Outside of the move to high-def, End of an Era is exactly the same as the 2006 DVD. Bummer, I know. But adding new shit to product re-issues can be a bitch, especially with Tarja and the rest of Nightwish at physical and emotional odds. Anyway, there are 18 songs not counting intro/outros. Three of which are covers (Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes” is a highlight). There’s also the song (“Stone People”) by Native American musician John Two-Hawks. It’s so pleasant to hear something not ripped out of a Hans Zimmer piece or an Amorphis tune for once. And Two-Hawks is quite the personality.

The 50-plus minute documentary, “A Day Before Tomorrow”, follows Nightwish through airports, gang-type media interviews, fan-obsessed/semi-awkward signings, and pretty much everything else a band goes through while on the road. Tarja doesn’t appear too often with the rest of the band. When she’s with Tuomas and rest of the Finns, the tension’s palpable. Opposite of that the Two-Hawks moments were, in my opinion, the best parts. He’s stoned-faced, but often goofy. The dude should have his own Anthony Bourdain-style reality show dealing exclusively with Finns. Stoic vs. stoic.

I can hear the members of Nightwish’s international fan clubs (15 and counting) sprinting to their local electronics dealer for a Blu-ray player. If you’ve never seen Tarja sweat, well, now you can. In 720p. Technology is the best! The best!

“Although we had a great run over the past year and a half with drummer Darren Cesca [whose work is featured on the band’s latest album, We Are The Nightmare], we have decided to stop working with him in Arsis. The reasoning behind this decision is simply differences in personalities and an overall difference in direction. Darren is an amazing musician and we harbor no ill feelings towards him. We wish him all the best. We are most excited to announce that Alex Tomlin, a long time friend of ours and an outstanding drummer, will be replacing Darren. His first shows with us will be on the ‘In Thrash We Trust’ tour starting this Wednesday. Come out and support Arsis and the new addition to our line-up!”

Visit www.myspace.com/Arsis to view “In Thrash We Trust” tour dates.

The animated version of the Arsis video for “We Are The Nightmare” will soon debut on MTV2’s Headbangers Ball. Stay tuned for air date!

The first stage of this ambitious target will see the release of Evergrey’s new studio album, Torn, at the beginning of September, featuring eleven compositions, described by Englund as a “modern mix of In Search Of Truth and Recreation Day”. “The tracks are all guitar-oriented and very atmospheric. They have exactly the sound that our fans expect from us.” According to Englund, the slightly more experimental direction of Evergrey’s previous release, Monday Morning Apocalypse, has given way again to old strengths and virtues. “Two years ago we needed an album with a slightly different approach and an expensive producer, just to find out how that sort of thing works. It was the right album at the time, but now we have returned to our typical trademarks.” This is one of the reasons why the tracks on Torn were self-produced by Englund together with drummer Jonas Ekdahl. In addition, the band has a new bassist, Fredrik Larsson having been replaced by former Stratovarius musician Jari Kainulainen.

Since the band arrived on the scene in 1998, Evergrey have brought out six studio albums and one live cut. All of them made the top 20 in their native Sweden and the last two made the top 10 (no. 6 and 3, respectively). On top of that, their DVD was number 1 for four weeks and nominated for a Grammy in Sweden. The band has toured around the globe several times, together with In Flames, Nevermore, Throwdown, Arch Enemy, Children of Bodom and Iced Earth, among others. Along with Torn, their new contract with Steamhammer/SPV includes the band’s complete back catalogue, so top-quality reissues featuring a selection of bonus tracks are likely in future. “There is so much additional material for each album that we could theoretically re-release it on an extra DVD. Whatever we manage to do – premium reissues are certainly a possibility.”

Rapture’s first foray into the wild world of metal took shape in 2000’s excellent Futile album. Immediately likened to Katatonia’s Brave Murder Day sound, Futile, however, excelled in portraying the Finns’ music as solitary, isolated yet oddly alluring. The magic in tracks “This is Where I Am” and “To Forget” is unmistakable-each song is veritable journey through forgotten Helsinki alleys, unending cold rain and urban seclusion. The desperation continued two years later on follow-up Songs for the Withering. The line-up changed (guitarist Aleksi Ahokas replaced Jarno Salomaa, bassist Joni Ohman exited and Henri Villberg entered to share vocal duties), as did the sound ever so slightly, but the core was very much Rapture. More upbeat in tempo, Rapture’s ability to wrap sorrow, acrimony and despair in slick, melodically-infectious overdriven songs (“Transfixion”) is something of wonder; few bands of similar ilk are as clever as the Rapture songwriting group. Furthermore, Songs for the Withering‘s dual vocal approach advanced the potential for exploring different shades of tribulation and personal struggle-the track “Two Dead Names” is a ballad of frightening realism.

Good for Rapture that not much differed from previous years. The three years it required the outfit to write Silent Stage was an ideal incubating period. Mature, focused and always dark, Silent Stage comprises the successes of its predecessors, and offers new musical colors to its gray-blue-black palette. “Past Nightmares,” in particular, breaks from album trends, offering a myriad of vocal styles, piano accompaniment and a killer connecting riff that’s hard to forget. Elsewhere, Silent Stage rocks like no other clinically depressed record should. Opener “Misery 24/7,” “I Am Complete” and “Cold on My Side” are the perfect ailment for contentment and a positive outlook on life; “Misery 24/7’s” shimmering, downcast riffs and rock-solid rhythm hook you right into submission.

With more than a year in isolation after the release of Silent Stage, Rapture is still very much an active outfit. More massive line-up changes, a fulfilled contract with Spikefarm, a subsidiary of Spinefarm, and yet another cruel Finnish winter behind the remaining members (there’s another on the horizon), a new life dawns as songwriter Tomi Ullgren [Shape of Despair, ex-Thy Serpent] commences writing Rapture’s as-yet-untitled fourth full-length.

Rapture’s elusive pair of vocalists Petri Eskelinen and Henri Villberg (Villberg has since left) were called upon at an absurdly late Helsinki night. Always wry, but seemingly eager to purge the emotional ills that contribute to what makes Rapture, well, Rapture, the turbulent twosome tell all.

So, there’s been more than a year between Silent Stage and new music?
Petri Eskelinen: Yes, there’s been lots of changes in the band. Samuel [Ruotsalainen; drums] and Sami [Hinkka; bass] are not in the band anymore. I think Aleksi [Ahokas; guitars] is also out of the band too. There was some kind of static between Tomi and Aleksi, but it’s a soap opera that involves a woman. As usual. I could care less. [laughs]

Did they leave for professional reasons?
PE: Well, Samuel is now full-time with Finntroll and Sami joined Ensiferum. So, I guess those would be professional reasons, but what I can say is that when we get some stuff together, we will find the right people to play with us. We had a couple of friends fill in for them when we did a few shows earlier this year, but I’m not sure if they are going to be permanent replacements.
You’re writing songs now, correct?
PE: Yes, Tomi and Henri are also working on new material for Rapture (slowly but surely). I have no idea what it’s going to sound like except it’s going to be very somber and very Rapture. We are always trying to do new and interesting things within the Rapture context as opposed to repeating ourselves. We don’t want to be like AC/DC, though the money would be nice. [laughs] They’re also writing songs for Diablerie, which is another reason why it’s taking a bit longer for Rapture to get things going.
Going back to Silent Stage, how do you feel Rapture developed from Songs of the Withering to Silent Stage?
PE: Slowly. [laughs] I think we’ve got a bit more diversity in there now; everybody has grown a bit as musicians and music listeners.
Musically, it seems in between the somber Futile and the upbeat Songs of the Withering.
PE: It does bring a lot of elements from both of our previous albums together; a culmination of sorts. We didn’t really set out to do something specific. Tomi [Ullgren; guitars] just writes stuff and I don’t really think he gives it more thought than it should sound like Rapture.

Tomi is still the primary songwriter Is there input from the rest of the band members.
PE: we kind of took a new direction as Tomi wrote the riffs, but Henri put the songs together. As we all have a good sense of what Rapture should sound like, it turned out great. Henri really did bring a new touch to the music. “Past Nightmares” is a very different song compared to our earlier stuff, I think. I don’t think we were looking for anything. We just try to go with the flow.

Henri Villberg: Yeah, Tomi sent me these WAV files via e-mail. Then I just picked up some riffs from here and there and put them together. It was like doing a puzzle. He likes to write songs like this. He does great riffs, but he is not capable of writing whole songs. ‘Cause last time he did this same thing with Aleksi.

How much input did Aleksi have? Did you replace Aleksi as the song structure person?
HV: Yeah, well Aleksi was busy with his own projects at the time. So I did replace Aleksi.
It’s interesting regarding the input of each individual. Songs for the Withering was upbeat, bright, whereas Silent Stage is darker, denser, closer.
HV: And Futile is the darkest yet. Tomi worked with the doom metal god Jarno [Salomaa; guitars, ex-Rapture] from Shape of Despair.

PE: Good point. He did work with Jarno and that album is dark. Aleksi is more like a rock ‘n roll dude. Songs for the Withering was very upbeat.

Speaking of the music, why are there two instrumentals on the album.
PE: “For the Ghosts of Our Time” is just a kind of a break. The whole album flows as a whole. “Completion” is like an outro.

How do you feel they change the album flow?
PE: They’re just these moody, slow sons of atmospheric bastards. Can’t really describe it better than that.

There are some great piano/keyboard moments on the album. Reminds me of mid-period Paradise Lost.
HV: Yes. I agree. Tomi wanted more influences from Paradise Lost.

PE: I think they’re done with class-used in just the right spots and in perfect doses. Silent Stage would have sounded too much like Songs for the Withering. Or so we thought when we were recording the demos with Tomi.

HV: He is tired of this Brave Murder Day thing. You know, we are always compared to Katatonia and Opeth, but no one ever mentions Paradise Lost. [laughs] We wanted something new for Rapture. Like new soundscapes and more atmospheric elements. Songs for the Withering was more like rock ‘n roll album. And, well, we are (Tomi and I) big fans of Icon and Draconian Times-era Paradise Lost. But we never meant to sound exactly like Paradise Lost. But I see it rather a good thing if one can hear some Paradise Lost influences in Rapture.

So, Henri, the hardcore vocal part in “Past Nightmares” was inspired by?
HV: I don’t know, actually. Growls just didn’t fit there. And clean vocals didn’t fit either. Tomi actually wanted some Slipknot stuff ’cause he is a fan. And he considers Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society be the best band in the whole world. I wonder why we sound like this when he listens to not-so-emo(tional) music. [laughs]

[Henri leaves for a short break]
So the album just happened, I gather. The final sound is the result of spontaneity. Why three years in between albums?
PE: I think it’s because we all have jobs, we study, we don’t have a rehearsal space and Samuel [Ruotsalainen; drums, Finntroll] played in Finntroll. The same things as before. I don’t think the guys really feel like rushing things anyway. Things come more naturally if not forced. We never were the band to become commercially successful anyway. It’s a kind of a Zen approach. I know we could’ve done a lot more work ourselves.

It’s interesting that a band with three solid albums, a fairly solid line-up and a decent label isn’t interested in achieving some of the commercial viability of H.I.M. or Nightwish.
PE: As long as Finntroll is busy half the year, we’re not going to be the next anything. I mean, it would be cool to be ‘big,’ but it’s really nothing we give too much thought to.

You’d rather create music than market music?
PE: It’s much easier being honest to yourself when you don’t really care about how people are going to react to the music you do. And I think this approach yields far better results anyway. There really was no pressure at all for a new album. Things had been brewing slowly all the time, and when the material seemed ready, we went and recorded it.

Even though Sami [Tenetz; Spikefarm boss and Thy Serpent guitarist] was applying pressure in 2003?
PE: Well, the studio was booked and everything, but most of the material was almost completed at that point anyway. It was just a matter of putting it all together to make proper songs out of all the riffs Tomi had. We’re lazy. And busy with educating ourselves and making money to support our broke asses. Returning to 2003, when Sami was pressuring us, he just wanted to get the album out before people forgot us. But how could they when they never knew us in the first place? People were asking us about the new album all the time, but we didn’t feel like rushing things. We just wanted to get things done at our own pace.

How do you feel the album turned out in retrospect?
PE: I find it really hard to say if it’s good or not. It’s definitely a step ahead for us. There’s new things in there, but it’s still very Rapture. “Misery 24/7″ and “Past Nightmares” are a snapshot of where we were at that time. I have this weird feeling of detachment from the whole album. I find it quite hard to say anything concrete about it. It does have a place in my heart-it contains some of my proudest moments as a singer and a ‘musician’-but still I find it hard to try to explain from where these things were born.

Why do you feel detached from the album? Your singing is more confident as part of the whole.
PE: Because I can’t explain why some things are done the way they are. I feel like I just sort of channeled something that did not come from me, but from somewhere else it sort of gave me a lot more confidence. Kind of ‘come hell or high water’ thing. Most of the stuff (my vocals) is written on the spot, the way it felt best at that precise moment. I think the things we spent most time on sound the worst

They didn’t restrict vocal melodies or phrasing?
PE: The rest of the band? No, they just said that I should do my thing; “We trust you, dude.” They weren’t even in the studio as I was recording. Henri was there and he had a couple of melodies, but that’s about it.

So, it was really detached from a band perspective. Do you enjoy that freedom or would you rather have the rest of the band present?
PE: In a way, it’s really good as I can just let go, but it also makes me feel very nervous because I’m always a bit unsure if the things I do are good enough for them. I just decided to not give a shit and just let go. I think it shows an immense trust that they let me do things like this. And I respect that so much, but then again, I trust them to do their stuff well. I don’t interfere with their songwriting.

How is your working relationship with Henri?
PE: We work really well. We both have pretty much the same ideas about which part requires clean vocals and which part craves for the gruff stuff. I think there was only one disagreement. But “Past Nightmares” is something completely different for Rapture. The mid-part with the hardcore-ish vocals and that groove…it sets a completely different tone to the entire song. And I think that song has the best overall dynamic. Henri’s vocals are fabulous-his esophagus emits sounds I can only dream of.

But you have a different approach on “Cold on My Side,” right? That build-up vocal style, coupled with the wavering, unsure style.
PE: That was actually Henri’s idea. He had the melodies and stuff ready; I just came up with the backing vocal. The melodies that are on top of the main melody line.

How did the lyrics work? Did you and Henri share lyric writing?
PE: I wrote “I Am Complete,” “Dreaming of Oblivion” and “The Times We Bled.” The rest are Henri’s lyrics. And it worked out well.

There’s lots of talk of closure and completion on this album. The first time I read the titles, I thought it was Rapture’s final album.
PE: Well, “The Times We Bled” is literally a closure. It’s the last thing I will ever say on a certain subject. Something I needed to get out of myself. “Silent Chrysalis Stage” is about transformation or traveling. Henri can tell you about that a bit more.

[Henri returns. Quick conferring in Finnish.]

How did the lyric writing tie into the title of the album, Silent Stage? Was there a theme?
PE: Not really. We started talking about our lyrics in the studio and found that they pretty much happened to revolve around same things. Just like with Songs for the Withering. Henri came up with the title and the lyric for “Silent Chrysalis Stage.”

HV: First we had this idea that we should release a MCD titled “Chrysalis,” and full-length titled “Silent Stage.” The MCD would have included one live track and two previously unreleased tracks. But the label didn’t agree with the MCD thing. MCDs don’t really sell. Well, Spinefarm did that with Finntroll. It wasn’t a smart choice. Or so they told us (me and Tomi).

Petri explained that the title and lyrics shared a common theme with the lyrics. Care to explain?
HV: Well…um, I am thinking here how to put this in English. Can you help, Pete? [Long conversations in Finnish ensue].

PE: It’s all about this death-like state. The lyrics are about small deaths-metaphors, you know? Deaths of emotions, people, etc. So, that’s what I meant when I said that we talk about same things. Death, in its many forms, was around me at the time I wrote some of the lyrics. People dying, emotions dying, parts of myself dying, but there’s also positive stuff in there.

HV: Something like leaving the old (almost dead) things behind and moving forwards.
I see. It’s coming to terms with the past and moving forward with life.
HV: Totally.

PE: Definitely. That’s what songs like “The Times We Bled” are all about-moving forward.
So, the album has a lot of personal issues sewn into the lyrical fabric?
PE: Always. That’s something that Rapture has always been about-personal stuff. There’s a bit of a paradox there, speaking about personal stuff publicly, but still in a way that others might not understand. There’s something twisted, almost exhibitionist there.

Do you both feel you’ve moved forward?
PE: I know I have. I’ve changed a lot in the last two years. “I Am Complete” is the first lyric I’ve written from a positive point of view. It’s a love song, damn it!

HV: But then there is the dark side of leaving the past. ‘Cause sometimes it will haunt you. And that’s what “Past Nightmares” is about.

So it’s all sunflowers and happy days at the beach from here forward? How un-Finnish of you both.
PE: Don’t hold your breath on that, dude.

HV: I am tired of writing about things that deal with suicide and stuff. My life is just so great at the moment. It is hard to write sad lyrics we you are doing fine.

PE: I think it’s still going to be from a cynical, nihilistic point of view though.
Yeah, it wouldn’t Finnish if it wasn’t.
PE: Exactly.

So, what’s 2006 like for Rapture?
PE: Like 2005, 2006 looks like…a mystery. We never plan anything and that suits Rapture just fine.

** This article was originally published on Metal Maniacs.com. The original link is dead. I felt the interview was too good to die, so I re-published it here. Rapture continues to make music despite not having a record deal. The band is very much alive. Visit them on MySpace.- Chris Dick 05/19/2008

Instead of waiting for their chance at stardom, Dekadent takes a major label approach with less than indie label means. DIY. Hollywood style. Heaps of talent is necessary to for the transformation — from unknown to sorta unknown — to be complete, but talent is a thing Dekadent has plenty of. So, why not scrap the cellar-quality black metal concept for something grander. Out of the house grander. Like lofty. Normally, high brow stuff doesn’t work too well — Therion repeatedly shows promise but never delivers –, but Dekadent is doing it the right way. Like Emperor. On second album The Deliverance of the Fall, the Slovenians, fronted by the ever-friendly Artur Felicijan, essentially turn black metal into a movie score. No, it’s not inspired or based on or influenced by Lord of the Rings or Excalibur. Rather, Dekadent looked inward and found a topic worth writing about and filming. Loss. And all the emotional baggage that comes with it. Musically, The Deliverance of the Fall is a sweeping epic, focusing first on atmosphere and then — a few tracks basically — on aggression. To that end, the album isn’t something best enjoyed in pieces — though bonus track “The Renaissance of Purity” is all kinds of awesome — but rather it’s best experienced as a whole. The tracks are connected physically and emotionally. Yeah, it’s good.

Sit back and enjoy Dekadent. Then hit up their MySpace. Artur Felicijan answers our questions.

I hear lots of Emperor, at least from an atmospheric point of view, and maybe Joe Satriani/Steve Vai. Cool combination.
I am a huge fan of all three artists you mentioned and without a doubt they left a mark on my songwriting. I used to listen to a lot of black and death metal in the ’90, and I still love to listen to those old albums from time to time. However, for a number of years now I get inspiration from deep inside. From the things I feel. These emotional journeys provide me with loads of material.

It seems like big keyboard chords play a role in the backdrop of Dekadent’s music. A lot of times keyboard is used as a main instrument, competing with the guitars for example, but in Dekadent it’s really a textural instrument. Was that the goal to have it play more of a background/landscape role?
They really add a lot to our atmosphere and help to bring out that harmonic essence of our music. They are set into the background, as I don’t prefer synthesizer solos and progressive stuff. At least not in Dekadent, where keyboards are employed as a tool for maximizing the atmosphere. However, they played almost an equal role with other instruments on our new album The Deliverance of the Fall. That was because the whole album is based and structured on Classical music.

“Renaissance of Purity” surprised me when I first heard it. I don’t think I’ve heard such a sweeping epic in a long while.
Thanks, I tried to hold this “epic” criteria throughout the whole album, so it is really great to hear when people get this epic impression listening to it. However, this particular song is a bonus track on our new album. I had originally written it in 2001, but it never got recorded properly. I thought it was a good song worth being resurrected and released.

Are both Valentina Lacovich and Katja Kodelja featured as session vocalists on The Deliverance of the Fall? From the song I heard it they really add a sense of melancholy to the music.
Valentina was a guest female vocalist on Dekadent debut album Manifestation of Seasonal Bleeding. On Deliverance…, Katja Kodelja is the only female vocalist. I think female vocals are necessary from time to time to create a bit of contrast and to strengthen the character of music. I don’t really enjoy listening to female-fronted metal bands nowadays though. They all follow the same commercial pattern and it just doesn’t do the trick anymore.

The short promotional film for The Deliverance of the Fall is incredible. It’s almost like watching Lord of the Rings. Who directed it and long did it take to put together?
[laughs] Thank you. Unfortunately, we didn’t get as much money as Peter Jackson did. We did it with no budget whatsoever. It was directed by myself and my colleague Andraz Sedmak. We were filming it from January till May in 2007. The post-production took us another 5 or 6 months. The two of us did mostly everything by ourselves. From shooting to visual effects, package design… the whole thing. Although it was a very good experience, it started to turn into a nightmare at the end of the process.

Was it filmed in Slovenia? The landscape is stunning.
Yes, it was filmed entirely in Slovenia. Our land is something special indeed. Very diverse and interesting. You need to see it for yourself!

The quality, even of the “Dissident Dream” video, is amazing. For such a young band and relative anonymity you hold high visual standards. Was that a goal from the start to have a strong visual image?
It was, indeed. I think the image tells a lot about a band. How they take things and themselves seriously. Dekadent is a very serious thing. There is no point of doing something artistic if you don’t do it with a 100 percent commitment.

What, in your mind, makes Dekadent black metal?
Probably the vocals and playing technique. The atmosphere in our songs is very strong, but some people don’t find it that much black metal, mostly because of its uplifting and, at times, positive nature. But I still think the vocals and guitars are such strong stylistic components and are the main reason why we are recognized as a black metal band.

What is the story of The Deliverance of the Fall?
It is about how we handle death of those who were close to us. In this metaphorical story an unnamed individual grieves because of his terrible loss. In his sorrow he also meets his demons and fears, which take him on an extraordinary emotional journey where he will find the answers to the questions that troubled him. Simply put.

Why the name change from Vigred to Dekadent?
Vigred means springtime in archaic Slovenian and even on local soil people had problems recognizing the meaning. After the deal was inked with the Swiss label SMP, we decided to change the name to Dekadent as it sounds a bit more international. A lot of people link the name to the decadent movement and lifestyle, but we have no connection with either of them. In 19th century literature, a Decadent was someone who appeared as a minor, but in truth was a major, a hero.

What do you think it will take for Dekadent to break out of Slovenia and become an international outfit? I mean, everything screams ‘next big thing’ to me.
It is very hard for a band from Slovenia to make a major breakthrough on the international scene, especially in the U.S. We might do our best and should be considered next big thing by all rights, but if media says no, the thing won’t happen. The scene is driven by the media and labels nowadays. We still might get a lot of support from our fans, but it is hard to stand out without proper promotion, which costs a lot of money. Too much for a small band like us. Hopefully, we will get the support nevertheless.

You’re signed to Swiss-based Pentacle Music. It’s a pretty young label. Was it important to find a label outside Slovenia?
Of course, since metal is poorly represented in Slovenia. There are no labels here with interests in metal. In order to get known abroad and gain good distribution, we had to sign with a foreign label. We chose Pentacle Music because they hold is in great esteem and were willing to support us with their hearts, not because of commercial interests.

Plans for Dekadent in 2008?
Hopefully, a small promotional tour across Europe, a few festivals here and there. At the end of the year, we will slowly start preparing for the recording of our third album. But, that is still long from now, it is time for The Deliverance of the Fall.

Trust is valued more than anything when it comes to making entertainment decisions. We can agree on that. I’m more likely to buy a CD (or music, since the CD concept dates me) on a recommendation from a friend than a single review of the same CD in a magazine; usually this recommendation comes with discourse and a listening session, so the sole recommendation isn’t the factor but a factor in my decision-making process. This isn’t a grand revelation, however. I can’t recall ever being swayed by a single review or article that I should or shouldn’t purchase a CD, go to a movie, or visit a museum or an art exhibit. Maybe my generation, labeled Generation X by some smartass back in ‘65, was the first to not blindly follow or believe in everything presented to us by the media. My mom, for example, takes the evening news as gospel whereas I see it as one side of a many-sided story. There might be a grain of truth to my assumptions. The point is, at least in my pea-brain, critics were never meant to be the be-all, end-all authority on anything. Though if you ask me about Opeth, bring dinner. Sure, some have stature, superior language skills, and can yarn more verbosely than the late Robert Jordan, but very few (I don’t remember names, actually) were the single voice, the wizard behind the curtain compelling me to make choices. Critics were/are merely guides. Personal preference, bias, and opinion are all part of those guides. Whether I agreed or disagreed was my choice. That choice helped shape my decisions.

So to say the power critics wield is lessening or they’re entering a Cretaceous–Tertiary period of sorts, I think, misses the mark. Critics have never had real power or sway. It’s more suggestive. Sure, major media outlets like newspapers, magazines, radio, and television are diminishing the capacity of the critic, focusing instead on gossip, paparazzi-styled stories, as a way to adapt to what presently is a “me/you”-media era of which they have little control. That’s another discussion entirely. The number of expensive leather chairs at the top of the Ivory Tower might be fewer these days, but there will always be entertainment critics where there’s entertainment. Critics might be, as Goldstein alludes, in a selection period. I truly think when the community voice stumbles, falters, or is flat-out wrong – it inevitably will on all accounts –, individuals, distrusting of the community voice or vehicle(s), will then turn to the singular voice of the critic. The more things change the more they stay the same. Good thing I’m a critic.

Click here to Goldstein’s story.

Does We Are the Nightmare represent you better as an artist?
James Malone: Definitely, but the thing with United in Regret was the recording was a little out of whack. The drums were recorded in one month, the rhythm guitars were laid down a month later, and we went back six months later to finish up the vocals and leads. We mixed the album while we were on tour. We didn’t have as much time to work on it that we needed.

I hear a little bit of Death, Euchartist, Dissection, and At the Gates. Do you think you transcended those influences?
Malone: I’d like to think I’ve transcended my influences a little bit. In all honesty, I don’t listen to a lot of metal right now. I’m kind of stuck on ‘80s New Wave. I don’t listen to metal at all for personal enjoyment. When I do listen to metal it’s on tour. I watch the bands we tour with. I didn’t have the mindset when writing this album that I wanted to sound like something I had just heard an hour earlier. I like to think I’ve transcended my influences to a degree.

So, what New Wave bands are you into?
Malone: I love Duran Duran. They had a side project called Arcadia. The album was So Red The Rose. It’s a very pretentious Duran Duran. But it’s amazing. Great songwriting. There’s hooks all over the place. It’s amazing. We had a Depeche Mode cover on United in Regret. That was fun. I also like New Order, Electronic, The Cure. All that stuff.

Do you think New Wave bands could directly influence Arsis?
Malone: I would like to. If I find a proper or clever way of doing it I most certainly will. That’ll be my next project.

What metal albums have impressed you over the last few years?
Malone: I haven’t heard too many things come out in the last five years that have piqued my interest. Maybe Vital Remains’ Dechristianize. I thought Dimmu Borgir’s Puritanical… album was pretty amazing when it first came out. I was impressed with that. I stick to my staples [laughs].

There are a ton of split Carcass-styled vocals on We Are the Nightmare. Why did you end up having Derron [Cesca] split the vocals?
Malone: For more diversity in the vocals. The attack. In the past, especially on the Arsis demos, I felt more confident in my guttural vocals. As of late, I don’t know if cigarettes or poor health in general, but I don’t feel super-confident in my lower or guttural voice. Derron has a great low vocal, so I didn’t see why I shouldn’t include him in the vocal performance. He adds another dimension to the vocals. We try not to overdo it, as doubling is a terrible idea. We really tried to take our time to make sure where we’re doing it was effective and the vocals made sense. We weren’t doing just because. I felt the sections where we incorporated that technique had a purpose.

How did you find Derron? I don’t remember the story.
Malone: We had just played a show with his old band Burn in Silence a couple of weeks before our old drummer Mike VanDyne quit. I hit him up on Myspace and the rest was history. I think he was looking to do something more along the lines of Arsis, as far as music goes. We figured we might as well give it a try.

Derron plays four different snare drums. What was the recording set-up like?
Malone: In the studio they tried to pan the snare drums, as if you were standing in front of the kit. The middle snare, which is his main snare, comes out of both speakers. And the left and right snare, which are piccolo and popcorn snares, only come out of the left and right speakers. There’s a deeper snare is off to one side. It’s all panned as if you were standing in front of him. I remember, the last weekend we were recording, we went to see Firewind in New Hampshire. Gus and I had spent some time together at Berklee—we’ve known each other since we were 17. I remember playing the rough mixes for Gus and he’d be like, “Where’d the snare go?” I had to explain to him how the four snares were used and recorded. Once he understood what was going on, he thought it was pretty cool.

You’ve said We Are the Nightmare is your most accomplished album. Why do you think that is?
Malone: The addition of Ryan on guitar. He’s an amazing guitar player. His solos are amazing. Just having someone like that to work with was a great experience.

Are you intimidated by other players? Do you watch what other players are doing?
Malone: I probably used to worry about that when I was younger. I’m pretty confident in myself and my abilities. I know what my limitations are. I realize everybody is going to have strong or weak points. I want to make the most of what I have to offer. I put it out there the way it is and hope people appreciate it.

You’re a properly trained musician, right?
Malone: I started playing violin at age 10. I played all the way through college. Well, the first couple of semesters of college. I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston as well as another university in Virginia. I was studying college-level music theory and composition by the time I was 16.

What made switch from violin to guitar?
Malone: When I was 14 I purchased Mercyful Fate’s Don’t Break the Oath. I was very fascinated by how dark and epic it was. I wanted to create something along those lines.

I realized how much single-note stuff was going on. We Are the Nightmare would sound pretty comfortable on violin.
Malone: Definitely. The violin is a more single-note instrument. The guitar is more chord-based. The violin rubbed off on me, as I’m quite fond of the single-note guitar stuff. I’ve always been more of legato player, with all the tapping. The way I play guitar is probably reminiscent of the way I play violin.

Do you still play violin?
Malone: I do. When I go home my father makes me play duets with him. They sound pretty good. My intonation is pretty good, but probably could be better if I practiced more often. I just haven’t had the time in the past couple of years. We’ll play for my mother if she asks.

What does your dad think of you switching from violin to guitar?
Malone: I saw him last weekend. He reminded me of a promise I made to him that I wouldn’t give up the violin. He’s like, “Well, you’re not dead yet, so you can probably pick it up whenever you want.”

Were your parents a motivator for picking up an instrument?
Malone: I remember in fifth grade when I started playing violin. I probably wanted to play a trumpet or something. Before I decided on violin, my mom said, “Why don’t you play the violin? We have one around the house and there’s a strings class.” They knew I wanted to play an instrument, and it made sense since we had the instrument in the house.

Is your dad a professional musician?
Malone: My dad is a rocket scientist by profession. He has a Ph.D in aerospace engineering. He works for NASA. He still plays in a community orchestra. It’s something he did when he was younger. I think after he got into aerospace engineering, he decided to pick up the violin again.

You’ve been living with the album for a while now. What’s your favorite song?
Malone: I’m really fond of “Servants to the Night,” the last track “Failures Conquest,” or “My Oath to Madness.” I also really like “Sightless Wisdom.” So, one of those four I’m sure is my favorite [laughs].

Noah told me when you were in studio you were drinking cheap beer and it inspired you to include the Frosty the Snowman theme in one of the solos on “Failures Conquest.”
Malone: I did it as a joke. Zeuss thought it was pretty cool, but Ryan knew exactly what I had done. He was on the floor laughing. Half the population that listens to the record won’t even notice it. It’s cleverly disguised. I had Cacophony in mind. They’d do a weird melody or solo from a circus theme every so often. It was the last night I was tracking guitars, so I wanted to have a good time and entertain myself. It’s the main melody. The first five notes. It’s in the second solo, near the end of the songs. I do some whammy bar flutters, so it kind of sounds like Andy La Roque trying to play children’s music. I had probably been drinking some Natural Light at the time, so the cheap beer or box wine probably had something to do with it. I did that for my ex-fiancée’s daughter. She really liked that song.

How personal is the album?
Malone: It’s very personal. I want people to come up with their own interpretations of my lyrics though. I’m not too worried about my lyrics being out there, ‘cause they are open to different explanations. I write in an obscure manner.

You’ve had words like “regret,” “disease,” “nightmare,” and “guilt” in your album titles. Is there a connection there?
Malone: Yes, regret and guilt are emotions I’m most familiar with. I’m not Catholic, but I probably should be. In fact, I used to work for a Catholic church. Some of the lyrics for the first album are a play on words though. But not poking fun at the Catholic faith. A Celebration of Guilt, for example, came from my time as an Assistant Music Minister. Every time I’d go to work on Sunday, I though people were coming to church to celebrate their guilt. That’s where that came from. I’m very familiar with the concept of guilt. It’s a big part of my life. I have a conscience, which is a good thing in this day and age. Could be worse.

Tell me about the video shoot. How did you find the location?
Malone: I lived in West Virginia for a number of years. West Virginia is a very beautiful state, but it’s also quite strange. There’s a ton of abandoned towns all over the place. They’re old coal mining towns. Somebody would buy the coal mine and eventually it would go out of business. These towns would just dry up and people would move away. The location was shot about 20 minutes where I used to reside in a town called Stotesbury, West Virginia. It’s an abandoned coal camp town. We shot the video in an old church. It was the African-American Baptist Church. I don’t know when it was abandoned, but there’s no running water or restroom facilities. It was a fairly old church. An old co-worker and bandmate of mine showed me the location—he was from West Virginia—, and used to go around looking for old, abandoned buildings to explore. It’s fascinating. This old church in the middle of some hills, completely abandoned. It was pretty fitting to shoot the video there. We had just finished the album, so the shoot was sort of signaled the end of my days in West Virginia. My relationship had ended. It was closure in a sense.

I heard you almost died.
Malone: I fell through the floor. Not sure if I would’ve died, but had the assistant not been there to catch me it might not have been good. I fell up to my crotch. I was also chased by a pack of dogs. I was trying to go talk to the only neighbor to let them know what we were doing. I guess their dogs didn’t like me walking down their driveway, so I was chased.

There’s some other church stories, right?
Malone: There was this girl I was seeing at the time who wasn’t from West Virginia. We were sitting in her vehicle near the location. All of a sudden, a caravan of 4-wheelers pass by us. We locked the doors. I thought of Deliverance. Like what the hell are they doing out here? They had a cooler strapped to one of the 4-wheelers. They just hung out by the church, drank Bud Light, and talked to us as we went back and forth getting supplies for the video shoot. They were nice guys, but at first we were a little scared. We were in the middle-of-nowhere, West Virginia. They said they had ridden for like 20 miles. They obviously had nothing better to do on that Sunday.

Oh, come on. There’s more stories than that.
Malone: [laughs] We were out there checking the location on the first day to see how we’d get the generator out there. You have to go up a mountain to leave the area where the church was, as we looked back down—of course, it was the fall and the leaves were off the trees—and we saw a vehicle near the church. There was no way it could’ve gotten down there without us seeing it or passing us. There were no houses around there where people have vehicles. Maybe there was a dirt path that I’m not aware of. There were some other strange things I’ve seen around that place. The first time I went out there, which was like six months before we shot the video, there was some debris on the ground. Somebody leaned all these boards—which probably came from the church—up against the church in a weird pattern. There definitely was some logic involved. Very Blair Witch. I don’t know how into the supernatural you are, but the still pictures we took there had these orbs in them. I guess people think it’s spectral energy. Who knows if they were dust particles or reflections of something, but they’re in the photos. I was hoping something would happen that nobody could explain, but that didn’t happen.

Mark Riddick did an amazing job on the cover. How much input did you have?
Malone: We may’ve had some input on color or tone choices, but the imagery is all Mark’s. The only album I ever stuck my fingers in was the A Diamond for Disease cover. I had something specific in mind for that album. I just let Mark do his Riddick magic. His brother did the layout and coloring. Mark did the illustrations. I think it came out very good. I’m pleased.

The color palette is cool. Muted, earth tones.
Malone: Had I been my way it would’ve had blues and purples in it. That wouldn’t have worked [laughs].

How was your time with Zeuss?
Malone: He’s got an amazing ear. He’s a Pro Tools wiz. A super-cool dude. At the end of the night, he’d open up a Coors Light and hang out with us. He loves metal to death. He had a lot of good suggestions for vocals and leads. He was never afraid to tell us when we were fucking up. It definitely helped having an extra set of ears that weren’t from the band. He wasn’t worried about hurting people’s feelings. He was just concerned the product was as best as it could be.

How was the time spent with the band? It’s like being on tour for a month in the same city.
Malone: It was like being on tour. We lived together. We had no money whatsoever. It was Ramen noodles, cheap beer and wine every night. We spent time looking up goofy YouTube videos to entertain ourselves. Noah would put on softcore porn and play bass to it every night. The porn bass was awesome. You’ll be able to see it on the DVD that will come with limited edition of the album. It was like a sleepover from middle school gone bad for a month straight.

How did Zeuss come into the picture?
Malone: He was recommended to us by the record label. Gerardo at Nuclear Blast had heard the new Municipal Waste record that Zeuss had worked on. He was impressed by it. After checking into Zeuss’s work, I felt he could help Arsis. His work is very polished and that’s something that was lacking on our previous Arsis records. I always wanted a big, polished sound.

You wanted that?
Malone: Oh yeah. I wanted an extreme metal album that had a Winger or Ratt production. Over-the-top stuff. I was very pleased with the way it came out.

Labels, mostly the majors (Sony BMG, Warner, EMI, and Universal) and their myriad of imprints, have been party to and practitioners of digital delivery of promo to radio through services like PlayMPE (formerly PromoOnly) and DMDS for several years now. It makes deployment of new music faster, more efficient, and a sorta win-win for everyone. Historically, it was singles-based, but now that broadband is ubiquitous, full albums are getting the focus. And like radio, we journalists are supposed to rejoice in this sorta win-win. No more waiting for music. No more ‘it got lost in the mail’ stories. Just get new music fast. At least that’s how Victory sees it. But, folks, this isn’t apples to apples. How radio consumes music is vastly different from how journalists consume music. We’re different audiences with different habits.

So, how does this change our (i.e., journalists) music experience? As a person who appreciates having tangible things, I’d say Victory’s choice to stream albums, as opposed to sending CDs via the good ol’ USPS or UPS, greatly alters the music experience. Not in a critical way, ’cause if the album rules, it rules. If it sucks, it sucks. But who in their right mind wants to sit, tied to a computer, for 30-50 minutes to stream an album they have zero emotional attachment to? Not sure I do. At the very least, it means I pay less attention to the music on offer and, as a result, allow my immediate reactions to flavor whatever coverage I choose to give the music I’m hearing. Not professional behavior, I’ll grant you that. Then again, our (i.e., journalists) hands are being forced with Victory’s decision. Hell hath no fury like a journalist scorned. Realistically speaking, if there’s a network glitch (it matters not whose end it’s on), what compels me, other than a Pavlovian urge, to click play again to re-stream the music? Not much. So, at the very most, I don’t cover Victory’s releases. It’s clearly a lose-lose situation.

Now, maybe Victory has compelling research to prove journalists listen exclusively to the label’s music on a computer — not a mobile device like a digital media player or phone — after they receive it. So, receive, rip, and play. Actually, I don’t think Victory has the research. Or, it majorly chafes the higher ups when promos get sold on eBay and Amazon for a single George Washington. After-market resells are, more or less, a non-issue. Sure, promo ends up online at Amazon and eBay or at brick and mortar stores (the very few that are left). That’s been going on forever. Comes with the territory, so to speak. Victory’s chief concern is promo hitting blogs, torrent sites, and P2P networks before and after it’s released. A no-brainer for sure. No label (we’ll throw artists in there too) wants to give away its music. After all, music is an investment. We (i.e., journalists) normally won’t write for free — unless it’s for this site. It’s easy to understand their viewpoint. And, yes, there are a few hundred variables to consider. I’ll leave that to someone’s Master’s thesis. But where is our input? Our voice on the matter. We have none. The two-way street, at least in victory’s eyes, is now a one-way. ‘Our way or the highway,’ so reads the sign.

After spending about 10 minutes on their streaming, login-only website, I’ve found the experience to suck. Real hard. The sound quality is atrocious. The album art is small and resolution terrible — not that it matters really unless it’s Paul Romano. And, the main sticking point and purpose of this here blogenstein, I’m forced to listen to it not in my car, on my stereo, or during my Sunday walk with the dog. Nope. In front of my computer. After working 40-50 hours in front of the computer, the last thing Victory will have me do is spend 30-50 more minutes listening to its streaming-only releases. Just won’t happen. Like Judas Priest on Point of Entry, I’m going to head out to the highway.

What do you think separates Materia from The Blue? It’s definitely more aggressive.
Carmelo Orlando: I like to put it this way: when we wrote Materia we were a bit ‘up in the clouds’ in every respect. Physical, emotive, etc. We were working on a deeper lever of consciousness, where aggressiveness and hate barely reach. The Blue was gathered on a more rational stage, where reality causes reactions like aggressiveness and rage.

The blue theme is throughout the album. Why blue?
Orlando: Because it’s the color [that] represents our tunes best. It’s the color you/I see when I write/play our tunes. It’s the color of the evening, of the uncertainty between the day and the night. A color of major fear. It’s pre-death, it’s abandonment, [a] slow fall down, it’s everything we need to get rid of.

I heard you could’ve written more music, but stopped writing. Why didn’t you continue writing for, say, an EP or limited edition singles?
Orlando: We somehow did that. There’s so much stuff that hasn’t been gathered/assembled. But it’s still there in the workshop waiting to be re-handled.

You didn’t record a cover this time around. Any reason why? I’ve always thought your choice of covers was adventurous. I mean, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, and Arcadia aren’t common for metal bands to cover.
Orlando: I’ll take that as a compliment, but that means we’re not a metal band then. We’re long-haired folks with no spikes and leather. That era is over. Metal, death, thrash, and grind are our main influences, but not the only ones. We obviously rely on our metal roots, when it comes to aggressiveness. But as far as it concerns the music itself, we rely on so many other kinds of music. We didn’t make a cover because… who knows, I dunno. I don’t like to give an explanation to everything that happens. It wasn’t the right time for another cover. I think the next time we’ll cover a song, it will be even more surprising. We cover songs to ‘unbury’ them. Not to gain success from them, if you know what I mean.

It seems like you guys have a pretty easy time writing music. Why do you think that is?
Orlando: Not exactly [an] easy time! To write a song is a hell of an effort. I’d dare to say it’s more tiring than actual work. Still I think this comes from our creativity. It’s such a pain to leave all those riffs that come up so frequently, unconnected between them!

You write most of the music and lyrics – at least on past albums –, but now that Novembre has a pretty solid line-up did that change for The Blue. Or will that change on releases after The Blue?
Orlando: I don’t think so. Neither my brother nor Luca come up with music. I still write most of the music. Max brings some amazing moments and we put everything together. That’s how it works. To create music is an ability you develop over time. It’s not something you start doing tomorrow. I mean, you can start doing it tomorrow, but you need lotsa of practice to develop it to a decent and competitive level. On a team, everyone has his role. Someone makes the music, someone else makes sure it’s special.

You recorded one song, “Nascence,” with Francesca Lacorossi. How did you find her and why do you decide to include female vocals in the song?
Orlando: That song was meant to be sung as a duo since its conception. I dunno, I just heard it like that, in my head. Francesca already sung in a band called Oblivio. They were recording their debut at my brother’s studio, The Outer Sounds Studios. So, when he knew I needed a female vocalist, he told me about her. We called her and it was done.

Why did you record The Blue in Finland? I thought you guys owned or operated a studio? I guess there were additional recordings done at Finnvox.
Orlando: Well, Finnvox is the best studio around and we wanted the best for our album. We recorded part of the album at the Outer Sounds Studios, then we recorded rhythm guitars and bass (which are the core of the album) and some additional parts in Helsinki. Then we mixed and mastered it there.

Do you own or work at Outer Sounds Studio?
Orlando: My bro owns it. And works there.

Have you ever thought about working with Dan Swanö again?
Orlando: Yes, but I guess he’s not producing albums anymore.

How has new bassist Luca Giovagnoli acclimated to Novembre?
Orlando: Very well. You know, same age, same tastes, good company… It’s definitely easier.

What does Luca give to Novembre that previous bassists haven’t?
Orlando: Lots of dedication!

Tell me about shooting the video for “Anaemia.” Did you shoot it in Italy or were there other locations?
Orlando: It was shot in Rome and Gothenburg.

Was “Anaemia” your first video? I don’t recall videos before it.
Orlando: Yes, [our] first video!

You’ve released two albums in two years. Think you will continue to write one album per year? I know there was a long gap between Dreams D’Azur and Materia.
Orlando: If it was up to me, I would make an album a month [laughs]. As I said before, we’re a very productive team and the reasons why we couldn’t make more albums in the past were not related to our creativity. You know, label change, health reasons (a couple of years ago my brother had to have back surgery), delays with artwork and stuff…

Do you think Novembre is still death metal or gothic metal? Curious how you view your own music?
Orlando: We are still. And we’ll always be well-planted in the death/gothic metal underground, but we grow different fruit, if you get the metaphor. Of course, we’re metal. Our albums are sold in the metal market and bought mainly by metal listeners.

Favorite band of all time and why?
Orlando: Impossible to say so I’d go for the first one coming in my mind. The Cure!

What is Days of Nothing about?
Francesco Sosto: Days of Nothing is about an imaginary end of the world seen by a common man’s eyes, whose life is made up of endless and boring days making the same old things during the passing time. He feels more and more uncomfortable in the mechanism of society and in the rules and conventions he’s forced to obey in order not to be set apart from the mass. But the more he’s homologating to this mechanism, the more he’s being left on his own — sick of society’s customs and hypocrisy. Light, sun, and smiles are lies, and he finds some comfort in darkness, obscurity, and death. I don’t know if it might be defined as a concept album, but surely there’s a main theme that leads the listener from the beginning to the end of the album.

What, in your view, inspired you to write such depressing music?
Sosto: There had been a series of circumstances that have made Days of Nothing sound like it is. First of all, the time and the place [where] we live, the music we were listening to or the movies we were watching. It happened with “Into the Lips of the Earth.” It was born after we watched Eraserhead by David lynch. Besides it was such a cold and cloudy January when we started to work on Days of Nothing, which tells a lot about the atmosphere of this album.

Is the depressing lyrical and musical style more a product of what you see around you – the world, wars, humanity, etc. – or something you’ve created as a fictional concept?
Sosto: I would say both things. On the whole, it’s a fictional concept, but at the same time these songs come from the experience of real life, both at a personal and general level. If we take into account that after the September 11th events there’s a widespread halo of pessimism all over the world, you can see where the metaphor of apocalypse comes from. We felt and we still feel that what we see around the world is not good and it reflects even in our personal problems. Anyway, on Days of Nothing we don’t argue any political or social matters. It’s just an album about our existence in the world.

I love the imagery you’ve created around the record. Did you give Seth the overall idea and let him run with it or was it carefully scripted?
Sosto: Seth was great at identifying the album mood, because he inserted, in the artwork, most of the elements recalling each song. What we just did was to give him the promo and the lyrics, and suggest to him to read and listen to it carefully. And so he did. He read the lyrics many times, and at night he listened to the promo over and over again until he absorbed its melancholy and desperation.

Did you work the imagery – band photos, visual style, etc. – around Seth’s artwork or was it a concept from the very beginning?
Sosto: It was a concept from the very beginning: visual style, band photos, even every single detail, the location where we shot photos, and the colors we chose were all thought by ourselves.

It sounds like you’re influenced by both traditional doom (Candlemass) and atmospheric doom (Anathema). How have your influences shaped The Foreshadowing into what it is today?
Sosto: As a matter of fact we’ve been influenced by doom metal of all facets, but we also must say we’re not stuck in a unique genre. We like listening to various kinds of music like indie, post-rock, or ambient. I think ‘80s pop music has been very important for the evolution of our style, because of the simple structure and the short length of the tracks, which is the opposite of traditional doom metal. In the future, we would like [to] combine various genres in our music, even though we would keep ourselves basically as a gothic doom metal band.

Vocally, I hear a bit of Type O Negative and Nick Holmes. Were these two vocalists influences? Any other vocalists who you feel deserve mention?
Sosto: Everybody says Marco’s voice is very similar to Depeche Mode frontman Martin Gore. I agree with you when you say there’s a bit of Type O Negative, but instead of Nick Holmes, I’d rather say Aaron Stainthorpe.

“Departure” is probably the song that stands out the most.
Sosto: That’s true. It’s probably because it’s easy to listen to and it has a pop-like structure that makes it catchy and even accessible to other listeners. It’s a song that pictures the disparity between young people, who represent our future, and old people, who represent the present, threading the future at any cost. I always feel sad when I think of “Departure,” ‘cause I always think I am in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I do like the keyboards in “Eschaton.” It’s a subtle yet effective way to drive the song. The choral vocals are a cool addition.
Sosto: I’m very pleased you say this. “Eschaton” is the track that represents the concept the most. The keyboard theme is the very first thing that was conceived, and the whole song has been developed from that theme. While, as for the choral vocals, we needed something to introduce the song refrain, so we thought a baritone chorus could be a good idea.

What lead you to form The Foreshadowing? I know you guys were from Klimt 1918 and Spiritual Front.
Sosto: It was basically the fact that in the bands we were playing we’d never found the room we needed. Surely playing with such acts like Spiritual Front and Klimt 1918 have been satisfying and grateful, but [it] wasn’t quite enough for us. We felt like outsiders with them, so we realized it was time to make something of our own. After all it should’ve been born 10 years ago, but for several reasons the project never took off. But when Andrea played us some of the old stuff we wanted to work on the old days. There was something that made us arouse the interest in our old gothic doom project, and it was the beginning of everything.

What prompted you to issue this quote? “We don’t feel part of this world and we don’t need to believe in any creed, convention or lifestyle. We just wait for a right end of this wrong and cruel world.”
Sosto: We thought that the first thing we wanted to make clear was to give ourselves a valid reason to make this project trustworthy. We wanted this project to be honest, and this quote encloses the simple truth. And we wanted to speak out to everybody all our rage and disappointment in this world.

You recorded and mixed Days of Nothing at several studios in Italy. What was the recording and mixing process like?
Sosto: We recorded the drums first at Outer Sounds Studio. Then the other parts at our little Howitzer Studio. We did the vocals at Subsound Studio, and then we came back at Outer Sounds Studio for final mixing, which was done by Giuseppe Orlando (Novembre). The mastering was done at Principal Studio in Germany. We’re really satisfied with the whole work and sound. It was the maximum for the small budget we had!

How did the deal with Candlelight Records come about? Any artists on the label you think of as kindred spirits?
Sosto: The Candlelight deal has been unexpected and astonishing for us. When we finished the album we received, with great pleasure, several offers and we were about to sign to another well known European label. Then suddenly Candlelight arrived and offered us a deal and it was impossible to say no! Everything went very quickly, and in about 10 days the deal was struck. We’ve always loved this historic label and it’s a great honor for us having the chance to work with them.

What’s next?
Sosto: We hope to arrange a tour to promote Days of Nothing in Europe. In the meantime, we’ve already been working on our second album.

There are tons of Cannibal Corpse parodies on YouTube, but this one’s extra special.

Check it out and laugh until you spill your guts. Or cum blood.

A little background: Rock & Republic is an American designer clothing company. Their motto goes something like this: “Rock & Republic means edgy, progressive design inspired by Rock & Roll and with an emphasis on modern silhouettes and a sleek fit. Each piece in the collection is designed for sexy, confident men and women who live the lifestyle and really understand the look.” I pulled that from Rock & Republic’s website.

So, now that we have a jean branded with the music genre of ‘Death Metal’ and a company slogan that appeals to ‘sexy, confident men and women who live the lifestyle,’ one has to wonder what the designers at Rock & Republic were thinking. I mean, they approved Victoria Beckham to design her own branded jeans. So, next in line was ‘Death Metal’? Either they’re too hip, clueless, or someone, like Michael Ball, has a secret love affair with Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, and Morbid Angel and the fashion world is too narcissistic to notice. Green light mama Becks. Next? Green light ‘Death Metal!’ Not sure I understand the logic.

Anyway, the point of this here blogenstein is to show metal dudes/dudettes have been dressing for excess for millenia. Unless you’re Dani Filth or Oscar Dronjak, maybe it’s OK to get some of these suckers. I mean with names like “Breakthru Grey Darkness,” “Chaos Blue Bruise,” Lethal Black Heat” (for the ladies), “Ricochet In Xtreme Blue,” and “Accomplice Foe” (again for the chicas), Rock & Republic did some homework by consulting About.com. They probably cheated. If they really wanted authenticity, they should’ve called us, paid us huge sums of greenbacks (well, we prefer GBPs or Euros, at the moment), and then they could officially brand the jean ‘Death Metal.’ Hear us R&R? Oh, and ‘Death Metal’ refers to the back pocket design. Not the jean.

The jeans, at the cheapest, will set you back around $300. Ouch! That’s a frickload of import CDs. But if you’ve bought into the ‘Death Metal’ concept and are, in fact, a modemensch then click here.

To be fair, Dagonite, in concept, works to such an extent that it’s markedly different—Catacombs’ In the Depths of R’lyeh is a more sophisticated relative—from Moribund’s usual fare, but that’s really about the extent of things. From first lurching note of “Blessed” to the final, uh, lurching note of “Starless,” Dagonite pivots on two, maybe three, compositional traits. The tempo edges under, rarely over, a slow march, while the riffs, laden with Burzum-esque distortion, grind incessantly against a backdrop of atonal strums and sub-human vocals to create what is essentially a 35-minute track segmented into five movements. Such a thing would be great—even for us funeral doom folks—if Brown Jenkins had more tricks up its sleeve. Like contrasting riffs, varying tempos, a wider and deeper sonic palette, or a more consistent drummer. It’s more about short-sighted monotony than minimalist smarts.

Really, art is in the eye of the beholder, but the perspective and delivery on Dagonite is ultimately lacking. Brown Jenkins and Jenkem may have something in common, but it’s advisable not to experiment with either anytime soon.

Were the usual suspects (Carnage, Nihilist) your primary influences to start Gorement? Truthfully, I hear early Finnish death metal (Demigod, Amorphis)as the drive in Gorement’s sound, at least on the full-length.
When we started Gorement we where very influenced by bands like Bolt Thrower, Pungent Stench, Carcass, Xysma and, of course, all the godly Swedish bands that were around. I think that really shows on the two demos we released. The main goal was simply to write brutal music. But when it comes to the Into Shadows EP and the tracks we wrote for “The Ending Quest, we wanted more melodies and complex structures in the songs. And at that time we were more influenced by bands like At The Gates and Paradise Lost. To be honest with you, we weren’t listening that much to Finnish bands, except for Funebre and Xysma of course.

There’s a little bit of early Carcass in “Human Relic.” That nasty opening combined with the strong verse is something unlike I’ve heard before. Sort of like Carcass and Entombed swapping riffs, and really liking the idea behind it.
[laughs] Glad you like it. I’ll tell you the story about that song. The main riff in that song is heavily influenced by the Benediction track “Artefacted Irreligion.” I really liked the Subconscious Terror album when it came out. That combined with some Xysma riffing and a gloomy doom-outro just ended the song. Looking back, I definitely identify the early Gorement days with that song.

The reason I say this is there’s always a fine line between melody and aggression in the sound. Much like Amorphis, early on, would use a single melody line to offset the heavy rhythm section and very gruff vocals, I hear the same idea working in Gorement, such as in songs “My Ending Quest”, “The Memorial,” and “Sea of Silence.” It has that epic quality not heard in death metal now.
Well, I don’t think we had this sound in the beginning. The demos were just built on this aggressive and brutal feeling that we all were into when we started. But we progressed as every band does, and we just tried out some new ideas which lead us into this melody/epic style. I love the Paradise Lost album Gothic, and still do, and I wanted to capture that special epic feeling that album has. And we were really comfortably with this sound and thought it worked very well. I can even remember that we talked about finding a keyboard player to get that atmospheric feeling in the songs. I can see your point with Amorphis, but the thing is that I started to listen to them in like ’93 or so. But don’t get me wrong, I think they are a great band and I really like their Tales from the Thousand Lakes album.

You put your first demo, Human Relic, out in 1991, and then put out another demo and 7″‘s in 1992. What happened in the band between 1992 and when you released, “The Ending Quest? You obviously used some of the demo and 7″ material for the album.
Well, the album was recorded in Feb ’93, so we just rehearsed a lot and made new songs for the album in that time. We chose to have the demo and EP tracks on the album because we thought they were too great to not be included and we wanted more people to get the chance to hear these tracks.

When The End Quest finally came out, on Crypta Records, where was the band at mentally and musically? The album is very developed for the time, and to this day doesn’t bear the usual markings of age. I can barely listen to some of the death metal from the early ’90s because it just isn’t timeless. That doesn’t happen for Gorement.
Mentally, I say we were at or peak. I mean we had a record contract and got the chance to go down to Germany and record our debut album in the Delta Studio, the same studio that Accept recorded their first albums. It couldn’t be better. And as I’ve said earlier, musically we had just found our style. But for me the album feels just like a typical debut album, a mix of old demo songs and newly written tracks. Maybe it is timeless, but there was really no deep thoughts behind the album, a typical debut album I would say.

What happend during the period of releasing the album and when you decided to call it quits? In fact, why did Gorement split after only one album? Did Crypta Records have anything to do with the premature exit?
Oh yeah, they surely had. We got ripped off badly. I don’t want to get into details, but we lost some money because of them. And shortly after the album was released the label went bankrupt, so all this struggle just took the fun out of everything. For a while we didn’t even know if the album was going to be released. This all led to that our first drummer Mattias Berglund decided to leave the band. So we had to find a new drummer and did so in Robin Bergh. And with the entrance of Robin behind the drums we also had a big change musically. We got more and more heavy metal-oriented and that led to that we parted ways with our singer Jimmy. And I think that was probably the time when we decided to lay Gorement to rest. That was around spring ’96. Instead, we hired a female vocalist and formed Pipers Dawn, but that’s another story. But if anyone is interested, I’ve still got some Pipers Dawn demos left. Just write me.

Care to comment on the songwriting process? On your only full-length, The Ending Quest, you cover a lot of ground with respect to genres – the infusion of death and doom metal is well-conceived, especially on “Sea of Silence.”
Well, I was responsible for about 95 percent of the riffs and melodies in the songs, so usually a song started with me presenting some riffs and ideas to the other guys, and then we all arranged the song and completed it with some parts that we missed. And after that, Jimmy, me or Daniel came up with the lyrics. Just as simple as that. The influences came from all the bands we were listening to; that’s why the music is so varied. We didn’t really care if we sounded original or had our own sound. We played the music that we liked and you can say that our songs were kinda a tribute to all the bands we worshipped.

Gorement also used keyboards as an atmospheric device. You don’t hear that now, when bands with keyboardists want another lead player to compete with the guitar players. The manner in which it’s played enhances the melody in front of it. If you were to write another album after The Ending Quest, do you think this would’ve been used more? Like on “Darkness of the Dead.”
Yeah, definitely, it’s the only way to get the melodies and harmonies in front when you have a growler in the band. It’s either that or make like 40 guitar overdubs and that just sounds too messy I think. If we had done another record with Gorement we had definitely brought in a keyboard player.

Care to comment on the album as a whole after all these years? The sound is quite special.
Well, we wanted a completely different sound on the album, but got out-voted by the producer. We wanted rawer guitars and a more atmospheric sound, the sound came out a little bit to dry I think. But as a whole it was great fun doing it and it came out pretty well in the end I think.

As you’re aware, The Ending Quest is a sought-after release in the death metal world. It’s sort of regarded as a cult classic now. In fact, a friend of mine paid $70 (U.S.) for the album on eBay. How does that feel, knowing that you’re work eventually meant something to people?
Of course, it feels damn well knowing that people really appreciate and like what we did. When you get mail from people telling you like: “I managed to get a copy of your “The ending quest” album and it just blew me away!”, you just get that silly smile on your face. But at the same time it also feels kinda frustrating why this couldn’t happen 10 years ago.”

I was surprised at the amount of people trading/seeking Gorement material in a Google search online. I guess that’s a testament that the underground is still alive, and looking for quality material that slipped through the cracks. Care to comment on that, and how you see the change in metal music over the years you’ve been involved?
Well, since Gorement material seems to be in great demand for the moment I’ll just have to agree with your comment. But I think that the problem at the time we were around was that there were just too many bands and many fell into oblivion unfairly. Nowadays, you’ll just have to get a killer production at the demo stage to even have a chance to get the record label’s attention. That just reduces the amount of bands who are still around, trying to get a breakthrough. Musically, I think metal has become too much prestige, who’s the fastest, who’s technically best, etc. There are many good bands around, but I really miss that good old feeling and simplicity that started the thrash and death metal scene in the ’80s and early ’90s.

Are there any plans on a re-issue with the demo and 7″ material? I think it’s long overdue, really. I guess all that depends on if you own the material. I’m not too sure what you signed contractually with Crypta.
I’ve been in contact with two labels who want to do a re-issue of the album. The only problem is as you said, Crypta. In the contract it says that they own the songs for 10 years, and since we recorded the album ’93 and it came out ’94 they still got the rights for the songs and the recordings. The only thing is that we don’t know if they exist anymore, so there is a lot of things to be solved before anything can be done. When it comes to re-issuing the demo and 7″-es, we haven’t really received any interest from any label. So if there’s any label who’s interested, please get in contact.

In fact, who the hell is Crypta? Even in 1994, no one knew of this label, and yet I hear the album had major label distribution through Warner Bros. Is that why you signed to the label?
Crypta was a sublabel to the German label Inline Music. And yeah, we were promised very good distribution and promotion from them, things that simply didn’t happened.

The members of Gorement are now in other bands. You’re in Genuflection and Robin is in Amaran. Are you still in contact with the other members? Why did you decide to stay in the music business?
Yeah, Daniel and I played in the same band until ’00, and we’ve stayed friends after that. I also have constant contact with Robin and I talk to Nicklas every once in awhile. The other guys I’m not so sure what has happened with [them]. Why I decided to stay in the music business is simply because I love playing in a band, and I love playing brutal music. You know when you’ve made a new song and are rehearsing it, and it just sends chills down your spine, that feeling is just indescribable.

The songwriting is more straightforward, but track to track there’s surprises for those paying attention. In many respects, I see it as a return to the Vikingligr Veldi era with a modern edge.
I could agree with that to some extent. It has some of the same basic rules; each riff/part is given more room to roam and to develop within the mind of the listener. It is not as lengthy as the first mentioned; maybe due to having learned to find the limitations of droning in Enslaved songs? [laughs]

The guitar work especially is vibrant. From the great riff of the title track to the warm, inviting solo at the end of “Bounded by Allegiance.” I think you’ve outdone yourselves on ISA.
Thank you! I am totally into the leads too. My favorite is the leads towards the end of’ ‘Neogenesis’. I am only sorry to say that I am not playing any of the leads; that credit has to go to Arve. Yet I feel that also the rhythm guitar performance is the best I/we have done so far. The sound is powerful and the riffs are really emphasizing the ‘Enslaved sound’.

Is there a concept here? The song transitions starting at “Lunar Force” to “Ascension” are tied together.
There is no concrete concept, like for instance Monumension had. It is more a collection of songs that has the same coloring, the same feeling to them. They are linked somehow to the center of the album; the rune ISA. They all reflect the element of ice, the condition of stillness, the basic and unchangeable structures.

Do you think it’s the material as well as the production? I’ve always felt the production aspect of Enslaved changed the energy of the band record to record. ISA in many respects is open, warm yet very metal; kinda like if Opeth recorded Infernal Overkill.
That’s maybe a bit strong? [laughs] The production fits the music very well this time in my opinion. We wanted the drums to be more distinct, the guitar more massive and the sound in general to be more of an icy wall than before. It is nicely balanced out as there is a lot of energy and fire energy within the material.

I heard there were some stressful times recording ISA. Why was the album so rushed?
It was a nice example of how a small events can affect a larger process in a big way. We had the recording session booked well in advance. The same for the mixing. It was planned to go into mixing a week or so after the recording. So far so good. Then the mixing guy calls and cancels due to double booking or some lame excuse he made up. Luckily, Lars Klokkerhaug from Sub Sonic Studios (Red Harvest, Dark Throne etc.) stepped up and cleared room in his studio for our mixing. Also add a change of plans within several of the distribution offices concerning period of time between finished mastering and release date, and you’ve got quite a rush. Luckily, we work well under pressure, so it all turned out for the best.

I’ve always felt you strayed from the path of making albums. Blodhemn was step back to the savagery of metal, while Beyond the Lights was more elusive and angular. There’s an unexpected element to Enslaved. ISA is a perfect example of that. Care to comment on Enslaved’s album to album mantra?
There is no mantra as such. There is no conscious decision to change in any particular direction or to be clever and chameleon-ish. There are simply the processes of making the songs and shaping them together into albums. Why albums come out the way they do are due to more subtle personal and sometimes subconscious reasons that I guess wouldn�t function too well anymore if they were looked into too closely. Does that make sense? I guess not, but it sure made me feel smart saying it. [laughs]

ISA is an adventurous turn for Enslaved. The vibe I get is that ISA is your concious creative choice to come out from the obscurity that is the metal underground. Was there a decision to bring the band back into the public eye?
Nope, sorry. But you’re not all wrong. There was a conscious effort from my side writing the songs to make the song structures more ‘streamlined’ than what was found on Below the Lights and definitely Monumension. The reason had nothing to do with the public, rather a specific wish from the two vocalists. They wanted more space and room for their vocal arrangements, and I think that trying this out really paid off.

I’ve felt with albums Mardraum through Below the Lights Enslaved tucked itself into the shadows of extreme metal. The albums weren’t traditional metal affairs, even by Enslaved standards. Care to comment?
I think we have developed into a band that is true to our own ambitions and work ethics, not necessarily a particular genre. It has always been within the Extreme Metal boundaries in my opinion, but I dare say that we have contributed to the development of Extreme Metal through straying off into the shadows?

How do those albums fit in the overview of Enslaved’s career? I’ve always felt the EP to Eld was the high point of Enslaved, but ISA changed that. It’s your best album to date.
Wow, I can only say thanks! I think each and every album has its place in our career; they all fill a function so to speak. Even the strangest of them all; Blodhemn, which doesn’t fit in in any logical way (at least in my opinion), has a valuable place in being an absolute breaking point between the ‘old’ and ‘new’ era. Mardraum and Below the Lights are important albums in two ways; they are in my ears discovering new land with the world of Extreme Metal, and secondly they are essential to the development leading to where we are today.

Where does ISA fit into Enslaved’s discography conceptually?
It is a stabilizing album conceptually speaking. Every album since Frost has dealt with change, tearing down structures and fire dynamics. ISA deals with halting, freezing and preserving, and it was a very important counterpart to the albums between ISA and Frost. Conceptually, it can be seen as a later parallel to Frost.

How has the new line-up changed Enslaved’s outlook as a band? The core of Enslaved has always been yourself and Grutle.
Most importantly they have added energy and a renewed focus, which was the lacking ingredients leading to the departures before they joined. The new line-up has been working really hard together, and we seem to agree a lot more on where to go than before. It only proves that Enslaved could survive almost everything as long as the core is intact.

Is the songwriting shared outside the core of yourself and Grutle? How’s the group dynamic different with Arve on second guitar instead of Roy?
Except from Cato adding some input to the arrangements, all the music and most of the lyrics was done by me; while Grutle did two and a half lyrics (we wrote ‘The Return to Yggdrasill’ together). The group dynamics with Arve are a lot smoother, as Arve is more into adding his talent to ‘spice’ what is already there, whereas Roy could sometimes try and use his genius to change Enslaved into more of a Roy enterprise.

Are Arve, Herbrand and Cato bringing a new breath of life into Enslaved?
Oh yes, you got that right. I guess it is evident from my previous answers; They are definitely an integral part in Enslaved being at its best at this point in time.

After the line-up changes on Monumension and Below the Lights, was there a conscious decision to find members who would facilitate the Enslaved vision?
Yep, it was clear that we had to find members that could go that extra mile with us. With Arve we knew he was right for the job, but both Cato (drums) and Herbrand (keyboards, vocals) we had a period where they functioned as session members before we became a steady five-piece.

In many ways ISA is like a new beginning for Enslaved. New line-up, new label and new album. There seems to be more energy on everything that surrounds the album.
Absolutely, in every aspect. Especially being on Tabu Records, with Plastichead doing the states, has been extremely important. Osmose Productions has always fulfilled their obligations and everything, but we haven’t actually worked with a label that believed 100 percent in what Enslaved were doing. To be honest, I think Osmose were hoping for us to move away from the experimental stuff and become a straight forward Viking metal band.

You’ve been recording as Enslaved for many years. Have there been points in the history of the band where you felt like giving up, shelving Enslaved? Interviews over the last few albums had an uncertain air to them.
Really? I know that we had a low point around Blodhemn, which was point of exhaustion before we found a ‘new’ direction; but I think we have had a motivated edge since then. Maybe you’ve mixed up an air of uncertainty with an air of mental illness? [laughs]

Do you feel the perception as a Viking metal band is finally done? In many ways it exists conceptually, but the literal aspect of it is removed from the early days.
Exactly! I think we are a Viking Metal band in essence, but we don’t use the term actively anymore. Extreme Metal more than covers it, I guess. The genre of Viking Metal has become thinned out quite a bit, and as you say. The literal aspect is more or less gone.

It was your most unique identifier when bands around you were black metal in the early ’90s. I think the most important identifier now is the music. It sounds like no one…That’s quite an accomplishment. But you could hear the ambition to be more than a copy of your neighbor as far back as the EP.
Thanks again, man. I think this observation is very true. As we have grown more confident in our core activity; music. I guess the visuals has become more subtle. We want to attract listeners, not sensation seekers.

Does the world outside of Bergen, outside of Norway influence the way you approach music? There’s a lot going on in the world.
I don’t think world events influence our music directly. However, Enslaved’s music is inspired partly by our own lives and thoughts, and I guess these are somehow influenced by what is going on out there.

How have world events shaped Norway? Have they affected your daily life?
I am not to sure about that. I guess our leaders have proved themselves to be without spines once and for all. I doesn’t affect my daily life besides taking away even more faith in various human cultures.

Speaking of going on, there’s rumors of a U.S. tour with labelmates Vreid. What can people expect?
Nothing is settled for the U.S. yet. We have a European/Scandinavian tour scheduled for February/March with Vreid, but nothing for the states yet. Hopefully that will change soon!

You’re touring in support of the release of ISA. What’s it like having more solid label representation in the U.S.? The previous license agreements have more or less put the record out without much commitment in building the band.
It feels great!! As you mention, the situation in the U.S. has been totally necro/crap for us during the period with Osmose Productions. Osmose could not cooperate with anyone over there, but now we are lucky to be handled by Plastichead U.S. The album is not out yet, but already I have a feeling that this will be a lot better than ever before.

Any final comments?
Thanks a lot for the interview and all your extremely great words on ISA. See you on tour over there! Stay in school!

[Enslaved]

In fact, apart from the title track and pseudo-ballad “Tomorrow Turned Into Yesterday” much of Enemies of Reality’s songs are, at best, average; there are no centerpieces such as “Narcosynthesis” and “Engines of Hate” or “I Am The Dog” and “Poison Godmachine.” Without cornerstone tracks and Kelly Gray’s (Queensryche, Dokken) murky production, it appears as if Nevermore are pushing an album that isn’t representative of where they were as far as songwriting, vocal arrangements and overall atmosphere are concerned. Nevermore require these very traits (and contrast) in order to be more than just another heavy metal band. Where did they go wrong?

First, Jeff Loomis’ often twisted, unconventional riffage (“The River Dragon…,” Inside Four Walls,” “Beyond Within,” “All Play Dead,” et al.) is basically relegated to monochromatic thrash tricks.“Create The Infinite,” “I, Voyager,” and “Seed Awakening,” in all their technical fervor, sound unwieldy and unfocused, as if composed piecemeal, and hastily stitched together for vocalist Warrel Dane to roar atop. This isn’t the Nevermore of before.

Second, tracks “Ambivalent” and “Who Decides” are almost up to par. Heretofore, the balance between music and Dane’s voice harmonized, and rarely did the scale tip to one extreme; even if it did, it was for effect. Now, Dane, in full vocal regalia, suffocates the songs much in the same way Dani Filth does to Cradle Of Filth. The songs’ instrumental breaks are too brief of an escape from the histrionics, magnifying the fact that, as powerful and diverse a voice Dane commands, restraint isn’t part of the equation here.

Third, perhaps Gray, unfamiliar with a multi-headed beast like Nevermore, made matters worse. In its aggressive stance, the guitar sound should, if anything, slay. “Seed Awakening,” “Never Purify” and “Ambivalent” are prime hard-hitting, involved riff-fests and the lack of clarity and impact isn’t becoming. Furthermore, the rhythm section – one of the best in metal today – merely exists. Under Andy Sneap and Neil Kernon Jim Sheppard and Van Williams’ performances were alive, interwoven seamlessly into the Nevermore’s jarring hits and mercurial transitions.

Fourth, contrast and mood, a Loomis staple, are thrust clumsily into the forgettable “Noumenon,” which echoes of Testament’s instrumental solo power on “Hypnosis” and “Musical Death (A Dirge).” Naturally, there’s no true comparison. To Enemies of Reality’s credit, the title cut is one of Nevermore’s best, with a hard-to-forget chorus and smart guitar work shining as genuine achievements. “Tomorrow Turned Into Yesterday,” an updated power ballad, is what heavy music needs at the moment. Not so much as a direct link back to, say, Dokken’s “Heaven Sent” or Death Angel’s “A Room With A View,” the song just sounds familiar, and Loomis’ breathy solo work is full of ‘80s bravado. Enchanting, in a retrospective way.If Nevermore relied on strengths, their fifth and most visible album should be in high accolades, but as it stands two good cuts of nine is barely worth a cursory glance, and fans well aware of such potential are in for a hard reality. For Nevermore to release the album at a pivotal point in their career is all the more puzzling.

Where most bands in this space use death and thrash metal devices to create a sense of heaviness missing in traditional hardcore, Arma Angelus’ thick, angular attack comes from a rock and roll sense of composition that’s every bit as heavy as their metal-infused counterparts. True, elements of Where Sleeplessness is Rest from Nightmares do delve into death metal territory (vocals, tuning), the majority of Arma Angelus’ material pummels to the tune of catchy, head-bashing song structure.

The album begins with ‘An Anthem for those without Breath and Heart,’ a single line mantra that effectively states, ‘Breathe their control. Fuck their control.’ Despite its length (1:20), the ugly, steamroller-heavy riffs recall Submit-era Pitch Shifter and Soul of a New Machine-era Fear Factory. However, Arma Angelus are by no means industrial. ‘We are the Pale Horse,’ like most of the other material on Where Sleeplessness is Rest from Nightmares, is quicker, less claustrophobic but still every bit as deadly. Using an infectious melodic lick to draw you in, ‘We are the” is like a hungry wolf watching a tethered goat. The strike is sudden, aggressive and unexpected. ‘For the Expatriates of Human Civilization’ is an angry rover when not in full attack mode. The song’s ultra-heavy chugging is spliced with a smart groove that’s in the same league as Cave In’s Until Your Heart Stops with a bombastic ending as explosive as Pitch Shifter’s ‘Tendrill.’ ‘To Feel No More Bitterness Forever’ and ‘Misanthrope 2.0’ execute a simple three-to-four riff formula in order to succumb and destroy their prey ‘ one is faster (‘To Feel No More Bitterness Forever’) than the other (‘Misanthrope 2.0’), but that doesn’t stop Arma Angelus from ripping your heart out and holding it to the sky like a deranged warrior.

The album’s two most interesting cuts are the last two. ‘Cold Pillows and Warm Blades’ has a spacey intro for Failure fans and a stuttered mid-section full of Sabbath’s blackened blues while ‘I’m Every Broken Man’s’ reflective opening could be a Country Western take on The Cancer Conspiracy. On the latter track, Arma Angelus riveting rock construction comes out in full force and even in its simplicity whips you around before it slays.

On the whole, Arma Angelus are very much an entity that has the capability of widespread success, but if I were to complain briefly it’s vocalist Peter Wentz’s hardcore signature shouts (verses growls, screams) seem unwelcome in the material, a hanger-on from the old days of the genre. Otherwise, Where Sleeplessness is Rest from Nightmares is a stellar album that’s every bit as abrasive, unexpected and stylish as some of those other bands I don’t need to mention.

Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) distills years of experience into an effort that bears the hallmarks of the genres they’ve blended (death and black metal) while not relying wholeheartedly on them; songwriting skill and superb musicianship pushes sight and sound beyond that of most bands this far into the game. “Horns ov Baphomet” and “Here and Beyond’s” quick tempo shifts and songwriting smarts are Morbid Angel (riffing; drumming) and Nile (drumming; riffing) refined. Not entirely deferential as one might think, Behemoth treat such familiar traits as Entombed did Autopsy – with respect. Certainly, people don’t confuse Entombed for Autopsy, nor should Behemoth be with their stateside influences.

Guitarists Nergal and Havoc are unsung string-burners; speed, technicality and, yes, actual riffs are at their immediate disposal. In fact, there’s not a moment on Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) when the duo aren’t rifling off sick riffs. As “The Harlot of the Saints,” “No Sympathy for Fools,” “Zos Kia Cultus” and “Modern Iconoclasts” indicate, riffs are serpentine, menacing, atmospheric or march-like, each one exuding remarkable strength and purpose from one transition to the next. Where Nergal and Havoc differ from their peers, however, is in their soloing, which bears the mark of Skolnick or Hanneman. On a similar note, Behemoth’s rhythmic foundation, drummer Inferno and bassist Novy (Devilyn), is just as solid. Inferno is deft and occasionally locks into a groove (“As Above So Below”) that shows it’s not just speed that defines a formidable death metal drummer. Novy isn’t as noticeable as Thelema.6 (think “Inauguration of the Scorpio Dome”), but keeping in step with guitars and drums in this capacity is no mean feat.

Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) in read and look is reminiscent of early ’90s death metal. Its blend of Near East (Sumerian, Egyptian) occult theory and imagery is authentic; perhaps not as historical as Nile, Nergal’s mystical prose is, however, more than lines stolen from the Necronomicon. Empowered by a great voice (Nergal), the lyrical cadence takes on meaning and could very well be ancient spells.

If there’s a downside to Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond), it’s in the drum production. Overall, the Hendrix Studios production is flawless, but Inferno’s drums aren’t powerful and jarring; they’re over-produced and lacking in human touch. This type of enthusiasm and flawlessness (to a fault) diminished the impact of Gateways to Annihilation and many other top-level death metal albums. Otherwise, Behemoth, like before, have crafted a fine album that should lift the “former Eastern Bloc” yoke once and for all. Whether it’s Poland or Mongolia, death metal like this transcends geographic boundaries. Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) is just amazing.

The fact remains, Immortal are one of Norway’s rare gems, black metal or not. It’s difficult, however, not to smile at song titles such as “Storming through Red Clouds and Holocaust Winds,” “Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms” and “Throned by Blackstorms,” but you can never tell when Immortal are jesting or serious as a heart attack. Even album art is subject to preposterous posing and the band superhero corpse-paint schemes that could easily be construed as laughable. Yet, that’s part of Immortal’s appeal. Solid songwriting and explosive showmanship are two elements of black metal Immortal balance admirably. Where Damned in Black’s mid-paced heavy metal-influenced black metal was catchy but lacked a definite edge, Sons of the Northern Darkness, penned after the title of Immortal and Marduk‘s infamous two-part jaunt across Europe in 1994-95, displays a more vitriolic Immortal, one that isn’t afraid to show its fangs and unpleasant demeanor. In many ways, the album is sonically a continuation of the excellent At the Heart of Winter, where mountain-sized riffs (ala “Withstand the Fall of Time” and the title track) jut out of the saturnine soundscape and form a solid foundation for some seriously addictive black metal.

Opening cut, “One By One” is a blast-rock-blast effort that despite adhering to “Withstand the Fall of Time’s” formula, sets a serious tone for Sons of the Northern Darkness and, furthermore, ends what could have otherwise been a gimmicky KISS-style black metal venture. “One By One’s” shining moment is the myriad of riffs Abbath belches out of the guitar; some of these riffs could easily be at home on Pure Holocaust while others could just as effortlessly be somewhere on AC/DC’s Back in Black. The title track further illustrates the marriage of black metal and rock, which is something progenitors Bathory succeeded in doing on the legendary Under the Sign of the Black Mark. In many instances, “Sons of the Northern Darkness” and “Within the Dark Mind” are congruent to ’87-’88 era Bathory insofar as the songs are unashamedly catchy but still credibly malevolent. Basically, you can tap your toe without losing cred.

“Tyrants,” unlike the title suggests, is one of the album’s slower tracks. What it lacks in speed and ‘cult’ atmosphere, it more than makes up for in the creativity of the Riff. Here, Abbath’s true fretboard ability comes alive – he colors the song with subtle flourishes of melodic dissonance. It could be an overdub of a second guitar, but whatever the case is the idea adds much-welcomed depth. If anyone can update Bathory‘s “Enter the Eternal Fire” without blatantly plagiarizing it, it’s “Demonium.” The first half of the track is all spitfire and Horgh’s thunderous drumming, but midway through Immortal nail Quorthon’s scorching, epic gallop. Sons of the Northern Darkness also is smartly paced. “In My Kingdom Cold” similarly captures the quickness of “One By One.” The song’s 7-minute duration, however, allows Immortal to explore different textures. From the ubiquitous blast to the very “Tragedies Blows at Horizon” clean guitar segment, Immortal cover basically every step of their career without sounding clumsy or forced.

The album’s final track, “Beyond the North Waves,” unveils a very different Immortal. The song’s slow circular main riff invokes a feeling of triumph, a kind of victory message that winter has finally killed summer. “Beyond the North Waves” also has a melancholic side, too. Perhaps Abbath’s rare but inspired solo at the end reveals that winter and summer were brothers and the gravity of the situation is starting to take hold. Powerful. The only complaint to be had with Sons of the Northern Darkness is the production. Actually, it’s very good, but the guitars don’t hit quite like they did on At the Heart of Winter.

Overall, Immortal‘s Nuclear Blast debut should be a surefire signal to fans and critics that while Norwegian black metal may not be ‘true’ anymore it’s still a lethal force. Moreover, when black metal is performed with this level of conviction and talent, it’s not difficult to hear why Immortal have basically marched forward into their own musical space. Immortal rock unlike any other black metal and Sons of the Northern Darkness once again proves why that couldn’t truer.

As usual, the Japanese spare no expense in layout and packaging – how is it that albums from the Land of the Rising Sun look infinitely more appealing than their domestic and Euro counterparts? – and there’s even a semi-personal note from lead axeman Michael Amott to greet you on the inside. So what, right? The real reason to own Burning Angel is for the excellent “Lament of a Mortal Soul” cut. Why this wasn’t included in the original track listing of Wages of Sin is beyond me, as the quintet muster all their Carcass Heartwork-era riffing and tenacity into one track that quite literally blows “This Is Your Life” and “Rot ‘N’ Roll” out of the proverbial water. Guitarists Chris and the older Amott’s cunning rhythm and lead work is every reason why you fell in love with Wages of Sin, and it quite easily is the band’s most rockin’ tune yet penned. The opening staccato salvo is pure metal muscle layered with tension-building wammy-bar fills.

Vocalist Angela Gossow is in fine form, too, all venom here and spitfire there. “Burning Angel” is culled from the album, which is a little disappointing – a different mix or anything else would have been more beneficial from the consumer end. Arch Enemy’s cover of Judas Priest’s “Starbreaker,” off 1977’s Sin After Sin effort, displays the Amotts are every bit as tight as Downing and Tipton. Even former vocalist Johan Liiva (ex-Furbowl, Carnage) shines, barking Halford’s classic lines with full report. The video for “Ravenous” is fairly professional from a death metal standpoint. It’s by no means “God of Emptiness,” but you can tell amidst campy moments Arch Enemy can make video a viable format from which to promote their incendiary brand of metal.

When it’s all said and done, Burning Angel isn’t exactly the most cost-effective purchase you can make, but those of you who already have the bulk of what’s slated to appear on the domestic version of Wages of Sin should find the EP most enjoyable.

Two years later, Decapitated returns with line-up intact and their chops choppier, their tortuous riffs more tortuous. Even at one listen, Nihility is one of the most meticulously composed albums in death metal, past or present. Armed with one hell of a guitarist and a shotgun rhythm section, Decapitated unfailingly hammer through every cliché known to the genre yet the unparalleled conviction and dedication with which the album’s eight tracks are delivered is like a fresh injection of much-needed blood. From the opening track “Perfect Dehumanization (The Answer?)” to closer “Symmetry of Zero,” Decapitated live and breath death metal, studying and analyzing the greats with a near-scientific level of precision. Decapitated are deadly, and here’s why. “Perfect Dehumanization (The Answer?)” is full-throttle tech-death rendered into a seamless riff machine, showing guitarist Vogg has more up his sleeve than emulating licks from Morbid Angel or hometown heroes Vader. “Eternity Too Short” admirably follows suite, tempos, inhuman riffs and improv-like solos jutting out in defiance like a giant set of serrated teeth.

“Mother War” could be any cut off Winds of Creation if it wasn’t for the heightened compositional sense and complete mastery of death metal riffery, rivaling only Pestilence’s mighty milestone in Testimony of the Ancients. “Nihility (Anti-Human Manifesto),” on the other hand, is a pounding cut with a Cannibal Corpse-style swagger and a Malevolent Creation-style bloodied dagger. If ever a band sounded like sonic murder, it’s Decapitated. In this day in age it’s hard not to be affected by Morbid Angel, and “Names” could very well be a relative of Covenant’s authoritative approach, and the excellent solo at the 1:15 minute mark invokes some of Azagthoth’s more memorable note-centric forays. Then there’s “Spheres of Madness.” Easily Nihility’s standout track, “Spheres of Madness” is a crafty translation of Exodus’ early chug ‘n’ chop, modernized with a Meshuggah caliber production. “Babylon’s Pride” resembles the ceaseless hack ‘n’ slash volley of “Mother War” while album closer “Symmetry of Zero” merges the groove of Six Feet Under and the prowess of Cannibal Corpse, effectively leveling both bands in the first minute of two.

We can argue into infinity on which bands push our beloved genre of death to its creative or songwriting limits, but few in this day and age have what it takes to rival Decapitated’s unreal level of talent and penchant for writing rock-solid, dexterous music. I normally chide bands who wear what they are on their shirt sleeves, but for once it’s welcome to see a band marching around in such heraldry. Decapitated’s Nihility is by far not a classic, but there are certain elements in the album’s eight grinding, anfractuous tracks that signal a death metal staple is very close.

Really, when you reflect on Anathema’s career, the evolution from The Crestfallen EP to the band’s recent album, A Fine Day to Exit, is fairly obvious. For proponents of everything pre-The Silent Enigma, Anathema were bound to explore everything they could. You knew it. Sure, you cry sellout. But what about ‘Sleepless” Or Anathema’s daring 20-minute ambient piece on Serenade?.  Surely, these are signs of an ambitious band, not merely content with reworking the highlights of their British brethren in Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride.

So, if you’re new to Anathema and wonder where their bitterness and downtrodden atmosphere originate, Resonance 2 offers a pleasantly grim glimpse of Anathema at their heaviest and most outspoken. Certainly, it’s feasible the early material is the product of teen angst, but few bands have been able to convey a fraction of raw emotion present in nearly every single one of the band’s tracks. Take, for example, ‘Sweet Tears’ (heavy) or ‘Nailed to the Cross/666′ (outspoken). Both cuts stem from nearly the same period yet they’re remarkably different in expression. Same for ‘A Dying Wish’ (explosive) and ‘Fragile Dreams’ (revealing). Here are two examples of Anathema post-Darren White, and while they may bear remarkable differences musically, what these two share with the other two is an ability to communicate to the listener.

Much of Anathema’s music is similar ‘ it hits you deep down where you least expect it ‘ and unlike heavy music at large it isn’t instantly gratifying. The Liverpudlian’s music is a bittersweet pill that’s engineered to help you out of an emotional well or throw you headfirst into it, and for longtime fans it’s that trait that compels us to come back and have another go with the band album after album. Resonance 2 may not be as inclusive of bonus material as its black-covered counterpart, but for some strange reason, it seems as if the second volley is more indicative of the Anathema I first identified with. Sure, you get a 1996’s version of ‘Sleepless’ (what’s with the awful female vocals?) or the rather professional video for ‘Mine Is Yours,’ but Resonance 2 is all about Anathema in transition ‘ growing pains, band quarrels, member shifts and, more importantly, progression.

The collection chronicles Anathema’s beautiful plight, so if you thought the first version felt a little empty, number two unrelentingly dishes it out and then some. As with most compilations of this nature, completists will already have the bulk of the Resonance series, but if you were slow to find Anathema, they offer a snapshot of a band whose talent and tenacity is still charging forward at full steam. Thanks for the memories, Anathema. There are many more to come.

It’s difficult to fault Warmen, when at every corner each musician involved displays an impressive talent on their respective instruments, but Beyond Abilities is musically stifling and feels more like Mozart exercises stacked on top of one another than a band, or in this case Janne, really striving to use his virtuosic fingers for the greater good of heavy metal. Perhaps it’s better not to expect a heavy metal band to forward the genre. In any case, the first track, “Beyond Abilities,” is everything a Stratovarius/Children Of Bodom fan could ever want in an instrumental, where Janne and his brother Antti (guitarist) and Virtanen (guitars) burn through arpeggios and variations thereof as if they’re power chords to form what essentially is a sophisticated but traditional heavy metal number sans vocals. “Spark,” featuring Strato vocalist Timo Kotipelto, could very well be a lukewarm Stratovarius tune off either Destiny or Infinite, indicating Janne, despite his talent, still appropriates from his elders (notably Timo Tolkki) for material. “Singer’s Choice,” also with Kotipelto, isn’t much different. The song’s formidable heavy progressive foundation isn’t, however, strong enough to save it from the same fate that befell “Spark.” It’s simply the same musical formula with extra frills and trills.

The other non-instrumental tracks are fronted by Sinergy’s Kimberly Goss (“Hidden” and “Alone”) and Pasi Nykanen (“Dawn”), respectively. “Hidden” could very well be a high-octane Sinergy lift with a nasal synth solo while “Alone” is unexpectedly a Heart cover from 1987’s Bad Animals record. The Finns just yearn to be rock stars, don’t they? Ugh. Seriously, if Warmen is aiming for acclaim, a Heart cover isn’t going to win over fans or those seeking enlightenment from his prowess. It’s just bad taste.

Out of all the tracks here, “Dawn” is the most developed with its expansive Queensryche landscape, Faith No More slap bass and drum fisticuffs and Nykanen’s Layne Staley impersonation. A prog-metallers dream, “Dawn” successfully puts Warmen and bassist Lauri Porra’s songwriting talents to the test, effectively ending the predictable course of the first section of the album.

Elsewhere, Warmen is instrumentally awe-inspiring. “Trip To…” “Salieri Strikes Back” and “Finale” all magnify the fact that most of “Beyond Abilities” is filler, difficult yet soulless exercises in heavy metal cliche. “Trip To…” and “Finale” are clinical and atmospheric journeys to the world where progressive rock, metal and classical music converge while “Salieri Strikes Back” is obviously a metallized tribute to Austrian classical composer Antonia Salieri, a tutor of Beethoven and Schubert. Musically, it’s a song for only the stoutest of musicians, and sonically it works.

Going into Beyond Abilities, I knew what to expect from Janne and company. There are times of brilliance and ingenuity, but most of the album, if you’re seeking to be entertained by stellar musicianship, is floored by similarly talented Andromeda, whose Extension of the Wish album is song-oriented, technically proficient but devoid of the predictability.

While Bride’s dual slabs of melancholy were voted by the fans on the group’s website, Anathema here seems particularly adamant over what tracks made it on the first Resonance. Whether that’s in Anathema’s favor depends on when you discovered their sublime output. In any case, one quick run through the track listing reveals that material with former singer Darren ‘Daz’ White is suspiciously missing. What? No ‘Sweet Tears,’ ‘Kingdom’ or even ‘Eternal Rise of the Sun?’ Nope. Well, ‘Scars of the Old Stream’ appears, but can hardly be counted as a bona fide Anathema track of yore. But before the diehard fan in me discards the vestal Resonance as a mindless assortment of Liverpudlian table scraps, the quality and overall fluidity of the album is something which marks nearly every Anathema album. It’s almost indescribable ‘ The Silent Enigma, Eternity and Judgement all possessed this celestial fingerprint. Not to say Resonance matches any of the above in terms of sheer emotional weight, but the spark is there.

The compilation lures the listener into relaxed state of concentration with slower, more reflective tracks like ‘Everwake’ and ‘J’ai Fait Une Promesse,’ both home to the hauntingly beautiful Ruth, and never quite turns heavier. Musically, that is. The acoustic rendition of ‘Far Away’ is just as impassioned as the original, with vocalist/guitarist Vincent Cavanagh’s soul-wrenching outcries hitting home as powerfully as they did when first unleashed on The Silent Enigma. The track blends effortlessly with two of the three Eternity pieces, the third part being an unplugged affair displayed with Anathema’s warm rage. ‘Better Off Dead,’ a Bad Religion cover that appeared on Peaceville’s X compilation, however is a bit of a stretch. With an unnamed female vocalist at the mic, ‘Better Off Dead’ ends up sounding like a Lilith Fair B-Side, forgoing Bad Religion’s penchant for fast-paced, tell-it-like-you-don’t-want-to-hear-it punk for piano/vocal melodrama. Yuck!

Anathema’s reverence for Pink Floyd isn’t a secret, which is certainly why ‘One of the Few’ (off Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut) and ‘Goodbye Cruel World’ (off The Wall) are rendered with utmost caution. The tracks aren’t the most adventurous to tackle from Floyd’s wide array of emotionally charged work. They do fit the scope of Resonance and lyrically are prime fare for the Cavanagh brothers to soak up and reverberate it back to the world.

‘Inner Silence,’ ‘Destiny’ and the orchestrated version of ‘The Silent Enigma’ are all culled from Eternity, an album that seems sorely regarded as a low point Anathema’s post-Darren White discography. Not sure if they’re present to resurrect an old album or to help continue the otherwise (rattled only by the rough live cut of ‘Angelica’) smooth transition from track to track. Not surprisingly, such heavy petting of Eternity works well in the absence of material from Judgement. With regard to said album, ‘Forgotten Hopes,’ ‘One Last Goodbye’ or ‘Emotional Winter’ would have worked perfectly here. My bet their omission is down to licensing issues between Peaceville and MFN. Oh well, hopefully a few cuts from Judgement will prevail on the second part of ‘Resonance’ as should ‘Lovelorn Rhapsody’ (Peaceville Vol. 4 version, thank you), ‘Mine is Yours to Drown in,’ ‘Sunset of the Age,’ ‘Cerulean Twilight’ and maybe a smashing cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb.’

 The catalog holes notwithstanding, Anathema more than make up for it them with the most consistent collection out of the bunch (At The Gates, My Dying Bride, Autopsy), showing companies like Nuclear Blast and others too numerous to mention that with a little care and vision collections don’t have to sit dejectedly in cut-out bins or sold to local used stores for pocket change. Anathema has always been a unique entity in a world of mediocrity and Resonance continues to be a testament to that. Here’s to concourse number two.