Nova Art/The 3rd Step/2012 CD Review
Nova Art are a band from Russia that plays a mixture of progressive, gothic, metal, and dark wave and this is a review of their self released 2012 album "The 3rd Step".
Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown into the music at times, while the keyboards bring elements of gothic, industrial, and dark wave to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone with heavy riffing that dominates throughout the recording with some powerful bass leads that bring in elements of funk music.
Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine progressive, metal, gothic and dark wave together to create a sound of their own mixed in with some clean playing that brings a 70's art rock sound to the music, while the lead guitars are very technical and progressive metal guitar solos and leads, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking to add more of a progressive touch to the music.
Vocals are mostly clean male and female singing vocals mixed in with some deep death metal growls that add to the aggression that is coming out of the music as well as a brief use of rap parts, while the lyrics cover dark and hateful themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to the music where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.
In my opinion Nova Art are a very great sounding modern day progressive/gothic metal hybrid and if you are a fan of this style of music, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "No More Pain" and "Pacific". RECOMMENDED BUY.
Oiltanker/Shadow Of Greed/Crusades/Southern Lord Records
Oiltanker are a band from Hartford, Connecticut that plays a mixture of crust, d beat and grindcore and this is a review of their 2012 album "Shadow Of Greed/Crusades" which was released by Southern Lord.
Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some brutal sounding blast beats being thrown into the music at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very strong and powerful sound to them at times.
Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine crust, d beat and grindcore together to create a sound of their own, while the lead guitars are very old school sounding crust punk guitar solos and leads.
Vocals range from deep crust/grind growls, shouts and high pitched screams, while the lyrics cover social and political themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful and heavy sound where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.
In my opinion Oiltanker are a very great sounding hybrid of crust punk, d beat and grindcore and if you are a fan of this style of music, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Coma" "A Means To And End" "Sorrow" and "Gutted". RECOMMENDED BUY.
Posted by OccultBlackMetal at 11:17 AM No comments:
Nuclear Death Terror/Chaos Reigns/Southern Lord/2012 CD Review
Nuclear Death Terror are a band from Denmark that plays a mixture of crust, d beat, and grindcore and this is a review of their 2012 album "Chaos Reigns" which was released by Southern Lord.
Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown into the music, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.
Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine influences from crust, d beat and grindcore together to create a sound of their own, while the lead guitars are very chaotic sounding crust punk guitar solos and leads.
Vocals are all deep crust/grind growls, while the lyrics cover despair, human atrocities and man made Armageddon, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.
In my opinion Nuclear Death terror are a very great sounding hybrid of crust, d beat and grindcore and if you are a fan of this style of music, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Collapse" "Mindchain" "Chaotic Alliance" and "Morbid Tales" which is a Celtic Frost cover. RECOMMENDED BUY.
Strong Intention Interview
answered by zac:
1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
yeah, we just released a 7" ep on Patac records entitled Razorblade Express. Its 6 songs and features Mike IX Williams on EYEHATEGOD doing vocals on 2 tracks and also has Derek Engemann from CATTLE DECAPITATION on bass. We just wrapped up a 2 week east coast tour with PHOBIA and are about to head out again on another east coast tour with MISERY INDEX.
2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous recordings?
Its definitely our best recording and best performance hands done Nothing else we have done comes close to this. The sound is something I always envisioned and
we finally have captured that . Past recordings, which I stand by 100%, lacked either good production, or the performance suffered due to having people in the band who really should have never been there in the first place.
3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?
No future, no hope, no life , only pain !
Other topics are the domino principle ( you beat me, I will beat mine)
The hypocrisy of political elections
How greed and capitalism can erase a once beautiful town and turn into worthless concrete sprawl.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
Have not been asked this is over 10 years. Originally the band was just going to be Intention, and then we added the Strong to it.
I cant say there is one hard reason or meaning behind it. What I can say now is that it relates to more just believing in yourself, your convictions and never ever turn and run.
5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
2005 Trauma Fest in Spain
2009 NYC Boat show with Eyehategod, Pig Destroyer, Goatwhore
1997 the first time we played with Agnostic Front
the 2004 tour we did with DRI
2006 @ CBGBs with Disfear , Nine Shocks Terror
just to name a few, I could list a lot more.
6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
In August we are doing a week with MISERY INDEX
and then another week with ABIGAIL WILLIAMS
7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new albums by fans of sludge and doom metal?
Its been good. I think people understand we are not a doom/sludge band but do incorporate elements of that sound into our music. Then you throw
Mike IX into the mix and it makes for a pretty powerful trip.
8. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
Its full time line up , but Derek our bass player is also in CATTLE DECAPITATION so that has been keeping him busy this year, so while he is out
we have Sparky Volyes (from Dying Fetus/Misery Index) playing with us and its been absolutely killer having him in the band.
9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
I think the path we are on now is one we as a band are pleased with. Looking to have another EP out soon or maybe a full length
we are working that out now. I think people who dig RAZORBLADE can expect more of the same on the next release.
10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Influences are pretty far ranging from Napalm Death to Agnostic Front to Eyehategod to INFEST to Slayer to Van Halen. I like to think we as a band
are not pigeonholed into on genre of music and I think that is a reflection of our musical influences.
Was listening to the new HIGH ON FIRE, TRAGEDY, just checked out Low Threat Profile , some old SFA, Watain.
11. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?
I like to travel , I like to spend time with my girl Fanny ( the queen of stoner/doom metal) . I just like to keep busy and not feel like
I am letting life pass me by.
12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thanx for reaching out for this interview
and remember, no matter what you have been told, there is no such thing as streets of gold.
http://strongintention.bigcartel.com/ ( Our merch store)
Amassador Gun Interview
1. Can you give us an update on what iss going on with the band these days?
— We are planning fall tour in support of "Golden Eagle". Starting to write and piece together
ideas for a new record too.
— We had all intentions this time to record and mix the record ourselves. From the start we knew we wanted a raw
and crusty tone with a lot of mid. We listened to a handful of recordings we liked from other bands and tried to make
our own version. We were very fortunate to have some great friends borrow us great amps for the project. In the past we've
worked with some amazing people including Steve Austin, Adam Tucker, and Jeff Halland and were pleased with
the end product. I feel the three of us had a certain sound we needed conceptually for this record and "Golden Eagle" came out great.
3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
— I suppose we write about what we know and whats fucked. No pleasantries with grind!!! Many of the lyrics we write are collaborative and deal with America's spotty history
you could say. "Golden Eagle" was a title first and written around lyrically second hand. Most, not all, songs on the record are about Native American culture at the turn of the 19th
century. Theft, murder, coercion, etc.
— Honestly, the name was originally a song we wrote probably in 2001 on a drum machine. The name came from a style of giant, reflective aviator sunglasses. Picture Clint Eastwood
wearing those with a gun to your temple! Fuckin' tough as nails!
— A few of the best have been with Red Sparowes some years ago in Minneapolis. Odd lineup, but amazing sound and huge attendance. We played with other amazing bands
such as Gaza, Enabler, and some of the guys from Masakari in a side project band this last year. When we tour I think the set is very solid and seamless. No setlist, just feeling out the last song
merging into the next. We play fast and only break really to switch instruments. A recent memorable show we played was in North Dakota and my finger was scraped and scabby from playing bass
the night before. The scab ripped off about two songs into the set and sprayed blood with every strum. I supposed it looked pretty rad.
— We hope to be back out by mid or late October for a couple weeks probably heading westward again but TBD. Hopefully ride south over the winter to get out of the midwest for a minute
7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extrememusic?
— I've definitely sold more hard copies of the music overseas. We'll get emails from other country's with guys saying they really dig the music, come tour here, etc. Generally its written in broken english
but we're very grateful that people that far away can hear what we're doing. And we have yet to tour Europe. I guess that would truly sum it up when we get over there.
8. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
— Drummer Patrick plays in a fucking amazing death metal band Australis also from minneapolis. Tim writes beats for a dirty hip-hop project called the Katy Perry Gang Bang. I (Luke) tool around
on GarageBand when bored.
— I think we'll continue to write straight grind songs and experiment with other styles and progressions and hopefully release another amalgam of a record. Mixing it up a bit
can a make a grind/metal record memorable.
— Well there's obvious influences by Rotten Sound, Carcass, Nasum, Neurosis, Slayer to name a few. But each of us listen to such a broad spectrum of bands separately that I couldn't say we have direct
influence when we practice. There's some pretty cool younger bands emerging from the midwest right now and they're a lot of fun to see live.
11. Outside of music what are some of your interests
— Pat and Tim have other music projects and I do some design, web, and illustration independently for bands and small companies.
— We have some great news with a reputable label coming soon! Thanks from all of us for your interest in Ambassador Gun
Posted by OccultBlackMetal at 9:33 AM No comments:
L 'Endevi Interview
1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Mamen: L'Endeví was created as a personal project of Jaume (guitar) and me (vocals). We found some great friends: Mario (drums), Pater (guitar) and Guillermo "Tama" (bass) and we recorded our first demo in September 2007. We were very satisfied with this demo. At that moment we thought we could create an original musical project so we started playing together till we recorded our first album: When I Desire Something You Can't Do Anything. From then on we started to play all around our country till 2012 when we signed with Art Gates Records and we recorded our present album: An Eternity.
2. How would you describe your musical sound?
Mamen: We think we are between metal-rock and gothic. We know that we have some pieces that sound like some other bands but on the whole we are different, we have our own sound and style. For better or worse we can claim that we have our own special sound: L'endeví.
Mamen: Themes like love, illusion, hate, help, emotions, stories of our lives but always mixed with fantasy.
Mamen: It's written in our language, Valenciano, and it means The Fortune Teller. It was an idea of Pater while he was reading a book and the whole band agreed with him. L'Endeví provides us with the reality of our place, which is Valencia-Spain, and anchors us in fantasy with The Fortune Teller.
Mamen: One was in Paris because we played with a great international band: Kells!! And it was the first time that we had played outside our country and the public response was cool, fantastic!! Our live perfomance is energetic and full of strength. We say that when we are up on stage, we feel the magic of our music. On stage, the public says that our songs are more agressive, more heavy than they are in the album. We think that's good, A live show has to be energetic and as amazing as we can make it.
6.Do you have any touring plans for the future?
Mamen: Yes, on September we continue with our tour An Eternity 2012 in Spain. We are hoping to go to Europe again in 2013 and we are currently trying to make a deal to give support to one of the big bands.
7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of gothic metal?
Mamen: Since we released our first album, we have had a lot of fantastic reviews all around the world and have sold cds in countries such as Germany, UK, USA, Japan, Canada and France. With An Eternity, our fan base has grown along with the countries where we sell cds, now Poland, Italy and Belgium...That's really good, and with Facebook and Twitter we get feedback from our fans, it's so important for us because they give us a lot of good vibes!!!
8. Currently you are signed to Art Gates Records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?
Mamen: Yeah, Art Gates Records emerged with a bang in Spain and they are from Valencia, too. They knew about our first album and our shows by word-of-mouth, then they contacted us, we met, and it became clear that we both think in the same way, but more importantly how L'endevi needs to move ahead, so they put us on their roster to promote our second album and we rely on their management team to achieve this. By Art Gates we have distribution through Twilight Vertrieb in Europe, USA and Asia. That's great because this company works with labels like Nuclear Blast, Wacken Records, Century Media and many others. Art Gates Records gives us a lot of support and we have an excellent relationship!!!
Mamen: We really don't know because we don't compose our music in a premeditated way, so I can only predict that it would be our music and sound, but far more mature.
Mamen: This is a difficult question because each of us are influenced by different things, but it's true that we have some bands in common, such as classic bands like: Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Metallica, and newer bands such as Paradise Lost, Machine Head, Amorphis, In Flames, Opeth, After Forever, Nightwish and Whitin Temptations. We like many bands and I think we absorb influences from all the music we like to listen to.
11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Mamen: I like to travel a lot with our campervan to the mountains or the beach and walk there with our sons and our dog. I like family, friends, nature, animals, psychology, surf...
Mamen: hank you very much for this interview for Hatred Means War and we hope that all of your readers will play 'An Eternity' and we hope you and they enjoy it!!! A big hug from L'Endeví!
Radiation Sickness Interview
1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days/
There is a lot going on for taking 18 years off. Stuff is coming at us fast. We just released our first studio record in 20 years "Reflection of a Psychotic Past" Our heaviest stuff to date on Abyss Records , this also includes a digital re-mastered copy of our 1990 LP "The other me a Journey into Insanity. We are playing a lot of fun selective shows. Later this summer we will have the SERIOUS OLD stuff released on CD with a live set DVD from 1990. It will include "We are all the Victims" Demo (1987) , "Elvis Ain't Dead" 1988 and "The Bounds of Reality" EP. Plus a live set from Flint Michigan on CD and DVD. This release is called "The Madness Begins 87-90.
Heavier, faster more speed changes. All the songs that appear on Reflections but one "I Stand for nothing" were written in 1992. The music is true to the roots of old school brutality. The lyrics where all re-written. We have all grown as musicians so the music is better but we will always Keep it true and real.
Life is what Radiation Sickness songs are about the true evil in this world. I look at what is screwed up in the human mind and different mental health issues ( either that I suffer from, or have seen) and use them as a format to our lyrics. "Death did we part (A Demented Love song II)" is a true story of friend of the band. She was killed in front of her daughter in a murder suicide (The sound of a gun is real love means). "Tripping in the seas of madness" is about me (now 43) accepting my mortality but wanting to seek revenge of those who need it before I croak. Fucked up true life stories of the dark side of the human mind. Death and depression has plagued this band from the start including the suicide of the guy who started the band with me at the age of 17 many of years ago.
Well it is not from a Repulsion song who we love dearly and spent many a times sharing the stage with. Nor is it from a Nuclear Assault song. It simply came from watching a show on PBS (that's why back) on Radiation Poising from the Nuclear bombs dropped in World War II.
5. The band was broken up for a long time, what made you decide to reform the band and what where you doing during the long hiatus?
My (Doug Palmer's ) depression made us re-form. I was out of the music scene all together for 16 plus years. Looking in from the outside. Trapped in a world I hated with people I hated. It became to much, I found my way home to this little underground world we call home. Started hanging with old pals. Never did want to do a Radiation Sickness gig again. Well it took place in October 2010. All the guys came back but Ricky. Tom Ball stepped in on guitar (great move for the future of this band). We did one show only, but it was in our blood and fast-forward to me typing this up.
Well the Indy show ever one still talks about was 1990 with Impetigo and Repulsion a pure classic. The first ever death fest A Day of Death in Buffalo New York in 1990. That will go down in metal history. Playing with Jim Fleet and Phlegm. Every show we play now! We do not play much but when we do it is with bands on a bill I would travel to see. On stage is just keeping real, energy and music, hate and anger! Still have the anger of the cross over punk days, the Fuck You attitude.
Yes we do, not long tours just a few one off's three and four dates. It is hard for us to tour a long period of time with job's and families. Hoping to spend three weeks or so in Europe in 2013. I look at it this way, if it is fun we will do it.
8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by undergrouns music fans?
It is has been great, I still run into people when I am out of town to see other shows that say hay I saw you back with so and so in (insert year). The feed back we are getting is over whelming and makes me proud to be part of this dysfunction group of heathens. If not for the dark demented and deranged heathens of the underground we are four guys playing in a garage. Thanks to all.
9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases/
True , fast , heavy. Nough say Keeping it real.
Well paying dues bands like: Deviated Instinct, Electro Hippies, Napalm Death in the Lee era, Cryptic Slaughter, Discharge, Impulse Manslaughter, the list goes on. Today I am heavy into Black Metal, Old Thrash, Crust Punk, Doom. I just love underground music.
11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Indycar Racing, serial killers, insanity, my kids (top of the list). Tom is into Bike racing. Byron is down with all things horror. Kevin is into talking and guns.
Just stay true don't be a lame poser. Keep it real. Support other bands. I am a 43 year old grown ass man doing this since 87, and go see all the new bands in Indy standing right up at the front. Lose the ego's and don't down load music. People do this out of love once they lose their ass they are done.
L' Endevi/An Eternity/Art Gates Records/2012 CD Review
L' Endevi are a band from Spain that plays gothic metal with influences from death and doom metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "An Eternity" which was released by Art Gates Records.
Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the keyboards bring a very atmospheric, gothic, and symphonic sound to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone with heavy riffing that dominates throughout the recording.
Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced gothic metal riffs that utilize some traditional, death and doom metal influences along with a great amount of dark sounding melodies being thrown into the riffing, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos and leads, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking and full chords to enhance the darkness that is coming out of the music.
Vocals are mostly clean singing female vocals with some aggressive and spoken word parts as well as a brief use of deep growls, while the lyrics cover dark themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.
In my opinion L' Endevi are a very great sounding gothic metal band and if you are a fan of this style of music, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Gold" "An Eternity" "We Are The Metal" and "Unjust Unnatural Deaths". RECOMMENDED BUY.
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