On their latest release, In Resonance Nexus, earthtone9 embark on a journey of rediscovery, reconnecting with their core sound while pushing their boundaries further than ever before. Known for their intelligent and nuanced approach to music, the band reflects on creating what they describe as their heaviest and most melodic work to date. In this interview, earthtone9 discuss the creative process behind In Resonance Nexus, their collaboration with producer Lewis Johns, and offer insight into the album’s exploration of themes like perception and reality.

In Resonance Nexus is described as rediscovering the essence of earthtone9. Can you share more about the journey of finding this core and how it influenced the creation of the new album?

We changed our approach for the writing process of IRN. We primarily used home studios instead of gathering in a rehearsal room. This meant that ideas were more fully realized without compromise or negotiation, and in turn this meant we leaned into some aspects of our sound that had fallen away over recent times. 

We wanted this album to have an urgency and savagery that had been missing from our post 2010 work.

Your music has always been praised for its nuanced palette and intelligent approach. With In Resonance Nexus being both your heaviest and most melodic work to date, how do you feel the band’s sound has evolved? How did you balance these two contrasting aspects during the songwriting and recording process, and what challenges did you encounter in achieving this balance?

It feels to us like finally have enough perspective and experience to draw upon all the era of the band and combine them into compelling music. There have been periods of time when heavy, aggressive music stopped being interesting to us and we focused on melody and melancholy.
Now we’re able to fully combine all the elements of our sound in a coherent way. Balancing the contrast comes naturally to us at this point.

The collaboration with producer Lewis Johns has been highlighted as a significant factor in bringing the intensity and drive back to your music. Can you elaborate on how working with him shaped the final sound of In Resonance Nexus?

Lewis is a very good musician, music technology technician, music arranger and communicator/interpreter…basically all the attributes that support and drive a band to realise their musical vision.
Lewis brought to the table tones, post-production elements, instrumental parts and a mix that we wouldn’t have naturally gone for. All these aspects contributed to making the album what it is.

The lead single "Oceanic Drift" features lyrics that reflect on the concept of things not being what they appear. How do these themes of perception and reality play out across the rest of the album?

The idea of the perception vs reality gap is a reoccurring theme. There are so many dimensions to it: Personal delusion, accidental and intentional misinformation, group think, mythic figures who embody the trickster – it’s such a rich seam for inspiration.

After such a long hiatus, what motivated you to come together and create new music again? How did the creative process differ this time around compared to previous albums?

Creating and collaborating on music was an incredibly important anchor point for Joe, Owen and I during the lockdown era. Writing and being in regular contact, and creating music for its own sake was a joy.
After a while we felt like the music was earthtone9 and that we had some very strong material. The main difference is that we weren’t working to a deadline, we had the bones of 30 something songs to choose from and around 20 songs were completely finished.

With In Resonance Nexus marking a significant point in earthtone9’s journey, what are your hopes and plans for the future? Are there any new creative directions or projects on the horizon that you can share with us?

It would be killer to keep the momentum going, to play shows regularly and to release new music every 18 months or so. We’ve been so start-stop for a long time and want to change that.
We have a really loyal core fanbase and want to do events directly with and for them. We still figuring out what that looks like but it’s going to happen.

Follow earthtone9 for more info and updates: https://www.facebook.com/earthtone9

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My first encounter with Winterfylleth came via their 2012 album, The Threnody of Triumph. It was basically a two ships passing in the night affair. I heard it but didn't spend any time with it. I've spent plenty of time with their newest release, The Divination of Antiquity. Much of that was just letting in sink in. Sink down, layer by layer until it found its final resting place wrapped around my soul.

As it will yours through the inescapable pleasure of ancient windswept melodies coursing through the core of Winterfylleth's signature sound. They may ring with a bleak and icy tone but a warmth comes from within countering the harsh desperation of vocalist/guitarist Chris Naughton's screams.

Paired with guitarist Mark Wood, Naughton along with bassist Nick Wallwork create sweeping vistas of moving sound. A constant buzz of energy powers scorching rhythms and glorious melodies. As befitting the tracks, drummer Simon Lucas adapts to the changing landscapes. Whether keeping time with grace (“A Careworn Heart”) or more often blasting away the concept of time with ferocity, his commitment is never in question. Although the higher the bpms go, the higher Lucas pushes the band.

The title track sets the stage for what is largely a homogenous album, not straying too far from the foundations laid down early. Carnal black metal screams – the way black metal should be screamed in this writer's humble opinion – dig their hooks in and swiftly lift the listener up and away from the chaos and selfish existence of modern life. The listener is taken to a place still full of fear but of a different and more primal sort. Swollen-heart melodies, which are the album's lifeblood, protect against the thunderous percussion which sounds like the thudding feet of a predator in full pursuit.

As visceral as the searing black metal guitars and relentless percussion can be, Winterfylleth still conjure up images of great heights, natural beauty and a deep reverence for their homeland and its past. There is pain to be felt for certain but it's a cleansing pain.

Acoustic guitar and low chanting voices enhance the album's depth and overall appeal. The chants on “Whisper of the Elements” sound like the Earth itself is talking and the serenity and peace of the mostly acoustic “The World Ahead” calms the savage beast. You can feel the exhilarating rush as you're swept through endless valleys and hills, verdant with life and lore across stretches of time. Ghastly or ghostly, the album resonates deeply within the soul. The Divination of Antiquity is a treasure of conflicting sonics. The magical confluence of the sublime and the pestilential churns with the intent of a grand design, sending the listener forth under magnificent clear skies and favourable winds.

Few black metal albums display this level of balance and depth, merging menace with melody, brutality with beauty. The leaves are changing and so are the winds. Follow them toward the glory of Winterfylleth and The Divination of Antiquity.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/Winterfylleth
Label info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Metal Bandcamp, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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Syracuse, New York-based quintet Earth Crisis return with their eighth studio album, Salvation of Innocents, which sees the hardcore unit trying to branch out and expand their musical horizons by incorporating more melodic tricks into their sound. It’s not the first time Earth Crisis decides to take a few chances and break out their comfort zone, it happened before with Slither in 2000, quite possibly their most incomprehensible album of their career, when they tried to make their traditional hardcore sound a bit more palatable to the public. Some of the songs here do display a mellower vibe, but on the overall Salvation of Innocents is not as radically experimental as Slither was and still packs some serious punch. More importantly, it sounds unquestionably Earth Crisis.

“De-Desensitize” opens proceedings in classic hardcore style, catchy, furious riffs combined with a heavy, hard-hitting percussion and Karl Buechner’s intimidating bark, intensely potent on the chorus. “Out of the Cages” follows in with a similar attack and is sure to become one of their favorites in the mosh pit, but on “Shiver” these hardcore vets temper their metallic hardcore fury with a healthy dose of melody in the guitar and vocal departments to write one of the most melodic and catchiest songs of the whole album. Yet, on the next track, “The Morbid Glare”, they come up with one of the heaviest and fastest songs of their career and you just can’t help imagining how much chaos and havoc Earth Crisis will provoke in the pit when they play this song live. More melodies, an incorporation of some rock-influenced riffs and a mixture of harmonized singing with an angry screaming permeate some of the remaining tracks, interspersing the hostility with some up-tempo rhythms and infectious moments.

Salvation of Innocents is surely a bit different from what we’re accustomed to get from Earth Crisis, but it’s still good release displaying a great energy and some fresh ideas and that’s not bad at all for a band that is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Band info: www.facebook.com/earthcrisisofficial
Label info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

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For those of us who had the honour of attending the inaugural Redemption Festival in Dublin this February, one of the highlights of the day had to be the set of Ireland’s own Mael Mórdha. There was a certain look of determination in their eyes which befitted their battle-paint, and it seemed as if Mael Mórdha had realised their time is nigh. The roar that rose from the crowd when singer Roibéard Ó Bogail announced the band had signed with Candelight, just before they tore through two new songs (‘All Eire Will Quake’ and ‘Bloody Alice (of Abergavenny)’), stood as a striking confirmation of this, and it was one of the more celebratory moments that occurred during the day’s festivities.

Besides this romantic view of Mael Mórdha’s Redemption Festival performance, it has to be said that the band’s unyielding dedication to folk-laden doom metal has gifted them with a committed fan-base around Europe. Unfortunately, however, the glass ceiling seems to have capped the pagan four-piece in terms of greater recognition. Mael Mórdha’s signing to Candelight, their new-found confidence as displayed on stage, and their debut for the esteemed British metal label – Damned When Dead, should finally push the band to the next level. This is because Damned When Dead holds plenty of reward once the song-writing, as well as the gravitas of the lyrics, which often revisit historical events of the band’s motherland, speaks in clear tones. Ó Bogail's moving battle-cry and charismatic clean melodies turn this whistle-wielding singer into a modern day seanchaí, and his storytelling talents on the likes of “King of the English” and “Dawning of the Grey” separates Mael Mórdha from the jovial pagan bands that have appeared sword-in-hand in recent years.

The grave, bass-heavy rumble of opener "Laudabiliter" (named after papal bull issued in 1155 giving Henry II of England the right to assume control of Ireland) is a worthy introduction to the album and is as good a starting place as any for those unfamiliar with the band’s past releases. The previously mentioned "All Eire Will Quake" and "Bloody Alice..." brandish vengeful, galloping tempos yet remain rooted in doom’s allure. And it is clear from these songs, as well as the gloom of 8 minute title-track, that creating and holding drama and tension is just an important part of Mael Mórdha’s music as ever. The band has tried and mostly succeeded in crafting this album in the same way Primordial approach each opus – by balancing the credence of the lyrics and vocals with emotionally rich and expressive instrumentals. Such comparisons to their Irish brethren are unavoidable, and while Mael Mórdha have yet to find that exact balance – the vocals and lyrics are stronger, more individualistic and more engaging than some of the music, Damned When Dead is a mighty step forward for the determined Irish warriors, who will certainly receive more (deserved) attention as a consequence of this album, and whose best still has yet to come.

Dean Brown

Band info: www.facebook.com/maelmordhaofficial
Label info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

 

Dean Brown is a metal scribe based in Ireland. He is currently a contributing editor to the North American cultural magazine Popmatters and he regularly throws words for a number of other reputable loud noise publications such as About.com/heavy metal, Soundshock.com, MetalIreland.com, MoltenMagazine.com, amongst others. He has a strong affinity for music that shakes souls and leaves debilitating tinnitus in its wake and such obsession has left him financially and medically crippled, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Follow Dean on twitter @reus85

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Sludge metallers Armed For Apocalypse have recently debuted their new music video for the track “Better Worlds” online via Metal Injection. The clip can also be seen below and is taken from the band’s new album ‘The Road Will End’, which our very own Matt Hinch describes as a "one of the flat out heaviest records of the year". The record is set for release in North America via Ironclad Recordings on July 23 and in Europe via Candlelight Records on July 22 and you can read our review here.

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I recall listening to Armed for Apocalypse’s 2009 debut ‘Defeat’ (or at least Last.fm tells me I did). But the impression if left wasn’t very strong. Strength however, is the first thing that comes to mind with sophomore effort ‘The Road Will End’. Featuring former members of Brain in a Cage and The Abominable Iron Sloth, among others, this California quartet delivers 42 minutes of absolutely devastating sludgecore.
Right out of the gate vocalist/guitarist Kirk Williams’ scream penetrates the cortex as guitarist Cayle Hunter, bassist Corey Vaspra and drummer Nick Harris wreak downturned and impactful vengeance on the stunned listener. Huge riffs, heavy as a lead boot tone, and Williams’ battle cries grab you by the shirt and hurl you to the ground (“Better World”). Once there the listener is dragged through the mud as the album progresses. Heaving and muscular riffs pound the listener into the sludge over and over with chugging rhythms and some of the sickest breakdowns this side of the swine flu.
“The Well” showcases AforA’s propensity for dynamics amidst their punishing assault. Starting with a heavy as fuck doom riff (think Serpentcult’s ‘Weight of Light’) and the aforementioned crushing breakdowns, the track gradually opens up with Crowbar-esque tone. The clouds part in the face of soaring guitars rising into the sky, building with momentum to burst apart in an explosion of light. “The Well” completes its journey from the subterranean to the sky bound and back again in epic fashion.
The remainder of ‘The Road Will End’ is no less spirited. Hardcore forcefulness, pit-rousing groove, Helmet worship, and d-beat swagger put the meat on the bones of the living breathing weapon that makes up one of the flat out heaviest records of the year. As angry as the band sounds, the spirit of battle and perseverance resonate from the immensely powerful sludge of AforA. It all builds to a climax on “Happy Hour (Disciple of Death)” and finishes with the acoustic dénouement of “Ends Meet” leaving the listener beaten and sore but invigorated and yearning for more.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/armedforapocalypse
Label info:  www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Ghost Cult Magazine, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @MetalMatt_KofN.

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Demon Lung hail from the luminous and exuberant city of Las Vegas, also known as Sin City, where entertainment never ends. It’s a highly improbable place to discover a group of individuals with a penchant for classic doom metal à la Sabbath and Candlemass, which is exactly what the young quartet has to offer us with their first full-length album “The Hundredth Name”. Prior to this work, they self-released an EP entitled “Pareidolia”, which garnered some heavily enthusiastic reactions and caught the attention of Candlelight Records. This new effort follows in the same vein of the EP, and the songs possess a strong vintage slant with a hint of Sabbath and Candlemass present in the plodding, powerful and monolithic riffs of Phil Burns. Songs like “Devil's Wind”, “Eyes of Zamiel” and "Heathen Child" truly hearken back to glorious days of “Master of Reality” and “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” with those gargantuan riffs recapturing the same chilling crawl that Sabbath and Candlemass nailed on their very first efforts.
This eight-song collection was produced by sludge messiah Billy Anderson, who's worked with artists like High On Fire, Cathedral and Melvins among many others before, and truly knows how to get that big, sludgy sound that works best with Demon Lung. Shandra Fredrick’s voice is also one of the highlights of “The Hundredth Name”; it’s her powerful and enchanting vocalizations that elevate the band’s sound to a whole new and distinct level.
This is highly recommended for fans of occult and classic doom metal, especially those who still spin the classic albums of Candlemass, Sabbath and Trouble once a week.

Band info: www.facebook.com/demonlungband
Label info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

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Three years following the release of their acclaimed debut album for Candlelight Records, Philadelphia’s black metallers Woe are back with a new album and a revamped line-up. Founder, guitarist and vocalist Chris Grigg, and bassist/vocalist Grzesiek Czaplan are now joined by Ruston Grosse on drums and Ben Brand on guitar and this new blood really brings the band to a whole new level. The press release even makes a point in mentioning that ‘Withdrawal’ is the first Woe record that includes the contributions of other members other than Grigg, and that is well illustrated throughout these new songs. But rest assured, even tough this is more of a collective writing effort, Woe have not veered off their initial path and ‘Withdrawal’ is still black metal all the way through spat out with venom and fury. True, there are brief moments when they dive into other directions, weaving tuneful clean vocals along with some grand guitar harmonies, a combination that leans more towards Alcest than Darkthrone. But none of these flourishes hold back the band’s ability to crush and they do exactly that for most of the record, churning out some fierce black metal with powerful intensity. The guitar work is really impressive here and showcases their remarkable ability to manufacture some killer hooks. Take song number two “Carried by Waves to Remorseless Shores of the Truth” as example, whose heavy, catchy riffing intertwines with some lead work that harkens back to the glorious days of Bay Area’s thrash metal.
‘Withdrawal’ is a great release that will surely reinforce Woe’s place as one of the top black metal bands from the other side of the Atlantic.

Band info: www.withdrawal.woeunholy.com
Label info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

 

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Having always discarded conventional black metal formulas, Ireland’s Altar of Plagues delve further into musical experimentation on their latest album, ‘Teethed Glory and Injury’. The most appealing aspect of this band is that they always demonstrated a remarkable ability to manipulate distinct sounds and movements to create a truly ominous and disturbing atmosphere, without ever sounding contrived. So as expected, these new songs still sound incredibly intricate and complex, undulating from fierce, gritty blackened metal to gloomy, electronic ambiences. Several industrial, urban-sounding layers give the record an eerie tone, creating an atmosphere that emanates a sense of horror and fear. The opening instrumental 'Mills' really summons that creepy ambience by incorporating some noisy distortion intertwined with sinister drone sounds. The intro paves way for the vitriolic sting that is 'God Alone' where Altar of Plagues unleashes some repetitive, gritty riffing along with the anguished screams of Dave Condon in just less than five minutes, which is really a novelty for them. Gone are the exceedingly long songs of yore as now the group adopts more succinct ways to convey their singular musical vision, and this new approach really works in their favour and add more character to the songs. As a result, ‘Teethed Glory and Injury’ possesses a certain consistency and flow that has never quite graced their previous works. Although this album is undeniably subterranean and challenging, I could say that a lot of the tracks possess a sinister catchiness that seeps deeper into the cortex with each listen.
With that said, grab your headphones, turn down the lights and let the music take you over. It doesn’t get darker and sinister than this. 

Band info: www.facebook.com/altarofplagues
Label info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

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