Scratch the Surface Issue 3

PROCESS OF GUILT | HORSEBACK | ICARUS WITCH | THE AGONIST

BARONESSCOLORING THE GREY AREAS

PURIFIED IN BLOODROYAL THUNDER

i k

WIN KATATONIA

AND BARONESS

CDS

KATATONIA, GOJIRA, TESTAMENT, SPINESHANK, OM AND BARONESS REVIEWED!

FEATURES:

03. ICARUS WITCH

04. THE AGONIST

06. HORSEBACK

08. PROCESS OF GUILT

10. PURIFIED IN BLOOD

12. BARONESS

14. ROYAL THUNDER

16. REVIEWS

CREW...

Editor: David Alexandre

Contributors: Luca Niero, Pete RingMaster,

Curtis Dewar, Raymond Westland,

Chris Ward, John Toolan, CHRIS WRIGHT.

INFO...

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I S S U E # 3 J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 2

Scratch the Surface | 2

Editorial...

IT’s been a while since our last issue, I reckon that. Yettrust me when I say that we’ll be working hard to bring you a newissue every two months from now on. We’ve gathered a strong and talented team of writers as you cansee below in the credits and it was such team that pieced to-gether our best and most varied issue yet. In this issue, you’ll have the chance to read exclusive interviewswith the mighty Baroness, who’ve just released one of the bestrecords of 2012, and with uprising acts such as The Agonist,Process of Guilt and Royal Thunder. This issue also signals a new change, Scratch the Surface is notfree anymore and from now on will be available to subscribersonly. But don’t sweet because subscriptions only cost 1.5€ a year,and that’s just the price of the cheapest beer in the local pub. Enjoy number 3, and see you again in September following a well-earned vacation.THE ED

CONTESTS...WIN A COPY OF DEAD END KINGS

Scratch the Surface are giving youthe chance to win a copy of Katatonia’s latest record “DeadEnd Kings”, which is schedule for release in late August throughPeaceville Records. To get yourhands on a copy, you’ll have toemail scratchthesurface.we-

[email protected] with your full name and the answer to thefollowing question before August 15. Name the fist demo ofKatatonia?

WIN A COPY OF YELLOW & GREEN We’re also giving away a copy ofBaroness “Yellow & Green” double album, to win just emailUS with your full name and THEname of the two songs featuredin Baroness first demo. An-swers must be submitted be-fore August 15.

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ICARUS WITCH

I've now listened to your new album ''Rise''a few times and I have to

say I was quite impressed with it. I personally think it's your best yet!

How did you manage to even get the album made with all of the

changes that have happened since ''Draw Down the Moon?'' To my un-

derstanding you not only got a new singer but also a new drummer,

second guitarist and producer!

Thank you. We also feel it the strongest material that we’ve created and

if it took some trial and error with different players to reach this level,

then it was worth the 2 years between albums. Christopher’s vocal and

songwriting approach is completely different from our original singer,

Matthew’s and while previous efforts certainly appealed to a loyal niche

of metalheads, the new direction expounds upon that and seems to be

striking a chord with a much wider variety of rock music fans than our

past efforts.

One thing I noticed between this album and your last is that the song

quality has improved dramatically. You guys always had good songs,

but ''Rise" seems to have taken things to a whole new level. How did

you guys manage to make songs of this high of quality this time

around?

I attribute much of that to opening up the writing process for more va-

riety of input from the new members. In the past there were more con-

trols and a stricter sense of “This is or is not ‘the Witch sound’.” All of

that went out the window this time and when given the freedom to

write without limitations, the ideas were flowing more freely.

Chris has a more hook/chorus based approach to his writing, and Dave

coming in as second lead guitar raised the level of writing because in

the past he functioned as a producer whose main goal was to get the

best songs out of bands. His level of guitar playing is impeccable too, so

what you get is a very healthy competition (for lack of a better term) be-

cause Quinn really raised his game this time around as well.

Add to this the fact that our drummer Tom is actually the first drummer

in our history that we wrote, recorded and played shows with because

in the past we had used session drummers. Now the band sounds more

like “a band.”

Everyone is invested and has something to prove. The rhythm section

has never been tighter, the dual leads have never been crisper and the

choruses are the anthemic type that you can sing along with the first

time you hear.

Were you nervous at how the fans would react with all of the line-up

changes or were you confident that the album would turn out as it

did? A change of personnel-especially a singer-can be an extremely

risky proposition.

You never really know how people are going to react to a change at the

top, but we can’t let that affect what we know is the right course of ac-

tion for our situation. I have always had faith in this band, from the very

first time we went into the studio until the most recent efforts. I have

always had a calm sense of confidence that there is an additional force

guiding this project through each twist and turn.

I recall reading an interview from a few years ago where you men-

tioned that you felt that metal has gone downhill since 83 or some-

thing to that effect. Do you still feel that way? And if so, what do you

feel you guys bring to the metal world that other bands don't? Do you

listen to any newer bands at all? Who?

Haha, that’s funny. Well, I think the point I was trying to make was that

“heavy metal” really hit a peak during that era before everything became

so compartmentalized into subgenres and cliques. I do feel that was the

best time for traditional metal but I’m not stuck in the past and am al-

ways listening for new bands that bring things up a notch. Quinn and I

were hanging out at Uproar Fest last year and the lineup was stellar;

Black Tide, Bullet For My Valentine, Escape The Fate, Avenged Sevenfold

all high energy metal bands that combine certain classic elements with

a very cutting edge approach. I’m personally a big fan of the Finnish

metal like Amorphis, H.I.M. and Rasmus and Swedish melodic rock like

Eclipse and H.E.A.T., so you may hear those influences creeping in to the

music that I bring in, at least on a subliminal level.

www.icaruswitch.com

Hardrock or AOR are not styles of musicyou’ll see covered in these pages thatoften, but Scratch the Surface pride it-self on being an eclectic publication andwhen Curtis Dewar heard the newrecord from Pittsburgh’s hard rockersICARUS WITCH, he was very impressed andthought it’d be a good idea to ask bassplayer Jason Myers a few questions abouttheir new effort “Rise” and the changesin their career.

the rise of icarus witchWords: Curtis Dewar

I probably developed this rangeby not being intimidated to

attempt weird things. I wasntafraid to do really strange

things that girls dont normallydo. I just sort of went for any

possible sound I could make. Alissa White Gluz on her powerful vocal range

I was pleasantly surprised by “Prisoners”, the latest album by Mon-

treal, Canada-based The Agonist. Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz was kind

enough to provide us with some insights on the album, working to-

gether with Cryptopsy guitarist Chris Donaldson and getting involved

with MTV…

Thank for you doing this interview for Scratch The Surface. I must say

I’m quite impressed with your new album. Are you happy the way it

came out?

“Yeah. It’s hard to be happy with something like this because you always

want to go back and fix one thing or re-do one thing, but you just have

to at one point be happy with how it turns out and go from that.”

This time around you chose to go for a more straightforward metal ap-

proach. What triggered this?

“Well, I completely disagree with that statement, and you’re the first

person who’s said that, so I don’t know how to answer that question. I

think it’s not a straightforward metal approach. I kind of wish it was, but

I don’t think it is at all, I think it’s quite the opposite. It’s more technical

and progressive than the last album.”

Can you share some insights on the themes and subjects touched on

“Prisoners”?

“The lyrics for this album

are, I guess, less perceptive. I kind of

just wrote the lyrics and let them live as

they were. I didn’t try to overdo any of them or rewrite them a

million times, because at first I was doing that. Like with ‘The Escape.’ I

wrote that song like three times before it turned into what it is now. So

for the rest of the songs, I was like, ‘okay, it’s going to take me ten years

to write this album if I do it that way,’ so I just kind of let the lyrics come

out and left them as they were. Even to the point where songs like ‘Idea

Moto’ are automatic writing.”.

The creative backbone of the band is formed by guitarist Danny Marino

and Alissa White-Gluz. What do the other members contribute?

“They write the parts for their own instruments. So, Chris, who plays

bass, will write the bass parts. That’s about it.”

“Prisoners” was recorded with the help of Cryptopsy guitarist Chris

Donaldson. How was it like to work with him and what did he bring to

the table?

“Well, this is the third time we’re working with him. And he is a very,

very talented musician, and also a talented sound engineer and pro-

ducer, so it’s great to work with him. He knows exactly what he’s doing

behind the soundboard and he also has a really good ear for producing.

I don’t really know in terms of the other instruments. He plays guitar,

so I’m assuming he’s a great guitar producer, but he also helps with my

vocals because he knows my voice so well that if I do a take, he knows

to tell me, “No, you can sound better. Do it again,” or “Yeah, that was

perfect, trust me it sounds good,” which is really important because

Montreal, Canada five-piece The Agonist arefast becoming one of the most exciting andinteresting bands in modern metal music.Three years on from their surprising andcritically acclaimed second album “Lullabiesfor the Dormant Mind”, this year the bandreturns with an incredible new record thattops everything they’ve done in the past andboasts an astonishing progression. Scratchthe Surface scribe Raymond Westlandquizzed vocalist Alissa White-Gluz in orderto find out more about their third full-length record “Prisoners”.



when you’re the one doing it, you can’t really tell how it sounds. You

have to have that second set of ears to give you that outside opinion.

So, it’s great to work with him, and I’d be happy to work with him again.”

Part of the The Agonist attraction is your the incredible vocal range.

How did you manage to develope such a range and how do you keep

your vocals in shape on the road?

“Thank you. I don’t do anything too special. I probably have a leg up on

some people just because I don’t drink or smoke, and I’m a fairly healthy

person. Like, I’m vegan and I like to work out. My instrument is a part of

my body, so I have to maintain my body for my instrument to work. I

probably developed this range by not being intimidated to attempt

weird things. I wasn’t afraid to do really strange things that girls don’t

normally do. I just sort of went for any possible sound I could make.

That’s what makes it fun and that’s what makes it diverse as well.”

You’re also very vocal about animal rights and other environmental is-

sues. To what extent are your views shared by the rest of the band and

would you call The Agonist a political band like Napalm Death?

“They’re not necessarily shared at all. I don’t talk very much about pol-

itics with the rest of my band. I write all the lyrics, so in terms of any

topic, it’s purely for me. They obviously respect my beliefs, and they

probably share some of them, but I would say you could call us a political

band, in the sense that all of our lyrics have that backbone, but it also

all comes from one member, which is me. So, the band as a whole, yes,

but if you were to approach individual members, maybe not.”

You also took part in MTV’s Made, a program which helps insecure

youngsters with her dreams. How do you look back on this experience?

Does it really help young people improve their self-esteem?

“It was a great experience, but it was actually very difficult because it

was really emotional. And really tough for me too, because I invested a

lot of myself into it. I wasn’t about to risk doing something that impor-

tant half-assed. Obviously, it was really important to Julia that this go

well. And, yeah; there was a lot going on there that people didn’t see. I

was there for a month and a half and the episode was only an hour long.

It was definitely a good experience—a learning experience. And I still

talk to Julia regularly. I think it was a good change for her and for me. I

came out having learned a lot, too.”

2012 is a good year for metal so far. Which releases made quite an

impression on you and why?

“To be honest, I haven’t listened to music all year. So I have no idea

how to answer that question. I haven’t gotten anything. I honestly

can’t answer.”

Time for the final question. What is next in terms of touring, festivals

and other possible musical ventures?

“We’re currently working on getting to as many different territories as

possible. We’d like to hit all the territories we hit with ‘Lullabies’ and

maybe more. And so, we’re working on putting together a really good

team so that The Agonist can tour all the territories that we should be

touring in because we see all the requests for where people think we

should tour, and we’re not ignoring them. We are working towards

getting there. It just takes time, and it’s not that easy. But we do take

[the requests] to heart.”

www.theagonist.com

The Agonist – Prisoners (Century Media)Female fronted metal bands, I person-

ally really loath the term. I find it a hol-

low shell, because it doesn’t give any

information about the style of a certain

band. Both Arch Enemy and Epica have

female vocalists, but both outfits are on

opposite side of the metal spectrum.

Montreal, Canada-based The Agonist is

another metal outfit featuring a female

singer, but this time around it’s a lady

whose good looks are only exceeded by her vocal capabilities..

“Prisoners” is the third album by these Canadians and it’s arguably

their most focused and compact effort to date. Gone are the dramat-

ics that characterised the previous album. This time it’s all about

memorable tunes. The song material on “Prisoners” which can best

be described as a volatile mix between Soilwork’s The Panic Broadcast

and Chimaira’s Resurrection and The Infection albums. Some slight

Meshuggah overtones add extra spice and texture to the album.

As previously mentioned The Agonist’s greatest ace in the hole is vo-

calist Alissa White-Gluz. Within a heartbeat she can alternate be-

tween ferocious growls to opera-styled vocals. However, on this

album she mainly limits herself to her deadly arsenal of growls and

some bittersweet clean sung choruses. “You’re Coming With Me”,

“The Escape” and “Anxious Darwinians” are good reference points in

this matter. Another key feature is the tasteful guitar work by Danny

Marino and Pascal Jobin. “Ideomotor” and “Revenge Of The Dadaists”

are also particularly noteworthy.

The production values of this album are expertly handled by Cryp-

topsy guitarist Chris Donaldson. He gave “Prisoners” its modern and

in-your-face sound.

“Prisoners” by The Agonist won’t re-write the playbook within their

field of metal, but it’s a very solid and enjoyable release nonetheless.

The song material is memorable and energetic and Alissa and the rest

of the band gave it their all. I’m sure that fans of the more modern

styles of metal will be thrilled with this album. (8/10).

Raymond Westland

Hi Jenks, firstly could you please tell us about the actual man, Jenks

Miller.

I live in the woods in central North Carolina with my family. I’ve been

making records in some shape or form for over a decade.

When did music first take a hold beyond the ear?

I’ve played music all my life, starting with piano lessons as a kid. I started

writing and recording music after I learned to play guitar.

What are the major influences which have had the biggest impact and

touch on your own music?

Aside from other music, I’ve been profoundly influenced by certain film-

makers, including Andrei Tarkovsky, Alejandro Jodorowsky and David

Lynch. I also have a keen interest in myth, symbolism and semiotics,

which has led me to the writing of CG Jung and Joseph Campell, among

others.

Tell us how Horseback came about as a project.

Horseback began in 2006 as a therapeutic outlet for me. The first Horse

back record, Impale Golden Horn, was created with no plans to share it

publicly. Some friends finally convinced me to release the record, and

the project has built momentum from there.

Is there a musical history before Horseback?

Yes, I’ve played in bands since high school. I also play in the folk-rock

band Mount Moriah, which has been around about as long as Horseback

has.

You have just released the wonderful Half Blood album. Can you give

some background to it?

Half Blood was the first record written and recorded specifically for Re-

lapse. I took the opportunity to reflect a bit on Horseback’s other

records and collaborative albums with bands like Locrian and Pyramids,

to allow for a new synthesis of those various approaches to composition

and audio engineering.

It is a release which encompasses a varied range of metal flavours, ex-

tremes, and imaginative sounds. Do you go looking for inspiration

when you write or are the diverse musical soundscapes you create just

an organic outcome of your personal thoughts and exploration?

HORSEBACK...Half Blood is concerned with the evolutionary

necessity of impurity and mutation...

One of the most striking and provocative albums to emerge this year so far is Half Bloodfrom North Carolina band Horseback. The solo project of Jenks Miller, the band and

album is a testing and rewarding experience for senses and thoughts. Scoping and tran-scending multiple genres Half Blood is a challenging yet mesmeric journey with every

second of its consuming soundscapes an evolving evocative presence inciting emotions. Scratch The Surface had the pleasure of finding out more about the man behind the

album and Horseback itself.


Words: Pete RingMaster


It’s usually a very organic process. My approach to composition often

involves a lot of experimentation in the studio. I am personally drawn

to extreme or textural sounds from metal, noise, jazz, free improv, etc,

so those sounds often appear in my work.

You described the album as “the band’s most ambitious record to date

that represents a synthesis of the approaches we've explored in the

past.” Could you expand on that and which part of the album saw the

biggest change from previous work?

Each Horseback record prior to Half Blood is a self-contained entity with

minimal overt references to the others. Half Blood is the first record to

explicitly reference the records which came before it, and as a result it

stands as a synthesis of those different sounds and approaches.

How much of songs were in place thought and sound wise before

recording and how much did they evolve during the studio process?

One or two central components in a song (a riff, a field recording, etc)

are usually written before I record. The rest evolves during the studio

process. I’ve found this approach gives me both the freedom to explore

flashes of inspiration and the power to shape each composition into its

most fulfilling form.

Listening to the immense creativity and craft involved the assumption

is the album took a long time to be created, what was the reality?

Oh yes. I worked on Half Blood for almost two years.

Whilst the music is intrusive with extremes and blackened dronescapes

it brings an almost meditative ambience to envelope the senses. Does

the intent of your music favour one over the other predominantly in

aim or is it an equal mix you try to bring?

I don’t set out to favor one mood over the other. The recordings you

hear are what come about when I sit down to write, which for me is a

daily practice. I also practice meditation, so maybe you’re picking up on

a connection there. I like music that hypnotizes me; such music is some-

times harsh and sometimes calm. The surface characteristics of the

sounds involved are not nearly as important to me as their effects.

Please tell us about the lyrical theme upon Half Blood, which you

called “a meditation on hybridity, impurity and evolution.”

Half Blood is concerned with the evolutionary necessity of impurity and

mutation. The lyrics expand on those themes using characters from var-

ious mythologies.

It would be fair to say the vocals on the album do not make it easy to

understand the lyrics fully, is this to add further ‘mystique’ to the

theme or more to do with sound textures within the music?

It’s more to do with the sound textures in the music. Though there are

common threads connecting the lyrics of each song, the lyrics them-

selves are not nearly as important as the texture of the vocals. Still, I’m

not averse to publishing the lyrics -- if the interest is there, maybe Re-

lapse could post them all at some point.

You also play in the band Mount Moriah as you mentioned earlier, is

there an element of either project which brings something to the

other?

Yes, I think so. Both projects are influenced by American folk, blues and

country music. Mount Moriah’s approach is more orthodox, while

Horseback’s is more whimsical and aggressively experimental. Still, I

learn things from each band. They definitely influence each other in

subtle ways.

One imagines it is not a simple thing to transfer your music to a live

setting even with a full band, how involved is the process?

Horseback’s live shows are rock shows. We play more stripped-down

and high-energy versions of the songs you hear on the record. Our live

shows attempt to tap into the primal, hypnotic energy of early punk and

metal bands.

Is there any part or element of Half Blood which personally gives you

the fullest of pleasure?

There’s no single element. I appreciate the record most as a sum of its

parts.

What comes next for Jenks Miller and Horseback?

More writing and recording! And hopefully a few live shows when we

can make our schedules work.

Many thanks for sharing your time and words with us, any final words

for those having had and others just about to find the joy of Half

Blood?

Thank you, Pete. I hope your readers find Half Blood’s sonic world worth

exploring.

www.horsebacknoise.com

Horseback – Half Blood (Relapse)For all the great and easily ac-

cessible straightforward albums

which appear every month

sometimes one wants and

needs to be stretched and

asked questions of. “Half Blood”

the new album from North Car-

olina band Horseback is one

such release, a testing imagina-

tive and evocative creation

which works the senses and

emotions.

Horseback is the creation of gui-

tarist, vocalist, and producer Jenks Miller and follows on from his pre-

vious acclaimed albums including “Forbidden Planet” and “The

Invisible Mountain”. Miller transcends genres with his music to con-

jure up a storm of drone, doom, black metal, psychedelic rock, and

more, his albums and individual tracks an emotive journey to chal-

lenge and invoke deep reactions. Though “Half Blood” is not an album

which gives an instant easy pull it is as welcoming as it needs to be,

mesmerising the ear and thoughts before leading them into its skilled

and stunning heart. The album is like a fire, from an initial spark it

builds and grows into a consuming and emotively fired experience.

Released through Relapse Records “Half Blood” is in the words of

Miller “a meditation on hybridity, impurity and evolution”, its breath

themed by mythology, hermeticism and western mystical traditions.

It offers a blend of intrusive and caressing opposites in sound and light

for an overall fluid and meditative experience. At times the music

scrapes across the senses whilst at other times it leads them through

a harsh darkness into enveloping abrasive warmth, the experience

never less than hypnotic.

The album opens with the irresistible ‘Mithras’. The song is an imme-

diate beckoning with its muscular bass and warm keys but proves a

deeper addiction once a darkened pulse and dissident energy begins

to prowl with menace behind the seventies progressive toned groove.

From the opener the album only finds richer depths and satisfaction

with the likes of the heated atmospheric ‘Ahriman’ with its excellent

drone groove underlining waves of strong melodies and stoner tones,

and the heavily resonated ‘Ajuna’ lighting up the senses. These songs

all follow a ‘regular’ structure to some extent but the album truly finds

its heights with the unpredictable ingenuity of ‘Inheritance (The

Changeling)’ and the closing trio of tracks under the umbrella title

‘Hallucigenia’, all captivating and enthralling despite openly intrusive

and startling sounds, their caustic cleansing deeply pleasing.

Though “Half Blood” is not the easiest experience the concentrated

effort it demands brings nothing but fully rewarding and deep expe-

riences .(8/10)

Pete RingMaster

Inspired by the failures of mankind PROCESS OF GUILT havecreated the most accomplished and raging album of their

career. Proud of the new effort and determined to make 2012their biggest year yet, guitarist and vocalist Hugo Santos tells

all to Scratch the Surface.

process of guilt

Words: Luca Niero

the failures of mankind

It’s been three years since your last album “Erosion”, how does it feel

to have “Fæmin” finally out?

We're really glad to finally have a new album out, but it's important to

state that we didn't spent the last three years making it. We only started

writing what would become «Fæmin» in the beginning of 2011 and it

was a hard working process, since we basically started from scratch, but

that gave us the opportunity to compose a strong and concise album

from start to finish. Given the experience provided by our last releases,

«Fæmin» is, the album that took us less time since we entered the studio

until the moment it was released. It was also our most concise experi-

ence regarding production. We only took about one or two months for

all the recording, mixing and mastering, somewhere between last Sep-

tember and October. Nevertheless, it's always a good and positive feel-

ing to have the record out.

«Fæmin» has been out for almost a month now, how has the response

been from fans and critics?

So far, the feedback has been great, considering the response we are

getting from fans and media. It's been stated as a kind of "departure"

from our previous work and somehow we agree with this, since we re-

ally feel like we have upgraded our vision towards our own music with

this release. I reckon that it's not an easy record to get into, nor are the

feelings that we're trying to express through «Fæmin». But, I believe

that once the listeners really get into what we're trying to convey they

will see this effort as a step forward for us.

Can you tell me what the title means and what it represents to you?

We look at «Fæmin» – or famine – through the lens of starvation,

scarcity, representing the maximum state of decay of the human being.

It represents also the ultimate level in which the human being can’t en-

sure his own subsistence, the failure of mankind as a whole, even our

own personal failure. We use music to express and deal with our own

feelings, anxieties, anger and concerns, what we conceive as our per-

sonal vision of what surrounds us, kind of a “personal catharsis”. With

«Fæmin» we tried to express those same feelings while adopting the

title's definition as the main theme running throughout the album.

I see that you still have the tendency to name your songs with only

one word. Can you give some details on the songs, what themes are

carried out on this album?

I consider that we have a sort of minimalist approach towards music, as

we try to be as concise as we can, in both our lyrical and musical expres-

sion. I believe that our search for strong riffs also reflects upon the lyrics

and, therefore, we choose to use only one word as a way to identify the

main theme running through the song..

As for the themes carried throughout the album, we can say that basi-

cally we seek environments and atmospheres that transpire despair, de-

pression and desolation, and as a result, our lyrics deal with our own

perspectives and thoughts about that same negativity. For that, we draw

inspiration from the dark side of our daily experiences, since the brutal-

ity of the day-to-day life has much to offer regarding these aspects. The

five themes can be described as enveloped in a cycle of feelings such as

self delusion, lies, disrespect, purge and emptiness. And «Fæmin» stands

for our own understanding of those subjects, channelized through

music.

How was writing “Fæmin” different from “Erosion”? This new effort

seems a bit more raw and fierce in comparison.

I'm glad that you've underlined fierceness, since that was one of our

aims for this album. We wanted our music to evolve and to be more at

pace with ourselves, and in order to accomplish that we felt an urge to-

wards playing more dynamic and aggressive music. For this release we

put a lot of effort in the song's dynamics, and we just tried to play those

riffs in the most sincere way that we could. But the main difference is

that, with «Fæmin», we had the opportunity to think about every detail

regarding the writing process with a different focus and experience pro-

vided by almost everything that happened since «Erosion» was released

until now. Of course, we still stand for the music on «Erosion», but I

guess, in retrospect, without writing and recording that album, we

couldn't have reached some of the conclusions that led us to write

«Fæmin».

This time you opted to hand over the mixing duties to Andrew Schnei-

der at Translator Audio Studios in New York and mastering to Collin

Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicago. And these guys really managed

to give a more raw and claustrophobic edge to the album, what did

you guys do to make the album sound the way it does?

We wanted the final sound to be as organic and dynamic as possible,

and knew that Andrew Schneider could help us out achieving this, so he

played a very important role on the final result. Of course that, in order

to achieve this, we changed some things in our usual tracking methods,

namely the drums, that led us to work in a different studio, MDL with

André Tavares. As for the mastering duties, Collin Jordan had previously

mastered «Erosion» and we were willing to work with him again. As for

the rest, we just tried to improve on the technical aspects of the record-

ings the best we could, while trying to capture the right feeling and ap-

propriate sound towards a more organic and punchy sound. As I

mentioned earlier, we just tried to play everything in the most sincere

and honest way possible. In the end, I guess we found the best equation

for our sound, since we are really happy with the final result.

What are you guys working on next?

Right now, we finished a few dates in Portugal presenting «Fæmin» and

we're in the process of booking a European tour for late October. We al-

ready have some booked dates and, hopefully, we'll announce that soon.

It's possible that we can start writing some new riffs, but for now we're

still focused in promoting «Fæmin» as best as we can.

www.processofguilt.com


Process Of Guilt - Faemin (Bleak/Division)Well, this one certainly came

out of left field! Having had a

bit of an explosion this year

with some killer releases from

Candlemass, Saint Vitus and

Paradise Lost – not to mention

a host of lesser known bands

all delivering the goods – the

doom metal scene seems to

be in a healthy state right now.

But when you get a handful of

new releases come along in a

short space of time and one of them is from a relatively unknown

band with an album that is over forty minutes long and only has five

songs on it, preconceptions may get in the way a little bit.

But have no such fear, as Portuguese metallers Process of Guilt have

delivered what is quite simply a belter of an album in “Faemin”. Al-

most going beyond what the word ‘doom’ infers in metal terms, the

songs on this album are crafted for maximum devastation yet have an

edge that the word ‘accessible’ doesn’t do justice to. Opening track

‘Empire’ builds on a rumbling rhythm until around the six-minute mark

where it finally cracks open and lets the brutality out in a cascading

flurry of buzzing riffs that bring Godflesh to mind, but without the in-

dustrial overtones. Musically ‘Blindfold’ has a vibe like Ugly-era Life of

Agony – gloomy yet with a focused sense of melody and a slight hard-

core edge – although vocally this is more in the realm of Extreme

Noise Terror than Keith Caputo.

As the album progresses each song throws a curveball and doesn’t

quite go where you would expect for such a brutally heavy band.

‘Cleanse’ rolls along on a wave of percussion and breathy howls before

succumbing to the power of the riff. The eleven-minute title track

closes the album on a dynamic slant with its thundering, bass-heavy

riff working some sort of hypnotic majesty in a way that many bands

try but not many achieve.

As you’ve probably guessed, this album is real joy (in the doomy sense

of the word) to listen to. Not totally sticking to the doom metal rule-

book, the band bring in a few outside influences to pepper their sound

with just enough of a twist on the doom formula to keep it interesting

throughout. So if you’re looking for your next fix of melancholy but

are also looking for something a little different then maybe Process of

Guilt could be just what you’re looking for. (8/10)

Chris Ward

PURIFIED IN BLOOD

Flight of the Dying Sun, the third album from Norway's Purified in

Blood, is one of the most potent and surprising records of the year.

Filled with bone-crushing riffs, thunderous rhythms and some blister-

ing solos, this new effort touches a wide variety of styles with astound-

ing results.

In the press sheet, vocalist Hallgeir S. Enoksen defines the new effort

as “… the missing link between «Reaper of Souls» and «Under Black

Skies»”, adding that “Flight of the Dying Sun” fuses the rawness and

intensity of the first record with the more organic and varied sound of

the second album. I take it this was conscious decision of the band, to

encompass all the traits of your past efforts into this new work right?

Sander: No, that was never the idea and I would not put to much weight

on what Hallgeir said in the press sheet. We always try to look ahead

and try to come up with new stuff that we have never done before. So

if anything we try to avoid doing what we have done in the past. I am

easily bored and I think it is important to always come up with new and

exciting stuff to keep myself interested. We will always keep it hard, ag-

gressive and heavy, but still add new dimensions and flavours to keep

pushing the boundaries of what you can and can’t do in metal. The idea

is to never stagnate. Development and evolution is key.

I think one the most charming factors of “Flight of the Dying Sun” is

that it touches a wide variety of musical ground without ever loosing

power or sounding disjointed. While songs like “Storm of Blood” and

“Mot Grav” are punishing tracks set out to inflict maximum aural dam-

age, others like “Escape to Solace” and the title theme sound a bit

more restrained displaying a seething inspiration from 80’s punk/rock

music. Was it intentional or do you all have overlapping musical tastes?

“We believe that in order to be free we need to change the way we

think live eat and how so many submit themselves to false leaders”

breaking the chains of oppression

Sander: Everybody in the band listens to different music in many differ-

ent directions. I rarely listen to metal anymore because metal bands

these days sounds too one dimensional. They seem to either copy each

other or rely on only one recipe on how to do things. It gets boring very

quickly. However MAKING metal is a different story. What I think is very

exciting about making metal music is that you have a great deal of free-

dom. It’s all about having a heavy sound. Jazz, classical, flamenco, blues,

you can incorporate anything you want as long as you have enough gain

on your guitar and heavy drums. Powerful vocals helps too. Realizing

this just opened a whole new world. It’s like finding the door that leads

to the outside of the box. Once you are outside the box you realize how

much it sucks being INSIDE the box. You are able to create so many deep

and different feelings with your music once you open your mind and ex-

pand your horizon. As long as it doesn’t sound too crazy or too goofy.

We come up with a lot of crazy shit when we rehearse but our intuition

tells us if it is passable or not. It’s all about going our own way in the

heavy music business. We do what WE do. Nobody is plowing the path

for us. We are not part of a sub genre. We want to be a band that can

bring variety, excitement and quality to the table. We want to make al-

bums that sound as fresh in 20 years as they did the day they were re-

leased. In my mind that is the definition of a good album; an album that

can withstand the test of time. Now only time will tell!

This is also your first work without Glenn Reaper, who left the band

following the release of “Under Black Skies”. So what was the writing

and recording process like for this album with Hallgeir S. Enoksen as

sole vocalist?

Sander: The writing process went pretty much the same as last time. We

Surprisingly, one of the most ferocious and hard-hitting releases coming from Norway thisyear wasn’t created by a band covered with paint, dripping with blood or praising the nameof Satan. Please meet Purified In Blood, a group of friends with a shared love of metal’s ag-gression, punk hardcore attitude and a concern for environmental issues. Guitarist Sander Sagblad Loe and vocalist Hallgeir S. Enoksen talk about metal, veganismand global freedom.

Words: David Alexandre


jam a couple of riffs and if the riffs are cool, if it feels good, we make a

song out of them. Sounds really simple, huh? The lyrics, written by

Tommy and Hallgeir, goes on top of the finished song. The recording

process was a little different though. When we recorded “Under black

skies” we finished recording all the instruments in one studio and then

all the vocals got done i another one. I remember every time I stopped

by the studio to see how the vocals were getting along, there was always

some kind of tension floating around in the air. The mood was electrify-

ing. Hallgeir and Glenn had a hard time agreeing on stuff and I believe

that when you are 2 vocalists in a band with such strong personalities,

some moments are bound to be heated. Recording “Flight of a dying

sun” went pretty smoothly. Instead of systematically doing all the drums

on all the songs, then guitar on all the songs, etc, we more or less prior-

itized finishing songs by songs. That’s one of the reasons why Hallgeirs

voice sounds so consistent and powerful throughout the whole album,

because he did not have to do all the songs in one go. It’s important to

rest the voice so it sounds fresh, you know!

What happened with Glenn Reaper? He guests on “Iron Hands” so I

take it was an amicable split.

Sander: Mr Glenn Reaper decided to quit the band after not being able

to achieve happiness from it anymore. When you take your band as se-

riously as we do, you think about your band every day. So when thinking

about your band only stresses you out and makes you unhappy it really

takes a toll on you. Things went better for both him and for us when he

decided quit. He is still our brother and I am sure he’ll be one of my best

friends for as long as I live. You can probably understand why it felt so

natural to let him contribute on the album and we are happy that he

wanted to.

Let's jump back a little and dig some background information on Puri-

fied in Blood.

I read that you guys had been around since 2003 and were originally a

straight edge hardcore influenced band, before disbanding in 2007 due

to some divergences about the ideology of the band. Was it a constant

struggle for the band to get past the straight edge tag and find accept-

ance outside the hardcore scene?

Sander: We got noticed by people outside the hardcore scene pretty

early in our career, so we have practically always had fans that cared

more about the music than our personal lifestyles. A lot of vegan

straightedge bands have to rely on their vegan straightedge fans to have

anything going for them, I know, but our music and our live shows just

attracted people from all walks of life. Probably because we took our

music as serious as the message, and damn man, we were serious and

we still are, just in a different way. As for the breakup I believe we all

needed time to think and focus on our own minds. When you label your-

self straightedge you believe that you are going to be that for the rest

of your life, so when you brake out from that label it requires you to do

some thinking and you have to adjust yourself to what you think is im-

portant in life. It was only a healthy breakup so that we could get some

time to grow as individuals. As time passed we all realised how much

the band meant to us and decided to have another go at it. And here

we are.

I’m aware that you’re all vegetarians, but the term vegan or straight

edge doesn’t seem that relevant any more, is that right?

Hallgeir: We think it is really important to eat with a conscious mind.

We have been eating vegetarian/vegan since we were kids, so it’s natural

to do so. It has never been a one-track mentality though. The vegan

straight edge term was a unified banner we went under for a couple

years, even though we never started out like that. Things changed, and

not all of us felt comfortable being straightedge. Things evolve for some.

That’s just the way it is. The world is so much bigger than what you call

yourself. Personally, and as a group of people, we are stronger now than

ever.

Still, your lyrics always dealt with nature and environmental issues. Is

the new record a critique of the modern society or it deals with other

issues as well?

Hallgeir: We still have conscious lyrics. Removing our-selves from the

chains of an oppressive society. Liberating the mind from shackles in-

doctrinated in our lives by the mainstream, even people around us, in

the underground and mainstream music scene. By a system, which has

lost almost all links to the natural world. We believe that in order to be

free, we need to change the way we think, live, eat and how so many

submit themselves to false leaders. In many ways, we are only slaves.

With PiB, we describe the world as we see it. We do not believe in any

form of oppression, whether it is religion, capitalism, or any form of po-

litical enslavement. We believe everyone should live free, even animals,

in a sustainable world. Anarchy, with natural laws… Not the “free mar-

ket” tyranny we live under here in the west. This being said, we do not

preach to have the only truth. We are all individuals, and we should all

be able to decide what is right for us. We don’t pretend to be mission-

aries of any sort, and we do not want to force an agenda on anyone. We

started PiB because we wanted to be a band that had something to offer

besides the music, with lyrics about subjects we think is important. Just

like old punk/hardcore bands you know. For me, the song "Mind is Fire"

symbolizes something important for me right now. The prison of the

mind. The mind is so powerful, and we can choose to ignore the poten-

tial of it, or we can explore it. Most of everything we are being tough

today misleads us. "The self is dead. The master, is slave".

www.facebook.com/purifiedinblood

Purified In Blood - Flight Of A Dying Sun (Indie Recordings)

Two years on from their much lauded second

album “Under Black Skies”, Norwegians Pu-

rified In Blood are back with a new effort and

minus a lead singer following the departure

of one of their two vocalists, Mr. Glenn

Reaper. Not that this change affects or hin-

ders the impact of their hardcore-fuelled

death metal attack as the band sounds

fiercer and angrier than ever on “Flight Of A Dying Sun”, plus sole vo-

calist Hallgeir pulls out an incredibly monstrous performance.

Whether their merging some raucous black metal with some punk

fury as in “Mot Grav” or plunging into some groovy death n’ roll ala

Entombed like in “Iron Hands”, Purified In Blood sound like their ready

to destroy here. Approach with caution ‘cause this one is a killer

record. (8/10) David Alexandre

Baroness incredible new double-album “Yellow & Green”

not only signals the finest andstrongest moment of their remarkable career, it’s also

heading straight towards thetop of the year-end charts. It’s

that good, and Scratch theSurface had the privilege

to find out more about itfrom drummer Allen Blickle.

coloringthegreyareas

Words: David Alexandre

After you finished the touring cycle for the ‘Blue Record’ you inten-

tionally decide to take a year off to focus on the writing of the new

album.

Did all the touring you did for two consecutive years following the re-

lease of ‘Blue Record’ burn you out a bit or you just wanted to focus

on writing a better and more challenging record?

Yes, touring for two years will wear you out a bit, but that was not the

reason to take time off. We have never focused fully on just writing and

recording. We have always toured and wrote simultaneously. Taking a

year off was a big deal for us at the time. It really allowed us to focus on

being creative and to hone in on skills as songwriters. It was a great ex-

perience and we learned a lot. Now back to touring...

Did the success of ‘Blue Record’ in particular change how you went

about making this new effort?

Not directly. We wanted to focus more on our craft and create a record

we were all into. The “Blue Record” was a good stepping stone for us,

and a learning experience on how to make it better the next time

around, just as “Y&G” has been a learning experience.”

I believe you never taken that much time off from making music or

playing live? So exactly what did you do during that year off?

Well none of us live near one another so there was a ton of travelling

back and forth to our studio space that we built to write this album. The

year was hard work, no sugar coating it. I would work in NYC during the

week, then head to Philadelphia about every weekend to write and

demo material. We were working non stop until we were happy with

our direction.

To talk about the album, let’s start with the title ‘Yellow & Green’, what

made you choose that?

Well, Yellow rounds out Red and Blue. As for Green... You can make your

own story up.

Writing a double album must be a very demanding and challenging ex-

perience, but you pulled it off with sheer class and aplomb as one of

the most striking aspects about ‘Yellow & Green’ is the way every song

sounds killer and hardly can be called of filler. It seems that Baroness

worked on a vast raft of material, so how you

filtered this down to form ‘Yellow &

Green’? Have you had to make a lot of

difficult decisions about whether or

not to include this or that song?

Yes. We had 30 plus songs. Some were

good ideas, but wouldn't mesh with

everyone in the band. We would drop

songs if we all didn't feel like they

would work, or if they were be-

coming too difficult to move

forward with. The most im-

portant aspect of the song

writing was that it couldn't

be forced. We made sure

that each song had its own

character and life.

Musically, ‘Yellow & Green’ seems like a continuation of the journey

started with ‘Blue Record’ towards a more catchy and bluesy rock

sound. You put the record on and you can tell it’s you as it bears all the

hallmarks Baroness have become renowned for (perhaps with the ex-

ception of John Baizley howls), but also sees the band expanding their

musical palette, injecting a healthy dose of ‘70s progressive and rock

‘n’ roll influences.

What's the biggest difference between ‘Blue Record’ and ‘Yellow &

Green’ to you?

The song writing is different, mostly letting the songs speak for them-

selves. We hold back some to let these songs breath. Less is more at

some points. The vocals have progressed and become more important.

On “Blue Record” we went into the studio with no real idea of how the

vocals would be on 60% of the material. This is crazy I know. We didn't

have any time to focus on that aspect as much as we did this time

around.

The ‘Green’ half seems a bit darker and more melancholic than the

‘Yellow’ one, which has more upbeat like ‘Take My Bones Way’, ‘March

To The Sea’, ‘Little Things’ and ‘Sea Lungs’. Was this a conscious deci-

sion or purely natural?

Not very conscious. There are some upbeat moments on “Green” to me,

such as “Psalms Alive” and “The Line Between”. But there are other

tunes that take a darker turn. This record was intended to have a more

experimental pallet. We wanted to try things that Baroness hadn't tried

before. A lot of it came out pretty laid back and more personal. But it all

happened naturally and we were excited to try these sides of our musi-

cianship.

Lyrically, what was fuelling the new album? From the song titles it

seems a record more focused on personal issues.

Yes, a lot of the album is personal. Everyone goes through hardships in

life, we are no different. The songs felt more personal musically, so the

lyrics had to match in the same fashion.

It's been 5 years since you made your first record “Red Album” and

since then Baroness have been continually exploring new ideas and

sounds. Every release marks a steady progression in band’s still young

career, so I would like to ask you if you feel creatively free to

do what you want even it means alienating some of your

older fans?

The moment that we refrain from being creatively free is

the moment the band loses its main focus. That’s the

whole point of being an artist is to have creative freedom.

We will always progress and try to explore new territory.

I never get the impression that you're a band seeking

fame. So when ‘Blue Record’ got bigger than anyone ex-

pected, how comfortable were you with that?

The “Blue Record” was a great experience for

us to go through as a band. We are seeing

people even now getting into our band

through that album. We think it’s great. We

love performing for people, and when peo-

ple enjoy the music we write its even better.

www.baronessmusic.com

“The most important aspect of the song writing was that it couldn't beforced. We made sure that each song had its own character and life.”

Stunningly impressive and freakishly enjoy-able, that just about sums up CVI the newalbum from Atlanta rock band Royal Thun-der. The release is a triumphant blaze ofrock music brought with a scorched pas-sion and elevated artistry, striking weavesof classic rock, southern tinged blues, andprogressive mesmerism. Needing to find outmore about the album and band Scratch TheSurface had the pleasure of firing ques-tions at guitarist and band founder JoshWeaver.

Hi Josh thanks for sharing some time to tell us about yourselves. How

did Royal Thunder first begin?

Royal thunder first began around 2004 as an instrumental 3 piece. I

formed the band along with my brother Ryan Weaver and best friend

Jason Kelly just to make music without any constraints. We went into it

just wanting to play good music and didn't want to be tied down by any

one genre.

Was there any other firm intention in the forming of the band other

than to make music you loved?

There was no direction we wanted to go in other than to have fun and

make good music!

In the six years of being a band how has it evolved from those early

days?

The band has really evolved through the years to become what it is

today. There has been a couple of line-up changes. The main thing that

has made Royal Thunder different from the early days would defiantly

be the experience and time we have put into it, making us better musi-

cians and being able to write better songs. Time really has given us a

better vision of what we want out of Royal Thunder.

Your debut EP drew great attention your way and was a big factor in

your signing with Relapse Records?

Yes the EP was a big factor in us getting signed to Relapse. We played an

out of town show with a band called Javalina that was friends with some

people at relapse. They told Relapse to check us out. They did and the

rest was history!

Listening to your music I think it is fair to say one can accurately mark

some of your influences but for the record could you list the major

ones to have the biggest influence upon you?

For me personally, Nirvana is one of the biggest influ-

ences and was the

reason I even

picked up the

guitar. I knew

I wanted to

be doing

what Nir-

vana

was doing at an early age. Other than that I grew uplistening to the Cure,

the Cult and so many other great 90's bands. The 80's and 90's music is

what really influenced me. It was such a great and creative time for

music.

You have just released your excellent debut album CVI; dare you have

imagined the great and deserved response to it?

It has been so great to be able to release CVI. We are really proud of

how it turned out, we all worked so hard on it and it's like a dream to

see all the great response we are getting from the record!

How long have you worked on the album from the first seeds of the

release?

As soon as the EP was done we started working on new material. The

album was formed over several years and took about six months to

record.

Did the album emerge as you envisaged going into the studio or did it

bring a further unexpected evolution?

We had most of the songs written going into the studio, but the studio

was such a great creative environment and the record and songs defi-

antly evolved throughout the recording process. The songs turned out

way differently than we expected, but in a good way.

How does the songwriting process work within the band?

During the song writing process I will write the main structure of the

song and everyone else will put their own parts to it, in addition to Mel

putting her vocal lines and lyrics to the music.

There is a full band evolvement in a songs creation?

Everyone defiantly pits their own bass, drum and vocal parts to the

songs I've written. If it was not for them the songs would not be what

they are. So everyone plays a big role in the songs coming to full fruition!

As a writer the hardest thing doing a review of piece is the opening

paragraph, starting things off. Is that the same with songwriting?

Song writing can be tough. Sometime I don't have anything and just have

to pick up my guitar and just start playing till something I connect with

comes out.

Did everything you wrote or recorded for CVI make the final cut?

No there was a couple of songs that did not make the cut. Some were

tempo issues, recording the song too fast and other issue was song just

not panning out so we scrapped them!

How harsh or strict are you on your-

selves when it comes to what makes a

song let alone a release?

ROYAL THUNDERThe Southern Hurricane

Words: Pete RingMaster


We work very hard on our music and put our heart and soul into it. We

have never been a band to cut corners or to accept less than 110%. So

if we are not happy with it, we won't use it and it will not be released.

In a review I did of the album I used the metaphors of fire, flames etc

throughout describing songs as that was the imagery many songs felt

right with personally, their draw and connection mesmeric in the same

way a fire is.

Do you write with the aim to hopefully have that kind of hold on peo-

ple or is it simply organic?

The songs are very organic and come from our souls. We put a lot of

ourselves into the music and hold back nothing. Hopefully people will

hear the music and will connect to something deep within themselves

such as something like fire that is so simple yet so mysterious.

Is there a particular aspect of the album or songs which gives you the

biggest satisfaction on CVI?

I love the whole package of CVI. It was the first album I've ever done in

my life that had no corners cut. We are very proud of it. It's great to work

so hard on something like this album and for it to bedone. It's very satis-

fying to hear that people are really enjoying it!

Once the album was completed were there ideas and sounds for future

songs already inspired from the recording or will it be a blank canvas

for the next songs from Royal Thunder?

After completing CVI we really have a wide open canvas and plan on

playing all the songs out live. New songs will come; we just have to live

life to get them.

Is there an easy transfer to the live setting for your songs from their

recorded lives?

The songs translate extremely well live! We just added another guitar

player Josh Coleman alongside new drummer Lee Smith. Adding the 2nd

guitar really makes us able to pull off what was done on the album.

What comes next for Royal Thunder?

What comes next for Royal Thunder? Playing and staying on the road as

much as possible! Experience life and put that into song form.

Many thanks for talking with us, would you like to leave with some

words for the readers?

We look forward to meeting all our fans on the road! Thanks for taking

time to read this and take care!

www.facebook.com/RoyalThunderMusic

Royal Thunder - CVI (Relapse)It is hard to call the debut

album from Atlanta rock band

Royal Thunder anything other

than stunning, it really is that

impressive. “CVI” is a tri-

umphant feast of rock music

which leaves one searching for

true and expansive enough ad-

jectives to place upon it. The

band brought ears and atten-

tion to bear with their debut EP

of 2010 but “CVI” surpasses

that with a creativity and aural

grandeur which is nothing short of brilliant.

The quartet of vocalist/bassist Mlny Parsonz, guitarists Josh Weaver

and Josh Coleman, and drummer Lee Smith, bring weaves and conju-

rations of classic rock, southern tinged blues, and progressive artistry

into a pulsating and hypnotic blend with added veins of stoner and

metal rippling throughout.

Drawing influences from the likes of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Cra-

dle, Electric Wizard and Black Tusk to name a few, the album is an un-

predictable fire of twists and turns to leave one persistently

surprised,continually eager, and fully drenched in satisfaction, quite

simply it is majestic.

Released via Relapse Records, the album and its imagination as well

as each individual invention is awe inspiring but it is the vocals of Par-

sonz which seals the adoration, her delivery and voice an additional

beacon of splendour. From the opening track ‘Parsonz Curse’, she

teases and mesmerises the ear with scorched passion and elevated

beauty, her irresistible varied path matched musically by the band.

Every song is a highlight, the likes of the magnetic ‘Whispering World’

bursting with a siren glow and emotive force, the anthemic 'No Good'

unrelenting and insatiable, and the sensational ‘Blue’, leave one

breathless and inspired. The last of these three is a fully contagious

piece of songwriting, from its wonderful evocative instrumental lead-

ing into the heart of the song, to the immense craft and staggering

imagination which evolves as the song ventures far and wide.

‘South Of Somewhere’ is another sensational track amongst many, its

seemingly chilled heart and initial remote presence a ruse for the wan-

tonness to follow. As it draws one in with its mesmeric charms the track

erupts into a fury of punk attitude and metal intensity, it is pure addic-

tion and impossible to tear oneself away from.

“CVI” is richly diverse and insistently imaginative, the album not wast-

ing a note or sound. Royal Thunder has introduced themselves fully

with a collection of songs of such pulsating quality and heated melodic

magnitude, the result quite simply magnificent. (9/10)

Pete RingMaster

“We put a lot of ourselves intothe music and hold back

nothing.”

BARONESS - YELLOW & GREEN

(Relapse)

Baroness last album, the blue one,

was as close to perfect as sludge-

metal will ever get, so the pressure is

on to see if John Baizley and co.

can deliver again. Of course

they can, not only this highly an-

ticipated new record eclipses the

enthralling majesty of “Blue

Record”, it’s also heading

straight towards the top of the

year-end charts.

To rise to the challenge, this time

they’re doing a few things differ-

ently, their music is still richly

textured and intricate, blending

influences of straight-up sludge,

70’s rock and prog, yet it’s per-

fectly clear on the very first listening that “Yellow & Green” takes a couple of in-

teresting turns towards a more streamlined and shall I say mainstream rock

genre. The songs have more space to breathe resulting on some of most mem-

orable pieces Baroness have ever created. Pieces such as “Takes My Bones

Away”, which is surely one of the catchiest sing-along tune of this summer.

Another noticeable change lies in the vocalizations Baroness frontman. Gone

are the howls and growls of Baizley, instead the singer now focus on a clean

and soulful performance that will surely put all the singing members of Kylesa

and Mastodon to shame. I mean, this guy can truly sing.

People can yammer away all they want about the differences between this new

effort and previous ones and how Baroness are slowly moving towards a more commercial sound, but who cares? This is

still Baroness and they’ve penned one the year’s best albums regardless of what style or genre it fits in. (9/10)

David Alexandre

BURNING LOVE - ROTTEN THING TO SAY

(Southern Lord)

After the stunning “Songs for

Burning Lovers” on De-

ranged Records, former

Cursed vocalist Chris Colo-

han retakes the offensive

once more with Burning

Love and offer us their sec-

ond full-length, “Rotten Thing

To Say”, a potent blend of

punk roughness, rock n roll

sleaziness and hardcore ag-

gression.

While Burning Love are not

as incendiary or raucous as

Cursed were, these songs still pack some furious punch as their

share the same fascination for a piss n’ vinegar, boisterous attitude

as songs like “Tremors” and “Pigs City 1” clearly illustrate. Yet, on

the overall, Burning Love are more about a catchy rock n’ roll crazi-

ness and less about musical disorder and anarchy. It’s all about

the power of the riff, and these riffs are brilliantly catchy, the guitar

work of both Pat Marshall and Andrus Meret on songs like “Karla”,

“Superstitious Friend” and “The Body” emanates an incredible in-

fectious energy that is impossible not to enjoy.

Clocking in at slightly over 35 minutes, “Rotten Thing to Say” fea-

tures a great production that heightens the songs' impact, courtesy

of Converge's Kurt Ballou, and is a great, great record that will

surely restore your faith in good and sleazy punk n’ roll. (8/10)

David Alexandre

BONG - MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI

(Ritual Productions)

Bong, contrary to what we might be led to believe, do not play

stoner rock heavily influenced by that magical plant that goes by

the name of cannabis. Instead, this four-piece from the UK plays

an intriguing style of music that can be described as part spiritual,

part ritualistic and part drone. Their newest effort “Mana-Yood-

Sushai” is a record that begs for a sit-down, lights off listening as

the overall effect that its two tracks spanning 47 minutes transmit

is that of a one transcendental ritual, a trancelike journey seeking

spiritual enlightenment in some Tibetan monastery.

It's a terrain also covered by the likes of Sunno))) and OM, I could

say Bong shares with those artists the same predilection for med-

itative sounds and mantra-like, low-end rhythms, yet the band’s

focus on sitars and a ritual chanting (sounds like a temple congre-

gation praying in unison) makes this a more transcendental, spir-

itual journey.

“Mana-Yood-Sushai” was release by Ritual Productions, a label

whose motto is expanding minds with magick rites and in this case

it rings absolutely true as Bong’s musical rites will elevate your

spirit up to the clouds, with or without the use of recreational and

illegal substances. (7.6/10)

Luca Niero

DEF-CON-ONE - WARFACE

(Scarlet Records)

Ex-Venom drummer Anton Lant's

Def-Con-One project consists of

12 groove metal songs that

wouldn't sound out of place next

to Lamb of God or Pantera. As

the songs are such a far stretch

from Venom, I was a bit surprised

when opening song "Never Look

Back" blasted through the speak-

ers. The chugging riffs and clean

to shouted vocals remind more of

"As the Palaces Burn" or even

more aptly "Far Beyond Driven" then anything Venom has ever

done.

Seeing as I am not much of a fan of this style I can't say the album

floored me. That bring said the band do play this style very well

and will appeal to fans of thrashy groove metal. Surprisingly some


AL

BU

M O

F T

HE

MO

NT

H


of the songs even got me reaching for repeat, particularly the title

track.

While the band wont be giving Lamb of God a run for their money

this is solid stuff. (5.5/10)

Curtis Dewar

DYING FETUS - REIGN SUPREME

(Relapse)

Formed in 1991, American

death metal nutters Dying

Fetus have carved out a bit of a

reputation for themselves as

purveyors of extremely intense

metal, showcasing an amazing

grasp of musicianship. Al-

though the line-ups may have

changed over the years - gui-

tarist/vocalist John Gallagher

being the only constant

throughout – the band have

never been anything less than

totally on-top-of-their-game and “Reign Supreme”, their seventh

album, is testament to this.

Beginning with the relatively short blast of ‘Invert the Idols’, the

album is pretty consistent in giving you a good kicking, with the

superhuman drum prowess of Trey Williams being something to

both admire and be a little bit afraid of – it would be very interesting

to hear just the drum track to this album as an example of how to

brutalise a drum kit, and also a good advert for the quality of the

kit he uses as it sure does take some punishment.

The chugging intro of ‘Subjected to a Beating’ increases the heav-

iness before moving into blastbeat territory for the strangely catchy

chorus, but the real early highlight of the album is the rabid fury of

‘From Womb to Waste’ that thrashes along mixing blastbeats and

Deicide-style solos before closing on a mid-paced groove that is

as heavy as it is headbang-worthy.

To be totally honest, the album whizzes by in such a flurry of rage

and face-melting dynamics that when it finishes you’ll feel like

you’ve been through nine rounds with the world heavyweight

champ, and that’s probably the effect the band were going for.

There are a couple of filler tracks that may force you to press the

skip button on repeated listens, but the sheer ferocity and techni-

cal prowess of the band make it impossible not to admire what

they’ve done here and will no doubt keep their legions of fans

happy and probably gain them many more. (7/10)

Chris Ward

MARDUK - SERPENT SERMON

(Century Media)

When it comes down to deliv-

ering full-on ferocious black

metal few do it better than Mar-

duk. These Swedes are the

one of mainstays within their

specific fields and many of

their albums are considered

essential. “Serpent Sermon” is

the name of Marduk’s latest

sonic assault, so let’s see

whether Steinmeyer and Co

are still able to spring a sur-

prise or two...

To my great surprise “Serpent Sermon” opens with relatively slow

song in the form of the title track. Marduk’s trademark craftsman-

ship is immediately recognisable.

Well-constructed madness goes hand-in-hand with a sense of evil

and darkness only very few can master. “Messianic Pestilence”,

“Souls For Belial” and “Hail Mary (Piss-soaked Genuflexion)” are

more traditional high-speed Marduk scorchers with all the blast-

beats and anti-religious themes to die for. Vocalist Mortuus is fine

and he really adds a lot of venom to his satanic musings.

Personally I could care less about the typical Marduk anti religious

and satanic rhetoric, I’m in there for the music. I have to admit that

Steinmeyer and Co really firing on all cylinders on “Serpent Ser-

mon”. The most interesting tracks for me are “Damnation’s Gold”

and “World Of Blades”. On these compositions the band shows a

more dramatic and epic side of themselves. It’s the synergy be-

tween those longer tracks and the high-octane scorchers that give

this album its charm.

“Serpent Sermon” is blessed/cursed with a fine production. It’s

clear enough to make all the instruments clearly audible, but it’s

also dirty enough to instill that typically cold black metal feel.

Marduk have delivered a high class black metal album with “Ser-

pent Sermon”. Fans who are hoping for another “Panzerdivison

Marduk” will again be disappointed. This album is as well-balanced

and solid as they come. Excellent. (8.5/10)

Raymond Westland

GOJIRA - L’ENFANT SAUVAGE

(Roadrunner)

There was a time that

metal from France

was frowned upon, but

the last couple of

years there’s been a

true explosion of new

and talented bands,

such as Dagoba,

Hacride, Trepalium,

Alcest and Les Dis-

crets. Bayonne-based

Gojira is often de-

scribed as the flagship

of the new French

metal movement. Re-

cently they signed a contract with Roadrunner, so let’s see

whether “L’enfant Sauvage”, their latest offering, will be their de-

finitive breakthrough album.

L’enfant Sauvage or The Wild Child in plain English, pretty much

continues the course Gojira has set on the two previous albums.

The Meshuggah vs Morbid Angel-sound formula is still very

much in full swing. There’s a catch though, because this time

around the song material is tad less technical.This is a good

thing, because it enhances the overall groove and flow of tracks

like “Explosia”, “The Axe” and “The Gift Of Guild”. The song ma-

terial is still as intricate as ever, but it makes the album a little

more accessible and to the point.

Luckily, there’s also room for some experimental moments on

“L’enfant Sauvage”. The bands dabbles with postcore/rock in-

fluences on “Mouth Of Kala”, “The Fall” and the title track. This

enhances the overall diversity of the album, without compromis-

ing the overall flow and cohesiveness. The band’s overall per-

formance is as tight as it gets, with drummer Mario Duplantier’s

incredible percussive battery being the main attraction.

Despite the solid nature of this album I do miss some true stand-

out songs in the vein of “The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe”,

“Backbone” and “Vacuity”. The type of songs that really whips

a crowd into a frenzy. Despite this minor flaw, there’s still plenty

left to enjoy.

L’enfant Sauvage is as solid as they come and I’m sure that Go-

jira will become on the mainstays of modern metal, if they aren’t

already. If you like the previous two albums, than L’enfant

Sauvage will certainly rock your world. Solid effort! (8/10)

Raymond Westland

MISERATION - TRAGEDY HAS SPOKEN

(Lifeforce)

Miseration had somehow managed to elude these ears until now

so with the band being labelled as death metal the expectations

of what would emerge from the band’s new album “Tragedy Has

Spoken” was far different from what actually exited and ignited the

senses. With a heavy intense core of death metal the band and

album explores and draws on an ever evolving feast of ideas,

KATATONIA - DEAD END KINGS

(Peaceville)

When it comes to fusing

moments of fragility to-

gether with sullen heavy

parts few do it better than

Jonas Renkse and Co, bet-

ter known as Katatonia.

These Swedish formation

started out as a

doom/death metal band,

but along the way they

shed their death metal

roots, much like Anathema

and The Gathering. How-

ever, Katatonia has always maintained a certain metallic edge

to their music, with albums like Viva Emptiness (2003), The

Great Cold Distance (2006) and Night Is The New Day (2009)

being some particular poignant examples/ Let’s see how the

band fares on their new album, entitled Dead End Kings...

When it comes to overall cohesiveness The Great Cold Distance

and Night Is The New Day are tough acts to follow. The new

Katatonia album starts confidently with “The Parting” and “The

One You Are Looking For Is Not Here”. Both songs could easily

been featured on the previous album and especially the elec-

tronic effects and progressive undertones are noticeable. Silje

Wergeland (The Gathering) really manages to deliver a delicate

touch the the second song. Melancholy kicks into full gear with

“Hypone” and “Buildings”, two of the stronger tracks on “Dead

End Kings”.

Fragility has always been an important component in the overall

Katatonia sound. However, things become too bitter sweet for

my taste on “Leech”, “Ambitions” and “Undo You”. Keys, elec-

tronics and Jonas Renkse’s most delicate vocals are the key in-

gredients here. Katatonia has never been the harshest metal

band around, but this is a serious dent in an otherwise fine and

solid record. Luckily things improve on “Lethean” and “First

Prayer”. The heavier parts are more dominant here. Dead End

Kings ends with arguably the best songs on the album in the

form of “Dead Letters”.

The production chores of Dead End Kings are skillfully handled

by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström themselves, with some

additional assistance of David Castillo (Opeth, Draconian). He’s

responsible for the powerful mix of this album.

The melancholic musings of Renkse and Co aren’t as convinc-

ing as on the three previous albums I’m afraid. Dead End Kings

certainly has its moments of greatness, but for some reason I

expected a stronger and more consistent album. Better try next

time gents! (7/10)

Raymond Westland

Christian Alvestam (ex-Scar Symmetry), the guitars of Jani Ste-

fanovic and Marcus Bertilsson, to the disorientating rhythms of

Oscar Nilsson, the release is as mesmeric and mouth watering as

it is destructive and vicious. Highlights which ignite the most fero-

cious fires include best track ‘Ciniphes’, ‘Hill of the Poison Tree’,

and ‘On Wings of Brimstone’. The first is a rampaging infestation

of disruptive melodies and bone crumbling intensity, its stuttering

rhythmic jabs and thick bilious noise hypnotic. The other two are

deceptively less violent though soon one is on knees beneath a

storm of fury and a building crescendo of searing harmonics and

merciless energy, with the latter a glorious fusion of light and dark.

“Tragedy Has Spoken” is outstanding, a revelation for a belated

introduction to Miseration and the best death metal release so far

this year. (8.5/10)

Pete RingMaster

OM - ADVAITIC SONGS

(Drag City)

Consumed with a modest

amount of herbal supple-

ments (as Al Cisernos and

Emile Amos likely in-

tended), Om's Advaitic

Songs is an expansive

mindfuck of an album. I

won't even bother printing

the bullshit I wrote on my

first go. In the clear-

headed light of day, their

follow-up to 2009's God is

Good displays an ele-

gance and musician's

touch that the band has

hinted at on previous releases, but never really hit until now. Ad-

vaitic Songs is, without doubt, the finest work we've yet seen from

the experimental-drone duo, and it offers a wonderful listening ex-

perience for fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

Om toyed with expanding their sound on God is Good by mixing

piano and classical strings with Al Cisernos' rumbling, groovy

basslines and Amos' hypnotic drumming. Advaitic Songs contin-

ues this trend wonderfully, with tambura, piano and cello swirling

in and out of each of the album's five lengthy tunes. 'Addis', the

album's opener, throws in a sumptuous chant from a female singer

that conjures up dust storms and desert heat. As with any Om

album, the focus in Advaitic Songs is on creating a spiritual expe-

rience, and songs like 'Addis' and the album's closer, 'Haqq al-

Yaqin', beautifully form a sense of mystical energy. Cisernos' lyrics

are obscure and shrouded in metaphor and Biblical language.

They're difficult to wrap your head around, but his delivery is a

spot-on half-whispered chant. Om has never sounded more in

control of whatever it is they're trying to conjure up with their music.

Advaitic Songs is barely a metal album in a lot of respects ('State

of Non-Return' is the heaviest song on the album, and even then

only for a moment), but there's a palpable weight to each song,

so calling it heavy wouldn't be an injustice.

Om's sound is likely not for every metal listener; songs are long,

spacey, and embrace spirituality in a very positive (and also very

broad) sense. It's my bet that if your music collection begins and

ends with Darkthrone, you're not gonna dig this. But fans of Om's

previous work, experimental metal fans, and armies of stoners and

psychedelia lovers will think this is great. It's a deeply pleasant

and tangible listening experience. It's also Om's best work to date,

and it makes me genuinely anxious for the next offering from Cis-

neros and Amos, if only to see how they might top themselves

here. (9/10)

Chris Wright

SCOTT KELLY, STEVE VON TILL, WINO - THE SONGS OF

TOWNES VAN ZANDT

(My Proud Mountain)

Perhaps most celebrated for the song “Poncho and Lefty” which

was famously recorded by Willie Nelson in 1983, Townes Van


sounds, and technical creativity. The result is an album of unpre-

dictable and distinctive imagination, a release as brutal and intru-

sive as they come but with a breath of pure diversity and ingenuity.

“Tragedy Has Spoken” is the third album from Miseration following

up predecessors “Your Demons, Their Angels” (2008) and “The

Mirroring Shadow” (2009). Based on the theme of major tragedies

from mankind’s history and the premise of an imaginary all pow-

erful designer behind the nature of such events the album finds

the band stretching beyond the borders of its base genre. The

songs bring the addition of elements never before given a home

such as the Indian harp Esraj, the Persian hammered dulcimer

Santur, and other ethnic folk orientated instruments and sounds.

They are not just added but as the excellent opener ‘Stepping

Stone Agenda’ eagerly shows, it is with inspired and imaginative

manipulation. Taking this song as an example the music pulsates

and writhes with an exotic yet venomous creative energy within

the thunderous consumption. This makes songs and album a deep

and rewarding experience, testing at first but persistently offering

more and more with each intrusion.

From the ever devastating and impressive diverse vocals of


Garcia is an intimidating hypnotic presence. It is an urgent and

strong start which delivers expected goods with pure intensity.

Overall the album has a more rock orientated intent to its nu-metal

as evidenced by second song ‘Nothing Left For Me’. This shows

an evolution though it feels as much sideways as forward but the

subsequent title track shows they can merge both aspects with

accomplishment.

Songs like the excellent melodic ‘I Want You To Know’ with great

inventive enterprise from Sarkisyan lighting up the ear and the

mighty incendiary device that is ‘The Endless Disconnect’ leave

one eager for more. The latter song, easily the best track on the

album is evidence that the band can still brew up something spe-

cial with its uncompromising rampage of explosive rhythms from

Tommy Decker.

Anger Denial Acceptance in many ways is still travelling up the

road the likes of Five Finger Death Punch trail blazed so nothing

is new or particularly fresh. It is though an experience which Spine-

shank ensures is a pleasing riot. (7/10)

Pete RingMaster

TESTAMENT - DARK ROOTS OF EARTH

(Nuclear Blast)

When it comes to down to

delivery high quality thrash

metal few do it better than

Testament. Albums like

“Practise What You

Preach”, “Souls Of Black”

and “The Gathering” are

mandatory staples for

everyone with a prefer-

ence for thrash metal from

the Bay Area. The band

last album, “The Forma-

tion Of Damnation” is a

tough act to follow by any

standard, so let’s see what

Chuck Billy and his musical partners managed to accomplish on

“Dark Roots Of Earth”, their latest offering..

Rest assured, because Testament has delivered the good once

again on “Dark Roots Of Earth”. The melodic character of the pre-

vious album is maintained, however this time around things are

little bit heavier and darker, but most of all more aggressive and

energetic. This is partly due to Gene’s Hoglan’s trademark high

speed drumming, but also with the dark overtones of tracks like

“Rise Up”, “Native Blood”, “True American Hate” and “Last Stand

For Independence”. In that way this album reminds me of bit of

“Demonic”, one of the more underrated and overlooked Testament

gems in my opinion.

As previously mentioned melody is an important aspect of this

album. This is mostly accomplished by the brilliant and tasteful

guitar leads and solos by both Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick.

Chuck Billy uses his clean singing voice more often, which gives

this album a touch of the classic Testament material from the late

eighties and early nineties. There’s also room for some more mid

tempo tracks, such as “A Day In The Death” and “Man Kills

Mankind”. This gives the listener a chance to catch his or her

breath and it also makes the album a little more accessible. “Cold

Embrace” is almost a power ballad, much in the vein of “Trail Of

Tears” and “The Legacy”. This is a clear indication of the diversity

and maturity which characterises “Dark Roots Of Earth”.

The production values are expertly handled by Andy Sneap (Nev-

ermore, Machine Head, Exodus). He gave “Dark Roots Of Earth”

a direct, yet organic sound. This really enhances the aggressive

and energetic nature of this album.

Like I said before, Testament has done it again with “Dark Roots

Of Earth”. It’s stuck to the brim with testosterone-filled anthems

that will whip any crowd in a frenzied moshpit. This is arguably

one of the best metal albums of this year. Heartily recommended!

(9/10)

Raymond Westland

Zandt never had anything approaching significant fame in his life-

time. His tunes have, however, been covered over the years by a

wide range of artists including Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, Hoyt

Axton, The Tindersticks, Norah Jones, Robert Plant, Mudhoney

and the Cowboy Junkies.

After performing Van Zandt pieces in an assortment of collabora-

tions over the years, Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till (Neurosis and

Tribes of Neurot) and Scott “Wino” Weinrich (The Obsessed and

Saint Vitus) have come up with an inspiring tribute to the great

singer/songwriter, capturing the poignant fragility of the music

whilst at the same time leaving their own impression on the tunes.

Armed only with acoustic guitars for the main part, the covers ap-

pear faithful to the original, losing none of their distinctive courage.

The lyrics of Van Zandt appear to paint a vivid private picture, and

follow a striking narrative that the attentive listener will be able to

draw from and relate to their own personal life. Opening with “If I

Needed You” by Steve Von Till, the lyrics ache with Van Zandts

characteristic vulnerability. “St. John, the Gambler” by Scott Kelly

may lack the growl of Von Till’s voice, which appears to be the

product of a thousand Marlborough cigarettes, but loses none of

that candidness. Wino, who performs “Rake”, “Nothing” and “A

Song For” has a soulful, melodic voice that is the perfect vehicle

for these narratives. The longest track on the album “Tecumseh

Valley”, performed by Scott Kelly, drives forwards unremittingly, as

the tale unfolds, allowing the sparse instrumentation to highlight

the frailty of the lines. These covers may lack some of the spring

of the original versions, but none of the implication. These are

gloomy stories of drunks, losers and the browbeaten.

Hopefully this collection will introduce the music of Townes Van

Zandt to a new generation of listeners, some who may not have

considered the country music genre in the past, who will then have

access to a catalogue of honest, stirring and thought provoking

songs. Music categorised as “doom” may not simply be seen as

loud guitars chords played at a snail’s pace tempo, it can also be

used to describe music such as we have here. Tributes such as

this are an important way of keeping the legacy of important and

influential musical figures alive, and this particular attempt

achieves that without question. (9/10)

John Toolan

SPINESHANK – ANGER DENIAL ACCEPTANCE

(Century Media)

No matter what you think of the

returning Spineshank’s new

album there is no dismissing

the anger and venom which

soaks every note and word

within its walls. Guitarist Mike

Sarkisyan stated "Some of us

were going through divorces,

others lost people very close to

them and that's what basically

surrounded us during the cre-

ative process." This emotional

turmoil and its heightened

shadows inspired an openly evident atmosphere on Anger Denial

Acceptance for a release bruising and raging storm.

The release sees the original line-up re-united for this their fourth

and first album in nine years. Released via Century Media

Records, Anger Denial Acceptance shows glimpses of the band

which inspired many at the time of The Height Of Callousness.

Their sound though is less defined but certainly more aggressive

and the band at its angriest. To be honest the release does not

bring anything new seems still seeded in the sounds of a decade

ago but it is undeniably satisfying.

The band goes straight for the jugular with the opening ‘After The

End’, the track a fury of senses buffeting riffs and growling intensity

forged with raging passion. From its initial storm the song takes a

breath prowling and lurching from one mighty stomp to another

like a predator before riling up the engine for another combative

assault.

Vocally Jonny Santos has never sounded better whilst bassist Rob

Scratch the Surface Issue 3

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