Legion Of Wolves Interview

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

Hail and thank you for the interview! So Legion was formed in the dark Winter of 2009 by myself and Jason (drums) as we had a history of playing in other bands and wanted to create a band much like the bands we liked to see and listen to. Arek and Kris joined soon after. The aim was to create a death metal band that drew a lot of influences from the old school sounds but also with a modern twist, so to speak.



2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

Simply put, old and pure gold. There is a definite progression in our sound from the early recordings ("Mark Of The Legion" 2011 and "Legio Luporum" 2013) to the present one "Bringers Of The Dark Sleep". The musical sound is very important to us as we always aim for clarity and sheer heaviness. Nothing more and nothing less. There is so much good production and sound engineering out there that it is only fitting to use it to enhance the recording and afterward listening experience.



3. The band has been around since 2009 but so far has only released 2 demo's and a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?

Not really, I mean we just write tracks and this takes time. Everything good and valuable takes time- just like a good wine or whiskey, right? We never rush the creative process as this tends to spoil the process. Instead we allow nature to take its course and when the tracks are ready they are ready. It was important for us to go the route of demo and then album as far too often these days it seems everyone is releasing an EP and no one releases demos any more. Having been a member of the Irish scene for many years and the underground days since 1992 I always tape traded and bought demos- it was a natural thing to do whereas now no one treads the boards any longer and the first release is an EP It takes time to develop your sound and creative process, to gel as a band, as personalities and this is often done in the demo(ing) phase of a bands career so when the album does finally arrive hey presto everyone is comfortable with what they do and how they do it. That is not to suggest that the developing process ends with the album merely that at the beginning it is so important to spend time on the foundations of the band if it is to last and stay the course.



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

The lyrical subjects concern dark mythologies, various theogonies, history and themes borrowed from movies that we like. The writings of Hesiod, Homer, Pseduo Apollodorus, Pindar, Cicero, Ovid, Seutonius, Robert E. Howard,  all influence me personally in a big way when I am writing - as the subjects of mythology and theogony, in general, hold a big interest for me and as such is like a massive treasure chest from where I can delve into whenever I need some inspiration when forming an idea. Movies, as I said at the beginning, also play a big part when it comes to ideas for writing lyrics.



5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Legion Of Wolves?

Every band needs a suitable moniker that means what it says and says what it means so the name concerns who we are and what we do. The name came from an idea that I had about an almighty Legion from the distant past who are devoted to their father Lykaon, the original Wolfgod and the music of death that by all accounts he seemed to enjoy. Wolves being ancient servants of nature and masters of their particular domain appealed to what I had in mind when envisioning the concept of the band. Roman History and Greek myth were the undoubted inspiration behind the name as I am deeply interested in these subjects. So when I put history together with nature and myth the name Legion of Wolves came to me quite quickly. We are a band of brothers, who are deeply devoted to death metal and have a passion for playing it, much the same as a Legion has a passion for conquering, so to speak.



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 have played so many but some that stick in my mind are Gothenburg Deathfest 2013 we got to play not only in that wonderful city but meet some really cool folk and see some awesome bands- personal highlight was the cover of Autopsy - Twisted Mass of Burned Decay by the opening band. Then we have played in Poland- that was another good memory - it was a festival at our vocalists home town. We played hard and partied harder :-), as one does when in Poland. Our album launch party in Dublin was really, really cool event in October just past. We got to share the stage with some really good bands and hang out with some old friends also. Our stage show is some special actually - Kris(vocals) assumes the role of Centurion and wears Roman armour - with our banners draping our amps and Kris' skulls hanging from his custom microphone stand it makes for quiet the experience. Live shows are just as important to any band as the recorded output and product- as such effort should be made to make every live show something special for the fans and folks who come to view it - Our live shows try to give the viewer something a little extra in the overall experience.



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

We have a show at the end of January and also some other shows are being considered for late Spring early Autumn. Some tours are being discussed but right now I don't want to say anything more until what is being discussed is set in stone, but if things did work out then it would be a kick ass experience for us and for you (if you manage to catch us live) Metal Scrap Records have been quiet supportive of us and our plans for more live shows in Europe so fingers crossed we get to play a show in a city near you.



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

Overall the feedback has been very positive from the fans. Generally speaking across the board everyone has been very supportive and this has been shown in sales of merch, music and attendance at our shows.



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

I play bass in a melodic black metal band called Aeternum Vale and thats about that. The rest are solely devoted to the Legion.



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

We are going to keep it as it is - We don't see any reason to deviate from the style or genre of music that we are a part of right now. The Legion was formed from a love of metal, we love death metal and with our heritage firmly rooted in old school death metal then why would we want to change? I know that we are painting ourselves into a certain corner but we are very happy to do that, with what we play and be a death metal band. I think we will progress, progression is a natural aspect of any art, but this progression will always be exclusively within the genre and the style of music that we play.



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?

Straight up - Bolt Thrower, Pestilence,Master,Bloodbath, Cancer,Asphyx,Motorhead, Demolition Hammer,Dark Angel, Incantation, Vomitory, Carcass,Grave, Old Cannibal Corpse, old Massarce, Old Death, Entombed, Unleashed, Dismember, old Deicide, early Slayer. These days/currently I am listening to Vomitory - Blood Rapture, Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh, Insision - Terminal Reckoning, Grave - As Rapture Comes, Marduk - Panzerdivision Marduk, Immortal - Battles in the North, Exhorder - The Law and Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith (because you can never have enough Judas Priest :-))



12. What are some of your non musical interests?

We all have our own individual non musical interests but my own would be reading (history, philosophy, mythology, art, poetry), watching movies and documentaries, travelling, writing, drinking fine red ales whilst holding conversation beside roaring open fires and imbibing some good Polish and Russian vodka in fine company.



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

Thanks for the interview and taking time out to read it. Always support your passions and follow your gods wherever they may lead you. Please check us out on Facebook for up to date information/news concerning our movements, merch sales, live shows and releases. Get in touch with us or Metalscrap to book us to come to your town or city. Always support and honour your passions and follow your gods wherever they may lead you.

Tralineate Interview

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

Yeah, this whole thing has been in the works for a while now actually. Half of the songs on this album were reworked from a previous solo project and have been milling around in my head for years. They just didn't get the proper fit and finish the last time around and I liked the material too much to just leave it behind. I had also been continually writing songs during this time and between the new stuff and the old stuff thought that I had a pretty solid lineup of songs for an album. Now, the other thing is that my work schedule is so different than everybody else's that I knew I'd have to do it on my own again. But I wanted it to be better than the first attempt way back when so I spent a lot of hours learning how to properly record, edit, mix, etc., so that I'd have something I could be proud of. My original goal was really just to have a finished cd so I could listen to it in my car when I was out and around but I wanted it to be more than just a demo tape sounding hobby kind of thing. Anyway, so I came up with a name and started a Facebook page and released a few songs just to share with people I knew and started getting pretty good response. Mostly just from friends of mine but then there started being other people showing interest as well so I got more serious about it. Nothing too crazy, but if I was going to do it, I figured I might as well do it all the way so I decided to release it publicly. I researched a bunch of distribution sites and found one I liked and released it digitally through them at the end of this past September. And now, three months later, I'm pretty happy with how things are going.

2. So far you have released one album with this project, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Back to basics. Just heavy, straight forward death metal that makes you want to get up and move.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

I try to to do a little bit of everything but sometimes it's really personal stuff. The song I wrote about my Dad's death, Monday, May 12th, is simply about what was going through my mind on that day. I write a lot about depression, suicide, fear, things like that. The title track, Ike Antz Leap, is about my rampant insomnia. The song Flight 232 Heavy is a true story about an airplane disaster back in 1989 and the lyrics are a timeline of the actual events. I've got a couple of other songs that aren't on the album that are really off the beaten path for this type of music. I wrote an instrumental about my old car where I recorded samples of the engine and exhaust sounds while doing burnouts and blasting down the highway at midnight speeds and used those samples in the song. It turned out pretty cool. And I've got one I just wrote recently about the Rubik's Cube, it's surprisingly awesome. Haha. It's actually pretty difficult for me to be serious but I trying to keep the serious stuff for album material and the goofy stuff for myself and social media. And of course I still hit on the normal death metal stuff like religion and apocalyptic type scenarios. I've got some pretty good ideas for the next one.

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

Man, choosing a band name these days is kinda ridiculous. I wanted a name that was fitting of myself and of the music but didn't want something that was overly predictable. I searched I don't know how many internet pages, dictionaries, etc. The main problem was that every time I though I had come up with a cool name, somebody else was already using it. Anyway, so I came across the word tralineate on a site that was all words that aren't as commonly used anymore. Tralineate was last listed I think in a dictionary from 1828. It means 'to deviate, to stray, or to wander'. That is me exactly. I don't do anything the normal way. Haha.

5. With this album you record everything by yourself, how would you compare it to working with a full band?

I've recorded albums with previous bands and to me, that was a way easier. With a full band, you show up, set up your rig, and play. Maybe you have to do multiple takes, maybe you help with some editing, things like that. But generally speaking, you don't really have to worry about anything but playing your part right because you're paying somebody else to worry about all that other stuff for you. When you're doing everything by yourself, there's a lot of things that have to be considered, you've got to be really aware of every little nuance of the song because you're the only one taking notes. If you miss something, you miss it, there's not five other sets of ears as a backup. For me, it was a lot more work but at the same time, I enjoyed it more because there was no sitting around waiting for it to my turn to do whatever.There was always something that I could be doing. The best part about recording on your own is you only have to work around your own schedule, that's huge in my world.

6. You have also been in bands since the early 90's, what is it that motivates you to keep going after all these years?

I still have ideas of things that I want to hear and as long as that continues to happen, I'll still be writing and trying put out music. Whether it's just for myself or not, I have to get that stuff out of my head or it makes me crazy. I've taken some hiatuses through the years due to various life events but I always feel that push to write and play. Cliche as it may be, metal is life.

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

It all depends. I'm not actively seeking a label but I have received some interest and decided that my current situation is fine for now. That doesn't mean I never would necessarily, but right now, I'm content with how things are going.

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

I think pretty good, I've heard lots of positive things but I also know that it hasn't gotten too far out there yet. I'm still working on getting it in front of more people but yeah, from what I've heard, people seem to dig it.

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

Well, I've already started writing material for a second Tralineate album and I've got a few different ideas coming together. I'm hoping to expand on my own sound and progress into maybe some new sounds that I haven't tried yet. I'll still play death metal, but I might make it weirder. Haha. I've still got a lot of craziness to explore.

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?

That's a very long list. Haha. I grew up listening to Chicago, Kansas, The Beach Boys and stuff like that on family trips across the country. My family was big on music, everybody played an instrument or sang in a choir or something. Once I was old enough to develop my own tastes, I gravitated towards more aggressive stuff. I liked punk a lot when I was a teenager, skate rock and things like that. Once I was introduced to metal though, that was it, that music resonated with me, it was a whole new world. I like to check out different things now and again but it's not very often that I find something that speaks to me the way metal does. These days I've got a few things that are on permanent rotation in my car, House of Thumbs' Rubicon album is just incredible, I listen to that one a lot. Fleshgod Apocalypse, Lamb of God, both of them have tons of great stuff that I never get bored with. I've got some odd ones that I listen to a lot too though like 6:33 and Igorrr. So perfect in their weirdness. And of course, I still love the classics, Pantera, Megadeth, Danzig, Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, stuff like that never gets old. I'm sure I could list 20 more easily.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Ha. There's a lot of those as well. I have a thousand interests and the ability to focus on none of them. Haha. I love fishing and woodworking the most. Those are two of the most calming, centering activities you can find. They both really help me slow down and reboot. I also really enjoy Rubik's Cubes and those sorts of puzzles. Gotta keep this old brain sharp. Haha. I did a video on the Tralineate Facebook page of me solving a Rubik's Cube, didn't set any records or anything but still did pretty good. I think it was like 1 minute 34 seconds or something. My personal best is 1 minute 26 seconds. R/C cars are a blast too. I have one of those Traxxas E-Revos, that thing is nuts, man, super fast. This past 4th of July, I strapped a giant smoke bomb to it and jumped it over my fishing truck. I've got video of it, It was pretty awesome.

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

Yeah, first off, thank you for taking the time to talk to me, I really appreciate the opportunity. And for whoever reads this, if you get a chance, I hope you'll check out the album. And come say hi on the Tralineate Facebook page. Stay metal and have a great day out there!

https://www.facebook.com/tralineate/ 

Concrete/Domain Of Untold Horrors/Rebirth The Metal Productions/2017 CD Review

  Concrete  are  a  band  from  Bulgaria  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Domain  Of  Untold  Horrors"  which  was  released  by  Rebirth  The  Metal  Productions.

  A  horror  movie  style  atmosphere  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into a   heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  along  with  all  of t he  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  remain  very  true  to  an  old  school  style.  most  of  the  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  than 20  years  ago  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  instrumental.

 Concrete  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  death,  zombies,  afterlife  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Concrete  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  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sixth  Sense  Catatonia"  "Stillness  Of  The  Styx"  "Cold  Burnt  Remains"  and  "Breeding  The  Unborn".  8  out  of  10.

Dauthuz/Destined For Death/WormHoleDeath Records/2017 CD Review

  Dauthuz  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Destined  For  Death"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  sci-fi  orientated  atmosphere  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  at  times  the  vocals  bring  in  screams  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  brings  in  quest  vocals  from the  singer  of  Izegrim  as  well  as  the  closing  track  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  synths.


  Dauthuz  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  old  school  and  traditional  in  the  early 90's  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dauthuz  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  "Destined  For  Death"  "Made  In  Blood"  "Tormentor"  and  "Warmaster".  8  out  of  10. 

  

Desecrated Grounds Interview

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

The band was formed in 2014, so we are a pretty new band actually. All of us have of course have other bands/projects before DG. We have 5 members; Erno & Keijo guitars, Jere on the bass, Tapio is the drummer and Jussi, the vocalist. Keijo founded the band and he also composes the music, the majority of the lyrics are written by Jussi.

2.So far you have released a demo and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

The demo was more or less pretty much Thrash metal but our full length has much more death metal elements to it. We also released a new single (which is not on our album) on christmas eve this year and it is pretty much death metal all the way. So we would say that our music has evolved more towards death metal or more towards extreme metal in general.

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

The earlier stuff was pretty much the classical ”gore”- themed thing, but nowadays history, and especially the darker side of history inspires us a lot. So all the topics that we explore are connected with human suffering.

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

We don’t know that is there a more meaningful meaning behind it, we think that it simply fits to our music and the lyrical themes we cover.

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 have played a lot of good shows, but the best shows we have probably played are the shows we played abroad and also our album release show in Helsinki.

We try to have an energetic and a dark atmosphere on stage, so we don’t use any colorful clothes or skating shoes (like some other bands may use), but we try to keep it minimalistic in a certain way. Our vocalist has a noose as a stage decoration around his neck, but that’s pretty much it.

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

Yes of course; we always try to play as much shows as possible. In our opinion playing live is the best way to share our music with people. The next shows that we play will be in february in Finland but we have also plans to play abroad next year, as much as possible. So if you want to see us live in your country, just send us a message and let’s try to make it happen.

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

Sure, we all open to all options. There has been some contacts, but nothing that would really interest us. If we are not able to get a decent record deal, we will probably continues releasing music ourselves.

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

Generally speaking really positive.

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

Not at the moment.


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

Towards the more extreme and complex.

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?

Some of the bands that have inspired our music are Aborted, Pathology and few other brutal metal bands, then of course old school death- and thrash metal bands like Morbid Angel, Entombed, Sepultura and Sodom.  Generally speaking we are influenced by all types of music as long as the music is extreme and unique in some way.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Some of us like art and photography and our drummer and vocalist are also into motorbikes.

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

Thank you for the interview, it is always a pleasure if someone is interested in our music. If you want to know the most recent news of Desecrated Grounds, please follow us on Facebook. There are all the upcoming shows, latest releases and news etc.

Thanks and take care!
Desecrated Grounds

Revenger/The New Mythology Volume One/2018 EP Review

  Revenger  are  a  band  from  Vancouver,  B,C  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death,  groove,  thrash  metal  and  metalcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  ep "The  New  Mythology  Volume  One"  which  will  be  released  in  2018.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  groove  metal  style  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while the  riffs also  bring  in  a  decent amount  of  melody  along  with  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  in  technical  playing  and  elements  of  metalcore  and  at  time s the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Revenger  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death,  groove  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  it  with  metalcore  to  create  a  sound  of  heir  own,  the production  sound s very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  inspired  by  comic  books  and  how  today's  mythology  can  become  tomorrow's  dogma.

  In  my  opinion  Revenger  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  death,  groove,  thrash  metal  and  metalcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hex"  and  "The  Watcher".  7  out  of  10.     

  

Mercyless/Coloured Funeral/Xenocorp/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  Mercyless  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  19993  album  "Coloured  Funeral"  which  was  re-issued  by  Xenocorp  in  2017.

  A  very  fast  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  elements  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  bringing  in  a  very  melodic  yet  chaotic  style  of  death  metal  and  at  times  the  music  also  mixes  in  technical  and  progressive  structures  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  ans  clean  playing  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  is  a  brief  classical  guitar  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Mercyless  created  another  recording  that  remained  true to  their  mixture  of  death  and thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  Christianity  and  Political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mercyless  and  if you  are  a fan  of  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spiral  Of  Flowers"  "Forgotten  Fragments"  "Serenades(Into  Your  Limbs)"  and  "Beyond  God".  8  out  of  10.