Posts Tagged ‘slayer’
Friday, May 3rd, 2013
I can’t believe I just wrote the words Jeff Hanneman, legendary guitarist of Slayer, passed away; but I did. I really didn’t want to believe it was true and me being ever the skeptic, I was sure SLAYER’S Facebook page was hacked and this was a sick joke. But it wasn’t. Jeff Hanneman really passed away yesterday at the young at of 49 from liver failure, with a lot of life in him and many riffs we won’t get to hear.
Jeffrey John Hanneman was born in Oakland, California in 1964, but grew up in the Southern California town of Long Beach. Growing up in a family full of military veterans, including his father, sparked a lifelong fascination with war, warfare and the repercussions of it on society. His curiosity would later lead some to charge SLAYER with prejudice and Nazi-ism, but that has all been squashed over time. Even as a young man Jeff felt the pull of metal and of classic metal bands like IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST, which he later bonded with KERRY KING over. A young Jeff was drawn to the anger and discontent of early Hardcore Punk bands such as D.R.I., MINOR THREAT, DISCHARGE, GBH, BAD BRAINS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and his local favorites, T.S.O.L. This left an indelible mark on Jeff’s writing in SLAYER, and of course led to the making of the covers album Undisputed Attitude in 1995. In addition to punk covers and one SLAYER original, the album featured four Jeff-penned songs from his aborted punk rock side project/super group PAP SMEAR. PAP SMEAR would have featured DAVE LOMBARDO and ROCKY GEORGE in its ranks, with Jeff singing.
Jeff will of course forever be remembered by SLAYER fans and fans of thrash metal in general for his lyrics, riffs and solos that punctuate most of the classic bands’ most prominent hits. “Angel of Death” arguably the best and most recognized song of the classic thrash era. Of course, he also wrote the music and/or lyrics to some of the all-time great metal songs such as “Raining Blood”, “War Ensemble”, “Seasons In The Abyss”, “South of Heaven”, “Dead Skin Mask”, “Disciple” and many more. What really impresses me thinking about him now, is how Jeff wrote many of the most underrated songs in the bands’ catalog too: songs like “Spirit In Black”, “Hardening of the Arteries”, “213”, “Behind The Crooked Cross”, and my personal favorite: “Die By The Sword”. He also wrote most of the excellent songs on his last album, World Painted Blood. As a lead guitarist, along with King, he forged a style that broke out of the typical box of typical Pentatonic scale repping blues players, to play solos that mirrored the chaos of the songs and the subject matter. Doing that style at the height of early 80s shred, was brave stuff for the times, indeed. The sound of his leads will always be unmistakable.
This musical legacy he has left behind is essential to the history of the genre and can never be undone. Jeff was glad to stalk his side of the stage, feel the roar of the wall of amps behind him, and see the crowd out in front of him going apeshit. He was glad to share the spotlight rather, than muscle into it and take it over. His style was undeniable. His scowling face of hatred and and evil joy as he soloed his fingers into oblivion is something I will remember, always.
 Jeff Hanneman, with SLAYER, in better days…
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: Jeff Hanneman, RIP, slayer, thrash
Posted in The Bunker | No Comments »
Monday, March 25th, 2013
Fast Loud Death (Nuclear Blast Records)
When the listener puts on LOST SOCIETY’s debut album, Fast Loud Death, they hear a band that sounds like they`ve spent a few years on the scene. Maybe it’s a couple of 20-something guys who decided it was their turn to be the thrash scene’s most promising band. In reality, the band members’ ages range from 17 to 19. The band was signed by Nuclear Blast Records at the end of last year following a successful playing at a Global Battle of the Bands. It was at that moment that LOST SOCIETY’s music began to creep out of Finland and into other parts of the world.
The album as a whole is fast paced and full of non-stop action. It has just about everything a listener hopes to find in a modern thrash metal album. The cover itself is classic thrash art. Even though they may not be of age in some parts of the world, they can party just as heard as thrash revival titans MUNICIPAL WASTE. No songs even hit the five-minute mark; their longest track is just over four minutes while their shortest is barely a full minute.
“N.W.L.” is a powerful start to the album. “I’m coming at you” growls front man SAMY ELBANNA. The band is letting the listener know they’ve arrived and they’re here to stay. Hints of METALLICA can be heard on the track when it comes to their guitar sound, but they make it all their own.
“Diary of a Thrashman” is an obvious homage to OZZY OSBOURNE’s defining Diary of a Madman, a kind of status that the band may obtain in their future. There aren’t a whole lot of vocals or lyrics on the track; it’s mostly just pure thrashing. It might be the track where they most closely resemble MUNICIPAL WASTE. The main lyric is “I’m gonna get a drink now.” It’s the kind of song you’d expect to hear on The Art of Partying.
“Fatal Anoxia” starts off by Elbanna letting out a short TOM ARAYA sounding yell a la “Angel of Death”. That’s about the extent of the SLAYER resemblance though. The rest is the band members screaming the title at a furious pace that has not let up since the album started. They then culminate with the sound of heavy guitar work and crushing percussion noises fading out. It leaves the listener prepared for what may come with their next album. This is the kind of album that can be played on repeat until that time. After this promising start, LOST SOCIETY is sure to develop a more distinct sound and leave the forefathers of thrash behind.
 LOST SOCIETY: A bold debut release! GRADE: A-
By: Melissa Campbell
Tags: Fast Loud Death, LOST SOCIETY, Metallica, municipal waste, neo-thrash, nuclear blast records, NWOATM, ozzy osbourne, SAMY ELBANNA, shred, slayer, thrash, Tom Araya
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Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
In this exclusive feature special to this blog, today we present the gig report from CLIFF BURTON’S first gig with METALLICA which took place on this date, thirty years ago today. It was truly a momentous occasion in the history of Bay Area Thrash and all of metal as Cliff’s addition to the band truly set them apart from the pack in the scene. Re-printed with permission originally as is ran Metal Mania #10, 1983, and more recently appeared as a critical chapter in the book MURDER IN THE FRONT ROW. Written by BRIAN LEW and HAROLD OIMOEN (D.R.I.), MITFR came out last year from Bazillion Points.
METALLICA, THE STONE, MARCH 5, 1983
by Brian Lew, excerpt from Metal Mania #10, 1983
Six months have passed since METALLICA’s dubious San Francisco debut opening for BITCH in September of ‘82, but in those two hundred-odd days the group has built up a large, rabid following in the Bay Area. This particular show was dubbed “The Night Of The Banging Head” and was the debut of new bassist, Cliff Burton. As a crowd of three hundred or so filed into The Stone, the scene was set for what turned out to be the heaviest show in recent S.F. HM history!
Opening the show were LAAZ ROCKIT and EXODUS. The awesome EXODUS bludgeoned the bangers into submission and induced some wild thrashing on the dance floor with such murderous tunes as “Whipping Queen,” “Die By His Hand,” and “Impaler.” Despite an ecstatic crowd response, EXODUS were denied an encore, but they nonetheless wreaked havoc on craniums and left many a sore neck!
On the other hand, East Bay PRIEST/CRUE clones LAAZ ROCKIT were criminally lacking in originality. Although they do have a good stage presence and show, utilizing some effective lighting, and their new guitarist definitely improves them as a performing unit, their weak, predictable material overshadows these good points. At last, LAAZ completed their allotted set and were gone. Then it was time…
METALLICA, those Supreme Metal Gods, those Purveyors of Raging Sonic Decapitation, those Rabid Vodka-Powered Maniacs, blew our faces off as they stormed onstage through a flurry of smoke and blinding light and got things really banging with “Hit The Lights” and it was time to DIE!!!
As is their style, the band went from power to power as they steamed through “The Mechanix” and “Phantom Lord”, leaving the headbanging horde thrashed and raging, and it was only three songs into the set! The autobiographical “Motorbreath” was as fast as ever and even more plaster cascaded from the ceiling. At this show, the group was incorporating some new lighting and effects and the results were staggering! Their live show is now complete and is the most effective of any club band I’ve seen!
Next up was the fiery cauldron of “Jump In The Fire” and then that “war machine that eats its way across the land,” “No Remorse”! DEATH, DEATH, RESOUNDING DEATH!!! And still METALLICA mercilessly hacked through their list of nuclear soul shatterers. “Seek And Destroy” found its target and drilled our eardrums as the headbanging and thrashing of the crowd (and band) intensified.
The moment many had been waiting for soon arrived. Bassist Cliff Burton’s solo spot!!! Cliff built his solo from a haunting classical guitar-sounding ballad up to a crescendo of some of the fastest, most apocalyptic bass raging ever performed! Step aside Steve Harris, Bill Sheehan and Joey DeMaio!
Throughout his symphony, Cliff (a.k.a. God!) utilized his wah pedal to attain sounds that most would believe impossible; you could swear he was playing lead guitar, not bass. As his solo built up to its conclusion, drummer supreme Lars Ulrich (now playing double bass) and maestro of the six string Dave Mustaine leaped into an awesome jam session that had heads bobbing violently and hair flying in all directions. Then, in one swift action, they were rejoined by vocalist/rhythm guitarist/rager James Hetfield and sped into that ear bleeding anthem “Whiplash.”
As the crowd “banged their heads against the stage like they never did before,” the group continued to go mental right along with them! Closing the set were the two DIAMOND HEAD classics “Am I Evil?” and “The Prince,” which were played, in traditional METALLICA fashion, faster than Sean Harris, et al, could ever dream possible!
For their well-deserved (and loudly requested) encores, METALLICA brought back a song they performed in their early days, BLITZKRIEG’s bombastic “Blitzkreig” (Raging Metallic Death!!!) and then obliterated everyone and everything as they sliced into that anthem to end all anthems, the almighty ode to headbangers “Metal Militia”!!
With the addition of Cliff Burton, METALLlCA now have the heaviest and fastest lineup ever assembled. With dates confirmed for them in New York in early April (including a headlining show on the 1st and a support slot with VANDENBERG on the 8th), and their debut album expected in late spring, things are definitely beginning to happen for this band!
by Brian Lew
(Special thanks to Brian Lew for the blog, the use of the MITFR images and especially to Bazillion Points)
Tags: alex skolnick, Bay Area Thrash, Bazillion Points Publishing, Berekely, BLIND ILLUSION, Brian Lew, Cliff Burton, crossover, D.R.I., DEAD KENNEDY’S, DEATH ANGEL as little kids, Debbie Abono, discharge, East Bay, El Duce, EXODUS, forbidden, Gary Holt, gbh, Harald Oimoen, hardcore, Heathen, Ian Christie, Larry LaLonde, Les Claypool, Megadeth, meta reviews by Keefy, metal history, Metallica, Motorhead, Murder In The Front Row:Shots From The Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter, Oakland, Paul Baloff, Possessed, Primus, punk, robb flynn, Ron Quintana, Ruthie's Inn, slayer, testament, The Ramones, The Stone, Thrash Metal, Vio-lence, Whiplash Zine, Wolfgang's
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Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
By Laina Dawes (Bazillion Points)
“What always appealed to me about rock music is the feeling of freedom, that I could finally be who I wanted to be and sing the music that I felt in my heart. Some black people that I met in the music industry felt that we could be stronger and better empowered if we all stayed within in the same box, but I had always relished the fact that I never belonged to any cliques, or any scenes…” ~SKIN, SKUNK ANANSIE (who wrote the forward of What Are You Doing Here?)
Racism. It has been like the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room at many shows I have been to in my life. Sometimes it is really subtle and hidden in layers of behaviors of strangers, and other times it hits you in the face like a hammer. I have seen both fans, and even some performers deeply affected by overwhelming ignorance at a venue. I have seen the little looks and gestures fucktards have made about someone on stage, as well as other things; like security guards and how they handle situations differently with people. They all add up. Since music is a reflection of all of life: the good and all of the ugliness of it all, no one is really immune to it. I think a lot of people don’t even consider it real unless it affects them personally. Thankfully for the music world, and maybe the world in general for LAINA DAWES, her personal journey and an honest attempt to pry open the society’s once blind eye in her new book.
In the introduction to What Are You Doing Here?: A Black Woman’s Life And Liberation in Heavy Metal, Dawes opens her psyche and the music worlds’ a crack and lets us know where her journey began and what her original idea was for the book. Along the way apparently, it became a bit more of a memoir, but the personal stories form her and her many subjects she interview cement the issues in a way, that might not resonate for everyone (I.E. the people who most need to read this book). She takes us not just on a journey through music history, but sociology, psychology, and all of the rules, hurt and mores put upon us by segmenting subcultures and everyday people. It is also a story of her own journey of self-discovery, pain and eventual liberation through metal.
Dawes grew up in rural Ontario, Canada to her adoptive white parents. Although she was attracted to all kinds of music growing up, she identified closely with the sounds and the themes of early rock and metal. Sounds of BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE and KISS gave to JUDAS PRIEST, SLAYER and ever more extreme styles of music. Music was often Dawes only escape from a childhood filled with strife from her predominantly white school mates who shunned her. Perhaps even worse derision came from her black friends, who didn’t always understand why she loved that “white devil music”. Especially when they of all people needed to feel like it should be their music too.
