Interviews

Bands
Labels
Styles
Countries
Authors

Filter by: Bands

% 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Labels

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Styles

A B C D E F G H I M P S T V

Filter by: Countries

A B C D E F G I L M N P R S T U

Filter by: Authors

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Info

Bands: Burial [ITA]
Review Date: June 13, 2022

Burial – “For the next album we would like to keep the same line but developing even more both the Doom / Ambient part and the classic Death Metal part.”

“Everlasting Spew has really stuck gold with this bad motherfucker”… After the “The Forgotten” EP and the “Presence from the Beyond” demo and interviewing them after those 2 releases, we were waiting anxiously for the debut album of Burial, the Italian Burial to be precise. And besides “Inner Gateways to the Slumbering Equilibrium at the Center of Cosmos” is very well received, “a debut of complete annihilation” we have said, there were some differences with this one so we decided to contact them for some new questions… (Ricardo)

We have interviewed you guys in the summer of 2020, not long after the release of your “Presence from the Beyond” demo. Back in those days, you called Burial a “project” and it was just the two of you; Leonardo and Enrico. Now Simone and Morgan joined Burial, fair to say we are not talking about a project anymore?
That’s right, now we are a full band and we have already started performing live with the full line-up, we can’t wait to bring “Inner Gateways…” to as many stages as possible!

As said, since the release of “Presence from the Beyond” the line-up has changed with the addition of Simone and Morgan, how did you guys connect and did it affect the song writing or something else within the band?
The first connection with Sam occurred at the beginning of 2020 when we commissioned him the cover of the compilation The Aeons of Horror, from there we decided to collaborate to record the drums of the album and then he joined the band full time! Morgan already played with Leonardo in Vexovoid and it came naturally to ask him to join the group as a second guitar. As for the songwriting aspect we had already written everything but working with Sam to do the drum parts but we decided to apply some changes where needed.

Entering the room…your debut “Inner Gateways to the Slumbering Equilibrium at the Center of Cosmos”…
The composition process of the album started shortly after we released Presence from the Beyond and lasted until the beginning of 2021, for this record we have included a lot of doom and ambient elements, which we want to keep for the next releases. As for the recordings, everything was recorded, mixed and mastered by Leonardo in his studio (Void Studio) except the drums which, for reasons of distance, were recorded by Samuele in his rehearsal room. For the next album we would like to keep the same line but developing even more both the doom / ambient part and the classic death metal part. The record has been very well received by fans and we have also been included in many lists of the best records of 2021 and this makes us very proud of the work done. The cover was created by Paolo Girardi, we already had a concept in mind and as soon as we contacted Paolo he immediately seemed very enthusiastic and we decided to leave him a lot of space to do his things and then the artwork came as everyone knows it. Lyrical the album keeps the same Lovecraftian style but with more concepts behind it.

Just a short lookback: Are you still happy with the demo “Presence from the Beyond”, as you stated it as “This record is a very important one because it defines our new sound” in our previous interview. Are there elements of the releases of which you prefer do have done differently with the knowledge you know now? For you as a member of Burial, what is the difference of the demo “Presence from the Beyond” compared with “Inner Gateways to the Slumbering Equilibrium at the Center of Cosmos”?
We are still very proud of the demos, especially “Presence from the Beyond” because we started experimenting with doomy sounds on that and we’ve kept incorporate even more on “Inner Gateways…”. In our opinion it’s fine because it shows the progress we had over time. The major difference was having a full line-up for the record and this allowed us to focus more on composition without leaving off any detail.

You worked with Paolo Girardi for the artwork. How does the process work with him? Do you give him concrete ideas or just brief descriptions and let him do the thing?
We gave him a basic idea and we let him listen to the pre-productions so he could also be inspired by the music. It is very important to provide the artist with as many elements as possible so he can emerge in the music and made the best representation of it.

What are your expectations for Burial in the future? Have you already written any new songs? Or maybe other ideas concerning Burial?
We are writing new songs without hurry at the moment, we’re more focussed on gigs and bringing Inner Gateways around as many stages as we can.

Some of you are involved with acts like NecroCommand, Coexistence & Vexovoid to name a few. Any news on them to tell our readers?.
Necrocommand are on hold right now. Coexistence and Vexovoid are both in composition stage for new material at the moment so keep your ears and eyes open for new stuff!

You have released your musical efforts on cassette, would you like to have something on vinyl as well?
We have tried to make all formats because they are unique pieces, with a design that is always different, and we would like to give people the opportunity to collect them as we do for other bands, “Inner Gateways..” will be released on vinyl shortly, it will be the first one for us and we hope to have the opportunity to do it with more releases as well.

Are there any bands or albums of your recent playlist you would like to mention? Any other bands of your region of Italy that are worth mentioning and to check out for our readers? Last time you mentioned acts like Cavurn, Gutvoid, Cist, Caustic Vomit, Tenebro, Morbus Grave and Sepolcro to name a few…
“Act of God” by Immolation, “Realm of Exquisite Morbidity” by Malignant Altar, Artificial Brain, Haunter as regards foreign groups, while in Italy Miscreance, Askesis, Re-Animated, Restos Humanos, Dragnet as well as those already mentioned.

And what about your favourite labels and/or distros?
We try to follow as many releases as possible, but time is short and something pass by, but we usually follow Profund Lore, 20 Buck Spins and Dark Descent more that others. As for the online purchase we will always prefer to buy records from the bands directly at their gigs or in their online store to support them.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Is there something I’ve forgotten to ask you which you would like to mention? Thanks for your time!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity of this interview, we just want to thank all the people supported us along the way and to remember that Inner Gateways will be available in vinyl shortly, you can find it on our Bandcamp Page, in the Everlasting Spew website or at one of our gigs!

Bands
Labels
Styles
Countries
Authors

Filter by: Bands

% 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Labels

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Styles

A B C D E F G H I M P S T V

Filter by: Countries

A B C D E F G I L M N P R S T U

Filter by: Authors

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Info

Bands: Bloodsoaked Necrovoid
Review Date: June 11, 2022
Authors: Ricardo

Bloodsoaked Necrovoid – “It certainly was the way you can have a slow riff be more brutal and massive than a riff with a thousand notes”

When dark, sepulchral and massive sounding Death/Doom is your thing, you probably have heard of Costa Rican Bloodsoaked Necrovoid. The music can be described with words like “nightmarish”, “droning” and “repressive” but you can expect dark melodies as well. “Hints of slow moving melody snowball into tumultuous atmosphere, which becomes dark and oppressive” is a phrase in one of our reviews, but it illustrates the sound of the band quite well. I got in contact with Frederico (guitars & vocals) and fired some questions at him…

First of, thanks so much for opening up a space for the band in your site, really appreciate it.

The band started in the latter half of 2017, I wanted to create a different band and sound than the one I was currently involved in (CORPSE GARDEN) and something that I was fond of but never had the chance of developing any kind of music. Basically the idea was to create this raw cavernous DEATH DOOM sound to pay tribute to legendary bands such a ETERNAL DARKNESS, RIPPIKOULU, INCANTATION, diSEMBOWELMENT and GOREMENT and to have lyrics in the vein of cosmic horror, the occult and spirituality, with a DIY mentality to record and mix our own songs to achieve the specific sound I was looking for.

I came up with the name, started writing some riffs and once I had a solid structure for a handful of songs got in touch with Jorge Camacho for the bass (no longer in the band, replaced by Tomas Campos) that I knew of from other bands in Costa Rica and Jose Maria Arrea on drums that was currently playing with some friends in a grindcore project called LIBEROSIS and we took it from there to start rehearsing and eventually recording.

What inspired you to start a band in this style?
It certainly was the way you can have a slow riff be more brutal and massive than a riff with a thousand notes, that appealed to me a lot and was definitely a learning curve. I think we are only the second death doom band in Costa Rica and not many bands dwelve in that kind of genre and that was another reason to start the band, to create something new in our scene.

Listening to RIPPIKOULU, ETERNAL DARKNESS, WINTER was definitely a huge influence and trying to replicate that heaviness whether it’s a slow riff or a more groovy sound. For any fast parts INCANTATION sort of takes the wheel, that’s the blueprint for us, as well as diSEMBOWELMENT and trying to add that atmosphere in any slow parts and try to make them hypnotic and trance-like.

Before we start on your own music, in your opinion which release or releases absolutely defines the genre you’re playing? Is it Winter’s ‘Into Darkness’ or Paradise Lost’s ‘Lost Paradise’ or maybe a Cathedral demo. Disembowelment’s debut? Maybe another release?
I have to say that WINTER comes in first, the way they set the tone on their record as a very cold, desolate almost post-apocalyptic world is something very cool and very heavy as well as their sluggish and dronish sound is definitely something very unique and sets the standard for any bands that wanted to go into the genre.

PARADISE LOST demo and EP (Frozen Illusion) for me are the reason why bands like RIPPIKOULU, ETERNAL DARKNESS or MYTHIC exist and even defined the whole UK death doom scene with CATHEDRAL and MY DYING BRIDE. So that band and those works are definitely a genre defining point.

diSEMBOWELMENT is a different animal altogether even though it came later than WINTER and PARADISE LOST, I think they had a very unique personality and style as a band and also served as influence not only to the whole Aussie scene but for all other bands that came after them.

Lets talk about your releases…for example your first 2 demos and the compilation of both called “The Apocryphal Paths of the Ancient 8th Vitriolic Transcendence” (12″ vinyl & CD released by Iron Bonehead Productions, Caligari Records & Blood Harvest)
I’m still very satisfied with how the demos came out, they were exactly what we were going for as a very raw, slow and cavernous music with stints of sludge, noisy and drony parts as wells as very fast paced sections ala INCANTATION. The artwork complemented very well and the release overall (demos and compilation) has a very special place for us since we got to work with 3 well known and respected underground labels, released our very first 12” and the reactions for the demo were overwhelming for a new band from Costa Rica.

Recording process wise, was very DIY, we recorded in a rehersal space, set up a couple of mics to record the drums live and then reamp strings fixing any trainwrecks here and there and recording vocals on the side. It was also my first experience at mixing and mastering and there were for sure some misses in the mix but im still proud of how everything turned out.

And what about the split with Ratlord (cassette, released by Testimony Records), still satisfied with that one?
We are, we recorded in a different rehearsal space with more room and equipment and I think it turned out OK, I had more experience mixing by now so I think the production was better. I don’t think it got a lot of visibility and there were some issues with the labels in charge that delayed the release but still think it’s a solid release and RATLORD, although we never had any contact with them, collaborated with 2 great tracks.

Onwards to your debut full-length “Expelled into the Unknown Depths of the Unfathomable” (12″ vinyl & CD released by Iron Bonehead Records).
We started writing the songs for the album at the beginning of 2019 and it was a sort of rough time since we part ways with our original bass player and had to handle everything as a duo since we didn’t find a bass player at the time and didn’t want to delay the album. By the end of 2019 we were done producing the album and started to record in January 2020.

We recorded in a more proper studio, still live and without any click, we used better equipment and mics, really wanted to up the production without compromising the sound of the band.

The artwork was finally made by Alex Shadrin and we couldn’t be happier with the gruesome and eerie outcome, there was a good communication with Alex and we got to talk several ideas until finally landing on the actual cover.

As a musician, you’re never truly satisfied with the work you do. Having said that, I think it’s a solid debut with definitely fertile ground to move forward and define the sound of the band as well as push it further, we learned a lot from this process and we look forward for the second one.

And now, your latest release: the split “Astriferous / Bloodsoaked Necrovoid” (7″ vinyl released by Seed of Doom Records)
This Split was a suggestion from our dear friends Linda and Steven from Seed of Doom Records, not a secret that we share members, and we play DEATH METAL! Once the seed was planted, we started working separately on our songs and ideas went by, many changes were done, writing process takes time and inspiration, but once we were satisfied and ready, we set a date and place to do the recordings, we did it all in the same day, both bands played each song live, in between all this, we worked out the ideas for the artwork which at the end was done by Lucas Ruggieri, (great work by the way!) we were very satisfied with it.

We were able to control the artwork details, Layout etc. Fun fact is that this is the first 7” experience for both Bands, and also, this also marks the first official recordings for Bassists Tomas Campos (BSNV) and Jose Phillips (Astriferous).

The lyrical inspiration?
I handle the lyrics as well as write them. I think of lyrics as a compliment to the music, its basically poetry but I don’t think I’m particularly good at it…still I try and give it a go and try and make them meaningful to me and intertwined with the atmosphere the music provides.

There are certain books I’ve looked up for inspiration such as “Transcendental Magic” by Eliphas Levi, “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” by Manly P Hall, the Bardo Thodol, some of Dr. Carl Jung works, and of course a handful of tales from HP Lovecraft are among them such as From Beyond, Color out of space, Lurking Fear among others.

Your discography beholds releases on both vinyl and cassette, are both formats important for you?
Very important yes, the analog format for me as a collector provides much more appreciation for the music as well as the artwork. They provide a different feel in terms of sound and ask for your attention, to sit down and actually listen to the music as a priority as opposed to send it to the back seat. It provides me with a disconnect from reality.

As an artist, is just an accomplishment to have any music you create engraved in such formats and also serves as a sort of milestone and a motivation to keep on releasing more music. They also bring to life our creations, this is a solid registry of death, chaos, desolation, and nightmares.

What are your expectations for Bloodsoaked Necrovoid in the future?
As of now, we have no specific plans for creating new material since we all are very focus on getting ready for our KILLTOWN DEATHFEST presentation this year. And since we share members with Astriferous, there is also a primary focus on getting this album ready. Basically, we think this two deserve our attention, and once completed, we will move forward with BSNV new material, as mentioned before, the most important thing is to be active.

Some of you are involved with acts like Astriferous, Defunto & Engraved to name a few. Any news on them to tell our readers?
Yes, like I mentioned before, Astriferous is working on the first LP that we hope to release sometime this year. Defunto is of my understanding that are currently working on new stuff as well, they are currently also at the stage of writing music for their LP that hopefully will see the light soon.

Are you involved in any other way in the music scene?
I had this small “recording studio” called COLOSSAL ABOMINATIONS, but it’s just my laptop and some headphones haha. I started recording and mixing the projects I was in out of necessity because recording costs in Costa Rica are too high and also, there are no recording engineers in my opinion who know how to give a proper treatment to the music we were trying to put out. I was also trying to show people here that recording live in the vein as Steve Albini or Colin Marston is possible and bears excellent and very satisfying results and adds a plus because the recordings sound more organic and honest and not robotic or overproduced.

It extended to helping out friends and their bands to record their stuff at low costs, a mix/master that truly gel with their style. I did mainly demos and Eps for bands like VOIDOATH, DYSST, CORPUS NECROMANTUM, LIBEROSIS and DEPLORABLE as well as the demos and splits from BLOODSOAKED NECROVOID, ENGRAVED and ASTRIFEROUS.

Don’t know if this is something we can count haha, but Tomas our bassist, he used to live in Toronto for a while, and during that time he worked for Steve’s Music Store, a major store in the area, playing loud with all that gear around, having access to free tickets here and there, Clinics from artists from different brands and of course, access to new products to taste first hand.

