Sulgogar Interview

Sulgogar are a Venezuelan thrash / death metal band whose newest album, Science of Beyond, crosses the boundaries of what the style can offer with unique vocals, original tone, and passionate lyrics. I interviewed main-man Sting to find out more about the band. 

Contaminated Tones: Can you give me a brief history of your band, Sulgogar?

Sting Weiss: Sulgogar is a metal band of Venezuelan / Russian origin that was founded at the end of 2016 in the town of Duaca, located in the municipality Crespo, north of Barquisimeto, Lara State, Venezuela. It is considered as the first and only extreme metal band existing in that area to date. His musical style is very close to the Old School Death Metal, despite having some very typical elements of Thrash and Black Metal, all of them appreciable in each of his songs. The band is currently composed of Sting Weiss (vocals and bass), Steve Kaiba (guitars) and Svetlana Sevostianova (drums).

The lyrics of Sulgogar are inspired by sinister themes, such as urban legends and unsolved mysteries, as well as a bit of social criticism.

CT: What is a Sulgogar? Where does this band name come from?

SW: Sulgogar was the name of a fictitious race of aliens first appeared in the game Urban Assault belonging to the genre of action and strategy for PC. It is supposed to be the most powerful enemy faction in the game. We chose that name because it is very cool and because no other band in the world is using it.

CT: What bands are the main influence to Sulgogar's sound?

SW: The main source of inspiration for our band is Impaled Nazarene, from whom we took some musical ideas from their latest albums. Although we also have much influence from other groups of different subgenres within the metal such as Violator, Havok, Municipal Waste, Fueled by Fire, Thrash or Die, Death, Svartsyn, Mayhem, Burzum, Behexen, Dark Funeral among others.

CT: Your new album is called Science of Beyond and you have some excellent artwork. Who did the artwork for the cover? What does the artwork depict in relation to the album?

SW: The cover art was in charge of the great Venezuelan illustrator BJ Manchester who, besides dedicating himself to drawing comics, also designs covers by hand and in black and white style for death metal bands, brutal death metal and other extreme subgenres.

The art of Science of Beyond represents an extraterrestrial abduction with a slight touch of gore, as several gray extraterrestrials dissect the corpse of a human being inside their spaceship. This work of art fits very well with the central idea of Science of Beyond, since it deals with the theme of gray extraterrestrials and their obscure intentions with respect to humanity.

CT: I think the album has a very modern tone but an early 90's or late 80's crossover style riff-wise. Is this the sound you were going for? How do you usually describe your music to others?

SW: Well, we really wanted to do death thrash but without including the guitar riffs that are normally used nowadays in death metal that sometimes are a bit indigestible and boring. But it seems that our music effectively approaches the crossover style of those years that you comment. I hope that's a good thing for the band's reputation, because I liked it a lot. I can describe the music of Sulgogar as a crazy fusion of several extreme subgenres, whose purpose is that the songs are very sticky and digestible for most people.

CT: What is Sulgogar's writing process? Do you have a specific way in which you compose your songs?

SW: Well, at the time of writing the lyrics I always like to listen to the whole instrumental theme and compose the vocal part following almost the same rhythm of the riffs. That's great, since this method contributes to the songs being more moving and less monotonous as in many of the modern extreme metal productions. The central idea of ​​each lyric always arises spontaneously and based on the sensation that each instrumental track transmits.

As for the instruments, we usually make a simple base on the guitar and then we assemble the drums. The bass I leave almost always for the end and sometimes I like to leave a few pauses for this instrument between the changes of the structure of each song. For example, in Socialista-Satanista it is noted that the bass is present and also has an important role giving more power to the song.

In the case of the drums, we like everything to sound as brutal as possible and with interesting fillings. Svetlana is very good at that, too much I would say. It is a pleasure to watch her play and record. Practically she is a sexy demon of the rums embodied in the body of a woman.

CT: The vocal style on Science of Beyond is very unique. Was this a natural vocal style for you or was it something that specific for this band? To me, it falls somewhere between a grunt and yell with gang vocals on top.

SW: For me it is very easy to make such guttural voices. Before I used a very different technique that was not very good because I got too tired, but now I feel much more comfortable. I managed to learn how to do it properly shortly before recording the voices of the Acechadores Intergalácticos (Intergalactic Stalkers) song. That voice is just what we were looking for from the beginning: a very powerful guttural voice capable of generating a great impact on the listeners.

The clean voice is something closer to the thrash metal style, a little street if you like. This is usually used to give that "vintage" touch to the whole thing.

CT: What has the feedback been on Science of Beyond so far?

SW: The responsiveness of this first release of Sulgogar has exceeded all our expectations. Really, we are very happy with the work done by Machine Man Records, because our music is reaching many people all over the world. A lot of people have told us that they love our sick sound and that they want to see us play live someday. Others are begging us to release a CD version soon. Right now we are considering that possibility.

CT: I could not find lyrics for any of the tracks but I'd like some expansion on a few of them. "Socialist-Satanist," for instance. What are you trying to say in the lyrics to this song? Is this something dangerous to say in Venezuela?

SW: Well, in the particular case of "Socialist-Satanist" this is clearly a song of mockery and protest towards what they call "Socialism of the 21st century". The name of the song makes reference to the rumors that many people of the Venezuelan government practice or have practiced horrible black African magic rituals at some point of their lives, especially the deceased former president of the republic.

The lyrics of this song are very short. Here the English translation:

Socialist-Satanist,

Corruption excites them,

Socialist-Satanist,

Sorcerers, false and Marxists,

Socialist-Satanist,

Controlling the currencies,

Socialist-Satanist,

Sorcerers, false and Marxists.

I composed it by taking some phrases I have heard from people in the street when they feel helpless in the face of all the stupidities that the current Venezuelan government does and that are constantly applauded by their brainless followers. The lyrics were going to be longer, but it was too controversial and could bring us many problems with the government later on. So we decided on something much simpler and that reflected the anger of the people who suffer every day under this corrupt government.

CT: Also, "Femi-Nazis." Are you guys anti-feminism? Are you saying that feminism is becoming too authoritative as a political ideology? Is it about a specific person or incident?

SW: I am in favor of the ideals of feminism of the old waves. But I do not agree with the ideals of the modern radical feminists and even less so-called "Femi-Nazis". In this song I make a joke of them, but before doing it I admit that they have all the chance to win because it has been scientifically proven that the masculine gender will gradually disappear from our species.

In this song I also talk a little about the theories of Richard Dawkins and about the radical feminists going against the interests of our genes. In short, the Femi-Nazis movement is a threat to our species. I also say that they only want power and that they will not be able to reproduce just by relating to each other.

CT: The title track is "Science of Beyond." Do you believe in extraterrestial beings? Are there real life extraterrestrial experiences which you've had? I know that South America in general is considered a hotspot for UFO and Paranormal activity.

SW: I do believe in aliens. In fact, I really like to read about it and investigate the most well-known cases of abduction in South America and the rest of the world. One of the cases that struck me the most was Betty and Barney Hill’s abduction and that's why I wanted to propose it as the central idea of ​​this first album and cover art.

CT: There's a sample that is used as the current title track. What is this sample from and why did you make the whole title track a sample?

