WINTER TORMENT ZINE

metal-reviews for 1-16-2012 {1st batch of the year!}

2012-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

metal hails,
these are a little overdue but here is the first {of what i hope will be many!!} batch of metal reviews for winter torment in 2012. thanks as always to everyone who has taken the time to read winter torment or supports metal!!!
hope you will find some metal to your likeing.
enjoy and keep the flames of metal burning all year long.
patrick and winter torment web-zine

artania--night shall crown ye digital-cd {hunter's moon records}{reviewed by patrick}
artania are a young band coming out of the ever growing russian black metal scene.the band does a great job of mixing semi-fast,aggressive black metal with dark,haunting atmospheres to make a very unique and enjoyable release.the band uses some well-played keyboards and amazing well-sung operatic female vocals. but usually with alot of the newer bands in the scene today the keys and female vocals kind of dominate a bands sound and the rest of the instruments are left in the background. not with artania the members do a great job of mixing in the guitars,keyboards and female vocals {when used they are not in every single line of a song thankfully}
artania are a band that have defintly raised the bar within the "atmospheric,epic black metal" realm. something that is not easy to do in todays scene.highly recomeded to fans of atmospheric black metal.
label contact
www.huntersmoonrecords.com

ave maria-chaper 1 cd {ahdistuksen aihio}{reviewed by patrick}
after listening to ave maria's debut simply titled chapter one a few times.i have to say this one of the most impressive and well-written dark,black metal masterpieces i've heard in years. and another impressive fact is this is just the bands debut release! the music is played slower almost black/doom to a more mid-paced black metal pace.the guitars have the harshe,screechy sound in parts but also their alot of really good solo's and well played structures.the drumming is top notch while keeping the keeping up with the guitars never really going full on blasting which is good cause i think ave maria have a great style and sound within the mid-paced realm {although as mentioned earlier this is the bands debut so who knows the band might speed things up in the future} ave maria are not strictly black metal clones and add a little variety {ugh usually a horrible a word when describing black metal music in my opinion} with some psychedlic and melody and somber moments to add an extra layer of darkness to the bands already dark sound and feel.ave maria are defintly a band influenced by pure black metal but are also not afraid to mix in melody or different elements. highly recomended to all who listen and enjoy blackend,dark metal

label contact
www.ahdistuksenaihio.com

dead-hard naked but..dead cd {FDA Records}{reviewed by patrick}
germany's dead return with a new assult of sleazy,filthy old-school brutal death metal.i remember hearing this bands name through tape-traders,fan/web-zines etc. over the last 10 yrs or so. but sadly i never got any of their earlier releases {i'm kicking myself now after hearing their latest} i was under the impression the band was more of a gore-grind style band but with hard naked but..dead the band is full-on old-school death metal with a healthy dose of brutality.dead is stripped down death metal inspired by such legends as autopsy,cianide,etc.. you know bands who don't have to play a million notes and blasts a minute to prove they are brutal or heavy and they are defintly not the newer genre of death metal that plays the godawful core or over-played technical style. dead are not a copycat or blatant rip-off band. they play this style of metal for the sheer love and genuine support of this genre.and this shines thorough in the bands musical abilty and writing.the band have crafted some great guitar work and drums to keep the music interesting and never really gets boring.the vocals are powerful growls. dead have crafted a solid death metal release that will please both long time fans as well as new ones.
label contact
http://www.fda-rekotz.com

degradation--juggernaut cd {self-released}{reviewed by patrick}
chicago illinois is defintly known for having some great bands come out of this great state over the years.and degradation will soon be added to this list. juggernaut is pure aggressive thrash insanity the band members are thrashers to the max usually today it seems like most bands mix in black or death or even some punk within their thrash music.but not degradation they keep it pure 80's u.s styled thrash whirlwind guitars with intense riffs and catchy notes.the drumming is top-notch and is done flawlessly in the execution.the vocals are not bad but remind me alot of tom arya but still fit the bands style and music nicely.overall degradation play some really good thrash metal and fans of this genre should defintly give the band a listen.

band contact
http://www.degradationband.com

die hard-evil always return/emissaries of the reaper cd {abyss rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
die hard are a great swedish band playing metal the way it should be played dirty,aggressive old-school death/thrash.fast,raw guitar riffs fast drumming pounding amazing and well done.gruff growls and blackend screechs spew out the lyrics. die hard are defintly fanatics of the old-school sound and i must say they play it with it alot aggression and passion. in a endless sea of bands who play old-school metal nowadays die hard are defintly at the top the list of greats that will still be standing tall once the trend has passed and all the posers are either gone or crushed by the true metal warriors of the underground scene. defintly a band fans of old-school,raw aggressive death/thrash will enjoy this band and their releases.
label contact
www.officialabyssrecords.com

embalmed--exalt the imperial beast cd {hells headbangers rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
mexico's embalmed are defintly right at home on the mighty hells headbangers roster.11 tracks of hyper-speed,unrelenting blackend death non-stop blast beats,guitars that are played at inhuman speed. their are some thrash influence heard within the music of embalmed but mainly the band goes for insanity and unrelenting old-school sound.usually i love this style of violent,brutal metal but embalmed just are mostly noise and at the end of the disk it is not that memorable or interesting. only fans of non-stop blasting blackend death with very little else will enjoy this release.
label contact
www.hellsheadbangers.com

entrench-inevitable decay cd {abyss rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
entrench from sweden play violent "classic" thrash metal. the band seems to be influenced mostly by the early german gods of yesterday.the musicians of entrench have alot of good musical ideas to keep the music both fresh and memorable while keeping the pure thrash sound and attack alive within entrench's songs.chaotic fast guitars that while being played at insane speeds also have some complex structures and solo's that are pulled off flawless in their approach. it seems their are alot of thrash metal bands coming out of nowhere in the scen but entrench have alot of great ideas added within their thrash that makes this band defintly one to stand out and above the endless sea of others currently flooding the scene. fans of intense,raging thrash defintly get ahold of entrench's-inevitable decay today!!
label contact
www.officialabyssrecords.com

haemoth--in nomine odium cd {debemur mortii prod.}{reviewed by patrick}
after six years of silence the french black metal horde return with in nomine odium. the new release is an attack on all things good or peaceful in the world.razor sharp guitar riffs that will send chills down your spine,combined with some violent blasting drumming entertwined with some of the harshest black metal vocals to be heard in a long time.haemoth are the type of band that drew me to black metal in the first place with their uncompromising raw,vicious hate-filled approach to black metal. i would say only fans of early 90's pure,cold black metal will enjoy this sick masterpiece.
label contact
http://www.debemur-morti.com

immolith--stormdragon cd {metalhitdot.com}{reviewed by patrick}
immolith are a black metal band from the u.s that i have been a "fan" of since their debut e.p a few years back. if you have never heard this bands brilliance the band plays traditional,uncompromising black metal the way it should be played.the musicians seem to be on the same dark path as with their previous releases keeping the music fast,razor sharp guitars,fast drums that do slow to a more mid-pace range from time to time that are very well done and demonic,screechy vocals.production on stormdragon is defintly the best i've heard on a immolith release! still maintaining the raw,angry feeling but the production on stormdragon is not as primitive or muddy as immolith's previous works i hope the band can keep this production as it fits perfectly with their vicious,violent sound.fans of uncompromising,no frills black metal this will please long time fans of immolith as well as draw new ones to this mighty u.s horde recomended.
label contact
www.metalhit.com

maax--unholy rock and roll cd {abyss rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
this is a band i have been hearing and seeing alot about the last few months so i was eager to hear this cd when it arrived with the abyss promo's. with a title like "unholy rock and roll" it shouldn't take a genius to figure out what style of music this band plays.dirty,filthy old school blackend thrash with alot some rock and roll influences espically with their catchy guitars. hyper-speed yet very catchy and memorable guitar riffs and solo's entertwined with equally as catchy and fast paced drumming that keep the pace moving nicely and never lets it get boring or to slow.vocals are a mix between blackend screams and outbursts of deeper growls. maax are a band that know how to play to craft old-school sounding black metal and make it sound like sheer perfection. if you enjoy blackend thrash with rock influences look past all the posers and pick up maax's unholy rock and roll today!!
label contact
www.officialabyssrecords.com

nemesea--the quiet resistance cd {napalm records}{reviewed by patrick}
nemesea are a female-fronted band playing some amazing and well-done atmospheric rock and metal mix with touches of gothic.i had my doubts to be honest when the label had the band labeled as "alternitive rock".now nemesea defintly won't win any awards for being the most extreme or over the top metal but i defintly would not throw them in with the shitty alternitive rock scene.
so what can you expect from nemesea's third release? you get very emotional and powerful music and songs filled with both lots of atmosphere,and catchy memorable songs. whether it is the emotional ballad "i live" or the more upbeat,energetic songs like "allein" or "stay with me" nemesea have it all! and are all extremly well trained with their instruments to pull off whatever the song structure calls for.i have to admit i am a picky bastard with female vocals and bands in this genre usually have great music but the vocals ruin it for me. but that is not the case here. front woman manda is simply breath taking and amazing with her diverse singing styles and delievery.nemesea are probably one of napalm's best new bands and i for one see a great future for them.
label contact
www.napalmrecords.com

sanguis imperium--in we march towards our doom cd {hells headbangers records}{reviewed by patrick}
california's sanguis imperium have released one of the most violent,heaviest death metal releases to be released in sometime.the band doesnt try to clone or follow any of the current musicial trends out now.instead the band follows their own path of destruction and has created some of the heaviest,violent sounding death metal fast heavy guitar riffs that range from insane whirlwind riffs and solo's to a more controlled heavy mid paced riffs.the drums are furious blasts of rage but slow down with the guitars that only add to the bands heaviness and intensity.the vocals are deep,sick growls and tormented shrieks of agony. fans who enjoy early 90's style death metal with a touch of war-metal insanity will love sanguis imperium and their sick vision of death metal.
label contact
www.hellsheadbangers.com

saturnian mist--gnostikoi ha-shaitan cd {ahdistuksen aihio rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
finland's saturnian mist have created an interesting release with their newest release mixing black metal,industrial, and even some heavier progressive guitar riffs.all of the members of saturnian mist are good at their instruments and i give the band alot of credit for trying to be original and creative {something that is lacking in music today} but in this case i think saturnian mist have bitten off more than they can chew. maybe if they only combine two elements together like prog and black metal or black metal and industrial it might be more memorable. this might appeal to the newer fans of black metal but as for me i say pass.
label contact
www.ahdistuksenaihio.com

thousand year war--tyrants and men digicd{abyss rec.} {reviewed by patrick}
alaska's thousand year war have released a great release of heavy straight-forward death metal but their is also alot of melodic over-tones to give the band a nice mix of straight-forward brutal death metal and melodic death metal.fast thunderous drumming patterns mixed with some intense outbursts of blasting rage.the guitars are heavy and thick sounding within their approach but their is also some well written complex riffs and solo's.the vocals are powerful,deep growls and some blackend shrieks.the band does have some darker more melodic parts. the band seems more comfortable and at home playing the heavier straight-forward death metal style
label contact
www.officialabyssrecords.com

vore--gravehammer cd {self-released}{reviewed by patrick}
this was quite a surprise as i remember hearing,buying this bands debut demo "dead kings eyes" back in 1997.so it was great to see/hear the band still going strong.this is vore's fourth release.gravehammer is simply amazing and flawless death metal.i would say the first thing that caught my attention was the bands sheer heavy guitar sound and pounding drums.the musicians never stray away from the mid-paced range,but vore only prove you don't have to play a million millions an hour to be heavy and intense death metal.i am not sure why the band is still unsigned but this is another thing i wanted to mention as this is a quality band that plays what they love and want to,not whats popular.vore are a band that will please all fans of heavy,pure death metal
band contact
www.youtube.com/vorefare
www.reverbnation.com/vore

interview with nemesea done byy patrick 12-11-11

2011-12-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

this is an interview i have done with the female-fronted dutch band nemesea. if you are not familar with this great band.then i highly recomend checking out and buying the bands brand new cd "the quiet resistance" a nice mix of atmospheric,symphonic metal,some electronics,heavy metal {traditional} guitars. this is a band that is not afraid to try new things. and with manda's angelic voice fronting the band every song on the quiet resistance comes to life and stands on their own.
defintly a great band and one i think we will be hearing alot about in 2012!!!
enjoy and thank you all for reading winter torment.
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with manda vocalist for nemesea done by patrick

1.hello manda how is your week starting out? please introduce yourself to the readers.

Hi, I’m Manda, vocalist for Nemesea. My week is very busy already since we just released our brand new album The Quiet Resistance and we’re preparing our upcoming tour with In Extremo in December!

2.when did you and the other members of nemesea meet? how did you all come up with the band name? does it have a special meaning? how would you describe nemesea's music to the readers who have never heard it?
Nemesea is a female fronted rockband and we started in 2003 with HJ, Sonny and myself. The three of us know each other from the conservatory where we all studied. In 2009 Lasse joined the band, which was amazing after playing for two years without a keyboard player. Frank, our drummer, joined us just before the recordings of The Quiet Resistance and that’s almost a year ago.

3.the band recently released its new cd "the quiet resistance" through napalm rec. are you and the rest of the band happy with how everything turned out?
Yes, we are. We took the time to write this new album, find the right direction for this band and found skilled people to work with. We are very happy with how TQR turned out.

4.how has the response been from the press and fans? how would you say the music has progressed or changed {if at all?} from the bands previous releases?

We’ve already received a lot of great comments on the album.
TQR is a nice combination of our previous two albums; the heaviness of Mana and the electro elements we experienced with on In Control.

5.does the band have any upcoming shows,tours in support of "the quiet resistance"? any ideas who are some bands you will be playing/touring with?
Actually we’ll be touring Germany with In Extremo in December. Really cool!

6.who are some bands nemesea have shared the stage with in the past? if you could set-up a "dream" show/tour who are some bands you would love to play with?

We’ve shared stage with Within Temptation a few years ago. That was an amazing experience! Nice band, nice people.
We’d love to share the stage with Rammstein, Evanescence, Lacuna Coil or 30 Seconds to Mars, just to name a few.

7.i must say you are one of the best vocalist i have heard in a long time! so i was interested when did you become interested in singing? did you take lessons a child/teenager?

Thank you, that’s really nice! I started taking singing lessons when I was 18 years old. Before that I was playing the flute. I even studied flute at the conservatory for two years. But when I was 16 years old I discovered Metallica and The Gathering, heard Anneke sing and after two years I knew I wasn’t happy with playing the flute anymore. I wanted to sing like Anneke!

8.do you do anything special to keep your voice/throat healthy?besides singing do you play any other instruments?

I always warm up my voice before shows or rehearsals, I don’t drink or smoke, I try to eat healthy and get enough sleep.
Besides singing I play the flute and a little bit of piano & guitar.

9.who are some of your favorite female singers? what about favorite male vocalists that you enjoy listening to?

I still love Anneke, but I developed a very broad taste in music so I also listen a lot to Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson. I also love Bjork a lot.
Fave male vocalists are Jared Leto (30 sec to mars), Chester Bennington (Linkin’Park), Robbie Williams and Michael Bublé. Also Till Lindemann (Rammstein) is one of my favourites.

10.the lyrics on the quiet resistance are very well-written and seem to be written and done. where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics? which usually come first the lyrics or does the band usually write the music first?

I get my inspiration from a lot of different things; words, sentences, movies, things that happen to me or to people I know, things I see on the news or read in books, etc.
Sometimes the lyric is first or a theme/ topic is. Often a musical basis is laid down first.

11.thank you manda for taking the time to fill out this interview with me. do you have any final comments for the readers?

It was my pleasure! We are very proud of our new album The Quiet Resistance so I’d like you to go and check it out. You’ll find there’s a lot of passion and emotion on this album and I’m sure you’ll like it!

to order your copy of nemesea "the quiet resistance" check out the bands offical label site here.
http://www.napalmrecords.com

New reviews for 11-21-11

2011-11-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

hails!!
here is a new batch of reviews and their was really great releases this time around from naturmacht prod,heidens hart,silent scream rec. and more!! defintly if your looking for some good,quality dark metal check the bands out in this blog of reviews!!
regards,and enjoy!!
patrick and winter torment web-zine
fiendformetal@live.com

ancestors blood-when the forest calls cd {heidens hart rec.}
ancestors blood hail from the mighty finnish scene usually bands from finland whether it be black or death is great music. well ancestors blood is no different.the band has crafted some very well played and epic,atmospheric black metal.the music is not all over the top atmosphere though as the musicians are influenced by the early 90's norwegian/swedish black metal bands.the guitars are are done very well,the drums are played fairly fast with a few slower moments for both the band and listener to catch their breath.the vocals are harsh,black metal shrieks that will pierce your soul and destroy your eardrums with their intensity.another instrument that impressed me was the keyboards by now most bands who play atmospheric or epic style of black metal use them so it's no surprise.but ancestors blood has a done a great job intertwining them with the rest of the instruments to add a whole new layer to their sound.this is defintly one of my favorite releases i have heard from heidens hart and should not be missed by fans of epic,pagan black metal.
label contact
http://www.heidenshart.nl.nu

infernal legion-the spear of longinus cd {moribund rec.}
moribund rec. is not really known for signing and releaseing death metal bands. but the few i have heard off the label have always had a certain dark aura and powerful sound within their musicial approach.
well the u.s infernal legion carry the torch high. after a six year hiatus the band returns with the massive the spear of longinus.nine tracks of guitar,bass heavy death metal. the band is not insanely hyper-speed fast or interested in being the most guitar-technical band like so many in todays scene. instead infernal legion play mid-tempo heavy death metal. no melodies,no harmonies,no breaks just pure death metal. the vocals are extremly heavy,deep growls and fit nicely with the bands musical style. if you are a fan of old-school death or if you remember infernal legion's earlier releases then you will want to pick this release up as soon as possible. death metal fans will not be disapointed.
label contact
http://www.moribundcult.com

mordaehoth-eens weer prevaleert het heidens hart cd {heidens hart rec.}
why mordaeoth are not more well-known in the black,pagan metal scene after hearing this release.the band plays a more harsh,raw black metal with alot of has alot of folk influences throughout the songs to give the band an extra layer of creativity and intensity.the band uses acoustic guitars,well-sung clean male vocal patterns.the band is not afraid to show it's violent side with some really intense black metal with fast guitars, shrieks and fast drums. if you enjoy violent black metal with touches of pagan,folk metal then mordaehoth just may be a band you want hear.
label contact
http://www.heidenshart.nl.nu

murw--in de mond vet obekende wacht een oceann cd {heidens hart rec.}
this is my first encounter with holland's murw.at first listen the band seems to be influenced by raw,atmospheric black metal. but when u listen a few more times you can hear a strong death/doom and even alot of progressive guitars within the blackness.the guitars are raw,mid-paced giving them the a nice black/doom type of sound but in the next song the band switches gears mixes in some unexpected progressive type of guitar riffs,and solo's defintly not used by most blackend,doom bands.the drums are mid-paced with some slow doomish beats but never really gain speed which is good cause murw has a perfect sound and i don't think the band would do good trying to incorporate fast,aggressive riffs or beats with their blend of progressive blackend doom. if you are a black metal fan who only listens,worships the old-school aggressive bands then most likely murw will be a band you will not like. but if you enjoy your black metal with alot of originality and creativity then murw is a band you must hear,highly recomended.
label contact
http://www.heidenshart.nl.nu

sententia mortis--verbum inferi cd {self-released}
italy's masters of melodic,symphonic black metal are back with their follow-up to 2010's "mother earthquake".2011 shows the band making a truiumphant return with their second release "verbum inferi" with the first listen it is very obvious this band of musicians takes their music very seriously.the guitarist ranges from slower,darker riffs to a more mid-pace range. their is also a galloping,whirlwind of feeling and sound in a few of the songs that really give the guitars an epic,original sound.as with the case with all symphonic metal bands the keyboards are in full-force but the keyboardist for sentia mortis knows how to actually play them well. so their are some really well-played structures and mixed very well with the bands other musicial instruments.the vocals are equally as diverse with a few different styles and ranges. the main vocals are the death metalish growls and black metalish screams but the vocalist actually surprised me {but in a good way} and used some clean,male vocal lines in a few of the tracks.if you were lucky enough to hear the bands debut "mother earthquake" and you liked it. then be sure to pick up verbum inferi as soon as possible. as this is even better and shows the band growing.
band contact.
http://www.myspace.com/sententiamortis

varulv-hellish presence cd {naturmacht prod.}
austria has always had a very strong,but at the same time a very underrated scene to me. whether it is a more atmospheric gothic,dark metal band or more straight forward blackend death band the bands have always been atleast good. well varulv can defintly be put in the genre of violent,straight forward black/death.the band uses and shows alot of musical talent and potential with the song-writing on hellish presence. filled with semi brutal black/death metal guitars and thunderous pounding drums roll through like a tank rolling it's way into battle. the vocals are equally as powerful and evil sounding with a deeper,gruff death metal growl and harsh black metal shrieks.the overall sound is violent and angry but the band does add some melody in some of the guitar structures to give hellish presence that exact feel and sound. with the brutal.violent black/death mixed with some melody it creates a very dark and eerie piece of black/death metal art. varluv are a band you will be hearing alot about in the future. if your a fan of blackend death metal with a dark atmosphere then defintly varulv are a band you will want to hear and own today!!
label contact
www.naturmacht.com

zloslut--abyss of eternal deception demo {silent scream records}
i wasn't sure what to expect from this one man serbian band.but for a debut release and considering one-man did everything vocals,music."abyss of eternal deception" turned out really good.the vocals remind me a little of early immortal with some deeper,gruff vocals.the guitars are a little on the raw/primitive side but i've defintly heard much worse productions/sounds before plus i kind of like it as it gives the band the old-school feel of the late 80's,early 90's demo tapes before everyone went to the crystal clear cd sound or digital age of today.the guitars have the thin,razor sharp guitar riffs but stay within the mid-paced style but stefan is defintly an old-schooler by heart and mixes in some traditonal heavy metal,and thrashy guitar riffs and few solos within the songs.abyss of eternal deception is a great debut and well worth your time and money if you can find it. but i am also extremly curious to hear future zloslut releases to see if stefan lets his aggressive blackend thrash side loose or if he stays with the more mid-paced and controlled style of black metal.i think both styles could work for stefan and zloslut as he seems very comfortable playing both the faster,aggressive and the more controlled mid-paced style.
label contact
http://www.silentscreamrecords.webs.com
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/zloslutserbia666

zwaartplaag-haatstorm cd {heidens hart rec.}
zwaartplaag are defintly the most aggressive and straight-forward band i've heard from the batch of promo's sent from heidens hart.raw,fast guitars played with both aggressive intensity and precision,the vocals are the standard shrieks and evil screams but their are also some deeper growls within a few songs.this is a band that fans of straight-forward,aggressive black metal should defintly check out you will not be disapointed from this horde from the netherlands.
label contact.
http://www.heidenshart.nl.nu

interview with dale R.editor of canadian assult web-zine.done by patrick 11-13-2011

2011-11-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

here is a new interview i have done with one of my longest and most trusted brothers within the metal underground.i remember ordering dale's 1st issue way back in the mid 90's and was totally blown away by his knowledge,passion for metal music. this is a man that literally eats,sleeps,thinks metal 24 hrs. a day.
unfortunatly i believe all his "printed" issues are long-sold-out. but dale like so many of the fanzine editors moved their beloved zine to the internet. and now u can read all the latest updates whenever you want 24 hrs. a day!! i will let dale tell u more in the interview but dale's main love lies within the old-school metal,black metal,death metal etc..but he reviews most everything sent if it fits his zin and tastes {and truthfully if u run a web-zine u know what i mean,but if you don't with the new invention of "digital promo's" the amount you recieve in one-week can overwhelming pretty quickly. so if any bands,labels do write to dale give him a little time to do a review before you start contacting him over and over.
anyways thanks as always to everyone who has stopped in to read this and all of winter torment web-zine.
best regards,
patrick

interview with dale roy editor of canadian assult web-zine,done by patrick

1.metal hails brother! how is your starting out? for the readers who don't know you or your zine please introduce yourself.

Well I am a late 30s metalhead that has been wandering around in the UG scene for the last roughly 20 years. Before that I was just your average long haired young guy into all the more mainstream metal bands in the mid 80s like Venom, Deep Purple, Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Anthrax, Savatage, Saxon, Slayer, Hellhammer etc… These days I am a family man with two kids living up in the mountains of Northeastern PA. I enjoy being in the countryside like the area I grew up in Canada. I tried living in Philadelphia for a little over 4 years and decided I hated city life and hate having so many people around me all the time. I guess I am just a little anti-social and have a little hermit in me. I still run my longtime zine Canadian Assault, but I have a feeling you will be asking me more about that in the following questions. So at the risk of repeating myself too much, I will just leave it at that.

2.at what age were you were introduced to metal? who were some of the first bands you listened to? who are some bands that have recently caught your attention?

Ahhh I am not sure the exact age. But I guess the first say hard rock records I got into were probably around 7 years old with my older Sisters records (Trooper, Steve Miller Band, Queen etc…) and then metal around 9 or 10 years old. Some of the early metal bands were Twisted Sister, Kick Axe (Vices album), AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Savatage, Rush, WASP, and Iron Maiden. Then I got my hands on a Hellhammer tape and more importantly for me “Black Metal” from Venom and I completely lost my mind and decided right then and there to devote my life to this music. You can imagine from that point (early to mid 80s time period) I quickly got into Sodom, Kreator, Exodus, Infernal Majesty, Metallica, Slayer, Razor. My infatuation with death metal and black metal followed in the late 80s/early 90s. Hmmm… I get so many bands to review these days and as soon as you find a good one, it is time to move on to the next band to review. So they often do not stick with me as much as the old classics. But I guess a few recent releases from bands like Deathbound (killer band!), Drakar, Mr. Death, Semen Datura, Angelholocuast, Axeslaughter plus the new albums from old favourites like Pandemonium, Maniac Butcher, Cianide and Root got my juices flowing and head banging. Just about every release from I Hate Records in Sweden is superb. Also look for this amazing band from the States by the name of Famine.

3.i know before you started canadian assult fanzine. you wrote for alot of other great underground zines. what was it that got you interested in writing for zines in the first place? who were some of the zines you were a "writer" for?

Yes I wrote for some great fanzines for years (starting if memory serves around early 1993) before I started my own. Some of the zines I wrote for were The Sepulchral Voice (CAN), Growling Brutality (CAN), Eternal Darkness (US), Inner Source (US), Devourment Of Souls (Malaysia) and a few more. Well after I started to discover demo bands and ordered a few of their demos, they sent tons of paper flyers with the demo tapes. A bunch of those flyers were for fanzines. So I ordered a couple. Being in an isolated little mountain in Alberta, no one was into the shit I was into; I had no one to talk to about it. So the thought of having fanzines made by like minded people into the same stuff appealed to me. So much so after I read the first few, it was not just so I could read interviews with the bands or read reviews of new demos. But I actually became a fan of the fanzines themselves and especially the ones where the editors personality bled out on to the page. So I started collecting fanzines almost as heavily as new demos or new music. Eventually I wanted to do my part and be a part of that and also by printing my own zine I had a fanzine to trade to get everyone else’s zines. I guess the UG scene and being into fanzines is what inspired me to start my own fanzine. I had been writing for others for years, but I wanted to make my own mark and have a zine in which I controlled the content and everything. Because as you know especially back then I was a very opinionated metalhead and wanted to those opinions like the plague haha.

4.what gave you the idea to finally go from writing for other zines. to doing your own zine? how did you come up with the name? it's a name a venom 7 inch correct? i remember back in the 90's venom was one of your favorite bands would you still consider them your favorite?

I guess I got carried away and answered the first part of this question above. The name is taken from one of the bands I have worshiped the most through the decades which is Venom. It is taken from their Assault series. Specifically of course their Mini-LP series, it goes without saying that was a Canadian only release. Actually when I first started working on it the name was going to be another Venom song title which is Die Hard. Then when I was working on issue 1, a certain European label changed their name to Die Hard records. So I went with choice number two choice Canadian Assault. I also thought about Warhead as name, which is of course another Venom song title name but yet another little label started around that time and used that name as well. I figured if I chose Canadian Assault I narrowed down the chances greatly of anyone else ever taking the name on me haha. Venom are still one of my all-time favourites. Though I am really only talking about the earlier albums, the classic ones like Welcome To Hell through to Possessed.

5.i believe you had 10 "print" issues before going to the net. is their any interview that sticks out as a favorite of yours? you have interviewed some great,legendary bands over the years is their one band you have yet to interview that you would love to get the chance to interview?

Well only 9 print issues. Hmmm… To be honest I would probably lean towards no. I mean sure there are some great classic bands I never interviewed that I would have liked to. But at the same time it is weird but I do not feel almost worthy of interviewing them and on top of that they have this aura around them that is special to me. I have this fear that they will end up being ignorant assholes that do not give a shit about my interview and will forever taint my high opinion of them and enjoyment of their music as a result. I am probably just paranoid about that, but who wants to risk that. I worship those bands music and never want that to change from a bad experience.

6.what gave you the idea to go from the print zine in the direction of a web-zine? are you happy with how things have progressed so far?
what can people expect when they check out canadian assult web-zine?

Yeah I put a stop to the print zine due to the rapidly declining interests of people in print fanzines and the rising printing costs. It just became a bit of a money pit do properly. I mean who wants to go through all of that, spend all of that money on it. Then you just get Emails saying I would order it but I am getting lazy with the internet and just want all my interviews and reviews for free and more immediately online. I can not even be bothered to go to the post office any more, write a letter, put in money and then have to wait for it to come. That sort of message was coming constantly. Meanwhile I spent a bunch of money on print issues and a far greater amount than in the past was just sitting in boxes in my basement. I figured what the hell maybe I will save myself some money and try the online thing that everyone seems to want anyway. Well for the first year or two I just kind of missed the print zine thing. That is where my heart is. But after a while I started to adjust to it and I am now enjoying doing it and put more energy into it. I think it has progressed okay. I mean there are always more things that I had planned to add from past print issues that I just never seem to get around to. Having kids and family now you just always have or think of other shit you need to do when the times comes to do those extra frills. But I do update it pretty regularly. I get a little help from a great old friend like you Patrick to keep the new content flowing. I also recently added a video jukebox type of thing that plays killers songs and video from UG and classic metal bands with some promos of horror movies (one of my other big loves besides metal) mixed in. Something to listen to and/or watch when you come to the site.

7.i have said many times over the years but i'll say it again ha,ha. your interviews and reviews are some of the most well-written,in-depth i've ever read. so i was curious when you start work on a interview or review how long does it usually take you to complete a interview or review?

Well you are too kind and I am not sure I can agree with that. You probably overrate my abilities. My fave thing back in the day was making my interviews long and taking some time on the questions to attempt to draw the interviewee into spilling more of himself into interviews than you usually see. Sometimes I was successful at it and other times not so much. Oh damn I am going to sound like a guy from a band talking about writing a new song. But honestly the time really differs a lot from interview to interview and review to review. Sometimes when I listen to a record to review, the words just do not come and I have to listen to it over and over or take a break and come back to it at a later time. Then some other reviews I hear them once or twice and words just flow right out and I can bang a few reviews out in a night type of thing. With interviews I sometimes get writers block with them or I am not happy with my questions and erase some of them and start from scratch. Also if you have personally been in contact with the band and know their history really well the questions seem to come really quickly. The other bands I often like their new release but do not know them or much about their history. If I want to make it a good interview I need to be careful and thorough on how I craft the questions. Also with bands like that I do my research. I read about them online, dig out fanzines with interviews with that band. If the band is really cool and patient I might pick their brain through Email a little before finalizing the questions to get ideas. But if the person being interviewed is not interested in putting effort into their interviews, then it flushes your work down the toilet and does not matter how much work you put into the questions.

8.if any bands or labels might be interested are you looking to work with any new bands or labels? what styles of metal do you support/cover within canadian assult? how can interested bands,labels contact you?

Well I accept all metal or loosely related (punk/hardcore/hard rock) submissions. I make sure I review all hard copies sent on CD, so if you want a guaranteed review that is the way to do it. With the download mp3 links I do not review everything sent in or even close to it. I pick and choose and that includes bigger labels, small labels or demo bands. Feel free to send me the demo link, but no guarantee I will review every single thing. It gets to be too much doing it that way and starts to feel like an assembly line. Plus where do you draw the line with that stuff? You get some bands Emailing saying I have one or two songs up on youtube or facebook I want to you to review it. Well I am not going to review one or two songs and I need to download them so I can play them on my comp or mp3 player or put them on to a CD. I do not think that is asking too much, it does not really cost anything to make up mp3s and have it so you can download them. So with those loose rules in mind feel free to write me or submit something. I am always trying to support the scene and good bands.

9.you are like me and have been a part of the scene for twenty plus years {yikes we're old dale what happened-patrick} so i was curious of your opinion. how do you feel the scene has changed over the years? do you think it has gotten better with all the progression and technology or worse? i know some who say/feel the scene is dead or dying do you agree with this?

Yes Patrick we are old goats in this young mans scene haha. But that is a hard question. As much as old bastards like me and you miss the old days. I am sure we both utilize and enjoy certain aspects like the internet, Email etc… to our advantage. Maybe I am just getting old or too old school. But the camaraderie and brotherhood and feeling you are part of this special thing together seems like it is grossly lacking these days. The scene to me feels a little less close knit, a little less of the old spirit of wanting to help each other succeed whether it is a zine, a band or whatever. Now it is more of what can you do for me and how fast can you do it instead of how can I help you out brother attitude… I love that there are so many labels and bands these days but it feels like they are pulling in different directions and it is so hard to keep track of it all and so easy to get lost in the shuffle and more difficult to find and separate the good from the bad with the mass of releases. Too many bands that do not have to develop their sound releasing demos before getting an album out. At the same time the internet and technology has made it easier for some smaller or unknown bands, labels etc… from countries like Peru or Malaysia or Mexico get their stuff out there to more die hard metalheads. I am moving with the times but sometimes I feel like I am a little left behind the times too if you know what I mean. My head is in the now, but my heart is stuck back in the 80s and early 90s at times. I know this is non-commital sounding but it both better and worse with technology but also less personal and more distant than it used to be. Like many or even most people feel more like contacts than friends if you know what I mean? The scene is not dead or dying, but it is changing I think all of us who were around for a while can agree with that.

10. in your eyes whay does the term "underground metal" mean to you?

It is so hard to put into words sometimes. So I will just throw out some words and terms that come to mind when I think of the UG. Things like brotherhood, music, support, sharing, tradings tapes / CDS / zines / mp3s, passion, adrenaline, live shows, reviews, interviews, writing letters & Emails etc… But I think above all it is the brotherhood and music shared on deeper level than the average persons love for music, it is a way life and not just a fun little hobby to dabble in on once in a while. A good friend from France who has done zines and was in a number of fairly well known bands and was my tape trader for many years said simply to me once “trading (music / zines) = the underground”.

11.do you have any advice for anyone who is reading this is who is thinking of starting their own web or fanzine? in your eyes what makes a good zine?

Just make sure you really love it, that you are serious about doing it and know you will get joy or satisfaction doing it. Nothing helps kill the scene more than starting zines or bands, getting people attached to it and then you are just not that into and you go under practically over night. My advice is just Email or write a few people that have been doing it a long time and ask them for some advice personally. They will give you some tips and help you steer clear of the some of the easy mistakes to make and just tell you what is involved. Though I suppose these days with webzines especially there is less work and less risk that you have to put on the line. Maybe that is why they are usually not as good haha. That is coming from someone who does a webzine now. A good zine is one done by people who are dedicated and passionate for the music they cover and beyond that by people who are not afraid to expose themselves and put their personality into their writing and attitude.

12.besides metal i know you have always tried to have some horror-movie reviews etc.. within canadian assult {both the print and web-zine} so i was wondering what are some of your all-time favorite horror movies? what makes a good/enjoyable horror movie in your opinion?

Oh shit yes I love horror movies. It is a passion of mine for a long time. There are just so damn many I like. I will first list my fave of all time and that is the original Dawn Of The Dead by George A Romero from the last 70s (and yes I know some of his more recent movies are not that great to be kind). Some others would be Return of The Living Dead, The Evil Dead I & II, Phantasm I & II, The Beyond, Zombie, Exorcist, Deadbeat By Dawn, Roadkill, Silent Night Deadly Night, The Funhouse, Halloween I & II, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I Drink Your Blood, The Last House on The Left, House on the Edge of The Park, John Carpenters The Thing, Scream, Maniac, City of The Living Dead, Videodrome, Day of The Dead, Night of The Living Dead, Re-Animator, Streetrash, The Shining… It is just endless really, I love so many of those old horror flicks the best. You might notice a leaning towards zombie flims, always loved them most. I also like old cult movies that may be considered horror movies by some not by others like The Lost Boys or Trick or Treat. But there are some newer ones that are great as well. I mean I just recently seen this Swedish film called Trollhunter with subtitles and it was fucking killer! The new-ish halloween themed movie Trick ‘r Treat was good stuff too. I am also just into a lot of what people call cult movies and /or exploitation movies.

13.i was wondering what you thought of all these "classic" {and some not-so classic ha,ha} movies{both horror,and other genres} being re-made all the time? good idea,stupid your opinin here.

It is mostly a stupid idea and much of the time they are doing a fairly lousy job of it. Which makes the idea go from not the best idea to a horrible idea in a hurry. Like you say they are remaking everything these days!! I mean even the shit only the real die hards even knew about and even stuff like old made for tv movies from the 70s and 80s are now being made into feature movies for the theater. Now and then they make some remakes that actually do a pretty good job of it; usually they take the story at least somewhat into a new or fresh direction than the original. I had trepidations about them remaking Dawn of The Dead back in 2004 (which seems to be the start of the constant remake craze) and of course it is not as good as that epic classic original movie. But surprisingly it was actually a good movie that I still watch from time to time. I know a lot of people are shitting on those Rob Zombie directed Halloween remakes. But yeah man it is almost getting silly, every time you think there is nothing else to remake they go ahead and find something else. I mean everything from Footloose to Amityville Horror to The Crazies to The Fog to A Nightmare on Elm Street to Deathrace 2000 to Taking of Pelham 123 to Conan to Fright Night to Planet of the Apes (twice!) and on and on and on. It is endless. They will not be happy until every movie that was not already a remake is made into a remake. It does not even have to have been a popular movie when the original came out haha.

14.well my friend thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out.continued good luck to you and canadian assult web-zine!! do you have any final comments for the readers?

