Posts Tagged ‘metal army america’
Tuesday, November 20th, 2012
The Palladium, Worcester, MA
After a setback on their last attempt to tour, DETHKLOK finally embarked on a North American tour supported by ALL THAT REMAINS, MACHINE HEAD, and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. The band was touring behind their latest album, Dethalbum III which was released on October 16th.
 Few can match TREVOR STRNAD’S energy live. THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER started off the night rather strong and with great energy. That being said, they seemed the least engaging. They also moved around the stage the least but there also did not appear to be much room due to other bands’ equipment. The members worked with what space they did have. Out of all the bands on the bill, they seemed to have the least in common with the other groups in terms of style. This was largely because of TREVOR STRNAD’s vocal style. Another notable mark of their performance is that TBDM was without usual drummer Shannon Lucas, who has since departed the band. His replacement Alan Cassidy (ex-ABBIGAIL WILLIAMS) did a good job in his place.
Set List:
A Shrine to Madness
Moonlight Equilibrium
On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
Malenchantments of the Necrosphere
I Will Return
Following act MACHINE HEAD was the thrashiest out of all the bands and had great banter with the audience in regards to them recently being deemed “undesirable” by Disney. They were also responsible for what was the most touching moment of the evening. ROBB FLYNN shared with the audience memories of fallen friend MITCH LUCKER of SUICIDE SILENCE. He then called for a ten second moment of silence. It was clear the audience loved the group since they chanted “We want head” and “Machine fucking Head” after many of the songs.
 ROBB FLYNN and MACHINE HEAD nearly stole the show!
Set List:
This Is the End
Imperium
Aesthetics of Hate
Locust
Halo
The final opening band ALL THAT REMAINS had the coolest stage setup. There were barbed wire fences around their gear. It appeared it came with a small technical difficulty: not all their fog machines were working. That did not hinder their set though. The kicked off with one of their biggest songs “This Calling”. Between songs PHILIP LABONTE talked about the days when the band was just starting out and playing gigs at The Palladium. It was nice to see some appreciation for the more local Massachusetts scene from them.
 ALL THAT REMAINS is excellent live.
 ATR’s Jeanne Sagan holds down the low end all night! Set List:
This Calling
Dead Wrong
Six
Aggressive Opposition
Hold On
Down Through The Ages
Stand Up
Become The Catalyst
Some Of The People All Of The Time
Two Weeks
 DETHKLOK! DETHKLOK! DETHKLOK! Finally DETHKLOK, whom everyone had been waiting so long for, took the stage. They had an awesome opening video, that of gave an explanation of how DETHKLOK was “summoned”. Then the next video/song was the “Deththeme” which made it feel like the real Metalocalypse show. Overall, the performance had the perfect blend of comedy and music. One might go so far as to say it was better than the TV show. It was fun to see the videos accompanying the songs make references to other metal bands as the show tends to. For example, “I Ejaculate Fire” made reference to IRON MAIDEN’S Powerslave-era with a pharaoh character that looked just like Eddie. Other videos were shown that were created just for comedic purposes. There was an instructional video presented by Facebones on how to treat “the ladies” (appreciated by me of course). Even Dr. Rockzo made an appearance to “warm up the audience”. It was also interesting to listen to BRENDON SMALL switch between the voices of Skwisgaar, Pickles, and Nathan. After teasing the audience by having a skit where the band members try to decide whether or not to do an encore, two more songs were performed: “Go Into the Water” and “Crush the Industry”. Many audience members stated that they wished their other favorites had made it into the set, but no one complained about the ones that were chosen. All who had attended were ecstatic to have finally seen their beloved DETHKLOK!
 BRENDON SMALL not only performed perfectly, he did the voices of the DETHKLOK characters- flawlessly.
 GENE “The Atomic Clock” HOGLAN was phenomenal, as per usual. Set List:
Intro Video
Detheme
I Ejaculate Fire
Hatredcopter
Tribunal Video
Dethsupport
Murmaider
Facebones/Lady Video
Andromeda
Awaken
Coffee Video
Rockso Video
Ghostqueen
CFO Video
The Gears
The Galaxy
Thunderhorse
Encore:
Go Into The Water
Crush The Industry
by Melissa Campbell
Tags: All That Remains, Dethklok, Echoes In The Well, MACHINE HEAD & THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, metal army america, The Metal Army Blog
Posted in Live Show Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Friday, July 27th, 2012
Metal Army America interviewed EPHEL DUATH mastermind Davide Tiso via email. The on the eve of the release of a sprawling new EP, On Death And The Cosmos, Tiso shared a great many insights. The new EP sports an all-star lineup of some of the greatest names in all of metal which enabled Tiso to bring his grand vision to life. In the interview below he not only explained the concept of the record, but broke down each song to its lyrical bones, detailed how the new lineup came together, what the future holds for the group and much more!
