The Magik Way/Curve Sternum/Sad Sun Music/2015 CD Review

  The  Magik  Way  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  the  musical  style  moves  away  from  the  avant  garde  black  metal  style  of  previous  recordings  to focus  more  on  an  experimental  and  avant  garde style  of  ritualistic  occult  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  'Curve  Sternum"  which  will  be  released  on  May  11th  by Sad  Sun  Music.

  Clock  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  some  of  the  songs  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  recording  more  of  a  gothic  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound to  them.

  As  the  album  progresses the  music  starts  getting  more  experimental,  avant  garde  and ritualistic  sounding  while  also  adding  in  clean  yet  semi  distorted  guitars  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  melodic  vocals  and  chants  and  none  of  the  songs  have  the  heaviness  or extreme  metal  elements  of  previous  recordings  but  you  can  hear  some  grim  elements  in  the  vocals  at  times that  are  very  close  to  black  metal.. 

  The  Magik  Way  moves  away  from  the  black  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  to create  an  album  that  is  more  in  ritualistic,  avant  garde  and  experimental direction  along  with  a  touch  of  neo  folk,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Quabilistic,  Occult  and  Esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Magik  Way  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritualistic  occult  music,  you should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  Mano  Raccolglie"  "Yod-He-Vau-He"  and  "In  Alto  Come  In  Basso".  8  out  of  10. 

webpage: www.themagikway.com
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Unhallowed /Enter Damnation/Metal Music Austria/2015 CD Review

 

  Unhallowed  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Enter  Damnation"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Music  Austria.

  Epic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  bring  in  a  variety  of  many  different  keys  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  black  metal  direction  and  after  a  few  seconds  grim  screams  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  music  also  mixes  the  synths  in  with  the  heavier  parts.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  also  have  a  melodic  tone  at  times  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements  and  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  melodic  musical  direction  and  a  good  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  are  also  in  mostly  a  melodic  mid  90's  black/death  metal  direction  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  mix  in  classic  metal  melodies  into  the  riffs  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences  in  the  bands musical  style  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  symphonic  elements  while t he  faster  sections  utilize  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  a  couple  of  instrumentals.

  Unhallowed  goes  back  to  the  mid  90's  era  of  melodic  black  and  Swedish  death  metal  and  mixes  the  two  style  together  to  create  the  sound  you  hear  on  the  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness, death  and  destruction.

  In  my  opinion  Unhallowed  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dawnbringer"  "Chalice  Of  Blood"  and  "Blackened  Skies".  8  out  of  10.

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Isenmor Interview

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

Mike Wilson (bass/vocals): Tim came up with the original idea for the band. He suggested that we start a folk metal band that focuses primarily on violins. We started around May of 2014 when we brought on Nick and Miles. Tim, Nick, and I worked on the first three songs which really defined our sound.

Tim Regan (guitar/vocals): PaganFest had just come through, and I was inspired to start my own folk metal band having just seen WINTERHYMN. They are proof that Americans can make some great folk metal. So I put up a few ads and got immediate responses. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who thought this could work. Nick and Miles both responded to the ad, and both of them are impressive violinists. Instead of choosing between the two, we just brought them both on board. The first couple times the band got together, we played “In My Sword I Trust” by ENSIFERUM, but we replaced the two lead guitar parts with violins. It sounded amazing, so that really shaped the songwriting for ISENMOR.


2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Nick Schneider (violin/vocals): I guess best way to describe it is as a melodic sort of folk metal of the more serious type. We like to use lots of harmonies with multiple instruments and vocals working together. We go back and forth between harsh and clean vocals, so there is plenty of aggression, but it is tempered with cleaner, often melancholy passages.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

NS: Like any good folk metal band, we have lyrics that cover battle, death, drinking and Germanic history and Mythology. We have put a special emphasis on historical accuracy and referring to the original source manuscripts for reference (like the Eddas, Tacitus' 'Germania' etc.)  We try to cover all Germanic dark age peoples instead of just vikings (as many do), but since there is so much lore about vikings they are hard to avoid. We try our best to include themes in our songs that are still relatable to a modern listener, and try to avoid being corny as much as possible.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Isenmor'?

NS: Isenmor is a compound of the Old English words Isen (Iron) and Mor (moor in modern English, also translates as wasteland). We thought the meaning "Iron Wasteland" evoked the idea of the aftermath of a battle, a wasteland of broken blades, cleaved helms and hewn mail among the dead and dying. On top of that we felt the name by itself sounded very cool and catchy to us. We went with an Old English as a way of connecting to the dark ages in a way that relates to us being from an English-founded country.


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

NS: Our best show so far had to be our most recent one at the Ottobar in Baltimore, MD back in March. We got a great response from the crowd and we played with a lot of energy. Our live performances include a decent amount of historical props and imagery. Since we have a range of fast and slow songs, we try to start strong, bring it down for a bit with some of our somber pieces, and then build back up and end in a frenzy.


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

NS: The release party for our EP is June 19th at Club Orpheus in Baltimore. That'll be your chance to pick-up the EP a couple days early! We'll also be playing Pocono Folk Metal Fest August 1st and Maryland Folk Fest August 22nd.  We haven't got any plans to tour in place at the moment, but we'd like to start playing outside our local area somewhat soon.

TR: We do have some opening slots for some larger folk/pagan bands that we have not yet announced coming up this year as well.


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

NS: We are not actively looking for a label at this point, but we'd be willing to review an offer if anyone is interested in us.


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

NS: So far, all the feedback we have gotten has been great. We haven't reached too many people yet, but the reviews we've gotten on our EP so far have been even better than we were hoping for.

MW: We're pretty young yet, but so far the feedback for our music has been really positive. We've gotten some pretty good reviews by a few online zines. We're pretty stoked about it!


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

NS: We have about half of the material for a full length written already, and at the rate we're going we expect to have writing done by this Autumn. Assuming none of our members die in battle, you should expect a full length consisting of entirely new material in mid-late 2016.


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?

NS: Our main influences include Týr, Heidevolk, Eluveitie, and Ensiferum. We've all got a pretty broad and varying taste in metal, and we bring varying ideas from all kinds of subgenres to our music.

TR: Aside from the ones Nick listed, lately I’ve been into Falkenbach’s Asa, Blind Guardian’s new album, Iced Earth’s Plagues of Babylon, and the new Nightwish.

MW: As for myself, I've recently been hooked on Devin Townsend and Green Carnation.


11.Does paganism play any role in your music?

NS: We certainly take the pagan religions of the pre-christian Germanic peoples as an inspiration for the music, theme and imagery of our band, and we do our best to represent them as accurately as possible as they appear in the historical record. We do this, however, as a point of historic interest; no one in our band is a practitioner of any reconstructed or made up modern pagan religion.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

NS: Beer.

MW: This isn't very in line with folk metal, but I'm a huge tech geek. I'm a software engineer for a living and I play a ton of video games. I love to play with new tech gadgets.

TR: My wife Jenny and I just had a daughter named Arya. If I’m not at work or playing music, I’m being covered in some sort of fluid courtesy of my baby. Though I don’t suppose qualifies as an “interest,” so let’s just say ice hockey, the most metal of all sports.


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

NS: We hope everyone enjoys the EP!

MW: Thanks for having us. We're looking forward to playing live and working toward the first full length!

TR: Grab our Land of the Setting Sun EP wherever it is you get music (iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, etc. -- it should be there starting June 21, 2015). Have a drink and spread the word!

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Pavillon Rouge 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?

Mervyn : Many things actually, our guitar player YVH left the band, and we had to search for a new guy to replace him... We have decided to involve a good friend of us, Sly S, who was a huge fan of the band. A couple of weeks after, we were able to perform great gigs thanks to him and it was a kind of rebirh for the band. We made a mini-tour in Netherlands which was a great time, and then we played in Paris for one of the best gigs we had ever made...
Presently, we're working on new tracks for the next album.


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

I would describe it as a kind of cosmic tekno black metal ! Antic mythology and space structures were a great inspiration for us, and I think you can feel it listening each of the tracks. We all listen to different kind of music (any kind of metal, electro, new wave, commercial shits etc...), and we've tried to mix it together in a cosmic atmosphere.
Our first album « Solmeth Pervitine » wasn't so conceptual, it was a kind of compilation of new tracks and 6 years old tracks, without many common points between them... I still love these tracks, but there was not a real coherence in it. Maybe because the members of the band, in those days, didn't really know each others... But after a couple of years, we became a real family, and from this brotherhood was born « Legio Axis Ka ».


3.This is the first album to be released in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Actually all of the songs we composed in 2012... a couple of month's after the release of « Solmeth Pervitine ». But it took a very, very long time to record it, mix it, find the cover, and, eventually, find the label to release it. Dooweet Records was motivated to work with us, and we are really glad about it.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Roughly, most of the lyrics deal with the search of light and any kind of ecstacy. Here is our main difference with every black metal bands, we don't give a shit about darkness and all the things that come with it... We love black metal, even the « darkest » bands, but we don't want to follow this way for the lyrics, because it would be fake. We are not « dark » people, we don't want darkness in our lives, so why would we talk about black forests, graveyards, old castles and depression ? Most of the bands that talks about it are not « dark » in the real life... And I defintely feel sad for the ones who really are...


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

« Pavillon Rouge », is the name of a track by a new wave french band, Indochine, which wrote my favourite albums in the 80s. This track was about cunnilingus, and it's a totally killer track, from my point of view (many people think I'm crazy because of it). The expression « Pavillon Rouge » is a metaphor, used in asiatic tales, to name the female sex. When I created the band, I thought that it would be a good band name, in order to contrast with classical black metal ones.


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

Our best gig was definitely the one we made in Gibus, Paris, with Perturbator and our friends Division:Crystal and Styxian Industries. This show was exactly what we had wanted to create since we began to play live : a kind of badass cosmic ceremony, in front of extatic and positive people. Definitely far away from average black metal gig, in which the audience is always trying to look « evil », judging the performance without trying to have a real experience with it. In Paris we've met the audience we had always searched for : enthousiastic, joyful, probably also drugged, and totally familiar with our message.
As for the performance itself, it's difficult to describe it for me because I'm on stage, but I think one could see it as a meeting of punks on a cosmic dancefloor.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We'll play on a festival this summer in the south of France, and we'll probably open for Hanzel und Grettel in Paris this autumn. Some other gigs, in France, Italy and Switzerland will soon be confirmed.


8.The new album was released on Swamp Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?


Swamp Record is under a label of Dooweet Record created at the beginning of 2015 dedicated to extreme music bands.



9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of industrial and black metal?

For « Solmeth Pervitine », we had some very good feedbacks from USA, Hungary, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic and Poland, which was really cool.


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

Pavillon Rouge is my only musical project, because in this band I can do whatever I want ! A long time ago I used to play some traditionnal black metal and it's a very bad experience, I'll never do this again ! After that I took part in a minimal electro duo in Hungary, KHK and then GK Agenda,  which was much better, but now I prefer having my own band, cause I feel totally free with it.


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

We already have a couple of tracks ready, and it will definitely be more electro, very catchy and dancy. The beats will be more present, the guitars won't be as important, and yet it will be fucking hostile. Many aggrotech influences in our own style, with a badass rock n roll touch.


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?

We've always been listening to every kind of music, so it will be very long to mention all the bands which had an influence on us. In Black Metal, the bands that influenced me were Emperor, Aborym, Arckanum, Black Lodge, Enslaved and above everything Crystalium. My other heroes were the bands from the 80s, in any kind of music : Indochine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Hanoi Rocks, Depeche Mode, Social Distortion, Vangelis...
And nowadays, I listen a lot to Dope DOD, Faith No More, Combichrist, Psyko Punkz and... Scooter !  As I told, you, I don't care about the genre of music I listen to, as long as it kicks ass. If I find a killer melody in a Britney Spears or Rihanna track, I'm not ashamed of listening to it all day long or playing it in a party...


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Fitness is my other passion, and it's also my job. And I can tell you that every track I wrote on « Legio Axis Ka » were inspired, in a way or another, by the music I use in fitness classes.
Sport is a kind of religion, for me it's a spiritual experience, that's why we refer a lot to Antiquity, which considerered body and mind as indissociable.
Besides, we're all crazy about parties and everything that comes with it...





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


Thanks for the interview and your support, hope you'll have a great experience with our tracks !




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Morthus Interview

INTERVIEW
ADIFFERENTSHADEOFBLACKMETALZINE, USA
-
MORTHUS
(Asgharoth Morthus Diaboli – Lead Guitar)
1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
The band was finally formed in late 2013 and after completing the lineup we played some club gigs in early 2014. During our record sessions for our Demo EP,  which was released on October 22nd  2014, we splitted from our bass player „Hellum“, so the present lineup of MORTHUS is „Kharon  Phormeus Inferorum“ on vocals, „Krypoth“ on drums, „Hrafnagud“ on Rhythm Guitar and me,  „Asgharoth Morthus Diaboli“ on Lead Guitar. For Shows we use a live bassist, this is at present „Flo“ from the Melodic Death Metal Band „Dubiosis“. We play Blackened Melodic Death Metal (some people say it is Melodic Black Metal) in the style of swedish genre icons like Dissection, Dark Funeral or Naglfar and in this years fall we will release our first Album, which, we think, will blow you away.

2.In October you had released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Our style is very hard influenced by swedish Black Metal. Especially Bands like Dark Funeral, Naglfar and the „holy“ Dissection are the inspirations for writing our stuff. So, all the songs on our  EP „Into Oblivion“, have a swedish touch, without sounding the same like the origins. Everyone  who likes the swedish Black Metal sound should give this EP a chance and listen to it, and of course MORTHUS.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The lyrics are about the dark lord and all the other dark subjects, like the black depths of human  mind or the ridiculous christianity. We take all typical Black Metal lyric themes and try to get more deep in it. So in the end, the lyrics are alle about death, darkness and occult and mythologic stuff.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Morthus'?
To be honest, there is no special meaning or something else behind the name. In the beginning we came across that we need a short and catchy namefor our band, so we took MORTHUS.  At this time, there was no other band out there with this name, so we have chosen this one. Sounds cool and stays in mind, thats all.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
The best show we played so far was in October 2014 in the „Clubhouse“ in Saalfeld/Germany together with „Aeons Confer“ (Hamburg/Germany). Perfect Organisation and through and through professional people there at the „Saalfelder Metal Stammtisch“. Great Sound and a really enthusiastic crowd made this evening to something special. Our stage performance is full of energy as well as the crowd in the front is. We try to transfer the  energy we feel on stage to the people in front of us, so they can have a great evening too.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
In 2015 we have no touring plans, because our plans for this years are to work on and to become more
known in the scene and maybe not only in Germany. Also we wanna record our first full length album in fall this year, so maybe we plan a tour for 2016. But some Shows we will play of course for the upcoming months. The next one will be on may, 30th at „Death Sentences“ together with „Arroganz“, „Fantoft“ and „Cold Palace“.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Yeah, thats right, currently we have no record label.. In february 2015 we received an offer by the spanish label „Art Gates Records“. They were interested to work together with us in the future. After the first talks were positive, they said that they will send us the contract, and that was the last sign we heard from them. We never saw a contract or something else. So maybe we will search a label in fall this year where we can release our debut-album. If no label is interested in us and our music, thats no problem, we can release the album, as well as our Demo EP, as a self-release.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
The reactions or reviews we received so far were through and through extremely positive. We received feedback from countries like Spain, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, Norway, Egypt, the south american area and from the United States too. No matter if this were single persons, magazines or webzines, all were highly positive, so maybe this could be a good start for a worldwide fanbase :-)

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We will enter the „Nautilus Studio“ in Gera/Germany at the end of may this year. There we also recorded our Demo EP „Into Oblivion“. Our decision to do this is quite simple, the sound of our Demo. Florian Rahm from Nautilus is truely a master. If our plans are right we can release this album in fall 2015. We all are sure, that this album will defnitly get some attention. And what come after that, you never know...

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 influences are very clear, as you can hear on our EP. These are definitely bands which play the socalled swedish Black Metal, and there especially bands like Dissection, Naglfar and Dark Funeral. These masters of melodies and dark atmospheres are the main influences for the style of our songs. Of course there are other bands too which we listen to or which also have influenced us. Just to name a few, these bands are Children of Bodom, Dimmu Borgir, Slayer, Der Weg einer Freiheit, Immortal, Negator, Gorgoroth or Nile.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Of course everyone of us has some interests, which are out of the musical stuff, although it is hard to find space between our musical duties and our regular jobs we have as well. Kharon for exampleis programming a little computer game at the moment, something with rogues and dungeons and stuff like that, pretty awesome results so far. Krypoth trains in a fitness studio, he is very heading into a fitness freak, and Hrafnagud and I, we like movies and computer games, although I for myself try not to waste too much time with that, because this time I can also spend in writing new Morthus stuff, and thats the most important fact
for me.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
 We thank you for the opportunity to talk to you and for the opportunity to introduce our music in the United States. I hope sometimes we can do a show there. Also we want to thank our most important partner in the business so far, Markus Eck from MetalMessage, who helps us with all the promotional stuff, and he is doing really great. An awesome guy. Further we thank all our fans and families, who are standing behind us at every time, so we could reach this point where we are at the moment. And to the people in the States I wanna say, listen to Morthus, like us, share us or just enjoy. Raise your fist and Horns up to every Metal fan in the United States!!!!

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Morthus/Into Oblivion/2014 EP Review

  Morthus  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Into  Oblivion".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  solos  and  leads  which  also  dominate  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  also  utilize  both  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  songs  also  have  a  90's  vibe  to  them  at  times  and  the  fast  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  heavy  musical  direction.

  Morthus  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  the  90's  melodic  styles  of  Swedish  black  and  death  metal  together,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  blasphemous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morthus  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  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  "Blinded  by  The  Holy  Light"  and  "Symphony  Of  the  Black  Death".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/hRxfbozAyVc

I Am The Trireme Interview

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

Well lets see IATT has signed a new deal with Horror Death Pain Gore Productions and we will be releasing our first full length entitled "Gnosis: Never Follow the Light". This release will be available digitally and in CD format June 30th.

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

I feel that this album has a more polished sound while keeping the same relentless attack that I am the Trireme is known for. I feel that this album is very diverse with tempo changes, pace and feeling. We were able to achieve this without jeopardizing the fluidity and cohesiveness of the album. Lyrically each song is relative, the second song can not exist without the first and so on. The songs are comparable to the metamorphosis of a butterfly or in a more morbid sense the 5 stages of grief.

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

Actually this is our first original release in 4 years in 2013. We re-released UnHoly which was comprised of songs  that we reworked and re-recorded. Over the last couple of years we have released our first Music Video for the song "Repulsed by the Sun". We spent the summer of 2012 on a short run tour as well as another short run tour in the summer of 2013, with our brothers Consumed with Hatred. Also in 2013 we signed our first record contract with Dark Harvest Records and Released UnHoly through them. We have played a slew of regional shows and spent most of our time writing, recording and trying to balance our everyday lives.


4.Originally the band was in a metalcore direction but the newer stuff goes for more of a death and black metal sound, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision to go into this direction?

Honestly I would say that the evolution of the band could be attributed to finding the right members to carry out the vision that myself and Alec Pezzano (Guitarist) anticipated. When we started the band we wanted to play fast and aggressive, but finding the actual people who have the same intentions and ability is another story. We shuffled through 15 members before we were able to get a capable lineup and this lineup has been together 4 years. I have always enjoyed Black Metal, but it wasn't popular in South Jersey. Once I found guitarist Joe Cantamessa I vowed to him that we would be a Melodic Black Metal band. In our early days as a metalcore band we didn't fit in with the others, we encouraged old school push moshing instead of karate dancing we were a lot darker than the others. We tore up bibles, displayed inverted crosses and the  lyrics were against religion. The message was always the same the only difference was the sound changing. If you look at Dissection and the last release Reinkaos, it wasn't popular amongst Elitist because it had a Black and Roll sound the message was the same if not darker. Now the whole Black and Roll sound has taken off.

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

The Lyrics in "Gnosis: Never Follow the Light" explores the stages of ascension and being enlightened. The concept of dying in order to achieve ascension  and becoming has a heavy influence. In this album Enlightenment pertains to the ability to identify true evil and not what society portrays as evil.  My lyrics have always been based off of perception and painting a picture with my words. For example Metre Fin a' Cette when translated means End this Life, when I wrote the lyrics I wrote about a personal situation and for me the song is about ending one life and leaving a certain aspect behind.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'I Am The Trireme'?

Well lets start with the meaning of the word Trireme. A Trireme is a Warship that was discovered to exist as early as 410 BC it was more popular in the 5th Century in the Mediterranean seas. The meaning behind our name has become more prevalent during our career The Trireme relates to our band and the fast paced blasting sound that we have. Like an ancient war ship crushing through the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. With a Trireme every man must hold down there portion of the ship, the next man relies on the other to travel. The Trireme stands for the beliefs and values that were consecrated upon the bands formation. We are just men that are rowing and steering the boat.

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?

When I think about some shows that IATT has played there are three different shows that come to mind. The first would be our most recent show that we played in February with Downfall of Gaia (Germany) and Hivelords (Philadelphia) at the Kungfu Necktie in Philadelphia.
This was a great show for a few reasons, the line up was awesome you had three bands in the blackened genre that added other genres tastefully and put on an awesome show. Unique in their own rights but blending very well. Another reason would be that we were debuting a new single from our upcoming album. We promoted this show alot handing out flyers, social media promotion as well as handing out free download cards of our first single. We received a lot of praise for our new material and our live set. Lastly I would like to say that the venue was awesome it had a really down to earth vibe without being a dive bar. The sound guy and gear was top notch and they even provided the bands with a room and beer.

The Next show would be one of the dates from our Summer Tour in 2013 with Consumed with Hatred. We played this venue called The Pinch in Washington D.C. and as some of the opening bands began to play we grew a little weary because the turnout was poor, the sound system was not good and  the venue didn't have a sound guy. We began to prep our gear and out of no where a crowd of people poured in. The crowd was diverse and not your typical Metal heads. As we played our set it was more apparent that a good amount were not Metal Heads but they  danced and swayed to our music in their own way in between our sets there was chanting we had people pouring beer in our mouths as we performed. Honestly looking into the crowd it looked as if we were at a dance club. That was probably the most successful show on that tour.

The last show on my list of standout shows for I am the Trireme would be a show we played in 2013 in Ohio. We were invited to play a benefit festival at a rather large Amphitheatre that was located in the middle of the woods. The landscape and stage set-up was enough for the show to make the list. There was a decent crowd but the people we met were very personable and to this day we remain in touch with a handful of them. One them sacrificed their body months later Tattooing his leg with IATT's Infamous moon cross. There was good amount of people who camped out with us at the venue we were greeted with beer and shared stories throughout the night. We even graced the presence and befriended a Giant Mastiff who belonged to the owner of the Venue. This was one of the more memorable voyages in I am the Trireme's Career.

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

We have intentions to do some short run tours in support of the new release we currently reaching out to booking agencies and also coordinating with our new label to line some support dates up.

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

We have received a lot of positive feedback from fans abroad, there are a few Blog Review sites , Indie Radio Stations and Metal sites from abroad that have given us good remarks as well as airplay.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Yes almost every member is involved in a project. Joe Cantamessa (Lead Guitarist)  is involved with quite a few projects. He has a solo guitar t(Melodic Rock) project named Joe C and he also has a (Post Black Metal) Project named Remnants of Winter. Alec Pezzano (Guitarist/Orchestrals) has a collaboration project that entitled Mr Tinabello's Orphanage House (Symphonic Blackened Death).
I have a few projects myself that are in the works,  Solo Project - Salix Babylonica ( Extreme Metal/Post Black Metal), Solo Project - Planes of Existence (Doom/Death Metal) Via Sin Dios (Crust Punk). Our Drummer Paul has a Progressive  Rhythmic Project that is in the works.

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

Honestly I see I am the Trireme heading to a more progressive extreme metal direction but still maintaining the the atmosphere and relentless attack that black metal is known for.

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?

As a band there are a few good bands that we are direct influences such as Dissection, Shining, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Septic Flesh, Neo Obliviscaris and Forgotten Tomb to name a few.

12.How would you describe your views on the Paranormal and Paganism?

Well as a band we have always had an interest in the undead and paranormal. I have never experienced paranormal activity but I believe anything is possible. I will say that in my journey of exploring Anticosmic Satanism I have experienced Astral Projection and Outer body experiences. Those experiences and the negative energy that was involved enlightened me and opened my eyes to some not so pleasant things lets leave it at that.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Well lets see I am a father of three and family life is an important part of my life outside of music. I am also a die-hard. sports fan for Philadelphia area teams. Lastly I work in the Medical field I am an EMT for an ambulance company so Emergency medicine is one of my interest as well.

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

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to promote I am the Trireme and Gnosis: Never Follow the Light will be out June 30th on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions.

www.iamthetrireme.com
Http//facebook.com/iamthetrireme
www.horrorpaingoredeath.com
Http//facebook.com/horrorpaingoredeath
Http//facebook.com/clawhammerpr

I Am The Trireme - Tamerlane (Chapter 1): http://youtu.be/CKuQVHKJbcM