Also, Jose Maria owns a record store/distro called Harmful Existence Records so he is constantly bringing in all kinds of metal records and some other albums of different genres into Costa Rica and the local scene.

Are there any bands or albums of your recent playlist you would like to mention? A rediscovery, an overlooked gem or an unsigned demo band that deserves attention? Any other bands of your region of Costa Rica that are worth mentioning and to check out for our readers?
Not a secret there is lots and lots of bands around, new and old, it’s impossible to be on the top of everything, however I can mention some serious names Morgion, Dusk, Winter, Thorr’s Hammer, Pentacrostic, Goatlord and Doom Snake Cult playing constantly. Beyond Belief will be a rediscovery, if you haven’t, do yourself a favor and play Towards the Diabolical… their first, won’t be disappointed. Also, worth mentioning Lithuanian Death Metal act, Regredior… been wondering why no one has put a compilation together with their material, is so sick and we think it deserves more attention and a release. Caustic Vomit great demo and very rare these days another one.

Yeah for sure, there are an increasing number of good bands that been spawning here in Costa Rica in the form of PAZUZU, REPULSIVE DEATH, DEFUNTO, LIBEROSIS, TEDIO, CRYPT MONARCH, VOIDOATH, MORTUAL, NECROGOD, ORDO CAPER, SOLARCRYPT, (KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR CANDARIAN!!), CULTO NEGRO and UMBRA CONSCIENTIA and outside extreme metal bands like Dilapidated Mechanism, AcorpsenotWorthy are worth checking out. From nearby Costa Rica, ABATUAR and ABERRANTE from Panama are really great metal acts as well.

Also do you have favourite labels you always keep an eye on when they announce a new release? Or a distro you order a lot from?
Yeah for sure I look into IBP, MSUO, Dark Descent, Profound Lore, Blood Harvest to name a few, if im looking for breaking bands I sure check out Caligari Records, Seed of Doom, Everlasting Spew and Desert Wastelands but death metal and any other metal bands tend to come out also independently or through more obscure record labels so, you sort of have to be always on the lookout for new bands. I usually buy whenever I can from the NWN! Distro or HHR just because it’s easy-to-get European releases in these places. There is also Shrill Cries Distro, Nihilistic Holocaust Web Zine/Distro and we also support local record labels and stores such as Psychogrind Records and Harmful Existence. In terms of buying music, it all depends on your location and your music preferences, but you get the idea, which is to support in any way possible, keep this thing alive, it is the only way at the end of the day.

And what about zines?
I don’t have as good access to fanzines because Costa Rica postal mail is in the shitter even more so thanks to the pandemic but the ones, I’ve had the chance to read or collect at festivals abroad such as CRYPTS OF ETERNITY or BURNING TONGES have had great material. There is also Noxious Ruin Mag or the books from Seven Metal Inches Records, killer releases and very detailed.

Any favourite artwork illustrators?
We all keep an eye on many different Illustrators or cover artists, hard to track them all… but to mention some, look for Maegan Lemay, Lucas Ruggieri, Festering Phlegm, Alex Shadrin.

Thanks for answering the questions, feel free to mention anything we haven’t covered yet.
Think we covered a lot, we sincerely appreciate the space you are giving us, thanks a lot for the support and interest shown, hopefully this is not the last time.
And for everyone reading this, Keep supporting initiatives like this, buy merch, go to concerts, support local.

Bloodsoaked Necrovoid

Information

We have 4 articles: 3 reviews and 1 interview.

Publications

Reviews

Interviews

Bloodsoaked Necrovoid - "It certainly was the way you can have a slow riff be more brutal and massive than a riff with a thousand notes" {June 11, 2022}

Bands
Labels
Styles
Countries
Authors

Filter by: Bands

% 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Labels

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Styles

A B C D E F G H I M P S T V

Filter by: Countries

A B C D E F G I L M N P R S T U

Filter by: Authors

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Info

Bands: Necrovorous
Review Date: March 3, 2022
Authors: FelixS

Necrovorous – “While others were rocking out with “Far Beyond Driven”, I was buying Sodom, Exciter and Sadus cassettes”

Necrovorous’ last album, “Plains Of Decay”, will have its fifth birthday this year and not much has been heard since. But, that is not much to be worried about, says guitar player and vocalist K. Devilpig. They are just very happy with the result of their last offering and are in no need for speed. Just a quick chat to get them out of hibernation and update us about the current status and future plans of the band…

Hi, thanks for hitting up with VM-Underground. It has been quiet on the Necrovorous front the last couple of years. It seems the band was more active in the formative years than recently. Can you give us an update on what’s going on at the moment?
Hi and thanks for having us. Well, yes! When it comes to Necrovorous the band has always been subjected to the various trials and tribulations of being a band ran by people who also participate in other bands. Both me and Vag (drums) have been really active with bands such as: EMBRACE OF THORNS, SACRAL RAGE, SERPENT NOIR among others. Necrovorous played live only once in support of “Plains of Decay” and that was quite a while ago, before the pandemic. As far as coming up with new material, we feel so pleased with how “Plains…” turned out, so there is really no need to rush anything. I’ve known Vag for about 15 years and we have come to the conclusion that spontaneity and love for music is all we care for. So no big agendas apply. Marios has also been quite busy with Sacral Rage.

Last thing that had to do with Necrovorous was Malik from Dessicated prods. putting out “Plains…” on tape.

Necrovorous is, of course, not the only band that consists out of people who have few other bands and project going. Same goes for the pandemic, this struck us al land set back many bands. But I like the statement that you are very glad with how “Plains of Decay” turned out, but does this mean for the future of the band?
It would be good if a new EP or LP was recorded in 2022 or early 2023. We always have ideas for songs and riffs in the vaults. I am sure Vag has songs as I do too. I would prefer an EP of new stuff to come out, even if there is a better market for full lengths. However there is absolutely no need to rush anything.

From the start, the Greek metal scene has been a special one, with many very important and unique bands. As for last decade or so, many great bands in various genres in extreme metal stood up. How do you see Necrovorous in this landscape?
In terms of Death metal renaissance, we could have capitalized more on the retro death/cavernous death metal wave, but we don’t think it’s this we are about as persons. Both full length albums have made a sort of impact, both nationally and internationally. You could say Necrovorous is a well-kept secret.

I can agree with this. Many bands that sprung forth of what you call the ‘Death Metal renaissance’ kept it rather clean and therefore lacked persuasion. Or, indeed, the exact opposite. Necrovorous, sounds rather fresh and genuine, yet really recognizable and fitting within the death metal boundaries. How do you look upon this yourself?
I am very glad about how the band evolved. In my view we have combined our numerous influences in a very meaningful way. We are interested in song writing rather than just pummelling, which is nice and dandy, but it wears out thin really fast.

We are also interested in the much forgotten art of arranging songs, having a guitarist that can play actual leads that feel like songs within a song also helps. Perhaps Marios’ classic metal background has helped in coming up with something more song-oriented.

Now that we are speaking of other bands and influences, I know that you are a fanatical vinyl collector. What are your most recent purchases?
Not that much of metal, I am afraid, but let’s try. I got the REGERE SINISTER/MOONFALL split lp and finally Rock City by RIOT, which was the only one I was missing from their classic era. I’ve bought tons of early black/death CD’s of stuff I’d wanted for years: NECROMASS, UNPURE, DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED and tons more. I even buy tapes still. I am also big time into prog/psych/heavy/acid rock so I got LPs by: RAMESSES, FLOWER TRAVELLING BAND, BLOODROCK, ATOMIC ROOSTER, CARAVAN, MELLOW CANDLE, EDEN’S CHILDREN. I visit record stores on a weekly basis and discogs has been my path to destruction. There’s no way back I’m afraid…

That is our collective burden, I suppose. What records have influenced you most?
Impossible to answer on a candid basis, since music has been my passion for decades. I really love TONS of stuff by rock and metal scenes and subgenres. When it comes to what I/we play there are some really formative records: AUTOPSY: Mental Funeral, MORBID ANGEL: Altars of Madness, BATHORY: The Return, SODOM: Expurse Of Sodomy/Persecution Mania, VENOM: Black Metal, DESTRUCTION: Infernal Overkill, CELTIC FROST: To Megatherion, HOLY TERROR: Mind Wars, CORONER: R.I.P, DISMEMBER: Like an Everflowing Stream, OBITUARY: Slowly we Rot, NECROMANTIA/VARATHRON: Black Arts… split LP, BLASPHEMY: Gods of War, DARKTHRONE: A Blaze …, SARCOFAGO: I.N.R.I, BEHERIT: Drawing Down The Moon, DEATH: Scream Bloody Gore, MERCYFUL FATE: Melissa. Really classic stuff and there are tons more without even mentioning the obvious SABBATH’s and MAIDEN’s.

How did these records and their (musical) influence find their way into your musical work and life?
Growing up in an era when all 3 major music formats (MC/LP/CD) co-existed, even if CD was prevalent and LP/MC were phased out, kind of helped me being exposed to lots of early classic releases that were offered as cut-outs/deleted titles. While others were rocking out with “Far Beyond Driven”, I was buying Sodom, Exciter and Sadus cassettes on labels like Roadracer and stuff by bands like DISMEMBER, INCANTATION, ASPHYX, HYPOCRISY, UNLEASHED, GRAVE on Century Media, Relapse, Nuclear Blast America that had gone out of fashion to make way for the Norsecore avalanche.
For me, back at the time if it was fast, aggressive and evil it meant it was great. I gravitated towards the darker end of the metal spectrum even if I started out as a hard rock/heavy metal fan.

Of course all these works and a mentality that extreme metal is a very broad thing with almost endless possibilities have made me who I am as a fan first, musician second.

A step backwards, about the Greek metal scene. Can you mention a few bands from your (local) area/scene that you think we should keep an eye on?
Well of course DEAD CONGREGATION gets an obvious shout out. Also RAPTURE, a great upcoming deathrash combo. SACRAL RAGE are prog/speed masters. SHADOWMASS is great blackened heavy/speed. WAR POSSESSION, cool warlike deathmetal, SERPENT NOIR in a melodic blackmetal vein. THE PSALM, great old school death metal and last but not least EMBRACE OF THORNS which has been my baby for more than 20 years.

And, as a side step to Necrovorous, you are, as you have mentioned already, also in Embrace of Thorns and Serpent Noir (with a fresh split album with Sargeist). Is there any news that you can mention on your other bands?
EMBRACE were supposed to embark on a tour with REVENGE, MISMYRMING and ULTRA SILVAM but that went south due to Covid-restrictions and overall mayhem. The Never Surrender fest we’d also take part in, was also recently cancelled. We have recorded a new album and there is also a 7” EP coming, sooner or later. I feel very content with what the new recordings are going to bring to the picture. Needless to say that EMBRACE has been of paramount importance for me and this is not going to change soon. As for Serpent Noir, yeah the split CD with Sargeist is already out and doing quite well, if I can tell correctly vinyl/cassette versions are to be expected sooner or later.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and background and for updating us with Necrovorous! Final words are yours…
King Fowley is god! It’s been a tough ride during the last two years and music has been always by our side to soothe, nurture, boost and help us unravel…

Buy more physical media, don’t be a dick!

We still have “Plains of Decay” on both blue and black vinyl and tapes available.

Thanks for the interview and reassuring the band is still alive. We’ll be on the look out for new Necrovorous material in the future!

Bands
Labels
Styles
Countries
Authors

Filter by: Bands

% 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Labels

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Styles

A B C D E F G H I M P S T V

Filter by: Countries

A B C D E F G I L M N P R S T U

Filter by: Authors

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Info

Bands: Unembalmed
Review Date: March 1, 2022

Unembalmed – “I think Unembalmed tries to embody the ferocious and confrontational attitude of punk and hardcore, but with the heaviness and nastiness of Old School Death Metal”

Combining D-beat and Old School Death Metal…not strange these fellas got their moniker from a Death Breath track. MP (drums), BH (bass & vocals) and CM (guitars) have just released their latest release “Serpents at the doorway of Death” and according to Tori Belle; “it continuously resonates music embodying Swedeath & OSDM acts such as Immolation, Bolt Thrower, & Entombed”. As always when we interview a band for the first time, let’s start with the beginning… (Ricardo)

The three of us have all been involved in the scene in Phoenix in some way for a long time, and we all know each other through a shared love of metal, punk and hardcore. But this is the first band we have all done together. We originally started out playing as a 2 piece in a doomier black metal style under a different name but were ultimately more influenced by the death metal, grind, and punk sounds we grew up with and shifted toward playing a hybrid of those instead. We played as a two piece for a while until MP ran into BH at a Neurosis show and talked about adding him on bass and vocals and thus Unembalmed was fully formed. We took the name from a Death Breath song, “Coffins of the Unembalmed Dead.” I had never heard Death Breath before and MP let me borrow his copy of “Stinking Up the Night.” I looked up the name and nobody had used it before so when I gave the CD back to MP I told him, “Yo! Unembalmed is a fucking cool name, no one is using it!”, and it was pretty much a done deal on the spot. The original concept was just punk tinged death metal that wasn’t super flashy but really heavy yet still fun to play. As far as memorable moments, I’d say the 2 highlights of the bands career so far have been playing our first show with Cerebral Rot and Fetid and appearing on Ken’s Death Metal Crypt.

We’ve played in various bands of all kids of styles within the genre for the last 20+ years so the music we’re making now isn’t a huge departure from our roots in this scene. We’ve always loved and been drawn to heavy, fast and cathartic music. It’s a release from our everyday life and a way to have fun. I think Unembalmed tries to embody the ferocious and confrontational attitude of punk and hardcore, but with the heaviness and nastiness of old school death metal. We aim to just make music that we enjoy ourselves without any kind of pretentiousness. The bands that most influenced the sound and song writing is stuff like Nausea, Axiom, and Sacrilege even though we don’t sound exactly like those bands. I think the riff from “Cybergod” by Nausea was rewritten about 10x times on “Stench…”. We definitely wanted to sprinkle some metallic, crusty, d beat into some old school death metal and keep a punk/death hybrid.

Before we start on your own music, in your opinion which historical release or releases absolutely defines the genre you’re playing?
The contemporary band we most closely resemble would probably be Acephalix. They have the perfect blend of death metal with punk influenced parts. Snet is another band near our style. Ensepulcher was also a band we all really loved that did a similar punk sound but their’s was more like Discharge meets OSDM. As far as classics, I think we definitely owe a great deal of influence to bands like Bolt Thrower and Grave.

What’s your opinion on your debut full-length “The Stench of Suffering” (CD & cassette released by Sewer Rot Records) release nowadays?
“Stench” was a great foundation and we’re proud of our first offering but it was simple and straightforward for us in retrospect. We wanted to grow as a band and develop our skills without stepping outside of the sound we established. The songs on “Stench” were the first things we wrote as Unembalmed, so I think we’ve grown a bit since then. But we’re still happy with how that recording turned out. We put all 8 songs out at once because we actually tried to record a demo before “Stench” with only 4 of the 8 or so songs we had at the time. Unfortunately, it wasn’t turning out how we had planned, so we scrapped it. In the end we wound up with an 8-song album that we recorded that both we and some others still consider a demo. The production was heavy and we love how well it hits. The artwork has a classic look and early 90’s feel. There’s a lot of reasons we’re proud of it and stand by it. Considering it was almost entirely done DIY, we got a lot of good feedback and we love how well it was received. More people got into it then we were expecting and its really humbling to produce music that people are drawn to and appreciate.

You’ve recently released your EP “Serpents at the Doorway of Death” (CD & cassette released by Sewer Rot Records)…
During the writing on “Serpents” we wanted to expand our skillset on our instruments and step up the complexity of the riffs a bit. We recorded at SER Studios with Shane Matsumoto, just as with “Stench”, but we wanted a little more polish on the sound this time. It’s still pretty fresh with a recent release date, but the feedback we’ve received has been great. People seem to be enjoying the direction in which we’re taking our sound. The artwork was handled by Fear of Napalm (IG: @fear.of.napalm). We’re really into all things related to Left Hand Path and the occult, especially Satanism, Witchcraft and Wicca. Also mysticism, esotericism, ceremonial magick, and horror movies. Our album cover is laden with symbolism that ties into all of these elements. Its focus would be sacrifice and change to reach and manifest a desired outcome within the ritual. The word death doesn’t pertain to the end of life in this circumstance, but more or less a transition into a new creation, for nothing truly ever ceases to exist.

There isn’t necessarily a constant concept woven between all the songs aside from the normal tropes you’d find in death metal lyrics. They tend to gravitate to a handful of disparate topics at any given time. On “Stench” the songs were all about elements of biologically dying, the undead, and Satan. On “Serpents” the songs were inspired more by certain horror movies with Faustian elements like “Hellraiser” or “The Beyond” where there’s a character sort of longing to be free of this reality so they look for another and don’t like what they find. But there’s also songs about the last few years and the global unrest surrounding COVID-19 and basically how that tension relates to death and its finality. That being said, “Soultaker” is a song about a murderous Lyft driver. So, there’s some more humorous moments in the lyrics too. That being said, I think there’s some low-key importance to death metal lyrics. I like a lot of death metal vocal styles that are somewhat unintelligible. But I’m not sure that would work with my current vocal style. That puts some pressure on the lyrics being good. A lot of the times good lyrics make a death metal song, for me anyway. But since death metal vocal are mostly pretty monotone, I understand that some people’s taste just views them more as a guide for the music. I think it just depends on the listener, but for me I think the lyrics are as important as anything else.

What do you consider as the musical difference between your latest release “Serpents at the Doorway of Death” and its predecessor; “The Stench of Suffering“?
The songs aren’t as straightforward and are built differently. Also, we progressed as musicians and are better at our instruments. I think we found and developed our overall writing style and sound a bit more on “Serpents.” To us, the songs on “Serpents” are less choppy. Everything has a better flow to it. We tried a few new things for parts that wouldn’t have really worked on “Stench.” The production this time was a bit more polished. Skeletal Remains were a reference point production-wise. Another difference is the guitar tone on “Serpents” was all tube amp with “Stench” being all solid state.

Within your discography you have the format cassette. Is that important to you?
Tapes are cheap, easy to make, and people like them. I think for these reasons tapes appeal to underground collectors. With tapes you get analog sound and a unique package. The demand is high so we make tapes to appease the masses. They don’t do the albums complete justice sound wise. Tapes are compressed and lack bottom end to a degree. Anybody who’s heard “Stench” on CD can tell you it sounds massive compared to tape. We aren’t necessarily CD over tape though, they’re both kind of dead formats. Vinyl is awesome, but with the high cost and delays we haven’t gotten there yet. MP3 and digital is just the state of the world. Most people probably listen to music in the car, on their phone, on the computer, etc. A few of us in the band are definitely collectors. I think that having the option to buy a physical product is important regardless of format. However, vinyl is the preferred format for those of us who do collect. I think it looks and sounds the best, despite being the least convenient. We do hope that we’ll have the opportunity to press a recording onto vinyl at some point in the future.

How did you get in contact with your label Sewer Rot Records? Did they contact you? Will they release your new material as well?
We sent them a copy of Stench and got an email back within hours. They seemed very interested off the bat and it seemed like a good fit. Their roster has some heavy hitters for sure and it’s been a mutually beneficial ride for all involved. Shout out to SRR fam Andrew, Kyle, Frank, and Chris! They just seemed to be overall enthusiastic about what we were doing and we thought that our aesthetic and approach fit well with the label. We have another release coming out over summer scheduled to release on SRR so keep an eye out.

What are your expectations for Unembalmed in the future?
We are currently writing for a split at the moment and the new songs are the apex of our writing and creative efforts so far. These three new tracks have us incredibly excited. We definitely wanted to up the punk feels on this one. We very meticulously crafted these songs to be our best to date by really dialing in our riffs and structures. We took our time and really tried to make this the best offering we could and we strongly feel that we succeeded in this effort trumping all to date. After that comes out, we are set to keep writing for another possible split or our next full-length album. But expect us to keep harnessing our d-beat death metal sound. We don’t want to create albums that just repeat the same sounds but made with slightly similar riffs. We’re trying to create releases that stand on their own where you can actively see the growth of the band between them. We’re never going to be technical, but we’re definitely advancing in what we do best in our sound.

If my information is correct, you aren’t (actively) involved with other acts and/or projects at the moment. Is this correct? Any plans maybe…to start a project or band…or joining another act?
We have played in various bands in the past and have also had multiple projects going at once. But with Unembalmed, we want it to be the sole focus. We’re all pretty much on the same page. Honestly, if we wanted to create a new band/sound it would still be the same 3 guys. We’re just locked in and work well together. Sometimes at practice, we jam on Unembonged our funeral doom impromptu jam sessions. Also, Disembalmia, our crusty grind offshoot. I think more than anything, lack of free time keeps us from really doing much more outside of Unembalmed. But we get so much enjoyment out of the band that it’s more than enough to keep us satisfied.

Are you involved in any other way in the music scene?
Not really. BH is a part time audio engineer but recording gigs are infrequent. Unembalmed is the only contribution we add to our local scene at the moment other than being a fan and supporting our friends’ bands. We’re all around 40 and work full time jobs so the band is our chance to chill and do heavy shit after we clock out. Time is limited so we dedicate what we have to Unembalmed at the moment.

Are there any bands or albums of your recent playlist you would like to mention? A rediscovery, an overlooked gem or an unsigned demo band that deserves attention? Any other bands of your region of USA that are worth mentioning and to check out for our readers?
Current Active Az bands:
Exsul, Skullcrush, Barbaric Hatred, Nighnacht, Moribund Dawn, Savage Necromancy, Ritual of Decay, Pedestal of Infamy, Unholy Strength, Sychophant, Aftermath, Gestation, Thra, Saintbreaker, Sorrower, Gatecreeper, Woundvac, Fluids, Thorn, Lago, Goya, Skin Ticket, Nooses, Death Bloom, Sex Prisoner, Gravecarver, Holy Fawn.

If you haven’t heard these, don’t sleep on them:
Congenital Deformity, Burial, Fossilization, Gosudar, Snet, Decrepicy, Apparition, Morbific, Spectral Wound, Mortiferum, Sulpherous, Malignant Altar, For, Anharat, Tormentor Tyrant, Writhing Shadows, Axiom, Sacrilege, Lifeless Dark.

Also do you have favourite labels you always keep an eye on when they announce a new release? Or a favourite illustrator / cover artist?
Scumlord in Canada, our dude Taylor rules! Total support and hails brother!! Rotted Life always delivers. Sewer Rot always snags up killer label mates. Mark Riddick and Paulo Girardi (spelling?) are amazing at what they do.

Is there something I’ve forgotten to ask you which you would like to mention? Thanks for your time!
Thank you for asking us to be a part of this. Southwest Death Reigns Supreme.

Bands
Labels
Styles
Countries
Authors

Filter by: Bands

% 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Labels

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Styles

A B C D E F G H I M P S T V

Filter by: Countries

A B C D E F G I L M N P R S T U

Filter by: Authors

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Info

Bands: Vøidwomb
Review Date: February 19, 2022

Vøidwomb – “We humans have the habit of labelling everything”

“If a voice could summon forth a wraith from the mouth of a corpse ravaged by frost, it would be Vøidwomb’s, debut EP, “Altars of Cosmic Devotion”. Justin painted quite a picture with his review about the one and only release of Vøidwomb from Portugal. And although elements of Black, Death and Doom are there, the band prefers not to use such kind of style descriptions for their music. But first things first…how it all started… (Ricardo)

Lord: First of all we would like to thank you for the invitation for this interview. About Voidwomb…we started in the very beginning of 2019 – on the first weekend of January, I think. That was the consequence of previous conversations between some of us. M.S. Void was F.S ‘friend and proposes to him to start a band. Noctvs is F.S brother, so it was very natural to invite him as well. I was a work mate of F.S and Fractal was a long time friend of mine.

We started rehearsing as a quartet but Fractal was quickly added to the band. I had some riffs of a previous project with Fractal, called Goat Cult that never came out of the garage. I decided to use those riffs in some of Voidwomb songs. So it was ethically mandatory to invite him to do part of this.

Everything flows very naturally, and M.S took care of the imagery and concept of the band while we took care of the instrumental part. At the time he was very into Ancient Civilizations like Sumer, the Akkadian Empire and Babylonian myths and also Ancient Aliens theories. So, he wrote about that and “Altars of Cosmic Devotion” was born.

F.S: We don’t architect our sound with preconceived ideas – “Let´s do a Black metal band or a Death Metal band, or this or that ”. Of course it is impossible to put our influences aside, but we always try to put something from our own identity on Voidwomb music. We like a vast variety of music. Not only extreme metal or metal at all runs through our veins. Every and each type of music we like is channeled to create our own music. Of course bands like Belphegor, Shining, Bolzer, Mgla, Inquisition, Morbid Angel, Primordial, Dissection are an important part of us as musicians. But other bands from different styles as well.

We want our sound to always be as dark as possible. We don’t want to lose the gloomy atmosphere of Voidwomb. Being extreme and brutal is not the only way to demonstrate that.

Lord stated in an interview; “We are usually associated with Blackened Death Metal, and although we don’t like to label our style of music we think that description fits well with our work”. Why don’t you prefer to label your music in a certain category, does it limit you as an artist? Or does a category make sure some won’t check it out beforehand?
M.S Void: We humans have the habit of labelling everything. In music I think it is a little bit limiting to do such a thing. And…yes – I think it limits us as music creators. Label music is like to put boundaries on something that should not be confined to just one thing. Music is a vibration. Creating music is something that should not be a static act…! Do all of us hear a certain type of music depending on our state of mind and mood at certain moments of our life? Isn’t it? If we do that as listeners, why not do that as musicians also. We create music as our state of mind dictates at a certain moment of our lives. Doing that makes everything flow easier and more truthful with ourselves. Music is about freedom of will and not about limits and boundaries. Is exactly the opposite.

Voidwomb will never be the same from time to time. From one release to the other. And it will happen exactly because of that. We can play death metal now and tomorrow play a more doomy or a more black metal style. The important thing is doing what we like and what our will demands.

Before we start on your own music, in your opinion which historical release or releases absolutely defines the genre you’re playing?
M.S Void: Nowadays it is very hard to create something new. Despite that, from time to time you have bands trying to give a fresh approach to old rudiments of a certain musical style. I prefer to talk about bands rather than talk about their releases. A few years ago you had Inquisition. They started as a thrash metal band, back in Colombia, but then they created their own Black Metal style. Their music is unique and their cosmic themed lyrics are something that we really like. More recently you had Bolzer. They make such a great sound. When I listen to them all of my body reacts immediately. Is very vibrational and transcendent. The same thing happens in Mgla music as well. In a more brutal way, Blood Incantation also delivers a very good and interesting and unique way of doing Death Metal. And well, that’s what moves us. Try to do the same as them. Embracing the pillars of Black Metal and Death Metal and shaking them to create something of our own.

Let’s talk about your EP; “Altars of Cosmic Devotion”, which was released on CD, cassette & 12″ Vinyl released by Iron Bonehead Productions, Gruesome Records & Sunshine Ward Recordings…
Fractal: Well, it took a little time to compose the whole EP actually. We did a few rehearsals in 2019 and we wrote the music and lyrics but due to personal and professional issues we were only able to record it in the summer of 2020. We did it with our friend João at Estúdio55 in Guimarães, Portugal. João is a very good producer, very good friend and he is also a musician. He and Noctvs are bandmates in Koltum,, a Black Metal band. So…he was an obvious choice and everything went very well. It was very easy to work with him and he capted what we wanted right away. We recorded in a few days and in a blink of an eye we were ready to send our debut to thousands of labels all over the world.

About the artwork, we made contact with Daniel Hermosilla (NOX FRAGOR ART) from Chile, he is an artist and also a musician. He has a very nice metal band called Cenotafio – You should check it out. It’s heavy and obscure. We have seen the cover art of one of the releases of the italian band Cosmic Putrefaction and it completely amazed us. So we decided to search for the artist who made it and That’s how we found Daniel. We told that it was a conceptual album, talking about Sumer and Babylon and their cosmogony and other myths of those civilizations and he was a fan of the subject also. He made the artwork and we loved it. The front cover depicts a top of a Ziggurat if you didn’t notice.

Both artwork and production of the release were praised on all reviews. That’s how we know that we made the right thing, choosing those guys to work with. The feedback has been fantastic from the start and it makes us want to go further.

F.S: M.S Void is responsible for the lyrics. He is completely fascinated with metaphysical subjects and history, psychology,ancient religions, occultism and mysticism, anthropology, conspiracy theories and stuff like that. Before we started the band he already had these themes going around his mind. “Altars of Cosmic Devotion” talks about ancient civilizations from Mesopotamia – Sumer, Babylon or the Akkadian Empire. Talks about mythology like “Summon of Utu- Shamash”. Utu and Shamash are the same name for just one deity. The God of the Sun, who was the provider of light and justice. or “Descent To Ersetu” . On “Descent To Ersetu” Goddess Inanna/Ishtar descends to the underworld to save is fiancé, Dumuzi from the hands of the Queen of the underworld Erishkigal. The “ Architects of World Demise” is an approach to the Ancient Aliens theory. Beings from outer space who created the human race and that will come back in a near future to wipe out us. They are the architects of creation and also the architects of our obliteration. For last, the presentation single “Altars of Cosmic Devotion” talks about the misconception and illusion we live in. About who we are, where we came from and where we are going. The truth is out there. We must seek it. The answer is above our heads. On the stars.

Usually we compose the instrumental part and then when it is all set he starts to write the lyrics. He reads a lot and watches documentaries about that kind of stuff.

Lyrics are a very important part of our work. Music and the lyrics are both the body and soul of our art. Together they give a homogenous appearance to that body and soul. They work as one and only force.