MAA: Please discuss the concept behind the new EP On Death And The Cosmos?
DT: The main concept of On Death and Cosmos rotates around the idea of feeling rootless. The creative process this time started from a personal loss: that event marked me so deep not just because I’ve lost a person I felt very close to, but because together with his disappearance I feel I broke the bond with the place I’m coming from. At this point in my life I think I could live pretty much everywhere without feeling home sick. I have a “cosmos” of opportunity opening up in front of my eyes, and while this can be considered a positive things for a human being, the lyrics in the EP dig in the painful process of detachment from what for 30 and more years I felt were my roots. On Death and Cosmos holds together some of the lyrics I’m most attached to. These words erupted from me, and all three songs are lyrically tied together by the theme of Death and mourning, and the escape represented by the Cosmos.
After that loss I mentioned before, I felt in a terrible depression and returning to compose for EPHEL DUATH was the way out from that paralyzing state. Some days I was feeling so bad that I felt my mind getting take over by the spirit of my dead beloved, who was not accepting his death and wanted to keep living through me:
The opening song “Black Prism” pictures the hopeless search of oneself in the splitting process of spirit attachment.
“I lie between layers of perception
I’m neither here or there
Twice but still nothing
My image multiplies
While my sight plays dead and regress”
The song “Raqia”, the ancient Hebrew word for the English “firmament”, marks the pain caused by abandonment and the excruciating consequences of letting go.
“You may be as lonely as I feel
But the emptiness around you is cosmic
Immense
While mine
Mine tastes just like flesh”
Composing the lyrics of On Death and Cosmos I spent a great deal of time out at night, listening music, smoking cigarettes and looking at the sky. Considering the turmoil my life was in at that moment, writing new lyrics I was literally pushing my sight and my mind as distant as possible from that mess I was in. I wrote this way every time I got the chance and I started to feel a pretty strong comforting sensation while immersing my head and thoughts into the sky/firmament/Raqia entity. I read that warming feeling like the confirmation that my healing process was supposed to pass through that stage to get to the core of my pain and I kept going.
The closing track “Stardust Rain” is an ode to self-purification through inner death of senses.
“I am the black coat
Where stars hide in
I protect each of them
One by one
They keep shining to live
I let them burning to live
To my slow death I aim to”
This is probably the song I feel closer to. Everything in life has a positive and a negative power, I think that bad situations are the one that teach us the most: loss gives us the chance to readjust or even reshape ourselves during and after the mourning process. This positive chance offered by such traumatic experience is blurred out by the big dose of pain involved but I’m confident that each of us while suffering, on the long run, have the chance to know how much they are changing and self transforming day after day.
I changed for better while mourning: I was an unfocused and worse person before my grandfather died. His death brought some good to me, I had the chance to find myself again, and as I wrote inside the booklet of On Death and Cosmos: “It took one’s death to give life back to another”.
 DAVIDE TISO leads EPHEL DUATH.
MAA: How did you go about recruiting such stellar talent to join the band?
DT: Respecting my music so much I try to set the bar pretty high for what concern the other musicians I involve with EPHEL DUATH. In On Death and Cosmos I’m lucky enough to be joined by my first choices in terms of drumming, bass playing, singing, producing and mastering. Thanks to the big support offered by Agonia Records and with a big dose of stubborness, this time around I was able to make the album I wanted with the team I wanted. Planning things right and way ahead of time we made the collaboration with MARCO MINNEMANN and STEVE DI GIORGIO possible. Both these musicians have a pretty tight schedule, but their enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment to the project made the difference. They found the time and the energy to learn my songs, compose and record their part, and they both did a wonderful job.
Having KARYN CRISIS at vocals is like a dream come true. I’m a huge CRISIS fan and I’ve been a fan of her since the very first time I read one of her lyrics. I’m extremely proud of having Karyn spitting out my words on a microphone and I can’t wait to have her record some new material.
To make this shine even more I choose to have the supersonic ears of ERIK RUTAN behind the mix board, and I have to say that I have never felt that connected with a producer before. Erik worked non-stop on this EP for weeks, and I found his work ethic to be frankly stunning. I consider Erik Rutan one of the key elements for On Death and Cosmos successful result and collaborating with him has been one of the best musical experience I had since I started this band.
 DAVIDE TISO has truly found his muse in KARYN CRISIS.
MAA: Karen especially seems to fit the music perfectly. Did you write with her in mind originally?
DT: I composed the EP knowing that Karyn was going to sing it. There are some kind of voices that are like a slap in the face and some others that hit you directly in the stomach being that emotionally charged: Karyn’s voice has both these qualities. I think her voice fit the ED music extremely well. Karyn’s raw and cutting way of singing is able to bring the songs to higher emotional picks and I’m blown away by how effortlessly our two different musical backgrounds collapsed together in this EP.
MAA: Is the lineup going to be able to stay together to at least create the next full length album and tour?
DT: This lineup will record also the new album, Marco Minnemann is actually already recording the drums, he did 5 songs and everything sounds stellar so far. ED will return to play live once the full length will be recorded, but just if we will be offered the necessary conditions to do some good shows. To compose music is a very intimate process for me, vital I would say: I don’t do it for passion, I do it because I have to. To bring EPHEL DUATH live usually means to loose a lot of the artistic side of things, and having to deal with just the practical, and worse, side of music: promoters that don’t pay the fees, shows with lack of promotions, bad planned tours, a lot and a lot of expenses. I’m not interested in repeating that kind of experience once again. Returning to deal full time on EPHEL DUATH, I promised myself to not accept anymore compromises and to take decisions solely based on the band’s benefit. To play live in horrible conditions will not be an option for this band anymore. It would be fantastic to have this line up on a stage and I’ll work my ass off to make this happen.
 KARYN CRISIS did this custom limited edition print for the new album
MAA: Do you think it is difficult for visionary artists to exist in the framework of “the music industry”?
DT: I would say that for long time it was pretty much impossible for a musician to deal with the music industry without feeling powerless. The whole music industry was in the hands of few greedy ones, now that whole mechanism is collapsing everyone seems to escape from it, trying to save the few money left and finally, the real stars of the game are returning back. Underground labels: small realities run by really passionate people, respectful of the bands and their music, that with labor of love and not the revenues in mind are putting together products with such quality and tremendous attention to details.
What it’s important now is to save the public. Probably what I am about to say could sound like a silly utopia, but I still think it’s important to underline how much the main public need to return to consider music as a form of art that have to be respected. Music is not supposed to be taken for granted, ready to be consumed and disposed with a click. Bands are not supposed to accept to spend their time begging for attention, bands should instead spend their time playing good music. I think that on the long run, quality music will keep being noticed, and it’s up to the bands to believe in themselves, creating unique music and stick to their vision. To compose honest music probably represents the only way to be musically dissident nowadays. I have faith that EPHEL DUATH’s public will keep supporting all the hard work and labor of love we put in this underground reality since day one.
MAA: What bands or artists do you listen to when you are looking for inspiration?
DT: Sometimes I listen to music to get some musical inputs, and I usually finish listening to death metal. This genre makes my brain feels very alert, there are so many nuances to capture here and there and I would say this is the kind of music I’m more fund at the moment. I like so many bands, the more dissonant the better, probably SUFFOCATION, HATE ETERNAL, AUTOPSY, DECREPIT BIRTH and CATTLE DECAPITATION are on top of my list.
Sometimes I listen to it to relax, and to get some unconscious inspiration, I like BARONESS, UFOMAMMUT, ZU, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, ELECTRIC WIZARD.
Sometimes I need music it to write lyrics: I try to enter in the “writing lyrics” mood at least once every week or two and when I do that, the day is gone: I usually finishing drunk and crying by myself in a park bench while joggers swing by. To write lyrics I usually put a song in loop, or I listen a part of a song in loop. I need heavy sorrowful music, but I never compose lyrics listening to EPHEL DUATH. Lately I have been writing listening to MONUMENTUM, AGALLOCH, CULT OF LUNA, NEUROSIS.
MAA: If you could book a festival for EPHEL DUATH to play with any bands of your choosing, whom would you choose?
DT: I would love to have EPHEL DUATH opening the festival so that I would be able to enjoy the other shows. Three stages, a Death Metal one with DECREPIT BIRTH, CATTLE DECAPITATION, SUFFOCATION and HATE ETERNAL as headliners. A Doom stage with DISPIRIT, UFOMAMMUT, AGALLOCH, YOB and PENTAGRAM as headliners. A main experimental rock metal stage with DYSRHYTHMIA, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, IHSHAN, BARONESS and REFUSED as headliners. $60 the ticket, not a bad festival!
(Special thanks to Davide Tiso, Agonia Records and Nathan T. Birk)
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: Agalloch, Agonia Records, Animals as Leaders, Autopsy, Avant Garde, Baroness, bassist STEVE DI GIORGIO, cattle decapitation, concept records, CRISIS, CULT OF LUNA, Davide Tiso, Death Metal, Decrepit Birth, DISPIRIT, doom, dream festival lineups, drummer MARCO MINNEMANN, DYSRHYTHMIA, electric wizard, EP's, EPHEL DUATH, erik rutan, experimental rock, hate eternal, IHSHAN, lyrical inspirations, metal army america, MONUMENTUM, neurosis, pentagram, prog, REFUSED, Russian Circles, Suffocation, super-groups, tech death, UFOMAMMUT, visionary aritsts, vocalist KARYN CRISIS, yob, ZU
Posted in Feature Interviews, Interviews | No Comments »
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Live At the House of Blues, Boston MA
The Pit Is Fucking Alive.
Let’s just start by giving a big round of applause to everyone who, despite the known presence of secret police in Boston who aim to stop people from having fun, made this night a show to remember. (Editor’s note: check our own take on the moshing ban in Boston here.) One of the most important Punk tours of the decade no doubt, with a touch of political and social dissent. Spit in the face of authority and let loose.
Starting off the festivities was OFF!, fronted by the legendary Keith Morris, some old balding dreadlocked bastard from bands you’ve never heard of including BLACK FLAG and THE CIRCLE JERKS, along with cast-offs from failures like ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, REDD KROSS, and other stuff no one cares about. All joking aside, this here is a group of seasoned musicians who know what they’re doing. It usually helps your live show when you’re skilled, I hear.
 The legendary Punk Icon himself: KEITH MORRIS of OFF! In OFF!’s 45 minute (or hour) long set, I’m pretty sure they actually played almost every song in their two LP/an EP or four discography. This despite the fact that Morris, being an embattled veteran of the Punk scene as well as fairly aged, he’s seen a lot, done a lot, is fed up with a lot, and is unafraid to make a rousing speech the likes of which follower HENRY ROLLINS could have borrowed his style from. These elements come together to make a refreshingly old school sound that’s not dating itself.
Once they hit the stage and began setting up, I was apprehensive as to the energy level, and if my fellow crowd members would be willing to break free of the constraints so flimsily placed by the friendly neighborhood BPD. For the first few songs, there was a curtain of nervousness in the air as Morris and Co. bandied about, letting loose while the audience gazed furtively at itself, hoping that someone would make a move to break the metaphorical ice. It almost goes without saying that high energy Punk Rock goes a long way to bring about the emotional climate for rule-breaking and general not-giving-a-fuck-ness. By the third or fourth song, all pretense was dropped, and the circle pit was it.
In between bombardments by ancient Punk rhythms and seething vitriol, one could catch a glimmer of Morris’ humble nature, and his unwillingness to think himself higher than anyone despite the fact that he’s led a much more interesting life than your average punx. It’s this humility and good nature that leads to fans being able to get pictures and just have a nice chat with the man.
 KEITH MORRIS and Metal Army America staff writer Sean Genovese.
About a half an hour before Umeå, Sweden’s own left-wing singer-songwriter gentlemen REFUSED officially began their set, the crowd began to notice that instead of random rock tunes playing over the stereo as normal, it was some odd low droning ambiance that put a disturbing atmosphere over the venue. It gradually grew louder with every passing minute, and when the time came, the crowd took its position, pointed directly at the stage where a large black curtain was draped over the band as they clandestinely set up. As the drone intensified, it began to resemble a long sustained guitar chord. With time, the ambient sound created a mixture of fear, anticipation, and a sort of battle readiness for the oncoming insanity. Lights over the stage, we realized, were panning ever so slowly down toward the crowd, practically turning in step with the increasing loudness of the ambiance. As the sound and lights swelled to full realization and the lights overhead dimmed, the crowd could see that the black curtain had REFUSED cut out of it as the light shone through.
The energy from OFF!’s set was great, but as soon as REFUSED opened with “Worms Of The Senses/ Faculties Of The Skull”, the floor became a veritable feeding ground where tooth and claw ruled the scene, and those who could not fight were destroyed in seconds. One thing about this show that was particularly amazing was that not only was everyone into it, but the sheer diversity of people attending who all just got it. There were Metalheads, -Core kids with swoopy hair, old school NxYxHxC looking guys, huge besweatered Hardcore bros with flatbill caps, dyed/bleached punx in leather jackets with skulls on them, you name it. To shout words of protest alongside a smorgasbord of countercultures is truly empowering.
 The set was varied enough, considering their discography currently stands at five EPs and three LPs. Though I am disappointed that they don’t play anything off This Just Might Be… The Truth (namely “Pump The Brakes”), their most heavy and straightforward release, I feel as though it ultimately wouldn’t mesh well with the material from The Shape Of Punk To Come and Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent, which lean towards a sort of Post-Hardcore/Experimental Rock sound, but have just enough heaviness and hard-hitting aggression to merit their place among the Punk/Hardcore greats of history. From the two-step swing of “Summerholidy vs Punkroutine” to the cannonading lyrical assault of “Refused Are Fucking Dead” (my personal favourite), and the turncoat anthem “Coup D’Etat”, all coupled with vocalist Dennis Lyxzén musing on how prophetic his lyrics of top-down oppression are in hindsight. It was all around a spectacular showcase of how Punk Rock is not just three chords and an angry British or Californian man shouting about the impending police state. Take some notes from the seminal volume Songwriting Tips For Anarchists, by U. Kuhnt, which simply contains the words “OPPRESSORS: FUCK OFF” in large, bold, red print, and listen to some REFUSED. You’ll be much wiser for it. In the meantime, should REFUSED repeat this tour, being fully active once again since 1998, and you for any reason missed this, your redemption shall come swift as an assassin’s blade under cover of night.
 Someone lost a shoe in the madness of the mosh pit.
To whoever lost the shoe pictured above, I’m sure it was well worth the small loss. It’s silhouette stands out among the appeased horde cheering one of the most important Punk bands of modern times making its return like phoenices from ashes long forgotten, faintly resembling the shape of an axe, which I’ll allow you, the reader, to mark with some obtuse political symbolism. I’m stumped, if you ask me.
by Sean “That Black Metal Dude” Genovese
Tags: Black Flag, Boston bands moshing, Concert Reviews by MAA, crossover, hardcore, henry rollins, keith morris, metal, metal army america, Off, punk, REDD KROSS, REFUSED, ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, THE CIRCLE JERKS, The Shape of Punk To Come
Posted in Live Show Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, July 23rd, 2012
H.N.P. (Klonosphere/Season Mist)
All the way from France, with their fourth release, H.N.P. or “Heic Noenum Pax” courtesy of TREPALIUM, which is also a pretty nasty torture device. The cover art by HICHAM HADDAJI kicks ass, but sadly this album is not as bad ass as the cover. If the goal was to cover as many bases as possible, mission accomplished! Everyone involved in this album are good players, I have no problem with that it’s just what they’re playing, I get the feeling I’ve heard it all before. They’re a Heavy-Groove band with a little Prog thrown in to make it more interesting. Then there are parts when they sound like a weird MESHUGGAH, STONE SOUR, PANTERA mash-up.
The vocals of Keke remind me of DEZ FAFARA of DEVILDRIVER and GARY MESKIL of PRO-PAIN. The guitar players, Nicolas Amosse and Hurun Demiraslan are good, but when it’s solo time they show they went to FREDRICK THORDENDAL (MESHUGGAH) school of guitar soloing. The rhythm section is doing their job well and there is good use of keyboards too. The only problem I found is the lack of cohesiveness in the songs. Everything sounds all over the place. It’s like an old mix tape in the styles these guys cover.
Everything’s pretty standard and mid-tempo grooving hard rock tunes. It’s a good clear production. Maybe too clean. The first, and title song is not a bad opener. It has some good Prog elements in there. Then out of nowhere comes “Let the Clown Rise”, blast beats and all the death metal nuggets you’d expect, but it just sounds out of place. There is a nice full on instrumentation with “Raining Past” and it’s not too long either. They end the album with a pretty solid cover of “I’m Broken” by the mighty PANTERA. It’s always nice to hear something besides “Walk” covered. Overall, it just sounds like too many other things and not one solid voice. I get what they were trying to do and hopefully next time they’ll hit it on the nose.
GRADE: C+
by Ojayy Cordy
Tags: black metal, cool album artwork, cover songs, dissonant guitar solos, djent, FREDRICK THORDENDAL, guitarist Hurun Demiraslan, guitarist Nicolas Amosse, H.N.P., Heavy Groove, HICHAM HADDAJI, Klonosphere/Season Mist, Meshuggah, metal army america, metal reviews by Ojayy, Pantera, prog, stone sour, TREPALIUM, vocalist Keke, “Heic Noenum Pax”, “I'm Broken"
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Tags: Brooklyn Vegan, can't miss tour announcement, doom, folk, Fun, Gates of Slumber, Hammers of Misfortune, metal army america, metal blade records, old school metal, ragers, rock, sumer tours, thrash
Posted in The Bunker, Tours and Festivals | No Comments »
Monday, July 16th, 2012
Stormwinds of Ages (Path Less Traveled Records)
VESPERIAN SORROW is a symphonic black metal band out of Austin, Texas. It is comprised of Donn Donni on Vocals, Kristoph on both Drums and Keyboards, William and JZD on Guitars, Justin M on Bass, and Subverseraph on Keyboards. They have supported acts such as MAYHEM, and have released four albums since their 1998 inception.
Ya know, it’s odd work reviewing symphonic black metal in the middle of July. When I finished the first listen of this album, I found it hard to believe that the album had been written in Austin, and not a Scandinavian wasteland. Stormwinds of Ages is an album that gets the job done, and nothing more. It’s like in high school and you had the option of an honors English class or the general class. An “A” in the general class is good, but an “A” in the honors class is exceptional. If you love symphonic metal, then go ahead and give the album a shot.
I’ve listened to the album numerous times, and there still hasn’t been a moment where the light bulb went off in my head. As a symphonic black metal band, it’s hard to compete with bands like DIMMU BORGIR or EMPEROR being in your genre. Stormwinds of Ages starts with the track “Sangui Vitam Est,” and it’s your stereotypical, instrumental, minute long opener track. The rest of the album is what you’d expect: fast paced music with synthesizer keyboards. I suppose I’ve been spoiled in the genre’s potential because DIMMU BORGIR used the Prague Symphony in their recording of Deathcult Armageddon. Cheesy keyboards in 2012 symphonic metal just can’t cut it, especially knowing that Austin has a wide variety of fantastic musicians in the area. The songs as a whole are decent. My favorite song on the album is “Eye of the Clocktower”, with some pretty good riffy stuff. Each instrument in the band fits together, creating a dense “wash of sound” to listen to. Occasional glimpses of clean vocals give the album a power or folk metal feel. Despite the lack of innovation in the album, it is still something I would listen to if I were in the mood for this genre.
The Bottom Line: Stormwinds of Ages has occasional glimpses of “Oh, hey, this is cool,” and then more of what you’d predict in a Symphonic Black Metal album.
 VESPERIAN SORROW: Scandinavian sounds from deep in the heart of Texas. GRADE: B
By Rachel Hacker
Tags: Dimmu Borgir, metal album reviews, metal army america, Path Less Traveled Records, Stormwinds of Ages, Vesperian Sorrow
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 20th, 2012
Welcome to the newest feature here at Metal Army America, one we’re really excited about! Two of our esteemed writers will tackle a controversial subject in metal and debate each side of an argument. Each topic will be examined like an experiment, analyzed philosophically and pontificated on like …..like a pontiff! (Editor’s note: bad pun intended, sorry.) Well, maybe if that pontiff was Papa Emeritus of GHOST! A thoughtful debate between Metal Army America writers on topics concern metal music, its culture and the fans is what we are aiming for. These debates won’t always be as simple as pro versus con since issues like these are rarely cut and dry. Our hope is you will read these blogs and join in the conversation (respectfully, always) with us here in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
And…. here….. we….. go!
RELIGION AND METAL:
Keith (Keefy) Chachkes: I have always been fascinated with the role religion plays in music, specifically metal. BLACK SABBATH was really the first band I learned of as a child who exploited people’s fears of religion in their music. This was pretty potent to the listener when their use of the tri-tone (“The Devil’s note”) was heard in their first recorded notes ever, gave birth to metal. They had songs about Witchcraft and Satanism, while constantly warning against the false righteousness of the other side. Original black metal bands like VENOM and CELTIC FROST were outwardly evil sounding and promoted The Devil as the enemy of normal society, and the prowess of the occult over anything else. This has influenced everything that has happened in heavy music in the last thirty years.
American bands like EXODUS, SLAYER and POSSESED were the next generation bands to reference it heavily, often pitting Christianity against metal as a whole. Most of the old-school death metal bands, when they weren’t fixated on gore, were quite blasphemous (hats off to you DEATH & GLEN BENTON!). Being anti-religion of any kind is enough to get you censored and threatened with jail in most societies, just ask NERGAL of Behemoth or the guys from WATAIN. From church burning Norwegian bands in the 1990′s to modern Neo-folk/Pagan Metal, your favorite Norse/Viking metal bands, modern black and death metal bands and even the recent “occult rock” bands all use religion to attract fans, draw endless topics for songs and define themselves.
 “Jesus, you say? I don’t believe we’ve met.” With all the energy spent on hating Jude-Christian values, there is a flip side rarely talked about by fans. If religions didn’t exist, what would they be angry at? I’m sure there would still be plenty of shitty things in the world to sing about if there were no religion. Personally, I can enjoy the music of bands like THE CHARIOT, FOR TODAY, and MY CHILDREN MY BRIDE who use their music as a platform to promote their beliefs, even if I find the on stage preaching distasteful. They certainly have a right to do it, as does NILE to talk about ancient Sumerian beliefs, as does CHTHONIC does to discuss their historic religious culture in a modern political context. It’s all good to me and makes a more interesting world of heavy music to listen to and write about.
Dave Williams: Since being handed this assignment, I’ve been struggling somewhat with my potential approach. For those who know me only superficially, my position should seem obvious. My feelings on religion (Christianity in general) are quite public, and I play in a band that exists solely to question/attack the theistic masses.
 Was this a good thing or a bad thing?
That said, there is the part of me that very strongly believes that music’s true purpose (particularly in the case of metal, hardcore, punk, and any other ‘rebel’ music) is the unbridled expression of our passions, regardless of what those might be. As members of these subcultures, we have always been beacons for free speech, and to draw lines as to who should be allowed to say what seems rather hypocritical…
However, then there is my true stance on this matter: Metal (and again, hardcore/punk/etc) was born as a reactionary position against the purveying herd mentality of the Western hemisphere (and has obviously expanded its scope quite significantly since), and part of that mentality, undeniably, is the pox upon our species that is Christianity. For eons, the befuddled masses have commandeered and swept countless cultures and histories under the proverbial rug, and the co-opting of rebel music as a form of ‘praise’ is simply another example of the slow, steady trampling of the world’s beauty beneath the lumbering feet of a billion filthy, bleating sheep.
(I should mention that my feelings on the presence of other ‘religions’ within the genre are not quite as strong. Granted, this is inevitably somewhat personal as Christianity simply hits closer to home, but as I attribute nearly all of the modern world’s ills to the spread of the Christian disease, any counterpoint is at least slightly welcome)
To melodramatically drive my point home, I leave you with this: To me, metal is the Cerberus-guarded gates that separate true humanity from celestial, dead-eyed lunatics. Metal is the fucking nails that bind their fictional savior to the planks that adorn a billion fools’ walls the world over. Simply put, metal is a pure expression of freedom (in an entirely non-patriotic, non-nationalist sense), and spiritual surrender is its fundamental opposition. Follow Metal Army contributor Dave Williams at: his website and on Twitter.
What’s your opinion? We’d like to know!
Tags: black metal, Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, christianity, death, Death Metal, deicide, doom, EXODUS, for today, Glen Benton, metal army america, MY CHILDREN MY BRIDE, neo folk, nergal, Norwegian black metal, Pagan Metal, Possessed, satanism, slayer, The Chariot, the devil, thrash, USBM, Venom, watain
Posted in The Bunker | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012
Reign Supreme (Relapse)
In a perfect world DYING FETUS would be a much bigger band than they are. Granted they didn’t pick a moniker when they were starting out based on commercial viability. Still, I used to get mad years ago when I would meet some fellow metal heads and they didn’t know this band to be one of the leaders of all of death metal. In the years that have passed since then DYING FETUS has continued to stay consistent and make great music, despite having to watch other bands rise in popularity, headline festivals and sell more records. Not that the band gives two shits about that either. They just do what they do year after year: they make some of the best, most brutal music on the planet.
I first heard “Invert The Idols” on the bands’ spring tour and it blew me away with it’s sick musician ship and speed. Consider this is one of the best bands in the genre and fast what they do naturally, and that prior statements gets some context. Right off the bat the production sounds miles better than their last album, which sounded pretty good. The drums sit in the pocket with all the sick vocals while guitar and bass sound evenly balanced and clear. Many death metal bands prefer crude production, but I have always appreciate that the FETUS guys are musicians who care about the how their albums sound. The opening sweep picking riff will take the wind out of you while you try to process it. The song is blisteringly fast and over in a blink at just over two minutes. Similarly “Subject to a Beating” is another mind-blowing blast-beat laden romp. This time both John Gallagher and Sean Beasley share the vocal leads and compliment each other like never before. They both veer back and forth between the growled indecipherable vocals and then clearer, understandable ones. Mostly, they use their voices as extra instruments like many vocalists in the style. Some of the riffs on the album pack in all types of scales and licks performed with a precision not usually possible at these inhuman speeds. Prog is not a word I tend to think of when discussing this band, but there are definite proggy moments on this album. As a trio they have never backed down from being great players. “Second Skin” is another fast crusher that has elements of music beyond standard death metal styles. This album has some excellent groove parts on it too, which the band hasn’t over-used like just about every other band. “From Womb to Waste” begins with what is surely the sample of 2012: “It’s not my fault I’m pregnant and I love drugs. Who cares? Fuck the baby. Let it die!”. The grinding beat of the song and the mean riffs give it a sinister, eerie effect. Drummer Trey Williams has been at the forefront of death drummers for ages, but doesn’t often get mentioned in the year end lists. He is tight at any tempo and whether it is using choice fills on slow beats or insanely fast parts, he is as strong on record as he is live. “Dissidence” sounds awesome with its manic opening and both vocalists unleashing a howling scream. The song is more like a classic FETUS cut, when they were a little more hardcore influenced (don’t you dare call it deathcore). I love the head-nodding beat and the straight up chord changes too. “In the Trenches” is similar to start out with a straight a head chug. Gallagher puts together one of the best guitar performances of any album this year. “Devout Atrocity” again makes with the acrobatic riffs and scales. The fact that Beasley not only can keep up, but holds his own in the bass department is admirable. There is a neat stomp-groove part that recalls both OBITUARY and BOLT THROWER at one point, both key influences on the band. Gallagher opens “Revisionist Past” with a sick lead guitar solo before the preposterous tempo kicks in and the song becomes a gnarly blur. I can’t wait to see the YouTube videos popping up for bands trying to play this one! The final song is “The Blood Of Power” and is a fitting end to such a great album. The song has bits of everything that makes them great, including more stellar axe work. Underrated no more, DYING FETUS has ascended the mantle of the greats of death metal, whether the average fan knows it or not.
 If you are still sleeping on DYING FETUS, just kill yourself.
GRADE: A+
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: bassist/vocalist Sean Beasley, blast beats, Bolt Thrower, Death Metal, drummer Trey Williams, dying fetus, Grindcore, guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher, metal army america, Obituary, old school death metal, prog, reign supreme, Relapse, shred, tech death
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Sunday, June 17th, 2012
Phantom Antichrist (Nuclear Blast)
Proving that they get better with age, long-running German thrashers KREATOR are back with a kick ass new album. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to most observers since the band has been one of the most consistent bands of any group to come out of the early 80s that are still kicking around. For most of their thirty years in the business, they have been a leading light of the global thrash metal movement and we don’t that too lightly here at Metal Army. These guys are not going through the motions. They are at a creative peak and actually still write meaningful, killer, heavy music.
Kicking off album number thirteen with a calm intro, the track gives way to a regal, rocking announcement fit for an army. “Mars Mantra + Phantom Antichrist” is in typical form for KREATOR: a smoking lead off track that you envision them opening up a concert with. You can just picture them just laying the crowd to waste with this song. Mille Petrozza is ageless as a riff master and a vocalist. Riffs that sound classic and fresh at the same time will definitely resonate with the listener. Lyrically, Mille is also in typically great form. When 75% of the lyricists in metal show little artistry, context or poetry in their words, Petrozza doesn’t need to lean on obvious choices to express himself. Whether its rebellion, politics or controversial issues, KREATOR always has concise, anthemic words to sing/scream along with that are crystal clear. The combination of all of these things makes for a masterful table setter for the rest of the album.
“Death To the World” may have a meat and potatoes title, but the song behind it is massively clever. Great, aggressive riffs and melodies topped off by cool beats make this another standout early track. There is a cool breakdown and a fiery solo followed by a great harmony-lead part by Petrozza and Sami Yli-Sirniö. “From Flood Into Fire” switches things up with a cool half-time power groove beat to nod your head to. The album is full of sick grooves, which only serves to make the thrash parts that much better. Other than a brief, chilled out interlude, the song crushes big time. They is a sweet guitar solo in it too, the kind you’ve come to expect from this band. “Civilization Collapse” is so harsh across the board; it might be the album’s best song. Great songwriting and inspiring choices musically. “United In Hate” starts of with a deceptive classical guitar piece before unleashing holy blazing hell. Shredding solos, right-hand down-picked riffs and machine gun double-pedal work by Ventor Reil make it work. Ventor keeps getting better album after album. Another strong track is “The Few, The Proud and The Broken”. Superb melodic guitar lines, a marching drum pattern and more great sing-along chorus parts. There is even a slightly prog-rock break down at one point that is a neat left turn for your ear. Mille continues to astound! Key and tempos changes, shifting solos and top of the line playing make this a can’t miss. It’s almost like the kind of song you wish some of the older thrash metal bands from the 80′s were still writing. “Your Heaven My Hell” introduces some moody dynamics and vocals with smooth walking bass lines by Christian Geisler. This is all before the big chorus explodes and the song kicks into another gear entirely. “Victory Will Come” is another fast jam, tailor made for the circle pit, while the album closer “Until Our Paths Cross Again” is another mini-epic full of a range of emotions. This album is among the best work of the band, not just in this era, but in their entire history.
 KREATOR in 2012: still making essential albums. GRADE: A
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes.
Tags: double-bass drumming, kreator, metal army america, metal reviews by Keefy, Nuclear Blast, Prog Metal, shredding solos, thrash
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Friday, June 15th, 2012
Your next chance to win free tickets to see the SHOCKWAVE 2012 TOUR is this Monday! Just answer our metal trivia question to win a pair of tickets to see FEAR FACTORY, VOIVOD, CATTLE DECAPITATION, MISERY INDEX, REVOCATION, HAVOK, along with DIRGE WITHIN, LAST CHANCE TO REASON, VILDHJARTA, THE BROWNING & FORGED IN FLAME. Check back here often, Like us on our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter too and share with all of your friends to increase your chances of winning. Don’t miss out, check back Monday 6/18 at 12 Noon PST.
Tags: cattle decapitation, contests, dirge within, Eliot Bayless, FEAR FACTORY, havok, LAST CHANCE TO REASON, metal army america, misery index, revocation, SEXCREMENT, Sloppy Seconds, The Browning, vildhjarta, voivod
Posted in Contests, The Bunker | No Comments »
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