Post-Metal

Cult of Luna – The Long Road North

Cult of Luna – The Long Road North
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 11/02/2022
Running Time: 69:00
Review by Rory Bentley
10/10

Reviewing your favourite bands is always a tricky thing to pull off, your capacity to nit-pick and view art in the cold light of objectivity can often be compromised by the fact that you’re arse over tit for an artist that makes you excited to be alive. Conversely, sometimes as a super-fan you put too much expectation on a band’s new release and it’s hard to review the work on its own standalone merits.

Cult Of Luna are a band I have sky high expectations of every time they step up to the plate, but unlike many of my favourites, I never have a shred of doubt that they’ll both smash it out of the park, and do something I’ve never heard them do. Therefore it is no surprise that “The Long Road North” is a worthy addition to their masterful legacy, however it is a surprise that it’s this fucking incredible!

I knew we were in for something special when the monolithic single and opening track ‘Cold Burn’ dropped prior to the album’s release. The Cult of Luna hallmarks are all there- planet-smashing riffs, terrifying colossal roars and a cinematic backdrop that builds a new sonic world right before you. The twist here comes from the almost Dance-like drum patterns that propel the song forward while a truly unsettling orchestral drone stabs away in the foreground like an ancient call to summon the end of days. A stunning opener.

‘The Silver Arc’ sinks into a more familiar groove, with some titanic riffing and Johannes roaring over a sonic palette so vast and crushing that it reduces you to the size of an amoeba in its gargantuan presence. The beautiful, shimmering passages of melody offer a little respite from the pummelling stabs of devastating guitars, while remaining fraught with menace as military drums and tribal chants build to a crescendo that will leave you emotionally exhausted. This is perhaps the most familiar sounding track on the record, but don’t be fooled by this archetypal approach – there are many surprises along the way.

‘Beyond I’ features sparse arrangements and some haunting vocals courtesy of guest singer Mariam Wallentin, whose smoky alto brings a Jazzy quality hitherto unheard from CoL. This welcome tonal shift acts as a bridge to the rest of the album, which is where we plunge head first into uncharted territory.

The last few records have all had a distinctive atmosphere to them that makes them feel like their own standalone worlds. “Vertikal” has a metallic, futuristic feel that conjures up huge cityscapes. ‘Mariner’ rests on a cosmic theme of travelling through the infinity of space, and ‘A Dawn To Fear’ has a melancholy earthy quality that takes you through the darkest recesses of the human mind. ‘The Long Road North’s’ calling card involves enveloping the listener in the vast frozen wastelands of Scandinavia, desolate, bleak and awe-inspiringly gorgeous in equal measure.

‘An Offering to the Wild’ gives the most complete representation of this aesthetic, building gradually as more layers are added before a transitioning like a masterful sleight of hand into a skull shattering crescendo that brings all the building parts together in one thrilling explosion. I was so immersed in this one that I didn’t even notice that it took a full five minutes before the vocals kicked in. The addition of composer Colin Stetson, creator of the score to modern horror masterpiece ‘Hereditary’, somehow takes the song to a new height of cinematic majesty. Utterly breath-taking.

‘Into the Night’ is comparatively mellow while retaining the ominous melancholic through line of the album, featuring some eerily majestic male vocals that tip their hat to the late great Mark Lanegan, with waltzing arpeggios and swirling organs that combine to form the closest the band have ever come to creating a ballad. That is until everything melts down into a barrage of abrasive synths and frantic tribal percussion.

As ‘Full Moon’ segues perfectly into the title track, the record’s final third sets about completing the most masterful final act you’re likely to hear all year. The song is a ritualistic rumination of the inevitable pull that forced Johannes to return to the cold seclusion of his hometown of Umea from the cosmopolitan comforts of Stockholm. We feel every step of this monumental journey, as the song collapses into an exhausted folk outro that gives us just enough time to catch our breath before ‘Blood and Stone’ lurches into view with its spidery guitar intro and proceeds to burst into hypnotic, combustible Neurosis-style sludge guitars that morph into a regal melodic lead that anchors the chaos dealt out in the verses. I try not to do a track-by-track breakdown on my reviews, but when every second feels essential, I’m loath to omit a single moment here.

As the band get ready to close out another masterpiece, Colin Stetson returns to provide more chilling ambience to ‘Beyond II’ like the end credits that follow a closing scene that leaves you breathless, disturbed and profoundly moved. You may now return to your previous reality, but don’t be surprised if the scars of this unfathomable journey into the wilderness stay with you forever.

Cult of Luna are never an easy listen, despite this being perhaps their most accessible offering. Their work deserves your time, your full attention and repeat listens to truly comprehend their vision. But the rewards for this perseverance have provided some of the most transcendental moments in all of my years listening to music. “The Long Road North” is yet another towering monument to sonic adventure and you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t step into the great outdoors with this astonishing band.

‘Cold Burn’ Official Video

TRACKLISTING:
01. Cold Burn
02. The Silver Arc
03. Beyond I
04. An Offering to the Wild
05. Into the Night
06. Full Moon
07. The Long Road North
08. Blood Upon Stone
09. Beyond II

LINE-UP:
Magnus Líndberg – Percussion, Guitar
Johannes Persson – Guitars, Vocals
Andreas Johansson – Bass
Thomas Hedlund – Drums
Fredrik Kihlberg – Guitar, Vocals
Kristian Karlsson – Keyboards, Electronics, Vocals

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Breaths – Though Life Has Turned Out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt

Though Life Has Turned Out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt Album Cover Art

Breaths – Though Life Has Turned Out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt
Trepanation Recordings
Release Date: 21/01/22
Running Time: 36:24
Review by Dark Juan
9/10

It is miserable, cold and pouring with rain outside Dark Juan Terrace. Mrs Dark Juan is under a quilt on the sofa, making a round half dozen of what she is calling Paradoxical Bats. This is a woman who claims she is not a Goth, even though she has expertly carved out a niche in fabric art based upon the British belief that witches can transform into hares (also neatly dovetailing with the British were-animal being the were-hare) and is currently listening to a horror podcast whilst creating these beasts of the dark. Her Smellhounds are arrayed all around her, all gently snoring and farting, as per usual and I am banished to the other sofa because there is not enough room for my fat ass to fit on there as well. So, with my ‘pooter in my lap, I decided to attack my ever-growing list of things that need to be listened to and talked about…

I wish to make one thing clear, before I begin. I am a reviewer of music. This implies a certain criticality of viewpoint with regard to quality, ability, production and the like. This also means that if an album is poor, it is going to get a low score. I do not write for Ever-Metal.com to simply kiss the arses of musicians. Equally, if something is superb, expect me to froth excitedly in a most ungentlemanly fashion. I will attempt to be fair in my reviews and explain what is wrong with the record I am listening to, as much as I will laud to the highest heights. It is not for me to influence the marketing of a band, unless the record company and the band want to use my stuff in their blurb, which is always welcome, but I just might not get what other people are hearing. All the words I have written over the past few years (and there are many thousands of them now) are opinion pieces and I stand by my opinions. I do not feel that bands and record labels should expect anything less than honesty and not just expect smoke to be blown up the arse of someone because they have recorded some music. All art is subjective. And it’s my job to tell people about it.

Today’s thing that is here to be listened to and talked about is an album with an extraordinarily long title. “Though Life Has Turned Out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt” is the second album by the irritatingly talented, multi-instrumentalist bastard (yes, this is jealousy talking because Dark Juan is something of a 20th rate musician) Jason Roberts of America, under the name of Breaths. This is a man who has a fine understanding of music, and is something of a genre-bending king. The record is a trip through the highs and lows of Jason’s life and there are some extremely personal moments that bleed emotion and pathos. The list of influences on Jason’s music is as diverse as it is eclectic – There are the grandiose soundscapes of Opeth and Soldat Hans, the primal power of the more polished practitioners of Black Metal à la Emperor. The emotive drone of Swans and the disassociated shoegaze of Kitchens Of Distinction. The punk edge of Killing Joke and the sweeping emotion of Deftones. This disparate (and some might say diametrically opposed) bunch of styles and influences combine to create a whole new beast, a chimeric interpolation of sounds and styles twining sinuously around each other – ‘The Wayward’ reminding this jaded hack of The Prize Fighter Inferno, before fuzzy, chunky bass leads into a howling Black Metal vocal replete with flayed emotions over-pinning a very Post-Metal riff that segues into a strange and intoxicating brew of Emo vocals and muscular Heavy Metal before fading on an overdriven note.

Opening track, ‘The Elders’, is a masterpiece in blackened drone – A heavy, slow grind depicting the pain of losing your older relatives and the wisdom they had. An unapologetic Black Metal scream leads to a clean vocal that sounds like the protagonist coming to terms with their loss, before returning to the raw pain, neatly encompassed by the lines:

“You were the ones I was closest to,

Yet I barely remember you.”

Syncopation and complicated rhythms and patterns abound. Jason Roberts is not so much a musician and vocalist as a dream-weaver, combining the rawest of emotional pain with dreamy, nostalgic memories. Concrete crushing heaviness gives way to grief driven soundscapes tinged with keyboards and electronics before expansive joy. ‘The Patriarch’ would not sound out of place on a Coheed And Cambria album until the last two minutes of the song. It’s all polished and smooth. Then it morphs and changes shape into a seriously pissed off killing machine that references Deathcore, Djent and the howling madness of Black Metal in the vocal. ‘The Tormented’ reminds me of Jaz Coleman singing in Pandemonium-era Killing Joke before that impassioned Black Metal vocal once again slams itself into the forefront of your attention, over a driving, almost industrial beat and heavy, pulverising guitar and a swirling keyboard line.

Jason is a fucking talented guitarist and bass player as well as an excellent singer in at least three different styles. The album’s production is just so, being rich and full as well as being Arcticly clean and pure. Every instrument can be clearly heard and easily distinguished at all times, even when the music is pure sonic attack. My only complaint is that the drums are obviously sequenced and electronic, but for all this they are very good indeed. This really is a nit-picking point, considering Jason does fucking EVERYTHING on this album and it would be extremely churlish of me to expect him to have mastered tub-thumping as well. The song arrangements are inventive and original and the musicianship and the vocals absolutely jaw-droppingly splendid. Clearly this is a one-man musical project that is welded to the heart of Jason Roberts. Rarely have I heard such an emotional rollercoaster of a record, one that is yet more proof that true heaviness can be achieved in other ways than sheer power.

There’s no need for this level of egregious talent. Bet the fucker is really good looking as well to make sure I hit new, exciting levels of self-loathing.

The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System awards Breaths 9/10 for an almost perfect album. A mark was deducted for the drum sound, and The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System hates itself for doing it to an album that would be a perfect late night on the motorway record.

‘The Patriarch’ Official Video

TRACKLISTING:
01. The Elders
02. The Patriarch
03. The Tormented
04. The Empty
05. The Matriarch
06. The Wayward

LINE-UP:
Jason Roberts – Vocals, guitar, bass, programming, engineering/production, mixing, mastering. Absolutely NO NEED.

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of ‘Dark Juan’ and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Seven Nines And Tens – Over Opiated In A Forest Of Whispering Speakers

Seven Nines And Tens – Over Opiated In A Forest Of Whispering Speakers
Williowtip Records
Release Date: 07.01.22
Running Time: 36:24
Review by Dark Juan
8/10

Hello, my hordes of beautiful people, starfuckers and the wall-eyed, vain and insane. So, with considerable surprise, I find I have successfully navigated another lap of Sol without physical injury although I was never right in the head so I couldn’t possibly comment on my general state of mind. I assume it is what passes for normal in the headspace of Dark Juan, being as it is riven with black thoughts, crude sexual deviancy and a total disregard for any form of reality that doesn’t involve large calibre weaponry, and my good self operating it. Although I would settle for a trusty longsword and hew my way through my enemies with gay and carefree abandon. Slaughter always cheers me up…

I must apologise for the lack of amusing content from me lately. I had hit something of a barren patch in writing, and couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm to write anything for quite a while, but I appear to have got hold of myself and given myself a bloody good talking to. I do so love having dodgy mental health. Which leads me to exhort you all, if you are feeling low, depressed or suicidal, to contact people and talk to them about it. Samaritans are there for a non-judgemental reason. And if you’re a fella, then get hold of Andy’s Man Club or something, because, and let’s not put too fine a point on it, mental health issues are pernicious, sneaky motherfuckers and they play merry hell with you. Far better to access therapies and get them the fuck out of your system than try to struggle through them. It does not show weakness, and it does not mean you are weak, ladies, gentlemen and gentlepersons, to ask for help. Man is not an island. Neither is woman, although an island of women is an appealing thought…

Enough of my exhortations. This is a record review, and I am currently listening to Sevens Nines and Tens, with the wonderfully titled “Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers”. This Canadian trio have not passed my dubious interest before and it is with anticipation and excitement I am listening. Especially considering that they themselves have claimed that they wish to release “…One of the finest metal albums of 2022”. Lofty intentions indeed, but let’s see whether they can back this up with the music, shall we?