 SKIN of SKUNK ANANSIE wrote the forward, gave a first hand account about being treated as an outsider. What Dawes learned as she got older that her tastes broadened, but the mindset of the people she encountered became even more narrow. She had to overcome the double whammy of sexism in the scene too. One that any woman has to had to face, (which this blog has covered a lot lately), which only complicated matters for her male counterparts. Not only that, sometimes the incidents she was involved in turned ugly and downright violent too. Lucky for her, as she went on her mission to uncover and understand these issues better, she found out she was less alone then she feared she was. So after years of making her name in music journalism as a writer, respected author, blogger and concert photographer, she set out to research this book. Before writing a word; she found an army of artists who knew exactly what she was talking about. In addition to SKIN, who talked in the forward about her own record company making no effort to understand how to market her band, to a who’s who of artists old and new such as JOYCE KENNEDY from MOTHER’S FINEST, SANDRA ST. VICTOR of the THE FAMILY STAND, NONA HENDRIX, YVONNE DUCKWORTH of JINGO DE LUNCH, solo artist and band leader TAMAR-KALI, ALEXIS BROWN of STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, DALLAS COYLE (ex-GOD FORBID), ASHLEY GREENWOOD of RISE FROM ASHES, URITH MYREE of DORMITORY EFFECT, DIAMOND ROWE of TETRACH, SAIDAH BABA TALIBAH of BLAXAM and MILLITIA VOX from SWEAR ON YOUR LIFE among many others. She also interviewed countless writers, and not just metal writers, but experts on cultural race theory (Dawes herself is also an expert in the field) and tons of metal heads and former scene people (from when “scene” wasn’t a dirty word). The level of the writing in the book is phenomenal and really gives you deep understanding of what an endemic problem this is in every walk of the life, not just in music. All of this shameful sadness surrounding this music that is supposed to be all about freedom of expression.
The freedom that is eventually found by Dawes and also her peers, hasn’t come without a heavy cost. Not just what she or others like her have been through, but also when others perpetuate stereotypes that hold everyone back. When she calls out some of the biggest names in the genre for their past indiscretions and doesn’t let them off the hook, she is sending out a rallying cry all over. She begs the question that a lot of metal fans seem to sweep under the rug; which is how can you support a band or a person who is blatantly racist? I have heard metal heads dismiss the issue with the words “he said sorry later” or, “that was in the 1990s”, “I just like the music” and not think it affects people if they can see it themselves. Pitiful.
This book needs to be mandatory reading for every new metal head, not just black women. Perhaps you can reach the most ignorant and hateful, but the audience that most needs to read this book in my opinion is white, male, metal fans. All of them. This book may have been written by Dawes to help her piece together her own plight, but I believe she wrote a book that can open up all manner of healthy dialogue. I leave you readers with a quote from one of my favorite writers on how to over come these issues:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou
 Ms. Dawes has been through a lot, stands tall irregardless, and still loves and covers metal.
You can buy the book and other great books about metal from Bazillion Points, here on their website.
GRADE: A
by Keith Chachkes
Tags: Alexis Brown, ASHLEY GREENWOOD, bazillion points, Black Sabbath, BLAXAM, by Laina Dawes, cultural race theory, Dallas Coyle, DEEP PURPLE and KISS gave to JUDAS PRIEST, DIAMOND ROWE, DORMITORY EFFECT, great writing, JINGO DE LUNCH, JOYCE KENNEDY, Maya Angelou, MILLITIA VOX, MOTHER'S FINEST, NONA HENDRIX, paradigm shifts, psychology, racism in metal, RISE FROM ASHES, SAIDAH BABA TALIBAH, SANDRA ST. VICTOR, SKIN, SKUNK ANANSIE, slayer, sociology, straight line stitch, SWEAR ON YOUR LIFE, TAMAR-KALI, TETRACH, THE FAMILY STAND, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?, YVONNE DUCKWORTH
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Friday, December 21st, 2012
Here is Keefy’s final Top Ten from his overall Top 40 Metal Albums of 2012 list! Enjoy!
#10. CRYPTOPSY- Cryptopsy (Self Released)
To paraphrase comedian Chris Rock, I’m tired of apologizing for CRYPTOPSY. I was in the minority among people when I loved The Unspoken King. I’m sure as people are reading this; they are scratching their heads again. No matter, CRYPTOPSY has silenced all their critics with an album that matches the best work of their career. A brutal slab of technical death metal on every level the album is great for all the reasons that made the band stellar in the first place. Obviously, people talk about the inhuman level of Drummer FLO MOUNIER. However, the real strength of the band is returning guitarist and writer JON LEVASSEUR and mainstay guitarist/uber producer CHRISITAN DONALDSON. The songs they wrote are superb. I was nervous about Oliver Pinard being able to replace ERIC LANGLOIS on bass, but even he was great too! Lastly, MATT MCGATCHY‘s performance provides the shut the fuck up moment of the year to all the haters. Well done sirs!
#9. PRONG- Carved Into Stone (Long Branch Records/SPV)
I thought my birthday came early this year when PRONG’s new album came out. PRONG has always been one of my favorite bands and all of their recorded output has been always been strong. Carved Into Stone is actually the bands best album since 1996′s Rude Awakening. Not only is the album full of sick tunes, but over the top, guitar playing in general is terrific. TOMMY VICTOR (DANZIG, MINISTRY) has been known for two things in his career: great songs and being a riff master general. The album displays an unexpected depth for any record in 2012. Packed with just the right touch of technical mastery and catchy songwriting to please and the hardcore soul, which hearkens back to Tommy’s NYC metal roots. The performances from TONY CAMPOS (SOULFLY/ MINISTRY/STATIC-X/ASESINO/POSSESSED/OTEP) and ALEXI RODRIGUEZ (ex-3 INCHES OF BLOOD) are matched perfectly too, making this one of the baddest power trio’s around.
#8. GOJIRA – L’Enfant Sauvage (Roadrunner)
GOJIRA albums, when they come out, are an event. The metal world waits with baited breath and the results are always stellar. Armed with a new deal from Roadrunner, the band put out L’Enfant Sauvage over the summer to roars of approval. Perhaps, even I was too cynical to believe that GOJIRA would continue to get increasingly popular as they stayed true to who they were? L’Enfant Sauvage is a great blend of the Progressive Rock/Metal, Tech Death, old-school Death Metal and Thrash influences they are known for. Then there is their subject matter: they are one of the most thoughtful and socially conscious bands around, lyrically. The album hits the right mood on every level, every time and has the musical confidence of a band much more senior in years. Songs like “Explosia”, “The Axe” and “Liquid Fire” are going to be talked about in metal head circles for years to come.
#7. CANNIBAL CORPSE- Torture (Metal Blade)
Like a beautifully marbled steak or a legendary work of art, CANNIBAL CORPSE truly does get better with age. It seems likely that much like SLAYER, the death metal godfathers will keep right on trucking on to oblivion, making skull splitting, gore filled albums for as long as they can. Torture is perfect in every way and all of the things you love about the band are in the mix. Perhaps due to being the most collaborative written album in the bands history, the sound from song to song is quite eclectic. Not like Dubstep, power-ballad eclectic, mind you, but the band has figured out how to blend different song styles seamlessly. Inventive new chord structures and riffs, hard to fathom bass lines and stupendous drumming are all topped off by GEORGE “CORPSEGRINDER” FISHER‘s impeccable voice from hell. Plus, don’t forget the grooves. Oh those crushing grooves! Nobody writes a grooving-ass, brutal riff better than ALEX WEBSTER. The band continues to be the yard stick by which all death metal music and consequently, all death metal bands are measured.
#6. C.O.C. – C.O.C. (Candlelight)
That C.O.C. was able to make a comeback as a trio at this point in their career is not a surprise. The fact that they reunited to make an amazing album is not even a question. What I am surprised by, is that it seems like the rest of the world has caught up to the sound of the band and the love from fans and the press is over flowing. When last we saw C.O.C. as a trio it was the 80s and they were mostly an underground phenomenon. Lots of bands like to say they were influenced by the Sludgy, Crossover Doom masters, but in this age of the Internet; flattery goes a long way to help a new bands rep.To hear WOODY WEATHERMAN tell it, the reunion circuit was totally un-interesting to the band, unless they were gonna make new music. C.O.C., the album has more quality and vitality than many of the upstarts of the genre they helped put on the map. MIKE DEAN‘s bass is full of fuzz and style; Woody‘s soloing is on fire and REED MULLEN, back for the first time in over decade, drums and sings like a man possessed. Let us not forget the poignant political lyrics, much welcomed in these troublesome times of a divided America. You might say the metal world needed C.O.C. to come back, as much as they needed to make a comeback themselves.
#5. MESHUGGAH- Koloss (Nuclear Blast)
What can you say about MESHUGGAH that hasn’t been said already? It’s not hard to run out of superlatives when talking about the most influential metal band of the last fifteen years. Whether Koloss was going to be great or not was likely not debatable. What was up for grabs, was what direction these geniuses would take the iconic music we have all come to expect. The results were stunning. Can you change things up, and still be the same band? By definition no, but that is MESHUGGAH for you. Koloss is a collection of songs much like the rest of the bands’ storied catalog: brutal, and complex. Most of the songs feature a pulsing groove that has come to the fore in the bands work of late. Every beat and riff is a maelstrom of twisting delight, overlapping time signatures and finger-defying licks galore. Most of all, the album sets another technical high water-mark for guitarist FREDRICK THORDENDAL and drummer TOMAS HAAKE.
#4. TESTAMENT- Dark Roots Of Earth (Nuclear Blast)
The return of TESTAMENT to their former level of greatness is nothing short of a triumph for all of metal. 2008′s Formation of Damnation was an excellent comeback album, after almost a decade of no new music. In the interim years since getting back together, they have toured tirelessly around the world, reignited their chemistry and fulfilled the promise of their early career. Dark Roots of Earth takes the concept of the old-school Thrash style, added a modern sensibility and took it all one step further. Only EXODUS and ANTHRAX have been able to pull of the feat of making new music for modern ears, staying true to their past and begin able to add a level of panache. ERIC PETERSON finally got his dream come true by getting GENE HOGLAN to write and record drums for a TESTAMENT album. The unrelenting bottom end of the songs gives the band a new power they have never had. Every song is a gem. “Native Blood” is one of the catchiest, yet grooviest songs I’ve heard in ages. The chorus is also the best of 2012. CHUCK BILLY‘s ageless voice carries the day and ALEX SKOLNICK displays the chops that verify his legions of fans. Even GREG CHRISTIAN is heard from, with some excellent bass lines. Dark Roots of Earth is all killer and positively no filler.
#3. BARONESS- Yellow And Green (Relapse)
One of the most anticipated albums of 2012 did not disappoint when BARONESS dropped the latest in their color-themed recent discography. The band made no pretense that this album would be not be metal and frankly, that was OK by me. If you have been following the band, they have been less concerned with the trappings of fitting in, in their career up to this point. They instead stayed true to their artistic authenticity. What BARONESS delivered is a double-album of incredible songs, displaying great chops and the best dynamics overall of any album on this list. Some of the songs are quite heavy, but more often than not, that heaviness never came the expense of melodies or tones. “Take My Bones Away” was my out and out favorite song of the entire year. “March To The Sea” was another stone cold rocker, the likes that haven’t been heard since the heyday of QUEEN or THIN LIZZY. Some of the best moments are the most unexpected ones; like the freak-out synth work in “Cocanium”. All of the keyboard work is stellar as is the bass playing, which band leader John Baizley played all of too. “Back Where I Belong”, “Eula” and “Board Up The House” will also rank at the top of the bands’ song book for years to come. The “Green” side of the double set is equally tuneful and more mellow, but no less mint song-craft wise. Finally, tying it all together is the brilliant cover artwork, the years’ best; also by Baizley once again.
#2. DYING FETUS- Reign Supreme (Relapse)
DYING FETUS is such a great band in its current incarnation that one almost forgets there were entire years in their history marked by upheavals and departures. The present day lineup has been intact since 2007 and the comfort level they have together creating the most brutal Death Metal possibly known to man is sky high. Through it all, JOHN GALLAGHER has been the one constant: constantly growing as a guitarist and writer and constantly writing pissed the fuck off, baffling and sick lyrics. Reign Supreme might be remembered years from now as one of the top three releases of the bands’ career with its non-stop violence inspired songs. GALLAGHER and his p-i-c SEAN BEASLEY crush it out of the park on the guttural vocals. Beasley, who was always an underrated bassist for the genre, plays some of the best passages ever recorded for the instrument in the context of technical death metal. TREY WILLIAMS also one-ups his performance from Descend Into Depravity, being a might less technical, but still precise as fuck and bludgeoning as all hell. His blasts are far and away my favorite of any drummer on album this entire year. The album is a masterpiece of death metal brilliance, and that is really saying something considering how deep the sub-genre is these days.
#1. IHSAHN- Eremita (Candlelight)
In what was a high quality year at the top of the heap of metal music, IHSAHN‘s fourth solo outing is my choice for the album of the year. It’s not the sexy choice compared with typical years past, but it is the best choice, by far. Eremita is a sprawling, ambitious album full of musical twists and turns, yet perfectly coalescing into a sensible piece of art. In an interview I conducted with him for Metal Army he talked about the creative process as a continual evolution, a death followed by a rebirth. That would just begin to cover the emotional and lyrical depth in the music. In many ways, this is the album that IHSAHN, famously known as the legendary front man of EMPEROR, has been building up to for his entire career. His mastery as a composer, guitarist, vocalist and lyricist is without equal at this point in his career. Musically the songs cover the gamut of emotions and styles and reveal a complexity that mirrors the artist himself. Songs like “Arrival”, “The Paranoid”, “Something Out There”, “The Eagle And The Snake” and “Departure” are among the best of the year. Topping off the package are the guest performances by the likes of DEVIN TOWNSEND, JEFF LOOMIS, EINAR SOLBERG (LEPROUS), JEFF MUNKENBY on sax and IHSAHN’s wife HEIDI S. TVEITEN‘s enchanting vocal turns, which sends the quality of the album into the stratosphere.
 Genius level achieved. KEEFY PREVIOUS TOP METAL ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
2011: TOMBS- Path of Totality
2010: EXODUS: Exhibit B
2009: MASTODON: Crack The Skye
2008: OPETH: Watershed
2007: MACHINE HEAD: The Blackening
2006: MASTODON: Blood Mountain
2005: MESHUGGAH: Catch Thirty-Three
2004: MACHINE HEAD: Through The Ashes Of Empires
Tags: 3 Inches of Blood, alex skolnick, Alex Webster, Alexi Rodriguez, Anthrax, Asesino, Avant Garde, Baroness, C.O.C., Candlelight, Cannibal Corpse, Carved Into Stone, chuck billy, cryptopsy, Danzig, Dark Roots Of Earth, death, Death Metal, descend into depravity, Devin Townsend, djent, doom, Drummer FLO MOUNIER, drummer/vocalist REED MULLEN, dying fetus, EINAR SOLBERG, emperor, EREMITA, eric peterson, EXODUS, FREDRICK THORDENDAL, Gene Hoglan, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, Gojira, GREG CHRISTIAN, guitarist JON LEVASSEUR, guitarist/uber producer CHRISITAN DONALDSON, HEIDI S. TVEITEN, Ihsahn, Jeff Loomis, JEFF MUNKENBY, John Gallagher, Koloss, leprous, Long Branch Records, L’Enfant Sauvage, MATT MCGATCHY, Meshuggah, METAL BLADE, mike dean, Ministry, Nuclear Blast, Otep, Possessed, power groove, prog, Prog Metal, Proggressive Death Metal, Prong, Queen, reign supreme, reviews by Keefy, roadrunner, rock, SEAN BEASLEY, slayer, sludge, Soulfly, spv, Static-X, tech death, testament, Thin Lizzy, Thrash Metal, Tomas Haake, Tommy Victor, Tony Campos, Top Albums, Top Ten Metal Albums of 2012, Torture, Trey Williams, woody weatherman, Year End Best Metal Album Lists, Yellow and Green, “Native Blood”
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews, Top 10 Lists | No Comments »
Sunday, December 2nd, 2012
 Cristina Scabbia of LACUNA COIL It’s debate time again at Metal Army. We figured you were all burned out by the election and enough time has passed by now, so we could bring you all a worthwhile topic: Women in metal. We are always interested in analyzing social paradigms (I know, a heady concept for metal heads). I’ve always felt there was a wide contrast between how many powerful and talented women there are in the metal community and how they are treated and portrayed by that same community. Since I am not a woman, I consulted three of Metal Army’s best writers (of any gender) in Melissa Campbell, Rachel Hacker and Lynn Jordan. They each have a unique perspective to share on the subject. We have also included some concert photos of our favorite women in metal, doing what they do, so read on…..
 KRYSTA CAMERON, EX-IWRESTLEDABEARONCE
Melissa Campbell: Overcoming obstacles to love metal
Ever since I became a fan of metal, I knew that I some were going to look down on me for being a girl. There have been plenty of moments where I’ve been laughed at by male metal listeners or told by them that I can’t listen to “their” music. Thankfully I’ve found plenty of guys who don’t care what gender I am. Those more negative experiences with metal guys have not caused me to harbor any bad feelings towards guys either. I idolize men like RONNIE JAMES DIO as much as women like AMY LEE.
 LYRIS HUNG of HUNG  MLNY PARSONZ of ROYAL THUNDER
Another problem I encountered in the past was not being allowed to go to metal shows. My father forbade it because he believed all those terrible stereotypes related to shows where males were in high attendance compared to females (i.e. rapes, getting hurt in pits, being kidnapped). Even though I promised to have my sister with me at all times, he was quite uncomfortable granting me permission. In his eyes, we as women were not capable of handling ourselves alongside “those types” of men.
 KIMBERLY FREEMAN of ONE EYED DOLL
However, in 2010, my mother bought me and my sister tickets to go to Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. My father was not too happy about it and claimed he was unaware we had been planning to attend. He started to trust us more when we returned alive and we are now able to go to shows with relatively low complaints from him.
 JILL JANUS of HUNTRESS
All that being said, gender discrimination in the genre has gone down in recent years thanks to the rise of female fronted (or completely female) bands. A few decades ago women were mainly viewed as sexual objects in the metal community. To those whose main goal was to just be a groupie and have fun that was alright. Other females who wanted to be taken seriously as musicians often had trouble with it (i.e. LITA FORD). The best contribution I can make (since I don’t want to be a musician) is to continue going to/writing about gigs and representing the female community.
Rachel Hacker: The Made-up Stigma
I read Jezebel every damn day of my life. Maybe if i stopped reading it, I’d get a boyfriend.
Nah.
So. Women. Consistently considered the lesser sex throughout history. Always being chastised for what we can’t do compared to men. Men are the “invisible demographic,” making them the standard for comparison on woman. However, comparing both of them side by side on every issue is absurd. This is essentially the classic apples-to-oranges argument, but this time we’re comparing penises and vaginas.
 FARIDA LEMOUCHI of THE DEVIL’S BLOOD
In the ever commercialized musical world of “Call Me Maybe”, there is an equally commercialized world of hard rock and heavy metal. Through seeing the 1996 stock photo of MARILYN MANSON in the local newspaper, or that GUNS N’ ROSES poster your dad secretly displays in the Man Cave, almost everyone has an image of what metal is “about.” The standard for what men wear and do as a rock artist was set in the 60s, while many women were still taking care of families to develop a true voice in metal and hard rock.
 RAE AMITAY of MARES OF THRACE/THRAWSUNBLAT/WOODS OF YPRES
 SUSAN WENDELKEN of DORMITORY EFFECT It’s only been in the past few decades that women aren’t put down on account of not having a family by age 30. Women don’t feel pressured to rush through getting married anymore, and we have some pretty damn good years of vitality in our 20s or older. The hoards of young women, with non-sagging breasts and sharp minds, are ready to do something different than clean diapers. Why not make play some metal and look hot doing it?
 CARLA HARVEY and HEIDI SHEPHERD of BUTCHER BABIES Some women and men find the “hot chicks in metal” to be degrading and embarrassing. Who’s embarrassed? Not me. The sex industry is huge, which means there are obviously people buying the porn that women and men make. Separating our sex and our music isn’t going to change much, considering most of the world is desensitized, anyways. Individuals who believe women should “cover up” are also playing the “chivalry card.” This ideal is essentially is built upon that women are “delicate flowers who can’t do anything on their own.”
Bullshit.
Women in metal are still being treated as if they can’t make their own decisions. “Oh, you’re topless, you must not be intelligent enough to know what you’re doing, let me help you.” It was only 100 years ago that masturbation was a mental illness, or that women still had sex while partially or fully clothed. So why are we still trying to cover up women- figuratively and literally?
 SOM PLUIJMERS, ex-CEREBRAL BORE If you’ve got a good rack and wanna show it, go for it. And while some tiny corner of the internet blogs about your lack of modesty, you’re too busy driving to the bank to care. Unfortunately, most of the bands with the “hot chicks in metal” don’t have music I actually like, but there will never be a moment where I feel like telling another women to cover up. The fashion standard for women in hard rock and metal should be the woman’s choice, not someone else’s choice. Therefore, if men are “apples” and women are “oranges,” the way they handle metal shouldn’t even be compared beyond the thought that “it exists.” The last thing we need is someone else like Mitt Romney.
 TRACY MYZERI GONZALEZ of EYES LIKE CYANIDE  AMANDA DANIELS of ENABLER Lynn Jordan: Women in the Metal Scene
PAUL STANLEY of KISS was once asked his opinion about a female hard rock performer. His response? “You need balls to rock ‘n’ roll”. MARC STORACE of KROKUS was doing record reviews for a magazine, and when one for a female performer came up he said,”…she should be doing better things. Like giving me head.”
I read both of these quotes many years ago. As you can see, I haven’t forgotten them; they remain etched in my brain.
 ARCH ENEMY, led by ANGELA GOSSOW I have to admit that when I first started playing bass, my inspirations were mostly male. There were women I loved that were famous with the heavier music that I admired that were writing their own songs, putting out great records and putting on incredible shows. As talented and gutsy as these women were, many male music fans still had a hard time giving them props. How dare these women get onstage and think they have what it takes?
How dare they?
But despite that, to this day no female Metal artist or all-female band has garnered the gushing recognition or respect that their male contemporaries receive as a matter of course. Why not?
 STEVIE FLOYD of DARK CASTLE/TAURUS I believe that for men to acknowledge and respect the female presence as Metal musicians is to give power to women that they don’t want them to have. Heavy Metal is a testosterone-fueled monster with images of blood, war, cars, devil worship, drinking, fucking, death, etc. None of these things are considered feminine. Men do these things. Women were intended to hang in the sidelines to worship, clean up, pay the bill, swallow, look pretty and smile while providing various services (comfort, food, shelter or sex-related) to these battle-scarred warriors of musical carnage. Many men don’t like women to be sweat-streaked, angry and storming a stage. Many men don’t like it when women speak their mind. Others don’t like a cursing, spit-fire bitch not taking their shit. Some men get defensive when a woman does something they think is exclusively theirs. And they certainly don’t like it when a woman can do something as well as they do, and does not need their approval to proceed as they please. So the very genre that prides itself on speaking its mind, empowering its listeners and letting its aggression out really doesn’t want their women to be a part of its voice.
 SIGRID SHEIE of HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE There is also that double-standard of image vs. talent. If a female musician is beautiful, even if she is gifted, she had to have used her looks to get ahead. If she isn’t that attractive, but is talented, she is dismissed because some dude doesn’t want to “pee in her butt”. It’s a bitter pill and a tough choice for female musicians to make. Do you tone down the sex for respect and get shorted in attention and sales, or do you ramp up the sex, get the attention, alienate some female fans and get less respect from the male ones? It’s a tough call. Male musicians do not have this dilemma. They either are good or they aren’t.
 OTEP SHAMAYA of OTEP As 2012 comes to a close, I do not see this changing much. Metal has popular bands with women in them, We have noted bands with women in them, such as ARCH ENEMY, IN THIS MOMENT, OTEP, LACUNA COIL, THE AGONIST, NASHVILLE PUSSY, FIREBALL MINISTRY, SISTER SIN, ALL THAT REMAINS, STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, a slew of female-fronted Goth and Symphonic Metal bands, and (on the lighter side), EVANESCENCE and HALESTORM. With all the females that can play Metal well, the mystery remains as to why it never coalesces into a one kick-ass band, and when they do…it’s a cover band playing songs originally made popular by men. We still can’t have our own voice from the stage, but we do get the annual “Hottest Chicks in Metal” pictorial. That’s another tough choice – to pose or not pose for band promotion (if you’re deemed “hot” enough to make the cut)? Is one reduced to something less than an equal once you’ve shown your ass?
 G THÉRÈSE LANZ of MARES OF THRACE  MEG CASTELLANOS of TOTIMOSHI
 JEANNE SAGAN of ALL THAT REMAINS All that said, let us be the women behind the men, and we soar without barrier. OZZY would be dead, or at least strung-out, broke and on Skid Row, if it wasn’t for SHARON OSBORNE. Love her or hate her (I happen to think she’s awesome) without her, OZZY would have been a footnote in BLACK SABBATH‘s history and Ozzfest would never have happened. MELISSA CROSS has been the vocal coach for male Metal screamers in SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, among many others. SUSAN SILVER was a manager who brought us SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS. DEBBIE ABONO managed such extreme bands POSSESSED, EXODUS, VIO-LENCE, FORBIDDEN and OBITUARY. “METAL” MARIA FERRERO was mentioned in many a Thrash band ‘thank you’ list as a promotional force back in the day, which she continues now as the founder of ADRENALINE PR. MARSHA ZAZULA, is co-founder of Megaforce Records with her husband Jon, and they have signed METALLICA, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT and more. Many bands have started out with their girlfriends or wives acting as managers, promoters and helping to book shows. Many Hair Metal bands have admitted that if it weren’t for the ladies that gave them a place to sleep, something to eat, encouragement and support, they would not have made it – literally and figuratively. Maybe the day will come when males of the Metal scene will truly appreciate the depth of strength women bring on AND off the stage. The more we succeed as a unified supportive front, the more Metal music succeeds overall, and the more powerful we all become.
Do we dare?
Tags: "METAL" MARIA FERRERO, ADRENALINE PR, Alice In Chains, All That Remains, AMANDA DANIELS, among many others, Amy Lee, angela gossow, Anthrax, Arch Enemy, Black Sabbath, BUTCHER BABIES, Cerebral Bore, Dark Castle, Debbie Abono, DORMITORY EFFECT, Enabler, evanescence, EXODUS, EYES LIKE CYANIDE, female-fronted bands, FIREBALL MINISTRY, forbidden, glass ceiling, Goth Metal, Guns N Roses, HALESTORM, Hammers of Misfortune, heavy metal, Hottest Chicks In Metal, HUNG, HUNTRESS, in this moment, IWABO, JEANNE SAGAN, Jezebel.com, JON ZAZULA, Kiss, Krokus, Krysta Cameron, lacuna coil, Lamb of God, LITA FORD, LYNN JORDAN, machine head, MARC STORACE, Mares of Thrace, Marilyn Manson, MARSHA ZAZULA, MEG CASTELLANOS, Megaforce Records, MELISSA CAMPBELL, Metal Army Great Debates, Metallica, Nashville Pussy, Obituary, ONE EYED DOLL, Otep, Otep Shamaya, ozzfest, Ozzy, paradigm shifts, paul stanley, Photos by Echoes In The Well, Possessed, RACHEL HACKER, RAE AMITAY, RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, ronnie james dio, ROYAL THUNDER, SHARON OSBORNE, sister sin, slayer, Soundgarden, stereotypes, STEVIE FLOYD, straight line stitch, SUSAN SILVER, SUSAN WENELKEN, Symphonic Metal bands, TAURUS, testament, the agonist, The Devil's Blood, thrash, THRAWSUNBLAT, Totimoshi, TRACY MYZERI GONZALEZ, Vio-lence, women in metal, Woods of Ypres
Posted in METAL ARMY DEBATES, The Bunker | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
Endless Procession Of Souls (Century Media)
Let me tell you how good of a band GRAVE is; They’re the kind of catchy, nasty, no-frilly laces Swedish Death Metal that almost made me want to go to the MORBID ANGEL/DARK FUNERAL show just to witness live. I very well could have, but I must be conservative with money, you see. GRAVE’s running not only on ten full-length albums, but associations with other legendary Swedeath bands like THERION (old, of course), ENTOMBED, and THE PROJECT HATE, MCMXCIX, so yes, they have what may be called a career. Look ‘em up on LinkedIn. The question that arises is, how does Endless Procession Of Souls measure up to everything else in the Death Metal scene after existing for over a quarter of a century? It pains me to say it’s quite underwhelming.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent album, packed to the bursting point with groovy headbangers, pooka-pooka-pooka circle pit bits, and classic slowdowns that will get a good zombie mosh going. Though these elements are used well by guys who clearly know their craft, they almost seem to be resting on their laurels and not trying their best anymore. For the first song or three, you’re finger-drumming along and whatnot, clearly diggin’ where it’s going, but by them time you’ve reached “Flesh Epistle”, you’re already wishing they’d either try something different or just begin eating each other. One hearkens back to the Into The Grave, where they simply blazed through the album in an idiotic brutal frenzy, armed with can-of-bees production and guitars that sounded like gore-soaked chainsaws, or Fiendish Regression, which saw them move in a slightly different direction from the standard Swedeath sound, while still maintaining what made GRAVE entertaining. Now, it just feels like something’s missing. Something that could ideally turn just another Swedish Death Metal album into a masterpiece that would re-claim their spot on the throne as the kings of all that is ugly in Sweden.
One glaring weakness is the vocals. Where the fuck did the intensity run off to? I’m guessing it was stolen by Travis Ryan of CATTLE DECAPITATION fame. While I’m not one to trash bands, AUTOPSY’s vocals, as far as I have been exposed to them, grate on my senses, and I feel like even I could have done a better job at the mic. GRAVE, while they’ve never had a bad vocal performance as far as I’m concerned, have done much better in the past, and it begs the question as to why Ola decided to neuter himself with the standard everyman style of Swedish Death Metal vocals that you’d probably hear on an UNLEASHED record. Speaking of UNLEASHED, they get dangerously close to sounding like them on this record. UNLEASHED does what they do best, which is writing and playing songs about Vikings, war, Norse mythology, and evil stuff, who knows, really. GRAVE is just supposed to be all about death and rotting stuff. While the music is not entirely unsuitable for a zombie invasion (though I’d personally pick a better album that Endless Procession), the lyrics could easily be swapped out with nothing but tank bombardments and trench warfare. Not only is the music and atmosphere created uninspired, but they insist on using the same songwriting techniques over and over and over. How many times can you have every instrument cut out aside from the guitars to segue into a Thrashy part, or have a slowdown section with a random solo over it, or recycle the same punky Swedeath section that we all know by heart with a slightly different SLAYER police siren solo over it? Not enough times, if you ask GRAVE. The highlights are few and far between, but the straight up Thrash section in “Perimortem”, as well as the consistently Doom-tinged crawl of the closing track “Epos” are welcome change-ups from the endless procession of tired riffing and cut’n’paste drum patterns from the Swedish Death Metal handbook. While it’s still a well-produced bit of face-ripping from a band that was crucial in inventing the formula, the mediocre outweighs the good.
The Verdict: It would be better with fresh ideas, more gore, and a production that made it sound like it was recorded in a tin shack dripping with fungus.
GRADE: C
by Sean “That Black Metal Dude” Genovese
Tags: Autopsy, Century Media, Doom-tinged, Endless Procession Of Souls, Entombed, gore, Grave, killing, MCMXCIX, metal reviews by Sean “That Black Metal Dude” Genovese, MORBID ANGEL/DARK FUNERAL, Norse mythology, old school death metal, old-school THERION, slayer, Swedeath, Swedish Death Metal, terrible vocals by good bands, The Metal Army Blog, the project hate, Travis Ryan of CATTLE DECAPITATION, UNLEASHED, Vikings, zombies
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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 »
Sunday, June 10th, 2012
Point of No Return EP (Candlelight)
Denver bred young-thrashers HAVOK are back on the attack with a new EP release. Following up last years’ solid Time Is Up album, the band has been tireless road dogs in 2012. This EP will be one more way to bring some new HAVOK madness to the masses as they roll from town to town.
Opening up with one of two originals “Point of No Return” picks up where the best of Time Is Up left us, excited to hear some new guys interpret the classic 80s thrash style. What HAVOK does that few of their peers in the neo-thrash scene do is keep a sense of modernness and maturity. These means while the band shows their love of the genre that inspires them, it is not mere wrote copying. They are creating original, modern thrash with cool stylistic touches. Bolstered by some co-production work from JAMES MURPHY (DEATH/TESTAMENT), the fun factor is still switched to high with sick drumming, shredding solos and killer gang vocals. Like any good band rocking this style, guitarists David Sanchez and Reece Scruggs really bring the fire, especially Scruggs and his lead playing. “Cradle To The Grave” begins with an incredible beat by drummer Pete Webber that kicks the creativity up another notch. Some urgent riffs crash your ears before Sanchez kicks in with his vocals. Rather than ape the style of so many great thrash singers he goes his own way with an approach that is aggressive, not too growly and cool. The ending riff of the song is massive and would be great mosh pit fodder live. Closing out the EP are two excellent covers. “Arise” by SEPULTURA is a classic and the band kills it. It is a few notches faster than the original speed, but it sounds good. Equally strong is their take on SLAYER’s “Postmortem/Raining Blood”. Credit again to Sanchez for keeping his own voice throughout the tracks and not trying to imitate the great vocals of MAX CAVALERA and TOM ARAYA respectively. This EP is like a gift to the loyal fans and sure to bring in a few new ones. I’m looking forward to seeing these guys on the SHOCKWAVE tour this summer.
GRADE: B+
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: arise, bassist Blue Spinazola, Candlelight, cover songs, DYSENTERY, Genitales from the Porno Potty, havok, James Murphy, Max Cavalera, neo-thrash, nfljerseys, odd-time signatures, reviews by Keefy, Sepultura, slayer, sport, thrash
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Wednesday, May 30th, 2012
Long running Goth metal masters MOONSPELL have an ambitious new release which is the double album Alpha Noir/Omega White out on Napalm Records. Drummer Miguel (Mike) Gaspar caught Metal Army up to speed on why it took so long to make the new record, how the band approaches recording, their love of Peter Steele (RIP) and TYPE O NEGATIVE, other influences- metal or not and the state of the metal scene in the bands’ native home of Portugal.
MAA: Please tell us about the writing and recording of Alpha Noir/Omega White?
MG: Many thanks for the interview let’s do it brother ! This album was very different from all albums in the past due to the time, four years apart from the Night Eternal. We never took so long to put out an album. The success of the previous album also kept us on the road quite a bit. So we did not want to rush things and just let things flow naturally. In the begging process we had no idea we would release a double album. In reality this was more of a concept that would enrich our composing skills dividing them in half. We would write heavy songs on some days an others would go more into the Gothic style more melodic elements. Benny Ritcher came from Germany three times during the four years to help us out with all arrangements. Never had worked with him and found a new understanding. He really felt like a member of the band with a lot of enthusiasm to work until late hours just to get the songs right. It was strange to work with someone younger than us never happened before. He was like a little brother full of talent and skills that impressed us and contributed a lot to this magnum album.
MAA: What is the concept behind each part of Alpha Noir/Omega White?
MG: Alpha is more like a battle until the end in an arena full of blood, passion and determination. In the arena there is no time to play around our you’ll be killed. You fight for your honor and family paying respect to all those that have fallen before you. This was inspirational for a heavy dark album we wanted no compromises, just the best metal that we could accomplish. With Omega it’s a different story it is the time for the warrior to recover his mind and body. To bathe cleaning the wounds and the soul. To eat and drink celebrating the victories. A time to think and remember one’s family and loved ones, to salute all good things and pleasures so that one day we shall fight again.
MAA: Was the wealth of material the reason of the four year break between albums?
MG: Many reasons took us to have this decision. For one the Night Eternal tours were crazy we travelled all over the word making new fans everywhere and also welcoming back the old. We just had to do all the shows it is for us the main reason bands should exist! You have to do the best shows possible, it is the ultimate experience like no other. There was also the question of which label we would end up on but that became something that we did not want to worry about and just did the albums freely until the end before signing to anyone. We were confident and just wanted to release our best work to date. The acoustic project we did in Portugal called SOMBRA also took a bit of our time. We were 13 people on stage with Cellos, female vocalists and percussionists. It ended up even giving us a push for the Omega White album. One other reason that come to mind is just the fact that we make twenty years of MOONSPELL this year and it would be our ninth full length album. There was no reason to rush things the music could not be compromised so we said the hell with it just take our time.
MAA: It’s been said that the Omega White album was in part inspired by TYPE O NEGATIVE. What about them is particularly inspiring for the band?
MG: Everything we were huge fans from the begging of our career. They were the few bands that incorporated different styles in their music. Going from Hardcore, to Gothic sounds. The deep vocals would make your knees tremble and the lyrics were so intense and dark. They were everything from the street attitude with violence to romantic and sensual atmospheres to emotions that would comfort you on those terrible days that you, yourself wanted to slash your wrists. The identification with this band was brutal in the early years and to our luck did one of their biggest tours in Europe in `96. We became good friends and especially Pete was always on our side, helping us out in everything we needed. He left a deep mark in us. The tribute to him and TYPE O will always feel weak compared to the reality of what a divine band they where and the many that followed them. They will never be forgotten in hearts and in our music. Salute Pete, he was a true gentleman, we miss him a lot and having a song dedicated to him and the past just helps us cope with this tragedy. Hope he´s smiling somewhere and we will jam one day!
MAA: The band worked once again with Tue Madson producing and mixing. What does he bring to the process that appeals to the band more than another producer or producing yourselves?
MG: The pure calmness of his persona is so important to band that is from south Europe and can get a bit edgy and confusing at time. We have no real tradition of metal in Portugal so we had to learn for our selves and many times the hard way. Tue understands us very well and always gives 200% to make sure we are comfortable and satisfied with the results. He has no big ego and really just wants to get the bands idea and sound to the fans. He himself is a huge Heavy Metal fan and played guitar in his own projects. Also, a little bit older making him more like a big brother. Family is the key word when we feel that kind of environment I think we do our best stuff at least at this time in life. We have enough chaos and excitement all year round on the road. Can´t wait to see what we do next together. He just is a wizard with the sound and mixes all our elements without it getting confusing, he can make everything just sound spot on!
MAA: Who are some of the heavier bands inspiring you these days?
MG: For me personally I’m just a huge fan of the 80s. As a kid VAN HALEN and MOTLEY CRUE were bands I loved but as a teenager I got into bands like MORBID ANGEL, BATHORY, KING DIAMOND, SLAYER, METALLICA, DARKTHRONE, EMPEROR, ROOT, CANDLEMASS, but also Gothic stuff like SISTERS OF MERCY, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM and of course, TYPE O NEGATIVE. So really from Hard Rock to Death and black metal to avant-garde, the name before Goth. I just absorbed so many dark styles of music it just showed with our era in the 1990s were bands like us mixed the styles. TIAMAT, SAMAEL, MOONSPELL, AMORPHIS, PARADISE LOST, LACUNA COIL, THE GATHERING we were all fans and at the same time influencing each other. The use of keyboards and female vocals or just poetic song writing was all a bit new for us and that what excited us the most. It was new and part of our generation. DEAD CAN DANCE was also a band that had so much world music involved it just touched us in a special way, incorporating something so distant in a new form of metal. So I still listen to all this these days, it´s our core inspiration and I think always will be! I have a hard time listening to new stuff, I think this is normal. I will always give a listen to new material from friends or even fans, but it never really sticks like the bands you heard when you were young!
MAA: At twenty years-old, is their a moment in time that stands out to you as the biggest highlight for the band so far?
MG: I would have to say the release of Irreligious in 96. It was our first taste of mainstream success . That album opened many doors in our career and to think that only three years before we released our first demo called Anno Satanae! It was all to quick to even understand and still takes us a bit to recall the reason for so much attention from a band that played very underground black metal from the south of europe. The odds of us being on tour with major bands our album in the German charts, winning new comer of the year in Finland the massive record sails, promotion fans going crazy at shows for us was just unbelievable! It really feels like your living a dream. It all took a lot of work, sweat, pain tears and blood to get there but when we were on the Dynamo main stage back in 97 , before there were Wacken’s, Hellfest etc. playing for 80.000 people, we new that we came a long way and it was all worth it! We even did shows with KISS during there reunion tour with the make up in the 90′s. Their production was insane and we got along really well, they gave us all the conditions to do a good show! But KISS fans are tough so are SLAYER’s’ to that matter, but for some reason we always win them over!
MG: Many thanks, hope to see you soon on the road! Keep it Metal!
(Thanks to Mike Gaspar, MOONSPELL and Napalm Records)
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: 80s pop and goth rock, 90s metal, Alpha Noir/Omega White, Amorphis, Anno Satanae demo, bathory, Benny Ritcher, Candlemass, concept albums, Darkthrone, death metal influences, Dynamo, emperor, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, Gothic Metal, hellfest, Irreligious, King Diamond, Kiss, lacuna coil, metal interviews by Keefy, Metallica, Miguel Gaspar, moonspell, Morbid Angel, Napalm Records, Night Eternal, paradise lost, Peter Steele, Poteguese Metal scene, Root, samael, Sisters of Mercy, slayer, THE GATHERING, thrash, tiamat, tue madsen, Type O Negative, VAN HALEN and MOTLEY CRUE, Wacken
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