Thursday 23 August 2012

Heavy Metal Album Review : Luca Turilli's Rhapsody - Ascending to Infinity

Luca Turilli's Rhapsody - Ascending to Infinity
Nuclear Blast
Rating: 7/10

After 15  years of being part of Rhapsody of Fire, Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli amicably decided to part ways to move in different directions artistically. Due to the immense contributions both had made to Rhapsody of Fire both Luca and Alex are continuing the word of their former band but on different branches, with Alex retaining the original name and Luca now using Luca Turilli's Rhapsody in order to release Ascending to Infinity.

The album is a strong power metal record produced by Luca himself and Christoph Stickel, with the end result being an excellently produced and beautifully arranged album. Power metal records can at times sound like one track broken into many parts, but little twists and subtle differences throughout this record prevent it becoming tired as the tracks progress. Alessandro Conti's lead vocals have such strength and range that when lent support by the choir produce a barrage of vocals that both compliment the underlying music and add strength to it.

"Quantum X" and the tribal beat that underscores it, opens the album. While a good track it is not as strong start as the album arguably deserves. Hot on it's heels "Ascending to Infinity" lifts the album up with faster paced percussion and more prominent guitars.

The next two tracks "Dante's Inferno" and "Excalibur" are my favourite two tracks on this album. "Dante's Inferno" starts with a slow, tension building lead up before launching into great guitar riffs and solos. "Excalibur" has stronger vocals with the lead and chorus building up to crescendos regularly through the track, creating what can only be described as an epic vocal sound. This track also has some good guitar riffs and solos but perhaps not as good as those on "Dante's Inferno".

The remaining tracks continue in the vein of the largess of the vocals and guitar riffs shining through from the music underneath while managing to add their own variations. "Tormento E Passione" is the first track the keyboards take more prominence and the contrast of male and female vocals works really well. "Dark Fate of Atlantis" has a much more eastern and oriental feel to it, "Clash of the Titans" has musical parts that almost sound like battle scenes and the closing track, at almost sixteen minutes in length, is an onslaught of sounds from eerie atmospheric music, to keyboard sounds and sinister spoken words.

"Luna" is really the only disappointment to me on the album, the soft female voice that starts the track rings clear, however the overall sound of the track is more something that you would expect to hear in the background, for example in an advert. This is a shame as the remainder of the album really draws you into the music and holds its own in the foreground. The track does build to a stronger sound but leaves you with the feeling it never quite got there.

"Luna" aside Ascending to Infinity is an excellent album for fans of Rhapsody of Fire, Therion and perhaps to a lesser extent Blind Guardian and some of Devin Townsend's more experimental work will really enjoy this album. The only thing that leaves this album short of higher accolades is the disappointment in "Luna" and despite the grandiose sounds and sheer depth of musical layering it would be nice to see something a bit more ground breaking coming out of this genre.

Monday 20 August 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review - Bleeding - Bleeding EP

Bleeding - Bleeding EP
Rating 7/10
Words By Jack King

When the buzzword "Djent" inevitably dies out and the world is full of heavy tech metal style bands, the prog-metal world will cry out for something atmospheric and creative once more. That's when Bleeding can capitalise. Bleeding are a "metal project" from Germany who ooze of progressive metal and experimentalism.

We see the ambience that Bleeding create instantly with an odd electric beginning to the opening track "Tempest Of Colours", this digital intro quickly turns into a heavy thrash style riff that would make a Slayer fan smile. Haye Graf's vocals sound as operatic as Devin Townsend but at times can become strained like Joey Belladona's, they can sound awkward and out of place detracting from the atmosphere. The song writing is great and clever, with a sneaky "Master of Puppets" reference.

"Voices" the second track on the EP has the same electronic and ambient elements. In this song the guitarists show of their talent more so than the first track, however, the solos can seem forgettable compared to the monstrous riffs on the EP.

The title track "Bleeding" comes in third on the album with a slower pace adding tension to the atmosphere and shows  a beautiful guitar tone playing the best riff on the EP. This slower track leads into the fast and brilliant "Soul Dancer".

Bleeding do a lot of things right; they create an atmosphere and operatic feel with their music, and producing an album to sound huge. Songs like "Souldancer" genuinely feel like they come from a blockbuster soundtrack. The one detraction from this atmosphere can be the vocals, although in "Souldancer" there is so much going on and so much to pay attention to that the vocals are less distracting.

This EP will provide a lot of enjoyment for those who liked Opeth's last album. Bleeding are definitely one to watch for the progressive metal junkies.

Track Listing:
1. Tempest Of Colours
2. Voices
3. Bleeding
4. Souldancer

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Sunday 29 July 2012

Interview with Steve "Zetro" Souza on Hatriot's New Album

Hatriot:
Steve "Zetro" Souza - Vocals
Kosta Varvatakis - Guitars
Michael Esparza - Guitars
Cody Souza - Bass
Alex Bent - Drums

Zetro may be a familiar name to many of you with an impressive pedigree including Exodus and Legacy (Testament) and he returns to us now the guise of Hatriot all set to start recording their debut album "Heroes of Origin" in August this year.

Combining Zetro's experience of the old school thrash scene with some new blood contributing to ensuring the music is still relevant today, this will be an album to look out for. Heavy Metal Bullet caught up with Zetro to find out some more about what to expect from the upcoming album.
"I am like their fearless leader"
Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): With an impressive history behind you what do you think will make Hatriot stand out from the other bands you have been a part of?
Zetro: I think my experience and my name will obviously give Hatriot a head start with everything. Actually the youth that comes with this band is what will set Hatriot apart from my other projects in the past. I am like their fearless leader. Every practice is a lesson, I tell them what to expect when this thing gets rolling. We never had that in Exodus or Legacy because we were all young and just learning as we went. Now I can take the youth and guide them so we don't make any mistakes. It's a really cool thing.

HMB: Do you think there are expectations placed upon this record considering the bands you have been a part of before?
Zetro: I expect it to be killer, I won't let anything else go out and my past history speaks for itself. The fans know what to expect from me as far as my vocal style goes, that hasn't changed. What has changed is the band is a lot heavier than a lot of what I have done, the music is more aggressive, the lyrics are sicker than ever. This album is going to kick your ass, I can promise that.

HMB: Where did the name Hatriot come from?
Zetro: The Hatriot name came from the Exodus song "Scar Spangled Banner". The band is the natural "next step" from what I was doing during my last run with Exodus, so the name Hatriot kind of ties my history with them to the new band. Plus it sounded pissed off and aggressive, just like a thrash metal band should be, so I went with it.
"The music is more agressive, the lyrics are sicker than ever. This album is going to kick you ass"
HMB: What should people expect from the upcoming record?
Zetro: Expect ten songs of straight up kick your ass thrash metal. The record is going to be called "Heroes of Origin" and it will be all killer no filler. I only put my name to music that I think is top notch, and the new Hatriot record is definitely that. I haven't strayed from the vocal style the fans expect to hear when they listen to something from me, so it will be familiar, yet fresh at the same time.

