GRAVE
“You´ll Never
See”
You´ll Never
See
1992 Century
Media
29 December 2016
28 December 2016
26 December 2016
INTERVIEW with UNCOFFINED
UNCOFFINED
was the first band I had the pleasure to interview here, and it was an honor and
pleasure to interview Kat Shevil (vocals/drums) once again, this time to talk
about “Ceremonies Of Morbidity” the
obscure and grandiose sophomore album. Take your torch, come closer and
behold the morbid ceremony…
Hi Kat, how are
things in Durham at the moment?
Hi Chris, Things are ok here
thanks!
Almost three years later of the release of your debut you have your second album out, how does that fact personally feels?
Almost three years later of the release of your debut you have your second album out, how does that fact personally feels?
It feels great! We spent a lot of
time and work writing the second album "Ceremonies Of Morbidity", the
songs were crafted and refined over a period of about 3 years. We started
writing new material in 2013 and the title track was the first song that was born
in the new writing cycle.
Having a sophomore album out is a big milestone for any band and is often abit of a challenge as people have expectations of you after a debut album, we definetly were feeling some pressure this time around and were very conscious of the fact we were writing for a full length album which wasn't the case with the material for the debut album.
We wanted to write a 2nd album that would stand up strong against the debut album and I honestly think we bettered it, I think the new album is a step up a level in terms of songwriting and overall playing.
We didn't intend to make the songs so epic in length that just happened very naturally, but it is DOOM METAL after all not grindcore!!
What inspired the title of the album, and the lyrics of that song?
Having a sophomore album out is a big milestone for any band and is often abit of a challenge as people have expectations of you after a debut album, we definetly were feeling some pressure this time around and were very conscious of the fact we were writing for a full length album which wasn't the case with the material for the debut album.
We wanted to write a 2nd album that would stand up strong against the debut album and I honestly think we bettered it, I think the new album is a step up a level in terms of songwriting and overall playing.
We didn't intend to make the songs so epic in length that just happened very naturally, but it is DOOM METAL after all not grindcore!!
What inspired the title of the album, and the lyrics of that song?
The album title and lyrics were
inspired by an old 70's horror movie "Horror Hotel" a.k.a. City Of
The Dead and is about ritual satanic sacrifice, witchcraft and clandestine black masses
which features Christopher Lee and has a fascinating plot, a young female
student travels to the fictional Massachusetts town of Whitewood to do some
research into witchcraft. She finds the town occupied by the reincarnation of
an infamous witch who was burned at the stake in the 17th century. To sustain
her immortality, virgins must be sacrificed to the witch every year – and this
year, the student is the chosen victim. The samples before and after the song
are from that film.
You told me in our
previous interview that besides horror movies you are inspired by folklore
tales too, like the famous vampiric legend behind “The Horror of Highgate”…so I
´d love to know more about all the lyrics of the album.
Yes "The Horrors Of
Highgate" is based on the legendary ghost story of the infamous Highgate
Vampire which was rumoured to be lurking amongst the overgrown graves of
Highgate back in the 60's/70's, there was various apparent sightings of it back
then when the place was untendered. The lyrics also reference various other
ghost stories of Highgate cemetery in general, including those of the phantom
tolling bells that have been heard ringing from the disused chapel in one part
of the cemetery in the middle of the night.
"Plague Of the Uncoffined" is
based on "Night Of The Living Dead", another film I have been a huge
fan of for years and there is samples from the film.
"Ill Omens Of Death And Disease" is about a sinister local folklore/ghost story about a headless horseman and black horse which according to legend rose up from a pond in the middle of a village near to where I grew up each time death or severe illness was to befall a villager, they would rise out of the pond in the early hours and could be seen or heard slowly clip clopping and moving through the village forewarning of impending death and/or disease before the horse with the headless rider disappeared back into the pond( which has long since been covered over.) A story that has fascinated me since I was a child.
"Ill Omens Of Death And Disease" is about a sinister local folklore/ghost story about a headless horseman and black horse which according to legend rose up from a pond in the middle of a village near to where I grew up each time death or severe illness was to befall a villager, they would rise out of the pond in the early hours and could be seen or heard slowly clip clopping and moving through the village forewarning of impending death and/or disease before the horse with the headless rider disappeared back into the pond( which has long since been covered over.) A story that has fascinated me since I was a child.
