TEMPLE OF PERDITION

an interview with Rob and Lauren from BITTER RESOLVE

2012-03-13T08:03:00.001-07:00

If I had to highlight a band and/or an album each month, no doubt I would have choosen BITTER RESOLVE for the month of February... Their debut album "Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning" has really had a strong impact on me over the past weeks, with this heady kind of Cosmic and Progressive Stoner/Doom.

This trio from Chapel Hill (North Carolina) like to describe their music as "free" and indeed, even if the influences of classics as Sabbath or St Vitus are predominant, it can be the exact word to underline their affection for progressive melodies and cosmic epicness ! This is truely creative stuff that deserves a wider echo immediately, so listen this awesome fuzziness and support them !

I've asked a few questions to Rob (bass) and Lauren (drums), thanx to them for this pretty interesting result...

* First, let's speak about the sound/production of the album which seems to get mixed reception... Would you change something on it or do you just think (like me) that people who don't enjoy it simply don't understand how should sound some DIY fuzzy and crushing doom stuff ?

Rob: Well, we recorded that record with our buddy, Matt Park, for free. we come from a DIY background. I like it. We like it. I think it's a good freshmen effort.

Lauren: i think it sounds good as well. i definitely want to perfect my snare sound on the next record. but other than that, i think it sounds pretty right, especially considering i had only been playing with rob and corey for a little over a month when we recorded it. also considering it was recorded in a tiny little room at matt's house, i was pleased to get what we did.

* What does the band's name represent... your state of mind towards the world you live in or anything more precise and easier to resolve ?!

R: Good question, Corey came up with the name.

Lauren: i would imagine it's pretty obvious. i think it's kind of funny though, for two reasons. one, corey is one of the happier guys i know....not jaded, very enthusiastic and optimistic. the other thing is i think i've become more bitter since i joined the band.. haha!

* What kind of deal did you get with Strengelet/Ozium rds ? This is a rather small and unknown label, are you satisfied with their work (promotion...) ? How did you come to work with ProgSphere for the promotion ?

R: We send them records, they buy them and sell them in Europe. We hooked up with Prog-Shpere online...we both liked the same sort of music. We appreciate anybody willing to lend us a hand.

* While you seem to be very much interested in astronomical sciences, the titles of your songs are rather intriguing... do they reflect this centre of interest ?

R: I have always been a bit of a nerd. I love the stars. The songs, lyrically are kind of an observation of the utter darkness that is human nature. The need to control. Lies. Violence. The need for the strong to dominate the weak, but at the same time, the search for hope. I believe there has to be some kind of light in the dark. We really could use some hope these days.

Lauren: the one regret i have in life is not becoming an astronaut.

* Is North Carolina enough in the North to be subject to aurora borealis, magnetic storm or any other particular astronomical phenomenons and/or did you ever attend any of those phenomenons in other parts of the globe (Canada...) ? I've attented an aurora borealis in Quebec in 1997 ,a magnetic storm above the sea in Nova Scotia in 99 and a solar eclipse in Normandy the same year, some of the best moments I have ever lived in harmony with nature along with watching whales or icebergs... how do you enjoy this passion and lived moments ? Did you study and/or are yo working in that branch ?

R: Man, I don't think we are far enough north to see the Northern Lights. I never have seen them...one of these days...

Lauren: i wish to witness such spectacular events one day as well. perhaps this winter.

* About the cover and the title of the album... what do they reflect and imply ?

R : The album title,"Bows and arrows against the Lightning" is a quote from H.G. Wells', The War of the Worlds. the Artilleryman is telling The Journalist about the heat ray and how nothing on Earth can stand up to it. with the image of the Earth cracking apart on the record, I imagine the inhabitants have tried to stop the inevitable, but alas, to no avail. Bows and arrows against the lightning.

* To what looks like "a day without fairies" ? Do you think that some kind of fairies or superior spiritual forces have an eye on humans to not let them destroy the earth too quickly ?!

R: Well, you know what they say.."A day without fairies, is like a day without sunshine."

Lauren: i believe that it is true that fairies are overseeing the humans. they may be disguised as good guys helping the bad guys be good.

* If in just 10 seconds you had to make the following 2 choices :

a song from the album for a compilation that would have a major diffusion, which one would it be ?

a song to remove from the album ?

R: I think our favorite song on the Record is "A day without Fairies"

Lauren: my favorite is a day without fairies too. least favorite, large hadron collider.

* What does represent the image/avatar of BITTER RESOLVE ? Pretty singularly it includes your three surnames and in bigger caracters than the band's name... why that ?

R: The logo is a riff on the NASA mission patch from ... The first manned Gemini mission launched on March 23, 1965. Though the official documentation called it Gemini-Titan 3, Gus Grissom had named the spacecraft the Molly Brown. NASA Public Relations hated it but the name was all over the newspapers after the Houston Capcom gave them the send-off, "You're on your way, Molly Brown!" The mission was a success. After Grissom and Young splashed down, Kraft went to Slayton and cut a deal. The astronauts would be in charge of the spacecraft and Mission Control would be in charge of the mission. Hunter was transferred to the Goddard Space Flight Center and became the Madrid tracking station manager during Apollo. During the post-mission debriefing, Kranz got up on the stage and gave a speech about discipline and control. Thinking back on it years later, Kranz conceded that it was a wonder that more fistfights didn't break out during the race to the moon.....we just changed the names on the patch...Also, the three of us are bigger than the band (to answer your question as to why our names are bigger than the band name). We are friends.

Lauren: i never really thought about that before, the size of our names, but i guess i would agree. band names are sort of silly. it's really about the people in the band.

* Lauren, You're a woman playing in a Doom/Stoner/psychedelic band, how do people react about that ? How do you feel behind your drums when being on stage, certainly more free from the look of others compared to a position as vocalist that could focus a lot more attention ... ? Music in general and extreme music in particular can often be considered as a kind of outlet, do you think it could be even more true for you towards your position behind the drums, you know, the need and relief to hammer... ?!

Lauren: for the most part people are pretty cool. i hope people don't think too much about the girl drummer thing. last month in athens, georgia, i had to endure an unfortunate conversation about how this guy never really accepted women playing sports or music or doing other male dominated activities. and then finally one day he had an experience that made him see that it was okay for woman to play loud music. i believe he said something like "then finally i saw this one chick playing the bass and i was shocked. i was really turned on. from then on, women playing loud music is pretty hot to me." there's nothing you can really say to fix that guy. i mean, he rejected strong women his whole life until one day he decided they were hot...come on, dude.

* Are you the kind of girl that has always been considered as a tomboy ? Do you assume a part of femininity brought to BITTER RESOLVE ?

Lauren: yes, i have always been a tomboy. i think that the amount of femininity shown when i play drums with bitter resolve is probably equal to the amount shown when i'm walking down the street. no more, no less.

* There's some nice pyschedelic/Spacey overtones in your music, are they introduced naturally or do you need a reflection to find the most particular and appropriated moments to reveal their full caracter in an overall that remains dark and crushing ?

R: The world is dark and crushing. Why not get a little spaced out?

* How has been the response to the album so far ? Outside the States, where do you get the most interest from ?

R: So far, so good. the record came out last July. we have only been together for a year. We've done a good amount of shows. we really would like to come over to Europe, I feel there is a great fan-base for what we do there.

* I've got the feeling that you don't play live that often, what about live performances ... ? Any other bands you're good friends with which you could organized a tour or something together ?

R: Actually, we play a good bit..we've done a few small tours, and a whole bunch of one-off shows. There is a great community of heavy bands here in our region. we all play shows together.

* Could you tell something about new songs ? What are the next plans for the band ?

R: Right now we are working on our second record. we have three out of six songs ready to go. we are talking about where to record, who is going to do it. I feel like now, after being together for a year, we are moving forward. I really like the new songs and I really like the new ideas for the remaining three songs. we are looking forward to getting to work on it.

* Ok, thanx a lot for your time and all the best to BITTER RESOLVE... add something you feel imporant that I may have forgotten, cheers

R: Hey man, Thank You!! We really appreciate it! Take care, and who knows...maybe we'll see you soon.

Lauren: yes, thanks so much!

https://www.facebook.com/bitterresolve

http://bitterresolve.com/

Awesome DOOM with the "s/t" demo of BALAM

2012-03-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

Shit, here's exactly the kind of DOOM stuff I actually wish to hear from a young starting band , basically Trad but cleverly enriched with other subgenres sounds !

I usually take references in the past, sometimes very distant, but this time no need to go far away, as the 3 songs presented here by BALAM remind me some recent jewels... Indeed, if "Misery Wizard" (strangely the cover present some similarities too), "In The Chapel of the Black Hand" and "The Wretch" have been among your higlights of the last 12 months, then BALAM will certainly be your new revelation in a few minutes; and if that's not your usual cup of tea, you should still give it a try and it could maybe help you to reconsiderate your position towards Trad' Doom!

It's not that BALAM have created a new genre, neither did they reinvent the codes of Trad' doom, the music is slow and crushing with nice ethereal melodies and an almost perpetual mournful mood . But they have a fuzzier (think about the most crushing moments of SLEEP, in the song "soul scour" especially) approach than anyone else in the category, also, beyond the often scary and menacing heaviness, a nice little emphasis on gloomy psychedelic overtones can be noticed, especially in the vocals which could slightly remind the dragonized Ron Rochondo himself...

I can not tell more about the band (their FB page being stingy on informations) except that this is a quintet from Rhode Island and they look pretty young ... but one thing is 100% sure, this sounds definitely awesome and extremely promising ; so download this now, it's free and top notch !!!!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/balamband

"Arising from Chaos" by CHAOS DEI

2012-03-11T04:27:00.003-07:00

I occasionally still listen Black Metal, but for almost one year that T.O.P. exists, this is the 1st time a review from a band playing this style is included... At least several good reasons for this : the album has been kindly sent to me by TotalRust rds which is really an excellent label, also the band is very original and french too ! So this is willingly that I present you this "Arising from Chaos", the debut from this duo consisting in Eurnynome (ex Hyadningar) and Turannos (ex Hyadningar and actually in Ataraxie).

I know that french bands are often highly praised or at least respected in the BM circuit and I'm sure that CHAOS DEI will make no exception to this, even if I guess their sound is quite different from most others ! Not particularly avant-gardiste or experimental as I've yet read, but with a cohesive and accomplished wish to propose something pretty singular.

Sure, this is raw with some high-speed and ripping blasts, blackened and infernal moods but it includes lots of slower moments, more melodic and delicate, doomy and eerie at times (this reminds here more obviously the presence from a member of a funeral doom/Death band...for my greatest pleasure even if it makes some songs maybe a bit too long !). I suppose that the main influences remain mostly Scandinavian (not to say Norwegian, vocally wise included) and basically the filthy sound of CHAOS DEI will undoubtely suit to most fans of the genre, they simply have to be warned that the band is not another usual copy and has got an inspiration that goes further the usual boundaries. This is very twisted and never relies on predictable structures, all this is allowed by a very developped and skilled musicianship and served by a thick and clear production....

Don't be "scared" by the BM identity, open your eyes and ears ;) more and more bands have yet understood that, for a great part, the future of music will consist in blending various musical genres in old recipes and CHAOS DEI is another different but very interesting example to prove it...

http://www.totalrust-music.com/

Southern Lord To Unleash SLEEP "Dopesmoker" Deluxe Reissue- +EuroTour dates

2012-03-10T15:37:00.002-08:00

from EarsplitPR2 : SLEEP: Southern Lord To Unleash Dopesmoker Deluxe Reissue

News of almighty proportions has landed as Southern Lord announce a deluxe reissue of one of the towering achievements in metal history, Dopesmoker by SLEEP.

For the 2012 reissue, there are some very notable changes. The original studio tapes have been remastered presenting the album as the band had originally intended. The audio is clearer, louder, and at last brings a true representation of SLEEP’s hour-plus Weedian chronicle. Exclusive to this Southern Lord edition is brand new artwork by long time SLEEP artist Arik Roper, to be unveiled in the coming weeks. Additionally, this reborn version of Dopesmoker boasts an unreleased live recording of one of the band’s best all-time performances: "Holy Mountain" from San Francisco's I-Beam in 1994.

Southern Lord is overwhelmingly ecstatic to reissue one of the most important recordings in heavy metal

history. This edition ensures that this mesmerizing, incredibly complex document remains unrivaled in the annals of stoner metal.

Dopesmoker Track Listing:
1. Dopesmoker 1:03:31
2. Holy Mountain (Live @ the I-Beam SF, CA. 1994) 11:54

Check out SLEEP’s upcoming European tour dates below...

SLEEP 2012 European Tour Dates:
4/14/2012 Roadburn Festival - Tilburg, Netherlands

5/03/2012 Asymmetry Festival - Wroclaw, Poland w/ A Storm of Light

5/04/2012 Amager Bio - Copenhagen, Denmark w/ A Storm of Light

5/05/2012 Betong - Oslo, Norway w/ A Storm of Light

5/06/2012 Strand - Stockholm, Sweden w/ A Storm of Light

5/08/2012 Tavastia - Helsinki, Finland

5/09/2012 Berghain - Berlin, Germany w/ A Storm of Light

5/10/2012 Conne Island - Leipzig, Germany w/ A Storm of Light

5/11/2012 Lucerna Music Bar - Prague, Czech Republic w/ A Storm of Light

5/12/2012 Club 202 - Budapest, Hungary w/ A Storm of Light

5/13/2012 Tvornica Kulture - Zagreb, Croatia w/ A Storm of Light

5/14/2012 Arena - Vienna, Austria w/ A Storm of Light

5/16/2012 Circolo Degli Artisti - Rome, Italy w/ A Storm of Light

5/17/2012 Fillmore Club - Cortemaggiore, Italy w/ A Storm of Light

5/18/2012 Dachstock - Bern, Switzerland w/ A Storm of Light

5/19/2012 Fzw - Dortmund, Germany w/ A Storm of Light

5/20/2012 Gagarin 205 - Athens, Greece

5/22/2012 The Arches - Glasgow, Scotland w/ A Storm of Light

5/23/2012 Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland w/ A Storm of Light

5/24/2012 Stylus - Leeds, United Kingdom w/ A Storm of Light

5/25/2012 I'll Be Your Mirror - London, United Kingdom w/ Slayer, Melvins

5/26/2012 Villette, Sonique - Paris, France

5/27/2012 Trix - Antwerp, Belgium w/ A Storm of Light

5/28/2012 Feierwerk - Munich, Germany w/ A Storm of Light

5/31/2012 Primavera Sound Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain w/ Wolves In The Throne Room

http://www.weedian.com

http://www.facebook.com/officialsleep

http://www.southernlordrecords.com

http://blog.southernlord.com
http://twitter.com/twatterlord

killer line-up for the DUBLIN DOOM DAYS chapter IV

2012-03-10T14:48:00.001-08:00

The fourth instalment of Dublin Doom Day will take place over two days next Sept 28th & 29th and the (almost complete) line-up is pretty exciting !

So far confirmed in alphabetical order:
ARGUS

ATARAXIE
BLOODY KISSES
GORILLA MONSOON
OPHIS

PANTHEIST
PROCESSION

PROCESS OF GUILT
PROFETUS
REVELATION
SOLSTICE
THE VEIL
THE WOUNDED KINGS
URFAUST
WAR IRON
WEED PRIEST

Tickets available from Into The Void Records (Dublin) now. And online from www.tickets.ie

There will be many other events announced around the city concerning all things Doom between Thursday and Sunday of that weekend too including Doom Over Brux III (https://www.facebook.com/events/344096018945694/?context=create) on Thursday night.

s/t Demo 2012 by VALVE

2012-03-09T09:11:00.002-08:00

Formed by the end of 2010 around Côme (guit), Alexandre (guit), Barth (bass), Colin (drums) and Anthony (voc/keyboards), VALVE present here their debut demo/ep recorded in January this year...

Oh sure, just a bit more than one year could seem rather short to get a true original sound, but those guys played live regularly which manifestly helped them to create a very cohesive and running-well overall; they're young but don't lack of ideas and honestly I don't see any too obvious influences. Another thing that prove their motivation and seriousness is their pressbook, especially considering the age of the band, this is simply the most complete and informative I've ever seen.

5 songs which reveal an interesting rising identity that skilfully covers in fact quite many forms of extreme underground stuff, between Sludge crudeness, post HC coldness and refinement, Doomed heaviness, Stoner Rock grooviness (the great "siren") and even some hints of Industrial straightness !!! This is not extremely brutal but sufficiently powerful and heavy, also not too refined in a perpetual search of aestheticism; no, VALVE have just simply created multiple moods for a maximum of catchiness !

This rich mixture doesn't really include any typical METAL sounds, or just sligthly in some harsh riffage ("O' Alquemista"), something which is too often systematic and/or sometimes inappropriated... I don't see any major defaults in this thick and homogeneous blend, maybe the vocals could be a bit more nuanced in the quietest moments but those rasping screams fit well with most parts.

This is certainly not hazardous to promise them a brighter future; so give them a deserved chance and go now on their Bandcamp page ! You can either download this 30 minutes effort for free or buy the CD (digipack) for 8 €...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/VALVE/127363763944666

<a href="http://valve.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-demo-2012">S/t Demo 2012 by VALVE</a>

UFOMAMMUTian Q&A with Urlo and Vita

2012-03-08T07:19:00.002-08:00

As you probably already know the extraterrestrial heaviness of the new UFOMAMMUT record will be unleashed upon us next month. Partially, so it can be more fun. They promise something very different from their previous recordings and I’m pretty much inclined to believe that this could very well be another masterpiece from the Italian doom magicians. The new baby is called “Oro”, its first part, “Oro: Opus Primum” will be released in the UK on April 9th, throughout the rest of Europe on April 13th, and in North America on April 17th. The second one “Oro: Opus Alter” will come out somewhere in September.

The very kind Urlo and Vita shared few thoughts on the album and things of life. And I’m especially excited about hearing the new UFOMAMMUT material. What about you?

Congratulations on your signing with Neurot Recordings! What it is that you couldn’t achieve through Supernatural Cat that made you think of another label and eventually sign with them? What will change in the way you’re doing things?

Vita: I think that it won't change our way to see and play music, we are just trying to collaborate with Neurot because they seemed us really interested in UFOMAMMUT's music.

Urlo: We're still under Supernatural Cat too, because two of us are into Malleus that runs the label.

And the vinyl versions of “Oro” will be out via Supernatural Cat.

We received a lot of requests from different labels after “Eve” came out, some bigger and some smaller then Neurot and Supernatural Cat, but we thought Neurot was the right one for trying a new experience. We totally respect what they did till now and viceversa.

UFOMAMMUT was the official NEUROSIS support on their European tour in summer 2011. Did the Neurot proposal to sign you came as a result of this tour or they approached you before that?

Vita: We knew Steve Von Till before, probably that tour has been a kind of test, we had fun with NEUROSIS and, I hope, they had fun too...Maybe he just wanted to see better UFOMAMMUT on stage, for more concerts and not only a single show.

Urlo: It's been a great experience and the consequence of Neurot's coming in touch with us for a possible record with them.

Was it a difficult step for you, are you going to lose some of your independency as a band?

Vita: I don't think so because they are musicians since many years, they know what means making music or touring. I think we won't have problems.

Urlo: We're with Neurot, not Universal....... and to be UFOMAMMUT we need to do what we want and I guess this is clear at Neurot's headquarter:-)

You say that the two parts of “Oro” should be considered as one whole, why did you decide to split it in two?

Urlo: It's been a choice, since the beginning. We've started in working around some riffs to build “Oro”, we tried to create a weave of recurring parts, always different, tough. In this new record you'll hear parts coming back changing in a continuos growing and melting. We knew it was a very long work and that the result would have been a very very long record. So we thought about Kill Bill, the genious idea of splitting the movie in two parts and we said: will it work with music too? I think it'll be great to finish first record imagining what will come next. And make sure it'll be quite difficult to do cause the two records are, even if the same track, pretty different.

There is a wonderful description of what “Oro” is on your site. Do you believe that people are able to find a way to control their fears and that fears can be turned into gold? This Gold that is made of fears - could it be something positive?

Urlo: Humans have always kept their fears to transform them in power, to build their own world. Think about fire, think about wind, about water, the elements: things that are apparently destructive and we now control to live a better life (at least it should be).

And into a more philosophical way, we forge our souls from our fears.

That description I mentioned is great but very abstract one. Could you say something about the actual sounding of “Oro”? Explain heaviness and evil.

Urlo: It'a a different approach to music, we worked a lot and a lot on layering and heaviness, trying to create dense atmospheres even in the slower clean parts.

Then we tried to work a lot with the riffs, changing them to use them again in different parts of the record for creating, with the same ones, totally different parts.

It's been cool to work on the building process and we've done a very different record, expecially “Opus Alter” is a new path in our song writing.

Who’s the main rhymester in UFOMAMMUT? Do you pay special attention to the meaning of your lyrics or you just make them fit as a sound to the general flow of the music?

Urlo: It's me. Sure, our lyrics have a meaning, maybe not clear, but they have it. They have to be a part of the music, but at the same time they need to have a meaning. I like to use vocals as an instrument, that's why I use several effects on my mic.

Urlo and Poia are both part of the Malleus Rock Art Lab that creates some incredibly good images for people to enjoy. Vita is also a very talented jewellery artist. I know this is a stupid question but if you had to choose between music and visual arts what would it be for you?

Vita: Personally there is nothing better than music for my life, jewellery gave me and still gives me money for living, my hometown was the best on earth for jewellery so was very easy finding a job on that field but, I repeat; there is nothing better than making music and play on stage, no drugs, no substances, no sex, nothing..

Urlo: Malleus and UFOMAMMUT come from the same roots and they're linked in music.

I need them both to be myself. I'd be a mutilated guy without one of them.

Images of women obviously play a big role in the Malleus art. Why is it so? What kind of women are they?

Urlo: Our female form is the representation of Beauty. They're strong women, powerful ones, not nice chicks.

Vita, can you tell me something more about the jewellery you create? Will you still be doing it when you all become mega stars?

Vita: Mega stars. LOL.. When I quit school I've started that job, as I already said, before this big crisis, was really easy working on it, every one in my family was into jewellery but we've never been rich even if my dad had a lab.

Anyway I like sculpting pieces of wax 'till making rings, or pendants or whatever because it's a part of my life. And probably yes, I will make it even if we'll become mega stars because I think to be good on this job.. But playing music is another thing.

You recorded “Idolum”, “Eve” and now “Oro” with the sound engineering of Lorenzo Stecconi who is also a member of LENTO. You are obviously happy with his work and LENTO is an amazing band. Could you describe recording and playing live “Supernaturals: Record One” with LENTO? I bet it is a mind blowing experience both for the bands and the audience…..

Vita: Lorenzo is very talented on his job and he knows perfectly what we want and what is our idea about music. And we are friends so everything becomes easy.

We played the first time all together in Rome, we thought it would have been tough having 8 person on stage but in the end everybody was satisfied (and personally I was proud) and the crowd too I guess.

Is there going to be “Supernaturals: Record Two” any time soon?

Vita: Who knows, we'll see..

Urlo: There's some ideas, let's see!

Big companies from the music industry are complaining of the decrease of the music sales. I would suggest that one of the reasons is it has become more industry and less music. How a boutique label like Supernatural Cat manages to survive in the present market situation? What are your observations – do people still buy music?

Urlo: I've always thought that the main important thing is quality.

Record Industries and big labels are in a huge crisis because they've started a politic of crap music, quantity of useless music to raise more money. So people started in downloading music that has no value.

As Supernatural Cat we've noticed that people is buying music, cause what we offer is Quality. It's simple.

Thank you very much for your time! Is there something I didn’t ask but you really need to share with the world?

Urlo: Apart from our music? Nope, see You on the road!

http://www.ufomammut.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ufomammut/31142261935

*** interview by Vania***

LIVE report BARABBAS / TBDLB / THE WOUNDED KINGS - Rennes 03/06/2012

2012-03-07T09:56:00.001-08:00

This date was awaited by everyone there for some long months... Tuesday evening in Rennes, the venue is the legendary r'n'r bar "le Mondo Bizarro" where a few thousand underground bands from all over the planet played throughout the years... Don't know what to expect in terms of audience; people arrive generaly late but tonight even more than ever ; about 50 entrances isn't that bad even if not enough for the accounts of Blood Rites Assoc, but the evening will reveal itself as highly memorable and that's the most essential for everyone !!!

BARABBAS starts at about 9:00 and is gonna quickly blow a few minds away with this very crushing and powerful metallic DOOM leaded by their charismatic singer Rodolphe... He often comes among the fans and lives the 45 minutes allowed very intensely, giving 150% of his physical possibilities (yet largely above the average when you look at the beast !), of course other members are more reserved, extremely concentrated for what was their 1st gig outside the Parisian area but very efficient and tight in the whole interpretation of the debut release. Ronan from HUATA comes as a special guest and delivers a memorable vocal duo with Rodolphe on "Ressuscité"... An excellent surprise was to listen a new song "le couteau et l'âbime", too bad we couldn't hear the vocals in the first part but this is their most doomier and heady composition so far and gives many nice promises for the upcoming album !

THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND then arrives for another excellent performance of about 45 minutes. Starting with the amazing "Blood for the Bloodking" which puts you immediately into their so original and complete Trad' Doom, again leaded by the very impressive Ben on vocals... I was particularly curious and excited to see them live after quite a few years of regular listening and their performance went largely further my expectations, they can be so Slow and Heavy, then so Groovy and unrestrained ! Two new songs are included in the set, which is not so surprising considering the 2nd album came out in 2008, but that promises here again another major release of French Doom within the next months :) If you're from Switzerland or Denmark, watch out for them at upcoming gigs with Solstice (sw) and at the Metal Magic Fest, this band is oustanding LIVE and must be seen at least once in a life !

Time for a break backstage where I don't really pay attention to time passing while having very funny and interesting moments speaking with Bottle Ben ! Shit, THE WOUNDED KINGS are already playing for a little while when I come downstairs again, hopefully I will see them again at Roadburn next month... But I get immediately crushed by their music which takes a deeper dimension on stage. Vocals are bit too much in back but Sharie imposes herself as a very captivating frontwoman and hypnotize easily fans who still need some attention to enjoy as deserved the crushingness of Steve and his buddies (especially the virtuosity of his solos and the tightness of drumming)... This was definitely too short, indeed with time being too late and even if the owner of the bar allow to go over the planed hour, the set is a bit reduced ! No "encore" but a great success and many smiles last a long long time, which at the end of a Doom gig is even more revealing than anywhere else ;)

Time to have some more drinks and cool discussions now, too bad the bar has to quickly close and TWK leave shortly after; but still a few minutes to speak alternatively to Steve, Jim and Sharie who are very friendly people, humble, accessible and passionated... you fucking ruled !

The french Doomed hordes (BARABBAS, TBDLB, myself, Ronan from Huata and his girlfriend, plus of course the Blood Rites team) finally gathered all their remaining forces at Maryline's basement, we all get more and more alcoholized and/or Stoned, laughs and various cries become more and more intense... I still wonder how deaf and/or cool are all her neighboors for not having called the police at about 4:00 am !!! Thanx to you all for all those memorable moments (musically and humanly) and wish to share some more again with a part of you next month at Roadburn !!!

"Ravage and Conquer" by IMPIETY

2012-03-06T08:41:00.001-08:00

There's not so many DM bands from the late 80's / early 90's which have held the line against all odds, IMPIETY is one of those rare bands, totally blameless in their choices and evolution. Having regularly released stuff throughout the years, toured intensively Asia, Europe and last year (for the 1st time) North America and Mexico... IMPIETY didn't change too much basically but improved considerably their musicianship, reinforcing from effort to effort the thickness and technicality of their uncompromised fast and ferocious DM... I read here and there people who classify them systematically in Black or War Metal, if you just look at the cover, their look and lyrics that could of course give this (reducing) impression, but that's something I don't really agree with, IMPIETY being musically far more rich and technical than your usual WM band !

Honestly I didn't follow all the carreer of the band, this "ravage and conquer" being their 8th album, but from all I've heard ( this is the 4th album I own), we've got here easily the best effort from the trio. Extremely raw and shredding, the evil DM of IMPIETY takes also roots in blackened Thrash, think about Possessed or Sarcofago; but globally in fact it sounds to my ears like an oustanding mix of Morbid Angel's "altars of madness" and Revenant's "prophecies of a dying world!!! If you dig both these masterpieces , believe me you'll lose your shit when you hear "ravage and conquer" which could become a timeless classic,

It's maybe strange to write this but those 8 ripping songs refreshed my soul to death metal with old recipes... Based on fast and ripping up-tempos with agressive and nasty vocals, either Azagthothian or thrashy riffs, jackhammer drumming, lacerating as fuck technical solos. The production is perfectly heavy, but still clear enough to enhance each musician skillness.

A great part of the songs tend to be on the longer side for death metal with the longest ones at a bit more than 8 minutes including the enormous "weaponized" which could represent the best IMPIETY if we had to choose just one song as anthem. IMPIETY never runs out of steam or ideas, this album yet and their next European tour with ABSU should confirm it !

http://www.pulverised.net/

https://www.facebook.com/impietyofficial?sk=app_2405167945

EXCLUSIVE song on streaming + announcement from ICE DRAGON about their 3rd album "Tome of the Future Ancients" !!!

2012-03-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here's an exclusive announcement from ICE DRAGON about their upcoming 3d album, thanx to Joe and Ron for this amazing write-up !!!

To Whom It May Concern

I recently discovered the manuscript while rambling in the woods with my dog. It was a few weeks shy of the vernal equinox, and the fine ends of the trees had just begun to show green. My hound had left me alone on the trail to go nose about the scrub—and possibly ferret out something living to eat—when suddenly I heard him calling. I found him pawing furiously at the ground in front of a weird tree with a huge trunk and massive branches sprouting low. Its bark was hard as granite and almost blue in color. My dog ceased his digging and looked at me, seemingly imploring me to dig further. I loosened the soil with my knife and continued the excavation until I struck something hard: it was a bound volume bearing the engraving “Tome of the Future Ancients by Ice Dragon." Inside, the leaves were filled with inscrutable symbols, ritualistic diagrams, and illustrations of strange flora and fauna. Even the must that invaded my nose as I turned the pages was alien.

What had I found?

Once home, I began to research and quickly discovered that there was a musical entity named Ice Dragon who worked in a basement not far from where the book had been. I contacted them to see if they had hidden it as some sort of promotional stunt. When I mentioned the engraving on the front, there was a pregnant pause on their end of the line. They assured me they had no knowledge of the book. However, what they revealed next gave me pause:

They had just completed their third album, and it was titled "Tome of the Future Ancients". It was to be released on the day of the equinox. Sure enough, this turned out to be true.

By now, I was almost certain they were simply in the business of creating hype. There was no doubt they were responsible for the creation and burying of the book. Or so I was convinced, until carbon dating proved ineffective, and my academic peers who specialize in cryptography responded to my inquiries with blank looks.

Then, quite simply, the book vanished. One day it was in my study, and the next it was gone. Perhaps one of my colleagues grew jealous of my discovery and stole it; perhaps the woman who cleans my house disposed of it in fear upon opening it. Truthfully? I’m almost relieved it is gone for I hadn’t experienced a restful night since bringing it into my home. My dreams were black, and my dog would bay at the threshold of the room that held the damned book.

For now, the only Tome of the Future Ancients by Ice Dragon available for study is this one. May it always be so.

-Professor Cepheus Hallow-

That's too bad about his dog.

Anyway for this album, we just gathered some guitars and amps, and drums and beers and stuff and kicked out the jams in the basement. Still using the old Tascam 4-track and a computer from 1999 (no joke). It's the Ice Dragon you know- heavy as a mountain, light as a dying breath- but we also expanded our palette as the nerds say, those with sharps ears will hear sitar, Mellotron, bowed bass, more synths and other aural goodies this time out. We made a microphone from a coffee can and a boomobx speaker, sang through oatmeal containers, recorded outside in a gentle rain, twiddled knobs on the fly while mixing, drank whiskey, lit peanuts and french fries on fire and spilled beer on everything. We 're really excited about the album. We think it's our best and most cohesive statement ever.and we hope it hearkens backto time when listening to an album was a journey. It's a double, twelve songs, across four sides .

1 Manuscript 408
2 NATIAIWS
3 Man Sitting in a Field of Green Grass

4 Illuminations Foretold
5 Steal away from Hell
6 Astronomical Union

7 The Black Book of Hours
8 Night
9 Crystal Countdown into Alpha

10 The Bearted MAge
11 Adoration of Ra
12 Infinitre Requiem

That's "Tome of the Future Ancients" - we suggest playing it loud, in the dark, for maixum efect.

Ron adds : " We are planning to release the album on the Spring Equinox, March 20th, 2012. It will be released on our Bandcamp first, and is being later being put out on vinyl by Yersinia Pestis Records. The bandcamp download will be "pay-what-you-want" again, like our other albums. We don't have the cover art yet, but will for the release on the 20th."

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ice-Dragon/59570859070

http://icedragon.bandcamp.com/

(if you haven't got both first albums of I.D., you should be blamed !!! but now they kindly offer you the possibility to repair your mistake with "name your price" downloads... hurry up before the killer new album ;) Ron has sent me a song named "Manuscript 408" which is simply awesome, judge by yourselves, enjoy and be ready for THE highlight of the Spring...

Taste "nightclaw" - new song by FELLWOODS for the split 7'' with Ice Dragon

2012-03-05T10:12:00.004-08:00

This is the FELLWOODS track for the upcoming split 7" with Ice Dragon on At War With False Noise Records... enjoy !

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://fellwoods.bandcamp.com/track/nightclaw"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Nightclaw by Fellwoods&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fellwoods/289206384456824

MUDGATE presents: MudTourFest 2012 (the sludge/stoner/doom meeting) and more

2012-03-05T02:13:00.001-08:00

MUDGATE is pleased to announce the final schedule of MudTourFest 2012 (the sludge/stoner/doom meeting) featuring CULTURA TRES (Ven), PENDEJO (NL), BANDA DE LA MUERTE (ARG) and UNDERSMILE (UK).The Netherlands has the chance to experience this unique combination of South American, British and Dutch sludgy heaviness and stoner riffage on the following dates:

March 28th - Winston Kingdom, Amsterdam (Cultura Tres and Banda de la Muerte)
March 29th - The Stage, Arnhem (Cultura Tres/ Pendejo/ Banda de la Muerte/ Undersmile)
March 30th - So What, Gouda (Cultura Tres/ Pendejo/ Banda de la Muerte/ Undersmile)
March 31st - De Spot, Middelburg (Cultura Tres/ Pendejo/ Banda de la Muerte/ Undersmile)
April 1st - Azijnfabriek, Roermond (Cultura Tres/ Pendejo/ Banda de la Muerte/ Undersmile)

Details on the venues and directions can be found on the official MUDGATE page (www.mudgate.nl/), as well as on the event page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/253003388119334/)

Some more show dates that are not to miss if you are around:

April 5th - Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham UK - CULTURA TRES and BANDA DE LA MUERTE are sharing the stage with Stone Axe, Alunah, Stubb and Trippy Wicked in the International Powerhouse of DOOM! evening.
Apr 8th - CULTURA TRES will make its appearance on the first edition of DesertFest London
May 13th - Perron 55, Venlo, The Netherlands PENDEJO are playing a gig with Karma To Burn.

And last but not least, before joining the MudTourFest, UNDERSMILE will play a mini UK tour with Conan, Serpent Venom and Grimpen Mire on the following dates: 23rd at The Alma, Bolton; 24th at The Black Heart, Camden London and 26th at The Croft, Bristol.

For more information on tour dates and booking information head out to the bands' pages:
Cultura Tres: http://www.culturatres.com/
Banda de la Muerte: http://www.bandadelamuerte.com/
Pendejo: http://www.pendejoband.com
Undersmile: http://www.undersmile.co.uk/; http://www.future-noise.co.uk/

"Tales of Addcition and Despair" by BLOOD RED WATER

2012-03-04T12:23:00.001-08:00

"Tales of Addiction and Despair", here's a title track that sweetly smells filthy, smoky and doomy ! The style of this italian quartet from Venice reflects this for a great part but not only...

If there's some bands to refer to when speaking about BLOOD RED WATER I would think priorly to old american precusors like EYE HATE GOD and BUZZOV'EN, means a basically raw SLUDGE with crushing mid-tempos, harsh vocals, groovy guitars and rumbling bass. But the band stands sometimes between various genres including Stoner à la FU MANCHU ("avoid the relapse"), Doom ("ungod"), Punk'n roll with catchy riffs ("modern slave blues"), this always with that filthy and dissonant tone which is pretty interesting; even in the quieter moments they don't especially refine things with melodies, no they just give a little point of air and light, but the tormented heaviness is never far, ready to strike again with force and grooviness...

One of the most remarkable quality of B.R.W. concerns the singing by Michele, he has a very wide register of expression, from angered and filthy to more obscure and emotional, while being always throaty, tasty and understandable... Another thing to be noticed is the production which is really well balanced and thick, considering this is just a debut ep, it helps to give immediately a very mature and complete vision of the band's identity... which is very promising !

Nothing more special to add, this is again a great discovery, you really should not miss this band, so go now on bandcamp and download this great debut for free (a physical DIY release should be available soon).

https://www.facebook.com/bloodredwater

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bloodredwater.bandcamp.com/album/tales-of-addiction-and-despair"&amp;amp;gt;Tales of addiction and despair by blood red water&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

one Month before a new extensive Tour, interview with THE GRAND ASTORIA

2012-03-03T08:36:00.001-08:00

Here's a short interview with Kamille the head-thinking behind THE GRAND ASTORIA, one of the most original and musical STONER band from this planet... From effort to effort, this Russian band has developped a unique style, basically Stoner but more and more diverse with mainly Psychedelic/Space Rock but also Heavy Metal touches, often unpredictable but always extremely twirling, tight, refined and inspired.

Their 3rd album "Omnipresence" had already shown a great development in that sense but their ep "Caesar Enters the Palace of Doom" is again a big step further and their intense activity (live or in studio) will soon lead to great new efforts as you'll read it below... Also you have to know that THE GRAND ASTORIA will soon start another extensive tour across Europe, check out the dates and support this top-notch band !

Ok Kamille thanx for answering the following questions... First, you who are almost exclusively into DIY stuff, I would like to know how did it happen that you released this nice ep on Setalight rds ?

Hello Stephane!Thank you too for contacting me!We released it via Setalight because these guys support independent music seem very nice and friendly)Of cos we want to go to the bigger level as a band ,so maybe it's our first step for us.Let's see..This 7 inch is still available on Setalight.com

ok, you already had guests on previous albums but on this ep, there's even more with seven guys sharing the other instruments and another guy doing backing vocals... Were they all special guests ? What about Farid and Nick that where playing on the 3rd album "omnipresence" ? What's the exact actual line-up of the band ?

The lineup is me and Igor (second guitarist).The process is like this:I write all the song then show it to Igor,he also starts thinking about some details he can add.Than we seek the drummer and bassist which are free at the moment and can help us with the recording.After all is done,we can add some keyboards or harmonica or additional vocals.We just ask our friends to do this.Unfortunately we don't have a constant lineup since December 2010,no one can afford to go on tours as much as we want..so we are just searching for the new guys before each tour.

Is this the fact of being so often on the road which implies that your line-up will be always evolutive, with you and Igor as permanent members and then other guys coming in and out or is it the only way you like to work for the band ?

Actually we want to find permanent guys!We want to develop as a band.But as I said no one wants to change their stable way of life for something very dangerous and unpredictable.There are no guarantees that we won't end our lives as hobos haha)But it's funny and I enjoy it.They are all pussies and cowards..Anyway,the band is me and Igor!

That's clearer now... on your FB page it's written that you live in Lisboa, isn't it St Petersburgh your basis ?!!

I don't feel that I live in St.Petersburg ;) I spent 180 days of 2011 abroad.So I prefer to be a citizen of the world.Lisbon..well,it's just one of my favourite cities.I hope to live there one day...

And it's gonna be certainly the same in 2012, you've lots of dates programmed within the next months, could you tell more about that please ? do you get some help to settle all these dates around Europe ? Any new countries visited ?

We will visit Finland,Norway,Denmark and Belgium for the first time with the band.We will be on the road since 3.4 til 10.6.This is big two-months tour again.Now we have 28 shows confirmed but I bielive that there will be 40-50 again.Many bands help us with gigs in their cities,we don't have any permanent booker.I do it all by myself.It's a hard job,but no regrets here.It's just the part of our path)Our schedule is always available at our myspace's tour section http://www.myspace.com/thegrandastoria/shows

What about new songs composed, when can we expect the release of the 4th album ? do you intend to work again with Setalight rds ?

Now we are recording 16 new tracks for different goals.One 20-minute song will probably appear one the 12' vinyl split with one cool band.It will happen in July I hope.It will be released via Setalight again.Then we have a new 7 inch in mind too.And 13 tracks are going be included on our forthcoming record..I can't speak about the dates cos it's always hard to forsee all the difficulties around..There will be few instrumentals as always..and it will be a concept record)

About which subject this concept ? What about this strange title of the ep and the wonderful cover ?

The concept : Mix the story of Club 27 with attempts to find Buddha in your soul and you'll be close to understanding))It's very personal and it's hard to describe what the songs are about..you will listen.The same with "Caesar Enters The Palace Of Doom".I want it to be some sort of mystery,just imagine all details by yourself and it will be the best solution.The cover art was made by Sophia Miroedova,our constant designer and artist and good friend o'mine.

If you're ok, could you tell me your opinion about the elections in Russia ? how is the society evoluting in general (economical crisis, financial scandals, mafia, etc...) ? Does like everywhere the gap between rich and poor becomes bigger fand bigger ?

As for elections..I am really tired of these gallons of shit in the internet from both sides.Now it's hard to see who's good and who's bad.But I think that it's time for a change.We should try another direction.But I really don't want to discuss it cos I am not specialist in this field.Either way my opinion is that 12 years is enough for one person to rule the country,he has to go.I don't feel all this crisis stuff cos I don't have any job..I am just playing music and trying to earn my living with it.

Could you tell us a bit about the russian bands you like the most ?Is there a good solidarity within the scene ?

There are lots of great bands in Russia in different genres!You should check Vespero (psychedelic/space rock),Huun Huur Tu (folk),ПТВП (punk),Психея (alternative rock) and many others!For stoner/doom scene just go to stonerrock.ru! Not so many people are attending our shows in native country... unfortunately.That's the reason we are touring that much abroad!

Thanx for the interview!

http://thegrandastoria.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000842024585#!/TheGrandAstoria

Omnipresence Tour 2012
final shows
4.4 - Tallinn (EE) - Kodu Baar
5.4 - Lahti (FIN) - Pitka Pub
6.4 - Helsinki (FIN) - Lepakkomies Baari
10.4 - Turku (FIN) - V.R.Studio
12.4 - Gavle (SWE) - CC Puben
14.4 - Stockholm (SWE) - Hellbar
17.4 - Oslo (NOR) - Betong
18.4 - Gothenburg (SWE) - Club Doo
19.4 - Aalborg (DK) - Rock Cafeen
20.4 - Aarhus (DK) - Monorama
21.4 - Berlin (DE) - Astra
22.4 - Sokolov (CZ) - Metaxa
25.4 - Osnabruck (DE) - Big Buttinsky
27.4 - Vaals (NL) - Cafe't Vereinshoes
28.4 - Solingen (DE) - Waldmeister e.V
4.5 - Luckenwalde (DE) - Alhambra
5.5 - Potsdam (DE) - Spartacus
6.5 - Berlin (DE) - Antje Öklesund
7.5 - Zwolle (NL) - Popfront
9.5 - Zwolle (NL) - Eureka
10.5 - Leiden (NL) - Cab03
11.5 - Hengelo (NL) - Cerebrus
12.5 - Leeuwarden (NL) - Mukkes
13.5 - Leuven (BE) - Rock Cafe
15.5 - Paris (FR) - Les Combustibles
18.5 - Toulouse (FR) - tba
22.5 - Rome (IT) - Sinister Noise
27.5 - Budapest (HU) - Roham
9.6 - St.Petersburg (RU) - Gazgolder
10.6 - Moscow (RU) - Art Garbage

MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!!

Check : http://www.myspace.com/thegrandastoria

interview with Ewenn from TOTEM CAT Rds

2012-03-02T14:09:00.001-08:00

Ok, even if I hope that it's just a beginning, there's a real and palpable evolution concerning the situation of French DOOM bands lately but what about labels ? Nothing really exciting honestly, looks like things have been completely invertsd compared to the 90's where we had several excellent underground labels and almost no competitive bands (not only speaking about doom, but also death and black metal)... Now there's more and more bands that deserve interest but almost all those labels are completely out of breath (for various reasons...) and new ones are very confidential or simply not too interesting, this until a few months ago when TOTEM CAT RECORDS saw the light of day !

First release was (last month) the 1st album of STONEHELM, the re-released 1st ep of EARTHRIDE with live bonus songs will follow next month... ain't that a killer and highly promising debut from Ewenn Padovan ? I asked this extremly kind and motivated guy a few questions about his first months in the business and future plans that don't lack at all... Support the cat !!!

- On your FB page, the existence of TOTEM CAT is dated from Sept. 2010 while your first release just came out in February 2012, was this date in fact the moment you definitely decided to set up the project ?

In fact I bought my first batch of vinyls in September 2010, I wanted to do this for a long time, but it's really the first stock of Lp's that made it real.

- How has it been going for the formalities and all that administrative shit ? Did you get any special help for the contractual business and copyrights ?

Right now I'm out of all that shit you mentionned, I'd like to stay far from it as long as possible, even though I'll have to deal with it at some point. If the "releasing process" gets a little bit more active, I'll have to take this in consideration.

- I know your are not working under a society form but like an 'auto-entrepreneur" or at least a status which implies that you aren't submited to VAT... it seems to be a problem towards some big companies you wanna work with but that don't consider you enoguh seriously just for this point ... What can you do to face this frustrating situation ? Logically, if the activity increases reasonnably in the future, this status will change, how do you see your business evoluting with time ?

At the beginning it's been pretty hard not to have a VAT number, because you're really limited when you have to get records from bigger labels, most of them won't sell you anything, a lot of them won't even answer your mails. Fuck them. There are tons of good small labels which are selling killer records at a way more decent price. In fact there are so many records I'd like to distribute that it's probably better this way! I'm trying to get stuff directly from the bands, as much as I can. I'm thinking about Bongripper for instance, those guys handle most of their releases themselves, same thing for the first two Wo Fat records on CD.

- I know you've a strong passion for cats but how did you come up with that name of TOTEM CAT rds ? Bulldog or Pitbull are sometimes used for HC or Rap bands as a kind of symbol, did you think that a cat could be the best animal to represent DOOM ?

When I started in 2010 it was originally named "The Outer Limits Records". Not quite original I know, but I really wanted to pay tribute to Voivod, which is my favorite band.

Finally I changed it for Totem Cat, I wanted something not metal-related, but the real reason is, I'm a cat freak, the Totem Cat logo is actually inspired by my own hairy comrades.

Back in the days Man's Ruin Records also used a cat for their logo.

I think that every genre could be easily represented by an animal. If I had sold mostly Sludge stuff, it would probably have been Totem Hyena ha ha.

