Zetalambmary

Happy April's Fool 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Yeah, well, many sites have been doing it for years (and still are). So, we decided to join in the fun a little.

Yes, Chester Bennington obviously has no plans of ever going back to the old Linkin Park days. The sky will fall down, shatter, and the resultant spray of tiny shards will rip into Wolverine and tear him apart from the inside out before he will even consider doing it. And of course, we know Wolverine is practically indestructible.

Oh, the dot-com blog is coming along quite nicely. It should be up by the end of this month or next month (again, if things go smoothly). You guys must have noticed since a long time ago that our involvement with this Blogspot blog has been nothing but the opposite of extreme enthusiasm for quite some time now.

We're looking forward to starting with a clean slate and new policies with the upcoming dot-com blog.

See ya.

Linkin Park Frontman Goes Back To Roots

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 06:03:00 +0000

Old Linkin Park fans, rejoice.

Chester Bennington, the irreplaceable frontman of the Californian had-been nu-metal stars, has joined forces with keyboardist Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater on a new project. Dubbed “Flawed Element”, the project harkens back to the golden days of old Linkin Park circa early 2000’s, but with a new symphonic-cum-progressive twist.

When pressed by had-been fans whom went wild after hearing a preview of the upcoming album on Bandcamp, the tattoo enthusiast explained that the name was meant to be a repentance of some sort.

A statement from the frontman’s Facebook page reads:

Yes, the name “Flawed Element” is meant as an apology to the legion of disappointed Linkin Park fans out there. Sorry I estranged all you guys out there for the past half-decade. It took me five years to get my act together, and also realize just how much of an error it was on my part to have dabbled in electronic pop. After witnessing the rise of Skrillex, I decided enough was enough. It has got to be back to real instruments, the basics—guitars, drums, synths and my throaty screams. Jordan [Rudess] has been a real blast to work with, and he really brought my secret admiration for Dream Theater to a whole new level. Look out for a few guest stars as well, and once again guys, I am back.

Flawed Element will begin a headlining tour of America this fall alongside Evanescence, Flyleaf, and Kells. More details can be seen on this page.

Flawed Element – Without You

“Breaking The Silence” is now available for preview at Bandcamp.

The Learning Editor: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:21:00 +0000

It's been such a long time since I visited my own start-up's blog. I have to admit, I was pretty disillusioned with how little attention we are getting over here; which was why I have been contributing to various webzines over the past half year, picking up stuff from how the other webzines run themselves and getting some ideas here and there.

Zen and I actually have big plans for this blog. Unfortunately, due to government-imposed restrictions on personal freedom and our own personal commitments at the moment, ZLM will not be going dot-com anytime soon (Yes, we were actually planning to do so like... a few months ago). Do keep an eye out for issue #2 though-it will be released in its entirety online once its done and will be free to download!

In the mean time, you superbly free people who stumbled upon our unknown little site can browse our "Slaughtered Lambs" section near the bottom of the right-hand column for a list of websites I fancy (and of which there are some I contribute to). Oh yeah, if y'all are wondering what that seemingly random metal album cover is doing up there, well, I recently wrote a review of it for a certain Canadian rock/metal webzine and I needed an online place hosting this image in order for my editor to find it online (contributors aren't allowed to upload images), so here it is! Also, this band is virtually unknown, and googling them turns up nothing, so I guess ZLM should start turning up from now on whenever someone googles "Hellghast"!

Expect to see more writing over there from me over the next few months than over here, and no, I am not revealing my pen names for whichever one of those sites I contribute to. It is more fun to keep you guys guessing! ;-)

P.S.: Although the select few who personally know me on Facebook should be able to tell what are some of my common pseudonyms.

- Wraith

Q&A with Indicator Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:33:00 +0000

The Dogs, as the band like to call themselves, are no newbies to the indie rock scene. Originally formed in 1997 in New Zealand by Dan Young and Val Hunting, the band has only recorded two full-length albums over a span of 14 years, an output much lesser than most other bands. But who is to say that they don't produce quality material? Way before the recording of their two full-length records, their unique sound from their early demos and strong live performances had attracted award winning producer Malcolm Welsford's attention; who immediately offered to produce their debut album, "Anschluss". Welsford teamed up with the Dogs again in recording their sophomore album, "In The Face Of Disagreement", at Infrasonic Sound Studios in Los Angeles, and also gave them the added bonus of a new member, Grammy nominated drummer AAron Rossi of Prong, Ministry and John 5 fame. We catch up with the Dogs via e-mail and find out how they are doing so far.

Zetalambmary: Good day Dogs! It has been 14 years since the band was formed, so how does it feel to finally have a sophomore album out?

Aaron Rossi: I'm excited for ID!! The new album rocks!
Dan Young: Good, thanks.
Tomas Henry: Alright, thanks. How are you?
Val Hunting: Worth the wait for us and you guys.

Zetalambmary: The name of the new record sounds like it is about resisting an established order. Can y’all explain the meaning behind it?

Dan Young: When you buy the album, the artwork contains a short message we wrote which is a distinction of the meaning as we see it.
Tomas Henry: For me, this is one of many songs I’ve written words for with difficult political and social views. On the first record it was the advertising industry’s insistence on creating cripples, either physically or mentally in the population. On this one I had all kinds of different thoughts, one of which is the way we are all full of opinions but spend most of our time yelling at the TV or computer rather than turning it off and getting on with the life outside our door as well as changing the world by the actions you show people how to be with each other.
Val Hunting: We all come up against disagreement in our lives whether it be political, social, personal etc. We all have to prove who we are in the face of that. This record would not have happened if we let the “disagreement” win.

Zetalambmary: How did Malcolm Welsford learn about you guys? Do you all think he did a good job on the new record?

Aaron Rossi: Malcolm produced a great rock record for Indicator Dogs. He used to be a drummer, so we got along really well in the studio.
Dan Young: Malcolm saw us play live and offered to produce some early works, which led to him doing our first record. We became close friends and he brought us all to LA for the second one. I think he nailed the production; he has a gift to feel and understand music spatially... and has a great ear.
Tomas Henry: I think this is the best record Malcolm has ever produced for us, he’s our bro and is in the dog family now. He was the biggest supporter of me coming back to the band and never lost faith in what I was capable of doing once he heard the songs in pre-production with the wood chipper (AAron).
Val Hunting: Malcolm saw that early on people didn’t get us and they tried to change us so he got involved. He knew that we were unique and it was best to let us be ourselves and evolve as artists. The music industry used to support artist development back in the day (unfortunately not so much now), and Malcolm understood that we needed that. I think this record speaks for itself in terms of the quality, both in the maturity of the music and also the production. I love our first record, but this is a whole new level.

Indicator Dogs - Zoo Keeper (8th track off "Anschluss")

Zetalambmary: This album smells so much of indie rock that if you guys go any more indie, hardcore indie rock aficionados will have to drill through kilometres of earth just to dig you all up. Why doesn’t Aaron’s industrial background from his Ministry days turn up in the songs of “In The Face Of Disagreement”?

Aaron Rossi: Ministry's music and style is night and day compared to Indicator Dogs. They're a band whose albums consist of mostly electronic elements and heavy vocals, whereas Indicator is a pure rock band with melodic singing. I suppose Indicator could add more electronic elements and samples, but that would just be weird.
Dan Young: Hehe...I'm down with that. (know what I'm sayin'). Personally, if I was on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and I was sitting at 500k and the final million dollar question was: "The band Indicator Dogs can best be described as; a) Heavy Rock; b) Alternative Rock; c) Indie rock; d) Progressive Rock?"... I would pass & walk away with the 500k as I have no idea how we should be classified! As to Aaron and Ministry ... Aaron is an artist and plays for the songs.
Tomas Henry: Yeah, too close to the band to understand how to answer that too dude. I’ve heard it described as validly fitting into so many styles so, ahh! Sorry.
Val Hunting: I agree with Dan and I think our fans are smart enough to listen to a wide array of genres and be able to discover us. This isn’t industrial music so AAron was able to play differently. That style of playing has its place and AAron does it better than anyone, but he was able to bring more drumming variety to our record because it is a different style to Ministry.

Zetalambmary: On the first record, “Anschluss”, you guys had a much rawer sound as compared to the more radio-friendly sound of the second record, “In The Face Of Disagreement”. Do you all think that you have grown mellow?

Aaron Rossi: I think the band matured musically; the second album is proof.
Dan Young: Yes. I blame the fast cars and long lunches. This is definitely us in our best Sunday Threads. Seriously though, if you listen to both you will still hear the interesting time signatures & rhythms, but the second album is presented in a way to draw the listeners in. This album is more resolved, less conceptual.
Tomas Henry: The other thing to remember is there are two different vocalists on the initial release. You can listen to the original record with just my vocals on it and it’s a different experience. I know that sounds like I’m a wanker and it’s almost certainly true, but because most people don’t realise that the record seems somehow too heavy when Christian (who stood in for me while I was in hospital) yelled and scream-sang, and I yelled, screamed and sang along together too. So with our voices combined, it’s a lot of information to try and take in.
Val Hunting: I actually think that the music is heavier on this record, but the vocals are mellower.

Zetalambmary: The term “indie” can be a very difficult term to be used accurately. Certain “indie” rock bands like Death Cab For Cutie and Neon Trees have grown so famous that it is ironic how their fans still consider them “indie rock”. What are your views on this issue?

Aaron Rossi: I'm not familiar with these famous bands. I would think indie bands are bands on an independent record label. I've only heard the term "indie rock band", not "indie metal band", so it probably has to do with their style, not their status. To me, they're just rock bands.
Dan Young: I think it’s fun discovering a band and playing it for your friends. As to my views about success, I'm all for earning a decent living, and less about the fame.
Tomas Henry: Man, I just get up and do what I do and it’s the greatest thing in the world to make people have fun and feel their joy when you sing to them. I don’t think about some other fucker crying about his wealth and fucking houses; I just sing the songs and the company takes all my money.
Val Hunting: With the current state of the industry, aren’t we all “indie” these days? I agree that it’s a difficult term to use accurately. I remember when “indie” rock was [made up of] bands like REM, U2, STP, Nirvana and they all became famous as well from underground activity. I think “indie” is a term that really means, “the-record-label-will-eventually-catch-on-if-enough-people-think-its-cool” and do something about it which makes them more famous. I think this is what has happened to indie bands over the years, they build their fan base independently and then they get support from labels or investors. It has nothing to do with the style of music that is played or how famous they eventually become.

Indicator Dogs - Summer Storm (5th track off "In The Face Of Disagreement")

Zetalambmary: Do you guys strive to be as successful as them someday?

Aaron Rossi: For sure! We wanna be famous like those bands you're talking about.
Dan Young: Wednesday.
Tomas Henry: Refer to answer above.
Val Hunting: If you define success by money, then yes, Wednesday is good.

Zetalambmary: What are some of your all-time favourite records?

Aaron Rossi: Death - Symbolic. Rush - Exit Stage Left. Sublime - 40oz To Freedom. Slayer - Divine Intervention. Yanni - Live At The Acropolis. Maynard Ferguson - Live From San Francisco.
Dan Young: PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. Fugazi – Repeater. Fugazi - End Hits. Refused – The Shape Of Punk To Come: A Chimerical Bombination In 12 Bursts.
Tomas Henry: The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Beethoven’s 6th, 7th and 9th Symphonies. Sinatra’s Christmas record. Bad Brains – Rock For Light. Bad Brains – Quickness.
Val Hunting: (Seriously, how much time do you have!) Fugazi – Repeater. Fugazi – 13 Songs. Kate Bush – The Dreaming. PJ Harvey – Dry. Kate Bush – The Dreaming. Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love. Mastodon – Crack the Skye. Mastodon – Blood Mountain. Vision Of Disorder – From Bliss To Devastation. Vision Of Disorder – Imprint. Skinlab – Bound, Gagged & Blindfolded. Girl Talk – All Day. Kronos Quartet – Phillip Glass String Quartets. Echo & the Bunnymen – Heaven Up Here… and about 50,000 more I didn’t mention.....

Zetalambmary: What about your influences and the musician each one of you admire the most?

Aaron Rossi: Jimi Hendrix.
Dan Young: Abstract painting. Prince.
Tomas Henry: David Turner, gut reaction and contemplation are wonderful places to create from. Handel.
Val Hunting: Dan and Tom influence me as well as the art of creating unique harmonies; the less travelled musical path. Kate Bush.

Zetalambmary: Had the North American tour with Killing Joke still went on as originally planned, what would have been the first thing each one of you would say or do to Jaz Coleman when you all saw him?

Aaron Rossi: Hey Jaz!!
Dan Young: Offer him one of Mama Rossi's cookies.
Tomas Henry: Give him a hug and tell how bad we feel for his band then ask him about some quantum string theory I've been thinking about.
Val Hunting: Tell him he could have Mama Rossi’s cookies but NOT the pumpkin or lemon slice.

Zetalambmary: Have you all ever thought of asking Dan to design a unique recording studio just for Indicator Dogs?

