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Chronicles of Chaos Issue 073
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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, May 5, 2004, Issue #73
http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com
Co-Editor / Founder: Gino Filicetti
Co-Editor / Contributor: Pedro Azevedo
Contributor: Adrian Bromley
Contributor: Brian Meloon
Contributor: Paul Schwarz
Contributor: Aaron McKay
Contributor: David Rocher
Contributor: Matthias Noll
Contributor: Alvin Wee
Contributor: Chris Flaaten
Contributor: Quentin Kalis
Contributor: Xander Hoose
Contributor: Adam Lineker
Contributor: Adrian Magers
Contributor: James Montague
Contributor: Jackie Smit
Spiritual Guidance: Alain M. Gaudrault
The individual writers can be reached by e-mail at
firstname.lastname@ChroniclesOfChaos.com.
(e.g. Gino.Filicetti@ChroniclesOfChaos.com).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #73 Contents, 5/5/2004
----------------------------
* Chats
-- Dimmu Borgir: In Deep With the Deacons of the Dark Castle
-- Nightwish: Nemo's Search for Success...
-- Aborted: Neil's Needle Meets Carcass's Bonesaw
* Albums
-- Amen - _Death Before Musick_
-- Ares Wrath - _War Bombastic Black Metal_
-- Cephalectomy - _Eclipsing the Dawn_
-- Crimson Altar - _The Ghost Ship Sails_
-- Flowing Tears - _Razorbliss_
-- Grimfist - _Ghouls of Grandeur_
-- Immemorial - _After Deny_
-- Insomnium - _Since the Day It All Came Down_
-- Necrophagia - _Goblins Be Thine_
-- Skinlab - _Nerve Damage_
-- The Ravenous - _Blood Delirium_
-- Vrolok - _Resurgence II: Where the Dying Meet the Dead_
* Demos
-- Demontage - _Madness Disease_
-- Doreterna - _Titanium Souls_
-- Project: Failing Flesh - _A Beautiful Sickness_
-- Saturate - _I Bleed Away My Mind_
-- Stand Aside - _Tears of the Dragon_
* Gigs
-- A Ghouls Night Out
-- Midlands Metal, Marsupial Madness and Scotland's Sign for the
Norse Hordes to Ride!
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IN DEEP WITH THE DEACONS OF THE DARK CASTLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC Chats with Shagrath and Silenoz from Dimmu Borgir
by: Paul Schwarz
Like Britain's Cradle of Filth, perhaps in some senses -because- of
the Sussex sextet, Norway's Dimmu Borgir have received a lot of flak
-- in the years since their 1997 _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_
album was released -- for being sell-outs: a commercially-motivated
metal band. In some circles, they even received flak when that
album's predecessor (their second album, _Stormblast_) was released.
_For All Tid_ thus remains, perhaps, DB's only album that is
'untouchable' from an 'underground' perspective. Of course, in more
mainstream circles, Dimmu Borgir's reputation as a band worthy
of serious attention has grown from album to album -following-
_EDT_. To quote satirical television masterwork "Brass Eye": it's a
strong feelings-kidney whichever way you slice it. Personally,
until recently, I sliced off most of the band's career and only
occasionally picked at what was left; that was, until I got _Death
Cult Armageddon_. Though still very much a 'symphonic' (meaning
pseudo-symphonic in actual musical terms) black metal album, Dimmu
Borgir's latest is earthed magnificently by a grounded, thrash/death
derived and powerfully guitar-led approach. It's the best album the
band have done, to my mind. What follows is an edited transcript of
one phone conversation, conducted last July, in which I talked to
vocalist Shagrath and guitarist/lyricist Silenoz in turn.
[Note: I am, of course, aware that CoC has already published a recent
interview with Dimmu Borgir. My reasons for submitting this very
sparsely edited transcript in no way reflect a rejection of Jackie
Smit's excellent interview with Silenoz, nor any sort of negative
claim as to its quality; I wanted to submit this because on the one
hand it -is- very long, and I like to think certain issues of the
band's work are discussed here that are either not discussed, not
discussed in such depth, or not discussed from the same perspective
as they are elsewhere. I leave it up to you, the readers, to tell me
whether I'm just kidding myself...]
[Note on punctuation: In this transcript -- as in, I think, all my
submitted transcripts for CoC -- three dots (...) are used to
represent a significant pause, and are not intended to indicate
places where words have been edited out.]
CoC: Let's start off with the music. Since _Puritanical Euphoric
Misanthropia_ you've taken on the orchestra. Does _Death Cult
Armageddon_ have the same fourteen pieces from the Gothenburg
Symphony Orchestra, or are there more?
Shagrath: There are a lot more, actually.
CoC: How many is it this time?
Shagrath: Ummm, on _Puritanical..._ we had fourteen or fifteen, I
think, and on the new one we have forty-seven.
CoC: Forty-seven... Wow!
Shagrath: Yeah. So it was a big step and also a new experience.
<laughs>
CoC: What's interesting is that -with- that there's... not less use
of the orchestra, but less obvious use of it. For example, the
last album started off with that two-and-a-half minute piece
of... orchestral music, basically. I personally didn't go for it
-- it all sounded a bit "Last of the Mohicans" to me --
but irrespective of that, this album really incorporates the
orchestra -wholly- rather than using it very -singly-.
Shagrath: Yeah. I mean, we have like maybe four songs which are just
like total -overkill- with the orchestra, you know, but
also we mixed that with other songs which have, just
basically, typical guitar riffs.
CoC: You wouldn't say, though, that it's a more guitar album or a
more keyboard album in particular?
Shagrath: I think it has the right balance, actually. For us as
musicians it's kind of important to try to work with
different elements, doing different things, and just try
not to make each song sound too much like the other songs,
you know. We just want to give the listeners something more
varied to listen to, really.
CoC: I understand what you mean. But as far as the sound of the band
goes, I think you're right: I think you have found a different
balance, but I think what's interesting about that balance is
how you achieve it. I mean, are you using -all- forty-seven
pieces of the orchestra mostly at the same time? 'Cause I notice
there's more - contrast- with the orchestral section this time.
Sometimes you use just a few bits...
Shagrath: Yeah.
CoC: ...and then there are some bits where it uses, probably, all
forty-seven at once.
Shagrath: Yes. It's also important to create different highlights in
the music, you know. So maybe some parts it's just
basically like a - background- thing; then maybe it
harnesses more of a -lead- thing; and then maybe you have
like a highlight where the whole thing is coming in, you
know? It's basically also how we build up the songs, as
before. Like having, for example, grim vocals; and then in
the middle section maybe turning it into like a clean vocal
part, or something else. It's basically how we build up the
songs.
CoC: There's definitely a lot of variation in your work; and I intend
to come onto that, in general, in a minute. One thing I was
gonna ask beforehand: a few years ago you said that you'd always
seen keyboards as being as important an instrument as guitars,
in your work. Would you say that since using the orchestra on
_PEM_, it has become yet another part of Dimmu Borgir, or do you
think it's more of an experiment and a luxury that might die
down a bit more on other albums and not be quite as -integral- a
part of Dimmu Borgir?
Shagrath: It's hard to say; but it's keyboards, or the -atmosphere-
that has always been a very essential thing in our music. I
mean, if you listen to the first album, we're very
keyboard- orientated; but the bigger the band has become,
the more budget we've had to do better things and improve
our music. So many black metal bands out there are using
keyboards and it's basically stretching it to the limits,
kind of, with the keyboards. So we decided that we wanted
to have 'the real thing'. <laughs>
CoC: Sure. And it goes along with your work and the work of a lot of
other bands; using keyboards to replicate orchestral sounds.
Whereas the direction that less bands have gone -- or less bands
have gone successfully -- is actually to go down the, literally,
-synthesizer- path, where you're creating sounds and that sort
of stuff -- more like Seventies funk or Herbie Hancock or
something like that.
Shagrath: Also, we tried to experiment a little bit more with the
samples, this time -- which we haven't really worked much
with in the past. Now it's kind of a nightmare to mix a
Dimmu Borgir album because you've got a full orchestra, you
have the samples, and all these things are happening at the
same time, so basically we have a nightmare to mix it and
to be able to hear all that's going on at the same time. So
when you listen, for example, to the new album, it's not
really that sophisticated or complicated -music-, but you
still have to listen to it a few times to figure out what
is going on, you know; because always so many instruments
are playing at the same time. So the more you listen the
more you will always find new things.
CoC: When you talk about using samples, are you thinking mainly of
audio samples like the voices and the marching that you hear on
the album?
Shagrath: Yes, there are voices from different things, but also -
effects-, strange effects that you... when you listen to an
effect you're like: what kind of sound is this? You can't
tell. We also tried a little bit to work with that.
CoC: How much is the album itself recorded -in- samples? For example,
for Fear Factory's _Demanufacture_, every riff that repeats is,
literally, repeated: they sampled the riffs.
Shagrath: You can't really compare it with that, obviously.
CoC: So when you record, do you find that the basic instruments like
the guitars, keyboards etc., minus the orchestra, are recorded
vaguely live, or is it recorded in bits?
Shagrath: It's recorded live. Some vocal parts are done like a cut-up
thing. If there is a chorus going like two times, maybe we
have repeated -that- in some places, but -basically-
everything is live.
CoC: That's what I thought: I just wanted to check. 'Cause it really
does sound very cohesive.
Shagrath: Yeah, you know, 'cause if you copied too much stuff, then
you would be able to hear those things. It wouldn't feel
right.
CoC: You'd lose that kind of -feeling- that someone is actually
playing the music. It would sound stiff.
Shagrath: Definitely.
CoC: I think that's something that _DCA_ definitely avoids. In terms
of actually writing the music and constructing the songs -- not
trying to accuse you here, but speaking realistically --
how much would you say is the songwriting -tempered- by an
appreciation of how much any particular track -- when you listen
back to it -- would appeal to someone -outside- the band? 'Cause
when you're making music to sell to a market and things like
that, I think there is an aspect where, you know, you're giving
music to other people, not giving it to yourselves.