The song "Awakened From Their
Dormant Slumber" is based on the old early 1980's Italian horror film
"The Zombie Dead" a.k.a Burial Ground and "Nights Of
Terror" released in 1981.
A scientist studying an ancient crypt near a grand mansion accidentally unleashes an evil curse. The curse reanimates the dead buried in the area and the zombies devour the scientist and the skeletal ghouls kill other visitors to the mansion leaving a trail of blood and terror in their wake.
A truly creepy and sinister horror film about undead bloodthirsty zombie monks which I just had to write a song about and they are some of the most ghoulish looking zombies I have seen in a film.
The lyrics are soley based on this film.
A scientist studying an ancient crypt near a grand mansion accidentally unleashes an evil curse. The curse reanimates the dead buried in the area and the zombies devour the scientist and the skeletal ghouls kill other visitors to the mansion leaving a trail of blood and terror in their wake.
A truly creepy and sinister horror film about undead bloodthirsty zombie monks which I just had to write a song about and they are some of the most ghoulish looking zombies I have seen in a film.
The lyrics are soley based on this film.
This time you used more samplers from movies like Evil Twins, Dawn of
the Dead or Horror hotel...something that I really enjoy and think that adds a
special and gloomy aura to the songs…How did you chose each of the samplers for
each song. Have you thought about a song or part of an Unncoffined song
could fit into a scene while watching a classic horror movie?
I chose samples that I thought
would fit the lyrics of each song and that would help enhance the dark
atmosphere of each track.
Theres a few scenes in various old horror films where I think an Uncoffined doomed funeral dirge soundtrack would work to good effect!
Theres a few scenes in various old horror films where I think an Uncoffined doomed funeral dirge soundtrack would work to good effect!
Do you have plans to do a
video clip in a near future? Do you imagine Uncoffined´s music mixed with some
hammer horror films maybe?
No but it's definetly something
I'd like to do in the future. I'd like projections of parts of various old
horror movies playing on a screen behind us when we are performing live, maybes
that could happen if we ever get invited to play a festival like Roadburn?!
You didn´t include a cover
version on this album, as you did on the debut album with “Frustrations” of the
band Revelation. I liked the song and the fact that it is not the typical and common
“big, famous band” cover. Have you thought about covering a non-metal song?, I know many bands do it but hey, sometimes there are
some good surprises..
We
have plans to do another cover in the future but not sure when that will
materialise.We chose the Revelation cover because we wanted to do something different and
more obscure. We are BIG fans of Revelation and Blessed Realm the old doom band
featuring 3 of us was named after a Revelation song "Blessed Realm"
which appeared on the Dark Passages 1 compilation.
They are a band who don't get namedropped and mentioned enough even within the
doom metal scene so i'd like to think our little tribute helped expose the band
to more people out there.
The artwork designed by Cesar Valladares looks stunning and
old school, was it designed and drew from an idea or vision of yours? I’d
love to know more about it…
The cover artwork couldn't have
turned out more perfectly! VERY HAPPY with how it turned out!
I gave Cesar a detailed spec and concept for the cover art and he made me vision become a reality!
Again the idea for the cover art came from Horror Hotel/City Of The Dead and the black mass sacrifice crypt scene.
I gave Cesar a detailed spec and concept for the cover art and he made me vision become a reality!
Again the idea for the cover art came from Horror Hotel/City Of The Dead and the black mass sacrifice crypt scene.
Can you tell us a bit more
about the recording sessions, why did you do different in studio this time? Is
there anything interesting to tell about the way you manage to get such a heavy
and macabre sound?
We actually recorded in the same
studio as the debut album, once again we used Bri Doom and Studio 1in12 in the
darkest depths of Bradford a city a couple hours or so drive south west from
here.
It's a great little studio and he knows how to capture a great organic sound.
We channelled the spirit of the Bradford/West Yorkshire grimmness and Early Paradise Lost which was helped in part by using an old bass cab that once belonged to Paradise Lost!
More time was spent on vocals and mixing this time. Javi Felez (Moontower Studios) once again worked his mastering magick on our hymns of doom and darkness.
What are your current activitlies with Winds of Genocide after the release of the great “Usurping The Throne Of Disease” last year, and the release of Lucifer´s Chalice debut recording “The Pact”?, (which is totally different to Uncoffined and Winds of Genocide style)
It's a great little studio and he knows how to capture a great organic sound.
