Tag: Metal

Inverted Serenity – As Spectres Wither Album Review- 8.9/10 \m/

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Inverted Serenity

As Spectres Wither

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Releases October 6, 2017

Inverted Serenity is:

Benjamin Deveau (Moira) – Drums
Drew Peacock (Parasitism) – Guitars, Vocals
Marc-André Simard – Guitars, Vocals
Tomas Ingham (Madeira, Deterrent) – Bass, Vocals

Tracklist:

1. Dead Dialectics
2. Mitral Genesis
3. We Who Wander
4. Cornerstones
5. Paragon
6. Mechanical Gods
7. Grave
8. Lunar Cradle
9. Mountains of Stoke (Hidden Track)

Inverted Serenity began their journey back in 2009 to create an eclectic blend of all things metal to be molded into a form of heavy music that will appeal to the masses, from the black metal, death metal, and even some hardcore and thrash mixed in. They are like an eight headed beast ready to rip through all barriers and norms to deliver an album that can be played start to finish without hearing the same thing twice.

Inverted Serenity had this to say about the album:

“For us, this album represents a great leap forward both in terms of production quality and song writing. We were more familiar with the process of writing and recording this time around and that experience went a long way in making this album better sonically and musically. With that said, we don’t really have a consistent formula for writing songs nor do we really limit ourselves to a specific genre or style. This translates into a varied album that pulls a little something from our diverse influences. It’s eclectic but cohesive, at least we hope so!”

With that said, lets get listening and break a few tracks down.

Dead Dialectics

This track starts out with a really good solid melodic acoustic guitar and around the :30 mark you get a little bit from another guitar and then the drums join in and it just slowly builds and builds until you reach roughly the one minute mark with vocals at 1:06 in and this song has a bit an extreme metal feel already.  what a cool build up to listen to and it really gets the listener ready for whats to come (or so I thought). The vocals are chaotic and you can hear there’s multiple vocalists at this point sounds to be about three,  all handling their respective ranges and I really dig how right around the 1:50 mark the song starts to build up and then as soon as we reach the two-minute mark things have gone even more chaotic.Right around the 4:30 second mark we get a little bit of a guitar solo and it sounds like the guitar solos are swapping and they’re just building off of each other.  Right around the 4:53 mark I like how the drums follow the particular guitar solo riff. The song is not bad, and clocks in around 6:11 minutes long. The song ends just as melodic as it began,  such an  interesting track to start the album with, but next we got to check out Mitral Genesis.

Mitral genesis

This song starts out with some heavy fuzz on the guitars and some heavy drums sounds almost like its going to be heavy on the extreme metal spontaneity.  When the vocals join in around 20 seconds in, it just sounds as if two of the guys or trading off lines and shortly after they build up a little bit more. However the sound of this song is not like the previous track, it’s got almost a different feel to it, and a different sound but I’m interested to see what this one plays out to be like. Around the 1:10 mark, they play this section where they build up until what sounds almost like a chorus up to the 1:30 mark. This is a really catchy section it’s similar to extreme or blackened melodic metal sounding with a guitar solo that comes out of that right around the 1:40 section. I am  really digging the sound of that guitar during that solo also its captivating to listen to,  it really grabs my attention. Coming out of the(roughly)  2:30 mark they come out of that infectious section and then go into a different sounding section altogether where the vocals are like almost rapping the lyrics yet still maintaining the vocal characteristics for a heavy hitting song. The song is actually pretty good, I like this so far better than the previous track it’s a little catchier, though I do find that these guys are a little bit out of the norm with their sound in delivery. That is what is compelling me to keep on listening.

We who Wander

This is the third track and this one has a slow chugging guitar riff with drums that follow nicely with a double bass roll. They play out a few bars of this rhythm, and then coming in right around the :23 mark they get into the next section with vocals joining in at the :36 mark. Again this song doesn’t sound like the last one, so far in three songs I’ve heard about seven different styles of metal played. It really is quite interesting to see a band that’s really an amalgam of all different styles of metal and even some hardcore characteristics in their music. Blending the extreme sound that they’ve got with what sounds like a hardcore/metal style from the early to mid 90’s. They come out of that with a guitar solo starting around the 1:45 mark that’s actually surprisingly melodic doesn’t even sound like it fits the same song but yet it does fit. In how they placed it and how they play it. This song is pretty badass and right around the 2:20 mark they get a little bit melodic and then they they bring up the speed with some fucking blast beats right around that 2:40 into it where it’s almost like a blackened melodic death metal sort of chorus and it is very catchy. This is going to be one of my most played songs off this album I’ve found myself to be spinning this track the most I just really dig them a lot exception in the middle it’s captivating in chaotic yet soothing.

Cornerstones starts off like a hardcore metal song you got the the floor tom to snare that classic sort of hard core build up beat and then they go into a hardcore grinding sort of rhythm. Again another track that’s nothing like the previous ones. I wanted to break down all the tracks, but I want the listeners to check this album out themselves. If you find yourself to be a fan of any metal genre, you’re going to find a characteristic from Inverted Serenity that you will like. They appeal to so many different listeners with all the different styles that they are fusing within their own music. Cornerstones starts out with that hardcore sound then they get into radio rock similar to like clutch or  something bluesy and then right around the 3:20 mark they throw in these clean vocals that are  not like pop sounding clean vocals at all. They’re not like emo sounding clean vocals either,  these are essentially cleans and they’re also being yelled at points so while they are clean vocals they’re not your typical cleans and as odd as I thought they sounded at first I’ve spun this track a few times and it fits I don’t know how these guys develop their music but they piece so many things together and make them fit and it’s quite impressive the only way I can describe it as they are essentially a band of organized chaos.

Paragon starts out with a slower and heavier feel to it, but i love the accents on the cymbals during that beginning sequence. when the first set of vocals come in they hav a direct approach and maintain a specific range before the second set of vocals join in and set up the next vocal segment. i am loving the vocals on this album so many different styles and sounds. This song is yet another one that still sounds nothing like the previous track, and that really excites me because I  don’t know what the next song will be like either.  Not to mention the absolutely best moment of this song is around the 2: 38 mark where they pull of this Iron Maiden sounding riff with some echo  to it, and then boom guitar solo and then the vocals come in an join in the melodic metal fashion to match with the guitars.  I am not sure what is my favorite track now just because of the similarity to an Iron Maiden song.  That pretty much bumps things in a positive direction for me as a huge Iron Maiden fan. So, bonus points go to Inverted Serenity for bringing that to the album.

This album has been a trip to listen to, I’m not even sure what song I like most because every song is so damn different you know I mean? The last song on this album which is Mountains of Stoke is a completely acoustic track and again absolutely nothing like any of the other tracks this has made this album to be so interesting for me. Or Paragon which has moments of brutal death vocals. yet melodic guitar sections that sink the hooks in you deep.  I take pleasure in listening to things that make me want to think, that make me curious and often perplex me. If the music is simple, and anyone can do it, then it’s not really that talented, and it’s not really that enjoyable to listen to. When you have bands like Inverted Serenity that are pushing the boundaries and basically taking little bits of every metal genre and some other non-metal genres to make their sound unique. It’s quite pleasurable to listen to. I would strongly recommend to anyone who says that they are an extreme metal fan to check out Inverted Serenity because you’re going to have extreme metal, black metal, death metal, technical metal, hardcore, and a few  bunch of other genres strewn about in it. I’ve got to give this album and 8.5/10 \m/ rating because the music is on point, these guys are very talented.  I mean it’s very odd how well these guys play together with all the different sort of styles that they are playing. From multiple vocalists with multiple vocal ranges and styles, different funky things from time signatures to sounds in the middle of songs. All the while having the three guys with the guitars are doing vocals. I’m not even sure if the drummer joins in for any of the vocal duties but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. At any rate, Inverted Serenity are talented, they are unique, and they’re going to play a blend of metal that just about anyone’s going to like. I did find that most of the songs were quite enjoyable considering how different they are from each-other. 8.9/10 \m/

 

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Social Media Links:

https://www.facebook.com/invertedserenity
https://invertedserenity.bandcamp.com/
https://invertedserenity.bandcamp.com/album/as-spectres-wither
http://www.youtube.com/user/InvertedSerenity
https://www.instagram.com/invertedserenity/

Spectrum Of Delusion- Esoteric Entity – Album review- 9.2/10 \m/

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Spectrum of Delusion

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Esoteric Entity

Released 08/18/2017

 

Tracklist:
Intro     
Beyond Affliction
Dead Weight
Illuminate Eradicate
Reverie
Ruler of Cruel
Unborn Tragedy
Mixotrophy
Timelines

 

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Lineup

Douwe Negenman – Vocals
Nathan Bonkerk – Lead Guitar
Frank van Rijswijk – Rhythm Guitar
Jerry Kamer – Bass Guitar
Jeroen Mostert – Drums

Hey there everyone,  today I bring you the Netherland based technical death metal team Spectrum of Delusion and their recently released album Esoteric Entity.

Forged in 2013 by drummer Jeroen  and Nathan they built the band up from performing covers until Frank joined and then they began their journey into creating killer music. Now the interesting part of all this is they actually had another album written and ready back in 2014 however after reviewing everything they scrapped it because it didn’t adhere to their level of acceptable standards and their sound. A whole album with seven string guitars and a five string bass, scrapped because it wasn’t true to their core.  They set off to create something more pure to their sound and decided to put a fretless in the hands of Jerry and upon that brilliant idea, Douwe joined and everything came together to  get Esoteric Entity finished. This is the debut Album of Dutch Technical Deathmetal band Spectrum of Delusion.

The intro will take you for a melodic stroll into the music with very slight progression, and the only hint they give you is the bass only seconds before the intro ends and “Beyond Affliction” begins.  I am really digging the levels of all the instruments especially the bass.  It is right there and not hiding behind anyone; they deliver a nice simple guitar solo around the thirty-second mark before jumping into the verse with a blasting rhythm from the drums.  Damn this track is awesome, melodic, technical and has a great mix to it, what a great song to start the album with.  It really hooks the listener, especially with the bass, these guys did a killer job on this album.

Dead Weight

This track has a nice build up period lasting just shy of sixty seconds, but I really get hooked by their melodic and captivating sections with the instruments before the first verse begins.  The verse seems to sink the hooks in further.  They keep the song length around four and a half minutes long but I would say about two minutes of that is music without vocals. Nothing wrong with that though, showcasing the talent of all the musicians in the band is a great way to flex their muscles and give listeners like myself a solid idea of what we are working with here.

Illuminate, Eradicate

It has a much quicker set up, not much build up or progression before the first verse however they simply get right down to business this is one of my favorite tracks off the album, and yet it has some of the least instrumental sections of the album.  The song as a whole is very catchy, and the ability to really hear the bass is what draws me in the most.  Spectrum of Delusion is not one of those bands that has a killer guitarist, a drummer that can keep up and then the rest of the guys just fill in the blanks. No, each and every member of this band has talent worth the attention they get.  This song clocks in less than three minutes in length, but damn does it pack a mean punch.  I do wish it had a little more instrumental time however this is such an efficient track I respect the fact that they are able to hook me without the same tools as the previous tracks.  This is a track that has no filler, catchy with some tasty riffs, and still has a bit of a wow factor.

 

Reverie

This one seems to pick up almost the way Illuminate ends, it’s almost like “Reverie” should be a part of illuminate, it just follows up Illuminate so well. Tempo is nearly the same unit the first vocals are heard.  They slow the speed down for dramatic effect, and I find it to be effective right around the 1:36 mark Douwe adds another layer to that slowed down section, really emphasizing the vocals being held long.  This song is one of those songs where typically I hear it’s not as fast as the previous track. My mind begins to wander thinking that the song will just not keep my attention for long. That isn’t the case with this song, I did need to listen to it for a few spins. But the slowed down section grew on me, and it was all because of the vocals.  I went into this track not enjoying it as much, and then let it grow on me, and now I enjoy this song in a different light.

 

Ruler of Cruel

This song has a bit of an ominous buildup, but right around the :09 mark you can hear the bass hit a high note. And delivers two bars of that bass note, a few vocals and then back to that bass note. Jerry Kamer has taken my expectations of this album to a new level, but it’s the saxophone that has piqued my interest now.  Not many bands can pull off a cool album or a cool song and then also incorporate a saxophone into it and maintain the same level of heaviness. Cephalic Carnage, and WRVTH have been able to pull it off. But Spectrum takes things to a different level with the sound of the bass, then the saxophone and a jazzed up section in the middle of a heavy track.  Damn kudos to the guys for pulling it off and then also to Erwin Van Wieringen for playing the saxophone.  Which brings me to another item, session musicians don’t have to be guitarists or drummers they can be saxophonists that add another spicy level to some badass music.

 

Unborn Tragedy

This song really unearthed similarities to bands like Beyond Creation, and Necrophagist and I find myself really impressed by this album.  This song starts out slower than the others, and it has a bass filled melodic introduction that sets up the base layer of the song, and when that bass fades out the next section is up tempo and builds up that next layer in which the vocals are going to start, with a faster energy and a heavier attack.  The tempo changes several times in the song, and yet each transition is very fluid.  There is one section of the song I am not 100% sure I dig it or not.  But halfway through the song they have a section that is a bit repetitive and while it’s not sloppy, it’s not hooking me either. The saving grace for this track  is the drums and the bass.

 

Mixotrophy

The song begins with a quick set of blasts, and then a heavy bass line with a guitar over that making some sweet melodic build up. When the vocals start in, shit has gotten real at this point. The song heads into a fast paced tech death barrage of blasts and just when you have succumbed to that catchy section, they change time and direction slightly.  I am not sure what impresses me the most about this album, there are too many things to list. But I find with some bands too many changes can ruin it for the listener.  We want to be pulled in and stay with the song the whole time.  But with this track the changes are so subtle that they just flow into each other with very little set up for each transition.  They just flow right through the song.  from 3:10 to about 3:49 there are no vocals but a killer instrumental section. I love these instrumental sections Spectrum have added to some of the songs.  I find I enjoy these moments so much because the instruments all blend in well, there is no overshadowing, every instrument is clear, and it adds to the quality of the music.

 

Timelines

This is a great follow-up to Mixotrophy, because of the seamless transition from one track to the next.  This is really the only track I can say has some chugging coming from the guitars, the tone is a bit darker sounding to me, but the actual pace of the song and intensity is right around the same level. But I really absolutely dig the part at the :52 mark, where the vocals have an old school style to their delivery for just a few lines before the blast beats begin. The head movement starts to kick in and you are already hooked by the 1:10 mark. And the song has really only just gotten started. This track is the longest running track on the album but only by a second. The reason I bring that up is because there is so much packed into this song, and it really could have gone on longer. But Spectrum takes the last forty seconds of the song to finish the song out, but at the 5:15 mark they kick off a guitar solo and then fade out. Really leaving me wanting more to come out of my speakers.

 

 

All in all, this album kicks ass, this was my first time hearing Spectrum of Delusion, and I am glad I did. They remind me of a mix between Beyond Creation, Virvum, and Necrophagist.  A truly nice blend of melodic, yet technical/progressive death metal.

This album is great, the production, the balance of instruments to each other as well as the vocals. These guys don’t make up a band, they make up a team. A team that come together and don’t have any one member pulling the most weight through sound and musicianship. The intro track does a solid job getting the listener warmed up and then everything after flows perfectly.  This is an album you can hit play and leave all the controls alone.  Push play, listen, rock out, repeat.  The production of this album is well beyond expectations considering what these guys are asking for in price. Because who doesn’t have two dollars to spare for nine tracks ( eight and an introduction track)? I am digging this album, and I will be keeping my eye out for more from this badass bunch.  9.2/10 \m/

 

Check out the links below

https://www.instagram.com/spectrumofdelusion

https://spectrumofdelusion.bandcamp.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/SpectrumofDelusion

https://www.facebook.com/SpectrumofDelusion

 

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

Currently listening to NY death metal outfit Iscariot’s latest E.P. Blood Doctrines

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Iscariot was recently recommended as a band worth checking out,  I decided to take a listen to Blood Doctrines (released August 9th), which is the latest E.P. from New York metal group Iscariot.

From what I have listened to so far, this sounds pretty badass.  Six tracks including an into track of  good modern death metal. If this is what they bring to the table I for one am looking forward to any future releases.  It is a very reasonably priced E.P. available from many outlets including iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp.

 

Have a listen and see for yourself

 

 

If you like what you hear;

head on over to their BANDCAMP page to order Blood Doctrines

Also give them a like on FACEBOOK to get all their news updates.

 

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

The Badger’s Metal Breakdown Odyssey-Voids Bundle Giveaway

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Badger’s Metal Breakdown and Mind Eraser PR  present  February’s Metal Bundle Giveaway this month Featuring a  CD bundle by Odyssey including a Physical copy of the  Voids CD, and T-shirt bundle.

Odyssey mysteryGrabBag-Tee-Main_2048x2048

 

The Rules are Simple

ON FACEBOOK- Like our Page, Share this post , Comment “ Odyssey Bundle”

ON TWITTER – follow our page @Bmetalbreakdown, follow @OdysseySpokane  and retweet (#RT) this post

 

Contest begins Monday February 8th, 2016 at 6:30 P.M. EST and will run until Tuesday March 1st 2016 at 6:30 P.M. EST. A winner will be announced Friday March 4th,2016 so stay tuned as we will  message the winner to get shirt size and valid shipping information.

After you have completed the instructions  make sure you   take a listen to Odysseys’s latest release ” Voids” Released on  02/05/2016 by clicking below

 

 

 

Odyssey on Twitter

Mind Eraser PR Official FACEBOOK   

Mind Eraser PR Official Twitter

 

-Badger \m/

Visit our FACEBOOK page \m/_(><)_\m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

 

 

“The Fool” single released by Fleshgod Apocalypse

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Listen to the FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE track “The Fool” from fourth studio album, KING, out worldwide on February 5, 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Order ‘KING’ at http://nblast.de/FleshgodKing.
Nuclear Blast on  YouTube: http://bit.ly/subs-nb-yt
Fleshgod Apocalypse on  YouTube: http://bit.ly/subs-fa-yt

 

 

 

Dont forget to check them out on FACEBOOK for more news

 

 

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

Sevenday Curse Lineup announcement plus my interview with Scott and Steph \m/

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I had the chance to catch up with Scott from Sevenday Curse, as well as their newest member Steph Robinson who brings a wealth of experience, and drive to the band with her keyboard talents.

So I am here with Scott from Sevenday curse.

Badger- The last time I saw you guys it was September 3rd in providence Rhode island at Dusk, where you guys opened up for Revocation. So what have you guys been doing since then, a lot of writing perhaps?

Well most of the new stuff has already been written. We have been doing a lot of refining. working on getting new songs recorded and kind of just working on the extra stuff that gets added on to the songs like lyrics, keyboards guitars. for the most part the song structures have been written and done for at least a month now.

Badger- From the last time I talked to you guys you were working on an EP, how is that been coming along?

So we’re still kind of unsure how we’re going to release this. at first we were talking about an EP, and then we kinda of naturally writing more songs, we got to the point where we felt we had enough for a full length you know. So that’s still up in the air  but we are leaning towards it being a full length. its very likely that its going to be entirely self produced, because that gives us the most freedom to do it the way we want. Also because we have also been doing writing as we record them so nowadays with being able to own your own Pro tools rig it makes life a lot easier and gives you flexibility to do that.

Badger- So I had seen on Facebook a few weeks back that you guys were looking to include one of the songs from After the Storm on the new release.  Have you guys come to a conclusion on which song will be with the new stuff?

We did,

Badger- Ahh and which one will you be doing?

That’s going to be a surprise, were going to play that one close to the chest. Its going to be fun, we feel like we picked the song that is a fan favorite, but also represents the sound of our newer stuff. that kind of direction we are going in now.

Badger-  The last time we talked you were looking for a keyboardist, have you been able to lock down another member to the band.

So yeah that’s the big announcement, we after a long search we feel as though we have found the right person. her name is Steph Robinson, she has played in a lot of bands. she is a really experienced musician.who comes with amazing credentials, she is extremely talented and she can also sing. We are really excited to bring her into the fold, and start playing with her live soon as well. Its a perfect time to bring her in, because there is still plenty of room to have her bring in her own ideas, and influence to how these new songs are going to sound. We haven’t gotten to the stage where we have been able to figure out all the keyboards yet,  but its a perfect time,  because we can hand her what we have so far and let her take the reigns on the orchestration and piano.

Badger- So I see you guys are starting to book a few more shows, are there any big shows you are excited about coming up?

Hothfest would be the biggest/ best one, its in January, on the 9th.  its also very likely going to be the first show we play with live with Steph.

I also heard that they just moved to a larger venue because of all the bands that are on the bill. they ended up moving it to Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, Mass.

After talking with Scott I got the chance to talk to Steph about her joining Sevenday Curse.

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Badger- I understand you have (to the best of my knowledge) toured with two bands across North America. tell me a little about your background and how you got into playing the keyboard for metal?

Until two years ago when I switched over to tattooing full-time (I co-own a tattoo shop now in Webster, MA), I was a self-employed, full-time working musician.  I’m classically trained, hold a Ph.D. in music composition, and have played keyboards since I was a child.  I’m also a vocalist, and have an operatic background.  I’ve done pretty much any type of musical gig you can imagine – that’s what a working musician has to do to keep food on the table!  In addition, I have a background with music production, and spent a number of years working as a recording engineer; I still do quite a bit of freelance work in this respect. I’ve been a metalhead my entire life – I grew up obsessed with Dio, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Sabbath and all the classics.  However, I never really thought about PLAYING metal until about 9 or 10 years ago, when I was in my late 20s and had gotten a “good job” as a community college professor.  I was unhappy with my job and bored with classical music culture in general, and it was like a switch just flipped and I said to myself, “This is not my life.  Let’s finally do this.”  Many of my classical music friends thought I was having an early midlife crisis when I suddenly decided I was done playing church organ and switched over to playing in a few metal “tribute bands.”  (Tribute bands are huge in Southern California, where I was living at the time.)  I decidedly had the working musician mentality at first – a gig had to pay reasonably well for me to be able to consider it, and hence why I ended up in a Dio tribute, along with other acts.  Through those gigs, I started meeting people more involved with the underground SoCal metal scene, made some connections, and shortly one thing led to another with me starting to work with original bands.

One band I’ve toured with is Helsott, a pagan metal band from Southern California.  I met them when they opened for one of the tribute bands I was fronting, back in San Diego.  When I moved to Massachusetts in 2011, they asked me to produce some orchestral arrangements and sing operatic style vocals for their first EP.  I ended up doing the arrangements for that, the first full-length, and did the Paganfest America tour with them in 2013 playing keys and singing live as part of the band.  While today I really can’t tour as much as they need to, I still do session work for them and remain heavily involved with the band

Badger-How did you and Sevenday Curse come together?

Scott and I connected through a mutual friend, Chris Farmerie – he books the Metal Thursday series at Ralph’s in Worcester.  Chris is a very close friend, and we recently played together in an Enslaved tribute for the Halloween Covers Weekend at Ralph’s.  We were spending a lot of time together commuting to Boston for rehearsals, and one day he said that he had a friend who was looking for a keyboard player for a band.  I said I was interested, since I haven’t played much with any New England bands and I was looking to jump back in after a bit of a layoff (I had to take a break from metal due to two other projects the past two years – one was the production in Europe of a musical that I wrote, and the other was an attempted transcontinental run for charity).

I did a Skype session with Scott last summer and we hit it off; I met the other guys a couple of months ago and we all felt like it was a good connection.  So, now, I’m learning the live set and working hard on recording material for the new album.  It’s been a blast so far.

Badger-Were you familiar with Sevenday Curse before joining the band? Maybe heard them before or saw them?

No, honestly, I hadn’t known their music beforehand.  I hate admitting that publicly!  The reasons?  One, I lived in Southern California for fifteen years, and only moved here in 2011 – the scene out west is very different than it is here in New England, so I’m definitely more familiar with Los Angeles and San Diego bands.  Two, during the time when After the Storm was released, I was working on my Ph.D., and I wasn’t doing much other than working four jobs while trying to go to school full-time, so I wasn’t hitting shows or anything…that was a really crazy time, so I’ve got a few years of a hole in my metal knowledge that coincides with when the band was active back then.  I’m glad I know their music now!

Badger- Do you have a plan on when we will be able to see you perform live with Sevenday Curse for the first time?

I believe the plan is to have my first show with them at Hothfest in January.  I’m looking forward to it!

Badger- How does it feel to be a part of a band that for many believe (including myself)  were one of the band’s who created a unique sound/ sub genre of metal?

It’s an honor – I feel extremely fortunate to be involved.  So far, the guys have welcomed me both as a band member and collaborator, and that has been very much appreciated!  It feels great to be in a creative space with production on the new album…I think it’s going to be epic.

So there you have it, Sevenday is not only working on a full length now, but they have a killer classically trained keyboardist  to add some more dimension to their music.  Badgers Metal Breakdown  is really hoping they do Revelations as that is our favorite track from After The Storm.

I am  very pumped to see them play live with Steph in January at Hothfest-2016

Make sure to check like the Sevenday Curse Facebook Page

You can also follow them on TWITTER

Get your digital copy of their last full length AFTER THE STORM

You can also check out Witch Doctor Tattoo Studio for some of Steph’s visual art.

 

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

 

 

 

Photo credit to Stellavor Images ( Copyright 2013)

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Branch Davidian Pisces E.P. Review

on By

Branch Davidian

Pisces- 2015

Nick Matthews – Drums
Rick Brophy – Bass
Dan Lozzi – Vocals
Henry Mitchell – Guitar
Nick Cabral – Guitar
  1. Skywalker will join us or die

This is an introductory track that is of course a few sound clips from the Star Wars movies, while some may be confused with the track, it is a great example of what is yet to come.

  1. Nightcrawler

A guitar tone rings out while news anchors read headlines about bullied kids and the end result of a suicide, as the news headlines continue they end with a sound clip from “Full Metal Jacket, in which Cowboy tells  Private Pyle “Remember it’s just a bad dream fat boy” while Vincent D’onofrio’s character (Pyle cries out in pain) The song begins with a bass line and guitars, as the drums come in with a pattern on the closed hi hat cymbal. The song is a slow but has a groove that you can feel will build as it continues along. When the full force of the band joins in we begin to notice that the members are clearly people who have been in the hardcore and metal scene for a number of years. They have the sound clip as the intro, the punchy rhythm with a groove that even with the tempo being a bit of a slower pace you can really get the bodies in motion. Then the pace picks right up, and the vocals are straight up metal with a haunting delivery.

  1. Rejoice…For a Childs Haunted Room

The band wastes no time getting right in to things with this song. IT is right out of the gates hitting you with vocals, and a mid-paced groove with simple yet interesting guitar riffs, that still give me that hardcore vibe. These guys are doing a hardcore/ death metal hybrid utilizing the old school hardcore style, and some different styles of metal to blend in. The vocals are very similar to a black metal sound and also remind me of The Year of Our Lord or Arsis. Right at the 1:42 mark the song takes on a groove that is sure to get bodies moving. I can easily see a crowd getting rowdy during this song. The song ends with more news related sound clips, which you just don’t see much of anymore and I love it. But the real curve ball is when we hear “Summer breeze” by Seals and Crofts on a record player by the sounds of it. It is apparent that this band has a solid sense of humor.

  1. We May Never Pass This Way Again

For the first minute the song has a repeating rhythm with a vocal growl every few bars. When the song kicks into high gear, the tempo goes from this slow sludgy feel to a fast paced high energy song with the skank blasts on the drums. Someone is doing some backing vocals that are clean vocals. The song changes tempo a few times, but sticks to the same formula of heavy aggressive, grimy, and hardcore/ metal. Then the song ends with a sound clip regarding surveillance.

  1. Fairies Wear Ski Masks

This track starts out heavily influenced by hardcore, the rhythm, and the vocals for the first 10 seconds, then right into those metal guttural vocals, but keeps the hardcore rhythm. Just a high energy, driving riff, and solid backbone drums. The song is less than two minutes long and maintains that hardcore “Fuck you” vibe the entire time. It’s almost too short of a song, and the vocals are so out of character for that rhythm it’s interesting.

  1. Senate

This song is already hitting you with the vocals, however the tempo is a bit slower than the previous track. It’s not slow, right around 85 BPM with a solid groove. The sound clips begin at 1:45 and it has a sound clip of a song playing faintly and also slowed down just a tick by the sound of it.

  1. Pisces

This is just a lonesome guitar chord ringing out and then sound clips playing over top of it, news clips talking about pro-life pro-choice movements.

This is a cool little E.P. where you don’t usually find such a hardcore attitude, with metal vocals, and then the sound clips of hardcore, while also maintaining a sense of humor. This is truly a unique band, made up of a few fellas, who have lived in the hardcore and metal scene for decades. I am interesting in hearing more from this band, and look forward to some more high energy, political, hardcore rhythms, blended with the blackened metal vocals. I dig it, and as an E.P. I have to give these guys a 7/10 due to originality, and sound.

