God Dethroned recently confirmed that they will be unleashing their new album, The World Ablaze, on May 5th via Metal Blade Records. Continue reading
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Eindhoven Metal Meeting: Day 2 – Effenaar, Eindhoven NL
Saturday we were up for a great hangover from the amazing day we had at day one of Eindhoven Metal Meeting. This was maybe a bit too much beer for the rest of the year. But still we held our heads high and bravely went to The Effenaar (by bus, there was no way we went by bike). This might be the reason why we were a bit too late, and I missed Distillator and Bodyfarm. But I walked in on this great old school death band named Necros Christos. I wonder how this band would have done on the smaller stage, the large stage really didn’t seem to fit them. The atmosphere they were trying to convince me about didn’t really came through. You can hear that this is a really good band, but it just didn’t come to me. I really want to see this band again sometime soon, but I want to experience them on a smaller stage.
German doomers AHAB definitely gave a great show! You could see that there wasn’t a great doom scene at Eindhoven Metal Meeting, the crowd at the Large Stage was empty if you ask me. Some real doom enthusiasts stayed, and they heard one of the greatest shows I have seen. Damn this is a band of quality. A band with a great atmosphere and we noticed that this band can really drag you out of a severe hangover. And for that we thank them.
I was really siked for Lvcifyre, but this didn’t last. I didn’t enjoy this band at all, the drummer delivered quite a show. However, the frontman said nothing at all and have no contact with the audience at all just doesn’t fit the job. I like black metal and I know the contact mostly isn’t that present, but most vocalists still sing to the audience, this guy didn’t even seem to bother. I do not have to see this band again.
Now we were really up for a party with one of the very last shows of the dutch goregrind band Rompeprop. I have always had this strange relationship with the style. There is nothing more party-mode-setting as a goregrind band. A bunch of friends were standing with me and we were doing the most crazy dance moves, because it is goregrind! We can do sprinklers, the lawn mower, and the hot towel! No one just cares and everyone is as crazy as you are. Just go with the flow and have a great time. A great, no-nonsense band with beach toys as props. Yes, this is my kind of party.
Now we were up for Marduk. This is definitely not the first time I have seen this band performing. But they always give a great performance and never disappoint. The quality this time was better than I have heard before, the riffs were more defined and the drums seemed to be more powerful.
Next up was the exclusive headliner Samael. The sound wasn’t that great, so it was not what I have expected at all. They used drum machine and they tried to play the old songs in the new style. It definitely wasn’t my piece of cake, but still I was intrigued and wanted to stay and watch the show.
After this band we headed for the last after party at Stratumseind. Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2015 was a good edition if you asked me. I met a lot of friends and a lot of new faces. I have noticed there were more foreigners than the years past. This was a plus for the atmosphere of different cultures and styles and that combined to a good festival experience. I am definitely going back next year.
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Eindhoven Metal Meeting: Day 1 Review
WORDS BY KAAT VON DORMALEN
Eindhoven Metal Meeting: Day 1 Live At Effenaar, Eindhoven, NL
On a remarkably warm December day, we rode to Eindhoven again for the sold out Eindhoven Metal Meeting. With a killer lineup this year, it would have been a shame to miss this event. The line up of EMM has never disappointed me so far.
Last year I was kind of nagging about the fact it felt way to crowded, there is still no place to sit except for the stairs and some places in the smoking area but it really felt less crowded this year! This helped the atmosphere of the festival a lot. Eindhoven Metal Meeting is not an open air festival so you can indulge yourself in the luxury of a hotel and the luxury of descent facilities, which is common in winter, but very welcome after a whole summer festival season behind us. No getting nasty from standing in piss soaked mud this time!
I already was psyched for this festival, one of my favorite bands as headliner (Behemoth), the great atmosphere from the crowd in the south of The Netherlands, a good brand of beer, great afterparties ahead of us and me and a friend even helped an old hag to her car for some karma points. So this year nothing could go wrong at all!
The festival began and we walked in to hear the band Winterfylleth. I heard of this band, but never saw them live before. I can say there is nothing wrong with some good old raging black metal to drink your first festival beers on. The quartets latest opus The Divination of Antiquity definitely left a mark on me when I heard it, and it really came alive on stage. It felt like black metal was meant to sound like this and nothing else.
Next up on the Large stage (which is not only called that way because it is the largest stage, but is also called after one of the sponsors of the festivals) was Aeternus, a band with grandeur and a real attitude if you ask me. Their show was way to short if you ask me. I want more Aeternus, but next time it wouldn’t hurt if the guitars were a bit less sloppy. I loved the low tuned voice which really took me away.
An unexpected highlight was Onslaught, even though I am not really a thrash enthusiast. They were convincing me with a really convincing and energetic front man, which really got me in the mood. A really tight and top-notch show was is definitely the result of band members that really want to go for it and really want to bring us a great show.
A real highlight of the Friday and if you tell me the best band up until now was Conan. I enjoyed it from the start of the show up untill the end. The wall of sound this band creates blew me away. They drag you away into this trance. What a great vibe this band creates. WE WANT MORE CONAN!
In the mean while it was time to grab some food, we weren’t the only ones with this great idea. After waiting a while for my pulled pork sandwich (which wasn’t that special at all) we went back to the District 19 stage (the small stage). There are a lot of bands from Eindhoven playing this year, but Heretic really impressed. Not everyone seemed to like the black punk and roll, but damn this was ment to party on. The enthusiasm from the stage really impressed and even made a few metalheads dancing, yes, dancing, not headlbanging. This was quite an experience I can tell.
Now we were up for the headliner Behemoth, the time schedule for the Large stage wasnt that accurate anymore so they started a bit late, but no worries. They gave away a show like only Behemoth can deliver. Grim, dark, but full with energy. Nergal really wins the Oscar for best stage performer ever! There seemed to be some technical difficulties, but I didn’t hear any and I think everybody was just enjoying the great light show and the performance of this great band. If you have never seen Behemoth, do not miss them. This is a must see band!
Next up was Candlemass, a lot of visitors have already left the building and it really wasn’t as crowded as it was before. Still, the heavy bass and good combination of riffing and incredible vocals was a great experience.
After Candlemass we were up for a good party! Lucky for us the Dynamo had a after party organised with some great cover bands: a GG Allin cover band, an Iron Maiden cover band (that didn’t convince me) and this great glam rock cover band Lipstick`N Bullets with members from the Metal Factory. (yes in the Netherlands we have a school where you can study metal). We were here to party, and this is what we got.
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WORDS BY KAAT VAN DOREMALEN
Festival Preview: Eindhoven Metal Meeting
This weekend marks another close to the music festival calendar for the year with the Eindhoven Metal Meeting in The Netherlands. Ghost Cult Magazine has covered the festival every year in its existence, based on stellar line ups and their commitment to the best fan experience possible for fans of death metal, black metal and doom among other genres. Over two days 36 bands will assault 2 stages with their performances. This year EMM is headlined by none other than Behemoth! The band continues to tour behind their acclaimed 2013 album The Satanist (Metal Blade) and with the future plans of the band up in the air, you might not want to miss them at EMM.
Behemoth plays on Day 1 on the Large Rockhand Stage, along with heavyweights Candlemass, God Dethroned, Onslaught and Winterfylleth among others. The side stage, the District 19 stage has such not to be missed bands as Conan, Loudblast, Gehennah, and Acid Reign.
Day 2 has an equally strong line-up with Craft, Samael, Marduk, Nuclear Assault (in one of their final performances) Ahab and Vektor on the main stage. The side stage has acts such as Hooded Menace, Mourning Beloveth, Gama Bomb, Lvcifyre and Solstice. Tickets are still available at this link:
Close Encounters Of The Death Metal Kind – Kevin Quilligan of Apophys
While Technical Death Metal is a mutating scene, increasing in profile, it is still far from the maddening crowd of commercial success. Add in a band with a penchant for a science fiction theme or 2001, and Dutch metallers Apophys could well be described as somewhat niche. Featuring members (past and present) of God Dethroned, Erebus, Toxocara and Prostitute Disfigurement, this Kampen quintet, have caught not just their own imaginations but the eye of Metal Blade. Their first promo, quickly led to their acclaimed full length Prime Incursion.
“This time, something was different.” Vocalist Kevin Quilligan is talking about the moment he and long-time band mate Sanne van Dijk had, as they were wont to do, gotten together to chuck around some ideas. At the time, there was no real serious intent behind it, they weren’t going boldly anywhere until the spark of creativity caught fire, engulfing the pair with an interest in their new work. “We’ve been writing and recording songs for years like that, but this time the material felt like it took a life of its own. Michiel (van der Plicht – drums) soon joined to record a promo and everything went incredibly fast from there.”
Turning in an album of relentless battery is of itself something of an art form, let alone one that maintains the atmosphere of the chilling film Event Horizon. “When I think of Technical Death Metal, I think of Origin, Archspire and Soreption” continues the Throat of Apophys. “I always viewed ourselves as being somewhat more traditional. Sure we have technical elements, but this is not our priority at all. I just want to write killer tracks that are well arranged and filled with little details.
“I personally feel you should always go for broke if you have any kind of ambitions of becoming a successful artist. And so we did, and it worked. There’s basically nothing more than that, we took a shot and it worked out better than we could imagine.”
As the popularity of Technical Death Metal grows, so does interest in the genre as a whole. With their debut out and garnering “a ton of great response from press and fans”, where does Quilligan see his newest outfit fitting in? “I don’t really think (Technical Death Metal) is a fair representation of our sound but I’ve never been one to lose sleep over genres. It baffles me to see people take so much time online to discuss what genre a band fits into, it’s almost fascinating.” While Technical Death Metal is a tag that fits due to the blistering performance of the aforementioned van der Plicht and the non-too-shabby six-stringing, the roots of Apophys are of a more traditional bent. “I mostly describe Apophys as a Death Metal band that is heavily influence by the mid 90’s US Death with plenty of modern elements to keep a fresh sound.”
From a promo to an album at the speed of the Millenium Falcon with a working hyperdrive, thoughts have already turned to a sequel. If Prime Incursion is their Star Trek: The Motion Picture, could the follow up be their Wrath Of Khan and really establish the band…? “Things went incredibly quick for us as soon as the promo was released. So we didn’t really take the time to sit down and talk about what we were planning to do, we just went with the natural flow of things. I feel we did achieve what we set out to do with this release, to appear on the scene with a bang.
“We are already working on some new material with more of a general concept in mind, musically and lyrically we want to expand more; more layering in the songs, more sci-fi, more sound design, more art.”
As excited as Quilligan is about beginning work on a follow up to Prime Incursion he is also fired up about the looming spectre of Episode VII having seen the Comic-con vid, and other trailers.
“I’m pretty excited to see the new Star Wars, I really want to see what they would do with the concept years after the originals came out. I love Star Wars, watched all the episodes vigorously as a kid and I still consider Empire Strikes Back one of the best sci-fi films out there. I read something about die-hard fans being upset about the cross guards on the new light saber, and I would like to use this opportunity to state my personal opinion on this matter: If I would have a laser sword that could cut of my limbs in the blink of an eye, I would be extremely happy on having a solid cross guard on there. Historically it would make sense also seeing as both Luke and Vader have their sword arm cut off at one point.
“I’m just waiting patiently for light saber nunchakus, wouldn’t that be sweet?”
STEVE TOVEY
Apophys – Prime Incursion
For those who get their kicks from death metal bands with sci-fi lyrical concepts rather than tried and tested blood n’ guts themes, the debut record from Dutch stargazers Apophys will be more welcome than cast iron evidence of Area 51’s nefarious deeds. Featuring current members of God Dethroned and Detonation in their ranks, the quintet have recorded one seriously heavy record in Prime Incursion (Metal Blade) and have set the bar very high for fellow competitors who believe in scheming reptilians rather than bloodthirsty demons.
The band deliver a systematic battering over the course of nine tracks that hit harder than a sledgehammer, yet still find the time for the odd bit of noodling or a breakdown in speed to collect themselves before the onslaught begins again. Aided by a seemingly inhuman drummer who wields his double-bass pedals like pneumatic drills, the atmosphere remains tense and punishing throughout. This is best demonstrated by the sinister film quote and monstrous groove that begin ‘The Antidote’ while opening track ‘Dimensional Odyssey’ is a no-holds-barred bludgeon that brings to mind vintage Decapitated. Elsewhere, the eerie melodies of ‘Ego’ conjure images of an abandoned spacecraft drifting into the void, the slaughtered crew a testament to the madness which occurred there.
Clocking in at a mere thirty-nine minutes and thankfully avoiding pointless interludes that plague fellow bands with progressive ambitions, Prime Incursion gets the job done in uncompromising style and shows a band with an equal level of talent and prospects. The riffs are devastating, the vocals guttural, and the rhythm section is out of this world. Fans of the likes of Abiotic and Slugdge would do well to check this out when they get a break from listening to the police scanner.
7.5/10
JAMES CONWAY
Video: Apophys – The Antidote Play Through Video
Dutch death metallers Apophys has posted a play through video for “The Antidote,” off their forthcoming album Prime Incursion on April 7, 2015 in North America via Metal Blade Records below.
The band features vocalist Kevin Quilligan (Toxocara), guitarists Sanne van Dijk (Toxocara) and Koen Romeijn (Detonation), drummer Michiel van der Plicht (God Dethroned, Prostitute Disfigurement, Detonation, Toxocara) and bassist Mickeal Schuurman.
Prime Incursion was mixed by Quilligan and mastered by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studio (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour Of Penance etc.).
Apophys on Facebook
Apophys on YouTube
Apophys on Soundcloud
Aklaloid Streaming The Malkuth Grimoire
Alkaloid. Photo Credit: Christian Martin Weiss
German extreme progressive metal supergroup Alkaloid is stream their debut album The Malkuth Grimoire below.
Consisting of a pedigree of extreme musicians, including current and former members of Necrophagist, Obscura, Spawn of Possession, Aborted, Dark Fortress, God Dethroned, Blotted Science and Noneuclid, Alkaloid set out to push the boundaries of progressive, extreme music on their full-length debut. The group also decided to self-record and self-release The Malkuth Grimoire via a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com.
ALKALOID is:
Morean (Dark Fortress, Noneuclid) – ¬Vocals, Guitars
Christian Muenzner (Spawn of Possession, Ex¬-Obscura, Ex¬-Necrophagist) ¬- Guitars
Danny Tunker (Aborted, Ex¬-God Dethroned) ¬- Guitars
Linus Klausenitzer (Obscura, Noneuclid) ¬- Bass
Hannes Grossmann (Blotted Science, Ex¬-Obscura, Ex¬-Necrophagist) –¬ Drums
Marduk, Dark Funeral, Krisiun, Anaal Nathrakh Confirmed For Kaltenbach Open Air
Kaltenbach Open Air Festival has confirmed their lineup, happening August 20-22, 2015 at Spital am Semmering, Austria. The bands confirmed include:
MARDUK
DARK FUNERAL
AGALLOCH
KRISIUN
ANAAL NATHRAKH
ROTTING CHRIST
GOD DETHRONED
VALKYRJA
BENIGHTED
THULCANDRA
HELLSAW
DARKFALL
HIDEOUS DIVINITY
SELBSTENTLEIBUNG
TORTHARRY
DOOMAS
KILLING AGE
SUCKING LEECH
MATER MONSTIFERA
SCARECROW N.W.A.
THE MORPHEAN
AMONGST THE DECEIT
SUICIDE
MORTAL STRIKE
EREBOS
PROMETHEUS
BLESSMON
AMONG RATS
UZZIEL
ENCLAVE
PROGERIA BUFFET
BÄD HAMMER
RECTAL ROOTER
KOA Bandcontest Winner and Metal Champ Winner
Kaltenbach Open Air on Facebook
Kaltenbach Open Air on Twitter
Venom Performing On 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise
Veteran UK Metal Icons Venom have confirmed their slot on the upcoming 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, on its voyage from Florida to Jamaica in January 2015. They will play two sets on board, as one will focus on greatest hits and the other will be an Exclusive Live World Premiere of their forthcoming new album From the Very Depths.
VENOM will join the 60 band roster of 70000TONS OF METAL 2015,
including Alestorm, Amorphis, Annihilator, Apocalyptica, Arch Enemy,
Artillery, Behemoth, Blind Guardian, Cannibal Corpse, Crucified
Barbara, D.A.D., Einherjer, Ensiferum, Equilibrium, God Dethroned,
Grave Digger, Heathen, In Extremo, Kataklysm, Korpiklaani, Lake Of
Tears, Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock, Municipal Waste, Napalm
Death, Origin, Primal Fear, Tank, Therion, Threshold, Triosphere and
Xentrix.
70000TONS OF METAL, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal
Cruise, will sail Thursday, January 22, 2015 aboard the Royal
Caribbean “Liberty Of The Seas” from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to
Ocho Rios, Jamaica and will not return you to the real world until
Monday, January 26, 2015.
There are very few tickets remaining, prices start at US$666 plus
US$333 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board
entertainment, non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages, all meals
in the dining rooms, most on-board restaurants and even 24 room
service!