HMB: Do you have any routines/rituals prior to recording or are you more of a take it how it comes person?
Zetro: I listen to the music extensively, almost relentlessly. Like right now I am memorising the material and we are rehearsing five times a week. So I guess that's the way I prepare for it. I take the music home with me and just drill it over and over.
"We didn't realise the club was run by the Mafia over there"
HMB: Who would you say has influenced the music of Hatriot?
Zetro: I would say the old school thrash scene is obviously the biggest influence, but with the guys in the band being younger they bring in a lot of new elements as well. You will hear a lot of triplets in the music, maybe some blast beats from time to time. I think it's a perfect mix of the old sound and the newer, modern sound.

HMB: What or who would you say got you into metal music?
Zetro: I've always liked hard rock and metal music. I always tell the story of when I was eight years old my father took me out to buy a Led Zeppelin record, that was the beginning of it. In the 70s I listened to mostly hard rock but by the 80s it was definietly all metal. I listened to the most extreme music that was out there.

HMB: Anny funny band related stories you can share?
Zetro: Ummm... let me give you one from England. We (Exodus) trashed a dressing room at the Hummingbird in England. We didn't realise the club was run by the Mafia over there, the Jamaican Triad. The venue had messed up our rider and we were trashing the place to retaliate, not realising these guys were literally going to try and kill us. Sure enough, these Jamaican guys showed up with guns. Our manager told the godfather guy what had happened and that it was nothing against them and that we would pay for it. So they hunted down the guy who didn't hold up the end of the bargain, the guy who stiffed us, and they kicked his ass! The next time we came to England we played a different club and these same Mafia guys came out and they loved us. But they wanted to kill us the year before!

While you wait in eager anticipation for the release of "Heroes of Origin" why not use the time wisely, click on any of the links below and find out some more about Hatriot for yourselves!

Hatriot Website
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Twitter

Friday 27 July 2012

Heavy Metal Album Review : Seven Deadly - The Allegiance EP

Seven Deadly - The Allegiance EP
Rating: 6.5/10
Words by Jack King

Seven Deadly are a metalcore mob who "rose from the ashes of Panic Cell" and intend to raise hell with their EP "The Allegiance". They show promise but will need to work hard in order to surpass their former band.

The first track kicks off with a speedy riff that turns into an ultra heavy introduction. After an aggressive scream the song hits with hard rock melodies mixing with metalcore riffs and heavy vocals. The whole thing blends together to create an interesting beefy tune. 

Moving on though the next few songs seem to lose that interesting spark and become average metalcore songs with a lack of hooks or big choruses that make bands like Killswitch Engage seem larger than life. The lyrics seem cliché and lack depth whilst the clean vocals seem relatively weary without the hard rock hooks that worked so well in the first track. The tracks "Blood on Your Hands" and "From this Darkness" are patched with chugging riffs that bring back some much needed character to the EP. "From this Darkness" also features the catchiest chorus and it is easy to understand why it was chosen for the band's debut single.

Having said all of the above this still isn't a bad EP, however, it's nothing new or interesting after the first track. The heavy vocals have a great blend of passion and aggression and if you're a huge metalcore addict then there is no reason why you won't enjoy this EP, but for someone who owns every Chimaira album this is an EP that will probably not be missed.

The band definitely has potential, this is clear, but it would be good to see Seven Deadly become more that just another metalcore band. If they manage to develop this sound into something that we haven't heard before then they could easily be better than Panic Cell.

Monday 16 July 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Profile: Want For Destruction

Want For Destruction:
Rob Brown : Vox
Gary Durrant: Guitar
Luke Brown: Guitar
Andy Appleton: Drums
Duff Valley: Bass

I had the pleasure of watching these metallers from Great Yarmouth earlier this year (check out the review here) and they have been firmly on my radar ever since.

Formed in 2010 when brothers Rob and Luke joined forces with Gary and Andy and the rest as they say was history...

With influences from Pantera and Machine Head to Johnny Cash Want For Destruction write tracks with heavy groove based riffs and crushing breakdowns. Want For Destruction are currently working on a new release but you can check out their EP "This is the End" on their facebook page (details at the end).

Heavy Metal Bullet caught up with Want For Destruction to find out a bit more about the band and it's members:

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): How did the name Want For Destruction come about?
Luke Brown (LB): We had band practice one night and randomly Rob said he wants destruction at our first gig, just destroy the crowd, the venue and all other bands (in a musical sense)

HMB: Would you consider yourself as part of a specific genre and if so which one?
Duff Valley (DV): We don't really like to bracket ourselves into a genre. We are just a kick ass live Metal band.
Andy Appleton (AA): I consider us Groove Metal
Rob Brown (RB): I don't care to be honest, as long as people like our stuff it doesn't matter. We don't do genre bollocks, we write what we like.
LB: Norfolk Metal, it's new and it's the future
Gary Durrant (GD): I agree, we said from the start we will play what we like and let everyone else put us in a genre, we are Metal.

HMB: What's the strangest thing you've ever seen at a gig?
DV: At a gig in London in bad weather,  a cyclist was hit by a car. Not too badly as he then got up and ran to the car, pulled the driver out and kicked the crap out of him.
AA: I always like the coked up middle aged woman who likes to "wave" dance... never gets old
RB: Probably out friend Alex, completly destroyed, getting thrown from a pit doing a javelin head straight into the side of the stage we were playing. How his neck didn't snap is beyond me, he was a mess that night, in fact we all were.

HMB: Any funny band related stories you would like to share?
RB: Not even my band knows this one haha! I ripped my jeans during a gig in Norwich, and played the last few songs with a ball hanging out LOL. I'm gonna get shit for that one now. The funny bit was me trying to go through the photographs Monday morning, trying to make sure my ginger ball wasn't plastered all over facebook. I got lucky there. I also do get a sick laugh out of getting a crowd to shout "POW" in honour of our manager Simon, I know he hates it... Probably hates it even more now that it's stuck!
AA: This is EASY! Duff needing to piss desperatly, it was snowed up, barely moving and it was roughly 16 miles to the next service stop. He moaned like hell for us to pull over but we couldn't and caused mass panic by getting his dick out and threatening to piss in a bottle, which he did... I have a recording of this panic, would be happy to post it..
HMB: I'm thinking the mental image is enough for now!

So go ahead and check these guys out, that being an order rather than a request!

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Sunday 15 July 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Album Review: Rex Shachath - Sepulchral Torment

Rex Shachath - "Sepulchral Torment"
Rating: 8.5/10
Release Date: 7th Sept 2012
Lable: Hostile Records

Northern Irish metallers Rex Shachath are set to release their debut EP "Sepulchral Torment" later this year but Heavy Metal Bullet has had the change to review this EP.

The EP Starts with a short intro that builds the tension before the full frontal attack from the title track that begins the EP as it means to carry on.

Throughout the EP therw is no let up, the ferocity of the guitars supported by a wall of sound from percussion and topped off with some brutal death metal vocals carries throughout and results in a strong debut EP that is definitely worth a listen.

For fans of old school death metal this is one to keep an eye out for when it is released in September this year. Check out the video below for "Seven Serpents" taken from the EP and then find out below where to get more info on Rex Shachath


Pre-orders for the album (special pre-order package) available at Big Cartel

And you can check out more from the band at all these places:

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Band Profile : Orylyus

Orylyus


Andy Joinson - Vocals
Ashley Guest - Drums
Matt Ensor - Guitar
Colin Trent - Guitar
Jason Riggs - Bass
iPod (black 160gb) - Backing Track

Formed in 2010 Birmingham based metallers Orylyus released their six track EP "Stories Heard... Yet Not Recalled" in December 2011 and Heavy Metal Bullet had the pleasure of reviewing it, you can check that out right here

The band class themselves as purely "Metal" but with influences from the Industrial and Melodic Death scenes, and in a view reminiscent of this writer believe "the idea of all these sub-genres is becoming a bit silly... like electro mass murder happy flowercore"

The band is currently going through an image change as they don't want the metal scene to think they are black metal (face paint) so there will be a new, but still faithful to the old, image, logo and a new beginning for the new EP. New releases will take a harder hitting approach to the music and the band warn to be ready for melodic noise.

And then onto the Heavy Metal Bullet questions, and I can say without doubt this is definitely a band with personality!
"I bloody legged it up the road to my train station... in a kilt"
HMB: How did the band name come about?
Orylyus: Well the name is a made up word created from around about 3 words (English and Foreign), with the final meaning being "Put the Fear back into the Fearless"

HMB: What's the first Heavy Metal Album you bought?
Andy: Well the closest to heavy metal I first received was Skid Row's "Skid Row", what a great fuckin album!! First I bought was Korn's self titled debut.
Ashley: The first CD I bought was Korn's "Follow the Leader" I then went on to buy Metallica's Black album

HMB: What's the most recent Heavy Metal album you bought/downloaded?
Andy: Woods of Ypres "Grey Skies and Electric Nights"... Amazing band.
Ashley: Hahahaha the last CD I bought... erm... its been a while since I've bought once from a store... I'm poor. Romeo Must Die, that's it the latest one "Hardships in Season" for £2... Bargain! Go see them live they do crazy things like announcing they are selling their album for £2 haha
HMB: Having seen Romeo Must Die I would totally agree you should go see them live!

HMB: Do you have any albums in your collection you would be embarrassed to tell a metal head you own?
Andy: Ok... nothing I'd be too embarrassed to show anyone really... I know I'm into some dreadful stuff lol... so Aqua!! That's gonna be the one I say here lol... trust me give it a chance
HMB: (coughs discretely) and moving on...
Ashley: No but I've got plenty of Metal I'd be ashamed to show a pop fan!

HMB: Strangest thing you have seen at a gig?
Andy: Mortiis
Ashley: Pints for £2.50!! Girls at a Rush gig!

HMB: Any funny band related stories?
Andy: I'll leave this one to Ash...
Ashley: Myself and our bassist Jason were in Frankfurt for the weekend to see Rush. After the gig we went out for many a drink and I parted ways with him at 5.30am to go home. After narrowly avoiding being beaten up I decided to get a McDonalds. So I was walking down the street with my Big Mac in hand and a rather dirty looking prostitute started shouting at me in German. I decided to ignore her, as you do, but she was having none of it and tried to grab my food. I was having none of that so pushed her away from me only for her to stumble backwards and fall over a bin (in a rather comedic fashion I may add). Leaving her with her legs up in the air and not wanting to be beaten up by any pimps I bloody legged it up the road to my train station... in a Kilt
Andy: See, I have stories but I can't beat that...

So go check out the album and you will not be disappointed and want to know more about the band then you can check out these handily placed links right here!
Reverbnation
Facebook
Twitter
My Space

Thursday 12 April 2012

Where to Promote your Metal Band : Metal Thunder Radio

Metal Thunder Radio

Some of you may have noticed that Heavy Metal Bullet teamed up with Metal Thunder Radio a little while ago to join forces on a Band of the Week feature. The feature gives bands exposure not only on Heavy Metal Bullet but also on Metal Thunder Radio.

Now is time to get to know a little more about Metal Thunder Radio. Scott and Brian kindly answered some interview questions to give you an insight.

HMB: When did the radio show start?
MTR: Our first show was on Tuesday, March 13th 2012

HMB: What was the main reason for starting the radio show?
Scott: Our main goal was to be a voice for all the unsigned and signed underground bands around the world. It's hard to get your music out there, we know because we both used to be in a band together so we wanted to help.
Brian: Yeah we want to be the focal point for underground music from all over the world. To be a centralised place where people can come and discover great music that they would not otherwise be exposed to.

HMB: What do you think is the single most important thing for a new band to do to promote themselves?
Scott: Support their local scene! I cannot stress this enough. Social media like Facebook and Twitter is great and everything, but you have to get out there and be seen. And you have to support other bands. You can't expect people to come to your show, without ever going to one of their shows.
Brian: Definitely. New bands need to show their face anywhere and everywhere. Support and respect go a long way in the underground scene. Remember you are part of a bigger overall community and if you want people to come down to your shows and buy your merchandise, you need to do the same for other bands.

HMB: Any other tips for promoting bands?
Scott: Work hard, play shows and do everything you can to get your music out there. If you're good you'll get noticed.
Brian: Hard work is one of the most important things. Writing and recording is only part of the process. You need to go out to your local clubs. Get to know the local promoters. Show that you're willing to do what it takes to get people in the door for your shows. If that means going out to a club to show face and support other bands even though you have worked all day and are dead tired that is what you have to do. Remember nothing will be handed to you, you need to work for everything you get.

HMB: What are your own personal music tastes?
Scott: Old school metal, hard rock and classic rock. I grew up in the 1980s so my tastes are along the lines of Slayer, old Metallica, Iron Maiden, early Def Leppard, Black Sabbath etc. But I also love classic rock acts like Grand Funk Railroad, Boston and even some of the Top 40 stuff from the 80s.
Brian: Definitely old school metal, thrash, death metal, classic and southern rock. Bands like Slayer, Testament, old Metallica, Overkill, Death, The Doors, Black Sabbath etc

HMB: Anything else you would like to add?
Brian: Like Scott said earlier, we played in a band for a better part of a decade. We played everywhere from CBGB's to L'Amours, from NY to California and everywhere in between. We played with national acts like Nuclear Assault, Type O Negative, Carnivore and played shows to nobody. We know what its like to be in the underground scene. I think that experience helps shape the radio show and its content. There are a lot of great bands out there looking to get exposure any way they can and hopefully we can help.

So head on over to the website and tune in on a Tuesday to experience Metal Thunder Radio for yourselves.

