Introducing - Forceps

To close out today, I thought I'd introduce you all to a sick Brazilian death metal band, that you'll be hearing more about soon. Now unless you've been living under a massive rock your whole life, you'll be familiar with Sepultura, Soulfly, Krisiun and others, but from underneath their shadows, there's one hell of a death metal scene over in Brazil at the moment.

Forceps are one of the bands who call that scene home and I was lucky enough to catch up with the guys earlier this month, to hear what they had planned for the rest of the year and to hear more about their scene:-

So guys, can you tell us a bit about Forceps and how you formed?

Forceps was born back in 2006 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil with the proposal of making aggressive music in that time. On that same year we released a single entitled "Disguising Hate". After a few line-up changes, in 2007 the band emerged with a different proposal and decided to take music in another level, a much more aggressive Death Metal, The result was the Demo entitled "Corporeality" which was released in 2009, after a great response from the public, the expectations for an upcoming material increased.

In late 2010 our formed drummer Hugo Bhering unfortunately left the band due to personal reasons and in early 2011 Emmanuel Ívan was announced as the new drummer bringing a very intense drumming and techniques. We were then ready to finish the writing process of the new EP Entitled "Humanicide”, which will be out this year 2012 by the records label Ossuary Industries.

What are your current plans for the rest of 2012?

We are now focused on doing some gigs to get back on track and also working on the release date for Humanicide, after that will have the Humanicide tour than we will get back in studio to work on the Next album.

You guys come from Brazil and apart obvious bands like Sepultura and Krisiun, what other bands and music influence you?

Here we got a pretty sick scene, but to pick a few of our most influences we have, Nephasth, Rebaellium, Ophiolatry, Vomepotro and Anopsy

What are your thoughts on the state of the global metal scene right now?

It's great, the metal scene grew a lot, and you get the chance to know a lot of bands and listen to loads of metal, that's badass! Our only thought is for the fans, support metal, go to gigs, get some merch, tell your friends and keep it always alive!

How do you think social media has helped bands like yourselves to get noticed by people, who otherwise wouldn't have heard of you?

Awesome !!! It's always nice to know people are diggin our music and head-banging to it, fucking sick!

You've had the privilege of playing with some pretty big bands in Brazil, what has been the highlight so far?

Yeah, playing with bands you've been listening too since high-school it's crazy as fuck! All gigs are always crazy haha, but playing with Krisiun was a blast for sure!

Do you keep up with your local metal scene in Brazil and what bands would you recommend to us?

Sure we do, any one in the needs of hearing some South American brutality, stick your ears to Vomepotro, Lacerated ad Carbonized, Lástima, Cruscifire, Ayin, Terrorgasmo, Hatefulmurder, Baga, Anopsy, Crunch Delights, Corporate Death, Flesh Grinder, Vociferatus, Gutted Souls, Unearthly, Nervo Chaos, Expurgo, In Torment! South American sickness for you all!!!

Forceps are currently writing their new EP "Humanicide" and once it's ready, I'll have a review on here, but in the meantime you can check out a song on their Soundcloud page below, for a taste of what's to come:-

Also, head over to their Facebook page for info on the EP as it happens at http://www.facebook.com/Forcepsdeathmetal.

Infernoh - War Tjard

Following on from my previous feature this morning, I've finally got around to reviewing this release from Infernoh and D-Takt and Rapunk. Infernoh are a crust punk band from Malmo, Sweden and War Tjard was released in March of this year. A promo CD version was sent to me a little while ago.

Tracklist:-

1. Dott Dar Ogat Ser
2. Er Mur Maste Bort
3. De Galna Och De Blinda
4. Driv Ut Giftet
5. Krossa Guds Kuk
6. Gamdregel
7. Lange Leve Mig
8. Strida For Vada?
9. Inferno
10. Kyla

Dott Dar Ogat Ser flies at you with some squealing guitar and then morphs into pure d-beat violence. The music is surprisingly clear, despite maintaining that rough edge that crust bands love. Infernoh's sound has a tremendous personality to it, with the guitars adding loads of melody and the band playing with epic abandon.

Er Mur Maste Bort has some real rock n roll sensibilities going on and with the lyrics being in Swedish, like the rest of the album, it sounds all the more chaotic. As you'd expect, the songs here a short and sweet. De Galna Och De Blinda has a great punk vibe to it, especially in the drumming at the start and the bouncing riffs of the intro. The vocals are screamed through a mic with an effect that makes them sound like are

coming through an old transistor radio, which gives them an authentic sound.

Driv Ut Giftet is probably one of the heaviest songs featured here. The use of ringing guitar feedback adds to the feeling of disorientation that you feel, the further you get into War Tjard. Krossa Guds Kuk flies past at the same break neck speed, with some great guitar leads and thrashing drums. It's just one constant battery of the senses!

Even though the songs are short, because Infernoh pack a lot into them they seem deceptively long.

Gamdregel heralds in the second half of the record with more ringing feedback and the bands familiar knack of putting a short, raging intro at the start of the song, before a brief moment of rest before two minutes of absolute mayhem! Lange Leve Mig in a down- tuned piece of crust that flies by in just over a minute of whirlwind guitar, rabid screams and crashing cymbals. Strida For Vada, features short vocal lines and some suitably angry guitar melodies in places.

Penultimate track Inferno is utterly mental too. Incredibly fast and head-bangable. It's left to Kyla to close out War Tjard in one last blaze of glory. This is your last chance to hear their ringing guitar, crazed vocals and blasting drums and my god is it worth it!

Overall, this is one hell of a record. Granted, it'll only be liked by those hardcore metalheads and crust fans, but they tend to be the most rabid fans and will lap this up.

I love it, purely for it's thrashing, squealing fun and the fact that underneath that wall of chaos, Infernoh are pretty skilled musicians who are writing and playing the music they want to play.

You can here the majority of the songs from War Tjard over at Infernoh's soundcloud page at http://soundcloud.com/infernoh/tracks.

Infernoh also have a wordpress blog at http://infernoh.wordpress.com/ and if you're into them, you can pick this up at D-Takt and Rapunk's site at http://dbeatrawpunk.blogspot.co.uk/.

Hotet Från Skogarna zine and sampler

Well, this is a first for me. About a week ago, I received a small package from Sweden. Normally I know what they contain, as I've had correspondence from the sender, but not this time, so I quite excited. The package contained an awesome printed zine called Hotet Från Skogarna (The Threat Fro The Forests) and accompanying sampler CD.

Intrigued by the package, I set about reading the zine and also looked into it a bit more online, to find out what it was all about. The zine itself has been produced to bring attention to the punk and hardcore scene in Ostersund and it's surrounding area.

The zine itself have been produced as a collaboration between Sensus, Estrad Norr and OSD Mangel. The sampler CD I received with the zine includes 16 tracks, 2 from each band covered in the zine, but there are also vinyl versions of the sampler too.


The Zine
The zine itself contains interviews with eight bands, which I'll talk about later. Cleverly, the zine is in Swedish, but the creators have included all of the interview in English in the second half of the zine. The middle two page spread talks about the Hotet Från Skogarna project and the bands that were featured, along with links to where you can find them.

The interviews themselves follow the same format for each band. They talk about how o
the bands came to be, their sound and gets their thoughts on the local scene. It's a tremendous insight into a scene and it's bands, in a country where metal and hardcore seem to reign supreme.

One line in an interview sums it up for me. During the interview with Thräshers, the interviewer asks them about The Ostersund scene and how many bands that came from it have gone in search of success, and the answers kind of hit home - "I think it's harder to get around, if that's what you want, when you only become a band among hundreds".

This line for me sums up this zine and what it's creators and the bands covered herein are trying to achieve, it's a sense of unity and understanding that you get from being part of a small scene. That sense of community and the DIY ethic that binds the underground together. I think it's brilliant and I hope that more zine's like this are produced, as it gives a more personal insight into scenes and bands.


The Bands
Talking of bands, I wanted to mention them too, as they are the main reason for this zine after all.

Grundskolan play hardcore punk. They contribute two songs to the sampler CD - Lev Som Forr and Valfrihet. Obviously, the lyrics are in Swedish, but that doesn't stop you from enjoying the rip-roaring, original strand of hardcore that these guys play. They intertwine d-beat punk influences, rock n roll riffs and gang vocals, to give the songs their own identity and bite.

Make sure you head to their bandcamp page for a taste of their music - http://grundskolan.bandcamp.com/track/valfrihet.

Brottskod 11 are a band that I'd heard a lot about previously. These guys play a heavy version of hardcore mixed with d-beat crust. Their songs on the sampler are Samma Brott and Overvald. Brottskod 11 actually feature seven members, so you can imagine what they'd be like at a sweaty, house show!

The tracks here are intense, with an old-school sound which is perfect. Crushing, fast and angry to the last!

Brottskod 11 have their own blog at http://brottskod11.wordpress.com, and Bandcamp page at http://brottskod11.bandcamp.com/ and are also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brottskod-11.

Moron Express are a punk band from Frösön. They sing in English and contribute Endless Road and Prick to the sampler. They play punk with that original Swedish tone and add welcome melody to the sampler.

They are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/moronexpressmusic and on Bandcamp at http://moronexpress.bandcamp.com/.

News From The Front are a politically charged hardcore band. Their two tracks here are Valkommen till Helvetet and F.O.I. Their sound is one of d-beat infused hardcore, with a really intense wall of sound from the guitars and heavy vocals in their native tongue. Their music is also off-kilter and has a slightly melodic sound in places. Really good!

News From The Front are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/News-From-The-Front.

Djävulskap describe their music as "High-octane redneck punk rock". Their songs Knivens Kamp and Osd Blodbad include cracking melodic riffs and screamed vocals. Their songs are more mid-paced but have no-less impact. They fill their songs with groove and a great sense of rock n roll. The riffs during Osd Blodbad show this off perfectly, and the solo is classic!


Djävulskap are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Djavulskap.

 The Dead are a humour filled punk band. Their songs Ta Din Plats are Dom Som Tjanar Mammon are melodic Swedish punk, with it's own identity. The songs are short and remind me of bands like Millencolin.


They have their own blog at http://thedeadband.blogspot.com/ and are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-dead.

Heroinmissbruk play a really heavy take on hardcore, influenced by bands like Carcass and Extreme Noise Terror. Their tracks Aprak och Full av Hat and Blandmissbruk are full of crusty riffs and fast, face melting hardcore in quick blasts.


You can Herionmissbruk on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heroinmissbruk-fd-Antistortion.

Thräshers round out the zine and the CD. They play an amalgamation of hardcore and thrash. Their tracks Skrotaldern and At Skit och Do! are great crossover inspired songs, with huge energy and clever musical layers.

They are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ThrAshers and on Bandcamp at http://thrashers.bandcamp.com/.

So their you have it. Hotet Från Skogarna is a great zine, that clearly care about where it comes from and the bands it features. They want to take their scene to more people and with the help of the sampler, they can do the. The DIY element is also plain to see, so long live Hotet Från Skogarna!

You can find out more about the zine's creators by going to http://www.musikwebben.se/, http://www.estradnorr.se/ and http://osdmangel.wordpress.com/, but bear in mind that the websites are in Swedish!

Hotet Från Skogarna has blog page at http://hotetfranskogarna.blogspot.se/ and are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hotetfranskogarna.

xCurraheex/Truth Inside/xUnforcex - One Common Goal In Sight 3-way split 7"

About a week or so ago, I posted a feature looking at straight-edge hardcore label Commitment Records and their UK offshoot Commitment Records UK.

One of their latest release has been this three way split between Manchester's xCurraheex, Florida's Truth Inside and xUnforcex from the Philippines. The 7" artwork is made up of a different cover for each band, as you can see above. Here's my review.

Track list:

xCurraheex
1. The Fight Goes On
2. Got Your Back
3. I Opened my Eyes
4. Time to React

Truth Inside
5. Try Harder
6. Hospitality

xUnforcex
7. Take A Stand and Rise Against
8. Refusing To Live By Your Lies

The first four songs on the 7" are from xCurraheex. The Fight Goes On is a great slab of English straightedge and a rallying call for hardcore fans everywhere. Got Your Back is a faster song, with great semi-melodic riffs. The great thing about xCurraheex is that the lyrics are always audible, which means you can shout along properly!

I opened My Eyes is a quick blast of hardcore with a great positive message and Time To React hits hard with cracking drumming and hard-edge riffing. This is what made me start repping xCurraheex. They don't mess around and don't fill their music with unnecessary textures or layers. They are straight to the point and because of that they have more impact.

Truth inside come next with their two tracks, and a sound with plenty of Florida style. Again the vocals are audible and the music is clear. Try Harder is a minute and a half of American straightedge at it's best. Hospitality is along the same lines, with cool gang vocals and lyrics that talk about the scene in a positive way and talk about unity, which is the whole point of this split.

It's left to xUnforcex to close out this split and I'm pretty excited to hear these guys, as I've not heard of them before. Take A stand And Rise Against is my first introduction into xUnforcex and what a song. It carries a strong anti-drug message as well, which I agree with and respect. Refusing To Live By Your Lies features more hard-hitting riffs to start with. The lyrics sing of a better life. It's a great song to end on, with melodic guitars and a hefty breakdown section.

I really liked the record. The messages of solidarity and positivity are what this split is all about. Too often, bands sing about negative stuff and it's the straightedge hardcore scene that is bucking that trend.

You can listen to the respective tracks from all three bands on their bandcamp pages below:-

xCurraheex - http://xcurraheex.bandcamp.com/album/xcurrahaeex-truth-inside-xunforcex-split-7 

Truth Inside - http://truthinside.bandcamp.com/ 

xUnforcex - http://xunforcex.bandcamp.com/album/one-common-goal-in-sight-xcurraheex-truth-inside-xunforcex-7-out-now

You can purchase a copy of this 7" from the below stores:-

http://xcurraheex.bigcartel.com/ 
http://www.commitmentrecords.nl/ 

You can also pick it from Truth Inside's BigCartel store, but it's down for maintenance currently. 

No Omega - Metropolis

Lots of you have read my previous feature and interview with No Omega and at the bottom of that post, I mentioned I was going to review their new record Metropolis. Well, here's that review.

Tracklist:-

1. Lives Worth
2. Breathe
3. Blunt Knives
4. Heavy Rain
5. Heartless And Cold
6. Rot
7. Harbringer
8. Metropolis
9. Eight Year Dream 

Metropolis begins with Lives Worth, which is filled with screeching guitar feedback and
is the first introduction to No Omega's energy filled hardcore. There's something about Swedish hardcore bands that really adds to the music. The song judders to an end with those cathartic screams. Breathe sounds epic, with the distant screams that sit in between the instruments, before coming to fore. The drumming here is awesome, just listen to the fill  about a minute in. The music really does relate to the bands theme of dystopia, with it's themes of hopelessness.

Blunt Knives is a fast, beast of a track. Again playing to the bands hardcore influences, with some nice metallic touches thrown it there. The introspective section about a minute in is a nice touch, and as the screams kick back in, you get an amazing sense of the emotion that was put into the record. No Omega don't just play at one speed. They mix fast paced hardcore with metal influences and show good awareness in the variation of their sound. Heavy Rain shows a punkier side to the band, with the bouncing drumming that rips through the song.

The production here gives Metropolis a good modern sound. The guitars and bass do sit a bit deeper in the mix, but shine when the vocals quieten. When No Omega are in full chat, it's the vocals and the drums that you can here more prominently. No songs here are to long either, with No Omega proving their point with short, sharp blast of energetic emotion and full on hardcore. When Heartless And Cold flies at you, you just want to go absolutely nuts! It's another full-force song. Rot is a quick fire blast of grind inspired core, which is over a quickly as it started, yet has plenty of musical layers in to make it feel much longer  than it's one minute and fifteen second length.

The final third of Metropolis starts with Harbringer which has a huge impact, with the help of a pretty hefty low end and some low growls making themselves heard during the song. The title song blasts along at the same pace, not letting you have one brief moment of rest. It contains some great melodic guitar, which gives the music a great atmosphere and one of euphoria, especially amongst such an emotional and tough journey as the record has been to this point.

Final song, Eight Year Dream is the longest song on Metropolis, at just over five minutes. This is the final blast of emotion from No Omega. It's immediately a more mid-paced song. The guitars and drums sound heavier and the vocals are roared out as if they're the last words they will ever sing! There are subtle parts in this song, inspired by fellow countrymen Cult Of Luna, which add to the despair felt within the record. This song is probably one of the best on Metropolis. It's dark, desolate and uses up every spare ounce of emotion from within the band to create something really heartfelt and strangely life-affirming.

Overall, Metropolis is a journey from the despairing knowledge of a world ending, to the euphoria that comes when it's all over. No Omega have crafted a modern hardcore record that touches the post-hardcore roots that Sweden is known for, as well showing the originality of the band as a collective whole. This should catapult No Omega even more into the consciousness of the wider metal/hardcore community, and god knows they deserve it!

You can stream Metropolis on No Omega's bandcamp page below:-


You can either buy a digital copy or CD copy direct from the bandcamp page as well.

 Metropolis is also available to buy in various formats from the following labels:

Thirty Days Of Night - http://thirtydaysofnightrecords.bigcartel.com/category/music (125 copies on Black vinyl)

Monument Records - https://www.monumenthq.se/shop/ (CD and Solid Grey vinyl limited to 175 copies)

Get This Right Records - http://getthisrightrecords.stereokiller.com/ (175 copies on Transparent Blue vinyl)

No Omega can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/noomega

Commitment Records/Commitment Records UK

This feature focuses on Dutch straight edge hardcore label Commitment Records and it's UK distribution arm Commitment Records UK.

Commitment Records was started in 1996 with the sole aim of releasing and distributing records by straight edge bands from across the world. At the time, more and more straight edge bands were coming to the fore.

The first record they ever released was a live 7" by Youth Of Today, of a show that was recorded in Amsterdam from 1989. Since then they have gone onto release countless other records by bands including Vitamin X, xCurraheex and most notably a 6 7" box-set featuring 41 straight edge bands from 41 different countries called - More Than The X On Our Hands.

Commitment's most recent release was three way split 7" from Manchester's xCurraheex, Florida's Truth Inside and xUnforcex from the Philippines. I plan to review this record very soon, so keep a loot out.

Commitment Records UK
Commitment Records UK was set up very recently by a member of xCurraheex, to help promote the records of Commitment Records alongside promoting other straight edge bands.

One of the initiatives that has been set up by Commitment Record UK is to release a limited run of split cassettes, each featuring a straight edge band from the US and one from the UK/Europe.

So far two have been released.

1) Better Times/Eisberg - Split (Limited to 50 copies)

Better Times are a five-piece sXe hardcore band from Buffalo, New York.
Eisberg are an sXe hardcore band that features members from across the UK and Europe.

http://www.facebook.com/betterxtimes
http://www.facebook.com/eisbergHC

 
2) Enough/Iron Curtain - Split (Limited to 70 copies)

Enough are an sXe band from Nashville, Tennessee.
Iron Curtain are from London.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/EnoughXCrew
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Curtain

There are 3 more tapes due to be released but the quantities are unknown.

3) Step Aside/xCurraheex - Split

Step Aside are from Tucson, Arizona.
xCurraheex are from our very own Manchester.

http://www.facebook.com/STEPxASIDE
http://www.facebook.com/xxcurraheexx

4) Search Bloc/Dead Mans Chest - Split

Search Bloc are from Cleveland, Ohio.
Dead Mans Chest are from also from London.

http://www.facebook.com/searchbloc
http://www.facebook.com/deadmanschest

5) This tape's line-up still needs to be completed.

You can pick up the first two tapes now from Commitment Records UK at http://commitmentrecordsuk.bigcartel.com/.

Also, if you're in the UK you can pick up Commitment Records releases directly from the store above. Also, you can go directly to Commitment records if you're outside the UK at http://www.commitmentrecords.nl/.

You can also find both Commitment Records and Commitment Record UK on Facebook at:-

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Commitment-Records
http://www.facebook.com/commitmentxrecords.uk

It's great two see two labels sticking to their guns and releasing true, positive hardcore records by bands that pride themselves in the messages they deliver. Make sure you check both labels out, spread the word and pick up some records/tapes.

Bloody Gears - Frozen Rain 7"

My second quick fire review is of the new Frozen Rain 7" by Boston punk band Bloody Gears.

Tracklist:-

1. Frozen Rain
2. Bite The Hand
3. Tragic Mistake

The title track Frozen Rain starts of with sole guitar riffs and bass buzzing in the background. The vocals are gruff in delivery and there's a subtle hardcore undertone to their sound. This is a long, brooding song and the sound of Bloody Gears is very different too Big Eyes, who I reviewed before.

Bite The Hand has a more garage-punk sound and it immediately a faster song. It does sort of remind me of very early Offspring. Third and final song Tragic Mistake sound upbeat, with the gruff punk singing and melodic guitars. It has that old-school punk feel to it, like I already mentioned.

Again, this a release that shows the length a breadth of Grave Mistakes expanding roster. It's a short, sharp collection of moody punk-rock that deserves your attention.

You can stream the entire 7" at Grave Mistake's bandcamp page below:-


Once you've listened to it, go and buy the 7" from the Grave Mistake online store.

Bloody Gears can be found at http://bloodygears.blogspot.co.uk/.

Big Eyes - Back From The Moon 7"

I thought I'd do a couple more quick fire reviews, so I'm bringing you two news releases by Grave Mistake Records. This first one is the new two song 7" by Seattle based rock n roll band, Gig Eyes.

Tracklist:-

1. Back From The Moon
2. I Don't Care About Friday Night

Back From The Moon starts with some cool jangly guitar and upbeat drumming.
The female vocals give the music a different edge and reminds me of cool summer movies. It's got a retro feel about it and shows off Grave Mistakes eye for varied and interesting acts. B-side, I Don't Care About Friday Night has a fast, punky sound. It's got a punchy melody to it and due to it's length, has a more in your face impact.

Obviously, this 7" is short in length but it's a good introduction to the band. As a trio, they make a great sound and I'm looking forward to seeing .what comes from them in the future.


If you like, it you can purchase a digital copy directly from the bandcamp page or you can a physical copy of the 7" from the Grave Mistake online store. Go ahead and listen to something different!

Big Eyes can be found at http://www.facebook.com/BigEyesBand.

Shroud of Despondency - Pine

Shroud of Despondency are a band that I've read a lot about since I started scaling the precipice of the metal scene. They are a band I always found quite mysterious and interesting, so when the chance came up to review their latest album "Pine", I got a little excited.

Shroud of Despondency are a black metal band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Pine was self released by the band in March of this year.

Tracklist:-

1. Wanderlust(Winged Seed in the Breeze)
2. Overshadow
3. New Trees
4. Wanderlust(Moist Soil)
5. The Great Sadness Descends
6. Half Open Gates
7. Wanderlust(Sapling)
8. Light Words, Dark Graves
9. Nameless End
10. Wanderlust(Lightning Precedes Fire)
11. The Unchaining of an Animal

Pine begins with Wanderlust (Winged Seed in the Breeze), which is the first of three songs of the same name. It begins with a brooding, haunting intro featuring acoustic guitar and the sound of rain falling. There are also strings and other instruments playing underneath. This is an instrumental intro to the album, but shows already that Shroud of Despondency are not afraid to use different instruments to create a different sound.

The song fades with a piece of spoken word, which leads you straight into second song Overshadow. This is the first time that you get to witness their black metal first hand on Pine. It's quick fire stuff, with bruising drums and clever riffs buried underneath those high-pitched screams of vocalist Ron Blemberg. SoD use clean riffs to good effect, which takes the edge off their crushing sound and shows more subtle influences and good musicianship.

There are more traditional metal influences at play here. Some of the riffs follow a traditional structure, but they are interspersed with slower, off-kilter sections.

The use of dual low/high pitched growls brings in death metal influences too. SoD also believes in musical indulgence, with the majority of tracks on Pine passing the five-minute mark. The great thing about this record is that it's not all fire and brimstone, but varied and throughout, and despite SoD's obvious denouncement of life (just read their Facebook bio) they obviously have very musical brains. I also like how each song leads straight into the other, without a pause.

New Trees varies in it's pace, being slower from the off. They use twin guitar melodies amongst their black metal attack to add texture to the music. The melodic guitar solo has a subtle Middle Eastern sound to it as well. Towards the end of New Trees, SoD pick up the pace with a whirlwind of wailing guitars and thrashing drums, before returning to normal as the song closes out. Wanderlust (Moist Soil) is another interlude of sorts and follows on the first song. Again more strings and different instruments are used to carry on the story here. I especially like the laid back drumming that sees this song out.

The Great Sadness Descends follows immediately with some more great dual-guitar. This song has a nice sludge groove to it, with chanting like vocals in the background. This is more if a sermon like track and a slight departure from their earlier tracks.

I really like it and think it fits in well with the rest of the record. It's sound is upbeat and the rock n roll inspired solo is a nice touch of balladry.

SoD are back to normal in next track Half Open Gates, as we reach the second half of Pine. The speedy black metal is back, as are the dual death/black metal vocals.

The variation on show here is great, as I've already said. This will appeal to more than just black metal fans and thanks too the production, it's clear and precise. Just listen to the musicality during the second half of Half Open Gates, if you don't believe me.

It's so easy to get lost in the music here, as the layers and textures that are woven into Pine are brilliant. Wanderlust (Sapling) is the third of the Wanderlust interludes and flows majestically through just over three minutes of instrumental ambience. The screams during Light Words, Dark Graves are absolutely rabid and probably contribute to one of the heaviest songs on Pine. Nameless End is a dirge of a song, with a hefty low end. The sound and the vocals are pure evil!

The final Wanderlust interlude is another welcome change of mood, and leaves you with a great sense of expectation as it heralds in the final song on the record.

And so it's too the final song and this is a surprise. The Unchaining of animal is played with acoustic guitars and clean singing. This is a great way to end a record that has been full of twists and turns. I'll admit, it was not what I was expecting but then that was the idea. It's got a country and western feel to it, but that's more today with the instrumentation and at over six minutes long, it tells it's own story.

On reflection, Pine is one hell of an album. You simply can’t label it as just plain old black metal as there is so much more on show here. You really have to listen to it multiple times to appreciate it all, which of course I will!

The whole of Pine is available for streaming via SoD's bandcamp page below:-

Give it the attention it deserves and if you like it, you can download it or purchase a CD copy of $8 directly from the bandcamp page.

Shroud of Despondency are also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/shroudofdespondency.

Tellusian - Scania EP

This is the two track EP by Swedish grindcore band Tellusian. This band have got me quite excited due to that fact that it feature members of ex-Willotip band Crowpath. This has been released as a 7" by Handshake Inc.

Tracklist:-

1. Karnival
2. Eight Years of Rest

Karnival starts with some pensive guitar before Tellusian's take on grind infused metal flies at you. This is really groovy, off-kilter stuff that doesn't actually bear much resemblance to grindcore at all. It's fast in place but also incredibly musical, especially with the clean guitar that's employed here. The vocals however are pretty heavy, which does befit the music.

Eight Years of Rest follows in a similar vein and shows off Tellusian's progressive side. From what I remember of Crowpath, they were pretty fast, but these guys are a lot different. They even manage to throw in some twin guitar melodies, amongst their other ideas. This song is full of meaty riffs and like Karnival before it, is well worth a listen.

Overall, two tracks just aren't enough I'm afraid! The musicality on show here is incredible and I for one can't wait for Tellusian to bring out a full length.

Make sure you head by their bandcamp page below and listen to the songs, as they're streaming now:-

Also, head over to Handshake Inc at http://www.handshakeinc.com/ for details on how to purchase a copy of the 7".

Tellusian are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tellusian as well.

Biipiigwan - Nibaak EP

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed Biipiigwan's album God's Hooks. I also received this, which is their latest EP that was released in February this year.

Tracklist:-

1. Rodentia
2. Kingmaker
3. Nibaak

Rodentia starts with a pretty intense, trance inducing bunch if riffs and then blasts you with a wall of noise. Your senses are battered with ferocious growls and super heavy instrumentation. The off-kilter rhythms and sporadic lapses into doomy territory make this one hell of a track. The pace slows down towards the end of the song and introduces some pretty cool, semi-clean guitar which brings a hint of melody to the ear, before careening to end with one last blast.

Kingmaker is a slower song all together, with more clean guitar adding quite a haunting melody to the song. The riffs ring out underneath the vocals, drawing in you with every bar. The vocals continue at a similar pitch throughout, only breaking to allow the low-end to have it's way with you. The production on the EP is great too. Each instrument is clear and the overall effect is a heavy one.

Nibaak takes you back to Biipiigwan's speedier side, with pounding drums and killer riffs. The vocals here seem to be totally possessed. The pinch harmonics used in the track are ace too, sounding like screaming banshees for the brief period they are used. Again the pace slows towards the end of the song, but that's all part of Biipiigwan's charm. It highlights their heavier side
and one which is very welcome.

This is what I call an EP. It lasts for just under fifteen minutes and crams enough in to allow you too get lost in it. This is a great sign of things to come from a band that really are ones to watch, if you ain't already.

You can stream the entire EP at Biipiigwan's bandcamp page below:-


If you like it, you can download it from their bandcamp page as a name-your price download or you can buy a CD copy from http://biipiigwan.bigcartel.com/.

Their Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/BIIPIIGWAN.

A Wanted Awakening - Catharsis Pre-Release Trailer

Melodic Death metal band A Wanted Awakening are due to release their new album "Catharsis" on June 24th. They will also be playing to packed out release shows to unleash it on you all.

In the meantime though, check out the pre-release trailer below for a sample of whats to come:-



Keep an eye on their blog - http://awantedawakening.blogspot.com/ and their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/awantedawakening for more news as it comes.

You can also check out their earlier EP Rebirth via their bandcamp page - http://awantedawakening.bandcamp.com as well as a review of said EP right here on my blog. Stay close as this record is gonna slay!

Funeral Whore - Step Into Damnation

Funeral Whore are a fairly new band to me. While doing some research before this review, I noticed that they were Dutch, which is ace because in the early days of this blog I spent many a post talking about different Dutch bands. This album was released earlier this year by Mexican record label Chaos Records. On Step Into Damnation, Funeral Whore present eleven tracks of crushing death metal.

Tracklist:-

1. Eternal Genocide

2. Wasteland of Corpses

3. Obidience

4. Camp Blood

5. El Salvador Death Squad

6. Step Into Damnation

7. The Bitch Died

8. Pierce My Flesh

9. Threesome

10. Failure of the Sacrifice 

11. Buried in Hell

The first thing that strikes you when Step Into Damnation kicks off is the old-school sound that Funeral Whore have gone for on this release. The guitars buzz along underneath the drums and the death metal growls are deep. The music ranges from full-throttle death metal madness, to really cool mid-paced metal.

The start of Wasteland of Corpses sounds like it's been taken over by a sludge band, as it chugs along before building up and smashing you upside the head! The band is able to switch pace seamlessly, without losing any impact and they seem at their best when they are favouring the mid-paced sections.

Obidience includes some brilliant clean guitar melodies, which help bring variation to Funeral Whore's outright death attack. Camp Blood is pretty ferocious, with some of the lowest death growls heard on the record. I find that In can't really categorise these guys, as normally you can think of a band similar, but I'm struggling which is a good thing as I don't really like to categorise bands anyway.

I really like the clean guitar picking that goes on in El Salvador Death Squad. Each song here hovers around the 3-4 minute mark, so songs don't outstay their welcome and leave you with a lasting impression. The sweeping guitar at the start of The Bitch Died gives you an indication of Funeral Whore's influences and the drumming is incredible, as you'd expect.

With the amount of bands peddling death metal nowadays, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you'd heard them all before, but Funeral Whore do put a lot of effort

into making their take on the genre sound interesting and varied. From the fast to the slow, they have loads going for them. Their thrash metal influences shine through at key points on the record, which should help them appeal to a wider audience.

During the final few tracks, Funeral Whore well and truly hit their stride and start to sound really assured. They weave enough ideas into tracks like Failure of The Sacrifice to keep you interested and to make you realise that they ain't messing around. Overall this is a devastating but well played death metal by a band that clearly care about their art.

Head over to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Funeral-Whore to see what the band are up to and go to buy the album http://www.chaos-records.com/label/.

Dystopia rising - No Omega

Chaos, Pestilence and Famine are easy subjects for metal bands to cover nowadays. The end of the world is a theme that's been covered in many different ways by extreme bands for years, whether it's via environmental or cosmic lineage of even the outright denouncement of human existence, but that fact that bands are able to keep reinvigorating the subject, is testament to metal's progression. Add to that the constant evolution of scenes and genres and you've got yourself something that is thought provoking and absorbing.

I've not done a feature for a while like this, so what better way to start off again than by focusing on a band who's stock is rising in the scene. A cult band who come from a country where metal bands are forever rising from the undergrowth, trying to elbow their way into people consciousness. I'm talking about Stockholm's newest sons of anarchy, No Omega.

They have been and are part of the DIY Stockholm hardcore scene, dealing in disparate, cathartic subject matter. They're influenced by the kind of post-hardcore sound that made bands like Cult of Luna the band they are today and the caustic hardcore of bands like Rise and Fall.

In 2010 the guys self-released a demo and then released their first 7" via Monument Records and World vs Cometh. Their new LP Metropolis is about to be released by a co-operative of different labels, including Thirty Days of Night Records, Get This Right Records and Monument Records.

I was luck enough to catch up with guitarist Oscar recently, who told me about No Omega's plans and also gave an exclusive insight into what Metropolis means to the band:-

1. So first of all, your new record Metropolis has been out for a little while now. How's the reception to it been?

From what we've heard from people, they seem to like it!

2. How does it feel to have it released on vinyl as well?

Feels great! Although I don't have a vinyl player myself, I love the feeling of holding a 12" vinyl in my hands... it feels so authentic/solid in someway, more special then a CD. I love listening to vinyl over at friends' houses as well.

3. You're releasing your vinyl record through Thirty Days of Night Records in the UK. How did that come about?

Yeah we sent out a bunch of e-mail to labels last year. We were especially keen on trying to get the record out on a UK label like TDON, Holy Roar or Tangled Talk, since we worship most of the bands on all three labels. So when Jamie over at TDON answered saying he'd like to put the record out on TDON, we were really stoked, and so happy about it! We made jokes about being on the same label as Bring Me The Horizon (first EP) on tour in March, haha. Just a few more weeks until the vinyl comes out on TDON now!

4. How are things going for No Omega in general at the moment?

It's going pretty well, I'd say! We're still working really hard (DIY) with promoting the band and our music, as well as making tours and shows happen since we really love touring and want to do it as much as possible. So we've got the tour in July with GRIEVED, playing Fluff Fest in Czech Republic, which we're really excited about. And a ton of other great shows on that tour! We're also working on getting our asses over to the UK again in September for like a week of shows. Really crossing fingers for that to happen! Other than that, we've just started working on some new songs, which are turning out really cool. Keeping the "No Omega-sound" and the mix between hardcore, metal, sludge, slower/faster songs going. I think we're going to try and record some new tunes by the end of 2012.

5. With festival season approaching, which ones are you guys heading too?

We're playing some cool metal festival in Hungary on July 14th + Fluff Fest in Czech Republic on July 20th. That's it. But really big for us playing Fluff Fest. Really a dream come true and we're all so excited about playing there. Truly an amazing festival in general, and this year looks to be crazy with soooo many fucking awesome bands playing!

6. What influences No Omega, musically or otherwise?

Well musically these five bands are what influences us the most: Meleeh, Rise And Fall, Oceana, Dead Swans, Killing The Dream. But of course we listen to a lot of different music and a ton of other bands. Victor (drummer) mostly listens to metal, drum 'n' bass and dubstep. Andrez (singer) listens a lot to Pianos Become The Teeth at the moment, also Sigur Ros and Full Of Hell. Daniel (bass) listens to a lot of hardcore bands like Cruel Hand, Foundation, but also stuff like The Blood Brothers, The Locust etc. I (Oscar, guitar) am just listening to Deaf Heaven, Mew (Danish pop), Suis La Lune (my favourite band) and Dating (Swedish rock band) at the moment. So you can see there's a lot of different influences there...

Other than music a lot of things that are messed up with society or human civilisation in general influences us, since we are quite the political band, at least in the way that we want to convey a message which each text, each song. I just have a hard time writing lyrics that are completely meaningless or without a message, I'm thinking like "why not? Of course I want the lyrics that I am writing to have a message to the listener". The whole lyrical theme of "Metropolis" is very dystopic, and takes place in a nearby future where everything is basically going to hell (something I like to call "The No Omega dystopia"). The first few songs on the album are sort of trying to describe and establish some things that are fucked about the way we live our lives to day, the way society work and how civilisation is sort of fundamentally constructed. The middle songs are sort of describing events that are leading us to some sort of collapse: economical, societal, structural. And the last few songs are sort of dealing with this collapse and the "post-civilisation" world that this might lead to, after a war or collapse of some kind. The lyrics are very personal and they're written out of the perspective of one individual living through this dystopia. Dealing with his emotions foremost concerning the present world and the collapse, but also a little about love, friendship and struggles with depression and alienation. So there you go...

7. There's a lot of darker hardcore bands coming back to the fore now. Why do you think this is?

Yeah I don't really know actually... really cool music just i guess. For me it's more important that there's good musicianship behind the music and not just messages, but shitty music or just bad music with the excuse that "it's punk". This and melody is of course also really important...

8. Are you still in touch with your home Stockholm scene? What local bands would you recommend to us?

Yes of course! Both me (Oscar, guitar) and Daniel (bass) are in a booking group called Stockholm Straight Edge and we are organising shows all the time back home. Local bands like DISEMBARKED, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE, OUT OF HOPE, SUIS LA LUNE, SORE EYELIDS, GRIEVED.

I'm not going to talk about Metropolis too much, as I'll be reviewing it very shortly, but the entire LP is up for streaming below, via No Omega's Bandcamp page:-



You can pick up physical copies of Metropolis from the following labels:-

Thirty Days Of Night - http://thirtydaysofnightrecords.bigcartel.com/.
140 on Black vinyl.

Get This Right Records - http://www.stereokiller.com/getthisrightrecords
140 on Transparent Blue vinyl.

Monument Records - https://www.monumenthq.se/shop
CD Pressing.
140 on Grey Vinyl.

As well as this, make sure you visit No Omega on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/noomega.

PxBxS - S/T EP

Here's quick fire review for you. This is the S/T EP by L.A. power violence crew PxBxS,
This EP features three songs.

Tracklist:-

1. Instrumental
2. Stuck
3. Closing In

The instrumental begins with a bass heavy intro and screaming feedback, which morphs into a semi-sludge/power violence masterpiece. Stuck is a full on grinding attack on the senses. At just over a minute and featuring pretty savage vocals, it rips!

Closing In begins with ringing feedback and a sampled spoken word passage. The music itself is again suitably low-fi with their racket only kicking in, in the last thirty seconds.

If it's short, sweet grind your after, look no further than PxBxS. They will rip your head off and pour molten lava down your throat! I hope these guys continue to put out stuff like this, as the mixture of sludge and grind together make it pretty damn heavy and well worth picking up.


PxBxS have made all of their music available for free download via their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/PxBxS.

On Top - Top Heavy

Since my time writing this blog, I've covered many different strains of metal, as my tastes are quite wide I think but I've not really covered any bands who play metal that's been inspired by those early protagonists, where true metal crossed with rock n roll and even hair metal! On Top are here to remedy that with their album Top Heavy. On Top are a power trio who take their cues from bands like Dio and early Megadeth. Top Heavy was released in late 2011 by the affectionately named Horror Pain Gore Death Productions.

Tracklist:-

1. Top Heavy
2. Into The Night
3. Sleepless
4. Sick and Tired
5. Another Night of Sleaze
6. Die High
7. Fire Down Below
8. Hot 'N' Wet
9. Success and Excess
10. Up To No Good
11. Too Much

Top Heavy begins with the title track, which is an intro of epic proportions, with a killer virtuoso guitar and drum solo. Into The Night kicks off straight after with a great true metal intro and vocals that remind me of Death Angel. The impact of the music is lessened slightly by On Top only having the one guitar, but when it's this rocking it doesn't matter. The solo played on Into The Night is a sign of the histrionics that On Top inject into their music and thankfully they fit in perfectly.

Sleepless again shows that On Top have some thrash influences in their arsenal.

The production on here helps to make the sound clear and the makes the instruments come alive. The drums hold everything together along with the upbeat base lines.

An example of this is in third song Sick and Tired.

The music on the album follows a simple formula of uncomplicated rock n roll inspired metal and while some people may see this as a cliché, it's actually a good bridge between 80s revivalist's and true, original metal worship. The band that actually comes to mind the more I listen is a band called Silvertide, except Silvertide had more melody.

These songs seem to breeze past and don't outstay their welcome. The song titles and lyrics are pure rock n roll as well, just check out sixth track Die High. The drumming at the start of Fire Down Below is great and shows that they can groove. Again the guitar solo steals the show during Fire Down Below.

Hot 'N' Wet is a quick blast, of sleazy and dirty rock n roll. The lyrics and theme of the song do their bit to hammer that point home! Success and Excess could well be a song about what On Top want to achieve with Top Heavy. It's got everything you need to have a damn good headbang, with great guitar riffs and a killer rhythm section.

The album closes out with two final slabs of heavy metal mayhem, with Up To No Good and Too Much. This is the kind of album that would get cranked up to 11 when you just want to kick back and enjoy some good old rock n roll. It's played really well by a band that really cares about the quality of the music that they put out. Even if you don't listen to anymore classic heavy metal album this yea, just listen to this and enjoy the summer, if it ever appears!

Now On Top have provided a four track sampler of Top Heavy for free download via their Bandcamp page below:-

Have a listen and if you like what you hear, you can pick up a copy from Horror Pain Gore Death Productions at http://hpgd.comoj.com.

Also you can visit On Top on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/bandontop.

Ashes Forever - Love, Leave, Forget, Repeat.

This is something a bit different. Ashes Forever are a duo from New York and Love, Leave, Forget, Repeat is their latest EP, that was released in February. It features one song and is billed as progressive metal. Ashes Forever is made up of Matt Dillon on Drums and Vocals and James Adam Gaskill on Guitar and Vocals.

Tracklist:-

1. Her Repressed Memories

When Her Repressed Memories started, I thought there was a problem with Bandcamp or my speakers, because all that was coming out was occasional white noise and distant music, but then I realised that it was just the intro! When the song kicked in properly, it started with emo/screamo influenced melodic guitar and experimental drum beats, before James Adam Gaskill's screaming vocals came in. The music is mainly instrumental but it's pretty damn savage. Those screams are maddening when in full flow and the use of low death metal vocals, add another side to it all.

This is all one song, but it seems to split into short, blasting movements. There's a lot of different musical textures and influences used. The epic snare drum rolls about five minutes in sound like a machine gun, widely firing of it's own accord. The riffs are also brooding and atmospheric, along with subtle blasts of grind induced noise. The 8-bit, Gameboy inspired music seven minutes in is really cool and adds a brief bit of sanity to proceedings, before they commit to introduce semi nu-metal inspired riffs to the melee. The riffs nine minutes in are savage as well.

The EP ends with some more white noise and leaves you utterly bewildered. You've just witnessed something utterly mental. Ashes Forever succeed because they don't go for outright blasting speed. They prefer to add different structures and movements within the track, so there is some breathing space between their mutated shifts. This is far to unholy for a Sunday and all the better for it!

Have a listen to this EP yourself below, via the bands Bandcamp Page -


You can also see what they're up to on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AshesForeverBand/.

Palisades - I'm Not Dying Today EP

I thought I'd take a slight break from reviewing extreme metal bands and focus my attention elsewhere for a bit. This is the latest EP by New Jersey post-hardcore band Palisades. It's a five song effort that's been released by Rise Records.

Tracklist:-

1. Disclosure
2. Bury It
3. Immortal
4. Seamless Ending
5. Wolves

After the initial programmed beats of opener Disclosure, you're treated to a slickly produced, modern take on post-hardcore. Pop-punk inspired melodies, with sporadic screaming. The guitars and drums seem to be buried beneath the vocals and the programming at little bit, which is disappointing and this EP could have a huge sound, but when the breakdowns play out at the end of the song, they still sound crushing.

Bury It sounds like the kind of rave induced metal that kids are craving now. It's certainly really accomplished and while there are a lot of electronics at play here,

it's obvious that Palisades are a pop-punk band with hardcore influences using dance and electro to add variety to their music, and not just an electro band playing at being a pop-punk band.

It does remind me slightly of bands like Asking Alexandria, which is no surprise really. I've said before that this kind of heavy music serves a purpose, to help get younger kids into metal and eventually into heavier stuff, but it doesn't sound unlistenable by any means. It's quite brutal in parts, where the drums and guitars are allowed to breathe on their own.

The songs here don't outstay their welcome and Palisades cram plenty of variation into them. The start of Seamless Ending sounds like the band are playing dubstep, using a chainsaw. Last song, Wolves is a big song for the band to end the EP with. The chorus is loud and slick and the drums can be heard here, along with those breakdowns again which make it into the most traditional sounding post-hardcore song on the EP.

I'll be honest here and say that this type of post-hardcore/pop-punk isn't quite my thing, for the reason that it seems over-programmed, but I can see that it will appeal to

a lot of people. It sounds good and it's not a horrible soundclash.  Current fans of this specific sub-genre will lap up Palisades, but part me hopes that some of their recent new signings will bring some traditional influences to other bands on the label and help them to move away from the programmed heavy sound that they rely on. That said though, I will be giving this repeat listens!

You can purchase I'm Not Dying Today from the Rise Records store at http://riserecords.merchnow.com/ and you can listen to tracks from the EP via the Rise Records Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/riserecords.

Also, you can hear music streamed directly at http://www.facebook.com/WeArePalisades.

Nordland - Nordland

This is an exclusive! It's the self-titled debut release from Black metal entity, Nordland. This has not been released to the public yet, but is due out soon via Glorious North Productions. The sole member is Vorh and Nordland comes from the North East of England.

Tracklist:-

1. Vorscara
2. Thule
3. Morth
4. Messenger of the Vortex Winds
5. Lords of the Great Dwelling
6. Nordland
7. Nord Uliima

Vorscara begins with cleanly plucked guitar and the whistling wind which opens up this record in a very atmospheric way. When the music builds it does so with strong riffs and rasping vocals. The drums can be heard thrashing away in the background with the  cymbals being the most prevalent. Nordland's sound is one of tuneful, ambient black metal, much like many of the other releases that have come from Glorious North in the past.  Nordland chooses not too go for a clichéd sound, which makes listening to this record much more of pleasing experience. It true Black metal fashion, these songs are long and engaging! There are extended instrumental passages in Vorscara which help to maintain that foreboding atmosphere.

Thule is more menacing, with faster drums and a very different guitar sound to that of Vorscara. The vocals range from those rasping, black metal screams to short whispered spoken word sentences. There's a lot of variation on display here, with the different vocals and changes in pace from fast to mid-paced, which are interwoven really well.

The instrumentation in Morth is subtly melodic in places, with nicely layered guitar which comes to fore when the vocals are given time to rest. The harmonies give it a great multidimensional sound that makes it sound like there is a full band playing, and thanks too the great production it sounds very majestic. Morth does end suddenly, but then goes straight into Messenger of the Vortex Winds, which again demonstrates those great, layered guitar melodies. Here, the Norse influence begins to rear it's head properly. I hadn't really heard it in the previous songs but it's more obvious in this track. The lyrics are audible as well, which cannot be said for some black metal releases and as a result, you get a sense of the thoughts and subjects that Vorh sings about.

Lords of The Great Dwelling is a slower more brooding song, which builds up to reveal a bouncing rhythm as the vocals kick in. This follows on from the previous songs and carries on the journey with a cosmic influence, with lyrical subject matter that includes references to Babylon, which nods towards a mystically presence within Nordland's influences. The guitar and piano that end Lords of The Great Dwelling is a nice calming touch that prepares you for the title track to come.

Nordland is the longest song here, stretching to almost twelve minutes. It contains a more trance inducing set of riffs, but still have the evil vocals and clever drum patterns that keep things moving. Variation is the key here too, with changes in pace, stops/starts and subtle extras that make this a very rounded song. The noise level towards the end of Nordland seems to rise, as the guitars are left to play on their own briefly and as a result, sound massive. This is certainly a song full of great twists and turns, that should keep black metal listeners very happy indeed.

The final salvo here is Nord Uliima, which is billed as an outro to the record. It feature subtle instrumentation and sporadic sampled chanting, which fades in and out along with more wind effects. It is a haunting but calm end to a record that's certainly been a journey! Nordland is another demonstration of Black metal done right. It's not trying to be too showy or corny, it's got integrity and considering it's play a solo project, the music contained on it sounds amazing. When it finally sees release through Glorious North Productions, I'd make sure you pick it up, because if word catches on it may start to disappear pretty fast!

As I said previously, this records is due out soon via Glorious North Productions, so remember to visit http://www.gloriousnorth.co.uk/ for news about it.

Also, Nordland has a website at http://www.nordland.org.uk/home.