31 May 2016

EURYNOMOS "Spell Of Necromancy" Song Online


EURYNOMOS is streaming online the song "Spell of Necromancy", from the recently released "Fierce Alliance", the third and last 7" EP of the migthy trilogy. As the band itself says..."play at maximum volume!"  

"Fierce Alliance" is available at several formats from Iron Pegasus Records www.iron-pegasus.com.








SOUNDS FROM THE DARK PAST...





DEATH
"Zombie Ritual"
Scream Bloody Gore
1987 Combat Records



27 May 2016

GRAVE DESECRATOR Reveals New Track "Funeral Mist"


"Funeral Mist" is the third track revealed from the upcoming GRAVE DESECRATOR album "Dust To Lust".  Check also the previous track revealed "A Witching Whore" here  and be ready for the album release  next June 17th through Season Of Mist.



The band also announced that Goat Vomits Productions from Bolivia will have available the re-issue of  "Deathspells Rising"compilation originally released in 2011. Featuring demo and 7" tracks, unreleased rehearsal and live tracks and a Bathory cover of "Sacrifice".









SOUNDS FROM THE DARK PAST...





SAMAEL
"After The Sepulture"
After The Sepulture
1993 Century Media




20 May 2016

FUNERAL NATION "After The Battle" Reissue



FUNERAL NATION will re-release their classic "After The Battle" debut album. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the album it will be reissued on June 06, 2016  as a double CD  limited to 1000 copies. CD 1 will contain the original mix & mastering of the entire "After The Battle" recording before it was remastered by Turbo Music. CD 2 will contain many bonus tracks including: the song "Satan's Prey", that was cut from the release by Turbo, according to the band "because they did not have the balls to put it on the original release". It will also contain the original recordings from the first demo "State of Insanity" and a 12 page booklet with lyrics.  You can check out samples of it at the band's official website [here]. 

At the same time, the band will also reissue "Open Wide the Gates of Hell” which is the remixed and mastered version of "Second Coming" this time "the way it was always intended to be".

Last but not least, the band announced the release of their brand new album "Before The Dawn" on 31/10/16, It will be put out on cd and possibly vinyl.









SOUNDS FROM THE DARK PAST...





ABSU
"The Coming Of War"
[Morbid Scream cover]
The Sun Of Tiphareth
1995 Osmose




17 May 2016

INTERVIEW with NECROSIC



Eric Cutler, founder and current member of the cult and legendary Autopsy joined forces in 2013 with some other Death Metal Maniacs under the name NECROSIC. The band unleashed the first attack, their debut EP “Putrid Decimation”, reason enough to know more about the band and their "putrid" death metal. The casket drains…
  

You guys are together as NECROSIC since 2013, and all the band member also play with other bands, who had the idea to join forces into a new band? Did you guys start NECROSIC as a side project or as an established band from the first day?
It started because I write a lot of songs and I needed an outlet. Originally it was with John Shafer who plays drums for Hexx and is a brother of mine. I asked Erika to join and after a couple line up changes we are where we are. It was always to be an established band and stand on its own.
What are your influences? Did each member bring some influences from their previous bands into the sound of NECROSIC? 
My influences are not intentional but will always surface at some point. I write death metal songs but I do not try to direct it in any way. When I write riffs I record them and listen back and separate them out from Autopsy and not Autopsy. As far as everyone else, I don’t hear any particular influence from their other bands. We are trying to be original.
Do you think that as you are member of Autopsy most of the fans will expect from you a bit of the Autopsy sound and Style from Necrosic? How would you describe Necrosic´s sound and style?
I don’t know about that or care really. I write what I write, so one may hear a little Autopsy style but that's not intentional. I would describe Necrosic as death metal. The band gets its sound from the members who do what they do. Everyone in the band does what they know to do without me telling them anything and that is how we sound the way we do.

Now the album is finally out, how happy are you with how Putrid Decimation has turned out, in terms of how it sounds but also in terms of how it looks and could you possibly share with us few details of the recording process, studio time etc.?
I am stoked by how it came out. The production is great, the art is sick, the packaging rules! The recording was very quick, only a couple days. We went to Earhammer Studios, drank some whiskey and beers and recorded some killer metal!
How did Nuclear war now show the interest to sign with them? Did your send them a demo or did they approach the band after seeing you playing live?
I sent Yosuke a song from the session and he liked it and wanted to release it. NWN put out an Autopsy release a while back of the demo’s and we have been friends ever since then so it was a good fit.
Your debut show was now two years ago, with Diocletian and Gravehill, what things do you remember from your performance? How was the response from the audience? It there was any anecdote or funny history please share it with us…
It was a lot of fun but we weren't really ready to play live at the time. We had no rehearsals with Sean on vocals at that point and we were not tight yet. The crowd responded well though. Sean describes this band as strange because we are never in the same room at the same time.
Write some music and go!
Tell me about the choosing of the title Putrid Decimation, and about the cover artwork.
Erika came up with the title and I liked it immediately and we went with it. The cover was done by Rafal Kruszyk. I seen his art on covers for Cianide, Coffins, Nunslaughter and many others. I always liked his old school style covers and he did a kick ass job for us.  What can you tell us about the scene in Oakland and your view about the whole death metal scene in your country?
Oakland has a killer metal scene. There are so many great bands and the shows are attended by many sickos! I am amazed by the quality of stuff coming out of the bay area. I think death metal is bigger now in my country than ever. I don’t remember seeing it this big before. Everywhere Autopsy plays is a sold out show and years ago that didn’t happen.
What do you think about the latest Morbid Angel album “Illud…”? 
I haven’t heard it. I see a lot of hate for it but the worst critics are those who have done nothing themselves.

How do you see the state of underground as of today? Do you miss anything from the past or would you go back to rescue certain things from the early 90's? 
I miss tape trading and writing real letters. It was so exciting to get a tape in the mail and a letter. Roll a joint, crack a beer, put on the tape and read some news from a friend!
On the first Autopsy demo from 1987 you did vocals on the track Mauled to death, didn´t you ever have the temptation of doing lead vocals again, even when you started Necrosic?
I did vocals on several songs since Autopsy re-formed but I don’t really enjoy it so I am starting to skip it. I am doing vocals on a new project though. It is with Rogga Johansson and it will crush!
Which song from Putrid Decimation is your favorite live song, do you add cover songs to your live set?
No covers. My favorite song is Spawn of Radiation. I wrote it right after Autopsy did a couple shows with Bolt Thrower and I felt a drive to killchain!
Have you discussed with NWN the possibility of touring Europe?
No, I have a family and cannot tour at this time but who knows, maybe later yes!
Are you working on new tracks? Do you have any scheduled date release in your mind for a future full-length?
We are working on a couple splits and a full length.
No release dates yet though. Stay tuned!
What´s the strangest place and the most shocking one that you´ve been? 
Maybe Finland. Everyone was drunk, even in the early morning. The night was short, a couple hours of darkness only. At the hotel I opened a door that was labeled guest services and the room had a bed in it. In the bed was a drunk fellow and vodka bottles littered the floor. Madness prevails!
Thanks for your time!  Anything else you'd like to mention? 
Thank you for listening to me, check out Necrosic!


 




MASTER´S HAMMER "Formulae" LP


Czech avant-garde, legendary and cult "masters" MASTER´S HAMMER have just announced the upcoming release of a new [seventh] full-length titled "Formulae". 15 songs, 56 minutes written by Franta Storm in India and South Bohemia with sick harmonies and some ethereal motives invented by Necrocock. In addition to this details known through the band´s web page, "Formulae are simple incantations to summon spirits; vulgar chants for everyday use". Release date and samplers will be revealed soon...



SOUNDS FROM THE DARK PAST...





UNLEASHED
"The Dark One"
And The laughter Has Died...
1991 Century Media



13 May 2016

GRAVE DESECRATOR "A Witching Whore" Song premiere

GRAVE DESECRATOR revealed a new track from the upcoming album "Dust To Lust", to be released as everybody already knows, next June 17th through Season Of Mist

Regarding the track "A Witching Whore", guitarist/vocalist Butcherazor comments: "A Witching Whore" is based on a narrative about a mystical and unknown character from Rio de Janeiro in the XVIII Century, known as "Bárbara dos Prazeres" ["Barbara of the Delights"]. She was probably an even more gruesome and bloody Brazilian version of the infamous Elizabeth Bathory. We are the first band to evoke Bárbara’s memory in music. She was a famous prostitute in Rio at the time, yet over the years she grew depraved. In witchcraft and black magic she found a possible solution to bring her once splendorous beauty back: virgin blood! Barbara was responsible for bloodbaths sacrificing hundreds of newborn children. We are musically expressing all the torments this woman carried out on her victims with harsh riffs dragged from a devastating foundation, an outstanding guitar solo, as well as highlights reflecting the apex of pain. Even most people living in Rio have not heard about this horrendous story. This veiled secrecy and dark contrast with open and "sunny" Rio that most of you might associate with this city give the essential grey touch to this song. Embark on this journey, where death is certain, but can come painfully slow.”









SOUNDS FROM THE DARK PAST...





ROTTING CHRIST
"Feast Of The Grand Whore"
Satanas Tedeum
1989 Demo



11 May 2016

SORCERY "Garden of Bones" Full Album Streaming



Xtreem Music is streaming SORCERY´s new album "Garden of Bones" in its entirety a week before the official release at this location!  Stop what you´re doing and listen to it now!!



9 May 2016

INTERVIEW with OCCULT BURIAL



The Ancient Returns! Apart from being the title of one of their songs, it's a good sentence to introduce Occult Burial. This young Canadian band based in Ottawa have just released their debut LP “Hideous Obscure”, and the following interview was answered by Joël [vocals/bass].  The grave has been dug, witness the burial…


How did you start the band? Can you share the full story?
Joël: McLoud and me have been playing music together since about 2009. We were playing with more of a second wave Black Metal flavour, influenced by Dissection, Mayhem, Peste Noire and Bathory. I played drums and McLoud played guitar. We had a third member, but the band crumbled and we never played any shows or anything. A couple of years later I met our drummer Dan Lee when I was checking out a new record store in town and he was working behind the counter. I didn't talk to him the first few times I went, but eventually it became clear that he was the one responsible for all the cool Punk and Metal records in the bins, so we struck up a conversation. Soon after that the three of us were often going to shows in Montreal together, and we became good friends. I don't remember exactly how it happened but eventually the idea of forming a band came about. Dan Lee had been a drummer when he was younger but hadn't played in years until he picked up the instrument again to play in Iron Dogs. I was also a drummer, so I picked up the bass instead, and I ended up taking over vocal duties. I guess we aimed for more of a primitive, first-wave Black Metal sound because Dan Lee and I were still getting adjusted to playing our instruments in a semi-decent manner. I have some early rehearsal recordings of our first songs and it was so awful, especially the vocals because I was still figuring out how to do them. So we rehearsed weekly in my parents' garage for the first year, put out our demo and started playing a few small shows here and there. Not much has changed, really, except that we've gotten slightly more proficient at our instruments, and we pay for a rehearsal space like a real band.
How did you come up with the band´s cool name? Would you describe your own vision of an Occult burial?
Each of us has a his own take on what the name means, but I remember distinctly how we stumbled upon it. McLoud and I were watching Suspiria one night and were making fun of how one of the characters in the movie was pronouncing the word "occult". But after repeating it so much we became interested in the word, because at the time we were wracking our brains for a band name (every one knows choosing a name is the most grueling part of being in a band). So we tried to couple "occult" with a few other words, and eventually we chose "burial", a word that had fascinated me for a while, because of the imagery it invokes, a death rite so commonplace yet also immemorial. We ran it by Dan Lee, he said it invoked a sufficiently ancient and eerie aura, and that was that.

Some people might think we take ourselves for occultists because of the name, but frankly, for me the name has nothing to do with hokey occultism, rather it has everything to do with "occult" in the sense of hidden, clandestine, secret. Like the strange antarctic burials of the elder beings in At the Mountains of Madness, for example.

“Occult Burial" was your first demo tape, released in January 2013, I haven’t heard that demo bur I did heard “Demo MMXIII” released a few months later, besides the inclusion of “Necromansy” [Bathory cover] what differences exist between the two demos?
Musically, there is no difference other than the inclusion of that Bathory cover. Visually, the Invictus version is red while the band version was mostly white. Some early copies of the band version  had our first, atrocious logo on it. As soon as we received our current logo [drawn by Rob Vomitor], we replaced the old one on all subsequent copies.
The influence of Bathory can be perceived in your sound, totally into 80s’ tradition with elements of other cult bands like Venom, early Slayer, German thrash like Sodom and Destruction, and maybe some of Canadian speed metal.   Am I right? Does the entire band share the same influences?
We do all share essentially the same influences - mainly, I'd say lots of first and second wave Black Metal, Death Metal, Hardcore, 80's Heavy Metal, 70's Rock. Like I mentioned earlier, our primitive style was not entirely by choice because, but all the bands you mentioned are indeed key influences. For the Canadian influences, I suppose the most important one is Razor, others being Slaughter, Sacrifice, Inepsy.
How were the demos received locally? As you look back, are you satisfied with how they came out?
Locally, people really liked the demo, even though there is a limited amount of people who are interested in our kind of music in Ottawa. We were surprised to receive requests for a demo from international headbangers as well, mostly Europe and South America. Overall I think it was very well received, which gave us a lot of encouragement. That being said, we hated the sound of the first demo for a long time. I think now, with the passing of time, we've come to appreciate it a bit more, but we didn't like it at first because the studio we recorded in was geared more towards more modern Heavy/Stoner bands, so we ended up with a big, fat, "heavy" production, and had to do so much tweaking of the sound to get it to sound right to our ears [which of course sounds NOT right to the ears of any studio engineer]. So, the point is we like the demo, but our album is a much better representation of what Occult Burial should sound like.
Before releasing your last demo, “Promo MMXV”, you were featured on the Evil Spells Vol I compilation [released by Electric Assault Records] with other great bands. How did you receive the proposal to take part with a song? Is there any band or song that you like particularly in this compilation?
We were approached by the labels Electric Assault and Stygian Black Hand, both friends of ours who have booked Occult Burial in New York City a few times now. Again, we are very unhappy with the production of the song that appears on the compilation, but people seem to enjoy it regardless. My favourite song on that compilation (and I think my bandmates would agree) is the Spite song, Countless Blasphemy.
There is a lack of cool compilations nowadays on vinyl like the classics Metal Massacre, Speed Kills, Warfare Noise or Death is Just the Beginning released nowadays? What do you think about it? Do you own any of these compilations?
Yes, we all have a few compilations that we really enjoy. My all-time favourite compilation is actually not Metal - it's Punk and Disorderly Vol 3. I agree that compilations are very cool, but I can see why they have fallen out of fashion - after all, they are just a promotional tool, and I suppose the internet has rendered them obsolete from that point of view. That being said, I've seen a few newer compilations emerge, for example Well 'Eavy Vol. 1 or Evil Spells. So I think people are getting interested in compilations again, but I doubt there will ever be more compilations of the same caliber as the Metal Massacres or the Punk and Disorderlies.
The sound of the promo shows a big improvement from your previous demos, How did you achieve the sound, did you focused on the guitar sound mainly? Did you achieve this raw and primitive sound at first or did you work long time rehearsing before being totally satisfied with it.
The version of Hades Son that appears on the promo is the first thing we recorded with the 8-track recorder that we eventually used to make our album. It had that organic, analog sound that we knew was better suited to our sound. We didn't spend that much time figuring out a more specific sound - we just threw up some microphones and hit record, because that is the way.
Hideous obscure is your debut full length, the photo of the cover of the album is like a time machine that takes me instantly to 80´s, and I´m sure that nowadays there are not many band that use a photo instead of a “nice” and devilish drawing on the cover, can´t think of any album released recently with a band photo on the cover, how did you came with the idea?
I agree that there is an over-saturation of demonic, skull-laden drawings on covers nowadays. We went with a photo because it did indeed remind us of some of our favourite albums, such as Destruction's Sentence of Death or Motorhead’s Ace of Spades. We also had a limited budget, so it was more affordable to simply take a band picture in a basement than to commission an artist. Also, we are all handsome devils - but unfortunately our bewitching countenances got cloaked in mists and fog on the cover.

The album includes new tracks and old demo tracks re-recorded.  I guess the new tracks follow the same style of the old ones.  Are there any new arrangements on the old tracks?
Jackal Head, Ancient Returns, Occult Burial and Black Adoration are all demo songs that were re-recorded for the album. The only one that we tampered with structurally was Ancient Returns - we actually did a complete overhaul of that song and both versions sound significantly different from one another. But the other songs are all essentially the same - just performed better.
I´ve listened to two songs from the album, regarding production, it sounds cleaner than on the demos but it still raw primitive and “dirty”. What are the points you focus while recording and producing?
We just wanted to capture the sound of our drums and amps - no direct input, no triggers. We didn't couldn't really focus on much else because we were not very experienced with the functions of the 8-track we purchased - we learned as we went along. It was stressful enough just getting our songs to tape, we didn't really have time to worry about getting a specific sound. We researched basic microphone placement for recording, and then we knew that as long as it transferred successfully to tape, we'd be happy.
You posted the song “The bleeding spectre” on your soundcloud page a couple of months ago but it´s not included on the album, will you keep it to use it later, maybe to be released on a future EP or 7”?
We recorded that song for a split with Whipstriker, Blackrat and one other band. I'm not sure when the split will see the light of day, but The Bleeding Spectre will definitely be re-rcorded and included on our next album.
How did you get linked with Invictus Productions?
Our good friend Annick from the band Cauchemar recommended us to Darragh, who runs Invictus. He then re-released our demo tape, telling us he'd like to work with us when we had an album ready.  A year later when we had our songs recorded and album art ready, we sent everything his way and he has handled the rest.
How may shows have the band performed so far?  You played at Wings of metal festival 2013 with great bands such as Voor, Piledriver, Megiddo, Satan, Manilla Road…How was the experience? I guess with those bands the crowd must have gone crazy…
We've probably played somewhere around 30-40 shows since we started in 2012 - some bigger, like Wings of Metal, others just small basement shows. The first Wings of Metal in 2013 was a great experience. We were still very new as a band and had only played 3-4 shows, so to get up on stage in front of 150-200 people was a bit daunting, but we played well enough. Honestly by the end of that second night (when we played), I was so exhausted that I was semi-passed out during Satan's set. But the first night was the highlight for me - sharing a joint with Mark from Manilla Road before their set, and then when they played, hearing the whole crowd chanting along to Necropolis. Wings of Metal is always a blast.
I saw a video of a show where you [Joël] were  playing drums and singing, tell me about that particular show, did you  play drums in other band before Occult Burial or you do it nowadays?
That video is from a show in New York City. The show was booked but Dan Lee had to cancel for some reason, so instead of cancelling the show outright we just decided that I might as well hop on the drums and we could just forget the bass for this one show. Like I mentioned earlier, drums is my main instrument so it wasn't too difficult for me to adapt. Before Occult Burial, and to this day, I was playing drums in a D-beat/Hardcore band called Asile [French for Asylum].
Your drummer Dan played drums on Iron dogs [know now as Ice war] is he still playing with them?
No, Dan Lee parted ways with Iron Dogs after the second album. While he holds fond memories of making those first two albums, he is no longer involved in any way with Iron Dogs or Ice War.
What´s the strangest place and the most shocking one that you´ve been? 
I´m not sure if you mean this question for me personally, or for the band, so I'll answer from both perspectives.
For Occult Burial, I suppose the "strangest" show we played was a Halloween show in Philadelphia last year. It was held in the basement of this old manor. It was a cover show, and the crowd was more punk-oriented. Bikini Kill and Dead Kennedys played before us, and then it was time for Occult Burial to take the stage. We played a few originals that no one seemed to really care about, so then we played our Misfits covers and everybody was into it, including us of course. The last band to play was Iron Maiden and they played excellently! That show definitely stands out as one of the more unique ones we have played. 
As for the most shocking place, any show we've played where the promoter has done an awful job promoting the show, or refuses to pay us decently, or anything of the sort -  the lack of regard that some promoters have for the bands they are booking is often enough to shock us. 

Now, to answer personally, when I was 18 I had the opportunity to visit the Middle East [Lebanon, Jordan and Syria] - I was staying with my friend whose father was a diplomat for the Canadian government. During that trip we had the opportunity to visit a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan, guided by one of his associates. Seeing how cramped and squalid it was, with power lines hanging in jumbles throughout these narrow walkways, it was probably the most shocking place I've ever been.  As for the strangest place, on that very same trip, in Jordan, my friend and I visited the Petra valley. After passing the treasury, and near the monastery, we climbed a dune where we were afforded an excellent view. I picked up a pretty-looking rock, and was immediately scolded by a little bedouin girl who told me it was hers and to give it back. [The bedouins scoured the valley for the most appealing rocks to sell to tourists]. I remember arguing with her a bit, saying that I had found it, but I don't remember what I did with the rock. Later on, we stayed in the valley until nightfall and walked back through it with a narrow strip of stars shining between the two rock walls of the valley.


What are your current future plans? Is there a chance to se Occult Burial touring Europe soon?
A short European tour [France, Belgium, Germany, maybe more] is planned for autumn 2016 with our good friends Cauchemar. Other than that we are busy writing new songs - we have been feeling very creative lately, and almost have enough material for a second album already.
Thanks for your time, Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for your questions.