Metal Thunder Radio Website
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Monday 9 April 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Album Review : Kevlar Bikini - Explodisiac

Kevlar Bikini - Explodisiac
Rating : 6.5/10

Mixed by Tomas Skogsberg (Emtombed, Katatonia, At the Gates) and mastered by Pelle Henricsson (Meshuggah, In Flames) Kevlar Bikini's album "Explodisiac" is packed full of riffs and strong base lines and manages to hold your attention from start to finish.

My initial thoughts were that it was reminiscent of Steel Panther, however, moving through the album it is obvious to me that this is a superior version of that style of music with tight production and the right element of seriousness and fun within both the music and the lyrics.

So first with the positives, the stand out track for me would be "Supersized Buttcake" a strangely titled track that is so packed full of riffs that it nears the physical limits of what can be included in a track. It's a theme for many other good tracks on the album such as "Devil's Jukebox" and "Kiss it like it's Skinny Liv Tyler" the latter track there being a perfect closer to the album.

My only criticism of the tracks on the album is "Urinea" not quite a ballad but no where near the same energy as the rest of the album and to be honest it just didn't seem to fit. While I like the fact Kevlar Bikini have added something into the album different to other tracks, gotta love diversity, it just didn't really work for me.

So why should you go check out this album? While the style of the music is not necessarily that unique it is done well and would lend itself very well to a live show. That coupled with the excellent production quality should make this a must for anyone looking for some riff laden good rock and roll.

Track Listing:
1. Devil's Jukebox
2. Yikes Mama
3. Rats and Copycats
4. Supersized Buttcake
5. Suped up Maching
6. Sweet Ride
7. Jab
8. Pretzelspine
9. Urinea
10. Kiss it Like It's Skinny Liv Tyler

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Wednesday 4 April 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Profile : Morbid Roots

 Morbid Roots


LuPo - Vocals
Morbid - Guitar
Deigo - Bass
Manolol - Drums

Hailing from Mexico City Morbid Roots originally formed in 2005 but Morbid is the only remaining member of this line up by 2010 things were back on track when Morbid, LuPo and a former member Heller hooked up with Manolol at a party and after a few jamming sessions he was in the band bringing his brother JP with him.

Just in time too as a month later the band competed in and won a battle of the band competition, managing to win themselves a recording session which is currently being used to record their debut album "Massive Extinction Event".

Having been sent a couple of tracks recorded at home "Lilith" and "Master of Time" I can definitely say I will be interested in hearing the album once it is finished. The production is very rough on these demo tracks which is to be expected but there is some definite potential with this band.

So now to find out a bit more about the band with the Heavy Metal Bullet interview questions:

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): Who would you say your influences are?
Morbid: This is a tricky one... Everyone in the band has different influences, thus making our style and our sound a little more unique. However, I can say that we all agree at least on Metallica, Pantera and Slayer

HMB: What was the first Heavy Metal Album you bought?
Morbid: Me personally, I didn't buy it, my brother was given the Black album for his birthday but he didn't like it so he gave it to me and I loved it!

HMB: What was the last Heavy Metal album you bought/downloaded?
Morbid: Cannibal Corpse's "Tortured"

HMB: Do you own any albums you would be embarrassed to tell a metal head you own?
Morbid: I own the Abba Gold greatest hits

HMB: What's the strangest thing you have seen at a gig?
Morbid: We were at a house party that had a band (we didn't play at this one) and they were really weirdly dressed to begin with so that caught our eye. But suddenly a kid wrapped in duct tape comes from behind the band and stands in front of the vocalist, who throws gasoline at him and set him on fire! The kid was obviously screaming, the floor was on fire, and everyone was panicking. So a friend and I put out the kid and another friend put out the fire on the floor. After all this we asked the band what they were thinking and all they said was "you don't understand our art".

So follow the links below to check out a little more about the band and Heavy Metal Bullet will follow up on the debut album.

Reverbnation
SoundCloud
My Space
Facebook



Tuesday 6 March 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review : Orylyus - Stories Heard... Yet Not Recalled

Orylyus - Stories Heard... Yet Not Recalled
Rating: 8.5/10

The EP opens with an slow atmospheric into "Apraxia" which while featuring sounds of a storm ironically turns out to be the calm before the storm...

Prepare yourselves for the fast paced shredding, pounding percussion and brutal vocals to come.

The title track "Stories Heard... Yet Not Recalled" and "Chaotic Dreamsphere" both prominently feature the twin guitars and contain some decent guitar solos, although I have to say the solo on "Chaotic Dreamsphere" is by far my favourite.

Brutal vocals underpin the EP, with well controlled screaming that complements rather than over-powers the music. All tracks with the exception of the title track feature some clean vocals as well, these are done well and in the right places, which combined with the depth of the supporting music do not detract from the heaviness of the album and avoid falling into the rigid verse chorus structure that sometimes appears in tracks with a mixture of clean and growling vocals.

The percussion and keys should not be forgotten, both add to the music in different ways with the drums and bass keeping the wall of heaviness going and the keys providing an excellent contrast in places.

"Chaotic Dreamsphere" is definitely my favourite track on the album as it manages to showcase all the instruments without sounding too cluttered and of course the vocals both brutal and clean pull the whole sound together, I've already mentioned the guitar solo but worth pointing out again!

My only criticism of the entire EP is the placement of the interlude "Awakening" in the middle of the EP. While it can't be denied it is a beautifully executed piece featuring the keys with a soft drum backing, the rest of the EP is so intense that for me this breaks the whole energy slightly. I'm torn as I do like the instrumental track but feel it may have served the EP better incorporated in the intro rather than in the middle of the EP.

That said I really enjoyed the energy, intensity and skill on this EP and it left me the way a good EP should... reaching for the play button to listen again.

Orylyus Facebook
Orylyus Big Cartel
Orylyus Twitter

Track Listing:

1. Apraxia (All is Silent)
2. Stories Heard... Yet Not Recalled
3. Eyes of the Desired (Erotomaniac)
4. The Awakening
5. Chaotic Dreamsphere
6. Mans Fall From Grace

Friday 17 February 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Profile : Trauma Theatre

Trauma Theatre

Jari Ylostalo - Guitar
Joni Tuuri - Guitar
Jani Niemelainen - Vocals
Markku Tuuri - Drums
Ilja Salakka - Bass

Finnish Metallers Trauma Theatre have literally just released their new promo the aptly named "Promo 2012" and to check out what Heavy Metal Bullet thought about it you can read the review right.... here!

So now it's time to find out a little more about the band behind the music. Jari and Joni had known each other since they were teenagers and after hanging around together in the same band projects in 2009 they started a new project Trauma Theatre.

"A new project where we'd play simple metal music with good rockin' attitude" Jari Ylostalo

With influences such as Killswitch Engage, Soilwork, Slipknot and Raised Fist the band got to work and their demo "Songs of Broken Relationships" was released in 2010 followed by the afore mentioned "Promo 2012" in yes you guessed it 2012! They are currently writing songs at full speed so we can await the next instalment...

So onto the interview questions:

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): What was the first Heavy Metal Album you bought?
Jari Ylostalo (JY): Vulgar Display of Power
Joni Tuuri (JT): Slipknot

HMB: What was the last Heavy Metal Album you bought?
JY: Soilwork - Panic Broadcast
HMB: An excellent choice, still on heavy rotation for me!
JT: Rage My Bitch - Fell on Black Season

HMB: Do you own any albums you would be embarrassed to tell a metal head you own?
JY: I don't own any albums like that any more
JT: Backstreet Boys - Millennium is probably the most embarrassing thing to have :D
HMB: Ok... and moving swiftly on ;)

HMB: What's the strangest thing you've seen at a gig your own or someone elses?
JT: This Finnish band Stamlna's singer/guitarist Hyrde stopped playing in the middle of a gig and went mud wrestling with girls wearing bikinis in front of the stage. This happened a couple of years ago.

So where can you go to check these guys out? Well conveniently I am just about to let you know!

Trauma Theatre Website
Facebook
Twitter

So don't be shy, go check them out say hello!

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Album Review - Turbyne - Destroyer Creator

Turbyne - Destroyer Creator
Rating:  7/10

After the slow, atmospheric instrumental "The Inevitable", in kicks the heavy and strong guitars and drums of "The Void". The music gradually builds up layers adding some more complicated guitar sections and the rough vocals of the verse gradually give way to the bordering on clean vocals of the chorus. With a solid guitar solo thrown in for good measure this is a good start to the Album

"The Successor" then kicks in with a sound much heavier on percussion backed up with an intricate layer of guitar playing. The vocals are more death metal on the verses than the previous track but again brings in clean vocals for the chorus. The combination works pretty well creating a contrast in the track while the music behind remains consistently heavy and again the guitar solo really kicks it.

So far so good and onto "Cheap Death" while maintaining the heaviness the tempo of the track is slower than "The Successor" and the verse goes straight into the clean vocals in contrast to the previous two tracks. This fits better than the death metal style vocals would have and creates a quite atmospheric start to the track before the heavier vocals kick in for a couple of lines. I would probably class this as the weakest track on the album, it feels like it needs a little bit more energy as I keep expecting something a little more from it, if more of the track had matched the ending then I think it would have been a stronger song on the album.

And so the closer "Dedicated Warlord" this kicks in heavier than "Cheap Death" and the fast guitars over the simple but fast and effective drum beat line up perfectly for the rough vocals to enter with more brutality than earlier tracks particularly while growling "Warlord!". Once again the clean vocals come in for the chorus and while there is enough in the music to sustain the heaviness I think this track could maybe have benefited from the harsher vocals all the way through.

While a little formulaic at times with the rigid verse chorus structure the music has enough diversity across the album to prevent this becoming too repetitive and the guitar solos are outstanding in all the tracks. The contrast between clean and heavy vocals works well but again could be mixed up a little more.

This is a solid album and definitely puts Turbyne in my bands to watch out for list!

Check it out for yourselves...

Facebook
Turbyne Website
My Space

Saturday 11 February 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review: Trauma Theatre - Promo 2012

Trauma Theatre - Promo 2012
Rating: 6.5/10

The three track EP from Finnish metallers Trauma Theatre with its interesting title was release in January 2012 and is a follow up from their demo EP in 2010.

The first track "Don't Let Me Down" is very reminiscent of Soilwork to me, but being a fan of Soilwork that is not a problem for me! The distorted guitars with the drums behind start the track simply but well and then the rough, aggressive vocals kick in. The pace picks up with some hard percussion becoming fairly dominant leading up to the chorus with its mixture of clean and rough vocals. A good start so far..

Track two "Dream" starts with a more electronica sound before the guitars and percussion kick in. The guitar riff and vocals seem a little at odds with each other at times less so with the clean vocal parts though. This is probably a weaker track than the first, it has some good instrumental parts but I think the mixing of guitars and vocals probably needs a little work.

So the third and final track "Last Time" starts off a lot better than the third track and the riff definitely compliments the vocals on this. The vocals are probably the most aggressive on this track than the others and short bass and drum section about half way through is a nice change of tempo. This would be my favourite of the three tracks.

So if you're a fan of melodic death, metalcore, and probably a hundred other sub genre names that could be used to describe this, then this is one for you to check out!

Track Listing:
1. Dont' Let Me Down
2. Dream
3. Last Time

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Friday 10 February 2012

Heavy Metal Band Profile : Krankenstein

Krankenstein

Matt Roth - Vocals
Josef Sunderhaus - Guitar
Joe Morris - Guitar
Steve Hamons - Bass
Michael Scott - Drums

Ohio Thrash Metallers Krankenstein formed in the mid 1980s. Following on from some cover bands and a blues recording projectm Josef Sunderhaus began writing his own songs.

After being introduced to Matt Roth the pair teamed up as writing partners and once enough materal had been written the remaining band members were recruited and with a name thought up by Josef (although he is no longer sure how he came up with it!) Krankenstein was born.

Since then the band have released 4 Albums "One Foot In the Grave" 1989, "Krush Kill Destroy" 1992, "Theozoology" 1996 and "Dirt Nap" which although written in 2000 was not officially released until 2011. You can check out my review of "Dirt Nap" here and the band are currently working on a new album for release late 2012.

Josef Sunderhaus took the time to give Heavy Metal Bullet an insight...
"The Fans proceeded to try and flip over their tour bus, and yes I have it on film"
Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): Who would you say your influences are?
Josef Saunderhaus (JS): Exodus, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Testament, UFO, Scorpions, Ritchie Blackmore, Urich Roth, Michael Schenker, Saxon, Motorhead and others

HMB: What was the first Heavy Metal Album you bought?
JS: Black Sabbath Vol. 4

HMB: What was the last Heavy Metal Album you bought?
JS: Death Angel

HMB: Do you own any albums you would be embarrassed to tell a metal head you own?
JS: Grass Roots

HMB: What's the strangest thing you have seen at a gig?
JS: We were opening for Shotgun Messiah at an outdoor show. After our set was over they refused to play due to a breach of contract by the promoter. The fans proceeded to try and flip over their tour bus, and yes I have it on film.

HMB: Any funny band related stories you would like to share?
JS: At a few shows on the first song, Matt would come running out on stage and fall off into the crowd, great way to start a show.

So check out the review and head over to the various sites and get yourself aquainted with Krankenstein,

Facebook
Reverbnation
You Tube

Thursday 9 February 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Profile : Sparzanza

Sparzanza

Calle Johannesson - Guitar
Johan Carlsson - Bass
Fredrik Weileby - Vocals
Anders Aberg - Drums
Magnus Eronen - Guitar

Swedish metallers Sparzanza formed in 1996 with a slightly different line up to now but by 2009 the band was in its current incarnation.

The band are currently in the studio working on a new album set for release in September 2012 and have a few gigs coming up in Finland as well as a summer festival and plan on embarking on a major tour at the end of this year to promote the new album.

Sparzanza's influences are "hard and heavy music that also has very good melodies" ranging from bands like W.A.S.P. to Slipknot.

While not new blood, having released 5 albums to date, the band were still new to me but after taking a listen at their offerings I felt compelled to share. You can be sure a review will be coming up soon but for now let me introduce you to the band via some interview questions!

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): How did the name Sparzanza come about?
Sparzanza (S): The name is taken from a character in an old movie. The character is a pimp but no-one in the band can actually remember what movie it was taken from.

HMB: What was the first Heavy Metal Album you bought?
S: It was something with KISS. Can't actually remember if it was "Destroyer" or "Creatures of the Night"


HMB: What was the last Heavy Metal Album you bought?
S: Vulkan "Mask of Air" not really Heavy Metal, but still!!!

HMB: Do you own any albums you would be embarrased to tell a metal head you own?
S: Not Really, I think I may have some old singles that I bought as a kid and some vinyl album by Boney M. But nothing that I'm really embarrassed to tell about.

HMB: What's the strangest thing you have seen at a gig?
S: A lot of things! Once there was a midget that was hanging in the ceiling at a small rock club and no one helped him down so he was holding on like crazy not to fall down. Otherwise there is always weird things happening in the audience; people fighting and doing other weird shit ‘cause of too many beers. On one of our early tours in Finland, in a very small club, all of a sudden two girls was making out just I front of me. I mean not just kissing, really making out! I kinda lost it then and had a hard time focus on my performance.


HMB: Any Funny band related stories you would like to share?
S: On tour funny things happen all the time. But some things you never forget. Like when we accidently bomb threatened the Eiffel Tower in Paris. We forgot a small case, which carried our drummers kick pedal, under the tower. And when we noticed and went back to look for it, there was cops everywhere, and the area around the case was cleared. Well, I can’t really blame them. Think about it, you’re on vacation in Paris, about to go up in the tower to get a good view and you notice a black, plastic case, with a snake printed on it and it says “Iron Cobra” on it. And no one is around. Well, if I did not know I would be nervous too


So while waiting on the new album release later this year you can check out any of the previous five albums:

“Angels Of Vengeance” 2001
“Into The Sewers” 2003
“Banisher Of The Light” 2007
“In Voodoo Veritas” 2009
“Folie á Cinq” 2011

and be sure to head over to their sites to check them out!



Tuesday 7 February 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Band Profile : Enthrall

Enthrall

Hailing from Bangalore Enthrall came together as 5 high school kids who shared a bond... Rock n' Roll and Heavy Metal. The band embarked on a journey to perform progressive heavy metal locally in India.

The band went onto release their debut album "Infernal Horizon" in 2005 while still being unsigned, things were looking up when Enthrall received an offer from an independent label in Greece, Metalfighters but changes were coming...

Due to various circumstances including relocation and family responsibilities the band members with the exception of Neil Rego could not commit to the complete album and Enthrall for all intents and purposes became a solo project. Neil, however, is at great pains to stress there is still a place in the band for the former members
"Enthrall was a brotherhood and if by a quirk of fate, the remaining members do decide to reunite Enthrall will be a band again" Neil Rego
Nevertheless Neil continued with the new album "Throes of Fire" while the composition, concept and bass came from Neil he was aided in the recording by Suraj Dutt, Varun Sood, Max Warnby and Pranav Murthy. The end result was a quite individual sounding progressive album and you can check out my review of it here...

Catching up with Neil other than my regular Heavy Metal Bullet interview questions I was also intrigued by the experience of metal bands in India in comparison to Europe and the US.

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): Do you think it is harder for metal music outside of Europe and the US?
Neil Rego (NR): It is quite tough for Metal Music outside of Europe and the USA to make an impact in my own country and in other countries. More than quality, it is the strength of promotion and visibility that a band from Europe or the USA garners. In India, metal is totally underground, hence, bands are relagated to performing at only a few venues, money is a trickle and hardly enough to support touring. The internet has been beneficial in helping bands in India.
"That T-Shirt probably saved me that Day"
HMB: What was the first Heavy Metal Album you bought?
NR: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

HMB: What was the last Heavy Metal album you bought?
NR: Dream Theatre - A Dramatic Turn of Events

HMB: What's the strangest thing you have seen at a gig?
NR: In 2002, I attended a Static-X gig in NY and I was wearing a Pantera t-shirt. I am unsure if I was the only guy wearing a Pantera shirt that day, but during a moshpit there was a huge hulk of a guy who was mowing down several guys. I was standing there and instead of getting beaten black and blue he just slapped me accross the chest and yelled "PANTERA". That T-shirt probably saved me that day.

HMB: Any funny band related stories you would like to share?
The year was 1996. Entrall were headlining a High School event. At that point it was unheard of that a bunch of teenagers, studying in a highly disciplined institution, would be performing Heavy Metal in a school hall. As we rolled on to our set, playing Enter Sandman (Metallica), We Will Rock You (Blitz Version) and Policia (Sepultura). We saw crowd surfing and the entrance door literally became a see saw. All of a sudden we see police barge in, jumping onto our stage and charging with ther batons. That day we felt like rousing rebel rockstars... It was the first time in school history, a show by teenage kids was broken up by the police while we were playing 'Policia'!!!

So go ahead and check the band out and help this Indian metal band get heard!

Enthrall Website
Facebook
Twitter

Monday 6 February 2012

Heavy Metal Gig Review: Want For Destruction, L Sol Tace, Romeo Must Die, One Fell Down, Generation Graveyard - Nambucca London 04.02.12

One Fell Down
Braving the elements I headed down to Nambucca in London to check out a gig containing artists on Possessive Managements roster.

Starting the show was Want For Destruction (8/10) and a brutal start to the night it was. With a solid well executed set and an excellent front man bringing an energy to the performance that carried through to the audience, the scene was set. Want For Destruction are definitely a recommendation to watch out for and look out for them gracing the pages of Heavy Metal Bullet pretty soon!

So the next band up to follow on from the great start were L Sol Tace (6/10) having previously listened to some of their music I was looking forward to the chance of seeing these guys live. While the performance maintained the energy and I know the music is good the set at times lacked cohesion and felt a bit disjointed between the different instruments and vocals.

Next up was my personal highlight for the night Romeo Must Die (9/10) with the biggest crowd of the night (although I am attributing smaller crowds at later performances to the blanket of snow slowly threatening to close off all routes home!) the energy from the whole band, but the front man and bassist in particular, was off the charts from start to finish. With mosh pits forming both at the request of the band and independently the band produced a decent set of music combined with an atmosphere that to me personifies metal this is without a doubt a band I will be checking out more and looking to give more space to on this site!

One Fell Down
One Fell Down (8/10) were the next band up and having completed a profile on them I was really looking forward to seeing these guys live and they did not disappoint. It was a real shame for the band that the crowd had dropped off quite a bit by then (still maintaining because of the weather!) as those who missed this missed out on a great performance of some great tracks!

Closing the night were Generation Graveyard. While the band clearly have some great tracks and a brutal image to go with it, I get the feeling this wasn't one of their best nights especially following on from some amazing acts. So in the interest of fairness I'm reserving judgement on this one and will get myself down to another gig to check them out properly... To be Continued!

Overall Possesive have some great bands on their roster and the gig was a night of good metal and a hell of a lot of fun. Links to the bands are below and I throughly recommend you check them out and get yourself out to see them the next time they play near you!

Photos courtesy of Michelle Murphy : Mootography

Want For Destruction Facebook Page
L Sol Tace Facebook Page
Romeo Must Die Facebook Page
One Fell Down Facebook Page
Generation Graveyard Facebook Page

Monday 30 January 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Review : One Without - Sweet Relief

One Without - Sweet Relief
Rating: 6.5/10

The first thing that hits you with the opening track "Hunger" on the second release from Swedish metallers One Without is the contrast between the clean, crisp, melodic vocals of female vocalist Catrin Feymark and the guttural screams of Kenny Boufadene.

While Feymark keeps her clean vocals excellently under control, the music itself is pure heaviness at times with dual guitars and the bass and drums providing a solid backdrop to support the vocals while other tracks have a gentler guitar approach.

The production of this album really is impeccable with just the right levels for vocals and instruments alike. The only criticism that I would have would be perhaps the album is slightly too long. While there is variation between the album's tracks there is perhaps not enough to justify the 17 tracks on the album and it would be a shame for anyone to stop listening before they get to one of my stand out tracks the closer "This is War".

The album is strong with all elements from vocals to drums playing out in a technically excellent way and while not one of the greatest gothic/dark metal albums I have listened to I think that if the band can introduce a little more variety particularly in terms of the vocals into their next release then this will be a band to look out for in future.

One Without - Sweet Relief is available for download on their website:
One Without Website

Track Listing:
1. Hunger
2. Forget Your Pride
3. Persistent
4. Catatonic
5. Accusing Eyes
6. Souls of Thousands
7. Sweet Relief
8. Spit it Out
9. Nothing To You
10. Burned Once Again
11. Pretender
12. A Bright New Insight
13. Open Wound
14. Burning With Your Hopes and Dreams
15. Leaving Traces
16. Stained with your Words
17. This is War

Friday 27 January 2012

Heavy Metal DJ Interview : Diamond Sam - Evil Broadcasting

Following on from the interview with Kory Allen from Evil Broadcasting Diamond Sam one of the DJs agreed to answer some interview questions for Heavy Metal Bullet and here is what he had to say...

Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): So when is the radio show on and where can you hear it?
Diamond Sam (DS): Friday nights at 7pm EST on Evil Broadcasting and soon to be on Wednesday night at the same time on Distant Thunder Radio. Online is the best way, cos then the listeners get the chat room and the web cam.

HMB: Is there a specific theme to the show, a certain genre? A certain time period? New or Established Bands? Just Metal to the Masses?
DS: Yes, No, Maybe, not really, LOL to tell ya the truth, I wing it for 4 plus hours. I try just to keep it about drugs, sex and rock and roll but sometimes I'll see something in the paper that gets me mad and I'll go off on the show. As for music, I play classic rock, and metal, some new stuff, but for the most part I really get off on playing indie bands.

HMB: When did you start on the show?
DS: I started about five years ago on Distant Thunder Radio, and I've worked for a few other stations until I found Evil Broadcasting which is one of the best times I've had doing this, and with me going back to Distant Thunder Radio it's like going back home.

HMB: Was this your first radio show or have you done others before?
DS: I think I'm very lucky cos I always had my own show, and I try to do something different for every show. Since I do my show on camera there are some things that I have to do almost every show. Like the cantaloupe thing, LOL, or the Strip Tease, or put on a bow tie. LOL all for the love of music LMAO!

HMB: What are your own personal music tastes?
DS: As long as it's not that whiney country music where the song is about killing a pet bullforg in a pick up truck, and Rap, then I'm goof. LOL

HMB: What do you think is the single most important thing for a new metal band to do to promote themselves?
DS: Hit things like Twitter and Facebook but mostly You Tube. Reach out to internet DJs to get them to play your stuff.

HMB: Any other tips on new metal bands promoting themselves?
DS: You Tube to me is the best way, record some shows, make a video, that way people can see what your band is all about.

So tune in using the links below Fridays 7pm EST on Evil Broadcasting (and soon Wednesdays 7pm on Distant Thunder) and follow the below accounts on Twitter to keep yourself updated!

Evil Broadcasting
Distant Thunder
Twitter @DiamondSam
Twitter @MistressT5150

Thursday 26 January 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Album Review : Enthrall - Throes of Fire

Enthrall - Throes of Fire
Rating: 7.5/10

Enthrall is for all intents and purposes now a one man band from Bangalore, India. The second release  at the beginning of December 2011 follows the signing from independent Greek label Metal Fighters.

The album is a concept album based around a fictional character Raven who comes face to face with emotions such as torment, anguish, sympathy and sadness through his phases of life.

With progressive elements to the music the album is hard to fit into a specific genre and not easily comparable to other metal bands, which speaks volumes to the individuality of the music. To be perfectly honest when I discovered this is now essentially a one man band I wasn't sure what to expect but it really works. I should clarify that the recording of the album involved some other musicians but the concept, writing and all the creative side was completed entirely by Neil Rego.

The album is strong both creatively and instrumentally and while none of the tracks sound the same the theme that unites them allows the album to flow seamlessly from track to track.

Slower more melodic guitar sections alternate with heavier distorted parts both within and between tracks, undepinned by a strong drum beat and overlaid with clean vocals that serve to both emphasise the lighter portions yet still managing to highlight the heavier parts. Some spoken word sections also offer a little extra diversity to the album.

Rather than stand out tracks I think this is an album that you need to sit and listen to start to finish. I am aware I recommend you give this a listen for yourself I don't think you will be disappointed!

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Wednesday 25 January 2012

Heavy Metal Album Review : Krankenstein Dirt Nap

Krankenstein - Dirtnap
Broad Horizons Records 2011
Rating : 7/10

Krankenstein's Dirt Nap is an almost progressive metal album blending classic old school Thrash Metal heavy on the guitars with elements of power metal in particular some of the vocals.

Recorded in 2000 and not officially released until 2011 on Broad Horizons Records while the album has a definite classic style Krankenstein still retain their relevance in the modern metal scene.

Strong vocals combined with twin guitar attacks and an underlying heavy percussive element make this a strong metal album definitely worth a listen.

One of the stand out tracks for me is "Fight For Your Life" with it's percussive beat, mixture of almost power metal vocals combined with a rough almost spoken style and some excellent guitar sections. The track also contains lyrics that probably speak to metal heads around the world!
"Just because we're different they are afraid"
While listening there were points where the album almost became too much of the same thing, however, little interesting diversions such as the voice over before "Pearl of the Pacific" and the slight change of style and tempo on this track bring the album back to life and it continues strongly from there!

So if you're in the mood for a classic metal album that's still relevant today then look no further...

Reverbnation

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Profile : Killed The Fixtion

Killed The Fixtion

Robert Asencio : Bass
Kevin Izquierdo : Guitar
Abbad Ibn Townsend : Drums
Nelson Ceron : Vocals

New Jersey based Killed the Fixtion grew up together as friends, following on from injuries from aggressive inline skating taking their toll they all picked up instruments sometime around 2009 and the rest as they say is history.

Killed the Fixtion currently have their first single "Pulse" available on their facebook page (links at the end of the post) so Heavy Metal Bullet decided to take a listen...

The single starts off heavy on the percussion and bass generating a heavy sound from the start. The mixture of vocal styles with an almost James Hetfield style clean vocals interweaving with some rougher vocals adds layers and depth to the track. The guitar solo that comes in around two thirds of the way through completes the full showcase for the band and the end result is a really good metal track but with hints of different genres shining through to give the band a more individual sounding style.

The breakthrough of other styles within an essentially metal track is not surprising when viewing the bands wide range of influences from Pantera to Willie Nelson and from 2Pac through to Miles Davies the band come across as people who really like music.
"In the end, we play what we feel and what is in our hearts"
In terms of other releases the band do have a self released, self titled EP that was released in 2010 copies of which can be obtained through the band (contact details on the FB page), but looking forward Killed the Fixtion are currently finishing up their 2nd single release "Moonlite Blue" working at the Trax East Recording Studios with engineer Eric Rachel (previously worked with God Forbid, Mastodon and Black Dahlia Murder).

And so onto the Heavy Metal Bullet interview questions...
"The one that comes most clear to mind is the tradition of punching each others food into oblivion"
Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): What was the first Heavy Metal album you bought?
Nelson Ceron (NC): Korn - "Follow the Leader"
Robert Asencio (RA): My brother always bought heavy metal albums so I listened to everything. My 1st albums I ever bought were Bee Gees "Greatest Hits", 50 Cent "Get Rich or Die Trying" and Kid Rock "Devil without a Care". Bawitdaba was the heaviest shit I heard at seven years old
Abbad Ibn Townsend (AIT): Metallica - "And Justice For All"
Kevin Izquierdo (KI): Metallica - "Master of Puppets"


HMB: What was the last Heavy Metal Album you bought?
NC: Down - "NOLA"
RA: At The Gates - "Slaughter of The Soul"
AIT: Dethklok - "Dethalbum II"
KI: Opeth - "Heritage" (Won it from Jose Mangin of Headbangers Ball)

HMB: Do you own any albums you would be embarrassed to tell a metal head you own?
Killed The Fixtion (KTF): No, we are not embarrassed by anything we own. We love and listen to all music. We really don't care about what anybody thinks. We know who we are.

HMB: What's the strangest thing you have seen at a gig?
KTF: Strangest thing was when we went to a Misfits Concert and we were in a pit with someone dressed as The Ultimate Warrior. It was great! Another great concert we played was a Bachata/Merengue Dance Party, it was a mix of properly dressed people with dirty metal heads. It was so strange, but awesome. It was a fan's birthday party. We love you Casey!

HMB: Any funny band related stories you would like to share?
KTF: There are so many funny stories within this band. The one that comes most clear to mind is the tradition of punching each others food into oblivion. After gigs we are starving so we go eat at a diner or resturant. There is usually one moment that sparks the event and then all hell breaks loose. Peoples looks at us are always priceless. We then proceed to eat what's left.

HMB: Anything else you would like to add?
KTF: We would love to thank all our KTF family out there that are supporting us and sharing us with the whole world. We would love to thank Hellhound Rehearsal Studio in Rahway, NJ for all their constant support. Our manager Rigo Asencio for his hard work and diligence with helping us so much. Thank you to WSOU Street Patrol & Jersey Rock Maria Mar for all their help with pushing us on the radio.

And so that sums it up and all that remains is for you to check out "Pulse" on the facebook site and to wait in anticipation for "Moonlite Blue"!

Twitter
Facebook


Saturday 21 January 2012

Heavy Metal New Blood Profile : BurnOut

Getz - Vocals
Vid - Guitar
Hufkes - Bass
Transfo - Drums
Haverans - Guitar

BurnOut are a metal band from Belgium formed in 1998 because four friends couldn't keep spending their money on burnouts on their bikes but the energy had to go somewhere, so a band named BurnOut was born.

On their Facebook page at the moment (link below) are three of the new tracks already recorded for their upcoming release "The Winner Digs the Grave" although the band have added the disclaimer that these are likely to undergo a few minor adjustments prior to the release.

So what to expect? The band cite some of their many influences as Pro Pain, Devil Driver, My Dying Bride, Hatebreed, Coal Chamber and Type-O-Negative. When I asked them about which genre they feel they would fit into the band describe themselves as more of a crossover band. They combine a lot of different metal styles although in the words of vocalist Getz "not necessarily all in one song"

Vocalist Getz answered the Heavy Metal Bullet interview questions:
"Telling a true metal head you're really into the 'Trans Siberian Orchestra' does attract some, how can I put this, 'different' reactions" - Getz
Heavy Metal Bullet (HMB): What was the last album you bought/downloaded?
Getz (G): I visit my record store, Metalzone in Vosselaar every two weeks. The last two silver blades I came home with were: "American Capitalist" - Five Finger Death Punch and "For Lies I Sire" - My Dying Bride

HMB: What was the first metal album you bought?
G: Here too I have to fill in two albums. "Appetite for Destruction" - Guns 'N' Roses and "Make War not Love" - Pro Pain

HMB: Do you own any albums you would be embarrassed to tell a metal head you own?
G: I really don't think in boxes. I own a lot of different styles of albums. But telling a true metal head you're really into the 'Trans Siberian Orchestra' does attract some, how can I put this, 'different' reactions!

HMB: What is the strangest thing you've seen at a gig?
G: I do remember a great gig we did in Grasheide. A big party going on. Stage divers everywhere and at one point, one guy just disappeared into the ceiling, at least that's what we saw. A few minutes later the same guy dropped from a roof window in the middle of our stage only to get up and dive again. It was the first time something like that had happened to us. Pretty weird to see a guy falling down from the ceiling, I can tell you that.

HMB: Are there any funny band related stories you can share?
G: We rehearse in a great rehearsing room, but unfortunately, no toilets. It's our guitar player Vid who made the expression "if you got to go, you got to go" come true to us... anywhere!

HMB: Anything else that you would like to share?
G: We hope to receive some great responses on our newest songs/EP and we'll be able to get the support we need. If all works out, we hope to see you all on the road!

So now to the links where you can go check these guys out for yourselves:
Facebook
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