ULVER

THE ZODIAC MINDWARP

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STILL STINGING

IN THE STUDIO!

#267

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ISSUE 267 JAN 2016 4.75

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GRAVE PLEAS LYPSE
S HOUE AWSEAY EMBRACING THE APOCA
ON
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COR
COMFORT ZON
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#265

MYRKUR

THE HATE ON ME HAS

BECOME SO JUVENILE

SUNN 0)))
MORE CONCISE, MORE

FOCUSED

EXTR
E
NOISE TEEM
RROR
WE WENT
BACK TOTALLY TO OUR

LD BE SOME

THERE SHOU

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MYSTIQU

#266

STILL
WHY THEY

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CLUTCH

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#267

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FREEBASE
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EDITORIAL
#267 JAN 2015

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t was 2AM when I read the news that Lemmy had passed
away. It was at the end of a festive night at home and
needless to say I was pretty drunk. By that time, wed already
had (another, final) nightcap, but it felt appropriate to have
another one in honour of the great man himself. Only a few days
on, and social media sites continue to be flooded with stories,
anecdotes and live performance archives of Motrhead in action.
As I write this, I imagine this celebration will be the status quo
for quite some time to come. It certainly feels heartfelt and
no-one could doubt Motrheads impact on the world of music.
But it wasnt just the music, it was the lifestyle and the portrayal
of the outlaw lifestyle that also captured our hearts too. As a
kid, Motrhead scared you from just looking at the pictures on
the album sleeves; when you stuck the needle on the groove,
that feeling was intensified 1000 times, and its that feeling that
made Motrhead so special and unique. At the age of 70, while
not exactly ancient, considering the life style that he enjoyed, its
a pretty amazing innings. Lemmy led the life he wanted, on his
terms and he was the larger than life character everyone could
vicariously live their rock n roll excess through, so we didnt
have to. Hes also left an extremely rich catalogue of music for us
to enjoy, time and time again. And that is the beauty of music.
While the man himself grew old, the music that is left will never
age. The video footage remains too. Albums like Bomber are
the sounds of three young men having the times of their life,
while last years Bad Magic is the sound of three mature men
demonstrating that rock n roll is indeed still king. Celebrate,
enjoy and be thankful of the legacy it is unique.

COVER PIC: ESTER SEGARRA

BACKGROUND ILLUSTRATION STEVE NEWMAN

WHAT TEAM TERRORIZER HAVE BEEN SCARING

THE NEIGHBOURS WITH THIS MONTH
MIRANDA YARDLEY
(PUBLISHER)

HAWKWIND
'HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL'

RELEASED ON UNITED ARTISTS(SELF-RELEASE)

DARREN SADLER
(CONSULTANT EDITOR)

BLACK TUSK
PILLARS OF ASH
(RELAPSE)

KEZ WHELAN

(PRODUCTION/REVIEWS EDITOR)

HAWKWIND

'WARRIOR ON THE EDGE OF TIME'

UNITED ARTISTS

JOSCARLOS SANTOS
SENIOR WRITER

MOTRHEAD
'1916'

(EPIC/WTG)

DARREN SADLER

The paper used in this publication is from a mill that carries chain
of custody and is from sustainable forests.

AWARDS
Print Media Management
Innovation in Publishing' Award 2005 - Highly Commended
ACE Press Awards
'Circulation Excellence and Endeavour' - Gold, 2008

TERRORIZER #267

ISSUE 268 ON SALE 11TH FEBRUARY

p76

SUNN 0)))

AMPLIFIER WORSHIP

TIM VAN VEEN

PETER BESTE

CONTENTS
FEATURES
18. ABBATH

After a dispute with his former Immortal

bandmates, Abbath is back

24. WITCHCRAFT

Magnus Pelander returns with another new

Witchcraft lineup

26. ULVER

Composed of improvisations from numerous different

shows, Ulvers latest isnt your typical live album

30. TEXTURES

The tech-metallers return with an ambitious new doublealbum

p32

SEPULTURA
30 YEARS OF RIFFS

32. SEPULTURA

Sepulura reflect back on the last three decades

36. VENOMOUS CONCEPT

With a brand new album and upcoming UK tour, Venomous

Concept are ready to grind again

38. RABROT

REGULARS

After staring death in the face, rabrot may have just

written their best album to date

4. FRONTLINE

70. DARK RECOLLECTIONS

40. HEXVESSEL

8. BAR RANT

74. HARD OF HEARING

42. BORKNAGAR

10. STUDIO REPORT

76. STAGEFRIGHT

We catch up with Amon Amarth in the studio to find out

more about their forthcoming tenth album

We go for a pint with From The Bogs Of Aughiska and

Coltsblood in the oldest pub in England

We get the latest on Katatonias upcoming slice of misery

12. FEAR CANDY

All the details on this months CD of mayhem and

destruction

14. CHOICE CUTS

Celebrating 50 years of hard rockin lunacy, we catch up with

Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jab to reminisce

Acid Reign and Xentrix go head to head in the ultimate test

of metal knowledge

We report back from Utrechts Le Guess Who? Festival,

featuring Sunn O))), Chelsea Wolfe, Today Is The Day,
Goatsnake, Virus and many more

80. MIXTAPE MAYHEM

Tribulation offer up a mix of esoteric tunes for your listening

pleasure

New bands this month include mind-boggling death

metallers Chtheilist, Swedish marauders Degial,
progressive doom quintet King Goat and more

Progressive black metallers Borknagar are still finding

ways to challenge themselves on album number ten

44. PANOPTICON

Moving away from politics, Panopticons Austin Lunn gets

personal on new record Autumn Eternal

46. OBSCURA

Tech-death champs Obscura have finally

delivered the follow-up to 2011s Omnivium

48. THE KING IS BLIND

UK death metallers The King Is Blind are taking no

prisoners with their crushing debut album

50. DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT

With their new collaboration with Gnaw Their Tongues,

Dragged Into Sunlight delve into some disturbing territory

56. INTO THE GRAVE

Our death metal round-up continues with Abominable

Putridity, Grunt and Ares Kingdom

52. IGNITE

A decade after their last studio album, melodic hardcore

heroes Ignite are back in action

58. SELECTED & DISSECTED

We check out new albums from Ulver, Abbath, Borknagar,

Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Conan and many more

Mat McNerney aims for optimistic pastures with

his psychedelic/folk rock group

p70

54. ANTIMATTER

Taking inspiration from some dark times, Antimatters new

material finds them at their most cathartic

TERRORIZER #267

BULLET POINTS
Mammothfest has
announced its headliners, plus an
entire stage dedicated to black
metal for the three day festival,
which takes place in Brighton on
the weekend of Friday 30 September
to Sunday 2 October 2016. Stage
headliners announced so far include

Dutch prog-metallers Textures on the Friday,

Venom Inc. on the Saturday and battle doom
monsters Conan closing the weekend on the
Sunday.
Speaking of the decision to create the black
metal stage. Festival Director Ashley Scott
explained: Mammothfest 2016 is all about
creating a great atmosphere for our bands

and customers, we are doing all we can to support

emerging UK talent. Offering a diverse and varied
line-up is something we pride ourselves on and
after a few discussions in the early meetings for
the 2016 event, we decided to pull our socks up
and to roll out our support for black metal this
year by laying on a totally dedicated stage for it.
A number of other bands have been announced,

including The Infernal Sea, Sworn Amongst,

Black Moth, Bast and Conjurer.
Tickets for the festival are priced at 120 for
all three days with accommodation included,
earlybird tickets are 50.
www.Facebook.com/
MammothMetalFestival

THE BASIC STORY IS A YOUNG MAN WHOS

IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL GIRL, BUT SHES
MARRIED OFF TO A POWERFUL MAN

pressure for this one? Not

really, no. I didnt actually even
think about it till the other day when
we were talking about it. I was so
focused on getting the story together
and getting the lyrics together and
ten is just a number really, isnt it?
I guess it could mean something
or it could just be another album.
I choose to look at it as another
album and I think its a
really good album. If it
does mean something,
then this is the perfect
album to be number TEN!
[laughs]

being 2013s
Deceiver Of The Gods and spent six
weeks here, hows it been?
Its excellent, working with Andy is great. Hes so
focused and relaxed about his work. Hes very into the
details, hes very supportive and very committed to
making the best out of everything you do. He pushes
you without actually forcing anything. I would say
that rather than pushing, he pulls the best out of you,
a very positive encouragement. And being here in the
countryside gives you the opportunity to 100 per cent
focus on your work. When you need to clear your head
you just walk outside and sit for an hour and do nothing.
You can look at the cows, you know? [Laughs] Clear your
head and go for a walk and then come back in feeling
pumped again. Its beautiful, I love it.

unfortunately there was just not enough time to have

it ready. But maybe in the future well release it as a
separate book, you never know!
Words: Nik Alexander
Jomsviking is released on March 25 via
Sony
www.AmonAmarth.com

Tell us about the album artwork.

Its by Tom Teal who weve pretty much been
working with exclusively since Twilight Of The
Thundergod. The album cover focuses on the main
character but ties the whole album together with the
whole picture. For this album were actually working
on different pictures for each song, which will be in
the booklet. One of the ideas we had, but we couldnt

Jomsviking also marks the

bands first recording with new
drummer,Tobias Gustafsson
from Vomitory.
Tobias had been playing with Vomitory
for twenty-odd years and they just decided
to call it quits. Hes been playing drums
in a number of bands recently including a
project he has together with Vomitory bass
player Erik [Rundqvist] and a couple of
other guys, called Cut Up, which is a really
good old school death metal band. Hes
also done stuff with Torture Division from
Sweden and lots of other stuff!
Youve worked with Andy Sneap
for the second time the first

follow through, was to make a comic book of it but

For daily updates check www.Terrorizer.com

TERRORIZER #267

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TERRORIZER #262

"WE WERE WATCHING THE MAN WHO

DISCOVERED EMPEROR SINGING
SONGS ABOUT POO

FROM THE BOGS OF AUGHISKA

& COLTSBLOOD
Words & pic: Kez Whelan

Just before Irelands dark ambient/black metal provocateurs FROM

THE BOGS OF
AUGHISKA and Liverpudlian doom trio COLTSBLOOD laid waste
to Nottinghams
Chameleon Arts Cafe, we popped round the corner for a pint in
Britains oldest
pub, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem

THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL

FRIENDSHIP
Jem [McNulty, Coltsblood guitarist]: Were actually working on a
collaboration together.
Conchir [O' Drona, FTBOA]: Yeah, a From The Bogs Of
Coltsblood kinda thing. Were also doing an album next year
and then an EP, which is all based on the guy who invented the
submarine. He was born less than 10 kilometres from where
I grew up, and the fact that he was so driven to invent the
fucking submarine, its like Jesus, fair play to ya! I couldnt
invent a submarine at all. [laughs] Weve got the singer from
Mael Mrdha involved. Its interesting, Im happy with it.
John [McNulty, Coltsblood vocalist/bassist]: Hes an excellent
vocalist! As for ourselves, weve got that collaboration with
From The Bogs, were gonna record a second album next year,
so were looking forward to that. Its probably about 80-90%
written, so
Conchir: one note? All good, yeah?
John: [laughs] No, weve progressed to two notes now. Two
notes and blasts!
Conchir: Wait, what the fuck? Youre copying our style! Weve
got three notes, and two blasts. [laughs]
John: Its a bit of a progression from the first one. Hopefully
no-one will call us a fucking sludge band anymore!
Conchir: What does that even mean anymore?
John: It doesnt mean anything, absolute bollocks.

TERRORIZER #267

Conchir: It pisses me off, that sort of stuff.

Jem: Dont start them on what pisses them off, or well never
hear the end of it!
Conchir: Well just end up listing stuff.

TOUR BUS LISTENING

Conchir: The new Killing Joke album! Fuckin yes, amazing
My album of the year is Leviathan, hands down. Its ridiculous!
My favourite band of the last few years is Sleaford Mods,
and were playing in the Chameleon [Nottingham venue
where Sleaford Mods played their first few gigs] tonight.
Im expecting to meet Jason [Williamson, Sleaford Mods
vocalist] and Andrew [Fearn] and go [in a high pitched voice]
HELLOOO! Im a pure fuckin fanboy.
John: Yeah, theyre amazing, I only really heard them today and
it was absolutely spot on.
Conchir: Yeah, I mean, I only really listen to black metal and
extreme, weird dance music, but Sleaford Mods are the best
fucking band of the last few years, and the fact that theyre in
their late 40s theres hope for us all yet! [laughs]

TOUR SUPPORT
Conchir: What was the first band that played last night? It
was Cana afterwards their new stuff is fucking terrifying!
Jesus Christ, it was like Prurient, that kind of shit.
John: Cana have been one of the highlights of the tour,

absolutely.
Conchir: I mean, Laurence [Taylor, Cana vocalist] was on the
floor, crawling around on glass bottles Fuck!
Jem: He grabbed a guy by the face as well, and just screamed
in his face. The other guy was screaming back!
Conchir: Hes terrifying, those guys are fucking legends! What
was the opening band? I cant remember.
John: Violet Action, it was their first show. Basically, it was the
culmination of two guys who
Conchir: have no girlfriends!
John: [laughs] and it was sort of like a mid-80s performance
art noise project, so it ended up with them shouting at each
other and grabbing each other by the hair. One of them
squatted for the entire performance too! That was interesting.
And then we got Chainsaw Enema on the first show.
Conchir: Oh yeah! Thats Steve from Candlelight Records, who
discovered Opeth and Emperor.
John: Watching the man who discovered Emperor singing songs
about poo
Conchir: Hes in his late 40s, singing songs about poo and
having a wank. Danger Wank was the highlight of the night.
John: Yeah, weve been singing it since!
Conchir: Fair fuckin play, it was amazing.
www.Facebook.com/FromTheBogsOfAughiska
www.Facebook.com/Coltsblood

ONLINE SHOP, BAND INFOS AND MORE:

WWW.NUCLEARBLAST.DE

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NUCLEARBLASTEUROPE

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

@NUCLEARBLASTEU

Artwork: KEN COLEMAN (WWW.ARTOFKENCOLEMAN.COM)

THIS IS OUR FIRST FEAR CANDY OF 2016 AND WE

ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING SOME OF
THE BEST NEW MUSIC YOUR WAY THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR. IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU NEED TO
CATCH UP, CHECK OUT OUR NEWLY-LAUNCHED
FEAR CANDY BANDCAMP PAGE AT:
TERRORIZERFEARCANDY.BANDCAMP.COM
1. META-STASIS

'Thorn' from the self-released album 'The

Paradox of Metanoia'
Crazy Meta-Stasis dropped their facesmashing new album The Paradox of
Metanoia earlier in the summer of 2015,
which this moody track is taken from.
Thorn seamlessly merges demonic jungle
with technical death metal, pure negative
fuel for the inner darkness.
Facebook.com/Meta-stasis666

2. KINASIS

'Ersatz' from the self-released album 'Kinasis'

Southwesterners Kinasis bend the rules
with their brutal technical metal, mixing
death, thrash and grind with the credible
vision of originality.
Facebook.com/Kinasis

3. EMPIRINE

'Follow The Radiance' from the self-released EP

'The Vermilion King'
Mixing up robotic vocals with a pinch of
symphonic arrangements, some technical
metal and a good amount of growling,
Swedish duo Empirine make quite a noise
considering there are just two of them.
Enjoy this taster from new album 'The
Vermilion King'.
Facebook.com/Empirine

4. SKELETON PIT

'Nuclear Thrash Mutants' from the Gegentrend

Records album 'Chaos at the Mosh-Reactor'
These German thrashers just love their oldschool thrash. Their high-velocity music
by-passes your brain, going straight to your
neck. Enjoy!
Facebook.com/SkeletonPit

5. GREENHORN

'Kentucky Boone' from the Black Bow

Records/Hibernacula Records album 'Like
Rows of Crooked Teeth'
Making their third appearance on Fear
Candy, Bournemouth's self appointed
filthwizards are back with "Kentucky
Boone" the gruesome tale of Wild West
Cannibal and serial killer Boone Helm.
Featuring vocals from Jon Davis from
Conan who lends his distinctive vocal to
Greenhorns filthier than a tramps vest
sound.
Facebook.com/GreenHornUK

6. THE SHIVA
HYPOTHESIS

'Caduceus' the self-released single

Dutch band The Shiva Hypothesis
combine black metal aesthetics with the,
aggressive outpourings of 90s death/
thrash with some strong atmospheric
touches, and lyrically explore the esoteric
concepts of creation and destruction.
Facebook.com/
TheShivaHypothesis

7. DEMONS OF OLD
METAL

'Fakeskin' from the self-released album

'Dominion'
Sat somewhere between classic Exodus,
Pantera & GWAR; theatrically tinged
British metallers Demons Of Old Metal
have been making an unholy din across
the UK since 2011, and as their latest
record Dominion shows, they are just
getting started.
www.Facebook.com/
DemonsOfOldMetal

META-STASIS )PIC BY PETE WOODS)

12

TERRORIZER #267

8. ROUNDTABLE

12. THE ROYAL BLASPHEMY

Facebook.com/RoundtableBand

Facebook.com/TheRoyalBlasphemy

9. ODETOSUN

13. KAINE

www.Facebook.com/Odetosun

Facebook.com/KaineBand

10. HUSK

14. END-TIME ILLUSION

Facebook.com/HuskUKMetal

Terrorize.it/EndTimeIllusion

11. MONOX

15. HEAVY GLOW

Facebook.com/MonoxOfficial

Facebook.com/HeavyGlowBand

'Corpulent Warlord' from the self-released album

'Dread Marches Under Bloodied Regalia'
'Corpulent Warlord' is a riff odyssey of
psychedelic sludge/doom metal, which gradually
builds up to a frantic pitch before finishing up
with a desolate, droney refrain. Roundtable take
stoner doom with atmosphere and mix it with
with narrative-concept progressive rock.

'Machine Horizon (Radio Edit)' from the self-released

LP 'The Dark Dunes of Titan'
This German progressive metal outfit return with
their second album The Dark Dunes of Titan,
four tracks and forty-minutes long and inspired
by Ben Bovas 1972 novel As on a Darkling
Plain.

'Plague Of Man' from the self-released EP 'Plague

Of Man'
Husk are a four-piece metal band hailing from
Wolverhampton and blend dark, groove-based
riffs with infectious melodies, delivered with a
furious, unrelenting stage show to be reckoned
with. Their self-released EP Plague Of Man was
accompanied by a savage and gritty music video
for the title track.

'Graced By Error' from the DIY label Fat Brek album

'Perception Changes'
Monox make modern death metal band
influenced by Gojira, Cynic and Death. The band
are keen on their lyrics, and use these to explore
themes like ones struggles with inner demons,
the search to constantly evolve as an individual
and so are deeply personal and cathartic

'Injustice' from the self-released album

'Sanatorium:Freedom'
Vomiting from the guts of Portugal out into
the world, The Royal Blasphemys debut
album reflects on the sorry state of the
modern world and takes rock, metal and
melancholic melody on a powerful raging
rampage.

'Justice Injustice' the Revival Metal Records

Single 'Justice Injustice'
These East Anglians revivalists mix NWOBHM
and thrash with classic metal. The band has
released two studio albums, Falling Through
Freedom (2012) and The Waystone (2014)
and is currently working on it's third album.

'The Dissenter' from the self-released album

'Deities at War'
Hailing from southern New England USA,
End-Time Illusion mix the essential elements
of modern heavy metal, aggression and
technicality, with the polarities of melody
and atonality, through blinding speed and
breakdowns. They released their third album
Deities at War earlier this year.

'Headhunter' from the self-released EP 'Pearls &

Swine and Everything Fine'
Heavy Glow constructs Pearls & Swine
and Everything Fine on a foundation
of fuzz-fuelled hard rock, adorned with
psychedelically-tinged blues and an aura of
Motown/Memphis soul. What a fine ending to
this months Fear Candy.

THERE IS MORE THAN JUST THE

CELEBRATION OF DEATH

oday in 2016, one could wonder what is left

of the Metal Ov Death gang that lurked in
the darkest corridors of Swedens Uppsala
for a few years. Centred around a dozen of close
youngsters that all knew how their music should

sound AND look like, this gathering of like-minded

spawned a bunch of sadly often ephemeral acts
(In Solitude, Invidious, Anguish, Antichrist) with a
diverse yet quite unique heritage. Degial may be
one of their oldest representatives (they first roared

KING GOAT

CAPE OF BATS

e begun with the idea of playing doom

metal in a more traditional sense, but
as we wrote together it became more
and more evident that we could not stay as such,
says Joe Parson, guitarist for Brighton quintet King
Goat, whose proggressive, psychedelic take on the
genre sounds like the unlikely offspring of Candlemass
and King Crimson. We found sticking too closely
to genre tropes was limiting what we wanted to
do; its great taking influence from what has come
before, but repeating the same thing? Not for us.
We decided to generally push forward in a more
progressive direction, resulting in the sound found
in our debut album, Conduit. Its a record thats as
heavy conceptually as it is musically, containing an
overarching theme of both societal and self enforced
isolation and, often, loneliness which is reflected in
both the dynamics of the music and the lyrics. [KW]
www.Facebook.com/KingGoatBri

he Gothic moniker is a slight misnomer

according to Francis Kano of US based
Cape Of Bats. Its funny, weve gotten the
I expected you to be a shitty goth band a few
times, he states, adding we most definitely are
a gothic outfit, at least etymologically, in the
vein of those brutes who sacked Rome, lending
their name to that abhorrent, sublime architecture
which named that special, dreaded literature.
Foppish romance is far removed from this chaotic
and snarly blend of black metal, death rock and
punk and Francis describes just what people should
expect musically. Ive started to say vladcore
d-bat to avoid getting thrown in with black
metal punk bands that are just lo-fi, uninspired,
two-chord punk. Plus the vampyre atmosphere is
one that we try to conjure from the actual music
itself, vocals and aesthetics are secondary. [PW]
CapeOfBats.Bandcamp.com

OLIVIER ZOLTAR BADIN

Savage Mutiny is out now on Sepulchral Voice
www.DegialOfficial.com

MONSTRANCE

arlo Regadas, ex-Carcass guitarist and

replacement for Mike Amott shortly after
Heartwork was released, is back with a new
band that goes under the name of Monstrance, which
should appeal to fans of the later Carcass albums
and early Arch Enemy. If some of the material
sounds like Swansong, I guess thats understandable
as I wrote and arranged music on that album
and performed on it too, he says, although the
approach and delivery is nothing like that album
whatsoever. To be honest, I honestly couldnt imagine
any of these songs being Carcass songs. These songs
could actually be regular metal songs, without the
down-tuning and extreme vocal style. I feel there has
been something missing in this genre of music in
the last twenty or so years and hopefully people will
see this material as a welcome return to the music
we all loved back in the halcyon days. [KG]
www.Facebook.com/MonstranceOfficial

TERRORIZER #267

Words: Kat Gillham, Kez Whelan, Pete Woods

DEGIAL

with a different and more basic outlook as Degial

Of Embos back in 2004) but they nevertheless took
their time, releasing only one EP and two albums,
right while two of their members were recruited by
Watain as session musicians. But Savage Mutiny
sees them coming of age.
While theyve declared before that their art is
dedicated to celebrate DEATH in capital letters,
their guitarist Rickard Hggren now adds a subtle
nuance, stating that there is more in Degial than
just the celebration of it, even if it is a big part. Its
actually one of the three elements were based on,
the other two being darkness and chaos. Ironically
unleashed on Christmas day, this brand new fulllength is the first to feature their new bass player
PJ from Vorum (who actually moved from Finland
in early 2013 for the occasion) and was recorded
in a cabin up north by their friend and former In
Solitude bass player Gottfrid hman, who actually
filled the same role on the latest Vorum EP,
released through the same label. PJ admits there
was an instant kinship and deeper understanding
between the two but the new album still differs
with its complex drums patterns and former eastern
bloc like sounds, their drummer E. Forcas praising
bands like Masters Hammer, Root or Imperator
that had all those weird melodies and riffs that felt
as if they were crawling in your veins and making
you insane, as influences.

15

ABBATH
18

TERRORIZER #267

ABBATH

Paul Jones of extreme metal. Hes a fucking genius and hes also out of
his mind. Im probably the only person who understands and likes him.
When we did the I album [2006s Between Two Worlds], he came in and
we had just one rehearsal before we went into the studio. I recorded my
guitars and I had to go to Oslo for something, and when I came back he
had recorded all the bass parts. I didnt have to babysit him or anything.
Same thing now, I didnt have to tell him how to do anything, hes just
great at it. Ive lost a lot of focus on the bass in all of these years playing
guitar, but the way he works around my riffs its like hes a fucking
snake. Every time he plays bass, hes having sex with it. He lifts it up in
the air like a baby. And not many people recognise that. They see it, but
they dont understand it. This guy, hes as crazy as I am. We love each
other as brothers. I dont mean to say anything bad about Apollyon, he
came in at a difficult time for me. Tom had been turned down by the
rest of the band, and I didnt know who to turn to, and thats when he
called me up. He came to my place, we listened to a few records, had
a few beers, and we realised we have almost the same music taste, and
he ended up joining the band. I met him recently when we were with
Bmbers [Abbaths Motrhead cover band] at a festival, and we were on
the same flight back to Norway, and there are no hard feelings between
us at all. The other guys didnt give a shit if he was in the band or not,
he adds bitterly.

r. King Ov Hell himself sees this partnership as a match made

in total hell.
Abbath has asked me many, many times to be in
Immortal, the first time was in 2005 I think, he reveals. I dont think
it has always been 100 per cent serious however, and then we worked
together on the I stuff. Then last year the Immortal people withdrew
from the rehearsal room and that was his situation back then. We started
talking about maybe picking up I, and then the other guys ended up
taking the name Immortal. Ive been in a similar situation before with
Gorgoroth, and I really think its better to just go forward with a new
name and stop fighting, youll get your music out anyway, so it doesnt
matter. So we got into the rehearsal room and started practising, putting
things together for this new band. This time we focused on his stuff and
his riffs that he already had, but maybe in the future well collaborate
more in terms of the actual writing too. Although, of course, this is
Abbath, its not God Seed or Gorgoroth. Its his band, Im more of just a
bass player in this band.
Tom also knows exactly what Abbath means when he says theyre
both crazy. Its the best kind of crazy, a crazy that were sorely in need
of these days.
We are a dying species, the bassist says. Were over 40 and still
hungry to do albums, do gigs, get in the rehearsal room and work on
our songs most other musicians our age that have gotten older with us
have kids, they want to relax and think theyve done their part already,
and I get that, but were a bit different. So it makes sense that we work
together at this stage of our lives because were very similar, when all
the others are falling by the wayside, were on our way to the rehearsal
room!
As for the other
creature in the rehearsal
room, Abbath doesnt
mince words either.
Hes the best
drummer in the fucking
world, he states, and
he means it. Hes like a
demon on steroids, though
he doesnt do any drugs
or anything. He hates
triggers, he doesnt use
any at all. Which is exactly
how I feel about it this
trigger-perfect drum
sound so many bands
have now, I dont get
fooled by that anymore.
Fuck that. Before we went

20

TERRORIZER #267

The Pen Is As

Mighty As The Sword

S

imon is an alchemist. Hes a very special guy. Ive known

him since the early 90s, when he lived in Bergen, though
hes English. He had a band called Bastard Son Of Buddah. Hes
a philosopher and a very spiritual person. Hes very fearless he
lived in a desert for many years. This is how Abbath describes an
unseen but crucially important contributor to the Abbath record
lyricist Simon Dancaster, who wrote all the albums lyrics and
developed the concept alongside the mainman.

How did you and Abbath first meet?

I knew Abbath back when the original version of Bastard
Son Of Buddha were the closest thing to a Satanic black mass
orgy with masks, chainsaws, barbed wire underwear and lots of (real) blood. The proto-black metal
scene of Bergen gestated, you might say, at various bloody BSOB gigs. Abbath started in Old Funeral
but I recall the ferocity and excitement of Immortals first gig in the early 90s. You could tell they were
going places!

What is your musical background?

Bastard Son Of Buddha were top of the local food chain but we kept getting arrested and harassed
so criminal pursuits proved quite awkward to combine with music and political activism. My background
is post-punk, I guess, of the Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel variety. Weve experienced a renaissance and
surviving members plus fitter replacements are recording a new album The Only Way To Fuck Is Up.

Youve already collaborated lyrically with Immortal on Blizzard Beasts, have

you done this sort of thing with any other band or artist?
Yes. Ive collaborated, among others, with the band Farmers Market for their albums Backwards
Into The Backwoods, Surfin USSR and their latest Slav To The Rhythm the titles are mine. Ive
written poetic bollocks for some of the top contemporary music artists from Norway and performed in
places like Paris and the prestigious music academy of Sophia, Bulgaria as a touted bullshit-artist. So
Im a poetic cunt, not just in name.

What was the feeling of being invited to be the lyricist for Abbath now?
I hadnt seen Olve for about seventeen years, since I moved from Bergen after being arrested for
terrorism in 97 I was innocent. We met again at a party earlier this year. To check if he recognised
me without my long hair I introduced myself as Steven and asked if he remembered fucking me as
Stephanie in the mid-90s before my sex-change operation. After a few seconds panic Abbath did indeed
recognize me: Simon!? Bastard! It didn't take long to catch up and he asked me if I wanted to try out
some brutal lyricizing for his post-Immortal Abbath project. So naturally I played hard to get for about
five fucking seconds! Fuck yeah, mate! It felt like the right thing to do. A great opportunity!

What did Abbath give you to work with, exactly?

I received a barrage of rough-cuts of various songs where Abbath voiced the parts where he
wished vocals. I counted syllables per line and set up a distinct pattern of vocal sequences and also
used words with certain sounds which Abbath wanted for conveying dynamism and power. Many rough
drafts were formed and even when he was recording the vocals in the studio I was there ready to alter,
add and adumbrate lyrics until they felt right for Abbath. It has been the most intense writing experience
of my life! We were on a deadly deadline as well. We discussed at length and used our mutual wellspring
of aggressive frustration to create something that was different in an evolutionary sense to the Immortal
lyrics. When it came down to it, it was war! The criteria being: to make music future generations will
want wage war to! Blaring in headphones and loudspeakers as they cross international borders, through
deserts, steppes, beaches and cities.

Whats it like for you to hear your words as an integral part of these songs?
What its like hearing Abbath perform my lyrics? Like a thousand manic demons raping my soul
through my limbic node! Wonderful!

Will you keep collaborating with Abbath for

future releases, do you feel youre a part of the
bands whole personality by now?
Yes! We are planning the conceptual basis for the next
album which will be nastier by far but with a more cohesive
narrative. There will be a foul tale to tell. Abbath's intelligent
and intuitive input has, I feel, brought out the best in me.
His generosity and inclusiveness has made me feel a worthy
member of the team. Being humble as fuck by nature, I am
exceedingly grateful for this unique challenge and will hopefully
rise to the occasion. Bayonet fixed, over the top the only way
to fuck is up!

WHEN ALL THE OTHERS ARE

FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE,
WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE
REHEARSAL ROOM
TERRORIZER #267

21

ABBATH

I REALLY THINK ITS BETTER TO JUST

GO FORWARD WITH A NEW NAME
AND STOP FIGHTING
to Sweden to record the drums we talked about it
and we agreed on the tempo and overall things,
and when I asked him if he wanted my guitar
parts, he said it wasnt necessary. He recorded the
whole album without hearing my guitar. This guy
is definitely not tone deaf, I can tell you that.
Its just like Tom. When the three of us sit in the
rehearsal place, I play them something, they ask
me to play it just a couple more times, and then
theyre like yeah, I got it, and they come up with
their parts for it. You can hear that on the whole
album, their groove is amazing. Everything they did
on the album is perfect, there isnt one little thing
that I can complain about. I never felt this way
about any of my recordings before.

he talk is big, but as you would expect from

the typically flawless Abbath, the walk is
even bigger. The eight songs on this debut
obviously exhale a strong Immortal influence, but
thats just the beginning. The I project, featuring
Abbath and King, whose only album Between Two
Worlds is still a sort of underrated gem, has been
mentioned by the two men in this conversation,
and for a reason its looser, rockier vibe is also
a big part of Abbaths infectious, even catchy
nature. Its not between two worlds this time,
its actually the best of both worlds its ferocious
and epic, but also brimming with hooks thatll stick
in your brain for months.
Abbath wrote all the material, but since
getting together as a band, weve worked on it
together for a few months, Tom explains. We

22

TERRORIZER #267

worked on the drum sound, trying to get it more

organic, as opposed to Immortal which has a more
triggered drum sound, and trying to get a band
feeling out of it. Weve had a big 70s inspiration, at
least in my bass parts, there are a lot of lines that
really hark back to John Paul Jones kind of direction.
Its very authentic, theres nothing triggered or
programmed in this band.
Abbath continues: If you hear the Root Of The
Mountain song, that could easily have been on the
I album. Count The Dead, too. But I dont want
to over-analyse it, Im just happy to have it out.
Finally, you know? he says with a sigh. Thats what
Im thinking now. Finally. Its a deep breath. I feel
very proud, and its not only about the music. The
last year and a half for me has been like a fucking
rollercoaster. And its been a scary ride. Suddenly
things started going much, much faster than what I
had in mind, and I had to hold on tight. Its a rush.
This album, the whole process of putting the band
together, its been a rush, and Im not used to it.
Nothing that will break the iron will of the mighty
Abbath, however. When asked if he had any kind of
doubt during this whole rollercoaster ride, the answer
is quick and as to-the-point as you can get.
No, he says concisely, icily staring us down.
Before we begin to sweat, however, he breaks into a
laugh. Its still good old Abbath, after all. My music
is my music. This is what Im qualified to do, he
booms. This is my life, its what I do. Its my pride
and sometimes my joy. If there is ever a biography
on Immortal and Abbath, it should come with a
sticker, as a warning dont buy this book if youre

planning on starting a band! Its a long way to the

top if you wanna play black metal he laughs. Still,
hes reached it, and theres no reason to stop anytime
soon. Im moving on, you know? No matter what.
My biggest hero will be 70 in a couple of weeks, he
says, obviously referring to a certain gentleman called
Ian Fraser Kilmister but better known by a nickname.
Sure, hes struggling a bit now, but hes still out
there doing stuff. I have material for two more
albums standing by. I have so much material, and we
already started to jam some of it. Simon [Lancaster,
lyricist see sidebar] has already started to write stuff
for the next songs too, and its amazing. Were also
going out on tour with fucking Behemoth, they are
true warriors.
If we could release an album each month we
would! Tom throws into the conversation ring, which
prompts both laughs and nods of honest agreement
all round.
Abbath concludes and we almost feel like raising a
fist along to his words.
Success to me is having a band spirit, playing
together and the whole process of it. If its
international or commercial success, thats only a
bonus. As long as you dont give up on what you
believe in, theres your success. Why is Lemmy still
going at it? Why are Motrhead still together? Never
give up!
Onwards!
Abbath is out now on Season Of Mist
www.Facebook.com/AbbathBand

WITCHCRAFT

IF CERTAIN THINGS HAD GONE

BETTER DURING THE LIFE OF THIS
BAND THEN WE COULD HAVE
DONE MORE

24

TERRORIZER #267

Three years ago WITCHCRAFT were on a high, but then the sudden
disintegration of the line-up meant the future looked bleak.
TERRORIZER caught up with MAGNUS PELANDER to hear
how he bounced back
Words: Ross Baker

ince their inception in 2000,

Swedish rockers Witchcraft
have followed no one but the
muse of head honcho Magnus Pelander.
2012s Legend saw Witchcraft forgo their
analogue only approach as Magnus
handed over guitar duties to guitar prodigies
Simon Solomon and Tom Jondelius. Legend
marked a more hard rocking and urgent
approach to songwriting which struck a
chord with many, so it came as a surprise
to hear of the departure of both guitarists
and drummer Oscar Johansson. Ushering
in a totally new line-up without missing a
beat, Witchcrafts seemingly revolving door
recruitment policy might have had you
thinking that modest yet intense songwriter
Magnus Pelander was something of a control
freak, a charge he doesnt quite refute, being
guarded and evasive about the reasons for
parting ways with them. He praises Simon
particularly highly.
I didnt want to do it but it turned
out that way, he says. I am glad I can do
more playing guitar live again, after just
concentrating on doing vocals live. Simon
Solomon is insanely talented. He should
be on the fucking cover of all the guitar
magazines! In rehearsal I would watch him
and feel really inspired. He was something
different. They didnt leave the band, I
dissolved the line-up. Now lets go back to
what is important. Follow your breathing
and focus on the music.
Mysterious line-up changes aside,
Magnus recruited a new rhythm section and
set about creating Nucleus. Witchcraft is
undoubtedly Magnus baby but the vocalist
insists that although he remains the sole
composer, bassist Tobias Anger and drummer
Rage Widerberg have some input on
arranging what he has created.

Rage is a really laidback kind of guy.

Drums arent even his first instrument!
He is a great drummer but also a guitar
player and he knows how to arrange music.
Tobias is also really instinctive and a great
player. When we were
rehearsing the songs,
prior to recording, we
turned to each other and
knew we were really onto
something. I tried to be
more spontaneous and add
a few new elements like the
flute on the track Nucleus
itself.
Listening to the album,
you get a sense it was
created under great duress,
yet was an extremely
therapeutic outlet for
Magnus, a quiet man who
remains keen to express
his politics and views on
relationships via song.
I like to retain a bit of mystique when
it comes to the lyrics. Nucleus is a very
personal album for me which was difficult to
create. There are some periods of my life in
this album that I dont wish to reflect on for
too long. You put so much into the music
when you make it that when youve finished
you want to let go.

rom their inception Witchcraft were

keen to champion the virtues of
analogue production yet on Legend,
as with the new album, a more modern
approach to production has been adopted.
Has Magnus turned his back on his original
idea and lost his love of vintage sounds?
No, not all. It was more to do with the
budget I had to work with. I love the sound
of those old
amplifiers but
it gets harder
to get things
together. Back on
The Alchemist
we recorded
completely
analogue but
since then we
have used digital
techniques
because it was
easier to put the
records together.
Its not a case of
abandoning that

approach, its just so fucking expensive to

find the right equipment. I love microphones
from the 1950s but its fucking impossible
to get them. Its more a convenience thing.
I think we can still capture the sound
we want with a more
modern production while
retaining our particular
sound.
Magnus is clearly not
a fan of compromise.
Unashamedly focussing
on the 60s and 70s as
inspiration, he is quick to
dismiss accusations that
Witchcraft is merely a
retro act. I like all kind
of music not just stuff
from the 60s and 70s.
It is important to have
a varied taste. As much
as I like the sounds of
instruments and records
made in those days I am glad I am living in
the modern era. This is not about being a
throwback! We did a Nirvana cover recently,
Even In His Youth. Kurt Cobain was a great
songwriter.
Looking into the future, Magnus admits
Witchcraft may not have experienced
the success of some of their occult rock
contemporaries but his commitment
to creating music and touring remains
unshaken.
If certain things had gone better during
the life of this band then we could have
done more but ultimately I am happy with
how Witchcraft has developed over the
years. I have always admired guys like Bobby
Liebling and Roky Erickson who took a long
time to taste success. That whole instant
gratification thing doesnt interest me
anyway. If we only remain a cult band with
a loyal following then so be it! Id rather do
that than chase success and be miserable
doing so. I think its great that people are
getting interested in these guys now more
than they did twenty years ago. Roky Erikson
was covered by Ghost and Pentagram are
looking stronger than ever. I would love
Witchcraft to have that longevity and hope
that our music will survive. I dont want to
look too much into the future or the past
because its easy to get lost. There are so
many things we want to do that we havent
done yet. We are still here!
Nucleus is out now Nuclear Blast
www.Facebook.com/Witchcraft/

TERRORIZER #267

25

ULVER

It Does Bear Witness Of Men With Beards An

26

TERRORIZER #267

nd Record Collections

After two decades of boundary-pushing

music, ULVER are still finding new ways
to challenge themselves, as evidenced by
latest album ATGCLVLSSCAP, an 80-minute
behemoth stitched together from live
recordings
Words: Jos Carlos Santos

e hope it wont break the magic in any way, but by now it

should come as no secret to you, dear readers, that us scribes
are unfortunately not flown all over the planet to sit down with
our wonderful interviewees in person, nor are they, much to their
dismay as well were sure, transported in first class to our offices for a half-hour
chat. Sometimes that is the case, yes, when the planets align in a specific way, but
more often than not we have to exist in a world of phone calls and Skype chats.
When this particularly embarrassed scribe confesses to the ever so patient Mr.
Kristoffer Rygg that the reason for the first missed call was due to being way too
involved in the reorganisation of a record collection to notice the time, a couple
of minutes of a rather nerdy been there identification ensues. Thats when a
light goes on having been listening to Ulvers new album ATGCLVLSSCAP
obsessively over the previous few days, it suddenly dawns that it is the sort
of record that couldnt have been made by anyone without a sizeable record
collection, the sort of person that
indeed spends hours alphabetising
it and suchlike.
It does bear witness of men
with beards and record collections,
yes. It does reflect that. Musically
it sort of moves in certain
directions that reveal that to be
the case, Kristoffer agrees with
a knowing laugh. You see, after
years of subverting genres and style
conventionalities, in the past few
years Ulver have been going into a
more exclusive path of uniqueness,
shaking the very structure of what
it usually means to record and
release an album. Among other
things, theyve done a collaboration
with Sunn O))) recorded over
the course of a special evening,
recorded a mass with an orchestra, reinterpreted obscure 60s psychedelia tunes
and now, their creative restlessness has given way to ATGCLVLSSCAP (youll
notice those initials are the signs of the zodiac from Aries to Pisces, just a
way to be numerologically clever, as Kristoffer puts it), a collection of mostly
improvised songs that were recorded live during a specifically-for-the-effect tour
in February 2014 and then put through the studio magic of Daniel OSullivan.
Doing something like this requires a true love of music, and its final result exhales
it too. If music was a house, if youll play along with our ham-fisted analogy for
a second, Ulver are not content with just sitting in the living room; theyve been
to the mouldy basement, the cold attic and theyve rifled through every drawer in
every room looking for cool stuff.
Its a good, fun way to make an album, Kristoffer says rather nonchalantly,
also reminding us that they took their cue from a particular golden age of
music. There are traditions for this. In this day and age things have gotten more
separated, but in the 70s, for a lot of the albums that we sit and listen to now,
even by big bands like Led Zeppelin, they constantly recorded everything they did,
whether in a rehearsal situation or their gigs, and they took bits and pieces of it
that would find their way onto the albums. Things happen in that situation, when
youre with a group of people and you get locked into a groove or something,
and they might happen just once. I guess that was the main idea: that we would
track all these shows, in the best way possible from a technical angle, and then
use that material unashamedly afterwards. We didnt go about this thinking that

TERRORIZER #267

27

ULVER

strictly everything we did on the gigs had to go on

the record, not at all. Theres a lot of overlapping,
quite a few overdubs and stuff. The end result is a
bastard child with all the post-production that we
did. But of course, everything is pulled from that
tour.
That eleven-date tour, two weeks from Helsinki
to Rome, was triggered by the first of the twelve
shows which contributed to the album.
The idea of this album was born because the
first time we did it was actually in Oslo the year
before, in the Autumn of 2013, Kris explains.
That was a very special gig where everything just
gelled, and we fooled ourselves into thinking that
we could do that anytime, that that instant magic
could happen effortlessly. But it seldom is, he
says with a sharp laugh. But that gave birth to
the idea itself. Then we had a short few days of
rehearsal, felt that we could do it again, and went
out. I have to say, the two first shows were pretty
fucking sketchy! The first one was in a totally
seated venue in Helsinki, a very nice theatre, I think
some people really enjoyed it, but for me personally
that felt a bit ropey. But after going to Germany
things sort of gelled together, and the last nine
gigs or thereabouts would have their really great
moments.
Of course, the band did not go into the shows
with a completely blank page. Though nothing was
specifically designed beforehand, there were a few
pointers discussed previously, namely the prevailing
influences, which once again hark back to that
delightful image of men with beards and record
collections.
Since a lot of it was fleshed out as we were
playing it, we needed some holding points, he
says, naturally. Those holding points are informed

by the kind of music we like to listen to when

were together, or toy around with and play. In this
case it would be the kinds of bands weve nodded
to, mostly German trance-y or electronic music
that we all like to listen to, especially when were
on tour. Especially being older guys in a band,
he laughs again. It wasnt an obsessive thing,
but it was sort of tapping into it. Not trying to
re-emulate or even replicate it, but it is a tributary
record in that way. We tried to add our own flavour
to that style of music.

o, lets get right down into the thick of it.

How did it all happen, in practice? How
were the rehearsals? And were there any
awkward moments on stage where the
improv just wouldnt flow?
We rehearsed for three days, which is not a
lot, at least for us, but we had a few ideas in mind

In this way of working, youre more

focused on your own little microcosm"

already, he starts. In Cromagnosis, for example,

theres that bass loop, duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duhduh, but that was it, basically, those little things.
We decided that, when playing, when those parts
felt done, wed nod at each other and get into the
sort of second part of it, escalating the tempo and
so forth. Some of the electronic pieces more or
less just happened, often as afterthoughts to the
more rocking tracks, and then we also touched on
some older songs. We had simple things, essentially.
Tore [Ylwizaker, keyboards/programming] had some
samples too, that he could use to establish a tempo
or a tone for everyone to revolve around. Whats
weird about this kind of thing is that everyone
would feel a bit differently about it every night.
For example, the Tilburg gig, most of the guys in
the band seem to bring that one up as the best
one, but for me I wasnt feeling that, whereas I was
really feeling Rome. I talked to Dan about it, and
he was like, I cant really remember that gig. Its
different, to each his own. In this way of working,
youre more focused on your own little microcosm.
Dan is obviously Daniel OSullivan, Ulvers
crucial multi-instrumentalist who was then
responsible for taking all this material, locking
himself in his North London enclave which, the
press release reveals, was once owned by Coils Ian
Johnstone and building a record out of it. No
biggie, right?
We were working on another project that we,
ironically, still havent finished, because were much
slower than Dan is, Kris explains. We thought
it would be a good idea, because he really has
a penchant for this kind of stuff. We thought it
would be nice for him too, to give him some chief
responsibility in this project, as he wasnt a part of
the Messe I.X VI.X thing. It was a great relief
to us, because wed probably spend half a year
doing what he did in one month. It added some
excitement for me personally as well, because when
we got the stuff from him, it was in pretty good
shape already, it was just then a question of going
in and having lots of fun with the material, which
isnt always the case. Youre usually fed up with
music towards the end of any process.
So, Ulver will now enter an extensive break
nah, just kidding. Their heads would probably
explode with ideas if they did that. No, theres
another album on the way. Theres no music yet,
but we know what itll be called. Seriously.
The next full-focus is to jump head-first into
a new, proper studio album, which we already
have the title for. We decided to do it the other
way around this time, to have the titles and the
lyrics all in place before we write the music, so the
album will be called The Assassination Of Julius
Caesar. Its the way that we want to approach the
music, to put weight on the words, and we figured
it would be good to try and revolve around, well,
the limitations, if you will, but also the possibilities
of it, in terms of the rhythm and the length and
everything. Trying to be creative in a bit of a new
way for us. Being creative about their creativity.
Thats Ulver all right.
ATGCLVLSSCAP is out now on House Of
Mythology
www.Jester-Records.com/Ulver

28

TERRORIZER #267

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TEXTURES

Back

after a lengthy break, tech-metal pioneers

back with not one, but two

TEXTURES are
albums. TERRORIZER is all ears
Words: James Weaver

ack in 2003, Textures debut Polars

propelled the band into the spotlight
as the wheels of the djent movement
started to turn. Twelve years later, and after a
five year absence since 2011s Dualism, the
band are preparing for their return with the
hotly anticipated double album Phenotype
and Genotype, and for frontman Danil de
Jongh, the decision to make a double album was
just a natural progression and the pressure of
succeeding comes from within.
At first we didnt really make a decision to
make a double album, we had tons of ideas and
it just went naturally, explains Danil. We dont
feel that we are another djent band, the only
pressure we feel is that we want to top our game.
We want to show this to the world so that is the
only pressure we feel. We dont feel from the
outside world, we make this record for ourselves
but we wanted to make the best record we could.
[There are] bands out there ruling right now like
TesseracT and Monuments but we kept to our own
style so we dont feel pressured by these bands.
With a concept controlling the direction of

30

TERRORIZER #267

the band's new path, Danil reveals the subject

matter the music explores. The main focus for the
concept for these albums came from Uri, it was the
nature idea, he explains. The transition of cells to
DNA structure etcetera, and the physical presence.
The idea behind it took a long time for us, these
songs take a lot of time and effort. They are built
from tiny pieces of other songs and now Im lost
in our own back story! Because of all this time
and eventually the other long song that becomes
Genotype that we said in our press release, the
first record will be 45 to 60 minutes then the
long song itself will be around 45 minutes. It just
works naturally and the whole concept just seems
to work. We always wanted to make this type of
record but we never had the time, we just wanted
to make something special for these two records.

The music industry tends to follow trends and

one trend that is becoming increasingly common
within the metal world is for bands to release
records on a two year cycle in order to afford the
life of a musician. Textures defiantly broke this
trend, taking more time and patience to write and
Danil hopes this patient approach has resulted in
an album of sheer quality.
Its all about quality over quantity for us. A lot
of bands these days feel the need to produce more
albums and they also need to bring some new
and fresh ideas to the world, says Danil. For us
it doesnt work like that, we just want to make
the time to really bring out our creative ideas,
we could also release a record every year but we
just don't want to do that. We want to bring out
records with a lot of fresh creative ideas, we like to
shape and mould our music. We need a lot of time
for these songs to grow.
Phenotype out now on Nuclear Blast
www.Texturesband.com

We always wanted to make

this type of record but we
never had the time

CAGE - OUT NOW

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Cage,Death Dealerare a true heavy metal force to
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HOLLOWED GROUND is out now.

Known as "The American Power Metal Kings,"

CAGEhas earned that moniker over two decades,
by releasing one award winning album after
another. Now, theyre getting ready to release
their 7thalbum overall, and their most ambitious
album yet - a horror-concept called ANCIENT EVIL.
In storesnow.

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The bands savage new album UNDER A TITAN

SKY sees the band taking a step into much heavier territories, leaving behind their tenuous thrash
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All is Left to See - OUT NOW

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Frn och Med Nu - OUT NOW

SEPULTURA

We had to sound like Venom!

70
32

TERRORIZER #267

SEPULTURA

we became so strong
in ourselves
34

TERRORIZER #267

Im not entrapped into anything

an example of someone who does his thing and thats
what hes always done. But Brutal Truth never did the
same kind of record twice, and to be quite honest Ive
never done the same record twice with any band. Ive
never made a lot of money off that, obviously as I
have a day job, and Im not entrapped in a blueprint of
what I should sound like.

o does that mean the approach to songs is

always different, be it for VC, Brutal Truth,
Primate, Lock Up, or whatever else?
Yeah, the approach always changes, Kevin
confirms. When I write music, its mathy and technical
and stuff like that, but the lyrical content tends to
always be more extreme, and the simpler the tune,
the dumber the lyric. It all depends on whats going
on, because I play with all sorts of different people.
Sometimes in Brutal Truth Id write up Dans bassline,
or Id write up the drums, though not often because
Rich never played the same thing twice, he was always
all over the place, you couldnt really count on him
doing it the same way ever. So, theres not a formula
in terms of how I write, and what I write too, its just
what rings in my ear, and thats how I approach it.
Its difficult to talk to Kevin these days and not ask
about Brutal Truth, especially since its been more or

less a year since the final shows. Dude, how do you live
without it? Were still trying to figure it out.
Obviously, you do something for so long that
you can get kind of nostalgic, he candidly admits.
Especially now that Facebook reminds you what you
did last year this time last year we had just wrapped
up Brutal Truth in Japan and we get to see all these
memories of people. A friend of ours posted a video
of the final party and I got to see the very last bits
of it, so yeah, you get kind of nostalgic. But things
happen for a reason, I feel fortunate that I can stand
behind everything we ever did with that band, and I
feel that we went out sounding good, playing well,
and I dont have any regrets. It would have sucked if
we played past our expiration date. I dont think that
happened. The last songs we wrote were just as valid
as the first, so I dont have any weird feelings like
that. I would have felt like shit if we would have put
out crappy material just to [continue]. I dont know,
some bands just carry on and youre like, fucks sake
dude, please stop. Thats the fortunate thing about
being a broke musician. Its not like, oh, great, lets
put out a bad record so we can crawl back to the van
and eat dick for another six months. Theres none of
that. Danny thought he reached his creative limit with
that band, and I get that. I think hes right actually, we

did explore the limits of grind as much as we could.

VCs good for Dan too. Yeah, doing VC takes a lot of
pressure off him. He can go out and do it for a little
bit, and if he doesnt want to do it, Shane can swap
over to bass and its not a problem. Ironically, Shane
does the same thing in Lock Up if he cant do it, he
hands it over to Danny.
So, what now? Without Brutal Truth, itll be easier
to sync schedules, so what will Venomous Concept be
like from now on?
Itll be whatever Shane and I decide we want
it to be, the vocalist booms with a laugh. I think
Shane wants to do a record where he plays drums on
it, I think were going to do a party record with Iron
Maiden songs and stuff. We did this really weird David
Bowie cover and it was a lot of fun, Billy Gould played
bass on it, Bill Kelliher also mentioned hed love to jam
on some VC stuff, so it might be a fucking nostalgia
trip for old dudes!
And both old and young dudes might just tag
along for the ride too.
Kick Me Silly VC III is out now on Season
Of Mist
www.Facebook.com/Official-VenomousConcept-150740511612469/

TERRORIZER #267

37

RABROT

A brush with death hasnt deterred KJETIL NERNES and

RABROT from creating their most accessible work to date.
TERRORIZER spoke to the frontman to discuss The Gospel
Words: Ross Baker

livewire of kinetic energy, on stage Kjetil

Nernes resembles an escapee from an
asylum, yet when discussing his art, Kjetil
is warm and brutally honest. His group rabrot won
a Norwegian Grammy in 2012 and were gaining
momentum until last year when Kjetil was diagnosed
with throat cancer, threatening not just his career,
but his life.
I thought that was me done. It was a very hard
time, he reflects. That situation puts everything
on hold. It was like drowning at the bottom of the
sea before escaping to the surface. The way I wrote
the songs was of course affected by that. The first
thing I did after getting the all clear
was do a few shows, then we went
straight to the studio with Steve
Albini! We had no idea what we were
getting into. We recorded and mixed
a session in four days and had no
idea how shit we were! Steve, Bob Weston [Shellac]
and I are good friends now. They took these snotty
young punks and made something of us!
Refocused since his brush with death, the new
rabrot opus The Gospel sees Kjetil describing the
war with his illness and life after overcoming cancer.
The album is about the feeling of war within
yourself. I am not a religious person.
There is nothing religious about
this band but Im very
interested in the

spiritual side of The Bible. I wanted to make the

album very warlike and I asked Andrew Liles [Nurse
With Wound/Current 93] to contribute samples that
would give that atmosphere. Ive been healthy for
a year now and my singing is even better after my
treatment. My surgery was done in a great hospital.
The doctors watched rabrot videos to check out the
way I was singing to ensure Id be able to use my
voice in the same way, which was incredible!
After residing in Oslo for twelve years, Kjetil also
attributes his regenerated creativity to relocating
to the remote village of Djura, Sweden and in
addition to Lilies, secured the contributions of some

artistically again! I have my studio in house and

am so much more prolific. Back in Oslo I would be
hanging out in bars with the same people, having
the same chitchat. I didnt plan this record to be
a big collaboration but as things progressed, I had
ideas like adding the Norse shouts to Ah Feel. I
got my friend Erland from Kvelertak because he
has the perfect voice for that. I called Stephen
OMalley [Sunn O)))] as I needed a guitar drone for
Faustus. He recorded these amazing guitar patterns
which sound much like a church organ. I knew Ted
Parsons [Swans, Godflesh, Killing Joke etc] through
Emil Nikolaisen of Serena-Maneesh. Im influenced
by the new wave and industrial bands like The Fall
and Killing Joke and I wanted to do a more British
sounding album. I wanted to produce some songs
that were brutally percussive and who better than
Ted Parsons for that?!
Bursting with enthusiasm after completing the
seventh rabrot album, Kjetil has
several projects planned for 2016.
Im talking to Troms international
film festival about a sequel to my live
score of the Fritz Lang movie Die
Niebelungen. Im very inspired by
filmmakers like David Lynch and Andrei Tarkovsky.
The Gospel is the more rock part of rabrot but
there is a strong art wanking side! I want rabrot
to become one of the most inspiring underground
bands. Im looking forward to playing loads of shows
and recording a new album in 2017.

I WANT RABROT TO BECOME ONE OF THE

MOST INSPIRING UNDERGROUND BANDS

38

TERRORIZER #267

interesting guests.
Its a tiny village with only 300 people. Since my
wife and I moved to the church there I can breathe

The Gospel will be released February

26 on Fysisk Format
www.Arabrot.com

HEXVESSEL

Delivering a message of hope and optimism,

HEXVESSEL are here to save the planet with their
intoxicating acid rock. TERRORIZER spoke to
MAT MCNERNY all about it
Words: Ross Baker

n a turbulent world where the threat of global

terrorism is thrust into our faces on a daily basis,
one could be forgiven for feeling a lack of
optimism. Never one for fitting in with the current
zeitgeist, earthy folk rockers Hexvessel have followed
the muse of leader Mat McNerney into ever more
psychedelic realms. New offering When We Are
Death sees another shift in direction towards acid
rock, but dont be fooled by the gloom of the title,
for this is the most focused and upbeat release
Hexvessel have ever composed.
Its a happy album, Mat insists. It still has darker
tones but it has a positive message. Its meant to
be about spreading a happier vibe. I love dark music
and I get put off by happier albums, but it has
a positive undertone. Its a natural step on from
Iron Marsh. The second record No Holier Temple

40

TERRORIZER #267

was written when the line-up had just formed. We

wrote a lot of material when we entered the studio.
There was a lot of improvisation going on, which
in retrospect I felt was a bit messy. I really wanted
to do an album that capitalised on the strengths
of this line-up and showed what we could do as
a band. When Century Media came to see us at a
show in Germany, they signed us. They felt that the
records hadnt yet captured what we are capable of
doing. We heard that a lot from fans too. No Holier
Temple was well received but it hadnt shown what
we are capable of.
Confident yet self-critical, Mats positive outlook
has been influenced in part by the fact he and his
wife (and Hexvessel bandmate) Marja Konttinen
recently celebrated the birth of their first child.
I think it was a crystallization of what was

already there, Mat reflects. If youre truly in love

with someone and youre building a life together
and you have a kid, it just reinforces that. Youre a
stronger unit and a family. It strengthens how you
already feel, you have more love. You want to feel
more positive about the world but you feel much
more worried about it. Im searching for what my
convictions mean and trying to be as good a father
and person I can be. That comes through with the
music. Hexvessel are much more a lifestyle than just
a band. We all live in the same town and we drink
together and hang out. Its like a family. Im really
tired of all the doom and gloom bands. Its very easy
to put together this gloomy negative music. Its far
more challenging to put together something that
makes people feel uplifted and enlightened. Its so
important to champion the nature organisations we
work with and the causes we fight for. Im trying
to make it more personal all the time to get a
clearer vision of how I want to be. Marja works on
pre-production with me. Shes the first person that
will listen to those songs as shes the only other
person that knows Hexvessel inside and out. Shes
my go to. She helped produce the songs from the
beginning. Shes great to bounce ideas off of. She

chips in with lyrics and themes. She might not be

at all the rehearsals and doesnt really join in on
the live show anymore but in terms of the way the
songs come together and being in the band she is a
very important part of the concept of Hexvessel.

or all the talk of the group being like a

commune, Hexvessel is unmistakably Mats
brainchild. Created by Mat as his personal
music I make in my room, Hexvessel is a band
created purely for the love of music, with no interest
in releasing music for commercial interests. His other
band, Grave Pleasures, is clearly dear to his heart,
but any criticism Hexvessel may receive is met with
little interest.
Our stuff gets sent to all these incredibly stupid
metal sites and blogs who dont know what to make
of us. They laughed when we covered Women Of
Salem saying Occult rock has got so bad, theyre
scraping the barrel covering Yoko Ono! but she is an

amazing producer so they totally missed the point.

I couldnt really give a crap if no one listens to
Hexvessel. If youre digging it, thats great. If not, it
doesnt matter and it can go back to the way it was
before. I love to hear when people have connected
with it. Its like having a kid and watching it grow
up. I enjoy writing, recording and playing live.
What I like less and less these days is that the live
period of the band is overshadowing the rest. I see
bands like Graveyard who are a fantastic band and
very talented, but the last two records diminished
in quality. Hisingen Blues was a classic record but
the following two were poor. People need to make
money by touring, but I think it can take away from
the artistic aspect. If youve just been on tour for
two years and go straight to making a record you
arent going to have any interesting perspective on
the universe. We dont believe in just churning out
records unless you have something to say.
When We Are Death is certainly an ambitious

slice of psychedelic rock with a big agenda. A

keen environmentalist, Mat is obviously concerned
about the plight of the world. We are bombarded
with negativity in the media all the time. Its
hard to be optimistic when all we are given is
bad news. The title of the record comes from the
idea that when we accept the fate of death were
untouchable. You may change form but you always
remain within the universe. I was reading the
Zen Buddhist Book of the Dead which says when
youre prepared for death then you have reached
the highest level of enlightenment, but Im much
more concerned with saving the planet than saving
humans. Early environmentalists like Henry Thoreau
were promoting nature as something which must
be protected and not just a resource for man to
plunder.
When We Are Death is out now on Century Media
www.Facebook.com/Hexvessel

Its very easy to put together gloomy negative music its far more
challenging to put together something that makes people
feel uplifted and enlightened
TERRORIZER #267

41

I feel like were on track

success although Bruns vision may continue
to form the foundation of their complex and
captivating music, other hands also crucially shape
its final gleaming structure. And as Brun reveals,
when those hands (and vocal chords), belong to
musicians as esteemed as Simen ICS Vortex Hestns
and Vintersorg, that contribution proves both
inspirational and essential.
This is the other beautiful thing about music,
to have such a resourceful, creative bunch of
people working together with me, its just brilliant
Brun says of his collaborators and the praises
only extend when Brun is asked if he observes the
defining impact his bandmates have made on his
initial vision.
Definitely. And although Ive composed most of

the music and the lyrics and in many ways I am the

backbone of the band, we are still a unit. I spent
maybe two months writing songs for the new album
it doesnt take me too long to write the songs, I
do it on a daily basis. Ive done it continually since
I was like fifteen/sixteen years old, so writing the
music isnt a big deal. What we actually spend the
most time on really is the production; everybody
together and bouncing ideas back and forth and all
that, that takes much more time and much more
mental energy. So the other guys, they have a huge
impact within the band, so its obviously not just
my achievement alone. I do the black and white
drawings and the other guys colour in the picture,
so to say.
With Winter Thrice further displaying the

interplay of unblemished and multi-fronted vocals,

avant-garde idiosyncrasies, and shimmering yet
searing melody that Borknagar truly realised with
Universal and 2012s Urd, it seems that this
collaborative colouring is at a spectacularly vibrant
peak an observation Brun reflects in his typically
understated conclusion. In a way, now to me
honestly it seems like a lot of pieces of this puzzle
have come together in a miraculous way. Its cool,
its a great feeling, and I think actually, it comes out
in the album. I think the listener will kind of be able
to see that, and that the band is having fun and
having a good time with the music.
Winter Thrice is out now Century Media
www.Facebook.com/BorknagarOfficial/

TERRORIZER #267

43

PANOPTICON

With a newfound peace of mind, PANOPTICONS Austin Lunn has just

released his most introspective album to date in Autumn Eternal, shifting
his focus from politics to more personal matters
Words: Dean Brown

ustin Lunn, the multi-instrumentalist

behind the acclaimed US black metal act
Panopticon, was late to discover metals
darkest subgenre. In his early youth, Austin became
a huge fan of progressive rock/metal he cites the
1990 album Faith Love Hope by Kings X as having
shaped the way he sees music but during his teens
he started binging on old punk rock and crust as
well as throwing himself deep into grindcore and
thrash metal. It wasnt until he came upon Arizonabased anarchists Suicide Nation and a certain
otherworldly classic by Emperor, however, that the

then-seventeen year old changed his opinion of

black metal from something the goth kids in my
high school were way into, to an art form he was
eager to explore.
Ill never forget hearing In The Nightside
Eclipse, for the first time, Austin fondly recalls,now
fifteen years on, the recording was so reverbdrenched and atmospheric it really threw me for
a loop. I listened to it over and over again and got
completely hooked.
A strong desire to find exciting new sounds has
continued right throughout Austins life, and the

Im sick of
the call-out
culture its
heavy metal
McCarthyism

44

TERRORIZER #267

diverse range of the music this talented composer

has consumed has informed his celebrated work as
Panopticon. Taking the second waves established
tenets as an unwavering axis, he has successfully
integrated post-rock, shoegaze, melodic death metal,
American folk, and most strikingly, bluegrass into
Panopticons music at various stages over the course
of six albums since 2008.Austin has blended those
disparate styles with the attentiveness of a master
craftsman, and his high level of creative consistency
shows no signs of faltering. Particularly so if we are
to go by this years yearning and highly traditional
Autumn Eternal the excellent final album in an
originally unplanned trilogy that includes 2012s
bluegrass-heavy Kentucky and the icy Scandinavian
chill of 2014s Roads To The North.
While Kentucky was as politically charged as
its three polemic predecessors, the two albums that
followed have taken a much more introspective
approach especially Autumn Eternal, which deals
with Austin trying to come to terms with personal
issues that were not situational or external. The
passionate musician confirms that he will always
remain a political person but that he completely
soured to the dog-and-pony show in political
music, and so this caused a major shift in his
thematic direction.
Im sick of the call-out culture and the straw

men being built up by the very bastards who will

publicly light them up just to say I told you so,
Austin spits. Its heavy metal McCarthyism. The
accusations youre not kvlt, youre a hipster, youre
a Nazi sympathiser because of some records you
own, youre PC, youre this, youre that blah blah
blah. Im pretty sick of this shit. That is half the
reason I generally keep to myself.
All in all, I said what I wanted to say as far as
politics and social commentary goes, he continues,
so I dont feel the need to drill it into peoples
heads by saying it over and over. In the end, I also
need a creative space to process myself, and music
is my preferred space for that kinda shit. Maybe one
day I will do a political record again but I am sure it
wont be quite so pointed, as it will be observations
and venting. Music is very therapeutic, and thats
something I have been benefiting from lately.

ustin also attributes his recent mood and

heightened creative focus to his familys
relocation from Kentucky to Minnesota last
year in order to open up a craft brewery with his
brother-in-law. Moving to the isolated woodland of
Minnesota and becoming a father for the first time
helped centre his mind during the writing process
for Roads To The North and Autumn Eternal, and
it also took him away from the boozer.
When I lived in Louisville, I still made a lot of
music, but I didnt have children and I drank a lot,
Austin reveals. I went to pubs with friends after
work most nights and got drunk a couple of times
a week, so I kind of feel like that clouded my mind
a bit. Now that my life has kinda calmed down and
I am more responsible, I feel pretty focused on what
I am doing.
My time to play and record is pretty limited
these days due to running the brewery and having
children, he further admits, so I make it count
and do my best. I have been demoing out a lot
harder everything before Kentucky didnt have
demos and being more critical when it comes to
final recording time. Also, the help of experienced
engineers like Colin Marston and Spencer Morris

have been a tremendous

help for capturing the best
performances I can give. I am
forever grateful to those guys.
Outside of trusted engineers,
Austin walks his artistic path
alone. But while he prefers to
keep to himself and stresses
that hes not a scene guy, he
is conscious of the popularity
of certain US black metal acts
bands who have been clearly
inspired his adventurous black
metal alongside the esteemed
works of Agalloch and Wolves
In The Throne Room and he
expresses a fondness for some
of his peers from the US and
beyond.
I will tell you there are
some bands I absolutely adore,
Austin begins. I make no bones about that and
do my best to support them and spread the word.
I dont really see it as being region- or countrydefined, though. I feel like Waldgeflster and Saiva
have just as much in common and are just as much
a part of our community as Falls Of Rauros and
Alda.It is more about the common soul of this
music; the love for nature, the feeling of solitude,
the expressions of rage, sorrow and joy that is
what makes these bands different from the more
traditional black metal style. Sometimes I feel like, in
a lot of ways, the only commonalities we have with
black metal are blast-beats and production values.
Which is why, more recently, I have been shying
away from using the term to describe my music.
For the release of Autumn Eternal, the
Panopticon polymath also shied away from doing a
bunch of press to promote the album, which, it has
to be said, is refreshing in an age where musicians
(and everyone else) constantly plaster every inane
thought on social media.
I dont do a lot of press because I dont want
to make a spectacle out of myself, Austin admits,

when asked about promoting his art. There are a

lot more interesting folks out there people could be
reading about than me. So I figure if I cant say it
in a couple interviews, I ought not to be talking and
wasting everyones time.
Now that the trilogy is behind him, Austin is
immediately looking to the future, and he concludes
by giving us some idea of where Panopticons
inspirations will come from next.
I just want to make some music that sounds the
way the Superior National Forest feels on an early,
brisk, misty morning: cold but enticing inspiring
majestic... he says longingly. I want to funnel
the places that fill my life into music. Since I am
going to be here anyways, I may as well extol its
virtues and sing the praises of the North Woods.
Its better to write about what you love about
something than constantly lament what youve
lost. Life moves on, everything changes, and in a
way thats a beautiful and comforting thing.
Autumn Eternal is out now on Bindrune/
Nordvis
TheTruePanopticon.Bandcamp.com

TERRORIZER #267

45

OBSCURA
With a new line-up, and a stunningly good
new album to boot, OBSCURA welcome 2016
with vigour and, in new album Akrasis, a
logical growth in confidence. Frontman and
founder STEFFEN KUMMERER explains
Words: Rich Taylor

usic grows from advancing your skills, sharing ideas and refining
yourself again and again, states Steffan Kummerer as he chats
to Terrorizer about Obscuras new album Akrasis. Obscura will
always be a death metal band with influences from other music, thats what we
have been doing since the very beginning. My vision is to evolve from the past
without neglecting your roots.
If recent years have shown one thing about technical death metal, its that
the genre seems to have finally played itself out of energy. Few bands remain
particularly relevant or interesting, and those that do have retained their
status by invigorating the style with distinctive flavour Gorguts obscure and
experimental dissonance, the all-out universe-collapsing carnage of Origin, Niles
now unshakeable formula, or the terrifyingly nightmarish realms of Portal.
Obscura are counted among this handful of heavies, thanks primarily to
the obsession with progression, expansion and development that has defined
the bands identity since it sparked into life in Munich back in 2002. From
the cosmological fascination that pervades their discography through to the
trademarking of a sound that unites melodic and engaging songwriting with
face-melting technicality, Obscuras approach of focusing on grander themes
has stamped them with a certain distinction amongst their modern tech-death

46

TERRORIZER #267

compatriots, reflecting Steffens aim for both evolution and preservation. And, of
course, also provided the band with a more nuanced and layered sound than all
the tech-bros in the world could piece together with pro-tools.
I grew up with the records Human and Focus, which continue to impress
me to this day, Steffen reflects with Terrorizer. What Steve DiGiorgio and Sean
Malone especially came up with at the time had a major impact within the
death metal scene. My aim is to write and arrange songs that are structured,
almost classic in some way, and while we use the technical abilities of each
member to get there, it doesnt matter if a riff or an idea is technical or easy to
play. The song itself is most important a fluent arrangement combined with
a melodic, hooky approach but underneath the surface full of ideas, rhythmic
patterns and challenging riffs. There is no need to write a technical song just for
the sake of being technical!
However, for all their distinction within their genre, Obscuras path has not
been free of obstacles. While the strength and prowess of 2009s Cosmogensis
brought the Germans global acclaim, and 2011s Omnivium cemented the
bands hook-laden and eerily resonant bass-driven sound, the subsequent
departure of key members like guitarist Christian Mnzner, fretless-bassist Jeroen
Thesseling and prolific drummer Hannes Grossmann presented a challenge not
just in finding a new line-up, but assembling one that would fulfil the crucial
characteristics of Obscuras now established style. Steffen speaks confidently
of the bands current manifestation however, and somewhat appropriately, it
seems that the new official line-up, comprising drummer Sebastian Lanser and
guitarist Rafael Trujillo, as well long-term live bassist Linus Klausenitzer, captures
that essence of refinement and preservation that is so important to Obscura,
presenting an exciting and positive future for the band.
When we split with Christian Mnzner and Hannes Grossmann in summer
2014, we received a huge amount of messages of musicians that would
have been interested joining the band. We got in touch with a handful of

drummers we had in mind and Linus brought the idea to ask Sebastian Lanser
of Panzerballett into the discussion. We shared some ideas how to develop
our sound and recording a new album, had a first meeting and felt the right
chemistry. Sebastian brought Rafael Trujillo to the table and after some meetings
and a test of his abilities with old and new material we decided to let him join
Obscura. He graduated from Munich Guitar Institute and just got accepted
at Amsterdam Conservatoriums University of Arts to study Jazz, so I am very
curious what he might bring to the table for the next record.

rawing back from Steffens preemptive musings for the time being
to the present day however, Obscura will begin 2016 by taking the
next step in the celestial journey with the release of their fourth fulllength Akrasis this February. True to form, the album retains the blistering
fretwork, cosmic ambience and sci-fi-meets-philosophical musings of their
prior releases, and yet preserves these links with the past while pushing the
fringes of Obscuras approach into new territory both thematically as well as
musically.
Akrasis is loosely based on [Hans] Kaysers Akroasis Steffen reveals,
the work of a Swiss professor who spent his whole life working with
Pythagorean theories. He hypothesized that the structure of our universe
is based on a harmonic scheme, linking everything from the planetary
rotation to a macro perspective, how atoms, baryonic parts and evolution are
structured. When I wrote lyrics for Omnivium German naturalists such as
Goethe and Schelling inspired me massively. Accidently I found writings and

poems that have been related to the earliest Pythagorean thoughts from both
writers and was able to combine those ideas into my lyrics for Akrasis. For
example, the thought to incorporate three different perspectives; a religious,
a rational and present subjective view that I worked through in Omnivium
comes to the fore again on the track The Monist of our new album. The
Monist stands for monism, the opposite of dualism where you have heaven
and hell, god and evil. The thought of monism combines both, a bad and
good, creator and destroyer, life and death at once.
This thought may well have more bearing on Obscuras current
manifestation than Steffen realises, with the smooth and seamless exterior of
Akrasis glossing over a relatively turbulent period for the band over the last
few years, from line-up changes to an extended and unplanned intervening
phase between releases. Yet, perhaps the experiences just factor back into
Steffens aim of refinement and progression a series of events that will only
enhance the bands drive and prowess. Certainly that seems to remain the
goal, as Steffen concludes by reaffirming.
Akrasis is simply the next step for Obscura creating our own musical
universe. I love bands that have their own sound, when you listen to a track
in the radio or any playlist and within the first 10 seconds you know which
group you are listening to this is my personal aim for the future. Writing
good music, elaborate yourself and stick to your roots.
Akrasis is out on February 5 on Relapse
wwwRealmOfObscura.com/

MY VISION IS TO EVOLVE FROM THE PAST

WITHOUT NEGLECTING YOUR ROOTS
TERRORIZER #267

47

THE KING IS BLIND

48

TERRORIZER #267

A UK

band with a rich pedigree creating forward-thinking extreme

metal, THE KING IS BLIND have delivered one exciting debut
album indeed. TERRORIZER speaks to vocalist STEVE TOVEY
to get the full picture
Words: Rich Taylor

or a man that spent the weekend prior to chatting to Terrorizer

bellowing to the Damnation Festival audience about the fundamental
deficiencies and inescapable sinfulness of humankind, Steve Tovey
speaks with an upbeat and candid positivity. The dichotomy isnt
all that surprising however as the pharynx and larynx of The King Is Blind,
Steves diabolical orations, layered upon his bands infectiously grooving doomtinged death metal, just earnt a whole new hoard of fans for a band emerging
into the UKs extreme metal scene like a particularly sacrilegious juggernaut.
And, undoubtedly that process will only be furthered by the release of The
King Is Blinds debut full-length Our Father, a wrathful and adventurous
offering from a band that despite forming just over two years ago, cast a
shadow far longer than that.
Myself and Lee [Appleton, guitars] have known each other since secondary
school and got into heavy metal together, says Steve.
You know, getting kicked out of classes for listening to
Ozzy on the shared headphone! So weve kinda been with
each other all the way through our musical metal lives.
This theme of a long mutual history resounds
throughout The King Is Blind, a band in which childhood
friends, brothers and long-term collaborators have finally
realised long-held musical dreams. Yet with the bands
quickly expanding acclaim, a couple of notable festival
appearances, the The Deficiencies Of ManEP which was
released viaMordgrimm and a debut that vindicates it all,
does it seem that 2013 was finally the right time for those
long-smouldering embers to catch light?
Yeah, basically, Steve agrees. It was kind of a
right time and a right place in our personal lives as well.
Everything fit together, and weve able to work The King
Is Blind around whats happening outside the band. Its
just been a really mature, ego-free enjoyable thing to
be doing, and I think the fact that it is enjoyable comes across in the music.
Theres a lot of positive energy in the music that I think comes across because
we are kind of more experienced; were happy, and were confident in what
were doing, and we can enjoy all that at the same time which then comes
out in the sound that were creating.
And if the bands ability to get a room full of people fist-pumping and
head banging early on a November Leeds afternoon suggests a more explicit
heavy metal positivity and confidence, the upcoming release indicates a deeper
momentum and assuredness in The King Is Blinds approach to their craft.
The primary manifestation of this comes in the fabric of the album a multifaceted and blasphemous narrative of apocalyptic battles between good and
evil, infused with philosophical musings and profound questions tackling the
nature of humankind, and expressed through equally bold musical designs
(Steves dramatically eclectic vocal approach especially). Our Father is not the
output of a band hashing together a few riffs or a half-arsed concept. Its a
work that reflects the bands high standards for themselves and their art, as
well as hints towards the camaraderie that encourages them to achieve their
vision.
I think the thing about being comfortable with each other that means
youre not afraid to balls it up, he laughs. If you do something that doesnt
quite work in rehearsal, its fine, you laugh it off and you get on with it.
But also in that supportive environment it works to push you to try that
little bit extra, to try something you might not normally do. So rather than
do an album with just death metal vocals, we were like, you know what, its
a concept album, its got different concepts and characters in it lets put
different nuances and elements into the voices so they all sound slightly
different and they all work with the different emotions and the different
feelings of each song.

et for all the laughs and potential balls-ups The King Is Blind
completed by Paul Alan Ryan-Reader (guitar who was also in
Cradle of Filth and The Blood Divine), Barnaby Joseph Monger
(drums, ex-Extreme Noise Terror), and Ceri Monger (bass)
have enjoyed in getting there, the process of achieving their vision in the
grandest and most fitting of ways held an external as well as personal
musical value.
For me when it came to the lyrics it was very important that each line
worked on several levels, he says. The first being purely a narrative level,
to tell the story. Also then on the second level in expressing the themes
of man being flawed, and being predisposed to sin and so on. But then it
was also important that certain lines could be metaphoric and interpreted
in different ways, allowing them to come out of that pure strict concept
and underlying narrative, to touch on other more
human elements for the individual listener.
Because weve all listened to so much great music
growing up, he continues. Where by having that
extra depth and message behind it, it contributes
to making a stronger piece of artwork a stronger
album. That was something we wanted to do, to give
something to those people that wanted something
deeper to explore. Were fully aware that some people
will just be into the riffs and melodies which is great
but for those that want to delve deeper the option
is there.
Its been a rapid course for The King Is Blind,
and one that must seem relatively unexpected for its
members especially so for Steve, considering that
by his own admission, that the bands formation
came at a time when he had been musically inactive
for a number of years. This serves only to distil the
experience into one of totally pure satisfaction however, bereft of bullshit
and notions of glory, and more importantly for the listeners, that furthers
the bands fiery and hellish hunger.
Its the most rewarding creative thing that Ive been involved in,
Steve concludes, and I think I can speak for the rest of the guys and say
the same. Were all feeling fulfilled by what weve done, but not in a way
where were kind of sitting back on our laurels were already discussing
how we can go forward and expand on things further and better and
where we go from here.

Having that
extra depth
and message
behind it
contributes
to making a
stronger piece
of artwork

Our Father is out now on Cacophonous

www.Facebook.com/TheKingIsBlind

TERRORIZER #267

49

fruits of their labour. We go a long way back with Justin and he is a

huge influence on the music that Dragged Into Sunlight make. You listen
to Streetcleaner and it still sounds so relevant 26 years on! Its a massive
honour for him to producer N.V.. He is a genius. When he mastered
N.V. for us he gave us two mixes; Justins extreme master and Justins
normal master. The extreme version was so distorted and industrial, it was
everything we wanted. It was perfect, so loud but clear and relentlessly
harsh. We didnt give the normal version a go! He worked with no restraints
which is how we work. We dont tell people how to do our art and we dont
tell others how to do theirs when working with us. Having him involved was
so special.
painstakingly crafted all-consuming experience, N.V. was meticulously
whittled down from three hours to a mere 40 minutes of music. With
such a lengthy period between releases, one could be forgiven for
believing that Dragged Into Sunlight are only active sporadically due to
being based in different locations around the UK but, as T confirms, there
is far more going on, including altering their live presentation and the next
album.
We rigorously analyse all our work. Every riff, every cymbal hit, every
vocal line until we are completely satisfied. If we dont get something
absolutely perfect we dont use it. We recorded Widowmaker twice and then
did it again because we werent happy with the production. In 2008-09 we
finally recorded it. People have remarked that the drums on N.V. sound a
lot more industrial on this album which is how we wanted it. If people dont

like it thats their problem. This record is so pure and concentrated. N.V.
took four years to put together but if you look at how Dragged Into Sunlight
works thats to be expected Hatred For Mankind took two years and
Widowmaker took three. Mories has so many projects and a tight schedule.
After we toured Japan in 2014 we decided that we couldnt do anymore
shows because we wouldnt get this finished. We dont portray things
externally. We are in a band that is constantly creating and releases music
when we feel like it.
The first thing we talk about how we present ourselves live, he
continues. We have something very special planned for Temples Festival! We
have always played in a circle and as a collective. When I look and see the
sweat and struggle on my colleagues faces, theyre putting 200 per cent into
it. We dont face the audience because we are not there to please them. I only
care about playing music with the people I started this with. Members have
passed out onstage because we push ourselves so hard when performing.
We are working on the follow up to [2009s] Terminal Aggressor, with
Nate Hall. We met him when he was performing with Baroness at Roadburn.
Hes an amazing musician and we couldnt resist the opportunity to work
together. We have several recordings we have done with Merzbow, but we
havent decided what we will put out if we do. The new album changes
direction again, its more of a raw, black, death metal record. An exorcism of
pure frustration when you put your fist through the wall!
N.V. is out now on Prosthetic Records
www.Facebook.com/DraggedIntoSunlight

TERRORIZER #267

51

IGNITE

A decade since their last studio album, IGNITE are back, re-ignited (excuse
the pun), and ready to make waves once again in the hardcore world
Words: Ian Glasper
s gaps between albums go, the ten years
since Ignite released Our Darkest Days is
verging on the ridiculous after all, theyre
a hardcore band, not Metallica, right? Well, in the
interim, vocalist Zoli has fronted Pennywise, drummer
Craig has played with Strife, bassist Brett with
Nations Afire and guitarist Brian with Into Another,
and Ignite have kept active on the live front, but its
still safe to say that new album, A War Against You
is long overdue for fans of the band.
It is always a great opportunity to play with
different musicians and experience new things,
offers Brett, on their lengthy hiatus from recording.
Life experiences, trials and tribulations make you
the person you are. I think time away from Ignite, for
all of us, let us realise how many people around the
world Ignite touches. We received countless e-mails
from people begging us to release a new album. This
is something very special and something that not
too many people get to experience in their lives and
we really appreciate this. I also think playing with
other people gave us a new perspective on chemistry
regarding music. Sometimes there are unexplainable

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TERRORIZER #267

things that happen between a group of people when

they get together to write, record and play music. For
all of us, Ignite is one of those chemistries that works
uniquely well when we step into a room together.
But believe me, it is not easy; in the end though, the
passion we each have for this music comes through
because it is so important to us. We take a lot of
pride in this craft.
From the get-go, with the harmonised vocal
intro to opener Begin Again, its obvious this is
classic Ignite, driven by that energy and unashamed
melody that has made them such a unique voice
in modern hardcore. With such a long wait for the
record though, were they aware of heightened fan
expectation for the new songs as they were writing
them?
In the approach to this album we reminded
ourselves that there are things that Ignite fans expect
from us, and we feel it is important to keep a link
to our previous work, but at the same time it is even
more important to surprise our listeners with new
and exciting elements that they do not expect. When
bands try to make a copy of a previous record, they

always fall short because it is impossible to capture

the magic of a previous work; that was a different
time and place. We believe it is important that bands
re-create themselves somewhat on each album and
keep the energy and creativity fresh. And that is
always the biggest challenge, to create something
exciting and fresh without losing the sense of the
band.
Its safe to say that fans wont be disappointed
with A War Against You, and one Ignite tradition
the band thankfully continues is that of intelligent,
thought-provoking lyrics.
The album title is a line from the song This Is
A War, which deals directly with the media and how
their agendas skew the public perception of what is
going on in the world. The media is typically either
right wing or left wing; rarely do we get a true,
centred and accurate view or report of the current
events in the world. The media always has titles for
current events that have the word war in it to scare
and intimidate the public; there is always a war on
something to help spread fear among the population.
In the end, the media is waging a war against truth,
and hence it is A War Against You.
A War Against You is out now on Century
Media
www.IgniteBand.com

ga
n
i
g
a
w
s
i
a

h
t
The media
u
r
t
t
s
war ag in

ANTIMATTER

Its

often said the best music comes from the darkest of places.
ANTIMATTERs MICK MOSS would probably agree
Words: Darren J. Sadler

he honesty of Mick Moss is refreshing.

Antimatters sixth album The Judas
Table is layered in relentlessly dark
subject matter, generally focussing on
the notion of depression and emotional darkness.
Ask him about the catalyst that sparked the initial
writing inspiration for the album, and hell explain
its something rather deep-rooted.
Id had the initial idea years ago, when
[former band partner] Duncan [Patterson] was still
my other half, professionally speaking, Id figured
out that I was taking hits from people due to
their callous behaviour, and those hits were
causing me lost years due to depression, he says.
That idea never went away, it just stayed and
gained momentum. Ive lost so much time with
my head up my arse, mentally sick over the way
some people have chosen to treat me that I just
despise them. I also despise myself for being so
easily led, and easily hurt. Id love to have more
of a water-off-a-ducks-back mentality but thats
just not me.
He continues with little pause for breath:

I was thinking about this recently, its been

25 years, a quarter of a century since the first
parasite latched onto me. I was just a teenager.
More recently I got suckered by this young girl
who saw Antimatter as her ticket to quick success.
She got me round her finger and then ran off
with a load of my money. I think that was the
final straw, the catalyst as you say that spurred
me onto finally getting this very apt album
recorded and released.
The end result however is a tremendously
deep and accomplished album on all levels, from
its musicianship and songwriting, through to its
beautiful and (surprisingly) dark artwork, which
sees Micks ideas realised by artist Mario Nevado.
As The Judas Table deals with the umbrella
concept of betrayal, I wanted the artwork to
reflect that feeling of being treated like a fool,
that haunting memory of being manipulated in
the past whilst being in a toxic relationship, be it
a friendship or a romantic, or sexual relationship,
any kind of relationship.
As an album, it does feel like the natural

predecessor to 2012s Fear Of A Unique Identity,

which Mick would agree with too.
Its also no coincidence that you can hear
a connection, as at one point both Fear Of A
Unique Identity AND The Judas Table existed
in my head at the same time, like twins. So both
albums share DNA strands. Though I often say
that Fear is the evil twin, or the more[$itals]
evil twin, he says.
Looking ahead for the New Year, for
Antimatter the creative wheels show no sign of
letting up, as Mick concludes.
The new album has strengthened the setlist,
given it a real shot in the arm, so Id like to
just savour this moment on the stage before I
ultimately gather my thoughts and get down to
work on the next album. Theres also the small
matter of an acoustic covers album that Im
probably going to record, under my own name, as
soon as possible, to celebrate the music that has
lit me up at various times in my life.
The Judas Table is out now on Prophecy
www.AntimatterOnline.com

I WAS TAKING HITS FROM PEOPLE DUE

TO THEIR CALLOUS BEHAVIOUR
54

TERRORIZER #267

GRUNT

prove, twenty years after their initial split theres

never been a bigger demand for Order From Chaos
to the point it overshadows its former members
current musical activities, including the greatly
overlooked thrash/death gang Ares Kingdom,
featuring two thirds of OFC line-up. But as their
guitarist Chuck Keller dryly points out, like OFC,
Ares Kingdom tend to be overlooked in favour of
bands du jour[$itals on: du jour], leaving us to
be judged once they extricate themselves from
the main flow of bands. While resuming his
work on exhuming the work of his first post-OFC
band Vulpecula (well rerelease in 2016 the Fons
Immortalis album with the original Phoenix Of
The Creation demo material as bonus), hes

with latex from head to toe and engaged in various

sexual games morale would disagree with. But dont
you call them misogynists: Personally, Im not a
sexist, Ive got too much respect for women, and
I cant even create distinctions between genres.
And what happens in bondage is 100% consented
by all parts involved, it couldnt be otherwise! I
accept that people feel shocked, some moments are
specifically designed to get attention, but describing
BDSM as some sort of genre discrimination is just
not correct. An S&M roleplay can be performed by
straight, lesbian and gay, couples, trios, quartets,
it doesnt matter the orientation. Talking of their
collective fascination for latex and their tight stage
outfits, he confesses it certainly has to do with a
certain fascination about this shiny black texture.
A Christian priest cant go to the church wearing a
hoodie with Anton Laveys face printed on it, can
he? Same goes with us, we cant expect to spread
our message if were not committed to every detail.
See for yourself when the band will be touring the
UK next March promoting their new album Codex
Bizarre (Bizarre Leprous) but dont you be surprised
if things get a bit kinky, ok?

s the ravenous response to their recently

released epic boxset and recurrent hope of
a possible reunion (hint: it wont happen)

also put out a new Ares Kingdom full-length

called The Unburiable Dead (Nuclear War Now!)
after an already quite surprising covers album
(Veneration), where they dodged the usual Slayer
or Black Sabbath reprises in favour of some more
obscure acts, such as Mefisto, Slaughter Lord,
R.U. Dead and, erm, Dokken. For their first set of
originals in four years, theyve settled for a red
thread seemingly popular in extreme metal war.
Still, Keller feels that even from an American
perspective theyre bringing something different to
the table, first by focusing on WWI, a subject he
personally worked on for quite some time. Each
song examines a particular aspect of the conflict.
Ive published on it in the past, as well as having
been involved for a time with the USAs National
World War I Museum, on the board of trustees and
museum accessions committee. In terms of how
my academic experience with the subject matter
manifested itself on the album, I tried to be as
dispassionate and unflinching as possible with each
subject. If anything the tone is stark, bordering
on pessimistic: it was a war that shouldnt have
happened in the first place, so we pay tribute to
those that sacrificed everything. For Europeans,
this was a war of and for empire, the final crash
of a delicate balance of power, underpinned and
destabilized by nationalist competition, that had
been building and teetering since 1871, if not
before. The US was a small and unimportant
player on the world stage in 1914 we were still
relatively isolationist, but our business class saw
an opportunity and took it. While we were late to
physical combat, what we brought was fresh blood,
more treasure, and a liberal and democratic world
view we were determined to impose on the rest. Of
course in the end the vindictive old boys club won
out and set up the next big crash.

A CHRISTIAN PRIEST CANT GO

TO THE CHURCH WEARING A
HOODIE WITH ANTON LAVEYS
FACE PRINTED ON IT, CAN HE?

ARES KINGDOM

TERRORIZER #267

57

 10 PURE GENIUS
8-9 POT OF GOLD
6-7 PASSES THE TIME

4-5 PASS
2-3 PISS POOR
1 PILE OF SHITE

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

ZODIAC MINDWARP

ULVER
ATGCLVLSSCAP
HOUSE OF MYTHOLOGY

ts testament to both Ulvers chameleonic nature and

current cohesiveness as a unit that a decade ago, the
idea of the band playing live let alone recording an
entire live album would have seemed like some far-off
pipe dream, yet now live performances seem to be the
bands primary mode of operation. After taking tentative
steps back into the live arena with a handful of select
shows back in 2009, Ulvers first attempt at preserving
some of these performances came in the form of 2012s
stunning The Norwegian National Opera DVD, before
treating us to a Live At Roadburn record just a year later.
Their last album proper, 2013s Messe I.X-VI.X, could in
some ways be seen as a precursor to ATGCLVLSSCAP,
as it shifted away from that more traditional method of
concert documentation to an approach more like sound
collage, using a live performance as the basis for a record
but editing it into an entirely new listening experience.
As dense and evocative as that album was, however,
ATGCLVLSSCAP feels far more ambitious in terms of
scope, compiling all-new, largely improvised material
drawn from twelve different shows into a mammoth
80-minute odyssey. And yet, whilst Messes sombre
subtlety and stark gothic undertones seemed to enrapture

58

TERRORIZER #267

some and alienate others,

ATGCLVLSSCAP features some
of Ulvers most accessible
material in years, dancing
through breezy psych-rock
(Glammer Hammer, the glorious Popol Vuh-isms of Om
Hamunate Namah) and sumptuous downbeat electronica
(Desert Dawn). There are more textural, drone based
pieces here too (the glistening Gold Beach or the morose
and aptly titled D-Day Drone), but for those readers
who saw the phrase largely improvised and instantly
interpreted that as aimless ambience, dont be put off;
Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen), for instance, features one of the
most unashamedly anthemic choruses the band has ever
written, harking back to some of Kristoffer Ryggs vocal
acrobatics on albums like Perdition City.
Edited together by multi-instrumentalist (and
member of the band since 2009) Daniel OSullivan,
ATGCLVLSSCAP ties these seemingly disparate pieces
together seamlessly, and flows with an expressive
and hypnotic elegance throughout. The breathtakingly
beautiful Ecclesiastes (A Vernal Catnap) is a perfect

penultimate song, featuring

one of Ryggs finest vocal
performances to date and
feeling somewhat like a further
exploration of the sonic vistas
unveiled in Eternal Return from their recent collaboration
with Sunn O))), whilst the grandiose orchestral swells and
glitchy stuttering of outro Solaris bring to mind Ulvers
own Lyckantropen Themes soundtrack piece from 2002.
For anyone who has been attentively following this
bands shape-shifting output, ATGCLVLSSCAP is a
real treat. Whilst of course not a traditional live album
(the flow is more reminiscent of something like Fausts
chopped-up 73 opus The Faust Tapes, albeit with a more
relaxed and spacious pacing), it seemingly touches on
everything Ulver have tried their hand at since 2000, but
also stands as a completely new listening experience in
its own right. At once invigoratingly fresh and comfortingly
familiar, ATGCLVLSSCAP feels like a celebration of Ulvers
recent past and a thrilling glimpse of what the future
could have in store.
[8.5] KEZ WHELAN

INNER
SANCTUM
ABBATH ON NORWAYS
INFAMOUS BLACK CIRCLE

T
ABBATH
Abbath

SEASON OF MIST

bbath starts with the sound of

marching troops before one of the
great mans most fist-raisingly best riffs
ever kicks in, and this is most appropriate.
Think what you want of the messy, almost
painful to watch Immortal break-up of
2015, but one thing for now is true
Immortal are, as of now, a photomontage
of a drummer and a lyricist, and a couple
of provocative statements. Abbath are a

band, with a record, playing shows, and

as Mr. Olve Eikemo tells us in this months
cover feature, hes got two or three more
albums in the pipeline already. Abbath
marches on, and whats more, he marches
strongly. Obviously Abbath features traces
of Immortal, but when left to his own
songwriting devices, Abbath turns on the
rock too. As much as many of you foolishly
ignored Is only album, 2006s Between Two
Worlds (incidentally, the first time Abbath
played with his now inseparable cohort Tom
King Ov Hell Visnes, it touched upon a
winning formula that shamefully wasnt

explored further, until now. Abbath is a sort

of cross between At The Heart Of Winter
and I, with an extra epic-Bathory quality
to it, particularly in the last, rousing cut
Eternal a sort of synonym of Immortal if
you read a bit more into it. If you need one
extra nudge to climb aboard the Abbath
ship, this also rules all over the insipid All
Shall Fall and, honestly, anything else we
could imagine Immortal themselves coming
up with had they stayed together. So, at
least one band break-up might finally have
been for the best. Let it be this one.

o me, the black circle, the

black metal thing, that was a
thing we had before 93. After that, it
was the end of that story. If all that
fucking bullshit had not happened, I
think the black metal scene would have
been so much cooler today, it would
have been a true scene. The press
turned it into something all wrong I
dont do interviews with newspapers
because of that, they just want drama
and to make everything look ridiculous.
Fanzines and good magazines like
Terrorizer are the only ones I care about,
because they focus on the bands that
deliver something with substance,
something real.

[8.5] JOS CARLOS SANTOS

3 DAYS OF SILENCE

ANGEL OF SODOM

AOSOTH/ORDER OF ORIAS

BLOODIEST

SELF-RELEASED

IMUSICIAN DIGITAL

W.T.C.

RELAPSE

he first three tracks

on Sodium + Sulphur
wouldnt be out of place
on a GGFH or Skinny Puppy
album, the creepy crawl
industrial aesthetic permeating this three
headed opening before hitting a blistering black
metal/beatdown/industrial metal hybrid that
still retains that essential creepy atmosphere,
that dirty club land stench, the sticky filth
beneath your feet, the lurking fear in the
dark. But its the final song White Birds that
combines all the albums elements into a single
blistering track, as the blast beats, squelching
industrial glitches, Fear Factory chugs and well
placed samples all gel to create a beautiful
cross between Strapping Young Lad and Anaal
Nathrakh.
[8] ALEX BONIWELL

inland is not a country

often mentioned when
it comes to the subject
of thrash metal and not
exactly known for its
exports in the genre, but Angel Of Sodom
should prick up some peoples ears as
their debut album is brimming with energy
and has its roots firmly in the old school,
bringing to mind the likes of classic Exodus,
Testament, Death Angel, Forbidden. The razor
sharp riffage and solo work is bolstered by a
solid rhythm section and a barrage of double
kick propels the Finns thrash metal attack
along at a dynamic tempo. These newcomers
know how to handle their instruments and
this debut shows a lot of promise for the
future.
[7] KAT GILLHAM

ringing together two of

black metals unholiest
acts, the dual effort between
Aosoth and Order Of Orias is
one of the most engrossing
splits to come out in a while. Despite having
differing approaches, both bands are cut
from the same bloody cloth. Frances Aosoth
bring the strongest offering to the table with
Appendix B, a ten-minute monolith which is
the audio equivalent of being dragged down
to hell by the hair and forced to worship at the
altar of insanity. Order Of Orias Ruinous Hope
presents a relentless black metal assault which
occasionally shifts into slow, terror-inducing
doom; a worthy contribution for their first
recording since 2011. Overall, nothing groundbreaking, but definitely recommended.
[7] BETH AVISON

loodiest are all about

high, sustained tension.
The talented Chicagoan
collective twist guts with their
shamanistic take on sludge
metal, using noise-rocks rhythmic spine to form
cyclic movements that even at their gentlest or
most abstract, refuse to afford a sympathetic
release. Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, Corrections House)
gives us his finest vocal performance on record to
date; he equals Jaz Coleman, Scott Kelly and Nate
Hall in terms of how his singing, chanting and
screaming elevates every intoxicating moment of
his bands self-titled second album. While it does
feel as though Bloodiest consciouslychoose not to
tear your head clean off your shoulders, its this
control that produces the paralysing anxiety that
makes this album praiseworthy.
[8] DEAN BROWN

ADORAN

ANOPHELI

BLACK TUSK

THE CASUALTIES

CONSOULING SOUNDS

HALO OF FLIES/ALERTA ANTIFASCISTA

RELAPSE

SEASON OF MIST

eaturing the combined talents

of Nadjas Aidan Baker on
drums and Northumbrias Dorian
Williamson on bass, its no
surprise that the second Adoran
full-length unfolds at the kind of speed that would
make your pet snail look like Usain Bolt. For the
patient listener, however, these two 22 minute pieces
are exceptionally rewarding, gradually evolving from
sparse, barely-even-there ambience to colossal, roomshaking drones. The amount of restraint shown from
each player is remarkable, with Bakers propulsive,
nuanced drumming providing a perfect bedrock for
the miasma of swirling, soul cleansing atmospherics
emanating from Williamsons bass. Highly reminiscent
of Aaron Turner, James Plotkin and Tim Wyskidas Jodis
project at times, this is the kind of record that could
completely envelope you if youre not careful.
[7] KEZ WHELAN

nopheli are fronted

by Alex CF, formally
of Fall Of Efrafa, so if you
were a fan of FoE then
you will not be surprised
that this too is epic crust. From the sombre
cello intro of opener Awoken the feel of this
album is firmly set, the sorry and damnation
of man is apparent. This is no party album,
its the sound of humanitys betrayal of the
planet on which it has squandered the rich
heritage of. There are of course comparisons
to FoE but also early Neurosis and that
combination has produced a crushing
and devastating barrage of neo-crust, an
emotional and fierce attack that even with
the melancholy, still fights to put things
right.
[8] ALEX BONIWELL

ticking to their guns

in the wake of tragedy,
Black Tusk commemorate
their fallen brother Jonathan
Athon with fourth full-length
Pillars Of Ash. Featuring their late bassists
final recordings, its just the kind of sludge-punk
mayhem weve come to expect from Savannah,
Georgias rowdiest trio: taking in all manner of
crusty, grime-soaked riffs and throat-wrecking
vocals, lodged somewhere between Motrhead
and Kylesa. Not ones for undue elaboration, they
charge out of the gate with Gods On Vacation
drums rolling like thunder, amps surging with raw
power. From the classic rock flourishes of Born Of
Strife to the blink-and-youll-miss-it hardcore of
Punk Out, its a riot from there on, and a fitting
testament to Jonathans talents.
[7.5] ROB SAYCE

Sodium + Sulphur

Children Of Mars

Divine Retribution

The Ache Of Want

Split

Pillars Of Ash

Bloodiest

Chaos Sound

he parallels between punks

forty year lack of musical
progression and the lack of
meaningful social change its
participants have instilled,
despite having long ago figured out many of
mankinds ails, is tragically hilarious. Many bands,
The Casualties included, keep railing on about
war machines, political systems, corruption and
the divided underclass using the same handful of
power chords and four-on-the-floor beats since time
immemorial. The more things change and all that
gobbly-gook, indeed. But hey, things havent really
changed in fact, theyre probably worse and
when a band like The Casualties come ripping
around the corner with two fingers in the air, we can
all link arms and gloriously sing our off-keys hearts
out in continued celebration of counterculture.
[7] KEVIN STEWART-PANKO

TERRORIZER #267

59

"BOWELWRENCHING
SLOWNESS
CHAOS ECHS

CHTHONIC CULT

NUCLEAR WAR NOW!

IRON BONEHEAD

A Voiceless Ritual

I Am The Scourge Of Eternity

Voiceless Ritual is a
five-track live recording,
their first as a complete live
act, from 2013 that showcases
this French avant-garde death/
doom metal bands penchant for improvisation.
The initial release was limited to 50 copies and
sold out quickly. This expanded vinyl version the
third and final installment under what is being
called The Occursus Series is being offered by
NWN! in an attempt to expose more listeners to the
brooding experimental genius of Chaos Echs.
Unlike most contemporary death/doom-oriented
bands, Chaos Echs approach throws out structure
entirely to concentrate solely on tone and texture.
And they succeed, admirably, by creating expansive,
constantly undulating, free-flowing dirges painted in
varying shades of subconscious-altering murk.
[8] JOHN MINCEMOYER

f you love thoroughly

unclean death metal,
German label Iron Bonehead
is pretty essential, but
lets be honest some of
their releases sound like a swarm of hornets
attacking a ride cymbal. Not so Chthonic Cult,
a trio from Wrocaw in Poland whose debut
album is a vicious blackened death metal
assault yet one that has splendid production,
interesting song structures and a strange
grandiosity amidst its barrage. With I Am The
Scourge Of Eternitys four songs clocking in
between eight and fourteen minutes, and not
seeming concerned with wafty prog excursions
or the like, these epic churns could easily
outstay their welcome, but by virtue of both
putridity and rapidity, they command attention.
[8] NOEL GARDNER

CHTHEILIST

CHUGUN

PROFOUND LORE

SELF-RELEASED

Le Dernier Crpuscule

anadas Chtheilist hark

back to the demented,
hallucinatory death metal
of bands like Demilich and
Timeghoul on their debut
album. Gruesome riffs convulse violently beneath
Philippe Tougas throaty roar in songs like the
frantic Into The Vaults Of Ingurgitating Obscurity,
whilst the off-kilter bass twangs in The Voices
Beneath The Well sound like Atheist if they were
inhabited by one of the parasitic lifeforms from
The Thing. Vecoiitnaphnaatsmaala introduces
some eerie Akercocke-esque clean vocals into the
mix, whilst closer Tales Of The Majora Mythos Part
1 (yep, thats a Legend Of Zelda reference) packs
more great riffs into thirteen minutes than some
bands manage in thirteen years. Atmospheric,
head-spinningly proggy and filthy as fuck
[8.5] KEZ WHELAN

Virus

hey may be a relatively

new name, but this Tel
Aviv band certainly have their
chops down, as they knock
out some truly ferocious
thrash, made all the more formidable with an
injection of brutal death. Denises ultra-harsh
vocals veer from guttural low-end bellows to
a higher-pitched abrasive shriek, and will no
doubt garner the band lazy comparisons to
Arch Enemy, but Chugun are no mere knockoffs. The riffing and song-writing on display
here suggests they could grow into a force
to be reckoned with if given half a chance.
This is an impressively produced and mightily
intense debut, which utilises plenty of thrilling
dynamics to keep your attention for the duration
of the nine songs.
[7.5] IAN GLASPER

colossal wall of sound, impenetrable

and suffocating, Revengance isnt
here to take any prisoners. Beginning with
the bluster and might of Throne Of Fire, this
monolithic release imposes its will from the
off. The gallop of the opening number fades
before adopting a churning, trance-inducing
rhythm which becomes horrifically addictive.
Shifting like tectonic plates, the occasional
break of pace makes for an engaging
experience but its when they wallow in
bowel-wrenching slowness that they are truly
at their most devastating and effective. The
Liverpudlian trio have distilled the essence
of negativity into grueling epics that will
have many other outfits shuddering. Every
Man Is An Enemy has the clout of Sleep or
Celtic Frost whilst allowing for a marginally
faster pace.
The addition of producer Chris
Fielding on bass has paid dividends as
he harnesses the might of Jon Davis riffs
for molasses thick sound. The dual vocal
attack doesnt quite convey the stench of

southern fried flavour than usual, and

Katzs anguished vocals are a force to be
reckoned with. Agoraphobic Nosebleed go
sludge: whatever next?
[7] ED CHAPMAN

despair that permeates the riffs but theres

no arguing with crushing moments like
closer Earthenguard, where the gargantuan
drum sound augments the low end throb
exquisitely. Swathes of feedback see it off in
epic style like an earthquake penetrating the
earths crust, exposing a volcanic underbelly
of spewing molten magma.
Hypnotic and all-pervading, this
grinding monolith outlines the tune low,
play slow manifesto in ritualistic and literal
detail. Having gradually gained a fearsome
reputation in the UK scene, Conan look set
to join Electric Wizard as one of our most
revered doom exports.
[8] ROSS BAKER

Total Conquest

CONAN ON NEW ALBUM REVENGANCE

evengance is a collection of
songs that we (Jon, Chris and
Rich) are really proud of. These tracks
were written in the period between
October 2014 and September 2015 and
were excited to get them out into the

CRUCIAL BLAST

TERRORIZER #267

NAPALM

Manifestation

RELAPSE

60

Revengance

CLOAK OF ALTERING

AGORAPHOBIC
NOSEBLEED
Arc
ver wanted Agoraphobic Nosebleed
to sound more like Crowbar or Iron
Monkey? Then youve got your wish. No,
were not joking: the band infamous for
releases like their 100-track kaleidoscope
of grind madness Altered States Of
America are embarking on a series
of four EPs reflecting the musical
preferences of their current line-up,
and vocalist Kat Katzs choice is this
first offering, a three-track, 27-minute
sludgefest. Although its not what you
might expect from the band, musical
mastermind Scott Hull can obviously be
trusted to deliver crushing riffs, albeit at
a slower pace and with a bit more of a

CONAN

ope, its not something

worn by Harry Potter
but it will scare the hell out
of most Muggles. Cloak Of
Altering is one of a legion
of projects manifested by master magician
Mories of Gnaw Their Tongues and its a
miasma of electronic, black soundscapes and
misanthropic, rabid screams, summoned up
from the very pits of hell. Injecting everything
from breakcore beats to classical fugues
into the volatile cauldron, its a constant
shape-shifting audio nightmare set to torture
listeners and bewilder all but the hardiest
Cenobites of extremity. Seemingly structured
at random, songs such as Stretching Infinity
do just that and overall Manifestation is akin
to staring into the very mouth of madness.
[7.5] PETE WOODS

open. The album will contain one or two

surprises but one consistent factor is
our eternal devotion to heaviness. We
are looking forward to playing these
songs live at a venue near you see you
there

COLD NIGHT FOR

ALLIGATORS
Course Of Events
PRIME COLLECTIVE

old Night For Alligators from

Djenmark (oh come on,
theres always room for one more
djoke) have been honing their
unique take on djent for the last
five years, culminating in their
mightily impressive debut album Course Of Events.
The quintet combine ultra heavy eight-string riffage
with beautiful jazz-inspired clean sections, above
which the powerful vocals soar through memorable
melodies before descending into guttural gutters.
Their songs meander through a maze of massive
choruses, pit-friendly mosh-ups of hardcore and techdeath, with occasional ambient soundscapes along
the way, all tightly packaged up courtesy of producer
Daniel Braunstein (Volumes, Fall in Archaea). This is a
truly remarkable first step in their djourney. What?
[7] RAY HOLROYD

"TORN FROM
A PARALLEL
UNIVERSE
CULT OF LUNA/THE
OLD WIND

EYE OF HORUS

PELAGIC

his second installment

of Pelagics split series
sees Cult Of Luna teaming up
with relative newcomers The
Old Wind. CoLs contribution
(a seven minute track entitled Last Will And
Testament) is a reasonably solid yet curiously
thin sounding number that could have easily
been an outtake from Eternal Kingdom, and
thus something of a disappointment after the
new directions they hinted at with Vertikal and
last years Eternal Music. By contrast, The Old
Wind veer closer to the denser, heavier sound
of older Cult Of Luna albums like The Beyond,
albeit with higher pitched, strained sounding
vocals and a very muddy bass tone. Probably
one for completists only.
[5] KEZ WHELAN

echnical death metals

formula has been
done to death, and more
often than not bands
often fall into the trap of
copying what came before. Thats why it is
so refreshing that Eye Of Horus blend of
technical soloing and thrashing riffs makes
the Canadians debut such a treat. From the
pummeling barrage of riffs on Divination to
the slick riffs of The Self-Slaughter Affair
that screams influence from Obscura, there
is enough variety to keep the head banging.
With a ferocity that doesnt dilute the melodic
intricacies from lead guitar play, Infernal
Calling is a remarkable debut from a
band that is poised for a bloody successful
campaign in death metal.
[7] JAMES WEAVER

DIAVOLOS

FALSE FLAGS

HELLS HEADBANGERS

SELF-RELEASED

iavolos, a new band

featuring Tas Danazoglou
(Satans Wrath) and Taneli Jarva
(ex-Sentenced/Impaled Nazarene),
are all about vicious blackened
death/thrash, covered in bulletbelts and firmly in
league with Satan. Opener Diavolos Rising sets the
tone and pace with a Possessed style aural onslaught,
as raw demonic rasps spew vitriolic, blasphemous
sermons and the music is a whirlwind of galloping
picking,thunderous drumming and bestial bulldozing
bass. With songtitles such as Bapitized In Vomit,
Piss In Holy Water and Demonwhore you know this
isnt going to be polished or pretty, and although
they have an ear for melody which is evident in some
Maiden-esque style riffing, Diavolos are delightfully
grimy and grotesque overall. Pure hellish death
metal, for pure hellish death metal maniacs!
[8] KAT GILLHAM

ormed from the ashes of

Red Stars Parade, Whores
Whores Whores and Year Of
The Man, False Flags dig into
their closets for baggy jeans
and tali beads while riding a time capsule bound
for those glorious days of fifteen or so years ago
when Hydra Head and AmRep were big names on
campus and you could walk around wearing an
Isis shirt/hoodie and not find your phone tapped
by the end of the week. Hexmachine takes
cues from Helmets tunnel-vision staccato and
Unsanes lumbering, throwing in bits and pieces
of Botch-like fretboard leaps on Namedropper.
Sometimes though, the idea of hypnotic
sensibility-via-repetitive grooves gets taken a bit
too far making chunks of Phone My Wallet more
endurance test than need be.
[7] KEVIN STEWART-PANKO

Rngest

You Lived Now Die

Infernal Calling
SELF-RELEASED

Hexmachine

When We Are Death

CENTURY MEDIA

eaving tapestries of beguiling,

Canterbury-esque folk rock and rustic
mysticism with a regard for the forests of
their Finnish homeland and a decidedly poetic
approach to songcraft Hexvessel occupy
a unique place on the fringes of our world.
While mastermind Mat Kvohst McNerney finds
himself with more on his plate than ever, given
the excitement surrounding his icy post-punk
project Grave Pleasures (formerly Beastmilk),
hes somehow found the time to work some
magick over When We Are Death.
Its a record of rich, organic tones and
cosmic blues, torn from a parallel universe
where little of note has happened since the
1970s. Whether opening a vortex of lurching
grooves and shifting tempos on Mushroom
Spirit Doors or sweeping through the sparse,
string-laden lament of Mirror Boy, Hexvessel
prove masters of their craft. On Cosmic Truth
they balance lilting brass flourishes and pianos
with a mournful vocal from McNerney, while the

GUITARIST
GUITARIST
PETER
PETER
ADAMS
ADAMS
ON ON
THETHE
WRITING
WRITING
OF PURPLE
OF PURPLE
I
J
J

really want music to address where

selves. I have used inspiration from guys like
we are in life but to also assure us
(noted occultist) T.C. Leftbridge when I was
that things will be alright. Thats why we
young [but] I am less into listening to what
Johns personal memoir, and Purple really sums
ohnohn
[Baizley]s
[Baizley]s
basement
basement
waswas
the the
included a Captain Beefheart quote in the
spiritualists, occultists and esoteric dudes
where hes at now: mentally, physically, how he
least
least
ideal
ideal
place
place
to write
to write
music.
music.
Its Its
inlay of the album: The stars are matter, we
have to say. I am much more interested in
windowless,
windowless,
but but
something
something
awesome
awesome
waswas
bornborn felt about the crash. And where we are going.
are all matter but it doesnt matter. For me
gaining my own insights. Its like a black metal
out out
of that
of that
basement
basement
thisthis
winter,
winter,
spring,
spring,
summer
summer Everything looks really positive and has been.
thats perfect, it says we are all connected
musician listening to Edvard Grieg rather than
andand
fall.fall.
There
There
waswas
thisthis
record
record

andand
you you
cant
cant Shit, we have made a record and we are moving
but we cant be so concerned with our earthly
other black metal bands to inspire them.
beatbeat
thatthat
withwith
a stick.
a stick.
Every
Every
Baroness
Baroness
record
record
is is on. Cant get any more positive than that?

GILEAD

detracting one iota from the overall experience,

like a theatrical production held together in
eight flowing movements. Resplendent in their
unequivocal glory, Borknagar have presented a
supremely regal collection of heathen triumph.
[8.5] ROSS BAKER

[8] ROB SAYCE

Strictly Personal
Board
BoardUpUpThe
TheHouse
House

Weltschmerz

CENTURY MEDIA

organs and fuzzed-up riffs of When Im Dead

evoke everyone from The Doors to Jethro Tull.
And while the frequently melancholy subject
matter is often heavier than the music itself,
Drugged Up On The Universe sees McNerney
and Co. providing a starry-eyed counterpoint to
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats creeping menace.
The atmospheric, meditative feel of songs
like Green Gold and Teeth Of The Mountain
wont be to everyones taste, of course; but if
youre willing to give When We Are Death the
time to soak in, its a powerful experience. Turn
off your mind, relax, float downstream

MAT MCNERNEY ON HEXVESSELS SPIRITUAL SIDE

FRN

BORKNAGAR
Winter Thrice
ynamic and complex, Borknagars 2012 opus
Urd saw the unholy marriage of I.C.S. Vortex
and Vintersorg on vocals. This demonic union
produced a stellar collection of progressive black
metal and classical folk melodies which were
seemingly unsurpassable well, until now, that is.
Featuring hymns to their Nordic homeland conveyed
with utter sincerity and boundless passion, Winter
Thrice doesnt so much pick up where they left
off as catapult it into the stratosphere. Original
frontman Kristoffer Garm Rygg lends his pipes to
the spiralling title track and the heroic Terminus
to great effect. Opulent but never overblown,
ystein G. Bruns towering arrangements never fail
to reflect the looming tundra of the winter season.
The greater emphasis upon the rock and choral
elements has been achieved elegantly without

HEXVESSEL

ostons Frn return

with their second
EPWeltschmerz, which
translates to world-weary
an emotion aptly demonstrated
on the two song-suites that make up the EP.
The most impressive thing about Frn is the
way they create soul destroying doom with a
poignant emotional undercurrent, weaving clean
and supremely distorted riffs that transition
elegantly across these four tracks, so much so that
Weltschmerz could easily be taken as one long
conceptual song. As the beautiful Saudade (Part
II) threatens to fade into oblivion Dolor (Part I)
crashes down upon you, with Chris Pintos guttural
growls giving way to a riff so monumental that
heads are going to snap away from their necks.
Essential listening for fans of doom and sludge.
[8] TOM MCKIBBIN

HAG

Fear Of Man
DNAWOT

here are a pleasing

number of bands like
London trio Hag in the UK
at the moment. When we
say like, we mean bands
who deal in volume and low end, influenced
by doom, noise rock and pre-Nevermind
grunge without exactly being any of these
things. Fear Of Man is Hags second
release, and first for five years, so while its
understandable that theyve flown under the
radar, they bring ample hairy fun to the party.
Trauma Yauma spends half its duration
hailing Big Business, the other half Melvins;
White Lion has the burly, surly woodchopper
vibe of prime Tad. Assuming they don't keep
schtum for the next five years, Hag are a
welcome addition to the fray.
[6.5] NOEL GARDNER

TERRORIZER #267

61

CHARGED WITH
GENUINE FURY
HEADLESS CROWN
Time For Revolution
MASSACRE

HUMAN DESOLATION
Mind Grind Paradigm
SELF-RELEASED

or every 80s-inspired metal

band that writes strong
songs, there are ten others
that shouldnt have left Blackie
Lawless womb. Headless
Crown are with the majority. The title to the
Geneva-based bands debut, Time For Revolution,
makes for a very empty statement, because
while Headless Crown are competent enough to
write a solid hook, as on Here Comes the Night
and Reach Out (For The Light), its nothing you
havent heard done before with more passion and
individuality. Taking direct influence from Accept,
Scorpions, Maiden,90s Metallica,and Guns N
Roses is easily achieved, but to create something
worthwhile using those inspirations requires
another skill level altogether. Sadly this is beyond
Headless Crown's capabilities.
[4] DEAN BROWN

oud think with all the

different strains of
Scandinavian blood running
through Human Desolations
Swedish/Finnish membership
that, when they decided melodic death metal was
their calling, theyd have had a better handle on
what comprises sonic effectiveness and potency.
The touchstones the quintet have jackhammered
shavings of influence from include some of the
bigger Viking brethren names; Meshuggah, (old) In
Flames and Sentenced, but the manner in which
their original compositions are cobbled together
leaves a lot to be desired. The recognisable, riffing
style often detours as attempts to get fancy with
arrangements result in halting sequences, disrupted
flow and clunky musical non-sequiturs thrown in
under the guise of thoughtful, progressive passages.
[4] KEVIN STEWART-PANKO

HELHEIM

IGNITE

raunijaR

DARK ESSENCE

uch like the Vikings

inspired expansive
sagas within Scandinavian
folk tales, Helheim are
continuing to carve out their
own story almost 24 years into the game,
particularly in the new chapters of Asgards
Fall from the 2010 album of the same name
that adorn this record. While its got its fair
share of Norse choirs and guttural rasping la
the usual suspects of Bathory and Enslaved,
its the more unorthodox vocals, more akin to
gothic gloom and snotty punk (as evidenced
on campfire opener Helheim 9) and feel-good,
wah-flecked guitar licks that sets them apart
from their more bleak contemporaries and
results in an album thats arguably innovative,
definitely irreverent, and often immersive.
[6] ANDY MCDONALD

A War Against You

CENTURY MEDIA

eve waited a decade

for an album from
these melodic hardcore
legends. Formed in 1993,
Ignite kept their spark alive
with this break that saw singer Zoli Teglas
join Pennywise and record All Or Nothing
(2012), drummer Craig Anderson play with
Strife, guitarist Brian Balchack record with Into
Another, and bassist Brett Rasmussen tour with
Nations Afire. Ignite re-entered the studio in
early 2014 and remained there for 18 months
to write these songs, and it shows. The music
is as mature and epic as it is catchy and fun,
while the lyrics are as political as they are
positive. Their last album Our Darkest Days
ruled hardcore in 2006, this new masterpiece
wins 2016.
[8] RAY HOLROYD

heres something perversely timely about

Venomous Concepts latest shipment of
hardcore/grind filth, Kick Me Silly VC III.
From a recent surge in support for rightwing groups across the world to the endless
tide of aspirational bullshit reaching our
ears, you can detect more than a whiff of
the soul-crushing 80s around our era. VC
are clearly informed by the most incendiary
punk bands of that decade (Poison Idea,
Discharge and the like), but as with their
previous two albums, this feels like more
than just homage. Rather, its fun, irreverent,
and charged with genuine fury.
Youd expect as much, given the calibre
of the folks involved. Napalm Deaths Shane
Embury (guitar) and Danny Herrera (drums)
and Brutal Truths Kevin Sharp (vocals) have
been on board from the beginning, with Dan
Lilker (Brutal Truth/Nuclear Assault, bass)
and John Cooke (Corrupt Moral Altar, guitar)
also now along for the ride. They take no
prisoners here, from short sharp shocks
like Johnny Cheeseburger to the thrashing

VOCALIST KEVIN SHARP ON THE NEW ALBUM

d say that [Kick Me Silly] is

a bit looser. Theres probably a
little bit more melody on it than most
people would expect, although theres
some simpleton, butcher block kind of

religious-sounding moods which only

make those big bass riffs hit harder.
Being unique in 2015 isnt easy, but
Orthodox nail it.
[8.5] JOS CARLOS SANTOS

guitars and breathless tempos of Potters

Ground and Leper Dog. It feels like proper
DIY stuff, Kevin yelling and growling like a
man with spleen to vent, and shooting the
likes of Anthem through with biting social
commentary.
Even at 21 tracks, the record whirls by.
Some of it is strangely infectious (notably
future crowd-favourite, er, Head On A
Stick), all of it is fast and frantic as hell,
and while the quality does dip on occasion,
missteps are quickly forgotten. If youre
looking to down beers and wreck your neck,
thisll do nicely.
[7] ROB SAYCE

Grind Your Mind

IRON BONEHEAD

ALONE

TERRORIZER #267

SeroLogiikal Scars
(Vertex Of Dementiia)

Axis

62

SEASON OF MIST)

KHTHONIIK CERVIIKS

ORTHODOX
he artistic restlessness of these
Spaniards has been a joy to behold
in their first decade as a band. Theyve
evolved and twisted themselves into a
curious hybrid of proto-metal, doom, folk
and jazz, swinging wildly between these
and other fields, but on Axis, while still
being shifty category-wise, theyre at
their most focused ever. Reduced to a
core duo of bassist/vocalist Marco Serrato
(who still produces some of the eeriest
tremolo vocals) and drummer Borja
Daz, this is their most straightforward,
metallic offer so far, but even that
deceptive simplicity is constantly being
passed through a filter of oblique
strangeness and uncomfortable,

VENOMOUS
CONCEPT
Kick Me Silly VC III

fter listening to this

album for a few
minutes, youd be forgiven
for thinking that Khthoniik
Cerviiks had been around
for a long time. On the contrary, SeroLogiikal
Scars (Vertex of Dementiia) is their debut fulllength since their formation in 2013, and what
a debut it is. Blackened death that is inherently
malevolent, their sound is so organic and
never succumbs to monotony. Crawling death/
doom passages, barrages of technical skill and
delightfully horrifying vocals, all tied together
with an old school production make for a killer
listen. Khthoniik Cerviiks dont have to try to
sound evil, they just are and thats what makes
this album so special.
[8] BETH AVISON

stuff going on too, like Head On A Stick or

Busy With Your Debt thats more like Infest
or whatever. But this band gives me and
Shane the freedom to do whatever the fuck
we want.

KIELTOLAKI

Vapauden Illuusio
VOX POPULI

wesome old school

hardcore punk done
the Finnish way that is
sure to appeal to fans of
Terveet Kdet, Mellakka
and Rattus. If you like your punk rock stripped
of all frills and with the intensity ramped
up to eleven, this tears along like a runaway
train, a wreckage of battered ride cymbals,
bloodied guitar strings and shredded vocal
cords. Its pure d-beat mayhem done the
way Discharge and Anti-Cimex used to do
it in their heyday, a heads-down race to the
finish (no pun intended) line, with a red hot
and raw production that perfectly suits the
gnarly material. And these guys are apparently
touring the UK in February, so do not miss
them.
[8] IAN GLASPER

GIVING FREE REIN

TO PROGGISH
EXCESSES
KOSMOKRATOR
To The Svmmit
VN

KVLTIST

Catechesis
W.T.C.

riginally released on
cassette last year,
this demo recording from
Belgiums Kosmokrator gets
a lavish vinyl reissue. The
quintet seem to have been belched forth from
the bowels of hell pretty much fully formed,
as the murky black/death on offer is not only
very well executed, but the sound quality itself
is surprisingly clear for a demo of this variety.
Thats not to say the whole thing doesnt exude
an utterly filthy, cavernous quality, but youll
actually be able to make out whats going on
underneath all those blastbeats and reverb
smothered growls. Situated somewhere between
Void Meditation Cult and Teitanblood (but with
a few more Incantation riffs), this is a very
promising start indeed.
[7] KEZ WHELAN

ent up Satanism and

hatred for vitamin D cant
hide the deficiencies plaguing
this dastardly Teutonic duos
debut. The hype machine, along
with the automatic cred given by basement dwellers
because of their moniker, wont masquerade
Catechesis firing off in a million directions without
stopping to latch on to anything structurally song
worthy. Its not only multi-instrumentalist MZI and
vocalist Amon Xul (did you see what he did there?)
putting all their eggs in one basket, but tossing in
bacon, power tools, light bulbs, bottles of crme
rinse conditioner and trying to make sense of it all
after a long day spent climbing pine trees. Imagine
11 As Adversaries and Deathspell Omega running
around with these baskets and no emergency brake
and theres your disappointing end.
[4] KEVIN STEWART-PANKO

KULT MOGI

LIFER

Anxiety Never Descending

PAGAN

ult Mogis death metal is

indicative of their Polish
homeland, as plenty of black
metal effluence seeps in. As
their fellow compatriots in
Behemoth have proven over the years, thosetwo
styles can be combined to devastating effect
provided the band know how to harness their
powers. The problem with Kult Mogis debut,
Anxiety Never Descending, is not in how they
balance both but rather its a more fundamental,
and terminal, issue: the Tarnw four-piece
seem incapable of writing punishing riffs,
and what they do piece together rarely makes
compositional sense. Its a pity, because guitarist
Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowychs vocals, similar in
theatricality to Marduks Mortuus, deserve better
and quite frankly, so does the listener.
[3.5] DEAN BROWN

Black Mountain Rising

HAND OF DOOM

pening with the mournful

Sorrow Bloody Sorrow,
you might think Lifer have
mellowed out somewhat
for their second album, but
Bastard Sons Of Sabbath soon crushes that
misunderstanding in spectacular fashion, a
huge rampaging beast of a stoner anthem
summoning the vibe of New Orleans via South
Wales. Fucking brutal is the only way to describe
it, and once the band have you by the throat,
they dont let you go, every song assaulting the
senses with monster rock riffs (call them sludge
if you want, but thats selling the dynamics of
this seriously short) and Anselmo-like intensity,
with Year Of The Hog and Burn Them Down
being particularly wild nods to Motrhead in their
glorious prime.
[8.5] IAN GLASPER

vidence that Witchcraft are putting away

bellbottomed things and lumbering,
slothlike, towards the 21st century is apparent
not so much on this album, more its lead-off
single, The Outcast. Its B-side is a cover of
Nirvana deep cut Even In His Youth, almost
unthinkable when they emerged from Sweden
in the early 00s as a self-confessed tribute
to Pentagram and Roky Erickson. While
Witchcrafts first two albums are the finest
exhibits for the validity of retro-modern doom,
time hasnt frozen around them. Frontman
Magnus Pelander, having changed the rest of
the lineup for 2012 album Legend, has had
another clearout for this 69-minute followup.
The trio which recorded Nucleus are
working with shinier production values than
the Witchcraft of old, which may disappoint
long-term fans, but it works well with
Pelanders slower, heavier riffing. Malstroem

WITCHCRAFT ARENT THE ONLY BAND TO SURVIVE DRASTIC LINEUP CHANGES

NEGURA BUNGET

section (Reifert handling both vocals and guitar

this time around), bred and fed through a
thrash metal tube with Fog Of War. A meaner,
funnier and swearier version of Circle Jerks for
the whole family!
[7] OLIVIER ZOLTAR BADIN

TODAY IS THE DAY

Drummer Negru is the sole original

member of these Romanian black
metallers, who have had numerous
lineup shuffles in recent years

Despite featuring more different members

than youve had hot dinners, Steve Austins
insatiable drive to create remains totally stable

NAPALM DEATH

Though their lineup has been steady for the

past decade, Paul Speckmann kept Master
going despite several member changes in
the 90s

Famously absent of any original

members, Napalm Deaths lineup
troubles have never deterred them

and An Exorcism Of Doubts have as much in

common with, say, Pallbearer than Witchcrafts
perkier mode of old, while The Obsessed may
or may not be named after the Wino-fronted
band but has a lumbering swing worthy of the
name. The running time has given free rein
to proggish excesses, too: the title track and
the glacially slow Breakdown (featuring the
intriguing lyric, I know you could go on and
on / Ironically you wrote part of this song)
clock in at fourteen and sixteen minutes
respectively. Nucleus feels very much like
Witchcraft 2.0 at least and while endless
rewrites of Firewood would have doubtless
yielded diamonds, you cant blame Pelander for
wanting to move forward a tad.
[7] NOEL GARDNER

still standing

SEASON OF MIST

HORROR PAIN GORE DEATH

TERRORIZER #267

The Horror Of Existence

Broken Idol/Elimination
Time

64

NUCLEAR BLAST

THE LIONS
DAUGHTER

VIOLATION WOUND
ven if this is sold as a double album,
these two separate yet very close in time
recordings are to be seen as part of the same
beer & pizza binge party. Dont be mistaken
in case you havent heard Autopsys Chris
Reifert latest adventure in punk rock: apart
from its fuck you all attitude, this has little
to do with Abscess. If the latter was fuelled
by hallucinogenic drugs and a desire to let
everything fly and see what stuck, Violation
Wound has a much more straight-forward
attitude. With only a handful of tracks
trespassing over the two minutes barrier (and
there are 36 of them!), this is by far his most
immediate and in-your-face project, something
cemented by the sharp nature of his rhythmic

WITCHCRAFT
Nucleus

escribing themselves
as unpleasant, its
not really the shock of the
century that this St. Louis
mob live up to their billing
so well on The Horror Of Existence. Pulling
together every filthy genre that ever spat in
the face of nicety d-beat, sludge, black,
crust et cetera et cetera and then vomit it on
the feet of a complacent corrupted world and
punch it in the face. The hook is the excellent
songwriting and knowing when to ease off the
claustrophobia just a little before slamming
the boot back onto your face, like on the
corrosive Four Flies. If 2016 is going down
the shitter, then we already have the perfect
soundtrack.
[8] STEVE R. JONES

MASTER

LIVING WITH
DISFIGUREMENT

Posthumous Indignities
EXTREME ULTIMATE

his London based band

deal in gore soaked death
metal brutality, amputating
a few early Carcass riffs
and putting them through a
blender of their own creating quite a symphony
of sickness. Similarities could also be drawn to
the likes of Autopsy, Impaled and Exhumed, the
vocals coming across like the bastard lovechild
of Chris Reifert, Jeff Walker and Matt Harvey. It is
not all-out grotesque grinding though, as melodic
death metal riffs played with surgical precision
rear their ugly heads and the playing is as tight
as a tourniquet wrapped around a severe wound.
The production is also as sharp as a scalpel but it
isnt too clinical and doesnt lose that organic old
school vibe. A gruesomely great debut album.
[8] KAT GILLHAM

AVAI L A BL E NO W
f r o m

n e r v e g a s . c o m . a u

AN UNPRECEDENTED LEAP FORWARD FOR THE GENRE OF PROGRESSIVE

METAL,..EXTREMELY MEMORABLE, UNIQUE AND TECHNICAL
HEAVY BLOG IS HEAVY

W W W. G O D S O F E D E N B A N D . C O M

SHORT & SAVAGE

EP ROUND-UP

LYCUS

MIRROR

RELAPSE

METAL BLADE

Chasms

ournful, meditative,
crushing Oaklands
Lycus have encapsulated the
true essence of American deathdoom since their 2011 demo.
Chasms, their Relapse debut/second full-length
overall, is a further refinement of their chosen style.
Most strikingly, the violin a complimentary neo-folk
accompaniment to funereal music has been fully
engrained to give their lengthy, dynamic compositions
further gravitas, whilst Solar Chamber and the
expansive title track display a welcome, albeit subtle
undercurrent of death-rock. This plus Lycus ability to
seamlessly move from statuesque doom to pummelling
death metal while also channelling the deep spiritual
yearning of both post-rock and black metal is
astounding. Chasms is therefore essential listening
for fans of extreme metal that cuts you to the core.
[8.5] DEAN BROWN

lbum number three of

the year for Tasos Tas
Danazoglou, former Electric
Wizard bassist, tattoo artist
extraordinaire and eclectic
musician. Except that unlike Diavolos which felt
like a mere digression of Satans Wrath, Mirror
is an entirely different yet more enthralling
trip. It may also be rooted in the past and
featuring a disparate line-up that includes one
third of Repulsion, a bombastic vocalist from
Cyprus and a producer-cum-drummer yet they
all somehow remain cohesive. Mirror sounds
like a cool retro-hard rock album that knows
when to quote both Rainbow and Deep Purple
but doesnt forget to play its cards right by
exhibiting a very aggressive (aka metal) edge.
Lets hope it aint just a one-off then.
[7.5] OLIVIER ZOLTAR BADIN

MAMMOTHWING

OPPROBRIUM

BIOLCATION/KOZMIK ATEFACTZ

RELAPSE

ombining amp-blowing
psych rock freakouts with
tunes youll be humming in
the shower, Nottingham trio
Mammothwing are a cut above
your standard stoner/blues outfit. Gargantuan
opener Cosmic Vagabond offers some free-flowing
Acid Mothers Temple-esque guitar heroics, whilst
Tinned Up & Fuzzed Out and the sublimely funky
69 showcase the bands genuine love for the blues.
Humongous, melancholy centrepiece Black Woman
is a real showstopper, demonstrating their sharp ear
for dynamics and giant riffs. The dual vocal approach
works brilliantly too, with bassist Bill Fishers silky
smooth croon contrasting perfectly against guitarist
Marty Fishers coarse, whiskey drenched howl. Oozing
with soul, this is one of the finest heavy blues records
this country has produced in a long time.
[8] KEZWHELAN

riginally released close to

thirty years and a name
change ago (they were formerly
known as Incubus), Serpent
Temptation emerged from
a clumsy era where mixing thrash and death
metal wasnt the tool of precision it is today.
Often heralded as a genre classic, the reality
is large portions of the Louisiana trios debut
havent aged well. Theres an unbridled and
youthful passion, especially when it comes to the
tempos the band were forging forward with, but
their naivet precludes the ferocious, chromatic
mayhem of The Battle Of Armageddon and
Sadistic Sinner from making a long lasting
impact beyond the novelty of mosh riffs being
furiously sped up. But as an historical artefact,
Serpent Temptation serves its purpose.
[6] KEVIN STEWART-PANKO

MESSENGER

PARADISE LOST

MASSACRE

Morning Light

Star Wolf Pt. II - Novastorm

hile power metal is

continually pushed
by the jesters of the genre
into tongue-in-cheek joke
territory, Massacre are the
sort who stand by its exuberant traditions
and call themselves true with no trace of
irony. And hey, it works for them, as it long
since has for their Germanic countrymen like
Helloween. With little deviation from 2013s
Star Wolf Pt. I, its all hyperactive
adventure anthems and tours of the
fretboard. Granted, theres the degree of
kitsch value invariably attributed to 80s
metal worship in this day and age, and it
probably goes two or three tracks past making
its point, but as far as keeping the spirit of the
old guard goes, Messenger are the real deal.
[7] ANDY MCDONALD

66

Mirror

TERRORIZER #267

Serpent Temptation

e need a bit of fuzz to clear out the last remnants of those pesky
New Years hangovers, dont we? Sure we do. So, lets start with
1968, a band that reviews itself, really. It would actually be
awesome if they were some sort of weird avant-garde thing and sounded
nothing like 1968, but alas, they are exactly what youd expect from a band
called 1968, and in the three jams that feature on their 1968 EP [7, Black
Bow], they use the inevitable heavy rock/psych references like Led Zep or
Sabbath and go off on their own thing. Youve heard it all before, but its
delivered with passion and enough individuality to not become yet another
retro band youll never hear again. Like, for instance, Salems Pot. We
get it, theyre Swedish, all the hip people seem to like them and theyve done
a split with Windhand. That doesnt mean theyre not boring, and despite all
the punk they try to infuse in their smoky, plodding stoner, their new The
Vampire Strikes Back single/EP thing [4, self-released] is still a huge
yawn. Two versions of the same song, where even the title is clich, and a cover
attempt that doesnt quite ruin Dead Moons Graveyard but plays it out with
some indifference. Okay, so thats enough fuzz, onwards to the opposite side of
the spectrum with Fucking Invincibles new EP called I Hate Myself And Want
You To Die [8, Atomic Action!]. If Salems Pots title makes you want to
throw the record out of the window, this one alone gives the Providence mob
five points already, even before pressing play. When you do press play, its like
opening the door to a bunch of Mad Max raiders wholl wreck your place in five
minutes and leave your head on a spike. To be more precise, in seven minutes,
which is all these eight blasts take before you need to listen to the whole thing
again, and again. If you still need any more cool points, why not check out
Canadians Thigma before anyone else does they have a two-song single
called Cultivate [7, self-released] thats a kind of stopgap until they
release the proper debut EP, and their labyrinthine, technical kind of looser,
more melodic Meshuggah-isms, with Exist Immortals Meyrick de la Fuente
on guest vocals, are catchy enough for you to make a mental note to get
that coming EP when its out. Promising stuff. In the meantime, Crippled
Black Phoenix put out a more or less pointless EP before they went on
tour at the end of 2015, so if you really, really feel like a short intro-like song,
one proper new song and a Pink Floyd cover, by all means get the New Dark
Age Tour EP 2015 A.D. [6, Season Of Mist], but your true enjoyment will
be over sooner than you can say the whole title of the release. Peterboroughs
Razoreater also leave it short, but thats the whole point their Nasumesque blasts of cosmic grind are meant to beat you up quickly and leave
before blood even hits the floor, and the five songs on Vacuum Of Nihil [7.5,
WOOAAARGH/Skin And Bones] do just that. Great titles too from
Nailbombed to Bloodeagled, theyre proper fucking metal songtitles. Finally,
the token clean vocals/breakdowns/groove metalcore release of the month
(theres always one, isnt there?) comes from Nottinghams The Five Hundred, who are not,
at all, the worst of this mostly noxious genre that wont die, and on the best moments of EP I [5,
self-released] even give off hints of Earthtone9 or Fear Factory, but who clearly need to define
their own personality before we can really recommend them to anyone.
Words: Jos Carlos Santos

RAVENOUS

SERENITY

CENTURY MEDIA

COFFEE JINGLE

NAPALM

he first Paradise Lost

live performance with
an orchestra and choir
happened dangerously close
to their last album; right now
were kind of in brutal/rough-PL mode and far
from necessarily wishing to hear them play a
symphonic show. Still, the boys and the Plovdiv
Philharmonic Orchestra just about force us to
enjoy this: not only are the sound quality and the
setlist damn near perfect, but the current vitality
of the band also shines through. From Gothic
to Victim Of The Past, with the orchestral parts
serving as an enriching, never overbearing
complement rather than a main vehicle, they
nail everything, the songs flow by and even the
famous discrepancies between eras of the band
are faded in a haze of doom-rockin out.
[7.5] JOS CARLOS SANTOS

he biggest comparison that

hits you right between the
eyes is Pantera, specifically
in the way the band mix up
melody and hard-nosed riffs
and post-thrash influences into a big modern
heavy metal mash-up, but there are also hints
of Metallica (on the rather epic Easter Island
and the many vocal Hetfield-isms) and Machine
Head on some of the violent beatdown sections.
Ravenous obviously love all things metal and are
not adverse to throwing everything, including the
kitchen sink, into the mix, so you get doom metal
intro riffs segueing effortlessly into whiplashinducing metalcore (Ravenous) and grandiose
Testament-like power ballads (Alone), and their
enthusiastic tendency to take on pretty much
anything is infectious.
[7] IAN GLASPER

Symphony For The Lost

We Are Become Death

Codex Atlanticus

ith promo copies

circulating by midDecember, what instantly jumps
out from Austrian purveyors
of pomp Serenitys new one is
a track named Sprouts Of Terror, which sounds
like our kind of Christmas dinner. Outside of such
festivities, theres certainly a market for symphonic
metal the Nightwish and Within Temptation
brands are worth more than youre likely to make
in a lifetime, and strong mid-level and underground
scenes also exist but for a supposedly wordy and
worldly genre, the persistent similarity between acts
gets exhausting after the hundredth brooding piano
interlude. This da Vinci-inspired Eurovision romp
boasts beauty in its guitar solos and orchestral
passages just nothing that hasnt already been
heard a million times.
[6] ANDY MCDONALD

AVAILABLE

NOW

SADUS
LIVE IN CHILE

FOLKHEIM
PACHACUTI

D.R.I.L.L.
CERBERUS
VICIOUS RUTHLESS BLOODSHED AGONY OF DAMNATION

BARBARIKVLTT
SOUTHERN PANDEMONIC
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FROM THE DEPTHS:

7 ROUNDUP

SIKTH

UN

PEACEVILLE

BLACK BOW

Opacities

The Tomb Of All Things

ridging the divide between

the earthily atmospheric
doom of North America and the
more grandiose, melodicallyminded brand crafted (mostly)
on this side of the pond, Seattles Un have created
a release in The Tomb Of All Things soaked in both
cavernous heaviness and transcendental emotion.
Weeping harmonies and sorrow-drenched riffery
shimmer alongside the crushing darkness cultivated
by chord-based resonance in a way that often brings
to mind the melancholic murk of early Ahab and the
progressively-minded compositions further reinforce
the comparison. Yet the release also possesses an
undeniably West Coast character, revealed in its
rain-soaked dirges and the hoarsely harrowing vocal
delivery. Its a captivatingly powerful combination,
and one that stands Uns debut out from the crowd.
[7.5] RICH TAYLOR

SLOMATICS

UPON SHADOWS

Kalceanna

Between The Southern

Cross & The Northern Star

ts fitting that Black Bow

Records are re-releasing
two of Slomatics early albums
considering how great an
influence the Northern Ireland
band have been on label owner Jon Davis band
Conan. This reissue of 2007s Kalceanna serves
as a timely reminder of how ahead of their time
Slomatics were. From the opening bombast
of Griefhound to the epic closer Viking Sea,
Slomatics prove themselves as the undisputed
masters of heaviness. Chris and Davids duel
guitar approach is truly monumental and
expressive, capable of delivering crushing blows on
the fantastic Mans Hands and something much
more cinematic on the instrumental By Thor. If
Conan are the Nirvana of the UK doom scene, then
that undoubtedly makes Slomatics the Melvins.
[8] TOM MCKIBBIN

riginally hailing from

Uruguay, this duos
brand of dark metal has
an underlying atmospheric
presence with both elements
of blackness and symphonic classicism. Piano
and soothing, delicate choral parts linger
underneath it all but the main presence here is
centered on the crone-like, cadaverous vocals
of Tamara Picardo. Whether they are meant to
sound quite so ugly or not, they act as a thorn
in the ear and have a necrotic croak about
them that makes it really difficult to focus
on any harmonic grace of the actual music
itself. More Wykked Wytch than Cadaveria,
unfortunately this is a painful listening
experience.
[3] PETE WOODS

TEXTURES

UR DRAUGR

YELLOW EYES

ZGARD

NUCLEAR BLAST

ATMF

GILEAD

SVARGA

nitial impressions of
Textures first album in
five years are disappointing.
The pop sensibility that
made Silhouettes tech
metal banquet such a joy and tastefully, if more
sparingly, adorned Dualism seems muted. The
prog factor has been cranked up, and while
vocalist Daniel de Jongh gets a workout, hes
never allowed to unleash the sort of unashamed,
fuck-off chorus that makes this band special. With
founder/guitarist Jochem Jacobs stepping back, a
certain weight and focus has been surrendered.
That said, theres enough talent here to survive
the move away from immediate gratification. The
subtle pleasures of picking through a labyrinth of
ideas keep things compelling, however frustrating
the reluctance to flesh out the best of them.
[6] BENJ GOLANSKI

his Perth, Western Australiabased trio play a clean and

complex hybrid black/death style
that, according to the promo
one-sheet, is akin to darker
Opeth and latter-day Enslaved. The description
is spot-on, which begs the question: Would that
description alone make you want to listen?
Ur Draugr is talented, ridiculously so, and that
prodigious talent is showcased beautifully here,
but is there enough originality to sway prospective
listeners? The mimicry/originality split feels 51/49
percent. This sounds so close, at times, to Opeth
and/or Enslaved it is hard to re-wire your brain
to think otherwise, which presents a stumbling
block. But strangely, and with repeated listens,
With Hunger Undying resonates, aided by the
magisterially wrought musicianship.
[7] JOHN MINCEMOYER

Phenotype

68

ou might laugh,
but way back in
the hinterlands of 2003,
this Hertfordshire lot
were onto a good thing.
Fearlessly technical and fearsomely
original, they were a bit too much for
the hard-bitten to swallow. Fast-forward
over a decade from The Trees Are Dead
And Dried Out and the musical
landscape has changed slightly. The
djent era as come and gone to the extent
that Opacities feels like a comfy pair
of slippers rather than the snap of their
highly strung debut. Aside from being
comfy, those slippers feel rather leaden
too, as theyre not as light on their feet
as they used to be.
[6] STEVE R. JONES

BLACK BOW

ontinuing their tradition of awesome, unexpected covers, French

drone powerhouse Monarch have a new single out [8,
Fvtvrecording], featuring a barbaric, pummelling rendition
of The Runaways Cherry Bomb on side A and an absolutely haunting
version of The Misfits Die Die My Darling re-imagined as a spacious,
mournful doom hymn on the other. Great stuff, and the artwork is ace too!
For more sludged out punk covers, the mighty Fistula blast through
Fangs Destroy The Handicapped and GG Allins I Love Nothing on their
latest seven-inch slab of wax, Ignorant Weapon [8, PATAC], but its the
two original tunes here that really steal the show, the totally fuming Wood
Glue especially. If its more traditionally punky fare youre after, then
Canadas Zexs new single Fear No Man [Loud Punk, 5] is worth a
shot, the snotty title track sort of sounding like a young Plasmatics with
more Thin Lizzy licks. Unfortunately the bouncy B-side I Didnt Know
drags the overall score down a few notches, with a vocal melody in the
bridge thats worryingly reminiscent of German singer Nenas 83 cheesefest 99 Red Balloons. Ouch! Boston quintet The Epidemic bust out
some defiantly old-school but still distinctly youthful sounding hardcore
on their Losing Control EP[6, Loud Punk, Total Fucker], mixing
a brash 80s US hardcore sound with riffs that sound more like some
of the earlier UK punk bands. Not too shabby. Heading back to heavier
territory, Finnish trio The Reality Show chug their way through some
taut, heavily thrash-influenced hardcore on Vicious Cycle Of Life [6.5,
Eternal Now, Rklevyt, Doomed To Misery and Filthy
Rat], sandwiching great big mosh parts in between frantic Kreator-esque
riffs, and getting away with it for the most part. The production is nice
and crispy, but still, you get the feeling this stuff is going to sound twice
as good blaring out of the bands own amps in a dingy little dive bar
somewhere. Another band we cant wait to see live are Dutch pessimists
Lifespite, who are heading over to the UK for Chimpyfest in London
this August. Their self-titled debut EP [8, Reflections, Deep Six,
Too Circle] is a bracing blast of straight-up, supremely pissed off
powerviolence in the vein of Infest or Lack Of Interest, only giving you a
bit of respite from the negativity during the unexpectedly epic riff that
opens side B. After that though, its right back into raging nastiness that
feels like having your head smashed into a wall by a particularly peeved
Neanderthal (the hominid, not the band although, to be honest, the
latter would still totally make sense here). Finally, Brazilian grindcore
heroes Rotmanage to squeeze a wealth of inventive, raucous and totally
fucking disgusting noise onto the two sides of their latest EP Nowhere [8,
Absurd]. Sitting somewhere between Agathocles and the first Wormrot
album, its some of their most furious material to date and considering
theyve been grinding almost 26 years now, thats no small feat!
Words: Kez Whelan

TERRORIZER #267

SELF-RELEASE

With Hunger Undying

Sick With Bloom

erging the discordant

and over-stimulating
assault of Krallice with the
emotive vigor that earned WitTR
their USBM crown, Yellow Eyes
gilead debut Sick With Bloom works with some of
the most compelling components of American black
metal, and presents it with an intensity that most
comparable bands lack. Primarily characterized by an
uninterrupted barrage of thunderous drums and riffs
that bleed skin-crawling dissonance, the songs barrel
by at an utterly frantic pace, and the bands decision
to include the soundtrack of their forested recording
location between compositions further enhances
their sonic venom. Its affecting, visceral, and as
the negativity is pierced with a tranquility created
in an absence of human emotion, it convincingly
demonstrates Yellow Eyes cathartic capabilities.
[7.5] RICH TAYLOR

Totem

ne-man black metal band

part 94,000: what type
will hardworking Ukranian
Zgard be on Totem, his fifth
album in three years? The
dreadfully recorded murky clatter of a self-evident
billy-no-mates, or a more rounded, engineered
entity thanks to the solo artist getting some
outside help? Well, since you asked, its the
second. There are passages of creepy ambience
and regionally specific folk music across
these nine songs the title track, for example,
combines a Russian drinking song vibe with flute
and something that sounds like a Jews harp
but Zgards default mode is gallant, gung-ho
black metal with tinkly keyboards and a pagan
air. And, yes, he was actually operating as a trio
on this release.
[6.5] NOEL GARDNER

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ACID REIGN
VS. XENTRIX

sees motor mouth ACID REIGN

here as Hard Of Hearing
nt
nda
abu
is
tor
fac
d
The feel-goo
TRIX counterpart Chris Astley.
one on one with his XEN

g
goin
mith
S
H
or My
rd
owa
frontman H
jork, borrowing Bullet F
watching Slipknot with B
uss
disc
s
guy
the
as

rity
Cue much hila
vocalist Messiah Marcolin
ging off ex-Candlemass
alentines gear and H tug

SLAMMER
Razors Edge FROM The Work
Of Idle Hands
(WEA, 1989)

lammer were making waves

on the UK trash scene when
both Acid Reign and Xentrix first began treading the
boards. Will they recognise them?
Chris (Astley, Xentrix): [A few seconds after the
vocals arrive] Slammer!
Howard (Smith, Acid Reign): You cheating
bastards! [Laughter breaks out as we realise Xentrix
drummer Dennis Gasser used an app on his phone and
texted Chris the answer.] I had a whole band behind me
and they didnt give me one fucking clue! Slammer was
the band that ruined it for all of us!
Really?
Howard: No. But thats what everyone else says and I
wouldnt want to let the side down!
Chris: Slammer were great guys. We played with them
a lot. They were turning up in a tour bus while we were all
still in Transit vans!
Howard: The first time I met Slammer they supported
us at The Queens Hall in Bradford where theyre from.
We had to go on after them and I remember thinking,
Shit, we better be fucking good now! They signed to a

74

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM

Words & Pics: Ross Baker

major label and it all went wrong. The thing was, back
in the day, if you signed to a major no one would take
you seriously anymore. Thrash was still an underground
thing.
Chris: People viewed you as some kind of traitor.

CANDLEMASS
Crystal Ball FROM Epicus
Doomicus Metallicus
(BLACK DRAGON, 1986)

cid Reign supported

Candlemass back in the day
so H may have the advantage here.
Howard: Candlemass! Is it off Nightfall?
Nope
Howard: Thats me fucked then!
Its from Epicus Metallicus Doomicus.
Howard: I get a point for the band though yeah?
Nightfall was the album for me. When we toured with
them Messiah Marcolin would come looking for me before

they went onstage. Hed come up to me wearing his big

monks habit and make me pull the rope!
Chris: You tugged him off every night on tour?!
Howard: Yeah, it was like Hey, were is my rope
gimp? Lovely guy and great band to tour with.
Chris: Doom metal isnt really my thing.
Howard: I love Candlemass and Trouble but doom for
dooms sake [jaw breaking yawn]. If I need to be put to
sleep its the first thing Id reach out for. I respect what
Gaz [Jennings, former Cathedral guitarist] did after he
left Acid Reign but you can see why he parted ways with
us. Just listen to how different the music he made was
after he left.

BULLET FOR MY
VALENTINE
No Way Out FROM Venom
(Roadrunner, 2015)

elshmen Bullet have courted

controversy, admitting the

YOU TUGGED MESSIAH MARCOLIN

OFF EVERY NIGHT ON TOUR?!

PEOPLE WERE SAYING HOW CUTTING EDGE

AND VITAL THE BLACK ALBUM WAS, BUT THE
SIXTEEN YEAR OLD ME WOULD HAVE SAID THIS
IS SHIT, I WANT TO LISTEN TO CARCASS!

sin of writing an album to appeal to commercial success.

H in particular has strong opinions on this one
Howard: Life Of Agony? Lamb Of God?
Chris: Thats not Lamb Of God!
Howard: Bring Me The Horizon?
British band
Howard: Funeral For A Friend?
Nope.
Howard: Bullet For My Valentine!
Yes!
Howard: Is it from Poison or something?
Venom.
Howard: Ah right, we used Padge from Bullet For My
Valentines Zakk Wylde limited edition Les Paul guitar
to record Plan Of The Damned and three of them are
coming to our London show. Theyve done really good
things for us, like lending us gear and we havent even
met them. Cookie (Acid Reign, guitar) has been mates
with them since before Bullet were a band. We have a lot
to thank them for.
Bullet For My Valentine recently admitted that they had
been pressured to write songs in a more pop fashion on
their last album so this is their response to that.
Chris: You definitely got the feeling from listening to
that album [2013s Temper Temper] that was the case
but youve gotta admire them for their honesty that they
made a mistake. They chased success and caught it.
Howard: Theyre the biggest selling metal band in the
States since Iron Maiden! Respect to that!

SLIPKNOT
Duality FROM Vol. 3: (The
Subliminal Verses)
(ROADRUNNER, 2004)

u metal may have started

with Korn et al but it was
Slipknot that took metal to a new generation of kids with
their theatrical performances and subtle injection of
extreme metal carefully marketed to a mass audience.
What do H and Chris make of them?
Howard: [instantly] Slipknot! Its from The Subliminal
Verses.
Yes, do you know the track?
Chris: [hesitates] Duality?
Thats it!
Howard: Theyre fucking

awesome!
Chris: Amazing live band. They
really are an amazing live band.
Howard: I saw their first ever UK
show at the old Astoria in London.
I was stood about ten feet away
from Bjrk who was there to watch them too! This was
when they were hardcore and used to set fire to each
other. They have risen this upward trajectory for a decade.
Nine guys in jumpsuits playing brutally hard music with a
DJ, like thats going to be big!
Chris: I remember chatting to Mark Palmer who was
at Roadrunner and he mentioned that theyd signed these
nine guys who wore masks and I said it sounded like the
shittest thing ever but he insisted they would be big.
Howard: And he said Mushroomhead and you were
right! [All laugh]

SOUNDGARDEN
Spoonman FROM
Superunknown
(A&M, 1994)

oundgarden were the first

grunge band to sign to a
major label. Considering grunge pretty much killed the
thrash scene at the time, the guys may not be fond of
this act but do they know them?
Howard: Soundgarden! Superunknown!
Spoonman!
Youve done it again H! As many consider grunge to be
something that killed thrash, was the mid-90s an ugly
period for you guys?
Chris: Grunge didnt kill thrash, thrash fell on its arse
and other things were there doing well.
Howard: I was having this conversation with a friend.
I was twenty when we put out Obnoxious and Metallica
put out The Black Album and people were saying how
cutting edge and vital it was, but the sixteen year old me
would have said This is shit, I want to listen to Carcass!
Thats grandad rock! All of a sudden youre irrelevant
and part of the establishment. Grunge or death metal
didnt kill thrash. The genre just hibernated.

ONSLAUGHT
Twisted Jesus FROM Killing
Peace
(CANDLELIGHT, 2007)

nother old touring colleague

of both bands, Killing Peace

saw the return of vocalist Sy Keeler. Lets see if the

guys have kept up with their old pals
Howard: Exodus? Overkill?
Chris: Kreator?
Youve played with this band.
Howard: Onslaught!
Yes!
Howard: They had several incarnations. Xentrix,
Onslaught and Acid Reign were the closest we
had to a big three in the UK. We played a show in
Manchester and I pulled the ceiling tiles down!
They were really cool guys. Jeff from Onslaught
introduced me to our drummer Mark so he was
fantastic.
Chris: Steve Grimmett was my
favourite vocalist. Did you see
the episode of Beavis & Butthead
when they ripped the piss out of him
when he was in Grim Reaper? That was
hilarious!

TESTAMENT
Souls Of Black FROM
Souls Of Black
(ATLANTIC, 1990)

estament postponing
tour dates led to the
original break up of Xentrix in the 1990s. How do
Chris and H feel about this classic track?
Both simultaneously: Testament!
Chris: Souls Of Black! I got one, I got one!
Howard: Nice work!
Chris: The last show we did before breaking
up in 2006 was with Onslaught at Bradford Rios
and we were due to play with Testament the month
after and they moved the shows back a month and
we couldnt do them! I was a massive Testament
fan, one of our biggest gigs we played was at
Hammersmith Odeon with Sepultura and Testament.
Wikipedia says that we played with Slayer too but
we never did!
Howard: Fuck you! I hate you! I got abused by
Messiah Marcolin!
Chris: I remember Chuck Billy watching us from
the side of the stage saying Great show man! and
I was so happy that Chuck Billy spoke to me!
www.Facebook.com/Acid.Reign.Thrash
www.Xentrix.co.uk

FINAL SCORE: 85%

DA RULES

Fifteen minutes, no limits. One point for each

artist and another for the song. No Arguments.

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM

75

EDITED BY KEZ WHELAN

SUNN O))) (PIC BY TIM VAN VEEN

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS (PIC ERIK LUYTEN

LE GUESS WHO?
FESTIVAL
UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS

FRIDAY
First of all, Le Guess Who? is a bloody intimidating
experience. Regardless of your genres of choice, its more
likely than not that you wont know half of the humongous and
wildly varied bill, and the over ten venues (!), from churches

THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN (PIC BY JURI HIENSCH)

76

TERRORIZER #267

to bar basements to proper awesome concert halls, are spread

around the lovely city of Utrecht. All this, in the same weekend
as one of the biggest and most amazing record fairs in the
world is in town. So, if you do embark on this adventure, be
prepared to walk, bike or abuse the bus/trains getting to the
shows you want, and spend half of the trips wondering what
awesome thing youve never heard of you might be missing.
This is what it looks like in the first couple of hours, but once
you settle into the groove of this most unique of festivals, your
perspective changes. Firstly, you realise that not only are over
half of the venues are within walking distance, but five of them
are actually in the same fantastic building, the remodelled
Tivoli-Vredenburg, which shall hold until further notice the title
of most fucking unbelievably amazing venue weve ever seen.
Secondly, Utrecht is a great place, a sort of anti-Amsterdam
that you wont mind wandering around in even without shows
to catch. And finally, in a sort of Roadburn-like spirit, the stress
of having to catch that band dissipates once you wander into
a couple of shows you hadnt planned to see and have just as
much fun while discovering new favourites.
This year, Sunn O))) have curated a healthy chunk of the

line-up, beginning their Sunn O))) Presents programme

in the beautiful Janskerk with Hildur Gunadttirs cello
magic. So enveloping is the whole performance in this environment that the more anticipated Julia Holter show right
after, also in the church, feels a little uneventful and empty by
comparison. After a quick bike ride across town (and trust us,
youre going to want to rent a bike if you really want to get the
most out of Le Guess Who?s sprawling programme), Sunns
selection continues over in De Helling, a secluded and fairly
intimate venue that acts as the perfect host for most of the
metal the fest has to offer. Chaos Echs are a real force
to behold, stretching out rotten Portal-esque murk and bestial
tom drum punishment to the point that the four of them start
to resemble an improv jazz ensemble rather than any of their
cohorts on the Nuclear War Now! roster. Naturally, the improvisatory aspect can sometimes fall off the rails a bit, but it only
serves to make their set all the more thrilling. The fact that
Ilmar Uibo (Necrowretch, ex-Bloody Sign, Incantation etc.) is an
absolute beast of a drummer helps too, as do all the genuinely
fucking brilliant riffs hiding amidst all the madness.
Over in Tivoli-Vredenburgs stately Grote Zaal, German
legends Faust are in full swing, as drummer Werner Zappi
Diermaier pounds out a brutal, Laibach-esque industrial stomp
so forcefully that you can feel your ribcage rattling along in
unison. Jean-Herv Pron leads the band in a typically robust
manner, whilst a trio of women sit in quiet contemplation,
knitting some kind of huge sweater, or something. Ebbing
and flowing through pastoral, psychedelic passages and then
on to more stark, noisy terrain, its an eclectic, eccentric and
imminently satisfying performance.
Back at De Helling, Swiss duo Blzer sound incredible
tonight. Songs from the Aura EP like Entranced By The Wolfshook are treated like old favourites by the crowd, including
some frantic headbangers down in the front row, and the newer
songs theyve been playing of late are currently sounding
even better. It puts us in a good mood for Om, who deliver
their mantras of heaviness with the same burrowing strength
as usual, despite the discomfort of an overly packed room at
this point. Continuing the theme of atmospheric, bass driven
music but approaching it from an entirely different angle, the
dark, pounding techno of Lancaster duo Demdike Stare
is a fantastastic way to end the night, shaking the walls of De
Helling as they switch from deep, enveloping drones to more
beat driven fair.

FAUST (PIC BY ERIK LUYTEN)

BO NINGEN (PIC JURI HIENSCH

FRIDAY
A miscommunication between band and festival means
that the Kargadoor venue (a basement underneath a bar,
essentially) doesnt allow Insect Ark to perform their
usual screechy, loud show. After Dana Schlechter explains and
apologises for the fact, she and drummer companion Ashley
Spungen then take off on an one-off improvisational set which
almost makes us thankful for the miscommunication. Still
harsh, it had a cyclic, enveloping atmosphere that we wouldnt
expect from the doom noise duo hopefully someone recorded
it! Back at Tivoli, Protomartyr are unbelievably good
noisy, loud and abrasive like a punk band, but delivering their
punches with a velvety glove of stripped down post punk,
shoegaze and urban poetry. If youve ever been into Nick Cave,
Madrugada or just people with a razor-sharp intelligence and
an unashamed fear to use it, this band is for you.
Meanwhile, dBs Oefenstudios a small venue out in
Utrechts Zuilen neighbourhood hosts Terzij De Hordes curated programme, showcasing some of the finest contemporary
black metal the Netherlands has to offer. Psychedelic trio
Nefast kick things off with their very minimal take on the
genre, reducing black metals icy pace to a hollow, emotionless
pulse and then riding that into weird new realms which recall
Neu! as much as they do Burzum. Taking the stage clad in
creepy white masks, local three piece Laster are fantastic.
Sounding noticeably more aggressive live than they do on
record, their melancholic sound is much more ferocious in
the flesh, performed at blistering pace with both terrifying
precision and hair-rising passion. If they keep delivering shows
this good, these guys arent going to be Utrechts little secret
for much longer. The sound is very balanced for Gnaw Their
Tongues horror show, so every instrument of torture is clearly audible, and as Mories alternates between inhuman screeches and potent roars we feel drawn into the terrible atmosphere
of each song once more. Only a special act can follow this, and
Terzij De Horde are one of those. Here, at the eye of the
storm, drinking their own craft beer (available just for tonight),
feeling every jarred bit of dissonance and every magnificent
crescendo, it seems nothing can touch this band.
Way over on the other side of town, The Crazy World
Of Arthur Brown treat a totally packed De Helling to some
vintage psychedelic whimsy. Brown himself is a born entertain-

er, leaping about the stage with the energy of a million Papa
Emeritus not bad considering hes in his 70s now! Though
his music may not have aged as graciously as he has, the
current incarnation of the Crazy World arent short of gusto and
guitarist Nina Gromniaks soulful, bluesy licks melt into your
ears like butter. And of course, when they finish on I Am The
God Of Hellfire, the whole room goes mental. Good wholesome
fun, though it does little to prepare us for Chelsea Wolfe
who delivers what could be the most powerful, cathartic
performance of the whole festival, her voice rich with emotion
and completely captivating. Aside from a few Pain Is Beauty
tracks, like House Of Metal and a heart-wrenching rendition
of We Hit A Wall, the set is composed pretty much entirely
from new album Abyss, and that opening combo of Carrion
Flowers, Iron Moon and Dragged Out sounds even better
than it does on record tonight, the huge swathes of doom-laden
guitar filling the room like a sinister black fog. The sound is
impeccable too, making that sumptuous synth bend in After
The Wall even more intoxicating.
Next up, Norwegian avant-garde metallers Virus seem
tightly in tune with one another, and their bizarre, Voivod-esque
riffery and curiously shifting rhythmic patterns are a joy to
behold. Though the venue is noticeably less populated than

it was for the last two acts, the roar of approval that greets
the band doesnt seem to have diminished in volume from
earlier at all. French three-piece Aluk Todolo then lead
us on a dark, mind bending journey through the use of brutal
repetition, jarring, discordant guitars, paranoid bass lunges
and frenzied, tribal rhythms. Part of the joy of this curated bill
is the thread that runs through it, and after viewing them one
after the other, its easy to draw comparisons between Aluk
Todolo and Virus; two trios, both radically restructuring metals
basic blueprints through the use of one guitar, bass and
drums. But whilst Viruss approach feels more cerebral, Aluk
Todolos is largely physical, locking the listener into a feeling of
perpetual motion and refusing to let go until youre a quivering
heap on the floor a fate which befalls a significant portion of
the crowd tonight.
Closing the proceedings back at Tivoli, A Place To
Bury Strangers noise rock is so dense as to almost force
one to sit down when listening to it rather than move around,
during a surprisingly bleak performance.

SATURDAY
Magma were one of the surprising Roadburn highlights
in 2014, setting the main stage alight with a performance that

GOATSNAKE (PIC BY ERIK LUYTEN)

For More Live Reviews Visit www.Terrorizer.com

TERRORIZER #267

77

LIGHTNING BOLT (PIC BY ERIK LUYTEN)

CHELSEA WOLFE (PIC BY ERIK LUYTEN)

will go down in history, and this Le Guess Who? set proves it

wasnt just a fluke. Their rock/jazz/funk/whatever wild mix
just amplifies to degrees that we dont have words for when
on stage, and even if it didnt, just watching Christian Vander
play (and sing/scat in his invented alien language, Kobaan,
of course) would be good enough to beat just about any other
alternative anyway. Its off to sample a bit of Keiji Hainos
delightful lunacy right after, and the Japanese musicians
special percussive set is almost a clinic on sound manipulation the Hertz room of the Tivoli has surreal acoustics
and every hit of every shiny metal bit of whatever Keijis crazy
custom-built instruments are called reverberates and is felt
in a different way for everyone in the room. Remarkable stuff,
and apt ear-training for the devastation of Sunn O))) that
ensues. With five people on stage (including Hildur Gunadttir), its Sunn O))) at their most musical and diverse in years,
complete with a haunting trombone part and culminating an
ear-splitting, feedback drenched finish. In a word, bliss.
Catching Japanese psych lunatics Bo Ningen right
after that is like treating your brain to a nice, soothing
massage and then taking a cheese grater directly to it. Hurling

their instruments around with wild abandon and teetering on

the edge of collapse, their grand finale feels electrifying even
without having seen the beginning of their set for context. And
speaking of electrifying, Lightning Bolt are nothing less,
despite playing on stage rather than on the floor like they used
to. Not that thats really a bad thing though the crowd goes
fully apeshit anyway, and now we can all gape at how ludicrously fast Brian Chippendale can drum, as opposed to just
the select few at the front being pushed into his ride cymbal.
Plus, Brian Gibsons bass sounds better than its ever done,
reaching skull-rattling levels of intensity and surely pushing
the Pandora venues PA way up into the red. A glorious, sweat
drenched ending to another great day.

SUNDAY
The last day packs a couple of the most brilliant Terrorizer-friendly highlights during the Southern Lord showcase at De
Helling, despite The Secret disappointingly pulling out at the
last second. Today Is The Day touring partners Grime step in
and provide hateful sludge doom to make it all go away, and
it works. Tracks from Big|Braves Au Du La album sound

looser live, as the band toy with their own dynamics, stretching
out some of the huge, voluminous crescendos and allowing the
quieter sections ample room to breathe. Featuring some guest
violin from Jessica Moss (of theThee Silver Mt Zion Memorial
Orchestra) towards the end, its a stirring display.
Theres a bit of a lull as Martyrdd plod through a
samey set of undynamic, plodding and way too polished crust.
Fortunately, the best one-two punch of the whole festival
ensues, first with Goatsnake sounding for all the world
like a band that isnt, as Greg Anderson himself put it in
these pages, merely circumstantial and occasional in its
appearances. Black Age Blues is one of the best albums of
the year, and its songs prove it by being highlights equal to all
the Flower Of Disease classics aired. When you spend half a
show deciding in your head which is the most amazing, Gregs
warm and boozy guitar tone or Pete Stahls lost-in-time bluesy
wail, you know youre watching something very, very special.
Then, its up to Today Is The Day to eradicate any such
questions from your head as the world becomes all about Steve
Austins end-of-days buzzsaw riffs and his bone-chilling howls.
Caught in the middle of an European tour, Today Is The Day are
absolutely on fire, tight and powerful, and they seem untouchable by anyone or anything when unleashing their destruction
up there. Cuts off Animal Mother still ring as powerful as
anything else theyve recorded, whilst older tracks like Mayari
and The Descent are still ridiculously intense.
Sunn O)))s programme continues over in Tivoli-Vredenburgs Grote Zaal as saxophonist Bennie Maupin soothes
our battered ears with his smooth, expressive jazz, before the
hauntingly minimalist fragments of melodies erected by Annette Peacock and her piano provide the perfect sending
off, never too comfortable but a balm for sore ears after the
unbridled menace of Today Is The Day. Its this kind of contrast
that lies at the heart of what makes Le Guess Who? such a
great festival, and over the course of the weekend, its been
just as gratifying seeing the long haired dude in a Revenge
t-shirt marvelling over the dexterity of Kamasi Washingtons
dual drummers as it has been glancing the elderly jazz aficionado nodding along to Chaos Echs. Encouraging you to step
out of your comfort zone and unearth new discoveries at every
turn, the sheer scope of Le Guess Who? is both daunting and
exhilarating. Drawing upon the distinctive character of Utrecht
itself and flooding its numerous different venues with some
exceptionally well curated bills, there really is no other festival
quite like it. Well be seeing you next year

Words: Jos Carlos Santos, Kez Whelan

Pics: Juri Hiensch, Erik Luyten, Tim van Veen

78

TERRORIZER #267

For More Live Reviews Visit www.Terrorizer.com

174 Camden HigH Street, Camden town, London nw1 020 7482 1932 www.tHeunderworLdCamden.Co.uk

SUN 10 JAN

ThU 4 fEb

+ PETROL GIRLS

TICKETS 12.50 ADV / DOORS 19.00

nekrOgObLikOn + ThE bASTARD SONS

H2O

TICKETS 15.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

SUN 7 fEb

VenOmOus COnCept

gang
green + RAW POWER, LIGAMENTS
ThE MIGRAINES & NOISE COMPLAINT

TICKETS 13.50 ADV / DOORS 18.00

WED 10 fEb

SAT 16 JAN

TICKETS 15.00 ADV / DOORS 18.00

+ CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR

LuiCidaL featuring

Xandria
& serenity
+ JADED STAR

(earLy suiCidaL tendenCies members)

WED 17 fEb

TUE 19 JAN

TICKETS 15.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

LOUIChE MAyORGA & R.J. hERRERA

stiCk tO yOur guns

TICKETS 13.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

+ ShITWIfE & JOSE MACAbRE

pLaying diamOnd
in its entirety pLus Very speCiaL guests
+ STRAy fROM ThE PATh, COUNTERPARTS
& WOLf DOWN

TICKETS 10.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

TICKETS 16.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

ThU 21 JAN

ThU 18 fEb

stiCk tO yOur guns pLaying disObedienCe

+ ZEUS! + ZOLLE & bLACKWOOD

in its entirety pLus Very speCiaL guests

+ STRAy fROM ThE PATh, COUNTERPARTS
& WOLf DOWN

WED 20 JAN

autHOr & punisHer

Obake

TICKETS 10.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

fRI 22 JAN

TICKETS 16.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

tHe bLaCk daHLia murder

SAT 20 fEb

katakLysm
& septiC fLesH & abOrted
TICKETS 20.00 ADV / DOORS 18.00

+ bENIGhTED & INGESTED

TICKETS 18.00 ADV / DOORS 18.00

TUE 26 JAN

SUN 21 fEb

ignite

O.r.k.

+ ThUMPERMONKEy
LANDSKAP, ThE EARLS Of MARS & KOMARA
feat. pat masteLOttO Of king CrimsOn

+ DEAD NECK & IN EVIL hOUR

TICKETS 15.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

TICKETS 10.00 ADV / DOORS 18.30

SAT 30 JAN

terrOr

ThU 25 fEb

teXtures
TICKETS 11.00 ADV / DOORS 19.00

+ WISDOM IN ChAINS & TWIChING TONGUES

TICKETS 20.00 ADV / DOORS 18.00

tiCketS avaiLabLe from tHe worLdS end pub (ne xt door to tHe underworLd) or by CC:

S TA R G R E E N 0 2 0 7 7 3 4 8 9 3 2 / w w w. S TA R G R E E N . c o m

p l u s

s p e c i a l

G u e s t s

+
W e d n e s d ay 3 r d F e b r u a r y
9-17 h i GhGate Road
keNtish tow N, loN doN Nw 5
iNfo: 0207 428 4099

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s ta R G R e e N 0 2 0 7 7 3 4 8 9 3 2 / w w w. s ta R G R e e N . c o m

New album
my God-GiveN RiGht
iN stoRes Now

year

Its been a busy

ION, but
for TRIBULAT
between
somehow, in

e awesome
recording th
The
The Children Of
e UK
Night, touring th
Lost
e
with Paradis
US with
and now the
ve
Deafheaven, they
e to make
found the tim
diverse
us this very
mixtape

TERMINAL

rna Smrt FROM

Satanski Naroila/
rna Smrt
(Electric Assault, 2015)

Adam: Not many songs have

captured my attention just like the songs on the two
recent Terminal releases, and this might just be the
very best one.

FEVER RAY

A MONUMENTAL
PIECE THAT MAKES
YOU WONDER OVER
THE GREATNESS OF
EXISTENCE
BLACK TRIP

Berlin Model 32 FROM

Shadowline
(Threeman Recordings, 2015)

ANNA
NORBERG
Darkness FROM
Darkness

(Dda Barn Musik & Frla,

2013)

Adam (Zaars, guitar): A beautiful song by a wonderful

person, something that everyone should be listening to.

ILL WICKER

Fret FROM Under Diana

(The Electric Recording
Company, 2014)

Jakob (Ljungberg, drums): The

beautiful subtlety and powerful yet
held back instrumentation and composition of this track gets
me every time.

80

TERRORIZER #265

Johannes (Andersson, bass,

vocals): One of the most catchy heavy metal songs Ive
heard this year and the vocals are just superb. Do yourself
a favor and pick up their latest album Shadowline.

ANNA VON
HAUSSWOLFF
Deathbed FROM
Ceremony

(Other Music Recording Co.,

2013)

Jonathan (Hultn, guitars): The organ rumbles forth from

an unknown depth. An electric guitar echoing out into
the horizon. A slow beat starts pounding a pulse. Then an
ethereal yet powerful voice enters the soundscape, and
what follows is a grand, monumental piece that makes you
wonder over the greatness of existence. Magnificent!

If I Had a Heart FROM

Fever Ray
(Rabid, 2009)

Jakob: Merciless and

grinding, that minimal beat
never lets go. Haunting eerie melodies and an immense
closeness to the performer makes for a perfect caption
of the moment.

NEKO CASE

Hold On, Hold On FROM

Fox Confessor Brings
The Flood)
(ANTI-, 2006)

Johannes: Just one of those

everlasting summer hits that gets stuck and is still on
repeat. The song has especially been a friend of mine
in various tour bus bunks. Its The Devil I love, and
thats as funny as real love.

JOCELYN
POOK

Dionysus FROM Untold

Things
(Real World, 2001)

Jonathan: I first encountered

her music through the movie Eyes Wide Shut, where
her music is accompanying the most intense scene in
the whole film; the masked ball. That first contact made
a huge impact on me, and ever since then I completely
adore her music.
The Children Of The Night is out now on
Century Media
www.Facebook.com/TribulationOfficial

ME SA R T H I M
I S O L ATE
Mesarthim from Australia comes to a physical release after
having been praised on the web and quickly becoming one of
the most followed Artist on Bandcamp with over 500 unique
album downloads in a short time, all of them gazed and then
blown away by the great combination of styles and the fusion
of genres complementing each other sensationally.

LP VINYL

Imagine some 90's symphonic black metal classic like

ARCTURUS interpreted by a modern colossus, like MIDNIGHT
ODYSSEY or MARE COGNITUM!
Black Metal blending with Electronica in absolute perfection.
Digipack CD Out 21.01.2016
LP vinyl Out 01.03.2016

DIGI CD

DIGI CD

avantgardemusic.com
facebook.com/avantgardemusiclabel
Special limited editions with exclusive posters or art-prints available only from:

www.sound-cave.com

Auriga, hails from the core of Phoenicia and just

delivered a new glacial album of atmospheric ambient
Black Metal with a strong Lyrical theme based
on Space, celestial mysteries and post apocalypse
philosophy. If you are into the coldest yet oppressive
and obsessive episodes of DARKSPACE or LUSTRE
this is a record custom-made for your dark soul.
A sidereal
journey with no target and no end...
side
Digipack CD Out 21.01.2016

Abbath
---------

A black metal riff-monster in

true Abbath style!
Available as deluxe CD box set,
Digipak, and collectors vinyls

Out 22.01.
Special release show:
London @ The Forum January 23rd!

Out
22.01.

THE CASUALTIES
- Chaos Sound ----------------------------The NYC street punks raise their riffbleeding finger to the mighty!
Digibox, CD, vinyl in various colours

Out
08.01.

VENOMOUS CONCEPT
- Kick Me Silly VCIII --------------------------------

Morbid American sludge metal from the fast

rising St. Louis trio!
Digipak CD and vinyl in various colours

The Greek stalwarts return with a mighty

masterpiece!

Available on CD and vinyl in in various colours

Digibox with extras, CD and gatefold

double-vinyl in various colours

Out
26.02.

DESTRYER 666
- Wildfire ------------------------------Old school black thrash at its very best!
Digibox, CD, vinyl in various colours

W W W . S E A S O N - O F - M I S T. C O M
@SeasonofMist

ROTTING CHRIST
- Rituals -------------------------------

The raging grind punks with members of

NAPALM DEATH, BRUTAL TRUTH and

NUCLEAR ASSAULT are back!

Out
08.01.

THE LIONS DAUGHTER

- Existence Is Horror ----------------------------------

Out
12.02.

Out
12.02.

URGEHAL
- Aeons in Sodom -------------------------------Breathtaking swansong of the Norwegian
black metal legend!
Digipak CD and vinyl in various colours

FOR TONS OF KILLER PRICES AND EXCLUSIVES:

COLLECTOR BOX SETS, MERCH, CD+T-SHIRTS BUNDLES...

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