope that one day it will be summoned from the grave by the dark force that drives them to breathe Demon Force into it!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

BLACK OATH

DAMNATIONS HAMMER

Disciples Of The Hex CD 2013 I must admit that the English DAMNATIONS HAMMER until recently was unknown to me, but when I heard for the first time “Disciples Of The Hex”, explained to me at once a few issues, and that I am a follower of CLETIC FROST, the material dug up so easily into my brain. Some would say that there is one CELTIC FROST. Ok, it’s definitely right, but the hunger for that music is too great to deny to yourself the existence of bands that do not hide their admiration for the work of the Swiss, the more so in the case of DAMNATIONS HAMMER we are not dealing with a mindless copying and creation of Warrior and his crew. Their debut is pretty damn good, massive-sounding music. There is a lot squashing into the soil fragments that are difficult to recover after. Once again reaffirms the fact that the three-man bands make the most interesting music, without unnecessary frills, guitar confusion that often occurs when two guitarists are in the band, especially if they are both quite strong individuals. “Defiance & Retribution” is quite short but very dark track that flows into mega-heavy “Throne of Fire”. Very low-tuned guitar gives it a very somber mood, the average pace like volcanic lava flows, which, though moving slowly destroys everything comes across in its path.

Another blow to the back is the title “Disciples Of The Hex” and there’s no mercy. Specific CELTIC FROST kind a like guitars wreaks havoc in a very efficient way, drowning the listener into vast darkness. “Serpent’s Wrath” is another kick, after which it will be difficult to raise. “Impaled on the Horns of Betrayal” for a change is a little bit faster played track, the more energy, at least in the beginning. The only thing that irritatesis a very strange, somewhat synthetic sounding drums. Anyway, the piece is fine. “Harbinger of Darkness” is the sixth consecutive number on the album, which gradually takes a bit weary similarity of composition, and although I love the atmosphere of CELTIC FROST on the album, I miss the diversity. That what at the beginning I liked so much, with another and another track bores me more and more. Apparently on “The Hex II” team attempted to make their “Dance Macabre”, but what they did doesn’t really speak to me. “Gates of the Necronomicon” is closing the whole piece, in which resides gloomy atmosphere, an unreadable madness the disease. I think this album has a lot of really good moments, and as a whole looks very good!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Ov Qliphoth And Darkness CD 2013 Even though I knew what I could expect from this album, what I heard on “Ov Qliphotic And Darkness” was beyond my wildest expectations.

The band coming from Lombardy prepared this time, a work that in every way overshadowed debut in 2011. “Ov Qliphoth and Darkness” is a total of eight new songs, a little more than fifty minutes of music, bearing signs of genius. There is a lot of emotions here, nostalgic atmosphere and incredible sadness that CANDLEMASS a like mood that into such a wonderful way penetrate the listener with haze of mystery, something not tangible, magical, almost lyrical, yet very dark. BLACK OATH masterfully creates a gradually increasing atmosphere that with each piece thickens like a ghostly mist rising from the dawn among the old abandoned cemeteries. You can hear in these compositions some parallels to BLACK SABBATH and previously mentioned CANDLEMASS, but also the early achievements of DEATH SS, with the climate like the old horror movies, which is sometimes accompany songs of BLACK OATH. It’s very rich music, is has in itself a lot of fascinating fragments. It is impossible to get bored listening to this album.

I can honestly recommend “Ov Qliphotic And Darkness”.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

HELLISH CROSSFIRE

Bloodrust Scythe CD 2010 Though it’s been some time since the release of the second full-length album of Germans, who blew me so much that I decided to dedicate some attention to “Bloodrust Scythe” and I have to tell you that we are dealing with a really ear raping piece of black/thrash. For me it is all the more pleasing because the gentlemen of HELLISH CROSFIRE draw handful of inspiration from ‘80s metal, moreover, the name of the band obligates, in the end it is the title of the album one of the most important German crews from that period IRON ANGEL, and who knows the debut of this crew knows it was one of the most favorite works of Satan himself. Boys from Nureberg decided to continue these Satanic work, proudly carrying the banner of Hell

since 2002, and although the crew isn’t one of the oldest, their music definitely fits the style of old school metal mid-80s. Massive yet organic sound gives the album proper clarity, do not expect a synthetic-sounding drums here or cleaned guitars. It’s 666% genuine emotional music. A lot of crazy tempos, threshing the brain with full of Hell atmospheric riffs, vocals Jeff Beckrer like on notorious “Seven Churches” is devastating. The whole “Bloodrust Scythe” grabs its load of energy that infernal madness and the fascination of classic metal. You can hear a lot of references to bands that celebrated the their success in the golden age of metal and which enjoys very much, it is not a mindless copying of ideas, it is an extension of what began long ago, the old crews. So should sound old school! I would definitely recommend HELLISH CROSFIRE, it’s really a piece of fucking awesome metal!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Crux

Řev smrti (Scream Of Death) CD 2007 Thanks to Swedish I Hate rec we get into the hands of a great old school metal album of the Czech CRUX. The compilation album includes several sessions recorded between 1990 and 1993, including the excellent “Scream of Death” and a demo of “Terrific Warrior”. Also on that release was the acoustic version of “Obycejna Voda” from 2006. A total of eleven classic sounding metal hymns. CRUX is undoubtedly a black pearl in the crown of the Lord of Hell, one of the most interesting hordes of the local scene. Music of CRUX is a resultant of the early achievements of TORR, BATHORY, SODOM or POISON. In a word, the classic Black/ Thrash. Listening to these recordings, it is surprising how is it possible that such a band did not manage to break through and achieve well-deserved success? The fact ‘90s was a bit different time to the metal. On the one hand fascination for Death Metal, on the other shitty grunge, which effectively pushed back into the basement a whole lot of valuable thrash metal crews’ which in many cases, sooner or later no longer saw the sense of continued existence.

Why CRUX ceased to exist? It’s hard to say. One thing is certain, leaving, has left a lasting impression in the a timeless material that after years lived to see the re-release of the compact. Those who are not familiar with CRUX, may reach for this release, and I guarantee you that you will be overwhelmed with this unique music.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki DEATH STORM

Storming With Menace MLP 2010 And here we have a young, but very promising band coming from Austria.

These trio until recently known as DAMAGE does not hide its fascination with the achievements of the early KREATOR, of course, are not the only influences that somehow penetrated to the music of DEATH STORM. Also, you can hear echoes of such great hordes as MERCILESS, SODOM, DARK ANGEL or ASSASSIN. The band is not afraid to draw handful of inspiration from these classics, creating a very interesting mixture so close to the hearts of old school metal maniacs. And what about the fact that there is nothing original, fuck originality! This music has the power, it can impress with its honesty and what’s really interesting these young people were able to perfectly render the atmosphere of the 80s. Immediately one can sense that those are compositions of real classic metal maniacs. Very inspiring and mega energetic music without excessive frills and artificial virtuosity. It’s nice that in those days anyone can still will in such a manner to play Metal.

Please support such a bands that’s really important to make more of such music, let it be a response to a shitty sounding plastic metal, which is increasingly being forcefully shove under your noses! Remember, real music should sound organic without triggers, overlays and all shit that kills sincerity of music. Finally, I would add “Storming With Menace” is the debut material of DEATH STORM released in the strict limit of 500 copies a 12-inch EP on yellow vinyl. It should be in your collections!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Burning Saviours

Burning Saviours CD 2005 Burning Saviours is another proof that the Swedish scene always has something interesting to offer, and I do not mean the exploration of new trends or fads. On the contrary here upholds the tradition of the music scene set in the 80’s and in this case even 70’s. To make things even more interesting the band is formed by a really young people and it exists since 2003, but still is able to perfectly render the atmosphere of the early achievements of SAINT VITUS and BLACK SABBATH, combining psychedelic Doom Metal influences with Stoner Rock. There is a lot of changes with the very slow pace of nearly

cylindrical pieces to slightly more dynamic and more vigorous rhythms, sounds very organic as whole as if it were recorded in the late ‘70s. It should also pay attention to a very inspired vocal of Andrei Amartinesei heavily inspired by Ozzy Osbourne in the early years of BLACK SABBATH. It also notes quite specific way to play Mikael Monks, associated somewhat with the Swedish GHOST. The whole of this album is very consistent and even though it doesn’t lose any spaciousness, a lot of ornaments here camouflaged that gradually emerge in the music and they are not intrusive attacks a subtle flavors that give the whole of this unique almost magical mood. If for some strange reason you do not know this band yet and I doubt it because Lee Dorrie from CATHEDRAL and the label Rise Above Records of his time heavily popularized their work, releasing in 2006 their EP 7 “The Giant”. Reach for their work and you will not regret!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

JEX THOTH

Blood Moon Rise CD/LP 2013 Recent work of the artist - “Blood Moon Rise” is a very mature and thoughtful material moving in the style of the 70s, and it seems that this time the musical exploration of the group brought it back to distant areas of inspiration. This time, the artist has managed to enrich the musical content of the elements that rise an association with the achievements of THE DOORS and Janis Joplin which enhance the musical spectrum of this exquisite album. You can hear it especially on “And The River Ran Dry”, “Keep Your Weeds” and closing the whole composition “Psyar”. But this is only one of the hits of this album which along with romantic songs have a considerable element of darkness. “The Divide”, “Ehja” and “The Four Of Us Are Dying” are very heavy, Sabbath-like compositions subtly interwoven with more lyrical songs and create rich emotional music. The whole CD has a hypnotic power, and the construction of the songs is quite simple, but maybe there lies a large force of these catchy songs. “Into a Sleep” with a lot of sensuality is perhaps the best example. And this time, the artist has succeeded to create something really special. There is no weak song. This is one of the most interesting albums of the genre.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

RISE AND SHINE

Empty Hand CD 2011 Before the female-fronted doom metal bands like Christian Mistress or Blood Ceremony surfaced the Earth, Swedish Rise And Shine had already been playing the music, that got popular a couple of years later.

With four albums and some smaller records released so far, they remain a relatively unknown band, compared to the acclaimed The Devil’s Blood or their label-mates Jex Thoth.

Rise And Shine’s music is deeply rooted in times, when the “doom metal” moniker didn’t even exist and stinks with sweat, booze, cigarette smoke and the early recordings of Black Sabbath, Pentagram, The Obsessed etc. And while I totally enjoy the songs, the sound and the attitude, the vocal performance of Josabeth Leidi makes it all much less, well, bearable… Frankly, she is not a good singer and although I see a certain charm of imperfection here, most of the time she sounds like a really drunk Janis Joplin on her way to the last concert. Truth is, that a good, charismatic singer is absolutely essential in this genre – he might be peculiar, but never annoying. Rise And Shine have some really solid songwriters onboard, but with such vocals they may never embrace their potential. Maybe that’s the way they like it? Possibly they do, but this will make them an old maid among all the metal witches, while bands like The Wounded Kings of Ritual of the Oak shall divide and rule the musical tastes of doom maniacs.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

OCEAN CHIEF

Sten CD 2013 It’s one of those bands who are able to create perfectly a truly unique and ascetic form of funeral atmosphere. Severe, devastating sound mixed with psychedelic odor of the 70’s – those “acidic” keyboard backgrounds can create spooky atmosphere out of this world. Very spacious recording with “Warrioresque” vocals that reminds me a bit of TRIPTYKON stuff, it does its overwhelming job. There’s only 4 tracks on “Sten”. Despite a total length of almost 72 minutes, this stuff doesn’t grow weary at all. And even though the music per se is very

laconic, there’s a lot of going on.

“Den sanna styrkan” which opens the album is an almost eighteen minute bone-crusher. It builds a deathly mood with perfection. The sound is pouring from the speakers like a tar.

It reminds a bit of WINTER, but at a much slower pace. Another nineteenth minute composition called “Slipsten”, after a short and disturbing guitar intro gradually gains momentum, like an infernal machine moves slowly, relentlessly crushing everything on its path. Total death and destruction! A perfect complement to this song are guitars which give the music mysterious and horrific atmosphere, a perfect balance.

Another destroyer on this album – “Stenhog” - is a bit shorter, just over fifteen minutes. It starts with distorted bass, so the whole song is like a freight train breaking through dense and gloomy atmosphere of darkness. The last song – “Oden” - lasts over 20 minutes and begins with a moody, somewhat slow-moving narrative of the guitar and just a moment later transform into a monstrous beast. This painless music crushes skulls and gets on the top of you successfully extruding life. It’s almost like a last breath of a dying man with sick vocals and quite folkish vibe a’la ISENGARD, but with totally distorted and mega heavy sound. The sinister climate mixed with thick and very frightening atmosphere makes you feel creeps! Totally cadaverous and obnoxious atmosphere! OCEAN CHIEF – the true masters of horror!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

REALMBUILDER

Fortifications of the Pale Architect CD 2012 Another American band, who in spite of trends and fashions has chosen a more bumpy but also at the same time fascinating musical path searches. These musical fascinations of REALMBUILDER moved to the land of CIRITH UNGOL. A very classic music album formula, firmly rooted in the style of the 70s ends in a very faithful way reflects the atmosphere of the period. There is a lot a’la ThinLizzy hard rock tinge, but there is also a elements reminiscent of early to MANILLA ROAD or the aforesaid CIRITH UNGOL. As we add that REALMBUILDER a duo from New York, dating to the beginning of 2009, it gets very interesting. I guarantee you that if you did not know that the material was recorded in 2011, you would’ve been more than confident that the “Fortifications of the Pale Architect” is a forgotten masterpiece that covered dust of time, and after many years someone accidentally came across the tape with this music. Yes, it sounds archaic, and I think that’s one of the things that comes on the plus side of the material. I’m afraid that these compositions in the modern sounding could lose a bit on the unique atmosphere that which with such diligence band tried to transfer

to their music. “Fortifications of the Pale Architect” is addressed primarily to listeners who have sentimental feeling for beginning of the 80s. It’s very simple and very honest music, raw in form, there are not many frills, finesse instrumental performances, for it is the strength of the sounds, a lot of nostalgia, sadness, or even a funeral atmosphere of doom metal weight. It is very easy to listening music, requiring more attention from the listener. And while it might not be the album to which you can often comes back, it has that thing, and Im sure that i will not once play this CD to discover dormant Magic within this disc.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

PROTECTOR

Reanimated Homunculus LP 2013 High Roller It took a while, but finally after 20 years we have a follow up to “The Heretige” and that’s with Martin Miss in main role. I must admit that I expected with great anticipation of the album, from time to time tracking information on what is happening in the camp of PROTECTOR. When I saw on the High Roller, the album is already available, hastily ordered the vinyl. Today shipment has arrived and guess what I did all day?

Exactly! Tortured non-stop this album, each time not being able to get over at how awesome the form Martin is, and at the same music. It’s the perfect development of what PROTECTOR did on first records. Mainly in this venomous music but also the classical climate.

These ten compositions in an ideal way reflects the nature of PROTECTOR at the times of “Misanthropy”, “Golem”, “Urm The Mad”. Despite the passage of so many years, the band managed to brilliantly capture the atmosphere of above mentioned works. It’s the same style and atmosphere. Disc divided into two pages (page 1 “Thrash” page 2 “Metal”) should dispel any doubts as to what music we will face, listening to the “Reanimated Homunculus”. The first one goes full of venom - “Sond Of Cain”. Fat, highly predatory vocals of Martin, cut like a blade of raptor. Choral refrains of all the musicians are doing cool vibe. With a large number of interesting slow downs, kept alternately in medium and slow tempos.

Very distinctive Michaels guitar sound recalls the times of “Misanthropy”. Another killer on the album is “Deranged Nymphomania”, the slower passages here are in kinda Celtic Frost guitar sound. There are also more accelerations, it’s definitely faster number.

“Holiday In Hell” - and in this case there is no mercy. Active rushing wind like hell. Carl with pinpoint accuracy bitchin drums, that’s really nice. This section is accurately played. Mathias is perfectly complemented with Carl. There is no weak element, everything is worked out in great detail, yet the music has a lot of finesse. The title track “Reanimated Homunculus” is definitely slower, rolling lazily number with fucking great made drums. To

tally old school, awesome number!

One of my favorites on the album!

Michael gives away the pounds here that It blows my brain out. It is not a complicated track, but it has that “something” and then the acceleration with damn good solo a revelation! Last track closing the

“Thrash”, “Birth Of A Nation”, is another full of energy and strength work. All the time I can not get over how they managed to refer to their roots with great attention to details.

There are so many references to the PROTECTOR, whom we remember from the old days that is the shock.

It’s a big no doubt thanks to the voice of Martin but also the riffs of Michael. Anyway, I think every musician is there a sizeable contribution to make the material a tribute to the old fans. The “Metal” opens “Lyco-

polis”. Beginning with the bass, a whole winds up to hit like lightning again, unleashing a hellish storm.

What a thrash metal shot. “Road Rage” - and there’s no mercy, guys rush like mad. There’s so much energy that it was possible to charge with it the whole city. “Antiman” and this piece picks up a lot of references to the “Holy Inqusition”, especially in the slower passages, although in this case it seems that Michael brought here more finesse with his guitar playing, especially

when it comes to solos. “The End” is another thrash metal bone breaker. There is a lot of technical flavors but also the morbid vocals. Martin wreaks real damage here. At the end PROTECTOR serves us “Calle Brutal”, which for a long time will not allow us to forget about this album. Great vocals, a lot of fire and venom in this composition, somehow reminds me of “Cain And Abel”

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Hello Ralf. What’s new in the world of Metal?

Over the last 20 or 30 years, a lot more styles developed in the Metal scene. I also think that there are a lot more bands publishing an album as modern technologies make it very much easier to produce a CD. Getting a recorddeal was something ‘holy’ in the early 80’s...

Thanks to the Internet, the access to music is much easier and for that reason you got much more to choose from.

Today’s musicians are much more educated on their instruments and songs are more complex and better produced than in the past.

Unfortunately sometimes I have the feeling that some songs sound a bit ‘mathematically’. 80’s Metal was often simple, but very honest...

Something that never changed is the outfit of the fans - if I go to “Bang Your Head” today and look at the fans, they pretty much look like the guys I saw back in 1982 at “Monsters Of Rock”...

Vampyr isn’t your first band. I know you’re one of founding members of Tyrant. What was the real reason of leaving Tyrant? Maybe a desire to create more brutal music was the cause ?

It was back in 1983 - my Mum died very young - and I had a pretty bad time. Tyrant got an offer for a record deal and they thought they would need a ‘better’ guitar player for that.

So I left, and Markus and I joined the Sterzikbrothers band and founded Vampyr. We raised the heavy- and speed-level but that was never a reason for the splitting. Unnecessary to say that the guitar work on “Cry Out For Metal” sounded better than on the Tyrantalbums, maybe except “Fight For Your Life” with a great Phil Zanella on guitar, who unfortunately stayed only for that record....

Vampyr was formed in 1983, two years later you have released your debut album “Cry Out For Metal”.

Did you record any demo stuff before that? How did you attracted your label’s attention?

Back in those days there was a really hot metal-scene around Ulm. There wasn’t only Tyrant, there were bands like Gravestone, Stormwitch, Stranger and many more. When Gama started to make money with the first metal acts from Ulm, they looked for more bands out of the

area. We recorded a demo, went to Kirchheim and the moment they heard the song “Sinner” they offered us a record-deal!

Back in those times playing a lot of gigs was the best way to promote your music. Tell me how often did you get to play concerts? Dou you remember the first Vampyr gig?

Vampyr played far too few liveshows.

Regarding the bands, there was a great scene, but there were far too few locations in southern Germany to play live. That was different to the Ruhr-district. They had a lot of bands and great locations, clubs and bars to play. Also Gama missed the chance to promote their bands. They should have packed a metalpackage of their bands and should have sent them on tour. But I think the money from the record sales was enough for them. Also the bands didn’t work together - there was too much competitiveness... And we were already working on the tracks for the second album, so we didn’t really look for gigs. Today, as a band, you have a management and you get booked. Back then the bands had to rent concert halls themselves and promoted their gigs on their own, but that needed time and money... Who knows what could have been if we had really released the second album...

Yeah, I can remember our very first concert we played on a biker meeting in front of over 2000 people and in the second set we had a female stripper on stage - that was fun!

Your stage image was really impressive in those times but I suppose that it wasn’t easy to go on the stage with all that stuff, haha. Do you remember any funny stories from your live shows?

I still say that we were the first ones to have spikes instead of rivets in the outfit. Later on, you could see it at a lot of metal-bands and when I look through today’s metal-mags,

I think it’s still in style...

We used to make them ourselves and they were really sharp-edged and dangerous. At our live shows, some fans wanted to unscrew them, e.g. from Wolfgangs legs...

Although the 80’s are considered the golden age of metal music I think not everything was as good as people tend to think. I suppose you had a lot of problems back in those days?

Like I said, getting gigs wasn’t that easy back then. Metal wasn’t ‘socially acceptable’, that came later on with major deals for Metallica and so on. We had no Internet! I still get reactions from young metal-fans regarding our music or style. If we could have promoted our stuff via the net, I think we could have become better known. And we had no money!

Like “Lips” Kudlow said in the Anvil-movie, only 1% of the bands made enough money to make a living out of it. But those were really great years!

Do you remember any radio stations which were willing to play that kind of music?

How did the scene respond on “Cry Out For Metal”? Were you receiving a lot of fanmail?

There was Neudie Neuderth, pretty young back then, who had his own radio show and a TV-show in the open channel in Mannheim/ Ludwigshafen called “Heavy-Metal-Battle”.

I think he stayed true to it and still plays metal on radio today. Metal wasn’t very much common on radio and even MTV started to broadcast rock-music in the mid-80’s in Germany. We didn’t get any mails, we got real letters or postcards. But we got more from foreign countries like USA and Russia and so on than from our home Germany.

I’ve checked loads of old metal zines and

haven’t found much about you. Does it mean that the press was not interested in you?

I can’t believe it ‘cause you’ve played a really ass-kicking metal!

Well, we were published in the big magazines too, like Metal Hammer (Mike Blim - 4 points) RockHard and so on, but also in a lot of fanzines. But they wrote more about our outfit or the ugly LP-cover and far too less about the music. The real attention came over the last years via YouTube etc., now as “Oldschool-Metal-Maniac Mag.”

I think that the works of Accept had a huge influence on a lot of bands that formed back in those days in your country. “Fast As A Shark”, which was considered as a speed metal anthem, had a direct influence on brutalization of metal in your country, although there were already bands playing more brutal music. I think that in this case Accept had a huge influence on your scene – do you agree? What was the most inspiring for you back in those days?

Sure, Accept were defining style with “Fast As A Shark”, “Balls To The Wall” or “Princess Of The Dawn” in those days. We had some songs too, that could have been written by Accept, but the greatest influence on us were Judas Priest. They were our favorites....

The 80’s were the times of true evolution of metal music. In a few years only the classic heavy metal transformed into much more extreme forms reaching beyond any accepted norms. What was the reason for that in your opinion?

People tend to extremes in everything.

Higher, faster, louder - in music too!

Otherwise maybe it could be boring... What was revolutionary yesterday is quite normal today and old-fashioned tomorrow - so there is always someone who wants to raise the level. But ‘growling’ instead of singing and louder and faster doesn`t always mean harder! Just listen to some hammer-songs of Black Sabbath recorded 40 years ago- they were really heavy!

After the release of “Cry Out For Metal” which was selling pretty well back in those times you didn’t release another album. Why? I ask because you had new compositions but somehow something went wrong. Did you record any new stuff in studio or was it only a ‘rehearsal demo’?

Yes, we had 12 or 14 songs ready as demos and the cover-design was almost ready.

Unfortunately we couldn’t find a way with Gama regarding the style, as they wanted only

speed, speed, speed (similar to Vectom), and we wanted our mix of fast and mid-tempo.

Also our singer Wolfgang couldn’t find the right motivation, the vocal part was the least ready part on the demo-tracks. And so the was no second album. Stormspell wanted to release some of the demo-tapes on CD. You can listen to one track on YouTube, but like I said, it’s right out of the rehearsal room...

In 1986 you recorded a TV concert “Heavy Metal Attack” which was added as a bonus to a re-release by Stormspeel Records. Do you have any more unpublished stuff in your archives?

No, there’s nothing more left...

In 1987 you decided to split-up the band.

Have you ever considered reforming? Maybe now it’s a perfect time because the old school metal is back from the grave…

It wasn’t on our mind for a long time. But when Stormspell rereleased “Cry Out For Metal” the whole band met and actually rehearsed for a couple of times. Ironhead and me started to work on the demo-tapes from then. But we realized pretty soon that it’s not only playing the old songs, you need right spirit for it... We all still love to hear the music, but Vampyr will remain a memory... but maybe someone puts together a festival with the bands from Ulm someday, somehow...

Are you still in touch with other Vampyr members? What do they do now? Still musically active?

Yes, we’re in contact from time to time.

Wolfgang (vocals) is a producer and owns

his own little studio, where he also produces jingles for commercials. He still plays in a band, country rock and the band is called Brandon Wolf. Ironhead (guitar) and Roman (drums) own a couple of restaurants, but they only play music at home. The one I see the most is Markus (bass). He works in Stuttgart and plays in a cover-band, pretty much like the one I play in, Jam Check out our homepage if you like - www.jam-rock.de.

In 2008 we finally lived to see a CD re-release of “Cry Out For Metal”, but a lot of people would willingly buy it on a more noble vinyl format. Did you think about the vinyl release?

This format is currently enjoying its second youth, maybe it’s worth thinking about it?

I really assume that that wouldn’t pay out for nobody - But never say never....

Thank you for accepting an offer to travel into the past! If you want to say something to your fans then last words are yours!

I really appreciate it that there are still young metal fans who like to hear Vampyr, now as an ’oldschool band’ and who write on YouTube or in Heavy-Metal-Blogs that they like our stuff... There are two things I’d like to say: - everybody should play or listen to the metal that he likes, even if it’s Poser-Metal! Metalheads should be that tolerant!

- people get your kids to learn an instrument!

Playin’ music is definitely the fuckin’ best hobby in the world!

Heavy greetings from Germany!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

DARK ANGEL

I

believe that I do not have to explain to anyone how important Dark Angel was to the 80’s scene. Without any doubt this band held great influence over the creation of new forms of extreme metal. Darkness Descends have been a metal bible for many generations to come. This album has become one of the genre-defining classics leaving lots of current thrash metal bands behind. This album has pushed the boundaries of the extreme metal, thinning the boundary between thrash and death.

It is hard to compare Dark Angel to Possessed but on the other hand the experienced listeners will hear some similarities here even though those bands have presented two different genres of extreme music.

This year Dark Angel celebrates their 30th anniversary (not counting two years under the name of Shellshock). To celebrate this in a proper way and to remind you about the greatness of this band I have asked the first vocalist of Dark Angel - Don Doty for a retrospective interview.

I think that this interview will be a real journey back in time for many of you. Without further ado I would like to invite you to read this interview.

For sure you are surely aware of the fact that Dark Angel has a lot of followers all over the world and your music is almost a religious experience for them. Works like “We Have Arrived” or “Darkness Descends” are milestones in the history of metal, however Dark Angel, despite its cult status never really got the attention and success that was a part of Metallica or Slayer.

How do you think, why?

Because I left the band. LOL, no, just playing.

That was to easy. I tend to believe that Dark Angel started their own trail just like Metallica and Slayer. I don’t think any of us were in this for the recognition at the beginning. Obviously when our music started to catch on it was a nice perk. I’m not sure why Dark Angel never really got the following like Slayer or Metallica, but I do know we had one helluva time doing it.

And just a footnote, the party isn’t over yet.

“Darkness Descends” is a metal bible in a way, an unlimited source of inspiration for many extreme maniaxxx to this day. Many claim that Slayer’s “Reign in Blood” pushed the borders of the extreme in music, but I dare saying that there were not the only ones. Moreover I would say that out of these two “Darkness Descends”

is more significant. What do you think of that?

While compared as Slayer again you know were so different that the air we both push boundaries but our styles are different I think both were instrumental in the metal industry.

I think both had a lot of influence. And of course if you were to ask me directly which one do I like better, it would be “Darkness”.

Your influence on early death metal scene is clearly audible for instance on the early Deicide albums and they are not the only ones so strongly inspired by you. Have you ever thought during the recording that your music will be such a huge influence for metal to come?

I knew what we were doing was powerful. But no, I didn’t think that at the time what we’re doing would impact so many people. I do think it’s cool that 25 years later metal is going stronger than ever and the music is just intense.

Let’s get back in time for a while now. We have 1981, NWOBHM takes the world by storm, Venom’s first US tour makes kids go

DARK ANGEL

mail and trading tapes and paper zines were the most efficient way toget to know about the underground heroes of the day who struggled hard tofight their way to the top. Were you involved in the scene back in a day not only as a musician, but also as a bloodthirsty metal maniac, seeking for new extremities from down below?

Yes, that was I. Actually it was all of us. We used to go to middleearth to check out any new records, pick up a Bam magazine, figure out where and when band were playing. It was really good times,being out there we would meet new people as well.

Many classic bands remember those days with nostalgia. People were way more involved in underground scene and even though the extreme music was not in itspeak of media popularitywas well widespread through underground means.

I often wonder how did it look in your case?

Do you still remember your first interview for an underground zine?

started we were much like a lot of bands out there.

We started off playing copies stuff like Judas priest and we liked that heavy sound. And yes, we progressed into what you hear today.

Who came up with the idea of the name “Dark Angel”, and who created the logo?

Yes, we did an interview in a small zine and they gave us the center spread very cool. And the more you get around the more people ask you to be in their magazines, eventually even on radio. crazy and brutalize their sound, bands playing classic Heavy Metal get heavier and dirtier, such as Metallica, Slayer, Exodus etc. I was wondering what influenced Dark Angel to achieve the extreme velocities?

We used to listen to a lot of underground stuff, a lot of punk and when we started recording our own we just kept reaching and striving for something new and better. But bands like Motörhead and Tank and a whole slew of them have been around for a long time. We should remember them for their blood sweat and more blood. I remember seeing Motörhead playing at a roller skating rink. Now that was core.

What made you decide to form a metal band together? From what I know you, Jim and Eric were going to the same highschool.

No, but you’re close to. It was Jim, Rob and myself, we all want to Downey high together and we were all into the music. And not that Flock of the Seagulls shit like everybody else was listening to. At the time I believe Black Sabbath was playing I remember going to the Mob Rules Tour. Randy Rhoads was shredding on guitar with Ozzy. I guess what made us do it was when we jammed it just sounded right.

We played some parties and some shows and it just worked out.

Gene and Jim both mentioned Kiss as the main factor that pushed towards playing metal. How it was in your case?

I would have to go towards Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne.

Do you remember the first wild Metal gig you attended to mosh and go nuts? How influential it was in taking up decision to become a frontman?

The first mosh pit was with a friend of mine, he took me to a punk rock practice and we all just started a pit right there in the garage.

I remember thinking ‘I can’t dance, but I can do this’. As for being a frontman, I just fell into that. I never had a problem talking with large crowds. So I think that’s one of the best perks about my job is talking to the crowd. Also getting the crowd to get into it.

In the 80’s there was no Internet and all, correspondence was going through snail

For some time Gene Hoglanused to have a strong bond with Slayer visiting then at rehearsals and ultimately becoming a roadie for Dave Lombardo. How big was Dave’s influence on Gene’s style who ultimately outgrown his master significantly?

You have to give credit where credit’s due.

Dave & Gene were both a major part in this metal revolution. But I think that’s how we grown, let’s say you hear something and you like it. You don’t copy it and call it yours. No, you take the feeling or vibe and then you play something different our own spin on it.

This way when someone else hears our music they don’t steal our riffs butthey take that feeling they got when they heard it and turn it intosomething of their own.

One of the most bonding factors in a band are the rehearsals. Slayer had Tom Araya’s garage, what about Dark Angel? What kind of a place was it? Did you also have so many kids coming around?

We had a killer place to practice. It was some abandoned stores down the street from my house. And they were being rented so a few of us asked the owners ifwe could rent them for our music. He said yes and we fix them up. It became acool place to hang out. And there was a drive-in right behind it so you could watch the movies in between sets.

Do you remember the reception of your fist live gig? Where did it took place?

Our first gig was Woodstock in Anaheim and I believe our second was radios cities in Anaheim. And we slowly built our following up.

Before your first demo tape you were called Shellshock and you released one demo “Into the Inferno”. Why did you change the moniker? Was it connected with a fact that you started exploring a way darker side of music?

Well, you went back to the beginning. And yet you pretty much nailed it. When we

In one of the interviews Jim Durkin stated that Ed Repka did not draw the logo, but only gave the final shape to the previous one during the works on “Darkness Descends”.

Yes, Jim is right because we thought of it and after drawing it about hundred times, we came up with the rough draft. I’m not too sure what happened after that.

Besides Brian Slagel’s “The New Heavy Metal Revue”, also “Metal Mania” and “The Headbanger” were the significant zines, essential in promoting underground bands.

Thanks to them bigger labels paid attention to the young thrashers. You had the pleasure to witness all this buzz, how do you remember it?

I remember “Kerrang!” was a big magazine back then also. We all waited for the next issue to come out again that’s how we found new bands as well. I don’t feel that there’s enough magazines out there today giving the bands recognition they need. Mag’s & zines do have a lot of influence. There are some good magazines out there also some really good websites. And like the metalheads that we are, we do our best to find them.

DARK ANGEL

I think that each one of us needs to take a look inside oneself and we all don’t need to be so worried about what everyone else is doing. Treat people the way YOU WANT to be treated.

While promoting “We Have Arrived” you toured a lot with Slayer, Agent Steel and Savage Grace. I wonder how do you remember these shows, cause it must have been one fucking animal house! LA seemed to be the capital of the extreme and playing with such great ensembles as Slayer, Metallica or Exodus must have been something exceptional!

Well, as you write it was a great time. It was the best time I’ve ever had. And all that you thought it was, it really was. We played everywhere and did just about anything we wanted. Now those stories about the hotel rooms, they’re all true.

Even before Metallica’s famous cover you played Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil”. Why did you choose this song?

Brian had also the brilliant idea of the “Metal Massacre” compilation series, giving a great promotional opportunity to the new bands.

6th issue of Metal Massacre included also Dark Angel’s “Welcome to the Slaughterhouse”. How do you remember the feedback for this type of releases back in the day?

Brian did a really good thing with the “Metal Massacre”. It did give the bands the recognition that they needed. I know it helped us, and it gave the people enough sound of the bands to know what they are in store for.

Your lyrics fit the new moniker very well.

The Devil himself was definitely present somewhere out there. Did the Horned One have any influence on your music or maybe even life?

I think the devil is a pretty busy guy. There’s a lot bigger fish in the sea to be messing with.

I can think of a couple of political figures he’s shaking hands with.

The Devil is a source of inspiration to numerous metal bands. Do you believe he actually exists? How would you describe it personally? Do you believe in life after death and that God, Devil, Hell and Heaven exist?

I would have to ask if you ever heard Dark Angel’s rendition of “Am I Evil”. We definitely did not play it like the cover. You remember the song, now just imagine it being played at mach 10 speed, but just as heavy. And the reason why we picked it because it was already a heavy, truly good song.

Every gig apart from heavy work on stage is one huge headbanging party and sometimes funny things happen. Do you remember any funny stories from Dark Angel’s days?

this fact it sounds extremely massive and still fresh and up to date after all these years.

Listening to it now shows that it did not lose even a bit of its strength. What makes some albums such timeless classics? Do you know where lies the phenomenon of this?

No. Dark Angels’s first major US was the one with Possessed, you were unfortunately absent, with Jim Drabos of Death Force as your temporary replacement. Ultimately in 1987 your place was taken over by Ron Rinehart.

How do you recall those events these days?

Don’t you pity that your ways had to part back then?

No, it all workeditself out.

After this line-up change Dark Angel carried on for some time, releasing more albums, such as “Leave Scars” or “Time Does Not Heal”.

What do you think about those releases?

I’m ok with it. I stepped out letting the band Do you mean like there’s a big mosh pit in front know I may not come back. I’m not going to of you and a bra and panties come flying up another band. If I come back it will be with on stage? It wasn’t so much that throwing that got us it was where did they come from. So you could bet we were looking in the crowd just trying to find where they came from. I don’t think we were on time the rest of the song.

Right after “We Have Arrived” Jack Schwartz decided to leave the band. What was the main reason for his departure? It seems that this lineup change had a major impact on brutalizing your sound. “We Have Arrived” is still a speed metal record, while “Darkness Descends” is something definitely not for the weak…

I think Jack’s decision to leave was due to distance, that’s a long way to drive to practice every day. If I remember right it was about 2 hours one way. With traffic - 4 or 5 hours.

“Darkness Descends” had a 6 months long delay in release after being recorded. Was because of the problems with artwork?

No, just the usual delays – packaging, marketing, all that good stuff.

“Darkness Descends” was recorded during ten sessions while the mixing was done in two days only. Despite

DARK ANGEL

Dark Angel – and HERE I AM! In 2002 and 2005 Dark Angelattempted to rise again, however it failed badly. Despite that I’ve heard rumors that there is a fair chance to see you guys again in the near future. Can you comment on this please?

When I left Dark Angel I told the guys ‘darkness will come again, just not for some time’. So let me put your mind at ease and you are the first to hear this:darkness has returned. Don Doty is singing in Dark Angel, soon to be in your town. Don’t miss it. You heard it first from Oldschool Metal Maniac Magazine.

For me seeing you with Dark Angel live on stage would be a dream come true. Back in the day I was thinking that seeing Kiss’ original line-up and outfits from 1976 - “Destroyer” -era was something impossible, but finally in 1996 I witnessed the hottest band in the world rocking seven shades of hell out of the classic tunes. Kiss made my dream come true. Would Dark Angel do the same?

I’ve always said ‘dream big’, they do come true.

Thank you very much for your time and patience. It was a pleasure to take a trip with you into the golden age of metal. If you want to share anything with Oldschool Metal Maniac readers, please go ahead!

To the Oldschool crew: find your old running partner that used to come to shows with and give them a call. Bring yourself and then to the show. No excuses, you deserve a night out. I’ll see you at the show.I would also like to say thanks to you and to all the zines, radio stations and fans who have been loyal for all these years. Thank you!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Hails! What’s up in the ENTRENCH legion?

We’re currently mixing our second album entitled “Violent Procreation”.

It will contain 10 tracks of pure malevolence!

Since the release of “Inevitable Decay” 2 years passed already. Maybe it is a high time to return with something new?

Agreed. It’s about damn time! We got material recorded but everything around the music takes an enormous amount of time.

We got a split 7” with Bombs of Hades and as I mentioned a second album which is almost finished. Hoping to get at least one of the two releases out before the end of this year.

You come from a country which had a major impact on forming of today’s extreme Metal.

The undeniable forefather of moving the borders of the extreme in music was without doubt Quorthon of immortal Bathory, quickly followed by such bands, as Mefisto, Morbid, Merciless and the others. In the late ‘80s the Swedish Death Metal explosion remained a phenomenon of its time.

How do you consider your work on the background of Swedish Metal traditions?

We have really not much in common with any of the early swedish bands except maybe Merciless. We got alot of influences but the swedish scene never were the best to me. I’d

prefer the US death metal and the central european thrash, but then again that is what the swedish early death metal bands also got a lot of inspiration from so we are just on a differrent bloodline of the same bastard child.

You are a fairly new band, existing already for 8 years. Despite this your music is rooted deeply in the ‘80s. I guess it is your conscious choice, rather than coincidence?

Of course this is no coincidence! Both the music and the production of the music was way better in the ‘80s than it was in the ‘90s or today. It is the era where we get our main inspiration from. So it’s obvious that we sound the way we do, i’d take Sepultura’s Schizophrenia over Arise for example.

It seems that Mefisto is right next to Bathory

considered the most important band of the mid-eighties. Many consider them Black Metal, but there is an undeniable Thrash vibe in their music, thanks to the riffs influenced by Sodom and Kreator. It can be said that there was no band which has not been inspired by the Teutonic Thrash of the ‘80s, despite the obvious influence of NWOBHM and pioneers of brutality in vein of Venom, Motorhead, Warfare etc. And what inspired you to play this particular type of Metal?

First of all, the main inspiration is the aggression. When i first heard the teutonic thrash bands I was blown away by how pissed off they all sounded. Not just the vocals but the intensity of the music also witnessed about some true aggression. There are alot of shit to get pissed off about so this music is the ultimate outlet. Another inspiration is the riff based sound of the early thrash/death bands. The songs are supposed to be about the riffs and we’ve always got a ton of riffs laying around just waiting for the right ideas.

Listening to your records one can think of early Poison, Kreator, Destruction or your native Merciless.

Did this bands influenced

you? Who can be considered your ultimate idol, inspiring you to create the best music you can?

Yeah the bands you mentioned is definitely among our influences. We have no ultimate idols i believe, we’re inspired by all the good bands we listen to and that is quite a few.

Before your astonishing debut “Inevitable Decay” was released you have been spreading the disease with five demo tapes. Do you plan to release this material as a compilation album one day?

We meant to release the demos as a compilation tape a few years ago but it never happened. I have no real desire to do so, maybe if a label turns up and shows interest in the material otherwise we will probably just let it rest. For now at least. We have just put up almost all of it on our bandcamp site if anyone is interested in hearing the early stuff.

Since the inception of Entrench until the release of the debut album 6 years have passed. 6 years through which you have been perfecting your style. It can be heard on your demos which as the time passed by grew stronger and better musically. Do you consider “Inevitable Decay” a definition of your style or just a transitional phase of development?

It’s all a transition.We never look out to do the same things twice yet still to keep ourselves within the boundaries of what we believe is good extreme metal, thrash, death, speed or whatever. We got a lot of ideas to keep us busy for a few more albums i think. If our sound and style were perfected on the previous album it would be pointless to even continue the band. Transitions doesn’t necessary mean to change the whole sound but more like a few steps at a time in different directions and broaden the overall sound.

In your country Thrash Metal, despite magnificent representatives, such as Agony, Hatred, Merciless or Guillotine, never gained such popularity as Death or Black Metal.

What do you think was the cause for this?

Where this chase for the growing brutality of expression came from?

I think that when the DM scene started to develop it was only hungry, young bands starting up and promoters in Sweden had finally started booking more extreme bands in the late ‘80s. The early thrash bands more or less had no scene i guess. From what i’ve heard and seen since we barely were alive

then they never got any teutonic bands or early death metal bands to play in Sweden until ‘88-’89 or so. I guess that made a huge impact when bands such as Sodom, Sepultura, Morbid Angel and so on came here to do some gigs. It’s hard to say since we weren’t there.

In Sweden the ratio of Metal bands and the number of citizens is one of the greatest in the world. How do you think where the Swedes got this love for extreme and noisy rebellious rock? What do you think is a crucial factor for your country to breed so many awesome Metal bands?

Well, i guess it’s about boring stuff like social opportunities and just the fact that Sweden is a huge music country whatever genre. The more people who plays music it will of course bring up the ratio of metal musicians as well.

Sometimes it feels like almost everyone who likes metal here is playing it one way or another.

It is a well-known fact that the best way to promote the music is to present it live.

How does it look like in your case? Do you play a lot live? Any concert plans for the nearest future?

No. We have not in the past and still do not play much live. For various reasons it have not turned out that way. We have no plans for any gigs right now. Hopefully we can come out and play to some of you maniacs after our new album is out.

Thank you for the interview. If you want to say something to the readers of OMM then here’s your chance. The last words belong to you.

Remember to watch out for our split release with Bombs of Hades and our new full length.

Meanwhile, go get the new Infant Death album!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

On the photo: Bariel live in early Imperator days

IMPERATOR

C

ountless times I’ve heard that in the 80’s many bands (not only metal ones) developed their own distinct and recognizable style. That could happen because of the sound or innovative arrange solutions. The catalyst for these innovative movements was always the man. In many cases, you can talk about personalities that stood behind this, trends creators or speaking loftily - visionaries of art.

To go down a bit on the ground, and above all on our Polish plot, while narrowing the group of underground bands to a minimum, I give the name of the Imperator. Without a doubt, this band from Łódź, can be in advice pigeonholed as a key group of Polish underground. James Joyce once said that history is a nocturnal nightmare from which we are trying to awake. And the story of the Imperator’s team I would like to awake. However, my role will be limited in this case, as the main narrator of the story is Adrian. He was a drummer of the first Imperator’s squad who have played in the band since the beginning and then for a few years of functioning this formation. Interview with Adrian is not ordinary. It can not be, because he is an expressive person whose honesty and criticism when it comes to others, and what’s wven more important, when it comes to himself impresses me a lot. Adrian speaks with great knowledge and power of his own beliefs. Also his reflections tend to reverie.

Therefore, discovering such personalities will always truly inspiring me...

At the beginning of the conversation I would like to provide some findings; in fact, I would like to ask for few things. I am reluctant to grant interviews yet I like to talk. After due consideration, I agreed to speak on several issues pertaining to the past, because it’s been 30 years. This will be the first time we take a stand as to what took place and what I was involved in. Therefore, I would like first of all not to use my name, since the story is about the band I used to play in. I do not want to define me differently as then, namely Adrian from Imperator, and it is only for the purposes of this conversation. This is because we adopted pseudonyms, so as not to be who we were. I would also like to stress that my opinion on any topic raised here, is the opinion of addicted to my selective memory and knowledge of my own, subjective view of things and people , resulting solely from my sensitivity , perceptions and beliefs that in the opinion of the persons in question - may have no connection with them .

ADRIAN

“Philosophy allows you to talk alone with yourself “ - said Antisthenes of Athens. Do you agree with him?

He was not the only one to say that. There is an important trend in the philosophy of introspective (in fact it is a whole philosophy), of which I am a huge supporter. In general, I appreciate the same depth psychology, thinking that behavioral therapy is excellent if you want to train a dog and provided that you have a stupid dog. This stems from the fact that I am convinced that if this noble discipline of knowledge, which is the philosophy, would serve only knowledge of the something empirical or other people, it would be highly damaging, considering the fact how absorbing it can be.

Therefore, I agree with the view quoted by you.

The problem is that this recommendation cannot be addressed to everyone. It assumes that man is a good conversationalist for himself, and this is not always true. Many people do not know each other, not because they are lazy, but because they do not have something that can be their internal which they could extract from this dialogue. Their only apparent be able to talk about destiny and not so much denial are people who are no less deprived of that I could notice before any overt signs of this content, but overly talkative, who suffer a link between symptoms revealing myself to more for something that I would describe as this field of knowledge. In 1990 I was a young diarrhea of thoughts, emotions and actions. man when it comes to biology, but old enough They think that they are curious, more colorful, and sufficiently bitter to be drawn to the issues deeper and they think that the world owes a corresponding to the real things, such as the tribute to them by virtue of their appearance lack of meaning of life or the inevitability of in it, but it does not. They do not achieve unnecessary death. The philosophy was for me anything. Do not take shape. Do not become the same as Physical Education for those who the owners of anything; although, they show wish to develop their skills within their body. an impressive growth and attract attention.

It helped me in developing my education That kind of people always irritated me. I will and rescued me before becoming a member happily return back to this, but I think that both of a particular specified social order. Do not bands and motorcycle clubs are filled to the forget that the real threat to the young man brim with such types of individuals. was conscription and many of us would not go to college, if it weren’t because of need Why did you choose philosophy as a field of to avoid this obligation. I’m not saying that it study? motivated me beyond measure. I knew that if Of course, not so much that I chose (smile), I find myself in the military or not, it depends but - according to what I said above - I found entirely on my consent. You could always say that in my present conditions of limited no. Select an alternative service or, in extreme opportunities to cope with this issue. It cases, take advantage of the more severe attracted me, but not so long and painfully to forms of dealing with this particular problem.

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In my case, mental illness was not the only option, to which some people were moving. I would add that at some point studies were a priority for me and meant a lot more than average. By this closer, I will only say that the studying was and is something like a rope thrown to a man being situated in a deep well full of impurities. I think studying was some sort of help that times. Today, is not as much help.

Then it was just a question of which direction to choose, not whether studies are important or not. Another thing is this that the time had said its unique drawbacks, for which I could not give up courses that require integration into the world, which I did not like because of the recent history lesson. Let us remember that regime changed and the Soviet Union collapsed in front of our eyes. In the volatile world of public falsehood, injustice and lack of authenticity remained for me as - let’s say - in line with my personality profile, studies of a humanistic or artistic spirit. Most wanted to make movies that I watched since childhood. I grew up on them and I thought I could do it well and interesting.

I had some artistic talent and sensitivity of the observer.

I applied four times to the National Film School in Lódź, but without any effect. I wondered why I wasn’t at School of Visual Arts. I came there in 1988 ever allowed to take entrance exams. I felt in for strategic reasons . My goal was mentioned the preliminary selection during discussions WSF and I needed time to prepare for the and presentations of works. Hello to the exams, but in such a way that I could do commission, of which many have died. It is something with film and theater. As for the interesting to say that working in the School study, I did not have a compelling beliefs about Grzegorz Malecki said that I had no chance my talents, but qualifying for the School didn’t of being a student of this institution, I am bring me any major problems; although there already “finished”, and today the Rector of has been a call for the dates (I passed to every the University (Mariusz Grzegorzek), then the other school after this one). It worked and thus assistant, asked me: “Why my titles scenarios I had a long vacation and a two years of study, are like philosophical treatises?” ... Well, this which corresponds to the atmosphere and the man was after years became Rector, and content of my schedule. The presence of that I went to study philosophy and tied with it for high school, with which we shared buildings a long time. Actually, to this day. Apparently, and laboratories also had its positive side. The it was meant to be. history of art, sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, open air, practice in theaters You, a man from Łódź, you had a study of the and WF (physical class), condensed into such art of theater and film behind you. This seems a short time were an invaluable experience. understandable. How did you get there and People from these schools were more receptive what motivated your choice? than the others dressed colorfully and listen to good music. They detached from the rest The study, which I remember well, was located of Lódź. I even met one girl who just like me rode a bike and listen to dark music.

Hello to Agata - nicknamed “ Łysa” .

However, before you come to college, you attended to - as you put it “terrible high school at the end of communist“ ... Really, was it so bad?

Whether there was bad, it depends on how you look at it, but all in all it resolved that the whole country was in a very, very bad condition. The second thing is that on the age that I was at, school age, it depended that I had

the highest demands according to the school and thus I experienced the most efficient disappointment. I think, only few would so negatively affect me, as compared to the five years in this high school. It was a necessary time, but the price ultimately proved to be too great. Let’s start by saying that I have never been a mindlessly exemplary student. This was because of my choice or because of laziness or perhaps the lack of meaningful incentives. Let’s say that, like every time, I was able to learn, but like the most, I did not want to. Avoidance was also a conventional, almost patriotic value, especially in the Polish People’s Republic, in which higher education was not valued, but the education on political profile was highly promoted. At the best position there were the teachers of Russian language, including among them overzealous headmaster which I will mention you about later. I think a lot of people, after many years, not without regrets and blame misjudge their schools. In our school the teachers were the people from openly negative selection. Martyred affecting the multiplicity of these events or circumstances, poorly paid, neglected, not helping us to grow up, because they did not belong to the circle of the elite and scholars. Limitations and harm of many of them is understandable only now.

There were not outstanding individuals, but executing the program less than officials. I am happy to honorable mention here about the only saved anti-communist stance my Polish teacher Mrs. Maurer. Today, teachers are civil servants, the majority of whom were obedient executors policy to the wider issue of the ‘crime‘ making up the minds of children and youth. Among the teachers we met, especially dangerous with ethical and patriotic point of view, opportunists. If thre were a few talented and wise, they quickly achieved a sufficient level of frustration that became apparent to students - for example, by their negligence, prone to alcohol, behavioral disorders. I assure

you that even teenagers were able to evaluate their teachers in terms of their suitability for the job. Generally speaking, I will say that it was not good, and when I came to school again, this time in 2000, the situation has not clearly changed when it comes to the quality of staff, but I noted the presence of many entirely new staff and changing government policy in relation to the education. Quite depressing was that at the same in the Directorate appeared a priest. Coming back to the eighties, I might add, that, first of all in the school as a building we had great development objectives, but not due to the effort of teachers, but on our own initiative, to be visible in opposing to them. There was good integration, loyalty and friendship, which there is no today, because today everything is easier, and therefore without substance. Then people understand each other more deeply, met, talked, listened to music, and all of that effectively isolated them from really gray and sad reality of those years - the reality that only destroyed them. I must emphasize, however, that some errors and failures became more visible and understandable after some time. The catastrophe, much larger than that depended oppressive state action, was the composition of the youth, which I found and for which my inclination led me into a relationship with its character called friendships. It hurts and shocks that after a few years many people say and do something completely different than in the determination of the moments that are so important, as you can have them only once, while beeing a teenager. One of those people was Bariel from Imperator.

And it was in High School, in 1983, in Łódź you made ​​friends with the above-mentioned Bariel, with whom you created IMPERATOR, right? At what profile have you learned?

We were in a class with an expanded dimension of learning French. From the beginning, the year 1983 (30 years ago!) proved to be crucial

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for me, completely. At the end of primary school I had to choose something that would impinge on my fate, and I was at that time a very young man, it was not clear what would be the best way for the next 60 years of my life. At that time there was no question of flexibility and creativity. People ended some schools and shaped their lives most up to retirement. This knowledge made it ​​ difficult to make a determination in this matter - a young man thinking about anything but that. Well, in my assessment I’ve done then, at the age of fifteen, I assessed critically, that I had no right to be in High School because I was too weak student. At the other extreme, if the election was a vocational school, but I thought it would be too little for my views and self-esteem. I was a realist, but with specific plans. Environment, which grew up in Łódź Bałuty was able to direct every young creature to the wrong way. Squeezed evil and derail into everyone.

While I was lucky enough to be in the worse conditions I found myself, the more I wanted to be different than them. It has always been and is (unfortunately) the main driver of my activities in my entire life. Without excessive dwell, I’ll just say that some of my closest friends from school at the end of the study were sent to reformatories or prison. These were people who spent several years in the 7th and 8th grade. Getting to the Middle School, called High School was very kind - as I thought - undeserved social promotion for me. I would not be in it; however, were it not for the fact that I did not pass the entrance exams to the Technical School, which previously I set its sights on a half-measure. After the defeat of these exams, I persuaded another friend (R.I.P. Jacek from the Lutomierska street) and we went to have the exams at the right time after adoption, because we were fortunate that the school recorded a number of deficiencies in the state of adopted. It emboldened me. In first grade, I met a tall and thin man named Piotrek.

He was the undisputed star of sociograms and through all the years of study he was always at first place, not only in the classroom, but it seems that in the whole school.

I liked these people and we clinged to each other for a long time. I must admit that I was always inclined to have a band, but in fact Imperator was the exclusive work of Bariel. I believe, to this day that only he has all the rights to anything associated with this band. I think, at the

beggining we tried to play at my house. There came Piotrek, Jacek from Teofilów (district), and I do not remember anyone else. Maybe it was another classmate, named Mariusz G. Playing consisted of hitting the couch (drums) and jarring the acoustic guitar (lead guitar). We quickly gave up with Jacek - later he became a professional soldier which confirms the validity of our decision. Mariusz also did not get up.

This was the beginning.

Please tell me about the first, important to you, even as a child - musical groups. Who was it? I do not mean necessarily the performers of the genre of heavy rock.

All metalheads swear that they have listened to Sodom inside their mothers, but it leeched the legend to themselves and “creative accounting“. Very often the case that the louder they insist to believe them the more anxious they are to disguise their musical tastes of the past. Each of us took from somewhere, which means “place“ was firmly established and even after years of it is easy to locate, so it amuses me when those people pretend to be tough.

I believe that there is no such need, and the way that one does from the music is authentic and has a deep meaning associated with him/her while growing up and socio-cultural

stamps. I read the inscription as K1SS. Then I asked what kind of music is those of “k one ss”. Buddy of mine lent me double album Alive from 1977. On tape, of course. I admit that I listened to it carefully, and some songs I found to be responsive to my musical tastes. I was 10-11 years old. Today I have a huge distance to the band, and American productions really does not come to me because of their strange lightness.

Then it was time for greater intimacy, which was AC / DC. Their albums I had memorized in the seventh, eighth grade, ( 1981-1983). This band decided about me starting to think about playing the drums. With another friend, Tomek from the Pawia street, we played for hours the repertoire of this group, imitating on what we could that the music comes from us. You know, “gigs“ in an apartment with usage of a tape recorder.

The band ended for me with CD “For Those About to Rock”, because the next albums were to me only repeated and weak.

I remember Bariel’s father sent him from the US “Flick of the Switch” and he drank in it, and I did not. For me, as a alternative for AC / DC was, in my case, Iron Maiden - I do not know how, but the mate from the Wrocławska street named Robert had the original “The number of the beast” album, which we were listening to till we were becoming deaf.

It was quite an experience. Pretty soon, I got changes, which their subjected to. Let me start the “Killers” album on tape. I was listening to by saying that I listened to rather one band for Iron Maiden until 1983, “Piece of Mind”. Later years, and not many at once. The first contact this group stopped to be interesting for me. I with rock music have resulted from having a have never followed by myself Led Zeppelin or lot of older cousins. They listened then to (in Deep Purple or Black Sabbath or something the 70s) Smokie, Suzi Quatro, Blondie and like that. I knew the fans of hard rock and Rod Stewart, and other so-called “git music”, progressive rock, but I did not share their at parties in homes and in the discos. Those views. In elementary school I was interested were the times recorded by me as a small child. for a while in the presence of punks and they I was more specifically introduced to music by drew me to this music. I have a turn to social Adam from the Mokra street in Łódź. He had problems, and I know that Punk was also a a lot of recordings and went to concerts as a social and political movement. There was some complete teenager. He was about 13 years old, sort of honesty coming out of the realities of I was 10. This was between 1975-1980. With poverty and unemployment in Britain, not him I was listening to music consciously for artificiality and beyond. Metal music at the the first time in my life. He had a good adapter same time was not involved in such thinks and and good columns! I met, for example, Pink it lost in my eyes. I saw as a kid older punks Floyd, Queen or Jarre from the original analog in Łódź - I mean men named Kuba and Ofik records. I did not know why this youngster had who lived next to me. To compare something the records of the first league artists. Then, the with them, I will say that there were other first band which I seriously listened to was the young men, such as famous in the area Nikesz Queen, but it was happening because of other from Lutomierska street who listened to at full friends. In the late seventies, I met Paweł from volume Boy George and becomes entangled in the Piwna street and he seriously, and - which a fashion a la poppers, but I will I did not know then - knowledgeably listened skip this. It was important that, to music. Maybe not music itself, but especially on the contrary to the guidelines my friend’s devotion caused my interest in it. state, people were colorful even This was important because Paweł came from a lot more than today, because a very, very poor family and just like me he everything around was gray. grew up without father. Objectively old Queen defends itself to this day, and even if now Thanks to who, years ago, you I judge this band differently and know more became interested in metal music, about it, the fact is that in that time it didn’t which as we all know - you are lack (thanks to May’s play) hard rock riffs. For listening to now? What was the me it’s only from the first albums of 1973 to the impetus impulse that guided you Flash Gordon of 1980, later this group finished in a sharp way of playing? its existence for me. As for heavier playing, I remember while I was in elementary school, The above mentioned AC / DC I saw the writing on someone’s clothes – I found all alone in a primary depicted by hours with pens names of favorite school. Discs are recorded bands, because there was no t-shirts, badges,

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at Atlantic Records sounded phenomenal.

