Posts Tagged ‘all shall perish’
Tuesday, March 19th, 2013
 Randy Rhoads put down a legacy that is eternal in the history of metal.
RANDY RHOADS whose knack for melodic song writing and stunning neo-classical lead guitar style revolutionized metal in 1980s, died tragically thirty years ago today. Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) died in a plane crash while on tour with OZZY OSBOURNE, but he has left an indelible mark on generations of musicians to follow.
Rhoads who had been an early member of QUIET RIOT shot to fame when he auditioned for the guitar spot in OZZY OSBOURNE’s band THE BILZZARD OF OZZ. The combination of the soft spoken, but immensely talented Rhoads and Ozzy who felt he had to prove himself to the world after his dismissal from BLACK SABBATH was potent and changed the face of music. Rhoads is always remembered as a terrific lead guitarist and was often compared to the best players of his day like EDDIE VAN HALEN. However, equally important as Randy’s impact as a soloist was his legacy as a songwriter, his use of classical modes and his widespread use of major scales in rock and metal that had predominantly been full of brooding minor keys and old-style pentatonic blues riffs up until that point. He also helped innovate an popularize several styles and looks of guitars with his polka-dot Jackson Flying V’s. Although he is best remembered for songs like OZZY hits “Crazy Train”, “Mr. Crowley” “Suicide Solution”, “Over The Mountain” and “Flying High Again” most of his output, however brief is excellent and worthy of repeat listens.
Popular guitar players who have been influenced by Rhoads such as the late DIMEBAG DARRELL, ZAKK WYLDE, Phil Demmel of MACHINE HEAD and a host of metal lead players from the 80s and 90s used to and still do sing his praises. Although his music is among some of the most popular in the genre, you can still hear examples of his reach in many modern bands like ARCH ENEMY, REVOCATION, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, MASTODON, OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, JOB FOR A COWBOY, THE AGONIST, CHILDREN OF BODOM, WARBRINGER, ICED EARTH, DECAPITATED, ALL SHALL PERISH and THE FACELESS among many, many others.
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: all shall perish, Animals as Leaders, Arch Enemy, between the buried and me, Black Sabbath, blizzard of ozz, children of bodom, crazy train, Decapitated, diary of a madman, Dimebag Darrell, eddie van halen, Iced Earth, job for a cowboy, lead guitar, major scales, metal reviews by Keefy, modes, neo-classical, ozzy osbourne, Phil Demmel of MACHINE HEAD, Randy Rhoads, Rest In Peace, revocation, shred, the agonist, The Faceless, Tribute, warbringer, Zakk Wylde, “Flying High Again”, “Mr. Crowley” “Suicide Solution”, “Over The Mountain”
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Monday, March 4th, 2013
Georgia Theater, Athens GA
To start off, I absolutely love BATTLECROSS; they are exciting, hungry, and their debut album, Pursuit of Honor just leaps out of the speakers with its confidence, solid songwriting, and impressive musicianship. I was thrilled to finally catch them live when they came through Athens, GA as part of the ‘Another Year, Another Tour’ package with ALL SHALL PERISH, DEMON HUNTER, and the great IN FLAMES.
With Atlanta being the ‘big city’ in Georgia, college town Athens seems like Atlanta’s homely little sister with probably not much to offer in the way of a rock venue. However, The Georgia Theater was well-worth the hour drive. It is a gorgeous venue, with good sound, a great stage, and the main floor that sloped so even shorties like me can get a good view of the action onstage. The sound is great, and there are no stage barriers. You are able to get right up to the stage and really interact with the performers. The bands and the fans were loving the intimacy and freedom, and both took full advantage of it.
 BATTLECROSS: Blowing up, but also backing it up. The crowd was thin for BATTLECROSS, at first, but unfortunately that tends to be the fate of any band that has to take the stage at 7:30 on a weeknight. But the fans there were very enthusiastic, and the band took the stage like a hurricane and blasted through a short, but ridiculously tight set. Appreciative of the opportunity to be on this tour, they impressed those in the audience that had not heard of them before with their energy and musicianship. Vocalist KYLE GUNTHER is a great front man, casual but commanding with his strong pipes and sincere stage banter. Guitarists HIRAN DERANIYAGALA and TONY ASTA make a solid guitar duo, churning out the riffs with fiery precision. As good as those three guys are, the rhythm section of MIKE KREGER and DON SLATER is nothing short of fantastic. KREGER is a hard-hitting clock with great hands and killer feet, and SLATER cranked out bass solos and runs that would make any bassist in the audience (including this writer) want to immediately go home and practice. The band was only able to play six songs, and it seemed almost unfair. The crowd, which had grown in size by now, was completely won over and cheering for them. They closed with my favorite song on the record, “Push Pull Destroy” and left gaining some new fans. Definitely catch these guys live and pick up the record – this is a band worth supporting, and I truly believe that they have what it takes and will be headlining a tour themselves in the near future.
Set list:
Breaking You
Man of Stone
Misery
Kaleb
Pursuit of Honor
Push Pull Destroy
 Tireless road warriors ALL SHALL PERISH are still out supporting this awesome album! Next up was Oakland’s ALL SHALL PERISH. While I am not a huge fan of their style of Deathcore, they came out and put on a solid performance, and the fans that came to see them seemed happy with the song selection which included “Gagged, Bound, Shelved and Forgotten” and “Wage Slaves”. By now, the crowd was warming up to the idea that as long as no one was getting too banged up, a pit was allowed, and from then on, it was, well…on.
Set List:
There Is No Business to Be Done on a Dead Planet
There Is Nothing Left
The Past Will Haunt Us Both
My Retaliation
The Day of Justice
Gagged, Bound, Shelved and Forgotten
Wage Slaves
 Holy terrors DEMON HUNTER, have a ravenous fan base that know how to represent at a show.
The last opener was DEMON HUNTER. Taking the stage with a stoic, yet fierce confidence, they definitely had their fans who were bouncing and singing along to songs such as “Someone to Hate”, “Collapsing” and their closer, “Storm the Gates of Hell”. I wish they had played “Tie This Around Your Neck”, my favorite song by them, but I enjoyed their set nonetheless.
Set List:
Someone to Hate
Undying
The World Is A Thorn
Lifewar
God Forsaken
My Destiny
We Don’t Care
Just Breathe
Collapsing
Storm the Gates of Hell
The venue is so intimate it seemed almost weird that a band of IN FLAMES’ stature would play it. But there they were, opening with “Sounds of a Playground Fading” and going into “Where the Dead Ships Dwell”. I have seen IN FLAMES many times, and lately their releases and live shows have not got my blood pumping like they used to. What was great about this night is that the band was smiling and super-relaxed, enjoying being onstage together and digging the closeness of the fans and the lack of barricades. The energy that was building up to their set really started to crackle, and the band played their heaviest, loosest, most enjoyable set I’ve seen them play in the last couple of years; it felt like they had invited some friends over for a rehearsal than the usual formality of being the headliner and it was great. Vocalist ANDERS FRIDÉN encouraged fans to get up there and stage-dive – which several did. I had forgotten just how funny FRIDÉN can be, and he was relentless with the jokes, cracking on various fans and making fun of American beer. There was one fan in particular that he was messing with who kept yelling for the band to play “Trigger”. He kept blowing him off, but after another song or two, the band actually played it, and it was awesome. Fans were stage-diving, singing into the mic, and the pit got to the point where security had to step in once or twice to remove a fan or two and once having to mop up some blood. They played for at least 90 minutes, but even with all the songs they played it didn’t seem that long at all. I honestly was not expecting this much enthusiasm and fire from an IN FLAMES show, and I believe this may have been my favorite performance by them.
 ANDERS FRIDÉN, seen here on another recent tour date, is one of the best front men in metal.
A great night of Metal from beginning to end with an interesting combination of bands in a very cool venue.
Set list:
Sounds of a Playground Fading
Where the Dead Ships Dwell
Pinball Map
Trigger
Reroute to Remain
Embody the Invisible
Cloud Connected
The Hive
Ropes
Alias
Fear is the Weakness
Darker Times
All for me
Mirror’s Truth
System
Deliver Us
Take This Life
My Sweet Shadow
by Lynn Jordan
Tags: all shall perish, Athens GA, Athens theater, bassist DON SLATER, battlecross, best rhythm sections in metal, Concert Reviews, Deathcore, Demon Hunter, drummer MIKE KREGER, Guitarist HIRAN DERANIYAGALA, guitarist TONY ASTA, In Flames, melo death, metalcore, new wave of modern metal, power groove, reviews by Lynn Jordan, The Metal Army Blog, thrash, Vocalist ANDERS FRIDEN, Vocalist KYLE GUNTHER
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Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
Called to Rise ( Self-Released )
Hailing for the California Bay Area, OBLIVION come out the showing their teeth and ready for blood. The most noticeable member of the group is bassist and mastermind BEN ORUM (ex-ALL SHALL PERISH) he has clearly upped the game for himself and this band. This album is full of grindy, techy, beatdown goodness. Produced by Nick Vasallo and former DECREPIT BIRTH drummer ZACK OHREN. This massive sonic opus was recorded, mixed and mastered by Ohren, at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland.
The first song “Black Veils of Justice” just gives you a taste of what’s to come. Nick Vasallo’s vocals come across as FRANK MULLEN (SUFFOCATION) meets TRAVIS RYAN (CATTLE DECAPITATION) There are a few well placed bass drops. It’s always nice to hear them not get over used. Guitar wizards Ted O’Neill and Victor Dods lay down some of the most tech infused solos I’ve heard in awhile. “Multiverse” is so good I almost want to say it is ‘Epic”but I refuse to. It’s a very surreal track with so many layers it warrants repeat plays. I get a strong ABIGAIL WILLIAMS /THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER vibe and its not a bad thing at all. Drummer Luis Martinez is a beast. This kid is definitely one to watch, songs like “Binary Souls” and “Reign of Fire” show off some mature chops for a guy not yet twenty. Depending on what version of the album you get, it comes with a few sweet bonus tracks. An instrumental version of “Black Veils of Justice”, as well as a string version of “Multiverse”, which is just awesome and closes out the album.
This doesn’t sound like a debut album, rather a band that has been at this for years. I look forward to what they do next. Hell, I want to hop a flight to the Bay Area and catch them live! You can get the album from their Bandcamp page.
 OBLIVION: One of the best releases this year, so far. GRADE: A
by Omar “OJayy” Cordy
Tags: abigail williams, all shall perish, Ben Orum, California Bay Area, Castle Ultimate Studios, cattle decapitation, Death Metal, Decrepit Birth, Frank Mullen, Luis Martinez, Multiverse, Oakland CA metal, Suffocation, tech death, the black dahlia murder, thrash, Travis Ryan, Zack Ohren
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Wednesday, June 20th, 2012
Evolve – (Artery Recordings)
CHELSEA GRIN, a deathcore outing from the land where fun goes to die (also known as SLC, Utah), has grown (in)famous since their Cesarian section birth in 2007, which divided the Extreme music listening world in two camps: Those who loved CHELSEA GRIN and dug their chugtastic formula, and those who wished an untimely death upon GAZA’s fellow townsmen. I remained impartial, since they haven’t proved themselves worthy of capital punishment, just court jesters in the realm of Deathcore. Boasting two albums and an EPs all in 5 years leads to a lot of rushing, recycling and no time to actually, y’know, write good songs. A challenger by the name of Jason Richardson, hailing from Progressive Deathcore contemporaries BORN OF OSIRIS has joined the ranks, playing guitar better than Ziggy. Could this be the redemption this band needs to go from drab to fab? Could the title of this EP be a sign that they’re done writing the same breakdown over and over, and are willing to push their limits to uncomfortable, but ballsy places? Let’s begin, and mind your head.
“The Second Coming” opens up with some cheesy strings, and a breakdown that sounds as though it was written for BORN OF OSIRIS’ newest release, The Discovery. In fact, the keys, synth accents, and twinkles that decorate the breakdowns like hood ornaments on a tank are telltale signs that Mr. Richardson had a lot of say in how this album was written. It’s almost a note-for-note clone of something that came from BORN OF OSIRIS’ more forgettable tunes, but that’s still a major step up for CG, who were once content to write the wimpiest breakdowns known to deathcore. Speaking of breakdowns, I’d be a fool not to mention that those have actually improved vastly. Where they were once monotonous interrupted chugging, on this track they allow more room for the low end to come in and provide punch. I always said CG would be better if they wrote heavier breakdowns at least. Maybe they read my Christmas letters.
Up next is the track that was released as a promotional tidbit to get everyone excited, “Lilith“. Having heard this when it came out, my feelings were mixed, as this track starts out directly aping their peers SUICIDE SILENCE in every arena, from the vocals to the tempo of the riff and drums that kicks in at about 50 seconds. It’s a bit of a drop in quality for the time being, until Alex’s clean vocals came in. Yes, you heard that right, and if you hadn’t already checked it out, do so at once. Like their pals in ALL SHALL PERISH, BRING ME THE HORIZON, and EMMURE, they’ve decided to break the vocal monochromaticism and inject some soul. Surprisingly enough, they’re not too bad, and the sweep behind them is well written, and not stolen from an earlier song, like so many of them are. Overall, they were wise to put this track out first, even if it doesn’t display the proficiency they keep locked away tighter than a Mormon virginity.
“S.H.O.T.” immediately opens with a jumpdafuckup, proving old habits die hard. Shortly after that nonsense they come back to the BORN OF OSIRIS worship, only to run headfirst into another everybody-fuckin’-bounce, and repeat as needed for pain. CHELSEA GRIN have always liked to tease with being able to play their instruments but then subsequently ignite a bro mosh. This track toggles from melodic technical noodling to wifebeater chugs. Take my pick as to which I liked better.
The opening breakdown to “Confession” sounds like it was written for them by a collaboration between No Time To Bleed-era SUICIDE SILENCE and OCEANO. Pure laziness takes the stage here with some left/right trade-offs and a of sweeping behind the plainly bored breakdown. Following that is what I swear is a splice from the beginning riff of AFTER THE BURIAL’s “Berzerker”, and then another uninspired frat boy chug. Remember, kids, CHELSEA GRIN are actually decent musicians, they’re just part of this ADHD generation. I’m only reviewing an EP, but it feels like that moment in the middle of an album where the band seems painted in a corner of their own good ideas. Vocalist Alex’s vocals aren’t usually particularly good, but it feels like he’s half-assing this song. I can practically hear them phoning in their lunch order by the end.
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is CHELSEA GRIN’s pop song (quite literally), and once again, we’ve made The Discovery our main course, gentlemen, and women. Can’t forget the women, that’d be sexist. From this track I get an odd J-Rock vibe, namely bands like D’ESPAIRSRAY and PHANTASMAGORIA, as well as that of a Christcore band by the name of FOR TODAY when they start getting hymnal. It gets a bit repetitive at around the 3 and a half minute mark and if it were shorter, it’d be a perfect celebration of their… evolution. After that is a remix of “The Human Condition”, which is a track I never particularly cared for, and if anything it just sounds even worse, so not exactly essential listening. I suspect they only threw it in so the album would end on a heavier note, but sometimes, like the time honoured sport of coitus, it’s better to go out soft.
THE VERDICT: Ripping off others more talented are in their field and stumbling on gold is what some do best. Just ask Jim Theis.
 Thug Lyfe.
GRADE: B
Tags: all shall perish, bass drops, born of osiris, breakdowns, chelsea grin, Deathcore, Suicide Silence
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Monday, March 19th, 2012
 Randy Rhoads would have been 55 years old today. Randy Rhoads whose knack for melodic song writing and stunning neo-classical lead guitar style revolutionized metal in 1980′s died tragically thirty years ago today. Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) died in a plane crash while on tour with OZZY OSBOURNE, but he has left an indelible mark on generations of musicians to follow.
Rhoads who had been an early member of QUIET RIOT shot to fame when he auditioned for the guitar spot in OZZY OSBOURNE’s band THE BILZZARD OF OZZ. The combination of the soft spoken, but immensely talented Rhoads and Ozzy who felt he had to prove himself to the world after his dismissal from BLACK SABBATH was potent and changed the face of music. Rhoads is always remembered as a terrific lead guitarist and was often compared to the best players of his day like EDDIE VAN HALEN. However, equally important as Randy’s impact as a soloist was his legacy as a songwriter, his use of classical modes and his widespread use of major scales in rock and metal that had predominantly been full of brooding minor keys and old-style pentatonic blues riffs up until that point. He also helped innovate an popularize several styles and looks of guitars with his polka-dot Jackson Flying V’s. Although he is best remembered for songs like OZZY hits “Crazy Train”, “Mr. Crowley” “Suicide Solution”, “Over The Mountain” and “Flying High Again” most of his output, however brief is excellent and worthy of repeat listens.
Turn this record up loud for full enjoyment!
Popular guitar players who have been influenced by Rhoads such as the late DIMEBAG DARRELL, ZAKK WYLDE, Phil Demmel of MACHINE HEAD and a host of metal lead players from the 80′s and 90′s used to and still do sing his praises. Although his music is among some of the most popular in the genre, you can still hear examples of his reach in many modern bands like ARCH ENEMY, REVOCATION, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, MASTODON, OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, JOB FOR A COWBOY, THE AGONIST, CHILDREN OF BODOM, WARBRINGER, ICED EARTH, DECAPITATED, ALL SHALL PERISH and THE FACELESS among many, many others.
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: all shall perish, Animals as Leaders, Arch Enemy, between the buried and me, Black Sabbath, blizzard of ozz, children of bodom, Decapitated, diary of a madman, Dimebag Darrell, eddie van halen, Iced Earth, job for a cowboy, lead guitar, major scales, metal reviews by Keefy, modes, neo-classical, ozzy osbourne, Phil Demmel of MACHINE HEAD, Randy Rhoads, Rest In Peace, revocation, shred, the agonist, The Faceless, Tribute, warbringer, Zakk Wylde, “Crazy Train”, “Flying High Again”, “Mr. Crowley” “Suicide Solution”, “Over The Mountain”
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Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
We are finally ready to announce our next New York City METAL ARMY NIGHT. We’re less than a week away, October 11th (to be exact), but we’re coming at you with two huge parties in one night at Idle Hands Bar. First of all, we’re kicking things off with a CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED record release party featuring the one and only RICHARD CHRISTY (CWOTD drummer, Howard Stern, ex-DEATH). Come by and have your copy of the new record signed and have some cheap drinks!
Next on the agenda, kicking off at 11PM, we’ll have ALL SHALL PERISH stopping by to host an after party from their show with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER! Fans who stop by with a wristband from the show will receive a very special drink discount and the band will be on hand to guest DJ and hang with fans all night long!
This is going to be one long and wild night so get there and be a part of the madness! October 11th starting at 9PM sharp!
Tags: all shall perish, Charred Walls Of The Damned, death, free, Howard Stern, Idle Hands Bar, metal army night, October 11, Richard Christy
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Friday, September 16th, 2011
Metal Army caught up with Eddie Hermida, vocalist of ALL SHALL PERISH at this year’s ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL. He gave one of the best and most surprising interviews of the day. We hung out for quite a bit and we had a heartfelt discussion about the impact on him and the band being part of the tour, their new record, the writing process and inspirational lyrics. We also talked about his awesome Star Wars tattoos, sadly off the record. What follows is an excerpt of our chat.
 One of my favorite albums to jam out to this summer.
MAA: How does Mayhem Festival compare to other festivals ALL SHALL PERISH has done?
EH: Mayhem has been something that we were really intimidated by. When we got the news that we got the deal, but not only that they wanted us, but they also wanted to pay us. My heart jumped and I went with it. It was one of the most intense feelings in my entire life. I called my mom. I almost cried, I was so choked up. This is the culmination of everything we have been working for all this time. Everything I’ve ever been all about is being able to step out to a bunch of really, really dedicated fans and show them why they should be dedicated to All SHALL PERISH. We go out there and we kill it everyday. We give everything, just like we do every show. Just like we do every tour.
MAA: How is the new material going over from This is Where it Ends?
EH: You always get nervous. When you are writing a song, you don’t really know how people are going to react to it. You are just writing, going from the gut. It’s more like this is a new song, this is what I’m feeling. The crowd has been responding a lot better than I thought they would. I was very nervous to see how they were going to react. I wasn’t sure they were gonna get it. I genuinely believed people weren’t going to see the direction that we took or that they were gonna judge us too hard. Ultimately people are loving it, which is makes me really happy because this is my favorite record we have done.
 ALL SHALL PERISH were one of the best side stage acts at Mayhem.
MAA: The new record is definitely a step over Awaken the Dreamers. How does ASP write an album?
EH: The way we work in ALL SHALL PERISH from beginning to end: the guitarists get together a couple of riffs and then they get together with the drummer. They piece the song together from there. Then the bassist comes in and adds all the color. Then the lead guitarist comes in and he destroys the thing and then they send it to me to put it back together. When it comes to me I really try to soak in the music and I spend three or four straight days and nights with it. I sleep with the music on repeat until I come up with something. First, I free flow parts over the music and try to come up with patterns until I decide what the song is trying to speak about. Then I write lyrics. I try to talk about how the music makes me feel. I draw upon my memories and I draw upon my good times and my bad times until I come upon what the song is about. Other than that the band comes together really well and I think this is the best lineup of ASP.
MAA: This is Where it Ends still comes hard with the thought provoking lyrics. Why is it important to you to have serious lyrics on your albums?
EH: The first memory I can really draw back from is something my mom told me. She said I could be anything I wanted to be. Which is the typical thing a parent can say. But she also said she didn’t care what I do, just that I would be the best at what I do. I try to write something that I would be inspired by. Something that if I heard it I would be totally taken back by. You can’t really draw millions of peoples’ thoughts into one thing. I don’t know how I do it, but I try to. I try to keep it verbose and I try to establish myself as a poet as well as a singer. A big thing for me when I was a teenager was I really loved the lyrics from Corey Taylor on the first SLIPKNOT record. He was using a lot of huge words I didn’t understand and it really inspired me. And I wanted to do the same too.
MAA: And now you are doing it en español!
EH: Oh I was really nervous about pulling that off (the Spanish version of the track “Royalty in Exile”). There was a lot of pressure from Nuclear Blast. They wanted me to utilize that side of what I can do. It wasn’t like “you need to do this to to sell more records!” The record company was like “you should try to express that side of you more.” And I was really nervous to do it, but it came out great and I was really happy with it later.
MAA: What is essential for you to survive a summer tour?
EH: I need weed and sunscreen. I got a baseball mitt, a ball and a couple of condoms laying around! (laughs)
 Eddie Hermida is a pretty deep guy, but you can tell he loves his job!
MAA: What does the band have on tap for touring the rest of this year?
EH: We are going to be hitting the road in October with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and then Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia. Then I would love to come home and do a big headline tour.
MAA: Thanks for your time Eddie!
EH: Thanks for the support!
(Thanks to Eddie Hermida, Nuclear Blast and Curtis Dunlap Photography)
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: all shall perish, aspirations, Awaken the Dreamers, corey taylor, Deathcore, Eddie Hermida, Keefy, lyrical inspiration, RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, Slipknot, song writing process, summer tour survival, tech death, the black dahlia murder, This is Where it Ends (Nuclear Blast), thought provoking lyrics, thrash, touring, verbosity, vocals in espanol
Posted in Feature Interviews, Interviews | No Comments »
Thursday, August 11th, 2011
This Is Where It Ends (Nuclear Blast)
ALL SHALL PERISH have returned with their first alum in three years and it sure is a killer. Historically they have been workman-like at their craft, putting out records when they are ready instead of spitting them out in succession like so many do in these cookie cutter days. After three years slugging it out on the road and further honing their considerable chops they went back in the studio and turned out This Is Where It Ends. How far they can take this album is unwritten, but certainly this album will be a testament to the bands legacy someday.
Jetting out of the gate with “Divine Illusion” the song packs a potent wallop. Full of amazing runs of tech death inspired riffs, coupled with intense savagery and rawness, the track is hot. Immediately noticeable is how much more harsh and brutal Eddie Hermida is on the vocals. His lows are lower than ever and his screams are a now made of tempered steel. He reminds me a lot of Lenzig Leal of CEPHALIC CARNAGE here. Plus the lyrics of the song are pure rage, defiance and challenging as ever adding to the fire. The groove part at the end is classic ASP with head nodding beats and licks designed to make the pit go crazy. Second track “There is Nothing Left” is the first of several obvious growth areas on TIWIE. The song starts off with a melodic death metal base with touches of thrash. The driving beat is no less hard than you need, but the melodic parts even in the gruff vocal parts sound amazing and dare I say, very catchy. There are some cool gang vocals too that add color to parts. Lest you think these guys were about to sell out, the track is elephant balls heavy. Still, the song could be a break out surprise for them. Teaming up on record for the first time after a few years together, the guitar tandem of Ben Orum and Francesco Artusato is as formidable as any twosome in the genre. Artusato peels off the first of many skull splitting solos and will have the geeks tabbing and transcribing his licks for hours. “Procession of Ashes” is back to the brutality of their previous efforts, but has a cool chord progression that shows a lot of guts and maturity to pull off. As always the key to great death core comes from a combo of tight riffs backed by a great low end. Longtime bassist Mike Tiner and recent addition Adam Pierce on the drums just kill it the entire record through with their performances. When the song reaches its most brilliant, sick verse part towards the end a beautiful and gentile picked guitar theme closes out the track. “A Pure Evil” has guitars that are reminiscent of ORIGIN, DECREPIT BIRTH and WHITECHAPEL’s patented tech death sweeps, ear candy and lead runs. The guitar work alone is truly dizzying and benefits from the top production of Zack Ohren (BRAIN DRILL, CARNIFEX, LIGHT THIS CITY). Another tough-guy beat down part ends the track and although the band still uses the bass-drop in its repertoire, they thankfully do not over do it. It’s not often enough I get to single out great lyricists in metal, but Hermida stands well above the crowd. Intelligent, thought provoking and socially conscious words spew out of his mouth and demand your attention. “The Past Will Haunt Us Both” has an epic feel that sometimes reminds me of 1990′s Swedish melo death metal like AT THE GATES. The melodies of the song are really great and after bashing your head in for five plus minutes, ends with a somber piano coda. “Royalty Into Exile” is my favorite track on the album, but even better is the bonus track version with the vocals all screamed in Spanish. Other standout tracks are “Rebirth”, “Spineless” “My Retaliation”, “The Death Plague” featuring vocals from Alexandre Erian of DESPISED ICON fame and the stunning closer “In This Life of Pain”. Even though the band has stayed true to their past death core sound, they have evolved into an even more fearsome monster than they were before.
 ALL SHALL PERISH will be destroying stages all summer on Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Photo by Curtis Dunlap 2011. GRADE: A
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: 1990's Swedish melo death metal, Alexandre Erian of DESPISED ICON, all shall perish, at the gates, bass drops, bassist Mike Tiner, death-core, Decrepit Birth, drummer Adam Pierce, epic metal, guitar wizardry, guitarist Ben Orum, guitarist Francesco Artusato, Keefy, Lenzig Leal of CEPHALIC CARNAGE, melodic gang vocals, Nuclear Blast, Origin, producer Zack Ohren, tech death, This Is Where It Ends, thought provoking lyrics, vocalist Eddie Hermida, Whitechapel
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Thursday, August 11th, 2011
True story: the first time I met my girlfriend, she knew that I worked with metal and so we were chatting about music. Needless to say, she’s not a huge metal fan — unless you count BRING ME THE HORIZON or HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD. She is, however, pretty knowledgeable about most music scenes so, while we were discussing favorite bands in different genres, I threw out “who is your favorite black metal band?” Her response: THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. My response: just because they have BLACK in their name doesn’t mean they’re a black metal band. Since we started dating, she’s decided AGALLOCH to be her favorite black metal band (a choice that I’m more than fine with) but I still like to tell this story.
Needless to say, she’ll be by my side at the upcoming awesome BLACK DAHLIA MURDER tour that will take place this fall. Support on the trek comes from two bands I’m really excited about, ALL SHALL PERISH and CANNABIS CORPSE. ASP released one of my currently most listened to records ‘This is Where It Ends’ and CANNABIS CORPSE are really fucking fun so I’m excited to see them live for the first time. Dates for the trek are below so catch a show in your area!
….and don’t forget your bong!
Oct. 06 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone (scaled)
Oct. 07 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls
Oct. 09 – Syracuse, NY – Lost Horizon
Oct. 10 – Providence, RI – The Met
Oct. 13 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
Oct. 14 – Wilmington, NC – The Soapbox
Oct. 17 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock
Oct. 19 – Lubbock, TX – Jakes
Oct. 20 – El Paso, TX – Club 101
Oct. 21 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 22 – Tucson, AZ – The Rock
Oct. 23 – Farmington, NM – Top Deck
Oct. 25 – Oklahoma City, OK – Conservatory
Oct. 26 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theatre
Oct. 27 – Des Moines, IA – The Wheelhouse
Oct. 28 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
Oct. 30 – Lansing, MI – The Loft
Tags: all shall perish, cannabis corpse, the black dahlia murder, tours
Posted in The Bunker | No Comments »
Friday, August 5th, 2011
Jagermeister Stage Review
Once again I headed to the MAYHEM FESTIVAL stoked for a full day of metally goodness, rock n roll shenanigans, blazing temperatures and once again pissing in the eye of death and trying not to die of heatstroke. I had enough SPF 50 on my pasty body that I looked like a walking mayonnaise sandwich on Wonder bread in the cloudless, 100 degree day in Mansfield, MA. Yes, that is a gross image even to me. Sorry for that! Still, I was ready to rock and was determined to stay hydrated and covered up. Especially for the early part of the day at the side stages on the Comcast Center blacktop. That was my goal at least. This year I have grouped the reviews by stage, which is in contrast to the alternating stage method the festival uses. I have to say this was one of the better run shows I’ve ever been to, at least from the Mayhem staff point of view. The venue people and their behavior is another story entirely, but I digress.
Since I was busy conducting a bunch of band interviews I missed the “Jager band” DEADSEASON. All for the best since it was hot as Hades out there. RED FANG was the first up on this stage and I was worried they would have their work cut out for them. As a straight up old-school stoner rock on a side stage full of hardcore, tech death, sludge, deathcore, melodic metal and thrash influenced music I wondered if the growing masses would “get” what they do. Well they went over great with people moshing in the early afternoon heat and headbanging like mad. It’s tough to be a band that has to a lot of hype to live up to, but I’d say so far they have done a great job. This was my second time seeing them and they were even better this time playing baddass tracks like “Into The Eye” and “Sharks”. Although everyone was waiting to hear their “hit” “Prehistoric Dog” (likely due to its hilarious video) I much preferred the mini-epic “Good to Die”. Overall they were excellent and I am looking forward to catching them again. Next up on this stage was KINGDOM OF SORROW whom I saw last at last summers quasi-disastrous OZZFEST. Since Kirk Windstein was on the road with DOWN last summer he didn’t make that trek. This time around we were treated to the full compliment of the band which of course includes front man Jamey Jasta on vocals. Opening with “Behind The Blackest Tears” the band sounded great and Jamey as always was killer. He incited a ton of crowd surfers and moshers despite the oppressive conditions. Windstein sounded amazing on guitar and he occasionally chipped in some of his unmistakable vocals too. Strangely, during “Free The Fallen” the power to the stage went out. When the power came on a few minutes later the band went right into “Enlightened to Extinction” which was totally kickass. I think Jasta and Windstein really achieved a true marriage of their two styles, especially on album number two. “Monuments of Ash” helped Jasta keep the energy up high. Then for a nice surprise they played a track off of Jasta’s recently released solo album entitled “Mourn the Illusion” and it went over really well. For those wondering he sang his ass off and it was cool to hear this new facet of his game. They ended with “Lead the Ghosts Astray” and it was a fitting closer for the set.
 Kirk Windstein and Jamey Jasta rip it up live with KINGDOM OF SORROW. Playing basically in their backyard since they are from just north of Boston, UNEARTH came out of the blocks like a killing machine of metal! They were pumped up and played a lot of songs off of their new album Darkness In The Light (Metal Blade). They got a heroes welcome from the crowd which was cool since I will say that Massachusetts always represents for their bands. Coming on stage to the strains of intro piece “Equinox” you could see how jacked up they were. “My Will Be Done” is always a great song live, but as the opener here it was even more effective. Vocalist Trevor Phipps is just a beast and terrific at working the crowd into a lather. Guitarists Ken Susi and Buz Osbourne were running and jumping all over the stage as always and soloing their asses off. They even made use of the stacks of gear flanking the sides of the stage to come out into the crowd a little more. “Sanctity of Brothers” was next and also killed. Behind the kit for the new album and this tour is Justin Foley (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED) and he was just awesome. He hit all the familiar beats and played with a bit more finesse than previous guys on the drum throne in this band. He was also sporting a dope beard as per usual! Next was the classic track “This Lying World” Phipps came out into the crowd to the railing to lead the charge on the song and it was down right inspiring watching him. He had openly addressed the crowd saying he wasn’t sure they were gonna be able to rage as much as usual with the heat, but gave them respect for beating his expectations. After this the band played a few new songs like “Watch It Burn” and “Eyes of Black” and these tracks meshed perfectly with the older material. When Susi jumped on the microphone to add some melodic singing it took me right back to the days of The Oncoming Storm. Bassist John “Slo” Maggard was solid as ever and also contributed fine backing vocals. Even though they eschewed some of their more well known singles on this day gems like “Endless” and the finale “The Great Dividers” more than made up for it. UNEARTH are collectively first rate showmen and performers and never disappoint live.
 UNEARTH get the welcome that hometown heroes deserve. Set List:
Equinox (intro)
My Will Be Done
Sanctity Of Brothers
This Lying World
Watch It Burn
Endless
Eyes Of Black
The Great Dividers
The last band on Jagermeister stage was IN FLAMES. Out of respect for them, MACHINE HEAD and TRIVIUM the three bands are in rotation for the main stage opening slot, followed by a headline stint each on the side stage. This modicum of fairness didn’t affect Gottenburg’s melo-death masters. Sounding as ferocious as they have at any point in their career they came on stage led by singer Andres Friden who let loose a demonic scream to announce their arrival. He held this scream for a full minute and the band arrived with lots of energy and fire. This woke up the crowd the honestly might have been flagging a bit by now. Opening with perhaps their most popular song of the latter half of their career “Cloud Connected” kicked things off with a bang. It was cool to hear thousands of people sing the chorus and the band was just going off like I hadn’t seen them do in a while. The rhythm section of drummer Daniel Svensson and bassist Peter Iwers just lock down the low end and they propel a majority of these songs. Another recent jam, “Alias” soon followed with the band sounding great. With Jesper Strombland now departed from the group, guitarist Niklas Engelin is a full fledged member and he is a terrific performer and player. Coupled with mainstay Bjorn Gelotte they form an impressive duo and handle all of the fretboard acrobatics for the band. There were fully on point and missed nothing you would expect. This proved handy with the classic “Pinball Map” from the Clayman album up next. The old-school fans in the crowd seemingly awoke for this song and sang along loudly. Friden sounded as good as ever here, disputing the notion that he has lost anything from a vocal standpoint. He is just in a different place now as a singer and prefers melody over screaming on the new material from Sounds of A Playground Fading (Century Media). Jumping forward to the present day with the current single “Deliver Us” again the entire crowd got into it which was cool. Then they took it way back with “Hive” from my favorite album Whoracle. The track sounded perfect and one gets the feeling the band will be doing a lot more of this type of thing when they headline, so do not miss them! Friden was lively between songs, telling jokes and generally looking really happy for the band to be back on the road in America. Another deep cut off of the new album,“Where the Dead Ships Dwell” was a nice, out of the box addition to the set. Closing with popular songs like “The Quiet Place” and the cathartic “Take This Life” the band wrapped a top notch showing that certainly was worthy of closing out the first part of the day.
 IN FLAMES played a diverse set honoring their entire career. Set List:
Cloud Connected
Alias
Pinball Map
Deliver Us
The Hive
Where The Dead Ships Dwell
The Quiet Place
Take This Life
(more…)
Tags: all shall perish, bass drops, bassist Adam Duce, bassist David “Junior” Ellefson, bassist Jason White, bassist John “Slo” Maggard, bjorn gelotte, BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED, Boston Metal, breakdowns, Century Media, Clayman, Darkest Hour, Darkness in the Light, Dave Mustaine, Deathcore, deep album cuts played live, double neck flying V, Down, drummer Adam Pierce, drummer Alex Lopez, drummer Daniel Svensson and bassist Peter Iwers, drummer Dave McClain, drummer Justin Foley, drummer Nick Augusto, drummer Shawn Drover, Endgame, eOne Metal, front man Jamey Jasta, frontwoman Alexis Brown, Gottenburg melo-death sound, guitarist Ben Orum, guitarist Buz Osbourne, guitarist Chris Broderick, guitarist Corey Beaulieu, guitarist Niklas Engelin, guitarist Seth Thacker, guitarist/singer Kirk Windstein, guitarists/singer Ken Susi, hardcore, harsh singing, hometown atmosphere, In Flames, In Waves (Roadrunner), IRON MAIDEN galloping riffs, Jagermeister Stage, Jasta solo record, Keefy, Killswitch Engage, Kingdom of Sorrow, Kris Norris, lead guitarist Francesco Artusato, lead guitarist Mark Helymun, lead guitarist Phil Demmel, legacy, legacy bands, Liquid Metal Sirius/XM, MACHIEN HEAD, machine head, Main Stage Review, Megadeth, melodic metal, METAL BLADE, metalcore and neo-thrash, new MEGADETH song “Public enemy #1”, Nuclear Blast, Obituary, old-school death metal influences, old-school stoner, Red Fang, Revolver Stage Review, roadrunner, RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, rotating main stage slots, rust in peace, shred, singer Andres Friden, singer/guitarist Robb Flynn, sludge, solos, Soulfly, Sounds of a Playground Fading, straight line stitch, Suicide Silence, tech death, The Black Crown, The Fight of Our Lives, The Oncoming Storm, the pinnicle of modern metal, Thirteen, This Is Where It Ends, thrash, trivium, unearth, Unto the Locust, vocal melodies, vocalist Eddie Hermida, vocalist Mitch Lucker, vocalist Trevor Phipps, vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy, walls of Marshall amps, Whoracle
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