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ZOM’s assault is not new however. Their self-titled demo was certainly promising, making heads turn despite the perceived ordinariness outside of the locale they hail from, largely because the worship they display is flat out enjoyable with subtle additions that the newer revivals are bringing with them that seem to have naturally leeched into their classic sound. Just enough to refresh things at least because they were getting a lot of attention, and I still managed to miss their second demo last year containing these two tracks.

Though, as it was a demo, I assume they were rougher which is either a plus or a minus depending on your attitude. There are two tracks, virtually the same length but with different approaches to their thrash formula, the first “Multiversal Holocaust” dips into the slower realms near the end while “Terror of the Cosmos” really is a relentless and blistering offensive.

As one might expect we’re greeted by satanic samples recalling Archgoat’s affinity for the perverse and evil, and then rocketing into a mid-paced blackened riff directly afterwards over d-beats and eventually into a more thrashy tremolos. All the while the the vocals harken back to the stuttered and chambered echos of the old-school — later peppered with “OOF!”’s and deep snarls — and a truly cavernous and machine-gun speed percussive blast behind it all.

This is only halted later for a chunky breakdown of the previous tremolo’s, and further slowed to a wicked and evil groove; plenty of hammer-ons and ugliness abound. This is a great moment in the track. It’s further manipulated by wah, and transformed into a bouncy gallop later before again turning toward crustiness. It’s brief because a cult-ish sample cuts into it as a closer, distorting and becoming more layered as it drones. The blends of aggression and the addition of a tasty change of gears midway through is great.

I probably won’t be alone in saying there are various moments that have one recalling the early legends of thrash: moments of Slayers first record alongside Possessed are clearly being channeled through ZOM but with a tight, blurry coating of sinister black metal (possibly a sliver of d-beat) — and a huge rolling snare presence throughout upping the distress in the fast sections.

And it is especially true in the second track “Terror of the Cosmos” (ends with a ritual necromancy guitar). Following a creepy sample that gets overtaken by feedback and lone tom strikes, the buzz starts up just shredding lonely until a jerky rhythm is formed and the pace picks up. From here if the nostalgia isn’t flowing then I don’t know what to say. ZOM stir up a storm of cosmic blaspheme with only a few very clouded riffs, blazing in their speed, and then just around four minutes in the tone and pace switches. The rhythm is still excellent just more bouncy, and sd you’ll here again they tumble into some very Show No Mercy territory in the final minutes; ending Ritual Necromancy style.

Their newest EP is definitely continuing the tradition of revival found in their original demo, the promise being exhumed, and overall it doesn’t feel tired as you might cautiously expect. The influence is undeniable but the writing and skill level play nicely with them and allow something more invigorating to the style to seep in, intentional or not.

ZOM have not vanished since their debut in 2011, in fact Multiversal Holocaust makes it clear that their path is one that may be more interesting to continue to follow especially for the purists and thrash enthusiasts. These reworked songs are further proof of this small horde’s creative ability.

I suggest if you enjoyed their work thus far and you can afford it in this climate then go and grab a copy of this from Invictus Productions or Iron Boneheard Productions before they’re gone.

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… ZOM Review appeared first on CVLT Nation.

This record moves with such a sense of urgency that it seems to be on the downside of modern metal. There’s no occasional slow song that chugs along or despair-ridden ballad about being born just to die. Noisem rips through these nine tracks and aims to fuck you up. The first track, “Voices In The Morgue,” sets the siege off right, with circle pit-inducing fast parts that endure the majority of the track, paired with gnarly vocals and wailing solos driven more by the whammy bar than actual notes (a good thing for a metal band, indeed). The song actually slows down after about two minutes of pummeling into submission, but kicks right back in with a blistering solo that would make Kerry King weep. Noisem keeps the album going at full speed with “Birthing The Bestial,” which keeps up the intense tornado of noise-drenched metal. “Desire And Disgust” changes it up a bit, leaning on a heavy Cannibal Corpse influence, especially in the drums. The song goes for quality instead of quantity, ending the track at 77 seconds, the shortest of the album. The fourth song on Agony Defined, “Mortuary,” calls to memory the lyrical content of metal legends Death, spinning a tale of the title’s creepy atmosphere. “Mortuary” also features the first slower passage on the album so far which fits nicely with the lyrical content. Thrash heads take note: it took Noisem four tracks to play one slow part!

The latter half of Agony Defined kicks off with “Rotten Remains.” The title alone would fit nicely on Eaten Back To Life, as would the song itself. The song churns along, incorporating a good amount of double bass and just enough gang vocals to give the song a more thrashy hardcore edge to it. “Severed” follows, which is another short song, clocking in right at two minutes flat. But flat this track is not: the band continues utilizing the reverb-drenched gang vocals over a panicked fast portion which breaks into the heaviest breakdown on the album. The passage features a lot of palm muting, almost summoning the guitar playing of Mustaine and Hetfield during Ride The Lightning era Metallica. “Split From The Inside Out” follows, which finds Noisem chugging along for three and a half minutes and incorporating a little more melody into the track than on the previous six songs. The band cranks up the double bass once again to close out the song. The next to last track, “Chronic Dementia,” picks up the urgency once again, utilizing the same beat found in “Desire And Disgust,” which helps to move the song along nicely and keeps it from feeling like it’s three minutes long. The latter half of the song uses more intricate guitar work, especially in the slower break in the middle of the song as well as the solo. The final track of the album, “Agony Defined,” sounds decidedly grindier than anything else on the album of the same name. The drums explode right out of the gate with blasts and fast drumming over quickly-picked guitar riffs. The song also stops abruptly multiple times to shift gears from low to high and creates an interesting and jagged musical landscape.

I believe Noisem may have stepped up the death metal game with Agony Defined. The songs are solid, the members are young and talented, and the album’s artwork – done by A389 collaborator Szymon Siech – is a perfect visual companion to the dark and desolate lyrical content used on the album. Agony Defined will be released June 15th through A389 Records, but Noisem will have a limited run of 100 copies of the record during their appearance at Maryland Death Fest. The band will be opening the festivities on Thursday May 23rd with Bolt Thrower, Abigail, and more at the former Sonar compound in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Agony Defined Review appeared first on CVLT Nation.

The band’s first full-length for Southern Lord Records, Manifest Decimation is eight tracks of nonstop circle-pitting thrash with some pretty heavy hardcore leanings at times, harkening classic thrash like Metallica and Nuclear Assault mixed with hardcore staples Cro-Mags and Leeway. Hell, even the production makes this album sound like you’d find it in a record store in 1985. The album starts off with the auditory maelstrom that is the title track, “Manifest Decimation”. Feedback and effects swirl together, creating a nerve-wracking preview of things to come. The song kicks in fast and frantic, with vocalist Riley Gale spitting angry and reverb-laden vocals. “Manifest Decimation” does just that: decimates anything in its path without mercy. “Heretic’s Fork” follows, serving as a perfect and thrashy second track for the album. Power Trip’s unrelenting attack does not let up in this song, and even incorporates a heavy breakdown in the latter half of the track.

“Conditioned To Death” starts out slow, offering listeners a little peace before being pummeled into submission once again. The song starts off with an intro heavily influenced by Metallica before offering forth more of Power Trip’s signature blend of crossover thrash and heavy hardcore. The song breaks for a savagely evil ending, evoking the band’s Big Four influences. “Murderer’s Row” continues the nightmare, this time offering a brutal mid-tempo attack coupled with a simple yet killer solo.

“Crossbreaker” kicks off the latter half of the album with a song that sounds straight out of the 80s and was specifically crafted for headbanging that leads to a broken neck. The track incorporates gang vocals over music that lands somewhere in Anthrax territory. “Drown” lands somewhere within that territory as well, with a slow and churning intro leading into the band’s trademark circle pit fury. The next to last track, the eponymous “Power Trip”, definitely shows the band’s crossover roots as it marches forth into the eye of the hurricane. The album’s closer, “The Hammer Of Doubt”, beings with a stressful and brooding guitar part coupled with a creepy sample then breaks right into the song without mercy. Clocking in at six and a half minutes, “The Hammer Of Doubt” is a great closer to Manifest Decimation, fading out into a textured atmosphere of synths.

If anyone ever questions the status of the crossover scene in 2013, kindly hand them a copy of this album and see if it doesn’t change their mind.

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Manifest Decimation
Review + More appeared first on CVLT Nation.

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BLACK BREATH Full 4/20/13 Set
Now Showing! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

The sound of VHÖL is a little harder to pinpoint than their origins and with such a diverse group of musicians there’s always the chance that too much will get thrown into the mix – too many cooks spoil the broth – and whilst with VHÖL there’s the obvious nods to black metal, to thrash, to progressive metal, to hardcore by way of d-beat, at no point does that become overwhelming or overpowering. VHÖL’s strength lies in the abilities of the musicians involved – Scheidt’s voice is powerful and commanding and here he lets loose with a glorious abandon, wailing and rasping and lifting the sound beyond mere heavy metal whilst the guitar of Cobbett soars above the tracks adding depth and nuance whilst a tangible grungy dirtiness flows through the filthy bass lines of Sheie.

“The Wall” kicks off this self-titled release in a spectacularly punchy fashion and allows the quartet to freely throw their talents at the, um, wall. Guitar licks are fiery and relentless, the bass adds a crunchy weight and the drums are as frenetic as anything Dekker has been involved with in the past. This is pure heavy metal, the tone is one of extremity yet there’s a touch of fun to be heard in the progressions; it’s the sound of friends jamming out chords and ideas and when Mike Scheidt sidles in to the mix with his unmistakable and instantly recognisable vocal skills, VHÖL take on another dimension.

“Insane With Faith” is a fitting title for the second track which is all writhing melodies and superbly racy guitar spins. You know the term “shit-eating grin” ? That can certainly be applied to discuss the feelings you’ll have upon hearing this song. It’s fast, it twists, it turns and VHÖL are obviously having a fucking great time and as such the energy becomes wonderfully infectious. It’s a feeling that runs throughout the record and imbues VHÖL with a steady pulse that drives and thrusts with beautiful precision.

“Illuminate” hits harder and with a fantastic harmonious kick to the chorus whilst “Arising” just hits hard. Dekker pounds those drums like there’s no tomorrow and there’s a sweet sense of 80s thrash coursing through the very veins of the song (think early Metallica perhaps, you’ll be in the vicinity of the aesthetic heart of the track). VHÖL closes on the somewhat sombre “Set to Await Forever” which features the occasional slow, vocal led passage buried deep within moments of great fury. It’s quite different to what we’ve heard already but that’s by no means a slight. It’s a melancholy and despairing composition and VHÖL are all the more exemplary for it, showcasing that it isn’t necessarily how hard you play or how fast you can go, it’s about the emotion that dwells beneath. Sterling work.

VHÖL. Dungarees ist krieg.

Check Profound Lore Records for ordering information. You won’t regret it.

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Review + Stream appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Leave Me In Hell
Countess Bathory
Die Hard
7 Gates of Hell
Buried Alive
Don’t Burn the Witch
In Nomine Satanus
Welcome to Hell
Warhead
Stand Up and be Counted
Bloodlust

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1984 Full Gig Now Showing! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

I spoke recently with singer and guitarist Henke Palm about Last Exodus… and what’s going on with Sonic Ritual, follow the jump to see what he had to say…check out Sonic Ritual’s version of THE OBSESSED classic “Iron & Stone below!…Pre-order SONIC RITUAL — The Last Exodus From the Land of the Dead HERE!

03 Iron & Stone

Full interview after the jump!

So, let’s hear a brief history of Sonic Ritual… All the important and good stuff.

hahaha… well. The most important detail is that the band basically have been dead for two years. I’ve been kinda busy with my other band In Solitude and Linnea [guitarist and backing vocals for Sonic Ritual] has moved to Berlin. But we formed in 2007, changed some members, fought quite a bit and then almost imploded. This last piece of vinyl that we are giving out is more or less our testimony of how good and fun this band once was.

The band was dead for two years? What got you guys back together to record the EP?

The EP was actually recorded in November 2009. So we basically haven’t really played at all since 2011 except one gig in Gothenburg. We’ll see if we manage to score some gigs now. Our “resurrection” is mainly because Henry [ of Electric Assault Records] and Tim [of Trust No One Recordings] are finally getting this thing out. Without them I think this recording would be lying on a shelf somewhere forever.

Last Exodus from the Land of the Dead has a much brighter, clearer, and robust production than previous releases…Do you guys envision this EP as your high water-mark?

It’s by far our high water-mark. Nothing comes close if you compare to our “early” stuff which is – when I listen to out now – quite confused in a way. Really no direction. But “Last Exodus…” has it all what I more or less intended from the start.

“Final Halt (Retain Control)” is probably my favorite song you guys have done, was it a conscious choice to start the EP with a really pulsing punk kind of tune and follow it “Early Graves,” the most traditional sounding metal song there and a cover of a classic doom band (The Obsessed) right after?

Thanks! One of my favourites too. Well the track order is pretty conscious but the whole piece isn’t really. It all makes sense to me really. The punk and metal music I like has tons of similarities to me and the way Sonic Ritual wrote songs was very natural for me. We were all on the same page as far as the punk/metal-thing goes but in the end, its all about how good songs you can write and these three is the absolute best we could have come up with.

And now that the cat’s out of the bag, why The Obsessed? I mean it suits you guys well, but it must’ve been a hard choice to just narrow down your choices to just one song.

Well not really. The Obsessed has been a favourite of mine for years and it suited us really well. The Obsessed had a strong connection with the whole DC-hardcore scene so there is always the connection with punk in our metal.

Speaking of scenes, what’s your local scene like? Do you guys typically get billed with punk or metal acts? Or does no one give a shit there?

Our local scene is pretty alive and well but really “scenes” has never been something for me. I like some bands but I never felt we connected with anyone really. Some bands I really feel a comradery with is No Future, Degial, Invidious, Paper, Nitad and a few more. But that has really nothing to do with music. Its more about the attitude. Music is serious business and these bands think the same way I do. “Scenes” has nothing to do with me.

The stuff you guys do in studio sounds like such a good time live, are live shows an important part of Sonic Ritual?

Yeah. My best memories of the band are on stage. All my worst memories are off stage hahaha. Our gig in London 2010 was the perfect show for us. Intense, melancholic and fun. You can find pieces of it on youtube!

Getting back to what you said earlier…Sounds a bit like you guys are calling a quits for now? Please tell me I’m wrong!

We’ll see. Lots of things has happened in these years. Not only musically but also – and more so – on a personal level. In Solitude eats most of my creative time, so does my other band Pig Eyes. And Linnea lives in Berlin and has her own band The Oath. But you never now. I would like the band to continue but as you see I have other obligations at the moment.

Well that about sums it up for me. Any last words?

Be yourself and fuck the world. And check out these great records if you haven’t heard them: The Sound “Jeopardy”, Linda Perhacs “Parallolgrams”, Björn Olsson “Lite nya melodier”, Captain Beefheart “Clear spot”, The Yardbirds “Roger the engineer”, Psychic TV “Trip reset”, Swans “White light from the mouth of infinity” and Love “Forever changes.”

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CVLT Nation SONIC RITUAL
Interview + Stream appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Academic acceptance of metal accelerates through conferences dedicated to studying metal, professors teaching about heavy metal, investigations of links between heavy metal and religion, and the launch of an international journal for studying metal.

While the metal community may not have found a position on this change as of yet, the very fact of its existence is startling to those of us who experienced metal in the 1980s or 1990s, when society viewed us as outcasts of a likely deranged, intoxicated, criminal and Satanic nature. From the censorship battles of the 1980s, when the Parent’s Music Resource Center (PMRC) attempted to prevent younger people from acquiring metal in record stores and tried to legislate a requirement for lyrical content warning stickers on metal records, to the 1990s bourgeois bohemians wrinkling upper lips at the impolitic and feral nature of metal, society hasn’t liked us.

Luckily, academics don’t see it that way and have forged ahead with metal study, coinciding with a massive “hipness” of metal in the mainstream press and hipster underground. Metalheads might find this interesting because academic study can balance out what social pressures amplify.

We are fortunate to have Dr. Karl Spracklen, Professor of Leisure Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University, here to tell us more about his projects, the International Society for Metal Music Studies, its conference, and its journal.

Why study heavy metal?

Heavy metal is an important part of modern culture and everyday life, so studying heavy metal enables us to understand both of those things. For me, the interesting thing about heavy metal is the tension between metal’s strong sense of being part of a non-mainstream subculture, and metal’s place in the industry of modern pop and rock music. That’s because I’m essentially a sociologist. Other heavy metal scholars might be interested in the way the music is constructed, or the meaning behind song lyrics, or the history of the scene, or the use of heavy metal as a philosophy or ideology of life. Heavy metal is just a subject field, a lens, through which we can think about problems in other academic diciplines.

You’ve created Metal Music Studies to in part serve as “a bridge between the Academy and the wider genre of metal music writing.” What is the wider genre of metal music writing?

People like you — we want the journal to be read and used by journalists and writers who are fans and critics of heavy metal. We want people from outside the university system, non-academics, to read the academic papers but also get involved in writing articles for the journal themselves. There will be a separate section in the journal for shorter pieces that are not written in the standard, academic style: articles that are more polemical, or articles that respond to key issues in the metal scene,

Do you think academia has been hostile to metal in the past, or simply seen it as being part of the amorphous cloud of “rock” without an identity of its own?

I think there have been academics who have been very dismissive of heavy metal in the past, people who have seen the music as serving no good purpose in everyday life. I think for many of these critics, their own prejudices and tastes have got in the way: metal has always had that blue-collar association, and some cultural academics still can’t bring themselves to acknowledge the diversity and depth of the genre. There are also some academics who think heavy metal is a great evil, and we still see some papers written that claim metal fans are more likely to be criminals and so on. This is just bad science, but every time someone publishes these crude generalisations the press picks up the story. This journal is the journal of the International Society for Metal Music Studies. This learned society is partly for academics who have a professional interest in metal, but also those in the industry who want to be a part of Metal Music Studies, including musicians and journalists, and fans. You should join up. When you do, you will get a subscription to the journal. And all your readers should join! (Advert over.)

You’re taking an inter-disciplinary approach as opposed to a pure musicological one. What are the advantages of this approach, and does metal uniquely require them?

Inter-disciplinarity is the only way you can create a subject field such as metal music studies. If all you do is focus on one discipline you miss half the interest, half the story, and half the explanation. Just think about how and why death metal appeared on the scene in the 1980s. Part of it was technological, such as the practice of certain producers and studios; part of it was musicological, such as the evolution of certain vocal styles, riffs and beats; and part of it was social, a reaction by bands and fans against the mainstream metal of the day. Heavy metal is not unique in requiring inter-disciplinarity to explore it: sport and leisure are other possible subjects of this kind of work, and there are many others.

When you speak of the journal publishing “high-quality, world-class research, theory,” what do you mean by “theory”?

When we mention theory we are suggesting we will publish academic papers that develop new theories about heavy metal, or that use heavy metal to develop new theories in their parent disciplines. A lot of academic work is research (investigating stuff), but not all of it, and we’d like to see papers on theory as well as papers based on new research.

What sort of topics would one research in metal? Does this include statistical approaches?

There are hundreds of possible research topics in metal! In Metal Music Studies, we will be interested in research about the music itself, the industry, the fans, the spaces, the lyrics, the metal media, metal in wider society, metal in different countries, genres, philosophies, histories, ideologies, the politics of metal, metal events, metal and globalisation, just to list a few obvious research topics that come to mind. My own academic interest in heavy metal is the local extreme metal scene in the north of England, elitism in black metal and the ways in which the Norwegian BM scene of the early 1990s has been mythologised.

How important do you think it is to study the history of metal? Does this include the context in which these musicians formulated their music?

The history of metal is a crucial part of metal music studies — and yes, this is musicological history as well as social or cultural history.

Do you think it is appropriate to view metal as a form of deliberate and purposeful art, or more as an entertainment product which reflects community attitudes?

Heavy metal is both of those things, sometimes at the same time, but not always. That’s the reason why it is an interesting subject of study. People in the scene, musicians and fans, talk about heavy metal being something artistically important and culturally authentic, something that stands against everything we dislike about mainstream pop music. But so much of heavy metal is part of that mainstream, and even death and black metal are shaped by the forces of commerce.

What, in your view, is the dividing line between “metal” and “rock”?

Metal is one louder. Actually, there isn’t a clear dividing line, and for many people I think there is a smooth transition. For the purposes of the journal, we will allow histories of rock music as they shed light on metal’s evolution. We will probably also allow in scene studies where there is a connection between rock and metal fans, in the same way we will publish research on the intersections between metal and punk, or metal and goth music.

Do you personally listen to heavy metal? Does study of metal require enjoying metal, and/or does enjoying metal lend anything to the study?

Yes, I listen to a lot of heavy metal, mainly black metal and doom, and local bands from the north of England. I try to get out to gigs when something comes around worth travelling for: the last gig I was at was Enslaved in Manchester, England, with the mighty Winterfylleth in support. I think being a metalhead myself allows me to understand the nuances of the scene, its history and the music. I think that makes my research have a certain depth to it. But I do think it’s quite possible to do research on heavy metal and not personally like it.

Many people view metal fans as people who are social outcasts who are unlikely to pursue education. Why do you think metal fans are so alienated? Do you think your research will bridge this gulf as well?

I think that stereotype about the average metal fans is out-dated. I think metal fans tend to be very intelligent people, and that’s why they are drawn to the music. I’m hoping the journal and the International Society for Metal Music Studies will prove that there are metal fans who are able to articulate their passion for the music while remaining critical and measured.

Are there any sources in the metal community who are doing what you are doing?

None that I know about.

Who are your forebears in this field? What is the history of academic involvement in metal?

Robert Walser and Deena Weinstein were the key academics who first proved that heavy metal was worthy of serious academic study. Keith Kahn-Harris has been important in championing the field.

Prof. Martin Jacobsen is teaching an English class at WTAMU about metal lyrics, and Prof. Josef Hanson is teaching a metal musicological course at University of Rochester. Are you aware of these? How would this type of activity fit in with what you’re doing, and vice-versa?

I wasn’t aware of these, but I’m not surprised. I use metal in my own classes on the sociology of leisure.

Can you tell us more about the upcoming journal, including when it will be available, and what sorts of things to expect in it?

The new journal’s first issue will be out at the end of 2014. The content of the journal will demonstrate the range of metal music studies, so an ideal issue would include perhaps some of the following (these are just ideas, and this is not an actual list of contents):

- research published by a range of established names, early career researchers and those from parent disciplines;
- research on the performance and production of metal;
- research on the analysis of metal lyrics;
- research on new sub-genres and fandom;
- research on the evolution of heavy metal from rock music;
- ethnographic research on a metal scene in Kenya;
- research on the aesthetics of metal;
- research on the social psychology of death metal growling;
- and smaller pieces discussing whether black metal is dead or alive, written by a print journalist and a blogger.

The bulk of the content will be original research and theory papers (6-10k size), alongside smaller articles/opinion pieces (1-3k) devoted to discussion of metal by ‘serious’ non-academics (journalists, fans and industry insiders).
There will also be book reviews.

How does one join the ISMMS?

At the moment ISMMS does not have membership, as it is not yet set up officially and legally with the authorities in the States. Amber Clifford is the Treasurer so her email contact should be used for anyone who wants to join the Society. When the paperwork is finalised membership details will be confirmed via the ISMMS web-site, the Metpol mailing list, the ISMMS Facebook page and other channels.

Do you accept submissions from people who are not academics, merely metalheads or metal journalists?

The journal will accept submissions from independent scholars and non-academics, and the society will accept such people as members. There will be a separate section in the journal for shorter papers that will allow non-academics to contribute, but there is nothing to stop independent scholars submitting full papers – all full papers will be subject to peer review against the usual standards of academic writing. We want to encourage such contributions.

What can a metal band do to make it easier for them to be studied? Is there a place, for example, where well-known metal bands can sign up to be part of a study, or to put their stamp of approval on the project?

There isn’t a place where metal bands can sign up to be part of research studies — sounds like a great idea, actually! In terms of endorsements, we are hoping some high-profile musicians and band will sign up to the Society and support its aims, and maybe even write in the journal.

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Death Metal Underground Interviews Dr. Karl Spracklen appeared first on CVLT Nation.

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“Speedwolf ” Now Showing! appeared first on CVLT Nation.