Ashen Epitaph Interview

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

Hi bro, thanks for the opportunity.
We started recording 2 years ago. Our recording sessions are always very slow and this occasion was no exception. But finally we made it and it will be kickass stuff.
We had a couple of live shows till last year’s summer, but after that, we made a long break (over a year long). We needed time and freedom to finish the new album, and now we think that it was a good decision concerning the band’s future. But now, Ashen Epitaph has awoken and is stronger than everyone else. :)


2.You have a new album coming out in October, 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?

Yes, we have a new album which will be released by a Serbian label “Grom Records”.
The music genre isn’t different, but maybe a bit faster than the older albums. This time we tried some instrumental things we haven’t done before – faster skank beats / ultra slow beats, dual vocals in classic Carcass style, different kinds of solos and stuff like that.
Regarding the sound, this is a big step forward. Big thanks for our studio guy – Árpád Deák.  He also progressed with us, both in knowledge and studio gear.
It’s a natural progression anyway.

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

We don’t have any changes on the lyrical side. The singer/guitarist – Attila Boros – wrote the lyrics about casual problems in the world spiced with religious criticism... Old school thrash metal themes. :)

4.I know that the band was named after a Benediction song, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

Our name has no specific message or anything like that. We always liked Benediction, especially the Ashen Epitaph EP, so we didn’t have a better idea... Still better than Infernal Deathvomit or Unmerciful Godslaughter. :D
And what could be better for a good death metal band name than an old, rotten grave?!

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

Hmmm… It’s very hard to pick just one. Every single show is equally important for us. We had a blast with gigs in major cities like Belgrade, Budapest, Skopje, Novi Sad and also in the small towns/villages.
On the stage we always want to do a 110% show full of energy, headbanging, and blasting. But sometimes have problems, like the sound guy is not the best, the size of the stage, or somebody in the band is unfit... Or a hangover! :D

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Yes of course, but unfortunately not tours, just simple shows. Actually, we’re doing a big return/album release/ 14th birthday party with 3 awesome bands in our hometown, Senta. After that, we will play some gigs in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Szeged, Budapest. For the next summer, we’re invited a couple of festivals. I hope to add some shows in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We really like Czech festivals but never played in the country. Maybe on Brutal Assault, on the Jägermeister Stage, after a Deicide show. Hahahahaha. :)

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

Sincerely I have no idea because I’m not really into that kind of investigation! :) I just know that the metalheads like our music. Of course, I always read reviews if we have something exclusive, a new record or a show. But I’m not a big searcher.

8.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Not really. Our guitarist – Norbert – has a project called Jane Dark with our studio guy. But they only made bedroom album recordings. :) There were only two Jane Dark shows, and I was the session drummer.
I played a few shows with our buddies, the legendary beer thrashers M.A.D. Goya a few years ago. I also got a few calls from bands to do something in the studio or helping them live, but I’m a redneck and I don’t like to learn the songs. :) For me, it’s better to practice and jam in the rehearsal room, cleaning up blastbeats or footwork and trying out some non-typical metal parts.
In the early days, our bassist Mihajlo had a crusty grind project but nothing serious.
And from 2002 to 2004 (the other) Attila and Norbert played in a thrash metal cover band. They played songs from Slayer, Sodom, Motörhead, Venom, etc.

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

In my opinion, the music will be the same in the future, much like in the last 14 years. Maybe more or less complex; a perfect mixture of the American and European styles of death metal. We aren’t planning to use insane classic keyboard rounds like Stratovarius, and also not clean vocals like Dream Theater. Just shitty, powerful death metal!!! Hahaha! :)


10.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?

We don’t really listen to many new bands. Of course, sometimes we discover something new, like Mgła, Dead Congregation, Wolves In The Throne Room, Mithras, Ne Obliviscaris, Vallenfyre, etc. But for example, I don’t hunt for new bands. We still listen the same music as 15 years ago – Carcass, Gorefest, Morbid Angel, Edge Of Sanity, Dismember, Death, Malevolent Creation, Kreator, Vomitory, Slayer, etc.
To make a long story short, the classic scene of death/thrash metal and naturally these bands’ new albums; and much more, from Aerosmith to punk music and dark rock, from Soundgarden and Billy Idol to Cryptopsy.


11.What are some of your non-musical interests?

Hmm, that’s a nice question but I don’t have any special interests or hobbies. For me, the best way to “turn my brain off” is playing the drums for 2-3 hours daily.
I’m a big fan of Bud Spencer &Terrence Hill. Sometimes I play games on my old Playstation 1 like Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid. Also, drinking beer and partying till dawn in my workplace which is a blues rock pub. Classic rockstar life! Hahaha! :)
I (and also Norbert) love good horror movies. The classics are the best in this genre as well – Hellraiser, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Alien, Predator, Fly, THE THING, etc.
And Mihajlo is a very big fan of fishing! It has happened before the he didn’t come to rehearsal because he caught a big carp or some huge beast, and he stayed on the riverside under the influence of victory. :)

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

Thank you for this interview, and thank YOU, everyone who read these lines.
We hope to see you soon during a concert somewhere.
Listen to our new stuff “The Formed Filth Enigma” because it kills... And also the older records.
Thank You! Keep grindin’!!!

Ditheist Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
.Ditheist is a Death Metal band from Chicago IL here is what others think about us :

When you go to McDonald’s, do you want your Big Mac to taste different every time? Hell no, you want a Big Mac. Same with Ditheist. You want some solid death metal, these are your dudes.

DITHEIST - Eternity of Nothingness
These guys are 100% legit. They blast out metal steeped in the great tradition of old school death metal while never sounding dated and boring. The drums are fucking amazing and the heavy riffs are deep dark and brutal.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
2.Me & our drummer Narcyz were heavily influenced by bands like Atheist, Death,Morbid Angel, Nile,Vader, Krisiun, Behemoth, Decapitated so what you hear on our records is a death metal written by big death metal/extreme music fans plus some progressive/jazzy passages .

3.The band has been around since 2006 but so far has only released one ep and full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?

3.We released only one EP & LP because for many years we couldn't find a vocalist even when recording Seduction of Demons EP we had to ask Erik Pertl to handle the vocals .
For the very same reason we didn't play shows for two years.

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

 4.Our lyrics focus on : Sense of existence , History,Anti-Christianity, Blasphemy,Black Humor.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ditheist'?
5.Ditheist  It's a doctrine that maintains the existence of two coequal gods or powers of good and evil , like in Manicheism(dualism).
Manichaeism taught an elaborate dualistic cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness.


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?

6.One of my favorites was a show with VITAL REMAINS! & VALE OF PNATH
how often do you get to play with death metal pioneers? They destroyed that night!
We had a set with lots of very fast songs we had a blast.
Our first show ever in 2006/07 was also very cool we played with couple rock bands they couldn't believe how fast & technically sound we were ,that experience encouraged us to play more shows.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7.We had an opportunity to tour Europe but we we're all busy working  at that time .
No touring plans for 2018 as of now

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
8.The feedback has been amazing!
We get emails Brazil ,Russia ,UK people really like our music .

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
9.Jarek Badzioch our bassist is playing in a melodic death metal band called Inner Decay he also in a rock band now.

10.When can we expect another recording and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. We already have about 10 new songs but we need to get tight playing them,it's hard to tell when we will enter the studio all I know is that we will probably record at Bell City Sound with engineer Chris Wisco (Gorgasm, Jungle Rot,Broken Hope, Michael Angelo Batio).

Nekrohowl/Epitome Of Morbid/Diabolcurst Productions/Slaughter House Records/2017 EP Review

    Nekrohowl  are  a  band  from  Bangladesh  that  plays  a  very  dark,  blasphemous  and  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017 ep  "Epitome  Of  Morbid"  which  will  be  released  on  September  30th  as  a  joint  effort  between  Diabolcurst  Productions  and  Slaughter  House  Records.

  Clean  playing  along  with  a  small  amount  of  ambient  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  on  te  second  track  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction t hat  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavy  rooted  in  the  90's  while  morbid  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  chaotic  atmosphere  as  well  as  having  its  dark  and  melodic  moments.

  Nekrohowl  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  dark,  blasphemous,  brutal  and  old  school  sounding  in  the  90's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  blasphemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nekrohowl  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark,  blasphemous,  brutal  and  old  school  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blasphemy  Still  Unnamed"  and  'Mortal  Incubation".  8  out  of  10.    

Cripper Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Lommer: A lot has happened in the band: Dennis took a long ride with his bicycle through Europe for one whole year, Cripper played many shows with our friend and drummer Max from the band Scarnival. During this time, new songs were written with Max and and our other friend Phil on the drums, who helped us out. We had played our first show on the infamous Wacken Open Air, that we promoted with a pretty funny video campaign.
In the last half year of 2017, Gerrit (Cripper's former bass player) left the band. His family situation changed (he became a father. Congratulations!!!!) and he didn't have enough time for the band anymore. Britta, with whom I am also playing in our Death Metal band Critical Mess, asked me one day if I would like to play in Cripper and I said yes. And now, since the May 1st 2017, I am a part of Cripper.

Jon: Since then we had a lot of work for the new release. The whole artwork was made by our guitarist Christian, including all graphic designs and merchandise. We also produced two video clips. Direction, filming and editing was in my hands. The whole production, especially for the "Into The Fire" video clip was a massive teamwork together with friend and took a lot of effort. Besides that we had a lot of interviews, photoshootings, release show organisation, website updating etc. So we were pretty damn busy during the last months.

2.Recently you have released a new album, 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?
Lommer: Mmmh, i think the new sound is a little more mighty as the Hyëna. Hyëna was a real dark album and "Follow Me: Kill!" is more like a kick in the nuts.

Jon: I would describe the sound of "Follow Me: Kill!" as amixture of Extreme Metal (Thrash, Death, Djent) with a lot of groove, atmospheric elements and melodic hooks. Modern feel with a straightforward and authentic sound. We always try to sound not too "fat" and overproduced. E.g. we are using just one track per rhythm guitar to make it sound edgy and precise and not too muddy.
In the past we had more typical Thrash songs, solid sound and just a few experiments. On "Follow Me: Kill!" we tried to implement some more crazy ideas, without loosing the heaviness. We recorded a lot of interesting vocal stunts like overtone or throut singing, spooky background vocals, tons of different guitar leads and overdubs, guest solos to give the songs more diversity... I think we used about 7 different guitars to get the best sounds and styles for different parts. Recordings of Cripper were always very extended, but "Follow Me: Kill!" kills it.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Britta: With this new record, we are taking quite a new step as far as lyrics. Follow Me: Kill! is definitely our most political album so far. You can find a few very personal or autobiographical lyrics on the album - such as "Mother" and also "Running High", but also a fair amount of political or society inspired lyrics. With how much nasty stuff is going on around the globe, it is about time to speak up and clarify our own standpoint.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Cripper'?
Britta: That's kind of a neat story. Cripper was a working title for one of our very first songs. It is short for "Christmas Ripper", an imaginative guy who comes out at Christmas slashing all those hectic and stressed out Christmas shopping people. I am absolutely no Christmas person, so I could really relate to this word creation. We all loved the sound of the word and that it didn't have a predefined meaning. When it was time to name the band, it was our first choice.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Britta: Our release show for "Follow Me: Kill!" last week here in our hometown Hannover was epic! I mean, playing many songs for the first time is always very exciting, but on top of that the show was spiked with very special elements. We even invented and built a rain machine and let it rain on stage during our new song "Running High". Everything went super smooth and the whole night was a huge success and a lot of fun for us and our fans. A show that is also etched into our minds is our 2013 performance on Metal Days in Slovenia. We were 100% on the spot that day and played an amazing set. It was also the show we got the attention of Metal Blade, who got in touch with us afterwards cause they liked our show so much.

I would describe our live performance as energetic and authentic. We consider ourselves as a live band - I mean, that's what it is all about, right? Playing your shit live. So on stage is where we feel the most comfortable and ourselves.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Lommer: Yeah, we are taking a short trip to the Baltic States for the first time and will then support Hammercult on their tour in October. In the November/December we will play some single shows in Germany and we are already booking shows for 2018.

7.Currently the band is signed to 'Metal Blade Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Britta: Oh yes, very! We are very happy and thankful to be at Metal Blade. The whole team is awesome. We have 100% artistical. They are helping us a lot and opened many doors for us so far. Havin' their trust and support without is a pretty comfortable situation for Cripper.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?
Jon: I would say the majority of extreme Metal fans out there are accepting us as a part of the Thrash and Death Metal scene. The majority of those who knows about us, we are still kind of underground outside of Germany. The female singer aspect is always a topic, even in terms of genre or style.
That means there are more people who compare us with e.g. Arch Enemy than any other Metal band, just because the singer is not a male. I think it's comprehensible but weird, because music-wise we have not much in common with Arch Enemy except for making some kind of Metal style with guitars, drums and growl vocals in it.

Lommer: It was really different, but this is normal (Do you know the Gaussian Bell Curve?  ). some People are primary negtive thinking and you could do, what you want, they are always grumpy... You shouldn't give a fuck, and the best way is to ignore that (Everbody had the right to tell what he/she want, but nobody had the duty to react). But this is a small part, the most people are fascinated of the Album and our Videos we had released. That is really awesome and give us more power to make music!


9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Britta: That is really difficult to predict. I mean, everything we write and do feels very natural. We do not plan out an agenda when it comes to our artistical output. We are following our inner urges and create stuff we feel is in line with ourselves. There's no point in limiting that artificially. I am pretty sure though that Cripper's music will always be on the intense and heavy side. It is just what seems to be the core ingredient in our music, it's the glue that holds everything together. We love to play the longer and more epic tracks live we wrote so far. That's why we allowed us to write even more of those on the current album. Not sure what's gonna happen during the next songwriting phase, but I can see us exploring those kind of songs even a little more.

10.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?
Jon: Inspiration comes from everywhere. Everyone of us is listening to different stuff, that range is from Black-, Death-, Thrash Metal, Stoner, Crust, via German Hip Hop, Dub Step to Pop Music and everything in between. No borders in taste here.
That is not new for us and we were seeking inspiration from everywhere since we formed the band. For "Follow Me: Kill!" we tried to write more consistent with the idea of not being limited by the "Metal Genre".
The Thrash/Death aspects are flowing anyway. After four "in your face" albums, we are quite routined in writing heavy or furious stuff. Our goal was to make these typical Cripper-Thrashers more complex, interesting and individual.
To name a few bands, which we often had as examples in our discussions in terms of songwriting: Gojira, Mantar, The Haunted (as usual), Killer Be Killed.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Britta: I love riding my motorcycle. I went on a week long trip this year with my best friends and that was super nice and relaxing. Other than that I enjoy doing things outside, especially in the summer and when it is really sunny. I am a total sun and beach person. Ummm... what else. .. even though I am not watching many series, if it happens that I really dig one, I am binging for days! Terrible, haha! And I love dogs. I don't have the time for having a dog, but my colleague at work has a dog that I am taking care of sometimes. I'm the dog's aunt so to say. That's always a good time.

Lommer: Puh, i like reading books chilling in my hammock, (some science fiction stuff like Phillip K. Dick), and watching movies/series with my cat in my lap *laugh*. I am also interested in science stuff and i study biology and chemistry. It's difficult but I love it and it's more hobby than work. Also, I like to ride my bicycle (for long tours) and in the winter I go snowboarding in Austria with my wife.

Jon: At the moment I'm totally into photography. I'm working as a video producer and graphic designer for about ten years and am into cameras, tech stuff, design, composition, colors and everything.
But the passion for photography is something new. Besides that, I am trying to see as much as possible of the world, I'm traveling a lot with my family and our two kids, this year we made a three months trip through South East Asia and Australia, followed by a trip to Cuba. I'm spending all my money in camera gear and travel, but not only that; I made a diving course in Thailand and tasted blood, so the next expensive hobby is ready to screw me.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Lommer: Öhm, yeah! Don't be shitty, be cool.

Canker/Earthquake/Xtreem music/2017 CD Review

  Canker  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this zine  and  plays  a  technical  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Earthquake"  which  was  released  by  Xtreem  Music.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  technical  feeling  and  some  tracks  also  mix  in  a  more  traditional  thrash  style  along  with  some  riffs  also  adding  in  a  slight  groove  metal  influence  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Screams along  a  brief use  of  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  while  one  track  brings  in  spoken  word  parts  and  tribal  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  and  one  track  also  brings  in  melodic  vocals.

  Canker  plays  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  death  metal  while  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  influences  as  well  as  experimenting  with  their  sound  to  create  something  very  different,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  religion  and  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Canker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  death  and  thrash metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Whale  Hunt"  "Biosfear"  "Ravenous"  and  "Inquisition".  8  out  of  10.

Sidus Mortuorum/Coffin Slaves/Envenomed Music/2015 Album Re-Issue Review

  Sidus  Mortuorum  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  re-issue  of  their  2012  album  "Coffin  Slaves"  which  was  re-issued  in  2015  by  Envenomed  Music.

  Horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a heavier  direction  that  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  melodic  guitar leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  than  25  years  ago.

  Sidus  Mortuorum  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while t he  lyrics  cover  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sidus  Mortuorum  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  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Boneyard  Dwellers"  "Re-Animated  In  Morgue"  and  "Dawn  Over  Prypyat".  8  out  of  10.
 
   

 

  

Come Back From The Dead/Caro Data Vermibus/Transcending Obscurity Records/2017 EP Review

  Come  Back  From  The  Dead  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Caro  Data  Vermibus"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Heavy  riffs  and  death  metal  growls  start  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  Swedish  tradition  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  using  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  solos  and  leads  stick  to  an  old  school  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  lot  of  the  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  more  than  20  years  ago  and  the  music  always  remains  heavy.

  Come  Back  From  The  Dead  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  old  school  in  the  early  90's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  plagues,  worms  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Come  Back  From  The  Dead  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  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vomits  Of  A  Demonic  Infestation"  and  "Endless  Bloodshed".  8  out  of  10.

  

Ashen Epitaph/The Formed Filth Enigma/Grom Records/2017 CD Review

  Ashen  Epitaph  are  a  band  from  Serbia  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  The  Formed  Filth  Enigma"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Grom  Records.

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  melodic  guitar  leads  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  screams  being  utilized,  when  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  stick  to an  old  school  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  start  incorporating  more  elements  of  thrash.  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Ashen  Epitaph  plays  a  style  of  death  metal t hat  is  very  old  school  and  traditional  sounding  along  with  some  elements  of  thrash,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  hate,  anger  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ashen  Epitaph  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  "The  Forming"  "The  Wounds"  "Error  In  Evolution"  and  "Shadow  Of  The  Grey  Sun".  8  out  of  10.

   

Trauma/Comedy Is Over/Deformeathing Productions/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  Trauma  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  traditional  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1996  album  "Comedy  Is  Over"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  September  22nd  by  Deformeathing  Productions.

  An  atmospheric intro  along  with  some  epic  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  A  small  amount  of  melody  and  thrash  influences  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  they  also  mix  synths  in  with  the  heavier  sections  briefly,  there  is  also a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard.  

 On  this  recording  Trauma  kept  the  death  metal  style  while  also  getting  more  experimental  and  creating an  album  that  was  very  different  for  the  genre  during  the  time  it  was  released,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  serial  killers,  violence  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording from  Trauma  and  if  you  are  into  death  metal  that  is  different  from  the  norm,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Incertitude"  "Perfection"  and  "Naked  Truth".  8  out  of  10.

    

Terror Empire/Obscurity Rising/Mosher Records/2017 CD Review

 

Terror  Empire  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  has  been  featured  before in  this  zine and  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album "Obscurity  Rising"  which will  be  released  on  September  23rd  by  Mosher  Records.

  Soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction  while  clean  playing  can  also be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  bringing  in  a  very  melodic  old  school  style  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  while t he  vocals  are  mostly  aggressive  thrash  screams  and  screams  that  also  have  a  melodic  edge  at  times  along  with  some  back  up  gang  shouts  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffs  also bring  in a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  with  the  vocals  adding  in growls  along  with  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  spoken  word  samples  can  also be  heard  briefly and  there is  also  a  brief  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Terror  Empire  goes  for  more  of  an  old  school  thrash metal  style  while  still  mixing  in  elements  of  death  metal  at  times,  the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording from  Terror  Empire  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check out this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "You'll  Never  See  Us  Coming"  "Holy  Greed"  and  "New  Dictators".  8  out  of  10.   

Necrofulgarate/Putrid Veil/Caverna Abismal/2017 Compilation Cassette Review

  Necrofulgurate  where  a  solo  project  from  the  United  States  that  played  a  very  raw  and  old  school  style  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  cassette  compilation  "Putrid  Veil"  which  will  be  released  in  October  and  consists  of  both  of  his  demo's.

  A  very  fast  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  along  with  some  blast  beats  before  adding  in  very  deep  sounding  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in t he  early  90's  while  also  using  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  using  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggression.

  Throughout  the  compilation  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  songs  also  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  than  20  years  ago  while  only  one  of  the  songs  brings  use  any  solos  or  leads  which  are  also  done  in  a  very  raw  and  chaotic  fashion  and  the  music  always  remains  heavy.

  Necrofulgurate  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  era  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence,  war  and  hatred  for  mankind  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Necrofulgarite  where  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chalice  Of  Bloodfire"  and  "Ripping  Putrid  Mortality".  8  out  of  10.

  

Neck of the Woods Interview

Words by Jeff Radomsky

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We're a 5 piece progressive death metal band from Vancouver, B.C. We formed the framework for the band in 2013 and are now releasing our first full length record titled The Passenger on September 15th via Basick Records.

2. You have an album coming out in September, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your previous demo and EP?

We've all progressed as musicians and writers since the release of our EP, we all come from very different musical backgrounds and harbour drastically different tastes - I feel the diversity of what inspires us as individuals has lead us to a sound that is uniquely ours. The Passenger is a strong representation of where we're at and where we're going with our music.

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

‘The Passenger’  speaks of personal development, relationships, and flawed leaders while directing the bulk of the albums lyrics towards extending support to my sister who suffers from brain cancer.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Neck Of The Woods'

We wanted something ambiguous that didn't pigeonhole us as a death metal band while representing our fondness for our home in the pacific northwest.

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

We recently performed as direct support for the band Every Time I Die, that was a really good one. We tend to jump around quite a bit, during our shows its clear that we love playing live, the goal is always to direct the crowd to an attentive and involved state - to let go of everything around themselves and lose themselves in the music.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We will be doing a run of western Canada in September while we plan to begin touring the states in early 2018

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We are actually signed to Basick Records within Europe while we remain unsigned in North America.

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

So far so good! Seems like quite a few people are comparing our sound to early Opeth which is a pretty huge compliment as all of us in NOTW love their work.

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

I see us further refining the sound we're currently working with while drawing some new lines based on new influences.

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?

Our guitarist Dave is heavily inspired by bands like Between the Buried and Me, Opeth and Gojira, our bassist is quite fond of more classic sounding heavy metal, our guitarist Travis has a sweet spot for pop punk while our drummer is hooked on bands like Fallujah, Intervals and some EDM. Im all over the map but lately have been hooked on soul and swing.

11. What are some of your non-musical interests?

Skateboarding, lake swimming, camping, hiking, dirt biking, sunny days in the park, drawing, design, film, disc gold, the list goes on, there are too many interesting things in the world and not nearly enough time to do it all!

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

I hope people enjoy our new record, we're proud of it and can't wait to play your city!

Repaid In Blood Interview

Repaid In Blood
Interview Questions: Extreme MetalZine 2017
Responses by Jake Burrmann (Guitarist/Founder)

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



Absolutely, we released the new EP back in May this year. Since then we hit the road for 4 weeks, a full U.S. tour with Bury The Rod, Casket Robbery and our Australian brothers in In Death. After getting back home, I’ve been working on new material, almost have a full albums worth for the next one now. Other than that, its been a lot of behind the scenes stuff. Getting music videos together, and just sent out promo packs to labels and agencies. So trying to keep busy and keep momentum going.



2.In May you had released 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?



This is always tough, genre labels, I mean. Though we do self-describe ourselves as Geek Metal. As far as the music goes, I am big into heavy, melodic, groovy styles. Which is featured predominately on the new EP. I like a good mix of things, and the band reflects that with our songs sometimes taking a weird or different turn. As far as our older music, it doesn’t really differ too much. We’ve gotten a bit more technical over the years, but the groove has stayed.



3.You refer to your music as 'geek metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?



Sure. As I mentioned above, genre labels are tough, and a lot of people will judge you based on what you’ve been labelled. We write about some weird stuff at times, one older song is called She Used My Face As A Pregnancy Test, nerdy things, and mix styles of metal as well. So instead of putting off people that don’t like death metal, or metalcore, progressive or grind or whatever, we decided to make our own label. Hoping it would spark interest rather than put any one person off. We utilize a variety of metal genres, and in the end, its just metal. Heavy music.



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



We took a new approach to this EP, and actually have a theme, or “concept” behind it. The title is “Terra Mourning”, which I came up with while driving home from work. I had terra forming in my brain for some reason, more, weird nerdy shit. And we needed to get an album title. The world is going to hell in a hand basket, quicker now it seems. I thought of the loss of the planet, and there came mourning. So, the album is focused on man, our hubris, our eventual fall, and the desolation of the earth and those few who survive. We decided to geek it up a bit more and include Cthulhu, to act as a catalyst for the story, and wipe the world clean. The songs aren’t out right political, but the lyrics can be interpreted many ways, depending on where the listener is coming from. Which I find is the best, gives each fan a way of discovering the meaning for themselves.



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Repaid In Blood’?



We are big Black Dahlia Murder fans. And off their first album “Unhollowed” in the track Funeral Thirst the lyric is “my penance with blood be repaid. Repaid!” We took from that and came up with Repaid In Blood. 11 years ago, using the internet, and trying to come up with a single word band name was impossible. So, when we picked out that line, we loved it, searched online to see if it was taken, and now here we are.



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?



We always love playing our home town of San Jose at our favorite local dive bar, the Caravan Lounge. But as far as highlights? We’ve played a handful of local showcases/ Metal Fests that were pretty awesome. Opened for All Shall Perish way back in the day, a favorite band of mine. Austin, Texas is always a blast, great metal out there. Madison, Wisconsin can throw down as well.



As far as stage performance? Sweaty, we get sweaty up there lol. We like to have fun, groove and move around. Our singer Darrell is very theatrical, likes to bring a visual to what he is screaming, and interacts with the crowd. We feed off the crowd’s energy for sure, and love to interact with them.



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



Yes, definitely, but not until next year. Working on getting the new material put together, and looking into getting some representation in the industry.





8.On the ep you had done a cover of Salt'N'Peppa's "Push It", what was the decision behind doing a death metal version of this song?



In late 2015, we had a friend, Jerry of Apothesary, covering vocal duties for us between singers. We were in the rehearsal studio with him working on the set for a few shows we were doing, and our then lead guitarist Tyler, was messing around with a funky riff. He just so happened to do the main riff for “Push It”. We all laughed, and Jerry said we should do the cover. We did just that. As it happens, the breakdown in the original song, perfectly translates to an 8-string guitar, so it just made sense to follow through with it. Also, the video was shot live with puppets I made of all of us. So, doing a silly cover was a perfect reason to finally make a music video featuring us as puppets. I had been wanting to do that for years, so got to cross that off my band bucket list lol. I did mention it being silly, we certainly did the cover jokingly. Anyone taking us being serious about that song, shouldn't do so, it was done for a laugh lol.



9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?



Yes, just dropped off the promo pack in the mail this morning actually, so off they go!



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



Had to go check our Tunecore to answer this, and surprised to say, our most foreign streams come from Russia. So that’s pretty cool, had no idea. But as far as feedback, pretty positive. We have fans in Australia, Britain, and Indonesia that are into us. Haven’t had the chance to play out of the U.S. yet, but we are exploring the chance to tour Europe, possibly next year.



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



If all goes well, a full length could surface by late next year. The band consists of members spread out across the U.S. so getting together is difficult. Luckily our drummer Juan lives only about twenty minutes away from me, so a lot of our rehearsals consist of him and I. As soon as we can hammer out the new songs, we can send them off to the rest of the guys and get production going.



As far as the music goes, the cliché of “it’s the heaviest, most melodic material to date” comes to mind. I know a lot of people throw that and similar statements out there when describing their new music, but it rings true here as well lol. I’ve been trying to refine what we do, keep things groovy, just enough chaos, and always keep things heavy. I try to write fun things to play, keeps me interested in what my fingers are doing, and also keep the audience entertained.



12.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?



Some of my all-time favorite heavy bands consist of The Red Chord, All Shall Perish, After The Burial, Cannibal Corpse, The Acacia Strain, Meshuggah, Deftones, and of course The Black Dahlia Murder. I draw inspiration from all these bands, and strive to create a metal tapestry of my musical influences. I like to push myself during the writing process. As I mentioned above, I like to write riffs that are fun to play, but also a bit of a challenge as well. Keeps me striving to do better and push myself as a musician. I’ve been listening to all of the above lately, but also enjoy other things than metal. Some classic rock/ pop from the 70’s is fun. Some Bowie, or Parliament, to funk things up a bit. I can appreciate most genres of music, and it’s always good to cleanse your musical pallet from time to time. Take a step back from heavy music for some time, then come back and appreciate how brutal metal is. Variety is the spice of life.



13.What are some of your nonmusical interests?



Movies, reading, comics, science, travel and anything Star Wars of the above mentioned lol. I’m a huge Star Wars fan, and it’s a great time for geekdom right now with the resurgence of SW and all things Marvel. Lots of great entertainment out there to be found. Oh, and dogs, if there is a dog at the party, I’ll for sure be saying hello to the pup lol.



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



Yeah, thanks for the interview, and support! We are on most streaming services, so feel free to stream us on your favorite one. Spotify and iTunes being the most popular I guess. Also, check out our YouTube page, we have lots of original, fun videos up there featuring our music and the weird things we do to keep us entertained.



On a more serious note, there is a lot of hate out there in the world. Have fun be safe, tell your loved ones you love them, and try to be kind to the random people you meet in your life. We play loud aggressive music, it’s an outlet for sure. Go to a show and let out that negativity that builds up daily. But otherwise, keep an open mind, listen to others, don’t just react. Most of all, respect each other. And in the immortal words of Rick Sanchez, “Wubba lubba dub dub!”

Ditheist/Eternity Of Nothingness/Heathen Tribes/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

 Ditheist  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Eternity  Of  Nothingness"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  autumn  by  Heathen  Tribes.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody  before  adding  in  technical  guitar  leads  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful.

  A great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffing  having  its  technical  moments  and  the  music  always  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  musical  direction.

  Ditheist  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  traditional  in  the  old  school  form  of t he  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  social  concerns  and  black  humor  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ditheist  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Plague  Doctor"  "Eternity  Of  Nothingness"  and  "Crippling  Vexation".  8  out  of  10.

    

Endseeker/Flesh Hammer Prophecy/F.D.A Records/2017 CD Review

  Endseeker  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and   this  is  a  review  of  their 2017  album "Flesh  Hammer  Prophecy" which  will  be  released  in  October  by  F.D.A  Records.

  Distorted  amp  noises  along  with  some  heavy riffs  start  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  screams    along  with  some  horror  movie  samples  being  used  briefly  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  always  remains  heavy.

  Endseeker  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  Swedish  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  psychopathy  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Endseeker  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  "Into  The  Fire"  "Malicious  Wasteland"  "Shredding  Your  Graven  Image"  and  "Possessed  By  The  Flame".  8  out  of  10.  

Cripper/Follow Me: Kill!/Metal Blade Records/2017 Full Lenth Review

  Cripper  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a mixture  of  death,  groove  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2017  album "Follow  Me: Kill!"  which  will  be  released  on  September  15th  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  A  sci-fi  orientated  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  more  heavier  modern  thrash  metal  direction  while  some  old  school  elements  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  aggressive  shouts  and  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  technical  at  times  and  elements  of  groove  metal  are  also  added  into  some  arts  of  the  songs  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts.

  And  as  the  album  progresses  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  one  of  them  introducing  clean  playing  into  the  music  while  also  adding  in  a  great  amount of  diversity  and  the  music  also  brings  in  influences  from  the  last  3  decades  of  extreme  metal.

  Crippler  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death,  groove  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  heavy  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cripper  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pressure"  "Mother"  "Comatose"  and  "Running  High".  8  out  of  10.

Bloodstrike/Execution Of Violence/Redefining Darkness Records/2017 CD Review

  Denver,  Colorado's  Bloodstrike  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  old  school  death  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Execution  Of  Violence"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  Dark  sounding  keyboards  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  where  you  can  also h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to an  old  school  style  of  death  metal  and  the  music  also  has  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  along  with  a  more  up  to  date  take  on  the  genre  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  keyboards  make  a  return  towards  the end

  Bloodstrike  creates  another  recording  that  remains true  to  the  old  school  style  of  death  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  carnage,  war  and  hate  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bloodstrike  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Procreating  For  Death" "Ministry  Of  Hate"  "Whoremonger"  and  "Hell's  Wasteland".  8  out  of  10.