Hails And Horns Reviews - November 20th, 2012

NIDINGR
Greatest Of Deceivers
Candlelight Records

Though this is the first time I've happened upon NIDINGR, research has shown me that they've been together for a very long time. Yet this new album sounds just as fresh as if it was a debut, and that's because it's truly authentic. NIDINGR have made an absolute masterpiece on an album that truly matches it's intricate cover. Fans of DEATHSPELL OMEGA, BLUT AUS NORD, SECRETS OF THE MOON, SATYRICON, IHSAHN and others in that genre will be very pleased with this new approach to black metal that just sounds momentous. The disc has a clean production, yet still has a sludgy sound to it as the band plays with time signatures, djent and prog in what I would certainly have to consider one of the best black metal releases of the year. The drums blaze furiously, the vocals are bellowed forth with fierce emotion, and the guitars mix bleak atmospheres together with artistic magnificence. It is as if the massive serpents on the album cover literally expel themselves out from the artwork and crawl around in your mind, opening unseen cognitive potential through such technically calculated sounds that are as catchy as they are mysterious. With such songs like "The Worm Is Crowned" "Pure Pale Gold" and my personal favorite, "Mother Of Abominations" showing off the band's full potential, there is little more to say about this one, other than the fact that it's certainly one of the more interesting black metal discs that I've come across. I knew nothing about this band until I happened upon this album, and now I'm curious for more...

E. May

10/10



DECLINE OF THE I
Inhibition
Argonia Records

Decline Of The I is a French post black metal project from A.K. who is most notable for his work in VORKRIEST, MERRIMACK, NEO INFERNO 262, MALHKEBRE, DIAPSIQUIR and others. They consider themselves a mix between BURZUM, NEUROSIS and CODE, so you can already guess that style of music on this disc is going to be very, cold atmospheric and slightly melodic. And you'd be right. To tell you the truth, DECLINE OF THE I has succeed where bands like BLUT AUS NORD have failed. The industrial landscapes that they create here are in many ways very much comparable to the 777: Cosmosophy album, but the ideas are actually followed through and offer much more than the over-melodic flatness on that record. Electronics are frequently featured and there are slight dance-laden moments on the disc, but let's not forget about this hitting where it counts, and that's in the black metal department. Even though "The End Of A Sub-Elitist Addiction" and "The Other Rat" might have a few dance beats in it, the song is for the most part, very bleak, cold and unforgiving. This is the very nature of the album, which is supposed to be "heavy, oppressive and neurasthenic." There is no real respite from the despair and agony that echo on this disc, and only the worst explosions of angst are featured within this recording. The album is lengthy, full of form and structure, and offers listeners a new experience in madness with each and every song. It's downright perfection and I would highly recommend it. Even though I was afraid that dub-step would creep in (and it did try to a couple of times on the album) it never did and wholly left me with the feeling of a false sense of hope, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. The first part of a planned trilogy, this record is truly intriguing and diabolical. It's a masterpiece of misery.

E. May

10/10



DESOLATE SHRINE
The Sanctum Of Human Darkness
Dark Descent Records

This sophomore attempt from Finland trio Desolate Shrine certainly brings an air of distress amidst it's rage and sadistic atmospheres. Combining the very roughest of death metal with the very bleakest of aural assaults is one thing that's going to get this band noticed quite quickly. While there are slower tracks like "Plane Of Awake" and a brief atmosphere called "The Old Man's Visit" the band isn't afraid to thunder in brutality with "Pillars Of Salvation" or "Lair Of Wolf & 1000 Lions." There's also the lengthy masterwork, "Demonheart" which shows everything that the band is capable of and more. This is everything that I'd expect from the sights and sounds of hell itself, and would fit perfectly well as soundtrack for the suffering damned in the funereal abyss. Uncomfortable acoustics are played on this record, along with melodies that sound like anything other than beautiful. This is the album that one would expect to be listening to in their headphones if the Maya were indeed right and lakes of fire poured forth from the sun, purging all life from this planet. It's the very soundtrack to our demise and truly belts forth from every orifice, nothing less than a sense of chilling and forlorn evil.

E. May

8/10



HUMANITY DELETE
Never Ending Nightmares
Dead Beat Media

Rogga and crew have given us yet another great slab of Swedish death metal, right after the release of REVOLTING's latest album, Hymns Of Ghastly Horror. This album is very much in the same vein as REVOLTING, but just doesn't play along the same lines of eerie melodies and sticks to straightforward death/groove. But that's not to say that there aren't any good lead melodies on the disc, because there are some great lead riffs and solos. The concept of the disc revolves mainly among purgatorial realms and vengeful spirits, which makes me question the band's moniker, as there's nothing on this album even related to technology. I've also noticed a slight recording error on opener "The Eight Fire Nakaras 2:08" but it's nothing that you will deter you from checking this album out. If anything, you'll probably never even notice it. The disc is made up of rather short songs, each one of them in the same vein of classic Swedish death metal like UNLEASHED, DEMONICAL, and others. This disc isn't very long, but it definitely solidifies itself as another strong album to add to your Rogga collection. As far as I'm concerned, damn near everything that this man has done is worth checking out and he's got a massive body of work, spanning several different bands and sub-genres of death metal. At any rate, it's good to see that there still are strong death metal bands out there playing the music the way it was from it's very inception. Though we've got "slam death" and deathcore making an affront to the genre, this album is a testament to the strength of classic death metal. I certainly recommend it, and it's well worth putting in your little one's stockings this holiday season. Remember, it's never too early to expose your children to real music.

E. May

8/10



BEYOND THRESHOLD
Who We Are
Goomba Music/Turkey Vulture Records

Not to be confused with prog-power group BEYOND THE THRESHOLD, this Nu-Metal act is actually well worth checking out. Even though you might not necessarily care for the down-tuned riffs and SLIPKNOT style vocal approaches on some of the tracks like "Everchanging" you will also thrashers like opener "Blood Thirst" and "Never Again." Not only that, this band can actually produce some good solos and plays with core a little, which evolves the sound of Nu-Metal in my opinion. The production of the disc is slightly raw, but it's good that a modern Nu-Metal album didn't get stuck with over-production as it was when the genre was popular. At any rate, this disc is extremely catchy and whether or not you like bands like DOPE, PRIMER 55, HED PE, MUSHROOMHEAD,MOTOGRATER, SKINDRED, 36 CRAZYFISTS, you might just find something on this disc to like. Of course, don't expect anything super-intricate or technical, but there is some definite song structure on this one and it's much better than anything KORN's put out in a while (especially that dub-step disaster.) I cut my teeth on this kind of music, and remember how I used to listen to the first two Slipknot albums (Slipknot and Iowa) religiously, until I kept digging to discover what real metal was. But this is the stuff I grew up on and old habits die hard. Thankfully, this band preserves the nature of Nu-Metal in it's most extreme form, and adds much more meat to the package than bands of the past. The only track that I didn't care for on this album was the alternative rock ballad "Stuck Inside" which killed the aggression just a little. If you also remember those Nu-Metal days, this band will bring them right back to you, like a high-school flavored boomerang with memories that you'd sooner forget. Though not new or original, it does teach an old dog some new tricks. Just know that in the end, you're getting a solid mix of Nu-Metal and core. At any rate, it's better than anything that most of the popular hard rock and Nu-Metal bands have put out recently.

E. May

8/10



GERM
Wish
Eisenwald Tonschmiede

This is a black metal/post-rock/trance solo project by Tim Yatras, a Australian who also currently composes music for K-Pop and J-Pop music. Though the disc certainly has potential, calling this black metal is a bit of stretch. As such, calling this black metal because of a few harsh vocal scowls also does not work, as his vocals are far lacking from the ones in black metal bands like MGLA for example. While the overall composition of the disc is great with tracks like "An Overdose On Cosmic Galaxy" the poppy clean vocals overpower this disc and give it sort of an avant-garde style sense, if nothing else. Tinges of black metal do appear, but the harsh vocals sound much too feminine like in "Flowers Bloom and Flowers Fall, But I'm Still Waiting For the Spring" and these don't really work well with the music, making it sound like he's imitating a banshee. However, there are some good guitar solos on the record, and while they definitely sound like the kind of solos that you'd hear in j-rock, they seem to work well with the material. The disc is made up of nine tracks, but four of these are short interludes which completely fail to do anything more than sound like they just don't belong with the rest of the songs on the disc. Unfortunately, the most black metal that appears on this disc is "Your Smile Mirrors The Sun" where frantic blasts from the kit play amidst some atmospheric effects. In truth, this record is so overly bombastic that I'm not sure how many of you will actually check it out. Don't expect techno explosion, or black metal industrial rage. This is very pleasant natured J-Pop and K-Pop influenced black avant-garde metal from Australia. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm sure that there's an audience for it somewhere.

E. May

6/10

Talking Conspiracy And Industrial Metal With Skrog!

SKROG

Country of origin:

United States

Location:

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Status:

Active

Active since:

1998

Genre:

Extreme Industrial Metal

Lyrical themes:

Conspiracy, Science Fiction

Current label:

Self-Released

MEMBERS

Written and Performed by: Jay Reiter
Engineered by: Justin Schwartzbauer
Produced by: Jay Reiter, Justin Schwartzbauer, and Kelly Nicole
Additional Instrumentation by: Kristor Pihl, Justin Schwartzbauer, and Kelly Nicole

1. Your album focuses on some things that few albums actually talk about these days, one in which being the takeover by the elite. Being a member of TheVigilantCitizen blog, I've studied this information and discussed it with many like-minded individuals. But what I'd really like you to do, is to explain exactly what is going on behind our backs in not only this country; but in the world as a whole. Tell us why those who think you're just another "conspiracy theorist" should actually pay attention to the material in this recording, and how it might affect them.

First of all, let me say it’s good to be speaking with a member of TheVigilantCitizen blog. I’ve done some research through many sites both before and during the writing process of The Global Elite. I’ve checked out VigilantCitizen.com on more than a few occasions and been very impressed with the layout and information given.

As far as what’s going on behind the scenes, the basics behind this album are pointing out the power structure of the people in charge. I think it all starts and stops with big money. The Rockefellers and the Rothschilds - those are the big two of course. Big oil and banks. There are other names and players in the oil and banking industry but those two names are the big ones. The money powers are essentially making a global power grab. There’s this weird misconception going on in America right now. Anyone who is aware of the global economy crash, aware of the inconsistencies of rationale as to why America is always at war, aware of the garbage lies that both political parties sell to America and has the courage to stand up and ask questions or make obvious connections in events, they’re branded a “conspiracy theorist.” Or a “nut,” “wacko,” or any other type of discrediting name. To all of these nay-sayers, I would ask one question – Do you really, and I mean really think that it’s all that inconceivable for people who have a virtually unending source of money to conspire together and plan a take-over on such a grand scale? What’s the old saying, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely..?” It’s a lot easier to ignore or be ignorant of what’s going on. It’s a lot easier to watch American Idol or The Voice than it is to do actual research on the people who are in government power. It takes no thought to go along with what the media presents to us. It’s certainly noteworthy that the people in charge of the top three news media outlets – Fox, NBC, and CNN – are all a part of various closed door “round table” groups. These closed door groups give perfect opportunity to not only come up with a stated global plan or agenda but also a means with which to sell this idea to the Americans (and the rest of the world). I could go on and on about this all day but let me sum it up by saying that the stated agenda of the elite is the creation and maintaining of a “new world order” in which the money and government powers control every aspect of the lives of the commoner or “profane.” This translates into an end of freedom and the destruction of the American Constitution.

2. Explain the recording process for the album. How long did it take? What were your main inspirations, and what were you trying to achieve on a musical level?

The recording process was pretty straightforward. I had a bunch of material in various stages of completion. I brought the material to Justin Schwartzbauer, my producer/engineer, and he sweetened up the mix and gave me a professional, creative environment to expand on the material and finish it. We started with Submit, which was the most completed track at the time. Justin would import my mix from Reason into Cubase and essentially strip the mix down to its basics (he’d get rid of any reverb or other various effects I was using) and then redo the effects chain and clean the mix. We set up a recording room with a certain type of guitar rig (more on this later) and I re-recorded all of my guitar tracks. We used a combination of a drum machine and live drummer and I tracked all of the bass lines and vocal lines. For the less completed songs, Justin would again import what I had but we’d sit and bounce ideas off each other to finish up the song. It was a great experience and a lot of fun.

As far as inspirations are concerned, I treated each song as its own element, complete with its own set of inspirations. I’m a music fan and I’m personally influenced by all sorts of music. I wanted The Global Elite to be an amalgamation of as many of my musical influences as possible. MK-Ultra is definitely influenced by American death metal. Cannibal Corpse is my second favorite band and I’m into Vital Remains, Vader, Suffocation, Skinless, Angel Corpse, Nile, and others. I wanted something very aggressive with blast beats and MK-Ultra was my nod to the death metal side of my tastes. Military Industrial Complex is much more industrial influenced. I was thinking about old White Zombie tracks and Ministry stuff when I came up with that song. The Hunted is also very much Ministry influenced. I think you pegged what influenced The Hunter in your review. I’ll touch on that later in the interview.
As far as how long did the process take..? Well, that’s kind of a convoluted answer. I mean, technically the album took thirty-three years to make. It’s taken me my whole life to get where I am. I’ve had music in me since I was little and I’ve been passionate about metal and industrial music since I was a teenager. I’ve done garage bands and touring bands and the like but I’ve never had the opportunity to really do the professional recording studio thing. Especially uninhibited by my imagination. I’ve found that working with other musicians can be a bit compromising. I’ve had to make numerous compromises throughout any incarnation of a band being it a drummer who can’t or won’t play this or that style, a guitarist who can’t play leads, a bassist who can’t tour, and of course all sorts of musicians with various legal troubles. It’s been frustrating to get to this point but now that I’ve gotten a decent album under my belt, I’m feeling real good about things. I’m very happy with the results of The Global Elite. I guess in all practicality, it took me about three or four years to make The Global Elite. I took a midi class in college and I learned the basics of Reason. I did most of the writing of the album in Reason. It took me a couple of years to get my thoughts down into Reason, make a movie and some music videos, and meet Justin. Once Justin and I started meeting up on a regular basis and working in Cubase, it took about a year-and-a-half to track, mix, and master the album.

3. What is your perception of the metal scene as a whole these days? There is definite symbolism in some of the most popular bands out there, you'll even see the pyramid and eye symbol in Revolver's Golden Gods logo this year. Do you think the elite are working behind the scenes in even the most rebellious of music(metal)? And if so, why do you think they would do this?

I think the metal scene is alive and well. There are tons of great bands running around and making records and touring and stuff. I’ve been fortunate enough to have promoted and worked for many, many bands during Skrog’s hiatus: Deicide, Suffocation, Fear Factory, Epicurean, Sadus, Hirax, Drowning Pool, Hed PE, the list goes on and on. Kids and adults alike are coming out to shows and buying merch – at least as best as I can see. Even the real underground stuff, the unsigned acts, are getting out and being heard. The internet is a great resource for signed and unsigned music alike.

Honestly, I think most bands and media outlets use Illuminati symbolism as a catch-all. I haven’t really run into a band recently who truly understands the meaning of the symbolism and like-wise with the media outlets like magazines, TV shows, and such. I think these people, artists, and corporations use the symbolism either out of a need to identify with a certain target audience or even to create a false sense of controversy – all with the agenda of making money. Not creating actual awareness. I’d even go as far as to say that most artists using the Illuminati symbolism couldn’t spell Illuminati, let alone actually define the Illuminati. Now, is it possible that some actual members of the Illuminati/global elite are directly involved with music? Sure. Anywhere there’s big money, you’re going to find the money power. And remember, the money power is the global elite. Artists all the way from Michael Jackson to Tu Pac were talking about the Illuminati being involved with the music industry and pulling the proverbial puppet strings on certain artists’ careers. All I can say to that is, I’ve personally never dealt with that. Yet. But in the metal scene, no I honestly don’t think there are Illuminati directly involved with the metal scene. Unless you’re getting 100 million views on YouTube, I think you’re pretty safe from the money powers. You’re too small of potatoes at that point. The Illuminati are looking to get their message out to a very, very large amount of people. And metal heads are pretty savvy to corporate manipulation of music, I think.

4. Explain "The Revelation," the very first track on the album. Do you actually believe in the Bible, or just find it interesting that the prophecies in it are synching up with the events of today. Do you think that early elite could have actually had a hand in the book?

I was raised in a Christian household. The Bible has been a pretty regular read around my house but I’ve also taken the time to read other religious books as well. I definitely find the Bible to be the best moral compass I’ve ever come across and I’ve found a certain fascination with the book of Revelation. I believe in God and Jesus for sure. But really, I tried not to use The Global Elite as a religious soap box. My goal is for people to become tolerant of all religions. That’s what the Constitution stands for. Tolerance. That’s also a very important word when used in conjunction with the word freedom. Freedom is tolerance. Tolerance is freedom. My goal with the song “The Revelation” was to draw parallels between the book of Revelation and what’s going on globally. There is always some sort of bill on the table in Congress to somehow get the RFID chip implemented. The most recent is with Obama’s last term of trying to tie in the need for identification through the food stamp program. Once the RFID chip standard has been implemented, that’s it. Game over. Or game on, depending on what your point of view is. I’m 100% convinced that RFID chips are the mark of the beast. The “666” that everyone’s heard of. Whether you believe in God or not, the bottom line is the shit that’s talked about in the Bible is real. You can sit there and shake your head and roll your eyes to your heart’s content but those smart people who actually take the time to do the research soon all come to the same conclusion. Biblical prophecy is a legitimate phenomenon. Israel getting their own nation in 1948 was a huge fulfilled prophecy. That definitely moved the Military Industrial Complex into what we are dealing with today. As far as any elite aiding in writing the Bible, no, I don’t think so. I’ve heard the argument before that the Bible has been written and rewritten so many times, blah blah blah. That’s all a bunch of nonsense from today’s standing. Translators have had access to the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Biblical writings for years and years now. Maybe once upon a time, a crooked and corrupt church used the writings to manipulate weak kings like four hundred years ago. That’s not the case anymore.

5. Explain the MK-Ultra mind control project, and other versions of mind control (Monarch for example) that we could be exposed to on a daily basis. What are some symbols that we are exposed to daily, which we might not even be aware of?

MK-Ultra is an extreme low point in American governmental history. This is one major point of evidence that not only is the CIA a really bad thing for America, it’s also proof that the government is literally against its people. MK-Ultra was mind control experimentation. It was using drugs like methamphetamines, LSD, and others to create what’s known as a “Manchurian Candidate” – a spy who, using a code word or specific secret code, would literally take on a new personality to kill a target, and through another code of some sort, turn back into their original personality with no memories of the assassination. This whole series of events directly played into very important historical events like the ‘60’s counter-culture as well as the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. Back in the fifties there was a Harvard professor named Timothy Leary. Leary was approached by the CIA and given large doses of LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs. He was given specific instructions to give out the LSD in certain college sanctioned experiments to unsuspecting American citizens. And yes, I did say Harvard sanctioned these experiments. The outcome of these drug experiments did anything but create a docile, passive, easy to control individual. Quite the opposite. These drugs created an aware and pissed off group of teenagers and young adults who became increasingly aware of the military expansion through Vietnam and the execution of JFK. This is of course why the government needed LSD and other psychotropic drugs to become illegal. An interesting point to note is that Ted Kaczynski (Unabomber) is a known victim of the MK-Ultra conspiracy. Which of course leads to the question, if the government is involved with crazy TERRORISTS who BOMB CERTAIN AMERICAN LANDMARKS, why would they do this?

As far as specific symbolism is concerned, it’s everywhere. The All Seeing Eye (CBS logo, back of the one dollar bill, Eye of Ra, etc), the five pointed star, Freemasonry symbols are all over the place, the torch (Standard Oil, Columbia Pictures, Statue of Liberty), and more.

6. Explain the "Military Industrial Complex" to those who might not be aware of it. Why is this important?

The Military Industrial Complex is a term that President Eisenhower coined in his farewell address. He was warning the American people that there was a grave potential for a disharmony between the balance of power in the U.S. Military, U.S. science field, and even U.S. Government. The Military Industrial Power, for all intent and purpose, is a combination of the various facets of government control. The CIA, TSA, FEMA, DHS, and even Congress are involved. The Bilderberg Group and CFR are involved. NAFTA is a part. The NDA and SOPA are involved. The Federal Reserve is involved. The UN is definitely a major part of all of this. These government agencies are UNCONSTITUTIONAL. That’s right. They’re all illegal according to the constitution. The fact that a foreign government body is on American soil (the UN) is reprehensible and the American members involved should be tried for treason against the U.S. These government agencies, along with NATO and other military installations are the threat to the sovereignty of Americans. These agencies and the bills that are suggested and pushed through Congress are what’s taking away Americans’ rights on an almost daily basis. The Federal Reserve just prints money backed by nothing. Our money is worthless. America is bankrupt. To quote the Joker, “It’s all part of the plan.” Have you noticed there are more “lone wolf” assassins lately? And have you also noticed
that after each of these “lone wolf” assassination attempts there is a public outcry to ban guns? To answer my question before, about why the government would support terrorist activity within the U.S. borders, it’s really quite simple: One – disarm the American citizens. What’s the easiest way to overtake a nation or large body of people? Disarm them. Two – these actions create fear. And when the American populace is afraid, they look to Big Brother (the government) to solve their problems. Underwear bomber threatening your airline? Don’t worry. We’ll just have a group of people (TSA) feel up your grandma, shove their hands down the pants of your wife, and rip the diaper off your baby. This is, of course, all in the name of security. Money problems got you down? Don’t worry, we’ll just install RFID chips into the hands of the Americans and we’ll put free money credits on the chip. Of course, if you don’t do as we say, vote as we say, or play along with our set of rules, the credits disappear and you won’t eat. Anyone remember the quote about those who give up freedom for the sake of security…?

7. We just had an election. Barack Obama won that election, even though I voted for a third-party candidate. Do you believe that the third party has a chance at all in this country, and did you actually participate in voting this year?

I almost wasn’t able to vote. I’m between homes at the moment and consequently the registrars for voting frown upon a person who doesn’t have a physical address. But, fortune smiled upon me and I was able to vote. I voted for Ron Paul. I don’t give a shit what anyone says about “Ole’ Kooky Uncle Paul.” I don’t see anyone else out there talking about eliminating absurd military spending and championing freedom like Dr. Paul. And don’t give me any of this “he’s a racist!” nonsense. That’s all bullshit. So’s the ridiculous assertion that voting for a candidate other than the Democrat or Republican nominee is “throwing away my vote.” That’s the most absurd piece of shit nonsense I’ve ever heard. Obama is a shit president. All he’s done is lie and expand big government. Romney is so far removed from the middle class it’s absurd to think he knows anything about the plights of the poor and what’s best for them. Ron Paul is a doctor whos record is as perfect as a person can have in his position. I think Governor Jesse Ventura said it best when he said that right now we have a two party system which is like a two headed monster. If we add a third party to the system, we have a three headed monster. I agree with his notion of the complete abolishment of all political parties. Too many people vote either Democrat or Republican just because that’s all they know. Single issue voters piss me off too. You mean to tell me that you’re not going to vote for this or that guy because he either does or doesn’t support abortion? Who gives a fuck about that?? Let’s worry about the real issues – the deficit, the declining dollar, the expansion in military spending, the expansion of the takeover of the Middle East… These are the things that matter. Worry about the lesser issues of gay marriage, abortion, and the like for when we can actually stop carpet bombing other countries. It sickens me to think that people actually care more about what a woman does with her womb or if an adult smokes a joint than, say the hundreds of unmanned drones overseas bombing the shit out of everybody. And why are we doing this? Oh yeah, for oil, territory, and to cripple a foreign government into subservience of the Federal Reserve. You want ACTUAL CHANGE IN AMERICA? Here are two great suggestions: One – abolish the party system. Abolishing the party system will make it much easier for other candidates to debate. You can’t win the presidency if you can’t debate. The “council of debate policies” or whatever the hell it’s called is a farce. Who put these jerk offs in charge? I sure the hell didn’t. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE should be able to contend and debate for the presidency. Provided they’re natural American citizens, of course. The second suggestion is to force candidates to wear jumpsuits that have the logos of every single financial contributor during the campaign. They should also have to list all of their sponsors in every single add. Who’s backing this guy? Oh, Goldman Sachs (the most financially crooked and irresponsible bank EVER) is backing Obama? Huh. No wonder he wanted big bank bailouts. Bet that kind of knowledge would have been a factor in the election.

8. Let's talk about the metal part of this project. What gear are you using on this album? Will we see the same thing in a live setting, perhaps? This would be great material to actually get out to the masses.

Well, I’m using an MCS BV-I guitar tuned to A# standard with a Kahler trem system and Seymour Duncan Blackout Humbuckers. Just a beefy, shredtastic guitar. Unfortunately, MCS is now a defunct company, so I’m looking for a new guitar company to work with. The amp I used was actually custom built by Justin. I’m actively looking for a company to rebuild the amp specifically to the specs used on the album. That’ll be Skrog’s endorsed amp model. I used a Mesa Boogie cab for the album but I usually use Vader cabinets. Since Adam’s out of the cab business, I’m looking for a new cab company to work with. It’ll probably be the same company who builds the amps. I use a Morely Bad Horsey II wah pedal too. It’ll be interesting to see what companies are interested in teaming up with Skrog for live settings and future albums.

9. What bands are you into these days? Any you'd recommend in particular?

Y’know, I’ve really been going back and listening to my classic influences. I haven’t really been searching out new music so much as going back and appreciating some of the greats. I’d highly recommend the following albums to anyone who digs Skrog:

Slayer – anything they’ve come up with but specifically Seasons In the Abyss and Divine Intervention
Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven
Megadeth – Rust In Peace
Skinny Puppy – The Process and Greater Wrong of the Right
Ministry – Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste and Psalm 69
Strapping Young Lad – Heavy As A Very Heavy Thing and City
Frontline Assembly – Hardwired and Tactical Neural Implant
Bile – Suckpump
Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines and Those Whom The Gods Detest
Vader – Necropolis
Dimmu Borgir – Puretanical Misenthropic Euphoria
Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness
Testament – The Gathering
Lamb of God – Ashes In the Wake and As the Palaces Burn
Acid Bath – As the Kite String Pops
Pitchshifter – Infotainment and the Submit EP
Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine, The Downward Spiral, and The Fragile
Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar
White Zombie – Astro Creep 2000

10. Near the end of the album, there are some very familiar sections in "The Hunter" and "The Hunted." I heard one of the Brinstar themes, (and it's the first time I've actually heard a cover of that theme - most people pick Ridley or Kraid's theme) and was quite surprised that you mixed an album about the elite with Super Metroid. I also got a feeeling that the hunter might have been Samus Aran. Why did you choose to mix these odd themes of conspiracy and video games together? Also, what did you think of Metroid: Other M?

I’ll start this off saying sadly, I haven’t played Other M yet. I REALLY REALLY want to. I’m just too damned broke to be buying a Wii at this time. I chose to view the video game-ish side of the album as specifically musical. It was a musical choice, not a thematic choice. Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano created the first real “industrial” experience for me. The musical score for Super Metroid is one of the best video game musical compositions ever. I love the blend of organic and synthetic tones in the game. I’ve always wanted to redo certain aspects of the score in an actual “metal/industrial” sense. Meeting with Justin and creating The Global Elite really gave me the opportunity to do that. The Hunted is actually the first song I ever tried writing as Skrog. That song goes back to 1998. I had a Sony Music Generator “game” for the PlayStation. It allows users to import their own samples and manipulate the samples (slightly) in a timeline along with preprogrammed samples and synth tones. I was playing around with various different samples and guitar licks and I was using samples from the Super Metroid video game. I wasn’t getting the results that I wanted though. I didn’t just want to sample the score and layer guitars on top of it. I wanted to actually recreate my own version of certain parts of the score, using my own blend of synths, samples, and instruments. I wanted something far more organic than just simply ripping off the game. I wanted my own “voice” in the mix. The Hunter/The Hunted was the song that got Justin interested in Skrog. He’d been wanting to do the exact same thing with the exact same part of the score. We really jived together during that creation. It was great fun and I’m glad I was able to get those songs out and recorded the way they were recorded. The songs sound great and I’ve very pleased with the results. So again, these choices and decisions were all made from a musical standpoint. It just worked. I would actually say out of anything on the album that might stand out as a bit different from the rest of the album thematically would be “Dark Metamorphosis.” I was working on a remix of my short zombie film Arise and I needed a zombie song. Plain and simple. I felt that the song still worked on the album and even though it’s a strange departure from the gloom and doom of global conspiracies, I felt that it was an appropriate departure. Even greats like Slayer will have very serious and socially relevant songs about gang killing and abortion on the same album that has songs about serial killers and occultism. If the songs work on the album, they just work regardless of what each individual song may be about.

11. Might we hear more video game references/tunes on subsequent albums? What games are you currently into, and what games of past and present would you derive inspiration from?

I may do some video game-ish stuff in the future. I may not. I don’t really know. I don’t want to be pigeon holed as a “video-game-industrial-metal-band,” y’know what I mean? I guess we’ll see what happens the next time I’m in a studio. I dig the Halo series, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, any of the Super Mario games, any of the Metroid games, the Castlevania series is great – specifically Symphony of the Night, all of the Final Fantasy games, the Doom series was great, Skyrim is pretty cool, the Arkham Asylum series looks pretty good, Castle Crashers was great, and the Contra series was always fun. Yoshi’s Island was tons of fun back in the day too. I’m also a big fan of the old school arcade games like Alien VS Predator, Street Fighter 2 (and all the subsequent games), Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, The Punisher, Robocop, etc.

12. Finally, imagine that you can see several years into the future. What do you see?

I see the end of liberty
I see the start of tyranny
I hear the cries of innocents
Beginning a new age of control
I see global warfare
I see destruction near and far
The signs – to prevalent to ignore
Beginning the New World Order
Woe unto the Earth
Woe from our leaders
Creating desolation
For you

Written by: Jay Reiter - Skrog





Skrog - The Global Elite (PR2012) - Skrog is an industrial metal project from former Skull Fuckers Incorporated (which is probably a twist on NIN's "Star Fuckers Incorporated") member, Jay Reiter. He also worked in Descendants Of Cain, and managed several bands in Wisconsin. The project originally began in 1998, but was put on hold because of these other musical endeavors. But fast forward to 2012, with the Skrog album "The Global Elite."

Now there is much I want to address about this album, and I will get to the music in a moment. First of all, this album addresses some definite irregularities in our current society, specifically those related to the Elite, The Illuminati, The pre-NWO, excetra. While not a Bible man by any means, (as I even believe that they had a hand in that) this album certainly speaks of a tyrannical control by an oppressive elite, and it's one of the first metal albums that I've ever heard to address the concept of MK Ultra mind control with "MK Ultra 4:15." I'm sure that those of you who have been to my other blog know that I frequent these topics quite a bit and strongly believe that the rich elite do want to control our food, water, air, money and more. And why would this be, exactly? Because they're greedy bastards and they don't know any better but to want MORE. One is supposed to live within one's means, but not everyone has enlightened themselves to that point yet, and it is why our planet suffers.

But onto the music now. The metal that Skrog plays is very much in the style of Ministry. Some have said that Devin Townsend moments are here, but I consider them very few, and would liken this heavily to the nature of the now defunct Texan industrial powerhouse. Even the vocals mimic Al Jourgensen, and were he not dissuaded (Relapse was off the ball and didn't seem to mention any of these things, like the conspiratorial nature in the Bush trilogy.) by some unknown means, he would have covered these topics. One in particular I feel is necessary, is the symbolism in the media (covered by vigilantcitizen.com) like Kanye West and his odd decision to wear a pair of pants that had Baphomet heads, and the word "METAL" on them. Yes. Look it up on the internet. Type in "Kanye West Metal" in a google search engine. Now what's this R&B pop star dude want with fucking metal? I was going to "like" him and then spam the fuck out of his facebook, asking him when "his metal record" was coming out, as well as asking the dude if he was going to scream and growl on it. Could've sworn that guy was a Christian... and even if he was into metal, not too many Christian guys are into having Baphomet heads on them. but then there was Ke$ha wit a big inverted black metal pentagram on her dress. Because you know how much she fucking loves Satan. I think it's all publicity, but it's pretty fucked up at any rate and if we make fun of it, they'll hopefully quit it and go back to playing horrible music...

Unlike this guy, who can actually put out some worthy industrial metal. This disc is a beast that thrashes, while the "mad scientist" screams and growls throughout, with emotional rage. He really believes in these words, and it shows. Though "Revelation" seems a bit thin, and "MK Ultra" has a strong chorus and a sort of disillusioned nature to it, I really feel that "Submit 5:36" is one of the strongest tracks on here. The disc is crushing until 32 minutes in, where he decides he wants to do something a little different. Not that this is a bad decision, but the Super Metroid influence of "The Hunter 10:12" might take some listeners aback. And yes Jay, that's the latter area of Brinstar (the red area as I've called it) right before you get into the tube that can be broken later in the game which leads into Maridia, (any chance you'll do the music there? It always had a dreadful aquatic nature) and then you keep going through to get to Norfair.

But what's cool about the track, "The Hunter 10:12" is that it's the first time I've heard that theme for Brinstar (the oriental natured one) done with instruments other than SNES synth and done right. There was a smile on my face from ear to ear. It even got heavier towards the end, and that's one thing I love - metal video game tunes. There's even a solo here, but you'll find that one of them appears on most of these tracks. Jay isn't afraid to play a solo on these tracks and they all seem to work, more often than not. They're also not always the sort of rock and roll-esque solo you'd expect. As for the disc's closer, "The Hunted 4:14" it's a short track that leaves us with what I truly believe... an elite that is even more paranoid than they think that we are. Not to mention the fact that Samus Aran might be hunting the bastards down, as it incorporates the Metroid theme.

So if you wanted a Ministry fueled romp through the destruction of our world and the assault on Zebes at the same fucking time, then you're getting what you ask for right here. I really hope that Jay will continue this kind of work, I find it to be awesome and informative at the same time. I never thought someone would cater to both my conspiratorial sense and video game metal at the same time. I'm speechless. But in all honesty, it still needs some work in areas and with more time, could be further developed. I also don't think it's entirely appropriate to mix the video game material in with the conspiracy themed album, as it kind of makes the listener scratch their head. There's also a song on here about the undead, "Dark Metamorphosis 4:43" but it was solid at best and didn't really match the theme of the disc; so I didn't exactly put much stock into it.

At any rate, it's a pretty damned good effort. Well worth it for industrial metal fans like myself, and much better than some of the Russian industrial stuff I've been trying to get into. But maybe I'll hit gold there, sometime! Hopefully on the next disc he'll talk about Monarch mind control and sex-kitten imagery. "Hello Kitty" is a big factor in this. I can't even believe the kids never ask. Maybe because the image is perceived as "cute" and it blocks the mind's comprehension of that concept. Eh... just look it up.

Highlights: The Revelation, Military Industrial Complex, Submit, End Of The World (As You Know It), The Hunter, The Hunted (8 Tracks, 47:00)

http://skrog.bandcamp.com/

Interview With Vesperian Sorrow

Vesperian Sorrow

Country of origin:
United States
Location:
Austin, Texas
Status:
Active
Active since:
1997

Genre:
Symphonic Black Metal
Lyrical themes:
Astral, Sorrow, Sadness, Darkness
Current label:
The Path Less Traveled Records

MEMBERS

Justin M.: Bass
Kristoph: Drums
See also: Azoth
William: Guitars
Subverseraph: Keyboards, Vocals (backing) (2006-present)
Donn Donni: Vocals

THE INTERVIEW (Answered By Subverseraph)

1. First and foremost, there's a mighty gap between the release of your last album, "Regenesis Creation." I first heard about you guys from that record, because a friend of mine had seen you in Little Rock (I'm in AR by the way) and talked you up a good bit. So immediately, I grabbed the album and found it to be profoundly interesting. But I kept waiting for another offering from you guys, and began to think that the band might have disbanded or something of that nature. Could you explain exactly what happened in that six year period prior to releasing this album?

Subverseraph: Who's your friend? I've lived in Arkansas twice in my life--from '86 to '93 and again from '99 to September of 2006, when I moved from there to Austin, Texas to join the VESPERfold [roughly a year-and-a-half after my musical endeavors with Greg and Jason Grunwald (both ex-FALLEN EMPIRE) came to an end]. The years between the releases of R.G. and S.W.O.A. can be defined by the following: my induction into the horde on the position of synths/backup vocals; a (frikkin' AMAZING) Canadian tour; Heathen Crusade Festival; the loss of original bassist Tony Compton; the establishment of Amplitude Media Studios; an ill-fated, bassistless west coast tour; Seattle Death Fest; the loss of guitarist James Hardin and his being replaced by a rejoining JZD; Justin M.'s filling of a long-vacant bass position; an east coast tour (with our Swedish warbrethren in GODHATE); an utter clusterfuck of a fest in Monterrey, Mexico; the rise and fall of MySpace (HAHAHA!!!); my re-engaging in the pursuit of martial arts after a 12-year period of sedimentary lifestyle; yet another utter clusterfuck of a fest in Monterrey, this time with MAYHEM (fool me once--shame on you; fool me twice......); the birth of William's child; Kristoph's wedding; the hiring and firing of "managers;" total cockteases leading up to total radio silence from various labels; assorted live dates and festivals across Texas; countless LONG nights in the studio, writing/composing/arranging the material found on S.W.O.A.; the cathartic severing of ties and the acclamation of new, infinitely more essential bonds.

2. Next, I would ask you to describe the recording process for this album. What was the toughest part of that process?

Subverseraph: S.W.O.A. was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered out of our very own Amplitude Media Studios, engineered/produced by Kristoph and co-produced by William and myself over the course of the year-and-some-months leading up to its release. The most tedious part of that process for me was choosing which strings patches to use when so that I wasn't canceling myself out. You can map/block your shit out in the rehearsal room, on paper, and in your head 'til you're blue in the face, but when it finally comes down to tracking it over guitars, bass, and drums, it's practically a whole 'nother story. It's all about frequencies, or so I've learned.

3. What was it like working with Carl August Tideman (Winds/Arcturus), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, Watchtower), Erika Tandy (Autumn Tears/Ignitor) and the guy who designed your album cover, Jon Zig? But I'm really kind of curious about Jon in particular. Did the guy kind of just call you up one day and say "Hey, I did an awesome album cover for you; is there any chance that I could also be featured on the album?"

Subverseraph: As ARCTURUS's Aspera Hiems Symfonia is the album that inadvertently brought the founding members of V.S. together, Tidemann has always been one of William's heroes, and one day, William decided on a whim to contact him about the possibility of a guest appearance on the album; Tidemann replied cordially and in a timely manner, basically saying that were he to dig the material and were he to find the time, he wouldn't mind providing us with a contribution or two; the songs and sections were sent to him; he got back with us the same day (or the next, if memory serves me incorrectly),expressing his being impressed and honored to lay some leads down for us, and shortly thereafter, we had them. Needless to say, we were awestruck by what he gave us and are eternally grateful to him. Erika's been a friend of mine and of the band for some years now, and when faced with who to approach about female vocals, the question was never there. We didn't want some soulless, obligatory-sounding soprano; Erika is experienced and has the range, power, technique, and uniqueness that "Casting Dawn into Shadow," "Eye of the Clock Tower," and "Death She Cried" called for. (http://www.reverbnation.com/morgengrau) The same goes for McMaster on "...Clock Tower" and "Relics of the Impure" who came into the studio one evening, was handed lyrics, heard what he was about to track over, tracked it, and left, being there for all of about 20 minutes or something. (http://www.reverbnation.com/evilunited) At the time of this interview, Erika has performed "Casting..." with us live on three separate occasions and McMaster twice on "Relics..." with hopefully many more to come. They're bad-asses. And speaking of bad-asses,...Jon Zig--frontman of Austin-based brutal death metal bands IMAGES OF VIOLENCE and SARCOLYTIC (both of which have been recorded by Kristoph out of Amplitude) and renowned tattoo artist known for the album cover artworks he's done for the likes of SUFFOCATION, AVERSE SEFIRA, PSYPHERIA, etc. (http://www.medusaink.com/; http://www.facebook.com/Sarcolytic; http://www.facebook.com/ImagesOfViolence) As equally talented behind the mic as he is with the needle, we couldn't have asked for anyone more brutal to supply us with what he did on "An Empire to Mourn" and "Legacies Befallen," and as we are toward all of whom agreed to accent our art with their talents, we're honored and eternally grateful for his propelling our album into an all-new dimension of might.

4. How do you think this album differs, or is it a step above your previous release "Regenesis Creation?" I'm hearing some definite goth influences, particularly on the song "Casting Dawn Into Shadow." To be honest, there are even some parts that remind me heavily of early Graveworm, which was a truly formidable gothic black/death band in their era. What influences did you bring into this album that you didn't have in the last offering?

Subverseraph: S.W.O.A. is everything that made R.G. what it was and more--harder, heavier, more venomous in its faster sections and more monolithic in its slower ones, vastly more complex, more extreme all around and above all, darker. The 6-year period between albums was, within the confines of the band as an entity and in our personal lives both, one of bittersweet maturation and progressions throughout the more forboding of life's territories, so it's only natural that S.W.O.A. reflects such catharsis. Plus, our current lineup is VS's strongest to date, so the potential for more masterful performances was there in spades. Interesting as to how "Casting..." came to be: one somewhat directionless evening at Amplitude, I was in the control room, dicking around on my Fantom with a synthline I had been playing with of late; Kristoph at the console hears it and goes, "Sounds like something THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE (a non-metal guilty pleasure of his, mine, and William's) would do; sick; let's lay it down," to which I oblige and after which he tracks scratch guitars over and programs scratch drums under, resulting in what eventually became 0:00-0:50 and 1:40-2:13. The "gothic" undertones coursing through the influence we cull from early-90's Swedish death metal within our music gives us a certain edge that distinguishes our sound from that of the average so-called "symphonic black metal" (a very broad and generic label that we resent and feel transcendent of) band. GRAVEWORM is not amongst these influences. Engraved in Black came out around my senior year of high school, and I bought it not having heard anything off of it prior. I can probably count
on one hand the number of times I've listened to it since--kinda came off to me as a less effective AGATHODAIMON, honestly. Good band, great musicians--not my cup of tea, personally.

5. Neoclassical and medieval folk music plays a huge role in the band, and has since it's inception. What composers do you consider the biggest influences in this notion. And as for metal influences, what bands or musicians in that genre do you consider to be key inspirations for your work?

Subverseraph: Pagan/folkish metal: BATHORY (duh), BORKNAGAR, (early) ENSLAVED, SATYRICON (nothing past Nemesis Divina, of course), PRIMORDIAL, ABIGOR's Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom), SUMMONING, THY SERPENT, KAMPFAR, SIEBENBURGEN's first 3, DIMMU BORGIR's Stormblast, NAGLFAR's Vittra. Non-metal but neoclassical and/or folk-related: HAGALAZ' RUNEDANCE, DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS, QNTAL, NIYAZ's self-titled, CORVUS CORAX, DEAD CAN DANCE.

6. Vesperian Sorrow is a rather interesting and unique name for a band. It not only has the tinge of black metal nature, but it also has a slightly gothic semblance that I think you've fully embodied on this powerful release. Who came up with the original name for the band, and what does it mean?

Subverseraph: It was formulated by Don Donni, Kristoph, and William when it was decided that the band's original name, UNHOLY DESCENT, was no longer befitting of the music they were writing upon the induction of William in 1996. Derived from the latin word "vesper," "vesperian" pertains to duskfall, sundown, the onset of night, etc., and "Vesperian Sorrow" is open to an extent of interpretation. Anything along the lines of the following is valid: mass grievance at the demise of light, scourge/plague of eternal night, profound bereavement for endless death marked by the banished sun and rising moon (i.e. the Beowulf-Grendel dynamic), metaphor for the Black Death, etc. You get the picture; choose one or all.

7. You guys are from Texas. Of course, seeing as I'm living in the state right above you, I understand what the scenes are like here and how ignorant some people can be. Have you ever had any of those shows where people stood outside with signs saying "heavy metal is evil" or something of that nature? Being in Bible country, I'm sure it happens quite a bit.

Subverseraph: BWAHAHA!!! I wish. The only time we've experienced anything like that was at a gig in Victoria, Texas, but the "protesters" evacuated before we actually arrived at the venue, unfortunately, so no, not exactly. Too bad.

8. What is the message of "Stormwinds Of Ages?" Could you describe some of the more powerful lyrical concepts that you want the world to know about? Is there anything that you feel might need clarification?

Subverseraph: There is no latent "message" behind what we do. We stand for nothing but ourselves, the music itself, and the band itself as an entity. The concepts behind my favorite tracks are as follows: "Stormwinds of Ages" is a war anthem, the Nephilim's call-to-arms; "An Empire to Mourn" is about a conquered civilization forced into subterranean relinquishment; "Casting Dawn into Shadow" tells of a blood flood that begets a pandemic of strigoi; "Legacies Befallen" chronicles a bloodline cursed for generations by an undying inheritance of daemonic possession; "Of Opiates and Accolades" illustrates the seemingly contradictory balance of Light and Dark required to live a life of authenticity.

9. You gentlemen have been lucky enough to play shows not only here in the states, but festivals in Germany, England, Canada and Mexico. As such, I'm sure you guys have some interesting tour stories. What are some interesting or downright comical tour stories that you guys can share with us?

Subverseraph: A month after I joined the band, we embarked on a 3-and-a-half-week tour of Canada/Quebec with several US dates along the way, one of which was Rochester, New York. A woman from one of the opening acts made her lady boner for Kristoph all too apparent, much to the dismay of her band's frontman who was evidently in some kind of relationship with her. Well, after the gig and while we were loading out behind the venue, this guy storms out of the club yelling as he passes each member of V.S., "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" Donni: "Huh? Fuck ME?" Douchebag: "Nah, you're cool. But fuck you!" He then gets in his car and drives off after doing some drunken angry donuts in the empty parking lot. A few minutes pass, as we go about our business loading up the trailer hitched to our tour van, and then he returns, fullspeed ahead, seemingly intent on crashing his vehicle into it (with our drumtech inside). Foiling his plan to fuck us up, though, was some type of formidably-sized pipe that stopped his ass dead about 5 feet short of collision. Drama queen survived, but his car didn't, and as smoke began to rise from under its bent-to-shit hood, HE STARTED CRYING!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!!!!! Total Darwin Award.

10. Where do your lyrics come from? What inspires them?

Subverseraph: They stem from visions had by Don Donni, scenarios upon which he elaborates in poetry and creates spectral landscapes behind--all blighted by decay in one form or another. They're fairly stream of consciousness and as esoteric as the listener wishes them to be as per their own interpretation.

11. What are some good books, films, or computer/video games that you guys might recommend?

Subverseraph: Check out the latest (animated) installment in the Starship Troopers franchise, Starship Troopers: Invasion. Directed by Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed, Bubblegum Crisis, Gasaraki, etc.) and executive-produced by Casper Van Dien, it pays way more homage to the original novel by Robert A. Heinlein and is infinitely more bad-ass than the 1997 film, not to mention, its 2 piece-of-shit sequels. I haven't made the time to delve into many books lately, but one that I HAVE is one I found in the 2-dollar clearance bin of a Barnes & Noble several weekends ago--The Illustrated History of Torture: From the Roman Empire to The War on Terror. Seek it out, and be sure to read it while eating BBQ-flavored vienna sausage.

12. What are some new bands that you think are worth checking out, whom we might not have previously heard of? Are there any other bands/musicians in other genres that you think are worth checking out?

Subverseraph: Black metal: CEREMONIAL CASTINGS (Battleground, Washington), INQUISITION (Seattle, Washington), INFERNAL WAR (Poland), VALKYRJA (Sweden), HYMNS (Fayetteville, Arkansas). Death metal: GODHATE (Sweden), SARCOLYTIC (Austin, Texas), MORGENGRAU (Austin, Texas). Terrortech: SUICIDE COMMANDO (Belgium), PSYCLON NINE (Hollywood, California), C-LEKKTOR (Mexico), DIE SEKTOR [Atlanta, Georgia (their Scraping the Flesh EP and To Be Fed Upon album; the dubstep-ish tendencies throughout their more recent material turn me off)].

13. What hobbies do you guys pursue outside of the band? Is there anything about you guys that we wouldn't have guessed?

Subverseraph: Martial arts has always been a part of my family, what with me, my brother and father studying Tae Kwon Do ('90-'93 in Arkansas) and Kajukenbo ('93-'97 in Hawaii), and since early 2008, I've taken on Tukong Moosul, which is what's taught to the South Korean Special Forces. It's the "other woman," so to speak, to the band and my V.S.-related endeavors. Through the academy I train at now, I fell in with a team of stuntmen/fight choreographers, which opened the door to some acting in film that I've done in recent years and continue to do every now and then.

14. Even though it's been a while, Dimmu Borgir put out Abrahadabra. Even though there are many people out there who hate the band, what did you gentlemen think of it, if you've even played it at all? The same question goes for Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus. What were your impressions, and do you think it was as awful as everyone has said?

Subverseraph: Rhetorical questions. Upon exposure to MORBID ANGEL's I.D.I., I was embarrassed FOR them. I need not elaborate. Abrahadabra has a few interesting moments strewn about here and there, but DIMMU BORGIR is a shadow of its former self, and that's never been more evident than on said album. Listen to Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (everything up to which was excellent, in my opinion, especially Stormblast and Spiritual Black Dimensions) and then to Abrahadabra--Daray's a bad-ass drummer, but the guitars (when you can actually hear what they're doing exactly--claustrophobic mix and testosteroneless tone) are fairly uninspired for the most part and buried somewhere beneath a Harry Potter orchestra that inadvertently NEGATES any dark atmosphere and INSULTS their no-longer-upheld, Nordic might-encapsulating style of blackened metal.

15. Despite the fact that you've been around the world and produced four albums to your credit, your talent has been overshadowed by other bands, and there are some metal fans who haven't even heard of you. By the sounds of this disc, it seems like you guys are hoping for a major breakthrough album. What's even more is that you're not even attached to a label anymore, yet I'm seeing an add in my latest Decibel (magazine) that looks as professional as any label advertisement would. How in the world do you guys manage to do this by yourselves? And what could other musicians who wish to be independent learn from you?

Subverseraph: S.W.O.A. was released on The Path Less Traveled Records, and the only backing we have from them is through distribution, so yes, we are essentially independent. We manage to do this on our own out of choicelessness. Despite countless attempts toward it, we're not signed to Napalm or Season of Mist or Nuclear Blast (yet), but in the meantime, we're not just going to sit on our laurels waiting for "something to happen." We MAKE shit happen because we can't afford not to--to the best of our ability, cognizant of past experiences with at the very least, more to gain. And it's not cheap or easy, but is anything of any lasting worth? Advertising (like everything) costs money, and you get what you pay for. Metal is art, and art is suffering. If you're unwilling to make financial sacrifices and sacrifices of time and are too inept to network with others in the field or are too immature to delay gratification, expect to remain as nothing going nowhere.

16. I'm not even going to beat around the bush. Whether or not you're in Greece or London playing a show, you're still American citizens and there's one hell of an election going on in our country. Let's get political for a second. What are your views on the unemployment rate, the tax cuts for the rich, and imminent destruction of the middle class? There are literally some people who are scared to death by the election of a new figurehead in the White House, and that in turn scares ME to death. What are your thoughts on all this political drama?

Subverseraph: Shit, sheeple wanna put enemies of the Constitution in office that wanna rape us one civil liberty at a time, they'll reap the rewards. It matters not. Too far gone for far too long. All will be a post-apocalyptic Hyborian age of Conan soon anyway where the only law is that of the sword, and quite frankly, the older I get, the more that that law is the only one that makes any sense. Scared of it being all Mad Max and shit? Why? Certainly simpler that way.

17. Imagine this. You were given the ability to create total destruction upon the earth, in order to cleanse all of mankind. How would you do it? Massive fireballs from the sky, monsters rising up out of the water, perhaps? Describe to me, no matter how silly; your perfect apocalypse.

Subverseraph: Definitely with monsters rising from the ocean's depths to give civilizations worldwide the ultimate ass-kicking. Japanese giant monster movies are something that I was obsessed with as a kid and never grew out of. Mass destruction is my meditation. I'd love nothing more than for Godzilla-esque leviathans to reveal themselves to an oblivious and meddling mankind through reducing the world's superpowers to flaming rubble beneath their clawed, saurian feet (and tails).

18. Do you have anything else to share with your fans, or any other messages you need to get out before the end of the interview?

Subverseraph: I do not, but eternal thanks for the interview and for your support and to the fans worldwide for yours--y'all make it all the more worth it; we'll see ya soon. Stay dark. \m/ >,< \m/

I apologize for the length, but thank you for your answers, and maybe if all goes well, I'll be able to see you guys at Downtown Music in LR, as I missed you on the tour for the last album. I'll definitely buy a shirt in support!

THE REVIEW

Vesperian Sorrow - Stormwinds Of Ages (PR2012) - Texas epic extreme metallers, Vesperian Sorrow are certainly no stranger to me. I jumped at the chance to review this disc and it was well worth it. As much as I loved 2006's "Regenesis Creation", 2012's new album was well worth waiting for.

But with six years comes it's share of differences. For instance, this disc has more of a gothic feel and a much higher production value that definitely dwarfs the production on their earlier disc. The vocals are absolutely killer, comparable to latter God Dethroned, but even better I think. The melodies and riffs are fucking beautiful, as well as the solos. The drums blast every which way and still manage to not lose the atmosphere that the synths carry so well.

I honestly didn't expect this much of a gothic metal influence this time, but it seems to have worked well for the band. Don't worry though, as there is still plenty of black metal influence here as well. It all melds together so seamlessly, just as I would've expected.

Sometimes there are layering effects on the clean vocals (which sound very dark regardless) and some female vocals on major standout, "Casting Dawn Into Shadows 5:23." I've ever heard full on clean in "Eye Of The Clocktower 7:14" and never knew that their vocalist had such a great singing voice. Speaking of that track, it's a long epic, and definitely deserves that title.

Fans of more popular black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Old Man's Child that feel those bands haven't offered anything that great in a while might want to check the Vesperian camp over here out. But I won't even lie that I am still drawing some major vocal comparisons to God Dethroned here, and I like that a great deal.

This disc is actually full of surprises and every damned one of them is worth hearing. When they say "epic" they mean epic. I literally feel this disc as the soundtrack to a very dark fantasy role-playing game. You could probably play it during Dark Souls. But I'm sure that these guys don't care, and probably play it too.

There's not one song here that I can't recommend, not one instrumentation that I did not like here. Everything definitely was set to kill, and to thrill. This is not boring, and it's most certainly brutal. You're going to hear great riffs, great drumming, fucking killer vocals and the kind of synths that make this kind of metal epic. I had no idea I was going to enjoy this disc so fucking much, so I recommend that you check it out too, because it's one of the year's best, quite simply.

There's so much meat to this album, and so much ground has been covered in each and every one of these songs. If these guys don't get known for this fucking disc, then they just won't get known and I'd piss all over the scene for it. This is the kind of metal that's going to mean something, and I'm sure that the underground embrace is going to come for them soon enough. This is a disc that was well worth waiting for, quite possibly the best of their fucking career.

You can't go wrong with this one.

Highlights: The Whole Disc, even the intro! Play it again and again.
(11 Tracks, 57:00)

10/10

Week 66 Part II (November 12th, 2012)

Nominon - The Cleansing (PR2012) - Nominon might as well have been around longer then some of you have been alive. Their very first demo dates back to 1993, and they've even opened up for legends Dissection and Dismember back in 1996. So these guys have had a long fucking time to perfect the Swedish death sound that they've again unleashed with their twenty-seventh offering, (according to the official release list) simply entitled, "The Cleansing." Now "The Cleansing" is just as you would expect from Swedish death metal stalwarts such as these - it's raw, brutal and drenched with the same gore that makes up Grave, Unleashed, early Hypocrisy, early Dark Tranquility, and others in that vein. While it's nothing ultimately new, what is done here is a certain solid effort that should appeal to most death metal fans. There's no core breakdowns, technicality or anything that you find in death metal these days. However, you will hear crunchy riffs, gore-splattered vocals, and drum work that you would expect for death metal of this nature. It's a very straight-forward approach and it's one that works. I had a very tough time picking out standout tracks on here, but that's due to the fact that everything on this disc fucking slaughtered. But where's death metal without solos? And these guys have delivered in that aspect too. Again, there's nothing on here that I thought was weak, and "Son Of Doom 5:00" and closer "Infernal Rites 5:07" are exceptionally strong.

Swedish death metal... for me, it NEVER gets old. This is just one of those records, and I highly recommend you check out this pummeler. Imagine the disc as a giant fucking hammer to your skull, and you've got it.

(10 Tracks, 39:00)

8/10



Defiant - Era Of Submission (PR2012) - Defiant are some young dudes from Croatia, but man can they play some traditional melodic death metal. Sure, it's still kinda rough around the edges, but there's definite "bloody heart" here, as the flyer proclaims. I mean, some of these dudes look really young; but they certainly sound like they've been playing for years and that's a good thing. There are worthwhile leads and great solos on the disc, suitable drumming and deep throated vocals with an occasional bout of scowls. Just about all of the tracks on the disc are in the range of three minutes, with some of them of branching toward four, but never reaching over it. "Creed Of Anansi 3:40", "Ishtar's Womb 3:08" and "Ruins 3:04" are some of the stronger tracks on the disc, and all three of these are coupled right next to each other. But I'll also have to mention "Seven Of Nine 3:55" which also showcases the band's talents. There are bits of technicality in this romp, so just expect it. It's not Necrophagist or Psycroptic by any means, but it's still there in places. Considering the ages of these guys, it's not hard to say that it's an influence.

But I really like the In Flames cover of "Beyond Space 3:39" which you'll only find on the limited edition. The band was able to do this classic song justice, and it's definitely worth grabbing a copy of the album with this track on it. These guys are young, so I'm sure that they have many more interesting things to show us on future albums. Hopefully, the follow up to this one will be worth the wait.


Highlights: Ishtar's Womb, Ruins, Seven Of Nine, Beyond Space (Bonus) (10 Tracks, 33:00)

8/10



Mephorash - Chalice Of Thagirion (PR2012) - Swedish black metal (yes, I said black metal - not everyone is doing Swe-death over there) band Mephorash sounds exactly like you'd expect black metal to sound. The band pic is just three dudes in black robes, but I'm not even sure if they're dudes. There could be women, hideous mutations, or even actual demons behind those robes; even though logic wants to sway my devious imagination away from such foolishness. The disc consists of thrashing double bass, eerie melodies and uneasy atmospherics that are fronted by the kind of antichristian scowl that we'd expect from a black metal frontman in addition to other equally devious effects. Ors delivers a great performance on this album, and I'm quite sure that fans of true black metal will find his vocals quite captivating and diabolic. Though there is only one vocalist named, several vocals appeal on tracks like "Corpus Christi 5:57" and an unholy form of chanting is sometimes used to add to the ritualistic atmosphere of the music. I could go on explaining this one, but it would all be for naught. I'll just tell you this - whether you buy this album as a disc, or download it digitally from BelieveDigital.com, you're getting a black metal album. For most of you, that's all that matters. But for some of you, you need more reinforcement and that's alright. It's what I'm here for. There are no keyboards on this album, no symphonics, no female vocals, no rock solos... it's all eerie melodies, thrash and hymns to various "lesser gods" and occult themes adorned in black ritual.

There's really no reason why you shouldn't like this disc. It screams black metal, and it does it with the darkest sense of depravity. It's the textbook definition of the genre.

(11 Tracks, 56:00)

8/10



Tiamat - The Scarred People (Ltd. Edition 2012) - Again, I find myself on a completely different page with a Decibel writer. This happens often, and I do expect those guys and gals to be a little more than just half-assed with their reviews, which is usually the first section I gravitate towards upon getting any metal zine. Chris Dick in particular reviewed the new Tiamat disc as being something in the vein of "Wildhoney." But as I remember, that disc was quite heavy and had some harsh vocal influence. He also went on to state that the band could not figure out how to follow up "A Deeper Kind Of Slumber" and meandered along for years. But that record and "Cold Seed" really aren't anywhere near as good as this gentleman is saying. "Skeleton Skeletron" wasn't perfect, but "Prey" captured the more gothic aspects of the band brilliantly. It's that album that really got me into the band, as I checked out the other discs from there with "Wildhoney" and "Amanethes" being my personal favorite albums among the gamut of releases. I still remember that wonderful 2008 disc, where I wound up playing "Temple Of The Crescent Moon", "Lucium" and several other tracks hundreds of times. The disc was an absolute marvel. A friend and I agreed that it was definitely one of the best of their career. After that one, I didn't really care if Tiamat made another album or not. As far as I was concerned, that was a successful attempt at re-peaking, as I've called it.

Fast forward four years later, and here we are yet again with The Scarred People, adorning a cover that looks very OTO and Illuminati referenced. (But I kind of expected that. However, I do believe that it is a metaphorical representation of Lucifer.) This disc is a virtual 180 from the heaviness of "Amanethes", but I suppose that opener "The Scarred People 6:38" is a good transition into the new material. That new material being a sort of darker gothic rock. "Winter Dawn 4:13" does this well with a strong chorus, but it's got a dreamy vibe that sort of ends the song out on an odd note. Then directly after that one comes the odd "384 4:25." This song is something definitely interesting, as it has a very bleak and fearful sense to it. Words don't really explain it, as it sounds like a Faustian bargain with the riffs being downright apocalyptic.

But I've broken the paragraph again to highlight one simple fact. The disc changes in nature after that powerfully dark track, and it picks up some lighter influences and introduces the start of many rock-style guitar solos. Apparently they've got a new guitarist by the name of Roger Ojerson, and he really changes the nature of the band quite a bit. His major highlight is the instrumental, "Before Another Wilbury Dies 1:39" which highlights the 70's era shred-fest that comes right after the extremely boring nature of "The Sun Also Rises 5:06." So for those of you expecting to bang your head at all, well - you're fucked this time around. But I really feel that Tiamat and Johan Edlund are showing their age. As I said, there are some certain 70's moments on this disc, like "Messinian Letter 4:20" which still has me scratching my head. What were they thinking with that one? That's a hippie song if I've ever heard one.

Thankfully, we've got "Love Terrorists 5:42" which brings back the magic of the band's goth-natured work. Which is another thing that has me curious. Chris Dick said that he didn't like the latter work, but much of the work on this album sounds like that work, just without the added guitar solo. Now surely you aren't going to sit down with a straight face and tell me that some of that old material would've only appealed to you if there had been a few frantic solos, are you? Because that would be foolish. Ideas like "Tiznit 3:03" also don't do much for this disc, and "Thunder & Lightning 4:33" is dreadfully boring, only the guitar solo manages to save what comes off as a pretty weak rock ballad.

The bonus track "Born To Die 4:42 (Lana Del Ray Cover)" sounds more like the electronic work of "Skeleton Skeletron" and at first, it's quite weak - but I will admit that when you give this one a chance to warm up, it's got a very strong chorus. Even so, I've heard much better from Tiamat and this only sounds like a cast-off from that album. The disc's closer "Red Of The Morning Sun 4:21" takes forever to actually warm up, but it does get a little better towards the end. It also features electronics, but I have no idea what the song is about. I'm guessing it's a song about saving humanity.

The last song on the disc (before two live tracks) is the weird bonus track "Paradise 5:28 (Bruce Springsteen Cover.)" and this one is very odd. Johan doesn't use his normal dark tone of vocal on this one, so it sounds a little nasally. I guess that's why he took it off. But some people might like it, as it has a strong folk-like quality to it. I don't think everyone will like it, but there's definite emotion in the vocals. It's got a very "stripped down" quality that really takes off the whole "dark gothic" nature of the band, and brings it down to an intimate and more human level. The little bits of guitar melody (and end solo) that play alongside the acoustic guitar really help to make the song somewhat of an awkward standout. A live version of both "Divided 4:45" and Cain "5:17" are featured at the very end of this album.

If you want my full and honest opinion, I do not completely recommend this album. At least not to everyone. There will certainly be people who don't like it. Calling it metal is a stretch, and it's definitely more along the lines of gothic rock. Those of you expecting heavier material will be sorely disappointed. Even I couldn't have foreseen this change in the band's nature, but it is certainly a maturation. Not only that, but if you want me to be completely and painfully honest - I see this album as a bit of a Swansong. Maybe not the band's final release; but something very close to that. We might get another live show DVD/Blu-Ray and/or CD, and perhaps one final disc before a collection of rarities/demos.

But you know what? I'm okay with that. Tiamat has given me years of great music. Songs that I will remember for the very rest of my life. They are one of the only bands I've ever heard that has given music to Crowley's "The Pentagram." There's a reason I bought "The Church Of Tiamat DVD" and it's because those songs still resonate with me to this day. I still get "Vote For Love" stuck in my head, and I still get "Cain" stuck in my head, as well as "Wings Of Heaven." I could go on like a blabbering idiot about how great some of these fucking songs are, but I'll leave it up to you to check out this band's body of work.

Highlights: The Scarred People, Winter Dawn, Radiant Star, Before Another Wilbury Dies, Love Terrorists, Born To Die (Bonus), Paradise (Bonus), Cain (Live Bonus) (15 Tracks, 67:00)

6/10



Kamelot - Silverthorn (2012) - Kamelot now has a new vocalist, replacing the band's old frontman of thirteen years Roy Kahn with Seventh Wonder's Tommy Karevik. But the thing is, you'd never notice. Well, some of you will - but there's barely a difference. He definitely plays to Kahn's style and if you didn't know that Kahn was gone, you wouldn't have even noticed the change. The disc has a great big story attached to it, and I'm not even quite sure what it is; so if you care, then buy it. I'm only worried about the music - and what I'm hearing is very adventurous thrash, laden with keyboards. There are some really good guitar and keyboard solos on the disc as well, but it's very verse/chorus throughout the whole thing. Does that mean that it's not interesting?

No. It's certainly catchy and interesting, but even with the black metal influenced rasps of Agonist frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz on "Ashes to Ashes 3:58", it's still nothing new for the band. But maybe that's a good thing. "Poetry For The Poisoned" was not a good turn, and it helped the band to go back to what they knew. Songs like "Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife) 4:39", "Torn 3:51", "Veritas 4:34", and title track "Silverthorn 4:51" really show that the band still has some power. Sadly, the album's nearly nine minute epic "Prodigal Son 8:52" is far too long and accomplishes little more than some good ballad solos. Also, the closer "Continuum 4:17" is an absolute joke, being that it's about a minute long before the 45 second break that separates the first part of the outro from the second part of the outro. Yes, they really did that.

This album is quite solid, and it does have several memorable songs. However, I will have to give it a solid score, because of some haphazard mistakes and overblown ideas. (We really didn't need "Continuum" at all, guys. Just count how many people skipped that track.) By the way, there's an even more overblown version of this disc that contains a few extra tracks and instrumental versions of tracks on the album. But I didn't think it was necessary.

For Kamelot fans, this is a great rejuvenation. But for the rest of us, yeah - we've heard it before. Still not as good as "The Black Halo" and most of the albums prior.

Highlights: Sacrimony (Angel Of Rebirth), Ashes To Ashes, Torn, Veritas, Silverthorn, Solitaire (12 Tracks, 56:00)

8/10



Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas (2012) - Some people liked "Passion" but I didn't think it was all that great. There just wasn't enough structure on the disc and it literally sounded like just a bunch of angry emotions being let out with everything in the musical division kicked up to high gear. At least on "Vanitas" there is actually some musical structure in spite of the chaotic nature of the band. Opener "The Blood-Dimmed Tide 3:20" actually has some deeper croons in addition to the screams, and "Forging Towards The Sunset 3:46" and "To Spite The Face 4:03" each have a chorus, and clean vocals are used. The melodies on "To Spite The Face" are also quite good, and the groove elements mix in nicely. This is certainly one of the disc's standout tracks and would make a great single. "Todos Somos Humanos 4:14" is as you would guess, completely in a different language and starts out with electronics. It also features a brief stint of electronic drumming in addition to the black and death metal elements. "In Coelo Quies, Tout Finis Ici Bas 4:32" has some great melodies which round out the insanity and clean vocal chorus that is barely audible here. Definitely melodic death metal influence on this one - just another thing I like about this band... and what's that? A solo. Yes, grindcore can have fucking solos, and good ones too.

Djent is played with on "You Can't Save Me, So Stop Fucking Trying 3:02" as well as some electronic effects and guitar melodies. These guys almost verge on deathcore at some points of this album, but it really doesn't matter what they're doing, because it all seems to work from a musical standpoint. The shortest track on the disc, "Make Glorious The Embrace Of Saturn 2:42" actually sounds like melodic black metal for the most part, yet even more psychotic - and I'm sure that the vocalist felt much better after recording it. "Feeding The Beast 4:59" rages in next, with erratic screaming and grim melodies. One of them sounds a little "Castlevania" in some instances, but it works well to the band's strengths and further establishes them as something of an oddity in the metal scene - and oddity, that for some fucking reason, just works. This really is a monster of a disc at just 37 minutes of playtime, and I'm not talking about some burly looking beast; I'm thinking more of something along the much slimier Lovecraftian level. One of the band's early previews for the album, "Of Fire And Fucking Pigs 3:01" has a sense of djent, some monk-like chanting and a distorted solo. I really have to wonder where it was exactly, that the band was trying to go. The disc ends out with the eerie black metal melodies that adorn "A Metaphor For The Dead 4:19." This track starts out incredibly black metal, but then deathcore and groove open up a lightly belted out chorus that sounds like Pavarotti. Then we're treated to a wonderful solo. Yes, this album ends out with a beautiful fucking guitar solo.

There is so much meat to this album, that I have no fucking clue how they'll top it. According to how I've scored, this album seems to be higher on my list than my previous favorite "In The Constellation Of The Black Widow." Perhaps it was the melodies, the solos, the clean vocals - the sporadity of the whole package that really solidified it for me as the band's best work. But then again, I see that "Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here" has a perfect five star score from me for each and every track. Perhaps I must listen to that one again, and you should do the same if you haven't heard the disc, or haven't heard that particular one in a while. Then again, I see that "Passion" has me with a five star score for every song except for one. Perhaps I need to go back to that one and see what I found so fucking great about it. Nonetheless, six out of ten songs is by no means horrible and I've given bands much worse. The real surprise about this record is how the band can take something so chaotic like the erratic screaming of "Passion" and combine it with more melody, clean vocal, "real" (as in longer than radio-play) guitar solos and at the same time, mix it with all sorts of odd electronic effects. It's certainly something of a mad scientist's creation and should certainly be checked out by ALL fans of extreme metal music.

Definitely one of the year's best. Don't miss it, or you're a complete idiot.

Highlights: To Spite The Face, In Coelo Quies Tout Finis Ici Bas, You Can't Save Me So Stop Fucking Trying, Make Glorious The Embrace Of Saturn, Feeding The Beast, A Metaphor For The Dead (10 Tracks, 37:00)

9/10



Rage Nucleaire - Unrelenting Fucking Hatred (2012) - Lord Worm's next outing after dropping from death metal legends Cryptopsy after citing "musical differences" is this chaotic black metal band called Rage Nucleaire. Calling themselves industrial is a bit of a stretch, and calling themselves "black metal" is also a bit of a stretch, since as another reviewer poked, "it sounds like something not unlike Anaal Nathrakh." While I am getting the black metal melodies and drumming, Lord Worm's vocals just don't sound like black metal. Well, in a sense it does - but the very early raw stuff. Maybe that's what he was going for, since he seems apt to cause as much musical chaos as possible and saw black metal as the next step in devastation. However, this disc doesn't really sound as apocalyptic or insane as it wants to, and I'm getting that the scene isn't thrilled with it. Granted, the musicians can play - but despite everything else; I'm wondering if Lord Worm was really the right vocalist for this band. The guys are almost done with their second one, so perhaps that disc will further sell this idea to me. But the band with all of it's melody and effects, just doesn't seem as chaotic as it could be. Lord Worm seems like he fits something more bloodthirsty, and these guys seem to be more fitting of a vocalist with a grimmer edge. I really feel that this could've been a great black metal album without Lord Worm, as I just think that the musicians were really on two different pages and I'm really wondering why Lord Worm hasn't yet embraced the most chaotic music of all, which is fucking grindcore. There are also some effects used on his vocals which sort of make him sound like he's a malfunctioning robot or singing underwater. Not only that, but I feel that the music itself needs to be louder. Everything is just a little too low in the mix and static-laden, which doesn't do much for the recording as a whole. But my biggest problem with the disc, is that the vocals sound off-key and don't go with the tunes at all. The disc would've been better as an instrumental, as bad as that sounds; because this is just very hard to grow on me.

While I don't know how long this project will last, I just don't think that the gore approach of Lord Worm was really needed for what really would've sounded like a great black metal band with virtually any black metal scowler. As much as I want to like this, I just can't wrap my head around such an odd mix of sporadic gore vocals and fantastic melodic black metal. Can you? As cheeky as this might sound, I actually feel that I could've done a better job myself. Anyone who has heard my black metal work knows that I'm quite qualified for the job.

Arrogant? Perhaps. But I'm just wondering if I really could've saved this disc. Again, the band is fantastic - musically they kill, but I really would've liked to hear an actual black metal vocalist on the disc.

And why are there farm animal sounds on this album?

(10 Tracks, 50:00)

6/10



God Seed - I Begin (2012) - Gaahl and company have put out yet another black metal album, this one much different from the Ov Hell black/thrash with Shagrath on vocals. This new beast is definitely along the lines of one of my personal favorite (and hey, don't judge me) Gorgoroth albums,2006's "Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam." That disc killed and killed again for me, and I'm glad to hear the same sort of prog-black approach being attempted yet again. Tracks like "Awake 4:43, This From The Past 5:18, and The Running Of Blood 4:19" remind me greatly of that album and make me wonder why Gorgoroth decided to keep making records after such a masterpiece. I'm literally happy as a fucking lark to hear that this guy has finally decided to go back and make the real follow-up to that album, and produce it under a brand new band moniker to boot. Because that's exactly what this proggy masterpiece sounds like. You might be surprised to hear some more subtle passages on this disc too, but they're just as equally diabolic. The German metal inspired "Alt Liv 4:08" and electronic laden (with clean vocal passages, no doubt) "Alandre Tre 4:56" are just two of these more subtle, but still satisfying moments. "Lit 5:17" won't vocally be your thing, but I have to admit that it sounds good from a musical perspective. But despite the oddities on this album, songs like "Hinstu Dagar 4:45" and "The Wound 4:44" are definitely black metal tunes, just evolved for the new age of black metal. I mean, say whatever the fuck you want folks - Ihsahn's doing artsy shit now, and this is Gaahl of fucking Gorgoroth playing around with prog and electronics. These are the pioneers of the genre. Obviously they got tired of the same old shtick and decided to update their sound. But I understand that maybe you didn't want an album like this to come from the frontman of Gorgoroth. But guess what? It did.

There's nothing you can do about it, and it's pretty goddamned interesting, I'll say. However, I'll insist that you skip the outro, "Bloodline 3:43" entirely, because it's electronic and atmospheric nature probably won't appeal to 75% of the metal community, especially fans of traditional black metal. But God Seed is far from traditional, and it's music like this that makes them standout among the rest of the pack.

While not everyone's cup of tea, I still invite you to check it out. It's pretty fucking great as far as I'm concerned.

Highlights: Awake, This From The Past, Alt Liv, From The Running Of Blood, Alandre Tre, Hinstu Dagar, The Wound (9 Tracks, 41:00)

9/10



Revocation - Teratogenesis EP (2012 Free From Scion) - I've been a little late in covering this little free Scion EP, but rest assured that I did listen to the damn thing. Revocation needs no introduction, as we're all aware of their highly technical deathcore. "The Grip Tightens" is a strong track, but it doesn't really seem to do anything for me. There's a solo sure, but it takes more than just a solo to get me interested when it comes to some bare leads. "Spurn The Outstretched Hand 4:07" has the right idea and the vocalist does reach a little further back into his throat and even pull of some scowls. It's much stronger than the first track, but not by a great deal. "Maniacally Unleashed 3:41" comes next and it's a bludgeoning track that attempts a few nice things in way of riffs, vocals and overall song structure. It's certainly one of the stronger tracks here and I'd recommend it. There are some really obscure things going on in places here, and they showcase a sign of some definite promise blossoming for the next release. "Teratogenesis 4:06" comes next and sounds like it came off of Lamb Of God and Pantera during a barroom brawl. But it then goes into some rather wooden deathcore which is only brightened by moments of fanatical drumwork. But do they really need a solo on every song? Plus the djent portion kind of kills this one for me. Not really necessary. The disc ends with the brutality of "Bound By Desire" but even though it goes into deathcore, there are some great riffs in the mid-section of the track and the solo is remarkable enough to actually care about. Not to mention that it's one of those extra-long solos that actually plays out the whole damn track. As a matter of fact, the damn thing is still playing when the album fades out! Not too shabby indeed.

Hey, it's free. There's some worthwhile music on this one, and it's free. So get your lazy ass over to the scion site and go get it. Or grab it legally from a torrent. Next on the Scion free promotional metal EP list is Corrosion Of Conformity and then maybe they'll do some more black metal. Hopefully. Hell, a Cradle EP would be nice. Meads? Sigh? Oh, the possibilities...

Highlights: Maniacally Unleashed, Bound By Desire (5 Tracks, 21:00)

7/10 (That's a high score, considering I've never liked the vocalist for this band.)



Sylosis - Monolith (2012) - (Sighs...) Yeah, I'm way behind on this one and I apologize. But that's not because it was a bad disc, it's just because there were bands of more importance that I had to post first. I've been a fan of Sylosis for years, and I knew from the very start of "Conclusion Of An Age" that they were something worth keeping my eye on. The first track on this new disc "Out From Below 6:58" gives us that melodic deathcore/thrash feeling that was found on most of the band's previous album, "Edge Of The Earth." But that album was recorded last year, so it doesn't count anymore... right?

Wrong. But anyway, back to this new album which becomes something of a transition for the band as it incorporates many slower and doom or post metal elements. From the very start of "Fear The World 5:20" you might think that you're hearing a completely different band. But this is just a shade of things to come as the thrash that you expect is delivered... but things are changing if you haven't noticed with the riff progression. "What Dwells Within 5:02" continues the post-metal transformation. It's now readily apparent that these guys are certainly trying to adopt a new genre under the post-deathcore/thrash category. But now I just feel altogether sheepish. I mean, here I am pulling up fucking categories from the clouds, it seems! But what else can I say? The 3:00 mark of "What Dwells Within" comes in with pure post metal, so what am I supposed to think? But it's not just a one song transformation either. Though things get a little faster on "Behind The Sun 5:01" but I seriously think I'm listening to a thrashier Neurosis in places with more melo-death influence. This isn't just a 180, it's the kind of change that occurs when you decide whether or not you should even continue this stuff with the same band moniker. Then "The River 5:33" comes in, with the start of a rushing river and some thrash that we'd expect. But around the middle portion of the song, the style of the song changes into something more ethereal in atmosphere and leads into a remarkable guitar melody that sounds like it was directly pulled from another dimension.

"Monolith 5:02" comes in with another mix of sludgy thrash and I don't expect this to change. Clearly that's what referenced by the band on their album cover, and it's a quite interesting change. However, I do feel that the frontman's vocals go better with this kind of music. It sounds more natural. "Paradox 6:08" also starts out as thrash and becomes something also, far different what it was when it began. This type of song evolution is something unprecedented in metal these days. face it folks, this barely happens anymore and it's good to see that someone hasn't forgotten that a thrash song can be turned into a sludge song or vise-versa. However, this is done on generally every song; despite that every time a solo or melody is played on the guitars, it's magical. "All is Not Well 4:30" thumps a little slower and has an Phil Anselmo vocal nature to it, despite the fact that it's much "prettier" sounding than anything Pantera would do. Still, it's hearken back to the older material. "Born Anew 3:48" is about the same. The disc ends with the 19:16 "Enshrined." But don't think that these guys actually played a song that fucking long, because they didn't. Despite the fact that the song trudges like the melodic deathcore thrash of the band's nature, it soon becomes a light piece with some definite sludge influence and even some acoustics. Again, this is a band playing to two strengths and succeeding in both of them. The song itself is just 4:55 long, so you're going to have to skip through silence (why even do bonus tracks anymore, guys?) until about the 15 minute mark. That's when the acoustic guitar starts strumming and some clean vocals lead into a slightly heavier portion that ultimately ends the album on a slightly majestic note.

Whatever the case, the disc is certainly unexpected; but definitely well received. I think this is a true sign of maturation and the best direction to turn in artistic evolution. They couldn't have just put out another "Edge Of Earth" or "Conclusion of An Age" as it would be another drop in the bucket. But this disc, is something far greater. It's a monument to the band and what they can do. Releasing this type of material in a year's time is something spectacular, as it usually takes several years to perfect something like this. I highly recommend that you listen to this one and consider it one of 2012's absolute best albums. But it's not core-free, so you'll have to deal with that.

Highlights: Out From Below, What Dwells Within, The River, Monolith, Paradox, Enshrined (just skip the excess) (11 Tracks, 72:00)

9/10

MANY MORE TO COME. MY INBOX IS FULL OF PROMOS, SO IF YOU DON'T SEE THEM TODAY, YOU WILL SEE THEM NEXT WEEK!