Incantation Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days? Alex: We are about to release the new record "Vanquish in Vengeance".And gearing up to start doing some shows in the next few months.We are also writing for the next record as well.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous recordings? Alex: It is more of a live vibe.Most of the record was done that way.I think it is well produced but at the same time extremely raw and ugly sounding!

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release? Alex: I think it expresses the power of all religion that it has over this world.The suffering and control of people.As well as our interest in the Occult and the beyond!

4. Out of all the shows and tours that the band has done so far, which one did you enjoy the most? Alex: For me it was the tour we did in Brazil with our long time friends in Immolation.It was a pleasure to tour with great friends and the whole organization was run very well.A lot of fun!! And Brazil is a amazing place.Also I have to say one of my fave tours was with Divine Eve in 2010.Great friends as well and a very good time.

5. What are the touring plans for the new release? Alex: Nothing planned yet. But I am sure we will be touring in early 2013.

6. The band has been around for more than 20 years, what is it that motivates the band to keep going after 2 decades? Alex: We still have a vision and are all very much inspired to do this.It is who we are!! And we all enjoy working with each other.If we did not enjoy what we were doing we would all stop.And for me I need to create and express myself.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by death metal fans? Don,t know yet!! Alex: It has not come out yet!
　
8. What is going on with Ibex Moon and the other musical projects these days?
John: As a label we lost a lot of money over the last 4 years and I had to put the label on hiatus for a while. I need to pay of some debt's I incurred and I want to pay them off then make a decision what to do next with the label. Right now Ibex Moon Records has an uncertain future. We do have some back stock that we are liquidating if anyone is interested get in touch.

　
9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases? Alex: I see us going even darker!! Like I said earlier we are writing new material now for the new one.We will keep pushing ourselves and this band to continue to get better and better as we go along.But I can promise you we never steer away from what Incantation is all about.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?Alex: I cant say that I really have been influenced anything new.As far as listening to lately the same stuff I grew up with Maiden,Purple,Angel Witch,Voivod,Sabbath,Priest,Rush and some new bands such as In Solitude and Darkest Grove.I have to mention I have been listening to a lot of my old demos from Mutilated(Fra),Nihilist,Autopsy,Death/Mantis etc…
　
11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Alex:Sleeping when I can.
John: I work as a screen printer, besides that I like jamming with my other band Funerus and hanging out with my wife and dog.
12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
John: Thanks for the support! We look forward to doing shows in support of the new album. It great to have a new album out after many years Also, check out my other band Funerus if you like old school death metal.

Decrepitaph/Forgotten Scriptures - The Collection/Selfmadegod Records/2012 CD Compilation Review

  Decrepitaph  are  a band  from  San  Diego,  California  that  plays  a  very  old  school,  dark  and  heavy  form  of  death/doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  compilation  album  Forgotten  Scriptures  -  The  Collection"  which  was  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  Drums range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  only  a  small  amount  of  fast  playing  and  no  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a very  strong  and  powerful  sound  to  them, as  for the  sound  effects  they  are  only  used  on  the  intro's  and  outro's  and  they  bring  a  very  dark  and  evil  sound  to the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  old  school  death  metal  with  the  darkest  and  heaviest  elements  of  doom  metal  along  with  some  dark  and  evil  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  anywhere  on  this  recording.

  Vocals are  all  deep  death/doom  metal  growls  along  with  some  horror  film  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Anti  Christian  and  Gore  themes,  as  for t he  production  it  has  a very  dark,  heavy,  strong  and  powerful  sound  to  it.  

  In   my  opinion  Decrepitaph  are  a very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  old  school  death  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rot  In  The  Grave"  "Throne  Of  The  Diabolical  Ones"  "Forever  Christ  Forsaken"  and  "Horrid  Visions  Of  Mutilation".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Incantation/Vanquish In Vengeance/Listenable Records/2012 CD Review

  Incantation  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  has  been  around  for  a  long  time  and  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  combines  dark  and  blasphemous  death  metal  with  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Vanquish  In  Vengeance"  which  was  released  by  Listenable  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they h ave  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

   Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combines  the  darkest  and  heaviest  elements  of  death  metal  with  doom  metal  along  with  a  good  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  with  some  high  pitched  screams  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times  in  addition  there  is  a  brief  spoken  word  part  being  utilized  on  the  last  song,  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  numerous  genocides  committed  in  the  name  of  religion,  as  for  the  production  it has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  strong,  powerful  and  professional  sound  to  it  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another great  recording  from  Incantation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his b and,  you  should  enjoy t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Invoked  Infinity"  "The  Hellions  Genesis"  "Transcend  Into  Absolute  Dissolution"  and  "Legion  Of  Dis".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.        

Dimicandum/The Legacy Of Gaia/Metal Scrap Records/2012 CD Review

  Dimicandum  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  atmospheric  metal  which  combines  doom,  gothic, and  death  metal  with  metalcore  and  traditional  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "The  Legacy  Of  Gaia"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  keyboards  bring  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  to t he  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  the  atmospheric  elements  of  death,  doom,  gothic  and  traditional  metal  with  metalcore  along  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  heavy  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  screams  to  deep  death  metal  growls  that  have  somewhat  of  a  metalcore  edge  to  them  at  times  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  screams  that  bring  a  slight  black metal  influence  to  the  music,  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  variety  of  occult  topics  such  as  Gaia,  Sumerian,  and  Atlantis  along  with  other dark  and  metaphysical  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it

  In  my  opinion  Dimicandum  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "At  The  Gates  Of  Ishtar"  "Sumerian's  Warning"  and  "Bring  Me  Down  To  MY  Atlantis".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Crown/St Valley/Split/2012 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  France's  Crown  and  St  Valley  which  was  self  released  in  2012  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Crown  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  more  sludge/doom  sound  but  put  a  black  metal  song  on  this  recording.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  used  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  while  still  retaining  some  sludge  and  doom  elements,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  depressive  sounding  black  metal  guitar  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  capturing  the  modern  day  black  metal  sound.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  song  from  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  some  sludge  and  doom  elements,  you  should  check  out  this  tune.  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  St  Valley  which  is  a  side  project  from  one  of  the  members  of  Crown  which  plays  a  folk  style  of  music.

  Acoustic  guitars  are  very  dark,  melodic  and  depressive  sounding  with  a  mixture  of  finger  picking  and  full  chords,  while  the vocals  are  all  clean  singing.

  Lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  only  vocals  and guitars  being  the  instruments  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  great  song  from  St  Valley  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk  music,  you  should  check  out  this  song.  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  this  to  all  fans  of black  metal,  doom,  sludge,  and  folk  rock.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

    

The Gardnerz/It All Fades Away/Abyss Records/2012 CD Review

  The  Gardnerz  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  melodic  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "It  All  Fades  Away"  which  was  released  by  Abyss  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  to  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  death  with  doom  metal  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for t he  acoustic  guitars  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  use  full  chords  and  finger  picking  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  .

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death/doom  metal  growls  with  some  clean  singing  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  black  metal  screams  in  addition  there  are  some  female  clean  vocals  on  the  cover  of  Darkthrone's  "Transylvanian  Hunger"  which  sounds  nothing  like  the  original,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  anti  christian  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is another  great  recording  from  The  Gardernz  and  if  you  where  a  fan  of  their  previous  efforts,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Horrible  Disease"  and  "It  All  Fades  Away".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Yellowtooth Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Henry:  Mostly jamming as of late and trying to get together as often as possible. We’ve started to write riffs for the 2nd YT album and have been mixing new material we’ve written with some of the older riffs we wrote over 4 years ago.  Aside from that, just drinking beer and looking to do a few shows when the opportunies present themselves.  

How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

Henry:  I’d say it’s a culmination of our influences over the years, but basically it's a good start. We've all known each other for a very long time (two of us in one band and Pete in several others) but we never jammed together so this idea is becoming reality. It took time to find each other musically though.  Figuring out where this riff is going and what the other is thinking. I guess the short answer is something like Sabbath, Entombed and Motorhead meets Lynyrd Skynyrd all thrashed together in a blender.


What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Henry: Life, movies, documentaries, fiction, horror. Just look outside your window & your hit with a spectrum full of ideas.  Pete always has his “ghost/spectre” tunes and that ended up being “Soulstalker.”  “Wizard Dust” is about drug use while “On The Trail of Lewis Medlock” subject is from a classic 70’s movie we’ve all seen.  Will let you guess which one.



What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Henry:  Actually that's Pete's story. Legend has it he was out drinking somewhere years ago and he heard his old drummer get into an argument with some woman.  It got pretty intense and his drummer called the woman a fat yellow-toothed bitch.  I think that little voice in his head couldn't stop laughing because he never forgot it. Besides, what else makes people cringe and evokes a look of disgust?


5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Henry:  I'd have to say most of them have been cool but we don't do as many shows as we would like because of our work schedules.  The way we see it, we appreciate anyone coming out to see us and watch the band. So will try to give them a good show, play tight and leave a lasting impression.  That’s the basis for a YELLOWTOOTH show I’m guessing.                                                                


6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

Henry:  Not right now. Just playing selective shows when we can & hoping our work schedules allow us to hit Michigan, Illinois & Wisconsin to jam with other killer bands in the area.  There is a lot of great bands out here in the Midwest.


7. Can you tell us a little bit more about the record label Orchestrated Misery?

Henry:  I'll tell you the guy that runs it is a real son of bitch, I know that! No seriously, that's our bass player Pete's label. He started it before Yellowtooth ever existed. He released Catapult the Smoke’s first couple of cds & started to release a few others but this year has been hectic, so he's had to just concentrate on YELLOWTOOTH debut.


8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, stoner and doom metal?

Henry:  I think positive so far. It's just starting to get circulated and hopefully people can see it for what it is. It's an honest album in the sense that it's the beginning of something we all enjoy doing. Three friends getting together to write and record some tunes, drink beer and do the occasional show when possible.


9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Henry:  A lot of what is on DISGUST is really, like I said earlier, us finding each other musically. I think the next release we will progress a bit more but perhaps take an even darker element of death or sludge/stoner and mix them in the songs. Whatever happens the Tooth will still be Yellow and disgusting with amps to eleven

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Henry:  Influences? What a long list:  From Black Sabbath to Thin Lizzy, Slayer to The Allman Brothers. It's really all over the place. If it is heavy I'm usually drawn to it. As for what I'm listening to now. Grand Magus, Machinehead, Volbeat, Red Fang, Testament.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Henry:  NFL football (Chicago Bears), grilling out with family & friends, writing new tunes on the guitar, campfires, movies, Xbox, beer & the almighty sleep.



12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Henry:  Thanks for the interest in YELLOWTOOTH.  As we've said it before:  We are not trying to reinvent the wheel here but maybe just throw some mud, blood and beer into the mix.  Plus that nice burnt-tire smell for the ride home lends a nice aroma.