No thank you for the support and the cool questions my metal brother! I would just like to thank anyone who I have been friends with in the UG scene or supported Canadian Assault even the smallest way. Keep checking the Assault site and we will keep bringing you the metal!

if anyone would like to check out the mighty canadian assult web-zine you can do so by following this link. {email,contact info is on the site for any interested bands,labels}
http://www.canadianassult.com

interview with zloslut and owner of silent scream rec.done by patrick 11-6-11

2011-11-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

zloslut is a new one-man band from the mighty serbian black metal scene.if u enjoy cold,dark black metal then defintly check out zloslut soon. u can find them on myspace,facebook etc...
stefan also owns the small {but growing!!} new label silent scream rec. if you are an old-school fan of tapes,cdr's etc.. then silent scream is a GREAT Label with a few quality releases. as well as new releases coming soon.
thanks for reading and all the support..
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with stefan vocals,all instruments for zloslut and owner of silent scream records.done by patrick.

1.metal hails stefan! how is your week starting out? please introduce yourself to the readers.

Hello to you and to the readers!
I am Stefan "Hunter" from Zloslut, Stonecrypt, Kolac i am also the owner of Silent Scream Records label...

Well my week passed not bad, i had rehearsal with Kolac, and where little busy with promoting the demo "Abyss Of Eternal Deception", i were too preparing new materials for Zloslut...

2.at what age did you start listening to metal? who were some of the first bands you listened to? who are some of your "current" favorite bands?

Well i were 5 or 6 years old when i first heard about Iron Maiden (my favourite band still today), AC/DC, Guns N' Roses...
Well i am open in all musical genre, i can listen to Post-Rock then Death Metal, i like punk too..
But Black Metal is too me something among everything..

Bands i like to listen in those days... The Devil's Blood, Baptism, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Peste Noire, Burzum, Thine, Lifelover... And many, many more, but those are more often in the playlist.

3.when did you start up the band zloslut? how did you come up with name for the band? for the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe the bands music?

Well Zloslut was formed by myself in march 2010, because i wanted to do something wich decision depends only by me.
The name is in Serbian and the meaning in literal translation is "The one who means evil".
Well in August 2010, the idea about Zloslut were lost, because me and Sothis have formed Stonecrypt...
And this year in june, i come with an idea to bring back to life the story about Zloslut.
Well first demo is a lot various, i talk about lyrics and music too, because some text are about evil, occultism and blasphemy and other are about depression, death, loneliness and misanthropy...
The music in general is cold/raw.. Except Triumph Of Evil which this track is totally Black/Thrash...

4.you are the only member of the band. when you started the band did you plan to work alone? have you searched for other members to join? what do think are the advantges and disadvantges to being in a one-man band?

Well as i said in the last question, yes i wanted to Zloslut be a one man band.
And no i didn't want anyone to be involved in this story...
For me a one man band can be only advantages, because you can do what ever you want without thinking about another member opinion..
But the only disadvantages is that there is more to work on it, in bands with more then 2 members everything goes, more faster..

5.if you had the opportunity to work with any musicians {past or present} who would you like to work and write with?

Well, no one will be involved as a official member or session...
But it's possible that someone will sing or play on a song, it all depends.

6.you recently sent me a promo copy of the new demo "abyss of eternal deception". how long did it take you to write nnd record the songs for this demo?

Some lyrics were written back in 2009, and the music were a collection of riffs from other bands i were with.
Maybe 2 or 3 month.

7.are you happy with how everything turned out on the demo? how has the response been from the press and the fans?

Yes i am satisfied, the only thing i don't like that much is the drum machine, and the production could be more better.
The response from press and the fans were 50/50.

8.where can fans get a copy of the demo? if you have any other band information or merchandise please feel free to tell the readers about it.

Well the demo can be order from Silent Scream Records / Some Kind Of Distro or by contacting Zloslut e-mail, last tapes, so the interested ones, it's the last chance..
And yeah i would like to say that there will be a split release through my label with Uruk-Hai (Aus), Gromkult (USA) and Zloslut.
It will be out the 7th november, limited to 80 hand-numbered copies on tapes, it will be available by the bands, label and Some Kind Of Distro.

9.as i mentioned earlier in the interview you are sole-member of the band. so i was wondering which instrument was the hardest one for you to learn? which one is you favorite one to play?

Well there is no instruments which is more hard to learn...
I am playing guitar since i'm 7 years old, i were in a conservatory for 7 years, then i stoped and continued by myself.
Then a few month ago i bought a bass, and it goes well to me, but i already played bass before from time to time.
But i can say that drums are complicated for me if it comes to recording or something because i am not that skilled to play blast beat or stuff like that. :))

10.everyone has their own opinions,ideas on what "black metal means so i was curious of yours.in your opinion what does black metal mean to you?

Well as you said, everyone have his opinion about what is or what should be Black Metal, but for me B.M is when you listen to it, and fill every single detail of the song, when you are 100% in that, and when you are emotionally connected with the music.
It doesn't mean if someone wear a Mayhem shirt that he is "true", but the most important thing is when your at home and listen it, and filling it and enjoying it.

11.you come out of the great serbian metal underground scene. it seems like to me serbia has a small {but growing!} metal scene. would you agree? what is your opinion of serbia's metal underground scene?

I agree with you, but the problem is that we have a lot of bands, but there is no public for it, and the kids in general prefer to download music by internet instead of buying the release and supporting, the shows are well visited, but Serbian metal scene have to work a lot more to be something outside...
For example here are some bands that might know people outside of Serbia:
Bombarder (Speed/Thrash Metal), The Stone (B.M), May Result (B.M), Bane (Black/Death), Awaiting Fear (Death Metal), Infest (Deathrash Metal) and for the true underground people Angelgoat (Black Metal).

12.who are some of your all-time favorite serbian bands? are their any new bands you think the readers should check out soon?

My favourite Serbian metal bands are Bombarder, The Stone, May Result, Kozeljnik, Vehementer, Svartgren, Infest...
But i support all bands, doesn't mean if their metal or punk..
I like too band Ana Never, every post-rock fan should check this band!
Well i recommend to take a listen to the new album of The Stone, and to check the band Bane, their a band formed in 2006, but it's only 2 years ago that they reformed it, they are amazing!

13.besides the band you also own and run "silent scream records" when did you start up the label? are you happy with how everything is going so far?

Yeah, the label started in september 2010, and it served me in the purpose to release my own bands, but few month after i decided that it will be much more, so now i am in contact with bands from all over the world, and soon they will be more release announce.
For now everything goes well.

14.please tell the readers a little about each of your releases? are you currently working on any new releases for the future?

Well, the demo were released the 6 october this year, i wanted to be a self-release, it's limited to 66 tapes.
The split will be released the 7th november on my label, the split is between Zloslut, Uruk-Hai (Aus) and Gromkult (USA).
Now i am working on new songs, lyrics are already written, i finished some new riffs and melody..
If the release turn well about production and everything, it will be an EP.

15. if any bands are reading this what styles of metal do you release only black or other metal genres as well? are you currently looking for new labels to trade with?

Silent Scream Records is a label specially interested in Black/Death/Thrash/Doom metal, but i am also interested to release a good project no matter of it's shoegaze, ambient, drone or hnw..
I am always interested in trades! :))

16.well stefan thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Thanks to you and your web-zine, and to the readers.
Well all info about Zloslut can be found on the facebook page or myspace..
Any private question contact my e-mail: sucurovicstefan@yahoo.com

silent scream web-site
http://www.silentscreamrecords.webs.com/

interview with blooddawn done by patrick 10-9-11

2011-10-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

dark greetings,
here is a new interview i have done with a friend of mine from the u.k black metal band blooddawn. if you enjoy violence,vicious war black metal. then blooddawn is a band you MUST Hear! be sure to check out their web-site and myspace page out and order the bands new cd "opus dei"..
enjoy and keep the flames of metal burning...
patrick and winter torment web-zine
fiendformetal@live.com

interview with paul all instruments,music for blooddawn done by patrick

1.metal hails paul! how are things going with you this week? please tell the readers a little about yourself.

Things are busy, we've just released a new CD-R entitled 'Opus Dei' and I'm in the process of sending it out to reviewers and labels as well as writing new material for what will be the next release.

2.when did you first get introduced to metal? who were some of the first bands you listened to? who are some of your "current" favorites?

I was first introduced to metal at the age of nine, it was 1982 and I can remember tearing round the schoolyard singing Maidens 'Run To The Hills'. I'd just seen the video the night before on Top Of The Pops! Back then it was the only way to see any music videos and for a young lad of nine the only way to see bands. Before that my favourite band had been the Police, but then I saw Maiden and something just clicked. I then started to go to the local library and they had a music section where you could take out vinyl LPs, so I got Scorpions Tokyo Tapes and The Lonesome Crow, and some MSG. But I was a big Scorpions, Maiden and Motorhead fan. The first LP I bought with my own money was Powerslave, quickly followed by Piece Of Mind and then a Motorhead compilation and Kiss - Animalise on cassette. Although I f*cking hate them now, I heard Ride The Lightning and was a big Metallica fan which then lead me to Megadeth and Peace Sells… but I didn't get into 'extreme' music until a friend at school (who I'd later go on to form my first band with) gave me a copy of Death - Leprosy and Sabbat's History Of A Time To Come. Both albums just blew me away, I'd never heard anything like it. Death got me interested in the whole Death Metal scene as a teenager but that first Sabbat LP has had such a lasting impression on me. They were the first band I'd heard to openly criticise the christian religion. They're still an influence to me today. So from there I just devoured any grind, death, and black bands I could find. I was massively into early Napalm Death and Carcass, Celtic Frost, Doom, ENT, Bathory, Discharge, Tankard, etc. and I think those influences have stayed with me today. For all the new bands that crop up, I still find myself returning to the bands I was brought up on. Back in the late eighties and nineties I was very much part of the tape trading scene, I was in a grind band and traded all over the world. I know I sound old when I say this, but it was a better scene back then. You had thrash, grind, punk, death and black and that was it, you didn't have these sub-sub-genres.
As for current favourites, as I say, I still find myself looking back to the bands of the past but theres too many to mention, but heres a few over and above that I have previously mentioned, Funeral Mist, Marduk, Blood Ceremony, Triumphator, Whitesnake, Old Anaal Nathrakh, 1349, Arditi, Autopsy, Cobalt, Blutvial, Mumford & Sons, Fukpig, Gorgoroth, Disgust, Ofermod, Afflictis Lentae, Temple Of The Maggot, Teutoburg Forest, Slagmaur, The Joy Formidable, Gong, Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Sleep, Europe, Tsjuder, Ondskapt.

3.when did you get the idea to form blooddawn? how did you come up with the name for the band? are you happy with how things have progressed over the years with the band? for the readers who have never heard blooddawn how would you describe the music of blooddawn?

I first started creating music again back in 2005, but I was just messing around, getting used to the software, getting used to playing the guitar again as I hadn't really done much with the guitar for a couple of years, so the early stuff was fairly rough. I wouldn't really class Blooddawn as really being born until 2008 when Donn joined and we released 'Funeral (For A Despised Icon)'. I don't class anything before that as true Blooddawn. I actually regret releasing anything before then, but then if I hadn't released the previous material I wouldn't have got in touch with Donn and we then may not then be having this conversation! I'm 100% happy musically with the way things have progressed since Donn joined Blooddawn. The sound we have is everything I ever wanted Blooddawn to be, with regards to getting that level of aggression, but I'm hoping that with the addition of a 'live' drummer for future recordings, it can only improve the sound and add something that is lost with the sampled drums we have been using. We haven't had much interest from labels, but I'm hoping with the release of Opus Dei and with the material I'm writteng now, that may be addressed. Blooddawn isn't for everyone, one reviewer said you had to be a certain type of person to handle the chaos and aggression of Blooddawn and I think thats true and puts some people and labels off, even in the 'extreme' scene, and I think thats a good description for what we do, its a maelstrom of chaos and aggression.

4.blooddawn is just yourself and your friend donn {vocalist,lyrics} when did you guys meet? when you started the band did you plan to keep it just a two-man band or have you guys searched for other members to join for live-shows?

When I first started Blooddawn it was just myself covering everything including vocals, but I got in touch with Donn through swapping our demos, I had released 'Chapel Of Bones' and he had the first Teutoburg Forest releases. I was blown away by his vocals, I still think he's one of the best vocalists on the scene, not just here in the UK, but globally, so when he got back in touch and offered to supply vocals for future, I obviously said yes. I live up in the North East of England and Donn lives further down the country so its hard to meet up face to face, but we speak regularly by phone and through email and find we share a lot of similar views, not just musically, but in relation to our art and personal philosophies. We are currently searching for a 'live' session drummer for future recordings, we don't have any plans to play live yet, but its difficult to think about adding an extra full time member to Blooddawn. One of the reasons I think Blooddawn works so well is the fact that myself and Donn work very well together, we are Blooddawn. To add an extra person could affect that dynamic, also when there is one person creating the music there are certain idiosyncrasies that can creep in to the music that can set it apart from one that has been geared towards four or five musicians who all want to show case their individual talent, so there are no plans at the moment to add another member full time.

5.if you could write/work with any musicians{past or present} who would you love to work with?

I've worked with Lord Afflictis of Afflictis Lentae in the past, he supplied vocals for Blooddawn's cover of Panzer Division Marduk and supplied lyrics for Qui Desiderat Pacem, Praeparet Bellum from The Enlightenment CD and I've written lyrics for one of his tracks in the past. I'm also hoping the Barag of Temple Of The Maggot will be supplying some vocals for one of the new tracks we have on the next release. I can honestly say, no-one. But as for 'big' names I'd honestly say no-one. As I mentioned before, I'm looking to bring in a session drummer for recording purposes, so from that point of view, I'm looking to work with a quality drummer, but as for big names past or present, there is no-one that I can think of as it would change the dynamic Blooddawn has. Blooddawn is myself and Donn and that works very well and working with anyone else would change that whole process that makes, in my eyes, Blooddawn work so well. Apart from the current drumming situation and the relatively small amount of time I am able to afford to Blooddawn due to life commitments, I would not change anything or wish to work with anyone else.

6.you recently released your new cd "opus dei"how long did it take to write the songs for this release? are you and donn happy with how everything turned out on the release? how has the response been from the press and the fans?

Its hard to say how long it has taken to write the tracks for Opus Dei as its almost a continuous process, for example, as soon as I had finished the tracks that went onto the CD 'Black Hymns From The House Of god' I was writing new tracks and coming up with riffs which would eventually be the Opus Dei CD. So whilst I am organising getting the covers and CDs printed for Black Hymns and sending them out to labels, etc I'm still writing new material, so I can't say exactly when I started writing Opus Dei, but I do know it took a long time from finishing the tracks to getting the CD released. It costs a lot of money to get the tracks mastered, CDs printed and the finished things posted out, so its been a gradual process of trickling the new CD out to various zines, labels, etc. and has taken a lot longer than I would have liked. In a perfect world I could have had this CD out in March, and not August.

7.you also made up a limited-edition box set for opus dei. what gave you the idea to create this? how many in total did you make up for the fans? what does the limited-edition cd set include?

Yes, we basically made 15 presentation boxes to put a limited edition jewel case CD in. Its all black with the Opus Dei artwork on the cover and inside is a recess where the CD sits. It is velvet lined and really presents the full package of what I want Opus Dei to be. I feel its Blooddawns best release yet and when you spend so much time creating the music and the artwork you want to present your art in as a professional way as possible, and present it in such a way as to complement the music. I've sent a few to some of the more respected reviewers, and the rest I'll be sending to labels.

8.everyone has their own opinion/ideas on what "black metal" stands for. so i was curious what does "black metal" mean to you?

Eveyone's idea of what Black Metal should or shouldn't be are different, I think thats what makes it such an interesting and eclectic genre, but for me, Black Metal should be harsh, hard to palette, unnerving, raw, atmospheric and aggressive with a strong religious narrative. There's bands out there labeling themselves as Black Metal, when nothing could be further from the truth. Its a reflection of this current materialistic, capitalist society, whereby everything is so easily disposable, even music. There's so much shite out there, not only in the Black Metal scene, but metal in general, everything has to be polished and perfect so you loose the spontaneity. Personally, I prefer to hear a few duff notes, a bit of unwanted feed. I don't want it to be perfected and gone over time and time again so you loose the soul of the music and all you are left with is this polished, souless piece of pop shit. Why do people feel they have to fit in as many notes and scales, stops and starts as they possibly can? To try to be even more technical and complex than the last band, and all in the name of 'progression'.

9.this question might be a little hard for you to answer since donn handles the lyrics. but where do you all get inspiration for the lyrics? any kind of messages within the lyrics?

You are correct in saying that Donn writes Blooddawn's lyrics. We try to highlight the tyranny of the christian religion, the blind acceptance of a religion of fairy tales and lies, the giving up of the self to blindly follow the teachings of unenlightened men and try to promote self will and development.

10.the lyrics seem to be based around anti-religious and some satanic themes. so i was curious would you consider yourself a satanist?

Blooddawn is not a satanic band, we have no satanic themes, in fact I believe in neither god or satan, to believe in one you must believe in the other. To voice my full views on religion would take more space than I have available here, but I don't believe in a god, devil, spirits or any such fantastical figments of imagination. There is nothing more than the here and now and the only way that we can 'live on' past this present life is by what we produce and leave behind us. That’s why I believe that what we create as artists, whether that be music, sculpture, the written word, etc. will still be here after we die. So to spend your life following nothing more than an image, and more so, of not doing something, to be told that certain art forms are bad, to be held back and told not to do something is the biggest crime that organised religion can commit against a person. As with all things, man ultimately corrupts and there is no better example of this than in organised religion, in particular Christianity. I remember after reading Richard Dawkins and Nietzsche, the sense of relief, that after so many years of being told as a child that this was the one true religion and god could read your thoughts, etc. that people were producing books and philosophies telling you what you already thought but through indoctrination, where too scared to express openly. It was a massive weight off my shoulders when I could finally look people in the eye and with true conviction tell them there is no god. This had such a powerful influence on me that I can safely say that I only became totally comfortable with myself and who I am after that moment. It’s the emperor’s new clothes, everybody knows the truth but are too frightened to come out and say it, they're hedging their bets, just in case. I actually have no problem with people’s personal religions; just keep it that, personal. Don't try to brain wash and cajole and bully other people into believing in it too.

Don't try to make your religion that dominant one by sheer weight of numbers if deep down 90% of them don't practice what they preach and think it’s all a load of shit anyway. It’s the 'organisational' part of religion I despise. It’s the pyramid effect, with one figure head at the top who wields power and influence over his subordinates, who in turn wield their power to the people below them and so on and so forth until it trickles down to the poor 'flock' at the bottom, the herd mentality, who don't get to travel the world, eat the finest foods, who send their wealth and possessions up the pyramid to the top so it can wield more influence and power or to pay for more lavish places to worship in. Why should you have to pay to worship? Why do you need to meet somewhere to worship? Why should you sit and listen to someone who knows nothing about you tell you that you were born a sinner, born evil and you have to repay try to advance yourself, to better yourself, there’s no need in this world, it will all be taken care of in the next.

11.how do you feel the world would be if religion{christianity,satanism,etc..} were never thought up in the first place?

There are a lot of similarities between the religion and the political and class struggle going on today. Religion, and in particularly, the Christian religion, was brought about as a means to keep the 'masses' in check. Be sure of one thing, the rich and powerful, and I count the religious leaders in that group, want to maintain the status quo, they want to maintain the power system and the riches, so if by using religion as a weapon over the heads of the working classes to ensure they don't step out of line then they will. The christian religion is a religion of 'not doing' rather than of 'doing'. Do not question. do not try to improve yourself and rise above any limitations placed in front of you, no need for self improvement, just be a good boy in this life and god will look after you in the next. How many people have frittered away this life due to them thinking they didn't have to do anything other than be a 'good christian' in this life because it will be so much better in the next. What a waste! Its a religion of 'not doing'. The fact they call the people their 'flock' and they are the good shepherds! A shepherd only looks after his flock until it is time to slaughter them! The sooner people realise that this is it, this is all there is so use it wisely. As I've said before, we're in the last death throws of religion as we know it, as science expands and finds answers for all those unknown things previously attributed to 'god' then the window of religion becomes smaller and will eventually close for good.

12.coming back to the band for a moment you write all the music yourself so i was wanted to know when you begin writing a new song how long does it usually take to complete a song? the music of blooddawn is very violent and straight-forward so i was wondering do you have to be in a certain mood when you are writing?

The songs don't take very long to write, the time consuming part is trying to fit it all in, inbetween a full time job and raising a family, but you are right in saying that you have to be in a certain mood, or frame of mind when writing. Music is an art form and I certainly look on Blooddawn as an artistic expression, from the music, to the artwork and the lyrics, if I didn't have Blooddawn I would still need some form of artistic release, whether that be through the graphical side of things or photography, I need to have some form of release. So yes, you have to be in the 'right' frame of mind to produce a piece of work that you want to present to people. Its a very personal thing, not that I produce Blooddawn to garner some kind of praise from people, whether they be reviewers, labels, I created Blooddawn for myself, first and foremost. I don't crave any form of praise or adoration from anyone, I produce the type of music that I like listening to, if other people like it then of course I'm glad there are other like minded people out there, but whether you love, hate or are indifferent to Blooddawn does not matter to me at all. So in answer to your question, yes, mood and state of mind do come into play when producing the music. Writing Blooddawns music is a very cathartic, cleansing process. There is nothing more I hate in life then someone who wastes there potential, that is the main reason I hate organised religion, the 'not' doing of many things. The people to sit infront of their television sets soaking up the state sponsored, mind numbing gameshows, news and cooking programs. The herd mentality of following the latest trend sold to them by manipulative advertising agencies, whether that be the latest phone, fashion accessory, music style . . . . add any number of things in that space were without knowing it, you a given a small choice, its still a choice, but a narrow choice of what you should like and can get. The upper classes and religious leaders think we are the common herd, THEY know what is good for us, we don't have the intellect to work it out, so they decide to do it for us, the they provide us with the choices, whether that be politically , they provide us with the candidates to choose from, musically, they try to tell us what is popular and what is not. The list goes on. By giving people what the people think they want, it helps keep us medicated, we're not trouble then and if they tell us what our aspirations are and what our ideal is and what we should feasibly hope to achieve then we think we are happy, living a fulfilled life and less likely to ask questions or to try and change the status quo. My rage and anger comes from seeing people either happy or oblivious to these restrictions imposed on them and quite happy to go along with it for an easy life. People who won't read a book. Who won't look for the REAL truth behind the headline stories because its too much like hard work. Religion and the media truly are the drug of the masses. All these things drive me on to create a maelstrom of aural chaos to strike at these poor fuckers, to physically shake them out of their comas.

13.the new blooddawn was released through your own label panzerfaust prod.what gave you the idea to start up the label? are you happy with how it is going so far?

The idea was to release Blooddawn's material on it but to also slowly expand it over time to release material by bands like Blooddawn, who don't have much financial backing, who maybe don't have access to the means to get their artwork done and also to release music that I like. I produce small runs, between 50 and 100, produce full colur, good quality covers in a plastic wallet and a plain or sometimes printed CD-R. I'm very much small time, DIY attitude. Apart from the Blooddawn stuff, I've also released two CD-Rs by Proxenus, we've done all three of the UK Legions Of Black Metal compilations and I've also released a free compilation with Temple Of The Maggot, Afflictis Lentae, Cryptic Winterstorm and Blooddawn on it. Wherever possible I want to release material for free, its an idea that harks back to the old crust/punk days and the DIY attitude, whereby you had loads of underground bands releasing stuff and they'd have 'pay no more than....', etc. on the covers, or it was released for free, just to get the bands name about. There's too many bands, unsigned bands, that think they can charge high prices for their material and its simply not worth the money. My feeling is that the bands I deal with are unsigned, it costs little to get some good quality covers produced and output the music on CD-R's and get it circulated in the underground and try and get them some interest generated. My next release is a split CD with Hak-ed damm from Canada and Blooddawn which should hopefully be out in October 2011.

14.do you run the label on your own or do you have some help from friends? is panzerfaust mainly a label to release blooddawn releases only or have you worked and released other bands as well? please tell the readers a little about your label and the releases

Yes I run it by myself and it was originally set up to release Blooddawn material, but I will be releasing more material by other bands in the future.

15.blooddawn comes out of u.k's black metal underground scene. from what i can tell the scene is small but is growing with some quality bands. would you agree? what is your opinion of the u.k black metal scene?

I don't really involve myself in the uk bm 'scene', or any scene for that matter. There are a handful of bands that I am in touch with from time to time such as Deutoronomy, Spectre, Adversary, Abalam and Cryptic Winterstorm, obviously in my opinion the best UK artist is Donn and his many quality projects, but yes, I would agree that the uk scene is certainly improving. With the help of JD Tait at the UK Legions of Black metal zine I've tried to help promote the uk bands by releasing three volumes of the UK Black Metal compilations on my Panzerfaust Label. These CDs are free and intended to show case the wide variety of UK bands that come under the umbrella of Black Metal. Just by listening to the three volumes you can tell how over the years the quality has improved. But in my opinion, no other country does 'extreme' better than the UK, I just feel that sometimes, when it comes to Black Metal in the UK, this has been forgotten. We need to remind people that BM should be 'extreme' in lyrical content, musical content, visually and in its decibel level! Some bands, not just here but everywhere have drifted into a 'safer' area whereby they can call themselves 'post' BM thereby still clinging onto the BM tag but in reality their music bears little or no resemblance to BM anymore.

16.who are some of your all-time favourite u.k bands? are their any new bands you think the readers should check out soon?

I strongly recommend you check out Donn and all of his various projects; Teutoburg Forest, Theo, Shit, etc., Temple Of The Maggot, Afflictis Lentae, Leon and Deutoronomy. The Blutvial album 'I Speak Of The Devil' is a classic.

17.well brother,thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. good luck with the band and label. do you have any final comments for the readers ?

Thanks to Patrick and Winter Torment for the continued support.

new reviews done on 9-26-11

2011-09-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

hello,
thanks for taking the time to read the new batches of reviews up on winter torment!! i hope you will find some new releases to your liking.we have a little of everything this time around. we are currently working {as always} on alot of new reviews and interviews to post for your reading pleasure so please stay tuned and thanks to everyone who has supported winter torment in any way over the last few years.
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

archgoat-heavenly vulva {christ's last rites} e.p {debemur morti prod.}{reviewed by patrick}
archgoat was spawn nearly twenty years ago from the bowels of hell and still going strong as evident by their latest mcd.six tracks of filthy,primitive blackend death played in it's purest form.the music ranges from a darker mid-paced speed to more violent outbursts of blasting speed filled with aggression and hate.the vocals have a deeper growl that give them a a death metalish touch but fit perfectly with archgoats type of musical blasphemy.this is recomended to all fanatics of raw,primitive blackend death metal.
label contact
http://www.debemur-morti.com

atriach--forever the end cd {seventh rule recordings}{reviewed by patrick}
this is a new band from the u.s underground scene.atriach play a unique style of doom,black metal mixed with some expiremental influences all rolled into one massive sound.vocals are harsh,tormented screams of agony while the band plays the soundtrack with some haunting heavy doom riffs,mixed with some drone overtones.the vocals as mentioned are mainly blackend metal screams but their are also some very well used clean vocals which add nicely to the bands overall dark and haunting sound. atriach are defintly not for everyone in the scene. but if you enjoy dark,doom with touches of black metal then atriach might be a band you will want to check out soon.
label contact.
www.seventhrule.com

bahimiron--rebel hymns of the left handed terror cd {moribund rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
this is bahimiron's second cd for the moribund cult. the last bahimiron release was decent but nothing great. but with rebel hymns of the left handed terror the band strikes back again with full force and destructive fury.to put it simply this is a sick,twisted masterpiece of frenzied raw,destruction.with so many black metal bands going the route of crystal clear production,clean vocals,whatever they seem to loose sight of what this music is about. but not bahimiron it's great to hear a band sticking to their roots and keeping their music aggressive,ugly destructive.
label contact
http://www.moribundcult.com

deus otios-murderer cd {american line prod./FDA.rekotz}{reviewed by patrick}
after all these years of doing zines i still love getting and hearing new bands.and denmark's deus otios is defintly one of the best old-school death metal bands i've come across in the last few months. i have pretty much become a picky old bastard with death metal in general {as much as i hate to admit that it's the truth} but deus otios offers everything that got me hooked onto death metal in the first place. heavy uncomprimising death metal at it's finest. no over-the top jazzy or technical guitar riffs with a million solo's instead sticking to the basic heavy straight forward guitar patterns of the elder death metal gods. the band does have some impressive structers and few solo's thrown in a few of the songs but nothing overly done like so many of today's bands. the drums are mid-range with some faster beats when it is needed but the bands strength defintly is in the more straight forward mid-paced song-writing.the vocals are deep and vicious growls that are a perfect match for deus otios old-school style and approach. if you are an old-school maniac who misses the late 80's,early 90's when death metal was the law and nothing was better then defintly get murderer as this is sure to be a classic release.
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/deusotiosus
www.facebook.com/deusotiosus.dk

enormicon--storm of swords e.p {self-released}{reviewed by patrick}
this is the debut e.p from the texas based enormicon i guess the best way to describe this band would be is a mix of stoner rock,traditional doom,and older prog music.it's not really my styles of music so this review is gonna suck as i don't to much about these particular genres. so i will say if you are a sabbath or high on fire fan or just old-school doom in general then you might enjoy enormicon.
band contact
www.enormiconmetal.com

excommunicated--skelton key cd {u w.records}{reviewed by patrick}
this is a new band coming out of louisiana.the group members are no strangers to the metal scene.some of louisiana's more well-known bands like catholicion {chad kelley, vocals},jason mclntyre used to play in a brutal d.m band suture.
the guys have moved on and formed excommunicated the musicians do a good job of creating a mix of heavy semi-brutal death metal and some melodic death metal in a nice mix.for a debut excommunicated has some great musicial ideas but at the end of skelton key nothing really sticks out as memorable.

label contact
www.facebook.com/excommunicated

mordbrand-necropsychotic cd {deathgasm records}{reviewed by patrick}
this is by far one of 2011's best death metal releases!! the swedish masters combine crushing,heaving guitar riffs,pounding fast drums sick,deep growls.mordbrand isnt worried about playing 2 thousand miles an hour.or trying to be as technical as ever instead they rely on their ability to perform flawless,old-school death metal. with bands like mordbrand,cianide,deus otiosus maybe death metal will return the greatness it once had.

label contact
www.deathgasm.com

nocturnal fear-excessive cruelity cd {moribund records}{reviewed by patrick}
i have had the pleasure of dealing with moribund recs. pretty much since i started working on zines some years ago.and i have always respected how they release quality bands over what the trend of the week is.nocturnal fear are no different instead of the black metal assult that moribund is legendary for releasing.this time the label has unleashed the thrashing,war maniacs nocturnal fear to annihilate the listeners. from the first note to the last drum beat nocturnal fear never loosens it's attack as it rages through 9 tracks of pure thrash/death/war insanity. loud,fast thrashing guitars that has it all great solo's,complex riffs without loosing any of the bands intenisty.the drums are impressive as they are fast, violent but they are also complex with a few breaks before the band starts to pummel your senses with a new barrage of raging thrash,war metal.the band defintly a worthwhile band worth checking out.

label contact
www.moribundcult.com

nunfuckritual-in bondage to the serpent cd {debemur morti prod.}{reviewed by patrick}
this is a band created by some very well-known musicans within the black and death metal scene. teloch {mayhem,nidinger},espent hangard{altaar},and dan lilker {nuclear assult,etc..} on bass. so what do you get when combine the talents of these metal musicians?a very eerie,dark trip filled with traditional,sick black metal with some industrial types.overshadowing each track is dark atmosphere within the bands music that will send chills down your spine. if you are a fan who is into sick,depraved black metal with touches of industrial and atmospheres.then nunfuckritual is a band that might interest you.
label contact
http://www.debemur-morti.com

some new napalm rec. reviews for 9-26-2011

2011-09-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

it has been awhile since i have had the pleasure to deal/work with this long-running metal label. yes it is obvious they don't "sign" or "release" the most extreme or violent bands in metal. but that doesnt mean they don't have some have some good quality ones defintly worth your attention and hard earned money.
expect alot more reviews from me and this label but for now enjoy and thank you all for reading!!
best regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

draconian--a rose for the apokalypse cd {napalm records}{reviewed by patrick}
this is draconian's 4th release to date and the swedish death/doom masters have never sounded better or more focused.a rose for the apokalypse is draconian's shining jewel heavy riffs with some solo's usually not heard in death/doom.the drummer is just as impressive in his delievery punishing drum beats that range from the ultra-slow doom beats to some mid-paced beats but mainly stay in the stay in the slower mode as this is where draconian shines the most writing and perfoming atmospheric,depressive death/doom that will crush your soul in it's sadness.the vocal duo of anders jacobson {death growls} and lisa johansson {female vocals} have never sounded better or more nsync with each other.if you are a fan of draconian's past releases then you know this is a must hear.but if you are new to the band and you enjoy atmospheric,death/doom then draconian is a must hear for everyone into death/doom.
label contact
http://www.napalmrecords.com
band contact
http://www.draconian.se

Midnattsol-the metamorphosis melody cd {napalm record}{reviewed by patrick}
this has been a very good year for napalm rec releases. and one of their best bands midnattsol can be added to the list of napalm artist to make their presence heard once again in 2011.i must admit i was not that impressed with the bands second cd "nordlys" it seemed to be lacking the passion and fire the band showed on the debut disk . but over the last few years the band has defintly been writing,practicing and is now back! and the metamorphosis melody is simply amazing,near perfection.to me it has always been hard to pin down exactly which catogory to place midnattsol into as they draw on quite a few and mix them all together to create a original,and entertaining sound all there own.the musicans are defintly rooted and inspired from the "atmospheric" realm of metal but also have alot of folk influence thrown into the mix.frontwoman carmen elise espenaes handles all the vocal duties beautifully.handling both the more somber,melodic ballad-type of songs {"goodbye"} and the more energetic,upbeat songs like the title track .carmen has a wonderful voice that compliments the other musicans in midnattsol perfectly.looking forward to hearing what they release next!!
label contact
http://www.napalmrecords.com

band contact
www.midnattsol.com

skalmold--baldur cd {napalm rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
it's hard to believe that this is skalmold's debut release. why? by the sheer intensity,and flawless of the music flowing through my speakers.viking death metal with touches of folk music entertwined the music. mid-paced death metal guitars with some well-done solo's and riffs.the guitars range from whirlwind speed to a mid-paced controlled paced.the drums are precise and right on target staying with the guitars to combine for a heavy yet memorable musical journey.the music is not all speed and brutal skalmold do have alot of melody and atmosphere.vocals are gruff growls with some clean male vocal male interludes along with some chants that really fit with the songs on baldur.if you are a fan of viking metal then this is defintly one of the best of 2011 not to be missed
label contact
http://www.napalmrecords.com
band contact
http://www.skalmold.is

van canto--break the silence cd {napalm records}{reviewed by patrick}
i had every intention of giving this a total-shit review. but you know the old saying "never judge a book by it's cover"? well thats what i did when i saw this band was labeled "acapella" metal? BUT Now that i have listened to break the silence a few hundred times.i can honestly say i was wrong and van canto rules!! in this day and time it is near-impossible for any band in any genre {in or outside of metal} to be original but thats pretty much what germany's van canto have pulled off wonderfully.the band consists of 6 members {5 males,1 female} all singing in different harmonies,and combining to take the the place of "actual" instruments {with the exception of a real drummer}
each singer is very well trained and their voice is in top shape to pull off such a huge task in taking the place of instruments.but van canto do perfectly. this is a must have i don't care what genre you listen to the most van canto has probably released one of the most original masterpieces of 2011 and one listen to songs like "if i die in battle","the seller of souls" or the more melodic "spelled in waters" will leave you amazed and wanting more.
label contact
http://www.napalmrecords.com
band contact
http://www.vancantoo.de

interview with uvikra done by patrick 9-19-2011

2011-09-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

uvikra is a new band i found mixing in raw old-school death and black metal to create a unique yet dirty,sound that is pure old-school glory. defintly old-schoolers who are tired of the over-the top "technical" style that is flooding the scene or the way over produced bands will want to check out uvikra's new e.p "patterns of life"

interview with loikav all instruments,vocals for uvikra done by patrick

1.hails loikav!! how are things going in lithuania? please introduce yourself to the readers.

Hello Winter Torment readers, I'm Loikav, the sole member of Uvikra. Things are going well enough.

2.when did you first discover metal? who were some of the first bands you discovered? who are some of your "current" favorites?

I got into metal 3 years ago because I fell in love with the 80s Metallica and Megadeth albums. I was familiar with metal before, but for some reason not interested in the genre in general.

As for current favorite metal bands, I like a lot of the late 80s, early to mid 90s BM/DM. I don't want to name particular bands, because in many cases I might really like only 1 or 2 albums by a band. And I tend to listen to a lot of stuff, so "current" favorites often change.

3.when did you get the idea to form uvikra? how did you come up with the name of the band? does it have a special meaning? for the readers who have never heard uvikra how would you describe the bands music?

In autumn of 2009, because then the black metal genre was a recent discovery to me, and I wanted to try it myself. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can say about the name of the band.

Hard to describe the music in general, because it's changed stylistically (from black to black/death). The latest material I've created is kind of progressive black/death metal, but it's unreleased yet.

4.you are the sole-member of the band. when you started uvikra did you plan to work alone or have you looked for other members to join the band?

I wanted to work alone in the beginning, and it was hardly possible to do it any other way anyway. But now I'm interested in adding members, or just joining some other band. Although quite slowly, I'm currently attempting to make either of those situations happen.

5.what would you say are the advantges and disadvantges to being a one-man band? if you could work with any musicians past or present who are some musicians you would love to work with?

Advantages are that I can write music however I want to and do it when I want to, on my own schedule. Disadvantages are that sometimes I get stuck and can't write anymore, or can't play as technical as I'd like something to be. Also, my gear is more limited than it would be otherwise, if there were more people.

Being a one man band is also a matter of motivation, which can change from high to low from time to time.

Not sure who I'd like to work with in particular, just anyone with similar intentions, goals and interests.

6.you recently released your new e.p "patterns of life". how long did it take you to write and record the songs for this release? are you happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the press and fans?

The writing took about 3 months, and to record 2 months, because eventually I had to re-do some vocals, add some guitar, and borrow a bass.

I like the songs very much, but I'm not very happy about the sound. The production is too DIY and kind of repulsive. The response is kind of lukewarm, no extremes. There's little response in general.

7.have you started working on songs for the next uvikra release? when you begin working on a new song how long does it usually take for you to complete the song?

I'm done with the second album, but I don't know yet how or when it should be released.

This time a song could take 1-3 months, but I might work on a couple of songs at a time. But some details and/or lyrics eventually get changed after the core has been written, or it might get partly or largely re-written. Basically it's impossible to say how long exactly and generalize, sometimes half a year for a song.

8.as mentioned earlier, you handle all the instruments for the band. which instrument would you say is your favorite one to play? which is your least favorite? is there any instrument you don't currently play that you would love to learn to play?

My favorite is drums and my least favorite is vocals. Right now I don't have any interest to learn anymore instruments.

9.you also handle the vocals for the band, when did you first start singing? who are some of your favorite singers? do you do anything special to keep your throat/voice healthy?

I started "singing" when it was time to record vocals on the first album, in late spring of 2010. But I don't do that type of black metal shrieking anymore. Now it's growls, but I almost never do it. Cirumstances (place of living, surroundings) don't allow that anymore. But I never practiced regularly or did anything special, only drank a lot to keep my throat wet.

It's hard to name favorite singers in extreme metal, because a lot tend to sound almost the same.

10.is uvikra the only band you currently play/work with? if not, please tell the readers a little about your others.

It's the only one.

11. you live in the country of lithuania,so i was curious what is your opinion of the metal-scene in lithuania?

It's not very alive, it could be better.

12.who are some of your all-time favorite lithuanian bands? are there any new bands you think the readers should check out soon?

Anubi, Regredior, Ghostorm. Unfortunately, I can't name new ones that I like very much.

13.what does the term "underground metal" mean to you?

I don't have any ideology associated with it, so it's just metal that's DIY, bands that are unsigned or on small/independent labels.

14.well my friend,we have reached the end of the interview.thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Thanks for the interview. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the music.

contact addresses:
http://uvikra.bandcamp.com
http://myspace.com/uvikra

interview with nephrolith done by patrick 9-19-2011

2011-09-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

hails!!
here is another new interview this time it is with the mighty slovenian black metal band nephrolith. this is defintly a good band and deserves your attention and respect mixing in black metal and some elements of atmospheric throughout some of the songs.
best regards,
patrick

Interview with nerthag vocalist for nephrolith done by patrick

1.hails nerthag! how are things going in slovenia? please introduce yourself to the readers?
Greetings! Everything is pretty much standard in Slovenia, nothing special going on.

I am Nerthag the vocalist of a Slovenian black metal band named Nephrolith.

2.when did you and the other members of nephrolith meet? was it long until you formed the band? how did you decide on the name for the band? does it have a special meaning?

Nephrolith was at first my side-project with Isvaroth. The whole purpose was just casualy playing some black metal so I could practice my blast-beats (at the time I played drums). It was in the summer of 2008 and, I think, in the middle of august we decided to switch our priorities and found the guitarist Skargart so we could continue with Nephrolith as our main project. We had a few ideas for the name but Nephrolith sounded right. Nephrolith means kidney (nephros) stones (lithos). At first we thought of it as a symbol of this world (kidney) with the people (stones) destroying the existence.

3.what is the "current" line-up? how would you describe nephrolith's music to someone who has never heard it?
The real Nephrolith line-up, meaning the one that we had on our first concert is still the same. I am handling the vocals, Isvaroth and Skargart on the guitars, Tersagir on bass guitar and Navtyr is handling the drums. Our music is black metal but not something you might have heard of. It is melodic spiced up with influences from various other genres.

4.the band recently released it's new cd "xullux"how long did it take you all to write and record the songs for this release? are you and the other members of the band happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the press and the fans?

Well, Xullux was taking its shape all throughout 2009 and the beginning of 2010. We started recording in February of 2010 in Dyz Sonic Temple studio and everything was recorded in 3 months and then the album was mixed in a month or two. I think we are pretty satisfied with how everything turned out, although after you listen to the album for so many times after sometime you figure what could be better. Still, it is our debut and we never expected such a good result. The response from the press was really positive from our perspective, we got the expected critics, and still some really good ratings. Most of the fans were really amazed, but some missed the raw sound and the atmosphere that we had on our demo Vinsketh.

5.does the band get to play very many live shows or do you prefer to work in the studio only? who are some bands you have shared the stage with? if you could set-up a "dream show" who are some bands you would love tour/play with?

We had about 15 live shows in the first year, but then we preferred to have fewer and now we are completely focusing on our upcoming release. We shared the stage with Belphegor, Hate, Impaled Nazarene, Mortifera etc. I don’t have a dream show, there are bands I deeply respect, but on the other hand there is the tour with bands that might enable you to present music to bigger masses. Tough decision.

As it is a dream show I would revive Jon and Dissection and go on a blasting tour. If I am not restricting myself to the genre I would go with Katatonia, because I never get sick of listening to them. But if I think genre-wise and at least a bit possible, I would say Borknagar, especially now that they have Simen Hestnæs back.

6.you handle the vocals for the band,at what age did you start singing? who are some of your influences/favorite singers?

I am not sure exactly when I started singing, because I am always singing when listening to any kind of music alone. But I started practicing growl vocals around the age of 16.

I am mostly influenced by singers that don’t do much growling, like Simen Hestnæs, Jonas Renkse and Layne Staley. The biggest ‘growling’ influence on Xullux is probably Erik Danielsson.

7.do you do anything to keep your throat/voice healthy? besides singing do you play any other instruments?

Yeah I always try to warm up my voice properly, maybe eat some potato chips, a beer or two, sip of whiskey and I’m ready. I play drums whenever I can, else I have to be happy with the guitar when I am on the University in Ljubljana.

8.do you or any of the members of nephrolith currently play in any other bands or side-projects? if yes please tell the readers a little about them.
We had quite a few short-lived side-projects, but now we are all focusing on Nephrolith.

9.everyone has their own ideas/opinions on what "black metal" means. so i was curious in your own opinion what does black metal mean to you?

Well black metal is more than just a genre to me. It is a way of expressing your extremes musically and visually.

10.the band comes out of slovenia's black metal underground. so i was curious what is your opinion of your countries metal scene?

My opinion of the Slovenian metal scene is kind of mixed. I think that the whole metal scene is big in Slovenia, but the organization of some events, the mentality of some people is just sad. Not everything is shit, some events are just simply great and there are really a lot of them throughout the year. Heads up to those. I think there isn’t enough support and help between Slovenian bands and people. Too much hatred between some is not the perfect solution to bring the message and metal culture out correctly.

11.who are some of your all-time favorite slovenian bands? are their any new bands you feel the readers should check out?

I have to mention bands like Siddharta who I liked since I was little. Nowadays they have some experimental rock going on. But when they released Rh- they had this great combo of symphonic metal and rock, I really love that album, worth checking. I think Laibach and of course Devil Doll, the experimental geniuses shouldn’t be left out, not exactly metal, but it had great influence on the bands to come. Baptism at Savica Fall demo/album from Noctiferia is the high point in the early Slovenian black metal scene for sure. I really don’t feel too confident about any new bands at the moment. There are some with potential, but nothing promising yet.

12.i believe we have reached the end of the interview. thank you for taking the time to fill this out. do you have any final comments for the readers of the zine?

Check us out if you haven't yet and thanks to all of you who took the time to read it.

interview with svarttjern done by patrick 9-19-2011

2011-09-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

here is an interview with norwegian black metal band svarttjern.the band mixes in the cold,icy riffs of the classic norwegian gods with some elements of the second wave of black metal. a great band and must hear for fans of pure,unrelenting black metal.
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine
fiendformetal@live.com

interview with haan guitarist for svarttjern done by patrick

1.greetings haan,how are things going for you this week? please
introduce yourself to the readers.

HaaN: Ave All, things are getting busy, doing a million interviews and
promoting the album as best. Name HaaN aka Erik. S lead guitarist and
composer for the Norwegian black metal band SVARTTJERN.

2.when did you first discover metal? who were some of the first metal
bands you listened to? who are some of your "current" favorites?

HaaN: Guessing a pretty typical road to the darker side of music,
older siblings got me into to punk and from there got into metallica,
maiden etc. Around 16 - 17 I got into Slayer and more extreme stuff.

3.when did you all form svarttjern? how did you come up with the name
of the band? does it have a special meaning? what is the "current"
line-up? for the readers who have never heard the band how would you
describe svarttjern's music?

HaaN: HansFyrste and I started the band back in 2003 as a two -man
project. Skabb, FjellNord and Grimdun joined early 2004 started
immediately doing live shows, and have been since. We always get the
question regards to the name, SVARTTJERN is a painting by the
Norwegian artist August Cappelen, a young artists which painted during
the national romantic era. So it has nothing to do with black tarn as
we so often get called, it is not a simple as google translate. The
current line up is: HansFyrste- vocals, Grimdun – Battery, Fjellnord –

2. Guitar, HaaN – 1 guitar and our latest addition is our new bass
player Stg V. Think it`s hard to describe ones own music, but guessing
SVARTTJERN is modern extreme black metal band with influences through
others metal sub genres. As of today the band is getting more and more
technical at least in terms of the debut and general old school black
metal.

4.the band recently released it's second cd "towards the ultimate"
through agonia records.how long did it take you all to write and
record the songs for this release?

HaaN: The whole creative phase on my part only took 3-4 months,
usually it`s fast when I first get in the necessary state of mind. As
for the rehearsals and studio work, it took a bit longer, guessing all
in all about 18 months from the first track was written to we had the
master tape done.

5.are you and the rest of the band happy with how it all turned out?
how has the response been from the press and the fans?

HaaN: Of course, would`t released it otherwise. In retrospective there
are always things one would have done different, could be minor
details here and there, but all in all very pleased with the result.
The response has been very good from both fans and the press. Was a
bit anxious for the feedback from the promo track “Breathing Soil”,as
this is a much more a “whole” album, not a concept album, but still a
more wholeness throughout the album which one has to experience.

6.does the band have any upcoming shows or tours in support of
"towards the ultimate"? if yes who are some bands you will be touring
with?

HaaN: Can`t go into details. But a small European tour is being
planned. Besides this SVARTJERN is always open for playing live.
Organizers and bookers can get into in touch with us through our
facebook profile or myspace/svarttjern. Besides this we have release
gig I Oslo in couple of weeks.

7.if you could set-up a "dream" show/tour who are some bands{past or
present}you would love to play with?

HaaN: Even tough we don resemble much, I guess a support act on the
“Bathory” tour would be have been alright.

8.the band comes out of the legendary norwegian black metal scene.so
i was curious what is your opinion of norway's current scene compared
to 10-15 years ago?

HaaN: Well, as we are still a bit young, it`s hard to say. SVARTTJERN
has never bothered trying to get in the so-called scene at all. But as
10-15 years back is “only” around the year 2000 so the third wave of
Norwegian black metal had already began. Guessing the Norwegian scene
is loosing it`s position as “leading provider” of the genre, but I
personally could`t care less, we do not create music from a collective
state of mind, we do not have responsibility or will of either
maintaining or revolutionize the genre. It`s a general misconception
that we have “one” scene I Norway, that is not how it works, we have

scenes divided through geographical aspects. You have the Oslo, Bergen and “Nidarosian“ (Trondheim) scenes, which are the three biggest
scenes in Norway.

9.who are some of your all-time favorite norwegian bands? are their
any new bands you feel the readers should check out?

HaaN: Hm, hard question. Other Norwegian metal I personally like
which I guess is a bit underground Orcustus, Dead to this world,
Goatlord to name a few.

10.everyone has their own ideas/opinions on what "black metal"
means.so i was interested in yours what does "black metal" mean to
you?

HaaN: Most of all a dark artistic expression. For me it is much more a
artistic channel in terms of music. So many bands do the corpse paint
first, then write the (shitty) music after, can`t stand those bands,
and would never create and write black metal for the sole purpose of
creating or upholding an image. But as you mention it`s personal.
Can`t go into details, would take forever.

11. are you or any of the other members of the band currently working
with any other bands or side-projects?

HaaN: Think every member of SVARTTJERN has other bands or projects, I
have Bloodspawn with HansFyrste, he also have Ragnarok. Our latest
addition on bass guitar also plays with Sarkom. Fjellnord plays with
prog rock band called Magista Templi. And so on, we all do different
session work for friend projects and or more professional types of
work.

12.you handle the guitars for the band. when did you first start
playing the guitars? are you self-taught or have you had lessons?

HaaN: I actually started pretty late, was around 16 years I think. I
have had classical guitar education for three years, through a guitar
teacher in Oslo called Per Kristian Larsen. Metal wise I am self-
taught, still a lot of my classical education is being put into
SVARTTJERN music as well as my other bands/ projects. Don`t think it`s
cool to suck on your instrument or to “brag” about how little time you
spent in the studio, which some bands tend to do, makes no sense if
you ask me.

13.who are some of your influences/favorite guitarists? do you play
any other instruments?

HaaN: Well, a bit nerdy perhaps, but have always been into the
neo-classical shredding part of metal guitar. Typical Jason Becker,
Tony Macaplhine etc. Today I am a bit into Guthrie Govan, at least
when only considering “guitar music”.

14.well haan,thank you for taking the time to finish this interview.
do you have any final comments for the readers?¨

HaaN; Thanks for the interview. Hope to see many of you through
touring over the next year.

New reviews for 8-26-11

2011-08-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

greetings,
here is a new batch of reviews for everyone to check out.their was great releases this time around. so hopefully you will find some metal to your liking!!
metal regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

beherit- at the devils studio 1990 cd {hells headbangers rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
hells headbangers has unearthed and released one of the greatest black metal bands earliest recordings. beherit's at the devils studio showcases the bands early primitive violent days.thin guitars,drums that range from mid-pace to fast blast beats.the vocals are demonic growls/screams with some lower whispered type of vocals that fit beherit's sound perfectly. this is a must have for fans of beherit's first two cd's.
label contact
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com

blooddawn--opus dei cd {panzerfaust prod.}{reviewed by patrick}
u.k's blooddawn return with their most violent and vicious recording yet! the duo are influenced by mid-era marduk,mixed with brutal blackend war metal.the production on opus dei is probably the best of any blooddawn release that i have heard without comprimising the bands original visions. razor-sharp guitar riffs,hyper-speed blasts of blaspehmy.the vocals are growls and screams of pissed off anger,the vocals seem to have some kind of effects being used on them to give them a industrial touch and sound but fit very well with the music.if you have never heard blooddawn in the past and you enjoy violent,uncompromising war/black metal i would highly suggest picking up opus dei asap! and if you have heard blooddawn what are you waiting for? this is blooddawn at their sickest and best!!
band contact
http://www.blooddawnuk.webs.com

cianide--gods of death cd {hells headbangers rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
u.s death metal legends return with their sixth full-length release and the name couldn't be better "gods of death". in cianide's twenty year plus in the underground the band has never once comprimised their sound or "added" any new elements to change with the times or be more popular in the scene they helped create.that is something to be respected whether you like this band or not.
gods of death carries on cianide's tradition of creating and playing some of the heaviest death metal ever heard. crushing mid-paced guitars and heavy,mid-paced drums that keep up with the mood and pace of the band.the vocalist delievers with some excellent death growls no effects,no pig sqeals just angry growls. cianide are a band that doesnt change for anyone.but they get better and better with each release!! defintly one of 2011's best death metal albums! buy this or die a poser.
label contact
www.hellsheadbangers.com

katana--heads will roll cd {listenable records}{reviewed by patrick}
katana are a band that are going back to the early roots of traditional heavy metal on their debut cd heads will roll.the band has the whirlwind of catchy guitar solo's and riffs that remind me alot of the glory days maiden or priest. the band does have alot of similarties to some of the elder gods of metal but also enough talent and original ideas that they keep katana a more original style band instead of just another clone-metal band.katana is band that should please any and all fans of old-school heavy metal.
label contact
www.listenable.net

moon-caduceus chalice cd {moribund rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
caduceus chalice is moon's debut cd and a very impressive one to say the least.six tracks of cold,dismal atmospheric black metal.the guitars and drums are played at a mid-paced and done perfectly. the vocals are a raspy,whispery whispery voice.mixed within the music is some well-played keyboards that another dimension to moon's already dark sound.this is a band and release that should appeal to all fans of "atmospheric" black metal.
label contact
www.moribundcult.com

panzerchrist-regiment ragnarok cd {listenable rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
this is panzerchrist's sixth release to be unleashed upon the underground maniacs.the members are brilliant with their writing and delievery of uncompromising blackend death/war metal.the guitarist attack with hyperspeed riffs and solo's while the drummer pummels your senses into oblivion with a barrage of fast blast beats,and heavy mid-paced beats.but stay right on track with the guitars for a chaotic,yet flawless musical journey.the vocals are equally as vicious with a mix of brutal growls,and harsh screams. this is a good releases and fans of violent war metal should defintly check out panzerchrist asap!
label contact
www.listenable.net

prayer of the dying-in silence and grief we decay cd {nekrogoat heresy prod.}{reviewed by patrick}
malta's prayer of the dying have returned with their strongest release to date.main-man martin{vocals,all instruments} has written,and performed some of the best blackend doom i have heard in sometime.their are some atmospheric touches throughout some of the songs to give it a eerie,yet enjoyable listen.if you are a fan of prayer of the dying's previous releases you will love this one.if you are new to prayer of the dying music imagine mid-paced black metal with some touches of atmospheric doom entertwined. this is defintly a band worth checking out!!

band contact
http://www.myspace.com/prayerofthedying
label contact
www.nghproductions.net

interview with dark_matter done by patrick 8-26-11

2011-08-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

here is a new interview with a new band coming from ireland. the band mixes in a spaced-out ambient instrumental feeling with some metal and atmpospheric interludes. this is a interview with two of the founding members eoin and dave.
defintly worth checking out if you are "fan" of instrumental,atmospheric metal.
enjoy!!
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with eoin guitars and synths and dave drummer and programmer. done by patrick

1. Hello guys how are things going in Ireland? Please introduce yourselves to the readers.

Hey Patrick. This is Eoin, guitars and synths.

Well mate, the name is Dave, I’m the Drummer / Programmer

2. When did you all meet? Was it long until you formed dark_matter? For the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe the bands music?

Eoin:. I met Dave through recording a demo I did with an early incarnation of what was to become “dark_matter.” We “became” dark_matter in Oct 2009.

How would we describe ourselves? Very difficult question, for me anyway. I’ve always enjoyed the atmospheric effect that keyboards bring to heavy music. Ever since I started writing songs 10 years ago, I have always felt they were integral to the sound I wanted. There would definitely be a gothic influence there but in the synthesized effects that dark_matter use, this comes across as more ambient and spacey. We don’t use the traditional strings or piano effects as is typical of gothic stuff. Our structures, I suppose would lean towards progressive but unfortunately I don’t think we’re technical enough to fall into that category, Because it is instrumental it is easy to say we have elements of post-rock, and I guess we do, however we don’t use/rely on crescendos and diminuendos to the same extent as generally applies to the genre at large. In short, I guess you could call us instrumental post-progressive ambient metal?!!!

Dave: What Eoin forgets is that he actually met me before then, when I was playing in another band…tut tut sir!
As Eoin said we didn’t converse properly until I recorded a demo for said previous incarnation.

With all the facets of metal around today, the easiest way to describe our stuff is Intsrumetal!

Very general but I wouldn’t like to drill down past that…unnecessary really at the end of the day and you create more discussions by saying you are a particular sub-genre.

And if I recall Eoin did have a lot more string and piano effects but started to lean more towards the spacey thanks to the synthesisers.

The structures are…as I constantly say when we’re messing around arranging stuff…is head-fu*k

Mike:

3. The band recently released their debut e.p "Adrift" how long did it take you all to write and record the songs for this e.p?

Eoin: As it happens 3 of the 4 songs on the EP were written 9 or 10 years ago. Neptune, in fact was the first keyboard riff I wrote. “The Persistence of Memory” and “Monolith” were written around the same time. They were written a couple of years after the first band I played in (My Friend Judas) broke up. They were written at a time that I couldn’t get a band together for love nor money. There were not a lot of people interested in doing this kind of stuff. I suppose I didn’t care because my objective was just to have a collection of songs that I could be proud of simply for my own benefit. At this time I genuinely never thought these songs would see the light of day. This was 2001/2002. In that time I wrote about 15 songs, fully finished for guitars, bass and keyboards on a very basic recording program. When I finally did get a band going it was 2007. A few of these songs were used by us (Twilight of Harmony) at that time, with the singer/guitarist contributing songs also. When he left in late 2009, we re-worked 3 of our songs for the EP, the goal being to be able to play them live asap to see if the instrumental thing would go down well enough to stay in that format. We think it did so we decided to record the tracks. “Compression Syndrome” was written on guitar very quicky, like an hour and a half at most. When I brought it to Dave, he did the arrangement, adjusting certain riffs and rhythms etc as the guitar rhythms were very straight (and slightly uninteresting). We laid down rough drum tracks and the keys/synths were written very quickly over it. Again, with the other 3 tracks, rough tracks were recorded until all keyboard layers were decided upon, then we laid down proper guitar, drum and bass tracks so it was fairly painless. It also helped that Dave did the recording himself.

Dave: I swear my love of Fear Factory doesn’t show in Compression Syndrome at all…-cough-

The recording process was long and painful for me, as I can be incredibly…what’s the word…picky I guess, rerecorded the drums a few times just so I could hear what I wanted to. On top of that constantly tweaking the mix…I don’t think I’ll be doing that again any time soon!

4. Are you all happy with how it turned out? how has the response been from the press and fans?

Eoin: At the time, yeah I was definitely happy. It was a DIY recording so when you compare recording quality to that of a more professional recording, you will notice that there is a significant difference. We did the recording in-house so it was essentially free, but its function was to have something we could publish and show an objective crowd and gauge their response. First and foremost we want to play live, and it’s great to hear that you played a good set, but people can be less honest to your face or objectivity could be negated with large amounts of alcohol. Therefore the recording was a tool to find out what people internationally thought of it. Ireland has a very impressive instrumental scene, whereas in other countries it might not be so prevalent. It was from these listeners that we wanted to hear their thoughts. We’ve been reviewed in Germany, Austria, UK and the US. The reviews have all been positive, some more than others but at least none have been negative, which was my fear when deciding to go instrumental. So ya, I’m happy with it but I’m sure our next recording will be better, as we are actually going to go to a proper studio.

Locally we seem to be regarded pretty highly I guess. Being on the fringes of the Metal scene is a double edged sword though. We’re not heavy enough for the “true” metallers, which is actually fine with me personally as we don’t necessarily feel attached to that scene anyway. Being instrumental, we can be as heavy as we want without actually alienating people who like guitar-driven music but who might not be into metal at all.

Dave: As I explained when we started recording, it’d be a good demo quality, not a lovely studio produced awesomeness, but that’ll be addressed in the near future.

People seem to enjoy it, but sometimes it’s like pulling teeth to try and get an actual opinion out of them…I hear the word “interesting” used a lot…

The one thing that really grinds my gears though is people saying that a singer is required. Why? Don’t get me wrong, I love vocals, but sometimes they just aren’t needed (e.g. Periphery). You can mess around far more in an instrumental band, very liberating experience!

My attitude is if people like it then great, if not then I’m okay too. It is something I can appreciate about metal as a whole, the take it or leave it attitude

5. Does the band play live very often or do you all prefer to work in the studio only? Who are some bands you all have played/toured with? If you all could set-up a "dream" show who are some bands you would love to play with?

Eoin: I suppose we play a couple of times a month. With the recession in Ireland a lot of pubs/venues have been closing down which obviously makes the competition for gigs more intense. We do spend an awful lot of time in the studio, laying down rough guitar tracks so that keys and synths can be laid over. Then drums are added and tweaking or re-arranging of riffs if necessary, which it often is. I’m often unhappy that a song doesn’t have enough character or atmosphere so I’m often in front of the computer trying to figure out ways of making the song “complete.” This is where Dave’s opinions are invaluable.

In Limerick, where we are from, there’s a bi-annual all day Metal festival called the Siege of Limerick. Outside of the capital this is easily the biggest event of its kind in the country. Pretty much all of the national Metal elite play or have played the event. To name them all would take too long. The likes of Brigantia, Five Will Die, Castero and loads more have been doing the rounds for a few years now and are making a name for themselves. Again in Limerick, the metal scene has probably never been better. Apart from ourselves, you have Three Hour Ceasefire, Shardborne and Zealot Cult. I don’t think there have been 4 active metal bands in Limerick at any point previously so it’s great at the moment. The only problem is our main venue recently closed down. Fortunately all 4 bands seem to be coping and getting gigs nationally.

On a national level I’d love to play with God is an Astronaut or Altar of Plagues. Internationally Paradise Lost, Anathema, Katatonia and Depeche Mode. I’d love to tour with Motley Crue too, as long as they weren’t on one of their sober buzzes.

Dave: I’d love to play with the likes of Fear Factory or Rage Against the Machine, as inappropriate as our presence would be!

6. Coming back to the band for a moment. dark_matter is a total-instrumental band. When you started the band did you want to keep it a total-instrumental band or have you all searched for a vocalist?

Eoin: Giora (formerly Twilight of Harmony) came to an end in October 2009 when our singer/guitarist decided to move to Canada. This left Mike (our recently-departed bassist), Dave and I to decide what to do with the band. I think the decision to go instrumental was based simply on the fact that we three had a fairly similar idea of where we wanted to go. We thought that pushing the boundaries of atmosphere was preferable to trying to become heavier (the former-vocalist’s intention).

Dave: I disagree , I think it was just a test to see if the instrumental thing would stick…and it seemed to! Kinda went from there…

Eoin: Anyway, we wanted to write music that was accessible to anyone who genuinely has an affinity for music. We did not want to be pigeon-holed in one particular genre. If your singer growls, you’re death metal etc. etc. We feel no obligation to be as heavy as band A, B or C. Yes, we write heavy songs but we are not a 2 dimensional band. We aim to convey something real to the listener. A singer will very easily convey a mood, in how or what s/he sings. To be able to capture that same atmosphere or feeling without vocals is both the challenge and the reward.

Dave: Never watch Spinal Tap? Come on, gives you a clue! Haha

Eoin: We collectively had the notion that a vocalist would not only have his/her own agenda musically and lyrically but would also seek to stifle the sound that we were aiming towards. (Remember how I said earlier about finding people that were into this kind of stuff was extremely difficult) I for one, viewed a singer as simply someone who would corrupt our vision.

Dave: And seeing through Eoin and his vision of music, when we started it was still with the intention of having a vocalist but to try without one and see what happened. It went down well, so we decided against it. Haven’t ruled out the idea of ambient backing vocals, but I would say that would be it…for now.

And if you listen very carefully in Monolith there is a vocal…well more of a (subtle) scream but anyways!

7. The music created by dark_matter seems to draw inspiration from a variety of genres, so I was curious would you guys consider yourselves open-minded towards metal and music in general?

Eoin: I think to play instrumental music at all, you have to be open-minded. Fundamentally our roots are definitely based in metal. However, that’s not to say that that’s all I listen to. We play what we feel. I certainly write music that I hope captures certain feelings. I hope this is translated in the music. I listen to a large amount of post-rock. The 80’s, as cringe-worthy as the whole era often was, produced some of the most atmospheric sounds that are still relevant today. When Depeche Mode hit the drugs in a big way they went dark, very dark. Similarly with The Cure. I think there are very few metal bands that convey that feeling of despondency as well. I guess it must be an English thing because Paradise Lost and Anathema have been adept at this throughout their careers too. Regardless of what we listen to, this sense of melancholy is what permeates the dark_matter sound, or at least that is the aim.

Dave: I’m not going to comment on Eoin’s last statement…there’s a lot of pain in that demo for me so I’m already biased.

Anyways to be a good musician, not just an instrumental musician, you need to be open minded to other styles of music. You don’t need to like it, but at least appreciate it. Pick what you like and try to incorporate it into your own style.

Perfect example – the first quiet riff in Monolith – comes from concepts that Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band) holds close to his heart – the idea that straight hihats / ride can sometimes be really, really dull so play around with the sticking pattern.

8. If you all had to choose who would you consider some of your "individual" influences and favorite bands/musicians?

Eoin: As mentioned above P.L, Anathema, God is an Astronaut, Depeche Mode, My Dying Bride, In Flames, Ennio Morricone, Pelican, Alice In Chains, Mogwai, Pink Floyd

Dave: Influence-wise I’d say Fear Factory, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pantera, Metallica and Slayer

Favourites would be…Alice In Chains, Less Than Jake, Manic Street Preachers, Queen, Alanis Morissette, Counting Crows, Nobuo Uematsu, Radiohead and Pink Floyd

9. The band comes out of Ireland's music underground. From what I can see Ireland has a growing and strong extreme metal/music scene. Would you all agree? What is your opinion of the Irish metal scene?

Eoin: Ya, I think the scene has never been better. Bands like Primordial and Altar of Plagues amongst others are internationally recognised. Dublin sees a few annual metal festivals and such, and in Limerick, as mentioned, we have the Siege of Limerick. There is a wealth of talent and a myriad of bands in all metal sub-genres. It is the lack of venues to cater for the amount of bands that is the problem. Hopefully when this recession lifts, more venues will appear.

10. Who are some of your all-time favorite Irish bands? Are their any new bands you think the readers should check out?

Eoin: If you want to see how atmospheric instrumental should sound like, I would definitely suggest God is an Astronaut. There’s also a fairly little-known Alternative rock band from Dublin called Whipping Boy who should have made it Stateside but for record label fu*k-acting. Dark and very relevant lyrics pervade the album (Heartworm) and though it’s not a metal album by any means, it’s my favourite Irish album ever written, even more so than The Joshua Tree by U2. I have recently gotten into post-black metal band Altar of Plagues, who are awesome also.

I would strongly recommend checking out the other bands from our hometown:

Three Hour Ceasefire (Lamb of God-ish metal) who should have a recording done before the end of the year. Heavy, heavy with some seriously catchy riffs. This release should go down extremely well.

Shardborne (instrumental technical prog) who have just released a very impressive EP.. Possibly the most technically talented band we have played with.

Zealot Cult (Floridian grind) Arguably the heaviest band in the country at the moment.

Dave: I know everyone goes back to them but Thin Lizzy, such an incredible band…and of course the musicianship of Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore…just phenomenal!

As well as the lads mentioned above I’d recommend a few Dublin based bands – Vile Regression, Celtachor and Wound Upon Wound are just incredible and sound out!

Check them out and you won’t be disappointed

11. Besides dark_matter do any of you all play in side-bands or solo projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them.

Eoin: I wish I’d the time. Sadly I do not but I would like to play acousticy stuff with a cellist, preferably female cos it looks awesome.

Dave: I play in a rock act called Fat Baby Panda, check them out on facebook, youtube or fatbabypanda.com. The music changes style and feel a lot, but it’s just great craic! Plus I don’t have to play with a metronome :D (haha problem is it’s starting to be my security blanket…feel a bit naked without the click!)

Kinda fits to my personality – I have this incredible instrumental band to tend to my obsessive dark chunky side, and fat baby panda to cater for my lighter, laid back side. Plus if either band makes it big I can pull the other along for the ride!

12. When you guys are not working on music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your spare-time?

Eoin: Drinking and reading, though not usually in that order.

Dave: Motorboating breasts

13. Well thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. Do you all have any final comments for the readers?

Eoin: Thank you for both the review and interview, which was our pleasure. I would love if people took the time to give the stuff a listen. We are aware that it’s not going to be to everyone’s liking but if you’re into atmospheric music with plenty of heaviness, it might be for you. Feel free to let us know your thoughts as we do like to hear what people make of it, good or bad.

Dave: constructive criticism is good, so get in touch if you’ve made it this far!

http://dark-matter.bandcamp.com/

darkmatterireland@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark_Matter/106308412767891

interview with trillion red done by patrick 8-14-2011

2011-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

hails,
here is a new interview with trillion red's main-man patrick brown. this is a band that is IMPOSSIBLE to put into a genre.if you enjoy quality dark music then you should defintly check-out trillion red and their debut e.p "two tongues".
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with patrick brown vocalist,keys,guitarist,bass for trillion red. done by patrick

1.hello how are things going for you this week? please introduce yourself to the readers

My name is Patrick, the song writer and instrumentalist of Trillion Red. Things have been busy! Lots of good stuff going on.

2.when did you first get the idea to form trillion red? how did you come up with the name of the band? for the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe trillion red's music?

Since I began writing music again in 2007, I had formulated enough music to take it beyond a side hobby, and realized that it was content that I felt needed to be expressed with all facets of instrumentation and vocals. That was when I decided to form Trillion Red. As for the name of the band, that was an arduous process. It was very difficult to capture the essence of what I was trying to do musically and lyrically AND not be cliche. We probably went through over a hundred different names before deciding on Trillion Red. The name encompasses a near infinite existential potential of life, power, love, death, passion and or hatred. It meshes well with the many possibilities you find when listening to Trillion Red. It is a human experience.

The music is dark, trippy, heavy, melodic at times, and gyrating. The TR sound is not like any particular genre of Metal, Rock or Indie. I understand it as experiential stories into darkness and light. It is supposed to be engaging, provoking, and inspiring.

3.when did you and max w.{drums} first meet? was it long until you guys formed trillion red? are you guys happy as a two-piece band or would you like to possibly "add" more members to make trillion red a full-band?

We met in 2009. It took a couple sessions playing together before deciding to form a band. I am not interested in playing out. I am happy as a studio project. If we decided to play live, then yes, we would be on the look out for other folks to make Trillion Red a 'live' possibility. Never say never I guess.

4.if you had the opportunity to work with any musicians {past or present} who would you like to work with?

Steve Wilson and Allen Epley.

5.you recently sent me a copy of the bands debut cd "two tongues e.p" how long did it take to write and record the songs for this release?

These were the very first songs I wrote for TR. It all started out as a side hobby, so it took a couple years. When I decided to actually release this material to the public, I spent a lot more time on the finishing touches in a much quicker fashion.

6. are you happy with how everything came out? how has the response been from the press and the fans?

Overall, I am happy with Two Tongues. There are issues I have with the non-centric approach I took on the vocals and sound quality of the drums, but overall, I think it is a very cool and unique dark experience. The response from the press has been good. I would say the press has spent a lot time trying to classify us or box us in a certain genre (you guys didn’t though). I think that probably has confused potential fans more than anything else. We have received a lot of great compliments from fans. I think those that are ready for something new and to be challenged, are those that will enjoy TR the most. Rock, Metal or Indie fans that want to stay in their safe zone may struggle with this release.

7.have you begun working on new songs for the next trillion red release? any idea how many songs will be on the next release?

Yes, I have completed 9 new songs for a new album. We are starting to record this month. We expect to release something in early 2012 on Bad God Music Records.

8.when you begin working/writing music for a new song how long does it usually take you to complete it? you also handle the lyrics for the band so i was curious where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics?

It really depends. Some songs come very fast. Take Lullaby for example. That took a week. Forging Two Tongues took a long time to complete. Sometimes the pieces come together quickly, and sometimes it is tenuous. These 9 new songs were a mix-match as well. Lyrical and thematic inspiration is primarily drawn from my observations on US culture, politics, and humanity. And probably to no surprise, much of the emotions tied to these observations are anger, disgust, contempt, compassion, and hope.

9.you released the two tongues e.p independantly. have you looked for a label to work with for future trillion red releases or do you prefer to work alone and release all your own music?

Yes we been looking for a label. A new start up, Bad God Music, has signed the Two Tongues EP and our new album. They will be releasing the Two Tongues EP in September and album in early 2012.

10.i know you have been a part of the metal underground for along time. so i was curious how do you feel the scene has changed over the years? do you feel it has gotten better or worse over the years?

The scene is certainly much bigger and more accepted; therefore I think it is more a niche in the sphere of cultural media now than it is an actual underground music movement. I favor more accessibility and access to any kind of music. So, I would say it is better now.

11.are either of you guys currently working with any other side-projects or bands? if yes please tell the readers a little about them.

I am working on a project with Sasha (drummer for Novembers Doom and These are They). The band is called King Carnage. This is to be a new interpretation of our old root chaotic inspirations as kids: Old School Death like Nihilist/Entombed, Grave, Grotesque, Tiamat, Order From Chaos, Morbid (these are mine, Sasha has similar but probably others as well). I was never a big fan of American style Death Metal, and not for a particular reason. I was very passionate about the Swedish style in particular since I was 14 years old (91'/92'). I released something in 96' (Ligeia 'In Death Overshadow Thee') that shows this, but Sasha and I want to take that a step further and make it much better. The goal is new, crusty, sick, dirty, heavy, and unrelenting Death. If we can get your heart rate up and keep it there 30 minutes then leave you hanging loose like a dead whore by the end of the album, then this project will be considered a success.

12.when not working on music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spending time with my wife and child.

13.well patrick we have reached the end of the interview. thank you for taking the time to fill this out. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Just that I do appreciate you and Winter Torment for spending the time and resources for this interview, and thank the readers as well. Please check out the the EP at stereokiller, our website or myspace!

to contact trillion red check out these sites.

www.trillionred.com

interview with forgotten tomb done by patrick 8-7-11

2011-08-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

here is a brand new interview with one of italy's Best bands. combining the best of dark death,black and even some touches of doom for a sound all their own! if you have not yet heard the bands latest release "under saturn retrograde" you are missing a true gem defintly get this asap!
enjoy the interview,and thanks to all who take the time to check out winter torment web-zine.
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with herr morbid vocalist,guitarist for forgotten tomb done by patrick.

Hello how is life in Italy this week? Please introduce yourself to the
readers.

HM: Hi there. This week in Italy there's a fucked up weather, kinda cold for
being the middle of summer, and I got ill. There's not much to do around the
dead city where I live, besides doing some barbecue in the backyard,
drinking beer and taking care of the band 'stuff. I'm the boss of the band
called Forgotten Tomb and I go by the nickname of Herr Morbid. I write most
of the band's material, play guitar and sing.

When did you and the other members form forgotten tomb? what is the
"current" line-up? for the readers who have never heard Forgotten Tomb how
would you describe the bands music?

HM: There has always been a biography of the band on its official MySpace
and Facebook pages and it's still there. Of course we had to shorten it and
make a sum of our career because we exist since 12 years now and if we would
exactly write down all the things we've done each year the biography would
become long as a fucking book, and no one would read it! Also, I think that
if a Black and/or Doom Metal fan doesn't know the band yet, he probably
lived under a rock for the latest 12 years or so, heheh. Btw we did 6
full-lenght albums, titles are: "Songs To Leave" (2002), "Springtime
Depression" (2003), "Love's Burial Ground" (2004), "Negative Megalomania"
(2007), "Vol 5: 1999/2009" (2010, live in studio), "Under Saturn Retrograde"
(2011). I started this band to create obscure and death-glorifying music,
and I'm still doing it after all these years. Of course a lot of things
happened both in my life and music, surely the way to portray certain
feelings has changed and evolved over the years, but all in all I think I
managed to remain faithful to my ideas and attitude. The trademark elements
that we created with our early albums are still part of our music, though
every album sounds a bit different so it's difficult to describe our music.
But we are known for being among the originators of the so-called
"Depressive Black Metal" genre. Let's say that if you like a very cold and
eerie style of Black Metal mixed with Doom elements, Dark-wave elements and
Rock influences, all done with a good sounding production, then you should
like more or less all of our albums. The band started out as a one-man band
in 1999 but it became a full-band since mid-2003, and the line-up remained
the same up to this day.

The band recently released it's 4th masterpiece "Under saturn retrograde"
how long did it take the band to write and record the songs for this
release? are you and other members of the band happy with how it turned out?
how has response been from the fans and press?

HM: Music for the new album has been written in different moments over 3
years but there's some stuff that was written even years before and then
rearranged and reworked later... It was quite a long process. I am the only
composer of lyrics and music on this album. I also arranged all instruments'
scores. The recording-process, as well as the mix and mastering, were done
in separate sessions between August 2010 and January 2011. I think we
probably took a bit too much time to release this new album, but this time
was necessary to make sure we were releasing a competitive, over-the-top
album. I rewrote and rearranged some of the songs several times, until I
found out the perfect way to give the album the feeling I had in mind. Also,
we had many things to do in the meantime with the release of the "Vol 5:
1999/2009" album, live-shows, the record label change and other things that
had to be taken care of to lift the band to a more professional level and
make a proper and more effective return to the scenes, you know. Everything
was done carefully this time and it shows. The result fully satisfies me and
the whole band, because it strongly retains the extreme Metal roots but it
also includes old-fashioned Dark Wave influences and more Rock-oriented
stuff. I think it all blends together really well, better than on "Negative
Megalomania". I think the reactions overall have been very good. Let's say
90% of press liked it and 90% of fans liked it. You know, there's always
someone complaining for something on every new album we release... We can't
make everyone happy. We need to be happy ourselves with what we have
accomplished with a new album, in the first place. If the others like it,
that's great, otherwise it means they are not ready to understand our
evolution. Or they just have a different musical taste. We are getting used
to be misunderstood and ahead of trends. Most of the people start to like
our albums 3 years after their actual release-date. It happened the same
with the previous album, "Negative Megalomania"... It's still early though
to take conclusions, the album has just been released in the USA so we're
waiting for feedback from there too. Up to this day, we're pretty satisfied
with the result. There's a lot of interest around the album and that's the
important thing. And above all, we are absolutely certain that the album
kicks ass, so we think that who says the opposite is not really reliable. In
other words, we don't give a fuck. We do what we want as we always did, and
we do it better than the others. Agree or not, we just know it and that's
enough for us.

When the band begins working on a new song does the whole band take part in
the writing process or does one member usually handle it all?

HM: Being the main and often exclusive composer in the band, I usually
record demo-tracks at home with a multitrack software and a drum-programming
software. Then I handle these demos to the members of the band so they can
learn the songs, and later in the rehearsal room we do the final
improvements and extra-arrangements, some months prior to the recording
sessions. This is the easiest and fastest way to work. We don't have the
chance to practice together very often due to the distance between each
others, so that's the best way to keep up the pace of the work when we have
to prepare the new songs.

Who usually handles the lyrics, what are some topics/subjects the band
writes about?

HM: I'm the author of the lyrics/concept of the band. Everyday' life and my
hate towards the whole world are the main sources of inspiration. If you
read all my lyrics since the beginning of the band you'll notice they
changed and evolved. But of course I don't like a lot of things in life and
society, and I'm basically a very negative and pessimistic person. The
"leit-motiv" of my lyrics is more or less always the same. Obviously over
the years people grow up and evolve, though I always believed in what I said
over the years and I don't regret it. The glorification of negativity,
death, hatred, pessimism, cynicism, homicide, suicide, abuse and in general
of everything that is helpful to destroy human happiness and life is a
recurring theme of our albums and imagery, now more than ever. I can still
relate to some of the old lyrics though I absolutely don't relate to others.
I'm still totally into the negativity of my old lyrics but I think some
personal things should have been kept to myself exclusively. In the past
some fans just used some of my lyrics as some sort of relief from their
personal problems, but I never wanted this to happen. I've been totally
misunderstood. I refer especially to the "Songs To Leave" album. I don't
want to help people, my lyrics are not propedeuthic. I want to destroy
people, I want them to increase their suffering and do harm to themselves
and to others. That's why my lyrics have changed over the years. I don't
wanna write for myself exclusively, I want the message to be loud and clear
to all my listeners. I'm not here to save people, since I can't even save
myself. I'd rather drag you all in the grave with me.

Does the band have any upcoming shows or tours in support of "under saturn
retrograde"? or do you prefer to only keep forgotten tomb in the studio?

HM: The band has always played live since 2003 and we'll keep on doing it.
We'll play a few summer festivals and then we'll see what happens this
autumn. I hope and I guess that we'll do some tour, play additional
scattered gigs and play some autumn/winter club-festivals. Our aim is to
play live as much as possible. There are some serious plans going on though
I can't reveal anything at the moment. But I think you'll see us playing
around quite often between September and December. We got 8 shows confirmed
already between the end of August and the end of October, but we should add
other 10 shows in November. We'll see what happens!

The band comes out of the mighty italian scene.i have been a fan of the
italian metal scene for a few years now. so i was curious what is your
opinion of italy's metal scene? Who are some of your all-time favorite
italian bands? are their any new upcoming bands from italy you think the
readers should watch out for?

HM: Usually I'm very negative regarding the current "scene" and to be honest
I don't follow very much what's going on these days. There is some good
stuff happening but I'm not very interested in it. I'm an old-fashioned guy,
I like the older italian stuff, probably because I was part of the old scene
myself. I know there's a bit of nostalgia in it, but I can't help it, hehe.
I think nowadays the technical level of most of the young bands is higher
than it was in the '90s for instance, but the spirit got lost in my opinion.
The excessive use of the Internet destroyed the dark, underground
atmosphere. Of course Internet has been really useful for everyone and I
definitely acknowledge the fact that even FT probably wouldn't be where it
is today without the help of the Internet, but I started playing this genre
before the Internet was so popular and I was already used to work out things
in the old way, you know. Internet has been helpful and made some things
easier but I could have survived without it, you know. Young bands would be
lost without the Internet 'cause they grew up with it since they were kids.
I grew up with the Commodore 64, the VHS tapes, the vinyls and the
audio-cassettes, if you know what I mean! And I still love those things. I
relate better with those coming from the old days. By the way, to answer
your question, some of the old italian bands that you should check out are:
Funeral Oration, Antropofagus, Death SS, Mortuary Drape, Necromass,
Deathrage, Bulldozer, Hiems, Sacrater (my old band), Frozen, Dunkel Nacht,
Handful Of Hate, Inchiuvatu, Khephra, Maldoror, Mortifier, Mondocane,
Necrodeath, Schizo, Aborym, Sinoath, Satanel, Cripple Bastards, Tragoidia,
Altar Of Perversion, just to name a few... Some of them are still active,
others are not, though they're all worth checking out. Regarding more or
less recent bands, other good stuff is Beatrik, Tenebrae In Perpetuum,
Whiskey Ritual, Frangar, The Tombers, Elitaria, Spite Extreme Wing, Janvs,
The Second Coming, Inner, Caronte, Tombstone Highway (my Southern Metal
band), Viscera///, Malfeitor, The Secret and a lot of other bands that I
can't remember...

Are you or any of the members currently working on any side-projects or
bands? if yes please tell the readers a little about them.

HM: I play in another band called Tombstone Highway. We play Southern Hard
Rock/Metal. We just recorded a full-lenght and we'll hopefully release it
before the end of 2011. Really neat stuff. Our bass-player Algol plays with
his one-man band Hiems. Our drummer Asher plays in Whiskey Ritual. Both
bands rock hard!

You handle the vocals for the band at what age did you start singing? Who
are some of your favorite vocalists? do you do anything special to keep your
throat/voice healthy?

HM: I started singing when I was 13/14 years old. In the beginning I
practiced on the old Hard Rock or Thrash Metal classics, you know. That's
probably why I can still sing decently with clean vocals. Then after a while
I started trying the scream-vocals and more brutal stuff. The first brutal
singers influencing my style were John Tardy of Obituary and Jeff Walker of
Carcass. Then I moved forward to the Black Metal singing, and Varg Vikernes
(Burzum), Dead & Attila Csihar (Mayhem) were among my favourites. Btw among
my favourites singers ever (besides Extreme Metal) I should also mention
Layne Staley, Dax Riggs, Phil Anselmo, Bon Scott, David Coverdale, Glenn
Danzig, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Steele, Ian Astbury, Nick Holmes, Keith Caputo,
Scott "Wino" Weinrich... I don't do anything special to keep my vocals in
shape, though they're still working pretty good I think. I smoke only once
in a while and I mostly drink beer, so they're not affecting my vocals too
much. But I think the best way to keep the throat in shape is singing at the
rehearsals every week. Also, hot tea is great before the shows.

You also play guitars for the band at what age did you start playing the
guitars? are you self-taught or have you taken lessons in the past? who are
some of your influences/favorite guitarist?

HM: I started when I was 13. I'm self-taught. I learned playing at home
along the old classics and afterwards playing with garage bands, you know. I
think I'm quite a solid rhythm-guitar player, though I'm not very technical.
I'm also good at doing fucked-up arpeggios! That's one of the trademarks of
FT, in fact all people trying to play our songs for the first time
experience big difficulties. I'm pretty good at using slide/bottleneck, I
use it a lot with my Southern Rock band. I'm not much into leads, though I
can handle some, mostly blues-oriented licks, penthatonics and Zakk
Wylde-influenced licks. He's probably my favourite guitar-player ever,
together with Tomi Iommi, Angus Young, Tom G. Warrior, Billy Duffy, Jimi
Hendrix, Greg Mackintosh and some others. All very different guitar-players
but very creative and good at what they do. For the Southern-Rock
slide-guitar stuff, of course the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd are
among my favourites.

Besides playing guitars and singing do you play any other instruments? if
yes which ones?

HM: I played bass for quite some years in a Death Metal band and I was
getting very good at it, all finger-style and extremely fast. But I needed
to handle guitar with FT so I focused definitively on the guitar afterwards.
I can still play the bass pretty good though. I can handle a bit of drums
but I should practice a lot. I mean, I could not absolutely play drums in a
band at the current stage! I was able to play the flute when I was a kid but
I don't remember how to play it anymore.

Thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview we have reached the
end. do you have any final comments for the readers before we end?

HM: Thanx for the interview. I'm working on the re-releases of our old
albums, to be out this fall. We're also going to release very soon (in
September) a split 7" with italian band Whiskey Ritual. Both bands will
cover 3 songs each by GG Allin. It's gonna be a cool release. Then we'll
play live in Europe quite a lot so don't miss our shows! Follow us on
Facebook, MySpace, Reverbnation and official website (online soon). Stay
Negative.

New reviews for 7-25-11

2011-07-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

metal hails!!!
hope everyone is surviving the ungodly heatwave thats been hitting most of us this month! {if your not dealing with the heat consider yourself VERY Lucky ha,ha}
anyways here is a new batch of reviews of some great bands and releases. hope everyone enjoys them. and as always thanks for the support of winter torment!!
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

cultes des ghoules--haxan cd {hells headbangers rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
this polish horde is somewhat of a mystery as very little is known about the members.well haxan is the bands "debut" originally released
in 2008.hells headbangers has decided to re-release for the maniacs who might have missed it the first time around.the best way to describe cultes des ghoules sound would be filthy,raw old-school death metal with touches of black metal within the thin/raw guitar riffs and screechy style vocals.cultes des ghoules is defintly not a band for everyone but if you enjoy the older bands like varathron or early mortuary drape then this should give you some idea on the great style the band has
continued to carry on within their sound.
label contact
www.hellsheadbangers.com

flame--march into firelands cd {hells headbangers rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
march into firelands marks the return of finland's flame.after a six year hiatus march into firelands is 8 tracks of violent blackend thrash metal. the guitars are fast and well executed.the drums are intense and well precise considering the speed and intensity.flame has crafted and released one of the best old-school blackend thrash releases to be heard in quite sometime if you enjoy old-school blackend thrash with alot of heart and dedication to keeping the old-school spirit alive then flame's march into firelands is a cd you must hear!!
label contact
www.hellsheadbangers.com

Nephrolith--xullux cd {haliaetum records}
{reviewed by patrick}
nephrolith are a band coming from the depths of slovenia's black metal underground.and have done a great job creating dark,yet creative,memorable black metal on xullux.the guitars are a nice mixture of fast straight-foward riffs,but the band also has alot of mid-paced,atmospheric riffs within the more brutal riffs.the drumming is equally as impressive with keeping the faster pace with the guitars but the drummer is not a total-speed demon as he does slow down with the more mid-paced atmospheric beats and structures.the vocals are harsh screams/screeches but the vocalist also has a deeper growl he uses throughout some of the songs for a darker,more evil sounding vocal pattern.nephrolith are a band that all fans of black metal should defintly check out now!
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/nephrolithband

old wainds-where the snows are never gone cd {negative-existence rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
russia's old wainds are a band that has been flying under the black metal radar for a few years now.i have heard the bands previous release and instantly became a "fan" of the bands early 90's cold norse style and structures.well the warrior's over at negative-existence must have become a fan of this bands darkend brilliance as they have re-released the 1997 classic "where the snows are never gone".8 tracks of cold,norse inspired blackness.the music is grim,cold and fierce just the way black metal should sound.the vocals remind me a little of early immortal and fit perfectly with the razor-sharp guitar riffs and blazing drums. fans of early 90's norwegian style black metal will love old wainds!!
label contact
www.negative-existence.com

ravencult--morbid blood cd {hells headbangers rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
ravencult wastes no time going straight for the attack with their brand of barbaric blackend thrash whirlwind guitars entertwined with a barrage of non-stop drumming.the band does slow down throughout a few of the songs to give both the band and listener a chance to catch their breath before attacking again with a barrage of brutal riffs and beats.if you miss the sound of the early days of black metal when the bands kept their sound simplistict yet effective and evil then ravencult is a band that should impress all old-school maniacs.
www.hellsheadbangers.com

ruins-chambers of perversion cd {negative-existence}
{reviewed by patrick}
not to be confused with australia's ruins. this is a one-man band from germany.ruins plays a great mix of old-school speed metal and early venom style black metal.thrashy fast guitars,mid-paced drums that switch over to hyper speed before calming back to a more mid-pace sound.the vocals are gruff screams. ruins are not creationg anything new on chambers of perversion but the songs on this release are played with alot of metal-agression and passion for this style. if you enjoy old-school blackend speed-metal then defintly check out chambers of perversion.
label contact
www.negative-existence.com

trillion red-two tongues e.p {self-released}
{reviewed by patrick}
trillion red are a two piece from the u.s and the members have created a very original and dark music style.their are influences from the heavy crushing doom riffs,but then the band also does have an agressive side speeding up the guitars a bit to a heavy metal/thrash feel with alot of progressive riffs and solo's entertwined within the duo's madness.also within the music is some expirmental ambient soundscapes that keep the listener guessing throughout the songs on this e.p.this is a band that is not only hard but impossible to put into a certain genre {which i believe is the way they like it} so i will say this probably won't appeal to everyone.but i would highly recomend two tongues e.p to anyone who enjoys dark,extreme music with alot of variety.
band contact
www.trillionred.com

uvikra--patterns of life e.p {self-release}
{reviewed by patrick}
patterns of life is the new e.p from uvikra. for those who havent heard of uvikra this is a one-man band from lithuania. the music created by loikav {all instruments,vocals} is semi-brutal mid-paced death metal with touches of black metal the production is raw and primitive which reminds of the early days of black/death when demo's where released on cassete and had the dirty,raw sound quality.if you enjoy old-school brutal blackend death then uvikra is a band you will want to hear!! as for me i am hoping the next release will be a full-length!

interview with rarog done by patrick 7-17-11

2011-07-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

here is a new interview with the russian-based band rarog. the band plays a nice mix of extreme black metal but also is heavily influenced by the pagan-folk of their country for a very beautiful yet extreme sound. fans of folkish black metal should defintly look for this band and their releases!!
regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with shmel founder,bass player,music composer and R'ys female vocalist for rarog done by patrick

Patrick-Hello my friends how is everything with you? please introduce yourselves to the readers?

Shmel’: Hello, I’m Shmel, founder, composer ,bass-player and singer of Rarog! We’re doing well. Now we’re preparing a new album.

R’ys: Hi to all! I’m Alexandra or just R’ys, I represent female vocals in Rarog! We’re working hard on our third album.

Patrick-When did you all form rarog? how did you choose the name of the band?

Shmel’: Our band was formed back in 2004. Well, what can I say about the name? It just “layed” on the ear right.

Patrick-Does it have a special meaning?
Shmel’: In the religion of the Slavs it means “fire falcon-Godcaller”. Fire symbolizes energy and life.

Patrick-for the readers who have never heard rarog how would you describe the music?

Shmel’: We can describe the style of our music like Progressive Pagan Metal.Emotionality of the music fits our worldview, just as we are currently looking at the situation around us. This is an attempt of unity with the world.

R’ys: The nature of the music at first glance may seem aggressive, but at the same time with progressive solos you will hear the lyrical, charming, lingering melodies.
P.: the band has recently released it's second cd "vzoidi solence " earlier this year. how long did it take the band to write and record the music for this release?

Shmel’: It actually took us 1 year for writing and recording the album.

Patrick- does the band get to play live shows very often? do you have any upcoming shows or tours in support of "vzoidi solence"? if yes where are some countries/towns the band will be playing?

Shmel’: We give concerts frequently. In September, we plan to tour in Russia. Now is time to coordinate the dates. As soon agree on that, the information will be posted on our website.

R’ys: We have recently played two online-concerts. It’s an amazing thing because the listeners from abroad can watch our perfomancers over the internet.People from United States, France, Norway, Spain wrote :”It’s great that you came up with this, it gives us the opportunity to watch you live”

Patrick- Who are some rarog has had the honor to play with?

Shmel’: We have played with many bands: Arkona, Svarga, Pagan Reighn, Tverd’,Alkonost…It’s hard to name them all.

R’ys: To give perfomances with groups like Finntroll, Moonsorrow, Korpiklaani, Eluveitie was a great experience, I have great respect for their work.

Patrick-if you could set-up a "dream" show/tour who are some bands you would love to tour or have a concert with?

Shmel’:Honestly, I never thought about that. There are so many interesting bands, but to call someone particular…It’s difficult for me.

Patrick- the band comes out of the city moscow,russia. so i was interesed in your opinions of the music scene in your country?

Shmel’: In Russia we do have plenty of interesting bands. But unfortunately not all of them can realize their musical ideas (due financial issues, etc.). But I think that it's a problem not just in our country.

R’ys: Nowadays on Russian pagan scene appear more and more young strong teams that play good quality music and they’re as almost experienced as their elder colleagues. The only thing that upset me much that earlier the bands used to support each other and helped, and now everyone is by himself.

P- Who are some of your all-time favorite russian bands? are their any new upcoming bands you think the readers should check out for?

Shmel’:I really like Arcona, Tverd’, SatanaKozel. I listen to them with pleasure. Of the young team I really like the Zhar-Ptica, Prorochestvo Velvi.

R’ys: My acquaintance with Pagan metal began with bands like Arkona, Alkonost, Nevid’, Tverd’.Young groups who cut such great music: Ruyan, Zhar-Ptica, Beer Bear.

P- Coming back to the band. i was wondering how often does the band get to practice? when the band begins work on a new song how long does it take to usually complete?

Shmel’:We usually rehearse two or three times a week. But this does not mean that the rest of the time we have nothing to do and only deal with personal affairs. At rehearsals, we just are working on stuff, but the major work is going on at home. I basically spend all my time exclusively for it.

R’ys:We rehearse in any spare time in addition to rehearsals at the base, we also mmet up together in other places, discussing and finalizing the tracks, as Russian saying is “one head is good, two or three are even better”!

P-does the whole band work on the music together or does 1-2 members handle it all? who usually writes the lyrics? where do you draw inspiration for the lyrics?

Shmel’: I write the music, well, the most part, although now our guitarist-Leshiy joined to help me with the material. And then we work on it with the rest of the band. To say about the texts – I’m a little bit weak. For the first album I just reworked the "StarBook of Christmas Carols" by Asov. And for “Vzoidi Solnce” I only have written lyrics for “Rejoice” ant partly for “Storyteller’s carol” and “Vzoidi Solnce”. Now that part of the work is up to R’ys.

R’ys: Yes, by now I have been writing lyrics for our third album.For me it's very attractive, because I love poetry and write poetry.

P-.aleksandra you handle the amazing operatic,femal vocals for the band at what age did you start singing? who are some of your influences/favorite singers?

R’ys: Thanks for the compliment,Patrick. I started singing at schooli n the school choir.Now I’m a student at the conservatory of Tsaykovsky, so “singing” is my future profession. My favorite classical singers are Anna Netrebko and Maria Kalass.

P-well i believe we are done with the interview. thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview.do you have any final comments for the readers?

Shmel’: Live according to conscience,in harmony with yourselves and everything will be fine.
Glory to the Gods.

R’ys: Listen to more high-quality music. Do not be afraid of the new, because modern music is very diverse, interesting and multifaceted. And you can with Rarog!

interview with cryptic throne,the wolves curse radio show done by patrick 6-23-11

2011-06-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

hails
here is our newest interview with abyssous wolfesblood. as you will read he is very busy with his band and radio-show and takes both very personal and seriously.please read and if this sounds like a band or show u would like to learn more about defintly check out his "links" at end of the interview. {SPECIAL Note: bands/labels abyssous is looking for black/ambient bands to play on his show!!! so drop him a email for more info!}

interview with abyssous wolfesblood music,and lyricst for cryptic throne and d.j for the radio show "the wolves curse".done by patrick

1.metal hails Abyssous ! how are things for you this evening? please introduce yourself to the readers.

I am very well thank you. I am Abyssous Wolfesblood. The founder and creative force behind the band Cryptic Throne.

2.when did you first become interested in playing music?what were the first instruments you learned to play?

I first became interested in music when I was 13 years old, I was really big into the Misfits and idolized Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein. I pretty much wanted to be him. So I got my hands on an old Epiphone SG and learned how to play guitar on my own!

3.do you have a personal favorite instrument you enjoy playing over all the others? is their any instruments you have not learned that you would like to someday?

Definitely my guitar. My guitar will always be my favorite instrument. I really would love to learn how to play piano. I always come up with compositions in my mind, but am unable to perform them.

4.what gave you the idea to form cryptic throne? are you happy with how things are progressing with the band so far? for the readers who have never heard the band how would describe cryptic throne's music?

I formed the band back in 2005. I had just begun to really get into black metal and decided to form the band after my first "band" fell apart. So far I am very pleased with the direction the band is in. Cryptic Throne evolves on a constant basis. Musically, ideologically, and spiritually. The easiest way I could describe it is Ambient/Black Metal with more emphasis on the Black Metal. I love ambient music very much and I like to incorporate it into my music as much as possible without it losing its shine. I could go deeper into it, but I think that is the simplest way.

5cryptic throne is just yourself and akasha wolfesblood.how did the two of you meet?have you two thought of "adding" more members to the bands line-up or do you prefer to just keep it the two of you?

I met Akasha in 2007 through myspace. We are spiritually bonded and I hold her very close to my heart. The current we share is my main source of inspiration when composing the hymns for Cryptic Throne. It is way beyond just writing music and lyrics when it comes to this band. As of now it is just us two, but I do plan on recruiting members for live rituals.

6.if you had the opportunity to work with any musicians past or present.who would you like to work with?

Shamaatae of Arckanum, Erik Danielsson of Watain, and Vindkall of Domgård. These three bands are the main musical influences for Cryptic Throne. All three of these bands are very special to me and to work with any of them would be an absolute honor.

7.you handle the lyrics for cryptic throne so i was wondering where do you draw your inspiration for them?

All the lyrics are taken from personal interpretations and research/studies on Chaosophy. Any rituals, invocations, incantations or hymns I write for any spiritual reason usually become lyrics for my music as it is channeled through a current that Akasha and myself control.

8.everyone has their own ideas/opinions on what "black metal" stands for. so i was wondering in your opinion what does "black metal" mean to you?

Black Metal is complete liberation. It was created as a rebellion against souless music and I think it should stay that way. Of course, there are a lot of fake bands in the scene and people who are in it for all the wrong reasons. I honestly feel there are very few true black metal bands nowadays.

9.talking with you the last few days i have learned you are heavily influenced and study the occult/black arts. so i was wondering would you consider yourself a satanist?

My main ideology is Chaosophy. I practice Chaos and Black magick through the spiritual aspect of Shamanism. I have discovered through much experience that when hen used through dark natural energy, the elements and the night side of the runes prove to be a great tool in ascension as a sorcerer looking to gain the infinite knowledge and wisdom. I have found my own path in Dark Germanic Heathenism, and the Thursatru Tradition. I have studied Satanism and Luciferianism very exclusively at one time in my life, but I do not feel it represents my current beliefs or the burning fire of my soul anymore.

Hailaz Þurisaz! Hailaz Þaimiz! Hailaz Abgrundjam!

10.when did you become interested in studying the occult? who are some occult figures/authors you respect and study the most?besides
occult what other subjects do you enjoy studying?

I became very interested in the occult in 2007. I was very into Asatru (belief in the Aesir) but I felt I was lying to myself. It didn't feel sincere and I knew in my heart I was not on the right path. I felt a darker pull and decided to research. I found myself dwell deep within this darkness that was begging to be set free and after much study I proudly pronounced myself a Satanist at the time. Aside from spiritual study, I am a very big history buff. From Ancient Egypt, to the Dark Ages I love it all. I could spend the rest of my life in a study by a fireplace reading books and be happy.

11.how do you feel the world would be if religion {christianity,satanism,paganism,etc..} were never introduced to humanity?

Probably a lot better haha. But I also find it very hard to live life without believing in something, regardless of what it is. You must have faith in something or else your living a meaningless existence.

12.coming back to music you have also recently started up a new ambient-dark metal band called "whispers of the black wulf."what gave you the idea to create this project?have you released any releases yet? if yes please tell the readers a little about each of them and where they can purchase them.

Whispers of The Black Wulf is a very personal project of mine formed along with Akasha and myself. The music crafted is an audio transcription of dark spiritual energy that we share through our current of black magick. Everything I do musically is connected to my workings as a sorcerer and a Chaos/Black Magick Shaman. The feelings, the emotions, the depths of the soundscape is birthed through deep trance induced meditations and rituals to compose the specific sound that I seek for the song. In August I have a split release coming out very soon with the depressive black metal band Divested thru Victory By Fire Records. You can go to www.facebook.com/whispersoftheblackwulf for any and all updates.

13.as if working with two bands was not hard enough you now have your own radio-show on core of destruction station called "the wolves curse"when did you meet lizard messiah and grave {station-owners? are you happy with how the show is going so far? is this your
first show?

I have been friends with Grave for a long time now. She told me their station lost their black metal DJ and inquired if I would be interested and of course I was. It was my opportunity to spread real, authentic, and unique black metal to the masses instead of shoving Darkthrone and Burzum down everyone's throats like the usual radio shows do. This is my first show yes and I am very happy with how it is coming along and I look forward to a long road hosting "The Wolves Curse."

14.what would you say is the hardest and easiest thing about doing a internet-radio show is? if any label,bands are reading this what type of music do you support/play? where can they send they send their music for air-play?

Nothing is very hard about it. It is really easy to be honest. The "hardest" part would be constructing a playlist. My music library is massive so I do have a hard time picking bands for the night. I play strictly black metal bands. I like to focus on underground/unsigned bands as much as possible because I feel people have already listened to Mayhem enough and they need to listen to the bands that are up-and-coming in the scene! If any bands/labels feel they have music that fits my views you are welcome to email me at lordswolfsblood6@yahoo.com with a song or two and any information you would like to add. Stay underground! Fuck the mainstream!

15.well wolfesblood we have reached the end of the interview.thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Thank you very much for taking the time to interview me, any and all interest is greatly appreciated!!

Next month (July 2011) the new album from Cryptic Throne "The Wolves Gather..." will be released on tape by Metal Throne Productions!! It will be a limited, hand-numbered release of only 50 copies!! Also, in late August (2011), Victory By Fire Records will be release the CD version! Hailaz! Heil Chaos!

-Abyssous

www.facebook.com/crypticthrone
www.myspace.com/crypticthronefl
www.reverbnation.com/crypticthrone

www.facebook.com/whispersoftheblackwulf

New reviews 6-23-11

2011-06-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

hails!!!
hope everyone is having a good day/week so far? here is a small batch of reviews i was able to pull together. for those who don't know i recently moved so unfortunatly alot of my time for zine work had to be put on hold. IF u are a band or label waiting for a review i PROMISE It will get done. please be patient and likewise with a interview i have quite a few new interviews either already out or getting ready to be sent out. so keep watching the zine for alot of updates very soon.
best regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

balance interruption--era11:deserts of ashes cd {vengeful attakk/hammer of hate rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
if underground metal had any type of awards given out then the ukraine's balance interruption would defintly be in the running for one of 2011's most complex and dark releases catagory.the band have so much going on musically it is near impossible to keep up. the root of the bands music is defintly in mid-paced dark black metal,but to simply put them in the black metal catagory is a mistake. the duo also draw alot of influence from industrialiazed soundscapes and eerie ambient passages while keeping the darkness of black metal well in tact.this is a band that fans of the more primitive,old-school black metal style might not really like or understand.but if you are a "fan" of industrial blackend metal then balance interruption is a band you should defintly check out soon.
label contact.
www.hammer-of-hate.com

dark_matter--_A drift_ e.p {self released}{reviewed by patrick}
dark matter are a trio from ireland and according to the bands bio their has been quite a few member changes over the last few years. well i hope the current band members can stay intact.the music on _A drift_ is very enjoyable but also nearly impossible to catagorize into a certain genre.the band has influences ranging from spacey progressive guitars,dark ambient and even some faster,atmospheric metal guitar riffs and solo's in a few tracks.the band also does not have a vocalist instead they let their musical talents do the talking which i personally think this type of music is better with instrumental songs as i am not sure very many vocalist could keep up with the range of variety musical styles. dark_matter are defintly not the most over the top dark or eerie band. but on this e.p the band has created some extremly enjoyable,and unique music that fans of instrumental metal,ambient,or spacey progressive will enjoy.
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/darkmatterireland

death before dying-creatures of opportunity cd {self-released}{reviewed by patrick}
i have listened to creatures of opportunity a few times over the last few weeks and it is just not that good or impressive.the band play a mix of early 90's florida style death with alot of u.s thrash influence. the band has some decent riffs and musical ideas but unless they try to add more of their own original ideas the band is going to be lost in endless sea of death/thrash bands coming out. fans of die-hard early 90's death/thrash might enjoy this but as for the rest of us i would suggest just listen to your classic malevolent creation,obituary etc. cd's.
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/deathbeforedyingband

desolate shrine--tenebrous towers cd {hammer of hate rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
listening to tenebrous towers it's hard to believe this is desolate shrine's debut cd.the music created by desolate shrine is brutal,heavy blackend death metal at it's finest.everything flows together nicely from the brutal heavy guitars,the outbursts of insane drum beats the music while brutal and uncompromising has a dark aura within the brutality to keep the listeners attention.the vocals are a dual mix of heavy deep growls and demonic screams.fans of uncomprimising death/black metal will worship desolate shrine.
label contact,
www.hammer-of-hate.com

entrenched--preemptive strike cd {self-released}{reviewed by patrick}
new jersey's entrenched have launched their debut cd preemptive strike up on the underground. but listening to the cd it is hard to believe this is a "debut".the band play a mix of brutal old school death metal with a huge influence of violent war/thrash metal etertwined within the violent speeding guitars and machine gun like drum patterns.the vocals are shared by the duo and fit perfectly with a more deeper,angry growl,grunt and intense shrieks of hate. while the band takes no prisoners and refuses to comprimise it's sound.entrenched have alot of good musicial ideas and even some catchy memorable guitar patterns throughout. if you enjoy straight forward death/thrash with a touch of war metal insanity then entrenched is a band you must hear!
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/entrenchedusa
www.facebook.com/entrenchedband

forgotten tomb--under saturn retrograde cd {agonia rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
italy's forgotten tomb is a band i respect alot.as a reviewer it makes my job harder trying to describe all the great music styles within the release.but as a fan it gives me hope that bands can still create heavy,dark and original metal without comprimising their metal roots.on under saturn retrograde {the bands 4th cd} the bands does an excellent job of mixing in evil,dark black metal,heavy death metal into a great sound that will both impress and keep the listeners attention. as if this wasnt enough i also hear some atmospheric metal and even hints of death/doom entertwined within the heavy guitars.vocals are defintly influenced by the black metal genre with screechs and screams but the band also has some really well done clean vocal patterns done in some of the more melodic sections.and the two different vocal styles while total opposite of each other really work well with each other.forgotten tomb is a band that fans of dark,black/death/doom will defintly not want to miss out on.
label contact
www.agoniarecords.com

mass murder frenzy--unleashed cd {victim music}{reviewed by patrick}
mass murder frenzy are fairly unknown band coming out of the great state of california. well i sincerly hope with the release of "unleashed" that more fans of brutal musick will take notice.Mmf. are a duo as you probably guessed play brutal,sick death. but instead of keeping it total old-school brutality or the newer range of pig sqeal type of gore-death/grind. the band mix in a nice blend from each era of brutal death.the guitars are thick,heavy mid-paced range with some outbursts of insane riffs,the vocals are just godly deep growls {but defintly not guttural} with some occasional screams. the drums {which are programmed} probably stand out the best for me. as the members of mass murder frenzy actually try to create "realistic" sounding drum patterns instead of the usual 200 beats a seconds. this is defintly a band everyone into death metal needs to hear highly recomended!
band contact
www.massmurderfrenzy.com

spearhead--theomachia cd {agonia records}{reviewed by patrick}
the uk. based spearhead was a band that i had never heard before. so i had no idea what to expect when i hit the "play" button. well i was pretty much blown away by the sheer heaviness and brutal approach that spearhead delievers with their brutal death metal approach.theomachia is spearhead's third release and features nine tracks of brutal,uncompromising death metal brilliance.each member plays their respected instrument with flawless precision.guitars are heavy whirlwind of furious riffs and solo's,the drums are some of the best i have heard in quite awhile and are played extremly fast blasts but also slow down to let the drummer and the listener catch their breath before attacking again with another round of blasts.the vocals fit the music perfect with a vicious,angry growls.spearhead have released one of the best death metal releases of 2011 get this now!
label contact
www.agoniarecords.com

volksmerink/butchered beyond recognition---blood and white noise split cd {earzit rec./murder for weed}{reviewed by patrick}
i have been eager to hear this release for awhile now so i was excited when it arrived in my mailbox. volksmerink start things off i must admit i was a bit surprised {but in a good way} by how heavy and brutal the new volksmerink tracks are.for those of you who are familar with volksmerink's debut "the suffering of one" it was more in the early 90's death and thrash realm.but the 5 tracks presented here on the split are in your face,pure brutal death,slam metal. the influence of thrash can still be heard throughout a few tracks but not as much as before.fast,whirlwind guitars with some breaks and solo's throughout the chaos.chucks vocals are just as sick and intense deeper growls and some screams mixed in. this is defintly chuck and volksmerink's best work to date!!
butchered beyond recognition are a band i had heard of before but this was my actual first time to listening to them. bbr. is pure and simple violent grind!! to the max. guitars played at lightning,whirlwind speeds,blasting drums {compliments of a machine but honestly not horrible sounding like some bands} mixed well with the duo's sick screams and growls.another thing i liked about bbr's songs is they only used sample intro's on a few of their songs instead of every song like some do. {i've been listening to death and grind for nearly 16 yrs,and i hate to admit it but that gets fucking old! after a while} i enjoyed how the two bands with defintly different styles teamed-up on a split to spread out to their fans.hopefully more bands will do this in the future.this is defintly a release fans of brutal death or grind should check out soon.
band contact
www.volksmerink.com

interview with mass murder frenzy done by patrick

2011-06-12T15:16:00.001-07:00

mass murder frenzy is a u.s death metal band that recently sent me their 3rd release "unleashed".to be honest i have been out of the death metal loop for the last few yrs. but mass murder frenzy blew me away with their sick,intense style. the band mixes in heavy,fast guitars,sick vokills and some of the best used drum-machine beats.{probably some of the most realistic drum beats i've heard}
enjoy and be sure to support mass murder frenzy!!!
stay brutal,
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with tim guitars,vocals,bass,drum programming,and victor guitars,bass for mass murder frenzy

1.hi guys whats up with you? please introduce yourselves to the readers?

What’s up Patrick, doing great. We are Vic and Tim, hence the label name (VICTIM MUSIC) of Mass Murder Frenzy out of Orange County California.

2.when did you guys first meet? is mass murder frenzy the first band you played in together?

Tim: Vic came to be in MMF around 2008. He answered an ad I had placed for a bass player on craigslist. He came and tried out. He did a good job so I ended up picking him out of a few other candidates.
Yes. MMF is the first band Vic and I played in together.

3.tim i believe it was you who started/formed mass murder frenzy when did you start up the band?
for the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe the bands music?

