On October 8, 2008, MetalKult trekked down to the Knitting Factory to catch the live actions of the mighty Watain. Before the Swedes’ scorched-earth attack began, we were treated to a good crop of opening bands, including NY’s own black metal virtuosos, Krallice.

The brainchild of guitar wizards Mick Barr (Ocrilim, Orthrelm) and Colin Marston (Behold…The Arctopus, Dysrhythmia), Krallice blends blazing guitar histrionics with seasick atmospherics and seriously vicious vocals. The result, as heard on their self-titled debut (released on Profound Lore earlier this year), is truly intoxicating. And as we found out that night, Krallice’s live show is not to be missed.

Below, check out Krallice as they play “Wretched Wisdom” and “Timehusk” from their debut: (more…)

“Hello everyone, Alex [Webster] from Cannibal Corpse here checking in again from Mana Studios in St. Petersburg Florida. The last time you heard from us Paul [Mazurkiewicz] had just finished the drum tracking, and we’ve made a lot of progress since then. Here’s a brief rundown:

“The rhythm guitar recording was the next part of the session. We spent a lot of time on it, both on attaining a crushing sound, and also on achieving airtight performances. The tracking was a lot of hard work for Pat [O'Brien and Rob [Barrett], but the end result was well worth the effort. They did an amazing job and I think you’ll all be impressed with the results.

“Next up was the bass tracking, and again we worked hard to get a great sound and great performances. Producer Erik Rutan oversaw the tracking and made sure he got the best performance I was capable of, just as he did with Rob and Pat on the rhythm guitar. I can say for sure that the bass and rhythm guitar have never been tighter on any Cannibal Corpse album.

“Currently, George ["Corpsegrinder" Fisher]is working on tracking the vocals, and he is a little over halfway done. He’s had a few parts to sing that were unbelievably fast, but so far he’s been more than up to the task. His voice is sounding brutal and holding up well, so we should be done tracking the vocals in the next few days. Pat has already started working on guitar solos as well, but the majority of the solos will be recorded after the vocals are complete.

“So, that’s about it for now. We are all extremely excited with how this album is shaping up. We wanted to make an ultra heavy and precise album, and so far that’s the way it’s been going. Next up is the mix, and we’re confident Erik will make this the heaviest sounding Cannibal Corpse album yet. Check back for a final update when the mix is complete.”

It’s rare to find a band that knows exactly where it’s going and how it’s gonna get there. Even rarer is to find that band among the death metal community. Sweden’s all-star death metal group Bloodbath are that rare kind of band.

Formed to play music in the vein of their favorite old-school Swedish death metal bands like Entombed, Dismember and Grave, Bloodbath take everything that’s great from the past and breathe new life into it. Their latest, the vicious The Fathomless Mastery (Peaceville), just may be the group’s best release to date.

Founded in 1998 by Katatonia’s Anders “Blakkheim” Nyström and Jonas Renkse on guitar and bass (respectively), multi-instrumentalist and acclaimed producer Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity) on drums, and Opeth’s main man Mikael Åkerfeldt on vocals, Bloodbath gave the metal world its first taste of its death metal goodness two years later with the monster three-song EP, Breeding Death. Since then, Bloodbath have released two equally brutal full-lengths— Resurrection Through Carnage and Nightmares Made Flesh—as well as a second EP and one live album.

Bloodbath’s second album, Nightmares Made Flesh, saw several lineup changes. Hypocrisy/Pain vocalist Peter Tägtgren filled the spot left by Åkerfeldt’s departure, Swanö switched to guitar and Witchery/Nifelheim drummer Martin “Axe” Axenrot (who also plays in Opeth) stepped in on skins. This wouldn’t be the last of Bloodbath’s personnel changes.

When time came to record the material that would become The Fathomless Mastery, Tägtgren left the band to focus on his other projects and, to my surprise, Swanö got kicked out reportedly because he was making the band too melodic. Mikael Åkerfeldt also made his triumphant return and the young Per “Sodomizer” Eriksson filled the guitar spot.

The result of this revamped lineup? Eleven head-crushing tracks that will surely rip you a new one. You need only hear the first few blasting bars of the opening track, “At the Behest of Their Dead,” and you know you’re in for a treat. Actually, the whole album can be summed up in this track: fast riffs, head-banging tempos and Axenrot’s impressive percussion.