We channelled the spirit of the Bradford/West Yorkshire grimmness and Early Paradise Lost which was helped in part by using an old bass cab that once belonged to Paradise Lost!
More time was spent on vocals and mixing this time. Javi Felez (Moontower Studios) once again worked his mastering magick on our hymns of doom and darkness.
What are your current activitlies with Winds of Genocide after the release of the great “Usurping The Throne Of Disease” last year, and the release of Lucifer´s Chalice debut recording “The Pact”?, (which is totally different to Uncoffined and Winds of Genocide style)
Winds Of Genocide will continue
writing material for a 2nd album next year and the debut Lucifer's Chalice
recording will be released as an album in 2017.
As I know you have good
taste in music I will ask you to recommend your fave albums released this year,
any new doom metal album among them?
Dream Death – "Dissemination"
Darkthrone- "Arctic Thunder"
Ketzer - "Starless"
Discharge - "End Of Days"
Soulburn - "Earthless Pagan Spirit"
Heavydeath - "In Circles We Die"
Martyrdöd - "List"
Cauchemar - "Chapelle Ardente"
Minotaur Head - "Minotaur Head"
Serpent - "Trinity"
BAT - "Wings of Chains"
Gehennah - "Too Loud To live, Too Drunk To Die"
Church Of Misery - "And Then There Were None"
Vanhelgd - "Temple Of Phobos"
Sacred Steel - "Heavy Metal Sacrifice"
Head Of The Demon - "Sathanas Trismegisto"
The Temple - "Forevermourn"
Ursut - "Köp Dig Lycklig"
Age Of Woe - "An Ill Wind Blowing"
Asphyx -"Incoming Death"
Halshug - Sort Sind
Ringworm - "Snake Church"
Gatecreeper - "Sonoran Depravation"
Victims - "Sirens"
Dark Funeral -"Where Shadows Forever Reign"
Abigail - "The Final Damnation"
Ketzer - "Starless"
Discharge - "End Of Days"
Soulburn - "Earthless Pagan Spirit"
Heavydeath - "In Circles We Die"
Martyrdöd - "List"
Cauchemar - "Chapelle Ardente"
Minotaur Head - "Minotaur Head"
Serpent - "Trinity"
BAT - "Wings of Chains"
Gehennah - "Too Loud To live, Too Drunk To Die"
Church Of Misery - "And Then There Were None"
Vanhelgd - "Temple Of Phobos"
Sacred Steel - "Heavy Metal Sacrifice"
Head Of The Demon - "Sathanas Trismegisto"
The Temple - "Forevermourn"
Ursut - "Köp Dig Lycklig"
Age Of Woe - "An Ill Wind Blowing"
Asphyx -"Incoming Death"
Halshug - Sort Sind
Ringworm - "Snake Church"
Gatecreeper - "Sonoran Depravation"
Victims - "Sirens"
Dark Funeral -"Where Shadows Forever Reign"
Abigail - "The Final Damnation"
偏執症者 (PARANOID) - "Satyagraha"
Death Angel - "The Evil Divide"
Naevus - "Heavy Burden"
Diavolus - "You Lived Now Die"
Death Angel - "The Evil Divide"
Naevus - "Heavy Burden"
Diavolus - "You Lived Now Die"
Earlier this year the vinyl version of Ritual Death was released, Is there any agreement, or are you talking to any label to release the vinyl version of “Ceremonies…” soon?
There
is interest and plans from a label or 2 about releasing the 2nd album on vinyl,
hopefully that will happen in 2017.
I´d love to see Uncoffined touring Europe, any shows scheduled or plans for a tour?
I´d love to see Uncoffined touring Europe, any shows scheduled or plans for a tour?
No
tours planned yet but it's definetly something I'd love to do in the future. It
would be great to play live outside of the UK.
If you had the opportunity to represent a character in the remake of an old movie (or get into the skin of the original character), which character would you like to play?
If you had the opportunity to represent a character in the remake of an old movie (or get into the skin of the original character), which character would you like to play?
Countess
Dracula!
Thanks a
lot for taking the time and all the best! anything else you'd like to mention?
Many
thanks for the interview and continued support!.
You can pick up our new album direct from us, Memento Mori or via all good
dealers worldwide.
Buy it and be DOOMED TO DEATH!!
Buy it and be DOOMED TO DEATH!!
23 December 2016
22 December 2016
SOUNDS FROM THE DARK PAST...
