Rutsa Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell you about the band?
Esu: Rutsa is a three man orchestra with various backgrounds and the band itself has been around half a year. We players had not been in any kind of contact before Jusa sent me a message "yo I heard you play drums. Can you pull off a blastbeat?" I've been playing in various pop/rock/progressive/folk/jazz/younameit for over a decade but never in real punk or sludge band. Our goal is to achieve raw and dark sound not forgetting the groove underneath! Rutsa salutes hobos all over the globe!

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the ep?

Esu: the sound is murderous fuzz with a twist of eradication.

Jaro: Like a bad trip on shrooms you found from the nuclear fallout.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics the band explores with the music?

Jusa: Decadence, oppressive experiences and difficulties to cope with daily routines... I also try to write about social problems, pollution, corruption and money worship 
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Rutsa'?

Jusa: We were playing cards and listening to music as usual and Jaro just threw the name. It's laconic and surly as our songs and it's easy to remember for Finnish people at least. Rutsa is shortened form or a dialect word "sukurutsa" which means incest... So it's also very capable for hinterland sludge band and for our black sense of humor!

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

Esu: There's a trio bashing their instruments in a cloud of beer fumes with some blood from the drummers knuckle..

Jusa: We have done only one gig so far but there's coming more soon!
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Esu: At the point were about to play in a bunch of bars mostly in Eastern Finland. Lets see how gigging turns out in the future. Surely not taking out the goat skulls we've planned, or decapitating audience during the performance.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Jusa: We have trusted in D.I.Y attitude but we are not going to oppose if someone wants to, for example, publish our tape.

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

Esu: It's hard to tell. Punk-rockers and black metal fans also like to get a buzz of it.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Esu: I guess sludge will get slower and grind goes faster. Ha!

Jusa: ...And noise parts will get noisier! Let's go one record at a time and see what happens.

Jaro: More primitive sounds. Snarling 'n stumbling to the transcendental mayhem.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Esu: For me Black Sabbath and Type o Negative has been the main influence over the years and I still like to listen to them regularly. At the moment the records I've been listening to consists mostly of Eläkeläiset, Kingston Wall, Death and Jethro Tull. I'd say all the music you listen to affects your playing and the sense of sound. When I met Jusa and Jaro my taste for punk rock and grindcore awoke.

Jusa: As Esu said, all the music you listen affects your playing. I have been listening to all classic stoner, sludge, HC, grind and crust stuff. There is a lot of variation but bands like Eyehategod, Entombed, Weedeater and Rotten Sound are quite regular. At the moment I've been listening to softer artists like Tom Waits, Tuomari Nurmio and Jukka Nousiainen(They are quite famous in Finland).

Jaro: Pure punk,rock,southern,sludge, grind and death metal has always been the thing. But i've also have found everything whit little blues or country going on really interesting since i was a kid. Also little bit of psychedelia turns me on. Bands like Pantera, Hank 3, Napalm Death, Dropdead, The Doors, and Ufomammut are my long term favorites.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

 Esu: I'm an old school gamer and I like to waste my free time playing Nintendo. Also I'd like to become the little hippie I've always felt inside me... Or is it a tumor? I work with kids and youngsters and I try to balance between the roles of community educator in work and a total nutcase in free time. Can you say your interest in life is balance? For me important topics are nature and environmental friendly lifestyle with the closest people around you.

Jusa: Having a good time with friends, games, TV series, drawing, eating, drinking, trying to survive... Basic stuff.

Jaro: I try to live subdued lifestyle. I spend most of my time drawing, hanging out with friends and making music. Every once in a while I might enjoy a bottle of cheap wine or two.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Esu: Thanks for the interview! We hope to get some more music done in this year!

Jaro: This sure was fun. Thanks!

Jusa: Thanks and cheers!

Akem Manah Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
1. Akem Manah is working on a new album for later in the year (2016). Will be releasing 2 singles before the album, each with their own exclusive song. First will be the song "From Hell They Ride" with the b-side being a cover of Mayhems "Pure Fucking Armageddon". Right now it is just Ivan de Prume (ex-White Zombie) on drums and myself (Dead Nedry) handling everything else.


2.The last album was released in 2014, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. I feel 2014's "Demons Of The Sabbat" took the earlier doom & death metal sound but heightened the death metal approach, while also trying to mix a little black metal. I feel it mixes 2 bands i really dig, Black Sabbath & Behemoth. I kind of liken it to some early My Dying Bride too.


3.Your lyrics cover some occult and satanic topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these subjects?
3. I enjoy writing about darkness as i feel it is more entertaining. Akem Manah is really inspired by horror, and satan, demons & death seem to be where it dwells. I have always had a darker side when writing, even when a kid. I have always felt that the darker side of things has a lot more to offer. The bad guys always seems to be more interesting then the good guy. Not all the time but quite often. I like to dig through old horror/cult movies, old stories from guys like HP Lovecraft & Edgar Allen poe and get some great stuff, some of which may have the occult vibe to it… Also, to dig through history and find great stories of dark weirdness. And religion or some form of occultism plays a big part in a lot of the old historical stories i find. i don't directly attribute the things i write to occultism, but it is there. I do feel more so that each song is a small horror passage, that has a more sinister side to it. Though when Akem Manah was first starting, i was reading a little about Anton LaVey, the Satanic Bible and the Church Of Satan. So there were some songs and occasionally still songs written that may bring that influence in. Though I am not Satanist, but i am not against it. But i found some of the things said interesting. I am not a fan or a part of any religion, but don't disprove the idea of a God, but don't believe it is how religion teaches it. So every once in while those feeling do get reflected into a song.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Akem Manah'?
 4. Back in mid 2009, months before the band even existed, i was working on some new music and looking to possibly start a band/project and looking for names. Went through many ideas and came across Akem Manah. it is comes from an old religion called Zoroastrianism. Akem Manah (or Aka Manah) was the name for a demon/spirit of "Evil Thought" or "Evil Mind" and thought that it was a perfect fit, knowing that a lot of what i was writing would be dark and maybe a little sinister.


5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and alsohow would you describe your stage performance?

5. Akem Manah is really just a studio band. Though the original line-up did some small shows in 2009-2010 and on show in 2012, right before recording the 2nd album. The band was formed in Seattle, Washington, but right before the release i had to move a long distance away, so shows were really out of the question.


6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. Soon i really do hope to put a live lineup together. I live in an area where playing this type of music is hard and finding people to play it is hard as well. So hopefully around the time Akem Manah releases the 4th album this summer/fall, i hope to be in a place where we can get a good live lineup together and be able to starting performing live.


7.Recently Possession Records re-issued your 2014 album, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

7. Possession Production is a label i reached out to because they handle many great underground death/black/doom metal bands. While they handle a lot more black metal bands, they are willing to give other metal genres a chance if they think they are heavy enough & fits the theme of darkness & occultism. So they are a perfect fit. Another reason i reached out was because they handled an artist i enjoy Nortt. So seeing a band that i like and listen to, i had to reach out, and luck for me they liked what they heard and were willing to work with me.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal?
8. Hard to really see not being a touring band. But the reviews i have seen for all Akem Manah releases have been good. Haven't seen any negative reviews or comments on music. Had one review that was not super good for this last album "Demons Of The Sabbat". It came from a person who was not a fan of the doom metal genre, and straight up said so, but the review wasn't bad, basically just an impartial review. In the end, reviews good or bad wouldn't change what i do. While i like seeing good reviews, and people enjoying music. I make the music i want and enjoy. So nothing good or bad will change that.


9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the bands members are a part of?

 9. Right now there are no other main projects. Drummer Ivan de Prume owns his own recording studio, so he does a lot of things for bands. His former band White Zombie has a box set of their early material coming out in June called "It Came From N.Y."… As for me , i am alway working on material, mostly for Akem Manah. I have ideas for a new solo ep to release either this year or next year. Also have a black metal project i started years ago called Matanbuchus that i wish to finish work on a new album. But right now my focus and mind is set on Akem Manah.


10.When can we expect new music and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. Well the first single/b-side, "From Hell They Ride / Pure Fucking Armageddon" should be very soon, hoping early April. Another single will be June. And 4th full length album will hopefully be out in the fall (2016). It will be a continuation of style from the last album "Demons Of The Sabbat", but a few song written have a little more black metal approach. They are not black metal songs, but incorporate some black metal instrumental passages. I try not to stray to far from the main sound but i find some experimentation good.


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
11. Early on the influences were Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, Ramesses, My Dying Bride, Skepticism, Thergothon, Evoken & Sunn o))). Lately a lot more Behemoth, Primordial, Dimmu Borgir, Amon Amarth, Satyricon, Immortal & Mayhem influences have crept in. But of course the early doom metal influences are still there, bands like Uncle Acid, Ghost, 11 Paranoias, Windhand, Bloody Hammers, Lucifer & Brimstone Coven, But really anything musically can influence me. I can listen to The Doors, Cream & Jimi Hendrix before recording. But Black Sabbath has probably been the biggest influence on me no matter what or when i am recording. I am always looking for new bands to listen to, i would say the bands i listen to most right now are Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Mayhem, Behemoth, Satyricon, Uncle Acid, Ramesses, Judas Priest, Amon Amarth, White Zombie, Ghost, Immortal/Abbath & Primordial.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12. Since Akem Manah has a lot of influence from old movies, that is one thing. I have collections of old horror movies, cult films and mafia movies. Mafia stuff especially, always had an interest in that. Like reading and watching stuff about old cult stuff like the Manson family, which helped inspire some new lyrics. I am also a gamer. In between writing music and working, i like to play video games, many different types.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13. I want to thank everyone who has purchased and listened to Akem Manah's music. Want to thank Possession Productions. New music is coming very soon. It will be just as dark and just as heavy if not more so than before. So stay dark, stay twisted and support underground music.

Victorian Whore Dogs/Afternoonified/Hibernacula Records/2016 CD Review

 

 Victorian  Whore  Dogs  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom that  plays  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2016  album  "Afternoonified"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Hibernacula  Records.

  Distorted  reverb's  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  that  start  taking  the  music  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  melodies  and  tremolo  picking  at  times  and  after  awhile  aggressive  screaming  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  along  with  some  hardcore  style  vocals.

  A  lot of  the  riffing  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  mostly  to  a  very  slow  yet  heavy  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  while  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  vocals  also  bring  in  death  metal  growls.

  Victorian  Whore  Dogs  plays  a  style  of  sludge  metal  that  is  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  while  also  having  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Victorian  Whore  Dogs  are  a  very  great  sounding  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mutton  Shunter"  "Murder  Boner"  "Snatch  Flies"  and  "Southern  Fried  Homicide".  8  out  of  10.

Akem Manah/Demons Of The Sabbat/Possession Productions/2016 CD Review

 Akem  Manah  are  a  band  from  the United States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom,  death  and  gothic  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Demons  Of  The  Sabbat"  which  was  released  by  Possession  Productions.

 Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  giving  the  music  a  ritualistic feeling  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  atmospheric  musical  direction  and  after the  intro  clean  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  bring  in  even  more  of  a  melancholic  atmosphere.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  alternates  between both  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  tracks  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  that  are  very  easy  to  understand  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic.

  At  times  the  vocals  bring  in  a black  metal  tone  and  the  melodies  in  both  the  riffs  and  guitar  leads  also  give  the  music  an  old  school  doom  metal  feeling  while  the  clean  singing  vocals  bring  in  a  touch  of  goth  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  one  track  being  all  instrumental  and  all  of the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  or  dark  musical  direction  whiel  psychedelic  elements  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Akem  Manah  plays  a  very  slow  style  of  gothic  doom  metal that  also  mixes  in  the  heaviness  and  death  metal  and  the  evil  atmosphere  of  black  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Supernatural  and  Horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Akem  Manah  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  goth,  doom,  and  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Worship  In  Fire"  "Possession  Of  Nun"  "The  Twisted  Rite's  Of  Satan's  Bride"  and "Demon's  fall".  8  out  of  10. 

Apathy Noir Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?



Well, just a few days after I released the new album, I got involved with some legal business regarding my band name.  I was contacted by a lawyer representing another artist named Apathy, who insisted that I changed the name of the band and also remove all content referring to the name on the internet. Being a small, independent artist myself I don't have

the resources to take up the fight, so I've been pretty busy with renaming the band to Apathy Noir, and all the work that comes with that. I have re-released the whole discography under the name Apathy Noir and currently I'm working on the physical CD release of the new album which will be released in a couple of months.



2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?



I think it's pretty hard to describe it with a single word or single genre. I usually say Progressive Death/Doom Metal but aside from genre-tags I'd say the music is melancholic, melodic, slightly progressive metal with death metal vocals infused with some blues/jazz-inspired parts. The new album is a bit different from the previous album, which was heavier and harsher and not as melodic. I think the sound of the new album is more in line with the debut album, the fact that the original vocalist is back also adds to that.



3.This is the first full length to come out since 2013, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time span?



I actually started writing new songs only a couple of months after the release of Beneath the Ashen Sky. I usually write and record stuff at the same time, so since late 2013 to the summer of 2015 I constantly wrote, recorded and mixed the album. However, in early 2015 the vocalist decided to quit so I had to start searching for a replacement. Luckily, Vidar Wetterhall, who also did the vocals on the demo and the debut album was interested. It did however delay the album about 6 months though.



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



We often use nature, sorrow and solitude in our lyrics, but for the new album Vidar Wetterhall (vocalist) came up with a lyrical theme or concept that sort of continues where the first album left off.  In short it's story of a fishing village chief who is lured away out on to the seas by seductive sirens. A journey with lots of twists and turns. Like a sorrowful tales of the seas, if you wish.



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Apathy Noir'?



As I mentioned earlier in the interview, I had to change the band name from Apathy and adding the word Noir seemed pretty fitting. Not only it is a word that I use in my production company, Artnoir Productions, it is also the french word for "black" or "dark". As for "Apathy", I chose that name in 2003 when I was in a pretty shitty state of mind, and it felt like I didn't had the energy to care for much anymore. Pretty funny that a whole new band was born out of that.



6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?



Apathy Noir has never played any live shows, as it is a one-man band. Perhaps in the future I'll find some live-musicians who can join me and we'll play some shows!



7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?



No. Not unless I find some band members really quick and rehearse like hell!



8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?



Apathy Noir is unsigned, and everything is self-released. It's a lot of work doing everything yourself, but also rewarding. I wouldn't mind having a label taking care of things like promotion and distribution because that is the hardest part as a unsigned artist I think. I would also love to re-relase my older stuff on CD, vinyl, etc but it is hard to finance yourself - in that regards having a label behind you would be a great asset!



9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom and death metal?



People really seems to like it (generally). I do hope that I can transmit some of the feelings and pictures I see when I write the music to my listeners. I've heard some comments that it's like watching a movie when listening to Apathy Noir and that's really a fantastic response to get.



10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



It's difficult to say. I have a lot of ideas in my mind but we'll just see what comes naturally. I don't like to set an exact idea for how the next release will sound, because that will only hinder your creative process. I would however like to experiment more with the calmer and acoustic parts of the band's sound.



11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



Oh, it's so many things. I grew up listening to stuff like The Beatles, Queen, Procol Harum etc. so that has always been a part of my influences. I obviously have to mention Opeth, that had a big impact on me when I was starting out, especially their early albums. Other big influences is or have been Agalloch, Amorphis, Ulver, Tiamat, Hypocrisy just to name a few. I also draw a lot of inspiration from movies, tv-series, video games and books.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



I really enjoy binge watching tv-series, reading books and renovating on my house. I'm also quite a rum-nerd!



13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?



Thank you for the interview and thanks for the support!

The Eyes of Desolation/Awake In Dead/Symbol Of Domination Productions/Cavan Records/2016 EP Review

 The  Eyes  Of  Desolation  are  a  band  from  Costa  Rica  that  plays  a  very  dark  form  of  post,  goth  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Awake  In  Dead"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Symbol  Of  Domination  Productions  and  Cavan  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts off  the ep  and  after  a  few  seconds  atmospheric  keyboards  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  along  with  the  music  getting  heavier  and  also  adding  in  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  screams  that  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  black  metal  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  bring  in  more  of  a  goth  metal  style.

  Melodic  singing  vocals  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  they  also  mix  both  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  together  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  add  a  touch  of  post  metal  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  songs also stick  to mostly  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  The  Eyes  Of  Desolation  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  90's  style  of  goth  metal  while  mixing  it  in  with  more  modern  post  metal  and  elements  of  black,  death  and  doom  metal  to create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Eyes  Of  Desolation  are  a  very  great  sounding  post,  gothic  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "Waking  Death"  and  "I  Found  My  Place".  8  out  of  10.  

Defiance Of Decease/Suicide/Narcoleptica Productions/2015 CD Review

  Defiance Of  Decease  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark,  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Suicide'  which  was  released  by  Narcoleptica  Productions.

  Acoustic  guitars  and  night  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  and  when  female  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  goth  feeling  while  the  synths  add  more  atmosphere  to  the  tracks  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  whispers.

  When  the  music  gets  heavy  it  also  starts  adding  in  melodic  guitar  leads  and  death  metal  growls  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  more  goth  and  atmospheric  side  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount of  black  metal  screams  at  times.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  a  lot  of  the  songs  go  back  to  the  90's  style  of  goth  doom/death  metal  while  also  having  more  of  a  modern  approach  to  the  genre    and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  melodic  male  vocals.

  Defiance  Of  Decease  plays  a  style  of  goth  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  rooted  in  the  old  school  tradition  while  the  elements  of  black  and  dark  metal  give  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  evil  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Defiance  Of  Decease  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark,  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Possessed  By  A  Demon"  "Blade  Of  Death"  and  "Ribbon  Of  Life".  8  out  of  10.