AN NCS INTERVIEW: TETHRA

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Feb 242020
 

 

(This new interview by Comrade Aleks takes us through an extended discussion with vocalist/lyricist Clode Tethra and guitarist Federico Monti , members of the Italian death-doom band Tethra, whose new album will soon be released by Black Lion Records.)

Tethra are a death doom band from Italian Novara, Tethra spend their twelfth year on the scene, and there are two full-lengths plus one EP in itheir discography. Oh, correction – their third album Empire Of The Void is planned to be released by Black Lion Records on the 20th of March.

The album sounds both familiar and refreshingly new. Familiar because it radiates that warm melancholic vibe of classic mid-tempo melodic doom death. Refreshing because of its potent sound and its richness. It’s interesting how Tethra survive – and not just survive but succeed, as the only original member is Clode Tethra, who has provided both deep growling vocals and amazing clean singing in the band since 2008. Other members are relatively new, including guitarist Federico Monti who just left the thrash death band Total Death in order to join Tethra in 2017. Clode and Federico tell Tethra’s story tonight. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: LYING FIGURES

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Feb 192020
 

 

(Comrade Aleks has brought us another interview, and this time he amicably interrogates two members of the French death-doom band Lying Figures, whose debut album arrived in 2017 and who are now working on a successor to that one.)

Lying Figures from the French city of Nancy isn’t the most active band in the world. They started to forge their death doom metal slowly in 2008, and their EPs From Nowhere To Nothing and A World Of My Own appeared in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Their full-length work The Abstract Escape saw the light of day three years after, and this Katatonia-inspired material drew the attention of Brave Murder Day fans easily.

Well, Lying Figures didn’t turn int0 a cult band the very day this album was born, but they’re interesting enough to approach them and learn more about the band’s current status. Matthieu Burgaud (guitars) and Frédéric Simon (bass) eagerly helped me with that. Continue reading »

RENATO GALLINA (diSEMBOWELMENT): “NIGHTSIDE OF EDEN”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Feb 112020
 

 

(Comrade Aleks has brought us not quite a premiere, but close to it, a sharing of a re-recorded track by the founder of diSEMBOWELMENT, which he introduces as follows.)

Being formed in 1989, Melbourne, Australia’s diSEMBOWELMENT turned out to be one of death-doom metal’s obscure pioneers with their own original sound. The band was active for just four years, but they managed to get a deal from Relapse, and their one and only full-length album Transcendence Into The Peripheral remains one of those innovative albums which is usually mentioned as a “must hear” release.

In 2019, Renato Gallina, the founder behind diSEMBOWELMENT, felt a powerful urge to re-visit the track, “Nightside of Eden“, which was featured on this one and only album. Gallina (as he has stated) was always “incredibly dissatisfied with this version” and has told us that it “was the weakest and most regretful moment on the album”. Almost three decades later, the track, as he stated, “has been re-contextualised and is finally true to how it was originally meant to sound”. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: KONVENT

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Feb 072020
 

 

(Our Russian friend Comrade Aleks caught up with a rising star within the Napalm Records roster, and co-produced this engaging interview with Heidi Withington Brink, bassist of the Danish band Konvent, whose debut album was released by Napalm Records late last month.)

The modern death-doom scene is overcrowded with a host of bands – both old and new. Sometimes it’s hard to find something different, but you’ll remember Konvent for sure.

Formed in Copenhagen back in 2015, this all-ladies band provides thick, powerful stuff with inhuman growling vocals and a low vibe. They aren’t that brutal, like Derketa for example, but they’re remarkably heavy and depressive.

Konvent’s debut full-length Puritan Masochism was released by Napalm Records on January 24th, and with the help of Mona Miluski we’ve caught the band right in the middle of their tour. Heidi Withington Brink (bass) provided comprehensive answers to all our questions despite the stirring life of spreading death and doom over Europe. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: VAMPYROMORPHA

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Feb 062020
 

 

(Comrade Aleks brings us this tremendously entertaining interview (which delves into both horror films and The Kybalion as well as the music, with Michael “Jimmy” Imhof from the German band Vampyromorpha.)

You probably know that vampyromorpha isn’t only a bizarre kind of octopus, but also a power-heavy doomed duet from Würzburg, Bavaria.

Formed in 2014 by Fabian Schwarz (guitars, bass, drums) from a good number of bands including Runamok, Terrible Old Man, The New Black, and more, accompanied by Michael “Jimmy” Imhof (vocals, Hammond organ) of Lex Rhino, Naked Star, and more, Vampyromorpha released their debut Six Fiendish Tales Of Doom And Horror… in 2015. This strikingly refreshing combination of heavy powerful riffs delivered in mid and fast tempo, killer tunes, and old school macabre charms alongside expressive vocals telling real and fictional stories from the dark side of human lives is criminally catchy and truly remarkable.

Four years after, these gentlemen return with a second full-length work, Herzog, and that’s the thing we’re talking about with Jimmy tonight… That and horror movies. Lots and lots of horror movies. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: GRACELESS (REMCO KREFT)

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Jan 272020
 


Photo by: Eva Nagler Photography

 

(Comrade Aleks was fortunate to get this recent interview with Remco Kreft (Soulburn, Bodyfarm) about his OSDM band Graceless, who will be releasing their second album on March 27th through Raw Skull Recordz.)

Created in June 2016, this quite extreme and merciless death doom act consists of two of Soulburn’s members – Remco Kreft (vocals, guitars) and Marc Verhaar — alongside Björn Knäckebröd (guitars) and Jasper Aptroot who gained experience in local brutal acts like Celesterre, Nailgun Massacre, and Xenomorph. Since Graceless’ founding they have stay focused, bitter and angry.

The band’s sophomore album Where Vultures Know Your Name will see the light of day through Raw Skull Recordz on March 27th, 2020. I consider myself a lucky guy, as I’ve already heard this Armageddon-evoking album, which surpasses their debut work Shadowlands (Raw Skull Recordz, 2017). And moreover, I was lucky enough to get in contact with Remco and learn more about Graceless’ dark truths. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: ROTTENDAWN

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Jan 202020
 

 

(Comrade Aleks has brought us this interview with Make Mäkinen, one of the guitarists and songwriters of the Finnish band Rottendawn. whose debut album is out now on the Saturnal Records label.)

Even though Rottendawn was lit in 2010, their first album Occult saw the light of day in September 2019 on Helsinki-based Saturnal Records. This death-doom band’s lineup is highly remarkable, but I have an impression that they don’t care about promotion too much. So you should know what Rottendawn is a brainchild of Pasi Äijö from Unholy (bass, vocals), Mikael “Arkki” Arnkil of Impaled Nazarene (drums), Sinisthra’s Make Mäkinen (guitars), and Joni Halmetoja (guitars) from… from… I don’t know where he came from. Why not find it out? I

welcome all fans of things heavy, distorted, and slow to join us in this compact and informative interview with Make Mäkinen. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: KURB SAATUS

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Jan 132020
 

 

(In this interview conducted last year Comrade Aleks spoke with Eric Buizert, vocalist/bassist of the doom Dutch melodic death metal band Kurb Saatus, who first came to life in the ’90s and released their debut album in 2019.)

Kurb Saatus from the Netherlands celebrated their 25th anniversary last year with the release of… their debut full-length album!

Yes, I’m not kidding, this outfit who perform melodic death with minor doomy elements was formed back in 1994 but there were only a split with Officium Triste (1996), the single Never Forgotten, and a bunch of demos in their discography until May 2019 when The Withering was released. There are two members from the original lineup in Kurb Saatus — Hans van Wingerden (drums) and Eric Buizert (vocals, bass). So Eric is here! Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: EPITAPHE

 Interviews  1 Response »
Jan 082020
 

 

(Epitaphe is a quartet based in the French Alps, with a debut album released last June, and today Comrade Aleks brings us this discussion with one of its members.)

Aesthetic Death produced a curious volume last summer. I’m referring to the debut full-length of the French band Epitaphe, which is based in the Alps region. They confirm such influences as Incantation, Esoteric, and Immolation, but I would add Misanthrope to this short list too.

It turns out to be an eclectic, avant-garde combination of quite intellectual death metal with doom-death shades. The album is titled simply I, but it’s wrong to blame Epitaphe for a lack of imagination. We’ll try to prove it together with Laurent. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: BESTIALORD

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Jan 062020
 

 

(We present Comrade Aleks‘ interview of Mark Anderson, guitarist/vocalist of the Kansas-based death/doom band Bestialord, whose second album was released last June by GrimmDistribution.)

It’s said that Bestialord raised its head in 2016, but when you see Mark Anderson (guitars, vocals) and Chris Johnson (drums) in the same band, Sanctus Infernum comes to mind. It’s their previous blackened death doom outfit, which seems to have beem put on hold in about 2014 after eight years of darkness, blasphemy, and death. So Mark and Chris, alongside Rob Harris, started this new project, and look — GrimmDistribution released Bestialord’s sophomore record a few months ago. The Black Mass Wedding album still displays a few Sanctus Infernum features, but it has its own individuality as well. Let’s make it clear with Mark. Continue reading »

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