Tim I started the whole thing way back, About 95’ish with a couple buddies of mine. We were called Decubitus at that time. I played bass and vocals, the other two were guitar players. I played guitar just not for that project, know one wanted to play bass so I stepped up. We couldn’t find the right drummer. Death metal drummers in Orange County California at that time were very rare. Every one of them we tried out couldn’t do double bass the way we needed them to. That’s when I meet the “Alesis SR-16” drum muchine. We recorded a four song demo with the drum machine and it sounded killer. We set out to do some shows with it but left it at that, with every band you have musical differences. In 2003 I was sick and tired of joining bands that just ended up disbanding. So I started Decubitus back up but the other two weren’t interested. So I changed the name to MMF and wrote all new material and new members.
My intention for the music was a thrashy death metal sound. Very heavy sound. It has become more brutal sounding since the beginning I think. I can’t put a label or compare our sound to others though because I try to write it how MMF should sound. Slayer sounds like Slayer. Then and now. I wanted that for MMF. I’ve been told I have A European/Florida death metal sound. Vic brings something a bit different to the sound, but we just play heavy brutal death metal. Not to fancy, but not to rip off the listener.

4. MMF. has had both a full line-up and currently is just the two of you. have you guys searched for other members to join the band or are you happy as a two-piece?

Tim: Vic and I are happy with just the two of us. No hassles. We’ve searched for drummers in the past and decided with our lives the way they are, this is how it should be. The last drummer we had was a guy by the name of Brandon Trahan. He played in my cousin’s band “Mirror of dead faces” and currently plays for “Impending Doom”. He was perfect for MMF and we tried to get him to record on the album but didn’t work out. Nothing more to say. I still give him a shout out because he was such a cool guy and probably the best drummer we’ve jammed with. Just wasn’t in the cards. You can see him playing with us going over Entombed in flesh on our myspace videos. www.myspace.com/officialmassmurderfrenzy

5.please tell the readers a little about mass murder frenzy's past releases. are these still availble? what about any other merchandise like stickers,shirts,etc..

Tim: The first album is called “Below the surface” the original line-up recorded in 2006. This album was strictly promotional. You can still down load the 6 songs “for free!” from our web site www.massmurderfrenzy.com click on albums.

The second release was self titled and the first time I recorded with a drum program in 2009. This was also the first attempt for me becoming a one man project. I recorded everything alone and released it alone. Very few copies were made. This cd had all six songs from “Below the surface” I rerecorded with the drum program, with five new songs. I am in the works of reprinting this CD under Vic and my label “VICTIM MUSIC” and will be selling them on our web site hopefully soon.

MMF has t shirts of the old logo for sale on our web site. We are in the works on getting “Unleashed” shirts printed up. haven’t found a good enough deal yet. We have stickers and hopefully more merch with the fans support.

6.the band recently released it's third masterpiece of sickness "unleashed" how long did it take you guys to write and record the songs for this release?

Tim: total? About a year and a half. I started writing before Vic came back into the picture again. Vic was off doing other projects at the time. He came to me with some good material and a different attitude about the music so we started collaborating with all the songs we had together. Recorded them about the end of 2010 witch took about two months off and on. Mixing and mastering took about 1 month to where we were happy with it.

7.are you both happy with how everything turned out? How has the response been from the press and fans?

Tim We are very happy with the way “Unleashed” came out. For our accomplishment and hard work we put into this release. We set out for a brutal sounding album and we succeeded very well in our opinions. For a band that dos not tour, the response from the fans has proven that to us so far. The album is selling very well for us, about ready for a second pressing. Promotion from press has been very positive. Webzines, online retailers, local California retailers and online radio play has helped immensely spread the sickness that is MMF.

8.who usually handles the lyrics what are some topics/subjects you all write about?

Tim: I have always handled the lyric writing in the past, but Vic wrote Black sun (about the end of everything) on this album and will have more for the next release. I’ve always been interested in human behavior of all kinds. Religion, murder and such, more towards religious beliefs, but psychotic behavior as well. People are fucked up! And there’s a lot to write about. “Unleashed” is more about the failure and lie of Jesus Christ. God unleashes the fury upon man because his so called son failed to save us from our sins. Not in a satanistic way though. We are not a satanic band, More an agnostic way of thinking. The artwork on the album in my vision is God releasing his army upon us all. It was done by Brutal Disorder Logos.

9.what does the term "underground metal" mean to the both of you?

Underground metal is a society. Human beings that thrive on extreme emotion, adrenalin and life ending moments. Metal is the catalyst to this society that brings it all together and bonds it. It is that bond that fans show the bands they love and support that we all need to survive and thrive in this society (underground metal). Sometimes it’s all we have.

10.i know you both have been a part of the death metal underground for quite a few years. so i was curious how do you feel it has changed over the years? also i know over the last few years i have heard/read some people say the u/g is dead or dying. would either of you agree or disagree with that statement?

Tim: we’ve seen the only thing that’s really changed is the styles of metal. There are so many different types of metal now and there all at different levels in the industry, but the heart in the music is still there in each of these bands know matter what style they play. They all want to record an album and play there music in front of the biggest crowds. There was a time when death metal was in the mainstream for a short period, but things change with time and people’s interests move with the fads. That’s why bands like us depend on the underground. These are devoted human beings that thrive for this music and to be honest we can’t really say if the scene is dead or dying. Only because we haven't been out touring in so long. Seeing the crowds and who’s coming to the shows. We can say here in OC, LA, SD etc… at some of the shows we've gone to it’s not even close to what it was, say 10 years ago. Now we see 5/6 bands on one bill to fill a club. even with the bigger iconic bands. I don’t think its dead nor do I think its dying ether. It’s underground that’s what it is.

11.tim you handle the vocals for the band. at what age did you start singing? who are some of your favorite vocalist? do you do anything special to keep your throat/vocals healthy?

Tim: I started about 17 years old. Know one could sing the way I wanted so I just started doing it. (If you cant tell already I’m pretty picky) I sucked, but kept going and finally got the hang of it. I didn’t start death vocals though till about 2003 when I started Decubitus. My voice was more a James Hetfield (old Metallica)/Chuck Billy style so it wasn’t such a drastic change when I started singing death metal. In fact it was easier for me. I was really into David Vincent, Glen Benton at first. Then Hate Eternal cam out and Eric Rutan is the shit for me. The anger in his voice is the ultimate. I love these types of vocals though because they are so natural and aggressive.
I don’t really do anything special for my voice. When I am recording I tend to drink a lot of Dr Pepper. LOL. It has to be room temperature though. It makes my voice feel raw. Ha, I don’t know. Weird I guess.

12.you also do the drum programming for the songs. i was curious what programs do you use to get the drums to sound so real? {trust me if you havent heard "unleashed" the drums do sound pretty realistic} how long does it usually take you to complete a song?

We used Native Instruments Battery 2 drum program. The drums sounded the realest to us on it and I wanted a more triggered drum set sound verses a recorded drum set with added trigger sounds, if that makes sense? Some if not most indie metal bands with drummers who have trashcan sounding drums or can’t get the double bass hits on time will use a program to replace the bad sounding drums or off hits. I didn’t want that. I like (because it's old school sounding) triggered drums into the mixing board sound. That's how it used to be in live situations. I just liked that sound.
It sometimes comes pretty fast writing drum patterns. We record everything first with a click on my recording software “Cubase”. We run Battery 2 as a midi VST instrument. Open the drum editor in Cubase when everything is recorded and start writing patterns. It’s pretty simple when you get the hang of it.

13.tim you handle the guitars for the band. When did you start playing the guitars? who are some of your influences/favorite guitarist? do you play any other instruments besides the guitars?

Tim: Vic also is on guitar and writes riffs. I’ll usually arrange them more for him.
I started really playing when I was 16. My first guitar I got when I was 14 but frustration of not being able to play it took care of that. I found someone to give me lessons so I gave it a try again and kept with it. My biggest influence was my guitar teacher Rick Scott Crocco of the 80’s metal band Eden. That guy was so good and so cool to me when I was a kid. He was a GIT graduate along side of Paul Gilbert. He past away in 2006, RIP Rick.
Favorite players were Randy Rhoads, Jack E Lee and Vivian Campbell hands down. Know one could touch them. For me now though, I like anyone who plays guitar for them selves. It’s the attitude and passion one puts into it, not the person.
I do play Bass and keys a bit.

Vic: Well i started playing guitar at thirteen, my dad bought me my first guitar in Tj mexico a cheap nylon acoustic but i can say thanks to my dad is the reason i got started playing the guitar rip julian silva. My influences include Richie blackmore, Adrian smith , Stevie Ray Vaughn Toney Ioming Chuck
Schulinder , patty obrien terrance hobbs and trey from morbid angel.

14.do either of you play in any other side-bands our projects besides mass murder frenzy?

Tim: Vic and I were doing a side project called Terracide a couple years back. Vic recorded and played live with them before I stepped in as second guitar for live stuff, never got to that point though for me. I have a solo project that’s been in the works for what seems forever called Severe Carnage. Vic Just finished with a band called Unsanctified. He recorded guitars for there new album. (Not yet released) he also played some shows with the band.

15.when you guys are not working on music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Vic: dirt bike riding, sex, sports events, family, writing fans on line, checking out new bands Writing new riffs for mmf music drinking and playing basketball softball and hitting the gym .

Tim; I spend time with my family. they support my music and keep me going with it. I love working around the house. there's always something to fix. It’s what I do! Listen to music, PS3 and try to find new stuff.

16.you guys live in the great state of california so i was curious what is your opinion of the scene in california? who are some of your all-time favorite californian bands? are their any new bands you feel the readers should watch out for?

Man that's tuff, um... Infamy, sadistic intent, rise, pathology, severed savior, decrepit birth, off the tops of our heads, there are so many from Cal. They are all really good. What’s even cooler is we have seen most of these bands when they were just starting out. As far as new bands we haven’t seen or heard anything new here to watch out for. We look, but there are just so many good bands here. That’s why we can’t say the underground it dead.

17.what about the overall u.s death metal scene? who are some of your all-time favorite bands? any new ones the readers should check out?

Tim: Cannibal, Deicide, (old deicide) bring back the Hoffman bros. The leads in the new shit are to fancy for Deicide. Morbid of cores, Disincarnate (James Murphy kicks ass), Pestilence, man there’s so many all time, but very all time favorite for me is Hate Eternal. Every thing that is death metal to me is Hate Eternal. My opinion! From Morbid to Hate Eternal Eric Rutan is the shit.

Vic: I really dig the florida deathmetal bands Monstrosity Cannibal Corpse melevleant creation Morbid angel and i cant forget suffocation great band from the bronx nile from north carolina. inconclusion would like to take the time to give props for a band that is not a us band but from Greece Mass Infection great undrground brutal deathmetal patrick check these guys out you and the readers will not be dissapointed.

18.well guys thanks a million for taking the time to fill out this interview. all the final words are yours!

Pat, you kick ass. Thanks so much for this interview. We want to thank you and the fans of Mass Murder Frenzy for all the support you’ve shown us. You’ve helped us reveal our life’s passion through are music. Anyone new to MMF please check us out at www.massmurderfrenzy.com
www.facebook.com/pages/MASS-MURDER-FRENZY/54408216087
www.myspace.com/officialmassmurderfrenzy
www.reverbnation.com/massmurderfrenzy
www.youtube.com/timmmf
you can pick up the our latest cd “Unleashed” on VICTIM MUSIC at.
www.victimmusicmmf.com
www.massmurderfrenzy.com
www.comatosemusic.com
www.sevared.com
support brutal death metal!!!

interview with entrenched done by patrick

2011-06-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

entrenched are a new band coming from new jersey. this duo defintly got my attention with their debut demo "preemptive strike".9 tracks of violent war/death metal mixed with a huge thrash sound within the guitars.thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read winter torment and keep supporting the old-school underground and entrenched!!
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with charles snyder drums and screams for entrenched done by patrick.

1.metal hails charles and sean. please introduce yourselves to the readers.

Charles: Greetings readers, I'm Charles Snyder responsible for battery and screams in Entrenched.

2.when did you guys first meet? is entrenched the first band you guys played in
together? when did you both get the idea to form entrenched?

Charles: We met a while back, around 2004, and formed a technical death metal band called Onset Apraxia. We had another thrash band probably somewhere around 2007 by the name of Intoxikator. Neither band ever really materialized into anything; so this isn't our first band, it's actually our third. We took a break, and two years later I decided to form a band again, I called up Sean to see if he was interested and he actually had the idea for Entrenched already planned out. I loved the concept and right there Entrenched was born.

3.the band is just the two of you guys.when you got the idea to form entrenched did you plan
to keep it a two-piece or have you searched for other members?

Charles: We didn't really plan for a two piece, it more or less happened that way. We wanted to do the recording first and foremost and knew we could handle that ourselves. We started looking for other members after we finished but it's been a year and we still haven't found any suitable candidates. Ideally we could play as a 5 piece, two guitars, drums, bass, and vocals, but that's proving to be extremely difficult. At this point we're focused on looking for a bassist and take it from there.

4.the band recently released it's debut CD "preemptive strike" how long did it take you guys to write and
record the songs for this release? are you both happy with how everything turned out?

Charles: The writing of the songs went pretty fast, maybe 3 months time. The recording though took about nine months due to many many unexpected complications, from my computer's operating system crashing, to the bass we were using churning out an incessant buzzing sound, it seemed every time we moved onto another instrument there was a problem. With that being said though we persevered and I'm actually extremely happy with the way it came out, I think I'm gonna have a hard time topping the mix for the next release we have.

5.how has the response been from the press and the fans? for the readers who have not heard entrenched yet.
how would you best describe the bands music?

Charles: The response has been great we couldn't have asked for much better. It seems people are really digging it which is sick. I'd say it sounds like old school death metal with elements of thrash and punk mixed in, like an artillery barrage on crack.

6.how often do you guys get to practice? when you begin working on new music how long does it usually take to write a new song? do both of you work on the music together or does one of you handle the music and the other the lyrics?

Charles: We practice together a few times a month, keep everything tight for when we're able to play live. When we write songs it doesn't take too long at all, usually 2-3 days. We have a great chemistry and the music just seems to flow. We work on everything together, riffs, beats, song structures, and lyrics, it's a joint effort.

7.the bands main theme is definitely centered around war and the effects of it. when did you become interested in war and history in general? are the lyrics based around a certain war or time in history?

Charles: I've been interested in war and the history of it for as long as I can remember in all honesty. I think it's extremely fascinating shit. The lyrics don't focus on any specific event or time period; well certain songs do, like "Anesthetic Death" is about Vietnam, but overall we jump around, they're about war in general.

8.this might sound like a stupid joke question but i was curious do either of you ever see "world peace" as a reality? it seems like it gets close at times then some country or person fucks it up.

Charles: I'm going to say no, there's so many cultures, ethnicities, and different ways of life, it's just so difficult to convince every human being to be understanding, and as long as you have people preaching to children that my way is the right way and everyone else can fuck off then yeah you're going to have a problem. There's always going to be someone somewhere who resorts to violence and war. I feel like peace on a global scale is and probably always will be just an ideal. Hopefully I'm wrong but I'm a cynic, I just don't see it.

9.what does the term "underground metal" mean to you? and also i have heard some people say the last few years the underground is dead or dying.do either of you guys agree with this statement?

Charles: Man that's a tough question, underground metal is almost exactly what it says it is, it's underground. I mean most of this music is never heard by the general populace. It's music you have to seek out, its a genre and culture that's extremely fan driven. You don't get into this for fame or money, it's all about a love for all things metal. Everyone involved, whether the fans, the media, the bands, they all share that passion for the scene. To say it's dead, I don't think that's true, I mean we're coming from the underground so there are definitely still people out there who do this purely because they fucking love metal. With that being said though it's taken a hit, the whole industry has taken a hit. Money doesn't grow on trees and it's becoming harder and harder for a band or label to make any money these days and this shit isn't cheap to do. That makes things more difficult for sure, but we aren't going away anytime soon and I'm sure there are many other bands around the world who feel the same way. New music and bands will come along to perpetuate things, along with that comes new fans, and with blogs and new media outlets exposure can only get better. So no I don't think the underground is dying.

10.charles you handle the drums for the band. when did you start playing the drums? are you self-taught or have you taken lessons in the past?

Charles: I started playing when I was 14 but probably didn't get serious until about 2 years later. That's when I started getting some lessons for a few months. That kind of cleaned up my act a bit, but I'm mainly self-taught. I usually just play along to my favorite albums, that's pretty much how I learned most of what I know up to this point.

11.who are some of your influences/favorite drummers? do you play any other instruments?

Charles: Favorite drummers.....Gene Hoglan, Richard Christy, John Longstreth, Derek Roddy, Tony Laureano, Flo Mounier, Tim Yeung, I would say these are the guys that really got me into drumming in the first place. My first instrument was guitar but I gave that up pretty quick, after hearing metal drumming I was blown away and decided that's what I wanted to do.

12.you also do vocals in the band.when did you start singing? who are some of your favorite vocalist? do you do anything special to keep your throat/voice healthy?

Charles: I've been doing vocals for around seven years in various bands. My main influences are Jeff Walker and Glen Benton, I definitely strive for that kind of sound. I've never really had any problems with my throat, I think mainly because when I do the vocals I use my lungs and chest. I still use the throat to some extent but usually just drinking some water keeps it alright.

13.well guys we have reached the interview. thank you for taking the time to fill this out. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Charles: No problem man thanks for doing the interview. We just want to tell anyone reading to go check out our sites at www.myspace.com/entrenchedusa and www.facebook.com/entrenchedband, and also check out our album Preemptive Strike!! We'll hopefully have some shirts and stickers coming soon so keep your eyes peeled for that. Thanks again we appreciate the support!

interview with spearhead done by patrick

2011-06-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

spearhead is a uk.based death metal band mixing in a little old-school brutal death,and some newer aggressive sounds.this is a band i had never heard until i recieved their 3rd full-length "theomachia" which was recently relased on the mighty agonia records. if you have never heard this band and enjoy death metal in all it's purest forms do yourself a favor and buy "theomachia" today!!
patrick and winter torment web-zine

interview with invictus rhythm guitarist for spearhead. done by patrick

1.metal hails! how are things going with you and the rest of the band? please introduce yourself to the readers.

Invictus, Spearhead guitarist here. Everything is fine thanks.

2.when did you and the other members of spearhead meet?what is the "current" line-up for the band? for the readers who have never heard spearhead how would you describe the bands music?

Spearhead came into existence towards the end of 2005. The current line-up consists of myself on rhythm guitar, Barghest on bass/vocals and Nephilim on lead guitar. We are currently searching for a new drummer.

3.the band recently released it's third cd "theomachia"through agonia records. how long did it take the band to write/record the songs for this release? who usually handles the lyrics for the band? what are some topics/subjects you all write about?

We started writing ‘Theomachia’ back in 2007, after we had recorded our last album. The album was recorded over a period of around 3 weeks in July 2010 at Orgone Studios in London. Barghest writes all lyrics for Spearhead. ‘Theomachia’ deals with the cyclical nature of time, rise and fall, ebb and flow, as opposed to the modern Western conception of ever upwards progression, the blind vanity of degeneration. It deals with the idea of civilisation as an organic entity, prey to disease and old age as much as every other organic entity - an idea found in countless mythologies and philosophies in the world of Tradition. One either has the choice to perish in the flames of decay, or become an autocrat of one’s own existence. For a more in-depth description you’ll need to consult the album foreword.

4.are you and the rest of the band happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the press and the fans?

Yes, we are all completely satisfied with ‘Theomachia’. In fact it has probably exceeded our expectations. This is reflected in the response from press and fans, which has been overwhelmingly positive so far.

5.does the band have any upcoming shows/tours in support of theomachia? if yes where are some countries you will be touring in?

We are currently considering a number of tour options, but nothing is confirmed at present. There are also some other possible gigs we may do later in the year, although too early to say just yet. Any promoters interested in booking Spearhead should contact us directly (spearheadmetal@gmail.com).

6.who are some bands you have shared the stage with in the past? if you could set up a "dream" show/tour who are some bands you would love to play with?

We have shared the stage with many bands. Examples would include Absu, Origin, Impiety, Urgehal, Destroyer 666, Marduk, Revenge, Belphegor, Candlemass, Mayhem, Vomitory, Entombed, Sabbat, Napalm Death, Infernal War, Desaster, Necros Christos, Primordial, Razor of Occam, and countless others. I don’t think we have a ‘dream show’ or tour package to be honest.

7.do you or any of the other members of spearhead have side-projects or bands you are currently working with?

No.

8.the band comes out of england's underground scene. what is your opinion of the metal scene in the u.k?

Over the past few years there has been a notable improvement in the calibre of bands coming from the UK, although we generally pay little attention to the UK ‘scene’.

9.who are some of your all-time favorite metal bands from the u.k? are their any new ones coming out you think the readers should watch out for?

I can only speak for myself, but as far as British bands go I tend to listen mostly to Bolt Thrower, Necrosanct, Esoteric, and Sabbat. There are quite a few good UK bands emerging, such as Scythian.

10.when not working on music for the band or interviews,etc.. what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Travelling and drinking proper beer/whiskey.

13.in your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground? and what does the term "underground metal" mean to you?

The term underground is meaningless – nothing is really underground any more.

14.well Invictus we have reached the end of the interview.thank you for taking the time to fill this out looking for to more great spearhead releases in the future. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Thanks for the interview. Svpero Omnia!

to order the new cd go to agonia rec. official site.
http://www.agoniarecords.com
spearhead contact
http://www.spearhead.ws

interview with gravespawn done by patrick

2011-06-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

hails!!
here is a new interview i have done with one of the BEST u.s black metal bands around. if you have not had the chance to check this band out. then defintly take the time to check out gravespawn. you will not be disapointed!!!
regards,
patrick

interview with atrum lead guitarist for gravespawn.done by patrick

1.hails atrum! how is your week been going so far? please tell the readers a little
about yourself.

Atrum Abbas: I am a member of the Los Angeles Black Metal Horde Gravespawn. I am the lead guitarist...

2.when did you form gravespawn? what is the "current" line-up? for the readers who have never heard gravespawn how would you describe the bands music?

Atrum: I did not form Gravespawn...Gravespawn was formed in 2004 by our rhythm guitarist Rellik Sephiroth. I joined the ranks in Feb of 2008. Shortly after that we completed our line-up by finding a drummer and a bass player.

3.i got a copy of the bands "praetorian maleficus" cd awhile back.how long did it take the band to write/record the songs on this release?are you and the rest of the members happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the press and fans?

Atrum: The songs on that album are considerably old. They were written when the band consisted only of Rellik and one other person. We did record the songs that you have as a full band though. As for being happy with the release, we are only happy to have gotten it done and out of the way. Our new material is light years beyond the "Praetorian..." material. Support for our horde is very strong.

4.has the band started writing songs for the next gravespawn release? how many songs do you all plan to have on the next release? is their a "release-date" set or is it still to early? will it be a self-release or have you all searched for a new label to work with?

Atrum: In September we will be accompanying Dodsferd along their California tour dates and it will be during these rituals that we shall also celebrate the release of our newest Opus entitled "Woe to the Conquered." As for labels, We are in no rush at all to sign to any label, but if a label worthy of Gravespawn approached us we would consider our options.

5.speaking of new songs when you all begin working on new songs.does the whole band take part in the writing process or does 1-2 members handle everything? which usually comes first the music or the lyrics? who handles the lyrics? what are some topics/subjects you all write about?

Atrum: There are five members of Gravespawn and all of us take part in the creative synthesis that is our craft. The soon to be released opus "Woe to the Conquered," was written primarily by Rellik and Myself, but we all work and contribute to the omnipotence that is Gravespawn. As for lyrics, I usually write the lyrics for the songs I create and Rellik writes them for the songs he creates...Lord Malkuth also contributes lyrics where he sees fit. Everyone in our band has creative freedom, and that is important. Our lyrical content revolves around Blasphemy and WAR, as well as all the emptiness and loss of hope for mankind...

6.does gravespawn play live very often or do you prefer to work only in the studio? what is the craziest thing that has ever happened at a gravespawn show?

Atrum: Gravespawn occasionally perform live Rituals, however, we are very particular as to what shows we choose to perform. We do not care to pay to play or any of that nonsence. Im not saying there is anything wrong with bands doing that, it is just not what we consider part of our modus operandi. Whos to say what the future holds though, there may come a time when there is a show that would be foolish to turn down because we chose not to sell tickets...it would have to be a hell of a show though!

7.who are some bands you have shared the stage with? if you could set up a "dream" show who are some bands you would love to play/tour with?

Atrum: We have shared the stage with many great hordes such as Horna, Blood Stained Dusk, and Nightbringer to name a few...But we have shared the stage with many great underground hordes...many that are good friends of ours.

8.the band comes from the great state of california.it seems like california has a small but growing and strong black metal scene. would you agree or disagree? who are some of your all-time favorite californian bands? are their any new bands you think the readers should check out soon?

Atrum: Indeed their are many up and coming bands from here is LA that are very talented. Our good friends in Nekcrium are a force to reckoned with, as well as our comrades in Ritual Combat who are absolute destroyers. There are far too many bands to mention actually because the scene is a bit larger than many realize...a lot of shit bands and few really good ones like any other scene.

9.what is your opinion of the u.s.b.m as a whole? i remember back in the mid 90's seemed like alot of people looked down on the black metal scene in the u.s but over the years it seems to have grown and gotten the respect it deserves.

Atrum: The USBM scene has improved drastically over the last decade I would say. Maybe too much as there has been a major influx of bands flooding the local scenes. It is not difficult to predict who will stay for a while and who will call it day once they lose interest.

10.who are some of your all-time favorite u.s black metal bands?

Atrum: A few bands that I personally have been listening to lately are Ceremonial Castings, Blood Stained Dusk, and Tenebrous...I was a big fan of the old US band Thy Infernal as well.

11.everyone has their own opinion/ideas on what black metal means.so i was curious in yours.what does black metal mean to you?

Atrum: In my opinion, True Black Metal comes from the soul of its creator. One cannot just sit down and write a song off the top of their head and call it a sincere interpretation of their darkest feelings and desires. Anyone can sit there and triple pick a thousand notes for three minutes and call it a song, but for me, every particle of my being is invested within every note I compose. My music is very personal to me and I take it very seriously.

12.the band seems to be based around occult/satanism beliefs.so i was interested when did you start questioning christianity/religion? would you consider yourself a satanist?

Atrum: I have never believed in any formal doctrine personally, as these beliefs are age old in my particular case. I cannot speak for the others in Gravespawn. Organised religion is for mentally and spiritually weak individuals who cannot adhere to the natural laws and instincts of man. The Vatican is the one of the most wealthy economies in the world for a reason. Does anyone think that the church actually gives a fuck? Only Death is Absolute.

13.how do you feel the world would be if religion {both christianity,satanism,etc..} were never thought up or practiced?

Atrum: That is pretty tough question to answer. In my opinion, any proposed doctrine is oppressive to the natural instincts of man. Man, like all beasts, is subject to the chaotic laws of the universe. Evolution needs no assistance, life shall evolve according the order of the physical plane or Hyperplane. Survival and adaptation is key.

14.do you or any of the members of gravespawn currently play in any other side-bands or projects? if yes please tell the readers a little about them.

Atrum: Our Bass player Verigo fronts a chaotic Black Metal band called Vesterian. Our drummer Father Mattias was in a few projects of his own, most recently asymphonic band called Wolfgate. Mattias has since departed said band and started another band called Aysmal Chaos which, I too, have recently joined on guitars. I have a project on ice at the moment since the vocalist I had been working with has been fullfilling millitary duties in Japan. Once he's back, we shall start composing once again.

15.we have reached the end of the interview.thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview.do you have any final comments for the
readers?

Atrum: Look for us in LA, San Francisco, and Sacramento with Dodsferd and Nekcrium...Fuck God, Hail Death!

interview with arum done by lady dany..

2011-06-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

here is a new interview with brazil's arum.a huge thank you goes to my friend and winter torment supporter lady dany's black metal support site.if you are a band,label and fan of all-things underground black metal. do yourself a favor and check out her web-site and bands or labels interested in working with her drop daniella a line soon!!!
http://www.ladydany-bandsupport-promo.de.tl

interview with marcello of arum done by lady dany

Marcelo, first thanks for your time and for the interview!

1. You are the singer and band-leader of ARUM. How long did ARUM now exist?

Marcelo: Hails! Thanks for the opportunity to talk about Arum. The band exist since 2000. Between 2007 and 2009 we stopped, and later in 2010 we back to rehearsal.

2. Which idea/inspiration stand behind ARUM? And what did you want to tell the fans with your music?

Marcelo: The main idea and inspiration is the same that I had when I begun to play long time ago, is just to do Metal music. We had lot of influences and like lot of kinds of metal styles, but we are always looking to do an unique music, with our own identity. We like occultism, ancient history, fantasy, ufos, darkness and lot of stuff that we wrote on our lyrics, but Arum music is in first level for me, later the lyrics. So just want that people listen and feel what they want to feel, I just to the song.

3. How many albums did ARUM release? And a new EP will be out soon! What could the fans expect from the new EP?

Marcelo: Arum released 3 albums: Fierce Everlasting Tempest (Demise Records/2001), Inhuman Echoes from the Shadows (KillZone Records/2004), Occult Cataclysm (Negativity and KillZone Records/2008) and 1 Ep Prelude to Cataclysm (Killzone Records/2006). Now we are recording a new EP, you can expect brutal and honest music. Our essence still there, the same feeling of previous albums, but the songs are more powerful and stronger than all the songs that I did till now.

4. Arum were on a Europe/Germany-Tour in 2006! With Devilish Impressions, Darkshine and Aeternus. Was it your first trip to Europe/Germany? How was your impression from the country and the fans?

Marcelo: It was our first time in Europe/Germany. I really like it, although we had some problems, we had great times and good gigs. In Germany we had good audience and it seems that people like our music, some talk with us after the gig and always we had great party after the gig, drinking and talk a lot. About the country it´s really a beautiful country and with a good structure to live and do Metal concerts. The fans The relationship that we had with the bands was very great, we enjoyed a lot to be on tour. Some day ago Ares from Aeternus wrote to me, and he also still remember the good days that we had together.

5.How did the tour come about?

Marcelo: The tour was organized by Icon music agency from Portugal and at that time we were at Kill Zone Records, and the label gave support for us to be on tour. We are proud of them although we didn´t still in this label, they really believe in us and did the best for promote Arum. Without them it should be very difficult for us to tour in Europe.

6.You also were the “Opener” of Rotting Christ on their brasilian Tour in 2006. How did you feel on that evening? And how was the show?

Marcelo: We opened their gig at Arena Club, a place that doesn´t exist nowadays. It was a good day, we were the first band, but the club was full when we started to play and we had great support from our Brazilians fans. We had good structure so my wife could play acoustic guitar at some songs with us, I really liked that concert. Unfortunately we didn´t had contact with Rotting Christ just saw their show.

7.About the lyrics: Do you write the lyrics all alone? And from where do you get your inspiration?

Marcelo: I am the main composer of the music, almost all songs from Arum , I do. Sometimes others mates gave some idea but I use to do and organize all music structure and later we do the arrangements together. About lyrics is second plan for me, when everything is done we thought about lyrics. I wrote some lyrics and the main inspirations is my life, my thoughts and my beliefs. For the new EP I and Khaos are thinking to wrote the lyrics together, we never did it and I think that will be great.

8.Do you write a song “spontaneously” or do you take a note of several words or phrases (or ideas) and “connect” all notes to a completely song later?

Marcelo: I wrote spontaneously in general. Sometimes I am studying or playing a music, and I got an idea to create other songs, other times I like to do composition exercises and later it become a music, or like you told sometimes just a small idea comes so I wrote it and wait the time to expand. There are no rules to compose for me. Just try to create what I want to listen.

9.Do you listen to other music in your free time very often? Do you collect cd´s/dvd´s? Which bands are your favourite ones?

Marcelo: Every day I am listening and playing, it´s my work, my passion, my hobby, music is my life. Of course I do other things but music is what choose to do so I am always doing it. My main band Olam Ein Sof, that is an ethereal folk band and are formed by me and my wife, are playing a lot we have many gigs, and also I have others music projects. Of course I still collect cd´s and dvd´s, really love to buy or do trades, get a new stuff and appreciate it is really cool. I listening to different kinds of music, like ancient music (medieval, renaissance, baroque), contemporary music from sec XX, folkloric and ethinic music (which I most search nowadays) and of course Metal ( black, death, thrash, 80 heavy), and there others that I listen not very often like progressive rock, jazz, blues, but I like. About a favorite band it´s depend on the week and what I need to listen.

10.Do you and your band-mates have any special rituals before a gig?

Marcelo: Nothing special, just concentrate at the gig and check if everything is well done to play and to do a good show. The gig is the ritual.

11.What did the fans await of a ARUM Gig? Do you have a special show? Maybe Pyros, fire or something?

Marcelo: People can await a show that music is at first place, played with energy, honestly and we really believe in what we are doing. Where people can bang their heads or just listen, but was trying to cause some impact and that something could change for them.

12.What are your plans for 2011? Where the fans can see your bands live?

Marcelo: We are going to release and EP with 4 songs in 2011. We want to distribute this release to labels, magazines and metal site, and looking for someone that had interest to release our next album or do a tour for Arum. Now we having not planned talking about gigs, we are just 2 and need to find a bassist and other guitarist, of course we want to back to do shows and tour again in Germany.

Well, that’s the end of our interview! Thank you once again! I hope you like it and any last words to all the readers?

Marcelo: Also I thank you all from Winter Torment Zine for the opportunity and sorry for delay. I hope that readers could get in touch with us and wish to back soon to stage to meet with all of you. Want to thanks also my dear Dany for all support that she is giving to us and help us to keep the band alive. Hails from Brazil!

interview with left hand path done by patrick

2011-04-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

metal hails!!!
here is a interview i did with a new old-school death metal band from germany.left hand path embraces both the sound and feel of the early 90's death metal but also embraces the diy. ethics and stands strong even with no big label or production to support them. this is a band ALL fans of old-school death metal must hear.
enjoy and keep the flames of metal burning brightly
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment.com

interview with H.G bassist for left hand path done by patrick

1.metal hails h.g! how are things going in germany? please tell the readers a little about yourself.

Hi! First of all thanks for giving us the opportunity to do this interview for your zine, we really appreciate it! Well, as it says in the header, I'm the bassist of the old school Death Metal band called Left Hand Path, which was formed in the summer of 2009 here in northwest Germany at the shores of the vast, cold and misty north sea... I'm in my late twenties now, have been living here all my life and the last twelve years of that life as a metalhead.

2.when did you first start playing the bass? are you self-taught or did you take lessons when you were younger?

I was fooling around on the guitar for some years in my late teens, so one can say I started rather late even with that one. But during that time I did nothing worth mentioning music wise. On a few occasions I jammed with some people I knew, but it was all ridiculous low-fi jam stuff and I couldn't play properly even if somebody would've put a gun to my head. So in late 2002 I finally got my first bass and indeed began taking lessons shortly after that - because I needed to get the basics right. If you've got nobody that can show you the essentials of playing and you aren't incidentally some first-rate talent who can figure out everything on his/her own, you just *need* a teacher. So that's what I did: I took some lessons for a year plus some months and after that what I did on the instrument could finally be considered "playing" instead of...whatever it was before.

3.who are some of your influences/favorite bassist? do you play any other instruments?

There are tons of remarkable players out there and I guess only a small percentage of those ever get the recognition and/or fame they rightfully deserve. But when it comes to the more well known names, I think Steve DiGiorgio (Autopsy/Sadus/Death/Testament/etc.) is my absolute favourite bassist. It's players like him who really pushed the boundaries of what the role of the bass guitar in metal music is and can be. Another elite-level player and fave of mine is Jan Erik Tiwaz who played for Borknagar for some years and also as the live bassist for Emperor more than ten years ago - he left Borknagar last spring, but I was fortunate enough to see him play live with the band in 2009 and that left a lasting impression. But the thing is; even though those bassists may be my favourites, I can't really say that they're direct influences, since my approach to playing is totally different. When I was still developing my technique, I tried my best to master the three finger plucking technique that Steve DiGiorgio is famous for, which enables you to play very fast and keep up with the guitars without having to use a pick. That technique is something I use even now in Left Hand Path. But when it comes to the other aspects of playing, it's quite different - if you ask me, there are two different approaches to playing bass in a metal/rock context: Either you treat your bass as an instrument that's completely independent of the guitars and does it's own thing - and really stands out through doing that. I'd call that the progressive way. Or you use your bass to make the whole sound as fat and bass-heavy as possible and play exactly what the guitars are playing most of the time. I'd call that approach the traditional way - and that's exactly what I'm doing: 90% of the time I play what the guitars play, but on some rare occasions I play things differently. This is just what this type of music demands and how it was and is still done by the big legends of the genre who never ventured into the more technical or progressive areas of the genre. It's fairly simple: as a listener you don't pick out the bass so easily since it doesn't push itself into the foreground, but you'd definitely miss it if it wasn't there.

About that question whether or not I play any other other instruments: other than the guitar, which I'm not that good at (being a bassist, I always fall into the habit of playing single notes, so if you hand me a guitar, I'll torment people with some mindless pentatonic solos or some easy tapping stuff instead of playing proper chords or riffs) there isn't really anything else that I play. I was forced(!) to take piano lessons when I was a kid and I absolutely hated it. My teacher didn't know the first thing about pedagogics... when you force some eight year old kid to take lessons and play nothing but classical stuff, chances are high that he or she will develop an absolute disgust towards that instrument and maybe even towards playing music in general. That's also one of the reasons why I started playing bass so relatively late: I avoided anything that has to do with actively playing instruments like the plague after those forced lessons ended and it took some years after I had become a metalhead until the urge to play some heavy stuff myself grew strong enough that I decided to give the guitar, and then eventually bass, a try. But I still have next to no clue about music theory and can't even force myself to learn that stuff, which I guess is still a side effect of those piano years. So, people: Don't force your kids to pick up an instrument if they don't want to - it's gonna backfire sooner or later!

4.when did you and you the other members of left hand path meet? was it long until you all formed the band? what is the "current"
line-up? for the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe left hand path's music?