SW: That audio sample is an excerpt from the hypnosis session held with Betty and Barney Hill. There they relate how they were kidnapped by the aliens and then subjected to very strange medical tests. Apparently, the interests of grey extraterrestrials go far beyond our three-dimensional logic. That's why the album is called Science of Beyond.

CT: Sting, you've been in a few other bands. What other bands have you been involved with and how do they differ from Sulgogar? Have Steve or Svetlana been in any other projects or bands as well?

SW: Apart from stay as the vocalist and bassist of Sulgogar, I am also the keyboardist and leader of Anfítrite, a female fronted symphonic metal band inspired by Greek mythology. In the same way I play the keyboard in Dragón Blanco, a band of symphonic power metal led by my brother Steve Kaiba. In both bands we are also recording new material with a more clean and delicate sound.

The sexy bomb Svetlana Sevostianova was part of a band in her native town in  Russia but she soon abandoned it because her work and studies consumed a lot of her time. So she devoted himself to perfecting her technique on the drums. She and I met some time ago on the internet and we became good friends. When I showed him some of the material that I was recording with Sulgogar Svetlana asked me to let her record the drums of all the songs. Since then she is collaborating with us on drums.

CT: Have you played or will you be playing any concerts or live shows?

SW: For now we have not been able to play live with Sulgogar because it is very difficult to move from where we live to the city and other states. We practically live in a very remote area comparable to Hobbiton, Fangorn or Narnia. We have received many proposals and invitations for concerts here in Venezuela but it is very complicated for now with the crisis. We hope in the near future to start playing live both nationally and other countries.

CT: What are long term plans for Sulgogar?

SW: Our plans are to record a lot more material and find a way to play live anywhere. As I write this, we are already fine-tuning the details of our next album, which we hope will also be liked by our fans. We also plan to release a version of Science of Beyond in CD format and another cool video clip that we have already uploaded to Youtube several months ago.

CT: What are your thoughts on the impact of the internet, and particularly social media, on music in general, and then more specifically on metal?

SW: The internet is a very important medium for today's musicians. Thanks to tools such as the internet, I was able to contact my friend Svetlana Sevostianova and we were also able to sign with the people of Machine Man Records, in addition to making our music known in all corners of the planet.

Social networks are important because through them you can meet people with your same musical tastes and many fans eager to listen and follow the new groups.

Every musician and modern metalhead should take advantage of the virtues of the internet, otherwise we will be stuck and we will not be able to continue growing and expanding our influence.

CT: What is it like playing metal, particularly metal which has some politically motivated songs, in Venezuela right now? Your country is going through what the west views as a fairly several economic crisis with your money ever inflating.

SW: Well, believe it or not in Venezuela there is a government regime quite deceptive and repressive that we could consider a mix between the ideals of the Italian mafia of the movies, the most absurd things of communism, a lot of what happens in the novel 1984 George Orwell and some of that fanatical ardor of the golden days of Nazism in Germany.

Saying something, (be it serious or not) against the Venezuelan government can immediately put you in a very compromising situation where your life and that of your family may be at risk. Therefore, it is very likely that you will be imprisoned and tortured in secret places or that you will be accused of something false as an excuse to damage your credibility before the public.

In the case of the songs, I know that we are not the only band within the metal and other musical genres with songs criticizing the actual government such as Socialist-Satanist, but I am not in a position to tell you exactly what other bands or artist are in this same position.

There was a golden age for the Venezuelan metal scene just a few years ago, when important bands came to the country as part of their tours and many brutal concerts were held here. Regrettably, government obstacles and other problems prevented that golden age from evolving into something more interesting and lasting. Now we are only few fighters in the metal ranks trying to make us know in the way that best suits our situation.

It is difficult for people from other countries to understand what is going on here, which is really very serious and a threat to the entire world, such as the USSR or Nazi Germany. It's like telling someone in Dubai to understand the situation of oppressed people by terrorists and psychopathic religious fanatics deep in the Amazon...

In short, you have to live it in your own flesh to understand it. The words are not enough to describe something so absurd and dangerous. Many foreigners have come to the country and have cried or scared enough to see what happens. At the moment, as I write this, in my house we only have one package of beans to eat in the next few days, and worse, I'll have to find another job because the money is not enough to support my family.

Playing metal in Venezuela, besides being a great passion like love your sexy girlfriend, has become a way of escape from the harsh reality we live. So, expect to hear more songs like Socialista-Satanista from Sulgogar in the near future mocking us and complaining about the worst political ideology that has existed in the world after communism and Nazism: the socialism of the 21st century.

CT: Your President was almost assassinated this week in a drone strike during what looked like a military parade. He blames Colombian far-right interests for the attack. What are people saying about this attack? What is the state of the government currently in Venezeula from the perspective of someone who lives there?

SW: It is true. Everything seems to indicate that it was a real attack but it is not clear who the real culprits were. Although, the majority of the population suspects that within the ranks of the government there are people who do not agree with the president and want to take it out of the way as it may. This is a consequence of having chosen the worst possible path, represented in the figure of socialism in the 21st century.

After the attack, the government has suspiciously issued arrest warrants for several people. It is likely that many of these people do not even have anything to do with the attack. It is now common for the government to discover a supposed conspiracy with extravagant names and take advantage of that to jail and brutally torture those who think differently.

If the government continues with its terror policy, it is very likely that in the future immediate terrorist groups will arise in the style of ISIS or ETA formed by disgruntled civilians and military.

CT: Are there any specific forces which are currently preventing bands and artists from freely performing, writing and speaking, and making music? In the US Anti-fa is currently very active closing shows, especially in the northwest and California, according to friends there.

SW: Well, if you have songs that speak against the government, it is likely that the same people who support that government look for ways to damage your reputation and credibility or prevent that you can play in concerts. In Venezuela there is a kind of "Gestapo" called SEBIN, which can appear one day in your house and take you handcuffed and move you to secret torture chambers. This may sound like something taken from the argument of any cheap movie but unfortunately it is true.

In short, we must be very careful with what one does and says here in front of a large number of people.

Recently, a Venezuelan extreme metal band revealed the art that adorns the cover of their next album where you can see many important figures of the government and the opposition in a sexual orgy too explicit. Having done this can cause many problems. Only time will tell what will happen to these daring guys. Although I must admit that the cover has become a viral image on social networks and is great.

On the other hand, in Venezuela and elsewhere in Latin America most people listen to that musical nonsense called "Reggaetón". Many of those people constantly complain about the metal and try to discredit the bands. Another thing is religious fanatics. In Venezuela there are many of them and believe that metal is a musical genre created by the devil.

CT: Is there a split within the metal community on political and social beliefs in Venezuela, as there is in the USA?

SW: Okay, yes. There are bands and artist that support the government through their music and some of them enjoy certain privileges (as in the case of Paul Gillman) while other bands do not or simply play metal music without including any political messages in their lyrics. I imagine that in the United States it is the same with liberals and democrats.

I just wait for this government to fall so we can play music freely as before and return to the golden age of Venezuelan metal scene.

CT: What thoughts come to mind when you hear the word, "individual?" Is the concept of individualism important in your life?

SW: Well, by thinking of the word "individual" I imagine someone free in almost every way, always within the limits allowed by law. For me it is important that one recognizes oneself, but one must also do it with other people. I believe that if you become aware of your own existence and that the world does not revolve around your head, you can easily put yourself in someone else's shoes and understand what is happening in his mind.

In Venezuela, the government is currently looking for a collective mind, but in a quite wrong way. If I as an individual need to have a stable job and give my family the best, that cannot be done, simply because having tried to keep everyone in balance (through laughable and absurd methods) prevents me. I mean, I cannot go to a supermarket and take a cart while I see what to buy to feed my family. I have to stand in big line with a lot of people and when entering the store there are only a few products and at exorbitant prices.

Here individualism is a privilege for the leadership of power, consisting of a purulent cancer that we must extirpate immediately. No one can negotiate a peace agreement with gangrene or with an incurable and chronic terminal illness. But despite all that, many of us are trying to change the things peacefully. Although it seems somewhat useless, in reality it is the only thing we can do within a legal framework.

We are playing a game of dungeons and dragons created by a corrupted master of the game that violates the rules continuously, sends wave after wave of beasts almost impossible to beat, denies the experience points of the players and strips them of their special abilities when he wants. This is not fun or legal at all.

CT: What final thoughts do you have for our online readers?

SW: Well, first of all I would like to ask you to support the emerging metal bands of the world more. It's okay to like old and legendary bands, but new bands also need an opportunity because they help the metal scene grow and evolve. The bands that today are great legends also went through this process of being little known and having to break through the community.
Sulgogar - The Science Behind Each Song

Femi-Nazis:

The controversy surrounding the radical feminists of today and the proposal to legalize free abortion in countries like Argentina led us to compose this song. In reality it is a mockery of the "Femi-Nazis", a mass movement that takes part of the feminist ideals so defended in the old times by the past waves twisting them to make a very mediocre media circus.

At the musical level, the song is quite simple. A repetitive but at the same time addictive structure serves as the basis for firing constant explosive bullets of common sense, sarcasm and some macho pride relaxed through the voice. A joker guitar solo helps a lot to the song.

Misión: Sobrepoblación (Mission: Overpopulation)

The lyrics of this song were written after Sting Weiss was a shopping day in town. While he lined up to buy some miserable vegetables to feed his family and to visit several places in search of better prices, he noticed the huge number of pregnant women there were (many more compared to days or weeks before).

Unlike other countries where the adult population is more numerous than the young, in Venezuela and other places in South America there are cases of true "baby booms" or a large number of births in a short period of time with any good reason behind it. This could lead to serious overcrowding problems in the immediate future as well as further compromising the reserves of available resources.

For this reason, Sting Weiss imagined a fictitious country where an unscrupulous government makes the decision to promote free and indiscriminate sex with the aim of purging the population. At the same time, this hypothetical government would seek to get rid of the adult population by sending it to war in the future.

At the musical level, Misión Sobrepoblación has a very interesting structure: it starts as a black metal song through the solitary guitar and ends in a crushing rhythm when the rest of the elements appear. From there it becomes a song of thrash very moved. This feeling is reinforced by the interpretative style of the clean voice as well as having a touch of death metal thanks to the gutturals. On the other hand, a narration recorded in the style "police radio equipment" imitates the implementation of a black special forces operation called "Mission: Overpopulation."

However, the best thing about this song is the guitar solo: it's just great and very emotional. It’s possibly the best guitar solo of the whole album.

Chupacabras (Goatsucker)

Chupacabras is a theme clearly inspired by the urban legend of a supernatural and unknown blood-loving being that had its most notorious appearance in Puerto Rico during the beloved decade of the nineties. At that time, the adventures of this supposed vampire demon caused a panic among the population of almost all the countries of South America.

The lyrics cover everything that is known and presumed about this horrible nightmarish creature.

At a musical level, it could be said that the song begins as a thrash metal song and then becomes one of black metal. The most plausible comparison is with some songs of Behexen in his album My Soul for His Glory and Svartsyn in Bloodline. Although, a part of the beginning sounds very similar to a Helloween song included in the Wall of Jericho album where one guitar enters first, then the other, later the bass and finally the drums. I think that theme is Murderer.

Svetlana Sevostianava did an excellent job on drums creating rhythms that approach those of a black metal song in the style of the old school (Mayhem, Burzum, and others). The guitar solo is a total madness. This was to be changed but Sting Weiss said it was perfect for the song "it's as strange and great as the Chupacabra vampire himself" he said once.

Finally, the spoken introduction is an extract taken from a very popular television program in the 90s called “Ocurrió Así” (It Happened So), specifically the special where they address the topic of Chupacabras and intend to explain their origin based on different interesting and weird theories. One of these theories is that the Chupacabra can actually be a demon created or invoked by witches with the objective of collecting blood and other elements for their macabre spells. That is the argument what can be heard in the opening narrative.

Socialista-Satanista (Socialist-Satanist)

In this song we make a joke of the absurd political ideology called "Socialism of the 21st century" established in Venezuela by the late former president Hugo Rafael Chavez Frías. This led to a country as rich as Venezuela becoming a dark paradise for common criminals, great leaders of the underground Mafia, assassins for hire and other unscrupulous people of all kinds. Something like what Port Royal was for the pirates of the Caribbean.

The lyrics were composed based on some of the phrases that people dissatisfied with the government have come to say in public to drain their anger while traveling by bus or subway. Curiously, the lyrics were going to be longer but it was too controversial and that could bring us big problems with the government. Therefore, we decided to condense everything in some of the most interesting phrases.

Here the translation of the lyrics:

Socialist-Satanist,
Corruption excites themselves,
Socialist-Satanist,
Sorcerers, false and Marxists,
Socialist-Satanist,
Controlling the currencies,
Satanist Socialist,
Sorcerers, false and Marxists,
   
In addition to talking about the taste of Venezuelan socialist leaders for the corruption, cynicism, easy life and poor ideas of Carl Marx, the lyrics speak of the special preference of these infamous individuals for Cuban Santeria (a variant of black magic of the Congo). Although, we also talk a little about the currency control.

At a musical level, the song start as one of black metal something similar to the songs of Dark Funeral and then takes an unexpected turn. From then on it becomes a thrash song in the style of the old school to enter the choir with a clear voice reciting the name of the song and the gutturals reciting some phrases used by people to express their discontent towards the infamous Venezuelan government.

The theme is very simple. A few punk-style chords along with a firm and violent drum beat set the tone for unleashing all the contained fury of the vocals. After repeating the chorus a couple of times, the subject changes a bit and gives way to a guitar solo very raw and desperate as the desire of each Venezuelan to destroy a government led by a group of corrupt Neanderthals.

El Comegente (Enviado de Satanás) (The Man-eater (Envoy of Satan))

This song is inspired by a Venezuelan serial killer named Dorangel Vargas (currently in prison) who during the 90s killed many people to eat their meat. This allowed him to survive in misery until he was captured and baptized by the media as "The Man-eater". An urban legend tells that when this infamous murderer was to be put behind bars, the inmate prison population trembled with fear and began a hunger strike to prevent the entry of an unstoppable monster psychopath devouring of human flesh.

The lyrics tell all that this bloody character did, which is considered by many Venezuelans as "a being sent to this earth by Satan himself".

At the musical level, it could be said that we are dealing with a death metal song in the style of the old school and you can even notice a bit of influence from Cannibal Corpse or other brutal death metal bands at the guttural level. The guitar solo is very refreshing and equally unexpected, perfect to give a little twist on the dark theme of the song and reflect the metal status of the killer Dorangel Vargas.

For its part, the spoken introduction heard during the introduction was taken from the news program of a television channel currently closed by the Venezuelan government. There you see the serial killer Dorangel Vargas calmly answering the questions of a reporter while being stopped by the police. When this was broadcast on television the whole country felt a great relief, because people were very afraid to go out and be trapped and devoured by this cannibal killer.



Acechadores Intergalácticos (Intergalactic Stalkers)

The lyric of intergalactic stalkers was inspired by the abduction of Betty and Barney Hill, considered the first recorded case in the modern world of this type of phenomena. It deals with everything related to this rare incident, from the sighting of the UFO by Barney Hill to the conversation between Betty Hill and one of the aliens in the control room of the object.

At the musical level, this song also starts with a part of black metal and then ends in a thrash. In the chorus of the song the guttural voice stands out quite demonstrating all its dark power. The twin guitar solo contributes to give a strange alien touch or maybe from another world.

Science of Beyond

The song that gives name to this first album of Sulgogar is called Science of Beyond. Basically it is an audio extract taken from a hypnosis recording made to the Hill couple, the first pair of humans abducted by aliens. Here you can hear the story of the terrifying experience on the part of both witnesses.

Although, the most interesting are the nervous reactions of Barney Hill who relives terrified every minute of the kidnapping, in addition to the shocking revelations made to Betty Hill by one of the aliens. While the extract is being played, a nightmare soundtrack helps to give it an even more sinister and enigmatic touch.

Mark Shelton: Up The Hammers

The day Epic Heavy Metal Died.

Live!: Jag Panzer, Sacred Oath, Ross The Boss

A few photos from Jag Panzer last night at St. Vitus as well as Ross The Boss on my Birthday in Teaneck, NJ.

Jag Panzer: Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin, John Tetley, Ken Rodarte with Rikard Stjernquist on Drums

Jag Panzer: Ken Rodarte and Mark Briody

Sacred Oath: Bill Smith, Rob Thorne, Brenden Kelleher, Damiano Scarfi with Kenny Evans on drums

Ross The Boss

Ross The Boss: Mike Lepond

Ross The Boss: Marc Lopez

Verthebral Promo Flyer

Daniel from Verthebral, after receiving his copies of the live tape, put together this awesome promotional flyer for Verthebral - Brutality of Souls: Live!.

I apologize for the lack of updates and content on site. I have been working on material steadily in the background.

Confessor A.D. - Too Late To Pray

Confessor A.D. of Strasbourg, Alsace France have put out their debut EP this year on Nihilistic Holocaust, a French label that has a habit of releasing worthy efforts in the death metal realm and who should be familiar to committed readers of Contaminated Tones. Too Late To Pray's five songs are of the no-slouch variety. The songs all coincide well, yet retain unique identifiers for those that enjoy their death metal skirting the boundaries between death, thrash, and black. Confessor A.D. has a distinct melodic vision which sounds classically or formally inspired. While the band is not afraid to attempt some less deathly elements, they never veer out of the metal genre.

The songs are sturdy and well composed and the recording and technical elements behind it are well done with every instrument given space in the mix. There is a defined focus on the bass in the recording to the point where I believe that bassist Aksel is the head honcho in decision making. He may for all I know have written the majority of the songs since he is such an anchor and including the fact he doubles as vocalist this is likely the case. The songs could be described as revolving around the bass lines, an inverse experience in a genre when the guitars are the main melodic instrument. He is fun to listen to, especially in "Endless Night," where his fills highlight throughout. The prominence of his bass performance is such that it negatively impacts the perceived energy of the other instruments and specifically Killian's guitars which don't sound nearly as invested in the music. Julien's drums and are standard C-grade average death metal drums.



After several listens, I'm not beholden to any of the tracks. "Deafening Confession" is a powerful opening salvo; it's distinct early Floridian style is appreciated during a period of time when the majority are coasting on the coat-tails of the Swedish and New York style. It wouldn't have made the cut for Scream Bloody Gore, but it wouldn't sound out of place. The more rocking "Haunting Enemies" goes for big chords and a doomier vibe, with a short stonerish solo section. It is the least death-metal song and stands out for this, possibly in a negative sense. "Hipster Killer" touches black metal influences but remains in the Floridian style for it's verse and bridge sections. A gravelly chorus with a ghoulishly playful theme is incorporated twice in the track to add memorability. "Silent War" has a phenomenal mid-section with a bass-heavy line that runs separate from the guitar melody and adds the depth of song-writing which I adore. It's my favorite on the record. "Endless Night" culminates. It's a thrash track but it's slower refrain sections bash through the fracas.

Confessor A.D. will have to decide where their style will take them, because they are caught now between several different voices in their music that aren't fully integrated into each other. I'm oddly fond of what they are presenting to me but it's not going to make me shell out cash for any future release unless they can get the intensity heightened and the urgency implanted into the recording. They have a chance to go for the style which Witchery have done so well, and appear to have a similar rock-n-roll attitude to their tracks and pacing. Seeing where Confessor A.D. drifts to will be a determining factor on whether they revel in underground adoration or shrink to a footnote.

Vessel of Iniquity - Vessel of Iniquity

Vessel of Iniquity’s self titled EP jumped out at me because I was familiar with some of the work of the solo project’s creator, S.P. White. Most notable in my memory were his contributions to the NULLL Collective (no, the extra L isn’t a typo). The NULLL Collective’s distinctive funeral doom versions of Christmas songs were genuinely good music, well beyond the amusing distractions that one may expect from such a gimmicky concept. The reason I mention this is because Vessel of Iniquity’s version of noisey black metal draws on a lot of the strengths that are also important in funeral doom. Whether you have sparse slow notes or a chaotic mess, it’s often important to keep an overall rich sound/atmosphere to supplement the downplayed emphasis on melody. With Vessel of Iniquity, S.P. White once again delivers.



The best comparison I can give is to the project La Torture Des Ténèbres. Frankly, Vessel of Iniquity has a better take on this particular niche sound because the wash of high-pitched tremolo picked notes always has a very clear melodic character. Although a major similarity between the two projects is the ringing quality that the guitars tend to have, with Vessel of Iniquity it doesn’t raise to a piercing or irritating level. It can be hard to make out tremolo picking from the dizzying wall of frequencies, but those frequencies do clearly change in recognizable ways, and you could even accurately call them “riffs.” Another strength is how ambient sections break up the EP without becoming overbearing or coming out of left field; they never constitute a major portion of the song but still effectively control the pacing.

The major issue I have with this EP is how on the last track “Choronzon” the three syllables of the song’s title are almost constantly repeated. It happens, I don’t know, it’s like five million times. The song is around six and a half minutes long and when the dry chanting stops after half-way through, I am still angry enough about it to be upset when it comes back in the outro. I totally understand wanting to get some kind of ritualistic chant vibe going, but “Choronzon” really missed the mark with these vocals. It’s basically the Stewie Griffin “mom, mom, mom...” approach to summoning a demon. Other than that diversion, the vocals are fairly standard hawkish black metal rasps that add a nice textural layer to the already crowded high-end.

I’d really like to see what S.P. White could do with this project, and for him to really flesh it out rather than leave this EP as a one-off in his rather large body of work. But, if you are into black/noise stuff at all this is a solid way to spend 15 minutes.

CTP - 036 - L: Verthebral - Brutality of Souls: Live!

So out of nowhere I got an email from Daniel Larozza of Paraguay's preeminent death metal band, Verthebral. He had a recording from a recent live show they did and asked if I was interested in doing something with it. After giving the material a listen I was sold pretty much immediately; solid old school death metal in the Floridian style of masters like Death and Morbid Angel (a cover of Chapel of Ghouls is present). I was fond of their full length album from last year, Regeneration, which really showed a level of songwriting and riff-punching that would leave many death metal bands sore in the brain trying to come up with such genuine nostalgic riffs. In a time when death metal has been leaning more towards the cosmic and death-doom variety, Verthebral reveal that the genre's basic underpinnings are still worth exploring.

Anyway, I put a PRE ORDER up for the tape. Everything is basically done on this already and the J-cards are going to print this week. Doing $3 preorder on this so buy a couple other things with it and get some free shipping as always. (If buying on Storenvy, just pay the shipping it charges and I'll refund it back with three items). This is a cool release and I'm happy to present it. I'll be trying to get some samples up for everyone to check out as well.

Update 4/21/18: Tapes are currently in production and available for purchase. I will remove the pre-order pricing on 5/8/18. I will mail out any tapes as they are ordered so you will not have to wait until 5/8. This release came together so fast that I wanted to give interested parties some more time to take advantage. Use the pre-order link in original post.

Update: 06/27/18: Tapes are no longer in Pre-order and available for regular price via the Storenvy page. Those in Paraguay, reach out to the band first to order a copy otherwise I am finding out you'll need to send me payment via Western Union. This is perfectly fine, of course, and if you want to order the tape and other releases this is obviously the best option. Email me directly at Orion_metalhead@hotmail.com if you need to order through this method.

Reviews:

The Clearing Path - Watershed Between Firmament and the Realm of Hyperborea

The Clearing Path is an innovative and interesting solo project from Gabriele Gramaglia; it’s what I imagine what the offspring of a marriage between Enslaved and Gorguts would sound like. This might seem like mixing oil and water, but it works. The project has remarkable creativity, production value, and technical competence. While the songs aren’t necessarily the best, they are strong enough to make the album a worthwhile experience. Many potential listeners may bemoan dissonant black metal or mathcore influences creeping into black metal or death metal, but this release clearly doesn’t fit into that milieu. So, while there is plenty of jangle to go around, the album never feels like a Deathspell Omega offshoot or something that a Dillinger Escape Plan fan would have written.

Still, this isn’t going to be for everyone. This project’s unique mix of dissonant and proggy influences means that The Clearing Path needs power chords about as much as a barbershop quartet would need a distortion pedal. If you are looking for lighter, proggy metal, this release may be too far on the abrasive side. Similarly if you want vicious abrasive death or black metal then this may be too middle of the road for you. Despite the project’s black metal genre tag and the Enslaved/Gorguts influences, The Clearing Path is a very good candidate for the nebulous “extreme metal” tag for those who enjoy dickering over such things.



For all of its creativity and prowess the album’s songs frankly are only good, not great. One of the struggles bands have when straying from well trodden musical paths is they write music that doesn’t go anywhere. Much of Watershed feels like wandering through a forest going “oh cool, look at that thing” but with the distinct sense you are walking in circles. It’s still an incredibly riffy and varied album, but you won’t remember many of the riffs. Novelty isn’t a substitute for tension or resolution, and this album isn’t quite flavorful enough to fall into the “you just have to listen to it for the atmosphere, dude” category.

In light of this, the vocals, both clean and harsh, tend to cut both ways in terms of quality. The harsh vocals are thin rasps, while the cleans are demure and subdued. On one hand they work really well to add a moody atmosphere to the album, putting a somber edge on what are often unorthodox an alien sounding melodies. A less generous interpretation though would be that the sparse vocals are simply nondescript and buried low in the mix just to hide them. Ultimately the vocal approach just works. But, it would be nice to hear them take the forefront more powerfully in order to act as signposts in the song’s structures, like we hear on “This Stairway Will Carry Me Towards the Grandest Light.” The use of clean guitar and vocals on that song breaks up the disorienting melodies and it’s an album highlight.

One major strength of this release is how professional/studio quality the mix sounds. That along with the sharp, compressed, and relatively dry distorted guitar tone makes the album’s sound extremely clear and orderly. Gabriele is credited with the solo project’s recording, and also the mixing (along with Stefano Lattanzio). I’d bet money that Gabriele’s room is ridiculously clean and that he’d also be borderline pissed off if there was a stray sock or dirty plate hanging around the place. You can hear how well this approach works around a minute into “Stargazer Monolith” when the tremolo picking and double bass synchronize like a Swiss watch. The mix also has a really nice wide feel to it, so I wasn’t surprised to see a picture of a seven string guitar on the project’s facebook page; the deep low notes and wide range of guitar notes really complement the mix.

Overall, Watershed Between Firmament and the Realm of Hyperborea is a really distinct and solid album.

Necrot - Blood Offerings

It's rare that a band I've never heard of before absolutely rules so hard live that they practically wipe the floor with the headliner and leave me excited to hopefully see them again. Bands are so fleeting these days, I never know if my first time seeing a band will be my last time or not. Necrot is just the band that has done everything right in my books. They opened a show last July and, paired with Undergang, were so much better than Horrendous that I immediately grabbed their album Blood Offerings. I was unaware that the band had connections to my other favorite Oakland death metal beast, Vastum, through Luca Indrio and Chad Gailey until much later. Just like Vastum destroyed me at Martyrdoom IV, Necrot destroyed me and many others opening this show. Fast forward: Necrot is playing New Jersey's smallest venue: The Meatlocker. It was a special time.

Blood Offerings is the type of album which sets a precedent for modern old school death metal. It is at once mature and stylish and yet draws on a well of influences and classics all the same. The band is configured with the heavily pronounced bassist Luca also handling vocals. He is reminiscent of your Van Drunens in richness of chords and his solid rhythm bass playing is choppy and yet cuts through the thick guitars with ease. Chad is a highlight on drums throughout, his playing a key element in Necrot's compositions, always various in mixtures of cymbal usage. Sonny Reinhardt on guitars is as capable a riff-writer as any guitarist and his ability to seamlessly blend riff styles is key to the band's ability to maintain the listener's interest. All of this is produced impeccably by Greg Wilkinson in a manner that is clear and crisp and yet also loses none of the dripping rot by which the band's old school sound hinges on.



With opener "The Blade," we are immediately thrust into the foundational influences as a decisively Swedish tone is struck early and will be carried throughout. It's not difficult to imagine that there is a distinctively UK element from bands like Bolt Thrower or Napalm Death when they dropped below light speed in their hey-day era. Reinhardt's twisting riffs also remind me of Iniquity, especially tracks "Shadows and Light" and "Breathing Machine." The band also grabs some elements from Immolation in "Blood Offerings" and "Empty Hands," with heavy reliance on tremolo riffs over chord progressions in the two tracks. "Beneath" is faster and Swedish sounding with hints of the thrashier Florida scene. In truth, there's a little morsel of everything here for death metal fans who like their death metal endlessly critiqueable and debatable.

Highlights demanding attention from me start with "Beneath." When I first heard the track's faster pace on the album immediately wrung my neck out, and Luca's exceptional vocal performance and composition pulls the listener beneath the graves with ease. "Breathing Machine" is also an absolute pummeling masterpiece chock full of memorable riffs in Iniquity's Serenadium style. It is massively catchy and also hearkens back to the chunkier Vastum tracks like "Enigma of Disgust" or "Patricidal Lust". I also love the title track, "Blood Offerings" which starts equally twisted but a transitional riff half way through - a two-element riff that has a driving chug that decays into a higher pitched hammer-on component that gives way to a noisey, cavernous solo that fades towards the track end - fights for the album's top moment.

The album ends with "Layers of Darkness," perhaps the band's most complex track from a composition standpoint. The intro starts with the album's most Bolt Thrower-esque verse. It culminates in an ascending tremolo melodic pattern over the chorus. This melodic pattern then reappears later on to tie the heavily melodic final harmony lines to the rest of the track. Through all this, Necrot are able to retain an unpredictable life to their riffs which hides the cunning structure of the track. After the band speeds up through what I call a bridge area - but it includes a second vocal rhythm and pattern and is too long to be a typical bridge - "Layers of Darkness" meanders into and out of a harmonized guitar section that relies on the earlier chorus/refrain theme.

The sad thing about Blood Offerings is that it will be very hard to top, because the songs are so memorable. The great thing about Blood Offerings is that Necrot have a huge amount of momentum behind them now. In June they were the opening band and this month they are headlining. The mix of styles and influences which seemingly run through Necrot should provide ample creative room and inspiration. Luca mentioned to me before their set that they hope to begin writing this fall after a European tour; their next album can't come fast enough for me.

Thanatomania - Resignation

Thanatomania, a black metal band from Germany, take their band name from psychology; thanatomania is the fear of dying or the fear of the inevitability of dying. Their take on black metal has remained staunchly in the hands of songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist M.S and, as will be seen, is a detrimental factor in leading Thanatomania forward musically. Their debut demo, Mykonismus, was neatly presented and contemporary in 2013 to the popular bands of the time; Alcest, Wolves in the Throne Room, Agalloch, etc. The style follows closely, with moments of harsher elements mixed in, but rarely intense enough to deliver more than a glancing blow. The material was a bit drawn out and over-thought as often transitions felt forcefully inserted to extend the two songs, instead of naturally placed to connect elements and events. The first track, "Mykonismus I" suffered heavily from this. Drangsal was in some ways a step forward, but only due to it's more refined structure and composition. Few, if any, new elements were added to the material.

Thanatomania - Mykonismus Demo

The 2016 EP was more up front, and more aggressive sonically. With more distorted sections and even some dare-say-I punk drum beats in the release's second and third movements, there was a shift towards what a band like Taake have done recently stylistically. Yet Thanatomania have, unfortunately, retained the agrarian melodic movements of the US West Coast and post-black French bands, producing a mostly weepy sounding EP here as well. There was, at times, promise shown. With shorter songs, final track, "Drangsal III"  culminated in the project's strongest approximation to what I like to hear in my black metal: aggression, melodic-narrative, atmosphere, and tortured/tormented vocals. While opening with a couple minutes of the band's expected coffee-house black metal, the final half showed stylistically that Thanatomania could compete with their more aggressive peers such as Drudkh or New Jersey locals Woe, if not surpass.

With these two recordings providing a stylistic background, Resignation is this year's effort from the band and shows a band still on the move to pitch their own claim. There are hints of these earlier influences in the sound, however an overwhelming shift away from the Cascadian influence and more towards the experimentation and bitterness of the European scene is noticeable in the inclusion of many segments of extensive ringing notes. It seems the missing link for Thanatomania is still the aggressive Norse influences or the grimness of the Eastern front bands. The result sounds like a traipse through a spring meadow as opposed to trudging through the deep winter forests. Resignation is in many moments still upbeat and positive melodically which presses the listener to decide if Thanatomania's black metal is better served for specific times when moods are bright. This, to me, is a detriment. The music should define the mood in black metal; Thanatomania do not transport me to any specific place; I am not altered in mind and body through these songs.

The album's opening intro is a calming and peaceful doll drum of drawn out clean guitars which function as a predecessor to Resignation's second track, "Resignation II." The intro here is titled "Resignation I," and once you reach third track, "Resignation III," you start to wonder at the reasoning behind such manner of song titling on a full length. With no specific descriptions or reasoning this manner of titling comes across as lazy to me. I would like to see actual song titles. Even something like, "Resignation II: Another More-Or-Less Upbeat Black Metal Song" would serve a purpose. M.S. said that the German lyrics are hard to follow and understand for many but does that necessitate someone at least trying to interpret them? "Resignation III" is the first time in which the album comes across aggressively with a much faster opening riff melody which is noticeably angrier than the melodies encountered previously. This is the closest the band has come to sounding like a full fledged black metal band. Unfortunately Thanatomania here fail to carry this energy to the end instead opting to insert a derivative strummed chord to culminate. With "IV" opening once again with force, it highlights how this drop-off negatively affects the pacing of the record. The album's fifth track (guess the name and you get an award) is the most unique rhythmically on the record at times reminding me of more modern experimental Black Metal groups.



"IV" is Resignation's most defining track with very little competition. Not only are we given a fatalist melody to work with from the beginning, even the moments where the song changes pace and transitions offer just a little more melancholy or solemnity than previous songs. The song truly revolves around a slower central element not unlike the dirgier tracks Drudkh presented on Blood In Our Wells such as "Furrows of the Gods" or "Solitude". The shift is done perfectly and the contrasting melodies makes this singular moment the most narrative and developed moment of the album. It is like waking through a door into a new room, a vision seamlessly changing. The track reattempts full speed again to close but as it draws forward the opening riff with no variation and no change to melody or rhythm, the song ends up being a typical rock song in structure and not the tale it could have been.

"IV" also shows the band for where it truly is on a musicianship basis. M.S.'s vocals are decent, adequately screeching his way through the album and occasionally squatting out something lower in tone but his guitar playing is the definitive focus overall for the band. As he is the band's main songwriter it is the only interesting element to listen to and still comes across as predictable. I wonder at how much say the rest of the members have in the songwriting process. B.L.'s drumming is competent but never adds to the songs in a rhythmic way. He lays the foundation adequately but essentially acts as a metronome for the band instead of rhythmically encouraging M.S. or A.K. to shift beyond the melodies and engage with the percussion on an individual level. A.K.'s bass playing offers little beyond a repetition of the underlying melody and is a wasted element. There are no additional fills and no attempt to imbue the tracks with subtle nuance or interest. It is the single-most wasted opportunity on the record, particularly because of how prominent the bass is in the mix. With all the instruments revolving around the guitar lines, which are nothing but strummed chord progressions throughout the songs, the album feels flat and shallow.

Thanatomania - Drangsal EP

Thanatomania have not yet mastered the ability to craft inspired melodic movements in their music or understand the importance of the rhythm section. The lack of narration and story which should be conveyed melodically is not yet apparent and the urgency which would drive the band forward is lost in the lack of rhythmic experimentation. Titles would help, as would some additional musical elements to carry the material forward. Resignation lacks overlying harmonies, melodic movements, and further dynamic elements. At times Thanatomania sound incomplete. For a full length to be this bare yet attempt to be this mature raises conflicting feelings in me. It's clear that the band wants to convey a story and a more heady experience than a more primitive band so while these three releases are a good indication of where the band will head musically, they are also indicative of a band that has not yet truly managed to determine what makes their music necessary listening. Perhaps the next release will be more complete, more nuanced, more melodically varied, and give a better impression of who Thanatomania are meant to be and who they could become.

CTP - 035 - I: Diseased Oblivion - A Blackened Harvest of Decomposure

Diseased Oblivion - A Blackened Harvest of Decomposure is out now. 40+ minutes of Funeral Death Noise. This is the last of the band's material to ever see the light of day. It contains tracks from what was to be their full length album which is now realized.

$6 each + shipping / $19 for 5 copies ppd.
As always, buy three items get free shipping.

http://contaminatedtones.storenvy.com/

REVIEWS / PRESS 

"I should have known... Even if this webzine is focused on death metal (It's written on the left) and other kinds of "dynamic" old school metal genres, I have released a death doom cassette, and I did some kind of industrial projects (In the past?), so finally some kind of doomy/ dark/ strange music promos landed into my mailbox.

Hopefully for my rather metallic knowledge, this release we will talk about isn't the most "misplaced" one, this isn't melodic gothic doom or quite unreviewable stuffs...

I would say the style of DISEASED OBLIVION is located between funeral doom and black doom, with "industrial" influences to appear here & there.

So this is very slow music; Rather than being crushing or monolithic the feelings are rather about sorrow or depression. Then you have industrial influences that appear "between" the tracks (With some minute longs of darkish ambient or noise stuffs), or during the songs with some drone sounds (here & there), or perhaps also these vocals that sound very low (If this is actually vocals, taken in an industrial spectrum it could sound like samples of downtuned subterranean noises, or perhaps like the vomits from a sexy tectonic fault AhAh).

Even if the musical content could be considered as extreme for the regular pop/ rock/ (metal?) listener, I found the whole rather relaxing.

Perhaps some riffs sound like the second MY DYING BRIDE album (With fewer death metal, clearly), then the arrangements on some guitars evoked a quite seriously slowed down PARADISE LOST ("Icon")... Hum, perhaps some peoples will hear similarities with SKEPTICISM, I'm not sure...

Well, the style of DISEASED OBLIVION is clearly not what I usually listen to, and the tracks could sound long for those who dig dynamic music (Well, this is doom), but I found the songs to flow quite naturally and this tape was quite pleasant to listen to." (Nihilistic Holocaust Webzine)

"Dark, ambient and forever hidden behind the black veil of obscurity, Diseased Oblivion offer up hallucinatory noise that aims to break your mind and drag your soul in to a never ending darkness. A Blackened Harvest of Decomposure is a compilation of eight tracks that span between the years 2009 and 2011, and within these eight tracks you are treated to funeral dirges of doom that instill dread, fear and the ever ominous presence of death upon you. These ambient and atmospheric tracks wrap their diseased tendrils around you never to let you escape from the forlorn and depressive soundscape that Diseased Oblivion creates. Each of the eight tracks that are present within this release are just as mind numbing and spirit breaking as the last creating an unwelcome and all around sinister sound.

Through each track, Diseased Oblivion crawls forth at glacial speed tormenting you with down tuned grave rattling riffs that are paired with demonic cavernous vocals and an atmosphere that is all together poisonous and malicious. The longer that you listen, the further that Diseased Oblivion drag you in to the recesses of darkness never for you to climb out. Through this release, Diseased Oblivion greet you twisted and harrowing tracks that hang over you like a reaper waiting to claim its next soul.

You can’t escape this darkness once you have pressed play as you become surrounded by dark clouds of disease and death. This soul tearing and dissonant release is riddled with dark yet gripping atmosphere and ambiance that have you near enchanted from the get go. As sinister as the atmosphere is throughout this release, it has an innate ability to pull you in and keep you intrigued and listening all throughout. The overall blasphemous atmosphere is aided by odd ambient noise that contorts the mind and has it delving deeper in to its darkest recesses. The atmosphere and ambiance is disorienting, hallucinatory and yet it is gripping and enticing all the same.

Each of the eight tracks that appear here within A Blackened Harvest of Decomposure are expansive, allowing Diseased Oblivion time to take your mind through depressive and bizarre soundscapes from which you do not want to return. As expansive and lengthy as these tracks are, Diseased Oblivion does a great job of keeping your attention all throughout as they have you traverse through diseased and death riddled atmospheres and soundscapes. Overall, this release is cohesive, damning, heavy, incredibly atmospheric and engaging, making it out to be a very solid listen." (Cadaver Garden)

Argus Megere - VEII

You could almost write an entire article about all the connections that Argus Megere’s lineup and sound has to Negură Bunget. But, the main takeaway is this: VEII shows that the band can stand on nearly equal footing. It’s as if the two bands share the same majestic place high up on some metaphorical mountain. While it would be really easy to subconsciously punish the band for coming so close to (but not quite replicating) Negură Bunget’s dark romanticism, VEII is absolutely a solid album in its own right. It forges its own path rather than trying to recapture lightning in a bottle.

Some key point of difference are the traces of progressive inclinations similar to Enslaved. Importantly, the band’s approach is more traditionally metal: they rely far more on riff or melody based structural anchors compared to Negură Bunget’s frequent use of massive dynamic changes. A great example of this is the sugary and somewhat traditional, but engrossing, guitar solo rounding out the end of “Umbre ratacite in piatra apuse.” Another key point are the shockingly stunning clean vocals, they are in a league completely of their own. These vocals are 100% my new favorite cleans, and compare well to what you might expect in Borknagar’s music.

The overall atmosphere on VEII is incredibly triumphant and uplifting, and while the band’s incorporation of folk influences is relatively subtle compared to what you may be expecting, it still gives off a distinctly Romanian black metal feel. Synthesizers provide a frequent harmonic backdrop for the music, but aren’t as heavy handed as many “symphonic” metal bands use (Interestingly, Sol Faur is credited with recording both the keyboards and drums). Still, the synths, along with an ample helping of effects and occasional violin, help to cement the band’s unique style. One particularly beautiful example of this is how the layered violin work on “Tabla” at one point mixes a fast trill-based melody with high synth notes before transitioning to a more reserved clean vocal section. Absolutely brilliant stuff of the sort you won’t find anywhere else.


A crisp, earthy, atmosphere makes the instruments feel like they were recorded outdoors and similar to the synthesizer’s light touch, each instrument slides into the mix like a soft breeze. Unlike many bands that aim for a naturalist vibe, Argus Megere always has a clear vision of how to keep the music blatantly heavy. In fact, a number of the riffs on the album are borderline chug-fests with how heavy they are. But it always works. What really blew me away was sticking the Romanian lyrics into Google translate and finding exactly the kind of nature themes that the music alone was already able to independently convey.

The pacing here is also excellent. However, there’s a slightly awkward lag between the third and final songs that makes me sad every time I hear it. Is the album over already? After the last track though, there is such a clear sense of finality and resolution that it seems like the band was just teasing the listener earlier. We should all be incredibly grateful for this because the album’s 47ish minutes are spread across only four tracks, each of which is over ten minutes long. The band handles this setup so well that the tracks breeze by without lagging for even a moment, and it reinforces the album’s grandeur.

ather than wishing the band sounded more like their famous brethren, Negură Bunget, I wish they focused more on their own strengths; namely their use of vocals and their grand sense of pacing. The entire band is responsible for making the soaring cleans work so well, and there’s no shame in showing off a bit more when you have both the pipes for it and the framework to make it successful. Along the same lines, where a lot of bands release very long albums just for the hell of it, Argus Megere is the kind of group that not only is capable of a long album, but really ought to expand on their grandiose atmosphere with longer releases. Still, the 47 minutes on VEII are epic in the truest sense of the word and this album is necessary listening for those who are fans of Negură Bunget (and also a good chunk of people who aren’t).

New CTP Headquarters: Back In Action

Pre-Permanent Temporary Contaminated Tones HQ in Process of Deployment.

Rad Cianide Cozie. Thanks M. Perun!

It's been an exhausting couple of weeks. I'm not even talking about the four nor'easters we've had including the fifteen inches of God's cocaine that fell last night. Moving into a new home, while doing necessary pre-move-in repairs, and relocating all the furniture and objects yourself is not a heavenly experience. Aside from the mental exhaustion of buying a new house, this jam-packed physical obstacle course has been grueling. The reward: a nice new larger temporary headquarters for Contaminated Tones and a permanent goal insight.

For the time being, I will be located in a second bedroom while the true permanent CTP space gets completed (over an unforeseen amount of time, tbh). Still, it's nice to have a place to unwind and relax. My life, while not devoid of music over the past two months, has been extremely lacking the inner fount from which my happiness and creative juices find their genesis. It hasn't stopped me from amassing new listening material to add to the endless amount of material I am bombarded with. Included: some signed LPs from Cauldron Born and Briton Rites' Howie Bentley, a handful of cassettes and CDs, and finally getting into my own cache of unlistened to accruals.

Between this, a few good recent shows made their way into the schedule: the first Ross The Boss at St. Vitus, NY and then this past Tuesday Judas Priest and Saxon at Prudential Center, NJ, which coincided with two of my friends' birthdays. Needless to say the show was excellent. I was discouraged by the lack of interest from the crowd in Saxon, even though they put together a rather strong set that focused on music from new album, Thunderbolt. The new material was impressive and translated well to a crowd which seemed to be lacking energy. Even classics such as Motorcycle Man, Princess of the Night, and Power and the Glory were received with about as much exuberance as the tax man.

Saxon trying their best to move a bunch of sappy blokes from their seats.

Priest were extremely impressive, sticking to a lot of classics and even playing some deeper cuts such as Bloodstone, Grinder, and Saints In Hell. Halford sounded excellent, though clearly aided by an effects board to help with his resonance. Regardless, it would be heresy to not be blown away with the power and might of his Sixty-six year old vocal chords, still capable of hitting the tough notes in a track like Painkiller. The stage show lacked some of the grandeur which Iron Maiden bring; some monitors with close ups would have aided those sitting in the seats farther away. The true highlight, other than some killer classic Priest cuts, was to see Glen Tipton come out and finish the night performing Metal Gods, Breaking the Law, and Living After Midnight. Truly a monumental show from a band that still brings it, but is inevitably nearing the point of retirement.

Judas Priest including Glen Tipton playing Metal Gods but lacking the silverware.

A review of the Wounded Giant tape showed up on More Than Sound which was brought to my attention. I added the link on the Releases Page but the direct link is right here: More Than Sound.FR Wounded Giant Review. Seems like the reviewer liked the tape which is always great!

Next show: Negative Plane and Malokarpatan at Brooklyn Bazaar on Saturday.

Rites of Thy Degringolade - The Blade Philosophical

As silly as it may be to have an album titled “The Blade Philosophical” it’s actually an incredibly apt description of Rites of Thy Degringolade’s latest release. The band’s sound is somewhat tough to pin down, but it all makes perfect sense when you try to imagine a “philosophical” blade. It’s an inquisitive stabbing of music, savage but thoughtful. Although the band is often grouped in with the greater Canadian black/death metal scene, Rites has always forged their own path. and their direction on this album trends much closer to mid-tempo Swedish black metal than muddy chaos.

Still, the band’s genuine sense of creativity makes most comparisons only ballpark estimates. If you want to get stupidly specific about it, there are also touches of earlier releases from French bands like Merrimack and Glorior Belli. You wouldn’t quite call them an experimental or avant garde band, but that spirit is definitely in the music and their distinct rhythmically-minded sound is a great example of a band that stays well within its genres traditions without retreading the past.



The best thing about this album is how well it balances razor sharp production with muscular and nearly chaotic undertones, many bands go for one extreme or the other. Rites can transition from hyper precise crystal clear riffing featuring stereo split multi-tracking to a wild Slayer-esque solo without batting an eye. That said, the album definitely leans much more to the former than the latter. Overall the release is broken up with so many punchy rhythmic sections that there is a crisp martial feel that never clashes with the more typical black/death elements. It’s also critical to understand that this rhythmic inclination includes clever palm muting, liberal use of snare heavy flourishes, and deft vocal phrasings.

Although the album is just a tad over forty minutes long, the band’s fourth full-length is has some fairly long tracks and is their longest release yet. Frankly, it could have been tightened up a tad. For example, the short track “Totalities Kompletion” lacks the interesting rhythmic aspects included in other songs, aiming instead for blunt aggression. But that song’s apparent power is completely dwarfed by the riffing on “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Knife.” This highlights how a handful of moments on the album are better suited for second-tier bands, and ought to have faced the paring knife. Unfortunately this problem has a habit of weakening the band’s otherwise forceful transitions between exceptionally clear melodies.

Returning to the positives, the vocals on this release are exceptional even though they don’t have a particularly unique tone and, with the exception of the really cool cleans on “The Final Laceration,” they aren’t at all flashy. Rites often beefs up the vocal tone by layering the same vocal melody with fairly tight but natural sounding harmonization, which makes sense once you notice that all four band members are credited with the vocals. The vocal’s emotional impact also mesh incredible well with the album’s atmosphere - mostly straightforward aggression with faint hints of a brooding ritualistic vibe.

The creativity on this album is subtle but still clear. I can’t think of a more percussive black metal release that still manages to have a clearly traditional sound. Rites’ conservative approach and distinct style makes this a solid release to check out for a wide range of black metal fans.