What do you do for an encore when you have released arguably the greatest album in metal history, at the zenith point for the genre? Well if you are Slayer, you blow people’s minds and release South Of Heaven (Def Jam) as the follow-up to Reign In Blood (also Def Jam). Although some of its slower mid-tempo jams threw fans for a loop, Slayer’s fourth album is full of gritty, true to life bangers and classic tracks. Let’s revisit this masterpiece which turned thirty years old today. Continue reading →
Venom Inc. will be kicking off the next leg of their “Blood Stained Earth World Tour” next week, which will take them throughout Asia, before the band haunts the UK with label mates Suffocation, Nervosa, Aeternam and Survive. Today the legends have shared a new lyric video off of Avé to help promote the must see tour. Continue reading →
Once in a while, the art that society needs to help it pull through collective dark times comes along right at the precise time. In another life, that album would have been a new album from a reunited Rage Against The Machine, the legendary rap-rock band. However, what we’ve got instead is the début full-length album from Prophets of Rage, the supergroup with members of Rage, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill added in for good measure. After an EP and a slew of singles telegraphing the powder keg of potential greatness to come had dropped, the full meal real deal thing is here. Forget about the quarter of the album already released, and the hype train pulling into the station. Prophets of Rage, may not save the world, but they coming out swinging, making damn sure they will try.Continue reading →
Following hot on the heels of their second EP, The Hellfire Demos II (Nuclear Blast) released just a few short weeks ago, Midlands based Memoriam now drop their highly anticipated, and appropriately titled, début album For The Fallen (Nuclear Blast) on us like a Death Metal atom bomb.Continue reading →
Experimental post-hardcore trio Philm, featuring Gerry Nestler (Civil Defiance) on vocals, guitar and piano, bassist Pancho Tomaselli (War, Project N-Fidelikah), and Venezuelan-born drummer, Anderson Quintero will release a 10” vinyl EP to launch the band’s new line-up. You can watch the new lyric video for the single ‘The Seventh Sun’ below:Continue reading →
Experimental post-hardcore trio Philm will return to live action next week with a show at the Whiskey A Go Go for Ultimate Jam Night. Continue reading →
Swedish Heavy Metal kings Sabaton have made a career out of examining the history of conflict, be it world wars, or the internal fallout people deal with. Neither cliched or romanticized, the band examines the realities of war and what happens to societies in its wake. They take their themes very seriously, not just capitalizing on a fascination, but reveling in helping keep history alive. One might argue that their new album The Last Stand (Nuclear Blast) is the most fully realized, most concept heavy piece in their entire career. Ghost Cult’s Keith Chachkes chatted with singer Joakim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström to chat to preview the new album:
Having had an early preview of The Last Stand, we were impressed with with how much story and information is packed into each track. We asked to hear a little bit about the record and the concept for it:
Joakim: Yeah. It’s a bit outside of the comfort zone for us, because normally, it’s the thing in modern warfare except for all of this extra stuff. I think on this one, both musically and lyrically, we are expanding our horizons a bit if you will. We are covering the concept of “The Last Stand”, the Battle of Thermapyle in anchient Greece. We pretty much traveled all around the world both times geographically, and we end up in the Soviet – Afghan war of 1988. Yeah. They’re all from different places on this planet, and different places in time actually.
War is an aspect of society that informs all human life. Sabaton really pays a service through their music to educate fans. People don’t give you enough credit for it.
Joakim: We’re not trying to educate anyone, but I’ll be the first to say if somebody learns something from listening to our songs, then I will be the first person to be happy about it, if you know what I mean. We are of course not teachers or professors, but we can tell so many fantastic stories or about fantastic people in our past, so why make up new ones?
There is a real cinematic feel to this album too. Not just samples, not just the speeches in there, in ‘The Lost Battalion’, or ‘Uncertain’. Was that something that you guys were focused on with the writing, or is that a natural Sabaton thing?
Joakim: I think it comes with the subject. We never think if we are going to go bigger, smaller, faster, harder, slower. We just want to be better. Whatever is necessary to make that dream come true, and to make every, the natural progress … Yeah, we try to focus on becoming better rather than changing because sometimes better is harder, sometimes better is softer or faster. On this level, with those subjects, the epic feel is stuck on a way we didn’t feel, and we hope others feel the same way.
‘Shiriama’ and later album tracks like ‘The Winged Hoosar’ really captured me lyrically. Some of the best lyrics the band have ever done individually.
Pär: Thanks man. I’m happy to hear that.
I loved the lyric video for ‘Lost Battalion’ too: the idea and the execution. I know a lot of bands are on the fence about how effective lyric videos can be.
Joakim: In a sense, for us, having a … I don’t want to say that other bands who do it don’t matter. I’m not trying to say that at all out of respect for others, but for a band like us, we’ve spent so much time on lyrics and the research, and it can give the song a much deeper meaning. I think a good lyric video is really important than carrying camp packs trying to look cool sometimes. We take our music very seriously, but we don’t take ours levels very seriously if you know what I mean.
Sabaton is always a fun band, especially to see live. It seems like they are having a lot of fun out there, despite the often dark subject matter. A lot of bands from the scene, where it’s very dark subject matter, the bands tend to come off as dour, evil, and extreme. To a man, the guys in Sabaton seem very sweet.
Joakim: Yeah. When it comes to metal heads, why would we be aggressive. We can get it out in our music or onstage. In general, nine times out of ten at least, the metal head is usually the nicest one who will stand up and help an old lady across the road.
Sabaton fans are some of the most loyal in the world. What should they look forward to with the new album?
Pär: I think the roller coaster ride is what you’re looking for. The Last Stand is short as it gets for an album, but we’re going in directions we haven’t gone before. I feel very strongly about it because this is one of the best albums we ever did I think.
Director Rick Kosick is streaming a seven minute video documentary about the making of Philm’s second album Fire From The Evening Sun. The band features drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer), Gerry Paul Nestler (Civil Defiance) and bassist Francisco “Pancho” Eduardo Tomaselli (WAR).
Says Kosick:
“Philm recorded the drum tracks for Fire From The Evening Sun at the House Of Rock studios in Santa Monica, California, the home of the late actress/singer Kathryn Grayson.
“This studio/home is amazing; it has a great vibe, which makes a comfortable working environment.
“When I was filming, I had no idea that Dave Lombardo was going to lay down all twelve drum tracks in one day. Impressive!
“What I remember from that day was that Dave was really focused, and he had this look on his face that he meant business. I’m still surprised that he didn’t tear a hole in his drumhead, because he was playing like a madman. Pancho and Gerry were both on top of their game that day as well, and three of them executed everything without any problems. I mean, what can you expect from professionals, right?
“I’m happy how everything turned out with this video, and what a great opportunity to be able to document this important process of making an album.”
One of the longest serving and reliable bands in black metal, Marduk are a Swedish institution, a machine that just won’t quit. While they may rarely top the bill at festivals and even their most well acclaimed albums will get scant mention in any ‘best of’ list, their bloody single-mindedness and raging intensity has acted as a blueprint for the second wave of BM, and now an entire generation after they formed, still show no signs of slowing down. Thirteenth full-length release Frontschwein (Century Media) offers few surprises and takes no prisoners.
Named after the grunts of the armed forces during the two world wars who were first over the top and destined to die either in a hail of bullets or shamefully as a deserter, Frontschwein continues Marduk’s obsession with death and armed conflict, long ago discarding the cheesy supernatural themes of early releases. The opening title track begins proceedings in a firestorm of tremolo picking and light speed blasting all competing for attention with the grotesque croaks of frontman Mortuus. Next track ‘The Blond Beast’ employs a catchy, mid-paced riff with just a tinge of post-punk to horrify the purists before normal order is restored on the scorching ‘Afrika.’
The most obvious comparison to previous albums that springs to mind whilst listening to Frontschwein is 1999’s classic Panzer Division Marduk (Osmose), a record of similar aggressive and militaristic traits. Like that hateful half hour, Frontschwein is straightforward, exhilarating black metal utterly devoid of gimmicks, although the occasional change of pace such as on the eerie, marching riffs of ‘Wartheland’ and the mournful dirge of ‘Nebelwerfer’ ensures that proceedings don’t stagnate. However, it’s the raging triumphalism of the eight minute plus ‘Doomsday Elite’ that shows Marduk at the peak of their powers with Morgan’s searing guitar licks threatening to scorch all and sundry.
Just as we are constantly reminded that war is hell and must never be forgotten, Marduk’s veteran status demands respect and their continued quality output proves that they still have plenty more gas in the tank.
Over the top (in both senses of the term) and once more into the breach, Sabaton unleash their seventh war-themed opus Heroes (Nuclear Blast), another slab of bombastic power metal.
After the unbridled success of 2012’s Carolus Rex, Sabaton find themselves in a new position, feeling the pressure of following up a massive album, not only their career-best but a genuine genre-classic, and with an all new lineup; only band leaders vocalist Joachim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström remain. When faced with following up truly great albums, many bands choose to tinker with their approach (think Slayer on South Of Heaven). Sabaton have puffed up their chests and roared “More of the same!”
Fans of the Swedish machine will not be disappointed. Choosing to focus on different heroes of war scenarios, each song has its own tale to tell. ‘Soldier of 3 Armies’, a standout, pounding, pacy track tells of Lauri Törni, soldier of the Finnish army, the SS and the US army; ‘No Bullets Fly’ recounts the Charlie Brown/Franz Stigler incident to a soundtrack that kicks off with a classic Judas Priest riff before strafing into a huge chorus enhanced by Peter Tägtgren’sslick, dynamic production; ‘Resist And Bite’ calls to mind AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ while celebrating Belgian resistance to overwhelming odds; ‘The Ballad Of Bull’ is epic and choral, reminiscent of Manowar’s ‘Crown And The Ring’, honouring Leslie “Bull” Allen who single-handedly saved 12 wounded comrades; ‘To Hell And Back’, with a distracting and odd Wild-Western whistle, fetes Audie Murphy; while ‘Inmate 4859’ is a fitting epic in the vein of ‘The Caroleans Prayer’, paying tribute to Witold Pilecki, who volunteered to be imprisoned at Auschwitz as part of an undercover mission.
Such stories are fittingly backed by the trademark Sabaton sound; powerful, everything louder than everything else with lashings of Ride-of-The-Valkryian drama, all topped by Brodén’s distinctive gruff melodies. While Heroes doesn’t quite live up Carolus Rex or The Art Of War, it is still definitely and defiantly Sabaton and will delight those who have already joined the army.
