Swedish Death Metal

EMQ’s With Faustus

EMQ’s With Faustus

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Swedish Death Metallers, Faustus. 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?

Our name is Faustus. From the forests in the middle of Sweden the foundation of the band was formed in 2011 by the two brothers Anton Pärlenskog (guitars), Oskar Pärlenskog (drums) and Mattias Lövhaga (guitars) soon after they met at a local School. During the first years our main focus was to find a solid line-up, as well as writing material for our first demo. As a session musician for an upcoming show Nils Hedberg (bass) joined in 2013 and has since been a member of the group. Since then, we parted ways with our first vocalist Victor to find our next vocalist, Jonas.

Shortly thereafter, we began writing our first album Laments of an Obscure Mind. Featuring 11 tracks and released on all major platforms. Jonas had to, due to personal reasons, step down from the role as vocalist and Faustus were left without a front man. During that time Ludvig Setterlind (vocalist) was in a band called Amentia, friends of ours. As we of Faustus were in need of a vocalist, having booked some gigs in Sweden we reached out to Ludvig to help us. After the tour we felt we had found the perfect match and asked Ludvig to join permanently, he kindly accepted. Faustus started to write our magnum opus, the record “Memoriam” right away. One year after we started the writing process, the album was done. Scheduled to enter Obsidian Recordings Located in the well-known Studio Fredman in the fall of ‘21.

How did you come up with your band name?

The origin of the name is based on a combination of the iterations of Dr. Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Christopher Marlowe. More attuned to the tragic and mystic parts of the character. In Marlowe’s drama Faustus sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and a life of 24 years in success and bliss. But as we all know, selling your soul to the devil might come with some complications.

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

The band Faustus originated and operates in Bollnäs, Hälsingland, Sweden (pronounced: HELL-sing-land). A small town but despite its size there are a lot of musicians and bands located here. The live music scene in this town is unfortunately not the most popular for metal music anymore… But this town has A LOT of great metal musicians! We have a ton of really good bands such as: Morgana Lefay, Tad Morose, Gormathon, Bloodbound, Caedem and of course ourselves Faustus. And we all started in this little town in the middle of nowhere!

What is your latest release?

We have one self-released album prior to this release “Laments of an Obscure Mind”. What you can expect is brutal technical polyrhythmic madness but with an emphasis on groove and also at times doomish. Tuned down to hell and let’s not forget about those tasty leads.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Seeing as we are a Swedish band we don’t have to look very far regarding musical influences. But the main ones would be Meshuggah, Whitechapel and In Flames.

What first got you into music?

Most of us did start to play music when we were around 13 years old in our teenage rooms, but one main factor is probably Guitar hero. Maybe not for our drummer boy but for the rest of us!

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

Meshuggah for instance would be an honor! And other fellow Swedes such as Vildhjarta and Humanity’s Last Breath. If we could pick any band active or not Pantera with the Abbott brothers would be sick!

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

Wacken metal festival, Download festival would be awesome to name a few.

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

The weirdest “gift” we’ve received was a fair share of panties thrown up on stage.

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

We’d like to extend a big Thank you! It’s sort of a cliché but it doesn’t make it less true since the fans make our work possible.

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

It’s borderline impossible to just pick one. But perhaps Dio, Dimebag, chuck Schuldiner per dead mayhem Bon Scott

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

Playing live and creating music together is the best thing about being a musician. To be able to share the fun and intense moments with your friends on stage is one of the greatest feelings. The thing we hate is to pack all the equipment. That takes too much time and energy. Our drummer hates it, but I think all drummers do.

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

The part where you as a musician might get taken for granted. Just because you enjoy what you are doing you are seldomly taken seriously or as mentioned you are taken for granted and not appreciated despite the time, energy and passion you put in your work.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Very hard! We all have a very different tastes but we all love Meshuggah – Koloss.

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

We think all of them are great. To be able to spread your music through different ways (Vinyl, CD’s, Cassettes, Downloads) is amazing. So, we think all of them are the best!

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

I think it was 2013 or 2014 we did a support show together with Entombed and that’s not all. We also played with a really big symphonic orchestra (!!!) and they played our music with us. That show was one of a kind! We will never forget that! This summer we played at our first festival and the response from the crowd was amazing. That is also an amazing memorable show!

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

If we had not gotten into music, we would probably still be playing guitar hero or maybe even be a professional ice hockey player! A porn star? A chef? Who knows! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Dimebag, Hetfield, Hendrix, Dio & Dickinson

What’s next for the band?

Apart from the Album cycle and gigs we have scheduled to record some additional music videos on top of those already released on YouTube. And we have also started to collect some ideas for album #3. So, stay tuned!

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

https://www.facebook.com/officialfaustus
https://www.instagram.com/faustusofficial/
https://linktr.ee/Faustus_SWE

Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?

We have to take a guess on this one……Barm Cake maybe?

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

We just wanna thank you for the interview and we hope that you guys will have a great Christmas holiday!

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of 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 CREEPING FLESH

EMQ’s With CREEPING FLESH

Hi everyone. Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Swedish Death Metal band, Creeping Flesh. Huge thanks to their Guitarist, Sofus, 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?

Hi! I’m Sofus and I’m one of the axemen. The band started because William had a dream about making Death Metal and he asked me to join him and our former bass player Conny to start this band. Soon afterwards we were a full band, all with a will to create old school Death. We started to write music together right away. This was back in 2013 and we released our first EP “Unravelled by War” the year after. Now, around 8 years later, we have 3 EPs and a full length album in our back catalogue. And soon we will release the next one!

How did you come up with your band name?

Me and William have had a lot of discussions about band names and I especially remember one very drunken night out when we could have settled with a completely different name. After sobering up and thinking about our alternatives, Creeping Flesh did stand tall as the lone survivor. For me the words just lined up well together. William might have been influenced by the movie with the same name and also a song by Facebreaker. Who knows how and why, but here we are!

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

We are from Sweden. All of the members have come from different cities and regions, but we all met in Gothenburg. There is a thriving metal scene here; who hasn’t heard of the Gothenburg sound for example? Compared to the other cities we came from, it was a breath of fresh air to see so much live music with great quality bands. A lot of the musicians we know here have bands of their own, and it is not only metal and rock that is big here. All in all, it is a good place for music!

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

If we don’t count our first full length “Into the Meat Grinder”, it’s the music video for our single “Finest Hour”, from our upcoming album “…And Then the Bombs Came”. Look up to the sky! The bombs are falling 11th of February! The video is available on our Facebook page and on Youtube.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Everyone in the band has different backgrounds, influences and ways into heavy music. If I just speak for myself, The Beatles have been the foundation that made me fall in love with rock and then further down the line Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and similar bands lured me into Metal. When it comes to Death Metal, the bands In Flames and Arch Enemy were the gateway for me. Old school bands like Dismember and Bolt Thrower sealed the deal. As a guitarist, I have always looked up to the Amott brothers, Dave Mustaine and Gus G. As just a musician and songwriter, I admire Steven Wilson and he influences me a lot. And maybe even more down the rabbit hole, but actually quite relevant, game music has had a great impact on my music ears. The band as a whole, I think, is mostly inspired by Bolt Thrower, Hail of Bullets, Obituary, Jungle rot, Amon Amarth and Swedish HM-2 bands in general.

Other than this, movies and documentaries about war have had tremendous influence on lyrics and song writing. Watching tanks roll over fields of corpses get the creative juices flowing.

What first got you into music?

Just listening to my parents’ vinyl of The Beatles and classical stuff like Vivaldi. Then I listened to mixed tapes filled with NWOBHM that my brothers had. To be honest, when a classmate taught me how to play ‘Smoke on the Water’ I was hooked! I played drums first, but later transitioned to guitar as I learned more riffs, and my brother showed me how to play some old Nintendo tunes.

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

Easy question. Micke Rickfors. Give us a call! A lot of the others in the band would maybe also say Peter Tägtgren? We are open for collabs!

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

For me personally, I would probably choose Wacken Open Air. One of my greatest festival memories is from Wacken and to perform there would be a dream come true! In Sweden, it would be cool to play at Sweden Rock Festival.

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

I’ve been given alcoholic beverages and the occasional hug and praise, but nothing weird so far that I remember. We’ll see what the future brings.

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

When the pandemic wears off, please support your local bands and bars! Be sure to go out and attend gigs!

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

Tough one. Kiddie or Freddie Mercury? So many great ones that have left us just in the recent years. When I think about it though, I have to choose Håkan Florå.

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

The best thing is to be creative while hanging out with friends and drinking beer. Don’t think there is anything I hate about it.

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

Promoting actual music instead of soulless garbage.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Hmm, so many to choose from! I got to say “Mana” by Unto Others (former Idle Hands). Incredible Goth Heavy Metal record. There are so many things I love about this album. If you guys have any love for the likes of Sisters of Mercy, Woods of Ypres, Anathema, Agalloch, Misfits and Heavy Metal in general, give this a spin or two!

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

You get the greatest vibe from vinyl, and it’s also a physical piece of art! Cassette is really cool and old school too. I think every format has its place though. Each to their own.

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

Gefle Metal Festival has to be my pick and probably most of the band would agree. A pure joy for us as everything was handled extremely professionally and the crowd was amazing! The tour in England must be a close second. The one in Bristol was very memorable – the best and worst at the same time. The peak was when our singer destroyed a cabbage with his skull. All of our gigs are treasured memories, even the less good ones! We’ve been lucky and have been treated very nicely by our fans and all these cheerful crowds of head banging drunks!

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

Well, I don’t make a living as a musician unfortunately, so I currently cook to pay the rent, ha ha! If I weren’t playing music, I would maybe start to write books or perhaps learn to paint.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Carl Jan Granqvist, Edward Blom, Bengt Frithiofsson, Guga from Guga foods and whatever the actor’s name was that died of too much mashed potatoes in La Grande Bouffe. Sorry for all the Swedes, but look them up and you’ll understand why.

What’s next for the band?

11th of February we release our next album “…And Then the Bombs Came”! Whenever the pandemic lets us out on the road, we will bring these killer songs to the stage! Feels great to have a bunch of old and new songs to choose from for upcoming gigs. Be sure to be on the lookout for new music and merch.

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

We mainly use Facebook as social media and Spotify as a streaming service. Follow for regular updates of anything related to the band. We post a lot of stupid and/or relevant stuff. Please check out our Instagram, Youtube and Bandcamp as well!

Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Aren’t they cookies?

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

Thank you for having me! I had a fun time with these questions. I hope I’ll share a drink with you and all the readers someday at a gig!

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.

Interview with The Crown

Interview with The Crown
by Victor Augusto

Ok, before I start my smooth talking, let me travel back in time. The year was 2002 and my older brother appeared at home with two albums from a Swedish Death Metal band. I clearly remember, to this day, when The Crown albums “Hell is Here” (1999) and “Deathrace King” (2000) started to play on our old stereo. After that, I understood how amazing the music from Sweden was. We became fans and we never stopped looking for the band’s new releases, even though it was not an easy task at that time in South America.

I was living in a very poor neighbourhood, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), without access to the internet or a computer, even though those two things were becoming popular at that time. Heavy Metal was a very strange kind of music for people who lived in that place too. I had no money to buy magazines either, but the years have passed and after almost two decades, here I am, without words to describe how happy I am to have the opportunity to talk with The Crown.

Thanks to the vocalist Johan Lindstrand for taking part in this interview. I do hope you have fun reading about the long career of this amazing band! We have many things to talk about, including their newest release, the killer album “Royal Destroyer”.

Victor Augusto: Since the first time that I heard The Crown, my impression was that the band prioritises creating music that brings energy and could thrill the listeners enough to bang their heads. No matter if you are playing in more of a Thrash or Death Metal style, this is the sensation that the band offers. For this new album that approach hasn’t changed. At the band’s very beginnings, was it your intention to sound so brutal or did it happen naturally?

Johan Lindstrand: The intensity was there from the beginning. We were very inspired by Morbid Angel and Deicide amongst others and we loved the fast brutal stuff. Back then we didn’t have so much of our own identity, but we grew into our own sound more and more as the years passed, but the energy kind of stuck with us. So that’s a very important thing for us for sure, but the cool thing in this band is that we have so much creativity going and we mix a lot of different elements to make the sound more diverse. That’s very important, I think. When you have many songwriters, like we do, you can create that rollercoaster album which puts the listener on high alert because he doesn’t know what will come next.

Victor Augusto: The crown has released three albums over the last 6 years and you have kept the same line up as well. Do you think that the stable line-up and the sequence of tours helped you to reach the musical result on Royal Destroyer?

Johan Lindstrand: It’s always good to have a steady line up with people you enjoy hanging out with and who are pretty much in sync with you musically. It makes everything easier. We rehearsed really hard for “Royal Destroyer” and we also had to postpone the recording due to Covid-19, which in the end gave us more time to rehearse and make the songs better. So, it’s all about hard work mixed with great band chemistry.

Victor Augusto: Talking about the long-time partners in crime Marko Tervonen (guitar) and Magnus Olsfelt (bass) have been together since the beginning of the band. You also stayed with them most of the time during the intervening decades. Even though you have had a few break ups and hiatus, you’ve still conquered and urged a huge respect worldwide. How is the relationship amongst you three after so many years?

Johan Lindstrand: The relationship has always been good. We have been friends for a long time now. We were only kids when we first started and we have grown up together playing Death Metal in a kickass band. Like brothers in arms. More than half our lives have been dedicated to this and it’s kinda crazy when you think about it.

Victor Augusto: Of course Robin Sörqvist (lead guitar) and Henrik Axelsson (drums) are amazing musicians who joined the band for the 3 previous albums (Henrik just for the last 2). What could they offer to the band’s sonority of the band’s sound, considering you already had a strong identity when they joined?

Johan Lindstrand: They have been amazing from day one. They have brought in a new boost of energy into the sound and also into the band chemistry as well. Great guys that fit perfectly. I hope they stick around till the end.

Victor Augusto: Returning to the past, I remember after discovering the band, I spent many years without knowing anything about the releases available because I was so broken that I hadn’t access to either the internet or the money to buy heavy metal magazines. When I finally had money to find and buy a new album from The Crown, I discovered “Crowned in Terror” with Tomas Lindberg (At the Gates) replacing you on vocals. It is curious that I didn’t know anything about Tomas or At the Gates, but I loved that album even knowing that you are the best man to be THE band’s front man. How was that experience to have him on the band at that period, if you don’t mind talking about it?

Johan Lindstrand: Tomas was in the band for a very short period. They did that album and went on tour in the States. It simply didn’t work out. I believe it’s hard to come into an already established band and try to fit in. But I think that “Crowned in Terror” is a great album and Tomas did a great job. Many people love it, including me. Respect!!

Victor Augusto: On 2021, the band showed old videos from when you were called Crown of Thorns. My impression after I saw it was that you’ve always had that classic Swedish sonority, that brings a really dark atmosphere, but The Crown seems to flee from it towards a more aggressive style of music. Was it your intention to focus on this aggressive sound to be different from the other Swedish bands at that time?

Johan Lindstrand: As I mentioned before we were very inspired by classic old school US Death Metal and there wasn’t that much melodic stuff happening. I guess we just wanted speed and aggression, but pretty early on we started to mess around with more melody and made our sound wider. We have never felt like we belong anywhere in the Swedish scene. We have always drawn our own path.

Victor Augusto: “What is happening, Victor?”. Those were my wife’s scared words after I screamed a concise and loud “Holy Shit!” when I was reviewing the newest album “Royal Destroyer” (2021). The reason for this reaction was because all the tracks from the album sound like you just wanted to create the best set of songs ever. There is not one song which sounds like it was a case of “more of the same’, just to complete an album. How hard was it to achieve this result when you were composing for this album?

Johan Lindstrand: We had a lot of songs to choose from. In the end we threw I think 2 or 3 songs away which didn’t feel as good as the others. I think we knew pretty early that we had good material in our hands and when you get that positive vibe; it’s all about rehearsing to make it even better. And we nailed the whole album in 7 days in the studio. We didn’t want to overwork it. We wanted a fresh, live feeling and those songs ended up perfectly on the album.

Victor Augusto: Still talking about “Royal Destroyer”, it is a mix of everything you’ve done along the decades, but even more brutal. Just the fast and killer opening song ‘Baptized In Violence’ feels ready to destroy everything. I felt even a bit of diluted Hardcore in the mix on this track, amongst the Death Metal. How did you work together to compose this album?

Johan Lindstrand: ‘Baptized in Violence’ was actually my contribution to this album. Me and Magnus wrote the riffs, but I had the idea in my head before I wrote anything. I wanted something really intense that was around one minute and it was more for fun in the beginning, but the band loved this so much it ended up as the first track. I was sceptic at first because it was a more playful vibe compared to the more serious stuff but, in the end, I feel it really deserves a spot. Cool intro to the album.

All the other songs are composed the way we have always worked. People write stuff at home, then we mess around with it in the rehearsal room to make it even better as a unit. When we have enough songs, we start to think about making an album. We have so much influence coming into this band from all five people which makes the sound more interesting. We have no boundaries in this band. If it feels right, then we record it no matter if it’s a ballad or a one-minute grind song.

Victor Augusto: Which is the song that each of you most like from “Royal Destroyer” and why?

Johan Lindstrand: My personal favourite is “Let the hammering begin”. It has a classic vibe to it, but it still feels fresh. Great arrangements.

Marko Tervonen – Guitar: I think ‘Let The Hammering Begin’ is one bad mo-fo that contains all the elements a good song requires!!

Henrik Axelsson – Drums: ‘Scandinavian Satan’

Robin Sörqvist – Lead Guitar: Best on the album is the solo in ‘Full Metal Justice’. Energy, Thrash, shrimpsallad and a hard on!

Magnus Olsfelt – Bass: First riff of ‘Baptized In Violence’ is a highlight for me. Vintage Quorthon-style!

Victor Augusto: Despite Ever Metal being based in the UK, I am from Brazil and I know few people here who also like The Crown. How is the reaction of South American metalheads to The Crown? Do you think that one day you could tour here?

Johan Lindstrand: We really hope to get over to South America in the future. That would have been awesome. But I really don’t know how the status of The Crown is over there. Hopefully it’s good.

Victor Augusto: You have a DVD “14 Years of No Tomorrows” that has many good live performances from festivals and concerts you’ve played between 2000 and 2003, as well as bootlegs from the nineties. Do you have plans for new material from a live concert, perhaps with a documentary to discuss your long history?

Johan Lindstrand: We actually released a live show in 2015 on our YouTube channel. Pro-filmed and 90 minutes long. Other than that, we don’t have any plans to release more physical stuff like live DVD’s and documentaries. But who knows? It might happen in the future.

Victor Augusto: I can’t describe how happy I am to have talked to you. I really hope to see the band live someday, no matter where in the world. Please let us know your final words for the fans and the band’s plan for the future.

Johan Lindstrand: At the moment we are writing hard for our next album which probably will be out in 2023 and I hope that the world will go back to normal soon so we can go out and play for you all. Thanks for the support and thanks for the interview, Victor.

Cheers / Johan

The Crown – ‘Motordeath’ (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

LINE-UP:
Johan Lindstrand – Vocals
Magnus Olsfelt – Bass
Marko Tervonen – Guitar
Robin Sörqvist – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Henrik Axelsson – Drums

LINKS:

The Crown – Royal Destroyer review

The Crown – Royal Destroyer

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Victor Augusto 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.

Macabre Decay – Into Oblivion

Macabre Decay – Into Oblivion
Grind To Death Records
Release Date: 18/06/2021
Running Time: 37:24
Review by Victor Augusto
8/10

Again, I have to remind you how I like, where possible, to follow new bands from the beginning and for their entire career. The opportunity to watch them evolve musically and professionally is something that I really admire on this path as a reviewer. However, for the band in this review, I have not been a dedicated follower of everything that they have done for 7 years and this is the first time that I written about them since I started my journey as a reviewer.

That does not mean that this is the first time I have heard of the Swedish Death metallers, Macabre Decay, as I have a CD from of their first demo that travelled from the US to this creepy huge land called Brazil. At that time, I won it on the Metal Meltdown radio show from DJ David Softee (yes, the same DJ that I mentioned in my Motorhammer review) after I answered a question about a line-up change that they talked about in an interview. At that time, I wasn’t a reviewer, so the impression you get of a band is a little different when you are just a listener and not writing about them!

Considering I am now hearing “Into Oblivion”, their second full album, and not the demo of a new band, the perception is even deeper. This time I noticed more elements and details that I hadn’t realised before. My first impression is that Macabre Decay flee from the typical Swedish Death Metal sound!

“What do you want to say, Victor?” (This is my schizophrenic inner mental voice talking to me). Well, when the words Death Metal and Sweden are used together, it is hard not to picture crystal clear sonorities with a dense and dark atmosphere created by a wall of melodies, riffs and heaviness. “Are you saying that Macabre Decay don’t have these?” (Hello again, Mr. Schizo!). No, I am not saying that at all!

I can feel all of those elements on this album, but they are more diluted within the 37 minutes of brutality. What caught my attention is how they are more oriented to bands like Bolt Thrower or Entombed. Nevertheless, they don’t forget about what has made Swedish heavy music famous around the world.

The vocals of Henka Andersson are pretty guttural, inspired, or similar to, the early Cannibal Corpse albums. Fredrik Gunnarsson offers brutal riffs complemented by Sami Mäki on lead guitars. The bass of Henrik Edlund Ljung walks in a more aggressive line to follow the linear structures of drummer Martin Knutar. None of them try to sound exuberant, but they work excellently as a team to create a good synergy.

I can mention songs like ‘Utterly Helpless’ that offers melodies akin the best Swedish Melodic Death Metal. What about technique? Maybe the beautiful acoustic ‘The Becoming of Art’ could answer that. This song is like an intro for the remarkable ‘Altered Flesh’ that, for me, is the best track on the album. This song has a mixture of everything I have mentioned so far although, maybe, the killer track ‘Wall of Bones’ can beat it with its hellish melodies, but I prefer to let to you decide which song is the best.

“No bullshit, just Death Metal”. These words are from the band on the Press Release and it defines perfectly what “Into Oblivion” is. I can assure you that this statement is true, but Macabre Decay is a very technical band as well. The achievement in their music is how they’ve found an amazing balance between aggressiveness and technique. The result is a very straight sound that can make you bang your head whilst enjoying technical, well-structured, compositions.

‘Kräks, Förruttnelse och Våld’ (Lyric Video)

TRACKLISTING:
01. Icon
02. Impenitent Homicide
03. Into Oblivion
04. Utterly Helpless
05. The Becoming Of Art
06. Altered Flesh
07. Wall Of Bones
08. Last Breath
09. Beauty In Carnage
10. Kräks, Förruttnelse och Våld

LINE-UP:
Fredrik Gunnarsson – Guitars
Henka Andersson – Vocals
Henrik Edlund Ljung – Bass
Sami Mäki – Lead Guitars
Martin Knutar – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Victor Augusto 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.

At The Gates – The Nightmare Of Being

At The Gates – The Nightmare Of Being
Century Media Records
Release Date: 02/07/2021
Running Time: 45:37
Review by Victor Augusto
10/10

“Legend: a very famous person, especially in a particular field, who is admired by other people.” (Oxford English Dictionary). Yes, I want to start with this definition and hold it in your mind until the end of the review. Hello again my friends. After the terrible nightmare of having my beloved wife in an ICU due to COVID-19 complications, I return with my writing (We are all so relieved she is well again Victor – Rick). During these weeks that I lived inside a hospital in Brazil, I could have (again) music as a relief. Guess what, I was listening to the new At The Gates offering and it is not the first time that their music has followed me during tough times. The band’s masterpiece “Slaughter Of The Soul” was an important album when I was a teenager and lived in a poor neighbourhood when, at that time, my life was full of misfortune!

Maybe, the concept of At The Gates lyrics, reflects the world itself. Maybe, you think it is a bit depressing to hear, while you are going through dark days as I currently am. Right now, I am writing this as I see my wife struggling to breathe. Their music shows how difficult it is to live in this world, but at the same time, they offer an incredible source of energy and hope with their superb riff structures and beautiful melodies. Are you confused with my ideas so far? So, here are my thoughts listening to just the opening song ‘Spectre Of Extinction’. A punch of riffs just like At The Gates know how to compose. Everything is allied with brutal drum fills and good melodies. It makes me feel like dying inside a hurricane, but having those chaotic fierce winds gives me energy to fight. This is how I connect myself with music, and At The Gates can offer it in a perfect way.

I won’t be repetitive about their importance of having created a unique sonority that is a Swedish trademark. What I can say is how this album has the perfect balance between all the brutality from their 90’s releases together with the cadence from their two previous albums. The quality of having crystal-clear sound in the recording process, another trademark of Swedish sonority, is still present. Maybe, on the last album, “To Drink From The Night Itself”, they purposely offered a slightly dirty production, but now they have returned with a good balanced production and a more organic one.

Guitarists Martin Larsson and Jonas Stålhammar give us superb work and I don’t think they ever questioned the absence of long-time guitarist Anders Björler, who left the band in 2017 (If you have ever considered At The Gates amazing guitar work, just listen to this album). The bass of Jonas Björler is more present on this album. I love how he commands the cadence which lets Martin and Jonas free to play their melodies and harmonies.

Tomas Lindberg and Adrian Erlandsson are the kind of musicians that make everything sound good if they are present. Adrian is a brutal drummer and his versatility of extreme beats with cadenced parts is astonishing. His intro on ‘The Paradox’ is devastating. Tomas interprets all the lyrics as few singers can do and also has a unique voice. He is also a very cool person, as he showed when we chatted a little on Gimme Metal radio with my friend DJ JET, which happened about a month ago.

Ok Victor, what makes this album special? The new elements that I couldn’t remember on their previous albums. Take four minutes of your life to listen to ‘Garden Of Cyrus’. It has everything we have come to expect from At The Gates, but with a calm intro, well guided by bass, with the beautiful addition of Saxophone. The orchestration on ‘Touched By The White Hands Of Death’ and ‘The Fall Into Time’ are also something new that give an epic atmosphere. ‘Cosmic Pessimism’ shows a calm song with clean guitars dictating the cadence while Tomas sings in a more talking style rather than screaming.

With these thoughts, I have attempted to understand what makes an excellent band become a legendary one. If you look at the history of At The Gates, especially what they have created for Heavy Metal around the world, you will understand the meaning of legend or legendary. Moreover, after so many albums, they are still able to surprise their fans. I don’t need to explain the power of these Swedish pioneers.

“The Nightmare Of Being”!

It is dark. It is heavy. It is technical. Maybe the most important detail is that it is the pure At The Gates that we all know and love! Thanks for surprising us again and also thanks for helping me to stay strong again.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Spectre Of Extinction
02. The Paradox
03. The Nightmare Of Being
04. Garden Of Cyrus
05. Touched By The White Hands Of Death
06. The Fall Into Time
07. Cult Of Salvation
08. The Abstract Enthroned
09. Cosmic Pessimism
10. Eternal Winter Of Reason

LINE-UP:
Tomas Lindberg – Vocals
Adrian Erlandsson – Drums
Jonas Björler – Bass
Martin Larsson – Guitar
Jonas Stålhammar – Guitar

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Victor Agusto 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.

The Crown – Royal Destroyer

The Crown – Royal Destroyer
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 12/03/2021
Running Time: 45:45
Review by Victor Augusto
10/10

Ok, before I start my smooth talk, let me travel back in time. The year was 2002 and my older brother appeared at home with two albums from a Swedish Death Metal band. If you have already read my EMQ’s as an Ever Metal team member (if not, you can read it after this review, https://evermetal.wpcomstaging.com/2020/07/14/emqs-with-victor-augusto/), you will understand how my brother has a peculiar way of insisting you listen to music. I clearly remember, to this day, when The Crown albums “Hell is Here” (1999) and “Deathrace King” (2000) started to play on our old stereo. After that, I understood how amazing the music from Sweden was. What a brilliant memory.

I really struggled to follow the band’s career, after the year of 2000, because I was living in a very poor neighbourhood, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), without access to the internet or a computer; even though those two things were becoming popular at that time. Heavy Metal was a very strange kind of music for people who lived in that place too. I had no money to buy magazines either, but the years have passed and after almost two decades, here I am. I could not believe that someday I would be able to review The Crown and it is even better considering “Royal Destroyer” is one of the band’s best albums, maybe ‘the best’, who knows? So, let’s get to the review itself.

“What is happening, Victor?”. Those were my wife’s, scared, words after I screamed a concise and loud “Holy Shit!”. Yes, it happened while I was listening to the pure destruction of the opening track ‘Baptized In Violence‘. What a killer way to open an album with its extreme Hardcore mixed with Death Metal that is The Crown’s trademark. The best thing is that ‘Let the Hammering Begin!’ and ‘Motordeath’ maintain the violence that keeps your level of adrenaline extremely high. This last one has fast guitar picks on the initial riff. Again, I could not believe that I was listening to so many insane tracks. Moreover, it doesn’t stop there.

For sure, I thought that the upcoming songs would be not as strong as the first four. Even classic albums usually have one or two tracks that are just filler to complete the set list, but with “Royal Destoyer”…bloody hell no! The only change here is the speed which becomes more cadenced, but all the tracks are pretty insane. ‘Glorious Hades’ shows the more melodic side of The Crown, without losing the heaviness. ‘Full Metal Justice’ explores their thrash metal elements more and has beautiful double kicks and fast drum fills. I loved how ‘Devoid Of Light’ brings a Morbid Angel spirit to The Crown’s identity. Everything ends with a good atmosphere on ‘Beyond The Frail’ and I could not believe what I had just heard. If my brother were with me, we would probably react like teenagers, exactly how we did 20 years ago.

Founder member Marko Tervonen is an absolute riff machine and his (not so) new partner in crime Robin Sörqvist’s guitar work makes everything more remarkable with all his solos. There is also a great chemistry between drummer Henrik Axelsson and bassist Magnus Olsfelt, another founding member. The versatility of Henrik to play fast styles, that change from Hardcore to the most brutal Death Metal, is very well complemented by the powerful bass of Magnus, as you can hear on ‘Ultra Faust’. Of course, vocalist Johan Lindstrand is also a fundamental member of the band, having been there since the beginning, when they were still called Crown of Thorns, during the nineties.

The Crown are masters of mixing their Death Metal with a lot of Thrash Metal and also a little Punk therefore their fans will know what to expect, however, this time they have utterly stamped their identity and made their music even stronger. I couldn’t imagine being able to review an album so strong that it surpasses their two masterpiece albums “Deathrace King” and “Crowned In Terror”. My first thought after hearing “Royal Destroyer” for the first time was “There is not one, single song that is bad on this album”.

If you are a fan of The Crown, you will probably know that they are one of the biggest names to have made the Swedish Metal scene famous around the world. You will also know all the ups and the few downs that the band have overcome. This line-up has basically stayed the same since “Death Is Not Dead” (2015) and their last album “Cobra Speed Venom” (2018) received a response that a legendary band deserves. As a result of all the touring from the previous album and a stable line-up, we now have “Royal Destroyer”.

It is an album made up of 100% amazing songs! It shows the experienced band we already know, but with an intense energy as if they are young and ready to conquer the world! As a reviewer, it is a pleasure to review such an amazing piece of work. As a fan, I have the same feeling listening to “Royal Destroyer” that I had when I was a young boy, back in 2002, adding in a mix of feelings from everything that I have learnt from that period until today. I am also proud to see such an important band continuing to thrive in the Worldwide Metal scene.

Grattis till Sveriges bästa band!

‘Motordeath’ (Official Video)

TRACKLISTING:
01. Baptized In Violence
02. Let The Hammering Begin!
03. Motordeath
04. Ultra Faust
05. Glorious Hades
06. Full Metal Justice
07. Scandinavian Satan
08. Devoid Of Light
09. We Drift On
10. Beyond The Frail

LINE-UP:
Johan Lindstrand – Vocals
Magnus Olsfelt – Bass
Marko Tervonen – Guitar
Robin Sörqvist – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Henrik Axelsson – Drums

LINKS:

EMQ’s with DESOLATOR

EMQ’s with DESOLATOR

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Stockholm, Sweden based Death Metal band, Desolator. Huge thanks to vocalist/guitarist Stefan Nordström 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?

I am Stefan Nordström, the vocalist and guitarist. Of course, I can: we are Desolator, an old school death metal band formed in 2009. We started out being heavily influenced by classic Swedish death metal, releasing our debut album “Unearthly Monument” in 2013. After that, we started experimenting more. Recently, our second full-length album “Sermon of Apathy” came out. This is something entirely different from what we’ve done before, and we’re really happy to finally be able to share it with the world.

How did you come up with your band name?

I think it actually was suggested at some kind of metal party, back when we started the band in 2009. I wasn’t there, but the story was something like, that some people were just randomly suggesting names for our newly formed band. When Desolator came up, everyone was like “oh yeah, Desolator!“ And it was pretty much decided, then and there.

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

We’re from Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It used to be very good, but recently it’s nothing like the internet would make you think. We have a lot of bands and musicians, but the clubs and gig places have been disappearing recently. So ,I’d say it’s great for creating and releasing music – not so much for playing live.

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

Our latest release is the full-length album “Sermon Of Apathy”. We actually released it only last month (September 4^th). A lot of people seem to enjoy it, and it’s been quite a big step forward for the band.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Desolator has a pretty broad span of influences. Lately, Immolation and Morbid Angel have been the biggest ones. But we also carry the European heritage from bands like Bloodbath, Vader, Blood Red Throne and Dismember. I think that’s what makes our music stand out; we don’t really choose one particular style of death metal.

What first got you into music?

Oh, just listening to top 40 stuff and mainstream rock in like 1998 when I was 11-12. Not long after, I started actively seeking out music on the internet. I quickly became a huge fan of Metallica and Iron Maiden. That escalated to In Flames and Children of Bodom. Which escalated to Entombed, Dismember and Death. Not long after, I abandoned online gaming to learn guitar and extreme vocals in my room, hahaha.

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

This is an interesting question, because we just had a dream collaboration on our new album: a guest solo by Nile’s Karl Sanders. Since it turned out so good, we’ve been discussing doing it again.

One guy we discussed for a guest solo is Anders Nyström (Katatonia/Bloodbath). He has such an eerie, unique style to his leads. For vocals there are so many good ones: Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis), Dan Swanö, Ross Dolan (Immolation), Dallas Toler-Wade (ex-Nile). Hopefully, we can get a really cool guest performance on our next release, too.

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

Probably Brutal Assault or Metaldays. These are the festivals I’ve visited so many times, and made so many memories at. It would be fantastic to turn it around and be a performer on one of them.

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

I don’t think we’re big enough to receive weird gifts. Not sure if that is good or bad, hahaha.

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

We’re very thankful for your support. You’re a big part of why the band is growing, so please take the opportunity to spread the word about Desolator.

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

Would have been very cool to see where Chuck Schuldiner would have gone musically, if he was allowed to. It seemed like he really had some magical progressive metal on the way with Control Denied. And who knows, maybe he could’ve gotten Warrel Dane from Nevermore to sing, making it the ultimate super-project?

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

Just having the creative haven that is doing my own thing. Most things we do tend to be caught up in what other people and/or society wants us to do. Writing music and other creative activities is the ultimate freedom, and an escape from all the constraints of life. Being a songwriter and a creator, I have something that’s mine – and only mine. And the metal scene can be a really cool and unique place where you can connect with people and experience things. I can’t even begin to count how many amazing experiences I’ve had at gigs and festivals.

I hate the economic and practical side of it. Being a musician, especially today, is an unpaid full-time job. Unless you have endless money, you can never fully engage in perfecting the music. It’s always about making money and time ends meet. It’s a source of great anxiety, and I don’t believe I’m the only one who feels that. Today, you have to deliver fantastic music fast, and also virtually work as an unpaid marketing assistant to promote it. I try to ignore it, and just go in the creative zone and be passionate. But there are definitely times when I doubt that it’s worth it.

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

The presence of money-hungry people with no interest in music. They used to work at record labels or as promoters. Today, many of them underpay bands for streams and block YouTube videos.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

If I could name the # 1 it would be Katatonia’s “Night is the New Day”. This is the absolute pinnacle of atmosphere and emotion for me. A very personally connected album that still gets me every time I put it on.

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

Since I live a travelling lifestyle, I don’t really have space for merch. So, I stopped buying CD’s quite some time ago. Guess I have to say downloads, even though I guess it’s a very un-metal answer.

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

Definitely our gig at Helliad Fest in Gdynia, Poland last year. It was so cool playing a big festival stage alongside big acts like Decapitated, Satyricon and Batushka.

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

Hopefully, something else that would be equally creative. Professionally, I work as a digital marketing freelancer, so maybe I would put more into that part. And maybe the travelling too. Working the social media side of travelling, blogging and such, wouldn’t be a far stretch.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Oh, wow! So many, haha. I would enjoy some enigmatic people, so let’s make a crazy celebrity/underground musician cocktail. Overall: Chino Moreno, David Lynch, Krister Linder, Mick Moss (Antimatter) and Warrel Dane (Nevermore, R.I.P.).

What’s next for the band?

Right now, it’s all about heavily promoting the album. And of course, finding gigs for next year. We would love to do some foreign festivals in 2021.

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

Mostly Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. We’re pretty new at Instagram, but it’s been very effective. We’ve been quite slow before, to be honest. Now, Joakim (guitars/vocals) and I am are trying to be the best death metal social media team out there, hahaha.

www.desolatorsweden.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/DesolatorSwe
www.instagram.com/desolatorofficial/
www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jXdamRN5yNryceZlwOt9Q

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

I don’t know what it is, but my girlfriend insists that it’s a biscuit. So, I guess I’ll go with that!

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

Thank you for the interview! I’d just like to thank our fans for their ongoing support. For underground music, nothing is more important.

Bombs Of Hades – Phantom Bell EP

Bombs Of Hades – Phantom Bell EP
Black Lodge Records
Release Date:17/04/2020
Running Time: 15:37
Review by Tammy Lomax
9/10

Hello everyone, I hope you all are keeping well during the on-going lockdown and hats off to our NHS. Amazing people.

I am incredibly lucky to have music to keep me occupied. Doesn’t mean I cannot share though, as sharing is caring after all. Let me introduce you to Swedish death metal band Bombs Of Hades and their four track EP “Phantom Bell” released on 17/04/2020.

Firstly, a little background.

Back in 2002 bass player Anders Ekman and Guitarist/vocalist Jonas Stålhammar would crank it up, letting off some steam in a rehearsal studio Influenced by Slayer, Autopsy, Entombed etc.

Countless beers later, some serious thoughts and discussions took place and they then approached Po Söderback and Magnus Forsburg. Now completely united, their discussions became actions and their dreams became a reality Their first E.P “Carnivores” was released by Blood Harvest Records in 2010 creating some buzz within the scene. After more successful years, three more albums, many EP’s and loads of gigs, Ekman departed and along came Roger Iderman who filled his place in 2016.

Now to new EP “Phantom Bell”. There may only be four tracks, but it is still really great! I can be greedy though! If my ears appreciate it then I always want more!

Just in my pants (it was a warm day!!), I submersed myself in my headphones, maxed out the volume and drifted off in my perfect music bubble. Throughout the EP you get some blinding guitar solos. They are rustic and original, slow, and sexy as hell and it takes me to a place of ecstasy. As I listened to the lyrics, they came alive. I found myself understanding and relating to them. Jonas Stålhammar’s vocals throughout are tight, in your face and destroy. I was really enjoying this. There was only one way forward from here …repeat play and repeat…

My favourite track here must be ‘Bridge Of Sighs’ although, if I am honest, it was quite a difficult choice as I love ‘Lungs’ too. I was lured in from the moment it started. They hit you hard, the repeated riff gets you rolling, sounding doomlike, all deep and cosmic. Then the vocals glide in with zero mess, matching and meeting the rhythm perfectly. It is juicy, weighty and your ears beg for more. POW! Then, that guitar solo…oh my days! When the final note hits, it’s a pinnacle for me! And now, I am a dribbling mess!! It is a complete release. #flushedtam!

The tracks on ‘Phantom Bell’ are so good, I just need more to satisfy me. As I said, I can be greedy. Bombs Of Hades, guys, this is excellent, and I cannot wait to see what else you deliver in the future. Do, more…lots more.

Keep safe everyone.

TRACKLISTING:
01 Phantom Bell
02 Bridge Of Sighs
03 Kamikaze
04 Lungs

LINE-UP:
Magnus Forsburg – Drums
Roger Iderman – Bass and Effects
Jonas Stålhammar – Guitars, Vocals and Mellotron
Po Söderback – Guitars

LINKS:
www.facebook.com/bombsofhades
www.instagram.com/bombsofhadesofficial/
www.bombs-of-hades.bandcamp.com/
www.open.spotify.com/artist/1VuGF7wNcFIb8xk5q3fcmc#_=_
www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwtEJxV7wL8HC4XlhluNzw

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Tammy Lomax 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.

Sorcery – Necessary Excess Of Violence

Necessary Excess Of Violence Cover

Sorcery – Necessary Excess Of Violence
Xtreem Music
Release Date: 20/08/2019
Running Time: 44:33
Review by Mark Pritchard
10/10

A couple of weeks ago the awesome team at Ever Metal, of which I am a part of, put a list up of bands for possible reviewing. I looked at all the bands and among 3 or 4 other bands that caught my interest was Sorcery. I really like the name ‘Sorcery’ and I was very happy that I got the go ahead for these guys as well as the other bands, I have been listening to their recent album “Necessary Excess Of Violence” for the past week two weeks straight and I tell you what, this Old School Swedish Death Metal band don’t half blow your mind with their pure intensity from start to finish, I sit here writing this review drinking a cold can of Monster trying not to headbang otherwise I would forget what I want to write but one thing I can definitely say is that I am utterly enjoying “Necessary Excess Of Violence”.
Each day, while I have been listening to this, the words ‘let up’ are not in my vocabulary. ‘Sorcery’ come at you hard and fast with no chill at all on this album. With the history the band have, even though there have been a few line-up changes since their origin in 1986, they still have two original members and you can feel all their experience being there in all of the tracks. That experience, passion and dedication to their cause for the past 33 years and counting is right within all of the vocals, the drumming and in the guitar/bass playing, I don’t just hear the music they have made for this album but also their history and I tell you what it makes me feel honoured to be able to listen to them and to be able to review them!
When you have Tommy on Drums, Johan & original member Paul on Guitars, John on Bass and the other original member Ola on Vocals you have a line-up that, in a way, grabs your head and forces you to headbang and that is something that listeners won’t be able to help but do due to the intensity these guys play at! If there was such a thing as an intensity scale then Sorcery would smash it to pieces. This album might as well have the quote ‘Welcome to Headbanging Central’ stamped on the album booklet.
Now for the rating part of the review, during the time I have had to be able to listen to “Necessary Excess Of Violence” it has been a hugely enjoyable experience and, as a result, the only rating I could give this album is 10/10, I can’t see any fault at all with this and the album has become one of my favourite death metal albums and one of the albums I am honoured to have reviewed, I want to say a huge thank you to the band as well as Ever Metal for the opportunity to do this review.
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Stellar Circle
02. Where We Were Born We Will Demise
03. The Darkest Part Of You
04. Of Blood And Ash
05. I’ll Be Gone In The Dark
06. Death Is Near
07. Illuminate
08. King Of Nothing
09. Year Of The Plague
10. Language Of The Conqueror
LINKS:
http://sorcery.se/
https://www.facebook.com/sorcerydeathmetal/

Sorcery Photo 2019

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Mark Pritchard 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.