Madrost Interview

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

Tanner: Hey guys, so far the band has been doing really well since recording "Into The Aquatic Sector" back in March-May. We have been playing shows non stop and our fan base is growing every show we play. We are currently jamming to some new riffs for potential songs and are getting a bunch of positive reviews on our new record.

2.You have a new 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 the stuff you have released in the past?

Tanner: I would describe the musical aspect on this record to be more technical in terms of the riffs are concerned. The overall sound still has that high energy aspect that we have done from day one. The differences between this release and the last release is that this release(Into The Aquatic Sector) offers more in terms of variety goes. It's technical, offers more melodies in the lyrics and guitar parts, it is a lot heavier than our last record "Maleficent" and I feel is more mature and miles ahead in terms of the overall sound compared to our last release.

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

Tanner: The lyrical content in this release deals a lot with sci-fi themed stories. It's actually half a concept record. There are four songs on the record that tie into each other but are not in order on the actual record. We also explored more on the life aspect this time around instead of focusing on mainly death and gore lyrics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Madrost'?

Tanner: Madrost(Ma-drost) is actually Bulgarian for "Wisdom". When I first saw it, I knew it was the right choice for our band name.

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?

Tanner: I would describe our stage show as a high energy performance that make us stand out in terms of the live setting goes. I feel we offer something different in our stage shows compared to other bands and so far its been working for us. Our best shows for us is every show ha ha. We put out the same energy whther there are 5 or 5000 people at the shows.

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

Tanner: We actually did some touring right before this album is being released. We want to go out and do some road shows again very soon and have a couple shows including a Metal Invictus show with Dr. Know and our buddies in Night Demon. We are also playing with Gravehill and in October with Fueled By Fire, so we have a couple shows coming up.

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

Tanner: Yes, we are very much looking for a label and still havent been contacted back from any of them. I hope this release can finally put us in good hands because its a tough business for our line of work
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8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?

Tanner: So far its been 99% positive for us. Every show we play we get more and more fans and support. Whether its Orange County, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, etc. It has been mostly positive feedback for us and our live shows.

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

Tanner: I see us moving more musical in terms of our song writing goes. I would like to see us write some longer songs with cool intricate parts and melodies but at the same time having a brutal high energy performance in the song.

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?

Tanner: Bands such as Obliveon, Pestilence, Depressive Age, Bonded By Blood, Exmortus, Judas Priest, Exhumed, Exodus, Dio, Ted Nugent, etc. Bands like these have really influenced our sound today and we still listen to these bands today. I personally like a lot of jazz as well which is definitely a cool style to add to this style of music that we play.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Tanner: Just every day to day stuff. We like to hang out with our friends and families. Some of us like to go lift weights and get in shape.

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

Tanner: Thank you again for interviewing us and thank you to those who have supported us throughout the years. Thank you to all the new Madrost fans who are just hearing us for the first time and checking us out. Hope you guys dig "Into The Aquatic Sector" when it comes out. See you on the road!
https://www.facebook.com/madrost 

Gory Blister 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?
Joe: The Fifth Fury has been released just before summer, so it was too late to get in the summer festivals bill; what we have tried to work out was the promotion of the album thru the webzines and mags Europewide. As a first result, a track from the new album (Thresholds) has been included in the comp CD attached to the Terrorizer issue of August 2014. Anyway, the promotion goes on and we are getting some interesting feedback.

2.In May you had released a new album, how would you describe the music sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Raff: For each of our albums we try not to repeat what we have already done before, trying to introduce elements of novelty in the arrangements and the sound that distinguishes the new album from the previous stuff, without distorting the personality of the band, and without leaving the Technical Death Metal boundaries. The Fifth Fury is therefore the fifth evolution of our style, for which we have chosen a darker riffing and more groovy tunes, surrounded by suffering as well as more direct vocals; the ultimate goal was to achieve an "In Your Face" sound from the album, but at the same time technical enough and easily recognizable.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Joe: In the first albums I used to write lyrics based on arts, literature, science fiction. This time I decided to get back to the cruel reality. First of all I created a new figure based on the myth of the Erynies, that is the Fifth Fury, who wants to give the hourglass of death back to mankind. No more Gods. So I reconciled with life. I explored some troubles such as the spreading of new chemical drugs (Psycho-Crave and Devouring me), the massacre and rapes of the Bosnian women (Mass Grave), the mass pollution of the biggest steel mill in Europe (search for the Ilva in the city of Taranto, The Grey Machinery). At last, I would like to say something about Thresholds; I dedicated the lyrics of the songs to my friends Claudio Leo(former Lacuna Coil) and Mauro Caporale, who died within the same week in January 2013. It was the most tragic week ever.

4.The band has been around since 1991, what you had formed the band more than 20 years ago did you ever think you would of still been around today?
Joe: Of course yes, but maybe I imagined to be a professional artist now. Actually that is true in the sense that we act as professionists, but the music business has changed in a very negative way for the emerging bands. After the Art Bleeds recordings (2001) we happened to sign a deal with the german label Noise records for their “sonick attack project”. When this project had started and our record was selling good, the major label Sanctuary group bought Noise rec and cut off the project, so we were left without any deal. Of course, we did not surrender and searched for a new one to release the record. Finally we found a licensing deal with Sekhmet records (France) and that’s why Art Bleeds was officially released only in 2003. Even if we got the deals under Mascot records for Skymorphosis (2006) and Graveyard of Angels. (2009), under Bakerteam for Earth-Sick (2012) and Sliptrick Rec. for this new album, I think that that gap of three years between the recordings of Art Bleeds and its real release, has never been erased. I cannot have regrets, or something, but I know we could have been more lucky at the very beginning.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gory Blister'?
Joe: Ah, this is something young drummers can easily understand. When I started playing drums I got those wounds on my fingers due to the hard playing. I was not so good at English, but when I wondered how do they call them in English, the result was “gory blisters”. So when we had to think up a name for the band, our choice fell on that!

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?
Raff: Although Gory Blister is not a band on tour throughout the year for a variety of obvious reasons, we try to play live as much as possible. The Live dimension is our ideal habitat, especially when there is a good response from the audience. We have done many concerts in the past and there have been several good shows. I particularly can remember the show in Essen (Germany), and a festival in Groningen (The Netherlands) during the European tour with Sadus and Darkane(2006), or the Evolution Festival in Florence (Italy-2007) where at the end of the show the entire audience screamed Gory Blister..Gory Blister. In general, during our performances we care at first a stage, of playing correctly the songs, and then if the Stage conditions allow it, we try to involve the audience as much as possible, an example can be this show we played not long ago supporting Obituary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94GmVt4PZc4

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Raff: Yes, we are trying to promote The Fifth Fury Europewide the next winter, with the support of our label, mainly in the countries where we know that the sales are stronger, that is Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Italy. I hope that this project will be realized. We'll see.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of technical death metal?
Raff: By Internet and the social networks, the band have approached new boundaries, allowing us to reach many more people and potentially expand the number of fans. The feeedback of the people who listen to our works is good and fortunately always positive in the world; this is  obviously pleasant for us and it's the proof that our music is genuine.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?
Raff: Yes, our bassist Emi Dattolo is playing in 2 other Death Metal bands, Illogicist and Faust. I started myself a solo project; it's about a guitar instrumental album, it's in the first demo stage yet and I hope to accomplish it in 2015.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Raff: It's hard to say in general, but especially in these days man!..All I wish is playing live in professional shows as much as possible, and I keep my fingers crossed to have the fan support in buying our albums, cause only in this way we can continue our underground career.

11.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?
Raff: In general almost the whole '90 death metal scene that came from USA and North Europe, influenced me for a very long time, and still does. But I have also changed my listenings during the latest 10 years, moving on differents genres, from Blues/Rock to Classical music, soundtracks and some Pop stuff(very little).
Joe: I agree with Raff about the 90’s death metal scene, but I have to say that the early albums of Coroner and Pestilence had a strong influence on my drumming. I must not forget the early Kreator and Sodom.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Raff: Divings, I love to explore the underwater world, and food!
Joe: What I do far from the music activity deals with jobs… I have to get a salary, you know! I’m an English teacher, profession that I try to take on not without strong difficulties in Italy. But I have also worked for TV and cinema productions, I’m a production assistant and runner.

13.Before wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Joe: Yes, of course. I would like to thank all the real supporters who still buy an official copy of our albums or a T-shirt. Thank to you guys, cause you give us all the dedication, commitment and passion we can put into our death metal! See you live! The Fifth Fury is haunting you!

Gory Blister/The Fifth Fury/Sliptrick Records/2014 CD Review

  Gory  Blister  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  technical  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The  Fifth  Fury"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  A  very  distorted  and  melodic  guitar  lead  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  fast,  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  direction  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  display  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  to  them  and  the  band  also  keeps  around  the  atmospheric  elements  as  well  as  well  as  utilizing  a  good  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  death  metal  influences  and  you  can  also  hear  some  spoken  word  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  the  songs  at  times  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  very  heavy  and  technical  sound  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  atmospheric  outro  which  also  brings  in  elements  of  classical  music.

  Gory  Blister  plays  a  very  technical  style  of  death  metal  that  covers  3  different  decades  of  this  musical  genre  as  well  as  adding  a  great  amount  of  talent,  skill  and  melody  in  their  musical  style  and  while  the  music  is  not  completely  original  the  band  can  still  pull  of  this  musical  style  very  well,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  psychology,  inner  thoughts  and  outer  space  themes.

   In  my  opinion  Gory  Blister  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Psycho  Crave"  "Devour  Me"  and  "Prometheous  Scars".  8  out  of  10.    

Diskord/Oscillation/Hellthrasher Productions/2014 EP Review

  Diskord  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  very  technical  school  form  of  death  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Oscillation"  which  was  released  by  Hellthrasher  Productions.

  A  very  technical  and  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  good  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  dominant  presence  on  this  recording  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  good  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  music  and  the bands  musical  style  is  more  closer  to  the  Atheist,  Cynic  and  Pestillence  style  of  80's  technical  death  metal  than  the  modern  variation  and  the  solos  and  leads  they  use  display  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  progressive  sounds  are  added  into  their  musical  style  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  heavier  musical  style  and  you  can also  hear  a  great  amount  of  rawness  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times.    

  Diskord  go  back  to  the  beginning  days  of  technical  death  metal  and  bring  out  a  style  that  is  very  old  school  yet  progressive  at  the  same  time,  the  production  has  a  very  old  school  and  professional  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  obscure,  abstract  and  void  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Diskord  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lethargic  Regression"  and  "Symbiotic  Whims".  8  out  of  10.  

Madrost/Into The Aquatic Sector/2014 CD Review

  Madrost  are  a  band  from  Lake  Forest,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Into  The  Aquatic  Sector"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  Dark  avant  garde  sounds  and  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  a  melodic  high  pitched  scream  a  few  seconds  later  which  leads  up  to  the  band  adding  in  blast  beats  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals   that  bring  in  elements  of  early  80's  death  metal  and  the  bass  guitars  also  bring  a  technical  feeling  to  the  music  at  times.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  elements  of  Florida  style  death  meal  into  the  bands  musical  sound  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  being added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  is  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  the  band  returns  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  on  the  later  tracks.

  Madrost  plays  an early  style  of  death/thrash  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  early  days  of  the  genre  in  the  mid  80's,  the  production  has  a  very  raw,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  to  it   while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Madrost  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  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  "Frozen  Beneath  the  Snow"  "Subterranean  Nightmare"  and  "Depravity".  8  out  of  10.   

Innsmouth/The Shadow Over Innsmouth/Crime Records/2014 CD Review

  Innsmouth  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  very  technical  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2014  album "The  Shadow  over  Innsmouth"  which  was  released  by  Crime  Records.

  A  very  melodic  and  technical  guitar  lead  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  a  more  old  school  death  metal  sound  along  with  some  growls,  screams  and  blast  beats  while  also  keeping  around  the  technical  elements  and  after  awhile  atmospheric  synths  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  sound  very  powerful  and  there  are  also  some  spoken  word  ritualistic  parts  being  utilized  at  times  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  small  amounts  of  clean  playing  and  the  band  focuses  more  on  a  90's  style  of  technical  death  metal  instead  of  the  more  modern  variation  of  this  genre  along  with  some  leads  and  solos  that  are  more  in  an  80's  shred  metal  direction  while  the  guttural  elements  the  vocals  use  at  times  make  the  album  sound  more  modern.  

  Innsmouth  go  back  to  the  90's  era  of  technical  and  brutal  death  metal  and  mix  it  in  with  the  80's  style  of  shred  music  as  well  as  bringing  in  more  modern  atmospheric  and  guttural  elements  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  on  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Innsmouth  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dreams  Of  Drowning"  "Under  the  Pyramids"  and  "The  Shadow  Over  Insmouth".  8  out  of  10.   

Bloodtruth/Obedience/Unique Leader Records/2014 CD Review

  Bloodtruth  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Obedience"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  unique  Leader  Records.

  Melodic  Gregorian  chants  start  off  the  album  giving  the  music  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  brutal  death  metal  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats,  growls  and  melodies  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  the  music  sounds  technical.

  High  pitched  screams  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  feeling  to  the  bands  brutal  death  metal  sound  while  also  have  a  very  melodic  and  dark  atmosphere  to  them  at  times  and  th e band  also  brings  back  the  Gregorian  chants  in  a  few  of  the  songs

  Bloodtruth  plays  a  very  old  school  and  brutal  style  of  death  metal  that  they  mix  in  with  Gregorian  chants  which  makes  the  music  sound  more  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodtruth  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  "Surrounded  By  Blind  Bigots"  "Coerced  to  Serve"  "Summoning  the  Heretics"  and  "Obedience".  8  out  of  10.