Vagabond's Band of the Month: Kingdom of Decay

Band: Kingdom of Decay
Year of Formation: 2009
Country of Origin: Australia
Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Hailing from Darwin, in Australia's harsh Northern Territory, Kingdom of Decay play some seriously crushing death/doom influenced by Mournful Congregation, Celtic Frost, Saturnus, Warning, Cruciform and similar acts. The band specializes in combining bone crushing riffs with occasional melodic tendencies. So far they have only put out one (very promising) demo, which is available for free download via their bandcamp. I advise all of you doom-fiends to get in on this ASAP.

Bandcamp: http://kingdomofdecay.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kingdomofdecay

Review on Witching Metal: http://witchingmetal.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/kingdom-of-decay-demo-2010.html

Interview: Hail of Bullets

1. Hails Stephan!!! HAIL OF BULLETS, at least to my ears, has a distinctive sound (but with the obvious Dutch element, of course) – was this an initial aim or natural occurrence? What would you say sets HAIL OF BULLETS apart from most other Death Metal bands?

Hey James, well thank you. It’s always good to hear that people think you have a distinctive sound. When we started this band, we did not have any plans to re-invent the death metal wheel, but we did plan to transport our musical influences that reach back to the 80’s and early 90’s into a sound that fits the present. So no crappy, lo-fi retro sound cause I can assure that most bands in the 80’s and 90’s did their best to come up with the heaviest sound possible. Sometimes both the bands and the producers simply did not have the money or experience to come up with a better sound. Of course those recordings sounded great back then but going back in time and trying to reproduce the productions/sounds of the eighties in order to sound ‘true’ or ‘vintage’ is pretty silly if you ask me. I think the combination of old school metal influences, a powerful, massive sound and the intention to paint a complete picture of war, from the lyrics and the melodies to the artwork sets us apart from most other bands.

2. How would you sum up the band's lyrical themes? Which members contributed to the lyrics?. I know your drummer, Ed Warby (Gorefest, The 11th Hour, etc), put in a lot towards the songwriting on your first album...was it the same case with your second album, "On Divine Winds"?

Ed is still the most productive one when it comes to writing riffs and songs for the Bullets, with myself coming in second these days. The lyrics are mainly Martin’s thing. When we started with the 1^st album he already had the complete story for that album in his mind for years…. he was simply waiting for the right band/music to come along where he could ventilate his concept. It got a bit tougher for him with the 2^nd and now the 3^rd album. Obviously he does not want to repeat himself but we still want to come up with strong, war-related concepts. Right now he’s putting the finishing touches to the lyrics for the 3^rd album.

3. Your first album "...of Frost And War" reached the German charts at number 75 – it must've been an amazing feeling? I guess it has got much to do with the fact that your label, Metal Blade, had a strong promotion?

Actually it was our 2^nd one, “On Divine Winds” that reached the charts at number 75, but yes it was a great feeling. On the other hand you must face that sales figures in the pop music sector have gone down more rapidly than in metal, so nowadays I guess you can enter the charts when you sell like 15,000 albums in the first week of its release as opposed to the 90’s where you had to sell at least 30,000 albums in the first week to break the charts. But the idea to have death metal albums entering the charts is fun of course.

4. So far, Dan Swano has done production values for both full lengths. Was he an obvious choice? Would you tell us a bit about this collaboration?

Which other producer would you have considered working with if not with Swano?

He definitely was our first choice. Dan is an icon in the metal scene and a great guy to work with. During the recording process of the 1^st album we never met him in person. But meanwhile that has changed of course. Although he more or less hates the actual recording process and prefers to concentrate on mixing and mastering he was present during the first day of the drum recordings this time around to set up the microphones etc. As for other producers, people like Kurt Ballou (Black Breath!), Neil Kernon or this upcoming Swedish guy Ronnie Björnström would have been good options.

5. All releases for HAIL OF BULLETS so far has had strong productions. Do you think that, in some sense, that has also helped to get some of the newer generation of metalheads into your sound? Do you agree that, for some, this could perhaps even have been a gateway to older bands?

