Hellbringer Interview

Hellbringer is a 3-piece thrash metal band from Canberra, Australia, playing evil and aggressive sounding thrash in the style of Kreator, Sodom, Desaster and the like. I caught up with bassist/vocalist Luke for a quick chat this afternoon.



Wayde:
G'day Luke, how are you this afternoon? Lets kick things off with a brief history of Hellbringer, who's in the band, how you got started, what you guys have been doing since you started and so on.

Luke:
Yeah not too bad mate, just lazing around hehe. Well Hellbringer comprises me (Luke Bennett) - bass/vokills, my brother Josh Bennett on drums and Tim Sheppard on guitar. We met Tim back in high school and at the time he didn't even play any instruments at all. So we pretty much got him into metal then told him to learn guitar haha. We didn't actually properly form the band later until college though.

We originally formed playing just classic covers like Sodom, Venom and stuff while getting more towards a sound we wanted to play. Not long after we started writing our own material and not long after that recorded a demo with our first original track and 3 covers. A while after that we finally did a proper recording which is the 6 track Forgery EP. This EP helped spread our names quite a bit and was positively received.

Some time after the release of the EP, me and Josh decided to start e-mailing some undergound labels to ask if they wanted a copy to listen to and to see what they thought of it. A few labels replied saying they liked it and it was good and stuff, but they weren't interested in releasing anything at the current time. One of the labels who replied was Costa from Iron Pegasus saying he loved the release and offered to release it on LP for us.

Ofcourse we jumped at the opportunity and were absolutely stoked to get our shit on LP. We recorded two 'bonus tracks' for the LP since it was a bit too short for a 12" record, one of them being an Armoured Angel cover. One big thing that had happen was we had to change our name though.

Us and Costa all thought it was the best idea since there's another Forgery in Norway who are signed to a fairly big label called Candlelight Records and we all thought it was best to avoid problems/confusion late on. So we all settled on Hellbringer. Now with the LP release pretty much out, we've been getting distrubition throughout various labels in Europe which is absolutely killer. And yeah, that's what's pretty much been happening up till now.

Wayde:
Well that's quite an interesting story, it sounds like you guys have had your fair share of ups and downs!
What influences Hellbringer to write music? What do you listen to for the inspiration and energy required to create your songs?

Luke:
Just evil, maniacal sounding thrash pretty much. No happy thrash hehe. Bands like Sodom, Destruction, old Slayer, old Kreator, Hobbs' Angel Of Death, Armoured Angel, Whiplash, Desaster etc

Wayde:
Sounds about right, the GOOD thrash, haha!
So what's the metal scene like down in Canberra, are there any notable bands down there tearing it up, aside from yourselves?

Luke:
Canberra sucks to be honest haha, hence why we play in Sydney more these days. The only other decent band I can think of is Kill For Satan, but they rarely play live. I mean there have been good gigs in Canberra in the past, but those seem to have just evaporated now.



Wayde:
Ah, I see. Well in that case, what is your opinion on the Sydney/Illawarra metal scene?

Luke:
It's ok, It's definitely better than Canberra that's for sure. Atleast there's some decent bands like Teratornis, Rampage and Innsmouth from the Blue Mountains etc. Although Sydney has it's fair share of crappyness too that's for sure haha.

Wayde:
Yeah, it seems that Sydney is going through a bit of a metal drought, Melbourne looks like the place to be nowadays!
Have any of you guys played in other bands, metal or otherwise? If so, could you give us some background on them?

Luke:
Nah none of us have played in any other bands. Josh might be drumming for the killer Aussie thrash band Trench Hell though at the underground fest called Evil Invaders though, so I guess that sort of counts haha.

Wayde:
While on a similar subject, are you fellas self-taught musicians or did you take the time to attend lessons?

Luke:
Bit of both really. We've all taken lessons in the past, but have also figured out things ourselves.

Wayde:
What's next for Hellbringer? I know you have recently released the LP version of the self-titled release and sold out the first run of shirts. Is there going to be more merchandise? What about upcoming shows and/or tours? Are you working on any new material?

Luke:
We've been slowly writing new material over the past year or so and it's finally nearly done. Songs are sounding killer! So we'll hopefully be hitting the studio late this year or so. New shirts with new designs have been ordered and we have patches being made too which should all be out soon. We've got a few upcoming shows in Sydney, one of them being Evil Invaders which will be absolutely killer. Playing alongside some really great bands!

Wayde:
Sounds good! I'm really looking forward to Evil Invaders as well!
To wrap this up, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. As usual, I will let the interviewee have the last word. Is there anything you would like to say to myself or the readers?

Luke:
Thrash till deaf and buy our brand new LP maniacs!!





EDIT: So it seems this interview has caused a stir within the Canberra Metal Scene due to a statement Luke made about not really being into the scene and preferring Sydney over Canberra.

I would like to give my full support to Luke and Hellbringer, and I commend Luke for standing by what he said. Anybody who has been offended by his statement obviously misunderstood the point of his statement. I will not be removing the statement in question, as I do not believe in censorship of opinion.

THORHAMMER - Double-trouble feature!

Thorhammer is a new-ish 4-piece thrash metal outfit hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, smack bang in the middle of the ol’ U.S.A. Guitarist/frontman Kyle McNeil formed the band in late 2009 with his bass-playing brother Sean and their best mate Ryan Smith, the drummer. After searching around for a lead guitarist, Vince Kelly jumped into the picture and completed the lineup. They play a hard-hitting yet melodic and very catchy style of thrash that relies heavily on NWOBHM influences as well as the usual thrash suspects and some less-obvious influences.

I managed to get in contact with Kyle for an interview, and for convenience sake have also attached a review of their demo “Krusades” at the bottom of this post! Enjoy my special Thorhammer double-trouble feature!

Interview:

Wayde:
Good evening Kyle, how are you tonight? Lets get right into it, shall we? Could you give me a bit of background on Thorhammer? Who's in the band, what style you guys play and how the band came to be?

Kyle:
Excellent! Although over here it's morning, haha. ThorHammer is myself (Guitar/vocals) my actual brother Sean McNeil (bass guitar), my best friend from high-school Ryan Smith (drums) and my former neighbor Vince Kelly (lead guitar). The weird bit is when Vince and I were neighbors we never met, but he was tempted to come talk to me when he saw the pentagram spraypainted on the back of my van! And of course I've known my brother all my life, and once our old band MCF broke up (in which I played drums) I started playing guitar so we could write together, when I was about 19 or so, and I had wanted to be in a band with Ryan ever since we met in math class but never really could because we were both drummers.

We try to take classic thrash metal in the vein of Megadeth, Testament, Slayer, and the like, and incorporate more melodic elements into the songwriting, which hopefully gives us a little bit of a twist that a lot of newer thrash bands aren't doing.

Wayde:
Sounds like you guys are doing this for all the right reasons!
So in a nutshell, how would you describe Thorhammers' sound and what are the bands influences?

Kyle:
Hmm, I would say our sound is like if Iron Maiden smoked a lot of crack, and sometimes sounds like if Megadeth actually didn't smoke crack. We're all about the badass drumming, funky basslines, and dual guitar harmonies.

We all have a wide range of influences, and we're all big stoners so it's pretty varied. We dig anything from Pink Floyd to Arsis, but mainly our sound is directly influenced by the greats, Megadeth, Maiden, Slayer, Kreator, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, and newer stuff like Skeletonwitch. Basically anything that kicks ass haha.

Wayde:
I certainly would not argue with that description!
What’s the metal scene like in and around Missouri? Are there any bands worth mentioning who you’re a fan of or have shared the stage with?

Kyle:
The metal scene around here...is a work in progress to put it nicely. There's a lot of bullshit out here, just like with anywhere else, but we're working hard to improve it. Damn near everybody out here is fed up with how things have been the past couple years and now there are bands actually worth seeing. The better bands around here are Megalith, Anacrusis (who is starting to do more shows now), Terra Caput Mundi, Black Fast, Lovely Destruction and some dudes from a bit west of here called Creaturezoid. We've played with all of those bands except Megalith and Anacrusis. Oh yeah and I play bass in Vacant Grave and drum for Decapitated Saints on the side, so now there are a few good thrash acts around here, haha.

Wayde:
Sounds like things are really picking up! Which is great to hear.
What projects are/have you and the other Thorhammer guys been involved in?

Kyle:
Sean and I used to be in a band called MCF (Mongolian Cluster Fuck). It was a good group, we had a ridiculously evil sounding singer but our riffs were kinda happy sounding. Ryan has only been in one other band, which is called Hemorrhaging Elysium and they are like a blackened/death/grind group, pretty spastic stuff, kinda weird gigging with them haha. To my knowledge this is Vince's first time in a band that plays shows.

Wayde:
The multiple band experience definitely shows within Thorhammers' songs! So tell us a bit about your upcoming demo "Krusades", what do you think it has to offer the metal-listening public?

Kyle:
I think it gives the listener a bit more to chew on in some parts. Lots of bands in the new wave of thrash are copying off each other, or ripping off the classics. I mean sometimes we are guilty of that as well, but I think the core of our sound is a lot more melodic than your normal thrash records. I think we have a bit of something for everybody, because we're all fans of different styles and it all finds its way into our music. Except for rap and country of course, haha. Gotta keep that stuff as far away from metal music as possible!

Wayde:
No arguments here! One thing I've noticed when listening to the demo is that it's just a really fun listen. It's catchy the whole way through and doesn't bore the listener with needless wankery, it's all about the melodic thrashing twin-guitar attack! You really sound like a couple of blokes having a good time. Would you agree that Thorhammer is primarily about good friendly violent fun?

Kyle:
Yes, one hundred percent. We're not really pissed at anybody, and we certainly don't have to prove how metal we are by how much we hate posers and corny shit like that. By the way I've noticed that bands who rag about posers the whole time, tend to have the most poserish tendencies. BONDED BY BIEBER! You know who you are...

But yeah we're not getting up there and bitching about getting fucked over by broads or how much it sucks not having a job, we tell stories about viking raiders and stuff that's actually fun to listen to, for me anyway.

Wayde:
I think the fun-factor is what makes you fellas worth listening to, really, it's the kind of stuff I wanna chuck on at the end of a long day when all I want to do is have a couple of cold ones and chill out to some good ol' fashion 'eavy metal!
Speaking of fun, have you got any funny or interesting stories to tell from Thorhammers short career thus far?

Kyle:
Probably our most fun gig was an out of town show we played out in a town called Willow Springs with our redneck friends, we played in a redneck bar four hours away for half an hour, and got paid 40 bucks! ha that ALMOST covered half our gas! The things we do in the name of heavy metal! They're great guys though, and we're gonna be playin with them again in a couple weeks.

Wayde:
That's the way it is with underground metal these days, I'm afraid! The main thing is you had a great time, though.
So what's next for Thorhammer? Any caveman tours? Any merch to go with the demo when it comes out (Thorhammer g-string PLEASE!)? Are you working on any new material?

Kyle:
Yeah, actually, we plan on cave-manning our way across the midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) July 10-24. The demo should be out soon, but the merch will come after we've given out all our free demos (yes we're making quality shit and giving it away!) And as far as merch, we're planning on making logo t's, and I personally wanna get some booty shorts made, because I think it's everyone's dream to see their band's name emblazoned upon a rockin' booty! Maybe making some "tobacco" pipes in the shape of Mjolnir, haha, can't think of any other bands selling pipes.

Wayde:
Haha, the booty pants and the pipes are very original! And good luck with the cave-man tour!
Now to wrap this up, I would like to thank you for your time and let you know I really appreciate the interview.
Is there anything else you would like to say to myself or the readers?

Kyle:
Thanks for doing this man! And to anybody out there who gives a fuck what is going on in thrash metal, I advise you to check out the forums at www.thrashunlimited.com, to follow us on reverbnation at www.reverbnation.com/thorhammer (we have 2 free downloads there!). And if anybody wants to stay updated on what St. Louis is up to in the metal community, go to this page and "like" it: http://www.facebook.com/pages/STL-DIY-Metal/135549116500018

Thanks for the support dude and thrash on!




Review:

Now for part 2 of my Thorhammer double feature! Here’s what I thought of their energy-fueled demo “Krusades”!



The first track “Kingdom of Fire” begins with a screaming guitar intro that brings to mind early Slayer and Metallica, it has that slow build-up into a mid-paced riff leading into a fast and energetic song that a few of the aforementioned bands early albums featured. It also comes across as very NWOBHM influenced, again in the style of the earlier influential thrash metal bands. There’s also a pretty cool solo/instrumental section towards the end which is pretty cool. The vocals are in the mid-high pitched range and fit the sound quite well. All in all it’s a solid and fun track.

“Krusade” kicks things straight into gear with a fast paced riff and highly energetic and melodic vocals screaming battle cries! It’s a damn catchy song and by the end of it you’ll be yelling “FOREVER, CRUSADE!” along with Kyle. Oh, did I mention it has some really cool guitar parts that stand out from the rest of the demo? Well, it does, especially the really melodic solo about halfway through!


The third song on this demo, “Immolator”, again kicks things into high gear straight away with a catchy riff and some cool vocal parts with faced paced drumming that drives everything along nicely. Kyle really shines through with his voice in this song. It’s all about the vocals and the catchy mid-paced riff sections later on in this song. Hell, who am I kidding? Every song on this demo is ALL about the fuckin’ guitars! They’re so catchy and infectious it’s almost ridonkulous!

The fourth and final track “Smoke and Mirrors” again begins with a Metallica-esque intro that builds things up and shows off Vince’s awesome song-writing skills on the axe. The intro builds into an awesome mid-paced chugging section that really gives off a Ride The Lightening vibe. Why can’t I stop comparing this bands guitar style to early Metallica?! These guys really sound like a more NWOBHM influenced RTL era Metallica. To be fair, though, there are a lot more influences that are very evident within their sound on this release such as Diamond Head, early Iron Maiden, and a touch of early Exodus and Megadeth (especially in the vocals, same goes for Diamond Head).

So in a nutshell, this demo is great, the production could be a bit better, vocals a bit higher in the mix maybe, but the playing and the songwriting is spot on. I also forgot to touch on the occasional use of cool gang vocal parts in a couple of the tracks, listen for them, they kick arse and don’t sound out of place at all. These guys really know what they’re doing! I wish Thorhammer the best of luck with their career and really look forward to hearing more from them in the future, some serious potential lurks within this beast! I really don’t have anything bad to say except for a few small nitpicky bits here and there that will naturally fix themselves by the time they record an EP or a full length, small potatoes really.

4/5

New writer on the blog!

I would like to warmly welcome Nightrider, who is going to be helping out with the blog and posting the occasional review, interview or article. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with and hearing his ideas to help me take the site further!

For his first post he will be posting and old interview of his that he did for his old blog with Kyle Thomas from Exhorder.

He also likes long walks on the beach and strawberry flavoured lube.

Cheers!

Vagabond.

Hellcannon Interview

Given my long-term open support of the band Hellcannon, I thought it was about due time I sat down and interviewed their lead guitarist, Kevin, about what's been going on over there in Buffalo NY since they (finally!) released their debut full length "Infected With Violence". Here's what the man had to say...



Wayde:
Good afternoon Karnage, how are you doing today?

Kevin:
Doing well man, although we don't really go by our nicknames anymore- Just Kevin, KMuck, Ryan and Derrick. But it's all good when we're talking to our friends who supported us back in the Raiders of the Waste Days.

Wayde:
No worries, for the purpose of the interview I'll refer to you as Kevin from now on!
Lets start off with a bit of a background on Hellcannon, what you guys have been doing, what style you guys play and who's in the band.

Kevin:
Well we've been a band for about two years now, and this past December released our first full-length album "Infected With Violence" on Butchered Records. So lately we're just trying to get the word out about the new CD and will be hitting the East Coast over the next few months (Possibly with some friends from Thrash Unlimited)- and I guess we'll just see where to go from there. But we have some big plans.

As for our style, its definitely Death/Thrash. However, we don't really hesitate to write outside of that "box". So you may hear influences form other genres,but really as long as we think it's cool and heavy- we'll play it.

I play Lead guitar, Ryan is the vocalist and plays rhythm guitar, KMuck plays Bass and does backing vocals, and we have a new drummer - Derrick. He's a killer drummer, learned the songs very quickly, and we're stoked to play some shows and start writing with him.

Wayde:
What would you say are the main influences of Hellcannon's sound? And what bands to you guys personally like to listen to when you're just hanging out?

Kevin:
Hellcannon was basically formed because we were all huge fans of bands like Death, Sepultura's Early CDs, Slayer, Kreator, Exhumed, Megadeth... the list goes on. We're still being influenced, even by more modern bands but i'd say most people that listen to us can pick up on our influences.

We listen to all sorts of music just hanging out. I'll listen from anything to Rush, Bloodbath, and Carcass. KMuck is the same way, he'll listen to Immortal, Hail of Bullets, and Ted Nugent. We're still just a bunch of metalheads but definitely have respect for the classics.

Wayde:
Great taste and influences right there!
Now, I think my readers would like to know where you guys are from, and a bit about the metal scene there. Are there any up and coming bands from the area we should know about and keep an ear out for?

Kevin:
We are from the Frozen Tundra Wastelands of Buffalo, New York. As most Death Metal fans might know, we have a lot of history in our metal scene here. Unfortunetly, up until the end of 2009 there were very few active metal bands in the area.

But over the last two years our scene has started growing, and there's some killer bands in the area now. Theres Cain (check em out Thrash Fans), Seplophile (Killer old-school death metal), Grave Descent, Vile Vindiction, and Avulsion to name a few.

We went from playing with punk and hardcore bands to almost exclusive metal shows since we started, so it's really cool to see more and more of the Buffalo Metal scene return.



Wayde:
That sounds like a great scene to be part of. You're very lucky to be playing in an area with a scene like that! You must be proud to share the stage with so many great metal bands.
Now, on to the topic of your excellent debut album "Infected With Violence" which has recently been released on Butchered Records if I recall correctly? I don't actually know anything about this label (I only actually heard of them when I received your album in the mail, haha!) and was wondering if you could tell my readers and I a bit about them?

Kevin:
Absolutely, it's great to actually want to see local bands haha.

Butchered Records is actually based in Buffalo as well, but they release albums from all over the world, and work with Sevared Records. They're very particular with the bands they sign, they're only interested in bands that are all about promoting true, old school, Death and Black metal.

I think we are actually the first Thrash band to join the label. But that's exactly why we decided to release our album with them- we weren't looking for a guy trying to make a quick buck. If you're looking for true, brutal metal- check out their website.

Wayde:
Sounds like a cool label, I wish them the best of luck, thanks for the little blurb about them!
As many people know, I have supported Hellcannon from the beginning, reviewed both your releases on this site etc. Anyway, I remember not long after receiving my copy of "Raiders of the Waste", you actually announced "Infected With Violence" to be released in March of 2010, which was followed with many delays, pushing the album back nearly a whole year! If you don't mind sharing the stories, what happened there?

Kevin:
Oh yeah, that was Brutal. We recorded the album in December of 2009, and were trying to get it out for almost all of 2010. The Label ran into a few problems with packaging, and the discs and the layout etc. It was just a few unfortunate problems after another. Theres really no one to blame, but we're really pleased with the final result so thats all that matters.

Wayde:
That's definitely all that matters, anyone who has a complaint about the final product deserves a punch in the dick! Haha.
As we drift towards the end of our interview, I'd like to know, what tracks stand out the most for you on the album? What are you most proud of in regards to "Infected With Violence" ? Is there anything you think could have been done differently, would you change anything if you had the chance?

Kevin:
Well "Leviathan" has seemed a little controversial lately. The acoustic intro, guitar harmonies, the vocal layering, and even the arpeggios at the end all stand out. Theres a lot of people that love it, theres some that hate it- but that keeps things interesting, and i'm really proud of it.

"Act of Violence" is one of our favorites too. It really represents the album well, and i'd like to think it shows each of our strengths. That song kinda just wrote itself.

There's just small editing things in the album that we would change. Either one riff is too long, too short, missed opportunities. If anything it'll just be something to keep in mind to make the next album even better. Overall we're really proud to show people this album and so far we've been getting a good response.

Wayde:
So it's a case of learning from your experiences, rather then a case of wishing you could go back and nitpick through the whole thing?
Before we wrap this up I'd like to know what's next for Hellcannon? Any news on upcoming shows that readers who might be in your area could come along to? What about Merchandise? Are there any plans for future releases as yet or is it too soon to ask?

Kevin:
Definitely, we aren't gonna dwell on the past. We're still learning, and still getting better.

Hellcannon has a lot planned for this summer- unfortunetly it's not set in stone yet, but we'll be announcing a lot of shows and more over the next few weeks. T-shirts are coming soon, and of course we've got our new CD. This Friday, March 4th, we're playing in Rochester, NY with our friends, Cain, at Montage Music Hall.

We're still going to be promoting IWV over the next few months, theres a lot of people and places we have to visit before moving on. We do have new songs, and we're always writing - so who knows? By the end of our touring for this CD we could be ready to record another...

We're not slowing down, we're just getting started.

Wayde:
That's all great news for myself and my readers!
I would like to thank you for taking the timer to do this interview, I know you're a busy man. As usual, I'm going to let the interviewee have the last word. Is there anything else you would like to say to me or the fans/readers?

Kevin:
Thanks a lot dude, always cool talking to a fellow metalhead.

Buy our new album "Infected With Violence", Support your local music, and Support true metal!

Interview with Sean from Avalon Steel

Avalon Steel are an up-and-coming Heavy Metal band from America who play old-school Heavy Metal in the vein of Judas Priest, Van Halen, Diamond Head and early Metallica. I had a nice chat with their guitar player, Sean, who formed the band with his brother a couple of years ago.



Wayde:
Hey Sean, lets kick this interview off, how are you doing today?

Sean:
I'm alright, it's been a long weekend. Unfortunately, my day is nearing it's end for me. It's just after 9 pm here.

Wayde:
Time to kick back until bed time, eh? Well lets get into it.
Tell me and the readers about Avalon Steel, who’s in the band, what style you play and how you got started.

Sean:
Well, I, Sean, play guitar; my brother, Nick, plays the drums; the other Nick, plays guitar; and Zac does the vocals. So far I've written alot of the material, although Zac has his own material he's written as well.

I'd say we're a traditional heavy metal band, with some doom and thrash influences. Kinda like Judas Priest meets '82 Metallica or something. Very NWOBHM styled shit.

The band has been something that's developed over the past few years. It started off as just my brother and I, then we found a singer and bassist. That lineup lasted maybe less than a year. Found new singer, bassist, and another guitarist and it's been nearly the same since then ('cept bass). It's all about sticking to your guns and being patient. We're all high school kids, not many of our age like the same type of music so we have to hold on to what we have.

Wayde:
Interesting mix of styles there, mate. What bands would you say have influenced your musical style? What do you listen to on a day-to-day basis?

Sean:
Personally, my influences are stuff like Van Halen (Eddie is my idol), Diamond Head, Slayer, Megadeth, Priest, Sabbath, Maiden... the usual shit, ya know? I try to have some songs that show off my interests.

I have a very eclectic taste. I'll go from rockabilly stuff like Stray Cats to something like Morbid Angel. I listen to metal a lot though, old USPM, trad, thrash, etc. I really love blues, the Mississippi Delta and the later boogie when they electrified everything. Celtic music is another thing, the old folk music and whatnot. I've attempted to pick up the bagpipes, my brother has gotten farther on me on those things though! I try to be open minded, but I usually maintain the "old schoolness" as I'm not too big on a lot of modern bands. So, in a nut shell... I listen to alot of different shit during the week. Music ADD, man!

Wayde:
Wide variety of interests and taste, that's what I like to hear!
Where are you guys from, what’s the music scene like there? Are there any up and coming local bands my readers and I should know about?

Sean:
We're based in Charlotte, North Carolina in the "Good ol' " (Ha.) USA. The scene ... well lemme tell ya, it sucks for us. On one side you got these indie hipsters with there ukes and scarves, another with screamo kids and pig squeals, and then a lot of cover bands. The scene really goes up and down all the time. About a few times a year we'll geta good band to come and play, like Overkill and their ilk. The rest of the time? Meh. Punk does pretty decent however, The Milestone was a regular host to bands like Antiseen and Black Flag back in their heyday.

The metal scene is kinda tiny, but it thrives. Old metalheads come outta the woods when a bigger band comes to town.

Although, there's a few bands that I would think the metalhead crowd would enjoy. Final Curse is probably the most prominent thrash band around these parts, Pantera meets Exodus with a good dash of Slayer. Perpetual Nightmare is a pretty good death metal band, these guys play loads and they're about my age! And for the old school, breakneck speed thrashers, Nemesis. They're all about the evil and fast shit. Another band that has yet to grace the stage, Sleepless, they're thrash as well, but more in the '85 vein. Kickass shit.

Overall, a lot of these bands, including mine are all friends. If one of us has a show, most of the members of these bands will be at that show. We've got a small, close-knit scene. Everyone knows everyone.

Wayde:
Sounds like you guys have a pretty cool scene going on there, however small it may be.
Now, from what I understand, Avalon Steel has been working towards putting out their debut demo, what can you tell me about this upcoming release?

Sean:
We've been on this a long time now. We've got a couple of tracks down, we've just gotta go back in and finish those off and add a few more. It's taking very long for us to finish due to everyone's schedule.The engineer/producer/recording guy is the father of a really good friend of mine, he's a hard guy to get free time with, but he's doing this for free so I'm not complaining. The guy has some good software, Sony Vegas, so it's not gonna sound like your old tape deck mics. It'll be "legit".

I'm hoping to get at least 5 tracks on this baby, some fast, some slow, a good variety. We'll probably end up streaming the thing on the internet, it's the best way to get stuff out there besides shows. I hate that it's taking forever it seems that we've been having an "upcoming demo" for a long time now, but we just have to wait. No need to rush, ya know? I don't want sloppy.

Wayde:
It sounds like you guys are really putting your hearts into this and taking your time to perfect it for yourselves.
Out of curiosity, have any members of Avalon Steel been involved in other musical endeavors? If so, what are/were they?

Sean:
Yeah, this band is my life.
My other guitarist, Nick, was in a music program called Streetwise RockShop (formerly known as School of Rock until Pete Green came along). It's basically where people (ranging from kids to teens) can get outta playing in the bedroom and in a band. It's a neat little thing, we've played with them a few times. We've gotten a lot of members from that program, too. Teehee.
The rest of us? Eh, nothing stuck to really mention it haha.
I'd personally like to start a rockabilly band as a side project, or at least just a plain rock n roll band. But, Avalon Steel is my main focus.

Wayde:
It's great to hear you speak with such passion and enthusiasm about your band! I can really see that you have a real love for what you are doing.
Before we wrap this interview up, I was wondering if you have any memorable and/or funny stories and experiences from your musical career so far that you would like to share?

Sean:
I remember this garage show we played back some time last year, I think we were invited to play some songs for the party... a NASCAR weekend party. The neighborhood was ironically really uppity looking, the nice houses and green lawns, so a squad of young metalheads didn't exactly fit in.

Anyways, we start playing, they're watching and I can see that we're all thinking "Do they like this shit?" We were playing stuff like Slayer and priest and whatnot. We only had about 40 min of material, it was a brand new band with a new lineup there was no time for learning a lot of songs. So it was kinda like "Quick, jam on something!" Nick starts a drum solo to fill in some time, and he's giving me some nods as he's trying to tell me soemthing, he was playing the Hot for Teacher intro. So, I come in and jam in the riffs on the song, noodle around for a solo and just totally BS'd the song. On the flipside, all the rednecks in the crowd were stoked, one of the guys ran up to his house and came back wearing a Joe Dirt mullet and screaming on the top of his lungs.

So it turned out to be a short, but good show. I didn't think we'd have a starting fanbase from NASCAR fans...

And another one… We were out at a gig, hanging around the back. We start walking around the back so we can get to the front. There was this old black guy at the corner of the building, at first I thought he was just standing there watering something.... and then I realize he's no gardener.. and that wasn't water. The fucking dude was taking a piss right in front of us! Didn't even bother to turn to face the wall or even go to a nearby bush. We turn the corner and everyone bursted out laughing. Old black man with his dick in his hand...

Some other stories we have are more like Spinal Tap issues, management getting mad at us and not lettings us play, or the fact that some just won't reach the light of day!

Wayde:
Great story, you guys should market yourselves as NASCAR metal!
What’s next for Avalon Steel other than the aforementioned soon to be released demo? Any shows, tours, or anything else we should know about?

Sean:
Haha! Every redneck would listen.
We've got one small show next month. Hopefully more shows in the next few months, I'd love to try to tour around this summer, at least around the state or region. Depends on funding, we're musicians.
I'm working on designs on shirts (I do my own artwork), a change up from our older and simpler design. It's gonna be on a baseball 3/4 inch sleeve shirt. Pretty rad shit. And maybe some patches in the near feature... I'm thinking logo and biker style. But that's probably as far as it'll go, no Avalon Steel'd undies or coffee mugs. We're not KISS.
We're currently looking for a bass player as well. But we might just kidnap a scenie kid and force a metal inquistion.
I'm looking forward to get these gears turning.

Wayde:
Damn, I wanted a pair of undies and a beer mug! Haha.
Now to finish off, I want to thank you for doing this interview, I really appreciate it and hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I am really looking forward to hearing (and reviewing!) Avalon Steels’ demo.
I’m gonna let you have the last word here, is there anything you would like to say to my readers out there in internet land?

Sean:
Haha, maybe when we're bigger.
Don't be dicks! No, haha.
We're not wanting to be the next Metallica, we're not about reinventing the wheel, leave that to the sweater wearing proggy guys, we're just doing what we love.
If you're in a band, get to it and rock the fuck out! If you not, find one... or if you're just a listener, support those bands! AC/DC wasn't kidding, it's a long way to the top if ya wanna rock n roll. Blood, sweat, and lots o' beers goes into this. But it's worth it when you're out on stage and showing off the hard work you've put into it.

Terminate - Demo

I recently received in the mail a Demo CD from a Death Metal band from Morton Grove, Illinois in the USA. I’ve given it a few spins and come to the conclusion that it rips fucking arse! This is a great slab of OSDM that brings to mind two bands specifically: Bolt Thrower and Dismember. If this doesn’t get you tight or wet in the pantylooms then you are a false, please do not entry.

It starts off with the track “Rotten Dead Mess” which opens with a slow-ish heavy intro riff that builds up to a faster riff when the vocals kick in. It’s a straightforward DM song in the old Swedeath style, with a nice bit of Bolt Thrower thrown into the mix (what’d I tell ya before?). The vocals keep a consistent tone throughout the song with the occasional slightly higher pitched line. The drums plod along at the perfect pace and drive the riffage perfectly. There is also a killer melodic solo/riff thing towards the end of the song to change things up a bit. All in all a great Death Metal tune.

The next track “Chainsaw Omega” gets right down to business with the speedy riffs and aggressive sounding vocals. The “chainsaw” guitar tone is really evident in this song and sounds great. The bass is quite audible which adds a cool touch. The drums keep a constant pace throughout the song The lyrics are also bloody great!

“Your life never felt more important to you until the moment I cut off your arms.
You try to repent, but it is too late. The chainsaw has done all the work.

I see nothing but red. All-consuming passion for death.
Life racing out from your veins. Shrouding the walls as your life slips away.
This feeling that you wish would end, I do everything to prolong and extend.
Agony, my aphrodisiac. And your terror confirming that I am your god.

Lying there helpless you look up at me as blood gurgles out of your mouth.
Exalted and glorified is how I feel. The Omega I have become.”

The third and final track “Answered In Lead” again starts off with a slow intro riff quickly leading into faster riffs that are actually pretty melodic in the Dismember style. The pace changes up quite a bit in this song which keeps the listener on their toes.

All in all this is a great demo that I would highly recommend to any OSDM fan. Especially those of us who jerk off to Bolt Thrower and Dismember.

4.5/5

Get it through the band themselves at:

www.facebook.com/terminatechicago

www.reverbnation.com/terminate

Interview with Anglachel

As of today I will also be conducting interviews for this site. Here is one of my first interviews.




Today I had the (dis)pleasure of corresponding with M, the unholy spectre behind the black metal project Anglachel via email. Here is the resulting ramblings:

Wayde:
Hails M. For the sake of myself and my readers, let's start this interview off with a brief history of Anglachel and a run-down of what you're all about musically.

M:
Ave Wayde.
Anglachel was formed in the late months of 2009 by myself and our now ex drummer. A small two track demo was sent to a select few people in 2010, some prominent rituals were offered to us but due to line-up issues we were unable to participate.

Wayde:
What influences Anglachel? What bands and styles influence the music? What is Anglachel's ideology all about?

M:
First and foremost my God influences Anglachel and our music. The darkness throughout our existance and brooding wilderness is a main inspiration.
Musically, we are influenced prominently by metal bands such as Dissection, (the true) Mayhem, Archgoat, Dead Congregation, 90's Emperor, Bathory (worship!), Beherit, Celtic Frost, Ulcus, Drudkh, Woodtemple, Summoning, Tribulation,
Poccolus, Graveland etc.

Wayde:
Is Anglachel a solo project, or are there other fiends involved in the creative process?

M:
I, myself am the spectre behind Anglachel and it's ideaologies, musical direction. However, I never wanted to be another bedroom black metal band and am currently recruiting a whole new line-up to help in the recording process and of course the gigging.
It is one of my main goals to be able to put on an interesting and heartfelt live show.

Wayde:
Are you working on recording or writing any material at the moment, do you have any releases planned for the near future?

M:
I have begun writing for an E.P and some small sample recordings have been done. I aim to have the E.P recorded and pressed within the year.
I am very optimistic with the sound and I feel it is 100% true to myself.

Wayde:
Are you involved in any other projects? If so, what are they?

M:
Currently I am only involved in Anglachel and a Doom/Heavy metal band that is currently un-named.

Wayde:
Within the local Wollongong/Illawarra area, are there any other bands that interest you? What's the scene like around there for extreme music in all it's forms? Any stand out's that people should be aware of?

M:
There are a few bands in my area who are of interest and I support whole heartedly.
There are next to no live shows in the Illawarra, especially for extreme metal. It is unfortunate but has always been evident that it simply won't happen in this area.
Bands that are definately worth checking out from this region are;
Drowning The Light, Austere, Woods of Desolation.

Wayde:
Will Anglachel ever perform live rituals? Has there been any already?

M:
Anglachel will definately perform live rituals. I like to be optimistic, but realistically they will take place in 2012 (our doom year!).
There have never been any Anglachel rituals to date.

Wayde:
To wrap this interview up, I would like to thank you for taking the time for this interview, I appreciate it. Is there anything you would like to say to myself or my readers?

M:
Thank you for the interview Wayde. It is appreciated on this end too. Stay true to the scene and be forever defiant! 666.




http://www.myspace.com/morsmortisaus