Things get interesting on “Process of Disillumination,” “Earthrot,” and “Hades Rising.” Despite supposedly kicking out Swanö to preserve melodic purity, all of a sudden, a harpsichord appears in “Process.” If that’s not all, a stretched out guitar melody takes up a good portion of the second half of “Hades Rising,” and one whole section of “Earthrot” sounds like it should belong in a Katatonia album. While these parts are subtle and fit in surprisingly well with everything that’s going on, they will definitely throw you off guard the first time you hear them.

I’d say the best part by far about Fathomless is Axe’s drumming. I first heard his playing on Witchery’s Symphonies For the Devil and I thought it was just okay. It seems that after joining Opeth he really stepped up his game, and it definitely shows on this record. His dynamic playing, tasteful fills, and spot-on rhythms really propel this band to a new level. Åkerfeldt’s vocals are as evil and thick as ever, and Sodomizer’s riffs really bring something fresh to the music.

You can’t go wrong with Bloodbath: you know what to expect and they know how to deliver the goods. It’s amazing how most death metal bands spend their entire careers looking for that right sound and Bloodbath manage to haul ass straight from the get-go.

Simply put: Other bands play – Bloodbath SLAYS! —Henry Yuan

Eugene, OR, doom bringers YOB have signed with Profound Lore Records, home of heavies such as Asunder, Cobalt, The Gates of Slumber, Krallice, Portal and more.

From the trials and ordeals that had befallen Mike Scheidt (with lawsuits regarding a specific former band name), to resurrect the beast known as YOB was the only natural thing to do. It’s been no secret that YOB are once again active, and in turn, Profound Lore will indeed be releasing the next YOB full length album. Over the years, YOB have amassed a reputation within doom metal as one of the mightiest, unique and most respected doom metal acts of our time. With experience on bigger labels such as Candlelight and Metal Blade by releasing some of the most crushing and downright gargantuan-like doom to ever seethe from the cracks of the earth, YOB are currently preparing their long awaited awake from the slumber by writing new material that, according to Scheidt, will be the heaviest and most-epic (and naturally best) YOB material to date.

As the stress of the lawsuit regarding Scheidt’s former band was coming to its untimely end, at the same time as Scheidt was meddling around with ideas for some new music (that was even going to go under a different moniker at first). He then came in contact with drummer Travis Foster and when both decided to start jamming again, the decision was cordially made to bring YOB back to life.

Now joined by new bass player Aaron Reiseberg, YOB are currently in writing mode for their monolithic comeback release to be released sometime in the first half of 2009.

Indiana’s THE GATES OF SLUMBER will be going on a month long U.S. tour in support of the Conqueror release with comrades Demiricous on what is being dubbed as the Conquest Of Poverty Tour. The routing goes as follows:

11/9/08 Denver, CO @ Funhouse
11/10/08 Boise, ID @ The Gusto Bar w/ Cast Into Eternity (ex-Arsis)
11/11/08 Portland, OR @ Satyricon
11/12/08 Seattle WA @ Studio Seven
11/14/08 Oakland, CA @ The Metro w/ The Faceless, Decrepit Birth
11/15/08 Bakersfield, CA @ Jerry’s Pizza
11/16/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Black Castle
11/17/08 Tempe, AZ @ Big Fish Pub
11/18/08 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
11/19/08 Abilene, TX @ Midnight Rodeo
11/20/08 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit w/ Anal Cunt
11/21/08 Austin, TX @ Red 7 w/ Anal Cunt
11/22/08 Dallas, TX @ Reno’s Chop Shop w/ Anal Cunt
11/23 Corpus Christi, TX @ The Compound w/ Anal Cunt, Dr Acula, Dance Club Massacre
11/24/08 New Orleans, LA @ Dragon’s Den
11/25/08 Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room
11/26/08 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
11/28/08 Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic
11/29/08 Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
11/30/08 Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head w/ Fierce Allegiance, Strong Intention
12/1/08 New York, NY @ Lit Lounge - “Precious Metal Mondays” w/KRALLICE
12/2/08 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
12/3/08 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop w/ Midnight, Argus
12/4/08 Columbus, OH @ Ravari Room
12/5/08 Chicago, IL @ The Metal Shaker
12/6/08 Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theater

I will admit that before getting a copy of Odinist: the Destruction of Reason By Illumination (Candlelight Records, 2007), I had never listened to French blackened noise act Blut Aus Nord. They were on my long list of bands I need to listen to, but for one reason or another I never got around to hearing them.