Yes, I’m pretty sure about that. You can’t expect young kids to move over from deathcore bands to more old school bands who have a sound like they are still living in the 80’s. don’t get me wrong; I prefer most bands from the 80’s and early 90’s to almost ANY band that was formed this century, but like said earlier, to me it comes across as kinda ‘forced’ to sound retro/vintage…

6. All the members in HAIL OF BULLETS have had past involvement in Death Metal bands and can be considered seasoned "veterans". On that note, would it be relevant to say that HAIL OF BULLETS is some sort of "supergroup"?

I don’t know what to think of terms as ‘supergroup’ or ‘all star band’ as it sounds kinda overdone to me actually. But sure we did leave our marks on the Dutch and in some cases global metalscene with our other and previous bands…

7. Perspective-wise, how much do you think you have gained through your experience as a guitarist in THANATOS and how would you compare that to your current position in HAIL OF BULLETS?

Thanatos have always been a hard learning school; we never had a strong record company to back us up, we fucked up a lot of things ourselves and basically never had much luck, so I guess I learned to persevere from that and I learned to pull through even if things aren’t going really smoothly. I’m really happy that we finally signed a deal with a good record label now and I look forward to start working on the new Thanatos album that will be out on Century Media records next year. Playing Thanatos riffs and doing vocals is obviously much harder than playing guitar in Hail of Bullets but I learned to play with more groove and I learned to focus on other things apart from pure speed and aggression. But I love the fact that both bands have a totally different sound and approach. I love both bands and I wouldn’t see the point playing in two bands that totally sound alike…

8. Lyrically and/or musically, how would you say your second album "On Divine Winds" differs from "...of Frost And War"?

Of Frost… was about the eastern front; darkness, cold, raw and brutal battles and it showed in the lyrics and the overall feel. On Divine Winds had a more heroic concept, so there was some sort of epic feel to both the music and the lyrics I guess…

9. ... And now a common question: Which albums do you regard as absolutely essential in the realms of Death Metal and which are your all-time favourites?

For me, Death Metal started with Possessed’s ‘Seven Churches’ and maybe the foundations were even laid down by Slayer’s ‘Hell Awaits’ and Dark Angel’s ‘Darkness Descends’; these albums were so much darker than any other thrash metal albums. Other essential/favorite albums are Death’s ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ and ‘Leprosy’ the first 2 Autopsy albums, the first 4 Morbid Angel albums, Massacre’s ‘From Beyond’, Entombed’s ‘Left Hand path’, Bolt Thrower’s ‘War Master’ and ‘the 4^th Crusade’. Infernal Majesty’s ‘None Shall Defy’, Obituary’s first 2 albums of course and a shitload more that I forget to mention now. I think the early Venom, Hellhammer and Celtic Frost stuff was also essential for the evolution of death metal.

10. Finally, I know the band is currently in the works of the third album.

What should be expected? Cheers and thanks for your time!

We’re almost done with the recordings, we only have to record the vocals and a few more guitar leads. Hopefully we’ll get that done in the next couple of weeks. Then Mr. Swanö will channel the chaos and brutality and we’re aiming for a late October/early November release. The artwork is finally taking shape as well which was pretty hard this time cause the concept for this album (although war-related of course) differs a bit from the two previous ones. Musically I would say it goes a bit more in the direction of the first album. There are more fast songs and fast parts this time around than on ODW, but of course there’s also room for doomy and groove laden mid paced stuff. When I listen to some of Ed’s songs I would almost say that Repulsion was a big influence on him this time around. The songs are a bit more direct this time…Cheers and thanks for showing interest.

NECROVEN – Perpetual Blasphemies (Metalhit 2012)

“Perpetual Blasphemies” is a compilation featuring the first two demos by Spanish Death Metal band, NECROVEN, single-handedly steered by Jonathan Reina. The style is fairly straight-forward Death Metal – no bells and whistles, only pure fucking Death! There are only six tracks featured here, but the result is twenty-six minutes of absolute face-shredding brutality, which could be considered as a full-length by some bands.

NECROVEN is able to conjure up an atmsophere that reeks of old cemetery slough and gives some notable nods to the likes of old INCANTATION, and some Finnish Death Metal acts like CONVULSE and RIPPIKOULU – especially in the riffing where ‘Abandoned by Gods’ has quite a strong resemblance.

Anyone who is somewhat initiated with the current new wave of old school Death Metal should be well informed about the recent quality bands emerging from Spain, with the likes of ATARAXY, BANISHED FROM INFERNO, GRAVEYARD, MORBID FLESH, etc. – and so NECROVEN proves to be no exception, seeming to have found themselves a firm position among its ranks.

“Perpetual Blasphemies” comes in digi-pack format with artwork designed by none other than Mark Riddick (responsible for the front cover and layout). I wouldn’t necessarily rate this particular release as a 'must have', but would definitely qualify as more-than-worthy for those on the look out for some good ol' ghoulish Death Metal.

Obeisance – 666 War!!! (Old Cemetery records 2012)

Finally, after six years, the Texan war commando known as OBEISANCE returns with their now fourth full-length assault chock-full of black-thrashing goodness.

Nothing much has changed since the band’s last album, “unholy, Unwholesome and Evil” – a definite highlight in their career – somehow, the music presented on “666 War!!!” seems to pack less of a punch than its predecessor, yet still manages to maintain enough grit and dirt-ridden charm to please all the warmongers out there.

I really don’t feel it’s necessary to pinpoint any comparisons or influences here (and so cliché) since I feel that OBEISANCE is pretty much in a league of their own as far as blasphemous, war-enthused Black/Thrash. On the other hand, I will admit that the spirit of bands such as VENOM, SLAYER and BATHORY are all too present here. Once the first track, ‘Emperor of Gehenna’ kicks in, you should know what to expect – no flashy musicianship, fancy production, or singing about trolls, love or dark forests – none of that superfluous shit – THIS IS WAR!!!

OBEISANCE definitely share a close kinship with a lot of today’s “bestial” bands, but the difference here is that the band has been doing this for quite a while now as opposed to the recent “goat metal band of the week”. I find myself enjoying this album more on repeated listens, and tracks like, ‘Emperor of Gehenna’, 'Goat Destroyer' are regular winners … “666 War!!!” probably won’t go down as one of the most memorable Black/thrash albums in metal history, but contains enough menacing bruteness to leave your senses shattered.

Hellscourge – Hell’s Wrath Battalion (Dybbuk records 2011)

Who’s keen to hear some utterly raw and filthy Black Thrashing Metal from Brazil? Fuck yeah!!! Until recently, the name of HELLSCOURGE was completely unknown to me. These maniacs execute Metal in the true ‘80’s spirit, where Black, Death and Thrash Metal was one in the same. Yes bitches, this duo-machine is going to kick you in the fuckin’ balls!

The band seems to incorporate some hardcore Punkish influences which (again) says a lot about the mentality behind the band – old school bangers to the core! The prodcution seems to come off as pretty raw, and sounding quite analogue, it definitely suites their style. Style-wise, I can make some comparisons to bands like IMPIOUS BABTISM, MIDNIGHT and PERVERSOR … I think anyone into those bands will definitely find a lot to enjoy here … As for older bands, I was able to pick up on some (indirect) influences from SODOM, CELTIC FROST, AGENT STEEL, DARKTHRONE, etc.

Throughout this album your ears will be imperiously assaulted with menacing and piercing tremolo-picked riffs, harsh, shrieky vocals and primitive drum fills that pokes sardonically at the corpse of Iesu Christi. The solos that are implemented throughout rip and cut through layers of flesh. Maybe not very memorable, but effectively incorporated. The atmosphere they are able to evoke is absolutely nostalgic and this adds much to the overall clarity of the album.

This is definitely pure unadulterated fucking Metal played with 100% conviction. This shit is raw, aggressive and harbors heaps of attitude – spikes, leather and fucking metal! Need I say more? “Hell’s Wrath Battalion” contains eight tracks of pure old school Metal with minimal boring moments.

Macabra - Blood-Nurtured Nature

Review by James Goatfukk.

MACABRA is a Belgium/American joint alliance featuring Mark Riddick, who is better known for his crotesque artwork than for his music. The band’s core aim seems to be geared towards playing Death Metal in the purest old-school tradition reminiscent of the early ‘90’s – and might I add that they’ve done a damn competent job at doing so.

“Blood-Nurtured Nature” consists of eight tracks of pure old school Death Metal worship, with songs chucking away at durable lengths of which 5:38 is the longest — and 3:10 the shortest. Some obvious influences shine throughout like AUTOPSY and INCANTATION, though only a fool with a rather narrow-scope or who’s half-deaf would regard MACABRA as a “copy-cat” band. They do have a significant sound of their own, intentional or not.

One of the many aspects I enjoy of listening to “Blood-Nurtured Nature” must be the fine usage of keys implemented in certain parts of the songs. This adds a very dense sort of horror ambiance. There are a few things that makes “Blood-Nurtured Nature” a compelling listen – one of which I note the above mentioned element and also their ability to write rather virulent riffs that dribbles morbidity. Every now and then the band launches into death/doom territory with a cut like ‘Thick Slars of Morbund Fat’ that starts with a slow tempo build with church bells humming in the background. Throughout this particular track your ears are treated with some really cool sorrowful leads and piano passages.

Anyone who is as enthusiastic as I am about purely morbid and obscure Death Metal drenched in the slimy culverts of the late ‘80’s/’90’s era is liable to take a liking to MACABRA … but for those looking for something deviating from the conventional path of the genre should look elsewehere. This is raw, unpolished and straight-forward – the way its suppose to be, but with a sense of melody and the (dare I say) “groovy” parts make for a very enjoyable listen ... Fear not, the goove-laden parts are well executed and doesn't come off as a fruit basket in any sense. Most of the songs batter away at a mid-pace with simplistic, yet well thought-out riffs with some impressive guitar solo’s, espescially the one featured in 'Hominal Peel Diggers’ – what a ripper.

Unholy Archangel - Obsessed by War

Review submitted by James Goatfukk.

Hailing from Greece, UNHOLY ARCHANGEL have been spewing forth their brand of vomit-inducing war metal ever since their inception in the ‘90’s, gaining a cult status among Black/Death devotees. Bestial Black/Death Metal akin to the likes of fellow combatants ARCHGOAT, ABHORER and MORBOSIDAD would be a relevant descriptioin of their sound. Releasing abundantly over the years – be it demos, split collaborations or compilations – the band has finally managed to release a full length album after much anticipation.

This album opens up with the intro entitled ‘Hymn to Aris’ that lasts for about two minutes before an organic, radical barrage of hate-filled noise is unleashed by “March to Spartan” and ‘Titanbattle I’. This barbaric onslaught continues upon all mortal beings. The guitars are down-tuned with a very organic tone, creating a rather menacing atmosphere. With no indication of melody here complete and utter chaos reigns. Some interludes appear throughout the songs, like for instance the fifth track exposes some Greek murmurs prior to being absolutely brutalised by the title track (one of my favourite cuts from this album). One of the complaints that I have towards this album – is that the whole deal seem to lack a bit focus – especially as far as the structure of the songs are concerned. Also, I know “catchy” is probably not a word that a band like Unholy Archangel would like to correlate themselves with, but certainly it would’nt have hurt so much to add at least a dash of melody hither and thither. I would even go as far as to say that Archgoat sounds more rhythmic. Luckily, this fucker contains enough stabbing and jabbing to suite my cavernous tastes.

The production for this release is not so kind on the ears, so it would be somewhat suggestive for the clean production musos to steer clear of this one. Chances are slim that this kind of stuff would tickle everyone's fancy, and I shall admit the simplistic and outrageously unconventional structure of the songs can leave a bit of a bitter taste. On the other hand, those who are initiated to this kind of Metal will most likely enjoy this bitterness. Certainly, this is UGLY as ugly will ever get and definitely recommended to anyone fond of the bands I mentioned earlier in my review, and anyone who likes their metal cavernous and brutal enough to make you spew chunks. Twelve tracks and 31 minutes of absolute christ-scorching desecration from these Hellenic war-obsessed fiends!