You remember the first time you heard Leviathan (Relapse Records) by Mastodon? I do. It was as if my world had shifted on its axis: a relentless display of monumental, complex power that left me unsure how to feel…except that it felt exciting, enlivening. I never thought that Vermont quartet Barishi would recreate those emotions: a great band yes, but its Harsh Stoner grooves had the intricacies without such immediate power. Suddenly, out goes vocalist Sascha Simms, being replaced by guitarist Graham Brooks and reducing the band to a three-piece. Third album Old Smoke (Season of Mist) follows. Fuck…Continue reading →
Ghost Cult’s chief editor Keefy caught up with Tommy Rogers of Between the Buried and Me recently to discuss their upcoming remastered and remixed version of their debut album, due out on May 15th via Craft Recordings. We chatted with Tommy about the formation of the band, the post-hardcore, metalcore, and Death Metal scene the band came from in Raleigh North Carolina in their previous band Prayer for Cleansing and peers such as Code 7, Undying, Day of Suffering, recording with Jamie King on his first significant release and Jamie’s impact on the band, how the debut telegraphs elements of music the band would incorporate later, the process of remixing and remastering, what shaped Tommy as a singer and lyricist on the first album, taking “creative risks” as an artist, how the lineup change for the Alaska release shaped the future, how the band looked like nerds in their first photos, being a “keyboard” act in heavy music, his favorite song now from back then, and much more. You can order the album in several different bundles here https://found.ee/btbam-st-r and listen to our chat now.
Many consider the British band, Paradise Lost to be the fathers of the Gothic Metal genre. Formed in 1988, four out of the five members have been there since the beginning. This tight-knit group of guys is a prime example of a hard-working band who knows how to stay creative and original. The exploration and determination of this act has led them down some unique roads over the years. After experimenting on albums like One Second (Music for Nations) and Believe In Nothing (EMI), Paradise Lost got back to their roots in 2015. They embraced their Death Metal background with the release of The Plague Within (Century Media Records)and 2017’s Medusa (Nuclear Blast). Now with the release of their sixteenth record, Obsidian (Nuclear Blast), their heaviness is being fleshed out with even more distinct devastation. Continue reading →
Just over a decade ago, the supergroup Voodoo Gods was created. Though the birthplace is in Florida, the lineup consists of international musicians from around the globe. The diversely skilled and experienced members came together under one banner to generate some very heavy and very hostile music. In 2014, the band exchanged one epic vocalist for another. Seasoned frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher from Cannibal Corpse replaced Adam “Nergal” Darski from Behemoth as the co-vocalist and soon the group released their first full-length, Anticipation For Blood Leveled in Darkness (Saturnal Records). Though it’s been six years since their last record, the band’s heat and hatred has not cooled down. Their recently released second album, The Divinity of Blood (Reaper Entertainment) wreaks havoc in a forceful, yet slightly monotonous way. Continue reading →
Ghost Cult was honored to chat with musician and artist Jacob Bannon of Converge, Wear Your Wounds, and his new band Umbra Vitae. That group just released their debut album, Shadow of Life, (read our review here), a brutal, OSDM flavored album created by Jacob and a group of master musicians and friends such as Mike McKenzie (The Red Chord, WYW) and Sean Martin (Twitching Tongues, ex Hatebreed, WYW) Greg Weeks (The Red Chord, Labor Hex) and Jon Rice (Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Job For A Cowboy). In a frank discussion with our editor Keefy, Jacob discussed the impact coronavirus has had on the music world and more specifically his bands and his label Deathwish Inc., what are the Death Metal inspirations of the group, how Umbra Vitae came together, how this is a full band and not side-project, the poem that inspired the band name and the entire album, an update on new Converge and WYW music, and much more. Jacob is working to stay focused and creative during the pandemic to keep his bands and Deathwish Inc. alive in all of this and if you can, please support his music, art activities at these links.
Converge is one of the lucky Hardcore/Punk bands that has seen notable success over the years. Though they have flirted with the metal genre on some of their albums like The Poacher Diaries(Relapse Records) and You Fail Me (Epitaph Records), frontman Jason Bannon has been itching to make something heavier. This veteran vocalist loves his celebrated children Converge and Wear Your Wounds, but is now really exposing his heart for ferocity with his new Death Metal project, Umbra Vitae. Along with some other experienced and eager members, Bannon has just released the band’s debut LP, Shadows of Life on his own label, Deathwish Inc.
Rising Canadian Technical Death Metal act Scorn released their new album, A Comedic Tragedy, earlier in 2020 to strong reviews. The album was produced by Steven Rowlands and Alex Snape of Nomadic Media. Today the band teams with Ghost Cult to share a new guitar playthrough for the track ‘A Lack of Communication’, which you can watch right here!Continue reading →
The Metal Hall of Fame (formerly known as The Hall of Heavy Metal History) has announced that it has added new categories for 2020! The additional thirteen new sub-genres of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock music have been baked into its voting categories. The fan vote, an extremely crucial part of the band/artist Induction process into the Metal Hall of Fame, is open on a year-round basis. Continue reading →
Ghost Cult Caught up with Cabal vocalist Andreas Bjulver Paarup to discuss their slamming new album Drag Me Down, out now via Long Branch Records. Andres discussed the new album, the bands’ process for writing the new albums, writing for and working with guests such as Matt Heafy (Trivium), Jamie Hails (Polaris) and Kim Song Sternkopf (Møl), thoughts on the deathcore versus death metal genres, elitism in metal fans, future plans for the band, and much more. You can purchase Drag Me Down here. Continue reading →
Seems like we’ve seen this movie before. Tech death masters Obscura and its leader Steffen Kummerer has parted ways with guitarist Rafael Trujillo, bassist Linus Klausenitzer and drummer Sebastian Lanser due to “musical differences”. The departing members will launch a new band Obsidious. Kummerer made the announcement on social media. Continue reading →