- You start the label rather slowly in terms of quantity of releases but in terms of quality this is pretty impressive with STONEHELM and EARTHRIDE... Will you always try to follow this policy, with maybe a bit more frequent process of release though ?

Thank you! I'll try to keep the same policy like you said. The main issue that keeps the releasing process kinda slow is money, I have tons of bands I'd like to work with.. I guess it is the same for every small label. But I just cannot afford multiple releases at the same time right now. If everything goes well there should be only two months between the releasing of the Stonehelm album & the Earthride reissue, so things should be moving a little bit faster. Two other records should come out around this Summer, and another one is planned for the end of the year, the most ambitious one, which should come out on 2xLP.

All bands you're actually working with or going to work with, are americans... do you have a preference for this scene or it just happened this way and where the bands are coming from is absolutely not important for you ? Just like me for T.O.P., do you feel that yankees have a particular affection for Totem Cat rds, something palpable even if hard to explain ?

It's not really important, it just turned out this way, in fact the other bands I should work with later this year are also american, but I never really thought about it before! Can't really say if Totem Cat is most appreciated anywhere in particular, I guess it's just too soon to tell.

- What kind of Doom stuff do you prefer ? weed scented Doom as you described Stonehelm ? which releases did you particularly enjoy so far in 2012 ?

I'm into any kind of Doom, except Funeral stuff, and I've never been that much into Drone either, this is just not for me. I'm particulary enjoying Doom bands with a Punk vibe, that's the way I like it I guess.

So far this year I really enjoyed the new Orange Goblin, never got disapointed with them. The Hooded Menace/Horse Latitudes is pretty cool as well, can't wait to hear that new Hooded Menace album. The Wino & Conny Ochs album is also great, as well as the Christian Mistress record. The new Corrosion Of Conformity is killer, 'The Doom' is definitely one of my new favorite songs.

Another album I was waiting for a long time is the new one from The Senseless, it's called "The Floating World". Always loved the happy feeling that goes with this Grindcore band.

New St Vitus, 16 & Unsane, and High On Fire records coming soon as well, 2012 is turning out fantastic.

- So are things turning out great about the upcoming re-edition of EARTHRIDE ep with bonus live trax ? What about the planed spilt ep with EARTHRIDE again and WO FAT ?

I just got some fresh news, the artwork is almost done, Tony Roberts has done something trully amazing and I'm really looking forward to read people's reactions to it. In one word "Motoreaper".

There will be two live bonus tracks on it, one song is taken from Vampire Circus, the other one from Something Wicked.

I talked to Kent from Wo Fat recently, he told me that they already started work on their song. Each band should record a song exclusively for that split. My good friend Flog should handle the artwork, you can check out his work here

- Another band that you plan to release is NAPALM CHRIST, some kind of doomed grindcore very different from the other bands already mentioned... could you present them please and what kind of release(format) is it going to be ?

Like you said it's some kind of doomed to death grindcore with some sludge influences. I heard them firstly because it was related to Rwake, Kiffin Rodgers, one of the guitarist from Rwake also plays in NC, that's how I got into them. They are currently recording songs, 3 of them will probably be featured on a split CD alongside another or maybe two bands. A comic book freak should do the cover, it's gonna be pure evil.

Once again I'm waiting for some confirmations, but I can't wait to tell a little bit more about it!

- You live in Brest, the most western town from France... it's a nice area but pretty rainy & isolated from the rest of the country even from other parts of Brittany, don't you feel like moving out from there sometimes ?

There's nothing much to do here, and there's absolutely no doom scene, that's maybe why I decided to create Totem Cat... I spend most of my free time in Paris, that's where I originally come from, and where I intend to go back soon.

- What about the distribution list, any great news lately ? did it help you to start the activities and save money for the label releases ? you told me that you deal with quite many other labels, is the trade system between labels more than ever practised and ain't that sometimes too restrictive ?

I haven't saved much money with the distribution, but I really want to have other things than the Totem Cat titles for sale, cos when shipping charges are so damn high, it's really important that people can get other stuff to balance the shipping costs I guess.

However I'm not into trading stuff, if I really want to sell a record I'd rather buy it from the label.

I have a few things coming for the distro list, I should get some copies of the Satan Worshipping Doom album by Bongripper on 2xLP, new album from Black Breath & some copies of Flower Of Disease from Goatsnake, & the new Saint Vitus album coming in April, that's all for now, more stuff in stock probably around summer.

- You're going to Roadburn in april, have you already planed to meet great friends and which bands are you the most impatient to see on stage ?

Like I said Stéphane, I'm not sure I will be able to come to the Roadburn, but if I do, both Voivod sets are my top priority. Also looking forward to see The Obsessed, Sigiriya, Doom, Internal Void, Conan, Bob Wayne, Killing Joke, Witch... too many good bands.

If you had the opportunity to sign now a french band, which one would you choose ? is that a possibility that you have ever considered or will it be for later or never ... ?

I will probably work with a french band this summer, nothing's sure yet though. There ain't that many french bands I really know, my favorites are Huata, Glowsun, Eibon, Mars Red Sky and Wheelfall.

Thanx Ewenn, add something I might have forgotten if you want... kenavo the cat !

Please check out our FB page and website http://totemcatrecords.yolasite.com/

Thank you for the interesting questions Stéphane! Much love from the cat.

Fire in the Cave by FIRE IN THE CAVE

2012-03-01T15:18:00.001-08:00

I had mentioned FIRE IN THE CAVE recently when writing about the great compilation "Swamp Sorcery Abyss" which presented various interesting bands from the Floridean underground scene, their song "civilized swamp" really impressed me... So I soon took contact with vocalist Jared, who kindly said me to wait a few days to get the link to their debut ep, now freshly released.

This debut effort contains just 2 songs, the one already mentioned and "Aeden Carr", that's not much for sure but still 16 intense minutes that give you more than a nice picture of the band's high potential.

F.I.T.C. sounds rather like no other band from my knowledge, definitely they are not just another hybrid beast. I guess we could basically affiliate them to SLUDGE, considering brutality and crushingness are both main caracters... Vocals by Jared are awesome, extremely raw, explosive and brutal; they could surprise at first listening, being not far some death-core growlers at times, then completely blackened and bleeding at others... musically there's even more than this duality of styles, a slow burning riff can be followed by a fast black metal part, then comes an ethereal melodic solo or another catchy grooving riffage, quieter moments eying towards post HC and even a short trad doom sounding passage in the 2nd song !

My description maybe doesn't seem well-ordered, but believe me all this mixed together is yet outstandingly limpid and accomplished. This is rich, very rich and diverse but always massive and inducing twisted atmospheres like just a few bands can actually do it...

With this debut F.I.T.C reveal themselves as excellent purveyors of massive and blistering crushingness, with a very personnal sound that makes me think how memorable a gig including them and their fellows of HOLLOW LEG must be ! This deserves a quick follower, so give them a few dollars for your download (this is a name your price affair)...

<a href="http://fireinthecave.bandcamp.com/album/fire-in-the-cave">Fire in the Cave by Fire in the Cave</a>

https://www.facebook.com/fireinthecave

striking Drone from the Lowlands : BITCHO

2012-02-29T14:04:00.000-08:00

"Hailing from the southern Lowlands, this Dutch 6-piece is out to make the universe trip on their hypnotic, droning and monotonous grooves. Using three bassguitars to pile up low, distorted frequencies as rarely heard these days, analog soundscapes, subsonic drums and intoxicated vocals.

Self-released debut double album 'Toybox' (2009) sold out 200 copies in no time.In 2012 Bitcho lets itself drown deeper into the ooze to unleash a new chapter of inertness."

I know this could surely sound easy again but if a band describes its style concisely and almost perfectly without too many exagerated superlatives or pompous words, why not just make a copy/paste to let you get the point in the most faithful way possible ?!!! Moreover we speak here about some very special type of music, not the kind to listen at breakfast time after a short sleep following a night full of any sort of abuses : some of the darkest and most repetitive DRONE you can ever imagine...

Ronan From HUATA described them as something between SUMA and OCEAN CHIEF, well certainly but I can not honestly attest, not having a great knowledge of the genre, neither enough time and envy to listen them to just make comparisons, but one thing I know is that I like BITCHO, they made my recent days and that's enough !!!

Someone also wrote this about them : "Bitcho is definitely one of the most repetitive bands from the Northern hemisphere"...Well, I don't know if the guy thought there was a more repetitive act in the southern hemisphere or just made the distinction to avoid any possible mistake, but he must be right for some parts that will hipnotize and eventually deviate your soul !

Believe me, no need to test any other method, medical or guruesque, this "toybox" could be definitely a real experience for your soul and whole body ! This double album lasts 80 minutes for just 4 songs., but nothing seems too long really, just forget the intro of the first song that is long and dispensable for the most part...

As the cover suggests it, we're drowned in a dark journey; not particularly painful, but without hope, devoided of any positive sense, mournful and if not totally, it's just by the "grace" of some spacey effects which induce a little breath of life in an environment that remains constantly menacing and contained.

This is indeed very monotonous and extremely heavy with those hammering basses and sluggish huge drums but the nice ambient / experimental soundscapes enrich considerably the overall and can be even conducive to some felt-like spiritual/introspective moments that make time passing in fact quickly without yawning or impatience (the 35 minutes long "Guttkill"). Most of the vocals on the album are kind of complaintive, they sound great but are too much in back in my opinion, even if the resonance fits well with the amazing heaviness.

This album was recorded more than 2 years ago and even if it's gonna be re-released soon, I'm sure the sophomore album (that will come out this year) will show more maturity and an emphasis on thickness... And when Ronan from HUATA tells that BITCHO on stage is highly massive and impressive, I do trust him willingly, cause this "horde of Batavian giants" has really something striking and believe me he knows what does LOUD (and great) stuff means !

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bitcho/149725791786990?sk

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bitcho.bandcamp.com/album/toybox"&amp;amp;gt;Toybox by BITCHO&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Dates announced for PONAMERO SUNDOWN's upcoming European tour

2012-02-29T08:27:00.001-08:00

One of Sweden’s finest Stoner Rock bands, Stockholm’s PONAMERO SUNDOWN will kick off a tour later this spring. The band has already confirmed several dates and one of the venues will be the London’s Camden, where these rockers will play the Desertfest. Check the dates on the poster shown below. More dates to come...

A little bit of presentation/history now through their biography :
Memorable hooks, tons of groove, a free spirit and enough riffs to fill a canyon! That is the recipe behind this band who started their journey in mid-November 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden. The idea was to write music influenced by a favoured decade in hard rock – the 70´s together with the warm fuzz of the stoner rock scene. The members come from different backgrounds but have been in the music scene for years, playing in different constellations and outfits.

After a few rounds of self-released demos and landing gigs locally and abroad, Ponamero Sundown released their debut full length aptly named “Stonerized” through Transubstans Records in July 2009. The album popped up at a very respectable 39th spot on the Swedish sales charts.
Several gigs followed during the fall to promote the album and soon a short tour followed, taking the boys through Denmark, Germany and Poland.
No time for rest though as new material surfaced during winter 2009/10 and soon the band entered the studio in spring 2010 to record their ambitious follow up.
Finally released after gruelling hard work in March 2011, Rodeo Eléctrica appeared at no 21 on the Swedish sales charts. The album displayed a huge step forward, blending a broad range of musical influences but keeping the trademark Ponamero sound. The album received many great reviews and top scores in several webzines and got radio airplay across the Atlantic in Argentina and the US.
Ponamero Sundown have in these past years since their inception built up a great reputation and spread their music across the borders taking them out on the road to play to audiences and fans in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Poland and the UK.
Wherever You´re located – Ponamero Sundown delivers!

Discography:Maximum Groove (Self released, 2006)
We Shall Triumph (Self released, 2006)
High Fuelled leftovers (Self released, 2006)
Heavy Rock (Self released, 2007)
Stonerized (Trans048, 2009)
Rodeo Electrica (Trans078, 2011)

http://www.ponamerosundown.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ponamerosundown

from Spain, taste the unholy TORT

2012-02-28T09:17:00.001-08:00

Oh shit, what a fantastic cover ! The bull is such a powerful beast, worthy, raced and valorous ; unfortunately or not (this isn't the place for such debate) the smell of death often reigns around him, so I think that's a pretty singular and well-thought cover , morevoer if it kind of reflects the content of the album, which is in my opinion the case, that's even better...

Just as LURK, another recent release from TOTAL RUST rds, TORT is mixing different styles too, but this time we've got here a raw blend of Sludge, Thrash and Doom with I would say an old-school approach, means no special refinement, rare melodies... Yes, Thrash, which is not that current these days but considering the crudeness and straigthness from this style of music, when it's not the fastest type , it has some common caracters with Sludge that fit pretty well all together, especially if like here there's a doomy and misery-like atmosphere surrounding the whole.

As you've guessed, we don't speak here about Bay Area Thrash, but more of an HELLHAMMER or eventually old VOIVOD, no ultra fast parts even if a song like "cannibals of Ma'arat' is pretty brutal, TORT is far more at ease in hypnotic distorted riffing, filthy and harsh mid-tempos with vicious Sludgey vocals reminding then more than slightly some memorable moments of EYE HATE GOD.

Don't expect here some technical efffects or twisted experimentations, TORT's purpose is not there at all, the band wants it unholy, authentic and crushing, occasionally slow and apocalyptic like a BOLT THROWER meets SLEEP and ST VITUS !!!

The guys are experimented and knew exactly where they wanted to go with this new project (guitarist Sergio was for example previously playing in Lords Of Bukkake), sure I would reproach the too extensive lenght of a song like "gnosis the dead" (14 minutes) and a few too obvious parts here and there, but I've heard a bunch of other first albums that were not as homogeneous and catchy , so the bull is well alive and has certainly not finished drawing blood...

http://www.totalrust-music.com/

TORT Facebook page

"An exclusive eye to eye with the Devil... RITUAL TEMPLE speaks in tongue"

2012-02-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

RITUAL TEMPLE is a very young band, and once more you can go figure, but yeah that's the plain truth... The band originates from BRITANNY, just like HUATA and STANGALA; they must have something special in the wine they give to babies over there! ha!

Anyway, if you like it raw, solid and ballsy as fuck, while crawling in the sludge of occultism. I bet RITUAL TEMPLE is shaped for your damaged ears of doom...Enjoy the words of singer Fabius Paulus and their twisted clamor!

Hi Fabien, nice to feature another french band in the realms of TEMPLE OF PERDITION. Lately it seems that our national scene is very active when it comes to doom, stoner and sludge. Do you feel a good connection with other french acts when it comes to RITUAL TEMPLE. Even if the band is pretty young (founded in 2010), you're no newcomers to the scene. In what bands are/were all of you involved prior to RITUAL TEMPLE. What is your aim with that classic doom outfit?
Hi Nathaniel. That's our pleasure to get an opportunity of talking about RIUAL TEMPLE in such a entity as TEMPLE OF PERDITION mate. We have quite good connections here in Rennes with some other French acts because we mainly get involved in different projects. But as for Doom, Stoner and Sludge, I don't have much to tell you about. There are promoters here in our city that is called BLOOD RITES (officiates in Paris as well) and organize Doom/ Stoner shows, I guess there is a good response regarding what they do and that's great in my opinion. We are mostly in touch with HUATA... I am explaining why... Reido, our guitar player is friend with Ronan their singer and also used to play in a band a few years ago with some HUATA members. I also have been involved in projects with Alexis, their drummer. Indeed, I used to have a tape label with him back then, the thing was called NEKROBLOOD RECORDS and we decided to stop it around 6 months ago now, and finally Max Abomination and I are also playing in a Speed Thrash Metal band called GULAG with Alexis as well on drums. So, that's pretty much it as far as our connections in the Doom/ Stoner scene within France are concerned. We know the guys from CHILDREN OF DOOM a bit, they are crazy guys and play awesome music, but beside that, we are not very much in touch with other bands! We know the BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND but never got in touch with them unfortunately though. We are good touch with the MANZER crew and also NECROBLOOD. So, as I said, Reido (guitars) had old bands that were Doom influenced. I used to sing in a band called THERAPHIM (Black/ Death Metal) and recorded only one tape actually. There, also played Infernal Ritualist (our drummer) and Max Abomination, who is also still active in PERVERSIFIER, NUCLEAR ABOMINATION and GULAG.
Our aim is to bring Death and perform the darkest form of traditional Doom. We play the music we want and like, but need to keep this ritualistic and occult themes that are very important to us.

You're also working with a brand new label, handled by Thomas (who used to have a little distro called FROST AND FIRE some years ago). What did interest you in working with him in the first place? It looks like his promotionnal work was pretty good, as you start to create a little buzz around your music... I mean you were aired on shows like THE SOGGY BOG and got some cool review from Germany. Not too bad for a beginning...
Yes, Thomas will release our demo Tape on his brand new label MAGISTER DIXIT! That's a great opportunity for us, and we can't thank him enough for trusting. Once again, things are not so easy or complicated. Still opportunities and contacts worked for us here. We are not close with the Parisian Metal scene at all, but we know the dudes in NECROBLOOD and they are friends of ours, to Reido and I, so by knowing then, I met Thomas (even if I saw him many times in the past, as I was a friend of Yves from Banged or be Banged and so he was) and so kept in touch, but Reido knows him better and probably for a longer time. I learned that he moved to Belgium where he is a relative to my old friend Jerry from Detest Records... Enough talked about me though. So, Thomas is a real Doom fan and so is Reido, so one day, Reido said that he had started a band here in Rennes and Thomas was curious about that. Then, we did record some tunes and Thomas got enthusiastic about what we did, which is great. He has killer taste in music and proposed to release our first demo tape quite immediately and decided to start the label with our demo tape. He has balls doing it! We are nobody, I am not sure that there is any buzz around us (I hope not, and also I wish people will not consider us as a "buzz" band, we don't mean it, just do what we like, no more). I mean, this may happen (or not) when the tape will be out, you know, at the moment, we are pretty ignored I would say, and we don't give a shit. Just hope there won't be a big deal around RITUAL TEMPLE (if you see what I mean on a specific forum where wanking is a full-time job). Actually, I think the promotion has not really started and so we are quite surprised that already a Greek blog, a US radio show and a German blog (all held by people we don't know) get interested into what we do. We did not expect it at all because as mentioned earlier, the label already did not start promotion I guess, Thomas is waiting for the tape to be out...

Indeed RITUAL TEMPLE is rooted in the most traditionnal ways of playing doom metal, and also wraps itself in a drape of occultism. Good, but what makes you stand out from the mass/trend of late then? It's no secret that since THE DEVIL'S BLOOD calibrated occult rock for metalheads took the scene by storm, bands in your vein start to pop up like mushrooms... Your comments on that please.
Yes, RITUAL TEMPLE is wrapped into Occultism. Reido and I got very much interested and involved into it. This was an important thing for us. He is into Doom to the bones and gets fascinated by it all, so did I. This was the main direction we wanted to go to when we both started the band, I mean except for music, this direction was natural and obvious for us.
Yes, there probably is a trend around it at the moment, but I personally don't care about it. To me, the two first THE DEVIL'S BLOOD albums are good, but as you say, that is Occult Rock for Metal fans. We, in RITUAL TEMPLE are Hard rockers fan of Metal music, Max Abomination and Infernal Ritualist are big Thrash, Black/ Thrash Metal fans, I enjoy many Metal bands and Reido is at the same time a big Doom and Extreme Metal fan (Doom is Metal too, of course, but to me not as extreme as what we currently listen to). Yeah, there might be more bands in the vein we are evolving at the moment, but we are not interested into it, we do what we do, the way we intend to and what people may think about us or our imagery remains insignificant, we play our music for us firstly and then, if some people enjoy it too, that's ok. We do it all for ourselves and we have no other band in mind, we are RITUAL TEMPLE (our name says it all) and we need no comparison to any other band regarding our aesthetics, we are not falses...

The sound of the demo is raw, dirty, yet doesn't lack a single second of groove or dynamic! Well done dudes! I understood that Kev from PERVERSIFIER was responsible for the recording and mix/mastering of the whole thing. Why did you want to work with him, and what do you think you can improve on your next recordings?
Thanks for the words Nathaniel, it means a lot to us, really. This is exactly how we wanted the tape to sound like. Not too clean, not too modern, with some 70's elements. Reido and I agreed with the other members of what we wanted for this tape. We talked to Kev and as he is a great musician and listens to some Doom and 70's rock bands, he knew what we meant, and so that was very easy. That was so obvious for us to work with him. He is in Brittany (Bretagne) first, and so do we, that was a very easy choice to make. Also, Max Abomination plays with him in PERVERSIFIER, and he has turned to a very good friend of ours, it is always lots of good moments we have together. And finally, he has some sort of a studio in his basement, so it was so easy to make it this way and we are totally satisfied of the final result and his awesome job on the tape. We recommend him to any band that wishes to have a quality engineer and a good moment recording their piece of dedicated Metal.

The voice is also pretty personal on this demo. Deep, and melodic, without sounding cheesy at all. Sometimes I get reminded of Luce from HOODED PRIEST when I listen to your voice. Were you singing before joining RITUAL TEMPLE? What are your influences when it comes to singing?
I tried my best finding a way of making good vocals. To tell the truth, I am not very influenced by someone particularly. I was more influenced by liquid substances when I recorded my vocals actually. Thanks for saying this about HOODED PRIEST, they are a good band, but they did not influence me at all, neither by MINAUTORI as far as I am concerned. I have been singing in THERAPHIM prior to RITUAL TEMPLE, but that is a totally different kind of vocals (more Death Metal inspired), I invite you to throw an ear about it.

It looks like the future of the band is pretty uncertain, as you're supposed to move abroad for your job, and if I am not mistaken, some other members of RITUAL TEMPLE shall not be available for a couple of months either. It must feel strange to release a demo and not to be able to support it with some gigs or simply to keep on working on new tracks altogether. But maybe I am wrong, and thanks to the modern days technology you'll be able to maintain a regular working schedule for the band...
You are right Nathaniel! The future of RITUAL TEMPLE is unfortunately quite uncertain. Indeed, I am moving to Canada for a maximum of 6 months and then, I will come back to Europe and will probably relocate in the East of France or Germany. Infernal Ritualist is going to Ireland himself at the same time that I will move, and I don't really know if he will be coming back (as I have been told that people who move to Ireland rarely come back to their home country). Finally, Reido will head to Paris because circumstances in his private life have changed and he needs to breath another air. We are very proud of what we have done and what will be on the tape. We would prefer keeping the band active but it is impossible to make for easy reasons I previously mentioned. Technology can make it more easily but we stay undetermined as for the status of the band and our demo might be the only release by the band, really to bad, but that's the way it is so far. Concerts were planned and cancelled for different reasons, we would have liked to play, but here again, so it is.

I remember that we were talking about the stereotypical metalheads of our sinister today. Don't you sometimes feel trapped between tradition and innovation? I mean, metal and rock are now old and established enough for everybody to pick up things of their liking. But nowadays, I feel a rather excessive conservatism that suffocates the scene, and on another hand there are plenty of people thinking they break some boundaries, whereas they just drown their creativity behind the facilities of technology. Where do you stand?
Hum, I feel trapped between the two you mention, but I really prefer dying strangled by Tradition than Innovation, that is for sure. There are so many things that I don't understand anymore regarding codes, rules, attitudes. I am not a nostalgic at all, I just feel so obsolete and distant to it right now. You are right, I am not sure that some people act like they do by listening to this or that for the good reasons, I mean this is not so cool to "like everything the consortium said to like". It is not so cool to listen to that band because they are the precursors of this or that and say: "Look, I know it as well, oh yeah". People should just enjoy what they want, no one cares if that's an old band or not, how much recognition they get... Something has changed, but I don't think that music itself changed, only our society and individuals have and here is the result in the so called Metal ground... Same for musicians who prefer to "sound like" than creating decent things. Yeah, there are many people who think they break the law and boundaries but are more stuck in a fucking straitjacket. I just can't understand this. Good luck for being more Evil than Evil Ladies and Gentlemen.

Alright, that's it for the moment, I just wanted to shade some light upon your unholy tunes of doom. I await eagerly for some more dark chants from your side. Feel free to shamefully promote yourself now...
Thanks Nathaniel for giving us a chance to talk about RITUAL TEMPLE a bit. That's very much appreciated. We'll try to give birth to a few more tracks, but it looks like it will be hard. Well, support our label MAGISTER DIXIT and if anyone has any inquiry regarding our music: ritual.temple@gmail.com
MORS OMNIA VINCIT (Death will always prevail)
We know who are the respectable people, others can fuck Off! All hails Temple of Perdition!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ritual-Temple/382520858428506

another striking Finnish assault with LURK

2012-02-27T07:27:00.001-08:00

Brrrrr.... the Finnish scene is currently blooming amazingly, and after HEREM, GRAVE SIESTA and DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE, it reveals with LURK another seriously competitive new band.

This debut album contains 6 songs of crushing downtempos, not especially innovative but assembling again different styles in a rather personnal way... Which styles ? Doom, Death and Sludgy Black Metal; maybe not as terrifiying as this kind of alien from the cover but enough ugly and filthy to rip your soul during 40 (too short) minutes !

From the bands which Total Rust music (from Israël) refers to when describing LURK, I would agree mainly about AUTOPSY with that pretty remarkable vocal performance and some of the heaviest shredding tempos (though not as gore and horrifying, but that's logical considering LURK is more of a beast lurking in darkness than an eviscerated one bathed in blood !!!) and CELTIC FROST for a great part of those eerie and crushing riffs...

This is already more than rewarding to rely on those both cult acts, but LURK goes further with that Sludgy Black Metal emphasis, discordant and filthy, massive and rough... I think that LURK can appeal to a large part of people used to massively dark and crushing stuff but to avoid a possible linearity, they should certainly improve in the developpment of extreme parts, could it be the more refined and airy ones (not clearly melodic but occasionally subtly melancholic à la M.D.B.) or on the contrary the most scariest and discordant (the great keyboards on "pitch beneath eternity" could show a way to follow). These guys have talent, so I feel it's normal to expect some more daring for next effort, but as for now this self-titled debut is definitely a nice introduction to the gloomy world of LURK...

http://www.totalrust-music.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lurkdoom

"dawn in space" - PYRAMIDAL

2012-02-26T03:03:00.001-08:00

Can't get enough of Psychedelic stuff and don't know yet this Spanish band from Alicante ? Then, you really should pay attention to this "dawn in space" composed of 7 excellent songs, making it a nice journey of about an hour, cosmic and punchy at the same time !

Basically the musical style of PYRAMIDAL is psychedelic/space rock with classic influences from HAWKWIND, CAN, CAPTAIN BEYOND, etc... but what is very interesting is their pretty unique blend with doomier references, mostly from BLACK SABBATH (amazing on the title track especially) and ST VITUS ("kosmik blizzard") but some hints from the most mystical and progressive elements of NEUROSIS and MASTODON can be heard too ...

This gives of course the usual space moods but with those different and more recent references, they have a slight massive edge and definitely an interesting heaviness that make them sound very original and extremely compact too. We don't have here some music that is too unrestrained, going confusedly in many directions...

Most of the album is instrumental, there's some rare vocals here and there by Oscar, one of the both guitarists, which is in fact implying another impredictable caracter to PYRAMIDAL and let some more doors opened for a future that should be bright for them !

http://pyramidalmusic.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pyramidal/164402436915727

<a href="http://pyramidalmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-in-space">Dawn in Space by Pyramidal</a>

a little chat with Scott Natas for your 1st steps into (the) SNAKE DANCE

2012-02-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

I'm from a natural curious, especially when it comes to music, and the name of SNAKE DANCE has raised several interrogations in my mind these past few weeks... This took origin in the appearance of this amazing name in the line-up of the next DAYS OF THE DOOMED Festival, then Mike Smith never stoped praising them in our recent interview, finally the regular listening of their top-notch song ("born of the fire") of groovy stoner with 70's heavy rock burning touches on their FB page... the kind of song you can easily listen 3 or 4 times in a row ! yes, just one is short and kind of frustrating, that's why, in order to calm my impatience for some more good stuff from them, I felt the urgent need to ask some more infos to Scott Natas about his killer band, which this cool dude willingly agreed for !

Hey Scott, so how did you choose this amazing name of SNAKE DANCE ?

The name came from the first line in the song " Born of the Fire " of course it's also a Monster Magnet song and they're one of our favorite bands!

Could you tell some things about your previous bands experiences ?

The first band I was in was DeathMetal Pioneers MASTER in the 80's, then I started my own DeathCore band NATAS in the mid 1980's we played hundreds of shows with bands from around the world! NATAS has a limited edtion double CD coming out in a few months on Area Death Productions Record Label from China.

I remember the band was known as NOT-US or NOTUS here in Europe (not as NATAS) and released stuff on Wild Rags but it seems I didn't follow everything, why that 2 different names ?

The band switched from playing DeathMetal to more of a HardCore Punk style, that's when we changed the name! The upcoming release on ADP will include songs from both periods of the bands career. But it will be released as NATAS " Deathcore 1985-1993".

Did Mike Smith decide to include you on the DOTD fest after having seen you live or at rehearsal, or maybe did he already know you through a previous band ?

As for Days of the Doomed I sent mike an Email about playing he checked out our page, and offered us the openning slot on Friday! Not really sure if he's aware of my past bands history or not.

We are really Honored to be playing for Mike on Days Of the doomed II in June with such great bands like Earthen Grave, and Blackfinger.

What's the actual line-up of SNAKE DANCE ?

Scott Natas Vocals, Guitars / Willie Meyer Lead and Acoustic Guitars / Tom Manning Drums.

The song "born of the fire" is one of a 3 songs ep you released a little while ago, can't we listen both other songs elsewhere ? What about some new stuff, how do sound the new songs ?

The other 2 songs are not available on the internet at this time sorry! I know one song is a tease, we really expected to have some new material ready by now. But we've been having problems keeping a Bass player the last few months, and are once again looking for someone to join us on Bass! Things have been moving forward with writing the album between myself and willie our Lead Guitarist. We've had to push back recording the LP till at least spring when we've had time to break in a Bassist! For playing LIVE we don't have anything booked till May, and if we need to we'll be using a friend to fill in on Bass. If that goes well we may have our friend play Bass on the LP but we're hoping to find someone who actually wants to be in the band! You would think there would be a lot of players into the Stoner / Doom thing around Chicago, but it's Cover Band Hell!!! We plan on Recording and releasing an EP at this point to get something out as soon as possible. Our sound has evolved a lot from what it was when the old EP was recorded. We still have up tempo Stonerrock songs like the song you heard on our page. But also some very Heavy Doom songs with layers of electric, and acoustic guitars. We've been recording our rehearsals, and are very excited about how the songs sound! I promise you that you'll be one of the first people that we send our New Music to when it's ready to be heard.

You seem to be very much into "muscle cars", could you precise something about this passion and do you see any connection between this and your music ?

The Classic Muscle Cars are something we all love, along with music from the same era. They are a subject that comes up a lot in our songs, along with other things from the 1970's!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Snake-Dance/241804192498765

https://www.reverbnation.com/welcometothesnakedance

great news from WHEELFALL : split album with A VERY OLD GHOST BEYOND THE FARM !!!

2012-02-24T08:02:00.004-08:00

some news given by Wayne (voc/guit) just a few hours ago :

"First, we're still looking for labels to release our album "Interzone" : it advances slowly but surely. We've got some serious clues but one thing is certain : "Interzone" will be available in several formats including a very-limited killer alternative version !!

We do our best to find a deal to release the album as soon as possible, stay ...tuned !

Concerning our split album, it's just a matter of time... some details now :

This split album with A Very Old Ghost Behind The Farm (sludge/doom metal band from Toulouse) was composed in November 2011 - that is 4 mounth after the recording of our album "Interzone" - and recorded in December 2011 at Far Beyond Studio with Gorgor again (for us).

We considered this split album as an opportunity to upset Wheelfall's routine, a very interesting exercise : we tried a lot of things, notably in the way to compose and IN the compositions themselves, in the the sounds, mix and the mastering of course which is currently handled by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room LLC - Music Mastering (Ministry, Unearthly Trane, Rwake, Bongripper, Yob etc.)... You'll be surprised !"

https://www.facebook.com/Wheelfall

https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Very-Old-Ghost-Behind-The-Farm/155351764489635

"for those who came before us" by ATOMIC CRIES

2012-02-23T10:48:00.003-08:00

Coming from Berlin, ATOMIC CRIES is a duo consisting in Saúl Do Caixão and Andy Lippoldt (of Persistence In Mourning), they qualify their music as "primitive doom metal exclusively" which you can attest on their just released demo entitled "for those who came out before"... I'm not necessarily aware about all types of darkened sounds that actually exist, but , without taking major risks, I can say that these both guys play indeed music that sounds rather unlike anything else you've ever heard before ! "Primitive" and "slow donner", yes certainly... Extremely dark, lamentful and incantatory too ! even if the band guarantee "no flares, God, Jesus, Satan, occult cobblers, aliens or dragons", which make it even more mystical and captivating...

Sure you don't necessarily need to speak about Satan to display such menacing climates, neither nothing let suppose that we're into some kind of concept dedicated to the power of nature's elements like the magnificent WARDRUNA... so I really wonder what the lyrics are dealing about in the 4 songs ("like sheep to slaughter", "jealous hands", "point blank" and "the parasite") !!??

Guitar + bass + vocals, no drums, just despaired and menacing ambiances... Something best to listen with headphones, eventually with just a few candles around you enlightening this special journey of about 20 minutes.

First song could let suppose that the band is in fact pretty much into Drone but in fact not, the more we get into the heart of this demo, the more we find it rich and diverse with some medieval hints, some dissonant psychedelism too..

Sure this is a demo, with a (very) limited production and some ideas needs better finalized arrangments but that let nicely suppose that this is just a (great) beginning and it's cool to know that the duo has already recorded 2 new songs (in better conditions) which they hope to release soon as an EP; so labels, be warned that there's really something interesting awaiting you with ATOMIC CRIES...

The physical TAPE format should be out next week but the digital version can already be purchased for a minimum of $1 on Bandcamp, where the whole thing is currently streaming....

Well, are you still there reading this ?!!! So, check them out, you should not regret the experience !

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&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://atomiccries.bandcamp.com/album/for-those-who-came-before-us-demo"&amp;amp;gt;For Those Who Came Before Us (Demo) by Atomic Cries&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

With ORANGE GOBLIN as headliner, the italian S.H.O.D. Festival is back !!!

2012-02-23T03:59:00.003-08:00

STONED HAND OF DOOM Chapter 7

Italian Doom and HeavyPsych Fest - A.D. 2012

Saturday, May 19 – Rome,Init Club

SHOD is back! Thefirst and only Italian doom and heavy psychedelic festival returns after a yearof silence and lysergic meditation.

For his seventhedition, STONED HAND OF DOOM will celebrate a dark and psychotronic sacrificein a one-day ritual. The best heavy and massive music for hungry brains.

For this specialevent, the staff is proud to announce the headliner for STONED HAND OF DOOM2012: from London, ORANGE GOBLIN! A Eulogy for the Damned is the newrecord: their seventh album. Seven, as the capital sins and the SHOD editions. 15years have passed since the debut Frequenciesfrom Planet Ten and Orange Goblin are happy to announce this special showin Italy! Inspired by the gods of hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock andunderground extremity, from Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ThinLizzy through to Celtic Frost and Black Flag, Orange Goblin are an ass-shakin’mix of vintage and modern heavy music. HeavyMetal is not just about music: it’s a way of life, a motivating mind-set, apositive force and an inspirational belief system!

This is just thestart, more bands to be announced very soon! So stay tuned for updates!

A lean, mean hard psych & doom rockin'machine!

https://www.facebook.com/events/242995872455677/

"Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning" by BITTER RESOLVE

2012-02-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Behind this rather punkish name (but no problem about that !) and strange album title, we've got here a surprising trio from North Carolina that displays some original Stoner/Doom with various references to SLEEP, THE MELVINS EARTH and BLACK SABBATH but also SOUNDGARDEN, PINK FLOYD and certainly a few proto-psychedelic 70's acts .

This eclectic blend gives sometimes an amazing kind of carelless feeling, something nice in a major mood reflecting solemnity...

This is just my opinion, but before continuing, I would like to precise that contrary to what I've read here and there about this album, I don't feel at all that the production is a complete mess... Its rawness fits pretty well with the sound and guideline of the trio (extreme heaviness in a free and thick retro-style) and if anyone has a problem with it but still likes the band's identity, I feel there's like a strange divergence on that point !

This said, let's insist on the fact that this album is particularly marked by some intense and rumbling heaviness with an emphasis on harsh and gloomy vocals; each one handles tightly his weapon, starting by Lauren on drums who's hitting hard and surgically, while guitars are mainly fuzzy but also sometimes bluesy or spacey with ripping solos.

I've the feeling that this band is very comfortable towards what they want to achieve and how they intend to do it with sincerity and simple pleasure, that's something palpable which gives very solid and homogeneous songs like "an arch that spans regret", "a day without fairies", "large hadron collider" or "we must build an atomic blaster" !

I would be really curious to read some of the lyrics, especially after having had a look on their FB page and found some cool posts on astronomy and aurora borealis... They certainly imply a little pagan and mystical dimension slighlty developped in some moods, great ...

Well, why not thinking quickly about an interview if you agree guys ?!!!

As for now,enjoy this carefully without any again forget about what you have eventually previously read concerning the productionand enjoy

http://www.facebook.com/bitterresolve

An interview with David Kowalski and Todd Ingram of KING GIANT

2012-02-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

KING GIANT come from the Amercian State of Virginia and self-released two albums so far. Their second record “Dismal Hollow” is causing quite a stir in the last month or so and I would say that all the praise given is absolutely justified. This is some real rock, the headbanging kind of rock, captivating and raw, that will make you forget about neighbors while turning up the volume to the max and scream your lungs out on a show. Apart from being great musicians and caring immense power with their music (have I mentioned that Hammerly’s vocals are some of the best rock/ metal vocals around nowadays?), KING GIANT work very hard and know how to do things. If this is not the right and working formula for success this world is definitely fucked-up...

These guys also have a lot of interesting things to say, so you'd better find some time to read while listening to the tunes – both their albums are streaming through Bandcamp for our enjoyment.

First of all, thank you for agreeing to do this interview! Now, who is “King Giant” and does the original idea of forming the band comply with what the band is now? And who are KING GIANT when not making music?

KING GIANT is:

David Kowalski - Rhythm Guitar

Todd Ingram - Lead Guitar
Dave Hammerly - Vocals

Floyd Lee Walter III - Bass

Brooks - Drums

DK - The original intent of the band was for a bunch of friends to get together and jam and have fun. So yes, the intention is still true today. We all have full time jobs, and various interests outside of KING GIANT, but most importantly we are all music fans. We get excited about discovering new bands or listening to a classic album just like everyone else.

It took you quite a while to get the new record done but I must say it is receiving very positive feedback. What was the biggest challenge for you while making the “Dismal Hollow”?

DK - The biggest challenge was staying focused and staying on schedule. As I stated earlier, we all have full-time day jobs, so the making of the album took up all our free time.

However, we actually had the album done in the spring of 2011. We spent 4 months trying to shop the album to a label, with no avail, so we decided not to wait anymore and put it out ourselves. Sean at The Path Less Traveled Records graciously offered to partner with us via a distribution deal.

Is the sounding of this record the result you wanted, musically and production wise?

DK - Production wise, it ultimately got to where it needed to be. Early on, I experimented with certain mixing techniques that I wasn’t happy with so I had to re-mix half the album. But the final product, I’m very happy with. As for musically, we didn’t have any set idea or “sound” in mind when we started, we took each song one at a time and made sure that we were happy with it. In the end, we are very proud of “Dismal Hollow”.

TI – We are very lucky to have production, engineering, and mixing skills within the band. It provides us the flexibility to capture the raw tracks in a studio and then refine and experiment without a meter ticking away and running up the bill.

The vocals are one of the most remarkable things on your records, without underestimating the rest of the band of course. But having a good singer really matters. And when you add another good singer, like you did with Alexia Church in “Tale of Mathias”, the result is just stunning. You should seriously consider adding her to the band.....Tell me something more about Alexia, where else can she be heard?

DK - Well, this was her first recording experience. She sings in a band that a couple of my old high school friends play in. I asked one of them if she would be interested in lending her voice to doing backups, and she agreed, without ever having heard the song, or KING GIANT for that matter! She was definitely a good sport about it!

Cool, hope to hear more from her soon! To be honest I wasn’t very impressed with “Southern Darkness”, it is not bad but there is something missing. I think you’ve found it in “Dismal Hollow”. What do you think that “thing” might be?

DK - Alexia Church? I don’t know, it’s too hard to say, I’m too close to the music. Besides, musical taste is so subjective. But if I were to hazard a guess, the new album is a little more melodic than the last one.

TI – In some regions “Southern Darkness” received a lukewarm response; in others people went crazy for it. As David says we’re too close to it. But I was talking with Victor Griffin before Dismal was released and he told me that while he was touring with PENTAGRAM they listened to “Southern Darkness” quite a few times while on the road. That made me happy. I figure if they’re listening to it more than once, it doesn’t suck.

Not impressed for me means that I don’t feel the need to get back to listen over and over again. There is something very catchy and haunting in “Dismal Hollow” that invokes such need......... Could you describe the way you write your music? Do you have one person that comes with the main idea for a song and the others build around it or you write as a collective?

DK - It all depends on the song..... But Todd and I usually are the ones that come up with initial ideas and then we all build from there. Hammerly for the most part comes up with all the lyrics himself. In the past, we’ve encouraged him to write more narrative lyrics, and he’s really found his voice, his style in writing that way.

TI- David set up a full mixing board and microphones in our rehearsal room so as we are writing we are able to record everything and mix it appropriately. We can take the core track and work on things on our own. For example I can work on harmony lines or solo ideas, Hammerly can work on vocal patterns etc. Additionally, it also captures the accidental jams that may fly by unnoticed until playback. “Road to Eleusis” started out like that. If we hadn’t been recording our writing sessions in their entirety that song may never have happened.

Southern or northern? I get the feeling that you don’t like much that ‘southern’ label....

DK - We’re a Hard Rock / Metal band with Americana overtones.

Fair enough. What is it that you want to achieve with KING GIANT, short and long term? Is there ambition to become “big” and do you think you can make a living out of music?

DK - For starters, a short term goal would be to simply break even financially! Everything has been paid out of our pockets. Recording, Manufacturing, Video, Advertising, etc... Playing in a band is expensive! Don’t let anyone tell you different. But it’s all a labour of love. We do it because we love playing and making music.

Sure, getting “Big” would be wonderful, but I think mainly for the financial independence more than anything else. But really, if we can still have as much fun playing and writing 10 years down the road, even if it’s just for ourselves, that would be great!

TI- We dig the response “Dismal Hollow” is receiving. So our most immediate goal is to increase the number of people around the world that know the name KING GIANT and say “Those guys f**king rock!” And as David said, it would be very nice to break even financially.

And if the Gods will it, someday a label will find us to be a good fit for them. I think anyone that looks at the sum of what KING GIANT brings to the table can tell that we are very passionate and professional about our approach to song writing, recording, and production, videos, packaging, and marketing. We are used to doing it all ourselves, but it would be nice to have a partner in this to help with some of the expenses related to manufacturing and distribution and access to new marketing channels. On the other hand we don’t want to be just another band on the roster with a quick press release and then forgotten about.

KING GIANT is our priority. And you wonder, “Would anyone would put as much passion into to pushing King Giant as we do?” Just about every waking hour someone in this band is thinking of ways to improve what we are as a band or ways to get KING GIANT to the next level. For example, very few artists make videos anymore, not even bands much bigger than us with label support, full page ads, tour buses, roadies and all the trimmings. But we do and those videos make us look like we are on a major label because that is the only way we know how to do it. So what if I have to sell an amp or guitar every now and then to make it happen. Just looking at the end product lets me know we’re doing it right.

And regardless of whether or not we make it “big,” it is a privilege to be in a band with these guys. There are no attitudes in this band, just the constant goal of pushing it just that much further. Everyone is focused on what serves KING GIANT. It’s a beautiful thing.

I think people are really excited seeing new videos. I saw the video for “Appomattox” reposted about one million times on Facebook. Could you tell me something more about this video, you asked fans to help with the funding and it was obviously a successful move?

TI - It’s all about timing and sequence. You have to have the video come out first to create the buzz and the demand for the actual album. But paying for recording, mastering, manufacturing, promotion, distribution, and a video on the scale of “Appomattox” is very expensive. We recognized we couldn’t fund all of this at the same time yet it still needed to happen in close sequence.

So we decided to hold a presale of sorts for the new album using a Kickstarter page. The fans that participated in the presale were able to download a few songs from the album before it was released and they were the first ones to have the finished product. Additionally, we created limited edition shirts and hoodies specifically for this effort. The amazing amount of support that followed allowed us to take the video from concept to reality. Also many of our fans volunteered their time and talents during the video shoot. Some were zombie makeup artists, some were actual zombies and still others helped out in any way they could. The bottom line is, KING GIANT fans rule and we are very lucky to have them.

Without me being closely related to music except as a listener, what you said above is my idea of how the music should happen. Recently I talked to another band whose members have exactly the same attitude and all the skills to produce music, videos, etc. by themselves but for a long time they had exactly the same problems getting a good record deal. I can name a few more such bands actually. (WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, LABEL PEOPLE!!)What do you think might be the reason? Looks like being self sufficient can be an obstacle?

TI: -The reason? I don’t know. Many of labels you know of had a chance to hear “Dismal Hollow” before it was released. But they decided it wasn’t for them. Perhaps the great reviews we’re getting from all over will cause them to take a second look, then again, maybe not.

What is more important for you as a band – making more albums or playing more live shows? Are you a touring or a studio band?

DK - Ultimately, albums are more important because the music is there captured, timeless, it’s your work of art and it will outlive you, whereas a performance is fleeting, gone after the last note has rang.

TI - I agree with David, those LPs are going to hang on my wall at home and be blasting through my stereo when I’m an old man, so they better stand the test of time. That said, nothing will replace looking someone in the eyes and seeing them so into the music you are playing that they are screaming it back at you. Given our schedules we have to be smart about when and where we tour. I know we’d love to play some shows in Europe. We’ve been getting lots of new fans from across the pond since the release of “Dismal Hollow.” It would be great to play for them someday.

It would be great to catch you in Europe anytime soon. Some European crowd may even change your opinion whether albums or playing live is more important ;)

DK – We’re trying! We’re in the process of contacting a few booking agents to see if they want to help bring KING GIANT over to Europe.

Fingers crossed! Is there anything I didn’t ask about and you think people should really know?

TI – The first pressing of “Dismal Hollow” has been moving quickly. We are almost sold out in our online store. So if you want to pick up a copy in LP and CD formats please visit the following websites: Best Buy, FYE, Amazon, Music Direct, Barnes and Noble, Newbury Comics, Soundstage Direct, CD Universe and many others.

For those of you in Europe please visit: HMV.com and Plastic Head.

DK – I’m having some issues with my leg right now that’s keeping me from being able to play live at the moment. So in lieu of playing live, we’re going to starting writing new material for the next album. Thank you very much for the opportunity to talk to you and get the word out on KING GIANT!!

http://www.kinggiant.com/
http://kinggiant.bandcamp.com/album/dismal-hollow
https://www.facebook.com/kinggiantband

***Interview by Vania***

album review : "consulting the bones" by WITCHDEN

2012-02-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

The awaiting has been pretty long since last August when the band had puted on streaming 4 songs of that 1st album; it's not that I was expecting daily the 5 other songs, like my grandfather was waiting for his newspaper each morning, but a bit like with love preliminaries, after a while, you know the excitement.... Now it's fully available and it's nicely confirmed : "consulting the bones" is a killer masterpiece !!!! SLUDGE can be used in quite many situations, often accompanied by STONER and/or DOOM, but concerning WITCHDEN the best additional terms would be Doomed PUNK'n'ROLL and believe me that gives something pretty unique and totally blasting !!!Those 4 guys have created here a very personnal debut release with a sound that is as thick as a mammoth skin just before winter, based on viciously doomed mid-tempos with some of the sickest vocals you can ever expect... Jason Micah is indeed a very impressive growler, he screams like just a few can do it (Michael Williams, Dave Collins), with such anger, force and conviction that you could imagine him being tortured at the gates of hell. I think he's the most distinctive asset to the band but the musical qualities are pretty interesting too, straight and pretty easy to get into, always doomed with throbbing rythmics and hammering drums by Jeff Moen (also actually playing in the mighty SOURVEIN).

The band doesn't look for useless refinement or blackened moods as the actual tendencies suggest. If this has an obvious Punk'n'roll edge, this doesn't mean at all we've got something repetitive or technically limited, no this is more in terms of rawness and straightness that WITCHDEN take ressources here ...

"captive man", "ossuary", "if hell awaits", "sharpsword" or "kill at will" are real hightlights full of vicious crudeness and filthy authenticity, I'm maybe wrong but I doubt indeed that teenagers could have played with such tightness and those described caracters at the same time. I often write it after an enthusiastic review, but more than ever I would be really curious to see WITCHDEN live cause it must be something awesomely brutal... Let's hope this could happen someday aorund here in Europe, while waiting for this pleasure "consulting the bones" will be played very very regularly !

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speaking about "The One", an interview with CROWN

2012-02-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

I've presented you CROWN about a week ago with their impressive debut "The One" (if you wish to come back on this, here's the link !) A band that can immerse you so easily in a very personnal world full of darkness and apocalyptic feelings, deserves an immediate attention to be revealed to the doomed hordes of the Temple !!! Yesterday I had a very cool tchat with Stéphane (guit/voc) on FB, the occasion to introduce them more in depth and speak about the immediate plans from a future that presents some real nice perspectives... Read this and please don't find any more shitty excuse not to buy "the one" right after !!!

Hi Stéphane, first thing I'd like to talk to you about is your logo, pretty eye-catching and captivating with the W and N assembled that can represent a symbol, free to interpret or imagine, how did came the idea and what did you want to mean behind it ?

In fact my colleague Pascal is very good in computering graphic design, he honestly always has catchy and pretty original design ideas, we choose this logo because it's easily identifiable and indeed rather symbolical... We wanted something that would be unusual, far from the Metal standards, etc... I don't know if we succeeded but, as I said, it has at least one thing to its credit : being easily recognizable !

About the fact to play as a duo, with a drum-machine... a deliberate choice or forced ? Was it maybe a way to be quickly operationnal, without having to look for the right drummer during months and months, like it's too often the case ?

The fact to play as a duo is indeed a deliberate and assumed choice, a bit like Godflesh in their early days. It's obvious that on stage we're quickly installed and don't take too much space ! The absence of drummer can maybe cool off some people, we were a bit anxious towards this at the beginning but we have had very good responses from the first gigs... We feel good being just two, there's more place in the van, more alcohol to share ! I don't have anything against drummers though, we just wanted an ultra-minimalist formula...

From which school are you coming exactly : Metal, HC, or ... ? Do you think that the future of Metal and Doom in particular will stand out through the mixing of different heavy styles like Doom, HC, Sludge, post HC and even sometimes Industrial, Grunge and Black metal... ?

Basically I'm a big fan of METAL but I've wide musical tastes, just like Pascal, I can listen the most extreme Black Metal and then right after some Mötley, Kickback, Jefferson Airplane or Mark Lanegan and finally end with Die Antwoord or Mondkopf. I listen lots of various stuff.

Indeed, I think that the mix of different styles is the most interesting way to follow, the fact to break some boundaries helps a style to evolute and get over new horizons, but that's something true for every style of music I guess...

The scene is more and more active in the Alsace/Lorraine area with you, THE PLEDGE OF CAIN, RESISTANCE, WHEELFALL, NUMBER NINE EXPERIMENT (and all the various projects of Arnaud Schmitz)... do you know any of them in particular ? there's also JIZZ LOBER that will soon release something on your label (SuperStrong), could you tell something about this new band ?

I'm a big fan of THE PLEDGE OF CAIN, I also know a bit Nathaniel from RESISTANCE and really like what they do too... As for the others, I don't know their music in fact but from what I know, each one is into DIY stuff like us, being rather autonomous. Otherwise, we do trade gig plans with switz bands like ZATOKREV and PALMER, Switzerland realy seems to like us which is pretty cool !

JIZZ LOBER is composed by ex-members of HOLLOW CORP (guitarist, bassist and drummer) with the ex-singer from NEDGEVA. I really like them, they do play a skilful mix of thick Stoner, with great Sludge parts and some Psyche moments too; a strong personnality really, that should find quickly a positive echo. They have autoproduced their ep too and are completely autonomous; in fact SuperStrong is more of a common structure between bands that take care about everything concerning all the administrative tasks a band needs to face...

Is it then just for a local vocation ? If I'm not wrong you're also distributing their stuff and another band called SIX IN LINE (plus CROWN of course !) ?

In fact it's really our first days, the beginning... As I said superstrong is above all here to help for administrative shit, like finding subsidies, take care of various contracts, royalties, etc... We don't have a distribution as usually organized, ok we're going to distribute the 3 eps but each band is fully independant; I think it's mostly a great bunch of friends that told themselves it would be better to work together, help each other, rather than each one doing his shit on his side....

SIX IN LINE is another very good band too, their ep should be release within the next months, they play some Stoner Rock, but hard to classify exactly because they blend many influences, the result is very classy.

Coming back to the proximity of Switzerland and Germany, do you feel it's easier to be reckoned there than in the inner parts of France, including PAris of course... for the moment at least ? After a recent gig with ZATOKREV in Bâle, you'll be soon back in Switzerland taking part at the Impietus Festival with MONKEY 3, great perspective ...!?

Fuck yeah, Switzerland is more opened to these kind of heavy scenes than France, french promotors are often too conventional, contrary to Switz or German ones... ZATOKREV are one of my fave bands, they're totally apocalyptic on stage, I'm so impatient to listen their new album. We're great friends with their singer Freddy, just like with another band from there PALMER.

We're deeply honoured to be a part of the Impietus Fest line-up and share the stage with the excellent MONKEY 3.

About the diversity of your sound, the song "orthodox" includes some ambient parts which (at least to my ears) sound almost oriental, even in the vocals, while being always ethereal... How did you manage to introduce those refined sounds in a context that remains very apocalyptical ?

We enjoy so many types of stuff (Pascal and myself) that this comes out just naturally, we like to imagine the listener having a great journey with our music... "orthodox" is epic while remaining minimalist and psychedelic at the same time, we like contrasts.

What is the song "the one" dealing about ? Why did you choose it as the album's title ? By the way, for you is that an EP, a mini album, a full length ... ?

"The One" deals about an obscure ritual, just like all the other songs, inspired by imaginery rituals but which always have as guiding line : our friend "the devil", be it through a human, animal or any other form of existence. I'm very much attracted by darkness, he he !

In fact, it was also an idea from Pascal, basically this is an EP but generally eps don't have a title or rarely and as the length is more of an album than an ep, we thought to give it a title ! "the one" imposed itself quickly as it's our first release.

What's your opinion about the french scene ? Do you also feel some positive evolution that starts to find an echo abroad ?

The Sludge/Doom scene in France is competitive with MONARCH!, LOVE SEX MACHINE, CELESTE, MARS RED SKY, our friends from THE PLEDGE OF CAIN, etc... and indeed it starts to gain recognition from aborad which proves its quality and better than ever health !!

You're going to the next Roadburn in April, pleased at the idea to meet you there ! Which bands are you the most impatient to see playing ? Which have been your highlights of 2011 ?

It's just the best Festival of the universe ! For me it's the Montreux of the avant-garde musics with horns, he he ! I'm impatient to see KILLING JOKE, YOB, OM, SLEEP, CORONER, CHELSEA WOLVES, TOMBES and VOIVOD. About last year : JESSE SYKES, SUNN O))), WEEDEATER, RWAKE, TRAP THEM, ALUK TODDOLO and above all SWANS !!!

Coming back to gigs, you're soon gonna take part in the regional selections for the big festival LEZ ARTS SCENIQUES, how many bands will be selected to share the stage with some very big international names ? Even if unfortunately the result isn't positive, that'll be a great occasion to reveal your sound to professionnals from other musical horizons ... ?

I don't know exactly how many bands will be selected, one per day logically, so certainly 3 in all. It's really an excellent festival, with each year a very good METAL line-up (among others). We hope to be a part of it this year, moreover as MINISTRY will be there and I'm a huge fan of them. It would be a fantastic opportunity to play there and share our love for heavy sounds on a big stage !

Well, thanx a lot Stéphane for those enlightenments on the obscure world of CROWN, please remind us how we can find and buy "the one" and add anything you feel important that we might have forgotten ... now I let you enjoy your Saturday evening and "bon appétit "with your tasty raclette !!! (meal with cheese spread and cooked pork meats)

Hey Thanx to you Stéphane ! It's been a pleasure, thanx for this interview, thanx for your great review, thanx to support and believe in our CROWN !!! We definitely have more to come in our quest to darken the sky with CROWN, I think an album will be ready for 2013. As for now, we expect to give many gigs and share our stuff with as much people as possible... The best way to get "the one" is to go on our Bandcamp page, it's already availalbe on digital format for 4€. The CD version will come out by March 06 for the price of 5€... When you buy the CD, you can download immediately the stuff for free, time will then pass more quickly until it arrives in your mailbox... Ok, now indeed I'm gonna put my destiny in the hand of the God "raclette", we'll see what happens !!!

http://crownritual.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/CROWNBAND

"the altar of sculpted skulls" by GRAVEYARD (Spain) - awesome Ripping DM

2012-02-18T04:53:00.001-08:00

Not to be confounded with the almighty Swedish Rockers, this GRAVEYARD comes out from Barcelona (Spain) and is into old school Death Metal, there's indeed just the name in common...
But this band is not new at all in the scene and has extensively played live after the relase of their first album, including lots of gigs in Spain with great international bands and several dates abroad in Portugal, Sweden and Italy.

First thing to be noticed is the exceptionnal cover artwork by Matt Car who also previously did works for AUTOPSY, COFFINS, HOODED MENACE, etc...

Old school means obviously influences from the kings and precusors of the genre but which school precisely ??? he, he ! from Florida ? from NY ? from Stockholm ? from ... ? well, I think the best would be to precise this with names, think about a mix between "left and path" (ENTOMBED) and "realm of chaos" (BOLT THROWER) and you've got then 95% of GRAVEYARD's sound ! something pretty hard to imagine before you've ever listened to it, especially considering that this is a real masterpiece we've got here ! indeed in more than 20 years, who has succeeded in presenting such an amazing mixture with talent ? one hand is largely enough to count them ...

Of course the swedish sound is something pretty easy to imagine, those famous "chainsaw guitars", ultra low and ripping as hell, haunting with eerie melodies, but some purists could even make a little difference and say that GRAVEYARD sounds slightly more like NIHILIST than ENTOMBED, understand more sinister and creepy, not standardized by the Sunlight sound... Where I find a real and singular interest in this (too) short affair is the reference to the 2nd album of the english warmasters (maybe the album I've the most listened in my whole life), highlighting a relentlessly agressive and desperate rage with growled and hideous vocals, pounding drums and a constantly menacing heaviness.

6 songs for 24 minutes, no fillers only pure killers, but still this isn't enough at all guys, that's honestly the only reproach I could make ! Check this out blindly, this is a top-notch release and thinking it came out on Pulverised rds is all in all pretty logical...

http://www.pulverised.net/

https://www.facebook.com/deathmetalgraveyard?sk=info

V/A "SWAMP ABYSS SORCERY" - an amazing guide to Floridian UG METAL

2012-02-17T03:07:00.000-08:00

We can often read about the scenes from Maryland, Portland or NY... but it would be an error to think that the Florida's scene stoped living in the late 90's when the death metal wave started to be out of breath !!!

This great compilation is here to present us the best newcomers from the Sunshine State, 11 bands from Death Metal to Sludge, not forgetting Doom, Drone and D-Beat... a well assembled mix of extreme heavy sounds that give a rather complete overlook on great upcoming bands...

Even if no band is uninteresting, I will write about bands that deserve a mention according to my tastes and there's quite many ultimately, not that I'm especially open-minded, I think this is more due to a great general quality, which therefore totally justifies the relase of this product !

I must admit that the sequence of the first 4 bands is absolutely remarkable : SHROUD EATER's riff machine opens the compliation with the nice "pale rider", soon followed by DRUID LORD with some great slow and gloomy doom with a few Death metal overtones... Who's next ? FATAL, yes the old Death/Thrash gods with the ripping "slaughtered conscious" , shit, what a fucking good surprise to get them here with a new song !!! This 1st part ends with the Doomed Sludge monsters HOLLOW LEG, their "warbeast" reminds me that their new album should be something huge !!!

From all the others, I would say that FIRE IN THE CAVE with their long "civilized swamp" have impressed me the most, an extremely intense and thick piece of blackened volcanic Doom with a great dose of refined atmospheres; but HOT GRAVES with their amazing D-Beat assault and EXTREMELY ROTTEN with their splattering DM are also worth discovering...

This is a FREE compilation, so I couldn't encourage you enough to Download this right NOW, please support such initiatives .... this is essential for the scene !!!

http://satanikrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/swamp-abyss-sorcery

album review "Seven Chapters in Minor" by SPIRIT DESCENT

2012-02-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

"Seven chapters in Minor" is the 2nd album from this german band, a total discovery, cause honestly I didn't hear their debut "Doominion" but that 's certainly something to be repaired, considering this has lead to a deal with the always active Psychedoomelic rds...

Playing in the Melodic Doom Metal category, SPIRIT DESCENT can remind on several points their label mates EVANGELIST from Poland : basically nothing special invented, but a faultless musical quality and a nice taste for crushing, melodic and epic pieces of Doom.

Where many bands actually mix different forms of slow and heavy musics, there's some that keep applying the same old recipes of classic Doom , as a real priesthood, and I feel that's primordial to have this kind of bands coming out, especially when you know that CANDLEMASS will be soon retiring, SOLITUDE AETERNUS and a few others are all pretty irregular in their releases...The danger would be now that no one could take up the torch, with enough possibilities to catch up more than a few hundreds people attention !

If I wrote "basically", that's because the overall is slow, melodic, authentic and often melancholic but SPIRIT DESCENT still dares to introduce some more progressive parts here and there, plus on the other hand some rawer elements eyeing on melodic Heavy/Thrash from the 80's with rare but great high pitched vocals that could nicely remind Johan Lanquist or Anders Engberg (SORCERER); this makes the album more diverse than expected and long songs like "the tragedy of Captain Scott" , "lamentations of the unborn" or "love turned to stone" prove to be extremely catchy and real winners.

Reinforced by a dense and well-balanced production, this album deserves to be discovered and is another beautiful demonstration that Mark Hegedüs is a talented label-owner devoted to the cause of authentic and true Doom METAL and unearthing great obscure bands for our greatest pleasure !!!

http://shop.psychedoomelic.com/
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an exclusive interview with Mike Smith about the DAYS OF THE DOOMED FEST.

2012-02-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know if that'll end in a kind of serie, but I really enjoyed interviewing recently Albert Bell about the Malta Doom Metal Festival and it seems you liked that too as it is the most popular post of the year so far... So I felt that if there was another one in the genre to do next and in priority, that would be with Mike Smith about the DAYS OF THE DOOMED Festival !
Taking place in Kenosha (Wisconsin) next June, this festival presents maybe the best ever line-up in the DOOM category (relation quantity/quality), just imagine EARTHRIDE, REVELATION, BLOOD FARMERS, WAR INJUN, EARTHEN GRAVE, ORODRUIN, SOLACE, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, OGRE, RITUALS OF THE OAK, LAS CRUCES and about 10 more to share the stage, this just sounds like an awesome promise of doomed madness during the first week-end of summer !!! I would be almost ready to lose a ball to go there... oh well, this is will be for a next edition ;)

Thanx to Mike who presents with passion and realism his festival; no strass, no burning ambitions, just the passion of Doom and the willing to share great moments with friends and bring the best entertainment possible to everyone present... Support him, by going to the fest and/or taking part in his amazing Raffle Of Doom and spread the word about this exceptionnal event !

Hey Mike, so how did you decide to organize the DOTD fest ? Is there an event and/or someone who helped you to take the decision ?

Great question! Like a lot of people, I have been going to doom related shows for some time. I'm priviledged to say that I first saw Trouble in 1987! As the years went by with several shows under my belt, I started to travel a bit. I made it a point to really hit some of the other fests that the U.S. had to offer, no matter how "underground" they might have seemed. Indianapolis' Templars of Doom Fests, created by Jason McCash from The Gates of Slumber, were superb, as were many of the Baltimore area fests, particularily for me, Born to be Doomed in 2010. Hats off to John Brenner, John Gallo, Josh Hart, etc. for putting on some truly great events out east! So on my flight home from Born to be Doomed, I really started to consider putting on a fest of my own in my neck of the woods. Being right in the middle of Milwaukee and Chicago seemed to have built in benefits. After many e-mails and kind words of encouragement from McCash and Brenner, I decided to go for it. Further advice and support came from Tony Spillman, Ron Holzner, and Michael Lindenauer. Let it be known that there would be no Days Of The Doomed Fest without those who have been mentioned.

Is there things that are easier than what you imagined before starting and on the contrary some that are much harder than what you expected ?

I wouldn't actually say that anything is easy, per se. Everything is a challenge, some things more than others. Because I envisioned Days Of The Doomed Fest on a much grander scale, a lot more planning needed to go into the fest. I wanted professional sound and staging, rather than relying on a bar to provide that, so I rented a hall and had everything brought in. Simple things like allowing bands to have their own merch tables set up for the entire event, or better lighting, or backdrops behind the stage... Then of course there is promoting the event, and how to go about reaching the greatest number of people, where to advertise, what incentives to use. The list is endless! I literally lay awake at night sometimes thinking of ways to help promote Days Of The Doomed!

During the course of the 1^st edition, you had help from a great part of your family (including sisters, wife and father in law) I suppose that was also pretty memorable moments to share with them ? and was the mother in law doing baby –sitting for the kids ? I suppose you also had help from metalheads and volunteers, do you plan to get some more this year ?

Having my family participate in the fest was very special for me. I can't say they all have the passion for metal the way I do, but they all believed in what I was doing and really wanted to be a part of it. I think most of the crowd knew my father-in-law by name at the end of the fest! My wife, sister, and sister-in-law all took turns checking people in, selling tickets and merch among other things. My wife even picked up Jeff "Oly" Olson and his wife Leigh up from the airport! I owe her so much. As for my stage crew, all I can say is that I have some of the best friends in world. Days Of The Doomed Fest would NEVER have ran as smoothly as it did without them. We had set changes down to a science, and we never once ran behind schedule. Not bad considering we only had 20 minutes between bands with 20 bands performing that weekend! We had the perfect system for staging bands before their sets, and getting bands off stage in an orderly fashion. I am very happy to say that friends and family alike will be part of Days Of The Doomed Fest II this June! And yes... my wonderful mother-in-law was doing the babysitting!!!

What’s the best souvenir of the 1^st edition and the worst ?

Oh man, the best by far is the bass drum head I received from Karl Simon from The Gates of Slumber. He said it was "Cool" Clyde's idea, but what they did unbeknowst to me was have as many band members taking part in the fest sign this bass drum head. It's awesome! Ron Holzner, Andy Beresky, John Gallo, "Butch" Balich... everyone is on there! Thank you J. Clyde Paradis! Worst? Probably just the lack of sleep I got! I had several bands stay with me that weekend, and there were many drinks and many laughs late into the night! Just ask Josh Hart...

20 bands in 2011 and the same number for this year, is it a maximum you can not or don’t want to exceed ?

Twenty bands was basically just enough to keep things running smoothly without running into problems. Plus, if we added more bands, set times would have to be drastically reduced, and that's not fair to anyone. However, if things go well enough to ensure a Days Of The Doomed Fest III, I am considering adding a two hour break on Saturday to allow for a dinner break.

After their participation to the 1^st edition, ORODRUIN, BLACKFINGER, ARGUS, APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE, LAS CRUCES, EARTHEN GRAVE are programmed again this year… is there any particular reason to that ?

Earthen Grave and Blackfinger having TROUBLE heritage, and being from Chicago, almost make them "hometown favorties", so I was very interested in having them return, which they graciously agreed to. I have decided to move them over to Friday night, which in turn opens up Saturday not only to first time participants, but allows me to provide better time slots for returning bands, like Apostle of Solitude for example. Obviously I couldn't have every band return this year, but I'm sure you will see some of the originals back in 2013 if all goes according to plan. I already have a verbal agreement with Iron Man and Pale Divine!

The line-up includes more important bands this year, were you confronted to any difficulties to attract them ?

I don't think any one band is really more important than another. Each band is more than worthy of playing Days Of The Doomed Fest. I think I know what you're saying, however. Some bands may seem to have a "bigger name" or following in the public eye. I really didn't have any difficulties in attracting any of them: some contacted me, others I contacted myself. Tom Philips and I had been in negotiations for Days Of The Doomed I, but that was just not meant to be. Fortunately, he and I have kept a good rapport, and I am very excited to have While Heaven Wept on the bill this year. I guess if you wanted to label any bands as "important", it would be Solace and Ogre. I am delighted to have both bands reactivated and sharing their music live with us once again!

About the presence from RITUALS OF THE OAK… how did it happen that an Australian band was added to the line-up ? Did you help them to find other dates in the US ? Should we expect more foreign bands in the future or do you think that travel costs will always be a hard constraint towards that ?

Long story short: Corey Webb, drummer for Apostle of Solitude, suggested them to me after he had worked with them on a split LP. I really enjoyed what Rituals was doing, so I finally got in contact with Sabine, their lead vocalist. As it turns out, they were already going to be in the U.S. this summer, so it really worked out well for them to take part in the fest. I have been working on putting together some extra shows for them immediately following the fest. As of right now, we have them booked in Chicago and Indy, and then they continue on to the New York area where Sabine has friends that have set up additional gigs. All in all, the timing was great. Can't wait to see Rituals of the Oak in June!!! More foreign bands at Days Of The Doomed Fest in the future? Count on it!

Could you present a bit The Hall of Lore and your town Kenosha please ? Is there any particular touristic points that Robert Azzopardi and other foreign doomsters should point on their map as tourists ?

Man, I'm so impressed that Robert is coming over for the fest! Awesome! In the area nearest the "Hall of Lore" (which is a name I gave it- the building is under new ownership and they had no name planned as of yet, so they told me to make one up!!!), there are several establishments worth peeking in on. The venue, as well as the preferred hotel, are right on the Lake Michigan harbor, so there are several scenic walkways next to the lake, as well as light house landmarks, several pubs and restaurants, unique shops, art gallerys, and museums. We also have a trolley line that can take you all the way around the harbor area of Kenosha.

In 2011 the definitive line-up was announced in May, not long before the festival, was that the main explanation to the weak turnout of this 1^st edition ? Is that also why you started promotion much earlier this year and in larger proportions too

I wouldn't go so far as to say it was a weak turnout: every event has to have a starting point. Unfortunately, fests like Days Of The Doomed aren't lucky enough to have thousands of people show up like they do in Europe. That's just how it is here in the U.S., and that's sad. People in the States tend to like disposable, "flavor of the month" type bands presented to them on energy drink sponsored tours. Very few people loyally support bands anymore. It's a shame because there are so many fucking amazing bands that deserve far more attention than what they receive. So getting back to last year's numbers, I have to say I was more than happy with the turnout. I think we peaked at just over 200, and I would like to build on that this year. In terms of starting promotion for this year, we started so early because that's just how fast the line up was filled! I think that is paramount in recognizing just how well received last year's fest actually was. I'd like to believe that all the bands involved last year truly enjoyed themselves and appreciated how they were treated, and that word of mouth spread to other bands.

Mike, you also did recently some very interesting interviews with some of the bands that will play at the fest, last one being with David Szulkin… did you have great echoes about that ? Who will be next ones interviewed ? MetalKaoz took quickly the opportunity to hire your skills for being a part of their writing team, another new exciting activity, how do you see this new collaboration ?

David made that interview all his own, and I got a TON of positive feedback from those that read it. He had a lot to say, and it was all very interesting to hear. Many thanks to David for taking the time to do that interview! As far as who's next, it looks like it will be Joseph Rowland from Pallbearer, and that one will go directly to Metal Kaoz.

Speaking of Metal Kaoz, what an absolute treat it is for me to be working with them. I recently had the honor of doing a phone interview with Ben Ward from Orange Goblin for Metal Kaoz which was really something. We ended up talking a lot longer than I think we both expected! Look for that interview soon! The team that makes up the Metal Kaoz site/magazine are some of the biggest metal fans I've ever come in contact with. They literally BLEED metal! I can't thank Maria and Dimitris enough for bringing me into the fold!

If you had to name 3 bands you’re the most impatient to see playing, who would they be ?

Wow. I don't think I can name one let alone 3! I'm looking forward to each one! Earthride and the Blood Farmers are going to devastate. While Heaven Wept and Revelation will be epic! Las Cruces will come out pounding! Ogre's set is going to be very captivating. They are such a revered band in the genre and I'm so glad they'll be at the fest. Geez, Argus and Orodruin... nope, can't name 3! How about 20?

This year again, there's a few rather unknown but certainly promising bands like BEELZEFUZZ, SNAKE DANCE or CYRUS... what can you say about them ? In general did you receive many candidatures ? Which bands were you the most surprised to get on the line-up ? Did you have good hopes for one or several bands that finally didn't work for this edition ?

Like I said, I had several bands contact me, and I have a back up list a mile long to prove it! So yes, there were some candidatures.

Wait until you see Beelzefuzz. They have such a highly unique sound, and Pale Divine's Darin McCloskey sits behind the kit! Snake Dance is from Chicago, and they meld the best of Sabbath with the Ramones. Good stuff. And Cyrus is the side project of Orodruin's Mike Puleo. Oustanding, organ oriented music with rich vocals. Do not miss them!!!!!

As far as surprises, it is without a doubt Solace. I knew they hadn't played in some time, so I just took a stab at it and wrote to Tommy Southard. To my surprise, it all worked out within a couple hours time and Solace was on the bill! Bands that didn't work? Well, there were two in particular, but we have already discussed 2013, so I can't really disclose any info at this time. Sorry!

What would you consider as the best moment for you the week-end of the festival :- just a few minutes before the beginning of the festival, with the satisfaction to have done everything possible to make it a success and the enormous excitement to see tons of killer bands

- during the show of your fave band, drinking a good fresh beer and enjoying as a fan just for yourself

- right after the end when all pressure falls and everyone is congratulating you for your great work

- any other of your choice

No question about it. Just as the fest is about to come to a close, I've let lose with a beer or two, and the pressure is fading away... and I see lots of smiles on people's faces- that's the best part for me. VERY gratifying indeed. One thing I swear I'm going to try and do this year is talk to more fest attendees. Last year I ran around so much making sure everything was running properly that I really didn't get to "hang" with as many people as I would have liked to. Hopefully that will change this year. Oh! And take more pictures with people! Gotta do that!

You've negociated prices with Best Western Hotel for bands and fans accomodations, was it a difficult task to sell your business to get the best conditions possible ? Did you feel they had a good opinion towards doomsters/metalheads ?

The people at the Kenosha Harborside Best Western really are the "best". There was never an issue with them in making reduced priced hotel accomodations available. They were behind the fest from the first meeting I had with them. After last year, they were more than happy to have us back. There were no problems at the hotel, and they did great business. They let me know how happy they were to have so many out-of-state visitors at the hotel, and they look forward to seeing some familiar faces this year!

The festival is a 21+ show, something hardly understable for us here, I noticed this was not mentioned on last year's poster, was it already the case ? who decide this (authorities or the mayor, or ...) and why coudn't it be I don't know 15 or 16+ ?

I believe I did advertise last year's fest as being 21+, but that might not have made it to every poster. In all honesty, I could do an "all ages" show, but at this point, I am still not comfortable with the idea. I have an insurance policy that covers Days Of The Doomed Fest, and it is much cheaper (and safer) to keep the show a 21 and over event. I really don't want to run the risk of minors being caught with alcohol, which could in turn threaten the fest. It's one less thing I have to worry about as promoter. Now, that's not to say I'm not considering opening up the fest to all ages in the future, but for now I'm keeping it at 21.

Mike, since almost the day after the 1st edition, you're extremely busy to work on the festival, days are still 24hours longs though, do you still have enough time for your family and eventually any leisure or sport practising ? Does your wife sometimes blame you to spend too much time on your musical activities ?
What's that old Y&T song? "25 Hours a Day"! I could use a few of those!!! Yes, the promotion end of this fest does seem never ending, and there are days that I really have to get up and walk away from it for a while. I become so intensely focused on it that my wife at times reminds me there is more to life! I have two awesome boys (4 and 7) who are very active, so my wife and I try to do as much as we can with them in our spare time. School functions and summer sports are very common around my house, as well as WWE style wrestling matches in the living room. And "Mrs. Doom" and I still try to sneak in a date night when we can! All I can say is my wife is extremely supportive, and I don't know many other wives that would put up with as much music oriented stuff as she does. On the other hand, I did take her to see Judas Priest on our first date, so she knew what she was in for!

Now about that Raffle of Doom (who starts to be contagious...!), how did come that idea ? there's many outstanding goodies, did some bands give something spontaneously ? so, you'll present the winner on a special youtube video, can you precise things about that please ?
I was looking for a way to generate funds to offset some of the overhead it takes to pull off Days Of The Doomed Fest. I came up with the raffle idea one night and decided to shoot everyone involved in the fest, past and present, a message to see what their thoughts were on the idea. Within a few days the loot just started rolling in the door. Everyone has been so extremely generous with their donations. It snowballed to the point where even bands who haven't played the fest were sending items to me, like The Wounded Kings and Orchid! I never expected such a huge response, and I thank each band for doing what they did for this raffle. When it comes down to the actual drawing, what I plan on doing is using my webcam to record the event. I just want people to see that no monkey business was involved, and that nothing was fixed. You'll see me dumping all the names into the pot at the same time, and you'll see me pick each name, all continuously. Don't forget, in addition to the drawing for the "mother load", there will also be 4 other drawings for some equally cool and unique items!

Thanx a lot Mike, wish you all the best for this DOTD #2; add anything you feel important that I might have forgotten to speak about...
Well thank YOU so much for the interview! It was a great pleasure! In closing I just want to add that tickets for Days Of The Doomed Fest II are on sale as we speak!
All you need to do is visit http://www.daysofthedoomed.com/, and everything you could possibly need from tickets, time slots, and lodging options is right there at your finger tips! I looking forward to seeing some old friends this June, and hoping to make some new ones!!! Come on out and support the bands and the scene! And one last thing... always be sure to check out the mighty TEMPLE OF PERDITION!!!!! \m/ Hails! \m/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Day-Of-The-Doomed-Fest/144453592247874?ref=ts

"Senium", an hidden gem of Blackened DOOM by STOIC DISSENTION

2012-02-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

Early january, in the interview of Grant from IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS, I took note about several bands from the Denver's scene that he kindly recommended, one of them was STOIC DISSENTION... When Zach, vocalist of this band, contacted me last week, I felt naturally more than immediately interested by his request... and shit what a fucking awesome discovery !!!

Grant described them as "a gnarly band that plays a hybrid of funeral doom & black" and I think that fits pretty well with STOIC DISSENTION's sound which is indeed more than slightly blackened... Imagine a kind of refined MOURNFUL CONGREGATION in mode Black Metal, something quite weird and original at the same time.

While the general atmosphere is almost constantly haunting and blackened, the band isn't afraid at all to introduce some more subtle and refined moments, full of crawling heaviness ("an ubiquitous coming") that make it rather diverse and never falling into some underlying monotony that we can find too often in funeral stuff. This being said, you must be warned that the black metal influences can not suit to everyone, including frequent evil-like vocals and rare but extremely intense demonic blast beats like in "the thought of them" (quickly tempered though).

Intense and extreme doomed stuff is what you can expect from these guys (oops sorry, there's a dudette on guitars named Kelly), of course , like I said, fans of melodic Doom won't find their count here, but don't be too "afraid" by the Black Metal elements described,... The future is maybe not precisely there, but the present proves more and more that bands who mix different styles of extreme heavy metallized sounds are actually establishing new interesting rules which could be some new foundations for tomorrow and STOIC DISSENTION is a great and promising example to attest about that...

This was released last April, so I think we can reasonably expect a full-length (this is presented as an ep, although some full-lengths don't last sthat long !) for 2012 which should definitely reveal them to a wider audience... waiting for this, don't waste any time to tame this beautiful and haunting entity !

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<a href="http://stoicdissention2.bandcamp.com/album/senium">Senium by Stoic Dissention</a>

album review : "Maktub" by ZIPPO

2012-02-14T07:15:00.002-08:00

If the cover of this 3rd album from the italian band ZIPPO is pretty intriguing, the least we can say is that their musical style is also surprising and pretty hard to describe, being very rich and personal.

Often compared to MASTODON for a pronounced progressive edge, I wouldn't exactly range them in the same category, I would speak more about an audacious and very diverse musicality concerning the quintet from Pescara.

When first listening "Maktub", I was a bit surprised to see that this band will be included to the Desert Fest line-up, next April in London, among bands like Orchid, Lord Vicar, Church Of Misery, Alunah, Black Pyramid, etc... absolutely not for a question of quality, rather more by their style who, even if heavy and powerful, is very different from the other bands programmed. But diversity is the best ennemy of boredom and I'm sure that ZIPPO will be a real attraction there...

Like VOIVOD, MESSUGAH, TOOL or even PRIMUS were completely in advance on their time in the early 90's, ZIPPO reminds me slightly this "avant-gardiste" personality, blending different influences (from Metal/Stoner/Sludge/Heavy rock and grunge , all displayed with a modern touch) with a twisted and complex guitar approach; the kind of stuff that could seem a bit too shifted, being so singularly and tighlty composed, but which is in fact extremely solid and homogeneous when you get 100% into it.

Vocals by Dave are naturally not as surprising but fit very well with the various tempo changes and the general climate of "Maktub" which can be alternatively straight and intense, coldly melancholic and slightly mystical or on the contrary close to a certain psychedelic warmth. The presence of Ben Ward (Orange Goblin) on the "man of theory", one of the thickest songs of the album, is a nice little plus and (if necessary) adds even more credibility to the band, regarding its programmed development abroad; this is in my opinion the best song, just after the amazing "Simum" that you can listen here now :

All in all, we've got here a refreshing and very accomplished effort that perfectly deserves the attention from a large part of the HEAVY sounds Underground community, remember that and open your mind to ZIPPO !!!

http://www.zippomusic.it/

"Fucking Satan" split ep NUNSLAUGHTER/ABIGAIL out now !!!

2012-02-14T02:36:00.000-08:00

.:: Turanian Honour Productions Proudly Presents ::.

NUNSLAUGHTER(Usa)/ABIGAIL(Jpn) -"Fucking Satan" 7" ep

The Masters of Devil Death Metal & The Japanese Black Thrash Samurai joined forces on a new split material.
Limited to 366 hand & name numbered copies and the first 122 in white
vinyl with red splatter. Comes with a printed insert.
First 44 copies of splatter vinyl comes with high quality printed T-Shirt.
All hand-numbered copies belongs with a name, who ordered the EP.
Sorry no trades ! No more than a copy to a person !

http://www.nunslaughter.com/
http://www.myspace.com/666abigail
http://turanian-honour.blogspot.com/

an interview w/ Monsieur Dave SHERMAN about EARTHRIDE & WEED IS WEED

2012-02-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

Through a rich musical career lasting now for more than twenty years, Dave Sherman became a living legend of American DOOM... From the top notch defuncted bands of the 90's WRETCHED and SPIRIT CARAVAN, to the highly respected EARTHRIDE in the last ten years and for some more, along with the little new WEED IS WEED, the guy has always left an indelible mark of this talent and shown real and sincere human qualities.
Indeed, not only one of the best live performer /frontman of all the actual scene, Dave is also a very dedicate, supportive and passionate guy... Whichever band it could be with, a new recording or a live performance featuring Dave Sherman is always a real event, that's also why I wanted to get news cause 2011 was rather quiet for us -Europeans- especially; not sure any live appearance around this part of the globe will be for this year, but some recordings should happen for sure and that's already some fucking good perspectives :

First time you recorded for « something wicked » was at Jean Paul Gaster’s from CLUTCH to demo 4 or 5 songs, playing on Clutch’s gear, do you think it has had a slight influence on the band’s sound for this album which is more groovy and rock’n roll than on previous efforts ?

No, I would'nt say that, I think Earthride has it's own thing going on. Before we went to Jean Paul we had 5 songs written, me and Clutch have been friends for about 20 years ...They have always helped bands out through the year from Spirit Caravan to Earthride .They have influenced me personally but not the whole band per-se. We do come from the same place Maryland so we do drink the same water !!!

Your first ep is going to be re-released by the new French label TOTEM CAT rds with bonus live trax, how did this happen, was it a wish from you guys and you gave that opportunity to Ewenn or was it his idea that you accepted ?

It was Ewenn's brain child, he contacted me through Facebook and he wanted to release the first ep with a new cover !! I said hell ya and then I thought maybe we should put some live tracks from SHOD and he said that will work...I think it will come out around April, I am still am working with Chris Kozlowski on getting live tracks. It will probably have songs from Taming of the Demons , Vampire Circus an Something Wicked, one from each.

Will next album be another self-release ? If yes, will you change some things in the way on working globally on it, maybe with the help of a promotion-agency which becomes more and more current ?

Not sure just yet ...First we need to write a new record right now !!! Then we will see what we can do...

How many songs are yet composed for the 4th album ? Which producer are you going to work with ? Do you intend to maybe introduce some new ideas that have never been applied in Earthride or will it be a logical follower to “something wicked” ?

We have not decided who will record this one yet, Kyle Van Steinburg is having a baby in Feb. 2012, so right now we are coming up with ideas at home and whatnot...Starting in March we are going to start working on a new Record . The riffs coming from Josh Hart and Kyle are awesome so far . I have a few riffs myself so get ready for some up-tempo songs on this one !!!

What about Europe ? you guys don’t come here that often, including in festivals that are flourishing almost everywhere, is that related to personnal obligations (like Rob working for NASA…) ? Any chance to have some dates in Europe this year or will we have to wait one year more ?

Rob's is not in the band anymore, Jost Hart is playing bass now. I wish we could do more Europe dates ... the last time with Gates of Slumber was cool but we need to do more shows over their for sure, if it's not this year it will be next year 2013 when the new record comes out !!!

Your drummer wrote the lyrics of “force fed fear” which have an unusual political subject, did he write any others for the new material ? What about your latest subjects of inspiration lyrically wise ? When you have a new subject in mind, do you clearly know at the beginning if those lyrics will be for Earthride or Weed is Weed ?

Eric Little wrote a lot of lyrics for Earthride ...he's a big comic book fan so he has a great deal of imganation. The lyrics for Weed is Weed I wrote all the words , all the songs are about weed but one Eat Pussy ha ha...

So and maybe before anything else, some great fun and humanly rewarding experience, but in which manner do the new projects/collaborations you have been involved in during the last 2 years, you know with Hank Williams III and Weed is Weed, have helped you to grow as a musician ?

Working with Sourvein, that was very cool, playing Roadburn was an honor. As far as being on Hank III's record: that was a dream come true, I love his dad and Hank Williams Senior, who to me is a god . I love working with other people, it brings more out of you and the people you're working with i'd say !

Late 2010 in an interview with The Obelisk you were planning a reunion of SPIRIT CARAVAN, this is maybe not the only reason, but with all his various projects Wino still doesn’t seem ready for that or what ? What about the expected release of “Jug Fulla Sun” on vynil ?

Wino is working his ass off right now with the new Saint Vitus coming out and The Obsessed on Roadburn and Hellfest ..we can only wait and see. Hopefully we will have a reunion and Jug fulla Sun will be out on vinyl...It's pretty much in his court and when he's ready I'll be happy to be right there beside him.

With you obviously on it, if you had to choose 2 guys on the podium of Maryland’s doom best ambassadors, who would it be ? Among the youngers, who do you think could be a future legend/symbol of your scene ?

Dale Flood of Unothodox and John Brenner of Revelation ...... Jason Barker of Trifecta i love his guitar playing and song writing .

In the imaginery of an ordinary doomster like me, Maryland seems to be like a kind of promised land with many great bands, gigs, a real brotherhood, etc… is it actually more true than ever ? What could erode the movement ? Imagine I’m a tourist just arriving in Maryland, how long would it take to see a guy wearing a local doom band T-shirt and riding a big motorbike ?!

All the bands around Maryland have been brothers since the Hellhound days , but some of the newer bands have not payed their dues, but they think if they play one or two shows in the area they're the SHIT, but it's not true, you have to work real hard and that's why Earthride has come up in the ranks ! Maryland is a pretty big state, if you come to Frederick, Maryland there a good chance you might see a Doom Metal person or two ! ha ha ha...

Let’s talk a bit about Weed Is Weed, I suppose there’s new songs since the demo, are you planning to record something like an album in 2012 ? With your various bands/projects, do you guys have time to rehearse regularly ?

Weed is Weed is Gary Isom , Rob Cougin , Johnny Wretched , Darren Waters, Jason Fisher and yours truly .We are planning on releasing our cd in March or April it's going to be called ONE HIT WONDER. I put two songs on youtube just to get a buzz going .The demo is going to be the official record, it's just taking a long time to get it out. But when it hits we are going to do everthing we can to promote it ....we pratice every week and we are going to start covering a Down song Bury me in Smoke ...which i think sould go over pretty good .

This is certainly good fun and exciting to start a new project with good old friends but how is it about being a new band in the scene and having to make your place among so many others that also promote their bands everyday ? you’re very present on FB with W.I.W., posting many videos everyday, I’m sure that before all this is stuff you like and that you have pleasure to share but do you consider it also as a way to get the name exposed ?

Rob Cougin (drums ) runs the FB page and he post all the cool stuff that the band likes ...It helps a lot with no record out yet .We are trying as hard as we can to get it out and when we do there won't be anything to hold us back on making a full assault on the world ,WEED IS WEED it will grow on you !!!

So how has been tasting local weed lately ? With years passing, being around 40 years old, do you feel more calm than ever towards it ? Does it act now like a kind of stabilizer or rather a booster ?

I've been smoking since i was 13 years old , it's so much better then in the old days . I feel like if they legalize it in the USA it would change the world . I use weed to calm myself down for stress .Thank goodness for good grass !

After all those years, your passion seems intact, I mean you seem always very interested by new bands, reading blogs, etc… is it by need, curiosity or anything else ? Which have been some of your most interesting discoveries over the last months ? do you feel that DOOM still has its best years ahead ?

I think if you have music in your soul you never stop trying to make it .... It's the beat of your heart and the best way to express yourself . I enjoy hearing new doom bands that keep carrying the flag of doom, I like Witch Field from Italy andTrifecta from Maryland. With the new Saint Vitus record coming out and Pentagram touring I hope the world starts to realize doom metal has it's place . Whatever name you give it all the bands love Black Sabbath .

Well, thanx a lot Dave, it’s been an honour… all the best to you and your bands mates, wish to hear some new stuff soon !

Now here are all the questions that fans have sent and Dave kindly answered too :

(Jerry Saunders) When u gonna hook me up with some cd"s ?

When you come to a show !!!

(John Wilt) How was Justin Bieber live?

Don't Know

(Matt Shively) what is yer fav breakfast?

Bacon and eggs ....sunny side up

(T.roy Medlin) first band?

Pendulum , Heavy Soul

(Patric Barrett) Any shot of wow rockin okc?

Not right now bro next year ?

(T.roy Medlin) when was your first joint??

13 years old ,,,,AWESOME

(Wes Cueto) What can you tell us about the "I Plead The Fifth" project you did with Bobby Liebling? What's it sound like and how did it come about?

All i'm going to say about this, there's talk of us recording it again with Bobby Liebling , Hank III and I ........ So just have to wait on this one !!!

(Josh Graham) Do you smoke as much as you can... EVERY DAY?

Fuck yes

(Kenneth Stone) word up! What happen to the Music?

Music has been going down hill for years with so many crappy bands ....it's hard to find good music now !!!

(James Taylor) Any plans to tour the west coast with weed is weed ot EARTHRIDE!?

I Sure hope so we have not been out west in years ....2013 is my best bet .

(Mercyful Mike Smith) If Earthride had to throw a cover in their set RIGHT NOW, what would be your first idea?

Banned in DC Bad Brains

(Irvan J. Conners III) when ya'll coming back to new orleans man??

I wish it was this year just to see Clearlight probably 2013

EARTHRIDE on Facebook
WEED IS WEED on Facebook

"s/t" debut album by English Psych rockers STUBB

2012-02-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

England, Riff rock, Power trio, Psychedelic, Blues rock, frantic solos.... I'm sure that at least half of those elements already awake your interest ! This is in six points what could characterize the best this debut album from STUBB, released this week by a new label, whose name alone is enough to warm you up a few degrees in these cold winter times : SuperHotRecords.

Recorded in London, this was mixed and mastered by Tony Reed (Stone Axe, Mos Generator) who also worked a bit later in 2011 on the new St Vitus... The late 60's/early 70's vibes are perfectly restored with a very LIVE sound; STUBB plays straight, warm and fuzzy short songs, but not only I would say... If most of the songs are thick, powerful and heavy, the trio likes to slow down the tempo too, "crosses you bear" and "crying river" show indeed a Folkish sensibility through mellow melodies and luminous singing. But, of course the main purpose of the guys is the RIFF and on that point, they have a bunch of psychedelic notes to offer you with a large use of wah-wah...

Starting by the 1st song "Road" which could have easily appeared on "gods and goddesses" from B.B., revealing as you've guessed an obvious Hendrixian vibe ! Other great songs like "scale the mountain", "soul mover" or "galloping horses" are excellent pieces full of groove and swinging blues.

It's not because the band takes large influences in HENDRIX, CREAM or LED ZEPPELIN that it could not surprise the listener, for example solos are pretty oustanding, not systematically placed where we await them, also some rythmics sound so heavy and powerful that it could be on the next SIGIRIYA !!!

If the vocals aren't the strongest force of the band (backing vocals especially), I think they are pretty good and fit well with the straightness of the overall; some guys can sing effortlessly like Robert Plant or Ozzy Osbourne, some can not but are certainly more inclined to improve in getting a distinctive style...

It became hardly predictable to say if a band more than another could be a new rising star, but STUBB offers here a very pleasant debut album that should not remain unnoticed, so don't waste time to discover this english gem (moreover this is a "name your price" download) !

https://www.facebook.com/Stubbrock?ref=ts

<a href="http://stubb.bandcamp.com/album/stubb">Stubb by Stubb</a>

"the one" by CROWN - another highly competitive French release !!!

2012-02-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

Without making proof of blind optimism, one must recognize that France is actually more and more productive on the various doomed musical fronts and most essentially quality follows, which is very encouraging and should finally open some new doors to some cool bands that just await the starting signal...

Formed in the summer of 2011 by two experimented guys, CROWN is a very special duo which releases here a surprising debut with "the one". Ep, mini album or full length, who gives a shit in fact ? it contains 5 songs and lasts about 33 delightful minutes; after that ...call it as you want, the esential is the quality of the content and on that point there's nothing to be debated.

A duo ? yes two guys, two guitars (one of them sings too) and a machine... and even if GODFLESH is maybe an influence (more historical than actual I guess), just like NEUROSIS, this doesn't particularly sound like Industrial stuff ; no, this machine is more like a necessary accompaniement, in no way something that gives you quickly a pounding headache.

CROWN is rather more into a massive Doomed post-HC with a few SLUDGE overtones tightly incorporated here and there to accentuate some angered parts, the grimness and filth of an environment without future; from the first notes of "cosmogasm" to the last of "orthodox" , we enter an awesomely disturbing world of abrasive aesthetics and cold disturbing darkness.

The general atmosphere could sometimes remind another great french band called DIRGE (songs are not as long though) , this is straight and extremely heavy at times, refined, melodic and almost ambient, relaxing at others, while always keeping an abyssal and despaired mood.

I love that feeling of shipping slowly, irremediably towards the apocalypse; for such a young band they succeed brillantly to create pretty memorable, disturbing but catchy, atmospheres. With such maturity we can expect a bright future for theses guys and already await impatiently some more stuff...

"the one" is actually available on digital format but the CD version will be released within a month ( one thing cool you have to know is that if you buy the CD now, you'll get the digital download for free immediatedly, great idea !).

http://crownritual.bandcamp.com/

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"Everything Dies" by APOSTLES OF GRIEF

2012-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was telling myself "shit, it's been a little while since I heard some great new traditional DOOM stuff !"; then a few days later, Morose Music, a new small label from the Portland area contacted me and submited "everything dies" the 2nd demo from APOSTLES OF GRIEF with tasty trad' or classic DOOM at the programm, hum... great :)

Considering the composition of the band (this is a one-man band !) and its youth, I feel the songs are correctly accomplished ,showing Brendan has real skills to play some dark and gloomy pieces. The tempo goes generally from pretty slow to more metallic mid-tempos, though it's more often mournful and intimate (could sometimes remind the delightful ambiance of TGOS "the wretch" ); on the removed pace , vocals are then more crushing, scary, nearly malignant which brings a nice little different touch.

While the guitar is not especially groovy, there's still nice melodies and a few bluesy solos that are not fillers at all; I'm certainly not the best qualified to judge if the guy is as competent on drums but nothing sounds weak, rather globally homogeneous.

The three first songs last about 4:30 minutes ,while last one "a funeral obsession" is a bit more long, reaching 6 minutes; this one is really the highlight of "everything dies", not that the others are more than a bit below, but it has a very cool atmosphere enriched by great storm sounds, very absorbing.

Here's a band that deserves attention and had the merit to make me swallow my prejudices about one-man bands... Try it and please if you enjoy the songs, like them on FB coz seing just 10 people already did it is another mystery of life that one should explain me !

http://morosemusic.com/album/everything-dies

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Apostles-of-Grief/248222285232746

<a href="http://morosemusic.com/album/everything-dies">Everything Dies by Apostles of Grief</a>

an extensive interview with HELLISH CROSSFIRE

2012-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Although T.O.P. is mostly dedicated to DOOM and its subgenres, I've never hidden my deep interest and respect for bands practising quality old school DEATH and THRASH metal, obscure HM... Styles I was 300% into, when I was young... a little while ago ! So await some more exceptions here and there in the future ;) starting with HELLISH CROSSFIRE.

When Nathaniel Colas proposed me another interview with this furious Thrash band from Germany, I immediately said "ok dude , fine!"...No need to make an history lesson, Germany has always been the kingdom of Thrash in Europe but one got to admit that, during long years, there wasn't any real competitive succession to the veterans of Kreator, Destruction and Sodom...

In just two albums, HELLISH CROSSFIRE imposed themselves as the leaders of a very solid revival, respecting the traditions while bringing some more diverse influences and variety... Nathaniel took the opportunity to come back on the sophomore album "bloodrust Scythe"with Iron Incubus (guit), ask details about his wide musical tastes (including Doom stuff), his opinion on the actual german thrash scene,some infos on the next album and lots of other intersting things that make this one very very extensive and interesting !!!

1-Hellish greetings fellow bangers! So how have you been doing since the release of « Bloodrust scythe »?

Hello to you, my friend, Mr. Frogleg-eater, hehe! Well, “Bloodrust Scythe” has been released one year ago, and in this year we received many positive and few not so good or negative reactions concerning our second album. In leading European fanzines we got interviews and some good soundcheck positions (i.e. winning Swedish “Close Up” soundcheck once again or ranking on position #2 in Germany`s “Legacy” mag`s soundcheck). We`ve been celebrating a ravishing release party for the CD release, the LP followed later on (and is nearly sold out by now, by the way). Furthermore we played some fine shows, as always. Some new songs for a third album were created, and as for now these tracks really sound promising…!

We`ve also been busy with the “business aspect” of things, something we don`t like really, but anyway, we had to deal with it, and it seems as if there will be changes in future…I`ll keep you updated!

So, that´s all what happened with HELLISH CROSSFIRE since the release of “Bloodrust Scythe”. Now we look into the future and that implies, most of all, working on songs for a new album…!

2-It seems like you opened the door to a small « old school thrash metal » movement in Germany lately. I mean after you appeared, all of sudden bands like CHÖNYJ WÖRON, WITCHING HOUR, CRUEL FORCE, DIVISION SPEED etc started to pop up. Though you’re maybe not the only ones responsible for that as bands like NOCTURNAL, DESASTER also paved the way. But how do you feel connected to these angry youngsters?

First of all, I agree with you that HELLISH CROSSFIRE was not the single reason for those bands to start playing aggressive Thrash Metal, that`s for sure! I mean, also HELLISH CROSSFIRE owes it to groups such as Desaster or Nocturnal / Bestial Desecration having started our band, so…

Anyway, we are very happy about this “movement”: I mean, all of the mentioned acts are good friends of us and we really enjoy playing with them live on stage at any time (except of CHÖRNYJ WORON, of course as they unfortunately split up meanwhile)! To me, Division Speed, Cruel Force and Witching Hour today are among the best relatively new real Thrash Metal acts from Germany, no doubt about that! And I guess everyone in HELLISH CROSSFIRE agrees on that statement of mine…and we don`t say that just because these groups are good friends to us, no, never! We enjoy both: The music as well as the people behind these storm troopers of Thrash!

Generally said, we feel very connected to these youngsters, because they seem to be possessed by the same evil spirit of real dark Thrash Metal as we are! This means, that it`s not about how well you can handle your instrument or how perfect a live concert may be, it`s all about the real feeling and celebrating the deep inner sense of what this kind of music has been all about since the very beginnings! So, there seems to be a deeper inner connection, a “spiritual” link that leads HELLISH CROSSFIRE and all of the above mentioned bands to the same stages from time to time to deliver Thrash Metal the way it was meant to be!

3-Chris, you’re definitely a music fanatic in a very broad scale! Thumbs up for that! It’s not so often a thrash metal band claims to be influenced by the vibe of artists like Mozart, KING CRIMSON, BLACK WIDOW, COVEN, DEATH SS… Do you think that, in a sense that’s your approach to the music as a whole, that makes HELLISH CROSSFIRE stand out from the mass of countless (and often soulless) thrash metal combos of today?

Maybe…however, I don`t know! Maybe it`s this mixture of extreme narrow-mindedness and this musically quite free attitude that makes something special out of HELLISH CROSSFIRE. Both of these different parts live inside of me: I mean, on the one hand I can be the most narrow-minded person in the world, listening only to the “real stuff”, glorifying anything that is honest and dedicated. But on the other hand I also recognize that it`s not only Thrash Metal, not only Metal in general, that can be “real” – there`s a whole bunch of other music styles waiting to be discovered, and I`ve always done that, even back in those times when ignorant people from outside used to call me an “intolerant bastard”, hehe! I mean, I only care for real music that truly comes from the heart of the individual. I dislike any kind of plastic, unreal trend – also, of course, in Metal music. So this extreme attitude of mine may be one reason for this unique sound of HELLISH CROSSFIRE. I also think one reason for this specific music we create is that this band exists of four totally different individuals. But on the other hand we all got one vision, despite all differences! I think if I would be the single songwriter, HELLISH CROSSFIRE would sound totally different! It`s definitely necessary that everybody in the band contributes to the music, the concept behind the group. That`s our kind of “philosophy”. And nobody ever cares if this or that riff is Death, Black, Thrash, Speed or whatever Metal: We simply do what sounds good to our ears and if other people like it, we`re honoured. But we would never change a thing in order to appeal to a certain kind of listeners! We`ve never done this in the past and we´ll never do this in the future, of course!

If I look at the bands you mentioned in your question, I feel the urge to maybe compare their way of thinking about music with ours...I mean, I don`t wanna compare HELLISH CROSSFIRE to musical geniuses such as King Crimson for example, no way! But this 70s Progressive Rock group - at least in the early days - melted its musical mastership with a deep, honest feeling, and maybe that`s why their early albums are considered masterpieces. It`s not only about playing on a high level, it`s also about feeling, about creating something special that stands the test of time - I do hope that with HELLISH CROSSFIRE we create something eternal somehow, music that is still a fine devastating thrashing listen even after many years...

4-Thus, I want to know how you think it’s possible for HELLISH CROSSFIRE to not repeat itself album after album. Of course on « Bloodrust scythe » you definitely pushed the envelope by introducing some NWOBHM elements and by making the songs more direct, yet a bit more complicated than on «Slaves of the burning pentagram », still you are threading a very edgy path as a band like yours would not bear too radical changes. Your view on this please.

I see what you mean and we all experience this every time we`re writing new songs for album number three, hehe! I mean, it`s quite difficult to come up with new, great riffs that has never been used before by other bands. Furthermore we also don`t want that HELLISH CROSSFIRE repeats itself. The end result is that we spend much more time on working new songs out than we did in the past. Ok, there will always be parts in our music that remind of i.e. Slayer, Possessed or Kreator, there will always be parts that may refer to a past song. But we never write a song twice, you know?! That`s very important to us as we would never be satisfied with just being a copycat! If this forces us to stay a bit longer in the rehearsal room than expected in order to create some thrilling new songs, we take this as welcome “burden” if the end result is definitely something we can stand behind for 100 %. Till now we`ve exclusively songs in our back program that we can stand behind for 100 %, and as long as HELLISH CROSSFIRE is active, this won`t change!

Some say “Bloodrust Scythe” was more NWOBHM-influenced than our debut, others say that we included some more ancient Death Metal influences. However: I think that due to the fact that we integrate elements from all kinds of Metal music in our sound, the creative source is nearly inexhaustible! Of course we won`t betray our roots, of course HELLISH CROSSFIRE will never change from playing raw, aggressive and fast as fuck Metal whose main element in our case is Thrash. That`s our “formula” to describe our sound best, I think. This expression also implies all those other influences you get to hear from us from time to time…

Right now we got three new songs, and they all continue the way of both of our albums: It´s nothing new, it´sno rip-off, it`s no copy, it`s no trend – it`s just honest, dedicated music for the sake of music!

5-I know that HELLISH CROSSFIRE stands for « no compromises » when it comes to record the songs. I know that you actually spent only a very few days in the studio for this second album. Hence it remains very spontaneous. How was it to work once again with Patrick (AOD) Engel? Would you consider working with another person in the future?

Patrick W. Engel is not “only” our producer, he`s a good friend as well. – Unfortunately we didn`t meet each other too often in the past few months…

Patrick is a dedicated Metal head but at the same time he also got a very broad taste of music. He got a huge knowledge about music in general, about producing, and he knows exactly what is good for a band. We don`t have to explain him too much how we want our songs to sound, he simply does what he thinks fits well and in the end we all agree with his good work! When you`re working in studio, it`s important to have someone there that knows how to offer an adequate production. But it`s also very important to have someone there you come along with personally! Patrick always knows our strengths and our weak points. He knows how he can extract the real essence of our music, he knows how he can motivate us so that we can go full force!

Working once again with Patrick strengthened our positive opinion about him and his work that we gained during the recordings of our debut “Slaves Of The Burning Pentagram”. When we recorded the songs for our first album, three of four band members have never ever been to a studio in their life before. None of us knew what we could expect working together with Patrick. But the whole process of creating that album as well as the end result were so extremely satisfying, that there was never a debate about changing producer for the next record!

When we worked on “Bloodrust Scythe”, we all knew what to expect, we tried out more things, we even wrote stuff such as guitar solos in the studio. It was possible to take more time to work on details this time, so that were the differences.

And I guess we`ll stay with Patrick for the production of our third album as well! We feel very, verycomfortable working together with him and the end results all were very deeply satisfying to us, so…

Furthermore Patrick also layouted the LP version of “Bloodrust Scythe”, which unveils another (layouting)talent of him!

Originally we thought about recording some songs for EPs, splits or stuff like that. But somehow we`vebeena bit too lazy concerning that, furthermore we consider our new songs so strong that they simply HAVE TO be on the next full-length record, hehe! So we`re writing new tracks for a third album exclusively at the moment…

6-You appear on some recent MINOTAUR and UNGOD recordings as a guest musician. You also hsome people adding a couple of solo parts on your last album. Do you plan to use new guests on your next recordings? Talking about that, do you intend to record another album soon or maybe a couple of tracks for an ep?

All of these mentioned guest appearances happened just by chance: I know Andy of Minotaur and the Ungod guys, and on “Bloodrust Scythe” we featured three of our friends. The song `Orgasmic Rush` was written with an extensive part in the middle where one riff was repeated over and over again. This part was meant to be the background for a battle of good guitarists, and so our friends Hagen, Dave and Patrick W. Engel himself improvised a bit in the studio, hehe…!

I`ve been in touch with Andy of Minotaur before already, having interviewed him for my fanzine "Blood Of The Ancient". A few years later after this interview we played with Minotaur in Ettlingen, South Germany. There I got to know Andy for the first time outside of the "internet world" and could talk with him face by face. I was kind of glad when he asked me to contribute a solo to Minotaur`s next full-length album "God May Show You Mercy...We Will Not", so I once again headed for Rape Of Harmonies Studios and Patrick Engel recorded my solo ideas during the mixing session of another album. - That was pretty fast and my first guest appearance on a different band`s record ever! - And I was proud having contributed to this comeback album of Minotaur, a band whose old recordings I really worship to this day!

Anyway, the situation concerning my guest appearance on Ungod´s upcoming album "Cloaked In Eternal Darkness" was a bit different: I know their bassist Schiekron for many years now already, and originally we wanted to do an Ungod / HELLISH CROSSFIRE split release. Unfortunately this didn`t happen somehow (bad organisation from our side, we regret!), so the only thing to do for me was to help these fellows out with some solos. Damn, I was once again glad they asked me to contribute to their second full-length album, as I`ve always been a huge Ungod fan, I really worshipped their early split-releases plus the "Circle Of The Seven Infernal Pacts" debut album. They were one of the very first Black Metal acts coming from Germany, totally dedicated to the ancient spirit of this kind of music... However, I met Schiekron and the rest of the band in their rehearsal bunker to record my solos. It was the first time in Ungod`s history ever to have some guitar solos in their songs, and I`m proud that the other guys in the band liked my contribution! The gay party afterwards used to be not so excessive than the events that took place a few weeks later in Schiekron`s house...I guess you know what I`m talking about, right, Nathaniel?!? Hehe...!

Well, we`ll see who will contribute to the songs of our next album - we don`t have a clue yet, to be honest...! I mean, everything must come very spontanously. We don`t want this or that "mega star" to be featured on our record, just because he or she is more or less "famous". In case of "Bloodrust Scythe" good comrades contributed their ideas to the record, which I think makes definitely much more sense than trying eagerly to get this or that person on our records...

We already thought about maybe doing splits or EPs, but as it seems, we head for a new full-length album instead. I mean, whenever we write new songs, we come to the conclusion that these tracks should be used for a real album instead of being "wasted" for an EP or stuff like that. I mean, you shouldn`t re-record stuff from EPs etc. for full-lengths, as I think that splits etc. should be something special and should offer exclusive stuff only. And as we`re not the fastest song writers on this planet, we prefer to use every new created track for an upcoming album!

7-About your band and its connections now. I know that Patrick Tauch, the drummer also used to play guitar in EXCORIATE. As this band played a couple of gigs recently, are there any talks about resurrecting it for good? Is Patrick also contributing to HELLISH CROSSFIRE riffing wise?

Chris, you also are involved in ANAEL. What’s your input in this band? Are the other members of HELLISH CROSSFIRE connected to other bands or projects as well?

No, I think the Excoriate chapter is closed forever, as it seems. Their vocalist Stefan Eberlein quit back in the days because he got problems with his ears, not being able to go to loud rehearsals and concerts anymore. Meanwhile it got a bit better and he agreed on two final Excoriate shows that eventually took place last year in Finland and at "Hell`s Pleasure" open air. And as Patrick thinks that Excoriate should not go on without Stefan on vocals, they preferred to quit this band once and for all.

As for the moment, Patrick is quite active with another band that recorded their first demo recently. I haven`t heard a single note from them, but I`m curious to check them out! The line-up is Patrick and Hagen on guitars, Division Speed / Delirium Tremens drummer Franz behind the drumkit plus an Austrian vocalist / bassist.

Back in the past Patrick didn`t contribute too much to HELLISH CROSSFIRE riffing-wise, but concerning the three new songs for our upcoming record, he indeed came up with some glorious ideas! I`m personally very thankful for this because he helps to give me a different point of view concerning certain things, and I then try to alternate things to achieve a really satisfying result. The longer you`re responsible for the guitar part in a band, the more you get stuck in certain structures. And often Patrick has good ideas to help me out of this jail, hehe...!

Anael is on hiatus at the moment: We decided to take a short break - and this "short" break lasts for someyears already now. After the release of our album "From Arcane Fires" in 2008 there was exactly one live concert, then we decided to take a break to gain new strength to continue later on. But somehow this break took very long, but never say never, hehe! - I guess one day we`ll return with fresh material and new energy! Anael has never been a "common" band, and we did never care for what the rest of the world does, so this kind of break seems to be just another "logical" consequence, hehe...!

I`ve been contributing my guitar parts to Anael. We wrote the songs altogether in the rehearsal room, whereas Primeumathon and Seraphackh were the ones to say where Anael would head forward music- and conceptual-wise. I mean, that was ok, they were the ones that founded the band, they had a certain vision of it and they knew what was best for this group.

The other members, Sick and Iron Tyrant, don`t have any other band commitment at the moment.

Since a few weeks I`m in touch with some comrades from the area I was born, and we`ve met at rehearsals already to play some kind of very traditional Doom Metal, similar to old Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus and Count Raven. The band is called Cosmic Wasteland, but that´s a very new, fresh "phenomenon", we`re planning some releases in future, but nothing`s confirmed yet, everything`s still "in uterus" so to say, hehe! We`ll see what will come next... I simply need to express my passion for 70s music / Doom Metal besides HELLISH CROSSFIRE! I`ve been looking for people into this kind of music for a long time before, now finally it seems that we`ve found each other...!

8-What makes IRON MAIDEN so special for Thomas and Patrick? What do they think about “the final frontier”?

Well, I think Patrick and Thomas should answer this question instead of me...but I`ll try nevertheless:

As far as I can say, Iron Maiden is for them simply the very best Heavy Metal band in the world! I mean, Iron Maiden`s music is Heavy Metal as pure as it can get, their live shows are legendary, playing-wise they`re absolutely killer, plus there are so many classics in their discography. Ok, Thomas and Patrick think that Iron Maiden never released any mediocre or even bad album - something I cannot retrace, honestly said, hehe! Anyway, they simply worship Iron Maiden as the absolutely best, the one and only real Heavy Metal band on this planet! I also know that Iron Maiden was the very first Metal group Thomas ever got in touch with, and somehow he has lost his heart to this legend forever! Maybe it`s similar to my passion for Black Sabbath, as this band was my first contact with Heavy Metal music - although I`m definitely not such a huge maniac travelling to all of their shows once they tour the globe / Europe in particular...!

So it`s only logical that Thomas and Patrick worship "The Final Frontier" as well, they even think it`s one of the best Maiden records ever! I have to say, I listened to it for exactly one time, and it didn`t catch me, honestly said. When I`m listening to Maiden, I want straight, great songs in the vein of the first two records (Paul Di Anno rules!), not some progressive stuff. I mean, everybody knows that Maiden can play their instruments very well, but that doesn`t mean they have to offer complex, long songs! Anyway, in the end it`s all a matter of taste. And, by the way, my wife worships "A Matter Of Life And Death" also very much, there were times this record was on constant rotation in our house, hehe...!

9-Was your “theatrical” appearance at the HELL’S PLEASURE with fireworks, scythe, etc inspired by IRON MAIDEN? Haha!!!

No, at least I don`t think so. - Maybe the theatrical aspect can be linked to Maiden, but anyway, we just did it because we imagined it would be looking good on stage. Even Sigi`s mother told her son before that a band with a name like HELLISH CROSSFIRE has got to offer some fire on stage. And when Thomas told us that he got some pyros from a friend, we agreed on doing that at the "Hell`s Pleasure" show. I mean, we didn`t play many open-airs before yet, so we said to us that it was the right time to do something like this now.

The scythe has been a stage prop at several occasions, mainly at shows in our home town Nürnberg. Right now it`s in our rehearsal room and waiting for another evening of thrashing mayhem and head-cutting, hehe...!

Anyway, I think the whole appearance at "Hell`s Pleasure" was, well, "theatrical", with Thomas and Sigi being very drunk, hehe! Our bassist even fell off stage during sound check, haha! But the show was great anyway, one of our highlights, I think! - And most people thought it was quite entertaining...!

10-What do you think about the following things:

-PROCESSION’s last album

You mean their debut album "Destroyers Of The Faith"? - Absolutely killer, man! I really expected very much after that great "The Cult Of Disease" EP as well as those intense live shows at "Keep It True" and "Hammer Of Doom", but I never even dared to think of such an awesome record like "Destroyers Of The Faith" eventually turned out to be! Damn, this is definitely one of the bestEpic Doom Metal works since a very long time and stands in one row with masters of this genre such as Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and Maltese Forsaken!

-Fenriz’ band of the week blog:

Well, there are some good advices he made in the past (Körgull The Exterminator, Ghost, Division Speed, Witching Hour, Children Of Technology etc.), but also some bad ones I won`t mention here. As long as you take it as a subjective opinion of someone that usually got a very good taste in Metal music, that`s definitelyok. But I can`t stand this huge hype concerning this "band of the week" blog - there really seem to be people that take everything for granted that is spread there, people that hail everything that is posted there! I think Fenriz himself wouldn`t like to see such a huge hype concerning this as well, so use your brain instead of believing everything you read! Take this blog as a good opportunity to get aware of promising new bands, but keep in mind that you have to decide for yourself if this or that band is worth being supported!

-I HATE recs:

A very good label that helped us out whenever they could. We really identified with the program of this label, there`ve been some very, very good bands on it! The time you`re asking concerning our opinion about I Hate Records is very bad, I must say: I mean, there`ve been talks about our business future, and it seems as if we`re not gonna continue working together with them in future anymore! Don`t get me wrong: We`re very thankful for what I Hate has done for us in the past, but we reached a point where we had to decide where to go with HELLISH CROSSFIRE: Staying on the same level or maybe trying to push everything a little bit further. However, nothing`s been decided to 100 % yet, we`ll see what future may bring...so this topic is very, very "vague", and I won`t add any comments right now as long as there is nothing sure!

-SEPULCHRAL VOICE recs:

Great record label, having put out Excoriate`s album "On Pestilent Winds...", along with some other good releases such as records from i.e. Drowned, Grave Miasma or Necros Christos. Sepulchral Voice seems to be a very down-to-earth label with very dedicated maniacs behind it that do it for the music`s sake and nothing else!

-KATHARSIS and the guys’ fascination for obscure 70’s music:

Katharsis is for sure one of the most sincere Black Metal bands coming from Germany ever! Their music is well-done and unique, that`s all I can say. I remember one of their members having joined some rehearsal weekend in our rehearsal room, and there`ve been some intense jamming hours till dawn...!

Although we don`t meet each other too often, our drummer Patrick has a good connection to the Katharsis guys, and we definitely appreciate their music and their consequent attitude towards playing live and giving interviews.

Well, I have to say that I share their fascination for obscure 70s music. There`s so much stuff to discover! I mean, many bands back in these days were extremely heavy and intense, and not many people seem to care about them anymore! It`s always great to dive into this chapter of music history, quite awesome! I always discover new bands - for example, thanks to a great French maniac I got in touch with legends such as i.e. Dust, 70s Death or The Flower Travellin` Band! - Thanks again, mate, for these great trips through time and space in your van, hehe...!

-Your stay in Asia:

I`ve been to Asia quite often during the last few years, but I guess you`re asking for my trip to Malaysia / Borneo / Cambodia one and a half years ago: In Kuala Lumpur I`ve met two guys I`ve been in touch with through the internet before, they`re very dedicated Metal maniacs (Hails to Nic and Ahmad!), and somehow the news that the guitarist of HELLISH CROSSFIRE was in town, spread quite fast: We met several other maniacs during our stay, even on the more or less isolated island of Borneo we met some great people that showed us round and gave me tons of records of Asian Metal groups. Even when we changed planes in Kuala Lumpur when we flew back, a bunch of maybe eight Metal heads (of the band Antacid, among others) met us to have a drink. They travelled two hours to simply meet us at the airport - that`s crazy! People over there are very much into German Thrash Metal, they really worship anything that comes from there (even such a dirty group such as HELLISH CROSSFIRE, hehe...!). There are lots of groups from Malaysia playing traditional Thrash Metal the German way, like i.e. Vault or Antacid. People`s hospitality is very huge, I have to say, we felt very comfortable there. Despite the cultural differences, it`s the music that unites us all!

Generally said, I think I`ve been a bit too often in Asia during the last few years. Maybe next years I`ll focus on the African or South American continents, hehe...altough there are still some interesting countries to check out in Asia, just as i.e. India, Myanmar or Nepal...

It`s not only about the great landscapes, the beautiful beaches, the great people, why I like Asia, I`m personally very much connected with philosophies from Far East and I consider the Hindu religion a very interesting topic. Furthermore on islands just like i.e. Bali the spirits seem to be a guiding life in everybody`s life - the whole society is much more based on tradition and spirituality than in Western society - and exactly this attracts me to this part of the world very much!

-The hype around doom metal today

I don`t care for things like hype or stuff like this, as long as the music itself remains good! - And there are definitely many great groups around these days, which I really appreciate! But I understand what you mean: There seem to be more and more groups that simply play this kind of music because it`s so "old-fashioned" and very "cool" to play nowadays. Those people have lost the real feeling for this kind of music or they melt it with happy-sunshine-Hippie-music. Real Doom Metal was meant to be depressive, utterly dark, melancholic and desperate! Many of those hype-wannabe-bands think that if they repeat old Sabbath riffs, it`s all they have to know about Doom Metal. But that`s definitely not the case! Anyway, the real bands will survive this trend, as it`s always the case! Just wait a few years, then Doom Metal is back again in the underground and that`s the place where it ultimately has to dwell!

-Old German metal from the DDR:

Damn, another huge passion of mine! Ok, I`m not as extremely possessed by DDR Metal as Patrick Engel, but I also worship bands such as i.e. Formel 1, Macbeth, Plattform, Titan, Biest etc. Just recently German Democratic Recordings unleashed old material of Deathtrap, one of the very best extreme Metal acts to come from East Germany ever! They sound like a raw, savage mixture between old Sepultura, Kreator and Sarcófago - check them out!!!

As kid I`ve experienced the Cold War, of course, but I was too young to care for Metal bands from East Germany. I was raised maybe 20 kilometres away from the intra-German border: We travelled quite often to the border and even visited the land behind the Iron Curtain in the 80s. However, I can`t remember too much from those times, except of the fact that toys were quite cheap and the food was awful over there, hehe! And everywhere was this unbelievably intense smell of brown cole!

Anyway, when I got into Metal music, it was only natural for me to get into the East German scene as well. And up to this day there`s so much to discover, it`s unbelievable!

If you consider the immense passion these bands must have had to play this kind of music despite all harsh rules and censorship from the government! I really appreciate this deep dedication, honestly!

-Your involvement in the German metal press and BLOOD OF THE ANCIENT zine

There are good times and bad times concerning my involvement in German "Legacy" magazine: Right now I experience really good times, having just recently attended a fine Accept concert I really enjoyed writing about, having done some fine interviews with bands I already worship since a very long time. The interviews were done without any complications, which are very seldom, believe me! Of course the negative side is that you have to listen to a lot of crap music, but that`s ok. At the moment the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones.

Concerning "Blood Of The Ancient" zine, well, I decided to take a break a few years ago due to lack of ime and money. It seems as if nothing`s changed since then, and I guess some more years will pass by till I`ll be able to re-animate this zine. Right now I`m satisfied with the work I do for "Legacy" mag, but maybe one day my love for my small fanzine will grow and there`ll be another issue of this mag, who knows?!? - We`ll see...at least it was possible for me to collect many interesting topics over the years that would definitely be enough for an 11th issue - but I`d need time to give it all a good shape, I`d like to long for an ambitious, satisfying result - otherwise it would make absolutely no sense! So we`ll see what future may bring here...!

11-Alright I’ll leave you at that my friend. For sure we’ll cross the steel again sooner or later! Drink yourself into a metal stupor and puke the last rites of hellish crossfires now!

Thank you very much, Nathaniel!

Hails to all French Thrashers out there - just listen to our music and become possessed as fuck, hehe!!! Maybe we`ll come over to you this year - there are plans to tour France together with our comrades Division Speed in May this year - nothing`s confirmed yet, but we`ll see...stay tuned!

I guess we`ll meet very soon, Nathaniel - it`s always good to have some beer and boozing nights with you! And finally, I definitely hope we`ll share stages together again soon! - Viva la Résistance, hehe!!!

On Speed we die,

For Thrash we cry,

In Black we rule,

Slaughtering the fool!!!

Merchandise:

CD “Bloodrust Scythe”: 10 Euros + P&V

LP "Bloodrust Scythe": 12 Euros + P&V

Patches 3 Euros + P&V

Shirts (album cover motive or logo motive) 13 Euros + P&V

Contact:

Christian Wachter
Hauptstraße 2-4
1. Obergeschoss
Wohnung Nr. 3
93346 Ihrlerstein
- Germany -

Email: wxaxcxhxtxexr@web.de

www.myspace.com/hellishcrossfirethrash

"a planet on 4 legs" by DOPE FLOOD

2012-02-08T03:04:00.000-08:00

Coming from Larissa (Greece) DOPE FLOOD was formed in the Spring of 2010 and acutally consists in : Manos - Vocals, Cris - Guitar , Asterios - Bass and Bill - Drums.

"A planet on 4 legs" is their first ep which came out almost one year ago by now, but it seems they're still promoting it abroad, certainly before a full-length later this year...

As the cover may suggest it, we've got here a band that is pretty much inspired by american stuff, blending Heavy Rock and Stoner with some Grunge overtones, which makes the structures and approach sounding pretty much 90's. "A planet..." is a competitive debut, generally powerful, heavy and catchy with a massive production, though bordering a bit too much on a modern sound . The 3 songs show a very tight musicianship with groovy guitars, sharped solos and a punching rythmic section; vocals are pretty straight but on some parts eye too much on "charming" Grunge , sounding a bit too commercial (I know the apprecaition of what is commercial or not is very subjective but that's my opinion). I think that Manos should find a more personal style with more emphasis on bluesy hints and a bit more of gnarl would be welcome in the heaviest parts...

Sure, times have changed, it's much easier to record a good product by yourselves than 20 years ago when you were obliged to do demos on a 4 tracks, but one thing remains exactly the same : a band needs time to develop a style and affirm its identity... Anyway DOPE FLOOD has potencially all requested qualities to become one of the leaders of the active greek scene and I'm sure they've been working hard since this ep was released to prepare a smashing full-length, so we should keep an attentive eye on them...

http://soundcloud.com/dopeflood/tracks
Reverbnation : http://www.reverbnation.com/dopeflood
https://www.facebook.com/#!/dopeflood

"motherfucker rising" by DRUGLORD

2012-02-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Although I've always enjoyed here and there some HC bands, I've never really followed this scene and can't judge its actual health, but there's a fact that is undeniable : more and more doomsters are coming from that scene and I feel it pretty agreeably as I think those people bring really something fresh and extremely thick at the same time to DOOM...

DRUGLORD is another excellent proof of this statement, coming from various HC bands such as White Cross and Unseen Force, this trio located in Richmond (VA) and consisting in Tommy (guit/voc), Greta (bass) and Bobby (drums) formed in February 2010 with the definitive intention to make it utterly slow and heavy !

Hungry for downtuned guitars, weedy vibes and crawling heaviness, DRUGLORD make things in order, not too quickly, sure of its strength but sharpening compositions accurately , they've released a 3 songs 1st demo in October 2010 and then a 2nd one year later, having played in between with killer bands like COUGH, BUZZOVEN, SOURVEIN, etc...

This new demo, which contains 4 songs "motherfucker rising", "cleansed", "lick the wound" and "eternal grave" shows a real emerging identity by mixing very tightly Doom with Stoner. Most often this is Stoner bands that introduce doomy elements in their music, rarely the contrary, but here DRUGLORD plays basically DOOM , slow, extremely slow, raw and authentic, not forgetting some hazy melodies here and there; something that will easily appeal to fans of VITUS, "the wretch" from T.G.O.S. and even early CATHEDRAL("forest of equilibrium" period)... to this, DRUGLORD adds a drug-fueled sonic dimmension à la SLEEP and (more slightly) some filthy crudeness reminding WEEDEATER, twisting brillantly emotions in a maelstrom of sheer heaviness.

contact order : druglordrva@gmail.com

This is ESSENTIAL stuff, but before making your choice of format, you need to know that this CD will be soon sold out and that the digital version contains "whores of the reich" in place of "lick the wound"... While Vynil maniacs also have to know that this "motherfucking rising" will be released this Spring on LP format by Last Anthem Records and will include 2 new songs "smell your disease" and "misery feeder", pretty cool and certainly worth the investment... And I'm sure that it won't be too difficult to find other occasions to talk about DRUGLORD in the near future, cause this band is definitely worth checking out !!!

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LIVE ! at StonerRockBlog Fuzztival : HEAD FOR THE SUN

2012-02-07T03:20:00.000-08:00

Hailing from Budapest -Hungary- , and formed in October 2011, HEAD FOR THE SUN is a young quartet which got the chance to record for (almost) free their performance at last StonerRockBlog Fuzztival late December... One could think it's a very short delay to get a decent release just after two months of existence, but we've got here a real solid effort; sure that's a debut but these 4 songs already show very interesting promises and prove they've had reason to catch this opportunity, being quickly able to present their band in good conditions...

4 songs here for about 16 minutes, the style is pretty straight, sheer and nicely groovy. This clearly reminds KYUSS, vocally wise most essentially but also in the pacing with fuzzed-out guitars and thick rythmic lines, the psychedelic edge isn't as pronounced though...

The influence of Desert Rock legends could seem a bit too obvious, but the relative short length doesn't make this disturbing at all and considering that the band was very freshly formed at this moment, I'm sure that with time these skilled guys will developp more personal arguments and impose themselves as one of the most exciting new Stoner bands from Europe.

Download this, like them on FB and support HEAD FOR THE SUN !!!

http://www.facebook.com/HeadForTheSun

An interview with Frederyk Rotter of ZATOKREV

2012-02-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

Basel based sludge-apocalypse (according to their own description) band ZATOKREV were introduced to me by a friend about two years ago and up until recently I thought they were defunct. Fortunately this is not the case – they are not only fully-functioning but extensively touring and ready to release a brand new album, hopefully very soon. ZATOKREV released two excellent to say the least albums: the self-titled “Zatokrev” and “Bury the Ashes”, and a split with another Swiss band - VANCOUVER. The style moves into and beyond the borders of sludge, doom, death and post metal and they promise even more sonic goodness for the admirers of heavy music to come with the new album. And while we are waiting for its release, those who live in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and France have the chance to hear the new material – tour dates can be found on the web site of the band. They are also going to play at the IMPETUS FESTIVAL Warm Up on March 17th along with ORANGE GOBLIN.

Though my initial idea was to write some kind of presentation of ZATOKREV, I will save you the dry history facts; you can learn some of them from the Q&A below. And who else can present the band at best if not the band itself?

I’ll start with a very trivial question - what is the history behind the name of the band? It comes from Czech if I am not wrong.....

Yes, that’s true. I’m Czech originally. Maybe you know our song “Zatokrev”. It was one of our very first songs ever. It’s written in Czech language and the word “zatokrev” is taken from the first verse. It means something like “…for it blood”.

“Zatokrev” is one of the songs I like the most. I think your music would sound great with lyrics in Czech. Have you ever thought to write them in that language? I mean…English is universal but everybody is using it….

I actually did some more Czech lyrics. One on the VANCOUVER/ZATOKREV Split EP and one on the “Bury the Ashes” vinyl edition. I'm not against Czech lyrics still, but for the moment all new songs are writtin English. In the end it's a question of inspiration, in the moment we're jamming or creating new material. Also the Czech language is very lyrical, but in another way than English. It's much more important to choose the right words to not make it sound totally stupid. It has to sound like a poem to fit in our music. Actually many people ask me to do more Czech lyrics in future. Maybe I will, but no promises ;-)

It’s been about five years since ZATOKREV’s last release if we don’t count your split with VANCOUVER. Looking at the current members list you are the only one left from the original line up of ZATOKREV. What happened with the band during these years?

Marco, Silvio and I played together for 8 years. We only had several lineup changes on the second guitar. Both Silvio and Marco got into other priorities. That was the point where we had to take the decisions what’s the best for every one of us. We’re still very good friends, and they both have new projects – check out their stuff - KING LEGBA AND THE LAOS and PSYCHOBITCH.

How long have you been playing with the current line-up ? Where did you all play before joining ZATOKREV?

It took really a long time to complete a new lineup that felt good. Frédéric Hug became the new drummer in summer 2010. We knew each other already as he was ZATOKREV’s sound engineer for two years. After five minutes of jamming it was clear that he had to become the new ZATOKREV drummer. We worked a lot during the whole summer to arrange the new album and to record the preproduction. During that time bass player Lucas Löw joined ZATOKREV and the guitar player Julien Duseyau joined just a couple of months ago.

Fredo played in SOUNDS OF THE I and before that in VACARME, Lucas Löw played in TOTAL ANNIHILATION, Julien in CRASH LEAGUE and PORNCHILD and I played in several bands like UNDERDOG, COMA STAR and many other combos, that was maybe 10 years ago. For the moment I’m also the live bassist in the band SCHAMMASCH.

You are now ready with your new album “The Bat, The Wheel and a Long Road to Nowhere” though you told me you don’t have a release date yet. Tell me some more details about it. How long did it take you to record it?

We did live recordings of the basics, plus all the guitars in June 2011 during 6 days at the Rec Studio in Geneva with Serge Morattel. Great bands like KNUT or IMPURE WILHELMINA recorded many albums there already. It was definitely a good experience to work with Serge. All songs were recorded without metronome. I realized already with the past band members that we can create more intensity if we record the basics all together and without click. Everything sounds very organic although I recorded tons of guitars, ha ha. Everybody in the band made a good job. We were in a good mood during the recordings. For the vocals we borrowed a good preamp and recorded them in our rehearsal room in Basel. Raphael Bovey, known as the drummer from KRUGER, did the mix and master. We’re definitely more than happy with the result. Now Marcel Szerdahelyi and Pascal Brun are still creating the artwork, which will be an 8 sheet leporello drawing, that will show the story of the album.

ZATOKREV’s sounding is often compared to NEUROSIS, ISIS and CULT OF LUNA by reviewers. While such comparison can be quite flattering, isn’t it also a bit risky for you?

We were definitely influenced by NEUROSIS when we started the band, but we even didn’t know ISIS and CULT OF LUNA at this time. If we wanna talk about bands that carried more or less a similar mood like old ZATOKREV, it was stuff like EYEHATEGOD, CROWBAR, BURNING WITCH or ENTOMBED we were listening to and not that much the post hardcore genre except maybe NEUROSIS. The press usually needs bands to compare. Why not taking ISIS, CULT OF LUNA or NEUROSIS. There are some conformities, in styles, although I think ZATOKREV is still bit more metal and less posty. But be sure the new album will contain a lot more different elements.

Are you a death/ doom, sludge or post-metal band? Is it important for you how you will be labeled by press and what is the sound of the new album like?

Not really. We just do what we like to do. The press will define the music how they want. That’s their job.

There get really many different facets together on “The Bat, The Wheel and a Long Road to Nowhere”. I would say it’s somewhere between doom, sludge, psychedelic, death, ambient, stoner, post, hardcore, industrial and black metal. I don’t have a word for one style that contains all of them except maybe “Zatokrev”.

This description sounds tasty! Do you use the same formula of dual harsh/ shouted vocals on the new record?

In general we now have more vocal variations than on our past records. There are still that kind of vocals you mean on some parts as well.

Switzerland is an extremely beautiful and orderly country and you have a lot of chocolate. Chocolate=happiness as far as I’m concerned. You should be very happy and positive people….. Where all these dark emotions in your music come from?

Did you think about the possibility that maybe chocolate could have been created as kind an antidepressant drug for unhappy people? Just kidding….

Without positive and forward thinking it would have been impossible to reform this band. Everybody carries some dark emotions. It’s a part of human being, but things can’t be explained in light and dark. There’s a lot more to find between those poles – and so you will hopefully find more than only darkness on our upcoming album...

I see ZATOKREV as a kind of a purifying therapy for us – which feels totally natural and real. It feels to me like that’s a positive thing.

Ha ha you caught me unawares with that antidepressant argument! I could guess ZATOKREV is something special for you and obviously you have put a lot of effort to bring it back to life…...What motivated you to not let it go?

It was my first project I made where I was able to feel totally free in my own creation. This feeling that made me start ZATOKREV was still here after Marco and Silvio left the band. I still had so many ideas for new songs. I refined myself and my songwriting - I didn't want to disrupt that process. Also through past years we build up a bit of a name with ZATOKREV. We had many proposals to play shows in Europe. So why stop that project when the fire is still burning?

You’re in the beginning of a European tour. Do you like to be on the road?

Oh yeah, we’re looking forward to play the new songs. Touring is fun as hell with my mates. We’ll be on tour with Impure Wilhelmina in February – it’s gonna be so cool! :)

Apart from the usual and more commercial suspects like SAMAEL or CORONER, can you please name some Swiss bands we should all check? SLUDGE and RORCAL have already got my attention. What else? Is heavy music well respected in Switzerland?

I’m sure you know the YOUNG GODS. Also check KNUT, UNHOLD, PALMER, UNFOLD, SCHAMMASCH, KRUGER, KEHLVIN, LORD OF THE GRAVE, PHASED, WHEN ICARUS FALLS, COMBINEHARVESTER, IMPURE WILHELMINA, THOSE WHO REMAINED, ABRAHAM, NEBRA, MUMAKIL… I’m sure I forgot some…

Especially the culture of extreme music is actually pretty small in Switzerland. Most shows and festivals happen in the West and Northwest of Switzerland. Anyway there are always people, venues and several organizations that help to make all this get further.

The bands you’ve mentioned will keep me busy for some time for sure! Thank you very much for your time! Is there something I didn’t ask but you think is important for you to share?

Wanna thank you for your time and this interview! I really appreciate your interest and support! Also many thanx to everyone who’s reading this interview. Check the new album when it’s out….hope you’ll like it…

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ZATOKREV/203368676361866
http://www.zatokrev.com/
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***interview by Vania***

TEMPLE OF PERDITION

an interview with Rob and Lauren from BITTER RESOLVE

Awesome DOOM with the "s/t" demo of BALAM

"Arising from Chaos" by CHAOS DEI

Southern Lord To Unleash SLEEP "Dopesmoker" Deluxe Reissue- +EuroTour dates

killer line-up for the DUBLIN DOOM DAYS chapter IV

s​/​t Demo 2012 by VALVE

UFOMAMMUTian Q&A with Urlo and Vita

LIVE report BARABBAS / TBDLB / THE WOUNDED KINGS - Rennes 03/06/2012

"Ravage and Conquer" by IMPIETY

EXCLUSIVE song on streaming + announcement from ICE DRAGON about their 3rd album "Tome of the Future Ancients" !!!

Taste "nightclaw" - new song by FELLWOODS for the split 7'' with Ice Dragon

MUDGATE presents: MudTourFest 2012 (the sludge/stoner/doom meeting) and more

"Tales of Addcition and Despair" by BLOOD RED WATER

one Month before a new extensive Tour, interview with THE GRAND ASTORIA

interview with Ewenn from TOTEM CAT Rds

Fire in the Cave by FIRE IN THE CAVE

striking Drone from the Lowlands : BITCHO

Dates announced for PONAMERO SUNDOWN's upcoming European tour

from Spain, taste the unholy TORT

"An exclusive eye to eye with the Devil... RITUAL TEMPLE speaks in tongue"

another striking Finnish assault with LURK

"dawn in space" - PYRAMIDAL

a little chat with Scott Natas for your 1st steps into (the) SNAKE DANCE

great news from WHEELFALL : split album with A VERY OLD GHOST BEYOND THE FARM !!!

"for those who came before us" by ATOMIC CRIES

With ORANGE GOBLIN as headliner, the italian S.H.O.D. Festival is back !!!

"Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning" by BITTER RESOLVE

An interview with David Kowalski and Todd Ingram of KING GIANT

album review : "consulting the bones" by WITCHDEN

speaking about "The One", an interview with CROWN

"the altar of sculpted skulls" by GRAVEYARD (Spain) - awesome Ripping DM

V/A "SWAMP ABYSS SORCERY" - an amazing guide to Floridian UG METAL

album review "Seven Chapters in Minor" by SPIRIT DESCENT

an exclusive interview with Mike Smith about the DAYS OF THE DOOMED FEST.

"Senium", an hidden gem of Blackened DOOM by STOIC DISSENTION

album review : "Maktub" by ZIPPO

"Fucking Satan" split ep NUNSLAUGHTER/ABIGAIL out now !!!

an interview w/ Monsieur Dave SHERMAN about EARTHRIDE & WEED IS WEED

"s/t" debut album by English Psych rockers STUBB

"the one" by CROWN - another highly competitive French release !!!

"Everything Dies" by APOSTLES OF GRIEF

an extensive interview with HELLISH CROSSFIRE

"a planet on 4 legs" by DOPE FLOOD

"motherfucker rising" by DRUGLORD

LIVE ! at StonerRockBlog Fuzztival : HEAD FOR THE SUN

An interview with Frederyk Rotter of ZATOKREV

s/t Demo 2012 by VALVE