Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Enabler/La Fin Absolue De Monde/The Compound/Creator-Destructor/2014 CD Review


  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin's  Enabler  have  returned  with  a  new  album  which  continues  their  music  of  crust,  hardcore  punk,  grind  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "La Fin Absolue De Monde"  which  will  be  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  the  Compound  and  Creator-Destructor.

  A  very  heavy  and  raw  hardcore  punk/metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodies  and  a  few  seconds  later  high  pitched  screams  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  angry  hardcore  style  shouting  vocals.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  band  brings  in  a  mixture  of  slow  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  and  d  beats  as  well  as  having  a  more  melodic  approach  than  the  previous  recordings  and  when  the  lead  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  a  very  old  school  metal  feeling  to  the  tracks  they  are  utilized  on.

  A  good  portion  of  the  songs  have  some  thrash  influences  along  with  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  one  of  the  later  tracks  a  small  amount  of  melodic  female  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  a  good  portion  of  the  tracks  bring  in  an  east  coast  hardcore  feeling.

  Enabler  continue  the  sound  of  their  previous  recordings  while  also  getting  a  lot  more  melodic  this  time  around  as  well  as  adding  in  more  hardcore  influences,  the  production  is  very  professional  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  everyday  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Enabler  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Close  My  Eyes"  "Information  Overload"  "Pray"  and  "Felony".  8  out  of  10.  

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

I Miss My Death Interview

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

I Miss My Death can certainly be called a pearl of Ukrainian Gothic Doom Metal scene. We are maybe the only representative of true romantic gothic atmosphere in Ukraine. The band was formed in 2007 and at the moment released two albums (demo and full-length), one single and one DVD. Peculiar melodic sound combined with the distinctive aristocratic image allow the listener unerringly identify the band. I Miss My Death carries the atmosphere of decadence with penetrating notes of gloomy art to masses.
2.Recently you have put out a new album can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from your demo and single?

Well, we changed the direction because our music develops with us. We used more classic music elements, paid more attention at arrangements, used more instruments, etc. Talking about new album we want to emphasize its stylistic diversity. First part (The Last Overture) tells us the story about old lonely person. The mood of this part is dark and music has gothic/death/doom direction. Second part (Trail into the Past) – is our hero’s memoirs. They’re light and full of hope, so music gets gothic metal/gothic doom nature. Despite the stylistic differences the album is a holistic creation.

3.The band has been around for 7 years but so far has only released one demo, single and album, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

In 2007 I Miss my Death performed its first live concert. But on that moment the band had not got permanent staff and this fact certainly inhibited the development. Really hard work began in 2009. That year we were actively performing and to the end of the year the recording process of “…At Her Funeral” has begun. From that moment our activity was predictable – touring, preparing new material, recording, filming clip, again touring and so on. In case of our new release the process of preparing new material and recording took more time, that’s usual. This is due to careful preparation and a change in staff.

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

The main lyrical topic is love and loneliness. They are the same from album to album, but in each song they find a new face.  "In Memories" album is not just a collection of compositions but a whole story that can be traced from song to song. It's the story where each paragraph is a new round of a sad legend with lonely and opposed to the whole world romantic hero in its center. Dramatic center of the story is in the memories of the hero.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'I Miss My Death'?

It symbolizes the ancient creature, that grasped eternity,  survived its death, has known all of his life, eventually tired of it, and as something sublime and unique, misses its death. In the new album the name of our band finds a new face. It shows us wisdom of the old person and a burden of his past years.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Our stage performance is really bright. It looks like something between metal session and opera. Bright costumes, theatrical dialogues, academic vocals and a lot of other elements that differ from event to event.  Because of this people call our performance style «aristocratic».  One of the brightest were International Gothic Festival “Children of the Night”, the biggest Ukrainian Doom Festival “Doom over Kiev” and presentation of our album. Especially for the last mentioned evening I Miss My Death invited string section and back vocal, prepared an interesting duo, sewed new costumes, released branded merch and of course presented the new material.

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

Yes, we plan touring, but, unfortunately, we can’t name dates. Because of political situation in our country we can’t say something even about Ukrainian tour. We hope that everything will become stable and we at last could say something specific.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of gothic, doom and death metal?

Of course, we are better known in Ukraine and nearest abroad. This can be explained by the lack of international promotion. But there are some real music lovers from Europe, North and South America, that found us and left positive comments even not understanding lyrics.  We hope that thanks to the label Metal Scrap Records the situation will change.

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

We are not fixed on one style. We don’t create a music pattern but a continuation of our soul. Admit secretly, we have some vision for next two releases. They’ll be different from previous, but will keep the same mood.

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

Our creativity is influenced by such bands as Draconian, Tristania, My Dying Bride, Saturnus, Tiamat, Nightwish, early Theater of Tragedy. There are lots of talented young bands that arouse our admiration today, but we are still faithful to the older bands. Moreover, we listen to more classical music at last time and it finds an outlet in our music.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Almost all of us are non-professional musicians. There are marketers, economists, computer scientists, surveyors, builders in our band. We all like our activity and successfully combine it with music. Talking about free time, we are really interested in literature, especially historical, depressive and fantastic. Literary heroes are often reflected in our lyrics.

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

Even Goths are able to hope. We hope to meet personally with the readers of this interview very soon. Listen to our music and follow the news!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Mind/Save Yourself From Hell/Selfmadegod Records/2014 CD Review


  Mind  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust  punk  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Save  Yourself  From  Hell"  which  will  be  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  A  very  old  school  crust  grind  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  mixture  of  screams  and  growls  and  the  band  also  uses  a  good  mixture  of  blast  and  d-beats  along  with  some  melody  in  their  music  as  well  as  a  good  amount  of  hardcore  and  thrash  influences.

  As  the  album  progresses  more  early  80's  style  hardcore  punk  style  vocals  find  their  way  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  also  keeping  around  the  screams  and  growls  and  they  also  add  more  slower  hardcore  breakdowns  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  and  they  also b ring  a  more  modern  post  hardcore  feeling  to  the  album  while  the  main  focus  is  still  on  80's  style  crust/grind  as  well  as  adding  in  a  Motorhead  influenced  bass  riff  at  times  and  the  last  track  has  an  old  school  thrash  feeling  to  it.

  Mind  take  the  old  school  forms  of  crust  punk,  grind  and  hardcore  and  mix  it  in  with  a  more  modern  sound  along  wit h a  very  professional  sounding  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  political,  hateful  and  everyday  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mind  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust  punk,  hardcore  and  grind  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burn  And  Destroy"  "Inferno"  and  "Bread  to  Breathe".  8  out  of  10.
  

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Veuve S.S Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
 
VEUVE S. S. is V. D (drums ), B. P ( bass guitar ), C. P ( guitars) & H. LC (words & voice )
The band was born in 2010. The group comes from Lyon, France , with members of NERDFIGHT , ISRAEL REGARDIE & former members of SPORT , OVERMARS , MOMS ON METH & NEIGE MORTE .

2.How would you describe your music sound?
 
We listen Manly to 90 'hardcore and 2000 punk, a little bit of metal, melodic hardcore / pop punk to find cool melodies, dirty raw Black Metal & noise or shoegaze .

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
 
We try to stay as hitting as what VEUVE S .S. gives for the music.  Writings are maching  being or listening to punk, hardcore or disturbed music is not due to any "chance" . I think there is a malaise, a trauma, a wound at some time . We do not choose , at least I hope, to evolve in the DIY punk . There is something behind all this crap and reflects what we see or live . Self-hatred , disgust and frustration. That rough, noisy , devastating moods buried inside.
 
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'VEUVE S.S'?
 
The idea was to play an abject feeling . An inconsistent coupling of two words. The ignominious work , the unspeakable , the cursed , the filthy , repulsive, the turbid , the emetic . Smearing his feces to everyone.
VEUVE S. S.  is the discomfort , the murky , unhealthy . All the feelings that we reject.
A widow is sad , you're more likely to have compation forher , I think. But the widow of a SS , you don't know what to think of it, you got more pins ... have to pity ? blame her? Surely a bit of everything .
The "SS" is not a schoolboy joke or an ironic reference to the Third Reich , it is true used in the first degree , as something really tight, not cool! It is not a Nazi , it is really fascist , we could be called Polpot Widow , it would have been the same.
This is no laughing matter , irony is crap. It serves to conceal a big empty of thought. We can afford to say anything and everything hidden behind the second degree .
The use of Nazi imagery does not interest us necessarily , strictly speaking it is for us a reminder of what we see , or screws. This Widow SS , at this time, it is this old carrion train that rode . This old goodwill that parasite. This is the old political tradition of revenge , the old easy discourse that comes and goes , who arrived with the severed heads of kings in Europe. This resentment reference to history , beyond the provocation which apparently spring, but not wanted .

 
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?
 
Our last shows in Paris & Kortrijk were very good.
Our tour with MEURTE too.
 
We played at a 2nd hand clothes shop run by a girl that could be called hipster , and it was very cool . This frippery was small as your bed room, MEURTHE made his set in a corner of the room , VEUVE S. S. was on the othe rdiametrically opposite corner  , and the audience was in the middle. He did his set, he ended it on a big feedback , and we directly took over, the public just had to turn around, it was fun .
 

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

We will replay as soon as possible.
 
7.You have worked with Echo Canyon, Flower Of Carnage and Nerdcore Records, can you tell us a little bit more about these labels?
 
Echo Canyon & Flower of carnage have been there since the beginning, they are real friends.
Nerdcore came almost naturally follows . We love the way they work .


8.One of your releases was a split with Muerthe, what are your thoughts on the other band that participated on that split?
 
We no longer know how it cames but MEURTHE is Thomas, someone we love . Also he liked what we did. Even if we make two types of music  - hardcore and noise , we think we are joined on the intentions and what we want to say , and our main concerns. In the end we did the split and we toured together after . Finally we did shows where every band set was chained directly - Meurthe et VEUVE S. S. - without pause, and it worked well . In addition there was really no other hardcore bands in Lyon at that time , and I think it's cool to show the split that it is an open city . We will not close on something ... he just offered us, and we did.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your recordings by fans of underground music?
 
We had good feedbacks in MMR & some zines we are hated .
I do not know what people think of our records .
 
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
 
We'll try to stay out of the trend.
 
11.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
 
In terms of music , I think we trying to stick to our first desire , something dark & brutal. Negative.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
 
reading ( lately, The Golden Pavilion by Mishima ..) , movies (Cape Fear , Scorsese 1991,  Polanski.
  13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
" Being contemporary is answering a call that the time launch by its obscurity . In the expanding universe , the space that separates us from the most distant galaxies is expanding at a such high speed that the light of their stars can not reach us. Perceive in the darkness of the sky light that seeks to join us and can not do , this is what it is to be contemporary. This is the most difficult thing to live with . Because the originally, I repeat, is not confined to the past . . It is a whirlwind , as the beautiful image of Walter Benjamin is a chasm in this and we are caught in the gulf is why the this is par excellence that remains not lived "
( Giorgio Agamben )


Saturday, April 5, 2014

Ghoul/Hang Ten/Tankcrimes/2014 EP Review


  Ghoul  are  a  band  from  Oakland,  California  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  punk,  thrash,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Hang  Ten"  which  was  released  by  Tankcrimes.

  Motercycle  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  fast  and  melodic  punk/thrash  direction  along  with  some  powerful  bass  lines  and  a  few  seconds  later  hard  rock  style  solos  and  leads  become  a  part  of  the  recording.

  On  the  following  punkabilly  style  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  death  metal  girls  and  yells  and  the  recording  mixes  the  heavier  stuff  with  the  rock'n'roll  elements  and  after  awhile  spoken  words  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  following  tracks  are  mostly  instrumental  while  spoken  words  do  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  With  this  ep  Ghoul  keep  around  their  thrash,  death  metal  and  grindcore  elements  while  also  adding  in  more  rockabilly,  surf  music,  and  melody  along  with  a  great  amount  of  instrumental  work  and  a  very  professional  sounding  production  and  the  song  lyrics  and  themes  on  the  ep  that  cover  a  struggle  between  two  dangerous  biker  gangs.

  In  ym  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ghoul  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kreeg"  and  "Hang  Ten".  8  out  of  10.  

Friday, April 4, 2014

Icon Of Evil/Syfilis Mentalis/PRC Music/2014 CD Review


  Icon  Of  Evil  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  mixed  with  crustcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014 album  "Syfilis  Mentalis"  which  will  be  released  by  PRC  Music.

  The  sounds  of  eagles  and  war  open  the  album  and  the  music  gets  heavy  after  a  few  seconds  going  for  a  more  old  school  death  metal  direction  as  well  as  getting  more  brutal  and  bringing  in  growling  vocals  after  the  intro.

  The  music  really  starts  going  into  a  direction  close  to  mid  80's  era  Bolt  Thrower  along  with  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  that  bring  in  traces  of  crust/grind  and  the  drums  bring  in  a  mixture  of  blast  and  d  beats  while  the  recording  focuses  more  and  a  mid  paced  direction  while  also  having  its  slow  and  fast  moments  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  bass  guitars  start  sounding  a  lot  more  powerful  and  some  long  and  epic  tracks  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized.

  Icon  Of  Evil  have  a  very  different  sound  for  being  a  death  metal b and  from  Poland  with  their  musical  style  being  more  closer  to  Asphyx  and  Bolt  Thrower  along  with  some  crustcore  elements  and  modern  sounds,  the  production   brings  a  very  professional  sound  to  the  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  mostly  written  in  Polish  and  cover  darkness,  death,  war  and  anarchy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Icon  Of  Evil  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  death  metal  band  band  with  elements  of  crust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Wood  Of  the  Cross"  "Syfilis Mentalis'  "Crisis=Profit"  and  "War-Corporation-Business".  8  out  of  10.