_________ .__ .__ .__ \_ ___ \| |_________ ____ ____ |__| ____ | | ____ ______ / \ \/| | \_ __ \/ _ \ / \| |/ ___\| | _/ __ \ / ___/ \ \___| Y \ | \( <_> ) | \ \ \___| |_\ ___/ \___ \ \______ /___| /__| \____/|___| /__|\___ >____/\___ >____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ _____ _________ .__ _____/ ____\ \_ ___ \| |__ _____ ____ ______ / _ \ __\ / \ \/| | \\__ \ / _ \/ ___/ ( <_> ) | \ \___| Y \/ __ \( <_> )___ \ \____/|__| \______ /___| (____ /\____/____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-zine, September 5, 1995, Issue #2 Co-Editor: Adrian Bromley Co-Editor: Gino Filicetti (_DeaTH_ on #metal) Assitant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault Web Page Manager: Brian Meloon Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder --> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and a bio to: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CHRONICLES OF CHAOS 57 Lexfield Ave Downsview Ont. M3M-1M6, Canada Fax: (416) 693-5240 Voice: (416) 693-9517 Email: ginof@io.org -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 from 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 . HOW TO SUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a message with "SUBSCRIBE coc-ezine " 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 , 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 at 'http://www.geom.umn.edu:8000/~bmeloon/music/coc/coc.html' If you have any comments or suggestions, please email Brian Meloon . >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #2 Contents, 9/2/95 ------------------------- Editorial * Feature Stories -- Dismember: Growing To Become the 'Perfect' Metal Band -- Industrial Metal the Meshuggah Way -- Benediction: Revamping the Past, ... Sort Of -- Beware the German Invasion: An Interview with Pyogenesis * Chaotic Chat Sessions -- Morbid Angel Mortally Exposed -- Grip Inc in The Grip of Fame -- Testify's Truest Testimonials -- Septic Flesh in the Flesh * Independant Interrogations -- Independant Feature: Enthroned -- Darkheave * Record Revelations -- Pyogenesis - _Twinaleblood_ -- Sinister - _Hate_ -- Therion - _Lepaca Kliffoth_ -- Various Artists - _Sonic Obliteration Vol I_ -- Dismember - _Massive Killing Capacity_ -- Benediction - _The Dreams You Dread_ -- Brujeria - _Raza Odiada_ -- Souls at Zero - _Taste For The Perverse_ -- Crypt of Kerberos - _World of Myths_ * New Noise -- Filthboy - _Filthboy_ -- Aeon - _Demo #1_ and _Demo #2_ -- Darkheave - _No Life 'til Pedro_ -- Embrace - _Embrace_ * What We Have Cranked * The Final Word =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= E D I T O R I A L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Talking with several record companies over the last few weeks (Nuclear Blast, Relapse Records, Energy Records, Utopian Vision Music - the list goes on) in an attempt to get this whole e-zine deal off the ground, I must admit, there is a positive attempt by many of these record companies, whether they are major death metal/metal labels or independent ones, to keep the need for metal alive in this day and age where alternative and the 'new punk' sound is the music of today - the mainstream. Good for them. As if they didn't give a damn, eh? It is 1995 and metal has, like it has done many times before in some form or another, taken the backseat in the music industry once again over the last few years. Unlike when metal - death, doom, grind and all other styles - was once on the rise, it has slowly crept back into a hole, waiting to unleash a new breed of metal and bring back the sound, image, and style of new and old metal bands alike. Listen to bands like Meshuggah (see this issue), Fear Factory, or Amorphis. These bands are pretty much newcomers to the scene, yet with all three delivering an explosive aural assault of riffs and vocals, mixed samples, or atmospheric visions. They are making headway in the advancement of metal once again. As we look into the future, bands like Deicide, Morbid Angel, Napalm Death, Obituary, and Death will always stand as staples of metal music. They have developed and strengthened the core audience of this musical genre for years; but it is now up to the new bands to pick up the pace and do battle with whatever obstacles they must face to keep metal alive. Like the 'New Breed' of metal that Fear Factory's Burton C. Bell spoke about in CoC #1, or just the growth and maturity of metal in general, both Gino and I feel that this e-zine will go along with the flow of the industry and are both hoping that the e-zine here will have a future as bright as what seems to be ahead for the world of metal music. Stay heavy and strive for everything chaotic. -- Adrian Bromley =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= D I S M E M B E R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Growing To Become the 'Perfect' Metal Band by: Adrian Bromley Stockholm's Dismember surfaced during the late-80's thrash/death metal wave that was on its way out of the gutter and into the mainstream. Bands like Slayer, Napalm Death, Death, Overkill and Megadeth were happening and metal's following was on the up and up. Nowadays, those bands are still plugging away, and almost seven years later Dismember is still around and still delivering those sturdy, metallic riffs that ooze with strength and persistence, a sound that has been associated with Dismember ever since the band's inception (circa 1988 - demos and all) and release of their well-received debut album _Like An Ever Flowing Stream_ in 1991. The band's sophomore album _Indecent and Obscene_ showed us a much more direct band that was willing to mold into the 'perfect' band whether it be by touring, recording or success. The album did well but didn't escalate the band to heights that the band wanted to reach with their second outing. Now with their third full length effort (the band released a 3-song CD-EP entitled _Casket Garden_ in February), _Massive Killing Capacity_, Dismember is hoping to stir up some of the intrigue and notoriety that their debut album brought them. Drummer Fred Estby explains the band's transition from album two to three. "I think there has been a lot more involvement and input from all the members of the band this time around. Not that it wasn't like that before, but while making this album the guys in the band did a lot more writing." He adds, "I also think we have brought in influences from the 'old school of metal.'" But in order for a band like Dismember to see more success, exposure or change, is it necessary to showcase their influences within their music? "We have always shown our influences in our music," explains Estby, "but not to the extent that we have with this album." The band, also featuring vocalist Matti Karki, guitarists David Blomqvist and Robert Senneback, and bassist Richard Cabeza, has grown over the years through line-up changes, European tours and recording. The one element that has managed to stay the same since the release of _Like ..._ is the working conditions of the band while recording. Amazingly enough the band has always worked with good friend/producer Tomas Skogsberg, always assisting in twiddling the knobs while shacked up in the famous Sunlight Studios (home to other bands such as Entombed and Grave) to record their albums. Do these two elements help shape the sound of Dismember? "Yes they do," he answers. "It was there (Sunlight Studios) that we found our sound and with him (Skogsberg) we were able to develop our sound. He was very easy to work with and always has been helpful adding ideas." Working to keep the Dismember sound, going into the studio, what did the band want to come out showing the metal buying public? "We wanted to show people that we kept our sound and that we went another step further. We tried to do a wide album, to show people that we can do different types of songs and still sound like Dismember. We also wanted a better sound." Describing the album, Estby says, "This is an intense wide album." With such a set plan going into the studio and several releases under their belts, you'd think that this album was a breeze to put together. Not the case. "It was more work to do this album but it felt right," says Estby with sincerity. "We took a lot more time to record (9 months - but he says it was in two week spurts) but it was great." He concludes, "It was great that we took so long to do the album to have it sound great but it was also frustrating not to have an album out when we should have had one out." Plans to get back into the studio faster next time around? Estby provides some insight on new material. "We have already been talking about releasing an EP in November because it has been a while between albums and we don't like it that way." Any ideas on the direction the band will take with newer material? "Sound wise we want to make the songs sound different from each other. We want an album that will show off what we can do." Breaking away from the work put into _Massive Killing Capacity_, the discussion of the interview turns to the role of metal and the direction that it is following. Estby adds his views on metal: "There are so many different kinds of metal out there. Just watch heavy metal shows like Headbanger's Ball and you can see how it has changed. I hear that a lot of people are saying metal is a dying breed or being written off and that isn't true. It seems to be that the harder music is gaining more press and selling more these days than ten years back. There are so many bands out there doing so well." What was or has been the hardest period of time (within the eight years of their existence) that they have had to face? He begins, "The first album did well and sold more than people had expected it to do. That was the easy time. The hardest time was when the _Indecent And Obscene_ album didn't do as well as the first album and that we had a lot of time between those albums. And despite the strong support that we are getting from our label (Nuclear Blast Germany) a lot of people are telling us that this is a win or lose album, so I guess that that would make the time leading up to the album being the hardest thing we have seen since forming," he says But this band has been fortunate, unlike some metal bands out there sludging through all the hassles just to get recognized or develop a following. "I think that when we started out we wanted to sell lots of albums and tour and that is what happened to us. We were able to see it come true and we were happy. I think there are a lot of bands that should have the same opportunities that we had. We've never earned a lot of money from our albums, and we haven't sold a million records, but being able to go out and tour, to talk to people and be able to play music in front of lots of people from the six tours in Europe (and one US tour) we have done, the experience has been worth it." Any word of advice or ideas to knock some sense into the heads of those that say metal is dead? "I'm not really sure of what has to happen to bring back more interest in metal but perhaps people shouldn't think too much about what the big masses think or listen to. I think when people hear music, they can tell if the band is doing it because they like it or if they are out to make money. I think people who write music need to be honest first." Finishing up, Estby adds, "I think we are honest and our music shows it." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I N D U S T R I A L M E T A L T H E M E S H U G G A H W A Y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley -- "I never thought of us as a death metal band" - Meshuggah bassist Peter Nordin about the industrial metal direction of the band Since the inception of Sweden's Meshuggah in 1987, the band has evolved from a generic thrash/death metal band to a very innovative and experimental crossover band that meshes together the droves and hardness of industrial music, entwined within the speed and frenzy of metal. Their latest effort on Germany's Nuclear Blast Records, _Destroy Erase Improve_, is nothing short of stunning. Speaking with Peter Nordin, he quickly offers an explanation of the plans that Meshuggah took into the studio while recording _Destroy Erase Improve_, a much different album than others in the past. "When we were making this album we went into the studio wanting a new sound, a better sound that was a bit more aggressive," accounts Nordin. "That was the main focus of the album. We just wanted a heavy record." How would he describe the new album? "I see the album as a mixed record that draws influences from several music styles and molds them together to make hard, aggressive music." Since their self-titled debut album on Sweden's small Garageland Records in 1987, the music of the band has definitely shifted. While listening to previous efforts such as 1991's _Contradictions Collapse_ or last year's _None_, many will see that this switch to an industrial edge was in the works. The band slowly evolved into what they now are. Why the changes in music style? "I can't explain why we decided to go onto a more industrial sound. Perhaps we wanted to be more intense and a bit more straight on with the songs," he said. "I don't know, we just evolved." One cannot withstand being drawn in by the opener "Future Breed Machine" or the verbal and musical assault provided by wreckers "Catatonic Transfixon" or "Suffer In Truth" found on the new LP. As a whole, _Destroy Erase Improve_ is about as musically solid and mesmerizing as Fear Factory's sophomore epic _Demanufacture_. It is hard, fast and furious; changing at a feverish pace from roaring riffs to catastrophic noises and sounds. The shapeshifting qualities of _Destroy Erase Improve_ are its finest assets. But seeing that the music has steadily advanced since the early days and the band has made an effort to do different things each time out, does Nordin and the rest of the band - vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Marten Hagstrom and Frederick Thorendahl, and drummer Thomas Haake - feel that they need to bring about consistent changes to be happy with their music or be successful? "I think so," begins Nordin. "In the beginning it was hard keeping the Meshuggah sound consistent and original but we became better musicians and played hard. Now it just seems a lot easier for us to play the music we play now." He pauses and finishes, "Perhaps our music will change drastically in the future but that is the way we want it." The band's latest offering was recorded at Soundfront Studios in Uppsala, Sweden and produced by 20-ront Studios in Uppsala, Sweden and produced by 20-year-old Danne Bergstrand (someone who Nordin praises very highly) who helped mold their hard riffs and the clanging noise brought on by the industrial edge that they welcome so openly into their music. "A majority of the reviews for this album have been good but some have said that the album sounds too clean and that the songs are hard to get into," says Nordin about press for the new LP. "I think that is what makes this album great. The diversity of the songs." As if reviews could really damage the band's outlook on the musical growth? Nordin responds, "I want to write music where people will go, 'Yeah! That song sounds cool I think I will hear it again and again.' Hopefully they will hear it 5 or 6 more times that day. I think that kind of response is what we have done with Destroy Erase Improve." As popular or as well known as Meshuggah may be in Europe, little has been heard of them here in North America. Will Meshuggah ever tour here and if so when? Nordin starts to talk about the band's very successful tour last spring with Oakland, California hardcore/metal homies Machine Head and responds to the question, "I think on that tour it showed us off to a lot of people. Touring with them (Machine Head) was great because they play aggressive music too and we were a good mixture of bands and styles." About coming to the States or Canada Nordin says, "We have a few opportunities to come over there and play but it is very important for us to go out and tour with the right band." Seeing that Meshuggah does a fair amount of touring in Europe and having seen how the scene changes over the years, is it hard for Meshuggah to gain the much needed respect that metal bands need over there to stay in the spotlight? "It is a real problem for us to do well in the metal market. I think a lot of death metal fans don't like our music. I'm hoping that we can break into another form of audience now with Destroy Erase Improve. I'm hoping so." The future starts now for Meshuggah. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E N E D I C T I O N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Revamping the Past, ... Sort Of by Adrian Bromley "I had to fight to get into this band," recalls Benediction frontman Dave Ingram about taking over the helm after the departure of original singer Mark "Barney" Greenway to Napalm Death. "I guess they (the band) really saw that I wanted to do it. They probably saw the fire in my eyes." And so the determination of this Birmingham quintet - guitarists Peter Rew and Darren Brookes, drummer Neil Hutton, and Frank Healy on bass make up the rest of the band - is once again back with the release of their much anticipated Nuclear Blast Records release. _The Dreams You Dread_ is an 11-song offering that molds together past and present Benediction sounds and song styles, and an album that serves as thanks to all their fans. "It came together because of a lot of the mail that we got from our European and American fans asking us, 'Would you be able to do an album like _Subconscious Terror_?' (the band's 1990 debut album) because that is the album that sticks in everybody's head when they think of Benediction." About the issue of whether or not to go back to basics, Ingram says, "We sat around in the studio and decided to go do an album where we would go back to the basics instead of making an album that was overly technical. It is like going one step back but it is an evolution for Benediction. It is like a mixture of them both: it is technical but it is still basic." "So because the fans have backed us and supported us for the last seven and a half years we decided to call the album _The Dreams You Dread_ (the name of their first demo), kind of like a Thank You to the fans for all of the support." This time around, unlike material and sounds of previous efforts like _Dark Is The Season_ (1992) or _Transcend The Rubicon_ (1993), Benediction felt that the band needed to find themselves. Soul searching never killed anyone, eh? Talking about how their latest effort was put together (18 months of writing and six weeks of recording) Ingram notes, "We just tried to do different things with this album and use the new technology we had in the studio. We've never really rushed an album," mentions Ingram about the lengthy time put into this album. "You have to take time when making a record. If you rush it and put material down on record and it is crap, it is there for eternity." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E W A R E T H E G E R M A N I N V A S I O N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Interview with Pyogenesis by: Gino Filicetti -- "We are just playing the music we want to, we are playing the music that we'd buy from other bands." - Vocalist/Guitarist Flo Melody and anguish are two things so seemingly different from each other that it would seem absurd to string these two words together in one sentence. However, when it comes to Pyogenesis, there are no other words that could correctly describe this German outfit. Formed in 1990, Pyogenesis started out as your run of the mill, everyday death metal project, but by 1995 they have grown to become one of the best purveyors of melodic soulful metal. The band consists of Flo and Tim, both sharing the double duties of vocals and guitars, Roman on bass, and skinsman Wolle. The band's first two demos were released on two small South American labels that didn't live up to the band's expectations; "Well the deal was they wanted to do 1000 7 inch's and we were supposed to get two hundred but we only got thirty, so the band was really angry because we were ripped off, we were full of anger when this happened and we are hoping that we are gonna get the 170 copies left." Undetered, the band set out to find a new label on which to release their debut. In September of 1992, the band found, or more correctly, was found by Osmose Records of France who were interested in the way in which the band was progressing towards the melodic side of metal, and away from the generic death metal sound. "When I came to Pyogenesis, we didn't play death metal anymore, it was boring at that time. The music was more melodic and that's what Osmose liked because they got a tape with two rehersal songs with the new melodic sound and they wanted to do it; they liked it and asked us whether we were interested and we said yes." After being signed to the black metal-oriented label, Pyogenesis released their debut mini-CD _Ignis Creatio_. Despite being very well received by the media and fans alike, Pyogenesis were unsatisfied with the treatment they received at the hands of Osmose; "Well you know Osmose is a black metal label, and we never were satanic but they wanted us to be. So on an ad they promoted us as 'Devilish' and a promoter of Osmose said in an interview with a big German magazine that 'Pyogenesis don't have satanic lyrics but they have other ways to show their satanism.' It's the main reason why we split." Once again the band was left 'sans-label' and so the search began all over again. This time it would be Nuclear Blast that would take on the task of supporting one of metal's brightest gems. "Nuclear Blast are much more professional [than Osmose]. They really trust in us, they put a lot of money into the new CD. I think right now we'll be the best promoted band ever on Nuclear Blast. Markus Staiger, the owner of Nuclear Blast, said this (_Twinaleblood_) is the most important CD for Nuclear Blast so far." The band's brand new recording, _Twinaleblood_ (slated for a November 6th release in Europe), shows the band to be progressing further away from generic metal and towards emotional, thought-provoking melody. Although still very much a metal band, Pyogenesis show that there are still many unopened doors, and many untravelled paths that are just waiting to be found. "I don't have to say it, but metal is becoming more and more boring. It's always the same and I listen to lots of other styles of music. It inspires me too you know, I am listening a lot to techno music and some parts in the techno music inspire me to write the riffs for Pyogenesis." Pyogenesis' last album also showed a higher level of progression for the band, but was still labeled as death metal, even though the band doesn't really believe themselves to be death metal. "If I loved death metal, I would want to be a death metal band, but I don't hate death metal." The band's influences vary as much as their musical direction, showing that the best music can only come from a wide selection of musical tastes. "I used to love Cemetary from Sweden. I like Kyuss and Smashing Pumpkins, they are GODS!" The future of metal and of music in general is as uncertain today as it was 15 years ago when the new breed of thrash metal maniacs were just bursting onto a still young and thriving scene. Predicting what's in store for metal in the next few years is akin to predicting the outcome of a walk down a dark alley at 2am, but melody and emotion seem to be the dominant factors being integrated into metal today. "I think death metal is dying. There are only quite a few real death metal bands left, most of them play the melodic style or go back to grind but real death metal stuff is dying. Like Morbid Angel, they were REALLY big five years ago, but they still think they are stars." Right now, Pyogenesis are rehearsing and preparing for the going out onto the road and getting out of the rehearsal room. "We are rehearsing each week with the same songs, I can't hear them anymore!" In past the band had toured with Liverpool's Anathema, an experience that they'll never forget; "It (the tour) was really great because you play every night in another town and people come to watch your show and it's just really cool when you're in Paris for example, which is 1000 kilometers away from my home and people like your music." Expect this powerful foursome to hit a European town near you early in '96. Pyogenesis look to be doing two support tours and headlining as well. Be sure to catch this band on the rise, and get a sneak preview into the future of this beast called 'metal'. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _______ __ _ _______ __ / ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/ ____ _ / __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___ _\ \/ -_|_-<(_- CoC: We're in a laundromat just down the road from the Opera House on Queen Street East in Toronto, where Morbid Angel will be playing. I'll begin by delving a bit into your past Erik, namely your previous band, Ripping Corpse. What caused Ripping Corpse's demise? Erik: Everybody in the band just got sick and tired of working at it. See for me, I mean I'm 24 years old, so it's like I've been doing it for about 8 years, and I guess Ripping Corpse lasted for about 5 or 6 years, and everybody wanted to take a break, while I pretty much didn't want to take a break at all, I just wanted to keep working. The band broke up and I just started working on my own project, which I'm still doing. CoC: What's the name of the band? Erik: It's called Rutan, it's just my last name. I have Alex (Webster) from Cannibal Corpse who's playing bass, and it's a very different thing, it's different from Ripping Corpse, different from Morbid Angel, it's very heavy but melodic. CoC: So your joining Morbid Angel didn't promote the demise of Ripping Corpse since the band had already broken up? Erik: No, people seem to like trying to associate that, but that's not the case. The band broke up, and I was still working on my project when Morbid Angel called me up and wanted me to tour again. I felt I was at a low, I mean, you spend 6 years in a band and you think that's it. We did an album, we lost our deal, I thought that was it, but that was just the beginning. Now I'm on a different planet! CoC: Were there any general tryouts at all for filling in the guitarist slot in Morbid Angel? Erik: There was a tryout I guess for me, they flew me down but I don't think they would've flown me down if they didn't feel secure that they thought I could do it. I mean they paid for me to fly down and stay in a hotel for a week and stuff like that, because at the time, I really didn't have much money. They took care of me, bought me some equipment and made sure I had all the right necessities. I also had to play on different equipment, a different guitar, because Trey had been working on the sound for quite a long time and he wanted to keep that the same. I was anxious because I didn't know if I'd be able to pull it off. I was thinking "Man, I'm gonna go down there and just devastate, I have to". CoC: Do you any idea why Richard Brunelle left? Erik: He never really wrote any material, I think that was part of it. Trey wanted somebody that could write material, that could add to the flavour of the band, kind of expand into a different dimension, rather than Trey who, up to Domination, had written everything, you know, and I guess Richard was writing in a different style and not writing really towards Morbid Angel and I guess he felt that he wanted to go in a separate way, and everyone in the band felt that they should go separate ways. Richard was just back basically to fill in for the Black Sabbath tour. The split was a mutual thing. Richard's a great guitar player and he's a very good guy. I've known the guy for a long time, but he just went to a different dimension. He's working on another project right now. CoC: Some fans have indicated that Morbid Angel seems to be running out of fresh ideas, that the first two albums were the band's creative peak, and that the group is losing steam with _Covenant_ and _Domination_, the latest two releases. What do you say to those people? Erik: Everybody has their own opinions about everything, but I feel _Domination_ has a wide variety of material, from the slowest pace to songs like "This Means War" which is blistering speed. The creativity on this album I think is the best. I think _Domination_ is the best album yet, and I think the band feels that way. I mean, I love every album equally, but the clarity of _Domination_ is superior. Besides, the lead work, Trey's leads I think on this album really shine. I'm really happy with my lead work, and the songwriting on this album is the best, and people seem to lose sight of the actual song, rather than a rhythm here and a rhythm there. That's great for some good bands who have great rhythms, but do they have great songs? To make a song like "Where the Slime Live", that song to me is unbelievable, I love that song. Or "Dawn of the Angry", I mean that's just so brutal, and even "This Means War". Really, I haven't had many people say that to me, but the people that do, they're saying that now, the album just came out but, 6 months down the road hopefully they'll have changed their minds about it. CoC: Let's diverge a bit and address the issue of Morbid Angel, and David in particular, being accused of supporting white supremacist ideologies, making certain derogatory remarks against black people in particular. Erik: That's just absurd. I don't know, people try to tear up our band with their quotes and bullshit, but it's meaningless to me. People have been trying to bring down the band for so long it seems, and they'll say anything to cause a stir, but it's not true. David plays with a black drummer in the Genitorturers (Gen of the Genitorturers is David's wife), and Pete's South American. That's all just ridiculous. CoC: There's a definite anti-christian bend in the lyrical direction, usually portrayed through satanic imagery. Is this only a tool used to offend christians or is there a set of beliefs held within the band that tends toward satanism of any kind? Erik: Offense is not meant to be given to anybody. It's not like a lot of satanic bands, but it's just that everybody has their own beliefs in this band, and it's more than