Finland fucking does it again. What is it about that country, where so much worthy Metal emanates like the cold rays of a dying sun? Someone please tell me, I may emigrate there if this keeps up. Back on topic…
Let me begin by saying, out of all the ‘extreme’ Metal genres, I’m most picky about my Doom, as it takes more than your standard down-tuned variety of riff-drudgery to move my widening, grey-haired ass. Often I bypass piles of the stuff before I stumble upon something worth writing about at all (good or bad) – but Darkness Sustains the Silence has the value I seek. Vocalist/bassist Matias Nastolin’s death vocals spew out over the Cathedral-esque guitar lines with a passion in perfect alignment with other death/doomsters, but contain an extra fiery seam of energy his fellow forlorn barkers lack. Backing him, Vocalist/guitarist Olli “Otu” Suurmunne’s clean voicings comprise the stoner elements that are also an integral part of the band’s pallette – and though I like very little of that less-dark genre, his timbre and vibrato remain strong and in key while sailing atop A.o.B’s molten riff mires, and do not degenerate into any classic rock skullduggery. That being said, up-tempo moments do reside here; however, theirs are far more reminiscent of classic Metal/Thrash than anything else (the title track being a perfect example of their diversity). Both vocal styles succeed mainly due to Altar of Betelgeuze’s use of catchy, raging vocal rhythyms that incorporate a good helping of staying power.
And what of the other instruments? Unlike many Doom bands, the six-strings of Altar of Betelgueze aren’t the main source of the album’s low-end; on Darkness Sustains the Silence, as with Sabbathian gods of old, Nastolin’s bass (as it should) fills the appropriate frequencies comprising the leftmost side of the EQ, while still having a distorted clang that takes its rightful place right up front in the mix. Aleksi Olkkola drums tick by like reliant clockwork, maintaining the head-nods and tempo changes professionally without any distracting, unnecessary flash that would clog the doomy proceedings.
From the cover art, to the asphalt-laying/steamroller death doom, to the weed-saturated pitch-singing, Altar of Betelgeuze have managed to create a Doom/Death/Stoner Metal album that honors all three subgenres while giving each their own Finnish stamp and style. The album drops in a couple of weeks, so combat your post-New Year’s hangover with this slab of sleepy-eyed heaviness. -Jim
Let’s be honest – Church of Disgust may just the quintessential band name when describing the sound of dirty rotten Death Metal of the lowest common denominator (a good thing); for this band truly worships those unwashed sounds defiantly devoid of any cleansing agent. Unworldy Summoning lustily exudes dirt the way a woman of the night exudes cash-hunger; slowly, assuredly, sullenly. Drums take their hints from the slowest moments of In Battle There Is No Law and the Doom d-beats of Reifert’s madness, while the riffs suggest a crustier-sounding Slugathor over-dosing on Ambien. The pace of the album recalls the best of cheap-beer-chugging Death Metal, one that inspires dusting off the old denim vest and adding a patch or two. Perhaps its the Texan in them, for while there’s nothing at all ‘new’ here, Church of Disgust’s relatively simple approach looms large in the space between your earholes, guitars hammered high up in the mix with, crushing your eardrums with marching mayhem, unafraid of incorporating Alamo-ending downstrokes that even barely-legal Miley Cyrus fans would have to admit ‘rocks’ their sodden panties right off (sorry if that’s offensive, but hey – I’m reviewing a band called Church of Disgust, remember?).
In the end, the effect of Unworldly Summoning can be fictionalized thusly:
Two young metalheads immediately lose their hearing after discovering the first Bolt Thrower, Slugathor, and Autopsy albums. Shortly thereafter, while dumpster-diving, they find a four-track recorder, a guitar, and a few pieces of a drumkit. They proceed to record a DIY album in an abandoned church amongst broken glass, beers, refuse and grafitti. Against all odds, the result decimates. No frills, no pretense, just poser fricassee. FIN -Jim
12 years ago, I may have been a bit more enamored by the mysterious dungeon black metal noise of England’s Cold Crypt, for when the 1 man black metal movement began, it seemed so legitimately DIY and spirited to those of us who have always had difficulty securing a drummer locally, or even wanting the hassle of working with one. With advances in recording/computer technology, the internet and a few evilly rendered “selfies” from mom’s camera, your solitary statement of blistering hell noise was a drum machine pattern and cheap distortion pedal/guitar away.
Cold Crypt is a fuzzed out descent into the dissonant realm of pulsing, dare I say “industrialized” black metal, cradled in a swarm of atmospheric distortion, blazing straight forward foundation riffs and cancer sore vokills that curse the heavens with discontent. There is so much caustic noise stacked on top of caustic noise, Bearing the Light strikes as a unified wall of hatred and ugliness. When twisted harmonies strain from the wash of sound, they put me in mind as being touched by a slight Xasthur influence in their bleak out of key refrain. The vocals are ghostly and tortured . The machine leading the charge is but a time keeping twitch beneath the sound canvased atop it. When in the right mood, this album and bands like Cold Crypt do indeed have their place, but there is so much of it out there available for consumption, a band executing this style better bring something special to the table.
Bearing the Light is competent and even enjoyable on occasion, but CC haven’t introduced anything new or noteworthy other than a moment of nostalgic appreciation for sole member Raze’s efforts. I guess I’d rather be punished by Passage D’Hiver. -Marty
Cimmerian Shade Recordings
Arising from the rotting corpse of the band Nightmare of Fallen and toiling in obscurity since 2011, Italy’s Omnivore have obviously been practicing their instruments in the shadows for this day to arrive, for their eponymous debut is an impressively constructed and executed slab of death thrashing crossover. Omnivore may lack the room ambience and raw buzz in the production department that I like to hear when listening to dark and deadly metal, but the overall dry tone allows every nuance and note to explode from the digital sound spectrum. Gruffly shouted vocals teeter between the death and pissed off thrash worlds and fit the busy, but never oppressive songs for a dated, though effective delivery. Gang yells creep in on “Hypochrist” which I’ll always have mixed feelings about since I am a product of the thrash era and endured all the creative overpopulation and moments of cheesiness it delivered, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that Omnivore is a solid and lethal band that writes with the intent to harm. Imagine Schizophrenia era Sepultura, only more complex with more of a focus on note based riffs in motion, mixed with a Bay Area degree of playfulness in their structures and overall adrenalized delivery. A solid thrash album. No blast beats. -Marty
Unspeakable Axe Records
Even a vomiting child at dinner and a last second scramble to turn zero writing submission (by yours truly), into literary gold in 30 minutes cannot stop the Worm machine as we strive to meet our deadlines every week. I know… “Literary Gold” is a stretch on all fronts, but in order to amuse myself when doing these intros, one tends to fantasize and let their secret desires slip once in a while. So here’s 4 new reviews to satiate you all until we strike again next week. I know Jim is working on an interview and I may have something in the works as well, along with year end lists. So until we meet again, keep the discussions coming. We love to hear about what’s in rotation on your stereo and will be equally interested to hear what rocked your world this past year.
Before we leave you to it, I’m going to take this moment to spam you a little bit which is something that I tend to shy away from on this site.
Some of you may know that I run Bindrune Recordings (Waldgeflüster – Meine Fesseln CD Pre-Order now happening!), but Jim and I have also started a new, sub-label of Bindrune Called Eihwaz Recordings. Our first release, Vex – Memorious 2LP is now available, turned out great, and would be a fine addition to your collection as it is limited to 250 copies and is a fine statement of melodic and unique death metal.
There… end rant. See you next week! -Marty
http://eihwazrecordings.com http://bindrunerecordings.com
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Waldgeflüster – Meine Fesseln
Windir – Arntor
Panopticon – Roads to the North
Walknut – Graveforests and their Shadows
Drowning the Light – The Fading Rays of the Sun
Squash Bowels – Love Songs
Infera Bruo – Desolate Unknown
Absu – Tara
The Chasm – Procession to the Infraworld
Clandestine Blaze – Harmony of Struggle
Jim Clifton Playlist
Arnault Pavle – s/t
Lvcifyre – Svn Eater
Gorguts – Colored Sands
Satanic Warmaster – Nachzehrer
Ulcerate – Vermis
Inferno – Omniabsence Filled By His Greatness
Tyrants Blood – Into the Kingdom of Graves
Feast Eternal – Forward Through Blood
Grave Miasma – Odori Sepulcrorum
Possession – His Best Deceit
The ‘cavernous’ death metal onslaught hasn’t abated, and while a sizable portion of the sub-genre continues to be enjoyable, only those bands willing to color outside the lines will survive the impending event horizon landing the majority of these groups in the graveyard of the forgotten. Enter Malthusian, whose promising demo MMXIII has recently been released by Invictus Productions. The crevasse-dwelling musicians herein have wisely infused their stalagmite-sound with a healthy dose of unsettling Doom, rounding out the demo’s three songs with a terror-inducing lack of light sure to discourage many that believe only reverb knobs are needed to concoct ‘atmosphere’. That being said, gobs of echo are present on this demo as well, but aside from the expected elements of mire that this particular DM sound-spawn evokes, Malthusian conjure up enough riff variety (check the chorded slides, immediately followed by Autopsy nods in ‘Wraith///Plague Spore’) and throat bizarreness (check the crazed vocal emerging halfway through ‘The Mother’s Blade’) to keep their devilish lamentations relatively fresh ; obligatory homages to early Incantation notwithstanding. But like those early NY/PA ungods before them, Malthusian use only guitars, bass, and drums to drag listeners to Hell’s gate, eschewing any other electronic methods of creating a choking fog of sound, and for succeeding in that I commend them. Bring on that beloved dissonance predicated by melancholic Doom, hail the promise and realization of muddy tempo shifts!
An usually strong demo that hints at an ear-splitting evolution to come, MMXIII will please those that envy the dark and dank lifestyle of a death metal Gollum. We only have 24 minutes of torment with this, Malthusian’s debut offering, but there will certainly be more forthcoming, and I will be awaiting its relentless, yet-still-dreary arrival. -Jim
At this time of year, at our latitude, we are below zero with the wind chill. Just past 5 o’clock, our sky dissolves to black. Now is not the time for frenetic noise-making or hyperbole as innumerable flakes fall, and the resultant blanket of white beckons one to lay down and let all things pass. What any scarred soul craves with a depth of snow on the ground and double-digit winds are sounds that reflect the rage in the surrounding atmosphere, not a chest-thumping or chest-stabbing, however much we may usually love such hymns as the Winter Solstice nears. The question is, where do we turn when we are choked by the forgettable output of most Metal men? As always, we look to the purveyors of the Black, and specifically, at this time of year we seek those who capture the gray of the heavens most competently, and where better to look than Moribund Records, who have been bringing us Hell for over twenty years?
In anticipation of the bastardization of the true reason for the season by dogmatic propaganda, Australia’s Moon (one Miasmyr, all vocals and instruments) has set upon the altar a keyboard-heavy slab of depressive yet powerful Black Metal that stirs the soul and quickens the flesh within the same spectrum of tones found on any one of the excellent Evilfeast releases (which I highly recommend). Miasmyr allows the swimming guitars, the mixed-down yet martial drums, and epic-scale synths to fill the void in your holiday-stuffed heart, leaving just enough space for his croaking, omnipresent voice to pierce the frozen veil of unbelief the production creates. ‘Inhale Darkness’, driven by sauntering double-bass and (can it be? Yes it can) wah-ridden riff pulls you off your feet, into the tub, razor at the ready. ‘Poison From the Abyss’ toys with your emotions, starting with a brief major chord dying quickly into the minor on repeat, relieving you of any hope to be had as December slips it fingers around your spirit’s throat. ‘Gate of the Moon’ twists riffs and atmospherics together until discernment between the two cannot be done, and all that’s left is the feeling of a slow descent into something darker, more evil and yet, more palatable to the warmth before or that is to come.
So what is The Nine Gates ? It is the feel of extreme cold slithering past your clothing onto your flesh. It is the burn of your tears as they morph into icy streams. It is the sorrow of all life, knowing that the Sun is at its farthest now, that the comfort we had known was temporary. And it is the strength that comes from embracing that terrible, and exhilarating, truth. -Jim
Not a genre I gravitate towards often as the brutal death metal wave nearly crushed my hope for metal back in the 90’s before being flayed open by black metal. The deep knuckle dragging grooves, the predictable breakdowns and sewage tank cupped mic vocals were all just a step away on a short journey back to Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation. Of course nothing much has changed in this world…. the album art still portrays band member sexual frustration with the opposite sex and the hammering is still indefinitely “brutal”, but I guess I have been far enough away from it over the years to once again respect its place and overall talent when the mood may strike me.
I still possess this bands debut full-length Sickening Erotic Fascination and even though Mortal Decay do fit within the brutal death sphere of expression, they effectively mix up the head nodding push of their trencherous grooves (yes… stuff that one in your gaping ass Mr. Webster) with intricate tech spun verse riffs that were interesting enough to stay my hand when it came time to cull the collection all those years ago when I purged a lot of the brutal stuff from my CD racks. The Blueprint for Bloodsplatteer is the bands 4th album and it seems the core songwriters are still intact, for this album keeps me interested with the memorable guitar play and powerful songwriting ideas even though it is all enveloped in a heinous mash of deep, though aggressive vocals and the occasional break/beat down to keep the pit circling.
Cripplingly accurate blasting rhythmically. Endlessly swarming dual guitar attack. Monotonous to a fault death groans. Yep… Mortal Decay certainly aren’t purveyors of the deathly arts, but they do work in just enough jazz mindfuckery as found on the complex and impressive track Chloroform Induced Trance to impress and show that there are indeed many sharp implements in their songwriting torture chamber. Hide your women! But not in pieces. I guess in this case it would be important to mention that. -Marty
Comatose Music
With an overall aura in the guitar sound and playing that gives a nod of appreciation to Blessed are the Sick/Covenant era Morbid Angel, Ireland’s Rex Shachath are cultivating ancient death metal soil with a fertile thrash essence.
If the production wasn’t so full/smooth, I would say that this is one of those lost releases that surfaced on a small label back in ’92 and slipped through the cracks. The blasting isn’t of the turbo, full throttled variety which really allows the riffs to take shape in their aggression and simplicity to unveil a memorable quality for these songs to take shape and actually stick. The vocalist embraces a dark mid to deep register growling style that thankfully forsakes traditionally brutal gutturalizations and keeps it dank with an evil rasp. His performance fits well within the open scope of Rex Shachath’s formula. The foundation is indeed deathly, but the motion in the riffs and the bands affinity for the “thrash beat” will inspire the crowd to mosh, though RS never allow their breakdowns to degenerate into silly cliches.
Rex Shachath is a very authentic sounding new band that indeed worships the late 80’s early 90’s and have saluted it with class on this enjoyable 6 song EP. I wouldn’t scour the Earth looking for this one, but it will indeed appeal to fans that feel most at home living in the past. -Marty
Grindhouse Music / Metal Music Austria
When holidays end and the grind threatens to crush your blackened soul in the wake of its return, what else can you do but bleed your ears with the recent developments in the extreme scene? Luckily Worm Gein-sers will always be here to give you the tools to purge reality from your human refuse-filled day. This week, Marty takes the reigns (heh) and waxes analytical on the German Black Metal of Vyre, the sweet Swede death metal of Diabolical, the death/doom of the oddly named The Gardnerz, and the stunningly disturbing/bizarre/night-terror-inducing DM of the latest from Ævangelist, which has made its way on a few writers’ EOY list. Decide for yourself! Wait, there’s one more here… what’s this … a new Profanatica album? Run for your lives! The penultimate purveyors of Black Metal perversion have returned with
body fluids in tow. Listen/read/tremble/avert your eyes in disgust, just make sure you post your comments and playlists because, well, you know …
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Panopticon – Roads to the North pre-master
Waldgeflüster – Meine Fesseln
Vex – Memorious 2LP
The Gathering – Mandylion
Blodsrit – Hinterland
Enslaved – Eld (This is hands down my favorite Enslaved album. Granted, theirs is a mostly impressive catalog, but Eld is pure magic)
Forefather – Steadfast
Forefather – Last of the Line
Forefather – Ours is the Kingdom
Fyrnask – Eldir Nótt
Jim Clifton Playlist
Seidr – Ginunngagap
Moon – The Nine Gates
Denouncement Pyre – Almighty Arcanum
Demilich – Nespithe
Deceased – Supernatural Addiction
Nocturnal Graves – …From the Bloodline of Cain
Incantation – Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Dark Funeral – Secrets of the Black Arts
Danzig – I-IV
Carcass: Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious
The dead moan and cry out from their isolated dimension with despair and agony, only to be heard, re-channeled and enslaved once again by the abysmally haunted sound spectrum of this twisted duo, Ævangelist. De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis was truly an eye opener of a release for me with it’s deeply brutal and ritualistic take on death metal, and with Omen Ex Simulacra, Ævangelist continue to embellish their 2 man creation with even more uncomfortable misery and the audial equivalent to a fearless glimpse into hell.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… indeed. Ævangelist have taken the exact same formula: polluted and detuned death riffs, synthetic and distorted drums, varying levels of growled to shrieked vocals and tied it all together with incessant keyboard sounds that flow like rivers of dread in the background. The entire package makes for an unsettling experience, but it is a strand of uniqueness that heightens the impact of their music and sets them off in their own black corner of twisted malevolence. As I listen to Omen Ex Simulacra, I try to hear past the synth torment and to imagine how this album would play out without that bleak strand spinning throughout the bulk of this album. Would Ævangelist be the same dark overlords? Something would surly be lacking, but I think the music on its own could withstand the otherworldly loss of keyboards and stand on it’s own with plodding and repugnant structures bloated with evil riffage. But thankfully, we don’t have to know what this theory will sound like, only to sit back and fall victim to the experience as a whole.
I have spun this album 4 times now and it still strikes me as infinitely alienating and devoid of traditional hooks or other musical anchors to hold onto when being beaten down by the crushing waves of pure nauseating death. This sounds a bit melodramatic I know, but Omen Ex Simulacra is infinitely interesting in spite of the full on attack on your senses with little “musical” payoff for your suffering. Jesus wept. -Marty
Debemur Morti Productions
No matter how hard you try, or how connected you think you are to a musical genre, there are always good bands that evade your radar. I suppose this is easy due to the fact that you can’t swing a dead cat around in places like _insert random town name here_ Sweden without hitting a member of one or more death/thrash/black metal bands. It’s a fact. Sweden’s Diabolical are such a band with 4 full-length albums to their credit and lifespan that reaches back to 1997.
Neogenesis grabs your attention immediately with life slaying blast beats and a full-throttled production that enjoys a menacing depth and sonic precision to allow every detuned note and deeply brutal moan of the vocalist to be felt/heard/feared. The foundation of Diabolical’s sound is definitely death metal, but layer enhancing synth work, choral background singing and sequences that lock the tracks together, along with more decidedly “black” moments of atmosphere in the riffs allow the darkness to creep in. Diabolical are quite proficient at mixing less encumbered guitar lines with hectic segments of technical superiority which effectively builds tension in these songs. There is space within the compositions and it speaks volumes in regards to patience and the band letting the songs develop and take on a life all their own rather than simply jumping into the blast attack just because it is the tired and true formula set and flogged by legions of lesser bands. Neogenesis embraces a very well rounded and lethal attack that finds true beauty in the blackness with piano interludes as found on Ex before erupting back into the fray with the antagonistic blasting offensive of World in Silence.
Diabolical knows how to mix all the dark elements at their disposal to create a fierce, though endlessly deep listening experience to demonstrate their unique approach to blackened death metal. Though I don’t see this band as endlessly technical or chained to a theme as Behemoth, I could see Diabolical opening for the big B on a tour and sounding like they belong on the same tour bus. Neogenesis has a lot to offer to those of you willing to sit with the album and allow the enchanting synth layers to unlock the gates to expansive realms of satanic brutality. -Marty
Viscisolum Productions
This 36 minute “EP” is my first introduction to Sweden’s The Gardnerz, a quartet that have ironed out a sound for themselves that fearlessly melds techy death thrash styled guitar work, with morose moments of spacious doom.
Remember when thrash started to shift into death metal? This olden theme of awkward cross-pollination can be heard dwelling at the core of this material. The flow is well considered, even catchy at times with its crisp sound and imaginative transitions musically. The guitar tone is as tight as the playing and sounds like they are tuned to D so the music never falls into a sonic quagmire of detuned buzz (which I admittedly like a lot of the time). Emotive guitar harmonies that shed distortion on tracks like A Horrible Disease point to a wealth of musical maturity, but what dampens the impact on this material for me is the vocalist. His death growls are shallow/dry and while he often follows the guitar lines verbatim (signs of a vocalist who also plays and instrument), there is little excitement or drama built up in his performance. This is made worse when he opts for a clean pitch singing style on the distortionless segments of music. To be honest, he’s out of key, strained, and really shouldn’t be attempting this style until he gets more confidence and the bugs ironed out.
It all Fades can be a musically enjoyable EP in spite of the fact that there’s nothing overly groundbreaking at hand here. The vocals take too much away from the unifying quality of this bands music which really doesn’t inspire me to pursue their catalog further after the final word is cast in this review. Not for me, but there is definitely musical worth lurking in The Gardnerz song writing arsenal. -Marty
Abyss Records
Paul Ledney’s parents must have drug him to church a lot and put him through a seriously brutal round of religious indoctrination, because he’s been working overtime for 23 years to undo any religious do gooding inflicted upon him. Thy Kingdom Cum is yet another demented stab at the loving lords nether regions with a ravenous spike of primitive black dripping death metal.
Punk undertones swarm beneath the surface and give this material a furious edge while simplistic hooks spill out of swollen unholy members with perverse urgency. Ledney and John Gelso beat on these guitar riffs mercilessly with blunt though poignant repetition enough to make them stick. The nature of the riffs again is endlessly simplistic, but there is a definite charm and memorable quality to what’s being played so that there is something concrete and enjoyable to keep coming back to when you just want to headbang and get lost in something loud and completely blasphemous. Yes the music is very well written, but the leading edge of this rib splitting spear goes to Ledney’s cancerous and just plain filthy vocals. He sounds like he’s vomiting on gods child over and over again with his reeking black chime that burns with an acidic quality. He unleashes a performance like no other and his determination to keep creating music under the Profanatica banner after all these years is to be commended.
Thy Kingdom Cum has little to offer in the form of something new or artistic, but Profanatica have once again dripped their infected seed upon the land in defiance of all things godly with a very solid, straight to the point and down right entertaining slab of religious desecration. So many people think that flowery arrangements and atmosphere translates to “evil” musically… I’m sorry, but Profanatica and Ledney’s solo work with Havohej sprays black shit on that statement and once again shows the world that US blackness still rules and isn’t quite right in the head. -Marty
Hell’s Headbangers Records
Containing 3 ex-members of the German black metal entity Eis, Vyre is an equally impressive anomaly of superior song composition mixed with a tasteful modern black metal persona. With Cypher D. Rex handing both the vocals and songwriting for Vyre as well, there is a definite quality reminiscent of the aforementioned band, but Vyre adopts more of a cosmic space theme to interact with the polished, though never fragile, chintzy, or too commercial black metal definition of their sound. Cypher’s vocals are sharp and coherent, at times putting me in mind of Satyr’s throaty snarl. His lyrical placement is imaginative as he highlights the verse riffs without succumbing to the obvious or natural flow within them.
Musically Vyre shines with what sounds like tight standard E tuning, but the dissonant note/chord interplay effortlessly unlocks alternate dimensions of atmosphere that could have generated from the vastness of space to infect the listener with wonder of what lies beyond this troubled sphere. Superior dynamics both within the music and the drum work prevail as Vyre confidently mix mind expanding slow to mid tempo parts where emotive guitar work becomes hypnotic, to effortless teeth grating blast beats that roil in a black metal characteristic that puts me in mind of the mid 90’s Norwegian sound. The subtle and tasteful synth textures spun throughout this album also help in inspiring this idea.
Vyre have emerged without the preliminary introduction of a demo, but really with such strong quality of The Initial Frontier Pt. 1 standing so proudly in the littered cosmic sea of black tinged bands, one quickly realizes that the strength of their own talent and past work in Eis and Geist act as an impressive epitaph/resume for this new band to take the reins and continue to impress. This is a very solid and entertaining debut and one can only imagine where the forward inertia of space will take them. -Marty
Supreme Chaos Records
The Worm Fiends are riding out and finally maintaining our stride for interviews. It’s a groove thing…. spend too much time away from asking bands questions, it gets harder to fall back into the vibe of it. But I think we’re there. This weeks update unveils 2 Hefty interrogations with Vali and Feast Eternal. Woodland mysticism and bold Christian beliefs certainly don’t fit together, but this is what interests us here at WG the most… differing opinions and beliefs. Don’t you get tired of reading the same stock questions all the time? We do and are working hard to keep all of you entertained, intrigued and maybe just slightly annoyed… haha…
So on the eve of the carnivorous frenzy, we wish you all a good Thanksgiving. I know we’re all thankful for you taking the time out of your weekly net wanderings to pay us a visit. Kindly reveal your holiday playlists and any other comments you may have to get off your chest. Reviews will return next week! -Marty
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Primordial – To the Nameless Dead
Primordial – The Gathering Wilderness
Twilight of the Gods – Fire on the Mountain
Dissection – Retribution… Storm of the Lights Bane
Iced Earth – Horror Show (I just can’t get enough of the music and composition on this album. Plus Barlow’s vocals are so great and passionate)
Hades – …Again Shall Be
Falls of Rauros/Panopticon – Split 12″ master
Demonic – The Empire of Agony
Feast Eternal – Forward Through Blood
Samael – Ceremony of Opposites
Jim Clifton Playlist
Judas Priest: Metal Works ’73-93
Iron Maiden-Piece of Mind
Iron Maiden-s/t
Iron Maiden-Powerslave
Townes Van Zandt – Live at the Old Quarter, Houston TX
Lustre – Wonder
Nocturnal Graves – …From the Bloodlines of Cain
Destroyer 666 – Phoenix Rising
Meshuggah – Destroy. Erase. Improve.
Judas Priest – Painkiller
In Flames – Reroute to Remain
I grew up like so many do that come to discover heavy and death metal… being utterly pissed and offended when it came to having to hear about other peoples belief in God. As a teen living in Northern Michigan, it seemed like there was a bible being shook in judgement everywhere I turned. All over the TV. On pamphlets in stores. By people knocking on my door to speak to me about God… it felt like an attack. Cross this with “our” music, and the rage used to flow through my teenage veins freely. How dare they? As age and maturity eventually set in and my world and spiritual view set out searching, I began to discover that I personally felt all forms of otherworldly religion were indeed something that really didn’t appeal to me. It feels foreign and oppressive. All of it. The satanic bands that dominated my sound system and still do are just as guilty. As I have come to adopt a “whatever gets you through your day” mentality over the years, I find my interest in all of this to be investigative on the personal level. I actually respect folks that believe in what they do and am curious as to why this is and how it affects them in their quest to create metal music. Let’s face it, the Christian metal scene, though they often preach to the choir in the past, have had to dodge a lot of stones over the years just to be who they are and express what they believe. Is that right? It isn’t. Part of my acceptance with this underground within an underground began to open up as I picked up and really liked bands like Believer, Mortification (the 1st 2), Trouble and countless others. To hear that a band rules, only to discover that they were Christian… A younger me used to feel betrayed, but anymore I realize the absurdity in my initial reactions to other peoples spiritual ideas. For me, the music is the religion and it has led me through a lot of joy and sorrow throughout my 42 years.
Feast Eternal fits into all of this of course, as they are a band that resides here in my home town, have been fighting hard with their music since 1992, and we have been close friends for a long time. The metal community is tiny up here in the north woods and you tend to run into each other. I have seen Feast go through a lot of turmoil over the years, but TJ Humlinski and Matt Skrzypczak are to be commended for holding it all together to let their music, friendship and message survive. They are people that I can relate to on a personal level due to our mutual love of metal music, and being from the same area. Though we differ greatly on the spiritual topic, and believe me, over the years we have all talked at length about it, I can further respect where they are coming from in their beliefs. When I heard Forward Through Blood for the first time, it was a great and noticable progression for Feast Eternal. The sound. The songs. They stick with you and beg for further listens much like a really well written Amon Amarth album does. But there is less of a commercial shine in sound, delivery and overall attack present here as Feast comes from the old-school DM mentality, while adding memorable riffage and movement in their songs to help make them stick. I have followed and liked Feast since their demo, but this new MCD made me a “fan”. The idea to interview my brothers has been with me for a long time, but with this new album, it seems like the perfect moment to make it happen. Also with Worm Gear paying so much lip-service over the years to bands that reflect satanic or pagan ideologies, I felt it would be interesting to step outside this comfort zone of familiarity for myself and all of our dear readers, to offer a flip side to the same rusty coin so to speak and let someone with a less than favorable spiritual viewpoint (in the metal world) have a chance to express themselves. TJ was gracious enough to run with it and share some deep insight into the realm of Feast Eternal, his beliefs and himself. Enjoy. -Marty
Worm Gear: With a demo, 2 full-lengths and a fresh new MCD in your catalog, Feast Eternal has been in existence since 1992! You’re definitely a long standing band that came from the past and to continue to embrace an old death metal attitude and style. Time certainly flies! How do you feel your band sits in the current metal climate and what do you think about your older material?
TJ Humlinski: it has been a long road for this band that’s for certain and after all these years, all the things that have come and gone and come again, I think we’ve managed to dig out our little niche, as small as it is. When I look at what metal music is today, I see it as vibrant as ever, gaining far more acceptance than it has enjoyed in years past. Still, it stays mostly beneath, underground as always, which is really the best possible climate for this music to truly be what it has always been. Extreme, different and personal, in a way that the majority of cookie cutter corporate schlock can never be. Even with the most “out there” styles of metal I still give it much respect because it is art, whether I like it or not. But of course, crap is crap. With the proliferation of the digital realms, we tend to get buried up to our eyeballs in musical garbage. That can be a double edged sword because when you do find something that truly shines in the midst of all the redundancy it makes it all the more awesome! And redundancy can be a killer musically. Well, for most artists. There are exceptions obviously. Some groups found a formula that just owns, and there they stayed. For the rest of us, it takes some progression. As musicians we have tried to grow Feast Eternal’s sound beyond our beginnings into something relevant. But not so much so that we stray away from the core of what brought us into loving this music to begin with. The speed, power and aggression that makes death metal what it is. Ultimately, we are always trying to please ourselves musically before anyone else, but we still want to make something worth the listeners while. On a personal level, I’ve always been fairly split about our earliest material. On one hand, there is so much about it that I’ve always loved and much I’ve hated. We have always struggled to try and do the best we could with production and recording, and its yielded mixed results, but I am more than humbled by the people that have always praised our efforts as worthy of their time. I am my own worst critic, but I try not to let that keep me from trying to write the best material I can. It has always seemed to me that our first two albums have had their share of raging fans and rabid critics. But again, what band doesn’t?
WG: There is a definite brotherhood at the core of this band, united both by your shared vision for Feast Eternal and a long standing friendship. This prevails in spite of all the turmoil in life that has worked to slow FE’s progress. How would you describe this bands quest?
(TJ): Brotherhood indeed! I originally started the band back in 90 or 91 with John Greenman. Him and I had been friends for years, coming up in the scene together, sharing the same musical tastes from the onset. When we were introduced to Matt, he was basically a stranger to us. While we shared a mutual faith in Christ, we couldn’t have been more diametrically opposite from each other both musically and on a personal level. Its taken a lot of years to work out our differences, but the end result is one of the greatest friends that I’ve ever known. We have learned to use those differences to our advantage creatively speaking, and over time have used it to develop our musical direction and sound. It’s true that many of our contemporaries have released many times more material than we’ve been able to over the years, but often we have had to take a step back from the band to focus on greater obligations in our lives (yes, there are more important things than metal, but not many!) and this has caused us to work a little slower than a lot of bands. One of the great things about Feast Eternal, is that we’ve built such a sense of family from the foundations of the band, its been a great blessing. We’ve always tried to maintain strong friendships with each other regardless of what the band was doing at any given time. I feel like Feast Eternal has hit another “re-set stage” for the band. The new EP has turned out better than our wildest hopes and things look promising. We’ve had to take a more realistic approach to what we would like to do in the future. For a band like us, that couldn’t move much slower, we have to keep things a little grounded and try and be as realistic as we can about our goals. Keep writing killer material, get some more releases out, and hopefully toss a few live dates out into the mix.
WG: Having existed since ’92, Feast Eternal has had 1 working relationship with a label (Open Grave) that quickly passed. How hard has it been for you to do a majority of the promotion and production on your own? Has this been a hindrance to the band over the years, or a good thing?
(TJ) The Open Grave Records thing started out quite promising for us. We had been inactive for a while and had only just started prepping ourselves to start working on new material when we were contacted by Open Grave. They offered us a pretty decent deal, for a small time death metal band from northern Michigan anyway. Re release our first album (Prisons of Flesh) with bonus material, and put out our second (With Fire) for a sum of cash up front and merch (specified quantities of CD’s) with royalty payments after recouping costs etc etc. And they paid, up front, and got the rights from us. It was cool, and they made a lot of promises, which never really panned out. To be fair, they did try to live up to their agreements, but ultimately they couldn’t. They spent a lot of resources signing mediocre artists that just couldn’t deliver. And in the end it made a mess for a lot of people. We were getting emails from people asking why they didn’t pay their bills. I mean, seriously? It was exciting for us to try and be a part of what Open Grave was trying to do. We were apprehensive but we needed the financial backing, even if It wasn’t a lot. It still made “With Fire” possible. But then, it was a mixed blessing because having the pressure of the label on us to get the album out caused us to rush, and we were still learning how to really utilize our equipment at the time and suffice to say, the album suffered for it. There is some absolutely killer material on “With Fire” but so much of it gets mushed in the mix. It’s a bit of a sore spot for me really. I wrote 99.999% of the music on that record and in the end it just doesn’t sound like it should have. Chalk that up to inexperience. Previously, on “Prisons of Flesh” we worked in a proper studio, with far better results, in my opinion, though there were issues there too. But I’ve always been hyper critical of our work. Overall the albums have been fairly well accepted over the years, and we’ve gained a loyal following, which has been tough to do when your as slow going as this band is. Ultimately, if we’d had a little more experience with certain aspects of the recording process over the years it really would have brought our material a lot further, in my opinion anyway. We always did our best to promote what we were doing any way we could. Early on we played out live quite a bit, not as much as some, but we were averaging around 12 shows a year, which was quite a lot of being away for 3 dudes with wives and babies at home. We tried what we could over the years to get the word out about the band, but in the end it was the loyalty of fans that gained us the most notice.
WG: In this modern era, it seems that labels are no longer needed. Do you have any advice to offer bands just starting out in this over-saturated time?
TJ:It really depends. Its like this: if your really in control of what’s going on with your band and feel you have the ways and means to get your material noticed then by all means stay independent. It makes it a lot easier to do what you want, when you want, without the pressure of a label. On the other hand, there are still some great independent labels out there doing exceptional work with amazing artists. Getting the music shipped and advertised and marketed. If you can get noticed by one of these guys, and after checking them out a bit to see if you feel it’s a good fit then definitely give being with a label a shot. When you’ve got a good imprint backing you up it takes a lot of the work out of all the DIY aspects of things. Someone who really appreciates the music and the work that goes into it can really make a huge impact still.
WG: Do you think being an openly Christian band is partially to blame for difficulties in finding the right label? What have been the pro’s and con’s to walking this path from a personal and musical perspective?
TJ: Being in a Christian death metal band has always been something of a mixed blessing to us, in so much as gaining greater acceptance amongst metal fans goes, but its also given us greater cause to grow in our faith and come to a stronger understanding of the realities of Gods word, and the sacrifice of Christ. That is to say, we’ve had to over the years, search ourselves to be certain of our standing, to know we weren’t seeking out something that may not have been meant for us. It has helped to reaffirm our faith, and to shake off a lot of heretical dogmas that really have no place in a Christian’s walk. Especially in areas that have to do with judgment and acceptance of people. Its so easy for people outside of the metal life style to look down on those of us who are metal heads. The way we dress or the music we listen to has always been something that other Christians have used as an excuse to try and say we do not know the lord. When the reality is that many other people from around the world that come from vastly different cultures than our neo-christian conservative background, come to worship the lord of lords and king of kings in some ways that we might find off putting, but not un biblical, and that is always the final word on these things. That’s where we’ve had to put our trust, in the word of God. Its always been a challenge for us to try and shed the stereotypes and present the other parts of the christian body, that if we are not all in sport coats and neck ties on Sunday morning, we might still actually know Christ. To some, that may seem odd to say…that death metal has grown my faith in Christ, but in truth it really has contributed. When, as a follower of Christ, you go pursuing a musical format that dominated by Satanic posers and general hatred for all things Jesus, you really have to try and examine your self, and your understanding of the scriptures and always be ready with an answer. Because at some point your gonna get tested. Christian brothers calling your faith false because you listen to “secular“ music, or non believers calling you hypocrite because you do. Also too, it tends to be a scarlet letter to the so called “secular scene” because many of the fans wont listen to Christian bands because they aren’t “evil” enough. Then there is the just the sheer absence of decent Christian bands. When there are so many sub par bands producing volumes of abysmal music, you tend to get lumped in with the bunch, and the fans wont give your material a fair shake. I don’t like to be so harsh, but I’m just being honest. Most Christian metal bands that have come and gone have been lousy. Now there have been exceptions obviously, and I’ll leave those choices up to the person reading this to decide. I have my opinion, they have theirs. So many bands that came up that have just tried to ride the band wagon of what was or is currently trendy, instead of leading the way, or rising above the junk. But like I said, there were some that managed to really set a standard for what good extreme metal with a Christian theme could be. In the early years, a lot of Christian labels came up and were making huge inroads with Christian metal bands. To the best of my knowledge most of those early labels have folded, for various and sometimes troubling reasons. Then there were the “secular” labels that were picking up Christian bands. Most notably in my mind is metal blades relationship with Mortification back in the day. We even had those guys(Metal Blade) sniffing around a little bit after we released Prisons of Flesh. But ultimately we dropped the ball on label support by just not getting enough copies into the right hands. The Christian scene has a tendency to be an underground within the underground and, there tends to be a lot of isolationism amongst the bands and fans. a lot of that tends to happen because people become spiritually conflicted about listening to so called “secular” music or becoming unequally yoked to unbelievers, which is a legitimate concern, but tends to get blown out of proportions when it comes to music. Personally, I’ve come to understand that the music I listen to does not determine the judgment I will face. Music is music. I do acknowledge its power to influence. I realize the lifestyle that comes with metal music especially, but those things do not detach me from the salvation of the living God who loved the whole world so much that he sent his own flesh and blood to earth to become a sacrifice for my failings, for my sins. I do know that there are some people who, once they’ve left the non christian music world behind, can never go back to that music again, much like a ex smoker cant stand to be around smoke, but that still is not something that separates man from God. As a christian, its more important to try and see the heart of things, and base my opinions on that.
WG: As both of you are extremely passionate about metal music, I am curious what sort of conflicts you both may have had in your spiritual development getting into new bands or even maintaining a love for older bands who may uphold a violent or spiritual belief structure different from your own?
TJ: Early on, as a new christian, I did have a lot of personal conflicts on a spiritual level with music. While I always believed that music was not a wicked thing in and of itself, I understood the impact it can have on the hearts and minds of people. I struggled with listening to the bands I loved vs. trying to live in holiness as we are called to do. This is not an issue of being perfect, but rather, trying from day to day, to be more like the God who spared me from eternal death, and putting away things from a past way of living that ultimately lead to death. At one point I surrendered it all and pitched my entire collection of music, as an example of my willingness to give up the world in order to spare my soul. It wasn’t meant to be an example of works bringing me salvation, but rather my faith leading me to a deeper desire to do what is right. In retrospect, I do not regret that, but I know it was a necessary step in my growth as a follower of Christ. In order to find myself where I am now, and able to explain to those younger than me in their walks that listening to music is not going to separate them from the salvation that is freely given through Christ. It’s the heart that is judged, the life lived in pursuit of Christ. Prayerful, repentant, loving others as you love yourself, mindful of the whole word of God , rightly divided and applied, not subject to vain or selfish interpretations but studied and discerned in spirit and in truth. Sure, the lord God of heaven and earth, creator of all things is probably not a fan of bands like Rotting Christ or Anal Cunt, but I doubt he concerns himself about such folly. The Lords greatest concern is “what have you done with my son Jesus?” “Who do you say he is?” This is the standard by which all men are judged. Each man must work out his faith with fear and trembling before God. That is to say…we all face God as an individual person, and our walk with him is our own. While we are given fellowship in order to draw strength from one another, we ultimately must walk alone, pray alone with the Lord. Our sins are our own, and for no man to judge. Only the father which is in heaven can judge us. So… forgive the sermon, but my point is that as time has gone on, I’ve embraced metal music as much, if not more, than ever. And I make no real distinction between “secular” vs. “christian” metal, per se… although I still greatly support my christian brethren and the good work they are doing, I choose not to divide over it, but also gladly wear the distinction on my sleeve. I will admit though, there are times when some bands can rub me the wrong way. Whether its just the sheer ignorance in their lyrics or just a certain repugnant blasphemy that may thread its way through that particular artists music, I get turned off somewhat, so I just don’t listen to it. Overall, I still absolutely cherish the classics. Things like Slayer’s Haunting the Chapel EP and Hell Awaits. Blood Feast’s Kill for Pleasure and Face Fate EP (absolutely worship those slabs!!) or any of the really killer new stuff, take your pick.
WG: Line-up instability or simply the lack of members is nothing new to Feast Eternal. Seems like it would be even more difficult in Northern Michigan to not only find a musician compatible to your skills and desire to create death metal, but one that also shares your beliefs. What are some of the struggles you have faced with this over the years?
TJ: Yeah we’ve had our little revolving door in the band. But always there had been the core membership. Me, Matt and Johnny. Johnny was usually the first to cycle out of the band for various reasons over the years, but then again too, I had my extended hiatus from Feast for a time as well. We had replaced John with Josh Protrafka on bass back in the day when we were running the band as a power trio, but when I left to settle personal matters of my own, that’s when josh left. Then the original core of the band got back together shortly after that, with john playing guitar with me in the band, but we were never able to find a stable bass player. Its just something we’ve dealt with over the years. Its been frustrating, but we have come to accept it. We’ve always had a few strikes against us as a band living in this part of the world. 1: We are into extreme metal
music… while there is a decent scene up here in northern Michigan, it’s not enough to support a great cast of musicians, that even remotely understand let alone get into death metal, looking to throw down with a band that does. 2: We are deeply devoted Christians and that alone creates even more issues with trying to find members that can share not only your musical tastes, but your world view and faith as well. While have tried to hook up with a few people over the years to fill the spots, until recently, no one really worked. It was always something or the other that prevented it. Their skill set just wasn’t up to par, or their personal lives were just such a mess that they couldn’t really commit, or both.
WG: It seems that Aaron Byrnes has filled a much needed position in the bands ranks. What creative elements has he brought to Feast Eternal? Will you guys be playing live again and how do you approach the writing process now with him involved?
TJ: Aaron kinda just came out of the blue. It was his wife who actually contacted us about him possibly getting together with us. He doesn’t really participate in social media, so his wife took it upon herself to bust him loose a little from his incredibly hectic work/business schedule and see if we could all get together. Aaron has a decidedly different approach to creating music than Matt and I. Over the years our process was basically TJ writes riffs, Matt and TJ bash away at riffs until magic happens and we make a song. Trial and error, bouncing things off one another until we feel we’ve got something solid. Aaron takes a more solitary approach to the writing process, preferring to work on things at home and then come to class prepared so to speak. Then tweaking out the frameworks of things until its finished. For me personally, it’s a bit frustrating, because its something I’m not accustomed to, but the end results so far are undeniable! Forward Through blood turned out just incredible, and that is in no small part do to Aaron and his talents. Im a riff guy, that’s just what I do. I can pump them out all day and for the most part I can chain them together in a way that makes musical sense, but I have my issues when it comes to arrangements and such. That’s why for me, I’ve always been at my best when I can work closely with another writer. It really helps to bring my ideas out in full. While Matt and I really know how to click back and forth, Arron is more of a sit and think about it kind of writer, so he likes to take the stuff and sit with it for a while so he can get a feel for it, then he will shoot his ideas in there. We really embraced the digital recording process this time around, and it was a different beast to be certain. And that again, was Aaron’s doing. We already had a decent, semi digital studio set up of our own when he came into the band, but Aaron wanted to contribute by bringing the band all the way into the digital realm with recording. I was apprehensive about it, but I wanted to give a lot of space to the “new guy” and just see where it would take the band. I still love the old school ways of delivering a recording, the studio time and just the sound you get from that whole process, but, the digital recording process just makes sense for a band like us. Limited investment in equipment and time, with maximum outcome and quality. And when you consider the fact that its all ones and zeros anymore, it was not a hard thing to do. And Aaron has some considerable skill sets when it comes to mixing and mastering, and it really paid of for us, as the finished product demonstrates!
WG: Do you still consider Feast Eternal to be a ministry first, and a band 2nd? What brought you all to this medium of expression?
TJ: Yes and no is the only way I can really answer that. Yes, Feast Eternal is a vehicle by which we, the members of the band, who are Christians, will share our faith with those who will listen. When asked, we will always share our faith. We will proudly wear that distinction on our sleeves always. We will minister the gospel, which is the good news of Jesus Christ to all. But, are we a ministry, with alter calls and sermons and such? No, we are not. We are a band of Christians, our everyday life should be and is a ministry. We are followers of Christ first, and strive to let our lives reflect that, but Feast Eternal is not, in the classical sense, a ministry. Does the band come second to our faith? Yes. A Christian band, a band of Christians, take your pick. Early on we tried the hard core evangelical approach. Trying to preach in between songs and delivering a message every time we spoke. But we soon realized that wasn’t who we really were as men. It just didn’t work for us like it did with some other bands. Some groups have really been called to use their bands as a true outreach, and can go out and really deliver church from the stage, and that is very cool. But we saw in ourselves that just wasn’t what we were being led to do. We make our music, we put our faith, ourselves into it. We make it clear what our message is, we make no attempt to hide it away. Sure, some of our lyrics don’t mention Jesus, but the intent or world view is clear. We are always ready to reach out to anyone with our faith, at shows, online or just wherever. For me, metal music has been something that’s been a part of my life since I was young. Music in general has been something that’s been with me since I was very young, and when I came to know the salvation that comes through Christ, taking my God given talents and using them to express my faith was just an obvious choice. By the time that happened, I was already completely ensconced in my passions for all things heavy and metal. It was a transition I knew I had to make as a musician and believer.
WG: It seems that a vessel of communication such as death metal would be frowned upon and not understood by the often conservative church. Has this ever been a concern for the band? Or are times changing?
TJ: Musical mediums and their acceptance by the “church” has always been a bit of a frustration for me. While they will completely embrace things such as country and western music or hip hop with open arms, they shun other things like rock and metal. The distinction they draw between the formats is really a bit of a mystery to me. Ive always assumed it is because the aforementioned musical styles are so widely accepted and commercialized that the “church” was far more eager to embrace them, because more of the faithful are likely to listen to country or rap. Even though both formats have musical back stories replete with violence, misogyny, and a complete disrespect for anything godly. I suppose it’s the lack of any purely satanic country and western bands as opposed to the overtly devil worshiping personas presented by so many of Feast Eternal’s metal peers that tends to turn the “church” away from extreme musical formats. Had Johnny Cash sang of a burnin’ ring of fire where you could go party with the devil and so on and so forth, christian traditionalist might be less inclined to embrace the style. And to me this is a very hypocritical position for the “church” to take. But, this just comes with the territory. When your dealing with people, and the influence others take over them, you run into these misconceptions and dogmatic ideas. But over the years, the fear mongering over the “devils music” has died off a great deal. More and more Christians are really coming to understand that a musical “style” does not constitute a sinful act. The mentality originates back to a more puritanical time I suppose, when so much as showing a woman’s ankle in public would be grounds for instantaneous damnation. So there is a tradition amongst the faithful that only the church hymnal or more tame forms of music can serve to deliver worship to our Living God. There was a time in history when even classical music (which, in its day was just music) was frowned upon by the “church”. while I do agree that as a Christian, I need to be cautious about sending mixed messages to people that listen to my music. Ultimately I feel that music is just artistic expression and musical styles have no bearing on whether or not a person can come to know the fullness of Gods grace.
WG: I recall the early years of the Christian metal scene and how it always seemed like an uphill fight for them to earn wider recognition. There was an “us” and “them” attitude with a lot of animosity existing amongst the metal fans. Have you ever experienced this? Would you agree that there is a wider level of acceptance in 2013? Why is that? Have the bands simply gotten better?
TJ: For us in the early years the majority of our live shows were “preaching to the choir” so to speak. That is to say, we were always playing christian venues or christian organized events, so back then our exposure to such things was limited to so called “secular” press from various fan zines. A lot of times you we did get criticized for just what we believed in. Didn’t matter too much whether or not the music was any good. But then there would always be someone out there that would really praise us for our music, regardless of the message. So to some degree I have personally felt this kind of tension, but I’ve never really let it stifle my passion for what I’m trying to do, both as a man of faith and as a metal musician. And honestly today, I suppose you could say there is a far more broader range of acceptance to be sure as far as metal music goes. I mean, there still are the detractors out there. All you need do is google something like “ should Christians listen to rock and roll” and you’ll come across a wide variety of articles and essays on the pros and cons of such musical tastes where the christian is concerned. But as I’ve said before, these anti-rock Christians tend to come at these things from a point of view that stems from dogmatic traditions that really are more based on works of the flesh than deeds of the faithful. Its really not biblical to try and pigeon hole one particular style of music, as opposed to another. Its either one and all or none. And as to the bands, admittedly the caliber of artists identifying as christian metal has improved drastically over the years. A lot more of these guys want to get out and lead rather than follow, and that’s how it should be. If you want someone to stand up and listen to what your saying, you’d better be ready to thrown down with the sickest metal, period! No one is gonna give a crap what you have to say if your band sucks!
WG: Another obvious evolution by Christian bands is some have eased up on the fire and brimstone/evangelical message, instead becoming more cryptic or simply “positive” with their lyrics in hopes to blend in with the scene at large. How do you feel about this? Do you see this as more of a palatable way to reach people or is it bands straying from the path to sustain their careers?
TJ: It’s really all of that all rolled together. You’ve got groups that start out completely embracing their faith, pull no punches and deliver the undiluted gospel message, but over time and with some greater success’ they have a tenancy to bow to pressures to tone it down, or they become overwhelmed by notoriety and succumb to the pressures of the world, and then the message gets lost. I know for us, our direction lyrically has shifted somewhat. As a song writer, I’ve always had the desire to be as poetic as possible. Its something I greatly enjoy. I see it as a challenge to try and paint a picture with words, that doesn’t leave someone scratching their heads, but at the same time lets the listener find their own way through the lyrics without getting lost. Honestly, fire and brimstone has its place. Sometimes we need to be reminded that separation from the God who created us is pain. That every single man and woman will be judged. It makes no difference. So I absolutely embrace the concept of “fire and brimstone” but it must be delivered in context. If you take the time to read what Christ taught, you’ll see that he revealed grace for some, judgment for others. Who was judgment for? The false teachers, those who led the flock of the lord astray, for the wicked. Grace for who? Those that sought out the truth of repentance and faith. Those that would have ears to hear the good news. If you’re in a band, and you’re a believer that doesn’t necessarily mean that its your “ministry” per se. but you shouldn’t hide it either. If your covering it up, then you probably didn’t have faith to begin with. And I’ve seen a few “christian” bands seemingly dispose of their trappings of faith once they struck it semi big. I find it to be unfortunate, but its not for me to say…the right and the wrong of it, other than I do not agree. It’s really an issue of examining yourself, and being willing to pray and seek guidance so you can be confident in the steps you are trying to take as a band. Just because you’re a believer in Christ doesn’t necessarily mean your band has to be exactly like Stryper.
WG: Perhaps we can all agree that “faith” does not equal “fact” and that religion is a personal quest for the individual to rely on/embrace, or reject. For myself, the problem with aggressive Christianity is that people try to impose their beliefs, or run the country/make life changing decisions on something that is faith based. What are your thoughts on the religion as a whole and how it is sometimes used as a source of control?
TJ: Actually, I can’t really agree with the first part of your question. Religion aside for just a moment, to make a point: every single day we rise and meet the world relying on faith to guide us in everything we do. We have faith that the gas pipes in the house didn’t leak and wont explode. We have faith that our cars tires wont go flat on the way to work and we have faith that we will keep on breathing throughout the day. Even though we understand that those things are not always a given, we still have “faith” that all will be right with the world. Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. And again without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to him must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. The thing is this….I do not espouse or endorse a “religion” or a philosophy . I believe in the living, one true God. The creator of all things. I seek him on a personal, one on one basis. Religion as it sits today, and even in Christ’s time really, is something that can be twisted by men, and often is. It is defiantly used to manipulate the hearts and the minds of the downtrodden masses, people who legitimately seek Gods presence in their lives and are led astray, or its used nefariously as an excuse to drum up support for political causes on both sides of the aisle. Christ himself railed against the religious, sycophantic, heretical leaders of his time. It’s what ultimately lead to them seeking to put him to death, although that was always part of the plan..I digress….the reality is this: that over time, the wickedness of men has permeated the truth of what a believer in Christ should represent. The bible is a clear guide to this. Its not something that needs to be interpreted by a pope or bishop, or that needs to be divinely revealed to the pastor. Its black and white, plain and simple, given to us by God himself, that we might surely know his intent. That’s one reason why things have become so twisted over the years, is that people try to read into it more than whats there or they take things so far out of context that the intent of what is being said gets lost. It is not now nor has it ever been Gods will to control mankind. All you need do is read the book of genesis to see this. God made us free. Free to choose, free to decide, and a freedom to choose doesn’t automatically free us from the consequences of our actions either. But when we chose sin, he still made a way out of our choices through Christ. It’s certainly true that many Christians are abrasive and that’s unfortunate. Trying to damn someone to eternal separation from God, in order to “deliver us from our sins“ trying to draw them in by condemning them is really a failed idea. While I understand the mindset, a lot of believers that push this kind of message overlook the overwhelming grace that is offered to us by God through Christ. This has always been the core of the gospel message, that a savior has come, and that we only need believe in him to receive this gift. So many evangelists, and preachers have gotten so hung up on other peoples sin that they overlook their own, and instead of loving people to Christ, they push them away. I firmly believe, just as the scripture has taught us for ages, that the day is coming when the world will say it is doing itself a favor by killing Christians. And the faithful will stand there with their arms up in confusion and amazement and ask “why do you hate us?” And they will say “it’s because you hated us first, you and your Jesus!” Christ warned us, and we have ignored him. But what else is new?
WG: “Satanic” bands tend to sensationalize with imagery and dark themes lyrically, where the other side takes it to a more personal, “you need to believe this to change your life” level of interaction with the listener. Perhaps this is why the Christian scene has always been so off-putting to some in a genre hell bent on rebellion? Why is the message so important to convey?
TJ: Because the message is the core of what we believe. The great commission as we have come to call it: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” its by this that the whole of the world came to know the good news, which is Christ Jesus. We share our faith through our gifts in order to be a light unto a dark and fallen world. And like so much else in this world, rebellion is the core feature of anything that rails against Christ. These “satanic” bands seek out evil imagery and dark themes because of whatever internal and personal experiences that lead them to believe that somehow they will be better served by rejecting the saving grace of God. The reasons are many. Ive heard them all. There is no freedom in Christ. Too much judgment. I’ve been insulted or offended by someone in the church. And I could spend gigabytes discussing this. But I will simply say that we men in Feast Eternal speak of what we believe, what we know in our heart of hearts to be truth. Whether it’s from a purely scriptural point of view, or we are tackling a political idea or a personal or emotional idea. We cannot hide our faith away. Being offensive is never the objective, but if it’s the outcome, then perhaps that person needed to be offended, in order to realize their error. Put it like this: when Christ confronted the religious elite of his day, he called them vipers, and servants of satan, because he knew they were completely aware of their sinfulness in the eyes of God. In the same way, I am willing to call things as I see them. To point out that there is a better path to follow. I will call sin “sin” and I will call a heretic, a heretic. Not to judge, but to simply state a fact. The truth is that most people who deny Christ simply refuse to be held accountable for their actions. They do not want to admit they need a savior. This is not a way to shame mankind, but rather to warn them to understand the reality of it. I mean, look around! To deny the fact that this world is spiraling into the abyss would be ignorant to say the least. And to think that mankind, after all these centuries, can now somehow save itself is just foolish. We couldn’t do it 3000 years ago, and we sure as hell cant do it now.
WG: Feast Eternal lyrics have always expressed an underlying personal connection with your beliefs, enveloped by darker/more aggressive, even poetic imagery. What do you hope the listener takes away from your message?
TJ: I’ve tried very hard over the years to write things that can be more than just simple rhymes and words. I strive to create something that can be vivid and moving. Something that can draw the reader into what I’m trying to convey. I don’t know if it works or not but it is my intent. I’ve gone through a few changes over the years in the way I try and write, and the things I try to connect to a lyric writer. Early on it was pretty standard stuff. Love Jesus, reject sin, etc etc. but I’ve moved away from certain aspects of those things, trying to reach deeper into myself on a personal level. Ever since the death of my father I’ve rally had a need to be a little more introspective, to try and deal with the emotions attached to his death. As well as becoming a lot more civically minded and acutely aware of the corruptness of our present world and geo political situations as they relate to us all on a personal and prophetic level. I hope people can be drawn in enough to seek out the things that drive us, that a door can open and they will step through to a deeper understanding of our living God.
WG: Is this band becoming more of a personal visionary quest for its members as they try to understand their place in this world and faith in what lies ahead for you in the end? I ask this because the lyrics for Forward Through Blood struck me as more open ended and personal this time around. Perhaps less fire and brimstone and more reflective… Sad even…
TJ: As I grown in my faith over the years, I’ve become more aware of the reality of this world. So many Christians ignore the greater super natural aspects of the world around us and the battle we fight every day with the unseen forces of this world. They are much more content to sit in church on Sunday and pray for revival, or seek out the prosperity doctrines preached by so many charlatans of the church. This has led me to a lot more introspective or reflective writing, as well as to be a bit more confrontational in my tone. Not so much to confront the lost, but rather to stand before my brethren and shove a finger in their faces and say “wake up you fools!” or to be accepting of the the possible realities of martyrdom, which is a reality many Christians will eventually face. As we begin to work on new material for a new full length, I can assure you that there will be some fire and brimstone in there, but its intended targets may not be what some would expect.
WG: The title track in particular struck me as an expansion for the band. It’s more of an observation of the politically corrupt/oppressive world we are living in with an undertone of sadness and disgust. So much turmoil and uncertainty are knocking at the door. What are your thoughts regarding the future? Being men of god, how do you perceive or react to the impending changes?
TJ: Everything that I see is filtered through a worldview that is based in biblical prophesy. I see the daily events that unfold around the globe and I examine them in relation to what the scriptures have to say. While I realize that the lyrics of the song “Forward Through Blood” do not have an overtly religious tone, the core of what is being said is based solely in our faith. The corruption of wicked political leaders, the oppression of our God given rights under the guise of freedom and safety, our utter disgust with those who refuse to acknowledge the rights of liberty. We have grown a great passion for our rights and liberties, and we just want to put that out there as well. It does have a direct bearing on our faith, because the minute they take one freedom from us, soon after the rest come tumbling down. And without the freedom to say what I believe, to worship how I believe, to defend myself, whatever, I am not truly free. And I see a future in this country where we are stripped of our freedoms. All in the name of keeping us safe. In the end, I truly believe people will be begging to give up their rights. Literally beating down the gates to detention camps, demanding their “rights as an American” to be imprisoned, because they are scared and hungry. You can see it come in bits and pieces. Little by little we are programmed, and indoctrinated by the unseen rulers of this age. You don’t have to look very far to have your eyes blown wide open.
WG: I see Forward Through Blood as a massive evolution for the band on all fronts… most notably in sound quality and overall composition. It is like you have creatively thrown down the gauntlet not only for yourselves, but the Christian scene as well. Do you feel like you broke into a larger world with the 4 songs on this MCD?
TJ: I’d like to think we have opened a new door for the band with this release. Its still a little soon to know, but we have high hopes. As to the gauntlet throwing, I feel like that may have been done by some other bands before us. There are some really stellar new christian bands out these days and its really great to see them stepping up. Hopefully we can be a part of this new trend. And ultimately, we would like to think that this MCD will grow our brand, and let us move out into the world with the band a little more. Time will tell.
WG: Where does Feast Eternal go from here? Is there still more you hope to accomplish with this band?
TJ: For me, I will continue on making music on some level until I cant hold a guitar anymore. Hopefully that will be with Feast Eternal. I look forward to getting our next full length written, recorded and released and just trying to get us out there a little more.
WG: What would you say the biggest misconception metal fans have in regards to Christian bands?
TJ: That we are all like Pat Robertson. That we think we are holier than thou.
While I admit that attitude is pervasive with Christians in general, its really not a commonality amongst the Christian metal community.
WG: Do you think the Christian metal sub-genre still exists, should exist, or even exists at all? Is there any brotherhood left there?
TJ: Oh sure, its still there, as much as it ever was. But there is more blending. Like you mentioned before, some groups are trying to cast off the stigma of the old Christian scene and just be “dudes in a band”. That’s fine as long as they don’t compromise their beliefs. I absolutely love the Christian scene, and I will always try and help grow it. it’s a place where we can come together as believers and share our faiths and our love of extreme music. But we should strive to push out from there, because our message belongs out in the world. Preaching to the choir is great, but our greatest calling is to those who need the grace and love of Christ.
WG: Many thanks for taking the time with this interview. Forward Through Blood is a massive and endlessly memorable release and we extend our congratulations! The final words are yours!
TJ: I just want to say thanks to you Marty, and to the new and improved Worm Gear Zine for giving us this opportunity to rant and preach in your hallowed pages. Worm Gear rules, and you guys are awesome!! I hope your readers can bear through this epic undertaking of an interview. Its been a total challenge and an absolute blast! God bless you and yours friend!!
Here’s the title track from Forward Through Blood for you to preview:
If you want to know what it’s like to walk in a Norwegian wood, many album options are available for the Metal fan. While most involve Second Wave screams or ambient movements ringed with distortion, artists that express the experience solely with non-electric accompaniment do thrive. Case in point: Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Vàli, whose weapons of pagan instruction are acoustic guitar, violin, piano and flute. Worm Gear reached out to this one-word enigma to glean the motivations behind his soothing and inspiring sound-creations that anyone with a hankering for flora and fauna (not just nature-obsessed extreme music aficionados) will enjoy. Read on! – Jim
Worm Gear: Your previous work, Forlatt, feels like an announcement, a statement to the folk scene at large that a collection of pieces worthy of attention has arrived. Put another way, while each individual track is beautiful and inviting, taken as a whole the album also has a directness in production and structure. As this was your debut, was this intentional?
Vàli: To be honest, no. I had no plans to make an album with only acoustic music. I had no plans to make an album at all. I originally recorded one track for my own amusement which I only shared with some friends and family and eventually uploaded to the internet. Then some guy from Poland heard it and contacted me to ask if I wanted to release a demo. So I quickly recorded 9 more tracks to make the “Forlatt” album. Actually, most of the background guitars on “Forlatt” were improvised and done in one take. I didn’t put much thought into the track order either, so it was pretty rushed. But, it turned out okay in the end.
WG: Nine years passed between Forlatt and Skogslandskap. Were there life events that caused the delay, did you need that time to completely feel out the tracks that would end up on Skogslandskap, or would both reasons apply? Were there other reasons entirely?
V: The tracks for “Skogslandskap” were ready to be recorded back when “Forlatt” was released. I actually started to record some of the tracks right after the release of “Forlatt”. However, things in my personal life, without going into detail, as well as practical and logistical issues delayed the album by many years. I’ve said this in other interviews as well, but making music is just a small hobby to me so I only have so much resources to invest into it.
WG: Your label’s (Prophecy Productions) website states that Forlatt “was a match for genre classics such as Kveldssanger by Ulver or Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays by Empyrium.” What are your thoughts on these albums, as well as the the ‘dark folk’ sound that’s developed since then? How do you feel you do and do not fit into that sound?
V: “Kveldssanger” has been one of my favourites ever since I first heard it . I remember very well the first time I heard this album. It was late autumn and it was grey, windy and rainy outside. It was a perfect soundtrack to the season. I am not too familiar with all the Empyrium stuff, but I did hear their albums back in the day and did enjoy some of it. I believe I liked the last album better than “Where At Night…”, but it’s been a long time since I’ve heard any of them.
I think “dark folk” sounds a bit silly quite frankly. Most genre names sound silly. I remember when “Forlatt” was released and it was labelled as “dark folk” by others, but I had no idea what to call it and I didn’t care. I don’t think there’s anything dark or depressing about that album. That was not my intention. Neither “Forlatt” or “Skogslandskap” are meant to be dark or depressing. To me they’re more about finding peace and quiet in a hectic, modern society. Maybe this is what separates Vàli from other bands who have the “dark folk” label. But, whatever. I can’t tell people what to feel when they listen to the music. In the end I don’t care about genres or labels, so people can call it whatever they want.
WG: Are you happy that for many, your introduction to listeners at large was through the metal world? You played guitar on the doom album De Glemte Tider by Skumring; would you ever consider involvement or creation in a metal album again?
V: I think both “Forlatt” and “Skogslandskap” would appeal to non-metal fans as well, so it is a bit unfortunate that more or less only metal zines etc. review them and metal shops sell them. But, this is a very small niche in music, so I understand it’s hard to promote it elsewhere. I do actually have some plans for more metal music in the future, but this is just in the planning stages. Who knows if it will ever happen.
WG: What can you tell us about your musical background, and how it informs your writing? Are you classically trained?
V: I have no particular musical background or training, and I have absolutely no clue of what I am doing when it comes to making music. I think this is evident when you listen to any of the albums, as the tracks have very simple, almost childlike compositions. But, perhaps this is a good thing. Simple is better I’ve heard.
WG: On both of your LPs, you avoid the common practice of having overly-protracted song lengths. The brevity of the tracks allows one to quickly get the emotion of the moving songwriting, and to then, just as quickly, return to everyday life. How did that stylistic tenet of brevity come to bear within your technique?
V: I personally think that this kind of music, which is purely instrumental with acoustic guitar and just a few other instruments, gets boring pretty quick if the tracks go on for too long and have little variation. If I used lyrics and vocals, as well as more or different instruments I would probably have made longer tracks.
WG: I liken the after-effect of each track’s four-minutes-or-less approach to your music’s greater sense of longing, or unfulfillment. Was it your intention to have the listener desire more at each song’s end? Are there other reasons for the conciseness of you songs?
V: I don’t think it would’ve worked very well with long tracks for this album. I wanted to keep the tracks relatively short and straight to the point and not have any long, monotonous tracks. Especially when there are no lyrics or vocals. Also, the tracks are a bit more uptempo than on “Forlatt” so it was natural for me to keep them shorter.
WG: From the opening notes of ‘Nordavindens Klagesang’, the listener is taken by the hand into the Norwegian forests by means of (to my mind, at any rate) a Spanish melody, making for a brilliant opening for what is to come on Skogslandskap. What about the composition of ‘Nordavindens Klagesang’ inspired you to place it first on the album?
V: I knew as soon as I started to record the album that this track was going to be the opener. The idea for this track had been in my head for many years, and I almost included it on “Forlatt”. I think it reflects the overall mood of the album very well, so it was a good track to open the album with.
WG: Each piece on Skogslandskap contains counterpoints of light and dark that weave in and out of one another, like a surrender of positive and negative energy into something new. Was this resultant bittersweet energy something you wanted to convey, or was there another motivation at hand for the album’s theme?
V: Well, I think it’s safe to say that I am at heart a melancholic, but I do have a positive approach to things and situations in my own life. So, I guess my personality is somewhat reflected in the music.
WG: Will Skogslandskap have any live performances? What circumstances would have to be in place for a show to occur?
V: There are no plans for any live performances. I don’t feel the music from “Forlatt” and “Skogslandskap” would translate very well into a live performance. Also it would be difficult due to various practical reasons.
WG: Thank you, Vàli, for taking the time to answer these questions and, most importantly, for sharing music with such depth and beauty with the world. As always here at Worm Gear, the final word is yours; feel free to close, plug, and/or pontificate as you will!
V: Thank you very much for the support. I guess I should mention the Vàli facebook page which is where you will find any news and updates: http://www.facebook.com/vali.official
Matt Barlow interview! Alright, now that we’ve got that important piece of info out of the way, onto the other occult offerings! A ‘Down Under’ theme pervades tonight’s post, with coverage of the latest from black/death/
thrashers Nocturnal Graves and crusty black metal from Thrall, and UK blackened death metallers Aetherium Mors return with a vengeance, obliterating their previous output in one fell swoop. As we await the impending day of tempestuous post-turkey consumption excretions, pack your playlist with these begrimed gems and inhale deep! Post your playlists, comments, and conundrums …
Jim Clifton Playlist
Incantation – Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Demons & Wizards – s/t
Dark Funeral – The Secrets of the Black Arts
Craft – Void
The Chasm – Conjuration of the Spectral Empire
Deströyer 666 – Cold Steel … For An Iron Age
Chthe’ilist – Amechth’ntaas’m’rriachth
Demilich – Nespithe
Arghoslent – Hornets of the Pogrom
Arckanum – Fran Marder
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Inverloch – Dusk… Subside
Krallice – S/T
Ashes of Ares – S/T
Aetherium Mors – Entrails of the Soul
Mayhem – De Mysteriius Dom Sathanas
Infera Bruo – Desolate Unknown
Vex – Memorious
Arghoslent – Hornets of the Pogrom
Zemial – Nykta
Grand Belial’s Key – Judeobeast Assasination
Jake Moran Playlist
Kinit Her – Hyperion
Kinit Her – Gratitudes
Angel Olsen – Strange Cacti
Death in June – Nada!
Grouper – The Man Who Died in his Boat
Mirrorring – Foreign Body
Tiny Vipers – Life on Earth
Preterite – From the Wells
The Microphones – The Glow pt.
The “super group” phenomenon certainly isn’t a new concept when it comes to metal music. In fact, our musical culture and all the sub-genres it drags behind itself thrives upon the existence of members breaking away from their main bands and unleashing their creative vision upon the populace with new art that comes across just as vital as the sounds locked in the past. Matt Barlow, Freddie Vidales (both ex-Iced Earth) and Van Williams (ex-Nevermore) are all seasoned veterans of metal and have been a part of some of the more amazing power/traditional metal releases that have been in your collection for years. They have connected to start a new path with Ashes of Ares. Perhaps Ashes of Ares isn’t out of line with what you’ve come to know from the members of this union, but the musical honesty is strong and the life spinning through this album is rich. Matt Barlow’s voice to me sounds warm and trusted like an old friend with his bluesy lows and vibrant highs. His performance beautifully enhances the music Freddie and Van have crafted that embraces the deep penetrating power of good heavy metal while not being intimidated or ashamed at all when the tunes slightly lean into more commercial territories. Ashes of Ares is a solid debut effort that tells a tale of a group of friends that are obviously thrilled to be playing this style of music with each other and have laid an impressive groundwork for the future to take them where it will. Mr. Barlow recently took the time to drag his eyes across this round of questions and share with us all a glimpse into the workings of AoA and even his personal world. I’ve been a fan of the mans voice and musical output for years and to say that I was thrilled he agreed to this interview would be an understatement. Enjoy! -Marty
Worm Gear: Matt! Many thanks for taking the time to chew on these questions. It is an honor to have you and Ashes of Ares featured in Worm Gear! Starting off… I am curious about the formation of Ashes of Ares. It’s obvious from you returning to Iced Earth for a few years and your work with Pyramaze that the fire has never left you for creating metal music. Was it an easy decision to return to work with Freddie Vidales? I’m assuming that he didn’t have to twist your arm too much to get involved in this band…
Matt Barlow: Not at all. This is something that Freddie and I had talked about for a while, but we were unable to pursue because one or both were in Iced Earth. When Freddie decided to leave IE, it opened up the door for us to go forward with the creation of this band.
WG: Being a Seattle resident, how did Van Williams become involved with this project? Has distance been a complication with this union, or would you consider the core of AoA complete and set for the long haul with the push of a major label behind you?
MB: Actually, Van lives up in New York State now, so we live relatively close to one another. Freddie and I drive to Van’s place to rehearse because he is about halfway between our home states of Delaware and New Hampshire.
WG: Ashes of Ares is a super group with members of Iced Earth and Nevermore and though there may be some minor similarities here and there which is to be expected, AoA has carved out a powerful sound all your own. Was this a natural development, or were you guys pretty discriminating when creating material for this album?
MB: The Ashes of Ares sound is just a culmination of our individual contributions and our total willingness to allow one another’s abilities to shine. We embrace the chaos theory, in that we want the music to be very natural and fluid as we are stirring in all of the individual ingredients.
WG: Obviously times have changed in the music industry since the early years of your metal career, but how have these changes impacted you as an artist?
MB: Well, I was never able to make a living on money that I made in the music business, so for me, it hasn’t really changed much. When I returned to Iced Earth in 2008, I probably made the most money I ever had recording an IE record, but that is because the budget was there. Those kind of budgets are gone now, at least for independent labels. A band has to tour constantly to afford to live from the income of the band, and it is not a great living in many cases.
WG: What about the business side? Is there more of a connection and a give and take relationship between the band and the label? The way the internet has taken over, it’s almost like a band doesn’t need to have a label to carve out a path if they don’t want to…
MB: I suppose that is true, but it is nice to have a label behind you to promote the record and take care of the distribution. I feel that we have a good relationship with Nuclear Blast. They have done a lot of great things for many bands over the years, and we are proud to say that we are part of the NB family.
WG: On the same topic, AoA is a band comprised of members who for lack of a better term, are just busy as hell with other very important life duties. Careers, families… in this current industry climate, how does the non-metal side of your lives affect the music business side? I’m sure you have to be more selective in the things you can do for the band and endless touring is of course out of the question…
MB: Yes, “endless touring” is out of the question for us. That being said, we all love to perform and we will do everything that we can to get out there and perform and promote our music whenever we can. We were fortunate to be able to do a European tour with Powerwolf in September and play ProgPower USA as well. We have a couple other things in the works for next year, as well as, preparing another record. We are not going to rest…we have a lot more to do.
WG: This may be an appropriate question now, as you’ve recently done a tour of Europe this year… I have often wondered about the rigors of being a vocalist in a working band. Let’s face it; the drummer and the vocalist have the hardest jobs when it comes to this profession… jobs that can eventually affect your health and musical future. How do you maintain your voice while on tour? Ever push it too far to the point of hurting yourself and compromising your performance? How has your voice held up over the years? Have you noticed any changes after long term abuse? Is this even a concern?
MB: Yes, your health is always a concern, especially when you are on the road. Every tour I have been on, I have caught some king of bug. It is just the way it goes on tour. The trick is to have a quick recovery. For a vocalist, there isn’t a lot of partying or staying up late. You drink a lot of fluids and get a lot of sleep, or you won’t make it through a tour and retain your voice. As far as long term stuff…I know that my voice has changed over the years, but I think that is just age catching up to me. It gets everyone eventually.
WG: What is some advice you would offer aspiring singers when entering the lions den so to speak of rock/metal singing?
MB: BE YOURSELF! Don’t try to be like anyone else. Take all of your influences and cherish them, but don’t allow them to control you.
WG: Vocal heroes… I have my suspicions after hearing you sing for the first time, but who are the crooners that inspired you to test your skills and front a band?
MB: Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, James Hetfield, Chuck Billy, Russ Anderson, Geoff Tate, Freddie Mercury…etc, etc.
WG: The lyrical content on Ashes of Ares is poetic as always, but I get the impression of something much deeper and personal spun throughout the prose on each track. I’m 42, have a son and I see time and the world differently now than I did when I was 20. Friends and family pass… time marches mercilessly on no matter how hard one hangs on to the past. Perhaps I’m off the mark here, but my interpretation of your lyrics found me connecting to these thoughts again. Such a heartfelt tribute to your fallen brother on “On Warriors Wings” and saying goodbye to a loved one on “The Answer” (one of my favorites on the album)… I’m curious… how has passing the 40 yr old mark, seeing friends/family pass and having children changed your perception of living and dying?
MB: You are correct. Time, absolutely, changes everything. I always thought that I had a pretty good grasp on things when I was younger, and some people referred to me as an “old soul”, but you really get a different perspective when you actually gather life experience. I don’t want your younger readers to feel like I am the old guy preaching “Well, back in my day…”, but there is something to be said about that. All I can say is, when some older gent or lady, take that time to convey a “life lesson”, show them the courtesy of listening to the knowledge they have acquired from being on this Earth.
WG: The tragedy of 9/11 affected us all differently, but the impact runs deep. I think most of us remember where we were and what we were doing when the attack happened. You chose to make a serious change and enter into law enforcement to help make a change. Was such a shift in careers difficult for you? To go from a platform of creativity and a vagabond lifestyle to complete structure and public service must have been a bit of a culture shock…
MB: Though vagabond is a fun word to say, it is not really a lifestyle I ever had to partake in. I always had some structure in my life, as I always had some kind of day job. IE never toured enough “back in my day” to support me, so I worked. Obviously, law enforcement is very structured, but you are always encouraged to have a personal life. If not, the stresses of the job would be unkind, and there would be far less people willing to do it.
WG: Looking back, are you still happy that you made this life change? I’m sure there is a feeling of pride that comes with a line of work where you feel like you are contributing to the community…
MB: Absolutely. I am also proud to have inspired others to enter into the field. I have received several e-mails from “metal heads” who have become law enforcement officers after hearing about my decision. I am sure that they would have found their own path, but I am glad to have been a part of it.
WG: Being out on the road in a popular metal band, chances are you get exposed to a variety of lifestyle choices in the form of partying and general craziness and other such practices that could be considered illegal from band members and fans alike. It seems to me that this would be the biggest transition… to come from a lifestyle based on freedom, and enter into a profession where you are enforcing laws that prohibit such behavior and activities. What was it like for you making this transition? Do you think you may have more of an open mind than your colleagues when it comes to such things?
MB: You know, I do have an open mind, but if you break the law… you break the law. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability to change the way that people make decisions. I do encourage everyone to keep themselves informed, and to get involved in shaping legislation.
WG: Ashes of Ares has turned out a high quality release in a short period of time in terms of a new band working out all the details that come with starting a new project and creating all the music. Has the foundation of this band been in the works for Freddie maybe even when he was a member of Iced Earth?
MB: Freddie had some ideas prior to us starting, as did I, but we wrote a lot of the record just bouncing the ideas back and forth. It was a very cool process and it felt very fluid. We can’t wait to start working on the new stuff.
WG: What has the response been to AoA? I’m sure longtime Iced Earth fans have been chomping at the bit for you to return. That has to be a good feeling. What does the future hold for this band? More touring? The groundwork for new material already being laid? Give us an insight to how the excitement surrounding this band is driving all of you.
MB: We extremely excited about people’s reaction to Ashes of Ares. We will continue to play and record music for as long as we have people who want to hear us. It will be great to have another record under our belts ,so we can consider a proper headlining tour at some point. Until then, however, we will continue to promote our debut and be glad that we have a great team (Nuclear Blast) behind us.
WG: Lastly…. You have toured the world and seen first hand as an officer how things are changing at home. We all know your Brother-in-laws (Jon Schaffer – Iced Earth) views on the changes in the Government and how it is thought to control us… Having a unique perspective all your own after your worldly travels and endeavors at home, do you think the people of this country indeed do have to take serious stock in what is happening and get ready for difficult times?
MB: I will leave the politics to Jon, but we can all find cause to keep ourselves aware. Cheers!
Finland fucking does it again. What is it about that country, where so much worthy Metal emanates like the cold rays of a dying sun? Someone please tell me, I may emigrate there if this keeps up. Back on topic…
Worm Gear 