Cemetery Dust/To Rule Them All/Metal Music Austria/2015 CD Review

  Cemetery  Dust  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2015  album  "To  Rule  Them  All"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Music  Austria.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  which  also  uses  a  great  mixture  of  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  after  the  intro  the  music  adds  in  tremolo  picking  and  more  of  a  heavier  sound  as  well  as  adding  in  thrash  style  screaming  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to them.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  melodic  and  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  metal  direction  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  elements  of  groove  metal  as  well  as  growls  that  are  very  close  to  the  more  technical  days  of  Death's  later  material  and  some  of  the  tracks  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Spoken  word  samples  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  their  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  return  briefly  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences.

  Cemetery  Dust  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  musical  style  that  mixes  the  90's  genres  of  death  and  thrash  metal  together  along  with  a  touch  of  modern  groove  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  politics,  social  issues  and  inner  struggles.

  In  my  opinion  Cemetery  Dust  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Souls  Come  Undone"  "Cloak  Of  Blood"  and  "To  Rule  Them  All".  8  out  of  10.      

Entrails/Obliteration/Metal blade Records/2015 CD Review

  Sweden's  Entrails  have  returned  with  a  new  album  that  continues  the  old  school  death  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Obliteration"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  Ritualistic  sounding  bells  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  high  pitched  screams  and  an  old  school  Swedish  death  metal  sound  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  and  the  growls  are  also  very  easy  to  understand  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Melodies  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  they  are  used  quite  a  bit  in  the  riffs  and  also  dominate  the  solos  and  leads  and  while  the  musical  style  is  purely  played  in  the  90's  style  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  a  small  amount  of  samples  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavy  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  end  of  the  recording.

  Entrails  remains  true  to  the  old  school  Swedish  death  metal  sound  that  has  been  a  dominant  part  of  all  of  their  recordings  so  far,  the  production  sounds  very  professional while  the  lyrics  cover  suffering,  doom  and  the  undead.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Entrails  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Cross  Left  Unturned"  "The  Grotesque"  "Midnight  Coffin"  and  "Abyss  Of  Corpses".  8  out  of  10.

  

Disloyal/Godless/Ghastly Music/2015 CD Review

  Disloyal  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Godless"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Ghastly  Music.

  Distorted  guitar  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  in  the  background  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  brutal  death  metal  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  growling  vocals,  technical  guitar  leads  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  can  also  be  very  atmospheric  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  while  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  having  a  musical  style  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  style  of  death  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  songs  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  few  seconds  of  clean  singing  as  well  as  a  riff  bringing  in  more  of  a  modern  prog  metal  sound.

  Disloyal  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  but  in  a  mid  90's  to  early  2000's  style  and  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  atmospheric  elements  and  technical  guitar  leads  to  make  their  music  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  society  and  personal  experiences.

  In  my  opinion  Disloyal  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  "New  Enemy  Rising"  "Dybbuk"  "Corporate  Beasts"  and  "The  Chastener".  8  out  of  10.        

Prion/Uncertain Process/Comatose Music/2015 CD Review

  Prion  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Uncertain  Process"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Comatose  Music.

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melodies  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  progressive  and  technical  palying.

   You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  Florida  death  metal  influence  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  songs  only  use  a  small  amount  of  solos  or  leads  to  focus  more  on  a  heavy  and  brutal  sound  as  well  as  adding  some  darker  elements  into  the  songs  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

   Prion  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  and  also  has  a  sound  that  is  in  between  old  school  and  modern,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death.  war  and  social  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Prion  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  "Power  Obsessed"  "Anhedonist"  "End  Is  Near"  and  "Never  Let  Me  Down  Again".  8  out  of  10.    

Gruesome Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project? It’s a band called Gruesome and it’s a complete and utter homage to the original death metal band, Death, from Florida . Kind of like a tribute band but with original songs. The band features current and former members of Exhumed (Matt Harvey, guitar and vocals), Possessed (Daniel Gonzalez, guitars), Malevolent Creation (Gus Rios), and Derketa (Robin Mazen).

2.You have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording? The music was written and produced to come as close as possible to what Death sounded like in the late 80s. In those days death metal was in it’s infancy and still retained much of the thrash metal influence, but then Death took it to another level with lower tuned guitars, more use of double bass drumming, guttural demonic vocals, and lyrics about horror, death, and gore.

3.On the album the music was more focused on the mid 80's style that Death played, are you more interested in this era of the band than you are with the 90's era where the music got more progressive? Yeah, both Matt and I who started the band really came together because of our mutual love and of course preference to that particular era of the band. The later and more progressive material I am definitely still a fan of, but that style which Chuck invented and eventually dubbed “technical death metal” is still currently being done and we wanted to hear more music from our youth. Death’s Leprosy album is still to this day my favorite death metal album ever and now it kind of feels like I’m in the band during that time period! And therein was the challenge…to come as close as possible to that sound and vibe.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? Death metal to me was always like an audio version of a horror movie, and that’s primarily because that’s what Chuck Schuldiner created. The sound of the music had to be matched by the lyrical content in my opinion, and for us, like Death, included death, horror, and gore. And of course we can’t forget deadly diseases, human atrocities, etc!

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gruesome'? Matt came up with it and I think its just kind of throwback to the late 80s. Again, in those days the genre was just starting to be defined and the pioneers were making it up as they went along. The more simple the name, the easier it was to be distinguished as a proper death metal band, and Death absolutely set the pace. You had Obituary, Carcass, Cannibal Corpse, etc. All those bands had easily identifiable names and logos and you immediately knew what you were getting into. Today the lines are much more blurred and if we have used a more modern name like “Buried in the Ocean while sleeping” the entire effect would have been different and thus a failure. Gruesome is simple and to the point…you know exactly what we’re about just from the name.

6.Are there any plans on making this project a touring group or is this strictly a studio project? Due to the fact that everyone is in established bands, playing live will be limited, but we are all very excited to play the material live. We are definitely going to work out some limited tours and festival appearances for sure.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal? It has been overwhelmingly positive, thankfully! Our primary concern was to make sure that everyone involved with Death was ok with what we were setting out to do, and that includes the former members, management, and of course the fans. Gruesome is 100% a labor of love and comes from the deepest admiration and respect for a man and his band that greatly changed our lives. I cannot overstate that! And fortunately all parties seemed to immediately not only understand, but be genuinely excited about it. In fact we weren’t going to really move forward with this unless we received the blessing from Eric Greif, Death’s longtime manager, and he was and has been super supportive of everything that we’re doing. Even former members Terry Butler, Rick Rozz, and James Murphy (who also did a guest solo on the album) have given us the big thumbs up, and that’s huge for us! At this point we have sold out of a few limited edition pressings of the album so the fans have spoken and spoken LOUD! We are very appreciative of that and want to make sure that we are able to take the band out on the road and give them the live show that they are hopefully waiting to see as well!

8.What is going on with some of the other musical projects or bands these days that some of the band members are a part off? Exhumed just released their re-recording of their first album, toured with Napalm Death, and I’m sure will see more dates coming this year. Possessed is supposed to be writing new material, and Robin tours with I think every single metal band on earth at some point doing merch. I stay busy doing session work outside of metal actually, so I’m very ready to play some death metal live again!

9.Are there any plans for future albums or is this a one time thing? We signed a multi album deal and already have 3-4 songs written for the next album, so there’s plenty more Gruesome gore yet to come! There’s also still plenty of resource material from Death to explore and it’s just too much fun to not continue.

10.Besides Death are there any other musical influences  on the bands sound? Nope

11.What are some of your non musical interests? I recently started skateboarding again after a 25yr hiatus…not sure if that’s smart or not, but I’m NOT conceding to age that easily! All this late 80s –ness going on got me! Other than that, I love riding my motorcycle, nature photography and traveling with my wife when possible.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Thank you for the interest and support. And a big thank you to all the fans! We hope to see you all soon! HAIL CHUCK!

Apontokation/Conquerors Beyond The Stars/2015 CD Review

  Apontokation  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Conquerors  Beyond  The  Stars".

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  other m  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  starts  to  get  a  lot    more heavier  along  with  some  melodies,  growls  and  screams  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  old  school  death  and  thrash  metal  influences  and  on  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  ethnic  sound s before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.

  Apontokation  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  that  goes  back  to t he  90's  but  also  mixes  in  a  modern  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apontokation  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Wisp  Of  Misanthropy"  "Ancient  Vision"  "Human  Chaos"  and  "Absolution  Through  the  Mayhem".  8  out  of  10.    

Six Feet Under/Crypt Of The Devil/Metal Blade Records/2015 CD Review

  Six  Feet  Under  have  returned  with  a  new  album  that  sticks  to  their  groove  orientated  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Crypt  Of  The  Devil"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  the music  also  brings  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  adding  blast  beats  and  morbid  sounding  melodies  into  the  songs  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  90's  style  of  death  metal.

  You  can  still  hear  a  great  amount  of groove  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  they  have  brought  in  even  more  of  a  straightforward  death  metal  sound  over  the  years  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  a  small  amount  of  melody  onto  some  of  the  tracks.

  Six  feet  under  creates  another  death  metal  album  that  is  very  groove  orientated  yet  has  an  old  school  feeling  and  while  they  have  improved  over  the  years  the  music  is  not  as  brutal  as  most  band s of  this  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  serial  killer  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  decent  sounding  recording  from  Six  Feet  Under  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gruesome"  "Break  The  Cross  In  Half"  "Stab"  and  "Eternal  Darkness".  7/5  out  of  10.    

Psychomancer Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new ep?
Duston: Oh man work work work...we have a good handful of shows coming up to fill up the summer we have been preparing for starting April 4th in Chicago IL, and have added a second guitar player Bradley Heidorn who is filling the spot in really well.  Other than that we have been writing material for a full length album hopefully to start recording by the end of the year or early next year so in between writing we practice our live set, design our merchandise, shirts ect… mail promos and get ideas for new things to come, and we are having a blast doing it! We are making a lot of progress.

2.In April you have a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Duston: Well with the new line up change; introducing Corey Blackstad on Drums, Curt Hutchison Guitar, and recently added a second guitarist Bradley Heidorn, and I would say it’s a lot more diverse, and full sounding then the stuff from the past.  See I only used to do back up vocals but since our original vocalist stepped out I decided to take on the vocal duties so the vocal sound is different. Corey Blackstad is also a classical acoustic guitar player and wrote and composed the classical acoustic piece in the opening of Abhorrent Wings of Decay…so with new members comes new influences on the whole sound. I myself got to use some old riffs and ideas that I had wrote along time ago and never got a chance to incorporate them until now so it all came together pretty well especially for me, being that it’s my first run at full on vocals so it turned out really good. As far as the new stuff we are currently working on is a lot more structured, really than what’s on the ep, so next album will be way more deep and we are going to put a lot more work into it and make a complete epic mind melting nightmare ride to a lot of dark places.


3.The band has been around since 1997 but so far has only released a demo, 2 full lengths and an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?
Duston: Oh man, I know it is a sorry track record for a band that has been around that long. But you know time and money really, and constantly hiring and firing guitar players...ha ha ha We have had a lot of people come and go...I mean a list well into the 20s close to 30 ya know? We always wanted that two guitar sound so people coming and going like that takes up time, you have to spend the time to teach them everything and then they quit or do something stupid and get booted out and all that going on and before you know it, 5 to 10 years blow by. Ha ha ha Hell I even said FUCK YA'LL and quit a couple times myself and was replaced but ended up coming back...ha ha...but ya know then you have to start all over again and it is a very exhausting set back when that shit happens all the time...ha ha ha But things now are going great, the guys I’m working with are great dudes and hard working, so the productivity is right on spot and we are getting shit done. We right now are almost five songs into the new material and this next album will have a lot of really good stuff. We are totally stoked and can’t wait to get back to the studio.

4.The band was broken up from 2011-13 what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
Duston: Well there were disagreements of course, and some of us all had personal things going on outside of the band. Truthfully, I really contemplated changing the name cause I’m the only original member it has reformed with a totally new line up. But the new guys said that they were proud to be in the band and since I founded the name, I should keep it, so I was like yeah why not it’s a perfectly good name. So ya know, it was what it was then, and it is what is now, but we do not and never will perform any of the past material. So anyone looking to here old stuff, forget it...lol
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5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Duston: Well to go song by song:
In Shackles Insane: was inspired by American Horry Story Asylum.
Just Another Victim: was inspired by the one and only Dexter.
Inject The Worms: was inspired by my personal encounters with heroin addicts. I have seen a few good people fall to the stuff and one recently was my cousin and we were real close, but I don’t aim at them I aim at the ones who have influenced them, and I know people do make their own choices. Sadly though you can’t always be there to save them before it cost them their lives...I’m no angel I have done my fair share of drugs but I never touched that shit and over the years seeing what it does to people has really put a very bad taste in my mouth. I will have nothing to do with heroin users, but I do give credit to the ones who do the right thing and stop. Ya know I have just seen it do a lot bad things...so that song is from my personal experiences.
Bastards Burn: To be honest with you, I hate this song...ha ha ha That song title, and lyrics was changed three times...but primarily it’s just about the assholes causing all the problems in the world and how we all would love to see them burn.
Abhorrent Wings Of Decay: The word Abhorrent is another word for disgusted, Repugnance, the song is about feeling disgusted with yourself by what you are or, have become, or are forced to be; so you do whatever drastic measure to get away from it, or change to the opposite, or rebel.
Chant Of The War Demons: Is inspired by the Vikings TV series, though I don’t use any words describing Vikings in any sentence, but evidently when some people first encountered them they thought they were demons from hell, their war prayer was chanting like and they had no fear of death, and their appearances themselves were terrifying they slaughtered, and took all their riches and distorted their creed.

6.I know that the name 'Psychomancer' has 3 different meanings, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?
Duston: Well PSYCHOMANCER is a very interesting name and I always knew that there was more to what it actually is and we have looked more into what a PSYCHOMANCER really is. A PSYCHOMANCER is someone who has mastered the art of concentration and the inner workings of the mind, who can manipulate psychic energy whether it’s human animal or supernatural, or in a lucid state, and they can use this power for good or evil, and also divination purposes. So basically a PSYCHOMANCER is a bad ass!! Now how it fits with what we do today, I know the past lyrical writing from the past stuff from our original front man was mostly killing, guts, blood, my knife and blood and more guts and having intercourse with dead things. A PSYCHOMANCER does not need a knife it can kill you just by thinking about it. It can make you slit your own throat with your knife…ha ha ha…all that has changed for the most part. As for me writing lyrics, I like to try to do more of a story and explore different topics to keep it interesting, and I also work with the others on song topics and their input as well, if they come up with something good I will use it, they look over what I write and I am always open to suggestions if needed.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Duston: There have been a lot. Milwaukee Metal Fest 2000 was a great one, we’ve done shows with Six Feet Under, Mortician, and more recently Vital Remains, just to name a few…we had a lot of fun with those bands very cool dudes indeed.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new ep is released?
We have shows coming up yes, getting to touring is something we are very much wanting to do we are just taking things as they come.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
Duston: So far very good, better than ever.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Duston: Keeping it metal and doing bigger and better things

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Duston: Well I grew up listing to the golden oldies, classic rock, and classic metal bands. I like Elvis, B.O.C. Bad Company, Fog Hat, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Rush, Iron Maiden, “OLD’’ Metallica, The Misfits, Danzig, Pentagram, High On Fire, Deicide, Obituary, Grave, Hypocrisy, Distroyer666, Vader, Lamented Souls, Borknagar, Arcturus, ICS Vortex, and Emperor just to name a few favorites.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Duston: Video games, knife throwing, cooking, fishing, demolition derby, beer by the camp fire, hanging with my two sons, and fiancé soon to be wife, and cartoons...

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Duston: Yes, I hope I cleared up some history and future of this band and hope to talk to ya again on the next release,,. Thank you \m/
 www.orchestratedmisery.com
www.facebook.com/Psychomancertheband

Zero Gravity Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Zero Gravity: The band has been touring and playing album promotion gigs. Band merchandise is soon to be revealed.



2. Recently you have released your first full length album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Zero Gravity: The quality of production is quite heavy and professional. Our album ‘Holocaust Awaits’ has been produced by none other than Ashwin Shriyan, the bassist for Demonic Resurrection.


3. I have heard that the band refers itself as 'raw death metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this tag?

Zero Gravity: We have maintained a raw quality in all of our compositions, in order to give our death metal music a powerful punchy impact. Vocals have been structured in a pattern complementing that rawness of the riffs.


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

Zero Gravity: The lyrics feature the agony, the anguish of a common man against a system.



5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Zero Gravity'?

Zero Gravity: There is no such inspiration behind the name ‘Zero Gravity’. It was very random. It was a creative moment.


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

Zero Gravity: Hornbill International Rock Fest, Outrage Fest India, Catatonia Fest (Mumbai), New World Order (Darjeeling) are some of the best shows the band has played.


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

Zero Gravity: Since our album release, we have played in various cities of India as a part of our album promotion tour that include Mumbai, Delhi, Indore, Hyderabad, and Darjeeling.


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

Zero Gravity: We have received a pretty warm welcome. Getting rave reviews from different parts of the country as well as from the world. Fans from Germany, Italy, France, and Canada are buying the physical copy which is really motivating.

9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Zero Gravity: We are looking forward to play in various countries of the world and hit many big stages in the near future.



10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Zero Gravity: Lamb of God, Sepultura, Pantera, and Arch Enemy are some of the bands that have influenced us. These days the band has its attention on bands like Decapitated, Vader, and Aborted.


11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Zero Gravity: Movies, Adventures and cooking



12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Zero Gravity: Thank you very much for this interview. We are much pleased to have done it.


Stream Zero Gravity’s music here - https://transcendingobscurityindia.bandcamp.com/album/holocaust-awaits-raw-death-metal
Zero Gravity Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Zero.GravityIndore

Transcending Obscurity Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurity

ghUSa Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the release of the compilation?

The album was released on March the 16th, 2015 the first reactions are very positive and the reviews, such as yours, have been more than enthusiastic. We have been giving the first show with the new line up, filming a video that we will put online in the upcoming weeks, put a lyric video online, a teaser and we have been composing for our next album. As you can see, we have been quite busy.
We are very pleased with the way things are turning up for us right now and it gives us high hopes for the next events.

2.Recently you have released a compilation that covers more than 20 years of music, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

Two years ago the management of Great Records has expressed the desire to meet me. And although I had announced the end of my musical activities they insisted to re-release the ghUSa discography. At first I was reluctant, as I could not see the point of going back in revisiting my past.  But with perseverance and debates I accepted the idea, except it was just not enough for them. Raph and Geoff asked me to form the group back so as to record new materials but also to get back up on stage to defend this altogether. I met their demand after I found musicians able to join the project.
This box is made up of:
1 EP with the pleasant name of “Come Sweet Death” which was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jipouille de St Loup (https://www.facebook.com/jipouille.de.st.loup)  who is responsible for this marvelous Old School sound.
1 LP “Letter to my Son’(s)” recorded in 2006
2 tracks from a 2002 EP “The Nail”
1 promo tape from 1994 “Mortal Remains” made of 3 tracks
Everything was recorded at the Hybreed Studio (https://www.facebook.com/Hybreed.Studio) by Andrew Guillotin and, so that the whole lot of the recordings sounds coherent I gave once more the tapes to Jipouille for dust-removal and remastering.
There are additional recordings but they are all unusable, and for the record, even though Great Dane Records took care of the physical version of the album, you will find the digital version at Dooweet Promotion with two exclusive titles available for legal download.

3.On the compilation there where some songs that where recorded recently , how would you describe the musical sound of the new material and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The biggest difference is that since the genesis of the band I have always taken care of the whole writing of the songs. For the first time in 25 years I have been able to rely on musicians competent enough to help me in this matter. Indeed, health issues now prevent me from playing guitar and I thank all those who have been able to stand in for my disability while knowing how to give life to the essence of ghUSa.
This band is and always will be in the Swedish movement but back at the time of our first recordings I had not understood the recipe for THE so typical guitar sound required by Old School. The second big difference comes from the discovery of the legendary HM-2 pedal, with ancient recording techniques. With us you will not hear drum triggers, no re-amping, no excessive editing [recalage], just a band playing and trying to sweat its pleasure through your speakers. In any way I do not reject my past, I am proud of it! But I am even happier to see this team united around one and only flag. I love these guys and they give it back a hundredfold.

4.While the band has been around since 1989 there has not been much in the way of material, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps between releases?

I am not a man spreading himself in several musical projects. For more than a decade I have been part of Carnal Lust, a band I have been giving 100% of my time and energy. However, without leaving them, I took part in other formations and ghUSa was driven to the background simply because I had no time to devote. Still I always kept my music in mind, the one I cherish with tremendous dedication. So, even though the first recordings have been somewhat scattered, there is no doubt we are back today to give a true follow-up to ghUSa. The next album, in the same vein as “Come Sweet Death”, is almost done. We sure will be even more productive in the near future, especially now that I fully dedicate my time to this formation, and nothing else!

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

The main and recurrent theme is religion. A form of degradation of mankind’s ability to think and analyze. To all intents, I remind you that wars have only two forms (and it has been this way since the beginning of Man’s presence on Earth): economical territorial occupation or religions.  While believing in a god of any kind can reassure on the after-life, I do not see how these beliefs can breed anything but death, a paradox I am sure you will agree. Tolerance is not about denying one’s ideas but accepting to listen the others’. I for myself am an atheist and do not force anyone to think as I do. We are the tolerance of the intolerant, we are the 4th nail and we express through our lyrics and our music all those aberrations.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'ghUSa'?

At first this name came while thinking of all those who had created a religion simply by inspiring people throughout the centuries. It was kind of a joke, an imaginary belief, an acronymic deification. What can you keep of our name? Simply that god hates US all!

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

As I said earlier ghUSa is a tribute band assuming its position and for our shows we were inspired by two different formations, Bloodbath and Como Muertos. I like the fan coming to see us having a run for his money, we give him a bloody and brutal show, while friendly at the same time. Share and enjoy are the main words before going on stage. As for the best gig, we have always been following the same rule: it is still to come!

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

We entrusted Sigma Music Event and they have been working with us to build our future on stage. Everything being still under work I can only tell you about our next show. Indeed we will be playing with a band I have been a fan of since 1990, and I am thrilled to announce that we will be touring with Mercyless (https://www.facebook.com/mercylesscult) and our first common date will be on May the 2nd, 2015 at the Camille Claudel room, with support act Heksen (https://www.facebook.com/heksendeathmetal). Keep reading our official Facebook page where everything will be announced chronologically: https://www.facebook.com/ghusaband

9.On the compilation you had some Dismember, Grave and Benediction covers, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision behind doing your own version of these tracks?

Many consider it as Old School Death Metal, but to us it is a extremely current music in which we have been identifying for more than 25 years. In this context, we first wanted to pay tribute to these timeless groups, but also to breed in the listener the desire to rediscover these giants. I cannot conceive to record an album without thanking the bands that inspired me. And as long as we will be able to, we will offer these cover versions almost systematically.

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

Even if the demanding standards have evolved a lot in the past ten years, we are very pleased with the feedback on this box, especially on “Come Sweet Death”. The vast majority of Death Metal fans we meet, be it live or over the internet, are grateful to us for giving this sound back to life. We, of course, appeal to two kinds of listeners, the first one I would call nostalgic, which I belong to, identifies with this Swedish production. And then there is the newcomer, just enjoying listening to gory Death Metal, with no speed or technical race, just played with guts.  Knowing that we can touch the young people who were not born when the style first emerged is a beautiful surprise we cannot stop relishing on.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We did not come back on the front stage to sit on the sidelines, but to set us up in the long-term. We are involved in a decade of Hate and Pleasure. We are working on our next album and this time with more than one hand. All this is going pretty fast but I will not announce any release date today, that would be premature. You will find our preferred style with unique compositions and covers where we will push even further the Bloodthirsty Viking imagery.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

The list of bands we are inspired by is long and although I surely will forget some of them I can name those whose albums are spinning daily on my turntable: Dismember, Grave, Entombed, Unleashed, Edge of Sanity, Comecon, Disbelief, Carnage, At The Gates, or, somewhat more recent, Amon Amarth and Bloodbath. But I also want to show my gratitude to those who have carried forward the banner of this music, such as Entrails, Smothered, The Resistance, Deserted Fear or Vallenfyre.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Well, it seems our main interest filter remains music. Nevertheless we have set a new challenge and we will try to bring you in the upcoming years a short movie on war cultures. This is a first for us and we sincerely hope to go to the end of this project, even though the investment is tremendous.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

A very big thank to you for this free space you offered us. See you somewhere on the road, and do not forget that god hates US all!

Gruesome/Savage Land/Relapse Records/2015 CD Review

  Gruesome  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that consists  of  members  of  Exhumed,  Malevolent  Creation,  Possessed,  and  Derketa  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  death  metal  that  pays  tribute  to  the  legendary  band  Death  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Savage  Land"  which  will  be  released  on  April  21st  by  Relapse  Records.

  A  very  heavy,  fast  and  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  that  are  very  easy  to  understand  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  along  with  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Most  of  the  music  has  a  very  vintage  mid  80's  death  metal  sound  while  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  true  to  death  metal  but  demonstrate  a  great amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  sound  from  beginning to  end  of  the  recording.

  Gruesome  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  old  school  and  sounds  like  long  lost  Death  songs  but  with  a  more  modern  take,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gruesome are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Savage  Land"  "Closed  Casket"  and  "Gruesome".  8  out  of  10.

Primordium/Aeonic Obselescene/Lacerated Enemy Records/2014 EP Review

  Primordium  are  a  band  from  Indiana  that  plays  a  very  technical  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Aeonic  Obselescene"  which  was  released  by  Lacerated  Enemy  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  violin  and  orchestra  starts  off  the  ep  before  getting  more  heavier  and  going  for  a  brutal  death  metal  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing   and  after  the  intro  all  the  symphonic  elements  go  away.

  After  the  intro  the  music  starts  to  get  more  fast  and  also  brings  in  growls  and  blast  beats  while  also  being  very  technical  at  the  same  time  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  demonstrate  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  you  can  also  hear  some  high  pitched  screams  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  clean  playing  is  utilized  they  bring  in  an  influence  from  jazz  music  onto  the  album  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  show  the  symphonic  elements  of  the  intro  making  a  return briefly  and  they  close  the  ep  with  an  instrumental.

  Primordium  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  technical  as  well  as  demonstrating  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  as  musicians,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  esoteric  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Primordium  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Process  Of  Becoming"  and  "Esoteric  Purification".  8  out  of  10.