CATHEDRAL
“A Funeral Request”
“A Funeral Request”
Forest To
Equilibrium
1991 Earache Records
21 December 2016
20 December 2016
19 December 2016
INTERVIEW with DIOIVO
It was a great and pleasant
surprise to meet DIOIVO, this Spanish
band emerging from Vigo, Galicia, performs as a duo both in studio and on
stage. I had the chance to talk with Daniel (drums) and Jacobo (vocal, guitars)
after a local gig, and as a result here is a short but interesting interview…a
hard rain´s a-gonna fall…
When and
how did you guys joined forces under the
name DIOIVO?
Daniel - We
had known each other for a long time and we both played in a thrash band
called Rust In Piece, we both played together during the breaks, black metal material that Jacobo had composed, and then in
February-March of this year we decided to focus on DIOIVO
Jacobo - We took part in a musical contest and we composed music for a poem by a
Galician poetess (Rosalia De Castro) we were very satisfied and liked the result, so we decided to go on.
What´s
the meaning of the band name and why did you chose it?
J - "Dioivo"
is one of the more than one hundred words the Galician language has for
refering to the rain. The Rain is a very characteristic element of the Galician weather, besides it is something that fits with our black metal aproach, with folk and nature influences and it is something that we reflect in our lyrics; the defense of the earth, the defense of the galician language, the defense of nature, it was important for us to chose a Galician word, (meaning "Deluge") among many words, we liked and choose that one.
So, it is
important for the band to express the influence of the Galician culture into
the lyrics?
J - Honestly, I don´t like writing too much, it's not my specialty, but it has to be done! so I'm inspired by those themes, the defense of Galician culture, our nature, some
personal ideas...it depends on the mood sometimes, but the priority for us is the music.
Besides the influences of atmospheric and aggresive black metal, I also noticed some influence of (old School) thrash. How do you define your style and which bands
have influenced you?
J - Yes, I
think that especially our sound comes close to melodic black metal, Swedish
bands like Dissection, Sacramentum, Vinterland, Unanimated, but also for
structures and some riffs I take influence of progressive thrash, and also progressive death metal like Cynic and Martyr, the extreme
progressive metal bands are a great reference. We tried to capture several
influences, focusing more on black metal, with guitar and drums only we were looking for a crude and sharp sound.
Have you
considered adding new members to achieve a more full sound or are you content
with the line-up as it currently exists?
D - That idea
was present in the beginning, but as we were playing concerts and after we
recorded the demo our intention is to continue as we are and not add members to
the formation, also a duo is not too common here.
Tell us
about the debut demo and the recording
process.
D - We
started recording the drums around March and April of last year, it was the
easiest and fastest to record, then the vocals and the guitar took us a lot
more time, Jacobo was with the producer Pablo Lopez in his studio, going
continuously working to get the expected result.
J - Yes, we worked on the details to the maximum possible, the
counterproductive thing was then that the producer was quite tired of us
(laughs). There is always some small detail that can be corrected or improved
but in the end, with the resources that we had the result is quite good. At the
moment this is in digital format but we are planning to release it independently
on CD and distribute some copies and see how it goes.
How many shows have you performed so
far? How was the response from the audience?
D - We
started in May of this year, I think we have played around ten concerts, it is
not a very extensive baggage but it´s not bad.
J - We have
played in different places like squatters´ houses, pubs and with different types of
bands; folk, punks... but so far it has gone well.
What´s
the strangest place and the most shocking one that you´ve been?
D - The strangest place when we played was without doubt in a Social centre called Quinta da Carmiña in Vigo, it was surprising in every way, we expected the typical house in
ruins with walls falling into pieces, but wasn´t like that, there was a quite "peculiar" woman running the house, The people were very
hospitable, oh yeah and we had lentils for dinner...
When we were
14 or 15 years old we played in an abandoned school and it was probably the
weirdest place.
J - I
remember that before joining Rust In peace the guys played in a bar with a strange garden
and an association of smokers ...
D- We also
rehearsed in my grandmother's storage room, and it was not soundproof, so it
lasted until we were kicked it out.
Can you unveil the next steps for the band?
D - We will try to do more concerts, we hope to play outside Vigo,
and we´ll try to record another demo or EP with 4 or 5 tracks.
D - we are contacting other bands of the scene,
black metal bands that also sing in Galician and we are working on the possibility to meet them and play
with them, Xerión, Lostregos…
J - Mileth, Noitébrega, Sartegos, there are very good
bands in galicia. Also we are developing a separate project with acoustic guitars but
let´s see how it goes…
D - Well that does not have much to do with DIOIVO but
it's something parallel to the band.
Thanks for your time, anything else you want to
add?
Thanks for the interview and the support.The band have just released "Sempre pola Morte Esperas" a digital single featuring original and alternative version of the song they did for the contest they talked about in the interview, listen to it right here below...
ORACULUM "Always Higher"
Chilean Old School Death
Metallers ORACULUM announced the upcoming release of “Always Higher”, a 22
minutes EP that will be released early in 2017 via Invictus Productions in CD
and LP. More info will be revealed soon, in the meantime, the band Shared a teaser of what is about to come…
www.facebook.com/oraculum.chile
www.facebook.com/InvictusProductions
www.invictusproductions.net
VAMPIRE "Skull Prayer"
VAMPIRE releases “Skull
Prayer” a new song (rough mix version) as preview of the second full-length,
which the band is currently recording an is going to be released in spring
2017 through Century Media. The cover artwork was done
by Jonathan Hultén from Tribulation.
The digital single song is
available to purchase via the following links: Spotify, iTunes and Amazon.
SINISTER "Syncretism"
SINISTER will release the
new album “Syncretism” on February 24th, 2017 via Massacre Records.
According to the bands
official press info, "It's a new
story of sacrilege. Sinister is here to support the amalgamation of dark religions and rituals. The killer riffs, pounding drums anda extra dimensions provide this dark atmosphere! Wait for this majestic delivery and convince yourself - this is Syncretism! This is Death Metal!"
16 December 2016
SOUNDS FROM THE DARK PAST...
ANCIENT RITES
“Blood Of Christ
(Mohammed Wept)”
Blasphemia
Eternal
1996 Mascot Records
15 December 2016
IMMOLATION "Destructive Currents" Advance Song
Earlier today I posted info
about IMMOLATION´s upcoming album “Atonement”, and here´s the first advance
song “Destructive Currents”, a 360 visualizer video from Nuclear Blast Youtube channel.
IMMOLATION "Atonement"
Death Metal veterans
IMMOLATION will release the new album “Atonement” next year. As it was announced by Bristol Deathfest, IMMOLATION´s 10th full-length will be released
on February 24th 2017, meaning the third
release on Nuclear Blast Records.
Here´s an
excerpt from Bristol Deathfest official info about the album…“Atonement” is hands down the band’s best
produced release in their 28 year history. With pinpoint accuracy and violent
melodic prowess, and the dark lyrical content touching on the dark realities of
humanity and the world we have created, the epic feel and dominating power
delivered by “Atonement” is sure to please fans of death/black metal and all
extreme music!
The Album is available to pre-order from, UKEM Records. Llimited edition digipack CD or 2LP Black vinyl will be available, more info: here.
The Album is available to pre-order from, UKEM Records. Llimited edition digipack CD or 2LP Black vinyl will be available, more info: here.
The cover
artwork was designed by Pär Olofsson, and here´s the track list…
The Distorting Light
When The Jackals Come
Fostering The Divide
Rise The Heretics
Thrown To the Fire
Destructive Currents
Lower
Atonement
Above All
The Power Of Gods
Epiphany
When The Jackals Come
Fostering The Divide
Rise The Heretics
Thrown To the Fire
Destructive Currents
Lower
Atonement
Above All
The Power Of Gods
Epiphany
The band re-recorded a new version of “Immolation”
from the classic debut full-length “Dawn of Possession”, recorded over the
summer sessions for "Atonement"
and
was available for Deluxe Decibel Mag subscribers with the December issue, plus an
extremely limited number available at Decibel´s webstore...
13 December 2016
TEITANBLOOD "Accursed Skin"
Yeargh!!! TEITANBLOOD
releases the new 12" MLP “Accursed Skin” today! The new recording is the follow up
to the great 2014 “Death” full-length, and features two tracks: “Accursed Skin”
(14:28) and “Sanctified Dysecdysis” (11:46).
The free
digital download coming with all MLP orders placed through the Norma Evangelium
Diaboli webstore will be released today. Pre-orders are also available via the Ajna Offensive for
North America.
Check out TEITANBLOOD’s Bandcamp page,
which is already accessible since a few days ago.
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