How did you get in contact with the labels Iron Bonehead Productions, Gruesome Records & Sunshine Ward Recordings to release the EP?
Noctvs: We send a lot of emails for hundreds (not joking) of labels and distributors. We had a lot of labels interested in our work. We were already familiar with the Iron Bonehead roster and work. We sent an email to them but honestly we never thought that PK would be interested. When he answered our email saying that wanted to work with us…we didn’t think twice. We accepted his offer automatically. It was a very professional relationship from the beginning.Unfortunately his offer didn´t include the release of a cassette edition, and we always wanted to release “Altars…” in tape format. So we started to search for other labels to fill that void and we found a new label from our home country, Portugal – Gruesome Records! We contacted Nuno and Álvaro and the deal was closed in a blink of an eye. Voidwomb was one of the first bands on Gruesome roster. In just one year the label grew a lot and now is one of the most important labels in Portugal! A few weeks later Sunshine Ward Recordings answered our email positively but we already have an agreement with Gruesome, but we talked with both labels and everything was agreed. The agreement with SWR allowed us to reach another important market. The North-American.

Within your discography you have both cassette and vinyl as formats as well. Is that important to you? What do both formats mean to you, as a recording artist but also as a collector?
Noctvs: When we made the deal with Iron Bonehead Productions, Patrick (IBP Headmaster) said very clearly that is going to release only vinyl and cd. But we always had the desire to release it on tape. The importance of this kind of format on the underground scene is undeniable. The bounds between the “tape trading” days and the growth of heavy metal is impossible to ignore. All of us are too young to remember those days but we are completely aware of it. It’s our way of paying homage to those days and to that historical format. How could we be fans of old school death metal and don’t release our work in cassette format?

The future…
Fractal: I think we can unveil a little bit of what we are doing. At this very moment we are in the first stages of recording our next release. We just entered the studio a few days ago. As it was said previously, Voidwomb creational act is always in constant mutation. Will this release be different from the previous one? Hmmm…possibly! But let’s wait to reveal that. It is too early to go deeper on this subject. The important thing is that the band is healthy, producing and thirsty to achieve new goals. If the pandemia slows down we want to do “all-in” this year of 2022. A new release, more shows abroad and keep doing what we love. We want to keep growing as a band and as musicians.

If my information is correct, you aren’t (actively) involved with other acts and/or projects at the moment. Is this correct? Any plans maybe…to start a project or band…or joining another act?
Lord: Some of us are involved in other projects, yes. Noctvs is the new drummer for our mates Vircator. An experimental and post-rock/metal act also from our hometown Viana do Castelo. He is also the drummer for the Black Metal bands Koltum and Sethirra but both bands are in unknown status at the moment. M.S Void and F.S have a noisecore project called BadxTripxNoise along with our friend Céd fom Gorgasmico Pornoblastoma, Drenagem and Insolência. Céd is the headmaster of Enfermo Distro and collaborator of Murder Records. A label curiously based in The Netherlands. But despite this I assure you that Voidwomb is our priority.

Are you involved in any other way in the music scene? Maybe as an illustrator, writing reviews for a zine, having a studio or working at one…or something else?
Fractal: I’m a member of Steel Warriors Rebellion (SWR Metalfest), the most renowned underground festival in Portugal. The festival it’s on the 23rd edition but due to this pandemia this edition is being consecutively porstmoned since 2019. Bands like Mgla, Autopsy, Revenge, Hideous Divinity and Deathammer, are among our line. Bands like Kreator, Bolt Thrower, Venom, Napalm Death, Pentagram, Angel Witch, Immortal, Vomitory or Brujeria among others played at the festival in previous years. My father and the festival promoters are long time friends (they had a band in the past called Goldenpyre). So, I´m a son of the festival. I remember as a child, to see great concerts and to take pictures side by side with amazing bands. I´m also part of the Soundville staff. The promoters are mostly the same as SWR but the festival is more ecletical and not so heavy. M.S Void and F.S also work in show promotion but on a smaller scale. They organize a few shows from time to time. I think they are thinking about taking that task more seriously in the near future. They talk a lot about that recently. Let’s wait…

Are there any bands or albums of your recent playlist you would like to mention? A rediscovery, an overlooked gem or an unsigned demo band that deserves attention? Any other bands of your region of Portugal that are worth mentioning and to check out for our readers?
M.S Void: Today you have dozens of new bands releasing material every day. It’s impossible to follow everything. On my daily playlist I have great bands. Some of them are new, others not so much. While I’m writing this down I’m listening to 2018 “Ex Nihilo ” album from the Czech band Dephts Above from. It was an independent release. I also listen to the Brazilian Black/Death metal band Trance of the Undead and Fossilization, also from Brazil with guys from Jupiterian. Nigredo from Greece with guys from Ravencult and Embrace of Thorns. I don´t know. So many bands. Cenotafio from Chile, raw black metal Vevstol from Norway. Serpents Athirst from Sri Lanka…many many things!

Portugal underground is also growing stronger with new bands appearing. Fustilarian is amazing, Phenocryst is awesome, The Devouring Void, Tvmvlo, Existence:void, Wintermoonshade, Sepulcros, Summon, Archaic Tomb, Law of Contagion, Necro Chaos, Bas Rotten and so on and so on. Few days ago I discovered a new portuguese release – “Maze of Time” from Phreneticis, with members of Neuropsy and Inhuman Architects. It’s very well played Progressive Death Metal. They are certainly fans of Chuck Shuldiner legacy. Listen to it and you will understand. They are an independent band at the moment. Check it out.

Also do you have favourite labels you always keep an eye on when they announce a new release? Or a favourite illustrator / cover artist? Any favourite printed / online zines…
Noctvs: As music fans we always loved the Iron Bonehead Releases. Of course there are others. I, Voidhanger, Transcending Obscurity, Hells Headbangers Records, Nuclear War Now! Lost Apparitions etc. In Portugal we have Helldprod, Gruesome Records, Larvae, Caverna Abysmal and Black Gangrene, both very respectful labels concerning the Raw Black metal scene Worldwide. The Portuguese Raw Black Metal scene is one of the best.

We obviously follow the work of underground illustrators. Obviously Nox Fragor Art, who made our artwork, Portuguese Nuno Zuki from Belial Necroarts and member of Summon, Archaic Tomb, Sepulcros and Phenocryst are some of our favorites. Zizi Amri from Malaysia, who made our t-shirts design is also very good. Zizi also runs a zine called League of Khaos. Other zines we like is The Black Planet zine, from our home country, and Revelações Abissais from Brazil is also quite good.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Is there something I’ve forgotten to ask you which you would like to mention? Thanks for your time!
M.S Void: One more time, thank you for this interview. Keep going with the good work with VM Underground Zine. It’s a very important way to show the passion for music and support the underground.

This year of 2022 is going to be a crucial year for Voidwomb. As we said we are recording our next release, we already have some shows scheduled and we want to go a step further. An european tour is also on the horizon, to promote our next work. Maybe we will meet you in your home country, perhaps. Who knows.

Last but not least we want to drop a word of respect and care for all the people who need the musical underground scene to live. Is very difficult especially because our kind of music is not a millionaire business as the mainstream. l We have to support each other. Go to the shows; buy bands merch; ; buy their music; support your local scene; Share it on social media. Spread the word. It helps a lot, believe me. The light at the end of the tunnel is right there. We are always together to do what we love. Cheers and thank you! It was a pleasure. \m/

Bands
Labels
Styles
Countries
Authors

Filter by: Bands

% 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Labels

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Filter by: Styles

A B C D E F G H I M P S T V

Filter by: Countries

A B C D E F G I L M N P R S T U

Filter by: Authors

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Info

Bands: Entrenched
Review Date: February 4, 2022
Authors: Ricardo

Entrenched – “The Boss HM-2 sounds so nasty yet so appealing”

Oh yeah, when the sound…sorry, THE sound comes across, I’m all ears. Some are fed up with the HM-2 for years again, thanks to the revival or as they call it “overkill”, but me personally…I can’t get enough of it, as long as I hear quality in the rotten Death Metal. And I did enjoy the demo of the Polish one-man project Entrenched. All the ingredients are there; sound, groove, variation but I did mention it felt like there is some distortion on the vocals, like Dismember’s Matti Kärki did during “Defective Decay” on the “Like an Everflowing Stream” album. Michal will tell me, and you, if my guts were right or not…in the mean time, let start with the question why he started this all…

The simplest answer would be: COVID made me do it, ha! With the global lockdown in March 2020, I finally had some time to setup my own little home studio and that’s how it all started. Recording riff ideas, then making whole songs. I ended the year with some 20 more or less finished songs (instrumentals only, no vocals). So, the next step was to “form” a band. Or a one-man-band more precisely. Why one-man-band? Well, it’s so much easier in a way. The technology is so advanced that it’s not a big deal to record all the instruments by one person. And as I’m quite a busy man, it was just easier to make everything on my own. Of course, during the recording of the first demo, I quickly realized that working solo isn’t so easy. There is no one around to advise or to simply tell you: “oh, that’s not good, try something different”. You have to rely on your own opinion, trying to be objective. Which, of course, isn’t that easy.

