Tag: Flo Mounier

My interview with Jim Gregory of Solium Fatalis

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I recently had the chance to review Solium Fatalis’s sophomore album, and was pleasantly surprised with not only the lineup, but the songs were great. I wanted to reach out and talk to Jim Gregory guitarist and song writer for Solium Fatalis, and Neuronic Saw. I managed to get him on the phone and talk to him about Solium and find out where they are right now.

 

 

 

So I am on the phone with Jim Gregory from Solium Fatalis, What was your inspiration for the last album “The Undying season”?

Jim-Well mostly my military career, some of it touches on politics and stuff like that but a lot of it had to do with the things I saw while I was deployed in the desert and various places. Real life shit.

So that album got released about 9 months ago, are there still any physical copies left.

Jim-Yea actually there are about fifty out of the five hundred that we pressed. I still have more of the first album.

So you have both of them up on Bandcamp, has that been a great resource for you to be selling the albums in digital format?

Jim-So we have a full outlets, we don’t actually sell a lot on bandcamp, I don’t really even know why. I know other bands sell on bandcamp and it works out very well, but we haven’t had a lot of success. It’s being sold on our website, Amazon, iTunes, Google play, CD baby and the record label site. I mean you can go on your Xbox and get it.

So who does the writing for the albums?

Jim-I do all of it, the thing is I write all the songs by myself, and I have already written a few songs for this new album. I wrote 20 songs for the last album. And don’t get me wrong, I can go to Oli or Flo and get their input but for the most part I do all the writing.

So for the most part it sounds like the melody and rhythm are there, and you can go to Flo or Oli and get their opinion.

Jim- Yeah, I mean we know where Flo comes from but Oli was also in Neuraxis, and they were a killer band. Underrated in my opinion but a great metal band.

How did you end up getting involved with Jeff on vocals?

Jim-So I will do my best to give you the short version of the story, haha I’m not great with brevity. I could talk metal with you all night

Hahaha and we have,

Jim-Yea I could totally bullshit with you and talk metal for hours, you’re a cool dude and I love the website and your format for reviews. So I had four vocalists for the first album, and I had them all from one point to another and they would not get back to me, or stop talking. But Jeff would come in to the studio, because he and Ehren have been friends since I think they were kids so I said I think my vocalist is going to quit and I think I might need to ask you to do it. And he said ok I’ll do it. So when we did the second album, I knew exactly how he was going to sound, and what I had to work with, and I knew Flo and Oli can really do whatever they want. These guys could do this stuff in their sleep ha-ha so that’s why Seasons comes off far more focused.

So it was the right place and the right time

Jim-Yea he is a wicked cool guy all the guys are great, they don’t have any egos, they are really cool and great

 

So you are working on new material, are we going to see the same line up as on The Undying Season?

Jim-Yea totally they are all doing it, ha-ha I just talked to Oli the other day and he asked if he was slated to be doing the 3rd album and I was like uh yea dude. You know I am a fan of this music, and I hate seeing lineup change. So yea we are going to stick with the original line up, well the lineup for the second album. The first was based on necessity, and then the second basically came together. Especially when I was at the grid and Christian Donaldson said” hey would you like to use Flo?” and I was like uhhh yea!” and I asked about bass players, and Chris said “well you can use Forest from Beyond Creation, or you can use Oli” and I felt Forest is a great player, but I just dint think he would fit perfectly, and Oli was a fan of extreme metal so I felt  he was the one.

So you are working on new material,

Jim-We have three songs written so far, I wrote a new song every one to two days

So the rumor is that this is going to be a concept album, is this is true that you are doing a tribute album to the proclaimers?

Jim-Hahahahaha WTF, hahahahahahahaha no, I mean yea  it is a concept album, I have eleven tracks slated, and I do have a working title, but it is about mankind. It’s not going to be like the first and second album, I mean you will hear it and know its Solium Fatalis. So when I came up with the concept of the third album, I wanted to tell a story. I think empires die, you know I think somebody could hit the big red button and blow the whole world population up, wiped out. The world will continue, but it won’t be the world that you and I know. A lot of this is based on the world that I have seen, and being in a combat zone, and what people are really like as humans.

So is there anything you want the people to know about the undying season, or the new material

Jim-Well when it comes to The Undying Season, there is more to it than you realize, but the new music is going to be conceptual, complex esoteric, poetic, artistic and heavy!

So there you have it, Solium Fatalis is working on new material, and the line up will be the same. For those of you who don’t know much about this band let me give you the run down.

Jim Gregory is an experienced guitar player, who has served in the U.S armed forces, and loves metal.
Ehren Hill is the other guitarist for Solium Fatalis. He comes from Excrecor where he plays guitars and keyboards, and he runs things over at Iron Hill studios in New Hampshire.

Jeff Demarco does the vocals for Solium as well as for Excrecor.

Flo Mounier is a (legendary) name you should be familiar with, he is an original member of a pioneering  extreme/technical metal band Cryptopsy, he has been blowing peoples minds with his percussion skills for the past twenty years, and has been in various other projects including Digital Doomzday.

Olivier Pinard is the bassist for a few metal bands  including Cryptopsy, he has played with Neuraxis, and Akurion.

 

SO when you look at that line up its a no brainer that Solium Fatalis is a band you should familiarize yourself with.

 

To give you  a taste of what each member brings to the table  here are videos  of each member in action.

 

Jeff- Vocals

 

Ehren- Guitars

 

Oli- BAss

Flo-Drums

 

Jim- Guitars

 

 

Check them out on FACEBOOK

Follow them on TWITTER

get both  albums on Bandcamp

and don’t forget to go over to http://galyrecords.bigcartel.com/ and get some merch \m/

 

 

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solium Fatalis- The Undying Season – album review

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Solium Fatalis

The Undying Season

sf2

2015

Jeff DeMarco-Vocals
Jim Gregory-Guitars
Ehren Hill-Guitars
Olivier Pinard-Bass
Flo Mounier-Drums

  1. To Deliver Us All

The album begins with this great inaugural track, the sound sample that eerily starts things off is like something out of an old horror movie. The band fades in right to an explosion of drums guitars and growling vocals. The song has a great rhythm, some mean verses, and the guitar solo around the halfway point is impressive. The song is blunt, no fluff, just straight up metal.

  1. Salient

This song has a cool perpetual guitar riff that begins the track, and a rhythm that delivers a indisputable groove. It has a bit of a slower feel for the majority of the song, but sinks its hooks right in you almost immediately. It just rocks the shit out of that groove for so long and then gifts we with some fast paced blasting towards the end of the song and one last line from the vocals.

  1. Monolith Of Internecion

A quick drum introduction opens the doors for a really cool rhythm and malevolent melody. The first verse begins with a hail of blast beats, and a driving guitar riff. The chorus is captivating and the guitar riff during the chorus builds up to the post chorus solo. This song is so concise and catchy you will find yourself moving, or head banging to the song involuntarily, and hoping for more.

  1. An Asylum For Penitence

At first we hear an admirable melodic guitar intro that sets things up for the door to be kicked in with a heavy hitting rhythm and menacing vocals. I am really digging this song, the beginning was such a harmonious melody, and then the band joins in. My first reaction was to clap and throw up the metal horns. These guys took me by surprise with this one, and it’s only a third of the way through. This song is like walking through several mysterious doors to end up in the same spot you were in before. Each door is a subtle change and then goes right back to the infectious melodic groove. I fight the urge to say this is my album favorite because it’s just too early to say, but damn is this a solid song that will cause listeners to have that “Fuck yeah” moment. I undeniably listened to this song again due to it being such a good tune.

  1. Corporeal Form

Damn they do not waste any time with this song, growls and ripping drums right out of the gate. I like the guitar riff that plays before the first verse, it sets the verse up well. It has a solid tempo and delivers a satisfying groove leading up to a solo around the mid-point of the song. I really like the tail end of the solo and how it comes out and begins the transition for the last verse of the song. The song ends with a cool subtle guitar riff that fades the song out.

  1. Contagion

Heavy buzz saw distortion and a mean riff begin this song for a few bars and then we get hit with some blast beats from Flo setting things up for the first verse. It has a great tempo, and I can’t stress enough this group really lays down a groove for the listener. There are plenty of bands not just metal that do not build the song structure with a groove. I find these guys make sure to give the listener something to get locked into, something to head bang to, to move to. This song in particular easily encourages the listener to break out the air drums, or air guitar. True to the name of this song, it is contagious from the very first note.

  1. Paths To Obliteration

This song rips right into you with its beginning rhythm, the first verse is solid and straight to the point going back into that killer rhythm again. The song is exactly what you would expect from the title of it. There is nothing more enjoyable than a metal song that seems to get right down to a perfect execution and is unwavering in its brutality. This song is 3:09 minutes of precision melodic death metal.

  1. Corruptor

This song begins with a pleasant melody and a grand rhythm, short and simple verses, and I must say the changes that we see throughout this song leave the listener looking forward to what’s next. This song has a solid groove and has absolutely no fillers. It is straight to the point death metal that leaves you wanting more.

  1. The Undying Season

The title track is here and leaves nothing to chance with this one. Great guitar riff right from the beginning really lays down that groove I have been talking about. The first verse is solid and comes out of it with some really menacing blast beats and guitar shredding. The song just keeps raising the bar after every section, not to mention the whirlwind of a guitar solo around the 2:15 minute mark. This song has so much to offer, and really does a great job maintaining that groove you can follow and enjoy.

All in all this is one of those moments when you hear something for the first time and it blows you away your expectations. The sound quality is great, and there wasn’t one single song that I felt like I wanted to skip and see what’s next. This is a solid melodic death metal album that I can see many enjoying and moving to that contagious groove Solium Fatalis delivered in pretty much every song.  By the sounds of it this album was written for most every metal fan looking for something heavy and melodic to enjoy any time and anywhere. I found myself really enjoying every song and every transition. I give this album an 9/10, and highly suggest readers to check this band out and buy the album. The good news is by the looks of things, if you are like me and are wanting some more, they not only have an earlier album on their bandcamp page. But they are rumored to be working on new material.

To give you a little taste of Solium Fatalis  here is a playthrough video of Jim Gregory playing the guitar for ” Monolith of Internecion”

Check them out on FACEBOOK \m/

Pick up “The Undying Season” today at their Bandcamp page.

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Cryptopsy, becoming independant, new music. Great musicians, great guys! Lets get them to their goal!

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cryptopsyNS_no_crownHIRES

I want you to think about this for a second,

You grow up knowing that you will work a certain profession some day.  You need to pick a career and try to work your hardest at it to succeed. Now lets say you land a good job. You go to work, put in your time, earn a paycheck. You look at that pay check and you have all of your standard deductions and tax deductions etc. now lets say your employer also takes a portion of your paycheck.  Many of you are probably wondering well why would they do that? Some of you are probably saying “ hell no I don’t like the sound of that”. Some of you are probably wondering where I am going with this so I will explain.

For bands they have a few paths to take, they start out fresh and they do the typical journey of playing shows at dive bars basically anywhere that will allow an original artist to play. Now coming from experience you don’t really make squat when you are doing this, if you get paid, its peanuts. Your goal is to get on a label, because a label is where life gets a little easier. You don’t have to do your own promotions, you aren’t the ones making the calls, booking the shows, the label handles that for you. However if your livelihood is based on this type of career you are missing out on a lot. You are on the road constantly, you are trying to navigate the digital age we live in today, and at some point you want to actually earn enough to make a living doing this. Now what if you had started out made a big name for yourselves, got onto huge labels, but you were not really pulling in enough? Meaning you grossed a lot over a year, but the net you actually saw was a very small fraction of your gross earnings? What do you do then? There is one option, and that is go independent, but you have to work hard, and I mean work real hard for it. you are taking all the calls, trying to manage everything yourselves.

Cryptopsy did just that, they created a big name for themselves, and a fan base to go with it. This path is like starting your own company/ business. Anybody who has ever tried to start their own business knows it is not easy. You are your own boss and you don’t have a staff working the financials, the phone calls, the business planning, merchandise, product, etc. You are doing all the work to go the distance needed for success. Cryptopsy is doing that, they are handling all the business they can.

Imagine going independent, and then going on a tour. Work doesn’t stop because you are on tour, work is non stop. The world doesn’t go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time. 24-7 there is business to be handled, and Cryptopsy are doing that. They just finished up a tour that started in Worcester, Massachusetts, and ended in Syracuse, NY. They played shows all across the U.S. trying to stir up some support for their upcoming E.P. If you were fortunate to see them then chances are you not only were blown away by a great performance, you may have also heard a track from the upcoming E.P. title “ The Book of Suffering Tome 1” .   I saw them in Syracuse and I have to tell you the new material sounds amazing. They played songs from all their albums, and of course the first song I ever heard from them “ Emaciate” now that song blew me away the first time I heard it. From that moment I was a Cryptopsy fan for life. I got a chance to talk to Flo this past Monday and had mentioned that songs impact on me. To my surprise he told me they would be playing it that night. I can’t even begin to tell you how badass that is. That song came off their ” Whisper Supremcy” album from 1998, and to see them play it live is still having that “ WOW” effect on me. Then he tells me they will also be playing a new fresh song that will be on the Book of Suffering E.P. and then to hear that new song live was incredible, actually incredible is a monumental understatement. It was an experience like no other.

Now why should you be concerned whether they are independent or not? Because if you found out that in order for one of the best metal acts to put out new music is by getting a head count for who will actually by the album and pre ordering it. wouldn’t you want to help them out? Its like seeing signs for shop local, or help small business. Who wants to hear new music from a super talented group aiming to just crush every boundary and set the bar at astronomical levels? Who wants to help out a really stand up great group of guys living a life like you and I ? They are working hard for it, possessing integrity, principal, and devotion they took on a challenge that is a harder road. They aren’t just doing it for themselves, they are doing it for the fans. To get new music out more often, to give the fans their absolute best effort every time.

Now if none of this is getting you to check out their indiegogo page, then let me give my personal perspective. I have talked to these guys, they are all really cool collected guys. Every member had great things to say, and were very professional. They were nice, I mean you could talk to these guys like a friend. They have great ideas ahead, and to get their they just need a little help along the way. From hearing them for the first time, Flo Mounier became a drummer I have admired for over a decade. Talking to Chris (guitars) he has great ideas for the future of Cryptopsy and the guy is a really cool guy to speak with, shoot my girlfriend came to the show with me. The first thing she said when we lef tthe show was ” They were so nice, and Chris was so sincere, he looked scary angry like on stage but  he was so nice, they were so cool. Matt (vocals) was  constantly thanking the fans for coming out, when I spoke to him he was just very precise on what they wanted to accomplish. Make great music, give the fans the best they can. Oliver (Bass) is a cool guy, also thanking people for their support. And I gotta say, you see him on stage and he just has this menacing look like he is about to fuck shit up in a hard way. Then to talk to him after he is one of the nicest guys you will meet. Seriously these guys are a couple of normal guys trying to live the dream by working hard and delivering only the best they can to their fans. Buy their merchandise, Pre order the new album or pre order a campaign shirt. Hell they have options from digital download to having them do mixing for a song for your band. They are their own business, they are their own boss, they are their own marketers, they are their own sales, and all they want is for their product ( great technical grinding metal from Canada) to be the absolute best and put on great performances.

With that said check out a few videos to try and get you to understand what you could be a part of just by pre ordering something, and everything comes with a digital download of the album. So it’s a win, win, win situation. You win by pre ordering something, you win by being a part of something, Cryptopsy wins by getting what they need to give us their best, and being able to continue to do so.

Here’s a little clip to get you amped for the new E.P.

So if that’s not enough

Here’s Flo, and why he’s one of my absolute favorite drummers:

Here’s Oliver, and Chris doing a play through for “ Two Pound Torch”

And because its not easy to find any videos of just Matt here are a few videos of live performance with Matt killing it:

SO COME ON! LETS HELP CRYPTOPSY MEET THEIR GOAL!!! Seriously right now their Facebook page has 277,000 page likes. And on their indiegogo page they have only 207 backers and $5,491 raised, with only 34 days left. That means they only have a quarter raised so far, out of 277 thousand page likes only a quarter raised. So come on anything will make a difference, maybe you know someone who would love a new Cryptopsy shirt, or the experience of a lifetime of guitar lesson via skype with Chris. The bare minimum donation is $5.00 for a digital download of the E.P. and since many people only use Mp3’s for their sound medium heck why not, $5.00 could help these guys out. It won’t buy you a pack of cigarettes but it will buy you extremely talented technical metal in the form of a digital download. So check their Indiegogo page out.

Also they have lots of great stuff on their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CryptopsyMetal

The link to the page, http://igg.me/at/Cryptopsy/x  

https://www.indiegogo.com/project/help-fund-cryptopsy-s-the-book-of-suffering/embedded

– Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Only 47 days left to help Cryptopsy out!

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So I am checking out Cryptopsy’s indiegogo crowd funding page, and i noticed that there are only 47 days left, and  only $4,242 has been raised so far.   So to try and help boost your awareness, and ambition to spend a few dollars for a killer band’s next album. Here are a few videos for Cryptopsy,  I’m talking Flo on drums, music videos anything  to get you to pull out your wallet and spend a few dollars. Shoot just to get a CD+ a digital Copy is only $20. and that includes shipping. you cant get that any most music shops in your local mall.

CryptopsyEP

Worship your demons;

Bass and guitar playthrough;

Book of suffering promo

Flo Drum solo

Slit your guts live:

And more FLO!!!

So go and check out their indiegogo page  and give this album a chance. i mean shoot if you go to the page there are options for if they exceed their goal if they can triple their goal they can also put out the second installment of the Book of suffering.

SO check it out, here; https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-fund-cryptopsy-s-the-book-of-suffering#/story

These guys are brutal, the first time I heard them was the song ” Emaciate” and I was just absolutley blown away. It was from that moment I became a Cryptopsy fan. ANd they are on tour right now, check out their facebook page for dates

https://www.facebook.com/CryptopsyMetal?fref=ts

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Cryptopsy’s back to the us tour!

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Cryptopsy are on to the 3rd show of their tour, right now they are in Brooklyn, NY. man i wish i could have been there but i am planning on making it out to another show of theirs during this tour. Keep in mind they are an independant band, they do not have a record label and they are taking it all on themselves. What does that mean, it means you have guys using their own money to accomplish these feats. They are also crowdfunding E.P.’s to try and put out new music more often. Their current crowdfunding campaign is for  a new E.P. titled ” The Book of Suffering”.     Make sure to be a part of this great campaign, If you are not sure about whether or not to bother. DO IT!!! have you heard Flo on drums? seriously the guy is amazing. Check the guy out https://youtu.be/zCen_sEFJzs    This is what I’m talking about not good enough check out a video from a live performance a song from their last album ” Cryptopsy”  this is Two Pound torch https://youtu.be/Lnb2M-sMXas       

So get in on this Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and lets help Cryptopsy get some new music out to us.

Check out their crowdfunding page here; https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-fund-cryptopsy-s-the-book-of-suffering#pledges

– Badger

Cryptopsy crowd funding EP ” The Book of Suffering”

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http://igg.me/at/Cryptopsy/x/10796470

Canada’s  brutilizing grind metal band Cryptopsy are crowd funding their new EP through Indie gogo.  They are planning to do this for the next few EP’s trying to give us the fans new music more often.  If you are a fan of Cryptopsy get in on this,  they have several packages ranging from a digital download EP, all the way to having Matt do guest vocals, or even the backdrop they have used on tour since 2012.  Clicking on the above link will also give you a a sample to what their new EP will sound like.  With just over 50 days left lets try to share this as much as possible. Who wouldnt want to hear new music from Cryptops. who wouldnt want to hear new sounds coming form the brilliant Flo Mounier?  this is a greta opportunity to help a great band.  again you can just clink on this link right here http://igg.me/at/Cryptopsy/x/10796470

– Badger