___ _ _ _ _ ( _)( ) (_) ( ) ,'_) | | | |_ __ ___ ____ _ __| | ___ __ ___ | | ( )_ ( _ )( _)( o )( __ )( )/ /( )( o_)(_' ( o )( _) /___\/_\||/_\ \_/ /_\/_\/_\\_\/_\ \( /__) \_/ /_\ ___ _ ( _)( ) | | | |_ ___ ___ __ ( )_ ( _ )( o )( o )(_' /___\/_\||/_^_\ \_/ /__) CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-Zine, July 17, 1996, Issue #12 Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti <_DeaTH_ on #metal> Coordinator: Adrian Bromley Assistant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault Web Page Manager: Brian Meloon Contributor: Steve Hoeltzel Contributor: Adam Wasylyk Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder --> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and 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 "coc subscribe " in the SUBJECT of your message to . Please note that this command must NOT be sent to the list address . 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 . AUTOMATIC FILESERVER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All back issues and various other CoC related files are available for automatic retrieval through our e-mail fileserver. All you have to do is send a message to us at . The 'Subject:' field of your message must read: "send file X" where 'X' is the name of the requested file. Back issues are named 'coc-n', where 'n' is the issue number. For a description of all files available through this fileserver, request 'list'. Remember to use lowercase letters for all file names. If you experience any problems or are having difficulty, feel free to e-mail us the usual way at . >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #12 Contents, 7/17/96 -------------------------- * Editorial * Loud Letters * Ferocious Features -- Pantera: Suffering in the South -- Malevolent Creation: Malevolently Plowing Forward -- Deicide: Lucifer's Right-hand Man Speaks -- 13mg of Amphetamine -- Prong: Gargantuan Grooves -- Grim Skunk: Releasing the Reek * Chaotic Chat Sessions -- Tom G. Warrior: Apollyon's Sun Illuminates the Frost -- Abigor: Update from the Twilight Kingdom * Independent Interrogations -- Glutton: Strange Music (To Say The Least) * Record Revelations -- The Almighty - _Just Add Life_ -- Altar - _Altar_ -- Ancient - _The Cainian Chronicle_ -- Various - _Beauty In Darkness_ -- Celestial Season - _Sonic Orb_ -- Christ Agony - _Moonlight - Act III_ -- Diaboli - _Mesmerized by Darkness_ -- Equinox - _Return to Mystery_ -- Hybernoid - _Todays Tomorrow Yesterday_ -- Metallica - _Load_ -- Nastrond - _Toteslaut_ -- Nazxul - _Totem_ -- Nebrionic - _Psycho One Hundred_ -- Setherial - _Nord_ -- Wardogs - _Scorched Earth_ -- Yosh - _Metaphors_ -- In Flames - _The Jester Race_ -- Amon Amarth - _Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds_ -- Arcturus - _Aspera Hiems Symfonia_ -- Sadist - _Tribe_ * New Noise -- Embrace - _Promo Tape 1996_ -- Dirge - _Hazing Rituals_ -- Zeitgeist - _The Eyes of Time_ -- Timescape - Timescape * Chaotic Concerts -- La Manie Reigne a Montreal: Obliveon at the Spectrum * Tours of Torture * What We Have Cranked * The Final Word =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= E D I T O R I A L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Gino Filicetti Welcome back everyone, here is your newest issue of Chronicles of Chaos, a little late, but top notch as always. We are fast approaching CoC's first birthday, it was one year ago on August 12, 1995 that Chronicles of Chaos came into being. Look forward next month to an issue that'll be as jam packed as we can make it!! Well, July 26th is just around the corner, and after hours of contemplation, we've decide that we will no longer be attending the Milwaukee Metalfest. As many of you must know by now, the 'fest has garnered themselves a VERY bad reputation over the years of not delivering the bands that they promise will appear on stage. This year alone, we've learned from Absu, Immortal and Mayhem that their names were used in false advertising by the 'fest's organizers and that they were never even contacted about the gig. Despite all the bullshit that is certainly going to take place in Milwaukee this year, that is not the whole reason Adrian and myself are not going, the main reason is that Toronto is VERY far away from Milwaukee, and we just don't think it's worth the investment travelling so far for what is looking to be a flop. But fear not, for Chronicles of Chaos will STILL have a representative at this year's Metalfest, Adam Wasylyk will be in attendance so keep an eye out for him (but I doubt you'll find him!). Speaking of "out of town adventures," Adrian and I took off for six days in June and went down to Pittsburgh to hang with our buddy Buzzy Beck and his band, Filthboy. Buzzy (unfortunately) got married on June 22nd, and we felt obliged to be at his wedding and get as drunk as possible. Unfortunately one of us, who will remain anonymous, had his first taste of the harshest whiskey known to man, Yukon Jack. Suffice it to say that despite catching the bride's garter, this person felt the need to empty his body of all present toxins, in a very disgusting way. Well, I think I'm getting a little too detailed now, so I'm going to end this story. As for Filthboy, we got to sit in on numerous rehearsals, and were blown away by the sheer intensity of the band. Keep your eyes peeled for these fuckers. Our web page has now officially changed locations. It was permanently moved from Brian's site to my own site at http://www.io.org/~ginof/. If you have any links to our page, please use this URL. Last issue's giveaway contest was a resounding success, and I'm glad to report that five of the finest minds out in CoC-land are getting or have already gotten some of the wickedest free shit known to man. Keep your eyes peeled for another contest in the near future. Ok, that's all from me this time around, thanks for the support as always, and keep those Loud Letters coming. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Now here's a little something I thought you'd all be interested in: Shukri, editor of Soul Tumour Ezine, is seeking serious-minded supporters of all extreme metal genres to set up an internet-based international scene report. Contributors are expected to cover their areas / countries. Monthly information on new bands, releases, live shows, events etc etc, as well as an overall opinion on the way things are moving are needed. If you think you can handle it, e-mail: sadams@botzoo.uct.ac.za for more info. It doesn't matter where you live in the world, get in touch now !! Shukri NETZUL Adams Soul Tumour Ezine =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M""MMMMMMMM dP M MMMMMMMM 88 M MMMMMMMM .d8888b. dP dP .d888b88 M MMMMMMMM 88' `88 88 88 88' `88 M MMMMMMMM 88. .88 88. .88 88. .88 M M `88888P' `88888P' `88888P8 MMMMMMMMMMM M""MMMMMMMM dP dP M MMMMMMMM 88 88 M MMMMMMMM .d8888b. d8888P d8888P .d8888b. 88d888b. .d8888b. M MMMMMMMM 88ooood8 88 88 88ooood8 88' `88 Y8ooooo. M MMMMMMMM 88. ... 88 88 88. ... 88 88 M M `88888P' dP dP `88888P' dP `88888P' MMMMMMMMMMM This is the column where we print those lovely letters our readers decide so graciously to write us. Whether they be positive, negative, ignorant or just plain spelled wrong, you can rest assured that they'll be here in their original form. If you'd like to see your own letter here, e-mail it to and enter 'Attention Loud Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all letters received will be featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos. Date: Sun, 9 Jun 96 From: Steven Cannon Subject: Re: send coc-10 Hey! Great 'zine! Keep up the good work! I wanted to send a letter to let everyoneknow that even though my publication Vibrations of Doom has been around for about 12 issues, and has had trouble keeping up with deadlines, there are some digitized sound files from bands like Front Line Assembly, Trouble, Malevolent Creations, Zero Defects, and a host of other bands. We cover everything from speed/death/thrash/black metal to over the top techno/industrial, ambient, rave, punk/hardcore (when we get it!) and so much more! It's good to keep things flowing in the underground, so make sure you support ALL the 'zines, whether e-zines or paper, and also encourage your local music scene, no matter how small or diminishing. Just to let you know, Savannah, Georgia has one of the first industrial bands EVER signed to Re-Constriction Records (courtesy of yours truly!) and also bands like Damad, Gam, and PCP showcase some brutal death metal and industrial! Drop us a line at our email address or check out the web site (which you can do a keyword search to find) Stay heavy and keep yo' mind open! Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 From: "David I. Schwartz" Subject: true readership of COC Gino: In the latest CoC (#11) you mentioned that you would like to increase your membership. Have you accounted for distributed copies? I copy/print the CoC for 4 friends who either can't access email or whose accounts are limited. Perhaps you should ask that people say how many they distribute occasionally. (The Zocolo, the Babylon 5 newsletter makes the same request) - you might be surprised how large the "true" readership is. BTW, thanks for putting in all the effort. I really enjoy the interviews and band reviews. At some point I'll even send in my band demo tape when we settle in with our new guitarist (if you're ever in Buffalo, check out Mobius at The Continental ;-) thanks, Dave ************************************************************************** |David I. Schwartz |================================| |Department of Civil Engineering |====== dis@eng.buffalo.edu ====| |State University of New York at Buffalo|====== dis@acsu.buffalo.edu ====| |202 Ketter Hall |================================| |Amherst, New York 14260 | Cheap is good, but FREE is best| |(716) 645-2114 X 2451 | What you incur, you must endure| ************************************************************************** Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 From: alovett@iamerica.net Subject: Metallicrap Hi! First, let me say that COC is really great for all of us that like music that is perhaps a little out of the mainstream. It shows alot of professionalism and a love for what you do. I wanted to ask some opinions on a topic that has bothered me lately. I know that the majority of your readers probably think that Metallica is too slow for them, but I have liked them since their first album, back when they were one of the heaviest bands around. But, of course, all good things must come to pass. These last 2 albums have been pretty crappy. I suppose that if Metallica was just starting out as a new band, they would be alright, since they are now sounding like many of the bands around now like Smashing Pumpkins, Everclear, people like that. My problem is that they totally turned their back on what made them so popular in the first place and started going in totally new directions. Now, I'm all for artistic expression, but it seems to me that they have forgotten all the fans who made them popular and bought all those albums and sold out all those concerts when Metallica wasn't even being played on the radio. I guess my question is: Why did they do it? Was it because they felt stagnant and wanted to experiment with new styles? Or was it for money and they are trying to appeal to the so-called "Generation X" and Top 40 demographic? And one more, what do you think that Dave Mustaine is thinking now? I personally have been listening more to Megadeth, since they embody that whole sound that I had come to like so much from Metallica, and they haven't changed. Well, sorry to ramble, but I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks, and keep up the good work! Adam Lovett Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1996 From: "M. J. THORAX EMBALMER" Subject: Attention Loud Letters Hey! I would just like to say that yor magazine really kicks ass! I especially enjoy the kontests and the free shit you give away, it would be fucken kool if you kontinue to do this in the future. Anyway, I have a kouple of questions for you. Whatever happened to Alex Marquez, of Malevolent Creation and Ressurection? He is my favorite drummer and has seemed to have dissapeared. The same goes for Dan SeaGrave- he was the raddest kover artist for many death bands, and I have not seen any of his work for a long time. Some info would be much appreciated. Anyway, keep up the good work, I rekkomend yor 'zine to all of my friends. Over and out. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ___________ .