a satanic image, I know for myself and Trey and everybody else, we all believe in the Ancient Ones who are ancient Sumerian demons, which is vastly different than Satanism. We all dabble into Satanism beliefs a little bit, but not solely held down by that. All the lyrics, as far as David's concerned, they come from his heart. They're not meant to offend. If people are offended then that's their problem, but Morbid Angel's all about feeling. All the songs, everything's completely about feeling. The only statement we try to make is to believe in yourself, don't fall into trends, believe in yourself and whatever empowers yourself to conquer is what should be done without bleeding onto other people, at no-one else's expense but your own. We try to keep a positive image even though some people perceive what we're about to be negative, to us it's completely positive, and that's succeeding. CoC: Is this strictly a North American tour or will you also be doing Europe and Japan? Erik: We'll tour Europe immediately after the States. Immediately after that we're going to Australia ... and New Zealand actually. CoC: Who opens for the European and Australian legs of the tour? Erik: For the European tour, ... There's a band called Immortal, I think they're opening for us in Europe. I always look forward to Europe because Europe's a great place to tour. I just like it because it's different. I'm from America, so you go to Europe, it's a whole new surrounding, you get to talk to different people, it's great, I love it. CoC: One final question on the direction of death metal in general. Some say that it's a dying genre which will eventually go the way of speed metal, either dying out completely or going to a more commercial incarnation. Where do you see death metal going in the next 5 to 10 years? Erik: I see death metal pretty much dead already, and the cream of the crop is still growing and producing, but everyone else is really going to have a hard time within the death metal genre. There's so many bands that came out while it was cool, while it was happening back in 1989 to like 1991. Everyone signed everybody and didn't really realize which band's great and which band blows. Unfortunately it became so overpopulated that bands started getting dropped from their labels. Up and coming bands can't even get a deal. I know bands, like these guys named Eulogy in Florida, I mean they're a great band, and Nokturnel, these other bands I know of that are really great bands but they're having such a hard time getting signed, it's a shame. Erik: You see, Morbid Angel, we have our own scene. Morbid Angel fans are devoted to Morbid Angel. It's funny, we get so many new fans now, 14 year old kids, you know? You keep continuing on, and growing bigger, because every album consistently is selling more records. _Domination_ is doing incredibly right now. Everything is going well for us, although I can't say the same for other bands. Whoever wants to stay with a career in this type of music, they need to work really hard. That's why we're touring non-stop. We did a video, we do in-stores, we try to do anything possible to help this band succeed. We don't have any plans of going down the way many bands have, we want to stay and keep going without compromising. We don't compromise, we didn't compromise on _Domination_, we did what we felt, and every other album will be that way. We'll never "sell-out" if you will, or change the integrity of the band or the feeling. And notice that every album since _Alters of Madness_ has been consistently different than the last one, and that's the way it'll always be. We're just going to keep going, we're not going to stop, it's like a train, really. I mean for myself, I know I've got a lot of material I want to put out, I've got plenty of ideas, and Trey has plenty of ideas. I'm not even at my prime yet, I'm still on the way up. Material definitely is not a problem in this band, there's never a lack of material, and now that me and Trey are together, there's two people writing the music. It'll just becoming more and more creative." G R I P I N C I N T H E G R I P O F F A M E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley This month CoC sat down to talk with two of Grip Inc.'s key members, singer Gus Chambers and drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer skinsman). After the drummer's departure from Slayer, Lombardo recruited Chambers, bassist Jason Viebrooks and guitarist/producer Waldemar Sorychta to join forces in providing the metal scene with a force that not only played thrashing metal music, but was able to experiment with different sounds. This character of diversity best describes their Metal Blade debut release _Power Of Inner Strength_. While on tour, Lombardo and Chambers spoke with CoC about touring, Grip Inc.'s material, and anything else that came to mind. Here's how it went: Q & A: CoC: With the presence of alternative and punk rooted music being seen as the main success story of music nowadays, do you think metal is on a downfall? Dave Lombardo: "I think the reason that alternative has taken such a major turn is because it is the only fresh thing in music nowadays. Metal has gotten very stale." He adds, "I think metal needs a good kick in the butt and that is what we are here to do." CoC: What is Grip Inc's plan to show fans of the metal scene about the band? What do they want to express with themselves and their music? Gus Chambers: "We want to show people that we are who we are and that we don't need to wear any stage clothes. What we wear on stage is what we wear on the street. To show them that image means nothing for us." Dave Lombardo: "We want to show people that we don't need an image to express ourselves. We've got the music to do that." CoC: What has it been like to tour as Grip Inc? (the band has already toured Europe with Motorhead and is playing several US dates with Morbid Angel) Gus Chambers: It has been great. Fantastic. The music that we made is really fantastic. It has been very easy for us and the music flows and you don't have to force anything, it is like we are all hooked together. The chemistry amongst us is very natural." CoC: Does Grip Inc feel challenged by other bands out there? Dave Lombardo: "I feel challenged to do better and do more. I feel like I always have to keep learning, try new technology and listen to what everyone is doing." He adds, "If you keep taking it in then eventually you will continue to grow and create new stuff." CoC: It seems as though the music of Grip Inc is an evolving process, a lot of the music seems to be in a realm all its own, and that there is definitely a lot of routes the future music of Grip Inc can take. What will the music for the next album be like? Dave Lombardo: "I feel it is going to get very experimental. We have many influences and we can't hold ourselves back from bringing those influences out." He goes on to say, "It will still be metal and of course be heavy, but it will have little elements between songs. We want people to say, 'This is cool.' This band has potential to grow this way and that way. Eventually we want to be an all-around band." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T E S T I F Y ' S T R U E S T T E S T I M O N I A L S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley Aggro-metallers Testify are on a mission to be seen, heard and respected in 1995. Since the band - comprised of Myk Jung (vox), Rascal Nikov (bass), Moses W. (guitar), Ulf (guitar), and Shoby (drums) - began in 1992, they have released an LP entitled _Testify 01_ (garnering them critical acclaim in North America and Europe), and have toured quite extensively for the last few years in Europe. This has allowed them to gain a hardcore fan base for their music. After several weeks of trying to track them down, the band finally responded to CoC's questions about themselves and the aggro-industrial-metal music that they play. In Q&A form, we discover that these hard-edged aggro-metallers do seem to have a sense of humor. CoC: What fuels the fire within the band? Is there a key point that brings the band together to play as one? Rascal: We are never completely satisfied with what we've done, and that simple reason drives us forward. Myk: The keypoint that keeps us working together, as I've often stated it before: Our dissatisfaction with this world and with ourselves. That makes us continue, to save the world and ourselves. CoC: How important is it for the band to keep up with current sounds and trends? Are the trends avoided? Moses: We don't avoid any trends. They are sucked up by us. We are 'The Trendsuckers,' a new Marvel Comics super hero group. Never heard of us before? CoC: Is metal/industrial music still accepted or is it a struggle nowadays to keep it alive? Is it passe? Rascal: No it is neither of the two. Metal/industrial will grow in Europe as well as in the States. It will be the 90's metal. CoC: Musically or spiritually, what does Testify provide their listeners or fans with that no other band does? Myk: 'I am eaten off by helpless wrath' - If anybody is in danger to feel something like this, then it would be the right thing to listen to Testify. I am sure that there are other bands offering quite a similar medicine, I don't care, I have to get rid of my helplessness and Testify helps. Moses: I think we have quite an original, specific way to combine atmospheric noises with guitar sounds. CoC: What are the influences that got you guys into this genre of music? Rascal: Oh, we have many influences but I'm praying that Myk doesn't mention any specific ones. If so, everybody will discover that everything we do is a cheap copy of things already done before ... and better. CoC: Does the fact that bands like Ministry and NIN had to go 'commercial' to see some success bother you? Will Testify go that route to see success as well? Myk: Do you really mean that Ministry went 'commercial' in regards to what they have done musically? I don't think so. Their Psalm 69 album was a great success, of course, but to me it was a continuous development, a logical step after their other previous albums. Rascal: Testify on the other hand will go commercial, quite possibly seeing something like Bryan Adams starting to take shape. For more information on Testify (and/or jokes) contact them at: Van Richter Records P.O. Box 13321 La Jolla, Ca. 92039-3321 Voice: (619) 452-2322 Fax: (619) 453-1799 Email: vrichter@netcom.com WWW: http://lab11.me.gatech.edu/vanrichter/ S E P T I C F L E S H I N T H E F L E S H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Maheras Panos Death masters Septic Flesh, one of the leading acts from Greece, are back with their newest opus _Esoptron_ on Holy Records. CoC gets to know more from Sotiris (guitar) and Spyros (bass/vocals) ... _Mystic Places Of Dawn_, the first CD from the band released in 1993 on Holy Records, received very good reviews and in my opinion it was another excellent release from Holy Records. The second full length CD (along with the EP _Temple Of The Lost Race_ back in 1992, which was available only through mail-order) is finally out, and the guys are back on the music racks for good. Sotiris: Our new album _Esoptron_ was completed in May. The recordings lasted for one month in Storm studios, with Magus Wampyr Diaoloth (Necromantia/Rotting Christ/etc.) on the production duties. His selection had to do with his experience. Spyros: Yeah, he is the best death metal producer in Greece. CoC: _Mystic Places Of Dawn_ received very good reviews from just about everywhere. What about from the sales point of view? Did it do well? Spyros: The sales can be described as very satisfactory, since we have exceeded 8,000 copies and we are expecting to break the barrier of 10,000 in the very near future. Besides that, we have managed to grow bigger in terms of appreciation, since we took part in many compilation albums, with the last of them being _Death Is Just The Beginning III_ from Nuclear Blast. CoC: Your contract with Holy Records was for two albums. Now, after the release of _Esoptron_, will you search for a new and possibly bigger label which will contribute more to your future plans? Spyros: At this moment Holy does a fine job, better than some of the 'bigger' labels. We are quite pleased with our label and the term 'bigger' doesn't mean that a 'smaller' label can't give you the support you need. Holy Records are absolutely a fine choise for us. Sotiris: Of course, if we get a better offer from another label that can fulfill our expectations then why shouldn't we move on to that label? CoC: Are there any plans for touring in Greece or abroad? Sotiris: It is something that we want very much, but we have to first find some standard group members or at least a couple of session musicians on the second guitar and the keyboards, because we want to play live the same songs as on the CDs. In Greece, it's difficult to find people with our points of view, because we are very demanding. Spyros: That's why we have had so many changes in our line-up all these years! With drummers especially, we faced a LOT of problems in the past. It's because we love our music so much, and we want to make it as good as possible. Sotiris: Besides, the difficulty to find members for the group with the proper musical education, we couldn't agree very easily as characters either. Me and Spyros have made our minds about what we are aiming for, and we also share common points of view in general. CoC: If we take it as a fact that Greek black metal is very popular among the underground black metal scene, can we safely say that it is time for some death metal groups to be known outside Greece and make similar success as the Black metal groups? Spyros: It's difficult to say, because in Black metal most of the groups are rubbish, while in Death metal there are many great groups. So, the competition in Black metal is not as strong as in Death metal. That statement goes for the labels too, and not only for the bands. The Greek black metal scene with groups like Rotting Christ and Necromantia is much better than the Scandinavian scene. Sotiris: Scandinavians pay more attention to speed and their makeup, while Greek groups prefer to show more character. If you read their lyrics it's mostly crap! Simple little things! Just the opposite side of Christianity. Black metal is not only about Satan - it has nothing to do with the true meaning of Satanism. What better proof than the fact that most of these groups now admit that whatever they did was out of a 'childhood's error' and they didn't believe any of it. Lyrics should be about your own imagination. Spyros: Let them do whatever they want, but do it with *quality*. Sotiris: I have to say that I hail all the groups which believe in what they say. I may not agree with them, but they are honest with themselves. Spyros: I'm pretty much sure that if those little kids made true any of the stuff that they imagine and talk about, they would fill their pants with shit!! CoC: Many people consider you the best local outfit. Do you share this opinion? Sotiris: When you create something, it means that it expresses your thoughts and satisfies you. So I like the music that I compose more than other people's music. This of course doesn't mean that other people will like it too. Each of us can have his own opinion on what he likes or not. CoC: What is your opinion on 'classic' heavy metal? Sotiris: I was brought up with this music. It offered me unique feelings and I have kept a place for it in my heart forever. That's why I'm very unhappy to see it's decline. Of course with all these other kinds of metal, it's still alive and it has many things to offer, but the original heavy metal doesn't give to us diamonds anymore as it did in the past. I would like to see more groups follow the true tradition of metal. All in all, Septic Flesh are a very impressive band, not only with their incredible, dreamy music but with their personalities as well. Today it is especially hard to find musicians playing modern music and having respect for their musical ancestors. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ::::::| :| :| :| ::| :::\ :':| :~~/ :::\ :~~/ :::\ :':| .::\ :::\ :::| ::::::|:|:| :::| :::, :::/ :::, :|:| :::| `::| :|:| :| :| ::::::| :| :| ++ ::| :::\ :::| :~~/ :::| :::| ,::\ /::| .::\ :::| :| ,::\ :::\ <::< ::::::|:|:| :| :::, :| :| `::/ \::| `::| :| :| `::/ :|:| >::> ,.:/ Here is where CoC gets the inside story on up and coming bands. Check out this column for all kinds of new and 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. I N D E P E N D A N T F E A T U R E : E N T H R O N E D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Gino Filicetti The small university town of Davis, California (20 miles west of Sacramento) is seemingly the last place in the world that one would ever think could spawn a band with the brutality and intensity of Enthroned. However, this band has turned more than a few heads, and crushed many of them in the process. Having garnered a strong cult following in their hometown, the band shows that even stuckup university people can have their eyes and ears opened to the true beauty of metal. The band consists of guitarist/frontman/founding father John Oster, vocalist Lyle Livingston (who is currently on doctor's orders not to sing for 3 to 4 months because of nodes on his vocal cords; his temporary replacement is Dan Renolds), bassist Rob Martin and drummer Cory Valdez. Probably the most interesting fact about Enthroned is John Oster's day job. John teaches seventh and ninth grade English at a local school. What does he think about being the teacher of young minds and then going out and crushing those same skulls with the music of Enthroned? "I treat them as two different entities. One is my job, and the other is my hobby. Being around kids lets me see that exposure to controversial lyrics does not turn them into serial killers! Most of them can separate reality from fiction. I should think that my being a teacher has taught them something: it is possible to play extreme music and still be a responsible person, not just a strung out loser! I've never had any complaints from parents or other teachers - everyone has been very supportive." Enthroned was formed when some of John's students asked him to play in a Band Jam that the school was currently having. After jamming with these kids, John realized how much he missed grinding the axe, so he set out to form his own 'real' band, and thus in June of 1991, Enthroned was born. The band has recorded four demo tapes, _Darkness Reigns_, _Cranial Damage_, _Gears_, and most recently, _Absence of Life_. (see CoC #1 for a review of _Absence of Life_) How does John think the band has progressed through each of these recordings? "Each one has gotten heavier and more complex. Our earlier tapes had a considerable amount of thrash influence (Kreator, Dark Angel, early Megadeth, etc.), but we decided to go in a heavier vein. So many bands are wimping/selling out, but not Enthroned! Instead, we are adding some classical/fusion/progressive elements to keep our music fresh and original." One of the elements of Enthroned's music that make it so appealing is the structure and complexity of their sound. Having extensive training playing the classical guitar, it is no wonder that John is able to pull off some of the more intricate leads on their new demo. "My training has provided me with a strong theory background that enables me to use more adventurous harmonies, plus more advanced playing techniques. I play a lot of classical guitar, which enables me to play the more difficult riffs and rhythms." As for live performances, Enthroned have played many shows in their hometown, and have even been banned from some venues. "There are only a few venues that book metal, but they treat the bands and fans like cattle. We've even been banned from a few due to the pits that break out! We're trying to find a warehouse to rent and put on our own shows so we don't have to kiss ass at the clubs anymore; you can only do that so long before your face starts to smell!" The band has also opened locally for a huge assortment of big name metal bands including Malevolent Creation, Forbidden, Machine Head, Brutal Truth, Pungent Stench and VIO-lence. However, they do not have any plans on touring. "Right now we have no tour plans. Tours would have to take place during the summer due to my teaching schedule." Does this mean that Enthroned do not have any plans for super stardom and conquering the world? "Well, I seriously doubt that would happen. Extreme metal bands just aren't going to make it big like Metallica. Look at Morbid Angel; they're one of the most famous and influential bands, and they've been around quite a while, but they're still playing clubs that hold 500-800 people and damn lucky to sell them out. I suppose I could take a year sabbatical for a tour, but I would never resign or give up my career. I've worked too hard to throw it away on a pipe dream. I'm content having local success, which we have, and making demos. But even if I didn't have a solid career, I'm not sure I'd be up to the stress and pressure of a tour. I don't like driving more than 50 miles, so the thought of embarking on a national or international tour is a real mindblower! I'm basically a homebody who loves to shred!! On the other hand, a million bucks? Hmmm...." Even though the band's demos have received great reviews from everyone who've been lucky enough to hear them, Enthroned haven't sparked much label interest. "I'd love to make a CD on a major or indie label, but most won't go for a studio band that doesn't tour. If so, then I'm there, dude! Making 'real' CDs would be cool, being known internationally and all." So what is in the books for Enthroned in the future? At this juncture, it is pretty hard to tell, but the band is just chugging along at their usual pace and are looking to perhaps release their next demo on CD, an awfully expensive task for a completely independant outfit, but nevertheless worth the time, effort, and money. Enthroned are perhaps the *true* incarnation of an underground band, and they are extremely grateful for it all. "We greatly appreciate the support from the underground scene, and I am really jazzed that there's an e-mail magazine! Go figure. Anyway, if anyone is interested in tapes or T-shirts, e-mail me at joster@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us. Also, check out our homepage at http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us:80/~joster." This just in from John Oster of ENTHRONED! STOP THE PRESS: WE'VE BEEN SIGNED!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I just got a letter from Lion Records in Poland (they are Vader's new label) and they offered us a deal. We supply a DAT of 8-10 songs and the cover art and they will produce 1000 copies on tape. If those sell out, they will issue it on MCD and CD!!! They have worldwide distribution, so plenty of people will hear about it. The only down side is that we have to pay for the recording sessions. We will re-record 2-3 tracks from "Gears", 4 from "Absence" (they want "Purple Haze", "Blood Storm", "Injection", and "Crimson Wings"), plus our 3 new tracks. D A R K H E A V E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Gino Filicetti It's always nice and refreshing to be able to hear, see and behold a band in its beginning stages of development. It's a good reminder of the fact that envigouring and fresh music always comes from the minds of the young. So enter Darkheave, one of Toronto's newest additions to its growing list of brutalily brilliant bands. The band consists of bassist Jon, rhythm guitarist Matt, lead guitarist Rob, drummer Mike, and singer Dharm. Although Jon and Matt have been together for over three years playing music and jamming out their aggressions, the band as a whole have been together for a little more than six months. However the band still offers this advice for bands that are just starting out, "Be as unique and original as possible and do what you want to do. You aren't going to end up contributing anything significant to music in general if you're copying riffs off other bands, stealing image and just pretending to be some other band that you like. No one is going to remember you... unless you're Pantera." The thing that the band appreciately the most about good music is its quality and song structure, they site some pretty varied influences, from White Zombie to Motorhead to Darkthrone to Deep Purple to Entombed. However after sitting in on only one Darkheave jam session, it is obvious that their major influence is of course (early) Metallica. The band has recorded one demo thus far, entitlied 'No Life 'til Pedro.' Suprisingly enough, the demo was record on a Tascam 464 four track recorder, in the basement! (see review at the end of this story) Although the demo was recorded, cut and packaged at the cutthroat cost of $20, the band has bigger and better plans for their next efforts, "Well the next step, obviously, is the studio. Either we want to do a demo and make it as small as possible, like three tracks, so we can spend as much time on those three tracks as possible, send it to labels and see if they're interested, or we'll do an album ourselves in the studio and see how that turns out, but probably the former, because doing an actual album in the studio yourself is ridiculously expensive." As for giging the band hasn't had much experience in the field. They did play a local battle of the bands, under a pseudo name for various unspecified reasons. "Well we've only been together for a very short period of time so getting the original stuff together is the most important part right now. We just want to get together with other local bands that are at the same stage as we are, do small gigs and see where that goes. No plans to open up for Metallica or anything, well, at least not yet." Although the band appreciate a good variety of metal music, they are disappointed in which the way metal has been progressing in the 1990's, "It's just a boring time, not much has changed really since 1991. The music has gotten out of hand to the point where it isn't about music anymore it's about being as heavy as possible or how mean you look for videos, and the brutality of the image. It has nothing to do with music anymore. But a band like Entombed, they are one of the best acts in the world, or in the history of metal, and I guess they're mostly a product of the 1990's so it can't be all bad." The band also has strong opinions on what is important in music today, they refuse to follow ANY of the current trends that are prevalent in metal today, instead opting for the honest straight ahead approach, "The groove and the quality of the song are important as well as making the music memorable. Not just being obnoxious in the noise/garbage factor of it all. To have a sound that people can actually get into and remember, and enjoy while they are listening to it. We want to make music you can hum along to and that makes you want to kick in someone's head, no noise/garbage shit." Although the band is not pleased with the scene in Toronto they don't believe that relocating would solve any significant problems, "I don't think being part of a scene, where all the bands sound the same, like the hardcore thing in New York or the Skate thing in Vancouver, would help us out a lot. It just doesn't do anything for a band who is trying to be as original and unique as possible. Montreal. I guess there's a much better scene there as opposed to Toronto with regards to aggressive music, but ideally, I'd say San Francisco, circa 1981, but they tell me that's impossible." Darkheave are definitely a band to keep an eye on, perhaps they will be one of the first to spark a return to the old ways of honest metal and leave behind all the bullshit such as the tough guy, you suck we rule, image that is plaguing metal today. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ______ __ | __ \.-----.----.-----.----.--| | | <| -__| __| _ | _| _ | |___|__||_____|____|_____|__| |_____| ______ __ __ __ | __ \.-----.--.--.-----.| |.---.-.| |_|__|.-----.-----.-----. | <| -__| | | -__|| || _ || _| || _ | |__ --| |___|__||_____|\___/|_____||__||___._||____|__||_____|__|__|_____| 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! Pyogenesis - _Twinaleblood_ (Nov 95, Nuclear Blast/EastWest) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) Pyogenesis' latest offering is far from what I had imagined it to be. Managing to blend heavy alternative riffs and a metal edge is not an easy task but Pyogenesis has pulled it off with flying colors. In the same, somewhat gothic stance of Type O Negative, mixed with the sounds of metal heroes Paradise Lost and fuzz-whizzos Smashing Pumpkins, Germany's Pyogenesis discover another route (an alternative route maybe?) to playing their metal music. An interesting concept to say the least when you have numbers like the commercially accessible title track 'Twinaleblood', 'Snakehole', or 'Those Charming Seas', blended with stoic metal numbers as 'I'm Coming', and the vigorous 'God Complex'. One of the most memorable things about _Twinaleblood_ is the eerie vibe/atmosphere that consist a majority of the songs. It's haunting and very effective, which kind of places a lower emphasis on the less metallic sound that _Twinaleblood_ delivers, and that is something worth noting. Don't know how well this album will go over with the die-hard metal fans but as far as experimental death metal goes this is pretty much walking the fine line between 'metal'-ly acceptable and a complete write off. Listen to it first before you decide to scrap your other Pyogenesis material 'cause you may be surprised. Sinister - 'Hate' (Spring 1995, Nuclear Blast) by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10) Sinister are back and making their presence known with their third full length outing, _Hate_. The album was recorded at TNT studios in January of 1995, marking a full seven years since drummer Aad, and vocalist Mike started this Holland-based band. The CD starts off with a cool intro track, which plunges the listener into an evil, haunted house atmosphere, with supposedly satanic chants coming from every direction. Just as the chanting reaches its peak, Sinister storm onto the scene with their brutally heavy guitars, and breakneck blast beats care of drummer and founding father, Aad. The lyrics are sure to scare off any and all Christians, and make them shudder when they hear the blasphemous bellowings coming from Mike's throat. Obvious influences here are Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, not surprising since they did tour with both of those bands at one time or another in Europe. One thing that can be said about Sinister is that they are completely uncomprimising with regards to their speed and brutality. One song that kind of rises above the crowd is 'Unseen'. It's got a catchy chorus, intelligent lyrics, and is definitely my favorite track on the album. The music on this CD isn't very innovative or eye poppingly new and fresh, but it does contain certain elements which do not make it totally worthless. Therion - _Lepaca Kliffoth_ (Early 1995, Nuclear Blast) by: Gino Filicetti (10 out of 10) Holy fuck. What else can I say about this amazing outing that those two words alone can't describe? This album is so gigantic, so enormous, so majestic, so incredible, it *really* is beyond words. _Lepeca Kliffoth_ marks Therion's fifth venture in the realm of musical genius. Continuing on the heels of the trends set in their previous release, _Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas_, Therion produce another album that will very well set them up for life as true innovators. This CD never ceases to amaze me; the more I listen to it, the more I find something new and wonderful about it. It is very rare for me to spew all over an album in a review like this, but it would be impossible to tell you about this record without doing so. Therion's wide range of influences is present all over this outing. There are elements of classic heavy metal, doom, goth, classical and even some fusion! They are all blended and mixed together in such a way that it finally dawns on you, "Why didn't anyone think of this before?" A plethora of keyboards adds atmosphere to the record, and the operatic performances of Claudia Maria Mohri and Hans Groning are so breathtaking it made me wish the entire album featured their vocals instead of only two songs. The tracks on this CD probably vary more than any I've seen on any other album. From the light and beautiful music of 'Arrival of the Darkest Queen' to the fast crunching anthem 'Riders of Theli'. When it's over and done with, Therion leave the listener with the uncontrollable urge to just press play again and be captivated by these Swedish gods for another 40 minutes. Chalk up another masterpiece on Therion's list of metallic wonders. Various Artists - _Sonic Obliteration Vol. 1_ (two-disc compilation) by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) (Aug 95, Utopian Vison Music) So there are a lot of metal fans, industry types, and just plain old music fans out there that believe Canada's metal scene is dead - colder than the tundra of the north. A generous 'Fuck You!!' is in order after hearing this awesome collection of some of the most underrated/unsigned metal and hard rock outfits scattered across Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. From the pounding tribal sensations bestowed by Toronto's Mundane with 'Drowning in the Mainstream', the brutal heaviness of Winnipeg's Malefaction with 'What For?', the doom and gloom of Bedford, Nova Scotia's Entrafis ('To The Underneath'/'Frowns Unfold') to the furious frenzy of London, Ontario's Porno and their strong offering, 'Soiled', this collection keeps the metal cranked to the very end - a mind-blowing 120 minutes later. Other less metallic acts such as Lesser Known (Tilbury, Ont.) and Toronto's Krug and Son Of Bronto stand their ground with some great songs. An important note to make: also included in this compilation are a couple of killer foreign metal numbers of unsigned acts such as Finland's Eternal Tears Of Sorrow ('The Son Of The Forest'), Holland's Hoer's double offering of 'Painless Torture' and 'Breakin' The Silence' or Denmark's Crawcell ('Human Filth',) though the majority is Canadian content. With lots of metal bands getting discouraged that they aren't getting any play or publicity, Utopian Vison Music's offering is just the needed cure that many of these young acts need. Get your copy now and help support Canadian metal. We got the goods up here in the North but can you handle it? For info contact: Utopian Vision Music, 8 Dalcourt Drive, Scarborough, Ont. M1E 3H1 Canada Tel/Fax: (416) 284-1169 Dismember - _Massive Killing Capacity_ by: Gino Filicetti (8 out of 10) (Aug 95, Nuclear Blast/Relapse) From opening note to closing crunch, Dismember's newest sonic skull-crusher _Massive Killing Capacity_ never ceased to impress the hell out of me. One thing that can be said about this album is that it is *pure* Swedish death metal incarnate. Sounding very much like countrymates Edge of Sanity and Entombed, Dismember seemed to be a bit lacking in their originality. However, Swedish death metal has always been my favorite form of this bastard art form so I must still salute Dismember for creating a fine slab of noise. Although catchy rhythms and severely heavy guitar make up the majority of this release, some elements, like lead work and vocal variation, add to the total enjoyment of the album. Produced by Swedish producer/demigod Tomas Skogsberg, _Massive Killing Capacity_ is definitely a fine addition to Dismember's massive library. In the past the band had joined forces with the likes of Mike Amott (Carcass) and Johnny Dordevic (formerly of Entombed), so it is no wonder that an abundance of talent lies in the Dismember camp. The only thing I found disturbing on this album is the fact that the vocals sounds *exactly* like Lars Goran Petrov of Entombed. The semblance in each note of Matti Karki's anguished cries is incredible. All in all, Dismember have once again produced a top notch album that will certainly earn them the repect they deserve. Benediction - _The Dreams You Dread_ by: Gino Filicetti (5 out of 10) (Aug 95, Nuclear Blast/Relapse) Another release from one of England's founding fathers of brutal music, Benediction, this is the band's sixth full length outing. Unfortunately, the guys are starting to show their age and lack of creativity. The addition of 18 year-old drummer Neil Hutton was probably an attempt to infuse some fresh blood into the group, but they have still fallen into the realm of stagnation. The CD opens with an interesting semi-acoustic guitar solo/riff, which carefully gives way to some good ol' mid-paced generic death metal. From the first grunt to the last scream on this album, Dave Ingram has *still* failed to kick the monkey called Barney Greenway off his back, and find a vocal sound all his own. All in all, the vocals completely failed to enthuse me. This album is full of variations with regards to speed, which is all the better for the band. The last two tracks show the extent of the contrast. 'Saneless Theory' is the classic drag-on whining song, while 'The Dreams You Dread' is a breakneck, blast beat ridden cacophony. I even see some Obituary influence in songs like 'Answer Me'. If you are a fan of Benediction, I would definitely recommend this album to you, seeing as the band have managed to keep up with their previous efforts. But for those of you that are looking for progression and innovation, you definitely need to find greener pastures. Brujeria - _Raza Odiada_ (Aug 95, Roadrunner/Attic) by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) Rarely do I get an album that I go ape-shit over. I was really anticipating the new Kyuss, but I knew what to expect from those underrated dirge-metallers. Overkill's live opus? C'mon guys, I'd seen them before, thus the live album would rock. But when I was provided with the latest from Brujeria, a very well-kept secret side project of, well, let's just say metal pioneers, I was shaking and sweating waiting to put Raza Odiada in my CD player. From start (title track 'Raza Odiada (Pito Wilson)') to finish ('Ritmos Satanicos'), Brujeria's latest maims, kills, strangles, and mutilates the listener with its rapid-fire of death metal mayhem. With lyrics sung in Spanish built within the foundations of the anarchistic assaults of metal, _Raza Odiada_ manages to supply us with a very unique sound and approach to death metal, something that many of us (especially in North America) aren't accustomed to. Whatever the reasoning for this band's conception (political or recreational), one thing is for sure, Brujeria does it really well. Loud, fast and furious, tracks like 'Revolucion', 'Sensos Humanos (Sacrifia IV)', or 'El Patron' add fuel to the fire burning beneath the determination of this band to be seen, heard, and understood. Hide the women and children, and brace yourself: Brujeria has arrived. !Viva Brujeria! Souls At Zero - _Taste for the Perverse_ (Aug 95, Energy Records) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) I used to think Wrathchild America was too much of a renegade metal/rock band, with too much going on within their music and their message - a band lost within their own vision. Then they became Souls At Zero, and it was like they had been given a new lease on life. The eponymous debut album was built on anger and frustation, a characteristic that was stapled to every note and lyric on the debut. This album is far from an angry mob of lyrics and musical mayhem. Though still heavy and in your face, _A Taste for the Perverse_ is more of a transition album than anything else. The band has developed a lot more since becoming Souls At Zero, and you can hear it in the Pantera meets Helmet/Quicksand songs that the band cranks out. Built more around strength of force and groove, _A Taste for the Perverse_ rarely loses the listener, and that does deserve good marks. My personal favorites are opener 'Undecided', 'My Fault', and the clearly cool crunch of 'Me Myself I'. Music focused more on what sounds great out there than what they could actually pull of with their own direction and sound, Souls At Zero's latest is worth checking out, but not really a life and death purchase. Not now, but who knows what the future holds for Souls At Zero? Crypt of Kerberos - _World of Myths_ (1993, Adipocere) by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) This is a nice disc of melodic death metal. It's well produced and features some good musicianship, especially from the two guitar players. They both do some fast and intricate work, and work well together. Like Crematory, this band also features a female keyboard player (Jessica), although her skills are not as developed as Katrin's are. The keys here are used more for 'atmosphere' than to carry melodies. A little more integration of keyboards would be nice. The vocals could also use a little work ... they're about halfway between standard death vocals and Chris Barnes' style. They aren't terrible, but not terribly original, either. The songwriting is very good, though. These guys really know how to put together a song, and make it progress in ways other than standard song format. I look forward to this band's next release; with a little maturity, they could be quite good. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ __ _ /\ \ \_____ __ /\ \ \___ (_)___ ___ / \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \ / /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/ \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/ \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___| Your only source of information on the newest of the new, and the lowest of the underground, New Noise is the best and only place to read about all the coolest shit you never thought existed! And if you are 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 e-zine's header. Filthboy - _Filthboy_ (6 track demo) by: Gino Filicetti Shit! What a wild demo. I swear, and not a word of a lie to all of you out there, this is probably one of the best demos I've heard, ever! The demo starts out with the track 'Agent Hate' which begins with an amazingly heavy rhythm and then tears away into a distorted, spoken word vocal style. I thought, wow, already this demo has my toes tapping. I was warned by one of Filthboy's founding members, Buzzy, to keep an open mind while listening to the tape and to keep in mind that this is a straight dub, totally unmixed. Fuck, if that's the case, then I'm scared to think of what this band could accomplish in the studio, with their hands on some of the latest in state of the art technology. The band incorporates the best elements of death metal, hardcore and thrash in a fusion that has an undeniably massive attraction. The vocal style is varied throughout this recording, changing almost every second, from low spoken word ramblings, to deep grunts, to fast paced blabber mouth distortion. Keyboards add an undeniable presence to the music giving it life beyond 'death'. Definitely a band to keep both eyes on, I see a future for these guys as bright as the one Monster Voodoo Machine had in store for them after their first demos. Contact: Filthboy, c/o Buzzy Beck, 1616 McFarland Rd. Dormont, PA, 15216, USA Email: hate@telerama.lm.com Aeon - _Demo #1_ (3 tracks) and _Demo #2_ (5 tracks) by: Brian Meloon Wow ... death metal from Croatia. And impressive at that. Their first demo is from early 1993, and the second is from December, 1993. Both demos were recorded on only 8 tracks, and they suffer somewhat from this, but they still sound decent. _Demo #1_ (recorded under their former name Dissection) is straightforward death metal, with guttural vocals for the most part and heavy riffs. It's semi-melodic, a cross between Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse styles. Not too much new or innovative, but at least it's well played, and kind of catchy. These guys took a huge leap forward in musicianship for _Demo #2_. They changed their name to Aeon, lost a guitar player, added a keyboard player, and changed their style from straight ahead death to a progressive, melodic style reminiscent of Amorphis and Crypt of Kerberos. They also tend to sound like Nocturnus (keyboard-doubled guitar lines no less!). The best track on here is track 4, 'Gyratory Stars' (I think ... there are only five tracks, but there are six song titles in the J-card). It sounds like a cross between At the Gates and Amorphis' _Tales from the 1000 Lakes_. Again, the playing is very high quality, the drums are excellent, fast and precise, but more interesting this time, with some cool rhythms going on under the other music. The keyboards function both for atmosphere as well as melody. Guitar and bass work is quite technical, at least when playing rhythms. What keeps this release from being truly excellent are the guitar leads and solos which sound very amateurish, especially compared with their high quality of rhythm music. Still, this demo is one of the best I've heard. Apparently, these demos are no longer available, but there is a cassette EP scheduled for release in October/November. It may or may not be on Abstract Emotions (Barcelona), since Jordi Bellaubi is planning to start his own label, and Aeon are going to stick with him. I'm told this release will have more of a 'fusion' sound. Keep your eyes peeled for Aeon. Contact: AEON, c/o Sinisa "Sipy" Bival, Laginjina 11, 51000 Rijeka, CROATIA-EUROPE, ++385-51-226-479 email: bival@ihssv.wsr.ac.at (Sipy's mom) Embrace - _Embrace_ (6 track demo) by: Adrian Bromley Kitchener's four-piece, Embrace, are a welcome offering to the growing fold of atmospheric metal outfits. Poetry fused with heavy riffs and melodic pieces of music, Embrace's 6-song demo is an assorted collage of long metallic epics that 'embrace' the listener and take them to another world. Such is the plan of Embrace, if their short but to the point bio is to be believed. Of course, it is; just listen to 'Descendence', opener 'Solitude', or my favorite 'Embodiment Of Darkness', and beg to differ with me that this music doesn't suck you in. _Embrace_ is a moody demo with a lot of powerful chord progressions, intelligent lyrics and banshee-like/ethereal vocals of singer Laura Wiebe that seem to add to Embrace's own style. Five out of the six songs hit the six-minute mark, and at times they (especially closer 'Twilight Soul', clocking in at 12 minutes) seem to lose momentum and tail off at the end, but by the time that happens, the next epic is waiting to unfold. A somewhat dismal recording here takes chips out of the foundations that make up Embrace's sound, but not enough to wreck the effect that Embrace is trying to pinpoint with their music. Better recording measures taken, and a few more penned masterpieces, and Embrace should be on their way to getting more attention in and around Ontario, and hopefully elsewhere. Contact: Embrace, 470 Driftwood Road, Kitchener, Ont. N2N 1S6, Canada Darkheave - _No Life 'til Pedro_ (4 track demo) by: Gino Filicetti This demo comes to us from local Toronto band on the rise, Darkheave (see story this issue). The first thing I was told by the band was to listen to this recording with an open mind, seeing as it was recorded on a four-track mixer in their basement for a grand total of $20. However, I thought that the mix was amazing considering the tracks are almost completely live. I can hear a strong Metallica influence in this band, but they are far from some kind of cheesy clone band. Darkheave also incorporate elements of death metal to achieve a sound that is technical, while maintaining an element of groove that prevents them from becoming stagnant. Of the four tracks on this demo, the most interesting is 'Innocence Lost' which opens with a soft melodically sung verse, and then builds to a peak of punishing brutality. One thing that detracts from the quality of this demo is the vocals which just don't seem to fit very well with the music. However, the music more than makes up for any vocal inadequacy. All in all a pretty solid demo considering its production cost. I'm curious to see what this band is capable of in a full-fledged studio. Contact: Darkheave, c/o Matt Smith, 131 Beecroft Rd. #801 North York, Ont, Canada, M2N-6G9 Voice: (416) 733-3379 Email: worm@io.org =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Therion - _Lepaca Kliffoth_ 2. Fear Factory - _Soul of a New Machine_ 3. Bolt Thrower - _... For Victory_ 4. Amorphis - _Tales From The Thousand Lakes_ 5. Monster Voodoo Machine - _State Voodoo/State Control_ Adrian's Top 5 1. Down - _Down_ [featuring Corrosion Of Conformity's Pepper Keenan & Pantera's Phil Anselmo] 2. Meshuggah - _Destroy Erase Improve_ 3. Embrace - _Embrace_ (demo) 4. Kyuss - _... And The Circus Leaves Town_ 5. Carcass - _Heartwork_ Brian's Top 5 1. Confessor - 'Condemned' 2. Red Tide - 'Expressions' 3. Suffocation - 'Effigy of the Forgotten' 4. Emperor/Enslaved - 'Hordanes Land' (split) 5. Moonspell - 'Wolfheart' Alain's Top 5 1. Various Artists - _Death Is Just The Beginning III_ 2. Morbid Angel - _Domination_ 3. Suffocation - _Pierced From Within_ 4. Dead Horse - _Peaceful Death And Pretty Flowers_ 5. Death - _Symbolic_ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E F I N A L W O R D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well this ends issue number two for Chronicles of Chaos. I'm just amazed at the size of this thing, and it's only our second issue. I have to extend a big thank you to all the record companies that have supported us by including us on their mailing lists, and setting up interviews for us. Everyone whom we've encountered has been very supportive and has given us lots of encouragement, and generally has been absolutely stoked that there *actually* is an Internet magazine for the type of brutal music we here at CoC cover. Once again, one big thank you to everyone. It's amazing how fast this thing has taken off. BTW, before I go, I just want to remind you guys to check out our web page at the URL included in the e-zine's header. It's under construction right now, but we'll soon have it up to top notch CoC standards, so don't fret. Anyways, that's about it from this end, enjoy, and see you all next month with our special Foundation's Forum issue, where we give you the big scoop on what happened at this year's 'Only Hard Music Convention'. Remember, keep the music loud, and strive for everything chaotic. -- Gino Filicetti =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #2