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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-zine, September 5, 1995, Issue #2
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
Email: ginof@io.org
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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 from 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 at 'http://www.geom.umn.edu:8000/~bmeloon/music/coc/coc.html'
If you have any comments or suggestions, please email Brian Meloon
<bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #2 Contents, 9/2/95
-------------------------
Editorial
-- Dismember: Growing To Become the 'Perfect' Metal Band
-- Industrial Metal the Meshuggah Way
-- Benediction: Revamping the Past, ... Sort Of
-- Beware the German Invasion: An Interview with Pyogenesis
-- Morbid Angel Mortally Exposed
-- Grip Inc in The Grip of Fame
-- Testify's Truest Testimonials
-- Septic Flesh in the Flesh
- Independant Interrogations
-- Independant Feature: Enthroned
-- Darkheave
-- Pyogenesis - _Twinaleblood_
-- Sinister - _Hate_
-- Therion - _Lepaca Kliffoth_
-- Various Artists - _Sonic Obliteration Vol I_
-- Dismember - _Massive Killing Capacity_
-- Benediction - _The Dreams You Dread_
-- Brujeria - _Raza Odiada_
-- Souls at Zero - _Taste For The Perverse_
-- Crypt of Kerberos - _World of Myths_
-- Filthboy - _Filthboy_
-- Aeon - _Demo #1_ and _Demo #2_
-- Darkheave - _No Life 'til Pedro_
-- Embrace - _Embrace_
- What We Have Cranked
- The Final Word
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E D I T O R I A L
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talking with several record companies over the last few weeks
(Nuclear Blast, Relapse Records, Energy Records, Utopian Vision Music
- the list goes on) in an attempt to get this whole e-zine deal off
the ground, I must admit, there is a positive attempt by many of
these record companies, whether they are major death metal/metal
labels or independent ones, to keep the need for metal alive in this
day and age where alternative and the 'new punk' sound is the music
of today - the mainstream. Good for them. As if they didn't give a
damn, eh?
It is 1995 and metal has, like it has done many times before in
some form or another, taken the backseat in the music industry once
again over the last few years. Unlike when metal - death, doom, grind
and all other styles - was once on the rise, it has slowly crept back
into a hole, waiting to unleash a new breed of metal and bring back
the sound, image, and style of new and old metal bands alike.
Listen to bands like Meshuggah (see this issue), Fear Factory,
or Amorphis. These bands are pretty much newcomers to the scene, yet
with all three delivering an explosive aural assault of riffs and
vocals, mixed samples, or atmospheric visions. They are making
headway in the advancement of metal once again.
As we look into the future, bands like Deicide, Morbid Angel,
Napalm Death, Obituary, and Death will always stand as staples of
metal music. They have developed and strengthened the core audience
of this musical genre for years; but it is now up to the new bands to
pick up the pace and do battle with whatever obstacles they must face
to keep metal alive.
Like the 'New Breed' of metal that Fear Factory's Burton C. Bell
spoke about in CoC #1, or just the growth and maturity of metal in
general, both Gino and I feel that this e-zine will go along with the
flow of the industry and are both hoping that the e-zine here will
have a future as bright as what seems to be ahead for the world of
metal music. Stay heavy and strive for everything chaotic. -- Adrian
Bromley
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D I S M E M B E R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Growing To Become the 'Perfect' Metal Band
by: Adrian Bromley
Stockholm's Dismember surfaced during the late-80's thrash/death
metal wave that was on its way out of the gutter and into the
mainstream. Bands like Slayer, Napalm Death, Death, Overkill and
Megadeth were happening and metal's following was on the up and up.
Nowadays, those bands are still plugging away, and almost seven
years later Dismember is still around and still delivering those
sturdy, metallic riffs that ooze with strength and persistence, a
sound that has been associated with Dismember ever since the band's
inception (circa 1988 - demos and all) and release of their
well-received debut album _Like An Ever Flowing Stream_ in 1991.
The band's sophomore album _Indecent and Obscene_ showed us a
much more direct band that was willing to mold into the 'perfect'
band whether it be by touring, recording or success.
The album did well but didn't escalate the band to heights that
the band wanted to reach with their second outing. Now with their
third full length effort (the band released a 3-song CD-EP entitled
_Casket Garden_ in February), _Massive Killing Capacity_, Dismember
is hoping to stir up some of the intrigue and notoriety that their
debut album brought them. Drummer Fred Estby explains the band's
transition from album two to three. "I think there has been a lot
more involvement and input from all the members of the band this time
around. Not that it wasn't like that before, but while making this
album the guys in the band did a lot more writing." He adds, "I also
think we have brought in influences from the 'old school of metal.'"
But in order for a band like Dismember to see more success,
exposure or change, is it necessary to showcase their influences
within their music? "We have always shown our influences in our
music," explains Estby, "but not to the extent that we have with this
album."
The band, also featuring vocalist Matti Karki, guitarists David
Blomqvist and Robert Senneback, and bassist Richard Cabeza, has grown
over the years through line-up changes, European tours and recording.
The one element that has managed to stay the same since the release
of _Like ..._ is the working conditions of the band while recording.
Amazingly enough the band has always worked with good
friend/producer Tomas Skogsberg, always assisting in twiddling the
knobs while shacked up in the famous Sunlight Studios (home to other
bands such as Entombed and Grave) to record their albums. Do these
two elements help shape the sound of Dismember? "Yes they do," he
answers. "It was there (Sunlight Studios) that we found our sound and
with him (Skogsberg) we were able to develop our sound. He was very
easy to work with and always has been helpful adding ideas."
Working to keep the Dismember sound, going into the studio, what
did the band want to come out showing the metal buying public? "We
wanted to show people that we kept our sound and that we went another
step further. We tried to do a wide album, to show people that we can
do different types of songs and still sound like Dismember. We also
wanted a better sound." Describing the album, Estby says, "This is an
intense wide album."
With such a set plan going into the studio and several releases
under their belts, you'd think that this album was a breeze to put
together. Not the case. "It was more work to do this album but it
felt right," says Estby with sincerity. "We took a lot more time to
record (9 months - but he says it was in two week spurts) but it was
great."
He concludes, "It was great that we took so long to do the album
to have it sound great but it was also frustrating not to have an
album out when we should have had one out."
Plans to get back into the studio faster next time around? Estby
provides some insight on new material. "We have already been talking
about releasing an EP in November because it has been a while between
albums and we don't like it that way."
Any ideas on the direction the band will take with newer
material? "Sound wise we want to make the songs sound different from
each other. We want an album that will show off what we can do."
Breaking away from the work put into _Massive Killing Capacity_,
the discussion of the interview turns to the role of metal and the
direction that it is following. Estby adds his views on metal: "There
are so many different kinds of metal out there. Just watch heavy
metal shows like Headbanger's Ball and you can see how it has
changed. I hear that a lot of people are saying metal is a dying
breed or being written off and that isn't true. It seems to be that
the harder music is gaining more press and selling more these days
than ten years back. There are so many bands out there doing so well."
What was or has been the hardest period of time (within the
eight years of their existence) that they have had to face? He
begins, "The first album did well and sold more than people had
expected it to do. That was the easy time. The hardest time was when
the _Indecent And Obscene_ album didn't do as well as the first album
and that we had a lot of time between those albums. And despite the
strong support that we are getting from our label (Nuclear Blast
Germany) a lot of people are telling us that this is a win or lose
album, so I guess that that would make the time leading up to the
album being the hardest thing we have seen since forming," he says
But this band has been fortunate, unlike some metal bands out
there sludging through all the hassles just to get recognized or
develop a following. "I think that when we started out we wanted to
sell lots of albums and tour and that is what happened to us. We were
able to see it come true and we were happy. I think there are a lot
of bands that should have the same opportunities that we had. We've
never earned a lot of money from our albums, and we haven't sold a
million records, but being able to go out and tour, to talk to people
and be able to play music in front of lots of people from the six
tours in Europe (and one US tour) we have done, the experience has
been worth it."
Any word of advice or ideas to knock some sense into the heads
of those that say metal is dead? "I'm not really sure of what has to
happen to bring back more interest in metal but perhaps people
shouldn't think too much about what the big masses think or listen
to. I think when people hear music, they can tell if the band is
doing it because they like it or if they are out to make money. I
think people who write music need to be honest first."
Finishing up, Estby adds, "I think we are honest and our music
shows it."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I N D U S T R I A L M E T A L T H E M E S H U G G A H W A Y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Adrian Bromley
-- "I never thought of us as a death metal band" - Meshuggah bassist
Peter Nordin about the industrial metal direction of the band
Since the inception of Sweden's Meshuggah in 1987, the band has
evolved from a generic thrash/death metal band to a very innovative
and experimental crossover band that meshes together the droves and
hardness of industrial music, entwined within the speed and frenzy of
metal. Their latest effort on Germany's Nuclear Blast Records,
_Destroy Erase Improve_, is nothing short of stunning.
Speaking with Peter Nordin, he quickly offers an explanation of
the plans that Meshuggah took into the studio while recording
_Destroy Erase Improve_, a much different album than others in the
past. "When we were making this album we went into the studio wanting
a new sound, a better sound that was a bit more aggressive," accounts
Nordin. "That was the main focus of the album. We just wanted a heavy
record."
How would he describe the new album? "I see the album as a mixed
record that draws influences from several music styles and molds them
together to make hard, aggressive music."
Since their self-titled debut album on Sweden's small Garageland
Records in 1987, the music of the band has definitely shifted. While
listening to previous efforts such as 1991's _Contradictions
Collapse_ or last year's _None_, many will see that this switch to an
industrial edge was in the works. The band slowly evolved into what
they now are.
Why the changes in music style? "I can't explain why we decided
to go onto a more industrial sound. Perhaps we wanted to be more
intense and a bit more straight on with the songs," he said. "I don't
know, we just evolved."
One cannot withstand being drawn in by the opener "Future Breed
Machine" or the verbal and musical assault provided by wreckers
"Catatonic Transfixon" or "Suffer In Truth" found on the new LP. As a
whole, _Destroy Erase Improve_ is about as musically solid and
mesmerizing as Fear Factory's sophomore epic _Demanufacture_. It is
hard, fast and furious; changing at a feverish pace from roaring
riffs to catastrophic noises and sounds. The shapeshifting qualities
of _Destroy Erase Improve_ are its finest assets.
But seeing that the music has steadily advanced since the early
days and the band has made an effort to do different things each time
out, does Nordin and the rest of the band - vocalist Jens Kidman,
guitarists Marten Hagstrom and Frederick Thorendahl, and drummer
Thomas Haake - feel that they need to bring about consistent changes
to be happy with their music or be successful? "I think so," begins
Nordin. "In the beginning it was hard keeping the Meshuggah sound
consistent and original but we became better musicians and played
hard. Now it just seems a lot easier for us to play the music we play
now." He pauses and finishes, "Perhaps our music will change
drastically in the future but that is the way we want it."
The band's latest offering was recorded at Soundfront Studios in
Uppsala, Sweden and produced by 20-ront Studios in Uppsala, Sweden
and produced by 20-year-old Danne Bergstrand (someone who Nordin
praises very highly) who helped mold their hard riffs and the
clanging noise brought on by the industrial edge that they welcome so
openly into their music.
"A majority of the reviews for this album have been good but
some have said that the album sounds too clean and that the songs are
hard to get into," says Nordin about press for the new LP. "I think
that is what makes this album great. The diversity of the songs."
As if reviews could really damage the band's outlook on the
musical growth? Nordin responds, "I want to write music where people
will go, 'Yeah! That song sounds cool I think I will hear it again
and again.' Hopefully they will hear it 5 or 6 more times that day. I
think that kind of response is what we have done with Destroy Erase
Improve."
As popular or as well known as Meshuggah may be in Europe,
little has been heard of them here in North America. Will Meshuggah
ever tour here and if so when?
Nordin starts to talk about the band's very successful tour last
spring with Oakland, California hardcore/metal homies Machine Head
and responds to the question, "I think on that tour it showed us off
to a lot of people. Touring with them (Machine Head) was great
because they play aggressive music too and we were a good mixture of
bands and styles."
About coming to the States or Canada Nordin says, "We have a few
opportunities to come over there and play but it is very important
for us to go out and tour with the right band."
Seeing that Meshuggah does a fair amount of touring in Europe
and having seen how the scene changes over the years, is it hard for
Meshuggah to gain the much needed respect that metal bands need over
there to stay in the spotlight? "It is a real problem for us to do
well in the metal market. I think a lot of death metal fans don't
like our music. I'm hoping that we can break into another form of
audience now with Destroy Erase Improve. I'm hoping so."
The future starts now for Meshuggah.
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B E N E D I C T I O N
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Revamping the Past, ... Sort Of
by Adrian Bromley
"I had to fight to get into this band," recalls Benediction
frontman Dave Ingram about taking over the helm after the departure
of original singer Mark "Barney" Greenway to Napalm Death. "I guess
they (the band) really saw that I wanted to do it. They probably saw
the fire in my eyes."
And so the determination of this Birmingham quintet - guitarists
Peter Rew and Darren Brookes, drummer Neil Hutton, and Frank Healy on
bass make up the rest of the band - is once again back with the
release of their much anticipated Nuclear Blast Records release. _The
Dreams You Dread_ is an 11-song offering that molds together past and
present Benediction sounds and song styles, and an album that serves
as thanks to all their fans. "It came together because of a lot of
the mail that we got from our European and American fans asking us,
'Would you be able to do an album like _Subconscious Terror_?' (the
band's 1990 debut album) because that is the album that sticks in
everybody's head when they think of Benediction."
About the issue of whether or not to go back to basics, Ingram
says, "We sat around in the studio and decided to go do an album
where we would go back to the basics instead of making an album that
was overly technical. It is like going one step back but it is an
evolution for Benediction. It is like a mixture of them both: it is
technical but it is still basic."
"So because the fans have backed us and supported us for the
last seven and a half years we decided to call the album _The Dreams
You Dread_ (the name of their first demo), kind of like a Thank You
to the fans for all of the support."
This time around, unlike material and sounds of previous efforts
like _Dark Is The Season_ (1992) or _Transcend The Rubicon_ (1993),
Benediction felt that the band needed to find themselves. Soul
searching never killed anyone, eh?
Talking about how their latest effort was put together (18
months of writing and six weeks of recording) Ingram notes, "We just
tried to do different things with this album and use the new
technology we had in the studio. We've never really rushed an album,"
mentions Ingram about the lengthy time put into this album. "You have
to take time when making a record. If you rush it and put material
down on record and it is crap, it is there for eternity."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
B E W A R E T H E G E R M A N I N V A S I O N
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Interview with Pyogenesis
by: Gino Filicetti
-- "We are just playing the music we want to, we are playing the
music that we'd buy from other bands." - Vocalist/Guitarist Flo
Melody and anguish are two things so seemingly different from
each other that it would seem absurd to string these two words
together in one sentence. However, when it comes to Pyogenesis, there
are no other words that could correctly describe this German outfit.
Formed in 1990, Pyogenesis started out as your run of the mill,
everyday death metal project, but by 1995 they have grown to become
one of the best purveyors of melodic soulful metal. The band consists
of Flo and Tim, both sharing the double duties of vocals and guitars,
Roman on bass, and skinsman Wolle. The band's first two demos were
released on two small South American labels that didn't live up to
the band's expectations; "Well the deal was they wanted to do 1000 7
inch's and we were supposed to get two hundred but we only got
thirty, so the band was really angry because we were ripped off, we
were full of anger when this happened and we are hoping that we are
gonna get the 170 copies left."
Undetered, the band set out to find a new label on which to
release their debut. In September of 1992, the band found, or more
correctly, was found by Osmose Records of France who were interested
in the way in which the band was progressing towards the melodic side
of metal, and away from the generic death metal sound. "When I came
to Pyogenesis, we didn't play death metal anymore, it was boring at
that time. The music was more melodic and that's what Osmose liked
because they got a tape with two rehersal songs with the new melodic
sound and they wanted to do it; they liked it and asked us whether we
were interested and we said yes."
After being signed to the black metal-oriented label, Pyogenesis
released their debut mini-CD _Ignis Creatio_. Despite being very well
received by the media and fans alike, Pyogenesis were unsatisfied
with the treatment they received at the hands of Osmose; "Well you
know Osmose is a black metal label, and we never were satanic but
they wanted us to be. So on an ad they promoted us as 'Devilish' and
a promoter of Osmose said in an interview with a big German magazine
that 'Pyogenesis don't have satanic lyrics but they have other ways
to show their satanism.' It's the main reason why we split."
Once again the band was left 'sans-label' and so the search
began all over again. This time it would be Nuclear Blast that would
take on the task of supporting one of metal's brightest gems.
"Nuclear Blast are much more professional [than Osmose]. They really
trust in us, they put a lot of money into the new CD. I think right
now we'll be the best promoted band ever on Nuclear Blast. Markus
Staiger, the owner of Nuclear Blast, said this (_Twinaleblood_) is
the most important CD for Nuclear Blast so far."
The band's brand new recording, _Twinaleblood_ (slated for a
November 6th release in Europe), shows the band to be progressing
further away from generic metal and towards emotional,
thought-provoking melody. Although still very much a metal band,
Pyogenesis show that there are still many unopened doors, and many
untravelled paths that are just waiting to be found. "I don't have to
say it, but metal is becoming more and more boring. It's always the
same and I listen to lots of other styles of music. It inspires me
too you know, I am listening a lot to techno music and some parts in
the techno music inspire me to write the riffs for Pyogenesis."
Pyogenesis' last album also showed a higher level of progression
for the band, but was still labeled as death metal, even though the
band doesn't really believe themselves to be death metal. "If I loved
death metal, I would want to be a death metal band, but I don't hate
death metal." The band's influences vary as much as their musical
direction, showing that the best music can only come from a wide
selection of musical tastes. "I used to love Cemetary from Sweden. I
like Kyuss and Smashing Pumpkins, they are GODS!"
The future of metal and of music in general is as uncertain
today as it was 15 years ago when the new breed of thrash metal
maniacs were just bursting onto a still young and thriving scene.
Predicting what's in store for metal in the next few years is akin to
predicting the outcome of a walk down a dark alley at 2am, but melody
and emotion seem to be the dominant factors being integrated into
metal today. "I think death metal is dying. There are only quite a
few real death metal bands left, most of them play the melodic style
or go back to grind but real death metal stuff is dying. Like Morbid
Angel, they were REALLY big five years ago, but they still think they
are stars."
Right now, Pyogenesis are rehearsing and preparing for the going
out onto the road and getting out of the rehearsal room. "We are
rehearsing each week with the same songs, I can't hear them anymore!"
In past the band had toured with Liverpool's Anathema, an experience
that they'll never forget; "It (the tour) was really great because
you play every night in another town and people come to watch your
show and it's just really cool when you're in Paris for example,
which is 1000 kilometers away from my home and people like your
music."
Expect this powerful foursome to hit a European town near you
early in '96. Pyogenesis look to be doing two support tours and
headlining as well. Be sure to catch this band on the rise, and get a
sneak preview into the future of this beast called 'metal'.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_______ __ _ _______ __
/ ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_
/ /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/
\___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/
____ _
/ __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___
_\ \/ -_|_-<(_-</ / _ \/ _ \(_-<
/___/\__/___/___/_/\___/_//_/___/
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 O R B I D A N G E L M O R T A L L Y E X P O S E D
An Interview with New Guitarist Erik Rutan
by: Alain M. Gaudrault <amgaudra@ccnga.uwaterloo.ca>
CoC: We're in a laundromat just down the road from the Opera House on
Queen Street East in Toronto, where Morbid Angel will be playing.
I'll begin by delving a bit into your past Erik, namely your previous
band, Ripping Corpse. What caused Ripping Corpse's demise?
Erik: Everybody in the band just got sick and tired of working at it.
See for me, I mean I'm 24 years old, so it's like I've been doing it
for about 8 years, and I guess Ripping Corpse lasted for about 5 or 6
years, and everybody wanted to take a break, while I pretty much
didn't want to take a break at all, I just wanted to keep working.
The band broke up and I just started working on my own project, which
I'm still doing.
CoC: What's the name of the band?
Erik: It's called Rutan, it's just my last name. I have Alex
(Webster) from Cannibal Corpse who's playing bass, and it's a very
different thing, it's different from Ripping Corpse, different from
Morbid Angel, it's very heavy but melodic.
CoC: So your joining Morbid Angel didn't promote the demise of
Ripping Corpse since the band had already broken up?
Erik: No, people seem to like trying to associate that, but that's
not the case. The band broke up, and I was still working on my
project when Morbid Angel called me up and wanted me to tour again. I
felt I was at a low, I mean, you spend 6 years in a band and you
think that's it. We did an album, we lost our deal, I thought that
was it, but that was just the beginning. Now I'm on a different
planet!
CoC: Were there any general tryouts at all for filling in the
guitarist slot in Morbid Angel?
Erik: There was a tryout I guess for me, they flew me down but I
don't think they would've flown me down if they didn't feel secure
that they thought I could do it. I mean they paid for me to fly down
and stay in a hotel for a week and stuff like that, because at the
time, I really didn't have much money. They took care of me, bought
me some equipment and made sure I had all the right necessities. I
also had to play on different equipment, a different guitar, because
Trey had been working on the sound for quite a long time and he
wanted to keep that the same. I was anxious because I didn't know if
I'd be able to pull it off. I was thinking "Man, I'm gonna go down
there and just devastate, I have to".
CoC: Do you any idea why Richard Brunelle left?
Erik: He never really wrote any material, I think that was part of
it. Trey wanted somebody that could write material, that could add to
the flavour of the band, kind of expand into a different dimension,
rather than Trey who, up to Domination, had written everything, you
know, and I guess Richard was writing in a different style and not
writing really towards Morbid Angel and I guess he felt that he
wanted to go in a separate way, and everyone in the band felt that
they should go separate ways. Richard was just back basically to fill
in for the Black Sabbath tour. The split was a mutual thing.
Richard's a great guitar player and he's a very good guy. I've known
the guy for a long time, but he just went to a different dimension.
He's working on another project right now.
CoC: Some fans have indicated that Morbid Angel seems to be running
out of fresh ideas, that the first two albums were the band's
creative peak, and that the group is losing steam with _Covenant_ and
_Domination_, the latest two releases. What do you say to those
people?
Erik: Everybody has their own opinions about everything, but I feel
_Domination_ has a wide variety of material, from the slowest pace to
songs like "This Means War" which is blistering speed. The creativity
on this album I think is the best. I think _Domination_ is the best
album yet, and I think the band feels that way. I mean, I love every
album equally, but the clarity of _Domination_ is superior. Besides,
the lead work, Trey's leads I think on this album really shine. I'm
really happy with my lead work, and the songwriting on this album is
the best, and people seem to lose sight of the actual song, rather
than a rhythm here and a rhythm there. That's great for some good
bands who have great rhythms, but do they have great songs? To make a
song like "Where the Slime Live", that song to me is unbelievable, I
love that song. Or "Dawn of the Angry", I mean that's just so brutal,
and even "This Means War". Really, I haven't had many people say that
to me, but the people that do, they're saying that now, the album
just came out but, 6 months down the road hopefully they'll have
changed their minds about it.
CoC: Let's diverge a bit and address the issue of Morbid Angel, and
David in particular, being accused of supporting white supremacist
ideologies, making certain derogatory remarks against black people in
particular.
Erik: That's just absurd. I don't know, people try to tear up our
band with their quotes and bullshit, but it's meaningless to me.
People have been trying to bring down the band for so long it seems,
and they'll say anything to cause a stir, but it's not true. David
plays with a black drummer in the Genitorturers (Gen of the
Genitorturers is David's wife), and Pete's South American. That's all
just ridiculous.
CoC: There's a definite anti-christian bend in the lyrical direction,
usually portrayed through satanic imagery. Is this only a tool used
to offend christians or is there a set of beliefs held within the
band that tends toward satanism of any kind?
Erik: Offense is not meant to be given to anybody. It's not like a
lot of satanic bands, but it's just that everybody has their own
beliefs in this band, and it's more than a satanic image, I know for
myself and Trey and everybody else, we all believe in the Ancient
Ones who are ancient Sumerian demons, which is vastly different than
Satanism. We all dabble into Satanism beliefs a little bit, but not
solely held down by that. All the lyrics, as far as David's
concerned, they come from his heart. They're not meant to offend. If
people are offended then that's their problem, but Morbid Angel's all
about feeling. All the songs, everything's completely about feeling.
The only statement we try to make is to believe in yourself, don't
fall into trends, believe in yourself and whatever empowers yourself
to conquer is what should be done without bleeding onto other people,
at no-one else's expense but your own. We try to keep a positive
image even though some people perceive what we're about to be
negative, to us it's completely positive, and that's succeeding.
CoC: Is this strictly a North American tour or will you also be doing
Europe and Japan?
Erik: We'll tour Europe immediately after the States. Immediately
after that we're going to Australia ... and New Zealand actually.
CoC: Who opens for the European and Australian legs of the tour?
Erik: For the European tour, ... There's a band called Immortal, I
think they're opening for us in Europe. I always look forward to
Europe because Europe's a great place to tour. I just like it because
it's different. I'm from America, so you go to Europe, it's a whole
new surrounding, you get to talk to different people, it's great, I
love it.
CoC: One final question on the direction of death metal in general.
Some say that it's a dying genre which will eventually go the way of
speed metal, either dying out completely or going to a more
commercial incarnation. Where do you see death metal going in the
next 5 to 10 years?
Erik: I see death metal pretty much dead already, and the cream of
the crop is still growing and producing, but everyone else is really
going to have a hard time within the death metal genre. There's so
many bands that came out while it was cool, while it was happening
back in 1989 to like 1991. Everyone signed everybody and didn't
really realize which band's great and which band blows. Unfortunately
it became so overpopulated that bands started getting dropped from
their labels. Up and coming bands can't even get a deal. I know
bands, like these guys named Eulogy in Florida, I mean they're a
great band, and Nokturnel, these other bands I know of that are
really great bands but they're having such a hard time getting
signed, it's a shame.
Erik: You see, Morbid Angel, we have our own scene. Morbid Angel fans
are devoted to Morbid Angel. It's funny, we get so many new fans now,
14 year old kids, you know? You keep continuing on, and growing
bigger, because every album consistently is selling more records.
_Domination_ is doing incredibly right now. Everything is going well
for us, although I can't say the same for other bands. Whoever wants
to stay with a career in this type of music, they need to work really
hard. That's why we're touring non-stop. We did a video, we do
in-stores, we try to do anything possible to help this band succeed.
We don't have any plans of going down the way many bands have, we
want to stay and keep going without compromising. We don't
compromise, we didn't compromise on _Domination_, we did what we
felt, and every other album will be that way. We'll never "sell-out"
if you will, or change the integrity of the band or the feeling. And
notice that every album since _Alters of Madness_ has been
consistently different than the last one, and that's the way it'll
always be. We're just going to keep going, we're not going to stop,
it's like a train, really. I mean for myself, I know I've got a lot
of material I want to put out, I've got plenty of ideas, and Trey has
plenty of ideas. I'm not even at my prime yet, I'm still on the way
up. Material definitely is not a problem in this band, there's never
a lack of material, and now that me and Trey are together, there's
two people writing the music. It'll just becoming more and more
creative."
G R I P I N C I N T H E G R I P O F F A M E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Adrian Bromley
This month CoC sat down to talk with two of Grip Inc.'s key
members, singer Gus Chambers and drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer
skinsman).
After the drummer's departure from Slayer, Lombardo recruited
Chambers, bassist Jason Viebrooks and guitarist/producer Waldemar
Sorychta to join forces in providing the metal scene with a force
that not only played thrashing metal music, but was able to
experiment with different sounds. This character of diversity best
describes their Metal Blade debut release _Power Of Inner Strength_.
While on tour, Lombardo and Chambers spoke with CoC about
touring, Grip Inc.'s material, and anything else that came to mind.
Here's how it went:
Q & A:
CoC: With the presence of alternative and punk rooted music being
seen as the main success story of music nowadays, do you think metal
is on a downfall?
Dave Lombardo: "I think the reason that alternative has taken such a
major turn is because it is the only fresh thing in music nowadays.
Metal has gotten very stale." He adds, "I think metal needs a good
kick in the butt and that is what we are here to do."
CoC: What is Grip Inc's plan to show fans of the metal scene about
the band? What do they want to express with themselves and their
music?
Gus Chambers: "We want to show people that we are who we are and that
we don't need to wear any stage clothes. What we wear on stage is
what we wear on the street. To show them that image means nothing for
us."
Dave Lombardo: "We want to show people that we don't need an image to
express ourselves. We've got the music to do that."
CoC: What has it been like to tour as Grip Inc? (the band has already
toured Europe with Motorhead and is playing several US dates with
Morbid Angel)
Gus Chambers: It has been great. Fantastic. The music that we made is
really fantastic. It has been very easy for us and the music flows
and you don't have to force anything, it is like we are all hooked
together. The chemistry amongst us is very natural."
CoC: Does Grip Inc feel challenged by other bands out there?
Dave Lombardo: "I feel challenged to do better and do more. I feel
like I always have to keep learning, try new technology and listen to
what everyone is doing." He adds, "If you keep taking it in then
eventually you will continue to grow and create new stuff."
CoC: It seems as though the music of Grip Inc is an evolving process,
a lot of the music seems to be in a realm all its own, and that there
is definitely a lot of routes the future music of Grip Inc can take.
What will the music for the next album be like?
Dave Lombardo: "I feel it is going to get very experimental. We have
many influences and we can't hold ourselves back from bringing those
influences out." He goes on to say, "It will still be metal and of
course be heavy, but it will have little elements between songs. We
want people to say, 'This is cool.' This band has potential to grow
this way and that way. Eventually we want to be an all-around band."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
T E S T I F Y ' S T R U E S T T E S T I M O N I A L S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Adrian Bromley
Aggro-metallers Testify are on a mission to be seen, heard and
respected in 1995.
Since the band - comprised of Myk Jung (vox), Rascal Nikov
(bass), Moses W. (guitar), Ulf (guitar), and Shoby (drums) - began in
1992, they have released an LP entitled _Testify 01_ (garnering them
critical acclaim in North America and Europe), and have toured quite
extensively for the last few years in Europe. This has allowed them
to gain a hardcore fan base for their music.
After several weeks of trying to track them down, the band
finally responded to CoC's questions about themselves and the
aggro-industrial-metal music that they play. In Q&A form, we discover
that these hard-edged aggro-metallers do seem to have a sense of
humor.
CoC: What fuels the fire within the band? Is there a key point that
brings the band together to play as one?
Rascal: We are never completely satisfied with what we've done, and
that simple reason drives us forward.
Myk: The keypoint that keeps us working together, as I've often
stated it before: Our dissatisfaction with this world and with
ourselves. That makes us continue, to save the world and ourselves.
CoC: How important is it for the band to keep up with current sounds
and trends? Are the trends avoided?
Moses: We don't avoid any trends. They are sucked up by us. We are
'The Trendsuckers,' a new Marvel Comics super hero group. Never heard
of us before?
CoC: Is metal/industrial music still accepted or is it a struggle
nowadays to keep it alive? Is it passe?
Rascal: No it is neither of the two. Metal/industrial will grow in
Europe as well as in the States. It will be the 90's metal.
CoC: Musically or spiritually, what does Testify provide their
listeners or fans with that no other band does?
Myk: 'I am eaten off by helpless wrath' - If anybody is in danger to
feel something like this, then it would be the right thing to listen
to Testify. I am sure that there are other bands offering quite a
similar medicine, I don't care, I have to get rid of my helplessness
and Testify helps.
Moses: I think we have quite an original, specific way to combine
atmospheric noises with guitar sounds.
CoC: What are the influences that got you guys into this genre of
music?
Rascal: Oh, we have many influences but I'm praying that Myk doesn't
mention any specific ones. If so, everybody will discover that
everything we do is a cheap copy of things already done before ...
and better.
CoC: Does the fact that bands like Ministry and NIN had to go
'commercial' to see some success bother you? Will Testify go that
route to see success as well?
Myk: Do you really mean that Ministry went 'commercial' in regards to
what they have done musically? I don't think so. Their Psalm 69 album
was a great success, of course, but to me it was a continuous
development, a logical step after their other previous albums.
Rascal: Testify on the other hand will go commercial, quite possibly
seeing something like Bryan Adams starting to take shape.
For more information on Testify (and/or jokes) contact them at:
Van Richter Records P.O. Box 13321 La Jolla, Ca. 92039-3321
Voice: (619) 452-2322 Fax: (619) 453-1799
Email: vrichter@netcom.com
WWW: http://lab11.me.gatech.edu/vanrichter/
S E P T I C F L E S H I N T H E F L E S H
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Maheras Panos <tiamat@prometheus.hol.gr>
Death masters Septic Flesh, one of the leading acts from Greece,
are back with their newest opus _Esoptron_ on Holy Records. CoC gets
to know more from Sotiris (guitar) and Spyros (bass/vocals) ...
_Mystic Places Of Dawn_, the first CD from the band released in
1993 on Holy Records, received very good reviews and in my opinion it
was another excellent release from Holy Records. The second full
length CD (along with the EP _Temple Of The Lost Race_ back in 1992,
which was available only through mail-order) is finally out, and the
guys are back on the music racks for good.
Sotiris: Our new album _Esoptron_ was completed in May. The
recordings lasted for one month in Storm studios, with Magus Wampyr
Diaoloth (Necromantia/Rotting Christ/etc.) on the production duties.
His selection had to do with his experience.
Spyros: Yeah, he is the best death metal producer in Greece.
CoC: _Mystic Places Of Dawn_ received very good reviews from just
about everywhere. What about from the sales point of view? Did it do
well?
Spyros: The sales can be described as very satisfactory, since we
have exceeded 8,000 copies and we are expecting to break the barrier
of 10,000 in the very near future. Besides that, we have managed to
grow bigger in terms of appreciation, since we took part in many
compilation albums, with the last of them being _Death Is Just The
Beginning III_ from Nuclear Blast.
CoC: Your contract with Holy Records was for two albums. Now, after
the release of _Esoptron_, will you search for a new and possibly
bigger label which will contribute more to your future plans?
Spyros: At this moment Holy does a fine job, better than some of the
'bigger' labels. We are quite pleased with our label and the term
'bigger' doesn't mean that a 'smaller' label can't give you the
support you need. Holy Records are absolutely a fine choise for us.
Sotiris: Of course, if we get a better offer from another label that
can fulfill our expectations then why shouldn't we move on to that
label?
CoC: Are there any plans for touring in Greece or abroad?
Sotiris: It is something that we want very much, but we have to first
find some standard group members or at least a couple of session
musicians on the second guitar and the keyboards, because we want to
play live the same songs as on the CDs. In Greece, it's difficult to
find people with our points of view, because we are very demanding.
Spyros: That's why we have had so many changes in our line-up all
these years! With drummers especially, we faced a LOT of problems in
the past. It's because we love our music so much, and we want to make
it as good as possible.
Sotiris: Besides, the difficulty to find members for the group with
the proper musical education, we couldn't agree very easily as
characters either. Me and Spyros have made our minds about what we
are aiming for, and we also share common points of view in general.
CoC: If we take it as a fact that Greek black metal is very popular
among the underground black metal scene, can we safely say that it is
time for some death metal groups to be known outside Greece and make
similar success as the Black metal groups?
Spyros: It's difficult to say, because in Black metal most of the
groups are rubbish, while in Death metal there are many great groups.
So, the competition in Black metal is not as strong as in Death
metal. That statement goes for the labels too, and not only for the
bands. The Greek black metal scene with groups like Rotting Christ
and Necromantia is much better than the Scandinavian scene.
Sotiris: Scandinavians pay more attention to speed and their makeup,
while Greek groups prefer to show more character. If you read their
lyrics it's mostly crap! Simple little things! Just the opposite side
of Christianity. Black metal is not only about Satan - it has nothing
to do with the true meaning of Satanism. What better proof than the
fact that most of these groups now admit that whatever they did was
out of a 'childhood's error' and they didn't believe any of it.
Lyrics should be about your own imagination.
Spyros: Let them do whatever they want, but do it with *quality*.
Sotiris: I have to say that I hail all the groups which believe in
what they say. I may not agree with them, but they are honest with
themselves.
Spyros: I'm pretty much sure that if those little kids made true any
of the stuff that they imagine and talk about, they would fill their
pants with shit!!
CoC: Many people consider you the best local outfit. Do you share
this opinion?
Sotiris: When you create something, it means that it expresses your
thoughts and satisfies you. So I like the music that I compose more
than other people's music. This of course doesn't mean that other
people will like it too. Each of us can have his own opinion on what
he likes or not.
CoC: What is your opinion on 'classic' heavy metal?
Sotiris: I was brought up with this music. It offered me unique
feelings and I have kept a place for it in my heart forever. That's
why I'm very unhappy to see it's decline. Of course with all these
other kinds of metal, it's still alive and it has many things to
offer, but the original heavy metal doesn't give to us diamonds
anymore as it did in the past. I would like to see more groups follow
the true tradition of metal.
All in all, Septic Flesh are a very impressive band, not only with
their incredible, dreamy music but with their personalities as well.
Today it is especially hard to find musicians playing modern music
and having respect for their musical ancestors.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
::::::| :| :| :|
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::::::|:|:| :::| :::, :::/ :::, :|:| :::| `::| :|:| :|
:|
::::::| :| :| ++
::| :::\ :::| :~~/ :::| :::| ,::\ /::| .::\ :::| :| ,::\ :::\ <::<
::::::|:|:| :| :::, :| :| `::/ \::| `::| :| :| `::/ :|:| >::>
,.:/
Here is where CoC gets the inside story on up and coming bands. Check
out this column for all kinds of new and 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.
I N D E P E N D A N T F E A T U R E : E N T H R O N E D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Gino Filicetti
The small university town of Davis, California (20 miles west of
Sacramento) is seemingly the last place in the world that one would
ever think could spawn a band with the brutality and intensity of
Enthroned. However, this band has turned more than a few heads, and
crushed many of them in the process. Having garnered a strong cult
following in their hometown, the band shows that even stuckup
university people can have their eyes and ears opened to the true
beauty of metal. The band consists of guitarist/frontman/founding
father John Oster, vocalist Lyle Livingston (who is currently on
doctor's orders not to sing for 3 to 4 months because of nodes on his
vocal cords; his temporary replacement is Dan Renolds), bassist Rob
Martin and drummer Cory Valdez.
Probably the most interesting fact about Enthroned is John
Oster's day job. John teaches seventh and ninth grade English at a
local school. What does he think about being the teacher of young
minds and then going out and crushing those same skulls with the
music of Enthroned? "I treat them as two different entities. One is
my job, and the other is my hobby. Being around kids lets me see that
exposure to controversial lyrics does not turn them into serial
killers! Most of them can separate reality from fiction. I should
think that my being a teacher has taught them something: it is
possible to play extreme music and still be a responsible person, not
just a strung out loser! I've never had any complaints from parents
or other teachers - everyone has been very supportive."
Enthroned was formed when some of John's students asked him to
play in a Band Jam that the school was currently having. After
jamming with these kids, John realized how much he missed grinding
the axe, so he set out to form his own 'real' band, and thus in June
of 1991, Enthroned was born.
The band has recorded four demo tapes, _Darkness Reigns_,
_Cranial Damage_, _Gears_, and most recently, _Absence of Life_. (see
CoC #1 for a review of _Absence of Life_) How does John think the
band has progressed through each of these recordings? "Each one has
gotten heavier and more complex. Our earlier tapes had a considerable
amount of thrash influence (Kreator, Dark Angel, early Megadeth,
etc.), but we decided to go in a heavier vein. So many bands are
wimping/selling out, but not Enthroned! Instead, we are adding some
classical/fusion/progressive elements to keep our music fresh and
original."
One of the elements of Enthroned's music that make it so
appealing is the structure and complexity of their sound. Having
extensive training playing the classical guitar, it is no wonder that
John is able to pull off some of the more intricate leads on their
new demo. "My training has provided me with a strong theory
background that enables me to use more adventurous harmonies, plus
more advanced playing techniques. I play a lot of classical guitar,
which enables me to play the more difficult riffs and rhythms."
As for live performances, Enthroned have played many shows in
their hometown, and have even been banned from some venues. "There
are only a few venues that book metal, but they treat the bands and
fans like cattle. We've even been banned from a few due to the pits
that break out! We're trying to find a warehouse to rent and put on
our own shows so we don't have to kiss ass at the clubs anymore; you
can only do that so long before your face starts to smell!"
The band has also opened locally for a huge assortment of big
name metal bands including Malevolent Creation, Forbidden, Machine
Head, Brutal Truth, Pungent Stench and VIO-lence. However, they do
not have any plans on touring. "Right now we have no tour plans.
Tours would have to take place during the summer due to my teaching
schedule." Does this mean that Enthroned do not have any plans for
super stardom and conquering the world? "Well, I seriously doubt that
would happen. Extreme metal bands just aren't going to make it big
like Metallica. Look at Morbid Angel; they're one of the most famous
and influential bands, and they've been around quite a while, but
they're still playing clubs that hold 500-800 people and damn lucky
to sell them out. I suppose I could take a year sabbatical for a
tour, but I would never resign or give up my career. I've worked too
hard to throw it away on a pipe dream. I'm content having local
success, which we have, and making demos. But even if I didn't have a
solid career, I'm not sure I'd be up to the stress and pressure of a
tour. I don't like driving more than 50 miles, so the thought of
embarking on a national or international tour is a real mindblower!
I'm basically a homebody who loves to shred!! On the other hand, a
million bucks? Hmmm...."
Even though the band's demos have received great reviews from
everyone who've been lucky enough to hear them, Enthroned haven't
sparked much label interest. "I'd love to make a CD on a major or
indie label, but most won't go for a studio band that doesn't tour.
If so, then I'm there, dude! Making 'real' CDs would be cool, being
known internationally and all."
So what is in the books for Enthroned in the future? At this
juncture, it is pretty hard to tell, but the band is just chugging
along at their usual pace and are looking to perhaps release their
next demo on CD, an awfully expensive task for a completely
independant outfit, but nevertheless worth the time, effort, and
money. Enthroned are perhaps the *true* incarnation of an underground
band, and they are extremely grateful for it all. "We greatly
appreciate the support from the underground scene, and I am really
jazzed that there's an e-mail magazine! Go figure. Anyway, if anyone
is interested in tapes or T-shirts, e-mail me at
joster@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us. Also, check out our homepage at
http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us:80/~joster."
This just in from John Oster of ENTHRONED!
STOP THE PRESS: WE'VE BEEN SIGNED!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just got a letter from Lion Records in Poland (they are Vader's new
label) and they offered us a deal. We supply a DAT of 8-10 songs and
the cover art and they will produce 1000 copies on tape. If those
sell out, they will issue it on MCD and CD!!! They have worldwide
distribution, so plenty of people will hear about it. The only down
side is that we have to pay for the recording sessions. We will
re-record 2-3 tracks from "Gears", 4 from "Absence" (they want
"Purple Haze", "Blood Storm", "Injection", and "Crimson Wings"), plus
our 3 new tracks.
D A R K H E A V E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Gino Filicetti
It's always nice and refreshing to be able to hear, see and
behold a band in its beginning stages of development. It's a good
reminder of the fact that envigouring and fresh music always comes
from the minds of the young. So enter Darkheave, one of Toronto's
newest additions to its growing list of brutalily brilliant bands.
The band consists of bassist Jon, rhythm guitarist Matt, lead
guitarist Rob, drummer Mike, and singer Dharm. Although Jon and Matt
have been together for over three years playing music and jamming out
their aggressions, the band as a whole have been together for a
little more than six months. However the band still offers this
advice for bands that are just starting out, "Be as unique and
original as possible and do what you want to do. You aren't going to
end up contributing anything significant to music in general if
you're copying riffs off other bands, stealing image and just
pretending to be some other band that you like. No one is going to
remember you... unless you're Pantera."
The thing that the band appreciately the most about good music
is its quality and song structure, they site some pretty varied
influences, from White Zombie to Motorhead to Darkthrone to Deep
Purple to Entombed. However after sitting in on only one Darkheave
jam session, it is obvious that their major influence is of course
(early) Metallica.
The band has recorded one demo thus far, entitlied 'No Life 'til
Pedro.' Suprisingly enough, the demo was record on a Tascam 464 four
track recorder, in the basement! (see review at the end of this
story) Although the demo was recorded, cut and packaged at the
cutthroat cost of $20, the band has bigger and better plans for their
next efforts, "Well the next step, obviously, is the studio. Either
we want to do a demo and make it as small as possible, like three
tracks, so we can spend as much time on those three tracks as
possible, send it to labels and see if they're interested, or we'll
do an album ourselves in the studio and see how that turns out, but
probably the former, because doing an actual album in the studio
yourself is ridiculously expensive."
As for giging the band hasn't had much experience in the field.
They did play a local battle of the bands, under a pseudo name for
various unspecified reasons. "Well we've only been together for a
very short period of time so getting the original stuff together is
the most important part right now. We just want to get together with
other local bands that are at the same stage as we are, do small gigs
and see where that goes. No plans to open up for Metallica or
anything, well, at least not yet."
Although the band appreciate a good variety of metal music, they
are disappointed in which the way metal has been progressing in the
1990's, "It's just a boring time, not much has changed really since
1991. The music has gotten out of hand to the point where it isn't
about music anymore it's about being as heavy as possible or how mean
you look for videos, and the brutality of the image. It has nothing
to do with music anymore. But a band like Entombed, they are one of
the best acts in the world, or in the history of metal, and I guess
they're mostly a product of the 1990's so it can't be all bad."
The band also has strong opinions on what is important in music
today, they refuse to follow ANY of the current trends that are
prevalent in metal today, instead opting for the honest straight
ahead approach, "The groove and the quality of the song are important
as well as making the music memorable. Not just being obnoxious in
the noise/garbage factor of it all. To have a sound that people can
actually get into and remember, and enjoy while they are listening to
it. We want to make music you can hum along to and that makes you
want to kick in someone's head, no noise/garbage shit."
Although the band is not pleased with the scene in Toronto they
don't believe that relocating would solve any significant problems,
"I don't think being part of a scene, where all the bands sound the
same, like the hardcore thing in New York or the Skate thing in
Vancouver, would help us out a lot. It just doesn't do anything for a
band who is trying to be as original and unique as possible.
Montreal. I guess there's a much better scene there as opposed to
Toronto with regards to aggressive music, but ideally, I'd say San
Francisco, circa 1981, but they tell me that's impossible."
Darkheave are definitely a band to keep an eye on, perhaps they
will be one of the first to spark a return to the old ways of honest
metal and leave behind all the bullshit such as the tough guy, you
suck we rule, image that is plaguing metal today.
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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!
Pyogenesis - _Twinaleblood_ (Nov 95, Nuclear Blast/EastWest)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
Pyogenesis' latest offering is far from what I had imagined it to be.
Managing to blend heavy alternative riffs and a metal edge is not an
easy task but Pyogenesis has pulled it off with flying colors. In the
same, somewhat gothic stance of Type O Negative, mixed with the
sounds of metal heroes Paradise Lost and fuzz-whizzos Smashing
Pumpkins, Germany's Pyogenesis discover another route (an alternative
route maybe?) to playing their metal music. An interesting concept to
say the least when you have numbers like the commercially accessible
title track 'Twinaleblood', 'Snakehole', or 'Those Charming Seas',
blended with stoic metal numbers as 'I'm Coming', and the vigorous
'God Complex'. One of the most memorable things about _Twinaleblood_
is the eerie vibe/atmosphere that consist a majority of the songs.
It's haunting and very effective, which kind of places a lower
emphasis on the less metallic sound that _Twinaleblood_ delivers, and
that is something worth noting. Don't know how well this album will
go over with the die-hard metal fans but as far as experimental death
metal goes this is pretty much walking the fine line between
'metal'-ly acceptable and a complete write off. Listen to it first
before you decide to scrap your other Pyogenesis material 'cause you
may be surprised.
Sinister - 'Hate' (Spring 1995, Nuclear Blast)
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10)
Sinister are back and making their presence known with their third
full length outing, _Hate_. The album was recorded at TNT studios in
January of 1995, marking a full seven years since drummer Aad, and
vocalist Mike started this Holland-based band. The CD starts off with
a cool intro track, which plunges the listener into an evil, haunted
house atmosphere, with supposedly satanic chants coming from every
direction. Just as the chanting reaches its peak, Sinister storm onto
the scene with their brutally heavy guitars, and breakneck blast
beats care of drummer and founding father, Aad. The lyrics are sure
to scare off any and all Christians, and make them shudder when they
hear the blasphemous bellowings coming from Mike's throat. Obvious
influences here are Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, not surprising since
they did tour with both of those bands at one time or another in
Europe. One thing that can be said about Sinister is that they are
completely uncomprimising with regards to their speed and brutality.
One song that kind of rises above the crowd is 'Unseen'. It's got a
catchy chorus, intelligent lyrics, and is definitely my favorite
track on the album. The music on this CD isn't very innovative or eye
poppingly new and fresh, but it does contain certain elements which
do not make it totally worthless.
Therion - _Lepaca Kliffoth_ (Early 1995, Nuclear Blast)
by: Gino Filicetti (10 out of 10)
Holy fuck. What else can I say about this amazing outing that those
two words alone can't describe? This album is so gigantic, so
enormous, so majestic, so incredible, it *really* is beyond words.
_Lepeca Kliffoth_ marks Therion's fifth venture in the realm of
musical genius. Continuing on the heels of the trends set in their
previous release, _Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas_, Therion
produce another album that will very well set them up for life as
true innovators. This CD never ceases to amaze me; the more I listen
to it, the more I find something new and wonderful about it. It is
very rare for me to spew all over an album in a review like this, but
it would be impossible to tell you about this record without doing
so. Therion's wide range of influences is present all over this
outing. There are elements of classic heavy metal, doom, goth,
classical and even some fusion! They are all blended and mixed
together in such a way that it finally dawns on you, "Why didn't
anyone think of this before?" A plethora of keyboards adds atmosphere
to the record, and the operatic performances of Claudia Maria Mohri
and Hans Groning are so breathtaking it made me wish the entire album
featured their vocals instead of only two songs. The tracks on this
CD probably vary more than any I've seen on any other album. From the
light and beautiful music of 'Arrival of the Darkest Queen' to the
fast crunching anthem 'Riders of Theli'. When it's over and done
with, Therion leave the listener with the uncontrollable urge to just
press play again and be captivated by these Swedish gods for another
40 minutes. Chalk up another masterpiece on Therion's list of
metallic wonders.
Various Artists - _Sonic Obliteration Vol. 1_ (two-disc compilation)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) (Aug 95, Utopian Vison Music)
So there are a lot of metal fans, industry types, and just plain old
music fans out there that believe Canada's metal scene is dead -
colder than the tundra of the north. A generous 'Fuck You!!' is in
order after hearing this awesome collection of some of the most
underrated/unsigned metal and hard rock outfits scattered across
Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. From the pounding tribal
sensations bestowed by Toronto's Mundane with 'Drowning in the
Mainstream', the brutal heaviness of Winnipeg's Malefaction with
'What For?', the doom and gloom of Bedford, Nova Scotia's Entrafis
('To The Underneath'/'Frowns Unfold') to the furious frenzy of
London, Ontario's Porno and their strong offering, 'Soiled', this
collection keeps the metal cranked to the very end - a mind-blowing
120 minutes later. Other less metallic acts such as Lesser Known
(Tilbury, Ont.) and Toronto's Krug and Son Of Bronto stand their
ground with some great songs. An important note to make: also
included in this compilation are a couple of killer foreign metal
numbers of unsigned acts such as Finland's Eternal Tears Of Sorrow
('The Son Of The Forest'), Holland's Hoer's double offering of
'Painless Torture' and 'Breakin' The Silence' or Denmark's Crawcell
('Human Filth',) though the majority is Canadian content. With lots
of metal bands getting discouraged that they aren't getting any play
or publicity, Utopian Vison Music's offering is just the needed cure
that many of these young acts need. Get your copy now and help
support Canadian metal. We got the goods up here in the North but can
you handle it?
For info contact: Utopian Vision Music, 8 Dalcourt Drive,
Scarborough, Ont. M1E 3H1 Canada
Tel/Fax: (416) 284-1169
Dismember - _Massive Killing Capacity_
by: Gino Filicetti (8 out of 10) (Aug 95, Nuclear Blast/Relapse)
From opening note to closing crunch, Dismember's newest sonic
skull-crusher _Massive Killing Capacity_ never ceased to impress the
hell out of me. One thing that can be said about this album is that
it is *pure* Swedish death metal incarnate. Sounding very much like
countrymates Edge of Sanity and Entombed, Dismember seemed to be a
bit lacking in their originality. However, Swedish death metal has
always been my favorite form of this bastard art form so I must still
salute Dismember for creating a fine slab of noise. Although catchy
rhythms and severely heavy guitar make up the majority of this
release, some elements, like lead work and vocal variation, add to
the total enjoyment of the album. Produced by Swedish
producer/demigod Tomas Skogsberg, _Massive Killing Capacity_ is
definitely a fine addition to Dismember's massive library. In the
past the band had joined forces with the likes of Mike Amott
(Carcass) and Johnny Dordevic (formerly of Entombed), so it is no
wonder that an abundance of talent lies in the Dismember camp. The
only thing I found disturbing on this album is the fact that the
vocals sounds *exactly* like Lars Goran Petrov of Entombed. The
semblance in each note of Matti Karki's anguished cries is
incredible. All in all, Dismember have once again produced a top
notch album that will certainly earn them the repect they deserve.
Benediction - _The Dreams You Dread_
by: Gino Filicetti (5 out of 10) (Aug 95, Nuclear Blast/Relapse)
Another release from one of England's founding fathers of brutal
music, Benediction, this is the band's sixth full length outing.
Unfortunately, the guys are starting to show their age and lack of
creativity. The addition of 18 year-old drummer Neil Hutton was
probably an attempt to infuse some fresh blood into the group, but
they have still fallen into the realm of stagnation. The CD opens
with an interesting semi-acoustic guitar solo/riff, which carefully
gives way to some good ol' mid-paced generic death metal. From the
first grunt to the last scream on this album, Dave Ingram has *still*
failed to kick the monkey called Barney Greenway off his back, and
find a vocal sound all his own. All in all, the vocals completely
failed to enthuse me. This album is full of variations with regards
to speed, which is all the better for the band. The last two tracks
show the extent of the contrast. 'Saneless Theory' is the classic
drag-on whining song, while 'The Dreams You Dread' is a breakneck,
blast beat ridden cacophony. I even see some Obituary influence in
songs like 'Answer Me'. If you are a fan of Benediction, I would
definitely recommend this album to you, seeing as the band have
managed to keep up with their previous efforts. But for those of you
that are looking for progression and innovation, you definitely need
to find greener pastures.
Brujeria - _Raza Odiada_ (Aug 95, Roadrunner/Attic)
by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10)
Rarely do I get an album that I go ape-shit over. I was really
anticipating the new Kyuss, but I knew what to expect from those
underrated dirge-metallers. Overkill's live opus? C'mon guys, I'd
seen them before, thus the live album would rock. But when I was
provided with the latest from Brujeria, a very well-kept secret side
project of, well, let's just say metal pioneers, I was shaking and
sweating waiting to put Raza Odiada in my CD player. From start
(title track 'Raza Odiada (Pito Wilson)') to finish ('Ritmos
Satanicos'), Brujeria's latest maims, kills, strangles, and mutilates
the listener with its rapid-fire of death metal mayhem. With lyrics
sung in Spanish built within the foundations of the anarchistic
assaults of metal, _Raza Odiada_ manages to supply us with a very
unique sound and approach to death metal, something that many of us
(especially in North America) aren't accustomed to. Whatever the
reasoning for this band's conception (political or recreational), one
thing is for sure, Brujeria does it really well. Loud, fast and
furious, tracks like 'Revolucion', 'Sensos Humanos (Sacrifia IV)', or
'El Patron' add fuel to the fire burning beneath the determination of
this band to be seen, heard, and understood. Hide the women and
children, and brace yourself: Brujeria has arrived. !Viva Brujeria!
Souls At Zero - _Taste for the Perverse_ (Aug 95, Energy Records)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
I used to think Wrathchild America was too much of a renegade
metal/rock band, with too much going on within their music and their
message - a band lost within their own vision. Then they became Souls
At Zero, and it was like they had been given a new lease on life. The
eponymous debut album was built on anger and frustation, a
characteristic that was stapled to every note and lyric on the debut.
This album is far from an angry mob of lyrics and musical mayhem.
Though still heavy and in your face, _A Taste for the Perverse_ is
more of a transition album than anything else. The band has developed
a lot more since becoming Souls At Zero, and you can hear it in the
Pantera meets Helmet/Quicksand songs that the band cranks out. Built
more around strength of force and groove, _A Taste for the Perverse_
rarely loses the listener, and that does deserve good marks. My
personal favorites are opener 'Undecided', 'My Fault', and the
clearly cool crunch of 'Me Myself I'. Music focused more on what
sounds great out there than what they could actually pull of with
their own direction and sound, Souls At Zero's latest is worth
checking out, but not really a life and death purchase. Not now, but
who knows what the future holds for Souls At Zero?
Crypt of Kerberos - _World of Myths_ (1993, Adipocere)
by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10)
This is a nice disc of melodic death metal. It's well produced and
features some good musicianship, especially from the two guitar
players. They both do some fast and intricate work, and work well
together. Like Crematory, this band also features a female keyboard
player (Jessica), although her skills are not as developed as
Katrin's are. The keys here are used more for 'atmosphere' than to
carry melodies. A little more integration of keyboards would be nice.
The vocals could also use a little work ... they're about halfway
between standard death vocals and Chris Barnes' style. They aren't
terrible, but not terribly original, either. The songwriting is very
good, though. These guys really know how to put together a song, and
make it progress in ways other than standard song format. I look
forward to this band's next release; with a little maturity, they
could be quite good.
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Your only source of information on the newest of the new, and the
lowest of the underground, New Noise is the best and only place to
read about all the coolest shit you never thought existed! And if you
are 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 e-zine's header.
Filthboy - _Filthboy_ (6 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti
Shit! What a wild demo. I swear, and not a word of a lie to all of
you out there, this is probably one of the best demos I've heard,
ever! The demo starts out with the track 'Agent Hate' which begins
with an amazingly heavy rhythm and then tears away into a distorted,
spoken word vocal style. I thought, wow, already this demo has my
toes tapping. I was warned by one of Filthboy's founding members,
Buzzy, to keep an open mind while listening to the tape and to keep
in mind that this is a straight dub, totally unmixed. Fuck, if that's
the case, then I'm scared to think of what this band could accomplish
in the studio, with their hands on some of the latest in state of the
art technology. The band incorporates the best elements of death
metal, hardcore and thrash in a fusion that has an undeniably massive
attraction. The vocal style is varied throughout this recording,
changing almost every second, from low spoken word ramblings, to deep
grunts, to fast paced blabber mouth distortion. Keyboards add an
undeniable presence to the music giving it life beyond 'death'.
Definitely a band to keep both eyes on, I see a future for these guys
as bright as the one Monster Voodoo Machine had in store for them
after their first demos.
Contact: Filthboy, c/o Buzzy Beck, 1616 McFarland Rd.
Dormont, PA, 15216, USA
Email: hate@telerama.lm.com
Aeon - _Demo #1_ (3 tracks) and _Demo #2_ (5 tracks)
by: Brian Meloon
Wow ... death metal from Croatia. And impressive at that. Their first
demo is from early 1993, and the second is from December, 1993. Both
demos were recorded on only 8 tracks, and they suffer somewhat from
this, but they still sound decent. _Demo #1_ (recorded under their
former name Dissection) is straightforward death metal, with guttural
vocals for the most part and heavy riffs. It's semi-melodic, a cross
between Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse styles. Not too much new or
innovative, but at least it's well played, and kind of catchy. These
guys took a huge leap forward in musicianship for _Demo #2_. They
changed their name to Aeon, lost a guitar player, added a keyboard
player, and changed their style from straight ahead death to a
progressive, melodic style reminiscent of Amorphis and Crypt of
Kerberos. They also tend to sound like Nocturnus (keyboard-doubled
guitar lines no less!). The best track on here is track 4, 'Gyratory
Stars' (I think ... there are only five tracks, but there are six
song titles in the J-card). It sounds like a cross between At the
Gates and Amorphis' _Tales from the 1000 Lakes_. Again, the playing
is very high quality, the drums are excellent, fast and precise, but
more interesting this time, with some cool rhythms going on under the
other music. The keyboards function both for atmosphere as well as
melody. Guitar and bass work is quite technical, at least when
playing rhythms. What keeps this release from being truly excellent
are the guitar leads and solos which sound very amateurish,
especially compared with their high quality of rhythm music. Still,
this demo is one of the best I've heard. Apparently, these demos are
no longer available, but there is a cassette EP scheduled for release
in October/November. It may or may not be on Abstract Emotions
(Barcelona), since Jordi Bellaubi is planning to start his own label,
and Aeon are going to stick with him. I'm told this release will have
more of a 'fusion' sound. Keep your eyes peeled for Aeon.
Contact: AEON, c/o Sinisa "Sipy" Bival, Laginjina 11,
51000 Rijeka, CROATIA-EUROPE, ++385-51-226-479
email: bival@ihssv.wsr.ac.at (Sipy's mom)
Embrace - _Embrace_ (6 track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley
Kitchener's four-piece, Embrace, are a welcome offering to the
growing fold of atmospheric metal outfits. Poetry fused with heavy
riffs and melodic pieces of music, Embrace's 6-song demo is an
assorted collage of long metallic epics that 'embrace' the listener
and take them to another world. Such is the plan of Embrace, if their
short but to the point bio is to be believed. Of course, it is; just
listen to 'Descendence', opener 'Solitude', or my favorite
'Embodiment Of Darkness', and beg to differ with me that this music
doesn't suck you in. _Embrace_ is a moody demo with a lot of powerful
chord progressions, intelligent lyrics and banshee-like/ethereal
vocals of singer Laura Wiebe that seem to add to Embrace's own style.
Five out of the six songs hit the six-minute mark, and at times they
(especially closer 'Twilight Soul', clocking in at 12 minutes) seem
to lose momentum and tail off at the end, but by the time that
happens, the next epic is waiting to unfold. A somewhat dismal
recording here takes chips out of the foundations that make up
Embrace's sound, but not enough to wreck the effect that Embrace is
trying to pinpoint with their music. Better recording measures taken,
and a few more penned masterpieces, and Embrace should be on their
way to getting more attention in and around Ontario, and hopefully
elsewhere.
Contact: Embrace, 470 Driftwood Road, Kitchener, Ont.
N2N 1S6, Canada
Darkheave - _No Life 'til Pedro_ (4 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti
This demo comes to us from local Toronto band on the rise, Darkheave
(see story this issue). The first thing I was told by the band was to
listen to this recording with an open mind, seeing as it was recorded
on a four-track mixer in their basement for a grand total of $20.
However, I thought that the mix was amazing considering the tracks
are almost completely live. I can hear a strong Metallica influence
in this band, but they are far from some kind of cheesy clone band.
Darkheave also incorporate elements of death metal to achieve a sound
that is technical, while maintaining an element of groove that
prevents them from becoming stagnant. Of the four tracks on this
demo, the most interesting is 'Innocence Lost' which opens with a
soft melodically sung verse, and then builds to a peak of punishing
brutality. One thing that detracts from the quality of this demo is
the vocals which just don't seem to fit very well with the music.
However, the music more than makes up for any vocal inadequacy. All
in all a pretty solid demo considering its production cost. I'm
curious to see what this band is capable of in a full-fledged studio.
Contact: Darkheave, c/o Matt Smith, 131 Beecroft Rd. #801
North York, Ont, Canada, M2N-6G9
Voice: (416) 733-3379 Email: worm@io.org
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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. Therion - _Lepaca Kliffoth_
2. Fear Factory - _Soul of a New Machine_
3. Bolt Thrower - _... For Victory_
4. Amorphis - _Tales From The Thousand Lakes_
5. Monster Voodoo Machine - _State Voodoo/State Control_
Adrian's Top 5
1. Down - _Down_ [featuring Corrosion Of Conformity's Pepper
Keenan & Pantera's Phil Anselmo]
2. Meshuggah - _Destroy Erase Improve_
3. Embrace - _Embrace_ (demo)
4. Kyuss - _... And The Circus Leaves Town_
5. Carcass - _Heartwork_
Brian's Top 5
1. Confessor - 'Condemned'
2. Red Tide - 'Expressions'
3. Suffocation - 'Effigy of the Forgotten'
4. Emperor/Enslaved - 'Hordanes Land' (split)
5. Moonspell - 'Wolfheart'
Alain's Top 5
1. Various Artists - _Death Is Just The Beginning III_
2. Morbid Angel - _Domination_
3. Suffocation - _Pierced From Within_
4. Dead Horse - _Peaceful Death And Pretty Flowers_
5. Death - _Symbolic_
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T H E F I N A L W O R D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well this ends issue number two for Chronicles of Chaos. I'm just
amazed at the size of this thing, and it's only our second issue. I
have to extend a big thank you to all the record companies that have
supported us by including us on their mailing lists, and setting up
interviews for us. Everyone whom we've encountered has been very
supportive and has given us lots of encouragement, and generally has
been absolutely stoked that there *actually* is an Internet magazine
for the type of brutal music we here at CoC cover. Once again, one
big thank you to everyone. It's amazing how fast this thing has taken
off. BTW, before I go, I just want to remind you guys to check out
our web page at the URL included in the e-zine's header. It's under
construction right now, but we'll soon have it up to top notch CoC
standards, so don't fret. Anyways, that's about it from this end,
enjoy, and see you all next month with our special Foundation's Forum
issue, where we give you the big scoop on what happened at this
year's 'Only Hard Music Convention'. Remember, keep the music loud,
and strive for everything chaotic. -- Gino Filicetti
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #2