Necronomicon/COnstruction Of Evil/Metal Scrap Records/2024 Album Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  an  older  recording  from  Germany's  Necronomicon  which  showed  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  thrash,  speed,  power  and  first  wave  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2004  album  "Construction  Of  Evil"  which  was  re-issued  in  2024  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  and  demonic  voices  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction.  Vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  mixed  in  with  some  back  up  vocals  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  90's  style  and  they  also  make  an  old  school  style  sound  more  modern.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  spoken  word  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  elements  of  speed  metal  and  blast  beats  are  also  utilized  along  with  the  clear  vocals  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  power  metal.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  clean  playing  and  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks.

  On  this  recording  Necronomicon  takes  thrash,  speed,  power  and  first  wave  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  heavy  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  violence  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Necronomicon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  German  thrash  and  first  wave  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stormbringer"  "From  Hell"  "Terrorist  Attack"  and  "Possessed  Again".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/necronomiconofficial

Necronomicon/The Demos/Vic Records/2024 Compilation Album Review

 

   This  is  a  review  of  a  compilation  album  which  contains  the  early  demo's  from  Germany's  Necronomicon  which  where  released  in  1985  and  showed  the  music  mixing  the  first  wave  black  metal  style  with  the  German  Teutonic  thrash  metal  sound  of  that  era  and  the  recordings  where  released  as  a  single  album  by  Vic  Records.

  The  sounds  of  war  start  off  the  compilation  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  very  fast  aggression  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats.  Vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  classic  thrash  metal  style  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  first  wave  black  metal  style.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  more  rooted  in a   thrash/speed  metal  style,  the  bass  guitars  get  more  powerful  sounding  then  the  first  demo  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  more  of  blackened  style,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  On  these  demo's  Necronomicon  took  the  first  wave  black  metal  style  of  the  early  80's  and  mixed  it  with  the  more  traditional  German  thrash  metal  of  their  home  country.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Death,  Evil  and  Destruction  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Necronomicon  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  black  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Genocide"  "Danger"  "Possessed  By  Evil"  and  "Bloody  Revenge".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/necronomiconofficial         

A Tribute To Bathory/Antichrist Magazine/Grand Sounds Promotions/2022 Compilation Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  compilation  of  bands  doing  cover  songs  from  Sweden's  Bathory  a  band  that  was  very  influential  on  the  black,  viking  and  thrash  metal  genres  as  well  as  being  considered  one  of  the  originators  of  black  metal,  the  album  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Antichrist  Magazine  and  Grand  SOunds  Promotion  and  we  will  review  each  track  one  by  one.

  Germany's  Reactorbeast  brings  us  "Hades"  which  they  mix  their  thrash  metal  style  in  with  the  first  wave  style  of  black  metal  style  of  the  song  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  more  German  approach  of  thrash  metal  vocals  to  the  track.

  Germany's  Hateful  Agony  brings  us  "Reaper"  where  they  take  the  classic  German  thrash  metal  style  along  with  the  first  wave  black  metal  rawness  of  the  genre  as  well a s  bringing  in  an  early  death  metal  approach  to  the  vocals.

  Italy's  Orgrel  brings  us  "Necromancy"  which  they  also  add  in  some  second  wave  touches  to  the  song  as  well  remaining  true  to  the  original  vision  of  the  track.  and  the  riffs  and  leads  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Poland's  Vephar  brings  us  "Sacrifice"  where  they  take  this  song  and  change  things  around  their  old  school  style  of  death  metal  but  also  retaining  the  black  metal  elements  of  the  original  version.  

  Sweden/Indonesia's  Nattmaran  brings  us  "In  Conspiracy  With  Satan"  where  they  take  their  punk  influenced  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  also  bring  in  an  even  more  raw  version  of  the  original  song.  

  Slovakia's  Demonic-Eyed  brings  us  "Raise  The  Dead"  and  they  add  more  crust  and  hardcore  style  punk,  thrash  and  crossover  elements  in  which  where  not  presented  on  the  original  version  of  the  track.

  Norway's  Myrholt  brings  us  "War"  and  they  take  the  first  wave  nature  of  the  track  and  mixes  it  in  with  more  a  second  where  Norwegian  black  metal  metal  as  well  as  taking t he  vocals  into  more  of  an  aggressive  direction.

  Canada's  Winterhearth  brings  us  "Born  For  Burning"  where  they  take  the  song  into  more  of  modern  blackened  thrash  metal  direction  that  is  still  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  style  of  the  original.

  Sweden's  Helvetestromb  brings  us  "Sadist  (Tormentor)"  where  they  take  some  raw  black  metal  and  crust  punk  elements  in  to  create  a  song  that  is  more  brutal  than  the  original  version  of  the  track.

  Spain's  Gorguina  brings  us  "The  Return  Of  Darkness  And  Evil"  where  they  take  the  or9iginal  track  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  raw  aggression  of  the  second  wave  style  as  well  as  giving  the  vocals  more  of  a  grim  approach.  

  Poland's  Dominance  bring s us  "Massacre"  and  they  also  take  the  music  into  more  of  a  raw  second  wave  black  metal  style  than  the  original  version  as  well a s  taking  the  vocals  approach  into  more  of  an  aggressive  direction.

  Spain's  Nuclear  Revenge  brings  us  "Woman  Of  Dark  Desires"  and  they  also  bring  in  more  modern  blackened  thrash  metal  touches  to  the  track  as  well  as  remaining  true  to  the  old  school  vision  of  the  song.          

  Australia's  Zkarv  brings  us  "Call  From  The  Grave"  and  also  adds  in  some  ambient  elements  to  update  the  song  for the  modern  era  as  well  as  keeping  the  tracks  man  focus  rooted  in  more  of  a  black  metal  style.

  Italy's  Avtotheism  brings  us  "Equimanthorn"  which  starts  out  with  some  synths  before  going  into  more  of  a  brutal  and  technical  direction  of  death  metal  as  well  as  retaining  the  black  metal  elements  of  the  original  version.

  United  Kingdom's  Craven  Idol  brings  us  "Chariots  Of  Fire"  which  also  brings  in  more  of  a  horror  movie  vibe  than  the  original  version  as  well  as  adding  in  a  lot  more  rawness  of  brutality  to  the  track.  

  Poland's  Mystic  Rites  brings  us  "A  Fine  Day  To  Die"  which  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  as  well  as  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals  before  going  into  more  of  an  aggressive  black  metal  direction.

  U.S.A's  Luminous   Veil  brings  us  "For  Those  Who  Die"  which  starts  out  with  some  epic  battle  sounds  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  more  modern  black  metal  approach  to  the  original  version.

  Netherlands's  Gorge  Of  War  brings  us  "Dies  Irae"  which  he  takes  the  original  and  mixes  it  in  with  some rawer  black/war  metal  touches   and  experimental  elements  but  keeping  the  song  very  brutal.

  Scotland's  Nemeta  brings  us  "Shores  In  Flames"  which  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  are  also  done  in  a  very  clear  pagan  style  as  well a s  adding  in  some  blast beats  and  grim  black  metal  screams  that  where  not  present  in  the  original  version.

  Italy's  Spiritual  Deception  brings  us  "Father  To  Son"  which  they  take  into  more  of  a  brutal  death  metal  direction  that  is  very  different  from  the  original  version  as  well  as  sounding  like  a  complete  different  track.

  Italy's  Ardeat  brings  us  "Home  Of  Once  Brave"  which  they  take  into  more  of  a  brutal  blackened  death  emtal  style  that  is  completely  different  from  the  original  viking  metal  version  of  the  songs.

  New  Zealand's  Beltane  brings  us  "One  Rode  To  Asa  Bay"  which  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  being  very  melodic  at  the  same  time  and  the  band  stays  away  from  the  black  metal  approach  of  their  original  material  to  remain  true  to  the  classic  viking  metal  style  of  the  song.

  Italy's  Hymnodya  brings  us  "Under  The  Runes"  which  is  a  lot  more  in  a  death  metal  style  than  the  original  while  also  keeping  the  viking  metal  spirit   that  was  very present  on  the  track  when  it  was  released. 

  U.S.A's  Ob  Nixilis  brings  us  "Bond  Of  Blood"  which  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  before  going  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  viking/black  metal  direction  which  also  mixes  in  a lot  of  melodic  death  metal  elements.

  Australia's  Heathen  Foray  brings  us  "Man  Of  Iron"  which  they  mix  some  melodic  death  metal  and  pagan  black  metal  elements  into  the  track  as  well  as  keeping  the  feeling  of  the  original  track.   

  Chile's  Raving  Panic  brings  us  "The  Stallion"  which  is  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  epic  pagan  metal  style  while  also  adding  in  some  elements  of  folk  metal  and  the  track  also s ticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Brazil's  Hellish  War  brings  us  "The  Woodwoman"  which  starts  out  with  some  acoustic  guitars  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  clear  power  metal  style.

  Brazil's  brave  brings  us  "Gods  Of  Thunder  Of  Wind  And  Of  Rain"  where  they  take  the  track  from  Bathory's  viking  metal  era  and  give  it  more  of  a  power  or  traditional  metal  touch as  well  as  keeping  the  heaviness  of  the  original.

  Italy's  Altar  Of  The  Witch  brings  us  "Nordland"  a  track  that  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  an d  they  take  the  viking  metal  style  of  the  original  and  mixes  it  in  with  elements  of  traditional  doom  metal.

  Columbia's  no  Raza  brings  us  "Ring  Of  Gold"  which  starts  out  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  synths  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  and  the  band  also  brings  in  more  of  a  death  metal  style  to  the  song.

  Brazil's  Buaiteoir  brings  us  "Foreverdark  Woods"  a  track  that  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  band  also  brings  in  more  elements  of  folk  music  to  create  a  different  version  of  the  original  song  as  well  as  remaining  true  to  its  pagan  roots.

  Brazil's Battle  Raven  brings  us  "Mother  Earth,  Father  Thunder"  which  starts  out  with  some  clear  pagan  chants  and  vocals  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  yet  melodic  direction  that  also  captures  a  very  epic  atmosphere.

  Italy's  Manehidag  closes  the  compilation  with  "Vinland"  where  they  take  the  viking  metal  style  of  the  original  version  and  also  mix  it  in  with  a  touch  of  black  metal style  to create  a  more  original  version.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a very  great  sounding  compilation  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  fans  of  all  of  the  different  phases  of  Bathory.  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/NiMBwpA0ARQ 

    

  

Excruciation/[E]met/Auric Records/2019 ompilation Album Review

  Excruciation  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  around  for  more  than  30  years  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  metal,  crustcore  and  80's  era  post  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  compilation  album  [E]met"  which  was  released  by  Auric  Records.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  riffs  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  some  melodies.  Vocals  are  mostly  mid  80's  to  early  90's  era  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  Elements  of  thrash  and  first  wave  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  clean  vocals  onto  the  album.

  The  album  also  brings  in  covers  from  The  Undisputed  Truth,  Kiss  and  Mercyful  Fate  which  also  sound  a  lot  more  heavier  than  the  original  versions.At  times  the  vocals  also  add  in  more  of  an  aggressive  yet  semi  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  crustcore  and  post  punk  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  compilation  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  slow  and  mid  tempo  parts  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  used  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  humanity  and  human  emotion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Excruciation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom,  death,  black,  thrash  metal  and  crsutcore,  you  should  check  out this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Haunted"  "Libya  1942"  "Dignitas  (Magick  Ritual)"  and  "Kissing  Your  Life  Goodbye".  8  out  of  10.

www.excruciation.net

www.facebook.com/excruciationofficial

www.instagram/excruciation_official

www.youtube.com/user/AuricRecords

www.excruciation.bandcamp.com

www.reverbnation.com/excruciation 

Death On Fire/Corpse Paint And Dayglo/Hope/2018 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Illinois's  Death  On  Fire  and  Corpse  Paint  And  Dayglo  which  will  be  self  released  in  October  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Death  on  Fire  a band  that  plays  a  melodic mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of t he  musical  instruments  having  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  elements  of  groove  metal  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  he  also  brings  in  Duran  Duran,  Prince,  Inxs,  and  Tom  Petty  covers  as  well  as  adding  in  a brief  use  of  piano's,  spoken  word  parts,  synths  and  clean  playing,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Death  On  Fire  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hope"  and  "You  Got  Lucky".

  Next  up  is  Corpse  Paint  And  Dayglo  a  band  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  new  wave.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  cover  of  Immortal's  "tyrants"  which  also  brings  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  synth  pop  and  goth  rock  style  vocals  and  the  song  sounds  nothing  like  the  original.

  They  also  bring  in  a  new  wave  version  of  Darkthrone's  "Transylvanian  Hunger"  before  closing  their  side  of  the  split  with  an  original  song  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Corpse  Paint  And  Dayglo  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  new  wave  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Transylvanian  Hunger".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death,  black  metal  and  new  wave,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

https://deathonfire.bandcamp.com/album/hope

Coffinrot/Retribution Divine/ZeroBudget Records/2018 CD Review

  Coffinrot  are  a  band  from  Minnesota  that  plays  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  progressive,  thrash,  doom  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  'Retribution  Divine"  which  was  released  by  ZeroBudget  Records.

  Acoustic  guitars  along  with  some  distorted  melodic  guitar  leads start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  bring  in a   mixture  of death  metal growls  and  screams  that  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great amount  of  blast  beats.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  influences  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  at  times  the  music  gets  very  progressive  and  as  the  album  progresses  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Coffinrot  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  death  metal  while  the  progressive, thrash,  doom  and  black  metal  elements  gives  the  songs  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  macabre and  the  dark  side  of  human  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Coffinrot  are  a  very  great  sounding  death  metal  group  with  elements  of  progressive,  thrash,  doom  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mind  Your  Elders"  "Sentenced  To  Serve"  and  "Retribution  Divine".  8  out  of  10. 

https://coffinrotmn.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/coffinrotmn/   

Nerobove Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Hi guys, first of all we’d like to thank you for this interview. Nerobove started in 2011 as See You Leather, but Salvatore (guitar/vocals) and me actually started playing together as soon as we grabbed our instruments at middle school. Then Liliana (bass) and Luca (guitar/vocals) joined us and we started shaping our sound and writing something similar to actual songs. After having played lots of shows in Sicily we released our debut EP Back to Aleph (2015). In the last two years we’ve focused on writing and recording Monuments to Our Failure, reconsidering ourselves as a band. That’s how Nerobove came out.

2. Recently you have released your first full length, what was the musical style that you wanted to achieve with this recording?
To be honest, we’ve never planned anything about our style. We usually write songs by jamming together in our rehearsal room. We all listen to different genres and have different attitudes. Since the beginning our music sounded as something close to thrash and death metal, which are the tastes we have in common, but we’ve always preferred to add unusual riffs and atmospheres to our song. Since Salvatore joined Krigere Wolf, a black metal band, we grabbed some influences from this genre, which is one of my favourite ones. Personally, I also love slower kinds of metal like doom, sludge and post and I think you can find some traces of those in the album. I like when bands slip away from standards and categories – it’d be cool for us to be considered one of those.

3. A lot of your lyrics cover literature, what is some of the writings that have had an inspiration on your work?
We’ve always been influenced by literature, mostly by the works of Lovecraft and Poe. Writing lyrics for Monuments to Our Failure I looked for something other, maybe less employed by metal bands. Luckily, studying literature at school and university I had the chance to discover and appreciate lots of works from the past. Latin poets (“Nekyomanteia”, taken by Lucan’s Pharsalia), French naturalism (“La Bête humaine”, from the novel of the same name by Émile Zola), modern female poets (“Not Waving but Drowning”, inspired by a poem of the same name by Stevie Smith) – all of this has been absorbed by the concept behind the album.

4. Originally the band was known as 'See you Leather', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nerobove'?
We chose the name See You Leather when we were younger, and we had no clue about what image fitted best with our music, which wasn’t already well defined. See You Leather was just a silly pun but we liked it, we are anything but serious people when we are together! Lately we realized that it didn’t fit our music and our concept anymore, so we drew upon something different. Nerobove satisfied what we were looking for: a one-word Italian name, which could be easy to pronounce for foreigner speakers. It literally means “black ox”, referring both to the heavy and fat animal and to a place near our hometown Catania called “Valle del Bove” (“Ox valley”). Placed on the eastern side of the Mount Etna, this barren valley is covered in black volcanic rocks. We thought that this landscape and the images it recalls could represent our style.

5. Can you tell us a little bit more about the album cover artwork?
The cover artwork has been realized by our mate Gore Occulto. We gave him the idea of a monument surrounded by a devastated atmosphere, he did the rest – we think it embodies perfectly our songs and the album concept. The monument represented is an actual church, one of the biggest in Sicily, which is placed in our home city, Catania. Its presence is huge and frightening, but the columns on the outside façade have been left unfinished – an enormous failure standing in front of everyone. What is more, the area in which the church is placed is anything but pleasant or artistic. We chose this subject because of its contradictions, and of course because it’s a striking monument.

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We have played lots of shows in very different contexts, but if I must choose one I’ll pick the release party we did for Monuments to Our Failure in June during Jettasangu Fest Vol. 4 alongside good bands and friends like Evil Share Hate and Infernalia. This was our first gig after a couple of years and the first show as Nerobove, so we felt it like a rebirth and we were really excited. The feedback from the audience has been outstanding and we couldn’t be more grateful for that. The guys played most of the show among the crowd leaving me alone behind the drumset! We love to sweat and swear on stage, I think it’s our ideal dimension and our habitat.

7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Nothing scheduled yet, but we’re planning to play in the few venues there are in Sicily and then try to hit other areas of Italy. As I said, we show our best side when playing on stage, so we want to make the most of it.

8. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We believe that nowadays the support of a label is important, although it’s not necessary. We’re trying to do our best to promote ourselves in a DIY way, but if some labels are interested in our music we are more than available to collaborate.

9. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
It’s been awesome so far, we have received very good reviews and feedbacks. We think that the variety of our music could satisfy different tastes, from the old school thrasher to the fan of modern and technical metal. Of course, there’s a lot of work to do to improve, but we’re very happy.

10. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Three out of four members of Nerobove are involved in other extreme metal projects. Liliana plays in Whispering Haze, melodic death metal band currently working on its debut album. Salvatore destroys amps in Krigere Wolf (black/death). They have recently released a great split album with Japanese blacksters Sabbat and I know they’re working on something new. I hit drums in BuiOmegA (post/black/doom) and we’re writing new songs hoping to enter the studio next year, after having released our debut album Decay (in which I didn’t play) in December 2017. All of these projects have different identities from our band but are bringing at the same time great influence and inspiration to our sound. Recently some of us have also experienced different musical contexts, such as jazz, funk, pop, indie.
1
1. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We’re about to complete the songwriting process for a bunch of new songs. We are trying to maintain some similarity with Monuments to Our Failure yet evolving our style. I may say that our new material is going to be heavier and more direct that before, adding some sludgy riffs and a scorching atmosphere. Let’s see where our future jams will bring us!

12. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
As I said in the opening we all have different tastes, so I guess it’s difficult to spot direct influences in our music. There are bands which have been fundamental to our musical development, I mean very big names such as Pantera, Metallica, Death. Some of us share common tastes about other bands: Gojira, Mastodon, Behemoth are among my favorite acts and the guys like them. Liliana is really into melodic and modern death metal (All Shall Perish, Oceano, The Agonist), Salvatore lights candles to Bolzer and Mgla, while Luca listens to lots of classic rock. I love genres which are totally different from what we play, such as stoner and post-rock. Recently I’m listening to some Italian hardcore and post-hardcore bands and appreciating new records by Khemmis and YOB, while being totally amazed by the latest Zeal & Ardor album.

13. What are some of your non musical interests?
There are tons! Usually while together we talk about movies, videogames, politics, society. Luca is a computer science student, Liliana studies architectural engineering, Salvatore is a great cook and craftsman, I’m graduated in modern languages and I’m really into linguistic, history, folklore and literature.

14. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are very thankful for this conversation, keep supporting the underground scene! Don’t forget to check our profiles and listen to Monument to Our Failure on Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify and many illegal download websites!

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Nerobove/Monuments To Our Failure/2018 CD Review

  Nerobove  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  with  some  elements  of  prog,  doom  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Monuments  To  Our  Failure".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album   before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  are  heavily  influenced  by  thrash  along  with  the  vocals  being  80's  style  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  tremolo  picking  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  more  of  an  aggressive  vocals  approach  as  the  album  progresses,  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  when  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  clear  vocals  and  spoken  words  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times. 

  Nerobove  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  death  and  thrash  metal  while  the  prog,  doom  and  black  metal  elements  gives  the  songs  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  literature  and  inner  struggle  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nerobove  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  with  elements  of  prog,  doom,  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Not  Waving  But  Drowning"  "Of  Mud  And  Bones"  and  "Gloomy  Sunday".  8  out  of  10.

neroboveband@gmail.com  

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Khiral interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?



Jouni: Since we got all of the recording done, I think we all suffered a some kind of studio hangover. Now things are looking good and we have been rehearsing and writing new material, so it’s been very exciting times in camp Khiral as the album got released couple weeks ago.



Tuomo: We’ll be having an album release gig in Germany, and after that we get to concentrate on new material. Gigs will be done if interesting opportunities should arise, so like Jouni said, exciting times are at hand.





2.Recently you have a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?



Jouni: Heavy and crushing! I think we sound... well, fresh and natural. Not overly produced and hopefully that is what people and audience will hear too!

I don’t think that our sound really differs from the past, just evolved and the results are now there for everyone to hear.





3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?



Jouni: Tuomo might give you a more detailed and insightful answer, but I think future topics could be anything between slaying dragons and what we feel and see around us, hahah! There could be more personal feelings too.



Tuomo: The lyrics on ’Chained’ involved mainly the downsides of modern society, and I see no reason why these subjects couldn’t be handled even further. If there’s one certainty in this world, it’s the fact that ignorance will never disappear. But personal feelings, experiences and individual situations (eg. getting stuck in airport safety inspection) make good stories too, so there’s really nothing keeping me from writing about whatever I feel like writing. ;)

In a nutshell, whatever I write lyrics about, I want the listener to be able to somehow relate to the subject.





4.Originally the band was known as 'Ivana Red' what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Khiral'?



Jouni: I think ‘Ivana Red’ was more of a “pop” oriented style of music, because of Mari (singer at that time).

And when Mari left the band, rest of the guys changed the name and style! And knowing the guys it’s only natural that they started to play more and more heavier stuff.

If my memory serves me correctly, name Khiral came from chiralization, which means some kind of mirror effect, opposites!?!



Tuomo: Yeah, that’s pretty much the meaning of it, things having two sides.





5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?



Jouni: Well, best show is always the one coming up, meaning all of our shows are just pure greatness and we always try to top the previous one. 😂

We’re just getting started and all shows so far have been great and we are always excited to play live. Of course there is always something to improve. I like to think our stage performance is energetic and fun, at least we have fun on stage and hopefully it shows to audience too!





6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?



Jouni: Well, there’s always something cooking in our Khiralpot, but they are more of long distance plans at the time.

As I’m writing this we all sit on a plane on our way to Germany to play a show in Munich.



Tuomo: Khiralpot, I like it! That’s a keeper! And yeah, there are plans, but we’ll see what happens. ;)





7.Originally the band played more of a hardcore style, what was the decision behind going into more of a metal direction?



Jouni: As I said above, I think that Mari leaving the band is the main reason that Khiral evolved into what it is today. Final touche-ups took place when Tuomo and I joined the band in  early 2016 and when Markus [drummer] started to give us heavier beat in spring 2017.





8.On a worldwide level how the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?



Jouni: So far feedback has been great, I think people really like what we are doing! Of course we realize that we can’t please everyone and there’s always going to be someone who thinks we suck ass. That’s just the way it is!



Tuomo: There have been many positive reviews on ’Chained’ around the world, and great number of radio stations focusing on metal have played our music, and that’s absolutely wonderful. Many people have found us and expressed their liking towards what we’re doing, and it’s just amazing to see how Finnish metal is appreciated around the globe.





9.What is going on with the other bands or musical projects that some of the band members are a part of?



Tuomo: I do vocals in this Motörhead tribute band called Iron Wrist. We’re throwing gigs every now and then. Me and Jouni also have a project band called Bloodruin, which is a sort of an outing valve for all that music that Jouni has in his head but doesn’t quite fit in Khiral’s concept. Joni plays bass in a death/thrash band Sorrowed.





10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



Jouni: Hopefully we evolve musically as a band. I don’t want to make ‘same’ album over and over! You got to grow to keep things interesting.

Luckily, our new “in writing” material seems to do just that, it’s very interesting period going on in Khiral. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the older songs and our debut album ‘Chained’, but those songs are from the period when Tuomo wasn’t in the band, I wasn’t in the band and Markus wasn’t in the band so it’s a kind of coalition of ‘old’ Khiral and current Khiral. We all put our little stamps on the songs that made them what they are, and I’m proud of them, but now we have a whole new situation when there are ideas flying around and we’re starting to put them together and everyone is giving their 110% from the start!



Tuomo: Couldn’t have said it any better. We now have two guitarists with quite different approach to composing songs,  so it’ll be an adventure in itself to see what the new material will end up being like. But rest assured, it’ll be Khiral all the way!





11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



Jouni: Wow, let’s try to keep it short, I think we all listen a bit different bands and only thing common I can think of is Metal, in general!

I know Matti got his kicks from Lamb Of God and Behemoth among others and Joni is our true old school death metal guy who got lost in delta blues a while ago!

Markus is a bit mystery to me on this subject and Tuomo just listens about everything from Battle Beast to Cradle Of Filth.

Personally my biggest influences were mainly in old school thrash, Metallica, Testament, Slayer, Exodus etc. but of course you gotta have some Kiss and W.A.S.P and Mötley Crue and Whitesnake in the mix and not forgetting Pantera!

Nowadays, it’s pretty much the same but also a lot of acoustic stuff like Blackmore’s Night and as a Finn you can’t forget Tapio Rautavaara!



Tuomo: Jouni summed it up pretty well there. As for myself, like JJ mentioned, I like to listen to many kinds of heavier stuff, perhaps mainly focusing on melodic death metal, folk metal, viking metal and symphonic black metal.





12.What are some of your non musical interests?



Jouni: Recently I started drawing again, I haven’t done it in years so it’s been really fun to try to draw something. I also like writing my feelings on paper, kind of like diary but more in a lyrical form or poem.



Tuomo: I read a lot. And I mean a lot, I have a book in reading all the time. I can’t even go to sleep without reading first! And I also study Japanese martial art tradition.





13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?



Jouni: Enjoy the album and see you on the gigs! Horns up!



Tuomo: Behave! ;)

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Khiral/Chained/Inverse Records/2018 CD Review

  Khiral  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a mixture of  death  and  thrash  metal  along  with  some  elements  of  hardcore  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their 2018  album  "Chained"  which  was  released  by  Inverse  Records.

  Clean  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  A  great  amount  of  thrash  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  black metal  screams  as  well  as  the  mid  tempo sections  also  adding  in  hardcore  style  breakdowns  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody,,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  singing.

  Khiral  plays  a musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  death  and  modern  thrash  metal  while  the  hardcore  and  black  metal  elements  makes  the  songs  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Khiral  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  with  some  elements  of  hardcore  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stain"  "Narcissus  In  Your  Mirror"  and  "Lichen".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/KhiralBand/

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Khiral @ Spotify

Corbian Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Corbian was founded in 2014 in Offenbach, Germany. Our music combines elements of Melodic Death Metal with Black and Thrash Metal influences.



2.Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

  Thick. We have a dominant bass, brutal Guitars, brutal Drums and aggressive Vocals. It's a full slap in the face.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

 Our Lyrics focus on aggression, hate, anger and loss."The Darkness" is our take against war. But it's not only the lyrics that transport the message, you can feel it in our music, too.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Corbian'?

 The name "Corbian" was coined by our old guitarist. It's actually a non-sense word, that just sounds cool - it has no deeper meaning.



5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

 We try to be as energetic as possible when playing live. It's great fun, because when you give 100%, the crowd will, too. Our best shows were in our home domain, like at the Hanauer Bürgerfest or in Frankfurt.



6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

 We always have shows planned. We'll be doing some around Frankfurt in the near future. As far as touring we're hoping to be able to hit the road through Germany and/or Europe this year.

 Organisation for that has already begun.



7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

 We're not actively looking for a label, since we feel that you don't necesserly need a label these days anymore. We had offers, but none were attractive to us, yet.



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic and extreme metal?

   Feedback has been great. A lot of people from everywhere contacted us after the release and we're featured in a variation of Online Radios worldwide, it's amazing!



9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

 With "Supremacy of Fire" we set a solid ground for our musical development. For the future we try to stay true to our Death and Black Metal roots, but we also try to write more challenging and slightly more complex stuff for your enjoyment.



10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

  Our biggest influence is definitely Amon Amarth. We have various other influences, to name a few: Black Sabbath, Slayer, Behemoth, Slipknot, Immortal,... We love those bands and still listen to them today.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We all share a mutual love for gaming, however we don't really have the time for great hobbies besides our commitment to music.



12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

We want to thank all our fans and listeners for their overwhelming support this far. It's been a real blast!

https://www.facebook.com/Corbian/

Corbian/Supremacy Of Fire/2017 Full Length Review

  Corbian  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  death  metal  with  elements  of  hardcore,  thrash  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Supremacy  Of  Fire".

  Death  metal  growls  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  win  screams  are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts along  with  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  classical  guitars,  spoken  word parts  can  also  be  heard briefly,  elements  of  hardcore  can  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  synths  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  also  bring  in  more  elements  of  thrash  and  one  track  brings  in  clean  vocals.

  Corbian  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  melodic  death  metal  while  the  elements  of  black,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  gives  the  songs  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released recording while  the  lyrics  cover  loss,  hatred  and  pain  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Corbian  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  death  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash,  black  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Bloodborn"  "Spirit  Of  The  Mine"  "Time  TO  Serve  The  Pain"  and  "Death  by  Shopping  Cart".  8  out  of  10.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Corbian/
BACKSTAGE PRO: https://www.backstagepro.de/corbian
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJwZbJUmTOj45e_m8gBqJw
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/corbian_official/

Bittered/Foreign Agenda/Lost Apparitions Records/2017 CD Review

  Bittered  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  black,  thrash,  traditional  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Foreign  Agenda"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Lost  Apparitions  Records.

  An  atmospheric  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  screams  that  have  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  them  and  hardcore  style  shouts  are  also  used  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  in  the  slower  riffing  and  after  awhile  crust  style  vocals  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy.

  On  this  recording  Bittered  remain true  to  the  grindcore,  doom  and  sludge  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  black,  thrash  ,  heavy  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  to  take  their  style  to  another  level,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry,  hateful  and  political  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bittered  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Follow  Your  Leader"  "Planetary  Meltdown"  "Bible  Fucker"  and  "Witch  Hunt".  8  out  of  10.

For merch - www.bittered.net
Facebook – www.facebook.com/bittered
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bitteredus
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bitteredus
Bandcamp: www.bittered.bandcamp.com
 

Lord Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Steven Kerchner (vocals): We've been busy since recording last August integrating our current drummer Tony Petrocelly into the creative process. We've got a handful of new songs for an upcoming EP, as well as a song in the works for an upcoming 7in split with our friends in Endmaker.


2. You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


Will Rivera (guitar): We pride ourselves on never having any two of our releases sound the same or staying in one niche for too long. After having gone in a more cerebral and progressive direction on Awake, we wanted Blacklisted to be a much more visceral experience. Awake was much more of an introspective album, whereas Blacklisted moves the focus to the outside world and the music needed to reflect what we're exposed to on a daily basis. It's a much angrier and vicious release, but in the end we want to offer hope. It's easy to be the misanthropist or nihilist, but much harder to find a reason to fight through all of the filth and ugliness we see. We definitely branched out musically and anyone who has paid attention to our releases will find a red thread that connects all of our music.  In my opinion, we expanded our sound to truly represent the pedigree of the band members but still retained LORD's signature vibe.

Kerch: I think anytime LORD has a new release or begins writing new material it is drastically evolved or varied from the immediately previous effort.  In this case, Awake was an emotionally supercharged and globally conscious album, whereas Blacklisted is faster, more raw, and while still maintaining a globally conscious edge is also definitely the most pissed off ever lyrically since I joined the band.  


3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?


Kerch: Mile After Mile, the opening track on Blacklisted, is a song about a man named Tom Mitchell who lost his daughter to childhood cancer.  Seeing the eyes of this man fill with such passion and conviction as he continues to fight to bring more research, more funding, more awareness and more support to children with cancer and their families, convinced me this was a man that is an inspiration to the rest of us.  Rising above personal loss and dedicating his life to his foundation, Stillbrave, he has relentlessly improved innumerable  lives.  This song in particular is about one of his fund and awareness raising adventures where he, just a regular dude, trained and trained in order to run a 200 mile marathon, each mile dedicated to a different child and he's doing it again this year!



4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name LORD?


Will: When LORD began in the Spring of 2005, the name was just meant to invoke something powerful without necessarily aligning us with any belief system or sound.  I was listening to a lot of releases from the Southern Lord label at the time so it just seemed like the logical connection for the sound we were initially going for in the beginning. It's taken on many connotations over the years and we even flirted with a mantra on Chief by enforcing the idea of self revelation and belief, but ultimately it's a term of power.






5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over years and also how would you describe your stage performance?


Will: I can sum it up in 3 words: Loud, Passionate and Chaotic.  We give it all we have every time we step on stage, because for us it's more than just a rock show, it's truly a method of catharsis.  There always seems to have been a black cloud that has followed this band and the members and instead of letting it destroy us, we unleash that on stage.  For us, it's not about who is the most extreme or even being popular, it's about integrity and being as real as we can be...warts and all.

Kerch: The Stoner Hands of Doom Festival in 2011 is still by far one of the most memorable shows of my entire life.  LORD played immediately after Cough, who features a former band mate from my first band so it was great to play with them.  We got to the venue to find out our then drummer was stranded two and a half hours away and we rushed out to get him and rushed to get back, the whole time questioning if we would make it back in time.  We made it with just moments to spare and the sonic bloodletting that followed ranks in my top five most memorable shows that I've been a part of.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?


Will: As far as touring plans go, we're looking to do a few long weekend stints and plenty of regional shows throughout the VA/WV/MD area.  We're also hoping to branch out into other regions if time and finances allow.  We're doing this all on our own so it has to work for the 5 of us to take these risks financially without any label support.


7. Currently the band is signed to Heavy Hound Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?


Kerch: I was booking a weekly metal show at a local bar here in Northern Virginia with two friends of mine.  After building a supportive community and gaining a lot of interest from more bands in the area, the idea eventually was to be able to offer quality local shows with a revolving door of bands, not just the same ones again and again, and be able to offer these bands inexpensive studio access as well as inexpensive production of said recordings. I met Xeukatre this away and was pleased to be able to record them at K Hole Studios.  Shortly after launching the label the venue closed for unrelated reasons and things lost momentum, but I continued to release albums mostly from bands I'm involved in. 


8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner and sludge metal?

Will: Not sure how much of a worldwide impact we've had considering no label, lack of distribution and constant setbacks with line-up changes over the years, but I'd have to say that the stoner/doom/sludge scene has always been very good to us and has welcomed us back time and time again despite internal struggles and growing pains.  We wanna make good on people who've invested in this band and be able to be proud of the music that we create without bowing to expectations.  We feel that all we need to do is keep pushing and get ourselves in front of the right audiences.

9. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Kerch: Palkoski released our final album in 2016 and I have since been focused mostly on LORD.  More recently however I got more serious about a hardcore grind project called Pain Tank whose debut album will be dropping not long before LORD's Blacklisted album, and I have been playing drums again in a project called Tumba Carcomida. 

Will: Tony is the main man behind the death metal band Construct of Lethe.  I am currently working on the follow-up to the Absent Sky debut and later this year will be releasing the long awaited debut EP by my dark folk project Barren River, which features the vocal talents of Ashleigh Chevalier.


10. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



Will: We've already started writing new material that will be released as a 7" vinyl split w/ Endmaker from Texas and also an EP that will hopefully see a Fall release.  So far, the material seems to be a cross between the progressiveness of Awake and the aggression of the Blacklisted material.  We're firing on all cylinders right now and the writing is definitely broadening our musical scope, with us incorporating influences from outside our usual arsenal.  We experiment with our sound to keep things interesting for us.

Kerch: The upcoming EP we're currently writing has quite a bit of dual percussion between myself and Tony, so it's definitely another journey, very unlike Blacklisted or any other previous effort.  I've chosen a few topics to tackle lyrically.  One song is called “Le Fleur Du Cobalt” and is about the use of child labor in the DRC to mine cobalt and other minerals needed for Western consumption.  Another one, entitled “Scorched” is a telling of the Earth revolting against its inhabitants.



11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?


Will: Not many people know this but the idea for LORD was actually conceived when most of the original lineup went to see Crowbar with Entombed and The Mighty Nimbus in February of 2005.  If you add some Celtic Frost, The Melvins and Cathedral, you have the early blueprint for LORD.  Over the years, our sound has evolved and has begun incorporating post metal, death metal, thrash and even traces of old school black metal. My current musical obsessions would have to be Inquisition, Immolation, Karyn Crisis' The Gospel of the Witches, Profanatica and Mark Lanegan.

Kerch: My approach to our 2011 album Awake was heavily influenced by old school hip hop.  Sometimes people think I'm kidding, but I'm telling the truth! There's a raw honesty in a lot of old school hip hop and music that speaks to me, that is transparent, that is honest, that grips me physically with goose bumps or an increased heart rate and this is a quality I seek out in all forms of music.  This is a quality I seek to always include in my own music.  Meaning what I say in my lyrics and being passionate about what I'm saying translates through the experience of performing the song into the listen.  When I listed to what we have created I want to enjoy it too, be proud of something. 

Todd Wuehrmann (guitar): Steve has recently turned me on to Viscera Infest. I think they might be my new favorite band. Soilent Green's Sewn Mouth Secrets in currently in my disc player. 



12. What are some of your non  musical interests?


Will: I can't really say I have any non musical interests.  Music is truly my life's passion.  The only other things that occupy that aspect of my life would be film and writing.  I'd love to write a screenplay someday as well as compile some of my writing.  We'll see I guess, but music is truly what I obsess over.

Kerch:  I need to be active creatively all the time, it's a definitely a healthy outlet for me.  I have three fully active projects right now and I'm still trying to fill my time with playing more music, I can't help myself.  I've also spent a considerable amount of time learning Eyal Yanilov's Krav Maga, at one point even training to becoming an instructor.  I absolutely love spicy food and all kinds of peppers.  I have a pepper garden that is rapidly expanding every year and growing more varieties.  I love to make different hot sauces and spicy treats from my pepper garden and share them with my friends and family.

Todd Wuehrmann (guitar):  Kayaking, hiking, weight lifting. I like to keep my blood pumping.

Chris Dugay (bass): I'm a volunteer firefighter with Citizen's Fire Company in Charles Town, WV and I love hiking civil war battlefields along with other local historic/scenic sites.


13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?



Will: I'd like to thank everyone who has supported us through years, all of the people who've taken a chance on booking us, and the bands that have shared a stage with us.  We're sincerely grateful to be able to continue to create our art and have anyone care about what we'd do.  This is something that we would do even if there wasn't an audience, but to have anyone else invest themselves in what we do is truly humbling.

Kerch: I am grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey through life and the music that LORD has created.  Specifically in correlation to the Blacklisted album, I want to thank Tom Mitchell from the Stillbrave foundation for his role in inspiring and contributing vocals to the song Mile After Mile and the women, among them Amber Lyon of Reset, that inspired the lyrics for the song The Heart of a Hero.

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