/^^ /^^ /^^ /^^/^^ /^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^ /^^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^^ /^^ /^^ /^^^^ /^^ /^ /^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^/^^ /^^ /^^ /^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^/^^/^^ /^^/^^^^^ /^^ /^^^ /^^ /^^/^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^/^^ /^^ /^^/^ /^^ /^^^^ /^^ /^^/^^^ /^^ /^^^ /^^/^^ /^^^/^^^ /^^^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^ /^^ /^^/^^ /^^ /^/^ /^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^ /^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^/^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^/^ /^^/^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ /^^^ /^^ /^^ /^^ CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-zine, November 8, 1995, Issue #4 Co-Editor: Gino Filicetti <_DeaTH_ on #metal> Co-Editor: Adrian Bromley 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 e-mail: 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 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 . 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 to http://www.io.org/~ginof/coc.html. If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail Brian Meloon . >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #4 Contents, 11/8/95 -------------------------- * Editorial * Feature Stories -- Edge of Sanity: On the Edge of Complete Conquest -- Bathory: Questions and Queries with Quorthon -- Cathedral's Completed Catharsis -- Exit 13: Entering In A New Age -- Mindrot's Mangled Mentality ** Special Feature: Canadian Carnage -- Monster Voodoo Machine: Rebuilding The Machine -- Mundane: Manic Musical Mayhem * Chaotic Chat Sessions -- At The Gates' Almighty Acclamations -- Release: Letting It All Out * Independant Interrogations -- Quo Vadis * Record Revelations -- Six Feet Under - _Haunted_ -- At The Gates - _Slaughter of the Soul_ -- Exit 13 - _...Just A Few More Hits_ -- Unanimated - _Ancient God of Evil_ -- Soul Grind - _LaDiT A.D. 1999: BIHttPotB_ -- Dead Orchestra - _Sounds Like Time Tastes_ -- Mindrot - _Dawning_ -- Dissection - _Storm Of The Light's Bane_ -- g/z/r - _Plastic Planet_ -- Life Of Agony - _Ugly_ -- Voivod - _Negatron_ * New Noise -- Filthboy - _Whatever You Wanna Call It_ (Home Video) -- Lethargy - _Humor Me, You Funny Little Man_ -- Destroyer - _Destroyer_ -- Maelstrom - _Eye of the Storm_ * Chaotic Concerts -- Let the Madness Begin ... Once Again * What We Have Cranked * The Final Word =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= E D I T O R I A L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley All I have to say is "Right fuckin on!!!!" When the G-man and I started up this mag in August (or the actual idea in late June/early July), I never thought that it would be this much fun. Sure, it has been a burden for both of us; Gino with his day and night school courses and part time job, and me with my warehouse job duties as well as other publication responsibilities. However, in the end, as you can see with the actual copy of CoC on your screen, it has been a growth process for us. After only 4 issues, we have jumped from about 80 to over 400 subscribers. That is about 100 subscribers per issue all around the world. We are reaching fans of this music genre in places as far away as New Zealand, Croatia and Singapore and other places that one would not associate with metal - but believe us here at CoC when we say, "Metal exists everywhere." A big round of applause for all of you who believed in what we do and for actually digging the material up to this point. Hell, it can only get better for us - CoC #4 is proof of that. We hope that all of you read up on some of the great pieces we have written for this issue with such bands like Cathedral, Edge Of Sanity, Toronto greats Mundane and Monster Voodoo Machine, Bay Area metallers Release, and a true god of the metal genre, Quorthon of Bathory. As well, a great job by Brian Meloon in doing his first CoC interview with At The Gates. Can't say much more than a straightforward "thank You" to the labels that have backed us as well as the new labels we are beginning to deal with. Keep it coming, and CoC will keep pushing it out, stronger every time. Our main focus has always been to be a e-zine that brings the music stories to the fans, as fans. We love the music as do our readers, and we want to be a mag that can be on the same level, not some magazine that does it for prestige or fame. Sure we want to expand and grow, but as we all know it takes time, and time is on our side. Thanks again and enjoy issue #4 as much as we did making it. NOTES: from Gino: Just a couple of messages I want to pass on.... I received some mail from Steve Miller which I think may be of interest to many. I must apologize, but I lost Steve's e-mail address, so give him a call or send him some of your stuff. Thanks, see ya! > I do a three-hour radio show on KCPR here at Poly. If anyone > knows of people who have demo tapes that are *good* please give > them my address to send the stuff to. This is no BS, I am not > just trying to get free tapes. Verification of my program > can be done by calling (805) 756-2965 Contact: NO SPEED LIMIT, c/o Steve Miller PO Box 14356, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Local Toronto act Darkheave are currently searching for a new vocalist. If you are, or know of, a aggressive vocalist in the Greater Toronto area, and are looking to join an otherwise complete band please call or write us. Contact: DARKHEAVE, 131 Beecroft Rd. #801 North York, Ont, Canada, M2N-6G9 Matt: (416) 733-3379 or Jon: (416) 485-3803 Email: galbladder@clo.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= O N T H E E D G E O F C O M P L E T E C O N Q U E S T ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An interview with Edge of Sanity by: Gino Filicetti "I am obsessed by music. I need to get it all out of me or else I would smash the walls." -- Dan Swano, keyboardist/vocalist. Probably one of the most influential and innovative death metal bands around, Edge of Sanity still has what it takes to compete in today's music scene. Starting out way back in 1988, Edge of Sanity were one of the first few death metal bands to take on the more melodic, harmonious and beautiful approach to this artform. Throughout their four studio albums, _Nothing But Death Remains_, _Unorthodox_, _The Spectral Sorrows_, and _Purgatory Afterglow_, Edge of Sanity have managed to introduce so many new elements into this genre, that it seems they have sprouted their own new sub-genre. "I think what we did was to bring death metal into another league because I come from a background that's different. A lot of death metal musicians started out listening to Iron Maiden and stuff like that, and then they went on to Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer, and evolved to death metal. But I was listening to Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, and stuff like that. Then all of a sudden, it was around the time Slayer released _South of Heaven_, that was the first time that I felt that this music may not be as fucking terrible as I thought. Since I'm a drummer originally, I was always fascinated with Lombardo and how fast he could play. So I actually started to jam with this local band that played this kind of Slayer music. And I realized that it was fun to play fast on the drums and I wanted to get better and better." The band's last release, _Purgatory Afterglow_, was well received by press and fans alike, to say the least. It brought the band countless stories and unending praise of their work. So what did Swano think of all these different reviewers saying the same thing about his work? "It stinks. That's why I want to do a different thing with the next record. It would be so easy for me to do seven songs, and the other guys do three or four songs. I make some beautiful stuff, they make some hard stuff. We find a good title and a good cover and we record it and it's a pattern. I want to get away from that and do something that we haven't done before." The band is set to record their next album, entitled _Crimson_, in and around Christmas time, with just a bit of a twist to it: "When it comes to this band we are very impulsive with our creations, so, we do more in two weeks than most other bands do in one year. Since we finished the mastering of _Purgatory Afterglow_, we have done absolutely nothing. In the beginning of November, we are going to lock ourselves up in my studio for five days and we are just going to sit there and create what is going to be the longest death metal track ever written. It will be 45 minutes or so. The whole record will be one track because that's what we feel like doing. It's a great challenge. We want to do something really different and to come into the record from a different point. So we will write this epic track in five days and then we will hold out for a month, and the guys will come back and we will record it around Christmas or New Year's Eve." Although to many this idea of a one-track epic may sound curiously interesting, how does Dan feel the majority of his fans will accept the change? "Well first of all, people will be very surprised when they buy the record and see it's only one track long. But you know, I don't give a fuck what people think, really. If they are into Edge of Sanity the way I want people to be, they will love it. And if they don't like it, I don't see why they listen to our music in the first place. Because Edge of Sanity is really about stuff like 'Twilight'. To me, that is our main style. But you can't make a record with ten 'Twilight' tracks, because it would be pretty boring. So that's why we've always had fast tracks and stuff. But this time, we can make one record that sounds the way we should have always sounded." Although Edge of Sanity has always been innovative, they do seem to have a definite style all their own which is prevalent in all their albums. Will this trend carry over onto their new project, or will there be significant changes? "We will actually have a session singer on the next record", reveals Swano, "but he wonn't have the same density in my voice. He will sing the parts that I would've sung in '91, and I will sing like I do now, and there will be this guy from a local band who's record I produced. When I first heard him I just fell in love with his voice. I don't know how he does it, he is programmable. He can do any Death style vocal you want. If you want some kind of Tardy style he can do it, if you want shock he can do it, if you want Black Metal screeches that'll rip your ears out, he can do it. It's no problem. This guy has the technique. He can go from singing Sinatra to this, and go back again, no problem. It doesn't hurt his throat. So just like some people bring in James Murphy for a few leads , we will bring this guy in for a few vocals." One thing that can not be doubted is Dan Swano's incredible involvement in all stages of music. Not only does he have his own studio where he has produced countless brutal releases, he also maintains a plethora of side projects. What does all this musical involvement do for him? "It keeps me alive. I am obsessed by music. I need to get it all out of me or else I'd smash the walls. That's why I have so many side projects. My music taste ranges from country music, for example, all the way to Edge of Sanity-type stuff. When I come home from a hard day of work, I don't want to think about music, I just want to listen to something that's easy to take in. Sometimes I feel like getting into complex stuff. I listen to Dream Theater and stuff like that. But when I have the time, I listen to Marillion because they are my absolute favorite band of all time. Listening to Marillion," continues Swano, "is not like listening to music. It's different for me than other people, because I can turn off everything and just sit down on the couch and listen to five Marillion records and then go to bed . They give me so much more than other records, I hear so much more, I have visions, it's like my fuel to exist. I've found a band that I can really communicate with and I'm really proud of that." Dan Swano's "day job" is music. He owns his own commercial studio which supports him, his fiance, and their three-year old child. For many, being submerged in their favorite pastime all hours of the day is a dream come true. How does he feel being completely surrounded by his passion around the clock? "It's strange for me," replies Swano, "because when I rise in the morning, I get up to make my breakfast and I put on the radio and hear music. Then I have a few silent seconds as I go to work. Then it's music again. Then I come home for lunch break and on with the radio. Then back to work for more music. Then I come home and it's radio again. When I do the dishes it's music on the TV. And even when I'm typing letters and stuff, I have this really small radio by the typewriter. The only time I don't listen to music is when I sleep, and then I dream music. It's all around the clock." When asked what kind of touring the band did for their previous record, I was shocked to hear, "Absolutely nothing. The last gig we did, we played a headline show at the Dome Theatre in London for MTV Europe. That was pretty intense. For our song, 'In The Enigma', there's this part with clean vocals, and everyone in the place were voicing over me, and I almost cried. You know, that's something that happens at your idol's concerts, and it doesn't happen to you, but it did. The whole crowd was like a massive choir, it was great." Continues Swano on the prospect of touring, "The problem is that my voice isn't really good enough for a whole set, and definitely not good enough for a tour. It's a physical fact, you can't change it, my throat fucks up. It happens to all the singers I guess. Some people have a technique to their singing, I sing out of sheer fucking aggression and then my throat gets fucked up. Just like the pain you would feel if you scream at someone for 15 minutes, it's the same pain that I feel when I sing a song. So does this mean the band is completely against touring? "No. I think touring would be cool if I could get my ideas across, but the other guys are not into it. If we find a session singer that could do a tour and I could still be on stage doing keyboards, samples, guitars and backing vocals, I would like it. That way we could play songs like 'Twilight' live that would be impossible with me on vocals because I can not have a huge rack of equipment in the front of the stage. I would like to be in the shadows somewhere, and come across sometimes to do a guitar lead and then go back and be in my little place. That's if we can find a guy that can do this enormously brutal voice and enjoy being a frontman." In closing, I asked the question that is my favorite when talking to European bands. Do you have any desire to come to North America? "Definitely, I'd die to go to America. The thing is that it's costly just to go there. America is like another world to us here in Europe, it's like being big on Mars or Neptune. The thing is that if we find any solution to the economical problems, we'd probably go there. Black Mark is big, but it's not huge when it comes to touring the US. It's a different world. Here you can go on tour and travel a certain amount of kilometers and go through almost all of Europe, but if you travel the same in America you won't get through Texas! " =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B A T H O R Y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Questions and Queries with Quorthon by: Adrian Bromley "When we started, there were no forerunners. We had to invent everything ourselves." -- Quorthon, guitarist/vocalist In the midst of mixing and putting the finishing touches on Bathory's future collection of material, titled _Blood On Ice_ (a project of old material six years in the making), one of metal's "true pioneers," lead singer/guitarist Quorthon, is actually pleased to get away from the studio for a while to chat with Chronicles of Chaos. About _Blood On Ice_ (to be released in January) he begins, "Some of the stuff has been recorded since 1988. It is funny how the circumstances were very primitive when we recorded some of the first albums. The stuff here was recorded in the same circumstances so we have to catch up a bit with a new bass line or drum roll here and there. Also some songs needed new vocals. This is a souvenir album for all of the Bathory fans. It isn't a new album, it has been around for sometime and all our fans know it as legend," he explains. Twelve years since their entrance into the world of metal in 1983, Bathory has shapeshifted itself many times over, and in the process gained and lost many fans. From the beginning and first effort, _Bathory_ in 1984 onto _Hammerheart_ (1987) or present albums like _Requiem_ (1994) or 1991's _Twilight Of The Gods_, the rollercoaster ride of the band's music has been cataloged quite openly. Quorthon sees the changes brought on by the band and its music as an important element to the survival of the band. "People have no clue to what we are to sound like on the next album," he says, "because we changed every second album. Now we have touched upon black metal, death metal, viking epic shit - whatever. There are really no stages that we didn't go through." Noting the lack of originality in some of today's music, Quorthon tells us, "There are no patterns that you have to follow to be successful. As long as bands are original and they have the urge to experiment, it is good. We did that in the 80's and we took a lot of shit because people didn't understand it but we also attracted a lot of other fans. As long as there are young crossover bands it is great. Fresh blood and fresh sound. You can't always go the New Wave Of British Metal way forever." With the band's latest effort and eigth album, _Octagon_, a follow-up to last year's _Requiem_ and _The Jubileum Volumes_ (1993) a few years back, the band returns with a very much straightforward, raw sound that refuses to be seen as anything polished or perfect. There is a reasoning; "What we are doing now is stripping ourselves, going into the studio and scream for half an hour and have fun doing it. We went into the studio to have fun, sweat and excercise. We went in there to blast off. It is fun now that we don't have to fit a certain formula with our music. These two last albums have been far away from what Bathory was in the beginning." Along with the few releases of this decade, Quorthon also took time out from fronting Bathory to release his first solo recording, _Album_. Was the record some form of cleansing process for him, and if so, does he plan to make another solo project? "We had finished with the last Bathory album and I had some material, and wanted to try making a solo record." He played, sang, wrote, recorded, and produced the album by himself. "It was something I wanted to do." About future solo stuff he says, "I have twenty songs already written for the next solo album, but with _Octagon_ being released and the importance of the _Blood On Ice_ session, I put off the other solo project for awhile. After the _Blood On Ice_ session people may see the next Bathory album or next solo album. It is all up in the air right now." How does Quorthon feel about the band still being seen as a major influential factor for a lot of new and older bands? Will the band still aim to keep up with a sound and style that will continue to entice many young metalheads to just go crazy? "If I would sit down and look at Bathory albums being influential on other bands, I wouldn't look at new Bathory albums because they are too young. The albums they would refer to would be the older ones. I mean who gives a shit what we sound like now? We sell just as good as we have always sold. We don't tour, make videos or do a lot of interviews, and we are still around. I think that is a great sign of survival." And about being seen as a musical pioneer? "If somebody had told me in 1983 or 1984 that we would be around in 1995, I would have told them to fuck off. It takes a certain kind of stamina to be around for twelve years, especially with no tours and being a very narrow band that changes once in awhile. If we had come out right now and had not wanted to make videos or tour, we would have not survived." Quorthon adds, "When we recorded the first songs on a compilation in 1984 and the first album, we were so proud. This was it. We had a record in record stores. Jerk off, jerk off." In regards to the band's longevity in this industry and their survival he says, "The only great old bands that are around right now are Slayer and Bathory. Also Metallica - but they are in a league of their own both musically and commercially. I don't see a lot of bands put into that kind of legend status and inspiration. Everything takes time to last and to be perfected. Our first albums were shit. Shit. And if you were to put them up against albums that are being released nowadays, they are pretty bad." He laughs and says, "You have to have a sense of humor when listening to old material, and put it into its own place." Quorthon is first to admit the bad reviews and press the band has been receiving ever since the band progressed into the 1990's. Musically ancient in many people's opinions, Quorthon is confident that press is press and bad reviews mean nothing to what will become of the band or what they will do. Like it has and will continue to do, Bathory stands the test of time regardless of what shit is thrown at them. "Throughout the 80's, we were ridiculed as being seen as a Venom clone, and it wasn't until we were deep down in that viking shit that no one could ever say that we weren't original," reveals Quorthon. "We had a great problem washing away the Venom-type thing that we were experiencing. The only thing that was around in Europe when we began was Venom, and it was a touchy thing to always be reminded of." He tries to put it in simple terms: "If you go to the moon, you will always remember that the first guys on the moon were Americans. Or if you open a hamburger store, you are trying to copy McDonald's. We were always trying to be Bathory, and never intended to try to copy any band." His take on bad reviews? "We have very bad reviews in Europe with the two last albums and people are confused with what Bathory is doing. People write to me saying that our sound is bad and 'why don't you sound check?' And I respond to them saying that if they are talking about bad sound, they should listen to the first two or three albums. If the first albums by Bathory, Slayer, Venom, or Celtic Frost were released today, no one would care. Time goes on and you have to change. I don't know if it is a good sign with people complaining that these two new albums are too brutal. Maybe it is a good sign showing that other people's musical horizons are bordering up a little." "The best review that a band like Bathory or Slayer could have is a shit review. If I was 14 or 15 today, I would never go off and buy an album like Metallica's last one. I would buy the record that they would say, 'Don't buy this record. It will brainwash you and make you kill someone.' Those are the albums I would want to buy," says Quorthon, chuckling. I interject, 'And the albums Bathory want to make, right?' The laughter continues and he finishes, "Yes, that's about right." Long live Bathory. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= C A T H E D R A L ' S C O M P L E T E D C A T H A R S I S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley Somewhere between the 80's metal period and the early 90's, metal music evolved, making heroes out of some bands and victims out of others. Cathedral's frontman Lee Dorrian is well aware of it: "I think the 90's has killed a lot of individuality. Metal seems to be one dimensional and shallow. I like a lot of the new bands, but it seems to me that it has got too much of a narrow-minded attitude of late. There is not a lot of room for expression or attitude. It seems like bands just form for the sake of the one desire of being instantly famous," he explains, "adopting the sound of the moment, opposed from doing something from their desire to it. I think it is a shame because I can see the real root of heavy metal coming back again over the next couple of years. I think the 80's killed a lot of the freedom of spirit. Right now, we must try to take the positive things out of the death metal scene and other dimensions in our music but also to go back to the original emphasis of what metal was and is about, which to me is about riffs," Dorrian says. "My main concern is to write killer riffs." Killer riffs, a heavy dose of metal, and an amazing production accompanies Cathedral's latest effort, _The Carnival Bizarre_. Combining the elements of other previous Cathedral offerings (_The Forest Of Equilibrium_ and 1993's _The Ethereal Mirror_), this time around, Dorrian and long time guitarist Garry Jennings - and new members Leo Smee (bass) and Brian Dixon (drums) - scale down the intentions of the band, getting back to a more standard metal sound while in the process making an album that can be easily discovered as a true metal effort. No compromise, no sell out. "The process of making this album wasn't that difficult to put together," Dorrian says. "Three quarters of the album was already written since last December, and the rest of it came together very spontaneously. The lyrics were written like that as well, and they seemed to go along well with the riffs." He comments, "I think this album is more focused than the last one. With the previous one were weren't sure what was happening. It was our debut for Columbia and we had a lot of pressure to record it. This album was easy. We got all mellow, chilled out, and got our heads down and recorded it. We recorded it in two weeks and mixed it in two nights - the atmosphere was great. It came out pretty good seeing that it was the debut appearance of our new drummer and bass player. This album may be more accessible than our last album, but I don't think we have compromised any heaviness. I think it is a lot heavier than the last one." But do bands that become more accessible tend to become commercial, losing an essence of their music? His reply, "If a band gets better at writing songs, why avoid that?" Besides the actual music of the album, the one thing that does make a statement is the artwork on the sleeve (a huge collage of images of good and evil - it takes up one whole side of the CD sleeve!) Asking Dorrian about the sleeve artwork (done by artist Dave Patchett) and his actual concept of what it was about he said, "The basic initial idea was mine for the cover sleeve and I sat down talking with the artist (Patchett) at his house for two days. We talked, spoke about songs on the album and drank beers. What he then did is put down his own interpretations and added a few of his own [ideas] in the process." He goes on to say proudly, "The artwork inside are visions and things that I had seen. This album is an important album for us because we haven't recorded one in a while. We wanted him to do something special and detailed. Essentially, we said to Dave that we wanted it [the cover] to be a masterpiece and he didn't let us down. The actual art concept is based around the two figures of Jesus and Mary, and how religion and Christianity has affected people over the last 2000 years - and what it has done to people. It is a vision." He interprets the piece as "an image where on one side you have the melancholy of the moon and then you have the violence of the sun. The idea that the world is falling apart and how people have lost all touch of themselves to Christianity. The way the moral viewpoints of Christianity make people ashamed of their sexuality, of themselves - afraid to be themselves." And the meaning of the album title, _The Carnival Bizarre_? "No specific meaning. The actual song was on the original demo and the lyrics written for the chorus just seemed to fit when we got the art work. It kind of pieced itself together - I still don't know how it worked. We went with it because it fit the mood of the album and the lyrics." With such a strong belief in the importance of this album, does Dorrian see this album as an important accomplishment for the band? "Right now with the line-up, we are all into the same cause and the same music. It is definitely a band now. I think with the next album, the new guys are going to contribute more than anyone has done before because we have the right ideas. We are pleased with this more than anything we have done. It has captured the vibe we have always been lookng for, that 'back to basics, raw heavy sound.' The songs are more focused. We are all pleased with it individually." He adds, "We aren't doing anything original or new. We are just celebrating the music we love, and we are pleased with what we have achieved with _The Carnival Bizarre_." Has being away for two years from the music scene been beneficial for the band? "It was very beneficial for us because it gave us time to focus on what we wanted to be and what we wanted to do with our music. There were negative sides of course with people wondering if we still existed, but overall, on a personal level, it was definitely worth the wait." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= E X I T 1 3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Entering In A New Age by: Adrian Bromley Bill Yurkiewicz has a very hectic lifestyle. Between his extensive work as co-owner of Relapse Records, and his continuous work with numerous side-projects, it is a wonder that he finds time to do anything with his band Exit-13. But he does, and he does it well. Hailed as one of the most metal/death/grind/extreme music experimental projects out there, Exit-13 refuses to be lumped into any genre specific category. It isn't in their mind sets. Yurkiewicz explains. "Some people have come to expect that Exit-13 is weird and they don't know what they are going to get," he says about their music. "And then others will get into one phase of the band and then want us to stay that way forever." He notes confidently, "maybe this is some sort of elitist geek at a record label thing to say but we are doing what we like. If you like it you are a true Exit-13 fan. If you think we suck and think we are doing something that isn't as good as what we have done before then you missed the boat." He adds, "There is never one thing that is going to do it for me. I like so many types of music. To describe it, I would say I couldn't just eat veggie burgers everyday. I like Indian food, Chinese food, etc ... I couldn't say I would eat Indian food for the rest of my life." And how does he find time to juggle between record label duties and band/tour time? Laughing, he says, "I have no personal life at all. We have so many recordings going at once, all in the works. We are doing three EP sessions with three drummers and then the full album by January, tentatively entitled _Didactic Grind_. It has been, and still is crazy for us. And on top of that, I have to deal with stuff at the record label level." With some frustration in his voice, he says, "Whenever I work with the band, it is when I am not busy with the label. Exit-13 has lost a lot of its impetus because I am here all of the time." With numerous projects on the go, not to mention the band's latest release _...Just A Few More Hits_, a kind of collection of material from 1994's _Ethos Musick_ recording sessions, many would fear that Yurkiewicz would be on a crash course to burn out. "I'll just keep wanting to do more and more," he says passionately. "I keep having more and more ideas for stuff. If we decide we want to do a new record and I have no idea, then it is time to call it quits. As long as I have ideas for this band, I can't see myself being burned out." To simplify things, here is a (hopefully accurate) list of the projects Bill and Exit-13 are involved in: - _Didactic Grind_ (January): with guitarist Steve O'Donnell, new bassist Terry Sherry, and session drummer Dave Witte - _Smoking Songs_: with Brutal Truth's rhythym section Danny Lilker (bass) and Rich Hoak (drums), and Pain Teens vocalist Bliss Blood. It has a cover version of classic numbers from the 30's and 40's, including Ella Fitzgerald's "When I Get High, I Get Low" and Bea Foote's "Weed" - 7" Ep, _Whacked Metal_ (on Grinding Death Records): recording several tracks with Deceased's King Fowley covering Venom's "Bursting Out" and Riot's "Hard Loving Man" - not to mention a few original tracks - a 10" Napalm Death tribute album - a Beatles compilation - will perform theme from "The Benny Hill Show" on T.V. theme song compilation on Slap A Ham label - a 7" split with Hemdale on Visceral Productions - a song/track on upcoming Bovine Records crust/grind compilation It is obvious he has a lot of work put into the band - he knows what he likes to play and to be a part of. Does that same thought process carry over into the record label side of his work? "I want to be successful by putting out the music we (Relapse) like. I don't want to sign bands to make money, to sell out or rip people off. I just want to make an honest living, which is putting out extreme music, whether it be grindcore or noise. When we (him and Matt Jacobson) jumped into it, we were so naive, and never knew what was going to come of it. As it progressed and reponsibility reared its head, we were like 'Oh my God. What are we doing?' We started off with no real education. We just did it and learned along the way." About the rapid start the label got by joining both Jacobson's and his own 7" labels, he cites this being the turning point: "After a month or so we opened up the offices for Germany-based Nuclear Blast Records in the U.S., so because they were bigger and established, it gave us a lot of credibility from the start." "I think we have a good edge doing the mail order catalog. We see what stuff people are interested in. We get inside knowledge on how things are progressing and what poeople are getting into, and then we apply that to our label. I think Relapse has positioned itself to have its hands in several cookie jars and not just one. It is what I like in a band as well. I like all kinds of music and why would I just want to release one kind of music? It would be boring." And the good thing about his dual work with the label and the band? "It enables us to do 100% of the music we want to do without sucking anyone's ass at a record label." Having been a true believer in making music that can really retain no boundaries, what is Yurkiewicz's view on the metal scene of the 90's? "I think it went through its commercial phase, and now it is going back into the underground where it belongs. I see a lot of labels who put out death metal to cash in biting the dust, and I love to see that because if you are fake from the beginning, then you are getting what you deserve." He snickers. Can't say he doesn't have the right to snicker. Both his label and Exit-13 have been able to go with the trends as well as focus on originality - and in the long run remain true to their goals they have set out to achieve. See, determination can bring success. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M I N D R O T ' S M A N G L E D M E N T A L I T Y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley "We want people to know that there is more to the metal genre than blood, guts, and Beavis and Butthead" -- Matt Fisher, bassist "Our music is a display of extreme emotions. We capture every feeling that you can ever imagine and that anyone can relate to. We touch base with reality on multiple levels. We are trying to get across a point of view that anyone can relate to," says bassist Matt Fisher, describing Mindrot's atmospheric sonic assault, found on their Relapse Records debut, _Dawning_, the much anticipated and long awaited followup to their recent _Forlorn_ EP (their first release on Relapse). "We are approaching it poetically and atmospherically, trying to let people get in touch with their emotions as a form of therapy. We don't want to be a fantasy band. We want to use poetic music as an artful expression." Since their inception in 1989 and the release of a few 7" records, the band - rounded out by singer Adrian Leroux, guitarists Dan Kaufman and John Flood, and drummer Evan Kilbourne - met critical acclaim with their industry-only _Faded Dream_ (1992) promo demo, putting them in the spotlight and building up hype that would grow even more with the release of what was to be _Dawning_. But as many will tell you, things don't happen at the drop of a hat all the time, especially in the music industry. Mindrot knows that very well by now. "_Dawning_ is basically two years overdue," exclaims Fisher over the phone from Huntington Beach, California. "It should have been out two years ago. We were negotiating with labels and the album got pushed back." And why did the band opt to work with Relapse, with many other labels expressing interest in the band? "They have always been interested in us and we have been updated on what we are doing. They were interested in 1992 when they heard our _Faded Dream_ promo. It gave us hype from many other labels. At that time, Relapse was getting established and we were being given offers by Century Media, Mechanic, and others. We overlooked Relapse because we needed more." But according to Fisher, things changed. "In 1995, Relapse was more established and they made us an offer that seemed right, and we started to negotiate." In the end, Fisher accounts, both parties got what they wanted. So two years down the road, with music just sitting in the studio as the band negotiated with labels, and _Dawning_ not seeing much light, does Fisher think that the band or its music lost any kind of edge that they had originally conceived as being the staple sound of Mindrot? "If we released this album two years ago, this would have been our second album. The new album would be more updated to the sound that we are now. We are all ready to go and record our second album now. There might have been a few songs that didn't make this album that'll be on that one." He continues, "Some stuff on this album was written from 1991 to 1993. We have newer material that we want to go out on a record, but we'll wait to get the sales and hype of this album out of the way before we go into the studio." About the progression of the newer material, Fisher reveals, "The next album has a variety of sounds of music - spacey melodic goth stuff to angry and pissed off songs. The pissed off songs are getting more uptempo, harsher, and aggressive. Our spacey songs are getting more progressive. A lot of the new material is the same except it is a little more extreme in both directions." Like most metal bands nowadays, does Fisher believe that Mindrot will stick with that atmospheric, spacey material, or that the band will find themselves experimenting more as the years go on? "We don't avoid anything. We are much into experimentation, but we are also into music that is expressive and emotional - music with an emotional feel to it, music where we can express all types of emotions and not just anger and depression," says Fisher. "We have always been a band to experiment, which I think sets [us] aside from other bands. We don't try to play one genre or stereotype of music. We want to play emotional and heavy, and at the same time express ourselves through our music." Within the coming months, Mindrot will be doing a few shows along the West coast and then hopefully in March or April head over to Europe to do some touring. Excited about touring Europe he says, "Our music is more accessible in Europe, so the label wants us to do our first tour over there. They are more appreciative of our sound and style." Yes you read correctly, Mindrot has never really done a tour besides a few shows here and there. The reasoning? "We've never toured the U.S. because we never had a product to back up the tour. We have always kind of waited around to have a record out to tour and support a product. It is kind of tough touring in support of a couple of EPs." Hopefully Mindrot will be in your neck of the woods sometime in 1996 so that you can get a heaping dosage of emotionally packed metal music that proves to be extremely heavy and groundbreaking. I know I'm waiting. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= @@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@ @@@ @@@@@@ @@@ @@@ !@@ @@! @@@ @@!@!@@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@! @@@ @@!@!@@@ !@! @!@!@!@! @!@@!!@! @!@!@!@! @!@ !@! !!@ @!@!@!@! @!@@!!@! :!! !!: !!! !!: !!! !!: !!! !!: !!! !!: !!: !!! !!: !!! :: :: : : : : :: : : : : :: : : : : : : :: : @@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ !@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@!@!@@@ @@! @@@ !@@ @@! !@! @!@!@!@! @!@!!@! @!@@!!@! @!@!@!@! !@! @!@!@ @!!!:! :!! !!: !!! !!: :!! !!: !!! !!: !!! :!! !!: !!: :: :: : : : : : : : :: : : : : :: :: : : :: ::: M O N S T E R V O O D O O M A C H I N E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rebuilding the 'Machine' by: Adrian Bromley "The whole heavy seriousness, lethargic element of Monster Voodoo Machine is gone. There is no more of the 'Suffersystem,' dark angry side. I've done it before. If I could change the name and not be Monster Voodoo Machine anymore and release it under a new name, I would" -- Adam Sewell, vocalist/mastermind And then there were three. Toronto's Monster Voodoo Machine (MVM) has gone from a sextet to a trio in less than a month. Out is bassist Terry Landry, drummer Dean Bentley and sampler/keyboardist Stacey Hoskins. Remaining members/mercenaries are guitarists Jason Cuddy and Darren Quinn, and outspoken mastermind and lead singer of MVM, Adam Sewell. But like many times before, Toronto's Monster Voodoo Machine has been morphed, split, rejuvenated, kicked, hailed as heroes, and still the band manages to display a steady, powerful determination to seek originality rather than success. Survival is key. About the departure and restructuring of the band, Sewell responds, "If you look from the beginning of Monster Voodoo Machine up to now, the amount of people that have come through the doors is quite a few. I think if anybody looks at MVM and bandmembers changing as something drastic, then they have been incredibly clued-out to what is going on. I said this years ago that the people in the band at that time were the right people for the job, but things are changing [with the direction of the band] and it has nothing to do with people leaving. It is just the way it is. It's no big deal." The changes that Sewell speaks about are going to find a home in the band's forthcoming LP, the follow-up to their 1994 Juno Award- winning (Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) album, _Suffersystem_. Sewell begins, with a smile and obvious sarcastic, humorous overtones, "I want to make the ultimate heavy metal record. I want to make the fastest, heaviest, most crushing, most grinding, most brutal black metal record ever made. I wanna have an excuse to walk around with white face make-up and black eye-liner." He laughs and says, "What?! You don't believe me?" "It is hard to explain," says Sewell putting on a more serious expression. "To understand what I am doing now is sort of to understand that I have never been happy with anything that we have done before. Right now, I am making the record I have always wanted to make. The people who I am working with in the studio now are giving me the freedom to explore things I have wanted to explore, things that I have never had options to do before." He adds, "By no means is this a heavy metal record; don't expect _Sufferstytem Part Two_." And an explanation of one of the main reasons behind his obvious unhappiness or acceptability of the metal edge that his band carried on _Suffersystem_? "I have really been unhappy with the metal sound of our band for a long time. To make another _Suffersystem_ record would be selling out. That is not what I feel comfortable with right now or feel like doing." Aware of what he will face with the new material, he says, "Sure reviews will say that we are selling out." He corrects the supposed statements that'll be made and says, "Making another metal record would be selling out. That would take no talent - it takes nothing to throw chugging chords and samples together. We've done it already, why do it again?" The album should be out in April or May and will have a tour to follow in support of the release. Sewell, as well as Cuddy and Quinn, are in the process of putting together demos - a pre-production of the album. "When we decide to record the album it will go by fast," Sewell said. In regards to touring he had this to say. "We won't be touring with metal bands anymore. We'd like to tour with bands like Pop Will Eat Itself, Fishbone or The Jesus And Mary Chain." And filling the gap of losing three members on tour and in the studio? "We'll just do it ourselves, and then when we need to tour we'll get people and take care of it." So with a pure adrenalin rush to revamp or mold the sound of the band, is Sewell and the rest of the band trying to get away from what they had accomplished with _Suffersystem_? "I don't know if I am getting away from everything, it just seems like the less logical progression for us, and the thing for _Suffersystem_ was that it was a step backwards. This is what I want to do, and for me it is natural and simple to do. Whether people like it or not, I don't care." He adds, "I think the first people that may or may not complain [about the new record] are the people that never bought our records before. So I don't care." So what can we expect from the new as yet untitled album? "I think the main thing is to understand that the samples are there, the guitars are there - though there are less guitars. I think that with the new songs, we have been able to utilize the same elements as we have had before, but in a way that no one else is doing it. I think I have finally found a way to manipulate sounds in a way that no one else is doing and feeling comfortable doing it. We are not an industrial band. I think we know now how to mix samples and guitars without coming across as Ministry or Nine Inch Nails." Reveals Sewell, "I never wanted to sound like those bands at all, and I let MVM fall into that bracket because it was easy to get a response from people when you do that and I was never happy. Now I know what I am doing in the studio and sort of found answers I was looking for." What about having to deal with expectations? The band has won a Juno for Best Heavy Metal Album, toured successfully with Marilyn Manson, Fear Factory, Fight, Carcass, and Life Of Agony, and have been known to put on a killer show (ask Gino! See CoC #3). Are there pressures mounting with the new album? "If I started thinking of the pressure of what other people are expecting from me, I'd kill myself right now 'cause all of these things I am putting pressures on myself to step forward. Making _Suffersystem_ and having to tour with those songs for so long was to me just a step backwards, a let down." Continuing on, Sewell says, "Night after night, the songs didn't have the dynamics I wanted, or covered the musical scope or range that I wanted. To me, I am going to try to push myself to cross a couple of new thresholds and break down some new boundaries. My biggest goal is that I never want to see another review that names NIN, Ministry or White Zombie. There has never been a reason to mention those names before and I want to make sure that nobody does it in the future." M A N I C M U S I C A L M A Y H E M ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Interview with Mundane by: Gino Filicetti If there was ever a band who's name was utterly misleading, it has got to be Mundane. Formed in Toronto in the early 1990's by the two Rebelo brothers, Alex (guitars) and Vitor (vocals, percussions), Mundane quickly grew out of obscurity to become one of, if not THE most interesting and intense live bands in the local Toronto scene. After only one release, 1993's _Seed_ put out by local label Raw Energy, and three videos, one could say that Mundane have garnered themselves a very respectable following. But as any real fan knows, Mundane are not about albums, or any type of recorded sound. The true beauty of this band only rears its head in a live setting. If NASA could capture and harness the energy and adrenaline that goes into only one Mundane show, they would be able to send 20 shuttles to Mars and back. It has now been two years since the release of the band's debut album, so the obvious question is, 'What will the new material sound like?' Vitor jokingly replies, "It is called _Suffersystem II_." He laughs, referring to local Toronto act and good friends, Monster Voodoo Machine. "It kind of takes off where Monster Voodoo Machine left off." Then, on a more serious note, "No, the album was supposed to come out and now it is not anymore. The album is not going to go through Raw Energy. Right now, what we are doing is shopping around a four-song demo and trying to get some interest. It will eventually come out. Raw Energy was a stepping stone to get one album out. It was like, 'Yeah let's put an album out and see what happens.' It got our album out nationally, we had a tour, a few videos, and that was it." He continues, "_Seed_ was what you could do for $2000. I've always told people how the album was only half finished before we had to put it out. If we had had more time, the album would sound much different now. I look at _Seed_ as an old demo rather than an album." He continues about the new album and the circumstances surrounding its release, "If it doesn't come out, then we may release an EP, because we have all of these songs already written and we are starting to work on others. The reason being we may continue to write and add three or four songs to our material and that is way too much material to have lying around." One important thing Vitor mentions about the new album is its emphasis on drum rhythms, at times up to four or five tracks of drumming alone. "It is going to make the new Sepultura record sound weak (laughs)." One major change the band has undergone in the past year is the loss of their drummer Drew Gauley. The experience has opened the band's eyes to how difficult it is to find a decent drummer in a short space of time. The result was that Vitor took on the duty of drums; "In the studio, there was a lot of pressure because of the drum tracks, as well as the sound of the songs. We played songs over and over. After the drums, I did the percussion stuff and then the vocals. Needless to say, I was in the studio a lot." He adds, "I get sick if I go into the studio now. I'm just not comfortable with the studio." About recording the album, "We recorded with Rob Sanzo again with a lot more time put into this album. It sounds really good. So far, we have spent two weeks making the album. Vocals are done, but we still need the same amount of time to finish it up." Then the time came when the band had to head out to Foundations Forum in Los Angeles to play (a killer set!), and they were still without a drummer and couldn't wait any longer. Their current drummer, Scott (from local band Self), a long time friend, was the obvious choice. The band, however, knows what it's like to have a member stolen from their ranks. "We were going to Foundations in a couple of weeks and auditioned all of these drummers and found it not working out. We knew of Scott and had to make a move." Mundane, like so many other bands out there, want to exhume themselves from the burial of obscurity. The path to this goal is obviously getting hooked up with the right label. "I don't think I would be comfortable or secure on a major label. Our material is not really that accessible. A major label goes out to get you fans before you have fans - or before your album comes out. I'd rather be on a label that puts an album out, and then we go out and get our own fans." He continues, "For us to even become some sort of a big name band, we need a good label behind us because we can only do so much as a band. And then I hope things get a lot easier. It doesn't matter how good you are, people always have this pre-conceived notion that if you aren't signed, then you aren't worth checking out." With a bigger, bolder sound always comes the task of pulling the material off in a live setting, something which Mundane have proved beyond the shadow of a doubt they excel at. "We can pull it off, but the problem is that we play really fast. We are working on it." How does the band feel playing live rather than canning their tunes in a studio? "Live is very different for us. We want to sound great but pull everything off. It is a different experience for us." Keep your eyes peeled for this band my friends. If you know good music, then you will most certainly will dig Toronto's very own Mundane. Contact: MUNDANE (Vitor & Alex), 156 Argyle St. Toronto, Ont, Canada M6J-1P1 Phone: (416) 532-3212 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _______ __ _ _______ __ / ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/ ____ _ / __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___ _\ \/ -_|_-<(_-::> ,.:/ 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. Q U O V A D I S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Alain M. Gaudrault In our last issue, Chronicles of Chaos reviewed a self-titled demo by a Montreal-based death metal outfit, Quo Vadis. This group of talented musicians is yet another example of a band struggling to survive in today's fickle metal underground. The following interview with Bart Frydrychowicz, Quo Vadis' guitarist/vocalist, offers insight into these metal hopefuls. CoC: When did Quo Vadis first form? QV: The band first came to being in 1992 as a result of a school battle of the bands. CoC: How did the current lineup come to be? QV: Originally, the lineup included five members, and the band played mostly thrash covers. Due to musical differences, two of the original members left the band (singer and bassist). As such, Quo Vadis remained unchanged for two years pushing towards heavier overtones (and going through 17 bassists in the process). The arrival of our fourth permanent member, Remy Beauchamp, in the summer of this year has had an almost catalytic effect, instantly resulting in the completion of our debut release. CoC: What kind of musical training have the members of the band? QV: All of us have some musical background, however Arie is the only one with official musical training. He has been studying violin for 15 years, completing the McGill Conservatory of Music. Remy took piano for four years, and I have some classical guitar background as well. CoC: How is songwriting approached? QV: Musically, we come up with riffs and ideas, then we meet as a band, developing them into songs. One of the reasons for our unique sound, in my opinion, is the fact that neither Arie or me has the desire or patience to learn each other's riffs, resulting in both of us writing stuff that will sound good with the other guitar. In this way, we almost never play two identical lines but complimentary lines. I really like that. Also, we take a long time to complete each song, making sure none of the riffs we play ever get boring; if they do, it means that there is something wrong. Lyrically, we let one person take care of a song at a time. This also reflects our pluralistic approach to the band ... everyone has a say. Everyone writes lyrics. CoC: Is Quo Vadis just a release of creative energy, or are there plans of pursuing careers in music? QV: It is both. We are under no pressure to succeed which gives us, I think, a different perspective on things, resulting in better material and more mature songs. That is not to say we are under no pressure. It is very difficult to juggle full-time university studies and a very serious project like Quo Vadis. We are all in sciences, which I think adds another angle to our creative energies, since we are very often stressed and frustrated with the workload. This aggression comes out especially during shows. CoC: How has the _Quo Vadis_ demo fared thus far? QV: We are very pleased with the response to our tape. We ran out of tapes within the first three weeks, forcing us to order 500. We just got the shipment last week. Our goal is to sell over a thousand copies before August 23rd (I wagered 2 pitchers that we will). So far we're approximately a third of the way there. CoC: Is your material well-accepted by Montreal audiences? QV: Yes it is, in spite of the fact that the Montreal scene is geared mostly towards grind. The interesting thing is that most of the tapes we sell is through word of mouth, not through the traditional sites of distribution of the underground. That is probably due to the fact, as I said, that the local scene is oriented towards Cannibal Corpse/Suffocation type of stuff. I've been told more than once that we do not fit into the mold of the Montreal scene. I am glad we don't. CoC: How would you currently rate the Montreal metal scene? QV: Very vibrant. There is a great attitude of bands helping each other out. No back stabbing. People are busting their balls to make things happen and working very hard to keep things alive despite the general lack of respect from club owners and promoters. There is no money in it and I think that people are doing this out of their love for music. I think this is also why the Montreal scene, in contrast to other parts of Canada, refuses to die. However, attendance at shows is small for local bands. The whole scene in terms of an audience consists of the same group of 500 people who support the locals and come to the shows. It is different for big-name bands of course. CoC: Is it difficult for Quo Vadis to successfully play such complex compositions in a live setting? QV: We have no problems with the material on the tape. Our new material is pushing the limits of our technical skills. We incorporate violin and female vocals into our live shows, and especially on the new material, this requires some innovative approaches on how shows must be organized. CoC: Has there been any label interest in the band so far? QV: So far, we've been contacted by one small label, and are currently trying to work something out with them. We have no plans of contacting any labels on our own yet until we establish ourselves in the underground first. They pay much more attention to bands who have a strong backing. A copy of their much recommended demo can be obtained by contacting Bart at: Contact: VomiT Productions, 2155 Prud'Homme #5 Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4A-3H3, Voice: (514) 369-1686 Email: b_frydr@vega.concordia.ca, b_frydr@alcor.concordia.ca =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ______ __ | __ \.-----.----.-----.----.--| | | <| -__| __| _ | _| _ | |___|__||_____|____|_____|__| |_____| ______ __ __ __ | __ \.-----.--.--.-----.| |.---.-.| |_|__|.-----.-----.-----. | <| -__| | | -__|| || _ || _| || _ | |__ --| |___|__||_____|\___/|_____||__||___._||____|__||_____|__|__|_____| 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! Six Feet Under - _Haunted_ (Roadrunner/Attic, Oct 1995) by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10) After long last, I finally got my hands on this CD which I had been frothing at the mouth for since the word spread on the side project of Obituary's guitar genius, Allen West, and Cannibal Corpse's mastermind Chris Barnes. Fittingly named, Six Feet Under have produced an album of unreal wizardry and genius that many people in today's scene quickly peg as being mediocre. Before hearing anything from this band, I caught wind of many rumors spreading around about the foursome. For the most part, they were described as "Obituary on drugs." However, as soon as I got a hold of one of their tracks, "Lycanthropy", I was very impressed to say the least, sure it's simple, but since when does technicality equal excellence? Certainly not in my book. The first thing I noticed on this release was Barnes' vocal approach. I was never a big fan of Cannibal Corpse, and I'm still not, the main reason being that I despised Chris Barnes' voice. But on this outing, Barnes seems to have lightened up his voice a bit (that's still not saying much), and made it more accessible. I'm sure that many of you hardcore Cannibal Corpse fans will not be pleased, but I think that THIS is what Barnes should have sounded like all along. The other big name in this band is of course the immortal Allen West of Obituary. The music on this outing is similar in a multitude of ways to Obituary, but it does possess something undeniably different and original about it. The speed, for one thing, is a big change. Six Feet Under have mastered the world of slow, chugging death metal that will rip your body apart from the inside out. I did notice one riff from "Beneath A Black Sky" which sounds exactly like the riff Obituary used practically throughout their entire _The End Complete_ album; I was disappointed to say the least but I was expecting similarities to pop up. My favorite track is by far "Lycanthropy." The lyrics here seem to be the typical gore-infested travesties that have come to signify the writing style of Chris Barnes, however a few tracks like, "Tommorow's Victim" and "Human Target" break away from the blood 'n guts, guts 'n blood mentality of Barnes. All in all, a solid album even if most people in today's metal world think it's boring and repetitive. I'll probably be one of the few who actually think it's a great achievement for two influencial death metallers. At the Gates - _Slaughter of the Soul_ (Earache, Nov 1995) by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10) It should suffice to say the following: if you liked _Terminal Spirit Disease_, you'll like this, and if you didn't, it probably won't change your mind. There are a few new things this time around, such as playing with feedback, more guitar solos, and some keyboards, but mostly, this outing sticks to the style of _TSD_. The main change is that this is more to the straight death metal/rock side than their previous releases, with less melodic stuff and "wetter" guitar tones. Tomas's vocals are still very "rabid" this time around. He sounds like he's foaming at the mouth in a couple of places. There are two instrumentals here, both a different style than "The Scar" or "And the World Returns"; one is a more typical-sounding slow acoustic number (mostly clean arpeggios), and the other features keyboards heavily, and brings in distorted guitars near the end. Both are nice, but I prefer their older, more unique style. The production is pretty good, but I don't really go for the guitar tone; it's too "death rock" for me. There are eleven tracks here, with the longest clocking in at 3:52, and the shortest 2:12, but most right around 3:00, making it a little difficult to get into the songs, since they're over right away. But, while this is a little behind _TSD_, it's still pretty good. Exit 13 - _... Just A Few More Hits_ (Relapse, Oct 1995) by: Gino Filicetti (7 out of 10) I have been waiting to hear Exit 13's material for so long, I found it somewhat unreal that I was actually putting this CD in my player. As my finger approached the play button, I felt the anticipation build inside of me of actually listening to a WHOLE Exit 13 CD!. I was first exposed to Exit 13 with a few of their sample tracks on Relapse's UHF/VHF compilation, and I had heard from more than one reliable source that Exit 13 were absolutely fucking amazing, so I put on the CD and was blown away with the intro sample of someone getting into their car and peeling away at MAXIMUM VOLUME. After that, I knew this was going to be killer. The CD starts out with "Legalize Hemp Now (Radio Edit)" (sure! as if any radio station would have the balls to play it!). The music is extremely catchy, with a low-tuned bass sound and high- pitched guitar chords which make the music weirdly appealing. The vocals throughout this album are constantly changing, something for which I have undying respect. The next song, "A Man And His Lawnmower" is a Dead Kennedy's cover. Bill is back to his extremely vicious and ultimately cool screams and screeches. After this is one of my favorite tracks on this album, "Oral Fixation", which is about the unforgettable experience of ultimately satisfying women. The vocals this time are of a mid-range, growl/talk type with the rhythm section grinding the way they do best. Next is my other favorite track, "Constant Persistence of Annoyance". An expertly written tale of dealing with someone that absolutely bugs the shit out of you. The next two tracks are very experimental ambient/noise deals, with the last track "Snakes and Alligators" eating up a whole 21:49 minutes of the CD!! Definitely a great album which makes me infinitely more curious and anxious for this band's next release. Unanimated - _Ancient God of Evil_ (No Fashion, Summer 1995) by: Brian Meloon (5 out of 10) This was billed as "Dissection-like," and I can see where that comparison could be made, but this is not as good as _The Somberlain_. Basically, I'd describe this release as a cross between melodic black metal (Dissection, Sacramentum) and bluesy rock'n'roll. It's a mixture that really doesn't go together well, sort of like toothpaste and orange juice. Reminiscent of At the Gates' _Terminal Spirit Disease_, but with more extreme varieties of bluesy rock'n'roll, and black metal. The worst part are the guitar solos, which are very standard bluesy rock (is that a wah-wah I hear?), and really clash with the melodic, tonal background music. That said, this isn't really bad if you remove the guitar solos. The rock stuff is banal, but doesn't ruin the disc by itself. The production, playing, and packaging are good, so if you don't mind (or if you actually like) hard rock and lighter black metal, give this a shot. Soulgrind - _LaDiT A.D. 1999: BIHttPotB_ (M.M.I. Records, Apr 1995) by: Gino Filicetti (8 out of 10) First off let me take a minute to expand this album's title. The full, complete, un-acronymed name of this release is _Lust and Death in Tuonela A.D. 1999: Black Industrial Holocaust through the Pandemonium of the Bizarre_. Strange? You don't know the half of it. Hailing from the frozen expanses of black metal's premiere homeland, Finland, comes Soulgrind, "the avantgarde hymn of reborn chaos and depression" (according to their adjective-excessive bio). The CD starts off with a number called "Introitus, Nostradamus 1999" which begins as a classical/gospel sounding, happy happy, joy joy type song with birds tweeting in the background alongside children playing, and all of a sudden, when you didn't think life could get any better than this, comes The Armaggeddon. The second track, my favorite, establishes the mood and style of the rest of the CD. With a constant switch from light to heavy doom, "Black Orchid" proves to be original in the face of the current trend in stagnation that is plaguing black metal today. The vocals are some of the best I've heard in a long while. Utilizing both the higher and lower range of aural agony, the vocalist gets his point across exceptionally well. The entire album is as unpredictable as chaos theory with its plethora of random sounds, samples and noises, to its surprising tempo changes, and the good dose of haunting female vox thrown in for good measure. Other notable tracks include "Elaman Keirre (Spin of Life)" which is sung completely in Finnish, and "The Pandemonium of the Bizarre" which is an unconceivable ambient/classical mix of epic proportions. If you are a fan of black metal that leans towards death and doom, this CD is DEFINITELY for you. Contact: M.M.I. RECORDS, c/o Markus Woeste Heerstrasse 77, 58553 Halver, Germany Tel/Fax: +49(0)2353-137159 Dead Orchestra - _Sounds Like Time Tastes_ (Choke Hit Records, 1995) by Gino Filicetti (6 out of 10) This CD was nothing more than a leftover from Foundations Forum. It was one of many in my HUGE pile of music that Adrian picked up for me, and when I first reviewed stuff, it didn't grab my attention, so I just skipped over it. Then one fateful night, I was looking at it, and decided, what the fuck, I'll give it a whirl. And whirl it I did. What I heard absolutely impressed me to no end, and I couldn't believe that I was just going to let this CD fade into obscurity under the heaps of dust that now cover a lot of my CD collection. The first thing that is noticed when listening to Dead Orchestra is the sound of their vocalist's throat. I could have sworn on my grave that I was listening to Oderus Urungus from GWAR. But the music is definitely nothing close to a rip-off of GWAR. The music on this release is very much influenced by a lot of old school thrash, but has a certain essential groove element that keeps it free of stagnation. The lyrics on this album are amazingly very serious and to the point, which proves shocking to someone with the mental picture of GWAR in their mind. My favorite track by far is "Satan Loves Me", a well- written, sarcastic song about the misinterpretations many people have about non-religious people. Altogether, a great album which surprisingly enough was recorded at Morrisound Studios (Obituary, Suffocation). Definitely something to pick up if borderline 90's thrash is your taste. Contact: CHOKE HIT RECORDS, PO Box 11548 Wichita, KS, USA 67202 Mindrot - _Dawning_ (Relapse/Nuclear Blast, Oct 1995) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) Bassist Matt Fisher said that with _Dawning_ (their debut album), the band was trying to show that "there is more to metal music than blood, guts and Beavis And Butthead." True are his words. With their emotionally packed album _Dawning_, Mindrot draws the listener into a state of mind that is stunned, neutralized, and forced to deal with pressures provided by pain, love, hatred, and fear. This is a powerful onslaught of emotionally charged material that delivers pure riveting doses of musical mayhem. From the opening title track to "Across Vast Oceans", _Dawning_ is solid music. The band manages to develop a rapport with the listener, allowing them to judge how the music is to be taken in, but given only limited ways of doing so. As if they have you cornered with only two possible ways out, that too is the way songs like "Burden", "Forlorn", and "Anguish" are to be dealt with. Will you see these musical offerings in their eyes or your own? It's up to you. Loud, abrasive, and cruel at times, _Dawning_ is atmospheric poetry, music for the thinker and the believer. _Dawning_ is purity that displays itself as an uncertain lump of emotions to be sorted out. Dissection - _Storm Of The Light's Bane_ by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) (Nuclear Blast/Relapse, Oct 1995) Kind of like a cross between Carcass and early Dickinson-era Iron Maiden (with death metal vocals), Dissection's sophomore effort (a follow-up to 1992's _The Somberlain_) is worthy of the attention that it is attaining in Europe. Stronger than their previous effort, in regards to strong production and more experience shown through songwriting, Dissection's album develops an atmospheric campaign as it carries on. The listener is drawn into a world of music and images with the lyrics and the music both downright brutal ("Retribution - Storm of the Light's Bane") and well-done pieces of musicianship i.e. "No Dreams Breathe in Breathless Sleep" or "Unshallowed". This album displays a lot of what seems to be circulating in the metal genre market nowadays, and as that may be seen as a bad thing, Dissection manages to add just a bit of their own sound within a very much standard-like direction and sound. Other tracks to note are the great opener "At The Fathomless Depths" and the speed-like assault of "Thorns Of Crimson Death". Standard European metal? Sure, but at least it paints a somewhat different picture that we can all look at for some time before we go onto the next one. g/z/r - _Plastic Planet_ (TVT, Oct 1995) by: Alain M. Gaudrault (7 out of 10) Being a huge Black Sabbath fan, I just couldn't resist picking up this Geezer Butler side project. This is easily the heaviest release ever produced by any member of his former group. He's hooked up with Deen Castronovo on drums (who also appears on Ozzy Osbourne's latest, _Ozzmosis_), Pedro Howse on guitars, and Burton C. Bell on vocals. Fans of Fear Factory will recognize Bell's name, and are encouraged to give this album a listen. While the songs have a modern metal/industrial feel, Sabbath stylings appear throughout. Bell's vocals are more melodic than they are on any of Fear Factory's releases, and give the songs an almost gothic touch. Unfortunately, the melodies don't sound distinct enough from one song to another to make them stand out, which is my main beef with this album. Geezer's bass is fortunately prominent and adds greatly to the overall sound, which is surprisingly fresh and interesting, seeing as Butler's not done much else than Black Sabbath for the last 25 years. In fact, he is credited for both music (with Howse) and lyrics. _Plastic Planet_ is a valiant effort from a pioneer in heavy metal, but readers are cautioned to give it a listen before buying, as it won't necessarily appeal to ALL Sabbath/Ozzy fans, or Fear Factory fans. Life Of Agony - _Ugly_ (Roadrunner, Oct 1995) by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10) There are those sophomore albums by bands that fall into the "triumphant" category, and there are those that fall into the "disappointment" category. But what about those that walk the fine line between those two options? Are they poor showings of improvement and growth? Average sources of material not meeting the expectations of true fans? Well with _Ugly_, Brooklyn's four-piece known as Life Of Agony have found themselves walking that ever so popular line and are in for quite a trip this year. Losing quite a bit of that hardcore/metallic element that made their 1992 debut _River Runs Red_ so brilliant, this time around, though still with hard grooves in place, LOA run wild with soft choruses, melody, and translucent yet mesmerizing guitar bits and pieces that mold _Ugly_ into a very (gulp...) alternative album. Sure, this album lacks the steam and energy displayed with their debut, but with that notion aside, there are still good cuts, ie: "Lost At 22", "Unstable", and the groove of "Fears". True, this album may make LOA lose fans, but the one winning quality is the extremely addictive tones displayed by the grooves of guitarist Joey Z. Hey, something has got to keep this album afloat, right? Voivod - _Negatron_ (Hypnotic, Oct 1995) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) Not a really huge fan of Voivod in the past - actually never really a fan except for that cool Pink Floyd cover - but I can honestly say "Now I Am!!!" Hitting you like a ton of bricks with first number/single, "Insects", Voivod's latest effort _Negatron_ (featuring new singer, Toronto native Eric Forrest) seems to stray some distance from this Montreal-based three-piece's previous musical styles. GOOD! With a vicious, lion-like roar, _Negatron_ shreds with the heavies and seems reluctant to let go throughout the album. Taking on a strong resemblance to Max Cavalera's/Alex Newport's side-project Nailbomb at times (mixed with classic Voivod-isms), the music generated on this ten-song offering doesn't lose momentum, taking on bigger, stronger shapes and forms as the album continues to play on. Title track, "Project X", "Meteor", and "Cosmic Conspiracy" are guilty of fueling the fire bestowed by this revamped Voivod. New singer, new direction and new sound, Voivod finally finds refuge on my CD shelf. Sometimes change is good, sometimes it is bad. For Voivod it was needed. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ __ _ /\ \ \_____ __ /\ \ \___ (_)___ ___ / \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \ / /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/ \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/ \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___| 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. Filthboy - _Whatever You Wanna Call It_ (Home Video - 3 videos) by: Gino Filicetti When I first heard from Buzzy (guitarist) that Filthboy was putting together a home video compilation of their three, count 'em, THREE videos, I didn't know what to expect. At first, I was MORE than surprised that this band actually had a video, never mind THREE of them. It doesn't surprise me much anymore, because if there is any indie band capable of pulling off such a feat, it is Filthboy. The beginning of the tape starts out with the boys talking about how Filthboy was formed, and how their videos came about, all the while being completely hammered out of their minds. The first video shown is for "Turncoat Angel", which was filmed with support from their previous label, Putrid Mind Records. This video shows the band jamming in their rehearsal space, as well as frolicking through the local graveyard. The second video for "Standing Still" was done by Kevin and Buzzy themselves, and features Kevin posing as a mad axeman raving on and on to himself. The final video, and the first one ever made, is for "My Deadly Wish". In my opinion, this video takes the cake. The Filthboys strongly disagree, but I still insist it is. It has live footage from their first ever gig, and has the video strobe effects going which I think give it a good professional feel. At this point, the home video ends with "Ever the Villain" playing through the credits. One disappointment is that the blooper reel the guys compiled did not come through in the final cut after the credits where it should be. However, this video makes for more than a solid effort on behalf of the band, and a good chance for people to get a visual glimpse into their sick and twisted minds. Contact: FILTHBOY, c/o Buzzy Beck, 1616 McFarland Rd. Dormont, PA, 15216, USA Voice: (412) 343-4198, Email: hate@telerama.lm.com Lethargy - _Humor Me, You Funny Little Man_ (5 track demo) by: Brian Meloon This is the best thing I've heard in the last six months, and it goes right at the top of my list of the best recordings (so far) of 1995. It sounds a lot like Embryonic Death's _Stream Of Solidarity..._ demo (1993), which I've described as a quirky version of Atheist, maybe like Atheist mixed with Demilich and some Primus-like quirkiness. Actually, this is goofy on two fronts: at times, the melodies are "silly" (hence the Primus reference), and at others, the music is so complex and technical that it's silly (like Sieges Even, Watchtower, Atheist). The vocalist really sounds a lot like Chuck Schuldiner (on _Symbolic_ especially), which fits the music very nicely. Speaking again of the music, there's really a lot going on here: riffs all over the place, lots of varying tempos and time sigs, dense drumming, yet the playing is really tight, and even the blast beats sound good. The guitarwork is also impressive as the harmonized parts really add a lot to the overall sound. The production is really good too. The only (very minor) problem I see is with the packaging. I'm not really totally sure this is going to be released, but be sure to write to them, and be patient (and include an SASE or IRC!) since they're lazy. So lazy, in fact, that they actually didn't have any J-cards printed up for this demo. Contact: Lethargy, P.O. Box 13693, Rochester, NY, 14613-0693 Destroyer - _Destroyer_ (4 track demo) by: Alain M. Gaudrault One word describes this recording: poor. Poor recording, poor vocals, poor musicianship, Texas-based Destroyer has it all. Basically, these guys just aren't ready for prime time. The vocalist can't carry a melody, and while the lyrics attempt to be somewhat profound, the accompanying music is far too simple and reminiscent of bad 80s metal. Tempo changes are just too forced, not fluid enough to make the song seem like a cohesive structure. While the guitar playing leaves much to be desired, I'm told that their 16-year old axeman was out all night before walking into the studio to put down the songs on tape. I don't buy it, even after listening to the live cut appended at the end to display his true skill. Not much else to say except "keep trying, guys." Contact: psy_tcs@hal.lamar.edu, pbkl81a@prodigy.com kblc35a@prodigy.com Maelstrom - _Eye of the Storm_ (8 track demo) by: Alain M. Gaudrault Who'd have thought that anybody would have the balls to release an instrumental demo? Maelstrom have done just that, producing a quite impressive product, a "concept demo album" as the band puts it. The idea was to do something that had not previously been done, and to possibly involve listeners by encouraging them to write their own lyrics, or even to jam along with one's favourite instrument. How successful are they in their endeavour? Methinks they've listened to one too many Judas Priest albums. If you've got Rob Halford's pipes, by all means, get your hands on a copy of _Eye of the Storm_ and wail away. While the Tipton/Downing influence is great, most of the solos are very neo-classical, a la Ygnwie Malmsteen; and yes, this combination of styles does work. The songs are actually very enjoyable, and the riffs even occasionally memorable, which is saying a lot for an instrumental album. Unfortunately, I just don't consider Maelstrom on par in terms of musicianship with their two primary musical influences. The drums and bass are particularly unexciting, leaving guitars as the single source of appeal. Nonetheless, a solid effort, indicative of their determination to be heard and appreciated, and possible good things to come. Their next release is said to be heavier and will feature a full lineup, including vocalist. For fans of hard-driving heavy metal, this is worth a listen, although its appeal may be limited these days. Contact: Maelstrom c/o RawSound Records, 10200 USA Today Way Miramar, Florida 33025 e-mail: rawsndrec@aol.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ____ __ __ /\ _`\ /\ \ /\ \__ __ \ \ \/\_\\ \ \___ __ ___\ \ ,_\/\_\ ___ \ \ \/_/_\ \ _ `\ /'__`\ / __`\ \ \/\/\ \ /'___\ \ \ \L\ \\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_/\ \L\ \ \ \_\ \ \/\ \__/ \ \____/ \ \_\ \_\ \__/.\_\ \____/\ \__\\ \_\ \____\ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/__/\/_/\/___/ \/__/ \/_/\/____/ ____ __ /\ _`\ /\ \__ \ \ \/\_\ ___ ___ ___ __ _ __\ \ ,_\ ____ \ \ \/_/_ / __`\ /' _ `\ /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/ /',__\ \ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\ \ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\ \ \__\/\____/ \/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/ \/__/\/___/ L E T T H E M A D N E S S B E G I N O N C E A G A I N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ozzy Osbourne at The Warehouse in Toronto, October 10, 1995 by: Alain M. Gaudrault Ozzy Osbourne, former frontman for the once-mighty Black Sabbath, is showing the world in his own inimitable way that, as he puts it, "retirement sucks." Ozzy's previous tour was touted as being his last, the "No More Tours" tour, in support of his then current release _No More Tears_. Restless and bored, the madman of rock and roll put together a promotional tour in anticipation of his forthcoming release, _Ozzmosis_. Only appearing in small venues and clubs, and playing his most popular material, this is a mini-tour strictly for the fans. As he has done in the past with groups such as Motley Crue, and most notably Metallica, Ozzy has brought along an opening act which he feels has great potential for major success. American death/industrial crossover act Fear Factory were the lucky recipients of this prized slot. Their 45-minute set showcased songs off both of their full-length albums although more emphasis on their latest, _Demanufacture_, was to be expected. While energetic and raw, the performance seemed not quite as focused as it has been in the past. This is perhaps due to the utter lack of audience feedback to their material, other than the occasional "we want Ozzy" bellows. Ozzy fans have been known to be rather intolerant of opening acts, and the crowd at the Warehouse was no different. Few cheers and little applause were all the thanks Fear Factory received before leaving the stage. Of course, the crowd was eagerly anticipating those four trademark words ushering in another evening of musical mayhem: "Let the madness begin." Ozzy, ever the comedian, started the show with a video montage of himself spliced into various bits of film, including "Forrest Gump" and music clip footage of Elvis, The Beatles, and Madonna, among others. This served only to build the crowd's anticipation which exploded as Ozzy hit the stage, sporting both a hot new guitar player, and a legendary bassist, the ever-enigmatic Geezer Butler, also of Black Sabbath fame. The set list included Ozzy's greatest hits such as "Crazy Train," "Flying High Again," "Bark at the Moon," and his most recent hit, "Mama I'm Coming Home." Featured also were such Black Sabbath classics as "Iron Man," "Sweet Leaf," and "War Pigs." In fact, a full third of the show consisted of Sabbath tunes, not surprising since half of the band is comprised of ex-Black Sabbath members! While Ozzy may not have the greatest singing voice, he sure knows how to pen a memorable hook, and goad his audience into a manic frenzy. And the latter he did at the Warehouse. The energy level was high from beginning to end, letting up momentarily for ballads such as "Goodbye to Romance" and "Mama I'm Coming Home." Ozzy himself seemed to be having a damn good time, and looked in much better physical condition than he did in the mid-1980s. The man is lean, mean, and ready to assault fans with yet another slab of goodies with the upcoming _Ozzmosis_. Should he come through your area in support of the album, I highly recommend checking it out, even if only for that warm, fuzzy feeling we all get when listening to those immortal songs from his previous band. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Monster Magnet - _Superjudge_ 2. Mundane - _Seed_ 3. Six Feet Under - _Haunted_ 4. Monster Magnet - _Dopes to Infinity_ 5. Samael - _1987 - 1992_ (Double CD compilation of _Worship Him_ and _Blood Ritual_) Adrian's Top 5 1. Cathedral - _The Carnival Bizarre_ 2. Monster Voodoo Machine - _Burn_ (EP) 3. Mindrot - _Dawning_ 4. Sepultura - _Chaos A.D._ 5. Filthboy - _Filthboy_ (demo) Brian's Top 5 1. Lethargy - _Humor Me, You Funny Little Man_ (demo) 2. Nocturnus - _Nocturnus_ (7") 3. Sacramentum - _Finis Malorum_ 4. Dissection - _The Somberlain_ 5. Alchemist - _Lunasphere_ Alain's Top 5 1. King Diamond - _The Spider's Lullabye_ 2. Alice Cooper - _Dada_ 3. Ozzy Osbourne - _Ozzmosis_ 4. g/z/r - _Plastic Planet_ 5. Mundane - _Seed_ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E F I N A L W O R D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So here you go everyone, Chronicles of Chaos #4, done and gone. I must apologize for its lateness, but this past week has been so hectic and full of work, school, work, and more school. Did I mention work? I never thought this issue was going to be so huge! It surprised the fuck out of me, and it just took that much more time to complete. But I'm sure all of you don't mind. I guess it's much better to have a late Chronicles of Chaos, than a short little shit Chronicles of Chaos. As you all should know by now, CoC's subscriber list is over 400 people strong worldwide, and should be over 420 by the time you get this! All I can say is, "See? I knew we'd be up another hundred since the last issue." Let's just hope that we'll be past the 500 mark for CoC #5! We are already in the process of lining shit up for the next issue, and it looks very promising, so enjoy this one, boys and girls. Take your time, read through it, and hopefully you'll be done by the time CoC #5 is released! :) -- Gino Filicetti =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #4