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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Hail Spirit Noir, the Greek progressive black metal band known for their genre-blending sound, has once again pushed the boundaries with their latest album, Fossil Gardens. This new release marks their most extreme effort to date, incorporating more black metal elements while maintaining the psychedelic and experimental flair that has become their signature. In this interview, the band delves into the inspiration behind their intense new sound, the philosophical and scientific themes that shape the album, and the collaborative process that brought Fossil Gardens to life. 

"Fossil Gardens" is noted as your most extreme effort to date, incorporating more black metal elements while maintaining your signature psychedelic sound. What inspired this shift towards a more intense and chaotic soundscape, and how did you approach the songwriting process for this album?

Like all our records, it's never been a conscious decision. Things usually turn out the way they do of their own accord and more often than not totally different from what we might have had in mind. We are surprised ourselves, hah. To my ears, it's a natural progression from Eden's sort of mellower approach, not a reaction but a continuation as there are elements from all our albums plus new ones. The process was the same as always; Haris comes up with the basic structure, and then Demian and I add the guitar parts and change things around to finalize. Sakis and Foivos add their own touch with their suggestions.

The album explores philosophical and scientific themes, particularly the struggle to unravel the secrets of the universe and transcend space and time. Can you elaborate on the lyrical and conceptual inspiration behind "Fossil Gardens"? How do these themes influence the music and the overall atmosphere of the album?

The album title is a way to describe the universe, basically. We were talking about the album theme with Haris and had an image of a museum of dead concepts as their exhibits, or concepts that are about to become obsolete but still provide the world with meaning, fuel if you will, just like fossils do. Because in time everything will perish and every idea or concept we cling to today will morph into something vastly different. It might even end up with a different meaning altogether. In the vast expanse of the cosmos, it's a garden from which all things stem and everything goes to die. It sounds bleak, but every song is almost triumphant as we discuss these topics as a celebration of every fault and failure that makes us want to explore and expand our senses. To be honest, lyrics come almost after the music's done or at least when we have an idea of what it's going to sound like. Usually, the music informs the lyrics, but we have a basic concept beforehand.

You worked with Dimitris Douvras and Magnus Lindberg on the production of "Fossil Gardens." What was it like collaborating with them, and how did their expertise contribute to the final sound of the album?

Douvras has been working with us ever since the final Transcending Bizarre? album. It was a no-brainer that he would record and mix the album as we can't think of anyone else at this point to put up with the amount of work our projects require. He also possesses a keen ear for sounds, and his suggestions have proven invaluable. We were looking for someone with a different approach to mastering this time, which is why we opted not to use Alan Douches. We particularly love Lindberg's work on the Cult of Luna albums, and generally, he has managed to augment the sound without sacrificing the tones Douvras slaves over. Not an easy feat, let me tell you.

The visual side of the album, crafted by George Baramatis and Dimitris Katsenos, plays a significant role in portraying the abstract vision of "Fossil Gardens." How do the album's visuals complement its musical and thematic content?

There's a little of the lyrics of every song in the cover artwork, both by coincidence and by design. When we first saw Baramatis's artwork, we were blown away as it encapsulated everything we felt the album's sound should project. Looking at it while listening to it, you should feel like you're taking a dive deep into that void through sea shells and bone alleys. Katsenos managed with his artwork to give a visual representation for each song, and this makes the booklet even more immersive.

"Fossil Gardens" is seen as a continuation of the journey started with "Eden in Reverse," but with a more aggressive and extreme approach. Can you discuss the transition between these two albums and how your music has evolved during this period?

As I said, it wasn't a conscious decision. I mean, some people thought we were going to go full synthwave because of Mannequins, but that was a one-off experiment. "Eden...." was released right around the time COVID put a halt to everyone's plans, so maybe that made us a bit frustrated. Well, it obviously did, and I could blame that for the album's sound. Or maybe we spent a lot of time listening to albums of '90s black metal and even new releases that kind of had a '90s vibe to them, like the new DHG album, which was breathtaking, and the impressive Stormkeep album. Fans have commented that with every album we jump forward a decade, so this time it was bound to be the '90s. I can't really say if our process got more sophisticated or if it's exactly the same. If anything changed, that's probably our tastes and current influences. Even the so-called return to our previous sound doesn't seem like that to me. Simply because black metal vocals are the majority on the LP, that shouldn't in itself mean that. "Eden..." didn't require them, and the new songs called out for them.

Haris mentioned that the album has a solid yet abstract sound production, aiming for the listener to perceive the music as a whole rather than the sum of individual parts. How did you achieve this cohesive sound, and what challenges did you face during the production process?

The idea was to create a wall of sound that you would crush against, but a wave that would carry you towards the source. Massive yet immersive. Haris, being the main composer, had a pretty clear vision of what he wanted the album to be, so he guided Douvras towards the end goal. But it was Douvras who managed to get out of us the required performances and then added his ear to the mixing process. I can't think of any challenge in particular other than proving a real challenge for me to record vocal-wise as I hadn't done that in quite a bit and I didn't know how they would turn out.

Order the album here: https://hailspiritnoir.com

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Greek sludge/post-metal four-piece Kevel have released one of strongest and most interesting albums of 2020 titled "Mutatis Mutantis" via I Voidhanger Records, which inexplicably have flown under the radar of various publications. Displaying a stunning combination of monolithic and atmospheric sludge with post black metal grandeur, we strongly believe that "Mutatis Mutantis" is a marvellous album that deserves more recognition so we took the opportunity to ask them a few questions about their music, their influences and their plans for the future.    

I wanted to start with discussing the last record, “Mutatis Mutandis”. It arrives six long years after your debut album “Hz of the Unheard” and it sees you incorporating elements of such diverse styles as ambient and black metal into your sludgy and post-metal sound, what prompted this change in direction? 

 Following the completion of our first DIY album, we realized that we had changed a lot musically and felt the need to experiment with more “extreme” metal elements. We were also intrigued by the idea to create music that would not be easily categorized in a specific metal subgenre. We certainly derived inspiration also from the music we were listening to at that time, mainly bands which have a black metal feel but in a more forward-thinking approach, like Entropia, Mord’a’Stigmata and Bolzer. 

 And how long have you all been working on the material that's on the new album, there's six long years separating the two albums? 

 The new album is a result of four years full of changes, hence the title “Mutatis Mutandis”. Compared to our debut EP, which was an instrumental sludge/post release, “Mutatis Mutandis” explores darker and more extreme metal paths, combining black metal, post meal, progressive, sludge elements and spacey soundscapes, also introducing vocals and synths for the first time. These changes took time to mature and integrate within the band. Apart from the new sound direction, there have been several other time- consuming factors, like the addition of another guitarist, some failed attempts to collaborate with other musicians for vocals and synth duties, the decision to not go DIY this time and seek professional support for recording, mixing, mastering, to pursue a proper release via a record label... and finally Covid-19 came to delay everything even more! 

   

 Talk me through some of the lyrical influences you had for “Mutatis Mutandis”, because the bio refers to the very existence of man and whether humanity will prevail as the dominant species in this world. 

 The lyrical concept of the album focuses on exploration and the changes it brings. It’s about a strange cosmic journey leading the listener to two opposite directions, on one hand to the most distant places of cosmic conquest and on the other, to the deepest truths hidden inside our being. This concept is conveyed through metaphorical images and stories. For instance, in “Cosmic Domination” a Superior Entity is portrayed playing a game of “cosmic billiard”, using the universe as a pool table and planets as billiard balls. In “Arecibo”, humanity is presented as a piece of art/painting at an eternal auction, where bidders (i.e. alien life) are either absent or show no interest in placing a bid (i.e. engage in contact/combat). The title of the song itself, Arecibo, was in reality an actual interstellar radio message carrying basic information about humanity, broadcasted in the 1970’s in an effort to reach extraterrestrials. “Terraforming” focuses on the expansive nature of mankind and its arrogance over nature. “The Apophatic”, Utopia Planitia” and “Of Being” are concerned with more esoteric/existential topics. In “Of being” for example, we borrow the spoken words of Alan Watts, the philosopher well known for popularizing Buddhism and Hinduism to Western audiences. “...The universe is that sort of scheme. It’s a trap. It’s a thing that gives you hope...to keep you going, but then it grinds you up. And then it revives you a little, like a master torturer, keeping a person alive in order to experience pain...”. In the end, the discovery of a deeper meaning within “Mutatis Mutandis” is subject to interpretation by each listener, based on his/her idiosyncrasy, experiences and personal quests. 

 The artwork for “Mutatis Mutandis” is quite compelling. What can you tell me about this design? 

 The artwork is a creation by the magnificent artist Kuba Sokolski, On the cover you can see the portrait of a king/conqueror at his moment of triumph, in a fight over cosmic rule. His power is so enormous, that he is picking up planets off a cosmic pool and implementing them into his own “crown” (the orbs surrounding his head). The whole composition is symbolic and partially inspired by Tibetan and Hindu art, as well as DMT / Alex Grey inspired patterns. 

 I know we are currently in a state of uncertainty due to the pandemic, but what does the future hold for Kevel in the next couple of years? 

 During this period, we try to promote our new album via any available digital means, having also the valuable support by our label, I. Voidhanger Records. As soon as the pandemic restrictions are lifted, our first priority will be to continue rehearsing in order to proceed with live gigs. The future is so uncertain, that there is no point in making long-term plans. There are also some ideas for new material, but as with “Mutatis Mutandis” we believe in the merits of delayed gratification and we are not rushing things!

Follow Kevel on Facebook for more updates!

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Following a long period of silence, five years to be precise, Canadian grind giants Fuck the Facts are back with a new album titled Pleine Noirceur ("total darkness" in French), which is perhaps their most accomplished and balanced effort to date that sees the Ottawa-based trio incorporanting some unexpected twists and turns into their maniacal grindcore sound. Drummer Mathieu Vilandre was kind enough to take some time to answer some questions for us.  

Pleine Noirceur arrives five long years after your previous album Desire Will Rot and knowing that you'd normally release a new effort every two years, what took you so long to return with this new album? 

 We did a bunch of touring in support of Desire Will Rot and we kind of knew we were going to take a break afterward, we just didn’t know for how long. We got back from Europe and just went our separate ways. I didn’t see any of them for a full year, except Mel once - out of the blue. I guess we needed to do a full reset, you know. Anyways, Topon wrote me asking if I wanted to start playing again and I said yes. Essentially, we had to figure out if we still wanted to do this music thing and I guess we did. So we jammed for a while and we ended up with a few songs and that’s how it started again. We don’t feel as pressured to tour or to release new music, we just want to have fun. That’s essentially why it took so long, there’s also a global pandemic going on.

I've read in a recent interview that you considered ending the band after the touring cycle for Desire Will Rot. The fact that you were constantly recording and touring somehow took its toll on you, both mentally and physically? 

 At some point, you want a bit of normalcy in your life, but it’s pretty hard to accomplish that while being on the road all the time. Too much touring isn’t necessarily good for your band anyways. We just didn’t know what was next, we only knew we needed time for ourselves. Pleine Noirceur could've never happened, that’s for sure. Ultimately, it’s a pretty unforgiving lifestyle, my body reminds me every fucking day. As long as we’re having fun and our music isn’t complete dog shit, we’ll keep going.  

Pleine Noirceur translates to "total darkness", does the album title reflect your state of mind at the time or all the crazy things happening in the world right now? 

 I think so, but, just to be clear, the whole creative process behind Pleine Noirceur started way before the pandemic. It kind of helped us finish the record actually, since we were all stuck at home. I’d like to think our state of mind isn't as bleak as our album(s). Mel is at her best when she writes about difficult subjects, it is meant to be uncomfortable, and It forces us to not only take a good look at ourselves but also at everything that happens around us.       

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Let’s just say we are more “bastardized’ than we are “grindcore”, if that makes any sense.

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Can you talk a bit about Pleine Noirceur and how it fits in the whole of Fuck the Facts' evolution?

 It brings back memories from the Disgorge Mexico era which was the last time we were a three-piece. Admittedly, I’m never sure how to answer this question as it is not something I ever really think about, maybe I should. I’ll say this, I think it’s a great transitional record for us. We didn’t know if we were going to do anything again and Pleine Noirceur proved to us that there was still some gas in the tank. 

Can we say that Pleine Noirceur sees you incorporating more shoegaze and post-metal elements into your grindcore sound? Songs Aube, Everything I Love is Ending and A Dying Light clearly shows that shift in direction.

 I think we’ve managed to integrate those shorter almost interlude-like songs much more fluently on Pleine Noirceur. We are slowing down a touch, at least on this record. I listen to some of our old stuff sometimes and I’m like: “There’s no way I can play this now”. It also depends on what we’re into at that time, it really reflects on whatever it is we are doing. It’s a great thing to be influenced by other artists. Maybe we’ll go another way on the next one, who knows.  

 
 

With that in mind, do you feel that grindcore is still a genre that best describes Fuck The Facts sound, or do you feel it's already a limited term for you as a band? 

 Those are our roots and they’ve stuck to us since day one. At the end of the day, it’s just fucking semantics. Whenever someone asks, I usually just say that I play in a metal band, that seems to be sufficient enough. I don’t see how a term could limit us in any way. Maybe it could influence the potential listener, but if it does, maybe he shouldn’t be listening to us anyways. Let’s just say we are more “bastardized’ than we are “grindcore”, if that makes any sense. 

Things are complicated for artists due to Covid-19 right now, but once everything gets better, are you planning to do an extensive tour to promote this album live?

 Not sure if we’ll ever go back to what we used to do, we’ll see. Mel and Topon have kids now so it’s obviously hard for them to just fuck off for four weeks, you know. No doubt, we’ll be playing some shows, but I don’t know to which extent. We still want to play, it’s an integral part of who we are as a band. Anyways, we can’t really control anything right now so we’re just waiting. We had some shows lined up before the pandemic broke out and we’ll hopefully get to reschedule those for 2021 or 2022. Time will tell.

Follow Fuck the Facts on Facebook for more updates. 

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Los-Angeles based psych doom trio High Priestess have recently released their second album "Casting The Circle", a stunning effort that blends grandiose guitar harmonies that have the power to get glued in listener's heads with a tribal percussion and enchanting, beautiful vocalizations. We got to speak with guitarist/vocalist Katie Gilchrest, bassist/vocalist Mariana Fiel and drummer/percussionist Megan Mullins on this new album. Read on... 

This new album arrives two years on from your self-titled first album, how do you think your sound has progressed since then and was there any difference in the writing process this time?

Megan: Our sound has evolved. We still sound like High Priestess from the first album, but I’d say we’ve upped our game. We pushed ourselves further on this album and took deeper dives into atmospheric doom. The writing process was similar to the first album except that this time we were able to get out and tour the new material before recording. We’ve played new material at shows before recording since the beginning of High Priestess, but not as many shows so close together like a tour provides. We spent nearly a month touring Europe with Cities of Mars last summer and included 2 or 3 tracks off Casting The Circle in every setlist. 

Katie: Yes, totally what Megan said! For the writing process, it was mostly the same where one of us has an idea, might share it via recording before we bring it in the practice space and work it out in the room. Might be a couple of exceptions, The Hourglass I might say was a little different. We had the song on tour but the harmonies and guitar solo came after. We had a recording of a show in Coventry, UK that I used to write my guitar solo, because I really like the solo from that show which I normally improvise. Then as I was listening to the song I heard some little counter melodies that I worked out to be the harmonies. I sent a demo to Mariana and Megan and they loved it. Ave Satanas is an all vocal, renaissance style polyphonic mass, which is mostly the demo I did at home.  Mariana and Megan added in their voices when we were recording the album. But it’s still a great process, one of us has a riff or musical idea, we bring it into the practice space and it becomes High Priestess.

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There’s nothing more thrilling as a musician than to feel completely in sync with a crowd as you share your music and bare your soul on stage.

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I understand you have been playing a couple of new songs over the last few months, do you usually like to test the new material in front of a crowd before entering a recording studio?  

Megan: Yes! There’s really something special about taking the energy from live performances and laying that down on the album. We planned our recording sessions for both albums just days after a show so that we still felt that live performance spirit. 

Katie: For sure, I think I had read Led Zeppelin had recorded some albums in various studios while they were on the road, I always felt like the albums brought in that atmosphere. Plus it really kind of solidifies the songs, and you can get a better perspective about what works and what doesn’t.

And do you think people are more likely to better "experience" the band when they see you live than when they hear you on record?

Megan: Hell yeah!! To me there’s nothing more thrilling as a musician than to feel completely in sync with a crowd as you share your music and bare your soul on stage. It’s an amazing experience! I strive to give more on stage than what can be experienced listening to the record. The way I see it, they bought a ticket and freed up their schedules to be there in person so I want to give them something special. 

Katie: Yes, I think getting to hear the music live is going to be a way more immersive experience.  For me personally I love being able to sing with Mariana live and Megan is such an outstanding player and performer, they are really fun to share the stage with.

Continuing on the subject for a second, High Priestess are a band that doesn’t shy away from being on the road. Do you enjoy that constant momentum?

Katie: Touring has been some of the best times I’ve had. That’s funny you call it constant momentum, as we see a lot of our friend’s bands who seem to go out constantly, whereas we will maybe plan 1 bigger tour and a couple of smaller runs throughout the year.  It really kind of depends on the yearly situation, our finances and the opportunity. I would maybe call it varied focused momentum, as sometimes we are concentrating on shows, sometimes songwriting, sometimes recording, or rehearsing.

There’s quite an occult theme to the lyrics on your releases and Casting the Circle is no exception, is that something all the band are into? Can you describe the lyrical themes explored on this album?

Katie: The title track and Invocation are ritual based. Casting the Circle was written as an opening for live shows to summon good energy into the room. Invocation is, what I like to think, a Satanic Hymn, proposing that Satan is living in each of us, but is the darker parts that we don’t want to face. When we accept them we become whole, and perhaps those parts of us (Satan)  aren’t so dark after all. Hourglass is a lament about wasting our lives, wasting our time and ignoring what our true purpose is. For me personally I enjoy the occult, the unknown mysteries of the universe, practicing Wicca. I attend some Coven meetings in LA and get together with friends. Chaos Magick is also a fascination after reading Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine. But I think it is safe to say we are all interested in the Occult, as a band!

If you could only play someone one track from Casting The Circle to hook them on the whole record, which would it be and why?

Mariana: I would probably go with Invocation, just because it grabs elements from the whole album. It also has a traditional doom vibe to it that I love and can’t get tired of, which is when Katie’s vocals come in and the song takes an epic doom turn.

Megan: Gotta agree with Mariana, I’d choose Invocation as well. It’s my favorite song of all our material to date. It’s a long listen but delivers nearly every element of High Priestess’ sound. It’s creepy as hell, heavy, and hypnotic. Come “meet the devil” with us! 

Katie: That’s a hard question, because I love them all so much and the songs all have something different to offer.  That said, Invocation brings all the elements together. It’s a wild ride! Our In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, if you will. 

Things are quite complicated at the moment with the virus outbreak and you won't be able to tour in the coming months. But once everything gets better, what are you planning next for the band?   

Mariana: Ultimately we have to wait for this whole thing to be over, so it’s wiser to probably just see what opportunities present themselves once that happens. 

Megan: This year is going to look a lot different than we planned, but we’ll adapt. When we’re sure that it’s safe for us and our fans we’ll get back out there and share our music live. In the meantime, keep an eye on our socials as we’ll be sharing behind the scenes things to stay engaged with our fans during these difficult times.

Follow High Priestess on Facebook for more info. 

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French post-metal group Dirge have recently released an EP titled “Alma | Baltica”, which sees the band moving away from the monolithic heaviness of their early works to explore more ambient and atmospheric sounds. Yet as guitarist Stéphane L. explains in the following interview, “Alma | Baltica” is just an experimental release and their forthcoming new album planned for later this year will see the band going back to their usual heavy and riff-based post-metal.

Your previous album represented what many consider a gem of “post-metal” music, the new release Alma | Baltica though is very atmospheric and built on massive and ambient soundscapes. What inspired that change? Was there a conscious effort to break away from genre standards?

‘Before we go any further, and since there seems to be some confusion about the real nature of Alma | Baltica, you have to know that this is a totally “off” project. This means that, while still being Dirge's music, A | B represents more a creative break in our career, something like an experimental project (full of ideas and themes that wouldn't really fit in a more regular album), but in no way should be seen as a totally new artistic path. Even though we strive hard with each of our albums to remain as creative and audacious as possible, the purpose with Alma | Baltica was to dig further certain atmospheres and structures, trying another kind of liberty. But this EP cannot be considered as an album. So there was no real effort to break anything from any genre...’

So you could say “Alma | Baltica” is more an experimental release, not exactly the direction you want to explore in the future?

‘We've just finished the recordings of our brand new “real” album and I can tell you it has very few formal connections with Alma | Baltica. We have spent something like two years writing all the new materials, but this creative period was less about experimenting atmospheres and sounds than it was about working on how to reinvent what Dirge is all about in its rock structured formula.’

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...Even though we strive hard with each of our albums to remain as creative and audacious as possible, the purpose with Alma | Baltica was to dig further certain atmospheres and structures, trying another kind of liberty...

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Tell us a bit more about Alma | Baltica. What was the writing and recording process like for this release, the end result can be attributed to a team effort or did any member take the role of principal songwriter?

‘I'd say it was pretty much a team effort but mostly driven by Marc and myself. It was quite different from the writing process on our “regular” albums and there was a lot of experimentation etc, so the primitive matter came as a personal effort. Then it turned into a collective work at the very end of the process.’

How would you describe the overall mood of the album?

‘Floating and roving, wide open spaces and tiny cells, textured dreams and foggy reality, all of these ideas, feelings infused this EP.’

Your music’s very atmospheric. Do you feel like there's an ideal setting for people to listen to it?

‘I guess that the best setting for properly dive into A | B is the same as for all demanding and immersive music: being emotionally “available”. A good headphone is cool too. And vinyl even better!’

When you’re performing live shows, how does the atmosphere of the music translate? Are there things you can and can’t do in a live setting?

‘The five tracks from Alma | Baltic haven't been created with a view of a live execution so I can't tell. These works were designed to be frozen on a recording, which is another big difference with our albums, where songs continue their existence on stage. But to answer your question about the rendition of atmospheres in concerts, let's say it flows naturally from the songs themselves and from the DNA of our own sound. This is the combination of both that allow us to recreate the studio work on stage but in a more visceral, wild and vivid way (recreating the exact same copy of our records would be pointless). Assuming, of course, that no technical problems interact and parasite the whole thing.’

If you had to pick one song from your discography to introduce your band to a new listener, which song would it be?

‘It is a hard question because an obvious lack of objectivity and perspectives... But if I had to introduce Dirge's old school work (well, not the first era but let's say the 2000's albums), I would choose a track like “Epicentre” from Wings Of Lead Over Dormant Seas (2007); it represents the more experimental, organic, progressive and extreme aspect of our music (very long and crushing pieces, sonic corrosion, blighty atmospheres...). And concerning the last albums, I'd pick “Hyperion Under Glass” or “Morphée Rouge” for the more melodic, ethereal and melancholic curves that embodies the most our music today.’

Finally, what’s next for Dirge?

‘As I told you earlier, our seventh album will be released (surely on Debemur Morti again) after this summer. We're also working on a French/Spanish tour for September/October together with fellow Throane and Ovtrenoir.’

More info at: https://www.facebook.com/DIRGE.fr
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For more than 12 years now, Norwegian quintet Audrey Horne has been synonymous with pure and infectious heavy rock and their new effort, the aptly titled “Pure Heavy”, doesn’t deviate one inch from such route. The 11-track recording is, per usual, an addictive and highly energetic heavy rock affair that surely won’t disappoint long-time fans, so we caught up with lead singer Toschie to find out what pure heavy is.

Let’s jump straight into your fifth full-length record “Pure Heavy”, which was released some weeks ago via Napalm Records. Do you still get excited when you release a new album or it’s just like “Look everyone, here’s a new record from Audrey Horne…”

“Oh, we still get very much excited. After a long period of writing and arranging the music, and then going into studio to record it, we are still just as childishly excited to get feedback on our work. Even though we primarily write music for ourselves, it is after all other people who are going to buy the album and come to our shows to listen to the songs. So the more pleased our audience is with the album, the better it is of course. We are still a long way from being superficial on this topic.”

I think “Pure Heavy” is really impressive, you’ve kept the catchiness and the live vibe displayed in your previous effort “Youngblood”, yet I sense that this time the sound production is a bit more clean and refined. And it works really well. Would you say this is the record the band is most pleased with?

“Every band will always say that their latest record is their best of course, and so do we, but I sincerely mean that. What we set out to do this time is exactly what you have pointed out. We wanted to keep the live vibe from Youngblood, but at the same time refine the sound and “produce-it” a bit more. We did a bit more overdubs, some more samples, like trains, church bells etc… and we also finished each song more or less before we started on a new one, in order to give each song the sound it deserved. I think it worked out well, so now we only have to outdo ourselves next time…puuh!”

What was the recording process like for “Pure Heavy” as opposed to “Youngblood”? Did you have all of the writing done beforehand, or some of it was done in the studio?

“We wrote all the songs together, starting just after we had released Youngblood, and had them all finished by the time we entered studio. We did some minor changes in studio, but in general they were all finished. Since we track all songs live we have to know how to play them as good as possible. The only song that was not written for this album is “Diamond”, which was written originally for the Le Fol album. We dug it out from oblivion and re-wrote the lyrics as we felt the album needed a short “berating point”.”

Are there any tracks from the new record that you are particularly stoked to start playing live?

“Yes. We have done some gigs in Norway already, and our live favourites so far are “Wolf in my heart” and “Holy Roller”, but in general we are looking forward to play the entire album in the future.”

You guys will be touring Europe soon with Pet The Preacher and 77, are you looking forward to this?

“Definitely. I think it is a very good package. All 3 bands are full on rock and roll bands and highly energetic, so I guess people will have one hell of a good night out. We have polished our live show, and judging by the shows we have done so far here in Norway, the audience seems to really enjoy it. We seem to be enjoying playing live more and more, and the spirit within the band has never been better, and I think this reflects on the audience too, so the tour will hopefully be pure magic.”

For anyone who hasn’t been to an Audrey Horne show, how could you describe it?

“It is a full on, no bullshit show. High energy and very entertaining. We try to build it up like the classic bands did. Bread and circuses you know. We are not preaching, just making sure that both we and the crowd leave with a feeling that we had a bloody good time, and that we made some new friends.”

What are some of your most memorable tours and who have you been fortunate enough to meet and play with?

“We have opened up for AC/DC, Motley Crue, The Cult and many other great bands. On festivals we have shared stage with most of our favourite bands, so in that sense we are extremely blessed. As far as tours go, I really could not pick out one, they have all been great, and each better than the previous one, so hopefully this next one will top everything we have done before.”

The band has been together for about 12 years now. Did you ever think when you got started that you’d still be making music together all this time later?

“I don’t know. I guess I hoped so, but we never thought we would take the band to the point where we are today, both commercially and artistically. We are as good as we ever hoped to be, and as happy as we ever hoped to be at this point, so I just consider us to be blessed in that way.”

If you could go back on your careers at this point, would you change anything?

“Well, we might have given some of our financial decisions a thought or two more, he he. Other than that, no. Everything has led us to the point where we are today."

More info at: www.audreyhornemusic.com
Photos by: Oystein Haara’
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Emerging from Athens/Atlanta, Lazer/Wulf was put together by a group of college friends just for the fun of playing some local live shows, but eventually things have evolved into a more serious proposition. Now eight years in and following two Eps and a full-length album recently released by Kylesa’s record label Retro Futurist, the instrumental and experimental metal trio are no longer confined to their local music scene and are getting a lot of praise from press and fans across the world. We approached guitarist and founding member Bryan Aiken by email to know more about this project and their exciting new record “The Beast of Left And Right”.

Can you start by discussing the background of this project, when did you started, how your sound developed early on?

“Lazer/Wulf technically started when Sean and I met in college, something like 8 years ago. Honestly, we were a pretty embarrassing five-piece metalcore band of teenagers back then, and never really toured, we just played enough locally to fall in love with doing it. But eventually members fell away or grew apart, and we had to change our sound accordingly; specifically, when we lost our singer. We never replaced him, we just made it work, as an experiment. That was a huge turning point for us. But it turned south when we lost our drummer in 2008, and Sean and I took it as a sign to shelf that lifestyle for a while. We seeded our careers outside of music, I went back to school, we… just kinda lost our way, I guess.
But in late 2010, we saw some local bands play that shook us awake pretty violently, and Sean and I found Brad to play drums for… whatever the hell kind of band we were about to be in. I’m still not sure what kind of band that is.”

Lazer/Wulf are described as experimental metal on the band’s official Facebook page, do you think it aptly sums up your style?

“I’m not sure; it’s our best guess. We’re definitely metal – sometimes – but we’re not allegiant to any one sub-genre, and none are ever ruled out. I do know we’re at our happiest when we don’t know what we’re doing or where a song is going. That rush we get, pushing ourselves into uncomfortable territory… that’s the best part of playing music. When we try something weird and end up loving it. Nothing is more fun than that. So yeah, if there’s any best way to describe our approach to music, if not our genre, it’s “experimental.” But that doesn’t mean we’re intentionally alienating, or complex for complexity’s sake. We just like to explore, and see what’s out there.”

So, what kind of artists inspired you to explore this sound?

“I’m not sure. I just know I love Björk as much as Converge as much as Radiohead as much as Gorguts as much as… I can’t even narrow it down. But I love so much music that they’re all going to be inspirations. They’re all rattling around in there somewhere. Same with Sean, his inspirations are all over the place: Trans Am, Goblin, Aphex Twin, Mercyful Fate, Dying Fetus… there’s no formula for what you love, you just do. So knowing that, we let ourselves be honest and write honest songs. Lazer/Wulf are the only ones required to care about Lazer/Wulf, because we have to revisit our music every night on stage. If anyone else likes it, that’s amazing, but we can only be held accountable for pleasing ourselves. So that’s our ultimate goal: know ourselves and be honest with our audience.”

Let's get into the new album, ‘The Beast of Left And Right’, it seems a bit more progressive and complex when compared to your previous two releases. What inspired that change?

“When we re-formed, the mission statement was to not hold back in any way. To pour our newfound hunger into our output. That included more reflective, determined songwriting, and giving the music the time and effort it needed to be done right, rather than simply done at all. Nothing could be allowed to slip past us “good enough” any more like when we were kids; every moment should be earned, and we should learn to take responsibility if something wasn’t right. Because Lazer/Wulf wasn’t just going to be a hobby anymore; if we wanted it to be our lives’ work, it would have to be our lives. That’s what this album is about, making your damn mind up.”

In your opinion, how does the new album carry on, or differ, from the last one?

“The first thing we wrote, when we started up again, is now our 2012 EP, “There Was A Hole Here. It’s Gone Now.” I thought we were going to pick up where we’d left off in 2008, stylistically, but too much had changed. I ended up pouring a lot of sadness into that piece, not the least of which being our time away from music. So we got it all out and burned it in a pyre. None of that music was allowed to go on our full-length, because it was too much of a cleanse. It was a bottle of demons we needed to send out to sea, before we could really start again.
So, without the burden of all that negativity, we could write something way more hopeful. One was confession, and one was catharsis. If “There Was A Hole” was having made bad choices, “The Beast” is deciding to grow up and do something about it.”

Why did you decide two rerecord two songs from your first release, ‘The Void that Isn’t’, namely “Lagarto” and “Who Were the Mound Builders”?

“They never got a fair shake, really. We wrote those songs right before we went in the studio for that album, and barely got the chance to play them live before we split up. We ended up revisited those songs for our return shows in 2011, and the response was unforgettable. Still, it was pretty clear with the new line-up that we had left those previously recorded versions behind; they had changed, and we had changed. With Brad, with our experiences, those songs had a new life. We wanted to re-record them for a better snapshot of who we are now. “The Void” was probably going to die, but those songs were worth bringing into the new era.”

Can you discuss the inspiration behind the album title, ‘The Beast of Left And Right’? Is it about the choices you need to make in life every day?

“Exactly. We’re beasts of choice, we have free will, but sometimes we opt out. We don’t realize that every choice isn’t made only once; we re-make those choices every day – to stay who we are, to eat the way we do, to continue with our jobs or in our relationships. So in our case, we realized that we hadn’t decided only once to pursue our careers and put music aside. We were still choosing, again and again, every day, not to play music. We chose and chose, for years, until one day we stopped. We chose this. And that idea became the theme of all our output moving forward: to take responsibility for our actions, and know that no choice is final until you choose it forever.”

So, signing to Retro Futurist was an easy choice? How did you get linked up with the label owned by members of Kylesa?

“Haha! That choice was a snap, yeah! They’d been so supportive of us as friends, since they caught us live right after our reforming. And when they decided to start a label, it was obvious they had our best interests at heart. They’ve been musicians for so long, and they’re so passionate and honest, that we trust them completely. We’d follow those guys to hell. But if this past year is any indication, they’re leading us somewhere way fucking better.”

What are you currently listening to and enjoying?

“Oh, gosh. We’re usually all three in very different places, so finding music to play in the van is pretty interesting. My most recent loves are Grizzly Bear’s last album, “Shields,” and Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, M.A.D.D. city.” The new Tera Melos, “X’ed Out,” is in my car right now. Cinemechanica also has a new record coming out that’s one of the best rock records I’ve ever heard. I don’t even think they’ve named it yet, but it’s turbo rad. Same with Wizard Rifle; they’ve got a new album in the chamber that’ll fuck the moon. Oh, and Vektor’s “Outer Isolation.” Hot damn.
I know Sean is all about Morbus Chron right now; that “Sweven” album is absolutely amazing. Yautja, too. He’s been ripping them hard after that awesome Cult Leader tour came through Atlanta. Man, we guzzle so much music, this question would yield vastly different answers every week!”

Could be wrong here, but I got the impression that you created your own artwork. If so, can you tell us more about your background in art? Is this very much a part time thing with music being the main focus of your creativity?

“Yeah, so far we’ve had to do everything ourselves. That’s me and Brad’s hands on the cover, haha! We don’t have much background in visual art, but being in an independent band requires so much more than being a musician. Since everything is mostly instrumental, I tend to think of every song visually. They’re all about something specific, or have a specific narrative. Nothing’s arbitrary. So I always have an idea of how the album looks overall, as we’re writing it. I work on the visuals as we’re making the songs, because they’re connected. Each song ends up having a painting associated with it, and those become the tarot cards we put in our albums.

Musically, The Beast is about opposites and symmetry and sacrifice, so I knew exactly what the cover looked like. And Sean’s a great photographer so he helped me set up this crazy optical illusion. Those black lines are like two feet wide at the top, and four inches wide at the bottom. Getting the math right was infuriating and rewarding. But like I said, we wanted to pour the maximum amount of ourselves into this album, and we weren’t about to ask someone else to toil over something so obsessive and weird, so we just did everything ourselves. Our love, and appreciation for how lucky we are, is threaded everywhere into this album.”

Photos by: Benny Wonka
 
Find more about Lazer/Wulf here: https://www.facebook.com/lazerwulves
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There are a million ways to promote an album, but in a style like Black Metal which originates huge discussions about what is authentic or faux, what is pure or impure, the best way to promote a new BM release from a young act is definitely to portray an image of authenticity.
Well, at least that’s what Relapse Records thinks anyway, when they had to come up with a marketing strategy to promote Myrkur, a one-woman black metal project emerging from the darkness of Scandinavia.
Not much is revealed about Myrkur’s origins and history, except the fact that she resides in Denmark and signed a record deal with the respectable underground label for the release of her very first recording. Yet, there are rumors floating around claiming that the mysterious woman behind Myrkur is actually an indie-pop artist residing in New York.
If the rumors are proven to be true, then this is just a weak gimmickry from Relapse to avoid Myrkur getting tagged as yet another bunch of hipsters jumping on the black metal bandwagon. Does it matter? Not really, especially because Myrkur is actually a great and unsettling listen.
We asked Myrkur a few questions by email prior to hearing these rumors and here’s what she had to say about the project’s origins and various influences. 

I’d like to start by asking if you can tell us a bit more about your musical upbringing? Who were your influences growing up and what artists inspired you to start Myrkur?

"I grew up in Denmark by the northern coast and forest. I was taught violin and played in a symphony orchestra. I grew up listening to Nordic composers mostly, Edvard Grieg, Carl Nielsen, Stenhammar etc. Black metal bands I like are for example Ulver, Dissection, Mayhem, Kvist, Emperor, Abigor."

You mentioned that "Nature is a big part of the reason black metal even exists.” Living in Denmark, do you think your environment has had a major influence over your music?

"Yes nature is the biggest influence on me of all. Scandinavian nature looks the way black metal should sound. Frozen, pure, pine trees, fjords, dark, but also with crystal clear skies. Midnight sun in summer or darkness all day in winter. No grey areas or half way anything."

What other non-musical influences initially lead you to create Myrkur?
You also mentioned that you always dreamed about becoming a Huldra, an elf girl, a Valkyrie or the goddess Freja. Is that idea present in your music?

"Yes these characters possess both human and godly features, darkness and light. I like this combination in my music as well. I have many sides to me. This is one of them."

Let's get into the EP. It's a great and unsettling listen filled a mysterious darkness. Can you walk us through the creative process for this album?

"I have been writing these songs for a long time and was not planning on releasing them. I mostly write and record in my house in Denmark alone. Sometimes I have written in Bergen, Norway. The songs on the EP are all the original demos. When I decided to release them, I mixed them myself and then had them mastered to make them properly loud."

“Dybt i Skoven” seems like an extremely sensitive and ethereal song that stands out on “Myrkur”. What were you thinking about when you wrote it?

"I was fallen into a black hole of thoughts about my forest that I used to walk around in when I was little. The song reflects to me a journey into darkness for a young girl who gets lost and perhaps wishes to disappear forever into a romance with nature."

You said that when you’re screaming these songs it physical hurts you and it feels like something is leaving your body. Is your music intended as a catharsis or do you view it more as a process to transcend to another spiritual state, or a little bit of both?

"I don't have a deliberate motivation when I write or perform this music. But I wish to leave the mortal world and become one with nature. And express a fraction of the anger and hatred I have inside me. But also something beautiful and pure."

Lastly, how do you feel about black metal in 2014?

"I do not know how I feel about it. I don't know too much about new releases or the current Black metal scene. But truthfully I do believe that black metal has the most dedicated fans whose hearts bleed for the music they hold dear. And this hasn't changed."


Find out more about Myrkur here: www.facebook.com/myrkurmyrkur
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For their fourth full-length album, Norwegian stoner/heavy rockers Lonely Kamel went into the studio with a very clear idea of creating their most crude and stripped-down album to date and they succeed it. “Shit City” doesn’t sound simple or cheap in any way, but it does exude a raw and sleazy sound that totally benefits their brand of groovy and infectious stoner/psychedelic/heavy rock.
Scratch the Surface caught up with the band to talk about this new effort and where exactly is the shit city.

“Shit City” is your fourth full-length album and the press release mentions that you wanted to make it as simple and cheap as possible. Well, I wouldn’t call it exactly simple or cheap, but the album does offer some catchy tunes dirtier than the bathroom of a sleazy bar in Singapore. What was the vibe when you went into the studio for this new album?

Stian: hehe...dirty bathrooms are always good, sounds like we captured the feeling we were looking for. The vibe was good, except the whole band had the flu during the ten days in studio.

Lukas: Yeah but we nailed track after track, and the result was amazing. Shit City is raw and honest, everything recorded live in studio, except vocals, lead guitar and some percussion.

Stian: We've never used much money on recordings but it's not like we want it to sound crappy either. The press release thing was kind of a joke. But we like it raw and simple, and try hard to transfer some of the nerve and energy from our live performance onto the albums.

Thomas: Fact is we never had much money for recordings. Studio time in Norway is not cheap, so we try to spend as little time there as possible, hehe. We always record live, playing together in the same room. I think that's a big part of why we sound like we do. We practice playing together, jamming all the time to get the right groove in each song. That's important to us. In that sense we come prepared in the studio, record all four of us, and then we spend 3-4 days after to put up some vocals and guitar licks, just having fun.

Can you kind of describe the writing process for Shit City? Do write the songs collectively in the rehearsal room or you’re one of those bands that trade files/ideas back and forth via email?

Stian: Mail sucks! Internet sucks! hehe. Yeah, but ok, sometimes even we use it as a preference, but it's on the rehearsals it happens. Thomas has most of the ideas and presents them when we meet, and Lukas brings a lot of riffs as well. Some songs come from jamming, so we all contribute. We spend a lot of time working on the arrangements. And we never play a song someone dislikes.
Last November Thomas made a collection of some demos of our songs on his home recorder, the tunes he felt were most suitable for an album as a whole. Then we agreed on that and didn't look back. We worked our asses off on the arrangements and sound until we puked and almost hated each other.

Lukas: We worked on some old and some new ideas, jamming, trying different grooves and so on. Process went on for a few months. Then we dived into a studio to make the deadline for a release in late August, just before we hit the road.

It sounds like you are having a lot of fun on this new album. What did you get personally out of making this record?

Stian: I think studio sessions are some of the most fun and interesting parts of being in a band. To nail all these things we've been working on for so long, and get it on tape. The result is not always what we expected or what we had in mind but we spend a lot of time preparing the songs before studio, the goal is always to be as close to the original idea as possible. But it's been 3 years since we were in a studio so for me it was about time! Next album will not delay as long.

So where exactly is Shit City? Not Oslo I trust, it is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Stian: Yeah of course it could be Oslo. Expensive does not necessarily mean good or not shitty. Money is shit. But it could also be another town, or a state of mind. We all have a lot of love for this hometown but it's also a lot of frustration. It's the famous ambivalent love/hate relationship people have for things, places and people in life.

What do you talk about lyrically on this album?

Thomas: When writing these songs, there was a lot going on in my life. A couple of years of ups and downs, and I think the songs reflect that from the sense of everything going to hell (is it over?) to rediscovering love (Falling down). Much like the meaning of the title. It's like a love/hate relationship to someone or something. Sometimes you hate something so bad, and the next day you love the same thing, realizing it's not the things that are changing, but you, your state of mind and how you feel inside.


Following the release of Shit City, you’ll embark on a European tour with label mates The Order Of Israfel. What can fans expect to see on this tour?

Stian: Expect what you always get! Lonely Kamel loves playing live, touring and hang out. We don't bring fireworks or lighting rigs, but we bring the blues, grooves and some bottles of booze!
And to be honest, I never heard The Order Of Israfel live, but their record kicks ass and there must be a reason they go on tour with Lonely Kamel

What type of venues and parts of the world do you like best for playing live?

Stian: Any type in any country. no rules, no peculiarities, no limitations - just music!

Find out more about Lonely Kamel and their awesome new album "Shit City" here: www.facebook.com/lonelykamel
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Comprised solely of one guitarist/vocalist and one drummer, Germany’s Mantar have released their debut album Death By Burning earlier this year and it sounds ten times more massive and intense than many groups with full line-ups. Through smashing together such distinct styles as metal, punk and rock’n’roll, the duo have found a sound that is equally memorable and intimidating, oppressive and engaging.
We recently caught up with drummer Erinc to talk about the band’s background, their crushing new album and their plans for the future.

Mantar is getting a lot of attention in the press lately. Have you been surprised at the reception that the band has received?

“Yes we are… indeed. It’s nice to get so much positive response from all over the world. Furthermore it´s kinda funny as our main goal was to do some recordings and make 50 to 100 tapes for close friends. Everything worked out a little different. We don´t expect anything. We don’t take shit as granted. Actually we take everything more as a gift. It´s great to see how many people dig that record. For a brand new band, that´s very, very cool.”

I understand you have been friends for a very long time, so what provided the impetus to start making music as Mantar now?

“The concrete idea came from Hanno about two years ago. He had the vision of a really heavy band…and if we could handle it…we should run it as a duo. Maybe there was this glory moment to start something new… because we were kind of frustrated about the ongoing musical and non-musical stuff we were into. So I said “yes, let´s meet and work things out”. The only agenda: …play as heavy as possible. It worked out great and we decided to continue this…and still do as you can see.”

Have you two been in other groups before?

“Yeah…there were lots of bands. Some were good and some just crap. But we never played together in one group before, even though we know each other for so long now.”

I must confess I was a bit stunned when I discovered that you only record drums, guitars and vocals and don’t use any other instruments. Seriously, it’s absolutely insane that only two people can make as much noise and sound as massive as you do. Could you tell me a little about how your new record Death By Burning was created and what equipment you use to create such a gigantic sound?

“Well, the magic is to use the equipment of a five-piece-band. Using 3 amps with 3-4 big cabinets at once makes your biceps really impressive ;). Believe me. To coordinate all the heaviness. Hanno is using kinda the biggest FX-Board out there. Looks like a spaceship to me…but this self-build wonder board would kill dinosaurs!! Additional to all this technical stuff…there’s a pretty hard hitting drummer on the other side. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s me…hehe. All in all, we used the same equipment for the recoding we use live and for rehearsals as well. We did not want to fake anything. If you know your gear it´s possible to raise some serious hell.”

The press release sent out by Svart Records says that we shouldn’t call Death By Burning sludge. Why is sludge a dirty word to you? What do you think is the most accurate description of your music?

“I think that the genre "sludge" isn´t something you can rely on anymore as a trademark for something particularly good. It´s pretty worn out these days and a lot of bands use it as a brand because they don’t have any own character or don’t know about their own roots. Maybe due to the fact they never had any. Don’t get me wrong I love shitloads of stuff that is branded as "sludge". Great bands out there, but well... some kind of inflation is going on nowadays. And what the hell does sludge mean?? That people play slow, heavy music? We aren’t even that slow…”

Are there any particular influences that you would say Death By Burning is indebted to? For instance, I recognize some Melvins traits in songs like "Spit" and "The Huntsmen".

“Aaaah yes… great man !! The Melvins always have been a big inspiration. I love Dale´s drumming. And obviously we can’t deny that we like to rock...Motörhead and AC/DC also did their parental deeds. Even though we have a much darker atmosphere I guess.”

"The Stoning" sounds pretty punk’n’roll in the instrumentals. Which one of you is the punk or rock’n’roll enthusiast?

“We both got punk background. That’s where it all started. Energetic aggressive music still has the biggest impact on us. In Mantar it might be me who brings in all that rock’n’roll beats and stuff. I’m a rock drummer and can’t deny that… sometimes Hanno has to slowdown me when I get too rock’n’rollish . On the other hand that might be the interesting thing about the band. We just don’t deny the groove as many other bands do. We still think that even dark, aggressive music´s gotta roll somehow.”

What’s it like playing these songs in a live setting? Is it difficult to recreate the extremely dark atmosphere of the album on stage?

“As we were aware of the fact that we will play shows, we didn’t use stuff for the recording that we won’t be able to reproduce live. Actually we even do use the same technical equipment live as in the studio. Same amps, same cabinets and same drums. ..so from that side it’s pretty identical to the album. The songs sound harder and more energetic on stage…but still dark and evil. I think most important is to play as intense as possible. People will feel if you really are in the moment of playing the song. We get ourselves in some kind of destructive rush, a positive, very energetic feeling though.”

Death By Burning was the church’s privileged method of execution for crimes heresy and witchcraft in the middle age. Is there any particular theme to the record, lyrically?

“No. Not really. The power of nature has been a big lyrical influence. It´s about the urge of man for the final battle. The return to nature. And for sure the general sickness of mankind. I dont´t judge though, I just tell. We don´t have any certain message. I don´t care what people think. I dont want them to act according to my lyrics. Our only message is the power of the music. That´s too important to also focus on any message.”

What can we expect from Mantar in the future? I understand you’ve some shows booked for the next few months.

“Right...playing shows and touring is the main agenda at the moment. Having a good time…reaching lots of people. We are very happy to play so many different countries already in the very first year of playing live with Mantar. It´s great to meet so many new people and get the chance to play big shows like Roadburn and stuff like that. But after all that I hope that we will be back in the studio as soon as possible. The aim is early 2015…”

More info at: www.facebook.com/MantarBand
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Formed by Khaled Lowe, once a member of hardcore mob Raise the Dead, Barnaby Maddick previously in psychedelic doom act Purson and later joined by renowned producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Cathedral, Electric Wizard), London-based folk/prog-psych outfit Messenger have just released one the most dazzling and beautifully constructed albums you’ll hear this year. Displaying a blistering blend of folk melodies, prog tones and psychedelic nuances, “Illusory Blues” will surely be declared a classic album in the coming months.
We recently spoke with Khaled Lowe and Jaime Gomez Arellano about their debut album, their musical influences and the upcoming European tour with Katatonia.

Messenger formed in the spring of 2012 so you’re an incredibly new band. How did it come about, did you already know each other from other projects?

Khaled: I had written a few songs which appeared in different guises from the versions on the album. A couple were the result of meetings with Barnaby and some were ideas from experimental jams with a whole bunch of other people. Barnaby and I decided to give ourselves a month in a studio to record some of the material we'd collaborated on, and Gomez was my first choice as a producer because of the range and quality of his work that I'd heard. Originally, there was no intent even to form a band; we had no idea how many songs we would write (many of them were created spontaneously) or what the end result would sound like. I knew Barnaby from the punk/hardcore scene, and I'd jammed in various 'bands' with Dan and James, or just round at each others’ places. Dan and Gomez also played together in the past.

You’ve recently released your debut album entitled “Illusory Blues” and that’s quite adventurous for a young act that has been together for less than two years. Do you feel that you gave the band enough time to grow before recording your first record?

Khaled: In a sense, yes. I feel that "Illusory Blues" is a very honest depiction of where we were at the time, both emotionally and musically speaking. We hadn't foreseen that this would become a full album or even a full band. In another sense, it's been rather challenging to translate the emotions conveyed by certain instruments like the flute or the violin or the mellotron into a conventional live band setup with just guitars and keys. So in hindsight, had we known we were going to tour, we'd have probably written more specifically for that. But it's both challenging and fun to rework it into a live context. And with time and space permitting, there's no reason we can't expand in the future.

Gomez: A lot of it was spontaneous and improvised. Part of my work as producer is to structure songs and come up with arrangements and new parts. Having two talented guys with good ideas helped a lot. We were in the studio for a month re arranging old songs, writing new ones and recording. It was a lot of work, pretty intense but it all worked out and that's how we decided to make a band out of it.

“Illusory Blues” offers some incredibly strong and mature compositions that exude personality and confidence in what you’re doing. How did you achieve that and what is about this band that makes you work so well together?

Khaled: Thank you kindly for that beautiful compliment! I think what makes it work is respect, honesty and hard work. We've all been involved in the music scene and industry for many years, we've all played in many bands and we all obsess over a range of bands old and new. It's in our blood and we're very passionate about it; we make music for the love of creating art and expressing ourselves. If something is organic and serendipitous and not rushed, then those traits will shine through. I personally love the imperfections and the nature of Gomez' production; keeping everything 'real' and sincere; and because we all know each other as close friends, the chemistry was already there. I think being able to listen to each other as well, devoid of ego, is very important.

Gomez: Khaled and Barnaby come up with very good ideas. I think I'm good at organising those and embellishing them with arrangements. Our personalities are quite different too and I think that's part of what makes it work.

Messenger has been described as a progressive, psychedelic rock band and we can certainly hear the influence of artists like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin on ”Illusory Blues”. How do you feel about such labels? Do you think they represent the most accurate description of your music?

Gomez: I feel totally cool with people using labels such as Floyd and Zep as these are bands that have been part of the lives of everyone in Messenger. People can think whatever they want, I've seen all sorts of references so far which I think is a good thing. We seem to be getting the "prog" tag quite a bit around, which is interesting as we never really saw ourselves as such, but it's always hard to describe your own music. There are many different influences in this album, musical and non-musical. We all listen to many types of music from contemporary classical, to early 90's black metal and everything in between. We just write what feels right at the time.

Are there any particular influences that you would say “Illusory Blues” is indebted to?

Khaled: For me personally, it's less indebted to musical influences, I quite like to focus on ambience and sound and light and shade rather than genre, whether listening or performing.

Gomez: The fact that there was no "boundaries" during the writing/recording process had a lot to do with it. We had no set ideas or were trying to achieve a specific sound, we just went with what felt right at the time and never shied off about trying something that we thought it could work, regardless if it was a bit of a crazy idea or not.

The album was produced by Gomez, who has worked with a number of great bands such as Cathedral and Electric Wizard in the past. So Khaled how long have you known him?

Khaled: I'd met him several times through mutual friends maybe 6 or 7 years ago before I was familiar with his production work. Later on I realised a lot of my close friends held him in high regards, and he had a stellar track record working with bands like Hexvessel, Mothlite, Ulver, Ghost, Cathedral, etc. we put two and two together… Before I'd known him properly; he played in Mothlite and him and Dan were also in a metal band together that an ex drummer from an old band of mine had joined after he left... So there were trails of Gomez everywhere, both socially and sonically! We've been friends quite a while now!

What was the recording process like for “Illusory Blues” at Orgone Studios?

Khaled: It was very intense! We were there pretty much every day for over a month. Some days we wrapped at 5 in the afternoon; other days we only got into the flow at one o'clock in the morning. One very important discipline I learned from Gomez in particular was not to try to force creativity to occur; some days the 'vibe' wasn't there; other times we were in full flow for 5 days without stopping. There was also a lot of spontaneity; vocal melodies and string arrangements, etc... composed on the spot. That was very liberating; but yes, it was also very full on. Blood, sweat and tears, quite literally...

Gomez: As Khaled says, it was very intense. Both Khaled and Barnaby had little "proper" studio experience, so I would get frustrated at times. But looking back it was a really nice experience and we are very happy with the end result. We spent just over a month recording, then I spend about another month and bit arranging, mixing and mastering. It was the first record I mixed on my Solid State Logic desk and it was all done in analog and mastered to analog tape. I work this way for all records I mix and master.

“Illusory Blues” has a lot going on in terms of arrangements and nuances. What's it like playing these songs in a live setting?

Gomez: When we were recording the album we didn't even know that a band was gonna come out of it. We really didn't think of the limitations that this could bring into a live setup as there was no band as such yet, it was just a project. So the album wasn't written with that in mind. The song "Midnight" has 3 different guitar tunings in just one song! We've found clever ways to recreate the album with the new 5 piece line-up. When we get the opportunity, we'd like to bring in someone to play the string parts.

You’re opening for Katatonia on their upcoming unplugged tour throughout Europe next month. What can we expect from that tour? Will you play an acoustic set as well?

Gomez: We'll be playing set of about 40 minutes. We're not an acoustic band as such (even though we love acoustic instruments) and therefore I don't think we'd be playing an acoustic set as we don't have the crew (yet) and we have a lot of equipment already. There are some noise restrictions in some of the venues we're playing, so we'll just play quieter. We are very excited to go on tour which such a prestigious band and we're very excited to perform our music outside the UK.

Is there a specific theme tying the lyrics of “Illusory Blues” together?

Khaled: The prevalent theme throughout is that of value creation; shifting perspective in the way we relate to people, situations and 'problems'. It's about realising and seeing with fresh eyes the wealth of goodness that exists around us; in friends and family and nature and music. "The Return" is about coming out of a particularly turbulent emotional headspace after the death of a friend, to take in and accept certain truths; to retain the notion like a mantra that Love, as cruel and poisonous and stifling as it can appear on occasion, is in fact a definitive code for living; for making the most out of any situation. Love Is All You Need. The Beatles were right! Most of the songs are full of imagery of the natural world; the seas, the sky, the earth, the soil, the trees; the miracles of life and existence and consciousness… It's all in there!

More info at: www.messengerbanduk.com
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London’s Landskap, a new psychedelic doom project formed by members of Serpent Cult, Pantheist, Fen and Dead Existence will release their debut album I this May via Iron Bonehead Productions.
Bassist and rhythm guitarist Frederic Caure recently took a moment out of his busy agenda (Caure is also a sound engineer and producer) to answer a few questions about the band’s origins, the new record and their upcoming plans.

Landskap is new UK project made of members of Serpent Cult, Pantheist, Fen and Dead Existence. How did you meet and decided to work together?

“In 2012 George and I both moved from our native countries to London. We didn’t know each other but wanted to start our own bands and we got in touch via adverts. We eventually met up in a pub to talk music and a week later we were in the studio trying out some jams. Soon Paul joined on drums who I happened to know from the time I was jamming with Fen, we later asked Kostas to join us who I know from playing in Pantheist 10 years earlier and when we got to the final stages of the writing/recording process we asked Jake to join us which we knew from the local scene.”

Each member comes from a different sub-genre within heavy music, but the album features a dominant doom influence as well as elements of psychedelic rock. Would you say this was intentional, or did it come naturally when you all started jamming together?

“To be fair, I don’t understand why everyone labels us by the doom tag, and I believe the only reason this happens is because we opened our album with a slow song that has a “Sabbathy” feel to it. When we started the band, our vision was to create psychedelic rock mixed with progressive and krautrock elements taken from our favourite albums from a certain era. Doom obviously has the same basic ingredients, but when you listen to our music, you will reckon it’s a hard rock album. When we started the band, we jammed the first 6 months without writing a single song, just to get the vibe going between all of us. Once we got it right after that, we decided to compile some ideas and write the album you have in front of you.”

Have you written these songs collectively or there was someone in the band who took a more prominent role in the songwriting?

“I” was written as a band and everything comes out of jam sessions. This is the essence of the band, we like things to happen by accident during a jam, they usually turn out to be the best tunes. It also keeps things fresh and ever-changing; our songs are dynamic and not set in stone, a tune that takes 6 minutes today could last 15 minutes tomorrow. It will prove to be interesting during our gigs, haha…”

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"To be fair, I don’t understand why everyone labels us by the doom tag, and I believe the only reason this happens is because we opened our album with a slow song that has a “Sabbathy” feel to it."

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Can you talk a little bit more about the recording of I? What studio did you use? Was there anything in particular you wanted to do differently from other studio experiences that you had in the past?

“We recorded our base tracks live in the studio which was essential; our music is not the kind of music where you can just record all the instruments separately, our song structure does not permit it but it would also complete the wrong atmosphere for the songs. We did the whole live recording in one afternoon in the studio. Once that was done, we recorded some guitar overdubs and the vocals at my home studio, mixed the lot and that was it. This is the cheapest album I ever recorded in my life, but also the one that I had the most control over.”

How do you feel the songs and sound of I turned out compared to what you envisioned in your mind before going into the studio?

“We’re really happy with the way the songs turned out; we intentionally left some things open for interpretation when we recorded so that we could steer the songs in any direction when we were recording and it turned out great. We did no more than 2-3 takes of each song and chose the best take to complete. I would definitely work this way again.”

Is there any particular theme to the record, lyrically?

“There is no particular theme for the lyrics but Jake wrote the lyrics in no time and they all seem to be dealing with misery. We hope he’s all right now and that his next lyrics will deal with shopping sprees in London and driving his car in the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon.”

I understand you first released this album independently on digital format back in January. So how did you end up releasing it now on the Iron Bonehead label?

“We wanted our album to be out there and available for everyone, so we offered it as a free download on BandCamp. I’m a big supporter of the free electronic sharing and distribution of music and I believe it’s the only way forward for musicians. I don’t care or believe in making money out of music anyway, nor in the ‘ownership’ of music. We did think it would be nice to have a nice special vinyl edition of the album though, so we got in touch with a few labels we knew were doing quality releases. Iron Bonehead offered to do a 500 copies run of the album with special artwork which sounded great and we went for it. The album is scheduled to be released on 16th May but is still available on BandCamp at the same time.”

What can we expect from Landskap for the rest of the year? You’ll play your first show in June right?

“That’s correct, we’re playing our first gig in Camden’s Underworld on 14th June followed by another gig in London in July. Once these 2 gigs are done, we’ll be going back to the studio to record a new EP with 2 or 3 new songs.”

More info at: www.facebook.com/LandskapUK

Read John Skibeat's review of I here.
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