Buried Souls Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We are a 4 members (pieces) band from Switzerland, more specifically near Lausanne, formed in
2010, but with the actual line­up only since 2012. Mat at vocals, Alex at guitar, Yann at bass and
David at the drums.

2. In October you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that
is presented on the recording?

We wanted something relatively dark and palpable, which mixes mainly Sludge, Death, Doom and
Hardcore

3. The band has been around since 2010 but waited until 2015 to release any music, can you tell
us a little bit more about the 5 year wait?

We’ve been through a lot of troubles, we had to change our rehearsal room, we had a complete
record that didn’t made it for us. So we decided to start over the recording from the beginning and
on our own. In addition, we all have jobs or studies, so not a lot of free time, which made the
record processing quit long.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We speak about a lot of things, about people behavior, feelings, emotions, psychological affects
and about the spiritual and political dimension of religion.

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Buried Souls'?

When we read that question, we really told ourselves “hey, that’s a good one haha”. Let’s say that
we spent a lot of time looking for a name. Alex brought the name “Buried Souls” and we all agreed
on it, because this name has a particular and different signification for every member of the band.
It can either be a vision of the past, a dark dimension, metaphors about feelings and emotions.


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

We don’t think there is a performance better than another, every shows were very great. We
really enjoyed every performances we made. We try to produce a lot of energy, to keep room to
improvisation and try to be as authentic as possible.

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

We have a live show in June in Switzerland. Although we are currently working on a new EP which
should be released next year (if we are luckiest than last time). About touring, we hope to do one,
but it’s quite difficult to organise a tour with our jobs right now.

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

We are not really searching for a label right now, more focusing on composition and playing shows,
but if we have an opportunity we’d think about it seriously.

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

We don’t know if we can talk about worldwide but we received good feedback from the public.
People appreciated the mix of violent parts, blast beats that we added to melodic and sludgy riffs.

10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these
days?

David is currently playing drums in the band “Shaddaï” (swiss black metal band) Yann has a solo
project called “Aelgor”, a black metal project too.

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

We will spend more time to get the details right, which should lead to something a bit more
“technical”.

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

We all have different influences, e.g. Yann listens to a lot of thrash metal, black metal and old rock,
Mathieu listens to post­hardcore, modern hardcore and post­rock. Alex listens to more sludgy
things like Down, Crowbar and death metal bands (e.g. Dying Fetus, Decapitated, Benighted,
Dyscarnate). David is the most open­minded in the band and likes all the styles that we cited
before.

For this record, the biggest influences where sludge, hardcore, death and even doom.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Movies, video games, reading, partying, graphic design and sleeping

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

Thank you very much for this interview and your review that really pleased us!

Ex Animo Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Ex Animo is a Ukrainian metal band located in Kharkiv, our music is a specific mix of genres based on musical tastes of every member of the band, someone can describe our style as dark/doom metal, but actually we are just trying to find that golden ratio, our common vector in mixing the aggression and melody of metal music.

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?

“Neverday” has aggressive but yet melodic metal sound. Each song has it’s own mood and pace, nevertheless we’ve tried to maintain the dark atmosphere of the album.

If you compare it to our previous release you will find nothing in common. Of course, there are years between them, our views and our tastes have changed. “Neverday” is that mature release that gives a form to Ex Animo and outlines its musical direction.

3.The band has been around for 16 years but so far has only released an ep, single and 2 full lengths, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?

Yeah, that is a painful topic for us. Since 2008 we’ve been constantly experiencing some lineup issues, which made not only the recordings but even rehearsals a hard task. In fact some of the songs from the “Neverday” album were written around 2008 - 2010. Recordings were conducted from time to time since then but never finished the way we wanted our songs to be, so we had to start the process again and again. We’ve managed to release the “Soulglass” EP out of that stuff but still were not fully satisfied with the result. We still had too little experience and too many expectations. In the end we came up with the more mature sound, composition and lyrics for both old and new songs and we are really glad that the album is finally out and we can move on.

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

It can be any topic that feels right when you’re listening to your newly-written music. But we always apply our personal experience to every story behind the songs and try to make it as much personal as possible.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ex Animo'?

Well, from the very beginning we were trying to do everything based on our feelings and not to pay too much attention to current trends or demands in the music world. “Ex Animo” literally means “from the heart”. I remember one day in the early 2000s we just accidentally stumbled into this phrase in some of the latin dictionaries and realised “Wow this can be a cool name for the band!”. The kind of name that precisely describes the way we are writing our songs, this can even be called our motto, when making any kind of band related decision we are guided by this name. “Let’s do it in Ex Animo way” we say, and you already know what to do, almost all the time, ha ha.

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?

Our best shows are yet to come we hope, in general we like most of the gigs we’ve played, all of them were cool in their own way. Can’t come up with a specific one here.

Regarding the stage performance I would describe it as natural, as with the music we are trying to behave and act in the way we feel in that very moment, the “Ex Animo way” you know. We are mostly concentrated on outlining our music and giving it to our listeners in it’s best, that’s usually the high priority, at the same time we leave some space for experiments here.

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

Currently we are looking for the possibilities to present our album in the major Ukrainian cities. First show after the album release was in Kharkiv, our native city on April, 22. Further plans are unclear yet.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of the more dark and extreme sides of metal?

Most of the time we receive very nice feedback, our listeners are very supportive and this means the world to us! We believe that our songs combine enough elements of different genres to appeal to people with the diverse musical preferences, even though the fans of more extreme metal usually dislike female vocals.

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

So far it looks like our music will become more aggressive and heavy in future. Although, we’d like to experiment with acoustic and electronic sounds as well.

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

Oh, that’s a huge list that basically covers almost all of the metal and non-metal musical styles. As for the bands that influenced us the most we can list such names as: Anathema, Moonspell, Metallica, The Gathering, Black Sun Aeon, October Tide, Swallow the Sun, Paradise Lost, Therion, Katatonia and many more.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

It’s funny, but almost everyone in the band is interested in photography. Besides that comes science, art, traveling, even work (sometimes).

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

We would like to encourage people to explore new music, new bands and styles. Don’t be afraid to experiment, not only it gives you a better vision and understanding of the musical world and boosts your creativity, but also gives a chance to the bands like Ex Animo to be heard. There are hundreds of talented musicians waiting for you to discover them, so give it a try. And remember that it’s always better to listen to your heart, not to others. Cheers!

St. Bastard Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
My name is David Richman and St. Bastard is my one-man doom machine. It’s a single-seat vehicle that I drive to hell and back again. I’ve been a drummer for four decades, always in projects led by other people. But last year I decided I had some vile and horrendous visions of my own that I wanted to translate to music and convey in song. So I took up my battle-axe and started swinging.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
I try to make the heaviest and ugliest music on Earth, but with memorable riffs and hooks. There’s stuff out there that’s certainly heavier than St. Bastard, but I think even with my very limited ability on guitar I deliver some cathartic, crushing sounds.

3.Your label your music as 'dad doom', can you tell us a little bit more about that term?
Being a dad, I have a lot of daily responsibilities with family stuff, but in between that I work on the music. I run everything by the kids. They love it! The other day we were in the car and one of them asked me if I ever listened to anything but rock. (By “rock” she meant metal.) Of course I do. But in the car it’s all metal all the time.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
The Bastard’s lyrics are talk therapy, confession and raw venom. All the words that are difficult to say to people in my life are there in the songs. That and straight-up dark poetry.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ‘St. Bastard’?
For me, making ugly, extreme and dissonant music is about being a good person who goes to the dark side and brings something back. Even the sweetest, most well-adjusted and wonderful people have ugly, scary and weird things about themselves that they might successfully suppress or control. Beyond every light there is blackness, an abyss. Beneath order there is chaos. That’s what St. Bastard is. And I like band names that have the word “Saint” in them.

6.On the recordings you record everything by yourself, do you prefer this over working with other musicians?
I like having total control, and when a song is done I feel a sense of accomplishment that the thing is 100% me. But on the other hand, it can be more difficult coming up with ideas and developing them with no one else to provide feedback or add creativity.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the live bad that you have formed for shows?
When I decided to make St. Bastard into a real band I wanted to be the frontman, something I’d never done before. I’ve always been the drummer in other people’s groups. I have a very high standard for drummers and I knew I needed a great one. I read somewhere that the band Hull had played their farewell gig and broken up. Hull was a Brooklyn-based metal band that had been around for over ten years and had success, touring and releasing albums. Their drummer, Jeff, was out of a gig, so I cold-called (emailed?) him, introduced myself and asked if he wanted to play with me. He did. He’s great. On bass there's Dan, who can play the shit out of any style of music. He was in Sabbath Assembly. But I had to provide a bass for him on this gig; I couldn’t ask him to ruin one of his basses by setting it up for the beastly and hellish tuning St. Bastard uses. So I let him play my Bastard bass, expressly anointed for this band.

I’ve used a bunch of other guitar players live: Pete from Valient Thorr, Tom from Nuthouse Recording/Revolver Magazine, and Devin from the Punk/Metal Karaoke Band. But we've done our last few shows as a trio, with me as the only guitar player. It’s nerve-racking being the only six-stringer up there (I’m not really a guitarist!) but there’s a leanness and simplicity to the sound that I like. We might go forward as a trio in the future.

8.Are there any shows planned for the future?
St. Bastard is playing a show in Brooklyn on June 3 at Lucky 13 Saloon with our friends Eternal Black and Beefrot. Come out!

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
In my former life I worked at a record label for nearly 20 years. I’m glad to be out of that business! I have no real interest in going back in any capacity. I don’t really care about putting St. Bastard’s music onto a piece of plastic at all. Releasing things digitally is fine.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and doom metal?
There have been a few Facebook likes and blog posts from people in Europe and even Asia praising the Bastard. It’s good to know metal is truly a global language.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I like releasing digital EPs. When I finish a batch of three or four songs I like to put ‘em out on the Bandcamp site as is. Each little song cycle represents a season of St. Bastard, and I like to get the stuff out there pretty regularly. Other than that I’d like to keep gaining confidence as a frontman, play live regularly here in NYC, and widen the circle to do some regional gigs in the Northeast.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I like to say I’m into space…or all the space filled in. I listen to a lot of ambient music; it makes for a minimalist vibe and I like that. Otherwise, I’m a sucker for a great riff, bludgeoning rhythm and menacing atmosphere. I’ve been listening to Coffinworm, Indian, Lord Mantis, Conan, Graves at Sea, Tombs, With the Dead, Fister and Primitive Man.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Life is all about being a good dad and family man and making crushing sludge metal.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for peering into the void with St. Bastard.

Abyssian/Nibiruan Chronicles/Violet Nebula/Visionaire Records/2016 CD Review

  Abyssian  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  dark  mixture  of  goth  and  doom  metal  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Nibiruan  Chronicles"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Violent  Nebula  and  Visionaire  Records.

 A  very  dark  sounding  synth  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  which  also  use  a  great  mixture  of  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  also  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  on  the  recording  while  the  riffing  is  done  in  more  of  a  doom  metal  direction.

  All  of t he  musical  instruments  on  the  recording h ave  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  are  done  in  a  clean  singing  direction  and  they  also  mix  in  goth,  symphonic  and  atmospheric  sounds in  with  the  heavier parts  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  adds  a  slight  death  metal  influence  onto  the  recording  and  elements  of  electronic  music  can  be  heard  briefly while t he  screams  add  a  touch  of  black  metal  onto  the  recording  and some songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  traditional  metal  and d eath  rock.

  Abyssian  plays  a musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  goth  and  doom  metal  while  also  add  in a   touch  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  a  style  of  his own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Atlantean  tales,  Sumerian  Mythology,  Ancient  Alines,  unknown  Worlds  and  Submerged  Culture  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Abyssian  are  a  very  great sounding  dark  mixture  of  goth  and doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "Neanderthal  Sands"  "The  Sins  Of  Atlantis"  and  "Back  To  Tilmun".  8/5  out  of  10.

St. Bastard/Daemon/2015 EP Review

 

  St. Bastard  are  a  solo  project  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of   sludge,  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2015  ep  "Daemon".

  A  very dark  yet melodic  guitar  riff  starts  off  the  ep  and  starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  after  a  few  seconds  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  giving t he  music  a  touch  of  black  metal  along  with some  high  pitched  screams.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slow  sludge/doom  metal  direction  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  stick  to  a  very  dark  and  melodic  musical  direction  and  the  whole  ep  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  riffs  add  in  a  touch  of  the  more  heavier  style  of  90's  doom/death  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  element s of  harsh  noise  can  be  heard  on  the  last track.  

  St.  Bastard  plays  a  style  of doom/sludge  metal  that  is  very  dark  and  heavy and  also  adds  in  a  slight  touch  of  black  metal,  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  St.  Bastard  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Light  Inverted"  and  "Rift".  8  out  of  10.

 

Van Halst/World Of Make Believe/2015 Full Length Review

  Van  Halst  are  a  band  from  Alberta,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic hard  rock  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "World  of  Make  Believe".

  A  very  dark  atmosphere  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  tribal  beats  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  some  clean  singing  female  vocals  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  hard  rock  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  screams  and  growls  add  in  a  touch  of  death  and  black  metal.

  back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  synths  along  with  elements  of  goth  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  some  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  while  other  tracks  bring  in  elements  of  electronic  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  is  a  great  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Van  Halst  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  goth  metal  and  mainstream  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  a  style  of   their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  feminism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Van  Halst  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  goth  metal  and  hard  rock  with  a  touch  of  death  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Save Me"  "Questions"  "Monster"  and  "perfect  Storm".  8  out  of  10.

        

Kratos Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Very little Metal music was broadcasted and performed in Romania in the mid 90’s and Dan Dron (guitar and vocals) strongly believed that his creative abilities would better come to light if a band was formed which will establish the new face of gothic metal in our country. In light of his desire, he formed the band Kratos in the fall of 1996, aspiring at bringing gothic style music on the Romanian stage.

The first noticeable release was “The Essence”, a demo composed and recorded in 1997. After the release of the demo, several radio and television interviews followed which led to participation in metal festivals around. The performance was awarded and applauded in local and national magazines.

By 1999 we were already a well-established and known band in Romania. It was now time for our first LP. “Looking behind the mirror…” was released in mid 1999 and immediately we started a set of tours to promote its music in Romania and abroad. The band also started to re-tool itself and take full advantage of the opportunities available in gothic music by introducing symphonic elements in our composition. Atmospheric passages became darker and overall the music became more incisive.

In between events we have released three singles: 2002 – Reverse Effect, 2010 – Beyond Knowing and 2013 – It’s Empty II.

Dan Dron remains the band lead and he is accounting for almost all the Kratos compositions. In ’99 Monica Barta joined the band as female vocal and since 2012 she is also the band’s bass guitar player. 2012 is also the year when Iustin (guitars) and Catalin (drums) joined the band completing today’s Kratos lineup.   


2.You have a new album coming out, 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?

We simply call it dark metal! It is melodic metal with symphonic elements, dynamic passages, theatrical performances, with intriguing and a bit cynical lyrics.
We believe that as we evolve as humans so does the music we compose.


3.The band has been around since 1996 but has only released 2 full length, a demo and a single and also there has been no new material since 2002, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

Composing music takes time and patience. Changes in lineup, economic and political spectrum as well as personal events directly impact the ability to release new material. Also when you want to do the best you have to find the best to work with so the selection process for the band members is thorough and requires time. It is easy to notice that our sound has evolved since 1999. As the years pass everyone progresses as a human being and that gets directly reflects in our music too.

Even if we didn’t release a new LP for several years we were still active on the metal scene participating in many live shows.


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

The concept is focusing on the drama, life contrasts and inner struggles of the soul, a psychological puzzle "like an Arlechino act".

The lyrics are focused on the three evolutionary phases of the human spirit.
First one exposes the lie, falsehood, hollowness, deceitfulness and strong egos which are causing suffering to others.

The second phase creates an image about the positive part of humanity, the good we are able to exhibit and the inner power of free will.

The third and final phase represents the ether, universal, macro-cosmic stage.
Without limits the human is the Universe ant The Universe is rolling into him. 

In fact, the album is a transposition of universal evolution of the human spirit. Each song represents a different face of the human being but in its entire the album is a window to the Awakening of the human consciousness; from selfishness, malice, “humans playing with other souls”, the whole picture turns to the role of the people on this planet, the achievement of the spiritual level.


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

Kratos is a Greek word meaning force, strength or power. We relate the meaning of Kratos with the strength that is in each human being, the strength to build but also to destroy, the mental power to surge above negativity but also the dualism of the human beings, the universal force that keeps us moving on.

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?

Some notable events were the Tiamat opening act in 2005, 2008 Summer Nights Open Air Festival in Austria as well as concerts with Umbra et Imago, Rotting Christ and Suicidal Angels to name a few.
We always bring something new through our live performances so all shows are memorable.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

The release show for “Arlechino” is on May 6th in Bucharest Romania. It will be a spectacular event where we will be accompanied by a strings quintet (3 violins, 1 cello, 1 double bass). We are absolutely excited! We dreamt for a while to be able to organize such an event and our dreams came true!

As future plans, we are working on a promotional tour for our new album.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of gothic and extreme metal?
  
It’s very nice to see people asking about your new materials or live performances. We have visitors on our official channels from worldwide so I believe this is a good thing.  

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

All is well when the music is created with passion. We are not here to judge or make comments on others but rather to focus on how Kratos can and will bring an improvement to metal.


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

It is impossible to predict the future so let’s focus on our immediate goals for this matter. Primarily it is our desire to set a higher standard in metal at national and European level. To achieve higher standards, a lot of work and dedication will have to be invested which of course takes time but that also allows us to evolve and gratify all those who love our music.

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

We listen a lot of music of different genres. We haven’t a specific “pattern” and we prefer not to surround ourselves with a particular genre. Our favorite music ranges from epic, movie soundtracks as well as grind, death, black.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Reading books, movies, nature and pets.


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

Thank you very much for this interview!
I really hope that our “Arlechino” will conquer the hearts of the listener and the mind by its message. Stay true to yourself and to others!