Our guitarist and drummer played in a local Death/Thrash act called Descartar until a while ago. I'd been a fan of theirs for a while when Uffen (then Descartar, now LHP guitarist) told me about his plans of forming a project in the style of the old Swedish Stockholm sound bands when we met at some local underground gig in March 2009. That was during the time when bands like Evocation and Facebreaker who play real old school DM were getting more popular again. Since at the time I had been band-less for a while (my last band was a sludge/thrash/death metal band called Bedevil who never managed to come out of our reaheasal space), I was absolutely stoked when I heard the idea. Anyway, several months came and went, but nothing happened. I already thought the idea would never materialize, but some time in early summer we began talking more frequently about it again and eventually started planning the first rehearsal. Uffen recruited a buddy of his called Boekhoff for the second guitar - years ago he played in a local band called Torture that unfortunately never got to record something - but now he was interested in pounding out some metal again. So we had the Descartar guitarist and drummer, Boekhoff on the second guitar and me on bass, but we still lacked a vocalist. After some consideration we decided to recruit Michael from Tears of Decay as our vocalist, who is an elder statesman of the local scene: he's been organizing an annual two-day Death Metal/Grindcore festival in the local youth center for ten years now, has his own bi-weekly Grindcore/Death Metal/Thrash show on the local radio and writes for a handful of underground zines. His other band, the Brutal Death Metal act Tears of Decay, formed in 1997 and recorded their first demo in May 1999 - and funnily enough I was one of the first people to somehow get my hands onto that tape a few days before my 17th birthday in May '99... at that time I was just getting into the whole extreme metal thing, having listened to mostly standard rock stuff before. Since then his band has shared stages with various big names like Krisiun, Hate Eternal, Misery Index, etc., but due to various reasons Tears of Decay wasn't and isn't as active as they were before, so he liked the idea of starting a new project and became our vocalist. So that was the final nail, the line-up was complete now. I guess we had our first rehearsal in July or early August '09. First we thought of it as a project, but in late 2009 Descartar split up. So Left Hand Path became our drummer's and guitarist's only band at that point and thus it didn't feel like a mere "project" to any of us anymore. The line-up didn't change since then, even though our drummer moved away to study one and a half years ago and he only comes by every couple of weekends. I also moved to the Netherlands for the whole of the summer in 2010 and only was here at home on weekends. But we managed to keep things going despite all that.

Okay, describing the music... think Master, Autopsy, maybe Massacre, some simpler Asphyx and some very slight influence from the old Stockholm bands. As I mentioned above, during the planning stage, we thought of playing more in the style of Unleashed, Evocation, Nihilist and early Entombed, but things eventually developed into a different direction, so that now we've got more in common with the bands of the old Dutch Death Metal scene like Thanatos, Gorefest and Asphyx. Our roots definitely lie in late 80s, very early 90s Death Metal. The band's approach is simple and to the point without any unnecessary technicalities. And the thing is: in a live situation this formula seems to pay out. During our first gig we ourselves were floored when we realized how powerful and punchy our stuff sounded, which is exactly what we originally intended.

5.the band recently released it's 3-song debut demo "time to die".how long did it take you guys to write and record the songs for this release? are you and the other members of the band happy with how everything turned out?

That's an interesting and funny question. During the first months of the band's existence the songwriting process wasn't exactly fast, but it wasn't really slow either. So the songs progressed at a relatively normal pace. At that time we were rehearsing about twice a week. But then, as I mentioned above, our drummer moved away in the fall of 2009 and since then we've only been able to rehearse when he comes home every few weekends and that has slowed us down considerably. From August to December 2009 most of our first two songs was already written, but after that, progress was *really* slow. I guess the time with the least band activity was winter/early spring 2010. In summer last year things eventually started rolling again and we wrote our third song called Suicide of Mankind and began writing parts of the fourth one. Late summer and early fall was spent putting the final touches on what we had so far and to make things tight enough, so that we could enter the studio, which we did on October 23 that year.

As for the recording: when you're a metal band here in East Frisia and want to record a demo or album, you've got more or less just two options: Either you save some nice amount of money and enter one of the world's best studios for metal, namely the "Soundlodge Studio" (where bands like God Dethroned, Cliteater, Dew Scented et al. have recorded their albums) - or you enter the local lo-tech crap studio (ahem, sorry) where 90% of all bands from this area recorded their demos over the last ~11 years and which costs almost nothing ...needless to say we went for the latter option. The recordings were one big beer fueled, nicotine infested, chaotic mess. We had lots of fun though :) We entered the studio on Saturday, October 23 and recorded the last takes until Sunday afternoon, the 24th. After that we spent at least four days mixing those three songs, since the first rough mixes were truly unbearable utter crap. Just to give you one example: our vocalist didn't use a pop filter in front of the mic and held the mic in his hands as if he was singing live, which is alright as long as you later edit out the popping sounds which will inevitably appear as a result of that. But on the first mixes you could hear each and every popping sound clearly. Besides that it sounded as if he growled from out of a card box or something similar. Just imagine the extreme opposite of what audiophiles call "brilliance" and you get quite close. Want to hear another one? Here you are: Michael re-recorded the first scream on Birthless Grave, because he wasn't content with how it turned out on the first take. So he did it again properly - BUT ...the studio "engineer" used the wrong (first!) take in the final mix. I kid you not. And honestly, some other things could've been done better as well. We recorded everything without a click, which caused a problem during the guitar tracking of the third song: the speed of the already tracked drums was slightly fluctuating, so our drummer had to re-record the drums for that one in order to enable us to go on. I could tell you some other things, but I'll leave it at that. So are we happy with how it turned out? I guess so. All those little flaws make it sound very oldschool-like, so it fits the music. I just wish the guitar sound was different. I wanted to have the classic Sunlight Studio sound on the demo which Entombed, Dismember & co. are famous for... I did several days worth of research prior to the recording about how to perfectly nail that sound and assembled all the info during that time. We had everything we needed: I had my Boss HM-2 pedal and our guitarist had a Digitech GNX3000 - so if you combine those two, fine tune the HM-2 the right way, use the Marshall amp and cab simulation of the GNX3000 and then go directly into the board, you're halfway there. All you need after that is an EQ-ripper plugin during the mixing stage, which you use to rip the right guitar frequencies from a reference recording (e.g. any early Dismember, Nihilist, Entombed album). Then you apply that EQ data to your own tracks and THEN finally you've got the absolutely deadliest, meanest, chainsaw guitar sound possible. This is exactly how it was done on Bloodbath's debut full-length and on the new Entrails album (although I don't know about the GNX3000 regarding the latter). But well, I think there was no real interest from the other guys, at least they preferred a more standard guitar sound and so that never materialized on our demo. Maybe it was the right decision after all, I guess we'll never know.

6.how has the response been from the press and the fans?

Fans of old school Death Metal seem to love it. We sent out loads of promos during December and January and the reactions were interesting to say the least: We got some real good reviews, e.g. in the biggest German print mag for extreme metal and in some webzines, but some other webzine journalists prefered to just butcher the demo - and all of those did it for the same reasons: they complained about the production, complained about us having a name that sounds like a hommage to Entombed, while we don't sound like Entombed and generally complained about a supposed lack of tightness and the simplicity of the riffing. The funny thing is... I don't know if you're familiar with Rogga Johansson's project "Bloodgut" - the first Bloodgut album was released some months ago and that is really cheaply done old school Death Metal with the crappiest sound imaginable, absolutely half-assed playing, drums that remind of a cheap punk band and generally it sounds like a joke (not to say anything bad about Rogga Johannson though - I love almost all his other projects, but Bloodgut is just that: a joke). THAT album got good grades, about 70 out of 100pts, in exactly those zines that at the same time butchered our demo, although that Bloodgut album is 100 times worse than our demo in every single department they criticized us for being bad in. So, it's easy to see that there exists a lot of double standardism and hypocrisy even in the so called underground metal press. But well, that just applies to a handful reviews. Those people who know what this music is about seem to like it - and that's all that counts.

7.has the band started working on new music/songs for the next release? when the band does start rehearsing and writing new songs how long does it usually take to complete a song? do all the members take part in the in the music-writing or does 1-2 members handle it all?

Yes, since the demo was recorded we've already finished another song and it's our best one yet, if you ask me. We also started writing another one months ago, even prior to the recording sessions, but that one has yet to be finished. As I already mentioned, it takes us quite long to write our songs - mainly due to us not being able to rehearse as often as we'd like. On average it takes us four months to write one song. All of the riffs are written by our guitarists. Our drummer comes up with drum patterns that fit those riffs and then we assemble it all together. Most of the time is spent finding the right riff progressions. Sometimes we get stuck after having written half a song and have to continue later, which is why there's still a song from last year that we have to finish.

8.who usually handles the lyrics for the songs? with a band name like left hand path.i was curious would you consider the band a satanic death band or do you prefer to stay away from the religion topic in lyrics,etc?

Michael writes all of the lyrics. He presents them to me in German and I translate them for him into English, since otherwise zey could turn out a bit awkvard. Originally we both wanted to keep the lyrics in german - for obvious reasons: it's our mother tongue, it's easier to express yourself in that compared to any second language...and well, it would've been cool to somewhat stand out from the masses, since there aren't that many Death Metal bands using a language other than English for their lyrics. But since our guitarists absolutely hated the idea, we had to scrap that. Oh and we're definitely not a satanic band; we'd rather comment on religion related themes from an objective, observing standpoint. The lyrics on our EP are really personal stuff for Michael, at least two of them. And Suicide of Mankind is more about an apocalyptic scenery where mankind managed to ruin the planet forever. We have not included a lyrics sheet in the current edition of our EP, but the lyrics can be found on our web-presence and somewhere else on the web as well. It's obvious that most people don't really care about lyrics in (death) metal, but we try to write some stuff that has substance instead of growling about zombies or chainsaw massacres... if one makes an effort to write good songs, then in my opinion one shouldn't lower their quality later on through stupid lyrics. Once in a while zombies are nice though, but we'll leave that to others ;)

The band name can be interpreted in various different ways: the term has it's origins in some ancient texts about Hinduism. Originally it meant treading a path towards spiritual enlightenment that was considered extreme in nature compared to the usual "right hand" path (the left hand was always considered to be the filthy one), e.g. achieving enlightenment through massive intoxication instead through abstinence. It's just that the so called western world adopted the term and since then used it for describing everything that has to do with the evil or "dark" side of generally accepted religions - one example would be considering satanism the left hand path of the usual right hand path of worshiping the Christian god. So in general, to get back to the core of the topic, Left Hand Path is a synonym for going against the stream, for rebellion and for keeping an extreme attitude while being at it. And we can't deny that's it's also a nod to Entombed's debut album and through that to the old times of the scene in general (but those journalists that I mentioned in my earlier answer like to use this as an opportunity to slag us off for being uncreative or wannabe-clones of Entombed or something along those lines... anyway, we try our best not to care).

9.what is your opinion on religion? {both christianity and satanism,paganism,etc.etc..} what do you think humanity and the world would be like if religion were never invented,thought-up?

Organized religion is a joke if you think of it. It's 2011 and even now every week there are millions of people running into their local temple to worship a fictional character called god and conduct various rituals. And all of that is openly accepted and considered perfectly sane. But to each their own I guess. It wouldn't really be a problem for people who don't want to be a part of it, if it wasn't for converting religions. The problem arises as soon as they want to spread their "message" while believing in a black and white "us (the enlightened sheep) vs. them (the unbelievers)" scheme. It ranges from the witnesses knocking on your door in the morning to the ancient bloody crusades, the massacres of the conquistadores in South America, etc.. At the end of the day most religions are merely a tool to control people, a kind of organized brainwashing. I think if religion had never been invented, those people who want to control the masses would just find other ways to reach their goal, e.g. through spreading some mundane ideologies (just look at any "-ism" for a good example). When it comes to satanism... I see that more as a philosophy. Most people are familiar with the so called LaVey satanism compared to this occult variety that Crowley was famous for practicing, but I'm not really interested in any of that, because it's rooted too deeply in Christianity for me. The cliché value of satanic metal is great though. There's nothing better than putting on a Deicide album when you're in the right mood and it goes: "saataaan!!". That works for me, but other than that I think satanism is better suited for scaring some dumb little kids. Furthermore I guess in metal this blunt criticism of Christianity has already been done to death. I mean yeah, we know Christianity is *still* a problem, but by now everyone's mother and her dog should already know this. And also I think Christianity is on it's way down anyway, while it seems that Islamism is the real threat right now. Have you heard of those riots last week, where some 20 people got killed in Afghanistan, just because some guy in Florida recently burnt a damn Quran? Or those riots in several countries some years back just because some newspaper in Denmark printed some funny cartoon drawings of their beloved holy prophet. That is insanity at work, man. But only a handul of metal bands write about that stuff (and those who do, do it in a pretty stupid way, at least from what I have seen to far). Paganism is something else entirely for me - like Buddhism, which could be considered a form of Asian paganism. As far as I know, no form of paganism has ever tried to convert the masses or established laws for the whole of society to follow. Paganism is more like an individual spiritual practice and a way to stay connected to your heritage. The big religions encourage humanity to rob nature of everything people want and need, since they see a human's existence on earth merely as a kind of waiting room for heaven (or hell for that matter). In contrast to that most paganist philosophies encourage their followers to respect nature and to make sure it's kept intact for future generations, which is how things should be in my opinion - and you don't have to be a hippie or tree hugger to see the point in that.

Despite all that I don't have a problem with followers of any religion as long as they don't try to convert me or judge me for not sharing their beliefs. I even have a good friend who is catholic and he's one of the coolest people I know and even sometimes listens to death metal :) Besides that there are so many people who consider themselves Christian in metal... just think of Araya, Mustaine, I guess Halford, isn't even Ralph Santolla of Deicide(!!) known for being a practicing catholic?! So as you can see... a lot of that satanic stuff in metal is nothing but image, atmosphere and show. I'm just glad that there are almost no religious bands in the Death Metal genre, especially compared to Metalcore and Deathcore, where those guys all seem to accumulate.

10.in your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground scene? and what does the term "underground metal" mean to you?

The best thing about it is that you get to know people all over the world who are as into the stuff as you're yourself. A true underground maniac has a different attitude to this music compared to somebody who just downloads the newest releases from Roadrunner Records and then "realizes" that Extreme Metal "has always been boring" just a few years later. The dedication of the people involved in the underground is definitely what continues to amaze me and makes me confident when thinking of the future. Another good thing is that there's next to no money involved, so no label will pressure a band to conform to any trends, like it happens in the more mainstream metal scene, where various bands adopted Nu-Metal influences when that style was popular and where some heavier bands now integrate breakdowns and stuff into their sound, just to appeal to the Fashioncore crowd and make a few extra bucks because of that.

Regarding the term itself... to me "underground metal" means the scene revolving around bands who are either unsigned or signed to really small DIY labels which are devoid of any commercial interests. Some people seem to think of everything that isn't Maiden, Priest, the Big Four or Pantera as "underground", which would qualify 90% of Century Media's and Nuclear Blast's roster as "underground" and that's obviously b.s.. In the true underground scene there are no ads for a band's new album, no Nightliners on tours, no best-of releases and no recording studio bookings that span three months. But there's dedication, honesty and authenticity.

What the worst thing is? Hard but good question. In my opinion the underground scene could even be better than it is now, if people would think a little bit more outside the box and dare to try new things. It seems as if the scene is stagnating and one rarely hears anything new. But most people involved seem to be o.k. with that. In our local scene some people start to complain if there's a concert every two weeks because they think it's "too much", which is something I disagree with. What can be better than having the possibility to bang your head at an underground gig every weekend? In the Netherlands, which are just a few miles away from here, they seem to do it the right way: sometimes there are metal gigs - not festivals - with nine or more bands playing, starting in the afternoon... they've got a nation wide contest for underground metal bands (some may dislike the idea, I think it's great) and there are even Death Metal gigs on x-mas eve - I saw the God Dethroned release party for their newest album on December 24 last year and it was mindblowing! All those ideas could be adopted by the underground in general. Also playing gigs in unusual places, like that 70000 tons of metal boat trip this year in January, this is something that is rarely done. There could be more collaboration between local bands in a live setting, etc.. It all could be more exciting than just having a standard gig every few weeks where you get shitfaced - and experience that over and over again until you're 70.

11.also i know you are an old-schooler like myself and have seen alot of changes in the underground the last 10-15 years.so i was curious what do you think were some of the biggest changes? also i have heard some say that "metal underground" is dead or dying. would you agree or disagree with this statement?

The underground is definitely not dying - it may be stagnating, but not dying. It also depends on where you look: in many places like Asia for instance, it's still getting bigger. But one can't deny that the changes over the last 10-15 years have been huge, mainly due to the rise of the internet. I myself have just experienced it from 1999 onwards, but anway. It's not as exciting as it was in the old days, because now it's so easy to find the stuff you're looking for and once you've found it, you can download it within seconds. The thrill is gone for the most part. But this is just a nostalgic point of view. If we're honest, we can be thankful about how easy things have become nowadays. I guess pros and cons come with every major change, whether you like it or not.

Another thing I noticed that *really* bugs me is the fact that nowadays lots of people seem to expect you to have a flawless, professional production, perfect artwork and everything that comes along with that even as a *demo* band! Those reviewers for example, who said the sound on our demo was shitty... I wonder what the hell they expected?! Sure, it doesn't sound like a $10000 production, but just ten years ago it would've been considered standard and pretty good for an underground-band. Twenty years ago you got tapes with self-painted covers and nobody complained either... it's getting ridiculous. So yes, there's been a huge change in values over the last years. If you think of it you could say that the true underground has become even more underground now, mainly due to the aforementioned people.

12.you and the band come out of the mighty german scene.so i was interested in your opinion of germany's metal scene?

Germany's scene... well, if you believe that Encyclopedia Metallum website, Germany is the country with the second most bands in the world, right behind the USA, which should be a good thing. But then one has to wonder why such small countries like the Scandinavian ones are still dominating the European metal scene, even though Germany is so huge, population wise... I think the problem with the scene here is that people are good at copying, but they're afraid to leave their comfort zone and try something new. I mean, what innovation has come out of Germany in the last 15 years? Sweden had it's Stockholm DM scene and the Gothenburg sound, Norway had it's Black Metal wave and it's Gothic Metal scene, Finland spawned bands like Children of Bodom who are being copied over and over again and also underground stuff like Funeral Doom originated there... but when I think of Germany, only very good copies of all the aforementioned styles come to mind, but nothing that originally came from here. In the eighties we had our Thrash scene with Kreator, Destruction and Sodom - it was a heavier version of the US Thrash scene at the time, which could be considered quite innovative. Also in the eighties this European Power Metal style was developed mainly here in Germany. But after that I don't know of anything that contributed to the development of metal in general that came out of the german scene, which is a shame. Oh, I forgot Rammstein ...they're even being copied by foreign bands like Turmion Kätilöt from Finland, but exceptions confirm the rule ;) On the other hand, we aren't the most innovative band on earth either, so who am I to complain? If you ignore the missing innovation in our scene, one must admit that it's really, really good. There are so many great bands all over the country, it's impossible to list them all. Also one must not forget that the scene isn't just about bands, but also about gigs and festivals - and Germany has got to be one of the best, if not *the* best country in the world in that regard. Besides that the country is full of metalheads, among them also lots of young people, who thankfully do not all listen to Metalcore. All in all it's one of the best countries for metal in the world, period.

13.who are some of your all-time favorite german bands? are their any new bands coming from the depths of germany's underground you think the readers should watch out for?

In the all-time favourite category: Definitely Fleshcrawl! Those guys have been around since the early 90s, playing Stockholm style Death Metal and they never released a bad album. The last one came out in 2007, so I hope we'll hear some new stuff soon. They've been signed to Metal Blade Records since '99, so their stuff shouldn't be too hard to get hold of. The second favourite would be Disbelief. They're one of the few German bands that have their own distinct style and they've also been around for a long time now and were even signed to Nuclear Blast for a while. Their latest album came out last year. Okay... after that it gets hard to choose... as I said, there are so many great bands here. But here's an insider's tip: Mourning Caress - if you are into more melodic DM. Their debut from 2002 is an absolute classic and they are about the release their third album this year I guess.

New bands to check out are: Parity Boot who play industrial/thrash metal and released their debut in 2009 and Lifeless, a traditional DM band with the trademark Sunlight Studio guitar sound (they've got one album out so far, released in 2008).

14.when not working on new music or band promotion. what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I used to go to the pub alot, maybe too often, but lately my budget has been rather small, so I'm focusing on finishing all those unread books in my collection. Other than that I spend lots of time on the net, talking to all those buddies of mine who moved away. But the highlights in my daily life are definitely going to gigs, rehearsing and playing live, I think.

15.well my friend we have reached the end of the interview. thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final
comments for the readers?

Don't support your local scene - BE your local scene! And if you want to have a copy of our promo/demo/"EP", just contact us via email or myspace, you still get it for free. Oh, and besides the german bands I mentioned above, check out Brutally Deceased from Prague!! That should be it, thanks Patrick for the interview and keep up the good work with your webzine! Hope to see some of you out there in the pit one day! \m/

to contact the band check out their "official" site here.
http://www.lefthandpath.org

interview with demonic cremator done by patrick

2011-04-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

metal-hails!!!
ahh the old-school is alive and well as can be heard on the new demonic cremator release "crucified" for those who enjoy old-school black metal with hints of punk and thrash then scotlands demonic cremator is a band you won't want to miss!!
metal regards,
patrick and winter torment
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

interview with asphyxiator vocalist,drums and necrotica guitars and bass for demonic cremator done by
patrick

1.metal hails!! how are things going for you both this weekend? please introduce yourselves to the readers.

Asphyxiator: Greetings Patrick, i am Asphyxiator of Demonic Cremator. Things are going great, we are very busy at the moment promoting our new Demonic Cremator album 'Crucified'.

Necrotica: Hey, i'm Necrotica, having a great weekend so far, just taking it easy and enjoying time off work!

2.when did the two of you first meet?was it long until you formed demonic cremator? for the readers who have never hearddemonic cremator's music.how would you describe it?

A: Well we actually met at a gig I was playing with my old band at the time, we started talking about our favourite bands and hit it off straight away.We formed Demonic Cremator the year after (2009) because we wanted to pay tribute to the bands we love to a point.

3.you recently sent me a copy of the bands news upcoming cd "crucified"how long did it take to write and record the songs for this release?

A: This time the album took a bit more time to write and record as we wanted to get the exact sound we were looking for, that gutsy, trashy feel. In all it took about 6 months on and off, it's the way it must be. I really think you start to lose the feel and attitude with multiple takes,unless it is required for solo's and such, dive in and fuck it!!

4.are both of you happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the fans and press?

N: Yeah we're very happy with how the album turned out, we wanted to make the sort of album we ourselves would enjoy listening to. We wanted every song to be punchy and equally as good as the next, no fillers! So far the response has been great, can't complain about how it's been recieved so far.

5.when you all begin the process of writing a new song how long does it usually take to complete a song? do you both work on the music together or does one of you usually handle everything?

N: Every song is different, Asphyxiator writes the majority of the songs and gets it the composition down pretty quick. I then lay down the guitars and bass and then the vocals are done last.

6.demonic cremator is just the two of you. when you started this band did you plan to keep it a two-piece band or have you looked for some new members to join the band?

N: The idea of bringing other members into the band has never even been brought up, we're happy just the two of us and like the way things work. It keeps it simple. We have no need to bring other members into it as we can do all the instruments between the two of us anyway!

7.if you each had the opportunity to work with any musicians past or present who are some musicians you would like to work with?

N: I think doing something with Attila Csihar would be really interesting. He has a style of his own and has a very unique voice so yeah, that would be different!

A: For me, Tom G Warror, he always comes up with the best riffs. The old stuff is great but i'm also loving his new stuff with Triptykon too. I'm not saying we would get along though, haha.

8.everyone has their own ideas/opinions on what black metal means or stands for.so i was curious on your ideas.in your opinions what does the term black metal mean to each of you?

N: Black Metal to me means being anti- conformist, no rules. It's about being an individual and not giving a fuck what anyone thinks really and i think that shows in the music.

A: To me this means absolute freedom in my music and towards how i live my life. I am my own person and have my own ideas about how things should be.

9.are either of you currently working or playing in side-bands or projects? if yes please tell the readers a little about them.

A: I have my solo project SPIRITUS which is a slightly more 'necro' sound and concept, and has a handfull of releases,new album 1977 is being relesed in the next few months. I will also be taking this live soon.

10.necrotica you handle both the bass and the guitars for the band. when did you first start playing these instruments? are you self-taught or have you taken lessons in the past?

N: I started playing when i was fourteen, so ten years ago now. I am pretty much self taught, and learned mainly by ear with the exception of getting shown the basics from my dad.

11.who are some of your influences/favorite guitarist/bassist? besides the bass and guitars do you play any other instruments?

N: Well i have lots of influences but main ones would be Ihsahn and Blasphemer, i like their style of playing and their compositions are always different, never get boring for me! No other instruments, i own and old drum kit but have only ever learned the very basics, not even worth mentioning haha.

12.asphyxiator you handle the drums for the band.when did you start playing the drums? who are some of your ifluences/favorite drummers?

A: I sarted on the drums I think age 12 or 13, after I started learning the guitar and bass. I really wanted to get a handle on all the main instruments you know? And it has just been a case of improving constantly, which is difficult as I have no drums of my my own so they are always borrowed or hired as much as possible. Fuck i've gota say Clive Burr (ex-Maiden) and also Eric Carr (ex-Kiss) were a big influence, from watching all the old video's.

13.you also handle the vocals for the band. when did you first start singing? who are some of your favorite vocalist/singers? do you do anything special to keep your throat/vocals healthy?

A: I have been singing in all sorts of bands over the years now,so that experience has definetely helped a lot. My favourite vocalist has always been Sebastian Bach actually, what a set of fuckin' pipes!! Well I do have my rituals like taking it from the gut and trying not to shit myself hahaha.

14.the band comes from the scottish underground. what is your opinion of scotland's metal underground? who are some of your all-time favorite bands? are their any new bands you think the readers should watch out for?

A: There really isn't that much of a scene as such, i tend to keep away from this side of things and just concentrate on our music. Yes we have some friends in the scene but it doesn't strickly apply to Black Metal. Thats why i have started my own label, Unholy Resurrection Records, i want to discover new unknown Black metal bands mainly Scottish to get things going here.

15.well necrotica,asphyxiator we have reached the end of the interview.thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final comments for the readers?

N: Thanks for the interview. Check out our new album 'Crucified' which is out now on Unholy Resurrection Records. Also, i have just started design label doing album artwork for bands so any bands interested check out http://www.myspace.com/merciless_designs

to check out and contact demonic cremator check them out on one of their many sites!!

http://www.myspace.com/demoniccremator
http://www.reverbnation.com/demoniccremator

and bands,labels,fans be sure to check out necrotica's new site and design label here!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/merciless_designs

interview with crucified mortals done by patrick

2011-04-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

here we have a new interview with the excellent death/thrash/horror metal band crucified mortals!! i have heard this bands named mentioned a few times over the last few yrs. but wasnt until i got the bands "self-titled" debut i heard first hand at their metal brilliance!! the band doesnt fuck around with flashy technical playing or over-the top brutality like so many u.s bands instead they mix in the classic sounds of early 80's u.s thrash and some "classic" sounding swedish guitar driven death metal for a unique yet metal-filled release. fans of pure metal mayhem will worship crucified mortals so read the interview and buy their debut cd on hells headbangers!!!
thanks and keep the flames of metal burning brightly!!
patrick

interview with Reaper vocalist,guitarist for crucified mortals done by patrick

1. metal hails Reaper! how are things going in ohio? please tell the readers a little about yourself.

I am the bassist and vocalist of Crucified Mortals, I started the band back in 2001 and am proud that now after 10 years it is still in existence.

2. when did you and the other members of the band meet? was it long until you formed crucified mortals? what is the "current" line-up? for the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe the bands music?

I met Sebastian first in 2003 I believe and Zack a little later that year, Crucified Mortals was already started by that time and Zack didn’t join the band right away. Our music is lyrically based on horror and we are commonly described as Death / Thrash which I personally agree with. Current line up:
Reaper: Vocals / Bass
Zack: Guitar

Sebastian: Drums

3. the band recently released it's self-titled debut cd through the mighty hells headbangers rec. how long did it take the band to write and record the songs for this release?

All the songs were written at numerous times so it’s tough to say how long it took, but guessing I’d say a year. The recording itself took a little over a year and mostly because of the many problems we faced that set us back tremendously.

4. are you and the other members of the band happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the press and fans?

We are all happy with how it turned out, the response from fans has been good, no one from the press has given it a downright negative review but for the most part their reviews suck because it’s usually worn out people reviewing so they don’t really give anything a passionate listen, it’s just another task for them.

5. does the band have any upcoming shows or tours in support of the new cd? if yes where are some places you will be playing? who are some bands you will be sharing the stage with? if you had the chance to set up a "dream" show/tour who are some bands you would love to play/tour with?

No plans to tour and no shows have been scheduled. A dream tour for me would be great accommodations, comfortable traveling conditions and enough stage room to do the type of display/show I’d like. As far as bands it really doesn’t matter, from my experience I’ve met great people from touring with bands I knew nothing about and in the end that’s what matters.

6.how often does the band get to practice? have you all started working on new songs for the next crucified mortals release? when you all begin writing new songs does the whole band participate or does one or two members usually handle everything?

When we have something going we usually meet once a week. Yes writing for a new album has been started. Usually myself and/or Zack will write something on our own then bring it to practice and we tweak the song as a band if needed.

7. who usually handles the lyrics for the songs? what are some topics/subjects you all write about?

I handle all the lyrics, there has been only one song which I didn’t entirely write and that is “Converted By Decapitation”. Our lyrics are usual based on or inspired by horror.

8. what does the term "underground" metal mean to you?

Passion, do it yourself, and an escape from the commercial music crammed into your ears daily. It’s a scene which musicians can freely express themselves and write their music the way they want it. The end result is an honest representation of one’s ability as an artist to write and perform. Whether a band is as tightly played as Iron Maiden or as poor as a beginner first learning his instrument there is an audience seeking to hear your music.

9. I know you have been a part of the underground scene for many years so i was curious how do you feel the scene has changed over the years? Do you feel it is better or worse than it was say 15-20 years ago? and also i know in the past few years i have heard some say the "scene" is dying or dead etc.. what is your opinion towards this subject?

With the internet and recording technology being so advance anyone with a couple hundred bucks and web connection can record a pretty good sounding demo then get it out to the world. There is an audience for anything and everything no matter how bad it may be so how could the “scene” be dying? People seem to confuse the fact that just because 20 plus years ago when there was a thrash boom or a death metal boom it was a fresh new sound and that it doesn’t exist today now that it’s not fresh. There are just as many good and bad bands coming out now as there was then. I think they just believe it’s dying because you hear so many more bad bands now as opposed to then because it’s so easy to record and get your stuff out there. Unless these people are referring to a particular area’s scene dying, I think the scene as a whole is very much alive.

10. Do you or any of the other members of crucified mortals play in side-bands or projects? if yes please tell the readers a little about them?

I have been involved with a few side projects, I played Guitar and Bass in Spawn Of Satan on a split 7” w/ Evil Angel and played bass on a few Spawn Of Satan recordings which have not been released yet. A few years ago I also played bass for a project called Nordic Mist. I was a full-time member of Nunslaughter from 2005-2010 where I had played both guitar and bass, but in the later years just bass. Zack has a very Slaughter-ish sounding punk band called Nekrofilth which he does vocals and guitar for and he has been the guitarist for Nunslaughter from 2006 till the present.

11. You and the band come out of the great state of ohio. i know back in mid- to late 90's ohio had a strong metal scene with some great bands. what do you think of today's ohio metal scene ?

I can only speak for North Eastern Ohio and realistically that seems to be where most of the bands are/were from. Metal is very much around, but I think time, drugs and egos have really secluded most of the veteran fans and musicians from being very active in making music and coming out to shows. Which unfortunately an older crowd is what the scene is mostly made of. But the people who are excited about metal give it their heart and soul, some of the biggest metal fans I have met and know are here. I think we have/had some great bands from the area but need some more younger people to get involved and keep it going.

12. who are some of your all-time favorite bands from ohio? are there any new bands you think the readers should check out?

I really like Decimation, I released all of their demos on CD a few years ago. Destructor which of course is a classic; The Vladimirs, Faithxtractor and Estuary all have shared members yet a sound of their own and excellent music. Mortifier is a young thrash band who are passionate about their music and not just some trend followers.

13. coming back to the band you handle guitars for the band. when did you get interested in playing guitar? are you self-taught or have you taken lessons in the past?

This record is actually the first recording which I didn’t play guitar I played bass and vocals. I was interested in playing guitar when I was 14 and I pretty much just figured it out on my own.

14. who are some of your influences/favorite guitarist? do you play any other instruments?

Nicke Anderson (Entombed, The Hellacopters, Death Breath, etc.) comes to mind, a pioneer for Swedish Death metal and a very versatile musician. I play bass and am screwing around with drums.

15. you also handle the vocals for the band. when did you start singing? who are some of your favorite vocalist? do you do anything to keep your throat / voice healthy?

I started “singing” when I started playing guitar, I was influenced by Mille Petrozza when trying to find a vocal style so I’d same him from the “Pleasure To Kill” days, even though I sound nothing like him. I don’t smoke cigars/cigarettes or marijuana and usually don’t sing unless it’s for band practice or recording.

16. well Reaper thanks a lot for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Check us out if you have not heard our stuff already and keep an eye on our future releases.

To order a copy of the debut cd check out "hells headbangers" shop.
http://www.hellsheadbangers.com

new metal reviews for 4-3-11

2011-04-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

metal hails!!
here is a new batch of reviews for all of you to sink your teeth into.if you missed my previous blog. i have decided to "add" the genres of old-school death,thrash/speed metal,heavy metal and some newer death bands if i like their music and they don't have a rockstar attitude. i hope you all enjoy the new reviews and find some new bands to your liking!!!
until next time,
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

crucified mortals-crucified mortals cd {hells headbangers rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
old-school death/thrash lives and it has never sounded better or more fierce.ohio's crucified mortals have nice catalog of back demo's,splits,.but have unleashed their full-length debut with eleven tracks of early 80's aggressive thrash guitar oriented music mixed with some early 90's u.s style death metal this is a perfect blend of uncompromising,unrelenting death/thrash.guitars are played with alot of chaotic violent riffs and pure metal solo's but also within the chaos the band showcases some well-written and even complex structures.the vocals are gruff growls.the production is pure-perfection it is not extremly raw/thin sounding like so many from the 80's were but is also not over-produced and weak like so many of todays bands.it fits the band chaotic sound very well giving the listener the chance to hear every guitar note,thunderous drum or horrific growl.crucified mortals is a must have for all fans of old-school death/thrash
label contact
www.hellsheadbangers.com

disentomb-sunken chambers of nephilim cd {obsidian rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
i recieved this from a good friend of mine who is also a zine editor but disentomb didn't really fit their format so he sent it my way. i have to be honest i am a picky old-bastard with alot of the newer-death metal bands out today.but i have to admit i enjoyed listening to sunken chambers of nephilim alot! disentomb are fairly new band out of the legendary australian metal scene. disentomb play fast,brutal death metal the band seems to have a nice mix of semi-technical riffs and solo's {without loosing the heaviness or going over-board like so many bands today} the drums are executed nicely with pounding riffs and violent patterns. the vocals are a little deeper than the average death growl but i wouldn't call em guttural by any means. fans of the newer-brutal death metal style should defintly give disentomb a chance.
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/disentomb

fester-winter of sin digi cd {abyss rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
winter of sin was originally released in 1992 but thanks to the u.s label abyss records it is now being re-relased so both old and new black/death metal fans can bask in the greatness that is fester! fester comes out of the legendary norwegian underground and lets face it back in the early 1990's no other country came close to releasing great black metal like norway.fester was defintly ahead of their time and went against the norm {remember this was originally in 93 before black/death was blended together by so many} instead of the raw,primitive style that norway was known for fester played fast black metal but their guitar riffs/chords were a little thicker and even had a few solo's entertwined the riffs to give them a death metalish feel and sound.fester even went a little further to make winter a sin a "classic" within the black metal scene by adding some avantgarde and melodic interludes to their already gloomy and grim sound.even today in 2011 festers-winter of sin still stands out a great and original masterpiece. defintly get this if you like original and dark black metal.
label contact
www.officialabyssrecords.com

Hat--vortex of death cd {abyss rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
vortex of death is hat's {or hate in norse,swedish language} second release.looking at the band's bio it looks like the band originally started in 1993 {under the name ravnr} and was on hiatus until 2006 when the duo returned as hat. this is defintly a must hear if you are a fan of the "classic" cold,grim black metal that norway is best known to produce.the band has a great sound and are obviously know their instruments as they play the old-school style of norwegian black metal but they do it with enough original ideas they don't come off sounding like a 3rd rate clone.defintly a must hear for fans of old-school norwegian black.
label contact
www.officialabyssrecords.com

insidious omen--Annointed with blood of chaos Mcd {ahdistuksen aihio rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
insidous omen are a 2-man band coming from the depths of the u.s black metal scene. insidous omen play primitive and vicious black metal the way it was meant to be played. no compromises,no atmosphere just pure violent machine-gun style blasts,killer whirlwind guitar riffs and demonic vocals to tear your weak soul apart. if you are a fan of early 90's black metal and some newer war-styled bands then defintly check out insidous omen.
label contact
www.ahdistuksenaihio.com

invasion-orchestrated kill maneuver cd {rotting corpse records}{reviewed by patrick}
now this is what i call pure death metal!! with so many bands today either trying to out do each other with over the top technical guitar riffs and solo's or the god-awful death-core shit trying to be passed off as pure death.it is nice to see a band that plays pure heavy straight-forward death metal. this is a band that will crush anyone and everyone who gets in their way.orchestrated kill maneuver features 12 neck-snapping bombastic tracks of heavy bass,guitars and pounding drums that will pummel your senses into oblivion.the band does not hide behind any kind of imagery or impress anyone with over-technical guitars,no melody. invasion just create what they love and what they know and that my friends is pure,heavy in your face death metal!! with no apoligies.this is probably one of the best u.s death metal bands i have heard in sometime and highly recomended to all fans of heavy straight-forward death metal.
label contact
www.rottingcorpserecords.com

left hand path--time to die cdr demo {self-released}{reviewed by patrick}
germany's left hand path may be a new band to the underground.but the members are not playing in various bands over the years until recently joining forces to form left hand path.left hand path play the pure old-school death metal style from the 80's and early 90's.heavy mid-paced guitars and thunderous bass and some excellently played drums combined together nicely.the band instantly took me back to the early 90's {and my personal favorite time/style for both death and black} the band are not total clones as they have enough good ideas mixed into their music to make the 3 songs on the demo interesting and to keep the listeners attention without compromising the feel and sound {the demo even has the same sound of the early days not too raw,but not polished or clean like most of today's demo bands} of the bands old-school style. this is a MUST have for all fans of early 90's gods such as benediction,grave{1st release},and others from this time.
band contact
http://www.lefthandpath.org

Nunslaughter-DEMOslaughter double-cd {hells headbangers rec.}{reviewed by patrick}
here is a real treat for all of you long-time metal-fanatics brought to you by the u.s legends of death and one of the u.s leading pure-metal label hells headbangers.Nunslaughters first 6 demo's and various 7inch tracks. as if this was not enough for a real metal-filled treat included on the double cd or 4-lp box set is demo from death sentence {a band some members had pre-nunslaughter!}
just in case some reading this is new to the scene or if you have never crossed-paths with nunslaughter. the band nunslaughter has been a major force within the true,diy death metal underground for 22 years! yes 22 you saw that right.nunslaughter play death metal the way it was meant to be played raw,filthy,uncompromising and just plain heavy.this is a band that doesnt follow any trends or worry about whats the flavor of the week instead just keep pumping out one great metal-release after another. if you are a fan of this band you know what to expect so buy this! as mentioned if you have never heard nunslaughter and enjoy the old-school raw sounds of early death metal then buy this you will not be disapointed!
label contact
www.hellsheadbangers.com

pasadena napalm division-P.N.D e.p {abyss records}{reviewed by patrick}
pasadena napalm division is somewhat of a metal crossover band.featuring members of d.r.i,dead horse and verbal abuse.this is bands debut e.p and for the style it is it is not bad but honestly not my type of music. i remember listening to d.r.i in highschool and still enjoy them from time to time. but pasadena napalm division seems to be lacking something i can't quite put my finger on it.their are fast,catchy guitars,sing-along vocals and choruses and the punk attitude.so i will end by saying if you are a fan of the above mentioned groups or a fan of crossover metal then you might enjoy the band as well.for me i am gonna listen to the more brutal styles of death or black metal.
label
www.officialabyssrecords.com
band contact
www.pasadenanapalmdivision.com

sanhedrin--salvation through sin cd {self released}{reviewed by patrick}
the u.k's sanhedrin have released a very impressive debut.salvation through sin is defintly a impressive debut and listen.the bands music can be best described as atmospheric black metal.the band never goes full-on with the hyperspeed black metal.but the band defintly keeps the pace going with intense,fast black metal with interludes of dark atmosphere and eerie horror-movie style soundscapes.the band also uses keyboards like so many in this genre but sanhedrin use them to their advantge and keep them entertwined within the guitars,drums and vocals letting them blend in nicely for another layer to sanhedrin's already darkend atmosphere and sound.fans of old-school raw black metal will probably not be to interested in sanhedrin.but if you enjoy well-played atmospheric blackend death with alot of class and originality then sanhedrin is a band you should really check out soon.
band contact
http://www.myspace.com/sanhedrin666

spiritus-beauty of death cd {svartlagh records}{reviewed by patrick}
spiritus is the new project from asphyxiator {who some might know from his old-school black band demonic cremator} the biggest difference between the two bands is spiritus has alot of raw,early 90's influence in the music but also some ambient interludes and a modern black metal feel to some of the songs.the vocals are screams with some industrialized influence for a mechcanical sound to the vocals on some parts which is different from the plain old screams of alot of black metal bands. the music of spiritus is mid-range sounding with raw guitars,drums and ambient/instrumental interludes between each song which gives spiritus a bit of originality and breaks up the onslaught of raw black metal.beauty of death is a good start for spiritus and i for one am looking forward to seeing and hearing more from this band in the future. fans of raw black metal with ambient influence should check out spiritus today!
band contact
http://www.reverbnation.com/spiritusBM

torture division-evighetens darar cd {abyss records}{reviewed by patrick}
the musicians of sweden's torture divisions are no strangers to brutal ity.featuring vocalist/bass player jorgen sandstrom{vicious art.ex-grave,ex-entombed},tobias "tobben"gustafsson{vomitory} torture division start things off with thunderous drums,heavy guitar riffs and never let-up the brutality.the guitars are heavy fast riffs mixed in with some more mid-paced riffs and few solo's entertwined.the drums are crushing thunderous beats mixed with outburst of blasting insanity.the vocals are brutal swedish growls with some screams added to the brutal mix. if you are like me and have never heard this band before but you enjoy classic swedish brutal death metal then pick up torture division as soon as you can i guarantee you won't be disapointed.
label contact
www.officialabyssrecords.com
band contact
www.torturedivision.net

W.A.I.L-W.A.I.L Cd {ahdistuksen aihio prod.}{reviewed by patrick}
finland's w.a.l.l {which stands for wisdom through agony into illumination and lunacy} have released a brilliant debut!5 tracks of crushing death/doom metal the band seems to draw alot of inspiration from early death/doom gods such as mournful congregation,thergothon,disembowlment etc.the band is not all depressive,and bleak music as the members of w.a.i.l have some dark atmosphere entertwined within the crushing dread and their are even some expiremental music/sounds throughout some of the the long,epic songs.this is defintly a band that has found a musical formula that works for them and also the added influence helps the band stand out from the endless sea of death/doom bands.this is a must hear for all fans of crushing doom with some originality.
label contact.
www.ahdistuksenaihio.com

interview with spiritus done by patrick

2011-03-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

hails!!!
here is a new interview with the scottish-1 man band spiritus! asphyxiator {who some might know from demonic cremator} is the sole-member of the band. spiritus mixes in old-school raw black metal and dark ambient interludes. a great band to check out if you enjoy dark raw black/ambient meta!!!
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

interview with asphyxiator vocals,all instruments for spiritus done by patrick.

