Friday, November 24, 2017

Interview with  Apotelesma  done  by  Patrick posted on 11-24-17

Interview with  Apotelesma  done  by  Patrick 

1. Hello, please introduce yourselves to the readers?

Hi, I’m Martijn, the drummer of Apotelesma. I live in IJsselstein, which is a small village near Utrecht, in the middle of the Netherlands.


2. When did you  first meet the other members of the band? And was  it  long before you all started the band? How did you all choose  Apotelesma  as  the name  of the band does it have a special  meaning?

In 2011, me and Mitch (the vocalist) had an idea to start a doom metal band in the line of Doom:VS, Skepticism and Pallbearer. We knew each other from “Vanir”, which was a pagan/folk metal band (disbanded in early 2010) we used to play in together. We’ve decided to ask my brother, Jasper, to join the band as a lead guitarist. Not long after that, we’ve asked our close friend Yuri to fulfil the role of rhythm guitarist. We rehearsed for quite some time before we found our bass player, Dennis. In 2013 Jasper decided to leave Apotelesma. He was quickly replaced by our dear friend Ruben.

Apotelesma means something like “the influence the stars have on human destiny”. I strongly believe that man is its own master, and that we alone are responsible for our actions and the consequences that come with those actions. On the other hand, I think nature has a big influence on man; more than we want to admit. For a lot of people, the changing of seasons, the weather and the overwhelming beauty of nature can have a big influence on their mood and wellbeing, and define the human self. 



3. What  is  the  current lineup  of the  band? Who  would you  say  are  Apotelesma's  biggest  influences?

The current line-up is: Mitch on clean and harsh vocals, Dennis on bass guitar, Ruben on lead guitars, Yuri on rhythm guitars and backing vocals, and myself (Martijn) on drums. We’re influenced by a very broad variety of (doom) metal bands, but we also tend to mix different metal styles in our music. This makes it very hard to define our genre and the bands we’re influenced by most. I would say, from a personal point of view, that we’re influenced most by Ahab, Katatonia, Sólstafir, Doom:VS and Pallbearer.


4. Timewrought Kings is the bands’ debut release. How long did it take the band to write the music for this release?

It took us four years to write the music. We wanted everybody to be as satisfied with the music as possible. We also wanted to be as original as possible, by combining a broad variety of genres in our songs. Therefore, every song on the album is different and also took a different approach to write. We strongly believe that we accomplished this with the five songs on “Timewrought Kings”.



5. Who  usually  handles  the lyrics  for the band  and what are some topics written about on Timewrought Kings?

Both Mitch and Yuri wrote lyrics for the album. We tend to write about mankind and the failure of mankind in every way possible. The failure that stands out most is our carelessness for nature. The beauty and the solitude in nature can be overwhelming. That solitude, that feeling of dependence on nature is forgotten in our current society, where people love things more than the things that actually matter: their friends and beloved, and the sheer beauty nature provides us. Therefore, we also tend to write about anxiety, the relentless crawl of our time as a human being on this earth and the loss of the things we should care about most. Nature, too, can be seen as a sanctuary in those subjects.


6. Besides  the debut  cd, does the band have any other merchandise available at this time? If yes, what is available and where can the readers buy it?

We’ve released an EP in 2014 called “The December Sessions” under our former band name “Monuments”. You can buy a special CD+EP package for a very special price on our Bandcamp page: http://apotelesma.bandcamp.com. 


7. Does Apotelesma play live very often? If so, what have been some of the bands most memorable shows so far?

Unfortunately, we didn’t play live for the last couple of years and the chances of us playing live again are very small.


8. Are there any tours or shows coming up in support of the debut release?

At the moment, we have nothing planned and we’re not planning to do a show in the future.



9. Besides  playing  in  Apotelesma, do any of the members  currently  play  in  any  other  bands at this time? If  yes, please tell the readers a little about them?


I’m engaged in several other projects at the moment: a thrash/melodic death metal band, a post-metal, and I’m trying to form a new doom metal together with Mitch as we speak. Ruben, our lead guitar player, is currently active as a live guitarist in black metal band Wrang. Yuri plays guitar in the before mentioned  thrash/melodic death band, and is also the mastermind behind Wilds Forlorn. Dennis is currently searching for a new band.


10. When not working on new music or band  business, what do you like to do in your free time?

I work as a history teacher in a middle school. Besides that, I like to listen to music (obviously), collect (vinyl) records and try to attend as much live concerts as I possibly can. I also like to work out a lot. I think taking care of your body heals the mind.




11. Apotelesma comes out of the Dutch death/doom  scene. What  are your thoughts on the scene in The Netherlands?

Doom metal is on the rise in the Netherlands. Although having a small doom metal scene in the Netherlands, we have a lot of good bands worth checking out: Officium Triste, Faal, Ggu:ll, Akelei and Façade. Besides that, we also have a very nice doom metal festival called Dutch Doom Days. The bands who perform there are of very high quality, and they also give starting Dutch doom/sludge bands the opportunity to perform there. We were lucky enough to have played there in 2014, which is one of our most memorable performances to this day.


12. Who  are your  all-time  favorite  bands  coming  out  of  The Netherlands? And are there any new bands you could recommend to the readers?

That’s a really tough question. I have a very broad music taste in metal, so I have a lot of “favorite” bands. Therefore, I find it too difficult to make a choice. I can recommend to you the following bands from the Netherlands (besides the bands I mentioned above): Ulsect, Dodecahedron and Terzij de Horde.

Although I don’t have enough time to check out all the releases coming out, I can recommend the following albums from 2017: “Heartless” by Pallbearer, “Mirror Reaper” by Bell Witch, “Caustic” by Primitive Man, “Medusa” by Paradise Lost, “Horizonless” by Loss and “Mass VI” by Amenra. There are countless new albums that are still on my “to listen” list, such as Converge, Enslaved, Monolord, Sorcerer, Spirit Adrift, Hanging Garden and Usnea.

Bands worth checking out are Dvne (sludge/doom), Hela (stoner/doom), Whitenails (stoner/sludge/doom) and OHHMS (sludge/doom).




13. Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out. Do you have any final words for the readers?

Thank you for giving us the chance to have an interview. We also would like to thank Solitude Productions by giving us the chance of releasing our music through a label we hold in very high esteem. Support the local and underground metal scene! Hopefully you’ll check out our album and tell us what you think about it. We’re keen on hearing your opinion. Order our album through http://apotelesma.bandcamp.com or Solitude Productions.

                                                           Band  Contacts
                                                       https://apotelesma.bandcamp.com/
                                                       https://www.facebook.com/apotelesmaband/
                                                           Label  Contacts
                                                       https://solitude-prod.com/
                                                     https://solitudeproductions.bandcamp.com/
                                                     https://twitter.com/solitude_bmm

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Metal Reviews done by Ander's posted on 11-18-17


Exarsis - "New War Order" - 2017 (Review by Anders Let The Sharting Begin)

I guess this is part of the "retro-Thrash" movement that has been taking place the last decade, or so? Or, has it been fifteen years, already? I don't really know when/where the arbitrary lines are/were drawn. All I can say is this is - definitely - Thrash. I'm not sure what to make of it, yet. I'm starting to really not like the "high pitched screams". They are being overdone, in my not so humble opinion. While it sets them apart from other Thrash bands, it's just too fucking annoying. It's grating on my nerves heavily. Goddamn. "Shut the fuck up, bitch" - is all I can think and they just keep coming. The music - itself - is quite adept. But does the dude doing the vocals have a tampon stuck in his twat too deep or something? Apologies for being so blatantly vulgar, here...but what the fuck? It's starting to get embarrassing. I think it was the first  (or second?) Death Angel album that had "periodic" screams like this (yes, another "menses" joke thrown in by accident - wearing white pants when it strikes, boys? Is that your problem?). But it was just once in a while. These vocals are that high pitched throughout entire songs. Gag. I can't continue listening to this... I doubt they will stray too far from their formulaic - already been done before - Thrash presentation. All I see is pigtails and sun dresses, as I leave.




Valdur - "Divine Cessation" - 2017 (Review by Anders Angel of Disease)

This is like gazing into an abyss-like ritual chamber of iniquitous proportions. The ephemeral demon-spirits swirl around the boiling to the brim cauldron as chanting devotees proclaim their souls to a higher disorder. There's some scenery from the 1981 movie "Dragonslayer" floating through my mind as this unbridled chaos continues. Maybe, some of the darkness of "Pan's Labyrinth", as well. Every once in a while there's a discordant droning passage of guitars that's reminiscent of Immolation (that unhinging of melancholy, madness, and despair type of thing). As colossal walls come crashing down - so do the gods that represent them! All hail the rendering of emptiness that washes through all mirages of certainty! Where faith is only seen as a misguided notion and the absolute is portrayed via absolution without repentance. A sanctum replete with all things manifest without definitions given. Glory be to nothing...and so it is.







Xaemora - "Pandemonium's Ocean" - 2017 (Review by Anders Lactose Intolerance Equals Pathological Abandonment Issues)

So, I open this review up on the third song - titled "Wrist Slitter". Nice song title - that is! Perfect melancholy drenched representation of this Black Metal display. The music of this seven song requiem to a life filled with suffering has some "basic" Black Metal leanings but with a fair share of "quirky pleasantries". There's a few "progressive" rock tinges here and there, as well as some "traditional Metal" lurking between the "mandatory" galloping horses type blasting drums and tremolo picked guitars. The song "Lament" has some surprising arpeggiated solo passages. A few songs back I heard kind of a Thrash inspired drum attack. The vocals have that "screaming in a chasm trapped by despair" vibe about them. Goes well with the bleak starkness of the music in general. This release seems like one of those where you'll find new things in it each time you listen to it. It deserves another listen by me, even...there's an unspoken personal invitation to do just that. The last song - almost - has a "Power Metal" type ambiance to it. Interesting.


Friday, November 17, 2017

Interview  with  Sacrilegious  Rite   done  by  Patrick posted on 11-17-17



Interview  with  Sacrilegious  Rite   done  by  Patrick

1.Hails when did you  first discover  metal  music  and  who were  some of the first bands you  listened  to?

Hails! I guess this started in the common way.... my main influences at that time where rock and hard rock. Queen, Deep Purple, Nazareth and so on.... timeless classics!



2.When  did you all get the idea  to  start    Sacrilegious  Rite and who  would you  say  are  the bands  biggest  influences?

Sacrilegious Rite is a follow up of our former band Capitis Damnare (1999-2010)...after that we started sacrilegious rite because we weren’t satisfied with that years situations and the problems it caused. 
Sacrilegious Rite does more speak to and through us than CD ever could be. It’s pure! Pure old school metal and pure ideology and belief!

In a matter of fact we are pretty much influenced by old school death and black metal from the end of the 80s to the middle of the 90s. Just to name some examples like grotesque, mystified, sarcofago ....



3.Summoned From Beyond  is  Sacrilegious  Rite's  debut  release how  long  did it  take the band to  write  the music  for this  release?

The material on summoned from beyond is pretty old now. Some songs are on the first songs which we started out with shirt after the founding of sacrilegious rite. Line up changes have always thrown us back in development which is in a way no problem anymore because we decided to go on as a two piece!


4.Who  usually  takes  care of  writing  the lyrics  and what are  some topics written about  on  the debut  release?

All lyrics, since the very beginning have been written by me. The topic is more or less about spirituality, spiritual death and ritualistic travel into the abyss



5.Besides the  debut full length  are any of  the splits or EP's still available?Besides physical releases  does the band have  any other merchandise available if yes where  can the readers  buy it?

We got rid of most material pretty fast. In the underground nothing happens without getting noticed by one or another. On the other hand you always do trades or you’re always in contact with people who share your point and exchange.

Better is to contact us directly at: sacrilegiousrite@hotmail.com or have a look at the Facebook page.


6.What  does underground  metal  mean to  you?

Underground has been a very important part in our role as musicians or music enthusiasts. It’s the very foundation a scene is build on. I don’t mean a local scene with that, no some guys you meet and have a beer. Luckily the underground scene is not bound to locations because it’s global. You have your contacts everywhere.... that’s the underground!






7.Does  Sacrilegious  Rite   play live  very  often  or do you prefer  to  work in  the  studio?Are  their  any tours or shows  coming up  in support  of Summoned From Beyond ?

We play live from time to time. It’s not often and not rare... it holds the weight. We’re fine with our actual live presence.

8.Do you or any of the other members  work  in  any other  bands or solo projects?If  yes please  tell the  readers a little  about  them? 

There are none and for a good reason. We prefer to focus our time and energy on just one project than to waste it on inessential stuff.


9.Sacrilegious  Rite   comes out  of Germany's  blackend death metal scene what   are your  thoughts on the German  scene?

Globally most people think that Germany is the country of metal. It’s right It it grands a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that you have a hell of activity here.... there’s hardly a guy who doesn’t play in a band. The resulting curse is that you got overstock of bands which ruins the sight of the market.... you have more quantity than quality which makes it damn difficult for serious bands to rise from an ocean of faceless artists. But I can’t reflect this on the whole scene we have a lot of comrades here and people with serious bands who definitely deserve more attention. But this problem is getting global and it’s getting worse and worse.

10.Who  are your all-time  favorite  German bands and are  their  any  new  bands you  feel  the  readers  should  check  out  soon?

That’s not easy to answer. Early Kreator, Sodom and Destruction for sure! Poison and Protector.... what you should try out is Purgatory! Not new but way too underrated!


11.Besides  bands  are their any honest,reliable  labels and distro's you  could recommend  from Germany?

Sure! For sure I recommend the label we’re under which is Dunkelheit. But there’s also Iron Bonehead, Pegasus and some smaller distros and labels. As mentioned before, Germany got a lot to offer when it comes to metal.

12.Thank you  for  taking  the  time to  fill  this  interview out  are their  any final  words for  the  readers?

I thank all readers for their potential interest in our art. The past is alive when you listen to “Summoned from Beyond”


                                                               Band  Contacts
                                                      sacrilegiousrite@hotmail.com
                                                  https://www.facebook.com/SacrilgiousRite
                                                              Label  Contacts
                                                   http://www.dunkelheit-produktionen.de/
                                                   https://dunkelheitprod.bandcamp.com/
                                                 https://twitter.com/dunkelheitprod

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Interview  with Hades  Archer  done  by  Patrick posted on 11-2-17

Interview  with Hades  Archer  done  by  Patrick

1.Hello  please introduce  yourselves  to  the  readers?And  when  did you  two  first  meet  each other?

Hello my friend, Hades Archer is a band that plays extreme
black metal since 2006 year in league with heretic counter-culture
front. Nasty, obscure and obscene!


2.At  what  age  did you  first  discover metal  music and  who were  some of the  first  bands you  listened  to?

In 1994 I started to hear music. And metal play my attention immediately with the old thrash and death metal  acts of those years.

3.You  two  formed  Hades  Archer  in 2006 what  gave you  the idea to  start  this  band?And who  would you  say  are the bands biggest influences?

First and foremost, we start like a project then with the years  became in a band. We were influenced mostly by great death-black metal exponents like impaled nazarene, sarcofago, sextrash, angelcorpse,
sadistik exekution, blasphemy, comqueror, black witchery, witchmaster,  inquisition and more...

4.Hades  Archer's third full-length "Temple Of The Impure" which  will be  released  through Hells Headbangers Rec. how  did you  all come in  contact  with this great  label?

We needed to work in a great label with a great distribution. That was the reason for to take contact HHR who lauched  our second album in July of this year.

5.Do  you  both  work on  writing the music or  does  one  member  usually  write  everything?

Yeah! I had composed mostly all Hades Archer's artwork and music


6.Besides  the upcoming  release  are  the bands  previous  releases  still available?Besides physical releases  does the band have  any  other  merchandise  available  for the  readers?

If someone needs the previous Hades Archer's merchandise  may write us to hades_archer666@yahoo.com, It there're available  in Cd format, that's only remains  


7.What  does  underground  metal  mean  to you?

The last fifteen years it has meant my lifestyle often. Doing tapetrading, being an artist, composer, musician and more with  the bands which I´m part.    


8.Do  either  of you  play  in  any  other bands or  solo projects?If  yes  please  tell  the  readers a  little  about them?

Nowadays I'm in Force Of Darkness, In Nomine and Bloody Vengeance
since this year. In the past I took part in Impure Possession  and another withoutname projects that never saw the light.


9.Hades  Archer  comes  out  of  Chilean  metal  scene what  is your  opinion  of  Chile's  metal  scene?
Chilean metal scene is great, many underground and maimstream band  has been played in the country the last years. About national band  you may find many kind of styles heavy, death, black, thrash metal   bands along the country. I'm proud about Chilean scene has became 
and will come more participants to the panthymonium.



10.Who  are your  all-time  favorite  bands  coming  out of Chile?And  are  their  any  new  bands  you  feel  the readers  should  check  out  soon?

I may mention to you Unaussprechlichen Kulten, Atomic Aggressor, Death Yell,  Apostasy, Cancerbero, Slaughtbbath, Diabolical Messiah, Ammit, Kratherion, Procession, Capilla Ardiente, Acero Letal, Ceremonial, Wrathprayer, Perversor,  Atomicide, Ejecutor, Instentgoat, Enforcer, Sadistic, Hellbutcher,  Godless and many more... 


11.Besides  bands  are  their  any honest and reliable  Chilean labels or  distro's  you can  recommend  to  the  readers?

Veins Full Of Wrath, Mushantufe, Rawforce, Cano Metal and Apocalyptic Prods. 


12.When  not  working  on  new  music or  band  business  what  do you  like to  do  in your  free time?

I'm work as a simple mortal!


13.Thank  you  for  taking the  time to  fill  this  interview  out  do you  have  any  final  comments  for  the  readers?


"Temple Of The Impure" is a great album. We're waiting for the Lp format  to come out soon. Fuck off the world order, creeds, zionism and all it elite 
for the world inheritance. Hail Hades!  

                                                                        Label  Contacts
                                                                 http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/
                                                                 https://twitter.com/hellshead666
                                                              https://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/artists
                                                                       Band  Contact
                                                           hades_archer666@yahoo.com