Shagrath: That's true, but still we make music for ourselves. We
don't, like, have that in the back of our mind at all: do
you think the fans will like this? It doesn't work like
that. It basically is built up on what -we- like; and
-then- if people like it or not. But we must do something
right, you know, because we are basically - selling- a lot
more than many other bands in the black metal genre.
CoC: I don't know whether it's maybe a question of looking at
yourself in abstract. You know, think about yourself; because
you -were- (or - are-, possibly) a music fan, a music consumer.
And so if - you- like the music, why shouldn't other people like
it? I think that's part of it, and I can understand that.
Shagrath: It's... I mean, it's... I guess a lot of people ask me
about this: is this like a pressure? Because, you know, the
last album sold really well: do you have the pressure
behind you when you make a new album? Well, it's... at
least for this one, the new one, we didn't really feel
that, 'cause we were just working every song in a home
studio and then it worked so well and we totally relaxed
and we didn't even -think- about what -people- would think
about it, you know? We thought, basically, about what we
like ourselves. <chuckles>
CoC: I find that interesting. 'Cause I would think... From my
perspective -- if I was a musician and I could play guitar and
the various instruments as well as you guys can, and play it in
a band -- I'd find it surprising in some ways that I wouldn't do
something a bit more challenging. Like if a song was twelve
minutes long when you finished it, and you might like it 'cause
you play the instruments, so you've got bored with writing the
same... you know what I mean, the same sort of things...?
Shagrath: Yeah, sure.
CoC: And it's interesting 'cause my 'theory' is that Dimmu Borgir
have sort of a feel for things that, at heart, are somewhat...
not - simplistic-, but simple. Do you know what I mean? It isn't
technical for the sake of it. It isn't a musicians' album. You
know, there's some part of you that is still very much a music
listener.
Shagrath: Yeeeaah, I guess so. <chuckles> I haven't really given it
much of a thought.
CoC: It just seems interesting; because there is a lot of
technicality involved in there, and it's surprising to me that
it's still very accessible. Those two things are very hard to
get together.
Shagrath: Yup.
CoC: Another thing I was gonna ask about was the idea of "black
metal" -- which I'm sure you've been challenged with far too
many times by now. Now, I said in a review of _PEM_ that I
considered Dimmu Borgir to be a -metal- band, who happened to
come out of the black metal scene, and I was reading an
interview just the other day with one of you guys where you were
talking about how you'd been in thrash metal bands, and death
metal bands, and then in black metal bands; but at the core of
it you just liked metal music or heavy rock music in general.
Would you say that in a sense Dimmu Borgir are simply a - metal-
band, and that the black metal thing is, to an extent, somewhat
incidental, rather than intrinsic?
Shagrath: I think you can find metal -elements- in our music, but
it's -still- black metal. It's like the music, you know.
But for what we... I mean, Dimmu Borgir is more like a
second- generation black metal band. But, I guess, all of
us in the band, we don't really listen to the second
generation of black metal bands. We are more inspired by
all the Eighties heavy or maybe thrash metal, you know?
CoC: Have you guys ever thought about writing an 'arena song', as it
were? I mean like a song that will have a chanting, anthemic
quality to it; 'cause a lot of Dimmu Borgir's stuff is
quite catchy; but there's nothing that really appeals to that
particular part of the metal audience or crowd market, if you
see what I mean. Like what Accept do, or what, say, Overkill can
pull off nowadays.
Shagrath: For us it's... <pauses, seeming to grasp for words>
CoC: Or on the other hand, does that happen? Are there songs from
Dimmu Borgir that are treated that way? Like when you play them
people sing along and they know exactly what's gonna happen?
Shagrath: Yeah sure, almost every show we do there are people like
that. Of course there are some songs which people know more
about than the others. Yeah. I mean, you can see that all
the time, especially on festivals. When we play, maybe, a
slow song, a catchy song, the people get into it a bit more
easier. And we just kind of follow, you know. <chuckles>
CoC: It's just something that I find interesting; because Cradle of
Filth and Dimmu Borgir are two of the biggest black metal bands
of the last seven to eight years, and out of the two of you,
you've really managed to build up an incredible following which
at particular points has out-done CoF in sales; but yet Dimmu
Borgir have never written quite as -close- to a 'single' song --
that has those kind of -radio- qualities -- as CoF have. It's
interesting: in a sense you've sort of kept it more -metal- --
metal in the sort of thrash metal, death metal, black metal sort
of sense. Would you say that was ever anything you wanted to
branch into? You know, writing a song that people would remember
you for the -song-, not just the album, or the name of the band,
but this particular song?
Shagrath: Not really. I still think that on each album we have a
couple of songs that maybe are different or more catchy
or easier, acceptable; or for, like, general people or
something; but we don't really sit down and think about
that when we create the songs. It's more based on what we
think sounds killer, you know?
CoC: I understand, actually.
Shagrath: It's not like, "Right, now we're gonna write the single!",
or "hit", or something. That would never work with our
music.
CoC: I know what you're saying; obviously I can't disagree because
you're in the band and I'm not; but what's interesting is to see
how many bands surprise you and do manage to make that
conversion. Like Metallica: they started off as a thrash band
and now they've got all these hit songs. It's interesting to see
how bands have and haven't done that.
Shagrath: But for us -- if you compare that with Dimmu Borgir -- it's
basically the opposite. 'Cause with us the bigger we get
the more - extreme- we get. And OK, maybe other people
think that because Dimmu Borgir sell a lot more albums now
they're gonna be very soft and blah blah blah; and they use
more orchestra now. And they probably get that impression:
that we will become softer. But for us it's the opposite;
because if you listen to the first Dimmu album it -is- very
soft and melodic and we are getting more aggressive and
more brutal - now-. More than it was before. So for us it's
the opposite.
CoC: I would agree. I'd say especially -- although partially
incidentally -- since Nick Barker joined the band. I'm not
putting down Tjodalv, 'cause he was a very good drummer...
Shagrath: He's a very good drummer, yes.
CoC: ...but Nick really does have a very brutal, intense style of
drumming, and I think that kind of work has really informed the
last two albums. There's a lot of speed, a lot of use of
blastbeats and that sort of thing.
Shagrath: Yeah, definitely. We are just able to do a bit more things
like that than before. So that can also show in the albums.
CoC: OK, we're gonna go onto titles and album covers, briefly. Using
the three-word string titles <Shagrath begins to chuckle> -- I'm
sure you've been asked this before, but with the last album
there was (and I don't know whether it was realised in the band)
a certain incongruity with the way that the title ended up
sounding, because of the word "puritanical". I think, by
comparison, this time you've gone for a much more simply
understandable title.
Shagrath: Which we did on purpose, because I mean, it's basically too
hard for people to pronounce, read and understand the title
for the previous one, so we thought it would be better to
have a more primitive title this time -- not one that
people don't understand.
CoC: I know what you're saying; but was it also prompted by the fact
that the last album, ultimately, the title didn't quite make
sense, as well?
Shagrath: It's basically opposites against each other, you know.
CoC: It did seem like a bit of a contradiction in terms, ntionally,
inte'cause "puritanical... misanthropia" is an resting
inteconnection, if you see what I mean.
Shagrath: Yeah. <laughs>
CoC: Another thing, on the issue of the band developing: when you
played live in London (it was April 2000, I believe) you did a
strange thing. You started off playing old material at the very
beginning of the set; then you took a break, almost like a band
would for an encore -- but half an hour or so in, and with the
intro from _PEM_ covering the near-three-minute gap; and then
you came on to play the first track proper of _PEM_. Has there
been any conscious division of the Dimmu Borgir material since
_PEM_, because of the addition of the orchestra and things?
Shagrath: Well, basically, for the live thing, it's a good thing to
start up with something old that people maybe have been
listening to for ages, you know. So they can get into it
more easily, rather than listening to a new album, and then
you have a tour and it's so fresh that you might not even
remember the songs. It's better to basically start off the
tour with something old that the audience will recognise,
then kick off with newer stuff later in the set. And then
also, end the set again with a... -famous- song, you know?
Or one of the most famous songs that people know: that's
also a good thing because then it kind of becomes a good
for the whole show.
CoC: Everyone goes out on a high note, kinda thing.
Shagrath: Yeah.
CoC: I know what you mean. The other thing I was gonna ask you about,
about the London show, was -- and people disagreed in their
opinions of this, but quite a few people actually did leave
early; and to my mind at least, the response was a little bit
muted. I was curious how you felt about that: the show in 2000
with Nevermore, Lacuna Coil and In Flames?
Shagrath: I think it was a good tour, but I can't say I remember that
show specifically, so...
CoC: Fair enough.
Shagrath: I don't really remember any show we do, specifically: it's
the same procedure every day, you know, so it kind of slips
your mind, so to speak. But I think the tour -- if there
was something completely wrong I would have remembered it,
but I think it was pretty good, actually.
CoC: Fair enough.
Shagrath: As far as I can remember, anyway. <laughs>
CoC: I understand. The other thing I was gonna talk about briefly was
the stage set-up for that show -- which I really didn't quite
understand. You had a really big stage, and you had keyboards at
the back on one side, and drums on the other, and the band at
the front. I wondered whether the stage set-up in general was a
big issue for the band, because it's become something, again,
part of Cradle of Filth's work, but also part of other bands
who've become bigger recently, in similar markets.
Shagrath: It's basically just a set-up, because we are six people and
the keyboard riser is just as big as the drum riser, which
means you can't have the drums in the middle, because there
has to be some space for everybody, you know? For people to
walk and also for both of the risers in the back, and also
maybe other things you have on stage like lights and
monitors and all that. So it's basically just because it's
that set-up for us, you know. <chortles>
CoC: I know what you're saying, but have you ever thought of going
into a more arranged stage set-up; 'cause it's something Dimmu
Borgir could go into? Like adding aspects of circus or carnival
so that, visually, it's more of a performance?
