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Aristocracy Interview 337 With Polish Death Metal Band Morrath
Line Up:
Mateusz Hertmanowski On Vocal
Szymon Wyrwínski On Guitar
Bartek Maslakowski On Guitar
Mieszko Jankowski On Bass
Milosz Maik On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We are talking again from our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all your emotions, the aristocracy interview 337.This time, we are talking to a band that uses a killer sound that is full of nightmares, darkness and absolute coldness.This work is very dissonant and full of rage, but infused with a particular devastating force with a dark apocalyptic energy.Given this detail, Aristocracy talks today with the Polish band Morrath and they show us their debut album entitled Centuries Of Blindness.Let’s go to one of their songs to get this interview started and we want to thank the band for their work and for answering our humble but important questions.Also, we want to thank Solid Rock for showing this band to us.
A1:Talking about the composition work in Centuries of Blindness?
Bartek Maslakowski:The composition work began after releasing our EP ‘Inhumanity Enthroned’ and, with some breaks, was finished before the recording of the album. The main concepts of all the songs excluding Primal Addiction,where it came mainly from Szymon’s ideas and Awaiting, were made by me.The rest of the band gave some their riffs and ideas, arranging the songs during rehearsals. The lyrics to each song were written after the composition was finished by me and Mateusz.
A2:What kinds of internal struggles did this album want to address?
Bartek Maslakowski:It addresses the overall look at internal struggles we have to bear everyday as well as some more personal ones. We all have to deal with many different problems, we have to deal with our anger at the things that are out of our control. We put the tough emotions into music ,not forgetting to make neat music as well as into the lyrics. The final song is for example about the power of anger, while the track ‘New God Exalted’ is about staying yourself in the world where it is easier to pretend and not stand out from the crowd.
A3:Who are the Crimson Demons?
Bartek Maslakowski:The title ‘Crimson Demons’ refers to all the bishops, popes and priests who make business out of religion and tell people they have to live like slaves to the church teachings. They make us relinquish our true selves and obey laws which mean we have to refuse doing things that we like even if we do not harm anyone. The Bible wants us to be weak and not fight for our rights, not avenge our harms. They are vowing salvation to everyone who will follow these sick rules not making the best of our lives, but to faithfully believe there will be something after our deaths. Meanwhile they are making unimaginable amounts of money out of the religion and often live the way that is opposite to their teachings.
A4:How were the grind and slam elements made in this work?
Bartek Maslakowski:It was somehow natural, because we just like these genres of metal and they inspire us. So we have just written some slam and grind riffs which fit the music and that is it.
A5:Some literature or film inspired the band in this album?
Bartek Maslakowski:We all are watching films and reading literature and it has an impact on our music and lyrics, but there were not any strictly direct inspirations from them, so it is hard to name the works.
A6:What did Morrath learn from Prowler and vice versa?
Bartek Maslakowski:There is no vice versa, because there is pretty much one story. Previously we played in Prowler, but when our music became heavier, faster and sharper, we changed the name of the band. It had two main reasons, the first was that Prowler was a common metal band name and we wanted our name to stand out more. The second was that we wanted to cut off from the previous music, because to us it was poorly composed stuff by young suckers who were learning to play then. As Prowler we have played our first local gigs, recorded a demo and got familiar with the stage. That is what Morrath learned from Prowler.
A7:What’s the idea behind the album’s artwork?
Mieszko Jankowski:I started out with no specific concept or idea. I love to make spontanious arts and the same story stands behind this one… I wanted to create something that will reflect the spirit of the album, it’s brutality, chaotic pace and complex composition. I put a lot of heart into this work,the whole creation process took me about 40-50 hours but I am really happy with the final effect, texture, message and complicity. I wanted to insert some medieval – related elements and also references suggesting that the destruction of altars and hypocrisy perpetuated for centuries is something inevitable and needed. I think that it somehow correlated with the title of the album and indirectly influenced its final name.
A8:How the band know Solid Rock PR?
Mieszko Jankowski:We’ve always had good relationships with the bands that we played with and maintain them even if we played our last gig together a couple months earlier. I like to share observations and usefull experience with other bands, and vice versa,like to learn something new from other bands, understand their point of view and take their advice. The same was with discovering Solid Rock PR. Firstly I heard of them while talking with my dear friend Oktavius from Baalzagoth. He knew that we are about to start recording our material for an upcoming album and recommended me Solid Rock as a helpfull business partner in terms of promoting the band and helping to find the label. Couple weeks later Bartek was chatting with Maksymilian from Sothoris which is a great band aswell 😀 and he also told him a bit about a good and helpfull aspects of cooperating with Solid Rock. So I have to admit that I found out about solid rock somewhat by word of mouth.
A9:How the band arrived to Metal is the Law Productions?
Bartek Maslakowski:We got an interesting and very good offer of cooperation with Metal is the Law Productions via Solid Rock. We quickly started chatting on facebook and made agreements about a launch and releasing our stuff with Metal is The Law. We have to admit that we are very happy to work with Bastien, he is a very professional and friendly guy at the same time, a true metalhead who clearly loves this music!
A10:Is the 7th song based on a true story?
Bartek Maslakowski:Maybe yes… and maybe not.
A11:Who is the New God from the fourth song?
Bartek Maslakowski:The New God is a personification of the cult of fitting to the society, not standing out, not sharing your thoughts if they are politically incorrect and all that shit. We live in a really weird time when everybody tells how unique he is, when on the other hand trying to change the people that really stand out.
A12:In the world of the atheist, would it be smarter?
Bartek Maslakowski:Yes, I think.When we accept the fact that there will be nothing after our death and we have only this one life, it makes us use the life we got. It is a force that makes us live like there is no tomorrow and get our aims, do what we wanna do. And the lack of sick rules that senselessly limit us can only help.
A13:This album is conceptual?
Bartek Maslakowski:No, it is not. The title refers to all the songs in its way, but they were written independently, not thinking to make a bigger conceptual piece.
A14:What kind of Inevitable is addressed in the eighth song?
Bartek Maslakowski:The inevitable is the shitty things that will come to our lives and we cannot do anything with that. The track is also a small calm ambient piece before the ninth song which starts with a furious blastbeats, so it worked cool with the composition.
A15:Can we say that the 21th century is also a century of blindness?
Bartek Maslakowski:We have written all the material in 21th century, our oldest band member was born in 1998, so all the memories of ours come from 21th century and they were made into the album, so… Yes, I think.
A16:I don’t think life is a lost cause, but can thinking like that be pedagogical?
Bartek Maslakowski:Life itself does not have any sense, but we all can make something that will provide some sense to it, at least for us. In the end we all will die, but until this moment we can do with our lives what we want, so I cannot think that life is a lost cause.
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Aristocracy Interview 336 With French Death Metal Band Athanatheos
Line Up:
Samuel Girard On Extreme Vocal And Guitar
Nils Delhaye-Boloh On Bass
Antoine Poisson On Session Drums
Contributions:
Kiato Luu: solos On tracks 3, 4, 9
Marvin Monternault On Guitars on track 5, Solo on Track 6
Aurélien Guerriau On Guitars On Track 8Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all your emotions, Interview 336 of the Aristocracy.This time, we spoke with a band that refined itself and made a Death Metal without trends, just with a pure and very simple vision of what it is dedicated to doing. Another detail is that this is a conceptual work that shows three generations of Roman men who they experience the decadence of the Empire after the implantation of Christianity to glorify Emperor Constantine.The fact is that this story told from the point of view of a soldier, philosopher and a merchant shows something that is relentless, dramatic and very austere.Aristocracy talks today with the French Band Athanatheos and they present their third album entitled Cross.Deny.Glorify. We really want to thank the band for this work and what they have done over the years and also for answering our humble but important questions.Let’s go to a song for this interview to start and it’s an unprecedented interview with the Brazilian press.
A1:Let’s talk about the composition work in “Cross. Deny. Glorify.”?
Samuel Girard:The composition was spread over several years. First in 2017, when there were still four of us, the same line up as on the first two albums, three songs were composed in basic outline. Then, I found myself alone in March 2018, Greg, Aurélien and Niko having left the band. I continued the composition from these three tracks during 2018 and 2019 while adding three tracks and developing a fourth one dating from 2015 that we had started just with Aurélien but which had not been finished at that time. Then, during the course of 2018, Aurélien went back on his decision and we composed 2 new tracks together. I recorded a big part of the guitars in July-August 2019 and other details were refined between 2020 and 2022, including guitars solos and structure changes on four songs. The process was quite fast at times but there were breaks as I continued to compose new songs for the Eskhatos EP and for the following AthanaTheos albums. I was also very busy with other bands, especially SOULSLICER who released “Pandemic”, its first album, in October 2022. There was also the work still in process on the second and third albums of AD VITAM INFERNAL and also on the first album of OCEANRISE. Not to mention the EPs for AL JANNAL and ECHO[RCHURE]. I would have liked to release “Cross. Deny. Glorify.” in 2021 or 2022 but the delay was a blessing in disguise because I’m really totally satisfied with the album.
A2:If we have today what we call the European Union; we owe it partly to the Roman Empire. But do you think the Roman Empire would be proud of the current scenario of the European Union?
Samuel Girard:We owe the European Union more to the Greeks than to the Romans from a political ideology point of view. Democracy was invented in Athens, not at all in Rome. The European Union is an excellent idea, but the majority of its members are unelected technocrats, and the whole thing is corrupted by the lobbies of multinationals. Unfortunately, the interests of the companies come before those of the citizens.
A3:How and why did Constantine’s reign inspire this album?
Samuel Girard:I was inspired to write about the reign of this emperor and the whole period that followed after reading several fascinating books written by Robin Lane Fox, Ramsay MacMullen and Eric Dodds, among others. The third century CE was a time of swift and startling change in the Roman Empire. Christianity went from being a forbidden sect, but more or less tolerated depending on the emperors, to being the one and only religion of the empire in only 80 years, between 312 and 392. Thanks to the unification of the western part of the Roman Empire under his sole command in October 312, Emperor Constantine laid the foundation stone in February 313 by allowing Christianity to become an official religion with the same advantages granted to other religions. In 324, he defeated the emperor Licinius who ruled in the eastern part of the empire which allowed an extension of the policy of favoritism towards Christianity. Then, with the exception of Emperor Julian between 361 and 363, all the emperors will continue and accelerate this policy. Finally, after installing Christianity as the state religion in 380, Theodosius the First definitively ended this religious transformation in 392 by banning all polytheistic cults, whether in private or in public.
A4:How do you do a conceptual work?
Samuel Girard:For my part, by reading a lot of books and having a precise idea of the global story,I want to tell and the specific stories of each album. Then,I try to make the atmosphere of the songs stick with the content of the texts.
A5:Why do you think the Death Metal resurgence is a double-edged sword?
Samuel Girard:I understand this one but it is the Public Relationship agency who wrote this about the death metal resurgence, they use it for the promotion of the album and I have absolutely no idea to write about this. I don’t care about a resurgence, I listen death metal for almost 30 years so for me, there is no “resurgence”.
A6:Why does the band have this name?
Samuel Girard:Because it’s the name that best suits the concept I have in mind. AthanaTheos is a play on words/contraction of three Greek words. The prefix “a” meaning “without”, “thanatos” meaning death and “theos” meaning god. AthanaTheos means “without the god of death”, this god is for me the one of the three monotheistic religions. It is also intended that the two letters “A” and “T” are written in capital. The name contains “atheos” which is the Greek root of the word “atheist” and the acronym “AT”. The whole concept is centered on a critique of the three monotheistic religions and atheistic philosophical thought.
A7:How did the band arrive at Lavadome Productions?
Samuel Girard:Very simple, in 2013 a friend of mine had sent “Alpha Theistic”, the first album, to Jan Fastner the boss of Lavadome. Jan loved it and he contacted me afterwards to have copies for sale on his website. We talked about a lot of things and the trust was built up naturally and when he offered me to release the second album in 2020, it was obvious for me to accept. The third album has just been released and it is already planned that we will work together for the fourth, fifth and sixth.
A8:How is AthanaTheos different from your previous bands?
Samuel Girard:Even though I started the first phases of the concept in 2001, I didn’t have a clear idea of the whole thing yet but I knew I wanted to make a conceptual band.There were other musicians in ILL DIVINE with a different approach musically even though it was still death metal. The band SOUL REJECTED was already much closer to what I wanted to do and actually the one and only demo could have been released under the name AthanaTheos because the real starting point of the concept starts with the three songs on it and we find the same line-up as on the first two albums.With the years passing, the work on the songs, the practice of the instruments, AthanaTheos is inevitably much more mature. The style was clearly defined from the first album, the continuation is in this musical and conceptual logic.
A9:Why is it accurate to say that you are meticulous in your work?
Samuel Girard:You have to be if you want to make a concept album, otherwise it goes all over the place and the story becomes incomprehensible. Then, I tend to be a perfectionist on all the details to the point of starting over and over again. Paradoxically, there are some mistakes in musical interpretation here and there but that’s part of the human aspect of music. I am especially meticulous on the structure of the songs, the sequences between the riffs, the variations of tempos, the sequences between the songs themselves, the global artistic direction and the lyrics of course.
A10:I think it’s great that you don’t follow trends, but when was this decision made?
Samuel Girard:We never thought in those terms, either with the musicians who were present on the first two albums or with the ones who are assisting me on this third one. Like a lot of bands, I create the music I want to listen to without worrying about whether people will like it or not, as long as I’m proud and happy with what I do, that’s all that matters. If people like it, is just a bonus.
A11:What do you mean when you say you would emerge from the gutters?”
Samuel Girard:The same for this one, the PR agency use the “emerge from the gutter” for promotional purpose.
A12:What is the idea behind the artwork of the album?
Samuel Girard:It’s a mural that’s in the Vatican; it represents the battle of the Milvian Bridge near Rome. It’s just the starting point of the story of this album and I thought that this mural looked really good for a cover. And it was free to use.
A13:It’s very interesting that the band tells the story of three different soldiers, but did these soldiers really exist?
Samuel Girard:They’re not all soldiers, but that’s because of a mistake on my part, I forgot to tell the PR agency, it was corrected afterwards but the promo packs were already gone. Gaius, the first character, is indeed a soldier.Flavius, his son and second character, is an itinerant merchant and finally Marcus, his grandson and third character, is an epicurean philosopher. They did not exist, I created them from scratch. I always try to have a human approach in my texts, to make the action, the historical events live through the eyes of the characters.
A14:Do you feel there are differences between Eskhatos and Cross, Deny, Glorify?
Samuel Girard:Maybe,some tracks are a bit more complex on CDG. But, for me, it is the logical continuation of Eskhatos both musically and conceptually.
A15:Is it complicated to have several facets?
Samuel Girard:No, not at all, I like metal with multiple facets, details, atmospheres. The main word of AthanaTheos has always been “contrast”. It is essential for me to have the most contrasted music possible while remaining in a death metal framework. To make compositions varied in tempos, structures, ambiences, different riffing techniques, numerous drum parts, alternations of vocals between extreme and clear. My goal is that AthanaTheos is a band that you can listen to again and again to discover new details even years after the first listening.
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Inverse Records News Column
Finnish Oulu-based Death Meal band Blåådpalt is set to release their new EP Caedite Eos on June 1st 2023 via Inverse Records. The first single and lyric video Martyrdom 101 is released today. The band comments the single:
“Martyrdom 101 is a song about the mentality of ”playing the victim”, which has become a phenomenon especially in the Western societies. People climb on the cross for the most bizarre reasons. The use of common sense is forbidden and people are unable to question their ideologies. Those, who do so, are condemned…or get canceled. This track is a straightforward metal song with a groovy chorus.”
The noise of the world, the sudden silence, eternal longing and the stage that is nature form the themes of The Finnish artist Päivi Sihvonen‘s debut album. Right after publishing, her first singles Self-consciousness and Dream gained recognition on international music websites and have been selected to be broadcast on European radio channels. Through the passing of time and emotions, a sense on wholeness gets channelled into music in Piper’s debut album “What is the heart for?”.
Air soars in melancholy
The third single release “Air” is particularly special to its creator. Air needs its own spotlight to bring out its sensibility, separate from the other songs on the album. It was born out of fragility and after the black sun had set. With heavy feet trailing on the ground, after seven weeks of wailing, Air was born, which is the fourth song on the album.
This single is part of the double track on the album, but it also works as a stand-alone piece. During the stages of songwriting, the songs Eternity and Air found each other and formed a pair: the mystery of eternity without reverberation. After the pain that started in Eternity, the piano moods of Air continue with a similar sadness.
“To me, the arrangement of Air needed a delicate melancholy. My song partner Saku found it with a sad guitar version. Hearing it was such a great experience that I took more time with the song and waited until I could sing and rediscover my own voice again. At the same time, I made the decision that fragility can and should be heard” Päivi describes the process of how the song found its tune, and continues: “In the end, the song found its place on the album, even though I originally wrote it without any intentions of ultimately releasing it for others to hear. Air is the most emotional song on the album.”
A woman and a piano create a strong tone in her debut album
“What is the heart for?” the lyrics and the moods of the songs that ended up on the record got their driving force from the challenges of being human, and got their strong framework inspired by nature.
In typical expressive style of Piper, all songs originate from and around the piano. Other instruments have been added to bring the songs into rock sound. Other instruments are performed by the talented Saku Anttila.
Born out of feeling
This record is about the fleeting moments in life and the emotions that reflect those moments. Feelings are channeled into music and tune that ultimately became the titular Piper.The overpowering feeling that feels so overwhelming at times and the theme that transpires through every song – this album is named after words left unsaid:
”What is the heart for.. should listen to it more”
Finnish symphonic and melodic black metal act Wooden Shadow is set to release the debut album ‘Eternal Land Of Wrath And Mourn’ on June 16th via Inverse Records. A new single Chaosreign is release today.Chaosreign single from Wooden Shadow’s debut album “Eternal Land Of Wrath And Mourn” is a mixture of hostility and darkness brought by chaos, offering music with an abundance of melodies and varied section changes. Wooden Shadow’s front man, multi-instrumentalist Jeremia Ponto offers more versatility with his vocals, both black metal’s characteristic high screaming and clean vocals, which can also be found in other songs on the album!
BIOGRAPHY:
Wooden Shadow is a melodic/symphonic black metal solo project/band founded by Jeremia Ponto, who turns 23 this year. Strong influences can be found in Finnish folk music and church music. The lyrics deal with human inner darkness, sadness and life/death thoughts.Since 2020, Jeremia Ponto is a multi-tasker of Wooden Shadow, which he founded, and is responsible for the compositions, lyrics, recordings and all instruments in his own home studio in Ylöjärvi, where he originally comes from.
Wooden Shadow has self-published 3 singles and one EP, and during the last months, Wooden Shadow’s debut album “Eternal Land Of Wrath And Mourn” has been in the works, which is finally finished and it is set to be released via Inverse Records on June 16th 2023.
Finnish guitar rock band The Tølks have released a new single and music video “Where Have You Gone?”
The band backgrounds:
“Rarely, if ever, has any song condensed into the dark droplets of despair when you have done everything you can, and yet that own loved one, your loved one, has disappeared beyond the reach of help, behind the smokescreen of addiction, into the darkness that cuts off any possibility of contact. The song describes how you walk alone in this destiny of yours when you wonder if there were any options that you could have helped with. However, the most devastating thing about this is to find that answer and the emptiness of being that you couldn’t really have done anything. Everyone has their own path to follow until the west meets the east, until the east meets the west. ‘Where have You Gone?’ depicts all this with the rhythm of the familiar Tølks cadence from behind the rock gauze and accompanied by a chorus that invites you to sing together, without self-pity, just sadness glued to the shadow of the wanderer”
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Aristocracy Interview 335 With Britsh Band Dark Industrial Lumberghast
Line Up:Otto Von Lumberghast On Everything
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, the interview 335 of the Aristocracy.This time, we talk to a band made up entirely by a person called Otto. Otto shows us a laboratory work with a lot of madness and misanthropy.We are talking about a disturbing work that mixes content taken from video games with a pulsating energy, but organized in a way that the nightmare is disoriented and constructed in a way that the sound labyrinth is quite involving.The Aristocracy talks with Otto and he responds for the band Lumberghast and makes his debut album entitled First Person Shooter.Let’s go directly to the interview we did with him and thank him for answering our humble but important questions and also Imperative PR for introducing us to this interesting work.
A1:Talking about the composition work in First Person Shooter?
Otto Von Lumberghast:Hi guys, well it’s kinda made like frankensteins monster in bits, but each bit has to work and be rite. That’s the hard part , so end up doing alot of studio time playing with amps and drum sounds and programming.
2:Why do you think this work seeps into our minds?
I sincerely hope it does as that’s what I wanted from it. if your not wanting to play it again after the first time Ive done something wrong. I like blast beats, double kicks and hard electronics so I knew that’s what I was gonna be using. I like bands that can push peoples buttons as well. And I wanted to recreate alot of the atmosphere from my darker musical projects mixed with soundtrack work I like, but also bring it forward and update it into something else. Hopefully something better and interesting.
3-Bringing up what disturbs you mentally releases your inner demons?
Being a big fan of sci fi horror and not the happiest of dudes (got to be honest) I knew I needed it to come out screaming but end sadly (it’s not proper sci fi if you have a happy ending)
4-What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
I knew I wanted something like the necromorph from dead space and I stumbled upon that piece by “ley art” just sitting there like it was waiting for me. Almost weirdly like it had been drawn for me. So I jumped on it as soon as I could.
5-How is Lumberghast different from your previous bands?
I took some chances with this. I actually have whole albums by my other bands I don’t think I’ll ever put out as I don’t think anyone would like them. So with this I had to sit myself down and make myself get on with it. I also made the choice to not do vocals on this release as I wanted to trust my song writing skills to do the work for me. Hopefully that’s been successful.
6-Not that it’s bad, but why did electronics influence your work?
A lot of people don’t like electronics, I know that especially metal is a scene that has a mistrust of anything that might be considered new, but I come from the industrial scene in the NIN and ministry era, when bands on earache records, peaceville and others had bands like godflesh etc experimented with different sounds, a time when people would use electronics as a base rather than just sprinkling it on here and there on the tracks they had, so for me it was quite natural to jump of from there. Apart from that I love bands like morbid angel and autopsy so I knew I needed guitars and blast beats.
7-How did know about The Imperative PR ?
I worked with them on a few releases and after a chat I discovered they were wrestling fans. Seemed a little rude not to move forward with them after that.
8-Some literature or film inspire the band in this album?
The Event horizon film is a huge influence on me. also the books of China mieville who wrote “rail sea” and “perrido street station” and pretty much anything by Joe Abercrombie. I read a lot.
9-Who is Kaizu Headache Flowers ?
not so much a who as a what. I feeling of having things blossom in your mind like a large explosion. When a tricky problem suddenly clicks and you understand it or you realise you’ve done something wrong after a long time of doing it.
10-Why did making opposite worlds become necessary in this work?
I think that making art or music you have to not be comfortable. I’ve made that mistake before. so you have to step outside yourself to get there.
11-How is industrial sound embedded in this work?
I think I can say it’s safe to say I’m a pretty weird guy. I’m fond of all sorts of things that would probably seem weird to others. Ambient factory noise, machine sound etc you can find strange and quite beautiful noises if you listen. And you’ll find them all embedded in the background and in the melodies on this release.
12-This album is conceptual?
A little, it’s the soundtrack to a computer game or film that was never made and will never be made. Plus it’s tied in with my wrestling career.
13-Why the band have this name?
It’s my wrestling name. I wrestle under that name in my matches and the two live side by side with each other.
14-What is UBW?
UBW stands for “ultimate British wrestling” im very lucky to be working with the them and be given the chance to fight and entertain under there banner. there’s some very talented people in the U.K. wrestling scene is strongly suggest checking them out.
15- Why does Zebadiah Crowe’s misanthropy inspire this album?
I think that Zeb will always follow me around. It’ll find its way into my world every now and again and it’s sometimes nice to occasionally catch a glimpse of it in my other work. Like “Ah I see you there hiding in the background” it’s like a curse you can’t shake.
16-What would the philosopher Lumberghast say about the band Lumberghast?
This is the sound of a man who has made peace with himself which is the hardest war of all to win. Trouble is, he didn’t win. He Just stopped fighting.
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Aristocracy Interview 334 With Belgian Sludge/Black Metal Band Kludde
Line Up:
Cerulean On Vocal And Guitar
Snoodaert On Guitar
Basstaerd On Bass
Velleklasjer On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, Interview 334 of the Aristocracy.This time, we spoke with a band that significantly expanded the Sludge that they already work with, but brought in a more intense way a progressive side with a lot of Black Metal from the second phase or wave.Another detail is that this is a virulent work, a very blackened and aggressive work, but that shows great humor and a fluid atmospheric depth. The work is conceptual, full of energy and an unexpected diversity in addition to a murderous intensity.Aristocracy talks today with the Belgian Sludge/Black Metal Band Kludde and they show us their third album entitled De Horla. We want to thank the band very much for their current work and for their other works over the years.But most of all, we want to thank Snoodaert who is Guitarist of the band for answering our humble but important questions.Let’s go to one of their songs so that this unprecedented interview can get off to a good start.
A1:Talking about the composition work in De Horla?
Snoodaert: The writing process of ‘De Horla’ actually started almost 20 years ago. Around that time our previous singer came off with the idea of writing a story about a deformed creature in three epic songs. The plan was to make an EP, but that idea was then canceled. The only song that remained from the original trilogy was ‘Het Zout der Mistroost’, which eventually ended up on our debut, with different lyrics. When we started writing new songs after our hiatus, you could split them into two groups. There were the straightforward songs that eventually ended up on ‘In de Kwelm’. And then there were the more atmospheric songs. So the idea of reviving the concept of ‘De Horla’ was finally put back into practice. The album could have actually been finished by the year 2020. But due to the lockdown periods, recording was unfortunately not possible. However, this caused the songs to improve immensely during that period. It also gave us time to work out the whole album visually. So all in all, it took longer than originally planned, but it really has become a much better and elaborate album.
A2:I’m glad about that, but why take an atmospheric approach to your songs?
Snoodaert:We are a versatile band and we don’t want to stick to a set formula. Since our demo until our last album, we sound a little different each time. A Kludde album will never sound the same twice.
A3:Any particular reason why Horla music has two parts?
Snoodaert:I suppose you mean the black metal parts and the atmospheric instrumental parts? As the story unfolds, the various emotions such as abandonment, being lost and hatred are shaped musically. The two instrumental tracks serve to bridge the gap between the more classic black metal compositions. Those songs were added last, but are equally important because they reflect the right state of mind the protagonist is in. This will become clearer later when the music videos for those songs are finished.
A4:Why was giving progression to your music necessary?
Snoodaert: The music of ‘The Horla’ is told in a narrative manner. It begins quietly with an introductory intro before all hell breaks loose. As the story unfolds, the various emotions such as abandonment, being lost and hatred are shaped musically. In this sense, one can speak of a progression of the story toward a climax at the end.
A5:Why is it said that your songs fit together holistically?
Snoodaert: This has already been explained more or less in the previous answers. Each part of the music is equally important to the progression of the story. Not only musically, but also visually and textually.
A6:How band arrive to Consouling Sounds?
Snoodaert: When our previous album ‘In the Kwelm’ was finished, we sent promo packages to several labels. To our great surprise, we did get some good responses. In the end we chose Consouling Sounds because we followed our gut feeling and we had the best feeling with that label. It’s a good thing to be able to work with a Belgian label. Everything is much more personal and we have both a good professional and friendly relationship. Label boss Mike I actually know for over 20 years, long before Consouling Sounds. But also the rest of the team are people with their heart in the right place and are really a pleasure to work with.
A7:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Snoodaert: For the artwork of ‘De Horla’ we collaborated with the Belgian artist Wesley Dewanckel. It actually started with ‘Nachtmaer’, my atmospheric black metal project, for which he also did the artwork. The rest of Kludde was immediately enthusiastic about his style and it was immediately decided to enlist him to design the artwork for our new album ‘De Horla’ as well. Initially, the plan was to have him do just the cover artwork and some drawings for the album booklet.However, Wesley is a tremendously prolific artist and pretty soon he had produced a series of sketches that we all thought were fantastic. The idea then came up to put together the complete story in an animated video/lyric video with his drawings. Wesley totally saw the challenge and went right to work. Months of work went into it, in total he made almost 100 drawings. Regularly he would send us his progress, we would comment, but honestly, we didn’t have to say much. Everything was completely to our liking so we gave him full artistic freedom to work everything out in his own style. The result is really amazing. When we sat down with our label Consouling Sounds to discuss everything regarding the album and artwork, they immediately agreed to release this beautiful work also as a graphic novel as an additional graphic complement to the vinyl and CD.
A8:How and when did the idea of giving texture to your songs come about?
Snoodaert: That happened during the lockdown period. There was plenty of extra time since releasing an album in full Covid crisis seemed pretty useless to us. We simply had more time to deal with such extras. As explained in a previous answer, the idea and the concept grew and it only got better.
A9:Why this album is conceptual?
Snoodaert:: Because it is a complete story told over an entire album where music, lyrics and visuals together form a whole.
A10:It seems hard to believe, but what subtle layers were made on this album?
Snoodaert: While recording at Blackout Studio, Jérémie Bézier, our engineer, got the idea of locking Cerulean in the recording room. The whole room was darkened and different microphones were placed everywhere in different corners of the room with full reverb effects on. Cerulean then had to listenwith the headphones to the entire album and create additional vocals. Whispered voices, tormented screams, little subtle sounds etc…. This gave an incredible creepy effect and added tremendous atmosphere to the songs. Just listen with headphones on and discover for yourself how many little details are hidden in the songs.
A11:How is Kludde different from your previous bands?
Snoodaert: Nachtmaer, my solo project, is atmospheric black metal that is very layered. Much use is made of synthesizer melodies. I also try to keep the music as black metal as possible. With Kludde there are a lot of other influences in it, such as doom, sludge and black ‘n roll. And the biggest difference is of course that in Kludde all music is written as a band, not a single person. I play guitar and do the vocals in Welcome to Holyland, which is pure stoner doom. Very minimalist and stripped down of all unnecessary details. I also play the guitar in Baroudeur, musically it’s very groovy and sludgy. Basstaerd writes all the music for that. Cerulean also has his own atmospheric black metal solo band called Toorn. All of our bands are part of Thenra Collectivum, which is the umbrella of all our bands and projects. We also do small releases and organise small concerts under that name.
A12:Why band have this name?
Snoodaert: Our concept revolves mostly around local folklore and the band was named after an evil tormentor who hid at night along the riverbank to haunt unsuspecting passengers. Kludde was also a shapeshifter who could transform himself in a demonic black dog with rattling chains, a black bird or even a horse. You can also extend this parallel to our music, since we ourselves are always trying to do something different.
A13:Can we say that the second and fourth song are twin sister songs?
Snoodaert: In a way, yes, since they are two instrumental songs that mainly reflect the feeling of being lost and abandoned. But actually, you have to consider those songs as a whole with the other songs.
A14:The band feel differences between In De Kwelm and now in De Horla?
Snnoodaert: Actually, no. We always try to write the best music we can at the time. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. Apart from that, it’s a cliché to say, but we do think that with ‘The Horla’, we’ve written our best material ever.
A15:A friend described this album as a fearsome beast with crooked teeth. What can the band say to him?
Snoodaert: Your friend is absolutely right. That’s what Kludde stands for, no better way to describe our music. It’s a great compliment, thanks!
A16:Is it correct to say that this album has unexpected diversity?
Snoodaert: We’ve read this a few times in the reviews about ‘De Horla’. Especially when people compare it to our previous albums. As we said before, Kludde is a shapeshifter and so is our music. And of course that can cause an unexpected twist.
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Aristocracy Interview 333 With French Melodic Death Metal Band Exhorted
Line Up:
Yves Balandret On Vocal
Gil Koolow On Guitar
Lionel Marquez On Bass
Eduardo Panepinto On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, the interview 333 of the Aristocracy.This time, we spoke with a band that mixes the aggressiveness of Death with the powerful energy of Thrash, allied to that is a melodic work with a talent for giving a strong touch.But what we mainly see is that this album was re-released, as its original release took place in 2021 and what we see is the work of bastards who know what they want to do and how to achieve their result. Another detail is that everything was done with great help from Kevin Paradis.
After this great work, everything was sent to Oli Beaudoin who was in charge of the production, mixing and mastering.Aristocracy talks today with Band Exhorted, mainly with their vocalist Yves Balandret whom we want to thank for answering our questions, besides him, we want to thank the band for their work and also for their second album that is already being prepared besides of course Domino Media Group for helping us with this work. We go to a song and the interview starts after that.A1:Talking about the composition work in Old Bastards Never Die?
Yves Balandret:Composition started in the beginning of 2020, Yo and I (Yv) wanted to make an an album with all the ingredients we love about metal. We worked together to write riffs and voice lines and then lyrics.
A2:Who are the Old Bastards that band talk in this album?
Yves Balandret:We chose this title for two reasons: 1. We find that “old bastards” (not very good/nice people) among personalities (in politics,media,music…)die very old and as another famous band said “Only the good die young”. 2. We used to play in different bands when we were younger and it was a way to mention our return on the music scene.
A3:Is the Haunted House is a true house?
Yves Balandret:No, this is to describe the state/place where some people live when they have bad thoughts, building walls around them to protect themselves, as they think but in reality the isolate themselves. And then this creates a haunted house, in their mind.
A4:Some literature or film inspire the band in this album?
Yves Balandret:No not really, our lyrics describe situations of every day life. We prefer focusing on what we see around ourselves.
A5:How to be massive and fast in the same album?
Yves Balandret:We wanted to compose great songs we loved, as we are metal fans, first, and the good sign is that after some time, we still love playing these songs live. We’re not bored with them and this is a good sign.
A6:How is the melodic side worked on this album?
Yves Balandret:We tried to balance moments in the album, and we think this is our style, and keeping the listener surprised. Always…
A7:How is Exhorted different from your previous bands?
Yves Balandret:Much more brutal and this time both of us had a complete freedom to compose what we felt, cause it was just the two of us.
A8:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Yves Balandret: Our heads…. metalheads…
A9:Why do you call yourself inglorious?
Yves Balandret:Media call us “Inglorious” this doesn’t come from us. We are actually very nice guys… We think so…
A10:The band start to doing the second album?
Yves Balandret:Absolutely, as I’m writing these lines, we are working on five new songs for an EP to be released before the end of 2023.
A11:How band know the Domino Media?
Yves Balandret:They contacted us and we decided to work on this second phase of promotion.
A12:This frist album is conceptual?
Yves Balandret: No, different themes on this album.
A13:Does the fourth song have a selfish context?
Yves Balandret:No, the idea is to say that religion is a personal thing and should not be exposed and evenmore, shouldn’t impact other people’s lives.
A14:The last song is a love song?
Yves Balandret:No it’s a song for our children. The moment you become a father or a mother, your life changes forever.
A15:The sixed song is We are Bound,who are we?
Yves Balandret:We are closed friends, nothing can interfere in this.
A16:The second song is a cry for help for what reason?
Yves Balandret:No, this is a song to mention the attacks in Paris in November 2015 by terrorists that killed too many innocent people who simply wanted to enjoy life in a free beautiful “city of lights”. We knew some of the victims and we are still under the shock.
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Aristocracy Interview 326 With Vietnamese Black Metal Band Leukotomy
Line Up:
Morbid On Vocal/ Guitar/ Programming
Dawn On Bass/ ProgrammingGuillotine On Session Guitar
Vaden On Session Keyboard
Upheaval On Session Bass
Caprae On Session Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all your emotions, Interview 326 of the Aristocracy.This time, we’ll talk to a band that is actually a duo that practices a second wave Black Metal basically inspired by Norway. Another detail that in this case is the most curious is that the band has its creation date in Halloween 2020. Returning to the band, their subjects addressed are psychological issues, an obscure and gothic atmosphere combined with a terrible romance that would never happen, which generates hatred with a totally ambient music and, to a certain extent, pulled by Grunge, by the avant-garde and by the constant noise . What really impresses is that this band seeks to make beauty and originality beyond philosophical and experimental, in addition to the fabulous use of synthesizers. Another incredible detail is that the band originates from the distant Vietnam, we are talking to the Vietnamese from Leukotomy and this is their debut album entitled Eternal Path To Eden.We want to thank Morbid for answering our humble but important questions, and of course thank his partner Dawn for this interesting work. Let’s start the interview from now on!
A1:What gothic tragedies inspire this album?
Morbid:The concept of Eternal Path to Eden is inspired by tragedies, whether it’s from literature or our own personal life experience. If I had to name one piece of literature that kinda inspired the concept, I would pick The Crow by James O’Barr. The gothic maybe came from aesthetic and vibe of the mentioned comic.
A2:Can we say that some of your songs have a pessimistic bias?
Morbid:I don’t think so. I think the story behind the album is just part of a great tragedy so I don’t think we were trying to overestimate any thing. Personally I think the story is relatable to the darkest thoughts of people, and I hope listeners feel so too.
A3:I just want to understand, not judge. What experimental edges did this album want to offer the listener?
Morbid:I think we were trying to combine the things we love, to worship and celebrate the extremity of sound and music.
A4:How come emerged the invite to Sam Tang?
Morbid:Sam is a good friend of Dawn. We did look around for a suitable voice for the spoken word parts and I think Sam did a good job.
A5:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Morbid:The artwork for Eternal Path to Eden is made by Imperial Cult of Elcrost. We did discussed a lot about how we want the artwork to be but I trusted Imperial entirely and he did a great job. I guess the idea is the capture a moment of the album albeit foretold the story with the details.
A6:What kind of identity do you want on this album?
Morbid:I’m not sure about identity. we just want to make our music. For the debut album we went with that direction but who knows, maybe we will go with another approach to black metal. For that, let’s just call us a Black Metal band.
A7:This album is conceptual?
Morbid:Perhaps!
A8:How is Leukotomy different from your previous bands?
Morbid:I think with Leukotomy there’s this standard of professionalism that we have learned the hard way.
A9:Why the band have this name?
Morbid:”Leukotomy” is another way of saying “Lobotomy”, which is a brain surgery to treat schizophrenia. I think just wanted to celebrate the extremity for choosing the name.
A10:What´s bands influence ours?
Morbid:For “Eternal Path to Eden”, I’d name Sigh and 90s era Mayhem. For now, maybe Marduk haha.Thank you for contacting us. Please notify us when the interview is uploaded and contact us for more information.Sincerely, Morbid of Leukotomy!
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Aristocracy Interview 325 With Czech Death Metal Band Hadí Mord
Line Up:
Babihnev On Vocal
Spititel On Guitar
Conan On Bass
Kantor On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, Interview 325 of the Aristocracy.This time, we talked with a band that shows a captivating atmosphere. A very primitive band and full of emotions transferred in human instincts. Another important detail is that we have a variation and a sophistication are great driving forces of this album.
We are talking about a Czech band, which sings in Czech and shows a typical Moravian melody, which is their homeland.Given this, there is a great influence of horror films from the 60s in his country. However, full of individual nuances and even if it is something that is not revolutionary, he puts his personal touch and shows that his debut is just the beginning of a great saga.We will talk with the Czech band Hadi Mordi and their debut work entitled Smuteční Slavnost.Many thanks to Spititel for answering our humble but important questions, as well as a thank you to the other components for this debut effort and we look forward to even stronger and more intense works than this one.Let’s go to a song and this fabulous chat we had.A1:Talking about the composition work in Smutecni Slavnost?
Spititel:The initial ideas for riffs and songs were mostly created by me at home, then processed by a band in our rehearsal room. Some of the ideas are almost the same as in the beginning, some of them went through several changes.
A2:How to balance the intellectual air without leaving the primitive style that the band has?
Spititel:I want our music to be filled with primal energy but with a “brain”. The world is full of bands that just play riffs without giving anything a second thought
A3:What kind of nuances did this album want to show on this album?
Spititel:Fuck off communism, nazism and totalitarian way of politics in general. Main inspiration are “vault movies” from 1960s era. These movies were banned by politicians who ruled then because these movies were criticizing the regime and the life in it. So the statemenet is quite clear.Also to remind people that the communist era in our country was not nice as someone tend to say these days. Humanity tend to forget too easily.
A4:What Moravian melodies inspire this album?
Spititel:I am not aware of any folk moravian melodies on this album. 🙂
A5:Some literature inspire this album?
Spititel:Mostly movies (some of the movies are based on literature though).
A6:What kinds of emotions can we see in this album?
Spititel:That is to listener to decide.
A7:Why is Czech cinema from the 60’s so inspiring for the band?
Spititel:It was very fucked up era of Czech Republic. Ruled by totalitarian soviet communism which banned anything that stood out of “norm”. Took people’s estates, their freedom and even their lives. This is the reminder and the shoutout. Movies from that time stand for the best movies in our filmography ever. Nowadays czech movie industry is very low below zero and this trend is ongoing further to the abyss.
A8:How is Hadí Mord different from your previous bands?
Spititel:Well, in other bands I don’t play death metal 🙂
A9:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Spititel:Our great friend Crazy Dan is very talented artist and he is able to fulfill the atmosphere of the music perfectly in his art.
A10:Why the band have this name?
Spititel:There is this plant called “Hadí Mord” (Snake’s murder in English), we just thought that it is great sounding and decided to call our band this name.
A11:How band arrive to Bizarre Leprous Producions?
Spititel:We know each other for some time as part of the band is also active in grindcore band Kandar, where BLP is also releasing our albums. So we just simply asked.
A12:What kind of mood transfer can we see in this album?
Spititel:Listen to first track “Smuteční slavnost” – I think that this track defines the mood for a whole record perfectly. From fierce death metal through some melancholy, crashing into thrash metal field and going through some atmospheric catharsis at the end.
A13:This album is conceptual?
Spititel:It is not conceptual in term of one story. But let’s say there is a theme – 60s vault movies and communism, as mentioned in previous answers.
A14:Given their songs, can we believe it’s better to think of man as agony than an animal for health?
Spititel:If you asked me 10 years ago I’d say that there might be a chance for human kind. But I think we stay at the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it. We are predestined to self-destruction and I’ll be happy if I am mistaken.
A15:Does the band plan new works?
Spititel:Yes, we are already working on new stuff.
A16:Can this terror also be psychological?
Spititel:Terror is terror, either physical or psychological. Terror caused by communist regime was abusing uncomfortable people both physically and psychologically. So if there should be aiming for creating any kind of terror in the atmosphere, it should be both.
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Aristocracy Interview 324 With Singaporean Death/Black/Vedic Metal Band Rudra
Line Up:
Kathir On Bass, Vocals
Vinod On Guitars
Devan On Guitars
Shiva On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, Interview 324 of the Aristocracy.This time, we spoke with a band that shows an organic work full of textured atmospheres. Another detail is that this work is very thematic, therefore, it is full of varieties.
These varieties make for long, intricate, engaging songs with lots of hooks.
The great foundation of this work is that all the songs on the album have their own particular charisma and that is essential for a band, even if this band mentioned here already has a long life on the Metal Road.Today, we’ll talk to Singaporean band called Rudra and this is their tenth full-length album titled as Eight Mahavidyas.Let’s thank the band a lot for answering our humble but important questions, not without acknowledging the hypnotic and intense force deposited here and also over the years.Let’s get to a song so this super interview can get off to a good start.A1:Talking about the composition work in Eight Mahavidyas ?
Vinod: This was probably our fastest album composed. We spent about 3 days per song to compose and finalise the foundation before starting with the drum recordings. Most of the leads and melodies were composed after the rhythm guitar recording. Lyrics were already written by the 3rd session of composing.
Devan: The Eight Mahavidyas album was composed in about 3 to 4 months. I believe it was one of the fastest album we composed so far. We started work on the album right after the Kalaa Utsavam 2021 show. We were full of ideas and thus the composition seemed effortless.
A2:Did Covid influence this album ?
Devan: I am sure the inactivity that we all had to endure due to the Covid restrictions had some sort of impact. We all looked forward to being in the studio working on new material. We could not gather in large groups outside so it suited us just fine for the 4 us to meet regularly in the studio.
A3:I’m not against Hinduism, but it’s correct to say that it entered the band’s life before Rudra happened ?
Kathir: Hinduism did not enter our lives per se. All of us were born to parents who were Hindus and hence it is a culture that we are familiar with all our lives. It was not a choice we made when we were born. So Hinduism has been a backdrop throughout our lives either through our personal subscription or seeing our family members practice it some way.
A4:Some literature or film inspire the band ?
Devan: We derive lots of inspiration especially when it comes to our lyrics from Advaita Vedanta.
Kathir: All the works of Advaita Vedanta inspire my lyrics. And my favourite author is Adi Shankara. I have derived inspiration mostly from his works for my lyrics. Movies like ‘The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ have also been passive influences too
Vinod: Lyrics and chant-wise, the vedas has a strong influence in our theme and meaning behind the songs. Music-wise, we adopt lots of Indian scales, similar to those being used for sitar, Verma, etc.
A5:Reincarnation is the comforter promised by the divine ?
Kathir: Your question assumes that there is something divine and perhaps things that are not divine or unholy. I see the divine and the unholy as two sides of the same coin. It is better that we just see it as a coin, objectively. This applies to anything in the world as we experience today, including reincarnation. Reincarnation is primarily a belief that Indic religions subscribe to to justify a fair God. Because without reincarnation it would appear that god is rolling a dice when determining the birth of one child in abject poverty and another born in a country like Singapore which has a very high GDP. Recent evidence from the Division of Perceptual Studies of the University of Virginia also appear to suggest there is a possibility of such a phenomenon. In summary, people can choose to or choose not to believe in reincarnation in the same way people believe in a God that they have not seen or experienced.
A6:Why Thrash was abandoned by the band ?
Vinod: We had never intentionally abandoned Thrash. We have in fact introduced some thrash ideas into our composition, but it somehow never materialised.
A7:What Rudra 2022 would say to Rudra 1992 ?
Kathir: We would not want you to change anything. Everything is perfect.
A8:How band arrive to Awakening Records ?
Kathir: The owner of Awakening Records, Li Meng, is also the guitarist/vocalist for Ancestor (China). We shared the stage on one of the shows in Singapore. And then during one of my business trips to Beijing, I met him for dinner and the rest was history. We had such a great conversation and he was interested to re-issue the earliest albums. Eventually they re-issued first six albums from our discography. And from there, Awakening Records was also interested in putting out the latest album, Eight Mahavidyas.
A9:Why you say that renunciation is useless as the third song says ?
Kathir: This song was based on teaching of the female teacher, Cudala, from the text Yoga Vasishtha. She taught her husband, who was a King, that renunciation by itself does not confer liberation. It is the giving up of the very mind that leads to liberation.
A10:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album ?
Devan: We reimagined how the eight female characters would have looked like based on the Vedic texts. We worked with the digital artist to create images of these eight female characters to portray them as part of the artwork. Together with the music and the album artwork the Eight Mahavidyas album is both a visual and musical treat.
A11:The band bills itself as Death and Black, but one of the two overlaps the other ?
Vinod: The Vedic metal approach we had taken, I do not feel either Death or Black dominates more than the other. It feels more like a healthy balanced mix of both.
A12:How is Rudra different from your previous bands ?
Devan: In terms of music Rudra is more of death black metal style of music while I play in other bands that are more in the veins of melodic death metal and thrash/grind style.
Vinod: The work ethics in Rudra is different. Outside of our studio contribution, each of us has some other unique skills and strengths to contribute. For example, social media contents, merch, dealing with show promoters, sound engineering, etc. I think these has indirectly influenced the band to do much more.
Music-wise, I did not play Vedic metal in the other bands.
A13:This album is conceptual ?
Devan: Yes the Eight Mahavidyas album is conceptual. We chose 8 unique female character from ancient Vedic literatures who broke stereotypes and became outstanding teachers of wisdom.
A14:What kind of subject don´t deserve a Rudra song ?
Kathir: Anything that is not thought provoking.
A15:Why do you say that Rudra is more destructive than Shiva?
Kathir: The portrayal of Rudra in the Vedas (ancient Indic spiritual texts) is a deity that brings storm, death and disease. He is also known to be beneficent.
A16:The band feel differences between Invoking the Gods and now in Eight Mahavidyas ?
Vinod: Invoking the gods was a tribute album to the bands that greatly influenced us. You could hear the sound of Black Sabbath, Sepultura, Death, Slayer, Obituary and Bathory in the style of Rudra in that album.We had also had a line-up change after Invoking the gods. Devan who had previously been around Transcendental I and Immortal I has re-joined the band.
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Aristocracy Interview 323 With Dark Primal Gothic Doom South African/British The Medea Project
Line Up:
Brett Minnie On Guitar/Vocals
Pauline Silver On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, The Aristocracy Interview 323.This time around, we’re talking to a band that showcases swirling chaos. These songs are raw, primitive, but know how to be innovative in many ways.Another detail is that their songs have a sonic necromancy that seeks to invoke exciting and innervating emotions.However, the main thing is that we talk to a band that starts its history in South Africa and now arrives in England, showing tricks with twists and shadows. The band is called The Medea Project and they show us their EP entitled Reflections, a true vortex created from hidden secrets.
Let’s go to the interview with Drummer Pauline Silver whom we thank for answering our humble but important questions, let’s go to a song to start this conversation and of course we want to thank our great partner, Imperative PR.A1:Talking about the composition work in Reflections?
Pauline Silver:Reflections was not a planned concept at all. It is the result born out of a series of events. After recording our version of Kneel to the Cross by Sol Invictus, we had not particularly intended to do another cover as we do prefer writing our own material. However, when we became creatively stuck whilst working on our 2nd album we started messing around with songs that we like, to try and unlock our creativity. We went into the bandroom and just casually messed around with Cain by Tiamat but playing, interpreting and feeling the song really resonated with us and we started rehearsing it as part of our live set. For the longest time, 2 die-hard Venom fanboys kept hinting that they would love to hear us cover Warhead and we just kept laughing and ignoring them. However, the feeling we got out of playing Cain gave us the motivation to tackle Warhead in the hope that we could get our creativity back to continue writing the 2nd album. We sent a rough recording to our Management to say “here, we’ve done this just for you, now piss off”. A few months previously, we were approached by filmmaker Claudio Ravanelli. He wanted to make a music video based on a concept idea. We decided that The Ghosts of St Augustines would be the perfect song for his video.The problem we had is that Ghosts is a 7 minute song and he wanted something no longer than 3.5 minutes. We gruellingly managed to trim the song down to a compromising 4.5 minutes but we had to cut out sections of the song that we felt were critical to the feel. Brett wanted to add a lead guitar overlay to maintain the energy of the edited track. He first overlaid this on the original full track and then we had to edit the track down to the now agreed 4.5 minutes. We sent both the tracks through to our Management and thus the idea of an EP was born.We had 2 cover tracks, the new edit and the video edit for Ghosts.We went into the studio and recorded Cain and Warhead in preparation for the EP. The guitar edits to Ghost were done in our own home studio.Whilst this was going on, we then got approached to do a track for a Tribute to Motörhead project. Nightmare-The Dreamtime was recorded in the studio especially for this project and we decided to include it as part of the EP.
A2:I love innovations, but what innovations does the duo intend on the EP?
Pauline Silver:Everything related to the EP was a first for us. We’re huge fans of Tiamat and they’re one of those bands that are particularly brilliant at straddling the light and the dark simultaneously. If approached incorrectly, the entire essence can be lost. Although we had often talked about messing around with Cain, doing the song justice and maintaining that balance is one of the reasons we were apprehensive about playing it. If played too light, it can end up being “too pop” or played too heavy and the darkness is lost. We ended up approaching it from a more avant-garde and dark theatrical perspective which is why I think we managed to maintain the essence we derive from the original.With Ghosts, this was the first time we experienced the art of having to fit a completed song into a video and on a concept created by someone else. Editing the song down was gruelling. It literally felt like we were having to butcher our own creation down to the point where it felt mundane and unfinished. We then found a way to stitch it back together to where we were satisfied that it portrayed our sound and creativity and something that we were proud of once again.Covering Warhead was the first time that we gave in to the badgering from die-hard Venom fanboys (you know who you are!) who would no doubt be extremely critical so we took it as a challenge. Now, when we’re creatively blocked, we mess around with skiffle and hip-hop versions just because we can imagine the sheer horror in their expression and this amuses us greatly. Nightmare-The Dreamtime was related to a Motörhead Tribute Project created by Antichrist Magazine. This was a collection of Motörhead tracks recreated from bands across the world in different styles. We originally wanted to do Orgasmatron due to the rhythmic and tribal nature of the song but this was scooped up by someone else so it was suggested that we do Nightmare-The Dreamtime. Although we enjoy Motörhead as much as the next person, they’re not a major influence or inspiration for us. Nightmare-The Dreamtime is also one of their lesser known, weird atmospheric tracks (Motörhead tries to do Hawkwind?) and it opens itself up to any interpretation. This gave us the opportunity to be completely creative and move out of our comfort zone in terms of our instrumental approach.
A3:Does the EP have any sonic and lyrical similarities with the full album?
Pauline Silver:The only link between the EP and our album, Sisyphus is Ghosts. Due to the collaboration between us and filmmaker Claudio Ravanelli for the music video, it was one of the reasons the EP was born but none of the other tracks have any affiliation with the album. I think for us the EP is a recording of our interpretation, influence, creativity and capability within a sequence of events during a specific time period.
A4:How to decide five songs when almost certainly the musical arsenal is more voluminous than that?
Pauline Silver:I don’t think we decided on the songs for the EP, I think the songs chose us. Thinking back, other than Ghosts, which is our creation, we never would have considered playing the songs we did. It just happened that these events occurred during the same time period and we were able to combine them within an EP.
A5:Some literature or film inspire the duo?
Pauline Silver:If this is regarding the music video, we had nothing to do with the concept. We had a completely different concept for a music video for Ghosts but the opportunity arose to collaborate with Claudio and we took it. We first saw the video that he did with Ygodeh for “One Night Stand” and we were intrigued. Claudio said that he was looking to do another music video and had the concept of portraying the story of Macbeth in the artform of Michelangelo Caravaggio which is bold, dark and dramatic. We thought that his concept matched our idiom and being able to work with someone who understands filming and video creation which is completely out of our realm was a good opportunity. It was a great collaboration and we really enjoyed working with Claudio and his crew.
A6:St. Augustine indeed changed our civilization in a strong way, but how and why did he bring a strong connection to the duo?
Pauline Silver:We did a photoshoot at the ruins of St Augustine’s hospital which used to be a psychiatric hospital in Chartham in Kent whilst we were writing the song hence the name of the song. So, not related to a specific person at all but relating to the spirits within the grounds of the ruins.
A7:This many readers will ask me, but you are the ones who know the answer. Is this duo a couple of friends, brothers in metal or boyfriends or married?
Pauline Silver:Brett and I became friends on the east coast of South Africa around 18 years ago. We were both bassists playing in different bands and used to sit, drink and talk shit on the pavement outside the nightclub we used to frequent and also converse generally via the metal forums We then lost contact for a few years and when I left my band as a bassist, Brett ended up replacing me for a short period of time but we didn’t really hang out as we had our own things going on. After I left the 2nd band as keyboardist, I had made the decision that I no longer wanted to be part of a band. I got a call from Brett around a week later asking me if I wanted to join his band and I said “no way, no more bands!” About a week after that, I relented and went and briefly joined the band as a keyboardist. The band wasn’t exactly my “cup of tea” but Brett and I continued to write and create outside of the band and we just “clicked”. We both made the decision to move to the UK and that’s when I learned to play drums and “The Medea Project” was resurrected. We’re soulmates, best friends and partners.
A8:Why the band have this name?
Pauline Silver:Medea, whilst tragic, is a complex and fascinating character. She had her reasons for her actions and an immense drive, yet she approached things in the most bizarre ways. Lyrically we often deal with the human condition in an abstract way, so Medea was a perfect example of this.
A9:How band know the Imperative PR?
Pauline Silver:About 2 days before, we were due to go into the studio to record Sisyphus, we were sitting in a restaurant having just been stood up by our previous “manager”. We were extremely pissed off and decided that we were going to have to find some new representation. Right then and there, we contacted Craig Land from De Profundis and asked him if he could refer us to anyone and he introduced us to Imperative PR. That was around 3.5 years ago. With only 2 of us in the band, we sometimes need an external perspective and we value the opinions and advice that Paul and Chris share. We call them our “adults” because they give us a kick up the arse when we need it and they help us reign in any crazy ideas that we sometimes come up with.
A10:How is The Medea different from your previous bands?
Pauline Silver:Well, there’s only 2 of us so decisions get made a lot quicker and travel is cheaper but it also means that we have to work harder to cover all the aspects of being in a band these days. Writing new material can be really quick if we’re in the right mindset but if we’re creatively stuck, we don’t have the inspiration of another member and thus writing can feel like “birthing an elephant”.Musically, Medea is completely different to my previous bands. In my first band, I was a bassist and we were a tongue-in-cheek punk/metal crossover band and although we were experimental, we were never dark. In my second band, I was a keyboardist in a black metal band and the approach was quite regimented. If I remember correctly, during my leaving “debate”, I was told that I was too death metal…. My third band I think was supposed to be Nightwish-esq, well there’s no Nightwish anything in Medea.In Medea, I play drums and both of us are experimental so our songs grow out of jams. We have the freedom to express ourselves but based on our musical tastes, writing dark, heavy music feels quite natural. It’s less about writing music for others and more about expressing our own thoughts and feelings through our instruments.Some people enjoy what we do and others don’t and we’re completely comfortable with that.
A11:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Pauline Silver:As Ghosts was the tie to Sisyphus, we wanted the artwork to somehow tie into Sisyphus as well. Daniel Bollans (Consecration) did the artwork for us. We provided the concept of the ghostly figure going into some sort of a vortex and left the rest up to Daniel. His illustrations were absolutely stunning and we’re incorporating them into merch for the EP.
A12:Between Doom, Gothic and Black, which one has a stronger influence on the duo and why?
Pauline Silver:Well that’s probably a question for the listener than us. Generally, we don’t “pick” the genre when we’re writing. It just happens that we write what we write when we write it. As most of our songs come out of jams, it’s the sound that probably has more to do with the sway into a specific genre than us actually physically deciding whether this is black, doom or goth.
A13:This EP is conceptual?
Pauline Silver:No, it’s a snapshot in time.
AAAA14:What tricks and twists did the band want on this EP?
Pauline Silver:As we didn’t know the EP was going to be a thing until it was, we didn’t have any vision for it. However, we did experiment with alternate instruments and production methods.
A15:Do you plan new people on projects?
Pauline Silver:We’ll know when we’re ready to record if we need/want to collaborate with others. We did a collaboration with Phil Stiles (Final Coil) on his solo project so working with others is definitely a possibility.
A16:Danzig| Tiamat | Inter Arma | Converge, which of these bands most inspire The Medea Project?
Pauline Silver:Probably a question for a listener more than us. People hear different things when they listen to our music. It’s probably a combination of the broodiness of Danzig, the light and dark balance of Tiamat, the heavy sound of Inter Arma and the chaotic dissonance of Converge.
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Aristocracy 322 With Netherlands Death Metal Band Necrotesque
Line Up:
Lodewijk van Doorn On Vocals
Arjan Jansen On Guitar
Dave Blummel On Bass
Harald Bouten On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all your emotions, The Aristocracy Interview 322.This time, we spoke with a Dutch band that abuses Old School elements full of Death Metal with a lot of Gore, a brutality that creates a non-sense atmosphere, but that knows where it wants to go and what it wants to do so much is that you can feel styles like Black Metal and Thrash Metal.The main thing to keep in mind is that the Dutch band Necrotesque is the interviewee this time and they show us their debut album entitled The Perpetuated Festering”, we want to thank the band for their work and especially their bassist for answering our humble but important questions Let’s go to the interview with this band, but not before also thanking the Poles from Solid Rock for introducing us to this gem of Death Metal with a lot of Old School for us.
A1:Talking about the composition work in The Perpetuated Festering?
Dave Blummel:Our guitar player writes the majority of the music, supplemented by the bass player. When we have solid and structured ideas, we invite the drummer to the rehearsal room and we create the drum sections. When the songs are completed musically, we send them to our vocalist and together we create lyrics and vocal lines.
A2:What kind of elements of sex inspire this job?
Dave Blummel:We incorporate elements of gore and sex in our lyrics. We are interested in the workings of the human brain and the mental issues that are common in humankind. According to Freud, basically all our behavioural patterns stem from sexual (mal)functioning. We explore these patterns and write songs about them because secretly or subconsciously, everyone can relate to them one way or another.
A3:It’s far from a difficult question, but we need understanding. Why are various styles like Doom, Black, Rock purely part of this intense level debut?
Dave Blummel:We write what is close to us. We all love Old School Death Metal but we cannot avoid the impact of what we’ve been exposed to throughout our musical lives and careers. We think that if we stay true to ourselves, and not try to color within the lines, we can create the best music for ourselves and for the enjoyment of others.
A4:We see that most of you left the band Into The Arcane, evident that it is not a form of equal work. But, does this band continue to exist and to be worked on?
Dave Blummel:Into The Arcane is on hold, indefinitely. Harald, Dave and Arjan are not the founders of Into The Arcane. Jeroen van Riet is the founder and he is currently in a project called “Eeuwig” (Dutch for eternal). It is up to him if and when Into The Arcane returns from slumber.
A5:At some point, Into The Arcane can serve as a solid base for Necrotesque to be born into the world of extreme metal?
Dave Blummel:Into The Arcane definitely strengthened the bond between Harald, Arjan and Dave. Harald and Arjan played together in the Doomed Death band Dead End as well. From Into The Arcane’s doomrock, the urge rose to play more intense and aggressive music. So indeed, Into The Arcane was at the foundation of Necrotesque, in a way.
A6:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Dave Blummel:The EP “The Necrotic Grotesque” and its self-titled single describe mutants and “festering blobs of flesh”. We continued this thematic on “The Perpetuated Festering” meaning that the monstrosities from the EP continue to rot.
A7:Can the band Dead End be placed with another piece of their musical structures?
Dave Blummel:Most definitely. Arjan and Harald wrote the majority of tracks for “The Mind’s Asylum”; Dead End’s final 2018 album. Consequently, they toured together in Europe. This was and is a great benefit in the creative process of Necrotesque.
A8:Does Fifth Music bathe in gender issues or the identity sexual chaos we see?
Dave Blummel:Necrotesque does not have an opinion about anything. We make art and do not care at all about politics or current cultural issues. Personal opinions are relative to the individual bandmembers, but we do not incorporate them in our music or band.
A9:What is Je maintiendrai?
Dave Blummel:Je Maitiendrai is the French motto on the coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The translation of the French words are “I will maintain” in English. The Netherlands has a long and complicated history with many foreign nations invading and claiming ownership. The French Count of Nassau was an important figure in Dutch history and from his house we’ve inherited the motto on our coat of arms. The song is about the trials and tribulations of the Dutch people and how we’ve “maintained” our sense of unity, regardless of the foreign invaders. The song tells a story but we don’t have a political message.
A10:How and what made the band arrive at Vidar Records?
Dave Blummel:We have been well acquainted with Edwin Nederkoorn, the drummer for Bloodphemy and staff member of Vidar Records. He put us in contact with Clemens, the director. With Sathanas, Alterizer, Netherstorm and Codex Mortis in their catalogue, we both felt like it would be a good fit.
A11:This album is conceptual?
Dave Blummel:The concept of Necrotesque’s EP is extended in the full length album. Monstrosities form the basis to explore sadism, mental issues and straight-up gore.
A12:Some literature or film or videogame inspire the band?
Dave Blummel:All four of us are avid gamers, readers and videophiles. We are most certainly inspired by books like Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy and Nietzsche’s Also sprach Zarathustra. We like RPG games like the Soulsborne series (Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne etc.), Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft and Zelda. And finally, in “It’s Just Murder” you can hear a sample from Natural Born Killers. We like Quintin Tarantino and David Lynch movies.
A13:Can we say that it is a personal label founded by some of you?
Dave Blummel:We are unique individuals and the combination of the four of us is what makes Necrotesque interesting.
A14:Did Rick himself take care of the virtual way the band reached the public?
Dave Blummel:Rick did some recording and the mixing and mastering of both the EP and the full length album. We manage our own social media and we are happy to be booked for awesome shows to reach a bigger crowd.
A15:Due to the pandemic, were the recordings more complicated as usual?
Dave Blummel:On the contrary, it was easier for us. We were not allowed to be in the rehearsal room with more than four people so there were no exterior opinions present to influence our process.
A16:What´s bands influence ours?
Dave Blummel:We are inspired by Asphyx, Grave, Six Feet Under, Dismember, Entombed and Entrails among others.
A17:Into The Arcane and Necrotesque have what differences and converging points?
Dave Blummel:Into The Arcane is doomrock and Necrotesque plays Old School Death Metal. So we amped up the intensity to 200%. But just like with Into The Arcane, we have a solid connection and comradery between the members and we employ the network of bookers and venues we’ve build throughout the years.
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Aristocracy Interview 321 With Sludge/Doom Finnish Band Lurk
Line Up:
Kimmo Koskinen On Vocals, Guitars, Effects
Arttu Pulkkinen On Guitars
Eetu Nurmi On Bass
Kalle Nurmi On Drums, Guitars, Synths
(Baritone saxophone in “Blood Surge” by Aino Heikkonen)
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, The Aristocracy Interview 321.This time, we will show a band that petrifies a spine in a heavy, dense work, but that also knows how to be extreme in the same proportion as it is slow.We see a band that has a strong dark beauty, but that knows how to use it with the necessary intelligence, full of disturbing landscapes with a well-posted Death Metal aesthetic.In short, we’re talking to a band that knows what it wants and how it wants to reach its goals, but, above all, doesn’t disappoint its critics, fans and just supporters.
Aristocracy talks today with the Finnish band De Death/Doom/Sludge Lurk and they show us their fourth album entitled Aegis.Big thanks to the band for this one and for everything they’ve done over the years, and of course for answering our humble but important questions.Let’s go to traditional music and then this fabulous chat with this equally fabulous band.A1:Talking about the composition work in Aegis?
Kalle Nurmi:The songwriting duties fell mostly on yours truly (Kalle) and Kimmo this time around as Arttu found his time short, but he and Eetu did make their contributions. Most of the work was made in smaller units as was dictated by time and distance. Songwise, we wanted to take the best parts of our previous albums and form a cohesive album from there.
A2:Can we believe that Aegis is more evil sonically and lyrically than Fringe? Kalle Nurmi:We are way beyond evil. Good and evil are concepts that have no place in the natural world. Everything dies, everything decays – there is no evil in that, or good for that matter. It just is.
A3:We know classic doom is a disgrace in its cold translation, but is the way the band performs a more edgy, spiteful mess lyrically speaking?
There might be a feeling like unavailability of redemption for mankind, that may be considered spiteful. There is no spite in watching someone die of a self-made disease, nor is there remorse. Only slight disappointment, that soon vanishes as we understand everything works as intended or divined from their corresponding abilities.
A4:Some songs from Aegis were shown as The Blooming. One of you said that she has a vibe of perseverance, could you explain it better?
Kalle Nurmi:It’s a predatory takedown that can be translated or understood in multiple ways. Everything, even technology, stems from nature and as such can be interpreted trough that lens, but one has always the right to make own conclusions.
A5:Is it correct or inconclusive to say that this album has a philosophical or psychological aspect built into it?
Kalle Nurmi:It is most certainly correct.
A6:Can we say that some of your shows have that terrifying aura that the band already presented in our old interview?
Kalle Nurmi:As I have never witnessed our show from the audience, it would be hard to judge…
A7:I really like the fact that the band called someone to play sax, we just want to know when and how did that decision come about?
Kalle Nurmi:It is a growth that grew itself. There was availability, there was the will to try, so was there great rejoicing in the success of it.
A8:In your words, can we say that each song has its own personal life? ]
Kalle Nurmi:Yes, that is correct and surely I couldn’t say that any better!
A9:It seems that we want to ask a question, but it only seems. Did Paolo hear the three songs that were put together or the complete album to arrive at this drawing?
Kalle Nurmi:I can’t recall if Paolo heard anything, maybe he did. But Kimmo made very detailed instructions with even a mock-up drawn for Paolo to work from. The similarities with the original are most astonishing and Paolo did post it somewhere online.
A10:It’s from personal hearing that the band likes some paradoxes, which paradoxes inspired Aegis?
Kalle Nurmi:The all-encompassing might be our distancing ourselves from nature as a species, as we are bound by it and rightly our place as a part of nature governs our bodies, mind and soul, even in our denial of the fact. Maybe especially in our denial. In our quest for control over all, we drift further from it, in our efforts to overcome fear, we live in its grip.
A11:Does this album have the potential to be Lurk’s most agonizing yet? Kalle Nurmi:Personally, no. I take great pleasure in it. But one might always enjoy some good ol’ agony and in that case, this is the album for you.
A12:Some dragon sagas inspired the band in the modus operandi of Aegis ? Kalle Nurmi:That is most certainly not the case.
A13:The band doing shows in 2023?
Kalle Nurmi:I can so for certain it’s not gonna happen.
A14:When the band refers to some demons, are they referring to the ones we have inside us every day?
Kalle Nurmi:Inside, outside, in between. Sometimes my demons take a holiday, or otherwise cannot be felt on a daily basis. How does one recognise a demonic presence? Is it a succubus probing your libido or just you feeling horny? What I can say for certain, is that we don’t sing of christian zombies. A15:What would Lurk, waiting for the fourth album, say to Lurk on the day of the first rehearsal?
Kalle Nurmi:Just do what you do and enjoy.
A16:What do you expect from April 8, 2023?
Kalle Nurmi:For me, it’s a day working with friends so I expect to enjoy it. As the new Lurk has been unleashed, I cannot say what will happen, but mostly I believe it’s like the weather it just is, as it is, as it should be and everyone should dress accordingly.
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Aristocracy Interview 288 With Canadian Death Metal Band Ignominy
Line Up:
Alexandre Desroches – Vocals
Philippe Gariépy – Guitars
Alexandre Préfontaine – Bass
Marc-Antoine Lazure – Drums
Well,Friends of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, the interview 275 of the Aristocracy.This time, we’ll talk to a band that makes you suffer mentally and alters your consciousness in an avant-garde way. Elegant, preludes and intense songs with even more intense riffs.Evidently several feelings, are and continue to be absorbed, but every aspect of the album is placed in strong, cavalier and cadenced dissonance songs until page 2,1.Here, we have an Imminet Collapse created as Ignominy’s first full album. We really want to thank the band and super label Transcending Obscurity for the amazing work they’ve done. Let’s start this interview.
A1:The band’s name is Ignominy, did any personal ignominy or the universe around you inspire this album?
Alex:Yes,very much. A lot of the lyrics in the album are based on personal ignominy that I felt during a certain period of my life. But since I did not want it to be too lingering, I decided to maintain a certain abstraction within the words and let it be an icebreaker for further psychological analysis in future releases. ”Imminent Collapse” is about impulsivity mostly, and the future music will be centred around the questioning of those thoughts that once were.
A2:Did the band’s musical understanding come or is it coming faster than you expected?
(ALEX) : Faster than we expected. We are quite amazed by all the progress and maturity we took musically since our first EP ”Fear The Living” in 2019. We started writing the songs for the album not long after the EP and we could already see how much we learned from our past experience. We’re hoping that we can maintain this speed for the next years and we have already so many things we want to experiment with!
A3:Talking about the composition work in Imminent Collapse?
PHIL : The first songs we wrote date back to 2016, which are Frantic Apeasement and Defaulting Genetics.We were about to put them on Fear The Living, our first EP. But we felt they would fit on “Imminent Collapse” instead. We also felt that our songwriting improved and evolved and would even fit in with the newer compositions better than the rest of “Imminent Collapse”. We feel like this was more of a collective effort than Fear The Living.
A4:The name of the band’s album is called Imminent Collapse. Do you believe that you realize an imminent collapse creating this album?
Alex:Speaking for myself, I feel like… with everything that’s going on in the world and our personal lives, it feels like we’re constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown. The pressure is just too much. So naming the album ‘’Imminent Collapse’’ was kind of the most brutally honest way to describe how we feel.So the answer ,would be yes!
A5:Why two interludes songs?
Phil:Both, “Premonition of a Dead End” (the first interlude) and “Prélude vers l’angoisse” serve a similar purpose of breaking up the album in parts while still maintaining a chaotic and spooky feel.The former is intended to give the listener a break, while the latter has a dramatic and cinematic quality, reminiscent of a “last flash before your eyes.”These pieces draw inspiration from various sources, including the soundtracks of the German series “Dark” and “Stranger Things,” as well as the works of Gaspar Noé, Merzbow, and Many Blessings, among others.
A6:Some literature or film or something in media inspires the band in the album?
Alex:There is always something that inspires artists when creating something. So many things can subconsciously influence us during the writing process. Might be something new, or an old influence. I think it’s a mix of both here. We wrote the songs quite some time ago so I can’t recall specific influences from that time. Sorry.
A7:I felt an avant-garde vibe in this album. Why do I have this feeling?
Phil:I’ve always been a fan of music that is outside of the box and breaks conventional models. So intrinsically, I’m writing music that would appeal to me and hopefully, my bandmates too, haha!Plus, our collective influences have always been bands that are boundary-pushing both in metal and non-metal.
A8:Do you agree that there is a bit of psychology in your songs?
Alex:Yes, there is certainly a bit of psychology in the songs. But I wouldn’t say that my lyrics are based on any particular psychological theory, and they may not necessarily represent ‘good’ psychology in a clinical sense as they are inspired by personal emotions at the time of writing.With that said, I’ve always had an interest in human behaviour and the reasoning behind human actions. It’s just so varied and complex. And in “Imminent Collapse’’, I wanted to bring out negative thoughts that were hunting me during a moment in my life to try and understand them. There is no clear questioning in the lyrics themselves, but putting these thoughts on paper is I think a good way to analyze my state of mind when the songs were written.I definitely plan to delve deeper into psychology in future songs. Questions, contradictions… you name it.
A9:Interestingly, the band is being compared to bands that are part of their own label. It’s a bit unusual don’t you think?
Phil:I don’t see it that way. I mean I see a label as a kind of a big family. And although every sibling has their own personality, they do share similarities in some ways. So it’s pretty cool if you ask me!
A10:What´s the idea behind the artwork´s album?
Alex:That part was probably the hardest!Art is subjective and everyone has a different vision about how the music should be presented visually. It took some research before landing on our current artwork, courtesy of Austin Weber.When I saw it, I just loved the clear, yet abstract representation of this form staring at the void while carrying weight on its shoulders. It just depicts so well the sensation of constantly feeling heavy in everyday life. No other artwork could better represent how being on the verge of collapse feels like.
A11:Understand! I really like bands that do dissonances. However, each band does it with a certain modus operandi. What is Ignominy’s modus operandi?
Phil:We did develop our own musical vocabulary over the years of collecting influences (that are within the dissonant realm for the most part), and musical and songwriting skills.And for the most part, it’s just me with a guitar in front of a computer and I record ideas. Sometimes these are just riffs, sometimes these turn into songs.These days we try to use dissonance as a songwriting tool and mood rather than just for the sake of being dissonant as we did on the first EP.You can write dark music without the use of dissonance, but the latter can really help bring out darker tonalities and is really cool for that purpose. But we’re trying not to overuse it so it doesn’t become tiring and predictable. This is something we try to avoid since I think our music is anything but …
A12:How band arrive at Transcending Obscurity Records?
Alex:It was kind of unexpected for both the label and us.The interest from Transcending Obscurity Records came from a Facebook post that Austin Weber, the artist behind the artwork of ‘’Imminent Collapse’’ shared when we first announced our album. We were supposed to release it independently at an earlier date.Kunal, the head of the label got curious about us and gave our album a spin and really liked it. So he made us an offer less than a week after we announced our album back in December 2022. We gave it a lot of thought before accepting because we were perfectly OK with releasing the album independently, but in the end, we think it was the right decision.
Phil:I think it’s a hell of a compliment! As I said earlier, we try to write music outside of the box and it’s always nice to see that kind of recognition.We don’t have any expectations in terms of critics or public approval. We just create music that we love creating. If by any chance, some people relate to our music, that’s already an achievement and we’re really flattered. If not, that’s ok too!
A14:What would 2023’s Ignominy say to Ignominy’s first rehearsal in Canada?
Phil:Keep hustling and working out! It’s gonna be rewarding though it’s not gonna be an easy ride all the time! Believe in your craft and in your own self everything falls into place eventually.
Alex:You f*ckin idiot. Good luck.
A15:What do you expect for the day after the release of this album?
Alex:: Concerts, concerts and concerts!We love to play live and want to do it as much as possible. Visit never seen before places, meet new people and share with them our passion for unconventional music.
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Aristocracy Of Vlad!
Hello, I hope Tuesday is treating you well! Please publish the news:
Australian metallers LIVEWIRE premiere “ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!” video
Sydney-based speedmetallers LIVEWIRE are releasing their new video on March 11th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhBaGRZgx04 teaser link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yceu-UYcHEY video link
The clip was mixed & produced by Mark Matula Productions, recorded at Def Wolf Studios, filmed by Flawless Media Shot at The Dale Studio.
LïVEWïRE are a force to be reckoned with in the world of heavy metal music.
Wasting no time in hitting hard, heavy and fast with their unique and energetic brand of speed metal, the result is an astonishing aural assault that leaves your neck sore, ears ringing and mind wanting more! They are a 4 piece Speed/thrash Metal band from Sydney, with an energetic live performance that’ll have you banging your head & thrashing at full force!Their debut album, “Under Attack!”, from which the single comes, was released in April 2022 to very good reviews.
PROMO DOWNLOAD:
https://www.mydrive.ch/shares/70288/26dc94c3a129404846298dc48d832e34/browse
Finnish thrashers DAMAGE SFP are dropping the sophomore album on Samsara Records
Damage SFP was formed back in 1989 in Northern Finland, in a small village called Liminka. Three school kids, Jarkko Nikkilä (vocals & guitar), Antti Remes (bass & backing vocals) and Tero Lipsonen (drums) shared the same desire: to play loud and fast thrash metal. And just like their idols (Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, Death, ect.), cause some jaw dropping while doing it. And so they did. Now these kids are grown up men, and the same desire to kick ass has awakened again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4_pd3zyOe8 ”Face Your Demons” video
Damage SFP released three demos in the 90’s: 1992, 1993 and 1996. In addition, they made a promotape in 1994 in order to seal a deal with German Noise Records. Noise Records had shown interest in signing the band after the 1993 demo. There were some musical changes between 1993 demo and 1994 promo tape, as 1994 songs had more influence from death metal and ¾ rhythms. That did not quite satisfy Noise Records’ needs, so the promising co-operation faded. After that Damage played ‘till 1996, but was put to long sleep as the players moved on with their studies and other band projects.
As the year 2018 started, the band was awoken from its long sleep by Nikkilä and Lipsonen. Remes joined the team gladly, meaning that Damage SFP. started operating with its original line-up. Players decided that it’s about time to put all the best tracks to one full length album.
The album itself was released 14th of June 2019 through Italian ROCKSHOTS RECORDS, 30 years after the story of this band started. Nikkilä, Lipsonen and Remes were back!
2020-21 was the time to create something totally new. Damage SFP played some new songs at gigs, and they got really good feedback from the audience. It was time to make the second album. There were some setbacks at the process, but finally during 2022 the album was finished. The 9-track album is called “Punished by the System” and was released on March 7th, 2023 through Samsara Records. Then it’s time to hit the road again!
https://www.facebook.com/damage.sfp/
PROMO DOWNLOAD:
https://www.mydrive.ch/shares/69241/0c4a8a42c98a515938387cac92c9487d/browse
ROXX RECORDS / NO LIFE ‘TIL LEATHER RECORDS hit hard three times on March 24th with PRIMAL, AVENGER OF BLOOD and REPTALIEN record premieres
PRIMAL is getting into gear and returning to the road with a new album “Humachine” and just signed a record deal with American label Roxx Records. CEO Bill Bafford announce “it comes in two formats: CD and vinyl and will come out soon” and Scott Waters director of No Life ‘til Metal, added that a limited vinyl edition will be handled by his label.
This second album, just like the first, was produced by GRAMMY Award’s winner, Iggy Elisabetsky, at D-Organization Studios in Los Angeles, California; and the Mastering was done by Rob Colwell at Bombworks Studios in Texas.
https://roxxrecords.com/collections/nltm-2019-releases PRE-RELEASE orders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXMT6HYDdYQ “Warrior’s Code” video
Glenn Rogers states“Humachine”contains 11 well-structured songs within traditional heavy Metal, with a solid rhythmic base and strong melodies.”
https://www.facebook.com/primalmetalband
NoLifeTilMetal Records is proud to announce the CD and vinyl release of Avenger of Blood‘s latest release “Completely Re-Annihilated.”
Avenger of Blood is an aggressive thrash band that started in 2002 based in Las Vegas, NV. As one of the forerunners of the New Wave of Thrash Metal scene of the early 2000’s, Avenger of Blood has released 3 full-length albums “Complete Annihilation” (2005), “Death Brigade” (2008) and “On Slaying Grounds” (2013) and has been featured in numerous compilation albums including “Speed Kills… Again” (2007) and several others. After an extended hiatus, the band reformed in 2020 and began re-recording the debut album under the title “Completely Re-Annihilated.”
Both the vinyl and CD re-issues are remastered by Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound.
Avenger of Blood is:
Sal Lalli – Vocals
Marc Flores – Guitar
Chris Garcia – Guitar
Corey Sorrenti – Bass/Backing Vocals
Shannon Frye – Drums
Presales have began on February 17, 2023Release Date: March 24, 2023
nolifetilmetalrecords.comLast but not least, here comes the CD and vinyl release of the debut self-titled album from REPTALIEN.
Reptalien is a brand new band composed of some well known players, playing some heavy traditional metal in the vein of Reverend, Metal Church and Judas Priest. The members of Reptalien actually came together from different parts of the world, including Poland, Italy and the United States. Hailing from the States is ex-Reverend guitarist, Bill Rhynes and Connor Sim on bass. Renowned young drummer Fabio Allesandrini (Annihilator) comes from Italy. Rounding out the lineup we have Mikołaj Krzaczek from Poland on vocals.
Both the vinyl and CD re-issues will be mastered by Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound. The bands first single and video entitled “Hypocrites” was released earlier this month and gives just a taste of what’s to come from this metal outfit.
“Hypocrites”: https://youtu.be/jAvCUE5TjtQ
Presales have began on February 17, 2023
Release Date: March 24, 2023
nolifetilmetalrecords.comSpanish crossover thrashers PNUK return with a double bang!
They have just released “Goat Civilization”, a double-CD, containing their first two albums, remastered and sung in English.
PNUK is a Thrash/Crossover band from Lorquí, a small town in the Region of Murcia, Spain. Since its formation in 2014, the group has already released 5 works, the first two albums (Fin de la Civilización in 2016 and PNUK in 2018) were performed in Spanish; however, in 2019 there is a significant change in the group, the original singer leaves the group and the band decides to change the language to English. Since then, PNUK has released After Death in 2020 (the band’s first album in English), EPidemic in 2021 (an EP with songs recorded during the After Death sessions) and Goat Civilization in 2023 (a double album containing the first two LPs of the group but remastered and performed in English).
Discography:
2016 – Fin de la Civilización
2018 – PNUK
2020 – AfterDeath
2021 – Epidemic
2023 – GoatCivilizationPNUK:
Alex: Guitars and vocals
Ginés G: Guitars and backing vocals
Isidro J: Bass and backing vocals
Mike: Drumshttps://www.facebook.com/pnuk.crossover
PROMO DOWNLOAD:
https://www.mydrive.ch/shares/68920/01c892cd26ffedc40cd66a4ab04d9e60/browse
Spanish heavymetallers BIFROST promote “Her Den” album with “When It Rains” video
Clip “When it rains”
Bifrost was born at the end of the year 2000, formed by the members of legendary bands from the Cantabrian scene such as Mordor and Anger Tears. Since then, they recorded a demo in 2001, an EP called “Seeking Evolution” in 2003, after having been chosen “Best rock-metal group” in the Gov. of Cantabria music contest, and two self-produced CDs, “Moving on” in 2007 and “Freedom” in 2011.
Throughout their career they have received praise from the press and the public, in addition to having shared the stage with bands with the category of Sepultura, Rage or Su Ta Gar.
Finally in 2017, after settling their formation with the addition of a new drummer, they began to compose new work.
Now, after 20 years of experience as a band, Bifrost have finished the recording of “Her Den”, their third LP, where they wanted to make the definitive leap in quality and have created their most balanced and ambitious work, counting with the mixing, mastering, experience and quality of Chromaticity Studios (Vhäldemar, Evil Seeds, Dormanth, Rat-Zinger, Rise to fall…) as well as the impressive work of Samuel Araya (Cradle of filth, Dark Moor, Darkdayrising…) to illustrate their cover.
“Her Den” is a stylistic mix of heavy, melodic thrash and progressive metal, with a powerful and dynamic rhythm section, as well as top-notch guitars and vocals. The work is full of details and variety for lovers of bands like Vicious Rumors, Fates Warning, Iron Maiden or Megadeth.https://www.facebook.com/bifrostcantabria
https://www.youtube.com/@bifrostmetal
“Her Den” Album teaser
NO LIFE ‘TIL LEATHER RECORDS:
https://www.facebook.com/primalmetalband (US heavy metal, ex-Hirax members)
https://www.facebook.com/aobthrash (NWOTM pioneers are back)
https://www.facebook.com/XreptalienX (US power metal, Reverend and Annihilator
members)
https://www.facebook.com/bifrostcantabria (US Power Metal… from Spain!)
https://www.facebook.com/damage.sfp (Finnish Thrash Metal)
https://www.facebook.com/livewiresydney (Australian Speed Metal)
https://www.mydrive.ch/shares/70288/26dc94c3a129404846298dc48d832e34/browse
https://www.facebook.com/NaitakaBC (Power/Thrash/Death from Canada)
https://www.facebook.com/wearetrahir (Heavy / doom / stoner from Czechia)
https://www.mydrive.ch/shares/65590/4d720bb068b3f542aea71bb8ca767229/browse
https://www.facebook.com/pnuk.crossover (crossover/thrash from Spain)
https://www.facebook.com/warhogdfw (US Power Metal)
https://www.mydrive.ch/shares/64224/38e5dbe5d48a3e57330391e19af3c130/browse
https://www.facebook.com/nomadusni (Progressive Thrash/Groove from the UK)
https://www.facebook.com/Factor8pl (Progressive Metal)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082317627385 (PHANTOMSTONE, Thrash/Groove/Punk/HC from Colorado)
https://mr-reek.de (SUSURRO, industrial thrash/death from Germany)
https://www.facebook.com/EMBLAZEDOFFICIAL (Finnish Metal)
https://www.facebook.com/overlordsr.page (Epic Heavy/Power Metal from the US)
https://www.mydrive.ch/shares/50178/b0b70e431902ff823287c558118d1224/browse
https://www.facebook.com/MetalSpecies (Technical Thrash Metal)
https://www.facebook.com/crowjack1998 (hard’n’heavy)
https://www.facebook.com/unknownofficialmetal (Unknown, US heavy/power/thrash metal)
https://www.facebook.com/silentmenofficial (Polish heavy metal from Wales)
https://www.facebook.com/AssassinOfficial (Cult Thrash):
https://www.facebook.com/soulcollectorthrash (Polish Bay Area Thrash):
ALL THE BANDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS.
HEREBY I GRANT YOU THE PERMISSION TO PLAY THE MUSIC ON THE RADIO.
THE DOWNLOAD INFO ABOVE IS SOLELY FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT MEANT TO BE SHARED TO THE PUBLIC.
Thanks for your time! We do appreciate that! Please let me know when you review/air my boys!
Cheers
Vlad Nowajczyk
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Aristocracy Interview 287 With SLUDGECORE French Metal Band The Third Project
WELL,Friends of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, the interview 287 of the Aristocracy.In this case, we won’t have the Line Up of the band, they even did this favor in their answers.What can, we say is that we received an email from a French Sludgecore band entitled The Third Project, this is their opening album titled “The Rise And Fall Of The Ninja Squids.
However, you are wrong if you think it’s over. They made a computer game about this work and also a comic book.We really want to thank the band for sending us this email, although we don’t know who told them about our corporate group.A band, that even in its first album, shows different talents musically and artistically speaking. I thank you, the confidence of the band, for its first interview with the South American and European public.
We believe it is the first one or one of the first ones that they are doing. Stay with the single from this album, which was released last year and is an integral part of the musical album.
A1:How was Screamo chosen in the band’s sound before making the album?Janours (drums and vocals): There are two reasons, first of all we love the screaming vocals in general, in lots of bands we listen to, and mostly because we sing like shit in clear sound. We didn’t really choose the screams, the screams chose us
FLO: we cite the screamo in ours influences because the public often talks to us about it during our concerts.
Maybe also with my singing more howled than Janours.A2:Talking about the composition work in album “The Rise And Fall Of The Ninja Squids”?
Janours : We were working on a bunch of songs and our bassist left the band in the process. We then met with Julien (bass), and a few more songs were created. In general, we jam, like every other bands, Flo (guitar and vocals) comes up with riffs he worked on at home, we records a raw tries on what we think is efficient and cool to play, Then i try to build something on cubase, a kind of a structure, with fake drums, to put some lyrics on it. Then we rehearse again and again, and some day, when my laziness gives me a break, i go on my lyrics ideas notepad and i seal the fate of the song.
Flo: here Janours said quite a bit. There are old songs, newer stuff, songs that came out without a hitch (Cassandra), other more…
A3:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Janours : There were no script in the beginning, the characters came to life while writing. There is no philosophy or ideas. Just a story of a hero struggling while shit happens, and he tries to face them. Like in every Zelda, Dragon ball, or pokemon .
Flo: For everything about the concept of the album, the comic book and the video game, I’ll let Janours talk about it because he’s the one who set up this work!
A4:Why the name The Third Project?
Janours : We went to Geneva once with Flo to a concert to see Hexis (We toured in Cuba with them during the brutal fest) and they were playing with The Psyke Project that blew our mind . When time came to choose a name after the previous band stopped, we chose this in a certain way to honor them.
FLO: and also because we have started three different bands since 2011.
A5:What is Annecy?
Janours : It’s a peaceful little city stuck between a lake and mountains in the french alps, near the switzerland boarder.
Flo: A perfect city to eat melted cheese!
A6:Why did you make this wonderful comic book?
Janours :I’ve always dreamed of having a full comic book as a booklet. Booklets were really cool back in the days, i loved stuffs with lots of pics, or lyrics. I remeber a korn album, take a look in the mirror if i recall well, where you could see lots of early pics, stories etc… Also a french band, pleymo, were really good with making artworks, stories, and even realeased a book alongside the cd. I guess all of this came to this comic book.
A7:What comics inspired this work?
Janours : I’ve always liked comic books, mangas, like every kids i guess, but the main inspiration in the process was « Lapinot et les carottes de patagonie ». The author, Lewis Trondheim, began with no skills in drawing, and no story, just a goal : writing a 400 page story, no matter what. As i draw like a 5 years old, the idea hit me strong. I jump into the story, no concept, just a puppet my kidz made at school, an octopuss made of paper, my wife added a stuff around its head, and the kids yelled « oooh ! A ninja squid ! » The story started from this.
A8:Does the band like video games?
Janours : i really do, yes, since my first gameboy, i never quit. I currently live in a virtual world thanks to PSVR2. Julien is a big fan also, and has an enourmous quantity of retro game in the rehearsal room. Flo once looked at a video game and puked.
Flo: I had to play Hercules for 5 minutes on playstation 1
A9:Sonically, is this album conceptually independent of the other work done?
Janours :The music is in the same style, it’s just the next step, with sound, vocals and skill improved. Well… i hope !
A10:How is The Third Project different from your previous bands or projects?
Janours : this is quite the same band, with less people. We were five, with one more guitarist and a singer, and we are now three, bass, drum and one guitar,and we make the vocals by ourselves.
Flo: There are two different voices and a quality bass/drum!
A11:Was the goal with the video game and comic book a personal quest?
Janours : i don’t know, but it was really fun to make ! I guess everything you do in life for fun is a kind of a personal quest. Trying to entertain people, making them shake their head in live shows, become a hero in a book with my kids like songoku is a personal quest. Who knows.
A12:This album is conceptual?
Janours : some songs are in the comic book, yes, or part of it. But the whole cd is not a entire story, no.
A13:Who were the people who helped with the video game and comic book?
Janours : I made the comic book myself, all DIY with pens and photoshop for the colors, and also the back cover, lyrics stuff, photos, etc…. The front cover was made by my neighbor and friend Nicolas Livet who works as a storyboarder in animation. I really wanted a professional artwork for the main cover, and i feel myself lucky this really talented master moved right in my building, 4 floor below my flat. I made the game using RPG maker MV, a game to make games. A very cool stuff that allows you to export yout games to android, ios and directly to pc navigators like explorer, mozilla etc… We’re in the future.
A14:What screamo bands influence ours?
Janours : On a Heavy stuff level, I am into Gojira, Korn, Deftones, The psyke project, Hexis, Slayer, Opeth…
Flo: in real life, I don’t listen to a lot of them, but I can cite La Dispute and Birds In Row as bands that I appreciate in the genre.
A15:Does the band have their own record label?
Janours :No, everything is DIY, touring, recording, mixing, mastering, artwork, everything is done in our basements.
Flo: yep full DIY!
A16:What Third Project doing for future?
Janours :Now we’ll tour a bit, a lot, as we couldn’t play much due to the pandemic. That’s also why we focused on releasing a record with all this stuff around. We had plenty of time for this one, and we used it the best we could while grounded !
Flo:I would like to do a second music video on the song “Quantic Doggy Bag” which is my favorite from the album and lots of concerts!
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Aristocracy Interview 285 With Melodic Death Metal Band Majesties
Line Up:
Tanner Anderson – Guitars / Vocals / Drums
Carl Skildum – Guitars
Matthew Kirkwold – Bass
Well,Friends of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have, in all its emotions, the interview 285 of the Aristocracy.We want to thank Dave.The opportunity to talk with the debutant American band called Majesties that releases their debut album entitled Vast Reaches Unclaimed, we talk about the work itself, with humble but important questions and we talk about some songs. declaration of love to the Melodic Death of the 90’s that started in Sweden with bands like In Flames.However, even if it is a declaration of love, its own reading is presented here and the compliments made in some vehicles that reviewed the band are totally justified, I say that to the band.We strongly wish that the band continues to improve for new works, but the beginning is not promising, it is extremely encouraging.Tanner answer our questions!
A1:Before the question that usually opened my interviews, a paradigm shift is necessary here.Can we say that the vocalist before forming this band who got a note of 91 on a friend site of mine was a drummer at some point before his current band?
I was never a drummer in any of my former bands. I’ve always played drums as a both a hobby and a way of deciphering ideas I’m working out on my own. Prior to recording the Majesties album (before the pandemic), we were working with a drummer. Naturally, a lot of things became complicated in 2020-2021. So I ended up in the position. Initially, we were planning on recording drums with a local engineer (the one who mastered our album). As that also became complicated, the only option that seemed viable was to program them with a lot of care.
A2:The Melodic Metal presented here is closer to its birthplace. How to make it for the current sound without sounding like those times that are still very strong today?
I think understanding the sonic atmosphere of older recordings is essential to creating something for the present. If you are able to capture that atmosphere, it doesn’t matter if you record it in a studio or in a garage.
A3:’Slaughter of the Soul’ world, this was seen at the bandcamp.Can we have a better explanation?
This was a statement made by our label, not us. But it is a way to express the idea that “Slaughter of the Soul” came to define melodic death metal. But, before that album, melodic death metal was more diverse and broad. “Slaughter of the Soul” set the parameters for the genre in popular culture. And its influence is far reaching enough to make the term “melodic death metal” synonymous with versions of that sound that are practically unrecognizable today. Simply put, the explanation is that we sound like melodic death metal before “Slaughter of the Soul”.
A4:If the eighth song features a central character, can we say that he needs a temporal anchor for which situation?
Perhaps because he has become trapped in a kind of parallel world that has bound him to live on; to witness the ends and beginnings of other worlds.
A5:Talking about the composition work in Vast Reaches Unclaimed?
The album was composed by Carl and myself on guitars first.
A6:What would be the ineffable of the sixth song?
I believe it to mean a place within ourselves that is accessible to the seeker. In almost every culture across the world, ritual accompanies the initiate into transcendental states. These place aren’t always accessible without the aid of significant events (solar/lunar), community (shamans or shapeshifters), or, perhaps the most universal, those involving death.
A7:As it is the first album, many will make comparisons that are at least premature.But, placing the band as some listeners said and said that resembles In Flames is the reason for what for the band?
I think people may hear early In Flames in our work because their early work was an influence. Moreso, that In Flames is such a popular (and polarizing) band, it would make sense that it is low-hanging fruit. Listeners often want to find a way to identify and compartmentalize a sound with one that is already familiar to them.
A8:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
The artwork is based around the song “Sidereal Spire” as well as a lyric from “The World Unseen” which are the accounts of a dreamer discovering hidden realms of the world. So this also relates to the transcendentalist-tinged surrealism that is a major theme throughout the album.
A9::The Jester Race’ is really a masterpiece. For the fact that the band, citing this album can indicate a kind of north to their debut work even if contexts and musically speaking are too different?
Yes, it is a masterpiece. For In Flames, it was worlds beyond what they achieved with “Lunar Strain” because it solidified the strengths into a more mature and digestible sound. Especially when you consider how novel an album like “Lunar Strain” was for it’s time. So, for us to compare our album to TJR, this indicates their influence rather than our own trailblazing so-to-speak.
A10:I don’t hate intricate albums, I truly love it. What kind of intricate messages were you looking for on this strong start?
I think that Carl and I are both enormous fans of majestic riffs. Both of our primary bands deal with a lot of harmonic layers and intricate passages. So this wasn’t a choice of ours with Majesties. It’s just a natural way of writing that is exciting for us.
A11:How band arrive to 20 Buck Spin?
Dave at 20 Buck Spin is a good friend of ours. We had sent him the album as soon as we finished recording it and he was interested in releasing it.
A12:Is the ninth song a reference to reality?
None of the lyrics were written with the intent of obfuscating reality by exchanging it with fantasy. No doubt, listeners usually draw meanings from lyrics that are far removed from their intent. And that’s a powerful thing that we wouldn’t want to impose ourselves over unless that understanding was a particularly bad take!
A13;This album is conceptual?
There isn’t a single story; rather an arc to the album thematically.
A14:Sorry, but even the name of the album helped the question. What are Vast Reaches Unclaimed from Majesties?
“Vast Reaches Unclaimed” refers to the places that are still undiscovered to us. Having established more context with you here, it should be evident that we don’t mean to imply these reaches only exist in the physical realm. They’re multi-dimensional. When you tackle things like traveling, you have to take time into account. With that, decisions that may be right or wrong or the feelings of triumph or regret.
A15:Some bands with styles completely different from your band use the spatial context. Because they are totally different, is it more complex or more fun even though it’s hard work?
We think it’s rewarding to explore these themes lyrically. It allows us to approach many ideas that would be more challenging to address more plainly.
A16:Wrong Again and No Fashion Records, please explain these beauties to my audience?
If anyone who enjoys “Vast Reaches Unclaimed” and hasn’t listened to the roster of these labels, we’d recommend every single one. They’re the torches that light our cavernous depths.
A17:Majesties want something for March 4th?
A beer would be nice.
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Aristocracy Interview 280 With Swiss Heavy Metal Band Megaton Sword
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Yvo Petrzilek
Mastered by Justin Weis
Artwork by Paolo Girardi
Photography by Christian PoffetLine Up:
Line-up: Uzzy Unchained – Vocals
Chris The Axe – Guitars
Simon The Sorcerer – Bass
Dan Thundersteel – Drums
Seth Angel – Guitars
Well,Friends of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our editorial office, where in a little while, in all its emotions, the 280th Aristocracy interview.Let’s go to a song by this band and then a small introduction about our interviewees.
The Storm\Aristocracy holds a second interview with the Megaton Sword Swiss Heavy Epic Band.They show us an intense, more cohesive sound with more epic weight.Only less pressured, I’m not saying its sound or its songs, because it’s well pressed, muscular and filled with intensity. What’s different is that being on the second album, left the band freer to try new things with the same capacity on frist album.Evidently, she continued to create her own particular city for her stories. But, as with all cities whether imagined or not, they have new situations every moment. The second album is this new situation of this city and is called Might & Power.We are redoing this interview because the band is excellent, because the band showed a very unique sound, naturally, influences, we all suffer from it for good or not.
But, what we see now is that this became even more evident, the first album already happened, now this has risen to the level of the conversation. We strongly thank the band for doing this interview with us and doing it live.
It will be posted now and we wish the band’s growth continues and we do a third interview about the third album!A1:What band mean with Raikaszi in the five song?
Megaton Sword:This is a place in Niralet, the world who invented by our singer.
A2:Not that it’s bad to have power, but did the band find in this work something much more than the classic metal that accompanied it well in its debut?
Megaton Sword:Yes, i would say the biggest influences have still true metal and epic metal bands like manowar, grave digger, cirith ungol. But we are also fans of classic rock and extreme metal. Thats why this album is so varied.
A3:I think you’ll hear this question a few times or even, inside jokes in rehearsals will or have happened. But, does the second song refer to the chemical element or does it have a homage to the legendary metal band?
Megaton Sword:Meant are some landscapes in niralet. And colloqualliy, this also means to overcome difficulties.
A3.1:Like what?
MS:Do you mean which difficulties?
Aristocracia:yes,i do!,you stay in the three question.i put this in my page,life interview is house of crazy!{kkkk}
MS:Surviving a fight for example, or doing a difficult hike, or fight some mental problems,Haha yes!Some personal difficulties,When you cross the iron plains you defeated the problem,Thats the meaning!
A4:Bringing a mix of classic metal with extreme is fabulous, but doing it a second time in a complete way does it give you more security of the goal or does the responsibility only increase?
MS:Phuu i don’t know. To be honest, I’m not that concerned about it. I just try to make songs with a lot of variety and which are coherent in themselves.
A5:Every band as it takes shape starts to see their band as a company. How does the company Megaton Sword see their new merchandise as more extreme or more classic?
MS:Very unusual question, thanks for that! We hate merch designs with 1000 colors. So i would say our merch has rather something of occult death or black metal bands
A6:Is there a psychological aspect to this Babe Eternal?
MS:Yes and no, i would say. It’s about an emperor who builds himself an armor which he thinks he cam become immortal. His babe eternal
A7:Does reaching the second full album show that the band has more musical and personal cohesion?
MS:Yes in any case. Although i (simon the sorcerer) still write the songs and uzzy does the lyrics and the vocal lines. But by now we know the strengths and weaknesses of each other.
A8:I will never complain about the surprise factor! But, the band intends to continue in this vein of the fan and the journalist thinking: What will they bring in the next work?
MS:Yes, the base of megaton sword will always be manowar. But we just try to so our thing and interpretation of epic metal. Every song has to be epic thats the main goal.
A9:Aristocracy Think:-It´s life and i do again.If the next works are to follow lines of death\black can we indicate this a path of no return or with returns when deemed necessary?
MS:I dont think there would be more black or death metal in our sound on the next records. But never say never, we will see. Every song has to have this typical megaton sword feeling in the end. Thats hard to explain.
A10:I’m not the biggest fan of Manowar, but I really like them. Can we believe that the band sees them as a small encyclopedia and you are the chapters of this imaginative encyclopedia?
MS:Yes why not, thats a cool description, musically at least. Lyrically, we have much more to offer – manowar in all honor!
A11:It looks complicated, but it even has a dose of humor. Does working with DYING VICTIMS so much make the band a kind of friend to the high school principals?
MS:Haha yes, the lyrics are quiet complicated, because every song is a very small snippet of a big story. Its almost impossible to understand everything. But i think they are fun und over the top.
A12:Megaton Sword made their second album entitled MIGHT & POWER. This duality in the name of the album can generate some confusion. Was it a nice trap?
MS:Even more confusing when you realize that the song Power on the vinyl version is on Side Might, and Might on Side Power
! The first plan was to release a 7 inch. But the pandemic lastet longer the we thought, so we had enough time to write a full length album.A13:I don’t think it’s impossible, but as your songs have different and very separate meanings. It’s almost impossible for an album to be conceptual of your band, correct, beautiful?
MS:Yes, uzzy develops the story with every new album.
A14:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
MS:This monster ist the soul of the emperor which i told you before. he trys to possess the woman who is lying in the sarcophagus. She is the naelle (vulva of the nightfall) and can also be found on the back cober of niralet. This sequence plays in an underwater harbor who can be found on the backside of blood hails…(this black isle, where the ships come from) .
A15:In a word, the biggest difference between the two albums?
MS:Just one difference? I choose three: the better vocals, a more natural production, and of course more variety because we have 2 guitars now.
I think we do a new one with the next album!{Rs!}A16:Are we going to do new interviews because the band is so fucking good or because the interviewer sucks?
MS:I think we do a new one with the next album
,Megaton Sword,Finish? Thanks for having us, thanks for some really cool questions and thanks a lot for supporting Megaton Sword. -
Aristocracy Interview 278 With DeathDoom Hungarian Band Coffinborn
Line Up:
Disguster On GuitarVocals
Churchburner On Bass
Blasphemy On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We’ll talk in a little while and again within our newsroom, for in all your emotions, the Aristocracy’s 278 interview.We’re back with the same person in the interview, but it’s a different project.We’re talking about the Hungarian band Coffinborn that releases their debut work entitled Cadaveric Retribution, but we know the mind behind it.Yeah, we already talked to him when you formed your Black Metal band Rothadás. Evidently, the bands are too different, not only for style reasons, but also in terms of work, despite a factor that is always omnipresent in these works. terrible, brutal and even dangerous in some layers.If your ear has sensitivity, take care of this sensation, because here the rest for him won’t happen anytime soon.
After the traditional opening song, suffer with this wonder from Hungary.Before I forget, think it’s over? Not even close, they are designing and working on a second album!A1:Talking about the composition work in Cadaveric Retribution?
Coffinborn:We wrote most the songs right after we recorded the debut MLP back in 2013 and I think 2 years ago I changed some riffs in some songs and also wrote a couple new songs and replaced with the old ones. We kept the same sound for the full length from the MLP.
A2:Disguster, by the luck of fate and of course his talent, we spoke again.When we started, we talked about a very bad and technical project of yours, read Rothadás.Of course, I’m not comparing the bands. But, that abrasive side that accompanies it is a wonderful benefit for both Rothadás and Coffinborn correct?
Disguster:Lambert and I are playing in both bands, Zsolt who plays the bass in Coffinborn also in multiple other projects with Lambert, and I also used to play with him in Mörbid Carnage so we definitely know each other very well so we can work efficiently.
A3:Obviously I’m not against the mysterious air the band does. But how that is defined is what I and my audience need to know. Can you tell us?
Disguster:It’s rather mysterious because we are not really active in a way like a band usually. I can’t really tell you anything extra other than that all 3 of us are living in different countries so it makes the writing process slower.
A4:The question seems complicated, but it’s not. Would it be disproportionate or would it just not fit to put the sludge in Coffinborn’s sound?
Since we are influenced by Asphyx we also have some heavy doom riffs in songs like Putrid Stench of Death or Infernal Entombment. You could say that those riffs sound like sludge.
A5:Some literature or film inspire this specifically band?
Disguster:Nothing really inspires me to create music, it just comes naturally. Lyrics are also just ideas from the top of my head without any inspiration from any movie or literature.
A6:Because of this doom force, is it correct to say that the hatred so common to Death music is more cadenced?
Disguster:Lyrics about death just perfectly fits death metal of course. It is not hatred to me but rather just horror stories to match it with our sound.
A7:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Disguster:Khaos Diktator Design did the artwork. We wanted a painting this time instead of a monochrome artwork but we wanted to keep the dark atmosphere what Mark Riddick perfectly executed on our MLP 9 years ago. The LP’s artwork theme heavily influenced by the MLP’s. It’s quite a simple theme. The dead arise from their graves in a crypt.
A8:In my beginnings as a metal fan, your label entered my heart. How was the arrival to them?
Disguster:Dave from Xtreem Music contacted my former band Gravecrusher back in 2013. He heard our demo and was interested to work on our future release. We happened to finish our MLP with Gravecrusher and Coffinborn as well so after I showed the new Gravecrusher songs I also sent him the Coffinborn MLP which he liked even more.
A9:Nowadays, that curtain doesn’t exist. But, having overcome that helps the music and sound to be more extreme than expected?
Disguster:I think it’s almost impossible to shock the audience nowadays. Being as extreme as possible was never our intention. We just play what we like to listen to.
A10:Every musician demands himself to the fullest. But, for having aborted the band for a considerable time, did you place the demand on a level worthy of absolute excellence?
Disguster:We already had the album written back in 2014 but since both I and Lambert moved to abroad we had to put on hold. Luckily we managed to work our way around and record it finally last year. I did write a couple new tunes like Cadaveric Retribution or Infernal Entombment but the majority of the songs were already written back in 2014.
A11:This album is conceptual?
Disguster:Nah, the songs are about random horror stuff. Undead Ceremony and Cadaveric Retribution are about the undead, Flesheater is about cannibalism, Lycanthropic Devourment is about werewolves, Cleansed by Putrefaction is about the black plague, Infernal Entombment is about the witch trials, fun fact that our hometown had the biggest witch trial in Hungary. Gruesome Fate is about the inquisition. The first song is instrumental. I’ve seen someone described of my band’s sound as Self-Mutilation of the Soul and I thought it sounds way too cool not to use it.
A12:Calling the band an earthquake is complimentary. But can we say what other earthquakes are in mind for the near future?
Disguster:We already wrote the second full length, but at the moment we’ll try to finish some other recordings with our other bands.
13-What´s bands influence ours?
Disguster:The main influence is undeniably Asphyx and Death, but on the new record I was also heavily influenced by Bolt Thrower which is noticeable in my opinion.
A14:It is natural that there is an old school energy in the band, but are some current ideas put forward even indirectly?
Disguster:We just follow our guts when we write music. There are loads of new bands which we all listen to but not necessarily implement their influence in our music.
A15:Musically speaking, is hate the best fuel for death metal?
Disguster:I don’t think so. I’m always chilled out when I’m in writing mode. That’s my happy place. But even when I’m recording vocals or playing live I’m not influenced by hatred.
A16:I’m used to seeing your country in spectacular races sometimes won by Brazilians and because it’s a very hot climate, coming from this hot place at least in a certain season is the best seasoning for the aggressiveness that naturally comes out and is put on stage?
Disguster:I’d rather compare it to the slower but more crushing Monster Trucks. We go with our midtempo and crush everything.
A17:The toughest question: Are Coffinborn and Rothadás sister bands or cousins?
Disguster:Both me and Lambert are in Rothadás as well. Zsolti who’s the bassist in Coffinborn also heavily involved in Rothadás as well since he is the one who’s sorting out all the orders. You can definitely say that we are brothers.
Hope you liked the answers.
Regards,
Tibor
-
Aristocracy Interview 278 With Death\Doom Hungarian Band Coffinborn
Line Up:
Disguster On Guitar\Vocals
Churchburner On Bass
Blasphemy On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We’ll talk in a little while and again within our newsroom, for in all your emotions, the Aristocracy’s 278 interview.We’re back with the same person in the interview, but it’s a different project.We’re talking about the Hungarian band Coffinborn that releases their debut work entitled Cadaveric Retribution, but we know the mind behind it.Yeah, we already talked to him when you formed your Black Metal band Rothadás. Evidently, the bands are too different, not only for style reasons, but also in terms of work, despite a factor that is always omnipresent in these works. terrible, brutal and even dangerous in some layers.If your ear has sensitivity, take care of this sensation, because here the rest for him won’t happen anytime soon.
After the traditional opening song, suffer with this wonder from Hungary.Before I forget, think it’s over? Not even close, they are designing and working on a second album!A1:Talking about the composition work in Cadaveric Retribution?
Coffinborn:We wrote most the songs right after we recorded the debut MLP back in 2013 and I think 2 years ago I changed some riffs in some songs and also wrote a couple new songs and replaced with the old ones. We kept the same sound for the full length from the MLP.
A2:Disguster, by the luck of fate and of course his talent, we spoke again.When we started, we talked about a very bad and technical project of yours, read Rothadás.Of course, I’m not comparing the bands. But, that abrasive side that accompanies it is a wonderful benefit for both Rothadás and Coffinborn correct?
Disguster:Lambert and I are playing in both bands, Zsolt who plays the bass in Coffinborn also in multiple other projects with Lambert, and I also used to play with him in Mörbid Carnage so we definitely know each other very well so we can work efficiently.
A3:Obviously I’m not against the mysterious air the band does. But how that is defined is what I and my audience need to know. Can you tell us?
Disguster:It’s rather mysterious because we are not really active in a way like a band usually. I can’t really tell you anything extra other than that all 3 of us are living in different countries so it makes the writing process slower.
A4:The question seems complicated, but it’s not. Would it be disproportionate or would it just not fit to put the sludge in Coffinborn’s sound?
Since we are influenced by Asphyx we also have some heavy doom riffs in songs like Putrid Stench of Death or Infernal Entombment. You could say that those riffs sound like sludge.
A5:Some literature or film inspire this specifically band?
Disguster:Nothing really inspires me to create music, it just comes naturally. Lyrics are also just ideas from the top of my head without any inspiration from any movie or literature.
A6:Because of this doom force, is it correct to say that the hatred so common to Death music is more cadenced?
Disguster:Lyrics about death just perfectly fits death metal of course. It is not hatred to me but rather just horror stories to match it with our sound.
A7:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Disguster:Khaos Diktator Design did the artwork. We wanted a painting this time instead of a monochrome artwork but we wanted to keep the dark atmosphere what Mark Riddick perfectly executed on our MLP 9 years ago. The LP’s artwork theme heavily influenced by the MLP’s. It’s quite a simple theme. The dead arise from their graves in a crypt.
A8:In my beginnings as a metal fan, your label entered my heart. How was the arrival to them?
Disguster:Dave from Xtreem Music contacted my former band Gravecrusher back in 2013. He heard our demo and was interested to work on our future release. We happened to finish our MLP with Gravecrusher and Coffinborn as well so after I showed the new Gravecrusher songs I also sent him the Coffinborn MLP which he liked even more.
A9:Nowadays, that curtain doesn’t exist. But, having overcome that helps the music and sound to be more extreme than expected?
Disguster:I think it’s almost impossible to shock the audience nowadays. Being as extreme as possible was never our intention. We just play what we like to listen to.
A10:Every musician demands himself to the fullest. But, for having aborted the band for a considerable time, did you place the demand on a level worthy of absolute excellence?
Disguster:We already had the album written back in 2014 but since both I and Lambert moved to abroad we had to put on hold. Luckily we managed to work our way around and record it finally last year. I did write a couple new tunes like Cadaveric Retribution or Infernal Entombment but the majority of the songs were already written back in 2014.
A11:This album is conceptual?
Disguster:Nah, the songs are about random horror stuff. Undead Ceremony and Cadaveric Retribution are about the undead, Flesheater is about cannibalism, Lycanthropic Devourment is about werewolves, Cleansed by Putrefaction is about the black plague, Infernal Entombment is about the witch trials, fun fact that our hometown had the biggest witch trial in Hungary. Gruesome Fate is about the inquisition. The first song is instrumental. I’ve seen someone described of my band’s sound as Self-Mutilation of the Soul and I thought it sounds way too cool not to use it.
A12:Calling the band an earthquake is complimentary. But can we say what other earthquakes are in mind for the near future?
Disguster:We already wrote the second full length, but at the moment we’ll try to finish some other recordings with our other bands.
13-What´s bands influence ours?
Disguster:The main influence is undeniably Asphyx and Death, but on the new record I was also heavily influenced by Bolt Thrower which is noticeable in my opinion.
A14:It is natural that there is an old school energy in the band, but are some current ideas put forward even indirectly?
Disguster:We just follow our guts when we write music. There are loads of new bands which we all listen to but not necessarily implement their influence in our music.
A15:Musically speaking, is hate the best fuel for death metal?
Disguster:I don’t think so. I’m always chilled out when I’m in writing mode. That’s my happy place. But even when I’m recording vocals or playing live I’m not influenced by hatred.
A16:I’m used to seeing your country in spectacular races sometimes won by Brazilians and because it’s a very hot climate, coming from this hot place at least in a certain season is the best seasoning for the aggressiveness that naturally comes out and is put on stage?
Disguster:I’d rather compare it to the slower but more crushing Monster Trucks. We go with our midtempo and crush everything.
A17:The toughest question: Are Coffinborn and Rothadás sister bands or cousins?
Disguster:Both me and Lambert are in Rothadás as well. Zsolti who’s the bassist in Coffinborn also heavily involved in Rothadás as well since he is the one who’s sorting out all the orders. You can definitely say that we are brothers.
Hope you liked the answers.
Regards,
Tibor
-
Aristocracy Super Interview 270 With American Black\Death\Dom Band Ulthar
Line Up:
Steve Peacock – Bass / Vocals
Shelby Lermo – Guitars / Vocals
Justin Ennis – DrumsWell,Friends of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, the interview 270 of the Aristocracy.I must confess that I didn’t imagine hearing something so incredible and so frightening mentally, spiritually and musically so strong in this current year. Thanks to the talent of this trio, I’m going to have to put my tongue on fire.It’s a dissonance in the most beautiful sense of the term that is strong and enjoyable, but also frightening.Positively speaking, it was a masterpiece to listen to this band that has HP Lovecraft, a kind of priest.Don’t be fooled, countless bands are inspired by Howard Lovecraft, but there are certain ones that cross the line in a positive and exciting sense of the point defended here.Ulthar is a monstrous example and that makes two albums that are titled as Anthronomicon and Helionomicon, we will talk with one of the people who is on the front line of this spectacular madness. 2023, as I maintain this opinion in this summary and record it.Who is he? Shelby Lermo!Let’s go to some extreme music!
A1:Talking about the composition works in Anthronomicon and Helionomicon ?
Shelby Lermo:All of the compositions on both albums are pure Ulthar, I think the only difference is that the longer songs on Helionomicon have much more space to breathe and evolve. Anthronomicon is more of a “standard” format, but I think all 10 songs across the 2 albums stick to our core sound, and can be easily identified as Ulthar.
A2:As you know Almateia is the legend of a nymph with a goat, even if it is purely an interpretation of her interviewer. Can we believe that despite both being extreme, one has more destructive power than the other?
Shelby:Between the nymph Amaltheia and the goat, I would say the goat has more destructive power, as the nymph is mother and provider.
A3:I loved the explorations made, but this must have led the band to exhaustion and a focus never seen before not only for the band, but for those who are into this metal toy, how tiring but rewarding to know that it is something essential in the current year?
Shelby:We’re very happy and relieved to have these two albums finally out in the world. We worked very hard to create them, it’s hard to believe the process is actually finished.
A4:If it didn’t have old school elements, it would be weird especially among you, imagine us critics and fans. But, was combining that with the modern side a combination or did it happen automatically?
Shelby:What you hear on an Ulthar album is just a pure distillation of what we enjoy and want to hear musically. There is no attempt to be one thing or another thing, no genre that we are trying to fit into. Our sound is natural.
A5:Some literature or film inspire the band in the two albuns?
Shelby:I think everything we’ve done up to this point has been affected to some degree by literature and film, to a small extent. The only direct example I can think of on the current two albums, though, is the song “Saccades” being inspired by the Peter Watts book Blindsight. Horror and science fiction have always been big influences.
A6:I imagine you’re going to hear this question a lot, but I’ll get ahead of myself. Why don’t you consider these works as a double CD, as if they were children with different characteristics?
Shelby:The point of these albums was to do something big, and do something different. I think that the two albums are different enough from each other that they necessitate separate release, but close enough that they should share aesthetic and artwork elements. The short answer: why not?
A7:What current affairs permeate this album?
Shelby:Ulthar’s music and lyrics are not influenced much by modern events, but I do think that there is a subtle terror about technology (specifically human misuse of technology) that is present in the words.
A8:The Dissonance that the band creates is the most intense I’ve ever seen on an album in my entire life as a fan and journalist. How is this worked?
Shelby:Again, it’s just how we write music. There is no specific tonal dissonance between the guitar and bass, it’s just the use of dissonant chords and the fractured way that we construct our songs.
A9:It seems that the band had real piles and piles of songs done. Does doing these works have the objective of reducing this pile, shall we say?
Shelby:Not necessarily. We don’t have any “left over” songs after we finished these albums, and we haven’t written any new ones since we finished recording. Steve (the other songwriter in Ulthar) and I have lots of other songs written, but they are for other bands we play in. I don’t generally have unused songs laying around, they all have a purpose and a plan to be used somewhere.
A10:The album’s voltage is frightening. Was it stronger than the band imagined?
Shelby:I think the sound is exactly what we wanted it to be. Credit goes to Kevin Bernsten at Developing Nations in Baltimore, MD, for capturing it so well, and Adam Tucker at Signaturetone in Minneapolis, MN, for the excellent mastering job. We just plugged into the amps and played.
A11:What´s bands influence ours?
Shelby:We are influenced by all kinds of music, from prog and krautrock to classical to electronic to punk to black and death metal. I think we take a little bit from all of it, but some big inspiration comes from bands like Demilich, Enslaved, Immortal, Morbid Angel, Popol Vuh, Absu, and Rudimentary Peni…
A12:Undoubtedly, you work or worked in other bands. But, Ulthar came in and absorbed your lives. How is it different from everything you’ve done until today as musicians?
Shelby:Ulthar is probably the weirdest and most technical of the bands I play in. I like being able to express different ideas through different bands and different projects, I think Ulthar is where my schizophrenia can bloom.
Fake Final Interview!
12-1:Any message for the fans?
Shelby:Thank you for all your support over the years. We’re not sure what we’ll do next, but we will do our best to keep you guessing, and keep you headbanging.
A13:This albuns is conceptuais?
Shelby:Anthronomicon” = The Book of Man\“Helionomicon” = The Book of the Sun.
A14:How to convince 20 Buck Spin to this fabulous idea?
Shelby:I think Dave at 20 Buck Spin was pretty happy with how our previous albums had performed, so he was immediately open to the idea. We weren’t expecting him to be, so it was a pleasant surprise.
A15:Why is calling these albums labyrinths an elegant way?
Shelby:I think that’s an accurate description. The albums are intentionally confusing, weird, obfuscated, and disorienting. The listener should be at least a little bit uneasy during the experience.
A16:Darkness is the mother of these works. If they are, they must be very romantic, right?
Shelby:I don’t think there is much romance (or room for romance) in our music. To me it feels cold and sinister, but everyone’s own interpretation is correct. I think there might be some romance in the cover art by Ian Miller, but musically, the band isn’t writing love songs.
A17:How to marry these melodies with your sound?
Shelby:Again, it’s just natural. We write music that we like, it sounds the way it does because that’s who we are as a band.
A18:In my country, a theater director says that life is yours, spoil it however you want. Is that basically what we see in these works that arrive in a frightening way on the market? True Final Interview!
Shelby:Ulthar will never be afraid to take a chance. -
Aristocracy Interview 268 With Death Brutal South Korean Visceral Explosion
Line Up:
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!Ryu Gun – Vocals/Guitar
Lee Kyeong Won – Bass
Lee Seok Ho – Guitar
Kim Yu Jong – Drums
Hi Felipe,
Please find the answers below.
Best regards,
Paul.{Imperative!]We speak again of our editorial office, where we will have in all your emotions, the interview 268 of the Aristocracy.This time, we talk to a South Korean band that shows one of the shortest and most murderous works I’ve seen in my entire life in metal as a website owner and as a fan.The minimum duration of ten minutes, shows how this band makes an EP so intense and so short. It is obvious that we are talking about something of a naturally short duration, because this is the objective of each EP that each band makes, the surprising thing is two things. The devastating quality, already achieved last year, with the work titled as Human Meat Distribution Process and the ability, to remain frighteningly deadly, in this EP titled as Malevolent Dismemberment of Entire Putrefacted Gastrointestine.
Follow this volcanic continuity and even if it is short, it is very cutting to do something even more cutting, remembering that this work was released at the end of current January.A1:Talking about the composition work on Ep?
VE:Drums by Kim Yu Jong, Bass by Lee Kyeong Won, Guitar by Lee Seok Ho and me, Ryu Gun, guitar and vocal of VISCERAL EXPLOSION wrote the songs, recorded, mixed and mastered. Logo by ROTTEN JP and artwork by Daemorph Art. And everything about release, promotion, merch and video etc by BRUTAL MIND. We fully appreciate for everyone supporting for us.
A2:Not that it’s a bad thing for the band to emphasize their evil aura, but does doing so after such a well-received album increase the pressure for other work if not similar, but with the same evil voltage?
VE:I think that’s not a problem. We have confidence to release more better, more evil songs in the future. Stay tuned for it! lml
A3:Does the band ever use Grind at some point?
VE:I can’t be sure but we make songs with pure Death metal elements as possible. But grind, yes I think that’s also attractive element..!
A4:Some literature or film inspire the band?
VE:Unfortunately, no. Actually I don’t really like literature and film. Bassist Lee Kyeong Won likes film but he don’t watch brutal things. Haha
A5:Can hell be called your second home?
VE:I haven’t thought about it but it would be good..
A6:Looking at the title of your songs, it has a medical content. Can we believe that medicine has an influence on your lives beyond the band?
VE:Yes. I went to the pharmacy just yesterday.
A7:What kind of cruel twists is this album capable of delivering?
VE:I can’t fully notice twists exact meaning.
A8:Do you believe that there is a significant difference between Brutal Death Metal and ordinary Death Metal?
VE:I think it’s up to artists. But bands who call themselves BDM tend to be literally more brutal. But it’s not accurate. It’s fully up to artists as I said.
A9:How band know The Imperative PR?
VE:From Brutal Mind. Fully appreciate for knowing Imperative PR.
A10:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
VE:I asked Daemorph to exclude fantasy something. Just pile of human corpses. Daemorph absolutely implemented it through his perfect skills. And the awesome artwork was born.
A11:Band name aside, are we experiencing a viceral explosion in today’s world?
VE:Maybe on cruel accident..? Hope it’s not me.
A12:What´s bands influence ours?
VE:So many bands for reference. I can’t list all. Bands in Brutal Mind also influence us.
A13:This EP is conceptual?
VE:This EP is well combined blast beat parts with slamming parts. I love both parts so, many metalheads would love our EP. It may fit to appetite of many metalheads.
A14:What explains many brutal bands coming from Asia?
VE:There are several brutal death metal bands from Asia melting their oriental elements on their music well. But also there are bands who maintain the ordinary style brutal death metal. Both are awesome. Unfortunately there are few death metal bands in South Korea. We hope to spread out the fact that South Korean death metal is also good as any other bands.
A15:The band feel differences between album and EP?
VE:We want that our songs become more brutal and have more dynamic. EP contains that differences compared to Human Meat Distribution Process the debut album for us. I think there are several differences about songwriting between album and EP.
A16:Why the band have this name?
VE:I think “Visceral Explosion” is well fit to death metal band name. Brutal. Isn’t it? haha
-
Aristocracy Interview 266 With Italian Doom Metal/Ambient Bosco Sacro
Line Up:
Giulia Parin Zecchin On Vocals and Lyrics
Francesco Vara On Guitar
Luca Scotti On Drums
Paolo Monti On GuitarWell,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, the interview 266 of the Aristocracy.Today, we’ll talk to a band that’s different from our usual band. Don’t take this as a criticism of the band, but a sincere warning that we’re not naturally used to it, but it’s not a specific case and that it will never happen again with this or other bands, it’s a warning that this will happen again with this same band or others who have the same or similar style to our interviewees.Our interviewees mix Doom, ambient music and a Trip Hop that is a very unique style, very subtle and very strong as your reading has built. Do you think it’s over? Not, even close.
They are going to do concerts and even documentaries about themselves. This is not about advocacy, the band, but future events that are truly planned.Michele Canevari is the mind behind this ambitious and interesting idea as well as directing the music Fountain Of Wealth and the beautiful eyes of Avantgarde Music loved for a first album titled as GEM.
Sincere thanks must be given here, first of course the band and their documentary director, as these are the natural and most important ones.
However, with even greater importance to the Italian site Metaversus, the record label Avantgarde Music for giving a chance to a band that I didn’t expect to find in life. It gets to be sweet and beautiful.Let’s play a song of this marvel coming from the Italian world so that this conversation can take place.A1:Talking about the composition work in Gem?
PAOLO: Gem’s first three songs were born in 2021 when we started sending each other tracks and suggestions. The other 3 during the first and only rehearsal we did together in the summer of 2021. The remote working mode helped us to think a lot about the sound and the direction for the songs to take. But the magic always comes when we play together.
A2:Not that I don’t like ambient music, but how and why was this decision made?
Giulia:Ambient is a genre that we four members have in common. Each of us has played in different projects and formations with a different touch of ambient elements in them. What we like about this kind of sound, that is to say, the idea expressed and revolving about this concept, is that it channels feelings related to vastness and naturalness.
A3:What kind of expressive language does this album have?
PAOLO: Bosco Sacro is the result of our past and present experiences in music, art and life and you know “The whole is more than the sum of the individual parts” 😉
GIULIA: “Gem” is vulnerable and consolatory at the same same.It brings darkness and light at the same time. It is human and sacred at the same time.It is celestial and down to earth.In sum, the language we use is one of honesty, it doesn’ escape from emotion and it doesn’t linger in the same one for long. There is a space for dreaming and for yearning for something higher, and there are musky holes in which we need to crawl and get wet and dirt to grasp a revelation and understand the meaning of our path.
A4:Some literature or film inspire the band?
GIULIA:There isn’t a specific artistic source related to the overall creation of our project. As for the lyrics of “Gem”, they have been issued from experiencing a direct contact and communion with nature, leading to some existential and mystical reflections. Anyway, there were three books I had with me during the recording and writing sessions: “Mythologie des Arbres” by Jacques Brosse, a collection of poetic works in French by Arthur Rimbaud, and “Alchemy and Mysticism” by Alexander Roob, which is an illustrated journey through these realms of fundamental archaic knowledge.
A5:Nothing against the band making a song in French, but how and why was this decision taken?
Giulia:“Les Arbres Rampants” was unique in its genesis. It is a song which was recorded almost as it came out jamming for the first time, it develops through a flow so natural and fluid that it irrationally brought me to sing in a language I had never used before in music. I’ve always loved French for its specific musicality and for its passionate, lyrical reach. It felt like this
song needed the use of this language. It led me to a vocal interpretation which makes it a unique episode in my career.A6:Name of the label aside, do you consider that the band makes an avant-garde sound?
PAOLO: Honestly I’ve never played thinking of following a specific road or genre and I think I can speak for others too. Research in music does not mean a previous condition, but being willing to search inside and outside of yourself and feel what you find, translate it as sound without any compromise. In this way let’s say that we’re avant-garde.
A7:Why is the spiritual so significant to the band?
LUCA: I think that the spiritual is another part that we four have in common, like the ambient genre. We take a lot from the spiritual to put in our music, mixed with suggestions and sensations that we have in the actual moment of composition.
PAOLO: If you’re connected with yourself you are in connection with a greater whole, of which nature is also part. And this is a research path in which sound can be a powerful channel. Spirituality is much more interesting than rockstar poses.
A8:How is Bosco Sacro different from your previous bands?
PAOLO: Our influences and experiences influenced Bosco Sacro, but its sound, like the whole project itself, is something very different and independent from our other projects.
GIULIA: To me it is very different because here I can concentrare uniquely on singing, while in my other project Julinko I also play the guitar. My body is also able to move more freely and so the overall experience is much more different. I am playing with no external instrument other than my body, the air I breathe and the emotions that pass through me.A9:Why the band have this name?
PAOLO: We were looking for a name that represented the depth of our sound, as well as power, wildness, mysticism, the primordial contact with nature and among the various names proposed Bosco Sacro got everyone in agreement.
A10:How are dream atmospheres made?
PAOLO: Our sound is made up of vocals, two guitars and drums. We use very few pedals working exclusively on intensity and dynamics. What you call atmosphere is the result of listening to each other, bowing down to silence and tearing ourselves apart in front of the roar.
A11:How band arrive to Avantgarde Music?
GIULIA:In the past years ,Avantgarde Music showed some curiosity for my solo project, Julinko. So I thought they could be interested in listening to this new work we created together with Bosco Sacro, as they are open to all shades of dark creative music and they welcome underground bands and help them grow with their really professional attitude. I was right. After two days,we proposed “Gem”, and they told us that they wanted to publish it and make a video. We are very happy about the experience we are having with this label.
A12:This album is conceptual?
GIULIA:“Gem” was definitely not conceived as a concept album. It doesn’t have a central specific narrative theme, it doesn’t present compositional elements that recur with the idea of creating a uniform work, but I have to say that eventually the songs build up a certain journey anyway. Also, partly, the last two tracks share the same vocal and instrumental melodies: they are repeated and slightly varied. They give a cyclical feeling to the ending of
the album. This was not created with a previous intention, but rather it came as a natural organic choice, to give a sense of poetic and existential equilibrium the whole work.A13:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
GIULIA:The artwork is made by Carlo Veneziano, a close friend, artist and musician. We worked with him to create an image that fitted the characteristics of our music: essentiality, wildness,circularity, mystery, naturalness. You can see three symbols in the cover: the section of a log
and a burning fire flame put in relation by a mineral, a gem. This combination, this bond between these items, is a sort of alchemical suggestion that we like to keep open and unexplained, so that it can foster interpretations and personal visions, projections.A14:How did the idea of making a documentary about the band come about?
GIULIA:The video-maker Michele Canevari, who also directed the video for our single “Fountain of Wealth”, is fond of documentaries .In his YouTube channel you can find different ones, starring different kinds of figures (a tattooer, a fighter, etc.). He is a friend, and he has been interested in our music since the very beginning. He stayed with us also during the first days
of recordings and took some behind-the-scene footage. A video trailer is visible online as a result of this, and probably one day you’ll see more of it. It is a long-term project.A15:What are the expectations for the tour that will start in March?
PAOLO: It’s interesting to note how the feedbacks were initially “suspicious” from a part of people who work in labels, bookings, agencies, while on the contrary, extremely warm from the public and free people, curious and interested in music. We therefore decided to work independently on booking, and so in March we’ll play a tour of ten concerts in Italy and then
continue on a European tour in April, which will pass through Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. We’re having other requests and I think we’ll play some other concerts also in the summer and then continue in the autumn. But the real dream, dear Felipe, would be to play in South America. Can we talk
about it please? :){Maybe!!}A16:I’m not against it, but how and why are the rhythms of your songs slowed down?
PAOLO: Because we are against everything that is fast. Everything that is slow is much more intense…food, music, life, sex, travelling, etc etc
GIULIA:The rhythms in our songs are not slowed down, they are just naturally relaxed, dilated.We like to move slowly so you can hear better what is happening, so that you can stay longer in a feeling and experience the details of which it is made of. When a video is slowed down, you can notice particularrs that can be fundamental for the understanding of a scene
and that you didn’t catch at the “ordinary speed”. Our project was born during the period of lockdowns, time felt almost like suspended, we lived slower, some of us took the precious chance to breathe deep and listen inside and outside of him/herself , without haste and with less noise around. I am sure our music is the outcome of this experience too.A17:To some extent, stoner and sludge inspire Bosco Sacro’s sound?
GIULIA:All of us like monumental and noisy sounds to some extent, so I guess these two genres can be included in the spectrum of the overall influences of our band. More than stoner, we like stones anyway, so we are more inspired by such material-textural concept than by that musical approach per se 😉
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Behind Of Tracks 6 With Punk Finnish Band Fearout
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again from our newsroom, where we will have in all your emotions, our Behind Of Tracks number 6 and this time it will be about the songs from the second album by the band Fearout which is called Resistenza.
Let’s now go to this humble work that is an explanation of his songs.Track list with comments:
1. Hey Stringer, Where’s Wallace?
– Hey Stringer, Where’s Wallace? was written approximately same time when we decided to start recording our first album. So it just quite didn’t make it to the first album. This song has upbeat feeling and kind of positive vibe even though the lyrics tell a sad story about boys boys in the hood. This is influenced by the best TV show ever made: The Wire. Fun fact: when we started this band, I suggested that we should call it Stringer Bell, says lead vocalist Justus.2. The End of the World
– This one is written after the war had started in spring 2022 and the theme and atmosphere is pretty grim. The song lists atrocities done by humans in 20th century. And since we refuse to learn anything from the past, we keep on repeating until we actually will cause the end of the world. This is probably the fastest song we’ve ever written.
3. One Bullet (to Fix It All)
– This was the song that Arg wrote in spring 2022 after Russians attacked Ukraine. It’s really aggressive and powerful riff-based song and lyrics are about the disappointment to humanity and the wasting of lives that war causes to everyone involved. The song proposes permanent solution to this war kind of tongue-in-cheek…
4. Hanoi Rocks
– This is a semi-fictional love story and a tribute to one of my all-time favorite bands, Hanoi Rocks. The lyrics are filled with references to Hanoi Rocks songs and albums and music is a sort of tribute to them as well.
5. Altogether
– Olden Goldie. This song was written back in 2008. I had a punk project band back in the day and I had composed some songs for that, but they were never really used anywhere. Maybe a little bit Nirvana type of feeling in this song. The lyrics were heavily influenced by George Floyd story and other police brutality stories you read almost every day from newspapers.
6. What’s the Matter With You
– This is a weird one. It has kind of System of a Down type of feeling in main riff and then in verses theres some blast beats and really nice chorus with some rage in it. Unfortunately the lyrics are inspired by a true story when a man I knew tried to burn himself alive. Unsuccessfully.
7. Seattle Suicide Pact
– Another one from 2008 sessions. I’m not sure if this is punk or rock or whatnot. In lyrics I’m trying to the inner conflict between trueful to the art you create, but the need being commercial enough to make ends meet.
Fearout are:
Justus Latvala – Vocals, Guitars
Arg Kinnunen – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Topi Lajunen – Drums, Backing Vocals
Minttu Minkkinen – Bass, Backing Vocals
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Solid Rock News!
In Hell’s Duty is an alternative dark rock band from Poland.
The band seeks to redefine the uncompromising and unsettling complexity of human nature and reflect its contrariness in both music and lyrics. In Hell’s Duty draw their inspirations from different genres like rock, metal, and alternative. Where the divine meets the doomed, there darkness can be light, while the end is a prelude to a new beginning.
Currently, the band is working on the successor of “Deep Grey Light” LP. This time though, all songs will be in Polish. The foretaste of what’s to come is available now on YouTube – go check out the live video of a new track titled “W śmierć uwierzyć“.
When it comes to straight-forward, bone-crushing death metal, Tokyo’s DEFILED delivers!
‘The Highest Level’ stays true to the traditional death metal formula, while the band’s gritty songwriting approach lends to its authenticity.
DEFILED attempts to make no frills with this new full-length, instead speaking directly to the sensibility of old school death metal fanatics who are simply looking for some face-melting violence!For fans of OBITUARY, DEICIDE, CRYPTOPSY, HATE ETERNAL.
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Aristocracy Interview 332 With Swiss Sludge Band Oath Of Cranes
Line Up:
Fabrizio Merico On Lead Vocals,Video Production And Graphics
Erol Unala On Guitar, Noise And Drones
Chris Tragianidis On Lead Guitar, Keyboards And Bass
Amedeo Mauriello On Bass
Franco Sesa On Drums, Songwriting, Lyrics And Concept
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while,we will have in all its emotions, Interview 332 of the Aristocracy.This time, we talked with a band that united Doom/Sludge with oriental influences and shamanic culture.
We are talking about dark and disturbing songs, as well as a powerful concept inspired by Taoism with the cultural influences that the band has widely and with tributes to the uplifting virtues.Among them, the choice of Sanskrit for the titles of the songs that generates an innovative and powerful result done in a way that also generates influences in Hard Rock, I believe that this work is distorted, but full of structure in an intense Hard Rock.Aristocracy talks today with the Swiss Band Oath Of Cranes and they show us their debut album titled as The Unsung Mantras. We want to thank Franco Sesa very much for answering our humble but important questions, besides the band of course with the work done.Let’s go to a song so that this interview for the Brazilian press can get started.A1:Talking about the composition work in The Unsung Mantras?
Franco Sesa:In terms of composition, the songs are “simple” rock songs. “Different” is that the classic rock instruments are more of an accompaniment. They serve the choirs and should appear as atmosphere builders. It wasn’t about writing the most technical album possible or reinventing the wheel. I was looking for a mood. A mood that appeals to and allows for multiple emotional levels. not just aggression. You can bang your head, but you can also just listen. Find out what the songs do to you. Scream, cry, explore the soul.In short, that is the intention of the compositions.
A2:Undoubtedly, the great merit and milestone in the drummer’s career was being one of the creators of the legendary band Celtic Frost. A band that your interviewer likes a lot, by the way.But, you decided to build Oath Of Cranes. The objective with this new band is to have a legacy if not equal, but similar to what Celtic Frost has in the metal universe?
Franco Sesa:No, that is by no means the goal and it would be foolish to strive for it. Celtic Frost is a cult band and are ambassadors of a very special era in heavy metal history. You can’t just become a cult band.Oath of Cranes stands on its own. Only the gods know what will become of it.For me, personally it was clear that Monotheist wasn’t my last album. I still had
too many ideas in my head.A3:Your album has the interesting name of Unsung Mantras, can we understand that these mantras are satanic or forbidden by some entity beyond our human understanding?
Franco Sesa:The title of the album contains no satanic message. Mantras are used, for example, to free you from a certain life situation or to get you in the mood for something new or to open yourself up to something where you were too closed before. Mantras are medicine. Good medicine.They were developed by people who have the utmost respect for human life.They should enable us to experience life in the best sense. The healthier you
are, the longer you live, the more metal albums you can listen to. It’s not that
bad, is it?A4:Given the fact that these evil mantras exist in our world, can we claim that their music is a personal interpretation of a certain evil Buddhism?
Franco Sesa: I know nothing about evil Buddhism. Is there such a thing?
The unsung mantras are your own mantras that you don’t know yet because
you haven’t listened to yourself. They slumber, waiting to be discovered. It is up to you that they can show themselves to you.A5:Can we say that your songs have a philosophical context?
Franco Sesa:The lyrics can appear in a “philosophical” dress. But it’s about everyday things.Things that require work. Philosophy for soul work.Still the hardest job in the world.The Unsung Mantras was originally intended as a triple album. But that ended up being too expensive. For the label as for us. Especially because it’s a debut album and nobody knows us. I would have liked to have released it as such. On the music platforms, it can be heard in one piece and on vinyl we have made an exquisite selection with its own mood. You have to consider that you just don’t earn anything with music these days. It’s not about the money.But, we can’t throw ourselves into the expense either. Nobody really wants to pay for music anymore. It’s a pity, but that’s the way it is these days.
A6:What does the band interpret from this sentence:Even angels, have their wicked ideas !?
Franco Sesa:Well, if that’s the case, then they’re probably more demons than angels.According to the Christian idea, angels are always the good guys. And I don’t think they have their own ideas either. They are the “extension” of God’s will.
A7:It’s not that I don’t like it, I just want to understand the reasons that led the band to adopt drones and amplifiers?
Franco Sesa:It just wasn’t possible to generate all the noises with the classical instruments.In the end, however, every noise is also a kind of music, depending on how you use it.
A8:Some literature or film inspire this album?
Franco Sesa:Well, heaps of inspiration on the album.From Laozi’s Tao te king to Nietzsche’s Zarathustra. Quotes from Krishnamurti, Mohamed, Bertrand Russell, mantras from the Vedas, dogmas from the Bible, etc. Lots of useful stuff.
A9:I think it’s great, but why do you say your music has a hard rock vibe?
Franco Sesa:I used the term hard rock simply because a lot of people don’t get along with the thousands of categories in metal. Technically we are more of a Doomsludge band. But I think that we also address a lot of listeners outside of the metal community with our music. Many non-Metal listeners are reacting very positively to the album because it’s just a bit different than what they’re used to from classic metal.
A10:Why the band have this name?
Franco Sesa:Please visit our homepage. It has a long explanation of the band name there.{According to an old Chinese legend, after their death, daoist scholars transform into cranes. They leave behind the world we know and fly home. Back to the origin of the universe. They call it: Dao: also known as the great unit. The Alma Mater, the great mother. The matrix, paradise or whatever names the various cultures of humanity gave it. Once there, they dissolved and then flowed back into the infinite cycle of materialization and dematerialization. The dynamics of yin and yang. The Dao. Birthplace of all things known and unknown to us. The place to which we will all return one day.This is only one of countless legends that circulate around this wonderful bird. In almost every culture, from ancient times to the Middle Ages, the crane has had an important position.We have chosen this daoist legend to present our band.The legend is symbolic of the loneliness and aimlessness of the human species and its desperate hope of eventually finding a safe home. The fate of man. Lost in this infinite universe, bound together in fear and loneliness.Left behind only with the cursed hope that there is a sanctuary somewhere. This security that many of us want so much. The security that this planet just can’t give us, even though it is our only home. A roof that offers no protection?…Devil may care.All religious and sectarian movements since the beginning of human civilization have recognized this dilemma of man.Perhaps naive superstition in the beginning, later used as a means of power, they invented alternate «homelands».The competition of weird and wacky stories was open. Every culture invented its own illusions and god stories. The narrative is amazingly similar throughout all cultures. Some stories are very similar. Only the names of the protagonists change.But what connected the stories was the guarantee of a «sanctuary» after being here.And now the great killing began. Which illusion is a fact? Mine or yours? The desire for security maddens us. At least the illusion of my tribe gives me some sort of a home.Life seems to be boon and bane simultaneously.«Culture is not your friend»Terence MacKenna.The dictum of the message in the taoist philosophy, is to achieve independence.Independence from earthly or heavenly promises. Self-sufficiency as the highest maxim.From very early on, daoists knew only too well what religious or ideological movements were capable of doing.Pagan gods,Judaism,Christianity,Islam,Buddhism,Hinduism,Scientology,
Communism,Fascism.The invisible hand of the market and so on…All of the above «movements» sell «illusory security» to their followers. Carried by the despair of man, his loneliness and the fear of being forgotten in infinity. In the end, they are all just testaments. One day remnants of past cultures. Which in the end brought more suffering than blessing.At the moment we are in a time of transitions. Well, at least in some parts of the secularized world. Some behave by threatening everything new all the harder. Radicalize and lash out like a cornered animal.No culture gives away its hard-won illusions just like that.Unfortunately, as we all see, war is unavoidable.When war or better change is not fought inside, then it comes to the fight outside.That was and still is the more popular outcome because it’s the easier way.What comes after Religion? …….Religion of course!The new generations in the secularized world are currently creating movements with «religion-like» features. Unfortunately they also obviously still need gods. The culture of debate leaves much to be desired. Excluding, defaming and ignoring those who think differently are the tried and tested weapons of those they fight against.«Same same but different».The vacuum of the void should not be underestimated.Emptiness is an opportunity but at the same time also very threatening for people.No obligation to anyone is another of the maxims of Daoism. No suprise it did not become the favorite movement of the chinese dynasties. But Confucianism was welcome, because it demanded absolute obedience to the authorities.Daoist were often regarded as Misfits.The birth of Daoism was the book «tao te king» by Laozi, a fictional character.600-400 B.C. World Literature.Described as one of the first anarchist works.A godless book!An earthquake at the time that did not bring them many admirers.A godless book 400 years before Christ! Fascinated? Read it and see.The Oath of the Cranes therefore means a promise. The promise of a home that exists.The universe. Not more not less.No angels, no devils, no virgins. They are all at home here. Enjoy them now.The home where we all come from. Back to a world before we arrived here and were educated, confused, seduced or abused by ideologies, religions or mundane desires, which in the end, as we all experience ourselves, alienate us from our being and cripple us physically and mentally and also alienate us from this wonderful planet. That’s probably why we treat it so badly, even though it provides us with everything for free. We humans couldn’t even make a crappy carrot without the earth’s help.FACT.Show me your face before you were born.Zen-philosophy:Daoists recommended us to submit to the «cosmic» laws.Means: to accept the irrevocable things.But this is not the strength of human beings. Interference and control is our great desire. But control and security are not cosmic laws. Neither is hope. These are human needs and therefore doomed to fail.Be wary of those who guarantee you safety. They usually leave mass graves.Take responsibility for your actions. Your words become your life.Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.— Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals[1]But first of all realize your own indoctrination or in the words of the tao:The obfuscation of the third eye SeA 2022:With this text I don’t intend to emphasize daoism as the measure of all things. It is also only a philosophy. In the west a not so noticed one. In my eyes however a very rich source of knowledge. I like the idea that the universe is simply a coincidence. That life was simply possible because the potential for it is present in the universe. A liberating thought. The text is conceived as an inspiration.Never stop asking, thinking, laughing and most importantly, wondering.By the way, Laozi means: The old child.Old but still with the ability to be amazed. Keep this ability and you will experience bliss.}
A11:The idea of sometimes using the keyboard is perfect, but is the idea to be melodic or orchestral or both?
Franco Sesa:We use samples and some self-made sounds. The choruses are pretty much all sung by us. Except, of course, for the Tibetan choirs and the overtone singing.Unfortunately, I haven’t found anyone who has mastered overtone singing well enough. Live, we will work with samples. Maybe someday with a choir. For very special occasions.
A12:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Franco Sesa:The cover symbolizes a well-known pattern.
The goat or devil head is representative of the materialistic, hedonistic, needsatisfying world.Lord of this World, greed, lust, ruthlessness. What the devil stands for.His goal: We get bogged down in addictions and always want more.His greedy mind rules over the body of the divine Saraswati.
The goddess of muse, art, literature, music etc.Mammon’s rape of art.
Also called music or show business or business generally.And we haven’t been there since today. The creative, beautiful side of man,suppressed by people who misuse art for their own selfish purposes.The old boring story. And everyone still falls for it.A13:This album is conceptual?
Franco Sesa:Yes. A journey from darkness to light into darkness into light etc….
A14:How band arrive to Klang Machine Records?
Franco Sesa:Tommy Vetterli, mastermind of Coroner, played our album to Merlin Sutter,former Eluveitie drummer and now Cellar Darling. He liked it and brought us to KM Records. Along with his partner, he co-manages and owns KM Records.
A15:Why Sven Gryspeerdt left from the band?
Franco Sesa:Sven Gryspeert was very important during the making of the album. We worked a lot and it was a good time. He was a technician and an engineer. Less a musician or a creative one. He helped me to capture the ideas and implement them well. Our ways parted at the end of the album. Made some sense. The current line up is primarily intended for the live performance. I unearthed Erol Unala and reactivated him. He and everyone else are doing a good job now.
A16:Are there more differences or similarities between Celtic Frost and Oath Of Cranes?
Franco Sesa:There are no similarities other than a passion for hard rock.
The main difference is that we treat each other better.Not the procreation of the wicked, but the procreation of the beautiful.Cheers,Franco Sesa! -
Aristocracy Interview 331 With Bosnian Herzegovina Black/Death/Doom Metal Band Suton
Line Up:
Hylinn On Lyrics
Insanus On Music
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all your emotions, Interview 331 of the Aristocracy.This time, we spoke with a band that is a duo and shows a true abstract horror with many dense atmospheres, full of dark and very nefarious energy combined with that a fauna of despair but totally spiced with the dense energy coming from the Balkans.The reason for this is much greater than the origin of the band, which belongs to Bosnia. As we know, it is located in Eastern Europe, in the Balkans, but its triple mix between Sludge\Doom combined with Black and Death energy generates a double strong, intense and who is sure of their goals and plans.If, on the one hand, it is a little sad to know that the band stopped for six years, we can say that they rewarded this long wait by making a very cohesive debut album and very sure of what they wanted to show.
Aristocracy talks with Bosnian Duo-Band Suton and this is their debut album entitled Sacrilegious. We want to thank Hylinn for answering our humble but important questions, besides of course this excellent work and also a deep thanks to his partner who is known only as Insanus, something he was also in his respective work.Let’s go to a song by this duo so that this masterful conversation can get its proper start.A1:Talking about the composition work on Sacrilegious?
HYLINN: That was a process that has been going on since 2020 when I first suggested to Insanus that we should try to do something with Suton. It didn’t matter whether it would be a single, an EP or a full album. At that time we came up with a few riffs to settle and work on them, so the base for the album was there when we returned to the project again in 2022. Everything begins with those few riffs and arrangements. Of course, it took us almost two years for the whole album, but that was for the simple reason that we didn’t have to rush and make anything by schedule. The only goal was to create the right atmosphere for this album. So it can be said that time is the most responsible for composing “Sacrilegious”.A2:Even though Death Metal and Sludge are notorious, the style that remains the most on the album as a whole is Black Metal right?
HYLINN: I don’t agree with that. Of course, you can feel Black Metal in all of this because Insanus and I have been making music in that genre for decades. However, Black Metal is neither the supporting nor the driving force on this album. Pure experimentation through Doom Metal/Death Metal/Sludge and Southern is the key here for the complete image of the album. We wanted to wander into unexplored fields where we hadn’t ventured to any greater extent before. For me, this is a significant experience because we didn’t rely on Black Metal for a second. This is our out-of-the-comfort-zone product and I am very proud of it.A3:Universal situations aside, why did the debut album take six years to reach critics and naturally the audience?
HYLINN: Better ever than never, right? I think it came at the right time because we were totally free to create it when we wanted and how we wanted. We were not burdened by deadlines, labels, or any frameworks. It can be said that this album was absolutely created from the heart, to express everything that we think and feel at a given moment. Only with us, the moment extended to years, but I’m not complaining. We gave the metal underground material that totally reflects our views on everything that surrounds us. I don’t know how long we will have to wait for the next full-length, but this one was certainly exhausting and rewarding work.A4:What would a Cartesian dualism be?
HYLINN: I used to read a lot about followers of Cartesian thought. By the way, this whole branch was started by René Descartes, a French philosopher. It is a philosophical teaching of modern rationalism based on the cognitive-theoretical insights of Descartes, more precisely on his understanding of thinking as the last and irrefutable foundation of the security of overall knowledge. The main problem of supporters of the Cartesian doctrine is bridging the gap between soul and body in the course of human knowledge, and the gap was created by Descartes himself with his doctrine of the mutual complete independence of these two fundamental components of man. Literally, it is a dual opinion, a thought between two sides, if you want, you can say that it is also the thought of the Suton band itself. There are two of us in the band and each one has his own thoughts and each one works to complement the other’s idea/thought. It can be said that although following Descrates’ ideas, we have bridged the gap between soul and body, each in our own way.
A5:I understand perfectly that the world is horrible, even more from the perspective of a band that I think has a more Black Metal verve, but which horrors inspire the duo?
HYLINN: You must have seen the movie franchise”Hellraiser”,there is a part in it when Pinhead perfectly describes the most terrible thing that happens around us:”You have seen many things that you will wish you verity.had not, many nightmares from which you will never awake.Welcome to the worst nightmare of all… REALITY!” I think everything is summed up there. Our reality is a horror that we breathe and live in 24/7, so we don’t need better inspiration than our surroundings and the actions that take place in them, making all dread and terrors come alive in.A6:Although I really like the fact of using Drones, each band has a modus operandi to do this in their sound. What is Suton’s modus operandi?
HYLINN: I really don’t know the answer to that question. I don’t think we have a defined and exact modus operandi. We do what we think should be done at a given moment, of course, we also make mistakes and our actions are subject to changes a million times until we get what we visualized in our heads. But if there should be a strict way of functioning for Suton, we can’t find it. Everything is given to the imagination and where it takes us, we absolutely accept and build everything from that place. Then it can be defined that our modus operandi is in fact maximum freedom and enjoyment in the process of creation.
A7:Not that it’s easy, but can a duo work flow faster musically and lyrically?
HYLINN: The answer is an absolute YES. Insanus does the music, I do the lyrics. Then we take a period where we fit and arrange the music and vocals into one whole package. This process usually takes a couple of months, and when we are sure that everything is where it should be, we start recording it, which takes the least amount of time. The fewer people in the band and in the creative process, the less shit. There are only two of us, so we can’t bring too much nonsense and unnecessary discussions into the story about creation. When everything is finished, we take a couple of months to rest from each other and recharge our batteries, so that we can continue working on some other material. This way of functioning has been good for us for seven years and I think it is a winning formula for our creativity.A8:How is Suton different from your previous bands?
HYLINN: In the first place, the very fact that it is not Black Metal. Everything I do in Suton I have not tried before in any of my bands. Here absolutely everything is open and there are no obstacles to any arrangements and musical forms. So working in Suton is actually liberating and in its essence has freedom and breadth. The core of Suton’s existence was to work without restrictions, and I think we managed to do that on the first album.
A9:What abstract ideas did this album want to bring out?
HYLINN: Our thought towards the world. I know that sounds selfish,but I don’t want it to be otherwise,because then it would be false, and why lie to yourself? At the end of the day, even if we recorded an entire album and left it in a drawer, abstraction would exist.Although only Insanus and I would know about it, that still wouldn’t threaten its existence in this reality. If someone else besides the two of us manages to build their own abstraction (in any direction) with the help of our music, I consider that the mission of this material has been completely successful.A10:How band arrive to Satanath Records?
HYLINN: Insanus and Aleksey developed a relationship that becomes more than business years ago, co-releasing together albums from Insanus’ record label insArt Records. There were no obstacles to continuing cooperation on this release.A11:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
HYLINN: We were looking for an artwork that could depict the sacrilegious segment of the relationship between two people, between humans in general, and between civilization as a whole. We found this picture and for us, it was a perfect example of how people can stand very close to each other and still remain complete strangers, and at the end of the day maybe become enemies, which is the reality of today.A12:Celestial Consciousness with negative planning?
HYLINN: The total and absolute destruction of the world, planets, galaxies, and everything the human mind thinks it knows, desires and searches. Because even when everything disappears, thought and consciousness will continue to exist somewhere in the celestial regions.
A13:This album is conceptual?
HYLINN: I wouldn’t say. It is possible to find some small links between the songs, but essentially they are not dependent enough on each other to call the material conceptual. Each track carries its own vision of the experience that the two of us went through, so there are no links there. These are all thoughts and actions that happened to us through various periods of life without mixing with past or future phases.A14:What band mean with Grandiose Anthropomorphism?
HYLINN: Anthropomorphism itself is giving some specifically human characteristics to animals, plants, natural or supernatural phenomena and deities. The characteristic of anthropomorphism is that all these phenomena are symbolically presented with human characteristics, i.e. interpreted as human persons with human motives. We just raised it to even more bizarre heights, we wanted to think about what it would look like if it got an even crazier and more wicked level. How eager some subjects would be in that state for blood and power. It is known that everything is subject to corruption and deterioration, so we tried to imagine how corrupt and bloodthirsty the world would be if everyone could be like gods.A15:Does this album have a nihilistic vibe?
HYLINN: I wouldn’t say. Of course, it’s up to everyone to create their own image by listening to this album, but from my point of view, the portrait of this full-length is not created with nihilistic colours. There is a touch of misanthropy here, but that’s simply because Insanus and I aren’t huge fans of humans and their thoughts and creations, kudos to the exceptions. But, nihilism… hardly. There are so many other things and directions in life that we feel are worth fighting for and uplifting, so that would run counter to the notion of nihilism.A16:Why an Elephant’s Memory cover?
HYLINN: It was an Insanus’ choice. He is a fan of psychedelic rock from the ‘60 and ‘70 and has always wished to metalize one of his favourites.
A17:Explain in your own words how the work with the Slovenian Chains was and answer: Does this Split help to understand, even superficially, this debut album?HYLINN: Working with Chains was an inspiring and great experience. They are splendid people, first of all, then musicians and their work inspire. That split-material came as a natural result of our shared time and thoughts, and our shared views on existence. I would absolutely have nothing against doing a split-material with them again because every new experience is a big plus for the development of both the Suton band and us as people and musicians.This split-work has no direct connection with “Sacrilegious”. In the end, the full-length would not have its own identity, but would only be a continuation of something that is already seen. In this way, it exists for itself and is quite sufficient for itself.
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