Eight Bells is the new band from ex-SubArachnoid Space members, Melynda Jackson and Chris Van Huffel. Haley Westeiner joins them on bass and they released their debut album, The Captain’s Daughter, back in February. A spiraling album, filled with diverse influences from a wide variety of different genres. If you have not listened to it yet, you should check it out here: http://www.eightbellsband.com/

Hi Melynda. First of all I want to thank you for finding the time to do this interview, really appreciate it. Do you want to introduce the band?

I’m Melynda Jackson I play guitar, Haley Westeiner plays bass, and Chris Van Huffel plays the drums.

Even though “The Captain’s Daughter” is your debut album, you are definitely not new on the scene, given that you and Chris Van Huffel were both members of SubArachnoid Space. Do you consider Eight Bells to be a continuation of SubArachnoid Space or a completely new entity?

Melynda:  Well, you can’t really run away from yourself- In other words, it is totally different but obviously my style is my style regardless what project I play in.  Style changes as a person grows.  I feel that there is always room for growth as a guitar player-but some parts of what I do are just the way that I play.

Chris: There are elements left over from SAS, but I think EB has evolved into something different. I know my playing and perspective have changed quite a bit since SAS. Haley also brings something to the table, which SAS didn’t have before.

Photos: Ted Reckoning
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CVLT Nation is stoked to announce the Nothing Is Heavy 1st Anniversary Party on June 28th, 2013 at The Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver! The lineup promises to be brutal as fuck, featuring Black Wizard, Tobeatic, Hoopsnake and Wiser Fool – previews below! Chris and Jason of Nothing is Heavy have made it a rad first year of being the premiere promoters of everything heavy in Vancouver, putting on shows with Scott Kelly, YOB, Anciients, Today is the Day, Ken Mode, Black Wizard, The Shrine, Barnburner and many more awesome bands. So CVLT Nation is honored to be the official media sponsor of their 1st Anniversary, and looking forward to many more years! Stay tuned for some special features and RSVP HERE!

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Forty-five minute doom/sludge/stoner/psych epics don’t come around all that often and so Seattle dwellers Lesbian have gone to great lengths (oh snap) to make their third crack at the full length that little bit more interesting and worth your time.

Forestelevision is quite the experience and Lesbian take their time to build sections of massive sound and move the piece onwards at a steady pace without it becoming boring, or trite or predictable. The music twists and dances between a multitude of sounds and influences and it has to be said that the most ambitious and evocative work by this group is certainly their best. Forestelevision is a terrific example of a band forgoing their own limits and letting the composition breathe with its own life.

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Swedish Black Metal vets PEST are set to release The Crowning Horror, their first full length in five years, on June 18th in Europe and July 9th in North America via Agonia Records. Today we are excited to premiere “Devil’s Mark,” a track off the upcoming album which was mixed by Fred Estby (ex-Dismemebr/Carnage/Necronaut) of Gutterview Recorders and mastered by Andy Jackson (Pink Floyd) at Tube Mastering. This track will really give you a taste of the vileness you are in for – if you are a fan of old school black metal like Bathory or Celtic Frost, press play below and let the addictive beat and twisted vocals of PEST drag you down to hell!

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Cvlt Nation is extremely excited to present a stream of Autolatry’s latest full-length, Native. The New England quintet has been hard at work since last year’s fantastic Of The Land EP, writing this material while putting a full US tour under their young belts. Despite some of the members being still in their teen years, the group can write and execute progressive black metal that any seasoned musician would be proud of. Native is a natural progression of the band’s sound, continuing with lyrical themes that hit close to their Connecticut home while playing with mind-bending riffs and instrumental sections.

Native will be released on June 18th. Preorder the physical copy from the band or check out their Bandcamp when it drops.

Excuse me as I spit in the eyes of conformity! I’m getting mad hyped listening to the new CURMUDGEON entitled Amygdala – it’s being released via IFB Records, Parade of Spectres and Not Normal. So when you put the needle to the wax beware that this record will fucking push your wig back! It’s a perfect mix of non-stop raw fury with the right balance of neck snapping groove! We have been fans of CURMUDGEON for a minute now and hearing Amygdala made me think about how rad this band is hours after playing their new slice of hardcore//power violence audio chaos! CVLT Nation is stoked to be streaming CURMUDGEON’s Amygdala below…Make sure to catch them on tour starting on June 14th with Stress Relief – peep the gnarly poster!

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Sannhet is a Brooklyn-based trio with a sound best described as post-rock-meets-black-metal with a dash of crusty-sludge-meets-doom. Isis banging Watain and Tragedy in a strange, and possibly deadly, sexual encounter in a dirty bathroom. Or the odd offspring of such an illicit affair; an almost non-verbal, dark, and violent genius that no one ever wants to piss off. The kind of music that would feel at home in a slasher film. Or a psychological thriller. Or in a documentary about abandoned mental hospitals. Sannhet’s debut full-length, Known Flood, is at once heavy, cathartic, beautiful and crushingly brilliant.

Many bands try to blend styles and genres. Many fail. A lot end up sounding forced, and with that, fake or processed. Sannhet succeeds in every aspect with Known Flood. There’s something for everyone. Blast-beats coexist with melody, sludge and drone parts give way to recorded samples and bits of crusty goodness. The band, made up of Christopher Todd, John Refano and AJ Annunziata, make it sound easy. They seamlessly fuse these sounds together in a very unique way. Songs such as ‘Safe Passage’ and ‘Invisible Wounds’ flow into one another perfectly. The same can be said for ‘Moral’ and ‘Slow Ruin.’ It’s quite artful, in that the record never loses any steam. It plows along, crushing everything in its path.

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Intense, Grinding, Urgent, Unfiltered Fury and Feral Pounding Beats are the words that come to mind after listening to the new split between KRATZER and KVAZAR that comes out today via Blastbeat Mailmurder and 7 degrees Records. Both Bands blaze through 32 minutes of unreal tunes that will hit you deep in your skull! CVLT Nation is honored to be streaming this on point split by KRATZER and KVAZAR below!…Go here to order your copy!

Brilliant. Amazing. These are just two words that could describe the U.K. group Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. Mind Control, the U.K. group’s third full-length album, is relatively perfect; a definite contender for many Best of 2013 lists. Why? Well, if a combination of the gigantic riffs of Black Sabbath, the catchy sing-song style of Alice Cooper, the balls-out energy of Iggy and The Stooges and the wild psychedelia of Roky Erickson sounds good, multiply by three and you’ll have a close approximation of Uncle Acid, et al.

Mind Control is completely and totally infectious. Songs like ‘Poison Apple,’ ‘Valley of the Dolls,’ and ‘Devil’s Work’ do eventually control the mind. Listen once. It will call out. Listen twice. It will own your soul. The third listen will be mostly subconscious. Utterly doomed. Any and all future listens will be for fun, or to show friends and family how good this band truly is. Bottom line: it will not disappoint. This is doom for the masses; a superb blend of styles, swirling and heavy guitars, booming bass, pounding drums, and vocals good enough to soothe the occult rock beast. Alarmingly great. Guaranteed to take up residence in your head, in your CD player, and on your turntable for many spins. Again, relatively perfect.

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Recently I was sent a link to the art work of Rotten Fantom. When I saw it I was completely blown away. Rotten Fantom’s work is as gritty and earthy as it is mystical and ethereal. Without much effort Rotten Fantom’s art became a favorite of mine, in the same camp as the great Glyn Smyth. I knew I had to get in touch with these guys and ask them a few questions. Luckily, they obliged.

Enjoy. Or Unjoy. Whatever.

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