JOSEPH APRILL!!
Congats, Joe. You’ve won two tickets to see It’s Casual headlining the Viper Room, supported by Polarization and Colombian Necktie – tomorrow, Dec. 1st. Strap on your skankin’ shoes and get in the pit!
-Scarlett
Archive for November, 2011
THE WINNER OF 2 TICKETS TO SEE IT’S CASUAL / POLARIZATION / COLOMBIAN NECKTIE IS…
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011WHAT REALLY GRINDS MY METAL GEARS: SANDALS AT SHOWS
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
For my first “What Really Grinds My Metal Gears” rant, I thought I’d focus on one of the biggest taboos in metal (besides the obvious “no-no” of wearing a shirt of the band that you’re about to see): rocking sandals at a show.
Not only do you look like an ass-hat, but wearing sandals is also just plain stupid! I mean, I’ve seen a friend’s toe-nail get ripped-off at a Rise Against show—what do you think would happen if you went into a Slayer pit with sandals, hmm? A whole lot more than a toe-nail would get ripped-off, my friends, believe me.
So, in short, ditch the sandals and get a pair of boots (that don’t have ridiculously spiked heels!). Your feet and your pride will thank you.
-the metal maiden
LET THE YEAR-END LISTS BEGIN! DECIBEL’S TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2011
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
Here’s Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2011, schawing!
1. Tombs – Path of Totality
2. Opeth – Heritage
3. Mastodon – The Hunter
4. In Solitude – The World. The Flesh. The Devil
5. Brutal Truth – End Time
6. Hate Eternal – Phoenix Amongst the Ashes
7. YOB – Atma
8. 40 Watt Sun – The Inside Room
9. Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual
10. Junius – Reports From The Threshold of Death
11. Graveyard – Hisingen Blues
12. Primordial – Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand
13. Exhumed – All Guts, No glory
14. False – False
15. Autopsy – Macabre Eternal
16. Revocation – Chaos of Forms
17. Trap Them – Darker Handcraft
18. Obscura – Omnivium
19. Drugs of Faith – Corroded
20. Subrosa – No Help for the Mighty Ones
21. Ulcerate – The Destroyers of All
22. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life
23. Atriarch – Forever the End
24. Disma – Towards the Megalith
25. Moab – Ab Ovo
26. Gridlink – Orphan
27. Skeletonwitch – Forever Abomination
28. Vallenfyre – A Fragile King
29. Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand
30. Mournful Congregation – The Book of Kings
31. Machine Head – Unto the Locust
32. ABSU – Abzu
33. Negative Plane – Stained Glass Revelations
34. Origin – Entity
35. Darkest Era – The Last Caress of Light
36. Deafheaven – Roads to Judah
37. Hammers of Misfortune – 17th Street
38. Krallice – Diotima
39. Rwake – Rest
40. Graf Orlock – Doom Box
Comment, discuss, gnash your teeth.
-the metal maiden
ANOTHER TICKET GIVEAWAY, COURTESY OF IT’S CASUAL!
Monday, November 28th, 2011
The hardcore heroes of Los Angeles, IT’S CASUAL, are headlining the Viper Room this Thursday(Dec. 1st), and we’re giving away two tickets to the show! The band is being supported POLARIZATION and COLOMBIAN NECKTIE.
To score the tickets, simply comment on the post, at the official METAL ARMY FACEBOOK, here: https://www.facebook.com/metalarmyamerica
We will announce the winners on Wednesday!
-Scarlett
PAUL MASVIDAL OF CYNIC: THE METAL ARMY INTERVIEW
Monday, November 28th, 2011Metal Army caught up with CYNIC front man Paul Masvidal who is out on the road promoting the bands’ new EP Carbon Based Anatomy (Season of Mist). Die-hard fans fondly recall their debut Focus or the work Paul and band mate Sean Reinert did on DEATH’s Human album. However, Paul is all about moving the CYNIC legacy forward and not being too nostalgic. He discussed touring, the creative process, the current scene of prog metallers and the next CYNIC album with us including some surprise answers as well.
Carbon Based Anatomy is out now on Season of Mist records.
MAA: How is the tour going so far?
CYNIC: Going great. Fun shows, cool cities, interesting people. Fantastic collective energy with our crew and touring party.
MAA: Carbon Based Anatomy is out now. Is this music a foreshadowing of the next Cynic album’s direction?
CYNIC: Not necessarily. CBA, much like every album we make is a snapshot of where we are at a particular time in our lives. This album represents the past year and was written/recorded in six weeks over the summer of 2011.
One of the top concerts of 2010 was when CYNIC performed all of the Focus album among other tracks.
MAA: Do you think the tour last year performing Focus had any influence of the current direction?
CYNIC: I don’t think so. Performing live for me is a completely different animal and not much related to an album writing process.
MAA: These days what is the writing process like for you?
CYNIC: I write on acoustic guitar or piano and record bare bones vocal demos of what feels like a realized tune with solid harmonic/melodic ideas and core lyrics. I then give those demos to Sean. He get’s them in his ears and we take these tunes into our rehearsal room and jam/improvise around the song until we get something we like. It’s a very free, spontaneous environment where anything can happen and we just let our instincts run the show. Once we have an arrangement we like, we begin a more flushed out Pre-production process before recording the actual album.
Paul (R) and Sean Reinert (L) are the two mainstays of the band.
MAA: Are Brandon Giffin and Max Phelps going to do the next full length album with the band?
CYNIC: Too soon to say, but anything’s possible at this point.
MAA: How do you feel about the current progressive metal scene? Are their any bands that stand out to you?
CYNIC: I like where Opeth are going with the new material in that they’re trying something new. I think Tosin’s has some great moments with AAL (ANIMALS AS LEADERS). There are a handful of bands I’m appreciating out there, but not too sure of their names. Haha. Sorry.
MAA: In almost every interview I have done this year someone has mentioned CYNIC as important. Why do you think the band has had such a profound influence on other bands?
CYNIC: Who knows? Maybe it’s cause we’ve always followed our hearts, and created something new as a result. The ultimate job of an artist is to inspire other artists and if we’ve provided even a touch of inspiration to others, then that’s beautiful.
(Special Thanks to Paul Masvidal, CYNIC and Freeman Promotions)
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
GOOD MORNING, BLACK FRIDAY!
Friday, November 25th, 2011
Good morning, Black Friday! Pancakes anyone?
In all seriousness, camping out for Black Friday sales isn’t really my thang…But if you’re looking for some cool, cheap Christmas gifts, head over to CM Distro and check out their Black Metal Christmas collection:
http://www.cmdistro.com/Genre/Holiday
BM ornaments, morbid gift tags, pentagram stockings– what more could a metal-head want? Hail Santa!
–the metal maiden
GET STUFFED, BITCH!
Thursday, November 24th, 2011
HAPPY TANKSGIVING!
FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT METAL ARMY.
VALLENFYRE: THE METAL ARMY INTERVIEW
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
In this day and age, the golden age of the internet, everybody is a musician. Just buy an mbox, a macbook pro, and if you’re REALLY motivated – an instrument(no skill required)! This mentality permeates every aspect of the arts nowadays, but it’s most devastating toll is taken on music. The mass expectation of quality, in both the emotional authenticity and general musical ability, is overwhelmingly…low.
What does my rant have to do with Vallenfyre, the brainchild of Paradise Lost guitarist and composer, Greggor Mackintosh? It has everything to do with it. The band’s debut album, “A Fragile King”, blew me away from the first listen. I’m a sucker for that old school death metal sound(especially the Swedish style, which is undoubtedly present in Vallenfyre’s tunes), as well as a diehard doom fan. These elements, combined with top-notch songwriting, caught my attention – but what really hooked me was the emotion lacing it’s way through every riff, chorus, and solo. I could feel the grief, anger, mourning…seeping out more and more with each track.
The album is, without a doubt, good because of the tone(which will surely capture the hearts of Entombed fans and beyond), the songs, and the musicianship(the band is comprised of an all-star death/doom lineup: Adrian Erlandsson, Hamish Glencross, and Scoot. Of course, we can’t forget Mully – who, although he isn’t from a previous band – is Greg’s drinking buddy, and clearly a good choice to round off Vallenfyre’s roster). The best part about “A Fragile King”, however, is the authenticity of the emotional rollercoaster that comes not only with the death of a loved one, but the frustrations of life, and a society in turmoil.
Now that you’ve read my mini-manifesto(I’d say “no homo”, but Greg IS a good-looking fellow…), check out what the mastermind behind the band has to say about the album, the future for Vallenfyre and Paradise Lost, and…buses blowing up.
MA: Most people know by now, if they’re familiar with Vallenfyre, that A Fragile King was inspired by the passing of your father in 2009. Did you have plans for a side project of this old school death/doom sound before that?
GREG: Not really. I still listened a lot to my old demos and vinyl, and I did think from time to time that modern death metal wasn’t really doing it for me. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good extreme metal bands around, but they are all on the more hardcore side of things.
What happened to my Dad was definitely the catalyst for me to actually do something and not just pontificate.
It started as a catharsis and turned into a tribute– but now it has become just plain fun to do.
MA: Did you expect to form a band, and release an album of the material you’d written? Or were the songs simply a form of therapy for you at the time they were written?
GREG: Initially it was a form of therapy, I guess. In the very early stages, it was just lyrics and thoughts. It took a few months to start asking friends to join me. What started as therapy was becoming more like wallowing, and I needed to be around friends, so it became a band. Then a mate of mine at Century Media asked to hear a demo and here we are. There was no plan and there still is no plan. Looking forward is too depressing.
MA: The material was written 2 years ago. Why did you wait so long to release it? Did you feel the music was too personal to share with others?
GREG: It was in part because I wasn’t sure I wanted another band, but also because I was in no rush to do anything. I didn’t know who would do the vocals either, which I ultimately ended up doing myself. When things are that unplanned and uncoordinated, I guess it does take time.
MA: Do you have a favorite track from A Fragile King?
GREG: Maybe “Seeds” because lyrically it means the most to me, but really it depends on my mood because there are angry songs and sad songs.
MA: You guys made a music video for the song “Cathedrals of Dread”. Why did you choose that song to use, and what is the concept behind the video?
GREG: Century Media chose it to be the video track. I couldn’t really give a fuck about videos too much. I just wanted it to be grim, which I think it is.
The lyrics for the song are about people following religion blindly like sheep, and the people behind-the-scenes using religion as a tool for control.
The video is a very literal interpretation of this where people are herded like cattle and there is a sinister overlord.
MA: One of my favorite songs from the album, “My Black Siberia”, has a hint of Paradise Lost in it, in one of the lead riffs. Other songs on A Fragile King have some similar Paradise Lost-y licks. Was this intentional, as a nod to your existing fans, or simply part of your natural style?
GREG: I never had any conscious thoughts about PL-ish licks or indeed what anyone else would think about it– like you say, it’s just my style I suppose. Couldn’t change it if I wanted to.
MA: Vallenfyre consists of an all-star lineup, with Hamish Glencross (My Dying Bride), Scoot (Doom), and Adrian Erlandsson (Paradise Lost, At the Gates). Why did you decide to bring these guys onboard, and did you plan for the band to be a “supergroup”?
GREG: Fuck no. They are just my mates. Scoot and Hamish are from my hometown, and we’ve been friends for 20 years. Adrian is the drummer in PL and is also one of the funniest guys I know. Mully is my mate from the pub who I listen to metal with over numerous beers.
MA:The artwork for Vallenfyre is excellent. It really seems to say a lot about the album. What does the artwork for A Fragile King mean to you?
GREG: Apart from it capturing that real 80s death/crust/doom vibe, I think Orion Landau (the artist) really understood the concept, and it is equal parts sadness, anger, and decay.
MA:Have there been any records that came out in 2011 that you can’t stop listening to?
GREG: Sarabante’s Remnants is a good record.
MA: In all your years of touring, have you had any “Spinal Tap” moments?
GREG: It would be easier to list non-Spinal Tap moments. Where do I start…
The time one of our old drummers got off a ship when it was refueling on a tiny island, thinking it was Stockholm– and we left him there…Or the time our tour bus blew up in the middle of nowhere in Germany, and we only got out with our underwear. Instruments, passports– everything burnt. The local (non-English speaking) firemen were kind enough to give us mismatched clothing from previous fires, but at least the fire station had a draught beer pump which softened the blow.
MA: What’s next for Vallenfyre? Maybe a double-duty tour for you with Paradise Lost?
GREG: No. I don’t think the music is similar enough. I am in the studio right now recording the new PL album, so next year Adrian and myself will be out gigging with Vallenfyre and PL.
I would love to get to the States with Vallenfyre, so get your readers to hassle their local promoters.
Cheers!
-Scarlett
In this day and age, the golden age of the internet, everybody is a musician. Just buy an mbox, a macbook pro, and if you’re REALLY motivated – an instrument(no skill required)! This mentality permeates every aspect of the arts nowadays, but it’s most devastating toll is taken on music. The mass expectation of quality, in both the emotional authenticity and general musical ability, is overwhelmingly…low.
What does my rant have to do with Vallenfyre, the brainchild of Paradise Lost guitarist and composer, Greggor Mackintosh? It has everything to do with it. The band’s debut album, “A Fragile King”, blew me away from the first listen. I’m a sucker for that old school death metal sound(especially the Swedish style, which is undoubtedly present in Vallenfyre’s tunes), as well as a diehard doom fan. These elements, combined with top-notch songwriting, caught my attention – but what really hooked me was the emotion lacing it’s way through every riff, chorus, and solo. I could feel the grief, anger, mourning…seeping out more and more with each track.
The album is, without a doubt, good because of the tone(which will surely capture the hearts of Entombed fans and beyond), the songs, and the musicianship(the band is comprised of an all-star death/doom lineup: Adrian Erlandsson, Hamish Glencross, and Scoot. Of course, we can’t forget Mully – who, although he isn’t from a previous band – is Greg’s drinking buddy, and clearly a good choice to round off Vallenfyre’s roster). The best part about “A Fragile King”, however, is the authenticity of the emotional rollercoaster that comes not only with the death of a loved one, but the frustrations of life and a society in turmoil.
Now that you’ve read my mini-manifesto(I’d say “no homo”, but Greg IS a good-looking fellow, so…), check out what the mastermind behind the band has to say about the album, the future for Vallenfyre and Paradise Lost, and…buses blowing up.
Most people know by now, if they’re familiar with Vallenfyre, that A Fragile King was inspired by the passing of your father in 2009. Did you have plans for a side project of this old school death/doom sound before that?
Not really. I still listened a lot to my old demos and vinyl, and I did think from time to time that modern death metal wasn’t really doing it for me. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good extreme metal bands around, but they are all on the more hardcore side of things.
What happened to my Dad was definitely the catalyst for me to actually do something and not just pontificate.
It started as a catharsis and turned into a tribute– but now it has become just plain fun to do.
Did you expect to form a band, and release an album of the material you’d written? Or were the songs simply a form of therapy for you at the time they were written?
Initially it was a form of therapy, I guess. In the very early stages, it was just lyrics and thoughts. It took a few months to start asking friends to join me. What started as therapy was becoming more like wallowing, and I needed to be around friends, so it became a band.
Then a mate of mine at Century Media asked to hear a demo and here we are. There was no plan and there still is no plan. Looking forward is too depressing.
The material was written 2 years ago. Why did you wait so long to release it? Did you feel the music was too personal to share with others?
It was in part because I wasn’t sure I wanted another band, but also because I was in no rush to do anything. I didn’t know who would do the vocals either, which I ultimately ended up doing myself. When things are that unplanned and uncoordinated, I guess it does take time.
Do you have a favorite track from A Fragile King?
Maybe “Seeds” because lyrically it means the most to me, but really it depends on my mood because there are angry songs and sad songs.
You guys made a music video for the song “Cathedrals of Dread”. Why did you choose that song to use, and what is the concept behind the video?
Century Media chose it to be the video track. I couldn’t really give a fuck about videos too much. I just wanted it to be grim, which I think it is.
The lyrics for the song are about people following religion blindly like sheep, and the people behind-the-scenes using religion as a tool for control.
The video is a very literal interpretation of this where people are herded like cattle and there is a sinister overlord.
One of my favorite songs from the album, “My Black Siberia”, has a hint of Paradise Lost in it, in one of the lead riffs. Other songs on A Fragile King have some similar Paradise Lost-y licks. Was this intentional, as a nod to your existing fans, or simply part of your natural style?
I never had any conscious thoughts about PL-ish licks or indeed what anyone else would think about it– like you say, it’s just my style I suppose. Couldn’t change it if I wanted to.
Vallenfyre consists of an all-star lineup, with Hamish Glencross (My Dying Bride), Scoot (Doom), and Adrian Erlandsson (Paradise Lost, At the Gates). Why did you decide to bring these guys onboard, and did you plan for the band to be a “supergroup”?
Fuck no. They are just my mates. Scoot and Hamish are from my hometown, and we’ve been friends for 20 years. Adrian is the drummer in PL and is also one of the funniest guys I know. Mully is my mate from the pub who I listen to metal with over numerous beers.
The artwork for Vallenfyre is excellent. It really seems to say a lot about the album. What does the artwork for A Fragile King mean to you?
Apart from it capturing that real 80s death/crust/doom vibe, I think Orion Landau (the artist) really understood the concept, and it is equal parts sadness, anger, and decay.
Have there been any records that came out in 2011 that you can’t stop listening to?
Sarabante’s Remnants is a good record.
In all your years of touring, have you had any “Spinal Tap” moments?
It would be easier to list non-Spinal Tap moments. Where do I start.
The time one of our old drummers got off a ship when it was refueling on a tiny island, thinking it was Stockholm– and we left him there…Or the time our tour bus blew up in the middle of nowhere in Germany, and we only got out with our underwear. Instruments, passports– everything burnt. The local (non-English speaking) firemen were kind enough to give us mismatched clothing from previous fires, but at least the fire station had a draught beer pump which softened the blow.
What’s next for Vallenfyre? Maybe a double-duty tour for you with Paradise Lost?
No. I don’t think the music is similar enough. I am in the studio right now recording the new PL album, so next year Adrian and myself will be out gigging with Vallenfyre and PL.
I would love to get to the States with Vallenfyre, so get your readers to hassle their local promoters.
Cheers!
-Scarlett
THE DOs AND DON’Ts OF PASSING OUT DEMOS
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
A few days ago, I was driving in my car, listening to Devin Townsend’s Deconstruction, minding my own business…When all of a sudden, this guy in a pickup next to me started shouting, “HEY! HEY! HEY!” We were at a stoplight, so I rolled-down my window and said, “Hello?” (when people shout at you from their cars, they’re usually trying to alert you about a flat tire, a broken tail light, flames coming out of your engine…I thought that that might’ve been the case in this instance, but it wasn’t).
The guy yelled back, “My band sounds exactly like what you’re listening to! Here, let me give you our demo!” *scrambles to find said demo, aims for my window, gives it a toss*…But the demo hits the hood of my car, then lands on the asphalt…And I drive away.
With this story in mind, I’d now like to share a few do’s and don’t’s about passing out demos:
- DON’T throw your demos at cars, people, etc. This should go without saying, but as the above story demonstrates, clearly it isn’t common sense.
- DO tell people what your band sounds like, but be realistic. For example, DON’T say that you sound like Devin Townsend because let’s face it, there can be only one.
- DON’T yell at someone about your band unless you’re at a loud concert or something of the like—and even then, shh! DON’T be the ass-hat that ruins everyone’s concert experience because you’re “networking” during the middle of another band’s set.
- Bottom line: DO act respectful. People still might throw away your demo right after you hand it to them, but they’ll definitely think twice about it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not against passing out demos. In fact, I respect bands that do it because it isn’t easy…But no one wants demo projectiles aimed at them or their car. Just sayin’.
–the metal maiden
KATATONIA: THE METAL ARMY INTERVIEW
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
KATATONIA is a band that has a little something for everyone. With ten albums under their belt, the Swedes have evolved from bleak, depressing doom, to cathartic, melodic shades of grey made musical form. The respect given them is well deserved, but the band remains humble and undeterred by the expectations of the masses. In 2009, Katatonia released Night is the New Day, which was well-received by fans and critics alike. Metal Army caught up with Jonas Renkse, frontman and OG member of the group.
MA: KATATONIA has had a successful career spanning about 20 years. In that time, the band’s style has evolved quite a bit. Were the changes intended, or did they just happen with time?
JONAS: We never really talked about “changing our sound” so it’s been a pretty natural progression through the years. Of course we always wanted to expand and broaden what we have been doing but we always stayed true to our original vision: dark and atmospheric music.
MA: Where did you draw most of your inspiration from on the latest record, “Night is the New Day”?
JONAS: Mostly from ourselves, our personal struggle. I didn’t listen to a lot of other music during the writing and recording of NITND. I wanted the album to be a very personal vision.
MA: You are currently on tour as direct support for Opeth. In the past, Mikael Akerfeldt has lent his vocals to Katatonia records. Will there be more collaborations with Mikael in the future?
JONAS: You never know. We have the band Bloodbath, where we are doing death metal together. But right now Mikael is very busy as they have just released a new album, plus he’s doing a side project with Steven Wilson too. But I’d love to do something with him in the future.
MA: How has it been touring with your best friend(Mikael)?
JONAS: It’s always great to get to hang on a daily basis. We both have families and so many other concerns back home so we don’t get to hang out as much anymore… I think therefore it’s been great to do this tour and just drink wine and talk shit like in the old days.
MA: Many people wonder and dream about a “super tour”, featuring Katatonia, Opeth, Hypocrisy, and Bloodbath. Will this dream tour ever come to fruition in the US?
JONAS: Haha, no. I can’t see that happening. It’s a cool thing to think about though.
MA: Do you bring any sort of trinket or item on tour with you on the road so you don’t feel homesick? A teddy bear? Severed head?
JONAS: Actually I don’t but it’s a good idea. A severed head from a teddy bear. Next time!
MA: What’s next for Katatonia?
JONAS: Writing music for the next album, it’s already overdue. But it has to be good so we can’t rush it. Plus we have some shows left to do before the year is over, Scandinavia, Spain and Holland. Should be fun!
MA: Have you guys had any “Spinal Tap” moments?
JONAS: I think so, but I guess we’re so used to them that we don’t regard them as Spinal Tap-moments anymore, haha. There was one on this tour… we started playing a gig but after the show we learned that there was no music from the PA until after half the first song. And as we are using in-ear monitors, we had a full blown sound in our heads and had no idea there was only acoustic drums out in the audience. So we were headbanging, I was singing… Embarrassing at first but kinda fun when you think back on it.
www.katatonia.com
-Scarlett
