Thrash Metal

Hatesphere – Hatred Reborn

Hatesphere – Hatred Reborn
Scarlet Records
Release Date: 31/03/23
Running Time: 49:28
Review by Paul Hutchings
7/10

I described Hatesphere’s tenth album “Reduced to Flesh” as capable of starting a fight in an empty room, such was the anger and venom that surged through it. Over four years since that release, the Danes are back with album 11, and as the title indicates, they aren’t here for tea and sandwiches.

It’s a riotous ride, stretched over close to 50 minutes and welcomes vocalist Mathias Udall to the fold. He’s the band’s fifth vocalist in their 20+ year history, with only guitarist Peter Lyse Karmark remaining from the original line up that formed in 2000. Udall brings a ferocious delivery to the band’s blend of thrash and death metal, which is underpinned by a driving groove.

At this stage in their career, Hatesphere don’t need to prove a thing, and they provide a crunching album crammed full of vicious riffs, dynamic, spiralling guitar work and razor-sharp lead guitar. It’s cohesive, delivered with full force and balanced with subtle changes of tempo and melody that enhance each song.

Lyrically, “Hatred Reborn” is based on man’s fascination with evil. It’s a topic that many bands have approached in the past, and Hatesphere’s punishing delivery brings extra spice to a time-honoured topic in the metal world. There’s plenty of savagery here, as the band push through the boundaries of darkness. From the opening intro ‘The Awakening’, the pummelling and explosive ‘Gravedigger’, and ‘The Truest Form of Pain’, this is a robust and solid release. There’s enough variation contained within the album to retain interest throughout, with the changes of style noticeable without detracting. ‘Gravedigger’ for example, switches between full-on thrash to more deathcore breakdowns before returning to full throttle aggression. An ambitious cover of the Scorpions ‘Another Piece of Meat’ is certainly unique, with a blindingly heavy vibe that makes the song hardly recognisable at times. It’s a raw version of a classic song from back in the day. The digipack provides a bonus live song in ‘The Fallen Shall Rise in a River of Blood’ which provides a glimpse into the band in their real environment.

With a strong production thanks to Tue Madsen and some inspired cover art by Stefan Skjoedt, Hatesphere’s 11^th release demonstrates that the band are still a hungry, gnarly outfit, with plenty of miles left in the tank. Well recommended if you like your metal snarling, angry, and totally in your face.

‘Hatred Reborn’ Official Play Through

TRACKLISTING:
01. The Awakening
02. Hatred Reborn
03. Cutthroat
04. Gravedigger
05. 918
06. Darkspawn
07. The Truest Form of Pain
08. Brand of Sacrifice
09. A Violent Compulsion
10. Spitting Teeth
11. Another Piece of Meat (Scorpions cover)
12. The Fallen Shall Rise in a River of Blood

LINE-UP:
Mathias Uldall – Vocals
Peter Lyse Karmark – Guitar
Kasper Kirkegaard – Guitar
Jimmy Nedergaard – Bass
Mike Park Nielsen – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Paul Hutchings 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.

Exelerate – Exelerate

Exelerate – Exelerate
From The Vaults
Release Date: 10/03/2023
Running Time: 46:02
Review by: Chris Galea
9/10

When I first delved into this homonymous album from Exelerate, the music kept throwing my mind back to classic U.S. Metal bands such as Vicious Rumors, Chastain, Apocrypha and Satan’s Host. Turns out they’re actually Danish and this is the band’s debut album.

I say it’s a debut album but it doesn’t really sound like one…the musicianship and tightness of the songs are what you’d expect from battle-hardened (Metal) troopers. The album starts and finishes with soft, mellow moods but in between are several bouts of whiplash-inducing Power/Thrash Metal.

Earlier on I made reference to a number of U.S. Metal bands but most of all “Exelerate” kept reminding me of Mike LePond’s Silent Assassins. In fact I continuously had to check if the singer was Alan Tecchio. Turns out his name is actually Stefan Jensen and he’s got an amazingly powerful voice. But it’s not only Jensen that shines. The rhythm section is furious throughout the album and the songs are always punctuated by blazing guitar solos.

A few tracks have melodies that I associate with middle-eastern music and although there are no ‘ballads’ the songs sometimes slow down…briefly…before getting back to good old energetic Heavy Metal. Sometimes those mellow parts work, sometimes they don’t, but for sure their contrast helps accentuate the music’s heaviness.

So yes this is an excellent debut album and if any of the names I’ve dropped already have a place in your record collection then I’d strongly recommend you check out Exelerate.

‘Release’ Official Video:

TRACKLISTING:
01. Arrival
02. No Escape
03. Spawn Of Satan
04. Release
05. Children Of The Sun
06. God Of Man
07. Lethal Assault
08. In Between Sanity (feat. Sofia Schmidt)
09. Epilogue

LINE-UP:
Mads Sørensen – guitars
Stefan Jensen – vocals, guitars
Io Klarstrup – bass
Stig Eilsøe-Madsen – drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Chris Galea 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 Among These Ashes

EMQ’s With Among These Ashes

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with USA Melodic Power/ Thrash Metal band, Among These Ashes. Huge thanks to their Guitarist, Rich Clark, 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 Rich Clark, and I am the lead/rhythm guitarist for Among These Ashes. We are a melodic power/thrash band from Detroit, MI. JP (also vocalist for Traveler) and I formed Among These Ashes during the peak of the COVID pandemic, and it has since expanded into a full live line-up. We released our debut album, Dominion Enthroned, in February 2022 and are actively recording for future release. The central focus of this band is to create highly-memorable songs that are heavy, aggressive, dynamic, and melodic.

How did you come up with your band name?

I have always been into apocalyptic themes, imagery, and landscapes especially when it is man-made. So, the name is inspired by those elements and was tweaked over a period of time until it was something I liked. We frequently get comments about how it is a hardcore name, but for me it is just a band name that I personally like, and I don’t spend time worrying about where or if we fit into the infinite categories of metal sub-genres.

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

We are based out of Detroit, MI in the United States. Locally, we have a very strong scene, and I think it very special because the bands in the Detroit scene are very supportive of each other. The quality of the song writing and musicianship is as good as anywhere I believe. Highly recommend checking out Finality, Salvation’s End, Theandric, and Nethergate from the Detroit metal scene.

What is your latest release?

We are releasing an original single named The Enemy in I on April 21^st this year. The song checks all of the boxes I mentioned above in terms of the sonic trademarks of Among These Ashes. Lyrically, the tune is about self-destruction. It’s just a heavy, aggressive song, and we can’t wait for people to hear it. We are huge fans of the bands that pioneered metal in the 80s, and the mighty Savatage is one of our favorites. So, we recorded a cover of Savatage’s classic track, Sirens. That track is being packaged as a B-side to The Enemy in I.

Who have been your greatest influences?

As big as they are, Metallica is my greatest influence and more specifically James Hetfield who I tend to think of as a deity. I have always steered myself towards bands that I feel have superior song writing, so my other huge influences are WASP, Rainbow, Fear Factory, Iced Earth, Symphony X, King Diamond, Iron Maiden, and Death to name a few. I also love outlaw country and southern rock as well as folk and acoustic music. I have a very eclectic taste in music, and I pull from that when writing songs. For me, sense for melody and memorable passages often times is inspired from genres other than metal.

What first got you into music?

My uncle played the black album by Metallica for me when I was eight, and music was always very important in our household when I was growing up. I got really into the more obscure (at the time) bands in about 2001 when a friend showed me Iced Earth, Kamelot, Savatage, and Grave Digger. The impetus for me getting serious about guitar was hearing Zakk Wylde on Ozzy’s Live and Loud CD. I would have been about 16 years old. I was always very interested in writing my own songs instead of playing others’ songs, and the same is true today.

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

Lately, I really admire Mark Tremonti as a musician and songwriter, so I would pick him.

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

I am sure this is almost a standard answer for everyone, but Wacken!!!

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

Unfortunately, I haven’t received gifts from fans. Maybe one day though.

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

Any contribution or acknowledgement that you enjoy our music is the most amazing, humbling compliment I can personally receive. I struggle to put into words the gratitude that I feel for anyone who has listened to and appreciated our music. Simply put, thank you.

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

Absolutely Ronnie James Dio.

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

Creating is my favorite part about being a musician both from the song writing as well as the production aspect. I don’t think there is anything I hate about being a musician. However, something I dislike about being in a band is that the Internet has created a platform for expression (this is not wholly a bad thing), and with that comes waves of negativity, and I don’t like seeing other artists as well as ourselves receiving negative commentary from strangers online. I definitely think no comment at all is a great alternative to a negative comment.

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

I would make it easier to gain exposure resulting in increased listenership. I say this not because it corresponds to greater revenue, but because it means that more people are hearing our music, which is what is most important to me.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Metallica: “…And Justice For All”

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

I don’t (personally) think there is a best as long as the music is being listened to. That said, I have been heavily into vinyl as of late.

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

Our first show was definitely our best in July of 2022.

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

I would still be doing my same day job, but I would probably just be more into my other super expensive hobby, which is hunting.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

My wife, my son, my dad, and my two dogs haha (even though dogs are not people).

What’s next for the band?

We have two live shows in May, so we are preparing for those. We’re also hard at work on our next studio album, which I want out in spring of 2024.

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

Bandcamp: https://amongtheseashes.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmongTheseAshesmetal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amongtheseashes_official/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq3Tl1yuyACt_nSDRxb-hOg

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?

A. I am not going to cheat by looking it up, so going with Bap. Let me know the correct answer!

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

Thank you to Ever Metal for this great opportunity. This was a lot of fun, and I sincerely appreciate what you are doing with your platform and your willingness to support us.

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 DICKS’ FALL

EMQ’s With DICKS’ FALL

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Italian Crossover Thrash band, Dicks’ Fall. Huge thanks to their Guitarist/ Vocalist/ Songwriter, Gabriele, 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 Gabriele, I’m guitarist, singer and composer of most of the band’s songs. Dicks’ Fall was formed in the late summer of 1991. In that moment we were four sixteen years old boy scouts, pissed off at the mountain, due to a horrible mountain camping experience, so we founded the band and wrote the song ‘Fuckin’ The Mountain’. A topical song as the mountain represents life’s difficulties. Over the years the line-up has changed: only Igor, the bass player, and I stayed there from the beginning. We were very influenced by Grunge that was raging in those years, but in the mid 90’s the band turned into thrash-metal. At the moment we have two albums (LOVE – Lips On Vulcan Eruption and HATE – Heaven After The Eruption) and the third will be out by May. We’ve always been more a stage band than a recording or a social media band, but that’s going to change soon… I think!!

How did you come up with your band name?

There is a double factor: a geographical one and a hormonal one! The first: we were physically on a mountain and we were descending into the valley. The second: we were young, and we thought sex was essential. Put the two together: a horde of excited young people tumbling down a mountain. It sounded better like a waterfall than an avalanche. And here came the “DICKS’ FALL”! We were brilliant, isn’t it?

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

We come from Piemonte, Northern Italy. The metal scene is mostly underground, sadly pop music and trap shit dominate the music scene in general. There is very little desire for rock music and even less for bands playing their own songs. By now pubs and clubs are looking for cover bands, rather than unreleased bands.

What is your latest release?

Our latest album was released in 2018: HATE (Heaven After The Eruption). In this album the songs are always full of different riffs, but with more technical work and attention to detail compared to the first album, due also to more time spent in the recording studio. The influence is clearly 90s thrash. The third, even more complete, will be out soon.

Who have been your greatest influences?

80s and 90s thrash bands, especially Pantera, Anthrax, Faith No More, Suicidal Tendencies, Metallica in the early years, Slayer, the Grunge scene and Rage Against The Machine.

What first got you into music?

Since I was a child I have always listened to music, as my father played saxophone and was passionate about blues and jazz, as well as a certain styles of Italian music – little known abroad, but of high quality (Pino Daniele, Franco Battiato, Mina, Nicola Arigliano). I have literally consumed vinyls such as Santana’s Abraxas. Then, around the age of 15, I started playing the alto saxophone and gained experience. But the passion for Metal music has always been latent and came from within. I didn’t have to listen to a particular band to fall in love with the genre, but I did have to look for a band that satisfied my quest for the right sound and impact…

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

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), Jeff Waters (Annihilator) or Mike Muir (Suicidal Tendecies).

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

Wacken! For the high concentration of bands, to deal with and from which to take an example or lessons.

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

Our fans give us their presence and passion: that’s enough. Indeed, it is much more than we can hope for every time we go on stage. We literally put our soul into it. They feel it and fill us with emotional fuel. Trust me, it’s wonderful.

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

Wait for us, we’re coming!

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

Dimebag Darrel and Vinnie Paul.

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

The adrenaline of the stage is pure pleasure; dismantle the stage after a concert is devastating.

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

The gigs organisers don’t want to take risks anymore bringing musicians who, by playing original and quality music, could conquer the public, but their goal is bringing musicians who are already known, so they have a guaranteed public. If it had been like this in past years, today we wouldn’t have Zappa, Bowie, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Jamiroquai, Kravitz, The Queen, and I could go on for hours. It’s a dog chasing its tail , because the radios always play the same music and people get used to it, without looking for anything else. If, on the other hand, they would bet a little, and they give a chance to really underground musicians and bands , the public could appreciate new music and, thus, “remember” that the world is huge and different. I think they would draw also benefiting the coffers of the music industry. I’m afraid , however, that it is only utopia…

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

“Vulgar Display of Power” by Pantera.

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

Vinyl … culture and style.

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

Last November. In the club house of a biker club: very large and energetic crowd. We only played for an hour, but there was a total ruckus.

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

An alcoholic man! Just kidding… My life would have been emptier.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Ozzy Osbourne, Mike Muir, Mike Patton, Mark Wahlberg and an interpreter to help me with my bad English!

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

We use Instagram, Youtube and we just started again the Facebook band page after somebody hacked the original one… Follow us!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dicks_fall/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dicksfallofficial
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBagGySOJJ0vpBJBY7OsLg

It’s a bun for me! Did I win?

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

I thank you for the opportunity. I hope to come and play in your area!!

Jenner – To Live is to Suffer

Jenner – To Live is to Suffer
Fighter Records
Release Date: 07/03/23
Running Time: 37:12
Review by Paul Hutchings
5/10

“To Live is to Suffer” is a reissue of Serbian Thrash/Metal outfit Jenner’s debut album which was first released in 2017. So, what we’re doing here is reviewing an album that was first issued six years ago, which makes any objective view of the album a challenge. At the time of issue, Jenner was a quartet, whereas today they are a trio with guitarist Alexandra Stamenković now handling vocal duties as well as the fretwork. It’s therefore a review based on what was then, rather than what is now and that makes it difficult. In fact, only Stamenković was in the line-up who originally recorded this record.

Opening track ‘Factory of Death’ is a pacy number that rips along at decent speed. Elements of Priest and Maiden are evident, although there are any number of influences that you can identify within the band’s sound. The vocals are routine, singer Angelina Mitic working at the very limits of her ability, but it doesn’t detract from a reasonable opener with some decent lead work.

The problem here is that Jenner have one style of track. There’s little variation and whilst they are adept at what they do, the songs all blend into each other. There is genuinely nothing bad about this album, but I’d arrived at penultimate song ‘Silent Killer’ without realising that I’d already listened to six songs. “To Live is to Suffer” is a listenable album with some sharp playing, but it lacks the songs to make it memorable. Whether the new line-up can make it any different is open to debate. Hopefully, their second album which is promised for later this year can do that. There are a couple of bonus demos with this revised release, but I think you’d have to be a hardcore fan to be excited by that.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Factory of Death
02. Hear the Thunder Roar
03. Demon’s Call
04. The Heath is Coming Again
05. On the Judgement Day
06. How Deep is Your Greed
07. Silent Killer
08. Opened (On the Table)

LINE-UP:
Aleksandra Stamenković – vocals/guitar
Selena Simić– drums
Anja Mirković- bass

LINKS:

EMQ’s With Neo Utopia

EMQ’s With Neo Utopia

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Chilean Thrash/ Melodic Death Metal project, Neo Utopia. Huge thanks to project founder, Rainer Hemmelmann, 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 Rainer Hemmelmann, I’m the founder of this project. It began in 2020, during the lockdown I wanted to release my music, and the best way to do it in that moment was doing it all by myself. So, I began this 3 part little project, to be the basis of the future album.

How did you come up with your band name?

It is inspired by the book of Thomas Morus “Utopia”. But the great inspiration is the new world or new utopia that the same society is trying to generate.

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

I was born in Concepción, south of Chile, but for 15 years I’ve been in the capital, Santiago de Chile. The scene here is similar to other places in Europe. Chile is known for being a metal country. The local bands are performing really well nowadays.

What is your latest release?

The latest release is “Q3”, the final chapter of the “Q” project. Now I am beginning to work on the debut album, hopefully to see the light this year.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Some of the greatest influences for me are Dave Grohl, Tobias Sammet, Phil Collins and Peavy Wagner. And if I have to name some bands, it would be Dream Evil, Metallica, Sepultura, Arch Enemy, Kreator, Napalm Death, Rage, and Megadeth.

What first got you into music?

My brother when I was 8 years old. He listened to Metallica, Pantera, Marilyn Manson, and others.

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

In my country I work and have been working with some great people that I admire, but internationally I would say that has to be Peavy Wagner of Rage or Niklas Isfeldt from Dream Evil.

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

For sure Wacken, but at this time a little dream would be any European festival.

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

With Neo Utopia, not so many, because I have never done a show yet, but at this time I would say the gift is listening to our EPs all over the world, without any shows it’s weird hehe.

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

Support your local scene, go to shows, have a blast!

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

I would say the mighty Joey Ramone and Lemmy, but the list is long.

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

To be in touch with people and for sure to be on the stage. And what I hate is the asshole musicians that think they are almost gods.

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

To open more opportunities to be shown the new music.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

“DragonSlayer” of Dream Evil, “C.O.L.O.N.Y” of In Flames and “Swangsong” of Carcass.

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

I was born with Cassettes. I know the relevance of the Vinyl and the easy handling of streaming or download, but I stay with CDs.

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

With Plasma as opening act for Yngwie Malmsteen last year.

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

Lawyer or working in a record store.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Peavy Wagner (Rage), Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Tobias Exxel (Edguy), Peter Stalsfors (Dream Evil) and Edu Falaschi (ex-Angra).

What’s next for the band?

To start the demo work for the debut album.

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

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6FG1N2huRfLpIsZBIweh0g
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/neoutopiaband/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064321562605

Ohh difficult for me to say, but would go for Barm.

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

The first thing is that I appreciate the time and opportunity to show this work, and I hope to visit your land in the next few years.

Stay heavy

lml

EMQ’s With Disminded

EMQ’s With Disminded

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with German Death/ Thrash Metal band, Disminded. Huge thanks to their guitarist, Auer, 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 guys! My name is Auer, I play guitars for Disminded and what describes us the best is a mixture of Death Metal (sometimes old school, sometimes melodic) and Thrash Metal. We formed in early 2009 and tried not to change our sound too much during the years. Me as the main songwriter and our singer Kevin are still present since the beginning so we think we have achieved that goal pretty well.

How did you come up with your band name?

We wanted a summary of our lyrical themes, which are largely about personal negative experiences. Things that leave you “out of your mind”. So we came up with Dis-Minded.

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

We are from Germany, the founding city was Wesel which is north of the “Ruhr Area” where the Metal scene is still running strong. Unfortunately, in our hometown the scene vanished somehow.

Now we live scattered across the Ruhr Area in Duisburg, Essen and Witten. Only Kevin still lives in Wesel.

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

Our latest release would be the album “Beheading The Snake” (2020), as well as our video single ‘Coro-Nation’, which was also released in 2020. Our upcoming new album “The Vision” will be released on March 11^th, and a video single called ‘Unleash Hate’ has already been released on Youtube.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Tough question. I guess during our founding days it was a bit of Kataklysm, a bit of Slayer and a bit of Six Feet Under which defined our way of writing music. During the years there have been a lot of other influences as well, for example Dew Scented, Heaven Shall Burn and, of course, most of the “old” Death Metal bands like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Death, Morbid Angel…

Another big influence I have to mention is my personal love for traditional Heavy Metal and also Power Metal.

Yes, shame on me, HAHA!

What first got you into music?

I think there are the first musical points of contact in everyone’s childhood. Be it parents, friends, family or schoolmates, you always got your music from somewhere. My father always loved Pink Floyd so I grew up listening to them. Later I was introduced to Iron Maiden by my uncle in 1994, since then my life always revolved around music and Heavy Metal specifically.

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

Hmm. There are so many awesome bands and musicians out there so it’s too hard to choose…

Of course, I’d love to work with Iron Maiden, but that’s just fanboy stuff. 😉

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

Despite the fact that we would love to play anywhere, my personal favourite would be Hellfest because it’s so damn huge. There are so many different artists to choose from that I don’t think that you’d ever get bored. I wouldn’t even have time to eat or drink – I’d be sure to miss my own show there.

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

I can’t recall ever getting gifts from our fans… If so, it would have been in liquid form, which is never weird! HAHA!

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

Thanks for your support, it means a lot to us, we love you all!

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

There are so many good people who have gone too soon… Schuldiner, Darrell, Mercury, Steele, Dio – but if I got to bring one guy back, it would be Hanneman so we’d have Slayer back!

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

I have often wondered whether we really decided to be musicians ourselves. In the end, we just wanted to have a band to get free beer. We learned to play our instruments over time, but does that really make us musicians? But that’s what I like about it: the freedom to decide whether I’m a musician today or not. What I don’t like about it is that there are a lot of “companies” trying to get a piece of our pie and trying to rip us off. Unfortunately, we’ve already had very bad experiences with that, but every experience makes us smarter, right?

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

Delete Spotify. People should be buying albums again, it’s the greatest support and appreciation that you can show. Plus, you really get to know the artist and the product that you have in your hands. You build a relationship with it. Listening to music online, you are skipping tracks, you don’t read the credits, you don’t even have a band photo. It’s unpersonal and months and years of hard work are turned into faceless disposable products. But that’s just my personal point of view.

Music streaming surely also has its good sides as you get to know new bands and you can listen before buying.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

That’s hard, but I’ll go with my roots: Iron Maiden – “Somewhere In Time”!

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

Anything physical.

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

Every concert has its charms. As long as everything doesn’t go completely wrong, we always have fun. Of course there are black sheep. You don’t get paid, no guests show up or the technology fails. but on the whole, we have always made the best out of every situation.

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

In any case, I wouldn’t be sitting here in the office doing this interview with you, which I would find a shame, because I’m having a lot of fun.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

I don´t do dinner partys, HAHA!

What’s next for the band?

Releasing our upcoming album “The Vision”, having a huge release party and playing some more shows. We hope to see all of you out there somewhere!

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

www.facebook.com/dismindedofficial
www.instagram.com/dismindedofficial
www.disminded.de

I really don´t know! There are so many different names for bread in the UK that even as a local I would lose track of them. Therefore, I think I’d prefer a sandwich. 😉

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

Thank you for the invitation and the interesting questions. I hope I could bring you a little closer to the personal side of Disminded. If you like us and our music, please like us on the usual platforms, come to the shows, order our CDs, it means a lot to us and helps us to keep going.

EMQ’s With Mortalus

EMQ’s With Mortalus

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with USA Heavy/ Trash Metal band, Mortalus. 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?

Mortalus is equal parts classic and modern, heavy and melodic, power and finesse, focused and loose. We take our craft very seriously, but by the time the album closes, the listener will know that we still like to have a little fun while we are at it. Michelle Gann shreds guitar and covers lead vocal duties. Bryan Bedgood lays down the groove with the bass and backing vocals. Patrick Mahoney fills out the drums and everything percussion.

Our band is celebrating 10 years this year. It has been a very heavy and epic journey.

How did you come up with your band name?

Patrick is the founding member of the band. In the very early days, there were several friends and family that helped to come up with something that was unique, impactful, and heavy.

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

We are from the southern United States, based our of Little Rock, Arkansas. The metal in our area is currently entering a renaissance phase. There are lots of new bands on the scene that are inventive and exciting our ears!

What is your latest release?

Our sophomore LP, which is out on February 24, 2023, is a showcase of all everything metal. It has been a whirlwind since the last album was released. Impactful events such as a global pandemic, political and worldwide turmoil, addiction, inequality and prejudice, losing family members, decayed friendships, and re-evaluation of one’s own perspective all went into the making of We Are Human.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Metallica…because it’s Metallica! Bur really, there are so many influences for each band member.

Michelle: Iron Maiden, Evergrey, Pink Floyd and Ozzy. I also grew up with a lot of 70’s and 80’s classic rock (The Police, Toto, Journey, Styx, Kansas, Foreigner…. I could go on forever). Those epic melodies really made an impression on me. Because of those bands, I really can’t write a song without some type of catchy melody in it.

Bryan: Toto to Testament, Chicago to Candlemass, White Lion to Black Sabbath, Night Ranger to Nevermore, Kansas to Kamelot, SRV to EVH… you get the point. I draw influence from all sorts of musical inspiration, especially as a multi-instrumentalist. For Mortalus, more specific influences would be Iron Maiden, Billy Sheehan, Mike Porcaro, Michael Anthony, John Myung, Steve DiGiorgio, and of course Dave Willems.

Patrick: I grew up in New Orleans and was surrounded by Jazz, Funk, and early pioneers of doom and sludge metal. However, I was most influenced by thrash in the 80s and crossovers such as Agnostic Front and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles. Most notably though, my playing style is a little Kenny Aronoff for groove, Nick Menza for fantastic footwork and interesting fills, and Dave Lombardo for complex single strokes.

What first got you into music?

Patrick – I came from a very musical family. Nearly every aunt, uncle, grandparents, and both parents were musicians. Music was part of everyday life whether it was on vinyl, 8 track, or cassette. There was always something interesting on in the background. Irma Thomas, Kenny Rodgers, Men at Work, and Pat Bentar were some of what was on in the car or blasting through the home stereo. I first took an interest in piano, but my passion was the drums. Thankfully I had very accommodating parents and siblings that tolerated the thunder that came from my adolescent bedroom as I learned to play and further developed my craft.

Michelle – I came from a musical household. My dad is an amazing vocalist, and he was in rock bands for much of my early childhood. I was shy though and would only sing privately in my room until I was about 18 or 19. I started playing guitar at age 15 because I started getting into metal. A couple of my good friends had guitars and it looked like fun. I just thought, “I bet I could do that too.”

Bryan – As a youngster, my Mom would have the radio on and I would always gravitate towards the Chicago songs, like 25 Or 6 To 4, Beginnings, etc. I picked up trumpet because of Chicago, Dizzy Gillespie, and Doc Severinsen. Then the ‘80s happened (yes, I’m in my 50’s), and it was all downhill from there!! Def Leppard, Ratt, Cinderella, Whitesnake, you name it. Then I’d add in some Metallica, Ozzy, Overkill, all the Shrapnel Records shred stuff, etc. My favourite album of all time is still Toto IV, 40 years running.

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

Miley Cyrus. She seems like she would be a lot of fun to work with. You never know what would be coming up next and is super collaborative and creative!

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

Download – because Donnington…… the history of it all, from Monsters Of Rock to the current Download. Such legendary line-ups since 1980. To just be a small part of that would be super rad!

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

We appreciate all gifts! We have never received anything too weird or too “out there”.

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

Keep an open mind and an open heart, but don’t apologize for your love of metal. Metal fans are truly everywhere you would never know unless you play it loud, talk about it, and take pride in sharing your passion with those around you. You never know who you might inspire. Make the world a better place, one chug at a time

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

David Bowie. He was everything and had no boundaries. He pushed through gender conformity, cultural norms, and continued to reinvent himself, his bands, and his art.

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

The creative process and experimentation. When a song finally comes together…it’s all running smooth and we’re all locked in. It is a feeling nearly impossible to top. Pure magic!

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

The money hungry big machines of music. The amount of music that is released commercially is so small. There are so many emerging and existing artists that are out that continue to push the bounds of simple notes. Too band some of the smaller local and regional acts don’t get more exposure and airplay to see how these artists could mature.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Master of Puppets by Metallica. It is the perfect blend of harmony, speed, and thrash.

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

We all like physical media. Vinyl has made a huge comeback and sounds stellar on modern and vintage turntables. However, we love CD’s… they are portable, are crystal clear, and cheap to produce. We are thankful for streaming and all forms of electronic / downloaded media. It makes sharing our music so much easier and in the ears of a wider audience.

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

Thrashing Through the Snow (December 2019) at the Revolution Room in Little Rock. This was a fundraiser show featuring some stellar acts to raise money for our local Food Bank. Hundreds thrashed the night away and we were able to raise lots of money and canned food for the Arkansas Food Bank.

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

Not having as much fun, that’s for sure. We all have different interests from painting, building cars and motorcycles, spending time with our families or recording new projects.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Freddie Mercury, Robin Williams, Babe Ruth, Cher, Marilyn Monroe. This would be such an eclectic group…the stories and humour alone! Can you imagine the topics!

What’s next for the band?

World domination, of course!! Seriously though, we are lining up tour dates in the US as we speak. We are hoping to line up European dates in 2024. Along the way, inspiration will strike and writing for the next record will begin.

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

Please see below:
Web: https://mortalusmetal.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mortalusmusic
Bandcamp: https://mortalus.bandcamp.com/
Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/mortalusmetal
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXBdTXOcGWj6lDwGs9ncsA/videos
iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mortalus/948128896
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/51U4peXYL5KVjvxiH5ZOWs
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B00QT157XY/mortalus
Twitter: @Mortalus_band
Instagram: Mortalus_Metal

Like the “pop / soft drink / cola / Coke / soda pop” name debate in different parts of the USA……

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

Go buy our new album, We Are Human, and thrash to Mortaus!

EMQ’s With Lawrence Wallace

EMQ’s With Lawrence Wallace

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with USA Progressive Thrash/ Alt Metal solo artist, Lawrence Wallace. Huge thanks to him 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 Lawrence Wallace. I named my musical project after my name. I started recording this music around 2012 under the name “Lawrence’s Creation”. I then went under the name “Moonlight Prophecy” but decided to stop using those names. I only ever played a few shows by myself at local venues. I recorded so many songs that I can’t even remember them all but I have them all uploaded on band camp.

How did you come up with your band name?

I just use my name now.

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

Philadelphia PA USA. The scene is pretty much dead here. I wish it wasn’t but there isn’t much going on here except rap music and night clubs that play hiphop and dance music. I catch some rock and alternative bands playing locally sometimes, but usually it’s all rap.

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

“Event Horizon” is the last song I released, just after my recent compilation that I put together called “shred compilation”.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Probably yngwie malmsteen and Michael Angelo Batio. I do like some guitarists that came later though, like Andy James, and others.

What first got you into music?

Metallica, and Ozzy

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

Hard to say, if it is someone famous probably Rusty Cooley or Jeff Loomis, I think that would be very interesting.

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

I played at NAMM once many years ago, Id like to do it again. There are a lot of great bands that play.

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

A guitar. Haha it was a cheap one that didn’t work well but it was interesting. Very nice of them.

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

That it is a great pleasure to make music that they enjoy. I hope they keep following me and if they also play an instrument, I encourage them to keep it up and send me some of their music so I can check it out.

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

That’s a hard one. There are a lot of them … probably Alexi Laiho

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

I love recording new music and listening to tracks that I am proud of. I also like getting feedback from people who enjoy my music as well. The things I hate are carrying amps to and from shows that end up not being worth the trip. It’s also sometimes an expensive hobby.

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

I wish it was easier to get discovered. I dont know how that could change but that would be one thing that would be great.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

“Souls of Black” – Testament

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

I dont have much of a preference but I grew up on CDs

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

Probably a place that closed in Philadelphia years ago. I honestly forget the damn name of the place. The promoter literally made exactly $666 at that show though. We all thought that was pretty crazy considering it was a death metal show especially.

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

Maybe designing websites or some form of visual art.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Aside from people that I know? I have no idea. Lets say Paul Gilbert, Yngwie, Michael Angelo Batio, John Petrucci and Marty Freedman. We’ll have a dinner for guitar players haha.

What’s next for the band?

I hope to release another album. I’m going to try putting a little more work into getting it heard more though because I did a poor job on the last one.

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

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063498159472
https://lawrencewallaceband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc_-U2aV0evx7aVpUSblnoA
https://open.spotify.com/artist/41c5z3mSwHwkja9Sooerxi

Haha I am not exactly educated on this topic. Is it a roll? We call them rolls here.

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

Thank you so much for this interview. I enjoyed answering these questions and hope everyone enjoys the music I have been writing. \m/

Kamala – Karma

Kamala – Karma
M&O Music
Release Date: 24/02/2023
Running Time: 33:07
Review by Victor Augusto
9/10

Kamala! A 20-year-old Thrash Metal band on their 6^th full album. A band who earned huge respect from their Brazilian and European fans, especially in France. I’ve been following their career closely since 2017, despite already hearing about them even before that and I can assure that they worked incredibly hard to be where they are now.

Here is “Karma”! The result of years of dedication. It finally sees the light of the day, after a long time of waiting. This material was done even before the pandemic chaos has hit the world, in 2020, but for those who had a chance to see what happened behind the curtains with the band, as I could, know that it was a wise decision to wait for the proper moment to release it!

Maybe the title of the album represents everything Kamala has been battling so far. Definitely, it’s the release that I have most loved from them, which carries all the aggressiveness and identity that I’ve heard on their music, mainly from “Mantra” (2015) to now. Raphael Olmos is playing insanely well. His skills to create catching and complex riffs are impressive. I felt that he is at his best as guitarist and composer.

Highlights also goes to the drummer Isabela Moraes. She has already shown her capability of playing double basses and creating good grooves on the previous album “Eyes of Creation” (2018), but here she is playing much better. Her versatility to change rhythms, using very complex fillings has brought my attention, especially because it is being played faster than before.

But what I most loved from the album is also done by Isabela and I am talking about the clean vocals she sang. Her beautiful voice brought a great sentimental feeling for the lyrics, especially in songs like ‘Fear’ or ‘Made me Bleed’. For me, it was the best addition to their music!

Musically, I can describe “Karma” as a furious Thrash Metal album full of Groove and high spiritual energy. The solos are very dense with a wah-wah pedal, but Raphael showed that it is perfect possible to create good technical solos using it. The bass is strongly present all the time and it is another lovely instrument to hear here. There is also a Death Metal diluted over all the music, like they incorporated something like the Gojira high level of intensity to dilute it alongside their Thrash Metal.

Lyrically, we can divide “Karma” into songs to give you a Shock Therapy to keep fighting and working hard on what you dream or how to be better, as a human being, as you hear in ‘My Will be Done’. The harsh side of the lyrics is about the bad acts of people that create all karma in someone’s life, as the title track, ‘Delusion’ and ‘Misery and Pain’ say.

There is an interesting (possible) connection between two of the tracks. ‘Made me Bleed’ is about someone we had turned their back on; ‘Fear’ refers to losses, but it’s about the fear of dying, also the desire to live. We can connect both tracks when we have people around us that kind of die, even though they are still alive, or about people that we want to stay in touch with, despite the fact that they are not here anymore. It’s just a matter of perception.

“Karma” shows an even more evolved band that I’ve heard before and it will put Kamala where they deserve. It’s so hard to have a band doing this so professional work in Brazil, where we are losing all hopes for heavy music. I often congratulate a band after a specific release that touches me, but today I must say thanks to Kamala. Thanks for please us with an album like “Karma” and I feel proud to have walked a few parts of this path with them.

‘Forgive The Weak’ Official Music Video:

TRACKLISTING:
01. Forgive The Weak
02. Karma
03. My Will be Done
04. Made me Bleed
05. Fear
06. Never Enough
07. Dharma
08. Delusion
09. Misery and Pain

LINE-UP:
Raphael Olmos – Vocals and Guitars
Isabela Moraes – Drums and Vocals
Zé Cantelli – Bass

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.