Opening the album with ‘Popular Delusions’, the band cruise into the song with chiming guitar overlaying a classic rock riff and simple drumming, and all the fuzz and phaser a psychedelic loving acid freak could ever desire, before a soft, beguiling vocal dripping with honeyed harmonies reaches out to caress your avid lugholes, and the guitar and bass thicken up to a meaty, fuzzy tone not out of place on a seriously psychedelic stoner metal record. The middle eight changes tone and speed before the song comes crashing back into your attention and the whole thing is a dreamy, navel contemplating piece of post-everything. Until the last minute of the song where everything descends into fuzz soup and nothing is distinct apart from the vocal. I can hear Post-Hardcore, Post-Punk, Post-Metal, Post-Prog and Post-Rock, forming into a dreamlike Ambient Shoegaze that reminds this silly old fool of the likes of Porcupine Tree, a less heavy version of French bruisers Rostres, the early releases of Sugar, Soldat Hans, (several songs on this record remind me of “Schoener Zerbirst Part 1” and Quantum Pig). What does make Sevens Nines and Tens different is the singing. All three members of the bands sing on this album, and their harmonies are jaw-droppingly splendid and tighter than the multiplicious arses of an entire armada of ducks. ‘Midnight Marauders’ is a fine example of this, where the vocal overlays some incredible, Bob Mould-like guitar work in the heavier sections and flits ethereally over somber, slow acoustic passages. It is also the song that is the most post-everything on the album, if you know what I mean. It’s got some seriously chewy guitar, but retains a dreamlike quality. ‘Let’s Enjoy The Aimless Days While We Can’ is a schizoid switcher between Post-Hardcore and almost classical parts, with the distortion abruptly giving way to gentle echoing guitar and switching back again but with a wonderfully emotive guitar solo four minutes in that segues itself into a melody finely underpinning the vocals.

The record is not without issues, however. The production is absolutely fine until you have the band speed up slightly, in which case the richness of the sound descends into a thick gluey mess. And the snare sound is not unlike someone twatting a piece of plyboard with a hammer. The bass drum sound is massively epic though. ‘Edutainment’ suffers from this prodigious bottom end when the song accelerates and all you get through your cans is egregious subsonic thumping. However, I would contend that this is the heaviest song on the record and it adds a certain dynamic which the album lacks in parts. The sound of the record is almost TOO SAFE. There are times when it seems that Sevens Nines and Tens are teetering on the brink of absolutely letting rip and tearing your face off and then they dial it all back in a disgracefully prick-teasing fashion. I want massively tumescent violence as well as being beguiled. The vocals, as magnificent as they are, also have moments when it sounds simply like the lead singer has been multitracked, all three gentlemen having quite similar voices.

These are minor niggles though. The record as a full body of work is gloriously crafted, tightly written and very entertaining, even if there are parts where the band are too clever for their own good, and deliberately chop a growing (and extremely groovy) vibe off in favour of noodling. I do approve of the dreamlike, aching quality that pervades the whole album and I enjoyed the nods towards Classic Rock that peek through the clouds of perfumed psychedelia and post-insert-your-chosen-genre-here. In short, it’s a bloody good record (album closer ‘Sunshine’ throws some mental Jazz in there in the manner of French genre benders Baron Crâne, who you all know I think are utterly wonderful) that has some minor quality control issues. Sevens Nines and Tens stand on the brink of something incredibly special, but they need to take that last step.

The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System awards a stonking 8/10 for a record of supreme but flawed loveliness, that will be being played on long, lonely journeys through the night very often indeed.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Popular Delusions
02. Throwing Rocks At Mediocrity
03. Midnight Marauders
04. Let’s Enjoy The Aimless Days While We Can
05. Edutainment
06. Fight For Your Right To Partial Relevance
07. Sunshine

LINE-UP:
David Cotton – Guitar/Vocals
Maximillian Madrus – Bass
Alexander Glassford – Drums

LINKS:

Duncan Evans and Wilderness Hymnal – Until Liars Fear You

Duncan Evans and Wilderness Hymnal – Until Liars Fear You
Trepanation Recordings
Release Date: 05.11.21
Running Time: 44:23
Review by Dark Juan
9/10

Greetings and salutations, incubi and succubi! It is I, Dark Juan, and I have returned from my sojourn to Whitby, and my subsequent cavorting on the very beach on which the Demeter was wrecked, with the Smellhounds, and Mrs Dark Juan. She got very, very bored of me telling her about Dracula. And James Cook and HM Bark Endeavour. And other ship rigging. Even barquentine windjammers. Very bored indeed. She almost offered me violence! Me! Your favourite writer of nonsense and bullshit, with an occasional musical component! The shame, the absolute shame.

At least the Mighty Gothikpanzer made it there and back this time. On a more cheerful and less violent note – we did enter a hostelry or two along Church Street, and enjoy some delicious single malts. I must also give profound thanks to the two new friends we have made (Elaine and Loz), who let us stay in their cottage for what can only be described as a fucking steal! A good time was had by all. I am seated in Mrs Dark Juan’s craft eyrie at the moment, where she is currently cunningly constructing cryptids for an exhibition in Whitby on October 21^st for the Folk Horror Revival group.

Equally pleasingly, there is now a craft brewery open across the road from the Abbey. Pints were consumed and a wobbly, unsteady walk back down the 199 Steps was had, thankfully without injury, apart from my dignity.

To be fair, I’ve never really had any, so it didn’t really matter. As evidenced to all the young goffs wandering around who got offended when I asked them where Count Duckula had crashed his pinnace. To business…

A split record from a splendid chap called Duncan Evans (WaxWorm, ex-A Forest Of Stars) and another gentleman (of British-Venezuelan stock, but born in Gibraltar. Not at all confusing to a half-demented Northerner who is still furious at the Disclosure and Barring Service, because their website keeps crashing, and I need to update my DBS certificate so I can continue to wrangle young gentlemen, and it won’t let me!) named Javier Wallis, entitled ‘Until Liars Fear You’ has landed upon my (metaphorical) desk for my delectation, and hopefully, your edification. Javier records under the name Wilderness Hymnal, and the first five songs on the record are his work.

Wilderness Hymnal are phenomenally interesting if you like Drone and Shoegaze, as Javier feeds those styles into a musical mincer that also incorporates Post-Metal, European Folk music, Scandinavian Folk, and electronics. Out of this mélange of influences comes something quite special. ‘Comet’, the opening cut on the record, has a feel of kulning and wild Scandinavian country being scoured by icy winds and a raiding fleet returning to port. ‘I Buried My Teeth’ takes us through silent, misty musical hinterlands, as if you are stalking through the undergrowth, until the crash of a heavily distorted guitar jerks you to attention – I found it allegorical to a predator hunting in a forest and the slam of the guitar being the point of impact, where the predator overpowers the prey, and then the subsequent rending and tearing of flesh, the gouts of blood and pain, and serrated teeth and eventually, blessed black oblivion. Although this music is absolutely modern and cutting edge, it doesn’t lose the feeling of the songs being folk tales told around roaring hearths, among half-drunken landsmen. And that is fucking brilliant, to be honest. It also helps that Javier is a multi-instrumentalist genius who plays (checks notes) keyboards, piano, and dulcimer, as well as sings, does the programming, and produces his own music. The absolute bastard. I have been looking at the electric guitar that I’d forgotten I owned, and was contemplating playing it again. Wilderness Hymnal have put paid to that idea. Anyone want to buy a Squier Jagmaster?

So, if you dig the work of Chelsea Wolfe and Ulver, you’re going to enjoy Wilderness Hymnal mightily. I love the mix of Folk, Drone, and Shoegaze, which leads to music that effortlessly conjures imagery of dark, misty forests, and half-glimpsed shadows tracking your every move…

On the sixth track on the album, ‘Three Tempers’, Wilderness Hymnal and Duncan Evans collaborate on a song that is a perfect passing on of the baton from the organic, living thing that is the music of WH, to the electronic emotional wasteland that the august Mr. Evans exists in. The folk element of the song curls sinuously around gentle guitar work from the man himself, and the whooshing, atmospheric keyboards from Javier Wallis, with mournful, wailing cello underpinning the whole heartrending thing.

We then come to the storytelling and sparse electronics of Duncan Evans. Truly a man who has discovered that less is more when it comes to music, he employs his voice and his emotional delivery to send out songs that are more tales than anything else, most ably demonstrated on “Mouse Mask” – the tale of a bank robbery by three men in mouse masks, where Duncan places himself temporarily in the persona of one of the protagonists, and doesn’t dress up the fright and tension that you would feel as anything heroic or special.

Duncan Evan’s music takes inspiration from Post-Punk, and the odd bit of New Wave, but the idiot writing this loves his music because it feels like a modern amalgamation of Kraftwerk (simple tempos and surprising humanity emanating from robotic electronic music) and Suicide (the strange and outré flourishes, the sheer ACUMEN of the lyrics, and the beeps and squelches and overall feeling of the music), and Satan be praised, I fucking ADORE Kraftwerk and Suicide. The Suicide influence is absolutely paramount on ‘The Waiting Room (No Exit Part 1)’, with the sense of slowly building menace and barely contained violence the song displays, before it seamlessly segues into ‘The Stars (No Exit Part 2)’, which abruptly switches gear from Suicide, to almost classical in concept and vocal delivery. Duncan steps back from vocal performance, to hand the reins to Phil Wilcox, who changes the dynamic of the vocal to an almost choral voice, and the aching blackness just flows from him as he regards the stars from a window, being the only points of light in the protagonist’s life. Bloody wonderful. ‘Breath’ I have already described in a previous review, and I praised the emotion of the song then. My opinion hasn’t changed on repeated listening, either. It’s a magnificent piece of music. ‘Mouse Mask’ sweeps along on very Suicide-sounding keyboards before acoustic guitar creeps into your attention on the middle eight, and remains just below the main body of the instrumentation.

So, one LP and two artists, both of whom I admire for different reasons, combine to create a work of supreme importance for atmospheric music as a whole. If you dig feelings and cinematic soundscapes, you’ll love this record. Heavy metal it isn’t, though, which is why I have deducted a mark because Ever-Metal.com is supposed to be a metal website, but it is an album of complexity and emotion and intelligence that should absolutely be of interest to everybody who listens to music to be blown away or beguiled, and not just to take shitloads of party treats and gurn at everyone while guzzling endless bottles of water in a field somewhere in rural Staffordshire where all you can hear is thumping.

The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System awards Duncan Evans and Wilderness Hymnal a stonking 9/10 for a record that is absolutely superb in execution and hauntingly emotional.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Comet
02. I Buried My Teeth
03. The Hunter
04. Old Dogs
05. Anaemia
06. Three Tempers
07. Deadheading
08. The Waiting Room (No Exit Part 1)
09. The Stars (No Exit Part 2)
10. Breath
11. Mouse Mask

WILDERNESS HYMNAL LINE-UP:
Javier Wallis – vocals, keyboards, piano, dulcimer, arrangements, programming, production.

With help from:
Michael Peter Kelly – electric guitar, bass guitar.
Noah Eamon – violin.
Mirthe de Jonge – cello
John Simm – drums and percussion (I Buried My Teeth).
Melle Berendsen – backing vocals (I Buried My Teeth).
Nick Duke – bass guitar (Old Dogs).
Gydo Keijzer – drums (Old Dogs).
Dauwpunt – production, mixing (The Hunter, Old Dogs).
Joe Garcia – production, mixing (I Buried My Teeth).

DUNCAN EVANS LINE-UP:
Duncan Evans – vocals, guitars, synths, bass guitar, programming, production, mixing.

With help from:
Phil Wilcox – vocals on ‘The Stars (No Exit part 2)’

LINKS (Wilderness Hymnal):

LINKS (Duncan Evans):

LLNN – Unmaker

LLNN – Unmaker
Pelagic Records
Release Date: 24/09/21
Running Time: 39:52
Review by Steven Hooke
9/10

Danish four-piece LLNN are not ones to wait around, with the release of their third album (four major releases overall) in five years. Traditionally a genre of prolonged turnover, the Post-Metal Doom-bringers seem to be careering towards an end goal of being the heaviest thing in the known universe.

The current state they have reached with “Unmaker” is “really, bastard heavy.”

Sounding somewhere in the ballpark of Deathcore played at 0.25 speed, Sludge Metal that has transcended into full-blown tar, and whatever noise is emitted from the deepest, darkest corner of a black hole, LLNN offer an astounding soundtrack to the apocalypse, expanding their musical relationship with keyboardist Ketil G. Sejersen, who joined the band around the time of LLNN’s previous album, 2018’s “Deads”. His work in tandem with the stomach-turning riffs, and thunderous drums, can evoke rage, fear, and despair, manipulating emotions more than WWII Germany’s Jericho trumpets ever could. On the likes of ‘Scion’, despite the song being in perpetual beatdown-mode, Ketil’s shrieking keys allow little chance for the listener to settle, or even ride with the groove, instead adding to the constant onslaught.

Even when Christian Bonnesen’s riff game expands outside the mortar-fire stomp, injecting a touch of Post-Hardcore in ‘Obsidian’, a Meshuggah-esque groove in ‘Division’, and even Black Metal into ‘Forger’ and ‘Desecrator’, Rasmuses Furbo (bass) and Sejersen (drums) are still 1000% dictating the tempo, at all times. Their world building in ‘Tethers’, alongside Ketil, creating a calm-before-the-storm isolation before Bonnesen comes in to kick your head in, is morbidly marvellous, leading nicely to the serene finale of ‘Resurrection’.

The absolute highlight of the album though comes from half-way point ‘Interloper’. A gorgeous song, with a slow-build, typically brutal stomp, and then a spine-tingling chorus that would be suited to Hell itself, were they allowed to submit to Eurovision. Ketil’s work in the chorus and ensuing breakdown takes the guise of a delicate, emotional funeral scene, straight into sci-fi horror where the many-teethed space demon is hunting your dumb “should we split up?” arse.

LLNN are sitting pretty in a venn diagram of being ridiculously heavy, and being genuinely interesting. While the past few years has seen an emergence of beatdown Hardcore and Nu-Metalcore, many of those acts already sound repetitive, and can be traced back to a band that burst onto the scene only a few years prior. LLNN are diving two-footed into Sludge, Post-Hardcore and Post-Metal territory, and immediately grabbing the spotlight. Their fascinating ability to operate in a fairly strict tempo range, yet have a sound so gripping, thanks to their collusions with and appreciations of horror and sci-fi movie and video game soundtracks, is amazing. An intelligent thoughtfulness goes into this music, and what comes out is fucking unreal.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Imperial
02. Desecrator
03. Obsidian
04. Vakuum
05. Scion
06. Interloper
07. Division
08. Forger
09. Tethers
10. Resurrection

LINE-UP:
Christian Bonnesen – Vocals, Guitar
Rasmus Furbo – Bass
Ketil G. Sejersen – Synths
Rasmus G. Sejersen – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Steven Hooke and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

EMQ’s with AUFHEBUNG

EMQ’s with AUFHEBUNG

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Belgian based, Post-Metal band Aufhebung. Huge thanks to guitarists Seb Weyts & Simon Neskens, for taking part.

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

Seb: We’re called Aufhebung and we play post-metal. Basically, it’s a fusion of two bands, Luchtbegrafenis and Aufhebung (yes, we came up with a lot of new options but Simon felt none really beat the name Aufhebung). Two members overlapped already (Simon and Joris) and when Aufhebung was going to prepare recording their debut album, some band members couldn’t go on because of COVID regulations etc. Since Aufhebung’s composer, Simon, clicked perfectly musically and mindset-wise with Luchtbegrafenis’ (me), the decision was made to just fuse both. For a bassist we invited August, who played in Opium Heathen and The Waltz and I knew he’d be into this kind of stuff. We then started to rewrite our material to make it match even that bit better. And we’re super productive as well! The first album is just released and the second is already 70% composed.

Simon: It’s a dope team.

How did you come up with your band name?

Seb: Well, before the merge, Simon was looking for a name that would address his desire for mankind to cease destroying nature. At one time I said, referring to Hegelian philosophy, ‘Ah so you mean an Aufhebung of the opposition between culture and nature?’ and he was immediately convinced. Aufhebung, which both means ‘to lift (to a higher level)’ and ‘to annihilate’, is used for what happens when a synthesis is reached between a thesis and an antithesis: their opposition is annihilated and both now coexist in a new way of being. Luchtbegrafenis, as the other originating band was called, means sky burial (Jhator), a form of excarnation practiced in Asia and America. We originally wanted to come up with a new name for the fused band, but none were really better than those we had and the meaning of Aufhebung more than perfectly suits this new and improved synthesis of both bands, we just stuck to that.

Simon: Indeed.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

Seb: We’re from different parts of Belgium (and Weiyan, the drummer, is from Kuala Lumpur). It’s a small country with a really vibrant scene. There’s a lot of really cool and innovative music coming from all around. There are bands like Stake, Raketkanon, Amenra, Briqueville… We’ve had a lot of really cool experimental music in Belgium since at least the eighties and there’s been a long standing hardcore scene in West-vlaanderen, but in recent years there’s just so much interaction between the different parts of the country and its soundscape. It’s a good time and place to live if you’re into heavy music, or it was, until this pandemic thing started of course.

Simon: Limbuuurg. Vies dikke shgijvhe!

What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

Seb: We released our first single, ‘Lament’, last month, the 23rd of April and on the 23rd of May, our first album, “Chasms”, was released as well! It’ll be all digital (since we can’t play any shows to sell our merch at the moment – and we don’t have any money) but we’ll do a physical release, vinyl, when funds allow it.

Simon: That’s correct.

‘Lament’ (Visualiser)

Who have been your greatest influences?

Seb: For me, that would be Russian Circles, Fall of Efrafa, Amenra, Raketkanon, Dietrich Buxtehude and Dhafer Youssef, though the latter ones might be more indirect.

Simon: And Yob and Neurosis.

What first got you into music?

Seb: Well, I was kinda lucky. When I was born, I already had a variety of music accessible to me. Not just Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Rage Against the Machine, but also good jazz, classical etcetera. I woke up my family with Beethoven when I was six, with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers when I was eight and with Rammstein when I was ten. And also, there were guitars. When I was maybe seven, my parents decided it was a good idea to have me get guitar classes, and since I was a docile little kid, that’s what I did.

Simon: For me it was some Tony Hawk Pro Skater game.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?

Seb: That’s a difficult one! I’d say either Colin H. Van Eeckhout (Amenra) or Siegfried Burroughs (Doodseskader, Onmens…) for some real nice vocals. Or Oyaarss for awesome hybrid electronic stuff. Or Russian Circles’ Dave Turncrantz if he’d want to hang out in Europe for a while.

Simon: I could add to this list, but let’s first try these. Or Scott Kelly (Neurosis).

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Seb: ArcTanGent really has awesome line-ups each year. Rock solid line-ups would be the best argument for a festival I’d say. And we could get there without flying, which is a good thing.

Simon: Yeah, well something eco, anti-fascist and not too mainstream. I heard Brutal Assault was cool too.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Seb: Well, that’s not super weird, but a guy kept on buying beers for me after a show when I kept telling him we got the beers for free. I guess it’s just the act of giving. Or he was also really into the venue.

Simon: This is also not really a gift, but one guy told us we sound like Pink Floyd. I love Pink Floyd, we all do, but I don’t think we sound anything like them. I assume it’s a compliment though. A gift of words.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Seb: Take care of our planet and its inhabitants!

Simon: And buy our stuff. It’s ecological.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Seb: Ian Curtis seemed like a guy to have an amazing chat with.

Simon: There are enough people on this planet already. Let them enjoy their death.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

Seb: Playing together with the mates when we’re all feeling it and the sound is right is one of the best possible feelings. But maybe the very best is composing a song that to you sounds just as good as your favourite tracks.

Simon: And touring with the gang. That’s what I enjoy, not hate, just to clarify. I sometimes hate the ego’s you come across in this business.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Simon: No ethics: how the industry tolerates being a complete piece of human shit. If you arrive drunk at work and start talking shit to everyone, you’d get fired at most jobs. In this industry that makes you a ‘Rockstar’, or troubled mind…

I mean look at the Tim Lambesis story. He hired a hitman to murder his wife. The hitman luckily was a cop (luckily only in this specific case). Lambesis gets released from prison after merely 3 years and he immediately gets to play huge venues all around the world again.

Or how everyone, without even listening to the guy, knew Lil’ Peep was depressed and a danger to himself. Yet his label & management insisted on him touring, making them more money, instead of putting him in rehab, instead of helping the guy.

Disgusting industry with no ethics whatsoever. But that’s not unique to this industry.

Seb: Good answer.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Seb: “Elil” by Fall of Efrafa.

Simon: “Meddle” by Pink Floyd.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

Seb: Well, nothing’s better than a lossless audio file I’d say. And it’s kind of ecological I’d assume. But vinyls are no doubt really nice to handle. I also like using my grandfather’s reel to reel tape deck.

Simon: I don’t own any outdated music playing thingies. But still, I agree.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Seb: I agree with what Simon is going to say!

Simon: With the current formation of the band, we have yet to play real gigs (if you don’t count live sessions). But gigs while on tour are always the best ones. It’s way easier to connect with the audience, with the people (also after the shows). In Belgium everyone has this “stiff upper lip” kinda mentality.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

Seb: I sometimes wonder if I’d lose the use of my fingers or hearing, would I have the strength to study law to become some kind of human rights or animal rights or nature rights lawyer? I always liked novels and was moved by ethics, but nothing could replace what music does for me.

Simon: Being miserable and doing drugs ‘till i died or some other stupid shit probably. Music is my life.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Seb: Ozzy Osbourne, Vladimir Nabokov (can they be dead?), Slavoj Zizek, Wim Helsen…

Simon: And Yob’s Mike Scheidt.

Seb: That would be the best thing to ever happen.

What’s next for the band?

Seb: If the world doesn’t normalise soon, it’ll be recording the second album. Otherwise, just gigging, gigging, gigging. And looking for a new drummer when Weiyan’s residence permit expires.

Simon: True.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

Seb: The two of us are pretty much cavemen, luckily the others are tech savvy. We try to be present on all the relevant places: Facebook and Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify and whatnot. Of course, we like Bandcamp most as musicians, but I guess you kind of need all of them as long as you’re not headlining big festivals.

Simon: Couldn’t have said it better.
www.aufhebung.bandcamp.com/
www.facebook.com/Aufhebungband/
www.instagram.com/aufhebung_band/
www.vi.be/platform/aufhebung
www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ7WtvOqu1vgr7LQr04dEuA
www.open.spotify.com/artist/1B2OpE8I4zesmK8WjyjLPL

Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Seb: The final argument for me would be consistency, making it cake.

Simon: I’m more of a ‘how do you eat it’ kind of guy, so I’d say biscuit. Also, if you share them, or count how many you’ve eaten, you’d sound like a maniac if you’d say, ‘one cake’s too little to share’ or ‘I’ve eaten twelve cakes today’.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Seb: Thank you for yours!

Simon: And just follow our profiles, you’ll be rewarded with great soundtracks to whatever you’re doing.

Joris: Is this where the interview is gonna be held?

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

EMQ’s with KOLLAPS\E

$Kollaps\e Logo$

EMQ’s with KOLLAPS\E

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Helsingborg, Sweden based Post-Metal/Sludge band, Kollaps\e. Huge thanks to Daniel Wallenborg & Peter Walefors, for taking part.

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

Daniel Wallenborg, Guitar/Vocals

Peter Walefors, Guitar.

How did you come up with your band name?

Daniel: Well, one of my all-time favourite bands are Breach. And they released an album called “Kollapse” some years ago. The title has stuck with me since, maybe because of the fused Swedish and English in one word. So, when we talked about band names this one came up. I added “\” to separate the “Swedish” and “English”. And the idea is also to have songs sung in Swedish. But that is still a work in progress.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

Peter: We are from and around, Helsingborg, Sweden.

Daniel: There used to be a lot of bands from this area. Most noticeable SOILWORK, Darkane, Humanity’s Last Breath. And the scene was pretty good! A few places to play and a decent amount of people showing up. Nowadays it’s pretty thin, I think. Hopefully, it will pick back up!

What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

Peter: “The Pandemic Sessions”, two song single.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Peter: Cult of Luna, Breach, Norma Jean, Amenra, P.G Lost, Architects, Neurosis and so on…

Daniel: Knut, Isis, Deadguy, Vision of Disorder, Sick of it All, Refused, Machine Head, Type O Negative, Converge, Turmoil, Breach, and a whole lot more…

What first got you into music?

Peter: First time listening to “…And Justice For All” and “Master Of Puppets” got me into playing guitar.

Daniel: I’ve been around music for as long as I can remember. Having two big brothers, I was around their record collections. Everything from Punk to Synth. Either one played any instrument, but I got interested in playing in high school. Bought a bass guitar and 3 weeks later we started a band…

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

Daniel: That’s a good question? Tomas from Breach, Tim Singer from Deadguy/Kiss it Goodbye. Kurt Ballou of Converge. Steve Albini. Those are some I can think of right now!

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Peter: Big stage at Hellfest, I won’t say no to that.

Daniel: Loudpark, Japan. Japan has always been a dream country to play in.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Daniel: Hmm. don’t know if I’ve been in a band where we received anything what so ever. ☹

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Peter: Get vaccinated and let’s get this show on the road.

Daniel: I’ll second that!

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Peter: Tom Searle of Architects, left us way too soon.

Daniel: Probably Kurt Cobain, would have been interesting to see the direction Nirvana would have taken…

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

Peter: Playing together with other people, playing live, writing songs. don’t really hate anything about it.

Daniel: Being able to create something. The thrill of sharing your stuff. The dread when its available. Hoping people will like what you do. Hate that I don’t have enough time for music. And I hate writers block.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Daniel: Wow, how to respond to that!? Hehe. I don’t really know! I think it’s too big to break it down to one thing. A lot of moving parts. But maybe less people that will “fuck” you over for a payday. But is that the industry or just the idiocy of humans?!

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Peter: Metallica – “…And Justice For All”.

Daniel: Turmoil – “The Process Of”.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

Peter: Doesn’t really matter as long as you support the bands you like and buy the music.

Daniel: Dunno, whatever your preference is, I guess. I like all of it.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Peter: Helltown Festival, 4 crazy 10-year-olds moshing in the front row.

Daniel: Maybe not the best but playing at DOUR Festival, Belgium in 98 in front of 7,000 people.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

Peter: You get paid as a musician?

Daniel: Probably doing designs, videos or something like that!

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Daniel: Donald Trump, Dalai Lama, Rasputin, Charles Manson, Steve Jobs.

What’s next for the band?

Peter: Full length album in 2021, and hopefully play some shows!

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

www.facebook.com/kollapsemusik
www.instagram.com/kollapse_music
www.kollapsemusic.bandcamp.com
www.kollapseshop.bigcartel.com/
www.open.spotify.com/album/5IRalT8yLe7epUQIsMj1fT
www.youtube.com/channel/UCbPsqTX4dVEaNZkXVMPsV-Q

Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Peter: Never tried them, but I’ll say biscuit anyway.

Daniel: A cake that looks like a biscuit?!

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Both: Thank you for taking an interest in our band and spreading the word. We are humbled and forever grateful! If you want to follow us on social media, please feel free!

INTERVIEW WITH SHEPHERD

INTERVIEW WITH SHEPHERD
FIRST HAND…Blurring The Lines Of Metal Genres!
By Stephanie Stevens

Welcome to the world where Stoner and Doom soundscapes intertwine with Modern Metal. Denver, Colorado’s SHEPHERD is crossing genres all over the place, with the band’s latest full EP “FIRST HAND”. The heaviness is sustainable throughout the record, but it weaves in and out with layers of Post-Metal, Rock and even hints of Hardcore. From songs like ‘CHARIOT’, ‘SEA CAVE’ and ‘PERSEPHONE’ you will be guided into the not normal atmosphere of Doom Metal and it’s just a really breathtaking freshness.

I had a chance to speak to the guys about working with Juggernaut Audio, how they fell into the love for Doom Metal and what brings them happiness in a live show setting.

Q. Tell us a little bit about the members of SHEPHERD and how long you have been playing music?

A: We’re a few blue-collar dudes from the burbs north of Denver who’ve been fortunate enough to live most of our lives here in Colorado. We’ve all been in several bands throughout childhood with and without each other and after the last project we were all involved in went belly up we moved forward with the power trio line-up to fully realize our sound and fine-tune our craft.

Q. What instilled your love for the Doom/Stoner rock vibe that you guys have made and is there a particular band in this genre who influenced you the most?

A: We all listened to a lot of metal and metal sub-genres in high school which I suppose made for a solid foundation. Coming out of high school and gaining new perspectives we all branched out a great deal and gained a lot of new influences. Once we finally came back together, we really intersected on Deftones which is kind of outside the stoner sound, but I think their fingerprints can be found on this album and will continue to be an influence for us as a group.

Q. In November you released your debut EP, “FIRST HAND”. What can you tell people about finishing a project you put your heart and soul into and knowing the world will be listening soon. What emotions do you go through during that process?

A: When “First Hand” finally came out, one of the chief emotions was definitely relief, followed by a sense of pride for having accomplished the entire process of writing, recording, and releasing an album. Given everything that has transpired this year both during the process and up until the time we released it, we were definitely in need of a win. We’re proud of this album as our first entry into our career as a band and we’re thrilled with the response we’ve received so far.

Q. What is the biggest thing you learned about yourself as musicians working with Juggernaut Audio and what would you tell other bands if they are looking for a studio?

A: Ben at Juggernaut has been our biggest supporter and someone who has imparted a lot of lessons upon us throughout this endeavour. This was our first real studio experience since we’ve all been playing music and while we came well prepared, there’s a lot of unexpected things that can come up in the weeks or months that it takes to finish an album and Ben was instrumental in guiding us through the whole enchilada. We would highly recommend him to anyone in the Denver area and abroad who’s looking for a professional and seasoned audio engineer, whether the music is metal or otherwise.

Q. ‘CHARIOT’ was your first single. What made that song stick out to be the platform song for the EP and how did you approach the songwriting aspect of that track?

A: ‘Chariot’ has a really catchy bridge part that we amended somewhat on the fly while we were in the studio and once it all came together in an hour or so we really thought it elevated the song in a lot of ways and gave the clearest impression of our sound and what to expect from the rest of the record.

Q. ‘PERSEPHONE’ is the newest single and it’s a song about a mythic tale. What made you dive in lyrically to a song like this and what was the best thing about writing a story like this?

A: We pulled that one together almost a year ago now in the midst of the doldrums of winter, which I think can be heard in the overall mood or tone of the song. ‘Persephone’ has some pretty clear surface themes which don’t pose too much of an issue to dissect, but it does have some more personal subtext in the lyrics and hopefully, where they’re a little bit more peculiar a listener, could take something away of their own. The best thing about writing a song that could be perceived as fiction is that there really aren’t any rules or anything grounding you into a preconceived notion or idea, you can be free to create your own little world and populate it with whatever you like.

Q. For people who are new to your style of music, how do you guys get that blizzard of distortion into your songs, and how fun is it to play in a live setting?

A: Our sound comes from adoration for the monster rigs of bands past and present. There’s something so powerful about the idea and the image of a wall of amplifiers that has always driven us to pursue some level of that in a live setting. We’re also huge gear nerds, we love the wide world of effects pedals and tone-crafting and combining different elements to create your own sonic signature. What you’re hearing on the album is a meticulous collection of our own personal taste and what you can expect to hear at a live show. For now, at least, until the sound gets bigger.

Q. Speaking of live shows, what is the best thing about playing your music live and how would you describe your fans?

A: The best part about playing live is the feeling you get right below your heart and right above your gut. The feeling of being nervous and excited all at once. You become so unhinged that you forget about any troubles or worries going on in your life. The only thing on your mind is playing as best you can while putting feeling into what you’re playing. It’s almost like going on a roller coaster on acid. You don’t know where the hell you are or where you’re going but you know it’s fun and best of all it’s loud. Our music works for anyone and everyone, young and old. We’re often surprised at how diverse our fan base seems. We’re truly grateful for everyone who gave us a shot and we’ve got more to come. This is only the beginning.

Q. Music industry-wise, what are you hoping to see change in 2021 and how can fans help support change in the industry, that has been beaten down in 2020?

A: If there is anything we could all obviously agree on is making sure that we can all hopefully enjoy playing and seeing live shows again. It’s what we live for and like a religion to us. there is no honest substitute for the real deal. That being said, it’s very hard for a lot of touring musicians who not only love shows, but also need it to pay the bills. One thing that musicians are staring down right now is the issue with streaming royalties. Bands and musicians are getting the shaft when it comes to fair compensation on almost every platform, and without the income from touring it’s nearly impossible for artists to get what they deserve.

Q. Empower another artist by telling us why they inspire you?

A: It would a tough ask for us to settle on one band that inspires us all. but if we had to shed a light on anyone it would be all the bands struggling to survive in this very trying time. Live music and the entertainment industry have taken one of the hardest blows we will probably experience in our lifetime. So, whomever you enjoy whether it be us, or any other band trying to make it in the midst of all this. Buy merch, Buy an album, give them a couple more likes and follows. Do what you can to keep your favourite acts and artists in a place where they can continue to create.

The End

CONNECT WITH THE BAND:

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Stephanie Stevens and East Coast Romper, and has been released to Ever Metal on this basis. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

EMQ’s with SEA SLEEPER

EMQ’s with SEA SLEEPER

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Portland, Oregon based Post-Metal band, Sea Sleeper. Huge thanks to bassist/vocalist Nick Kessler for taking part.

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

My name is Nick Kessler, I’m the bass player for Sea Sleeper and I share vocal duties as well. Sea Sleeper was formed a couple of years ago from previous members of Crackling Dawn. The three of us, Jess Cooley, Shane Cooley and myself, have played together in metal bands since I joined their first band Southgate in 2011 and Jess and Shane have been playing music together since they were in high school.

How did you come up with your band name?

Jess keeps writing songs about sea adventure, shipwrecks, drowning, etc. The song ‘Salt’ off our new album was originally called Sea Sleeper and we felt like it fit the nautical misfortune theme that we keep coming back to.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

We are from Portland, Oregon and the metal scene here is really great but currently a bit on the quiet side due to the pandemic. We’ve been active in the metal community here, playing shows around town for about the last ten years and we’ve seen some amazing local bands along the way.

What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

Our new album “Nostophobia” will be out in early 2021 and we released the first single ‘Old Guard’ on November 5th.

‘Old Guard’ (Official Video)

Who have been your greatest influences?

There are so many but some bass players that have been really important to me are Steve Harris, Chris Squire, Stanley Clarke, Jean-Michelle Labadie, Dave Ellefson and so many more.

What first got you into music?

I listened to a lot of classic rock with my dad growing up, he was a big “The Who” fan and we listened to a ton of Beatles and Yes and that kind of thing. I think my uncle made me a mix CD with a lot of punk like Sex Pistols and X and Dead Kennedys and so I went through a bit of a punk phase. Then I got into heavier music through skateboarding actually, when I was a kid probably 12 or 13 I had Zero’s misled youth on VHS tape and I remember Adrian Smith’s part in Iron Maiden’s ‘The Prowler’ and I couldn’t get it out of my head and then I listened to Maiden religiously and slowly got exposed to more and more metal and I’ve been swimming in these dank waters ever since.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

I’ve been getting into a lot more electronic music lately and I really enjoy metal that thoughtfully blends synth music with heavy portions like Blut Aus Nord and Anaal Nathrakh and Genghis Tron and Axis of Perdition and so many other bands with kind of a horror aesthetic so I’d love to collaborate with someone who makes genuinely frightening and dark electronic music like Makeup and Vanity Set or Disasterpiece. I’d love to collaborate with Jeff Whitehead of Leviathan but he’s such an incredible solo composer I doubt he needs me.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

I think Wacken would be amazing if Europe ever lets us Americans back in. We’ve played lots of local shows opening up for touring acts but never a major festival so we would love nothing more.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

I have never gotten a gift from a fan but if anyone wants to give me a gift that’d be great. I like atmospheric black metal records and my favourite whiskey is Ardbeg and my birthday is in December so…

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Thank you for listening to Sea Sleeper, it blows my mind that people are into it. Follow me on Instagram for pictures of my cat.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

For me, David Bowie. Albums he made in the 2000’s era like “Reality” and “Blackstar” are some of my favourites and Bowie just seemed like a guy who loved life.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

I love playing shows, watching other bands play, watching the crowd, everything about the live music experience is so much fun. There’s nothing I hate about being a musician but I’m honestly not a big “gear-head” and the technical elements of switching out pickups and pedals and amp heads and the constant trade-ins and upgrades some guys love doing is not for me, I like as clean and stone simple a setup as possible.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

I’m not the first person to say this but streaming is the best and worst thing for musicians. On the one hand people can listen to your music so easily and for free so there’s no roadblocks to interested people finding you. But of course, people aren’t buying music to the same extent as they once did, and musicians make next to nothing from streaming. I’m not sure what I would actually change because I think streaming is great in many ways but maybe it needs to be more expensive or giants like Spotify need to pay their artists better.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

There are so many, I’ll say Leviathan: “A Silhouette In Splinters” because I just found that one on vinyl and I’ve been playing it a ton. Really great ambient black metal atmosphere.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

I think vinyl is fun for the ritual and my cat likes to watch it spin so that’s a big plus. I grew up on CD’s and cassette tapes and have no interest in returning to them. Ultimately probably downloads are best but that answer is no fun, so I’ll return to the one my cat likes and say vinyl.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

As Sea Sleeper we only played a few shows before Covid hit but we got to play with Dyscarnate and Fit for an Autopsy and that was really really fun.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

We all have day jobs, so I guess the only thing music is preventing me from doing is an alternative hobby. I guess I could have gotten really into doing those little plastic models.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

I only have like 5 friends so 4 of them and my wife.

What’s next for the band?

We just signed with Metal Assault Records, so we’ll be promoting our current album with them and writing has already started for the next album. We want to get into live streaming so we can start doing shows again while keeping folks safe, so I think that’s the next big thing in the pipeline.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

We’re on all of the major ones, Facebook, Bandcamp, Twitter, etc, but we’re most active on Instagram so check us out there and send us a message, we love getting messages from fellow metalheads.

www.seasleeper.com/
www.instagram.com/sea_sleeper/
www.facebook.com/seasleeper/
www.seasleeper.bandcamp.com/

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

My wife is from Virginia so in our household biscuits are made with buttermilk, but I’ll try to answer your weird British question. As I understand it, a biscuit is like a somewhat crisp cookie and I have heard that Jaffa Cakes are soft. And they are called Jaffa Cakes, which leads me to believe the manufacturer understands them to be cakes. So, Jaffa Cakes are cakes, I hope I didn’t just get cancelled in Britain.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Thanks so much for giving me this platform to address the Jaffa Cake question. If you take away nothing else from this interview, please just know that Jaffa Cakes are cakes. And check out “Nostophobia”, we’re very proud of it.

EMQ’s with THE HOPE BURDEN

EMQ’s with THE HOPE BURDEN

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Oxfordshire, UK Post-Metal band, The Hope Burden. Huge thanks to them for taking part.

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

We are The Hope Burden. We play atmospheric post-metal, combining ambient passages with the heaviness of hardcore and some black metal influence. We started about 4 years ago as an instrumental band but a year later we added Josh on vocals

How did you come up with your band name?

We threw a lot of names around but eventually our drummer came up with The Hope Burden and it just stuck.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

We are from all over Oxfordshire in the UK. We have all been in separate metal bands and came together from those connections. The Oxford scene is quite small in terms of metal and heavier bands although we do have some good promoters and venues (although as with many places, the small venues are increasingly at risk).

Talking about the Oxford scene more generally, it probably punches above its weight.

What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

We have a new single ‘Lamentation’ out on April 17th on all good streaming services.

Who have been your greatest influences?

We take a lot of different influences from across the board, including Devil Sold His Soul, ISIS, Rosetta, The Elijah, Deafheaven, Converge.

What first got you into music?

I think having groups of likeminded friends that all get into music at the same time encourages people to take up instruments/get into music more deeply.

Going to shows at a young age, meeting people and seeing inspiring bands all helps to create the next generation of musicians.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

Our friends in Grief Ritual from Cheltenham would be amazing to collaborate with. Or Ghosts in the Photographs from Oxford would be great – they’re an instrumental band with similar ambient leanings and so that could work well.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

ArcTanGent would be great to play just because it’s the kind of festival where we would fit in really well. There’s always a huge number of bands that we all like playing each year.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

I think a highlight is Josh being recognised in his local Lush (how rock and roll) but we’ve never received anything from fans.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Please listen to our new single, out on 17th April!

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

I’m sure we all have different answers individually, but Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson have both come up!

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

We love playing live and getting a connection with the crowd no matter if there’s 10 or 200 people as long as one of them likes us then that’s a job well done.

One thing we hate is the waiting around before the show, we just want to see bands play!

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

In some cases, the prevailing trends can lead to bands sounding really similar rather than concentrating on something more unique.

Attendance at small shows can sometimes be underwhelming which is a real shame.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

I’m not sure the whole band could agree on a favourite album. Mastodon have never released anything that isn’t good.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

We’re not sure there is a single best format. Downloading is most convenient, vinyl is great for the large format artwork and for the collectability, but I still buy CD’s!

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Bloodstock festival in 2019 was easily the most exciting gig. We probably didn’t play the best on account of the nerves but having such a huge crowd was a massive achievement for us.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

Well none of us are musicians by trade, we all have day jobs. I imagine we would all still be involved in music in some form, going to gigs if we weren’t playing.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Corey Taylor, Shania Twain, Stephen Fry, Joe Exotic, Morgan Freeman

What’s next for the band?

With the new single we plan to eventually hit the live circuit once the corona virus situation has cleared up.

We have more music in the works and hope to release something else by the end of the year, complete with a video.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

This link takes you to everything The Hope Burden:
www.linktr.ee/thehopeburden

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Clue’s in the name, they’re a cake. Too soft to be a biscuit!