Tuesday, January 31, 2017

interview: Themalefik

Themalefik is an extreme metal band from Brazil. They are a new band to this publication, actually. The vocalist Cláudio Monteiro answered the questions. This is a long interview, so let’s not waste any more time. Let’s get to it now.
Your band is completely new to me and I have never heard your music before. Tell us about your band.
ThemalefiK is a band originally from Osasco São Paulo Brazil, born in early 1993 with an initial proposal to make black metal with influences from eighties bands like Celtic Frost among others, but over the years the band has been modifying the way to make their songs and to accompany the daily life, we began to work our songs, bringing the death metal into the black metal and thus merging the two black/death metal.
The band Themalefik was always very well accepted in the middle metal and wherever we were The band always won more fans of the metal and we have a very faithful work since the beginning, the Brazilian public is very critical and faithful about the fact that the band keep their work, we do not admit abrupt changes of musical style, for example, the band plays black metal and suddenly begins to play thresh or heavy metal, when this happens, the perch of the public is almost 100% because the criticism is almost like a virus and it is because of this factor that we have respect in Brazil, another example was when the band Sepultura released the album Roots in 1996 their sixth studio album was a fiasco here in Brazil because they had already come from another rejection of the Brazilian public when they released Chaos Ad in 1993 leaving aside their musical roots and completely changing their style, After that it was only decay for the grave here in Brazil, other bands made the same mistake as for example the band Slayer with the launch Divine Intervention 1994, in other words, unlike these bands we do not focus on getting rich or become a company or make money we only like take to the stage and make people feel warm and happy with the metal.
What is the history of your band and who are the members of the band?
The band was formed by Cláudio Monteiro vocalist and leader (Eu) began in 1993 when I was still a teenager and heard a lot of death metal and some thresh metal bands of the American, European and Brazilian era, at that time in Brazil the extreme metal was a fever and one day I decided to compose some songs and to call some friends to play drums and guitar in a small studio in my house, that was when Themalefik was born and the first song titled 'your belief' theme of the EP with 7 tracks released in 2011 by the digital label Miceli Records of Holland and soon after a year in 1994 we recorded the first live demo and we did some concerts and closed events, after that we did not stop, we are until today in the active.
Themalefik was formed in quintet, already many members passed in the band of drummer the guitarist the vocal always remained active always focusing on the progress of the band year after year, derived from black-metal influences in its concepts and principles, comes its first demo "Malefic de 1994" 5 tracks 100% live without cuts, and after 4 years comes according to demo "Shame 1998" bringing two tracks in Portuguese "Life" Shame "During this half period the band did shows and participation in the collection we received invitations to become and partnerships in Europe, in 2003 we released another demo" Vida "demo well accepted by critics and in 2005 comes the end of the last demo of the band Grandiose Side demo Is released free of charge and all the materials DEMO, EPS, SINGLE of the band, were sponsored by the band itself for lack of support of Brazilians arriving at the year 2011 we closed the album Your Belief with 7 tracks.
Themalefik band made a big step during this season of years even without support, gathered a legion of public and true black-metal faithful with concerts and distributions of their materials, always focusing on keeping the faithful work of the beginning of the band. Throughout Brazil, Latin America, Europe and Japan the work of Themalefik already has. Always aiming to massacre the opposite side and making it grow the high concepts of black-metal.
First member and founder Cláudio Monteiro (vocals), accompanied by Sandro (guitar), Erick (guitar) Fabio (drums), Wanderson (bass) in 1993. In 1996 the band underwent a reformulation of members, being Francisco Monteiro) replacing Sandro (guitar), Julio César (drums) Fabio (bass). In 2002, another change in this arduous path, now with the departure of Fabio (drums) along with Erick (guitar) and Fabio (Bass) for the entrance of Dhoni Chiod (Drums), Jaime Reis (Guitar) and Phabio Evil.
Last demo in 2005 (Grandiose Side) with free distribution and was quickly recognized as the return of ThemalefiK, thus providing numerous shows with free distribution of demos.
In 2008, ThemalefiK went through problems of members, Dhoni Chiod was replaced by Julio César (drummer), this year ThemalefiK began to work his 1st official album until then untitled, and only in the year of 2009 to 2011 the material of the album Was ready, and then came the title (Your Belief) recorded by Cláudio Monteiro (vocals and bass) Francisco Monteiro (guitar) Jaime Reis (guitar) Julio César (drums) album directed to traditional black metal, with raw and true sounds in their lyrics, making the reflection of their own existence and essence in belief.
Themalefik released their first album (Your Belief), digitally worldwide in November 2010 by the Dutch label (Miceli Music Entertainment Inc) in partnership with worldwide digital sales, the album features 7 tracks, recorded and mixed by ThemalefiK and Conspiracy Records that at the moment has not yet been released in Brazil physically, was well received outside and here in Brazil. In the same year, the band signed a contract with the Miceli Records Music Entertainment Inc label for 4 years, where it represented us globally.
The new album (Gates Of Hell) is scheduled for mid 2017, we are already working on the next album with claw, determination and great weight. The year 2017 started very well for ThemalefiK. And after releasing the single (Against the Nazarene) and its excellent repercussion worldwide, the band work on their new album (Gates Of Hell) with preview of the single titled (Against the Nazarene) recorded in 2014 by Claudio Monteiro ) Francisco Monteiro (guitar and vocals) Fernando trops (drums) Fabio Falco (bass) will be in the same line of the single with the new album (Gates Of Hell) intended to record and mix in Europe or the United States. The site Metal Archives is correct, we have 6 materials released between DEMOS and EPS our last work was a preview of the album (Gates of Hell) single (Against the Nazarene).
What is your interpretation of metal music?
I would describe my music as something of a reflection on truth and deception or something in which people force you or a child to believe in something in which you do not have proofs like mental manipulation, as if it were brainwashing, to enrich the rottenness of the church.
Is there one person that writes the songs or do you have several people that write songs? In your opinion, what is best for you band: one person writing or several working together?
I write the lyrics and mentally I compose the instrumental, then the lyrics with the melody, instrumental within the rehearsal with the band, I indicate to them, what the guitar and drums riffs should play so that I fit the lyrics inside the instrumental and melody. A great composer of instrumental is the former guitarist of ThemalefiK Francisco Monteiro, my brother, we had a great musical partnership, but he ended up leaving the band in 2015 to live outside Brazil in Spain vocalist and guitar LuzVer band.
I have been listening to your songs on ReverbNation. That is all I know so far. Where can people hear your new music? What can you tell us about where you recorded it?
The digital world is immense and I will post a link to direct people to the official website of the band and find all the information links of the band that you will need to know our work. From the beginning of the band we always recorded live in our studio of the third material ahead were in studio in São Paulo Brazil, regarding the new album we are working to finish I believe that by the end of the year we will be releasing and it will be an album so similar to the Our last work the single (against the Nazarene), but I intend to end it in the United States or Europe later this year.
Our new album is more aggressive in relation to its lyrics and instrumental lyrics talk about everyday philosophy, religions, criticism, politics, death, flogging and high religious thought. I intend to record this album outside of Brazil, Europe or the United States.
Do you plan to tour or to play shows in 2017?
Yes, this year I will be going to the United States Washington and other states to meet metal concert venues and publicize our material to eventually bookmark some events.
Why do you have such dedication to your metal music?
Music is something that reflects from within you is philosophy is belief is religion is concept is something eternal I do not imagine making money or getting famous because of my music, but it is something eternal and affects people in a certain way, if a day to return money with the music, will be welcome, otherwise I will be forever grateful to only be part of this metal world that surrounds us and contaminates.
What type of lyrics is important to your band? What is your opinion of Christianity, Islam, atheism and Satanism?
As I said we are a band of black / death metal what most involves us in this world of metal is the freedom to expose what we think and speak through music, the basic concept of a whole metal band is to expose what they think is about opinion or what happens in your country or in the world, the intellectual philosophy of each one makes you identify with each belief or religion or opinion, we play exactly that within our songs not an apology but a reflection of everything that is in our return and what is preached in your ears and mind.
ThemalefiK has lyrics in Portuguese that talk about politics in Brazil, we have lyrics that talks about reincarnation or life after life, we have lyrics that talks about war, we have lyrics that speaks about Christianity and Satanism, the church forces us to believe, thrusting in our minds from children, washing our minds and enriching ourselves by deceiving people and all in the name of all powerful money, this is contagious for the weak, for only those who The churches are poor people of spirit and philosophical intellect without recourse and always behind something material.
Regarding the atheists, I respect their opinions and philosophy I believe that for them to have their own concrete opinion, they had to seek the truth and simply did not find it coming to what they are! Discovered that there is no evidence and there is much controversy in everything that is written. Satanism is something intimate and philosophical internal of each one, we all know that we always have doubts and always seek to clarify something, either for themselves or for others, it is up to us to decide Who we are inside.
How your personal beliefs about the world affect your lyrics? Which are some of Brazil's biggest problems: is it people who are Christians? What about the corporations and the politicians in Brazil? We read in the news that Brazil has big slums, poverty and violent crime.
I believe that each composer has his intellect and his determination, the band ThemalefiK exposes his ideologies and his thoughts not to win public and fans more yes to show to the world that there is something different and new to be changed no matter his religious belief or ethnicity there will always be something wrong to be concerted and will always have doubts to be clarified whether in politics or religious belief are these factors that makes ThemalefiK continue to present their ideas.
I have always seen music as a manifestation of its ideas and intellect and we always seek to compose ideas that arise from within the intimate philosophy of within itself, for the bands that it seeks to compose seeking controversy, beliefs, politics who composes if it identifies with the subject if it is really true in what it says, congratulations, if it is not, it is because it is an opportunist liar who is afraid of the own vomit.
Regarding Brazil and Christianity, I do not see as a problem, many Christians in the world! The biggest problem of Brazil concerning metal band is the lack of support between bands and record companies, here is snake eating cobra. Referente music culture, unfortunately Brazil is a shame as the politics of this country corrupt and lack of justice. When a country becomes corrupted, it ends up causing its people to suffer and that is why Brazil has so many favelas, misery, thieves, the police do their work, arrest, but justice loose, always loopholes in the law, another example is the apology of prostitution, drugs, corruption in the carnival and in the Brazilian funk where the authorities go underage children listen to something depressive, immoral and manipulative and do nothing, Brazil has everything to aim to be a serious and first world country, we have everything in Brazil, we are a rich country with a spectacular people, but unfortunately politicians destroy everything, enter politics only to steal and not to make of their nation a trophy.
What things do you like about living in Brazil?
Yes, despite all the problems that politicians cause in the country I like it here, because it is a tropical country where we can always go to the beach or wherever we want at any time, meet friends having a drink open bars outdoors, the weather is great. It never snows, there is always a metal festival with regional bands mainly in São Paulo. The people of Brazil are welcoming, understanding, educated and creative, what really hinders the growth of our nation is the politics infected with corrupt, making injustice prevail. (Vergonha) a song from a song by the band ThemalefiK that portrays the face of politics in Brazil [is on the band’s YouTube channel].
What other news do you have?
I'm going to the United States this year and I hope to share our music and make partnerships, exchange material and do some shows, always focusing on friendship and the union of metal without borders. We thank Metal Bulletin for the space, to spread our work and thank all the people of Brazil, Europe and the United States who, in some way, support our work. We're in the metal together! STRENGTH AND HONOR!
Cláudio Monteiro (ThemalefiK)
www.facebook.com/themalefik
twitter.com/ThemalefiK
reverbnation.com/themalefik
youtube.com/themalefik

interview: Infected Omnipotence

This is an interview with the brutal metal band Infected Omnipotence from the Dominican Republic, an island country in the Caribbean; the island is home to two countries, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The guitarist Clandestine answered the questions. They are an active band, spreading the message of their death metal to anyone searching for extreme sounds. Infected Omnipotence decided years ago that in life there is only one objective: to play the most brutal death metal that they can. With their chaos they are putting out the call to the supporters of this music to come out and fly the flag of brutal death metal. Metal Archives gives a list of these releases: Global Infection EP 2012; “Humanbotic Paradox” single 2014; Spawning a Dystopian Breed EP 2015. Find out more about the band below and check out some of their music.
Greetings! How is life for your metal band in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic?
Greetings, Metal Bulletin. It's a pleasure to answer you. It's not easy, everything related to metal it's extinct. Fortunately, there have been things that have gotten better as time passes by.
What is the history of your band?
Initially, the band was created by Corpse after we started composing the songs in 2011. After months looking for members, the line up was completed to record the EP Global Infection in 2012.
After many changes in the line up, we initiated recording Spawning a Dystopian Breed in 2015. Which was presented through our single ''Humanbotic Paradox'' in 2014. This EP marked a period of inactivity in the band due that there were only guitars and vocals at the time.
In 2016 we came back with the complete line up and started playing live. Through these six years we have been one of the most active bands, making t-shirts and digital designs to express our art.
The actual line up consists of: Abortion - vocals (2011-present), Clandestine - guitars (2011-present), Abgal - bass (2016-present) and Furious Blaster - drums (2013-2014, 2015-present).
I do not know much about the history of metal music in the Dominican Republic. Were there metal bands there in the 80s? What were some of the first metal shows that you personally attended in your country? Does your country have traditional heavy metal bands, in addition to death and black metal bands?
Yes. There were bands by the end of the 80s. Around 2000 I started going to concerts that took place in the Auditorium of the Dominico Americano and the Santa Ana cave. There not a lot of traditional bands, only the band Abaddon RD keeps the classic style from back then.
What motivated you to play loud and extreme music?
Well, the majority of us have a black metal underground. So, the extreme side was familiar to us. The main inspiration and motivation came from our ex guitarist Corpse. Who propose to build a death metal due that the local scene only had metalcore bands along other mixed genres. As time passed by, the band evolved to the brutal side, without leaving behind our classical side.
I have been listening to your music online. Do you have new music at this moment or do you have plans for new music? Effectively, we have performed ''Organic Infanticide.'' A song that it is not in our recordings. We have another one on the way, besides other ideas that are running around which we are considering turning into songs. The plan is to always collect enough material to record and expose it. It has been one of the characteristics and qualities of the band as per the limitations on the scene.
In 2015 you released the EP, Spawning a Dystopian Breed. Where did you record it?
The SaDB was recorded at Blastbeats Studios, from the hand of Eric Cruz, an experienced musician that has been recording for decades. We are actually setting expectations to register our music.
Your band has lyrics in English. Do you have songs in Spanish, too?
We only sing in English. We are not limited or close-minded to write in Spanish, but we think that it is more appropriate in English for what we want to express.
What can you tell us about your lyrics? Are your lyrics about real topics or fantasy topics?
They're real topics. Such as domination of masses, manipulation, organs traffic, martyrs and conspiracy theories, etc., to which we apply a future touch in conjunction of our points of view of what happens.
In the U.S. we don’t know much about life in the Dominican Republic. What is your opinion about the future of your country?
We live in a great country, but evils such as corruption and impunity limits the opportunities to those who want to do the right thing. The future is not pleasing at all, if things continue as they are going, we'll have to close down the country. There is work, but we have up to a 7% unemployment rate, the most vulnerable have not opportunities of finding a productive job.
In history, sometimes there have problems between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, especially in the past. In your opinion, how are the relations between the two countries now?
Even thought throughout the history of this island there were many bellic conflicts between both nations, we have lived in a peaceful way for a while now. Not to mention the relationships tend to become tense due to Haiti being unstable, which affects our system, due that there are millions of nationalised Haitians that live in Dominican Republic.
Finally, what can you tell us about the plans of your band for 2017? Any plans to play in neighboring Puerto Rico?
The immediate plan is to keep playing live actively and try to reach out for bigger concerts that are being made here, as well as keep composing with the finality of recording more material. We have not played outside the country yet, but we are aware that Puerto Rico has a pretty active metal scene.
Thank you for putting your interest in our music. Brutal greetings to all the readers and followers of Metal Bulletin, remember that you can know more about us by visiting facebook.com/infectedomnipotence/
THE END.

Monday, January 30, 2017

interview: Zero Down

Zero Down has a very interesting sound. They live to celebrate heavy metal of the golden times when the music was fun and young, rocking out with swagger and mojo, riff-driven music and infectious songs. As long your heart is drawn to traditional heavy metal and classic rock, you are the preferred and target audience that this band has in mind. Who are they? What do they want with you?
Don’t you think it’s time to find out more about them? Lenny Burnett, whose destiny is to play guitar, answered these questions about the band.
Hello, Zero Down! Your band is based in Seattle, correct? How is life for your band in Seattle? Has your band had good experiences with the rock scenes in that city?
Yes, we are based in Seattle and all the members have been in the local scene since the late 80s in various bands. We have seen the scene go through different phases with the grunge wave being obviously the biggest, but there has always been a strong metal and punk movement in this town that we have all been a part of. It certainly ebbs and flows but we have been lucky enough to have a pretty consistent following over the years and fortunate to share the stage and camaraderie with tons of great bands. The local rock radio station KISW has always been great to us and clubs like El Corazón and Studio 7 have always been proactive putting on the local bands to open for bigger national tour shows to get us more exposure.
People around the world associate Seattle with grunge rock. For people who are new to the band, how would you describe your music? Have you noticed that you have a certain demographic that likes your music or is it hard to generalize about your supporters?
We are about as far away from a grunge band as you can get. We are definitely a heavily-influenced NWOBHM-band that have tried to bring that style into the current landscape of the metal scene. Think early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Accept, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead with our own twists here and there. We certainly resonate with an older crowd that was around for that music when it came out originally in the 80s, but there is a lot of young kids that dig it when they are exposed to it. It’s just hard to getting in front of an all ages crowd these days.
When did the band start? Did you always play the same style of music? How was 2016 overall for the band? I have noticed that your band is associated with some cool shows like Udo Dirkschneider and Uli Jon Roth, and last year I think your band did the Skid Row and Dio Disciples shows.
Zero Down was formed originally by myself, Lenny Burnett on guitar, Mark “Hawk” Hawkinson on vocals and Ron E Banner on bass in and around 2002. It took us a while to figure out what we all did well collectively and develop our song writing into something that represented all of us and reflected the influences we shared. The music was always aggressive and hard, but in the beginning it had more of a hardcore and rock feel to it. Once we added Fred Speakman on second guitar and Tyler Lindsley on drums we definitely started moving towards a more classic 80s metal direction crossed with our love for 70s rock and 80s punk. Over the years Fred and Tyler went on to do other things and we added Chris Gohde (drums) and Matt Fox (guitar). With those additions we definitely moved further into that classic metal sound and our last two releases really reflect that. 2016 was a good year for us as we just continued to play shows to promote our latest release No Limit to the Evil released on Minotauro Records in 2015 and start working on new material for another release hopefully sometime this year. For sure we got to play some great shows with the bands you mentioned and others like Prong, Riot, Grim Reaper, Y&T and more.
In 2015 you had the album No Limit to the Evil. Your music is available at CD Baby. Has that been a good platform for your band? Has it been worth it? Is Zero Down on Bandcamp and itunes and platforms like those? Are those good places to support your band?
Yes, you can get all four of our full-length CD releases at CD Baby but also get the latest No Limit to the Evil at Minotauro Records who put it out. They are a specialized metal label base in Italy that has been around since the early 80s. Really great people who do a great job helping out smaller bands get distributed and heard internationally. Check them out. All these places are good for us. As a small band every opportunity to get your music out there is a good one.
Has Zero Down ventured out of the state of Washington to the rest of the U.S.? If you have, where has the band been so far?
We have mostly just played in the NW and West Coast. We would love to tour the States, Europe and Asia but without any label tour support it just hasn’t been financially viable for us. Probably the only disappointment over the years for us is I think we would especially go over great in Europe.
Keeping a rock and roll band together is difficult, especially as the musicians get to the 30s and the days of careless youth become a memory. Plus, there are fashions and trends that come and go. Often, having a band means losing money. How do you keep motivated after having a band for a long time?
I think we have survived and kept it going together for so long because we love what we do and we are all friends. No matter what is going on in our lives we have this to look forward to escape the adult responsible world and be kids again, basically. All the money we make from shows and merch go back into the band fund so it pays for itself. It’s basically free entertainment for ourselves, more or less. Plus, I think the death of most bands is that they quit writing new music together. We are always moving forward writing new songs so we have something in front of us to get excited about and stimulate the artistic side of this. Believe me, we understand how unique our situation is and that’s why we keep it going.
What are your plans for 2017? Do you have any news that you can tell us about?
We have shows coming up that we are really excited about right now, Piston Ready (CD Release show) at The Funhouse on Feb 10th and Uli Roth (ex-Scorpions guitarist) on Feb 26th at Studio 7. Should be kick ass so excited to start the year off right. Beyond that our big goal is to work towards getting back in the studio to record our fifth full-length release. We have five new songs in the can right now so we are making progress. Hopefully we can get back in this summer and get something new out by end of the year.
What else can you tell us?
We have four releases out entitled Old Time Revival, Good Times at the Gates of Hell, Looking to Start a Riot and No Limit to the Evil.
You can check out updates on us on Facebook and you can get our releases at CD Baby. Thanks for your help spreading the word on us and all the underground bands out there. It gets harder and harder to get heard out there because there is so much available so metal zines like yours really help the scene. Us metal bands can use all the help when can get! Horns high!
facebook.com/Zero-Down-Seattle-262964899318/
cdbaby.com/Artist/ZeroDown
minotaurorecords.com

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Metal Shop metal music show

The Metal Shop metal music show is from Seattle, Washington, U.S. The program is on Saturday nights at 10pm.
listen live
kisw.com
"The heaviest radio show in the PCNW!"
Seattle, WA
www.twitter.com/MetalShopKISW?lang=en

Friday, January 27, 2017

Excuse All the Blood metal music program

Listen to the live broadcast right now, Friday night:
www.kaosradio.org
Excuse All the Blood is a metal music show from the state of Washington, U.S. The show features black metal, heavy metal, death metal and other metal genres, too. The show is on Friday nights, but it is also available any time here: www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/seamus-o-reilly
Friday night, 11pm to 1am Pacific Time (Seattle), listen to Excuse All the Blood metal music, out of Olympia, Washington state, U.S.
www.kaosradio.org
www.twitter.com/EATBRadio?lang=en

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

interview: Nemesis

The melodic extreme metal band Nemesis (Serbia) has been working on some new music that they will have ready soon. They have already made a video for the song “Vengeance” and it is available at their Facebook page. They are a relatively new band, but they are getting their name out to the metal music fanatics. Read this interview to catch up on the latest with the band.
Hello! I like the music of your video "Vengeance." Did you record it at a show of your band in Belgrade with your supporters? How was the experience of making a video?
Nemesis: Thank you very much for liking our video, it was a lot of sweat and work to record the video. Video was recorded inside of a theater that is located in Pančevo, a little town near Belgrade. It took us a whole day to record, with short breaks, and of course with help of our friends and band’s supporters we managed to get all of the needed material to create a great video. Since this was our first try in making a video, we will definitely continue making more so we can share our music with the world.
What is the situation with your new music? It is an EP, correct? When do you think that the new music will be available?
Nemesis: We are in full trot in making new stuff, we are full of ideas! It will be an EP, that is correct. It is still yet to be named and should have around 4 songs. There are more vocals to record so we will do our best to get our EP out before May.
You are in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, correct? Unfortunately, I do not know a lot about the metal bands from Belgrade and from Serbia in general. What has been your personal experience being in a metal band in the capital of your country?
Nemesis: Yes, that is correct. Serbia as a country that is still undeveloped when it comes to metal music and bands. Most of the bands that have a larger audience are pop-rock, rock and ex-yu rock, so it is very hard to push trough as a metal band. There are a lot of them though, so we are trying to unite and make a metal scene. When it comes to the clubs, we are very low on venues. Even if the venue is open for this kind of music, they are usually not designed and equipped for metal sound. Economic situation in Serbia is really bad and many clubs are closing, especially the ones that support metal bands. Being a metal bend in Belgrade is really hard. There aren’t any institutions or media that support underground culture. Also, metal bands in Serbia don’t get paid, the biggest amount we earned as a band was about $100 for a gig, so everything we invest in the band is from our personal funds.
Tell us about your lyrics. How does life in Belgrade affect your perspective on your lyrics? When you look at life in Serbia, what do you see? How are the future possibilities for yourself, your friends and your family?
Nemesis: Most of our lyrics are directly connected to our lives here and the things we see and feel. We find inspiration for lyrics in our everyday problems, but also in government corruption and some philosophical issues. Honestly, when thinking about future, we don’t see a bright side. Media manipulation in Serbia is on really high level. Serbia is a country of many paradoxes. On one side we have strong nationalist propaganda, and on the other we have capitalistic market owned by foreign people. The result is that we have really poor state and really rich individuals and politicians that are supporting the rich. Average monthly salary is about $250, but the cost of life is much higher. Because of these things we aren’t optimistic about our life here. And these are the things we are talking about in our lyrics because we would like to raise awareness about low life standards, media manipulations and low education among people.
In your opinion, what are some things that Nemesis must do in order to have success at the international level?
Nemesis: First of all we have to release our EP and promote it everywhere we can, so people from other countries can contacts us. We are planning to go touring in neighbor countries as soon as the EP is released. We are planning to play in Bosnia, Croatia and Bulgaria. To be successful in Europe you need to be persistent in your plans and ideas and to believe in yourself and your band mates. Also good funding can influence your success as a band.
Can you tell us who are the members of the band at this moment? Who started the band in the beginning? Arch Enemy was influential for Nemesis, correct? Did you watch a show or a video of Arch Enemy? What did you like about Arch Enemy’s music?
Nemesis: Members of the band are Sanja Drča (vocals), Aleksandra Petrović (lead guitar), Tijana Milivojević (rhythm guitar), Anja Tvrtković (bass guitar) and Selena Simić (drums). There isn’t one person that started the band. We kind of knew each other and we all had the same idea – to form a melodic death metal band. It is a coincidence that it’s an all female band, because only girls wanted to play this genre at the time when the band was forming. Arch Enemy is our big influence because of their melodic riffs, but strong groove and thought-provoking lyrics. We never saw their live performance, but we watched their videos. We have strong hopes to share the stage with them someday.
I live in the Seattle area. Here in the U.S. we don't know much about Serbia. How is it, vice versa? Do you like any metal bands from Seattle?!
Nemesis: One of the bands that have a big influence on us as a band is from Seattle – Nevermore! We could say that we don’t know too much about Seattle and its metal scene. But, Anja our bassist is a big grunger in her soul so she is more familiar with bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Soundgarden and etc. We would love to share some thoughts with you on that topic, we are very interested but it is very hard go get informed when it comes to Seattle metal bands.
In the 1990s there were wars in your region of the world. It was in the news a lot. This was before you were born, I think. Do you have a sense that Serbia and its neighbors can live in peace in the future? What do you think?
Nemesis: We said in earlier answers that the nationalistic propaganda is still strong, not only in Serbia, but also in Bosnia and Croatia. We have many friends in those countries which are not affected by the war. But there are still some isolated situations were elderly people are passing hate to their children toward their neighbors. Some of the girls were children at the time of Yugoslavian war and they had really bad experiences. They were really young, they were not aware of things that were happening but they remember the fear they felt. We have a sense that we can live in peace and cooperate with our neighbors because they are people made of flesh and bones, just like us. We even share the same language and culture. People just need to stop trusting the mass media and start thinking with their own heads. It’s 21st century, we have internet and stuff, we need to stop living in the past and make better future for our generations.
Finally, can you tell us how we can follow the news of Nemesis and the new music for 2017?
Nemesis: At this moment we are mostly active on Facebook so you can like our page and follow our adventures there. But also our Youtube page will be soon in full mode were we will post our videos and who knows, we are thinking of making some sort of travel vlogs in the future. Music will be also available for download on our soon to be open Bandcamp.
Thank you for your time!
Nemesis: Thank you so much for reaching out! We will be in touch!
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THE END

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Pain Of Salvation album review by Matt Spall

Matt Spall offers a very personal review of prog band Pain of Salvation.--MMB
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Artist: Pain Of Salvation
Album Title: In The Passing Light Of Day
Label: InsideOut Music
Release date: 13 January 2017
I suspect I’m not in a minority who include Pain of Salvation as one of their most important musical discoveries. Here is a band that have released easily some of the best progressive metal music ever written and any time they bring out new material, there is a buzz of excitement, an intake of breath and fevered anticipation.
If truth be told however, the Swedish quintet led by the irrepressible Daniel Gildenlöw, have given me much to deliberate over the years. I hold ‘The Perfect Element: Part 1’ and ‘Remedy Lane’ in the highest regard, with both of them featuring high up in my all-time albums list. But I am less enamoured with some of the output since. ‘Scarsick’ was interesting shall we say. But in particular, there’s the ‘Road Salt’ double which is very well written and passionately performed but which ultimately left me quite cold due to its overall approach and complete abandonment of anything even remotely heavy. I admire the band for trying something that their heart desired but it simply wasn’t for me.
And so, when I heard a rumour that Pain of Salvation might just return to their heavier roots with album number ten, I wasn’t sure I could believe it. Well, I should never have doubted the word of Daniel Gildenlöw, even if he did tell me directly during the press rounds for ‘Road Salt 1’ that he couldn’t see himself ever returning to metal. The result is ‘In The Passing Light of Day’ and it is rather magnificent.
Before tackling the music, I feel that the subject matter and lyrical content of ‘In The Passing Light Of Day’ needs to be fully explored. Pain of Salvation and founder Daniel Gildenlöw in particular have never shied away from confrontational issues be they inspired by personal experiences or otherwise. This record is no different as the catalyst has been Daniel’s own medical problems of late. And when I say ‘problems’, I am understating things drastically as he nearly died. As such, it is hardly a shock to note that ‘In The Passing Light Of Day’ is a dark and claustrophobic, gritty and raw record.
Under normal circumstances, this would be sufficient to make the album a challenge for listeners, even the absolute die-hards. However, for me, it has been even tougher as my last remaining grandmother sadly passed away mid-review. As you might imagine, this has added another dimension to an already powerful listening experience.
Two days ago, I sat by her bedside for the last time, holding her hand and chatting nonsense whilst life became ever more of a chore for her. It brought back painful memories as I did exactly the same with my only brother at a hospice bedside eight years ago as he left us to an aggressive form of cancer.
So when Daniel sings, ‘…you’re watching me slowly slip away, like the passing light of day…’ within the epic, closing title track, it resonates with me more than you could ever imagine. OK, he isn’t singing about an elderly lady coming to the end of her life or a brother being cruelly taken from his family in the prime of life, but the parallels are there and I take great meaning from his words. I even toyed with not reviewing this album for a short period as it became so difficult to listen to without breaking down. I wasn’t focusing on the album from a reviewers standpoint, I was feeling it, living it and using it selfishly to help me with my own grief.
I make no apologies for the sombre tone of the review thus far because I think that in many ways it reflects the oppressive darkness that cloaks much of the record. It isn’t a carefree, easy listen and it is more powerful and memorable because of it. I love the fact that Daniel feels able to open up through his music, just like I feel I can bare all when I write.
That being true, there is also a sense of positivity that runs through this album, like a delicate gossamer thread of hope, of light, of better things on the horizon. In many ways, this added ingredient just makes the album even more of an emotional rollercoaster for all concerned.
The previous quote then eventually leads to ‘…and although I wish that I could stay, it somehow strangely feels ok…it is what it is and I’ll find my way through the passing light…’ and the ultimate bittersweet line of ‘…I’m in too much pain to feel afraid…’ Not exactly cheerful, but with a touch of positivity and maybe even a oddly comforting insight into what both of my family members and indeed Daniel, must have felt in the midst of their ordeals.
The most powerful and emotive of lyrics will fall flat however, if the music that sits beside it, underneath it and within it is deficient. On that score, Pain of Salvation have no worries. In progressive music terms, I am still in the early days of digesting the music having only listened to it for three weeks but in that time I have listened to little else it has to be said. Is it their best work to date? That would be a big call to make at this stage but it certainly ranks highly in my estimations.
Given the subject matter, the return to heavier climes is a perfect fit, accenting the anger, despair, and frustration of the central themes very well. However, this isn’t a one-dimensional heavy album. It flows from all out bombast to sections of intelligent complexity to quieter more minimalist landscapes and back again as the mood of the tracks dictate. And what I really find intriguing and enjoy more than I thought is the fact that the band have not completely ditched the sounds and textures that were explored on the ‘Road Salt’ albums. As a result, there is a tangibly organic feel to much of the output; acoustic guitars and occasional nods to bluegrass can be heard amongst other things whilst the whole thing is wrapped up in a production courtesy of Daniel Bergstrand (Dugout Studio) that is far from over-polished, thus retaining a certain purity, honesty and rawness to proceedings. It works brilliantly, quite frankly.
What also works well is the way in which the music sounds fresh and vital but also isn’t afraid to borrow from the band’s past either. As well as the ‘Road Salt’ echoes, there are passages where I also hear elements of the ‘One Hour By The Concrete Lake’, ‘Remedy Lane’ and ‘Be’, the latter mainly through the way in which the songs are accompanied by sound samples to depict the hospital setting of the album, introducing songs, closing songs and indeed dissecting them, adding a sense of theatre in the process.
In fact, listen carefully enough and there are influences to be heard from all corners of the band’s rich history. It is a clever trick when the band itself is markedly different in 2017. ‘In The Passing Light of Day’ sees mainstay vocalist and guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw joined by drummer Léo Margarit, bassist/vocalist Gustaf Hielm, keyboardist/vocalist Daniel Karlsson and guitarist/vocalist Ragnar Zolberg in a line-up that has now been stable for the past four years. Regardless of their relatively new relationship under the Pain of Salvation banner, there’s no denying that together, they are a highly talented bunch of musicians.
The album begins with ‘On A Tuesday’ which wastes no time in laying down the heavier credentials of the album thanks to a thundering groovy riff backed up by an expressive bass line from Gustaf Hielm and dominant drumming courtesy of Léo Margarit. The heaviness gives way to Daniel’s narration that is a recurring theme throughout the album, adding that important personal dimension. The chorus of sorts that explodes is a thing of real quality, which then returns at various points within the 10-minute track.
Ragnar’s higher-pitched, almost feminine sounding vocals make their first appearance atop a gorgeous piano melody from Daniel Karlsson accented by orchestral embellishments. Much has been made of Zolberg’s voice but I have to say that I really like them and find that they add something very valuable to the overall sound of the music.
The track ebbs and flows tremendously, returning to an all-out tumultuous metal attack full of urgency before falling away to allow a lone piano before the striking melody is built on with sampled, electronic effects that introduce a sinister edge. It builds and builds to a heady, oppressive crescendo from which there is no escape.
‘Tongue of God’ follows, starting quietly in stark contrast to what went before. The bass of Hielm is again a focal point for my ears before the heaviness is reintroduced via a commanding riff. The echoes of the early days are writ large across this composition thanks to the overt power and sense of anger that pervades.
By now, anyone worth their salt will have heard the lead single ‘Meaningless’ and seen the dark and provocative video to accompany it. I adore this track to the point where I’m borderline obsessed by it. From the intriguing, odd-sounding opening melody to the quirky, slightly tribal-sounding bass and drum-led verses to the all-out power and melody of the insanely catchy chorus, not to mention the emotive lyrics, this has class written all over it. The word ‘anthemic’ is over-used at times, but by hell it’s deserved here.
By contrast, ‘Silent Gold’ is a stripped down, organic piece of music where the piano and vocals of Daniel take centre stage almost exclusively at least for the first half. This is where the ‘Road Salt’ influences reveal themselves most clearly but in the context of what surrounds it, it’s a really delicate and lovely composition with real character. There’s a similar vibe to ‘If This Is The End’, complete with more slide guitar, albeit it is blended with starkly juxtaposing segments of heavy material to create a real Jekyll and Hyde piece in many ways.
‘Full Throttle Tribe’ opens with those hospital-derived sampled sounds before a typical, almost ubiquitous Pain of Salvation syncopated beat and riff enters the fray. There are more electronic sounds to be heard before the chorus hits, making a real impact as it does. The minimalist mid-section is gorgeous, accented by what sounds like a heart monitor, before the track concludes with a reprise of the striking chorus and then a monstrous down-tuned, swirling and churning djent-esque breakdown.
The second ‘single’ off the album comes in the form of ‘Reasons’ which displays many of the hallmarks of older Pain Of Salvation including more syncopated riffing and unique vocals of Daniel Gildenlöw which descend into more venomous spoken-word diatribe territory as the song develops.
‘Angels of Broken Things’ is one of my personal favourites. It builds from humble beginnings, via a really insidious and simple melody and dark atmospheres to eventually erupt into one of the best extended guitar solos that I have heard in a long time. It is technically very adept but what is more impressive is the expressive nature of it and its eloquence. It more than adeptly conveys a feeling of pent up frustration and a full-on release of it, along with relief, misery, hope, and a million other strong human emotions, all of which Daniel must have felt during his ordeal. It’s a real head back, air-guitar moment of giant proportions.
There is then more heavy, groovy and intense listening courtesy of ‘The Taming of A Beast’ which contains within it some of the most crunching riffs on the album as well as being a bona-fide slow burner that has burrowed its way into my affections after a sticky start.
If all this wasn’t enough, arguably the very best is saved for last in the shape of the title track of sorts, ‘The Passing Light Of Day’. For all of the aforementioned reasons and more besides, this is the point at which the tears really start to flow and I’m taking deep breaths. It is the culmination of a superb album, a 15-minute smorgasbord of fragile emotion, musical peaks and troughs, poignancy and utterly magical beauty. The song moves from quiet and introspective, to heavy and complex and back again whilst always maintaining the intensely personal feeling, as if we’re voyeurs infringing on the privacy of two souls going through hell.
And I swear blind that I hear a subtle reprise of ‘Ending Theme’ from ‘Remedy Lane’ buried within the composition. But regardless, the final moments are the icing on the cake in that they reintroduce the early melodies sumptuously embellished by some rich and spine-tingling orchestral additions. Quite often I find myself listening to this track in the open air at night and so, on more than one occasion I have ended up staring at the stars, with tears rolling down my cheeks, covered in goose bumps. It seems the appropriate thing to do, a response entirely fitting with the tone and messages conveyed by this remarkable album.
I’m not sure there’s much else to add at this stage. 2017 may have only just begun but Pain of Salvation have laid down the marker for all others to reach. After a few releases that didn’t move me, ‘In The Passing Light of Day’ has redressed the balance and then some. If this is what intelligent and emotional progressive metal sounds like in 2017, I don’t want the year to ever end.
The Score of Much Metal: 9.75
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Saturday, January 21, 2017

NEWS: Italian Traditional Heavy Metal newcomers SLEAZER join INFERNÖ Records

OFFICIAL: "Time for us to announce you the second band to join the label this year... This time, this is an all-male band called SLEAZER - coming from Italy !!! Founded in 2011, the band has since worked very hard and now can be considered as one of the most interesting bands to emerge from the undergound scene ! After a first demo, they established them as a serious outsider in the battle of traditional Heavy-Metal defenders together with bands like Enforcer, Skull Fist, Cauldron... One song ("Fall Again") can be listened now, this will give you an idea of how HARD they're gonna rock you once the album "Fall Into Disgrace" will be out !!! Stay tuned !!!
One song of the upcoming album is available for streaming on Souncloud :
> "Fall Again" soundcloud.com/infernorecords666/sleazer-fall-again
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NEWS: North Carolina Doom Trio TEMPTATION'S WINGS to Release Skulthor Ebonblade in March

OFFICIAL: North Carolina Doom Trio TEMPTATION'S WINGS will release concept album Skulthor Ebonblade on March 10. New song "Lair of the Gorgon Queen" is now streaming at this location below.
Following the release of 2012 EP Legends of the Tusk, the new full-length release is the culmination of a decade spent continually improving and refining its Thrashy Doom Metal style. The results speak for themselves, as Skulthor Ebonblade is the complete package: mighty riffs, propulsive rhythms, and emotionally penetrating vocals that hit the Heavy Metal sweet spot and leave the listener with songs that remain etched in the memory for days on end.
Lyrically, the story of the album concerns legendary warrior Skulthor who returns to find his village burning in black flames, and catches a glimpse of a witch as she disappears behind the smoke. He sets off on a quest to obtain a sword of great power, so he can avenge his clan but loses his humanity along the way only to have to rediscover it to ultimately obtain revenge he sought all along.
Skulthor Ebonblade will be released on CD and digital formats. The CD version will include an acoustic bonus track called "Solitude." The album was mixed, mastered, and recorded by Andy Bishop at Giraffe Studios, Hendersonville NC. Artwork By David Paul Seymour.
TEMPTATION'S WINGS BIO: Hailing from the mountains of North Carolina, Temptation's Wings was formed back in 2005. After several lineup changes the core was finally established at the end 2006 and the and has been making music since ever since. The mission statement has always been the same: Write songs they like and pushing the songwriting and technique beyond the previous release . A few albums and EPs have been released over the years, but the band really hit their stride with the 2012 EP Legends of the Tusk. The band played as many shows as they could supporting the EP and relentlessly promoted it. The work paid off when the trio was asked to open for the legendary Iced Earth by a representative of that band in their hometown's biggest venue, The Orange Peel. Now with the impending LP release of Skulthor Ebonblade and addition of new bassist Chad Barnwell, Temptation's Wings is eager to play to more ears than ever!
Temptation's Wings - "Lair of the Gorgon Queen"
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Seattle/Washington concert calendar, updated January 21, 2017

If you have information about shows/updates/cancellations, please get in contact with Metal Bulletin Zine.
January 21 Entombed AD, Full of Hell, Turbid North, Deathraid at Highline, Seattle, WA
January 21 High on Fire at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
January 22 Armed for Apocalypse, Witchburn, Deathbed Confessions, others at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
January 23 Marc Rizzo, Oraculum at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
January 23 Thou Shall Kill, Dilapidation, Pill Brigade at Substation, Seattle, WA
January 23 Vultra at The Pin, Spokane, WA
January 27 Queensryche at Snoqualmie Casino, Snoqualmie, WA
January 27 Drawn and Quartered, Sakrificer, Raptor, Oxygen Destroyer at Highline, Seattle, WA
January 27 Anthrocene, Reevolution, Antitheus, Transcribing the Necronomicon at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
January 28 Bone Sickness, The Noctambulant, Kommand, Voidthrone at Highline, Seattle, WA
January 28 Blue Öyster Cult at Historic Everett Theatre, Everett, WA
January 30 Born without Blood, Odyssian, Monsters among Gods at Substation, Seattle, WA
February 1 Inquisition, Rutah, Serpentspire, Skinwalker at The Pin, Spokane, WA
February 1 Anthropocene, A God or an Other, Spektral Hatchery at Obsidian, Olympia, WA
February 2 Mayhem, Inquisition, Black Anvil at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
February 2 Witch Ripper, Year of the Cobra, Smooth Sailing, Into the Storm at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
February 3 Toecutter, Acid Teeth, Generation Decline, Sticky Situation at Tony V's, Everett, WA
February 3 Siren's Rain, Sin Circus, Fallen Kings at Y Sports Bar, Spanaway, WA
February 4 Lordi at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 10 Revenge, Weregoat, Drawn and Quartered, Bloody Master at Highline, Seattle, WA
February 10 Piston Ready, Zero Down, Acid Teeth, The Stuntmen at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
February 12 Flotsam & Jetsam, Vicious Rumors, Hatchet, Antarez at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 12 Phrenelith, Necrot, Fetid, Cerebral Rot at Highline, Seattle, WA
February 17 Rhine, Blood and Thunder, Sacrifice to Survive, Odyssian at the Kraken, Seattle, WA
February 19 Alterbeast, Depths of Hatred, Aenimus, Aethere, Aethereus at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 20 Marduk, Incantation, Svart Crown, A Flourishing Scourge, Dilapidation at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 22 Nile, Overkill, Kill Closet at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
February 23 Ashen Pyre, Isenordal, Serpent's Chalice at Substation, Seattle, WA
February 26 Uli Jon Roth, Zero Down, Children of Seraph at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 1 Max and Igor Cavalera "Return to Roots Tour," Immolation, Full of Hell at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 5 Devil Driver, Death Angel, The Agonist, Azreal, Ashes of Existence at Studio Seven, WA
March 6 Darkest Hour, Ringworm, Tombs, Rivers of Nihil, Blood and Thunder at Studio Seven, WA
March 9 Substratum, R.I.P., Spell, Witchstone at Highline, Seattle, WA
March 11 Archgoat, Valkyrja, Hellfire, Deathcult, Void Wraith at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 11 Tetrachromat, Mercy Brown, Ghostblood at The Shakedown, Bellingham, WA
March 28 Kreator, Obituary, Midnight, Horrendous at Neptune, Seattle, WA
March 29 Nails, Toxic Holocaust, Gatecreeper at Neumos, Seattle, WA
March 30 Despised Icon, Carnifex, Fallujah, Rings of Saturn, Lorna Shore at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 31 Oathbreaker, Khemmis, Jaye Jayle, Dust Moth at Highline, Seattle, WA
April 4 Amorphis, Swallow the Sun at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
April 4 Katatonia, Caspian, Uncured at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
April 25 Anthrax, Killswitch Engage at Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
April 28 D.R.I. at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
April 29 Asphyx, Extremity at Highline, Seattle, WA
May 4 Iron Kingdom at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
May 6 HammerFall, Delain at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
May 8 Sabaton, Battle Beast, others at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
May 11 Testament, Sepultura, Prong at Showbox Market, Seattle, WA
May 18 Y & T at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
May 20 Evergrey, Seven Kingdoms, Ascendia, Need at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
May 26 Candlemass at Modified Ghost Festival II, Vancover, B.C., Canada
June 12 Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Revocation, Withered at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
June 15,16,17 Northwest Terror Fest at Neumos and Barboza, Seattle, WA
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NEWS: NECROT: Old-School Death Metal Merchants Announce February Tour With Phrenelith; New Record Underway

OFFICIAL: Oakland-based old-school death metal merchants NECROT will return to the road next month on a two-week tour alongside Danish death dealers Phrenelith. The North American West Coast journey will commence on February 3rd in Los Angeles, California and run through February 18th in Oakland, California where they will support Marduk and Incantation, with an included stop at Famine Fest in Portland, Oregon.
NECROT - featuring within its ranks current and former members of Acephalix, Vastum, Saviours, Watch Them Die, and Atrament - will be touring in support of their The Labyrinth full-length released on CD, digitally, and deluxe, foil-stamped LP via Tankcrimes Records, and on cassette via Sentient Ruin Laboratories in the US and Extremely Rotten in Europe last Summer. Spewing forth eight devious tracks amassed from three hard-to-find and long out-of-print demo tapes, The Labyrinth was tracked at Lennon Studios by the late great Jef "Leppard" Davis (Abscess, Acephalix, Vastum) and at Earhammer Studios with Greg Wilkinson (Brainoil, Annihilation Time, Noothgrush), and mastered at Mammoth Sound by Dan Randall (Ghoul, Toxic Holocaust). Fans of the audio bone-crush of bands like Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Sacrilege, and the like pay heed.
NECROT recently finished tracking their debut again with Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios. The as-yet-untitled full-length is slated for a Summer release via Tankcrimes. Stand by for further details.
NECROT w/ Phrenelith:
2/03/2017 Elis - Oakland
2/04/2017 Lexington - Los Angeles, CA
2/05/2017 Til Two - San Diego, CA
2/06/2017 Redwood - Los Angeles, CA
2/07/2017 Blue Lagoon - Santa Cruz, CA
2/08/2017 The Ritz - San Jose, CA
2/09/2017 Siren Song - Eureka, CA
2/11/2017 Famine Fest - Portland, OR
2/12/2017 Highline - Seattle, WA
2/13/2017 Astoria - Vancouver, BC
2/14/2017 Copper Owl - Victoria, BC
2/15/2017 Cryptatropa - Olympia, WA
2/16/2017 Black Water - Portland, OR
2/17/2017 Starlite- Sacramento, CA
2/18/2017 Metro - Oakland, CA
"...the classic bursting-at-the-seams, crawling-from-the-grave-still-decaying sound meets the ripping, memorable songs to create something that doesn't redefine the genre, but nails that new old-school vibe we all crave." - Decibel
"...a non-stop vicious killing machine that is must have for any death metal fan." - Cvlt Nation
"NECROT are as old-school death metal as old-school death metal gets. Their songs would have been welcome presences on early classics by Master, Bolt Thrower and Autopsy and yet, NECROT has a punk rock soul that refuses to die." - Invisible Oranges
"Death by pitiless decimation is the principle mandate here..." - Last Rites
"This is death metal for those of us who like and can't get enough of Autopsy and Nihilist. If you like your death metal dark and murky with a sound right out of a new and fresh grave then this is the stuff for you." - Battle Helm
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Thursday, January 19, 2017

Seattle/Washington concert calendar, updated January 19, 2017

If you have information about shows/updates/cancellations, please get in contact with Metal Bulletin Zine.
January 20 Striker, Spellcaster, Substratum, Nasty Bits at Highline, Seattle, WA
January 21 Entombed AD, Full of Hell, Turbid North, Deathraid at Highline, Seattle, WA
January 21 High on Fire at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
January 22 Armed for Apocalypse, Witchburn, Deathbed Confessions, others at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
January 23 Marc Rizzo, Oraculum at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
January 23 Thou Shall Kill, Dilapidation, Pill Brigade at Substation, Seattle, WA
January 23 Vultra at The Pin, Spokane, WA
January 27 Queensryche at Snoqualmie Casino, Snoqualmie, WA
January 27 Drawn and Quartered, Sakrificer, Raptor, Oxygen Destroyer at Highline, Seattle, WA
January 27 Anthrocene, Reevolution, Antitheus, Transcribing the Necronomicon at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
January 28 Bone Sickness, The Noctambulant, Kommand, Voidthrone at Highline, Seattle, WA
January 28 Blue Öyster Cult at Historic Everett Theatre, Everett, WA
January 30 Born without Blood, Odyssian, Monsters among Gods at Substation, Seattle, WA
February 1 Inquisition, Rutah, Serpentspire, Skinwalker at The Pin, Spokane, WA
February 1 Anthropocene, A God or an Other, Spektral Hatchery at Obsidian, Olympia, WA
February 2 Mayhem, Inquisition, Black Anvil at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
February 3 Toecutter, Acid Teeth, Generation Decline, Sticky Situation at Tony V's, Everett, WA
February 3 Siren's Rain, Sin Circus, Fallen Kings at Y Sports Bar, Spanaway, WA
February 4 Lordi at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 10 Revenge, Weregoat, Drawn and Quartered, Bloody Master at Highline, Seattle, WA
February 10 Zero Down, others at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
February 12 Flotsam & Jetsam, Vicious Rumors, Hatchet, Antarez at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 17 Rhine, Blood and Thunder, Sacrifice to Survive, Odyssian at the Kraken, Seattle, WA
February 19 Alterbeast, Depths of Hatred, Aenimus, Aethere, Aethereus at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 20 Marduk, Incantation, Svart Crown, A Flourishing Scourge, Dilapidation at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
February 22 Nile, Overkill, Kill Closet at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
February 23 Ashen Pyre, Isenordal, Serpent's Chalice at Substation, Seattle, WA
February 26 Uli Jon Roth, Zero Down, Children of Seraph at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 1 Max and Igor Cavalera "Return to Roots Tour," Immolation, Full of Hell at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 5 Devil Driver, Death Angel, The Agonist, Azreal, Ashes of Existence at Studio Seven, WA
March 6 Darkest Hour, Ringworm, Tombs, Rivers of Nihil, Blood and Thunder at Studio Seven, WA
March 11 Archgoat, Valkyrja, Hellfire, Deathcult, Void Wraith at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 11 Tetrachromat, Mercy Brown, Ghostblood at The Shakedown, Bellingham, WA
March 28 Kreator, Obituary, Midnight, Horrendous at Neptune, Seattle, WA
March 29 Nails, Toxic Holocaust, Gatecreeper at Neumos, Seattle, WA
March 30 Despised Icon, Carnifex, Fallujah, Rings of Saturn, Lorna Shore at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
March 31 Oathbreaker, Khemmis, others at Highline, Seattle, WA
April 4 Amorphis, Swallow the Sun at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
April 25 Anthrax, Killswitch Engage at Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
April 28 D.R.I. at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
April 29 Asphyx, Extremity at Highline, Seattle, WA
May 4 Iron Kingdom at Funhouse, Seattle, WA
May 6 HammerFall, Delain at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
May 8 Sabaton, Battle Beast, others at El Corazón, Seattle, WA
May 11 Testament, Sepultura, Prong at Showbox Market, Seattle, WA
May 18 Y & T at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
May 20 Evergrey, Seven Kingdoms, Ascendia, Need at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
May 26 Candlemass at Modified Ghost Festival II, Vancover, B.C., Canada
June 12 Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Revocation, Withered at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
June 15,16,17 Northwest Terror Fest at Neumos and Barboza, Seattle, WA
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NEWS: Killing Addiction

Killing Addiction is traditional death metal for the die-hard followers of the genre. They are not a new band and they are not a retro band paying tribute to the genre. Rather, they are playing the music that motivated the beginning of the band back in 1988 in the state of Florida, U.S. Life has kicked them down, and then life has kicked them in the teeth again, but they are survivors with good death metal and quite a little story, too. To learn more about the band and to listen to the latest recording by the band, see this official information below.
Killing Addiction
Shores of Oblivion
Xtreem Music
Release: 25 November 2016
Florida Death Metal Veterans KILLING ADDICTION have returned with a new four-song EP titled Shores of Oblivion. The EP was recently released on Xtreem Music and exemplifies a style that spans Death Metal (DEATH, POSSESSED, MORBID ANGEL, ATHEIST), Grindcore (NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS), and Thrash (SLAYER, SACRED REICH, KREATOR). Equally heavy is a lyrical approach that deals in themes both political and philosophical.
After its 1989 formation in the thick of the influential Florida Death Metal scene, KILLING ADDICTION released a demo and EP prior to the release of its 1993 full-length debut Omega Factor. After another EP and a split release, the band called it quits in 1998, then reformed in 2006, eventually releasing sophomore full-length Fall of the Archetypes on Xtreem Music in 2010 (also released as a limited-edition, six-song EP). The When Death Becomes an Art 7" EP followed in 2015 (Inverse Dogma Records).
Momentum gained and all cylinders firing, KILLING ADDICTION wasted no time in releasing Shores of Oblivion last fall, but the season was a bittersweet one for the band, as founding member Chad Bailey passed away in September.
Killing Addiction is a death metal band from central Florida with an established name in the old school death metal genre. The band’s first full-length recording, entitled Omega Factor (JL America/Relativity), is considered a minor classic of American death metal, which led to their follow-up recordings Dark Tomorrow (independent) and, most recently, Fall of the Archetypes (Xtreem Music).
The thematic focus of Killing Addiction is politically and philosophically charged, and includes content which questions the legitimacy and abuses of power, the conflicts of human psychology, and the socio-economic struggles of the world. These themes are combined with musical influences that span death metal (Death, Possessed, Morbid Angel, Atheist), grindcore (Napalm Death, Carcass), and thrash (Slayer, Sacred Reich, Kreator), which have been perfected over decades of musicianship. Killing Addiction has performed live with numerous local and national acts, including Obituary, Incantation, and Ebullition.
xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/shores-of-oblivion
killingaddiction.bandcamp.com/
facebook.com/killingaddiction/
twitter.com/KADeathMetal

Dysylumn

At the link below you can listen to the complete 2016 EP by extreme metal band Dysylumn, from France.
About: Launched during the summer 2010 by Sébastien Besson (ex Antropofago), this project was in the first place a tribute to a loved one who decided to walk on the death path. Dysylumn was born from a single track switching between death, black and progessive. End of 2010, Camille Olivier Faure-Brac aka Oliver Kaah joined the project as the official drummer. Two productions have been launched: A self-titled EP released in 2013, and the album «Conceptarium», published on 1 September 2015.
dysylumn.bandcamp.com/album/chaos-primordial
facebook.com/Dysylumn

Silent Images

At the link below you can see a video from the 2016 album Knightfall by Silent Images, a prog band from Sweden.
About: Silent Images are an Extreme Progressive Metal act that was formed in 2011 in Malmö, southern Sweden, encompassing members from Argentina, Bolivia and Singapore. The members’ distinctively broad experiences in Rock, Metal, Jazz and Latin proved invaluable in adding a unique taste to the band’s sound.
In 2014, Silent Images released their self-titled debut EP, presenting it in several gigs locally and nationally, receiving a great feedback. They have shared stages with PAIN, Marduk, Demonical, Skitarg, Interment, among others. The new album, 'Knightfall' is expected to be released worldwide through Art Gates Records in March 2016.
facebook.com/SilentImages

HexHorn

At the link below you can listen to the complete recording by extreme metal band HexHorn from Poland. The album is called Waking Death and it is on Via Nocturna Records in 2016.
About:HEXHORN was brought to life in 2014 by Bene and Bila - the guitarist and the singer of Hegeroth respectively.
To be honest, HEXHORN was awaken much earlier than 2014. It was a dream project and a band coming back to the roots of death, thrash and heavy metal sound.
Inasmuch the musical shape had long been mapped out, the line-up had to be put together once again. Bila became the drummer and had to quit singing and along with Bene, the guitar player, they started working on new material. Soon, Resist - the singer previously known from Lavinium - joins the fold. He feels comfortably in near death metal context.
The new line-up records first few songs. The project draws everybody together and a willingness to rehearse in a stable line-up appears. In 2015 the line-up is completed by Fen, Hegeroth bass player, and Maziak, old Polish band Mortifer guitarist.
September 2015 sees the band commencing sessions for what is to become their debut album. Video for "Follow" is being recorded and it comes out in January 2016.
February the month of changes. Resist decided to left the band. Hexhorn decided to prepare brand new lyrics and vocal tracks with new vocalist. Old good friend Edward (Cult Ov Mora, ex-Hegeroth) joins tha band.
In April Edward is writing the lyrics and making arrangements to all of the tracks. April, May 2016 - we are finishing audio works and making video for track Suffering. June 2016 sees the release of the album entitled "Waking of Death"
hexhorn.bandcamp.com/releases
facebook.com/HexHornBand

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

FREE metal: Thundershield

Thundershield
Thundershield
release date: August 14th, 2016
label: independent
Thundershield is a loud and proud traditional metal band from Georgia, U.S. This recording is free/name-your-price and for your price they want to take you on a magical ride where guitar solos are in abundance and banging your head to heavy metal is the way of life. The power metal crowds should find the songs that they are looking for.
It looks like this is the band's first album. The corporate machinery is not exactly turning the wheels for Thundershield, but that did not stop the band. Traditional-minded individuals are the prime target audience for Thundershield because it is who they are and that's what they are all about.
1.Specter of Light 08:55
2.Red Mountain 05:17
3.Hammerhead 04:34
4.DragonCycles (Dragons on Motorcycles) 05:03
5.Draconia 04:23
6.Crown of Blood 06:06
7.Done Dirty 05:03
8.Selfish Lover 03:43
9.The Doctor Is In 04:24
10.ThunderShield 04:54
total time 52:22
thundershield.bandcamp.com/releases
facebook.com/ThunderShieldMetal/

tonight in Seattle: Dirkschneider

UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER - "FAREWELL TO ACCEPT"
ZERO DOWN, CHILDREN OF SERAPH
Biography: After more than 40 years in the business and with a renowned breakthrough in the early 80’s with ACCEPT behind him, as well as several million records sold worldwide, Udo Dirkschneider is not only one of the biggest rock legends in the business, but he’s also someone who has seen a lot.
The new album “Decadent”, which will be released on January 23rd 2015 (February 3rd in the US) via AFM Records is the 15th U.D.O. studio album and deals mostly with the decadent behaviour of the rich upper classes, with the main theme of the album basically that of social criticism.
During his career Udo has visited virtually all the rock capitals of the world. Long before the fall of the Iron Curtain, he travelled to Russia, played shows at the height of over 4000 meters in South America and at the beginning of 2014, even played in Ukraine, right at the heart of the conflict in Simferopol, then the absolute hot spot of the conflagration.
During this time and all over the world, Udo has experienced and witnessed a lot of things, including the devastating gap between rich and poor and the ruthless behaviour of those in power.
“Decadent behaviour by privileged society exists in the whole world in completely different shades,” says Udo. “Decadence is almost like a universal language. What bothers me the most is the egocentrism that goes along with that. People who have everything seem not to really care about the world around them anymore; it’s like they use their own privileged status as an absolution for that. Also they do not seem to see that there’s a correlation between their own luxury and the poverty of others.”
On this new album “Decadent” Udo points out the (largely bad) habits of our society. This is also the main theme of the very graphic music video for the title track and first single “Decadent” itself, where the divide between rich and poor is visually illustrated in a brutally honest way by adding real film material from the news.
“If all of us would live a little bit more consciously and think about who has to pay the price for our standard of living, we could make the world a better place.”
Udo Dirkschneider and Mattes (Redhead Audio Productions, Wilhelmshaven) produced the album together with Fitty Wienhold – a successful team that also worked on previous album “Steelhammer” – and once again, it’s a winning combination that has taken elements from the whole band, who were involved in the song writing process, and crafted yet another great statement of intent from an artist still at the peak of his powers.
Udo and Fitty recorded the songs at Ibiza’s “Double U Studios” and Mattes then mixed it in Wilhelmshaven. Jacob Hansen (Volbeat) then did the mastering.
facebook.com/udoonline/