Edinburgh - The black death

I've been interested in extreme metal for some time now and the more I look around, the more I find in places I wouldn't expect. This feature looks at the Edinburgh death metal band Acatalepsy and one of its members, Guillaume Martin. I've featured Acatalepsy once before but felt it was right to do a bigger feature on them and also some other really interesting bands that feature the same members. So here goes.....

Acatalepsy

It all started with Acatalepsy for me in December 2010. That particular feature was only small, so I'll go into a bit more detail with this one. I must point out though, that Acatalepsy are a more death metal inspired band, but extreme metal is extreme metal, no matter which form it takes. Acatalepsy are made up of Ali on vocals, Guillaume on guitar, Chris on bass and Hamish on drums.

As there is a pretty strong death metal scene in Edinburgh at the moment, Acatalepsy have recently had the privilege of supporting Gorgasm and Defeated Sanity in their hometown.

Their sound is a heavy and grooving one, with strong chugging riffs and low end growls, so not constrained to the normal pig squealing that you tend to find with a lot of death metal bands nowadays.

They have their S/T EP up for streaming on their Bandcamp page at http://acatalepsy.bandcamp.com/. 

Also, Acatalepsy have a Bigcartel page, where you can buy their recent 4 track EP, which is limited to 150, handmade, PVC bound copies. Go to http://acatalepsy.bigcartel.com to order it.

You can also follow them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Acatalepsy.

Haar

The next project I came across was Haar. Haar are described as a progressive black metal band. Haar were formed in 2008 and specialise in a doomy, extreme version of black metal which has seen them recently supporting extreme metal acts such as Negura Bunget and Hate.

Their songs are lengthy compositions that include evil, high pitched growls and symphonic instrumentation.

You can listen to or purchase a digital version or their self-titled EP via their Bandcamp page at http://haar.bandcamp.com/. 

You can buy physical copies via their Bigcartel page at http://haar.bigcartel.com/.

You can also follow Haar on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/haarsounds.

Barshasketh

Barshasketh was originally a New Zealand based duo of Krigeist on vocals, guitar and bass and Maldoror on drums, but the band then took residence in Edinburgh and were joined by Guillaume on guitar, Steve on bass and Steve on drums for their live shows. They are currently on hiatus due to member commitments.

The band do have a page on Last FM, so you can check out some of their recorded output. Go to http://www.last.fm/music/Barshasketh.

The band also has a Bigcartel page, where they are selling a limited, handmade run of their debut album 'Defying the Bonds of Cosmic Thraldom'. Go to http://www.barshasketh.bigcartel.com/products. You can also purchase it on both CD and Cassette via Wolfsvuur records at http://www.wolfsvuur.nl/mailorder/.

You can follow Barshasketh on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Barshasketh

Quidditas

Quidditas is the solo black metal project of Guillaume Martin. At the moment he is currently recording various parts for a debut release.

Vostok

While reading about the bands above, I started looking at the other members' bands and was surprised to find that they were equally as productive. Vostok are an active but mysterious project.

Vostok are an atmospheric black metal band who formed way back in 2003. Their debut EP was released in 2010. 'From Lofty peaks...' was a limited pressing but has subsequently sold out in most places. The band say you should be able to still get a copy via At War With False Noise at http://www.atwarwithfalsenoise.com/. The EP is available as a name you price download via their Bandcamp page at http://vostoksounds.bandcamp.com/.

Vostock have been working on a couple of split releases this year. The first one was with fellow Edinburgh noise metallers Wraiths and the second is a four way split alongside Manchester based Denizens, Newcastle based Phaleg and Wiltshire band Diversis.

Don't forget to follow Vostock on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Vostoksounds.

Of Spire and Throne

Of Spire and Throne are another band I discovered recently. Again, they're another extreme metal band, with members linked to those bands mentioned above. They are a very doomy, slow death/black metal band, with a quite sludgy, old-school sound.

Their latest EP The Trial of Failure is available for £3 via their Bandcamp page at http://ofspireandthrone.bandcamp.com/album/the-trial-of-failure. You can also listen to their self titled release there as well.

Be sure to check them out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OfSpire&Throne.

Erowid

Erowid is currently a one man black metal project, that was formed in 2006 after the demise of another black metal project called Ex Infernis. Erowid have released to records to date. Pro Aeturnum and Void Beyond Sense. Both CD's are available through the bands Bigcartel page at http://www.erowid.bigcartel.com/

Ix

Ix were a sludge/doom five piece from Edinburgh, that was made up of Guss Mortimer on vocals and bass, Paul Wilson and Neil Armitage on guitars, Steve Taylor on keys and vocals and Hamish Mckintosh on drums and vocals.

Hamish was able to give me some details on IX which I've posted below:-

"Ix was an extreme doom band who took influence from bands such as Electric Wizard, Grief, Isis and Thergothon. The name Ix is taken from James Herbert's "Dune" novels. We formed in 2003 and gigged regularly until 2006 when I moved down to the south-east of England. The band continued for another year, with our friend Neil from Friday Night Gunfight filling in on drums. Upon my return northwards we all met again and decided that the band had run its course and disbanded. During our time we were fortunate enough to play with several amazing bands such as 27, SunnO))), Sourvein, Narcosis, Pale Horse, Black Sun, Kaddish, Zillah and also did a UK tour in 2005. We also had two releases - an EP titled "Mythopoeia" and a split release with Naked shit."

You can check them and some of their music out via their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/ixuk. They also have an entry on Metal Archives at http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/IX/40961.

Words from the shadows

Ali Lauder from Of Spire and Throne was kind enough to give an insight into how Of Spire and Throne came to be, their influences and their plans to crawl from netherworld...

"We’re a 4 piece doom/sludge band from Edinburgh. I couldn’t really pin down our exact style but we write each song with a basic structure in mind and keep it loosely in the camp of big, slow riffs and droning space. If I had to label it I'd call it our version of the blues, haha! It's more about heart and soul than the genre. We released a 2-song, 27 minute demo in 2009 which you can download from our Band Camp page and we’ve recently released our first EP which we’ll have available from our Big Cartel page soon."

Can you tell us what made you form Of Spire and Throne?

The band formed over a long period as a couple of us started messing around with music when we were teenagers. When we were younger we used to practice a lot playing different styles but we gradually settled on the sort of sound we have now. We'd never really heard doom or sludge when we were 16 or 17, we just slowly developed a taste for the slow and the detuned. The first 'doom' song we wrote (Through Time & Light - the first track on our demo) was inspired by Slayer's 'Seasons in the Abyss'. You can hear the chord sequence at the beginning has been blatantly lifted! Over a few years it turned into something all it's own though. We’ve only had a stable line-up since 2009 when we properly ‘formed’; coming up with our name, played our first gig and putting our demo together. We've just been following our own noses ever since.

What bands inspire you?

We draw influences from a lot of different bands, maybe not always in a direct musical sense but more in the overall feel of the music or the approach of the artist. As far as bands in a similar musical vein we’ve drawn from the likes of Neurosis, Crowbar, Electric Wizard, Yob and High on Fire as well as other metal bands like Slayer, Judas Priest, Nile, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Immolation – doom, death, sludge, grind, thrash, etc. We also take influences from further afield from all sorts of rock bands as well as post-punk, classical and blues stuff. There's parts of our songs directly inspired by the likes of Alice in Chains, The Doors, The Human League, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Elmore James, Magazine, Scott Walker, Mussorgsky and many more. Loads of stuff!

Your opening for Yob in October. How did that come about?

I’m good friends with the promoters (Eilean Dubh) who let me know that Yob were looking for a gig around the date (12th October). They’re one of my favourite bands and I had just been to Roadburn only to discover that Yob had cancelled, so when they mentioned that we could collaborate to get them to play in Edinburgh I jumped at the chance. I'm involved with the promotion and organisation and of course had to make sure that we were opening for them. I'm pretty chuffed about it!

How have you found playing live and how have audiences taken to your music?

Playing live for me is a little odd. It's hard to describe. It's a lot of fun but it's also quite difficult as the things I write about are all very personal and generally quite upsetting. I love the power of the music and that amazing feeling when the whole band is in sync and just crushing the place, but I often feel on the brink of tears. It's a strange mix of elation and anguish but I always mean it with total conviction. Hopefully that doesn't sound pompous but it's the truth, haha! Gigs can be hit and miss because the songs are so long and slow - I've often messed stuff up - and sometimes things just go wrong. Part and parcel I suppose. We've generally been very lucky and had a lot of positive feedback from people which I always appreciate. If someone comes up to me afterwards and says they enjoyed it, it makes the night for me. Even if they just say, "brutal vocals, dude!", haha! Some of the best feedback has been from people who don't listen to metal or heavy music who have said they really enjoyed what we do. Some people find it boring or too much which is fair enough, it's not for everyone and it is pretty bloody-minded, I just hope people who like it also feel it. 

What are your future plans for the band?

First off, promoting our new EP, sending it off for review and that, then getting some t-shirts together, getting a website up and eventually recording again next year. Our next release will be one 20 minute song which I'm really looking forward to getting down on tape. We're also keen to get some more gigs outside of Edinburgh and hopefully some outside of Scotland too.

What do you think about the state of extreme metal at the moment?

I think it's in great health. There's loads of amazing new bands coming out and even more already producing great stuff. I sometimes think metal fans are a little spoiled for choice to be honest! 

What bands from your local area should people check out?

Am I allowed to say my other band? I will anyway, haha! Acatalepsy if you like death metal! I also recommend Jackal Headed Guard of the Dead (doom), Haar (BM), Vessel (instrumental, trippy heaviness), Sufferinfuck (savage grindcore/powerviolence, maybe the best live band Edinburgh and the surrounding area's got) and the amazing Wraiths (blackened noise I suppose, but that doesn't really do them justice, they're awesome!).

Hamish Mackintosh from Ix/Vostok/Acatalepsy and Haar, also answered some questions for us on his projects and told us about some the other bands that make up the wider scene in Scotland:-

What influenced you to start Vostok? 

Since the year 2000 I've been interested in Black Metal. However, it wasn't until 2003 that I really felt compelled to write black metal myself. I found it to be the perfect vehicle for exploring human nature. Not a great deal has changed since then to be honest. I usually explore themes using historical and cultural settings, predominately the time around the Highland Clearances. However, that may change with time, I don't have a predefined idea of what kind of music I'm going to write and which lyrical themes I will explore, I just wait for things to come naturally. It's not always the quickest way of doing things - it took me 6 years to release the first EP! - but it works for me. It's an evolutionary process.

Atmospheric black metal is a challenging form of music, was it something you've always had an interest in?

I think you're right, it is quite a challenging type of music to do well. However, the atmospheric black metal "scene" is completely saturated with supposedly suicidal one-man projects that hold little or no appeal to me. At the other end of the spectrum there are a profusion of bands that essentially copy Alcest, Agalloch, WITTR etc. It's actually quite hard to find atmospheric black metal with a sense of integrity. My tastes in music are fairly broad, taking in electronica, noise and jazz in addition to most genres of metal. I'd never limit myself, or Vostok, to the genre of atmospheric black metal, things may well change with time. The newer material already has much more of an epic, nostalgic feeling than the earlier doomy works. There are plans to explore the use of other instruments such as the hammered dulcimer, bag pipes and low D whistle on the full length which will be my main focus following the release of the next two splits. 

How did you end up joining Acatalepsy?

I formed Acatalepsy along with Guillaume back in 2007. I was living in south east England but knew I was moving back to Edinburgh that September. I knew from previous experience how difficult it was to find like-minded, technically proficient individuals to form bands with, therefore I posted up an advert on a now defunct local metal forum. Guillaume was the only person to reply so when I returned we met up and just took things from there. It took us quite a while to find a stable line up. 

What do you think in about Edinburgh and Scotland in general that means it keeps producing really challenging extreme metal bands?

To be honest, I don't think that the Edinburgh/Scottish scene is particularly exceptional. I really think there should be more doom and black metal bands in Scotland considering the rich source of inspiration available. We're surrounded by some of the most exceptional landscape on these isles, have a rich cultural heritage and an extremely interesting history. The fact there aren't more quality doom and black metal bands really surprises me... 

However, the Edinburgh metal scene has definitely improved relative to the Glasgow scene which has historically (at least since the late 90s) been stronger. I feel that is at least partly due to local promoters making the effort to bring bands to Edinburgh that would have at one time just played in Glasgow. GBH events and Eilean Dubh (who I help organise) have definitely helped the death, thrash, doom and black metal scenes. We also used to have an amazing hardcore scene that I've lost touch with over the last few years. Cold Dead Hands used to put on a multitude of quality, diverse gigs but the number of gigs they put on has sadly decreased over the last few years. The noise scene seems fairly healthy with promoters such as Braw gigs ensuring a host of international acts visit the capital.

What bands have influenced you over the years?

I'm not sure I could accurately answer this one. My influences are quite diverse, even if that doesn't come across in what you hear in Vostok. Something that has definitely influenced me is the culture, history and landscape of the Highlands. I'm originally from the Black Isle, just north of Inverness and my fathers side of the family is from Sutherland so I feel a real connection to those areas of Scotland. I find the collapse of the Clan system and the Highland Clearances particularly emotive/interesting.

You've been working on a couple of split releases with like minded bands. How did you decide who to work with?

I'll only work with bands that I like to listen to myself. If I like the music and don't disagree with the underlying ideology I'd then consider working with a band in some way. Another requirement is that I get on well with the member(s) of the other bands.  One way or another I know all the bands pretty well who are featuring on the next couple of splits.

The first split will be with Diversis, Denizens and Phaleg who I'd recommend you should check out if you have not done so already. It should hopefully be out towards the end of this year or early next year. The other split with be with Wraiths who are definitely one of the best noise bands around. That should be out sometime next spring I'd imagine. As I said previously nothing seems to happen quickly with Vostok so one of the two tracks featured on each of the splits will be from 2005/2006, with the other being from 2010. The older tracks were originally meant to be on the first EP but there were several problems with the recording and eventually they had to be dropped from the release.

What bands are you listening to and who would you recommend we check form your local area?

Things I've been listening to recently:

When - Drowning but Learning

Comus - First Utterance

Taake - Noregs Vaapen

Nightbringer - Hierophany of the Open Grave

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus

Tenhi - Maaäet

Bands from the local/Scottish scene who I'd recommend:

There are quite a few. Excluding bands I play in (Acatalepsy and Haar), I'd recommend Wraiths, Zillah, Secta Rouge, Erowid, Of Spire & Throne, Sunsmasher, Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead, Barshasketh, Daemonolith, My Kappa Roots, Frog Pocket, Assynt, Black Talon, Bonesaw, Nerrus Kor, Kaddish, Sufferinfuck, The Dischordian trio, Anna Massie, Solstheim, Falloch, Cnoc an Tursa, Project Serendipity....I've probably missed a few. If so, sorry!

Also, Guillaume Martin from Acatalepsy, Haar, Barshasketh and Quidditas also told us how his many projects came to be and his inspirations:-

Firstly, I wanted to ask you what made you form all the different projects you have? Do you thinks it's important having variation amongst your bands? 

Well each one was formed for different reasons. Acatalepsy was the first I started, I had just arrived in Edinburgh in 2007 as a student and was very keen to start a band, so I posted on the now defunct 'Edinburgh Metal Scene' forum and met up with Hamish (drums). We then started getting our style together, but it wasn't until 2010 that we managed to complete our lineup and start playing gigs. 

Haar was the second I joined- one time at Acatalepsy practice, Hamish mentioned to me that they were in a tough spot because they had just lost a guitarist and had a gig booked in 6 weeks or so. As a favor to him I said I would fill in for that gig and consider staying on if I liked the music. Things didn't go according to plan, since I injured my hand quite badly one week before the gig and couldn't play it, but I enjoyed the music and banter, which is why I am now in the band on a long term basis. 

As for Barshasketh, Andy (the main songwriter) posted on the local forum (http://www.cappunishment.org/forums/) to try and start a crust-punk band, he posted a link to his Barshasketh stuff to show what he had done in the past. I wasn't really interested in joining the crust punk band, but offered my services if he wanted to get a live lineup started for Barshasketh in Scotland since I was so impressed with his songwriting. I was really keen to join as a full member from the start and I've recently been asked to join in the writing process. I'm very happy about that since I think Andy is one of the best songwriters I've ever met and hope to learn a lot working on music with him. 

Quidditas kind of happened by accident, I wrote some black metal that didn't fit any of my existing bands and I thought I may as well do something with them, it was also a good opportunity to collaborate on a split EP with Marlon Friday's solo project, Selbstmord. I'm a big fan of his, especially his work in Abhorrent, so I look forward to that.

I think being involved in projects that are different stylistically has made me into a more well-rounded musician as I think it's easy to stagnate if you're stuck in a niche. I think that most types of music have something to teach me, so I like to study jazz and classical music in my own time as well. They are a nice change of pace from the unrelenting intensity of extreme metal and have lots of scope for interesting arrangements and use of harmony.

Obviously, you're in Acatalepsy, but your other projects, Haar,Barshasketh and Quidditas are more influenced by black metal. What made you gravitate towards that genre of metal?

It was just by chance really. For quite a long time I'd dismissed the genre as I'd only heard some of the more mainstream stuff (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Gorgoroth etc... ) and that didn't impress me at all. Meeting Hamish was a revelation as he introduced me to a lot of interesting black metal and I slowly developed an affinity for the genre. Although I still have a hard time identifying with the image and ideology that are pervasive in BM, it's a lot of fun to play and a bit more laid back than Death Metal, which can be hard work at times in rehearsal!

Barshasketh were originally based in New Zealand as a duo. How did the band eventually uproot and end up in Edinburgh? And how did you end up a part of their live band?

Maybe you should ask Andy Cambell that as I don't really want to speak for him ;) he's in my friend's list on facebook!

You've played with some big underground bands, Which bands have been the biggest influence on you of the ones you've played with?

Death Metal-wise definitely Defeated Sanity. They are one of the few bands really pushing the genre forward with clever use of rhythm and harmony, whilst retaining the heaviness and brutality which is traditionally associated with DM. In terms of Black Metal, I think I would probably say Negura Bunget. They were one of the first BM bands I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed playing with Mithras, Diamanthian and Burial a lot.

Are you able to give us any insight into future plans, I know your progressing your new project Quidditas, but do you have anything else that you're excited about?

Sure, I believe Haar is about to start recording the upcoming split with Subvertio Deus. We are all very exited about that. I am working on material for Barshasketh at the moment too, although it is difficult to say how long it will be until that sees the light of day. I'm just waiting for the drums to be recorded for Quidditas as all the music is written and ready to go. Hopefully the split EP will be out in the coming months. Acatalepsy is a difficult band to write for and is also the most personal of my projects, so songwriting can take a long time. I have 3 new songs finished, but there are no immediate plans to record them. I would like to tour with Acatalepsy at some point and there will be some opportunities for that in the medium term, so I'm very exited by that prospect. 

On a side note, I have just started a spastic grind band with Jack from the excellent Secta Rouge on guitar and Steve from Barshasketh on drums. It will be a studio only project, but should hopefully be lots of fun!

What influences you to write the music you do?

This is quite a personal question. I'm quite a negative and pessimistic person by nature and I think much of my musical output reflects that. I'm compulsive about playing and writing music, as you may gather from the amount of projects I'm involved in! I can't really pin down exactly what drives me to do it so often, but I know that I get an incredible high after writing a song I'm proud of or playing a really good set live! I can be quite introverted at times, so I guess music is a handy way for me to communicate with people indirectly haha.

Are there any similar bands in your area that we should check out?

Zillah, Sufferinfuck and Secta Rouge definitely get my vote!

So there you go, a look into what's crawling around in the Edinburgh underground. Now, go forth and start digging.

Who's reading?

Every once in a while, it's nice to know who's actually reading my blog.

If you're visiting and want to leave me a comment please feel free to do so, or e-mail me at stayaheadblog@yahoo.co.uk. Thanks.

Blind Ambitions - S/T EP

Blind Ambitions are another British band carving a name for themselves, live across the UK. The Canterbury based melodic hardcore band formed in mid 2010 and released this self titled EP shortly afterwards.

First track outlook, starts with an instrumental build up of off kilter guitar before

building up into the first taste of the bands melodic hardcore. The growls of BA's
vocalist are low, which gives them an extra sense of brutality. They mix between
angular and clean riffs to add subtle variation to the music. Borders and Let go both start off with a more immediate pace, with a rhythm section of bruising proportions
The band use breakdowns in their songs but only to add to them. In borders, the pace switches between galloping riffs and slower breakdowns. The band also introduces clean vocals into the mix and the use of gang vocals near the end add to the overall feel of a song which could be their rallying cry. Let go also includes some good guitar effects that show the bands willingness to experiment and the sample brings the song to a peaceful end. In headway, the band incorporate some good, punkier riffs into the song. Still the vocals
remain low and the band refuse to add too many breakdowns to the music. When they do, they are again only used for short times and are peppered with melodic guitar/vocals which give them a more creative edge. This is the longest song on the EP, but the guys cram enough subtle ideas into it to keep it interesting. The music takes on a more euphoric form
towards the end of the track with an elongated instrumental section that fades out into the EP's final song. Final song Strong hearts, Is from their 2010 demo. It's probably the most brutal track on the EP. It's a relentless battering of hardcore but with an added something
that I can't put my finger on. The variation and different rhythms and structures used keep things interesting. It shows their ability to create uplifting and clever melodic hardcore.

Overall it's a very promising EP. It shows a band who are very forward thinking in their approach to melodic hardcore and their willingness to experiment with subtle effects and time signature should see them operate above the pack.

If you want to listen to the BA's EP, it's available for streaming on their bandcamp page at http://blindambitions.bandcamp.com/. It's also been posted here below for you to listen to.

The guys were kind enough to answer some questions for me as well:-

What are you're influences, musical or otherwise?

 
I suppose we were all drawn into the band and the style we play
because we were fans of melodic heavy stuff so the simple answer would
be to list the bands that started the modern wave of melodic
metal/hardcore like It Prevails and Misery Signals... but it's a lot
more complicated than than that. As a group and as individuals our
favourite bands include Transit, Mono, Title Fight, Verse, Animals as
Leaders, Norma Jean, Hundredth, King Conquer; I could list bands for
hours but the point is a lot of our influence comes from outside of
the obvious.

You're playing some shows with another Stay Ahead featured band,
Almost Failed. How did they come about?

 
They got in contact with one of our good friends who also happens to
be a booking agent and we tried to help sort some of their UK dates.
We played 2 shows with them while they were over here and they were
really awesome guys and their music is sweeeeet, go check out the
track "Humans".

What is your local scene like?

 
For our kind of stuff and a lot of the metal/hardcore sub-genres it
can be very hit and miss but with the help from an awesome dude called
Jay it's steadily starting to build it's self up! The main City in our
area, Canterbury, had a really good scene going about a year ago but
it got shut down because of our country's idiotic music licensing laws
and Dubstep, fuck that shit.

What do you think about the state metal/ hardcore at the moment in the UK?

 
Fairly good I suppose, there's a lot of really good bands that have
emerged in the last couple of years. At the same time though I'm a bit
fearful that the amount of copy cat bands are over saturating the
scene and that people are gunna get bored of going to shows with 5 of
the same bands under different names but hopefully we'll start seeing
a bit more diversity at shows.

What bands have you been listening to recently?

 
Lot's of Transit as always (you can never listen to too much transit),
really getting into The Effort, Hundredths new album is near
perfection, and I know our drummer has been listening to shit club
tunes written in triplets as he's a buffoon.

Which bands from your local scene should we check out?

 
Cry Wolf: Rubicon fuelled fastcore- www.facebook.com/crywolfuk
Chronos: postman pat themed post metal- www.facebook.com/chronosuk
Alaska: dark hardcore- www.facebook.com/alaskahc
Call of the Search: punk rock- www.facebookcalloffthesearch
Roots: postman pat themed emo stuff- www.facebook.com/rootsuk
Take Courage: melodic hardcore/punk- www.facebook.com/takecourageuk
Go listen to ALL of those!

You can also check out Blind Ambitions on their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/blindambitionsuk. So what are you waiting for!

Edinburgh Scene - As Autumn Falls

This is the second installment of my look into the Edinburgh heavy metal scene, and another feature that been sitting in my inbox for a while. Anyway, As Autumn Falls describe themselves as a post-hardcore band. They are made up of Ali on vocals, Jamie and Sean on guitars, Beattie on bass and Jamie on drums.

I caught up with the band a while ago to ask them some questions. I've put the answers below.

What prompted you to start As Autumn Falls?

As Autumn Falls started as your usual high school band, the normal couple of mates starting a band kind of thing. Since then we have been through 1 name change and 2 line up changes until last year we decided on the name As Autumn Falls and the current line up has now settled down and some great things are on there way.

What are your influence, both musically or otherwise?

We all have many different influences throughout the band from Hit The Lights to Architects. On a whole we are mostly influenced by Underoath, The Devil Wears Prada, even ADTR's older stuff.

What is the Edinburgh scene like now and has it changed much from when you started out?

We only recently broke into the Edinburgh scene when our line up changed around a year ago. Even in the space of a year there seems to be a lot of younger bands coming through to help the scene grow. I would say that the Edinburgh scene has started to flourish and will continue to grow into something great one day.

What do think about the state of metal in general at the moment?

There is a great underground hardcore type of scene at the moment with plenty of great bands appearing all the time.

What have you got planned for the coming months?

We have got some big things planned in the coming months, we are working on booking many more tours throughout the UK as well as heading down to Kent to re-record our EP and tour/promote it more so throughout the UK.

Do you think that social networking sites like Facebook have helped you to get noticed by new fans?

Facebook and other social networking sites have helped us out greatly! Facebook has helped us even book tours in the past and we wouldn't be able to survive without. We recently uploaded our EP for free to bandcamp which has had 100s of downloads so far. By letting people download our EP for free we are reaching listeners that probably would have never heard of us before if it wasn't for bandcamp. The EP has even found its way onto many torrent sites, mediafire, and strangely lots of Russian download forums, even some American ones without us even knowing about most of them until recently!

What has been the highlight for you so far as a band?

There has been many great highlights so far, from our first UK tour to supporting many great bands like, Bury Tomorrow, The Casino Brawl to Yashin and Young Guns. It would be hard to pinpoint an exact highlight as there has been so many and hopefully there is many to come!

Can you recommend bands from your local scene, that people should check out?

Go check out The Party Program, Behind Hollow Walls, Here Lies A Warning, Dead At The Scene, there are many more. Sorry if we have forgotten anyone! 

You can listen to As Autumn Falls' EP - Seeing is Believing on their bandcamp page at http://asautumnfalls.bandcamp.com/.

You can also listen to here-










If you want to check out As Autumn Falls' EP go to their Big Cartel page at http://asautumnfalls.bigcartel.com/ and purchase it for the princely sum of £1!

As Autumn Falls are another band to keep an eye on, not just north of the border, but wherever you are as well. We'll start hearing a lot more of there guys soon!

Let It Die - bring the violence

Another band to appear out of the deathly shadows of the UK hardcore scene are Kettering based Let It Die. They have been causing quite a stir recently in the UK and have a 10" vinyl/CD set coming out via an as yet unknown label, as well as being band on the week on the Terrorizer magazine website, which you can read here http://truecultheavymetal.com/band-of-the-day-let-it-die.

So explain a bit about Let It Die? How did you form?

We are a kind of crusty/scuzzy Hardcore thing from Kettering in the Midlands. We are Alex on drums, Ben on Guitars, Dean on bass and me, Red, on vocals. Let It Die came about through the demise of two bands (You Suck and Jealous) that happened within a couple of months of each other. My old band, You Suck, had finished and I was looking to carry on doing vocals and it just so happened that Jealous were planning on finishing but with the aim of some of the members moving on to a new band. We were all friends anyway and Alex had produced You Suck's cassette release so it was a pretty natural transition into the new band. 

What are your influences?

Typically with these types of things I will say that we all have a big range of influences but there are a bunch of bands we all agree on such as Black Breath, Trap Them, Cursed, Black Flag, All Pigs Must Die. None of these were really something we set out to sound like but there are certainly plenty of reference points in our music to that sort of "darker" Hardcore if you will. The aim with this band was I guess to take bits from both previous bands and smoosh them together.

Tell us a bit about the scene in Kettering?

Kettering is pretty much dead. We used to have a gnarly venue called Sawyers that was run by an amazing fellow called Rich who put on a lot of great bands and was very much into the DIY ethic but sadly not enough people were interested and it shut down last November after a decent run of about eight years. As for bands, there are basically none. There's probably some out there but they're either terrible Deathcore type stuff or at the complete opposite end of the scale to us. We have been looking for somewhere to put our own shows on again (I used to run shows at Sawyers) but it's proving difficult with costs and such.

You play more experimental hardcore in Let it Die. Do you think UK bands seem to favour this type of hardcore?

Man, these questions always throw me. When faced with it I A) forget all the sweet bands in the UK right now and B) don't really know what qualifies as experimental. I think it is pretty hard nowadays to start a band regardless of where you are and NOT have some kind of "experimentation" in your music. Sure you can be more attached to one genre than another but music in general is so wide now that it is pretty hard to have a rigid mindset.

What do you think about the metal/hardcore scene in the UK at the moment?

As with the previous question I always forget stuff when put on the spot but for me, when I look around at shows the UK right now I see a pretty darn healthy scene. Regardless of whether I like the bands or whatever it is nice to see more people standing up and putting shows on. I think that is a very important thing. I am neither a supporter or detractor of the whole "hardcore as family" mentality but the idea of a loose community of people doing things because they want to thrash it out and see others doing the same can only be good.

You remind me a bit of Napalm Death. Are you fans of Grind-core and what are your favourite bands from that genre?

As a band I think we all appreciate Napalm Death but they are not a direct influence. If peeps hear them in our music it's more likely to me the aforementioned combination of our influences and former projects that bring that out in our music. You Suck was a straight up Powerviolence band and Jealous were more trad Hardcore so inevitably the two together will give you something similar to that of Napalm Death.

Can you give us a heads up about bands from your scene that people should check out?

Here are some kick-awesome bands y'all should peep (sorry if I forget anyone):

Witch Cult - South Coast Powerviolence! Our badass buds who we are doing a short tour with at the start of June. Debut record coming on Holy Roar soon -  http://witchcult.tumblr.com/

Year Of The Flood - Epic D-beat from Nottingham. Good friends and amazing musicians. Maybe a split with them later this year, WHO KNOWS?-
www.reverbnation.com/yearoftheflood

Meatpacker - Two-man Vegan Grind holocaust from Leicester. Great guys, fast drum machine - 
https://www.facebook.com/Meatpacker

Regimes - Stalwart Rock 'n' Roll Hardcore from London -
http://www.myspace.com/regimesregimes

XharoldshitmanX - Super gnarly Powerviolence from Scotland -
http://www.reverbnation.com/xharoldshitmanx


Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair - Hilarious Grind from Scotland -
http://www.myspace.com/4wheelchairs

Senator - Banging Tech-Hardcore type shizzle from our pals down on the South Coast -
http://www.myspace.com/killthesenator

Let it Die's 2011 Demo is available for streaming and digital purchase from their bandcamp page www.letitdie.bandcamp.com. You can listen to it below:-


If you'd like a more physical copy of their demo, you can buy it via Party Wound Productions Big Cartel at partywound.bigcartel.com. You can follow Let It Die via Facebook on http://www.facebook.com/LetItDie.

Let It Die are certainly gaining a name for themselves in the UK, and along with the bands they mentioned above are very exciting additions to the UK hardcore scene, and additions that should see us square up against and surpass those from across the pond. 

Watch this space!



 
 

Step On Memories

I came across Step On Memories a while ago now, while I was in one of my curious moods and wanted to seek out bands from a different country. Step On Memories are a hardcore band from Vicenza in Italy, and since I wans't too familiar with the Italian hardcore scene, I decided to check them out.

After many listens to their brand hardcore on Facebook, I decided to pop some question over to the guys. Here's what they had to say:-

Tell us a bit about Step On Memories and how you formed?

Hi James!

First of all we want to thank you for the interview and for giving us space.

We decided to set up the band on December 2008, some of us already knew each others since years but we all met during the concerts organized by Free Mosh Team here in Vicenza, our city. After six months of intense rehearsing we recorded a three-songs demo and consequently started playing live as much as possible. After one year of live concerts we decided to dedicate ourself to our first five-tracks EP “Lasting Values” that is released by Indeed Records! on October 2010.

What are your influnces, musically or otherwise?

Each of us has different music tastes and so this is reflected in the composition and on the overall sound of the band. I can tell you that we try to mix everything we like and make a mix that includes all the influences and tastes of each member.

What have you guys got planned for the rest of this year? Is there a possibility of you guys coming to the UK?

We are currently composing the songs that will be included in our next CD and at the same time we are trying to organize an European tour in October. It would be absolutely great to come and play in UK but unfortunately we are trying to play in countries closer to Italy. Maybe in the future…

What is the hardcore scene like in Italy at the moment?

In Italy at the moment people who organize underground shows are very few and most of the time they do it just for true passion. The audience is not very active with the local bands and they tend to support only the foreign bands.

At concerts you can often see the same 40/50 old familiar faces. This encourages the bands to organize abroad tours, hoping that the proposal music will be more accepted.

 

You guys have recently played on Atticus tour. How did that come about?

Romu (friend of us and owner of Flipout Skate Shop) follows the band as an active partner almost from the beginning. He suggested to the official distributor of Atticus to add Step On Memories in the roster of Italian bands followed by the brand. They accepted to follow us so they included us in “Atticus Tour”.

You guys have already played a lot of live shows this year. What reaction have you been getting and what has been the highlight so far?

Playing live is absolutely the best part of having a band and if you do it with your heart, people become aware of that and the satisfaction arrives consequently also thanks to the audience feedback during the shows.

Until now the best moment ever was during the Moshpit Show in Trieste, on the border between Italy and Slovania. It was one of the most beautiful concerts both performance and audience, the best one in Italy at this time.

What kind of media attention have you had up to now?

Actually our gender of music doesn’t pass on the radio or on TV so you have to gain the media attention playing live constantly and spitting blood on stage. We shot a videoclip of our song “More than memories” but it was more our personal satisfaction that a promotional choice.

What bands should we listen to from your local scene?

Our city (Vicenza) is quite small but offers a very interesting music scene. We’d like to bring your attention to:

Devotion (http://www.myspace.com/devotionsound),

Argetti (http://www.myspace.com/argetti),

Good For One Day (http://www.myspace.com/goodforoneday),

Radio Riot Right Now (http://www.myspace.com/radioriotrightnow),

Strange Corner (http://www.myspace.com/strangecorner)

and Whales and Aurora (http://www.myspace.com/whalesandaurora)

I've posted the video the band did for their song "More Than Memories" for you to check out.

Make sure you check out Step On Memories on both their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Steponmemories and on their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/steponmemories. Also, check out the other bands on the links the band mentioned above. 


If yoy want to order the bands record "Lasting Values", you can contact the band via Myspace and it's also available through iTunes.
 

Juggsfest All-dayer - The Stereo, York

There's gonna be an all-day alternative music festival happening at The Stereo in York on the 24th of September. It's being organised by Ninth Legion Promotions to promote the diverse range of bands in York and the surrounding area.


You can check out the event on this Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=252882911399903.


The line-up is as follows:-


With One Last Breath - http://www.facebook.com/withonelastbreathofficial


You Cried Wolf - http://www.facebook.com/youcriedwolfuk


Ramona - http://www.facebook.com/Ramonabandyork


We Sleep In This Machine - http://www.facebook.com/wesleepinthismachine


Shot Down Stay Down - http://www.facebook.com/SHOTDOWNSTAYDOWN


Mitzi's Revenge - http://www.facebook.com/mitzisrevenge


Beneath The Scarr - http://www.facebook.com/beneaththescarr


One Night Stand With Fate - http://www.facebook.com/OneNightStandWithFate


Atlas - http://www.facebook.com/atlasuk

So check it out and if you're around the York area on the 24th of September, check it out and show your support. It'll be a great day for Yorkshire alternative music and hopefully it'll become an annual event.

Paul Allen's Demise - Tailgating A Funeral

Paul Allen's Demise hail from the mighty Boston, Massachusetts Home of some of the most influential hardcore scene's the US has to offer, as well as the metalcore heavyweights such as Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall. They play crust/grind influenced hardcore with a sense of humour.

So to their debut album, Tailgating A Funeral. Well, it starts with a short, sharp song filled with brutal crunching riffs which are to become a trademark of PAD throughout the records. When the band hit their stride shortly into their second track, it's all about the fast drumming and rabid screams, from vocalist Travis. PAD are also able to weave in melodic riffs to the tracks, to give their music a punkier edge. The music is chaotic in the way it's layered but organised enough for you to be able to breathe and take it in. The low/high pitched vocals bring to mind bands like Outbreak and New Mexican Disaster Squad, which is no bad thing. On some of their longer tracks, the bands crunching intros are reminiscent of those of Metallica, in their earlier classic albums.

The standout tracks for me are short, ode to Taco Bell, "Turd Sandwich" and also the second last song, "Hopes & Dreams", which almost reminds me of THAT SONG by Napalm Death. PAD to vary their style throughout, adding sludgy riffs and gang vocals into the mix, showing their love for crust punk/hardcore and adding a sense humour which is sometimes lacking in other bands of their ilk. For a debut album, I'd say Tailgating A Funeral is pretty strong. It should appeal to a good cross section of people and should see PAD gain a lot of followers.


Paul Allen's Demise have made the entire album available for free download on their Band Camp site, so there no excuse for you not to check it out. You can listen to album below.


You can also follow Paul Allen's Demise on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/PaulAllensDemise and on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/paulallensdemise.

Show them some love!

Introducing - Gewoon Fucking Raggen

When I was just starting my blog, I decided I'd try and post about as many bands in the Noord-Brabant scene in the Netherlands as I could. Two such bands were Malfunction and Laatste Halte. Now, Malfunction are no more, but Joost, who played guitar in Malfunction and Laatste Halte, got in touch with me about his new band Gewoon Fucking Raggen, which i'm told roughly translates as Just Fucking Shred. Quite apt I thought!

Anyway, GFR are an 80's inspired hardcore band made up by Joost on vocals, Wes XIII on guitar, Lemmy on drums and Sally Chen on bass. The band has a 17 track demo available for download via their facebook page. Go to http://www.facebook.com/gfrhc. You can download the bands 17! track demo on Mediafire at http://www.mediafire.com/?a1gv567d19wi1tb.

Joost was cool enough to answer some questions for me, and the responses are below:-

How did GFR come about then?The guitarplayer and drummer met eachother at a punk show (Disturbance) and started talking about Void, the 'drummer' wasn't even a drummer in that period, but started playing when the band started. A bassplayer was found shortly after that and they started writing songs. A few months later (september/october 2010) I joined the band. We played our first shows and recorded a 17 song demo in winter. The bassplayer suddenly vanished so we had to find a new one. Currently we have a young kid, an amazing musician (he plays all kinds of instruments), helping us out on bass, but we've founded a girl to do bass for us.

You seem to have a habit of forming awesome hardcore bands, have you grown up with heavy music and what has been your influence?It all started with Nirvana for me, it was the first band that really got to me. I read a lot about them and their influences so I gradually started to get into all kinds of hardcore and punk (Black Flag, Flipper, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Mission Of Burma) and other cool bands (Talullah Gosh, Vaselines, Beat Happening). It also motivated me to pick up a guitar (and I hope I will be able to influence at least one person to start a band / learn to play)

How is GFR different to your other bands, Laatste Halte and Malfunction?Malfunction was a mix up of all kind of hardcorebands. Different people mixing together I guess. Laatste Halte also has some different sounds put together, we got fast parts, but also some clean melodic stuff. But it's way more chaotic than the other two bands. And then there's GFR: the bandname actually speaks for itself (translation is): Just Fucking Shred (we hardly have 'breaks' or slow songs, some people even complained about it haha)

What are your plans for GFR?Play a lot of shows, write a shitload of short songs. We got about 8 songs we haven't recorded yet. Hopefully we can find a label who'll help us put it out on a (split) 7" or tape.

So what are you waiting for, check em out!

Lords - S/T EP

The awesome guys in Lords sent me their self titled EP to review early last week, so I'm not going to waste anymore time. First things first though, an introduction. Lords are metal band from old London town, who specialise in the more hardcore variety. They are currently looking for a new drummer, so contact the band if you're interested on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Lordsuk.

Anyway, to the EP.The opener, Lords,begins with a slow doomy intro, before the band up the ante with death metal inspired scream and growls and forays into grindcore instrumentation, before ending with ear shattering feedback that jolts the listener. Second track Blood Money begins with a very apt air-raid siren sample amongst the music. The main song is immediately faster with the introduction of clean, technical riffing that show Lords flexing their musical muscles. The third track, La Clef De La Magie Noire, is a slow building instrumental track which makes good use of more clean, melodic guitar and also spoken word samples towards the end. 1331 starts with more slow, almost sludgy riffs before galloping off to the main verse, which includes some haunting singing which sits just underneath the mix to add another layer to the music. The use of sporadic clean singing alongside the screaming add to the despondency of the song. Fifth track Inchworm begins with off kilter, jarring guitar and segues into what is probably the heaviest track on the EP, which sees feral growls exist alongside screeching feedback towards the end. EP closer, Coup De Grace, ends with a flourish of poly rhythmic riffs and layered noise too round out a varied and interesting records.

A worthy addition to the current crop of left of centre hardcore bands currently coming out of the UK. Long may it continue!

Remember, go check out Lords on Tumblr at http://lords.tumblr.com/ and also check out their merch at their Big Cartel store at http://lords.bigcartel.com/, as well as on the Facebook link above.

Edinburgh Scene - Horrors That You've Seen

A while ago I decided to do a scene report on Edinburgh, much like the one I did on the North Brabant scene in the Netherlands. Like that report, I found that there were loads of great bands in Edinburgh, so instead of doing one report on all of them, I've decided to split it up into individual band reports. This is the first one.

Horrors That You've Seen established themselves in early 2010 and have been one of the

early constituents of the Edinburgh Hardcore scene. They are made up of vocalist Graham Caldwell, guitarists Kieran Higgins and Niall Robb, bassist Chris "Remer" Hewer and Alain Baron on drums.

While Edinburgh has good death metal and metalcore scene's (which I'll cover in later reports), the hardcore scene was fairly small, but with HTYS being able to land great gigs with the likes of Cerebral Ballzy, Dead Swans and Trash Talk amongst others, the scene has started to grow.

 
Here's what HTYS vocalist Graham had to say about the scene and what the band have achieved so far -

You've played with a lot of really good hardcore bands, what is the Hardcore scene like in Edinburgh?

The hardcore scene was lacking here, which I think may have contributed to the fact we were getting put on a lot of huge shows. Don't get me wrong we do put a lot of work in and are grateful for every show we get put on, it is just that there wasn't a lot of competition. There's dozens of "metalcore" bands from Edinburgh that seem to be doing very well for themselves, but for straight-up hardcore there was until recently, very few of them. Bands like Shields Up had made a really good name for themselves before we were a band and to see how well they were doing made me want to start this band. With the help of DEAD DEAD DEAD Music, Choices Made-Events, Firestorm Events and The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh has established a scene. There's so many great new bands coming along all the time and often, more than once a week, I have a hardcore show to go to.

You've played with Cerebral Ballzy recently, how was that?

We've played twice with them now and they are really cool guys. Although both our bands have very different styles, we're both kind of associated with skate punk/thrash so it works out well. The crowd at the last show went crazy for us, which was a surprise as we weren't too sure on how well we would go down.

What are your plans for the rest of this year?

First off we'll be launching "Breaking Hearts", we have a really amazing show lined up for that and we're looking forward for everyone to hear all the new material. The next step is to play it to as many people as we can, and play as many different places as we can. We'll be getting a tour booked up very soon so we'll just take it from there. We've also continued writing more music, and we'll be releasing that some time later this year, it could be an EP,Split or LP we have no idea!

What are you influences?

As cliche as it sounds we do draw influence from all across the spectrum. Every member of our band has a different taste in music, which we found difficult to work with at first, but once we got used to writing music together, everything kind of fell in place. Collectively we are influenced by hardcore bands that use stoner/doomy riffs such as New Lows, Weekend Nachos, Heathens, Cursed, Full Of Hell, Hang The Bastard etc. But we do try and mix things up and not fall into any specific genre.

You've recently been recording a full length record. How has that gone?

To be honest it couldn't have gone any better. We've been recording at Chambers Studios in Edinburgh, and we would highly recommend it to anyone. Graeme's done an excellent job of recording us. Also the new material sounds great, a massive step up from our previous effort and I genuinely think people won't be expecting it. 

What do you think about the metal/hardcore scene in general right now?

I think hardcore is in a great state just now. It's more popular than ever and there's loads of new amazing stuff being released all the time. For anyone that disagrees I suggest they check out Weekend Nachos new record and tell me it's not the best thing they've ever heard.  There is plenty of amazing american bands touring the U.K all the time as well, which wouldn't happen if there wasn't the demand for it. Although annoyingly the U.K tours don't include Scotland as much as I would like.

(This is the flyer for HTYS's upcoming gig in Edinburgh on the 4th of September)

Release wise, HTYS have an EP available for dowbload called Death to the Snakes II on Mediafire at http://www.mediafire.com/?ed39q5a25ax6ze3, and if you like it make sure you go their BigCartel store at http://horrorsthatyouveseen.bigcartel.com/ and buy a copy. They're only a quid! Stay tuned for a review on that soon.

They're also working on a full length at the moment called Breaking Hearts, with artwork done by Tom Lacey of The Ghost of a Thousand. Pre-oders will be on the 1st of September. Make sure you visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com//horrorsthatyouveseen for more info on that and what they are up to. Go do it now!

The Way Of Purity - Crosscore

The Way of Purity have been on my radar for a while now, but I've only just sat down and checked them out recently. They are a Norwegian extreme metal band with strong and true animal rights views and are bringing a serious message to fans of their music, rather than just building an image for the sake of it. They are made up of Tiril Skardel on Vocals, Bassist Without Name, Guitarist Jeffrey, Guitarist/Keyboardist Deathwish and Wod on Drums.

Crosscore is their 2010 debut full length and it's a very varied album. At the heart of are the vocals of Tiril Skardel, who's raspy growl is similar to that of Arch Enemy's Angela Gossow, not that there is any comparison, as TWOP show their vision and musicianship to great effect and help them to stand up alongside any major extreme metal band around. The majority of the instrumentation is fast and almost militaristic at times, but the band to include electronic touches, thanks to keyboard player Deathwish, to give their music a more industrialised edge.

TWOP switch between faster, more brutal instrumentation and slower doomier passages to good effect, with a great modern production helping to emphasise their individual instruments. TWOP also employ a wide range of influences and sounds within their music, illustrated by fourth track The Rise of Noah, including singing, in the song which was written by their keyboard player. They also show they have a sense of melody, with passages in fifth track Loyal Breakdown of Souls, with poppier passages not sounding out of place amongst their heavier undertones. They also use differing time signatures and technical guitar to add further weight to the record and to make sure they don't lose the attention of the listener.

Overall, they prove that by being open to different elements and experimentation, it is possible for an extreme metal band to be both accessible and brutal, without compromising their message. Crosscore is a great listen from a band who are breaking the mould and not being led by any trends except the one's they create!

Make sure you check out and like The Way of Purity on their Facebook page  at http://www.facebook.com/#!/thewayofpurity and via Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/thewayofpurity#!/thewayofpurity.

They also have a page of Last FM at http://www.last.fm/TheWayofPurity and an entry on Metal Archives at http://www.metal-archives.com/band/TheWayofPurity. Check these out as well.

TWOP are currently writing and recording the follow up to Crosscore, which I can't wait for. They are currently signed to record label - Wormholedeath. Go check them out at http://www.wormholedeath.com.

A Wanted Awakening - Rebirth

A Wanted Awakening are a melodic death metal band from Lowell, Massachusetts (USA). The guys formed in 2002 in Florida, under the name Atlas Dying. After line up changes and moves across the US, they changed their name to A Wanted Awakening.

A Wanted Awakening are Rick Hardy on vocals, John Tree on guitar/vocals, Derek St. Martin on guitar, Jason York on bass/vocals and Evan Carney on Drums.

The bands EP - Rebirth was released back in April of this year. It contains five tracks of modern, but progressive death metal. Flameborn is the EP's first track. The songs off-kilter riffs and good range of vocals, including the clean singing, show the bands varied influences and shows off their musicianship really well. The twin guitar harmonies and guitar solo adds more too their sound, and unlike most other modern "deathcore" bands, they don't overfill it with breakdowns. Misanthrope begins with a Middle Eastern intro, before launching into high-pitched growls. The singing again doing a good job of balancing out the bands brutality. The adept rhythm section helps to underpin the rest of the band and the almost Hispanic instrumental passage mid-way through the song again highlights their skillful musicianship. The Massacre to come is a more straightforward death metal song, The deeper growls juxtaposing the higher pitched screams. It also good to see that where they employ cleanly vocals, they are not overused and don't come across as cheesy. Fourth track, Spiders, includes highlights the bands ability to change the pace of their music with ease and the epic metal riffs make the song more of an uplifting experience, which is not something you often hear about death metal. Final track, The Persues Veil, starts off with the rhythm section going at breakneck speed. The band unleashes an epic final guitar solo on the listener, and even drops in a jazzy instrumental passage midway through the track.

Overall , Rebirth is well produced and each instrument is allowed to breath in the mix. It shows the bands musicianship and influences off well. The songs are not overly long and that's good, because they don't lose the listener like some bands do. Considering there are so many bands peddling US death metal and metalcore influences at the minute, it can be tough to stumble across a band which sounds genuinely exciting, but with A Wanted Awakening, you need not search any longer, because these guys have a bright future ahead of them!

The guys have streamed the Rebirth EP on their Bandcamp page. I've attached it here for you to listen to.

Also, make sure you check out A Wanted Awakening's Facebook page at - http://www.facebook.com/awantedawakening for news and tour dates. You can also checkout their merch at http://awantedawakening.bigcartel.com.

Malfeitor - To Hell, Farewell (2011 Demo)

Okay, so I haven't been to active recently due to some strange circumstances, but now I'm getting my act together and am gonna start doing some new posts, so watch this space!

My first post is on a demo by a band I've been aware of for a while, so I thought it'd be a good place to start. Malfeitor are a Swedish death metal band, featuring members of other cult bands Excruciate, Exhumed, Mastication, Morpheus, Stigmata and more.

Malfeitor is made up of Benny Moberg on guitar, Mattias Parkkila on vocals and Janne Rudberg Björkenfjäll behind the kit. Benny and Mattias formed Malfeitor in 1990 and were active until 1995, when they then went onto other active projects, before reuniting in 2010. Janne joined them in 2011 and when onto to records this demo with them.

Their recent demo - To Hell, Farewell, is not you're typical swedeath demo. The band make use of both fast paced and slower sections, with evil low end growls and screeching guitar solos. The demo is made up of six tracks. The first track Beyond the Horrrorizon sets Malfeitor's stall out early, it's fast, evil but subtly different to most of the swe-death you hear at the moments. The screams of "die f-ing die!" shows that there might even be some black metal in their music as well. Second (and title) track To Hell, Farewell goes straight for the jugular with razor riffing and machine gun blastbeats. There is a certain element of black metal in the growls and a good almost symphonic atmosphere, but without being pompous. Third track Death, the dead and me build slowly with an almost doomy intro before launching back into a ferocious stride. Malfeitor seem to groove more on this song, but only for a short time, but it shows that they are not scared to vary their sound.
Fourth track Scenes from a slaughterhouse, is very much an old-school death metal song, including a screeching solo and the use of changing time signatures to build atmosphere. The fifth (aptly named track), And the sky turned to rage, is chaotic and finishes with a flurry of off-kilter riffs and blastbeats. Bonus track The Pain Collector, is the final ferocious bite of the cherry for Malfeitor on this demo. The deep vocals and never ending blastbeats added to the old-school solo gives the listener one more morsel of their brand of death metal, before the demo ends. It's the longest track on the demo and sees Malfeitor trying out a few extra sounds, to add texture to the track.

Malfeitor have a video up on Youtube as a teaser to the release of the demo on tape. Go to http://youtu.be/igp8sj_Twp0  two view it.

You can also find out more about the band on their Metal Archives page at - http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Malfeitor and also on Facebook at - http://www.facebook.com/MALFEITOR666.

There may be a lot of bands peddling the death metal sound at the moment, but each one has a signature or something that stands them apart from other bands, and Malfeitor are no different. I'm excited about what is to come from them and will keep my eyes peeled, as should you!

Haillz!!

Stay Ahead is......Sleeping

Due to personal circumstances, I have decided to put Stay Ahead blog to sleep for while. This is not a decision I have takne lightly, but I have some things coming up that take a lot of time to sort out regarding my job.

I want to apologise to the bands that I was due to feature and I will eventually awaken it. Thank you for your understanding and patience and please bear with me.