Enough of that baby crap, here comes Benighted! They're a band from France that takes no prisoners. Benighted plays brutal death metal with grindcore influences. I don't think I can start this post properly without some music, so here we go...
Benighted is just a nonstop barrage of brutal noises. Now let me be the first to say that I don't listen to a lot of brutal death, or brutal variation of any genre to be honest, but Benighted just has something special. The vocalist is very talented and you can his three main vocal styles (deep growl, mid growl, scream) in almost every song. The band also likes to hide plenty of melody behind the brutality. Quite often I'll find myself tapping along to a catchy beat or the song will break down into something unexpected like the rapping in Grind Wit or jungle adventure section in Carnivore Sublime. If you don't believe me about the jungle adventure, listen to the song yourself and decide. The point is that there's thought behind the brutality. I've checked out plenty of other bands from the same genre and left disappointed because they just didn't have that special something that Benighted has.
As metalheads we often get the question "how do you understand what they're saying?". And the answer is usually "I've been listening to it for long enough to make out the words". Let me just say that I don't understand a damn word Benighted vocalist Julien Truchan is saying. I can make out a few words when he does his mid growl style, but otherwise I don't even know what language the vocals are in. Benighted has a few songs in french, and others that switch between english and french. Good luck.
That being said, the lyrics are actually pretty interesting. The majority of their songs deal with mental illness and of course being a death metal band it can get pretty dark and depraved. I do trust they know what they're talking about though as Mr. Truchan works in a psychiatric hospital and seems to have a genuine fascination with the subject.
I think the weirdest thing about that video is that the alien dude has a spacer. Only in one ear though.
Benighted is not a band without change. They've released seven albums and over time their style has changed a bit. For the first couple, they were a little more black metal influenced. That pretty much means that there was more screaming, the guitars were tuned differently and the quality was worse. There's also a pretty cool version of O Fortuna under the name Last Part of Humanity on their debut self-titled album. I also seem to have caught the band at a bad time as they currently only have three members. At least two of them (Julien Truchan and Oliver Gabriel) are original members and Kevin Foley rents himself out to other bands all the time so they're all not going anywhere.
If you want something heavy that still has a musical heart, look no further than Benighted. The French band knows how to pull out all the stops and how to do it in an interesting way. From the musicianship to the lyrics, there's more there than you'd initially think. And they don't look like they're leaving the scene anytime soon.
You can find Benighted at the following links:
http://brutalbenighted.com/
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Metal Archives
Showing posts with label death metal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death metal. Show all posts
Monday, September 15, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
SepticFleshgod Apocalypse Concert Impressions
I'm sore and I'm tired. I barely got any sleep last night. But I also attended a concert last night, and the internet needs to know what I thought about it. So I will push on and write up a blog post for all you lovely readers out there. I was even right up against the stage for the entire show so I got a view of it all.
As I'm sure you know, Hour of Penance dropped off this tour at the last minute because of visa issues. I was definitely looking forward to seeing them but perhaps there would have been too many blast beats if they showed up. Anyway, they were replaced by the unknown Black Crown Initiate hailing all the way from USA. When I tried to look this band up, I found that the only thing they've released is a single EP. And that's exactly what they played. They started with a song from their upcoming album and then went straight into the entirety of their backlog.
Black Crown Initiate's music was alright to say the least. A little too many breakdowns for my taste. However, both the vocalist and guitarist had amazing vocals. The main vocalist had powerful screams and the guitarist had the best clean vocals of any band that played. Why was he so good?! The music itself didn't do much to hype up the crowd, It was good once it got rolling, with some blast beats thrown here and there, but too often everything would recede to acoustic set pieces. It also didn't help that they were playing to maybe 50 people. The venue filled out a bit as the night went on, but it was barren compared to how it usually is. I also didn't snap a single picture of this band so look them up if you want to see what they look like.
Luckily for Toronto's own Necronomicon, the lineup change meant they got to go on second instead of first. Not sure if this got them a longer set, but at least they were playing for half an audience. All three of them came out and put on a solid show. They didn't move around stage too much but every time the guitarist/vocalist stepped away from the mic, him and the bassist started a coordinated headbang in the center of the stage. The vocals were also very powerful for some reason. Besides some technical hiccups with a guitar cable not working, the majority of their set sounded the same. Every single song had blastbeats and that doesn't always translate the best into a live setting. Even the one song of theirs that I always recognize when I hear it blended into the rest of the noise and became much less recognizable. Everything was good, but it just all sounded the same.
Then came the half hour-long breaks in between bands in order to set everything up. Luckily, Fleshgod Apocalypse brought along a piano and opera singer again to add to their show. Also luckily, their sound was definitely better than the last time I saw them, though it wasn't without its issues. Since there were sounds from so many different places, some things had to get drowned out in the mix. I could clearly hear the drums, vocals and sometimes the guitar, but all the symphonic elements (especially the opera singer) got put into the background. It's unfortunate that not everyone got their time to shine but the only way I can see around this problem is to constantly switch the sound mixing to focus on whatever is prevalent in the song. It's possible, though probably too much work for someone to do every single night of the tour. The band played a wide variety of songs covering all of their albums. The Violation is still undoubtedly their best live song, the crowd just freaked out when it started to play. The vocalist also came out in between songs with some prop, from a book to a glass of wine, to tell some story and introduce the next song. I couldn't hear a word he said, but a guy behind me kept shouting out every song they were about to play without fail. Either he has really good ears or he looked up the setlist beforehand.
I was really looking forward to seeing Septicflesh when it was time for them to come out. Since I was learning against the stage the whole time, I still had tons of energy. And since there weren't too many people there, I wasn't sweating too much and therefore wasn't dehydrated. Septicflesh came out to a roaring audience and oh boy did they deliver! This time, the three sounds I could actually make out were the drums, vocals and orchestrations. It worked out really well because the guitar work isn't usually the main focus in their songs. And it was a nice treat being able to hear the symphonic elements for once. I was also happy to discover that my favourite Septicflesh songs are also everyone else's. In total they played two songs that I didn't recognize; one was Unbeliever and I'm not sure the title of the other. They played everything I could have asked them to play, starting from The Vampire From Nazareth and moving their way around the most recent three albums. The only song they didn't play was Sangreal. Possibly because their normal bald guitarist (who also does the clean vocals) wasn't there and that song has a big focus on cleans. Either way, all the songs sounded great and I headbanged my face off. It always feels good to say that the headliner was the best of the show. The only complaint I have is that the band didn't move around the stage too much. They went behind the stage displays for the start of each song, but that was about it. At least they came out with their costumes. The vocalist's fly was undone though.
All in all this was a good concert. All the bands put on a solid show. The only consistent problem was the sound mixing, but that seems to be a consistent problem at just about every concert. I'm not sure why so few people showed up but they definitely missed out. I wish the bands luck on the rest of the tour and I'll probably see them the next time they come back.
-Zombie Viking
As I'm sure you know, Hour of Penance dropped off this tour at the last minute because of visa issues. I was definitely looking forward to seeing them but perhaps there would have been too many blast beats if they showed up. Anyway, they were replaced by the unknown Black Crown Initiate hailing all the way from USA. When I tried to look this band up, I found that the only thing they've released is a single EP. And that's exactly what they played. They started with a song from their upcoming album and then went straight into the entirety of their backlog.
Black Crown Initiate's music was alright to say the least. A little too many breakdowns for my taste. However, both the vocalist and guitarist had amazing vocals. The main vocalist had powerful screams and the guitarist had the best clean vocals of any band that played. Why was he so good?! The music itself didn't do much to hype up the crowd, It was good once it got rolling, with some blast beats thrown here and there, but too often everything would recede to acoustic set pieces. It also didn't help that they were playing to maybe 50 people. The venue filled out a bit as the night went on, but it was barren compared to how it usually is. I also didn't snap a single picture of this band so look them up if you want to see what they look like.
Luckily for Toronto's own Necronomicon, the lineup change meant they got to go on second instead of first. Not sure if this got them a longer set, but at least they were playing for half an audience. All three of them came out and put on a solid show. They didn't move around stage too much but every time the guitarist/vocalist stepped away from the mic, him and the bassist started a coordinated headbang in the center of the stage. The vocals were also very powerful for some reason. Besides some technical hiccups with a guitar cable not working, the majority of their set sounded the same. Every single song had blastbeats and that doesn't always translate the best into a live setting. Even the one song of theirs that I always recognize when I hear it blended into the rest of the noise and became much less recognizable. Everything was good, but it just all sounded the same.
Then came the half hour-long breaks in between bands in order to set everything up. Luckily, Fleshgod Apocalypse brought along a piano and opera singer again to add to their show. Also luckily, their sound was definitely better than the last time I saw them, though it wasn't without its issues. Since there were sounds from so many different places, some things had to get drowned out in the mix. I could clearly hear the drums, vocals and sometimes the guitar, but all the symphonic elements (especially the opera singer) got put into the background. It's unfortunate that not everyone got their time to shine but the only way I can see around this problem is to constantly switch the sound mixing to focus on whatever is prevalent in the song. It's possible, though probably too much work for someone to do every single night of the tour. The band played a wide variety of songs covering all of their albums. The Violation is still undoubtedly their best live song, the crowd just freaked out when it started to play. The vocalist also came out in between songs with some prop, from a book to a glass of wine, to tell some story and introduce the next song. I couldn't hear a word he said, but a guy behind me kept shouting out every song they were about to play without fail. Either he has really good ears or he looked up the setlist beforehand.
I was really looking forward to seeing Septicflesh when it was time for them to come out. Since I was learning against the stage the whole time, I still had tons of energy. And since there weren't too many people there, I wasn't sweating too much and therefore wasn't dehydrated. Septicflesh came out to a roaring audience and oh boy did they deliver! This time, the three sounds I could actually make out were the drums, vocals and orchestrations. It worked out really well because the guitar work isn't usually the main focus in their songs. And it was a nice treat being able to hear the symphonic elements for once. I was also happy to discover that my favourite Septicflesh songs are also everyone else's. In total they played two songs that I didn't recognize; one was Unbeliever and I'm not sure the title of the other. They played everything I could have asked them to play, starting from The Vampire From Nazareth and moving their way around the most recent three albums. The only song they didn't play was Sangreal. Possibly because their normal bald guitarist (who also does the clean vocals) wasn't there and that song has a big focus on cleans. Either way, all the songs sounded great and I headbanged my face off. It always feels good to say that the headliner was the best of the show. The only complaint I have is that the band didn't move around the stage too much. They went behind the stage displays for the start of each song, but that was about it. At least they came out with their costumes. The vocalist's fly was undone though.
All in all this was a good concert. All the bands put on a solid show. The only consistent problem was the sound mixing, but that seems to be a consistent problem at just about every concert. I'm not sure why so few people showed up but they definitely missed out. I wish the bands luck on the rest of the tour and I'll probably see them the next time they come back.
-Zombie Viking
Friday, June 20, 2014
Out of the Ordinary #3: Septicflesh
Septicflesh is probably unlike anything you've ever heard before. They take elements of brutal death metal, technical songwriting and extravagant imagery and they fuse it with a wide variety of symphonic/classical music. Every song feels like an immense amount of work was put into it. Most of them feature full orchestras in addition to the band, so you're listening to over 100 musicians at once. And it all fits together to make something truly unique.
I'm talking about Septicflesh here, not Septic Flesh. See, the band was together from 1990 to 2003 and released a total of 6 albums during that time. They reformed in 2007 with mostly the same lineup when they released they had so much more work to do. The band had a new vision: to create the most epic music possible. They also topped it off with a name change, removing the space between Septic and Flesh because it "looked better" but "kept the same meaning". Now I have a couple things to say about that. First off, the new logo does like miles better than the old one. However, they could have kept the same band name with just removing the space from the logo. Secondly, what the heck is the meaning of "Septicflesh"? Humanity being uncomfortable in their own skin? Increasing levels of radiation in the world? Meat that's been left out for too long? Whatever the meaning behind the name, I supposed it's the music that counts. Septicflesh certainly has that front covered.
This band probably has the most distinct and largest number of transitions in their songs out of any death metal band. Yes, the band has full orchestras, but so do bands like Dimmu Borgir. What separates Septicflesh from the others is that there's sections of just metal, sections where the metal plays along with the symphonic and sections of just symphonic. It's like listening to two songs at once that occasionally sync up. They're also not afraid to fully experiment with both the metal and the symphonic. The metal ranges from acoustic guitars and slow drum patterns to technical stuff with backing blast beats. The symphonic ranges from choirs to 'all at once' instrument spurts to solo keyboard or violin. You never know what you're going to get in any given song. Everything mixes up so constantly.
Of course, the band occasionally misses. There are a good number of Septicflesh songs that I don't find myself particularly fond of. But you have to give credit to the band for trying so many things. They've got deep harsh vocals, clean vocals, male, female and child choirs and all the musical prowess I mentioned above.
Not to disappoint on any fronts, their imagery is also quite out of the ordinary. The band's songs deal with all sorts of mythology and mystical beings. Looking at anything relating to their upcoming album Titan you'll surely see the weird demon-like guy. Seeing their t-shirt designs for their upcoming North American tour, I wasn't sure what people would think about me if I walked down the street wearing any of them. They all feature crazy and/or (anti-)religious characters on them. Prometheus is a central character of the album, but instead of using an awesome Greek titan the band decides the use the idea of Prometheus. He's representative of a creator and a deceiver. It takes a bit of an understanding of ancient Greek mythology, but seeing as the band is from there I trust they have a pretty good idea.
So if you find yourself enjoying brutal and/or beautiful music, I urge you to check out one of the leading members of the ever-growing genre of symphonic death metal. You just can't beat full choirs, technical ability and wonderful mythical themes. Septicflesh is always over the top with the assaults on your ears that they call albums. Their new album Titan is currently streaming right here so you have no excuse not to check it out. You'll be glad you did.
-Zombie Viking
I'm talking about Septicflesh here, not Septic Flesh. See, the band was together from 1990 to 2003 and released a total of 6 albums during that time. They reformed in 2007 with mostly the same lineup when they released they had so much more work to do. The band had a new vision: to create the most epic music possible. They also topped it off with a name change, removing the space between Septic and Flesh because it "looked better" but "kept the same meaning". Now I have a couple things to say about that. First off, the new logo does like miles better than the old one. However, they could have kept the same band name with just removing the space from the logo. Secondly, what the heck is the meaning of "Septicflesh"? Humanity being uncomfortable in their own skin? Increasing levels of radiation in the world? Meat that's been left out for too long? Whatever the meaning behind the name, I supposed it's the music that counts. Septicflesh certainly has that front covered.
This band probably has the most distinct and largest number of transitions in their songs out of any death metal band. Yes, the band has full orchestras, but so do bands like Dimmu Borgir. What separates Septicflesh from the others is that there's sections of just metal, sections where the metal plays along with the symphonic and sections of just symphonic. It's like listening to two songs at once that occasionally sync up. They're also not afraid to fully experiment with both the metal and the symphonic. The metal ranges from acoustic guitars and slow drum patterns to technical stuff with backing blast beats. The symphonic ranges from choirs to 'all at once' instrument spurts to solo keyboard or violin. You never know what you're going to get in any given song. Everything mixes up so constantly.
Of course, the band occasionally misses. There are a good number of Septicflesh songs that I don't find myself particularly fond of. But you have to give credit to the band for trying so many things. They've got deep harsh vocals, clean vocals, male, female and child choirs and all the musical prowess I mentioned above.
Not to disappoint on any fronts, their imagery is also quite out of the ordinary. The band's songs deal with all sorts of mythology and mystical beings. Looking at anything relating to their upcoming album Titan you'll surely see the weird demon-like guy. Seeing their t-shirt designs for their upcoming North American tour, I wasn't sure what people would think about me if I walked down the street wearing any of them. They all feature crazy and/or (anti-)religious characters on them. Prometheus is a central character of the album, but instead of using an awesome Greek titan the band decides the use the idea of Prometheus. He's representative of a creator and a deceiver. It takes a bit of an understanding of ancient Greek mythology, but seeing as the band is from there I trust they have a pretty good idea.
So if you find yourself enjoying brutal and/or beautiful music, I urge you to check out one of the leading members of the ever-growing genre of symphonic death metal. You just can't beat full choirs, technical ability and wonderful mythical themes. Septicflesh is always over the top with the assaults on your ears that they call albums. Their new album Titan is currently streaming right here so you have no excuse not to check it out. You'll be glad you did.
-Zombie Viking
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
WINTERSUN / FLESHGOD / ARSIS / STARKILL Concert Impressions
This concert was absolutely amazing. It was everything I was expecting and more. After meeting with the band, I went back outside, picked up some dinner quickly and went back to waiting in line. It was a split between two different experiences, almost as if I had gone home and come back the next day to see the actual concert. My two friends arrived and joined me in line and before long we were inside the venue.
I'd like to thank Starkill for putting me and my friend on the guestlist (I really got a lot of free stuff at this concert), which was quite a different experience. I'm pretty sure we were the only names on the guest list and it allowed me to bring a third person. After we were inside we went straight to the merch booth and I bought a Time I shirt for a friend that couldn't make it. All the Wintersun merch was awesome. Buy some if you're going to any of the other shows.
Starkill was up first and man did they get the crowd going. They had a huge amount of energy, constantly getting everyone to chant and throw up horns. It also didn't hurt that their songs were catchy and translated really well to a live performance. The crowd quickly woke up after only the first song and everyone was running, jumping and moshing right away. The Opera House is usually spotty for sound quality, with some concerts sounding really good and others just a mish-mash of sounds. The only problem I really noticed with Starkill was that their guitars were a little quiet, but that was turned up a couple songs into the set. It's a good thing too, because they have a bunch of crazy solos. New Infernal Rebirth and Wash Away the Blood With Rain were my two favourite performances. Overall they were my second favourite performance of the night and they definitely took away a significant amount of my energy (more on that later).
Arsis was up next. They're the only band I didn't listen to prior to the concert and sadly, they'll remain that way. They gave a decent performance but the aforementioned Opera House sound quality came back to bite them. The drums were way too loud and it drowned out most of the other instruments. It also didn't help that they had very little consistency in their songs. I don't know if it was just because I was watching it live, but it felt like every minute or so in a song they'd just switch up the riff to something completely different. I didn't know what tempo to headbang at for half the time, and that is just a terrible feeling. Their frontman looked like he was about to die for the majority of the performance. He was completely drenched in sweat and managed to make his guitar and the floor around him slightly more shiny. I checked out a few of their music videos before the concert and let's just say that this guy looks a lot older without his long hair. I swear, he looks like a father. That being said, kudos to him for giving his all. Even though he was sweating so much, he never missed a beat and managed to scream out every word with the same power. Arsis' bassist was also a great guy. He was constantly jumping around and climbing up on the amps at the front of the stage.
I was really excited for Fleshgod Apocalypse to come on. Apart from releasing an awesome new album in a couple days, they brought along an opera singer on the tour just to add to the sound. They have such a great blend of brutality and beautiful symphonic elements. Unfortunately, the Opera House struck again. All the sounds were just blended together and I could barely hear any of the vocals, guitar or piano. It's a shame because they brought along an actual piano to play on, not just a keyboard. The opera singer was drowned out for most of the set, but she actually sang along to every single song so that's a bonus. She shined during the clean vocals sections where she sang along with the bassist (and the crowd!). I was afraid the drums would overpower everything, but they drastically reduced the sound so that even the blast beats were a bit quiet. Don't get me wrong, they still put on a great show, but the sound was all a little off and it's really unfortunate that it had to happen to these guys. There were still many moments where just the symphonic parts were playing and it created such an epic atmosphere. Crowd favourite song The Violation was also beyond awesome. The moshpit was probably one of the most brutal I've seen and the band loved it, encouraging everyone to join in the fun. Fleshgod managed to finish on a high note with The Forsaking which sounded really good live. It was a great choice on their part. Oddly enough, none of us managed to take a decent picture of Fleshgod, but here's the best I could find.
And then there was Wintersun. The last thing they said to me during the soundcheck was "enjoy the show" to which I replied "as long as it's as good as last time". I forget who in the band said it, but they responded with "it'll be better!" and "well, it'll be longer". I couldn't agree with them more, their set was both longer and better than the previous time they visited (which I thought would be impossible to top). Jari started it off filming the crowd cheering with his (or someone else's phone), which you can now check out on Youtube, and then the band went straight into Sons of Winter and Stars. The crowd was nuts for the entire set, singing along to every single lyric of every single song. Especially great was everyone humming along to the main riff of Land of Snow and Sorrow.
Luckily enough, I was able to get (and keep!) a nice spot just a couple rows back from the stage. I was out of the way of the mosh pit, but it was still pretty crazy. Everyone was crowd surfing and jumping and singing and pushing every which way. I loved it. I loved it so much that halfway through Wintersun's set I completely ran out of energy. I have never been so exhausted in my life but I stayed at the front the entire set. I was just unable to sing along to most of the songs or jump around too much. As much as I loved the concert, I was actually kind of hoping they wouldn't come out for an encore just because I was so tired. Luckily, they played everything before they left the stage.
Jari and the rest of the band were so nice, always saying how great it was to be playing for us and pointing at different things in the crowd (like the huge Finland flag one girl brought). Afterwards they all came to the front of the stage to shake the crowd's hands and throw a bunch of souvenirs at us. Before the final song, Jari asked us what we wanted to hear and was met with a few "Time II" shouts and one guy who really wanted them to play Sleeping Stars. He kept yelling out the song title throughout the set. They never played it. They did manage to play every single other song in their repertoire though except for Sadness and Hate. Seriously, they played every single song except for two. They even played The Way of the Fire which sounded great live and made everyone really excited for Time II. There was even room for a Teemu solo and a part of a song that reminded everyone that there are actually good bands to come out of Canada.
Sound issues aside, this was a great concert. It seems like every concert I go to just keeps getting better and better. If this keeps up, I won't be able to walk for a week after the next one! Both of my friends (who admittedly haven't been to many concerts) loved it and asked when the next band I'm going to see is in town.
I want to thank Wintersun again for the amazing VIP experience and Starkill for the free tickets and getting on the guest list. I'll never forget this night.
-Zombie Viking
I'd like to thank Starkill for putting me and my friend on the guestlist (I really got a lot of free stuff at this concert), which was quite a different experience. I'm pretty sure we were the only names on the guest list and it allowed me to bring a third person. After we were inside we went straight to the merch booth and I bought a Time I shirt for a friend that couldn't make it. All the Wintersun merch was awesome. Buy some if you're going to any of the other shows.
Starkill was up first and man did they get the crowd going. They had a huge amount of energy, constantly getting everyone to chant and throw up horns. It also didn't hurt that their songs were catchy and translated really well to a live performance. The crowd quickly woke up after only the first song and everyone was running, jumping and moshing right away. The Opera House is usually spotty for sound quality, with some concerts sounding really good and others just a mish-mash of sounds. The only problem I really noticed with Starkill was that their guitars were a little quiet, but that was turned up a couple songs into the set. It's a good thing too, because they have a bunch of crazy solos. New Infernal Rebirth and Wash Away the Blood With Rain were my two favourite performances. Overall they were my second favourite performance of the night and they definitely took away a significant amount of my energy (more on that later).
 | |
| During one of their awesome solos. |
 |
| Just shredding and sweating away. |
 |
| It was a crowded stage when these guys were on. |
Luckily enough, I was able to get (and keep!) a nice spot just a couple rows back from the stage. I was out of the way of the mosh pit, but it was still pretty crazy. Everyone was crowd surfing and jumping and singing and pushing every which way. I loved it. I loved it so much that halfway through Wintersun's set I completely ran out of energy. I have never been so exhausted in my life but I stayed at the front the entire set. I was just unable to sing along to most of the songs or jump around too much. As much as I loved the concert, I was actually kind of hoping they wouldn't come out for an encore just because I was so tired. Luckily, they played everything before they left the stage.
Jari and the rest of the band were so nice, always saying how great it was to be playing for us and pointing at different things in the crowd (like the huge Finland flag one girl brought). Afterwards they all came to the front of the stage to shake the crowd's hands and throw a bunch of souvenirs at us. Before the final song, Jari asked us what we wanted to hear and was met with a few "Time II" shouts and one guy who really wanted them to play Sleeping Stars. He kept yelling out the song title throughout the set. They never played it. They did manage to play every single other song in their repertoire though except for Sadness and Hate. Seriously, they played every single song except for two. They even played The Way of the Fire which sounded great live and made everyone really excited for Time II. There was even room for a Teemu solo and a part of a song that reminded everyone that there are actually good bands to come out of Canada.
Sound issues aside, this was a great concert. It seems like every concert I go to just keeps getting better and better. If this keeps up, I won't be able to walk for a week after the next one! Both of my friends (who admittedly haven't been to many concerts) loved it and asked when the next band I'm going to see is in town.
I want to thank Wintersun again for the amazing VIP experience and Starkill for the free tickets and getting on the guest list. I'll never forget this night.
-Zombie Viking
Monday, June 3, 2013
Good Workout Metal #3 Fleshgod Apocalypse
You may be noticing a common theme in these workout metal posts, that the music is heavy and at least partially death metal. Well that's just what makes for good workouts I suppose. But now it's time for the deathest metaliest band of them all: Fleshgod Apocalypse!
The thing that makes Fleshgod so good to pump iron with is that they're always on. At any given point in a song, there's blaring blast beats or guitars or double kicks, or usually all three at once. Even the slower parts of their songs are about 1000 bpm above what a typical band would play. There are more snare hits in one Fleshgod song than there are on an entire album of, well, any other band in existence. Besides maybe Behemoth, but don't get me started on that. There are too many snares for any sane person between the two bands.
Fleshgod's songs are both beautiful and brutal, throwing in numerous symphonic elements throughout. It gives both the feeling of a good hard workout and of becoming a larger-than-life beast. It's hard to describe feelings though, so listen to the following song and feel.
Oh jeeze, I need to stretch after that. And find a shirt that's not ripped. Well at least now you know why everyone at a Fleshgod Apocalypse concert is jacked. I wouldn't go anywhere near that moshpit.
At the time of writing this I have just come home from a good workout. I was listening to Fleshgod, so I can attest to their magical workout metal abilities. Add them to your gym playlist, there's nothing more that needs to be said.
-Zombie Viking
The thing that makes Fleshgod so good to pump iron with is that they're always on. At any given point in a song, there's blaring blast beats or guitars or double kicks, or usually all three at once. Even the slower parts of their songs are about 1000 bpm above what a typical band would play. There are more snare hits in one Fleshgod song than there are on an entire album of, well, any other band in existence. Besides maybe Behemoth, but don't get me started on that. There are too many snares for any sane person between the two bands.
Fleshgod's songs are both beautiful and brutal, throwing in numerous symphonic elements throughout. It gives both the feeling of a good hard workout and of becoming a larger-than-life beast. It's hard to describe feelings though, so listen to the following song and feel.
Oh jeeze, I need to stretch after that. And find a shirt that's not ripped. Well at least now you know why everyone at a Fleshgod Apocalypse concert is jacked. I wouldn't go anywhere near that moshpit.
At the time of writing this I have just come home from a good workout. I was listening to Fleshgod, so I can attest to their magical workout metal abilities. Add them to your gym playlist, there's nothing more that needs to be said.
-Zombie Viking
Friday, May 31, 2013
My Musical Journey
For those of you that wonder how I find new music, or are just looking for some new bands, I've decided to do a "live blog" of one of my youtube journeys. This is where I'm watching a music video for a band I like and I just start clicking on the related videos until I get into uncharted territory. Sometimes I find some great bands hidden away behind all the links and other times I fall into metalcore territory or just a bunch of boring bands. Luckily, this time turned out pretty successful.
This journey all started from this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnrGCp-N7Bo
I don't remember how I got there, I just had it written down from another day. The only other Taiwanese band I've listened to is Cthonic, and Anthelion has a similar musical style (especially the vocals). This vocal style and the fact that it's in Mandarin just sounds so much different from anything else. It's a breath of fresh air, especially in black metal where too many bands sound too similar. These guys are just a quality, groovy and catchy black metal band. You may also notice in the related videos that Massakren shows up. As you may or may not remember, that's the band that now goes by the name of Starkill and is awesome.
Here's Anthelion's metal-archives page. Turns out there's another band under the same name from Italy, but they've since split up. It's kind of crazy that these guys have put out so little in the band's lifetime. The band is over 10 years old and has only released one album. Though that's the way some bands are I guess. Still, I'll be sure to check out this album a bit more in depth.
Just looking at all the related videos gives a great reminiscent feeling. There's some Powerwolf, Dimmu Borgir, and a band that I haven't listened to in far too long: Anorexia Nervosa. Be sure to check out that song (Sister September), it's a good one. I think I'll check out Satanized next, they have a cool name.
Though it turns out that despite having a cool name, the actual band's music is pretty boring and uninspired. They sound like a poor man's Hate, which is a band that comes up in the related videos for this song anyway. Just check out Hate instead, there's some good Polish blackened death metal (also, RIP Mortifer).
I seem to have gotten into the bands-from-interesting-places part of youtube.. There's bands from Taiwan, Iran, Spain.. Not something I'm used to seeing. I got scared and clicked on a band called Immortal Souls.
Now this is good melodeath. Plus they have corpse paint on. No band wearing corpse paint has ever steered me in the wrong directions, so I will definitely be checking these guys out. They're also Finnish. This band just keeps getting better and better!
From reading the comments, it seems that this band is christian, or at least partially. From what I can tell, they seems to talk a lot about winter and coldness (like one of my favouritest bands ever, Wintersun), but I always enjoy bands that break out of the typical "metal" mould, such as the Christian Unblack Metal band Antestor.
After I few more clicks I stumbled upon Torture Squad. These guys are from Brazil, another place without that many metal bands. This is some really good quality thrash. I don't normally like thrash so I always have an eye open for thrash bands that I actually enjoy. It's just my desire to have as much musical diversity in my library as possible. I'm actually really happy I found these guys, this is really good and catchy music.