For you…is it the buzzsaw tone? With the combination of the typical groove and melody? Or something else?
Oh, yes, the buzzsaw tone! This is a love it or hate it kind of tone. I love it. It’s like Anders Nystrom from Katatonia/Bloodbath once said “Even a straight E-chord ringing out sounds so heavy and intense that it’ll make me go, ‘Wow, that’s a killer riff’, it’s ridiculous”. The Boss HM-2 sounds so nasty yet so appealing.

But you’re right – there is also the groove and the melody. I always look for melody in music. If you listen to Swedish death metal, there is plenty of melody in it. Plus there is a lot of groove and you will find so many different influences there: punk, crust, d-beat, rock n roll. I mean – it gives you so many opportunities. You can play old school, nasty sounding death metal that is more rock n roll than many current rock bands are!

Which bands grabbed you by the throat and influenced you with the sound and songwriting within Entrenched?
Who influenced me the most? Well, Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Unleashed – that’s obvious. And then so many other bands such as Lik, Interment, Crawl, Entrails, Bastard Grave, Centinex, Demonical. There is so many.

Before we start on your own music, in your opinion which release(s) absolutely defines the genre you’re playing? Is it Entombed’s ‘Left Hand Path’ or Dismember’s ‘Like an Everflowing Stream’ or maybe a Nihilist / Nirvana 2002 demo, Carnage’s debut? Another album?
That’s a tough question. Entombed with ‘Left Hand Path’, ‘Clandestine’ and ‘Wolverine Blues’ is such an obvious answer. And if I say Entombed, I must also say Nihilist demos. Then Dismember of course! They have a great discography. With Entombed, there are some good and some ‘less’ good albums (and no, I don’t think about ‘Same Difference’ – I really love this album!). And Dismember was so consistent throughout their career!

So, Entombed and Dismember definitely made the scene big. But I think that we have to give credit to all those bands that kept the spirit of the chainsaw sound alive. Bands that made the ‘revival’ of the buzzsaw tone possible: Lik, Bloodbath, Entrails, Tormented, Feral, Crawl, Interment, In Pain, Carnal Savagery, Maim, Disrupted and many, many more!

Tell us all about your demo; Demo MMXXI”…and are there any distortion like effects on your vocals?
Oh well, the writing process was quite normal – I just sit with my guitar and play. If there is a good riff coming, I record a video on my phone. So yes, my phone is almost as valuable as the one Kirk Hammett from Metallica lost a few year ago, haha. And then I start recording it. Sometimes I have a full song ready to record, sometimes I have 1 or 2 riffs and I try to add more while working in my ‘studio’.

The artwork is a photo I’ve taken in Przemysl in the local cathedral’s crypts – there was an ossuary discovered there some time ago and this is how it looks like. Once I took the photo, it seemed perfect for a cover. And so I used it.

The reactions to the demo were positive – a few ones but positive. I read that the demo sounds similar to Bolt Thrower. Then someone else said Dismember. And another one – Entombed. So that’s really cool, as Bolt Thrower is so much different than Dismember, etc. So, it seems, from the audience perspective, that the music is quite varied, which was what I was looking for. And all these bands are definitely an important influence.

As for the vocals – no distortion at all, ha! Well, this is how my vocals sound. It was my first attempt ever at recording growls, so it may happen that I’m doing something wrong or that my voice isn’t simply good enough. I don’t like hearing my own voice, so it was really tough to hear my own vocals, ha! But sometimes they remind me of the way Karl Willetts from Bolt Thrower/Memoriam sounds and that’s pretty cool!

I’m not a big fan of gore lyrics, typical for death metal bands. As a big fan of old thrash metal bands, I always liked socially involved themes. Or lyrics you can find in old school British death metal – Bolt Thrower (and Memoriam nowadays, of course) is a big influence – war-themed songs that focus on the disastrous consequences of every conflict. Karl Willetts is a huge inspiration for me!

So, you will find this kind of lyrics in Entrenched – mostly war-themed but also more socially involved ones. Are lyrics an important aspect of the band? Yes, they are. Of course, not as much as music itself, but they definitely are. They are some kind of a statement. They define, in a way, my point of view on humanity and where we are heading to. And of course, that’s not too much optimistic.

What are your expectations for Entrenched in the future?
Well, a second demo is in the making. In fact, it’s almost done. I need some month or two to polish everything. There should be 6-7 songs on it. Maybe a cover – a cover of a half of a song serving as an outro. The style is pretty much the same. The new ones seem maybe more mature – at least it’s how I perceive them. Basically, I feel they are better songs that the first demo. It’s my own opinion, of course, but I think this is a driving force in the creative process – you need to feel the song is good in order to finish it, record it, etc.

I didn’t contact any label, to be honest. It’s just a matter of being very busy with my day to day job. But it’s definitely something that I need to do once the second demo is released.

Are you involved in any other way in the music scene?
Well, in a way – I run a small business which is called 59 Parts and which specializes in aged/reliced guitar parts, mainly for Gibson guitars. So, yes, I’m involved in music but my clients are mostly blues and rock guitarists. So, they don’t even know I’m a metalhead, ha!

Are there any bands or albums of your recent playlist you would like to mention?
There is a Polish band called Abominated which released a demo in 2021 and every HM-2 fan should check it out! The tone is awesome! And they’re also from Warsaw. Other than that I’ve been recently listening to a lot of Bombs of Hades, Wolfbrigade, Envig, Crawl, Interment, Memoriam. The new Lurking Fear album is excellent. And also the debut album by Grand Cadaver.

I recently discovered a US core band Xibalba – oh man, they’re heavy! I really dig what they’re doing! They definitely have the Bolt Thrower heaviness!

And there is a brilliant album that is, at least that’s how I feel about it, overlooked – Disfear ‘Live the Storm’. It’s a masterpiece of d-beat with an awesome guitar tone, great lyrics and amazing rock n roll vibes.

Also do you have favourite labels you always keep an eye on when they announce a new release? Or a favourite illustrator / cover artist? Any favourite printed / online zine?
Well, I like to check new releases from Pulverized and Transcending Obscurity – because obviously they release a lot of old school death metal. Printed magazines are mostly dead here in Poland. There is Metal Hammer, which I stopped reading some 15 years ago as the content is mediocre and the writing is mediocre too. There are 2-3 more underground magazines but they focus more on black metal and here too, the interviews are very often so boring and generic. So, nowadays it’s much easier to follow bands on FB or Instagram or to watch interviews or podcasts on Youtube.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Is there something I’ve forgotten to ask you which you would like to mention? Thanks for your time!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to answer your questions! Keep the spirit of metal alive, support the bands, share their music, go to gigs (if possible, of course! Damn Covid!)!