ADifferentShadeOfBlackMetalZine

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Everdying Interview

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

I sure can! Basically, when I first got into metal and got into a band I had always wanted to write stuff that was a cross between In Flames and God Dethroned. Keep in mind that this was back around 1999-2000 or so, when those bands were at their prime. These days I definitely lean more towards the heavier/brutal end of that but still try to retain the melodicism. I'd also like to take this time to point out that yes, I'm playing an 8 string guitar tuned down a half step and NO, there is and will NEVER be any djent or core related anything. I'm trying to break the stereotype I guess. I think my official bio sums it up pretty nicely: Imagine, if you will, an orgy comprised of pre-'Clayman' In Flames, God Dethroned, Dark Tranquillity, and Hypocrisy while Opeth, Dissection, and Mithotyn are jerking off in the corner; everdying is the resulting 8 stringed bastard child.

2.In March you had released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new recording and also how does it differ from the release you had put out 5 years ago?

I'd say that everything all around is better! Really though, I've upgraded almost all of my gear since then and didn't want as much of a raw sound as I had before. When I recorded December's Rainy Day in 2009 it was exactly how I had wanted it, and now looking back on it I wish that I had done some things differently but I think anyone who has ever released an album before can say the same thing! Musically, The Journey Ahead is a bit more varied in style, from melodic death to black metal to the brutal death gurgle vocals in the middle of I Will End You. Basically, I had decided that going solo would also mean that I get to not confine myself to one genre and just write whatever I feel like and put that out for everyone to hear. Initially I was a bit worried that people might think it was all over the place, but I've gotten a lot of positive feedback so I'm just going to keep on keepin' on! Funny thing though, all of the songs on They Journey Ahead were actually written prior to me recording December's Rainy Day. That's what happens when you've got a side project for so long that you never planned to end up being a main thing.

3.This project has been around since 2002 but so far has only had 2 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap?

Yeah, Everdying had always been a side project of mine after the first melodic death band I was in broke up. I was part of Cardiac Arrest for a while, then D.O.T.A.C., then back to Cardiac Arrest briefly and then I finally settled in with Rellik for a number of years until our drummer quit and we decided to break up in 2007. After that I went to recording school in Arizona, moved back here to Downers Grove, got a studio setup in my apartment and started recording December's Rainy Day in 2009. I also spent time trying to get Rellik going again, but some shit happened and I quit, and then they broke up. I ended up taking a year or two off from doing metal and starting playing my acoustic guitar all the time, and then a couple years ago my friends in Withering Soul contacted me about joining them as the second guitarist so I thought it would be a good way to start to get back into the scene. Eventually though after about a year, I realized that while I love that band and love those guys that it just really wasn't what I wanted to be doing musically as they're more of a gothic-themed symphonic black metal band. At that point I had gotten an Axe Fx II and an 8 string guitar and decided that the time was right to head out on my own and make Everdying a full time thing, for the first time after 11 years. I really wish I had done this a lot sooner, but it just wasn't my time yet I suppose!

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

It's taken directly from the In Flames song off of the Subterranean EP. Honestly it's very tough to come up with a name for a band, even 12 years ago when there were waaaaaay less bands around. I just went through my CDs and started looking at song titles of bands that I loved and In Flames was one of my favorites and that song was one of my favorites also! Good melodic death with acoustic interludes, that pretty much sums up how I've wanted this band to be. 

6.So far you have recorded everything solos with this project, are you open to working with other musicians on this project?

I'd like to say that I am, but I am absolutely not actively looking for other members right now. If there ever are any musicians added to the lineup in the future, they will be the absolute perfect match to what I want to do. I've wasted way too much time being in bands with people who weren't on the same page and I'd rather just be the only one who is held accountable for everything. If I fuck something up, it's no one's fault but my own and I'm the only one to rely on. Also, it's a lot cheaper! I mean, I can wake up and roll out of bed and practice my live set if I want to. I recorded and mixed the entire The Journey Ahead EP sitting cross-legged on my bed, no joke. It's just so much easier for me this way and right now I honestly can't imagine having to deal with anyone else being a part of it, especially after doing it on my own for so long.

7.On the new ep you had an In Flames cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

Well, my first band Eve's Bringer used to cover Episode 666 and that was a lot of fun but there's always been something about Worlds Within the Margin that I just loved! I had always been back and forth on doing a cover of it for years, even if it was just for myself and not to be on an actual release but then I just decided to go for it and then it happened. I'm still not sure if I'll ever play it live, although I probably will at some point at least once. There are so many songs that I've wanted to cover in all of the bands that I've been in and now I have the chance to do it so don't be surprised if you see me doing more in the future! Don't worry though, I won't pull a Children of Bodom and do shitty covers of everything under the sun. Most of mine will be done live I think. I keep going back and forth on doing a cover of Everdying actually, so maybe that'll happen someday too.

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

I'm not actively looking for a label right now. I do have The Journey Ahead being distributed by a netlabel called Stillborn Twins Records, and Steve is a really cool guy who is trying to get the other bands on there more exposure so you guys should go check his site out! https://archive.org/details/stillborntwinsrecords

As far as a label in the traditional sense, I have not received any interest. Unless someone comes along with a really good deal I would rather just keep doing what I'm doing, on my own terms. All of my music will be offered as a free download with the option to pay if you choose to, as well as having physical copies for sale. The way labels are going nowadays I think a lot of bands could do most of the things on their own if they know what they're doing. Yeah it would be nice to have expanded promotion and maybe do some awesome tours but I'm still working up to that so if it happens, it happens.

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

Probably sometime next year for a full length, although that may change and I might end up doing another EP. It all depends what kinds of songs I get written and how long it's taking. It seems that nowadays people need shit faster or else they lose interest and forget about you and the EP route might be the best way to go for me I think. I do have about 5 songs finished for whatever I release next, as well as 3 for something that will be announced sometime in the next few months. I've probably got another 2 or 3 starts to songs, and I just found a bunch of old riffs on a hard drive that might end up finally turning into something too. Musically I think I'm heading towards heavier with better solos. Having the 8 string has definitely had an effect on how I'm writing now, there's just so much freedom with it it's crazy! In the past I hadn't ever really tried to write a lot of solos that were set in stone and that's something I've definitely been working on. I'd usually have some parts that were and then have some other parts that I'd improvise, but you know those guys that just move their right hand real fast and their left hand real fast and don't take the time to be accurate about what they're playing? Yeah that used to be me, but not anymore.

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?

All of the bands listed in my bio, obviously. Apart from that though I'd say Allegaeon has been a big influence lately. I first heard them a couple years ago and I was amazed at what they were doing with 7 strings, and then 8 strings on top of that. That band directly influenced my Ibanez rg8 purchase. I don't think that I really sound anything like them, they're all way better musicians but they got me into 8 string stuff and then I evolved from there. Their new one Elements of the Infinite is absolutely killer, anything Devin Townsend has ever released is just about perfect, Alice In Chains have pretty heavy rotation, I dunno I deliver pizza so I listen to a lot of shit all the time. Let's see, the new Wretched is pretty badass, the new Son of Aurelius is really good too, Alterbeast put out a pretty good one, I just found out about King of Asgard and they're the missing link between Mithotyn and Falconer, the new Inferi is fucking awesome, I listened to some Pennywise the other day, the new Gorgasm is pretty sick. I got down on some Assemblage 23 and Bella Morte the other day too, I listen to a pretty good variety of stuff I think. Also, Oingo Boingo.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I taught myself how to screen print when I tried to make some patches on my own, and that led to me making all of the shirts and patches that I sell, I wish I could do it more but I also like just doing it for myself. Mainly because if I fuck stuff up because I'm still learning I don't lose too much money and no one is pissed at me haha. I got really into building guitar pedals a couple years ago before I got my Axe Fx, basically just building stuff that I'd use for my rig. I started with some kits and then eventually got into etching my own circuit boards and shit, it's a lot of fun. I'd really love to get into building guitars and general woodworking really, I've wanted to do that for years but it's just more money than I have right now so that one will probably be on the backburner for a while. Shit wait those are all mostly musical interests aren't they? I'm really big into DIY-ing anything I possibly can. I also love Back to the Future. All of them. All of the time. Oh and your mom. All of you reading this. Your mom. Unless I'm related to you, because no. Does growing a beard count? I did the Whiskerino thing a few years ago and that was a blast, shaving sucks and I appreciate a good beard.

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

Yeah social media can go fuck itself, go to www.everdyingofficial.com and sign up for the email list! Also, Kanye West is the biggest piece of shit ever to exist and every single time I play I Will End You live it's dedicated to his worthless fuckin ass. Also I’m sorry for my tendency to ramble. My music is NOT the same way hahaha.



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Friday, July 25, 2014

Lagrima/Hannibal Ad Portas/2012 Full Length Review

Lagrima are a band from Lebanon that plays a melodic mixture of black and death metal along with some elements of neo classical and this is a review of his self released 2012 album "Hannibal Ad Portas".

Atmospheric and epic sounding synths start off the album and they bring a classical music flavor to the recording and after the intro classical guitars are added into the music which leads up to a fast and melodic black metal direction along with blast beats and high pitched screams and after awhile solos and leads become a huge part of the musical sound on the album.

A good portion of the songs are long and epic in length and after awhile death metal growls and a mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts are added into the music along with solos that utilize a great amount of talent and skill and acoustic guitars also finding their way into the heavier tracks which also gives the music a more progressive feeling.

Elements of thrash metal can be heard in the guitar riffing at times and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them as well as the leads incorporating some traces of traditional metal and as the album progresses clean singing vocals can be heard at times while the main focus is on the black metal vocals which also get very grim and depressive on some of the tracks and towards the end of the recording you can also hear a mixture of instrumental acoustic and heavy vocal songs along with some elements of Middle Eastern music bring added into the guitar riffing.

Lagrima creates a very original sound to his melodic mixture of black and death metal which also sees him adding in elements of thrash, classical and Middle Eastern music along with some solos that display a great amount of talent and skill, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics are a concept album based on the Carthiginen general Hannibal Barca and his war with the Romans which where historically known as the Punic Wars or more accurately The Second Punic War.

In my opinion Lagrima are a very great sounding melodic mixture of black and death metal and neo classical and if you are a fan of those musical genre, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Serenade Upon Mount Aryx" "Arise And Arrest the Destiny Of Rome" and "A Final Fight". 8/5 out of 10.

Everdying/The Journey Ahead/2014 EP Review

This is another review of an ep from Illinois's 1 man band Everdying which continues his melodic and brutal mixture of black and death metal with the recording being self released in 2014 and called "The Journey Ahead".

Distorted noises start off the album before going into a dark and melodic death metal direction along with growls and black metal screams and a few seconds later the music starts getting faster and adding in blast beats as well as bringing in a mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts as well as bringing in clean playing.

The solos and leads are in a very melodic musical direction and the following track sees nature sounds and acoustic guitars being added into the music along with the song being all instrumental and the following track starts off with spoken word samples before going into a brutal blackened death metal direction on one of the tracks and returning back to a more melodic direction on the following songs and they also bring back the acoustic guitars in certain sections of the tracks as well as giving the music a more progressive feeling and the demo closes with a cover of In Flames's "Worlds Within The Margin".

Everdying has a more diverse and brutal sound on this recording while also remaining true to his melodic mixture of black and death metal, the production sounds very powerful for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover dark and real life themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Everdying and if you are a fan of melodic black and death metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "I Will End You" and "The Journey Ahead". 8 out of 10.

Everdying/December's Rainy Day/2009 EP Review

Everdying are a band from Illinois that plays a melodic and brutal mixture of black and death metal and this is a review of their self released 2009 ep "December's Rainy Day".

A very dark and heavy melodic black metal sound starts off the ep and a few seconds later blast beats and death metal growls are added into the music along with some black metal screams being mixed in a few minutes later along with some melodic guitar leads and on the following track acoustic guitars are added into certain sections of the recording giving the ep a more progressive feeling.

After the acoustic instrumental the band go into a more melodic 90's style Swedish death metal sound while also using some blast beats along with a mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and they also keep around the acoustic guitars in certain sections as well as using them on the following songs and the following track sees more elements of black metal along with the blast beats getting more brutal while death metal is still a huge part of the bands musical sound and they bring this mixture on the later t racks as well.

Everdying create a very interesting sound taking the melodic styles of black and death metal from Sweden and adding in a touch of American brutality to create their own musical style, the production has a very dark and heavy sound while the lyrics cover dark and real life themes.

In my opinion Everdying are a very great sounding melodic and brutal mixture of black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "December" and "Lunar Aura". 8 out of 10.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Achren Interview

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

After the recording, we did a Scottish tour then spent most of the winter writing; there’s a great residential studio in the hills we started going to which meant we could work towards mild insanity in isolation and jam 24hrs a day. Since the release, we did a UK tour last month, with the last gig so far being Beermageddon next month; we might do a couple more dates after that but then it’s back to writing for the next album. We’ve hit a bit of a creative spell recently so we’re looking to build on that and get everything down while it’s still fresh.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The White Death EP is somewhat majestic and mournful as the sound goes; it’s still rooted in that death/black/thrash style but there’s a certain fatalistic melody going on which seemed to connect it to the whole “most kills” sniper concept. Terrible but necessary death. Compared to the last album, the songs have a lot more “breathing space”; whereas before we would cut right in and bash the hell out of it, there’s more dynamic flavour in the new EP. The musical ideas take time to progress and there are more variations as a result.

3.You label your music as 'blood metal' can you tell us a little bit about the tag?

That originally came about because we didn’t fit into either the death or black metal categories; it’s a reference to the iron in our blood and relates to metal in our hearts through that.

4.Your lyrics cover death, war and torture, can you tell us a little bit about your interest in those topics?

A lot of it is based on the idea of triumphant misery. Gorification and revelment in the undesirable yet ultimately inevitable. Our interest in the subject is entirely recreational.

5.One of your songs was about the Finnish, are the band members interested in Finnish Mythology?

We all fell in love with Finland when we first went there; it’s probably the most heavy metal country in the world, and it has a lot of parallels with Scotland in terms of the darkness and depression, the alcoholism and the rivalry with larger neighbours. I became obsessed with Finland for a while, with its history and people; I learnt the language and watched documentaries about their creation mythology and their wars, and really Suomen Susi was my tribute to Finland and their people. The more you learn about them the more you find they are an incredible people, and so distinct from the rest of Europe. The melody actually came to me in a dream, and in the lyrics I ran through some of my experiences there and the wisdom of some good friends I made there, as well as touching on the historical content of the winter war.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Achren'?

“Achren” is the old Celtic otherworld; it’s a parallel world where the “others” live- the Sidhe. It made sense for me to take something from Brythonic (Welsh) Celtic, because although Scotland is associated with the Goidelic (Irish) Celtic people, the lowlands were really Welsh blooded. I read up on a lot of history and mythology and between that connection and the whole idea of being part of another world seems to fit where we as a band are.

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?

For me Metalcamp in Slovenia was a special one, mainly because it was the biggest stage we’d played on up to that point, and the crowd was something we’d never really experienced before. In general our shows involve a lot of sweat and fury.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Next up for us is Beermageddon in August in the English midlands. After that we’re pretty much into hibernation til the next album out, although there might be the odd special show in the meantime but nothing confirmed as yet.

9.Your releases have came out on Ceol Dorchas Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Ceol Dorchas is my vehicle to release our music; there isn’t much in the way of music industry for metal in Scotland so this was the best option for us in terms of control and promotion. In a lot of ways, the industry has changed and it can be a good option to keep control of the release process and split off the other parts of band "management"; it's worked out well for us so far.

10. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death?

So far it’s been confined to Europe mainly, but it’s been really good. We have some real hardcore supporters in Scotland here and down South, plus Germany and Finland- the countries made of heavy metal.

11.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects?

Creatively Scott has his own dark ambient project to give him an outlet for that side. Myself and John don’t in a writing sense but we do a fair bit of session stuff for various bands; we both played in an Argentinian folk metal band called Skiltron last year; John works in a music shop here so he always ends up doing bass or guitar work for some local celebrity at some point and I’m just back from playing a show with Destroyer 666. I’ve also done some bagpiping for a few bands, metal and otherwise, over the years. I love playing with other musicians because you’re never done learning and it’s the only way to do it but in a creative sense Achren is the king.

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

Well, we should have the next album recorded by the end of the year. How long it takes after that is anyone’s guess as usual but we’re definitely planning to get back out on tour as much as possible next year.

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

Right now I’m listening to Nachtmystium’s Assassins. That’s probably about as recent as it gets; to be honest I think a lot of new metal is way too overproduced- every album has the same drum sound, everything is note perfect. I’m not interested in that- you need some kind of raw edge to express the personal style of the musicians across. Too many bands right now sound like their record label or producer.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

Stereotypical stuff really- motorbikes and engineering. Nothing better than some kind of machine designed to travel fast as hell.

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

Fuck it hard. Always.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

The Wolves Of Avalon/Boudicca's Last Stand/SixSixSix Music/2014 CD Review

The Wolves Of Avalon are a band from the United Kingdom that plays a pagan form of folk metal and this is a review of their 2014 album "Boudicca's Last Stand" which was released by SixSixSix Music.

A Celtic folk music sound starts off the album along with some flutes, violins, and acoustic guitars and after a minute spoken word parts are added into the music and the album also starts getting more heavy and melodic and the vocals also sound very aggressive while also having a melodic tone to them at times.

Keyboards can be heard in certain sections along with some clean singing female and male vocals and the heavier parts bring in the pagan sound and after awhile death metal growls start popping in at times and the guitar leads are very melodic sounding and as the album progresses the aggressive vocals start bringing in more elements of black metal.

Their is a good mixture of both heavy pagan metal and soft folk music parts throughout the recording and the music also alternates between slow and mid paced sections, a good amount of the tracks are very long and epic in length and you have Thurios from Drudkh/Astrofaes and Hildr Valkyrie from Folkearth doing some quest vocals on some of the songs and there is also a good usage of mandolins, cellos and accordion's being used throughout the recording and they make the music have a more medieval pagan feeling and they close the album with a cover of Enslaved's "Essence" which also has a quest vocals by Miria of Sigh.

The Wolves Of Avalon creates a very interesting style of pagan metal that takes the heaviness of black and death metal and mixes it with Celtic folk music and the combination sounds very great and epic sounding, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Celtic Pagan and Boudicca a queen who took a stand against Rome after the great druid sanctuary of Ynys Mon was ruthlessly destroyed.

In my opinion The Wolves Of Avalon are a very great sounding pagan/folk metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Sky Goddess" "Bonded by Blood And Sword" "Iceni Queen Unfurl'd In A Tempest Of Crows" and "Cold As Mouldering Clay". 8/5 out of 10

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Friday, July 18, 2014

Achren/The White Death/Ceol Dorcgas Productions/2014 EP Review

Achren are a band from Scotland that plays a melodic mixture of black, death and thrash metal which they call blood metal and this is a review of their 2014 ep "The White Death" which was released by Ceol Dorcagas Productions.

A very melodic and old school melodic black/death metal sound starts off the ep along with some blast beats, powerful bass lines and a good amount of thrash elements before adding in some black metal screams and death metal growls and the music also alternates between mid paced and fast parts.

There are a great amount of melodic and guitar solos throughout the ep and the fast parts have a Swedish black/death metal feeling to them and on the second track they start out with some slower riffing before going into a more mid paced direction and they add in a great amount of melody as well as an epic feeling to the last track.

Achren creates a very catchy and melodic mixture of black, death and thrash metal with their musical which is very heavily influence by the old school Swedish style, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover death, war and torture along with one the songs covering Finnish Mythology.

In my opinion Achren are a very great sounding melodic mixture of black, death, and thrash metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Suomen Susi(The Finnish Wolf". 8 out of 10.