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Chronicles of Chaos Issue 008
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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-Zine, March 14, 1996, Issue #8
Co-Editor: Gino Filicetti <ginof@io.org> <_DeaTH_ on #metal>
Co-Editor: Adrian Bromley <bw823@torfree.net>
Assistant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault <alain@mks.com>
Web Page Manager: Brian Meloon <bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder
--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and a bio to:
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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
57 Lexfield Ave
Downsview Ont.
M3M-1M6, Canada
Fax: (416) 693-5240 Voice: (416) 693-9517
e-mail: ginof@io.org
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DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically distributed
worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all forms
of brutal music; from thrash to death to black metal, we have it all.
Each issue will feature interviews with your favorite bands, written
from the perspective of a true fan. Each issue will also include
record reviews and previews, concert reviews and tour dates, as well
as various happenings in the metal scene worldwide. We here at
Chronicles of Chaos also believe in reader participation, so we
encourage you to submit any material you may have to Gino Filicetti
<ginof@io.org>.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a
message with "SUBSCRIBE coc-ezine <your-name-here>" in the BODY of
your message to the list handler at listproc@lists.colorado.edu.
Please note that this command must NOT be sent to the list address
<coc-ezine@lists.colorado.edu>, but to the mail server which handles
this mailing list.
WORLD WIDE WEB SITE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are currently in the process of constructing a website for
Chronicles of Chaos. You can check it out by pointing your web
browser to http://www.io.org/~ginof/coc.html. If you have any
comments or suggestions, please e-mail Brian Meloon
<bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #8 Contents, 3/14/96
--------------------------
* Editorial
* Loud Letters
* Ferocious Features
-- Maintaining The Madness
-- Hanging With The Hypocrites
-- Dying With Pride
-- Surviving The Crisis
* Chaotic Chat Sessions
-- Keeping The Irons Up
-- Classic Cut Review - _Piece of Mind_
-- Mechanic Mayhem
-- Gut-Sonic's Gutwrenching Grooves
* Independant Interrogations
-- Lords of Lethargy
* Record Revelations
-- Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_
-- My Dying Bride - _The Angel And The Dark River_
-- EYEHATEGOD - _Dopesick_
-- Cemetary - _Sundown_
-- Cannibal Corpse - _Vile_
-- Primordial - _Imrama_
-- Comecon - _Fable Frolic_
-- Crown of Thornz - _Train Yard Blues_
-- In Flames - _Subterranean_ MCD
-- Deadguy - _Fixation On A Coworker_
-- One Life Crew - _Crime Ridden Society_
-- Abigor - _Verwustung/Invoke The Dark Age_
-- Various - _Identity II_
-- Ritual - _Hate_
-- 13MG - _Trust And Obey_
-- Dawn - _Naer Solen Gar Niber For Evogher_
-- Various - _With Us Or Against Us_
* New Noise
-- Agonizing Terror - _Disharmony in God's Creation_
-- Childman - _Childman_
-- Cryptic Fate - _Ends Are Forever_
-- End of One - _No Souls Saved_
-- Inner Misery - _Perpetual Sadness_
* Chaotic Concerts
-- Never A Mundane Moment
-- A New Maiden In A New Era
* What We Have Cranked
* The Final Word
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E D I T O R I A L
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by: Gino Filicetti
Here we are again, back with Chronicles of Chaos #8. Wow, I
can't believe that it's actually been 8 months since our measly first
issue. It still blows my mind to think of how much we've done in the
past while. Everyone we've encountered has been absolutely supportive
and very encouraging since day one. This issue is an astounding 120+
kilobytes, (I hope that doesn't get anyone in shit with their
postmaster!) far bigger than I ever thought CoC could get. I'd just
like to take this oppurtunity to say thanks to everyone who's helped
us out along the way and to all our 600+ readers without whom this
magazine would be worth shit.
I have some good news for everyone this month. It has to do with
an expansion of our writer base. In the beginning, we had basically
ONE writer, and that was Adrian. I was still a newbie, and I wasn't
ready to plunge into journalism full throttle. Then we got Alain and
Brian to contribute their always welcome stories and reviews, and I
am pleased to announce the addition of three more writers to the CoC
fold. These people are Sally Sanchez aka ABSU, Nick Bassett aka Lord
Kittenslayer and Steve Hoeltzel aka Steve Hoeltzel. I am sure with
the addition of these three individuals, our magazine will become a
more well-rounded and diverse effort. One good thing about our new
arrivals is their familiarity with the black metal scene. I've heard
many complaints that CoC doesn't live up to our description of a
'Death/Thrash/Black Metal Magazine.' But now it's time to change all
that.
Speaking of things such as pigeonholing and categorizations, I
want to make it clear to everyone, if you haven't figured this out
for yourselves already, that CoC has always been about diversity.
What that means is that we don't deny music because it doesn't
conform to certain guidelines, what we include within our pages is
what we feel in our hearts deserves to be here. Many of you may not
agree with our choices, but then again, that's what our table of
contents is for: to inform you of what lies ahead. Anything that is
experimental, extreme or both deserves a spot in the lime light and
that's what Chronicles of Chaos is here for.
The Loud Letters we received this month were tremendous. I'd
like to thank each and every one of these people for taking the time
out and letting us know what they think about the way we run things.
I hope this month you guys don't get lazy, I still want to hear what
you have to say; be it negative or positive, I could care less. Also,
Loud Letters isn't only about praising CoC or telling us how shit we
are. We want you to write about anything, it could be a specific
question on a certain band that was featured or a correction if we
fucked up somewhere or other (not that we ever do.... :) So now is
the time to see if we can keep the Loud Letters section alive, get
those fingers moving!
Ok, I've already written too much, now we'll probably be pushed
PAST 130k, but who cares, I doubt any of you will shoot me for
speaking my mind. Enjoy this issue, and we'll see each other next
month.
Also, here's something that might interest all of you.....
From: Jordi-Joan Bellaubi-Vea <billu@hnet.es>
UNDERGROUND OBSESSION email 'zine has changed its name to THE
BALDRICK'S HELL KITCHEN. Due to some problems with our mail server,
it's possible that some messages/subscriptions got lost or sent back
to you, so if you emailed us and never got a reply, just email
<billu@hnet.es> but NOT <billu@bbs.hnet.es>. BTW, issue one is
already out and you can get it by subscribing to TBHsK. To subscribe
just send an email with the subject: "SUBSCRIPTION" along with your
name/country. Subscription is of course FREE.
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M M `88888P' `88888P' `88888P8
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M MMMMMMMM .d8888b. d8888P d8888P .d8888b. 88d888b. .d8888b.
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M MMMMMMMM 88. ... 88 88 88. ... 88 88
M M `88888P' dP dP `88888P' dP `88888P'
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This is the column where we print those lovely letters our readers
decide so graciously to write us. Whether they be positive, negative,
ignorant or just plain spelled wrong, you can rest assured that
they'll be here in their original form. If you'd like to see your own
letter here, e-mail it to <ginof@io.org> and enter 'Attention Loud
Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all letters received will be
featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos.
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996
From: Nick Bassett <nbassett@hmc.edu>
I bet you weren't expecting any replies this early...
In general, I'd like to see newer and more extreme stuff, rather than
somewhat old bands like Sacred Reich and Sepultura - not to say that
those bands are not important (heavens, no!), just telling you what
>>I<< personally would like to see. I wouldn't mind seeing some
pictures either, but I guess those would have to be on the website
only.
I also have a couple of questions about the review of Dark
Tranquillity's new album:
1. Are they (or any Osmose bands) really licensed to CARGO RECORDS
for distribution in America?? (please answer this one!)
2. (to Adrian): Have you heard the previous CDs from this band? No
matter what you think of them, they definitely do not support
classification of D.T. as a "clone" band, and considering previous
work might have added some depth to your review.
Overall, I'm very happy to get a respectable e-zine like this on a
regular basis. Don't take my criticisms too hard (ha ha), keep up the
good work, and please answer my question about Cargo Records!!
Answering the demand for enlightened correspondence,
Nick (Lord Kittenslayer)
[We are pleased to announce that Nick Bassett has graciously decided
to help us out and become a regular writer for Chronicles of Chaos.
Check out Nick's reviews later in this issue and in future issues. --
Gino]
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996
From: ryan mininger <rmining@bgnet.bgsu.edu>
Hi there, after reading my first issue of CoC, I liked what I've seen
so far...perhaps in the future, bands like Edge Of Sanity, Samael,
Abigor, Varathron, Bolt Thrower, Burzum, Tiamat, etc...could be
interviewed...an interview with Edge Of Sanity would me killer!
Anyway, keep up the cool zine and brutally mutilate things...later
Thor
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996
From: Phillip McGee <phillip@morpheus.mdn.com>
Just got done reading my first issue, and it kicks ass. How about
some news on some of my old faves: Candlemass=>Memento Mori; Faith or
Fear(one band); Sanctuary=>Nevermore; Death Angel; Believer;
Exhorder. Keep up the work.
Phillip
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996
From: Quentin Fai <qfai@lis.ab.ca>
Good morning. I just thought I'd mention how much your magazine KICKS
ASS. But there is one thing I've noticed about heavy metal. That is,
what one person may love another person may absolutely hate. I guess
that's true in all genres, but I seem to notice it more with heavy
metal. However, I think that if you think that a band, CD or whatever
is good, don't change your attitude towards it just because other
people think it sucks. I mean, just look at all the people who think
that heavy metal as a whole is nothing but mindless growling about
gore and death! Ok... that's enough mindless ranting for now. Have a
nice day.
Quentin M. Fai (qfai@lis.ab.ca)
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 1996
From: GOTHICSLAM@aol.com
Well well well i finally copied all of the zines onto paper. All i
have to say is that you fucking rock. Your zine was such a breath of
fresh air because the metal scene is dying a quick death. I was
impressed with the interviews and your record reviewing had to be
some tof the most intelligent ones i have read. You guys have a great
attitude. I will bring my copies to n.y. next week and show them
around to some underground shops. If they like it we can hook
something up where i can give them monthly issues. ALSO i would like
to get involved with your zine if thats at all possible. I have a
great intrest in the undergrouns scene and i dont belong to any scene
so i have a clear mind. I would like to distribute the zine down here
in vermont through local shops and get people on the mailing list.
Let me know what you think and how can i get a copy of rotting, they
sound awsome.
GOTHICSLAM
CRYPT KEEPER OF DEATH
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996
From: Steve Miller <smiller@farad.elee.calpoly.edu>
Hi Gino, #7 was another nice issue with great articles on Sepultura
and Immolation. I have a new section on my Web page that would
complement your 'New Noise' section: The ULTIMATE Underground Death
Metal Band List. Right now I have 200 bands listed with their
addresses just waiting to be contacted.I do have some of the
tapes/Cds of the bands listed so if any of your readers want to know
more about a particular band they can mail me from my mail form on
the Web site. Keep up the good work!
*steve
smiller@farad.elee.calpoly.edu
http://www.elee.calpoly.edu/~smiller
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 1996
From: Morbid Wizard of Hate <sven@loop.com>
gino,
chronicles of chaos is consistently a welcome source of breadth of
information as well as a reference material for its involved
explications. you've brought me useful information for seven issues
and i dig it.
my only request would be that your interviews get more into the music
and focus less on production and marketing aspects. when you guys
describe what's actually going on it's great, but when you go into
the effects and impressions of the music it loses the high-intensity
information appeal it has held up to that point.
can you throw in a mention of the altar (understanding it's entirely
fine to ignore this)? <http://www.paranoia.com/~goat/altar/>?
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996
From: macabre@interlog.com
Hi there. I wanted to say that I enjoy reading your Chronicles of
Chaos e-zine. Your coverage on death and black metal is well done and
very sourceful, I especially enjoy your **lengthy** interviews with
bands like Exit-13/Bill Yurkiewicz and with Danny Lilker from
Malformed Earthborn/Brutal Truth. I read that you encourage
submissions by readers. Well, during the summer I try to catch all
the death metal acts (eg. the Toronto Deathfest last summer) so I'd
like to summit reviews for concerts this coming summer in Toronto.
One more thing, I have a suggestion for your e-zine. Why don't you
publish show listings? I learned from a guy named Keith (he's the
drummer of the band ROTTING, who I think you interviewed if I'm not
mistaken) that Vader, Dismember and Suffocation played a couple of
years ago at the Opera House. I didn't know this!!!???!!!. I also
noticed very little advertising for the Morbid Angel/Grip Inc. tour
that came last summer. I'd like to see concert listings for Toronto,
as well as for Canada (and I guess the world, since your e-zine is
international). Well, keep up the good work and looking forward to
the next issue!!......
Adam Wasylyk
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The meat of the matter lies here. Read on for the juiciest morsels on
bands ranging from the reknowned to the obscure. No fat, no gristle,
just blood-soaked slabs served hot and ready. Dig in, readers.
M A I N T A I N I N G T H E M A D N E S S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An interview with Motorhead
by: Gino Filicetti
"Fuck man, I can't even change strings on a guitar. I've been playing
26 years, and I can not even change strings on a guitar. I can't
change an electric plug at home, I can't do nothing at all. I don't
want to be bothered with outside things like that."
-- Phil Campbell (guitarist)
What exactly comes to mind when someone mentions Motorhead? To
some, they are one of the noisiest, ugliest, most disgusting bands
ever to rear its repulsive face; but to the multitudes of fans that
worship Motorhead worldwide, they are seen as the immortal gods of
the heavy metal universe. Not only have Motorhead been around for the
past 20 years, but they have consistently delivered the goods during
their entire career, and still have many years left in them.
Chronicles of Chaos caught up with guitarist Phil Campbell (now
the band's sole axeman since the departure of former lead guitarist
Wurzel) during the Toronto leg of their last tour in support of
_Sacrifice_, their debut album for CMC International. Phil had this
to say when asked what keeps Motorhead going; "Speed. It's just that
none of us can do anything else. We're all totally fucking useless.
What would we do if we weren't doing this? Work in a bank and go to
work every day at nine o'clock and clock out at five? We play music
that we're proud of. At the time, we make the fucking best music we
can and we're proud of that. I'm so fucking proud of it, I got a
tattoo here. <lifting his sleeve> It'd be nice to get a couple of
hits, and a bit more respect. But we have respect from the people who
know us, our fans. I guess the media doesn't know what the fuck to
make of us."
It's a well known fact that Motorhead have gotten the respect
they deserve, but then again, they have never cried about it, or been
bitter. Phil couldn't care less what the 'outsiders' think of his
band, "I got a fucking big house and a fucking yacht, it doesn't mean
a fuck to me. It would be nice, I mean, we've done the Letterman
show, we done the Tonight Show as the first rock band to ever appear.
Me and Lem did the Letterman show with Elle MacPherson and Dana
Carvey. We've done all sorts, and we just ain't gonna give up. We
enjoy boogie-ing down and touring. It's great."
Perhaps one of the biggest shocks in Motorhead's career came
when they were nominated for a Grammy in 1991 for _1916_. Despite
this fact, the band's record label at the time, Sony, decided that
Motorhead just wasn't right for them. "We did _1916_ and that did
really good but I don't know how many we sold. Then we did _March or
Die_. We had Slash on it, and Ozzy, and to give you an example of
what they were like [the label], when we wanted to do a video for
"Ain't No Nice Guy", which featured Ozzy and Slash, they wouldn't pay
for the video. Two of the major fucking rock stars in the world and
they would not pay for a video. So we paid for it ourselves and we
thought, fucking hell, what's going on here? What are they trying to
do? So it got to a point, and I still don't know, to this day if we
were a tax loss to them or not."
Corruption in the music business is definitely not a new thing,
especially when it comes to major labels. In the real world,
everything is viewed in dollars and cents, and unfortunately a lot of
music gets caught up in the wave of the current trend and then
bottoms out and is never heard from again. Phil gives us an example
of the bullshit that goes on at these so called 'record labels'; "Oh
man, half these record company people, they don't know nothing about
records. Somebody at Sony that I met, he had a fairly top job, like
half way up in Sony, and three weeks before that he was a carpet
salesman!! He'd never been in the music business in his life! It's
all got to do with cocksucking and bribery and shit like that."
Being in a rock n' roll band has probably been the dream of
every kid in the world since the very beginnings of the genre. Phil
Campbell knows the feeling. "It was my dream too! I asked Lemmy for
his autograph when I was twelve. He came to my town when he was in
Hawkwind. It was at a big theatre like the Odeon and he was the only
one that came out to the foyer to meet the kids. He was probably
looking for women, you know. And I still got the program at home,
it's signed and it says, 'Arrrrrgggghhhhhhh' all the way down the
middle and 'Lemmy' at the bottom. If someone said to me that night
that you're gonna be in a fucking band with this fucking guy and tour
around the world for years, I would've said, 'Fuck Off! You're
dreaming!' But that's the truth. I tell people that story because I
think it may give people inspiration never to give up." He continues,
talking about what he wants people to get out of their music,
"There's no great message with our music, we want people to come in,
forget their problems, and just basically feel better leaving the
show than they did coming in. And just have a good time, and come
back the next time and see us. Just forget it all for two hours.
Even though it hasn't even been a year since the release of the
band's latest album, _Sacrifice_, Phil is already raring to start
work on their next opus, which would bring the Motorhead album count
up to an astonishing 19. "After this tour finishes in March I'm going
to Mikkey's house. He just bought a new house in Gothamburg and he
just had a studio put in, so I'm going there with him. Basically we
hope to have a new album out by early summer." But why does the band
insist on releasing album so close to each other, the new album would
be the fifth album in five years; "We do one sort of every year, I
don't know, because we like spending the money they give us. What are
you going to do when they give you loads of money? 'Yeah we'll do
another one!'" About the next album, Phil comments, "It's going to be
different on the next album. It'll be the first one we've done with
only the three piece. It's going to be so fucking.... I don't know
how to describe it, it's going to be BIG TIME. It's going to be
something the world's never heard before."
Since the departure of Wurzel just after the completion of
_Sacrifice_, Motorhead has been a power trio. It has all come back to
the basics of Lemmy's original vision of a band consisting of three
men who ate, slept and shit rock n' roll. Phil doesn't really mind
the change. "It's better for me. Wurzel basically only duplicated
what I did, he didn't do any extra. See, it was powerful before, but
now it's sort of clear, controlled power with the three piece. You
got three instruments there in your face. It's a lot better I think
and a lot of the people I've spoke to think it's much better. But I
can't speak for the entire world, a lot of people might think I'm
fucking crap, but I don't give a shit. They are entitled to their
opinion, right?"
Mentioning the name Motorhead will always bring to mind images
of Lemmy, huge in his stance, with his mole-encrusted face turned
skyward to his microphone, but rarely does anyone consider that there
are two other people in this band that are just as much a part of the
whole as the Lemster himself. Phil has this to say about being in the
shadow of Lemmy; "Well, Lem is the essence of Motorhead. He formed
the band, but no, he never tries to cast a shadow. Like when people
call for interviews and ask to speak to Lem, that's fair enough, but
over the years, people have gotten to know me, and Mikkey and Wurzel
and whoever. We just want what's right for the band. Lem's never once
said anything like you have to play this part, you have to play like
this and that. It's a very democratic thing, he's never controlled
us. If me and Mikkey vote not to do something, he'll go along with
that." He continues, "I got to give a lot of credit to Lem for that,
he's good as gold man, he's fucking brilliant. He's a lot happier now
that he moved to Los Angeles in 1990. Lem is so content now, he's
happy with his band, he's happy with his life, and we all are. It's
just a pleasure to play, and we write the best fucking songs we can.
We know we're fucking good, and we're proud of our achievements and
hopefully people will like what we do, and if not, they go away.
Sorry, but that's tough shit."
A salute to Motorhead, the grand-daddies of heavy metal, and a
band without whom the world would be a much more boring place.
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H A N G I N G W I T H T H E H Y P O C R I T E S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An interview with Hypocrisy
by: Gino Filicetti
"Music is everything for me. I work in the studio ten hours a day,
seven days a week with bands and plus Hypocrisy it's just music all
day long, 24 hours a day."
-- Peter Tagtgren (vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist)
Our world, and death metal along with it, has come a long way
since Peter Tagtgren first visited Florida way back in 1990. It was a
time when everyone was talking about Tampa Bay and how thrash was
dead forever; it was a time when bands like Obituary, Cannibal Corpse
and Deicide were state of the art, revolutionaries, trudging throw
unknown musical waters, and leaving their tracks on the rest of
mankind.
But those times have gone the way of the dodo, my friends. It is
now 1996, and survival in the death metal world of today is only for
the fittest. Enter Hypocrisy, a band that was started by Peter
Tagtgren to prove to Malevolent Creation's Phil Fasciana that if they
could do it, so could he. The band began as a one man outfit, and has
gone through many lineup changes going anywhere from one to five to
four and finally to a stable power trio. The band consists of Peter
himself who handles vocals, guitars and keyboards, Mikael Hedlund on
bass and Lars Szoke on the skins.
Hypocrisy's latest release, _Abducted_, is an album that proves
to the world that death metal need not be as one-dimensional as most
people like to think, the album combines many elements to produce a
sound that is not only fresh and innovative, but sticks to the roots
of this music's heaviness.
Releasing an album in this genre nowadays can prove quite
harrowing to many bands trying to make it to the top. For Hypocrisy,
it seems the tide is finally turning in their favour; "The record
company is putting in more effort and money into advertising and
stuff like that. Every album is picking up more and more so that's
pretty cool. It's not going downhill and that's a good thing. Every
album has sold more than the previous one, so that's really cool." He
continues about the response to the album so far, "I did the
interviews and it's looking really killer. But it's easier when you
know the album's been out for awhile, because then you actually hear
stuff from fans and the reviews are coming back. In Europe, the
reviews have been giving us 80% and better so that's great. All the
people I've talked to in America and Canada like it a lot you know,
but it's coming out Feburary 14th, so we'll see what the reaction is
going to be with the fans, but so far so good."
As most bands progress in age, they start setting goals for
themselves and try to push the envelope just that much more with each
release. Hypocrisy, however, doesn't like wasting their time with
such trivialities; "Well, we just wrote the songs and didn't worry
about how they're going to end up you know? We started recording the
album in March and we listened to it, and after a week or so we
decided to throw away half of the songs because they weren't good
enough and then we started all over again. We went through this
process like four times until we had all the songs." As for the
lyrical content, Peter relates his restlessness and constant effort
to change; "Well, the subject I wanted to take up this time was a
little bit different. I wanted to deal with UFOs and stuff like that.
I'm a restless person, I can't do the same thing twice and the same
goes for my music, that's why two albums never sound the same."
Hypocrisy's past lineup change could make one wonder about the
stability of the band in its present form. Peter is quick to reassure
me that for once, he thinks this lineup could go a long way seeing as
everyone has the right mindset to get things done. But the question
comes to mind, is three people enough to pull off the complexity of
Hypocrisy's music? "Yeah, but only when it comes to the studio. For
our live performances we have a stand in guitarist. He also does some
keyboard parts as well as the guitars. You need that to get the
thickness and to sound the same as the album."
Also included on _Abducted_ are three tracks that don't seem to
fit with the rest of the album. One is an ambient soundscape, the
other two being acoustical jaunts. Where did these come from? "Well,
that was really just a side project for me that I did two years ago.
I wanted to prove to myself that I could do other kinds of music
besides just metal. The other guys listened to it and they wanted to
put it on the album, but I really wasn't into that. However, a lot of
death metal fans we knew thought that it was really cool music and
that we should put it on an album so we sat and discussed it and came
up with a decision that there shouldn't be any rules about what can
go on an album. So we said, 'Let go for it, and we'll worry about it
later.'"
As for touring, Hypocrisy is heading out on a European tour in
two weeks with Amorphis, but plans for North America are still
shrouded in haze; "I have no idea what's going on with America and
Canada yet, but we are trying to get something together. One of the
guys from Kataklysm is trying to fix up a tour with us."
As the interview drew to a close, I asked Peter what he thought
about the scene nowadays. Is it any different than when he first
started? "No, I think it was the same thing except that we played
what we listened to. But to me, I think it's important to be true to
yourself, and stick to whatever you believe in. One day the style of
music you play will be hip, but as long as you believe in yourself
and you're not a sell out it doesn't matter what kind of music is the
trend at the time."
Truer words have never been spoken. Be sure to check out
Hypocrisy in your neck of the woods, hopefully sometime soon.
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D Y I N G W I T H P R I D E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An interview with My Dying Bride
by: Adrian Bromley
For vocalist Aaron of North Yorkshire's gothic/death/doom band
My Dying Bride, nothing would be more satisfactory to him than
bringing the band to tour the U.S. in support of their latest effort,
_The Angel And The Dark River_ (Peaceville Records/Music For
Nations). But getting here over to North America is not as easy as it
seems. "We don't know when we are gonna play over here," begins a
relaxed Aaron from Fierce Recording's New York office, "but we should
be in over here in the summertime where hopefully we can do a small
two-week tour," he says with some certainty.
As for the obstacles he says, "It is a major dissapointment and
obstacle to not be able to play here in the U.S. We nearly came on
the last tour (1994's _Turn Loose The Swans_ tour) when things
started to happens. We were three weeks away from coming over here
and things started to happen for us in a negative fashion. Nothing
eventually happened and we never made it. I think because we are a
six-piece, it is hard to get us over here and on the road. Record
sales have not been brilliant so to do a tour it will be hugely
expensive. But we have to tour and it is important that we come over.
Now that we are with Music For Nations, and they have a bit more
money than Peaceville Records (their original debut album label whom
they still work with), they want us to come over. Futurist does also,
as does everyone else. So it is entirely up to whoever holds the
purse strings."
Aaron reveals that it has always been a dream for the band
(rounded out by guitarists Andy and Calvin, bassist Ade, Rick on
drums and Martin on violins/piano) to be able to tour within the U.S.
"When we first formed it was like, 'Cool we'll play a gig.' And then
it was like, 'Cool if we could get to Europe and play.' We did, and
after we played Europe we said, 'We gotta go play in America.' That
would be a dream come true." Snickering and with some British humor
intact he blurts out, "We've conquered England and Europe and now
there is one left. So watch out here we come!"
Their latest album had been out in Europe since May states Aaron
(the album is released in North America in the coming weeks), saying
that the band has already done an extensive amount of touring in
Europe. They plan to continue touring for another two weeks in
Poland, and then take some time off. Aaron adds that once the band
has toured the U.S. (if it happens), the band will then head back
into the studio to begin work on a follow up LP to _TAatDR_.
About the success of the album so far in Europe Aaron discloses,
"It has been fantastic for us with all the success. We have been
hugely successful on mainland Europe but not too well in England.
They don't like us much over there," chuckles Aaron. "It is a shame
that we aren't popular in our home country, but it is common with
England because they don't generally like English bands. They like
all the foreign bands. But mainland Europe accepts us with open arms."
Since forming in 1990, the band has released many EPs and
numerous LPs, allowing them to become of the premiere bands to watch
out for. And quite frankly one of the best gothic death/gloom bands
on the circuit right now. After surfacing with a very successful demo
in 1990, the band quickly focused their ability and musicianship, and
after signing with Peaceville Records, issued their first EP in 1992,
_Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium_. The EP sparked a lot of
interest and soon after the band released their first full-length LP,
1992's _As the Flower Withers_. Years of work, touring and recording
also produced other works such as two other EPs _The Thrash of the
Naked Limbs_ (1993) and _I Am The Bloody Earth_ (1994), and their
sophomore effort, _Turn Loose The Swans_ in 1993. After signing to
Fierce Recordings for U.S. licensing and distribution in 1994, the
band released a collaboration of all EPs entitled _Trinity_ in 1995,
which now leads us up to 1996 and the release of the band's latest
effort through joint work of both Peaceville Records and Music For
Nations.
While talking about the record and the general mood and
direction, Aaron explains that like most My Dying Bride LPs, nothing
was planned. "We weren't trying to build any type of mood. We don't
plan our records. I don't think this album is much different from the
first one in regards to songwriting or construction of the songs and
lyrics or atmopshere. We don't sit down and say it has to be a
certain way to be the doomiest record ever." He says, "We just work
the songs in our heads, go down and practice them and record them and
put them together and then, and only then, do we feel or see the mood
that we have created while recording them."
With the songs on _TAatDR_, the music seems to have become more
open, thus revealing to us the emotions brewing within the band and
its members. Listening to such tracks as "The Cry Of Mankind", "Two
Winters Only" or the heartfelt rampage of moodiness provided by "Dark
Voyage", the depth of the band's songwriting has also been noticeably
enhanced, taking them from what would have been seen as a standard
outing to a much more complex revelation of music, sound, and
intellectual growth.
Does the band feel, seeing that the songs are of epic length
(nine-minute range), that the inclusion of lyrics helps the listener
experience the music more vividly? "I think the lyrics, coming from
the person that wrote them, are very important. I have never written
standard death metal lyrics. I'll leave that to bands that like to
write about slaughtering people and drinking their blood. Stuff like
that has never really interested me. I have always been into poetry
and reading it. I want my lyrics to be like small poems, but I am not
quite sure why they all turned out so miserable." He laughs and adds,
"The lyrics work. Everything works with the band: the music, the
image, the photographs, the name of the band, the imagery and the
song titles. It all fits together. It is like a well-made jigsaw
puzzle and I don't think anything is out of place. And the lyrics are
an important part of what we are about."
Trying to capture a mood or just the creative flow of the band
is what seems to be a difficult thing while in the studio. When asked
about the difficulties of recording MDB material, Aaron responds,
"The initial part of the recording is excitng. We have the gear in
and play as a band. The real pain in the studio is towards the end.
The recording is the entertaining part, while the mixing is the
difficult part because you have to hear the songs ten times a day for
three or four weeks. When you have been playing the songs for six
months, it turns your brain into mush. But if you want to make a good
album you got to put yourself through it."
When asked why a majority of the songs that MDB produce are so
long, and if they have ever considered shorter songs, he says, "There
are two reasons why the songs are so long. One is because we like to
create songs with a strong creative atmosphere, and you can't do that
in three and a half minutes. You need to settle the audience down and
really get their brains thinking, and you can't do that with a
two-minute wonder. The other reason is that we are a six-piece band
and we are very democratic when it comes to songwriting which means
we all contribute to every single song. And in order to match that
creativity you can't have a three-minute songs. It is more like
thirteen minutes. We don't just have an idea each, there are umpteen
ideas floating around when we write. Some of the songs could have
been twenty minutes long but we had to draw the line somewhere."
And the notion of ever relying on or adding technology (samples,
soundbites) to their dark orchestral-like soliloques? "We are always
open to ideas," he says mentioning that the British house/dance band
Drug Free America had reworked a song on the B-side of the "I Am The
Bloody Earth" single with a very dance-ish rave feel to it, "but it
is not something we'd go out and try to work with." About the need to
use technology in music to help guide it he remarks, "I guess we
should just keep it [technology] all for the computer games that we
all continue to play."
While influenced by such metal heavyweights as Coroner, Celtic
Frost or Candlemass, MDB's singer explains that his taste in music is
shifting. Why, I ask? "I am into bands like Dead Can Dance, Nick
Cave, the Swans and Tori Amos. Amos hasn't influenced me much but I
enjoy listening to her. I like Enya because she is weird and strange.
I am not into a lot of metal these days but when I like to hear
metal, I stick on my old Sodom records or other material from the
mid-80's. I don't listen to the new metal stuff nowadays." Again the
question is asked: Why? "I live the business now. I have metal in my
face all day and every day and this is my job. So when I get home, I
don't listen to metal, and put something else on. It is like someone
who works in an office and goes home: he or she doesn't want to go
home and file right?"
"It is not a hard business from a band point of view," notes
Aaron. "You get to do what you want to do. It really is the best job
in the world. I used to have the worst job in the world working in a
factory and I gave up that job for the band. I mean how many people
can say that they enjoy their jobs and what they do?"
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S U R V I V I N G T H E C R I S I S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An interview with Crisis
by: Adrian Bromley
For almost three years the extreme/death sounds of New York's
Crisis has lashed out fits of rage, anarchy, and chaos throughout the
city's clubs and onto its patrons. Crisis has established themselves
as the innovators of an extreme brand of death music that is quite a
challenge to classify.
Since the band's early days of forming and jamming together,
they have released their debut album on Too Much Hype Records called
_8 Convulsions_, and their latest concoction of bizarre mayhem found
within _Deathshead Extermination_. From Metal Blade's New York
office, guitarist/producer Afzaal Nasiruddeen goes into detail about
the production and reasoning behind the complexity of their debut for
Metal Blade; "We wanted a definite approach and some form of mood
with the album. We were looking to achieve a very organic yet
abrasive sound to the record, and where it goes from that abrasive
sound onto the melody and where the melody sticks out. I was trying
to capture extremes of that contrast, but at the same time having a
real warmth to the sound. We are really into low-end and boom and
bass sound. I like my guitar to sound real dark and that was one
thing. The other thing of course was to get the most smooth-vibe
record that we could ever record. In other words, we had spent five
weeks in the studio and we had the facilities to do the record well,
and we spent time to put the record out."
"We worked really hard on performance and once we got that down,
the production was a lot easier. When you have a record that is as
slammin' as far as grooves goes, then sometimes things work
themselves out and makes the recording process easy," says
Nasiruddeen. "We worked hard in order to get the live feel, though it
isn't a live record, rather a well thought out record. We wanted to
capture that live intensity by having all the dips and swoobs and the
dynamics that we have on the record." Describing the new album, he
responds, "Soulwrenching. Sometimes I don't have objectivity on the
record. You have to gain a certain distance from your record. It is a
very emotional record and that is what we attempted to do and I think
we succeeded."
The rest of Crisis consists of singer/growler Karyn Crisis, Fred
Waring on drums and bassist Gia Chuan Wang - a unique group of
individuals who in their own little way by creed, background or
beliefs add a unique perspective to the band and its direction. Karyn
Crisis is a performance artist and classically trained violinist;
Nasiruddeen is a native of Pakistan who has lived in both England and
the U.S.; Waring is a jazz student, and bassist Wang is from Taiwan
and an accomplished trombonist. "I think the reason we are unique is
because we accepted the diversity and differences and worked with it.
I think most problems occur when you are not honest with yourselves
and your art and it shows through. That is why we are not
artsy-fartsy (in refernce to art style bands from NY) because we are
honest about our music," he notes. "The thing about us is we feel
that if I am different from you then let's try to make a
complementary relationship where you can get something good out of
this regardless of appearance or culture. It is like the fusion of
different spiritual influences."
Onto the topic of being seen as an "art" band from New York or
the scene in general, what is his take on it? He begins, "We don't
see ourselves as experimental and that is why we set ourselves apart
from bands like Sonic Youth and Boss Hog. I personally know all those
poeple and it is unfortunate but those are the people that are
ignoring us. Jon Spencer (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/Boss Hog) and
all those people in those bands (art bands) are so much into the Rock
N' Roll star thing that they wouldn't even think about checking a
band like us out. I have been around the scene for a long time and I
can honestly say they haven't done a fuckin' thing for us." So in
other words, the band tries to disassociate with that type of music
crowd in New York right? "Yes we do," clarifies Nasiruddeen, "because
the media here has a habit of slagging the heavier bands and those
bands go along with it."
While recording the album, despite the pressures or problems the
band went through while making a name for themsleves, what was the
focus of the band? Did they find themselves hard at work to try to
find a specific sound for the band to carry on with? He says, "We had
to work our butts off to get this sound. We are not into having a
signature sound running throughout the record. We are into plurality.
We look at every song as a work of art with every song being a piece
of work. When we look at the album we can come to a realization that
it is possible that there is a single thread running through the
album in a very disjointed way. And that is what brings the concept
together. That is why the first CD was called _8 Convulsions_ because
each song was a different convulsion. _Deathshead Extermination_ is
capturing many different moods under the umbrellas of _DHE_." "The
name comes from a caption carried from a comic book, rather a graphic
novel, that Karyn is working on," he explains. "It is a concept she
has taken from one of her characters that is based on a serial rapist
or killer."
And as he has pointed out, the music of the band has become a
personal issue. "It has become so important that our lives are on
hold, basically. We don't have lives other than the band. That is all
we do. I am an architect by profession and I have given up my career
for this band. If it hadn't changed us in some way I wouldn't have
been doing this for so many years. When we first started I was the
main songwriter but that has all changed. Now the whole band thing is
happening. We get together, rehearse and fuck around and throw songs
out until we find we have come up with something totally inspiring to
us. So we jam and that is where the dynamics come from. Karyn's
vocals and her range is what dictated us and put us in that direction
to open our music up and let it breathe."
He concludes, "We haven't done our _Master OF Puppets_, our
legendary record yet. We are still on our way but I will know when we
do our classic."
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/ ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_
/ /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/
\___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/
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/ __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___
_\ \/ -_|_-<(_-</ / _ \/ _ \(_-<
/___/\__/___/___/_/\___/_//_/___/
This is the column where CoC sits down to have a face to face, no
holds barred conversation with your favorite bands, and get the
inside scoop into what's happening in their lives.
K E E P I N G T H E I R O N S U P
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos chat's with Iron Maiden's Dave Murray
by: Adrian Bromley
It was almost three weeks before Iron Maiden was to step foot on
North American soil for the first time since 1993's _Fear Of The
Dark_ tour. The 42-city tour started February 8th in Quebec City,
Quebec, Canada, with noteworthy openers Fear Factory. Talking with
founding guitarist Dave Murray (DM), he indicates he can't wait to
play here. "I am so excited to get back over to play North America.
We love to tour there," remarks Murray over the phone from Lyon,
Paris, literally moments before going on stage. So with a few moments
to spare before hitting the stage with a newly revamped Iron Maiden
(including new vocalist Blaze Bayley) armed with a new album, _The
X-Factor_, Murray spoke openly about Blaze Bayley, touring, and
surviving sixteen years in this industry.
Also in keeping up the faith and legacy of the band after 16
years and 12 albums, Castle Records has gone forward and re-issued
all 12 Maiden classics, each with an additional CD of rare B-sides
from the era of the album's release (with the exception of _A Real
Live One_ and _A Real Dead One_ which are just being distributed as
is.) The B-sides include outtakes from albums and several covers. Be
sure to check out the full listing of rare B-sides following the chat.
CoC: Has it been tough to get back on the road with such a long time
off, time that was spent searching for a new vocalist, resting
and recording _The X-Factor_?
DM: It has been a few years but we are glad to be back out. It took a
while for us to get things squared away but we accomplished what
we wanted with this album and by finding Blaze. We have been on
the road for about four months now. We started this tour a couple
of months back in Jerusalem, playing to a lot of places we
haven't played before and to get it all together and out on the
road, it was like starting out in the black really. It took a few
shows and we got straight back into it and now we are all steamed
and ready to go.
CoC: How has the response been towards Blaze replacing former
vocalist Bruce Dickinson?
DM: The responses have been been good because we are doing a lot of
old Maiden stuff and a bunch of the new tracks, but the approach
to the songs are a bit different than Bruce's [Dickinson]
approach to them. He [Bayley] sings in a lower register but the
melodies are still there. When you change a lead singer, it is a
difficult thing because that is what you hear first, but we found
from reactions people have liked it. When you go through a change
like that, that big, it is difficult but we have yet to encounter
any problems.
CoC: You had over a thousand singers audition for the band. How did
you settle on Blaze Bayley [ex-Wolfsbane]?
DM: He was always at the top of the list. He came in and fit in very
well. There was chemistry and he gave it his all when he played
with us which is what we wanted and liked. It was gut reaction
that he was to be the singer for us. We wanted a singer that was
part of the band right away and we felt that we made the right
decision with Blaze. It was tough when Bruce left because we all
wanted to carry on but we had to be sure we had the right guy and
we did. We got the right man."
CoC: You mentioned that you play an assortment of old and new numbers
in your live show - why the variety and not just newer material?
DM: We try to add a lot of variety and provide a mood. We are pacing
the set so we don't rush right through it. We want people to go
crazy with the tunes and also be able to stand back and enjoy
them as well.
CoC: Like most Iron Maiden records, this album has a different mood
and feeling to it unlike any other record you have done. What
were the intentioms or ideas going into the writing of _The X
Factor_?
DM: Martin Birch [long time producer] retired, so we needed to find a
new producer that would be able to find us a sound, a new sound.
A very modern sounding album. And we found Nigel Green who we had
worked with before. We spent about a year on the album and a
large portion of that was writing and trying to find a groove.
While we were in the studio we would play back the tracks and try
to see if it had that 'X-Factor magic,' that there was a vibe we
were creating with the music. The main focus of _The X-Factor_
album was to show that we had put a lot of thought into what
would become of this album and its direction. We felt that we
wanted to move forward with this record rather than go back or
stay where we were. Plus, with the addition of a new singer, we
didn't want to rush this album. We just felt this album, with all
the changes, was a very important album and with the next one, it
won't take so long. Rather, it will be more of a live recording
album next time.
CoC: You said that a lot of effort went into the writing of _The
X-Factor_. Does this album in any way deal with issues and
topics of the 90s or is it a standard Maiden album full of
creativity and fiction?
DM: About four of the songs are about war but with what is going on
around you, you can't help but be affected. But the rest of the
album is just broad-based material. "Lord of the Flies" is about
the book, etc...
CoC: What is your response to the fact that much of Iron Maiden's
material is seen as a "history book" of sorts?
DM: It is great because kids can read the lyrics and get into it. We
can write a story and then put music around it. We even
experience stuff like that in far away countries where English
isn't even a first language but they are still singing the lyrics
to the songs.
CoC: Iron Maiden has always done these huge tours, playing
everywhere. Is that the plan with _The X-Factor_? And why did
the tour start in Jerusalem not England?
DM: We went to these places where there wouldn't be a lot of pressure
on Blaze. We didn't want to throw him right into the media pit.
It was great to start there because we always wanted to play
there and then there was also the factor that we wouldn't have
the pressure of starting off in England.
CoC: What keeps the band going after all these years? Is there a
secret?
DM: Every gig is different. We never sound check, we just turn up. We
just go out and every night is different. You get to travel and
play places and experience new cultures. Playing music is the
best job in the world. Actually it isn't a job, rather a hobby,
and a hobby that I enjoy doing quite a bit. <laughs>
CoC: Does a band like Iron Maiden ever get tired of the industry or
putting out albums on quite a regular schedule?
DM: In a way it is great to come out of being off the road and
recording the album because you are fresh and eager to get out on
the road. Sometimes the travelling can get a bit crazy but it is
one of those things where you just go on with it, and once you
get on stage you forget about it. It is still, and always has
been, about having a good time on tour.
CoC: Iron Maiden has always been able to go out and tour with
numerous types of acts [so far the band has played with My Dying
Bride, The Almighty, and Dirty Deeds]. Now that you are taking
out an up and coming younger act, Fear Factory, what do you
believe are the benefits of taking on newer support acts?
DM: It is great to have a newer band on tour with you because people
know them and their fans come out and experience both acts ...
and get into them both. That is why we are taking out bands like
Fear Factory and My Dying Bride. I have been noticing on this
tour fans come to the show and they are young and they are up
front and all the Maiden fans from ten years ago are at the back.
<laughs>
CoC: After sixteen years of touring and playing, any songs or albums
that stand out?
DM: Early stuff like "Phantom of the Opera" and "Hallowed Be Thy
Name" are close to my heart. There are quite a few. After touring
for so many years, all the songs become a part of what you were,
and what we try to do live is play those songs that sound great
live and bring out the classic Maiden in our set. Each album is
different and it is like writing a diary. It takes a lot to write
an album and the work that goes into it is the stuff that you go
all out to do. It is important every time out."
CoC: What is your take on the struggling metal industry?
DM: Fortunately we have been touring 16 years, since 1980, and you
have to think the lifespan of the average band is 3 or 4 years
and I think we have been lucky because the fans have been coming
back. Some have gone away but we have also gained some too.
Realistically, metal music isn't as big as in the mid-80s, but
that is just the sign of the times. The main thing is that we
have always been a touring band, whether we play in stadiums,
theatres or clubs. We just go for it. The fans have always stuck
by Maiden and that is always an incentive to go out and tour. We
have probably toured more than any other band - ten world tours.
What can we say? We like to play and write music and tour!
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As mentioned above, Castle Records has re-issued all of Maiden's
classics - with a twist. All of the albums feature rare B-sides,
covers and picture discs. Here is a list of what can be found on
these limited CDs:
IRON MAIDEN (1981) LIVE AFTER DEATH (1985)
Burning Ambition Losfer Words (Live)
Drifter (Live) Sanctuary (Live)
I've Got Fire (Live) Murders In The Rue Morgue (Live)
KILLERS (1981) SOMEHWERE IN TIME (1986)
Women In Uniform Reach Out
Invasion Juanita
Phantom Of The Opera (Live) Sheriff Of Huddersfield
Wraithchild (Live) That Girl
Remember Tomorrow (Live)
Killers (Live) SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON (1988)
Innocent Exile (Live) Black Bart Blues
Running Free (Live) Massacre
Prowler '88
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (1982) Charlotte The Harlot '88
Total Eclipse Infinite Dreams (Live)
Remember Tomorrow (Live) Clairovoyant (Live)
Killers (Live)
PIECE OF MIND (1983) The Prisoner (Live)
I've Got The Fire Still Life (Live)
Cross Eyed Mary
NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING (1991)
POWERSLAVE (1984) All In Your Mind
Rainbow's Gold Kill Me Ce Soir
Mission From Harry I'm A Mover
King Of Twilight Communication Breakdown
Number Of The Beast (Live) Roll Over Vic Vella
LIVE AFTER DEATH (1985)
Losfer Words (Live)
Sanctuary (Live)
Murders In The Rue Morgue (Live)
FEAR OF THE DARK (1992)
Nodding Donkey Blues
Space Station No.5
I Can't See My Feelings
No Prayer For The Dying (Live)
Public Enema Number One (Live)
Hooks In You (Live)
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C L A S S I C C U T R E V I E W
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iron Maiden - _Piece Of Mind_ (Capitol/EMI, 1983)
by: Adrian Bromley (10 out of 10)
Have to admit to you all, this is *the* record that got me into heavy
metal: Period! From the opening chords of "Where Eagles Dare" to the
dying guitar chords of "To Tame A Land", this powerfully explosive
Maiden classic is sheer brilliance. Outing number two for lead singer
Bruce Dickinson (after his Samson days), and it seems that all has
fallen into place. Bassist/lyricist Steve Harris is in top writing
form with such classic songs as "Die With Your Boots On" and "The
Trooper". Dickinson's talents shine with the stunning "Revelations"
and the fabled fantasy tale of "Flight Of Icarus". In 1983, Iron
Maiden were the heroes of the metal community, and this album set
that in stone. There has never been an album of this magnitude or
intensity, and few believe there ever will be another like this.
While many see the band's _Powerslave_ (1984) or _Number Of The
Beast_ (1982) albums as the definitive Maiden sound, I beg to differ
with them. _Piece OF Mind_ is an extremely dominating catalog of
metal riffs and vocals that'll never be duplicated. Vigorous metallic
songs of beauty and creativity, and in 1996 the album still sounds
fresh.
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M E C H A N I C M A Y H E M
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Interview with Death and Horror Inc.
by: Adrian Bromley
Managing to fuse together the driving beat of dance with the
doom and gloom of gothic and industrial music, Toronto's D.H.I.
(Death And Horror Inc.) have been hard at work since 1987 to promote
their own brand of aural innovation. Their quest continues.
The band, comprised of singer/sampler/guitarist/keyboardist
Vicar, samples/violinist Nocturne, guitarist/bassist Speed and
sampler Graf, are afficionados when it comes to their work. Listening
to the band's most recent work, _Pressures Collide_ (1994), it is
quite evident that music is something dear to their hearts. Previous
D.H.I work on Fringe includes two EPs, _Chemical Land_ (1991) and
_Bitter Alloys_ (1993), and a full-length debut album, _Machine Altar
Transmission_ (1992). The band has sinced signed with Kk Records
(Belgium) and Van Richter Records (California) for
distribution/licensing of the _Pressures Collide_ CD, thus allowing
the band to enter both the U.S. and European markets simultaneously.
Both Vicar (VC) and Speed (SP) took a few brief moments before a
local show to talk to CoC about their music, touring and future plans.
CoC: How did the band form? Give us a brief account of how it all
came together.
VC: We have been around for a couple of years now. I got working with
Graf in the summer of 1987 and from there we had added another
member, Max, who handled sampler/synths. We put together some
demos and shopped them around Toronto and they did really well.
Fringe Product heard how well the tapes were selling and we later
hooked up with Fringe after putting together a deal. In 1991, we
released an EP called _Chemical Land_ and by then Max had left
the band and Nocturne stepped in and that was a big improvement
for us. We then released _Machine Altar Transmission_, another EP
_Bitter Alloys_ and then onto _Pressures Collide_. Speed joined
us following the release of the _Pressures Collide_ CD and toured
in support of that and other previous releases.
CoC: How difficult is it for bands, especially ones not on major
labels, to tour Canada?
VC: Canada isn't ready for this type of music. They are not ready for
this music. Canada is a huge country and the population is really
small so it doesn't make any sense to go out and tour. Even the
States is more worthwhile. With this kind of music, we aren't
expecting a lot from this country which is why we have to look
elsewhere.
SP: The problem with touring in Canada is that you can't afford a
loss on tours. And that usually happens here with playing in
small places after travelling so far to get there.
CoC: And how has signing to Van Richter Records and Kk Records helped
the band?
SP: Those labels have good bands on their label. The key thing is
that they came to us and wanted a license deal with us. The key
aspect of licensing your material is getting it to mass people
and somebody was gonna pay us for that material and help us reach
those people. We still owed money to Fringe for recording and any
money to help pay those bills is good for us.
VC: Both of those labels are good for us because they advertise
extensively, with Kk in Europe and Van Richter, well, their
coverage seems good within the States.
CoC: So in order to get the word out about D.H.I. with support from
both labels, what form of commercial medium are they looking
into?
VC: We want to focus on both radio and video play in the States and
Europe.
SP: The album has already been out two years here [Canada] but
hopefully we will get some play in the U.S. The problem is that
college radio is very commercial right now. So it is hard when
college radio stations are subsidized by record labels.
VC: Even before we signed to Van Richter, we were receiving lots of
mail and feedback from fans. And hopefully with Van Richter, that
will go one step forward.
CoC: And the influences that helped create D.H.I.?
SP: Everyone nowadays is influenced by a lot of things. Our musical
tastes are very broad. It is not just industrial music.
CoC: The band has been known to have quite a live performance. Is
there a reason for this or is this live performance brought on
by the intensity of the industrial flavored sounds of the band?
VR: There is no point going onstage if there is no visual. There are
enough bands being like statues and performing the way bands were
20 years ago.
SP: I mean we aren't gonna have Eddy [reference to Iron Maiden
mascot] pop up over our shoulders or anything like that. Even
when we rehearse, we have fun and jump around. I don't want to go
see a band stand around 'cause I can then just hear the record at
home. Our live show is a performance ... it is entertaining music
as well as a show rolled into one. When I perform, I think of it
as a show that I would want to go see.
CoC: Future plans for D.H.I.?
VC: There will be a new release this fall. We are writing for it
right now and we are happy with the mew material and things seem
to be falling right into place. We aren't planning our direction.
We are going with the groove.
SP: D.H.I.'s music has always had music that is hard-edged but when
you listen to the album, it is not just one-dimensional. It is
not teen boy angst music. We plan to go on our merry way with
what we have been doing and hopefully there will be an audience
for the music that we are creating.
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G U T - S O N I C ' S G U T W R E N C H I N G G R O O V E S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Chat with Andrew Sanger of gut-sonic
by: Gino Filicetti
Although gut-sonic has been around the Toronto area scene for
over four years, not until recently has the band begun to realize
their potential both as musicians and as artists. It has been two
years since the band has become a stable unit consisting of Andrew
Sanger (vocals), Rick Tyrrell and Jim Sproule (guitars), Mike Gregory
(bass), and Stuart Platt (drums).
Andrew took some time out of a busy schedule preparing for an
upcoming CD release party to talk to Chronicles of Chaos and share
his views on music and the world.
CoC: Give us some history on the band; when did the original members
start?
Andrew Sanger: Well, gut-sonic was a band before myself, Mike the
bass player and Stu the drummer joined. They were a
three piece at that time and I think Rick and Jim both
sang lead, they just switched off, but I think there
was a lack of focus both visually and musically in the
band. Stu, Mike and I all joined at the same time, and
that was almost two years ago now.
CoC: Even though you didn't play with the original band, what is it
like going from a three piece to a five piece band?
AS: I played in a four piece before, never an actual three piece, but
I think there is more energy, if it works, if you can get five
people in a band that are all there for the right reasons. I
think that the energy comes from the strength in numbers. Like I
said, if you can get that amount of people together that are all
focused, you'll have that much more power and leverage. The
number five is a very powerful number, not to get too isoteric,
but numerology is the whole thing with the title of our album
_Impetus 23_.
CoC: Where does that title originate from? What is the meaning behind
it?
AS: Well, between Rick, Jim and myself, we all started reading the
same author, Robert Anton Wilson, and all his writings and
findings. He is sort of like a cutting edge, human evolution type
forward thinker. He doesn't think in the norms at all, and he's
way ahead of his time. But the number of coincidences that have
happened around this number are staggering and most people aren't
aware of it. Basically the number 23 has a lot of meaning and
power. It's all written in the liner notes of the CD. Some of
those are just for fun, but there are a lot of coincidences that
you just have to look at and go, "Hmm, that's weird." But back to
what you were saying, I think there are certain powers that
circle around people, and if you are all focused on one thing, a
lot of things can happen.
CoC: Where do you get your vocal inspiration? Why do you sing the way
you do when most bands go for the added heaviness in their
vocals?
AS: Just for that reason alone. If everyone's going one way, I'd like
to go the other way. If there is a big line-up for something, I
won't go to that line-up, you know? I'm not into following the
masses too much, I don't think any of us are, or else we wouldn't
be doing the stuff that we're doing. We've all been doing this
for quite awhile, ten, fifteen years depending on who you're
talking too; but if we didn't like music, and the art of it, then
we wouldn't be doing this now, we would probably be doing
something else that is more monetarily rewarding. When I'm not
singing with gut-sonic, I try and pull from other areas so I
listen to a lot of female vocalists and I listen to a lot of
classical and jazz. I like all sorts of stuff, but I'll also
throw in Mr. Bungle, I love them. I like good singers, so I like
Kate Bush, and Tori Amos for their vocal ability, and I like Tony
Bennett, and I like Frank Sinatra <laughs>, and I like Mike
Patton. I think he is one of the best character voices there is
right now in music period. I don't think anybody can do what he's
done. In Faith No More, he's sort of "mainstreamed" himself, but
as far as Mr. Bungle goes, with the first album and the second
one, he's just fucking doing everything. His voice is an
instrument. And that blows my mind, like the stuff that he does
and how he can actually change his voice.
CoC: How is it being a band in a city like Toronto? Do you consider
the scene here healthy?
AS: No, not at all. Not after we got out and saw how people are
outside of Toronto musically, and as far as just being people.
We're really kind of disappointed with Toronto in retrospect.
Looking back, it's funny what you get used to, the attitude and
stuff. We went out, and we met some really amazing people, they
were really friendly and there's no hidden agenda.
CoC: What do you think about the bands that never make it in Toronto.
Who's fault is it?
AS: Well, it's a tough thing. If you stay in Toronto too long, and
play around too much without expanding your fanbase, whether it
be radio, or tapping into the industry, you are going to die. All
the clubs talk, they speak to each other. I know that Craig
[owner of Lee's Palace, a Toronto area club] talks to Enzo [owner
of The Opera House, another local club]. Everyone talks, so if a
band has a bad night one night for a reason, the other clubs find
out about it and before you know it, you're not really accepted
in the clubs. So I think, unless you can step above that and play
outside of Toronto, or if you can increase your fan base through
radio or video or expand your horizons through the industry
itself, but if you're just going to play in Toronto, it's not
going to last that long.
CoC: Does your music reflect your personality? Do you consider it an
artform?
AS: Oh absolutely, yeah. We don't write any songs to fit into any
sort of genre. I guess a lot of bands have said this but we just
write, we all piece things together. We have another whole album
of music ready to go. We have 14 songs on this one, and we have
another 12 to 16 tracks ready to go on a CD right now. We play
songs live that are ready to go, that aren't on this album,
because we like them so much. We are not into doing routine sets.
We change the set every night. I know some bands that just go out
there and do the same thing every night but we don't because
we're just not into that kind of thing. We play old gut-sonic
songs, and we play new stuff that no one's heard, and we even
play stuff that we haven't even finished, we just trash it out
live to try them out.
CoC: What do you try and achieve with your music?
AS: I think basically, we are just trying to express ourselves, and
not really be concerned about what the industry wants, or what
people are into at one particular moment. We just play to try and
please ourselves. We like to draw on all the genres, and all the
music that the entire band listens to. We don't really have a
game plan, we are just sort of living in the moment as much as
possible I think.
Contact: gut-sonic, 599B Yonge Street, Suite #125
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y-1Z4
e-mail: 76702.2073@compuserve.com
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,.:/
Here is where CoC gets the inside story on up-and-coming bands. Check
out this column for a variety of fresh, brutal groups. Should you be
an aspiring band on your way to super-stardom, send us your demo and
bio; our address is included in the zine's header.
L O R D S O F L E T H A R G Y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos interrogates Lords of the Stone
by: Gino Filicetti
More and more these days, bands seem to be turning towards a new
form of metal. This is especially true in The Netherlands, where doom
metal appears to be booming, and looks to become the next big trend.
Lords of the Stone are a Dutch doom metal band that have been part of
the underground for over 3 years. Formed in 1992, by vocalist Andre
Dijkstra, the band included guitarists Roel Dijkstra and Henri
Sattler, as well as bassist Evert Jepma, drummer Ard de Weerd and
background vocalist Inge de Haas. Over the next three years, the band
recorded 3 demos (the latest, _In An Eyelid's Fall_, was reviewed in
the New Noise section of CoC #5). The Lords have also undergone
personnel changes to add a keyboardist in place of Henri Sattler's
guitars, and replacing their bass player with Arjan Van de Logt.
Also, the band added a female vocalist, Martine van Loon (ex of The
Gathering) to complete the new and revamped Lords of the Stone.
My first exposure to the Lords' music was through their latest
demo. It was sent to me by the current bassist Arjan after
corresponding with him many times on IRC and through e-mail. This
interview was conducted via e-mail, and was answered by both Andre
and Arjan.
The home of doom metal nowadays would seem to be in Northern
Europe. Bands like Tiamat, Paradise Lost, The Gathering etc. have all
seem to come at a time when metal is at a crossroads. The Netherlands
is undoubtedly one of the current hotbeds for melodic metal. Was
their any pressure to continue this trend when the Lords were
started? Andre answers, "No we don't follow trends, we do what WE
like!" Arjan adds, "I think you can hear in our music that we don't
follow trends. Many people think that we have have a lot of old
fashioned metal influences. The changes on the last demo had to do
with some new faces in the band who brought their influences. Besides
that, we now use keyboards instead of two guitars, which changes the
sound of the band a lot."
In a scene with such fierce competition, it is commonplace for
many bands to take a cutthroat attitude towards their peers. For many
of these musicians, all that is important is their conquest of the
world. Is the Dutch doom scene like this as well? "There are some
bands who act like friends to everyone. Often a few bands find each
other and work together or just stay friends. But I could also name
some bands which have an attitude like 'We are the best.' Of course
there's a lot of competition, but I think that's good for the scene,"
replies Arjan.
The popularity of doom metal has risen tremendously in the past
few years, especially in Europe. Crowds of people are flocking to see
these bands on tour and buying CDs like they're going out of style.
What could possibly be the reason for this surge in popularity? Arjan
replies, "I think that now, some death bands are moving more and more
towards Hardcore that some fans who don't like hardcore 'join' the
doom bands. Besides that, some doom bands play more melodically and
symphonically, which attracts some of the less metal minded fans too."
Currently, the band just closed a deal with Massacre Records,
and their current goal is to record their first studio album in April
of this year. The band hopes to have a product on the shelves by the
middle of May, and are very excited at finally getting a shot at
recording in a real studio. Waldemar Sorychta (Despair, Grip Inc.,
Samael, Tiamat, Unleashed) will be assisting the band in the studio,
and Danny A. Serveas will play the keyboard parts because the band's
old keyboardist, Henk-Jan, has decided that his life was just too
busy to keep up with The Lords.
For the most current information on the band, check out the Web
page below, or contact Arjan himself.
Contact: Arjan van de Logt, Wilhelminalaan 44, 8262 DG Kampen
Voice: 05202-18442, Email: lords@worldaccess.nl
Web Page: http://www.worldaccess.nl/~lords
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This is where we rant, rave, and rip apart albums. Check this column
every month for the scoop on the latest in heavy hand-outs.
Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- If there was ever a perfect CD, this is it!
8 out of 10 -- A great piece of metallic mayhem
6 out of 10 -- Not too bad of an album
4 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
2 out of 10 -- If you like this, you are fucked!
0 out of 10 -- My shit can put out better music than this!
Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_ (Metalblade, April 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti (8 out of 10)
This is album number three for Adam Grossman's industrial metal
machine, Skrew. This album tears through 55 minutes of pure, intense
mayhem, combining the grinding assault of triple guitars with the
heart stopping power of a REAL drum kit (as opposed to the electronic
kind). To tell the truth, I haven't really heard an entire Skrew
album before, and from what I did hear, I was never really impressed.
Suffice it to say that my mind has been changed after listening to
_Shadow of Doubt_. The power of this album is evident from the first
thirty seconds of the lead track, right down to the last outro on
track number eleven. The vocals here are, believe it or not,
undistorted; something I believe gives this band more credibility
than most industrial metal outfits jumping the bandwagon. Some of my
favorite tunes include "Sam I Am", which begins with an intense
punch, and grooves right up to the end. Another standout is
"Generator", which once again catches the listener right off the bat.
Give this CD a good listen, and I'm sure you'll find something to
your liking. Also look out for the hidden verse at the end of the
last track, "Crawl". It's a hilarious little "hilly billy ditty"
using some of the lyrics from the song.
My Dying Bride - _The Angel and the Dark River_
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Fierce/Futurist, March 1996)
With just seven songs averaging nine minutes in length each, the
overall effect of this North Yorkshire sextet's third full-length
release, _The Angel And the Dark River_, is once again of epic
proportions. From the captivating piano work and vocals of "The Cry
Of Mankind", to the dark and tranquil "Black Voyage" and "Two Winters
Only", there is no doubt that this band puts their souls into the
music. We can feel their pain, suffering, and we become part of the
music. While known to many as one of the true gloom/gothic metal acts
around, My Dying Bride is on the verge of breaking out to a major
market with this release because the response in Europe (via
media/press) has been overwhelming, and that is carrying over
Stateside. The prime effect bestowed by this band is through its
haunting music and serene vocals, and that is key to their rise in
success. No one is doing this type of music at this calibre. For
those unaware of this band's existence, may I recommend a trip to the
record store sometime in the future?
EYEHATEGOD - _Dopesick_ (Century Media, March 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10)
Louisana's most hate-filled, puss-ridden purveyors of dark,
disgusting dirge are back, and they just don't give a fuck (once
again). EYEHATEGOD's new album, _Dopesick_, continues the band's
trend of rage, raunchiness, and uncontrolled hate. Produced by Billy
Anderson (Melvins, Neurosis, Mr. Bungle) and C.O.C. (!)
guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, this album is not something for the
weak of heart, or the easily intimidated. The music here is the super
slow, back home southern "metal" type that could make you fall asleep
if it wasn't for the incessant grind of it all. Micheal Williams'
vocals are the utmost sickening, puke-ridden audio atrocities that
could actually prove deadly if taken in large doses. Songs such as
"Dogs Holy Life", "Zero Nowhere", "Methamphetamine", and "Lack of
Almost Everything", by their titles alone, show that this band isn't
joking around when it comes to their depression. Haters of life, love
and God, these New Orleans dirt packers are back and just waiting to
be excreted on March 26. So lock up the women and children, and
subject yourself to 39 minutes of uncontrolled agony.
Cemetary - _Sundown_ (Black Mark, February 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti (6 out of 10)
This album marks Cemetary's fourth plunge into the minds and souls of
its fans worldwide. Still following the trend set on their last
release, _Black Vanity_, Cemetary have evolved their music more and
more towards the melodic range of the musical spectrum. Where have we
heard this before? Hmm ... I don't know, but it seems to me that a
lot of European bands are starting to forget where it is they came
from. The music on this album it very well executed and certainly not
without an element of talent, but it is almost TOO reminiscent of the
80s hard rock sound. There is a lot of emotion on this album, and it
does prove very beautiful in certain parts, but to me, I'm not happy
with the change Cemetary has made. They have taken the gothic
elements that have been a part of their music since their second
album, and changed them almost to the point of becoming pop. Leads
abound on this album, as do powerchords and other tools of the guitar
trade in the 1980s. Although this album isn't terrible, it's just not
something I wanted to see from Cemetary; to me it seems that they
have chosen the wrong fork in the road.
Cannibal Corpse - _Vile_ (Metal Blade, May 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10)
They're back! The undisputed kings of blood, guts and gore are back,
and this time they have something to prove. That something is the
fact that the infamous Chris Barnes wasn't all there was to this
band, that in fact, they could carry on without Barnes at the helm.
With the departure of Barnes to his now full-time side project Six
Feet Under, Cannibal Corpse enlisted the help of George
"Corpsegrinder" Fisher (ex-Monstrosity) to take up the vocal chores.
The change in vocal approach is evident, but not as drastic as I
thought they would be. Fisher maintains the brutally guttural roar
that was the mainstay of this band, but in my opinion, greatly
outshines his predecessor. The music on this album, although very
tight and well produced, doesn't turn any new corners whatsoever.
Blast beats still abound, but they are toned down a notch. Leads run
rampant throughout this effort and are executed quite well. As
always, this release was recorded with the help of Scott Burns at
Morrisound Studios in Tampa Bay. This album marks the first time that
any remaining member of Cannibal Corpse has had to pick up the lyric
pen and inscribe the horrifyingly vicious songs that appear on
_Vile_. I can safely say that they did a fine job in keeping up with
Cannibal Corpse's legacy of brutality. One track that stands out from
the rest on this release is "Relentless Beating", a 2-minute
instrumental piece that gives an otherwise repetitive album a slight
twist of unexpectedness. In closing, I'm sure you are ALL wondering
how I would compare this CD to Six Feet Under's debut _Haunted_. I'd
be an asshole to make you have to wait until May 21st to find out, so
I'll tell you this: Barnes' wasn't the be all and end all of Cannibal
Corpse. This band, as far as I'm concerned, has proven that they can
still kick ass without the help of one Chris Barnes. Just you wait
and see.
Primordial - _Imrama_ (Cacophonous, December 1995)
by: Nick Bassett (8 out of 10)
I'd call this Celtic black metal, characterized in part by a droning
guitar sound different from the standard Norwegian brand. Traditional
Celtic music is also on the plate, blending suprisingly well into the
overall sound. There are many highlights, including "Here I Am King",
"To the Ends of the Earth", and "Let the Sun Set On Life Forever".
The whole concept here seems to be the worship of pagan idols, so the
intentions of the album's last line seem to me a source of
stupefaction: "Lucifer, what tidings doth thou bring?"... very
strange, indeed! This would have received a perfect score, were it
not for that peculiarity, and for the presence of the misguided love
song "The Darkest Flame". Still highly recommended for anyone looking
for new and different variations on the black metal sound. Available
from Red Stream.
Comecon - _Fable Frolic_ (Century Media, 1995)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault (9 out of 10)
I think it's time fans of technical death metal discovered Comecon.
The band is comprised of core members Pelle Strom and Rasmus Ekman
(both performing guitar, bass, and keys), drummer Jonas Fredriksson,
and guest vocalist Marc Grewe of Morgoth fame. Comecon previously
released two albums which didn't garner much attention, despite the
presence of vocalists L.G. Petrov (Entombed) and Martin Van Drunen
(Pestilence, Asphyx). _Fable Frolic_ far surpasses both albums,
showcasing the band's talents beautifully. Admittedly, I didn't think
much of it upon first listen, but I mustn't have been paying
attention, as this is a monstrous release. Don't let some of the song
titles throw you off (eg. "Soft, Creamy Lather", "The Family Album",
"Bovine Inspiration") as you'd be missing out on an excellent album
with a myriad of textures, sometimes trippy, sometimes aggressive,
always heavy, always impressive. I must add that Jonas' drumming is
top notch, complementing the complex rhythms perfectly. A masterpiece
in my eyes (and ears), well worth the purchase price.
Crown of Thornz - _Train Yard Blues_ (Equal Vision, Winter 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti (4 out of 10)
Sometimes I wonder how a ride on the bandwagon feels like? I mean,
any smart person knows that the ride is going to end sooner or later,
so what's the point getting on in the first place? The thing most
bands fail to realize is that after the trip is over, you'll always
end up farther from the top than when you started. Ok, now that I've
had my chance to philosophize, it's time to review this CD. Not to be
confused with the European band which appears on the Slayer tribute
album: _Slaytanic Slaughter Vol. I_, Crown of Thornz are a New York,
skinhead, wannabe Life of Agony hardcore band. The music here is
typical, sub-standard New York hardcore punk. Nothing new, nothing
particularily catchy. The vocals here aren't as annoying as most
frantically screaming hardcore bands, but again, they fail to achieve
any significance in my mind. The best song here is the groovable
"Crown of Thorns" which at least contains semi-intelligent lyrics.
Overall, this 20-minute EP isn't even worth a listen as the first
five minutes pretty much spell out the rest of the album. Sorry guys,
but the ride stops here.
In Flames - _Subterranean_ MCD (Wrong Again Records, December 1995)
by: Nick Bassett (9 out of 10)
This particular mini-CD is well conceived, well excecuted, and well
produced - perhaps the crown jewel from what has come to be known as
the "Gothenburg Scene" (At the Gates, Dark Tranquility, et al). The
proceedings seem strongly inspired by the traditional metal sound, in
particular the 80s work of bands like Iron Maiden and perhaps even
Helloween. The cover artwork and layout are somewhat minimal, but how
important is that? The abundance of great melodies and flawless
guitar work, coupled with a somewhat-refreshing absence of violin
fiddlings and bad female vocals (which characterized their earlier,
somewhat dubious "Lunar Strain" effort) make this all but essential
for fans of the aforementioned genre. Available from Dark Symphonies.
Deadguy - _Fixation On A Coworker_ (Victory/Cargo, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10)
Not sure where this album is headed or what we are supposed to get
out of this, but tell ya one thing: I have got a serious headache
after listening to Deadguy's latest offering. Blending the crunch of
metallic riffs and the sheer "rip n' tear" thoughts of the ultimate
hardcore outfit, New Jersey's Deadguy are a prime example of an
experiment gone wrong ... in a good way. Pantera-style vocals are
everywhere. Everywhere. Even a similar (less death-ish) screamage to
that of Obituary's John Tardy is present. And with not the most
impressive guitarwork or assembling of music, _Fixation On A
Coworker_ appears to be nothing more than a way to release anger and
tension. While most of the material is loud and heavy (a good thing),
a lot of the numbers sound very similar to each other - not a good
thing. Standouts include "Pins And Needles", "The Extremist" and "Die
With Your Mask On". Every time I hear this record I get different
feelings about it, and not all of them are too good.
One Life Crew - _Crime Ridden Society_ (Victory/Cargo, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10)
If you listened to one hardcore record as of late, you've heard them
all. Listening to One Life Crew, it all seems to be just rehashed
hardcore shit from other bands' releases from the last few years.
This band is following in the footsteps of bands like Sick Of It All
and Snapcase, maybe a bit more metallic (Pantera-ish) at times but
still delivering hard messages and riffs. With eight songs and a
cover song (Confront's "Our Fight") just coming in at 15-minutes, One
Life Crew hit hard, fast and with multiple messages about our "crime
ridden society." But haven't we heard this all before?
Abigor - _Verwustung/Invoke The Dark Age_
by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10) (Napalm/Sepulture Prod, 1994)
Just recently picked up by Canadian distro newcomers Sepulture
Productions, this is the first Napalm release to "hit the market"
here in Canada. This album is Abigor's first full-length release and
since then, they have recorded two more albums. Upon first listen
this album begins as a typical, run-of-the-mill black metal album
with the cliched screeching vox and the "guitars on speed" riffs, but
upon closer inspection certain nuances unfold bringing the music to a
higher level of being: above the masses of black sheep now crowding
the countryside. One of my favorite songs is "Kingdom of Darkness",
which begins with an intense Viking chant booming over the noise of
an invasion in progress (the screams and cries of women in the
background make this evident). At over seven minutes of music, this
track is definitely an epic. There are two pieces included on this
album which differ greatly from the rest of the tracks appearing
herein. "Beneath A Steel Sky" and "A Spell of Dark & Evil" are
written and performed by Rune. They are basically ambient pieces with
a piano solo played on top, but the effect is stunning. They provide
a welcome break from the black metal norm which abounds on this CD.
This album definitely garners attention by any fan of the genre, so
go to your local 'Hell' and find yourself a copy.
Various - _Identity II_ (Century Media, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
In one tremendous attempt to push all of their diverse bands on their
label at one time, Century Media's latest compilation is kind of a
"hit and miss" outing - though more hit than miss. With quite a
roster consisting of hardcore, metal, and hard rock outfits, the
assortment of musical styles seem to clash at some parts on the CD,
but overall the music of many of the bands work off each other.
Highlights you ask? Only Living Witness' "Knew Her Gone",
Eyehategod's verbal assault "Serving Time In The Middle", The
Gathering with "Leaves" and stunning work of Chum and their offering
"Greetings". Ones we could have done without were the Fight-ish
Trouble track "Plastic Green Head", Merauder's "Master Killer" (two
winners back to back eh?) and an odd selection off Stuck Mojo's
debut, "2 Minutes Of Death"? Should have chosen metalic crunch of
"Not Promised Tomorrow" but .. oh well. With many of their finer acts
like Samael, Sentenced, and Moonspell (found within) putting together
new material for release this year, should be a good year for the
label.
Ritual - _Hate_ (Vespa Music Group, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)
A strong follow-up to the band's last EP _I Give_, _Hate_ is truly a
building block for the band and its music. Modern sounding, fueled by
adrenalin and delivering a definite stomp, Cornwall, Ontario's Ritual
are going in the right direction with their metallic grooves, a form
of music long discarded as not being cool anymore. With the help of
producer Harry Hess (Harem Scarem singer/songwriter) Ritual's _Hate_
LP allows itself to come across not only as a slick recording, but as
an album that manages to stand firm as a strong source of music and
lyrical content. Such numbers as the title track, "Acid Machine", and
"Tables Turned" create an aura within the album thus allowing the
album to grow in various directions rather than focusing on one
metallic style. Thumbs up to a more modern metal sound for these
unsung heroes of Canadian heaviness.
Contact: RITUAL, 427 Water West, Cornwall, Ont., K6J-1A6, Canada
email: ritual@cnwl.igs.net
WWW: http://cnwl.igs.net/~ritual/ritual.htm
13Mg - _Trust And Obey_ (Slipdisc, February 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)
From the depths of Chicago's music scene emerges one of the better
industrial releases in some time. Not exactly as heavy or chaotic as
Ministry or as experimental as NIN, but 13Mg is a truely valuable
asset to the industrial music community. With its addictive melodies,
multiple samples and drowned out guitar chords dispersed throughout -
and of course industrial-tinged numbers - the heaviness of their
debut album release _Trust And Obey_ is quite visible. The creation
of Howard Beno (producer/mixer for such acts as Monster Voodoo
Machine, Skrew, and Jesus And Mary Chain), 13Mg has been a project
that has been a haven for musicians to come and go since 1993 until
most recently where the line-up was permanently established. The
music of 13Mg shifts from goth/industrial styles of songs to dance
inspired metal numbers. Varied music here. Superior doses of hefty
slabs of mayhem include "Uppercut", first single "Sinister", "Lie In
State", and "Too Freaky". Even Filter's programmer Brian Liesgang
adds his touch with the album finale "Math". Inventive music that
keeps us alert and wanting more from start to finish. Strong debut.
Dawn - _Naer Solen Gar Niber For Evogher_ (Necropolis, December 1995)
by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10)
On the surface, this would seem to be a disc that I would really
like. The music is a fusion of most of the standard styles of
northern black metal, reminding me at times of Emperor, Dissection,
and The Abyss, but it displays the precision usually only associated
with death metal, and they avoid the cheesy corpsepaint and satanic
imagery. Actually, they don't look at all like a black metal band
from their pictures. The music doesn't heavily rely on keyboards, but
is still very melodic, using single-note guitar lines to carry the
music most of the time. The production is great: maintaining the
heavy guitar distortion, but with a clarity that makes it easy to
hear exactly what they are playing ... and the bass is even audible.
For some reason, though, I just can't seem to get into it. The
playing is very precise; solid but not flashy. The single-note melody
lines are often either harmonized or have countermelodies under them,
which keeps the music interesting most of the time. Unfortunately,
they never really put things together to make a great song. Most of
the songs end up somewhere above average. Also, I can't tell the
songs apart. This is in part due to the generally high quality of the
songs, plus the fact that most of the songs are medium length, and
usually contain a lot of sections per song, although they do tend to
repeat sections in them a little too often. The album as a whole also
lacks the variety necessary to differentiate the songs from each
other. Still, this makes for a nice listen, and for a debut, it's
very impressive.
Various - _With Us Or Against Us_ (Napalm Records, December 1995)
by: Nick Bassett (8 out of 10)
A seven song compilation from Austria's Napalm Records, featuring
unreleased tracks from each of their seven bands. While "unreleased
tracks" might normally mean "leftovers," the songs on this
compilation are, for the better part at least, representative of the
bands' better material:
UNPURE - "Lust of Darkness" - Off to a roaring start with some brutal
mid-tempo black metal. This is a fine little ditty which I think
transcends the material on the band's own self-titled debut.
ABIGOR - "Shadowlord" - Another great track, melodic black metal not
far removed in style from the band's recent _Nachthymnen_ CD. This
one contains some great melodies and tasteful chorus vocals. Good
stuff!
NASTROND - "From a Black Funeral Coffin" - A piece of grim Swedish
black metal, but with what I find to be a distinct Norwegian sound.
This is nothing groundbreaking, but a well-executed piece that holds
substantial enjoyment for the blackened masses.
KOROVA - "Trip to the Bleeding Planets (Unto the Light)" - Another
great piece from the people who brought you "A Kiss in the Charnel
Fields". This Austrian quartet play a style of music that is very
dark, yet technical and somewhat quirky. An interesting listen, but
definitely NOT black metal.
SUMMONING - untitled - This is typical Summoning, complete with raw
guitars and a cheesy drum machine beat. This being a "home-recorded
track," the sound quality is worse than ever.
SETHERIAL - "My Veins Are Open" - More Swedish black metal, like
Nastrond in some aspects, but with more keyboards and "atmosphere."
Not bad.
BELMEZ - "Hildebrandt" - A one-man project originating in Germany,
producing slow, tortured music for a decidedly limited audience. Not
for everyone!
-- 43 minutes is indeed short by compilation standards, but I think
the quality of these tracks easily makes up for the quantitative
shortcomings. Highly recommended for fans of any of the bands
mentioned, and for anyone wanting to sample the efforts of the entire
Napalm roster. Available from Napalm Records America.
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Your best source of information on the newest of the new, and the
lowest of the underground, New Noise is the place to read about all
the coolest shit you never thought existed! And if you have a band,
don't forget to send us your demo with a bio if you want to be
reviewed; our address is included in the zine's header.
Agonizing Terror - _Disharmony in God's Creation_ (5 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
I have a love/hate thing going on with this demo. On the one hand,
the musicianship is poor, the playing sloppy, but on the other hand,
it's excellently written death/grind, reminiscent of Bolt Thrower in
many ways. The vocals are well recorded, featuring death growls,
classic Carcass-like gurgles, and the occasional dual vocal track and
echo for effect. There are interesting ideas here, and while none of
them are terribly original or groundbreaking, the songs are still
great to listen to. Portugal seems to be waking up to metal in the
last while, and these guys will hopefully up their playing skills,
develop a sound they can more easily call their own, and take
advantage of the rising scene in their country. In any case, this is
recommended for grind fans, particularly those into Bolt Thrower.
Contact: Agonizing Terror, Rua Joao de Deus no. 24
3830 Ilhavo, Portugal
Voice: 351-34-322562
send $6US for a copy of the demo
Childman - _Childman_ (4 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
Once in a while, I'll get a demo that's actually tough to classify.
Many bands like to feel that they defy classification, Childman
succeeds. While the vocals are sometimes akin to a less distorted
Alain Jourgensen (of Ministry fame), and samples are sprinkled
throughout, the music itself is sort of a metal/hardcore/punk hybrid.
I found it odd how the guitars sound mechanical in their approach,
and yet sound distinctly analog. The last of the four songs,
"Screaming", differs from the others in that the vocals are more
sung, a la very early Soundgarden. In fact, the whole song reminded
me of old Soundgarden. Don't get me wrong, Childman can still be
considered metal, just not your run of the mill metal outfit. It took
me awhile to get into this, but it was well worth the effort. Check
this out if you're in the mood for something eclectic, mechanical,
and heavy.
Contact: Voice: 713-271-9862 (Larry), 713-524-8829 (Keo)
Email: speyek@es.rice.edu
WWW: http://es.rice.edu/~speyek/SPIKE.HTML
Cryptic Fate - _Ends Are Forever_ (9 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
These guys are apparently the first Bangladeshi heavy metal band
ever. Not only are they playing English-sung metal in a country
generally unresponsive to the genre, but they're all quite young, the
eldest members being only 20 years of age. What they've released is
more than a demo, and is actually a full-length album which is being
promoted mainly through indirect channels. _Ends Are Forevr_ is by no
means a "brutal" offering in any way. Cryptic Fate's influences
include Iron Maiden, Alice In Chains, old Metallica, and Dream
Theater, among others, and this comes out in their song stylings,
although oftentimes on a song by song basis. That is to say, one song
will have major AiC overtones, another will feature Iron Maiden
influences, and so on. Don't get me wrong, though, as this is an
excellent recording from a band with loads of potential. What they
need is to bridge the various styles and influences into a more
unified sound, something I feel they can achieve with time and
effort. The guitar sound is unfortunately quite muddy and undefined
(read: shitty), and the rhythms are occasionally a tad simplistic and
in need of an additional creative spark, although the leadwork is
memorable and impressive. The vocals are well-recorded and
reminiscent of Death Angel's Mark Osegueda in certain ways, making
for a decent overall sound. Recommended for fans of DA/The
Organization and the above-mentioned influences.
Contact: Farshed Mahmud, P.O. Box 726, Amherst College
Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
Email: fmahmud@unix.amherst.edu
WWW: http://www.amherst.edu/~fmahmud/fate.html
For a copy of this album, send $5US (postage included).
End of One - _No Souls Saved_ (6 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
I got this demo pretty much hot off the press, if I'm to believe the
liner notes which indicate the demo being recorded in late January
1996. Well executed and reasonably well put together, _No Souls
Saved_ features six tracks of solid death metal with the occasional
speed metal break interspersed. The vocals are nothing special,
sticking to death growls throughout, but I found the guitar sound
kept me listening. In fact, the clean, crisp distortion gives it a
more European flavour, even though the band hails from New York
State. The odd low tempo grooves, the occasional blasts of speed, and
the consistently churning riffs make this a cool listen. It seems
generic the first few times you listen to it, but I suspect that both
the production and the unspectacular death vocals can be blamed. I'd
be curious to check out future material of theirs. Death metal fans
will surely find something of interest in End of One.
Contact: END OF ONE, 3 Malmros Terrace
Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601, USA
Voice: (914) 297-2351, email: jessesuth@aol.com
Inner Misery - _Perpetual Sadness_ (4 track demo)
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
This professionally packaged demo features three originals, and a
cover of Black Sabbath's "Electric Funeral". Formerly known as
Misery, the band plays a style of metal which incorporates speed,
power, and death metal. I've read a handful of articles on these
guys, all praising their approach and style. Unfortunately, I can't
really do that as well. Granted, after a number of listens, it got
better, but I just found the music too dry and the musical
proficiency too low. They aren't bad musicians, in fact they
introduce a variety of time changes and elements that could possibly
be deemed as being "technical", but I found no cohesion in the
various riffs, and little musically that keeps me coming back. The
near-death-yet-understandable vocals weren't to my liking, although
the vocalist on this recording is no longer in the band, which means
that aspect may improve in future recordings. A sore point for me is
the Sabbath cover, seeing as I'm such a huge Black Sabbath fan. Their
rendition adds nothing new, and sounds rather empty, although the
last point may simply be a matter of low production quality. This may
be of interest to fans of Deceased, another band who plays a form of
death-influenced speed metal, which just doesn't turn me on.
Contact: INNER MISERY, 160 George Street #1414
Sarnia, Ont., Canada, N7T-7V4
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Here is where Chronicles of Chaos gives you the low down on the
latest shows to come to town. Check out Chaotic Concerts every month
for the scoop on which bands are brutalizing the masses with their
own form of terror.
N E V E R A M U N D A N E M O M E N T
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DHI at The Rivoli in Toronto, Ontario, January 27, 1996
with Mundane and Ichor
by: Gino Filicetti
Once again, it was time to pay homage to the gods of the Toronto
brutal musick scene, our very own Mundane. This being something like
the tenth time that I would see these maniacs live, let me assure you
that my excitement was present, and in full force.
As with all shows at the Rivoli, no matter how many people turn
out, the venue seems packed to the teeth, my best guess would put the
amount of people present at a maximum of two hundred; scarce no doubt
to European standards, but for a Toronto show, it's about 180 more
people than you'd expect to show up.
The first band to take the stage was Ichor, a band clouded in
mystery of whom I had yet to hear a sampling of music. All I knew was
that they were an industrial/ambient hybrid. As the band unfolded
their first song, all that was present on stage was one man, two
floor toms and a mic which was not used excessively. Then after about
two minutes of background ambience and tribal beatings, a second man
emerged to take hold of another set of two mid-toms. The tribal
beating now doubled in intensity, but nothing else changed except the
occasional highly distorted mumbling into the microphone. After about
two songs, a third man took the stage, and began beating on what
seemed to me at first as a pair of stage lights. They were in fact
some kind of metal drum set that gave off a very annoying, shrill
metallic sound. This man seemed to be the jack of all trades in the
band, for as the beating of the drums continued endlessly, this man
played the metal drums, took up bass guitar, tried his hand at the
keys and even put his lips to a trumpet! Ichor's set was interesting
to say the least, but I could not see them ever headlining a show and
playing for more than thirty minutes.
Next to assault the masses was Mundane. As per usual I took up
my spot of choice, front row centre, and got ready to receive an
injection of pure insanity. The band started their set with a song
taken from their stash of new material (which has not yet been
released, goddamnit!) and I could safely say gave the crowd, composed
mainly of industrial and gothic types, a shock and a half. Next came
an old classic from their debut album, _Seed_, entitled "Killing for
Forgiveness". Their set continued for approximately half an hour,
with the energy level only becoming stronger and stronger. My
particular favorites this time around were the classic "What's Left?"
and their newest 'hit,' "Drowning In The Mainstream". Sound-wise,
this was probably the best I've seen Mundane, although according to
drummer Scott, "This was our lazy show." One peeve I had was with
Vitor's (vocals/percussion) decision to keep the lights on him at a
minimum, denying people in the far recesses of the venue from
witnessing his unique stage presence.
Finally the time came for the band that most of the venue,
excluding myself, came to see: DHI (ie: Death and Horror Inc.) For
me, the jewel of the night had come and gone, but nevertheless, I've
been interested in catching DHI live since hearing their album
_Pressures Collide_. Before the set, the stage was jacked up to the
max. A plethora of lights were installed, smoke machines readied and
finally, the time came for the band to take its place. Although
Adrian complained about DHI's similarities to NIN, I being the NIN
ignorant person that I am, thought their sound was particularily
heavy and experimental in the same breath. The one aspect of this
band that I thoroughly enjoyed was their use of an electric violin,
played by a stunning female goth. The violin created the most amazing
atmosphere that is impossible to relate in words; suffice it to say
that the sounds evoked from the violin gave me chills that echoed
right to the soul.
Although circumstances prevented my staying for the entire DHI
set, I would definitely see them again. In fact, this show probably
ranks up there as one of my favorite small venue concerts in a long
time.
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A N E W M A I D E N I N A N E W E R A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iron Maiden at RPM in Toronto, February 11, 1996
with Fear Factory
by: Alain M. Gaudrault
These war horses refuse to surrender. After twenty years in
existence, metal veterans Iron Maiden are still recording, still
touring, still marching on despite lineup changes and shifting trends
in musical taste from a fickle public. This latest tour is a
milestone as it is the first one featuring new vocalist Blaze Bayley.
Paired up with relative newcomers Fear Factory, the show attracted a
wide variety of fans.
Fear Factory's set was decent, but personally, their mediocre
sophomore (and latest) album release has led to mediocre
performances. The crowd was visibly and audibly enthralled when the
band played selection from their debut album, _Soul of a New
Machine_. The newer material from _Demanufacture_, particularly the
Head of David cover "Dog Day Sunrise", wasn't nearly as impressive,
and didn't translate very well in a live setting. A good, solid set
nonetheless with few surprises.
Ten o'clock rolled around and the main attraction rolled out to
be greeted by enthousiastic fans, excited about the show, wary of the
new frontman's capabilities in a live setting. Not having been
impressed with the vocals on the band's latest opus, _The X Factor_,
I didn't expect much but was relieved to find that Bayley seems to
fit in just fine with Maiden, and did excellent renditions of such
Maiden classics as "Wrathchild", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "The
Trooper", and "2 Minutes to Midnight", as well as more recent Maiden
offerings. Bayley shined on the group's latest songs, of course, and
even gave them an edge I found was lacking on the recording. I came
away from their set wanting more, and even considering picking up
their latest slab to give it another chance. And isn't that what
touring's all about?
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W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gino's Top 5
1. Exit-13 - _Ethos Musick_
2. Slayer - _Hell Awaits_
3. Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_
4. Carcass - _Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious_
5. Type O Negative - _Bloody Kisses_
Adrian's Top 5
1. Sepultura - _Roots_ (advance)
2. Skrew - _Shadow of Doubt_
3. Neurosis - _Through Silver In Blood_
4. 13MG - _Trust And Obey_
5. Only Living Witness - _Innocents_
Brian's Top 5
1. Spastic Ink - _Ink Complete_ (advance)
2. Dark Tranquility - _Of Chaos and Eternal Night_
3. Dawn - _Naer Solen Gar Niber For Evogher_
4. In Flames - _Lunar Strain_
5. Eucharist - _A Velvet Creation_
Alain's Top 5
1. Kreator - _Cause for Conflict_
2. Obliveon - _Cybervoid_ (advance)
3. Dissection - _Storm of the Light's Bane_
4. Comecon - _Fable Frolic_
5. Hypocrisy - _Abducted_
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T H E F I N A L W O R D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.... And that concludes another exciting chapter in the ongoing saga
of Chronicles of Chaos. Tune in next month for another healthy dose
of brutality and barbarism, of chaos and carnage, of death and
destruction, same CoC-time, same CoC-channel. Ciao!
-- Gino Filicetti
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #8
