Arceye/At First Light/Hostile Media/2013 CD Review

  Arceye  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "At  First  Light"  which  was  released  by  Hostile  Media.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of the  guitars,  as  for  the  orchestra  it  is  only  used  on  a  couple  of  the  songs  and  they  bring  an  epic  feeling  to t he  album.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  death  and  thrash  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of   their  own  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  death/thrash  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when t hey  are  utilized  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  add  some  classic  metal  elements  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  thrash  style  singing  to  deep  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  a  brief  spoken  word  part  and  clean  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Arceye  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Storm"  "I  Silently  Await"  and  "The  Thirst".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Kill With Hate Interview

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

Akos Olt: We have won the Hungarian finals of the Wacken Metal Battle competition, so we’re going to perform at the most pertigious festival in Europe, Wacken Open Air. We’ve also printed a new t-shirt design to fund our way there. It looks awesome (thanks to Róbert Borbás from Grindesign) and it’s selling pretty well, so we’re gonna make it to the festival:)

Márton Hartvig: Currently we’re doing as many gigs as possible. We also began writing songs for the material too. I already made up a concept for the next two albums, and have many ideas regarding the lyrics, and by the then end of June I guess we’ll put together a new song too.


2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

A: The sound is professional, crystal clear, but aggressive, as it supposed to be in 2013. The previous release was recorded and mixed by us. We might rerecord some songs in the future to give them justice.

M: The song structures are very different on the new album. We used less riffs for the songs, thus making the song structures simpler and easier to understand. There is a significant difference in the sound as well.


3. The band members are veterans of the death metal scene, what is it that you have accomplished with this band that you where not able to do with the past ones?

M: Well I’m the only member of the band, who is not such a veteran, because Kill With Hate is practically my first band,  so I really can’t properly answer this question, but as far as I see, Kill With Hate is far more successful than any other bands, that our members were previously involved with. This is synergy.

A: To me, and probably all of us except for Krisztián who’s in the scene for more than 15 years, it was recording and releasing the full-length album. Before that we only did demos, so it was the real deal for us.


4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

M: I tried to observe and describe the world through the eyes of a lunatic christian. Even though it seems obvious to the metal community, that I try to paint a negative picture of christianity, it’s not entirely true. I never deny the existence of God in my lyrics, and I eventually reflect on some of the negative aspects of the secular life too. I’m not saying, that christianity is good, but the coin has always two sides.



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

A: Not much actually:) The band was named before any of us current members joined. The former members needed a band name so they came up with the most stereotypical death metal name they could. We tried to change it, but we realized it’s actually pretty good. Easy to remember and it has three syllable, so it’s chantable.

M: It’s about as meaningful as Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death or Morbid Angel. It’s a death metal name, which sounds great, but a bit stupid too. Not too long ago however I realized, that this is actually a rather positive name. In our world killing is not about natural instincts and emotions, it’s more about interest, so killing with hate has much more honesty and naturality into it. These values are getting lost in our civilization.



6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Personally I believe we just did our best show about a week ago in Dürer Kert, here in Hungary. We had an incredible crowd, they did some really heavy moshing and circle pit, and all that stuff you like to see from the stage. We are playing as heavy as we can. We sweat our asses off, and people seem to appreciate it.

A: We played among hardcore and metalcore bands at this show and it was for free, so the crowd was pretty big. Even tho we were the odd one out we made the people move the most.


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

M: We’ll open for Krisiun and Lock-up in July, then we are going to perform at Wacken, and after that we are planning to have a tour in Europe in November, but no exact information is known about this tour so far.


8. On the new recording, there is an Extreme Deformity cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version?

A: Extreme Deformity is an old Hungarian death metal group whom released their full-length in 1993. Unfortunately their sound wasn’t top notch, due to lack of money, but the quality of the music is comparable to their contemporaries at the time. Me and Krisztián are fans of the old school, so when we were talking about songs to cover, we realized that it would be awesome to do this song. It would be a great tribute, and we can do justice to the sound.

9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?

A: Quite positive, we’ve recently got our best review so far from a Norwegian website. It was very detailed and seemed really enthusiastic. We also got our fair share of constructive criticism, and we were called flat out mediocre.

M: Even the negative reviews state, that we have potential, so we can say, that it got more positive than negative all things considered. It feels great. I never thought we would ever get so much attention on a worldwide level.

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

M: We are planning to experiment very much in the future. We have thousands of ideas, thus we are going to do many things we didn’t do on previous records. Of course we’ll stay heavy, but I guess we must try different things too.

A: We have no boundries. We will write chaotic and structured songs, we’ll use disonance and melody, and we will venture beyond the genre boundries of death metal.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

A: To me and as far as I know to our drummer it was mostly Cryptopsy. It might be a bit too evident in the song Imprisoned. I got some black metal infulence from the band Akercocke, and also a little hint of the heavy disonant stuff from Gorguts.

M: Well, I’ve been listening to the new Daft Punk album a lot these days, and when I get tired of it I switch to Hour Of Penance. I listen to many different stuff, but I don’t think there’s anything that could influence my music writing style anymore.


12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

A: I have become heavily interested in science and philosophy. I watch documentries and lectures about quantum physics and astrophysics all the time, also geology and some biology if it catches my interest. I also enjoy the works of atheist philosopher and neuro scientist Sam Harris. I don’t share all his views, but for example his thoughts on free will (or on the lack thereof) is pretty eyeopening.
I really think that we as individuals should understand the realities of our existence, so we can shape our views accordingly, and make more informed decisions in life. It’s also right time to leave behind the archaic myths and faulty thinking of religions.

M: Movies, PC games and stick insects. What else do you need?


13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

A: There’s no light at the end of the tunnel.

M: Our next album will have some pretty gruesome stories in the lyrics, but this will be part of a more philosophical concept. Think about it, and if you can find out what this concept will be, you’ll win a beer signed by the whole band. It’s definitely worth it! Thank you very much for the interview and the support. Kill!

Backyard Mortuary Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Apart from the vinyl release of Lure of the Occult coming soon through Blood Harvest and the shirts that have just been printed, not a whole lot. I just got back from living in Mexico for the last couple of years, which included a trip through South America, so we've been out of action during that time. I came back to Australia for a few months last year though and we played at the Evil Invaders festival in Sydney which also coincided with the release of the album.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the newer material and how it differs from previous efforts?
Lure of the Occult has a bigger, heavier sound; something we'd tried to achieve on previous recordings but just weren't able to get. It has a lot more mid-paced and slower songs too, so the songs sound heavier and darker with more of a morbid atmosphere. The older recordings, while I think the songs are well written, perhaps show us as a band still finding its feet. The 7 years in between recordings helped a lot, to write new songs, re-work some old ideas, as well as time to mature as adults and want to make the music sound even darker and more disgusting. That's normal, right?

3. The lyrics covered some Occult topics, how would you describe your views on Occultism?

I enjoy reading about the occult, black magic, stuff like that, and it makes for some great horror stories and imagery, though that's about as far as it goes. I don't believe in magic or the supernatural.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band's name?
Originally it was a song idea I had but when David and I started the band and were looking for a name I suggested it to him and it stuck. Subsequently I never wrote the song about the backyard mortuary.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
The ones that stand out most in my mind are Evil Invaders festival in 2012, Bloodlust festival in 2005 and the massive, 2 date 'Shackled in the Mortuary' tour we did with Shackles in 2008. As for our stage performance, I usually see a few heads banging so I guess we do alright but you'd have to ask someone who's been in the crowd.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Nothing planned at the moment but it'd be cool if we got the chance to play overseas.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?

I've only seen good things about the new album, which of course is great to read haha. I've been receiving emails from all over the world, though mainly Europe, and I'm pleased with the response and how far word has spread considering we've done very little of our own promotion and just relied on the rumblings of the underground. Now with Blood Harvest releasing the vinyl I guess word will spread even further.

8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?
Stu, our guitarist, has a Death/Doom band called The Slow Death and is now also playing with Mournful Congregation. Our drummer John also plays in The Slow Death as well as a few others, Crone, The Holiday Project, Pestilential Shadows and Old Loaves.
I've got something in the works but nothing recorded yet. Should be dirty, evil and nasty sounding though.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
If we do manage to write some more songs it'll probably be similar to what you've heard on the Lure of the Occult. We've gone 11 years without a change in direction so I don't see that as something on the cards haha.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

For the vocals, bands like Abramelin, Autopsy, Venom and Carcass. Musically, bands like Abramelin, Autopsy, Carcass, Incantation, Dismember, Immolation and Disembowelment have all been influential, although I hope those influences don't show too strongly in the music we've written. We don't write songs to try and sound like other bands, we just write riffs that we think sound good.
These days I'm listening to all sorts of music, from metal to salsa and anything in between.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Learning Spanish, Latin American culture, riding my Harley, sex, going to the pub, travelling, parties, buffet restaurants.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Cheers for the interview, mate. We still have some copies of the Lure of the Occult CD for sale, Lure of the Occult shirts (short and longsleeve) as well as the 'Backyard Mortuary' EP from 2005 and a few Backyard Mortuary logo metal pins. Get in touch through backyardmortuary @ hotmail.com or www.facebook.com/backyardmortuary

FaithXTractor Interview

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

 

At the moment I’m doing my best to promote the new album & trying to get the word out about FAITHXTRACTOR.   I’m also working on new material whenever time allows for the next album. I would really like to not have as much time between releases with the next succession. 

 

 

 

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

 

I tried to make a Death Metal record that I personally would want to listen to repeatedly.  It contains all the elements I love about the genre.  Hopefully others will feel the same way.  It’s heavier & has more Doom elements than previous releases, but at the same time has some of the fastest material FAITHXTRACTOR has done to date.  It’s a good balance.  Past releases were tuned to D… “The Great Shadow Infiltrator” is tuned to B giving it a more sinister, heavy & haunting vibe.

 

 

 

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

 

I’ve continued to elaborate on the subject matter of past releases & my life philosophy.  Dimensional conspiracy & humanity’s willingness to be enslaved are again at the forefront.  Some songs are a bit more cryptic in their meaning this time around, & people can draw & take from them what they want to.  I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of rolling eyes & paranoia labeling…a song such as “Shackling the Long Usurped” is dedicated to that mass.   The topics I write about truly strike a chord with me.   Christian laced Satanism & splatter lyrics not so much.

 

 

 

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

 

Most people & humanity as a collective whole are completely spoon-fed their form of thinking.  The beliefs instilled in them from an early age dominant their life’s experience in some form until the end.   The band name represents all of that indoctrination being stripped away to at last see clearly.  There’s a difference between life lessons with choice & rigid indoctrination.

 

 

 

 

 

5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you choose to remain a duo?

 

I’d love to expand the line up for the purpose of doing live shows. Writing & recording is smooth & easy with the current situation, but playing live isn’t an option without the music suffering to a certain degree.   I just need to find the right individuals. FAITHXTRACTOR is definitely a personal escape for me, & I don’t want to tamper with that vibe too much.   I’m not a difficult person to work with.  I just expect would be participating musicians to put the same effort & dedication into FAITHXTRACTOR as I do.  It’s harder to find these people than one may think.

 

 

 

6.The band members have a history in the underground that goes back 20 years, what is it that motivates you to keep going after all these years?

 

Pure love for METAL.  It’s that simple.   Music has been a constant throughout my life & Extreme Metal for nearly two thirds of it.  It’s part of my being & I need to do it.

 

 

 

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?

 

It’s always killer once people give it a proper listen.  The most trying part is sparking that initial interest that makes people want to check it out!  Just give it a chance fuckers!!

 

 

 

8.What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

 

Still trying to fix the line-up issues with ESTUARY.   We’ve made some head way with this, & our hoping to be back up a running soon.  It’s been a trying few years for that band, but we are not finished.   With The VLADIMIRS we are working on a reissue of our first album as well as a brand new one.   CRUCIFIED MORTALS should have a new split 7” with EXORCISM available soon. MACHINATIONS OF FATE is doing live gigs here & there when time permits. 

 

 

 

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

 

I’m just going to build upon what we’ve been doing.  It’s a free flowing natural process!  To continue to make dark & quality Death Metal music is the only objective.

 

 

 

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 

My main influences musically for FAITHXTRACTOR almost always stem from the decade of 1983-1993 for extreme music.  It’ll always be my favorite time frame & the sounds of that era or eras were crucial to my formative years musically.  I’m still interested in new music & still searching all the time for new Metal especially.

 

 

 

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

 

Reading, nature, fitness, alcohol, killer Metal times & the pros that go with it!

 

 

 

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview>

 

Thanks for the interview!  First one I’ve done for FAITHXTRACTOR in quite some time!  Check out the new album!  If you’re into face pounding Death Metal you will not be disappointed!  METAL!

 

Bloodattack Interview

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


Bloodattack was formed 2004, with members from

GOMORRHA (r.i.p. - hater of god records)

CREUTZFELD (r.i.p. - bastardized recordings)

RISE ANEW (r.i.p. - bastardized recordings)

to keep the d.i.y.-spirit and the fundamental idea in our music alive. 
In contempt to our influences of metal our keynote is based in 
punk-rock-attitude and so are the basic contents of BLOODATTACK: we are 
fighting active against rascism, support the d.i.y.-attitude through the 
organising of concerts in our hometown, stopping the exploiding of bands 
and our scene through capitalistic oriented media concerns, taking place 
in d.i.y.-organisations, cooperate with the anti-facist movement and and 
much moreâŠ. So we spend lots of time in this band -not to get a rich 
and famous mainstream-chapel who changes sound, style and members like 
their pants â just because we are 5 friends with the same batshit 
thoughts and idea of being a part of a band: BLOODATTACK would rather 
not exist in a scene of people who see nothing more in punk and hardcore 
than a rebelious part of adolecence and wearing clothing that differs 
from the norm only for show -  we try to keep and bring back  the main 
idea and keep every part of our work autonomous (music, recordings, 
artwork, merchandise, lyrics, concerts, tours ....)-  free from the 
influences of external voices. We cooperate with friends and people we 
trusting in to save the one and only spirit of BLOODATTACK.


2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it
differs from previous efforts?



Bloodattack. playing Hardcore with a metallic touch of bullshit. We try 
to keep our sound authentic, harsch, cold and brutal. Our sound is not 
made for the masses â it represents our taste of music and our point 
of view â so the most of our fans and followers love bloodattack for 
their charisma: To be true, authentic, mean and different.


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



Our lyrics (composed in german and english)  turn on our perspective on 
our society, humanity, our scene and the bullshit that surrounds us in 
the day-to-day-fight with ourselves and the rest of this world - 
formulated direct and ruthless to show forthright the fucked-up facts to 
the subjects and open their closed eyes. Maybe we can change 
something â maybe we can change nothing - but to stand back and 
watching the perish of hc and approving the perversations of humanity is 
not our kind of lifestyle.

Not like you â denn ich bin nicht wie duâŠ.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?



BLOODATTACK is the name of the creature that will release our planet 
earth from the tumor called humanity to loose all other races and 
species from the opression and torure of mankind. The rise of the 
Alphakiller. Amen.


  5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and
how would you describe your stage performance?



The best show ever was our first releaseparty 2006 for our bor out of 
ases ep â in a small youth-club in the heat of the summer. We sold 
lots of shirts, ep´s and beer. We did it al d.i.y.

The best thing you can do in this times of commercial overdose.

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



This year we´ll start 3 tours: with Maintain, Bazooka Zirkus and Mind 
Plague. All friends of us â we love the small shows in rancid clubs 
with warm beer and sweaty bodies everywhere!

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by
fans of hardcore and metal?

To our last release the feedback was great. We had 10 from 10 points by 
time for metal, 8 from 10 by allschools, obliveon, cdtests, stormbringer 
and moreâŠ.. But we have our own view about the scene of today: The 
fundemental beliefs of the scene in which I participate are dying and 
are being pushed to the margins by commercialism, obsession with 
fashion, and constantly changing trends. This is not the community in 
which I would like to be identified. For my part DIY, anti-facism, 
belief in animal rights, together with a common will and dedication to 
the realization of this goal, are the main priorities for our scene. 
These days âpay to playâ, 360 degree record deals, exclusion of 
bands by their booking agents, suffocation contracts, and much more are 
all standard practice with the bands getting hardly any support. The HC 
lifestyle for me is not only being able to invest the most energy 
possible into changing a situation and living with an autonomous 
concience determined by myself, but also having the right to be heard in 
the face of opposing movements. I feel I belong in a strong community 
that shares these priorities â so we don´t care about the worldwird level.




  8. Are there any other musical projects or is this a full time line up?



Bloodattack was, is and will ever be in this constellation. Daniel is a 
part of Bastardized Recordings, we´re organzing shows for bands in our 
hometown etcâŠ. That´s enough for us â we´re always busy and have 
enough to do.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?



We´ll resume the sound and attitude of Alphakiller: rough, harsch, 
snotty and brutal.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your
  music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



SOME OF OUR MUSICAL AND LYRICAL INFLUENCES:
INTEGRITY, G.G.ALLIN, CHARLES BUKOWSKI, ALL OUT WAR, RINGWORM, ARKANGEL, 
WWK, HATESPHERE, LUZIERS MOB and JAPANISCHE KAMPFHÖRSPIELE.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?



We stay true to our motto: drink â fight â fuck.

  12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

  Burn down all non-attitute-slaves -  BLOODATTACK.

Kill With Hate/Voices Of Obliteration/PRC Music/2013 CD Review

  Kill  With  Hate  are  a  band  from  Hungary  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Voices  Of  Obliteration"  which  was  released  by  PRC  Music.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  death  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy,  dark  and  brutal  sounding,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  chaotic  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  they  are  only  used  on  one  song  and  use  finger  picking  to  add  a  dimension  of  darkness  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  with  some  high  pitched  screams  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  violence  and  murder  themes,  as  for  the production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  brutal  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Kill  With  Hate  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Beast  Within"  "Pray  For  War"  "Speech  Of  The  Defendant"  and  "Internal"  which  is  an  Extreme  Deformity  cover.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Ade/Spartacus/Blast Head Records/2013 CD Review

  Ade  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  heavy,  brutal  and  modern  form  of  technical d eath  metal  with  elements  of  Roman  folk  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Spartacus"  which  was  released  by  Blast  Head  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  brutal sounding  blast  beats  being thrown  into t he  music  at  times,  while  the  folk  instruments  bring  elements  of  ancient  Greek  and  Roman  music  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  death  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy,  brutal,  modern  and  technical  sounding  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  and  technical  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  deep  death  metal  growls,  high  pitched  screams  and  some  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  and  Roman  Mythology,  as  for t he  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Ade  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  hybrid  of  technical  death  metal  and  Roman  folk  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Betrayer  From  Thrace"  "Crixius  Flags  Of  Dishonor"  "Decimate  the  Coward"  and  "For  Everything  Be  The  Same".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Spheron/Ecstasy Of God/Apostasy Records/2013 CD Review

  Spheron  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  technical  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Ecstasy  Of  God"  which  was  released  by  Apostasy  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  and  technical  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  technical  death  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy and  brutal  sounding  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times  as  well  as  some  soft  and  clean  playing,  while t he  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  and  technical  sounding  death  metal  guitar solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  add  some  progressive  elements  to  the  music.

  Vocals  range  from  deep  death  metal  growls  to  high  pitched  screams  as  well  as  a  brief  spoken  word  part,  while  the  lyrics  cover  life,  death,  mankind,  religion  and  society,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Spheron  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  album..  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Means  To  An  End"  "Saturnian  Satellites"  "Pulse  Of  Instinct"  and  "From  Glint  To  Crackling".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Besieged interview

1.Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Besieged is a very aggressive Death/Thrash Metal band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada formed in 2003.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

Intense, fast and aggressive

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

Religion, Anger, Vengeance, Suffering. "The end" was written about a video that I had seen glimpses of on the internet; It was these three kids that had abducted and brutally tortured and murdered a helpless old man. It was a very graphic and disturbing video I could only sit through 3-4 for minutes of it. Apparently they had done this to several people. If you read the lyrics you can see that I'm talking through this mans eyes and coming from a very dark and twisted view of reality and how cruel this world is and or can be. Having to deal with the suffering.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Besieged is simply a powerful name. When you hear the music and see the name you know the two go hand in hand.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance? Lots and lots of energy. Pure energy. That's what we like. 

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

Right now we are working on our next full length. Should be 8-9 songs, we are still in the writing process but I can tell you if you thought we couldn't top "Victims Beyond All Help" your in for a very big surprise. All I can say right now for the artwork we have decided on legendary artist Dan Seagrave.

7. Recently Unspeakable Axe re-issued your 2010 album what are your thoughts on the final product?

I'm still waiting on my copies but I have seen pictures through the web and it looks awesome just as I expected. Eric from Unspeakable Axe is a phenomenal guy and I cant say enough about him.

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

Amazing. It's seems the world is ready for a new band to call there own. We plan on getting on the road and playing for everyone that has never gotten the chance to experience Besieged live.

9.Are there any other musical projects going on these days?

Shout outs to Solanum, Sabbatory, Flash Out, and Parfumerie

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

More aggressive and thought through were taking it to the next level. We just want to play fast, heavy, aggressive music that just doesn't fuck anyone around.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? Sepultura, Obituary, Obliveon, Gorguts, Pestilence, Sadus

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Focused on Besieged at this point in my life. I love eating and drinking beer though. Sports. Reading when I can, I actually just picked up the Talisman by Stephen King.

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you for the interview Scott and thank you for all the love and support to all the fans of Besieged!!! Get your copy of "Victims Beyond All Help" through Unspeakable Axe Records and be ready for the new album later this year! www.facebook.com/UnspeakableAxeRecords 

FaithXtractor/The Great Show Infiltrator/Deathgasm Records/2013 CD Review

  FaithXtactor  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  -plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The  Great  Show  Infilitrator"  which  was  released  by  Deathgasm  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars,  as  for  the  sound  effects  they  are  only  used  briefly  and  they  bring  elements  of  drone  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  old  school  death  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  good  amount  of  melody,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark,  melodic  and  old  school  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  deep  death  metal  growls  to  high  pitched  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark,  old  school  and  professional  sound  to  it  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  FaithXtractor  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  old  school  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Beast  Holographic"  "In  All  Forms  Reptilian"  "The  Eye  At  The  Divide"  and  "Shackling  The  Long  Usurped".  RECOMMENDED  BUY. 

Mantra Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We are four guys from France playing music since 2004 or so, and founded Mantra in late 2009. We are four members: Pierre is the singer, his brother Gabriel is on the drums, Matthieu is playing bass and Simon is the guitar player. We released two demos, one EP, and we are about to release out first full-length album, “Into The Light”. We try to create something new out of our experience of music and life.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

We play a music with lots of contrasts. There are a lot of different atmospheres, emotions and sounds, sometimes within a song itself. Our music has always been a way to express our deep feelings, and like every human our feelings are not always the same. This brings color to our music. It is also progressive, in the way that it doesn’t follow the traditional structure for a song, and it often revolves around different ideas that evolve in time, just like any organism. Of course we’re classified as “metal” because it contains lots of elements from the traditional metal genre (double bass, heavy distortion, growls), but actually we’re just playing it as it comes.

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

The songs usually explore a question, a theme, a feeling. These themes are proposed by one of us during the writing process. We then sit around a piece of paper and write down everyone’s feeling and thought about it. This means that the lyrics never pretend to give and answer to the question, or to tell a truth about a matter. We’re just screaming out loud how we feel about it. We wrote about the relationship a human has with his environment and nature in “Tribal Warming”. We wondered about global consciousness on “One” or the ways one creates things in “The Voice of Creation”.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band’s name?

The band’s name was a critical subject. We tended toward the Buddhist theme because of the meditative, peaceful and mystic aspects we have in common. A mantra is a sentence or a melody you are given during a ceremony, and which you will keep inside you for your whole life, playing it on and on inside your head. A beautiful definition for the music we want to create!

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

The band’s work begins in the studio. It’s the place where the ingredients are mixed together, and it’s some really serious piece of work if you want to know. But once we’re on stage, we just let everything go. We want our shows to be a wild thing, a moment where everyone, the audience included, can release their inner self. The best shows we had where the ones where we felt really connected to the people listening. Sometimes we have the feeling to set them free! We had some great shows in Paris, playing in mythic venues like the “Divan du Monde” or dirty underground places like the “Klub” or the “Miroiterie”. But the best shows so far were at home in Bretagne!

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

We will continue playing all around France. The challenge for us now is to go abroad. We plan to tour in Europe next year. We are really looking forward to doing this! There is currently no plan to cross the Atlantic, but as soon as we have the chance, be sure to see us around!


7. The next album is coming out on Finisterian Dead End, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

At the time we met Laurent (Finisterian Dead End label manager), FDE was a small label from Bretagne, where we are from. We had sent him a demo and he said he was really interested in our musical universe. We talked about reissuing our EP, but since we already had some new material, we decided to produce a full-length album instead. This really gave us some fresh air! The label gives us the opportunity to have our CD in stores in France, and helps us in the promotion process. It really helps to know there are people on your side. He is a friend now.

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

Maybe it’s a little too soon to talk about worldwide feedback, this is just the beginning. We recently had our first publications abroad, and that’s really exciting. We are musicians and are not really good at communication, so until a few months ago, the world had never heard of us! But now we have people helping us, more and more people come to discover our music and are spreading the word, and so far they seem to like it.

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Mantra is our main project. We all have occupations besides music, and one band already eats up a lot of time. But actually there are a lot of other projects between us that will probably never make it to the stage, like one-evening experimental bands, such as ‘The Monkey Bastards” (maybe you can find it on Google) or “Black Moon Prophecy”, which is, like the name suggests, a black metal thing. Simon has a solo rock project called “Armunzen”. Maybe one day one of these projects will come out as a “serious” one, but there is no plan for the moment.

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

We already have plenty of ideas, and we know very well where we’re heading. We want to go deeper in the exploration of music, especially the rhythmic phenomenons and the universes they contain. Our music will become more and more personal, because we are currently moving away from our influences and adding bricks every day to our own musical style.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We all have different tastes in music, but not all artists we like have influenced our music. The music from the 70’s made it to our sound, which has progressive elements coming from Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa or The Doors, for instance. In terms of metal, we like the classics, but Gojira is maybe the biggest inspiration, not especially for the music, but because it’s the first French metal band to have such success all around the world, and in a way they lifted up the whole French scene. We have higher standards than before, so not so many bands catch our attention, but among the ones we like you can find As We Draw, Hypno5e, Cynic, Porcupine Tree or Opeth.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Pierre lives in a farm lost in the countryside, so the wilderness is really something he likes and we often go there, to record some music but also to rest among nature’s energy. Gab is also a film editor, which helps in making video content for the band. He made videos we project during our shows. It helps to create the universe we want to put the audience in.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

We really want to thank ExtremeUndergroundMusicZine for giving us the opportunity to express ourselves here! The album will be released in June, for more information stay tuned on http://facebook.com/mantramusik !

Collapse Interview

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

We've just released our début album 'Arms and the Covenant' via Transcend Music, and a video for the track Acolyte from the album.


2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

The album is more varied than the previous ep, we tried to capture some new moods and make the whole thing darker. It's certainly a more mature release, there's more for the listener to get their teeth into.


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

A lot of the inspiration came from topics to do with morality, mortality and the human experience. Things like laying down your life for the good of a country and what that really means when all is said and done, abuse of power, whether god can be defined as a measure of yourself.  Probably quite inward reflecting I've realised, after writing that.


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

No big meaning, we wanted something short and to the point that would make an impact. Choosing a name is probably the hardest thing that you have to do when you start a band.


5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Top of the pile would have to be Donington obviously, that was an amazing show. The Anthrax European shows were absolutely killer, it was amazing to see how on fire they are every single night, definitely a case of learning from the masters. I think all of our experiences in Europe so far have been extremely positive, it's such an awesome place to tour. Our stage performance is pretty intense, there's not much let up in what we do live


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

We're playing Hard Rock Hell, Ibiza on 18th May,  Bloodstock Club Serpent in June, headlining the 'Headbangers Balls' show at the Camden Underworld in June, for The Teenage Cancer Trust and then headlining the Rock & Metal Circus Festival in September.


7. The new album came out on Transcend Music, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

The Connection with Transcend came via our management. Rob, the label owner has been extremely supportive of the band and has shown great support for the album.


8. On the new album there is a cover of a Carcass, what was the decision behind doing this cover?

We wanted to pay tribute to a truly legendary band, Heartwork was such a game changer of an album, it just had to be done. We're extremely proud of being British and carcass ethos really rings true with us, following the music you believe in, trying to push the envelope musically and probably not taking ourselves too seriously either.


9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of extreme metal?

The reaction for the album has been absolutely phenomenal, you always get nervous putting out a new release. I think as an artist the worst thing that can happen is nothing, even a negative reaction would be better than that. But, thankfully, so far the reaction from fans and the press has been absolutely killer.


10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

That's impossible to say. Music comes from such a hard place to define, you have to let it grow to it's potential and not channel it too much. Where I'd like to see it go is incorporating more melody, more groove, more sophistication, but only time will tell.


11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I think it's really just the sum total of everything that I've been into over the years, from thrash to death to doom. At the time we were writing, maybe Aborted, Neurosis, The Haunted, Chimaira, Cannibal Corpse .


12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Me and a few of the guys are into the gym and I do a fair bit of cycling. I don't really do much outside of the band, I record all the music, edit the videos, do the artwork design/merch, work with the management and tour manage all the live shows, so it keeps me pretty busy.

Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

I think we just want to say thanks for everyone that's taken the time to check the album out and thanks for the great questions.