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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-zine, October 1, 1995, Issue #3
Co-Editor: Adrian Bromley <no email>
Co-Editor: Gino Filicetti <ginof@io.org> (_DeaTH_ on #metal)
Assitant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault <amgaudra@ccnga.uwaterloo.ca>
Web Page Manager: Brian Meloon <bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder
--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and a bio to:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
57 Lexfield Ave
Downsview Ont.
M3M-1M6, Canada
Fax: (416) 693-5240 Voice: (416) 693-9517
e-mail: ginof@io.org
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically distributed
worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all forms
of brutal music; from thrash to death to black metal, we have it all.
Each issue will feature interviews with your favorite bands, written
from the perspective of a true fan. Each issue will also include
record reviews and previews, concert reviews and tour dates, as well
as various happenings in the metal scene worldwide. We here at
Chronicles of Chaos also believe in reader participation, so we
encourage you to submit any material you may have to Gino Filicetti
<ginof@io.org>.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a
message with "SUBSCRIBE coc-ezine <your-name-here>" in the BODY of
your message to the list handler at listproc@lists.colorado.edu.
Please note that this command must NOT be sent to the list address
<coc-ezine@lists.colorado.edu>, but to the mail server which handles
this mailing list.
WORLD WIDE WEB SITE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are currently in the process of constructing a website for
Chronicles of Chaos. You can check it out by pointing your web
browser to http://www.geom.umn.edu:8000/~bmeloon/music/coc/coc.html.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail Brian Meloon
<bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #3 Contents, 10/1/95
--------------------------
- Editorial
- Feature Stories
-- Strapping Young Lad - Bracing for Success
-- Souls At Zero - A Minor Reflection
-- Nevermore - Thrash the Seattle Way ?!?
-- Mortification - Taking Metal Down a Different Path
-- Exclusive Foundations Interview with Only Living Witness
-- Misery loves Chatting
- Independant Interrogations
-- Filthboy's Fanatical Fight for Fame
-- Dirt Church
-- Bathory - _Octagon_
-- Strapping Young Lad - _Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing_
-- Lake of Tears - _Headstones_
-- Cathedral - _The Carnival Bizarre_
-- Gomorrah - _Reflections Of Inanimate Matter_
-- Release - _End Of the Light_
-- Neurosis - _Verdun 1916_
-- Mortification - _Primitive Rhythm Machine_
-- Imagika - _Imagika_
-- Morgana LeFay - _Sanctified_
-- Various Artists - _Identity_ (Century Media Sampler)
-- Quo Vadis - _Quo Vadis_
-- Mind Pollution - _Spoonfed and True To The Cause_
-- Dirt Church - 3 Song Foundations Sampler
-- Thanatopsis - _Within A Conciousness Unborn_
-- Terminus - _Victim Culture_
-- Red Tide - _Expressions_
-- Experiences with Monster Voodoo Machine
- What We Have Cranked
- The Final Word
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
E D I T O R I A L
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here we are everyone, with another brand spanking new Chronicles of
Chaos! At last glance our subscriber list is up to 320+ subscribers
and growing all the time. That's about 100 more people than we had
for issue #2. Fuck, that's what I call growth. I hope you dudes out
there aren't disappointed with this month's issue; it is kind of
lacking in the way of interviews, but I think our review section
makes up for this. I can guarantee you guys that next month, you will
all shit your pants when you get a load of our line-up. Too bad it's
a whole month away! This month, a lot of our interviews are coming
from Foundations Forum, a 3-day convention in Los Angeles, and the
only Hard Music Convention in the world (supposedly). Adrian was very
fortunate to be able to have gone and hung out with some of the
coolest dudes around (your fucking picture with King Diamond sans
make-up rulez!). It was a chance for musicians, fans and industry
people to get together and basically peddle their wares. Local
Toronto act, Mundane, played Foundations with over 30 other bands
from around the world. I'll bet they just fucking kicked ass!
One more note to all of you subscribers out there, since there are
about 100 more of you now than there was when CoC #2 came out, you
all probably want to check out that issue as well. The best way to
do this would be to download it from our web page (URL is in our
header). If you don't have access to a web browser, I'd be glad to
mail you the issue, just send me mail at <ginof@io.org>, and specify
whether you can handle a 90k file in your mail, or you want it split
in two. So dudes, I'll make it short and sweet this time around. Take
care, drink a lot, keep it fucking loud, do what you want to do and
nothing else! Lates! -- Gino Filicetti
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S T R A P P I N G Y O U N G L A D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bracing For Success
by Adrian Bromley
How many people can say that they have played with guitar whiz
Steve Vai, Metallica bassist Jason Newsted (in his IR8 side project),
Geezer Butler, and industrial heavies Frontline Assembly? Not many,
eh? But then again, not many people are like 23-year-old Vancouverite
Devin Townsend, a young chap with emotions on full throttle, and
about as many personalities as Shirley Maclaine.
His band's debut album on Century Media, _Heavy As A Real Heavy
Thing_, is a ball-busting assault of industrial heavy metal. Music
that'll make your ears bleed and your stomach turn upside down. Real
heavy shit. Fueled onward by the young and fully energetic Townsend,
Strapping Young Lad (SYL) is a grouping of music and emotions,
entwined within reason and insanity.
Townsend explains the necessity for him to use SYL to vent his
emotions. "I am doing so many things right now with other projects. I
have four more albums to do with Strapping Young Lad. If I didn't
have that it would be tough. I mean everybody gets in a bad mood, and
some people show that by getting into fights or doing drugs.
Strapping is sort of my release. Everytime I get in a shitty mood I
write a SYL song. I have enough shitty moods to last me a couple of
years," he says laughing.
"Doing all that other stuff is great but everytime I get in a
shitty mood I'm like, 'Fuck I don't want to do this. I want to be
doing SYL.' So I just pick up a flying-V (guitar) and go RRRWWWWR."
He concludes, "I bet you if I didn't have Strapping Young Lad as an
outlet, everything else I would be doing would be unfocused because
I'd try to vent all of these emotions somehow."
With SYL, Townsend is proud that he is able to be in control
with the direction and approach of the band, something that he has
had to do without on other projects. "The album _Sex And Religion_
(with Steve Vai) was what it was. I had nothing to do with the record
though. He wrote all of the melodies. He told me where to breathe."
After leaving the Vai project, Townsend worked with other projects,
one being his well publicized stint with England's The Wildhearts.
But the formation of SYL was kind of like a blessing for him to be
able to get his act together as he explains. "When I got around to
this I had been dicked around so many times I just wanted something
for myself. I got signed to Roadrunner and they then dropped me
because, believe it or not, I was too heavy. Relativity Records
didn't want anything to do with it because I wasn't commercial
enough. So when I finally got around with SYL it was like, 'Fuck
everybody and fuck everything.' I just went into the studio and did
everything myself in about a week. It was just RRRWWWWR!!!! It was
great. You can say anything about the record, but it is sincere."
Has Townsend grown up in the process of jumping from project to
project? And if so, how does he plan to keep the focus of Strapping
Young Lad in the future? "I have had to grow up a lot. The music
industry is full of fake people and it is tough to deal with at
times. I've seen a lot, I mean I'm only twenty-three, but I have been
lucky to have seen it and be able to carry on. As far as focusing
with Strapping's music, I don't give a fuck. I want it to be whatever
the fuck I am doing. Last thing I want to do on stage is focus what I
am doing."
The conversation goes on for a couple more minutes about the
need for him to be able to grow with his music and the newer material
of SYL when out of the blue, as if Townsend has been waiting to add
this remark, he blurts out, "I hope I ain't doing this when I am
thirty because I feel this way at the moment and it is not something
I am overly proud of. It's like saying, 'Hey everybody I have a bad
temper.'"
Regardless of how people perceive SYL, one thing is for sure,
Townsend deserves all of the credit that comes with his hard work.
This guy lives for his work, and Strapping Young Lad is proof of it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
S O U L S A T Z E R O
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Minor Reflection
by Adrian Bromley
This month, CoC questioned Energy Record's Souls At Zero
bassist/singer Brad Divins about the transition from the band's
self-titled debut (1993) to their present LP, 1995's _A Taste For The
Perverse_.
"Between the first Souls At Zero record to this record, we tried
to broaden the whole thing musically. We tried to do things
differently on this record instead of the whole thing slamming into
your face, which is pretty much what the first Souls At Zero record
was. It was music fueled by mainly anger and frustration. We all kind
of grew musically and lyrically from the first record. We've gotten
older but wiser. And as for people thinking that we will have a hard
time fitting in with our sound, I definitely think there is a place
for Souls At Zero because I don't think that we'd be doing it if
there wasn't a place for us. Everyone hopes that there is a place for
them in the music world. I hope that this record opens us up to a
broader fan base."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
N E V E R M O R E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thrash the Seattle Way?!?
by Adrian Bromley
"Honesty is what we put into our music and we hope that is what
people get out of it," states singer Warrel Dane of the Seattle metal
quartet, Nevermore. "This is where we are coming from: real honest
music."
The band's debut album, the self-titled _Nevermore_, has been
out since February, but the band has been hard at work touring,
pushing their music, and getting prepared to hit the studio soon.
Speaking with Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard (the band is rounded out
by drummer Van Williams and guitarist Jeff Loomis), both are unhappy
with the state of metal nowadays. The direction of most of today's
metal seems uninspired and lifeless in their eyes. They want to bring
back metal and disregard commercialism.
"We certainly aren't playing anything that is trendy right now.
Our music is heavy metal with a melodic edge, and that is what we
have always been into," says Dane. "A lot of bands are selling out
now and going for whatever the trend is, and that is what we have
always tried to avoid: staying away from the trends. It seems like
the bigger bands that are successful have softened and become more
acceptable, and it is funny to see that they are going against
everything they believed in when they started out," notes Dane. "They
have become the thing they didn't want to become."
He continues, "In the last few years the death metal scene has
really been stagnant. You get all of the bands that come out sounding
the same. I think in the next coming years, you will see a lot more
bands doing different things, more original sounding within their
genre than what is going on around them."
Nevermore formed out of Seattle's Sanctuary which parted ways in
1991. Sanctuary was one of the premier metal bands from the American
northwest region, releasing two albums on Epic (_Refuge Denied_ and
_Into The Mirror Black_), but afterwards, internal problems brought
the band to an end. After the break-up, Dane and Sheppard picked up
the pieces and formed Nevermore in hopes of shredding metal once
again.
Has it been tough to start from scratch once again? "It is
always rough for bands starting out. It always is, even if you are
fitting into the mold of what trend the music scene is going,"
accounts Dane. "I think it will take a lot of touring and playing on
our part, as well as a second album that is going to kick ass. A lot
of people in other interviews are asking me if I feel successful.
Success to me is a lot different than how other people define it. To
me, we are successful because a lot of bands like us don't get to go
out and tour Europe or the States and put out records. In that
respect, I think we are lucky and have achieved some success."
About the move from Sanctuary to the formation of Nevermore,
Sheppard says, "when we started with Nevermore, we had really nowhere
to go. But as soon as we found ourselves and knew what we wanted to
do, we knew that the only way to go was up, and that is what we plan
to do as things start to move for us. We are happy with the direction
we are going, but like most first albums we are still finding
ourselves, and with the second Nevermore album, we will be more
progressed in the direction that we are going."
Having already started work on the new album, what are Dane's
thoughts on the newer material they have begun working on? "I think
we will still be developing our style like we did with our last
record, and the new stuff that we are writing. I see the development
coming under way. Hopefully, a year from now, we won't slow down, but
be gaining momentum. Hopefully, we will be more comfortable seeing
that we are falling into the pocket of our songwriting style."
"We are definitely starting this band out the right way,"
assures Dane. "The last band (Sanctuary) was fucked from the
beginning because we got signed to a major label and we didn't do
things correctly. It was like jumping on a ladder half way up and
trying to claw our way up. We are starting from the bottom where we
should've been with Sanctuary." The end result? "It has been a blast
so far," says Dane, grinning.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
M O R T I F I C A T I O N
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taking metal down a different path
by Adrian Bromley
Mortification's Steve Rowe is a man with a mission. You see,
since his entrance into the world of fast guitars and powerfully
dominating lyrics, Rowe has always been searching for the right sound
for his Australian-based band's music to take form. With the band's
latest effort, _Primitive Rhythm Machine_, Rowe has once again taken
the band in a direction not scoped out by many of today's metal
bands. Though his needs for expansion are still itching, for now, his
band's latest LP will have to do.
The singer/bassist begins, "I think the danger with metal is
that trends come and go. When I started in the music industry, I was
playing classic metal (Light Force), but then when I formed
Mortification, I wanted to play that European thrash metal like
Kreator, and Rage, and bands like that. Ever since forming the band,
I have always tried to bring in a hybrid of influences because I like
all different types of metal," he says. "I just don't want to be
trapped in a trend. I think the thing that has been good with
Mortification is that with every album, we have had new ideas, and we
combine traditional metal with modern metal, and it seems that no one
is doing that, rather sticking with one kind of metal, which is
boring."
The band, which has seen several line-up changes (latest line-up
including drummer Keith Banister and guitarist Lincoln Brown), still
manages to pump out albums, six in fact, including such shredders as
_Post Momentary Affliction_ and _Scrolls Of The Megilloth_. Has the
band been lucky to be able to release a vast amount of material in
just five short years? Rowe explains that when Mortification formed,
they signed to an album deal that enabled them to release an album
every year, a good point in that it allowed the band to release
frequently rather than once every three years.
"We tried to do things that haven't been done before and still
continue to do so," explains Rowe about the risks that come with an
album every year, seeing that the direction may click, or result in
going back to the drawing board. And what makes the band continue on
besides the strong Christian ties within their music and their
messages in songs? Rowe responds that it is the whole flow of the
music, its intensity and powerful assault keeping the fuel burning.
"That is why I am doing what I am doing now," he says, "making the
music unique. With _Primitive Rhythm Machine_, it has classic metal
in it, thrash metal, death, and groove. It has everything. And what
we do with the next album, won't be a suprise because people can't
say 'you can't do that because you haven't done that before.' And the
reason that I have mixed everything up (various styles) is so that
people can't pinpoint on what Mortification is other than it being an
extreme metal band."
The topic turns to the need for metal of any type to be
commercial to sell and make a band popular. Rowe pauses and says,
"Metal has always been commercial. You look at bands like Metallica,
or Megadeth, and Queensryche, and there are certain bands that are
huge and always will be. But I think bands like Paradise Lost and
Sepultura are going to be going to that next level real soon, selling
millions of records." He finishes, "I think metal has always been
there and it has a huge underground following of bands that sell
under a hundred thousand units as well." His own opinion? "Metal is a
little bit harder, a more aggressive style of music which is more of
an aqcuired taste. Good metal is needed to keep everybody on the edge
nowadays."
Mortification keeps on believing in themselves and where they
are headed, and so do thousands of others. Faith or luck, somehow,
Mortification seems to be on the cutting edge where most bands in the
metal genre want to be.
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O N L Y L I V I N G W I T N E S S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** A Chronicles of Chaos EXCLUSIVE **
Conducted at the 1995 Foundations Forum
by: Adrian Bromley
"Right now, too many bands are writing heavy riffs, and how
angry they are but there is real music to be made," says Jonah
Jenkins, frontman for one of Boston's heaviest bands, Only Living
Witness. "Maybe we're not making it, but we are trying."
It has been three years since the release of their critically
acclaimed first outing, _Prone Mortal Form_ (Century Media), and even
though the music industry has changed in more ways than one, Jenkins
and the rest of his crew - guitarist Craig Silverman, bassist Chris
Crowley and drummer Eric Stevenson - are setting their sights on one
thing and one thing only: touring. "We want to tour the States as
soon as possible. I just want to tour with the new material," says an
excited Jenkins.
He goes on to add, "we've just wrapped up working on our latest
LP, titled _Innocence_ (we here at CoC have one of the few two-song
demos circulating right now), and are awaiting its release in January
or February 1996. The artwork will be done real soon, and the promo
discs will probably be out sometime in October. So tape it for your
friends," he says with a huge smirk.
The band has for years been a favorite underground hard/metal
band, willing to play loud music that stroked emotions and delivered
heavy riffage. How has the band managed to stay such a success in the
underground music scene? "I have no idea. I am happy being this way
as long as we can tour. I'm not really going to make money doing
this. The main thing is that I want to travel, play everywhere. Hey,
if Century Media is going to make enough money to put me back in the
studio and I can pay my rent, I'll be happy."
Speaking of studio work, it has almost been three years since
the release of their debut. Does Jenkins believe the band will be
able to fit the mold of the '90's? Is the music timely enough to
stand on its own? Jenkins responds, "I think our music is timely. It
has been a big progression for us. I mean it has been almost three
years now since _Prone Mortal Form_. It has been a long time, and the
music we play now, we all love it and I think it is a natural
progression for us, but I don't think the music is the same thing any
more though."
How so? "The songs are just as heavy as the last album, some
heavier, and we have more melody this time around, a bit more
catchier than last time but it's still very dark music. We are trying
not to take it as seriously anymore, because I smile too."
With the amount of time that went into making their forthcoming
sophomore effort, has the band been reading up on how to follow in
the footsteps of music's 'key procrastinators,' Guns N' Roses? About
the album delay, Jenkins accounts, "we had lots of problems with the
label and other people at the label. But we talked with our lawyers
and eventually got on better terms with our label. People that were
working there shouldn't have been there, and now they (the label)
have a new revamped crew in there and they are right on. Things are
going to happen the way we need them to happen right now."
"Fortunately, from working full-time jobs, we have a bit of
money right now and new equipment. We are really happy with what the
future holds for us." Confident that 1996 will bring about success
for the band, how does, or better yet, how will Jenkins monitor the
success of the band with their new album? "It can be monitored
already as some form of a success. This time was more relaxed. We
used more money and had more time (recorded in only ten days with
producer Tim O'Hare) to do the album. It is easy to work in those
conditions - not restricted - whereas in the last recording it was
tense in the studio. That recording you can hear the tenseness. It is
very much polished, and everyone was anal retentive about the
recording process. Now you hear the squeals and the squeaks, and I
don't care. I just want people to hear the songs. That's it."
Only Living Witness delivering the goods in '96. Long wait, eh?
But well worth it.
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/ ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_
/ /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/
\___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/
____ _
/ __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___
_\ \/ -_|_-<(_-</ / _ \/ _ \(_-<
/___/\__/___/___/_/\___/_//_/___/
This is the column where CoC sits down to have a face to face, no
holds barred conversation with your favorite bands, and get the
inside scoop into what's happening in their lives.
M I S E R Y L O V E S C H A T T I N G
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Interview with Misery loves Co.
by Adrian Bromley
Let me explain something to you; I like my music loud! [And I
like it louder!! -- Gino] There have been lots of shows that I have
been to in the past that I have exited with my ears ringing, almost
screaming to jump off my head and roll over dead. Case in point,
1992's Campaign For Musical Destruction with Napalm Death, Brutal
Truth, etc...
Having attended Foundations Forum in Los Angeles, I was in the
presence of the loudest fuckin' band that I think I have ever heard
live; Sweden's industrial/techno/metal outfit, Misery loves Co.
Having just had a few hours to recover from their showcase the night
before (a mere 10 hours later), I was sitting in Earache Records'
suite at the Burbank Hilton, talking very softly with thrashing duo
Patrik Wiren (PW) and Orjan Orukloo (OO) about the show the previous
night when the chat just began:
CoC: So this being your North American debut at 1995's Foundations
Forum, how did it feel, and will you be touring more Stateside?
PW: "The show was pretty good for us. We played hard and loud. It is
important for us to start somewhere like here (at Foundations
Forum), and then we will tour in some parts of the eastern United
States before heading back home. We won't be back here until next
year, but we really want to tour more here."
CoC: Even before the release of your self-titled debut, there was a
lot of press and a buzz going on about the band. To what do you
credit the word of mouth that spoke so much and so strongly of
the band?
PW: "We definitely got a lot of exposure in Europe by playing there a
lot and we did very well in England thanks especially to mags
such as Kerrang and Germany's Metal Hammer. They helped a lot in
getting people interested in us. Also MTV in Europe helped us by
showing our video six or seven times a day. I guess you can say
the combination of media and playing live has helped people
become interested in Misery Loves Co."
CoC: Was it initially hard to get the band off onto the road and live
up to the buzz that came with your beginning?
PW: "For us it was tough in the beginning, but it only took six or
seven months to get a following. We have been lucky."
OO: "It never really got to the point where we didn't want to do
this. We knew we would be able to get off the ground, it just
took awhile."
CoC: Why do you think it is that Misery loves Co. appeals to a large
number of music fans?
OO: "I think people like the album because of the variety and mixture
of songs found within - the different music styles that we
incorporate. A lot of the music varies from a hard, loud sound to
a soft, melodic sound, and I think people like that. We like
playing music that way."
CoC: Will this type of music be the way of the future for Misery
Loves Co.? Do you believe that people will still respond, as
they have recently, a few years down the road?
OO: "We aren't even thinking about any direction with the next LP.
Most of the music of our newer stuff is written. The way I see it
is, in order to go forward you can't create a totally different
music genre. You have to use the available ones and create
something new out of that. And that is why there is a lot of the
computerized metal in the new music. People are experimenting and
using what they can get their hands onto. We are doing what we
want to do with our music because it is the way we feel
comfortable. It is the way we like to hear and make music."
CoC: Just where does this band fit in? Industrial? Metal? The choices
are many regardless of the two obvious ones. Whatever the case
may be, how does the band want to go about their writing of
music and songs; under their own guidance, or in someone else's
footsteps?
PW: "I think we want to create our own pathway."
OO: "We don't listen or follow anybody. Our music just happens."
CoC: How would you describe your debut album?
OO: "I don't know, how would you describe it?" he asks me.
CoC: Loud. Abrasive. On the money. I think it is something that
people want to hear.
OO: Responds with some enthusiasm, "works for me."
- ** NOTE: If you like H-E-A-V-Y music, then check out Misery Loves
Co. when they hit your town, but be sure to take two sets of ear
plugs.
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,.:/
Here is where CoC gets the inside story on up-and-coming bands. Check
out this column for a variety of fresh, brutal groups. Should you be
an aspiring band on your way to super-stardom, send us your demo and
bio; our address is included in the zine's header.
FILTHBOY'S FANATICAL FIGHT FOR FAME
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This month's Independant Feature
by: Gino Filicetti
"We don't really care if we sell five records or fucking five
million, we just want to get our talents into a real studio."
--- Buzzy Beck, guitarist/bassist of Filthboy
From deep within the depths of one of America's first steel
towns comes Pittsburgh's Filthboy, the two-man project that defies
any and all attempts at classification. In 1993, Filthboy's two
geniuses, guitarist/bassist Buzzy Beck, and
vocalist/lyricist/guitarist Kevin Sebastian formed this small musical
wonder after realizing how stagnant Pittsburgh's metal scene was, and
wanting to pump fresh life into the dying scene.
So what was it like actually starting in a scene like
Pittsburgh? "IT SUCKS! The fucking scene down here blows. We've
pretty much taken the local scene as far as it can go. But the scene
is just fucking horrible, unless you're a Biohazard rip-off band or a
Dokken rip-off, no one will come see you. The 80's glam shit is big
down here. Every club down here has like a thousand pisshead,
hairspray bands every night." Then how has Filthboy managed to get
anywhere in Pittsburgh? What was it like for the band in its early
stages? "The responses to our first demo were horrible. There was a
couple local zines that slagged us pretty hard. They didn't really
want to accept it basically because we weren't being like everybody
else around here. And then all of a sudden, people started coming to
the shows and the name started spreading and the following began."
Local success is probably the best wish any band can hope for,
because it doesn't matter what kind of record company executives like
your music, if the local "cult" fanbase isn't there, then you amount
to nothing.
How big do you think Filthboy is right now, and how did
Filthboy's following grow since your inception? "I think we are as
big as we can take the local scene, that's for sure. We're trying to
put together an east coast tour right now. In the beginning however,
it was weird. Nobody wanted to listen to us or give us any attention
for the longest time, and then all of a sudden, like a year ago,
everybody started to get into us. And now it's like, we don't ask
promoters for shows around here anymore, they ask us if we want to
play it. It's really changed a lot. Our draws always depend on the
circumstances, we don't play all that much. We'd rather play once
every six weeks and have 300 people there than play every other week
in front of fifty people, you know what I mean?"
The most interesting thing about Filthboy is their musical
direction. The reason being is that it is so difficult to actually
pinpoint where these guys are at, and to pigeonhole them in with
other related bands. Filthboy's influences show where their variety
comes from; "Shit, it's pretty much everything man, Entombed, christ,
even Nine Inch Nails. Guitar-wise, it's influenced by a lot of death
metal, and the drumming is really influenced by a lot of hardcore.
Life of Agony type drums. Just everything man. We're into so much
fucking stuff, I mean we even listen to techno." But how much of a
part do these influences play in Filthboy's music? "A lot man, really
a lot. What we try to do is put everything that we're influenced by
into a big melting pot, and form it our own way."
One drawback to having such a varied assortment of influences
and actually letting them all loose in your music is the fact that
many potential fans feel alienated and out of place listening to the
music. Do people see Filthboy as original, or as the bastard children
of all the scenes from which they draw? "I'd say everyone that has
seen us has considered us somewhat original. But a lot of people
don't want to accept us either. You've got the death metal people
saying it's too hardcore, you got the hardcore people saying it's too
much like fucking death metal, and you got the industrial people
saying 'Oh yeah, it's metal, forget them.' You just can never please
everyone. But then again, we don't really want to please anyone but
ourselves."
Not only are Filthboy not afraid to show their many influences
in their music, they aren't afraid to take it one step further and
actually play live with an assortment of bands. They have opened for
Life of Agony and Crowbar, and have also headlined with a multitude
of assorted local bands, everything from cheesy alternative to the
most brutal death metal. "We really don't give a shit who we open for
or play with." But does the band believe this is beneficial, or do
they think that most people just feel alienated and can't get into
either one of the bands? "Well, it's hard to say, there's always
assholes at every show. I mean, we've had people come up to us and
they'd say things like, 'Get off the fucking stage you niggers!'
Unless you're pleasing that small percentage of the crowd, they don't
want to hear you. But we aren't going to just sit there and reform
our music to make somebody happy."
Filthboy is currently shopping for a label that can get their
goods out to the world. Their first label, Putrid Mind Records, was a
local independent label out of Pittsburgh. "They were as cool as can
be for a local label, but we just thought it was time for us to move
on. In the beginning, they didn't really approach us, we approached
them. They had heard about us, and they listened to some of the other
stuff and liked it, and said alright, we'll put it out for you." But
how essential is getting a record deal for Filthboy right now? "Well,
we really want to be on a label, that's for sure, but not money-wise
or even tour-wise, just somebody who will take some time and invest
in us and get our music out to people. We feel if people can just
hear us, they'll get into us." Most bands that achieve the levels of
local success Filthboy have usually want to release their own
independent records for a little while to establish their
credibility, but for Filthboy, that isn't the case. "No, see we
aren't going to be self-centered and be like 'we want to rule the
underground' type thing. We don't really care if we sell five records
or fucking five million, we just want to get our talents into a real
studio. We do want to sell enough records to keep the label happy,
but we really want to get our talents surfaced around the right
technology instead of an 8-track or a little 16-track horrible
fucking recording." But what exactly is Filthboy looking for in a
record deal? "We want a fucking calling card man! <laughs> Money
doesn't really bother us, what we want is somebody to put us in a
real studio, and actually let us go to town with all the technology
and equipment. Somebody who will actually promote us and give us a
chance."
Another odd thing about Filthboy is their involvement in video.
Most indie bands at Filthboy's stage have never even laid eyes upon a
video camera, but the boys from Pittsburgh have already shot 3 videos
for "Turncoat Angel", "Standing Still", and "My Deadly Wish". To top
it all off, they have strung all three videos, plus live footage and
a live interview (while heavily drunk) into an independent home
video. Does the band think that video is beneficial to music, or do
they think it detracts from music's credibility? "We thought it was
just fucking fun because we didn't have to pay for it. <laughs>. The
videos were produced by Larry Degallow who runs a local public access
show, "The Gallow's Pit", which plays all kinds of metal videos. He
came down to the first Filthboy show ever, which was really cool
because no one wanted to give us any credit or anything, and he came
down with his video cameras. We had no clue who he was, and he shot
all this shit and came up to us and said, 'Hey, I just shot all this
stuff. I want to put a video together. Give me your demo man.' So he
played it on his show, and it sprung the idea for a home video. It's
pretty cool. This dude, Don Sigmund, really helped us out. He did a
lot. We were like 'do this,' 'do that,' and he handled all the
controls."
Filthboy are also very involved in computers and the Internet,
so the inevitable question, of course came, up. What do you think of
the Internet as a medium of information in today's age, and do you
think it will prove to be the 'demise of mankind?' "It's great man,
too bad there aren't more bands involved in it. It's a really good
way to get your music across to people who'd otherwise never hear it,
and never have a fucking idea who you are. No, I don't think it's the
demise of nothing, I just think it's a sloppy fucking mess right now.
It needs to be cleaned up. <laughs>"
In closing, Chronicles of Chaos asked Buzzy what he thought was
in store for death metal in the future. His answer is typical of what
many people think of death metal today. "I think death metal could
really use a shot in the ass right now. Because a lot of the hardcore
death metal heads have moved on to black metal now, and the other
people who were only sort of into death metal are listening to some
other kind of cheese music. It's depressing because death metal is
such a great form of music and it's dying."
The future looks bright for these two dudes from the
smoke-filled recesses of Pittsburgh. Maybe they will be the first of
many to shed some light and spark new interest in this undeniably
talented artform.
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D I R T C H U R C H
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Adrian Bromley
Dirt Church, a thrash/groove four-piece from New Jersey, are
always looking for a good time while playing their music. They want
to rock, thrash, jam, and just go wild on stage. Crowd participation
is a must, as are crowd reactions. Lead singer Rob Marcazo begins, "I
think the key to what we do is keep the people moving. Our goal when
we write songs is, 'how are the crowds going to like the songs? How
are they going to react?'"
"We want people to have a great time when they come and see us,"
interjects drummer Rob Youells, "we are way better live than on tape
just because there is an energy level. We get excited to see people
jumping around like maniacs. The scene that we want to be part of is
a scene where you can be cool with the people that come and see and
be friends with them. They don't want to see rock stars or the
coolest thing since ice. They want you to hang out with them and have
a couple of beers before you go on."
Having only been around for two years - the band is completed by
guitarist Chris Poland (no, not THE Chris Poland) and bassist Pat
Hammel - does Dirt Church believe that they have what it takes to be
a band that will be able to see some interest arise from their
releases? "I think our music is diverse enough so that people will
like it and won't get bored with it," says Youells. "I mean I'll
listen to albums I like, but after 20 times of playing the album, I'm
sick of it because it isn't different. We like to write music where
there is a hook in the song long enough to keep the listener
interested, instead of all changes and technical stuff, kind of
'blowing our musical load' so to speak."
The band has released one 3-song CD-single entitled _Stripped
Down_, and at Foundations Forum handed out hundreds of 3-song
cassette singles. The music of Dirt Church is a throwback to the
early era of thrash: Anthrax and Overkill, which would explain the
next bit of news on the band's forthcoming full-length CD release.
"Bobby Blitz (lead singer) of Overkill lives next to me, and he
is going to produce our CD in November after his band returns from
Europe," states Marcazo. "He really likes us, and from his years in
the music industry, he has made a lot of contacts and hopefully he
can put it in the right hands. He is sort of putting his arms around
Dirt Church."
Support from veterans is one thing, but do Marcazo and Youells
know what they have to do in order to be successful? What do they
believe needs to be done by bands in order to get noticed? "I think
the big bands that come through are the ones with originality and are
able to meet the public demand (i.e. Korn, Pantera, Marilyn Manson).
There is a whole package that has to go with it as well as
originality," explains Marcazo.
So with that philosophy in mind, Marcazo and the rest of his
band continue on to write and prepare for the upcoming production of
their debut album. Marcazo outlines the process of songwriting for
the band and the message the band is trying to convey with their
music. "I communicate my messages universally. The whole purpose of
art is to communicate. If you do not communicate your art then you
did not do it correctly. That is my own personal philosophy," says
Marcazo. He adds, "there are no new stories under the sun so I try to
take my own personal view which is original, because I am the only
me. Our ideas get molded from the band's work together," says
Youells, "I mean, if we couldn't just write for us, we wouldn't be
doing this. This is definitely a personal thing for us [both
lyrically and musically]."
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This is where we rant, rave, and rip apart albums. Check this column
every month for the scoop on the latest in heavy hand-outs.
Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- If there was ever a perfect CD, this is it!
8 out of 10 -- A great piece of metallic mayhem
6 out of 10 -- Not too bad of an album
4 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
2 out of 10 -- If you like this, you are fucked!
0 out of 10 -- My shit can put out better music than this!
Bathory - _Octagon_ (Black Mark, Oct 95)
by: Gino Filicetti (8 out of 10)
I'll be straight up with you guys out there, I don't want to lie to
you, and it's nothing that I'm proud of, but unfortunately this is
the first Bathory album I've ever heard. Now before you start to
scream and yell "Poseur! Poseur!" let me say that I am a die-hard
Venom fan, and I believe that fully redeems me. As for this album, I
will admit that it was very well done, however, the first track on
this CD is pure shit. It had me scared thinking that the the rest of
this outing was going to sound just as horrible, but my fears were
quickly dissipated as soon as the second track rolled around. There
are more than a few songs on this release that I found very catchy,
possessing that brutal bass grind that I love so much, such as "Born
to Die", "Century", and "War Supply". However, it is also unfortunate
that Quorthon and the boys have felt it necessary to include a good
heaping of cheese-filled songs. They try to pull off Cannibal
Corpsesque blast beats in "Sociopath", as well as breakneck
speed-punk in "Grey" with less than favourable results. My favorite
song off this CD has got to be "Century". It has an irresistable
magnetic groove/crunch that seems to flow with Quorthon's
quasi-stoned, very well thought out lyrics. The album ends with one
of the best Kiss covers I've ever heard (next to Anthrax's
"Parasite", of course) for the immortal song, "Deuce". Quorthon even
manages to pull off a good duplication of Gene Simmons' voice. If
this is a good or bad thing, it's up to the listener to decide.
Definitely something worth buying, even if (GASP!) you've never heard
Bathory before.
For a FREE mail order catalog, please write to:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Black Mark Productions, 354 1/2 Yonge St. Suite 17
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B-1S5
Strapping Young Lad - _Heavy As a Really Heavy Thing_
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10) (Black Mark, Oct '95)
This is the debut release of Devin Townsend's new project, Strapping
Young Lad. Townsend, former vocalist for Vai, has created something
here that is almost impossible to categorize, but nonetheless he has
definitely lived up to his reputation of being a madman. The disc
starts off with a sample of a toddler describing some kind of
"monster who ate the kids." The music then proceeds into a very
industrial yet metallic plethora of noise, reminiscent of older Fear
Factory sans growls. Devin's vocals vary throughout this album in
more ways than I can count on all of my fingers and toes. My favorite
track is definitely "Goat", which fuses monstrous noises with deathly
music. "Cod Metal King" is a techno beat assortment of various
noises. The last two tracks, "Skin Me" and "Drizzlehell" are pure
industrial songs complete with distorted vox. An interesting number
is "Critic" which once again shows how much of an influence Fear
Factory is to Devin. The vocals are the old style "whisper growls"
Bell made famous on Fear Factory's first album. Also included is an
unmarked tenth track that starts as a goof-off carnival song, and
then cuts into a chorus of monstrously evil growling. Altogether, I
thought this LP made for a very interesting listening experience, (of
course it is "... utterly and completely MADE IN CANADA!") however I
think that it will be very difficult for many people to get into
Devin's music, simply because of the fact that it is so varied.
Lake of Tears - _Headstones_ (Black Mark, Oct 95)
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10)
Straight out of Sweden come Lake of Tears with their sophomore
release, _Headstones_. After the success of their last studio album,
_Greater Art_, Lake of Tears have decided to break away from the
production of Mathias Lodmalm (Cemetary) and Thomas Skogsberg
(Entombed) so as not to be compared with the likes of Paradise Lost
once again. However, the boys haven't done a good job of ridding
themselves of the comparison. This CD starts off with a heavy and
pounding Sabbathesque riff that makes you want to hear more of what
this band has to offer. The music is of the slow, melancholic, gothic
metal type, a mix of Cemetary and Paradise Lost. Keyboards and
acoustic guitars add to the atmosphere and flavor of the record. I
also hear the use of many old style hard rock arrangements in the
music, the most laughable being the cowbell smacking drum intro. The
title track has many interesting elements in it, very atmospheric
with a deep, low voice mumbling words of unknown origin. My favorite
track by far is the final one, "The Path of the Gods". This song has
that catchy, rhythmic heaviness with the wide epic sound to it that
makes it irresistable. Definitely a good buy if poetic metal is your
cup of tea.
Cathedral - _The Carnival Bizarre_ (Earache, Oct '95)
by: Gino Filicetti (6 out of 10)
Cathedral are back once more with their full length followup to
1993's _The Ethereal Mirror_. The first thing I noticed about this
album was that Lee Dorrian's voice has been greatly tamed and calmed,
and it fails to be the deep morphic voice that most attracted me to
Cathedral in the first place. The music of Cathedral is still similar
to their last album. All of the deep groove-laden riffs are still
present, and the Sabbathness of their sound comes out even more this
time around. Now whether you consider that a plus or a minus is
completely up to you, however at certain times during the record, I
noticed some riffs that were lifted completely and wholly off of
Sabbath songs. There are a couple of really slow, doomy songs that
you can almost call ballads, one being "Carnival Bizarre" which
begins with a bell chiming, and some chilling atmospheric sounds laid
around it. The other, "Fangalatic Supergloria", is almost a typical
cheese ballad, but fortunately still very doomy. This album, while
still being a pretty solid effort, lacks the one catchy tune that
seems to be Cathedral's trademark, like "Midnight Mountain" was on
their last album.
Gomorrah - _Reflections Of Inanimate Matter_ (Black Mark, Oct '95)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
Britain's Gomorrah have been hard at work promoting their hard
aggressive music. Touring with bands like Cancer, Naked Truth, and
Decomposed, as well as recording two strong demos, has hardened the
band and made them worthy contenders of being one of the many young
bands in metal to watch out for. In-your-face, and extremely blunt
and to the point, the blasting riffs and accompanying vocals of their
debut album, _Reflections Of Inanimate Objects_, are great. Listening
to numbers like "Sewer-Cide", "Another Bleak Horizon", and starter
"Without Trace" at high volume, many will appreciate the effort that
went into the making of this record. Crisp, clear production, and an
assortment of heavy numbers provide the album with a flow that
doesn't fade out until "Human Trophies" comes to an end. Plus with
the backing of Black Mark Productions, the future of this young and
eager band (both musically and business-oriented) seems to be going
uphill rather than staying at a standstill.
Release - _End of The Light_ (Spring '95, Century Media)
by: Gino Filicetti (6 out of 10)
Shit, do I ever hate reviewing records without bios! It's my number
one pet peeve, but I can't blame this one on the record company, this
one is ADRIAN'S FAULT! This CD is another aquisition from LA's
Foundations Forum '95. Release are a four-piece band who's music
comes across as talented, but at the same time uninspired. The CD
itself is a very simple job, consisting of disc, and two-page fold
out liner sleeve. It looks like this release could have been an indie
album if it wasn't for the Century Media moniker and amazing
production contained on it. The music here is slow to mid-paced for
the most part, with quite a few tempo changes throughout the course
of the entire disc. The vocals are a clean style of agony, quite good
if "cleanliness" is your slice of cheese. I hear some semblance to
Flotsam and Jetsam here, as well as a little "old" Fight thrown in.
The band has some interesting moments with the multitude of random
noises they throw in for flavor. My favorite track is "More Life" by
far. I'll leave it up to you dudes to decide if you want to buy this
CD, however, I suggest giving it a good listen first.
Neurosis - _Verdun 1916_ (Talisman Music, Spring '95)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10)
Almost eight years in creating and molding the perfect beast, Bogota,
Colombia's Neurosis have finally, after years of persistence,
released their debut album, _Verdun 1916_, on the small but
persevering independent label, Talisman Music. The world that they
are subject to in South America explains why violence, crime, and
unlawfulness make up a vast majority of the song topics. Neurosis is
very much a band that isn't afraid to hide their feelings with their
music and lyrics (similiar to the input in any Sepultura song), and
when molded with their music, it is quite lethal. With music much to
the genre of Obituary and Death, mixed with a harder based thrash
guitar sound, this Colombian quartet hit high and low with the 12
tracks that just rip and roar off the CD. Tracks like "Politicians",
the heavy "Military Sacrifice", "Marea Negra", and the title track
stand out but do not shine above all the rest because the remaining
tracks rule too. This is a classic case of a band deprived for so
many years of being able to make music, and when the time comes
around to make music, the edge and direction is stellar. This album
shreds big time - check it out!
Contact: NEUROSIS, A.A. 26974, Santafe De Bogota, D.C.,
Colombia, South America
Mortification - _Primitive Rhythm Machine_
by: Gino Filicetti (1 out of 10) (Nuclear Blast, Summer '95)
Ok, let's get one thing straight. I'm not being prejudiced against
this record because it's Christian metal, and I'm not giving this
album a bad review because I'm against anything it stands for. So,
with that out of the way, I can now safely say this album FUCKING
SUCKS LARGE DONKEY COCKS! I would end the review right there if I
didn't think my argument needed backing, but for the sake of the
curious among you, I will elaborate. First off, I noticed the vocal
approach of Steve Rowe. Holy fuck, I thought that I was in the grips
of Sepultura's _Beneath The Remains_! This guy sounds identical to
Max Cavalera in every way imaginable. I'm certain this guy spent many
an hour in front of his Sepultura collection perfecting his rip-off.
Secondly, the music; throughout the album, I was constantly trying to
peg the exact sound that Mortification stole, but I was unsuccessful.
In the end, I realized why I couldn't put my finger on their stolen
riffs; it was because Mortification seems to have stolen every
imaginable sound in both death and thrash metal and have successfully
fused it all into a bungling mass that effectively hides the sum of
its parts. The solos are a joke, sounding like an exercise in the
basics of playing scales, and the drumming leaves MUCH to be desired
with its tiresome, boring "rhythms." Now we get to the lyrics, and
that is where I totally draw the line. There is not one SENTENCE on
this entire CD that doesn't make a reference to God, Jesus, Christ,
or Our Lord. I'm not a satanist or any kind of bible-bashing bastard,
but this guy has gone entirely overboard! These lyrics bring to mind
bands like RaHoWa and other racist metal bands, in which the lyrics
cease to be art, and become pure propaganda. Definitely an album to
steer VERY clear of, unless you wish to be "born again" or to "see
the light."
Imagika - _Imagika_ (Headless Corpse Records, 2 Track Advance)
by: Gino Filicetti (4 out of 10)
This advance cassette comes to me, once again, from Foundations
Forum. Ok, that's cool and all, but the downside is that I know
absolutely nothing about this band, and I still know squat because of
the fact that no information was included with the cassette. However,
I did get a feel for this band's music, and what I heard didn't move
me very much. The first track on this teaser is "Caged & Shackled".
It starts off in a very old-school thrash vein, and generally keeps
the same tone throughout the song. The vocals here are a cheap
attempt at duplicating the most inimitable throat in existence,
namely Rob Halford's. The simplistic thrash beats brought memories of
Overkill to mind, with a dash of NWOBHM thrown in for good measure.
Lead work abounds everywhere on this release as is the usual norm for
this brand of metal. The second track, "Murder I", doesn't establish
a noticeable difference between it and the previous track, but
nonetheless it is a pretty good number. Vocals here vary a bit
between the Halford style, and a deeper, heavier yell. I don't really
know what to think of this tape, but I don't think that these guys
will make it in the biz today playing this kind of metal.
Contact: Headless Corpse Records, 7 Avocet Dr. #209
Redwood City, CA, USA, 94065 Phone: (415) 595-0695
Morgana Le Fey - _Sanctified_ (Black Mark, Oct '95)
by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10)
Sweden's Morgana Le Fey's third, and latest offering, _Sanctified_,
is a progressive move for the band in regards to their search for
that ever flowing essence that can be found within the grooves of
power metal. Somewhere in the process of moving away from their
second outing, _The Secret Doctrine_, and the recording of
_Sanctified_, the band lost an edge (you know, the metallic one?),
and most importantly, a direction. Like most albums provided to us by
bands of the metal/death metal genre these days, _Sanctified_ is a
collection of numbers that will no doubt be varied, but with
_Sanctified_, the varied songs don't seem to click in the way they
were meant to. The ideas are too scattered. Listen to numbers like
"Why?", "Out In The Silence", and "Sorrow Calls" and you see a band
trying too hard to search out and find a set style all within an
album. There's a lot of that Queensryche/Savatage meets Paradise Lost
sound here, and in the end, I'm wondering if this band is really
searching for the power metal groove and not a progressive metal
sound. Fans of those latter bands mentioned may be interested, but
should be wary of this release. I'm wondering if I'll put it on again
sometime in the near future (sorry guys - not a big fan of
progressive metal).
Various Artists - _Identity_ (1995, Century Media)
by: Brian Meloon (3 out of 10)
As Abraham Lincoln once wrote in a book review, "people who like this
sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like." Well, I
don't like this sort of thing. Of the 19 tracks here, I only like one
of them, and only a handful of them are even noteworthy. The only
track I like is the title track from Samael's _Rebellion_ EP. Even
then, only the keyboards save it from being average. There are two
"prog metal" tracks here, Nevermore's "What Tomorrow Knows", which
features some cool guitarwork but just falls flat, and Iced Earth's
"Last December", which also is a little too predictable for me to
call it good. There are two rap/metal tracks, Stuck Mojo's "Not
Promised Tomorrow", and "Change My Ways". I hate rap. There's a track
from Tiamat, "Whatever That Hurts", which isn't too bad, and
Sentenced's "New Age Messiah", whose intro sounds like an '80s Van
Halen song or something. What a letdown from _North From Here_. The
other 12 tracks are pretty much interchangeable "death rock," a style
which is all too familiar (and popular) today. There are unreleased
tracks from Only Living Witness, Hostility, EYEHATEGOD, and 454 Big
Block, and the rest are album cuts. The only real surprise is
Strapping Young Lad, who despite their stupid name, and even dumber
album title (_Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing_), actually are
relatively interesting, but a little too goofy for me. I suppose I
should be a little more lenient on this, since it's only $2.00, but
that's about all it's worth. Now, what I want to know is why they
didn't put Emperor, Moonspell, and Obliveon on here ...
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Your best source of information on the newest of the new, and the
lowest of the underground, New Noise is the place to read about all
the coolest shit you never thought existed! And if you have a band,
don't forget to send us your demo with a bio if you want to be
reviewed; our address is included in the zine's header.
Quo Vadis - _Quo Vadis_ (5 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
I suppose one could say I'm somewhat biased in my review of this
demo, seeing as I've both met, and currently correspond with, one of
the band's guitar players, Bart Frydrychowicz. Fortunately, I've had
plenty of time to let their material sink in, having had a copy of
the demo's premaster for over six months now. My general impression?
This is truly a band with great potential. Hailing from Montreal,
Canada, home of such acts as Obliveon, Gorguts, Kataklysm, and
Voivod, Quo Vadis are quickly garnering the respect of the Montreal
metal community. Their brand of European-flavoured melodic death
metal attempts to push the envelope of conventional death. The
inclusion of acoustic guitar passages, synth, piano, female vocals,
and tastefully constructed solos give this outing a very musical
ambience. The band can deliver extreme metal nonetheless through
their use of three different vocalists (aside from the femme vox),
skilled drumming, and vicious guitar riffs, sometimes reminiscent of
DBC, another Montreal-based act, now defunct. Kudos to Bart, Arie
Itman (guitar, vox, keys), Yanic Bercier (drums, backing vox), and
Remy Beauchamp (bass) for writing such inspiring tracks. I would
highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of this demo ($7
Canadian, postage included), and hope to hear much more from Quo
Vadis in years to come.
Contact: VomiT Productions, 2155 Prud'Homme #5, Montreal, Quebec
Canada, H4A-3H3, Voice: (514) 369-1686
e-mail: b_frydr@vega.concordia.ca, b_frydr@alcor.concordia.ca
Mind Pollution - _Spoonfed and True to the Cause_ (2 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti
This demo comes to us from California's Mind Pollution via, once
again, Foundations Forum. The music on this outing starts off with a
chunky, grind-filled riff that just grabs your attention and doesn't
let you up for air. Mind Pollution seem to walk the fine line between
pure grind and toe tapping groove with great expertise and finesse.
The first track, "Spoon Fed", establishes this demo above most of the
rest showing off a very clear production and musical excellence. The
vocals on this demo are definitely the band's weakest attribute,
although they aren't completely irritating; they do nothing for the
band and their style of brutality. Somehow I don't think that spoken
word/cleanly sung vox are appropriate for Mind Pollution. The second
track, "True to the Cause", follows much of the same trend set with
the first track. The speed on this track slows down compared to
"Spoonfed", but the band lose none of their punch. A cleverly
executed solo in the middle of this song adds a needed technicality
to the demo. Unfortunately, the packaging of this once again bio-less
demo is less than spectacular, and for that very reason, it was the
last demo that I reviewed, but certainly the best, proving that you
can't judge a tape by its cover.
Contact: MIND POLLUTION, PO Box 85, Ramona CA, USA, 92065
Phone: (619) 789-5275, Alice Stinnett
Dirtchurch - 3-song Foundations Forum Sampler (Independent)
by: Gino Filicetti
Now this is how an independent band's demo package SHOULD be
distributed. Dirt Church's press package included their 3-song
sampler tape, a band bio, band photos (one pose including the
singer's girlfriend(?), GROWL!), a band sticker, AND to top it all
off, a pack of matches! Now that's what I call complete. This four
piece hails from a "cluttered basement in North Jersey," and cite
everything from Zappa to death metal as an influence. The music
starts off with a pretty good punch in the opening lines. I could
hear some really heavy thrash riffs being belted out with a little
hint of death metal to add some flavor. One thing that's noticeable
is an irresistable groove to the music that can be attributed to
their off-beat, hardcore-ish style drumming. The vocals are clean but
yelled violently, again in the hardcore vein. The songs on this
sampler don't vary all that much from one to the other, but still,
some solid work is contained herein.
Contact: DIRT CHURCH, PO Box 339, Butler NJ, USA, 07405
Phone: (201) 764-7567
Thanatopsis - _Within A Conciousness Unborn_ (5 track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley
With not much more to work with than a CD and a mailing address/phone
number, I was unsure of what was to be expected from listening to
Thanatopsis' 5-song CD, entitled _Within A Conciousness Unborn_,
which was handed to me at Foundations Forum. Much to my suprise, I
found this Berkeley, California based band's music to be very much
like Testament/Iron Maiden old school metal, with a dash of Sepultura
vibe - and that was a bonus. The music here ranges from calm musical
interludes to heavy riffs, pounding bass drums, and screams of anger
and frustration. From the atmospheric and winding directions provided
by opener, "Rendition", to the stomp and brutishness of "Unjust" and
"Bitterness", Thanatopsis' CD is worth looking into. My only problem
with the band's music is that at this point in the mutation of metal,
their music doesn't seem to be up to par with what is currently
happening; in short, it's all been done before. Oh well, someday they
may move on. As for now, they're doing what they are doing.
Contact: THANATOPSIS, P.O. Box 4386 Berkeley, California
94704-0386, USA, Voice: (510) 658-4677 or (510) 644-3852
Terminus - _Victim Culture_ (3 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
One thing can be said for Terminus; they make a good first
impression. This three-song demo is on CD no less, and features
decent artwork all around, although conspicuously uncredited.
Packaging-wise, these guys get an A+. Unfortunately, the songs just
don't cut it in my book. Their bio describes the music as being "a
cross between Ministry and Slayer, with elements of Fear Factory,
King Diamond, Skrew, and Voivod." I found all three tracks somewhat
tiresome, plodding along with their incessant, grating, drum machine
percussions, while tired metal riffs droned in the background. The
overall sound could have benefited from a decent set of vocals, but
_Victim Culture_ fails here too. The gruff but well-enunciated vocal
performance serves only to further annoy. Terminus does have a few
decent ideas interspersed throughout, but not nearly enough to merit
a good review. According to the band, a copy of this demo can be had
for a mere American dollar.
Contact: TERMINUS, P.O. Box 1553, Pacifica, CA, USA 94044-6553
Voice: (415) 634-9765
e-mail: terminus@netcom.com
Red Tide - _Expressions_ (4 track demo)
by: Brian Meloon
This is interesting. I guess this most comfortably goes under the
label "progressive metal," but it certainly doesn't sound like most
"prog metal" bands (i.e. Queensryche, Fates Warning, etc.) It's
sitting on the border between hard rock and metal, with a healthy
scoop of jazz influence. It's mostly mid-tempo, jazzy metal, fairly
melodic but not overly so. The music varies quite a bit though, from
a heavy Biohazard-like sound to light jazz, a la Cynic, and just
about everything in between. It's pretty involved stuff, but not
overly technical or complex. The playing is good, especially the
dense drumming of Justin Foley, and Andre Otero's bass work, which is
impressive even though he is a little low in the mix at times. They
stay together well, but occasionally they sound a little sloppy, as
Atheist does. The compositions flow pretty well, avoiding standard
song form, but not overcompensating with a lot of unnecessary
technical twiddling (which is too bad, in my opinion). The production
is good for a demo, with some noticeable glitches, but nothing that
really dramatically reduces the enjoyment of the music. The main
weakness, though, are the vocals. Jeff (Wu, vocals and guitars) sings
in a half-spoken, half-sung style without a lot of range, at times
smooth, and other times fairly harsh. Sometimes they work well, but
other times they don't, though not taking away too much from the
music. Check this out if you're into lighter jazzy metal.
Contact: RED TIDE, PO Box 1434, Avon, CT, USA, 06001
e-mail: jwu@uhavax.hartford.edu, redtidefan@aol.com
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Experiences with
M O N S T E R V O O D O O M A C H I N E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sept 1, 1995 at the Rivoli, Toronto, Ont, Canada
by Gino Filicetti
Finally, the day came for me to FINALLY see Monster Voodoo
Machine play again. I thought to myself, I've been waiting for this
day since Feburary 7th, when I saw them open up for Marilyn Manson,
and when I first fell in love with this incredible band. As the weeks
and days approached that fateful day of September 1st, I got more and
more psyched, more and more Monster Voodoo Eight Ball 100% Crazy!!
September 1st would mark a year since Monster Voodoo Machine
headlined last in Toronto, doing their free annual charity Food Bank
benefit show, and this year was looking to be a BLAST!
Set to play for the night were local newcomers, Ignorance Never
Settles (who broke up the day before, but still ended up playing),
Blowhard, Toronto veterans Soulstorm, who were going to play their
last show ever, and of course Monster Voodoo Machine.
Somehow, somewhere, someone fucked up, and this show ended up
being a 19+ (legal drinking age in Canada), and so, it would seem
that my dreams were to be smashed! But not so, since I ain't just any
ordinary 18 year old (all boasting purely intentional). So I told
Adrian, long before the show would unfold, that one way or another,
he'd get me into this fucking place. So he assured me that it'd be no
problem, I mean come on, he's good friends with Adam Sewell
(vocalist, Monster Voodoo Machine), so I didn't think I had anything
to worry about.
Finally, the day to end all days came, September 1st. Today was
going to be a good day, I could feel it. Adrian and I already had the
plan all laid out as we usually do when sneaking into a club. We'd go
down nice and early, go into the stage area long before any doormen
could be posted, and I'd be safe from the fearful proposition of the
procedure known as "carding." We arrived at siz o'clock, and soon
learned that the first band wasn't scheduled to go on until a quarter
to ten. So like we usually do, we just hung out on Queen Street and
killed some time.
As six o'clock approached, we made our way back to the Rivoli,
because I had some friends of mine meeting us (more minors to join
the crowd!). Fortunately, we all got into the club and chilled while
waiting for the show to begin.
This was when the unimaginable happened. This was when all of my
dreams from days long past were suddenly dashed with one simple
sentence: "Ok people, we're going to have to check everyone's ID who
are in here right now." That was it, "WE ARE DOOMED," I thought.
There's no way they can do this to me ... TO ME! Never! I've been
waiting for this show for the better part of a year, I know the band,
I fucking have every record! They MUST SEE REASON! But there wasn't
any talking to these guys. Their minds were set, their fear of "the
pigs bustin' the place" indelibly inked in their brains; ALL MINORS
MUST LEAVE! I walked out of the Rivoli with my head down, and my
heart sunk deep into the earth. How could they do this to me? I
pondered; them and their fucking liquor licensing laws, why me? I
couldn't believe it, Monster Voodoo Machine's LAST show for their
_Suffersystem_ album, their LAST show until April of next year. This
couldn't be happening.
My friends tried to cheer me up, tried to tell me not to worry,
that there'd be lots of shows to go to, and to forget missing just
one. Yeah, but the "just one" show was supposed to be the best show
of my life, and I wouldn't be there. So we decided to try some other
hot spots on Queen Street, namely the Sanctuary Vampire Sex Bar, but
as we entered the place, that horrible procedure named "carding" was
once again performed on us.
Now I felt like shit. "Could this night get any worse," I
thought to myself? So we decided to just go for a good ol' downtown
cruise in our beast-mobile of a car, and rip up the streets of
Toronto. We ended up getting stuck in unbelievable Friday night
traffic, almost getting compressed by a Greyhound bus, and ending up
even more bored than ever. So I thought it was just about time to try
and fool the Rivoli once again.
It was now eleven o'clock and we made our way back to the
Rivoli. This time I thought to myself, I'm just going to hand over my
ID, and hope that the bouncer takes pity on me for being four months
under age. And amazingly, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED!
I was in, I WAS FUCKING IN!!! The joy and excitement I felt
inside was unreal, unsurpassed and unbeatable. I felt like a god,
king of this world, ruler for a day; I was "da shit." So I set out to
find Adrian, thinking, this guy is going to flip when he sees me. As
I poked out from behind a crowd of people and into Adrian's line of
sight, I saw him do a triple take and start to laugh uncontrollably.
"I knew you'd be back man, I knew you couldn't just walk away from
THIS show." And he was right, I have yet to let Ontario's fucking
cheesy assed liquor laws stand in the way of MY musical enjoyment.
I got there just in time for Soulstorm's set. They played a
pretty solid, crowd-pleasing show. I must say, it was kind of sad
thinking that this would be the last show for these dudes. Soulstorm,
THE staple of industrial noise in Toronto, were no more. But now it
was time for the "featured presentation" to come out, and kick the
most ass they ever had in their lives.
As the set began, I removed my shirt, my necklaces, my watch, my
backpack, my wallet, my chain and placed them all in a good safe
spot. Then I took up MY spot, center stage, front row, killer mosh
position. Blinded by the unrelenting strobe lights eminating from the
stage, I eagerly awaited the set to begin.
They opened with the explosive tune, "Threat By Example", and
everything just went WILD! The Rivoli's tiny stage was packed with
the six man band, and their slew of equipment, but Adam still found
room to thrash about madly. I, in the meantime, was having a fit of
my own, hanging on to the stage monitors, and screaming along to the
words at the top of my lungs. Adam could see our enthousiasm, and let
us (the front row) do most of the choral singing.
Their set included a multitude of songs from their last two
albums, including "Copper Theft", "Bastard Is As Bastard Does",
"Fetal Position", "Temple", "Defense Mechanism", "3 Year Plan", "Get
On With It", "Born Guilty", and last but not least, "Voodoo".
By the end of it all, I was delirious, covered in sweat, beer,
and spit, and screaming for more! I definitely must say that this
show ranked way up there with my all-time favorites, almost, but not
quite beating out Slayer (sorry guys). Our departure was made in
timely fashion, seeing as we had ten minutes left before the subways
closed and left us stranded downtown. But in the end, I thought, it
was all worth it. It was in-fucking-credible, and to think, I almost
said, "fuck it, let's go home" after getting kicked out. Good thing I
didn't, because I'd be hearing about this show for years after the
fact from Adrian.
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W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gino's Top 5
1. Monster Magnet - _Dopes To Infinity_
2. UHF/VHF - Relapse Records 2 CD Foundations Forum Sampler
3. Obituary - _World Demise_
4. Carcass - _Tools of the Trade_
5. Fear Factory - _Soul of a New Machine_
Adrian's Top 5
1. Cathedral - _The Carnival Bizarre_
2. Brujeria - _Raza Odiada_
3. Only Living Witness - (advance demo)
4. Neurosis - _Verdun 1916_
5. Fear Factory - _Demanufacture_
Brian's Top 5
1. Sieges Even - _Steps_
2. Psychotic Waltz/Aslan - demos
3. Satyricon - _The Shadowthrone_
4. At the Gates - _The Red in the Sky is Ours_
5. Aftermath - _Eyes of Tomorrow_
Alain's Top 5
1. Cradle of Filth - _The Principle of Evil Made Flesh_
2. Suffocation - _Pierced from Within_
3. Monster Magnet - _Dopes to Infinity_
4. Alice Cooper - _Killer_
5. Various Artists - <Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles volume 1>
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T H E F I N A L W O R D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, another issue has come and gone and we are no worse for wear.
This issue fortunately wasn't as rushed as the last one, so I'm
crossing my fingers and hoping that we'll have this out on October
1st, and no later. One last thing I want to mention is my excitement
over the Ozzy show that is coming to town on October 10th. Fuck, I
can't wait. Fear Factory is opening, and possibly Geezer Butler's
side project, GZR. I can just SEE another killer show in the works.
You'll be sure to hear all about it in the next issue. Until then,
later! -- Gino Filicetti
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #3