Bastard Thieves Live 09/09/2011

Live recording of Bastard Theives' 09/09/2011 Show at the Meatlocker in Montclair. Here or Here

Occular Peehole Sewerzine Issue #2

Occular Peehole Sewerzine is one of the most enjoyable zines I've ever read simply for the type of bands and overblown descriptions in the zine. Covering bands from the porno-grind, gore-grind, harsh noise, and pretty much any other anti-music genre you can think of, the subjects are pretty obscure even for my knowledge. Ultimately, anyone interested in really delving into the pure anus of underground music, this is a great zine to start your exploration with. The zine was created by the man behind Thanatoseptis, Reclusa, Inverted Exorcism, etc. And the writing is very good, the interviews are interesting and the rest of the articles involved are pretty damn entertaining. The whole thing is done in a cut and paste style, with extra space taken up by clippings of random crap such as sharks, off-center humored comics, and just all kinds of general tomfoolery. Some of the included bands are Analthrone, Hemorrhoidal Anal Suffering, Urinary Tract Infection From Sever Pus Clots and Xanax Feast. A bunch of reviews are scattered around as well as an interesting rant about Agathocles. Some horror movie reviews also are tossed in for extra viewing pleasure (or displeasure).

The best interview is hands down is this short drunken messterpiece with Mike Sweeney of Xanax Feast / Cripple Slaughter / Amputee... it's a pretty awesome read. Favorite quote: "I'm a huge piss porn fan muthafuka got vids? I'll buy em." The whole interview is pretty much like that. It's a doozy. On a more serious note, the rest of the interviews are interesting from a regular interview perspective. I just find it fascinating that people can discuss their band in a totally serious manner and talk about their projects when those projects include names like Analthrone (Not to single Analthrone out of course, just an example). Maybe I'm just not down with this scene at all but the names are pretty ridiculous. Mega Toilet Flush!? Whoah. Still, a bunch of the bands mentioned in here are probably pretty interesting to listen to so I may delve into it a bit later on after I finish my Anthem discography. The zine is also a quick read. I read the whole thing on my lunch hour at work in my car. I would probably be sent to Human Resources if I brought the thing into the break room and lose my job. It's a pretty vulgar affair so if you have company coming over, you may want to make sure it's not lying around on the coffee table. I purposefully left it out for my mom to find. I'm that kind of guy.

Free review sample. The whole zine is pretty much full of these.

Submit To Suffering Interview 09/09/2011

September 9th, I had the fortune to check out a great show at the Meatlocker in Montclair NJ. I caught up with the guys in Submit To Suffering a day before recording their demo and after playing an exceptionally late gig. Check out their track "Boom" from this gig and my interview with the band by clicking here or at the archives here.




Submit To Suffering Facebook Page
Submit To Suffering Reverbnation Page

Witches - Silly Symphony

Witches is an ancient French thrash band which has largely gone unnoticed throughout the ages of metaldom. Their 1988 demo, Silly Symphony, is more interesting contextually than it is musically. Opening track Lessive Agressive is a worthy thrash moment for the thrash maniac out there but to actually grab a hold of the demo probably isn't worth the price. I was lucky enough to snatch this from a distro for cheap but I doubt that would be the case usually. What makes the demo interesting for me, is the inner sleeve, with thank you lists listing legends like Mille from Kreator, Holy Moses and Piggy and Blacky from Voivod. Also mentioned are some members of the emerging black metal scene in Norway and death metal scene in Sweden including the members of Ice Age and Euronymous and Necrobutcher from Mayhem. Lemmy is included as well as Girlschool. Listed are some well known zines as well such as Slayer Mag and Morbid Mag and several other lesser known zines as well. It's a cool list of who's who at that time.

While the music is a bit generic and unnecessary for most here, those really into collecting and piecing together the underground movements of death and black metal along with those interested in the golden age of underground fanzines will find some interest in these liner notes. Musically, my favorite track is the opening combination of intro "Lycanthropy" and "Lessive Agressive" though the speedy primitivism of "Moment of Distraction for Deep Sleepers" fits together with the named influences in the thank you list and final track "Pool of Running Blood" is an interesting track as well, starting with an awkward melody and movement that borders on NWOBHM as opposed to thrashier parts of the rest of the demo. The track speeds up halfway through but never really holds my attention after the intro due to sub par riffs and an amateurish song structure.

Abazagorath Interview

So, after some bureaucratic trouble getting the audio files for the Abazagorath interview, here it is, finally available to all. On a more somber note, this will be my last interview on WP88.7 Brave New Radio due to the station management deciding that it's time I give up my radio slot to dead air because I have already graduated. Please send them your displeasure and ask for The Vault to return to the airwaves. 3 years of metal undulations across the northern New Jersey airwaves was awesome, and you will still hear interviews and such through this website and blog.

Anyway, not to drown the moment with solemnity, I want to thank Chris Warhead and Dave Nyarlathotep for coming on the air, and giving and awesome interview. One of my favorite moments was messing up the pronunciation of Dave's pseudonym so much that he threatened to kill me on air... that's pretty awesome. Ultimately, the interview had this subplot of me trying to pronounce Nyarlathotep, and eventually succeeding. Kind of a strange subtextual thing. But anyway, enjoy.

The interview can be downloaded at this link: LINNNNNNk

Or you can find it linked on the Radio archives page.

Playlist 08/31/2011 - Thanatoseptis - Sacrificial Septic Tank Tomb

Tonights show begins a new segment of The Vault. I have a million demo tapes laying around and while I almost always play demo tracks on the show, as listeners know, it's just not a real good way to really get a feel for a band's ability, style, and worth. Every show from now on, I will be playing the entirety of one full demo starting at 10:00, effectively splitting the show in half, with the more extreme side of metal taking over the show the second half, and leaving the first half of the show for the old school, head banging metal of the 80's.... give or take of course.

Thanatoseptis - Sacrificial Septic Tank Tomb

Kicking of this new segment is a rarity of unimaginable, weirdness, a combination of black metal, primitive death metal and industrial ambient / noise. Thanatoseptis' Sacrificial Septic Tank Tomb demo. The one man project is a US creation, hailing from some slime ridden cave in the United States of America, and this demo contains new tracks and tracks from their first demo as well. There really is no describing this. Simply calling himself STW, all instruments and programming and audio has been created by this sole creature.


The seven tracks present contain otherworldly echoes of demonic incantation and sewage spewing grimy, ugly death metal mixed with noise. There is a reason this is limited to 60 copies... it is too obscure and bizarre for the everyday human. A true masterwork in abrasiveness. While listening to this with a friend I compared the sound to the feeling of having a rapist in your house. It's unsettling, pressing nerves together with a singular effort of original malevolence. Tracks such as Ritual of Unholy Resurrection Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 both contain awkward ticking, as if an old clock is ticking down on your sanity. The title track, is a mammoth ugly monster of distorted genres clashing. The slow, plodding nature of doom is prevalent, along with the archaic melodies of ancient death metal all soaked in a noisy ambient storm of incinerated bone ash.


And all this on two sides of a TDK. I don't know why the two sides were split on the tape at all. They all could have fit on the one side. Regardless, there is little for me to complain about on this one. A totally unique take on whatever genre or anti-genre STW is embracing. Listen to this antidote to the mainstream music conglomerate at 10:00pm on The Vault.

PLAYLIST:

01. Morbid Sin - Twisted Souls In Hell
02. In Solitude - Demons
03. Holy Terror - Distant Calling
04. Motorhead - No Class (Live)
05. Manowar - Gloves Of Metal
06. Obsession - Killer Elite
07. Overkill - Overkill (Request - James)
08. Dio - Gypsy
09. Mercyful Fate - Gypsy
10. Fates Warning - Orphan Gypsy
11. Heathen - Set Me Free (Sweet Cover)
12. Manilla Road - Into The Maelstrom



13. Thanatoseptis - Hydra Of Polluted Water
14. Thanatoseptis - The Black March Of Disease
15. Thanatoseptis - Ghost In The Sewer
16. Thanatoseptis - Sacrificial Septic Tank Tomb
17. Thanatoseptis - Seweritual Of Unholy Resurrection Pt. 1
18. Thanatoseptis - Seweritual Of Unholy Resurrection Pt. 2
19. Thanatoseptis - Black Vapors Of Possession



20. Primordial - Lain With The Wolf
21. Mandatory - Where They Bleed
22. Abazagorath - Bestial Moans
23. Primitive Graven Image - As I Wander
24. Aeternus - There's No Wine Like The Blood's Crimson
25. The Wakedead Gathering - Wasps From The Chamber Of The Divine
26. Death Strike - Pay To Die
27. Apolion - Winds
28. Source Of Deep Shadows - Powolne Zatracenie
29. Mystifier - An Elizabethan Devil Worshipper's Spell Book
30. Grave - Awakening
31. Hellwitch - Mordirivial Dissemination
32. Skepticism - The Organum
33. Burzum - Valen

Abazagorath On The Vault August 24th

Black metal fans rejoice! NJ Black metal legends Abazagorath will have their day to recant tales of demon worship and cosmic chaos on The Vault. Wednesday, August 24th, Chris Warhead and Dave Nyarlathotep will join me for several hours. Abazagorath's debut album Tenebrarum Cadent Exsurgemus was released in 1997, predating the trend of US black metal we see today and helping to lay a foundation for black metal in the United States. Their 2004 album Sacraments of the Final Atrocity continues their cosmic assault on the vermin of humanity.

Tune in Wednesday, August 24th at 9pm for another special interview only on The Vault. Be sure to call in with your questions for the Beasts of Abazagorath and your requests.

www.GOBRAVE.org

Deadly Illness - Deadly Illness # 4

Deadly Illness #4 is a great midday read for an underground zine with a heavy load of reviews, some really cool interviews with bands from the hardcore punk scene, death metal and black metal and thrash realms, and a some slight exploration of the expansive noise scene as well. Ultimately, you're not going to read interviews with any major bands, not going to hear the same tired responses from people you could care less about and not going to see space wasted on whole page adds for products and releases you're never going to buy. It's a pure underground labor of love. Hungary's Poller Csaba has done a great job of incorporating bands that he wants to see do well and that he believes should get some help spreading the word. Bands like Germ Attach, Anguish, Sardonis, Grave Ritual, the awesome Protector, Psycopath Witch and Slaughter Strike. Also included is about five pages of quick reviews and an interview with Brandon of Skeleton Plague Records.

The writing is good, readable, and even though Csaba is from Hungary, he still writes with more English proficiency than I've seen in some zines from homegrown papermakers. There is, predictably, some humorous quirkiness in reading English from someone who I expect does not use English as their first language but that makes it all the better. Deadly Illness is a sweet little zine worth the time of someone looking for a small zine to digest without feeling overwhelmed.

Lit-Ning Metal Box Restoration

Some people may know that I am an avid do-it-yourself-er. I figured that this would be an interesting post outside of my normal musical reviews and may come in handy for any metalhead interested in doing refinishing work on perhaps a metal music case, or whatever one might run across. Let's face it, metal music tends to impress upon us a sense of creativity and thriftiness. Regardless of what your reasoning for using this information may be, the steps are pretty much the same for any metal item. I will most likely do another post like this in the future just for my own personal interest as this blog has also become a journal of sorts for my creative endeavors anyway. So without further pause, this is the tale of how I turned a $1.00 tool box at the flea market into something worth much more.

The story behind this particular project starts at a trip to one of my favorite record collecting spots - the local flea market. Generally, I don't bother with the regular vendors, instead I go straight to the weekend warrior booths, your everyday Joe's selling random crap from their house. This one guy was selling an old Craftsman toolbox, a really nice metal one from who knows when for $2.00. I bought that one for the $2.00 and he threw in this one for an extra $1.00. Three dollars, why not. This particular box was in pretty decent shape apart from the rough looking paint job. This particular tutorial will be specifically for this tool box. I will detail how to remove the old paint, some light rust which coated the bottom of the box, and also the painting procedure. I will give reasoning for why I decided to do what I did as well. Of course, any questions regarding why I did what, or whatever, feel free to ask in the comments. Being my first post of this sort, I may not have pictures for every specific step but I will ultimately try to accompany most of the main steps with some sort of images. Anyway, those wondering about my record finds from that specific trip will be pretty disappointed. I picked up two VHS tapes, Tales from the Darkside Volume 4 and 1981's Ghost Story. Music wise, only two cassettes were to be nabbed that day, Dokken's Back for the Attack and Def Leppard's Hysteria. Anyway...

The first thing that I had to do with this particular tool box was to remove the old paint that looked worn, scratched, and generally deplorable in every way. There are two methods for removing paint like this from metal. The first would be to use a stripping agent such as Jasco's Paint Remover. I personally don't like using a paint remover for something I plan on repainting. Paint removers leave a residue which, if not removed correctly, will affect how the second coat adheres to the metal. You can always use an afterwash solution, but it's just another step and you wind up with a messy clump of liquid and paint. For this box, I decided to use a wire brush drill attachment to remove the paint on the box. First, I own several drills so there was no added cost to me having the necessary hardware. Strippers and an afterwash would add up to roughly $11.00 or more.