I blacked out and woke up on this video. The band is Ekho, a folk/black metal band from freakin' Israel! I already like them.
I'll end this escapade with a band I'm not quite sure of yet: Purgatory. They've got a cool name and all, but I'm not too sure about the music. It's some really solid death metal, but it's one of those bands that I'll either really like after a while or just never listen to again. I'll check them out later... much later.
Well that's it for this journey. I also accidentally stumbled upon a few metalcore bands that I didn't mention above, but I quickly navigated to another page when I realized what had happened. They started doing the weird metalcore thing of throwing their whole body up and down during a breakdown. It just looks silly and the opposite of brutal. Oh well, not the topic to get into right now. So I'd say I found a nice bit a of bands to check out. From here, I usually look up some more songs from each artist and decide if I do actually like them or not. This happens anywhere from the next day to the next month, depending on how interested I am in the band and how busy my schedule is. There's so many gems hidden away on youtube, you just have to know where to click.
-Zombie Viking
This journey all started from this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnrGCp-N7Bo
I don't remember how I got there, I just had it written down from another day. The only other Taiwanese band I've listened to is Cthonic, and Anthelion has a similar musical style (especially the vocals). This vocal style and the fact that it's in Mandarin just sounds so much different from anything else. It's a breath of fresh air, especially in black metal where too many bands sound too similar. These guys are just a quality, groovy and catchy black metal band. You may also notice in the related videos that Massakren shows up. As you may or may not remember, that's the band that now goes by the name of Starkill and is awesome.
Here's Anthelion's metal-archives page. Turns out there's another band under the same name from Italy, but they've since split up. It's kind of crazy that these guys have put out so little in the band's lifetime. The band is over 10 years old and has only released one album. Though that's the way some bands are I guess. Still, I'll be sure to check out this album a bit more in depth.
Just looking at all the related videos gives a great reminiscent feeling. There's some Powerwolf, Dimmu Borgir, and a band that I haven't listened to in far too long: Anorexia Nervosa. Be sure to check out that song (Sister September), it's a good one. I think I'll check out Satanized next, they have a cool name.
Though it turns out that despite having a cool name, the actual band's music is pretty boring and uninspired. They sound like a poor man's Hate, which is a band that comes up in the related videos for this song anyway. Just check out Hate instead, there's some good Polish blackened death metal (also, RIP Mortifer).
I seem to have gotten into the bands-from-interesting-places part of youtube.. There's bands from Taiwan, Iran, Spain.. Not something I'm used to seeing. I got scared and clicked on a band called Immortal Souls.
Now this is good melodeath. Plus they have corpse paint on. No band wearing corpse paint has ever steered me in the wrong directions, so I will definitely be checking these guys out. They're also Finnish. This band just keeps getting better and better!
From reading the comments, it seems that this band is christian, or at least partially. From what I can tell, they seems to talk a lot about winter and coldness (like one of my favouritest bands ever, Wintersun), but I always enjoy bands that break out of the typical "metal" mould, such as the Christian Unblack Metal band Antestor.
After I few more clicks I stumbled upon Torture Squad. These guys are from Brazil, another place without that many metal bands. This is some really good quality thrash. I don't normally like thrash so I always have an eye open for thrash bands that I actually enjoy. It's just my desire to have as much musical diversity in my library as possible. I'm actually really happy I found these guys, this is really good and catchy music.
I blacked out and woke up on this video. The band is Ekho, a folk/black metal band from freakin' Israel! I already like them.
I'll end this escapade with a band I'm not quite sure of yet: Purgatory. They've got a cool name and all, but I'm not too sure about the music. It's some really solid death metal, but it's one of those bands that I'll either really like after a while or just never listen to again. I'll check them out later... much later.
Well that's it for this journey. I also accidentally stumbled upon a few metalcore bands that I didn't mention above, but I quickly navigated to another page when I realized what had happened. They started doing the weird metalcore thing of throwing their whole body up and down during a breakdown. It just looks silly and the opposite of brutal. Oh well, not the topic to get into right now. So I'd say I found a nice bit a of bands to check out. From here, I usually look up some more songs from each artist and decide if I do actually like them or not. This happens anywhere from the next day to the next month, depending on how interested I am in the band and how busy my schedule is. There's so many gems hidden away on youtube, you just have to know where to click.
-Zombie Viking
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Good Workout Metal #1 Varg
I thought I'd try this new thing because I've recently started working out and I listen to metal when I work out and stuff. There's undoubtedly some better bands to listen to while pumping iron compared to others. Bands that get you pumped up or are just plain heavy. This of course isn't just for people who work out, you can listen to these great bands any time, it's just that they're also great to listen to in the gym. Let's get this started.
The first band is Varg. These guys have been built from the ground up as good gym metal. Just starting with their name, it's the Norse word for wolf, the animal most associated with ripped Spartans. Or maybe it's just that one scene from 300... Either way, Gerard Butler is a hell of a man.
The actual music is pagan metal - a mix of melodic death and black metal with a touch of folk. I'm not sure what they're actually about since the lyrics are in German, but I think they have something to do with wolves and battles and apocalypses and having a good time, typical pagan and German stuff. By the way, the German lyrics just add to the whole muscley-man strong hard music deal. Listening to German just makes you feel stronger, even if you have no idea what they're saying. Their official website is so metal it doesn't even have an option for English. Nein!
The riffs are strong and the vocals heavy. The faster songs give a good constant beat to work out to. Normally, I'd skip over slower songs, but Varg really knows how to play crushing riffs, especially at a slower tempo. You can tear through an entire album during your workout since every song is just well crafted to what you're doing. I could not think of a better band to start off this series with.
If you're going for a workout and don't know what to throw on your iPod, check out Varg. They're heavy, catchy, German and have a good mix of fast and heavy slow songs to keep you going. They've also got sick face-and-body-paint. These guys are so extreme that people bring dumbbells to their concerts and just lift weights in the mosh pits. Trust me.
You can find Varg at:
metal-archives
Facebook
Youtube
http://www.varg.de/
-Zombie Viking
The first band is Varg. These guys have been built from the ground up as good gym metal. Just starting with their name, it's the Norse word for wolf, the animal most associated with ripped Spartans. Or maybe it's just that one scene from 300... Either way, Gerard Butler is a hell of a man.
 |
| Wolves! |
The riffs are strong and the vocals heavy. The faster songs give a good constant beat to work out to. Normally, I'd skip over slower songs, but Varg really knows how to play crushing riffs, especially at a slower tempo. You can tear through an entire album during your workout since every song is just well crafted to what you're doing. I could not think of a better band to start off this series with.
 |
| You there, start working out. |
You can find Varg at:
metal-archives
Youtube
http://www.varg.de/
-Zombie Viking
Friday, April 19, 2013
Ex Deo - Along the Appian Way
We're already one week removed now from the final episode of Spartacus. And it was truly a spectacular ending to a spectacular series. So I thought I'd give it a special tribute with a special Canadian band, the Roman-themed Ex Deo.
-Zombie Viking
-Zombie Viking
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Arch Enemy - Nemesis
Here's a classic melodeath track from the everpopular Arch Enemy. 8 years counts as classic, right? Anyway, this song and the album it comes from definitely withstand the test of time. I even have a Doomsday Machine shirt in my drawer. Pretty cool.
And yes, before anyone says it, Angela Gossow is pretty cool too.
-Zombie Viking
And yes, before anyone says it, Angela Gossow is pretty cool too.
-Zombie Viking
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Concert Time!
Finally, the summer concerts are starting to be announced. It was pretty disappointing when I found out I wouldn't be able to go to Paganfest IV with Ensiferum due to having an exam the next day, but I think I'm over that now. Both Hypocrisy and Finntroll will be releasing (awesome) new albums within the next couple weeks and then are both touring in North America!
http://www.last.fm/event/3525812+Hypocrisy+at+The+Annex+Wreckroom+on+4+May+2013
http://www.last.fm/event/3539913+Finntroll+at+The+Opera+House+on+12+August+2013
Hypocrisy will be coming with a death metal barrage consisting of Aborted, Arsis and Krisun. They'll also be bringing along a young band that I've been watching for a bit, Starkill. If you haven't head anything from them yet, check them out. Here, I'll make it easy for you, I'll embed one of their videos.
If that doesn't excite your earholes then... you don't like melodeath I guess. It's okay, it's not for everyone, I understand. But damn, these guys don't even have a Metal Archives page and already I'm going to get to see them. I am excite.
The tickets for this concert are less than $30, I've got nothing to lose. This year May 4th won't just be Star Wars day. I've even been yearning to see Peter Tägtgren for a pretty long time. You can tell I'm a fan, I even made a post about him. So this concert is guaranteed to be pretty awesome. I haven't even been to a death metal concert in forever, it's been all folk for me recently. Anyway, here's some Hypocrisy. May 4th!
After this gem of a concert it looks like I'll be going back to folk metal. And what better way to do that than with Finntroll? This will be my second time seeing them but they'll have released their new album in that time. And it already sounds good. If you haven't already heard Blodsvept, search it up. Go on, do it. I'm not going to embed a third video for you.
They're also, according to the Last.fm page, coming with another band called Trollband. I'm not sure if this is legit or if the event just hasn't been fully updated yet, but it sounds pretty awesome. In fact, I'd love it if they just came with a huge barrage of troll metal bands. TrollfesT will be here in April playing at Paganfest, so maybe they can stick around? Now that would be one hell of a concert. There would be so many people in troll costumes.. Now I'm really thinking about trolls.. Ok, fine, I'll post Blodsvept for you to listen to. But only because it's so damn good and catchy
It looks like I've got a pretty good summer ahead of me. Now I just need to inform my friends and see who will be accompanying me on this magical journey of metal.
-Zombie Viking
http://www.last.fm/event/3525812+Hypocrisy+at+The+Annex+Wreckroom+on+4+May+2013
http://www.last.fm/event/3539913+Finntroll+at+The+Opera+House+on+12+August+2013
Hypocrisy will be coming with a death metal barrage consisting of Aborted, Arsis and Krisun. They'll also be bringing along a young band that I've been watching for a bit, Starkill. If you haven't head anything from them yet, check them out. Here, I'll make it easy for you, I'll embed one of their videos.
If that doesn't excite your earholes then... you don't like melodeath I guess. It's okay, it's not for everyone, I understand. But damn, these guys don't even have a Metal Archives page and already I'm going to get to see them. I am excite.
The tickets for this concert are less than $30, I've got nothing to lose. This year May 4th won't just be Star Wars day. I've even been yearning to see Peter Tägtgren for a pretty long time. You can tell I'm a fan, I even made a post about him. So this concert is guaranteed to be pretty awesome. I haven't even been to a death metal concert in forever, it's been all folk for me recently. Anyway, here's some Hypocrisy. May 4th!
After this gem of a concert it looks like I'll be going back to folk metal. And what better way to do that than with Finntroll? This will be my second time seeing them but they'll have released their new album in that time. And it already sounds good. If you haven't already heard Blodsvept, search it up. Go on, do it. I'm not going to embed a third video for you.
They're also, according to the Last.fm page, coming with another band called Trollband. I'm not sure if this is legit or if the event just hasn't been fully updated yet, but it sounds pretty awesome. In fact, I'd love it if they just came with a huge barrage of troll metal bands. TrollfesT will be here in April playing at Paganfest, so maybe they can stick around? Now that would be one hell of a concert. There would be so many people in troll costumes.. Now I'm really thinking about trolls.. Ok, fine, I'll post Blodsvept for you to listen to. But only because it's so damn good and catchy
It looks like I've got a pretty good summer ahead of me. Now I just need to inform my friends and see who will be accompanying me on this magical journey of metal.
-Zombie Viking
Monday, December 10, 2012
Metal Mondays: Fleshgod Apocalypse
I've said it before and I'll say it again, there aren't enough symphonic death bands. There's Septic Flesh, uh... Eternal Tears of Sorrow? Ex Deo? Maybe Wintersun depending on how loose your definition of death metal is. That was until this great Italian band came along!
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Country: Italy
Genre: Symphonic Death Metal
Fleshgod is a very interesting band. I have no idea what their name is supposed to mean or how the band managed to explode onto the scene. They've only been around since 2007, releasing their first full-length in 2009, and I've already heard of them! How great is that? They must be pretty proud of themselves. Though as a band with a unique sound like theirs, it's hard to stay unnoticed.
Fleshgod's first album, Oracles, was a standard brutal death affair. It was alright, but I don't listen to too much straight-up death and Benighted already did what they were trying to do better. Perhaps it has some of the elements that make Agony so awesome, but I haven't spent much time with the album nor have any desire to, so I'm not sure. Agony, however, combines the unrelenting death with a wonderful symphonic score. The two sounds are so different, yet compliment each other so nicely. And they have audible blast beats! They're such a rarity that it always pleases me when I can actually hear the snare being violently beaten. Most bands have drummers where you can only hear the cymbal being hit, completely defeating the purpose of a blast beat. Not so is the case here.
The only thing that stands out like a sore thumb is the singing bassist. It worked with Dimmu, it worked with Nightwish, but it just hurts the music in Fleshgod Apocalypse. Paolo Rossi isn't a bad singer by any means, it's just that he can get very high pitched. The whole thing just distracts from the rest of the song and doesn't really add anything. In some songs it's alright (The Hypocrisy), but in others it just gets annoying (The Violation). I'm sure it could turn out well in future albums, but some work needs to be done at better incorporating his voice into the songs.
All in all, Fleshgod Apocalypse is a very interesting and unique band. Check them out if you want something different or just want to hear some brutality.
-Zombie Viking
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Country: Italy
Genre: Symphonic Death Metal
Fleshgod is a very interesting band. I have no idea what their name is supposed to mean or how the band managed to explode onto the scene. They've only been around since 2007, releasing their first full-length in 2009, and I've already heard of them! How great is that? They must be pretty proud of themselves. Though as a band with a unique sound like theirs, it's hard to stay unnoticed.
Fleshgod's first album, Oracles, was a standard brutal death affair. It was alright, but I don't listen to too much straight-up death and Benighted already did what they were trying to do better. Perhaps it has some of the elements that make Agony so awesome, but I haven't spent much time with the album nor have any desire to, so I'm not sure. Agony, however, combines the unrelenting death with a wonderful symphonic score. The two sounds are so different, yet compliment each other so nicely. And they have audible blast beats! They're such a rarity that it always pleases me when I can actually hear the snare being violently beaten. Most bands have drummers where you can only hear the cymbal being hit, completely defeating the purpose of a blast beat. Not so is the case here.
|
| Why is every picture of them in suits? |
All in all, Fleshgod Apocalypse is a very interesting and unique band. Check them out if you want something different or just want to hear some brutality.
-Zombie Viking
Monday, September 17, 2012
Metal Mondays: Blackguard
There aren't too many big name metal bands from Canada. Rush is pretty cool but they're not exactly metal. Kataklysm is the only thing that really comes to mind, but I personally prefer the vocalist's side project Ex Deo. Being from Canada and not really listening to death or thrash kind of limits the amount of local bands that I care to check out.There's some good stuff here and there, but none of these bands will ever make it big. Sad but true. That's why Blackguard is such a breath of fresh air in the Canadian metal scene; to me at least.
Blackguard
Genre: Melodic Death Metal with folk influences
Country: Canada
These guys (and girl) make some quality melodeath. They've released two albums so far under Blackguard and one under their previous name, Profugus Mortis. Best of all, they come from Quebec, Canada. I hear there's quite a metal scene over there. This is another baby band, started in 2001 and releasing their first album in 2007, but they've already started making a name for themselves. They were until recently signed to Nuclear Blast and even got their own music video.
I actually found out about this band through a Canadian show called Todd and the Book of Pure Evil (which I have previously posted about). Todd was wearing a Blackguard shirt throughout the episode and some pretty awesome music was playing in the background. I searched up the band and sure enough that awesome song came up again in the results. I bought Firefight shortly after when I saw it in a store and am very happy with my decision.
Blackguard plays a typical enough flavour of melodeath. If you've listened to Dark Tranquility or In Flames you know roughly what to expect for the majority of the song. However, they build on top of that sound and add in folk elements. A keyboard is the majority of this sound, but there are also some genuinely folky parts. They're fun to listen to. And apparently also fun live in concert, if I ever get a chance to see them. Chances are high though since they do quite a bit of Canadian tours. If only I had found out about them sooner...
Blackguard is a Canadian band with promise. They have a solid melodeath foundation and build on top of it with good ol' folk metal. They enjoy what they do and I enjoy listening to them. If you haven't already, check them out!
-Zombie Viking
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| Also, mead. |
Genre: Melodic Death Metal with folk influences
Country: Canada
These guys (and girl) make some quality melodeath. They've released two albums so far under Blackguard and one under their previous name, Profugus Mortis. Best of all, they come from Quebec, Canada. I hear there's quite a metal scene over there. This is another baby band, started in 2001 and releasing their first album in 2007, but they've already started making a name for themselves. They were until recently signed to Nuclear Blast and even got their own music video.
I actually found out about this band through a Canadian show called Todd and the Book of Pure Evil (which I have previously posted about). Todd was wearing a Blackguard shirt throughout the episode and some pretty awesome music was playing in the background. I searched up the band and sure enough that awesome song came up again in the results. I bought Firefight shortly after when I saw it in a store and am very happy with my decision.
Blackguard plays a typical enough flavour of melodeath. If you've listened to Dark Tranquility or In Flames you know roughly what to expect for the majority of the song. However, they build on top of that sound and add in folk elements. A keyboard is the majority of this sound, but there are also some genuinely folky parts. They're fun to listen to. And apparently also fun live in concert, if I ever get a chance to see them. Chances are high though since they do quite a bit of Canadian tours. If only I had found out about them sooner...
Blackguard is a Canadian band with promise. They have a solid melodeath foundation and build on top of it with good ol' folk metal. They enjoy what they do and I enjoy listening to them. If you haven't already, check them out!
-Zombie Viking
Friday, September 14, 2012
Musician Spotlight: Peter Tägtgren
Peter Tägtgren is one of those guys that's just able to do everything. You've almost definitely listened to something that he helped create in one way or another- whether you know it or not. He's been making awesome music since 1990 and in that time has become a huge part of the metal scene. Yes, the metal scene. Like, as a whole.
Peter is best known for being the mastermind behind the huge death metal band Hypocrisy. He created the band after living in America for a bit and becoming involved with the death metal scene here. He returned to Sweden and created one of the most kickass bands ever. How's that for a vacation? Hypocrisy has been around for 22 years and released 12 albums. Also, Horgh (of Immortal fame) has been the drummer since 2004. Me likey. Hypocrisy has played all sorts of death metal from traditional to a more melodeath sound and back again. That's great and all, but it's not until you realize how much other stuff Peter has done in that time (while keeping the damn band alive, mind you) that you start to become amazed.
He also has a side project that I am a huge fan of: Pain. Well, if you call Pain a side project.. It's been just as active as any band in the time it's been around. Pain has released 7 albums since 1996 when it was formed. Peter basically just goes back and forth from Hypocrisy to Pain to record an album or go on tour. Also, he was the only member for quite some time and I'm pretty sure still makes the majority of the music. The reason why I like this band so much is because it's so different from the majority of what I listen to. Pain is industrial metal, grouped in with the likes of Rob Zombie and Nine Inch Nails. Peter sings clean vocals to round out the different style; something I bet most metal vocalists aren't able to do. The first few albums were almost entirely electronic before shifting to a more traditional rock-ish sound. Still great though. To hear the difference in these two bands, just listen to the songs below.
Same guy. He has also appeared as a guest musician in countless other bands including: Bloodbath, The Abyss, Lock Up and War.
Of course, this is not all Peter spends his time doing. For he lives his life the metal way. 24/7 metal. Metal in the morning, metal in the night. Etc. etc. He also owns The Abyss studio and has produced quite a few albums. You may have heard of some of the bands he's produced albums for. I'm going to post a list of them because lists make stuff seem longer and more impressive.
So yeah. Chances are you've heard something that Peter Tägtgren has been a part of in one way or another. I thank him for everything he's given to the metal industry. He's quite an interesting person and a genius musician. Also he owns a small town in Sweden, so that's pretty cool too. Keep on rocking!
-Zombie Viking
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| He also sorta looks like Johnny Depp if you look at him from the right angle.. in the right light. |
He also has a side project that I am a huge fan of: Pain. Well, if you call Pain a side project.. It's been just as active as any band in the time it's been around. Pain has released 7 albums since 1996 when it was formed. Peter basically just goes back and forth from Hypocrisy to Pain to record an album or go on tour. Also, he was the only member for quite some time and I'm pretty sure still makes the majority of the music. The reason why I like this band so much is because it's so different from the majority of what I listen to. Pain is industrial metal, grouped in with the likes of Rob Zombie and Nine Inch Nails. Peter sings clean vocals to round out the different style; something I bet most metal vocalists aren't able to do. The first few albums were almost entirely electronic before shifting to a more traditional rock-ish sound. Still great though. To hear the difference in these two bands, just listen to the songs below.
Same guy. He has also appeared as a guest musician in countless other bands including: Bloodbath, The Abyss, Lock Up and War.
Of course, this is not all Peter spends his time doing. For he lives his life the metal way. 24/7 metal. Metal in the morning, metal in the night. Etc. etc. He also owns The Abyss studio and has produced quite a few albums. You may have heard of some of the bands he's produced albums for. I'm going to post a list of them because lists make stuff seem longer and more impressive.
The Abyss, Naglfar, Death Organ, Dark Funeral, Fleshcrawl, Hypocrisy (obviously), Setherial, Marduk, Pain (obviously), Dimmu Borgir, Abruptum, Therion, War, Amon Amarth, Dispatched, Love Like Blood, Enslaved, Raise Hell, Thyrfing, Immortal, Borknagar, Children of Bodom, Old Man's Child, Rotting Christ, Susperia, Grimfist, Grave, Celtic Frost, Noctiferia, Sabaton, Tarja, Overkill, Abigail Williams, Belphegor, Legion of the Damned, Kampfar, The Unguided, Loudblast, Septicflesh
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| Yeah! |
-Zombie Viking
Monday, September 10, 2012
Metal Mondays: Graveworm
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| Their bodies are all connected. The band is actually just one big mass of musician. |
Genre: Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal
Country: Italy
Graveworm has been around for quite some time but is still painfully unknown. They may not make the most original music ever, but they seamlessly blend beauty and brutality. Keyboards provide the ambience while the guitars are chugging out fast and heavy riffs. This is all background to the powerful vocals of Stefan Fiori.
Stefan is actually one of the most powerful metal vocalists I've heard. I'm not sure why this alone hasn't gotten the band some more recognition. He goes from deep growls to extremely high pitched screams multiple times each song. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of Bloodwork to see what I mean.
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| He wears the most unfitting things during performances though. |
I did mention that the band has been around for quite some time (since 1992), and in that time they've changed quite a bit. Graveworm started off as a gothic metal band with some tinges of black metal. Then around Engraved in Black they fully shifted to a melodic black metal sound. Finally, a couple albums later with Collateral Defect they started to shift to a more death metal style. And on Diabolical Figures, the band became fully immersed in death metal while still keeping a bit of their black and gothic heritage. If you listen to an album that you don't particularly like but can hear some potential, just pop in another and you'll get almost a completely different sound.
Graveworm is probably best known for doing metal covers of non-metal songs. Well, it's not that they're known for that per se, it's just what every non-metalhead looks up. Their most popular (according to Youtube) is their cover of Holding Out For a Hero by Bonnie Tyler. Here is Graveworm's I Need a Hero.
Whether you like beautiful or brutal, gothic or death metal, Graveworm has you covered. For such a wide array of music they've put out and such a powerful vocalist, their lack of popularity is questionable at best. The least you can do is go and check them out.
-Zombie Viking
Monday, August 20, 2012
Metal Mondays: Wintersun
Wintersun
Genre: Melodic Death/ Power Metal with Folk Influences
Country: Finland
Wintersun is the brainchild of Jari Mäenpää, former frontman of Ensiferum. It was created after he got tired of the big E and wanted to move further down in the alphabet. Also he has full control over everything the band does, being the only member. For the first album at least, Jari recorded all of the instruments and vocals apart from the drums. This may not seem like the biggest feat, especially after I posted my one man bands post a bit ago. But when you start to listen to Wintersun and you hear how extremely technical and layered it is, you start giving Jari more credit. This compounds with the fact that he is amazing musician. Just listen to his solos!
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| I ams here to rocks your socks off |
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| So much meaning, I just can't.. comprehend it. |
-Zombie Viking
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Heavy Metal Naming Conventions
Knowing what genre a band is solely based on their name is a virtue. It allows you to preemptively judge them without hearing a single note. It saves time.With that being said, it becomes a lot easier to know a band's genre if you know the naming conventions.
Heavy Metal: Names are either manly or have some form of metal in them. Examples: Metallica, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Manowar
Death Metal: Band names refer to stuff dying. Not too creative here. Examples: Death, Cannibal Corpse, Decapitated, Dying Fetus, Morbid Angel
Thrash Metal: Also refer to stuff dying, but faster. What is it with American-created genres? Examples: Slayer, Megadeth, Sepultura (Portuguese for grave), Warbringer
Power Metal: Names are epic-sounding. Examples: Dragonforce, Rhapsody, Kamelot, Iced Earth, Firewind
Black Metal: Names are dark and/or powerful. Examples: Darkthrone, Immortal, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir (Icelandic for dark fortress), Behemoth, Burzum (part of the inscription on the One Ring meaning darkness)
Folk Metal: Bands choose names in their native language. That's the only criteria. Examples: Too many to list
Troll Metal: They have troll in their name. Examples: Finntroll, Trollfest, Trollheim's Grott, Trollband, Trollkotze, Litvintroll, Troll-Myr, Trollhorn, Trollward, Troll (I promise these are all real bands)
-Zombie Viking
Heavy Metal: Names are either manly or have some form of metal in them. Examples: Metallica, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Manowar
Death Metal: Band names refer to stuff dying. Not too creative here. Examples: Death, Cannibal Corpse, Decapitated, Dying Fetus, Morbid Angel
Thrash Metal: Also refer to stuff dying, but faster. What is it with American-created genres? Examples: Slayer, Megadeth, Sepultura (Portuguese for grave), Warbringer
Power Metal: Names are epic-sounding. Examples: Dragonforce, Rhapsody, Kamelot, Iced Earth, Firewind
Black Metal: Names are dark and/or powerful. Examples: Darkthrone, Immortal, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir (Icelandic for dark fortress), Behemoth, Burzum (part of the inscription on the One Ring meaning darkness)
Folk Metal: Bands choose names in their native language. That's the only criteria. Examples: Too many to list
Troll Metal: They have troll in their name. Examples: Finntroll, Trollfest, Trollheim's Grott, Trollband, Trollkotze, Litvintroll, Troll-Myr, Trollhorn, Trollward, Troll (I promise these are all real bands)
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| Also here's a handy naming pentagram I found. |
Friday, August 3, 2012
Decapitated and Their (Talented) New Drummer
This post is sort of a continuation of yesterday's. So if you didn't like yesterday's... read one of my older posts (yay for views!). Now for today, I wanted to reserve a post for this man. Technically it is not a one man band, because it is not a band, so it didn't fit. Plus the pure awesomeness of the songs beckons its own attention.
Kerim Lechne, also known as Krimh, is the current drummer of the band Decapitated. In addition to filling in the huge role of Vitek (more on that later), he also maintains a fairly active YouTube account. While Krimh is mainly a drummer, he's actually pretty talented at writing songs himself. Here is an example of one of my favourites.
Now since we're talking about the current drummer of Decapitated, I might as well tell the story. It makes for a good read.
Decapitated, as you may or may not know, is a pretty big band in the Tech Death scene. It was started in 1996 by Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka and his brother Witold "Vitek" Kiełtyka. They were just 15 and 12, respectively. Releasing their first album in 2000, they quickly became Poland's and Europe as a whole's most respected technical death metal band.
Six years and three albums later, on October 28, 2007, something very tragic happened. While on tour, Decapitated's tour bus his a truck, killing Vitek who was just 23. Their vocalist, Covan, slipped into a coma which he has still not woken up from. The band was obviously put on hiatus.
Two years later in 2009, the band was reformed with Krimh on drums and a new vocalist. Their fifth album, Carnival is Forever, was released in 2011. While many longtime fans like to moan and complain on YouTube and other sites, I think the new lineup still makes for a pretty darn good band. At the very least, the band has an interesting new sound. Check out their newest music video for reference.
I'm glad this band is still around and still making awesome music. It definitely helps that they have (and have always had) an extremely talented drummer.
-Zombie Viking
Kerim Lechne, also known as Krimh, is the current drummer of the band Decapitated. In addition to filling in the huge role of Vitek (more on that later), he also maintains a fairly active YouTube account. While Krimh is mainly a drummer, he's actually pretty talented at writing songs himself. Here is an example of one of my favourites.
Now since we're talking about the current drummer of Decapitated, I might as well tell the story. It makes for a good read.
Decapitated, as you may or may not know, is a pretty big band in the Tech Death scene. It was started in 1996 by Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka and his brother Witold "Vitek" Kiełtyka. They were just 15 and 12, respectively. Releasing their first album in 2000, they quickly became Poland's and Europe as a whole's most respected technical death metal band.
Six years and three albums later, on October 28, 2007, something very tragic happened. While on tour, Decapitated's tour bus his a truck, killing Vitek who was just 23. Their vocalist, Covan, slipped into a coma which he has still not woken up from. The band was obviously put on hiatus.
Two years later in 2009, the band was reformed with Krimh on drums and a new vocalist. Their fifth album, Carnival is Forever, was released in 2011. While many longtime fans like to moan and complain on YouTube and other sites, I think the new lineup still makes for a pretty darn good band. At the very least, the band has an interesting new sound. Check out their newest music video for reference.
I'm glad this band is still around and still making awesome music. It definitely helps that they have (and have always had) an extremely talented drummer.
-Zombie Viking
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