__ \_ _____/__________ ____ ____ |__| ____ __ __ ______ | __)/ __ \_ __ \/ _ \_/ ___\| |/ _ \| | \/ ___/ | \\ ___/| | \( <_> ) \___| ( <_> ) | /\___ \ \___ / \___ >__| \____/ \___ >__|\____/|____//____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ ___________ __ \_ _____/___ _____ _/ |_ __ _________ ____ ______ | __)/ __ \\__ \\ __\ | \_ __ \_/ __ \ / ___/ | \\ ___/ / __ \| | | | /| | \/\ ___/ \___ \ \___ / \___ >____ /__| |____/ |__| \___ >____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ The meat of the matter lies here. Read on for the juiciest morsels on bands ranging from the reknowned to the obscure. No fat, no gristle, just blood-soaked slabs served hot and ready. Dig in, readers. S U F F E R I N G I N T H E S O U T H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Interview with Pantera's Vinnie Paul by: Adrian Bromley Vinnie Paul, Pantera's drummer and producer, is sitting at home in Texas ready to talk about his band's latest release _The Great Southern Trendkill_ and the first thing I notice, which is quite obvious by the tone in his voice, is that Paul is quite tired from doing 'phoners' (phone interviews) all day - something like 30 interviews were planned for this specific day. And to top it off, the scheduled interview with Paul (a short 15 minutes) had been slightly shortened by an eager record executive (in New York or some major metropolitan city) to get ALL interviews crammed into one day. Needless to say I was prepared and I got the answers I needed and a few good quotes here and there. Onward with the 'trendkill'... "We wanted to make this record broader than our last record," opens Paul about the new LP, in which he (like all the other Pantera albums) produced with co-producer Terry Date. "The last record everything was done all at the same level and this record allows us to bring in all the qualities that Pantera has been known to show with the hardcore, the bruteness of our music as well as some melodic stuff that we have never been able to do." About his work behind the scenes with Pantera's sound he says, "No one knows more about Pantera and what they should sound like more than I do. I mean we didn't want to go off and work with Bob Rock and have a commercial sound. Pantera has its own sound and I think on this record we have been able to carry on with that." The uniqueness of each record has set Pantera from the rest of the metal acts. Paul, along with singer/screamer Phil Anselmo, guitarist Dimebag and bassist Rex, the band has been able to exhort brute offerings of metal and intenseness with every release. It began with their major label debut _Cowboys From Hell_ (1990) and the power went on to take shape in the forms of _Vulgar Display of Power_ (1992), 1994's #1 Billboard album entry, _Far Beyond Driven_ and onto the 1996 Pantera aural assault of _TGSTK_ (which by the way debuted on Billboard at #4). "We have always been able to be what we are. We don't change. The biggest change for us went from being a bar band to playing to 20,000 people in an arena. That may seem like a big difference but it isn't for us as we go out and play it as if we are on a small stage. The only difference is that we have a bigger production now but there is no difference because of crowd sizes at all. "Another thing about Pantera is that we have been the same band for six years now. No one has left or been replaced. It sucks because nowadays you can go see a band and not know who is playing with who. With Pantera you know Dimebag is on guitar, I'm on drums, Rex is playing bass and Phil is singing and I think fans appreciate that about us." With _TGSTK_ Pantera once again strived for that live feel with their album. "We set up all our live and recording gear in the warehouse behind Dimebag's house in Texas and started to record. That was beneficial to us because as it is most studios are set up on hours like 11AM to 11PM and that is it, and all I know is that I ain't a morning person who likes to get up and play the drums at 11AM. By having this studio where it was and how we recorded it, it allowed us to record the material at 11PM if we wanted to or at any given time without being dictated when we have to record. Another difference in the recording with this record was that we had demos ready going into the studio where with the last record we wrote the songs in the studio and recorded them there on the spot. Doing material the way we did with _TGSTK_ allowed us to work out the songs from the early stages rather than right on the spot." Paul adds, "Unlike most bands who record or write 30 to 40 songs in the studio and pick from that, we go into the studio with the 12 or 13 tracks for the album and work with them. No picking or choosing and that allows us to focus a thousand percent on those songs" And why has Pantera been able to stay afloat in an industry where heavy bands are falling quickly to the wayside? "I think because we have remained true to our form. A lot of those bands that aren't around focused a lot on image and getting songs on the radio whereas we never focused on radio and just toured lots and lots. We tour every album for like 18 months to two years at least and we need to tour that much to reach all our fans around the world in North America, Europe, South America, Japan and The Pacific Rim. Also we stayed true to what we wanted to do with the band and our sound and again I think that is why we have been popular with our fans and been able to continue on in this industry. Plus we are having fun touring and making music." NOTE: Pantera begins a full North American co-headlining tour with White Zombie with openers Eyehategod on June 28th - Eyehategod are later replaced by The Deftones. See Tours of Torture for more information. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M A L E V O L E N T L Y P L O W I N G F O R W A R D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC talks to Phil Fasciana of Malevolent Creation and Hate Plow by: Steve Hoeltzel He's made some mistakes, he's had to pay for them, and now he's pissed. He's "On a drunken frenzy," he's got "One leg to kick your ass..." and now he's even got his own death metal theme song, thanks to the new Malevolent Creation CD that bears his name: _Joe Black_. Given that much, you can probably guess what my first question was when I sat down recently to talk with guitarist Phil Fasciana about the death metal juggernaut that is Malevolent Creation - and about Phil's new side project Hate Plow as well. But if you're anything like me, you'll be quite surprised to hear the answer to the question: Is Joe Black a real person? " Yeah, it is. It's Jay's father, man!" He's referring to Jason Blachowicz, Malevolent Creation bassist and vocalist. "See, Jason's last name is Blachowicz, but his father goes by 'Joe Black' ." Phil's got quite the story about this guy, too - but since I hate to kick ol' Joe while he's down, I'm not going to get into the details here. Besides, you can pretty much figure out the whole deal by reading the lyrics to the song. Suffice it to say, as Phil laughingly puts it at one point, "It's fucked up!" Anyway, not only are Malevolent Creation the first death metal band that I know of who've written a song about a member's dad - they're also the first to offer up techno (!) re-mixes of tracks off a straight death metal album. (I don't quite count Fear Factory in that category.) _JB_ contains three such re-mixes of songs from _Eternal_, and I asked Phil where the band got the idea to do this. Are Malevolent Creation closet ravers, or what? Phil laughs: "No, man! The thing is, we had nothing to do with it! The guy that recorded the guitars, bass, and vocals for our album, my friend Erich [Wytell], he's into shit like that, and he kept on saying how he wanted to re-mix some of the songs and turn 'em into dance songs!! And we were just like, 'Whatever,' you know? He didn't have time to do it right away when we did the album, but over the course of like six months he ended up doing those re-mixes. We never even knew what they were gonna sound like. And you know, when we heard 'em, man, we were just dying, because it was just so fucking weird." Obviously, though, the question is: did the guys -like- the re-mixes? Phil laughs again: "I don't know, man, I like 'em, kinda, 'cause they're just crazy sounding, man!" I told him that although I really had no idea what to expect before I actually heard the things, I ended up liking them too. They definitely have a way of growing on you. "I know, it does! A lot of people that hear it go 'Holy shit, dude, I actually like your band now!!' We'll probably do something different like that again, maybe try to make it a little heavier." It was a good thing to hear that the band has such plans for the future... or -any- plans for the future, given that rumors of a possible breakup were circulating after the band cut short one of their recent tours. "Yeah, it got a little fucking funky, man. Our singer got arrested and shit - it was just really bad. Everyone was drinking a little too much, everyone was fighting, and shit wasn't going right, man. It just got a little out of control, so everybody just went 'Fuck this - let's get outta here.' " The band now has a steady line-up, though, and is planning to enter the studio to record their next full-length effort around the end of July. However, there has been one change in membership since _Eternal_ was recorded: Phil, Jason, and second guitarist Jon Rubin are now joined by drummer Derek, who replaces Dave Culross. "The dude is way sicker than our last drummer," Phil says. Before his try-out, Phil warned him that if he couldn't play the drum parts to _Eternal_ he'd get the thumbs-down within five minutes - but Derek was unfazed. "He goes 'Dude, I warm up to that album - don't even worry about it.' He came down here, and just totally blew us away, man, just played all the songs on _Eternal_ fucking sicker than we've ever heard 'em. So after about five minutes with him, we went 'You're in!' And the guy's killer, man." The band is looking to get their next album recorded soon, then tour as much as possible to support it. Writing for the new release is pretty much completed, and I asked Phil how the new stuff will sound compared to _Eternal_. "It's different, for sure," Phil says. "There's a lot less speed. It's not like doomy or anything, but there's more rhythmic beats, stuff like that. And we tuned down to B for a few songs. I mean, there's still some fast shit, you know - it's still fast, man. And the drumming - this is gonna be a real good drumming album. Hopefully everything will come out produced right and everything, the way we need it to be." How much older Malevolent material can we expect to show up in their live set when they hit the road? "We're gonna be doing a lot of it, man. We'll probably do like five songs from the first album, five from _Retribution_. We do maybe one or two, possibly three off _Stillborn_. But see, we mix it up every time. Every night, we play a lot off _Eternal_, and we'll probably whip "Joe Black" into the set, maybe "Self-Important Freak" [both off _JB_], and whatever new stuff, you know. And we'll probably throw in a couple new ones to freak people out." Malevolent Creation is definitely a revitalized band, coming back with two really strong releases after _Stillborn_ - which a lot of people, myself included, regarded as an incredibly weak follow-up to their crushing second album _Retribution_. It turns out that Phil hates that album, too! "It was a nightmare. The drummer couldn't do the drum tracks right; the production sounded funky; Brett [Hoffman, ex-vocalist]'s voice was cashed; no one was into it. I was like 'Holy shit - this is a nightmare!!'" During the studio sessions for that album, Phil says, "I thought I was gonna fucking die man, I swear to God, I couldn't handle it. It was the worst experience of my life. It was brutal, and in the end result, it still sounded like shit. I wish we could have totally done that whole thing another time, a little later in a different studio. It was fucked up, period. It was just a bad time, bad timing, man. Everybody's personal shit was interfering with the band - no one was even into it. I was the only one that had anything going on, and even my life was all fucked up, too! It was a nightmare, man." Of course, Phil will be entering the studio again with Malevolent before the summer is over. And not only that: he also plans to record an album soon with his side project Hate Plow. (In fact, the album will have to be recorded very soon, since drummer Crazy Larry is in trouble with the law.) I asked Phil what sort of variation on the brutal musical style we can expect to hear from them. "Hate Plow's coming out a lot more hardcore sounding - but not like hardcore New York style, or whatever, except maybe a little bit here and there. It's got really deep, brutal vocals, and it's really fast. It's crazy, man!" Elaborating a bit, Phil says "It's all mixed-up sounding! There's a lot of grinding, man - but it's good, it's not noise. It's really good, man, and we're hoping that everything comes out well when we record it. We'll be going to a nice studio, so it should sound really good. The demo we did sounds awesome!" In fact, a bit of a clue to their sound can be found right up front on Malevolent's _JB_ release. "You know, 'Joe Black' and 'Self-Important Freak' are Hate Plow songs," Phil tells me. "They were on the first demo that me and Rob [Barret, of Cannibal Corpse] and Crazy Larry did. That was the first version of Hate Plow." That version of Hate Plow no longer exists, though. Rob, who had been playing guitars and handling vocal duties, eventually drifted away from the band, leaving Phil as the lone guitarist and making room for new singer Kyle Steinens. According to Phil, Kyle's vocals have to be heard to be believed. "This guy just came to our warehouse one night, and we knew he sings for this other band [Florida act Sickness]. We were jamming Malevolent, and Jason didn't show up, and we wanted to do the songs with vocals. He's like, 'Oh, dude, I know all the lyrics to the Malevolent songs.' So he started singing 'em, and we went 'Holy shit!!' We heard his voice and went 'Dude! My God! Fuck Rob - let's get this guy singing for Hate Plow!'" In addition to Phil, Kyle, and Crazy Larry, the band is now rounded out by Tim Scott (ex-Revenant) on bass. So both Hate Plow and Malevolent Creation will be recording and releasing new material before too long. In the meantime, though, Phil has some friendly advice for fans: "Go look into _Joe Black_. You better buy it, or Joe Black'll come and get you too. So look out, man - if a guy with one leg starts chasing you, run for your life!" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= L U C I F E R ' S R I G H T - H A N D M A N S P E A K S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Interview with Glen Benton of Deicide by: Alain M. Gaudrault The show is over, the sweat-drenched, liquored-up crowd disperses, and I make my way to the band's dressing room to see if I can score an interview with any of the members of the evening's headliners, Deicide. After twiddling my thumbs for what seemed like forever, the road manager tells me the controversial singer/bassist/lyricist will do the interview after he's had time to shower. Lady luck is with me tonight as a damp-haired Glen Benton invites me in. The open window reveals minor chaos brewing outside The Embassy, the London, Ontario bar which served as venue for the show. We sit down, I press record, and the banter begins. I begin with the usual barrage of questions pertaining to their latest opus _Once Upon the Cross_. He seems somewhat bored with my line of questioning, albeit consistently pleasant and friendly, much to my surprise. I begin by asking about the success of the album. "I think it's done just as good as any of the other records. It's a lot more flowing on this record than on the other two [_Deicide_ and _Legion_]. I think it's pulling more people towards it. It's flowing, man. When it's flowing like that, people are pretty much... very discreet, they're more likely to get it, not have a fuckin' opinion about what I'm talking about," referring to the overt satanic imagery pervasive throughout the band's lyrics, which he pens. Is he satisfied with the album? "So far. I mean it could have been better. You always want more, you know what I mean? Every record's different for whoever's writing the material, you know? On the last record, Steve [Asheim, drummer] wrote most of the material. He sits around the house a lot! He stays up 'till 6 o'clock in the morning every day." He laughs, "The guy don't sleep!" A few fans have found their way to the dressing room by this time, wanting to greet Benton and hang out for awhile. He obliges, signing autographs, shaking hands, and answering questions. His demeanor is rather pleasant, albeit never overly talkative. I take this opportunity to ask him whether he would enjoy partaking in the sweet herbal delights I've so thoughtfully brought along. Naturally, he's game. The evil weed deed done, Benton politely asks the fans to move along so that we can talk. The tour in question is rather low profile, so I ask him how extensive it is. "It's just two weeks, man. We're actually in the process of writing and shit, so those guys (Eric and Brian Hoffman on guitars, and Steve Asheim on drums) have been writing, working on their new stuff, what they've written so far. This tour got offered to us, and I kept telling [the promoters] no, I kept telling them no, but the money kept getting better, and the money kept getting better, and the money kept getting better, so I was like 'All right we'll do it.' It's just a couple of weeks, man. Make some quick cash." As for the coverage of the tour, he adds, "Just up the east coast, North Carolina, New York, Conneticut, Ohio, Detroit, Chicago, here." And the crowds? "Killer, killer shows." Unfortunately, the band is notorious for their lack of touring and short sets. I ask him if it's intentional. "Yeah, man, it's just marketing. I don't flood the market with myself, I don't spread myself too thin. It's like tonight. Our sets are usually that long so people will keep coming back for the next album's worth. People, they expect me to come out there, and for the kind of money we're making, they think we'll come out there and do fucking 3 albums worth of material, you know what I mean?" He adds, "If I did that, you'd never come back to see me again, you know what I mean?" We agree to disagree on this point, and I move on. Deicide, of course, have become infamous for their religious beliefs and the prominence of said beliefs in the lyrical content of their music, and while I considered bucking the trend and keeping the subject out of the conversation, I thought again and asked him whether the band's families also hold the same convictions. "It depends how far back you go in the family. My family, for instance, my wife isn't a christian, she's an atheist. We don't teach any kind of fucking religion in our home at all. As far as the rest of the band goes, everybody in the band knows that christianity is nothing but a farce and fucking sham, and their families share the same fucking beliefs. But as far as to go out like myself, I don't think anybody outside the four of us would do that, because you know, we open ourselves up to take shots, man. We don't expect our families to take it, you know what I mean?" Many have derided Benton, in particular, for his pseudo-satanic spewings of infernal allegiance, claiming it being done purely for the sake of publicity. In regards to textual basis for the set of beliefs he holds, he comments, "I've read so many different philosophies about satanism and atheism, and paganism. I read them all and I understand the majority of it, and what I have gotten from all that is where I put myself in this place. I don't want to follow any other person because that one particular person has certain things that I don't fucking agree with. Like [Anton] LaVey, I don't agree with a lot of things that [the Satanic Church says]. Acquino has a lot of things that he says that I find really right on the money. But then there's a couple of things that he kinda throws a bit of Hollywood-ism to the whole thing. I'm not into that." He stresses, "I'm more into eye for an eye, out for myself, and as far as christianity goes, I know for a fact that Christ did not die for my sins and I do not believe in any of the christian hype, the Bible or any of that. I don't believe in any of it." Does he believe in an entity called Satan? "I believe that... I'll try to explain it to you... I want to go where all my friends have gone, and people I know have gone. They're all sinners, so they're obviously not going to Heaven by what the fucking christians want you to believe, so I'm going wherever they're going. And if the christians say that's Hell, and that's Satan, so be it. All I know is that there are a lot of good-hearted people and a lot of good people that are going to Hell, so if that's the scenario, then I might as well go with them because I fit right in with them." It's obvious at this point that the THC has taken effect, and that my interviewee is willing to share some insight, so I probe a bit further, asking him about the practice of ritual sacrifice. "Yeah, man, we've played around with things like that. I don't tell people what... I mean, we've researched on shit like that. Occult means secrecy. That doesn't mean going around blabbing about things like that." He goes on to say, "I don't deny it at all. I wouldn't deny killing animals, I wouldn't deny sacrificing things for certain purposes. I've killed many animals in the name of myself and others." I look at my watch at this point and realize how late it's getting, so I close with one last question. The premise: You are given the opportunity to kill one person with your bare hands and be completely absolved of any legal repercussions. Do you accept the proposition, and if so, who do you choose? "If I could kill somebody with my bare fucking hands? Who would it be... Hmm. Well, I would have to say... whoever was the closest enemy to me at the time. I won't say any particular person, I'll just say whoever the closest enemy is." He quips, grinning, "It's easy that way." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1 3 m g O F A M P H E T A M I N E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by: Adrian Bromley Producer/musician Howie Beno is quite the talker. Calling from Chicago, Illinois, 13Mg.'s frontman, known for his production work with Ministry, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Monster Voodoo Machine to name a few, he immediately jumps into a story about the formation of his one-time industrial influenced side project (then known as Drag) into a full-time band. "There is a long story to go with this but... here goes. Sort of. The material that wound up on _Trust and Obey_ (their debut on Chicago-based Slipdisc Records) was from maybe three or four years ago when producer Critter and I were working on the tail-end of the Ministry _Psalm 69_ record. We just started writing casually, fucking around in the studio and a lot of the material on the debut [is] from that time period and since then I have gotten a band together and did some showcasing. We put out an 6-song EP on Flipside Records (a California punk label) called _Pilfer_ (1994) under the band name Drag a while back. So eventually we worked those six songs off the EP onto the _TaO_ LP on Slipdisc." It all seems to have happened so easily, from EP material to touring band with an LP. Not the case says Beno. "After the release of the EP we signed to Slipdisc in the spring of last year, and it being a new company and this being their first signing, they needed to put out a record in order to get money from the distributor. So they pushed us into the studio to remix and repackage the material and also adding four new songs. They then slammed it out there and here we are." While H. Beno (as he is known to many) spends a good deal of time perfecting the material he is working with or the industrial/techno sculpted pieces off of _TaO_, he kind of laughs at the notion of story behind the band's name. No real meaning, no point, just a name that stood out from other possible names like Cyclops Love Doll and Guano. "We eventually settled on 13Mg., that is 13 milligrams, as it is the prescribed dosage for Vicadin. Vicadin is a commonly prescribed heavily dosed painkiller." So is the music of 13Mg. acting as some form of a painkiller? "I dunno," he laughs, "Maybe the music is some form of a tranquilizer." While 13Mg. relies heavily on fluctuating between melody and dance beats, heavy riffs and industrial rawness, the feature that stands out most predominantly is the fact that there was a revolving door of musicians (with help from producer Critter and Brian Liesegang of Filter fame to name a few) used to create and assemble _TaO_. "There really wasn't a choice because Critter and I started writing material for the _Pilfer_ EP. As for Critter being part of the band he is good at twiddling knobs and being the producer. He does it very well and that is what he wants to concentrate on. Brian (Liesegang) just helped out with some material while he was living here, long before Filter was formed, something like three years ago. We went into the studio and recorded "Nath" and when I was searching for material for the album that one came up as it would be a good addition, as an ambient piece, to everything else in the record, to kind of show off a different aspect of the band rather that just a guitar thing." [The band's now permanent line-up consists of drummer Felix Miklik, Joe Callahan and Max Edgin on guitars and Brian Lanktree.] And the overall feel of the record and sound, as it shapeshifted as time went on through various production stages and being influenced somewhat by the sounds of the overall music industry, was something that Beno had to accept too. "The newer songs like 'Debris' and 'Uppercut' are my favourite songs as they seem to be fresher in my mind and they have been influenced by what I have been doing over the last few years as opposed to having been set on one direct style of music." On his view of how people should feel about the record he casually says, "I just put the record together and threw it out there. Other people are making the devaluing or valuing positions on it. On that question I will have to plead artistic ignorance. In other words people see different things and attach their own meaning. I would hope people would attach their own views." As Beno has been involved with thousands of hours in studios doing work to make other band's material sound clear and crisp and the closest to how they want it to sound, how did Beno react to putting his own material together in the studio? "As far as the production approach, I am so anal it is ridiculous, especially when it comes to my own stuff. When the music comes out of me it goes through so many filters before it gets to the final product and a lot of time that shuts me down. When I was doing either the Ministry record or the Monster Voodoo Machine record I was still writing as I knew this was something that I wanted to do. It was always something that I always wanted to be able to accomplish. "The diversity of the material on _TaO_ comes from writing music over a period of four years and going in and out of phases. I'll come back and tinker with it and change it here and there. I wanted to put diversity on the record because the concept of this particular band can encompass all those things. For the debut release, much like a thesis statement, was to cover as much ground as I could, to try and encompass the kind of aesthetic of what I was trying to do with the band." Anything left out that he wanted to do with the LP? "The next time around I may possibly want to include a string quartet into the music, something I have written in the last little while. I would like to work it into our next record depending on the direction it goes. Small snippets here and there and make it work together. And as far as the direction of the next, I don't know. I won't know until I sit down and work on it. The label may hate me for this but maybe I'll come out with an all-ensemble record next." NOTE: For those interested, 13Mg. has two remixed CD singles (including dance and techno styles) of the tracks "Sinister" and "Uppercut" off the _Trust and Obey_ LP. Also Bon Harris of Nitzer Ebb does a great remix (the Bon Dage Remix) of "Uppercut" on that particular CD single. For more information and/or purchasing these two 'PROMOTIONAL ONLY' CDs contact: Contact: SLIPDISC RECORDS, c/o Kristen Cotter N. Dearborn #3007 Chicago, IL, 60610, USA Voice: (213) 951-1650 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= G A R G A N T U A N G R O O V E S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Interview with Prong by: Adrian Bromley The fourth LP by New York power-groove act Prong, _Rude Awakening_, is just that, a 'rude awakening' to the reality of life and one's struggle to face hardships and go on, as well as an 'awakening' to the exceptional display of thought and perseverance that Prong has sustained after all these years within their music. Extremely focused on capturing an element of groove and growth with _RA_, lead singer/guitarist Tommy Victor has managed to magnify and control the grooves of Prong, allowing more assorted styles of harshness to flow more into sync and not following one standard pattern that may have been evident with past releases as _Beg To Differ_ (1991), _Prove You Wrong_ (1992) and 1993's breakthrough record for the band, _Cleansing_. While somewhat similar to those other outings, Prong's latest can also been seen as one of the most experimental of all their previous releases too. "The old adage is, the more records you sell the more freedom you get to do what you want to do," says Victor from his home in California, "With _Cleansing_ being a real hardcore record where it was the kind of record where it exploded in everyone's faces, with this record I kind of wanted to do more songs, serious ones. The last one has allowed us to do this record and opened up avenues for us to go down with our music. We always leave avenues open for ourselves so we can escape what we did with our previous records." On the decisions that sparked the onslaught of ideas for _RA_ Victor reveals, "I am happy with the decisions that were made. Some A&R people at the label (Epic/Sony), I won't name any names though, were concerned with the direction the band was headed or going to and I pretty much told them 'Fuck You'. Maybe there has been some compromising, I'll be honest with you, 'cause when someone knocks something I respect their opinion. I probably would have made more of a techno type record if it had not been for Terry Date and other people gearing me onto more of a rock record. Again like everything it is a balancing act but right now I am happy where the band is right now. I'm pretty ambitious and I want our record in as many people's hands as I can get it. I'm sure not everyone is happy with what their status is at times in their careers." The real success and strength of the record lies within the power and feelings given off by Victor's lyrics on _RA_. Whereas on previous records he tackled social issues and other things that most bands might look into, this time Victor took time to write material that flowed from him. The music allows us to see where we are in the world, the hardships, the love and the struggle of everyday life. That is evident with the material as well as the artwork (images of Eastern Bloc life) that accompanies the record. About those images he says, "A package is supposed to reinforce what you are saying or the vibe of the record. The corresponding images work off the lyrics to some degree." Much like a concept record, _RA_ opens up to the listener as the albums goes on, and then the stories are told. "I like cohesiveness in a record. I personally was striving to get that going. A lot of our records have been scattered and lyrically I had never really been into what I was doing lyrically. I was learning as I went along. There were a couple of lyrics that I liked on that last record and I took them and that style into this record and it wound up that most of the record was built around a theme or same style of writing." And the theme for _RA_? "I just think it is more personal. I tap into real serious emotions and I think that comes across in the vocals. There was something real in what I was doing that allowed me to do it rather than sit back and target issues of what to write about. This is how I am feeling and was at the time and I put that in the song. We wrote a lot of songs but musically and vocally these were the best that suited the record and where it was headed. I didn't really have a concept going into this record as that would have confused us while writing. That is why it took so long to do this record as it took a while to sift through our material and see which ones were the better ones." In regards to his use and reference to the album title he says, "It is a quest for balance when you wake up in the morning or your approach in life. It is about keeping away from high expectations and being prepared for the worst. I am not into or believe the power of positive thinking 'cause I have tried it and I don't think it works. You got to be prepared for your obstacles or horrors of everyday. I don't expect a lot out of life anymore, I enjoy it more though 'cause I don't think this will happen or whatever. The album also has to deal with relationships and how people put an emphasis on trying to make other people happy. I think you gotta rely on yourself more. On the title track there is a line that says, '... there is no kindness to waste...' and that implies that I am not going out of my way to cling to somebody." Once again, as with _Cleansing_ the band - rounded out by Paul Raven on bass and Ted Parsons on drums - worked as they did with _Cleansing_ with Terry Date (Pantera/White Zombie) on _RA_. On _RA_ Victor served as co-producer of the record and the band had also brought in a new recruit to add some flavour to the material they were working on; the musician was NIN keyboardist/sample Charlie Clouser. On the style they brought into making the record, Victor responds, "A lot of the playing was different in the studio and that coincided with the construction of the songs which were constructed from drum loops or vocal melodies rather than strictly guitar parts. We set up grooves and patterns to work with. It was more technical this time around with the tempos and the loops or vocal approaches as to either scream or sing smoother. I think we were less prone to put on false voices on this one. I used my natural voice with this one. I think it came down to this way because of the years we have spent re-evaluating ourselves." Known for their grooves in the past, Victor still acknowledges that grooves are an important factor to the band's style and sound no matter how they change over the next few years. "I think the grooves are a highlighted part of what we do and acknowledged by a small amount of people. What we have done is highlight those grooves rather than rely on the brute force of what we are doing. We are aiming to be more song oriented and the grooves are still there, we have always been a groove-oriented band, so we are just highlighting our strong points and maybe abandoning some aspects that we find distasteful of what we used to do." "I don't go into a studio and write a part of a song for a mosh part," says Victor on the creation of songs, "I try to write songs that are true to what I want to do and what I like. End of story." He finishes, "I just want to remain focused with what I am doing with Prong because a lot of things can distract you. So, I am trying to keep my nose clean, I have a good attitude right now and I hope that I remain as fresh as this to the year's end rather than be bitter and hostile or have negative feelings about things. I want to remain ambitious and attentive to the project." NOTE: Rob Nicholson (formerly of California outfit DROWN) has taken over bass duties for Paul Raven who has recently left the band. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= R E L E A S I N G T H E R E E K ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Interview with Montreal's Grim Skunk by: Adrian Bromley Montreal quintet Grim Skunk are in their own little world of creative music and songwriting. The band - comprised of singer Joe Evil, guitarists Franz and Peter, drummer Ulf and bassist Borris - manage to incorporate reggae, metal, punk and hardcore into their music with the greatest of ease and still make the music sound heavy and chaotic. Multiple adjectives could be used to describe the music of Grim Skunk. My choice: fucked up. Ever since the release of their two debut albums, _Sonic Blend_ and _Autumn Flowers_ (released independently) a few years back, the band's fanbase has grown in Montreal and the province of Quebec, as well as the rest of Canada. The band really managed to get noticed and have been fortunate enough to be able to tour Europe and across Canada several times thanks in part to a somewhat successful hit single and video for "Silverhead", a single found on their 1994 self-titled debut for Cargo Records. Since then, the road has strengthened the band's live show and musically the band still has that anarchistic feel to it though more focused now. Loud and brash, Grim Skunk sticks it to us quite hard with their latest sophomore effort _Meltdown_. "In terms of style on this record we wanted to have more of a reggae feel to the record," reveals guitarist Franz, "We are able to do that live but have never been able to get that on record. The big thing was also to get the hardcore punk rock feel flowing throughout the record, something I felt was lacking on our last outing. The last record was more psychedelic and drug oriented music. While putting together material for this record we were on the road and didn't have time to put long songs together so instead we went straight to the point. We simplified all of our tunes and made them as powerful as possible. We made them direct, moving from one end to another quite harshly. We are at our best in the live environment and I'm proud that we were able to capture that with _Meltdown_." With a somewhat wise man mentality the guitarist mutters, "This is just the beginning for us with this record. We have always had this 'no-limits' philosophy with this band and with this record I think you start to see the maturity in the songwriting area. We have always had longwinded songs that were drawn out a bit and we have managed to connect them a little closer and cut the fat a little more so that not every song is a long adventure for people to try and follow." As mentioned before, Grim Skunk puts on a strong show and in order to capture that 'live rush' the band opted to record a bit differently than last time out. "We just recorded everything all at the same time. I think this record sounds like you put your head in between all of our amps and the drum kit. This is not a very refined record at all, I think it is very raw. To my ears it is very much in your face." As well, Montreal has always been known for its 'harder' take on the music scene with numerous bands flowing from a death metal scene, hardcore scene and a punk movement. Over the last few years the scene has managed to prosper says Franz. "For us it has blossomed. We have grown steadily over the last little while. The scene has grown and as it has gotten better and better for us it has done the same for the scene too. Younger bands are touring, putting out CDs on small labels or by themselves or even making their own videos. That was something that wasn't happening five years ago." When asked about how Franz and the band manage to work out of a very multi-styled scene (most notably the death metal scene) he responds, "Some of the death metal people like us because we are heavy and are really aggressive at our shows. Some people don't like us because they say we aren't heavy enough. As far as us getting along with death metal bands, we don't play with them often but when we do it is fun. I respect the death metal scene and a lot of kids in Quebec love it. I can't handle the voices of death metal bands all the time 'cause they get on my nerves. But some are okay I guess." He continues, "The scene in Quebec is so open and not divided. You can go to a show and have hippies, metal heads and punks at the same show and see them all up in the pit, especially at one of our shows." Will success grow for this band with _Meltdown_? "I think if we tour and get visibility I think people will catch on and hopefully things will happen," explains Franz, "but also you can bang your head against the wall for ten years and nothing will happen. We'd rather have people take notice than bang our heads." (no pun intended) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _______ __ _ _______ __ / ___/ / ___ ____ / /_(_)___ / ___/ / ___ _/ /_ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/ \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/ ____ _ / __/__ ___ ___ (_)__ ___ ___ _\ \/ -_|_-<(_-::> ,.:/ 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. S T R A N G E M U S I C ( T O S A Y T H E L E A S T ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC Interrogates Glutton by: Gino Filicetti Hailing from somewhere in Illinois are Glutton, the newest addition to a scene which doesn't even exist, a scene that is invisible yet alive because of Glutton's music. Glutton is not a band to be categorized, their lyrics speak of the anguish and love of young men, of murder, death, life and charity. Glutton is all encompassing, Glutton is almighty, Glutton is here to stay. Having formed during a funeral procession, the band has come to embrace the dark low end of music. Consisting of guitarists Dan Parker and John Sprenger, bassist Rich Schultz, vocalist Deron Grams and drummer Bob Rising (who could not participate because of his current involvement in a film shoot), Glutton has recorded two demos during the course of their life, _Their Eyes Will See No More_ and the newest _Cruel, Disfigured_ which was incidentally produced by Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha. Here is what the band had to say in their defense (Please excuse John for he only answers questions in capital letters). CoC: Gimme a little more history on the band. When did you form, and where did you REALLY meet? John Sprenger: GLUTTON, AS A MOUNTED UNIT, HAS BEEN AROUND ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. Deron Grams: We are all from a place called Elk Grove Village, located alongside O'Hare International, the world's busiest airport. Life under a constant and faithful roar brought with it a stabilizing effect, one which we seem to always be after. CoC: Your band is definitely a unique one, why have you chosen to distance yourselves from the rest of the scene? Dan Parker: It's not intentional, and while naturally some rock trappings should be embraced, others should be discarded. It's more important to keep your hands on the rock than your ear to the ground. DG: We haven't the drive nor the looks nor the smarts to align ourselves with anybody anyway, and we're probably very irritating to have around. CoC: Your portrayal of being 'image-less' could in itself be seen as an image. What do you make of this accusation? DG: We're just automatically suspicious of any group of people who choose to express themselves primarily through their face or sloganed flesh or whatever seems to have caught on. I get very around someone whose looks seem to be transitory. Additionally, we'd all look undeniably foolish, ornamented and posturing like bad/hard asses, exchanging dreadlocks and mechanic's uniforms bearing stranger's names. We're just nice regular men. But, that doesn't mean we're weak ninnies. JS: YEAH, WE CAN GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH ANY TOUGH GUY ON THE STREET. Rich Schultz: I'd say our image lay deep in the meaning of our songs, though it may take years of listening to discover it. CoC: What steps does Glutton take to INSURE their uniqueness? Is it something that is a major part of the band, or just something that came about by accident? DP: How much of a magician's spell is in the magician and how much is in the wand? When fifty fingers and five skulls converge on a hill, results cannot be predicted. RS: Agreed. DG: Agreed. JS: AGREED. CoC: What is the chemistry like in the band? Does everyone carry their own weight within your ranks? DP: We are bound by the Periodic Table of the Elements. DG: ... Dwelling near the Noble Gases. RS: On paper: 3.5 parts THC, 6 parts AGONY, and a cup of savvy. JS: GLUTTON IS A ROCK DEMOCRACY. RS: Each member's ideas are dismissed with equal ridicule and scorn. DG: We model group discussions after the Articles of the Confederation, the flawed precursor to the American Constitution. CoC: What would you say is the greatest rival in brutal music today? What do you think holds it back from becoming a revered artform? DG: I think it will thrive more without reverence. Or reverends. DP: Waiting for brutal music to become revered is like looking for the horse's eyes under water. Certain beauty should not be kept under glass. CoC: Is Glutton currently pursuing a record deal? What kind of deal would be idealistic in your eyes (within reason of course)? DP: Yes, we are looking for a label which understands that while heavy music ebbs and flows in terms of mainstream acceptance, there will always be a devoted core audience. DG: We'd like to put out a record or two a year. That's all we'd ask. And I think we would be a benefit to any label because we are a very TALL band. Very tall, with a median height of 6'1. Rock has often been a short man's domain, but taller bands are historically easier to deal with. RS: We're tall AND we're very responsible, both of which lend themselves to endurance in the entertainment industry. CoC: Who or what has been the greatest source of inspiration to you or your band? JS: MOAT (John's INFAMOUS previous band). DP: Glenn Tipton and Abraham Lincoln. DG: WOMAN. RS: The music we will make tomorrow. CoC: I find remote similarities to Exit-13 in your music, especially the vocals. Have you ever been told this before? DG: No. They seem to be a lot faster and noiser than we are. More concerned with pot than girls. DP: Never heard 'em. JS: NOPE. CoC: Describe a typical live Glutton performance. DG: Like all good bands, we begin each show by setting the bass player on fire. DP: At times it's like a public hanging, at other times like witnessing a child being born who will one day lead a nation; a sonic picnic. RS: It think it comes down to deciding whether it's the booze or the fumes that are making you dizzy. CoC: What are the band's immediate goals? RS: To determine our long term goals. DG: To tour and release something other than cassettes. CoC: What are the band's long term goals? DP: To build an impenetrable Rock Fortress. RS: Agreed. DG: Agreed. JS: AGREED. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ______ __ | __ \.-----.----.-----.----.--| | | <| -__| __| _ | _| _ | |___|__||_____|____|_____|__| |_____| ______ __ __ __ | __ \.-----.--.--.-----.| |.---.-.| |_|__|.-----.-----.-----. | <| -__| | | -__|| || _ || _| || _ | |__ --| |___|__||_____|\___/|_____||__||___._||____|__||_____|__|__|_____| 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! The Almighty - _Just Add Life_ (Raw Power/Castle Records, June 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) While this may be their fifth studio album, _Just Add Life_ is the band's debut album for New York-based Castle Records and much like being a new addition to a label, the music found on _JAL_ is new to the band, quite a contrast to their previous work... sort of. What can I say about this release? Hmm... where to begin? Let's just say when the band began their career the band was a full-blown metallic machine with loud guitars, harsh vocals and some melody thrown in for good measure. Now... well... the band has been somewhat drained of their loudness and metallic overtones and gone for a more commercially friendly sound of both punk and metal influences i.e. "Some Kind Of Anything", "All Sussed Out" and "8 Day Depression". Sounds similar to the plight of Metallica, eh? BUT in the end though _JAL_ is a good record with strong melody, with some powerful vocals provided by guitarist/vocalist Ricky Warwick. With a mixed bag of goodies and sounds ranging from Metallica to face to face to Therapy?, The Almighty's album has something for everyone... that is if the music that fans crave is tight melodic guitars jam packed with catchy vocals. Altar - _Altar_ (Displeased Records, June 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) Say you love Satan, play as fast as you can, maybe throw in some growls and some killer licks here and there and you pretty much have the ideals and philosophies stemming from the music of Holland's five-piece Altar. This is quite brutal death/thrash metal and delivered with quite an enormous amount of intensity and conviction. Throughout _Ego Art_, Altar grow in speed and might as the album carries on, backhanding us with killer cuts like "Truly Untrue", the title track, "Egovernment" and "Follow Me". The thing that I found most enjoyable about the music on Altar was the almost "unstoppable feel" the music revealed. It seems as though the band (for however long a song is) is truly unstoppable once they have such gargantuan grooves and the thrashness focused they don't give up till the last note of a song. Strongly opposed to the Christian faith and way of life, Altar deliver some serious statements and visions with their music and lyrics and it is no wonder why this Holland band has been able to establish a strong underground following and respect from those that follow the faith of the dark one (no... not Darth Vader... Satan!) Album number two on Displeased Records and it's a good one. NOTE: there are some CD-ROM tidbits on the CD as well... find them. Ancient - _The Cainian Chronicle_ (Metal Blade, June 1996) by: Gino Filicetti (9 out of 10) Started in 1992 in Norway as a solo project by Aphazel, Ancient have since evolved into a formidable beast. _The Cainian Chronicle_ is Ancient's second full length record, and the first to appear on Metal Blade. This record features a new line up that has increased the strength of the band twenty-fold. Taking on the vocal duties (and the occasional drumming stint) is Lord Kaiaphas hailing from Virginia (of all places). Nevertheless, the Lord is no poseur. All lyrical work on this album is his, and they are, without a shadow of a doubt, the best part of this album. The main part of this record is a four-part story (told over the course of four songs) called "The Cainian Chronicle". It details the events after the banishment of Cain for the murder of his brother. The rest of the songs deal with other parts of mythology and are excellently written since the Lord is a native English speaker. The music on this disc is pretty much standard black metal fare, but talent is definitely present. Another plus for the Lord is his supreme vocal abilities. Definitely an album you all should check out, and make sure your read the lyrics! Various - _Beauty In Darkness_ (Nuclear Balst, June 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) Truly an outstanding compilation and a must for those who love both goth and metal music. Seventeen outstanding tracks from some of Europe's finest metal and goth acts: Dissection, Tiamat, Lacrimosa, Love Like Blood, End Of Green not to mention some remixed/remastered versions of Dissection's "Feather Fall" (off Japanese version of _Storm Of The Light's Bane_), Mindrot's "Burden" (off _Dawning_) and unreleased tracks by Amorphis ("My Kantele"), Sirrah ("Acme") and Therion ("To Mega Therion"). Standouts include both Amorphis' and Therion's offering, the stellar and ethereal "Tears Of Time" by Crematory and opening (unreleased) track by In Flames, "Moonshield". So with all these acts you get a bit of ambient metal, doom and gloom, melody and some musical masterpieces all rolled into one packaging. Thanks Nuclear Blast!. Living in the shrouds of darkness has never seemed so appealing. Celestial Season - _Sonic Orb_ (Displeased Records, Fall 1995) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) The four songs that find their way onto the latest EP (MINI-CD) are trippy, melodic offerings of metallic/rock. Hollands' Celestial Season have created a 'fucked-up' rollercoaster ride of moods and ambience and though the band has added a new singer, with only four songs it is really hard to decipher whether this is a new direction for the band (it is much different than debut CD _Forever Scarlet Passion_) or just a jam session to break in a new singer. Judge for yourselves. I'd assume that for best results of this EP one should drop large quantities of acid or smoke pot and just sit back and feel the 'celestial-ness' of the music come down on you. I'm just assuming that don't ya know? :) Christ Agony - _Moonlight - Act III_ (Cacophonous Records, June 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (7 out of 10) Although this is the third release by this trio from Poland, it's their first CD for Cacophonous and the first time I've actually heard the band. _Moonlight_ showcases a trend-defying style of dark, mid-paced metal which occasionally dashes through speedier territory and incorporates some acoustic guitars, some clean vocals, and the odd synthesized bit. The excellent thirteen-minute (!) opener "Asmoondei" exemplifies the harsh, speedy black metal style, but incorporates some cool touches not usually associated with that genre, like mean double-bass drumming and -heavy-, thrash-inspired chugging guitars. (Such flourishes recur from time to time throughout the album.) For my money, the next track, "Devilish Sad", is the high point, beginning with a couple minutes of catchy mid-paced riffing that dissolves into a storm of feedback, only to explode forth as ripping black metal propelled by ferocious percussion. Still, the remainder of the album generally shies away from the blasting speed of these two songs. The slower approach works really well on the pounding, anthemic title track, but I find a few of the remaining songs to be a bit monotonous in that they don't involve much deviation from a single tempo. Nonetheless, these guys are undeniably heavy. And the production is really outstanding, which definitely sets this one apart. Diaboli - _Mesmerized by Darkness_ (Unisound Records, June 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (8 out of 10) Lord Pete, the one man behind this one-man black metal project from Finland, is a no-frills kind of guy: "NO atmospheric parts, NO progress, NO melancholic passages, and of course NO melody," boasts the Diaboli bio. That pretty much saves me the trouble of describing the music on this CD! It's completely unoriginal... but it also really smokes. More than anything, this sounds like a (just barely) updated version of the classic Bathory stuff from the days before Quorthon started playing 'viking metal.' In other words, pretty raw recording of raspy vocals and repetitive-but-catchy, evil riffs cranked out at a variety of speeds from crawling slow to (mostly) blasting fast. Song structures are quite simple, but there are plenty of tempo changes to keep things interesting, and the drumming is solid and powerful at every speed. Cool riffs, too, even if they're nothing fancy. In fact, this whole album is oddly refreshing, since it's completely free of all those artsy embellishments which have basically become black metal cliches--and which can get pretty corny when they're not done right. It just rocks, and that's it. Nice going, Lord Pete. Equinox - _Return to Mystery_ (Unisound Records, June 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (8 out of 10) This Florida four-piece formed in late 1992 and rapidly garnered quite a bit of underground praise for their self-released "old style black/death" demos and EPs. Hearing the band for the first time on this CD debut, I have to conclude that all that praise was well-deserved. Equinox hammer some much-needed new energy into the classic, old-school death metal sound by freely injecting plenty of crushing doom grooves and strident black metal blast sections into the sonic mix. The result sounds like this decade's answer to Death's mighty _Leprosy_ album: an unrelentingly heavy mosaic of catchy, crunchy riffs, bruising tempos, and harsh, raspy vox. I think there's a lot here to please any listener who's into grim, powerful metal - especially on charging juggernauts like "Dreams of the Winter Solstice" and "The Mourning River". The production is a bit on the murky side, and the guitars tend to be a bit low in the mix, but the overall sound is thick and powerful, with a stern underground vibe. Definitely a worthy purchase, I'd say - especially if you're a long-time fan of the scene who's sick of the current trends. Hybernoid - _Today's Tomorrow Yesterday_ by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Displeased Records, November 1995) I am shocked... FUCKIN' SHOCKED! First thing that came to my mind after listening to this record was, 'Why didn't Gino scoop this CD up to review it?' I mean it has everything that Gino has been into for a while: both death-style and angelic vocals, loud guitars, samples and techno beats. In a nutshell this is ambient, trance-like techno death metal (like Ultra-Violence/Monster Voodoo Machine) Cool shit if you ask me! _TTY_ rotates through many warped dance-like techno beats as the record goes on and the loud guitars are enhanced and made even louder by the use of keyboards and the harsh vocals staple the intensity of the song even further. Some may have a hard time to swallow this second outing by Hybernoid, but for those with a open mind and the curiosity to see how the vividness of techno beats and the brashness of metal can mix and work in harmony, this record is for you. Break out the beats and break something in the process too. Metallica - _Load_ (Warner/Elektra, June 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (3 out of 10) Six words: 'I waited five years for this?' Having once been the almighty metallic machine that they once were with the stunning and classic masterpieces such as 1983's _Kill 'Em All_, 1987's _Master Of Puppets_ and the domineering force of their _... And Justice For All_ (1989) LP, it now seems that after a five-year gap between their commercially successful last LP, the self-titled release a/k/a 'The Black Album,' Metallica's four-piece (James, Jason, Kirk and Lars - we know'em all) have once again shifted gears and slowed the pace down even further with _Load_. And even though the last album sold millions and gathered up new fans, many die-hard old Metallica fans jumped ship due to the commercialism of the album. _Load_ will surely bring even more success to Metallica and again old fans may bail but with more radio exposure (NOTE: first single "Until It Sleeps" is played on both alternative and mainstream/rock stations) and the fact that the band will be headlining Lollapalooza 1996. Many new fans will be turned on by the wholesome, clean cut hardness to the new Metallica tuneage i.e. "Cure", "Ain't My Bitch", "Poor Twisted Me" and "King Nothing". Working with Bob Rock (as they did with the last release) has allowed the band to really prove to have potentially addictive grooves but still have the heaviness, and though those changes may be promising for the longevity of the band it has somewhat taken away from the band the brutality and cutthroat edge they once gladly wore on their metallic sleeves. A big disapointment for the most part... and I'm sure most REAL Metallica fans will agree with me on that. Nastrond - _Toteslaut_ (Napalm Records, February 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (6 out of 10) These guys have a rather creepy sound, one that's fairly distinct from the black metal genre's more established bands. In fact, they remind me a lot of early Sodom, before that band moved in a more orthodox thrash direction. The songs tend to be quite elementary in structure, centering on really simple riffs driven by drumming that alternates between mid-paced and blast beats (though never attaining the extreme speeds reached by bands like Marduk or Setherial). The guitar tone is heavily distorted, and weightier than the standard black metal guitar sound, but it's pretty low in the mix. And although you have to listen closely to pick it out, you can actually hear the bass! The vocals are well done, but standard for this scene. (Some pretty catchy phrasings are worked in, though, and occasional spoken vocals are used to interesting effect.) I like "Lord of the Woods" and "Neuntoter", but overall this CD doesn't measure up to the quality of other recent releases in the genre. The main problem is that most of the songs sound quite alike. Given their simplicity, the album ends up becoming a bit tedious on the whole. Still, it's not bad, and old school purists who aren't into "epic" flourishes and songs about Scandinavian weather will probably dig it. Nazxul - _Totem_ (Vampire Records, 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (5 out of 10) The best stuff on this CD is just pulverizing. The problem is, it's basically all contained in one or two songs. "Distance Begins" is a percussive powerhouse of mid-paced riffs mixed with frightening blasts of amazing speed and a cool synthesized interlude. This song is a monster, and the otherworldly blur of "Amidst the Flames" is pretty impressive, too. Still, I find the rest of this Australian black metal band's debut much less enjoyable. The blasting snare drum often sounds really flat, while the strange vocals are filtered through some distorting effects and punched so far up in the mix that they frequently overwhelm the music. But my main gripe is with the music itself. Definitive black metal bands like Marduk and Setherial weave together icy vocals, creepy riffs, and blasting percussion into a charging, cohesive whole. Nazxul, on the other hand, often just excrete a smear of chaotic noise in which there's no discernible connection between the riff and the (blast) beat and the vocal phrasings, except that they're all being played at the same time. Plus, most of the riffs are completely unmemorable. The two tracks mentioned above are killer, but for the most part _Totem_ is quite weak. Nebrionic - _Psycho One Hundred_ (Displeased Records, June 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) Four-piece Nebrionic (known years ago as Nembrionic Hammerdeath) have always felt to be 'with the program' in regards to playing music that seems fitting for the moment. Not bandwagoners to the music scene, rather students learning of the styles whisked in and out of the multiple genres of metal music, trying to grab hold of styles and thus incorporate them into their music. _Psycho One Hundred_, the second offering for Displeased Records, is once again a stepping stone as the band evolves with its multiple styles and songwriting (very dark may I add). Calling it death metal would serve no justice as you would have to add grindcore and speed metal to the name as well; let's call it multi-faceted metal. The album itself may be versatile (numbers like "Strength Through Power", "Death to the Harmless" and "In Ebony") but in the longrun there is no real congruency with the styles and at some points in the record seems to be rather loosely pieced together. Maybe too many styles put in one basket was not a good idea? Hmmmm... something to think about. While _POH_ may not stir ravage mosh pits and fists of fury, some material off the record can do some damage. Setherial - _Nord_ (Napalm Records, February 1996) by: Steve Hoeltzel (9 out of 10) Hearing the first ten seconds of this CD, I thought "Wow, these guys sound a lot like Immortal." By the time the opening track had ended, they had me thinking "Yep - at least, if Immortal played twelve minute songs featuring totally crazy riffs, sounding every bit as 'epic' as Emperor, and incorporating lots of cool (and surprisingly deft) instrumental flourishes much like Abigor." It's super-fast black metal all the way, and if you ask me, Setherial kick out this frantic style with as much conviction and -more- creative flair than any of the scene's better known bands. They've essentially perfected every element of the style Emperor pioneered, blasting at incredible speeds through frozen soundscapes lashed by jagged guitar lines and screaming vocals, ocasionally layering cool acoustic passages and unobtrusive keyboards into the mix. Most importantly, they've packed some really interesting, super-fast riffs into every track - something which too many otherwise-solid black metal bands don't do. The blazing guitars in "I Nattens Famn" and "Morkrets Tid" have to be heard to be believed, and the drumming is just amazing. Recorded at Peter Tatgren's Abyss Studio and produced by the band, the sound quality on _Nord_ is as good as anything else in this scene, and better than most of it. And the quality of the music is unparalleled, I think, by any other band in the genre. Killer release. Wardogs - _Scorched Earth_ (Metal Blade, June 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (3 out of 10) After several listens of _Scorched Earth_ I am reminded of the many 80s metal bands still trying to find room for themselves and their music in 1996. Examples would be: Sacred Reich, Helloween, Iron Maiden, etc. But the thing about Wardogs is that they are a somewhat new band (formed in 1993 in New Mexico) that manage to play VERY Iron Maiden-influenced songs. Hell even lead singer Chris Catero sounds like Bruce Dickinson on several numbers and listen no further than "Sounds Of War", "Nothing Left" or the title track to hear this. Throughout the record it becomes evident that the band stuck to one song style or mold when creating their material. Their bio says, '... what we do is metal,' and sure enough they stick true to those words, but this is metal of the 80s, an era where Judas Priest, Ozzy Ozbourne, Iron Maiden and Anthrax ruled the airwaves, and in my eyes that is an era maybe remembered and dear to many hearts but a style that does nothing more than bring back memories other than get the toes tapping. Old and outdated is the material on _SE_ and when placed up against 'metal' bands of the 90s like Fear Factory, Misery Loves Company and Edge of Sanity does little to keep me interested. If I want to listen to 80s tinged metal (stuff I can still get off on) I'll slap on Ozzy's _Blizzard of Oz_ or Maiden's _Piece of Mind_. If anything good is to come out of this record review it is the fact that this record may appeal to the FEW who still live in their parent's basements and play air-guitar riffs alongside their Judas Priest's _Defenders of the Faith_ LP. Get the point? Yosh - _Metaphors_ (Black Mark, May 1996) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) Belgium's thrash quintet's debut album, _Metaphors_, is a combination of years of playing in numerous bands, experience and planning. From the ashes of several Belgian thrash outfits the band was formed in 1989 (releasing several demos) and in 1996 we find them pretty much solidified as a strong thrash band. The music on _Metaphors_ is pure rugged thrash metal that with some cool riffs, solid drum beats and angry vocals carries on with the standard thrash metal sound much like Overkill, Testament or D.R.I. but with a slight twist. The music seems a bit more planned out or visual rather than brawny lumps of thrash know-how, maybe that has something to do with the European metal scene opposed to the style of thrash metal that surfaced in the 80s out of San Francisco or New York that many American acts base themselves on, a style which was based upon speed and rough and tumble jabs of adrenaline. Not my favorite thrash metal-style record but it serves its purpose by showing me a more (if you will) sophisticated look at performing thrash metal and what its sound can be altered to. Highlights include "Perpetual", "Virus" and "Violins Of Violence". In Flames - _The Jester Race_ (Wrong Again, Spring 1996) by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10) This is a bit of a disappointment to me. After their fine _Subterranean_ EP from last year (see review in CoC #8), I was expecting this to be one of the best albums of the year. Unfortunately, this album doesn't really live up to the potential that they showed with the first two tracks of _Subterranean_. This album as a whole reminds me of Dark Tranquility, although there are sections which sound a lot like Iron Maiden, At the Gates' _SotS_ (see CoC #4), a lighter Amorphis (_Tales_ era, as they did in the last two tracks of _Subterranean_) and even in one part, Van Halen (ack). "Moonshield", which has appeared on a compilation CD, is indicative of what the album sounds like, but isn't one of the better songs. There are a number of folky acoustic sections, and a couple of instrumentals, one a short space filler which is very good, and the other a full instrumental, which is not as good. The death metal sections are lighter than on _Lunar Strain_ (similar to _Subterranean_), but they mostly avoid the sing-songy quality that really hurt parts of their EP. Their new singer and new drummer don't really add any surprises (other than the fact that the drummer also plays guitar), but fill their roles adequately. The production is good, and the performances are solid, but the writing lacks the energy and flair that I was hoping for. Still, this is a very solid album, and worth checking out. Amon Amarth - _Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds_ (Pulverised, 1996) by: Brian Meloon (6 out of 10) Amon Amarth are another Swedish band playing the death/black style (Dawn, Naglfar, Dissection), but these guys are a little further to the death side of the genre. They have some nice ideas, but aren't really outstanding. Their main sound is typical death/black metal, probably most like a less intricate Dawn, but they throw in some melodic death metal (a la Amorphis _TKI_ or Scum (see CoC #7)) as well. The differences in these two sounds isn't great, so they don't clash, although the melodic death sections do seem a little out of place. The guitar lines seem fresh, but aren't as copious as they are in the above mentioned bands. They aren't really as melodic, either, as some of the guitar lines don't really seem to go anywhere. The playing is average; not bad, but not great, either. The production is pretty rough, sounding almost like a demo. Overall, this is better than average, but not as good as Naglfar, Dawn or Dissection... worth having if you're into the genre, but not essential. Arcturus - _Aspera Hiems Symfonia_ (Ancient Lore Creations, 1996) by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10) Arcturus are a Norwegian black metal side-project, featuring Hellhammer and Garm, as well as the guitarist from Tritonus (see CoC #10, _A Gathering_ review). Their overall sound is melodic, gothic black metal with neoclassical and progressive tendencies. It's heavy on melody, and varies from mid-paced to slow. The playing is excellent, and the production lets them all shine through. The guitar solos are usually very good, and although they would fit better in a progressive metal song than a black metal song, they don't sound out of place here at all. The drumming is busy and creative, and is generally very impressive. The vocals are good, but rather ordinary black metal style. The male choir parts are especially welcome, and much better done than those on Satyricon's _Shadowthrone_. The keyboard work is good as well, well-played and using a variety of tones and textures. As the guitars are mixed low, the keys have to carry large sections of this album with the drums, and do an admirable job at that. Most of the songs have their own character, such as the heavily Bach-influenced "Du Norvadind", the gothic "Fall of Man", and the almost carnival-sounding "The Bodkin & The Quietus (... To Reach the Stars)". This goes a long way towards avoiding monotony, and yet a common sound runs through all of the songs. Here's one side project about which I can finally say, "Guys, DO quit your day jobs." Sadist - _Tribe_ (Rising Sun Productions, Spring 1996) by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10) Sadist return as a four-piece, replacing their bass player and adding a singer. Musically, this isn't too far away from their debut album _Above the Light_ (which is also excellent), but the better production and the increased variation makes it sound that way on first listen. I guess describing this is a "more twisted version of _AtL_" wouldn't be too far from the truth, but there are other differences as well... Their main metallic sound is very reminiscent of middle-era Coroner, both production-wise and in terms of riff composition. Since their new bassist uses a fretless at times, some of the sections sound like something from Death's _ITP_. However, they rely on this metallic sound less frequently than on _AtL_, and probably only a little more than half of the album. The rest is filled with various metallic and not-so-metallic feels, including a few jazzy parts, a neoclassical section, a progmetal guitar solo, and a couple of sections with organ and drums only (as Cradle of Filth did in "Summer Dying Fast", but evoking a different feel here). The strangest track is "The Ninth Wave", which features no electric guitar, but is as aggressive as any of the other tracks. The music changes very fast, virtually never dragging on, and many of the repeated sections aren't repeated verbatim, but rather recur in a (slightly) different form. The playing is very good, but seems simpler than on _AtL_. It also sounds a little bit loose: not sloppy, but not mechanically precise either. This is unfortunate, since this style really screams out (to me) for precise (and flashy) playing. It's really too bad that this album is on such a small (and dishonest, I've heard) label as Rising Sun Productions, as it's bound to be one of my favorite albums of 1996. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ __ _ /\ \ \_____ __ /\ \ \___ (_)___ ___ / \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \ / /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/ \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/ \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___| Your best source of information on the newest of the new, and the deepest 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. Scoring: ***** -- I see a record deal in the future **** -- Great piece of work *** -- Good effort ** -- A major overhaul is in order * -- A career change is advisable Embrace - _Promo Tape 1996_ (4-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (****-) Aahhh... once again the beautifully sculpted sounds of Kitchener four-piece Embrace find way into my musical collection. For all you CoCer's out there who remember, Embrace's self-titled debut demo appeared in the pages of CoC Issue #2. While following much along the format of the first offering (choir-like melodies stitched within the depths of a death metallish musical overtone) the new material on this demo is quite impressive with its much darker feel and ambient state of deliverance - the music is along the lines of My Dying Bride and The Gathering. I'm advised that some of the material off this demo (plus the six songs on their first demo) will find their way on a forthcoming full-length CD _Coven the Eternal_ due out in July sometime. Truly, growth has shown its wings with this act and I'm glad to say that their newer material/sound/approach is truly proving to be worthwhile for several listens over and over again. Get lost within the realms of "Falling Away" or "Obscured", just two of the tracks on this demo. Or better yet, wait for the full-length album to emerge with re-recorded versions of great Embrace songs like "The Living End", "Solitude" and "Embodiment Of Darkness" off their original demo. Worth the wait to hear how this whole package comes together. Contact: EMBRACE, 100 Queen St. N. #1803 Kitchener, Ont., CANADA, N2H-2H6 Dirge - _Hazing Rituals_ (17-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (***--) I'll say it first to get it out of the way: the production on this record sucks. I don't know what went down in the Rumblefish Studios (where the LP was recorded) but something wasn't on... maybe something was broken? The music sounds dull and not clear enough and I wish I had known that but at this point all I can say once again is, 'What happened!?' Nothing in the bio said anything about 'recording problems!' Okay... now that that is done I can highlight the good points about this Toronto area four-piece. The music is intense, the anger and rage is everywhere and all the songs flow with sharpness of its hardcore and grindcore styles fused into one tight ball of energy. That is the best definition I can give to their debut CD _Hazing Rituals_, and it seems to stick as the music of _HR_ rarely leaves those two musical boundaries and styles (though a touch of punk is evident in some parts). The band play music much to the style of Nailbomb, Sepultura and Korn for those interested. Seventeen tracks find their way onto this debut (three tracks: "Break It Down", "Casted" and "Vile-Lence" are from their 1995 independent cassette, _I Am_) and as bad as the recording may sound we are still able to feel the vivacity and rawness that Dirge dictates through their lyrics and music, most notably on tracks like "Nothing's Real", "Bloodlines" and "More Than a Reason". Their attitude adds to the blow as well. Loud and gritty, Dirge's music is worth a listen, just wish the recording would have been better. Okay enough of the criticism, check this band out and support local Toronto talent. Contact: DIRGE c/o Rumble Fish Studios 108 Woodbine Downs Blvd., Unit 7 Etobicoke, Ont., M9W-5S6, Canada Zeitgeist - _The Eyes of Time_ (8-track demo) by: Brian Meloon (***--) Zeitgeist are a progmetal/rock band from California, who just released this 8-track indie album on CD. The songs however, were recorded in 1993 and 1994, and therefore have a dated feel to them. The poor production adds to this, as the level is very low, although the relative levels of the instruments is good. The performances are good, though not terribly exciting. They do a couple of nice instrumental breaks in their songs, with some good guitar solos, and a fair amount of changing tempos and feels. Their overall sound is a late 80s progmetal sound, mixed with some 'classic rock' influences (such as Boston or the Doobie Brothers). The last three tracks here are from their 1993 demo, and are more metallic, while the five newer tracks feature more of the classic rock influence. As you might have guessed, I prefer the older tracks, although my favorite track ("The Firing Line") is one of the newer ones... They show some potential, but they need to find their own voice, and move away from their more commercial side to realize their full potential, IMO. Timescape - Timescape (3-track demo) by: Brian Meloon (***--) These guys are from Sweden, and play standard progressive metal, with similarities to the usual suspects: Fates Warning, Dream Theater, and Queensryche. It's said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and this chain's weak link is the singer. He really pulls some (otherwise passable to good) sections down, as his voice is a little flat, and his accent makes him sound awkward. Other than his performance, the rest of the music is mostly average to good, with special praise due to the fine bass work, and some creative composition techniques, with changing times and tempos (especially under the guitar solos), and some good polymetric sections. The songs are usually well crafted, not the epitome of smoothness, but not cookbook songs either. Unfortunately, what they really need is a little originality, as some sections sound suspiciously familiar to me, and I don't get any sense of a unique style. Also, they fall into the typical progmetal trap of occasionally becoming very commercial/cheesy. It's too bad, since the few times that they do this really detract from the overall effect. The production is good, and the packaging is nice as well, so this is a good debut offering. Keep an eye out for these guys, because with some more maturity and inspiration, they could be a force to reckon with. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ____ __ __ /\ _`\ /\ \ /\ \__ __ \ \ \/\_\\ \ \___ __ ___\ \ ,_\/\_\ ___ \ \ \/_/_\ \ _ `\ /'__`\ / __`\ \ \/\/\ \ /'___\ \ \ \L\ \\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_/\ \L\ \ \ \_\ \ \/\ \__/ \ \____/ \ \_\ \_\ \__/.\_\ \____/\ \__\\ \_\ \____\ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/__/\/_/\/___/ \/__/ \/_/\/____/ ____ __ /\ _`\ /\ \__ \ \ \/\_\ ___ ___ ___ __ _ __\ \ ,_\ ____ \ \ \/_/_ / __`\ /' _ `\ /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/ /',__\ \ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\ __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\ \ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\ \ \__\/\____/ \/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/ \/__/\/___/ Here is where Chronicles of Chaos gives you the lowdown on the latest shows coming your way. Check out Chaotic Concerts every month for the scoop on the bands brutalizing the masses with their own form of terror. L A M A N I E R E I G N E A M O N T R E A L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Obliveon at the Spectrum in Montreal, June 15, 1996 with Mundane and Q.R.N. by: Alain M. Gaudrault I'd driven for 7 hours in bad weekend escape traffic to see this show, so you know I was coming in with high expectations. I was finally about to see a band that I'd wanted to see live for years, in a nice mid-sized club, no less. The first thing that pleasantly surprised me was the turnout. The place may not have been packed to the rafters, but it was certainly quite populated. I was happy to see such support for a local act, particularly since the Grand Prix was the big thing in Montreal that weekend, what with a Quebecois vying for top prize. The show started with Q.R.N. (Quite Ridiculous Nonsense, or so I was told), another Montreal-area act. They not only looked stupid with their sequined apparel and bad haircuts, but they sounded dreadful, sort of a cross between Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers with industrial leanings. Done badly. They sucked, and in their incompetence made us all appreciate the two following acts just a little bit more. Toronto's Mundane took the stage and put out a solid set of songs from their debut album, _Seed_, as well as some of their newer unrecorded material. They were well-received, despite problems with the sound, in particular the guitar which was far too low in the mix. Bad sound seemed to predominate at this event, unfortunately. It helped that I already knew a lot of the songs they played. Obliveon was then unleashed. Nice big spotlit banners, impressive light show, the works; but could they deliver the goods? The answer is a resounding yes. Their musicianship is top notch, both live, and on record. In most part, they stayed true to their recordings, successfully improvising on solos, occasionally. The only fault I could detect was newcomer Bruno Bernier (vocals) screwing up the occasional lyric, even on songs he's recorded! I was happy to hear his faithful renditions of the old material, although I would still have preferred to hear Stephane Picard (bassist, former lead vocalist) take the lead vocal on the songs he's recorded. Perhaps once the band has more material under their belt with Bernier on vocals can they consider having Picard sing the odd oldie. The set featured a number of tracks off their latest release, _Cybervoid_ (see Chaotic Chat Sessions and Record Revelations in last issue) as well as their previous, _Nemesis_, with the odd token material from their first, _From This Day Forward_, thrown in to stew the steaming pit below. Unfortunately, the large men lining the stage weren't too keen on anybody diving, which was unfortunate, given the pit size. All of this was more than I could ask for, but just when you thought you'd seen it all, Snake, former vocalist of Voivod, comes out on stage and joins the band in a scorching rendition of "Voivod" off Voivod's first album, _War and Pain_. The crowd went nuts, including yours truly. I'm told by Obliveon's Martin Gagne that Snake has been playing guitar for the last year or so, has been jamming with some guys, and that the music has punk flavourings. The show ended with the band playing the closing instrumental track off _Cybervoid_ after the requisite encore. All was then good in the universe. With luck _Cybervoid_ [buy it] will pick up momentum [buy it] and permit Obliveon to tour a bit more extensively [buy two copies]. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ________ ________ ___ __/_________ ________________ _________ __/ __ / _ __ \ / / /_ ___/_ ___/ _ __ \_ /_ _ / / /_/ / /_/ /_ / _(__ ) / /_/ / __/ /_/ \____/\__,_/ /_/ /____/ \____//_/ ________ _____ ___ __/______________ /____ _____________ __ / _ __ \_ ___/ __/ / / /_ ___/ _ \ _ / / /_/ / / / /_ / /_/ /_ / / __/ /_/ \____//_/ \__/ \__,_/ /_/ \___/ Welcome to Chronicles of Chaos' tour listing column. Check out Tours of Torture every month for the scoop on who's coming to town and where to catch your favorite bands. If you have any information about upcoming tours, we'd be more than happy to hear about it. Contact us at . Pantera / White Zombie / EYEHATEGOD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 1 - Louisville Gardens, Louisville KY July 2 - Starwood Amphitheatre - Antioch (Nashville) TN July 3 - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre - Pelham (Birmingham) AL July 5 - Jacksonville Coliseum - Jacksonville FL July 6 - Miami Arena, Miami FL July 7 - Orlando Arena, Orlando FL July 9 - Civic Center, Savannah GA July 11 - Uno Lakefront, New Orleans LA July 12 - The Summit, Houston TX July 14 - Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas TX July 15 - Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio TX July 18 - Compton Terrace, Chandler AZ July 19 - Great Western Forum, Inglewood (Los Angeles) CA July 20 - Sports Arena, San Diego CA July 22 - San Jose Arena, San Jose CA July 23 - Arco Arena, Sacramento CA July 25 - Memorial Coliseum, Portland OR July 26 - Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver BC July 27 - The George Amphitheatre, George WA July 30 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver CO =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Monster Magnet - _Spine of God_ 2. Korn - _Korn_ 3. Marilyn Manson - _Lunchbox_ (single) 4. Pitchshifter - _Infotainment?_ 5. Cradle of Filth - _Vempire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein_ Adrian's Top 5 1. Monster Voodoo Machine - _Pirate Satellite EP_ 2. Pantera - _The Great Southern Trendkill_ 3. Korn - _Korn_ 4. Fu Mnachu - _In Search Of..._ 5. Carcass - _Heartwork_ Brian's Top 5 1. Sadist - _Tribe_ 2. Cradle of Filth - _Vempire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein_ 3. Arcturus - _Aspera Hiems Symfonia_ 4. In Flames - _Jester Race_ 5. AC - _40 More Reasons To Hate Us_ [ed. Are you pulling my leg? - AMG] Alain's Top 5 1. Cannibal Corpse - _Vile_ 2. Gorguts - _Considered Dead_ 3. Fleshcrawl - _Bloodsoul_ 4. Obscene Crisis - _Silence of the Mind_ (demo) 5. Obliveon - _Cybervoid_ Steve's Top 5 1. Setherial - _Nord_ 2. Equinox - _Return to Mystery_ 3. Diaboli - _Mesmerized by Darkness_ 4. Malevolent Creation - _Eternal_ 5. Pan-Thy-Monium - _Khaooohs & Kon-Fus-Ion_ Adam's Top 5 1. Nordic Metal - _A Tribute to Euronymous_ 2. Blood Duster - _Yeest_ 3. Visceral Evisceration - _Incessant Desire for Palatable Flesh_ 4. Vondur - _Stridsyfirlysing_ 5. Absonant Cadence - _Emergence_ (demo) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= T H E F I N A L W O R D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ok, that about wraps things up for the last issue of our first year. Next issue we are planning some big things, and hope to have a huge monster of an issue ready for all of you, as well as some free shit to give away, so keep your eyes peeled, and your ear to the ground. Chronicles of Chaos' birthday bash is coming up, so you better watch out! -- Gino Filicetti =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #12