Issue #6 Aug/Sept IronFistMag.

com
06

£4.50
Iron Fist #6
FOREWARD TO HELL

T
Iron Fist Magazine
Unit 2, 25 Horsell Road, London N5 1XL he only sleep I got at spend all my brain power on watching Aria,
Tel: 0207 609 4537
Muskelrock Festival was an Quartz and Dark Quarterer. Well, what do
Email: Louise@IronFistMag.com
hour after DJing in the after-­ you want from Iron Fist? Perfection or passion.
www.IronFistMag.com
www.Facebook.com/IronFistZine party tent until 10am on the +HDY\PHWDOFRPHVÀUVW*UDPPDUVHFRQG$V,
last night. I think I ran out prepare for my 35th birthday maybe it’s time to
(We Are) The Crew of tunes at about 8am and grow up and calm down, but King Diamond is
Publisher: Eugene ‘Let The Panic Begin’ Butcher / handed the reigns to some brilliant, random coming to the UK next month so I don’t see that
2000 BC Publishing Ltd people (thank you awesome strangers) and happening anytime soon. Damien’s feature on
Publisher: Will ‘Baphomet’ Palmer
carried on dancing. I think Death SS ‘Kings Of the KING has got me all excited for Bloodstock
Editor: Louise ‘Cursed Mama’ Brown
Evil’ was involved, which will explain the mystery Festival, and then there’s the Watain album
Sub-­Editor: James ‘The Inquisitor’ Sharples
bruises. Not to mention the gnarly scars from all release show in Uppsala and we’ve still got
Assistant Editor: Kim ‘Lady Of Babylon’ Kelly
Reviews Editor: Jeremy ‘Horrible Eyes’ Miller the mosquitos that ate me alive in Uppsala the Live Evil to look forward to. Detox in December,
Designer: Adam ‘King Of Evil’ Zaars week before during a late night Watain listening right? Doubt it!
session in the woods. I don’t think it’s possible
Cover photo: Tony Mottram
Louise Brown, editor
to come back from Sweden NOT beaten and
broken. Thankfully Gottfrid from In Solitude
Powerslaves
found me and dragged me back to life and
Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin, Damien, Annick Giroux, Niklas
back to Stockholm. Thank you Muskelrock – see
Göransson, John Mincemoyer, Guy Strachan, Dave
Sherwood, Marek Steven, Jeff Wagner you next year.
So, basically, this issue has been put together
Critical Madness in the shadow of a three-­week comedown.
Al Bulmer, Miles Hackett, Dylan Hughes, Gravlilja, Blame any spelling mistakes, factual errors
Sarah Kitteringham, Sam McKavanagh, Jim Martin, and bad interviews on the fact that I chose to
John Muskett, Tom O’Boyle, Darragh O’Leary, Andy
Pringle, Lily Randall, Yiannis Stefanis, Jack Welch,
Pete Woods, Toby Wright
TEACHER’’S PET – TRIBUTES TO THE SPIRIT IN BLACK...
With thanks to
Kat Shevil Gilham, Sanna Charles, Antony Roberts,
TONY MOTTRAM SANNA CHARLES ANTONY ROBERTS
Oran Tarjan, Ester Segarra, Christian Ravel, Yiannis
Stefanis, Gerrie Lemmens, Andy Turner, Ian
Chaddock, Holly Arup, Joakim Transgrud, Johanna
Elina + In Solitude for getting me home safe from
Tyrolen

To advertise in Iron Fist please contact Louise on

Louise@IronFistMag.com or phone +44 7930 563 255

Subscriptions are £27.00 for one year (six issues) go
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order payable to 2000 BC Publishing Ltd.
All content (c) 2000 BC Publishing Ltd 2012
Distribution: Comag Specialist
Comagspecialist.co.uk / 01895433800
DEATH, BLACK, HEAVY, THRASH, DOOM
HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE
Tony is our knight in shining
armour, coming to our rescue
when we wanted some old
school Dio photos last issue.
This Essex boy started as a
photographer for an advertising
company in the late-­‘70s and
when not playing in his band,
Iron Orchid, he was there for
the Golden Era of British Metal,
shooting bands like Iron Maiden,
Diamond Head and Samson.
Shooting for the legendary
Sounds, Melody Maker and
Our Santhrax teaches
photography and is therefore
passing on her tricks to the future
generation, some of which we
hope will shoot for Iron Fist one
day as we’re sure she’s blasting
Sodom or Hellhammer in her
classrooms and warping the
minds of her wards. When not
shooting Age Of Taurus for us,
or down the front for Nifelheim
at Muskelrock she plays drums
in the experimental metal
mentalists S&M and is about to
Another regular photographer
for Iron Fist, our editor met
Antony in the back of a transit
van on the way to a punk gig in
1997, we all piled in to make the
trip from Manchester to London
to watch Agnostic Front and
got stuck in minus temperatures
ZKHQ RXU GULYHU ÀOOHG XS ZLWK
unleaded instead of diesel
on the way back. We lived
to tell the tale and when not
working at Seventies, the BMX
company (he has a ramp in his
Noise Magazines we are so
honoured to have him join our
ADD US ON FACEBOOK team and let us raid his archives.
www.facebook.com/ironfistzine His photos of King Diamond from
1986 are legendary.
go on tour with Horse Latitudes. RIÀFH-HDORXVKHUXQVWKHPRVW
Check out her forthcoming essential website Metalgigs.
photography book about co.uk, of which without we’d
Slayer fans... never know who was playing or
SHOW NO MERCY when. Doom on brother!
 CONTENTS
COVER STORY REGULARS
PAGE 24 6. BLACK HORIZONS
News and views from the abyss! Including Annihilator, Atlantean Kodex
and Goatess

18. INTO BATTLE

Best new metal bands: Noisem, Ogdru Jahad, CC Company + more

22. WORLD DOWNFALL

Annick Giroux discovers metal on the rooftop of the world: Nepal

36. THE PAST IS ALIVE

‘Born Too Late’ might be the go-to Saint Vitus album but Olivier ‘Zoltar’
Badin believes ‘Die Healing’ and ‘C.O.D.’ deserve some love too

52. UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Nige Rockett looks back on his career in Onslaught as they finish their
newest thrash attack

84. REVIEWS. PRAISE. MUTILATION

Watain, The Devil’s Blood, Cauchemar, Black Sabbath + more learn of
their fate

98. HEAVY METAL HUNTER

Alastair Riddell of new doom cult Age Of Taurus and his ‘Killer(s)’
collection

100. HIT THE LIGHTS

Muskelrock, King Diamond and Slayer’s ticket stubs are now in our
scrapbook
THE RETURN OF MERCYFUL FATE?:
114. HEAVY METAL WARRIOR
“I will never say never” All hail the record store owner. In the face of adversity Black Mess
Records in Baltimore are not giving in

FEATURES
24. MERCYFUL FATE/KING DIAMOND frank interview ever
Damien speaks to the King about music, mystery, mortality and
Mercyful Fate’s possible comeback 70. COFFINS
Kim Kelly talks to Japan’s least out-there grinders
30. DEATH SS
Steve Sylvester talks Guy Strachan through his chequered 72. VOMITOR
musical, and personal, history... but don’t you dare call this Al Bulmer goes in search of the Southern Cross with Deathdealer
return “industrial”
74. JEX THOTH
48. EXHUMED Entrancing and haunting, Jex Thoth allows Kim Kelly into her
John Mincemoyer gets into trouble with Matt Harvey... again ritual

54. RAMMING SPEED 76. SODB

Al Bulmer finds out there’s more to life than beer bongs and This is no folk metal, but steeped in Irish mythology these black
mosh shorts where this party thrash mob is concerned metallers weave a tale for Kim Kelly

58. CAUCHEMAR 78. VASSAFOR

Our wandering columnist Annick Giroux tells Dave Sherwood Melissa Gray learns of Vassafor’s craft of dissolution
about her musical journey
80. SKELETAL SPEKTRE
62. GORGUTS Vanessa Nocera may be the busiest person in metal; Kim Kelly
Luc Lemay’s back with a new Gorguts album and a new zen- takes a lesson in horror and time-management
like attitude
82. WARLORD
66. BESTIAL MOCKERY On the back of their storming reunion tour John Mincemoyer
They’re splitting up, but not before giving Kim Kelly their most gets an audience with these US metal veterans
 BLACK HORIZONS News And Views
from the Abyss

BROTHERS-IN-ARMS
BROFEST IS BACK
FOR A SECOND
EDITON AND IRON
FIST GETS A RUN-
dziak

DOWN OF WHAT’S
Photo: Stan Me

IN STORE
Although we boast an enviable history of heavy metal mania, the UK has been
slacking in paying its respect to the old masters, leaving the Greeks and the Germans
to carry the torch through long-­running, must-­visit fests like Keep It True and Up The
Hammers. But through events like Live Evil in London and now Brofest in Newcastle,
LW UHDOO\ GRHV ORRN OLNH KHDY\ PHWDO LV FRPLQJ KRPH $IWHU WKH VXFFHVV RI WKHLU ÀUVW
weekender in March this year, Brofest will return to Northumbria University in February,
2014 and organiser Stu Bartlett gives us a run-­down on why we should all be planning
to make the trip.
“Although stressful, Brofest worked really well,” he says with a massive smile.
“Leading up to the event we had a good feeling;; we got the numbers, we had the
support from the fans, the venue fell over themselves to help us, we had massive
support from Gary Avenger – his crew made the festival run as well as it did – Neil
from Spartan Warrior, Bob from Deep Machine and Paul from Salem got the name
out to various radio stations and pushed the event. We could all tell something was
happening. We heard the obligatory negative comments about how something like
Brofest couldn’t work in the UK, but we showed them it could.”
 7KH ÀUVW %URIHVW ERDVWHG D GURROZRUWK\ OLQHXS RI +RORFDXVW $YHQJHU 'HHS
Machine, as well as new blood like Amulet. “When we initially booked Holocaust and
Tysondog we then thought ‘what now?’,” Stu recalls. “We sat around and thought
how class it would be to chant ‘BADGE! BADGE! BADGE! BADGE! BADGE!’ while

6 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 ANNIHILATOR
A FEAST FOR THEIR FANS
swinging to ‘Silver Women’, so I tracked down Graham Waudby and
it pretty much snowballed. I composed a dreadfully written email to
5RE 7LGG IURP %DVKIXO $OOH\ ZLWK DEVROXWHO\ QR H[SHFWDWLRQV RI DQ
actual reply, never mind such a positive one and I tip my hat to him
because Bashful Alley were one of the real successes at this year’s
edition. Who really thought in 2013 they would get the chance to hear
‘Running Blind’ live?
 ´,WKLQNWKLV\HDUH[FHHGHGRXUH[SHFWDWLRQVE\DPLOH6RPHRQH
spending their hard-­earned money, travelling half-­way across the
world, is rather humbling;; its amazing what can be achieved by three
idiots with what should be a terrible idea on paper.”

Words: Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin

The “three idiots” are determined to make 2014’s event even
better. “The most important thing is that the support shown is repaid;;
we had people from Ascalon, Dark Forest, Eliminator and Ruler who
actually came to the festival, so we repaid the support by booking
them,” Stu says. “I was happy that Paul Britton got the guys from
Trappazat back together. Paul has to be one of the biggest supporters

“J
and most enthusiastic people who came to Brofest this year when
KHURXQGHGXSWKH6FDUDEUHXQLRQZKLFKZDVH[FHOOHQWE\WKHZD\ XVWSXWWLQJRXWRXUGHEXWDOEXPZDVÀQHIRUWKH\HDU
Spartan Warrior have been supporting us since day one, so booking old guy that I was back then. Until our manager then
them again is the least we can do and what a performance they put said that we had to write another one! And now, 24
in this year! We also have Warrior. Sean Taylor has taken the mighty
years later, Annihilator is still around and we’re putting
task of bringing back one of the best local bands we have.”
out our 14th album, so I guess in the end I did okay…”
There’s also a ridiculous score of reunions on the cards. Stu gives
Even such a big-­mouth as Jeff Waters can’t deny that ever since the
us a little insight:
glorious days of ‘Alice In Hell’ and ‘Never, Neverland’ things have been
“There’s a Ritual reunion;; the legendary cult NWOBHM band
tough for the Canadian thrasher. Especially in the second half of the ‘90s,
are making their return to the live circuit after too long. There’s also
when after “four very successful albums, thanks to traditional metal’s
a Sparta reunion;; ‘Fast Lane’ has to be one of the best and catchy
NWOBHM singles, and also there’s a Damascus reunion;; Liverpool’s popularity seriously decreasing in North America, there was not much

forgotten NWOBHM heroes. And a Berlyn reunion;; these guys were
started by members of Urchin and only have a couple of releases out,
but each song is a keeper! Then there’s a Fast Kutz reunion;; Kenny
opened up Brofest last with Black Rose and we couldn’t let him get
away that easy. Kenny was a big part of the North-­east scene serving
time with Holland and Hammer too, and Fast Kutz will be playing a
selection of Fast Kutz, Hammer and Holland tracks for everyone;; it’s
gonna be a special set for sure!
“Atomkraft too! We’re welcoming the Demolition Man back
KRPHZLWKWKHIXOOUXQWKURXJKRI¶)XWXUH:DUULRU·IRUWKHYHU\ÀUVWWLPH
Paul Gaskin took a little time out and is back swinging his cape from
Scunthrope to Newcastle! Local legends Hollow Ground are making
a rare appearance up here as well. We couldn’t make Holosade
happen this year, so they are working out a killer reunion of Dark
+HDUW 7UXIÁH DUH DQ LQFUHGLEOH EDQG ZLWK VR PDQ\ KRRNV DQG NLOOHU
singalongs with those crushing keys;; I can’t wait for this one personally.
Toledeo Steel are young lads who are a force to be reckoned with!
of a band to speak of”. Around the time of ‘Remains’ in 1997, the classic
thrash veterans were actually just Jeff and a drum machine. Still, the man
soldiered on. And, according to the mainman, “something happened in
ZKHQIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHLQRYHUDGHFDGHVDOHVZHQWXSDJDLQ$QG
it’s been slowly but steadily growing since then. So, when I hear some of
my friends nowadays, like Dave Mustaine from Megadeth, complaining
about each of their new works selling less and less, I know I’m quite lucky!”
After the short-­lived return of original screamer Randy Rampage
in 1999 and two albums with former Overkill singer Joe Comeau at the
mic, vocalist and sometimes rhythm guitar player, Dave Padden, has
EHHQDVWHDG\À[WXUHIRUWHQ\HDUVDQRYHOW\IRU:DWHUVZKRKDVEHHQ
struggling ever since he formed the band in Ottawa in 1988, when it
comes to keeping a steady line-­up. Written over the course of three
PRQWKVHDUOLHUWKLV\HDU¶)HDVW·LVWKHLUÀIWKDOEXPWRJHWKHUDQGÀUVWVLQFH
their self-­titled opus released through Earache three years ago. Opening
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Evil Blood are the heaviest band to play Brofest, but don’t let that put
you off if you like early Metallica! And then there’s Pagan Altar and
Jaguar;; no words are needed!”
And that’s not all. Check out the website for the full line-­up. In
terms of the future though, Brofest will continue if Stu has his way.
“Satan would probably be my top want,” he says in reply to what
his dream booking would be. “The North-­east really needs a home-­
town gig from one of the most important bands to come out of what
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Venom down too, just to bring them back to a North-­east stage would
be insane. I guess for Brofest 2015 if the headliners could be Satan,
Venom and Hellanbach I would be one happy bro! PS. If anyone has
contacts for either Phasslayne or Incubus (UK) email us.”
For more details go to www.Brofest.co.uk
All’ period Metallica and Slayer, as I wanted to get things started with
something that had that old-­school feeling”, the fans will salivate over
the limited edition of the album;; a double CD affair that includes 15 old
tracks, ranging from ‘Fun Palace’, ‘Stonewall’ and lesser known tracks like
‘Time Bomb’ or ‘Ultra Motion’, re-­interpreted by the current version of the
band.
 ´,WZDV'DYH·VLGHDDQGP\ÀUVWUHDFWLRQZDVWRVD\¶QR·,GLJVRPH
RI WKH UHUHFRUGLQJV 7HVWDPHQW ([RGXV RU HYHQ 6FRUSLRQV GLG EXW DV D
IDQ,·PWKHÀUVWRQHWRVD\WKDW\RXMXVWFDQ·WEHDWWKHRULJLQDOV%XWHYHU
since our music became popular again, we realised we had a brand-­
QHZ\RXQJHUSXEOLFEXWWKH\FDQ·WÀQGWKHROGDOEXPVLQWKHVKRSV6R
we did it for them, as long as it is a bonus and not something put out on
its own to give the impression we’re trying to squeeze every last drop of
money from our fans.”
The new album, and that must-­have bonus disc, are out on August 26
on UDR!
www.AnnihilatorMetal.com

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 7

 BLACK HORIZONS
UNDER THE CHURCH
Words: Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin
DON’T CALL IT A
NIRVANA 2002
COMEBACK!
E
ven before Darkthrone’s Fenriz elected
them as his “band of the week” on
his blog, Iron Fist’s vigilant eye had
already spotted Under The Church.
Not necessarily because of the insanely
naïve and child-­like cover of their self-­titled
debut demo, but because behind this crude
moniker stood two former members of Nirvana
2002, one of the early Swedish death metal
era’s most notorious ‘what if?’ bands, whose
patchy body of work was put together in 2009
by Relapse on the mandatory ‘Recordings
1998-­91’ compilation. So, even if guitarist Orvar
Säfström is missing, it’s all still swimming in the
same murky and HM-­2 empowered waters as
back in the day and it’s very hard not to think
that the lads – Lars Henriksson (bass) and Erik
Qvick (drums) – are reconsidering their initial
promise to reform N2002 only for few selected
gigs. “I have to admit that when we did put
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didn’t want the whole thing to stop because
we had so much fun,” admits Qvick. “Plus
we got to play Maryland Deathfest in the US
and I got to meet Chris Reifert [Autopsy] in
person. So, I was over the moon with the whole
H[SHULHQFH HVSHFLDOO\ VLQFH GXULQJ RXU ÀUVW
stint as a band in between 1988 and 1992, we
never performed live. So this was all fresh to us
8 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
and we had a blast.
“But what really happened was that
around the same time, I came up with a
dozen tracks on my own. See, I’ve never
stopped performing and writing music,
ever since we split up. As a matter of fact, I
moved to Reykjavik a long time ago and I’ve
been a drum teacher here ever since at the
Conservatory and this enabled me to play
everything, from pop to baroque. Anyway,
I started sending out those rough sketches
to friends just to get their opinion, including
Lars and Orvar. And everybody was pretty
enthusiastic and said I should do something
more serious with it. Lars offered his services
and last September we properly recorded, just
the two of us, with me handling, beside the
drums, most of the guitars. And I don’t know,
someone who knew someone who knew
someone caught wind of it and the word
VWDUWHGWRVSUHDGOLNHÀUH
“But believe me, it wasn’t planned to be
some kind of comeback, really,” he insists.
“If that’s what we wanted, we should have
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some would think it’s just Nirvana 2002 under a
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same, rough sound but it’s been with us ever
VLQFHVRLILWDLQ·WEURNHZK\À[LW"µ
Even if he suggests that some potential
“big names” in the Swedish scene offered
WKHLUVHUYLFHIRUWKHYRFDOVWKHGXRÀQDOO\VHW
upon an unknown musician, Mik Annetts, an
H[SDW$XVWUDOLDQZKR·GPRYHGWR5H\NMDYLND
few years ago and had been seen previously
in Bastard, because essentially they didn’t
want to be looked upon “as just another
super-­group”. Released on tape by Qvick
himself, the 100 copies of their debut demo
sold out in no time (“I ended up having to
put together the jackets and send the copies
by myself, just like the late-­80s!”). Thus, the
band have already agreed to re-­release it
on vinyl through Blood Harvest Records, but
this time with seven tracks, after Henriksson
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tracks in Sweden this July. “The late ‘80s and
early ‘90s were such fantastic times and I’m
very proud of having had the chance to live
them,” Qvick concludes. “But I don’t want to
spend the rest of my life trying to relive them.
Death metal has been like a monkey on my
back and I guess Under The Church is just my
way to close the circle while keeping a foot
in 2013. Nevertheless, yes, the sound is pretty
much rooted in that period. I mean, to me
one song sounds like Necrovore, another is like
Sadus or mid-­paced Master and then there’s
the mandatory Nihilist clone in there so I’m
contradicting myself in a way. But that’s the
beauty of art, I guess!” Having initially worked
on about “22 songs for the demo”, Qvick says
he isn’t afraid of running out of steam anytime
VRRQ DQG LV DOUHDG\ WKLQNLQJ DERXW WKHLU ÀUVW
proper full-­length, to be hopefully “released
sometime in 2014 and with the help of some
friends on lead guitars, maybe like Erik Wallin
from Merciless.” Count on the Fist to keep you
updated on this folks!
www.UnderTheChurch.Bandcamp.com
 ..
2 7! E SIS T
R I P .
T O
S T !
Y £ ’T R ’ S G
I B E F I
N L AN E V I L
C R N
O C D B S O
U E R
YO TH SU I

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 BLACK HORIZONS
NEVER TURN YOUR
BACK ON A FRIEND BALLS TO CANCER
Jeff Wagner is back with his regular column on
records he believes have been buried by time and
dust and deserve to be given a spin once again

HELLWITCH

UK THRASHERS REIGN OF FURY AND XENTRIX JOIN

FORCES ON CHARITY TOUR
‘Syzygial Miscreancy’ “Headbanger’s Balls started over a few credibility with other bands and venues
Wild Rags Records, 1990 beers, after we’d been shooting our and were able to make headway,

F
ÀUVW YLGHR ZLWK 6DUJH >$QG\ 3LONLQJWRQ slowly but surely. There’s actually four
ORULGD·V +HOOZLWFKVRUWRIGRHVDQGVRUWRIGRHVQ·WÀW Reign Of Fury’s manager]. He asked other survivors of Testicular Cancer on
into Florida’s Halls of Death Metal Infamy. Sporadically me about my cancer, which was the the tour, possibly more who haven’t
active since 1984 and led by guitarist/vocalist Pat ÀUVWWLPHZH·GGLVFXVVHGLW:H·GEHHQ spoken up, and that’s just made us
Ranieri, theirs was an ever-­present name back in the talking about a way to bring together more determined to make it work.
tape-­trading days, but they obviously never quite made the best of the unsigned bands in the Here we are now with 12 shows and 49
the impact of Sunshine State brethren Obituary, Deicide or area to do a show, and he thought we bands.”
$WKHLVW 7KH\ ZHUH WRR OHIWÀHOG 7KH\ KDYH KRZHYHU EHHQ should turn it into a charity show. One  6RPH RI WKH EDQGV MRLQLQJ ;HQWUL[
hailed as early innovators of technical death metal, putting
beer led to another and by the end and Reign Of Fury on this crusade,
them up there along with Atheist themselves, and ‘Syzygial
of the night we’d come up with some which takes place around the UK in July
Miscreancy’ is the album that earns them the distinction.
crazy drunken plan to put on shows in and August, are thrashers Beholder,
The weirdly-­titled album starts off with acoustic intro
each corner of the country.” epic black metal heathens Cnoc
‘The Ascent’ and into ‘Nosferatu’, Hellwitch’s oldest and
While most metal bands sing about An Tursa and underground brutalists
most infamous song. Its stuttering stop/start rhythms display
death, Bison Wrathbone, vocalist of Bloodshot Dawn. Names you may not
a main Hellwitch ingredient, and later songs like ‘Viral
British young thrash tykes Reign Of have heard, but this tour will be a great
([RJHQFH· DQG ¶3XUYH\RU 2I )HDU· VWDE DQG MHUN LQ VLPLODU
Fury, met the cloaked ghoul, and chance to see some of England’s rising
IDVKLRQ ,W·V WKH DOEXP·V PLGGOH WKDW ÀQGV +HOOZLWFK SXOOLQJ
kicked his ass. And now he’s turning metal heroes.
out all the stops and lashing out with some seriously warped
KLV H[SHULHQFH LQWR D SRVLWLYH SXWWLQJ “I believe with all my heart that there
death/thrash. Think of Atheist and Kreator collaborating
on the Headbanger’s Balls tour, a road is a major brotherhood and sisterhood
on Rush cover songs while pulling big fat bong hits, and
you start to understand the dementia heard in ‘Sentient rage of metal hopefuls (and one name within the metal community,” Bison
Transmography’ and ‘Mordirivial Dissemination’. The album we all know!) that will raise awareness, says, “and if we collectively put our
is a short 25 and a half minutes, but the pace is so fast, and money, for Testicular Cancer minds together there is nothing that we
the intensity so unrelenting, and the atmosphere of nervy charities. cannot achieve;; this tour has proved
paranoia so unsettling, it’s quite long enough. While some “Ultimately we were just a small that to me a thousand times over
of these descriptions make ‘Syzygial Miscreancy’ sound like bunch of very driven people, each with already. We often focus on negative
a challenging train wreck… well, it partly is. But everything our own passionate reasons for wanting aspects in heavy metal, but there is
is played with such ferocity and the songs written in such a to hit back at cancer. None of us really far more positive aspect to it and it’s
ZD\\RXNHHSZRQGHULQJZKDWVWUDQJHQHVVWKHQH[WWXUQLV knew the ‘right way’ to put on a tour great to show others how incredible the
JRLQJWRUHYHDO,I\RX·UHLQWRWKHÀUVWFRXSOH$WKHLVWDOEXPV like this, we just used what we knew to metal scene can be.”
and the most technical Sadus material and want to go just WDNH WKLQJV VWHS E\ VWHSµ KH H[SODLQV  2I%LVRQ·VRZQÀJKWZLWKWKH%LJ&
a little further down that road, this album will do the trick. It “I think the fact that we’ve got this far KHVD\V´<RXHLWKHUOLHGRZQDQGWDNHLW
will also give your spellchecker a run for its money. is down to the fact that we didn’t have RUÀJKWEDFN,·YHKDGQXPHURXVIDPLO\
Hellwitch’s spotty discography produced some WKH EHQHÀW RI H[SHULHQFH DV HYHQW members who have had cancer and
forgettable efforts although there’s also good stuff to be organisers or promoters. If we’d known WKH\·YH EHHQ ÀJKWHUV ULJKW WR WKH HQG
H[KXPHG ² OLNH ·V ¶7HUUDDV\PPHWU\· (3 %XW OHW·V EH how fucking insane an idea it was I’m Unfortunately when it comes to cancer
honest: absolutely nothing equals ‘Syzygial Miscreancy’ for sure we wouldn’t have done it. you will never get anyone saying that
VKHHU XQDGXOWHUDWHG PDGFDS QXWMRE GHDWKWKUDVK <RX  ´2QH RI WKH ÀUVW EDQGV 6DUJH you are completely cured, only that
know you’re a fan of this album if you can spell the title contacted to get involved was you are less likely for it to develop
without looking. Those of you who can’t yet, seek out the ;HQWUL[ ZKHQ KH JRW ZLQG WKH\ ZHUH DJDLQEXW,DPFRPLQJXSWRP\ÀQDO
‘Final Approach’ CD, which includes this album in full, plus reforming,” he continues of the big FKHFNXSZKLFKZLOOSXWPHÀYH\HDUV
the aforementioned EP, or for a real fun time, try bidding name addition to the tour’s line-­up. “It cancer free and that seems like a good
RQ D FRS\ RI WKH RULJLQDO YLQ\O <RX FDQ·W OLYH ZLWKRXW WKDW turned out Macka [Fish, Bassist] had a enough reason to have a good time
Green Goblin-­meteor cover art in your collection, and you’ll
son who had recently been through and raise some money for others while
get a cool/stupid comic strip on the reverse of the lyric
treatment for brain cancer, and he we’re at it.”
LQVHUW GHWDLOLQJ WKH VWRQHG DGYHQWXUHV RI +HOOZLWFK <HDK
really wanted to be involved. With
total wackjobs, these guys.
those guys on board we had more www.HeadbangersBalls.co.uk

10 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 BLACK HORIZONS

So Far... From Good everyone into music having the ability to have an entire home
studio on the iPad or even phone, is it any wonder that new bands
have grown up with this way of thinking? And utilising it to make
their demos and albums sound so note perfect means they are
Iron Fist’s resident curmudgeon calls for killing
in for a shock when they realise they’ll have to actually play live!
technology
And with these albums being birthed in the studio rather than the

R
rehearsal room and live circuit, which was the old fashioned way of
emember those good old days – when you went to a gig testing out new material, makes for a very worrying future for music.
and watched a band – a couple of guitarists, a singer, Less is sometime more!
EDVVLVWDQGGUXPPHUHLWKHUOHDYLQJ\RXH[KLODUDWHGDQG
VSHOOERXQGRUPD\EHHYHQKHDGLQJWRZDUGVWKHH[LWVLQ
horror? Well, those days of the truly live concert are long gone... It
seems nowadays that more and more bands are utilising that bane
of the music world, the backing track, and the reliance on a laptop
seems to be of equal importance to some bands as the instruments
out on the stage. Whether it’s the mysterious keyboards when there
is no keyboard player present, haunting backing vocals when
only the singer has a mic, or full on orchestration (as if someone
has hidden the Royal Philharmonic behind the stacks of Marshalls),
the fact that it is rearing its ugly head more and more points to a
worrying direction the heavy metal music scene is headed in. In the
mid-­’90s if a black metal band wanted a synth player, they got one.
Nowadays it seems easier to buy an iPod.
 :KHWKHUDÀHOGRUURRPIXOORIGUXQNHQPHWDOOHUVPD\RUPD\
not care isn’t the point, it’s the insidious effect in letting it happen
has on the entire musical milieu. Its effect runs deeper than that;;
WKHSXEOLFDUHQ·WJHWWLQJDQDFWXDOOLYH¶H[SHULHQFH·LQVWHDGZKDW
we are seeing is an almost perfect replication of an album or
song, which really defeats the purpose of a concert, which in turn
makes the artists in question little better than any pop star miming
along to a backing track, which in turn leads to such a reliance on
technology that the bands not only can’t function without it, but
have lost that all important chemistry that makes watching a live
DFWLQWKHÀUVWSODFH
The problem isn’t going away anytime soon either, with “An actual keyboard player! RIP Jon Lord”
recording technology almost reaching it’s zenith and with almost

GOATESS
with it,” stresses Christian ‘Chritus’ Linderson with a grin. However,
one could easily underline that ever since Count Raven’s debut
‘Storm Warning’ came out in 1990 the man has never had the
chance to put out more than two albums with the same band! So
far that is, as he’s been working lately on the third Lord Vicar third
full-­length with former Reverend Bizarre Kimi ‘Peter Vicar’ Kärki. But
when asked about his other current active band Goatess, he says
WKDWKHVHHVLWDV´ÀUVWDQGIRUHPRVWDEXQFKRIORQJWLPHIULHQGV
who just love doing music together and plan to keep doing so for
many years.”
 7KH EDQG VWDUWHG RII LQ  ÀUVW DV :HHNHQG %HDVW ZLWK MXVW
him and guitar player Niklas “jamming out ideas for the sake of it.”
 ´:HKLWLWRIIVRZHOOWRJHWKHUWKDWWKHPXVLFVWDUWHGWRÁRZYHU\
easily,” he admits. “Eventually, I ended up working with him just like
I did with Dave [Chandler] in Saint Vitus or do now with Kimi in Lord
Vicar, and that is sorting out the best ideas and then, when we feel
OLNHLWWDNLQJLWWRWKHQH[WOHYHOLQRXUUHKHDUVDOURRPµ5RXQGHGRXW
by punk drummer Kenta (from The Dontcares), when bass player

HAIL THEGOAT(ESS)
Ex-Vitus and current Lord Vicar mainman Christian
Linderson is back with some new stoner jams... Olivier
‘Zoltar’ Badin worships the Goatess.
Findus joined in 2012, they switched names to Goatess before
entering a “pop/rock studio that never worked with metal artists
before” in the suburbs of Stockholm for two and a half weeks last
-DQXDU\ 7KH UHVXOW LV LQÁXHQFHG E\ FODVVLF GRRP DQG VWRQHU DQG
DOUHDG\JRWWKHPERRNHGIRUWKHÀQDOHGLWLRQRIWKHIDPRXV¶'RRP

“B
DVHG RQ P\ SDVW H[SHULHQFHV VRPH SHRSOH
may believe that I’m hard to work with, whereas
it couldn’t be more the opposite. I love playing
in bands and the camaraderie that goes along
Shall Rise’ festival in Germany last April. “We basically make the
PXVLFZHOLNHWKDW·VLW,I,ZDVMXVWDIDQ,·GORYHWRÀQGDQDOEXP
like ours!”
www.Facebook.com/BalderSounds

12 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 BLACK HORIZONS
CHTHONIC
TAIWANESE BLACK METALLERS RE-WRITE THE
T
RULES OF EXTREMITY
aiwanese black thrashers have just
unleashed a new album, ‘Bu-­Tik’
and the band that melds Emperor,
Bay Area thrash and traditional
Taiwanese instruments have been thrust back
into the spotlight, recently playing the massive
Download Festival at Donington Park. But with
last issue’s Tormentor feature still resonating,
when we got the chance to speak to frontman
and founder Freddy Lim, we couldn’t wait
WR DVN KLP DERXW KLV RZQ MRXUQH\ WR H[WUHPH
metal growing up in Taipei.
“When I was a kid I listened to Guns N Roses
and Bon Jovi and that kind of glam rock,”
KH H[SODLQV WHOOLQJ XV WKDW $PHULFDQ URFN
was surprisingly wide-­spread in the country
thanks to the vast number of American army
bases in Taipei. “In the ‘70s and ‘80s, the
Americans sent their armies here, so back in
the ‘70s most of the Taiwanese bands played
rock music that was popular in America to
entertain the soldiers. So, as I can recall, they
14 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
there is metal with a clean voice, like power
metal. They think that if you want to play metal
you have to growl.
“We started in ‘95 or ‘96,” he continues
of Chthonic’s formation. “When I listened in
high school to Bon Jovi and Skid Row I felt
like I wanted heavier stuff, I needed Slayer,
Metallica, Testament, Overkill. I got more into
H[WUHPH PHWDO DQG WKHUH ZDV PD\EH WZR
UHFRUG VKRSV LQ 7DLSHL ZKHUH \RX FRXOG ÀQG
this music. So, I was hanging there right after
school and listened to the music as I couldn’t
EX\WKHPDOO7KHPRVWH[WUHPHWKLQJ,OLVWHQHG
to was Obituary, Carcass and of course Death
and Napalm Death, but then in ‘93 or ‘94,
when I got the internet, I found out about
black metal and started to mailorder Emperor,
Enslaved, Immortal, Darkthrone, Burzum and I
think I was the weirdest guy in the Taipei metal
scene because most guys were saying that
GHDWK PHWDO ZDV WKH PRVW H[WUHPH WKLQJ RQ
the earth. I started thinking it might be cool
to start a band where no one understood
what the music was about. No band member
knew what I wanted to do, so I shared some
cassette tapes with them and tried to force
them to play whatever I wanted to play.”
Chthonic released four albums until
·V¶0LUURU2I5HWULEXWLRQ·WKHÀUVWDOEXPWR
really make an impact in the West thanks to
their signing to Finland’s Spinefarm Records.
And through their success both in and
outside Taiwan and their political message
of Taiwanese independence they can now
count themselves as one of the most popular
bands in their homeland.
“Everything’s changed,” Freddy laughs,
harking back to those times when it was
QLJK LPSRVVLEOH WR ÀQG H[WUHPH PHWDO LQ KLV
hometown. “Now, of course, there are not
so many record shops, not just in Taipei but
everywhere, but you can see in every high
covered American bands a lot but when school there are metal societies, and if we go
those American bases closed in the ‘80s the and visit a music class [which they do often,
Taiwanese bands started thinking about what as part of their social and political activities]
WRGRQH[W7KRVHPXVLFLDQVZHUHJHWWLQJROG you will see a lot of teachers teaching kids
so it wasn’t like they could just switch from VFUHDPLQJ <RX VHH D YHU\ FOHDQIDFHG KLJK
being a cover band to an original band so school girl preparing for her lesson and starting
the late ‘80s and early ‘90s was a tough time screaming. I can’t imagine this 15 years ago,
for them. Before, all they had to do was play no way! And those teachers earn more money
‘Hotel California’ and they could earn a lot than me – those growling teachers. I always
of money. So, in the early ‘90s the younger joke that I wanna quit the band, I wanna be
generation of musicians, like me, we all the teacher!
started thinking about what to do. We didn’t “Metal is now so strong that it will never
want to follow the old path, it made no sense be unseen again here. It’s not a weird thing
to forever be playing someone else’s music. I anymore. Kids have tattoos and the most
ZRXOGVD\WKHÀUVWJHQHUDWLRQRIRULJLQDOURFN important thing is that the parents don’t hate
bands in Taiwan were born in the mid-­’90s.” their kids being like this anymore, because
 :LWK&KWKRQLFOHDGLQJDYDQJXDUGRIÀUVW some of the parents like me because I’m so
wave metal bands in their homeland, Freddy active in the Human Rights and social activism
has some interesting news about what is movement. I’ve been so supportive to our
regarded as “metal” in Taiwan. ROGHU JHQHUDWLRQ ÀJKWLQJ IRU KRZ WKH\ ZDQW
“There is always a debate in Taiwan saying our country to be, so I think they would love
that Chthonic mis-­led Taiwanese people, as their kids to have tattoos and follow this kind of
now most Taiwanese people think metal is music.”
H[WUHPH PHWDO 7KH\ FDQ·W XQGHUVWDQG WKDW www.Chthonic.tw
 BLACK HORIZONS
ATLANTEAN KODEX
NEW ALBUM ON THE WAY
“IT’S NOT YOUR CLICHÉ HEAVY METAL ALBUM”
W
e’re suckers for melodramatic,
epic doom and nothing has
JRW XV TXLWH DV H[FLWHG DV
the prospect of a brand new
DOEXP E\ $WODQWHDQ .RGH[ ,I OLNH XV \RX·UH
glued to that forthcoming albums list on the
Metal Archives website you would have
seen ‘The White Goddess’ lurking around
the “October 2013” date for over a year,
teasing all fans of their landmark 2010 opus
¶7KH*ROGHQ%RXJK·7KH%DYDULDQÀYHSLHFH
IHDWXULQJ 0DQXHO 7UXPPHU H[$G ,QIHUQXP
always some on/off phases, times when we
GLGQ·W ZRUN RQ WKH DOEXP DW DOOµ 7KH ÀQDO
recordings started “about three months ago”
at Boar Cult Studios, owned by the band. “In
the past few years we’ve built our own studio
with our own equipment in it, so we had all the
time in the world to work on the details and
arrangements,” Manuel says.
As for that spectral title, ‘The White
Goddess’ refers to “drawing strength from
death and downfall. It is the will to power in
the face of our own mortality. It is the single
force that inspires the poet’s tongue and
the warrior’s courage. The White Goddess is
death, life and rebirth.”
from the tapedeck.”
Alright!
“What might surprise the people who
ERXJKW RXU ÀUVW DOEXP LV WKDW ZH DGGHG D
couple of new facets to our sound,” he goes
on to admit. “I think the whole album is bleaker
and much heavier than our debut. It’s not your
cliché heavy metal album, I’ve got a feeling
it transcends the boundaries of epic metal to
delve into darker realms.”
Once the album is out, on Cruz Del Sur on
2FWREHUWKHEDQGZLOOÁ\WR$WKHQV*UHHFH
for a release party on October 5 and have so
IDU FRQÀUPHG DSSHDUDQFHV DW .HHS ,W 7UXH
Hell Over Hammaburg, Dutch Doom Days and
H[/XFLIXJXV RQ JXLWDUV KDYH EHHQ KRQLQJ And how would he describe the way it hope to head to the UK. So do we!
their chops for the new album for two years, sounds? “Like Quorthon raping the shit out of
although Manuel admits that “there were Uriah Heep while ‘Into Glory Ride’ is blasting More details are over at www.AtlanteanKodex.de

David Stranderud to spill the beans for us;; “To
make a long story short, Trap was kickstarted
in 2010 by me and our drummer Thomas,
who also plays in Devil Lee Rot and Autopsy
Torment with me. We’ve known each other
howling of Svennefelt in Portrait: “Why look for
a singer when you know such a good one?”
asks David. “Philip masters the high and low
range and knows how to combine it to make
it interesting to listen to, with a lot of different

IT’S A TRAP since the Portrait days but let me be clear, by

Ex-Portrait, Helvetets Port and Devil Lee Rot
members form new metal legion
no means has this new band anything to do
with it or any of our previous bands. We just
had this simple idea, to play straight-­forward
voices. So without him, the songs wouldn’t
have turned out so good.” David agrees
that their sound is rooted in the ‘80s but that
it’s not like he wants “everything to sound as

I
metal for metal fans! Initially, it was just the two if coming straight from that decade. A great
t should pretty obvious by now that the of us and we started scraping ideas together song is a great song, no matter what.
words ‘Swedish’ and ‘heavy metal’, very quickly, yet it still took some time to put an “Still, although many bands have inspired
when appearing together in the same actual line-­up together.” me over the years like Maiden, Priest, King
Words: Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin

VHQWHQFH VXIÀFH WR JHW RXU FROOHFWLYH  $IWHU WKH ÀQDO SLHFH RI WKH SX]]OH ZDV 'LDPRQGRU6D[RQ,KDYHWRFRQIHVVWKDWRXU
alarms buzzing. So as soon as we realised that added – Peter Svensson from Void Moon PDLQLQÁXHQFHLVSUREDEO\([FLWHU,ORYHWKHLU
two former Portrait members were behind the joining on bass – the quartet recorded their music and they’ve inspired us to keep things
two soundclips that had appeared under the ÀUVW WZR WUDFNV ¶$VVDVVLQV· DQG ¶:UHFNDJH 2I simple and heavy. Less is more.” Even if Trap
banner Trap, including their old screaming Nations’ last March. Released on vinyl and KDYH \HW WR SOD\ WKHLU ÀUVW JLJ WKH\·UH VHW WR
banshee Philip Svennefeldt, who until recently tape under the title ‘Assassinations’ on High enter the studio to do some pre-­recording for
DOVRSURXGO\SURPRWHGVSDQGH[ZLWK+HOYHWHWV Roller Records, it is bound to attract those who DSRWHQWLDODOEXPWREHRXWQH[W\HDU
Port, we knew we had to get guitar player fell under the spell of the crystal-­shattering www.Trapmetal.webs.com

16 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

BLACK HORIZONS
A T T L E
INTO B ANDS
NEW IB
E FOR
TO D
TYRANT’’S KALL
<RX PLJKW WKLQN %HOJLXP DLQ·W PXFK
more than chocolate, fancy beer and
Jean-­Claude Van Damme but there
are far better things going on. Things
like Tyrant’s Kall! Now you’re safe in
that knowledge, you can go back to
VWXIÀQJ \RXU IDFH ZKLOVW JHWWLQJ GUXQN
and poisoning your eyes with awful
DFWLRQ ÀOPV  VDZ 7\UDQW·V .DOO
XQOHDVK¶'DJRQ·DÀOWK\VODERIVOXGJ\
doom that sent rumbles throughout
WKH FRQWLQHQW DQG JRW XV DOO H[FLWHG
Despite the weight of the riffs they carry,
they’ve a pretty simple philosophy;;
“When the fun is over, we’ll quit!”... and
thank the devil himself that they’ve no
plans to do so just yet, having ploughed
straight into working on their follow up,
¶*ODDNL· *XLWDULVW +0 'RRP H[SODLQV
that their new work is “something
GLIIHUHQWWRWKHDOUHDG\H[LVWLQJSLOODUVRI
doom/death metal… a logical sequel
to ‘Dagon’.” Talking about their style
KH H[SODLQV WKDW ´7\UDQW·V .DOO LV DOO
DERXW EULQJLQJ IRUWK D YHUVDWLOH PL[ RI
old school metal… we don’t shun any
style, as long as it remains traditional
and heavy!”
When it comes to the lyrical theme
of the band it’s clear that Lovecraft
plays a big part, but as vocalist Esmee
H[SODLQV´,GRQ·WFRQVLGHUWKHLQÁXHQFH
of Lovecraft as a limitation. Some of
WKH WH[WV , ZULWH DUH FRPSOHWHO\ EDVHG
on stories, but certainly not everything.”
There’s a real sense that Tyrant’s Kall
have no intention of reinventing the
wheel, and why would they need to?
Their thundering sounds are deserving
of your full attention. Hell, they grab
your attention, pin you down and let
those ever so sweet riffs obliterate your
ear drums.”
SAM MCKAVANAGH
www.Soundcloud.com/Tyrants-Kall
18 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
OGDRU JAHAD
It takes a stronger-­souled individual than
us to resist making a “something’s rotten
in the state of Denmark” cliche when
discussing a band like Ogdru Jahad.
Though most of their scant discography is
XQRIÀFLDO DW EHVW ZRUG WUDYHOV IDVW ZKHQ
it’s revealed that some of the twisted
maniacs behind Sadomator have started
DQHZSURMHFW1HFURGHYLOH[SODLQV´,WDOO
started for Ogdru Jahad when Sadogoat
recorded the ‘Scourging...’ EP in 2003. At
that time I didn’t have a clear direction for
Sadogoat and we were doing whatever
we wanted, but as time went by I wanted
to re-­record those tracks and also I had a
few unrecorded tracks in that vein, but it
ZDV QRW UHDOO\ ÀWWLQJ LQ ZLWK WKH GLUHFWLRQ
Sadogoat/Sadomator was going, so I
wanted to form a new band. After the
third Sadomator LP things were kind of
stagnating for the band, so I was talking
with Sod about putting Sadomator on
hold for some time and doing something
new. After some time we asked Undeity if
THE PETE FLESH
DEATHTRIP
Behind this rather egomaniac banner
is Maze Of Torment, Flesh, Thrown and
Deceiver all round up into one package.
<HS IRXU EDQGV JXLWDULVW 3HWH )OHVK KDG
been very active in, starting in 1995 with
MOT and leading him, during the winter
of 2007-­08, to release no less than three
albums under three different names
before this overactive Swede decided
WR YDQLVK XQWR REOLYLRQ« XQWLO QRZ ´<RX
could say I voluntary locked myself up
in my own dungeon during those years
due to the combination of being tired
of working with the same people and
quitting drinking after years of abuse.
he wanted to join. Sadomator was never
split up or anything, but since we were not
really active either I found it to be a good
time to concentrate on Ogdru Jahad
and from there we went on to plan a full
album and get the band going instead of
just re-­recording a few tracks and ending
it there.”
That album, ‘I’ is as disgusting as you’d
ZDQW DQG DV ORÀ SULPDO DQG VFXUULORXV
DV\RX·GH[SHFW7KHLUVRQJV·ZRUWKRI
bestial death that spits upon the cross and
mocks the holy cunt was released by Iron
Bonehead this past spring, and according
to Necrodevil, this is just the beginning.
“We do plan to make more releases, but
when we will record and what we will
record remains a mystery for now. At some
point we will do a new album I hope, but
we have also been talking about some
other minor releases…”
KIM KELLY
www.Facebook.com/OgdruJahad.DK
I may sound moralistic now but I’m still
the same guy. I’m just in better control
of myself and of my creative outlet,” the
PDQKLPVHOIH[SODLQV
Although he considers TPFD as ‘his’
thing and is already looking forward
to recording his sophomore album, he
invited former Deceiver and current
General Surgery frontman Erik Sahlström
to do the cover for debut album ‘Mortui
Vivos Docent’. Plus there’s The Black/
Vinterland’s Andreas Jonsson on drums
and Micke Broberg from Unanimated on
guest vocals and with a contribution to
some of the lyrics, telling us that;; “Andreas
brought something different to the table,
but I think it’s really Micke’s feeling that
links this album more to black metal, a
genre I’ve always listened as much to as
death, thrash or even heavy metal.
“The Pete Flesh Deathtrip is really just
the direct continuation of Flesh,with whom
I did release three albums between 2005
and 2008, but I felt like I needed a little
change,” he admits. “In a way, it feels like
I’m 22 years old again, recording Maze Of
Torment’s debut, but with a lot more self-­
DZDUHQHVVDQGFRQÀGHQFHµ
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
www.Facebook.com/PeteFlesh
LEATHER SYNN
Portugal has never been known as a
hotbed for heavy metal, but since 2011
the Lisbon-­based Leather Synn have been
“fully committed”, according to vocalist
Xico Steele, to playing “traditional heavy
metal with absolutely zero per cent of
PRGHUQLQÁXHQFHVµ
“We play honest, old school heavy
PHWDO ZLWK JXWVµ DIÀUPV JXLWDULVW +XJR
Rattlesnake. “We want to bring danger
back to the heavy metal scene here, and
I will play heavy metal until the day I die,”
KHH[FODLPVZLWKDQH[XEHUDQFHPLUURULQJ
that of Manowar’s Joey DeMaio.
“If we were a band around for 15-­
20 years it would have made sense to
progress,” says Xico, “but we aren’t and
we want to play the kind of music we
listen to from our favourite metal albums.”
MAGISTER TEMPLI
Paying tribute to the epic doom/heavy
metal of Candlemass and Manilla Road
and following hot on the footsteps of
fellow Oslo traditionalists Devil and Age Of
Taurus (well, they’re semi-­Norse) comes
Magister Templi. “I attacked Baphomet
in a pub and told him we had to start
a band together,” is one of the most
interesting, and terrifying, tales we’ve
been told of band formation. But for
YRFDOLVW$EUD[DV'·5XFNXVLWZRUNHG´+H
had a lot of strange ideas and I wanted
to do something more creative than what
I’ve done in the past, so we wanted to
start from scratch and see where it led
us,” admits the guitarist, who previously
played in melodic heavy metal band
Defective and, in his words, “more bands
than I can remember.”
“Apart from the two of us there’s
Xico describes these as, “mostly
US metal from the ‘80s, but also a few
Canadian bands: Medieval Steel,
Ruthless, Thor, Glacier, Salem’s Wych,
Wikka, Black Death, Ivory Tiger, Malice,
Warrior, World War III, etc.
“Also we pay tribute to some of the
‘80s Portuguese metal acts like Xeque
Mate, Alkateya, V12, early Tarantula,
Valium, STS Paranoid, etc. We didn’t
want to make a NWOBHM-­inspired band.
However, there are a few bands such as
Tyrant, Cloven Hoof, Savage and a few
PRUHWKDWLQÁXHQFHXVµ
 $QRWKHU LQÁXHQFH EH\RQG KHDY\
metal would be “hot girls”, according to
+XJR DV FRQÀUPHG E\ WKH DSSURSULDWHO\
provocative cover adorning Leather
Synn’s proudly energetic four-­song self-­
titled debut EP recorded earlier this year.
“Her name is Karina Currie,” says Xico.
“She’s a professional adult movie star and
she likes hard rock and metal.”
Surely Leather Synn gets plenty of
groupies at gigs?
 ´<RXJHWPRUHJURXSLHVEHLQJDKDUG
rock DJ than playing in a heavy metal
band in this city,” laughs Xico.
JOHN MINCEMOYER
www.Facebook.com/LeatherSynn
Akoman [bass], Partiark [guitars] and
*ULPPGXQ >GUXPV@µ $EUD[DV FRQWLQXHV
“They all hail from the Norwegian Black
Metal Scene [including stints in Svarttjern
and Sarkom].” But the members have
dropped the blasphemy and blastbeats
for old school sounding, fantastic [in the
proper sense of the word] heavy metal.
“I’ve drawn most of my inspiration from
Western occultism as well as Judeo-­
Christian and classical mythology,” says
the vocalist, before adding about future
releases, “These days I’m on a bit of an
Egypt hype, so we’ll see.” Baphomet sums
of the sound of Magister Templi perfectly;;
´,W·VEDVHGRQZHLUGÀOPVDOFRKRODQGROG
heavy rock.”
 ´:H SOD\ D PL[ RI1:2%+0 DQG ROG
VFKRROGRRPµ$EUD[DVFKLPHVLQ´0DLQO\
inspired by bands like Pagan Altar, Angel
Witch and Manilla Road. Added to this
are some incantations and a twist of ‘70s
progressive rock like Jethro Tull or Goblin.”
With their debut album, ‘Lucifer Leviathan
Logos’, out now on Cruz Del Sur, who
got in touch after a tip from Devil’s Stian
Fossum the band are looking to tour and
are already writing new material, which
the guitarist promises will sound “dance
DURXQG WKH FDPS ÀUH ZLWK GHPRQV
heavy”. We can’t wait.
LOUISE BROWN
www.MagisterTempli.Bandcamp.com
NOISEM
Fact: Baltimore, Maryland quintet,
Noisem, was originally called Necropsy.
 ´<HDKµ DIÀUPV GUXPPHU +DUOH\
Phillips, “we were called Necropsy for a
while, up until February or so when we
decided to change it as we already
knew of the vast number of bands
ZLWK WKH QDPH :H ÀJXUHG LW ZDV DQ
appropriate time. We don’t want any
problems with that.”
Harley is guitarist Sebastian Phillips’
older brother and such a familial
connection evokes Blessed Death,
whose formidable rhythm section was
propelled by identical twins, Chris and
Kevin Powelson. Blessed Death played
thrash. Noisem plays a frenzied death/
thrash hybrid featuring nods to Dark
Angel, Demolition Hammer, early
Slayer, Vio-­lence and early Morbid
Angel among others. Their fantastically
blistering A389 Recordings debut full-­
OHQJWK ¶$JRQ\ 'HÀQHG· LV SRVLWLYHO\
lethal. As for the rest of Noisem, the
Phillips brothers knew guitarist Travis
Stone because he was their neighbour,
they met vocalist Tyler Carnes at a
VKRZ DQG 6HEDVWLDQ PHW EDVVLVW <DJR
Ventura at summer camp.
 6XPPHUFDPS"<HV1RLVHPDUHWKDW
young and it is admittedly disgusting just
how accomplished they sound.
“I’m about to be out of middle
school,” says Harley. “The mean
average of our ages collectively is
17.8.”
“I graduated last year,” adds
Sebastian, “and Travis graduated the
day after we played Scion Rock Fest
[June 1, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee].”
It helps to have a supportive parental
foundation, which is something you
generally do not read about or learn in
most metal-­oriented publications.
“They’ve always supported us
no matter what we wanted to do,”
says Sebastian. “Music in general is
something they encouraged from
childhood. I’m sure they are just like most
parents who want their children to have
bright futures and live comfortably, but
they want us to be happy and do what
we love doing.”
JOHN MINCEMOYER
www.Facebook.com/NoisemBaltimore
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 19
BLACK HORIZONS
E
A T T L
INTO B ANDS
NEW IB
E FOR
TO D
CC COMPANY
Friends since their school daze, CC
Company is yet another infectious
rock ‘n’ band outta Stockholm, in the
vein of Hellacopters and Motörhead,
but with some recognisable faces
at the helm. It makes sense that the
three-­piece should consist of Enforcer
guitarist and bassist, Joseph Tholl (also
of Black Trip) and Tobias Lindqvist (also
of Dead Lord) – after all there is that
throwback vibe that all three of their
other bands showcase so perfectly, but
CC Company is pure, unadulterated
rock swagger this time around. They’re
joined on drums by Tribulation vocalist
Johannes Andersson, but don’t call this
a supergroup.
“We’ve had lots of side projects with
this line-­up during the past ten years,”
weighs in frontman Joseph about the
band’s formation. “It’s been all kinds of
different stuff, depending on what we
feel like doing for the moment, just for
fun, you know?
This latest incarnation of their
jamming habit was born last summer
and they’ve already racked up gigs at
the infamous Pussy-­A-­Go-­Go bar and
caught the attention of new label (and
Fist cohorts), Bad Omen Records. “The
songs came out very natural with a
sound of rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal,”
-RVHSK H[SODLQV ´2XU ÀUVW µ LV VRRQ WR
be released on Bad Omen Records,
and we’ll record a second one this
summer.” We can’t wait!
LOUISE BROWN
www.Facebook.com/CCCompanyStockholm
20 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
SEGREGATES
According to their Facebook page,
Segregates play “Motörpunk rock
‘n’ roll straight outta Jorvik” and they
ain’t wrong! Motörhead worship is an
understatement when it comes to this
band. These amphetamine-­paced
punkers are headed by Smell on bass/
vocals and Fast Elliot on guitars, who at
the end of last year went around Europe
in a beaten van, staying in the dingiest
hotel rooms money could buy, following
Lemmy and Co on AAA passes. Meeting
SCOLEX
2DNODQGGHDWKGHDOHUV6FROH[VHHPLQJO\
came out of nowhere with their debut
EP, ‘Torn From Beyond’, but they’re
far from green. In early 2012, past and
current members of Ghoul, Population
Reduction, Lycus and Worm Ouroboros
found themselves drawn together,
helpless against the malevolent forces
of destruction to which they’d soon
swear fealty. “Catchy, lingering riffs and
heavy tones are addictive,” bassist Erika
Osterhout admits. “Justin [drummer/
vocalist] and I were buddies and always
talked about jamming together. He and I
played together for almost a year before
we recorded ‘Torn From Beyond’. We
had a couple songs we wanted solos in
and asked Danny Coralles from Autopsy
and Abscess if he would be interested in
them on their journey when Motörhead
rocked up in Wolverhampton it was easy
to see they meant business. A homemade
copy of their EP was handed over straight
DZD\DQGWKHGULQNVEHJDQWRÁRZ
Authenticity and honesty is clearly
something important to this band;; it’s
audible in their loose playing style and is
carried through to the production of their
four-­track EP ‘No Regrets’, which we’re
LQIRUPHG LV DQ ´DOO DQDORJXHµ DIIDLU <RX
can almost smell the sweat and puke in
their music, it drips from the riffs. Fusing
the speed and energy of bands like
Discharge with an old-­school attitude
DQGURFNDQGUROOH[FHVVPDNHLWDKHDG\
PL[DQGDFDWFK\UHOHDVH
As if their credentials weren’t solid
enough, Smell and Elliot are paid-­up
Motörheadbangers and are compiling
WKHLU H[SHULHQFHV RQ WKH URDG ODVW \HDU
into a book about the Motörhead cult,
endorsed by the band itself. Their debut
EP is set for a limited cassette run through
German label Fuck The Mainstream
We Are The Mainstream (Iron Dogs/
Whipstriker) as well as on 7” vinyl being
made by the band themselves.
JACK WELCH
www.Facebook.com/Segregates
doing some shredding on the record. He
came in and knocked out some ripping
solos for us. It was amazing! After that
we tried out a few guitar players until
ZH IRXQG '\ODQ DQG <XVHI DQG VWDUWHG
playing shows.”
 6FROH[ WUDZO WKH GDQNHVW GLUWLHVW
sewers of classic knuckle-­dragging,
doomhauling death metal and slap a
nice coating of grime and crust overtop
the snarling guitars, mangled d-­beats and
FDYHUQRXVURDUV,QNHHSLQJZLWKWKHLU',<
roots, the whole thing was self-­released,
though Osterhout’s not opposed to
forming the right alliance. “As cool as it
ZDV WR H[SHULHQFH WKH UHFRUG SUHVVLQJ
process myself, it’d be even cooler to
VHH ZKR KDV LQWHUHVW LQ XV ,·G GHÀQLWHO\
consider getting picked up by a label for
RXUQH[WUHFRUGLQJµZH·UHWROG$OOLQDOO
‘Torn From Beyond’ is a sickening display
of morbid talent and, as Osterhout says,
PRUHLVRQWKHZD\´:HMXVWÀQLVKHGXS
recording for a split. We’re also writing
more for another record that we hope to
get out by early 2014. It’ll be crushing!”
she promises.
KIM KELLY
www.ScolexDeathMetal.Bandcamp.com
VENOMOUS
MAXIMUS
“It does not derive from the G.I. Joe
FKDUDFWHUµFRUUHFWV9HQRPRXV0D[LPXV
guitarist/vocalist Gregg Higgins when
asked about the band’s unique moniker.
Oops…
“It comes from a tattoo that Jerry
Collins (aka “Sailor Jerry”) created for
Vietnam vets to get tattooed as a badge
for those who are not afraid to dive into
WKHXQNQRZQµKHH[SODLQV´,WKDVQRWKLQJ
to do with venom. It has to do with the
planet Venus. But just like everything else
that’s a whole other story.”
 9HQRPRXV 0D[LPXV FDOO +RXVWRQ
BÖLZER
´, KDG DFWXDOO\ SODQQHG DQ LQGHÀQLWH
break from making music, but the idea
of forming a band together seemed
the right thing to do.” Hey Kzr (also of
Deathcult and Witchrist), not only was
that right thing to do, it was the best thing
to do. Hailing from Switzerland, this duo –
HzR on drums and KzR guitars and vocals
– met by chance and resulted in the
creation of the unholy beast that is Bölzer.
 ´%|O]HU LV ÀUVW DQG IRUHPRVW D GHDWK
PHWDO RXWÀW ZLWK WKH DWPRVSKHULFDO
aesthetic of black metal and doom
PHWDOµ .]7 H[SODLQV ´$WPRVSKHUH LV
very important for us and far supersedes
technicality in songwriting. Everything is
very primal in Bölzer, something which, for
7H[DVKRPHDQGWKHKHDYLO\LQNHGTXDUWHW
formed from the tattoo shop Gregg once
owned.
He and his band mates: guitarist
Christian Larson, bassist Trevi Biles and
drummer Bongo have forged a self-­
described “dark heavy metal” style noted
for its massive, sinuous riffs and Gregg’s
unique vocals. If you are a fan of Age Of
Taurus, Slough Feg or Hour Of 13 then it
should not take much for you to dive into
9HQRPRXV 0D[LPXV· UHFHQWO\ UHOHDVHG
debut full-­length, ‘Beg Upon The Light’.
 9HQRPRXV 0D[LPXV DUH EXW RQH
of the growing list of artists, and there
are sure to be more, contributing to the
recent resurgence in traditional sounding
heavy metal.
 ´<HV , ZRXOG GHÀDQWO\ SXW XV DV SDUW
of it,” he admits. “Now that we are past
2012 everything is a reassurance of the
past. Not just music. It’s happening in hair
styles, movies, vehicles, thought, etc. If
the ‘60s was humanity waking up from a
dream then post-­2012 is remembering the
dream.
“All we want to do is play rock ‘n’ roll
on the dark side of the spectrum,” he
adds. “It doesn’t mean evil. It’s just the
opposite. People say we sound doom
because that’s what they are looking for
DQG\RXZLOODOZD\VÀQGZKDW\RXVHHNµ
JOHN MINCEMOYER
www.Facebook.com/VenomousMaximus
me, denotes strength and sustainability
among other things and lies at the very
heart of our philosophy.” He further
H[SODLQV WKDW WKHLU PXVLF LVQ·W MXVW DERXW
the sound;; “I believe the visual aspect
of a record can be as important as the
music itself, given that it can play a huge
role in the overall atmosphere of the
release and the way in which the listener
H[SHULHQFHVLWµ
Having released a demo, ‘Roman
Acupuncture’, in 2012, this year saw the
release of ‘Aura’, a three-­track slab of
awesome that showcases the duo laying
down their intent to unleash carnage, and
whilst we are still picking our collective
MDZVXSIURPWKHÁRRUWKH\FRPHRXWDOO
guns blazing with news of ‘Soma’, which
is, “a 12” release, this time comprised
predominantly of older material”. It only
gets better from there and though they
claim to “write slowly”, there is talk of
D IXOOOHQJWK DOEXP IRU QH[W \HDU 7KH\
are the gift that keeps on giving and as
long as it is pure Bölzer then you can be
guaranteed it is going to be all kinds of
hell.
SAM MCKAVANAGH
www.Soundcloud.com/Bolzer
RANGER
Formed in Helsinki in 2009, Finland’s
5DQJHU VWDUWHG ´DV D ÀYHSLHFH VSHHG
PHWDOEDQGµVD\VJXLWDULVW-DDNNRH[
Swallowed). “There’s been a few lineup
changes since, like Dimi picking up the
bass and Miko moving from guitar to
drums. It’s been us three who kept the
band going. Verneri joined us last year
DIWHU¶0HWDO*HDU·>5DQJHU·VÀUVWGHPR@
was recorded and completed the
lineup with second lead guitar. He’s a
real ripper and we really love to have
him onboard. He completes our desire
for over-­the-­top double guitar action.”
“Over-­the-­top” provides a perfect
descriptor for Ranger’s furious and
loose “hot burning metal” attack.
The aforementioned twin guitar
DFWLRQ GHÀQLWHO\ SURSHOV WKH FKDRV
Complementing the ripping guitars
are Dimi’s frenetic, high-­pitched vocals
DQG EDQVKHH ZDLOLQJ <RX PLJKW FDOO
Ranger’s self-­styled “combat metal”
sloppy, but a large part of their appeal
derives from the “feel” of the naked,
raw aggression and not technical
precision – much like early Destruction.
“Destruction and Teutonic thrash
rules,” agrees Jaakko, “but as a band,
RXU PDLQ LQÁXHQFHV DUH WKH YHU\ EDVLV
of heavy metal. Pounding drums,
dominating and powerful vocals with
skull-­splitting, double lead guitars that
melt your face and send shivers down
your spine. We worship bands like Judas
3ULHVW0RW|UKHDG([FLWHU,URQ0DLGHQ
Raven, Accept and Thin Lizzy.”
Ranger is onto something. Their
awesome three-­song ‘Combat Metal’
demo (on Fanatic’s Lodge) earned
Fenriz’s “Band Of The Week” seal of
approval several months ago and they
UHFHQWO\ÀQLVKHGUHFRUGLQJDPLQL/3
´<HDKµVD\V-DDNNR´ZHMXVWUHFRUGHG
our debut mini LP at Black Floyd’s
Analog Soundhouse. It’s titled ‘Knights
Of Darkness’. The vinyl will be out in
late August or early September through
Ektro Records.”
 ([FLWLQJ\HV"
“As Paul Baloff said, ‘Metal rules, if
you don’t like it, DIE!’”
JOHN MINCEMOYER
www.Facebook.com/RangerHeavyMetal
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 21
 R EESS
TTUU R

L
NN

A
DDVVEE

P
A
A

E
K ’’’’SS

N
I C
C K
NI
AANNN
IINN…………

In our interview with CAUCHEMAR later on in the

magazine we found out that some of the songs on their
latest album were written in Nepal, where our roving
reporter ANNICK GIROUX spent a few days
on her travels. Here she tells us more
about her trip and her host VISHAL RAI
of grinders WAKK THUU

L
ocated on the roof of the world, Nepal has eight
of the world’s ten tallest mountains, including
the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest. It
also has the world’s highest Hindu population, and
is Asia’s second poorest country after Afghanistan.
I stayed there for three weeks in March 2012, and
found the country, its culture and its people to be
absolutely fascinating... but like when visiting most
Asian countries, you are usually stuck in touristy circles
– visiting cultural and historic areas, eating at tourist
restaurants, etc. Luckily, when I got in touch with Vishal
Rai, whom I met through an internet Kathmandu
metal group, I was able to dive straight into the Nepali
underground metal culture. Vishal grew up in a Nepali
community in Darjeeling, India, and has been active
in the Kathmandu metal community for the past few
years. He brought me to a local metal fest, and told
me all about the obscure metal from his country! The
scene there is just starting up, and you can totally feel
the excitement within local bangers... enjoy this little
slice of Nepali metal!

Apparently, Nepalese rock dates from the ‘70s,

where people who were in contact with hippies of the
era bought from them guitars and records of bands

““You cannot imagine

like The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Doors, Hendrix,
Deep Purple, etc… How did you get into rock and
PHWDO":HUH\RXUSDUHQWVRQHRIWKHÀUVWJHQHUDWLRQV
of rockers in Nepal?

how wild and crazy

“Yes, you are right about the hippie story. I have
seen a Hindi movie ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’
based on this. I cannot remember all of them but

the Nepalese metal

it was from artists like Janis Joplin, Bob Seger and
more. In 1994, an old man (I used to call him Pala,
I don’t know what it really means) near my house
gave me Bob Marley, Rolling Stones and Madonna

crowds are””
tapes that he had once traded for marijuana in
Kathmandu with a foreign band. I believe that
was the moment I turned to rock music because
WKHYHU\QH[WZHHN,JRWP\ÀUVW:DONPDQDQG
the ‘Nevermind’ tape by Nirvana as a gift from
my father. My parents were not into rock or metal

24 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 music but, they are really supportive to me. My
sisters were into hard rock like Led Zeppelin,
Van Halen, Guns N Roses etc. They’e played a
major impact on me and my love for rock and
metal music.”
Do you know the history of hard rock and metal
in Nepal? Heard anything from the older metal
guys? How did it all start?
“I really don’t have much idea because, I
didn’t grow up in this country, but I remember
when I was in Darjeeling everyone used to talk
about this band Prism from Kathmandu. In the
end of ‘90s I was brought up to Kathmandu to
see my grandmother and at that time I came
across bands like Cobweb, Vibrato, Zenith and
there was a lady rocker too, her name was
Poonam Singh and I was pretty big fan of her.
Also, my sister took me to a local pub where
WKLVEDQG:UDWKFKLOGZDVSOD\LQJ,URQ0DLGHQ
covers and by my grandmother’s house there
was a big metal fest, there were bands like
Refused 13, X Marica and Albatross playing. At
this gig, a man gave me a tape which was a
Nepali heavy metal compilation and from that
tape I can remember only one band;; Iman
Bikram Shah. At this time the former prince of
Nepal, Parash Shah, killed a reputed musician
in Kathmandu and my family was pretty much
scared of this incident, so they moved me
to Darjeeling, but when I came back in 2012
the scene was pretty big. I suggest you to visit
NWP52&.6>ZZZNWPURFNVFRP@<RXFDQÀQG
lots of info about bands and the movement.”
Tell us about Ugra Karma, who are apparently the
ÀUVWSURSHU1HSDOHVHPHWDOEDQG7KH\UHOHDVHG
their demo ‘The Himalayan Metal Of Death’ in
PDNLQJLWWKHÀUVWEDQGWRUHOHDVHVRPHWKLQJ
RIÀFLDODQGFRPSOHWHO\RULJLQDO'R\RXWKLQNWKDW
WKHLUGHDWKPHWDOVRXQGLQÁXHQFHGWKH1HSDOL
metal scene? Can you tell us names of other
good, old metal bands from that era?
“If Possessed is the reason that death metal
exists, Ugra Karma is the reason that death
metal exists in Nepal. I remember the happiness
RIEX\LQJWKHLUÀUVWWDSH¶%ORRG0HWDO,QLWLDWLRQ·
the cover art was really so sick and I went
around school telling my friends, ‘look at this
WDSH·<HVLWLVWUXHWKDW8JUD.DUPDLVWKHÀUVW
proper metal band of Nepal to release original
materials. I don’t remember the bands of this
HUDWKDWZDVLQÁXHQFHGE\8JUD.DUPDEXW
there was another band called X Mantra that
was pretty heavy too and also, Pratik Da went
on to form Binaash after Ugra Karma split up.
Now Ugra Karma are back again and doing
lots of shows. But, there are new bands like
Dying Out Flame, Nude Terror, Aakrosh, Serpent
Gaze, Sado Masochism, Calamitian, Broken
Hymen, Raging Into Slut, Viral, Narsamhaar,
.DDO8QGHÀQHG+XPDQHWFDQGHYHQZH
>:DNN7KXX@KDYHDJUHDWLQÁXHQFHIURPWKHP
$QGDOVR,DPSURXGWRKDYHRUJDQLVHGWKHÀUVW
ever tribute gig to Ugra Karma.”
Which cities have the best metal scenes,
Kathmandu or Pokhara, and why? And if you’d
want to recommend some cities or villages to visit
for metalheads, which would they be?
“My band have performed in both cities,
and the crowd for us was pretty sick in both.
:HKDYHSUHWW\VLPLODUFURZGVWKH\DUHZLOG
and so supportive but the crowd in Hetauda
[Southern Nepal] is more decent. The last time
I was in Baglung [western Nepal, 250 km from
Kathmandu], I found out there are so many
natural and beautiful places that I must visit
before I die.”
Nepal’s electricity goes off for long periods of
time every day. Sometimes from 12-­16 hours! How
do people rehearse in such conditions? And how
does it affect shows?
“This is one of the major problems that all bands
and gig organisers have to face. During load
shedding (intentionally engineered electrical
power shutdown) we have to pay extra bucks
to the rehearsal space for using their power
generator. Anyway, this is now a habit to us
and we don’t talk about it. Organisers are
aware of this issue so they will always have a
back up generator for the bands so shows can
EHÀQLVKHGLQDVPRRWKZD\µ
You were recently taken by police, who cut your
hair! Why did they do that? Sometimes extreme
VSLNHVDQGEXOOHWEHOWVDUHFRQÀVFDWHGE\FRSV«
but having your hair cut is really extreme!
“They were just following orders from their
RIÀFHUVZKRWKLQNWKDWORQJKDLUHGGXGHVDUH
bad guys. This is the only reason they gave me
before they cut my hair!”
How do normal people view metalheads in
general, in Nepal? Or is it a culture that is still
totally ignored?
“Terrible;; they think that we are drug addicts,
bad guys and an insult to society. I don’t blame
it on the culture, I blame it to those people
who still have low thoughts for metal. They can
accept American life and are ready to do
anything to get a visa for the USA but they are
QRWUHDG\WRDFFHSWKHDY\PHWDO:K\"µ
How do your typical Nepalese crowd react at
metal gigs?
“You cannot imagine how wild and crazy
these crowds are, they are insane and mosh
like there is no tomorrow. I remember when
ZHSOD\HGRXUÀUVWJLJWKHUHZHUHSXQFKHV
everywhere and even our friend got hurt and
doors were broken! The second time bodies
were all over on the stage and we had to stop
playing for few minutes.”
What represents the “metal lifestyle” in Nepal?
´,DPSDUWRIDJURXSRIÀYHRUVL[EDQGVZKR
usually meet together to talk about each
other’s bands and metal music. Also, we go for
nights out where we get wasted, drinking and
VPRNLQJ:HVKDUHQHZGLVFRYHULHVZLWKHDFK
RWKHUZHDWWHQGHDFKRWKHUV·MDPVDQGÀOP
WKHP:HJRWRJLJVWRJHWKHUDQGKHDGEDQJ
together;; we usually meet once a week so we
can keep this passion alive and lots of young
people are also joining us.”
Where can records be bought in Nepal? Are
DOEXPVUHDOO\KDUGWRÀQG"
“I haven’t seen a proper place where we can
buy metal records here but there are some
music shops in RB Complex and the Thamel
Area [touristic part of Kathmandu]. If local
bands are releasing something, then the best
way to get them is by contacting the band or
buy their record at their concert. I don’t think
bootlegs are a problem, we cannot stop it. Let
it be.”
Did you see a big difference or evolution in the
past years in the Nepalese metal underground?
“Yes, I can see a big difference because, in
WKRVHGD\VEDQGXVHGWRVXIIHUDORWWRÀQG
JLJVRUWRÀQGVWXGLRVWRUHFRUGWKHLUPDWHULDO
Also, there was no proper jam room. There was
only one jam room at that time, and it was
in a residential area of Kathmandu. Now, we
have enough rehearsal space and there are
many organisers putting up festivals. Things are
better now. And also today’s bands are more
independent, they are working even harder
than before.”
You do vocals in a local grindcore band called
Wakk Thuu… is your band starting to get a
following locally?
“Yes, there are few people starting to follow
us but, still, there are peoples who don’t like
our extreme thoughts and all I can say them is
ZHDUHWRRDGYDQFHGIRUWKHP>ODXJKV@:H
KDYHMXVWÀQLVKHGUHFRUGLQJRXUGHEXW(3WLWOHG
‘Ja Mar Kukur’, we are going to release this
soon but before that we have some dates in
India. So, as soon as we are done with our India
dates we will be working on releasing this.
www.Facebook.com/WakkThuu
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 25
 Mercyful Fate

With our friends in Sweden and Belgium tantalising us with

tales of KING DIAMOND’s recent European Festival tour and
the fact that ‘MELISSA’ is rarely off our stereo in the run up to
its 30th Anniversary this Autumn, we knew that we wanted
to interview the King of all evil. We sent DAMIEN off for a
dangerous meeting with the man himself to talk about his
whole career from BLACK ROSE to BLOODSTOCK and most
importantly the fate of MERCYFUL FATE...

+RZDQGZKHQGLG\RXÀUVWJHWLQWRPXVLF" ÀUVWRQHV,DFWXDOO\ERXJKWµ on as it created the distortion! The local library

“I had a little transistor radio with a cassette
deck built in and I used to listen to rock
programmes in the afternoon and record
some of the songs. Then I saved up from my
allowance and eventually got a reel-­to-­reel
tape machine, which was great because I
could even record from the TV with that! Then
LQ¶,JRWP\ÀUVWWXUQWDEOHZKLFK,FRXOGSOXJ
into the reel-­to-­reel machine. That was stereo
DQGWKDWZDVDELJGHDO7KHÀUVWWKUHHYLQ\O
albums I bought were Deep Purple’s ‘Fireball’,
Black Sabbath’s ‘Master Of Reality’ and Jethro
Tull’s ‘Aqualung’. Obviously I’d already heard
‘Paranoid’ and ‘Black Sabbath’ and ‘In Rock’
by Purple and all that stuff, but those were the
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“The urge to create sound myself came mainly
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Zeppelin album and I was like ‘Man, I would
love to create that raw guitar sound!’ So, I
VDYHGXSDJDLQDQGJRWP\ÀUVWJXLWDUZKLFK
was a lousy copy of an Explorer. When I got it
home I was surprised that it didn’t sound like
Jimmy Page. A family friend told me that I
needed an amp – I was so ignorant about the
whole thing! But he was an electronics engineer
so he built one for me. It had a red ‘on’ and
‘off’ button and a black button that was always
had some rehearsal rooms in the cellar and
WKDW·VZKHUH,VWDUWHGP\ÀUVWEDQGZLWKVRPH
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“I only played guitar in Brainstorm and when
that stopped I was looking for another band
to play guitar in. Then I saw an ad at a grocery
store that Black Rose were looking for a
vocalist. So I went over and tried to sneak in
as a guitarist/vocalist although I’d never sung
before in my life. But they said ‘Nah, we don’t

24 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 “King Diamond is way
more ‘Satanic’ than
Merycful Fate will ever be”

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 25

 Mercyful Fate

“There’s still room for both

bands and I know Hank
would love to do at least one
more Mercyful Fate album”
26 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
 need a guitarist’. Their guitarist was a huge
[Ritchie] Blackmore fanatic and he really had it
GRZQ6R,MXVWJDYHLWDVKRW7KHÀUVWVRQJZH
did was [Deep Purple’s] ‘Space Truckin’’ and
I just screamed and hoped they liked some of
it and they did! As time went on, I learned not
to scream so much and actually found that my
VWRPDFKPXVFOHVFRXOGFRQWURODLUÁRZDQG,
didn’t have to put crazy pressure on my throat;;
I would come home from rehearsals with no
YRLFHOHIW/DWHUDJX\FDPHXSWRPHDWD
show and said ‘You should use your falsetto a
bit more’. I had no idea what he meant. He said
‘When you sing high it sounds really good!’ so
I put effort into trying to improve and you can
KHDUWKHÀUVWVWHSVRQWKH%ODFN5RVH&'µ
:K\GLG%ODFN5RVHVSOLWXS"
“Black Rose actually stopped because the
three tracks and they got such a great response
that they were re-­broadcast and came to the
attention of Rave On Records, who wanted us
to go down to Holland and record an EP. That
ZDVDUHDOWXUQLQJSRLQWµ
7KLVZDVWKHVHOIWLWOHG(3RIWHQUHIHUUHGWRDV
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+RZZHUHWKHVWXGLRVHVVLRQVIRUWKDW"
“Me and the guitarists had all these harmonies
worked out but there was no time to do most
of them. It was the same with the guitar solos.
¶&RUSVH:LWKRXW6RXO·KDGDORQJLQWURVRORDQG
ZH·GGRQHWZRWDNHVDQGVWLOOZHUHQ·WVDWLVÀHG
But it was like ‘Whatever you do next, that
goes on the album!’ Talk about pressure! When
Roadrunner came in a little later and offered
us eight days to record ‘Melissa’, we were like
‘Oh my god! Now we can do all the things we
actually on the album, so it was a pretty easy
FKRLFHµ
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VRPHWKLQJRIDWUDQVLWLRQDOHIIRUWWKHIROORZ
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'LDPRQGVRXQG0DQ\SHRSOHWKLQNLW·V\RXUEHVW
²GR\RXDJUHH"
´,WZDVWKHÀUVWKRUURUFRQFHSWDOEXPIURPD
metal band. For a lot of people, I guess that’s
the album that made the biggest impression on
them. After that, the albums were less hard-­
hitting because people knew our style and it
was no longer a surprise. It was tough to match
it, even though I think we have several times,
DQGHYHQVXUSDVVHGLWµ
7KURXJKRXWWKHUHPDLQGHURIWKHGHFDGH
.LQJ'LDPRQGHQMR\HGJUHDWHUVXFFHVVZLWK
keyboard player sold his keyboards to get his had planned last time!’ Then for ‘Don’t Break WKHDOEXPV¶7KHP·¶&RQVSLUDF\·
JLUOIULHQGDQHZNLWFKHQµ
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“Black Rose had started playing clubs in
&RSHQKDJHQDQGRQHRIWKHFOXEPDQDJHUV
– who also worked at a record store I went to –
knew both me and Hank, who was with Brats.
%UDWVKDGUHOHDVHGRQHDOEXPWKURXJK&%6LQ
Denmark. They’d been told that they should
get a singer instead of the bass player singing.
This is when I came into the picture. The style
changed;; it became a lot heavier. But when
&%6KHDUGRXUGHPRVWKH\VDLG¶<RXFDQ·W
do this! You need to go back to the style we
signed you for!’ There was a split in the band
right there, so Hank and I went the way of doing
what we felt inside. The rest of the band tried to
please the label in order to keep the deal, but it
GLGQ·WZRUNµ
,WZDVDURXQGWKLVWLPHWKDW\RXDOVRPHW\RXU
RWKHUIXWXUH0HUF\IXO)DWHEDQGPDWHV0LFKDHO
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“Michael Denner had a three-­piece band
called Danger Zone with Timi Hansen on bass.
Michael asked Hank if he and I could come
over and help with a demo he was doing. The
drummer wasn’t really what we were after, but
otherwise it worked really well. This then turned
into Mercyful Fate, the name coming from
somebody’s girlfriend at the time, although we
changed the spelling to make it kinda like Old
(QJOLVK,JXHVVµ
,Q0HUF\IXO)DWHPDGHLWVÀUVWDSSHDUDQFH
RQYLQ\OZLWK¶%ODFN)XQHUDO·ZKLFKZDVWKH
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“That’s right, it was off to Hull to record in a tiny,
tiny demo studio! We recorded two songs and
one appeared on the album. After that came
out, interest really grew and we were invited to
JRDQGGRWKH%%&)ULGD\5RFN6KRZ:HGLG
The Oath’ we got 12 days! But the EP did a lot of
good for us. It was exported to a lot of different
FRXQWULHV,NQRZ/DUV8OULFKDQG%ULDQ6ODJHO
[Metal Blade boss] heard it together at Brian’s
SODFHµ
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WUDFWLRQZKHQWKHEDQGVXGGHQO\VSOLWLQ
:KDWKDSSHQHG"
“We grew apart with the musical style. Hank
was hanging out with a lotta people from the
funk scene and he wanted to try and bring
WKRVHLQÁXHQFHVLQWRWKHEDQG,FRXOGOLVWHQ
to some of that, but I would never dream of
playing it because I didn’t feel it inside. I’ve
never done anything I couldn’t stand 100 per
cent behind. I’d rather stop than do something
I was forced to do by someone else. Plus I had
DOUHDG\VWDUWHGZULWLQJVWXIIOLNH¶7KH&DQGOH·
which was meant to be on the third Mercyful
Fate album. But we did the right thing and
followed our heart. And of course Hank has
FRPHEDFNWREHLQJFRPSOHWHO\PHWDOQRZµ
$WWKLVSRLQW.LQJ'LDPRQGWKHEDQGZDVERUQ
+RZGLGWKDWKDSSHQ"
“I approached Michael and Timi and said ‘I
know you guys are on the same page with the
music, so do you wanna continue this?’ They
agreed right away and it was just a matter
RIÀQGLQJVRPHRWKHUPXVLFLDQV0LFKDHO
knew [drummer] Mikkey Dee who was living
in Denmark at the time. We had a second
guitarist lined up but he didn’t learn his parts.
He was given several warnings – ‘If you don’t
have this down, don’t bother coming to the
studio’. But he was too much party, too little
guitar, so we went into the studio as a four-­
piece. We’d done all the rhythm guitar tracks
ZKHQZHFDPHDFURVV$QG\>/D5RFTXH@+H
ÁHZGRZQWR&RSHQKDJHQDQGZHJDYHKLP
‘Dressed In White’ as a test song to see what he
could come up with. Not just seeing if he could
play, but testing his creativity right off the bat.
He came in and laid down the solos that are
DQG¶7KH(\H·WKDQ0HUF\IXO)DWHHYHU
KDG+RZHYHULW·VDOVRWUXHWRVD\WKDWVLQFH
GLVEDQGLQJ0HUF\IXO)DWH·VFXOWIROORZLQJ
FRQWLQXHGWRJURZVRPXFKVRWKDW\RXUHIRUPHG
IRUWKHUHOHDVHRI·V¶,Q7KH6KDGRZV·7KLV
VXEVHTXHQWO\OHGWRWKHUHOHDVHRIDIXUWKHUIRXU
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“Some are better than others, but there are
often circumstances that keep you from
achieving your goals. The last one, ‘9’, really hit
the spot. There’s some really cool stuff there. ‘In
The Shadows’ was also really good. ‘Time’ has
good songs, but perhaps not consistently great.
King Diamond is extremely theatrical and the
VRQJVDUHPDGHWRÀWWKHVWRU\OLQHVZKHUHDV
Mercyful Fate is all individual songs, which can
be harder to write because you don’t have as
much time to explain things or get into bigger
subjects. So, in a way, King Diamond is way
more ‘Satanic’ than Merycful Fate will ever
be, which might sound twisted, but the way I
ORRNDWLW¶6DWDQLF·PHDQV/D9H\DQDQGWKH
King Diamond horror songs are full of that life
SKLORVRSK\WRWKHPD[µ
:LOOWKHUHHYHUEHDQRWKHU0HUF\IXO)DWHDOEXP"
“There’s still room for both bands and I know
Hank would love to do at least one more. He’s
often said to me ‘Someday, we have to do the
masterpiece!’ He doesn’t feel that we did the
perfect one that should have followed ‘Don’t
Break The Oath’. Well, I will never say never, but
ULJKWQRZZHDUHWRREXV\ZLWK.LQJ'LDPRQGµ
<RXPHQWLRQHG6DWDQLVP7KLVLVVRPHWKLQJ
\RX·YHFDXJKWDORWRIÁDNIRURYHUWKH\HDUV
PDLQO\EHFDXVH\RX·YHEHHQPLVXQGHUVWRRGDQG
VRPHWLPHVGHOLEHUDWHO\PLVUHSUHVHQWHG
“Satanism is a life philosophy;; it has nothing
to do with religion. Almost from day one,
&KULVWLDQLW\FUHDWHGHYLO¶JRGV·ZLWKLQLWVHOI
6DWDQLVD&KULVWLDQFUHDWLRQDQGZDVXVHGWR
get power, especially in the past. How many
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 27
 Mercyful Fate
people died in the Inquisition because of
WKLQJVWKDWZHUHPDGHXS",QJHQHUDO\RXÀQG
misuse of power within religions. It’s a big part
of all these wars today. They will not respect
each other, and yet there has never been
anyone on this Earth who could prove to the
rest of humanity that theirs was the only true
god. There might be people who feel that they
personally have been given proof, but they
have to understand that you can’t condemn
everyone else. For me, I think it’s important
to respect other people no matter what they
believe. And I would never stand up and say
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PHWPRUHWKDQRQFH
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one of his daughters actually. He was very
serious about what he wrote in ‘The Satanic
Bible’. He managed to put into a book what I
had always felt. It’s not like I read the book and
said ‘I wanna be like that!’ I recognised myself
in his writing.
 ´2QFH,ZDVLQYLWHGWRFRPHWRWKH&KXUFK
and spend a whole night there. I spent two
hours in the ritual chamber with him. It had been
re-­energising for over a year and a half and
no one had been in there except him. There
was a very high altar, a sleigh from a Russian
&]DUZKRKDGXVHGLWWRGULYHKLVZLWFKHVWR
and from court;; there were original books – all
kinds of stuff in there. There were 13 rooms and
he could enter all these rooms in full secrecy.
There was an iron maiden, which was actually a
doorway from another room. It was an amazing
experience. Instead of me just going in there
and waiting for him to speak, I told him that I
ZRXOGOLNHWRVSHDNÀUVWDQGWHOOKLPZKDW,IHOW
about the Satanic philosophy. I spoke for about
45 minutes after which he took his Baphomet
sigil off and pressed it into my hand;; it just said
everything. Then we talked for about an hour
and a half. He played keyboards for me that
night – could’ve been music for a horror movie –
and then suddenly he switched into ‘Wonderful
&RSHQKDJHQ·ORRNLQJRYHUKLVVKRXOGHUZLWK
a big smirk on his face! With his humour and
just the way he was, there was a very deep
connection.
“I have a hand-­written letter from him, which
I always carry with me. It means so much to me
as he never wrote anyone by hand, he would
DOZD\VGLFWDWH,WROG.DUOD/D9H\WKDW,KDGWKLV
letter from her dad and she didn’t believe it, so
I showed it to her and she started crying when
she saw what he’d written to me. He said that
everything was going according to plan. I know
exactly what he’s talking about, but I will never
WHOODQ\RQHµ
:KDWGLG\RXPDNHRIWKHPXUGHUVDQGFKXUFK
EXUQLQJVLQWKH6FDQGLQDYLDQEODFNPHWDOVFHQH
28 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
RIWKHHDUO\¶V"0DQ\RIWKHSURWDJRQLVWVFLWHG
\RXDVDQLQÁXHQFH
“I don’t really know the background to it and
I didn’t really follow who did what and what
for. I don’t know what their murder rate was,
but people get killed every day. Some things
get blown out of proportion because of what
you can pin on them. It was big for the people
involved, but should it have been made into
such a big news story? It was because of the
‘Satanic’ thing. I actually wish that ‘The Satanic
Bible’ had been called something else because
people think it must be a book about some kind
of religion. Supernatural happenings and ritual
powers are mentioned in there, but nothing that
FRQVWLWXWHVDUHOLJLRQµ
,Q\RXZHUHGLDJQRVHGZLWKPDMRUKHDUW
SUREOHPVDQGKDGWRXQGHUJRWULSOHE\SDVV
VXUJHU\,WVRXQGHGKRUUHQGRXVSDUWLFXODUO\WKH
SRLQWDWZKLFK\RXZHUHWHFKQLFDOO\GHDGIRUD
FRXSOHRIKRXUV
“It was some brutal shit! They had to puncture
my lungs to have room to do the operation, so I
literally had to learn to breathe again. It hurt like
hell and I can’t even begin to describe it to you.
(YHU\EUHDWKZDVDÀJKWIURPWKHEHJLQQLQJ
so I had to learn to breathe in a different way.
Everything sits differently in my chest now and I
have a big braided metal rod down the middle
– it looks like a piece of jewelry on the x-­rays.
There’s still pain and it’ll be here for a long time,
but you can learn to live with it.
 ´)RUWKHÀUVWIHZPRQWKVDIWHUZDUGV,ZDV
more concerned with thinking that I wasn’t
really here. About three months went by before
I stopped asking my wife if she could see me or
feel when I touched her shoulder and stuff like
that. There was so much horror in the wake-­up
process that must come out on the next album.
Not writing about a hospital stay, but the moods
and the feelings of struggling for every breath
and the pain of being on a ventilator. If the
doctors could have heard me I would have
begged them to kill me. It was fuckin’ brutal
and an eye-­opening experience for sure. But if I
lived in a house with 20 windows before, I live in
one with 40 windows now. I see so much more
DQGSD\DWWHQWLRQVRPXFKPRUHµ
,URQLFDOO\\RX·UHVLQJLQJEHWWHUWKDQHYHUQRZ
“My voice is better than it’s ever been since
I stopped smoking. The long and high notes
are easier. If I’d known that before, I’d have
stopped smoking a long time ago! I’m also on a
YHU\KHDOWK\GLHWDQG,ZDONÀYHWLPHVDZHHN
It’s all a matter of good fats / bad fats, good
cholesterol / bad cholesterol. My wife’s basically
become a nutritionist. She’ll sit and tell me ‘Oh
that’s great, you can eat that’ and if she says
it’s okay, I’ll eat it. She could kill me off in a
VHFRQGLIVKHZDQWHGWRµ
$VWKHGHFDGHVKDYHJRQHE\\RXUOHJDF\ZLWK
ERWK0HUF\IXO)DWHDQG.LQJ'LDPRQGKDVJURZQ
LPPHQVHO\LQLWVLPSRUWDQFH1RWRQO\GRWKHOLNHV
RI0HWDOOLFDDQG6OD\HURSHQO\DFNQRZOHGJH
WKHLUGHEWWR\RXEXWWRGD\·VXQGHUJURXQGPHWDO
VFHQHLVDZDVKZLWKZRUVKLSSHUVVRPHPRUH
EODWDQWWKDQRWKHUV+DYH\RXKHDUG3RUWUDLWRU,Q
6ROLWXGHIRUH[DPSOH"
“It’s a huge honour of course. When Metallica
invited me up to play the Mercyful Fate medley
and said that without me there probably
wouldn’t be a Metallica – are you kidding me?
That’s practically the highest honour you can be
given. I always wanted to do my own thing, and
you don’t hear King Diamond and wonder if it’s
really us or someone else. Others should not try
to sound like us – why would anyone do that?
That would be a tribute band, so why not do
your own thing? I don’t think anyone has gone
so far as to mimic what we do. I heard part of
one of Portrait’s albums. I could hear what the
singer was trying, but I don’t think he sounds
like me. But whether it’s the show, the music or
the lyrics, there are so many things that could
trigger someone else artistically to go out and
WU\WKHLURZQWKLQJµ
'RZQORDGLQJKDVWRUSHGRHGSK\VLFDOPXVLFVDOHV
DFURVVWKHERDUGEXWLQWHUPVRIDXGLHQFHVL]H
.LQJ'LDPRQGVHHPVWREHWKULYLQJ
“We’re doing better today than we’ve ever
done. We’ve been getting some nice headline
spots and making sure we don’t let people
down. The show we have now is really unique
and even better than the one we had last
year. The order of the songs is better, the
lighting is better;; the production has really been
SHUIHFWHG:KHQZHSOD\HG&RSHQKDJHQRQH
of the biggest national newspapers gave us six
out of six. They actually tell their journalists not
to give six as there is no such thing as a perfect
concert, but we got it. Not even Metallica did
that! And there’s room for progress in the future.
If I look at King Diamond as a painting on a big
canvas, there are still plenty of empty spots to
EHÀOOHGRXWµ
<RX·YHORRNHGGHDWKLQWKHIDFHDQGOLYHGWRÀJKW
DQRWKHUGD\²KDVLWFKDQJHG\RXDWDOO"
“I’ve always felt that I’m gonna experience
the presence of my parents and my cats when
I’m not here anymore. That doesn’t give me
enough for religious belief but I’m convinced,
even if I can’t prove it. When they were rolling
me in for my seven-­and-­a-­half hour operation,
I realised there wasn’t time to say goodbye, in
case it was necessary. So I just said to my wife
‘I wanna come back to you, I’m not done yet,
so I’ll do everything I can to survive, and you do
everything you can to help me’. Who knows if
any powers were at work, but we feel that they
were. There’s a saying that your thoughts can
move mountains and there’s something to that,
EXWQHYHUWDNHWRPRUURZIRUJUDQWHGµ
King Diamond plays at Bloodstock Festival
in the UK on August 9
www.Bloodstock.uk.com
“I dated one of Anton
LaVey’s daughters”

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 29

 Death SS

TheRe-­Birth Of
Steve Sylvester

“When I started with the band I was very

young and I wanted to break the world”
30 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
I
gnoring all the internet baying of “that’s not
metal”, we at Iron Fist salute DEATH SS for
doing what they wilt again and again. GUY
STRACHAN enters the crypt of STEVE SYLVESTER
to witness his most recent ‘RESURRECTION’
nother band that
A ranks high in the
kvlt stakes, the name
Death SS evokes an
aura of darkness, of classic
metal, of a band whose legendary period is
of a time when little was recorded and even less
released. I’m sure that mentioning the very name of the
band to you, the Fist readership, brings about the sort of reverential
WDONQRUPDOO\UHVHUYHGIRUWKHPRVWVDFUHGRIDFWVTXLFNO\TXDOLÀHG
E\DVWDWHPHQWDORQJWKHOLQHVRI´ZHOOXSXQWLOWKHLUÀUVWGHPR
VLQJOHDOEXPµ>GHOHWHDVDSSURSULDWH@
Even the briefest of internet trawls for reviews of ‘Resurrection’,
Death SS’ latest album, generates an opinion that is overwhelmingly
negative, most notably from newbies wondering what all the fuss
LVDERXWDQGIRUZKRPWKHLQFDUQDWLRQLVWKHLUÀUVWHQFRXQWHU
ZLWK6WHYH6\OYHVWHU>ERUQ6WHIDQR6LOYHVWUL@DQGKLVRFFXOWIXHOOHG
RXWÀW0DQ\FRPSDULVRQVDUHPDGHEHWZHHQWKH,WDOLDQV·ODWHVWDQG
0RUELG$QJHO·V¶,OOXG'LYLQXP,QVDQXV·VHHPLQJO\E\YLUWXHRIWKH
industrial overtones of both albums providing a common link more
than anything else. While it is true to say that ‘Resurrection’ is several
miles removed from the likes of ‘Heavy Demons’ in many respects, at
the same time it certainly isn’t the car crash that the outpourings of
web vitriol would suggest.
“‘Resurrection’ is the collection of all my artistic and musical
ZRUNRIWKHODVWÀYH\HDUVµVD\VEDQGIRXQGHUDQGPDLQPDQ6WHYH
Sylvester. “Some songs were written for the soundtrack of horror
movies or television series, while others take up the occult concept
EDVHGRQWKHZULWLQJVRI$OHLVWHU&URZOH\DV,GLGRQWKH¶'R:KDW
7KRX:LOW·>@DOEXP,WLVQ·WVRPHWKLQJ>WKDW·V@SUHGHWHUPLQHGLW·V
rather a sort of ‘best of’ of unreleased songs that I composed after
¶7KHWK6HDO·µ
 $VZHOODVGHOLYHULQJWKHWLWOH
for Death SS’ previous album, the
Seals are also one of the integral
legends of the Death SS story. When
ÀUVWVWDUWLQJWKHEDQG6\OYHVWHUIRUPXODWHG
a magical pact that entailed the creation of
seven magical creations or ‘Seals’. Not necessarily
OLPLWHGWRRQHSDUWLFXODUDOEXP¶7KHWK6HDO·DOEXPLQ
2006 completed that particular cycle. Seeing the new album as the
VWDUWRIDQHZSDWKUDWKHUWKDQDVSHFLÀFQHZ6HDODQGXQOLNHWKH
previous incarnation of the band where its activities were governed
by the master plan, this time around the game plan is a more
IUHHIRUPDIIDLU´$WWKHPRPHQW,SUHIHUWROLYHWKLVQHZDGYHQWXUH
GD\E\GD\ZLWKRXWSODQQLQJDQ\WKLQJDQGZLWKRXWPDNLQJORQJ
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 )ROORZLQJ¶7KHWK6HDO·DOEXP'HDWK66WRRNWRWKHURDG
culminating in what was seen at the time as farewell shows in
the Summer of 2008 and following up with live recordings and
compilations. Far from lying low, however, Sylvester found a number
RIRWKHUSURMHFWVERWKPXVLFUHODWHGDQGRWKHUZLVHWRNHHSKLP
occupied while plotting the next instalment for the band.
 ´$IWHU,·GFHOHEUDWHGWKHWKDQQLYHUVDU\RIWKHIRXQGLQJRI
the band and having published the seven seals, I took a break for
DQLQGHÀQLWHSHULRGRIWLPHWRGHGLFDWHP\VHOIWRRWKHUSURMHFWVµ
VD\VWKHVLQJHU´,QWKDWWLPH,IRXQGHGWZRRWKHUVLGHEDQGVVXFKDV
6DQFWD6DQWRUXPDQG2SXV'HL>ZKLFKODWHUEHFDPH:2*8( 
:RUN2I*RG8QLWHG(QWHUWDLQPHQWIROORZLQJDFRPSODLQWIURPWKH
2SXV'HL&KULVWLDQUHOLJLRXVDVVRFLDWLRQFHUWDLQO\QRWWKHÀUVWWLPH
6\OYHVWHUKDVEHHQGRJJHGE\FRQWURYHUV\GXULQJKLVPXVLFDOWHQXUH@
 ´,ZURWHP\RZQELRJUDSK\RQWKHJHQHVLVRIWKHEDQGµKH
continues, “and I was approached in the world of movies and
TV, both as a soundtrack composer and as an actor. The band,
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 31
 Death SS

however, has never really stopped and I your catalogue? LQWRWKHOLQHXSDQGZLWKWKHPHPEHUVIUHTXHQWO\

continued to see the other members and  ´$VIRUDOORXURWKHUDOEXPV¶5HVXUUHFWLRQ·LV PDVNHGJDYHKLPDQHDV\ZD\RXW´<HVµ
FRPSRVHPXVLFZLWKWKHPµ an evolution of the previous and photographs exclaims Sylvester when asked. “There were
the essence of the band during this period. So it’s two ‘Danny Hughes’ on bass and two ‘Thomas
VQRWHGSUHYLRXVO\ÀQGV'HDWK different from the albums you mentioned, even if &KDVWH·RQGUXPVµ

A SS in a musical environment several

steps away from the likes of ‘Black
0DVV·DQG¶(YLO0HWDO·LIQRWLQVSLULW
then certainly in terms of musical
it continues their ‘basic spirit’ that is always turned
WRZDUGKRUURUDQGRFFXOWµ

aking several steps back in time to

A
prolonged period of songwriting
and progressing into the recording
of several demo tapes throughout
style. The adjective ‘industrial’ is often used to
describe the band’s 2000s output (and for none
PRUHVRWKDQ¶5HVXUUHFWLRQ·ZKLOH6\OYHVWHU
certainly agrees that the band has moved on, he
questions whether his music can really be put into
VXFKVWULFWO\GHÀQHGQHDWFDWHJRULHV
 ´$FWXDOO\ZKHQ,ZULWHDVRQJ,QHYHUWKLQN
DERXWZKDWZLOOEHLWV¶VW\OH·µKHDIÀUPV´0DQ\
people tell me that from ‘Do What Thou Wilt’
onwards we have become industrial. That makes
me smile because, for me, industrial is artists
OLNH7KUREELQJ*ULVWOH(LQVWU]HQGH1HXEDWHQ
or Psychic TV, not really Death SS! Simply, I only
follow my taste in music and melody to try to
make my songs beautiful, at least for me. If some
SHRSOHWKLQNWKDW>P\@VRQJVDUHPHWDORUJRWKLF
or industrial or pop or prog or as you want to, it’s
not my call. For simplicity we say that we play
‘horror music’. For me, there is no difference
EHWZHHQWKHÀUVWFRPSRVLWLRQVRI'HDWK66RUWKH
ODVW,VHHWKHPDVLIWKH\ZHUHWKHVDPH¶SHUVRQ·
ZKRRYHUWKH\HDUVKDVJURZQµ
So, how do you see your new album against
32 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
T DQGD\RXQJ6WHYH6\OYHVWHU
ZDVWDNLQJKLVÀUVWVWHSVWRZDUGVZKDW
would eventually become one of
Italy’s longest lasting, if not the most
notorious of bands, although his desires would
eventually lead to a burn out of sorts, despite the
initial promise of the people that he had hooked
up with.
 ´$WWKDWWLPH,ZDV\HDUVROGµKH
UHPHPEHUV´>DQG@,ZDVORRNLQJIRUNLGVZKR
loved horror and certain rock music such as The
Sweet, T Rex and Black Sabbath as much as I did.
It was not an easy thing at all! In the end, aside
IRU3DXO&KDLQ,FRQWHQWHGP\VHOIWRWDNHJX\V
who knew how to play an instrument decently
DQGZKRGLGQ·WEUHDNP\EDOOVµ
It is often thought that the band had a solid
OLQHXSGXULQJWKHVHHDUO\\HDUVEXWWKDWLVQRW
WKHFDVH8VLQJDWHFKQLTXHWKDW4XRUWKRQZRXOG
accidentally develop via a revolving door of
musicians around the time of ‘Blood, Fire, Death’
(his desire to present Bathory as a proper band
inadvertently served only to pour fuel onto the
ÀUHRI%DWKRU\·VP\VWLFDODQGP\WKLFDOSHUVRQD
as the people originally named Kothaar and
Vvornth rapidly left and were replaced), so Death
SS would feature a number of people using the
VDPHQDPHIRUPXFKWKHVDPHUHDVRQV6\OYHVWHU
having worked hard to build up the band lacked
the time and energy to assimilate new identities
WKHODWH¶VDQGLQWRWKHHDUO\
‘80s garnered the band some
press attention, which in turn led to an offer from
a small local label for an appearance on an
upcoming compilation album and followed by a
single. Sadly, however, despite getting their feet
XSSDVWWKHÀUVWUXQJRIWKHODGGHUWKHEDQGZHUH
not able to capitalise on any plaudits and positive
reviews the recordings generated.
 ´$WWKHWLPH,ZDVQRWLQWHUHVWHGLQJHWWLQJ
UHFRUGLQJFRQWUDFWVµVD\V6\OYHVWHURQWKHLU
ÀUVWYLQ\ODSSHDUDQFH´$Q\ZD\DFRXSOHRI
articles were written about us in the ‘Rockerilla’
PDJD]LQH>ZKLFK@FDXJKWWKHDWWHQWLRQRI
Electric Eye, a small independent record label
WKDWZDQWHGXVRQWKHLUÀUVWFRPSLODWLRQRI,WDOLDQ
DOWHUQDWLYHURFN>WLWOHG@¶*DWKHUHG·7KHVDPH
ODEHOWKHQFKDQJHGWKHLUQDPHWR0HWDO(\H
DQGSURSRVHGXVDGHDOIRUDWKUHHWUDFN(3
8QIRUWXQDWHO\DWWKDWWLPH,ZDVLOODQGWKHÀUVW
OLQHXSEURNHXS2QO\ODWHUWKH(3VDZWKHOLJKWRI
GD\EXWZLWKDQRWKHUOLQHXSZLWKRXWPHDQGWKH
RULJLQDOEDVVSOD\HUµ
 7KH(3DSSHDUHGLQ6\OYHVWHUKDYLQJTXLW
WKHEDQGLQOHDYLQJJXLWDULVW3DXO&KDLQWR
hold the reins until he himself felt that the band
could go no further and dropped the name,
UHFRUGLQJLQVWHDGXQGHU3DXO&KDLQ9LROHQW
Theatre.
“I was too young and I wanted to experiment
>ZLWK@DOOVRUWVRIH[FHVVHVµVD\V6\OYHVWHURQZK\
he quit the band. “This, along with the execution
of dangerous magical practices without
adequate experience and protection, brought
me to the extreme. I ended up becoming sick
and arriving at a step from death. I decided to
cut with everything and move to another city
where I could calmly start all over again, without
 “I like to draw from all forms of free
thoughts, without dogmas and restrictions”
repeating the mistakes made. The right time encouragement that Sylvester required to pick up but rather to be totally free to express myself
FDPHLQµ the baton once more. in the best way I believed, without any kind of
 &KDLQSXWWRJHWKHUWKHWKHQSRVWKXPRXV
‘The Story Of Death SS’ album that collected key
recordings from the band’s early years. Recently
reissued on vinyl by Svart, it remains to this day
one of the high points of the band’s oeuvre, and
the positive reaction to the album was all the
“When I started with the band I was very
young and I wanted to break the world. When
,WKHQUHIRUPHG'HDWK66LQ,VLPSO\KDG
the purpose to start a professional music career,
which could grow artistically over the time. I was
never interested in making money with music,
restriction. Surely I’ll have made some mistakes
during this long journey, but looking back I have
no regrets and probably I would do the same
WKLQJV,GLGDJDLQµ
From the start, the band had an instantly
recognisable image that took a persona, namely
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 33
 Death SS

The Death, The Vampire, The Werewolf and FDQQLEDORFFXOWEDVHGDQGRWKHUÀOPVWKDWWKH organisations and despite the band themselves
7KH0XPP\LQPXFKWKHVDPHZD\WKDW.LVV country has excelled at over the years. The same not quite playing up to their mystical side to the
had done with The Demon, The Spacemen and TXDOLWLHVWKDWPDGHVXFKÀOPVVRPHPRUDEOH obvious extent of earlier times, Sylvester’s twin
ZKDWKDYH\RXDQGFUHDWHGDFKDUDFWHUDURXQG
it with an image to match. Those images have
remained, but have been tweaked over time to
make the relevant imagery more closely attuned
to the music and the themes that the band are
playing at that given point in time.
 ´:KHQ,IRXQGHGWKHEDQGLQ,IRXQG>LW@
very original to make an impersonation of each
PHPEHURIWKHJURXSµKHVD\V´DFKDUDFWHU
WDNHQIURPWKHJRWKLFKRUURULPDJLQDU\,WZDV
something that was visually linked to the themes
expressed in our music. The characters had
always remained the same, but they have had
an aesthetic evolution over time, that has gone
KDQGLQKDQGZLWKWKHHYROXWLRQRIRXUPXVLFµ
requently citing ‘horror’ as a prime
F LQÁXHQFHXSRQKLVZRUNWKHODWH·VWR
the early ‘80s saw Italy develop a long
tradition of producing some of most
PHPRUDEOHDQGFKDULVPDWLFÀOPVRI
the genre, from the strikingly jarring works of Dario
$UJHQWRWRWKHDPDWHXULVKO\DWPRVSKHULDRI/XFLR
Fulci and beyond (pun intended), before even
beginning to start down the path of the legion of
“I was 13 years old and looking for kids
who loved horror and The Sweet”
34 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
can also be applied to the soundtracks to those
ÀOPVEHLQJMXVWDVFKDULVPDWLFDQGXQVHWWOLQJDV
the images they represent. Not surprisingly, this
JROGHQDJHRI,WDOLDQFLQHPDKDGDORQJODVWLQJ
effect on Sylvester.
“I’ve always been a big fan of a certain kind
RI,WDOLDQFLQHPDHVSHFLDOO\RIWKHHDUO\¶V
WKDWZDVXVXDOO\ODEHOOHGDV¶%0RYLHV·µKHVD\V
´,UHIHUWRÀOPVRIGLUHFWRUVVXFKDV0DULR%DYD
/XFLR)XOFL'DULR$UJHQWR5HQDWR3ROVHOOLDQG
PDQ\RWKHUV$OOWKHVHPRYLHVKDYHEHHQUHFHQWO\
rediscovered and revalued by the foreign public,
>ZKLFK@KDVHQKDQFHGWKHLURULJLQDOLW\DQGVNLOIXO
mixing of horror images, sensuality and strong
soundtracks. There was not one in particular
WKDWKDVLQÁXHQFHGPHLQFUHDWLQJWKH'HDWK
SS style, rather it was a mix of all of these Italian
PRYLHVDQGRWKHUV>VXFKDV@WKH(QJOLVK+DPPHU
3URGXFWLRQVRU6SDQLVKGLUHFWRUVOLNH$PDQGRGH
2VVRULRRU-HVV)UDQFRµ
 $SUDFWLVLQJRFFXOWLVWLWDOPRVWVHHPVDVLI
the worlds of heavy metal and the occult are
inseparable within the story of Death SS. Despite
having endured several issues with censorious
DXWKRULWLHVDQGVXQGU\XQKDSS\&KULVWLDQ
interests (and undoubtedly the formula upon
which his band was created and continues to
thrive) show little sign of diminishing.
 ´,·PVWLOOLQWHUHVWHGLQWKHRFFXOWµKHFRQÀUPV
´,DPDPHPEHURIWKH,WDOLDQ272>2UGR7HPSOL
2ULHQWLV@DQGVSLULWXDOO\,OLNHWRGUDZIURPDOOIRUPV
of free thoughts, without dogmas and restrictions.
$FWXDOO\,V\PSDWKL]HZLWKWKHIRUPRIWKRXJKW
NQRZQDV&KDRV0DJLFDKLJKO\LQGLYLGXDOLVWLF
practice that borrows freely from other belief
systems, in order to create a form of personal
magic. Similarly, I’m always interested in heavy
metal in all its forms, although I always try not to
VWD\IRVVLOLVHGLQWRSDWWHUQV>WKDWDUH@WRRQDUURZ
In practice, I can say that over the years I’ve
DOZD\VWULHGWRHYROYHP\VSLULWDQGP\PXVLFµ
Thus, while naysayers might raise a complaint
about the stylistic path that they have trodden, it
FDQQRWEHGHQLHGWKDWZKHWKHULWLV¶%ODFN0DVV·
or ‘Resurrection’, Death SS are one band who
do not conform to what others might expect (or
even demand) from them.
‘Resurrection’ is out now on Scarlet Records
www.DeathSS.com
 Saint Vitus

THE PAST IS ALIVE

SAINT VITUS
‘C.O.D.’ & ‘Die Healing’
36 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
 Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich and SAINT VITUS... ubiquitous, right? Wrong! According to
Iron Fist’s resident doom archivist OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN the sole album with
&+5,786/,1'(5621DQGWKHÀQDODOEXPIURPRULJLQDOVLQJHU6&2775($*(56
GHVHUYHDSODFHLQWKHKDOORZHGKDOOVRIPHWDOMXVWDVPXFKDV¶%RUQ7RR/DWH·
T
here’s a black hole in Saint Vitus’ story.
No, not the early days when spat on by
punks and metalheads alike in the mid-­
’80s at low-­key shows in shitty clubs, where they
still delivered the goods and released all-­time
classics like ‘Saint Vitus’ or ‘Born Too Late’. Nor
during that 12 year silence when their legend
kept growing, despite the band’s lack of activity.
:H·UHDFWXDOO\WDONLQJKHUHDERXWWKHÀUVWKDOIRI
the ‘90s when everybody seemed to be against
them, including their core fanbase and even of
some their own former members. Sitting in the
accusation chair is 1992’s ‘C.O.D.’ and 1995’s
¶'LH+HDOLQJ·ZKLOHWKHÀUVWKDVJDLQHGWKHUDUH
status of being their less-­revered album, right next
to ‘Mournful Cries’, the second split opinions with
the return of their melodramatic original singer
Scott Reagers and it’s very-­metal production. The
fact that the latter would turn out to be one of
the last ever releases by legendary doom label
Hellhound, who basically put out every single
FODVVLFGRRPURFNDOEXPGXULQJWKDWÀUVWKDOIRI
the decade (Wretched, Unorthodox, Iron Man,
Count Raven etc) made it even more special…
and collectable! As both are, at long last, being
RIÀFLDOO\UHLVVXHGIRUWKHÀUVWWLPH²DSDUWIURPWKH
LP-­only limited version of ‘Die Healing’ that Buried
%\7LPH$QG'XVW5HFRUGVGLGLQ²WKHWLPH
has come to reassess these too often overlooked
gems. Or at least, put things back in perspective
with the ever-­troubled story of the doom gods…
By the spring of 1991, Vitus were riding on an
all time-­high. After three albums, Scott ‘Wino’
Weinrich had been well accepted as their
frontman and their most recent album ‘V’ was
DFFODLPHGDVRQHRIWKHLUÀQHVWZRUNV$ODVULJKW
DURXQGWKHWLPHWKH\UHOHDVHGWKHLUÀUVWSURSHU
live album and were back home in Los Angeles
FACTFILE ‘C.O.D.’
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1992
LABEL: Hellhound Records
LINE-­UP:
Dave Chandler (guitars and vocals)
Christian ‘Chritus’ Linderson (vocals)
Mark Adams (bass)
Armando Acosta (drums)
RECORDED: 710 Studios, Redondo
Beach, California
busy writing their next opus, things started to
derail. And it got ignited by a bit of jealousy when
“Wino started his little thing with The Obsessed
on the side,” as guitarist Dave Chandler puts
it. He’s referring to Wino’s agreement to put his
ÀUVWEDQG7KH2EVHVVHGEDFNWRJHWKHUDIWHU
Hellhound Records had a surprise hit the previous
year with the reissue of their self-­titled debut,
initially recorded in 1985. If that little friction wasn’t
enough, he was also letting everybody know that
he didn’t like the new Vitus material that much
and soon disaffection reared its ugly head. Now,
according to who you’re talking to, Wino either
OHIWRUZDVÀUHGEXWVRRQHQRXJK9LWXVZDVRXWRI
a singer, again. The remaining members vowedm
to carry on and put out ads saying they were
looking for a replacement. After only a handful
candidates showed up (“we were still quite
unknown in the States and nobody had a clue
what doom was all about over here”), they chose
a guy originally from Switzerland called Marshall
Stacks and even did a two-­track rough demo
with him. But their label didn’t like what they
heard and suggested another, surprising musician
who happened to band-­less. “I knew the guys
from Hellhound because they had released the
ÀUVW&RXQW5DYHQDOEXP,VDQJRQµUHPHPEHUV
Christian ‘Chritus’ Linderson on the phone from
Stockholm. “The label boss, Michael, called me
one day and asked me for Messiah Marcolin’s
“I almost fell off
my chair when
they said that
I could try out
instead. I only
realised what was
happening when
my plane landed in
California”
Chritus Linderson
phone number who had just been let go from
Candlemass. Messiah and me were friends and
we happened to be maybe the two biggest Vitus
fans in Sweden. Sadly, for various reasons, he
turned them down and I had to break the news
to them. I knew the guys already since Count
Raven had supported Vitus on the 1990 European
tour but still, I almost fell off my chair when they
said that I could try out instead. I only realised
what was happening when my plane landed
in California. The craziest part of the story is that
around that time, I was also in touch with Mike
Smail from Dream Death and was saving money
to go to the States. They had just changed their
name to Penance and were interested in trying
me out too. But I joined Vitus instead.” Chritus
UHPHPEHUVWU\LQJRXWÀUVWZLWK¶3UD\HU)RU7KH
Masses’, but “that was easy, since I knew all
the lyrics by heart, being such a big fan”. On
WKHRWKHUKDQGE\WKHWLPHWKH\ÁHZKLPLQKH
only had time to contribute to lyrics for the song
‘Planet Of Judgement’, as the whole record was
pretty much done by then, with a clear goal in
PLQG´7KDWZDVWKHÀUVWWLPH,HYHUWULHGWRZULWH
PXVLFLQDVSHFLÀFGLUHFWLRQWRDWWUDFWDEURDGHU
type of audience,” confesses Dave. “All the
other albums have either Scotty or Wino singing
on them and this is the only one we did with
Chritus on vocals, so that alone makes it special
to the fans nowadays. Still, it kinda puzzles me
that some might think this is an oddity in our back
catalogue. I mean, even if the production didn’t
come out quite like I wanted to, I think it doesn’t
have enough low end for instance, I thought the
music wasn’t that different.”
In retrospect, Chritus also feels that all the
hurry didn’t do him any service: “Try to picture
me, a 23-­year-­old Swede, who had never set
foot in the US before, arriving in sunny California
to join his favourite band. I actually became
roommates with their drummer Armando Costa
for the next two years! And one day at rehearsal,
Scott Reagers came down to say hello and I
convinced him to sing few songs with the band
while I was watching, ecstatic. But they were very
anxious to get into the studio as soon as possible
and I think overall I didn’t have enough time to
ÀQGP\RZQQLFKHHVSHFLDOO\VLQFH,·PWRWDOO\VHOI
taught and never had more than two half hours
singing lessons in my life. And I knew it during the
recording, so it was pretty rough for me.”
W
hile if ‘V’s winning formula came
partially from the bleak environment
it was recorded in, as it was done
in grim Berlin, the band nevertheless set out
to do ‘C.O.D.’ at a quite ‘undoom’ place
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 37
 Saint Vitus
called Redondo Beach, nearby LA. Mostly for
economical reasons and some quite surprising
high-­school connections: “We wanted to do the
album at home and we went to Don Dokken’s
studio, of all places,” Dave recalls. “The thing
is that we got very cheap prices because him
and Armando were together in high school so
they knew each other. Plus he owed us as years
before, before they actually played that kind
of mainstream hair metal, we played with them
at some show, even if we were just one of the
four bands opening for them that night. He had
DQDPSOLÀHUSUREOHPDQGDVNHGXVLIKHFRXOG
borrow Mark’s. Sadly, he blew it up during the
show and ever since he kept saying that he’d
pay us back one day. So, this was his chance and
HYHQRIÀFLDOO\FRSURGXFHGLWHYHQLILQWKHHQG
we mostly did it and he was just there from time
to time to check if everything was all right. The
funny thing is that I remember him saying ‘your
music is kinda cool, but can’t you guys play a little
faster?!’
The title was initially to be ‘Children Of Doom’
(“that’s just how we called our fans back then”)
but was shortened to ‘C.O.D., “just to make it
look weird,” according to Dave. Clocking in at
over 62 minutes, including a re-­recording of the
title-­track of their second album ‘Hallow’s Victim’,
DVWKHEDQGGLGQ·WOLNHWKHÀUVWYHUVLRQWKLVLVE\IDU
the longest Vitus album, almost twice as long as
‘Mournful Cries’. Just like ‘V’, it had the privilege
of having the kind of cheesy cover that betrays
none of the actual utter bleakness contained:
“That was a complete surprise to me! I had told
the label that I wanted a creepy skull on the
cover and they came up with that. Problem is
that I only saw it once it was out…”
Still, everybody was pretty positive when
WKHLUÀUVW86WRXUZLWK&KULWXVZDVODXQFKHGODWHU
WKDW\HDU7KH\ZHUHFRQÀGHQWHQRXJKWRKDYH
ERRNHGWKHÀUVWGDWHLQ0DU\ODQGWKHQWKH
headquarters of the US doom/rock scene and
KRPHRIRSHQLQJDFW,QWHUQDO9RLG$QGDWÀUVW
everything ran smoothly, even if Chritus admits
that he felt more at ease singing the old classics
than the new material he had just recorded
with the band! “I don’t remember many fans
complaining about Wino not being there on that
ÀUVWWRXU%XWZHZHUHVWLOODYHU\XQGHUJURXQG
band in the US then so it was simply because
many didn’t care I guess. It’s only in Europe,
where we were more popular that we started
to hear some people moan about it, mostly in
Germany but no big deal really.” But the apple
was rotten from the start, although in hindsight
Dave didn’t realise it immediately because he
was very busy taking care of his very ill mother.
$WÀUVWWKHVOLJKWO\PRUHDFFHVVLEOHHGJHKH
had intentionally added to their music didn’t
make any difference: “The sales were okay, but
nothing spectacular. And even if some thought
ZHFRXOGEHQHÀWIURPWKHIDOORXWRIWKHSRSXODULW\
of grunge, that never happened either.” Worst,
Chritus and the rest of the band had yet to really
come across as a cohesive unit: “Let’s face it, it
just didn’t work at all, on all levels. We never really
truly gelled on stage, the songs hadn’t come out
38 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
“We all agreed that we had to leave the
scene with a bang” Scott Reagers
as good as I thought they would and so on. And
when the US label that was supposed to release
‘C.O.D.’, and for whom we had recorded two
extra tracks, eventually refused to do so because
they thought it didn’t sound like Vitus enough, I
understood the whole thing wasn’t meant to be.
We did our best but there was just nothing we
could do I guess.”
Not aware of what was happening behind
the scene, when the band’s spring ‘93 European
tour with Cathedral ended in Germany, Chritus
decided to go back straight to Stockholm as he
only had a tourist visa and couldn’t remain any
longer in the States. “Then I didn’t hear back from
them for a couple of months until Dave called me
up one day and that he was sorry but that things
weren’t working out and that they couldn’t keep
me any longer in the band. It’s only years later
that I understood that they were already thinking
about asking Scott to come back but when it all
occurred, it was pretty rough for me and for a
long time I was pretty upset about how the whole
thing ended. But that’s around the time that
former Unleashed guitarist Fredde got in touch
and asked me to form a new band with me, Terra
Firma. If it hadn’t been for him, I would have been
much more bitter about the whole thing. To this
day, I still have a love/hate relationship with that
record: I’m very proud of having been part of
Saint Vitus’ story, yet I think it could have turned
out much better if we’d had more time to get to
know each other and let me progress as a singer.
But it is what is.”
I
n the meantime, back in Los Angeles, the
rest of the band set out to, once again, go
through the whole audition process. But this
WLPHQRQHRIWKHFDQGLGDWHVVHHPHGWRÀWWKH
vibe they were looking for. Dave says that it’s
around this time that the idea of making one last
album and calling it a day came to be. Having
already begun to write new material but unable
to locate a proper replacement at the mic, Dave
then suggested that he would do the vocals,
“to make everybody’s life easier”. Pressured by
their US label who said they wanted the new stuff
to sound “more like classic Vitus”, he did seek
out advice from an old friend that has rarely, if
ever talked, to the press since… “Me and Dave
never lost touch,” reveals an extremely chatty
and friendly Scott Reagers, the band’s legendary
original singer who had left in 1986 after two
albums and one EP. “See, we both have the
same age, come from the same background
and share the same love for old horror movies
DQGYHU\XQGHÀQHG\HWJKRXOLVKYRLFHVOLNHWKH
one Bela Lugosi or Vincent Price had for instance.
So around the time, when Chritus was let out
they couldn’t get a proper replacement, and
every time he would make me listen to some new
contestant. And I’d be honest and say to him that
what I was hearing didn’t cut it. I think I made
fun out of him when he broke the news that he
eventually would handle the microphone for that
album, to which he replied ‘so why don’t you do
it instead?’. I guess he was quite surprised to hear
me say ‘yes’! The fact I already knew the plan
was do one last album and then split made it
easier for me to make my decision.” Determined
to make things right, the whole band set out
to “rehearse three times a week. But even if it
was dead hot in there, I would usually drink like
a gallon of water at each rehearsal and then,
maybe, one beer once we were done. We were
that serious. Dave had just come out of a situation
with ‘C.O.D.’ where he wasn’t happy about the
result. But with all four of us back together, he
kept saying ‘the sound is here’ so we all agreed
that we had to leave the scene with a bang.”
Agreeing that since he was “more pissed
off than ever”, Dave says he had a real rush of
LQVSLUDWLRQÁRZLQJDWKLP´$VLIDOOWKHDQJHUDQG
frustration I had suffered from until then was just
SRXULQJLQWRWKRVHVRQJVµ+DYLQJÁRZQHVSHFLDOO\
WR/$WRKHDUÀUVWKDQGKRZWKHQHZVRQJV
sounded live in the rehearsal place, Hellhound
Records boss Michael was very impressed with
the result: “He really liked ‘Return Of The Zombie’,
that was like a sequel to ‘Zombie Hunger’ from
WKHÀUVWDOEXP+LVRQO\FRPSODLQWZDVWKDWKH
thought that ‘The Sloth’ was dragging for a bit too
long!”
Reassured by what they had heard, the label
decided to book a studio in Berlin once again for
October and November ‘94, but this time with
veteran producer Harris Johns, mostly known
back then for producing thrash bands, like Voivod
or Sodom. “Up until our ‘comeback’ album ‘Lillie:
F-­65’, I kept saying that if ‘Die Healing’ was one
of my favourite of ours, it was because of the
incredible production we had. It’s very metal, yet
sounds pretty much like our debut, with the raw
and live vibe that really makes you feel as if we
are playing at your party or something. One of
Photo: Kat Shevil Gilham

evil Gilham
Photo: Kat Sh

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 39

 Saint Vitus
the best memories I have of that session was that
they got Armando a drum kit completely made
out of metal, except for the skins. They even hired
a professional drum tuner! But as soon as he got
them, Armando proceeded to take it out of tune
WRÀWKLVVW\OH,WKRXJKWLWZDVKLODULRXVµ
Scott too has cheerful souvenirs from that
UHFRUGLQJVHVVLRQHVSHFLDOO\VLQFHWKLVZDVWKHÀUVW
time he actually set foot in Europe. “I was pretty
excited and really liked the overall laid-­back
atmosphere. You didn’t have to overdo things
here. And the people living there were just very
friendly, you know? Overall, it was a quick and
painless process. I seem to remember I arrived
on a Sunday. I think we recorded most of basic
tracks from Tuesday to Friday, taking the last two
days to focus on vocals. One special song to do
was ‘Let The End Begin’: earlier that year, Dave
40 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
had lost his mom from sickness and that song
was partially inspired by that event. So, when I
did the vocals for this one, I asked for all the lights
to be turned off. Harris complained it was too
dark so we eventually added some candles but
the vibe was just perfect. It allowed us to do the
song the way it was supposed to be done, with
that special eeriness. But not everything was that
solemn: you could count on our bass player Mark
Adams for that. While Dave was the business guy
and the one cracking the whip, Mark kept pulling
pranks on everybody in the studio, including our
producer!” At the tail-­end of that busy week,
they played one low-­key, unannounced show
at a local club called Huxley’s, mostly because
Hellhound had hired some cameras and wanted
to shoot some ‘live in the studio’ type of footage
for the forthcoming video for ‘One Mind’. Still,
some fans caught wind of what was going on
and turned up, leaving the band no choice to
play some old classics, “just for the fun of it”.
The band also took some time to visit a
cemetery nearby where they did some promo
shots and ended up using one of the pictures
taken that day for the cover, as “those two
crosses seemed to symbolise the double meaning
of the title. Plus that little rusty door was open, as
if inviting those looking in to enter.” Ultimately,
Scott stayed there less then ten days, with the
rest of the band sticking around a bit longer to
assist Harris with the mix, even if according to
Dave, it mostly meant “being asked by Harris to
get lost or whatever for a couple of hours. So we
would usually get drunk for a while, then come
back, listen to what he did, go to bed, listen the
following morning again but this time sober and
then ask for changes.” Still, determined to keep
WKHLUSURPLVHRIPDNLQJLWWKHLUÀQDOVWDQFH\HW´VR
damn proud of the result”, the band agreed
WRGRRQHODVWWRXULQ(XURSHIRUWKHÀUVWDQGODVW
WLPHZLWK6FRWWDWWKHPLF,I9LWXVÀQDOO\UHIRUPHG
as everybody knows with Wino as their vocalist
since 2008 and with whom they recorded ‘Lillie:
F-­65’ in 2012, apart from a guest appearance
during one of the band’s recent Los Angeles’
gigs in 2011 to perform ‘Burial At Sea’, the proud
dad of now six (!) children that is Scott Reagers
is still nowhere to be found on the music scene.
“I’m a perfectionist. And outside of Vitus, I don’t
see myself singing for another band,” he admits.
“That’s why I wouldn’t do another project unless
I exercised heavily before in order to take it to
the next level. Plus, you have to remember that
when you get older, you lose the best portions of
your voice, like the high-­ends. But if you’re smart,
you can always replace it with something way
PRUHFUHHS\/RRNDW9LQFHQW3ULFHDWÀUVWKH
had a crystal clear voice, but as he progressed in
age, he would use it in ways that would give you
goosebumps. Because he learnt how to use what
he had and take it to the next level. And that’s
what everybody did on ‘Die Healing’. And who
knows? Although there’d be a big hole on stage
because Armando isn’t with us anymore [he died
in 2010], maybe you’ll get to see us again one
day…”
‘C.O.D.’ and ‘Die Healing’
reissues are out on August 16 through Season Of Mist
www.SaintVitusBand.com
)$&7),/(¶',(+($/,1*·
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1995
LABEL: Hellhound Records
LINE-­UP:
Dave Chandler (guitars and vocals)
Scott Reagers (vocals)
Mark Adams (bass)
Armando Acosta (drums)
RECORDED: Music Lab, Berlin
 Onslaught

P
erhaps one of the most underrated bands in thrash history,
while you’re talking up the legacy of Venom and picking
apart the highs and lows of the Big Four or counting your
rare Cogumelo or Noise vinyl, LOUISE BROWN asks you not

UNDER THE to discount the power from hell that is ONSLAUGHT...

INFLUENCE:
F
orming in Bristol, England in 1983,
Onslaught were born at a weird time for
British metal. The NWOBHM movement
was on the wane, despite Satan’s ‘Court In The
Act’ coming out that very same year. Black
Sabbath were born again and Motörhead were
heading toward another perfect day, but bands
like Def Leppard had turned their sights to the
polished AOR glam rock of American radio
that would become the bane of metalheads’
lives over the next decade. It was the year of
‘Piece Of Mind’ and ‘Power And Glory’ and the
year that launched the careers of Mayhem,
Testament, Possessed and Morbid Angel, oh and

42 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 “We need to appeal to the next
generation of fans to be able to move
on and be a credible act in 2013”
some band called Sabbat from The Midlands,
who along with the West Coutry’s Nige Rockett,
Steve Grice, Jase Pope and Paul Hill were
responsible for unleashing their own brand of
hellish power, far from the Newcastle hub of
metallic fury being laid down by Venom and
Raven. The Bay Area was about to explode in a
neon mushroom cloud of speed metal riffs and
Sodom had summoned ‘The Witching Hour’,
but the four horsemen of Bristol were oblivious to
these new sounds and unintentionally started an
extreme metal band of which England could be
proud.
“Bristol had its own scene when we started,”
explains Onslaught guitarist Nige, taking a break
from his holiday in Spain to talk to Iron Fist about
his career;; past, present and future. “We started
as a hardcore punk band and Bristol had a huge
scene at the time, with bands like Disorder and
Chaos UK, and things like that were very popular
worldwide, even at that time. A friend of mine
turned into a promoter and started putting on
shows locally and started bringing bands in
like The Exploited, GBH and all the bigger punk
bands, and with every show he put on he would
put Onslaught on the bill, second or third down
and we rapidly gained a reputation in Bristol.
“Word started to get around quite quickly,
we’d only been going a year but basically we
couldn’t play our instruments,” he continues,
laughing at his youthful naivety. “Dave Bateman,
the guitarist from Vice Squad – God bless him,
he’s now passed away – actually gave me a few
guitar lessons and got me on my way to making
it a little bit more tuneful. So, that helped a little
bit. We were all big fans of Motörhead at the
time, they had that punky edge themselves, but
they did have that more metallic thing with the
solos going on, and I guess we leaned that way
the more competent we became. My favourite
album is ‘Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing’
by Discharge, which has a really metallic edge to
it and combining that with Motörhead is where
we found our direction.”
T
hank fuck they did, because after seven
demos (seriously, no one puts out demos
anymore!) and almost as many vocalists,
in 1985 the band, with new frontman Paul
Mahoney, entered the studio to record ‘Power
From Hell’. Following in the path of the masters
Venom, the band settled on a demonic theme
with the album starting with a fear-­inducing
heartbeat and the ominous warning “Behold, I
am the Lord Satan, the Grand Master of Hell. I
have come to bare witness to the reformation of
those who disbelief. Succumb or feel my wrath as
I release this power from hell.”
Thunder crash. Speed metal riffs that whip you
in a headbanging frenzy. Pounding drums. The
gates of hell open wide with deadly speed. The
band showed no mercy, brought us to our knees,
blew our ears and made us scream.
“Thrashing metal savage screams;; this is hell, it’s
not just a dream
Hammers pound at breakneck speed to crush
the souls of those who disbelieve”
T
KDWLQDQXWVKHOOLVWKHÀUVWWZRPLQXWHV
of one the most important albums in
(QJODQG·VÀQHPHWDOKLVWRU\$QGLW
doesn’t even get the praise it’s due, so we want
to put that right.
Nige is embarrassed by my praise, but when
pushed the modest axeman is inclined to agree;;
“I think because we’re not American I don’t
think we necessarily get the credit we should
in some cases. I don’t know the true facts, but
there’s still some conjecture over who invented
the term death metal, whether it was Onslaught
or Possessed. We were only discussing this the
other day and trying to tie up the dates of what
ZDVZKDWDQGZHVWLOOFDQ·WÀQGRXWZKRDFWXDOO\
XVHGWKHWHUPÀUVW3RVVHVVHGDOZD\VJHWWKH
credit as they were American, but looking at
the dates I think it leans more towards us. I don’t
THE FACTS!!!
NAME: ONSLAUGHT
FROM: BRISTOL, ENGLAND
FORMED: 1983
SIX ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
‘Power From Hell’ 1985
‘The Force’ 1986
‘Let There Be Rock’ EP 1987
‘In Search Of Sanity’ 1989
‘Killing Peace’ 2007
‘Sounds Of Violence’ 2011
know. Let’s claim it was us [laughs].”
Since this is a feature about bands who have
EHHQDKXJHLQÁXHQFHRQWKHPXVLF,URQ)LVW
covers and have left an incredible legacy for
future heavy metal generations, we have to ask
Nige about what he feels Onslaught’s impact has
been. After all, he’s been doing this since 1983,
and despite a break from 1991 until 2004, is back,
WRXULQJKHDYLO\DQGKDVMXVWOLWHUDOO\ÀQLVKHGWKHLU
QHZHVWUHFRUGKHÁHZWR6SDLQVWUDLJKWIURPWKH
studio!).
He’s not forthcoming, not wanting to boast,
or in his humility maybe he just doesn’t see himself
as some kind of maverick or ground-­breaker, but
when asked says;; “In particular, in South America
\RXÀQGDORWRIEDQGVQDPHGDIWHU2QVODXJKW
songs, which is great. There’s a band called
Metal Forces and a band called Power From Hell,
ZKLFKLVUHDOO\QLFHDQG,ÀQGWKDWYHU\KXPEOLQJ
actually, but you can’t really gage that effect
we’ve had.”
B
ack to that death metal argument, it’s
interesting that throughout their career,
from ‘Power From Hell’ to the hiring
of Sy Keeler on vocals and the release of their
biggest album ‘The Force’ to their 1989 hiccup
(not in my eyes, I love it!) ‘In Search Of Sanity’
Onslaught have never settled on one style of
music, switching things up on each record and
not being afraid to try new things and meld all
aspects of extreme music, whether it be punk,
hardcore, traditional power metal or speed
metal.
“We don’t throw out records every 18 months,
or every two years,” Nige explains. “So, we don’t
get stale and we try to keep things exciting and
fresh with each new album. I think that helps us a
lot in terms of putting out quality thrash metal, you
know? Each album has to be as good or better
than the last. We’re very lucky in the fact that
when we go out on tour we can play at death
metal festivals, or black metal festivals, or thrash
festivals and still be received in the same way.”
When probed about how he came up with
the term death metal he recalls that;; “We had a
track on the album called death metal, but the
original thing was that all our lyrics were based
around death and war, which is pretty normal for
a metal band, but we decided to do – because
remember everything was on vinyl back then –
two sides. We did a death side and a metal side
and that’s how it originally came about. Then we
decided to write a song called ‘Death Metal’
because of it. We decided, instead of a boring
side one and side two, to have the ‘death’ and
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 43
 Onslaught
‘metal’ sides, that was it basically. I don’t know
WKHLQÁXHQFHZH·YHKDGWKRXJK,GRQ·WNQRZ
if these black metal guys followed us, I’m just
happy to have been part of all these genres.”
I
t’s a familiar tale, but most bands who
refuse to remain stagnant and bring in
new elements to their music on each new
album run the risk of alienating their older fanbase
– just look at that dig at Def Leppard above (I’m
acting cool, as any of my friends will tell you after
witnessing me down The Alibi when the DJ is
playing ‘Photograph’) and Onslaught were not
immune to backlash, it eventually killing the band
completely in 1991.
“It wasn’t intentional from the band,” Nige
says with regret when asked about the change
from extreme, speed thrash to polished, American
style thrash on their ‘89 album ‘In Search Of
Sanity’. “It was down to that section of hardcore
fans when the ‘...Sanity’ album was released,
what with Sy being kicked out of the band and
Steve Grimmett [also of Grim Reaper] coming in
and the sound being far too polished. The press
really took to that album but a lot of the fans, I
wouldn’t say it was a massive backlash, but they
didn’t take to the album. I remember going out
on tour in Germany and when we played those
tracks it wasn’t received that well, especially
with Steve singing. Obviously Sy was the guy they
44 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
wanted to see. But it wasn’t a conscious case of
writing something radically different from [1986’s]
‘The Force’. All the demos for the ‘...Sanity’ album
were very aggressive and it seemed like a natural
step, it’s just that when we got with an American
producer [Stephan Galfas, who worked with
Savatage and Stryper... yeah, exactly!], with a
slick sound and changing the singer at the same
time, everything became very radically different
and I think that was the biggest departure we’ve
made. I don’t think it helped the longevity of the
band and we folded in 1991, and it was all down
to that album really.”
T
he legacy continues though, with the
band coming back in full force in 2004,
with Sy back at the mic and with an
album following in 2007 called ‘Killing Peace’.
“We tried to put everything right this time
around,” Nige laughs, and this is where Onslaught
are different from other metal reunions of bands
from that same era. Many are happy to get back
out on the road and play their classic material
for the crowds;; both older fans looking for a trip
down memory lane and the newer fans who
had Strappado bookmarked on their browsers,
but that’s not on Onslaught’s mind. While paying
respect to their history they also want to make
a new one. “We’re not a nostalgia band,” Nige
insists, “we’ve moved forward while we still
respect our past.”
Asking if, like so many bands of late, would
they ever go out and tour ‘Power From Hell’ in
its entirety, we get caught out for not doing our
research, raising a point about apathy in the
UK while we’re at it. “We did a ‘Full Force’ tour
in Europe, I don’t know why we didn’t do it in
England? We went out for a month and played
a special ‘...Force’ set. It was great, and we
actually did it for a couple of shows in South
America too the year before that. But you still get
the kids screaming out for songs from ‘Power From
Hell’ or ‘Killing Peace’. You can’t win.”
Why not England? I’m not angry at Nige.
I’m more angry with British music fans for not
supporting homegrown veterans more. “I totally
agree,” Nige interrupts my rant. “We don’t
understand, it’s a little bit weird because there
are a lot of fans here, you just have to look at
Bloodstock and Download to tell you that, there’s
still a big following for metal here. I just don’t
understand why people just don’t get off their
backsides and see a lot of the bands. I mean,
we do pretty well when we play the UK, London
in particular is always very crowded but I don’t
understand it really. We do gigs in every other
country in Europe and around the world and
they’re not that way. And a lot of bands seem
to miss out the UK because of it. I know times are
ÀQDQFLDOO\KDUGEXW,·GORYHWRJREDFNWRKRZ
 “Luckily, metal fans are still
interested in where things came
from, they look back and listen”

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 45

 Onslaught
things were in the UK because the scene was
absolutely amazing, as good as anywhere. It’s
frustrating.”
As for the future plans, Nige informs us that;;
“Tours are booked already, we never stop touring.
Funnily enough we were half-­way through
vocals on the new album and we’d committed
ourselves to playing a festival in Poland last
weekend, which just made our schedule even
PRUHULGLFXORXV:HÀQLVKHGUHFRUGLQJ6\·VYRFDOV
about 10pm and we had to be at the airport
for 5am, so it was like pack up, get back to
Bristol, get all the gear, get to the airport, play
WKHIHVWLYDOÁ\EDFNDQGJRVWUDLJKWEDFNWRWKH
studio and we were thinking ‘why did we do this?’
But that’s what the band is all about;; touring. We
just tour, tour and tour as much as possible. It’s
the only way to get the band to go further and in
October we’ve got a month long tour of Europe
starting on October 9, with four shows in the UK.
We’ve got a great package with us;; we’ve got
the German thrash band Exumer, Mpire Of Evil,
which is Mantas from Venom’s new band, and
the classic death metallers Master are coming
with us, so it’s quite an extreme bill.”
Erm, see you there! What an amazing bill.
And, like Onslaught’s own repertoire perfectly
mixes all facets of extreme metal. “I think that
helps. I think if you get four thrash bands going
out, unless it’s obviously Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax
46 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
and Megadeth, it’s a bit, well you know... and
even they’re varied. I think you need variation,
because, as I said earlier, we cross over into
death and black metal as do Master and Exumer,
so I think it’s going to work to pull extra fans into
the shows and maybe expose the bands to other
people’s audiences in a way.
“Luckily we’re fortunate where we’ve got
all the old school fans who will turn out, which is
amazing, and it’s great to see some of the faces
from back in the day, but then at the front it’s all
kids, and that’s what that band needs to push
forward,” he continues. “We need to appeal to
the next generation of fans to be able to move
on and be a credible act in 2013. We’ve been
very fortunate to do that and I think that’s got to
UHÁHFWRQWKHZD\ZH·YHEHHQZULWLQJWKHVRQJV
on the past few albums to be able to attract
the new fans into the band. If it wasn’t for those
bands then these kids wouldn’t be into this type of
music, and metal fans are still interested in where
things came from, they look back and listen and
that’s how we move on. After the European
tour, we’re going straight to South America for a
month as well. We’re taking Artillery with us, and
the response to that has been incredible. There
have been so many promoters trying to get shows
on the tour we could have extended it by weeks.
So, by taking bands out from our generation and
similar styles it is working really well.”
B
efore Nige goes to enjoy his holiday,
instead of chatting to us, we get to grill
him on news of Onslaught’s new record,
even though he won’t spill the beans on any
titles. “We’re almost done,” he says, with a sigh
RIUHOLHI´:HMXVWÀQLVKHGRIIWKHJXLWDUVDQGWKH
vocals last week. I had about nine hours sleep
the whole week, it was a bit manic, just getting
everything ready to send off to the studio where
we’re mixing it. A bit manic to say the least.
“We’re going to Sweden to mix, with a
fella called Tomas Johansson [Ereb Altor/
Facebreaker], at a place called the Panic Room
Studios. We were recommended him by the
label [AFM] and we listened to his stuff and it’s
absolutely amazing. We were really impressed
and he’s not one of those producers where
everything he turns out sounds the same, he
seems to really listen to what the band wants,
which I guess is a very good sign. He’s on the
same wavelength as to where we think this album
should go.
“Another thing that we discussed about the
producer situation is that each album sounds
drastically different, I think if we would have
made this album with Jacob Hansen again it
would have sounded similar to [2011’s] ‘Sounds
Of Violence’. I think coming in with a new guy it’s
going to sound that much different again, which
,WKLQNÀWVLQZLWKRXUKLVWRU\0XVLFDOO\,ZRXOG
say it’s a step on from ‘...Violence’, a little more
technical maybe, but at the same time a little
bit more old school. We’ve gone backwards as
we’ve gone forward if you like.”
www.Facebook.com/OnslaughtUK
 Exhumed

u s t s o m
m uu c
c h
h c
c r
r a
a z
z i
i n
n e
e s
s s
s
““W e s
We see e e j
j u s t s o n g e r
v e r y d a
a y
y tthh aa t
t ww e
e nn o
o lloon g e r
e
eve r y d s c r a z
z y
y ”
”
i s
rreeccooggnnise ite i t a
a s c r a
The slaughtercult are back!
JOHN MINCEMOYER talks politics, economics and
death metal with his old buddy MATT HARVEY of
grind veterans EXHUMED and dissects their latest splatter
platter Necrocracy’... all in the name of gore of course

48 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

T
his article is as much personal as it is professional
because I have loved Exhumed ever since I first saw
them defile the Brass Mug stage in Tampa, Florida
back on the ‘Gore Metal’ tour. It was there that I
met Matt Harvey for the first time and strangely, our
friendship did not coalesce over death metal, but over our mutual
love of KISS. Due to my military commitments, it was several years
before Matt and I crossed paths again, this time at the Ohio Deathfest
in 2001.
I will never forget walking up to the Exhumed van, hearing
several metalheads call out, “Bud, give it up!”, and bassist Bud Burke
upchucking on cue onto the pavement much to their drunken,
raucous pleasure. As I stood talking with Matt I watched as Bud quickly
produced a toothbrush and toothpaste to vigorously brush his teeth.
“How does he do that?” I asked.
“It’s all in the diaphragm,” replied Matt before taking a nonchalant
swig from his beer.
Several hours later at Matt’s behest I found myself ensconced inside
the Exhumed van as we headed to Wal-­mart to look for food for Bud
to consume to make his vomit “more colourful” for their performance.
Straight out of a bad MTV video, we drove with Manowar epically
blasting from the stereo, Matt and I screeching along, the rest of the
EDQGFULQJLQJXQGHURXUKRUULÀFYRFDODVVDXOW:DOPDUWSURYHGIXQ
Bud found some generic, blood-­red Kool-­Aid and I scored a Tech
'HFN3XVKHDGWR\ÀQJHUERDUG
“Matt, check this out. I cannot believe I found this…”
“Pushead… That’s sweet, dude!”
Later that evening, Exhumed once again desecrated the stage:
WKHFKDLQVDZFDPHRXWGUXPPHU&RO-RQHVEOHZÀUH0DWWGRXVHG
himself in blood from a skull prop, and Bud projectile vomited to
everyone’s pleasure.
Several years passed until I caught Exhumed again, this time
supporting the release of ‘Slaughtercult’. Again I found myself hanging
RXW ZLWK 0DWW SUHVKRZ GLVFXVVLQJ WKH ÀQHU SRLQWV RI ¶/LFN ,W 8S· DQG
then witnessing the audio and visual carnage onstage. I earned a
song dedication that evening as he introduced ‘Gore… Fucking…
Metal!’. I felt, to quote a Mike Myers’ character from ‘Saturday Night
Live’, “like a little girl…”
 7KLVHEEDQGÁRZFRQWLQXHG(YHU\FKDQFHVFKHGXOHSHUPLWWLQJ,
got an opportunity to see Exhumed and hang out with Matt I took and
enjoyed those times immensely. And the time that passed mattered
not, because we would pick up from where we left off the previous
visit.
I remember being saddened in 2005 when I learned that Exhumed
was no longer. Matt moved to Hawaii and we lost touch.
But then in 2010 it was announced that Exhumed were reforming
and were planning to release a new album, ‘All Guts, No Glory’, and
then tour. Pre-­show, Matt and I caught up.
“So how long has it been?” I asked.
“Too long, my friend!”
It was just like old times as we talked music, the new album, the
tour, the addition of Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer to the KISS lineup,
the newest Manowar, etc. It felt great. When they played, there was
QRÀUHRUYRPLWEXW([KXPHGDSSHDUHGWREHLQÀQHIRUP
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 49
 Exhumed
Not a year later Exhumed once again rolled
through Atlanta this time supporting Napalm
Death and Municipal Waste. I was reintroduced
to Bud after all those years, who was back in the
band, this time as guitarist, with the new bassist,
Rob Babcock, and drummer, Mike Hamilton.
During conversation Matt asked, “John, could
you drive us to go get some food?”
“Sure,” I said.
Matt, Rob and Mike climbed into my car and
as we settled I said, “So, have you heard the new
KISS album?” as I pulled the CD from the jewel case
DQGVOLGLWLQWRP\FDU·VVWHUHR$VWKHÀUVWFKRUGVRI
‘Hell Or Hallelujah’ poured from the speakers, Matt
cranked the volume knob, and we took off.
“Man, this is kick ass,” Matt said. “I really like the
production.”
50 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
I was not familiar with the area and it was
dark and it happened so fast, but I was looking
left, when I should have been looking right and it
wasn’t until I was almost through the intersection
when Matt yells, “John! Stop sign!”
“What?” I said as I slammed on the brakes
momentarily and then realising it was too late,
continued through the intersection.
Seconds later I see blue lights in my rearview
mirror.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I said my heart
immediately hammering in my chest.
“Dude, don’t worry,” said Matt. “You only ran
a stop sign.”
“No, guys, you don’t understand. I don’t do
things like this.”
“Well, you’re an outlaw now,” quipped Matt.
“Funny,” I scowled as I pulled over into a
crowded, nightclub carpark where there was a lot
of people… beautiful people.
“Ha,” laughed Matt. “This is fucking great. Look
at these people. I imagine they think us longhairs
are scum.”
 , ZDV PRUWLÀHG DV , VDW WKHUH ZDLWLQJ IRU WKH
SROLFHRIÀFHUWRDSSURDFKP\GRRU
“Hey, John,” said Matt. “It’s Exhumed. It’s our
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 7KDW WUDIÀF FLWDWLRQ ZRXOG XOWLPDWHO\ FRVW PH
$200 dollars. A few months later I got a birthday
message from Matt stating: “Happy Birthday,
John. Try to stay out of trouble… meaning stay
away from Exhumed!”
Well, I cannot stay away, so when the
opportunity arose for me to interview Matt for the
release of Exhumed’s latest, and best, full-­length,
‘Necrocracy’, I did not hesitate.
The band has gone through some changes. Tell us
about the current lineup.
“When we did ‘All Guts, No Glory’, we knew
from the get-­go that if we were going to pursue
serious touring Leon [Del Muerte] and Danny
[Walker] would be out of the picture, so when
we were talking about putting together some
proper touring stuff in ‘11, we knew that there
would be a new rhythm section. I ended up
moving really close to where Mike lives in San
Luis Obispo, California to be close to my family,
and we hung out and shit, so it was a no-­brainer
for us to start jamming. With Deeds Of Flesh, they
haven’t played a show in a few years and he
was ready to get out on the road again, so it
worked out really well. Rob and I had played
together in Gravehill, and I knew he would be a
JUHDWÀWLQDWRXULQJOLQHXSDQGQHLWKHUKHQRU,
let the fact that he was a guitar player that had
never done low death metal vocals in a band
deter us from having him come on board on
bass and vocals. Once we got out and did a
lot of shows, it became clear that Wes [Caley]
and everyone else were not on the same page
DQGZHPDGHWKHGHFLVLRQWRÀUHKLPDQGJHW
Bud back in the band, this time on guitar. Since
I’d known Bud for years and played with him in
Exhumed and Scarecrow, I knew that the lineup
would gel really well musically and personally,
DQG LW GHÀQLWHO\ KDV ,W·V WKH EHVW OLQHXS WKH
band has ever had.”
Tell us about the creation of ‘Necrocracy’. When,
where, how, and with whom?
“Since we were on tour so much for ‘All Guts…’,
I basically was putting together skeletons of
VRQJVHYHU\WLPHZHZHUHKRPH7KHÀUVWWUDFN
, ÀQLVKHG ZDV WKH WLWOH WUDFN ZKLFK WRRN WKH
longest time by far, then I started getting some
PRPHQWXP DQG WKLQJV VWDUWHG ÁRZLQJ IURP
WKHUH,KDGDIHZLGHDVWKDW,GLGQ·WJHWWRÀQLVK
hashing out from writing the last album so those
JRW ÀQLVKHG DQG EHFDPH ¶5DYHQLQJ· ¶7KH
Shape Of Deaths To Come’ and ‘(So Passes) The
Glory Of Death’. It was cool to not write it all at
once because I think it helped the songs stand
out a little more from each other than on the
last record. We didn’t really rehearse the new
stuff all that much before the studio, due to our
 e m u chh m
m oo r
r e
e lliikkeellyy
““YYoouu’’dd bbe mutecning ttoo UUllii-‐-‐eerraa
ttoo ffiinndd m mee lliisstening
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t h
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a n
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d e
e aatthh
SSccoorpion d a y s ”
”
m t a l
meetal th t heessee d a y s
touring schedule. Every time we had a break
from the road, we really needed a break from
the road, and by the time we were ready to
rehearse again, it was to get ready for the next
tour. So the two weeks before the studio were
intense – basically like cramming for a test.”
How much was written before entering the studio?
“Most of the songs were worked out beforehand,
but we were still in the process of putting the
ÀQLVKLQJWRXFKHVRQWKLQJVDUUDQJHPHQWWZHDNV
and shit like that. But while we were jamming,
we wrote ‘The Rotting’ in the rehearsal room, as
well as the bonus tracks ‘E Pluribus Mortem’ and
¶&KHZHG 8S 6SLW 2XW· ,Q WKH VWXGLR LWVHOI ZH
wrote ‘Go For The Throat’, another bonus track,
and worked out an intro that we didn’t end up
using in the end, but there was a lot of creativity
in a very condensed period of time.”
Did you try any tricks in the studio or was this a
straight-­forward recording session?
“The one thing that was really different was
having Mike record the drums to a click track.
It’s pretty standard procedure for most bands,
which was probably why we avoided it for so
many years, but it ended up really helping the
process and keeping the songs at the tempos
they were written at. It seems like every album,
especially ‘Anatomy...’ and ‘All Guts…’, end
up being much, much faster than intended,
ZKLFK PDNHV VWXII SUHWW\ GLIÀFXOW WR SOD\ DW
times, especially since it gets even fucking faster
live. The other thing is that we doubled all the
YRFDOVIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHZKLFK,ZDVUHDOO\KDSS\
with. I felt like the vocal performances were
much better this time around. When we did ‘All
Guts…’ I hadn’t done those kinds of vocals in a
few years, and for ‘Necrocracy’ I had a few 100
shows under my belt, and felt more loose and
natural vocally. Then to get to double it (which
again, is pretty standard procedure), I was really
stoked with how it came out.”
To my ears, this sounds like the most “melodic”
Exhumed record to date. This, of course, is not
necessarily a bad thing. Agree or disagree?
´,W SUREDEO\ LV ,W·V GHÀQLWHO\ WKH VORZHVW UHFRUG
we’ve done, so things are more audible and
clear and the melodic stuff really comes across
more. Bud and I are both pretty melodically-­
oriented guitar players, so it’s a pretty natural
thing to happen. Plus, we’ve always listened to
Maiden, Priest, early Fates Warning and shit, so
WKHUH·V D GHÀQLWH ¶WUXH PHWDO· XQGHUFXUUHQW WR
what we do. It’s a bit more overt on this album,
though, probably because we listen to a lot
more hard rock than we do death metal. You’d
EHPXFKPRUHOLNHO\WRÀQGPHOLVWHQLQJWR8)2
8OLHUD 6FRUSLRQV =HSSHOLQ 'HHS 3XUSOH 7KLQ
Lizzy, BOC etc, than death metal these days,
and it’s been that way for a while.”
Who is doing the second vocals? I like the
addition. Provides a nice counterpoint to your
higher vocals...
“Most of the lows on the record are Rob’s,
but Bud does some as well, just like he did on
‘Anatomy…’, so there’s a cool three-­pronged
vocal attack going on. Plus, we have some
group vocals as well… kind of a death metal
take on what Exodus or the Cro-­Mags might
do!”
What is a ‘Necrocracy’? Is this a subtle (or not too
subtle) comment on the current state of affairs in
the world?
“Technically, it would be “rule by the dead”,
and I got the term from Christopher Hitchens,
from his ‘God Is Not Great’ book. The lyrics of
WKHUHFRUGGHÀQLWHO\UHYROYHDORWPRUHDURXQG
American politics than previous stuff. I was
writing everything during the election last year,
and like any good punk rocker, reading some
&KRPVN\DQG=LQQDQGWKLQJVOLNHWKDW$QGOLNH
any good American, watching a lot of cable
news. For the purposes of the record, it’s either
rule by the dead or the death of democracy.
I think liberals and conservatives and everyone
agrees that we live in a country ruled by
corporations – not people, so we truly are
being ruled by something that isn’t alive. It’s a
fucked up concept and our values are starting
to become just as twisted. We see just so much
craziness everyday that we no longer recognise
it as crazy. The idea that perpetual warfare is an
acceptable foreign policy alone just boggles
my mind and the idea that people want to give
fetuses more rights and more care than living
humans does, too. We were recently in Detroit
and there were several people sleeping on the
sidewalks, in sleeping bags in freezing weather.
The fact that as a society we think that this is
okay is something I can’t wrap my head around.
I’d rather have my tax dollars used to shelter the
homeless than award Lockheed Martin another
fat contract to blow shit up. As much as I like
blowing shit up, there’s such a bizarre upside
GRZQZRUOGYLHZJRLQJRQLQWKH86ULJKWQRZµ
:KDWLQÁXHQFHG\RXWRZULWHDVRQJWLWOHG¶&RLQV
8SRQ7KH(\HV·":KHQ,VDZWKHWLWOHP\ÀUVWWKRXJKW
was ‘Charon’ by King Diamond. Tell us about some
of the other songs too.
“This was inspired by watching my grandparents
approach death. In their working lives they
were middle-­class or upper middle-­class people
who owned property and lived a comfortable
lifestyle, but as they aged, crippling medical
FRVWV VWRFN ORVVHV DQG LQÁDWLRQ KDYH UHDOO\
reduced their situation – not that they’re sleeping
in the streets, but it’s almost like they never really
owned anything at all, they just sort of borrowed
it from the banks for a few years, and now
they’re taking it back. So it’s about greed and a
system that degrades the individual from every
direction, governmentally, business-­wise, and
medically. The coins metaphor, paying Charon
to ferry you across the river Styx and the afterlife
seemed pretty apt.
“‘The Shape Of Deaths To Come’ is about the
grind of going to work to make money for the
same corporations that poison the air, undercut
your salary and create the chemicals that will
eventually give you cancer and kill you. You’re
essentially digging your own grave with every
paycheck.
“‘Necrocracy’ is just kind of an overview,
the idea that the unliving have power over
the living, the corporate buy-­out of individual
freedom, responsibility, etc. All for fast-­food and
reality TV. It’s a hell of a bargain.
“Dysmorphic’ is about body dysmorphia
related to eating disorders – women who
believe they’re fat no matter how skinny they
DFWXDOO\ DUH ,Q WKLV FRQWH[W LW·V WKH VXSHUÀFLDO
totally disconnected mindset that so many
people have. Wearing a t-­shirt that says ‘Hottie’
or ‘Badass’ doesn’t make you either. In fact,
if you have to tell people that you’re either of
those things, you certainly can’t be. It extends
WR WKH ZD\ SHRSOH YLHZ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV
They’re in such willful denial of how fucked up
our society and our government are that they’re
as delusional as a 96-­pound adult female who
thinks she’s fat.
“‘Sickened’ doesn’t have anything to do with
the overarching concept. It’s about being
stricken with the black plague, literally being
sickened into the grave and ‘Glory Of Death’ is
essentially declaring the American experiment
dead and unsuccessful, burying it, and leaving
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 51
 Exhumed
it behind to rot in its own corruption.
“‘Ravening’ is about an all-­consuming, blind
greed that devours everything in its path in
order to satisfy some kind of unnatural hunger,
which is another anti-­corporate metaphor for
sure. ‘Carrion Call’ is outside of the concept,
it’s really just about coming out and rocking out
at a show or a party with like-­minded maniacs.
Again, heavily slathered with allegory, but it’s
basically our version of a KISS or AC/DC song,
O\ULFDOO\ ¶7KH 5RWWLQJ· LV D UHÁHFWLRQ RQ WKH
XELTXLW\RIGHDWKDQGGHFD\DQGKRZLWGHÀQHV
our existence, our beliefs, and our actions. The
lyrics and arrangement are basically a rip-­off
of an old XTC song from the ‘Oranges And
Lemons’ album. Not the most metal point of
reference, but hey, I listen to all kinds of stuff.”
I know it’s early, and this question might not be fair,
but how do you feel ‘Necrocracy’ stands up to the
rest of your discography?
´,W·VGHÀQLWHO\P\IDYRXULWHDOEXPZH·YHGRQH
but the latest record is always my favourite,
VR ,·P ELDVHG ,W·V GHÀQLWHO\ WKH VORZHVW UHFRUG
we’ve done, and that allows the songs to have
a bit more variety and stand out from each
other, which to me is a good thing.”
Have you received any feedback?
“We’re just starting the press cycle, so I don’t
really know how the reaction is yet. The little I’ve
heard has been positive, but we’ll see. I’m not
really concerned about that kind of stuff, and
E\WKDW,PHDQZHZULWHIRURXUVHOYHVÀUVW'RQ·W
get me wrong, it’s great when people dig it,
EXW XOWLPDWHO\ VDWLVI\LQJ \RXUVHOI LV WKH ÀUVW VWHS
in making something that’s honest and might
have some longevity.”
After all this time, how long has it really been? Do
o l t o h
h e
e a
a r
r u
u n
n d
d e
e rrggrroouunndd
“
“ I
I t
t ’
’ s
s c
c o
o o l t o
e a t
ddeath mh m e
e t
t a
a l
l aaggaaiinn””
52 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
\RX VWLOO ÀQG SOHDVXUH LQ SOD\LQJ ¶*RUHIXFNLQJ
Metal’?
´'HÀQLWHO\ 7KH VKRZV DUH DOPRVW DOZD\V UHDOO\
fun and the kids are super cool. I love getting
to see new places, check shit out and be a
tourist, and Exhumed has been the thing that
has allowed me to do that. I do get burnt on
death metal when it’s metal in the van, metal
at the show, metal at the after-­party bar, but
I’m always listening to different shit to deal with
it. Of course, like anything, being on the road
gets to be a grind, but it would be the same
with anything. It’s like the old saying, ‘Show me
the hottest woman in the room and I’ll show
you a guy who’s tired of fucking her’. But the
time away from doing this for six years has really
helped me appreciate that I’ve been pretty
lucky to do as much with Exhumed as we’ve
done.”
What is your opinion of the recent resurgence in
underground, putrid-­sounding death metal? Do
\RX NHHS \RXU ÀQJHU RQ SXOVH DW DOO LI \RX KDYH
WKHWLPH"$QGZKDWRI([KXPHG·VLQÁXHQFH"
“Well, it’s part of that old 20-­year cycle that
brought out 5,000 new thrash bands a few
years back. I think it’s cool to hear underground
death metal again, regardless if it’s a trend or
whatever. I don’t follow along with the scene
that much, I mostly hear my friends’ bands, but
there’s some cool shit out there. Mortuous, Col
and Mike Beams’ new band is great, kind of
a mix of Finnish death metal and Incantation.
Entrails is killer, Facebreaker is good, Bones, and
a few others. I’m sure there are loads that I’m
not hip to.”
When not playing with Exhumed, what are you
doing these days?
“We’re so busy on the road. I don’t have time
to work, especially since we don’t have a
manager and shit, so there’s a lot of boring
logistical work that goes along with all the beer
and loose women. You know, spreadsheets,
working with vendors, and all that stuff. Mike
works construction, and Rob and Bud are
marginally employed outside of rocking. But
even the longest van ride in the worst weather is
better than a year in a cubicle.”
What type of perversions are planned to promote
‘Necrocracy’? Have you ever thought about doing
an American Red Cross-­sponsored Exhumed
“Blood Drive” much like W.A.S.P. did back in the
early ‘80s?
“Man, I would love to do something like that,
and I might just steal that idea. We were just
watching the W.A.S.P. ‘Live In London’ video
the other day in the van, so much great stuff.
2XUVWDJHVKRZKDVDOZD\VEHHQLQÁXHQFHGE\
them and KISS and Alice Cooper (obviously). It’s
DELWGLIÀFXOWWRFRRUGLQDWHWRRPXFKVWXIIVLQFH
we’re on tour in Europe right now and Relapse is
obviously in the States, so we’ll see. I’d like to at
least put together a listening party or something
like that for the release. And of course, Relapse
will be putting together their promotional
EXQGOHSDFNDJHVZLWKEXWWRQVÁDJVDQGRWKHU
political accoutrements which should be pretty
cool for the kids.”
Will there be a vinyl version?
“Abso-­motherfucking-­lutely! It includes the
outro, ‘E Pluribus Mortem’ as a bonus track that
closes the album out in a total downer mode,
which is something a little different for us. The
vibe is kind of Amebix/early Neurosis-­ish, which
was fun to put together in the studio.”
‘Necrocracy’ is out now on Relapse Records
www.Facebook.com/ExhumedOfficial
 Ramming Speed

Boston thrashers RAMMING SPEED

are back and have used
their trials and triumphs
of the road to hone
their sound. AL BULMER
asks JONAH LIVINGSTON about
being the bastard child of
Disfear and
Thin Lizzy

54 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 FULL SPEED AHEAD
t’s not that Ramming Speed’s
I
Prosthetic debut ‘Destined to Die,
Doomed to Destroy’ is unfathomable,
you know damn well what’s
assaulting your aural senses, but
LW·VWKHHIIRUWOHVVÀQHVVHWKDWVXFKD
hybridised mish-­mash is executed. Not that these
Bostonians are attempting to forge gold from
lead through some contrived reggae-­black metal
or similar hypothetical nonsense, it’s their genius
smelting of a revolutionary yet idiosyncratic
alloy: neo-­thrash, a blistering tour-­de-­force of
NWOBHM-­meets-­grind-­meets-­D-­beat bound to a
thrash carbon base, which, put in layman’s term,
fucking rules.
As skin-­thumping timekeeper Jonah Livingston
elaborates, the push from a party thrash
band releasing a 7” followed by touring to the
contemporary beast we witness today was the
laboured result of a forced pragmatism. “The
biggest catalyst for us as a recorded band was
losing a couple of band members two or three
years ago,” he explains. “We used to jump at any
chance to tour, like, ‘some dude wants us to play
a fest in the middle of the woods in Texas? Let’s
book a full US tour around it!’ When we lost our
old guitarist and bassist it forced us to stay home
DQGXVHRXUWLPHWRZRUNRQÁHVKLQJRXWLGHDVLQ
the practice space. That really helped us take the
songwriting and recording process more seriously
and now that the record is in our hands we can
go back to what we’ve always been good at...
hitting the fuckin’ road!
“I think our songs have progressed fairly
naturally over the years, if you listen to all the
releases,” Jonah continues, “but if you’ve only
KHDUGWKHÀUVW/3DQGMXPSVWUDLJKWWRWKHQHZ
one your mind is going to be blown.”
ndeniably so. The effortless
U
marriage of an entire genre-­
spanning spectrum into one
holistic rager evidently takes
WLPHWRUHÀQH²DVPXFKDVLW
is the beer-­fuelled symbiosis
RIXQLÀHGDQGHFOHFWLFWDVWHV´:HDOOPRUHRU
less listen to the same music, but we go through
different phases. Kallen [Bliss, guitars] went a year
or two only really listening to D-­beat and Pete
[Gallagher, vocals] used to lean towards death/
thrash type riffs, but then recently started listening
to a lot more rock ‘n’ roll,” he explains of their
progression. “There are very rarely conversations
about where we want the band to head, we
just crack open some beers and see what
everyone has been working on. There’s never one
songwriter, and everyone is allowed to work on
each others’ music, so it very naturally ends up
being a mish-­mash of rad shit.” Not forgetting, of
course, those soaring catchy hooks throughout
‘Destined to Die...’, inevitably drawing the loosest
of comparisons with the crushing and metallic
melodies of a few select Swedes;; “We all love
Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy so it seemed obvious
to start throwing all those big guitar harmonies
into the grind and D-­beat parts. It’s probably
the same thing that Disfear, At The Gates,
Wolfbrigade and all those Swedish bands were
thinking!”
““Born
to lose,
live to
win””
s Jonah stated, Ramming
A
Speed’s natural habitat is
the open road and sweat-­
drenched venue. It’s a hard
slog of an existence, but,
when channelled correctly,
the chaos and frenetic energy can be harnessed
and manipulated with astounding results. In such
instances the studio becomes mandatory and
touring and rehearsing are a continual cycle of
WKHHQGVSHUIHFWLQJWKHPHDQV²DSURFHVVWKDW
NHHSV5DPPLQJ6SHHGÀUPO\FRQQHFWHGWRWKHLU
party thrash roots.
“I personally hate the studio,” admits Jonah.
´,ÀQGLWZLOGO\VWUHVVIXOEXWZRUNLQJZLWK.XUW%DOORX
[producer] on this new record was easily the best
recording experience we’ve ever had. In general
I much prefer to be out on the road, but buckling
down at Godcity Studios for a week and a half
with my best buds led to a record that we are
all phenomenally proud of. I wouldn’t trade that
recording experience and the end result of it for
anything.” And as for rehearsing new material,
testing the water and tightening a few bolts, what
better place than on the front line?
“Whenever possible it’s always awesome
to road-­test new music. Riffs will change shape
when you have a crowd going ape shit, when
you’re sweating and the tempos start to speed
up, and after you’ve been pounding at them
every night for two months. On our current tour
we’re playing one brand new ripper that we just
tightened up in time for this run, but we have
about six written for the record that we’ll put out
next year. I’m sure we’ll bust all of those out here
and there before we’re back knocking on Kurt
Ballou’s door.”
However, whilst on the front line of
underground metal and punk hurtling across
endless miles of autobahns and interstate
highways, traversing state and national borders
to grace both dive bar and festival stage, what
are these seasoned road dog’s secrets to tour
survival? “Negativity can eat a hole in your
band so if you try and stay positive through all
WKHEXOOVKLW\RX·OOGRÀQH2EYLRXVO\GULQNLQJDQG
eating crappy food and staying up all night
doesn’t really help your mental state, but it’s all
part of the ride. Laugh in the face of sore bones,
van problems, plastic food and low turnouts. If
you learn to have fun when everything sucks,
you’ll appreciate it all the more when your hard
work starts to pay off.
“At this point we could write a book on all
the good, bad and strange times,” he continues,
offering a spot of anecdotal evidence of the ups
and downs, and most importantly, the enviable
UHZDUGV²DQGPLVFKLHI²IURP\HDUVRIPXVLFDO
toil. “We’ve done European tours without a driver
where we had to book half the shows at the last
minute and got lost every day driving through
countries with incomprehensibly foreign maps.
We’ve been pulled over and had our luggage
torn apart by plainclothes cops in Bavaria, had
all our money stolen in Italy, been arrested at
gunpoint in California, and dealt with the stresses
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 55
 Ramming Speed
of van breakdowns, canceled shows, hunger
DQGSRYHUW\%XWRQWKHÁLSVLGHZH·YHGRQH
VKLWWKDWQRRQHJHWVWRGR²5DPPLQJ6SHHG
has probably played more shows in Iceland
than Manhattan. I watched Danny Herrera
from Napalm Death give a quick blastbeat
lesson backstage at Obscene Extreme in Czech
Republic. I’ve wandered around the snowy
streets of Berlin speeding out of my head with
Saviours, and peed into a giant Christmas tree in
Reno after a hallucinogen-­fuelled hotel party. Just
last night we chilled in a jacuzzi with Valient Thorr
and Artillery Breath ‘til 5am watching shooting
stars, telling tour stories and drinking cold beers.
It’s all an adventure and you take the good with
the bad. Born to lose, live to win.”
nternational tomfoolery
I
notwithstanding, it is curious to note
whether or not Ramming Speed’s
genre-­smelting trickery has ever
roused a po-­faced disapproval or
puzzled stare in Europe;; a continent
whose punk and metal scenes are notably
divided compared to it’s North American
counterpart. Jonah’s experience suggests quite
the opposite;; “I’ve heard other bands complain
that in Europe the scenes are super divided, but
we’ve had awesome experiences over there.
2XUÀUVWFRXSOHRI(XURSHDQWRXUVZHUHWRWDOO\
DIY, no label support or fancy booking agents or
anything, just some friends helping us get shows
at punk squats and community centres. We
obviously ended up playing a ton of punk and
hardcore shows and those are still some of the
craziest we’ve ever played.
56 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
““Negativity can eat
a hole in your band””
“One of my absolute all-­time favourites was
Fluff Fest in Czech Republic,” he recalls with an
air of nostalgia. “It’s traditionally a straightedge
hardcore fest, but we had a thousand kids circle-­
SLWWLQJDQGVWDJHGLYLQJLQWKHPLGGOHRIDÀHOG
at 4pm. In America scenes tend to be a bit more
insulated, I don’t know if they’d ever let us on a
big hardcore fest here, but in Europe we get to
do shit like that and play random one-­off shows
with bands as differing as Inepsy and Misery
Index.”
Eight years continually at the grind has
blatantly been key to Ramming Speed’s success,
whose concrete reputation is near-­exclusively
based on their industrious work ethic and, most
VLJQLÀFDQWO\WKHLURXWVWDQGLQJVNLOOQRWMXVWDV
a crossover band but as musicians. The idiom
rings true, you reap what you sow;; often with
LQFRQFHLYDEOHEHQHÀWVWKHLUUHFHQWLQFOXVLRQ
within the Prosthetic roster is testament to this very
fact. Jonah wraps things up with sobering dose
of the reality that in spite of crafting easily one
of the utmost vital and refreshing contemporary
thrash records with the potential to wrangle the
very predicate of crossover, Ramming Speed are
still just a troupe of metalpunks on a quest for fun.
“I never ever thought our band would have a
IXOOWLPHVWDIILQDQRIÀFHRQWKHRWKHUVLGHRIWKH
country working to get our riffs out there. It almost
feels like we snuck in somehow, it’s like, ‘Have
WKH\HYHQKHDUGXV":KHQDUHWKH\JRLQJWRÀQG
out we’re just a bunch of smelly friends driving
around blasting Judas Priest tapes and searching
for the best margaritas?’”
On the off chance Prosthetic don’t catch
a whiff, Ramming Speed will be back speeding
across the States in the autumn with an eye for
European soil come early winter. “People should
always feel free to get in touch if they want to
help with gigs, put us up for a night or share
strange stories from the road,” requests Jonah.
Take heed, lend a hand and experience a piece
of action.
‘Destined to Die, Doomed to Destroy’
is out now on Prosthetic
www.Facebook.com/RammingSpeed
 Cauchemar

World Eater

"We decided to sing in French

because we love French Metal
from the 80s.”

60 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 Music lover, food enthusiast and world traveller, ANNICK
GIROUX put her passport down for once and talks to us about
her other passion, her doom band CAUCHEMAR. Chatting to
DAVE SHERWOOD over the course of a few months we find
out about our columnist’s many, many talents
We know you as our world correspondent, but not
for your own music – tell us about Cauchemar.
“Cauchemar started as a doom metal project
between myself and the guitarist, François
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FRXOGQ·W ÀQG D YRFDOLVW VR , GHFLGHG WR VLQJ
instead. We were aiming to play ‘trad’ doom
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it ended up being some sort of bastard mix of
KHDY\GRRP :H UHFRUGHG DQG UHOHDVHG RXU
mini-­album ‘La Vierge Noire’ in 2010, and did
RXU ÀUVW WKUHH JLJV LQ &DQDGD DIWHUZDUGV ,Q
January, 2011, myself and the guitarist left for a
trip around the world. Then along the way, we
PDQDJHGWRÀQGUHKHDUVDOSODFHVSUHWW\PXFK
HYHU\ZKHUH DQG ZH ZURWH WKH VRQJV IRU ZKDW
became the new album ‘Tenebrario’. When
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JRGGHVV ,VLV ZKR ZDV ZRUVKLSSHG LQ VRPH
parts of Europe. When Christianity came, they
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people would worship a Christian goddess
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unites all the songs in some way, especially ‘Le
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Your main lyrical content surrounds horror,
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songs. The mist, the old decaying tombs, people
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are mostly about our own mystical experiences
DQG RXU YLVLRQ RI WKH ZRUOG :H KDYH D ORRVH
concept for Cauchemar, which started with
entertaining column for Iron Fist and your blogposts
have certainly kept your followers up-­to-­date with
your movements. What made the both of you
decide to travel, where you have visited, and is
there anywhere you have particularly enjoyed the
PRVW"
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ZRUNHG LQ D JUDSKLF GHVLJQ VWXGLR ZKHUH RQH
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across France with only a sleeping bag and
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WROG PH WKDW LI , UHDOO\ ZDQW WR WUDYHO QRWKLQJ
should stop me from it. A couple of years
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husband) but since we were only allowed two
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(drums). We recorded the album in Ottawa last
January.”
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we played and spent time with other people
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Buddhist philosophy and what’s left of the pre-­
Columbian beliefs in South America really left
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I love the French vocals. Despite presumably
speaking French at home, why was it decided to
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WKLQN)UHQFKUHDOO\VRXQGVP\VWLFDODQGLWÀWVRXU
music perfectly.”
‘La Vierge Noire’ translates as ‘The Black
Madonna’, where the Virgin Mary is presented
through various art forms during the Medieval
period of having black or dark skin. My knowledge
each new album. We don’t want to explain too
PXFKEHFDXVHZHOLNHWROHDYHVSDFHIRUHDFK
person’s own interpretation, but ‘Tenebrario’
is mainly about spiritual death and rebirth, the
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Moving away from the vocals and lyrics;; the music
itself is very unique and individual. Are there any
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You were picked up by Nuclear War Now!
Productions, a label typically known for working
largely with death and black metal bands. How
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something quite rare with him – at least in my
H[SHULHQFHGHDOLQJZLWKKLP0\VHOIDQG<RVXNH
KDYH DFWXDOO\ NQRZQ HDFK RWKHU IRU PDQ\
years. Although most of his releases are death
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Korea, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia,
7KDLODQG 0DOD\VLD ,QGLD 1HSDO 6SDLQ
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I particularly enjoyed reading about your time
in Nepal. From the mischievous sweet-­hunting
children to the hazardous buildings in the city. I
am under the impression everything is very cheap
in Nepal, including the rental of crappy pink
acoustic guitars. How often have you been able
WRGR&DXFKHPDUUHODWHGDFWLYLW\RQ\RXUWUDYHOV"
“Nepal is pretty cheap for hotel rooms ($6 for
RQWKHVXEMHFWGRHVQ·WJREH\RQGWKDWFDQ\RXÀOO DGRXEOHKRWHOURRPZLWKRXWWRLOHWEXWWKHUH·V
us in a bit more about the matter and why it was So, it would seem yourself and François (guitars) VRPH VWXII WKDW LV H[WUHPHO\ H[SHQVLYH OLNH
FKRVHQDVWKHWLWOHRI\RXU(3" have been exploring our planet, adapting from VSHQGLQJ  RQ D 1XWHOOD MDU 7KH\ RIWHQ ZLOO
“‘La Vierge Noire’ is actually about the Egyptian culture-­to-­culture and mingling in with locals. Your raise prices because you are a foreigner and

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 61

 Cauchemar
\RXKDYHSDOHVNLQ$VIRU&DXFKHPDUZHZHUH
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we could rehearse. We were able to write many
VRQJVDQGULIIVWKDWZD\²DERXWSHUFHQWRI
the new album.”
What have the other band members been doing
and quesadillas that were sold in the streets.
(YHU\WKLQJFRPHVZLWKJXDFDPROHDQGFKLOOLHV
,W ZDV VR JRRG ,Q &RORPELD , UHDOO\ HQMR\HG
Arepas de Choclo, which are some sort of
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EXWWHUDQGVDOW7KH\DOVRKDYHNLOOHUEHDQVRYHU
WKHUH DQG D JUHDW SRWDWR VRXS LQ %RJRWD ,Q
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came from a record shopping trip to downtown
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it would be interesting to mix both together;;
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´:HOOZHJRWWRSOD\VHYHQDPD]LQJJLJVRQH
in Colombia, one in Peru, four in Chile and one
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EDQG FDOOHG $VLOH ZKLFK LV 6FDQGLQDYLDQ VW\OH
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that joined us for our European tour is in a million
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As everyone should know, one factor of touring is
the lack of food;; you can guess what these last few
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did you come across whilst traveling, and how did
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PLJKWQRWEHXVHGWR"
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is so important for me. People in South America
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to taste some absolutely rare and delicious
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0H[LFR,UHDOO\HQMR\HGWKHKRPHPDGHWRUWLOODV
62 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
ZDYHLQWKHHDUO\FHQWXU\7KHEHVWGLVK,KDG
WKHUHZDVFDOOHG&UXGRVZKLFKLVVRPHNLQGRI
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, HQMR\HG VRPH NLOOHU UHG ZLQH LFH FUHDP LQ
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KDG WKH EHVW HPSDQDGDV RI 6RXWK $PHULFD
<RXDWHWKHPDQGWKHFRRNLQJMXLFHZRXOGGULS
on you... they were so nice and tasty. Peru had
the best food of all of South America, but my
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FHYLFKHZKLFKLVUDZÀVKSUHSDUHGZLWKJUHHQ
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You should have taken your patched apron which
is seen on the front cover of your ‘Hellbent for
Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook’;; a bible of
favourite meals given by some ‘tasty’ bands. How
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"Meeting people with different
visions of the world was really
inspiring creatively”
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Your ultimate recipe is...
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LI \RX DUH WDONLQJ DERXW WKH ERRN LW ZRXOG EH
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in the United States and Canada, including
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Road, and two shows in Chile in October, one
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ORQJ WULS 7UDYHOOLQJ KDV EHFRPH D ZD\ RI OLIH
for us.”
‘Tenebrario’ is out now on
Nuclear War Now! Productions
www.Cauchemar.Bandcamp.com
 Gorguts

GIVE PEACE A
CHANCE?

GORGUTS have been through highs and (very) lows in their career, but after two
decades of misunderstanding and a severe bout of deafening silence, they’re
ÀQDOO\DWWKHULJKWSODFHDWWKHULJKWWLPHZLWK‘COLORED SANDS’;; an astounding
tour-­de-­force that sees them taking death metal to new heights by way of a hiking
WULSWR7LEHWOLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN agrees with founding member LUC LEMAY that
´WDEHUQDFOHµLVWKHZRUGWRGHÀQHWKLVFRORVVDOZRUNRIDUW«

62 IRON FIST MAGAZINE


“I totally gave up
playing music – and
focused on sculpting
wood”
Demo and live compilations aside, this new
album ends an astonishing 12 years silence from
the band. Had Gorguts had actually ceased to
exist?
´,QDZD\\HV$IWHURXUIRUPHUGUXPPHU
Steve McDonald committed suicide in 2002,
,GHFLGHGWRPRYHRQWRVRPHWKLQJHOVH,
wasn’t bitter, yet I felt that, as a band, we had
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Montréal and back to the countryside, where
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“Still, in 2006 my old friend Steeve Hurdle, who
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and that I wouldn’t have to deal with anything
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a year after this had started, we had a casual
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that 2009 would mark the 20th anniversary of
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thought of this and realised that, after all, this
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Negativa’s self-­titled EP was very close, in spirit, to
later Gorguts. Still, you didn’t ask Steeve to rejoin.
Why?
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PXVLFLDQV,GRQ·WH[DFWO\UHPHPEHUKRZEXW
by that time, I had been in touch with our
then-­future drummer John Longstreth [ex-­
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the band together? I want in!’ until I said to
him that the time had come! Same goes for
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me to (guitarist) Kevin Hufnagel, since they’re
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but also because after our EP he wanted to
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decided not only to get a female singer but
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GLUHFWLRQ3OXVKHUHDOO\ZDQWHGXVWRLPSURYLVH
a lot and that’s something I’ve never felt
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It’s a shame about Steeve’s death in 2012, from
complications after a medical operation…
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was basically done and I have a rehearsal
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‘Obscura’ as being a massive record ahead of its
time, whereas upon its initial release in 1998 it was
either ignored or met with suspicion…
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album was such an immersive one that once it
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IRON FIST MAGAZINE 63
 Gorguts
ORRNHGEDFN:KDWPRVWSHRSOHGRQ·WNQRZ
is that, before its release, we lived four years
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was when death metal was at its lowest
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DOEXP%XWKH\ZHGLGQ·WPDNHWKLQJVHDV\
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a single note, I remembering us saying that
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SLFNLQJRQO\EODVWEHDWVRURGGWLPHVLJQDWXUHV
HWF,DOZD\VWKRXJKWWKDWRXWRIDOOWKHPHWDO
sub-­genres, death metal was the one that let
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metal where the cover, the lyrics or even the
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even if you might not be able to reinvent the
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the same language, but I think it has a much
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theme-­driven and follows closely an actual
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band being put back in action and the release of
the album, almost four years have passed. Does
it mean that you struggled writing ‘Obscura’s
follow-­up?
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would send them basic structures for a song
with indications about what I wanted the
whole vibe to be like, not necessarily in terms
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about a few weeks later, they would return
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What’s with this full-­on orchestra interlude (‘The
Battle Of Chambo’) in the middle of the record?
“I’ve always wanted to do something like
64 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
“I still love Napalm
Death but these days I
can’t take more than 20
minutes of fury as I need
shades and colours in
my music”
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5HPHPEHUWKDW,DOUHDG\DQLQVWUXPHQWDOLQWUR WRDSDUWRIWKHLUFROOHFWLYHVWRU\2SHQLQJ
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FUDFNDQGWKHYLROLQVVTXHDNVRZHKLUHGD LQYDVLRQLQDQGVRRQ'R\RXNQRZWKH
TXLQWHWDQGWKHQRYHUGXEEHGWKHZKROHWKLQJ LOOXVWUDWLRQV*XVWDYH'RUpGLGLQIRUDQHZ
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middle of the record so the listener’s ears can D7LEHWDQPRQNZLWKDJXQ,DVNHGRXUODEHO·V
UHVWIRUDZKLOHLQEHWZHHQWZREODVWV(YHQLI, JUDSKLFGHVLJQHULQVWHDGWRIROORZ'RUpVW\OHE\
VWLOOORYHEDQGVOLNH1DSDOP'HDWKRU7HUURUL]HU GHSLFWLQJWKH&KLQHVHGUDJRQVQHDNLQJEHKLQG
nowadays I can’t take more than 20 minutes WKHPRXQWDLQVWRDWWDFNWKH7LEHWDQOLRQWKDWLV
of fury as I need shades and colours in my EUDYHO\JXDUGLQJKLVGRPDLQµ
PXVLF3OXVLI\RXWDNHWKHUHFRUG·VFRQFHSW
DVDZKROHWKLVLVDYHU\LPSRUWDQWVRQJDVLW So have Gorguts become a full-­on Buddhist band
LQGLFDWHVWKHRSHQLQJRIWKHVHFRQGFKDSWHU then?
RIWKHVWRU\IXOORIYLROHQFHDQGGHVSDLUµ ´1RWDWDOO>ODXJKV@:H·UHQRWKHUHWRGRDQ\
SURVHO\WLVPQRUWRVDYHWKHZRUOG%XW,ZDVVR
The whole record is about the Tibetan culture and HQWKUDOOHGE\WKH7LEHWDQSHRSOHDQGZKDWKDV
the Chinese invasion. How on hell did you decide KDSSHQHGWRWKHP,PHDQQRPDWWHUKRZ
to tie up such an unusual topic to a death metal SHDFHORYLQJ\RXDUHDWZKDWSRLQWGR\RX
album? VWRSWXUQLQJWKHRWKHUFKHHNDQGVWDUWWRÀJKW
´%\DFFLGHQWUHDOO\)LUVWRIDOO,KDGGHFLGHG back?”
WKDWDOOWKHPXVLFKDGWREHFRPSOHWHGEHIRUH
,ZRXOGHYHQFRQVLGHUZULWLQJO\ULFV6R,RQO\ ‘Colored Sands’ is out now on Season of Mist
started in early 2011 and I have to admit I www.Gorguts.com
KDGDEODQNSDJHLQIURQWRIPHIRUDZKLOH
until my girlfriend told me about her visiting
a friend of hers and witnessing her youngest
son drawing a mandala;; a ritual symbol of the
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idea of talking about how drawing a mandala
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 Bestial Mockery

See You In Hell!

“This is the end”. At least so croons Master Motorsåg of warlusting black
metal maniacs BLACK MOCKERY. Coming straight off stage at New York’s
Martyrdoom Festival and into the inquisitive lair of KIM KELLYVKHÀQGVRXW
about best-­laid plans and how it’s better to burn out than fade away

I
t’s a clear, humid night in one of
Brooklyn’s many warehouse districts,
and we’re sweating like a whore
in church. The concrete maze you
and a few hundred other leather-­
clad, sticky longhairs have crowded into smells
of sulphur and swamp-­ass;; the air conditioner’s
broken, the toilets are backed up, and the
GULQNVDUHRYHUSULFHG7KLVLV+HOODQGÀWWLQJO\VR
for the murderous apparition that’s just stalked
onstage demands nothing less. Martyrdoom,
NYC’s nastiest annual underground black/death
metal festival, is upon us, and the reason we’re all
suffocating ourselves and clutching $10 whiskies
is about to begin. This is fucking Bestial Mockery’s
ÀQDO live performance, and they make sure it’s
one to remember. Gasoline and chainsaws and
ragged, hoarse howls punctuate the rapacious
din, as some of Sweden’s most demonic souls
hurl themselves towards oblivion and we hurtle
down alongside them. It’s hard to believe that
WKLVQLJKWPDUNVWKHHQGRIWKHLUÀUVWODVWDQGRQO\
North American appearance, or that they only
UHXQLWHGODVW\HDU7KHÀUHEXUQVEODFNHUWKDQ
ever, but, as my sit-­down with wild-­eyed vocalist
Master Motorsåg would reveal, it had all unfolded
exactly as planned, according to a blood pact
made long, long ago.
“Since Good Friday, or Black Friday as we
call it in Sweden, of 1995, we decided on every
release and every career move, if you even
can call it that. I’m a hypomanic, bipolar, and
Warslaughter doesn’t realise it but he’s fucking
out of his head, so we thought that if you were
going to do something, you gotta do it Genghis
Khan style;; do it proper, or else you can just skip it.
“We take some of our biggest inspiration from
punk, but not the thing about them not thinking
about it;; we use violence and chaos to create
havoc and mayhem, but when it comes to
everything around it, when you’re a black metal
brat as myself, then you take a big impression
from Euronymous. Besides the execution, he had
been a guiding star, the guardian of anti-­morality,
and this scene needs more terrorists. Doom said
a very good thing when they said ‘making punk
a threat again’, and my only regret from tonight,
besides being too fucking high, was that I didn’t
punch more people in the face. Then again,
when I got soaked in gasoline, I told the audience
that if you fucking coward cunts got a match,
feel free to light it on me, ‘cause I could easily go
out in that fashion.
“Even if you don’t create chaos on a bigger
scale, you at least should be able to create
chaos with the things you can affect, and that
means punching someone in the fucking face,”
he rattles off, barely taking a breath, blonde hair
hanging in his face and eyes burning. “At the
return gig with Vulcano a year ago, the only thing
I asked from the audience was that everyone
should turn around and punch anyone who
stood behind them in the fucking face. At least
27 people started to bleed, and three or four of
them were cutting themselves and had to go to
the emergency room, so I mean, the revolution
starts with you. The fucking mayhem and the
fucking violence start with everything you do.
Even if you just throw one fucking battery into

66 IRON FIST MAGAZINE


nature, it will do some fucking harm, and in that
sense I take much impression from our beloved
Doctor Crowley. I don’t fully agree with ‘every
action is a political action’, but at least if you try
to be the master of the temple, then you can try
to think of making every action a magic action.”
T
o say that Motorsåg (who
LQWURGXFHGKLPVHOIZLWKDÀUP
handshake and a “Johan”) is
an intense individual is a bit like
calling Margaret Thatcher “slightly
disagreeable”;; the magnitude reveals itself the
longer we speak, and his earlier mention of
manic-­depression begins to make sense. The man
is a bundle of malevolent energy and seldom
stops talking for a moment, especially once the
conversation falls upon his musical heroes and
the bands that initially helped for his vision for
what would become the hammerblow heresy of
Bestial Mockery. He’s got no time for fakes, trends,
or copycats, and worshipful respect for those who
earn it.
“Even though it’s a crappy genre with all
these people copying Blasphemy, Blasphemy
are the fucking masters;; they make everyone
their fucking bitches and they put everyone in
their place. They are some of the few people
that I really consider my friends, because it’s one
thing to shake hands in the black metal scene,
EXWWKHÀUVWWLPH,PHWWKHPOLNHRU\HDUV
ago (this was prior to 9/11), those crazy fuckers
were bringing barbed wire, fake grenades
and bulletbelts on the airplane from Canada! I
thought ‘What are you guys gonna do? You’re
gonna start a fucking war?’ and they didn’t
say anything right then, but then they gave a
very good response before their Sodom show
at Wacken: ‘We’re gonna bash some German
police’ and I thought that was the only thing
really good said in black metal since Euronymous
died,” he states. “They’ve been a guiding star
too, you know? Tons of bands are wearing
gasmasks and having goats’ heads but no one
fucking does it in the same way as Blasphemy.
If you ever would tattoo anything like Christian
people do with ‘What would Jesus do?’ then you
should ask yourself ‘What would Euronymous do?’
or ‘What would Blasphemy do?’ My arms are
full now, but when I was high as fuck I got some
tattoos on my stomach, gigantic Bestial Warlust
“This scene
needs more
terrorists”
and Nunslaughter tattoos;; I think I’m fucking
set...” his attention wavers, distracted by a few
moments of tattoo chatter. My Bathory goat gets
a smile out of him, and then, it’s back to business.
“I mean, if you don’t want to risk your life for
the things you dedicate your life to, then you
dedicate your life to shit.”
F
RUD6ZHGHZKRÀUVWJRWLQYROYHG
with black metal while the ashes
of Fantoftkirke were still smoking,
Motorsåg is awfully devoted
to Euronymous. Perhaps that
much-­documented Norway-­Sweden rivalry
was overblown and fetishised by outsiders… or,
perhaps, some things are just too important to
cleave apart with lines drawn on a map.
“The thing is, I honestly don’t give a shit about
Norway, because we made a very good scene
in Sweden! They had their run and they fucking
blew it after the church burnings stopped,” he
spits. “We have Bathory, Funeral Mist, Obscurity,
and nowadays the best Swedish band is Irkallian
Oracle;; in my book they should be one of the
biggest bands around, because they are one of
the few that really live their ideology. Anyway,
it’s like Impiety said on the ‘Salve The Goat ‘ EP;;
‘Baptise the Norwegian fjords in shit’. For me,
everything in nature is like ‘Fight Club’. I want to
see those beaches I have never seen drenched
in oil, I want to breathe the smoke. That divide
may exist, but we in Sweden have always stood
with punk as well, look at Bathory and Entombed,
Treblinka, even Obscurity, even though some
label them death metal they were so ahead of
their time, much like Order From Chaos, who were
beamed from a horrible future. They were both
ahead of their time and way past their time, and
only now, like when they played two years ago
they got the proper respect that they deserve.”
B
estial Mockery ceased live
actions once they strode offstage
at Martyrdoom, but several
members tear shit up in the
guise of Rawhide, a dirty rock
‘n’ roll band who were booked for a few dates
surrounding the festival. Their Philly show brought
them into contact with one of USBM’s blackest
new hopes, Ashencult, and it seems they made
an impression – and landed themselves in the
same breath as some pretty fucking impressive
company.
“In America, you have some really good
bands like Midnight, Manticore, Black Witchery,
Ashencult, Nightbringer. Besides Incantation, I
always hated the death metal scene, though,
because Euronymous told us, ‘If you got hoodies
and sweatpants on you are the enemy’ and it
was very important not only to make ourselves
the enemy of hardcore, but also of death
metal because it was so hollow until Dead
Congregation surfaced, they really rejuvenated
it and put the occult back in it,” he mentioned.
“Black Witchery was really who inspired me to
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 67
 Bestial Mockery

“You say
turn my gaze to America, but I also remember didn’t turn out because we were afraid that the
in the mid-­‘90s when Warslaughter got hold of new songs would get compared to the old, even
NME’s ‘Unholy Death’ and it was one of the if they are better, and we don’t want to be put
greatest things that has happened to music in my in that place. So then we were gonna do a live
life;; it was like an unreleased Venom record, and
we haven’t done many covers, but ‘Black Knight’
is really one of the songs I love the most.”
He pauses for breath in the hot summer air
Australians album, and then quit, and I think we decided to
do a Russian tour, but it fell through due to some
unforeseen circumstances. I always wanted to
play in the States and I really wanted to play with
DQGÀGJHWVDELWRQWKHPDNHVKLIWEHQFKZH·UH
perched upon before launching into the story
of how Vomitor ultimately changed his and
can’t play Manticore, and now we have at least played at
WKHVDPHIHVWLYDO:HDOVRSOD\HGZLWK&UXFLÀHU
who we did a split with, and Demonic Christ who

black metal?
Warslaughter’s lives for the better. ZHUHRQHRIWKHÀUVWEDQGVZHJRWLQFRQWDFW
“I grew up with the Spear Of Longinus demos, with in American death metal. There was one
DQGZKHQ9RPLWRU·VÀUVWGHPRFDPHRXWLW·V Incantation guy there last night too, so I was really
the only time in my whole life I went hitchhiking. happy. We were supposed to do a 7” on their

Well neither
I’d never go hitchhiking, but in 2001 me and ODEHOVR,ZDVKDSS\WRDWOHDVWJHWWRÀQDOO\PHHW
Warslaughter hitchhiked down to Holland to see them!”
Vomitor play. They played with Nifelheim and So is this really the end? All signs point to it,
that was one of the best shows I’d ever seen;; but, one always hopes… until, that is, our man
WKH\RQO\KDGDGHPRVRWKH\GLGÀYHVRQJVRQH
Longinus song, and a couple of Blasphemy songs
while the Blasphemy guys were there, that for me
was a highlight. It was how I wanted the black
can you, you Motorsåg starts crooning Doors lyrics, and then
you know it’s truly time to let go.
“This is the end, my friend…” he warbles
quietly, chuckling to himself. “Now we are gonna
metal scene in Sweden be. I got into it a year
after the church burnings, but in Sweden people
were having altars without practicing the fucking
dyed-hair focus on our newer black metal bands. I don’t
want to say their names because there’s nothing
I hate more than ‘featuring members of blah blah

cunt”
rituals. Me and Warslaughter sold our souls to the blah’ and when it comes down to it, that’s really
GHYLOZKHQZHZHUHDQG:HGLGQ·WZDQW the way Aleister Crowley did it. Let their words
to realise that about the Swedish scene because speak for themselves. How the fuck would it look
we thought they were the real deal, but then for someone to say ‘Oh, I am a former member
someone told me ‘This is melodic metal’ and of the OTO? I have nothing to do with it now but
since I don’t understand music, I only know what still!’ Fuck you, greedy cunt.”
I like and do not like;; it was like that feeling when He ends by saying “This is a good place to
you fucked a really fat girl high as fuck and then then again, he’s already proven his laser focus stop,” echoing far more far-­reaching statements
you realise, ‘Oh my god, she’s a sick as fuck STD-­ and iron will. He’s not one for regrets, though the of old. And really, that says is all. Bestial Mockery is
infested whore!’ slightest tinge of nostalgia does seep through. dead;; long live Bestial Mockery! May they burn in
And then I saw them all with their black dyed “I think in ‘95 we decided for our return to do Hell.
hair and gloves, and I thought ‘You’re the reason a full-­length, a 7” and a live album, but other stuff
I hate this scene’, and luckily, we found out about www.Myspace.com/BestialMockery666
these marvellous bands like Sadistik Execution
and Bestial Warlust, then we renounced our
Scandinavian attachment – ‘We never want to
hear about you fucking cunts again!’ Then most
people started to hate us, and I think that’s what
gave us the motivation to actually carry on. At
that time, people in Scandinavia were laughing
at Beherit, because they didn’t come from
Sweden or Norway, so everyone in the high class
metal bands were laughing at them like, ‘Ooh
Australians, they live in the sun, they can’t play
black metal’. Well neither can you, you dyed-­hair
cunt! Sadistik Execution, even though they are
not black metal per se, were fucking mental. So
after Euronymous died, we turned our heads to
the Southern Cross, and we have never really
followed any inspiration besides that, and a few
punk bands of course.”

S
o in one short half hour, we trek
between the beginning, the
middle and the end of Bestial
Mockery. It’s still hard to believe
that Motorsåg and his cohorts
really planned out each step along the way
back when they were barely teenagers, but

68 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 Coffins

Here Comes The Stench

s, slu dg e an d se llin g ou t.. . Ja pa nese death
Splits, spouse
de al er s CO FF IN S ta ke KI M KE LLY to ‘THE FLESHLAND’
doom
re
to talk their past, present and futu

T
he Land of the Rising Sun has
earned its out-­there reputation
about a billion times over by now, so
it’s always a bit refreshing to stumble
across an artistic endeavour that
sticks to a comfortingly familiar script instead of
blasting out into the stratosphere on steel wings of
JOLWWHUDQGWHQWDFOHSRUQ7KDW·VKRZ,IHOWWKHÀUVW
WLPH,KHDUG&RIÀQVDQ\ZD\DQGWKH\·YHGRQH
little to disappoint, or deviate, in the ensuing half
decade. Not only have they chosen to take a
path oft-­traveled, they’ve managed to Godzilla
stomp all the way down and back again without
seeming to break a sweat or whip off Uchino’s
ever-­present sunglasses. The trio (now quartet,
thanks to new drummer Satoshi) have stayed true
to the same ugly, death/doom sound they’ve
been peddling for most of their unlucky 13 years,
though it took a while for them to arrive at that
sickly sweet spot.
“Strictly speaking, we changed three times
WKHVRXQGVW\OHµJXLWDULVW8FKLQRFODULÀHV´:H
started from 1996, playing a slow heavy junk style
in ‘96-­’97, then sludge/doom rock ‘97-­2000 and
then changed to the current doom/death style
from 2002 on. But the music element of doom was
always our base. Only our doom element won’t

70 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 “My wife isn’t interested in metal
music. It’s sad situation”
change in future.”
 7KDW·VQRWWRVD\WKDW&RIÀQVIDQVFDQH[SHFW
to see any massive stylistic changes, even within
the doomed realm. Fear not, these Japanese
sickos won’t be transitioning to occult rock or
plagiarising Candlemass anytime soon.
“The music that we are playing fundamentally
hasn’t changed mostly since old times,” Uchino
is careful to stress. “But each part’s technical
capabilities are improving by adding new
PHPEHUV:HEHFDPHDEOHWRSOD\VRQJVPRUH
VNLOIXOO\WKDQLQROGWLPHV$VIRUWKHO\ULFV>H[
drummer] Ryo came to write all as he is now the
current vocalist, so it will be a good change.”
Uchino confesses that, while he’s still
interested in the sound, he’s not quite as up
on the newer wave of death/doom that’s
been barreling through the underground like a
particularly fetid tsunami for the past few years,
H[FODLPLQJ´,ZLOORQO\KHDUROGUHFRUGVOLNH
Autopsy… because I’m an old man already!”
N
o matter how far behind the
trend these lot may profess to
be, they’ve certainly found
7UHDWPHQW·(3&RIÀQV·ORYHOHWWHUWRDOOWKLQJV1HZ
Orleans-­bred and opiate-­addled. Uchino made
sure to shout out his boys: “The split was our plan;;
we invited them and released it. Of course they
are still our good friends!”
It’s always nice to see scene vets getting
together to make, er, beautiful music, especially
in a less-­than-­impressive kind of environment like
Japan.
“Japan has only a pop culture. Metal music
isn’t popular in Japan, and hasn’t rooted in
the Japanese music scene at all. Ozzfest was
held in Japan last month, but metal bands
almost weren’t booked. In order to gather
customers, some J-­pop groups and an ‘Idol’-­
JURXSDSSHDUHG:KDWWKHIXFN"+RZULGLFXORXV
Naturally a band like us isn’t generally recognised.
)RUH[DPSOHWKHSHRSOHVKRZWHUULEOHUHMHFWLRQ
ZKHQZHSOD\RQDVWUHHW:HZLOOEHVXUURXQGHG
in a moment by lots of cops.
“And as for the Japanese metal scene, as
young new bands are increasing now, the scene
is more active than old times, I think. But I feel
the generational gap between young bands
DQGROGEDQGVµ7KDWDJHROGTXHVWLRQ:KDW
Ryo) has to work. I have my wife and Ryo has his
family. I don’t know about other member’s home
situation, but at my home, I mostly don’t talk
ZLWKP\ZLIHDERXW&RIÀQV6KHLVQ·WLQWHUHVWHG
in metal music. It’s sad situation,” he chuckles
ruefully, before also spilling the beans on other
ways annoys his spouse. “I have other projects,
every member has one. Satoshi [new drummer]
and I started a heavy junk band called Oozepus,
OLNHROG6ZDQVDQG)DOO2I%HFDXVHROG*RGÁHVK
:HDUHJRLQJWRGRWKHUHFRUGLQJIRUWKHÀUVW
GHPRQH[WPRQWK.RUUHGD>EDVV@KDVDFKDRWLF
power violence band called Trikorona that he
ZDVSOD\LQJLQEHIRUHMRLQLQJ&RIÀQV$OVR5\R
has a sludgecore band called Guevnna, plus, he
started a booking agency named Road To Hell.
3RUWDOZLOOGRWKHLUÀUVW-DSDQWRXUE\WKLVLQYLWDWLRQ
in November.”
That work ethic is almost frightening. Throw
LQDWRXUKDSS\IHZ\HDUVDQG&RIÀQVPXVWEH
RQHIRRWLQWKHJUDYHE\QRZ5LJKW":HOOQRW
quite… “In this year we’ll attack Europe again.
Fuck yeah, we want to do a US tour soon too!!
Hopefully we could do it in 2014. Also we just
ÀQLVKHGWKHUHFRUGLQJZRUNVIRUDQHZVSOLW
plenty of time to bury their ZRXOG\RXUSRRUPRWKHUWKLQN"WKDWHYHU\PHWDO release. Yes, we love split work!”
heads in the studio. Their maniac faces at least once is particularly apt
latest album, ‘The Fleshland’, is due out soon on KHUH´,W·VGLIÀFXOWWROLYHLQ-DSDQSOD\LQJLQD ‘The Fleshland’ is out on Relapse
Relapse Records, which marks a pretty big step GHDWKPHWDOEDQG6RHYHU\PHPEHUH[FHSW www.Coffins.jp
for these underground OGs, and a partnership
that will undoubtedly get their name in front of
some new pairs of eyes. Uchino seems unfazed
DWWKHLGHDRIFDWFKLQJÁDFNIRU´VHOOLQJRXWµ
though;; “Nope, as Relapse works with the doom
death bands like Inverloch and Hooded Menace
ZHDUHZRUNLQJZLWKWKHPLQSHDFH:HDUH
not big, and just an underground band, so they
understand that that part is our charm. They did
not present nit-­picky conditions on the contract.
About goals, I have no idea, but anyway I hope
as many people as possible hear our sound!”
 &RIÀQVKDYHEHHQDVWRQLVKLQJO\SUROLÀFRYHU
the past few years;; hell, since their last album,
‘Buried Death’, in 2008 they’ve vomited out
10 different splits, alongside singles, demos,
compilations, and covers. The mind boggles.
 ´:HKDYHQRWLPHDOZD\Vµ8FKLQRPRXUQV
“There are few split releases offered from us, I
think – only with Cianide, Spun In Darkness, the
‘Doomed to Death, Damned to Hell’ three-­way
split. Most were offers from a band or a label. But
if at that time we think a release offer is precious
for us, we accept the offer and make the time for
it desperately. As a result, I think that we can be
working in the best situation.”
The aforementioned three-­way split stands as
one of their best, simply because it features the
sickening stylings of fellow death/doom cretins
Anatomia alongside like-­minded doomhaulers
Grudge. It made for a so-­good-­it-­hurts tracklisting,
challenged only by the ‘Sewage Sludgecore

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 71

 Vomitor

Death Metal Or Die

an and his hea ring the lamenta tion s of you r wom en bullshit, true heavy metal
Fuck Con
life – metal, hanging out with friends
warriors VOMITOR think there’s much more to
couldn’t agree more as he hangs with
and downing a few jars. ALASDAIR BULMER
sie Assault.
DEATHDEALER on the eve of their latest Aus

B
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1999 Australian alcoholocausters
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two guitars no less) the aural clusterfuck that is
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stagnant matter for some in the progressive
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72 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

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mayhem, this is all that matters in life“
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The Satan’s Escalation Vomitour
is coming to a town near you this month
Check out www.InvictusProductions.net
for more details
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 73
 Jex Thoth

“Careful mentioning the

underworld, that's a privilege
which demands great
responsibility”

74 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

 SO BELOW
There have not been so many wicked women
bewitching the heavy rock world as there is now. Jinx
herself must be so proud. But the high priestess of them all is most
certainly the majestic JEX THOTH. With a new EP and album out this
summer, KIM KELLY comes listen to her sermon
J
ex Thoth is a busy woman. Fawned over
and fetishised as one of occult rock’s
true High Priestesses and a devilishly
talented musician in her own right, she
LVDTXLHWHQLJPDÁRDWLQJDLULO\WKURXJKDWKLFNHW
of over-­sharers. There isn’t a ton of information
about her out there, and this wilful silence has led
many to style her as a mystical entity, or at the
very least, one that likes to keep people guessing.
That’s how she likes it, too, telling Iron Fist, “Jex
Thoth is the most personal to me of all my projects
and too much tampering with how I relate to my
own experience will most certainly have an effect
on the music over time.” Right now, her ambient
‘Circle’ EP’s still cooling gently on the windowsill
while Jex preps for the release of her next full-­
length, ‘Blood Moon Rise’ (on I Hate Records).
We caught up with her somewhere along the
highway whilst in the thick of a European tour,
and she graciously submitted to our badgering
sometime between sound check and blissful
repose. The new album itself is a triumph, by the
way. ‘Blood Moon Rise’ is absolutely gorgeous
in construct, and sounds as though its erstwhile
creator has embraced a slightly more pop-­
LQÁXHQFHGVRXQG:KHQFRPSDUHGWRKHUHDUOLHU
DOEXPVDQGWKH7RWHPVRQJVWKDWÀUVWEURXJKWKHU
into our earthly consciousness, the production
is more open, the songs less fuzzed-­out, and her
voice – oh, that voice – is crystal-­clear, drawing
inevitable parallels with her work with Sabbath
Assembly. Like any good avowed nature
goddess/hippie, though, she swears any changes
made were of a completely organic origin.
“I did not make a conscious decision to
alter the music,” she says. “If you allow it, that
will just happen over time. The way I hear music
is constantly changing. I listen to songs I love
over and over and listen for things that will allow
me to appreciate them in a new ways. It helps
me to understand why it is I think something’s
good. Music is meant to make us feel things.
There are so many factors that go into creating
a sound and a vibe. My understanding of music
is constantly evolving so naturally, each of my
UHFRUGVUHÁHFWWKDWµ
S
peaking of Sabbath Assembly, Jex
PD\QRORQJHUEHDIÀOLDWHGZLWKWKH
project, but the ritualistic, psyched-­out
vibes from ‘Restored to One’ seem to
shine through ‘Blood Moon Rise,’ to great effect.
She agrees, sharing a few musings upon her
experiences with the cult.
“Sabbath Assembly began as a project,
which developed into an album, which became
a band that did a tour so that we could share
this music we felt very much a part of. What you
hear on that record is our attempt to re-­interpret
WKH3URFHVV&KXUFKK\PQVLQDZD\WKDWUHÁHFWHG
the special qualities we felt they possessed. We
wanted to capture a vintage sound that they
might have had, had they been recorded at
WKDWWLPH,QDGGLWLRQWRWKDWWKHDOEXPUHÁHFWV
my own style and taste, and it’s very important
to mention that they were both produced by
the masterful Randall Dunn. I was so excited to
get to work with him on ‘Restored To One’. It was
an amazing experience and the moment we
were done I knew I wanted to make the next
Jex Thoth record with Randall. I immerse myself
fully in whatever experience I’m having, that’s
how I’m wired. It was intense seeing how the
music affected other people. That experience
ZDVRQHRIPDQ\RYHUWKHODVWÀYH\HDUVWKDWKDV
contributed to why I’m made the choices I did on
‘Blood Moon Rise’.”
That’s good enough for us, given the strength
of the new material. We tried to pry further
into her creative process, and were thoroughly
stonewalled. The lady’s not for giving out secrets,
after all, but she does let us have a few hints.
“Honestly, I like to let the records speak for
themselves. The tones, the arrangements, the
O\ULFVDQGP\LQÁHFWLRQWHOOWKHVWRU\$ORWRI
thought went into the track order. The earlier
songs help you comprehend the later songs. As a
whole, ‘Blood Moon Rise’ is about transformation
and adaption. Individually, each song is an
exploration of how and why.”
A
s esoteric as her songs may
sometimes feel, there’s very
little left to the imagination as
far as her live performances are
concerned. Image and aesthetic are terribly
important, and the conveyance of a wild, Pagan
feeling from Jex to her audience is paramount.
Her blood-­red robes, burning sage and candlelit
rituals are captivating, to say the least, and lend
an immersive quality to an already impressive
musical repertoire. According to Jex herself, it’s
not just part of her performance – it’s part of her,
and part of her understanding of both the world
we live in and the one that dwells below.
“Careful mentioning that underworld, that’s
a privilege which demands great responsibility.
6XIÀFHWRVD\LW·VKHUHDOODURXQGXVµVKH
cautions. “Each live performance is a personal
ritual for me. Lighting the candles and the burning
the wood are things I do in my daily life, they help
PHÀQGDFRPIRUWLQVLGHP\VHOIVRWKDW,PD\EH
open to share. Live, I try to deliver my most honest
and deepest understanding of my songs. To do
that, I need to be in a state of mind to recognise
what it is I’m feeling in that moment.”
To see is to believe, and to listen is to
understand. There’s a blood moon rising – take
care to watch your back.
‘Blood Moon Rise’ is out now on I Hate
www.JexThoth.net
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 75
 Sodb

Lighting The
Ancestral Fires
Even with their songcraft steeped in the traditional myths and music
of their native Ireland, don’t expect SODB to be all fiddles and faux
folkisms. This is black metal most chilling, as KIM KELLY discovers

T
here’s a reason that black metal
alchemists Sodb are one of
the most buzzed-­about bands
in Ireland. Drawing upon their
considerable combined experience
(we’re talking members of Altar Of Plagues,
Putrefaction, Abaddon Incarnate, Dordaid
Dam, Okus, Fuck You Written In Shit…) the
three men and one woman of Sodb have
created some truly special music on their
ÀUVWUHOHDVH¶'RQ6HDQWDODPK$&KXLG)pLQ·
The atmosphere is chilling, the talent and
songcraft undeniable, and songs themselves as
depth to the songs that only a certain level of
care and consideration can create, and it’s a
fair assumption that the band’s own deeply-­
rooted aesthetic is the cause of it. If that name
hasn’t tipped you off yet, Sodb is an Irish band
in every sense of the word;; half of its members
even hold university degrees in Irish culture,
and all save for bassist Irene Siragusa are Irish
born and bred. Vocalist O’Loingsigh, whose
own musical background is split between black
metal and traditional Irish folk music, is happy
to shed a bit of light on the darkness within.
“The original idea was to create a band
making it overly cheesy, which is always the risk
with these things. My academic background
is in Early Irish language and Irish folklore, and
it can be quite despairing to see the ways in
which this material is mined in popular culture.
I felt the need to explore it with a deeper
understanding of the underlying motifs and
symbolism rather than just replicate the comic
book style approach, which I think is all too
common in the metal scene. Although the
songs are all based on ancient motifs and
beliefs, they are all relevant to life in the 21st
&HQWXU\7KHGHPR·VWLWOH¶'RQ6HDQWDODPK$
hypnotic and emotive as anyone could wish. with a subject matter and imagery overtly &KXLG)pLQ·¶7RWKHROGHDUWKLW·VGXH·FRPHV
It’s a startlingly mature release, and doesn’t based on the ideas and concepts found in from a line in an Alan Moore story, which
sound much like a traditional shoddy demo Irish mythology and modern folklore, without FRQFHUQVD1HROLWKLFER\ZKRIHDUVWKDW¶ROG
recording. There’s a dirt’ wants to take its due, because

76 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

his mother wasn’t completely buried. Her foot
was left sticking up, unburied, and he believes
that the earth wants to take his foot instead.
This is an idea that is replicated in a story from
Irish folklore whereby a river will drown a certain
person every year, and if this person manages
WRHVFDSHGURZQLQJLWZLOOÀQGDQRWKHUZD\WR
drown them or drown someone else in their
place.
“I was really drawn towards this idea that
the earth and the sea had to be appeased at
certain times by consuming human life and in
the lyrics to the title track this idea is combined
with imagery that turns up with regard to
negative manifestations of the Sovereignty
Goddess, which the appellation Sodb relates
WR7KHVRQJ¶'RQ6HDQWDODPK·LWVHOILVIUDPHG
as an invocation to the goddess encouraging
KHUWRFRPHDPRQJVWXVDQGWDNHKHUÀOOµ
O
’Loingsigh’s views on traditional Irish
music draw obvious parallels to his
other passion: metal and crust punk.
“To the uninitiated, it might all sound
the same, but what is going on under
the surface is phenomenal with regards to
the complexity, approach and deep-­rooted
knowledge of the music that these musicians
had. There are so many layers of different
patterns going on in the melody of the tunes;;
it’s really quite mind-­boggling at times. This
approach to piping and my study of it has
GHÀQLWHO\LQÁXHQFHGWKHZD\WKDW,ORRNDW
guitar playing and the creation of layers of
sound, except that obviously it is easier for us
ZLWKWKUHHPXVLFLDQVLQWKHEDQGµ
Much has been made of a band that was,
for all intents and purposes, originally meant
to be knock-­around side-­project between
friends. Fans of this kind of intense, entrancing
black metal had better be counting their lucky
stars right now that Sodb made the leap from
jam room to living, breathing, gigging entity.
“Originally I thought we would just record
VRPHWKLQJDQGOHDYHLWDWWKDWµ2·/RLQJVLJK
recalls. “I had all these bits of songs stuck in my
“The idea was to
create a band based
on Irish mythology
without making
it cheesy”
head over the years and I just felt the need to
externalise them, get a recording down, and
I didn’t really plan on anything past that. Very
early on however, it became obvious that it
would be much more than just a one-­off studio
project, so we just kept on going. We had bits
and pieces from previous bands like Slóg and
Dordaid Dam, and that really provided the
base for our repertoire. As we played them
and worked on them though they just became
larger more and more complex;; the only hard
thing to do was to know where to stop and
move on!
“I had been wanting to play in a metal
band since I was a teenager and I realised
that I had gotten together some really great
musicians who are all on the same page with
regards to what I want to be doing. We all work
really well together musically and it wouldn’t
make any sense to stop the band when this
UHPDLQVWREHWKHFDVHµ
The demo was initially released on cassette
by Dublin’s Into The Void Records, and after
WKRVHÀUVWWZRSUHVVLQJVVROGRXWWKHODEHO
decided to give it the vinyl treatment. One
would imagine that a proper full-­length is on its
way, but according to O’Loingsigh, Sodb like
to take their time with these things. “It takes
us a very long time until we’re happy with any
particular song and we usually tinker away at
LWIRUPRQWKVDQGPRQWKVXQWLOZH·UHDOOÀQDOO\
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WKRXJKµKHSURPLVHV
In the meantime, a canny listener would do
well to heed O’Loingsigh’s advice, and delve
IXUWKHULQWR,UHODQG·VPXVLFDOOHJDF\²PHWDOOLF
or otherwise. “90 percent of the music I listen to
at the moment could be categorised under the
bracket of Traditional Irish. It is only by repeated
close listening to the uilleann piping of some of
WKHROGHUPDVWHUVVXFKDV:LOOLH&ODQF\6pDPXV
Ennis or Tommy Reck, that one becomes aware
of the extent of their virtuosity. I could list off
loads of people I’m into at the moment, most
of them older traditional singers, but I would
imagine it would be lost on the majority of your
readership, so instead I’ll encourage anyone
reading this to check out the likes of Slidhr,
Myrkr, Rebirth of Nefast and Haud Mundus;; top
TXDOLW\VWXIIµ
‘Don Seantalamh A Chuid Féin’ is avaiable from
Into The Void Records
www.IntoTheVoidRecords.com
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 77
 Vassafor
The Road To
Obsidian & Bleached Bone
Our columnist MELISSA GRAY in conversation with live BLASPHEMY
cohort and former DIOCLETIAN and ULCERATE comrade VK, otherwise
known as PHIL KUSABS about VASSAFOR, their latest album
‘OBSIDIAN CODEX’ and his musical, and spiritual, journey
reams and visions have long
D inspired creative expression for
ancient civilisations. The ritual
trance, dance and journey to
the underworld in all cultures
was once deeply revered. Allowing oneself to
become intoxicated by sensation to the point
that it truly becomes the vessel of creativity is a
bold and dangerous move. Narcotics can open
our eyes, break down barriers and allow us to
melt into our own matter. Many musicians begin
their shamanic dance by embracing drugs as a
gateway to perception. However few manage
to master the tempests and bathe in the depths
of oblivion without becoming fucked. I remember
a night in Berlin watching a man so absorbed in
ritual all I could see under the black hood were
the whites of his eyes. From his grandmother’s
piano and the isolation of distant Auckland to
the cemetery of Ross Bay... one voice has always
been his guiding light... Vassafor!
What is the Vassafor demon made of, what is the
space between the stars?
´,WLVGDUNPDWWHUĤƈQ\D7KHLGHDRIDQWL
matter. Unlife. Bleached white sterility. The
DIÀQLW\ZLWKERQHVLVWKHV\PEROLVPRIQRWOLYLQJ
inside time. We want to exist outside time... we
want to transcend.”
RITES OF
ASCENSION… in a
GUHDPDUREHGÀJXUHRQWRSRID]LJJXUDWRI
ERQHVDQGVNXOOV
:KHQ,WKLQNDERXW9DVVDIRU,KDYHDYHU\VSHFLÀF
image, are the bones covered in blood or
bleached?
“Bleached. A faceless priest with an obsidian
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HQGOHVVÁRZRIYLFWLPVQRIHHOLQJIRUWKHP
Just meat for the ravenous maw, endlessly
devouring.”
You have mentioned that sometimes New
Zealand felt like a cage, please elaborate?
“New Zealand is not conducive to playing
78 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
metal, still. Growing up in Auckland during
the ‘70s and ‘80s wasn’t great, we were very
remote from the rest of the planet. Earliest
musical memories were a mixture of my
Grandmother playing Beethoven, Chopin
and Shostakovich on piano, but no fucking
Mendelssohn! And then Mum and her friends
playing Black Sabbath and Santana. It also
provided me with a lifelong hatred for Pink
Floyd and the fucking Eagles. I grew up in a
very mixed area, which broadened my mind
due to the different cultures I was around. I
guess why the ideas for songs like ‘Makutu’
come out naturally. We’re very lucky in NZ with
our esoteric landscape. Might is Right! Between
Kerry Bolton and groups such as OSV, even
ONA, NZ esoterrorism thrived.”
Craft Of Dissolution
“Dreams from my youth, staring at
‘a figure cloaked in the sun, his eyes
are the void, neither angel nor demon
rua fusion’.”
Do you believe that magic is part of
the earth? Do you feel that people
are more truly grounded to their
cultural beliefs when they have dirt
beneath their feet; mustn’t we all
return to the earth?
“Definitely. We start our life being
dropped onto the earth and that’s
where we return, it makes perfect
sense to use a system that is native
to thine self. Even though the line up
may oscillate, Vassafor is born from
NZ soil.”
Yes, I remember as a teenager being very
excited by the concept of sound magic, how did
this inspire you?
“We were very fortunate to have access
to a lot of books and manifestos. Various
independent presses were based here. We
had regular publications like Heretic and
Nexus journals for example. Not just magic and
musical articles but culture as well. Quite a
few of us started moving in our own directions,
as you’d hope via much of the philosophy of
the time. Local traditions became far more
interesting to me…
“There weren’t many NZ bands then, but there
was diversity. And a good mix of the esoteric
fuel to scorch the musical meat. The Vassafor
symbol is a gate, when we’re on stage the
goal is to have such a pure feeling that your
trance evolves and the mind empties, you are
ÀOOHGZLWKWKHHVVHQFHRI9DVVDIRULWHQWHUVDQG
you are His vessel. In the beginning it was just
like this for me, but Vassafor is growing stronger
and the other members feel this possession.”
,WDNHDVLSRIZLQHRQHRIXVPXVWKDYHJRW
XSDQGWXUQHGRYHUWKHUHFRUG,·PQRWVXUH
KRZPXFKWLPHKDVSDVVHG3KLO·VH\HVDUHQRZ
VWDUWLQJWRVOLSLQDQGRXWRIIRFXVKHLVTXLHWIRUD
ORQJWLPHWKHQFRQWLQXHV+HVD\V´HQHUJ\DQG
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IRU9DVVDIRUWRDSSHDUµ
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OLYHLQ%HUOLQDWDERXWDP7KHUHZDVDEUXWDO
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WKHFURZGEXWZHZHUHDFXWHO\DZDUHRIWKH
SUHVHQFHLQWKHURRPDQGIHOWGHHSO\FRQQHFWHG
From your long journey with Vassafor what special
moment stands out in your mind?
“A great moment of triumph was actually
getting to play that gig in Berlin [Blacklands
Aftershow the day after Nuclear War Now!
Festival, 2012]. This was not a casual listening
crowd. It was great to be received so warmly
by people who hadn’t heard us before and by
musicians I respect and who’s music I have at
home.”
 Nemesis
We sit quietly for some time just
dissolving into the 23 minute song;
one of my favourite moments of
‘Obsidian Codex’.

“My memory is now a blank I know

not one act of kindness from the
world, the seed of life is rotten is now.”

Why did you decide not to include

the lyrics Phil?
“Because I didn’t want it to be
easy. I wanted people to search
for them, remember when we
were young we didn’t have 12 page
booklets and five colours of vinyl
to choose from. All I wanted for
this record was a simple gatefold
and black vinyl.”

Like ‘Blood Fire Death’ right?

“Damn right!”

And what a beautiful bastard

release this is. What is the final
piece in ‘Nemesis’?
“It’s a formalised threat in the
spirit of Titokowaru, an infamous
Maori military leader/strategist
who understood the role of
psychological warfare in imposing
Will upon foes.” How did it feel to
have the news that Storms Of
Damnation [the concert in which Vassafor had
“A word to you my enemies, cease
crossing my path, cease going on the
roads which lead to my home. Lest
you be le! on the roads as food for the
m:HZDQW been scheduled to play the day after NWN!
Festival] had been cancelled right after your set
with Blasphemy? That’s some high-­charged shit?
“The whole thing with AntiFa was fucked.

birds of the air and the beasts of the

depths, or for me, because now I have
to exist Yes, I’d literally just got off stage after
Blasphemy. But this was just another challenge;;
so many people supported us it was a very
humbling experience. The promoters of the
begun to eat human flesh, my throat
constantly craves for the flesh of man.
I shall not die, I shall not die, when
outside gig never gave up. The owners of Blacklands
supported us totally and gave us the chance
to play that night instead. Our brothers in
Tyrant’s Blood had their backline ready to go
death itself is dead I shall be alive.
I shall live forever on the essence of
your terror. With all these slain spirits
time... and between us all it ended triumphantly.”

,W·VJRLQJWRWDNHDORWPRUHWKDQDEXQFKRI
VRDSGRGJLQJIHUDOFXQWVWRWDPHDQ\RIXV
as my slaves. "ese are my faithful
words to you, to all throughout your
many regions I end here the nemesis
ZHZDQWWR Thank you Phil...
yes the bones were white...

of all that lives.”

WUDQVFHQGn bleached white
www.Vassafor.Bandcamp.com

IRON FIST MAGAZINE 79

 Skeletal Spectre

HAIL THE
SCREAM
QUEEN
Horror-obsessed and death metal maven VANESSA
NOCERA has been on our radar these past few years,
whether it’s been through her death/doom band
WOODEN STAKE, trashing death ghouls HOWLING
or simply through running the ghoulish Razorback
Records. Now with a new splatter platter from SKELETAL
SPECTRE on the loose KIM KELLY caught up with her to
find out how she has the time for all these nightmares

W
hen I was a tiny tyke, I remember singing along to my dad’s Hank Jr.
tapes and pretending to interview Tina Turner (what? I was born in
the ‘80s) with my little Fisher-­Price radio. Not the most auspicious of
beginnings for a budding metal journo (though do I remember throwing
a few hardballs at my imaginary interview subjects) but then again, we
weren’t all ripped from the womb clutching a Massacre album. Some of us, however…
“I have audio tapes of me at age three singing made-­up songs about monsters named
‘Shitbones’,” multi-­instrumentalist and hellacious vocalist Vanessa Nocera laughs,
thoroughly shutting down my nature versus nurture argument. “I’ve been singing since I
was able to talk. According to my parents, I have always had a crazy imagination and
I’ve always been vocal. I took inspiration from all kinds of musicians and of course when I
GLVFRYHUHGPHWDODWDJHVHYHQP\LQÁXHQFHVFKDQJHG,ZRXOGVD\E\WKHWLPH,ZDVRU
,ZDVSUDFWLFLQJGHDWKJURZOVWKDQNVWR&KULV%DUQHV'DYLG9LQFHQWDQG*OHQ%HQWRQ,Q
some ways growls are easier, but I try to make all styles challenging.”
Nocera’s peculiar interests didn’t stop at Shitbones, either. “My mom always jokes

80 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

and says that because she read Stephen King’s
‘The Stand’ when she was pregnant with me,
WKDWZDVZKDWLQÁXHQFHGPHWRORYHKRUURU
movies from the early age of two,” Nocera grins.
,WGHÀQLWHO\KDGDQHIIHFWDVKHUGL]]\LQJDUUD\
of horror-­themed extreme metal projects can
attest. “Naturally, when I discovered metal I fell
LQORYHZLWKWKHVW\OHRIPXVLFDQGWRPHLWÀWWKH
horror movies and comics that I was indulging in.
6RP\ORYHRIKRUURUZDVGHÀQLWHO\ÀUVWDQGWKHQ,
discovered death metal, grindcore, black metal,
etc. I’ve just always been drawn to the darker
elements of entertainment and real life. I’m not
a depressed person;; I just tend to take interest in
those types of things and those are the things that
inspire me to write and play guitar the way I do.”
T
he way she plays guitar, ladies and
gentleman, is downright beastly. Nocera’s
ODWHVWKRUULÀFFUHDWLRQ+RZOLQJKDYHMXVW
UHOHDVHGWKHLUÀUVWUHFRUGYLD5D]RUEDFN
WKHODEHOVKHUXQVZLWKKHUKXVEDQG%LOO\
Nocera. The gnashing, thrashing death of ‘A
%HDVW&RQFHLYHG·FRPHVQLSSLQJDWWKHKHHOV
RIGHDWKGRRPUHFNRQLQJ¶9RRGRR'DZQ·WKH
fourth Skeletal Spectre release – and that’s just
scraping the surface.
“I’m in Howling, Wooden Stake, Skeletal
Spectre, Orloff, Loathsome, and Scaremaker is
ÀQDOO\FRPLQJEDFNIURPWKHGHDG²VRPHKRZ
some way. Now my goal is to get at least a three
RUIRXUVRQJGHPRRI&DXOGURQ%XULDOJRLQJ,MXVW
QHHGWRÀQGDGHGLFDWHGGUXPPHU,·PWDONLQJ
to one that I think is going to get the job done,
but we shall see,” she shares, pausing for breath.
´$WWKHPRPHQWZHMXVWUHFHLYHGWKHÀQDOPL[HG
and mastered tracks of the upcoming Howling
EP, which will be coming out later this year,
and in the next day or two I will be recording
some guest vocals for a band called Necrorite,
ZKLFKIHDWXUHV8ULHO$JXLOORQIURP*XWZUHQFKD
EDQGRQ5D]RUEDFN1H[W,·PKRSLQJ'DUN/RUG
willing, to start writing and recording for a special
Wooden Stake release. More details later when
PRUHWKLQJVDUHFRQÀUPHGRQWKDWDVZHOODVP\
“By the time I was
11 or 12 I was
practicing death
growls thanks to
Chris Barnes, David
Vincent, and Glen
Benton”
ULJKWQRZRQ*KRXOJRWKDZKLFKLVFRROVLQFH
he plays live with the band. Hopefully though
VRRQZHZLOOEHDEOHWRÀJXUHRXWGLUHFWLRQZLWK
everything, especially as far as Wooden Stake
goes.”
 ´,PHWKLPWKURXJK%LOO\µVKHH[SODLQV´DQG
LWZDV%LOO\ZKRVXJJHVWHG:D\QHDQG,ZRUNRQ
something together. I had no intentions on doing
music after my stint in Wolfhollow, but I picked
up the guitar and started reworking older riffs
WKDW,KDGIURPZKHQ,ZDVDQGZKHQ,ZDVLQ
P\EDQG6ODVK'HPHQWLD>WKDWQDPH@%LOO\ZDV
inspired to write some lyrics and then I started
writing lyrics and before we knew it we were
SXWWLQJWRJHWKHUWKHÀUVW6FDUHPDNHUDOEXP
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recorded the album as well as bonus tracks for an
(3LQOHVVWKDQÀYHGD\VDQGDIWHUVRPHWLPHKDG
passed, Wayne and I decided to form Wooden
Stake.”
Keeping in tune with her mile-­long resume,
Nocera’s been knocking around the black
and death metal scenes for quite some time
still am if I’m always going. My intent when I met
%LOO\ZDVWRMXVWEHKDSS\DQGQRWEHVRLQYROYHG
with the record label, but he was excited to work
with someone who was actually into this stuff and
KDGWDOHQWWRKHOSRXWZLWKO\ULFVÀQGLQJEDQGV
and so on.”
Luckily for him, he’d found someone who
could not only help, but take the reins when
QHHGHG5D]RUEDFN5HFRUGVVWDUWHGLQDQG
has been dedicated to spewing out the sickest
and scariest extreme metal has to offer since
day one. The Noceras joined forces when the
label was already established, but the more it
grows, the more work there is to be done, and
the cleverer Vanessa has to get with her time
scheduling. One assumes that the concept of
sleep is a distant memory for them by now.
“It’s hard to balance everything some days,”
she admits. “I’m also a full-­time college student,
so I really have no days off, but it’s the life that
I choose and I like it this way to be honest;; it
NHHSVP\PLQGJRLQJDQG,·PDOZD\VÀQGLQJ
new inspiration to feed off of. My brother called
me the other day and when I answered he said,
‘You’re kinda hard to get a hold of’. I guess
certain times of the day I’m always indisposed,
but I have a lot of work that needs to get done.
“Needless to say, time management skills are
something that I have honed in the last few years.
I have also started to leave notes for myself, or for
%LOO\MXVWWRNHHSXSZLWKWKHODEHODQGP\EDQGV
:H·UHGRLQJ7KH&RYHQ¶]LQHZKLFKIHDWXUHV
interviews with Heather Langenkamp, Amanda
Wyss and tons of other horror celebrities, as well
as quite a few metal legends and underground
artists. We’re also putting together the Impetigo
fanzine, the horror comic, Vaultwraith, that we
DUHZULWLQJIRUDQGSXEOLVKLQJDVSHFLDO\HDU
anniversary release for Razorback, and also
SUHSDULQJIRUKRUURUFRQYHQWLRQV,·PZRUNLQJ
it seems!”
No rest for the wicked. Nocera’s obviously
going to be a very busy lady for the rest of
the year (and onwards towards eternity). We
asked her for a rundown of what she’s got in
other bands.”
I
t’s a shame to hear that the age-­old dilemma
(who’s gonna play drums?) is holding back
Nocera’s superhuman schedule, especially
given that so many of the albums she’s
written feature the considerable talents of
(OHNWURNXWLRQHUEHKLQGWKHNLW'HDWKÀHQGVPD\
recognise the name from his work with Father
%HIRXOHG(QFRIÀQDWLRQ'HFHSLWDSK7RPEVWRQHV
%DVWDUG&URVVKRPHER\·V0HWDO$UFKLYHVHQWU\LV
longer than Fred West’s rap sheet. He features on
the Howling full-­length as well as on releases from
Loathsome, Wooden Stake, and Scaremaker, so
you’d think it’d be a piece of piss enlisting him
once more. Sadly, it’s not to be.
“Wayne and I are on different waves as of
now. I’m motivated to write and record all the
time for every one of my bands and he’s focused
´'HFDGHV"'R,ORRNWKDWROG"µVKHODXJKVDQG
VWDUWHGZULWLQJVRQJVRQJXLWDUZKHQVKHZDV
\HDUVROG%XWVKH·VFRPHDORQJZD\VLQFHWKRVH
early years – though she still sings about monsters
– and so like the case with many other talented
metal folk, the path Nocera took was rockier than
not.
 ´,RQO\VWDUWHGLQWKHXQGHUJURXQGLQ
when I was trying to get my band Wolfhollow and
P\UHFRUGODEHO'HPRQVODYH5HFRUGLQJVJRLQJ
,ZDVPRYHGWR&KLFDJRWKLQJVZHUHJRLQJ
good and then overnight it seems everything
turned sour with the band and I used my record
label money to move back home to Kentucky,”
she shares. “I moved back, took a year off from
PXVLFDQGVWDUWHGEDFNXSLQZKHQ,PHW
%LOO\WKXV6FDUHPDNHUZDVERUQDQG,ZDVZULWLQJ
songs again. I didn’t pick up the guitar for a year
in that time off, so I was full of ideas and I guess I
the pipeline, and had to have a little sit-­down
halfway through to cope.
 ´&XUUHQWO\*XWZUHQFK2QLULFRXV%OL]DUR
and of course the Impetigo reissues that we’ve
repressed on Razorback. Soon we will have
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&U\SWLFXVVRWKDW·VGHÀQLWHO\VRPHWKLQJWRORRN
forward to. As for my music, each and every one
of my bands will have something come out later
this year, or I will be recording for either a late
UHOHDVHRUHDUO\UHOHDVHµ
You’ve been warned.
‘Voodoo Dawn’ by Skeletal Spectre
is out now on Pulverised
For more details on Razorback Records head to
www.RazorbackRecords.com
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 81
 Warlord

BUILDING A NEW EMPIRE

Playing Keep It True and heading off on a European tour, and with a new album
‘THE HOLY EMPIRE’, American traditional heavy metal legends WARLORD are
back with a vengeance. JOHN MINCEMOYER chats with drummer
MARK “THUNDER CHILD” ZONDER

I
n April 2013, Warlord, yes, Warlord, the legendary heavy
metal band from Los Angeles, California who gave the world
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Witch, Liege Lord, Medieval Steel, Morbid Saint and Possessed as the
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it felt that after 30 years we were playing those original songs and the
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W
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82 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
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several players, namely bassist Philip Bynoe ,who
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 ““
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IRON FIST MAGAZINE 83


Reviews.Praise.Mutilation
ALBUM OF THE ISSUE
WATAIN
‘The Wild Hunt’
CENTURY MEDIA
‘The Wild Hunt’ no doubt represents,
for many, possibly the most important
album of Watain’s blood-­drenched
career. It is the album that follows their
rocket to, for want of a better term,
stardom. So, you’d maybe expect
bigger, ever more bombastic choruses
and a more linear approach, right?
Wrong. However, the album does see
the incorporation of experimental and
perhaps even ‘commercial’ elements
for these Swedes, including a cleanly
sung metal ballad and riffs that will no
doubt raise a few elitist eyebrows.
Instrumental intro ‘Night Vision’ at
once leads from where ‘Waters Of Ain’
left off. It builds, sounding like perfect
Watain: eerie, big and beautifully
dark. The inclusion of violin and what
sounds like accordion creates a warm
bassiness. ‘De Profundis’ follows with
a blast from the depths and then
maelstrom takes you. This, and much
of the album, is pure Watain rabidity,
akin to their older material, but still
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delay on some vocals create an even
more chaotic experience. Walking
basslines a la ‘Casus Luciferi’ make
a welcome return. However, what
stands out most is the move away
from catchy choruses and a return to
a more traditional black metal song
structure. A brave move, considering
this has come to signify their sound
since ‘Sworn To The Dark’ and this is
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‘They Rode On’ is the obvious standout
track, with its clean vocals and the
only real chorus on the album: it is the
sole rock to cling to in an otherwise
stormy album. Erik’s voice is soulful,
A.M.S.G.
‘Anti-­Cosmic Tyranny’
PROFOUND LORE
Canada’s Satanic terrorists A.M.S.G return
with debut album ‘Anti-­Cosmic Tyranny’,
the follow-­up to their 2010 EP. Featuring
Angelfukk Witchhammer (Ouroborus/
Glorior Diaboli) at the helm, this is as
84 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
RPM
possessing an American twang, and
hints of Carl McCoy are fused with
Quorthorn. The musicianship is almost
ballad-­esque Metallica and even Pink
Floyd. However, it is the mark of Swans
that provides the most interesting
ingredient. Erik’s vocals across the
album are expansive and much more
diverse.
‘The Wild Hunt’ is a paradoxical
album. It is the perfect distillation of
Watain’s sound but at the same time it
is the most different and removed. It is
also the most accessible they’ve ever
sounded and yet at times it is the most
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blastbeats and enough delay on the
vocals to beat you about the head. A
‘fuck you’ those that would call them
mainstream.
Further, some of the tracks are
among the most inaccessible (in
a commercial sense) on an album
that is on the biggest label of their
career. Connections with bands such
as Emperor will no doubt be made,
especially with brief moments of
symphonic pomp present on ‘Black
Flames March’, but as ever the
difference is that you cannot deny the
conviction with which these Swedes
weave their magic. The universe this
band have weaved is water-­tight,
with a self-­owned merchandise
empire and now its own record label,
His Master’s Noise – a feat that only
monumentally commercial bands
have been capable of in the past, and
all power to them for taking charge of
their art. Watain have pulled it off in
the world of underground black metal
and to keep their sound ever in this
spirit is a mighty accomplishment.
JACK WELCH
barbaric as one would expect from a
Canadian cult, but A.M.S.G. manage to
stand out from the rest, fusing their craft
with a more trad BM melody. Overall it
is a well-­structured album with plenty
of dynamics, atmospheric elements
and texture provided by samples,
acoustic guitar-­work and harsh noise.
Even though the title/lyrical content
may seem unoriginal, and reminiscent
of undisputed “Metal ov Death” kings,
Dissection, A.M.S.G.’s aura and sound is,
thankfully, a different beast. ‘Anti-­Cosmic
Tyranny’ features plenty of variety be it
mid-­paced blasting, tremolo guitars in
a very orthodox black metal vein, one
minute cleaner passages and spoken
word the next. Opening track, ‘Black
Rites Of Black Shadows’, even manages
to weave saxophones into the mix half-­
way through, creating an atmosphere
you would not expect from a Canadian
band such as this. Fantastic! The raw
production, like the EP, adds plenty of
bite to match the bark. Hopefully, the
members can stay out of prison long
enough this time to push this vehicle for
lawless blasphemy to the next level. Veni
Qayin ben Samael!
JACK WELCH
ABYSSAL
‘Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius’
PROFOUND LORE
In those times when the whole
underground embraces, with such blind
devotion, bands like Dead Congregation
or Portal, it’s hard not to shake the
feeling that the anonymous lads hidden
behind this have decided to initially
self-­release their albums in very limited
quantities just to boast that ‘sold out’
disclaimer that never fails to generate
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two reissues with the second one being
handled by Hellthrasher Productions,
is being manufactured by Profound
Lore only cements that impression and
heightens the intrigue. But once you’re
done asking if this whole masquerade
isn’t just a well-­thought pose or if there’s
actually a human drummer behind all
this, it’s as hard denying the impressive
and utterly claustrophobic result. While
there aren’t any songs as such to talk
about, but more an overall atmosphere,
the result may seem indecipherable at
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Extremely oppressive and entangled in a
dark atmosphere, there’s a very hypnotic
feel to the thick sound layer achieved
throughout. Very dissonant, with bizarre
riffs that seem to ‘slide’ somehow,
‘Novit...’ is a 55-­minute trip somewhere
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explored by Portal, Mitochodrion or Blut
Aus Nord.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
AGGRESSA
‘Nuclear Death’
IRON BONEHEAD
Fell asleep in a bush in 1985? That’s
gotta suck. Whack this on your turntable
and curl up in a reassuring blanket of
cold war paranoia and ‘80s production.
“Come! Nuclear Death!” commands a
gruff Darrren Jones as he introduces the
title track’s atypical speed riff, muddied
in a warm fuzz that crackles and pops
as if it were your favourite cheap vinyl
or overplayed c30. Indeed, for the most
part this is just another obscure-­now-­cult
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heavy metal and the contemporary
ambiguities of thrash and speed. Bar the
anomalous titles incorporating proto-­
blasts and deathgrunts – ‘Tunks’ and
‘Voodoo Doll’, respectively – there’s
little more on offer than a Dark Angel’s
‘Hells On Its Knees’ demo vibe, which, all
considering, is probably a good thing.
AL BULMER
ANVIL
‘Hope In Hell’
SPV
Canadian metallers Anvil have managed
to create a healthy momentum, following
the release of the commercially successful
documentary, ‘The Story Of Anvil’, and
are now building on their new-­found
popularity through their latest musical
offspring, ‘Hope In Hell’. The band’s 15th
(!) studio album may not score particularly
high in terms of originality where the
material and compositional formulae is
concerned, but the work of producer Bob
Marlette (Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper)
in cooperation with Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow’s
clever trademark riffs, as well as playful
and naïve lyrics, have made ‘Hope...’ a
thoroughly enjoyable sonic experience.
Words such as “honest” and “classic”
spring to mind with reference to tracks
like ‘Eat Your Words’ and ‘Bad Ass Rock
‘N’ Roll’ and if the cowbell in songs like
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You’ and the great ‘Pay The Toll’ is not too
off-­putting for you, you will struggle not to
want to own this. Anvil may not have re-­
invented the wheel here, but they have
certainly kept it rolling.
YIANNIS STEFANIS
ARATIC
‘To The Early Grave’
VIOLENT JOURNEY
Finland’s spritely thrashers offer a debut
full-­length that keeps true to their
advertised “original thrash metal feeling
from the ‘80s”. Sadly, however, originality
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for all the pit-­friendly thrash ‘n’ bounce,
‘To The Early Grave’ is less teen angst
DRI-­meets-­Slayer worship than a thrash-­
by-­numbers plod-­along. Whilst dedicated
minions of straight-­up crossover/thrash
will likely get a kick out of this, a greater
usage of the wild leads on ‘Lobotomy
Christianus’ and the frenetic furore of the
closing title track could have made this
the razor sharp slice of juvenile thrash it
strives to be.
AL BULMER
ASH BORER
‘Cold Of Ages’
PERSANTA URFOLK
1RWHG DV EHLQJ WKHLU ÀUVW UHOHDVH WKDW
wasn’t self-­titled, ‘Cold Of Ages’ has now
been given the vinyl treatment courtesy
of Persanta Urfolk, with a tweaked mix
to enhance the sonic pleasure of the
band’s vision. ‘Cold...’ found the band
stepping out from the cloak of hype and
delivering an album that (a) capitalised
on their prominence but also (b) easily
and methodically proved that there was
substance to counter the hyperbole.
Building on their talent for creating
majestically elongated works, after a
suitably suite intro, comes a galloping,
scything sheen of fuzzed-­out black metal
that is as captivating as it is cavernous.
Placing choice chunks of doom into the
melting pot this time around, ‘Convict All
Flesh’ marries the sludge with the blast
and is quite possibly Ash Borer’s most
encompassing and engrossing statement
to date;; a creepy, low-­budget horror
soundtrack feel that splices repetition’s
disorientating effect with visceral
distortion to do its work.
GUY STRACHAN
ASOFY
‘Percezione’
AVANTGARDE
Twelve years between albums is a long
haul by anyone’s standards but in that
time founding member Tryfar has found
a “poet and vocalist” in the form of
collaborator Empio. If your idea of poetry
is occasional eccentric sounding squawks
in native Italian built around labyrinthine
shoegaze passages and sprawling turgid
muscular post-­black, doom workouts
then feel free to play on. If on the other
hand the thought of self-­indulgent
meanderings akin to painting by numbers
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dread then be warned as at times this
is akin to watching grass grow. Some of
the depressive textures and those bizarre
over-­the-­top vocals do partly remind of
the much-­mourned Lifelover, but on the
whole this is bland and mind-­numbingly
obtuse.
PETE WOODS
AVICHI
‘Catharsis Absolute’
PROFOUND LORE
This solo project from Lord Mantis,
ex Nachtmystium, ex Von multi-­
instrumentalist Andrew Markuszewski
really allowed the musician to step out of
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Last album ‘The Devil’s Fractal’ proved
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exercise in psychedelic windswept USBM
and indeed there are similar moments of
hurricane force fury here. The problem is
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lifeless planks as indulgent passages such
as the opening and (far too long) closing
classical piano pieces seem pointless
wastes of space. Even if the composer
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in Chopin do we really need to hear it
here? This leaves just four tracks of frankly
average and quite repetitive material,
‘All Gods Fall’ being a particularly lifeless,
plodding 12-­minute epic snooze-­fest on
an album with “could do better,” written
all over it.
PETE WOODS
AXXION
‘Wild Racer’
HIGH ROLLER
Canadians Axxion are a recent addition
to the (yeah, I’m going to say it) over-­
abundance of retro metal acts. Formed in
2011, the band features two ex-­members
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Canuck scene troopers. Right off the bat
it’s clear we are dealing with the slightly
shiny and pacey type of updated, old-­
school sound perfected by Enforcer
and Axxion’s buddies Cauldron. The
production is not too modern, but the
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too much dual guitar and modern guitar-­
hero style lead. Dirty D Kerr (ex-­Midnight
Malice) delivers reliably impassioned
high vocals that unfortunately start to
grate after a short time. It’s a hard trick to
pull off the high-­end melodic vocal and
despite some great screams and hooks
it’s all a bit tiring after a track or two. While
we can be sure the band’s heart is in
the right place it would be great to hear
something a bit more original in 2013. One
would expect that this would be a lot of
fun live but with so many bands around
that sound identical to this, it’s hard to get
too excited about this release.
MAREK STEVEN
BATTLECROSS
‘War Of Will’
METAL BLADE
Following hot on the heels of their
acclaimed 2011 debut, ‘Pursuit Of
Honour’, this Detroit four-­piece are raising
the bar with their pummelling take on
classic Euro ‘80s thrash, death metal and
widdly power metal. Their self-­proclaimed
“blue collar thrash metal” features plenty
of guttural vocals, kick-­drum chaos and
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makes Battlecross sound like the bastard
offspring of Kreator, early Children Of
Bodom and Helloween all rolled into a
ball of aural fury. Songs like ‘Ghost Alive’
and ‘Flesh And Bone’ hack and slash like
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with a deranged power, but as technical
and brutal as this record is it’s a little bit
of a one-­trick pony at times and some
variation in pace would help immensely.
MILES HACKETT
BLACK STAR RIDERS
‘All Hell Breaks Loose’
NUCLEAR BLAST
The Black Star Riders, should you have
done your best to block it out, are the
latest incarnation of the legendary Thin
Lizzy. Apparently “the next step in the
evolution of the Thin Lizzy story”, but
only featuring one actual member of
the old band, not a founding member,
either, Scott Gorham. And basically
the Black Star Riders sound like Thin
Lizzy re-­imagined for rich LA kids. Or
maybe another Farrelly Brothers movie,
something with Jim Carrey, maybe. Throw
in some Irish instruments and brainwash
Ricky Warwick into singing like a white Phil
Lynott and hey, it might make (a drunk)
you even think this is Thin Lizzy. But it is not.
It is so painful to listen to, with its squeaky
clean production that it’s making this
writer want to have a shower. Bemused
as to the existence of this insipid piece of
trash, I asked my Irish mother – a lifelong
Lizzyite – the point of this exercise. Her
answer? “Money”. Indeed. Only buy this if
you have never heard Thin Lizzy and have
no friends.
DYLAN HUGHES
BÖLZER
‘Aura’
IRON BONEHEAD
A three-­track mini-­album, ‘Aura’ attempts
to replicate the feeling of an obscure
death metal tape from the end of the
‘80s and in many respects the job is done
well;; there’s a tinge of chaotic devotion
to the task as Switzerland’s Bölzer deliver
three tracks of pummelling pain. ‘CME’
forsakes any notion of blasting speed with
EDIT
ED
ITOR
THE DEVIL’S BLOOD
‘III:Tabula Rasa Or Death And
The Seven Pillars’
VAN
We’re still in mourning about the death
of The Devil’s Blood, but a eulogy has
been unveiled in the form of their third
album, posthumously released and
mastered from the recording session
that saw the band down tools back
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symphony – less polished than perhaps
expected, ‘Tabula Rasa’ is a poignant
and sometimes painful performance.
Bravely starting with the 22-­minute
‘I Was Promised A Hunt’, the song’s
lyrics are agonisingly personal and
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the band, even if they insist they
had no intention of ending the band
when written. Lines about “potential
drowned” and “erasing one’s name
from the book of life” point toward an
end that the band predicted without
its Hellhammer murk-­meets-­Bolt Thrower
churn. ‘Entranced By The Wolf’ offers
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intake of breath before returning to the
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chaos being unfettered and loosened
with its cutting guitars, hellish vocals and
show-­no-­mercy drum battering.
GUY STRAHAN
BORNBROKEN
‘The Healing Powers Of Hate’
ASHER MEDIA
Hailing from the French speaking frozen
waste of Montreal, Canada, BornBroken
emerge with their debut full-­length intent
on destruction via their respective take on
thrash-­core. With skull-­crushing riffs and
rasping, hate-­fuelled vocals this is uneasy
listening and falls somewhere between
the unforgiveable likes of Lamb Of God
and early Slipknot. This is wherein the
problem lies;; speed has been forsaken
in preference of down-­tuned riffery and
time changes, which often sound like
a hangover from nü metal, an era all of
us would choose to forget. That said, the
production is crisp and the execution
tight, but ultimately BornBroken, as heavy
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doom, instead they sound plagiaristic, by-­
the-­numbers and ultimately, ‘The Healing
Powers Of Hate’ goes nowhere fast.
MILES HACKETT
CASTLEUMBRA
‘Cthulu Wgah’nagl Fntagn’
NUCLEAR WINTER
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since it was released on the staunchly
underground Nuclear Winter Records.
Had this come out on a larger label it is
certain Castleumbra, who hail from parts
unknown in Mexico, would be mentioned
in the same breath as other wider known
contemporary acts playing obscure and
arcane-­sounding death metal. Crafted to
“causeth horror”, inspired by Lovecraft’s
infamous mythos and the impenetrable
dark beyond the darkness, ‘Cthulu…’ is an
excellent appropriately hideous release
intent upon giving Cthulu’s manifestations
– your nightmares – physical form.
JOHN MINCEMOYER
’S PI
OR’S
CK!!
PICK
even realising they were writing their
own obituary. This haunting paean
is akin to witnessing a private ritual,
cathartic and tormented. It is also
where Selim Lemouchi’s guitar playing
is at a career-­high, leaving us hopeful
of his new burning path. Throughout
the album’s seven songs, two of which
are instrumentals, the band scale their
own summits, with musical references
to their past oeuvre and lyrical nods to
some of the experiences they’ve lived
through (i.e. touring with In Solitude on
‘Lullaby Of The Burning Boy’). ‘Tabula
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will sorely miss but despite it being
much more muted and solemn than
their previous work leaves us with
a glimmer of a great future for the
individual parties who made up this
short-­lived but game-­changing band.
“To die is to learn a wisdom” indeed.
LOUISE BROWN
CEREKLOTH
‘In The Midst Of Life We Are In Death’
HELL’S HEADBANGERS
Truth be told, none of Cerekloth’s previous
recordings suggested such brilliance. As if
after few years of just fucking around, this
brave yet by-­the-­book sort of supergroup
(Victimizer, Church Bizarre, Altar Of
Oblivion) had decided to strike hard with
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whereas their last EP, ‘Halo Of Syringes’,
seemed to indicate they were happy just
following early Deicide’s blazing trail, ‘In
The Midst...’ surprises on all levels. What’s
so great about this record is that it didn’t
even need to use super low-­tuning or
any form of cavernous production to
enhance its natural creepiness. No,
Cerekloth have just slowly but surely
learned to master the rare craft of
VHUSHQWLQH ULIÀQJ ZKLOH WDNLQJ GHDWK
metal back to its early, thrash-­infused
roots. Quite heavy on the epic (three
tracks of seven are seven minutes long)
and stern in its approach, there’s a weird,
blackish element to their frostbitten sense
of melody that makes them quite unique
and highly recommendable. Those
looking for something different yet so
infectious should look no further.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
CONTROL HUMAN DELETE
‘The Prime Mover’
CODE666
As awesome as it can be to blend
genres, industrial black metal is mostly
style-­over-­substance, blasting out overly
polished beats and generally being a
bit unexciting. That’s why Control Human
Delete are a nice surprise, they take the
abrasiveness that is core to the black
metal sound and twist it into a new beast
altogether, eschewing the predictable
formula, instead leading their valiant
crusade to become complete masters
of mind-­fuckery. Ultimately these Dutch
maniacs are a hard sell though, they
practice an art that is far too erratic,
there’s no melody to stick in your head,
but these are as much reasons to love
them as to hate them. Control Human
Delete provide you with an experience
that will open your mind as much as it will
melt it.
SAM MCKAVANAGH
IRON FIST MAGAZINE 85
Reviews.Praise.Mutilation
DEATH KARMA
‘A Life Not Worth Living’
IRON BONEHEAD
Death Karma is a relatively new duo
from the Czech Republic that features
drummer Tom Coroner and guitarist/
vocalist Infernal Vlad, respectively,
who both played on Maniac Butcher’s
2010 full-­length, ‘Masakr’. ‘A Life…’,
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abrasive up-­tempo black/death tracks
performed with no regard for subtlety,
although they do feature a surprising
amount of dynamism. A good example
would be the sound-­bite laden, punkish
‘G.G. Funeral’ in honour of the original
scum fuc [sic] himself, G.G. Allin, but it
is ‘DeathKaos’, which employs Death
Karma’s ugly, oppressive arts to maximum
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keyboards/organs, which detract rather
than improve upon Death Karma’s
particular brand of death-­worshipping
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JOHN MINCEMOYER
DEHUMAN REIGN
‘Destructive Intent’
FDA REKOTZ
Like Skeletal Remains, Berlin’s Dehuman
Reign are a bit of an oddity among the
usually more Swedish obsessed FDA
Rekotz roster. Their sound might be
rooted in the early ‘90s and full of thrashy
elements, but their execution has none of
that usual ‘old school’ stodge. Actually
their debut EP has the kind of web-­like
and complex texture more in common
with Suffocation’s ‘Pierced From Within’
than anything else, minus the East Coast
swagger and with extra black metal
spice. Since it’s in fact made up of only
four actual songs (the other four being
interludes or intros) it’s still too early to see
where the band could go next, but based
on its classic black and white cover and
overall mastery of the death metal art
form, hope exists.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
DEW-­SCENTED
‘Insurgent’
METAL BLADE
Twenty years in the music business is an
admirable achievement, one that the
German thrash/deathsters Dew-­Scented
have chosen to celebrate through the
release of ‘Insurgent’ – a collection of
fresh studio material, live takes and a
number of relatively obscure covers.
Surprisingly enough, this collection’s least
inspirational part involves new tracks such
as ‘Confronting Entropy’ and ‘In Dying
Mode’: they may contain some decent
crunchy/groovy riffs, but do not bring
anything spectacularly fresh into the fold.
The live renditions of classic material, such
as ‘Sworn To Obey’ and ‘Storm Within’
are much more interesting, showcasing
what a tour-­de-­force Dew-­Scented are
in their natural environment – on stage.
More poignantly, the seven covers add
PXFKÀQHVVHWRWKLVUHOHDVHDQGWKHIDFW
that versions of ‘Steady Decline’ (Prong)
and ‘Good Day For A Hanging’ (Wasted
Youth) sound so damn good is proof of
KRZLQÁXHQWLDOWKLVPXVLFDOVW\OHKDVEHHQ
on their musical upbringing. This release
may not be the ideal introduction to
the music of this Saxony quintet, but it
fares much better in solidifying anyone’s
existing loyalty to them.
YIANNIS STEFANIS
DIO
‘Finding The Sacred Heart: Live In
Philly 1986’
EAGLE ROCK
With an animatronic dragon behind him
and surrounded by incredible musicians,
86 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
Dio’s sheer enthusiasm and a superb setlist
makes ‘Live In Philly 1986’ a joy to watch
and showcases exactly what made him
a legendary singer, with that rare ability
to engage with his audience and make
them believe in every word he sings. He
may have written songs about castles
and rainbows, but watching him singing
‘Don’t Talk To Strangers’ or ‘Rainbow In
The Dark’ can’t fail to put a smile on even
the most jaded of faces. Also released on
CD as a double disc set, ‘Live In Philly...’
is Dio in his element, bringing his magic
to the crowd, and showing the world just
what we lost.
JEREMY MILLER
ELDKRAFT
‘Shaman’
METAL BLADE
Eldkraft describe their music as “epic
metal”, which will give the initiated reader
a sense of what to expect. Apparently,
it’s still 2006 and Eldkraft have decided
that it’s massively relevant to write a
soundtrack to ‘World Of Warcraft’. Hailing
from Sweden, debut album ‘Shaman’ is a
well-­produced, respectably put together
album that, to these ears, fails to inspire
any sort of emotive response. ‘Shaman’
is regressive and generic, sounding like
the bastard son of Moonsorrow and Tenhi
and will no doubt appeal to a very nerdy
audience.
JOHN MUSKETT
EREB ALTOR
‘Fire Meets Ice’
CYCLONE EMPIRE
Ereb Altor have managed to carve
themselves quite the reputation over the
course of four previous studio albums.
While “Viking metal” is a term usually
signposting the derivative and the banal,
Ereb Altor have managed to carve a
niche for themselves by far surpassing
the efforts of comparable bands with
an inspiringly powerful take on Bathory
worship. ‘Fire Meets Ice’ continues in
this established tradition by delivering
palpably enormous slabs of evocative
metal. The album is varied, running
IURP DOORXW EODVW WR UHÁHFWLYH EDOODGV
The quality is consistent and while there
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‘My Ravens’, the less stand-­out tracks
serve to build the overarching tapestry
of the album. Ereb Altor have excelled
themselves and achieved the rare feat
of delivering a Viking metal album that is
essential listening.
JOHN MUSKETT
ERIMHA
‘Reign For Immortality’
VICTORY
This brand of symphonic black metal that
Erimha have chosen as their weapon of
choice is a risky one;; sure there is a wider
appeal for that easier on the ear sound,
but those keyboard induced ideas of
grandeur are a tempestuous beast and
can quickly turn a slick piece of work into
an onslaught of sickly orchestral noise.
‘Reign For Immortality’ carefully avoids
any over-­saturation, the use of keyboards
are subtle, complementing the barbaric
early Cradle-­isms that sit on top of it.
They’re not going to set the world alight,
but Erimha have a pretty decent formula
at present and they should stick to it.
SAM MCKAVANAGH
EUPHORIC DEFILEMENT
‘Ascending To The Worms’
UNIQUE LEADER
/$·V (XSKRULF 'HÀOHPHQW DUH DQ
interesting case as they personify the
‘Catch-­22’ situation a label like Unique
Leader is stuck in. On one hand, their
name alone guarantees even the most
ACCEPT
‘Balls To The Wall’
HEAR NO EVIL/CHERRY RED
From its quite frankly camp cover
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To The Wall’ delivered the goods
so to speak, with the classic tracks
‘London Leatherboys’ and ‘Losers
And Winners’. And whilst not quite as
adamant brutal death metal fan that
he’ll get his money worth. But on the
other, it also means that they hardly
ever leave their comfort zone. Even if the
band is trying, or at least pretending, to
stretch their collective wings a bit above
the usual standards by offering intelligible
ULIÀQJ DQG HYHQ D VXUSULVLQJ PHORGLF
interlude (‘Peaceful Descent’), their
indecipherable vocalist makes sure they
never rise above the ground. Hardcore
Unique Leader fans will eat this up, but
the rest will be wondering if there’s ever
going to be an end to that endless wave
of too-­br00tal rabid wolves.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
FACEBREAKER
‘Zombie Death Cult’
CYCLONE EMPIRE
When you realise that you’re almost
intentionally stomping your feet to the
sound of a single yet killer riff shrewdly
clawed to the backbeat while the words
‘zombie death cuuuuult’ are repeated
ad nauseam, you know you’re on to
something. Then again, Facebreaker
never disappointed. Neither did they
ever surprise us either mind you, but
that’s not the point with these Finspång
boys. They’re here to pound over a
straight-­forward, simplistic, form of death
metal a la Six Feet Under with a typically
Swedish sound (read: a fat guitar sound
and few D-­beats. And even those who
may complain about this being Roberth
Karlsson’s (he of Scar Symmetry and
Edge Of Sanity among many others) third
album in six months, after Tormented and
=RPELHÀHG WKH\ ZLOO KDYH D KDUG WLPH
denying its infectious nature. So why look
for something smart and twisted when
you can headbang to this piece of pure
unadulterated death metal bliss with such
great song titles as ‘Tomb Of The Hungry
Dead’, ‘Hellmaster’ or ‘Mutilator’?
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
GOATESS
‘Goatess’
SVART
You know why all those new ‘retro’ (or
whatever) heavy metal bands are so
irresistible don’t you? It’s because they
play from the heart and aren’t looking for
an excuse for going full-­throttle on their
manic trip full of dragons, ‘80s excesses
and spandex. In a way, Goatess are a bit
on the same wave-­length, except that
the name of game here is stoner. See, in
the late ‘90s, for about ten minutes, a small
but dedicated stoner scene boomed in
Sweden, with bands like Dozer, Lowrider,
Demon Cleaner or Spiritual Beggars,
despite having probably never seen a
bloody cactus in their life. Goatess have
not just picked up the thread where it was
left off but run with it and also added a
metal swagger that gives their music an
extra punch that none those previously
heavy metal as ‘Breaker’ or ‘Restless
And Wild’, its more commercial nature
ensured its success in the American
market where it went on to sell over
half a million copies! Darker and in
some ways more subdued than its
predecessor, all the classic Accept
trademarks are there;; Udo’s gravelly
voice and the twin guitars of Wolf
Hoffmann and Herman Frank still at the
forefront. The result is an album that
quite rightly can be called a classic.
With a second disc containing ‘Staying
A Life Live in Osaka 1985’, this reissue
of what was the Germans’ worldwide
breakthrough album is certainly the
ultimate “package”.
JEREMY MILLER
mentioned acts had (even if their guitar
player must have studied very closely
the six-­string bible according to Josh
Homme). There are enough loose ends
and potential jamming space for their
music to breathe or even go on a full on
psychedelic trip if needed (‘Oracle: part
1’). And while he’s deliberately quite stern
when fronting Lord Vicar, former Saint
Vitus singer, Christian ‘Chritus’ Linderson,
delivers the performance of his life. Yep,
the cover is as ugly as a close-­up of
Lemmy’s wart but really, this is just the
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hands down.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
GRAVEYARD OF SOULS
‘Shadows Of Life’
FDA REKOTZ
Remember those early ‘90s melodic death
or doom-­related albums that had a very
spiritual vibe attached to them, despite
their sometimes lacklustre production or
technical limits? Spanish duo Graveyard
Of Souls have managed to recreate
that delicate, yet instantly recognisable
alchemy. Yes, their formula is deliberately
simple and they rarely, if ever, trail away
from it during the course of these nine
songs: thick yet simple keyboards that
carry the main melodies the guitars are
nicely built upon with raspy vocals on the
top and mid-­tempo, epic drums. If those
words hadn’t become synonymous with
“bad taste” and “cheesy” and we were
still in 1993, one would have even labelled
‘Shadows Of Life’ as gothic death metal
VRPHZKHUH LQ EHWZHHQ &UHPDWRU\·V ÀUVW
album, Tiamat’s ‘Clouds’ or even Paradise
Lost’s ‘Gothic’, right before all those once
great bands started to suck. They might
not win any awards for their clumsy Tears
For Fears cover, ‘Mad World’, but there’s
nevertheless something surprisingly
refreshing about their dreamy approach.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
HATCHET
‘Dawn Of The End’
THE END
Bay Area boys Hatchet execute their
sophomore LP with a clinically produced
and performed demonstration of the
regional blueprint. From the instrumental
intro ‘After The Dark’ to the ominously
titled epilogue ‘Welcome To The Plague’
there’s no shortage of fanciful licks where
those with a taste for sweeping leads and
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pleasantly aroused. ‘Dawn Of The End’
fails only in never quite hitting top speed;;
controlled and tasteful musicianship is
at expense of the unrelenting mania so
essential to this breed of metal. Combined
with the absence of originality it’d be
more appropriate as a soundtrack.
AL BULMER
Reviews.Praise.Mutilation
HAWKWIND
‘Warrior On The Edge Of Time’
ATOMHENGE/ CHERRY RED
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sometimes tagged “best” and most
sought-­after Hawkwind album, thanks in
no small part to the mammoth effort by
Cherry Red Records (see the BBC website
for details). With it’s line up of Dave Brock,
Nik Turner, Lemmy et al, and featuring
guest vocals from none other than
Michael Moorcock, ‘Warrior...’ stands as
a landmark of progressive space rock,
WKURZLQJ WRJHWKHU LQÁXHQFHV IURP DV IDU
DÀHOGDV$IULFD7KH0LGGOH(DVWDQGHYHQ
space itself. From the sheer magnitude of
tracks like ‘Magnu’ to the simplistic yet
still highly infectious ‘Dying Seas’, the ten
WUDFNVPDNLQJXS¶:DUULRU·HEEDQGÁRZ
like the sands of time, with the inclusion
of bonus b-­side track ‘Motorhead’ only
adding to the legendary status of this
long-­awaited reissue.
JEREMY MILLER
HELL
‘III’
PERSANTA URFOLK
Completing the replication of Hell’s three
cassette releases on vinyl, ‘III’ is Salem,
Oregon native M.S.W’s most expansive
work to date under that moniker.
Progressing from suffocating mood and
bleak ambience to more considered
fare, the two extended tracks contain
everything from haunted Americana,
soaring drones, blackened teeth-­bearing
metal and beyond. Those invigorated by
the decayed stench of the overpowering
VOXGJ\ DWPRVSKHULFV PLJKW ÀQG WKH
progression to more structured climes
disorientating, yet as demanding a listen
as it might be, ‘III’ sits squarely as another
captivating release from Hell.
GUY STRACHAN
IMPRECATION
¶6DWDQDH7HQHEULV,QÀQLWD·
DARK DESCENT
Originally formed in 1991, Houston, Texas’
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length (Imprecation dissolved in 1998
only to reappear in 2009. From 1991
through 1995 they released two demos,
an EP and a compilation released by
Spain’s Repulse Records titled, ‘Theurgia
Goetia Summa’. Since reforming they
have released an EP, a demo, and now
‘Satanae…’). From the initial death-­
blast of ‘Blood Dominion’ through to the
BIRTH A.D.
‘I Blame You’
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a serious endeavour would be the
awesomely chaotic Cliff Robinson-­
illustrated cover (Mr Robinson illustrates
Judge Dredd comics). The second
would be the involvement of the
legendary Alex Perialas who produced
this 18-­track blast of no-­frills, straight-­
up, completely uncompromising
FURVVRYHU WKUDVK $IWHU WKH ÀUVW 6OD\HU
inspired riff subsides on opener ‘Mission
Statement’ we’re off to the races as
this Texas-­based trio comprised of Jeff
Tandy (yelling/bass), Brian Morrison
(guitar) and Mark Perry (drums)
lay down the law on anything and
everything deemed unacceptable
and worthy of scorn with the current
thrash scene: it’s serious, yet hysterical
and utterly brilliant. Once their “mission
88 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
PDJQLÀFHQW SHQXOWLPDWH WUDFN ¶2I 7KH
Black Earth’, ‘Satanae…’ never relents
(‘Carrion Winds Of Golgotha’, a keyboard
instrumental provides the only respite,
but only upon this blasphemous ritual’s
closure). Imprecation’s song craft and
their command of nuance really stand
out. Yes, this is purposefully violent death
metal that evokes the early ‘90s (there are
moments reminiscent of ‘Covenant’-­era
Morbid Angel, especially through Dave
Herrara’s vocals), but they understand
the need to allow compositional breath
and space, which provides more depth
and texture, and thus more power to
their darkness. It is amazing what a slight
shift can achieve, especially coming off
of a particularly sadistic blast section
and Imprecation employs this strategy
repeatedly and masterfully. The only
issue with ‘Satanae…’ is the use of
keyboards during several tracks (not
including ‘Carrion Winds…’). Honestly,
they are lackluster, do not really create
atmosphere of note, or make the tracks
more formidable in any sense. Of course,
this a personal preference and others
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Other than that, ‘Satanae…’ is an
excellent debut, which begs the
question: how long will it take before we
see another Imprecation full-­length?
JOHN MINCEMOYER
KADAVAR
‘Abra Kadavar’
NUCLEAR BLAST
Far out! Berlin’s retro rockers Kadavar
were never going to win awards
for originality in the 2010’s, but their
sophomore release is another quality
stoner platter. The cool looking four-­
piece would have been something of a
sensation in 2004 (or 1968) but the mainly
Swedish hordes of Witchcraft et al have
somewhat set the standard for this type
of semi-­updated early ‘70s riff mongery.
Whatever, let us ignore trends and assess
the jams on display here. There is indeed
plenty of magic to be found. Opening
track ‘Come Back Life’ has a pacey, but
FRQÀGHQWO\ ODQJXLG TXDOLW\ DQG VRPH
effective high vocals that stick in the
brain. They have kept the bass-­driven
sound from their debut, but the guitars
are perhaps more prominent this time.
‘Doomsday Machine’ has simple, but
HIIHFWLYH KHDY\ URFNLQJ ULIÀQJ DQG WKDW
nice slightly Ozzy tone that works very well
for them. Some of the more mid-­paced
statement” has been emphatically
established in a succinct one minute
IRUW\VHFRQGVÁDWQRRQHDQGQRWKLQJ
is safe from Tandy’s crosshairs be it
people that continually abuse the
equally abusive system, annoying
scenesters, the entire city of LA, the
ignorant, the parasites, humanity,
etc. ‘Violent Retribution’, a 39-­second
blast, reveals Birth A.D.’s modus
operandi as Tandy yells;; “We are the
hammer/You are the nails!” As the
brief one-­sheet states, “this album
delivers a timely indictment of life in
WKH QHZ PLOOHQQLXPµ ZLWK WKH ÀQDO
judgment being delivered in ‘Kill
Everybody’ and its atomic bomb
blast. Yes, blow up the world! Angry,
fast and faster, just try keeping up
with Tandy on ‘Failed State’ or ‘No
Jobs (Don’t Work)’, with the former, at
least tempo-­wise, evoking the Suicidal
Tendencies classic ‘Won’t Fall In Love
Today’. ‘I Blame…’ succeeds because
it is memorable and also features the
W\SH RI VLQFHULW\ WKDW FDPH WR GHÀQH
the crossover scene’s earliest days.
And yet, Birth A.D. is no “nostalgia”
act, because this is indeed “timely”
music for the truly fucked up times we
live in.
JOHN MINCEMOYER
BLACK SABBATH
‘13’
VERTIGO
Would any record live up to the
mountainous possibilities attached
to Black Sabbath’s reunion? Of
course not. So, when the somewhat
confusingly titled ‘13’ was unleashed
on June 7 extreme and classic metal
fans alike had already ripped the
band to shreds. WHERE IS BILL WARD?
WHAT IS WITH THE STUPID LYRICS AND
BORING VOCALS? WHY ARE THE
SONGS SO BLOODY COMPRESSED?
Valid complaints, to be sure.
Yet, many reviews are awash with
praise for the release penned by
the classic trio – featuring Iommi,
Geezer, and Osbourne – with session
drummer and former Rage Against
The Machine percussionist Brad Wilk
(another confusing choice there).
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Sabbath has a number one album
in the United States. This milestone is
utterly inconsistent with the product,
particularly given the Osbourne
fronted output of Sabbath resulted in
tracks touch too much on generic stoner,
but it’s still refreshing to hear this genre
played without the obvious ‘90s stoner
doom sound that plagues the majority of
that scene. Kadavar have shown there
is room for more ‘70s sounding heavy
rock and their live shows and albums
justify their rise, whatever their intentions.
Ultimately, this is a quality release that
won’t disappoint any fans of this sound.
Dig?
MAREK STEVEN
KING PARROT
‘Bite Your Head Off’
CANDLELIGHT
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annoying younger sibling, causing havoc
and making an unnecessary amount of
noise. But eventually you see the charm,
embrace the madness and give them
a big loving hug. The thrashing grind of
‘Bite Your Head Off’ only lasts around 20
minutes but it leaves a more than lasting
impression. Opener ‘Bozo’ is an ideal
example of intense grind coated in death
WKUDVKULIIVDQG\RXUÀUVWH[SHULHQFHRIWKH
bizarre vocals of Youngy, who we assume
caused the name King Parrot with his
nasty, punk-­tinged squawks. There isn’t
likely to be many albums that combine
these scummy styles in a serious manner
and King Parrot pursue this with tongue-­
in-­cheek titles such as ‘Silly Ol’ Mate’ and
‘Shit On The Liver’. Don’t let this cause an
avoidance though, as every single track
is a short, sharp blast of intensity and
great musicianship. The power of ‘Bite
Your Head Off’ is stronger than the largest
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can only assume their live shows would
be absolutely mental. Invite please.
LILY RANDALL
LECHEROUS NOCTURNE
‘Behold Almighty Doctrine’
UNIQUE LEADER
The technical trail through the death
six albums that most of us could sing,
air guitar/ drum every word, riff, and
rhythm to. Essentially, a shambling
avatar of Black Sabbath have made
a safe album.
Several listens to ‘13’ reveal
that the Prince of Darkness/Reality
Television isn’t exercising his demons or
vocal range here – instead, he delivers
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where bombastic swells and heavy
grooves should be happening, they
aren’t. Instead, the benign delivery is
akin to a noncommittal tease. Butler’s
lyrics are meandering, incoherent
and rambling. When the peaks
occur (Iommi’s mournfully doomy
guitar tone, the occasional bluesy
or psychedelic interlude) they never
fully raise the overall value. None of it
evokes that tectonic weight of ‘70s era
Black Sabbath we ached for. Instead,
it’s amongst the better albums to be
released under the Sabbath moniker
since 1981’s Mob Rules, which isn’t
saying a whole lot.
SARAH KITTERINGHAM
metal plains continues to lengthen
with bands desperate to out-­widdle
one another. Whilst many continue to
amaze with obscure time patterns and
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Lecherous Nocturne are probably not a
QDPH\RXWKLQNRIDVOHDGHUVLQWKHÀHOG
They should be though, as third full-­length
‘Behold Almighty Doctrine’ balances the
brutal urges with technical intelligence
without being plain silly. Further, to add to
their commendable traits, is their obvious
loyalty to the old school death scene that
FOHDUO\ LQÁXHQFHG WKH EDQG 6PDWWHULQJV
of Morbid Angel are aurally spotted,
as well as the odd hint of blackened
tremolos akin to Marduk. ‘Those Having
Been Hidden Away’ is stellar proof of how
underrated Lecherous Nocturne are and
records like this are worthy of meeting the
likes of Immolation in the highlights of 2013
for death metal.
LILY RANDALL
LONEWOLF
‘The Fourth And Final Horseman’
NAPALM
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Lonewolf love nothing more than
pinched harmonics, improbable gruff
singing and more fantasy themes than a
‘Game Of Thrones’ convention. Despite,
or indeed because of this, they’re
tremendous fun to listen to. ‘The Fourth
And Final Horseman’ is the sixth studio
release from these French warriors and is
the soundtrack to the war fought in every
teenage metal fan’s bedroom. There’s a
driving bombast that underpins the entire
album, giving the work a vitality that can’t
fail to get the blood pumping. While ‘The
Fourth...’ is in no danger of winning any
awards for ingenuity, it is an enormous
laugh, enjoyably absurd and probably
the most fun you can have listening to
Frenchmen sing about war.
JOHN MUSKETT
Reviews.Praise.Mutilation
CANDLEMASS
‘Epicus Doomicus Metallicus –
Live at Roadburn’
SVART
6XUH WKLV ZDVQ·W H[DFWO\ WKH ÀUVW
time Candlemass performed, in its
entirety, their mighty debut with Johan
Längqvist. They already did it for their
20th birthday party in Stockholm in
2006, but this Roadburn appearance
in 2011 had a special vibe from
the beginning as this was initially
scheduled to happen exactly a year
before, except that one pretty nasty
Icelandic volcano decided to make
life a tad more miserable for everyone.
Back with a vengeance and bolstered
by a 32 channel recording that might
MAGISTER TEMPLI
‘Lucifer Leviathan Logos’
CRUZ DEL SUR
Norway’s Magister Templi are one of
the latest bands to join the occult rock
fraternity, releasing a catchy debut
album that blends Mercyful Fate-­tinged
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la ‘Nightfall’ era Candlemass. They don’t
have the Abba-­ish catchiness of Ghost
or the Maiden style licks of In Solitude;;
instead these Scandinavians opt for a
doomy approach to putting across their
occult message. Straight away there’s
D GHÀQLWH VHQVH WKDW DOO RI WKLV KDV EHHQ
heard before – with riffs and a vocal style
that can be traced almost directly back
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Magister Templi display enough originality,
present in the intricate and interesting
guitar leads and the simple nuances from
track to track, to make themselves stand
out in the scene. Opener ‘Master Of The
Temple’ sets the tone straight away with a
killer gallop and operatic vocals. Heavy,
bassy riffs and simple structures make this
an instantly memorable track with some
impressive guitarwork woven in. Stand
out track ‘Lucifer’ slows things down a
ELW ZLWK GHÀQLWH QRGV WR ¶3RZHUVODYH· LQ
the verses and a sing along chorus that
is a real ear-­worm. It’s easy to play ‘spot
WKHLQÁXHQFHV·ZLWKWKLVUHFRUGEXWLW·VVWLOO
solid, memorable and full of neat riffs.
JACK WELCH
MASTER
‘Unknown Soldier’
VIC
Now hang on a minute... most of IF’s
readership should know what Paul
Speckmann is all about, how he never
got the recognition he truly deserves
and indeed how vital his earlier works
were for the barely breathing death
metal scene. Actually, we could go as
far as saying that when push comes to
shove, every proper metalhead’s record
collection should at least include Master’s
self-­titled album. But the main problem
is that through sheer bad luck, the guy
basically worked on the same set of
songs in the second half of the ‘80s and
attempted – and failed – to put them
out under various monikers. And now
WKDW WKH ZRUOG LV ÀQDOO\ FDWFKLQJ XS ZLWK
how visionary those crude proto-­death
songs were, all those old and sometimes
quite rough recordings are reappearing
at an alarming rate. Case in point
EHLQJ KHUH KLV ÀUVW DWWHPSW DW UHFRUGLQJ
Master’s debut: initially scheduled for
release through Combat, those seven
early versions of such classics as ‘Funeral
Bitch’ or ‘Mangled Dehumanization’
90 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
the best the band ever had on any of
their live documents, the band rose
to the occasion in spades. With age,
Längqvist’s voice may have acquired
a raspier tone but it actually adds an
almost mournful vibe to that classic
material, meaning that even if we
must have heard about 724 different
takes of ‘Solitude’ by now, his spot on
performance gives it an even more
poignant and thus vibrant edge. It
would have been nice for the fans to
add as a special bonus the amazing
Blue Öyster Cult cover (‘Don’t Fear
(The Reaper)’) he and Robert Lowe
sang as an encore that night but we’re
being really picky here.
We won’t dare go as far as
admitting this is matching or even
bettering the original version, because
it’d be considered as pure blasphemy,
but when Längqvist lets go a piercing
“I cried for the ones I have lost” that
would even make stones weep
towards the end of ‘Under The Oak’,
we’re damn close.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
were ditched after the band broke up
prematurely, with only a few rough mixes
making their way through the tape-­
trading circuit and inspiring youngsters
like Bill Steer and Nicke Andersson to form
bands. But not only has this set already
been released in 2003 with a different
cover and a different title (‘Unreleased
Album’) through Displeased Records, but
this is coming after the recent re-­releases
of Master’s ‘Master’, Speckmann Project’s
‘Speckmann Project’ and Deathstrike’s
‘Fuckin’ Death’ that ALL include other
versions of most of these songs. This being
said, put back in their initial context, it’s still
incredible how extreme those songs were
for the period, but ultimately, ‘Unknown
Soldier’ is for completists only.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
MANEGARM
‘Legions Of The North’
NAPALM
Maybe not quite such a household
name as other Swede Viking berserkers
but Månegarm have pillaged their way
unchallenged through to their eighth
studio album now. Their mission on
‘Legions...’ is a heavyset and weighty
one combining passages of marauding,
blackened clamour with harmonious,
jubilant and soaring vocal harmonies. The
marriage of passion and destruction is
bolstered by some folkloric aspects such
as violins, which really make presence
felt on heroic numbers such as ‘Sons Of
War’. There are plenty of traditional metal
sounding guitar licks coursing through
things too giving the band a large
crossover potential and along with some
surprise female vocals and huge sing-­
along choruses this feels like the band’s
most rounded and complete album to
date.
PETE WOODS
MONARQUE
‘Lys Noir’
SEPULCHRAL
With ties to Forteresse, Crépuscule and
Csejthe, as well as a slew of releases
behind them Monarque are a well-­
established force on the QCBM scene.
Their ‘Call Of The Night’ is quickly and
brutally established with a fervent
‘Quebecois Hunger’ about it. Vocals are
raw and bloodthirsty and the musical
cleave is a whirlwind of hatred that
cites back to the early days of the Norse
scene. Whilst that has considerably
evolved, what has spewed out of the
Canadian hinterlands through the French
Quebec quarter may have stagnated
and consolidated sound wise, but it is
despatched with such ardent ferocity
and grim intent it really is the place to look
for the authentic sound and atmospheres
that made the music so great in the
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assault with an occasional slow paced
grandiose track and some atmospheric
acoustic moments, but on the whole
this blazes and marches with a jubilant
swagger making the album a formidable
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the black lily!
PETE WOODS
MORGENGRAU
‘Extrinsic Pathway’
BLIND GOD
The Lone Star State is really starting to
assert itself in the US underground death
metal scene. Within the past few years,
the likes of Blaspherian, Hod and the
recently reformed Imprecation have
shown that death metal done “Texas
Style” is extremely dark and potentially
lethal. If it’s something in the water,
then said water is boiling. Well, you can
add Morgengrau to this growing list.
Formed in 2010 and hailing from Austin,
Morgengrau’s full-­length debut, ‘Extrinsic
Pathway’, is an absolutely phenomenal
death metal release and one of the
best that has desecrated these ears in
a year that has produced some of the
best underground death metal albums
in recent memory. Fronted by Erika
Swinnich Tandy, who also plays guitar,
‘Extrinsic…’ contains seven stellar original
compositions and a wicked cover of
Sepultura’s ‘Inner Self’. Not the most
brutal band you will hear, but one does
not have to be the most brutal to write
dynamic, exceptional songs (remember
a band called Death?), especially
songs that display ample variation and
an excellent balance of simplicity and
sophistication, which ‘Extrinsic…’ contains
in spades. This album, their “debut” at
that, is so good, so wonderfully executed
and such a sheer listening pleasure
it borders on sickening. Through her
forceful, raspy vocals, and deft guitar
manipulation, Tandy’s performance
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to make the respective players, bassist
Jacob Holmes, drummer Reba Carls (who
is phenomenal) and second guitarist
Nick, engage and positively push the
attack. Rare to say in this day in time for
a death metal record, but ‘Extrinsic…’ is
highlight laden, namely the second track
‘Antithetical’, the churning ‘Choking
Grove’ and the serpentine ‘Chemosh
Enlighten’, and proves a more than
worthy addition to your collection.
JOHN MINCEMOYER
MORTYR
‘Rise Of The Tyrant’
STORMSPELL
Mysterious, possibly nerdy, and certainly
talented one-­man thrash machine
Cederick Forsberg sneakily bridges the
gaps between Exodus and Dark Angel
with a clandestine release that could
have fared well during the so-­called
thrash revival. Whilst it’s a smidgen of
RYHUNLOO RQ WKH VHOIUHÁH[LYH VFDOH ² WUDFN
three painfully entitled ‘Dark Angel’ and
the artwork uncannily ‘Game Over’ in
exchanging a mushroom cloud for a
gargantuan North Korean-­esque general
– ‘Rise Of The Tyrant’ otherwise holds it
own as a welcome piece of ‘86 worship.
AL BULMER
M-­PIRE OF EVIL
¶&UXFLÀHG·
MAUSOLEUM
Despite the lineup of Mantas and Tony
Dolan, the men responsible for classic
after classic record (rounded off by
Marc Jackson on drums), M-­Pire Of
Evil are a different proposition entirely.
This is a thoroughly modern sounding
‘thrash’ album. Think Sneap, despite not
being recorded digitally, and you’d be
along the right path. With such musical
pedigree in the band, it’s very much a
frustrating listen, going for the hard and
heavy approach resulting in an album
that seems to be all mouth and no
trousers. Despite strong songs like opener
‘Temples Of Ice’ the rest of the material
doesn’t exactly stand out, and ‘Taking It
All’ has what can only be described as
lyrics written by a 14-­year-­old Korn fan.
Bring back Atomkraft!
JEREMY MILLER
NAHAR
‘The Strange Inconvenience’
AVANTGARDE
With track titles like ‘Grey Concrete
Comfort’ perhaps citing riotous ‘La Haine’
like sprawling urban conurbations and
‘Purifying Negativity’ speaking for itself,
Nahar paint a bleak musical canvas of
the discontent and corruption going on
in France. Citing the skewed harmonies
of countrymen Blut Aus Nord and the
oozing psychedelic, soundtrack-­styled
horror of Spektr there’s a lot to be said
about the climate producing sinister,
drab and grey claustrophobic tunes
rife with such depressive fear and
loathing. With passages of vortex-­etched
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with hellish ambience formed around
druggy dirges like ‘D.M.T.’ this makes for
an uncomfortable listening experience.
There must be something in the Seine
causing so much music like this to slither
out of France and it sure as shit ain’t
champagne.
PETE WOODS
NECRONOMICON
‘The Rise of the Elder Ones’
SEASON OF MIST
After crossing the hurdles of second
and third album releases, Canada’s
Necronomicon have returned with
an album likely to crush any of their
predecessors. ‘The Rise Of Elders’
is arguably one of their strongest
moments, with a blackened death
blastfest that will undoubtedly result in
tinnitus. Although there is an array of
monstrous drumming that could give
the likes of Behemoth’s Inferno a run for
his money, and guitar parts delicately
laced with technicality, the album as
a whole is nothing particularly thought
provoking. Unlike similar sounding artists
like the aforementioned Behemoth or
the beautifully brutal Nile, the Canadians
lack a distinctive atmosphere despite
divulging in majestic yet slightly cringey
keyboard parts. Although competent,
‘The Rise Of The Elder Ones’ slowly falls
into a repetitive loop by the latter half of
the album and it wouldn’t be surprising if
this album was lost in the murky depths of
extreme metal.
LILY RANDALL
NEIGE ÉTERNELLE
‘Neige Éternelle’
SEPULCHRAL
Although a relatively new band from
the burgeoning Quebecois scene
Neige Éternelle’s debut album shows no
lack of fortitude and aggression. Huge
H[SORVLRQVUHVRXQGLQWRDÀHU\WXPXOWZLWK
some incredibly distinctive blood curdling
vocal shrieks. The warlike punkish bluster
of short sharp and incendiary numbers
like ‘Fier Patriote’ never stand still for a
second and the clash of cymbal snare
strikes resound throughout. Due partly
to geography this and a live album
complete with various Beherit covers
are unfortunately our only insight into this
band enshrouded in its reclusive scene.
Perhaps that exclusivity makes it the
more compelling, a certain air of mystery
backed up with the aggressive raw drive
of the music really harkens back to a
time when black metal was new and
dangerously exciting.
PETE WOODS
Reviews.Praise.Mutilation
NEURONSPOILER
‘Emergence’
SELF-­RELEASED
/RQGRQ ÀYHSLHFH 1HXURVSRLOHU VHHP
to have an agenda (and not a bad
one either), to play and produce classic
heavy metal music, regardless of whether
it’s fashionable or successful. So, what do
we have? A polished mixture of classic
rock and “proper” heavy metal, where
“proper” refers to our lords almighty Priest
and Maiden. ‘Emergence’ is ten tracks of
very slick, tight and in places solo-­tastic
heavy metal the way it was conceived
to be. Vocalist JR has quite a range and
never hits a bum note on his way up the
scales to a high-­pitched wail that would
make the likes of Michael Kiske proud.
Neurospoiler may not be changing the
world musically, image-­wise or even
topically, but ‘Emergence’ should be
taken as its found: pure smile-­inducing
fun.
MILES HACKETT
NOCTURNE
‘Ave Noctem’
DO OR DIE
Are one-­man black metal projects
still valid? Chicago-­based multi-­
instrumentalist, Dan Klein, thinks so as
evidenced by this surprisingly well-­
DUUDQJHGZHOOUHFRUGHGDQGFRQÀGHQWO\
performed full-­length. What is most
surprising about this seven-­track debut
HIIRUW LV WKDW LW VRXQGV OLNH D IXOOÁHGJHG
band at work. This effect stems from the
excellent-­sound of the recording and
Mr Klein’s mastery of each respective
instrument. With one-­man projects
generally one instrument suffers due
WR D ODFN RI UHDO SURÀFLHQF\ EXW WKDW LV
GHÀQLWHO\ QRW WKH FDVH RQ ¶$YH«· 7KLV
is especially true of the dynamic drum
work throughout. One wonders if a band
would enlist his services if they were to
actually hear this. Beyond that, plenty of
melody and even some traditional heavy
metal tones creep into the compositions
via the guitar, as best evidenced on the
nine-­plus minute, ‘Rites Of Contrition’,
and ‘Anxiopath’. Although not as epic or
progressive, it seems that Mr. Klein enjoys
latter-­day Enslaved because, at least to
WKHVHHDUVWKHLULQÁXHQFHFDQEHKHDUG
Vocally, he tends to stay with a somewhat
cold rasp, but uses an occasional layered
clean vocal to good effect. The lyrics are
SUHVHQWHG LQ WKH ÀUVWSHUVRQ ZLWK KHDY\
self-­introspection centring upon life’s
myriad struggles. It seems strange to listen
to a black metal album and not hear one
mention of Satan, Hell, or desecrating the
REVOCATION
‘Revocation’
RELAPSE
The inherent brilliance of Revocation’s
fourth opus lies within its ability to
combine taste with technicality,
appealing to both layman and
connoisseur through compositions
written to be appreciated in-­and-­
of themselves. Daringly dynamic,
LW·V HTXDO SDUWV PHOOLÁXRXV DQG
malfunctional, the jazzy tech-­death
of ‘The Hive’ and ‘Scattering The
Flock’ swiftly forming a blackened and
epic merger into the melo-­savagery
RI ¶$UFKÀHQG· (DFK LQGLYLGXDO
song possesses its own nuance
92 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
Virgin Mary. The only real issue on ‘Ave…’
is the instrumental title-­track, the fourth
track, a clumsy sound and guitar pastiche
that really does nothing to improve upon
‘Ave…’s atmosphere. ‘Ave…’ will not set
the black metal world alight – this is not
‘Det Som Engang Var’ or ‘Tentacles Of
Whorror’ – but this is nonetheless a solid
debut.
JOHN MINCEMOYER
NUNSLAUGHTER
‘The Devil’s Congress Vol. One’
HELLS HEADBANGERS
We’ve all scrolled through the Hells
Headbangers distro catalogue with
incredulity at, and a wanton desire to
own each and every Nunslaughter ultra-­
diehard-­buy-­now-­you-­worthless-­poser
ltd.12 copies 7” singles and split releases.
Were it not for the restrictive forces of
ÀQDQFLDO UXLQ ZH·G DOO EH VZLPPLQJ LQ
shaped vinyls and coloured cassettes
like Scrooge McDuck in a pool of dollars.
Thankfully, those devilishly thoughtful
chaps at Hells Headbangers have
FRPSLOHGWKHÀUVWYROXPHRIDQH[WHQVLYH
collection of Nunslaughter’s short-­length
blasphemies, comprising 29 unholy blasts
of “Devil Metal” from their 1990 7” debut
‘Killed By The Cross’ to the early 2000’s
‘Hell On...’ series. Scoring low on the kvlt-­
o-­meter, it is, however, an economical
catch-­up with one of death metal’s most
SUROLÀFRIIHQGHUV
AL BULMER
THE OATH
‘Night Child/Black Rainbow’
HIGH ROLLER
Berlin-­based The Oath, featuring Sonic
Ritual’s Linnea Olsson on guitars, may
seem a little late to the female-­fronted
occult rock coven but don’t allow your
preconceptions to get the better of
you here. This debut 7” showcases an
exciting energy not heard since perhaps
The Devil’s Blood’s early output and it is
far from tentative with the two tracks
stomping along with self-­assured proto
metal attitude. ‘Night Child’ opens with
VROLG EDVVKHDY\ ULIÀQJ WKDW VLWV ZHOO LQ
WKHSURGXFWLRQJLYLQJLWWKHEHHÀQHVVWKLV
musical style calls for. Johanna Sadonis’
vocals drift in with a distinctly retro vibe
– reverb-­laden, dark and soulful – and
Olsson’s penchant for punk can be heard
in the loose guitar work. ‘Black Rainbow’
is a less straightforward affair with its more
dynamic structure. The drumming pace
is set to a stomp;; a doomy disco beat
perfectly complementing and driving
the memorable vocal melodies forward.
simultaneously forming an organic
whole, the dramatic shifts and turns
creating a roller-­coaster ride of shocks,
surprises, and, not least, slam-­dancing
adrenalin.
With all indications set to a
crescendo of heaviness Boston’s multi-­
talented tricksters expel any concerns
of mid-­album drudgery on ‘Invidious’
sneaking in an ingeniously placed
banjo section. Like a slap across the
chops with your trousers down it’s
disorientating and awakening as
they seamlessly continue their virtuous
assault, deploying anthemic choruses
and gang chant-­a-­longs in what
develops into a surprisingly catchy
number.
Not only an outstanding
reformation of tech-­death but a
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of modern metal that Revocation,
and their maverick peers are heavily
contributing towards;; one that could
easily push them leagues above a sea
of generica into the higher echelons of
extreme music.
AL BULMER
CAUCHEMAR
‘Tenebrario’
NUCLEAR WAR NOW!
Haunting doomsters Cauchemar
feel undeniably classic. Borrowing
from the Pagan Altar/ Pentagram/
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Quebecois quartet are steeped in that
understated approach. Nearly devoid
of the incessant, fuzzed-­out dirge that
many doom bands are suffocating
in, they’ve instead opted for a dry,
crisp quality. Their authenticity is
further elevated by the lyrics, which
pack the double punch of being
sung in French – giving them a horror/
carnivalesque vibe – and being sung/
spoken by vocalist Annick Giroux. Her
low, understated delivery wavers from
occasionally melodic and powerful to
breathy and unobtrusive. Since 2007,
Cauchemar have slowly ascended
7KHUHLVVRPHWKLQJLQWKHYRFDOVDQGULIÀQJ
here that resembles the eeriness of In
Solitude’s eponymous debut – especially
the chorus, but it remains subtle and
enables The Oath to stand out from the
rest of the saturated scene. This is limited
to 500 vinyl copies. Be quick or be dead!
JACK WELCH
OGDRU JAHAD
‘I (One)’
IRON BONEHEAD
In the Hellboy comic universe the Ogdru
Jahad is the Dragon of Revelation –
actually seven dragons – that exist to
bring about the end of the world. The
inspiration for these entities would be H.P.
Lovecraft’s much mined Cthulhu Mythos.
7KHUH LV QR ÀFWLRQ LQYROYHG ZLWK 2JGUX
Jahad, a quartet from Denmark, whose
SLWLOHVV EODFNGHDWK ÀOWK LPPHGLDWHO\
reminds one of Black Witchery and
vaunted Canadian war metal acts
Blasphemy and Conqueror. ‘I (One)’
features a short ‘Intro’ followed by ten
battering tracks of claustrophobic, down-­
right crippling noise noted for its crude
simplicity. Blatantly courting tedium, one
heinous track bleeds into another with no
thought to melody or complexity. Brief
moments of variation arise, a slight tempo
down-­shift into a lurching riff or a solo
schizoid guitar strangling, but for the most
part (99.9 per cent) this all-­out aggression
attempting to achieve annihilation
through monotonous bashing, savage
sawing and guttural howling. ‘Glories
Of Mary’, for example, is no ‘Pictures Of
/LO\· 7KH ÀQDO GHVHFUDWLRQ ¶,W ,V 'RQH«·
happens to be the album’s longest
and most varied track due to heavy
atmospheric manipulation. One could
say this is utterly laughable, and this is
far from brilliant, but there are plenty of
people, ahem, maniacs, out there that
ÀQG2JGUX-DKDG·VRQHGLPHQVLRQDOVW\OH
appealing. And who knows, maybe they
will continue to develop, and then again,
maybe not…
JOHN MINCEMOYER
from the underground and on their
second full-­length ‘Tenebrario’ – the
follow up to 2010’s promising and
undeniably epic ‘La Vierge Noire’ –
the (now) quartet have gelled. The
result is more walloping groove and
variations within the songs, but never
at the expense of retaining their core.
They’ve simply improved on their
formula. Energetic songs ‘Le Fantôme’
and ‘Trois Mondes’ are the standouts,
as haunting keyboards and NWOBHM
style galloping rhythms dominate.
Sandwiched between are slow to
mid-­paced gems, including the
gorgeous title track. Artfully plucked
strings, cooing vocals and the crisp
ping of the bell bring the album to an
appropriately understated end. More
please!
SARAH KITTINGHAM
OPHIS
¶(IÀJLHV2I'HVRODWLRQ·
CYCLONE EMPIRE
This double compilation is for the hardiest
of listeners prepared to sit through well
over two hours of stygian doom death by
these Germanic depressives. Of course
it will help if you have not already got
WKHLU ÀUVW WZR DOEXPV ZKLFK PXFK RI
this comprises from, along with some
live numbers recorded in Germany 2010
and demo and rehearsal tracks. It’s a
suitable introduction full of morbid slow
crushing riffs and beastly growls on songs
that seem to crawl their way out of the
tomb and kill by wearing down over epic
running lengths. The one real break is the
suitable if overused “I believe” speech by
Kinderman in ‘Exorcist III’, seeing as the
song is called ‘Pazuzu’ and is a highlight
we can forgive such trespasses. All in all
it’s a formidable conversion to nihilism
and one best avoiding use of heavy
machinery whilst consuming;; as for doing
it all in one sitting it’s highly inadvisable
PETE WOODS
PAGANIZER
‘World Lobotomy’
CYCLONE EMPIRE
Even the most ardent Rogga Johansson
supporter wouldn’t be able to deny that
after the recent overkill of releases the
Swedish death metal one-­man machine
has unleashed over the last two years, the
cracks are becoming too apparent. As
behind each masterstoke – like the latest
Revolting or Putrevore albums – now lies
another half-­cooked album, as if the man
wasn’t putting all members of his now
large family on the same level. Being his,
E\IDUORQJHVWUXQQLQJRXWÀWLW·VELWXQIDLU
to see Paganizer taking the hit. Below the
standards set up by ‘Murder Death Kill’ or
¶1R'LYLQH5DSWXUH·LQWKHÀUVWKDOIRIWKH
2000s and handicapped by a quite crusty
production, their ninth full-­length feels too
much like just another album for its own
good.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
Reviews.Praise.Mutilation
IMPIETY
‘Vengeance Hell Immemorial’
HELL’S HEADBANGERS
Sometimes a compilation may seem
like a money-­grabbing scheme but
when the band in question’s tunes
are as hard to hunt down as an
endangered species, it can come as
a blessing. Singapore’s black/death
exports Impiety go out of print with ease
and ‘Vengeance Hell Immemorial’ is
the ideal portrayal of their evil reign
over more than two decades. For
PANZERCHRIST
‘The 7th Offensive’
LISTENABLE
Having performed an exemplarity job
in producing the sort of death metal
that would bludgeon and annihilate
everything in a ten mile radius, where
to turn? Sure, a band could continue
down that narrow paradigm until some
bunch of young upstarts delivers the
goods in a more convincing way, or they
could tweak, adjust and manipulate;;
not quite changing the game plan but
exercising a more devious delivery. Such
is the path that Michael Enevoldsen
has chosen for Panzerchrist. Up until the
‘Regiment Ragnarok’ the band were
synonymous with unyielding eyebrow-­
singeing velocity;; for ‘The 7th Offensive’
WKHÀUVWREYLRXVFKDQJHLVDVORZLQJGRZQ
of tempo and letting the furious double-­
bass drumming (think ‘Grim Reality’ times
ten) and maliciously distorted bass do the
pummelling instead of the usual six-­string
assault, with those instruments instead
soloing in an echoed, Morbid Angel-­style
or delivering riff after cutting riff with a
greater sense of harmony and harmonics
than previous efforts. That’s not to say
the speed isn’t present (‘In The Name Of
Massacration’);; here the fury is given a
new lease of life by the surrounding guitar
work. It’s a move that is bound to spark
controversy, but for Panzerchrist, it’s given
them a new lease of life, freed them from
WKH KRPRJRQ\ RI VLPLODUVRXQGLQJ RXWÀWV
and has allowed them to carve their own
little niche.
GUY STRACHAN
PERVERTICON
‘Extinguishing the Flame of Life’
MORDGRIM
Bestial, black metal bands are a dime a
dozen, two minutes on google and you
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bands than you can singles waiting to
PHHW \RX LQ \RXU DUHD EXW WR ÀQG D
good one, that is a rare treat. Perverticon
have delivered up a surprisingly delicious
little package full of everything nasty
and bad for the soul. With such fantastic
monikers as Omnicremationist Supreme,
Uncleanest Invictus and Necrosadistic
Elite, these are the kind of guys that you
wish you were friends with, but are too
VFDUHGWKDWWKH\·OOVDFULÀFH\RXDWWKHÀUVW
opportunity to make a deal with the devil.
SAM MCKAVANAGH
THE PETE FLESH DEATHTRIP
‘Mortui Vivos Docent’
PULVERISED
Pete ‘Flesh’ Karlsson had better buy his
buddies-­of-­the-­day Andreas Jonsson
(drums) and Micke Broberg (vocals) a
drink ‘cos they bloody deserve it. The
94 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
those unfamiliar with Impiety, this
record starts from the bestial beginning
with exhibits from their ‘Salve The
Goat’ EP and ‘Ceremonial Necrochrist
Redesecration’ demo containing
Blasphemy worship aplenty.
As the album progresses, so does
WKH GHDWK PHWDO ÁDYRXUV WKURXJK
‘Funeralight’, into ‘Kaos Kommand’
and into their split with Abhorrence,
the most deadly yet. Despite their
often elitist following and ridiculously
raw speed, the interludes amongst
the darkness show the opposite,
with renditions of ‘Eye Of The Tiger’
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infographic were to be made of this
album, it would be Darwin’s image of
evolution smothered in corpsepaint,
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black metal fan’s shelf.
LILY RANDALL
former Maze Of Torment guitarist may
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or so, but ‘Mortui Vivos Docent’ appears
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same old-­school thrash/death brand
the man had been squeezing until its
last drop in the second half of the 2000s
under various monikers. But Jonsson and
especially Broberg add a malevolent
and blackish vibe that when used at its
full potential, as heard on opener ‘Fallen
Bliss’ or the very Bathory-­like ‘The Eternal
Dawn’, creates the kind of epic-­sounding
album that is bound to make all No
Fashion Records and late ‘90s Swedish
black/death fans salivate for more.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
POWERWOLF
‘Preachers Of The Night’
NAPALM
No one could accuse Powerwolf of
Subtlety. Thrusting, Teutonic power metal
is the order of the day as arpeggiated
chords mix with muscular vocals on
¶3UHDFKHUV 2I 7KH 1LJKW· WKH ÀIWK IXOO
length studio album from the Saabrucken
band. Starting well with the bombastic
‘Amen And Attack’, ‘Preachers...’ is a
“fun” album that suffers somewhat from
a lack of diversity. While there’s nothing
inherently wrong with repetition, it starts to
grate across what is essentially 11 tracks
that all sound exactly the same. This is an
album for power metal purists, but one
that will fail to maintain the attention of a
wider audience.
JOHN MUSKETT
POWER TRIP
‘Manifest Decimation’
SOUTHERN LORD
Every year that passes in a thrasher’s life
is another year further away from 1986,
the grooves of legendary records ever
deepening through constant rotation.
3DUW RI \RX ZDQWV WR ÀQG VRPHWKLQJ
akin to those powerful times, and yes,
bands like Deathhammer, Antichrist and
Nekromantheon have summoned the
hunger of the ancient gods. This one,
however, we did not see coming. Hailing
from Dallas, Texas, the press release for
this one reads like something we wouldn’t
normally even consider downloading.
A closer look at the “IFYL” bit,
namechecking Nuclear Assault and Cro-­
Mags had us reconsider, and fast-­forward
to a lot of listens later and we have what
may be one of the albums of the year. It is
as explosive as anything from that holiest
of eras, evoking Dark Angel, Slayer and
Sadus. And it is somewhat punky, too,
although calling this crossover is a bit
wide of the mark. Sure, there may not be
a huge amount of variety in the riffs, but
boy are they fucking good riffs. We bet
the live show to be nothing short of poser-­
crushing annihilation. Desecration!
DYLAN HUGHES
QUEENSRŸCHE
‘Queensrÿche’
CENTURY MEDIA
With Geoff Tate having been
FHUHPRQLDOO\ ÀUHG  PRQWKV DJR EXW
not prevented from going on to release
a brilliant solo effort in ‘Kings & Thieves’),
the remaining members of Queensrÿche
faced the great task of proving to
the world that there can be “life after
Tate”. They have, safe to say, somehow
managed to pull this one through. In
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PDQ ZKR PD\ QRW EH DV ÁDPER\DQW DV
Tate, but who is, nevertheless, capable
of producing vocal performances of an
impressive range. So much so, that those
less-­familiar with the band’s work might
think that Tate is still the singer of the
EDQG GXULQJ WKH ÀUVW IHZ VHFRQGV RI WKH
opening composition ‘Where Dreams Go
To Die’. With emotional orchestrations, ‘In
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do not despair – there is more – with songs
like the heavy-­riffed ‘Spore’ worth their
weight in gold. ‘Redemption’ will both
surprise and impress with its intertwined
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GUXPPHU 6FRWW 5RFNHQÀHOG VKRZFDVLQJ
his great skills, while the harmonies on the
duet ‘A World Without’/‘Open Road’ are
reminiscent of the band’s soul-­searching
around the time when ‘Promised Land’
was released (1994). Those who prefer
their metal simple and immediate will
certainly enjoy the sing-­along themes
of ‘Don’t Look Back’. The three-­minute
opus, ‘Fall Out’, reveals that this version
of Queensrÿche is a top-­quality band
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LW YHU\ GLIÀFXOW WR DFFHSW WKHVH JX\V
recording music without Geoff Tate at
the helm, but credit must be given to
both LaTorre and the founding triumvirate
EXHUMED
‘Necrocracy’
RELAPSE
Let’s get it out of the way quickly:
¶1HFURFUDF\· ([KXPHG·V ÀIWK IXOO
length, sixth if you count the 2005 covers
LP ‘Garbage Daze Re-­Regurgitated’, is
the best and most accomplished work
so far to bear that now iconic metallic,
pointy, blood-­dripping logo (Arguably,
2003’s ‘Anatomy Is Destiny’ once held
that distinction, but this is no longer the
case). With ‘Necrocracy’ the logo is
black. A subtle change, but change
nonetheless. Yes, it is still metallic,
pointy and dripping blood, but
shrouded in the colour of mourning,
which is apropos considering how long
Exhumed has been dealing death.
Generally, such death, in its myriad
forms, tends to lean towards the
extremely gruesome and this is why
we love Exhumed and this is why said
ORYHZLOOEHUHDIÀUPHGRQFH\RXKHDU
‘Necrocracy’. ‘Necrocracy’ consists
of ten tracks of well-­written, frenetic
grinding death metal;; thus, no surprises
in that regard since that is Exhumed’s
stock in trade. But, the amount of
5RFNHQÀHOG-DFNVRQ:LOWRQ IRU KDYLQJ
released a high-­quality album.
YIANNIS STEFANIS
RITUAL STEEL
‘Immortal’
KILLER METAL
Germany’s Ritual Steel have been quietly
plying their trade for over a decade,
without making many ripples in the heavy
metal pond. ‘Immortal, their fourth full-­
length, sees them ploughing the same
furrow of European, amateurish traditional
metal. Starting off slowly with nine minute
opener ‘Aggressor’ things thankfully get
less stale on ‘Judgement Day’ and ‘Metal
Sanctuary’, but Ritual Steel still seem
very much like a garage project playing
for friends in local bars than any sort of
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much one for the gluttonous rather than
the curious.
JEREMY MILLER
SACRED GATE
‘Tides Of War’
METAL ON METAL
With it’s cover art depicting Spartans at
war, and song titles such as ‘Defenders’
and ‘Spartan Killing Machine’ you would
be forgiven for thinking it’s all getting a bit
‘300’, and that’s because it is. Essentially
what the band seem to have done is
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an album loosely based around it’s events.
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VRXUFHPDWHULDO6DFUHG*DWH·VLQÁXHQFHV
don’t seem to have infused their music in
quite the same way. Whilst ‘Tides Of War’
isn’t a bad album by any stretch of the
imagination, there are literally dozens
of bands doing it better (think Warlord,
Manilla Road, Blind Guardian), and whilst
songs like the ubiquitous ballad ‘Never To
Return’ are actually quite good, there’s
just not enough to warrant anything other
than a cursory listen.
JEREMY MILLER
melody interspersed throughout,
especially during the exceptionally
emotive guitar solos, provided by
mainstay Matt Harvey and re-­enlisted
Bud Burke (bassist from 1999 – 2003),
is a most welcome surprise. Once
again, a subtle change, but change
nonetheless, and this element
provides a nice counterpoint to the
all-­pervasive carnage. Ironically,
‘Necrocracy’ may very well be
Exhumed’s “slowest” record thus far.
The band’s superlative performance,
rounded out by bassist Rob Babcock
and drummer Mike Hamilton, oozes
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tensile strength be it blazing opener
‘Coins Upon The Eyes’, the brilliantly
H[SUHVVLYH ¶'\VPRUSKLF· RU WKH ÀQDO
disgorgement, ‘The Rotting’. The
sterling production – every instrument
audible, the levels consistent – helps
immensely. As frightening as it may
sound, Exhumed has never sounded
better, but do not let that fool you
because one thing has not changed:
“The Saw is the Law.”
[4] JOHN MINCEMOYER
Reviews.Praise.Mutilation
NOISEM
¶$JRQ\'HÀQHG·
A389
“Older men declare war. But it is
\RXWK WKDW PXVW ÀJKW DQG GLHµ
said Herbert Hoover, presumably
with future reference to Baltimore’s
annoyingly gifted deathrash teens,
and in executing a debut full-­length
that harnesses the same methodical
ferocity as early Slayer, Morbid Angel
and Pestilence, Noisem are among
the next generation’s higher ranking
bastions of the old school cause.
Opening track ‘Bodies in the Morgue’
SETH
‘The Howling Spirit’
SEASONS OF MIST
This French quintet are the sort of act
that get described as pioneers, perhaps
claims are even bandied about that they
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Alas, neither of these claims are true.
Sure, they’re quite good at delivering
a highly polished blackened assault a
la Dimmu Borgir (but without the synths)
but ultimately they’re not offering us
anything that hasn’t come countless
times before. It’s far from a write-­off,
WKHUH DUH VRPH JOLPPHUV RI ÀOWK\ JXW
wrenching, pummel-­your-­ears goodness,
but these are few and far between. There
is something about them that makes you
want to like them, some kind of charm,
almost like a promise that in the distant
future you’ll grow to love them, but that’s
not really a commitment that you want to
make right now.
SAM MCKAVANAGH
SIGN OF THE JACKAL
‘Mark Of The Beast’
HIGH ROLLER
Summoned from the horror depths of
Italy comes bewitching band, Sign Of
The Jackal. These guys have been in
our sights for a while now. They play
heavy metal the way it should be…
“HEAVY METAL, OLDSCHOOL!” exclaims
axeman Bob Condini. The riffs reek like
they have been dug up from an ancient
crypt, heart-­stopping, razor-­sharp guitars
howl through tracks like ‘Hellhounds’
and ‘Heavy Metal Demons’ and as you
can tell from just a few track names
like that these guys are deep into the
evil metal fuelling us all. The drums are
predominantly mid-­paced, maintaining a
dirty beat that makes any wrong-­minded
person head bang any day! These guys
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as bands like Messiah Force, Meghan and
Acid. See a theme here? Oh yeah, killer
heavy metal fronted by deadly women!
And this band is NO exception! Vocalist
Laura’s rough style is powerful as hell – a
style that she absolutely owns – as she
leads you through the metal cemetery
escorting you back to the city of the
GHDG 3HUKDSV WKLV LV WKH ÀIWK :DUORFN
album we all wanted? It is certainly better
WKDQ 'RUR·V ÀUVW IXOOOHQJWK 7KH\ SD\
homage to old horror gods like Lucio Fulci
and Dario Argento so much so it makes
96 IRON FIST MAGAZINE
erupts with bludgeoning stabs and
razorwire riffs peppered with the
atonal wails and screeches of air-­
raid siren shreds and lightning speed
mechanics. At no point does ‘Agony
'HÀQHG· IDOWHU IURP WKLV EOXHSULQW
marginally reducing the tempo – but
retaining the face-­stomping violence
– for ‘Split From The Inside Out’. Nine
tracks clocking in at 26 minutes, it’s a
high-­octane fast forward nightmare
instilling a morbid desire for more.
Here’s hoping they can continue to
rage at full throttle.
AL BULMER
the atmosphere sound straight from one
of the movies Larua is singing about! Any
of the songs this band has written would
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the scene where all the punks are in the
car driving around to break tombstones
or get killed. You know which one we’re
talking about. In conclusion, all we can
say is: “THIS IS WHAT HELL SOUNDS LIKE
AND WE’RE POSSESSED!”
DAN NEILD
SKELETAL SPECTRE
‘Voodoo Dawn’
PULVERISED
The third full-­length by the US/Swedish
death merchants is a grisly and grime-­
ridden affair of sledgehammer brutality
and catchy (meat) hooks;; no surprise
it was conjured at Morbid Apparition
Studios under the guidance of Cianide
and Impetigo sound tweaker Patrick
Bruss. The Swedish connection runs
rampant throughout, from the eerie
introductory sound effects – a haunted
turntable, perhaps? – the explosive
eruption of Entombed chugging sets
the tone. ‘Bone Dust’ and ‘Shallow
Grave’ are wrought with morbid grooves
and melodious overlays torn straight
from 1990s Stockholm, as are Vanessa
Nocera’s vocals, whose sickening grunts
and screams are delivered with ferocity
and otherworldly range as demonstrated
on ‘The Flip-­Side Of Satan’. The downfall
to ‘Voodoo Dawn’, in spite all the
injected doses of macabre atmosphere,
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becomes oppressive, rendering it
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repetitive. However, this shouldn’t be of
issue to long-­term Swedish death metal
junkies who would be wise to feed their
addiction with what is an overall quality
piece of genericism.
AL BULMER
SNYPER
‘Manifestations’
MOSH TUNEAGE
Having appeared on a compilation
album at the tail-­end of the ‘80s, and
having recorded a slew of demos,
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light of day. Ironically the very thing
that helps this album stand out from the
pack of very average UK thrash acts is
exactly what would have put the nails
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in 1991: keyboards. Dated as they sound
they actually enhance each and every
track on the album. Adding a couple
of bonus tracks from the album sessions,
and a hideous (not in a good way)
cover, ‘Manifestations’ deserves a little
recognition almost 22 years after it was
meant to be released
JEREMY MILLER
THANATOS
‘Angelic Encounters’
CENTURY MEDIA
Upon its initial release back in 1999,
‘Angelic Encounters’ proved to be quite
a mixed bag. If it did salute the return
of one of the earliest Dutch extreme
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prior and saw founding member and
future Hail Of Bullets Stephan Gebédi
recruiting Aad Kloosterwaard (Sinister),
Theo van Eeeklen (Houwitser) and Paul
Baayens (future Asphyx) to help him
go back to the hybrid of manic thrash
and proto-­death that illuminated their
early material and the inclusion of a re-­
recording of the demo classic ‘Speed
Kills’, it was still a bit of a disappointment.
The disastrous production with its initial
over-­triggered drums and guitars sadly
lacked any extra gusto and begged for
D UHPL[ ZKLFK ÀQDOO\ KDSSHQHG LQ 
when China’s Area Death Productions
ÀUVWUHLVVXHGWKHDOEXP%XWQRZZLWKWKH
2002 ‘Beyond Terror’ EP as a bonus, it’s
been given another chance, this time
with an added re-­mastering job courtesy
of Mr. Dan Swanö that puts the six-­strings
upfront where they belong and brings
out their early Possessed/Dark Angel
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a notch under the death metal infused
predecessor, ‘Realm Of Ecstasy’, and its
FULPLQDOO\RYHUORRNHGIROORZXS¶-XVWLÀHG
Genocide’, but is still nevertheless worthy
of a listen or two.
OLIVIER ‘ZOLTAR’ BADIN
THAW
‘Thaw’
AVANTGARDE
Well, this makes a change from black
metal bands trying to freeze us! Thaw
PEST
‘The Crowning Horror’
AGONIA
Sweden’s Pest formed in 1997, which
was several years after the smell of
black metal that Satyr growled about
in ‘Black Lava’ faded. ‘The Crowning
Horror’ makes for their fourth full-­
OHQJWKDQGÀUVWLQÀYH\HDUV2QHORRN
at the purposefully “retro” looking
album cover – a huge skull, smoke
(maybe lightning) streaming behind
it, with light emitting from its sockets
ÁLHV DERYH DQ HHULH ERQHVWUHZQ
graveyard on a pitch black night
sometime after the clock struck twelve
– should give you an idea of what to
expect from ‘…Horror’. This is archaic-­
sounding Scandinavian black metal in
its most reductive, simplistic form that
incorporates plenty of devilishly sleazy
Euro heavy metal/NWOBHM tones.
Unabashedly raw and unpolished, this
from Poland mix their ritualistic sound with
harsh electronics and ambience giving
their craft an air of mystic and ferocious
beastliness as they literally open ‘The
Gate’ and surge into the maelstrom.
Melody is handled deftly and merges
atmospherically with passages of all
out brutality. Vocals have a stadium,
roof raising quality about them at times
OLWHUDOO\ ÁHHLQJ WR WKH VNLHV ZLWK D KRUGH
of gibbering demons on their tail. This is
the sound of darkened rooms, billowing
incense, skulls and blood. Clichéd though
that may sound, Thaw has made an
utterly serious and compelling debut
album which acolytes of AoP and DiS
should certainly check out.
PETE WOODS
TOXIC HOLOCAUST
‘From The Ashes Of Nuclear
Destruction’
RELAPSE
This compilation of nasty rarities stretches
back to 2003, four years after Joel Grind
ÀUVW VWUDSSHG RQ KLV QXFOHDUSURRI EXOOHW
belt. The band stands out as one of the
truest and most consistent old-­school
projects to spawn recently in the US.
Respect is due for the reliably nasty
EODFNHQHG VSHHG PHWDO ULIÀQJ WKDW 0U
Grind is capable of producing. D-­beats
will smash and axes will thrash over reverb
heavy growls of nuclear devastation. The
tracks here come from various splits and
compilations so the sound quality varies,
but the quality and entertainment factor
remains. The mix of sounds actually adds
to the playability of the record in some
ways. If you’re a fan of Deathhammer
and co., but haven’t yet been impressed
with the more mainstream sounding Toxic
Holocaust releases then this is a great
SODFH WR VWDUW 7KDW VDLG \RX FDQ VWLOO ÀQG
versions of hits like ‘Nuke The Cross’. If
you’re already a fan then this is a great
way to save time trawling for rare splits
and patchy compilations. But for any Iron
Fister this is a good value dose of quality
raw thrashing done the right way. See you
in Death Camp.
MAREK STEVEN
is one hell of fun listen, especially since
each song features plenty of variation
as evidenced by the differences
between the frenetic ‘Volcanic Eyes’,
the throbbing, bass heavy ‘Devil’s
Mark’, the not-­so-­subtle pounding of
‘Holocaust’, the messy death comes
ripping title track or the practically
epic closer ‘Eternal Curse’. If you are
VHHNLQJ SROLVKHG UHÀQHG EHDXW\ RU
KLJKO\FRPSOH[:DJQHULDQLQÁXHQFHG
compositions, then you will be sorely
disappointed with Pest. One thing of
note is the creepy, almost cheesy,
slightly weird vibe throughout, which
works. Obviously, Pest could care
less what anyone thinks about their
sound, its presentation or lack of
technicality because ‘…Horror’ is all
about atmosphere and command
of nuance, which Pest, at least here,
creates and sustains with aplomb.
JOHN MINCEMOYER
 “You pay 100 times more for a Solar Eagle
record than Rainbow ‘Rising’; there is
something very, very wrong with that”

ALASTAIR RIDDELL
AGE OF TAURUS
He thinks paying over the odds for rare records is
pointless, but still has a collection of envy due to his quest
for a bargain, ALASTAIR RIDDELL of doom newcomers
AGE OF TAURUS lets us delve into his killer haul
My favourite record is…
Photo: Sanna Charles
“Iron Maiden ‘Killers’. No surprise there.
Although Bruce is undoubtedly a better
singer and I can listen to any Maiden
album, I always come back to ‘Killers’.
It’s got everything. The aggressive
punky edge blends perfectly
with the Deep Purple and Montrose
grooves. Why don’t they play ‘Murders
In The Rue Morgue’ and ‘Innocent
Exile’ instead of ‘Fear Of The Dark’?”

My favourite artwork is…

“The same! ‘Killers’! Or perhaps
‘Powerslave’… or ‘Somewhere In Time’.
I spent so many hours looking for all
the hidden messages and faces. I also
love the little Eddies on the labels of the
early records. In fact I have a tattoo
based on the ‘Run To The Hills’ label.
Our bassist Rich has the ‘Stranger In A
Strange Land’ Eddie on his leg and
it is the best Maiden tattoo I’ve ever
seen. Derek Riggs’ artwork was just the
best thing ever. Still is.”

The record I regret lending to a friend

is…
Metallica ‘Ride The Lightning’. I had
the original picture disc on Music
For Nations that I bought as a kid. At
some point in the late ‘80s I lent it to a
friend and never got it back. Although

100 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

it should be said that as a picture disc it
sounded awful. When I re-­bought it on
normal vinyl I wondered what happened to
the bizarre powernoise outros on each side?
“Back when I was in Mourn I did once lend
[Iron Fist publisher] Will Palmer my copy of
Brocas Helm’s ‘Black Death’. I think he had
it for about 17 years, and whilst I was parted
with it for a long time it returned in good
condition so no regrets.”
The best record my mum gave me is…
“The ‘Precious Metal’ compilation. Not long
after discovering Iron Maiden my mum
came home with this compilation and it
was killer. It was how I discovered Budgie,
Skynyrd, Wishbone Ash and Gary Moore.”
The record that has the best photo is…
“Black Sabbath ‘Black Sabbath’. That cover.
Just so perfect! That said, Scorpions ‘World
Wide Live’ is pretty damn good though.
Human pyramid of metallic glory!”
The record I forgot I owned is…
“Where do I start? It’s happened a few
times. I remember someone mentioning
Tsunami’s self-­titled debut and asking if the
whole album was good as I only knew the
track on ‘Hell Comes To Your House’. A
week later I was digging out some Trouble
and there it was. Doh!”
The record score that was the best bargain
is…
“When I was nine or ten I used to go to
this shop in Kingston, just on the outskirts of
London, called Books, Bits & Bobs to buy
my Iron Maiden patches. They were closing
down recently so I popped in and it turns
out they had loads of vinyl on sale. I picked up
loads of new LPs;; things like Snake Nation, Tension,
Running Wild, Baron Rojo, A-­Z, and Heretic, all for
£1 each. I bought £60 worth. Result!”
The record I most wished I played on is…
“How do I decide? Trouble ‘Psalm 9’ has to be up
there. It’s the perfect summation of what doom
metal should be, and alongside Candlemass
‘Epicus Doomicus Metallicus’ is the template for
what we do in Age Of Taurus. But then also MSG’s
‘One Night At Budoken’, because I’d love to be
able to play like Michael Schenker.”
The record that sounds the best is…
“Generally the secret is to look for the words
Martin and Birch on the cover. ‘Killers’ again,
or indeed any of the ‘80s Maiden albums he
produced? Deep Purple ‘Machine Head’?
Rainbow ‘Rising’ is stunning, but I think I’d have
to go with Wishbone Ash ‘Argus’. The guitar and
bass tones on that are just perfect.”
The record the reminds me of childhood is…
“Manowar ‘Sign Of The Hammer’. When my
brother and I went to see ‘Ghostbusters’ at the
cinema, he and some friends from junior school
queued up whilst I went to Our Price to buy the
newly-­released album. By the time I got back
they had all gone in and so I ended up sitting on
my own. Just me and Manowar. At least it meant
no one nicked my Maltesers.”
The record that always get played at a party is…
“If I’m DJing then ‘Lady Of Mars’ by Dark Star is
an absolute must. And then of course ‘Stargazer’
from Rainbow ‘Rising’. I don’t think that song will
ever get topped. To record an album that is in
the top 20 greatest albums of all time is a feat.
To do it with two different bands is incredible. Dio
managed to release all-­time greatest albums
with three different bands;; Rainbow, Sabbath
and Dio. Words fail to do justice to his talent.
The record I paid the most for is…
“I’m not big on spending a fortune for records.
I’m happy enough with a repress, or even the
CD, as I reckon that the music is just as good
regardless. I’d rather spend the money on
getting more albums. I did get a shock when I
VDZWKHÀUVW0D\EOLW]LQDVKRSUHFHQWO\IRU…
I paid £3 for it. Let’s face it, some of these really
expensive records are not worth the money.
You’d pay 100 times more for a Solar Eagle
record than you would for Rainbow ‘Rising’;;
there is something very, very wrong with that.”
7KHUHFRUG,ZRXOGVDYHIURPDÀUHLV«
“That’s a tough one to call. I suppose carrying
100 Maiden records would be impractical in a
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“Gillan ‘Restless’ on 7”. It came in a poster
bag cover too. I think that maybe why I don’t
have a problem with Janick Gers in Maiden!
My late brother pointed out it’s that same riff as
¶3ODVWLF%RPE·E\3RLVRQ,GHD7KHÀUVWDOEXP,
bought was Motörhead ‘On Parole’. The Fame
Records reissue, not the original. These, along
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And Leather’ are pretty much worn out as my
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the side it would just start again. I would happily
spend all day listening to those albums. Hell, I
often just set my iPod to Maiden or Manowar
and let it play all their albums in a row.”
Age Of Taurus’ ‘Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times’
is out now on Rise Above
www.Facebook.com/AgeOfTaurus
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106 IRON FIST MAGAZINE

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

OCTOBER
7 BOURNEMOUTH O2 ACADEMY
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A LIVE NATION & ACADEMY EVENTS PRESENTATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH
 academy events present

VINNY APPICE FRIDAY 9th AUGUST

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SUNDAY 11th AUGUST
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O2 ACADEMY
ISLINGTON
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An Academy Events Presentation

by arrangement with X-Ray

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C O - H E A D L I N E T O U R
A C A D E M Y E V E N T S P R E S E N T

ULI JON
Sunday 12th January 2014
ROTH PERFORMING MUSIC FROM
O2 Academy2 Birmingham THE FIRST 5 SCORPIONS ALBUMS
Tuesday 14th January 2014
TUE 24 SEPT / LIVERPOOL O2 ACADEMY2
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O 2 Academy Tickets: 0844 477 2000 / www.ticketweb.co.uk / www.academy-events .co.uk / www.facebook.com/academyevents

 JO GONZALES
(Black Mess Records
in Baltimore, MD)

As the co-­owner of one of the coolest
underground metal record shops in the world
how was Black Mess Records born?
“Black mess came to be by way of my love
for record collecting and my love of extreme
metal music. Extreme metal and classic
heavy metal has always lived in my heart
but there were so many frustrating moments
when it came to acquiring underground
metal vinyl. I’ve always felt that providing
a quick, tangible, and affordable way
to acquire the limited releases is what I
longed for in a record store. I’ve played
in several bands and have always been a
person interested in booking extreme metal
shows, promoting my bands, touring etc. I
GUDZLQÁXHQFHIURPRWKHUUHFRUGVKRSVOLNH
Armageddon Records and Hospital Records
(NY), but with Black Mess I wanted to take
it to the next level in regards to carrying
H[WUHPHO\H[FOXVLYHDQGKDUGWRÀQGPHWDO
records.”
Are there many stores selling vinyl, especially
specialist shops like yours in Baltimore?
“Yes, and the shops are really supportive
of one another here. Small specialty shops
dominate the landscape, selling any number
of different genres and formats. Within a
mile radius of our location there are three
record stores specialising in different genres.
Black Mess separates itself by selling 99
percent contemporary or reissued, hard to
ÀQGYLQ\OFDVVHWWHVDQGYHU\IHZ&'V7KH
record store customer interaction is one of
a kind and has all but disappeared due to
LQWHUQHWRQO\VKRSV7RJHWKHUZHZRUNYHU\
hard to ensure that, while offering exclusive
titles, we are also offering the best prices
possible, and of course our customers don’t
have to pay shipping. Internet sales of ‘rare’
records, especially in the ‘buy or die’ metal
community, seem to make most people,
including us, really frustrated and turned off
record collecting. Our goal is to set ourselves
““The record store
is not dying, it is
evolving””
apart and anything that happens to be out
of print or in high demand stays a reasonable
price regardless of what the gougers on the
internet are charging. We sell shirts, patches,
and handmade occult themed jewelry made
by [co-­owner] Alex too, under her design
label Acid Queen Jewelry. We are unique in
the way that we specialise in extreme metal
and we plan to stay that way. Our passion for
the music and community runs high and we
want that to be apparent from the moment
you walk through the shop’s front door.”
,W·VDOZD\VDULVNZLWKDJHQUHVSHFLÀFVWRUHOLNH
yours, is there much of a market for metal in
Maryland?
´7KHUHLVDQLQFUHGLEOHPHWDOIDQEDVHZLWK
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shows happening every week in Maryland
and the surrounding area, so why wouldn’t
we provide the people who are into metal
with a place to go and buy, listen to and
discuss the latest records to come out. We
have both been shocked at the number
of people that have travelled hours just to
come to our shop, as well as a number of
new faces, it’s really encouraging. We are
becoming a mainstay in the mid-­Atlantic
metal community;; it’s rewarding because of
the amount of hard work and time that we
have put into the shop.”
Aren’t the traditional record shops, where you
can listen to new records and get advice on
what to buy, dying out?
´7KHUHFRUGVWRUHLVQRWG\LQJLWLVHYROYLQJ
at least it is for Black Mess. For a period
the record store industry was dying, but it
bounced back. Now more than ever it seems
we are always hearing about new shops, new
bands and new labels. For years I watched
some of my favourite record stores close, but I
feel as if the trend has started to reverse.”
What advice would you give to someone who
says ‘Damn, Black Mess sounds cool, I wish
there was a store in my town, maybe I should
open one’?
´7U\LWLI\RXOLNHDQGEHSUHSDUHGWRIDLO,
would also offer my help with suggesting
different labels to contact and support them
in any other way possible. Running a specialty
record shop is certainly not for everyone. We
are fortunate to have a blossoming metal
VFHQHKHUHEHFDXVHRI0DU\ODQG'HDWKIHVW
It would take years to build up that type
RIH[SRVXUHDQ\ZKHUHHOVH7KHEOHDNQHVV
almost never sets in and takes hold, but
there have been slow days in the shop.
But we see new faces every week so the
encouragement quickly returns.”
For a longer, more in-depth interview with Jo and
co-owner Alex Camacho about this incredible
store go to www.IronFistMag.com
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORE!
www.Facebook.com/BlackMessRecords

114 IRON FIST MAGAZINE