Maybe there is just too much black metal out there. Take a look at any black metal blog and you’ll find literally hundreds of black metal bands with indecipherable names that have put out more tapes and CDRs in one year than I have in my entire life. And more, they are all “Highly recommended for troo, kvlt black metal fans.” I just don’t know if I fit any of those qualifications. But I digress…

I do know I’m glad to have finally waded through the sea of black metal and reached the bleak shores of Blut Aus Nord, because Odinist is a truly great album of weirdo black metal. Much like their fellow countrymen, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord take the old-school base of raw black metal and mix in their own avant-garde sensibilities. Missing are the raw, buzzing guitar riffs and non-stop, loose drum blasts—not that Blut Aus Nord’s sound is any less fierce. But for these guys, subtlety is the watchword; they infuse their songs with enough minor chords and weird phrasings to evoke serious feelings of dis-ease in the listener (more on that later).

Odinist definitely feels like it’s bound by a large, over-arcing concept, at least musically. The album is bookmarked by keyboard instrumentals, and the songs themselves have a very consistent feel, which help the record feel like a larger piece. The electronic drums and grumble/whisper vocals are mixed at a fairly low level throughout, which really calls attention to the riffs.

At certain points, the album is like a black metal version of a classical minimalist album—Steve Reich and Terry Reiley being played by Burzum. Many of the songs feel like they are continuations of the last song’s theme, with riffs being spilled out in odd, off-kilter fashion. They circulate upon themselves and almost never end up where you’d expect. Many times in listening I would get lost in the cycle of the song. Surrounded by a sea of swirling riffs, and really off-putting melodies, I would somehow end up with a nauseous feeling as if I was on the deck of a rocking ship. That’s a good thing. I swear.

Blut Aus Nord seem to stray from the vibe for only a few moments on the record. The title song has a different feel than the rest of the record. The unconventional, hurdy gurdy riffs are still there, but most of the track is a lot more straightforward, and, living up to its title, there’s even a little Viking metal feel in the main riffs. At the end of the day I don’t have a problem with it, in fact it’s one of my favorite songs on the record. Plus it serves as an aural Dramamine from the shaky sea voyage of the rest of the record.

Odinist: the Destruction of Reason By Illumination is a great example of how the black metal form can still be expanded. With this record, Blut Aus Nord have infused new layers and influences into black metal and really pushed the music beyond the old, tired formulas.—Geoff Garlock

My first live experience with Bay Area thrash heroes Testament occurred relatively recently at a 2007 show at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY. I remember being blown away by how heavy, energetic and tight they were, and how much the crowd responded to the return of the classic Testament lineup, featuring founding guitarist Eric Peterson, original bassist, Greg Christian, guitarist Alex Skolnick, singer Chuck Billy and former drummer, Paul Bostaph (Slayer, Exodus). It was then that I realized why Testament have continued to keep the metal community enthralled and excited since the band first formed in the early Eighties.

When Testament dropped their ninth studio release, Formation of Damnation (Nuclear Blast), earlier this year, the guys proved once again why they’re among the heavy metal elite. The hard-hitting, thrashing CD debuted at 59 on the Billboard charts, and also cracked Germany’s Top 20 and earned the “Best Album” prize in Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Awards in the U.K.

This showing is even sweeter due to the fact that this is Testament’s first album of new material since Billy won a battle against cancer in the early years of this past decade. His aggressive, demonic mid-range vocals never sounded better, especially in front of the dual-guitar attack of Peterson and Skolnick. Skolnick, who has returned stronger than ever after having left the band in 1992 to focus on various side projects, brings top-notch melodic technicality throughout Formation.

All the while Bostaph keeps pace with his unrelenting, lightning fast double-kick destruction, which nicely complements Christian’s thick and intricate bottom end lines. Together, they provide the tight rhythms that allow Skolnick and Peterson to fire off blazing riffs, trade solos and harmonize leads.

And thanks to the efforts of acclaimed metal guitarist, engineer and producer Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Opeth, Trivium), Formation’s 11 furious tracks really burst from the speakers.

If Formation’s cover art isn’t enough in portraying the demise of Washington and new-world order government corruption, than Billy’s lyrics drive those ideas home. The opening lines of “The Evil Has Landed” set a somber tone—“The sky began to fall ripping opening a path up to heaven, Time slowed to a crawl early morning September 11”—and the social commentary doesn’t stop there. “F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real),” appears to depict post-9/11 manipulation and knee-jerk cries for war, while the title track explores the fallacies in president Bush’s rise to power.

With Formation, Testament prove that they’re still in touch with their musical integrity, and still able to inspire legions of loyal metal heads throughout the world. Amazingly, these guys are just as relevant now as they were in thrash’s heyday.

Speaking of thrash’s golden years: Considering the loyal fan base Testament have established for themselves—to say nothing of the top-notch music they’re still creating—it’s a real shame that no revision has been made to the Big Four of Eighties thrash list: Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer. It’s time to make it the Big Five! — Gregory Capra

With their ripping new album Live the Storm (Relapse Records), self-proclaimed “defenders of the D-beat” Disfear once again prove why they reign supreme in all things D-beat.

Live the Storm, the follow-up to 2003’s explosive Misanthropic Generation, delivers 10 tracks that will definitely knock you senseless with each listen. [Check out MetalKult's live footage of Disfear HERE.] This is the band’s second album featuring the legendary voice of Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates, The Crown, Lock Up) and the first to feature ex-Entombed guitarist Uffe Cederlund.

Live the Storm remains true to the crust punk formula: D-beat, D-beat, and more D-beat; however, listeners will also notice a more varied sound in the riffs this time around. On Misanthropic the songs blast by one after another, as if being fired out of an AK-47 (not that that’s a bad thing). The speed and brutality are still fully present on Live the Storm, though the addition of Cederlund is strongly felt in the subtle melodies and more metallic-leaning riffs.

The drums, played by Marcus Andersson, are a force to be reckoned with. As Slayer’s Dave Lombardo is the model of double-kick excellence, I’d put forth that Marcus definitely sets the standard for playing D-beats. His extremely powerful and tight playing really suggests that he was born to play this music. Bass player Henke Frykman supplements the rhythm section really well and guitarist Björn Pettersson’s style complements Cederlund perfectly. Last but not least, Lindberg delivers his classic raspy growls and barks with enthusiasm. And though we’re all used to hearing his vocals on At the Gates classics, his vocals feel totally at home with Disfear’s material.

Live the Storm kicks into high gear with the track “Get It Off” and fans will immediately appreciate that Disfear have not compromised any speed whatsoever. “Fiery Father,” “Deadweight,” and “The Cage” follow suit while “The Furnace” and the seven-minute long “Phantom” really showcase the band’s evolution and progression.

Producer Kurt Ballou (Converge) did an outstanding job on Live the Storm. The production has a very live feel, while still remaining clear and sharp with a nice modern hardcore edge to it, which conveys the boundless energy for which Disfear is known.

Listening to Live the Storm it occurred to me that everything just fits together perfectly with this band. If you’re looking for that rare blend of metal, punk and hardcore—search no further. Disfear is definitely a storm to be reckoned with.—Henry Yuan

Right-click to download “Ice Worm”

There are many twisted branches in the doom metal tree—all of which grew from the seed of the almighty Black Sabbath. You have your classic post-Sabbath bands like Trouble, Pentagram and Witchfinder General. Then you have your goth-influenced doom like My Dying Bride and Paradise lost, and the death dirge/funeral doom of Skepticism, Esoteric and Asunder. And don’t forget sludge, which gave us bands like Eyehategod, Iron Monkey and Noothgrush. The list goes on and on.

Conqueror, the new record by Indiana doom trio the Gates of Slumber, falls into a category I like to call “Bands that count Wino as a member and bands that sound like Wino should be a member.” If you’ve heard the Gates of Slumber, you’ll agree there’s really no getting around this classification.

GoS definitely display influences of Sabbath, Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road, but the main influence is Wino…and more importantly Saint Vitus. The Vitus vibe is strong throughout Conqueror, and especially in Karl Simon’s voice and phrasing, which owe a debt to Wino’s trademark delivery.

Like Wino, Simon has the ability to come up with the kind of vocal parts that get stuck in your head without you knowing. I was walking around singing the chorus to “Children Of Satan” and I had no idea where the hell it came from. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it was Gates of Slumber.

Conqueror is not only a really solid first listen, it continues to grow on me with each play. Maybe that has something to do with the level of sincerity that comes through in these songs. This is definitely not the sound of doom metal played by a bunch of young kids who were into hardcore a year ago. This is the sound of commitment, delivered by some old-school metalheads who live hard and have a record collection that would blow your mind.

Minsk multi-instrumentalist Sanford Parker did the producing, mixing and engineering on Conqueror. A good choice, considering GoS’s style of music calls for the much warmer fat tones of an analog recording, which is Parker’s forte.

Musically, the Gates of Slumber are pretty damn solid. In general when they keep the tempo in the mid-paced metal area, they are the strongest. When they slow it down on songs like the title track and “To Kill and Be King” they lose me a little. They are still good songs, but they seem to get bogged down and somehow become less interesting.

Simon writes really tight rhythm and main riff parts, and has some truly classic solos. Jason McCash is a fantastic bass player; he combines great tone and killer riffage. He also seems to know just when to restrain himself, and when to come forward with some great, lead bass playing during the solo section, as in songs like “Trapped in the Web.”

Simon’s lyrics are pretty classic doom metal territory, focusing mostly on the Gates of Slumber’s favorite topics: Conan the Barbarian and the works of Robert E. Howard (check the insane cover art). Gates of Slumber are not just vaguely into the Conan mythos, they’re practically scholars of the whole Cimmerian world. When Simon is not singing about Conan, he digs into some more topical fare. The track, “Children of Satan” addresses the situation in Darfur, which proves other people can talk about Darfur besides Coldplay. Thank god.

I also really love that they provide explanations for each of the songs. It had me pining for the days of getting a new Chokehold record. Most of the time the explanations are not so much about the lyrics, but more what the band was thinking when they wrote the song. Take the explanation for “Ice Worm,” for example. They say “The riff reminds me of Orodruin and Cirith Ungol fighting with Budgie and Quartz…Ross the Boss steps in playing a Dio hook for the chorus.” What else can I say? Awesome.

When I first listened to Conquerer I thought it was a pretty alright doom record, but figured it would eventually fall to the wayside. Much like Saint Vitus, there are a few moments on the album that walk the fine line between killer classic doom metal band, and weird bar band playing at Shucky O’Malley’s sports bar on killer wings night. Luckily those are few and far between.

But I’m pleased to report that I’ve found myself listening to Conqueror more and more, and it’s definitely a grower with some great songs. Can’t wait to see them live in December. DOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!—Geoff Garlock

In 1993 a small Florida metal band released a record that would open the doors to what we know now as progressive death metal. Cynic was the band, and Focus was that record.

Cynic was made up of virtuosic guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal, drummer Sean Reinert, guitarist Jason Gobel and bass/Chapman Stick player Sean Malone, with death metal growls by Tony Teegarden. In the then-flourishing central Florida death metal scene the band’s progressive, jazz influenced extreme metal was praised by critics but consistantly overlooked and many times misunderstood by the masses.

Founding members Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert even played on Death’s 1991 album Human and toured behind Schuldiner on both the Leprosy and Spiritual Healing tours, and Cynic still could catch a break. After much distress and frustration, the band called it quits in 1994.

Then in early 2006, much to the surprise and delight of the many fans—like Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt—that had since come to revere the groundbreaking Focus, Cynic reformed. This time out their lineup included Masvidal, Reinert, Malone and newcomer Tymon Kruidenier on guitar and death growls. After a cycle of successful European shows the band decided to write and record a new album, Traced In Air.

So when we heard that Cynic’s main man Paul Masvidal was going to be in town to do a few press stops MetalKult jumped at the opportunity to sit down with Paul. In the following interview, Masvidal touches on Cynic’s past, including touring in Death and opening for Cannibal Corpse, and reveals what the future holds for this truly unique band. (more…)