Shagrath: Well, the bigger the budget, the better it will be, you
know. That's basically all I can say. It's all about the
budget: what we are able to afford. But of course we want
to give our fans as much as possible.
CoC: Absolutely.
Shagrath: So I mean, if we had a million bucks to spend on each show
on visual effects then we would do that, you know?
CoC: Absolutely.
Shagrath: But I mean, it's hard when we tour with a lot of other
bands 'cause they need their space on stage and it's very
limited for, basically, what you can do on stage for our
stage show. So it all comes down to that, you know.
CoC: It's something that divides Dimmu Borgir, though, from bands
with a -brand- and a -trademark- -- you know, bands like KISS.
Shagrath: Yeah.
CoC: Where like every night you -know- that there's gonna be fire-
breathing...
Shagrath: Yeah, exactly.
CoC: I think in that way it's kind of good though, 'cause it's less
of a formula. I think that's perhaps one of the things the band
have managed to avoid to a certain extent: a formula, if you see
what I mean.
Shagrath: In one way it would be good, but I know what you mean.
[At this point, I remark to Shagrath that my next few questions are
about lyrics: he suggests this would be a perfect opportunity for
Silenoz, the band's primary lyricist, to take over.]
Silenoz: Hey, Silenoz here.
CoC: Hello, how're you doin'? I was just gonna ask you about lyrics,
basically.
Silenoz: OK.
CoC: I was reading some old interviews with DB recently and there was
one interview where you were saying that you hoped the words you
write in DB albums, the lyrics, would "enlighten people" and
"make them start to question things".
Silenoz: Yeah.
CoC: I'm just curious what you meant when you said that. I'm curious
whether you actually think that people will read the lyrics, and
- just- from the lyrics themselves, as they are...
Silenoz: Yeah, I mean for those who actually read the lyrics and take
them into consideration that's a bonus, at least for me
personally; maybe for the band too, you know. What I meant
when I said like "people should question things": it seems
that a lot of people, they just go with whatever's being
said or what they see or hear, you know, without actually
thinking about what's the case, and why is it like that. So,
I mean, in a very... if you look upon religion and all that,
that's just how I feel it is, you know. I personally grew
up in a very religious neighbourhood. My family wasn't
religious at all really, but the neighbourhood made me start
to question: why are all these people doing this without
actually having a specific reason to do it? There must be
something else, something I don't get or whatever, but
that's just how I grew up, from that. You know, even if I
get told something, I always -- until I see it proven or
stuff, I tend to ask questions about it, you know?
CoC: I see what you're saying in terms of being inquisitive...
Silenoz: Yeah, I try to be... it's something we say in Norway,
"nøktern", which means you keep your feet planted on the
ground until you have to lift them, you know.
CoC: The other thing I was gonna ask you about was what you meant by
this -- which I didn't quite understand in the interview, and
wasn't followed up on: "...there are far too many soulless and
superficial minded beings around that just go with whatever they
hear and see without asking why. Not everyone is worthy the gift
of life you know."
Silenoz: Yeah.
CoC: What do you mean by "not worthy of the gift of life"?
Silenoz: It's just that, umm... how should I say this in a proper
manner? <he laughs and I chuckle> Errr, it's like, people
don't really think about why they are here, you know, they
just take a lot of things for granted. I grew up, I guess,
from a kind of spoilt generation; but as it looks now, the
generation after when I grew up are even more spoiled; and,
you know, they just take a lot things for granted without
even considering or thinking about it. So, in big words,
that's basically what I meant with that quote. And it's
probably kind of a harsh statement but still I stand behind
it 100% because it's... I want people to talk about stuff,
you know, and you don't get people to talk about stuff
unless it's harsh words that you use.
CoC: I know what you mean: if you shock people, they sort of do a
double take and actually think about things.
Silenoz: Yeah.
CoC: So in some respects would you say that applies to the lyrics as
well? That there are certain things which are maybe not said as
- precisely- as they could be because they're said in a way that
tries to get people to sort of light-up; because when people
object to something it's when they start thinking about it most?
Silenoz: Yeah, exactly, I think when you also read the lyrics on the
new album you'll see that I've tried to write them in a more
kind of open way. I still think they're more extreme than on
the last album, but obviously I've used a lot of symbolism,
metaphors and substitutions -- 'cause it's really easy to
write it that way -- but still there's a lot of stuff that's
straight to the point. I expect some people that are
interested in reading the lyrics will take them into
consideration. You know, if they feel connected to what I
write then, well, that's really a bonus, you know? It's not
like we write something to try and convince people; 'cause
we have an opinion and we leave -preaching- to the religious
people. They can -preach- to everyone, you know: that's not
what we do. It's just an opinion, really.
CoC: I can understand that. Talking about record labels -- again,
sorry for the perennial comparison, but it's notable that Cradle
of Filth have recently moved to a major label, Sony. That's
something I think Dimmu Borgir, sales-wise, have the potential
to do. I'm curious whether you, the band, are happier making
metal on a big -metal- label like Nuclear Blast, than you would
be on a major label where you would be a smaller artist?
Silenoz: Well, you don't have any... guarantees on a major label. The
way we are getting priority on Nuclear is so overwhelming,
so there is no... we don't have any reason to even consider
doing it with a different label, 'cause we have... I mean,
Nuclear Blast has really good distribution and they know
about metal in general. I mean Markus Staiger, he started
his company from his bedroom in the late Eighties, and look
where he's got now, you know?
CoC: Absolutely. They've really hit it.
Silenoz: So I mean, there's a good working relationship between us
and Nuclear Blast. They give us a little bit between the
fingers. You know we have a deadline for every album, right?
But sometimes they see beyond that 'cause they know that if
we get too much pressure on us... we have told them, like,
if you pressure us with anything whatsoever then you can get
the album but you -know- it's not gonna sound like we want
it to sound. So they just give us, you know, free hands to
deliver the album when we feel it's ready for it.
CoC: They know and trust you as a band, you think.
Silenoz: Yeah, exactly. That's what makes it so easy.
CoC: That's unusual.
Silenoz: Yeah, and we're really grateful for that because they don't
do that with every album or with every band. We are really
happy to have that relationship and they give us something
and we give them something back, so it's like a fifty-fifty
to make it work properly.
CoC: I think it's probably characteristic of the relationship you've
had with them in that you've consistently made albums you wanted
to, and that always worked, if you know what I mean.
Silenoz: Yeah, exactly.
CoC: That's not cynical as such, but pragmatically, for them, if
you've made albums that work and sell, then they're smart if
they don't fuck with that, you know?
Silenoz: Yeah. They know that if we can do things on our own, the way
we want, then they know at least we have done our part of
the deal and it's up to them to do their part of the deal.
And so far it seems to be a really successful relationship.
CoC: The other thing I was gonna ask about which is somewhat more
light-hearted: on the road, I've noticed a lot of bands are
playing computer games, because they fit on buses and things
like that.
Silenoz: Yeah.
CoC: I'm curious, 'cause I was reading another interview from a while
back where someone was talking about what you guys did apart
from playing music, and you said how little time you had. I was
just curious what you guys did on tour buses, because clearly
that's a large part of your life, having to travel. So I was
curious, thereby, what you do with a lot of your time.
Silenoz: Well, I'm really interested in geography since I went to
school. So I try to, you know, look as much around as
possible, especially if there's a place we haven't been to
before. Apart from that obviously there's a lot of partying
going on -- as usual, you know -- maybe more with us than
other bands, but <chuckles> that's how we are. I mean, the
six of us work really well together, not only on a
professional level but also on a personal level. You know,
there's a real camaraderie between us and that's something
that's really important when you're on tour for like three
months straight. There's a lot of waiting around on tour,
you know, but it's up to each individual what you get out of
it so I try to keep myself occupied at least with geography
and things 'cause I'm really interested in history and stuff
too.
CoC: 'Cause you're travelling a lot, you find out about the place
you're going and that sort of thing?
Silenoz: Yeah.
CoC: I can see why you do that. So you wouldn't say there's a lot of
computer games playing and film watching?
Silenoz: Yeah, actually, I'm probably the one that plays -least-
computer games. <chuckles> But obviously, you watch a movie
and then you meet a lot of friends or acquaintances on tour
when you play different places too. So you hang out a lot,
you know, try to kill time as much as possible, really.
CoC: This, of course, you don't have to answer -- and I'm not looking
for a -figure- -- but how much, in general terms, do Dimmu
Borgir make money-wise? 'Cause one of the things I was gonna ask
was whether anyone had had problems with substance abuse -- you
know, the things that go along with bands who have rather
-charmed- financial existences. But from what I've read, when
you guys run out of money -- 'cause you don't have -quite-
enough -- you have to go back to work for a little bit, or what
have you, and things like that.
Silenoz: Well, that -was- the case a year or two ago. I even had to
take a part-time job as a kindergarten uncle. Go figure! But
it made me the extra money I needed to pay the bills and
stuff. But -now- it seems that since the back-catalogue is -
still- selling really good, that at least me and Shagrath
won't have to concentrate on extra day jobs and stuff.
'Cause at the same time we don't the have time to do it, so
we're really happy that this is some kind of card game that
goes on the right side, so to speak. I'm sure there's a lot
of people thinking that we are getting rich and shit, but
that's not, errrr... I mean, we basically earn an average
Norwegian salary -- maybe less than average, but still
enough to survive, you know, and pay the bills. But it's
like, when you're not touring or you're not recording an
album -- like we have done now for the last one and a half
years -- and you're kind of tight on money, sometimes you
just have to borrow money from someone to keep yourself
alive; but the other thing is that the tax rate in Norway is
so fucking high, and everything else in Norway is so fucking
expensive. So if we would have lived in -- not negatively
speaking -- but if we would have lived in Poland, for
instance, we would probably have a decent life, you know?
CoC: This is something I was thinking of, actually. If you live in
Norway and you work a normal job in Norway, you are better
off than you are working in Britain, because in Norway the
wage-rates are adjusted to the money...
Silenoz: Yeah, that's true.
CoC: But you guys are making money through a German record company on
an international, not a Norwegian, market.
Silenoz: Exactly.
CoC: So clearly your money is gonna be less valuable to you, if you
see what I mean.
Silenoz: Yes.
CoC: I know you're not complaining about your status; I would hope
and think that you're happy to be able live off the music at all.
Silenoz: Yeah. But it took us ten years, you know, and it was ten
years of fucking hard work too. So it's like -really- good
to know that everything you have invested -- not only
money-wise but also like your fucking soul and time and
everything -- is starting to pay back, you know, but with a
good feeling: you don't feel like you ripped people off or
anything like that because, you know, you feel that you own,
rightfully, what you earn now. But still it's nothing
errr... I mean, I don't even have my own car yet, you know?
CoC: It's a strange contrast.
Silenoz: It is, actually.
CoC: Because on the one hand I think, for your age, you're managing a
pretty incredible achievement as an extreme -metal- band.
Silenoz: Yeah.
CoC: But on the other hand, for your age as a job or for your age as
a -huge- rock band, or whatever, you know, -monetarily-, you're
in a very different situation. It's a strange contrast there.
Silenoz: Exactly. It's a tricky situation. I mean, it was like one or
two years ago when in-between rehearsals and stuff, you had
to have a second job to just be able to have food on the
table, so, you know...
CoC: That's pretty tough.
Silenoz: Yeah.
CoC: One last question before we finish. Do you have any opinion on
the Tolkien connection with black metal?
Silenoz: Actually I am one of the people who hasn't had the patience
to read the book, but obviously I've seen the movie. So I
cannot say whether, you know -- I'm obviously really
fascinated about the movie, but since I didn't read any of
the books I don't have any -specific- relationship to it, as
maybe other people have. But it's a quite fascinating
history that Tolkien made, you know. I understand totally
why people are so fascinated about it. I guess that's why a
lot of black metal bands have taken inspiration from the
stories: it has like a dark and a light side, and at the
same time they're really close, they almost blended together
from my point of view, you know.
CoC: There's no connection, personally, between you and Silenius who
plays in Summoning, is there?
Silenoz: No, but I expect -- although I don't know him or anything --
that he has also taken his name from the same character I
have taken mine from, which is from Greek mythology. A
Silenoz is like... it's like the same as Satyrs but kind of
a higher range, you know...
CoC: I vaguely remember them from first year classics, actually.
Silenoz: That's cool.
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N E M O ' S S E A R C H F O R S U C C E S S . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC has a brief chat with Tuomas Holopainen of Nightwish
by: Paul Schwarz
Big favourites with lovers of so-called "Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-metal",
Finland's Nightwish have, in the last few years, become one of
extreme metal's "bands to watch". In the wake of the mass popularity
Evanescence recently achieved -- and the breakthroughs that Lacuna
Coil, crucially, made shortly before -- the now-Nuclear-Blast-
distributed, female-fronted Finnish five-piece look set to take the
metal mainstream by storm with their forthcoming fifth full-length,
_Once_. In the first week of March, I called up keyboardist Tuomas
Holopainen to chat about it, the high-profile video the band had
filmed with director Antti Jokinen for _Once_'s first single, "Nemo",
and what Nightwish were up to for the rest of the year.
CoC: You did two sessions with the London Session Orchestra -- and
with the second, on February 29th, finished the recording of
_Once_. What was it like working with the London Session
Orchestra?
Tuomas Holopainen: It was totally, absolutely incredible. The first
time we went there I was actually pretty scared
'cause I hadn't heard any of the arrangements, but
I was pretty confident in Mr. Pip Williams and I
was definitely confident with the orchestra as
well, because the same guys played in the "Lord of
the Rings" and "Harry Potter" films. So I had all
the faith in the world in them, but it was still a
very exciting thing to hear them play: it was one
of the biggest experiences of my whole career, to
have them play my songs. Both sessions were
incredible and they really gave a new touch to the
album, for the overall concept of the album.
CoC: So you think it enhanced what the album -was-?
TH: Yeah.
CoC: So now you've finished the album?
TH: Basically, yeah. We started mixing it today. All the recordings
are made and we have about a month's worth of mixing to do.
CoC: Where are you mixing the album?
TH: At Finnvox studios, in Helsinki.
CoC: Is there a release date for it yet?
TH: It should be the 7th of June. The beginning of June, definitely.
CoC: So everything went to plan in the end, there were no setbacks?
TH: No, not in the whole session, really. We had been in the studio
since mid-October. The only bad thing about this whole thing is
that it's taken so long. But the atmosphere within the band and
in the recordings has been really nice, and much better than
doing the _Century Child_ album. It's been a real nice process.
Too long, but that's a small thing.
CoC: When the album comes out in June, what's the plan? Are you
planning a tour?
TH: Well, we have a few festival shows during the summer, only
festivals. I don't know much about that: a few shows in Finland
and in Europe. The actual tour starts in August. First we go off
to America -- we have fourteen shows there -- after that there's
the Finnish tour, Scandinavian tour, European and South American
tour. Then we take a Christmas break and continue touring after
Christmas in 2005.
CoC: You recently did a video clip with Antti Jokinen, who has done
videos for Celine Dion, Eminem and Shania Twain, and is
currently working on "Exorcist: The Beginning" with Renny Harlin
("The Long Kiss Goodbye"). How was that and what sort of visuals
have been prepared for that?
TH: To be honest, I haven't seen any of the stuff yet. The original
idea for the story was made by me, actually, and then the
director saw it and he thought it was pretty cool, but he changed
it quite a bit, actually. The band is pretty much playing in a
snowstorm so it's a very snowy kind of video with huge special
effects -- at least, with our budget, what we can do. But it's
something that, at least, nobody in Finland has done before.
Antti Jokinen is amazing, he's like a Hollywood star so he really
knows how to do this thing and we just wanted to give him a shot
and, like I said, I haven't seen one second of the final result
yet so I can't tell you anything more.
CoC: Are you looking for this album to make you a much bigger band in
terms of pop success?
TH: Well, that was never the intention, and once you hear the album
you'll understand what I mean. This album is gonna be pretty
difficult -- difficult is the word, because these songs don't
have much "hit potential", that's what I think. Only the single,
"Nemo", is written in the "hit song" structure. We just had to do
one of them, because of the single. The album has a lot of
orchestra. It's very massive. It's very much different parts in
the songs. It's more like film music than normal heavy metal
songs. It's definitely something unique, and I'm very proud of
that. We'll see what happens.
CoC: When you go on tour, are there any plans thus far to replicate
the orchestral sounds with live players, or is that simply out
the of question financially?
TH: It's gonna be mini-disc at least for the first shows. We just
can't do it because of the money -- it's gonna cost like hell.
But there are some plans, some preliminary plans for sometime in
2005, to do some shows with the orchestra and a choir. It would
be a dream come true for us. It's gonna take a lot of
arrangements, but I think that we're gonna do it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
NEIL'S NEEDLE MEETS CARCASS'S BONESAW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoC Chats with Sven from Aborted
by: Paul Schwarz
Some might well argue that Belgium's Aborted are not a 'cutting edge'
death metal band -- except in terms of their lyrical content.
Admittedly their gore-obsessed works of splatter fuse typically
death/grind influences to almost Swedish-style passages with artful
grace, and emulate Carcass better than the likes of Exhumed or
Impaled could ever manage; but in the big picture the band have yet
to put out a truly era-defining or revolutionary album. That said,
not every band need be era-defining -or- revolutionary; and as far as
satisfying the appetite for fresh meat of those who share their
tastes in metal, Aborted did a damn fine job with last year's
_Goremageddon - The Saw and the Carnage Done_. Presented here is an
e-mail chat with vocalist Sven, from around the time of its release.
CoC: Aborted are a gore metal band from the perspective that
your lyrics seem to focus squarely on gore-related topics.
Simultaneously, a fair amount of your sound as a band owes a lot
to the likes of Carcass and others who dealt with similar
subject matter for their lyrics; but Aborted is clearly not
restrictively influenced by so- called gore metal bands: you can
hear this from _Goremageddon_ itself. How much does the lyrical
subject matter or music of Aborted prefigure its counterpart?
Sven: I'd say that the lyrics are an important part of Aborted, being
in a way that they have to be of at least some level and not
just your regular 'chop hack stab kill' material. Though we
always have kept a certain level of black humour hidden within
them -- we're not taking this too seriously, there are songs
dealing with your regular poop joke, your regular zombie song,
but we also have a lot of songs that are based on the acts and
reasonings of serial killers and mass murderers. We also put
some small critical messages hidden throughout the album, for
the listener to find out. The music and lyrics stand completely
apart from each other, they are both very important to Aborted
but lyrics aren't based on the musical feel of a song or the
other way around. I write my lyrics to the music, the song
itself, based on topics or thoughts that come up at the moment,
if that's what you're meaning.
CoC: Do you find that the two aspects (lyrics and music) feed off
each other, for example -- and if so, how do they do this?
S: Well, in a way you can state that the lyrics build up the same way
the music does, or try to as much as possible. They accentuate
what the music itself is doing; it's all pretty violent, so you
can't talk about roses and delivering pink underwear to your
neighbour now can you? As in any band of some level, I think the
lyrical aspect has a pretty important part in it.
CoC: In today's scene, of which Aborted are a part, there are a
number of bands promoting themselves and spreading their music
under the "gore metal" banner. American bands like Impaled and
Exhumed immediately spring to mind as the kind of acts many will
compare Aborted with: though there are distinct differences, the
profound influence of Carcass (and related bands) on all three
bands in both music and lyrics is striking. Do you have an
opinion on how Aborted stand in relation to the music being made
around them?
S: I wouldn't compare Aborted to any of those bands, musically, but
it's true that in imagery and in a lyrical aspect those bands have
one point in common, and that is the love for Carcass, one of
the best bands that has walked on this planet. As to the
aforementioned bands, they are rather strictly limited to the
medical world of Carcass; Aborted adds different aspects into it,
being about organised religion, racism and social apathy which
eventually breeds killers. All those things are present within
Aborted, yet we're not putting it too much on the surface. It's
true that music evolves, and shall always keep on evolving. As to
standing in relation to the music being made now around us, of
course we're listening to new bands and checking out other
releases; everything we like is getting mixed up in there somehow,
and there are no limits. We've always been in search for 'our' own
sound of some sort, and I think with this new album, we have in
some ways succeeded in calling this to be Aborted the way we
wanted it to be from the beginning.
CoC: Do you have an impression of the kind of crowd the band draws?
S: That differs really, there's a lot of different people at shows,
from the regular death metal freaks, to the grindcore fans, up to
straight hardcore kids. Everyone is welcome at shows and it's all
about respect. I'm not going to bitch to a hardcore kid who's
straightedge that he can't like our music, or that we have gay
fans that listen to Linkin Park or whatever. I believe everyone
into music is into it for the love of music. I don't care what
they wear, look like or even listen to besides death metal. It's
all about respect: respect for the bands and respect for the fans,
as simple as that.
CoC: Belgium as a country does not have the same kudos attached to it
as, say, Sweden or Norway, in today's extreme metal scene. Do
you think your experience of being in a death metal band is
substantially different from many because of your national
origins?
S: In a way it's harder: being from Belgium surely doesn't give you a
head start as if you were to come from Sweden, Finland or even
Holland. There aren't that much well known or better known extreme
metal acts here; in a way Belgium has been behind on this, and not
really working on this as well -- though there is a strong scene
now, and eventually Belgium will get on the metal map, I'm quite
sure. There's some strong bands in the scene now.
CoC: Do you feel like you have to try harder to convince people of
your worth than, say, the average Swedish band from Gothenburg
or Malmö produced at Fredman or Berno respectively, for example,
has to?
S: Of course, as said above, not a lot of Belgian bands are known or
loved; it's quite hard and you have to work very hard to get
noticed; but I guess in a way now the stakes are a lot higher here
and bands are working harder now, which is a good thing. It's a
fact that if your album gets recorded at a well-known studio or
produced by a big name and what not, that you'll draw more
attention to yourself; quite silly, but that's the way it is. If
you show a person a Belgian release and a product recorded at
Fredman, what do you think they'll choose? I think it's quite
evident.
CoC: Was the subtitling of your new album as "The Saw and the Carnage
Done" a reference to / pun on the Neil Young song? Why did you
choose to use a subtitling at all, and why did you want this
particular phrase?
S: Yes, indeed, it's a pun on "The Needle and the Damage Done" from
Neil Young; we originally were going to entitle the album just
_The Saw and the Carnage Done_, but we thought it was a bit too
long sounding, and not as catchy to the ear as "Goremageddon" is.
"Goremageddon" has also been a term we've used from our demo on,
and a couple years back some other bands have been using this as
well; we didn't like that that much to be honest, so we also
wanted to make a statement: this is GOREMAGEDDON. We chose to use
the original title as a subtitle cause the whole together sounds
pretty cool and it's kind of a blink towards _Necroticism -
Descanting the Insalubrious_.
CoC: It sometimes seems like the 'rules' or 'classifications' of
metal have now been set down in stone. A lot of bands seem
to almost delimit themselves into a sub-generic space to
give themselves a 'stronger' identity -- and it certainly
makes them easier to pitch at the strongly stratified extreme
metal audience. Do you feel like there are boundaries, albeit
self-created ones, which 'limit' what Aborted can be musically?
S: For Aborted it's quite simple: we put into the music anything we
like. It's our personal taste and everyone is into a lot of
different things and we're all quite open-minded. We don't give a
fuck about boundaries, barriers or whatever labels they put on
music; if we like it, and we think it sounds good and fits into
the music, it's good. Of course we're an extreme death metal band,
so the overall has to sound extreme, but there are no barriers to
mix things up a little and keep it interesting.
CoC: If you as a band made an album and agreed it was a great Aborted
album, for example, would it just be nonsensical for someone
else to say, "That's not how Aborted should sound"?
S: Maybe for that person yes, personally we wouldn't care about what
other people say -- we're still in this band to enjoy what we're
doing, and as long as we like what we do, there is
no one who has
the right to say how we have to sound. We're Aborted, we play
death metal, it's pretty extreme and fast, yes. But that's all
that is fixed, what is to come is a book that has still to be
written.
CoC: Is there any form of music or experience which you think should
be censored from having an impact on Aborted -- like a personal,
profound love of jazz or musical theatre in one of the members,
for example?
S: As said, we're five very different persons, and we enjoy different
things, but we -do- know what goes in and what doesn't. We're open
to anything as long as it fits to the song in question and we all
like it. So I don't think people have to worry we'll get some
cheesy rapping y'all and jazz funk or whatever into it, haha.
CoC: What is the best thing about being in Aborted for you, and what
would you say is the best thing about Aborted, the band?
S: The best thing for everyone in Aborted would be touring, playing
shows for different audiences. Playing live is still what it's all
about -- no album releases or anything can beat the energy you get
from the stage. The best thing about the band Aborted would be the
energy we try to give back to the people who come to our shows and
appreciate it. We don't try to be the standard band music-wise,
and we give 200% at each show.
CoC: Is there a lyrical concept or over-arching theme to
_Goremageddon_, like the exploits of a gruesome 'doctor', for
instance?
S: Not to that extent, but the whole thing is all over the medical
concept, yes. Lots of songs deal with serial killers. "Ornaments
of Derision" deals about David Koresh, a Texan sect leader that
lead to the death of hundreds of people because of religious
fanaticism. As said, it's just not your regular 'hack stab slash'
album; there's a lot more different aspects worked out, yet in a
more gathered and streamlined 'medical' concept.
CoC: The song-titling on _Goremageddon_ seems to draw a lot on
Carcass' early/mid era, especially _Necroticim - Descanting the
Insalubrious_. Is this where the inspiration came from?
S: Haha, you're the first to actually notice, and yes, the title of
the album was both a pun on Neil Young and _Necroticism_. Carcass
has been a very influential band to many acts, but I wouldn't say
Aborted is in any way a Carcass clone; there are much more
influences and different things worked into it than just Carcass.
But lyrics-wise, I would have to say we have, at least on this
album, worked a bit towards the Carcass feel indeed.
CoC: Where did the knowledge and inspiration to write the lyrics and
songtitles to _Goremageddon_ come from, both in terms of bands
and other inspirations like books, films, real anecdotes and
news, etc.?
S: Well, lots of the lyrics of the album were written in Denmark, at
the hotel where we were staying, or in the studio. We wrote
and recorded the album in a period of five months; having
worked in two new people in the band, everything had to go
quite fast. I just sat down every night while the others
were playing and practicing and wrote whatever came to mind.
"Meticulous Invagination" is about the first Ted Bundy murder;
"Ornaments of Derision" is about David Koresh, as said before; as
opposed to "Clinical Colostomy" which is a sequel to "Sphinctral
Enthrallment" which is the usual clinical poop joke, and so on. It
was quite hard to get everything right without a dictionary, any
lecture or anything around, I can tell you that, hahaha.
CoC: Without which bands or musical styles could Aborted have never
existed?
S: Death metal to start with, quite obviously, haha. Some bands:
Slayer, Suffocation, Carcass, Dismember, Entombed, Cryptopsy,
Grave, Illdisposed, Morbid Angel and much, much more.
Contact: http://www.goremageddon.be
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_, _, __, _,_ _, _ _,
/ \ | |_) | | |\/| (_
|~| | , |_) | | | | , )
~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~
Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- A masterpiece indeed
9 out of 10 -- Highly recommended
7 out of 10 -- Has some redeeming qualities
5 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
3 out of 10 -- Nothing here worth looking into
0 out of 10 -- An atrocious album, avoid at all costs!
Amen - _Death Before Musick_ (Eat Ur Music, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
It's astonishing to note the degree of separation between what passes
for punk these days and what truly goes some way toward defining the
term. That said, there has been much whining from various quarters on
the topic, but one could perhaps argue that this sorry state of
affairs has forced real punk bands to adopt a workmanlike attitude
that has ultimately served to benefit their recorded output, case in
point being Amen. While the members of Blink 182 were showing off
multi-million dollar mansions on MTV's Cribs, the past three years
have at best been trying for one Casey Chaos. Dumped by Virgin
Records on the cusp of releasing his band's third album and then
being slapped with a demand for upwards of $200,000 just to secure
the rights to his own music, is only some of the near career-ending
turmoil that followed 2000's superb _We Have Come for Your Parents_
effort. Four years on though and instead of cashing in his chips and
calling it a day, like so many others would have, Mr Chaos has
recruited a fresh set of co-conspirators and poured what little money
he had left into _Death Before Musick_. The results speak for
themselves. Although not as frenzied as the group's first two
releases, _Death Before Musick_ is definitely no less incendiary,
providing ample evidence once again that Amen are the combined
reincarnation of The Dead Kennedys and Iggy & The Stooges. Indeed,
Casey Chaos' debt to one Iggy Pop is especially noticeable on such
mid-tempo rockers as "Hello (One Chord Lovers)" and "California's
Bleeding". Unfortunately though, the record, like its predecessors,
flags a little toward the end. However, in this instance, it is
markedly less so than with past efforts, and invariably it does not
detract at all from the fact that _Death Before Musick_ is as perfect
a rallying call as there ever was for a full- scale riot.
Contact: http://www.comaamerica.com
Ares Wrath - _War Bombastic Black Metal_ (7 out of 10)
by: James Montague (South Satanic Terrorists Records, 2004)
"Satan and Tanks -- Together at Last!"
I would like to propose the above slogan for Ares Wrath, the latest
incarnation of the unforgiving war metal style largely propagated by
the underground of Australia and -- as in this case -- Brazil. One
can certainly make out the pioneering extremity of their compatriots
Sarcofago -- blended with the extremity of 1990s European black and
American death metal -- in this brutal twenty minute onslaught of
militant blast beats and calamitous guitar shredding. With the album
title, and exclamatory track names like "Hail Atomic Bomb!" and
"Praise Hail Satan!", Ares Wrath surely aren't looking for prizes in
subtlety, and will more or less follow any path that leads to
destruction and evil. Good for them!
Now, the relentless blasting style of war metal is one which I can
only handle in limited doses, but there is much in this whirlwind to
suggest that Ares Wrath can produce a real keeper of an album in the
future. Most importantly, these sudamericanos have realized that
burying a melody somewhere amongst the carnage is not a bad thing,
and can add a sinister subplot to proceedings -- it was this little
nuance that made Bestial Warlust's seminal work _Vengeance War 'til
Death_ such a classic. Furthermore, many of the most diabolical
melodies are carried by the bass guitar, giving the album extra
credibility in this biased reviewer's opinion. The bassist picks,
scratches and slaps the strings around, adding real character to the
riffs. The guitarists generally just shred away, and the drummer
murders his kit while the vocalist screams his tits off. That's all
well and good, but it's the bass guitar that gives the music the
winning edge. Another winning aspect of the music is its brevity -- a
blasting black/death metal song should not go for six or seven
minutes as bands like Abominator would have you believe, and Ares
Wrath recognize the need for a bit of wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am
conciseness.
For a debut MCD, the amount of effort put into the packaging of _War
Bombastic Black Metal_ is noteworthy, each of the six songs' lyrics
superimposed on WWII archive photos, scenes of nuclear armageddon and
the crucifixion of that guy so many people fawn over. Ares Wrath have
set out to bombard the listener with every extreme image imaginable,
and have managed to back it up with an impressive musical arsenal.
Fans of Bestial Warlust, Conqueror, Destruktor or Abominator should
keep an eye out for these chaps.
Contact: http://www.sstcircle.com
Cephalectomy - _Eclipsing the Dawn_ (Discorporate Music, 2004)
by: Aaron McKay (8 out of 10)
As my inaugural foray into Cephalectomy's feverishly paced world of
chaos and mysticism, I was overcome with the band's ability, form and
style; Forest of Impaled had a similar impact. Spearheaded by Corey
Andrews, Cephalectomy credits the assistance of two other tortured
souls: Jason Nichols and Rob DeCoste. The grind of this Discorporate
Music outfit is layered with all the necessary constructs, including
a brutal death, crusty black, gut-wrenching grind and a ferocious
metal approach all at a nitro-charged jackhammer pace. If that is
not enough, the melody is omnipresent throughout the full-length
sophomore release _Eclipsing the Dawn_, ultimately making this
effort a sizeable powerhouse of staggering fanaticism. Cephalectomy's
mysticism, musically and lyrically, soars far above the mediocre
and challenges the extreme metal genre in complicated new ways.
Furthering their progression, these Nova Scotians might better
serve themselves by developing a stronger use of their inescapably
intricate melody and timely tempo changes whereby enhancing their
overall seismic allure on _Eclipsing the Dawn_. Inauspicious, this
band has struck a sinister balance between blunt force and devilish
delirium. The articulate pace changes, intense low end and punishing
vocal savagery make _Eclipsing the Dawn_'s exactly thirty-eight
minutes an experiment in punishment and power.
Contact: http://www.cephalectomy.com
Crimson Altar - _The Ghost Ship Sails_ (Independent, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (4 out of 10)
It was always going to be a difficult thing to review Crimson Altar's
debut in the same month as the fantastic new Flowing Tears opus, but
even at my most lenient I cannot think of a phrase better suited to
this London-based gothic metal outfit than "dull as dishwater". Aside
from the fact that their music sounds like a tedious melancholy
take on '70s rock, it becomes increasingly evident as the record
progresses that vocalist Jude K would benefit greatly by investing in
a few singing lessons, since she seems barely capable of holding a
note for longer than five seconds. Occasionally, a faint glimmer of
charm manages to break through the bogs -- the chorus to "Sick of
Shadows" being one such rare moment -- but ultimately Crimson Altar's
brand of musical doom and gloom is painful for all the wrong reasons.
Contact: http://www.crimsonaltar.com
Flowing Tears - _Razorbliss_ (Century Media, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (8 out of 10)
It is a sad and undeniable shame that the societal majority has grown
increasingly accustomed to accepting what marketing and advertising
force-feeds them, as opposed to selecting the best alternative. If
indeed the latter were the case it is not inconceivable that
Germany's Flowing Tears would long ago have enjoyed a much greater
level of popularity. Bred from the same generic stock as their label
mates Lacuna Coil, _Razorbliss_ is the first Flowing Tears record to
feature Helen Vogt on microphone duties -- and in case anyone is
wondering, yes, aside from being quite fetching, she is also much
better than her predecessor, Stefanie Duchêne. In fact, word has it
that she is largely to thank for the band's heavier approach this
time round. That said though, every member of Flowing Tears has done
a terrific job on _Razorbliss_, and particularly "Radium Angel" and
"Believe" stand out as the highlights of their effort. Throw in one
of Waldemar Sorychta's best turns in the producer's chair and you
have an album that effortlessly shows up corporate wimp-rock like
Evanescence for the tepid hogwash that it is.
Contact: http://www.flowingtears.de
Grimfist - _Ghouls of Grandeur_ (Candlelight, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)
While much has been made of ex-Immortal sticksman Horg's involvement
with the Norwegian wrecking ball known as Grimfist, those expecting
an onslaught of frostbitten black metal are bound for disappointment.
Nay, straightforward and brutal METAL is the name of Grimfist's game
-- and a fastidiously played one it is. You see, while Phil Anselmo
flaps his gums about his Superjoint Ritual being the most dangerous
band in the world, and the mainstream salivates over the rebirth of
metal in the so-called New Wave of American Heavy Metal, Grimfist
have quietly created an album that recalls the menace and genuine
ferocity of the old school. Add into the mix some furiously chugging
grooves that are borderline hardcore and a tinge of black metal
darkness, and you have a record that no fan of heavy music should be
without. While it is true that Peter Tagtren's sterile production at
times renders the material lifeless, this is by no means a serious or
overly irksome fault. Songs like "Outlined in Black" and "No
Compromise" are the products of tremendous talent and passion,
ultimately making _Ghouls of Grandeur_ an outstanding debut from a
band that clearly have the potential to contribute a helluva lot to
this genre we all love so much.
Contact: http://www.grimfist.com
Immemorial - _After Deny_ (Conquer Records, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (7.5 out of 10)
Despite Angela Gossow scaling the top of many a readers' poll by
virtue of more than simply her female wiles, the idea of a female-
fronted death metal band remains somewhat of an anomaly -- largely
one might think due to evidence to the contrary which at best can be
described as sparse. Immemorial's Karla can therefore tap herself on
the shoulder for further strengthening the feminine cause in extreme
music with a performance that not only stands out, but transcends any
sort of gender bias purely through ample amounts of raw talent. Not
that her fellow bandmates haven't done a commendable job either, mind
you. Alumni of the Behemoth school of death metal, Immemorial follow
a similar style to fellow countrymen Hell-Born, but for the most part
the band are able to pull it off with far greater panache. Were it
not for its tinny and often cluttered production, _After Deny_ would
most likely have scored even higher; but either way there is little
that can mask the inventiveness behind songs like "Corrupted by
Death" and "Longing for Sin". If brutal, grinding death metal is your
flask of rum, then this record should most certainly be on your
shopping list.
Contact: http://www.immemorialband.prv.pl
Insomnium - _Since the Day It All Came Down_ (Candlelight, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (10 out of 10)
When the distant gong of church bells first sounded across eight-
tracks and record players the world over some three decades ago, it
was clear that heavy music and melody would forever remain entwined
in a relationship that more often than not would not be mutually
exclusive. As time passed, bands like Iron Maiden developed and laid
down the further groundwork that would see classical influences
married to metal, and in turn this blueprint was later adopted by a
glut of European extreme acts, before gradually trickling through
into the rest of the world. Unfortunately as with all good ideas, it
soon became an institution, and an increasingly dull one at that,
which made the arrival of bands like Opeth -- who proved that the
original abstraction still had much to offer from an artistic point
of view -- so much more vital. And almost like the de rigueur that
greeted the arrival of _Morningrise_ and _Orchid_, Insomnium's
sophomore release is an album that could potentially be regarded as
perhaps a milestone for many years to come.
That _Since the Day It All Came Down_ blows away the band's already
impressive debut release (_In the Halls of Awaiting_) in just about
every conceivable category is pretty much implied from the start
here. Indeed one can only marvel at exactly how far this Finnish
quartet has come since forming in 1997. While _ItHoA_ may have hinted
at the Scandinavian folk, classical and progressive elements that
make up a large part of Insomnium's death metal, _StDIACD_ reveals an
understanding of dynamics and songwriting craft that within their
genre is virtually without parallel. In the same way "Resonance" is
an introverted and sullen piece, stating its intent through the use
of primarily a single acoustic guitar, so "Daughter of the Moon" is
an aggressive, imposing beast, replete with duelling guitar melodies
not unlike those heard on Amorphis' _Tales From the Thousand
Lakes_. "Death Walked the Earth", on the other hand, is pure
Scandinavian melodic death metal, but retains the band's progressive
and experimental flair.
With so little to fault on only their second outing, Insomnium have
clearly created a situation of tremendous pressure when it comes time
to produce a follow-up to what can only be described as a bona fide
masterpiece. Be that as it may however, _StIACD_ is nothing short of
spectacular in every sense of the word, and as far as albums for 2004
go this already has my vote as perhaps the highlight of the year.
Contact: http://www.insomnium.cjb.net
Necrophagia - _Goblins Be Thine_ (Red Stream, 2004)
by: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10)
In the literary world it is publish or perish. Musically speaking,
for Killjoy, Necrophagia's founder, this has never been a problem --
though the part about perishing might hold some appeal for this
twisted S.O.B. Album after album, this band enjoys a lavishly rich
history; Necrophagia has been able to draw off of some powerful
experience and side-projects to put together a MCD of accomplished
proportions. _Goblins Be Thine_ is wonderfully packaged with a very
professional look and feel -- taking massive strides over and above
_Holocausto de la Morte_ and most of the rest of the back catalog.
Even though my player clocked off six songs, the listed five tracks
in this effort provide an alluring exercise in audio terror. While
the MCD bears similarity to typical Necrophagia horror movie sampling
and blood-curdling imagery, Killjoy, Fug, Marai, Iscariah, Frediablo
and Titta develop a strong connection to a heavier, chunkier and
"atmospheric" side of the band -- almost like a soundtrack to
Dante's "Inferno". It works for these guys. _Goblins Be Thine_
is over-the-top in a restrained and absorbing way. A noteworthy
point, as you can see from their well-designed website, is a nice
tongue-in-cheek nod to Helloween's "pumpkins fly free" days; however
Killjoy obviously could never be mistaken for Michael Kiske(!).
Nothing from nothing, the new look to the Necrophagia moniker is a
killer touch with respectful representations to Dark Angel and old
Death, but uniquely fitting to this gaggle of ghouls who call
themselves Necrophagia. If _GBT_ is a glimpse of things to come,
Necrophagia's affinity for being strictly "an acquired taste" may be
a thing of the past.
Contact: http://www.necrophagia.com
Skinlab - _Nerve Damage_ (Century Media, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (7 out of 10)
As one journeys through this retrospective collection of rarities,
spanning Skinlab's decade-long career, one is often struck by just
how underappreciated the Bay Area quartet were. You see, while most
every other member of the heavy metal fraternity was sporting
outlandish day-glo hairstyles and a pair of trousers that appeared to
be tailor- made for a small elephant, Skinlab busied themselves
keeping things brutal. Shift their career forward by a mere five
years and it becomes highly likely that they would have been the
toast of the metallic crop. As _Nerve Damage_ so aptly testifies,
when their combination of thrash and hardcore worked, they had the
ability to be utterly devastating -- and it's no surprise therefore
that even in demo form songs like "When Pain Comes to the Surface"
still reek of the same class as their album counterparts. However,
just as evident (if not more so if you take the nature of this
release into consideration), consistency was not Skinlab's forte, and
the band often missed the boat completely, coming across sounding
disheveled and sloppy. Thus while _Nerve Damage_ will be a delight
for hardcore fans, the casual listener might be better advised to
give it a wide berth. For the devotees there's tons on offer though,
ranging from an amusing selection of covers (Smashing Pumpkins'
"Bullet With Butterfly Wings" among others) to demo recordings taken
from each of their three releases, to live songs, to some frankly
ill-advised remixes. Perhaps the two most sparkling treasures on the
album come in the form of "Losing All" and "Beneath the Surface"
-- unreleased songs written and recorded after the band's last
_reVoltingRoom_ effort -- that cast a bright ray of hope on what
Skinlab may still have in store for us in the future.
Contact: http://www.skinlabmusic.com
The Ravenous - _Blood Delirium_ (Red Stream, 2004)
by: Aaron McKay (6 out of 10)
If ever one could more assemble a torrid assortment of the rotting
greats in the field of gore metal, they'd have the challenge of their
lives of topping The Ravenous. "Underground" doesn't begin to explain
these cannibalistic (un)human subversive demons, as Necrophagia's
Killjoy, Brutal Truth's Danny Lilker and Autopsy's Chris Reifert,
among other twisted sorts, wreak havoc throughout their newest
pile of steaming blood-soaked cess. Fellow label mates Bethlehem
have a near monopoly on pure derangement, whereas The Ravenous
challenges their stranglehold on random delusional construct with
_Blood Delirium_. Horrific, vivid splatter movie sampling accompanies
the perverse subject matter all throughout the newest The Ravenous
offering. As if you needed proof, you can imagine what these ghouls
can do with song titles like "Nightmares in a Damaged Brain",
"Baptized by Demon's Piss" and the always intriguing "A Corpse Is
Forever", which is not a love ballad in case you were wondering.
Getting past their tracks of celebrated bile-festering afflictions,
The Ravenous pile on interesting song arrangement and captivating
metal segues to pique the curiosity of even the most discerning
critic. Subject matter and lyrical content aside, this band of gore
lords incorporate a host of developed arrangements throughout most of
their work. Enhanced by a multimedia CD-ROM bonus of "Mordum"
and "August Underground", The Ravenous treat their disciples to
a depraved and grisly look into the inner workings of their
indulgence(s). Without having the benefit of digesting the EP _Three
on a Meethook_ (2002), _Blood Delirium_ suffers somewhat compared to
the well-crafted _Assembled in Blasphemy_ (2000). The newest effort
by The Ravenous stewed untapped behind the scenes ("Festering Beneath
the Fog") for sometime before unleashing its wrath on the metal
community. Having that kind of time to ferment, a more mature album
could have been crafted. While in no way does _Blood Delirium_ fall
short on its promise of torturous debauchery, Killjoy, Danny and
Chris arguably could have made this offering their (viking) crown
jewel.
Vrolok - _Resurgence II: Where the Dying Meet the Dead_
by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 10) (Alpha Draconis Records, 2004)
Jumping in mid-stream here, maybe I missed something... This is the
second of a three part "Resurgence" musical voyage. While Vrolok is
"on hold" and focusing attention elsewhere, I may have a while to
wait until this "tale of the abyss" reaches fruition in any form
somewhere along the way. That said, Vrolok arguably harbors somewhat
of a fondness for the likes of Kreig, possibly Pest and/or Nargaroth
with their subterranean black metal texture found on _Resurgence II:
Where the Dying Meet the Dead_. Unlike the overt message to "strive
for the inner funeral", Vrolok's six tracks of abyssal abominable
atrocity grate subtly from track to track and ultimately wind
up coming across as hampered and very muzzled. The band's two
participants include founding member Lord Perosus Diabolus Vrolok,
whose duties include everything from vocals to keyboards to skull and
antler percussion, and Lurker, a recent recruit having joined in 2003
to add his influence in the area of drums and percussion. Not overly
wrapped in the whole "Satan or bust" mentality, Vrolok's lyrics on
this second offering of the trilogy focus on a personal voyage --
albeit this voyage is through a "compressed hell" of sorts, but what
could one expect? At the very least _RII:WtDMtD_ seems to avoid the
tired "Devil this, Beelzebub that and Lucifer the other thing"
approach to songwriting. Nonetheless for black metal, this effort
comes across as inhibited. What's more, it may be under-produced by
choice, but the degree this album is done with that in mind is mostly
harsh and musically noisy. To make matters worse, the font on the
album cover, including the band's moniker, is highly unreadable.
Personally, I have never understood the whole thought-process behind
trying to create a certain atmosphere with descriptors on a CD if the
damn thing isn't comprehendible at all -- what does that accomplish?
Enough of my soapbox tirade. In closing, the vocals in some places on
the album and samples on this effort are pretty well a plus,
but Vrolok has some gigantic steps to embark upon during their
exploration of the abyss in order to be taken seriously above ground
with the rest of us in the world of extreme music.
Contact: http://vrolokofficial.cjb.net
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__, __, _, _ _, _,
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|_/ | | | \ / , )
~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Scoring: 5 out of 5 -- A flawless demo
4 out of 5 -- Great piece of work
3 out of 5 -- Good effort
2 out of 5 -- A major overhaul is in order
1 out of 5 -- A career change is advisable
Demontage - _Madness Disease_
by: Aaron McKay (2 out of 5)
Upon initial spins, this three piece from Toronto Canada spawned
visions of the Chicago outfit Cianide and their bottom heavy offering
_The Dying Truth_. Quickly, this pans out to be an unfair parallel to
draw. Demontage's offers a mix of self-professed "black heavy metal"
exploring the highly abused themes of "satanic rites, beer and the
undead, and most importantly humanity's bleak and abysmal future" --
all this done through the band's admittedly "sarcastic and callous"
manner all throughout the demo. Comprised of Spatilomantis (guitar
and vocals), Abominatrix (drums) and Temüjin (bass), Demontage has
real stoner metal feel to their '80s throwback style on this eclectic
nearly forty minute demo. Wisely, these Canadians are searching for a
full-time growler to carry the torch vocally and allow Spatilomantis
to turn his full attention to guitar duties. While the protracted
guitar passage on the last track of the demo, "Human Altruistic
Relinquishment Machine" (where do these song titles come from?!) is
an attention-getting outro of sorts, the vocals on this effort scream
for some real refinement or outside expertise. As one might expect,
the production is fairly harsh ("Retroexorcism" was written and
recorded with the aid of a personal computer) and the cover art is
more-or-less sophomoric in concept. A key to Demontage's achievement
may reside in the ability to secure a skilled vocalist to communicate
a more inspired set of lyrical content.
Contact: http://www.demontage.5u.com
Doreterna - _Titanium Souls_
by: Jackie Smit (4 out of 5)
Of the two songs offered on Doreterna's first demo, the band sound
at their most comfortable on "When Angels Fall", a track that
combines the cold atmosphere of early Enslaved with the riffery and
experimentation of bands like Borknagar and vintage Ulver. The more
deathly title track is slightly less remarkable -- betraying the
band's understandable lack of confidence and maturity. However, it is
young days yet for this Guildford-based outfit, and judging by the
class of material that they're already capable of putting together, I
would not be surprised at all to see them picked up by a label in the
not too distant future.
Contact: http://www.doreterna.com
Project: Failing Flesh - _A Beautiful Sickness_
by: Aaron McKay (4.5 out of 5)
Minus the experience and longevity, of course, this three-piece unit
are as tight as most any Sodom effort to date. For starters, Project:
Failing Flesh displays wickedly superior drumming, especially on the
opening track, "A Beautiful Sickness". A clearly defined separation
on the instrumentation also seems to be a valid calling card for
Project: Failing Flesh. To elaborate, what I mean by that, largely,
is the choppiness of the guitar riffs layered fantastically over a
discernible bass line. Furthermore, there is little in the way of a
substitute for a pronounced, pounding bass, I always say. There is no
lack of powerfully heavy chops on this effort, but what gives
Project: Failing Flesh their individuality is the science of the
remarkable and understated engineering of a sonic experience woven
into their precise exercise in brutality. There are light references
to My Dying Bride, musically, cut with all the meticulousness of
a Dying Fetus track smoothed over with a Sacrifice (_Soldiers
of Misfortune_) vocal similarity. "9mm Movie", "Entrance Wound",
"Highwire Act" (riff- packed!) and the Venom cover "Warhead" are
favorites off this nearly flawless demo. Truthfully, I have trouble
deciding now between the P:FF version and the Massacre cover of
"Warhead" as to the superior of the two renderings. That said, anyone
who knows my taste and my love for Massacre's musicianship knows that
is a compliment of the highest order. Good things could be headed
this band's way if given the chance. Get in on the ground floor now.
Contact: http://www.projectfailingflesh.com
Saturate - _I Bleed Away My Mind_
by: Jackie Smit (2 out of 5)
For the greater part of their first demo, Saturate sound very
confused. On one hand they flirt with the monotone chug of hardcore,
and an instant later they attempt to incorporate garish nu-metal
influences into their sound. Predictably, it leads to fairly sub-
standard results. This isn't to say that Saturate are an entirely
lost case -- for however uninspiring their music sounds, they perform
it with great fervor and precision. Clearly though, a lot of work
needs to be done before this Swedish trio are anywhere close to
playing at an international level.
Contact: http://listen.to/saturate/
Stand Aside - _Tears of the Dragon_
by: Jackie Smit (3.5 out of 5)
Stand Aside hail from London and produce slabs of extremity that are
very similar to what passed for Euro metalcore in the mid-'90s.
Predictably for a band that have only been together for just a shade
over one year, much of what is on offer here is fairly pedestrian,
but to their credit Stand Aside infuse each song -- specifically
those toward the middle of this seven-track effort -- with enough
character to make the listen at least consistently enjoyable. The
high-pitched vocals tend to get a tad monotonous at times, but that
is a symptom of this style of music rather than an outright
criticism, and all things considered I shall look forward with
optimism to what Stand Aside can produce next.
Contact: http://www.standaside.co.uk
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_, _ _, _,
/ _ | / _ (_
\ / | \ / , )
~ ~ ~ ~
A G H O U L S N I G H T O U T
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morbid Angel & Akercocke @ The Mean Fiddler, London, UK
March 23, 2004
by: Jackie Smit
It's a hair over 21:00 in a woefully oversold Mean Fiddler, and I'm
standing two punters' lengths away from the stage barrier, caught in
what borders dangerously close to an involuntary sodomy sandwich.
It's hardly surprising though. After all, this is the first time that
the reigning heavyweight champions of death metal have played these
shores in nearly three years, and with the accolades currently being
lavished upon their latest _ Heretic _ effort, it would seem as
though a triumphant return is most definitely on the cards.
To be fair though, tonight's barely contained exuberance may have
been augmented by Akercocke's opening performance. I had heard horror
stories of unparalleled audience hostility toward bands penciled into
the Morbid Angel support slot (Gorgoroth being escorted off stage by
police at a certain European venue, anyone?), but tonight the Cockes
pull it off in fine style. Grimacing and writhing his way through a
half hour set that includes "Becoming the Adversary", "Enraptured by
Evil", "Scapegoat" and a rousing rendition of "Leviathan", the ever
enigmatic Jason Mendonca leads his comrades-in-metal through a
ferocious set which, although lacking actual volume, gets the
anticipation running at fever pitch for the arrival of Tampa's
finest.
This brings me to the opening chords of "Day of Suffering" -- a song
that tonight bears a striking resemblance to the trumpet-call of the
apocalypse. Inevitably it almost instantly incites a mosh pit that is
akin to a full-scale riot; one which sustains itself and indeed grows
increasingly out of hand as Morbid Angel flay the audience with the
likes of "Curse the Flesh", "Dawn of the Angry", "Chambers of Dis",
"Pain Divine", "World of Shit", "Cleansed in Pestilence", "Enshrined
by Grace" and "Bil Ur-Sag". To top off a performance that tonight is
truly second to none, we're even treated to two surprises in the form
of the much-loved, rarely played "God of Emptiness" and "Where the
Slime Live". But what really gets my (and the rest of the gathered
legions') juices flowing are the classics: "Rapture" and "Lord of All
Fevers & Plague" sound better than ever, and aside from perhaps
Slayer doing "Angel of Death", I can not think of a better way to
close out a show than with "Chapel of the Ghouls".
The past few years have seen many contenders step up and challenge
Morbid Angel's status as the leading exponents of deathly extremity,
but there's a magic to their performance which goes beyond the high
technical standards that quite frankly is par for bands of this
caliber. Their reign may not be as undisputed as it once was, but as
the evening's proud display proves, it will take some doing to strip
Morbid Angel of their title.
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MIDLANDS METAL, MARSUPIAL MADNESS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND SCOTLAND'S SIGN FOR THE NORSE HORDES TO RIDE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaleb, Dionysus and The Fall of Boss Koala
at The Westport, Dundee, Scotland, April 12th, 2004
by: Paul Schwarz
The only local band on tonight's bill, The Fall of Boss Koala, rather
cheekily, don't appear on stage until over half an hour has
passed since their scheduled 20:30 start time. But though such
behaviour seems best interpreted as the result of blind arrogance or
deep-seated insecurity, neither aspect seems to infect the young
five-piece who finally take the stage. Boss Koala have certainly come
-some- way since their not unimpressive but relatively indistinct
performance at last year's Revoltfest: though playing to a more
meagre audience, their performance tonight is sewn together with a
melodic sensibility that before only seemed able to properly embrace
the generic. There's enough noise- and metal- to balance the emo-
that throbs at the "core" of Boss Koala's being; they're developing
into a formidable force; but most importantly, they're finally
becoming their own band.
To look at them, you'd almost expect Glaswegian gladiators Dionysus
(also veterans of last year's Revoltfest) to continue the "core"-
connected thread kicked off by Boss Koala; a lone In Flames T-shirt
(worn, tellingly, by the band's -keyboardist-) gives only the vaguest
hint of how pure (and yet blackened) a -metal- band now stands on
stage. Mostly attired in combat trousers, and sporting as much short
as long hair (one member is even be-dreadlocked!), Dionysus dress --
like many of their local contemporaries and demi-predecessors, from
Broken Oath and Godplayer to Co-Exist and Madman Is Absolute -- in
"hardcore casuals". But were you to walk in blindfolded and listen to
any of the brash, thrash and death-infused "black power" -- think
Cradle of Filth or Bal Sagoth, rather than Public Enemy, at their
best -- that belters they air tonight, you'd swear Dionysus have at
least one spiked wristband, inverted cross, corpse-painted face or at
least a solitary -sword- between them: they don't. Interspersing
tracks with unashamed yet characteristically self-aware comments
like, "Try to imagine a horde of Norsemen riding into battle: that's
what this song is about" or "This one's about dragons and stuff" in a
straight-up style which simultaneously avoids pompous grandiosity
on the one hand and cheap irony on the other, Dionysus elicit
ever-loudening roars of approval and fond amusement from their fully
savvy crowd with each can of melodious metal whup-ass they rip open.
Rooted in the black/death underground by their own tastes alone,
Dionysus effortlessly shirk expectations, transcending the generic in
one fell swoop: probably because, where they come from, they pretty
much -are- a one-of-a-kind, almost by default. Acceptance may be
hard-won among "metal-metal" people for a band who eschew fashion
"trends" so thoroughly, but in an era where the likes of Killswitch
Engage, Shadows Fall and God Forbid are crossing over big time, a
band like Dionysus have a serious chance of being judged purely on
the aesthetics of their -own- music and performance, outside of
sub-generic category. The combination of visual and aural inputs may
initially seem "wrong", but when you watch Dionysus make it work
you'll quickly realise how "right" it ultimately is: your neck will
tell you so the next morning!
Vibrant, technically accomplished, and yet gratifyingly
give-'em-what- they-want straight in style, the melodic metal-making
of Midlands- based four-piece Kaleb perfectly fits the mood of a
crowd whose lust for "pure metal" -- the local parlance for the
traditional stuff, a la Iron Maiden -- has already been ignited by
Dionysus. Galloping, harmonising and grooving their way through a
wickedly tight forty-odd minute set -- taking in six of the eight
tracks from their self- released _Alive_ CD and a ripping cover of
Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" -- the young foursome (whose oldest and
youngest members are two brothers, aged 21 and 16) successfully
embrace that universalising metal spirit that flows through Eighties
Iron Maiden and Metallica; but without reproducing riffs like brands
(<cough> thdarkness <cough>). Nods to latter-day melodic metal heroes
like In Flames and Iced Earth confirm how contemporary a prospect is
being dealt with; Kaleb do occasionally stumble on a song-title or a
riff that evidences their scene-less status or seems to somehow show
them up as greenhorn upstarts; but when you pick apart the niggling
scene politics of it all, you're left with a young British band who
are unflinching about playing melodic heavy metal, and have the
balls, skill and singer to make it work like a charm. Now how often
does that happen?
[Addendum: I feel compelled to mention that my relationship to Kaleb
is not an entirely disinterested one; not only does my good friend
and fellow CoC contributer Adam Lineker play bass in the band, but I
am also now actively and directly involved in helping them further
their career. I would claim that these factors did not bias my
review of Kaleb one way or another; but I thought it was dishonest
not to mention these connections here.]
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Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically
distributed worldwide via the Internet. Seemingly endless interviews,
album reviews and concert reviews encompass the pages of Chronicles
of Chaos. Chronicles of Chaos stringently emphasizes all varieties of
chaotic music ranging from black and death metal to electronic/noise
to dark, doom and ambient forms. Chronicles of Chaos is dedicated
to the underground and as such we feature demo reviews from all indie
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #73
All contents copyright (c) 1995-2004 by individual creators of
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