Sunday, October 23, 2011

Thousand Year War Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We had a line up change right before the official release of our debut
'Tyrants and Men'
Kellen who had played bass/guitar and helped with songwriting was
removed from the band for personal reasons and I took on Pablo
Magallanes(Guitar/Bass- Live Demonical, Live Internment) and am using
our session drummer from the first album, Fredrik Widigs(Live
Drums-Witchery, Live Drums-Demonical, The Ugly, Ex- Angrepp)

I just finished working on 5 new songs and a misfits cover of London
Dungeon for an EP entitled "Vulture Eyes"
The artwork is in the process is being finished and I believe Pablo
and Fredrik will be recording soon and I will be jumping into the
studio once that is all done for vocals. Right now its a pretty hard
time for me. Just moved back to the states and really struggling hard
to keep my head afloat and get Thousand Year War live. Trying to push
for a mini tour in the States!

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

Its much much different....The influences are significantly more
subtle than Tyrants and Men and I doubt anyone will be thinking of
Amon Amarth when listening to the new tunes. Its very rocking and dark
metal! Title track vulture eyes almost has this black'n'roll feel to
it and its a really catchy song. Then you have Sombre as the Nightly
Shrouds is very dark, slow, but with riffs that really hook you in,
while bloodlines just rips you apart with aggression and melody. My
vocal approach is also much different in that Im straying away from
the lows while using mainly highs and a sort of low gravely singing
voice ....its very original but also fits the songs really well. When
you think some of the riffs are poppy my vocals will come in to being
a certain darkness and desperation to the mix.

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

The lyrical topics all have to do with opposition of Government, world
leaders, and organized religion. My lyrics hold as much importance as
to the music I write. I believe in every single word I write down!
When I look around I see a people that are being warped and
manipulated to function under control of the ruling powers. It is
really disheartening and dispiriting, but also inspirational as far as
lyrics are concerned. Seems like people are becoming the product the
new world order wants them to be.

Here is an excerpt from a new song Vulture Eyes that I especially like:

Take in what you see, below your black wings, a kingdom built on ruin
now laid in tragedy

The founders of this land, lay buried in the waste, memories of them
now the legacy of hate

Betray all that you know, soar high above the lands, rip flesh from
all the bodies, in this country of the damned!


America is simply one of the foundations of a sadistic kingdom murder
obsessed and power hungry....our founders were nothing but villains
and theives with intent on building an empire of injustice, and the
best democracy money can buy

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

The name Thousand Year War is inspired by the holy war the crusaders
waged close to a Thousand Years Ago and how that war or crusade is
simply continuing on in the Middle East and orchestrated by the
leaders of the United States, England, and other countries....so
Thousand Year War

5. Are there any touring plans for the future?

Absolutely....but none of its really solidified at all. I really need
some session guys in the U.S.A to work with and we need a booking
agency. I 100% want to get a tour going to spread the word, get some
funding coming in, and gather up a broader audience. Desperately want
to get the music live in Europe. I hope summer 2012....

6. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by melodic
death/black metal fans?

It seems like its been very well received so far! I'm happy with the
response. There have been the typical Amon Amarth comparisons, but
everything has been real positive. Abyss Records and Clawhammer PR are
really doing a good job getting the word out there...I hear from
people all over the world that are enjoying the sound of TYW:)

7. Are there any projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

For me my focus is Thousand Year War right now...I just don't have
any time or energy for anything else. I have 2 kids and am married, so
this is plenty for me to concentrate on. Although I would do vocals
for anyone wanting someone to lay down some tracks studio wise of
course. Long as its just writing lyrics and and doing vocals I would
gladly take part in something else. But writing guitars takes a lot
out of me and I want to just do that in TYW. I really could see myself
eventually working on some old school black metal with an eerie
atmosphere. Something like Arckanum/Wolves in the Throne Room,
Gorgoroth. I enjoy alot of raw but well produced black metal. Its
great art and expression of the natural world.

8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

I see TYW taking on a sort of more black metal style and very
emotional.....a lot of feeling and depth. Sort of taking a step away
from the Swedish Death Metal while circling around it and embracing
certain elements of it. There is something very original in this
upcoming Vulture Eyes but its hard to say exactly what it is, if that
makes sense. I think I am finding our very own style....which is a
great thing!

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and
also what are you listening to nowadays?

Some bands that have influenced my music are Old Man's Child, Amon
Amarth, In Battle, Rotting Christ, Satariel, Composer Phillip
Glass...to name a few. But now I really don't find bands as being an
influence anymore. Feelings, anger, hope, despair, the great
wilderness, wars, human emotion, these are all being translated into
TYW's music.

Nowadays I am enjoying Astriaal, Cradle of Filth's new album,
Summoning,Heaven and Hell, Dio, Gorgoroth, Windir, the Misfits,
Primordial, Iron Maiden, Arckanum, Three Inches of Blood, Demonical,
Diabolical, Bane(BM band), Nordman, and some traditional scandinavian
folk.

There is this style of music called Deathcore and I FUCKING HATE IT.
Can't wait until it passes. Its just a stupid trend and a pissing
contest to see how complicated of a shit ass riff you can write and
throw together in one huge shit pile of a song. uhggg
Hopefully those bandana wearing, above the knee shorts sporting, penny
picking model styled half assed long haired d bags dance their dumb
asses out of the metal scene and onto the next dumb ass trend.
Necrophagist chartered those territories years before this trend with
tasteful songwriting and skill. Get a clue!

10. Does Paganism play any role in your music?
.
No, not at all. To me paganism is just a spin off of modern day
Christianity. They both feed off each other and I find them both
unappealing and just a tool used by people to control other people.
Concerning spirituality what I find I find attractive is the movements
by buddhist, tibetan monks, and the ways and beliefs of native
americans and other native tribes throughout the world. Power and
positivity through our minds is more impressive than having somebody
shove a bible, koran, or whatever and tell you what to believe and
think.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

My interest is first of all my two kids and wife.....and I love being
out in old growth forests and away from people. I'm pretty much
obsessed with Disc Golf in a big way. Play at least an hour or more a
day...its a great game once you get really into it! I like studying
about Freemasonry, natural medicine, illuminati,ancient alien
existence, and any and all lost or deceased civilizations. We have so
much to learn from these people if we approach them with an open mind.
Used to do subsistence fishing in Alaska which I really
enjoyed....basically anytime I can hunt and gather I'm truly happy.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

I would like to thank you very much for the priviledge of this
interview!! If you enjoy TYW's music please purchase a cd from me
through paypal@ thousandyearwar@gmail.com 11$ including shipping(send
shipping info!)
And of course support our label and buy TYW Merch/CD's and other great
abyss records bands @ http://www.officialabyssrecords.com
Download our demo for free at http://www.thousandyearwar.com and
'Like' TYW at http://facebook.com/tyrantsandmen
Check out http://www.infowars.com for more info on the New World
Order......HAILS!!!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Dethcentrik Interview


1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?




We formed in 2009 in Colorado Springs, a city outside of Denver. Død actually wanted to join a friend's band as vocalist, so he went home and recorded a vocal demo. The name of the band he used for his vocal demos was "Deathcentrik." Many band members have come and gone, and the current lineup is just the two of us: Jackie T and Død Beverte



2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new ep and how it differs from previous release?




It's much more fluid. Død actually did do one darkwave album as Dethcentrik before Jackie joined the band, but other than that it's generally less abrasive and much more structured than our previous works as a band.




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



Død is a college student, and to say the least he is not treated well at school, this town in general is very conservative and honestly treats most metalheads poorly, and the fact the the headquarters for the Christian organization Focus on the Family is actually in town seems to excuse that mistreatment. Anyway, the school had attempted to take disciplinary action against Død based on someone's word that he had done something that he actually hadn't. In turn, he made a joke about wanting to shoot people and was questioned by the campus police. "If Only" expresses anger towards those that had wronged Død, and "Columbine Justice Spree" was indirectly prodding at the school for assuming he would become violent. The video for Columbine Justice Spree was sadly banned by YouTube because to make it more controversial we used actual footage from the security cameras, and video the shooters had filmed. "Rip My Heart Out" is a song Død wrote about parting ways with a friend.



4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?




Død came up with the name Deathcentrik as a way of saying "centered around death." At the time the friend's band that he wanted to join was thrash. Thrash was all his friend would really listen to at all actually, and it rubbed off enough that as a way to pay tribute to Megadeth he changed "Death" to "Deth."


5. Has the band had any opportunities to do any live shows yet?




Yes actually. Despite the fact that our first performance was awful to see visually, mainly because Død was having a bad night and took it out on everyone else and was sarcastic to boot, it actually sounded good enough that we released the audio in Live 2010. The idea actually arose when his friend was over and he was reviewing show footage and had left the video on in the background, and what was funny is that the show sounded like very well performed raw black metal.


6. I have read that you run a record label, can you tell us a little bit more about the record label and if any other bands are singed to the label?




We have generally been helping promote bands that Død is in contact with. The actual releases under the label are Dethcentrik's discography, which on the single release of Rip My Heart Out includes a remix by the industrial group Cold Metal Future, we co-released one split between Dethcentrik and Bassookah, although their label actually was the official imprint, and Død Beverte's solo album. That said, we want it to be known we are willing to work with bands to the extent they need, and many bands that we help want to remain independent altogether, so we simply promote them, and in a few cases we have worked with the label Seven Times More Scary Productions to get bands Død is in contact with into compilations. Many of the bands we work with do not understand how label contracts work, and in many cases for rights reasons and to keep our bases covered we have to do as little as possible until we know we can do more. We like to help bands in a way that they will appreciate it, rather than feel infringed upon, so Død Incarnate is a promotional outlet and label hybrid really.



7. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by fans of underground music?




People either love it or hate it. Funny thing is that when we started there was more hate, and more recently more people like it.




8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?




Jackie wants to add more blues influence and incorporate more sub genres of heavy metal in future releases.




9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?




Every genre has rubbed off on us in some way or another except country and rap. We listen to and are and have been influenced by Steve Vai, Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Nightwish, Emperor, Pink Floyd, Burzum, Enslaved, Dimmu Borgir, Sektor 304, Equilibrium, Combichrist, Nine Inch Nails, and quite a few others.




10. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?




No. Jackie is a Buddhist and Død is an agnostic. In some of the older imagery Død's frustrations with the Catholic church did play a part as he was raised Catholic.



11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?




Jackie plays World of Warcraft, Død likes first person shooters. We both like messed up movies and TV shows a lot.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?




We want to thank you for taking the time to interview us, we really appreciate it!

https://www.facebook.com/Dethcentrik/

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thousand Year War/Tyrants And Men/Abyss Records/2011 CD Review


  Thousand Year War are a band from Anchorage, Alaska that plays a mixture of melodic death and black metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Tyrants And Men" which was released by Abyss Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being used on occasion, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful tone that dominates throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine melodic death and black metal together along with some traditional and classic metal influences, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding death metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are a mixture of deep death metal growls and high pitched melodic black/death metal screams, while the lyrics cover Mythology, epic and war themes, as for the production it has a very heavy, powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Thousand Year War are a very good melodic death/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Defiance" "No Gods, No Masters" "The Storm I Ride" and "Spartacus". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Sarah Jezebel Diva/The Corruption Of Mercy/Listenable Records/2011 CD Review


  Sarah Jezebel Diva is a singer from England that has been a part of many well known metal projects that had here previous album reviewed in this zine that plays a style that mixes symphonic, ambient and gothic metal together with a black metal edge and this is a review of her 2011 album "The Corruption Of Mercy' which was released by Listenable Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some occasional blast beats, while the keyboards are very dark, symphonic and atmospheric sounding with an industrial edge, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast melodic gothic metal riffs that still have a small amount of a black metal influence, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are all clean singing female vocals that are very operatic sounding mixed in with some whispered vocals, while the lyrics touch on dark themes, as for the production it has a very dark and professional sound to it.

In my opinion this is another decent album from Sarah Jezebel Diva and if you where a fan of her past album, you probably wont be disappointed. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "No Paragon Of Virtue" "Pretty With Effects' and "The Eyes That Lie". RECOMMENDED.

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Dethcentrik/Why The innocent Die Young/2011 CD Review


  Dethcentrik are a band from Colorado Springs, that plays a mixture of industrial, experimental, noise, grindcore, black metal and doom metal to create a sound of their own and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "Why The Innocent Die Young".

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming, while the noise effects add a very dark, experimental and avant garde feeling to the music and there is no bass playing present on this recording.

Guitars when they are utilized are mostly rock/metal guitar riffing, while the synths bring a very dark ambient sound to the music.

Vocals are very dark and depressing with somewhat of a grim black metal approach to the music with some clean singing male and female vocals being used on one song as well as some spoken word samples, why the lyrics cover hateful themes, as for the production it has a very weird and dark sound to it.

In my opinion Dethcentrik are a very good avant garde metal band that is very hard to classify and if you are looking for something that is very original and different, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Demise Of Mankind" and "Columbine Justice Spree". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.facebook.com/Dethcentrik/

Friday, October 14, 2011

DungeonHammer Interview


1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?
R: We are DungeönHammer, a 2 man act totally dedicated to honor the old gods of metal!
E: We want to honor and to perpetuate the tradition of old school black metal.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the 7 inche's
E: We just want to sound as badass as Hellhammer did!
R: We are trying to make metal the way it used to be: simple, raw and passionate. We hope to convey this feeling in both 7"-es.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
R: We write about hell and damnation! What did you expect?
E: And about witchery and the occult.

4. I can tell by the bands name and music there is a huge Hellhammer influence, can you tell us what is about Hellhammer that inspired this project and also what are your views of Tom G Warrior disowning his first band?
R: You're right about the HellHammer influence! It should be an influence in every band. HellHammer is just one of the best bands ever (early Celtic Frost too). There's just something magical in those songs, they really don't make 'em like that anymore. My views on Tom G Warrior these days: he should do whatever he wants, this guy is a living legend.
E: Yes Hellhammer and the two first albums of Celtic Frost are our main influence. I really dig the new sound Tom G Warrior has created with Monotheist and Triptykon. I can't wait to hear the new album.

5. I have noticed that the 2 members live in different countries, how do you both work on the song writing and recording process?
R: That's right! I live in The Netherlands and E lives in France, about 600 km apart from each other. There is no other way than to mail each other a shitload of demo recordings and ideas, so that's what we do. When the basics of the songs are fully explored, we record drums, bass and guitars in our rehearsal rooms. I then make a mix and from there on we start working on vocals and solos. It takes a lot of time, but it's worth it!
E: I think it's a good thing to be in a 2 members band. It's easier to agree on riff ideas and song structures. On the other hand, It'd be definetely easier if we both lived in the same town.

6. Currently your stuff is being put out by Bestial Invasion Records, how did you come in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given the band so far?
R: Dominik of Bestial Invasion Records is really the best guy ever! When we put our first demo track on myspace he contacted us and said he wanted to release it! So he started Bestial Invasion Records. The amount of releases he put out is insane! He trades actively with all the cool distros around the world, like Hells Headbangers for example. It's really cool to see that our records are sold all over the planet. Without Dominik's support we couldn't have done this!
E: Eternal hails to Dominik!

7. Are there any other projects besides this band?
R: I also play in an experimental project and a noise project. Nothing that's really interesting for the people that like DungeönHammer...
E: DungeönHammer is my priority at the moment.

8. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by underground metal fans?
R: Really well! We were really surprised about that! Our first split with the Necro-Thrashers of RUST got some great reviews and is already sold out at Bestial Invasion Records! That's 500 records in 1 year! We are still really happy with that split and it's great to notice that the fans like it too.
E: We had a lot of positive reactions from true old school metal fans which is the most important thing for me.

9. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
E: Same direction, making badass tracks from hell!
R: Yeah, we keep on heading in the same direction as the last 2 releases.

10. Besides Hellhammer what are some other bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
R: Bathory, Motörhead and Discharge are my main influences for DungeönHammer. For the rest I listen to grindcore and experimental stuff, I don't listen to a lot of black metal.
E: My main influences are of course the first wave of black metal but also some doom metal and 70s rock too. I'm a huge fan of Pentagram and Saint Vitus.

11. Does Satanism or Occultism play a role in the music?
R: It does not play any role for me.
E: Occultism plays a role in the lyrics writing.

12. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?
R: The usual stuff: hanging with friends, listening music, watching movies, going to gigs...
E: Headbanging, hanging out in pubs...

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
R,E: Thanks a lot for this interview, we really appreciate it! Check out our songs at our bandcamp: http://dungeonhammer.bandcamp.com/ and add us on facebook (www.facebook.com/dungeonhammer). Pay your respect to these bands and labels: Occvlta, Rust, Purgatör, Bestial Invasion Records, Burning World Records, Do Not Run We Are Your Friends, Geiser and Dead Neanderthals!

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Monday, October 10, 2011

DungeonHammer/Frozen Wasteland/Bestial Invasion Records/2010 Split 7 Inch Review


DungeonHammer are a band that has members from both France and Holland that mixes thrash, black metal , doom and punk together and this is a review of their 2011 split 7 inch which was released by Bestial Invasion Records.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced riffs that combine black, doom, thrash and punk together together to create a sound that is very dark and could of easily came out in the 80's, while the lead guitars are very raw and chaotic sounding guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are in the vein of Celtic Frost and Hellhammer style grunts and growls, while the lyrics cover dark and evil themes, as for the production it has a very raw, primitive, and dark sounding 80's feeling to it.

In my opinion DungeonHammer are a very good old school sounding black/thrash/doom metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this. RECOMMENDED BUY.

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Friday, October 7, 2011

Nordheim/Lost In The North/Maple Metal Records/2011 CD Review


  Nordheim are a band from Quebec, Canada that plays a mixture of pagan, folk, melodic death and black metal and this is a review of their album which was originally self released in 2010 but re-issued by maple Metal Records in 2011.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown in at times, while the keyboards bring a very symphonic, atmospheric and epic feel to the music with some pagan sounding flutes being thrown in at times, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffing that combines melodic death metal with black and folk metal with a touch of classic metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic and skilled sounding guitar solos and leads, as for the acoustic guitars which are only used for a few seconds they bring a very dark and medieval feeling to the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched screams that combine melodic death metal and black metal together with some clean singing pagan metal vocals being thrown in at times as well as some deep growls, while the lyrics cover paganism, folklore and drinking, as for the production it has a very heavy, powerful and professional feeling to it.

In my opinion Nordheim are a very good melodic pagan/folk/black/death metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Nightborn' "Praise To The Gods" "Sailing The Drakaar" and "Blessing From The Stars". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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