Manic Abraxas Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Basically solidifying our live lineup and arranging material for shows.

2.You have a new album coming out in September, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

To us it’s a progression from the last time.  We spent more time on details, nuances and getting tone dialed.  That’s not to say this is overly produced, the emphasis is still on a raw sound.

3.Some of your lyrics cover occultism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

To us the occult simply means hidden from the public, which describes a lot of our themes.  We aren’t a Satanic band, that shit is pretty much mainstream these days.  Where we’re coming from has no constraints.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

There’s one song on the new album about a paranormal experience one of us had.  Overall the lyrics tend to be impersonal.  We have plenty of songs heavily influenced by some of our favorite fiction writers…SciFi, Fantasy, Horror etc.  Others can be about how peculiar it is to be alive.

5.I know that the band's name came from 'Gnosticism', can you tell us a little bit more about your research into this topic?

It’s just an interesting topic for us.  Abraxas seemed to be a clouded & unpredictable figure of unknown alignment and that’s the perfect umbrella for our music.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

We are very proud to have album art by the amazing Gage Lindsten.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

At this moment in 2022 playing shows seems like a distant memory.  Live is a barely contained torrent - we have forgotten all about society and being human summoning Abraxas in our own primitive way.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We have a handful of shows lined up for the fall.  We’ll probably never do real tours but weekends and the odd week now and then as we grow would be cool.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Unsigned - we have garnered no interest.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, sludge, stoner and doom metal?

Overall it’s been positive but we’ve also had plenty of hate.  We don’t fit in any boxes so that excites us.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

That’s hard to say.  RIght now we have a huge backlog of unreleased & unrecorded songs all the way back to our beginning so that may be our next release, a regression of sorts.  

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Saturnalia Temple, Darkthrone, St Vitus, early High On Fire, Celtic Frost, Bolzer, Venom, Blue Oyster Cult, Unearthly Trance, ZZ Top - it’s endless really.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for having us.

https://manicabraxas.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/manic69abraxas

https://www.facebook.com/manicabraxas

Manic Abraxas/Foreign Winds/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Manic  Abraxis  are  a  band  from  Maine  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  stoner,  thrash  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Foreign  Winds"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

 

 A  very  hard  and  heavy  stoner  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Synths  can  also be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  vocals  also b ringing  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  is  also  added in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  while  growls  are  also  added  in  some  of  the  vocals.  Touches  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  psychedelic  moments.

  Clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  one  the  tracks  along  with  some  blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  album  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording,  some  of t he  riffing  adds  in  touches  of  classic  metal  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Manic  Abraxis  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  stoner,  thrash  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Red  Camo  Rock"  "Foreign  Winds"  and  "Black  Destrier".  8  out  of  10.

  https://manicabraxas.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/manic69abraxas

https://www.facebook.com/manicabraxas  .