1.hails asphyxiator! how is your week starting out? please tell readers a little about yourself.

A: Greetings Patrick, thanks for asking. This week has started with a headache and sore pancreas haha!
Well this is my project Spiritus which deals with the journey from life to death, something that facinates the fuck out of me and something i read a lot upon. It is pure Raw Blackened Metal.

2.when did you first become interested in playing music? what was the first instrument you learned how to
play?

A: Well i have been obsessed with music since i was very young, probably around age 2 or 3, I was obsessed with Iron Maiden for fuckin' years and finally picked up the guitar age 11. From there it eventually went to Bass then Drums, so really i have been playing about 25 years or so.

3.when did you get the idea to create spiritus? are you happy with how things are going with the band so far?
for the readers who havent had the chance to hear spiritus how would you describe the bands music?

A: The idea for this band came around about 2 years ago,but i did'nt start with recording until last year. The main thing is that i have complete freedom and answer to nobody.
Is is one man doing everything the old school way, and the music is very dark and atmospheric, and harks back to early Burzum and Vlad Tepes.

4.you are the sole member of spiritus when you started this project/band did you plan to work alone or have you
searched for other members to join?

A: Working alone i the way i need this to be, it is me, myself and I. However i will be looking for session musicians very soon to play gigs with, Spiritus is coming your way LIVE!

5.what would you are some of the advantges and disadvantges to working alone? if you had the opportunity to work with any musicians past or present who are some musicians you would love to work with?

A: The advantage of writing and recording alone is being able to create in my own time, and lay down ideas, without waiting for others to get their shit together, ha ha.
I would quite happily work on music with Justin Bieber though...

6.you recently sent me a "advanced" copy of your debut cd "the beauty of death" how long did it take to write/record the songs for this release? are you happy with how everything turned out?

This new CD 'Beauty of Death' has taken 5 months to write and record last year, and i am extremely happy with the final result. The music was recorded at my Hellthrash Studo here in Aberdeen. This is a very special release for me,as it so personal. Anyone who appreciates the works of early 2nd wave black metal shuold check this out.

7.it will be released through svartlagh rec. i believe in late march correct? how did you come in contact with the label? how many copys are being pressed? where can people order a copy?

The CD is released i think on 27th March 2011, and can be purchased from Svartgalgh Records or Spiritus on Myspace,Reverbnation or Facebook. The release will be limited to 50 copies. So it is going to be a real rarity.

8.besides spiritus you are also in the black/thrash metal band demonic cremator.do you find it hard to play in two bands at one time? how would you say demonic cremator's music is different from spiritus's?

A: Demonic Cremator i also my baby but of course Necrotica is involved 50/50, DC's music is very raw and rusty with, say, more of a bestial and Celtic Frost sort of vibe. Everything about that band is straight from the heart and the bowels, and is an immense thrill to us both musically. Spiritus is a very different beast for me as it is a chance do delve into my more (necro) ideas as far as black metal is for me, and i take it very seriously.Plus in the future the chance of taking it live.

9.you live in the great country of scotland. as much as i hate to admit this i am not that familar with scotland's metal scene. so i was curious what is your opinion of scotland's metal scene?

A: Scotland is actually great for Metal bands, whether it be black (Daemonolith) or Death/Grind (Bonesaw). There is a lot of talent here, but not so many places to play than there might be, especially up in Aberdeen. There is mabye a handfull of good rock/metal pubs n' clubs here, when Necrotica and I lived in Fraserburgh there was really fuck all.

10.who are your all-time favorite scottish metal-bands? are their any new up and coming bands the readers should check out?

A: To be honest there is not that great a deal lot i could mention, I really just prefer to check out new bands on the internet with a drink in my hand,i get more reclusive as time goes on, ha ha. If there was some good quality black metal bands plying locally I would definitely make an effort to support them.

11.everyone has their own ideas/opinions on what black metal stands for.so i wanted to know your opinion what does "black metal" mean to you?

A: Black Metal to me means the dark side of us mortals coming through and also the freedom that comes from that. Fuck everything else, Raw Black Metal is in my blood for all time,and I have and want no other choice, end of.

12.when your not working on band music,emails etc.. what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A: I am the worst person EVER to relax, so i work a shitty day job, work out with weights in the evenings, write, record musical ideas when they appear and enjoy a glass of wine from time to time, and Spending time with my beloved Necrotica of course, that is my life. I rarely go to clubs and such anymore.

13.well asphyxiator we have reached the end of the interview. thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final comments for the readers?

A: Thanks for the interview, much appreciated. All i can say is, 'RAW FUCKING SCOTTISH BLACK METAL' Spiritus is hitting the stage soon!!

to contact or listen to spiritus check out the bands sites below:

www.myspace.com/spiritusofficial

www.reverbnation.com/spiritusBM

www.facebook.com/pages/Spiritus/169404613110827

Winter Torment web-zine is now covering/supporting death,thrash/heavy metal. as well as black metal!!

2011-03-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

hails!!!
if you are a "subscriber"{hails and thank you for the great support!!}or a new reader reader to winter torment web-zine you will notice that have "added" some new interviews on 3-27-11 featuring some old-school death,death/thrash and death/black. well after alot of thought i have decided to added these genres to winter torment. at first i wanted to keep winter torment strictly black,dark metal.but i am from the early 90's old-school scene before all these fucking "labels" seperated scenes. when metal was metal no matter the style.but oh well life {and the underground goes on to..}
the focus of the zine has not changed i am still 100 percent into supporting promoting the obscure,d.i.y underground bands,labels,zines and people from all-over the world.
the styles that u will find in winter torment are:
old-school black metal
old-school death metal
black/death metal
thrash/speed/heavy metal
old-school grind {i like some grind, but i warn u i am a picky old-bastard towards grind.}
i am also thinking of a few new ideas to have on winter torment soon. so please keep checking back often for more interviews,reviews and more to come!!!
thanks to all for the great support!!!
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

interview with cyclotron done by patrick

2011-03-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

metal hails!!
here is a interview with my good friend sasha guitarist,music for the german-brutal technical death metal band cyclotron. cyclotron is one of the few bands to mix brutal technical death metal and old-school death metal together for both a brutal and original sound. the band is also offering BOTH their demo's for FREE downloads {please note: sasha has told me myspace has been fucking with their blogs/codes for some reason so if u are unable to download the demo's but are interested. please send sasha a email. he is one of the nicest,coolest people u will EVER meet so i am sure he will reply asap! thanks}

interview with sasha guitarist,music for the band cyclotron done by patrick

1.metal hails brother! how are things in germany this week? please tell the readers a little about yourself.
Hi Patrick, first of all let me thank you for the opportunity for this interview!
You´re a really good friend and long time supporter of the band and we cannot
thank you enough for all the efforts you put into this! Thanks so much brother!!!
My name is Sasha, male, 30 years old, from a smaller town near Munich, Germany
I´m the guitarist for the band.

2.when did you first become interested in playing metal or music in general? what was it about the guitar that made you want to learn to play it? what brand name/type of guitar do you play the most?

At the age of 11 or 12. i started listening to Iron Maiden, Running Wild, WASP and
some others. I saw a live video with this guys with their cool guitars. So i had to get one. I play a Jackson Randy Rhoads and a ESP ltd F-250, which i usually use for therecordings.And i have a BC Rich Virgin and a BC Rich Virgo, which i usually use for practicing.

3.did you take lessons or are you self-taught? who are some of your influences/favorite guitarist? what other instruments do you play?
I took lessons for more than a year - maybe two. My teacher was a great guy who loved jazz and blues. He was a great player. Some of my fave guitarists are Michael Romeo, Jason Becker, Jasun Tipton, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ron Jarzombek, Muhammed Suicmez, great guitarists in general. There are a lot of people i look up to.
As other instruments i play the drums a little and i can handle the bass guitar.

4.when did you guys form cyclotron? what is the "current" line-up? how did you come up with the name of the band? for the readers who have never heard cyclotron how would you describe the bands music?

The idea for this band was born about three years ago. The current
members are just me on guitars and Vince as the voice. i would describe the sound
as Death Metal with a lot of technical elements. Fast, heavy, dark, maybe hyperactive. So we needed a name that covers that all. and i think we have got a cool sounding,mysterious and technical band name, haha!

5.the bands debut self-titled demo has a brutal yet varied style.from technical brutal d.m to more ambient/expiremental sounds.when you were writing the songs for this release did you plan to have such a diverse sound or did it just come together naturally?

I think it came together naturally. Because we´re influenced by so many styles in metal, not just death metal.
And of course we didn´t want to set us any limits, may it be the songwriting or the sound itself.

6.the band released it's second demo "into a subconscious reality" in mid-2009. how long did it take you to write/record the songs for this release? are you happy with how everything turned out on this release? how do you feel the two cyclotron demo's are different from one another?

the writing of the songs and the recordings took us more than one year. Mostly because we could only work on the weekends and holidays. i´m really happy about "Into a subconscious surreality" of course i would love to have a great production. but we recorded everything by ourselves and we´re
learning still. Overall we´re pretty happy with it, and i really love those songs!
I think the new demo sounds a lot better than the first one. The first demo was much more experimental. we used some crazy effects for the voice and some ambient parts as well. which did fit good to the lyrics. "Into A Subconscious Surreality" is much more straight forward. the songs are more technical and faster. And we kept the voice more "old school" this time.

7.how has the response been from the press and the fans?

we had great responses from the fans! That was really overwhelming. Also we had great support from a lot of internet radios. We had a lot of airplay on different stations. From the press we had some good and also bad reviews. But thats ok. Most of them complained about the drum-computer.Overall we´re happy with the responses and with all the support we had from all the people!

8.on cyclotron's debut their is a cannibal corpse "hammer smashed face" cover and the into the subsconscious their is a necrophagist. would you like to have a cover-song on each cyclotron release?

i dont know if there will be a cover song a each release. but for the next demo we have planned a cover of another great song from a band that had a strong influence on us.

9.do you both find it hard to learn to play the cover songs? how do you guys pick/choose which song you want to cover?

we choose songs that we love and that made a deep impact on us. Cannibal Corpse was like the first contact with death metal back then in the mid 90´s when i was a kid. And everybody loves that song, so we choose it. Mutilate the Stillborn was the first song from Necrophagist that i heard, and i really was blow away. Since that day i´m a die hard fan and i just had to learn that song! It was really hard to learn this one.I dont know how long it took me, but i remember how proud i´ve been when i could play it. So it was clear that we would have to cover it too!

10.i know you are offering both of the bands demo's for free downloads for the fans. so if anyone is reading this where can they find the codes to download cyclotron's demo's?

Right, both of our demos are available as a FREE download on our myspace page. All you have to do is to check the links in our blogs. There´s no limitation or running out for this offer and like said before its completely
for free. So come and check it out - there is nothing to loose!

11.i know cyclotron is just a two-piece band right now. have you guys looked for other members to join cyclotron for live shows or do you prefer to keep the band as a two-piece studio band? yes, we´re only two members at the moment. currently we are not looking for some new guys, because we have almost no time for the band ourselves. i have no problem working this way. but if suddenly a few cool guys would come along i wouldn´t say no.

12.have you had much time this past summer to work on any new songs for the next cyclotron release? how many songs have you written? how would you say the new songs are different from the past demo's? do you have a release date yet for the new demo?

Like i said before, currently we did have almost no time for the band. but we´re already working on new songs. at this time we´re collecting some new ideas, so there are only two songs complete. but we´re working on it in our free time.
So i´m sorry that at this time i can´t tell you the differences from the past demos. Also i don´t expect a release
until late 2011 or even mid 2012.

13.besides writing the music for the band you also handle the lyrics for the songs. do you usually write the music first or lyrics? what are some topics/subjects you cover in your lyrics?

i write all the music first and after that usually the lyrics. I write about stuff that goes though my mind.
About life and fears, hopes and dreams. Injustice and the consequences of our behaviour. Just in a surreal and methaphorical way. And sometimes the lyrics are just plain little horror stories.

14.everyone has their own opinion on this so i was interested in yours. do you feel the underground is dying/dead? what does the term "metal underground"mean to you?

No i dont think that the underground is dead! A lot of people are helping themselves. The younger bands do shows together. The fans can explore the new bands through the internet. A lot of cool zines and radio stations are promoting the music! So i think the underground is alive and well! Thanks to guys like you Patrick, who are always supporting!!!

15.you live in the great metal-filled country of germany so i was curious of your opinion of germany's metal scene?

there are some really good bands and musicians out there. some of them are so professional you wonder why they are not signed or why they get so less attention. though there are still people here who love real metal, you never see so much people at a show. and though there are good bands here and people who listen to them, i dont think that germany is a big metal paradise.

16.who are some of your all-time favorite german metal bands? are their any new bands you think the readers should watch out for?

Some of my fave german bands would be Necrophagist, Running Wild, Sieges Even, Mekong Delta. As a new band there would be Obscura, a really cool new band. I think everyone will hear of them in the future.

17.when you are not working on the band what do you enjoy doing in your spare-time?

Besides playing guitar i spend a lot of time with my girlfriend. Also i´m a lot in the gym and working out. Lots of sports.
i´m also a lot into videogames. Playing X-Box and having some beer and going out with some good friends.the usual stuff i guess.

18.well brother,thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out.good luck to you and the band. do you have any final comments for the readers?

thanks so much Patrick for giving us the opportunity!! Its really an honor!! Thanks for being a real friend, thanks for your kick-ass support!!!
thanks for everything brother!!
also thanks to the readers of "winter torment" and everyone who took the time to read this!!
and also everyone who supported us through the years. we dont take your support as granted and we will never ever forget what you all have done for us!!
YOU ALL RULE!!!
METAL!!!

to contact sasha/cyclotron
http://www.myspace.com/cyclotrongermany

interview with andrew P.editor of burning churches and more!

2011-03-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

metal hails!!!
hope everyone is having a good/relaxing weekend? well here is a new interview i have done with one of closest and longest friends within the underground andrew p. he is the main reason/person who got me started in the zine side of the underground so many years ago. well as you will read andrew is EXTREMLY passionate about metal and zines so you will not find a better more in-depth writer than him. if you are a band or label interested in being promoted in one of andrew's web-zines. then by all means email or write him a "snail mail" letter for more information.well enough of my babbling turn up the metal to 100 and annoy your country/rapping neighbors and enjoy the interview and zine!
metal regards
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

Interview with Andrew Parrish, editor of Burning Churches, Circlepit Assassin and Ominous Vomit review sites, and singer of National Collapse. Done by Patrick.

1.metal hails brother! how is life in ohio been treating you? please tell the readers a little about yourself.

Well, greetings, Patrick! I won't bore the readers with some sort of obtuse biography, just suffice it to say that I am deeply devoted to the metal scene and my band National Collapse, and have been around for a while, for good or ill.

2.at what age did you begin listening to metal? who were some of the first bands that caught your attention? was it long until you discovered the undergound? who are some of your "current" favorite bands?

I began listening to metal (real metal, that is, since we all start off in the same way - enticed by heavier bands that are later revealed to us to be less than heterosexual) at about age 10. That makes puts me at about 20 years or so of experience with this manic music we love so much. The first bands to really grab hold of my earlobes, since when I was 10 it was 1990, were probably the big 3 - Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer, with a dose of Anthrax. Overkill grew to be my favorite band during my teenage years, and I discovered the underground when I purchased You'll Never See.. by Grave and Blood Ritual by Samael on the same day, and as fate would have it, I was fuckin' hooked. I have had a love affair with old European metal ever since. From there it was a deep, dark journey into the depths of hell, and since I was the only real metal fan from my town at the time, I sort of developed in isolation. Currently, and there is no accounting for taste as it takes all sorts to make the world go 'round, I am listening to a lot of Acid Witch, Nocturnal Graves, Inquisition, Vorum, NunSlaughter, Suffocation, Volturyon, Ignominious Incarceration, Human Filleted, Exhale (Swe), Magrudergrind, and Parlamentarisk Sodomi.

3.i know you have been working/writing for fan/web-zines for alot of years now.when did you first become interested in writing for zines? besides your first 2 fanzines {metal union,cult} what other fanzines did you write for?

Talking about my old fanzines is like when my wife shows naked baby pictures of me to my friends. It's embarrassing and funny at the same time. I wrote for a few online sites, and then I failed to complete a few issues of some 'zines that I had started. I have trouble finishing things. There, I said it. If anyone was wondering why I appear and disappear in the underground as much as I do, there it is. My apologies to anyone I have ever offended because of this. It's all a mental hang-up and I am working on it. But yes, I wrote for a few sites that aren't around anymore, like Monster's World of Metal and Eternal Frost. That was back before blogs and Myspace. I'm a geezer at the ripe old age of 30. I started, like you, in the underground when the primary form of communication was...GASP...ACTUAL LETTERS!!! Oh, the HORROR!!!

4.as mentioned your first two zines were metal union and cult. please tell the readers a little about each of these zines? are either of them still availible to buy?

Metal Union was a naive attempt at unity within metal. Idealism and naivete conspired, and two issues were born with the intention of open-minded tolerance amongst metal genres. A third issue was never finished and died on the cross for its sins. Cult was my rebellion against Metal Union, in a way. I had had enough of nu-metal bands infiltrating the scene at the time, and it was a little overzealous. I hated anything that sounded clean or well-done and wasn't black as Samuel L. Jackson's accent. This did lead to me hearing some great demos from Blood Cult and Chemikiller and Toxic Holocaust, however. It was my honest opinion at the time, but hindsight is a bitch, and I forgot my true passion (which I just wasn't getting a lot of in the mail at the time) - DEATH METAL. And no, they're no longer available. I disposed of the hundred or so issues of #1 and #2 Metal Union that were left, as I didn't want that stain to represent my views any longer, and Cult was a DIY, low-print-run affair (I made them as they were ordered or I needed them). They are dead and I am glad.

5.your three newest web-zines are "burning churches"{black metal,dark metal},omnious vomit{brutal death} and circlepit assassin{Thrash,cross-over metal} when did you first get the idea to create these zines? please tell the readers a little about each of them.

The idea for Ominous Vomit actually goes back about a year. I wanted to do another print 'zine. However, I am of the opinion that a print 'zine is the financial equivalent of me simply taking my money and throwing it out of a moving car that is traveling at 100 mph. I will simply never see it again, and I'm not prepared to do that, especially with a family. So, instead, I chose to take it online. Blogs have changed the way people are using the internet, and I figured "What the fuck, I can do that." So, Ominous Vomit as a review site was born. It focuses strictly on death metal and grind. Burning Churches will actually focus strictly on black metal. I make no bones about my love for nasty-ass brutal black metal, from Morbosidad to Immortal to Inquisition to Grand Belials Key. You shall not find any romantic keyboard-laden faggotry on that site. Circlepit Assassin is my site to review thrash and crossover and crust. Yes, I love crust punk. The politics are bullshit and annoying, but I love the music. Bands like Ausgebombt, After the Bombs, Sanctum, and Stormcrow are just amazing. I do plan on doing an actual print 'zine called Slave to the Casket that focuses strictly on US death metal as a seriously low-print-run type of thing, and then distributing a .pdf file online for free. Work on that will be completed as time allows. So far I have interviewed Drogheda and I plan on interviewing NunSlaughter, Abdicate, Fully Consumed, Invasion, and several others. Only interviews, no reviews. Articles only, and no Q&A format. Nothing against it, but I can write, and I want to.

6.i know the zines are fairly new but are you happy with how things are progressing so far with them? if any bands or labels are reading this where can they send promo's? do you only review cd's,cdr's,etc. or will you also accept "digital" promo's? is their a certain style {or styles} you refuse to review?

They're going alright. Page views are picking up. If I had the time that I used to, I could really get some shit started. However, it is a "free time" type of thing, and all I really want to do is support the scene and toss my opinion out there as someone who may have a little bit of authority on the matter, as I've heard thousands of albums over the 20 years I've been listening to this music. If labels want to send shit to me, that's fine. I like and prefer vinyl, but I will check out CDs, tapes, anything. I actually like digital promos that I can download at my leisure. That is a cost-effective method for labels to use, and it makes things faster. If the label doesn't have to pay to send shit to me, that's one more dollar that can go to the next release, of which I am in favor. I don't refuse to review anything, really, but just know that if you send me something and it doesn't fit the mold of the three sites I have, I might not review it at all, or, if I hate it, it might be made fun of or get blasted out of the water. That's their risk. A quick look at my sites should inform any intelligent promo mule of what I'm all about.

7.in your eyes what makes a good fan- or web-zine? what are some of your all-time favorite fanzines? are their any good web-zines you enjoy reading when you have the time?

Good solid opinions make good 'zines. Period. Wishy-washiness never cuts it. Stand firm and proclaim your love or hate! If you decide differently later, then fine. 'Zine editors waffle too much with opinions, and I love it when someone is passionate about their opinions. My all time favorite fanzine, of course, is Canadian Assault. Dale Roy is the MAN. His fanzines laid waste to all others, and he got me started on so many bands. My current favorite is Compilation of Death, a Chilean 'zine that is just unbelievable, devoted to death metal the old way. Tons of early '90s interviews are reprinted, along with old flyers and shit, as well as new interviews of old and new bands. It came with a Merciless (Swe) poster! Awesome! Nope, don't really read webzines. I know, I'm such a hypocrite. I just don't. I do check out reviews for albums on metal-archives.com, however. Some people on there are so goddamn biased, though, toward one genre or another. A lot of great brutal death metal bands get bashed simply because they are brutal and the person who bought it and reviewed it is retarded.

8.do you have any advice for someone who might be thinking of starting up their own zine?

Decide if you have the money to throw away on a paper 'zine, firstly, and then decide what you will cover and stick to it. As for webzines, you'll never be able to cover the whole metal scene unless you have like five guys reviewing shit. Also, with your first issue, do not expect to get many promos unless it's not your first rodeo. You have to prove yourself. Only interview bands you like or find interesting. If you do interviews just to keep the promos flowing, then you are what is wrong with this scene. It gives the labels a reason to think a band doesn't suck when you interview the ones you think are awful and put a positive spin on it. Let their album sales be the only thing to determine that.

9.you and i have been a part of the metal-underground since the late 80's/early 90's {god we're old ha,ha} so i was curious how do you feel the scene has changed over the years?{besides the obvious creation of the internet}

Well, the internet! It's THE thing that changed the scene. The splintering of the genres is also a big thing, but that came along the most quickly when the internet gained popularity. More sounds crashing up against more sounds broke everyone off into genres. And fake drum sounds. Just ask my drummer Kevin, he hates fake drum sounds. Double bass triggers are simply utilitarian, so you can hear them better, snare triggers with sound replacement is like filing off your fingerprints. Lots and lots and lots of bands too. Folks that otherwise wouldn't hear or play metal are currently in all stages of development out there, from awkward to awesome.

10.i kind of got ahead of myself with the last question.how do you feel about the internet being used in the underground metal scene? a good thing or bad thing?

We wouldn't be doing this interview without the internet - or we would, but it would SUCK to write it all out. The mp3 is the single most detrimental and helpful thing the internet has given us. It has ruined the awesome feeling of finding an album just based on the cover art alone, since everything is readily available for preview, but it also ensures you don't buy a fucking stinker. Another negative is copycat-ism. A band catches on like Black Dahlia Murder (who are fucking awesome, by the way) and fuckin' BLAM, there's like 20 other bands that are suddenly on labels who sound like that. I hate that. That, however, is how shrewd marketing works. The labels know that few bands have lasting potential, so they go for the short money in trend sales. I get it. Hats off to excellent labels like Hells Headbangers and Nuclear War Now! who consistently don't give a fuck about what's popular. They have a lot of my fucking money!

11.i have not heard it much lately but i know a few years back i remember people saying stuff like the underground metal scene is dead or dying. would you agree or disagree with this statement?

Then they aren't looking very fucking hard. I consistently find new killer bands - just ask my bandmates, they're probably fuckin' sick of me bringing new shit for them to hear. Certain sounds fade in and out of popularity - for a while, no one sounded like Sweden 1990, but now there's like 200 bands who do that, with varying degrees of success. There's still a million slam death bands, tons of shitty grind bands, a million gaylord one-man black metal outfits, and the cream of the crop always rises to the top to be noticed - the ones that suck quietly drown in the silence of their turd-like existence. Underground metal is VERY alive, supported by amateurs like us who don't get paid and just happen to stumble on each other. Simply because we don't use a pen to write letters anymore to each other and spend a million fucking dollars on stamps doesn't mean the underground is dead. Check out small labels, buy some fucking music, and enjoy yourself! Go to see your local metal shows and you'll find stuff, trust me. Metal will never die, it just goes deeper underground.

12everyone has their own opinions or ideas on what it means. so i was curious what does the term "underground metal"mean to you?

Metal music played without regard for the opinions of people surrounding the band or in the scene, and played in a style that bucks the trends. That is very important. If it's not their band, they shouldn't have a say in how it is going to sound. That's why corporate and commercial music is always so much of the same thing. All they want is to ride whatever current wave of sound is out there at the moment, make the money, and move on. That's why there are a million bands that have bad haircuts and use NYDM-style slam riffs and call themselves "hardcore." It's why there were a million bands that sounded like At the Gates. It's why so much Aquanet got used in 1988. Money and success do not a band ruin, but the opinions of others can and will, Confucius say.

13.coming back to the zines for a moment you are currently working on
3 different zines/featuring different musical genres. so i was curious would you consider yourself to have a open-mind towards metal and music in general?

Sort of. Hear me out. There is so much going on within metal that I will never, ever get sick of it. I never even need a change of pace - I just switch out the Suffocation for some Anathema, or the Anathema for Exodus, or Exodus for Watain, and on and on. I do like some stuff that isn't metal or punk, but it's so few and far between. It has to sound real to me, and much music popular with the mainstream today doesn't sound real. Go back and take a look at the rock and roll from the late '60s and '70s (even disco) and compare it to today's stuff. Today's stuff doesn't even come close as far as musicianship and attention to detail and integrity. Marketing departments determine more musical sounds today than musicians do. So when I come across something amazing that isn't metal that is somewhat amazing, like Wolfmother, The Cranberries, Gnarls Barkley, or something that thinks out of the box like those bands, then I pay attention. Sometimes shit sells simply because it's that damn good.

14.you live in the great state of ohio i remember ohio had one of the
BEST metal {mainly death,grind,some black} scenes in the mid to late 90's.what is your opinion of ohio's metal scene's both past and the present scene?

The scene in the past was varied and full. You could play all over the place and see tons of shows, without some of the bullshit that occurs today. However, I think this is the case in most places. The scene now is fractured, fragmented, and mainly resides in Cleveland. Most bands you may be aware of exist in that city, and hardly ever come south (why would you drive to Akron or Canton when the choices of the city of Cleveland lay at your doorstep?). We, National Collapse, are one of three existing underground bands that I know about here in the Canton area. Let me stress - not every unsigned band is underground. Most are just pop-music fans that are trying to play heavy. These bands I do not consider to be underground. Do you know how many fuckers with combed-crazily hair and skinny jeans we've had to fuckin' play with in the past? The only other underground metal bands in Canton are Mortifier and Trazom. They both play pretty incredible fuckin' thrash, but I'm not sure that Trazom is still active. Mortifier is the best, and we will be doing shows!

15. who would you say are some of your all-time favorite metal bands
from ohio? are their any new bands from ohio you think the readers should watch out for?

Well, my favorite band of all time is from Ohio, and that is NunSlaughter. Also, make sure to check out Midnight, Soulless, Mortifier, Trazom, Nekrofilth, Crucified Mortals, the always incredible Drogheda, the musical wizards in Fully Consumed, Necrotic Disgorgement (used to be Regurgitation), Vindicator, Schnauzer (for a laugh), Spawn of Satan, and filthy-ass Manticore. There are others, but that is a good snapshot of Cleveland right now. Not all those bands consistently play out, so keep an eye out if you're in town.

16.when not working on zines or listening to metal.what do you enjoy
doing in your spare-time?

TV and movies take a lot of my time, with my favorite shows of all time being The Shield, Rome, Twin Peaks, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and anything else that's brainy and above the belt. I can't stand stupid fucking reality shows. The shit is mind-numbing and makes me retarded when I watch it. You can actually FEEL yourself becoming part of the lowest common denominator when you watch reality TV sometimes. As far as movies, anything old and of the horror genre, particularly if it's Italian and from the 1970s and early 1980s. Fulci and Argento, when they are good, are great. Exploitation films of that time are truly incredible, as they broke all the rules just to see if they could break them! Cult film takes quite a bit of my extra time. I also read a shitload of books, with my focus being on H.P. Lovecraft, R.E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock and their contemporaries. Politically incorrect sword and sorcery fiction keeps my interest. Hard science fiction is sometimes good, and so is speculative fiction like alternate history, of which the master is Harry Turtledove. I also read much history, focusing on Rome, World War II, and my ancestors, the Germanic people. Football is also very important to me - the Cleveland Browns, although plagued with a decade of shitty seasons since they came back, are my team, through thick and thin. I watch hours upon hours of football, pro and college, when the season is upon us. When football isn't on, most times anything with two teams and something to hit, kick, or throw back and forth between them works.

17.well brother,we have reached the end of the interview.good luck to
you and the future of these zines! total support!! do you have any final comments for the readers?

Exhaustive, as usual, my friend. I appreciate the support, especially since I've been flaky as fuck the last couple of years while trying to keep up with life and its constant attempt to emasculate and eviscerate me, all the while dodging financial ruin's attempt to dominate my well-being. National Collapse is in the final stages of mixing our first demo, and a logo and artwork are forthcoming for it. You catch that at www.myspace.com/nationalcollapse when it happens. Otherwise, look above and search for my review sites. Sporadic updates will happen with those. I do my work best in fits and starts. If you made it this far, dear reader, I feel sorry that you had to endure my rants, raves, and personal biases. I hope you can forgive me. If you're ever in Canton, look the band up. Remember, FROM THE WOMB TO THE TOMB, IT'S DEATH METAL.

to check out andrew's web-zines just click below and enjoy!!

Ominous Vomit - Death Metal: ominousvomit.blogspot.com

Burning Churches - Black Metal: burningchurches.blogspot.com

Circlepit Assassin - Thrash/Crust/Crossover: circlepitassassin.blogspot.com

interview with grave desecrator done by patrick

2011-03-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

metal hails
here is a new interview with the mighty brazilan old-school metal force "grave desecrator". if you are a fan of old-school death metal from the 80's and early 90's then you must check-out grave desecrator's second full-length "insult" through hells headbangers in the u.s
thanks to all for the support and enjoy!!
metal regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

interview with vallakk the necrogoat bassist for grave desecrator done by patrick.

1.hails vallakk! how are things in brazil?please tell the readers a little about yourself.when did you first get into metal? who were the first bands you listened to?who are your "current" favorite bands?

Hell-o! I’m a bastard in my 30´s. I know what Metal is about since I was 8 years old, since my brother brought home 2 vinyls during that time; AC/DC´s Back in Black and Rainbow´s Rising! In 1983 we had KISS in Brazil for the very first time, and this country started to receive international bands back then. In 1985 we had Rock in Rio festival, which featured lots like Iron, Whitesnake, Ozzy, Scorpions etc. Of course I didn’t go there, cos´ I was too young. But I already know about their music and I loved their guitar shapes like flying v, explorer etc. My brother didn’t keep the faith into Metal at all, but I started to get it seriously late 80´s, early 90´s! My first gigs were Ratos de Porão, Dorsal Atlântica and some other shit bands, with shit gears, playing shit music! My interest to occultism and the darkness increased when I started to understand about the darkest lyrics from the darkest bands! That was really a break up of my catholic heritages, even that I never went really into that shit, even when I was a child! Nowadays, I keep a lot into the old bands I started to listen to (Since Iron Maiden, Kiss to Bathory, Venom, Celtic Frost, Slayer and Sarcofago). I’m really into Metal and Rock n Roll! I like very few Black Metal bands from nowadays. Vulturine, Diocletian, Necros Christos, Communion, Augrimmer(Ger), are some of the very few “new” good bands really into the dark path I think it’s interesting for me. I like a lot of Death Metal into old school sounding ( Poisonous, Headhunter DC, Bolt thrower, Purgatory, Autopsy etc..), new Dark Throne is very good even if most people are talking bullshit about them! Blood Tsunami plays good Thrash Metal as well as for Farscape, Whipstriker etc. Also Turbonegro, The Electric Hellfire Club kills! As you see, I keep listening to a lot of shits that can even surprise you! Black Sin likes more of traditional Heavy Metal, some guitarists and Death Metal. He hasn´t been into new Black Metal since he most listen to few of the old ones like Hellhammer, Bathory etc..Butcherazor loves Judas Priest, Sarcofago, Venom, Bathory and old bands. He’s not too much patient to know new bands, even if some of them are really cool! But he told me very good things about The Devil’s Blood for example.

2.when did you guys form grave desecrator? what is the "current" line-up? for the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe the music?

We deformed this cult back in 98 with me as Valak (guitarist that time), Butcherazor(bass that time), F.Mordor(voices – we fired him off few time before entering the studios to record Sign of Doom!!). We had problems to have a lasting drummer, so we recorded our debut demo “Demo 01” with a session drummer. The other drummers who recorded with us were Adrameleck and Angeldust, who recently was fired as well! Now, we have the skills of M. Cativeiro. He plays also in Apokalyptic Raids. We play Black fucking Death Metal into brazilian ways! Dare to check us out or kill yourself!

3.the band recently released it's second cd "insult" through the mighty hells headbangers rec.how long did it take the band to write and record the songs for this release? are you and the other members of the band happy with how everything turned out?

Yeah, HH´s is the responsible to spread the plague in Americas. Ketzer rec. is working with us in Europe! This album took about less than 1 year long to be recorded. I think the things got really faster this time.

4.how has the response been from the fans and press? how did the band come in contact with hells headbangers rec.? do you find it difficult to work with a label in a different country?

I think we have receiving a very good response worldwide! It’s a work that surprises since the cover art to the straight-in-your-face lyrics! Sometimes the people show some resistance regarding our imagery etc. Others call us a new “Sarcofago”, and I don’t think it’s the case! Some reviews are even strange but interesting. They depict some things that we didn’t realize about ourselves, haha! I think HH´s is doing a very good work with us and we thank them a lot! We have more contact to labels outside Brazil, so I have no problems with the distance etc. They’ve been working very well for us, much better than any brazilian label could afford us!

5.how often does the band get to practice? when you begin work on a new song how long does it usually take to complete? does the whole band work on the music or just 1 or 2 members handle everything?

Uh! Our process is a bit confuse, but in the end it works, I guess...For “Insult”, I did my lyrics and gave to them. They grooved it in their song lines, changed something, we discussed, I gave ideas etc, etc.. I asked a very chaotic and defiant song with a sarcastic but effective lyric and then Jesus Joint was taking form. We’re now with a new drummer and we practice once a week, but during more than 3 or 4 hours long. The new drummer has a studio! We’re not now in a process of new songs, so I think it’ll get more and more intense when ideas for the third album start to come in mind!

6.who usually handles the lyrics? what are some topics/subjects the band writes about?

Me and Butcherazor write the most in GD. Butcherazor is more straight and raw kind. I normally use some internal feelings on it, sometimes a lot of sarcasm. In “Insult” we didn’t want a deepest approach which could underrate the loyalty of an emotional rage! We were trying some immediate eruption as angry as we can!

7.does the band play live very often or do you guys prefer to work in the studio? who are some bands you all have shared the stage with? if you could set-up a "dream" show/tour who would you love to play live with?

We don’t play so often because we don’t have support in our country. And I think most bands into brazilian underground are suffering the same shit. But we did a very cool european tour last October, and after that, we did some few gigs here. We’ll try new dates in the Northwest area in Brazil still this year!!! We played with bands such as Impurity, Catacumba, Angelwitch, Angmar, Waffentrager Luzifers, Vader, Headhunter DC, Hellkommander and a lot more. Personally a tour with Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Danzig, Venom would be a dream come true! haha

8.brazil has always seemed to have a very strong and intense metal-scene. would you agree? what is your opinion of brazil's underground metal scene?

Yes, we’ve been a very active scene since a long. Thanks to the people who believed on it in such a sunny and carnival country. The cultural aspects here aren’t suitable for Metal at all. But we’re the resistance! I think we have a big amount of bands, but very few with something really interesting to show away! Also, bigmouthed people who talk only bullshit! But these assholes are living in their worthless commonplace. I don’t think it happens only in Brazil by the way, but the worldwide scene suffers from the same problem. But it’s more my point of view, perhaps...

9.who are some of your all-time favorite brazilian bands? are their any new bands you feel the readers should watch out for?

My favorite brazilian bands are Sepultura, Sarcofago, Dorsal Atlântica and Vulcano! I like many others old bands, but I think these ones are the perfect representation of the best eras in brazilian underground! I like some new bands like Vulturine, Farscape, Osculum Obscenum, Luvart, Poisonous...

10.what does the term "underground metal" mean to you? i know over the years some have said the underground scene is dying or dead. would you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Underground is an alternative way to rape the morality in music and mainstream money talk! It can be weaker or stronger depending the time, but it will never die, as even the “biggers” search for refuge when their “success” is falling apart!

11.coming back to the band you handle the bass for the group. when did you start playing bass? who are your influences/favorite bassists?

I’m not a bassist. I’m a guitarist who tries to play bass! If you have the chance to see me alive, you’ll notice I play like if it’s a guitar, picking up and down savagery the lines! I used to be guitarist in GD, but when we departed F.Mordor, I gave the idea to Butcherazor (who composed most of the songs) play the guitar and voices, and I get the bass bulldozer instead. The things got really faster this way and we’ve no regret! I’m fan of bassists of course, like Steve Harris, Dan Lilker, Cronos and Lemmy!!!!!!!!

12. do you or any of the members of grave desecrator play in any other bands/projects? if yes please tell the readers a little about them.

Black Sin is playing a sort of evil hardcore project alongside M. Cativeiro. Only this!

13.when not working on new music for the band or filling out interviews.what do you enjoy doing in your spare-time?

I like to get out and drink with my close friends. Listening to music, reading and thinking!! I spend a lot of time thinking alone! Black Sin is married and have a son, so he works with computer and spend his time with his son and wife (no, he didn’t get married at a church, blaaaarrghhh!). Butcherazor spend a lot of time at some whorehouses and worthless cheap bars.. I used to do that, but I’m quite broke and old now, haha!

14.well vallakk we have reached the end of the interview. thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final comments for the readers?

I thank you a lot Patrick. The Brazilian Blackest Metal Massacre salute you! For all those in US interested to GD, please ask it for Hell´s Headbangers. In Europe, by ketzer rec.

www.myspace.com/gravedesecrator666

www.hellsheadbangers.com

www.ketzer-records.de

grave666desecrator@gmail.com

PO BOX 8018 Rio de Janeiro – RJ – 21032-970 - Brazil

interview with psycho done by patrick

2011-03-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

morbid greetings!
i was lucky enough to get this promo {as well as interview!} of the singapore old-school blackend death/thrash metal band psycho. the band recently released their debut "pain addict pigs" through the mighty moribund rec. in the u.s if you enjoy the sounds of old-school metal with all the attitude,aggression. you must defintly check out psycho today!!
metal regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

1.metal hails bryan! please tell the readers a little about yourself.
Hails! I am the founder/directer and lead guitar player of PSYCHO - the horror obsessed, sex driven and bloodthirsty band from Singapore.

2.when did you and the other members of psycho first meet? was it long until you decided to form psycho? what is the "current" line-up? for the readers who never heard psycho's music how would you describe it?
I formed PSYCHO in 2005, lead vocalist Penny Torture and i are relatives, drummer Kaz and i used to go to school together and I met bass player JY in 2006. JY joined the band the following year taking over bass duties ever since. Our early influences include Black Sabbath, Venom and Mercyful Fate. Over the years, we've gotten heavier, developing our sound and style - which is a mix of the heavy metal genre with distinct influences of black, death and thrash metal. We also have a very old-school vibe to our tunes with a sick groove.

3.the band recently released your debut cd "pain addict pigs"through moribund rec.how long did it take the band to write and record the songs for this release?
It took us about a year to write, and another 6 months to record.

4.are you and the rest of the band happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the fans and press?
Haa, yes most definitely, everything worked out well. We're pretty pleased with the whole production process and quality of the output. Horns up to Odin and Nathan of Moribund Records for believing in our music and style.
The response from both fans and press has been pretty positive so far. Everyone we've spoken too here is looking forward to what we're gonna do next.

5.when the band starts working on a new song how long does it usually take to complete? does the whole band work on the music or does 1-2 members handle everything?
I write the stuff first before taking it to the rest of the guys, so we'd have a basic idea and structure of what the songs should sound like. Individual parts would then be worked out around that. I don't like to rush the writing process, experimenting with various ideas for song structure, style and groove usually takes some time. I record everything i do and usually get the opinion from the rest of the band, to see if they dig it.

6.who usually handles the lyrics for the band? what are some subjects/topics you all write about?
Penny pens the band's lyrics. Sex, violence, death and the occult are prominent themes in our lyrics. We also have our own take on humanity and religion.

7.the band comes out of singapore's metal underground. for the readers who are not familiar with the metal scene there.what is your opinion of singapore's metal scene?
Singapore's metal scene is still a young and growing one. There isn't much of a real scene .. yet.

8.who are some of your all-time favorite bands from singapore? are their any new bands you feel the readers should watch out for?
Impiety has been flying the flag for years now, wicked band with wicked tunes. Absence of the Sacred, Suicide Solution, Crucifixion, Sanity Obscure and Oshiego are some of the bands to keep a look out for.

9.does the band get to play live very often? who are some bands you have played with? are their alot of places in singapore for extreme metal bands to play?\
We've played alongside the above mentioned bands a couple of times over the years. There aren't many places for bands to play in general actually. There used to be quite a few, however perhaps the lack of location may have left organizers in a constant search for new places to hold shows. There are still a few shows here and there, but what serious bands here want to do, is play overseas.

10.in your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground? and what does the term "underground metal" mean to you?
The best thing about the underground is that you'd get some of the best metal there is … only if you can find or get your hands on it.

11.coming back to the band you handle guitars for the group.at what age did you begin playing the guitars? are you self-taught or have you taken lessons in the past?
I picked up guitar when i was 12 and i'm self-taught.

12.who would you say are some of your influences/favorite guitarist? do you play any other instruments?
Yea, synths and such. I do improv performances once in a while, on my own - gives me the opportunity to make a whole lotta noise. Ok back to guitar, i'd say Ritchie Blackmore when he was doing Deep Purple and Rainbow, a huge influence .. and i also really admire Trey's guitar playing.

13,well bryan thanks alot for taking the time to fill out this interview. do you have any final comments for the readers?
Cheers!

interview with invasion done by patrick

2011-03-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

here is a new interview i did with pete {a.ka. phlegm} of the mighty u.s force invasion!!! the band recently released it's third-assult on the masses "orchestrated kill maneuver" through the mighty rotting corpse records.fans of straight-forward pure-death metal will worship this force that mix old-school brutality with some newer elements.
keep the flames of metal burning bright!!!
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

Interview with Pete Clemens/Phlegm - guitars and vocals for Invasion; done by Patrick

1.metal hails Pete how are things going for you this week? Please tell the readers a little about yourself.

Phlegm: Hails brother! Happy New Year!!! The week has been very interesting to say the least!!! I’m a 41-year-old thrashing metal maniac who’s been into the metal underground since the mid 80’s. I’ve been playing music since 1985 and have had a blast doing it!!!

2.when did you first get into metal? who were some of the first bands you listened to? who are some of your "current" favorites?

Phlegm: I started listening to metal back when Black Sabbath & Ozzy split up. I picked up “Blizzard of Ozz” and was immediately hooked! Then I proceeded to hear of Iron Maiden and that just flattened my senses even more! Unbelievable stuff at the time! Finally I heard “Haunting the Chapel” by Slayer in 1984 and that was it. If it didn’t scream intensity I probably wouldn’t have listened to it after that. As for current favorites there are too many to list here but mostly the older stuff from my youth is what I’ve been hitting: Grave, Uncanny, Sacrifice, Infernal Majesty, Sodom, Kreator, Venom, Metal Church, Armoured Angel… the list goes on!!!

3.when did you guys get the idea to form "invasion"? what is the current line-up of the band? For the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe invasion's music?

Phlegm: I was in a band named Sea of Tranquillity with Crusader and we had just finished working on our debut album “The Omegan Ruins” and things had slowed to a crawl for that project. Work schedules and everything were getting in the way & one day at practice when the guitarist didn’t show up we started playing older Swedeath stuff from the early 90’s. After messing around with it we decided to record an 8 song demo which actually became our first album “Conquered” released on Hammerheart in Europe. As of today the line up consists of Crusader/drums, Warbastard/bass, new guitarist Stabhoth of Noctural Torment and myself, Phlegm/guitar/vocals. The INVASION sound has progressed but has always maintained the element of Scandinavian death metal in the guitar sounds and stylings. The vocals fluctuate from album to album in that I’ve changed my singing styles to fit the intensity of each album albeit something similar to Kreator/Sadus to the agony of Jorgen Sandstrom from Grave. Very intense musical barrage I think!

4.the band recently released it's debut cd "orchestrated kill maneuver" through rotting corpse records. How long did it take you guys to write/record the songs for the debut?

Phelgm: Yes, this is our first cd with this label but third release altogether. The first was “Conquered” released in 1999, 2nd was “Berserk Artillery Barrage” released in 2002 and finally Orchestrated in 2010. Most of the music was written between 2003 and 2005 but we decided to put the band on hold and deal with some of life’s unexpected issues. Crusader got very sick at one point and had to be hospitalized which delayed any rehearsals. After that things just slowed down. In 2008 we decided to see what was left to record and started practicing again to see if we had enough quality material to release the new album.

5.are you and the other members of invasion happy with how everything turned out? how has the response been from the press and fans?

Phlegm: As an artist there are always changes you’d like to hear but most are so small our audience would never know the difference to what we’d been searching for. The reviews for this album have been spectacular!!! Almost everyone thinks this is our best release to date, but you still have those die hards who believe “Conquered” is the only thing we should have released, haha!!! And good for them! I’m that way too when it comes to some of my fav bands!!!

6.has the band gotten to play many live shows or small tours in support of the debut cd? do you enjoy playing live or do you prefer to work in the studio?

Phlegm: No, we haven’t had the opportunity to do many shows. I think we’ve only done a handful in our existence since 1999. Between work, family & other obligations we don’t have the time or the financial resources to set up a small tour. Lately my preference (although my band members may disagree) is to set up in the studio and blast away!!! I enjoy sitting behind the console with a producer and finding those sounds that will eliminate the enemy!!!

7.who are some bands you all have played/toured with? if you could set-up a "dream" show/tour who are some bands you would love to tour/play with?

Phlegm: We’ve done shows with local bands like Nocturnal Torment, Skullview & Psychomancer. One of the best shows we’ve done was with Belgiums Enthroned in Chicago! Very good show & great turn out!!! I think if we’d have a dream tour you’d need to transport us back to 1995 and let us join the likes of Grave, Uncanny, Dismember/Carnage on stage! That would be a riot!!! I know there are probably 80 bands I’d kill to tour with but will go with that right now!

8.have you guys had time to start writing for the next invasion release? how many songs do you plan to have on it? how would you say the music is different from the debut "orchestrated kill maneuver"?

Phlegm: Yes, we have 3 songs worked out already for the new album and they are in the same vein as the OKM recordings. Why mess with something that isn’t broke? If you listen to each album you’ll be able to hear the progression musically as some of the songs off the first album (Conquered) were actually written back in 1990 and didn’t see the light of day until it’s official release in 1999.

9.when you all begin working on a new song does the whole band work on the music or does 1-2 members handle it all?

Phlegm: Normally Crusader and I conjure up all the music/lyrics and we bring in the brothers to fill out the sounds. The other guys write and record in separate bands (Warbastard plays in Skullview & Stabhoth plays in Nocturnal Torment) so we tend to incorporate their ideas only in structuring, although at times some of their riffs may infiltrate one or two songs.

10.which usually comes first the music or the lyrics? the band/lyrics seem to be based around war. when did you become interested in reading/studying about war? is their one particular war or time in history that you base the lyrics around?

Phlegm: The music is always written first. We iron out all the structures & changes and then add lyrics/vocal ideas to the mix. The basis of our three albums has been on World War 2, but I think on the next release we will either try something different lyrically with the US Civil War in 1865 or perhaps the Korean Conflict. There are a plethora of ideas to choose from when it comes to lyrics because every conflict and battle is different if you really look close at them.

11.i know this will seem like a joke question but i promise you it's not. but do you think their will ever be world-peace? it seems like they get close then some nutcase goes and fucks it up.

Phlegm: No. Won’t happen. Too much going on behind the scenes for that to take place and I note the basics behind it: Big Business & Big Money.

12.coming back to the band you handle the guitars for the band when did you become interested in playing the guitars? are you self-taught or have you taken lessons?

Phlegm: I started taking guitar lessons when I was 10 or 11. That was essentially the only instrument I ever actually tried to learn. I played guitar for roughly 2 years and ended up switching to bass when I joined my first band, Shades of Grey from Michigan City, Indiana.

13.who are some of your influences/favorite guitarists? besides guitars do you play any other instruments?

Phlegm: Yes I play bass & that is my main instrument. I play guitar for rehearsal & studio recordings only so you won’t catch me playing live anytime soon.

14.besides the guitars you also handle the vocal duties for the band. when did you first start singing? who are some of your favorite
singers? do you do anything special to keep your throat/voice healthy?

Phlegm: The first band I started singing with was Shades of Grey and my main influences were the guys from Kreator, Sacrifice & Sadus. Over the years I’ve encompassed gutturals from death metal but I think I try and maintain a steady balance. As for keeping my voice healthy I don’t do anything. I just try and sing with a vicious attack & make it brutal.

15.what does the term underground metal mean to you? i know in the past few years i have heard some the underground scene is dying or dead would you agree with this?

Phlegm: No, there will always be an underground but it’s changed since the formative years. Emails & texts have replaced snail mail & the like. I know of 5 or 6 very good local bands who use the web with increasing efficiency to spread their name & that’s what’s important. I think as long as the music exists there will always be an underground.

16.well pete we have reached the end. thank you for taking the time to fill it out. do you have any final comments for the readers?

Phlegm: Thank you for the interview!! If you get the chance checkout our new release on Rotting Corpse Records titled INVASION – Orchestrated Kill Maneuver and prepare for total war!!!!!

interview with metal-core zine done by patrick

2011-03-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

we have the honor of doing a interview with chris forbes possibly the longest-running fan/web-zine in the underground and still going strong!! if you have read chris's zine before you know his reviews are right on the money short and to the point. and his interviews are possibly some of the most in-depth ones you will ever read anywhere. so defintly take some time to check out metalcore web-zine {please note this zine was created in 1985-86 looong before the shit of nu-metal came along so don't judge a zine by it's name. chris and metalcore are pure metal to the soul.}
best regards,
patrick and winter torment web-zine
http://www.friendburst.com/wintertorment

Interview with chris forbes editor of metal-core fan/web-zine done by patrick
Patrick: Metal hails Chris! How are things going in New Jersey this week? Please tell the readers a little about yourself.

CF: Things are cold here in NJ as it is the middle of February. My 4 month year old daughter kept me awake last night so i got about 2 hours sleep, but I took a nap earlier and I am good to go now. I am a 45 year old male, who has been in to the underground since around 1983 and in 1986 I took the plunge and started my own fanzine called Metal Core, which believe it or not I still do today! I put out 30 print issues and then in 2000 I went to an all internet format and on my website you will find interviews with bands, past and present, and record labels and other zine editors, etc. There is also reviews on there and my reviews are no holds barred. If I love a band I will worship them, but if I hate a band they best prepare for a trashing.

Patrick: At what age did you discover metal? Who were some of the early bands you listened to? Who are some of your "current"favorites?

CF: I would say I discovered metal, at least heavy metal around 1978 or 1979, when Black Sabbath came into my life. Albums like "Never Say Die, "Sabatage" and then when Ozyy left and started doing is solo stuff and Dio joining Sabbath only made me seek out more. Then I discovered Motorhead "Ace of Spades" and this lead to 1983 and then Metallica 'Kill Em All" and oh my god I was hooked. I started reading about more bands, bands like Diamond Head, the whole NWOBHM, Venom and of course Slayer. From there I started reading Kerrang and Metal Forces and started going to a store called "Rock N Roll Heaven" in Clark, NJ where I discovered actual fanzines like Kick Ass Monthly, which still to this day is the greatest fanzine I have ever read ever. Bob Muldowney RIP my man your zine ruled.

Patrick: I believe you started Metal-Core Fanzine back in 1986!! When did you get the idea to create the zine? How did you come up with the name for the zine?
CF: Around 1985 when I was going to shows in Phila, PA at the Empire Rock Room I started buying a fanzine called Total Thrash, which was a local zine put out by Scott Helig. He was asking for people to write some shows reviews and reviews, so I started sending him some stuff and after like 2 or 3 issues, because I was sending him so much stuff, he suggested I start my own zine. I took that as a bit of challenge and because I was so into this new style of music, I decided to go for it and released my first issue in late 1986. It was half-size and I made only 150 copies and sold them for a dollar. In it I interviewed a couple local bands, did some reviews of stuff I had brought and had some zine ads. In this issue I did a review of Slayer's new album, Reign in Blood. Wow coming up on 25 years of me doing the zine. As far as the name goes, in 1985 the bands Overkill and SOD (Stormtroopers of Death) did a 7 date tour of the East Coast, including a show I saw at City Gardens, NJ, which I was at. In a local music weekly, there was an ad for the 7 shows and the add dubbed the tour the Metal Core tour, being that Overkill was metal and SOD was a combo of both. I saw the ad and thought that would be a great name for my zine and you have to remember at this time the whole crossover scene was big, with bands like The Crumbsuckers, SOD, Agnostic Front, The Cromags, DRI, etc.

Patrick: I got into the underground {demo's.zines,etc..} metal-scene myself in 1993-94. So i was curious who were some of your favorite zines back in the mid-80's? Was their any particular state in the US that had an amazing scene that stuck out? What about world-wide metal scene was their any countries you felt had the strongest metal scene?

CF: Some of my favorite zines back in the day were Kick Ass Monthly, Total Thrash, Voices From The Underground, Morbid Mag, Slayer Mag, Blackthorn, Screams From The Gutter, Disorder, Ripping Headaches, Book of Armegeddon, No Glam Fags, Suburban Voice, Bloodshed, Subversive Agenda, Curious Goods, and I am sure there are many, many more that I can't remember anymore. I used to trade with tons of zines back in the day and we would stuff each others letters and packages with ads for other zines and bands and that is how you would discover maybe a new band or zine and then you would be off writing them a letter asking for a demo or to trade zines. The scene was so united back then, those were great times. When I would get a new copy of zine in the mail, I would digest it from reading it from cover to cover, which even with the computer and the internet stuff, unless you were there, a print zine was the best. I miss the days of print zines big time. There was much more closeness with everybody back then too. As far as states, back in the mid 80's I was big time into the whole Bay Area thrash scene. Fuckin Exodus, Heathen, Death Angel, Violence, Forbidden, Dark Angel, Slayer, Metallica, That area was awesome and another was NY with the whole hardcore thing with Nuclear Assault, Carnivore, Agnostic Front, The Cromags and going to Lamour's in Brooklyn, NY for tons of shows in the 80's and also City Gardens in Trenton, NJ.

Patrick: What is it about the underground metal-scene that has kept you motivated to keep metal-core fan/webzine going for all of these years? When did you decide to move metal-core from a "print" version to the net?

CF: Even after 25 years I still get a thrill hearing a new band that gets my neck going. I still love going to my PO BOX and hoping there is some CDs there to review. Or when I get the new issue of Snakepit and sit down and spend 2 hours reading the great interviews he has in his issues. That, by the way, is my favorite print zine right now, Snakepit. I still enjoy reviewing new bands and older bands new releases and going to concerts. I just saw Gama Bomb with Overkill a few weeks back and that was a great show as Gama Bomb is one of the newer bands I like a lot and Overkill is still kickin ass and "Ironbound" is one of their best releases and they keep the old thrash metal flame burning bright. I do admit I miss the closeness and stuff of the old days, but I have moved on from that and it is no use going back to the "good ole days" and I just accept that this is the scene today and most of it is internet oriented. I will say there is more bad bands than good, but when I hear Gama Bomb or Black Witchery putting a smile on my face, that is all I need. I decided to move to the zine to the internet around 2000. I was gonna do both and just have some interviews "exclusive" to the website and at this time my zine was on newsprint and I was printing 10,000 of them and the zine was free. I was getting rid of over 1000 at Vintage Vinyl alone and I did 6 issues in newsprint and got rid of all 10,000 copies I printed. Anyway when i was putting together issue 31, I was having a tough time getting ads for the zine. At this time a lot of zines were either folding or going to an on-line format and with the past 6 issues, the ads were paying for the cost of the zine and I was breaking even, which was all I wanted to do. Well like I said I was having a hard time getting ads and I wasn't gonna go back to a xerox format so I decided to pack in the print form and just do a on-line zine. It was a very tough decision to do for me and I to this day, still miss having an actual issue in my hands. When I would get an issue back from the printers I would look through it and stuff and yeah it is cool when a new set of reviews go up and new interviews go up, but they will never replace the print version of my zine. I actually did finish issue 31 of my zine and I might, and my webmaster is also pushing for this, for me to release issue # 31 on my site. My webmaster said he can make it so it reads like a mag and you can turn the pages. If I do I will release with all the ads and all. Time will tell.

Patrick: I have always admired your ability to write long,in-depth interviews keeping them informative and interesting. When you begin on a interview how long does it usually take you to complete one? Do you have a certain limit of questions you ask or do you just work until you feel it is finished?

CF: If I am going to send a band an email interview that I am not toally familiar with, like say I got a demo from them and like enough to do an interview, I will go to their website and see if I can find any interesting information on them to make the interview better. Of course what makes a great interview instead of just a good one is if the person answering the questions give you some long and interesting answers. I try not ask the same questions to ever band over and over and obviously if is a band that has been around awhile or a record label I will try and ask them some questions like how is it to run a label and maybe some advice to somebody who wants to start up a label, etc. People don't give a rat's ass about influences and stuff like that anymore. I try and do interviews not just for my information, but from a fan's perspective, cause in the end that is what I am a fan too. Some interviews question take longer than others and again I have to be in the right frame of mind with no distractions when I am sending out questions to the interviewer. I don't really have a limit, but I don't think a band would be to into it if I send them a 65 question interview ha ha. Maybe some bands would answer it, but not many I am sure. A phone interview they would, but god imagine transcribing that puppy. I know Laurent at Snakepit has interviews like that. Wish I had the time, but 2 four month year old daughters take care of that for me he he.

Patrick: Who have been some of your favorite bands, labels, ppl. to interview over the years? Is their any certain person you have not had the chance to interview that you would love to get the chance to interview them?

CF: Some of my favorite bands I have interviewed over the years would be, Nucelar Asasault, Slayer, Anthrax, Savage Death, Possessed, Dark Angel, Violence, Exodus, Celtic Frost, Saxon, Brian Slagel from Metal Blade Records, Monte Conner from Roadracer Records, when they were at their peak, I have a great interview with Area Records that should be up on my site by the time you read this, The Mentors as El Duce was a riot on the phone, Kreator, Destruction, Snakepit zine, etc. I could go on for hours. I would love to interview Muncipal Waste and when their next cd comes out I am gonna try to make that happen. Would love to interview Slayer again as i did my interview with them when South of Heaven came out. Also to make my life complete, an interview with my favorite band of all time, AC/DC would be a fuckin all time high for me.

Patrick: What do you feel makes a good/special zine? {whether it be a fan or web} If anyone reading this is thinking of starting up their own metal zine do you have any advice to share with them?

CF: Way back in the day you had zines from all over and I would say most if not all just told how they felt about a particular band. I don't think many zine editors back in the day were afraid to shred a band because they didn't like them. I know I didn't. When I first started the zine I was strictly interviewing bands and I forget how or why, but I had become friends with Monte Conner over at Roadracer and he invited me to come up to see him in his offices up in NYC and when i was up there it dawned on me how much work went into making a label run and I asked him if I could interview him. At first he was like why me, and I said cause it will make for a great interview. He gave long answers to my questions and it was just cool and different not reading another interview with say Slayer or Anthrax or some generic death metal band talking about how they were influenced by the 1st Death album or each band claiming to be more evil than Slayer or faster than this band or that band. After that I tried to include at least one interview in each issue that was non band, whether it was a label or zine or even a female dancer as i did an interview with Felicia the Grimoire Girl in issue # 27 and I just posted a video of her I found from the 1999 Milwaukee Metalfest with her dancing with the Deathkids in a bikini thong!!! She I must say struts around pretty good in her high heel boots he he. If you go to You Tube and type in Felicia in Bikini Thong I am sure the video will pop up ha ha. My best piece of advice if your going to start a zine, BE HONEST!!! If something sucks, it sucks, but explain why it sucks. Whether it is some band sounding like a 10th rate Suffocation or Cannibal Corpse clone, or that you hate the singer cause he screeches and it not brutal, etc. I hate the clear singing female thing in metal noa and all the deathcore singing and happy thrash bands. When I get stuff like that I butcher them to death. It is not a personal attack on the band or label, but if I say i don't like something, you need to at least explain why. Your readers and the label that sent you a promo, you at least owe them that. You can't just say, "oh I hate this, it sucks" and that be your whole review. Now on the other hand, if you love something or even like it, you can explain that. Whether it was a killer riff that got your neck moving or you playing air drums or had you out of your chair moshing around your room. Just be honest in your reviews and you can't go wrong. At first you might have to review some things you brought, I did that early on, and then before long the promos will come rolling in. Contact labels and send them a link your webzine or blog and most will start sending you promos. Don't be afraid of trashing their bands cause they might stop sending promos, if they do that, i say fuck em. Honesty is the best policy. Your readers will thank you and in the end they will keep coming back tour page and also try to include contact info in the review, even if you trashed the band. As far as interviews go, just try to make the questions interesting and you'll learn from your mistakes and make sure you get a couple pics to go with your interviews. If anybody wants any other advice or anything else feel free to email me and if you think doing the zine will be too much by yourself, see if you can find a buddy or somebody to help out with your zine. Just remember, above all, be honest.

Patrick: If any bands labels are reading this and are interested what styles of metal do you cover? Are their any styles you hate or refuse to review?

CF: I consider myself pretty open minded. I mean I like death, black and thrash metal and also jazz stuff like Pat Methany to The Jazzmasters to top 40 stuff from the 70's and rock n roll as well. As far as what styles I cover, it is pretty much anything that falls under the metal, hardcore, punk, or rock n roll umbrealla. If something is sent to me via the regular mail it gets a review no questions asked. I am getting a ton of digital promos to review, and I can't review them all as their just isn't time for me to do that as I work a full time job, go to the gym, have a wife and now 2 kids. I do try to review most of the stuff I get digital wise. If a band or label sends me an actual CD to review, it gets reviewed no questions asked. I would say if I got a country or a rap CD to review, i would put the CD back in the package and send it back. I hate country, and hate rap music even more. Some 70's dance and disco stuff I like, but rap is a waste or my time and should be taken out in a back yard and buried, but that stuff sells by the bucket load. Why I don't know it is just some guy rapping into a mic with some god awful music playing, usually superfical too. Fuckin junk.

Patrick: Besides the zine i know back in the 80's/90's you also owned/ran Metal-Core Distribution. Is this still up and running? If yes where can the readers find a current list of merchandise?

CF: No unfor it isn't. I still sell stuff on occassion like I did at a local death metal fest that was in Phila, PA last year and probably will do it again in August of this year. Labels I will sell your stuff at the show, get in touch we can work something out. I do now manage a band called Necrodemon, who play a brual, punishing slab of old schoo, death/black metal, you can check em out at"

www.metalcorefanzine.com/Necro

www.myspace.com/Necrodemon

Patrick: I know you have been a part of the underground metal scene for well over twenty years now. How do you feel the scene has changed over the years? Also i know some people say the "underground scene" is dying or dead would you agree or disagree with this statement?

CF: The scene has changed in many ways. The biggest is easily the internet. I mean you can play a live show and a few hours later one of your songs from your set can be up on You Tube. Or your whole set. Heck how many old videos from back in the day are up there. I have seen almost the whole set Slayer did at The Ritz in NYC from 1986 up there and good quality too. Back in the day you would have to dub VHS tapes (an oldie term ha ha) with a buddy or go throw VHS tape list and stuff. Same thing with demos, as back in the 80's, you would go and trade demos with people by looking at their lists and then they would go and dub the stuff you wanted on a 60 min or 90 min cassette tape. Those were some crazy days. Of course who could forget about stuffing various flyers for bands and zines when you would mail out stuff. I would have piles of that stuff on my desk and when sending out an order I would stuff the envelopes with flyers for other zines and bands. It would be nuts getting various flyers in the mail and passing them around. Also when you would go to shows back in the day, usually you would get a local band handing you out flyers for an upcoming show they were playing and I used to stand outside as people were leaving trying to get them to buy my zine ha ha. Now obviously with sites like My Space, Facebook and even a bands own website it is easier to spread the word about your band also you have various sites that have metal forums and stuff and you have places were you can download music and stuff. The negative thing I see about that is, I think kids will want music just for free and just download the music onto their Ipod or stuff. I still want the CD, with the cover art, the lyrics, etc. I still love going up to Vintage Vinyl and buying CDs. I will say I think there is way too many bad bands out there and it makes it harder for the good bands to get noticed as it is hard for them to get any attention when there is so many bad bands out there. As far as the scene dying, I don't see that. I saw Slayer, Megedeth and Testament last summer here in NJ and there was over 8,000 people there. The Maryland DeathFest in Maryland draws huge crowds ever year. I am sure some places metal has died out or doesn't have a big sceve, but it is far from dying. Shit look at all the bands on My Space, that is unreal. I saw Overkill in NJ a few months ago and the place was packed as packed could be.

Patrick: I guess I should have mixed this in the last question but obviously the biggest change within the underground scene is creation of computers/internet. what is your opinion of the internet in the underground? Do you feel it has helped or hurt the overall scene?

CF: My opinion of the internet is the underground is mixed. Obviously it is easier and faster to get your music out there and stuff with the creation of such sites as My Space, Facebook and other social networks. On the other hand you have way too many bands out there playing the same redundunt shit over and over. If I hear another happy thrash metal band I'll punk. Or that fuckin weak ass deathcore crap with the shouted vocals. That fuckin music my friends is nothing but fuckin garbage. Job For A Cowboy, Five Fingers Of Death and all the bands that sound like them are completely worthless and any fans of those bands and bands like them, need to wake up and smell the coffee. Yeah compare those bands to Kreator, Destruction, Dark Angel and I could go on and on. There is way too many of these nu/jump metal bands on My Space that all have 1000's of so called "friends" when in reality they couldn't sell 2000 records. I do have a My Space and Facebook pages and I do need them to promote the site, but yeah in some ways I wish it was back in the mid 80's and early 90's, but you got to move on. On the plus side of things, i have re-contacted with many old friends from back in the day, so that is cool and hopefully some of these young kids will read about bands like Celtic Frost, Sodom, Vader, Immolation and stuff and seek out their music. I hope so. Also another plus is now I can send out email interviews and the band answers them back and all you have to do is put an intro to it and do a spell check and then you can go post it. No more having to type or transcribe interviews like the good ole days he he. Used to type my old interviews on a word processor, does anybody remember those ha ha?!!!

Patrick: I might be wrong but I believe you have done everything{interviews,reviews,articles} in Metal-Core since the very beginning. Have you ever looked for more "writers" or do you prefer to work alone?

CF: I have done everything on my own and prefer it that way. I don't want to sound arrogant cause that is the last thing I am, but I figure, it has my name on it and stuff so why not do it all by myself. When I was younger I had no problem writing letters and doing reviews as I lived alone and worked the night shift at work, so I would get up in the morning go to the gym and then come home and answer mail and do reviews and go to work. Now again with the internet it is easier to send out interviews via email instead of having to transcribe or type them as I said above, which saves on time, which is precious to me since I am now married and have 2 little beautiful girls to raise.

Patrick: When the day comes that you decide to put Metal-Core to rest for good. {hopefully not for a few years!!} How would you like yourself and Metal-Core zine be remembered?

CF: To be remembered as somebody who way back in the day was a fan of this music and just decided to put out a music fanzine to help spread and support bands that I liked. For somebody who was honest in his reviews of bands and that I hope people enjoyed reading my reviews and interviews. To this day, I don't think I am anybody special, I am just a fan of this music who happens to do a metal based website to help and support bands, labels and other zines. I currently have no plans to shut down Metal Core anytime soon neither.

Patrick: In your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground today and what does the term "underground metal" mean to you?

CF: Well here I am almost 27 years since I first heard "Kill Em All" by Metallica and the best thing about the underground is all the fans, bands, other zine editors, record label people, publicity people etc that I have met and dealt with over the years. All the great bands that have released their incredible music that I have enjoyed over and over and have filled my walkman, and now Ipod, which I use to work out at the gym and have blasted from my car CD player and my CD player at home for almost 30 years now. For all the countless times I have slam danced and staged dived at concerts. The countless zine editors that I have traded zines with and have filled my waking hours reading their interviews and their reviews on stuff, whether I agreed with it or not. That is the best thing I can say is all the countless memories I have had meeting bands and other zine editors at metalfests and what not. The underground has been a big part of my life and will continue to be part of it I hope for a long time to come.

The worst part is all these 6th rate nu metal/jump metal bands thinking they are death metal, when your not even close to being a real death metal band. Way too many shitty bands in the underground now, it makes it extra hard for the good bands to get noticed. Lots of shitty black metal bands putting on corpse paint and just playing fast with no feeling thinking they are "true black metal" Ha, they wouldn't know "true black metal" if it came and spit them in their face. Also way too many gore/grind bands that just sound like a 10th rate Cannibal Corpse and all these gore bands that sound like a 10th rate Suffocation clone band with their super low cup the mic style and those awful fake tin can sounding blast beats, those are so far from being real blast beats it isn't funny. Uh want a blast beat, Try Morbid Angel. Back in the day, you didn't have as many bands and the great bands stood out, now with so many labels and bands, it makes it hard to find the good to great bands, when there is so much crap out there. I get so many digital promos now it isn't even funny. God way too many releases are being put out, many beyond bad. I couldn't imagine being a 20 year old kid and trying to sort through all that stuff to find a good band. There is still plenty of good and some great bands out there. I fuckin hate deathcore vocals and I hate bands that do the "clean" vocal style and mix it in with "death metal" vocals, that is fuckin crap.

Patrick: Well Chris we have reached the end of the interview. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to fill this out. Do you have any final comments?

CF: Wow Patrick I am flattered you would want to interview me, so a horns up for that. You asked some great questions and I hope I gave you some interesting answers. Sorry for the delay in getting this to you, as I don't go on My Space much anymore, but here it is and I hope you can still use it. Any bands that would be interested in sending me some stuff to review, my address will be below. Also any zines, I'd love to trade links and what not and I always like to check out new zines, so point me in your direction. Patrick, again mega thanks for doing this interview with me, it was fun being on the other end of the spectrum so to speak. If anybody wants to get in touch with me for any reason, my address and website info is below and horns up for heavy and keep it heavy....metal till death....

www.metalcorefanzine.com

www.myspace.com/metalcorefanzine

www.facebook.com/metalcorefanzine

Metal Core c/o Chris Forbes PO BOX 622 Marlton, NJ 08053 USA