I always listened to the radio and it rescued us in the People’s Republic, providing us with CDs which were able to be recorded entirety at the appointed time. We were waiting all week to broadcast a specific with thematic and older probably remember that the author called a band, order of the songs and let go the entire disc, so we had the ability to record and compile the much loved music in the form of new products or entire discography.

Nobody observed any rights to the whole issue of material - iron courtin’s lawlessness helped in this which it prohibited. If the records were in stores, there would not need to steal them from the radio, etc. When it comes to the mentioned band from Australia, I must admit that rhythm, repetition, simplicity of the music kidnapped and convinced me. It worked on me by adding strength, making everything clear. It was so energetic for me as later Clawfinger or Rammstein. Then, at the time of starting school, I was interested in music, together with Bariel, but in the early eighties to the group of my educators joined Adam from the Drewnowska street that (which I emphasize) PLAYS, in this respect, invaluable role to this day. He usually records CDs for me or shows news, draws attention to something - most recently, for example, JD Overdrive and Mastodon. The guy is like a library for loving to read, and besides, it keeps track of what is happening in the music.

On this occasion I would like to thank him (talking about Bonzo from the first Imperator squad!). As for the others, I remember that sometimes we visited living next door to the College, another friend Wilk from the band Naprawa Chłodnic, now taken dentist and lover of motorcycles. I did not realize at the time in a place of our ten floor block of flats, where we went, had stood once the second largest synagogue in Europe, and certainly the most beautiful. As for the Wilk, he belonged to the few who had a good stereo and listen at his place to, for example, the first Slayer album was a memorable experience. In a small room

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we were listening to music celebrating all the sounds and discussing everything. Wilk was an avid fan of Motorhead and Voivod. I think he played the drums.

Do you remember the first concert you have been at in your life? What year was this and what artist / performer was it?

The first concert Manaam in some of the 1980’s, which I came at only because my buddy Adam from The mokra street took me there. It was in some workplaces in Widzew (district). Thanks to him I started to go to Rockowisko. It was quite a good festival. It was cyclical, and what’s more – it was in Łódź. Thanks to this event I saw live performances of TSA and Turbo.

It was located in the Sports Hall which guaranteed the independence of the weather conditions and probably good acoustics. We often went there without tickets blending into the crowd at the gates or combining tickets from someone who has walked in and threw it to through the window. We did not have money. In the hall there were also bigger major concerts – there were gigs of played Saxon or Iron Maiden.

In January 1984 IMPERATOR was created . You have been in the band since the beginning.

What was the metal environment in Łódź?

I do not recall if there was any metal environment Łódź in 1983-1984. I never met anyone like that, but I remember a lot of different music groups. I remember, however, that the April 4, 1985, we were in a place called “ZTK Teofilów“ in which we wanted to reherse, there was a metal-like band practicing there.

They were called Trade Mark. I guess we did not like them. They qualified for Jarocin 85, and we did not , but from my notes it turns out that we sent the tape. We were outraged that they were approved. I admit that the only band that did a good impression on me at a time when we played, was punk Moskwa. Tracks like “Powietrza” or “Samobójstwa” were and are truly thrash for me. In this sense, Moskwa was the first that played such music in Łódź. I think my city had more punk, alternative or new wave

than metal. When in 1984, Moskwa had already was recording at students’ radio and for four years Brak had been playing (their fan was our first bass player Robert from Retkinia [district]), me and Piotrek were literally noone, and about other metal bands I know nothing.

I do not recall that anyone in Łódź playing harder apart from us and Moskwa. I know that once that at the Łódź Kaliska station we met Guma and it seems that Bariel told him that we play faster than them. He wanted to get attention and distinquish with something positive, but the real difference was in fact that we knew them, because they were known and they did not know us.

It was a very gray and drab days. There was no TV. News from the West was not reached in a mass.

People play what they knew and what they knew was heavily underdeveloped. I would add that Tomek from Teofilów had a band called Salve, and then he played in Blitzkrieg, but I could not remember how they played - I have seen it just now on the internet and I noticed that they were some kind of a new wave band. We met a few times in Tomek’s little room in the block. Tomek attended with us to the High School. He was an extremely talented guitar player and a nice guy. He made the instrument he wanted and played on the spot what you wanted, regardless of genre.

Typical instrumentalist, but it seems that without a clear taste in music (sorry Mechu), as he indicated by the transition from band to band and play everything (it seems, he played even in Closterkeller). I remember that if there were no pubs and concerts were very rare.

There was a dominance of dancings for old people or directors of factories or parties staff or disco lover boys, where the latter were like today’s disco polo. Most of the people was sitting in their homes, or - if you had a fantasy - spun across Poland. They were free and therefore belonged to the people lost in the system, beyond which there was no room for the operation. Drugs and poppy compote were on the agenda.

Prior to metal and punk there was a viable alternative of playing the blues.

I’m talking about the seventies and early eighties. If someone is doing something useful, it was not properly disseminated. If the existing groups wanted to go on and participate in

the cultural life of the official circuit, had to belong to an organization created by the state and therefore they subject to the surveillance and censorship. No one could do anything by themselves, unless only for own initiative. If you wanted to go out into the world, you had to considered and join into order and sanction and support it. I had to point out that being a part of the official mode forced to support culture in line with the policy of the state and a lot of bands did not feel like it. It was a time of martial law and right after it. Probably, the festival in Jarocin changed a little. In cities such as Łódź, there were some outdoor events, such as organized by the (newspaper propaganda) “Trybuna Ludu” (Tribune of the People) and out of the blue you could on the 1 May go to see TSA or another well-known band in the picnic in the city park​​. I remember that once or twice we took part as a band in some qualifiers in Lódź, I think we were the only metal band. The only thrash metal for sure. Once at a hearing in the Poznanski Palace (then Marchlewski plants, nowodays famous Manufaktura) member of the jury, not at all familiar with thrash, asked surprised, but friendly, if the speed and tempo of our playing is intended? They were not interested in us, they asked just out of curiosity. Fortunately for us, we could have rehersals at many different cultural centers.

I think we started at the primary school on the Limanowskiego street in Łódź (district Bałuty).

The first bassist of Imperator Robert put us inside. His mother was the headmaster of the School in Retkinia. At the time of getting to know him, Imperator’s idea was to play like AC / DC. This idea was established by Bariel.

The band was not thinking of thrash metal, at that time. Later, in 1985 we started to do a rehearsal at a community center on the Rewolucji street (“Chochlik” [“Imp” - ang], or something like that) and it was more serious playing. Apparently, Moskwa also had its rehersal there. When Mefisto joined the band, we should note the change of playing style. Tomczyk was then, and remained for a long time, influenced by Kreator and who knows the Imperator album, can see the similarity with this band. Bonzo payed my attention to this. Returning to our play, in the eyes of others, such as doormen at the club, we were just weird and did a lot of noise, but no one interfered. There was no one to play the way we did in Poland at the time, but it began to change. Even on the auditions to Metalmania the hardest what people play was something like then AC / DC, Iron Maiden or Saxon. We liked to be like Metallica

and Slayer. I mean similarity, not the skill level.

We loved Sodom, Venom, Possessed, Bathory, Destruction (“Sentence of Death” from 1984), Celtic Frost, Iron Angel, Bulldozer. Piotrek loved Running Wild, Mercyful Fate and Helloween.

I would add that the name Imperator was invented on the history lesson led by our first-class educator in High School, when we were discussing the antiquity and the name Imperator was mantioned in the refference to the office. Bariel took the idea to use the term.

I also noticed that it emits with proper energy.

Why you choose name Adrian in IMPERATOR? Names Adrian and Mefisto, is (like everything else) Bariel’s work. Someone can break down with what I say, but I was indifferent, to some extent, how Piotrek will call me in its nomenclature and how he will incorporate into a whole other data on which he worked.

He was a real leader and had no inclination to teamwork. I wanted the band and to play the drums and I agreed for a minor role in which I wanted to be useful and fulfilled. I thought that if he needed to do something I can be useful to determine the need for consistency of vision of which he all over prevailed. It was not corny, I did not feel embarrassed. Adrian S.O.S. (Son of Satan) - that is how it sounded in full record. It was my submission or acceptance, due to the fact that I understood the need for this type of action. Poland is an extremely specific country and it is still maintained by total amateurs who have complex of the West, necessarily have to be someone other than themselves. So they put a lot of energy in order to be Bariels, Behemoths, Nergals, Adrians and others. I do not completely and not always convincing. It’s not convincing for me and it did not work. I agree, of course, with the fact that you can not play serious music and called

yourself Maciek, Tomek or Piotrek, because it does not fit to a certain aesthetics, it almost kills. Someone who wears name Gumola can be Guma in a punk band, but someone who inherits a more common name and wants to play black metal, should come up with a different nickname. So, Piotrek invented ours.

I had the same attitude to the texts. I believe that, just as it is difficult to make a good horror and good comedy to avoid tanizny and ridicule (with which many would agree), so it is difficult to write important in its message text song, a book or article. The text must be VALID. Most of the lyrics, not only from the repertoire of metal bands, disappoints me. I would add that this was a time when I admired 4AD label productions and the fact that, for example Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins sang songs in an imaginary language was the most impressive to me. It was easy make the voice an integrated instrument with the whole and reduce the risk of pretentiousness. Bariel consulted the lyrics. When he quickly decided to write in English, I felt some relief. First, the language suited the music just fine. Think of the singing of the graves, beasts, eating it up, or mate in cemeteries and similar activities, is out of touch with each other - due to the overall diversity - a version in Polish and English. I trusted Bariel who sat at home and composed by writing words to our work. However, the only thing that made ​​me very interested and keen to get involved was the sound wall, crushing block, and of whether Peter is possessed, because a lot better - in addition to the thrash metal - was to play thrash black metal. For me ideological and even philosophical commitment was that what really mattered. The degree of Bariel’s possession was for me a measure of the authenticity of what we were doing and

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I’m not kidding; although, I have never told him that. Just as the saints of the Church became such in terms of internal changes in the area of​​ fruitful transformation of behavior, dress and relationships with others, so Piotrek had, in my assessment, relationship with Satan, what I carefully followed and have great fun with the possibility of associating with pure evil that captured this supernaturally talented young man. Only in this way he ceased to be Piotrek and became Bariel. I considered him to be intelligent to the extent that would allow him not only to subject, but to use energy that comes from his relationship with the Demons. When I met him in high school, he was an exponent of the joy of life and brilliance of mind typical of a teenager from a good home, which can be brilliant. Unfortunately, at the beginning he was completely musically retarded, because he came to school as an active member of the fan club of Lady Pank.

He had close-cropped hair and wore colorful striped socks stretched on jeans down to his knees. I assure you that no one else did such things in the school, with the possible exception of some Jowita S., Piotrek had a wonderful and creative ADHD and was several times more

what 20 years later Kuba Wojwódzki started to be ina a clumsy way (who also was starting out that time). Maybe I’m wrong, but only to him I could compare my friend from the 80’s, but I assure that he was unprecedented. He’s a real and charismatic showman. He was characterized by unprecedented wit, eloquence, madness, humor which I fully succumbed. Establishment of the band with him was more than obvious. Let him talk what he wants, but thanks to me he caught metal, which confirms the status of music at that time and a complete change of taste in the year after joining the High School. However, I admit that I do not have any part in Piotrek’s obsession. The devil was, in my assessment, the rightful cause of the vast changes in a young man who, when I met him, went every Sunday to church, listened to strange music (eg The Beatles - brrrr) and was 200% controlled by the seemingly only non-authoritarian mother and her unmarried partner. I was surprised, but it was fun. My buddies were smoking from the 7th and drank from 10th year of age. As children we were alcoholics. Robert from “The number ...” extorted money from his mother on drugs, setting everyone in the house vertically and reigned supreme. A man with a great sense of humor who once has beaten up someone’s father, when he came with pretensions about his son, who had got bitten before, too. I met Bariel with Robert and we went together to Hel under tents. Fighting, theft and burglary were something ordinary among the young from Stare Bałuty (district). Someone once even broke the headmaster from school No. 54. My high school headmaster, math teacher, also apparently was beaten up by teenagers and vagrants, as a visible sign of this was that he had tattooed dot under eye. I am happy to mention you here about the others, because it’s a nice opportunity. Jacek (codename Srala) from Bazarowa stabbed someone with a knife at the gate on Drewnowska. Another Jacek R.I.P. - late high school buddy, drank vodka before going to school and come in a slightly screwed (he was 15 years old, dragged only to the end of first grade and left). Tomek from Obrońców Stalingradu street invited us for the moonshine run by his parents. Zbyszek from Wrocław, when he got married, he stabbed his wife several times with a knife. He was in for it.

Another Zbyszek, elegant guy with character, got drunk and died when I was in High School.

With Tomek (from AC / DC times) we walked to the den to drink alcohol or to watch drunk women. Even in elementary school, when we were 13-14 years old, we were going to Hel with several girls under the tents on the dunes and to bath naked. Teachers were afraid of these “children”. In 1982 some friends went

to prison for rape, as I have already told you above. All of my closest friends which I used to play football and music. In my family, a few people were recidivists and almost all were alcoholics. People were drinking as easy as they were breathing. My close cousin was killed in prison in the early 90 ‘s. Apparently, he had links with the wrong people, etc. The thing is, I did not know anyone before who was like Bariel, namely 16-17 year olds so strongly invigilated. Then he was more standalone, but today, when only criticism moves me, I think he ONLY relieved the earlier state by what and how he did when he was in the Imperator. He began suddenly to catch up life, he started to be free, to leave the house, partying, etc. I can convert many facts of our lives then, but the main thing that Piotrek created is timeless music of which then were placed on “The Time before Time”. We were great friends. In the summer we were driving around Poland.

During the school year we met each other in high school or in our own homes. We were spending together almost all days. I think, at my request Piotrek began to lead an official band’s tiling photographs. It was a time of friendship, full of initiative. At that time I was forgiving Bariel a lot of things. I remember that he was inclined to destruction. Once with some Trojan from Gdańsk they were at my place and there was so much fun that when I went to sleep, they fell the wall unit on the window which they broke with the dropping column. Then we went to another block and we took the whole window from a staircase to put it in my house. Everywhere were the same windows – “positive pros” of communism.

Matula (Mommy - ang.) didn’t notice anything.

I can not omit the instrument on which you played - drums. Why drums? Who was your musical idol, then?

As a child I worshiped rhythm and I think I had / have the feeling. I’ve always dreamed about drums, but what is funny, I’ve nver had any. We were from very poor families. I tapped favorite songs at home on different sounding furniture. I missed the opportunity to practice the playing and I’ve always been an amateur ONLY. We are absolute self-taught. We did not know the notes and did not finished any music school. All I had, were the drumsticks that I got from Rafał from Wróbla street, who left the sparse form of communion and went abroad.

He was a dancer. By the way, soviet high school headmaster accused him that “he travels around France, when and she’s only been in Bulgaria” . Quite silly woman who appeal to the microphone in front of the whole school that if the student shows a lack of knowledge on high school graduating exam, she will understand if he or she will sign up at the list of attendance at the 1 May parade.

She said: “Ho he could learn,

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when he was on the march?”. It was kind of a rough joke, but it was really encouraged to participate in such practices. The absolute bottom, the absolute lack of sensitivity. These officials were then in the “elite” of education.

Triumphant frustration and resentymentalny type of authoritarianism of someone who still is subject and obedient to decision-makers.

She made him difficulties in his career. She finally removed Rafał from high school. He was a good friend and a VERY righteous man.

Many times we together walked around the mountains before we started to be interested in girls. I greet him on this occasion. Drums are my instrument. Oh, who was my number one – the Iron Maiden drummer.

The founder and the author of the name IMPERATOR was Bariel, but when I asked him who created the logo, known from the cover of “Eternal Might”, he said: “The first idea from the first demo or from flyers of 1986 and perhaps 1985 is my and Adrian’s, our first drummer, vizualization.” I get the impression that you were a second and a strong pillar of the band at the time when it began to function. Would you agree with me?

For me, the term “pillar” is completely over the top. There was nothing like that. I did not even pretend. I definitely assistant Piotrek.

I was his first audience, consultant, someone who really waited for his ideas and projects. ​​ strides. I think I served He quickly made great the role of a servant. As for the cover, then of course I drew it. I was inspired by the drawings of a book about old civilizations. We wanted to have a demo. It was established, I think, at home on one of the rehersals. We were able to do something on a tape recorder, so we did.

I remember how much joy and satisfaction gives us the opportunity to listen to our own compositions and performances of the speakers in the house. We felt like one of the Metallica members, as participants in a global movement, the new and emerging trend of metal. The cassette can be copied, send and you suggest other what you play through it and how you want to plan the development of the band. Finally, you could go to Wilk and listen to it as we listened to Slayer before and that was the result of facing up the challenge!

I should add at this point that I had great views on the way forward of our band. There was no doubt for me that the questions about my future are the same as questions about the career of the group. I did not have to be part of the gray crowd, particle lost mass. I did not hav to switch to a lower value for the realities of the subjects and not ambitious. But I was able to protest, to play, to express myself on stage. It meant that the perceived role of the band was the next stage in my life by which I will give shape to its location and completely changing it.

We once talked about Metallica when they released their first album that they are just a little older teenagers than us. Why, then, do not be like them? It was clear that it

should be. I will say at this point that if Piotrek was a serious man, the band in its first line-up would last to this day. I had no doubts about it.

I do not see, or did not see anything to compete with such a vision of the future! I was very keen on a SERIOUS approach to the matter.

Unfortunately, that did not happen, which totally schocked me. The leader underwent its self-admiration and began to interfere in everything doing stuff without any sense. In those years, he had a profound obsession.

Everywhere and in everything he saw a posturing. He was infelcting the term “poseur” by all cases. The poseur was everyone, not just our peers, but also musicians. I know, that was the way Bariel recognize the singer and the whole band KAT. Piotrek watched, listened, reviewed, issued a verdict on the orthodoxy of those who only have relied on what he was the embodiment.

He was like an inquisitor. The latter one I really admired.

I grew up with these realities in which friendship, truth, the idea had their highest value and when I learned that Piotrek and I can create a musical equivalent to those values, vision of the entire life was to me very clear. My - I do not know good or bad - feature is that I always see the whole. I look artificial and even if Bariel saw in the short term, which I do not prejudge, I knew that working in him Demon strengthen its provision of construction of the Imperator’s biography. Thanks to that we will be not just leaping around the stage clowns without views and poseurs, but professional musicians who live with the fact that they play music that is their idea of commitment and that directs their actions. Quality was my black and shimmering with silver obsession.

IMPERATOR was one of the first Polish underground bands. What other Polish groups, at a time when you started, were familiar to you ?

In contrast to Piotrek I was not interested in Polish bands. He alluded friendships. I have to admit that his desk was a real office. He wrote letters home and abroad. He was a good manager. It is true that he met people from the West including well-known musicians and he broke the limits of the Iron Curtain which was all the easier because after 1986 we could feel the slight relaxation of censorship and pressure.

The room he shared with his younger brother was a true window to the world. As for the bands, I heard about Vader, but I didn’t meet them. When, years later, I noticed that they are playing around the world, I knew they went the way, which I wanted to go. I positively envied them. I played in a band for not for long and in a time, when we could not merge into the other corresponding

to our music-making company. Frankly, the moment when the band started to be known, toured and met many other musicians was no longer with my participation .

“In 1985, asa metal fans we went with Adrian to Jarocin. I remember that we had sewn by his mother the jeans vests. With the Imperator sign written in the gotic fond”- another quote of Bariel from my conversation with him. What memories accompany you when you recall that trip to Jarocin? And by the way, mother like yours is a treasure!

Before that we were in a tent in Wielkopolska.

We painted inverted cross n it and Piotrek hit on a girl with resistors in the ears. Many chose the festival. Let’s start with some general from Jarocin. Great times. Freedom never known anyone in Poland. So much of music spleen, full of the summer, rising from pogo dancing dust, alot of bad eating of a piece of buttermilk and a lot true and diverse music for young people who every day were an incorrect students, children of their parents, somewhere they were not at home, and here suddenly met with themselves, the authenticity of the interior externalized in decibels, in response to their call, with the unity not imposed by the state apparatus. It was definitely unique and one of the most important events of that time.

No festival in the West could fulfill this unique role; although, I think every one of them was better at technical level.

I know that Bonzo was already with his buddies in Jarocin in 1983. I went there with Bariel in 1985, then in 1986, when we were able to play. First, we had the intention to occur as early as in 1985, but we failed to ...

As for the festival, when you live in a gray Łódź, what am I saying - a red Łódź, as it was rightly called, when you go to school where you have foreign teachers when you are subject

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to Sovietization, when there are no goods in the shops, when smack poverty and nothing of your environment does not develop you, and you suddenly find yourself in a world created by rock, punk, metal, reggae, it feels like you are under influence which takes you from hell to heaven, from falsehood to truth. The town of Jarocin made an ​​ impression as it was belonging to the youth. Everywhere you could see young people in costumes representing different genres of music. Everything smelled like illegality (but not like crime), because it did not have anything to do with the life that we all lived before we came there. Mohawks, shaved heads, long hair. Let us remember that it was a time when for heving long hair you could fly out of high school, which was designed to match down anyone who thought, felt and looked different. On 10 November 1985, on Sunday I noticed that with Piotrek (nickname Kerry), we cut our long hair due to the school order. At the Festival everything sparkled with enthusiasm and youth - it was the realization of this initiative, which said that the young people were in spite of the system, in spite of educators. I know that the event was 100 % under the regime, but NOTHING in that years in did give me that feeling. In my opinion, that was the place where the wave of freedom started.

Not in factories in Silesia or the Tricity; though, Solidarność was earlier. As far as the mentality changes, the music was an important factor of axiological and ontological alternatives. It served expression of metaphysical freedom which failed to check the security apparatus, which explored the empirical stuff. I have no doubt that Jarocin, as all then, was created with an initiative of the Party, in order to drain and control the energy of the young and not obedient guidelines planners of the great socialist labor camp. Unfortunately, the experts from PRL miscalculated everything. That Jarocin 1985 was music listening from morning to night, beer (when it was Prohibition and we rode to the nearby cities), city pool filled with crowds and bustl, the stadium and the scene in the park, hot summers and holidaysand yellowish sand settling everywhere on the leaves poplars, the outfits musicians.

It calls for participation in the concerts.

Manifest of autonomy and unity. Nights of races in the park, fighting . I remember in Jarocin we escaped before the skins and were

leather on top. He was a little wild, genuine in this disguise. If I remember correctly, he painted a great outfit of the inverted cross on his back and that was a desired effect. We played as well as we could. For me, it was one of the first contacts with the drums, because I did not have them at home. Amplifiers, speakers and other platform components were also not known to us. We were very young. In that time Piotrek squealed more rather than he used his threatening voice. I know that he worshiped Mercyful Fate, which we listened to and that had some affection on our playing. Anyway, on the first Slayer album there is also a lot of squeal. Despite that: there was a large theater scene and few people in the audience. No idea with the lights arrangement. There was a completely random audience. One of tthe crowd shouted at us: “Fraglesi”. Those Fragles were some film/TV cartoons characters, to whom Bariel was familiar because of the outfit. Maybe Adam also was familiar, because he had long hair. That’s all I remember. That time Piotrek was singing in Polish. We were absolute colts. We could do it well or bad.

I do not remember everything. We certainly enjoyed it. It is important that something hiding in some bushes for a good half hour. started and we left the house.

In Poznań, while the police chase us and we were hiding in any building on the upper floor.

Bonzo, Thorgal, Bariel, Mephisto ... do you The same was in Gorzów Wielkopolski. I take it sometimes meet people from the early years as a fun day, part of growing up, pulling away of Imperator? from the diagrams, meeting people. Unique and previously absent experience. As for the Bonzo was glorified here. We are in constant problem of Mother, it is more complex than contact since 29 years. In 2011, he was even it may seem. Again, I will use the observations with us in Spain - with me and Mej Alejandra, made by Camus. He wrote once that the who lived and worked in Peniscola. I am often whole nature of the child is determined by its at his place at Drewnowska street. When relationship to his mother, with which I fully it comes to Maciek / Mephisto, we never agree. Goodness of my mother always relied spoke the same language. He was a fantastic on her silence to matters involving me. In short, companion of Piotrek. When it turned out in contrast to other mothers, she did not ask that Bariel needs followers, people admiring me about anything and not interfered. I do him, those who do not only support him, but not remember these vests, but I think that was believe in religion that already existed, in which really the case that she sewed them. That time was Bariel single prophet, Mefi fit there like there were no clothes for what we wanted. nobody else. It was apparent to many friends.

There were no clothing stores for subcultures.

It reminded me of the relationship of ideal I do not know how it was in other cities, but woman with a man, whom she supports, serves I suspect thatit was the same thing as in Łódź, and to whom she adds beauty by her presence. which was unusually devoid of character and Mefisto was kind, sympathetic, successful with deeper meaning. The existing large textile girls, but I did not feel chemistry with him, he industry did not offer any materials or clothing. did not fascinate me and we did not became There was a huge crisis of everything. For friends. The funny thing I remember is the example, I ‘ve never had a leather jacket, but concert in Łódź, in a palace at Piotrowska I dreamed about it. We dressed very sloppy. street (later the EU Delegatio), when after a few Shoes, leather belts, they were objects of beers Mefi was playing bass parts to another worship. I had combat boots - from Hungary. song, than we played with Bariel. He realized There were two sizes too big, but I couldn’t get after the announcement of the next song, any others. I polished them and they stood on which was the one that he has already finished. the shelf.

Like Piotrek, This Demon quickly married and fathered a child. I do not know if he is already The first concert you played with Imperator divorced, but Bariel did it long time ago. I was was in October 1985. I had some part of this shocked that it is possible at the age of twentyshow, specifically the song “The Beast”. Do you odd, being a demon, to start a family, appear remember the feelings accompanied you when before officials from USC and drool something you stood on stage and played the first show?

I guess you are talking about performance in DK Kolejarz. It was the first concert, which included me, Piotrek and Bonzo (Led Zeppelin fan) – my mentioned before friend.

It was held on October 23 in 1985 at 5 p.m.

I remember Bariel had a vest with something underneath, like a lamb, and with the

about the role of the state and the family, bowing his head in an act of approval. To make things more interesting, I will say that neither I nor Bonzo hooked up with anyone in this way, and contributed to a number of similar genesis of disasters, births, divorces, etc. (Ps. we were at Piotrek’s wedding.) Once, I saw Mefi with his son shopping in the supermarket, in the years after 2000. He did not recognize me, I think, and it was good. About Bariel - I tried to follow his fate. I know that my sudden leaving the band pissed him very much. I wrote him a letter and I finished the relationship. However, after leaving the band I was with him a few times at home, but within 20 years there was no more than about four times. He has glued his desk image of mine with the blasphemous signature pointing in my direction - I do not know if he forgot to peel it off or he wanted me to see it. I would add that in the 80’s Bariel the best collection of beer cans and packs of cigarettes. These were the “decorations” in a poor houses in Poland. What more? I have was in theater on Dracula, where the guys were playing. At one point, Piotrek had a “closeup” with some Jaskuła, who was known in Łódź in the artistic community. Apparently, Mefi shook the man’s daughter. I have heard from witnesses that they partied very much. In addition, I listened to a radio broadcast where they hired Bariel. I was at Imperator concert, which after a few minutes was unfortunately canceled. Of course, I bought the Imperator’s album, which I am very proud of. I had no problem with the fact that they change the line-up. I was still curious to know what they are doing and constantly asked myself whether it was right that I left? Oh ... I remember that after I left Imperator, Piotrek and I rode on motorcycle to go fishing – he was fishing, I was the driver. When we came back, in Pabianicewe hit guy on the road... I thought then that it was possible that Bariel continues its dealings with the Devil, because it was in “good form”, at least in “the old days” that with Peter always some problematic situation occurred. And here, a sudden accident. It authenticated this man. On the other hand, the guy who crawled under my motorcycle was named Musiał (can be translated to: “He-had-too”), so I thought it was also simultaneously a surreal adventure. I remember Bariel was shocked and for quite a long time he was sitting on the curb with a helmet on his head... People gathered around us, and cried, that certainly sons of party people, because they have a motor... and they crash with it. The truth was that it was my first bike, but it was terribly shitty . It had…what I’m saying, I’m sorry, it had no brakes that’s why we took the pedestrian with us. If I had a normal piece of equipment, I would stop before the crossing. Such weak motorcycles were also an integral part of that time. It was the decline of communism - June, maybe July 1989. I would add, that surrealism did not leave me in the future. In 2004, when I was returning from Spain, at 11.55 p.m., after three thousand miles, I stopped in Sieradz on John Paul II Avenue at a red light. I thought, what the hell would be wrong if I respect the rules, if I successfully defeated Europe. It was a hot night and a total wasteland. Sieradz had probably only these one street lights. I had 60km left to my house. Then, out of the blue, in the back of my 2 month XJR drove some boy in Audi. His name was Powałka! (other funny name -red.)

In Jarocin 86 you played on the small stage.

How do you rate that performance?

In July, there were hearings. From 24 th to 28

th , and then probably the Festival started. We played on July 29, 1986. I remember that we did not get to Jarocin in the normal manner.

We did not send anything to the committee, but as we were on the spot, we decided to take part in additional intakes. I do not know how they qualified us. I think Piotrek arranged this.

We were already at place and in some school or some building made talks about taking us in. I’m afraid that we were not even heard. We got lucky. I think that we received all the luck.

It was something undeserved. Like a work of destiny or chance. We did not struggle. Nobody represented us, we got no help. We were going somewhere and push ourselves in order to exist.

I do not remember the concert at all, but it was an honor. I was always skeptical, but when at the end of the day I heard from some unknown to me person who did not recognize me that Imperator was quite good, I believed that it really was. I was happy.

And how do you recall your participation in qualifying for Metalmania 1987. Who was in the committee? Do you remember the reaction of the judges on the Imperator show?

By 31 January 1986, we had to be sent to the Armii Czerwonej 35 street, 30 minutes of music, biography and photos. We sent them.

However, I have some RECORDS that in Chorzów , because it seems that there were the eliminations, we played Dec. 2, 1986. We were 18 years old. I remember it was cold and we got warm by the large fireplace in a house in the park of culture. We were sleepy and tired. We need to wait a long time for

something or someone. We played fast and hard. I do not understand why we did not get to this Metalmania, because it would be credit a lip not only for us. If by selecting they wanted to point out was happening in the music, they should have taken us to the event. Apparently, it was something else. All played on these hearings as if they stopped in the 70’s, and we played like a band in the years to come. I was confident about our individuality, uniqueness, but nobody understood this trend. I think in the jury sat some old bluesmen, but even if not, they were them by not choosing our music plan. They certainly mistaken. The first Imperator album is an evidence, and if thay made ​​a mistake, which is a fact, it means that they did not know how to look deeper than in their musical, limiting them memories.

At a concert in Piła in 1987, the band played without you. Why didn’t you come to this concert?

Probably MOLOH played with them. It was a guy like Henry Rollins. I did not know him personally, but Bonzo had worked for several years in the pub Wall Street in Łódź and there he met a few musicians. Among them was Michał Wiśniewski and MOLOH. Apparently, a

very fine man. Adam had good talk with him, but they did not agree about Imperator. In contrast to MOLOH, very bad Adam mentioned Carol... Coming back to your question, I do not remember how I got there, but when I got there, I did on purpose, to show that I don’t like something. This absence had a direct relationship with my need to prove Piotrek that the case occurred in a place that did not suit me, and means of expression of disapproval, which I took, were in the form of lack of participation. For me Bariel could be a leader, but only because I just decided - that the issue of recognition of leadership and consent to it.

When I began to have serious doubts in relation to him, I stopped to recognize this role of him, just like any other role. As a leader was, in my opinion, he had an important task to realize that I have already told you about. He was about to be a composer and evil that he exemplified, was supposed to be the evil of the highest order, and therefore INTELLIGENCE. The darkness contained in shining thoughts had to be discovered in music and express the message that changes the audience. Work, work, work, it was and it still is my motto. First of all, seriously. I saw, however, that after the first successes, a teenager comes out of Bariel who bears no responsibility for the birth of the colossus, which could be that band. Demon, the existence of which I suspected in him was absent, or at least displaced by an immature young man who certainly wouldn not be able to make a sequel. After the show in Pruszcz Gdański, probably also in 1987, the leader got drunk with a beer and started to kick the trash cans making a fool of himself on the promenade of a small town, I made the decision to completely stop the contact with him.

Earlier he behaved in a similar way, which was the opposite of a crystalclear plan about music and composing.

Maybe I’m not the spontaneous and reflective type. I may not be a good rocker. I have nothing irrational in myself. I think that if someone destroys the heritage, and I’m not talking just about the trash cans, they have my full approval, but under the condition that they must offer something more, than what they destroy. If not, I cannot authorize these actions. In no way I tolerate lack of responsibility. The band, in my opinion had to be something

serious, what will become more valuable than our whole life, which overrides the other choices, which will give us a sense of close feelings engineers of souls who by creating music co-create the reality to which it extends and on which they depend. If, however, was a pass from immaturity to adulthood, I was far too old to take this. I never maturated. It was a completely alien phenomenon for me.

So foreign that my referring to it was and still is very hostile. I have no tolerance for it.

In addition, it is important that I grew up in Bałuty among ALWAYS drunk people who have achieved nothing except destruction and who have harmed me clearly. That is why I am an enemy of partying, but of course, not in all extend, but only when we are talking about partying kids, because that is the case, which takes the form of shame bottom

formalities. You could start the very next day. During the communism it was important that young people were active and did not frustrated with the political situation of the country. None of us had drums, amps or any other stuff. I lived with two people in the same room with kitchen. Bariel lived in the house, but in an apartment inhabited by four people in two rooms. Mefi came from Teofilów (district of blocks of flats) and he shared a room with his brother. Those district institutions were the only things that saved us.

Sometimes, the contact with the real equipment it was a concert itself.

Now I will ask you about the role of the Polish Radio in promoting heavy metal in People’s Republic (including Music of the Young, Metal Torture, The Forge). Did you listen to these radio? How do you remember them?

and stupidity, which effects grow in direct proportion to the loss of the creative aspect.

In that time, I lost my interest in the band of Piotrek from Więckowskiego street in Łódź, because in my opinion it ended its existence.

There was no Satan in it. He was a very talented in following music of that era boy, whose interior remained empty.

Where did have your first rehearsals? With what problems such as young band had to struggle while existing in communism?

I talked a bit about it before. Most rehearsals took place at homes. In second place were the centers which causes no problems with meeting young bands. Without any selection or censorship. Big plus for them. If there were some free hours in the schedule, you could practice playing on the national equipment without any problem, questioning or any other

Radio was my most important source of knowledge about music, but not the only one. Since elementary school I listened to music programs and especially in the form of prohibited broadcast, such as Radio Free Europe and Voice of America. These music programs that you have mentioned were factors filling the contents of musical consciousness of people in Poland at the time. I could go home from far away just for an hour make a record from the radio. For the most part, they were the only ways to reach out to the classics and novelties. I admit that in those years I listened not only to these programs, but I was thoroughly indulged in music presented by the R.I.P. Thomas Beksiński. I can say that sometimes I pinned more confidence in such work, which was much more dark, intelligent and serious than other music. To this day, there remained in me the belief that the selected track, at least one of the bands like Bauhaus and Joy Division, is more than the most conceited and full of demons metalhead. In a real depression, disease and fear rather than in snarl that in most cases (unfortunately) must

be fake, there is a genuine disaster, which is an inspiration for a healthy people. Their time is not filled with fun, but with the contemplation of life as a stretched in time agony which they have not yet experienced, but which is inevitable. Life as a struggle with a persistent feeling of sticky bottom, on which rests on the process of intentionally fouling the strongest spirit. Only sadness convinced me and I knew that if I wouldn’t play metal, I would give up willingly to this type of music, after hearing which you think about suicide, but you do not commit it. I did not see any foolishness in it.

During all the time in high school, I wore a bag with the BAUHAUS signature.

Marcin Wawczyńczak from Eternal Torment zine helped in the IMPERATOR’s promotion.

Have you read the underground zines? Did you have then an opportunity to meet Marcin?

I don’t know him. When Imperator had people from the promotion, I didn’t participate in it.

I haven’t read zines. It could be wrong, but I was not even interested in bands’ line-ups, titles, years of CDs issues, fashion, festivals and news like these. I limited myself to listening to CDs that were important for me, entirely disregarding the fact where they came from.

Besides, there was no Internet then, and the press in Poland came into being a bit later.

I would like to add that I have a similar approach when talking about philosophy. The names, biographies, definitions, classification are not important to me. I see them extremely random, sometimes harmful. The authors are the tools in the hands of certain powers and talents, and the content that is expressed by them- if it happily happens - something timeless that everyone could think and say, but only few people say. The same in music. It does not matter to me who the ​​ band consisted of and where they recorded. This could be important for the band members, for individual people, for fans. The less this information concerns

me, the more deeply I penetrate into what is important. That was the motto aspect of Nietzsche’s work in the theory that you should forget these things when creating and searching for the truth. In addition, I am lucky that I am not a music journalist.

I pass over the accidental qualities of creativity as a process of revealing some significant aspects that are close to the truth, arising from lofty spirit, but he has no name. He is neither man nor woman, neither Pole nor English. This what I’m looking for. For the outside people, it may be a synonym of ignorance. I believe that if this philosophy is well understood, it is necessary to reach decisive things, but we do not have the time or energy to do that, if we retain on the surface of things. Let me also add that at the time VIDEO appeared and much greater benefit for me was watching a concert of Venom (Welcome to Hell), which we saw once somewhere, than reading about it. The fact is that I have always been resistant to reading and only studying underestimated me the value of the text as a means of communicating thoughts.

How many concerts did you play with Imperator? That bigger one was definitely Drrrama in Pruszcz whose excerpt we can even find on the Internet. Which of the concerts became embedded in your memory the most?

There weren’t many concerts. No more than a dozen. The first one was that in Kolejarz. The second was on 10th January 1986, but I do not know where. The third one was on 21st February, I also don’t know where. The fourth was on 15th June. And so on ... It was the absolute beginning. I will not be original, when I say that I was never to play a dream concert with “my boys”. When we played together, the concerts were not I liked the most, but rehearsals, composing, the time when we were looking for and suddenly the solution came.

I liked when the material was created, when it was not yet clear what would come as a result.

I loved to create. Concerts could be a wonderful thing when going on the path of development, testing and working on new albums, we could reach the point where a good sound is achieved live as well as in the studio.

What do you think about all the grudges and animosity between the fans of one kind of music? Have you or one of your friends ever been bitten?

It’s probably the same as in the case of football fans.

I do not know what they are.

If everything is biology, it is about releasing frustration not connected with music.

I do not remember that we ever suffered for this reason.

Once we chased each other, as I said, when we talked about Jarocin, but it was fun. I understand, however, that there are bullies, strong people looking for confirmation in the humiliation of others. People who beat or steal. I understand that the world is evil offering a violence, falsehood, injustice. I know that in the interests of people is to look for differences, rather than what unites them. I know the blind evil is hidden in nature and wants estuary.

I know that the most difficult thing is not to be aggressive. Not combining this with music, I’m willing to consider this as an inevitable form of manifestation of the elements. Just as rain, storm, heat or heavy frost. I do not see any idea, any thought, but the idea and thought are a pretext or a camouflage for purposes that are far beyond them. I would add that it is clear to me that the self-confident and well versed spirit has no reason to be energized for the better or the worse. The spirit is characterized by indifference and calmnessalways incomprehensible to many, and causing the thought of a big deal for some. Those who beat, steal, lie or dissemble- they suffer. Those people never do anything significant, although they fill the world.

On the concerts, you met countless bands, zines’ publishers… Who did you party with the best? You were against partying to the loss of consciousness, right?

I told you. Partying, yes, but with adults. Loss of consciousness - I do not know what a value would it be? I wish everyone who has ever lost consciousness would never regain it again. It’s playing with dangers that does not make sense, because people losing consciousness could not even know that it happened and evaluate it for themselves. They would disappear. I am an extreme rationalist and I believe that only CONTROL and total AWARENESS OF ALL have the value. That’s what makes sense. Thus party, substance, only if their use makes the content unattainable without them. Everything else is a harmful waste of time. I’ll give two examples.

Witkacy was taking drugs to write, to paint what ordinary perception does not reveal.

Then he gave the names of chemicals involved in the creative act to his works. But only the

no matter if musicians or others, do not have such dilemmas of choice.

They always sacrifice their nearest and dearest for art. Coming back to that material, I’m glad that you like it. It is true that we played wildly. We had lack of musicianship so I won’t be offended if someone notices that my playing was very poor. However, it’s important that the band had the uncommon potential. Too bad it is almost entirely lost.

How would you call the music on Endless album? Black metal? Death metal? “I remember the faith in Black metal” – you wrote once...

result in the form of art really mattered, not hallucinogens. Another example: I value the Doors, but Morrison is someone who could be neither mine, nor his own friend. However, I think that he was a genius. On the other hand, Manzarek, who apparently does not mean anything, but without whom Morrison would only be an alcoholic and drug addict. It is such a rare combination. It is a great pity.

As for the bands, I think I’d be gaga, but I do not remember anyone. I cannot mention any names. I do not also remember the accommodation and the time spent after the concerts, which we could share with other people met recently. I’m sorry. I do not know why I can’t remember it. I remember the places, the buildings, but not the people.

From all of the IMPERATOR’s releases I admire Endless Sacrifice the most; for primal, wild energy of this band. It was you who played for that demo. How do you evaluate it? Do you like to come back to that material?

I don’t have it and I regret that. I said to Bariel to digitalise it once. He promised to do that but I guess there were just words. I have read your review with him and I couldn’t believe that he is already so far away from all that stuff. He used to call himself as immortal, faithful and authentic. I don’t get it unless it was just a pose then. And that’s why I don’t have any respect for some people from the past. They have changed, evolved and they do not resemble themselves anymore. Their words, declarations or even vows do not matter. If someone is a pubescent girl, it can be excused that she doesn’t know what to do or say but if someone is a man who makes a shock wave from his guitar playing and uses it in the case of ideas reaching from here to eternity, he cannot turn away from it and go into direction of some trivial, irrelevant matters like living in a block of flats, family, work or dinners with a mother-in-law. I do not want to offend people living in blocks who have loving families but I mean that artists,

The faith in black metal is a derivative of the faith in oneself just like devotion and vocation. I treated the band as my vocation and took myself seriously. It means sacrifice, work, loyalty, and consistency stemming from the menial role which has a purpose to improve what you do because you have respect for yourself.

As a manifestation of that Peter and I decided that we would always have something black in our clothing.

Usually it used to be at least T-shirt.

It is such a noticeable sign like a black polo neck for existentialists. I’ll just say that when Bonzo and I saw Bariel on the main street walking with Mefi in colourful Hawaiian shirts in the early ‘90s we thought we were dreaming!!!

I remember also that Piotr and Mefi took up a job in Parada Radio in Łódź. Unfortunately, the standard of that broadcasting station left much to be desired, not by any stretch of the imagination. I recollect Bariel’s programmes...

It has to be admitted that he presented metal but he also played silly buggers and showed off. Maryja Radio is the ideas transmitter, worthy Lucifer’s respect comparing to Parada Radio because people who work there remain faithful. It’s about faith. It is the most important value because we see the validity of everything we do in its light. Thanks to it, we become credible and predictable. If we do something without this deep awareness, we give no value to it and we make an impression that it could be done by a random person, different from us. I would call this music thrash black metal.

I remember Black Metal Venoma and it was different music from ours. I remember Kill’em All and it was also something else. Slayer could also be mentioned then but our music was slightly different. We appreciated Possessed, Sodom, Venom, Kreator and the like bands.

Although it wasn’t the case of typecasting, I know that Bariel used to write about our music High Speed Black Thrash etc. Metal.

Therefore, it was all about being the best... in everything.

There is a famous photo of IMPERATOR with a pentagram poured off on the sandy pitch or the field from the initial period of the band. It had already been taken by a professional photographer, hadn’t it?

That photographer, Tomasz, was in the fourth or the third grade of high school when he met our classmate from our first grade and he married her. They had the same surnames, Woźniak, so she didn’t need to change hers. By the way he had learnt photography somewhere and worked on his thesis taking photos of stained glass windows in churches as far as I remember. It seems that it was he who wanted to do a photo shoot with us. We needed to choose a scenario for the actions and we selected two spots. The first one or the second was that sandy field. It was and is still the dump debris located in the north eastern part of the city. We went there to snap a few photos. This place is a hill (compared with a surrounding) with a view over Łódź. Bariel poured off that pentagram and set it on fire.

It was smouldering for a moment, I guess.

After that it remained a dark outline visible in photos. Apart from that spot, we also had photos taken in the Jewish cemetery in Łódź... beautiful and historic. We wanted a shady place with tombstones and a cemetery has always had this unique atmosphere and it fit into our concept. Then, in the ‘80s, that spot was visited mostly by winos who drank wine and made a mess. There’s been a hole in the fence for many years so the entrance has been opened 24 hours. We could feel free. Piotr felt even too freely but I’ll skip that part that he would not be arrested or at least chased by the Jewish community in Łódź. The photographs were wonderful and chiaroscuro. Tomek was a professional. I suppose he has still those negatives. We should remember that it was difficult to have a good camera and buy films to it without problems at the time. We had a shortage of everything. When I started taking photos in 1990, I needed to buy films from Russians in the marketplace because there were none in shops. I met Tomek, Bariel and Wilk on the 60th anniversary of our high school a few years ago. Guys got drunk terribly and Piotr sang Grechuta songs. I have the record.

You left the band after Drrrama 87? Can you tell us about the reasons for leaving the band, which you hed been tied up with for four years?

I mentioned the most important reason. The problem was a total lack of seriousness in Bariel. Endless jinks, fun, childishness and the inability to focus on the band. Just yesterday I met Bonzo and mentioned that he had met Peter at Slayer concert three years ago. In an interview with the drummer from also playing that day band, Bariel mentioned some “cocaine party” which he wants to repeat. So nothing has changed. This reminds me of the situation that one can find himself on Olympus, but while being there, it comes to his mind to get drunk and steal some gold plates, instead of seeking contact with the gods or at least with the fallen angels. In my assessment, this is a desecration and from the profane I ran away filled with sense of struggle and success. However, I am able to realize other ancillary and supportive reasons. I do not deny that, seeing the band

will not achieve anything, I thought about other meaningful activities such as study or painting. I cultivate them also today. The main thing is that in reality it was always about me myself, about the quality of what I’m doing and I never wanted to be available to make any mistake, especially one that would later result in the form of something that I would regret during the next years. It was not easy to leave, but I could not participate in this.

Did you follow how is the band going later?

Did you hear, for instance LP “The Time Before Time”?

Of course I did. As I said, I bought it instantly and I was pleasantly surprised. The first thought was that since the album is so good, it is apparently also due to the fact that I left the band. First, Bariel have - consciously or not - more to prove with this stuff, than if we were doing it together. I mean to prove me that I was wrong. Secondly, Carol played great and then I could not catch up to him. I see it as something totally positive, if we take into account this particular album. Sometimes, I listen to it and even present it to the guests who rarely visit my house. I regret that there was no further albums,

because that time this potential and the level of composition, arrangement, performance were able to compete with anything in this industry in the world. I was so right when it comes to the end result - Piotrek has proven himself that he can do something great and timeless, but he left it and he also showed that the ambition for this type of activity inside him was temporary. In short – having one great album was enough for him. For that I make obeisance to him. For the rest I do not.

Did you play in some other band after leaving Imperator?

Yes. I think there were two bands, but I did it as a hobby and for fun. These were the groups that belonged to friends and they were not professional. I do not even remember if they had any names. I liked going to rehearse to the student club Cytryna, where we met in the evening and improvise. At that time, rehearsals there had a band from Łódź – Pornografia.

Being extremely grateful to Adrian for this unique interview, I might add that all the photos and flyers of Imperator located next to the text come from the private archive of Adrian.

I would also like to thank Adrian Pełka from R’lyeh zine for the fact that with Adrian from Imperator we were able to be the guests in the pages of his zine.

Wojciech Lis

W

hen I was listening Journey Into Mystery some time ago I was not suspecting even in my boldest dreams that Dream Death will ever re-activate and record a new material. As you can see some times dream come true. Dream Death is amongst the living and it is doing well. The new album has no problems with holding against the aforementioned recording from 1987. Dream Death’s comeback with the Somnium Excessum became a very important event to many maniacs of oldschool metal. This is why I couldn’t resist to do an interview with this legendary band. The release of new material became a great opportunity to talk about the current and the old times. Ladies and Gentleman, before you - the masters of the weight - Dream Death.

Before we will begin I would like to congratulate you on the great return with Somnium Excessum – it is one of the more interesting albums that has been released this year.

Thanks. We appreciate that very much.

You have made your fans wait for quite some time for Dream Death’s return. You have released your third demo back in 88 and then you have tortured us with silence for next 24 years. What has been happening with you through all this time? Have you been active as musicians?

I effectively retired from music making in a public manner after the first Penance album.

I believe Rich did the same after the European tour for that album. Terry has continued with Penance for quite some time and Mike has never stopped playing be it with Penance, Cathedral, Pentagram, Under the Sun…..

I wonder what was the final push that made you resurrect Dream Death? Was it the urge to prove to yourselves that after all those years, playing metal still does it for you? Can you feel the pure steel flowing through your veins? Or was there something else behind this comeback?

Sure. I can’t help but grit my teeth when I listened to the old DD stuff. Brought back all of the feelings that I used to have when we created the music. I think we all felt there were some things still left unsaid as far as DD was concerned and we wanted to deliver the message.

It’s 26 years since the release of your unforgiven debut “Journey Into Myster”. You have released Excessum Somnium this year. Weird enough, it sound as those two materials were recorded nearly at the same time. How the hell have you managed to get this excellent oldschool dynamic sound of the eighties these days?

That’s not intentional. It’s really just the sound we create when we get together. My hope is that people view it as the old sound but going off in some new directions.

Are all of the tracks featured on Excessum

Somnium created in the same period or are there any older tracks, refreshed and rerecorded for the new album?

Everything was 100% new for Somnium. We don’t have any “old” tapes lying around of old songs. I think rehashing old stuff would have been boring anyway. I like the process of creating something new.

Excessum Somnium is very faithful roots. Was it hard to gain this unique atmosphere of the 80s?

Many of the bands returning after some years, try to force-fit themselves into the modern trends. Luckily you have avoided such faith (smile).

I’ve known the other three guys for a long, long time. I know that noone in this band would ever want to play music based on trends or rules or trying to fit into some certain scene. We would all be disgusted with ourselves if we did that.

The music we play is the music we like to hear.

The time period that the music was created in is irrellevant.

I know that there have been some plans to release your demos on vinyl. It would have been entitled “Back from the dead”. Can you shed some light on this topic? Will Excessum Somnium also get released on vinyl? What’s you approach to this medium? Do you have any albums that you have been maniacally collecting back in the 80s?

Actually Back from The Dead was released on vinyl by Svart and the new album is also available now on Svart.

I personally prefer CD’s over vinyl for sound quality but old albums are much better to look at. I’m always searching out for various CD’s but my turntable doesn’t even work right now. Haha.

Back in 2009, your live album has reached the surface.

How ever it is a recording from the Electric Banana First Live Show from the year

1986 – recorded before Journey Into Mystery. How do you recall that era? Have you been playing lot’s of gig then? Who did you play with during that festival?

That was actually our second show ever and it’s not an official release.

It’s a bit embarrassing as we are very out of tune with each other.

We didn’t know quite what we were doing at that point but at least the enthusiasm is there.

We played quite a few shows back then and many of them were at the Electric Banana.

I don’t remember who we played with at that show.

Probably a punk band or local band Doomwatch. The thing I remember most was that we were young and fired up to be playing.

I could always hear fascination with European scene in your music.

Especially with Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. Were those two

bands really that influential for you?

I’m curious what have you been listening to back then? Do you know any Polish metal bands?

We had many influences. The Celtic Frost angle gets way overplayed. We liked them to be sure.

But trying to imitate them? Never. We wanted to do our own thing. I think maybe our guitar sound comes of sounding like them perhaps but our riffs and song structures are intended to be much different and much more involved.

As far as Polish bands from back in the day?

Hmmmm. Listened to a lot of metal in the 80’s but can’t think of one right now. Of course my memory is horrible. Maybe not considered metal but I will say that listen to the bands Indukti and Riverside. They are both very good.

How are the things going for you nowa days when it comes down to palying gigs?

I remember that one of your first gigs here at the old continent was the one at Roadbrun Festival.

Will we ever see Dream Death live in Europe?

Yes, Roadburn was the one and only time DD has been in Europe. We would love to come back. At this point in our lives we would have to take part in a festival as it is much more feasable for us on many levels.

Your music always packed a great amount of darkness and I think it was quite visible against the background of what was going on with the scene in USA. One could easily feel the death-like aura that always made me think of horror movies – what was really your inspiration back then? Do you still like to watch horrors? Can you name some that are totally timeless in your opinion? Did the modern horrors managed to charm you with any of the new productions that could stand up to the classics like Omen or The Exorcist? What do you think about the new version of Evil Dead?

Yes, horror movies were an influence for sure. As well as authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, Clive Barker…. I much prefer older horror movies to the ones today. Too much CGI and not enough old fashioned creepiness. For this reason I have never even watched the new Evil Dead as the original is so unique that you can never replace it. Maybe I’ll catch it on TV one night but I’m not going out of my way. I always felt that The Exorcist is the ultimate horror movie. It can still creep me out if I’m alone watching it at 2 in the morning. A few years back I was into some of the Japanese horror movies and I thought that some of them were very interesting in creating a bizarre, terrifying mood. A feeling that I hadn’t had in quite some time with horror movies.

It’s hard to deny that the 80s were an extraordinary era for metal music that really flourished then. The youthful fanaticism of the maniacs creating the underground back then was incredible. Without any help of the internet the extreme metal could reach any place easily spreading as a fastest plague. The role of tape trading and the underground press was very important for this. How do you recall those times?

offers from record labels? Or did you decide to release it on your own for some other reason?

Mike felt that we should release it ourselves right from the very beginning and it was the correct move. Maybe because we had been burned in the past it was nice to have complete control over everything. It was a lot of work but entirely worth it.

I know that not many time has passed since the premiere of Somnium Excessum, but I just gotta ask – what are your plans for the nearest future?

We just finished up all of our scheduled concert appearances so we’re kind of in a holding pattern right now. It seems that everyone in the band is interested in creating more new music so we may begin that process soon.

Thanks for your attention, it was a great honor to me to be able to interview you. Brian, it is our tradition that the last words are yours. If you would like to tell something to the readers of Oldschool Metal Maniac – now’s the time.

I would just like to thank you for interviewing and featuring us. We always appreciate the support and are honored for all of the kind words that you have said about the music of Dream Death.

I know today that everyone can instantly hear whatever they want, but to me you can never replace those times of working hard to find new things. There was a certain pride in finding a new band that possibly might be to your taste by reading the underground mags, sending away for their demo or travelling to different record stores to find their album, waiting for the tape to come in the mail.

Then you’d find a gem and couldn’t wait to tell all of your metal friends about it. Amazing times. Sadly, it will never be like that again ever.

Your debut has been released throuh New Renaissence label which was one of the more prestigious labels at a certain time as it held true metal elite in it’s roster: Necrofagia, At War, Blood Feast and of course – you.

How do you remember working with this label?

We did not have a good experience with this label and I don’t really want to get into all of that right now. Let’s just say that we should have waited for another label back then but, again, we were young and stupid and signed with the first thing that came along.

Correc me if I’m wrong, but have you released Somnium Excessum all by yourselves? Haven’t you received any

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Hello Away! How are you before the gig tonight and how do you find the festival so far?

Well, we just got here, but we played here before and it always an amazing experience, like in Czech Republic in general, for us. We have here quite strong following, so it should be very, very cool.

And of course we have a new album, so it’s exciting.

Yeah, I remember your last concert here, in 2010. Actually you were the only band who was shouted out to play encore, do you

still remember it?

Yeah, I do actually. It is probably why we played then somewhere in the middle of the afternoon and today we’re playing late at night because of that great reception last time.

Let us a bit into the new album. “Target Earth” finally materialized and I wonder how the response up to now is?

Amazing! No negative comments, people tend to think it’s an instant classic, a reminiscent of the progressive material we did, still with a modern touch, so everyone seems to think it’s great.

It is also the first output of the band since Dennis D’Amour passed away, still his spirit is perfectly preserved in Chewie’s playing. Is there any sense to compare Voivod before and after Piggy’s decease?

Well, yeah because, I mean we tried to keep the spirit of Piggy intact in a way. On the other hand we tried not to imitate much the old material, but Chewie, our new guitarist, was very much a friend of Piggy and Voivod in general, so all these weird harmonics are coming directly from Piggy’s style and remain some sort of continuation of what we did with him.

And what about Blacky? Does he still remains as a fill-in bassist or is he now completely back into the band? How are his electronic music projects?

He hasn’t been involved in electronic music for a whole now.

Now he is a full-time Voivod member and him and Chewie wrote almost all of the music for “Target Earth”. Some parts came from improvising, but most of it was written by Chewie and Blacky, so he is really involved in Voivod now. He is using his electronic skills to do interludes and intros for us both in the studio and live.

Since “Target Earth” bears this trace of classic, “Nothingface”-era Voivod and still is a step forward from “Infini”, do you think that Voivod in the future will develop this style and establish itself in this niche, or would you go for yet another revolution and completely reinvent yourselves once more?

It is really hard to tell. We started already working on new material and it is probably gonna be in the same vein as “Target Earth” because it is the same lineup, still we will try to push it forward and we will try to explore.

We will see what happens.

I see. And can you tell me something more about the brilliant “Target Earth” animated video? By the way it is exactly how I imagined your graphics coming to live…

Ah, thank you. Well, when in October 2012 we played in Helsinki with Unkind, this guy Nikola was there and after show we were discussing 3D graphics that I did for the “Negatron” album. He told me he was a 3D graphic artist as well and he’d be interested in doing a video for Voivod. It took many months, as he did it all by himself, before it was completed so what I did was I sent him sketches and he turned everything into 3D models and animated everything himself. That’s kind of crazy work that he did. He is a very, very talented filmmaker.

Indeed it is an amazing piece of work. Let me now harass you a bit over your new solo effort “Cities”.

First of all, is this a one-time thing or do you plan to take it forward from there?

Well,

it’s

a

limited

edition

of 500 copies. If I sell them all I might try and do a series of albums. These are basically the field recordings that I do when on the road across the planet.

Mainly the street musicians and since I’ve always been interested in collage and musique concrète and avant-garde music in general, but also field recordings. The idea started in Montreal where I live near the subway station and there are a lot of outsider musicians.

I got to say that the acoustics there are great and that gave me the idea of recording them.

Then I started to do the same on the road and eventually I compiled everything I got for this cool label called Utech Records. Now we are awaiting the reactions. Many people are a bit puzzled about it because they were expecting drums and all that and I didn’t play anything there. I just recorded and mixed it, but apart from that I didn’t played on it, so we’ll see what happens (laughs).

By the way, can we consider it a continuation of what you once said about living near the factory as a kid and hearing the factory noises made you think of creatures that could make them?

Invaders! Yeah, I’ve always been very conscious about the factory sounds and industrial noises surrounding me, but it’s only a couple of years ago that I finally bought a zoom recorder portable to catch the sounds I was interested in and my main interest is when sounds collide like in the subway, where someone is playing and there is a subway passing by, all topped by the announcement on the speaker. All of it combined together I always found somehow fascinating. Indeed it tells a lot about the soul of the city.

Yeah, your solo album is something definitely interesting. I really like the ambience and minimalism there. I think it’s a very intimate piece of work. Did you tried to stress the character of each presented city, like Montreal, Mexico City or Chicago and how it

changed over the years or did it considered evolution of the city through time?

At first I was thinking of putting it into a chronological order and then the owner of the label thought it would be more interesting to have a continuation according to the music, so we ended up sequencing the album with the vibe of each city. It allows me to share with people what are we experiencing on the road, so I tried not to overthink the album too much. I avoided doing overdubs, so what you hear is what I’ve heard and I wanted to create the feeling of travelling around the globe. I hope it works.

By the way, why Europe is treated as one big city? The Old Continent has a lot of cities with very diverse, distinct characters, like artsy Berlin, quiet Stockholm or mixed-up Paris…

I usually don’t have that much time to walk around and record material, so this is the collage of all the things I got. Every city brought just a few seconds of sounds and the only way to make it into interesting tracks was to combine sounds from many cities I visited throughout Europe.

Otherwise many songs would be like 20 seconds long, so that’s the reason.

I see. Let us think of “what-if” situation now: you have your solo project, Blacky has his background in electronic music, Chewie has a lot of stuff done on his own and probably even Snake has some skeletons

in the closet, would you ever think of doing something that Kiss once did and releasing four solo albums on one day?

No, but if people are interested about finding out what we do individually they can go to www.irongang.com and the albums are available there. I know that Snake has many solo projects he did over the years. These are gonna pop up on irongang.com eventually as well.

Let’s talk about your graphics. You recently dropped off the direct comic inspirations in fevour of more op-art inspired things ad also movie posters from the ‘60s. DO you think your graphics would evolve further or did you finally found your graphic style?

I don’t think I will ever find my final style. That is a tricky question (laughs). I try my best but I still have a lot to learn in terms of working with Illustrator or Photoshop, as I usually draw with ink and then scan it and add the colors on the computers. I see mind-blowing art by Ed Repka and so on and I think that my goal would be to do one day a high-quality art like that, but I am self-trained and I studied science not arts, so as I said I am doing my best, but I hope it would develop into something more professional…

Hey, I wouldn’t call your at “unprofessional”! It is just very distinct…

Yeah, it is a signature, but many people think it’s too cartoonish and… It depends on the taste, I guess. Some people say that it looks like it was drawn by a 10 year old boy (laughs) Show me the 10 year old who would keep all these symmetries… And what about E-Force?

Is Eric still a member of Voivod family?

Yes! Once in a while when we cross our paths

he comes on stage and does “Tribal Convictions” or something else, but you know, he now lives in Toulouse and we don’t see him that often. But of course once in a while our paths meet and both him and Jason are still a part of the family. We saw Jason at Hellfest, he jammed with us on stage, so it’s all one big family and I love it.

OK, that would be it from my side, so if you feel like adding something for our readers, please go on.

By the way, what do you think of Jason’s recent solo efforts and return to Metal?

moteusz Jędrzejczyk

I loved the EP that was available online and I saw yesterday that his album came out, so I can’t wait to hear it because I find the EP amazing and the show on Hellfest was absolutely great as well. HE has a lot of energy, Jason. I love it.

I would even call it Metal of an Adult Person, hehe. Anyways, what are the nearest future plans for Voivod?

Well, we are writing new material and we are gonna keep doing shows as long as we can I guess. This year is a 30th anniversary and we hope to celebrate the 35th anniversary eventually (laughs)

Well, you know we always had an amazing time in Poland as well and great memories from the first time we went there in the mid90’s to now, so thanks for the support you gave us and long live the Iron Gang!

Tymoteusz Jędrzejczyk

attention was drawn by two Until recently I wasn’t even aware of the band’s existence. My and the gig in Sports Club in songs on the Thrashing Damnation Thru Compilation album, CD and listen to it right after Krakow. I was blown away and I had to buy me a Psychopath as fast as they do in studio, the concert. It appeared that they play their songs live twice to the Oldschool Metal Maniac but both performances are great enough to present the band – from hard rock up to death metal. Thrash Unfortunately I have no idea how it sells there, has been the kind of music we all like and Readers. Let’s bring it on! haha. Anyway, working with Killing Force has Howdy, Rotgar! What’s up with Psychopath?

Hi! Many things have changed since you saw us at the concert. I hope we’ll start playing gigs again and finally release our first album, that’s been circulating around Internet and going to waste for quite a while now. Plus we’re preparing some new merch – t-shirts, patches and pins.

First of all I’d like to congratulate you for your terrific gig in Krakow. Was it a part of a minitour? How was it in Rzeszow anyway?

Thank you for your kind words. The gig in Krakow has been very successful, although the attendance was minor, but I’m not going to complain. We played with some great bands – Menthrass and our friends from Terrordome.

As for the concert in Rzeszow, I’m happy to fulfill your, hopes, haha. The audience was larger, as a matter of fact nobody expected it to be that big, although the guys from Excidium said there would be more people.

We were very satisfied.

Let’s talk about your recent album “Avaritia”, released a year ago by Killing Force. Looking back, how do you see your cooperation with the label? Are you satisfied with the promotion?

I must admit the record reached some really far corners of the world, such as Brazil of Japan.

been very fruitful from the very beginning. It’s a young, underground label, so we haven’t expected anything huge. We’re pleased with how it all happened.

Although ”Avaritia” has been your first officially released record, it’s not the debut one, is it?

That’s right. As I mentioned, we’re preparing to release our first material recorded back in August 2009. Unfortunately, our negligence and lack of experience in terms of releasing and promotion resulted in “Compulsive Submission” never being released in a physical form. Now we want to press it in a limited amount of 200 or 300 copies.

I’ve been wondering why you haven’t released Compulsive Submission? It’s a really solid record, was any label interested?

As I said, the lack of experience has been the cause of the record remaining unreleased. We obviously tried to send it here and there, but to no avail. There was one label interested, but the material was too short for them. Well, there’s always an excuse.

Your beginnings date back to 2008, but your music is rooted in the late 80’s. Did Sepultura, Slayer and Kreator actually influenced your music?

We hail from various musical backgrounds

Sadus, Sepultura, Kreator or Slayer have been an inspiration for years. We don’t try to play anything similar to those bands, though. We do what we like.

Studio). We are satisfied with the final result and the work of Krzysztof Godycki, the sound engineer. The session was completely stress-free and Krzysztof provided some good advices. As for the sound itself – at the time of recording we liked the sound of both records, but nowadays we would have changed some things, haha.

Your latest record includes a terrific cover version of „Burdel” by Dezerter. How did you come up with the idea? Are you interested in the 80’s punk scene? Not so long ago many bands were ashamed to admit it, yet drawn numerous riffs from this kind of music. Times have changed and people finally give credit to punk rock, forcing heavy metal to evolve and brutalize? Are you influenced by this genre as well?

Our guitarist Stopczyk came up with the idea.

We don’t listen to punk on a daily basis, but we are well aware of its influence on metal music, particularly on thrash metal. That’s why we all agreed on the idea. The song is short and simple, yet people seem to enjoy it, haha.

You mentioned you’ve been planning a new Psychopath record. Could you reveal some details? Do you have any tracks written?

What do you think about the Polish metal scene of today? Do you feel as a part of it? What do you like about it, what irritates you?

There’s arguably more bands than musicians on the contemporary metal scene in Poland. It’s good that people want to play, but some bands leave their rehearsal rooms much too early. What’s been irritating me most is the hypocrisy of some people, who tend to be far too concerned about being “true”. If you don’t wear a vest, band t-shirt, long hair etc., then you’re not worthy of being one of us, metalheads. It’s pretty amazing, since people living in a sub-culture based on rebellion and nonconformity blame others for not following some unimportant rules. Oh, but what do I know, haha.

We already have some songs ready, there are only solos and vocals to add. As for the third LP – we hope to enter the studio in summer.

What will come out of it? We’ll see. Let’s be hopeful.

Each musician has idols he’d like to meet on stage, even for a single gig.

What would be the fulfillment of Psychopath’s dreams?

Will the next album be a logical consequence of “Avaritia”, or maybe you plan any significant changes? I’m asking ‘cause the live versions of your songs seem to be much faster. I wonder if you unconsciously tend to brutalize your music?

I can’t speak on behalf of the whole band, but for me it would be Sepultura with their old line-up and Death with Chuck resurrected. So, there’s nothing to choose from the present bands, haha.

As for the faster live versions, we do it unconsciously, haha. Personally I don’t feel that we play faster until I hear the recordings.

The new songs are in fact faster and more technically complex. It’s getting harder with each record, haha. But, as I said, we don’t do anything

Thank you for the interview, the last word belongs to you.

“Avataria” has been recorded in Chinook Studion in Dębica, are you going to use it to record the next album as well?

Both “Avatiria” and “Compulsive Submission” have been recorded in Chinook (now Roslyn

Thank you for the possibility of presenting the band, it was really nice. See you on the concerts! Await news from Psychopath, more of them is yet to come!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

DREAM DEATH

Somnium Excessum CD (self released) 2013 I always approaches quite skeptical to the majority of the reactivations, but couple times I was quite excited. For instance when I heard that DARK ANGEL with Don Doty as a frontman is going to play a few gigs in 2014. The same emotions aroused the return of WINTER. But for most of such reactivations a whole bunch of bands is not able to meet the very high expectations of fans; of course, there are exceptions to this rule. I think the perfect proof is the return of DREAM DEATH which I entailed a lot of expectations with, but also some concern tore me and I wondered what the band will be able to present after 25 years of non-existence, given that it left behind destructive “Journey Into Mystery’’. I had a lot of concerns if the band is able to carry a very high bar set in 1987. Luckily, “Somnium Excessum’’ was to a large extent continuation of memorable debut, with great care referring to the classic style of the prior years. Dirty, very organic sound gives a specific mood, as if the album was recorded barely a year or two after the release of “Journey Into Mystery”.

Musically, it is also very consistent with what the band created years ago. It is a unique piece that after such long period, the band managed to keep almost unchanged style of music. It is still a heavy gloomy sounding. Well-recorded album. You can be heard lot of space here. Everything is extremely selective and does not lose the roughness from the prior years. The CD has a wonderful climate. It is mysterious, but sometimes schizophrenic. Complete insanity, madness and anxiety. While listening to it, you can feel like watching some horror movie which causes a thrill. It is an excellent material and one of the most interesting returns!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

DRILLER

All Shall Burn CD (self-release) 2013 Another representative of the thrash metal scene in our country that stands out above the average, showing that you can play with the claw ruthless thrash, while not copy blindly proven and trite ideas. DRILLER has in the ass modern thrash, raiding awesome, sounding a bit shabby, pure thrash.

Many in this youthful anger, but also the the joy of playing and madness. Honest music grabs the listener with its veracity. There is no postural to be a second METALLICA, oh no, guys have this deep

in the ass. They create their quality, their style of running out of time beyond the usual framework of generally accepted thrash metal. There is some crossover a’la DRI, but I could hear punk fascination, to the addition a handful of SLAYER and it gets explosive mixture! Boys play at this uprightly, not avoiding from climate of even rock and roll, as it has a 4th number sounding a’la Motorhead.

There is also a minimum death metal influences, which can be heard especially on ‘Rattlesnakes Terror “. A lot of this fire, inexhaustible energy so characteristic of this genre of metal. These 10 compositions comprising the “All Shall Burn” are very happily played thrash.

There are also many unique sense of humor. This part with a chain saw in “Drill & Blast” listens to it with great pleasure.

“Big (Pig) Big” is the variety played with great vividness almost Grind / Death metal number. Another dose of madness and variations of a “Madness INC (F20.0),” where we have to deal with 100% thrash metal. The same “Rush Of The Dead”. At the end DRILLER serves us cover GENE KELLY “Screaming In The Rain” in a slightly more rapid variations on the theme.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

composition, which, thanks to excellent arrangements are incredibly catchy.

It’s really organic, what enhances the sound experience. “Infesrissuman” sounds very analog and thus that was able to strike the delicate sentimental lovers of classical sounds, and at the same time, the album has a lot of elements that reminds music from a horror movie a’la “The Omen”. These choral pieces, classical organ background, delicate orchestration, whispers escalating further atmosphere of mystery. The whole is so friendly to the ear sound, yet still can feel the presence of the Lord of Hell behind it. It’s great how, in the a subtle way GHOST managed to combine the darkness with light. The whole is extremely selective. In every way perfect compositions have tremendous power of impact on the environment.

We should also pay attention to the graphic prepared in its entirety by our compatriot Zbigniew Bielak. In addition to the front cover of the booklet you will find ten excellent graphics, one for each song. That’s when it comes to the basic version of the album, which was released back in an exclusive version with two bonus and a Japanese release having three bonus tracks: “La Mantra Mori”, “I’m Marionette” and “Waiting For The Night”. This is definitely one of the most interesting albums of the year 2013. Absolutely recommended!

DEGIAL

Death’s Striking Wings CD Sepulchral Voice Rec 2012 The Swedish DEGIAL’s debut album, is a tribute to the good old school death metal, although it is not expected, that this is another ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER or GRAVE. The guys did not go the easy way, and there is no characteristic for bands of the 90s sound, but there’s a lot of thrash metal which gives rise to associations with memorable moments of MERCILESS work “The Awakening” and early demo material from MORBID ANGEL, INCUBUS or Mike’s Browning.

There is no lack of the sounds of sulfur and tar, which gives the music character and clarity. Raw unsmoothed sound is an additional advantage of “Death’s Striking Wings”, combining the brutality of technique because I’m pretty sure, gentlemen from DEGIAL can not be accused of lack of competence. They are flesh and blood completely dedicated to old-school metal maniacs! Listener should pay attention to very distinctive guitar solos, there are no weak riff, you will not find boredom, it’s really great, balanced music! I wish more of such a debuts. This is one of the most interesting materials last few years!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

GHOST B.C.

Infestissumam CD 2013 Republic Records Since April 10, 2013 there is in sale the second album of Swedish GHOST, which recently have slightly modified the name to GHOST’s BC. This time Nick Raskulinecz was in charge of production, and the whole was registered in Nashville, Tennessee Blackbird Studio.

The material was released under the flag of Republic Records, a branch of Universal Music Group - as speaking about basic information. The new face of GHOST’s B.C. even though still borders on metal , in particular MERCYFUL FATE, is not afraid to explore the more distant areas of music. It is not far from losing power, even though in this case the music has become more accessible to the listener. There are more elements of the grotesque, cabaret, hard rock, prog metal and even pop, and what’s interesting all the time in this music there is quite a lot of classic metal. This rather exaggerated idea, having certain characteristics of theatricality, quite effectively smuggles content that probably in the case of Black Metal band wouldn’t achieve such an effect. The whole album is a collection of hit songs that every housewife can sing during their work and it is amazing! GHOST managed to perfection to create an universe of sounds that clothed in the occult suit is such a powerful force of destruction! Very catchy compositions are strongly inspired by climate of 70s.

Listening to “Infesrissuman” I get the impression that the Devil havent been so close to the shops since pretty long time. This CD is impossible to dislike.

These sounds can take possession of the listener immediately. It is impossible to break free from them. Anyway, what for if it’s such a brilliant music. It captivates with simplicity. GHOST does not try to build a complex pieces, but tries to build the specific climate of the every

MANILLA ROAD

INFIDEL

Eviscerate Yourself MCD Old Temple 2012 INFIDEL is one of the bands whose music is based largely on blasts, aspires to be one of more brutal in our country.

Maybe that’s because somehow I’ve never been a follower of this band.

Personally, I prefer a significantly slower paces although I realize that a lot of black metal maniacs prefer to just this kind of kind of expression. Closer to me is more old-school black metal. Yes, it is very properly played, it sounds fucking decent but something was missing in this music. I feel constant hunger ... I do not know, maybe I’m tired of this type of playing? One thing is certain, the gentlemen of INFIDEL play uncompromising black metal, there’s no mercy!

It is blasphemous to pain and extreme playing and I’m sure it will please many of you, and although it is not very innovative, has the considerable emotional charge. There’s a lot of the hatred towards all that is holy, so perfectly does the job, being another thorn in the side of Christ.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Misterium CD 2013 Shadow Kingdom Rec Eighteenth full-length album of Americans is for many fans an epic Heavy Metal extraordinary event. After perfect “Playground Of The Damned” waiting time extended to me unmercifully. Fortunately, this time the team of Mark Shelton did not force us to wait for the new MANILLA ROAD work. Those two years from the release of the above-mentioned “Playground of The Damned” passed relatively smoothly. Meanwhile, Mark was very busy - he supervised the preparation of the vinyl reissue of a large part of Manilla RAOAD discography and he released his first solo project HELLWELL. I admit that “Beyond the Boundaries of Sin” because this is how the work is called, eased my hunger of waiting for the new MANILLA ROAD album; the more, HELLWELL music has many common elements so characteristic for the composition of the artist. Although, in the case of HELLWELL Mark decided to explore much more distant regions of musical areas. “Misterium” is a work rich in musical landscapes forming a sublime atmosphere. Stronger climate nicely interspersed with fragments of almost ballad form which is the cause of delicate whole. Complex compositions gradually build a theatrical atmosphere. Craftsmanship, well chosen riffs, catchy melodies, a lot of very complex pieces. A lot is happening in the music and it should not be surprising that this music can overcome, intrigue and enslave you, easily.

Raw and somehow archaic sound of the guitar gives the music classic old school size. Full of pathos, viscous music can cause a real euphoria. It emantes extremely positive energy. There are a lot of flavors, ornaments and the

mysterious atmosphere. Mark can create magical aura in music in a truly masterful way. By listening to these compositions, I am now convinced this songs are timeless and time should be merciful for them. This truly epic work will satisfy many devoted followers of Manilla Road. And although “Misterium” did not beat “Open the Gates” and “The Deluge”, it is by all means really outstanding album.

rousing number. By listening “Degsit” at least 10 times in a row I have to say it is quite an interesting album with something archaic inside. Something I like and what I grew up with. It is a truly remarkable old school stuff !

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

TAIPAN

PEKLA

Degsit CD Inferna Profundus Rec 2013 One of the most interesting metal bands from Lithuania PEKLA is a relatively young crew that has existed for only three years. However, it does not play newly fashionable metal. PEKLA are flesh and blood followers of classic rocking with considerable influence of NWOBHM. But sometimes there is no shortage of speed metal energy ala MOTORHEAD, CROSSFIRE or KILLER. On the other hand there can be heard influences of UFO or even BUDGIE or TSA. “Degsit” is one of those albums that could be successfully able to appear in the mid- 80s.

Classic sound of the album gives it an unique dimension. There is no room for the synthetic voice. The whole is painfully old school. Very catchy numbers, a lot of tempo changes, thrilling solos , interesting vocals in a climate of Kostrzewski’s voice. Lyrics sung in their native language gives it a truly awesome power. What is more interesting the rhythm section of the band - Justinas Jakubauskas and Tadas Jankauskis play in a progressive band STRANGER AEONS. Maybe tha is the reason why the compositions of Lithuanians are so perfectly played.

You can hear a lot of refinement of instruments. It is a very mature music having a wealth of interpenetrating with remarkable ease styles of Heavy , Speed, Thrash and also Rock N Roll. That is why the band use to refer to his music as Speed’n ‘Roll which, moreover, is ideally suited to the PEKLA music. The guys like rough ride without holding. The guitars come here to do a very specific job masterfully spinning everything together like a metal monster rushing to hell. Opening song “Nauja Jega” is a real Rock N Roll/Speed Metal madness. Great number. Another punch is very energetic “Pekla”. Also worth noticing is the chorus composition “Velnes” that strongly alludes to one of the tracks of the Czech XIII STOLETI and it is really cool. Another hits on this material are “Gyvuliu Virstu” and “Akis Isdurk”. To slightly cool the atmosphere PELKA applies slower, but powerful, Sabbath-like track. “Niekas Nealaukia” - another fairly broken track. “Dievo Vardu” - time for title number with no mercy within. Once again guitar kick ass. “Ne Tau Sventeiva” is a little bit different composition with the keys and the prog metal atmosphere. Th last on the album “Linksmybes tesiasi” is quite fast and

Snakes CD Killer Metal Rec 2011 The origins of the Australian TAIPAN reach quite far back, in 1979, and even though band from 1985 had a significant break in the activity, it had already gained a cult status. In 2007, returned for good, from time to time, reminding us of Itself with the next release, and so in 2007 they released their full-length debut, “Stonewitch” then in 2010 “Flame thrower” and a year later, the band gave fans a perfect “Snakes”. As I’m writing this review, I am aware that in the meantime TAIPAN released another album “Metal Machine”, which I’ll leave alone, focusing on the previous piece “Snakes”. Listening to this material, to be honest, it is very difficult to classify it in a particular category of metal, because the music has many different faces. “Snakes” is extremely rich in style album closest to Heavy Metal, though heavily inspired kicking ass rock’n’roll. The band is not afraid to explore different regions of musical influences, creating a very interesting in the form music. It is a huge load of positive energy. You hear that, guys are playing great music, The arrangements here are doing fucking awesome job. An additional advantage of this album is that its very old school organic form, like the material was registered in the 80s, and not two years ago. In this case, it is masterfully played. I wonder why so perfect formations can not emerge to the surface. TAIPAN deserves major label interest, which could help in the proper promotion of their music. “Snakes” has a really damn strong impact, that it is a real honey for geeks good old school metal. Uphold the band really deserves it!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

The debut album of Americans went somewhat unnoticed, which is a pity, because the contents of the “Unfinished Business” is a really good sounding classic Heavy Metal. Many times I wonder about the decisive factor influencing the popularity of the formation. Certainly promotion is of significant influence, the same activity of the concerts, but of course the most important part of the puzzle is music. However, is it really critical? Some bands, despite its potential cannot be put out into the wider water. Maybe quite a competition isn’t irrelevant, although theoretically a good band should be no doubt fished out from the whole mass the average. However, the bands are not always so lucky. CYANIDE SCREAM is on its way to finally achieve musical success. They need just a little more determination and perseverance at work. I think that success is within reach and it is only a matter of time when CYANIDE SCREAM notice more meaningful label to help the team rise to a higher level. Remains for me to wish CYANIDE SCREAM perseverance in what they do, and happiness will follow the same paths.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki Alchemyst

Nekromanteion CD Iron Bonhead 2012 Sixth in row release of the German Alchemyst entitled “Necromanteion” is the first full-length album in their discography. The beginnings of the ALCHEMIST go back to just 2009, so six publications in your account fairly well illustrates the increased activity of a band that is not afraid to experiment, providing listener a good dose of madness and disease that bursts with surprising efficiency in mind. This is accompanied by a feeling of grip of death, who no longer wants to free the victim from his grasp. Black Metal rawness mixed up with cadaverous death metal paralyzes with its form, yet it is so disturbing, fucked up and sinister that manifests itself like a last gasp of agony. Slow, almost squashing to the floor parts, mixing up with intensity. There is a lot of disharmony, some schizophrenic atmosphere of madness bordering with the genius.

“Necromanteion” is a very interesting and quite mysterious material having certain theatrical marks, kind of it was a ghastly spectacle unfolding at the crossroads of worlds. Fucking possession! These sounds can easily infect your mind, bringing your existence to the true insanity, infinite madness.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki ANGEL BUTCHER

CYANIDE SCREAM

Unfinished Business CD Killer Metal Rec 2010

numbers from Demo 2010 you will find there 11 ANGEL BUTCHER compositions recorded between 1987 and 2006. There is a lot of great stuff reflecting the development of the team over the 25 years of activity.

Music is largely in more or less Crossover / Thrash or even sometimes HC / PUNK style. You will find here a lot of grabbing and energy-played compositions having considerable powerful charge. It gives an awesome kick, what should not surprise anyone when behind the drums sits Joker Manu (ex SARCOFAGO). What is more, despite playing the drums, Mike deal here quite fine with vocals. I listen to the old composition of this team with particular emotion.

There is a lot of climate so characteristic for the local scene of the 80’s.

It is a distinctive sound of Brazilian bands playing at the time, I can feel a tear in my eye. The whole CD is embellished with 8-page booklet with a lot of unique band photos. If you like Brazilian scene, you should necessarily reach for this release.

ANGEL BUTCHER co-wrote the story of the underground scene which has a powerful influence on the mass of bands around the world, to this day.

25 Years Bleeding Ears CD Metal Soldiers Rec 2012 After 25 years, another pearl of the Brazilian scene lived to see its debut album. Next to the five premiere

MEDICO PESTE

Tremendum Et Fascinatio CD Malignant Voices 2012 In the case of this group I knew what to expect. I have seen MEDICO PESTE live couple times and whereever they were they left ruins behind and hardly any band performing next was able to carry the weight of MEDICO PESTE. Their demo made a huge confusion in undeground. This should not surprise anyone MEDICO PETE has been betrayed flashes of genius for a long time. Expectations of “Tremendum et fascinatio” were extremely high and I can honestly say that the group faced the challenge 100%. Richness of sounds shocks from the beginning. The whole album is multi-dimensional.

There are a lot of different moods, some madness in which MEDICO PEST put very gloomy climate gradually allows each composition to take appropriate dark atmosphere.

The vast majority of the compositions that make up the content of this brilliant work are in the middle rates trance numbers; of course, there is also a place for storms and

blasts, but there’s definitely not a lot of them. Everything is in the right proportions. There are no unnecessary sounds. Everything is very mature. Rich in sounds compositions carry a lot of potential. It is difficult to get away fom these songs having hypnotic power. The album is, at the same time, very complex in shape. A lot is going on here. You can hear not only precision, but also finesse, mixing madness of genius and disease.

It is difficult to get bored with this album that with each successive hearing reveals hidden elements intricately woven inside. “Tremendum et fascinatio” is a very mature material.

It is scary to think what the group will prepare on the next material, when the debut is awfully good.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

SATHANAS

La Hora De Lucifer CD Pagan Records 2012 Actually the premiere was long time ago, but I think this CD deserves a few words. This is 8th full-length album and simultaneously 22th release from this great black/death underground band from America, which for 25 years with real proud and commitment were wielding the Infernal banner, hailing Lucifer and kicking asses with powerful music.

This is old and true metal school.

Eight compositions have huge force and emotions. Despite medium tempos, album brings venom and Infernal Strength. It sounds really great!

Material is very “spacious” and has incredibly nice and powerful riffs.

“La Hora de Lucifer” is one of these albums, in which happens so many, that doesn’t get you bored. Additional asset is the perfect mix of black and death metal, which I totally recommend!

heavy metal band. Level presented

by NIGHT MISTERESS not even for a moment lags behind the world leaders. Great classical music, very heavy racial riffs, catchy tracks with a large degree of climate, phenomenal vocals of Chris who moves freely in a wide range of scales - there are a lot of similarities to the Ripper Owens, Ralph Sheepersa, Mat Barlow or even Geoff Tate (ex Queensryche). What do we need more when NIGHT MISTERESS has a great potential. That is why it should not be surprising that a number of record publishers became interested in the band resulting in appearence of the album in three countries, including the United States. Of course, there were also opinions that the team is not very original, because their music echoes some of the bands I have mentioned and so what if it is excellent and very honest music.

Anyone who even for a moment played in a band knows that it is impossible to avoid some similarities to the bands we listen to. They naturally seep into our music. However, NIGHT MISTERESS does not copy the riffs from their favourites.

It is just inspired by the music when creating its compositions. I do not see anything wrong with this, the more that is done perfectly, and at the same time you can feel the joy of playing and this unforced spontaneity and youthful enthusiasm that so often fades withn so many bands after the years. These nine compositions from “The Back of Beyond” are one of the most interesting CDs of the genre that lately fell into my hands. I am a little ashamed that for a long time I was not aware of the existence of such an outstanding band and if not for my Japanese friend’s recommendation, I will still not know that there is so fucking awesome band in my country.

Thanks Takuro.

from the first notes I knew I had to do with the phenomenal team that goes to the sitter ad is not like a large part of groups that want to sound like Behemoth, Marduk putting on a specific sound or breakneck speed in music. In the PLAGA work there is a lot of the scourge climate and a trans ews easily that the sounds can overwhelm the listener. Rough sound and also a lot of melodic compositions or even some kind of quickness makes this material on the background of other bands that are not able to create a good construction which do not always have to be complicated to be interesting. On the contrary, the works with less complicated pieces are those which sound better. You can see in the force of simplicity. In the case of PLAGA, music the most important factor is the melancholic mood that gives it a certain drama. Somewhere in the background there can be heard echoes of Bathory ‘s epic period, thare is some venom inside, interestingly arranged, at a considerable advantage, vocals sung in our native language. Plaga music is a dark art; however, there is no shortage of variety in the music.You can hear some allusions to classical Heavy Meatlu; especially, in the parts of the guitar solos or the riffs. There is a lot of perceptible atmosphere of pathos, (voices of past eras can be heard) Rough raw sound combined with the heavy metal solos made an overwhelming impression. Next to MGŁA , KSM and MEDICO PESTE, PLAGA is one of the most promising bands of our black metal scene . If you have not had the opportunity to hear the work of this group, necessarily reach for the “Magia Gwiezdnej Entropii”. This album really deserves your attention!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

It should also pay attention to the well-played cover of SWEET “Fox On The Run”. Of course this is not the only number on the album worthy of attention, though It was him who pulled me all the more. The track after it the “Genhis Khan” is vague. Okay, but let’s start from the beginning. “Foxy & Free” is definitely a great number to start the album. That’s what we like most Ace, racially sounding has the true power of lightning. There are a lot of references to the old FREHLEY’S COMET. I wish the whole album was maintained in such a climate. “Outer Space” is also a classic-sounding number. He has a sizeable kick.

“Pain In The Neck” is the number of varieties that kiss. Listen to this good. After already discussed before, “Fox On The Run” and “Genhis Khan” followed by “Too Many Faces”. Unfortunately, this number did not engaged me somehow. Apparently you can hear that it’s the same artist, but seemed to lost some power. The “Change The World” is a little better, but the first part of the album is like getting on. “Space Bear”, well, this time is much better. More in this power, weight, racially is again sounding rock’n’roll, instrumental for a change number.

“A Little Below The Angels” is a little ballad piece with a lot of acoustics. Very positively vibrating with the echoing vocals of Ace and his daughter. “Sister” is another killer on the album. Powerful, heavy metal song. At the end of the traditionally serves up another piece, the instrumental “Fractured Quantum” - a very nice number at the end. To sum up, the disc is good, though, as we consider that waited for it for more than two decades, it’s a little too little. It should be destructive, and is not. Yes, there are some phenomenal flashes of genius, but the CD is not equal. Anyway, I’m not going to slander the good name of the artist, because it is not proper, the more that aswell KISS had good and bad moments in its career.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki ACE FREHLEY

PLAGA

NIGHT MISTRESS

The Back Of Beyond CD 2013 Imagine my pleasant surprise when I first heard this album. I became simply speechless. In all respects, the material is perfect. Great sound recording, excellent compositions and, what is impotant, perfect execution. I was puffed up with pride, because it’s a team of our lands.

NIGHT MISTRESS can easily go head to head with ICED EARTH, HALFORD, PRIMAL FEAR or any other

Magia Gwiezdnej Entropii CD Societas Oculorum Arcanorum 2013 So many people these days complain about the condition of our native metal scene that nothing good ever happens, that tha bands are not able to create anything original.

Perhaps, there’s some reason for that and I think it is definitely biased opinion. All those malcontents who preach such views and do not heard about the existence about the group like PLAGA carefully inspect at what is happening recently on our stage. PLAGA is a jewel of our underground, it is definitely one of the most interesting black metal creations of the past several years.

Their debut ‘’Magia Gwiezdnej Entropii” is a kind of glove imposed in the face of those who say that there are no bands in our country capable to create something above average .While listening to this material,

Anomaly CD Bronx Born Rec 2009 At first, when I caught this record, I had quite mixed feelings, therefore after several hearings I put it aside.

Just after the release of KISS “Monster” I returned to the album. Once that I could not resist the urge to compare these two discs. The fact that the “Anomaly” came out at the same time as the “Sonic Boom”, which is slightly weaker than the “Monster”, I just did not bothered me to confront it with a new album Ace Frehley and, interestingly, this album does did not come out compared to KISS worse , but the successor of “TroubleWolkin” we have waited for 24 years. This fact was not very nice touch, but fortunately the contents of “Anomaly” in a fairly efficient way to rewards the painfully long awaiting for the new album signed with the logo of Ace Frehley. For all of the material consists of twelve compositions in very typical of the artist’s sauce.

MEDICO PESTE

Graviora Manent MCD Maligant Voices 2013 MEDICO PESTE’S first demo has been re-released on CD after two years have passed since the original release. The EP has been originally released on tape in a limited edition, but since the Cracow crew are becoming more and more popular and more and more people want to listen to them (all thanks to excellent live shows), the craving of possessing “Gravoria Manent” grows ever larger. Thanks to Radek of Malignant Voices those who missed the tape’s release can now soak up the darkness of the EP. On it we can find 4 extremely raw-sounding, rotten (in a good way!) songs. A bit more than 22 minutes of sick insanity. Brutality mixed with complete gloom

– pure TERROR. The first dance of death is called “A prophecy carved the face of god”. The song starts off pretty brutally, a corpse-like storm wreaking complete destruction.

Right after this apocalyptic opening the pace changes to a definitely slower one. An undefined madness accompanies the sounds, totally histerical vocals inject the listener with FEAR that turns into a procession of tormented souls – Rage and pain!

Another dance macabre is called “The Climax of Christ”. This time we have to do with a marching tempo that occasionally gives in to the FURY. The dirty sound grants the song a hellish power. The piece itself, even though quite simple, has a lot of tempo changes. The vocals do a great job yet again – from Attilan rumble to insane screams. Another song that deflowers our minds is the title one – “Gravoria Manent.”

It grows more ominous with every passing second, an uncontrolable frenzy with female vocals seemingly from beyond the grave makes a shiver travel down your spine. The last one in the procession of dead beings is “The Procession of Perdition”. It shows no mercy. The intensity mixing with sickness, very clear section grants the songs extraordinary power. Once again, the vocals just wreak destruction and everything is filled with darkness, full of EVIL! It’s one of those records that bear a huge emotional charge that makes it difficult to remain indifferent to this music. It’s a real feast for the black souls!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

NORTH

Czekając Na Sztorm CD Old Temple Rec. 2012 It’s amazing how NORTH’s music gained more power with each new album. Very massive and juicy-sounding music, containing more and more death metal elements. I think that it has much to deal with a powerful guitar sound.

Despite those elements NORTH has not changed style. Black metal influences can be heard here all the time. NORTH consistently for 20 years moves around in pagan themes. “Czekając Na Sztorm” is a nine hymns to the glory of Slavic gods, performed at a very high level. Great production makes this album stand out amongst many other albums in similar style, but others sound just like a shadow of what’s NORTH offering their listeners. An additional advantage of this album are our native lyrics, which gives it even a greater clarity.

the world by creating another death metal face called APOCALYPSE COMMAND. What’s interesting this time Gene decided to record all parts by himself, except for drums.

On the drums assists him C. Sinclair, who plays daily in DIOCLETIAN / WITCHRIST. Content of “Damnation Scythes of Invincible Abomination” can perfectly defend itself. It’s very brutal and uncompromised death metal. Eight frantically fast compositions held in oldschool way, only confirms that Gene is truly an outstanding creator of extreme death metal! (smile)

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

BLACK TORMENT

TERRORAMA

Genocide CD To The Death Productions 2012 Two years after “Omnipotence” has been released, we’ve finally got new TERRORAMA album. I must admit that my expectations about their new release were high, especially since their previous one had very high ratings in OMMM. Additionally, my apetite was raised by demo-cassette “Crimes Against Humanity” from 2011. Although “Genocide” is honestly a perfect material, it seems it has lost a thrash feeling. But not completely of course. Echoes of SARCOFAGO can be heard, but it’s most of all black metal sound which dominated their music. Brutal and aggressive riffs tear through that powerful sound like a raging storm.

Those hateful music can really fuck your brains out. You can literally feel a death’s breath on your back, but at the same time it sounds very decent technically. There is a lot going on there and though it’s now different music than on “Omnipotence”, it is still the same TERRORAMA which still rolls on a high level and you can’t say a bad word about their stuff.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

BLASPHEMIC CRUELTY

Devil’s Mayhem CD Osmose Productions 2008 Another Gene Paulubicki’s band and another shot between the eyes – total destruction!!! What this dude eats, that his hands produce such damn good riffs? Oldschool death metal sweeps equally, dizzying speed and brilliant solos. Brutality mixed with technique, and vocals like a powerful infernal beast calling out his hordes of fallen angels to set off to conquer the gates of heaven.

Lots of MORBID ANGEL in here adds an extra kick. Gina Ambrosio will never be Pete Sondoval, but this solitary fact, that a woman can play such uncompromised death metal is really worth praising. “Devil’s Mayhem” is seven mind-blowing death metal hymns to the glory of Hell!

This is how death metal should be played – 666 !!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki APOCALYPSE COMMAND

Damnation Scythes of Invincible Abomination CD Invictus Rec. 2011 You see, after the termination of ANGEL CORPSE, a creative frenzy has swept Gene Paulubicki for good.

He decided once again to challenge

Bloody Signs of Devastation CD Old Cemetery Records 2011 Another devastating band from Mexico! I have no idea what those dudes eat but their stuff has such a Devil inside, whoa!(smile) Apparently the Prince of Darkness likes this region of the world because BLACK TORMENT by no means isn’t shy of Infernal atmosphere. And to make it even nicer, I’ll tell you that those gentlemen also play in well known and liked by many ROTTEN. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised about some similarities of atmosphere, though this time BLACK TORMENT has emphasized on black metal with classical influences, giving those compositions quite a huge kick. You can hear here influences of SARCOFAGO, VOMITOR, SODOM or even MOTORHEAD, which is good! Upbeat and very catchy guitar riffs interspersed with occasional storm of infernal aggression, perfectly complement each other. In two words: Death and Destruction! It’s also worth to pay attention to perfectly played cover of SODOM “Sodomy and Lust”. This material literally boils with infernal atmosphere. There’s so much Hellish energy and power it’s shocking! Really mind-blowing album.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki DEVIL ON EARTH

Hunting Shooting Slashing And Thrashing CD Kill Again Rec 2007 When I received a package with CDs from my friend in Brasil, one of them was DEVIL ON EARTH. I’ve heard of this Sao Paulo band, but never before got a chance to check them out.

Unfortunately “Kill Again” has bad distribution in Europe. Eventually I can catch up with the CD and savour this awesome sound. That oldschool speed/thrash is just kicking asses!

I’ve always been a huge fan of their local metal scene, but the phenomenon of brasilian hords will never stop to amaze me. Metal is their religion, the way of life. They are no “Sunday warriors”, they are the real metal worshipers. DEVIL ON EARTHs music is honest, sincere and painfully true. That’s why Hunting Shooting and Thrashing will blow your fucking mind for 666%! DEVIL ON EARTH knows how to express their power, so their music is very dynamic. Besides, the Teutonian scene influence like DESTRUCTION, KREATOR or EXUMER is making the killing mash-up.

On standard CD version we can find the cover of a great band POSSESED

BY FIRE. DEVIL ON EARTH in perfect way fused brasilian and german stylistics, which gave really good effect.

Beyond 9 pieces there are also bonus tracks from their demo “Cold Reality” in a little bit different version. If you don’t know DEVIL ON EARTH then you definitely should reach for this album. I guarantee that “Hunting Shooting Slashing And Thrashing” will do to your brains the real Infernal Overkill!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ANTICHRIST HOOLIGANS

We Wil Piss on Your Grave CD Hammer of Damnation 2013 That material really kindle my curiosity because our editorial friend, Crystiano, is a drummer in this band and a little while ago sent me one of their songs. I admit, it sounded very good. Luckily I haven’t been waiting long when I got ANTICHRIST HOOLIGANS – “We Will Piss On Your Grave” in my hands. I must say with every single next listen I was just getting more and more exciting!

Fucking awesome rock’n roll hell mixed with punk and speed metal gave incredibly fantastic effect! It blows my mind with atomic power – REVELATION! Do not expect nice and pretty-pretty music, there is no place for plastic and super-prodection. It’s punch of steel glove with spikes directly between “Sunday worriors” eyes. This stuff has power of diabolical machine, which massacre everything on its way! Rough and painfully organic sound is really doing the job. Plus, great Shimer’ish

vocals a’la DESTRUCTION – “Sentence of Death”. It’s not the music for posers – it’s fucking cruisade against shitty and trendy metal wave. ANTICHRIST HOOLIGANS existing only 3 years, but they’ve got really strong roots. Those gentlemen were members of bands like NECROBUTCHER, WIRELESS HELOT, POWERSTEEL, OSCULUM OBSCENUM, CAIBALION, SODOMNED or MORBUS INFERNO. We Will Piss on Your Grave is a debut album from ANTICHRIST HOOLIGANS. However it is not their first material. They published 2 demos before – “ Satanic Rehearsal” 2010 and “Satanic Nuclear Discorder” 2012 and between them DVD “Live at Necrolust Fest” which includes 6 live tracks. I think it’s worth to look around and complete whole discography. Contact with them – e-mail: cristianosteps@gmail.com

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

PSYCHOPATH

Avaritia CD Killing Force rec 2011 There is no negotiation that band PSYCHOPATH from Warsaw are fascinated with SEPULTURA or SLAYER and it definitely affects their music.

Don’t take it as an offence, because guys are playing fucking awesome thrash from early 90’s! Great Kacpers vocal is totally reminding me of Max Cavalera, which only heightens delusion of similarity to brasilian horde, especially from “Shizophrenia” and “Beneath of Remains”. Luckily PSYCHOPATHs music is overtop of the inspiration and doesn’t sound exactly like above-named bands. After insightful listen of “Avaritia” I admit that PSYCHOPATH alongside with TERRORDOME, FORTRESS, TRAKTOR or DRILLER, is one of the most interesting young bands on polish scene. Lively compositions, interrupted with medium tempo from time to time, solid performance, meaty sound and what’s most important – fucking incredible music makes it listen breathlessly! Avaritia is a debut, but it’s their second album. PSYCHOPATH was formed in 2008 and a little after they record their first CD called “Compulsive Submission”, which, unfortunately is laying on the bottom of the drawer till today. It’s a shame, because this material has big potencial. After I got to know with “Compulsive Submission” I must say that it deserves to be published. By now you can savour “Avaritia” which presents really high level. It is worth to mentioned about bonus track – cover of the phenomenal polish group DEZERTER – “Burdel”. Those who are not in possession of “Avaritia” should be interested in limited edition, which includes CD and a t-shirt. Don’t miss it! Visit their profile on facebook.pl/Psychopathmetal

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

EMBRIONAL

Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviors CD Old Temple Rec. 2012 Over the last few years of their activity, EMBRIONAL has numerously been coming into play, time after time puking out of the depths their next release. Three years after band’s formation in 2006 came out their first demo “Cusp of Evil”. One year later a Plague spat deathly miasma in the form of another demo “Annihilation”. Two years after this, the band made another rape on holiness and released an album on which you can find lots of compositions made originally by the bands that were inspirational to EMBRIONAL. This kind of blasphemous tribute to those bands was innocently named “The Spectrum of Metal Madness” and consists of songs from the repertoire of such unholy hordes as BLASPHEMY, MAYHEM, SARCOFAGO, OBITUARY or ASSASSIN. Beside them there are a few original tracks by EMBRIONAL, for instance: “Homicide”, “The Abyss of Human Souls”, “Lovecraft” or “Black Pyramide”. The year of 2012 has spat out straight from the depths of Hell their debut full-length album “Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviors”, which included eleven original compositions maintained in a death metal style. The whole is very well played, showing a huge progress. After 10 years of their activity, a level presented by EMBRIONAL is really high. An additional advantage of this band are their live acts. The tracks played live kick the skull even more relentlessly and that’s a plus. So it should not surprise anyone that EMBRIONAL’s music has more and more truly devoted followers.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

PERDITION TEMPLE

Edict of the Antichrist Eleet CD Osmose Productions 2010 Honestly, I would really like to hear present recordings by MORBID ANGEL to allude so perfectly to their first fruits, like it is made by PERDITION TEMPLE - the duo heavily inspired by the early achievements of Trey Azagthot’s crew. Well, we all know that MORBID ANGEL has drifted too far from its roots, forgetting about extreme fans and their hunger. Many of us are starving for the oldschool formula, so well proven in the case of early stuff by mentioned above

masters. Luckily there are bands who aren’t afraid of being accused by someone of imitating or copying. PERDITION TEMPLE took the challenge of continuing the legacy of good old MORBID ANGEL, so that many of you, hungry for such infernal sounds, could find in those songs a true solace for your dark souls. It is also worth mentioning that this is Gene Paulubicki’s project, well known for his death metal hordes such as ANGEL CORPSE or BLASPHEMIC CRUELTY. I think it’s this fact alone should be a sufficient recommendation for you to reach for this extremely interesting oldschool piece.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

RAGEHAMMER

War Hawks ProCD-R Mythrone Production 2012 The debut demo of the Cracovean Beast known as RAGEHAMMER, even though rather short (consisting of only 5 nails to every infidel’s coffin), breaks the bones and smashes skulls in a way that there is not option for any poser to remain alive. I gotta tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that this BLack/Thrash blast reeks of tar and sulphur, as any self-respecting Infernal Spawn would. A delight to my black hear (what heart? I meant black rock within). This mini opus was released in a very interesting form of miniature vinyl replica and I think that it is a good suggestion to release this material somewhere in the future on a real piece of black wax as after all “War Hawks” fits for this medium perfectly, not because of the lenghth, but the oldschool, Devilish core of the music which right now blasts through my head. This mixture between catchy and melodic hooks and dungeoun-like, dirty sound just tears it up. The opener “Ragehammer Rising” serves as a hammer smashing the back of your head. It is hard to get yourself together after that, especially when the eyes are couple meters away, hammered into the wall and the remains of your head squirts blood like hell itself, leaving nasty red stain on the ceiling. The hispeed Infernal machine decapitates everything on its way, leaving nothing but corpses convulsing to the RAGEHAMMER rythm. No mercy here, RAGEHAMMER sows doom! Next up is the “Prophet of Genocide”with Danzig-like initial part, slowly getting more intense, culminating in marching, pulsating mess, brining to mind Satyricon. The vocal parts are lower here (and this is what I like the most).

A total bonecrusher rolls like Infernal beast, ready to quench its thirst for blood and cadaveric remains left after the Reaper’s dance. The only thing that does not realy work for me in this one would be the latin sentences which don’t really fit this otherwise great track.But it is only a short moment, followed by equally morbid and haunting part only to swiftly move to the chainsaw-like intensity in the finale. The third nail into the cof-

fin is “Hate Command” and this one shows no mercy. The infidels should already cut off their fucking heads, as the Reaper is in no mood for delicacy of decapitation. The possessed ripper’s procession cuts its way manically through the legions of Jesus followers, ending their lives as piles of useless meath. ARGH! Yet another killer on the loose is my personal favourite: “The Wolfpack”. Ah, this kind of slaughter I like best! Add up completely morbid guitar parts and it results in hits that are too hard to endure standing. This track offers nothing but sheer Infernal force. I don’t know what Heretik Hellstorm eats for dinner, but he pukes ot pure raw EVIL! And this time the latin sentences fits here perfectly giving the wole thing a unique epic taste, although nothing in common with any knight anthem, “Ave Maria” especially. The final cadaveric vapor here is “Gospel of the Scum”, a track capable of inhuman annihilation. Now that would be decimation! Corpses fall like leaves and the Reaper dances morbidly with the rythm of Hellish Rock’n’Roll. Even though “War Hawks” consists of only 5 tracks you have my personal warranty that this one would smash your brains out. The weak-hearted should rather write down their testaments or at least purchase coffins for themselves and the remaining family, better yet set up the date of corpse cremation at their local morgue.This time Hell awaits no longer!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

DETHRONED CHRIST

Roots Of Ancient Cult CD Hammer Of Damnation 2010 And this time we have to deal with the Brazilian Devils, who almost after 16 years of hell travels, they decided to infect the world with debut album.

This is a truly black art, kvlt and gloom strongly referring to the oldschool classic DARKTHRONE, SODOM, DESTRUCTION, BATHORY, VENOM and POSSESSED. Is it possible to imagine a more destructive patterns? It truly obsessed music. Listening to these numbers, one has the shivers on his back.

Feels the omnipresence of the Lord of Hell, who marked the DETHRONED CHRIST his infernal stigma. The music emanating from the black as his blood souls. There’s so much power, fucking carnage, overwhelming brutality. Raw sound of compositions that adds even greater power of expression. Rough, sanded tone, enhances the venom in this music. Opening a whole, “The Return” no coincidence is associated with the early achievements of BATHORY. “Lycenthtopy” is by contrast more black / thrash metal a’la number DESTRUCTION and POSSESSED. This number breaks head. “Death Squadrons” This is another blow to hell punch. Brutal very intense number.

Extremely diverse climatic record in a brilliant way can destroy your momentum for almost rock’n’roll climate. You can hear it perfectly on “Dethroned

Christ.” The song very reminiscent BULLDOZER number, yet it is well recorded. “Prophecy Of Neferti” is a more atmospheric piece of oriental introduction and the filthy nature of the early achievements of DARKTHRONE a total fucking insane vocals do a damn thing mind. “The Art of War” is a very lively composition with considerable emphasis on thrash metal guitar riffs, combined with black metal character of the whole, blows to pieces. It is in this music so much darkness! This is one of the most interesting bands that recently fell into my paws. “Life After Death” is by contrast quite typical black metal number maintained at an average rate. The vocals come here to do a ghostly feeling, like Hatewolf actually been possessed by the all-powerful Evil. The song even so dark is not devoid of melody and madness which at the end destroys all life. “Bael” - and here darkness envelops the whole.

Quickly played composition dealing blows with efficiency of hangman from hell. Interesting sudden dismissal in order to accelerate again, create a fucking sinister atmosphere. Closing whole “Pour Worst Nightmare” is a medium tempo flowing composition, reminiscent of some BATHORY. Excellent number at the end of the disc, very aptly emphasizes old-school nature of the album. If you do not know DETHRONED CHRIST, reach for this devil material, and your soul shall be shrouded in true darkness.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

THE GARCIA

Horizonte CD Sun Stone Ten to fifteen years ago I’d have willingly laid down my soul to the gods stoner rock. Years have passed and although my interest in the genre has been constantly narrowing to the leaders not followers, I am still capable of enjoying some solid bands from the second and third row. Japanese The Garcia might not be the best stoner band around, and yes, we’ve heard it all before, yet they managed to catch the unspoken vibe, that made the listening of their debut EP a pleasant experience. “Horizonte” consists of six songs clocking at about 23 minutes (no overlong improvisations here) of pure, blues-infused desert rock, with huge, groovy riffs and decent vocal performance, which is essential for this kind of music. The Garcia’s sound is obviously generic (not mediocre) and I’m pretty sure the highway picture on the front cover depicts the musicians’ fantasies rather than their natural surroundings, but who gives a fuck if the songs rock and make you bang your head while playing airdrums? There’s not much more to say – if you’re a sucker for a solid, heavy, riff-oriented doom/stoner from exotic parts of the world, you should be buying the CD by now. The rest can stick to the classic records and look forward to seeing The Garcia at the nearest club, as the band seems like

a monstrous live performer.

band has finished working on their

the heck, let “Lost Control” spin again

album entitled “The Lost Con- in my CD player (smile).

Bartosz Cieślak second trol”, which will be the topic of my Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki ramblings. “Lost Control” consists of 9

FURIA

W Melancholii MCD Pagan Records 2013 I have never could understand the fascination of the work of this band which, although carrying a degree of originality and genius, in some way was a shadow of what MGŁA was doing. MGŁA had been always couple steps ahead FURIA.It was hard for me to understand where this excitement about this band from Katowirce was coming from. In the case of “W Melancholii” I had quite different feelings.

This stuff stands pretty much in the tradition of the 60’s . You can hear echoes of The Doors with funeral doom metal sound which absorbed me. There is something acidic, darkness miscible with trans, lyrical and quite dark atmosphere. Everything is extremely powerful, cleverly fitted elements of harmony are creating a pretty cool climate here. And although it is a very short material, it quite effectively caught my attention. There are a lot of hypnotic sounds, mysterious hint of something very lyrical. There is also something disturbing. This material has nothing to do with black metal. It is almost an instrumental EP is, where only the last few seconds, there appear a chants that immerse the listener in a hypnotic sleepiness which is brutally severed suddenly by a track which gradually took on clarity. It is a pity that Nihil did not allow the composition to develop more, because the track carries a lot of potential. The cover artwork below citicism. It is neither nice or original. Scribbled hastily with a pen. And where is the originality of the avant-garde? The only thing cool in this booklet are the photos of landscapes. It is unfortunate that Nihil did not attempt to record full album in this climate, because these tracks have really large force.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

THE NO-MADS

Lost Control PROMO CD 2013 It’s been 3 years since “The Age Of Demise” has been released, but those were 3 busy years for THE NO-MADS. They’ve been playing a lot of big and small gigs, including this year’s edition of Metal Fest, where they’ve done a phenomenal job. In the year 2012 the

massive songs, including 2 tracks that were available earlier on thrash metal compilation “Thrashing Damnation 2.”

The record is extremely dynamic and very energetic, there’s lots of spirited riffs and demolishing solos along with insane tempos in the spirit of teutonic thrash metal of the late eighties. You can hear the echoes of DESTRUCTION, SODOM, HOLY MOSES, but by no means is this record a mere copy of the aforementioned bands. THE NO-MADS obviously allude stylistically to the creations of these bands, but nonetheless they have their own identity. They present refined music, intelligent musical arrangements and in addition to that the record is very well-made, which adds to the pleasant experience of listening to it. It is a vivid, colorful music, heavily alluding to classic traditions of the genre. Quite a lot of changes of the tempo, ambience and emotions. The record is brutally honest and the important thing is that THE NO-MADS managed to avoid the fake, synthetic sound. Everything sounds organic and that makes the compositions radiant with the old school ambience that I hold so dear.

“Lost Control” is an extremely powerful but mature material. Sylwia’s vocals make quite an awesome impression, making the record more grasping as a whole. There are no weak songs on the CD. The opening piece, “Final Destination,” is like a haymaker to the jaw that makes it hard to pull yourself together once you’ve heard it. The same thing occurs when it comes to the extremely dynamic “Politix (World Of Shit)” with a mad solo - astounding Another hit is entitled “Lost Control” and it shows no mercy! Another blizzard of brutal and extremely energetic thrash metal, interesting drum tracks and the guitar solo will wipe you off your feet. “C.A. River Plate” is another display of deadly force with interesting riffs. Additionally Sylwia’s raging vocals split your skull with the force of a chainsaw. Another relish of this song is a fragment that is sung in Spanish!

Great, slightly confusing guitar tracks are alluding to classic VOIVOD songs.

The machine rides with such force that no one is able to stop it. “Possessed By Beer” is another massive attack. The language of this song is German and this time Sylwia is backed up by Fritz of NUCLEAR WARFARE. Another kick in the head is a cover song - HOLY MOSES’ “Reborn Dogs” – That’s some hot stuff! “The Impact” is a slower composition for a change, but still there’s plenty of energy in it, even though it consists of some technical riffs intensified by yet another interesting solo.

“Red Blood Bay” – irregular and at the same time a very aggressive piece that plows right through your ears.

Sylwia hits you like a hellish whip, sick guitar riffs and break-beats on the drums make a tight and massive hit that makes your knees wobbly. In addition to that Przemek’s guitar shredding punches you in the gut so hard that it’s hard to get up! The last song, “Oort Cloud,” has a very grim beginning. Slow, massive riffs roll like a hellish machine. Their devastating power increases gradually. Great guitar solo passages, interesting break-beats – A wonderful instrumental piece with a lyrical, almost Maidenish fade at the end. These 36-and-something minutes of music that THE NO-MADS present will leave you wanting more, but there is a 100% guarantee that they will also make you have a lot of fun! So what

SERPENTIA

The Day In the Year of Candles CD Recession Rec 2011 Listening to this record enchanted me with the rich and intertwining ambience of not only nostalgia and sadness, but also anger. Extraordinary and complex compositions combining a huge variety of styles which result in extraordinarily interesting music.

In conjunction with the lyrics that create the concept album they give the record incredible clarity and strength.

Ten incredibly complex compositions take the listener on a journey through the land of musical expression. They masterfully squander the ambience reinforced additionally with lyrical guitar solo tracks that fulfill the role of a narrator, perfectly harmonizing with the massive-sounding compositions. There are lots of death metal elements, but SERPENTIA mixed other metal styles perfectly into a stylistically rich whole, which makes listening to their music very pleasant. It’s really a piece of valuable metal. With every listen we uncover some elements that were hidden up to this point. It is also worth noting that the musical arrangements emit great POWER. It’s clear that the band doesn’t fear experimentation, moving freely between many seemingly different music styles.

The music is extremely technologically advanced with a spark of genius, that special something that makes you want to come back to the recordings one more time. It’s an album that you won’t get bored of. It’s yet another representative of Cracow’s scene that managed to create something very unique. If you don’t know “The Day In the Year of Candles” yet, you should give it a listen and it will seize you for good.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

TRAKTOR

Fast And Loud CD 2013 Finally there is some commotion on our local scene – it seems to be waking up from a long sleep, which is very pleasing, especially that thrash metal in this region of Poland hasn’t been treated too seriously for quite a few years. Of course there were many metal bands here but not too many

of them played thrash. There were, for example, HELLIAS and GLADIATOR but those bands weren’t active enough to attract the crowd’s attention for too long. Anyway, thrash metal has never been very popular in Cracow. There were many heavy metal bands here, e.g. Voo Doo and Vendetta; death metal bands such as SYMBOLIC IMMORTALITY and DEATH SEA; black metal groups, e.g. HOLY DEATH, DEADLY FROST, KSM, MEDICO PESTE and doommetal-like creations a’la CEMETERY OF SCREAM, but thrash metal hasn’t gathered too many worshipers.

Thankfully, the new generation of thrashers is actively trying to spread their music. Many of those young people take the matters of promotion and releasing their CDs into their own hands instead of waiting for help. The blind devotion to the cause and 100% commitment bring proper results. The bands organize their own concerts, tours, shoot their own video clips and in general they’re doing what they can to show the world that thrash metal in our city, bah, in our country, is extremely popular. It is because of these young metal maniacs that the two parts of the excellent Thrashing Damnation Thru Compilation saw the light of day. The compilation shows that the condition of the Polish thrash metal scene is good and that it’s growing larger every day. A great example of such growth would be another one of Cracow’s creations – TRAKTOR, created by the musicians involved in some other bands from our city, such as FORTRESS and TERRORDOME. TRAKTOR’S music is most definitely a nod to the Canadian old school thrash scene. We can clearly hear a fascination with good old RAZOR. Fast and very energetic compositions strike you with their force without mercy, the very first bars of the opening song Night Brawl make an excellent impression by being brutal and yet melodic, the guitar shreds with the force of a chainsaw but with a delicate solo. Another kick is called The Angel of Booze, the sound of the guitar is cool and not devoid of dirt and totally makes you think about the mid eighties. TRAKTOR perfectly channeled the ambience from more than 3 decades ago into their music without losing their identity. High Five is a ruthless piece as well. The drums bang mercilessly like Hephaestus’ hammer and with each passing sound the music gets monstrously powerful. I’ll Laugh Last - you can hear the fascination with Dave Carlo’s style clearly as hell and Tomek’s high-pitched vocal parts are also exceptionally good.

There’s a short solo but I miss the bends and tremolos and guitar attacks, nonetheless the song rocks.

The next piece, I Am the Dead - The sound of the guitar is pulling at my heartstrings because of the nostalgia I feel, but not only because of that – The music itself has a lot of potential. The only things I miss are the mad solos – There are a couple of them, but they seem to be lacking somehow, as if the guitarist didn’t really believe in his skills even though he’s got a lot of potential.

Professors of Metal is a piece that’s doing an awesome job and it’s one of the songs with a really fucking great solo. Finally, TRAKTOR gives us a mind-blowing cover song taken from the Canadians’ immortal debut - Take This Torch from the Executioner’s Song. It’s impossible not to like these guys!!! Support this group,

it’s a really valuable band and I’m 1 million percent sure you will hear about them again. TRAKTOR has only just begun to speed up!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

HAMMERGOAT

Regeneration through De population CD Hammer Of Damnation 2010 The style of the cover has brought to my mind BLASPHEMY and BEHERIT immediately and I must admit that it got my sick imagination going. A moment later the CD which foreshadowed the Devilish War Metal started spinning in my CD player.

The raw and painfully simple riffs dug into my mind like a pickaxe of infernal tempest, and yet it seemed that the record isn’t without rhyme or reason, but still played with a high dosage of madness. These guys definitely are Possessed by Evil. Their human shells are hiding demons in their black souls. Indeed, you can feel the aura of the overwhelming EVIL. When it comes down to the music, don’t expect pretty melodies. Regeneration through De population is a hunk of rotten flesh thrown right in your face; the raw, almost Neanderthal style of playing combined with unprecedented fury and hate towards all that is sacred, corrupting the sign of the cross with great pleasure the guys also wreak some real musical fucking havoc.

Seven hellish anthems are like the seven trumpets foreshadowing the end of human race, the times of total war and an omen of Armageddon. It reeks like the most squalid cesspit of Hell. I think that these sick sounds will gather a lot of true worshipers.

I must add that HAMMERGOAT is from São Paulo, Brasil (It must be true that Satan likes to stroll there at night because many bands from that place are devilish as hell) 666 To finish us off and to make matters even more interesting the guys recorded a cover song – The Black Vomit, originally played by SARCOFAGO. TOTAL ANNIHILATION!!!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki AMORPHOUS

A Perfect Evil CD 7Gates Rec 2012 This is one of the oldest death metal crews. Their origins date back to 1991. The founder of this horde is Spider, whom we might know from such hordes as ESQUARIAL or VADER and even though we had to wait 17 long years for AMORPHEOUS’ debut it seems that those years weren’t wasted because this truly is a masterpiece. AMORPHEOUS has perfectly combined the old school character with guitar virtuosity, mixing it up with brutality.

The meaty sound, such as in “Harmony Corruption,” strikes with such a force that it makes your head spin. What makes the music characteristically unique is the mix

of intensity and technique with extraordinarily lyrical guitar tracks.

The interesting thing is that the pieces form a perfect whole here.

This can be attributed mainly to the perfect musical arrangements and sophistication. There is a lot of punkish pulsation but played with extraordinary fineness with vocals a’la NAPALM DEATH’S Barney that effectively deflower your hearing organs. “A Perfect Evil” consists of ten excellent death metal anthems with awesome ambience; really superlative music worthy of your interest. It’s also worth to mention that “A Perfect Evil” is the band’s fourth release and the second longplay.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki PANDEMONIUM

Misnathropy CD Pagan Records 2012 After the “Hellspawn” released in 2007 on the new album Pandemonium still grew a lot of pressure.

With this disc a lot of people have had very much expectations, and the band was in no hurry to go. It is true that in 2010 treated us to two-track promo, added to the beautifully released vinyl “Deviliri”, but it only fueled appetites, made​​ the metal mob with the more and more impatience awaited the moment of release “Misanthropy”.

Band manager did his best to make every possible music magazine or zine was as much information as possible about the band. There is a whole bunch of extensive interviews, group increasingly was appearing during live shows. In a word, moved promotional machine started molding the stage for the album, which, according

to expectations should do a lot of confusion. Had it done? I think in his own way, yes. Once that it is not very innovative work, for which glory for Paul. Album refers to the heyday of Pandemonium, but gives the listener music in perfect quality, which makes it have extra clarity. Enjoy the fact that this time band was trying to find in the music more references to their first fruits, except that this time you can hear the instruments more refined, you will see that these men can play.

The whole music has a very dark character. There’s a lot of the Devil, but also a breath of death. In a way, this is a very ominous material, having in itself the root of evil, and at the same time can feel the aura of mysticism. Severe painful sound of guitars, strongly referring to the climate of “Blessed Are The Sick” of MORBID ANGEL, enhances the gloomy mood of the music, without being intrusive. For this a lot of oriental flavor gives the music a very unique atmosphere. Paul’s vocals are extremely guttural, full of pain but also of anger. They carry the black thought ... The whole idea of music is very heavy, almost trance.

Lazily flowing like a ship of Charon traversing the burning depths Styx.

Black / Death Metal atmosphere with a large amount of doom influences creates an interesting mixture of styles that very smoothly permeate each other. Of course, you can hear some influences of CELTIC FROST, SAMAEL, MORBID ANGEL, but it is so subtle that it in no way interferes with the vision of PANDEMONIUM. You should also pay attention to two passages where there are female vocalises of Andromika Skoula (Chaostar) in the ‘Stones Are Eternal “and the title track that closes the whole album” Misanthropy “, more appoints this material with note of the Orient, a gloom and sadness. “Misanthropy” is a very good album, mature and extremely fascinating.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

Driller

DRILLER was founded in 2009 by the Andrzejewscy brothers. The band can best be described by the thought if Slayer and Motörhead would have a child it would be DRILLER. Motto: ”This is what we do! No speed = no fun!”

Hometown: Gdynia Current line-up: Wojciech Andrzejewski – vocal/ bass Marcin Andrzejewski – guitar/b. vocal Bartek Kozłowski – guitar Jędrzej Jakubowski – drums Discography: “Hell Trucker”, demo 2010 “All Shall Burn”, full-length 2013

Contact: e-mail: driller@thrash.pl www.driller.thrash.pl www.facebook.com/driller.poland

KOMUTATOR

If you’re bored with typical thrash metal, Komutator will definitely seduce you and keep you wanting more. This group, founded in Malapane Valley in the south of Poland, like no other band can create the ambience full of electrical violence and power. Komutator serves you hard sounds with technical precision and combines them with a groovy vibe. Once you let those kick-ass riffs take control, there’s no way out. Prepare yourself for one of a kind experience! Let thrash metal blow your mind!

Discography: “Hell Trucker”, demo 2010 “All Shall Burn”, full-length 2013

Hometown: Ozimek Current line-up: Andrew – drums Igo – guitar/b. vocal Kinder – guitar Czejen – bass Ado – vocal

Contact: e-mail: komutator666@wp.pl www.myspace.com/komutator www.facebook.com/komutator

Menthrass

Founded in 2008, Menthrass (what the fuck does that even mean?) is a shit band that plays shit music, but they drink (and eat) a lot. Some of them don’t even look like metalheads at all, but they kinda sorta are. Total poseurs, if you ask me. And the vocals suck big time.

But at least they drink beer and sound way better when performing live, so all is forgiven.

There’s been many fluctuations in the band’s line-up, but now all seems to be stable, so Menthrass is ready to play more gigs and drink fountains of beer and cheap vodka..

Hometown: Katowice Current line-up: Olaf Chyła – guitar Marcin Siemiński – bass Bartosz Wieczorek – vocal Dawid Dymarczyk – guitar Marcin Odyjas – drums

R.O.D.

R.O.D is a thrash metal band formed in 2005. Aggressive, fast and simple thrash -- in these words we can describe their style. Dozens of amateur concerts helped in getting experience and shaping the character.

Following years were a time of practice and work on material for debut album “DEATH FOR ALL” which was released in 2013. Ladies and Gentlemen it’s time for R.O.D.!!!

Hometown: Lublin

Current line-up: Gumiś – lead guitar Jezus - bass Giena - vocal Szlucher – lead guitar Przemo – drums

Discography: “Tactical Headshot”, demo 2009 “Chopped by Razor”, single 2010 “Death for All”, full-length 2013 Contact: e-mail: razorofdeath@wp.pl www.myspace.com/razorofdeathpl www.facobook.com/razorofdeath

Discography: “Dark Passenger”, mini album 2013 Contact: e-mail: menthrasspl@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/MenthrassOFFICIAL https://myspace.com/menthrass

Raging Death

Are you bored of neo-thrash scene, where every band looks and sounds the same? Are you in love with teutonic thrash? Then you will love RAGING DEATH! Fast, rough, dirty and old school as fuck. We are from Żory (Silesia), and we are raging since 2011. We are going to realese out first mini-album in autumn, so don’t forget to check us out. Our every concert is pure chaos and mayhem. Remember - support your local scene and thrash ‘till fucking death!

Hometown: Żory Current line-up: Igor Faliński – rhythm guitar/vocal Tomasz Nowok – lead guitar Michał Kotwicki – bass Mateusz Więch – drums

Discography: “Killing Feast”, demo 2011 “Pestilent Waste”, demo 2012 “Raging Death”, mini album 2013 Contact: e-mail: ragingdeathpl@gmail.com myspace.com/559228573 facebook.com/RagingDeathPL

Repulsor

The story of the band starts in Gdansk, Poland, at the beginning of 2010, when group of high school students, influenced by bands like Slayer, Motorhead and Venom, decided to play heavy, fast and agressive music as mentioned groups – thrash metal in the vein of 80’s. Music and lyrical themes of the group are the result of their frustration caused by the modern world and all it’s defects. Since 2010 group has played a lot of gigs, together with many local and foreign bands. Playing live, together with promoting their music to as many people as possible is their priority.

Hometown: Gdańsk Current line-up: Filip Strzemieczny – bass/vocal Michał Bławat – drums Bartek Karzarnowicz – lead guitar Łukasz Styś – rhythm guitar

Discography: „Death is the Beginning”, demo 2011 „Trapped in a Nightmare”, demo 2013 Contact: e-mail: repulsorthrash@gmail.com www.myspace.com/repulsor www.facebook.com/repulsorthrash

Rotengeist

“What is interesting in Rotengeist music is the accumulation of a very good, thoughtful arrangements that make the seemingly homogeneous CD is a maze of interesting, surprising musical collaborations ...”

- Metal Hammer “The output of this group: vanguard attempts but also uniform, oldschool rough sound ...” – Teraz Rock Thrash metal band ROTENGEIST was established in late 2005 in Przemysl. The Trio performing a German thrash metal in the new American release. In September 2012, the band completed the production of the new album “Start To Exterminate”. Jaroslaw Jasnikowski is working on the cover of the new album (http://jjart.pl). He is considered one of the leading writers of fantastic realism in Poland

RUSTED BRAIN

Rusted Brain is a Warsaw Thrash Metal band founded in August of 2009. In 2011 they played three shows in the Pozerkill4Ever Tour with Hirax and Assassin. In March 2012 Rusted Brain played at Wacken Metal Battle taking 3rd place. Rusted Brain was playing MetalFest 2012 with Megadeth, Kreator, Death Angel, Blind Guardian and many more. In August 2012, the band recorded new material in Rock’n’Roll Studio for their first full length album called “High Voltage Thrash”. On the promo tour Rusted Brain have played i.e. with Heathen and Generation Kill.

Discography: “Juggler”, mini album 2011 Hometown: Warszawa “High Voltage Thrash”, full-length 2013 Current line-up: Contact: Damian “Rumcayz” Lodowski – bass/vocal e-mail: info@rustedbrain.pl Przemek “Rogal” Rogalski – rhythm guitar vladpromotion@gmail.com – management Michał “Kretu” Czerniakowski - lead guitar www.rustedbrain.pl | facebook.com/rustedbrain Benek “Hades” Zwoliński - drums https://myspace.com/rustedbrain

Hometown: Gdańsk Current line-up: Piotr Winiarski – guitar/vocal Aleksander Partyński – bass Ziemowit Gawlik – drums Discography: “Promo 2007” – promo 2007 “Fear is the Key” – full-length 2009 “Start to Exterminate” – full-length 2013 Contact: e-mail: mlody@rotengeist.pl www.rotengeist.pl facebook.com/rotengeist myspace.com/rotengeistband

STRIKING BEAST

If you like aggressive Bay Area Thrash, Striking Beast is a band for you! Wild and aggressive vocals, fast rhythms, tasty riffs and a lot of energy. Band was founded in Rzeszów, Poland in 2011 and since then it’s spreading the thrash metal sounds in the Polish underground. Bang your heads to this music straight out of hell, spread the word and maybe someday the Beast will strike your town to mosh your asses up, drink beer and have some fun! WE ARE STRIKING BEAST! Discography: Hometown: Rzeszów “Nuclear Genocide”, demo 2013 Current line-up: Janek Kiersnowski – vocal Robert Fluda – guitar Kuba Sęp – bass Marek Pękala – drums

Contact: e-mail: strikingbeastpl@gmail.com facebook.com/StrikingBeast myspace.com/strikingbeast

Tester Gier

We are Tester Gier. We are from Silesia and Cracow. We play Crossover and we are fucking great.

Hometown: Silesia Area / Kraków Current line-up: Owiec – vocal Przemek – vocal Stafar – guitar/b. vocal Błażej – bass/b. vocal Raper – drums/b. vocal

Discography: “Speed Metal”, mini album 2013 Contact: e-mail: testergierVEVO@gmail.com www.testergier.net.pl testergier.bandcamp.com facebook.com/pages/Tester-Gier/623732164310980

THE No-MADs

THE NO-MADS is thrashing since 1999, Polish band with female vocal, proudly presents two songs from their 4th forthcoming album “Lost Control”. Through those years of madness, the band played incredibly expressive live shows in music clubs and at festivals in Poland and abroad, supporting Destruction, Sodom, Flotsam&Jetsam, Onslaught and Artillery. In official music press resume within few years THE NO-MADS is mentioned in categories The best Polish group, song, musician of the year.

Discography: “No Hush Till Thrash”, full-length 2003 Hometown: Katowice “Deranged”, full-length 2006 “The Age Of Demise”, full-length CD/DVD 2009 Current line-up: “Lost Control”, full-length 2013 Sylwia Papierska – vocal Przemysław “Dr Rock” Latacz – guitar Contact: Józef “Joseph” Brodziński – bass e-mail: thenomads@interia.pl Damian “Oskar” Roskosz – drums www.thenomads.pl | myspace.com/alkoholization facebook.com/thenomads

THRASHING DAMNATION - Thru Compilation Vol II CD 2013

The idea of the most lofty and worthy of support. This is the initiative of the band TERRORDOME and was another edition of the compilation, which included 11 crews from thrash metal scene from our country. A total of 24 tracks, so a lot of damn awesome music. The first disc opens DRILLER playing very well, very energetic thrash metal at a very high level. Another blow comes from veterans of the scene THE NO-MADS. There is no mercy. Two new songs presented in an appealing, a piece of old school thrash metal in a spirit of Sodom. Sylvia’s vocals are as usual destructive. It is also worth noting that there is also a track sung in German, “Possessed By Bier” - a revelation! Another shot between the eyes are the two songs STRIKING BEAST. Totally crushing tracks. There is lot of energy but also finesse - total madness! So far, this compilation blows the head up. After three very strong accents pressure somewhat subsided. Next in line is the crew of the KOMUTATOR and here although you can hear flashes of genius, it just does not move me. Yes, it is a good played, you can hear the guys play with passion, but for me it’s a bit too modern playing. In addition, the first three bands raised the bar too high, so some of the bands in this challenge look somewhat worse. Anyway the KOMUTATOR promises to have really well future. Another part of this extremely interesting compilation of is three songs by RUSTED BRAIN. Music in a spirit of the early albums of TANKARD, especially the “Zombie Attack”. Vocals can be very wanna be James Hatfield, but other than that it’s pretty cool and I think the band has a good chance getting into deep water. The next band is R.O.D. from Lublin.

Unfortunately, in this case, this music does not speak to me, the singer here is the weakest link in the band. GAMES TESTER - also nothing special, just average more punk than thrash band. REPULSOR ... well, at last we return to solid playing! That’s how you should play thrash metal. Boys rock out nicely.

Good beefy sounding guitar, good vocals, though a bit too much hidden, the sound of drums will also give you a lot to be desired, but besides that fucking awesome piece of thrash metal. RAGING DEATH after REPULSOR’s tracks will have a really difficult task. Oh well, unfortunately poor quality of the recording breaks here the effect, even though it is an average band. MENTHRASS - there it is a little better than with the previous band. The whole is much better recorded, but unfortunately the singer effectively slaughters everything. Music also does not knock with originality although it seems that the time still will come for this band. The whole closes with two tracks from ROTENGEIST. Again, poor quality and very average music. Well, on this compilation there was some really strong moments though the album is very uneven in terms of performance and quality of the recordings.

Anyway, I think many will find on the album some nice numbers for themselves.

LWS

CYROGRAF FANZINE #1 Anno Bastardi 2013 Tireless Sobiech has made a pretty cool zine and even though it’s not the largest one, it’s very good for a first issue. Przemek deserves a Hellish Medal for the fact that he had found the time and will to make an early eighties-like collage (smile) Even the act of holding the zine in your hands is very pleasant (evil! smile) Just CULT!!! The subject matter of the magazine is pretty good. The first bullet point is Perversor with their timeless DEMONIC SLAUGHTER, the next material is a chat with KRONUMLLOD ex Omega Production after which Przemek gave the third degree to Dołek of GOAT TYRANT. In addition to that you’ll find interviews with HIN HALE, OFFENCE, and additionally HIEROPHANT’S DESCENT’S biography and a couple of reviews. In a word, everything that a good zine should include. Not only is it fun to read, it is also quite enjoyable to look at the way in which the CYROGRAF is put together. I think that nowadays, in the age of computerized text editing, this is one of the few zines that have such a classic form. All in all, the CYROGRAF’S debut is a quite successfull one and I impatiently await the next issue, but for the time being you get 32 true underground pages!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

level. “R’Lyeh” takes this type of magazines to the next level and at the same time doesn’t cut off its ties to its underground roots. The highlights of the 10th issue are, for example, an interview with Shannon Mortimer of WEHRMACHT, a conversation with Acid Wild of BULLDOZER, an interview with NUCLEAR DEATH’S drummer Joel Whitfield, and a chat with Mick Tucker of TANK. There were also representatives of the death metal scene - MORBID ANGEL and David Vincent, INCANTATION, then PROPHECY OF DOOM and an infernal relish - INQUSITION and a classic of teutonic thrash scene – EXUMER. These aren’t, of course, all of the interviews you can find in this issue. There are also quite a lot of local accents, such as an interview with WIDMO, MOLOCH LETALIS, BLOODTHIRST, CONQUEST ICON, NEOLITH, MARKIZ DE SADE and others.

It’s definitely one of the most interesting fanzines. I highly recommend it!! c/o: hellishband@o2.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

NECROSCOPE METALZINE #26 One of the oldest zines in our country.

The 26th issue of the magazine consists of 130 pages of totally old school metal.

As usually, Adam has gathered a whole lot of interesting material, so there is quite a lot of reading. And so the first item is the Lord of Hell LUCIFYRE (UK/PL), then the excellent Swedish thrash metal ENTRENCH, Canadian DEATHRONER, and then there’s the second part of the history of the Swiss metal legend - MESSIAH. Another interlocutor is the German WITCHING HOUR, then an interview with the Brazilian group KROW, then MASS BURIAL and Columbian GUERRA TOTAL, our old friends INFERNAL MASSACRE and MORBID MACABRE and (ESP) OMISSION. There’s also a monstrual amount of reviews. In a word, it’s a voluminous tome, like a metal bible of the underground.

After browsing through this issue I started wondering how Adam is finding the time to listen to such an amount of music. I’m really full of admiration for his work and engagement. The zine is also available in English, but I bet you knew that already. c/o: necroscope1@wp.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

interview because the interviewees have a peculiar sense of humor and that’s the spirit (smile) The next item is a rarity when it comes to “Apocalyptic Rites” – bands from the west. The first one of them is PATHOGEN. As we know, Robin so far has been focusing on interviews with Polish groups, and now – wham! A band from the Philippines! Of course it’s not the first one of such interviews but still the bands from abroad are a minority in this zine.

The next material is a conversation with EVIL EXISTENCE from Olkusz, and right after that Brasilian DETHRONED CHRIST emerges from the very depths of Hell. The whole is topped off by over 20 pages of reviews of all sorts of underground demos and CDs so the reading is most delicious (smile) I think it’s worthwhile to support Robin, especially that “Apocalyptic Rites” is a really great zine!!! c/o: apocalyptic_rites_zine@wp.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

PURE EVIL ZINE #3 Anno Bastardi 2010 This is my first contact with this zine.

Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get a hold of the first two issues of the magazine, so I’m unable to compare the contents of the third issue to the previous ones. This is why I’ll focus solely on this issue. In terms of graphic design it’s not very impressive, however I did see zines that looked a lot worse. Anyway, the most important part is the contents, and those are pretty much top-notch. “Pure Evil” is definitely a nod to the deepest underground, even though ULCER and EMPHERIS aren’t really garage bands anymore. However, things are different when it comes to CYFEMAL, 21:27 or DEATHORN. You will also find a report from BULLDOZER’S concert, KAT’S lyrics, an interview with the black metal band PANZERFAUST and also a brief history of the Dutch formation FUTURE TENSE, HELLFIRE and an article entitled “The transformation of the image of the Devil in culture and art.” Hmm, this text seems familiar (smile) Then you will find NECROSCHIZMA’S short biography and an interview with the Mexican WARFIELD. In addition to that you will find quite a lot of reviews, so the issue seems to be pretty good, althoug it had left me hungry for more. Oh well, let’s hope that the next issue will be better. c/o: immanitas@op.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

R’LYEH MAGAZINE # 10 Anno Bastardi 2012 There’s no joking when it comes to “R’Lyeh”. Adrian obstinately tries to raise the bar for himself with each successive issue and he does it not only when it comes to the quality of the release but also to the subject matter. The jubilee issue #10 knocks the spots off of the previous ones. Excellent composition rich with the classic feel and in addition to that 116 pages of total old school with a whole lot of interviews, reviews, interesting articles about, among others, the veterans of devilish speed metal – IRON ANGEL. Moreover there are new editions of BEEROMETER, METAL MILITIA and METAL FROM BEHIND THE BARS. It’s also worthwhile to check out the section devoted to horror movie reviews entitled FEAR TODAY - Some really fucking great reading!! Additionally the high level of writing and pretty awesome graphic design create an amazing atmosphere!

What more could you possibly want?

I wish all fanzines would come out at this

APOCALYPTIC RITES ZINE #6 Anno Bastardi 2012 Taking the state of our country’s scene into consideration it is safe to say that the underground print media is faring pretty well. There are many interesting magazines showing up in circulation all the time.

I think that Robin’s zine “Apocalyptic Rites” is one of those magazines that are worthy of note. The sixth issue of the zine is quite a huge dose of underground music. 60 pages total, and inside you can find a whole lot of very interesting items, such as interviews with INSET, PUKI MAHLU and a very good death metal band – DISFIGURED HEAD. Another edition of “The Seat of Scoffers” which means the continuation of the interview with Adrian a.k.a. “R’Lyeh”, an interview with thrashers from Lublin – R.O.D. (By the way it’s a pretty risible

BURNING ABYSS ZINE #7 Anno Bastardi 2012 Maciek didn’t seem to be in a hurry to release this issue. It took a bit more than 2 years, but I think that the contents are well worth the wait. I bet you’re curious what the editor of the zine has got in store for you The first highlight is the interview with Inferno (BEHEMOTH) and then a pretty cool interview with WEAPON. Another interview with RUNEMAGICK, and right after that an interesting chat with Thomas of the “Necromaniac” zine.

There’s a lot of reviews that seperate other parts of the interviews, for example the one with AGNESVEN. Another hit is an

interview with NOMINION from Sweden.

A band of utmost brilliance and therefore worthy of support. Another highlight is an interview with two very interesting characters of the Swedish scene: Tomas Skogsberg and Dan Swano. Unfortunately, I’m a bit disappointed. I thought that the gentlemen have had a lot more to say, especially when it comes to mr Skogsberg who hasn’t been too eloquent. It’s even more embarrasing when we take into consideration that he had agreed to be interviewed, so he should have buckled down to it. Oh well, as we can see, some people have a weird attitude towards such matters. Another interviewed band is BESTIAL RITES, and afterwards we get another serving of reviews. Next we have the Peruvian Devils of MORTEM. We can also find a very well prepared biography of VOIVOD, and at the very end some zine reviews, so there really is a lot of good stuff to read. It’s a high end zine, and what might please those who don’t know about it yet is the fact that the magazine comes also in English. c/o: abyss@interia.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

ATMOSPHERIC METAL ZINE #17 Anno Bastardi 2011 It’s been quite a while since this issue was on sale. Nonetheless, I’d like to talk about the contents of #17 “Atmospheric,” especially since it’s one of the oldest zines representing our country’s scene. Before we start talking about the subject matter of the magazine it’s worth noting that the layout of the zine is neat. This time you will find 70 pages traditionally devoted to Metal. The first thing is an article about PANTHEIST, then DISSOLVING OF PRODIGY, an interview with EIBON (Unfortunately not the legendary band consisting of Phil Anselmo, Fenriz, Satyr and Killjoy), PSILOCIBE LARVAE, CULT OF LUNA, Levi of NEOLITH, HATE and TRAUMA. An interesting interview with Bill Hale, a photographer who’s been working as a professional music photographer since 1979 and who has performed photo sessions of such aces as IRON MIADEN, BLACK SABBATH, QUEEN and METALLICA. Another strong point of this issue is the interview with the black metal legend Conrad Lant, well known as Cronos. There are also a few concert reports, interviews with CHAIN REACTION, EVERSOR, HYPORIAL, CEREBRUM, quite a few reviews and at the very end literary and philosophical contexts of metal, namely “Nietzsche: Refusal and Madness.” To sum up, even though most of the bands featured here aren’t my favorites, because I like to travel to completely slightly different areas of metal, many of you will find something enjoyable, especially since it’s a high standard magazine. This is why I think it is worthwhile to pick up this issue to make the waiting time for the upcoming #18 “Atmospheric” enjoyable. c/o: atmospheric@atmospheric.pl

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

BLACK SABBATH 13 CD 2013 Verigo Universal

T

he eleventh of June this year, after nearly 18 years since the release of “Forbidden”, finnaly, we got a new studio album BLACK SABBATH. We should add that this is the first album in 35 years with Ozzy, so no one should be surprised that the same thought was getting me hot! I remember when I first fell in love with the “God Is Dead?”, Which was placed before the release of the band’s official website, and when the album came out, madness came over me specifically. Therefore i didn’t try to write this review because it wouldn’t be its 100% honest review. Too much euphoria accompanied by the release of this long-awaited CD BLACK SABBATH to be able to approach the subject in the cold. After several hearings of “13” for a while I put it aside, and after a few months to return to it again. It seemed to me that the excitement subsided somewhat and now I can cooler approach to the subject. I was wrong. This album is too strong impact, not to grab the listener completely. I also began to pick up elements that i did not see before. I noticed that this time I look at the contents of the “13” with a more critical eye, or rather hearing. I noticed that the one thing that annoys me on this record, it’s too polished sound. I know that it is difficult to require the team to today, when recording studios have such great potential, the band retreated to the sounds of the ‘70s, but I admit that I miss the dirt. Everything is sterile, nice. Yes, this did not affect the cosmetic nature of the music, the artists paid a lot of meticulous attention to make the first four BLACK SABBATH albums. Unusual, as a band managed to recreate the feelings of what that time was, and although I met with the opinions that there are many borrowings from the above-mentioned four discs, it is in the case of references to their ideas from prior years, it is difficult to accuse a band of lack of originality! It is logical that if we want that

the material development of music from years ago, it must have some components that combine old and new. “13” is a great tribute from the band toward the old fans. Many of us expected just such a disc like BLACK SABBATH. It is known that it is difficult to please everyone, but I believe that the vast majority of fans fully will be pleased. From the famous concert “Reunion” in Birmingham in 1997, when Ozzy for the first time stated its intention to record an album under the name BLACK SABBATH’s been a long time. The band in the meantime prepared a few new songs, but ultimately the effect was not satisfactory to them. In the period 2007-2010, Tony Iommi and Ronnie James Dio, Trenc “Geezer” Butler and Vinnie Appys appoint creation called HEAVEN AND HELL. A very successful by the way. Unfortunately, the news of the serious illness Dio definitely slowed down the momentum of this highly promising band. In the meantime, Tony Iommi records a second solo project. In November 2011, BLACK SABBATH reactivates the original panel with Ozzy Osbourne, Trenc “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi and Billy Ward, who had already tried to join the HEAVEN AND HELL. Ultimately as it turned out in 2012, he was replaced by Brad Wilk, who to my surprise on the new BLACK SABBATH album phenomenally did what he had to do! I must admit that I was apprehensive that the drummer playing on a daily basis in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE will be able to capture the spirit of the old BLACK SABBATH, but apparently do not accidentally choice fell on Brad, who proved that he can get a feel of atmosphere of this music, and bring a lot of technical feeling. You can hear a incredible virtuosity. Tony Iommi before the recording session of “13” in 2012, took part in the a truly marvelous project WHO’CARES. Shortly after that, we learned that Tony has the early stages of lymphoma, and must undergo chemical therapy. Many elements indicated that despite the announcement, there soon will be given to us to hear the new album from the boys from Birmingham. Tony despite the quite serious health condition, was not going to give up so easily. With persistence and passion play, the musician has overcome enough health problems to begin work on a new piece. From the first bars of “The End of the Beginning” is heard a lot of references to the cover artwork from the debut of 1970. There’s a lot of gloom, the perfect song to start the album. Another blow to the “God Is Dead?”. This number appears as the first preview of the entire album as a shared file on the band’s web page. It made then overwhelming impression on me.

Listening to it as a part of the whole album has even more power. This is definitely one of the most interesting tracks on the album. The song builds perfectly, creating more and more dark atmosphere. The nearly nine minutes of music creates a somber mood. There’s a bit of a thrill, excitement and the chorus sung by Ozzy: “Is God dead?” “Loner” is a bit faster song, pretty much referring to the composition of the debut BLACK SABBATH “NIB”. “Zeigeist” for a change is a more bluesy song with the character with “Master of Reality”.

You can hear echoes “Children Of The Grave”. Acoustic guitar of ballad creates a mood and you listen to it with some emotion. Appears tear in the eye, beautiful composition! Great, very lyrical solo. The whole gently flowing ... “Age of Reason” â?? strong, very heavy song with highly exposed, painfully precise drumming, with the growing burden of guitars ... Ozzy did not try to be too high with chants, moving in a medium-sized scales.

This is Ozzy, who we like the most. Also worth noting is the excellent solo Tony and the keyboard background revelation! Sixth, in turn composition “Damaged Soul”, the number in the average rates with typical Ozzie chants and bubbling Butler’s bass. This creates a atmosphere made​​! Drums extremely clear build a strong rhythmic backbone of a whole. This is a very racially-sounding composition. “Drear Father” is a more bluesy song, but not without weight. Lazily flows, giving the music a specific array. And here the drums are more exposed, so a lot is going on, a lot of frills, and Brad has done a great job. “Naïveté In Black” is definitely faster number. It has considerable clout. Interesting guitar solo gives the whole even more of a kick, a great song at the end of the first disc. Time for a bonus CD! As the first of three songs sounds very racially “Methademic”, with strongly exposed Butler’s bass. Very good, almost heavy metal number. “Peace Of Mind” - and here the echoes resound with the classic BLACK SABBATH. I can not get over how phenomenal is the way the band managed to get in to his early work. It’s a truly magnificent way devoted to the atmosphere of bygone years, and at the same freshness and perfection in every way. Closing whole “Pariah” is also very solid composition, the pulsating bass that stands out more than the whole. Best piece of text telling not to believe everything people say, but to find their own truth abandoning fantasies of angels or the antichrist. The whole CD gave me a lot of joy. This is definitely one of the more interesting returns in recent years. I would add, finally, that, as you probably noticed, the Japanese edition has an added bonus, which I do not have on the deluxe edition.

Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki

t has been 10 years since the last King Diamond concert in Poland. More and more I was losing hope that I I will see the Master ever again. From overseas a disturbing information was coming about the deteriorating health of the singer.

ortunately, despite a fairly major surgery, King quickly returned to form and he played several concerts.

F One of the first performances was a birthday party of METALLICA, exactly thirty years of the band. King Diamond appeared hospitably in very good company of Hank Shermann, Michael Denner and Timi Hansen.

It was without any doubts one of the most important events of the unique in many aspects show - the first MERCYFUL FATE concert since 1999. At the same time this little show was an experimenting ground in which King Diamond after very serious open heart surgery could test his abilities. There were many questions whether the master will be able to continue his musical career. Despite strong medical contraindications King took up the challenge and as you can see the power of the Horned has never left him.He coped at this concert, excellently. Next to Mercyful Fate musicians METALLICA appeared on the stage. We heard pieces of the most famous tracks. That’s it. So far.

fter this event, KING DIAMOND began intensively preparing for a number of concerts A at selected festivals. Poland was one of the first countries on the route, which should be regarded as a tribute to the Polish fans of the artist. The concert was scheduled at the

newly opened Hall “Circle”. Our cheerful bus from Cracow happily arrived on time. Everyone was extremely excited twirling atmosphere with the several DVD King Diamond concerts whie driving. At the same time the company firmly ‘sprinkled’ these events with result of long hours of debates on the upcoming events. Every time we were fell out of the bus we were meeting the whole masses of friends which was incredibly nice, but it should not surprise anyone. Many of these people I have not seen for years, but finally, King Diamond concert was a good excuse to meet again.

The door opened promptly at 18:30. However, it took a lot of time before we entered the hall, but by no means because of the fault of the organizer, because everything emanated extremely well, but because of the whole mass of the friends I wanted to talk with. For this reason, I neglected performances of Hellectricity and Alastor . With every minute we were nearer to King Diamond concert . Atmosphere was thickening not only in the hall, but outdoors as well. Strangely the sky blackened. Storm was coming . We have our merry little group drinking beer when suddenly the storm with thunder and rain arose. As you can see, the angelic hosts were delighted with the master’s show. Almost at the same time a black curtain fell down revealing unusual two-tiered stage. It did not take long to persuade us to move to the middle of the hall.

rior to the concert I had to break through the crowd to get to the moat where during the first P three songs I could soak up the concert almost on the doorstep. I was able to take a look at the stage in detail. It was stunning. At a higher level, there was a terrace with stairs, quite similar to the chapel. The place bore the symbol of an inscribed inside Baphomet pentagram. Everything highlighted in red looked truly devilishly. On teh sides there were two Petrine crosses. The lower part of the scene resembled an old cemetery with two devilish gargoyles on the sides. Among them there was the drumset. The stage was separated from the public with bars. The scenery and lighting bore association with the old horror film.

ntro to “The Candle“ caused spontaneous applause from the audience. It was the beginning of the ceremony I whic more than 2,000 music hungry crowd throats had been waiting for. The master of ceremonies, walking on the upper stage looked dignified, but also ghastly. Walking down the stairs he was approaching to the raging crowd separated from the cemetery wall with ominously sharp rods. The crowd went wild as the master was shouting the lyrics. The euphoria reached its peak only after the first song of the concert. The Master was in top form and did not have to accept any special treatment. Even the highest parts were sung with remarkable ease.

I did not want to believe that after such a serious operation KING DIAMOND returned so quickly to the throne. fter “The Candle“ the great “Welcome Home” came in. Blue light created more mysterious atmosphere.

A The hooded man entered a wheelchair with an old woman - a witch. In every moment of the concert atmosphere grew like a monstrous beast ready to devour the entire hall. Guitar passages mercilessly slashed with almost surgical precision. The whole was played masterfully and made an overwhelming impression.

efore the next song, Master of Ceremony B welcomed the audience announcing the song from “Conspiracy“ - “At The Graves“. The whole was preceded by a morbid,

almost schizophrenic intro during which the master resting on the drum platform clothed in red glow moved like a possessed man. The weirdness was added by the key parts imitating music box. The song was under way. Powerful vocals without any imbalance terribly hit with its strength plus LaRocque solos did a specific job. Cavorts dancer came onto the stage. Champion grabbed the butcher knife and stabbed her. The dancer ran backstage and King was staring at the scarlet on his hands. efore the next composition, “Voo Doo” the audience sang master “happy birthday”. African rhythms have announced the beginning of a bloody ritual. Possessed dancer writhed on the stage, stopping from time to time like a zombie controlled by “magic” power of King Diamond.

During the “Let it be done” hooded figures carried away the steel fence which was separating the audience from the stage and lurking pervasive gloom. Terror was closer, breaking into the minds like a nightmare. Purple light flooded the stage. Andy LaRocque went to the top of the stage. A solo which he started to play showed the huge spectrum of this exceptionally talented

B

guitarist. Anyway, he was not the only one doing a good job here. Solos fights between Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead can be a great example of this case. Do not forget about Hal Patino who is still raging on stage and gave the impression of a man who does not have end of strength.

nother punch was “Dreams“ from “The Spiders Lullabye”, preceded by the ghostly background A key like from horror movies able to call the creeps. After “Dreams” The Master announced something incredibly epic - “Sleepless Nights”. The audience cought the chorus and helped the Master sing thw words. Guitar solo, as usual, made a ​​ hole in the brain. But this time the first guitar pwas played by Mike Wead; though, Andy LaRocque had also a lot to say. Ominously heavy vocals of Master built dark atmosphere, as well as the graceful melodies played on bass by HalaPatino.

The song came to an end. Stands with acoustic guitars appeared on stage. Musicians have created a small interlude to drum solo by Matt Thompson. Short but very impressive show of singer gave some respite. It was worth waiting. Mercyful Fate song sounded - “Come To The Sabbath” and the whole crowd went crazy singing along with the Master. Ominously highlighted in red, up-side-down crosses perfectly emphasized that this song is dedicated to the Lord of Hell . A priestess carrying ritual objects appeared on stage, exuding a magical aura around as if she was trying to clean up the place and prepare them for the coming of Lucifer. I stood aghast, I dropped my jaw but I did not even try to look for it. This number made ​​me such a massacre that would be really difficult for me to pick myself up. Priestess floated goat’s skull, moment after that the Master rouse tripod made with two human tibia creating another inverted cross ...

the “Come to the Sabbath“ the “Eye Of The Witch” came in, the last track of After the primary set list for this show. And this was not without spontaneous applause.

Great guitars play was the proverbial dot above the “i“. Master thanked the audience, which I think did not fail because we all experienced this show extremely impulsive. Moments before the encore King delivered his musical entourage in order to began few seconds later the track that many had been waiting for - “The Family Ghost”. Blue light made​​ reference to the color of the “Abigail” cover. Guitar solo performances by Andy LaRocque were hard to pass over in silence. At the top of the stage there was a pregnant Miriam. The Master chuckled evilly.

Miriam was thrashing from one side to the other, when finnaly she fell down. When she managed to get up, she looed as if she were possessed with her head tilted to one side and stroking her stomach.

Jokes were over. The next number was a classic Mercyful Fate “Evil”.

verything worked out in elaborately prepared whole. How nice it was to hear E this great song after the years. And again the audience echoed the master.

“Evil” is committed to the timeless work. It has infernal power when played on the

concert. And it was played very precisely with the pulsating energy what made really overwhelming impression. “Black Horsemen” started with acoustic guitar intro. King was telling the story of Miriam who was bending in pain next to him. Suffering was growing, eventually Miriam gave birth to the child, but terrified of what she saw, she threw little Abigail to the ground, overwhelmed by fear of yellow fire in the eyes of beast. King occuured to be a great storyteller. Everything extremely fit together and created an unique story. Colors of mixing tones of purple and blue quite ghastly underlined the scene, and Hal Patino in the gravedigger cylinder who was very active on stage spillover many women’s heart beat faster. It was hard to shake off after the show for a long time. So far, I saw King Diamond twice. Once in 1997 when in the Hall of the Vistula river in Cracow appeared MERCYFUL FATE and KING DIAMOND and early mentioned performance in 2003, although both carried with them a lot of theatricality; however, Warsaw concert made me ​​ feel overwhelming. There was also some dissatisfaction because of the lack of my few favorite songs from the repertoire of MERCYFUL FATE and KING DIAMOND. Unfortunately, I was aware that such performance is limited timeframe, so it would be hard to please all tastes. Anyway, I think this show was extremely successful. It is difficult to say when it will be given to us participate in the next Master performance. I hope it will be as soon as possible.

Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki

King Diamond live photos from Warsaw concert by Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki

JAG PANZER

Ample Destruction LP 1984 No Poser Rec The origins of this unique band date back to 1981, when bunch of friends from Colorado decided to form a new musical creature called TYRANT. At that time the band’s squad was: Harry Conklin, Mark Briody, John Tetley and Rick Hilyard. In the end the band had to change their name because there was already a band with the same name in California. Before a memorable debut album, JAG PANZER recorded in 1983 EP “Death Row” and in the same year a four-track material “Tyrants” came out. The year 1984 finally brought awaited debut, and the band pretty quickly gained recognition on the metal scene due to a very catchy compositions played with extraordinary flair and strength, referring at the same time to NWOBHM. Very characteristic guitar sound, melodic refrains and quite big load of almost thrash metal energy makes this material recognized after all these years by many critics as one of the most important in American Power Metal. Despite the success, this album has been under some kind of inexplicable curse, making “Ample Destructin” one of those albums, which despite a huge interest among fans, has been unavailable on the market for a long time, showing up only once as a officially released LP by Azra Rec. Few years later No Poser Rec released this album as a CD, expanding this album with 4 bonus tracks from MLP “Tyrants”. While listening to such tracks as “Warfare”, “Harder Than Steel” or “The Crucifix” one can be amazed that after all these years the time has been so gentle with this album. Through many years, due to a conflict between former musicians of this band, “Ample Destructin” couldn’t be re-released, thus the first edition disappeared quite quickly from the official merchandise. But on auctions and album-exchange markets, it has reached astronomical amounts, which not everyone could afford. :( Through quite a stalemate concerning copyrights to this album, and with all the demand on this album, there appeared some bootlegged editions of this memorable piece :( Eventually, this year, on the 17th of may exactly, labeled by High Roller, appeared official vinyl reissue of “Ample Destructin”, and thanks to this, many of you will be able to enjoy this piece, which, despite almost three decades since it’s been released for the first time, hasn’t lost any of its freshness and power. It’s undoubtedly a classic of the genre and definitely timeless masterpiece!

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki LEGION OF DEATH

Self Titled (Legion of Death) LP L.O.D. Rec USA 1987 How nice that from time to time I manage to find some overlooked gem at the time, which was lost among multitude of publications at the time and after years of gets in my possession!

This time, thanks to my friend who threw me this stuff, I could found myself a trip back in time to the 2nd half of 80s. When I first started listening to this album immediately drew attention to the totally dirty and raw sound of compositions which gave even more power, rough very throaty vocals of John Gottschalk nicely nicknamed DEATH oscillates between puking profanities a la Jeff Becerra of POSSESSED and Gary Markovitch of BLOOD FEAST. Music as in both these cases is a metal hammer blowing straight in the head, there are no pretty sophisticated solos or beautiful production. The listener immediately for a good start get hit which will be rather difficult for him to stay on his feet. As the first from the speakers emerges flowing in mid tempos “Death Sentence”-totally simple and painfully endearing play, “Authority’s Fucked” the track maintained in the punk spirit ala DISCHARGE, but it is topped with a bit more massive thrash metal sound, “Nuclear Pestilence” is equally energetic almost crust track. Even the cover or a lyrical part of the album is a almost anarchist manifestos. LEGION OF DEATH succeeded in an ideal way to find a golden mean that combines elements of Metal and Crust Punk in some way reminds me of Canadian SLAUGHTER, although even there can be felt more punk rock influence, “D.U.I.” is a very short number almost right out of the repertoire of S.O.D., “Leatherface” is another shot between the eyes,” Malicous Hatred” is for a change in the track rocking with slightly slower tempo although even there it was not without a bit faster passages, “Sewer Art” is another killer on the album - total ride without handlebar, runs like enraged beast which from time to time slows to devour another victim! “Unite And Kill” the closing album composition, much slower, more massive piece, even there we have some faster uprisings, although not as intense as the previous compositions. I wish we would have nowadays more such a surprises from the past. Absolutely recommend this album to everyone.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

INSET

Last Breath EP 2012 Legacy rec One of the first things that caught my attention is a very clear production, beautifully produced material played with considerable flair and finesse. There are a lot of references to the classic death metal formula of the early 90’s. Thare can be heard a fascinations of Benedic-

tion, Lastwar, Mortal Slaughter, Death and Bolt Thrower. Mellow tone, the overwhelming superiority of the average paces. Despite this, INSET is able to unleash a storm as it does in the closing title track. A lot of broken rhythms and tempo changes. Generally, very interesting music; and although, some may say that this type of music is in the dozens, I will tell honestly I prefer to listen to music inspired by old-school metal than some modern shit. This music is a strength that comes from a genuine fascination. INSET music corresponds well with the classic vibe. The band comes from Silesia and was founded quite recently - three years ago. Although it has a strong foundation, you can hear in its music a high level of performance and a real passion to play, Just a pity that the “Last Breath” contains only four compositions plus intro. It asked itself to hear more of such numbers, but on the other hand, there is better to left deficiency ather than glut. I will be definitely rooting for this group eagerly awaiting for the debut full-length album.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki BARBARIAN/BUNKER 66

Split LP 2012 Doomentia Rec I am extremely happy that nowadays, more and more bands are cuting off from flooding the music market shit, manifesting their true creative underground scene that has always been good, and what is happening in the present, bodes with high hopes for the future. I think both bands from the vinyl split here are a perfect example of that, even today you can create a genuine, organic-sounding music. Before the debut album was released BUNKER 66 “Inferno Interceptors”, appeared on the market on vinyl, which is now in question. That black pancake contains 7 to pain oldschool numbers. Both bands BUNKER 66 and BARBARIAN worthily represent the Italian scene, while doing good mayhem with their music. Side A is a four compositions of BUNKER 66, including a devastating cover of CONVULSED “Psychopharmax Convulsions”.

Comparing these numbers with the content of “Inferno Interceptors” seems to be even more blunt playing. The more vocal fury, but on the other hand there are sometimes high, almost Diamonds, chants. On the opening “The Guys Are From Hell” can be heard a very distinctive style of the band with the fact that it is even more harsh and barbaric than it does on his debut “Tombatron & Tormentor”, to a large extent by the specific guitar. It’s like having met each other MOTORHEAD and MERCYFUL FATE. In this track we can find the infernal power that blows the head off, singing band and that thumping bass, wreaking destruction. “Total, Global Thermonuclear War,” a little faster song, we got more intensity here. Vocals like from the infernal abyss dealt devastating blows. Side B is a three numbers of BARBARIAN, including closing the whole cover of “Murder Angels”, known to us from the first demo of DEATH SS “Horned God of the Witches”. The idea of playing the closing cover on each side of Italian bands on this split I think is awesome. This further shows how much the bands are stuck in the musical roots. BUNKER 66 and BARBARIAN not dissociate themselves from tradition and show that they are inextricably linked to what is their metal legacy. “Useless Breed” is the first song from the BARABARIAN, which seems to play a little harder. More from this black metal anger. DARKTHRONE has left here their all-powerful stigma, which is especially heard in the slower passages. “Wrath from Down Below” is for a

change the song carrying much influence of VENOM, but again, you hear a lot of punk feeling, very cool, gig devastating number. At the end cover of DEATH SS finish you off for good.

Awesome! I wish more of these vinyl splits.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

KISS

Monster LP 2012 Universal Music I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out that KISS doesnt make this time such a wait for his next album, as it did in the case of a successor of “Psycho Circus”, 11 long years. Fortunately, four years after the release of “Sonic Boom”, precisely 9th October last year, we got a new album KISS. It was a special moment for me because I tend KISS great sentiment. This is the band, from which i began my metal education, and it was the year 1980. All this time I was accompanied by music on the good and the bad times, illuminating the darkness of life, giving me the strength to move forward. I discovered the true power in those sounds. A powerful, almost magical powers. Many times my life took on blushes thanks to KISS. That’s why It made me ​​a lot of joy when I caught in my paws vinyl “Monster,” and I will tell you that it was no mean feat, as in Poland, the album reached the shops with a significant delay, which was pretty annoying. Well, you see someone asleep in Universal Music Poland. Anyway, I could not wait as hell to hear at the whole of this work. I already knew well the contents of the single “HellorHallelujah”, which only sharpened my appetite for the whole album. After a great “Psycho Circus” and somewhat weaker “Sonic Boom” till the end i didn’t knew what to expect on this album. Yes, KISS never plays below a certain level, it’s 100% professionals, but sometimes even the best get weaker days. Fortunately, this time KISS climbed to the heights and gave us twelve outstanding and at the same time very catchy composition. There is no low number. You can really feel the positive energy of this album. KISS is a metal THE BEATLES, all the songs are very clearly formulated, great choruses, a lot of catchy melodies. This is an extremely versatile music which has the inexhaustible deposits of positive vibes.

It’s a cure for the blues, cloudy gray day. You have a bad time? Everything goes wrong? Listen to the “Monster”, and in a moment KISS will disperse the dark clouds! It’s great how positive way does this music to the people. On the “Monster” KISS combined elements of old and new. There are many references to classic KISS, and at the same time in a masterly way band managed to make the whole thing sound very fresh.

Anyway, as it is sometimes different for other bands, in the case of KISS, which this year celebrated its 40th anniversary, it was foreseeable that it will be per-

fect in every way and it just indeed happened. This is one of the most interesting rock and roll album last few years! Those who saw KISS during the new tour with the spider’s set design, know that despite elapsing years, the band is not slowing down, offering fans around the world breathtaking show. It is a pity that this time KISS played a few concerts in Europe, including the only one in Prague.

Leszek Wojnicz-Sianożęcki

I

LP 1985 Black Dragon

remember a time when quite often traveled several hundred miles just to get to the different exchange points of albums and get at least one interesting black disc, and it was a time when apart from the official bookstores for music in our country, there was no music stores and in these bookstores practically getting something interesting was a miracle.

As there was anything interesting there used to set the a kilometer long queue regardless of whether it was a PERFECT album, LADY PUNK or TSA not to mention the precedents such as the combined sale where to buy the Polish edition of Live After Death you had to buy a piece of junk that just arreared shelves. It does not matter that it was not the music of your kind, if you wanted to have IRON MAIDEN you had to buy some shitty music. Exchanges was the only place where you could come across something interesting, and while we were still pretty close surrounded by the Iron Curtain sometimes our music from the west managed to get through it. People with family in the West or working there brought music news. We were shocked at how much music does not reach to us, yes the Polish Radio aired CD as a whole, and it was a time when copyright laws in our country were not respected, but extreme metal did usually rarely appeared in the ether.

Torture Metal, Music of Young are some of the few programs that promoted extremes of metal further fueling our desire to meet new emerging species in then metal, and you need to know at the time such items were many a times higher than monthly salary equivalent of the average bread eater in addition were extremely difficult to obtain despite the astronomical prices. What to do, hunger was too great to worry about the fact that every penny you collected you had to put off for the next vinyl record, and when I saved some used to set up with my friends and we drove to Katowice, Wroclaw and Warsaw the local markets to buy something or to replace, ever ago accompanied by great excitement, and so it was just one of the Sundays in the year ‘86 when I took the train from Krakow to Wroclaw to after 5 hours get off and go to the exchange point in the Palace. I still remember when for the first time I had in the hands “Open The Gates”.

I did not know this band yet, but something told me that this album has

the strength, the cover was something shocking was fascinating for this I decided to take a chance and purchased this album. When we were on the train the way back, each of us boasted what he was able to get. Older colleagues confirmed my suspicions, MANILLA ROAD is a great a band. All the way back I studied the cover unable to wait to get home and hear this material. I do not know when those five hours had passed maybe for the fact that our package ran all the way through a very heated discussion about the albums that we have gained.

Often then we have set up on Friday to meet at my place and listened to music from vinyl in silence.

Everyone always brought something new and then another couple of hours we talked about these materials. We also taped up these vinyls on other because there was no chance to get everything. Also very few people could afford it. Even this day “Open The Gates” is one of the most important albums for me, not only because of the sentiment to this phenomenal album but because of the powerful force that comes from the music. Vinyl Edition of Black Dragon was released in the form of two discs 2nd disc where the disc was a 12 ep, “The Ninth Wave / witches Brew” was understandable move because the content of “Open The Gates” took more than 53 minutes and then the plates were crowded almost to 40 minutes, after years as a single pancake resumed this album German label High Roller surprisingly even quite concentrated groove on plate does not lost any of its dynamics, listen to it quite well, but i still keep in my collection first edition of “Open the Gates” in order not to overdrive to death. I often listen to music with the reissue though there is a slightly modified order of the songs and it annoys me a little. The magic of this album is all-powerful, this album has not aged one bit and even though passed almost three decades since the first edition of it. Another thing that has strengthened my belief that the three man make the most interesting bands: “MANILLA ROAD, is a trio from Wichita, since 1976, pointed the very interesting direction in the metal mainstream with each new album coming closer to crystallize a new genre of metal. MANILLA ROAD are undoubtedly an epic heavy metal pioneers, the year 1983 brought

groundbreaking album called “The Crystal Logic” yet pretty raw sounding material with considerable influence of hard rock but on the other hand carried a lot of epic nature, freshness, stylistic refinement. It should also pay attention to a significant change in the band namely after the release of “The Crystal Logic”

leaves Rick Fisher and his place gets phenomenal drummer Randy Foxe who brought to the music of MANILLA ROAD more finesse. His technique of playing sublime music to the next level. His style is full of frills highly technical, the music added a whole lot of weight so that is a kick at the same time it was not deprived of virtuosity. I think that in this case the change of drummer had a great influence on the solid skeleton of the music, which strongly solidified, it became much heavier more like heavy metal, and also very epic. Opening a whole disc Metalstrom through densely played drum parts give the whole incredible momentum going into a unique feeling Randy who with unforced lightness makes music a sizeable power. Very solid sounding, a perfect piece of barbaric climate. The next song is the title Open The Gates. This time slower with mid tempos, a lot of drama in this, the whole wrapped in a magical aura evokes images of past eons. Another hymn is one of my most favorite tracks on the album. “Astronomica” is a heavy sound and excellent guitar solos intricately woven into the whole. They are doing here overwhelming impression. This number has an incredible aura can be heard tremendous progress in the development of band that fully evolved into his own very distinctive style. From the time of “The Crystal Logic”, Mark had constant problems with his throat even though on “Open The Gates” his voice hasn’t lost momentum. Probably held a lot more effort, but the sacrifice has brought impressive results.”Whvers Of The Web” is the closing number.

Carries a lot of energy. Side B opens perfect “Heavy Metal to The World” almost MOTORHEAD intensity gives the album unbelievable kick. A true Heavy Metal anthem, full force very dynamic composition.

You can hear a lot joy of playing everything here is so lofty, guitar solo is mind blowing. It is impossible to recover. Yet pound in my mind echoes of previous compositions, and here emerges another KILLER “The Fires Of Mars” this number causes a real goose-bumps. In this work there is so much magic that flows a continuous stream of music, giving a very powerful force. “Road Of King” and this number carries a huge emotional charge and the perfect part:

D

What do you see in your minds eye?

Is it the fate of mankind to die?

Do you know or do you want to find the Road Back to the light before the dawn?

amn good piece of excellent text, closing side B. The song “Hour Of The Dragon” vibrates with the force of the impact that it is impossible to resist. With each new song “Open The Gates” takes on power, can be heard unusual chivalrous nature, it is a sinister but very lofty.

From the C side, “The Ninth Wave” is my next favorite on this album. Feels the breath of ancient battles, the echoes of knights struggle. Great acting on the imagination on this piece, complex almost 10 minute composition develops gradually gaining expression. A lot of solo performances by Mark in a very interesting way gives the whole drama. It is in this composition very much mysterious, dark moods. It feels almost palpable here, the smell of death. D side closes the sensational “Witches Brew”. I do not know if it was intentional but the 12” ep with two final numbers are the strongest accent on the album. Those are probably the most interesting compositions on the album. Entire knocks and how not to freak out at the point of MANILLA ROAD? “Open The Gates” is by far the Magnum Opus of the band. This memorable work has become a metal bible for many future generations who to this day take by the handfuls of ideas from these great metal anthems. Of course, after the “Open The Gates” MANILLA ROAD yet developed a whole lot of great music. “The Deluge” which is very close in sound and stylistically to “Open The Gates”, the next “Mystification” is also a great album. In general, any metal maniac in these 18 albums that make up the discography of the band will surely find a lot of interesting music for themselves. I like to listen also other albums of this very valuable band but still usually I come back to “Open The Gates”. This is a very magical music.

Leszek Woijnicz-Sianożęcki