Plaguebreeder Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? 

Plaguebreeder is a symphonic extreme metal band from Finland. Current line up is a trio: Ardeath (vocals/bass/orchestras), Klaath (guitars) and Kalmisto (drums).

2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the previous demos? 

I think it’s more diverse and ruthless. We spent more time on planning and recording the guitars and vocals than before, so we could get most out of them. Also adding the orchestras makes a big difference to the previous recordings.

3.This is also the first release in 7 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span? 

During the 7 years the line-up has changed a couple of times. Two previous guitarists, Hornthrone and Mr. Bleedy, left and Klaath joined the band. There was a different bass player, Azagrath, for a while but things didn’t work quite well, so I decided to take the bass again. Also my personal life has been quite busy these years, so I had to re-schedule a lot of band related things.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years? 

The new EP deals with topics like war, nuclear destruction and ecocatastrophe. I’d say that war in different perspectives is the binding theme in all of the songs. 

Our songwriting process has been quite the same all these years: I write basic skeleton at home and we all add some meat and blood on it at our rehearsal place. It usually takes 3-5 different variations to get the track good enough. On this EP the most straightforward track was I Believe in Misanthropy, which I wrote entirely at one session. The Arrival of Fire took 8 different versions to get it right if I remember correctly. The writing process always starts with a killer guitar riff or a kick ass melody. When the track has been tested enough at rehearsal’s I start composing the orchestras and writing the lyrics.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Plaguebreeder'? 

When I came up with the name, I wanted to create music that would be as brutal and vile as the black death back in 1347-1351. So breeding the plague is breeding our music. 

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

I’ve always made the covers myself. This time I wanted to create a symbol that you can recognize instantly as the symbol of Plaguebreeder. The symbol consists of nuclear and chaos symbols and it has 12 spikes which symbolize time. Since most of the lyrics were ready and their theme was quite violent, I came up with the idea of making our symbol as the Earth itself in the breaking point. In the cover Earth’s seas have turned to blood, rivers to fire and continents as ash. Total annihilation that is.

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

On stage we try to be as ruthless as possible. You can get an idea of what we are about live if you watch our music video The Root of Extinction on youtube.  It was filmed at our rehearsal place on live like situation. We have done quite a few good gigs. I think you can get a really good show even with a small audience (in this Covid-19 time especially) if the crowd is fully with you in the music. I always get a real energy boost when the crowd is screaming. Our biggest gig was at Steelfest Open Air which was also pretty awesome. 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, death and symphonic metal? 

I think we have reached the global audience better than before. Big thanks goes of course to our record label Inverse Records since they have done quite good job with the marketing. I can’t really say how black, death and symphonic metal fans have reacted to our music since our stuff is a mixture of all of these genres, but all in all, the feedback has been very positive. 

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical styles these days that some of the band members are a part of? 

I’m currently writing lyrics to MMD which is an old band. Years ago, I was a bass player in the band but Abyss (guitarist) asked me to rejoin the group as a vocalist. We released a single Seeds of Evil last summer and we are currently working on our debut album. I’m working with Plaguebreeder’s Klaath on Northern Genocide, an industrial melodic death metal band, and we are also writing a new album. We released our debut album Genesis vol. 666 over a year ago and got a really good response from the audience. Kalmisto is also working on a new album with his pornogrind band Inferia, which is one of the oldest, if not the oldest grind band in Finland. So we are quite busy all the time. 

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? 

We have been working on new tracks quite some time already and we have 4 songs completely ready. Also there’s roughly 3 good skeletons on the way. I hope we can start recording next Summer or Autumn maybe. Musically we are going towards more diverse, orchestral and melodic direction. In general we have slowed the tempo a bit but we still have some really vicious things coming up.

11.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? 

We as a trio, listen to variety of material from black metal to power metal and even ebm and synthpop. But the stuff that influence our music and have always influenced are such bands as Immortal, Vader, Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Anaal Nathrakh and Marduk.

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

Check out our music videos on youtube, our Spotify and keep listening to metal and spread the plague! 

https://www.facebook.com/Plaguebreeder
https://www.youtube.com/user/Plaguebreederband
https://www.instagram.com/plaguebreeder
https://plaguebreeder.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/plaguebreeder

Blighted Eye Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? 

We are a metal band based out of the Seattle area that I guess would best be described as progressive death metal. Or at least that’s probably the most appropriate sub genre to attach to us. Though we do pull in influences from black metal, doom and rock as well. It’s heavy music, but also very melodically driven with plenty of lead guitar and can be a bit emotional at times. I think our music tends to have peaks and valleys with lots of movement. At least that’s my perception, but I also like hearing how others perceive us. I find it interesting how artists can sometimes view their music very differently from an audience who isn’t emotionally attached to it yet. The band started with me wanting to try and write music on my own since I had always written songs in a collaborative band setting, more or less jamming with others. So it was kind of a challenge to myself to strip all that away and see what I could do alone. This was in late 2017, early 2018 or so. I asked my friend Kyle Chapman if he was interested in performing vocals and playing as the second guitarist. He plays guitar for the band Aethereus and while he isn’t the vocalist for that band I knew he was very good at aggressive vocals. Thankfully he was interested and agreed. Shortly after that I asked John Devos, another friend of mine, if wanted to play drums for us. We did most of the tracking earlier this year and just released the Wretched EP on October 30th. 

2.Recently you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording? 

When I began writing these songs I consciously went into it without a specific genre of music in mind other than it being some form of metal. I really tried to focus on letting whatever influences were in me come out without restraint. I wrote around 10 songs ranging in sound and while the early ones were maybe a bit all over the place, it was that process that helped me define the sound and songwriting that I felt were unique and honest to me from an artistic stand point. So the early experimenting is how the 4 songs on the Wretched EP came to sound the way they do. Which I think is heavy, melodic and ranging in emotion.

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

 The themes in Blighted Eye are more introspective in nature. Kyle and I discussed the themes together early on and then he wrote the lyrics for the songs. The lyrical themes for the EP are about the destructive capacities of depression and the feelings of isolation, anger, and nihility they create in spite of how much a person tries to fight against it. The songs show the progression of a person who silently fights an invisible enemy of the mind, but ultimately succumbs to its pressure and allows it to control their life. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Blighted Eye’?

 -It’s a reference to the minds eye and the perception of oneself and how that influences how we perceive and interact with the world around us. And in turn how those experiences and interactions with the world influence the perception of ourselves. So it ties closely with the lyrical concepts in the EP. I also like the way the name sounds.

 5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover? 

-Yeah Samuel Nelson did an amazing job on the artwork. Kyle and I were in communication with him and ran him through the themes and concepts surrounding the band and release, then we just let him go for it. I was interested to see his interpretation and I think he did such good job. It’s a really cool piece of art to look at. One of those pieces where you see something new each time you look at it. 

6.Are there any plans to do live shows if the pandemic goes away? 

Yes! We would love to play shows, however it’s hard to plan anything at this point, but I am hopeful that can happen next year sometime.

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

The release of Wretched is still very new so we haven’t received any communication from labels at this point, but would certainly be open to that if we receive something that makes sense for us. 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme and progressive metal?

So far it’s been very positive! It’s still very early so we are still trying to reach a lot more people. And being totally brand new you're in a uphill battle, but I am encouraged by what we have seen so far and I’m very thankful to anyone willing to give us a listen. 

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of? 

Kyle also plays guitar for the band Aethereus and they are about to start tracking their second full length album any day now, so definitely look for updates on that. That’s also his main songwriting outlet so definitely check it out if you haven’t. John drums and records for a million different bands so he is most likely recording something as we speak. Some of the other artists he works with include Mesmur, Comatose Vigil A.K, Dalla Nebbia and Blood Atonement. I believe Blood Atonement is going to release an album next year. 

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

 I just started writing new material for a full length album a few weeks ago. While a release date can be hard to predict this early on, I think sometime in 2022 would be my first guess. As far as the sound I hope to further develop and evolve the sound from the Wretched EP, but also let it be its own entity and bring some surprises to the table as well. Hopefully something unique and interesting. 

11.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? 

A few of the bands that have helped shape me as a musician are Opeth, Dissection, Enslaved, Cynic, Death, Megadeth, Alice in Chains, Candlemass, Moonspell, Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourne. There a ton more but that’s a few off the top of my head. I have been listening to the new Kiko Loureiro solo album Open Source. Great guitar inspiration and really creative songs. Also the new Katatonia record City Burials is great. Usually this time of year I listen to more doom oriented bands and one of my favorites is a band called Slumber. Sadly they only put out one record called Fallout, but it’s a great album if you haven’t heard it. Really awesome bass lines and lead guitar all over it. 

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

 Just thank you for reaching out to me for the interview and for checking us out. Anyone taking time out of their day to give us a listen is very much appreciated! Hopefully we can all get back to seeing live music next year at some point.

-Chris- 

https://blightedeye.bandcamp.com 
https://www.facebook.com/BlightedEye
 https://www.instagram.com/blighted.eye
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJQbFvhBfM-cWXY77wnj6yA

Elvenscroll Interview

 

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Some of us started playing together as a band more than 10 years ago, as most of us are long time friends from the same neighborhood. Some of the songs on our new EP are almost that old as well. 

At that time folk metal was a big deal in Finland and the idea of venturing into that genre formed as the original members of the band had been playing together for some time. 

It was around 2016 that all current members had been established, so the band has seen some member changes and been through some more stagnant phases throughout its history so far. 

2. Recently you have released an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

All of us like and listen to folk metal, but as all folk metal fans know, there is quite a lot of variation within this genre. 

We’d like to think that one of our strengths as a band is how all of us have different influences and inspirations within folk metal and music in general, and this brings different 

perspectives into our music. All of our members take some part in making the music, but specifically on this EP, the songs have been written by three different songwriters within the band. 

Their different distinctive styles can be heard, but there are still common elements and a sound that makes it Elvenscroll. In short, we like to make epic catchy folk metal in the style of bands 

such as Ensiferum, Finntroll and Moonsorrow, yet approach this music in various ways.

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

Paganism is a reoccurring theme in movies, literature and games that all of us have enjoyed since childhood, therefore it’s a great source of inspiration. As one of our writers put it:

- As someone who likes reading about history I’ve always found old customs, traditions and folklore to be intriguing. Paganism and old beliefs are a wonderful source of inspiration for me 

when writing music and/or lyrics. 

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

The lyrics often encompass battle and war in a literal sense, but also as a metaphor for a struggle within oneself, as this is a fundamental part of life. Other lyrical themes present are nature, 

brotherly solidarity and elements from fantasy. Some songs approach these themes more broadly, and others focus in on a specific subject. For instance the lyrics to Wild Hunt are based on a famous 

old German folk tale. 

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Elvenscroll'?

The name started off as a joke, not unlike the band itself, but turned out to fit the fantasy theme we were going for quite well, so we ended up keeping it.

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

The artwork is based on the concept of the album. Never to be mourned refers to the casualties of war that do not get written about or remembered in history, the tragedies that die with the 

common people who suffer in silence. The cloaked man on the cover represents someone who was left behind to be reclaimed by the wilderness. His face is hidden so you can only imagine who he 

was or what purpose he had. In another picture you can see the remains of his horse, whose purpose and death is also of great meaning to some, but meaningless in the grand scheme of things. 

This concept translates to war in a literal sense but describes quite well the struggles of human life in a figurative way. 

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

The few most recent ones, as each gig has been better than the last. None of us are trained entertainers so playing live can be awkward and difficult to some of us, and there is work to be done 

regarding stage performance. We keep getting better as a group with each show and feel more comfortable on stage, so we are heading in the right direction for sure. Our last gig in the soon to be 

legendary venue Ahjon Paja is probably our best one so far. Ahjon Paja is our neighboring bar and hosts a variety of interesting artists and gigs. Our last gig there was a success as all 

technical aspects were running smoothly, the sound was great, the house was packed and the feeling in the room was awesome. 

8. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of folk metal?

So far, from reading reviews, it’s been pretty positive. We have been getting plenty of album orders worldwide as well which is a great honor!

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

We’ll keep making music, record things we have stored and write more. In the future we’d like to incorporate more cello into our compositions as well. We’ll hopefully have some singles out 

quite soon, then we’ll focus on our full length album. We are pretty content with our music style and wish to develop it rather than changing directions, so listeners can expect more epic folk 

metal in the future. And of course we’ll schedule more live gigs and hope to see everyone there!

10. 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?

Our music is heavily influenced by legends such as Bathory, and of course the great Finnish folk metal bands Finntroll, Moonsorrow and Ensiferum. As one of our songwriters puts it, 

Emperor and Bal Sagoth has been a huge inspiration for him since back when he was still learning how to write songs. More indirectly perhaps, most of us also have a background in classic heavy 

rock acts such as Deep Purple, Rainbow etcetera, including old progressive rock like Uriah Heep and Jethro Tull, to name a few. Most of us have been really into black metal for a long time, and 

that is a large part of what we listen to, but as anyone with a love for music, we’re always on lookout for new music in anything that sounds interesting. 

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Video games, literature, board games and anything fantasy themed. One of our vocalists who also made the cover art draws and paints but is also an avid crafter and has for instance built an own 

shamanic style drum.

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

We’d like to thank everyone who has shown interest in our band and enjoyed our music, we hope to keep you updated with some new stuff soon and cast elven spells upon thee! 

https://www.facebook.com/elvenscrollofficial
https://www.instagram.com/elvenscroll  
https://elvenscrollfolk.bandcamp.com

Arsenic Addiction/XIX/2020 Full length Review

 

    Arsenic  Addiction  are  a  band  from  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  goth  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "XIX".

  An  almost  silent  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars and  goth  metal  style  vocals.  Keyboards  are  also  a very   huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  heavier  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  some  touches  of  melodic  death  metal,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly,  when  the  music  finally  speeds  blast  beats  and  symphonic  sounds  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  a  later  track  also  adds  in  some  tribal  style  drum  beats.

  Arsenic  Addiction  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  gothic  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  witchcraft,  love and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arsenic  Addiction  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  gothic  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Moon  &  Sun"  "Ash  Of  The  Earth"  "Fire" and  "So  Below".  8  out  of  10.

ArsenicAddictionBand.com
Facebook.com/doseofarsenic
Instagram.com/arsenicaddiction
Twitter.com/doseofarsenic  

  

Awrizis/Gears Of Fear/Slovak Metal Army/2020 CD Review

 

 Awrizis  are  a  band  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Gears  of  Fear"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Slovak  Metal  Army.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  introducing  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  groove  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing  also  returning  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.

  Some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  keyboards,  stringed  instruments  and  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  symphonic  sounds  onto  the  album,  the  riffs  also  show  an  influence  of  modern  thrash  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  inner  struggle  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Awrizis  are  a  very  gear  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  the  True  nature  Of  Human  Dwells  In  Shadow"  "Broken  Clocks"  "The  Racing  Heart"  and  "Signs  In  The  Sky".  8  out  of  10.

 www.myspace.com/awrizis 

www.bandzone.cz/awrizis 
www.facebook.com/awrizis 
www.youtube.com/user/thefrodys 

https://youtu.be/p1gLl-GfXac

Plaguebreeder/Annihilation/Inverse Records/2020 EP Review

 

 Plaguebreeder  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  orchestra  and  symphonic  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Annihilation"  which  was  released  by  Inverse  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  apocalyptic  intro  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  synths  and  spoken  word  samples  while  also  introducing  the  orchestra  elements  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  on  later  tracks  and  the  heavier  riffing  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  blast  beats  are  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  symphonic  moments  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  war  samples.

  Plaruebreeder  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  symphonic  and  orchestral  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nuclear  holocausts,  misanthropy  and  global  ecological  catastrophes.  

  In  my  opinion  Plaguebreeder  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Root  Of  Extinction"  and  "The  Arrival  Of  Fire".  8  out  of 10.

https://www.facebook.com/Plaguebreeder
https://www.youtube.com/user/Plaguebreederband
https://www.instagram.com/plaguebreeder
https://plaguebreeder.bandcamp.com

https://soundcloud.com/plaguebreeder  

Dawnwalker/Ages/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Dawnwalker  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  post  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  folk  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album "Ages"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

  A  very  dark  and  drone  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  a  very  cinematic  atmosphere.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  elements  of  folk  music  as  well  as  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  also  being  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  Growls  are  also  brought  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  post  metal  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments,  touches  of  melodic death  emtal  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  doom  metal  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  getting  very  atmospheric  sounding  at  times,  flutes  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  story  of  a  dying  world,  reflected  against  out  own  and  the  warnings  signs  which  go  unheeded  day  by  day.  

  In  my  opinion  Dawnwalker  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  progressive,  post,  atmospheric  black,  melodic  death  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  folk  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Wheel"  "Burning  World"  and  "The  Cataclysm".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/dawnwalkeruk 
https://dawnwalker.bandcamp.com 
https://twitter.com/dawnwalkeruk 

https://www.instagram.com/dawnwalkeruk