Occult 45 Interview

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

Dean: We're just some dudes playing angry music. We all love grind and sludge and wanted to do our own thing with it.
John: The labels we've received over the years are endless. We do consider ourselves a grindcore band, but someone will always disagree. Make up your own mind. If music is good, it doesn't matter what fucking genre it is. I think if anyone likes "Enemy of the Music Business" by Napalm Death they should surely enjoy us.
Jay: I’m more than happy to commit to calling us a grindcore band, we also have a dirgy sludge element which comes from our love of bands like grief and noothgrush, over all I think our mix of extreme music and punk ethos set a foundation for alot of ground to be covered in our songs.

2.Over the years you have released a good amount of music, how would you describe the musical that is presented on the recordings?

Dean: We self record with our buddy Jeff so that's going to give it a certain quality and character. It's angry dissonant music. I really don't like too many people. I hope that comes across in the riffs.

CK: This isn't really about music but our artwork helps to present what a certain release may be about as well. I try to make the layouts for our mixtapes pretty whacky.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
John: The downfall of man. Human disgust. Horror movies.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Occult 45'?
Dean: Jay(drums) and I were sitting around smoking just coming up with play on word band names and Occult 45 came up. We remembered it when we finally started talking to John(vocals) about getting some jams going.

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?

Dean: Lexington, KY or Binghamton, NY would be some of the best. Our boys down at Dis Haus in Baltimore have never treated us wrong. Our Stage Performance? I guess I'd describe it as you're very likely to get covered in beer.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
John: We'll be hitting the road for a couple long weekends starting in March. We're going to set out to do a longer tour around the end of August, around I the same time as last year’s tour.

CK: We're also playing one more rad show this year in Providence, it'll be on December 27th with Dropdead, Churchburn, Krieg and Sangus at DUSK and we're excited to end the year on such a high note.

7.Earlier this your you where part of a split with 'Drones For Queens', how would you compare their musical sound to yours?
Jay: I’d say they’re a much more technical band than we are, but I just seen them live and while they still have those real technical jams, they also know when to just do some punishing blast riffing, almost reminds me of misery index. they rule, we both sound vastly different while both representing grind in our own ways

8.Over the years you have worked with a good amount of different record labels on some of your releases, do you feel these labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?

John: We've been really fortunate that we've worked with labels that were interested in the music, and shared some of the same background with us. Each label has a different audience, and different outlets.

CK: We're thankful to all the labels that have shown us support and helped get our music out there. At this point we feel pretty comfortable with knowing what release would work well on what kind of label. When we DIY our mixtapes they're made by us through Open Casket Cassettes and those tape releases have served us very well when we're on the road as both of our 2013 & 14 cassettes are now completely sold out. When we feel we've got something really special we see what else is out there for us.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of grindcore?
Dean: I don't really know how the world feels about us, but all of your girlfriends think we're great
Jay: if theres anyone out there on a worldwide level, pls connect

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
John: I feel like personally we have carved out our own niche for songwriting over the last year or so. I don't see much changing from what we enjoy doing right now. We have been experimenting with some noise in our recordings so maybe that will transpire to our live set one day.
Jay: every new batch of songs we write is in my opinion better than the last, so I’m guessing in the future you will be hearing more even better grindcore.

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?

Dean: I think collectively Napalm Death, Rotten Sound, Brutal Truth, EYEHATEGOD, Grief, Noothgrush, and The Melvins are all a huge influence for the band. These days? Dr. Dre is forever in rotation, I haven't went a day without listening to Chelsea Wolfe in about a year. I really liked Earth Primitive and Deadly and the new Blut Aus Nord record as far as 2014 releases.

CK: These days I'm more down with the slow and low musical styling's. I think it comes out in the stuff I end up writing for the band.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Jay: Moutain dew, Weed, Little ceasers

CK: Drugs and crazy art

Dean: Disassociating with the human race

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have ant final words or thoughts?
John: As mentioned earlier, we do have some out of town shows being lined up right now. If you're on the east coast, chances are we will be coming by a town near you soon. We have a 7" coming out on Broken Limbs Records titled "Human Abhorrence" sometime in early 2015, a split 7" with Intheshit on Dullest Records, and another cassette demo that we'll be making ourselves. Big thangs.

Jig-Ai 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?
Just after the release of ‘Rising Sun Carnage’ album we have spent some time outside of Europe playing in Japan and Australia.

2.Recently you have released 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?

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

4.I know that the band name comes from a Japanese woman suicide ritual, what was the decision behind using it as a band name and also how does it fit in with your musical style?
It fits fine.

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?
I can speak just for myself man, I’m with the band for the fourth year now and there were many highlights. Obscene Extreme world tour for example, but I’m  enjoying every single show on 100%.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
I’m personally looking forward to upcoming Neurotic Deathfest.

7.The new album was released on Bizarre Leprous Production, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
The relationship between band and Roman from BLP works on a friendly basis, and  gives us what we need for functioning the band.


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

9.What is going on with some of the other musical projects or bands these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Buraak’s Destructive Explosion of Anal Garland just released a badass album and he is finishing his concerts with Brutally Deceased which he is about to leave because of his lack of time. He needs more time for Jerking of to porn and to care of his garden on the country side. Brain has at the moment no other musical projects as far as I’m concerned and same goes for me.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I think we want to do more grindcore, full of blastbeats and energetic stage presence.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Our ears are open wide when it comes to our personal tastes, but when it goes to Jig-Ai, we all know what we should do.

When it comes to my personal taste I’m lately listening to Coroner, Neurosis, Dead Infection, Blondie...you can check out my last.fm profile Kaspy_drummer, it’s all there.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

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

Archagathus Interview

Archagathus interview!
1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Right now we are all trying to get rid of the weird skin rashes we acquired on our recent 6 week European tour. I am still very itchy and we have been home for almost a month! Aside from that, taking a short break from playing live to focus on our other bands.  This winter we will record for some new records and splits, the next two that will be released are a split 7" with Self Deconstruction from Japan on Agromosh Records (USA) and a split 7" with Sram from Russia that will be released by Grindfather (UK) and Mono Cannibal (Spain).

2.In the last couple of years you have released a great amount of material, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

Well it is all grindcore, for one.  I guess in recent years we have started tuning lower and using more pitch shifted vocals...also playing faster, which makes it sound a little more death metal or goregrind than before.

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

Our latest LP "Dehumanizer" has a variety of topics.  "Gaybasher" is a song against the kind of people that perpetrate homophobic violence, and the institutions and leaders that enable this kind of activity to go on.  For example, Putin and the laws passed in Russia that make it illegal to express any sort of pro-gay message in public.  As well, various religious institutions and right wing extremists.  They can all fuck right off. Oh we also have a song called "Drunk as Fuck" and it's about how we are drunk as fuck.  "Coconut Bonk" is about the danger of coconuts conspiring with gravity to crush your skull...etc...

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

Archagathus was a descendent of the Greek tyrant of Syracuse, Agathocles. Even though Agathocles has been dead for over two thousand years, he is still releasing an incredible amount of grindcore split 7"s.  I admire his persistence and as such chose the name Archacatush to honor his legacy.

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?

Oh, we have played so many amazing shows in so many amazing cities that it would be very difficult to chose! We have played absolutely great shows in Los Angeles, Lima, Baltimore, Chicago, Athens, Kragujevac, St Petersburg, Moscow, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Nagoya and many more! Stage performance? Well, sometimes we are pretty good and play our songs decently and are in tune and have good sound....but other times we do not. We just try to be drunk and have fun!!

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

Not the immediate future...hopefully we will tour Brazil in 2015!!

7.So far this year there has been a good amount of material released, does the band put a lot of effort into writing and creating songs?

No, not really.

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

Grindcore enthusiasts all over the world have given us a lot of support and respect and this makes us very happy.  We love the international DIY grindcore community and hope to tour all over the world to meet and play grindcore with our friends! And keep pumping out the records of course.

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

Grindcore!!

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?

Old Scandinavian hardcore punk, early 90's grindcore and death metal, crust!!



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Physics, skateboarding, drinking, kitty cats, marijuana, unemployment!!

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

Thanks for the interview, anyone can feel to contact us at archagathus@hotmail.com . Peace!!

Sick/Tired 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?

We recorded the album on the day of my grandfather's wake. His last year on this Earth and his battle with Parkinsons Disease is what motivated by lyrical content and the atmosphere of the LP. After it was recorded we spent quite some time mixing and mastering the album, which at this time we had the great opportunity of playing Maryland Deathfest, and playing some great shows in town with bands like Test, Triac, Despise You, Bongripper..Our LP came out right when we went over to Europe for our tour with Corrupt Moral Altar. We are back home now and planning our next few shows to support this LP.

2.Recently you have released 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?

I think this album contains some of our most darkest lyrical content. It is also our tightest sounding and most varied. Reviews already have said its a melting pot of musical styles which I agree with. We are mixing all of our influences of punk, thrash, doom, sludge, hardcore and incorporating it all into our sound without sacrificing our style of writing tight, 40 second songs. Its a nod to the older style of grind and the bands that came before us, while also trying to do something new.

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

Self hatred, emotional castration, suicide, disease, government spying, mental anguish, fear of aging, what happens after death..those are some of the topics we have covered on the new album and what we are working on now.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sick/Tired'?

That I can't answer..the boys in ST came up with the name and had been a band for several years before I joined..However I think the name fits perfectly with the lyrical content of the music.

5.On one of the tracks you had the guy behind Merzbow doing the harsh noise sounds, can you tell us a little bit more about his contribution to the recording?

It was pretty painless. I emailed him to see if he would be interested, and his response of yes came with the intro haha. I have spent the past ten years in an experimental noise project called Winters in Osaka, so I have had the opportunity to work with some of the finest noise musicians in the world. It was a complete honor to have him on this LP, as I have been a fan for over 15 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?

Some of the shows that come to mind would be our set at Go!Fest in Rome, Bloodshed Fest, opening for Nasum/Brutal Truth, opening for Despise You, and Maryland DeathFest. All those shows had incredible energy and I think we played very well. I have been told our stage show is full of energy. We usually play for 20-25 minutes with no stops, and try to cram in about 15-20 songs in that time frame. After the shows I feel like I have been hit by a semi truck, which means I gave it my all.

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

If we were young bucks, we could tour relentlessly behind this album. However we all have ful ltime jobs, so a proper tour is hard for us to commit to. We will play local shows, and if possible try to play out of town ion weekends as much as we can. Obviously, I would love to be on the road behind this LP for six months if given the chance.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the newer music by fans of grindcore and power violence?

It's been great. We hear a wide range of compliments and enthusiasm from people all over the globe. Gullio from Cripple Bastards recently told me that he thinks our new album sounds like a 90s grindcore album, with its intensity and song writing and that meant the world to me. I will always remember being 13 years old and discovering them through tape trading. But yeah, the feedback from our fans has been very humbling.

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

Not sure...our newest batch of songs have a 90s grindcore feel which bring Disrupt and Warsore to mind, but who knows what will happen after that. All I can say though is that what we write comes from a very honest and sincere place.

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?

Unseen Terror, Heresy, Napalm Death, SOB, Warsore, Cripple Bastards, Ulcerrhoea, Rot, Agathocles..those bands continue to be my source of inspiration.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

True crime books, 90s Japanese wrestling, Russian philosophy, traveling

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

Thank you for the interview and thanks to everyone who continues to support us, and to all our new fans and to Dom and A389 for believing in us. Cheers!

Occult 45/Drones For Queens/2013 Split EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  from  Occult  45  and  Drones  For  Queens  which  was  released  at  the  end  of  2013  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Pennsylvania/Jew  Jersey's  Occult  45  which  play  a  brutal  mixture  of  crust  and  grindcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  brutal  sound  that  combines  crust  and  grindcore  together  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  aggressive  growling  vocals  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  also  brings  in  elements  of  d  beat  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  In  the  slower  sections  you  can  hear  traces  of  hardcore  and  power  violence  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  songs  always  utilize  a  great  amount  of  raw  energy  along  with  a  very  old  school  yet  heavy  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  dark  and  anti  christian  themes  as  well  as  always  remaining  heavy  and  brutal.

  In  my  opinion  Occult  45  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  crust  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Priest  Feast".  

  Next  up  is  Pennsylvania's  Drones  For  Queens  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hardcore  punk,  metal  and  grind.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy,  melodic  and  old  school  crust/grindcore  sound  and  a  few  seconds  alter  aggressive  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  bringing  in  a  thrash  and  crust  feeling  while  the  melodies  have a  post  hardcore  feeling  at  times  along  with  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized,  their  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Drones  For  Queens  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  hardcore  punk  and  grind  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Whitewashed  Afterlife".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  punk,  hardcore,  crust  and  grind,  you  should  check  out  this  split.  8  out  of  10.  

Archagathus/Dehumanizer/EveryDayHate Records/2014 CD Review

  Archagathus  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  brutal  mixture  of  punk,  grind,  crust  and  mincecore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Dehumanizer"  which  was  released  by  EveryDayHate  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  and  raw  grindcore  direction  that  also  sees  the  band  adding  in  blast  beats,  guttural  death/grind  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  one  being  a  little  over  a  minute  and  close  to  the  2  minute  mark.

  Every  second  and  minute  of  this  recording  sticks  to  a  very  raw  and  brutal  style  of  grindcore  and  the  band  avoids  using  any  melody,  solos  or  leads  while  there  are  some  slow  and  mid  paced  sections  being  utilized  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  band  starts  bringing  in  more  of  an  energetic  punk  influence  and  mixes  it  in  with  their  brutal  grindcore  style.

  Archagathus  plays  a  very  brutal  style  of  grind/mincecor e that  brings  back  a  great  amount  of  rawness,  heaviness  and  aggression  that  has  been  missing  from  this  genre  for  years,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  hateful,  drinking,  political  and  anti  corporation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Archagathus  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  mixture  of  punk,  grind,  crust  and  mincecore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Drunk  As  Fuck"  "Dehumanizer"  "War  Inside"  and  "Sad  but  true'.  8  out  of  10.         

Sick/Tired/Dissolution/A389 Recordings/2014 CD Review

  Sick/Tired  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  lo-fi  form  of  grindcore  with  rabid  hardcore  and  punk  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Dissolution"  which  was  released  by  A389  Recordings.

  A  very  distorted  and  brutal  noise/grndcore  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  harsh  power  electronics  on  the  title  track  before  going  for  more  of  a  raw  and  heavy  direction  on  the  following  tracks  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  blast  beats,  growls  and  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  time s you  can  hear  some  hardcore  and  crust  style  shouts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length   while  they  also  bring  in  a  5  minute  track  later  on  during  the  recording  and  a  couple  of  the  later  songs  bring s in  an  avant  garde  sound  that  utilizes  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars

  Sick/Tired  plays  a  very  brutal  and  lo-fi  form  of  grindcore  that  also  add s in  melodies,  harsh  noise  elements  and  punk/hardcore  influences  to  create  an  album  that  is  very  heavy  and  brutal  from  beginning  to  end,  the  productions  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  hateful  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sick/Tired  are  a  very  great  sounding  lo-fi  grindcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Descent"  "Absolute  Hell"  "In  Articulo  Mortis"  and  "The  Mire's  Toll".  8  out  of  10.          

Suffering Quota 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?

We played some cool shows, wrote new songs and have a new bassplayer.


2.Recently you have released 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?

Grindcore, mixed with hardcore, death metal and crust. All though I really like how a reviewer described it: "This record is a soundtrack for pure destruction, complete decimation; and as such makes for a really enjoyable listen."

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

Social criticism, nihilism stuff that pisses you off. It's good to be angry about things, it shows that you care.

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

We took the name from an Assuck song. Great band! The name shows what kind of music we play and it sounds cool.

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

When we supported Napalm Death in a small club. That was one of our best shows. And the one in a small squat. A benefit show for a blind and def dog. Really! People were throwing their girlfriends around in the pit. Our performance is all about the energy, not about playing every note right.

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

Not at the moment, we are working with a new bassplayer right now.

7.The new album was released by both Reflections  and breath Plastic Records, can you tell us a little bit more about these labels?

They are just great independent underground labels run by people with a deep passion for underground music. For an example, Johan from Reflections didn't use a contract. It was just a mutual agreement. There are lots of cool bands on his label like Herder, Acid Deathrip, Black Mask, Blind to Faith, Fucking Invincible etc...  http://www.reflectionsrecords.com/

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of grindcore?

Positive. People really seem to like the energy and the aggression in our music. And I didn't even mention the amazing artwork of Marald Van Haasteren. A great artist and a great person! You can find some of his work here: http://maraldart.tumblr.com/

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 off?

Ortega are about to release a new album and Entrapment just released a new album and is going on tour with Master again.

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

Just keep on doing what we are doing now. Don't expect any big musical changes.

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

Bands like: Napalm Death, Phobia, Assuck, His Hero Is Gone, Cursed, (old) Entombed, Iron Lung etc... influenced us. We listen to al kind of cool music. Right now I'm really into the new Dead Congregation, Vanhelgd, Fucking Invincible, The Kill, Gridlink, Pissed Jeans, Off! Cro Mags, (old) Iron Maiden etc... really too much to mention.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Art, good food and good people. Basically all my activities are somehow related to music.

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

Thanks for the nice review and this interview! Good luck with your zine. People can check our music here: http://sufferingquota.bandcamp.com/

Thanks for the support! Cheers!

Martin

Theories Interview

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

were a bunch of dudes who like playing pissed off music and touring.
Theories started about 4 years ago and was started mainly to travel with, we wrote music and put recording on the back burner so we could just do what we loved, hit the road as much as possible. This past year we released a split 7 with our buddies in Wake on 7degrees records and Handshake inc., released a song for a local seattle comp called Seattle Noise and recorded a full length record that will come out in the future.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

fast!

3.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Theories'/

Were all into conspiracy theories and wanted the name of the band to be nondescript so it didn't seem like a typical band name that you can tell what kind of music you were gonna hear by the sound of the name. This worked.

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

All shows are rad, we feel privileged to be able to play shows and tour as much as we do. But its definitely been awesome to be able to share the stage and road with so many rad bands that we look up to and respect.

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

Right now were taking a break from touring until our record comes out, we have a few local and northwest shows but besides that were just taking a break and doing our 'life at home' stuff.

6.The band was originally from Oregon but relocated to Washington, what was the decision behind the move and also how would you compare the scenes in both states?

Were actually all from Seattle wa, not sure where the Oregon part came from, but we love the portland scene.

7.According to the fb page you have signed to Metal Blade Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this deal?

Yep! just recently signed to Metal Blade Records, they will be releasing our full length sometime next year, theres not really much more that we can tell you about it until the announcement is made other than it grinds!

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

Not too sure on the worldwide level, all the touring we have done has been in the states, but we plan on going overseas as much as we can next year.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Early next year.

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

This question always gets me, i dunno, it always seems to be the same rehashed answer for every band of every style to say the names of the big influential bands of the style they play that you knew they were gonna say and then add in a couple obscure bands to show they know about some underground stuff and end it with some bands that have nothing to do with the style of music they're playing to show you they have well rounded musical taste and don't stick to one thing. Blah Blah Blah.
We write music that we think sounds good to us, if it works we go with it, if it doesn't we don't. Im sure our influences show in what we play.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Cats and Dogs

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

nope!

Paucities Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Mike: Paucities has been a band for almost 5 years now. We've had a few line up changes, played a lot of shows and put out a lot of tapes and records. As grim as our lyrical content can get... at heart, we are a fun and goofy band. We don't take ourselves too seriously and truly enjoy grinding!

Adam T: we like polkas, mince, napalm death, food, agathocles.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?
Mike: We play "traditional" grindcore. Harking back to the sound early Napalm Death, Repulsion and S.O.B. Heavy riffs and blasts. We've been described as fast, angry and fun.

Adam T: raw mince/grind

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Mike:War, social interaction, politics, personal conflicts, and having fun playing in grindcore bands!

Adam T: food, negativity, friends

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Paucities'?
Mike:I actually found it in the dictionary. It means "scarcity or rarity". It sounds a little bit like Agathocles (having the 'ies' at the end) and there were not many bands around at the time doing the whole "mince" thing, so I thought it fit us pretty well.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Mike: We recently opened for Sete Star Sept in the summer and Biocidio a few months prior. Both of those shows were excellent. Great crowd response and it was a lot of fun hanging and playing with both of those bands. I've been told I have a lot of charisma and comedic wit when I'm up there playing. I've started to do excessive banter in between songs, kinda poking fun at the "grim and evil" voices metal vocalists would use to talk to the crowd. (Think old Venom and Slayer stage banter... ALRIGHT! THIS NEXT ONES CALLED..., etc.) I'm a goofy dude who likes to make people laugh. I want everyone to drink some beers, polka and have a good time.

Adam T: my favorite shows have been the show we played with rottenness and the show with sete star sept.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Mike: We've never really done a serious tour, but I'd love to take Paucities out on the road. At least to the rest of the Midwest if anything. We've played some out of town shows which are always a ton of fun. Nothing lined up as far as shows, but who knows what 2015 holds for us.

Adam T: we would like to play oef in cz republic.  well probably just continue to play shows around the chicagoland area.

7.So far most of your releases have been split's, are there any plans in the future to release a full length or ep by yourself with no other bands being involved?
Mike: That is always a possibility. We just have to find the time to write new material. Since we both live many miles away from each other and work odd hours, this can sometimes be difficult. I am surprised at how prolific this band has been and I want to say that is mostly due to us putting out so many splits with so many sweet bands.

Adam T:no plans at the moment but we would certainly like to do that.  we just wrote and recorded a bunch of material that has all appeared on recent split eps and one 4 way 12".  we are basically at square one right now so well just start writing again and see what happens from there.  were very happy with all the recent releases.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of grindcore?
Mike: The reception has mostly been very positive. I've had a ton of people from all across the world tell me they like this band and it is extremely humbling. I'm excited to read your review of the Atomck split, because I found a few reviews that praise their side and slam ours, mostly for the lo-fi production... but hey, this is grindcore.

Adam T: its been positive.  were not trying to do anything radical musically.  we just want to play raw mince/grind and we feel we do that well and so far people have responded positively to our records and shows so well just keep doing what we've been doing.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Mike: In our most recent material, I've noticed the fast parts are getting much faster and the slow groovy parts are getting slower and groovier. Maybe a bit more spazzy and technical as well. I feel like we should embrace that. We were also recently described by some friends as "minced out metal" which definitely brought a smile to my face.

Adam T: were going to keep doing what we've been doing but do it better with every release.

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?
Mike: My biggest influences for Paucities are bands like Agathocles (obviously), Unholy Grave, Unseen Terror, Terrorizer, Bolt Thrower, Celtic Frost and late 80's/early 90's death metal like Blood, Impetigo, Autopsy, etc. 80's hardcore bands like Negative Approach, Heresy, and Battalion Of Saints have also had a big influence on my riffing style.
Lately I've been revisiting older Today Is The Day, Diocletian, Depeche Mode's Violator album, Goat (the psych band), King Diamond, Mortician, 80's synth pop, Italo Disco and Chicago House music, 70's heavy rock like The Human Beast, Truth & Janey, Dust, and Bulbous Creation. I've also found myself spinning classic stuff like Goblin, Aphex Twin, Cecil Taylor and noise/power electronics such as Koufar, Drag Age, Swallowing Bile, Gnawed and Deathpile. I'd say my taste is pretty diverse. One of my favorite albums of this year is Warpaint, self-titled. Might not win me any grind points, but it's a damn fine record.

Adam T: what influences me for this band are the greats napalm death, terrorizer, rot, ulcerrhoea, agathocles.  also mike and adam j inspire me.  they're fun dudes who know their mince.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Mike: I really love film. Mostly horror/exploitation as well as anything odd, disturbing or visually stunning. I am interested in death (and the ways humans cope with it), the occult, visual art, electronics, history, and I have an obsession with sharks. Overall, I'm a pretty morbid dude. Haha.

Adam T: i like racing my bmx bike around the streets of dekalb, IL USA as if I'm racing imaginary competitors.  i like reading true crime books.  i like watching spaghetti westerns.  i like spending time with my wife and daughter.  i like to fall on my face.  i like everything.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Mike:Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Much appreciated. Cheers and mince! HaHaaaaaaa!

Adam T: does barry manilow know you raid his wardrobe?

Fuck The Facts/Abandoned/2014 EP Review

  Fuck  The  Facts  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  their  experimental  of  grindcore,  crust  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Abandoned".

  Drum  beats  and  a  heavy  sound  start  off  the  ep  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  growling  and  screaming  vocals  which  also  leads  to  the  music  getting  more  faster  and  adding  in  crust  and  grindcore  elements  and  they  also  bring in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  death  metal  and  hardcore  in  the  bands  musical  sound  which  can  also  be  very  technical  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  bring  in  even  more  of  a  melodic  death  metal  sound  and  they  also  keep  everything  in  a  very  heavy  direction  as  well  as  having  more  of  a  metal  orientated  sound  this  time  around  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  they  close  the  ep  with  some  power  electronic  sounds.

  Fuck  The  Facts  bring  in  a  lot  of  talent  and  skill  on  this  recording  showing  that  some  grindcore  bands  can  be  expert  musicians,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fuck  The  Facts  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK "Endless  Emptiness".  8  out  of  10.

  

Morser Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We’ve just finished our new album and are waiting for its release on the new Bremer Label Speck Flag Records in early 2015. Meanwhile we continue practicing every Monday evening at the Freizi Friese here in Bremen to put on muscles for some shows and start composing new songs.

2.How would you describe the musical progress the band has made over the years and also how would you describe your current style?
We started with a very chaotic sound, not really well performed, but at the same time somehow pure. It had already some metal influences but was played with a punk attitude to it. It was quite new that time and we thought this grind- and hardcore mix might interest some people. And the response to our first album
“Two Hours to Doom” was great. Then we became better at our instruments and we started adding much more structure to our songs, so that you can distinguish verse and chorus. Today, I think, we sometimes find a good mix between these two approaches; having structure without losing vigor, as in songs like "Small
Weak Virus" or "The Surface" (the latter on our new album).

3.There has not been a new album in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
We’ve been around for nearly 20 years now (wow, that sounds sick) and we’ve always been slow and lazy. But now we are all working, raising kids, just doing things that slow you down a little. So, there hasn’t been any break, you just might call it low intensity warfare.

4.Over the years what have been some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored with their music?
The process of writing lyrics has changed over the time. Nearly all lyrics for our first album were written one memorable night when we drank sparkling wine for Daniel’s birthday. The images just poured out and we made a song out of just everything. For example: "Eine Stadt aus dem Weltall fotografiert, wie eine Zelle
vom Tumor befallen" (A city photographed from space, like a cell attacked by a tumor). It’s maybe these dark topics that we put into songs. We don’t write any purposely political texts. Some are just like freaky diary entries. But if there’s no non-political act, then you could say our texts denounce destructive human
behavior and depict human suffering and desolation.

5.What is the meaning an inspiration behind the name 'Morser'?
It’s "mortar". It’s a simple weapon for firing projectiles designed for specific purposes and it shares its name with the kitchen tool for grinding (!) spices. So in both cases it’s a thing you use for a variety of outcomes.

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?
When we go on stage, we like to deliver a short and heavy, fast experience, like, oh, so many bands. But most of us are not even really into metal music, and I think  that’s what you notice when we enter the stage. We look like - and we are - the average fellow from your neighborhood football team and then you might wonder what beast of a sound comes out.
It’s hard to tell what have been our best shows, because sometimes we play a perfect set and the audience just does not respond, and other times we play crappy and the people go mad. But the shows we surely remember are, of course, our first in 1997, in a club called BDP in Bremen; a clash with the height of the PC
era in 1999, in Columbus, Ohio; as "surprise guest" at the Ieper festival 1999; the show we fell in love with KEITZER, etc... all these shows we played crappy AND the people didn’t respond. And we were drunk. A perfect match!

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
By the time you read this, we will have already supported NAPALM DEATH in Oldenburg on 14 November, 2014, and then we will have a record release party here in Bremen early 2015. So there aren’t many shows in the near future but to these few we’re really looking forward to.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal, grind and hardcore?
It’s a great thing to receive feedback from so far away places like Hawaii, Malaysia, the USA, Indonesia, Canada, Japan, Hamburg... people order shirts, ask for shows, just say hallo. We are a small band, so this response really means something to us.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are involved with?
Many of us play in other bands. Some are metal and quite active, too: DC is playing drums in ZODIAC, André is drumming in MIZANTHROP, and Christian sings with KEITZER, who just released their harsh album “Portugal, não outra vez!” on FDA Rekotz.  Frequently practicing are DC and Matthias with a rock band called JAWA, and Matthias and ex-MORSER Björn in a cozy Sunday afternoon singer songwriter
band named MATT & THE GAS GIANTS, Svenion plays guitar in an indierocknroll band called THE LAST ONE. And hopefully there’ll be a short time reunion of CAROL.

10.When can we expect new material and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I think there is and will be more variety in our arrangements and the quality of our songs will improve, but, all in all, we'll stay true to the music we've been playing for years. Our upcoming album will be no surprise. It’s a simple 12-track MORSER album. It detonates on impact.

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?
When we started we were really into hardcore music. MORSER was formed by the members of CAROL when guitarist Andy Lehmann moved to Berlin. We listened to MEREL, ACME, and ROHRSCHACH and some of us were in SYSTRAL. We also had  an ear on some metal bands like PANTERA, BOLT THROWER or the almighty CARCASS. And it’s these roots we still agree upon today, and we’re happy to see new bands continuing this hardcore sound adding a lot of freshness to it, for example SVFFER from Münster.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
We are eight members who all like golfing.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts/
Damn good coffee! And hot!

Homewrecker Interview

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

Just wanted to get our "new sound" out I guess. We have a new line up since our singer quit. Izzi and I (Barnum) do vocals now while playing drums and guitar.

2.You have a new album coming out, 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?

Faster
Louder


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

Junkies and Addictions
Corruption
Cops


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

It's not because of the Converge song. It's not about a person ruining a relationship or family. We were teenagers and the dude that would tattoo us was like oh you should name your band Homewrecker and we thought it was sick.

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

We played two really cool fests, Rain Fest in Seattle and Heart Fest in Quebec. The response we got at those two shows was some of the best we've ever had.
I don't really know how to describe our stage performance. We are a 4 piece with no front man. We play tight and we don't talk a bunch in between songs.

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

Yeah we are actually out on a 43 day North American run with Pharaoh from New Jersey who are also supporting their new release on A389.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of crust and grind?

It's been great. It seems like it's always steadily getting more and more spread out.

8.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects or bands these days?

Izzi and myself play in another band called Vice (from Ohio, obviously) but we don't play much. We have several smaller bands that's just fun to jam when we are bored.

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

We'd like to start doing some metal tours and show that we don't need to stay in the "hardcore" scene.

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?

We grew up on punk, and rock so that's what influences us. Izzi is driving right now listening to Motörhead.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Personally, I like being out doors doing anything. Or just chilling with my dogs when I'm home. Skateboarding is cool but I suck at it so I'll just cruise around town.


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

Thanks for hitting us up. Sorry for being so bland haha. We aren't used to doing interviews.