Aaron Rossi: Ya, we'll call it the Indicator Dog Pound.
Dan Young: Haha! I’m pretty sure I slept through Acoustics theory at university... but I know Tom and Val would bounce ideas off me for their Mansions.
Tomas Henry: Yes, and we have already talked at great length about such a thing.
Val Hunting: Of course, he would ace it with German precision.

"In The Face Of Disagreement" was released on 24th May, 2011 through Rocket Science Ventures.

Silverstein Feature: From Broken and Easily Fixed to Rescue with Shane Told

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 04:13:00 +0000

Every now and then you get a band that may not be massively popular like mainstream acts, but still popular enough to garner a huge following of heart-broken teenagers and wistful young adults across the globe. When I first encountered such a band in the form of Silverstein 6 years ago, my fate as a Silverstein diehard was sealed. The band became the essential soundtrack to my teenagehood. Amidst the plethora of punk rock, metalcore and hard rock bands that I was devouring back then, Silverstein was the flawless gem among a pile of uncut gems, the audio diary of a troubled me from a parallel world, and ultimately an entity that I could truly connect with and feel for.

And why wouldn’t any normal teenager feel this way? Afterall, these were just a bunch of ordinary guys from Toronto, Canada. As the start of the second millenium rolled in eleven years ago, the band was conceived, even when most of them had only just gotten out of high school; just like any other band everyday kids who were into punk rock, hardcore and emo would form. Of course, the one big difference was that Silverstein eventually managed to land a record deal with Chicago-based independent powerhouse, Victory Records. Frontman and vocalist Shane Told was reportedly said to have been working at a shop selling printer cartridges prior to receiving a call from Tony Brummel (owner of Victory) himself.

As with all first time signees, Shane was obviously elated to know that Silverstein was actually going somewhere then and no longer just a casual thing he and the rest of the gang did for fun, and look how far they have gone today. With the release of 2003’s critically acclaimed “When Broken Is Easily Fixed”, Silverstein quickly climbed in popularity in comparison to the rest of the Victory roster, selling more than 200, 000 copies in North America alone and earning their hit song “Smashed Into Pieces” a slot on the Victory Records Sampler of that era. Things have sailed smoothly for them since then, with the subsequent release of their landmark and sophomore album “Discovering The Waterfront”, which did even better than their debut and paved the way to a highly successful career ever since. It is also not very often you come across a band that has been in existence for 11 years so far that has the same line-up from 10 years ago. Most bands tend to change at least one or two members within a span of 2 to 3 years, some even the entire line-up a few albums later, but to have all 5 members for a decade?

“We don’t know how other bands work, and we’ve all only been in one band, so for us, you know, we just try to respect each other and we know kinda when to leave each other alone and when to talk about problems that we have, but for the most part, we are all pretty easy-going about things and we just kind of do it. I mean, yeah, it’s been good and we’ve all kind of been on the same level, we’ve all got the same goals. I think with the band, we’ve all agreed musically and where we want to go with things, and that is the best thing,” Shane says.

Halfway through the above response, Josh came into the changing room to retrieve something and jokingly tried to elbow one of his pals in the face, as if trying to show that they were really not that tight as a band. Flashing a cheeky grin after he was done, he exited the changing room. If there’s another thing I love to see in my favourite bands, it would be a sense of humour!

One remembers fondly of the early days when Shane’s screams and growls were still raw and his singing had a weak tone range (c. “Summer’s Stellar Gaze”, “When The Shadows Beam” and “When Broken Is Easily Fixed). The guitars back then just screamed of punk rock and hardcore as well, so it was definitely a real ear-opener for fans when they heard the highly polished metalcore-style single, “Vices”, from the band’s fourth full-length record (and first concept album), 2009’s “A Shipwreck In The Sand”. Never before had Silverstein sounded so heavy and intense. On 2011’s fifth album, “Rescue”, Shane had described its sound to be a crossover of “Discovering The Waterfront” and “A Shipwreck In The Sand”, a melding of the heartfelt ballad approach of the former and the brutal take from the latter; both of which are works of great musical maturity. But what about the lyrics? How much more mature have they become?

Shane pauses to ponder about the question for a brief moment before answering, “Yeah, it’s a good question, I’d say so. For instance, early on in our band’s career, I don’t think there were any sort of songs about politics or songs about, you know, the world and issues with that, and I think that as I have gotten older, those things have become more important to me. I think that’s one thing that’s sort of come out in our music a little bit, it’s making statements about certain sort of political issues in that, so I think definitely, in that sense, it has. Yeah.”

In case any of you reading this still doesn’t know, Silverstein are a bunch of guys who care a lot about animal welfare too. Music isn’t everything in their lives, and they are really zealous in their beliefs, being practising vegetarians/vegans since they were teenagers. They are strong supporters of the animal welfare website, Peta2.com, and according to their interview on that website, they have always found exploiting animals for food, fur and other products just not the right thing to do.

“Well, we are only both vegan [points at Billy Hamilton], and the rest of us are vegetarian, and I think if you asked each one of us, we’d give you a slightly different reason, further reasons [on why they turned vegetarian/vegan]. I’d say for me, I think you can live a healthy lifestyle, if not, a more healthy lifestyle than somebody who eats meat, without having to harm a [sentient] living thing. So that’s personally, for me, why I do it.“

By the way, Shane really fell down at the end of the music video.

Going back to Silverstein’s history, many music fans and critics have labeled Silverstein as one of the main pioneers of post-hardcore. So, had it really been the band’s intention to come up with such a crossover style right from the start?

“It was, absolutely. I think we came from a background where we had a lot of different influences, you know, and we had a lot of different styles of music that were popular in our hometown and it was very all over the place. It was everything from punk rock to hardcore to ska to emo and for us, I think we loved all those kinds of music equally and our whole intention was just to bring them together and fuse them together. I think that’s where we kind of got our sound and it’s great, you know, that worked out like that, so it’s a special thing.”

After hearing that, A Day To Remember just popped into my mind, and I promptly questioned Shane if they were really good friends since they seemed to be playing in a style quite similar to Silverstein’s.

“Yeah, and we know them really well. I guess I don’t know how much of an influence we were on them, but it’s interesting you know, and I think they are a little bit different ‘cos they are tuned down a little more lower and they kind of do a little more of the double-kick, breakdown thing, and we don’t do it as much, so I think we have different sort of takes but I think our influences are kind of the same.”

Having been on their debut label Victory Records for a good 7 years, one might at first think that Silverstein would feel a little regretful for leaving the label that groomed them to become what they are today. But surprise—it turns out that even these affable guys have gotten sick and tired of Tony Brummel’s overly-business approach to the art of recording music. Shane had mentioned in interviews on other websites that he was disillusioned with how Victory Records was run more like a corporation than an independent record label because “they are very driven on what’s gonna sell, how many copies of whatever they’re gonna sell, and a lot of times that held us [Silverstein] back from a lot of the things that we wanted to do.” (as extracted from AMP Magazine)

“No, absolutely no regrets. I mean, we did four albums with them and we had the best of times and there were the worst of times as they say, and you know, we just decided that we had some other options on where to go, like other labels and the business side, and Hopeless [Records] is a much better fit for us as a label,” Shane says with surety.

And about his own record label that was set up to help fellow Canadian bands, Verona Records? Well, Shane still does it on top of Silverstein. “I still do it, yeah,” Shane says. “And Counterparts was the last band on it and they are actually on Victory Records now. And I did some other great releases, and I continue to help out bands that are Canadian and stuff.”

Moving on to the million-dollar question, I asked Shane how he switches between his harsh vocals and clean singing so effortlessly, and how he ensures his voice is well taken care of. I must have been the millionth person to ask him that.

"A lot of people ask me that, and I don’t know, I just do it. I don’t have a lot of training, I haven’t taken all those lessons and stuff, I just kind of do the right thing. It’s something that I enjoy and I enjoy switching it up. It gives our band a lot of dynamics I think, between soft and heavy; and I like it."

“I drink a lot of water and I try to get a lot of sleep. Other than that, there’s no special remedies. It’s like some people say they don’t eat dairy or whatever, that messes them up. It doesn’t affect me, I mean as long as I’m drinking enough water and sleeping enough, I’m pretty good. Oh, if I get sick, that sucks too.”

As with many foreign bands whom are on their virgin visit to the little sunny island of Singapore, Silverstein were pretty excited about seeing some of the famous tourist spots. Bassist Billy Hamilton was so taken with the Merlion that halfway through the gig, he proclaimed that his next tattoo was going to be that of a Merlion, and that “that shit is cool, man.” Silverstein was also supposed to drop by a local radio station by the name of Power 98 for an interview in the morning of their first day in Singapore, but only Paul and Billy managed to turn up in the end as the other three were beat from the long flight the night before and resting up at their hotel room. This was especially understandable for Shane since he had to recuperate his voice from a soldout night at Taipei, Taiwan the day before. Since Shane wasn’t there while the deejays asked them what had they thought of Singapore before they arrived, I decided to pose the same question to him.

“Right, what I think of it? You know, it’s funny ‘cos I have a very good friend that I grew up with who was from Singapore, so he’d go over every summer and he’d always talk about how nice it was, so I always kind of pictured it how it is I guess. But then it’s funny what you hear about in the news, like the kid who spray painted the car and got caned—I’m sure you guys remember that ‘cos it was big news—and you know, you hear about the drug-smuggling and how they put people to death and stuff. So you hear that stuff, and I think you come here and you are a little bit scared that it’s gonna be really like everywhere you go there’s going to be police and stuff, but it’s really not. It’s like a lot more laidback than I thought, so I was thinking it was going to be a little more like uptight, but it’s actually pretty chill.” [ZLM]

- Wraith

Seth Putnam (of Anal Cunt) Passes Away at 43

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 13:46:00 +0000

ANAL CUNT's publicist, Kim Kelly of Catharsis PR, has confirmed via Twitter that the band's frontman, Seth Putnam, died earlier today (Saturday, June 11) of a suspected heart attack. He was 43 years old.

Commented Kelly: "Yes, it's true. Seth Putnam, one of the most infamous musicians that extreme metal has ever seen, the grindcore GG Allin, has passed away due to a heart attack.

"I handled all the promotion for ANAL CUNT's last album, 'Fuckin' A', and Seth was always happy to oblige any request I sent his way. The band had been working on a new album before his passing, so chances are his musical career's epitaph has yet to be inscribed.

"I want to remind everyone that no matter how outrageous and controversial his musical career has been, Seth was still a human being with friends and family that loved him. I'm hoping that the Internet will remember that. This is a very sad and trying time for those that knew him, and the last thing they need to see is an outpouring of message board hate. The man lived and died by his own rules; if anything, respect him for that."

1st screenshot hinting at Seth's demise

2nd screenshot confirming Seth's demise

Putnam was known for his brutal screaming and lyrics that either shock, offend, or invoke morbid humor. Throughout his career, Putnam was involved in many side projects, including providing backing vocals on PANTERA's "The Great Southern Trendkill" album.

Putnam was born on May 15, 1968, in or around Boston, Massachusetts to father Edward R. Putnam and mother Barbara Ann Donohue. Both he and his parents are divorced.

In the mid-1980s, Putnam played bass in the thrash metal band EXECUTIONER.

On October 12, 2004, Putnam was hospitalized after ingesting two months' worth of Ambien sleeping pills. It was reported that he spent the previous day contemplating suicide, although exact circumstances surrounding the drug overdose are vague.

Putnam's reaction to the irony of his having been in a coma after previously writing the song "You're In A Coma" was published in the Boston Phoenix. "Actually, it turned out it was just as gay as the song I wrote nine years ago — being in a coma was just as fuckin' stupid as I wrote it was," he was quoted as saying.

The One & Only Seth: He may have had such a twisted sense of humour and foul mouth, but he's dead now; at least show him some respect for bringing comic relief to the extreme metal community (a thankless and difficult job that not many would want to undertake given that it makes them hate magnets).

Anal Cunt - 88 Song EP (Side A)

Anal Cunt - Song #8

Anal Cunt - I Couldn't Afford to Buy You a Present (So I Wrote You This Song)

Anal Cunt - Limp Bizkit Think They're Black, But They're Just Gay

Seth Putnam may have probably been extreme metal's most notorious and hated man while he was still alive, but we can't deny that his unique brand of offensive and random humour brought much light-heartedness to an underground community that often drowns in an overly-dark and overly-serious atmosphere. He probably had an overdose of drugs which led to his suspected heart attack (as was what happened to dear Paul Gray of Slipknot last year) that robbed him of his life — and the extreme metal community of Anal Cunt's 10th and 11th full-length studio albums which were still being worked on when the man himself met his unfortunate and untimely demise.

R.I.P. Seth Putnam, the extreme metal community will probably never see another insanely wacky individual such as yourself ever again.

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Credits: News taken from various sources seeing as how the Internet is so bloody big, Seth's picture at the top is taken from his own Facebook profile, and the screenshots from his publicist's Twitter postings are grabbed from Blabbermouth.net

Q&A with Satan's Host

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Some bands make great music... but just never got to make it big. Satan's Host is one of them, and these peers of Iron Maiden are going back to explore their blackened power metal roots from their early years with the release of their fifth and latest studio effort, "By The Hands Of The Devil". Underground they may still be, but Satan's Host still haven't forgotten how to make darn good NWoBHM-ish music on this latest album!

Zetalambmary: Firstly, allow me to express my congratulations to the band for 34 years of existence thus far! When the band was first formed back in 1977, bands with overtly satanic names like this were still not very common. What prompted you guys to come up with such a name?

Patrick Evil: Originally, I wanted a name that would stand against Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin and all the other great bands of that time.
Evil Little Hobbit: Patrick Evil came up with the name when he was a teenager. He felt he had to come up with an evil name that was better than Black Sabbath.

Zetalambmary: You all are almost as old as the titanic Iron Maiden. In fact, both Iron Maiden and Satan’s Host seem to share some similar traits musically, such as the high-pitched wails done by the vocalists and the NWoBHM-ish guitar riffs. Yet you all have a lyrical theme that is dark and unconventional for a band that has a heavy/power metal playing style. So between Iron Maiden and Venom, which band would you guys consider to be a bigger influence on the band?

Patrick Evil: I would say that for me, both of these bands had a great fire that I had interest in.
Margar: Venom is a great band and I enjoy their work, especially “Black Metal”, but Iron Maiden has definitely been a bigger influence.
Evil Little Hobbit: For me it’s Iron Maiden. I’ve been an avid fan since I was a kid; both Clive Burr and Nicko McBrain have been huge influences on me. But as far as what Satan’s Host is all about, I’d have to say that both Iron Maiden and Venom have been an influence.

Zetalambmary: America is also home to the famed Kamelot led by suave frontman Roy Khan. Have you all ever considered moving Satan’s Host towards the direction of modern power metal by incorporating keyboards into your music and lyrical themes that deal with humane problems like questioning the purpose of existence and human solitude?

Patrick Evil: No, I would say I have always been a fan of the more extreme forms of music that are aggressive and guitar-cum-vocal driven. I do like keyboards if they are written in a certain way for the mood of the song.
Evil Little Hobbit: We have had keyboards in past albums, Patrick used to use them before, and the thought of bringing them back is always a possibility. I think the themes we have in “By the Hands of the Devil” does have a lot of questioning, but not on the purpose of our existence, but more about where we came from, what’s happening around us, and more about uniting against the lies and enslavement of the human race by governments and religious ideologies.

Zetalambmary: Do you guys think that there is such a thing as a “black metal star”?

Patrick Evil: It all goes into the conception of thought and mortality; it would be in the way you would look at the star. To me, all great people are different kinds of stars in their own way.
Margar: Sure, there are plenty of black metal stars.

The channelers of Satan - Clockwise from top-left: Leviathan Thisiren (Vocals), Patrick Evil (Guitars), Margar (Bass Guitar) and Evil Little Hobbit (Drums)

Zetalambmary: When Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection was still alive, he often criticised that most of the black metal groups that are active in the global metal scene aren’t truly satanic in the very essence of the word itself, but are “mentally passive, easily-guided apathetic flocks of cattle”. Do you all agree with him?

Patrick Evil: I would agree with him. I think that many people just follow like sheep and don’t strive to create their own sounds and beliefs.
Evil Little Hobbit: Yes. But that is just a human trait in any formal organization. The thing with Satanism is to live as an individual.

Zetalambmary: What kind of beliefs does each one of you hold and what kind of messages do you all want to bring across in the music of Satan’s Host?

Patrick Evil: I think as individuals we all have our own belief systems, mine being spiritual and Satanic. There are so many ways to open the mind; I think it is hard just to limit yourself to certain beliefs. I think there are so many avenues of mystery to be explored and applied in what we wish to attain.
Margar: I don't hold any religious beliefs whatsoever. Because of this, I like to leave the messages to the other guys. I care more about making good music than sending a message.
Evil Little Hobbit: The truth is in the unopened mind, seek enlightenment.

Zetalambmary: What are the 5 favourite albums ever for each one of you and which metal musician do you all admire the most?

Patrick Evil: I am not sure I could limit it to 5 albums. I would say “Blizzard of Ozz” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Heaven and Hell” by Black Sabbath, “Led Zeppelin 4” by Led Zeppelin, “Black Metal” by Venom, “Killers” by Iron Maiden, “Master of Disguise” by Savage Grace and many others.
Margar: Right now, it would probably be “Blackwater Park” by Opeth, “Sailing the Seas of Cheese” by Primus, “Horrorshow” by Iced Earth, “Viva Emptiness” by Katatonia and “Fate of Norns” by Amon Amarth. But that list changes about once a week depending on what mood I am in. I would have to say that I admire Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth because he is such an unbelievably talented musician and I like how he composes his music.
Evil Little Hobbit: “Powerslave” by Iron Maiden, “Melissa” by Mercyful Fate, “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd, “Sons of Northern Darkness” by Immortal and “Moving Pictures” by Rush. I admire King Diamond the most.

Zetalambmary: Since Harry’s rejoining of Satan’s Host last year, how do the other members feel about his contributions to the band so far?

Patrick Evil: With Harry, the sky is the limit. We can do anything we have ever dreamed of and more. There is so much room to grow and evolve as a band. We have such great chemistry together.
Margar: It has definitely been a welcome change. I am both proud and honoured to have the opportunity to work with such an incredible vocalist.
Evil Little Hobbit: Harry is stellar. He is a great vocalist, a great musician, a great friend and he has done all he can do to contribute.

Zetalambmary: The latest record, “By The Hands Of The Devil”, takes a nostalgic step back in time to Satan’s Host’s original power metal musical style and departs from the death metal musical style of the late ‘90s to 2009. How has fan reception of this new, or rather, old Satan’s Host been so far and how do you guys feel about it?

Patrick Evil: I think so far it has been an amazing reaction to this album. We wanted to go against the norm and invent something that has been lost for a very long time.
Margar: So far the fan reception has been great. It's satisfying to have something that we have worked so hard on be met with such good reviews.

Zetalambmary: Are you guys going to embark on any tours soon?

Patrick Evil: We do really want to go on tour because we live to play live. At the same time, we are loving song-writing and recording because we have so much fire inside of ourselves to create. We will tour and get the music out there to the fans, it is all just a matter of timing and to make sure we do it right!

Zetalambmary: Will you all ever consider coming to Asia to perform?

Patrick Evil: Of course, we know how passionate the fans are over there. All anyone has to do is make us offers and set up shows and Satan’s Host will play anywhere!
Margar: If the opportunity arises, the answer would be “Yes”.
Evil Little Hobbit: We want to hit every corner of the Earth at some point.

Zetalambmary: Before we end off, does any one of you think that Beethoven would probably make a pretty good heavy metal musician if he was still alive today?

Patrick Evil: I think he would make the ultimate metal musician, you can hear it in all of his works. Give him the technology we have and music would explode from him!
Margar: Without a doubt. Since metal has roots embedded so deep into classical music, he would probably be undeniably great.

"By The Hands Of The Devil" was released on 3rd May, 2011 through Moribund Records.

Q&A with Richard Patrick of Filter

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sat, 21 May 2011 13:33:00 +0000

Filter, the 30 Seconds To Mars of the alternative metal scene, is one band that piqued the interest of many extreme metallers worldwide during fall last year. Their latest studio album "The Trouble With Angels" had its distribution in Europe secured with famed extreme metal label, Nuclear Blast!

Nonetheless, regardless of whether you are an extreme metaller or not, Filter's music will most probably still warrant at least a listen from most people. It is pretty easy on the ears, and the heartfelt clean singing from our dear interviewee here is what puts the "alternative" into the metal for them. So without further ado, let's have a little chat with Richard!

Zetalambmary: Hello there Richard, pardon us for asking this a tad bit too late, but is there any significance behind the band’s name?

Richard: The band’s name “Filter” came from just the overall functionality of the brain. Everybody’s brain is a filter.

Zetalambmary: You used to play guitar in NIN. After so many years, have you ever regretted leaving NIN and setting up Filter?

Richard: Nope! I quit that band and never looked back. I had a blast when I was in it but I just never felt comfortable in that situation.

Zetalambmary: Do you feel that you have matured in any way with Filter over the years?

Richard: I think everybody matures. I think every band matures. I think it’s healthy to explore. Have you ever thought your writing has changed as a journalist?

Zetalambmary: Have you ever considered dabbling in noise music?

Richard: Yes! I created my children! They take every musical instrument I have and make tons of noise. They are the best and they will kick ass over any other noise band in the world.
That is a challenge, world!

Zetalambmary: So “The Trouble With Angels” is indeed a heavier album than “Anthems For The Damned” as you promised it would be. Is it a sonic representation of your frustration at anything while you were recording the album?

Richard: I had a blast on that record! I can't wait to do a little tour over there in Europe. I hope it leads to greater things.

Zetalambmary: Based on earlier interviews you have done, the lyrical content of the latest album seems quite eclectic. I mean, it ranges from touching on the friction between Galileo and the Church to talking about your intoxicated past. Is there an overarching theme linking these lyrical subjects together?

Richard: You've gotta speak your mind. It needs to come naturally...
I'm actually getting to a point where I want people to take what they want from my lyrics, and for me not to give it all away…

Zetalambmary: News has it that you have been working on new songs for movie soundtracks again. Do you constantly work on movie soundtracks so as to gain more exposure for Filter?

Richard: Yes, I'm actually writing a movie right now. It's so much fun.

Zetalambmary: Ever considered acting in a movie instead of making music for it?

Richard: Acting is fun, I love acting. I'm going to continue to do it all!

Zetalambmary: Do you see yourself working together with fellow Rocket Science Ventures label mate Clown from The Black Dots of Death in the future?

Richard: As long as I'm on the bottom! ;)

Mmhmm.

Zetalambmary: Nearly 9 years have passed since you successfully completed rehab. How were those 9 years without alcohol and drugs? Do you still feel the urge to smoke or drink these days?

Richard: Thanks for noticing! Not until September 28th is it 9 years. I am so fucking done with drugs and alcohol. It is sometimes hard to remember that I was that guy. I love being sober.

MASTODON'S BRENT HINDS Is Busy With Two New Projects!

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sat, 14 May 2011 04:17:00 +0000

Mastodon's Brent Hinds Presents:
WEST END MOTEL And FIEND WITHOUT A FACE
Full-Length Debuts To Be Released As A Two-CD Set Via Rocket Science June 7!

Mastodon mastermind/guitarist Brent Hinds is proud to unleash two very special projects this year: WEST END MOTEL and FIEND WITHOUT A FACE.

FIEND WITHOUT A FACE are a rockabilly/porno/metal concoction mixed with a bit of a country, surf guitar and applesauce on the side. They've been rockin' house parties for nearly two decades, but word on the street is that they're about to go legit thanks to Rocket Science! The self-titled debut features 13 tracks of singular awesomeness that needs to be experienced by anyone looking for a bit of adventure in their listening outings. Like a fat man sending back soup, these boys are on a mission for the world’s condition. FIEND WITHOUT A FACE are armed and dangerous, packing just pantyhose, a fez and a bit of Vyvanse.

WEST END MOTEL are a conglomerate of losers, poets and hobo-sexuals. Tom Cheshire met Hinds in Atlanta on a corner under a bridge in 1993. They were panhandling and drinking cough syrup and before long, music began spewing from their pores. Songs were written on an acoustic guitar and a bucket with the occasional toy piano in the background. Late nights turned into early mornings and much booze was consumed. They write and sing for the underdog and give the listener a glimmer of hope. Originally, they aimed for a Simon And Garfunkel hanging out with Ethel Merman but the end product sounds more like Nick Cave fronting Gogol Bordello. The songs take on a life of their own and no two tracks sound alike. Throw Mike Shina, Stiff Penalty and Ben Thrower into the mix and you got yourself one good time. WEST END MOTEL are now an official collective and are ready to get down to proverbial business with nine-track debut Don’t Shiver, You’re A Winner. 2011 is their year and they’re on a mission with no luggage. The band took over Brooklyn this past fall, where rich men, housewives, home bums and a garbageman danced in the streets. The West Coast is next, then the world. These men love music and write for people who love music. It's that simple. They write songs of loss and laughter and occasionally offer a new lease on life. They’re a gospel band, a soul band, a band of gypsies… Hear for yourself.

FIEND WITHOUT A FACE and WEST END MOTEL will be released as a two-CD set via Rocket Science Inc. on June 7, 2011. Said Hinds of the recordings: "I feel like a thousand umpa lumpas have been lifted from my back. I want to thank everyone that made this possible.. in the time it took to put these two albums out, I wrote five more, so whoever likes this kind of stuff, there's a lot more where this came from."

You can pre-order the CD/bundles & received a free download from each band HERE.
Listen to a stream of FIEND WITHOUT A FACE’s “Tsunami” & WEST END MOTEL’s “I Like It A Lot” at the following locations:
http://fiendwithoutaface.viinyl.com
http://westendmotel.viinyl.com

Brent Hinds Presents FIEND WITHOUT A FACE and WEST END MOTEL
2-CD Set

DISC 1:
FIEND WITHOUT A FACE
01. Calypso
02. Black Grass
03. Green Slime
04. Cha-Cha
05. Bank Robbin Bandits
06. Tsunami
07. Hot Rod
08. New York
09. Don’t Like
10. Cosmonaut
11. Stupido
12. Get Straight
13. Volcano

DISC 2:
WEST END MOTEL
Don’t Shiver, You’re A Winner
01. The Confident Wino/...And We Are Here To Entertain You
02. The Devil Called Me Tommy
03. I Like It A Lot
04. She's On Fire
05. Under My Skin
06. Silly Old Song
07. Highwaters

Brent Hinds talks about West End Motel's beginnings and its first album

ABOUT ROCKET SCIENCE INC. - Rocket Science Inc. is a premier label services engine that provides comprehensive record label departmental needs under one roof. Rocket Science Ventures expands on this concept by adding a release funding and Sony/RED distribution option while still providing artists and management the ability maintain ownership rights and control. Coupled with the extensive and accountable in-house services, Rocket Science Ventures offers a turnkey solution with a focus on execution.

http://www.Myspace.com/westendmotel

http://www.Myspace.com/fiendwithoutafaceband

http://www.Mastodonrocks.com

http://www.Myspace.com/mastodon

http://www.Facebook.com/mastodon

http://www.myrocketscience.com

http://www.rocketscienceventures.com

For review copies, interview requests or further info, contact Matt.Threat@myrocketscience.com

* * * *

Q&A with Cernunnos of Hæresiarchs Of Dis

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:55:00 +0000

Even though our interview with Californian one-man black metal project Hæresiarchs Of Dis was done through an e-mail exchange, it still did not prevent us from feeling a cold, grim and evil aura seeping through the computer screen from Cernunnos's interview response. From topics regarding his musical background and influences all the way to his views on music trends, Cernunnos shares with us his insightful views on those issues plus more!

Zetalambmary: You have probably been asked this question many times before already, but what is the significance behind naming your project Hæresiarchs of Dis?

Cernunnos: There is no great significance behind the name Hæresiarchs of Dis. At the time of inception a leading inspiration came from Dante’s Inferno. This led to Dis—as in the city and the name for the demo
CD I released during spring last year—but as time passed I opted for a name that delivered greater depth. In this case, I
decided on Hæresiarchs of Dis: A heretic of the city of Dis. Part of this decision was out of necessity for a name that better suited the complexity and direction I felt the project was heading. Dis had been used many times over by other bands, and the more I thought about it, the more the name Hæresiarchs of Dis rang true. I was adamant about choosing a name that strayed away from the cliché and anything that was an expected standard in metal. It is amusing when I see someone gripe about the name, making comments like it is incomprehensible or unwieldy. A perfect example of how metal is perceived to be “simple” in some eyes.

Zetalambmary: What kind of musical instruments and sound effects (if any) are used in your music?

Cernunnos: The core instruments I use for Hæresiarchs of Dis include two of four electric guitars, one acoustic/ electric guitar, an electric bass, an upright piano, and several software programs that include a variety of instruments and effects. The ambient sounds I create come from a voice recorder or samples which are later manipulated with time effects, modulations, or extreme tone drops.

Zetalambmary: Musically speaking, unlike the more popular forms of black metal such as blackened death or black thrash, ambient black metal does not rely heavily on syncopated rhythms and catchy tunes to attract fans. What do you think is the draw of ambient black metal?

Cernunnos: I do not differentiate between sub-genres, and find it ridiculous that people have a need to do so. To me, they are all part of the same ilk, falling under the larger umbrella of black metal. Although the term black metal has “metal” in it, really it is the mood and subject matter that defines a project of this nature and not always the heavy metal part. It is rather amusing to see how music has unfolded into more and more sub genres. I, however, do not feel Hæresiarchs of Dis is ambient, as many tracks include heavy riffs and constructed song structures. The parts that are not “metal” range in variety, and the ambience that prevails is in the mood of the music, not often the song format. The draw of ambient black metal that you put forth in a question is in the morose emptiness, or lack of familiar musical ground. It is the open uninhibited soundscape of ambient black metal that intrigues many listeners.

Zetalambmary: What kind of lyrical themes does Hæresiarchs of Dis deal with?

Cernunnos: It varies between albums. There are the continuous themes of religion, death, and destruction, but more recently there is the dominant suggestion about Man and his inability to fathom his own true fate. It is through the desecration of the soul that revelation is revealed, and ultimate truth attained.

Zetalambmary: Is there any particular poet you revere?

Cernunnos: Most notable within my releases is inspiration from Dante and Milton. The track “In Remembrance
of He Who Defied God” is my musical interpretation of a particular piece of poignant text from Paradise Lost. I do
not think I revere any poets, although there are numerous literary greats that I hold in high regard.

Zetalambmary: Do you think extreme music as a whole, including black metal, can be considered a bold and experimental extension of classical music (read: Baroque to 20th Century)?

Cernunnos: The idea behind what music is does not change. We’d like to think we are modern and at the forefront of art, but really everything is borrowed from something else. Comfortably we call this inspiration, but music is created by available ideas and methods, where current times dictate what medium this inspiration is conveyed in. Currently the format of metal best conveys a lot of my ideas and emotions, but who is to say I would not be using a full orchestra if this was the 17th century, and who’s to say that Paganini would not be a flamboyant electric guitar player if he had been born in modern times.

Zetalambmary: So are there any classical composers you particularly look up to and draw musical inspiration from?

Cernunnos: There are many. Classical music has always been an inspiration in my endeavours. Wagner and Mozart come to mind off hand as many compositions by them inspired me as a child. There are many others, and I am always expanding my classical library. Offhand I have found influence in Chopin, Janáček, Liszt, Debussy, and Sibelius to name a few.

Zetalambmary: What about the FWoBM musicians?

Cernunnos: Metal for me really struck home in the early 80’s. A powerful influence on me at the time was early thrash bands and others of that ilk, but only a couple of bands of that decade have lingered in my influences as time has gone by, including Mercyful Fate and Celtic Frost. The batch of early black metal bands did not influence me until later, after I had started the project. There are too many black metal bands I enjoy, both current and first wave, to mention. I tend to acquire anything and everything I can get my hands on, whether CDs, vinyl or MP3s, and there is little in this genre that I dislike.

Zetalambmary: In an interview with Metal Underground, you mentioned that Hæresiarchs of Dis does not do live shows because it is “a very personal and reclusive experience”. This trait is reminiscent of bands like Deathspell Omega. Just for curiosity’s sake, however oxymoronic this may sound to you, do bands like you guys actually get into contact with one another?

Cernunnos: I do not have any relations or communications with other bands. This is not intentional in an attempt to maintain some off-limits attitude, rather I have no interest. I do not do black metal to be in a community. I am not interested in performances or relations with others. I have played shows and been in bands in the past, and I am done with it. The whole rock star thing is stupid. This music is not about that, rather it is my personal extreme expression delivered in the semi-tangible form of music. Music is after all another form of art, and it is not uncommon for artists to want to be left alone. This is not to say that the future may not hold collaborations with other musicians, just not something right now I see any point in or would actively look for.

Zetalambmary: If Hæresiarchs of Dis is really such a personal experience, why do you still promote your works through record labels like Moribund Records?

Cernunnos: Interesting question. When I say “personal experience”, I am referring directly to “understanding”. I do not expect anyone to completely understand Hæresiarchs Of Dis the way I do. It is uniquely mine in many ways. I am the sole creator and operator of this project and it needs to remain that way in order for it to still strike a chord inside me. I do not share the music with individuals, but people in general—those I have no relations with—I have always had the intent to spread it regardless of my attitude towards others, getting it to those who appreciate this kind of project. This does not mean I want to be friends with everyone. I do not have a hand in promotion of my material, the label does that, but we are not talking about a huge corporate label, rather a niche field of extreme art.

Zetalambmary: The time gap between your third full-length record, “Denunciatus Cinis” and the new album “In Obsecration of the Seven Darks” is only one year. How much has Hæresiarchs of Dis grown within this period?

Cernunnos: “In Obsecration of the Seven Darks” was composed and recorded during post-production of “Denuntiatus Cinis” last year. In reality, the album was done before “Denuntiatus Cinis” was released, but I wanted to spend some time away from it before entering post-production. To answer your question, I do not think Hæresiarchs Of Dis has grown in any way during this time. In fact, I feel the project has been more or less the same from the original onset many years ago. Production may vary between releases due to changes in equipment or software, but the ideas and concepts and song structures have remained consistent.

Zetalambmary: Do you foresee any radical changes in the musical style of Hæresiarchs of Dis in the future? If not, would you ever consider exploring less cacophonous musical realms while still retaining the messages you want to bring across in your music?

Cernunnos: After the release of “Overture” a couple of years ago, I told Viridis Vir—contributor on my two previous releases—that a future release may be entirely an ambient experience, or a symphony of sorts. I even toyed with the idea of creating a release of piano compositions. Hæresiarchs Of Dis is experimental by nature, and I am never certain what direction it will take, nor do I care to plan it out. It is possible there may be no more albums in the future, or there may be a dozen. I do not know. The guitar is only one instrument I find interest in exploring, but with so many options available to me, I do not see metal being the sole vehicle for conveying this project in the future.

Zetalambmary: Most people think that serious black metal musicians are no-lifers that do nothing but dwell in their misanthropic, waste-filled pits all day long. What else do you do in your spare time when you are not composing any of your hate-filled masterpieces?

Cernunnos: In many ways there are two aspects to my person: one that is angry and misanthropic, and the other just gets by, by doing the daily grind that needs to be done. The music I make very separate from the everyday part of my life. I have family and friends for the most part that do not know about Hæresiarchs Of Dis. This is not to say that I keep it a secret, as in fact, I am openly outspoken about many of the ideals set forth in the music, but rather it is something I choose not to share with everyone. I’d expect many would not understand, and that is fine by me. I have always been an artist, and work in the Information Technology arena by day, contracting design, websites, and illustration periodically. The black metal is an outlet for me, but it is not the only creative outlet I have pursued. Books and art have always been a strong pastime for me as well as film. I do not find many modern works in any of these areas that appeal to me often, so most of my consumption is in the classics. This is very strong with books, as I am passionate about literature. Human creations that have stood the test of time and cultural shifts deserve the most recognition, not the latest topping the New York Times Bestseller list. Maybe this makes me slightly antiquated, but nonetheless it is where I find the most thought-invoking inspiration.

Stand A Chance To Win Albums By STRATOVARIUS and PSYCHO!

noreply@blogger.com (Wraith) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:09:00 +0000

We have finally gone into print, and in slightly over a week from now, the hardcopies will finally be ready to hit local shelves. Don't worry, overseas buyers can order one copy from us as well, and we will most probably be using PayPal for that (still unconfirmed as of now).

UNIVERSAL MUSIC has decided to give away a copy of STRATOVARIUS' latest studio album, "Elysium", to a lucky American reader of ZETALAMBMARY magazine. Thus, we will be choosing this fortunate supporter from the first 20 American readers who buy our magazine from us once it is out.

Also, our magazine's own promotion gives a lucky reader a chance to win an autographed copy of PSYCHO's debut full-length album, "Pain Addict Pigs". So who knows? If you are an American reader and will be that lucky, you might end up winning both albums from STRATOVARIUS and PSYCHO.

That's it! Stay tuned for the hardcopies and don't be hesitant to spread this piece of news around!

Song Of The Week: Within The Ruins - Invade

noreply@blogger.com (Wraith) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:08:00 +0000

This band has really matured quite a bit since the last time I have visited them on this blog. Whether they saw my advice the last time round or not (Haha! I wish!), it is definitely good that they did clean up their image after all. They sure look more like metal musicians now!

One thing that might be quite amusing to note though, and I bring it up because Zen has mused to me about this phenomenon on quite a few occasions so far; what is with all these metal musicians in bad shape playing topless?! Notice how Drummer their drummer is playing topless in the music video above even though he has a physique that would make a Greek god roll over in delirious laughter? Look at the "tsunami waves" he creates whenever the camera rolls over to Drummer briefly in the music video...

Musically, their guitars still retain that signature high-pitched sound complete with that same old frenetic playing. This is a mind-blowingly technical masterpiece full of speedy and precise breakdowns, fretboard raping, flying fingers, impossible riffing, and an attitude that simply just kicks ass! But the music video is a typical one that simply shows the band rocking out to their own performance, albeit with lots of bouncy moments, and it sure does show off the technical prowess of the guitarists. The possible addition of an animation of some sort showing an unknown creature pillaging some small town somewhere would have been nice though, although since that has not been done, this music video serves as a good live performance video for WTR fans to watch over and over again whenever they feel like seeing the band in action.

Tech Metal Masters: From left to right - Drummer (Drums), Joe Cocchi (Guitar), Tim Goergen (Vocals), Jay Van Schelt (Guitar), Mike Beaujean (Bass Guitar)

If you are a metalhead who has not heard of WTR until today, go on, play the video and be bewildered. Actually, the same praise can be showered on practically every other track off of the entire "Invade" album, but my lazy mind is telling me that the pillow on my bed is more worthy of my attention on such a comfortably cold night.

Nergal Checks In From The Hospital: Suitable Blood Marrow Donor Found!

noreply@blogger.com (Wraith) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:55:00 +0000

Looks like the tough frontman of BEHEMOTH is finally having things going his way: A suitable blood marrow donor has been found!

So here is what Nergal has to say to Metal Blade Records and the BEHEMOTH newsletter:

Hello everyone! I’m still in the hospital but in quite a good shape so I write to let you know about my health and the further stages of treatment. I’ve been through four planned chemotherapies and have stayed in hospital for over 3 months now. I’ve gone through the whole therapy smoothly, though I also had a couple of difficult moments. All this means I finish the stage of pharmacological treatment and I am about to start the irradiation and then the marrow transplant. Yes, we’ve found a donor! Having searched for months, the fundation has found a person whose genotype is identical to mine. It would have been difficult to achieve if it wasn’t for the support of so many people. Most of all, I want to express my admiration for Dorota - my wonderful and devoted fiancée. She did everything she could to help me and many other people, regardless of adversities and comments which were often unfair. Your help is invaluable! Thank you! I love you. On behalf of me and all other people ill I thank everyone who registered in the bone marrow bank regardless of origin, skin colour or religion. The concerts for charity have been organised all over the world and people of show business, bands and, most of all, the fans got deeply involved. You are beyond great! One of you made my transplant possible, but remember, your attitude may save many others in need. So I appeal to everyone: don’t stop the madness! The march for victory continues! Horns up!

Nergal

Nergal (of BEHEMOTH) responds to fans on their concern for him!

noreply@blogger.com (Wraith) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:22:00 +0000

Taken from BEHEMOTH and Metal Blade Records newsletters (for those who don't subscribe to them):

Singer's main goal is to raise awareness and get people involved by registering to be a bone marrow donor

Since news on Nergal's recent health issues has been released, the band, management, and label has received an overwhelming response from fans and bands all over the world asking how they can directly help Nergal.

In response to everyone offering his or her help in terms of setting up benefits and shows to raise money for the frontman of the Polish blackened death metal band BEHEMOTH, Nergal has issued the following statement:

"I haven't intended to manifest myself in any way and, especially at this stage, to share my feelings or any other news with the world for obvious reasons. It is simply too early for it. But it was YOU who provoked me to say a few words. Regarding my personal low opinion of humankind, I'm shocked by the reaction to my illness. I actually expected NOTHING yet received feedback which surpassed all expectations. I want to ensure you I read EACH mail I receive, although I'm unable to reply to all of them. The power of your words is pure magic and I thank you all for it. You are a gigantic indestructible army that truly inspires me in this difficult time. The fact is that a fight with this illness is going to last for many months. Most of this time I will spend in hospital and I will go through various psychophysical states. If you know the history of Behemoth you also know we achieved everything by hard work and a steely determination. The same goes for my private life. I happen to be a strong son of a bitch. I have no faith but rely on a 100% victory and I am sure I will get out of it stronger than ever. Sun Tzu in his 'Art of War' said that if you know your enemy and yourself the result of a thousand battles will not surprise you... I enter the ring with this Nietzschean attitude and I will leave it as a winner, as usual. Just watch and see!

So I want to emphasize that Behemoth will by no means goes through any hibernation state. Obviously all concert plans must be postponed until some unknown point in the future, but things are happening! Lately our newest video for '...Alas, Lord is Upon Me' has premiered and stirred up quite a storm in mass media, which fills us with utter pride. Plus we've just finished the project of our new DVD; Evangelia Heretika is a three disc release, a real encyclopedia of Behemoth with nearly 5 hours of material and a bonus audio CD that will be out in November (Metal Blade US - Nuclear Blast Europe). Expect an experience of visual madness as we went to hell and back to make it! Our official Webstore has been functional for a couple of days and official merchandise and some very exclusive stuff can be bought there. At the beginning of 2011, Peaceville in Europe and Metal Blade in US will reissue the EPs with new artwork, bonuses, liner notes, and more. As you can see, despite a complicated situation and difficult circumstances we're remaining active wherever we can.

Finally, I want to comment on some opinions which, provoked by religious circles, lead to far-fetched and inaccurate interpretations. I was surprised to hear my illness became a pretext for some people to embark on their own crusade. Opinions suggesting I might come closer to God or abandon my ideals and grovel to the only correct world view in this country not only surprised but also frightened me. This is a typical example of supporting one's own views by preying on someone's misfortune. 'He fell ill so he will convert to Christianity, he will discover the religion he fought against is actually close to him.' Halt! Why should the illness change my point of view? It is true this is a difficult time for me and the thoughts of ultimate matters are hard to chase away. But the idea that I will change my opinions, priorities, and values as a consequence of my illness sounds as if someone regards my head, and not my body, ill. Suggesting I might convert are ridiculous. To what would I convert? After all, I know Christian mythology pretty well, not only in its literary version, and I find nothing good, creative or beautiful in it. I read books better and wiser than the Bible. War, blood, blackmail, rapes, incest, pedophilia, zoophilia, collaboration and treachery – each page emanates with evil. Some may say I don't understand the message of the Bible. I'd rather say the Christianity is nothing more than a rusty and archaic structure that is going to fall down any moment. It lasts only because of the gullible that follow the shepherd blindly; without any questions, without any consideration, not to any promised land, but to an intellectual slaughter. So, I say to those, who see some chances to break my rules, and myself because of the illness: over my dead body!"

Nergal's official view on benefit concerts, fund raisers, etc. is focused on marrow donations as a whole issue, not his specific situation. If you want to help Nergal the best thing you can do is set up a marrow drive or register to be a bone marrow donor. Every person that registers to be a donor increases the chances of survival for Nergal and every other person out there suffering from the same illness.

To learn more about how you can register to donate marrow check out: http://www.marrow.org/ Fans wanting to help out, register for the marrow program, or have questions on running a marrow drive may contact the organization Music Saves Lives by email at iCare@musicsaveslives.com or visit Music Saves Lives at http://www.musicsaveslives.org/

--
Behemoth Headquarters
The Official Behemoth Site: http://www.behemoth.pl
The Official Behemoth Forums: http://www.behemoth.pl/forum_en
The Official Behemoth Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/behemoth
_____________________________________________________________________________

Horns up to Nergal for his undying determination to not succumb to life's shit and sanctimonious gibes from haters. \m/,

Enemy Logic: Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:03:00 +0000

Year released: 2010
Website: http://www.myspace.com/enemylogic
Label: Unsigned

Tracks:

1. The Iron Law [3:21]

2. Final Movement [3:06]

3. Heart of Stone [3:54]

4. The Savage Mind [3:35]

5. Distorted Process [3:49]

6. Dual Diagnosis [3:26]

7. Fall of the Sun [3:49]

8. Hostile Hallucination [4:01]

9. Vengeance Served Cold [4:57]

10. Endless Life [4:49]
__________________________________________________________________________

8-year old Irish metal quartet Enemy Logic is back with a brutal cause to share with the upcoming release of their second album, "Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind"! The melo-death/metalcore act certainly doesn't sound amateurish, and their sound has a traditional European taste to it.

Staying true to their influences, Enemy Logic's guitars riff and shred like any good European melo-death band should, reminding me strongly of the British band Sylosis in particular. Come on, the technical guitar solos, riffs, and breakdowns all just scream of professionalism!

"Firing" off the album to a great start, Enemy Logic begins this album with a cool sound effect in the form of a gun loading a bullet and launching a tirade of growls by vocalist James, instead of a bullet. Now that's cool, and I wonder if it is a coincidence but I was recently listening to Heaven Shall Burn's latest album "Invictus", and there was also a cool gunshot sound effect utilized at 1:44 in the song "Combat". Anyway, back to Enemy Logic.

While the instrumentals are superb, Enemy Logic needs to consider widening its arsenal of harsh vocal types and better group vocals. While James' growls are definitely up to melo-death standards and sound great, it gets rather dull after some time to keep hearing growls at nearly the same pitch throughout all songs on the entire album. Utilization of more low growls, screams, or maybe even shrieks (if the particular song's structure allows for them) are welcome on future albums. Additionally, the group vocals need some polishing up as well, for they sound like chants rather than the band singing as a whole. Taking a leaf from As I Lay Dying...'s book might be a good idea, because their group vocals are excellent. A very good example of AILD's proficiency in group vocals can be heard during the chorus of their latest single "Parallels" (off of "The Powerless Rise"), whereby the bassist sings in a catchy and melancholic voice while the vocalist growls alongside him to great effect. Vocals-wise, this will be a great direction for Enemy Logic to move in.

Ah, on to the guitars. Good guitars are a must for making good melo-death metal, and Enemy Logic certainly doesn't suck at this part. Apart from the technicality mentioned earlier, the guitarists are also good at making catchy tunes without resorting to inhumanly fast riffing or shredding (like Children Of Bodom's insane Alexi Laiho), that is why almost all songs on the album have such good openings. My personal favourites (for the good guitar openings) are the 3rd and 6th tracks, "Heart Of Stone" and "Dual Diagnosis" respectively, so go check them out guys.

Irish Metallers: From left to right - Des (Guitar), Dan (Drums, Backing Vocals), Seán (Guitar, Keyboard), James (Bass Guitar, Vocals)
*Note: Des has left the band as of 2010

The keyboards on this album add a hauntingly beautiful touch to any song they appeared in, and these songs are the 4th, 6th and 9th tracks, "The Savage Mind", "Dual Diagnosis" and "Vengeance Served Cold" respectively. The 6th track "Dual Diagnosis" has one of the best introductions of them all, with the keyboards and guitars opening the song together to great melancholic effect. The appearance level of the keyboards throughout the album is just nice, and it should stay this way unless Enemy Logic wants to venture into Symphonic Death in the future. Otherwise, they should stay sufficiently melodic and relevant to the European melo-death scene.

Enemy Logic - Heart Of Stone

Enemy Logic - The Savage Mind

Overall, Enemy Logic displays outstanding instrumental proficiency and sufficient diversity, but lacks variety in the type of harsh vocals utilized and needs to work on their group vocals. Looking for energetic riffing, technical solos, standard bass, drums and the occasional inclusion of keyboards? But not from a band that is mainstream? Here you go, you are looking at a decent album by Enemy Logic!

Verdict: 8.2 / 10

Wormrot: Abuse

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:55:00 +0000

Year released: 2009
Website: www.myspace.com/wormrotgrind
Label: Earache Records

Tracks:

1. Lost Swines [1:20]
2. Exterminate [1:07]
3. Double-Feeding [0:29]
4. Born Stupid [1:20]
5. Sledgehammer [0:15]
6. So Fierce For Fuck!? [0:08]
7. Dis-Appointing [1:34]
8. Good Times [0:57]
9. Freedom To Act [1:25]
10. Indonesia [0:53]
11. Shitlack [1:04]
12. Condemnation [0:25]
13. One Round Away [1:07]
14. Fuck... I'm Drunk [0:53]
15. Operation Grindcore [0:26]
16. Rich (Yeah Yeah Yeah's cover) [0:43]
17. Overgrown Asshole [0:35]
18. Blasphemy My Ass [1:08]
19. Fix Your Broken Mind [1:08]
20. Newkiller Nuclear [0:39]
21. Uncovered And Proud As Fuck [0:38]
22. Murder [1:29]
23. Scum Infestation and Last Song [2:17]
__________________________________________________________________________

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly lengthy track listing. Although this album has 23 tracks, it is far from long. Its total length is only slightly over 20 minutes, but this is to be expected from any grindcore album.

If the line separating extreme music from being a mockery exists, grindcore as a genre would be pushing that fragile line’s very limits. Including noise, drone metal, and thrash punk, grindcore completes the list of some of the most extreme genres of music today that often crossover into what people politely call experimental or crudely call being a joke.

Wormrot, a superbly new grindcore band from Singapore, was only formed just a mere 3 years back. They are also the first Southeast Asian band in the world to be signed onto a renowned underground extreme music label overseas, namely Earache Records. The band recently had a successful European tour in 2009, and will be soon embarking on a US tour. There is no doubt about it, this probably marks the rise of Southeast Asian metal beyond its own borders. \m/,

Man, I feel increasingly proud of being Singaporean these days.

Anyway, being part of the grindcore horde, I automatically assumed at first that Wormrot would sound like a bunch of amateur wretches plowing away on their instruments mindlessly. Well, mindlessness is actually a fairly large part of making grindcore music, but I was really surprised to find my previously horrid image of grindcore slowly fading away from the skeptical depths of my mind as my ears got assaulted by the blissfully gratifying death-metal-influenced aural snacks.

There is grindcore… … and then there IS GRINDCORE! As I mentioned earlier, being extreme or a joke are two vastly different things, and trying to stay extremely extreme without turning into a joke is a very subtle art to master. I can safely say that Wormrot has mastered this subtle art, for although they do have senseless track names and lyrics and constantly recycled guitar riffs, their songs have a vibrant energy to them that just makes one feel like moshing out to them on the spot.

Grindcore is all about speed, speed, and more speed. If you are looking for intelligent track names and lyrics, or long and epic songs, you are looking at the wrong genre. Grindcore is all about instant gratification, it is the MacDonalds of extreme music, offering any speed-deprived metalhead a quick shot of adrenaline to get them to a speedy ‘high’. “Abuse” is an album that really excels at doing this, while injecting some comedy along the way in the form of senselessly explicit track names and lyrics. In fact, they actually fit rather well into the album structure of “Abuse” thanks to the joking manner in which the band carries themselves (e.g. the photographs of themselves with their eyes striked out on the album sleeve, and the DIY artwork and wacky layout of the lyrics pages).

Singapore's very own grind masters: From left to right - Arif (Vocals), Fitri (Drums), and Rasyid (Guitar)

Needless to say, the drums are inhumanly fast, and the vocals consists of standard growls and screams. It would be an improvement if Arif could start utilizing pig squeals more often (if any in the first place, at least I don't think I heard any on "Abuse"), for they would add more variety to his vocal range and a whole new dimension of vocal brutality. The artwork displaying the rotting human face with the word “Abuse” in the left eye socket really complements the overall theme of this album too, being viscerally reviling enough to give one an overview of how this album might sound like just by looking at it.

Wormrot - Live at Obscene Extreme Fest 2009 in the Czech Republic

Wormrot - "In Grind We Rot" Indonesia Tour

I guess the only thing I would hope to see an improvement in is Wormrot making slightly lengthier tracks on their next album for an enhanced duration of speedy aural fun on each song. Not so long as to sound like repetitive noise for 3 minutes or so, but maybe just around an average of 2 minutes to utilize the short attention span of speed-crazed metalheads to its fullest!

In parting words… IN GRIND WE ROT!

Verdict: 8.1 / 10

Q&A with Draconis Infernum

noreply@blogger.com (Zetalambmary) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:49:00 +0000

From left to right - Xeper/Sonic Depravation, Kount Cider/Aural Misanthropy, Niloc/Blade ov Inhumanity

*Note: I couldn't find any promo shot of them with Serberuz Hammerfrost inside, but I do have a photo of him here if you guys are interested to see it - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6219440&id=510082344&ref=fbx_album

The very first local band interview by Zetalambmary is finally up! In this interview, Shadori sat down in front of his computer to talk with Xepher of Draconis Infernum via e-mail so as to learn more about the band.

Here goes:

Zetalambmary: Draconis Infernum is probably the coolest Singaporean metal band name I have come across so far! Why this name?

Xepher: Draconis Infernum which means Infernal Dragon was a recommendation by a friend and I thought it suited us well since we’re all Chinese and the dragon was a good representation of it. On the other hand from the black metal aspect it was relevant and hence we settled for that name.

Zetalambmary: Your style is "strictly old school black metal". What are the bands that influenced and inspired you guys to make similar music?

Xepher: Just to name a few, Bathory during the black metal era, old Darkthrone, old Mayhem, old Venom and of course not forgetting, Slayer, which is of course not black metal, but was one of the bands that inspired us to start writing our own songs.

Zetalambmary: Contrary to popular belief, many metal musicians actually have their roots in classical instruments (e.g. piano, violin, flute). Do you guys?

Xepher: Well, we don’t exactly have classical roots except for Serberuz Hammerfrost, who plays the piano. As for Niloc, his music roots and influences are the blues.

Zetalambmary: What are your thoughts on the infamous misconception that just because certain forms of metal are satanic, all metal is satanic and thus, metal musicians are bad people?

Serberuz: We don't give a fuck!!! It's them who made the mistake, it's them who're not educated enough to realize the importance of looking things through from all angles and perspectives before jumping into conclusions. It's their fault. So why are we the ones expected to clear it all up? And by we, we don't mean just Draconis Infernum but the whole Metal community. Why are we the ones expected to explain things when people who're unrelated to us apparently do not know what's called self-reflection?!

Make no mistake here. Long before Metal ever existed there was Country and Blues. It was the same thing people are saying about us now, what people were saying to them back then. The very term "Underground" came from that era, used by Country and Blues musicians. Not Metal. People just need to find some sort of excuse to feel better about themselves. But guess what? Their existence means NOTHING to us!!

Having said that, Black Metal stands for The Adversary. It will always do for us. The facts have spoken for itself what kind of hypocrisy ALL religions have been (absolutely, without any exceptions at all), and Black Metal stands AGAINST them all!!! Those vermins who think they're "Holier than Thou" can think whatever the fuck they want if self-deceit makes them feel better about themselves. It's none of our business. Better be hated for who we are than to conform and be loved for something we're not. Non Serviam!!!

Zetalambmary: Asian metal seems to be on the rise recently, with bands like ChthoniC and Wormrot being signed on to reputable record labels overseas. What future do you foresee for Asian metal?

Xepher: It’s definitely on the rise with more Asian bands touring Europe, getting signed to reputable labels and getting proper international recognition. There is definitely more to come in just a matter of time. It’s about time more Asian bands get recognized.

At the same time more international bands are coming over to tour Asia which shows that Asia is being recognized by the other side.

Zetalambmary: Do you guys have any plans to strike a record deal with a prominent label overseas? If so, which would be the preferred label? Century Media, Metal Blade, Nuclear Blast, Relapse, Roadrunner, Spinefarm, or Victory?

Xepher: We definitely welcome label support, however it doesn’t matter which label it is as what’s more important is what the label can offer us.

Zetalambmary: You guys are more famous overseas than locally, how do you feel about that?

Xepher: Are we more famous overseas? I’m not too sure about that. However it would be great if more people came to know of our music, but not to the extend that it goes mainstream.

Our music is not for the masses. Many people don’t and will not understand it. It’s only for a certain type of people who embrace a certain type of ideology.

Zetalambmary: As you guys are still indie, the band's expenses mostly come from your own pockets and that sure as hell isn't cheap... Was that why "Death In My Veins" was limited to only 500 copies?

Xepher: 500 was the minimum that we could press and as we weren’t sure if it would be in demand, therefore we agreed on 500. We felt that 500 copies was enough at that time to spread the plague. Currently, all 500 are almost gone.

Zetalambmary: Your second album is titled "Rites Of Desecration & Demise", and is said to be much longer than "Death In My Veins". Is there any other information about it you guys can share with your fans?

Xepher: I cannot say much right now, but yes, it is definitely longer, you’d just have to wait to find out.

Zetalambmary: Here's a fun question, if each of you could choose to date a hot metal chick, who would they be?

Xepher: Mother Mary.
__________________________________________________________________________

There you have it folks, apart from the last question and its reply, I hope all the other questions and answers have deepened your understanding of Draconis Infernum a wee bit more.

While we sit tight for the impending dark onslaught of Draconis Infernum's upcoming second album, do check out our review for their first album "Death In My Veins", and if you like it, buy it to support the band.

Until next time, and we hope to bring you more local band interviews!

P.S.: Foreign band interviews will be great as well, if ever possible.

ChthoniC 閃靈: Mirror Of Retribution tour (Live In Singapore!)

noreply@blogger.com (Wraith) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:09:00 +0000

East Asia's first extreme metal band to be signed on to a major European metal label (aka Spinefarm Records), the world's first Oriental Black Metal band, a politically active frontman, and.... a hot bassist! If not for these unique features of the band, Chthonic would probably just be another everyday Asian black metal band, trying as hard as they can to break into the international market.

Chthonic is 15 years old as of 2010, and these Taiwanese black metal legends had been to Singapore once 10 years ago, making this more recent trip to Singapore their second to date. The concert yesterday was nothing short of a breathtaking experience, with me and my trusty digital camera planted at the very first row of the audience in the center, it was very deafening as well (ear plugs are awesome). However, it was only because of my fantastic location that I could take many clear and close-up pictures of the band members (with the exception of Dani, the drummer). You readers can check out the pictures by clicking on the link below.

ChthoniC Concert Photos

Friendly Freddy: The front man was humorous and interactive, but it was hard to discern his words whenever he spoke in English.

ChthoniC 閃靈 - Forty-Nine Theurgy Chains

ChthoniC 閃靈 - Rise Of The Shadows

Initially, I thought no Singaporean Chthonic fan would be crazy enough to the extent of imitating their Taiwanese peers and throw hell notes into the air during the concert. Well, I was wrong. Not only did local fans buy hell notes and pass them around to fellow fans so that they can all recreate that unique Chthonic concert atmosphere, this enthusiastic Chinese fan from Johor Bahru came all the way here just to catch the Taiwanese band in action, and was probably the wildest mosher in the entire crowd.

Here's a picture of the rabid animal:

This is the second metal concert I have attended in the year 2010 so far, and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to go for more if the bands that are performing are as unique and fascinating as Chthonic. After the concert, I camwhored a bit with fellow Zetalambmary pal Zen, and a guy we befriended at the concert. We queued up for about half an hour outside the studio afterwards, and managed to get a group picture with the band and our autographs too!

Before leaving, we shook hands with members of the band, and I was slightly light-headed for a while after that for I shook hands with Doris Yeh and Jesse Liu!

Photo with the deities of the Taoist underworld!: From left to right - Wraith, Lareyne Kaufmann, Zen

All in all, this was one concert that any Singaporean asian metal or black metal fan should not have missed, and if you did, you really missed one hell of a great time. The only slight disappointment about this concert was that Chthonic's keyboardist CJ Kao could not make it due to him being called up for NS enlistment (yeah, Taiwan has it too), but otherwise, his band mates still made a great stage presence.

If Chthonic is returning for a third gig here in the little red dot anytime soon, we hope to see you around next time CJ!

Slash: Meeting the Rock Legend

noreply@blogger.com (Wraith) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:17:00 +0000

The Winning Air Guitar Video: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=415911892033&oid=114842408563631

The Lucky Dude's Photos of that Fateful Night: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190746&id=517362033&ref=mf

RazorTV's Video Interview of the 2 Winners (1 Real Guitar, 1 Air Guitar): http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/entertainment/51594.html

So, how many lucky asses actually get to meet that much revered guitar god? Well, here is Srivatsan, a friend of mine from college, and one such lucky ass who got to meet the legendary Slash!

How did you feel when you met Slash?

Shocked! It was like a child meeting a Pokemon or Power Ranger, something they really love but never thought they will ever meet them in person. After that, I was really just very happy, I just kept staring at him while he was signing all those guitars and posters.

So did you manage to ask him what his favourite movie is?

Nope, he was already waiting at the photo-taking area when it was my turn for my photograph with him. Just a handshake, a "Hello Slash!", and a snap. After that, he called the next person to come over. During the photo shoot, I was whispering to him "You're my God man...", that is why my mouth is open in the photo.

Then what did he say? Or... did he even hear it?

Haha, I guess he didn't hear it, 'cos he didn't say anything.

How was Slash in person when you talked to him? Was he friendly, cold, or what?

Hm, there wasn't much of an interaction between him and the people, but he seems to be quite friendly. You know that guy who won the real guitar competition? He told Slash that he was the one who won it, then Slash asked if he was the one who played with the guitar on his back. That guy said "Yeah", and Slash said that was pretty cool. Yup, so I guess he is friendly. I kept quiet 'cos I didn't wanna go tell a guitar god that I got to see him by pretending to play a guitar. Lol.

Hahaha, well, at least you got to meet him.

Yup.

What thoughts were running through your mind when he was signing your guitar?

I was just looking at him autographing. To him, it was just another autograph, but it meant the world to me. After he signed it, he even wrote "2010" below the autograph. Although it was quite a small thing, I was still impressed that he even bothered to date it.

Hahaha okay, I bet 50 years from now, if you ever intend to sell that guitar, it will cost a bomb. So moving on, I know you will feel biased about this, but I will still ask it anyway. How was the Slash concert as a whole?

Hm, I will just say the order of events and then tell you how I felt.

Firstly, we were told to be there by 11:45 AM so that we can get to see Slash and the band doing their sound check at 12:15 PM. I was late, so I took a cab down, but alighted at the wrong area.
It was already around 12:10 PM by then, and I could hear the sound of drums. I thought the sound check had already begun, so I followed the sound and ended up inside the concert area. I saw the stage and all for the first time. Slash wasn't there yet, the workers there were setting up the drums, so that was where the sound came from.

I asked one of the guys where should the VIP pass holders go, and he guided me there. There, I met the LAMC people and the other VIP pass holders, and the real guitar winner as well. We were all told to wait for a while. After that, I heard the sound of a guitar, and the playing was pretty good. I was thinking "Wow, those guitar techs can play quite well", but then the LAMC gal ran back and told us that Slash had already begun his sound check.

Yup, so I went in there to see the sound check, and that was the very first time I saw Slask. Man, that feeling was fucking awesome man. We were told to keep away from the stage, like at least 10m, so we sat down on the grass patch and watched Slash and his band do their sound check. They actually performed 3 songs during the sound check, so I already had an idea of how the concert will probably sound like. The sound check ended at around 2:30 PM, and at 2:45 PM, the LAMC gal said that we were gonna meet him then.

We went to this tent at the back of the stage which had lots of guards outside, and after like 10 minutes of waiting outside, we were told to enter the tent 4 by 4. When it was my group's turn, one of the guards brought us in there. After we got into the tent, I saw Slash at the photo taking area. What happened after that, I told you already. So after getting all our stuff signed, we were given 2 posters each. Yup, that's it for the Meet-and-Greet session.

At 7 PM, the concert started. The first band was called Twenty Two Hundred, some unknown band from Australia whom Slash thought had great potential, which was why he brought them along to Singapore. They were awesome man, seriously.

After that came the main guest, Coheed & Cambria. I hated them. Their vocalist looked like an ass with all that bushy hair, and his voice was like the Dragonforce dude but more gay. Unfortunately, they played a full set that lasted 90 minutes. I was just standing there for time to pass... and oh, I have to say that I was standing in the front row, holding on to the barrier towards the right side of the stage (traditionally, where the lead guitarist always stands).
After, Coheed & Cambria finished, I was relieved and fucking excited. After setting up the stage for like 20 minutes, Slash and his band finally came out.

During the sound check and Meet-and-Greet session, he had tied his hair up and wore a cap. When the concert finally started, I was seeing him for the first time with his signature top hat and leather pants with a black hankie hanging from his back pocket. He was wearing a sleeveless tee. The first song was "Ghost" from his solo album. It was a very energetic song, the riff is pretty fast and cool-sounding. When it was time for his guitar solo, he played the famous "Godfather" theme. It was an extended solo that lasted for like 15 minutes, then right after the solo, he played "Sweet Child O' Mine" and the crowd erupted into cheers. It was the song everyone was waiting for. When the concert was coming to an end, an encore was obviously expected, and Slash and his band played "By The Sword", before ending off with the freaking great performance of "Paradise City". Yup, and the concert ended there. Throughout the concert, Myles Kennedy was speaking into the mike pretty often, something that he admitted he was not used to doing).

Sri's Slash-autographed guitar!!

Wow, that was long. Alright, last question. If Slash is coming back to Singapore next time, and there is another such competition again, will you participate once more?

Haha nope, but I will definitely go for the concert. If I am working by that time, I will pay for the VIP pass (US$500 for the 2010 Slash concert price). After hearing all those new rock bands such as MCR, A7X and Muse live, it was a really great experience to hear something classical. The sound was just totally different from the other bands I heard. It is the classical rock sound. One song I love by Guns N' Roses is "Civil War", 'cos Axl Rose's different voice ranges, combined with the meaningful lyrics and Slash's really stylish licks and riffs really just fit the song so well. When I heard that live, I started tearing. Yup, that is all I have to say about the concert. The experience as a whole was one that I will never forget.

Slash is God.

Ah yes, what exactly did you win by the way?

Haha, they gave me so many things man. The Meet-and-Greet session (S$700), guitar and hard case (S$750), MacBeth shoes (S$100) and free guitar lessons (S$200).

Close-up shot of the million-dollar autograph

So there you have it folks, don't drool over this guy's unbelievable experience now, all you guys have to do is follow in his mock-guitar-shredding awesomeness when there is another such competition available when Slash comes to perform in Singapore again next time!

Song Of The Week: Opiate For The Masses - Black Book

noreply@blogger.com (Wraith) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:16:00 +0000

Cold wind's blowing at my cigarette,
No this can't conceal
I'm hanging like a marionette
Can you make me real?

See the world best I can
Through the smoke as its hand tries to choke me again...

Got my black book open and
I'm burning down at that hotel
A hundred thousand miles in my way
On the road to hell

Give me something to touch
something I can smell - of you
I'll take it to my grave as I burn for you.

Blind weight twirling in my skin that'll pass
Like only time can tell.

Guess this letter's gonna be my last
I hope it finds you well.

See the world best I can
Through the smoke as it's hand tries to choke me again...

Got my black book open and
I'm burning down at that hotel
A hundred thousand miles in my way
On the road to hell

Give me something to touch
Something I can smell - of you
I'll take it to my grave as I burn for you.

A hundred thousand miles away -aye
I've fallen -aye aye
I can feel my final day -aye
is calling -aye aye

I'm burning alive for you
Just reaching for something true
I'm burning alive for you
I need something to pull me through
to pull me through

I've got my black book open and
I'm burning down at that hotel
A hundred thousand miles in my way
On the road to hell

Give me something to touch
Something I can smell - of you
I'll take it to my grave as I burn for you.

Got my black book open and
I'm burning down at that hotel
A hundred thousand miles in my way
On the road to hell

Give me something to touch
Something I can smell - of you
I'll take it to my grave as I burn for you.

Burn for you.

Los Angeles, CA. Perhaps one of the few places in the USA that have produced some of the biggest, finest modern rock and metal bands of today, and complementing this roster of acts was Opiate For The Masses (they broke up in 2009, 10 years after they formed).

OFTM sounds just like Linkin Park, just a little more sparing with the synths, and definitely more stylish in terms of image. C'mon, how cool is it to see a Nu-Metal band dressed up as Commies?! By the way, for those who have never heard of Karl Marx, he once said that "Religion is the opiate of the masses." Yeah, now you know where this band took their name from.

You know, this song is one of those rare gems out there that actually has a bass line that is existent. Right from the very first second, the bass line makes its presence known by humming in to the catchy beats of the drums, with Ron's lulling voice accompanying it to great melancholic effect. Ron's voice is another one of those gems... no wait, a natural perfectly-cut diamond amongst the hordes of rough, uncut gems in the realm of rock/metal vocalists. The only person I can think of to compare Ron to, would be the legendary Chester Bennington of the titanic Linkin Park. One can never really forget Chester's talent for blending both harshness and clarity into a voice like no other, a voice that screams of all the angst within oneself, yet exudes an honestly clean feel that doesn't scare mainstream listeners off. Well folks, here is another talented vocalist who was in an excellent band for you to check out.

Opiate For The Masses were: From left to right - Anna Kjellberg (Bass Guitar), Jim Kaufman (Guitar, Synthesizers, Programming), Ron Underwood (Vocals), Seven Antonopolous (Drums)

In the words of Joey Jordison of Slipknot, "Opiate For The Masses is nothing short of hypnotic." Indeed, the band had named themselves appropriately during their active years. They have completely changed the atheistic flavour of the phrase they extracted from Karl Marx's famous quote, and instead, turned it into a phrase synonymous with good music for rock and metal fans.

Looking for a wonder drug to cure that occasional itch for a mainstream fix? Look no further than OFTM!

As I Lay Dying: The Powerless Rise

noreply@blogger.com (Shadori) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:06:00 +0000

Year released: 2010
Websites: www.myspace.com/asilaydying, www.asilaydying.com
Label: Metal Blade Records

Tracks:

1. Beyond Our Suffering [2:50]

2. Anodyne Sea [4:35]

3. Without Conclusion [3:15]

4. Parallels [4:57]

5. The Plague [3:42]

6. Anger And Apathy [4:26]

7. Condemned [2:50]

8. Upside Down Kingdom [4:00]

9. Vacancy [4:27]

10. The Only Constant Is Change [4:08]

11. The Blinding Of False Light [5:05]
__________________________________________________________________________

American metalcore veteran AILD is back to slaughter eardrums by the masses, yet again, with their ferocious 5th studio album, "The Powerless Rise"!

Alright guys, turn up the volume of those speakers, and tune up the bass settings for that bass booster. This is one helluva album to blast! With overpowering bass lines and pounding drum beats that is sure to gratify any metalcore fan's appetite for aural destruction, wailing guitar melodies so intense that they not only shake up one's soul from the inside out, but blaze by so fast that you find your finger subconsciously hitting the song on repeat, and anthem-like choruses that would make any decent post-hardcore band proud, AILD proves that metalcore can be a genre that is not all about overly-generic distorted guitar riffs and sub-standard harsh/clean vocals.

This is a good album, not excellent definitely, but just good. There are two issues stopping me from giving this album a 9+/10 rating, and here they are.

Firstly, AILD might want to consider better planning of their vocals on future albums. Their combination of harsh vocals and clean singing on the more popular songs of this album, especially my personal favourites "Anodyne Sea" and "Parallels", proves itself to be a successful formula for creating metalcore hits that aren't too sappy yet overly-aggressive such that it borders on sounding generic. However, the five songs "Beyond Our Suffering", "Without Conclusion", "The Plague", "Condemned" and "The Only Constant Is Change" comprises of entirely growls and screams, which is nearly half of the album. The utilization of both types of vocals is not evenly spread out. If not for the relentless assault of belligerent guitar passages and brutal breakdowns on those tracks with zero clean singing, they would end up sounding like overly-generic metalcore music. If AILD wants to stick closely with the decent formula mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, it would be better if they tried utilizing both types of vocals simultaneously on a more frequent basis from now on (not to the extent of sounding too much like pop metal of course).

Secondly, although the album blasts off with a good and explosive start and ends off on a nice, mellow and melodic note, it is rather boring in the middle. I mentioned in the earlier paragraph that "If not for the relentless assault of belligerent guitar passages... end up sounding like overly-generic metalcore music." Yes, those tracks mentioned do not sound overly-generic, but that still doesn't mean they do not sound generic. Chugging guitar riffs together with seamless drum beats and simple bass lines are such a common staple in metalcore music that even veterans like AILD cannot do without them, and that is precisely what makes a boring metalcore song these days on the modern metal scene. This is certainly something for AILD (as a matter of fact, all aspiring metalcore bands as well)to watch out for on future albums if they want their songs to be memorable for their musical value and not how they sound like so-and-so metalcore band's so-and-so song.

They will steal your last breath: From left to right - Josh Gilbert (Bass Guitar, Vocals), Phil Sgrosso (Guitar), Tim Lambesis (Vocals), Jordan Mancino (Drums), Nick Hipa (Guitar)

Production-wise, AILD had roped in Adam Dutkiewicz as their producer (guitarist for Killswitch Engage) yet again for the second time, with the last time being when they were recording their second-most recent album "An Ocean Between Us". They did so because they believed Adam understood their sound better than anyone else, and I do not find fault with this claim because Adam certainly continues to do a good job ("An Ocean Between Us" was also a well-received album).

Another minor thing to bring up would be the lyrics, and as usual, it is all about mankind's ignorance, shallowness, and hollowness. Ah, the typical lyrical theme adopted by most metal sub-genres, listening to metal sure makes one feel ashamed of your own species. Oh well, I guess this is a part of metal music that is so deeply ingrained in the culture created by many metal musicians such that one can never really expect it to have much variation.

Being yet another milestone in AILD's scintillating career thus far, "The Powerless Rise" is definitely for fans of the old Bullet For My Valentine, Caliban, Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, and Shadows Fall.

Verdict: 8.7 / 10

Draconis Infernum: Death In My Veins

noreply@blogger.com (Shadori) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:41:00 +0000

Year released: 2008
Website: www.myspace.com/draconisinfernum
Label: None

Tracks:

1. Funeral March (For Those Entombed) [4:44]

2. Belial Rising [5:20]

3. Death In My Veins [5:45]

4. Cursed Are The Vanquished [6:12]

5. Worship Me [5:49]

__________________________________________________________________________

When I first learnt of Draconis Infernum, the first thought that shot through my mind was: "Wow, cool name." And this is not your everyday black metal band, it is a Singaporean black metal band. Local music has never sounded so good to me until I heard this! Singapore's underground metal scene is not very huge, its commercial existence thus far is only slightly more than 10 years. But young as it is, it has seen success with many young bands growing increasingly prominent overseas recently, such as Wormrot, Xanadoo and the title band just to name a few.

Anyone who picks up instruments, learn to play well, and has the intent to make music their career can form a band. But how many GOOD bands actually come out of this plethora of budding musicians? Only time has the answer to this question, and so far, Draconis Infernum is doing well. With the barrage of malicious guitar riffs at lightning speed, a lean mean drumming machine, and harsh vocals that sound as seasoned as any prominent old school Western black metal harsh vocalist, Draconis Infernum is set to desecrate and demolish stages both locally and internationally for years to come in their unholy quest to revitalise old school black metal!

Of the five tracks in this short album, I personally like "Belial Rising" best. It is fast and catchy, a song that would probably get black metal enthusiasts headbanging already on their first listen. The 4th track, "Cursed Are The Vanquished", is also another notable track to listen out for because of the same reason, and it is also the longest track in the album (clocking in just over 6 minutes).

Staying true to the style of old school black metal, the lyrics are 100% satanic. Zealots subscribing to any of the Abrahamic religions would find the blasphemous material some use as a stepping stone to further their cause, but other than that, the lyrics sure make some fine dark poetry chocked full of morbid lexicon.

*Dragons Of Hell (lineup for this album): Starting from the top-left in a clockwise direction - Xeper/Sonic Depravation (Guitar), Kount Cider/Aural Misanthropy (Vocals), Serberuz Hammerfrost/Diabolical Nuklear Skin Torture - Pulse ov Decay (Bass Guitar, Drums), Niloc/Blade ov Inhumanity (Guitar)

*Note: Before 2010, Draconis Infernum's bassists were 'sessionists' (for the live shows). Kount Cider is no longer in their ranks as of 2010, and Serberuz Hammerfrost/Diabolical Nuklear Skin Torture - Pulse ov Decay plays the duo role of bass guitarist and lead vocalist for live shows as of 2010 (as well as drums studio-wise). Additionally, Syroth from Warsaw has recently joined the unholy ranks of the band as session drummer for live shows.

Production-wise, Draconis Infernum also put in a lot of effort. Although this is their debut album, it does not sound "raw" at all. Most new metal bands usually have a very unpolished, dirty sound on their debut album, and that is with good reason. They usually are tight on finances and simply cannot afford to risk throwing in everything they have got into a record that might or might not give them a breakthrough. Draconis Infernum however, spent quite a fortune on making a quality record of this album in a good recording studio, which would explain why any unsuspecting listener would most probably think the band is part of the mainstream underground scene in Europe or America on their first listen. Reckless or great foresight? Only the band themselves would know (Edit: The band has informed me that actually, having a raw record can be the intent of the black metal band in question, as black metal is supposed to sound 'raw, disgusting, and ugly'), but nonetheless, what they made was a professional-sounding record that not only officially kickstarted their promising career, but makes for a valuable collector's item as well. Did I mention that there are only 500 copies of this album? I am so glad I got myself one, and I should try to get it autographed should I ever go to any future local gig of theirs, heh heh.

Draconis Infernum - Belial Rising

Overall, Draconis Infernum is one local band that any black metal enthusiast should not miss. In the meantime, wallow in the fiery pits of black aural dissonance! And sit tight for the upcoming 2nd full-length album, "Rites Of Desecration & Demise" as well.

Verdict: 8.8 / 10

Bullet For My Valentine: Fever

noreply@blogger.com (Shadori) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Year released: 2010
Website: www.bulletformyvalentine.com, www.myspace.com/bulletformyvalentine
Label: Jive Records (a unit of Sony Music Entertainment)

Tracks:

1. Your Betrayal [4:52]

2. Fever [3:57]

3. The Last Fight [4:19]

4. A Place Where You Belong [5:07]

5. Pleasure And Pain [3:53]

6. Alone [5:56]

7. Breaking Out, Breaking Down [4:04]

8. Bittersweet Memories [5:09]

9. Dignity [4:29]

10. Begging For Mercy [3:56]

11. Pretty On The Outside [3:56]
__________________________________________________________________________

“Fever” is the third studio album released by the Welsh metal band, Bullet For My Valentine. It was released on 27th April 2010 in the US. Since then it has risen to debut at #3 on The Billboard 200 and #1 on the Rock and Alternative Charts, making it the most successful BFMV record out of the three, the others being “The Poison” and “Scream Aim Fire”.

Listening to the record, it is easy to see why; Fever is comprised of 11 songs, with a mix of infectious and catchy riffs, anthem-ish rhythms, both upbeat and slower songs with tinges of Matt’s screaming giving the whole album that edgy feel, there’s something for everyone. The sound on this album is definitely more calculated than that of The Poison with “a crisp, clean production where every note is experienced.” (Noisecreep). Looking in terms of the band’s individual skill, the more complex riffing progressions, guitar solos, and unusual breakdowns and layers makes it obvious that each band member’s skill is improving. As usual BFMV pulls out another record of high quality, and depending on how well they continue to do, they could be en route to being a future classic of the metal arena. Although they have improved, I can’t help noticing that the band has however toned down the screaming compared to their debut album, “The Poison”. The screaming on the title album now serves mostly to accentuate and not as the main medium of singing, a slight downside for me.

The first song and also their single, “Your Betrayal” is possibly one of the best openers I’ve heard in a long time with the first 1:20 of the song serving both as a superb build-up as well as showing off the skills of the drummer (Michael Thomas) and the guitarists (Matt Tuck; Michael Paget).The progressive layering together with the first line of the song when Matt whispers ‘Am I going insane’ runs chills up my spine and the other whispered parts also serve to a great effect a contrast to Matt’s screaming. All in all, it’s the little details (like the bass slide at 2:33) that make this song outstanding, and it really sets the tone of the rest of the album. A noteworthy song (hah, noteworthy) is ‘Dignity’, because this is a song that I reckon more screaming would really suit it, especially at the part where the lyrics go – “Don’t push me because I won’t go quietly”. But then again this is still a good song, with a well-placed guitar solo that shows BFMV is still a band that doesn’t hide its skill and pugnaciously shreds for the world to hear.

Morbid Sweethearts: From left to right - Matthew 'Matt' Tuck (Vocals, Guitar), Michael 'Moose' Thomas (Drums), Michael 'Padge' Paget (Guitar), Jason 'Jay' James (Bass Guitar)

Another song that caught my attention is “Begging For Mercy”. This song was available to the public as a free download prior to the album’s release, and it features much more screaming than the other tracks. This is one of the few songs on “Fever” that shows Matt has not lost his edge since “The Poison”, which is probably his way of gratifying the scream-starved metalcore fans awaiting for BFMV’s return to harder songs. Since this album features a lot more singing than “The Poison”, it is worthy to note that Matt’s accent becomes apparent here and it might sound strange to listeners of mostly American metalcore. An example would be his accent giving the ballad “Bittersweet Memories” a ‘flat’ tonality. The closing song “Pretty On The Outside” is a really good song with very good energy, rapid-fire screamo parts, and sorrow-filled chugging guitar riffs that ensure most listeners would remember what this album was all about.

BFMV is back on track: Heavy, fast, infectious

Fans of “The Poison” will be glad with the reversion to a similar style after the departure from the forgettable sound heard on “Scream Aim Fire”. Matt explains that this album was intended to return to the formula that created “The Poison”, but with greater experimentation with sounds and techniques he never tried before. This album finds an interesting mid-ground between “The Poison” and “Scream Aim Fire”, highlighting the aggressiveness of the record with greater technical detail and embellishments, leaving listeners to look forward to the next BFMV album. Personally, I feel that this album does succeed where “The Poison” never did, and that is its dynamical sound. It seems to me that with their accumulation of better techniques gained through musical experimentation, BFMV will definitely be capable of throwing out a truly epic album sometime in the future.

Verdict: 9.3/10

Written by guest writer, Low Yi Ming (edited by Shadori).

Insomnium: Across the Dark

noreply@blogger.com (Zen) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 05:27:00 +0000

Year released: 2009
Website: www.insomnium.net
Label: Candlelight Records

Tracks:

1. Equivalence [03:18]

2. Down with the Sun [04:22]

3. Where the Last Wave Broke [05:03]

4. The Harrowing Years [06:39]

5. Against the Stream [06:11]

6. Lay of the Autumn [09:08]

7. Into the Woods [05:08]

8. Weighed Down with Sorrow [05:51]
_______________________________________________________________

Melodic death metal with influences from doom metal sounds almost like the band's contradicting themselves in terms of musical style really. After all, doom metal is typically slower and heavier while melodeath is well... melodic. But Insomnium aren't contradicting themselves. They're playing some great metal, stuff that aren't commercially accessible, but doesn't take a lot to appreciate.

Formed in 1997, Insomnium are still experimenting within this chosen style of theirs. Across the Dark deviates quite a bit from their previous works, particularly its direct predecessor, Above the Weeping World, which was released in 2006. The melodic death aspect have been emphasized more, thus the more prevalent heavy doom acoustics from their previous album have been sacrificed for a generally faster pace, and more melodic riffs, leads and melodies. This makes Across the Dark one of the most catchy albums the band has ever released, but miraculously not at all losing its doom metal edge that projects melancholy, dread and despair. The song "Down with the Sun" definitely stands out among all the tracks, as the most balanced one that provides a comfortable tempo for riffs that can repeat themselves without becoming boring but with enough variety for the song to be melodic and still not lose its emotional power. Being currently more into doom metal, I personally found faster tracks like "Into the Woods" less tasteful, while "The Harrowing Years", considered more boring and dreary, appealed to me more. Its up to you really, but no song here veers off to either extremes of death or doom, but stays relatively near the middle in varying degrees.

The inclusion of clean vocals in some of the tracks off this album have been a topic of quite some discussion. I decided that I would prefer them to be absent, because Jules Näveri has a decidedly more mainstream voice that adds more to the melodic element, instead of conveying more emotion to fuel the band's general themes of sorrow, loss and mourning. They weren't bad, but as much as they helped to make the songs nicer to headbang to, they seemed out of place. This might explain why "When the Last Wave Broke" is one of the weaker tracks. I would also have preferred it if Insomnium have stuck to their previous influences for lyrics. The poetic lines from their previous works have appealed to me greatly, especially when they helped so much more to connect with their emotional music. While the lyrics in Across the Dark still convey sorrow and nostalgia, they have become more vague and have essentially lost that creative clarity that could turn their songs into truly top-notch masterpieces.

That's not to say that Across the Dark isn't awesome though, because it is. Insomnium's strength lies in their ability to create so much from rudimentary melodies. The double bass is simple, there is no need for technically straining beats from the drums, Ville Friman and Ville Vänni aren't threatening to severe their fingers by moving them rapidly all over their guitars. Everything is just right though, down to Niilo Sevänen's low growls, which complements the songs and brings out the atmosphere very well. When the last track "Weighed Down with Sorrow" comes to an innuendo, its title will reflect exactly how you feel. And if that's not masterful work from a melodeath band with doom tendencies, then maybe you just want to listen to some thrash metal and get angry coz sorrow's not for you.

Below is the official music video for "Down with the Sun". Go get emo my friends, but let your emotions flow through and fuel some energy. You'll feel high in a different manner.

Verdict: 9.3/10

Concert News: ChthoniC 閃靈 To Perform In Singapore This August

noreply@blogger.com (Shadori) — Mon, 31 May 2010 11:38:00 +0000

Taiwanese Symphonic Black metal band, ChthoniC 閃靈, is coming to Singapore this August to bring their unholy brand of political desecration to Republic Polytechnic!

Exact ticket prices are not known yet, but have been estimated to be around S$50+. For those new to Singapore, or who are hardcore ChthoniC 閃靈 fans who will be coming all the way to Singapore this August for the band's virgin performance here, the address to Republic Polytechnic is as follows: 9 Woodlands Ave 9, Singapore 738964

If you do not drive a car, are tight on cash for cabbing, or do not have anyone to drive you there, click here for routes to the venue utilizing public transport.

Tour shirts are most probably going to be available, going for maybe S$30+ for each. There will be no meet-and-greet session with fans before the concert day itself, but fans can hijack the band after their concert is over (which can be late though, because the standard time length of concerts are ~ 1 hour +, without factoring in possible technical problems beforehand and the band's post-performance fatigue).

Be wary of suffocating clouds of cigarette smoke, jostling crowds of metalheads, and pickpockets though. Everyone who waits for the band members after their concert all probably want a photograph/autograph just as much as you do.

This post will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.

UPDATE (02/06/2010): The concert will be held on 14th August, 2010. Venue will be a lecture hall in Republic Polytechnic, estimated to be around 400 tickets available for sale. Exact ticket prices not known yet, stay tuned for further updates!

UPDATE (10/06/2010): Pre-sale price for the concert tickets will be at S$55, and can be bought at 2nd-hand CD shop, Inokii: #03-30, Far East Plaza. Pre-sale will last for roughly 1 month starting from today, and door price will be at S$70, so for interested people, better get your tickets quickly. Meet-and-greet session with fans after the concert have not been confirmed yet, but hopefully there is one, I want a picture with Doris Yeh!! xP

UPDATE (21/06/2010): I just bought my ticket (and am the 27th person in Singapore to do so). The band picture printed on the ticket is the same as the one featured prominently on their MySpace page and my review of "Mirror Of Retribution", but the band logo is red in colour instead of white. It also says ChthoniC are on their Mirrror Of Retribution tour, yep, there is a typo on the ticket. Can't wait for 14th August. \m/,

UPDATE (06/08/2010): Finally, it is 1 week and 1 day more to the concert! Tickets have been completely sold out on Inokii's side by now, so for those who have yet to buy the tix, try out Hell's Labyrinth at Peninsula Plaza... or just wait until next time. :P