The wire brush attachment I bought was $2.50. I actually bought two, a smaller style attachment to reach into the corners inside the box. I got two attachments which I can use over and over again, in many different situations, for half the cost of the liquid solutions. The left brush is a coarser haired wire brush which I used on the flat surfaces of the box and generally everywhere that I could. It not only strips the paint faster than a fine grit brush would, but it also leaves a slightly rougher finish on the metal, giving the paint a better surface to adhere to. I used the finer wire brush (right) to do some small touch up on the metal hardware without removing too much of the patina. It ultimately resulted in a more consistent finish on the parts of the box that I knew I wasn't going to paint. For instance, the name plate on the top of the box, I wanted to leave with the oldish patina but there was some slight rust in the corners near where the handle is located. I used the fine brush to remove the rust, while leaving the patina.

I started removing the paint on the outside of the box. Of course, I wore a general purpose mask to prevent me from breathing in the small particles of paint which are never a good thing to breath in for many reasons, mostly Lead. It's also a good idea to wear some sort of eye protection. In my case, I also wore a pair of work gloves so should the wire brush come in contact with my hands, which did happen on several occasions, I would still have some sort of epidermis left. If you are really clumsy, you may want to also wear some sort of arm protection. I happened to briefly nick my arm with the brush and it left about seventeen thousand hairline scratches.



If you're a big strong tough guy like me, feel free to do this whole process in the nude, wearing no shoes, no face mask and while consuming your favorite cold beverage. Ultimately for my particular project the two most important liquids to have on hand were my 1/2 pint of paint and my 12oz bottle of Stone Pale ale. Of course, the other liquid which is necessary unless you want to keep buying paint brushes over and over again for eternity is a can of Mineral Spirits.




The finished exterior of my box. The exterior of my box took me approximately forty minutes to strip the paint from. If you really like the stainless steel look, you could actually just leave the box like this. It would be more susceptible to further rust without a protective coat however. For a real professional look, you would ideally want to use some sort of polishing powder or tool to give it a real smooth finish. Unfortunately, I did not take more pictures of this in progress. On the larger tool box, I will be sure to take more pictures, but then again, that is an entirely different project, quite a bit more difficult than this box. Anyway, with the outside of the box completely stripped I turned my attention to the inside of the box. Generally speaking the inside of something is always harder to work on than the outside. It is more difficult to get into the tighter spaces with tools specifically. I used an extension tool for my wire brush so that I had more room to maneuver within the box itself. There really is no right or wrong way to go about it. You can do the inside, then the outside, you can start on the lid or the bottom... whatever floats your canoe. I happened to start on the bottom first. The previous painter had painted the hardware so I made sure to get at that with the fine wire brush. To get in the corners, I actually couldn't fit the coarse brush so I just jammed the fine brush in the corners and removed the paint with that. There was a tiny small area of paint left there which I scraped off manually with some 60 grit sandpaper I had lying around.

Voila, the finished stripped box. All paint removed. The total time to remove all the paint on this box took about an hour and forty five minutes. I also think I took a minute of that to get a second beer. After finishing removing the old paint I took a damp rag and just removed any of the remaining dust from the metal so that I would have a completely clean surface to paint.

Before going ahead with painting the box, here are some more close up images of the box totally stripped. First, is the plate on the box showing the handle - very easily - disassembled.


I found it much easier to strip the stop of the box by removing the metal handle from it's holders just by using a little extra force to get it out. If you can remove hardware with ease, do it. Breaking down something into separate parts will make everything move along smoother and you don't have to worry about accidentally ruining a part of whatever you're working on.

Another picture of the plate on the box, showing the patina I wanted to leave as is. I felt it gave the box a bit of an antique-y feel and added a bit of detail to the box.

So we are ready to paint the box. I used a Purdy one inch brush for this project and for some of the really small details, I used hobby brushes - a #2 and #4. For this specific project, I saw no reason to prime the metal surface before applying my paint. The surface was already rough, due to the stripping of the older paint and I don't plan on having this box outside, in a situation that would endorse rust appreciation and the material was uniform across the whole project. If I planned on keeping this box in a place with high humidity, or outside or in an environment which would be more harsh than normal, using a clean metal primer would increase the already excellent protection from rust that your standard oil based enamel would provide. I would not use a latex based paint on a project such as this. For a small box like this, you only need a small amount of paint. I chose a gloss (shiny) finish and tinted the paint towards an industrial-gray-green color. Oil based paints are practically impossible to remove from clothing should you get some on a shirt or pants. Trust me, wear something you don't mind getting dirty.

I painted the inside of my box first. No reason to start there, I just thought it a good place to start. I specifically decided to leave the hardware with the metal showing. The rivets holding the company plate on the top of the box, the hinges and the front latch I left completely unpainted. I applied my first coat on the inside of the box and allowed for twenty-four hours to dry as directed on the can. I then proceeded to do a second coat to get a consistent finish across the whole surface. Be wary of applying too much paint at once to vertical surfaces. Over application will cause dripping marks. It's better to apply a thinner coat of paint, and do several thin coats and get a clean finish than to apply one massive thick coat and just get it done. On flat surfaces, this is not a problem and I often apply a thicker coat to surfaces such as the bottom of the box so I have less to touch up on the second coat. Be careful around detail spots such as hardware. If you are uncomfortable "cutting in" around tight spots with a larger brush, use a fine detail brush to get in the small areas. Remember, it's better to be careful than have to try and remove paint from a surface. Oil enamels are incredibly durable and a pain to remove from places where you don't want paint.

The most important part of doing a job like this, is making sure you clean your brushes properly after each coat. Paint brushes can be expensive, especially high quality brushes. Do not use a chip brush, or a cheap brush on a project like this. Chip brushes are generally one-time use brushes and have coarse hairs which leave unsightly hair marks on your finish. Cheap brushes work for a few coats but wear down when using chemicals to clean them - a required part of cleaning paints, particularly specialty paints such as oil based primers and enamels. For latex paints, economy brushes are acceptable at times but, if you use a premium quality brush, you will not have to buy brushes after each project and you can reuse them, over and over again.

For cleaning oil paints, mineral spirits an ideal solution to clean brushes. Pour a little amount into a cup, shake your brush around and you should be able to remove all the oils from the brush. After wards, rinse the brush in warm water with soap. Don't let the brush sit in the mineral spirits and rinse the brush immediately after painting. Oils are impossible to remove after they have dried and will ultimately cause you more trouble than is worth. You'll be forced to just buy another brush. After washing the brush, just let it hang on a peg hook or wherever to allow it to air dry.

I let the inside of the box dry completely before working on the outside. I did the outside part of the box in two steps. I applied paint to the upper three-quarters of the box first and did my recoat and then I finished the bottom of the box in the same manner. I then waited another twenty-four hours before reattaching the handle or handling the box. I cleaned my brushes after each coat, the same way as I described above and completed the box. The total project took me about four and a half hours excluding drying time. With drying time, I spent about 3 days, letting the painted parts dry for a full day between coats Here are some completed images of the tool box:

Finished Box without handle

Finished face plate without handle

Finished box with handle

Open Finished Box

Playlist 08/03/2011

01. Mercyful Fate - A Dangerous Meeting
02. Mortal Sin - Mayhemic Destruction (Request - Tony)
03. Dekapitator - Haunted By Evil
04. Slauter Xstroyes - Black Rose And Thorns
05. Pentacle - Storming Through A Hail Of Steel
06. Liege Lord - Rapture (Request - Lumberjack)
07. Judas Priest - Savage
08. Judas Priest - Beyond The Realms Of Death
09. Anthem - Fire N The Sword
10. Midnight Priest - Rainha Da Magia Negra
11. Obsession - Always On The Run
12. Manowar - Dark Avenger
13. Forefather - These Lands
14. Mental Aberration - Last Exit Suicide
15. Carcass - Death Certificate
16. Akercocke - Shelter From The Sand
17. Queensryche - Queen Of The Reich
18. Solstice - Hammer Of Damnation
19. Heathen - Open The Grave
20. Abazagorath - When The Skies Opened
21. Exxplorer - Metal Detectors
22. Manilla Road - The Riddle Master
23. Manilla Road - Shadow In The Black
24. Manilla Road - Voyager
25. Manilla Road - Necropolis
26. Manilla Road - Haunted Palace
27. Manilla Road - Shadow
28. Manilla Road - Helicon
29. Manilla Road - Mystification
30. Manilla Road - The Deluge

Horrorment - Homemade Horror Promo

Every year, I get a free demo at Maryland Deathfest, that I find about as hard to put down as a cold bottle of my favorite beer. The first year I went I discovered the Bolt Thrower inspired machinations of the appropriately named Texas death metal fabrication known as War Master. Last year I'm pretty sure I came home with Nordor's His Ficticious Grandeur. I can't seem to remember where else I would have gotten it. And this year's demo of choice, plucked fresh from the steamy streets of Baltimore... Horrorment's Homemade Horror promo, appropriately dubbed "Dirty Rotten Old School Death Metal." I find it hard to turn away from such a proclamation, as meaningless, generic and vague as it may be.

So simply put, the CDr has two songs with all the instrumentation done by Daniel Karlsson and the hymns by Mike Chatman. Lead off track, Multiple Forms, starts out with a sinister brooding and doomy intro, slow but persevering, stomping it's way through the nether. It speeds up in feel after a few turns through the verse with some slight snare variation before once again slowing to a creepy metallic crawl. Haunting melodies of no particular sort meander across the landscape at times, and such leads begin the opening of second track "From Beneath," which shares the general format Horrorment have displayed in From Beneath's predecessor. On this demo, the atmosphere isn't ultimately too suffocating, letting subtly exist due to songwriting prowess and not by production faults. You know those albums which at first listen are full of tiny details that would almost be missed because of the production or mix, and thus are deemed subtle recordings... this isn't that.

Horrorment have something going on. I wish my copy had the awesome artwork on it but I'm just happy to be turned onto the band. I expect something awesome from them soon. The real tape release of this demo is available out there through Plague Tapes and contains and intro and outro as well. I've got no idea what they sound like but I sure hope that I get my tape copy soon. Look for an update to this review when I get the tape.

Bobby Lucas Interview Uploaded

After an awesome night last Wednesday with some great anecdotes and tales, Bobby Lucas' interview is available now. You can get it by clicking Here or you can select it from the Audio Archive Here.

Here was the playlist:

01. Morbid Sin - Twisted Souls In Hell
02. Black Sabbath - Disturbing The Priest
03. Razor - Going Under (Request - Tony)
04. Overlorde - When He Comes
05. Destruction - Beyond Eternity
06. Destruction - Release From Agony
07. Morbid Sin - Injector
08. Fates Warning - Silent Cries
09. Accept - Demon's Night
10. Iron Maiden - Killers
11. Morbid Sin - Endangered Species
12. Exciter - Evil Sinner
13. Black Sabbath - Back Street Kids
14. Judas Priest - Solar Angels
15. Overlorde - Snow Giant
16. Metal Inquisitor - Run For Your Life
17. Morbid Sin - Beyond Wickedness
18. Whiplash - Spit On Your Grave
19. Malice - Godz Of Thunder
20. Overkill - Hammerhead
21. Seven Witches - Dying Embers
22. Black Sabbath - Die Young
23. Witchfinder General - Witchfinder General
24. Morbid Sin - 13th Child
25. Morbid Sin - Devil In The Flesh
26. Morbid Sin - The Cathedral (Of The Black Monk)

Once again, thanks to Bobby for coming on The Vault and for a great time! Be sure to check out Morbid Sin, Overlorde and Seven Witches and those in the NJ/NY area should be sure to get out to one of his shows with his Black Sabbath cover band - Covered In Black.

Orbis - Forest Illuminations / The War Trilogy

I expect Orbis will become the next ultra productive black/ambient project, releasing product not measured in copies but in shear tonnage. That's just my prediction. Until it comes to pass Orbis, a UK export, have successfully released two demos: Forest Illuminations - a sixteen minute track meant to create the feel of being in a fores - and the more recent, The War Trilogy, covering the subject of World War Two.

The Forest Illuminations tape, released through Darkness Shade Records, is a minimalists romp through a rainy night in the darkest forest in your town. A steady rain and occasional blasts of thunder, which sound more like that EMP Pulse weapon from Command And Conquer Tiberian Sun, are eternal companions throughout the duration of the demo. Also present is a synthesizer playing the same notes over and over with little variation. For ambient, it's a bit excessive in it's nothingness but I know that there are some out there who will like it. I find it just a bit too meandering and unfocused. Even walking aimlessly through a forest, you have to end up somewhere...All things set aside, Forest Illuminations is a pretty lovely tape with it's own personality, like both of Orbis' works. Unfortunately Google Translator is a pain to use to translate the Latin phrase inside the insert but it roughly translates to something about "faith and science and the rain in the darkness of the forest making it difficult to hear the oceanlike migration of souls." If anyone knows Latin, please send me a translation. I've enjoyed listening to this four or five times sitting in the dark while going to sleep. It's a great tape to fall asleep to, not because it's boring but because it is pretty soothing.

The War Trilogy is a different beast. More narrative than the Forest Illuminations tape, the concept spans three songs, thirty nine minutes, which includes some similarities to the first demo, but also some harsh raw black metal blasting moments such as in the beginning of opening track "Blitz" and the beginning of second track "D-Day Is Upon Us." Black metal wise, it's a cross between demo-era Besatt, Taake and noise. The arrangements on this demo are more complex and offer more replay value than the Forest Illuminations tape. Still, long synthesizer passages exist for those fond of the first tape's near vacant metallic stylings. You can find these passages on each track though the last half of The Trilogy's final piece, "Remember Those Lost In Combat..." and also the second half of that eighteen minute drone. Also present are samples of famous speeches such as Churchill's We Shall Fight On The Beaches speech and also a sample of a radio broadcast announcing Hitler's death. They deliver a welcomed textural contrast and are well placed, adding to the narrative of the tape and also to the release's overall atmosphere.

Where Forest Illuminations is adequate background music for a drugged out lonely night, and I assume that The War Trilogy could be also, Forest Illuminations is simply not as gripping as The War Trilogy, which is an exercise in how to produce ambient that offers the listener a chance to find their own meaning amidst the various sections and arrangements. You could follow the track's peaks and valleys to find yourself escaping the gunfire of the Polish invasion, or walking amongst the countless dead after witnessing the slaughter. You could feel the madness and hopelessness of a seemingly endless war outside your window only to stroll amongst the rows of crosses and buried, all the while hearing the explosions and gunshots forever ringing in your ears. This tape offers something unique and special and, for the price, is worth it for seekers of raw black ambient.

(I got only a promo of the War Trilogy so, this is what the promo looked like. The actual tape will, definitely not look like a disc. I promise. Don't try putting the disc in your cassette player.)

Contaminated Tones #1 Review: Bloodstained Vision

Thanks to Iskar for the review and for supporting the tradition of underground fanzines! Be sure to check out his blog Bloodstained Vision.

The original posting is here.

"I got to know about this zine after Neftaraka posted info about the review of their release in Metal Terus forum. After checking the blog, I contacted the editor, paypal the money and soon after that, I got this zine mailed from USA. Printing & xerox quality wise, I would say its excellent. The text are clear, the graphics are sharp eventough the editor is using background email/color for all pages in the zine. Only 5 interviews for this issue but the questions are long so there plenty to read there. So what else do this issue offer? Some reviews and some more reviews but made in "article" form like "Forgotten Existence" (reviews of bands and their releases. Not really 'old bands' as I thought the name would suggest though), "Apolion" (4 pages of review of this band discography, incl. pictures) and also article on the band called Blackspell (from Syria). The zine's pages are not numbered but table of content is provided at the editorial page (so you have to count to find page 23, to continue reading Nyctophobia). Not much to complain, well usually I will, if you ask about the font size. The font size which is a bit large than usual but I think its fit with the layout (Large picture is used so I think it fit). I enjoy reading this issue especially the review/article. My copy is hand-numbered 73/200. Just one thing that keep me wondering, my copy have a newspaper clip stapled on the last page. The clip is news about death of Traci Thompson (mortgage underwriter). What do that have to do with the zine or the editor? I do not know and not interested to ask either. If you read the info on the blog, it says this issue is pro-print but looks more like a laser xerox. Anyway this zine deserve your support."

Bobby Lucas - Morbid Sin / Overlorde / Conspiracy Chronicles on The Vault

Be sure to find the nearest radio, computer, police antennae... whatever you need to listen in to next weeks episode of The Vault radio show when I interview long time New Jersey Heavy Metal vocalist Bobby Lucas. The show will air at 9pm EST and conclude at 12am EST. Anyone with a remote interest in old school metal should be sure to listen. Northern New Jersey residents can tune their knobs to 88.7FM while anyone else can listen through our internet feed.

Bobby Lucas' career as a top-tier vocalist began in the 80's fronting Morbid Sin whose demos became dearly held Jersey Metal artifacts. Their early discography recordings have recently been re-released through Stormspell Records and the band's first full length record, Sins Of The Flesh, found release through Stormspell Records last year.

Bobby also contributes vocals to the equally ancient Overlorde, who formed in the mid 80's and have received praise for their album, Return Of The Snow Giant, and also Conspiracy Chronicles, a progressive metal band with members of Dyers Eve, Dim Mak and drums from Matt Thompson of King Diamond fame.

History will be revealed.

Playlist 06/29/2011

01. Morbid Sin - Injector
02. Iron Maiden - Stranger In A Strange Land (Request - Lumberjack)
03. Artillery - Time Has Come
04. Loudness - Clockwork Toy
05. Judas Priest - Riding On The Wind
06. Midnight Chaser - Rough And Tough
07. Voivod - Ripping Headaches
08. Voivod - Voivod
09. Watchtower - Control And Resistance
10. Adversarial - Ruin Enshrined
11. Burial Invocation - Haunted Crypts Of The Ancient Dead
12. Morbid Sin - Cathedral Of The Black Monk
13. Helstar - To Sleep, Per Chance To Scream
14. Manilla Road - Taken By Storm
15. Manilla Road - The Ram
16. Manilla Road - Hammer Of The Witches
17. Whiplash - Snake Pit
18. Onslaught - Death Metal
19. Sabbat - Do Dark Horses Dream Of Nightmares
20. Suffocation - Seeds Of The Suffering
21. Horrorment - From Beneath
22. Entrenched - ICBM
23. Mandatory - Dawn Of Destruction
24. Overlorde - Snow Giant
25. Prajna - Electrocuted
26. Angel Witch - Angel Of Death (Request - Lumberjack)
27. Blind Guardian - Wizard's Crown
28. Jag Panzer - Eyes Of The Night
29. Carpathian Full Moon - Serenade In Blood Minor
30. Ripping Corpse - Beyond Humanity
31. Drugs Of Faith - Never Fail
32. Blizaro - Night Fumes
33. Von - Lamb
34. Morgion - A Slow Succumbing

Playlist 06/22/2011

01. Helloween - I'm Alive
02. Diamond Head - The Prince
03. Loudness - Crazy Night
04. Faith Or Fear - Rampage / Nothing Uncommon
05. Manilla Road - Shadow In The Black
06. Black Sabbath - Thrill Of It All
07. Slauter Xstroyes - The Stage
08. Holy Cross - Across The Fortress Of Asgard
09. Flotsam And Jetsam - Iron Tears
10. Enforcer - Live For The Night
11. Iron Maiden - Purgatory
12. Judas Priest - Riding On The Wind
13. Prajna - Lost In The Void
14. Gutwrench - Necrosis
15. Ripping Corpse - Seduction Of The Innocent
16. Adversarial - In A Night Of Endless Pain, War Came To Flood Its Heart
17. Death - Within The Mind
18. Evoken - Antithesis Of Light
19. Funebrarum - Kingdom Of Suffering Souls
20. Drowned - Conqueror Of The Land
21. Obituary - Killing Time
22. Dismember - Sickening Art
23. Gorematory - Sadistic Slaughter
24. Entrenched - ICBM
25. Avenger - Unable
26. Aeternus - Sentinels Of Darkness
27. Mortum - Awakening Of The Primordial Spirit
28. Absu - Stone Of Destiny
29. Darkthrone - Kathaarian Life Code
30. Velnias - Risen Of The Moor

Playlist 06/08/2011

1. Exciter - Heavy Metal Maniac (Request - Tony)
2. Aeternus - Warriors Of The Crescent Moon
3. Aeternus - As I March
4. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger (Request - Mike)
5. Overkill - Deny The Cross (Request - Branka Vornki Zubzabz)
6. Egregor - Penetratum Jehova
7. Besatt - King Of Demons
8. Immolith - Slaughter The Legions
9. Razor - Speed Merchants (Request -Tony)
10. Entombed - Living Dead (Request - Naz)

Velnias Interview + Sovereign Nocturnal
11. Into Arms Of Oak
12. Risen Of The Moor
13. Sovereign Nocturnal

14. Black Sabbath - Hole In The Sky
15. Imynvokad - By Blood Does The Beast Arise
16. Grave Digger - Let Your Heads Roll
17. The True Endless - Sor Da Luf
18. Heathen - Goblin's Blade
19. Mephisto - Necromantical Rites
20. Possessed - Death Metal (Request - Tony)
21. Drudkh - Ukrainian Insurgent Army
22. Bahimiron - Allegiance To Self Wreckage
23. Burzum - Dunkelheit
24. Coroner - Skeleton On Your Shoulder
25. Coroner - Masked Jackal
26. Whiplash - Nailed To The Cross (Request - Lumberjack)

Happy Birthday TONY!