Check them out on Facebook

Check out the E.P. on Bandcamp/BranchDavidian

Show them some support and get the E.P.

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

Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls album Review

on By

Iron Maiden

The Book Of Souls 2015

Bruce Dickinson : Vocals, Piano

Dave Murray: Guitar

Adrian Smith: Guitar

Janick Gers : Guitar

Steve Harris : Bass, Keyboards

Nicko McBrain : Percussion

1: If Eternity Should Fail  (Dickinson)

A long introduction starts things off, but comes in with a solid groove after. A mid paced tempo keeps me locked in for the ride. The song has good verse, and decent choruses, but the magic really happens when a nice solo section around the 5 minute mark lets loose. This is not a bad song, but ends it with a very odd spoken dialogue that was really unnecessary, theatrical effect was all it was meant for I assume.

2: Speed of light ( Smith , Dickinson)

No long intro like before gets right down to it. This song has more of that classic Maiden feel to it, even though it is not a fast paced song. It has a cool solo section where the guys rotate a few bars each. This is a fun song to listen to. It has all the elements you want from an Iron maiden song, it has dizzying guitar work, and rock solid drumming. The verses are spot on, and the chorus is contagious. This song is not only a great song to listen to, it’s a fun song also, enjoyable really.

3: The Great Unknown ( Smith, Harris)

This song starts out with a slower feel, similar to how fear of the dark starts out with that melodic guitar intro and softly sung lyrics. The rest of the band comes in, and the song really begins to take shape. It has a mid-paced feel to it, and thankfully Bruce can still hit those highs. The song is a very fundamental song in that it is not breaking barriers until the solo section begins.

4: The Red and The Black ( Harris)

The song starts out with a nice bass intro for a few bars, and the song begins full steam.  It has that iron Maiden “gallop” rhythm that you notice in songs like the trooper, however this song is a much slower tempo than the classics. The rhythm is absolutely solid, and Bruce nails the verses down. It has that “whoa” type of chorus that allows all concert goers to get in on the fun when they play live shows. In my honest opinion, I could easily see this song being a fan favorite at live shows.

5: When The River Runs Deep ( Smith, Harris)

It begins with a nice guitar riff, and has a more upbeat tempo to it. The intro for this song would be more appreciated in a live setting, the verses, and the chorus are undeniably catchy, with a good build to this song. The song has moments where it seems to slow down, slightly, but it picks right back up every time, especially going into the guitar solo which is on point. Not a bad song by any means.

6: The Book of Souls ( Gers, Harris)

This song starts out with an acoustic guitar playing a light melody, then the rest of the band joins in. It has a slower, and a symphonic sound to it. The verses follow the tempo and energy, however the song doesn’t grab my attention until the pre chorus. With this song I had to replay it a few times to get the full effect. ¾ of the way when the tempo picks up it got a bit more interesting. This song does not disappoint, the guitar solos are great. This song requires you to make it past the halfway mark to get so much more out of the song. I recommend if you are tempted to skip this song, do yourself the favor and wait. If you make it through the track completely and don’t like it, then at least you gave it a chance.

7: Death or Glory ( Smith, Dickinson)

The way it starts out, with the short intro that rolls right into the rhythm. I am enjoying this song very much on first play. This song has a more upbeat feel to it, very catchy, this so far is my favorite track off the album. The verses, are rock solid, and the chorus is fun and catchy. Nothing over the top about this song, they used a winning formula for the writing of this song. The solo section is great, I love it, and this song is a hit in my opinion.

8: Shadows of the Valley ( Gers, Harris)

This song starts out with a light pattern on a closed high hat, and some finger working on the guitars.   Bruce joins in with vocals progressing along with Nicko’s drums. The first verse is almost as catchy as some choruses, it is simple to follow along to. The chorus is infectious, you can’t help but sing along to the song. If this song doesn’t have you tapping your foot, or tapping on something, playing air drums or air guitar you have missed the boat. The guitar soloing is great, something I have always enjoyed about Iron Maiden is the guitar solos. They are very powerful solos, without going over the top. They are never too flashy, but are not lacklustre either. This is a great song, a very worthwhile listen.

9: Tears of a Clown ( Smith, Harris)

This song, has a great feel to it, strong lyrics, solid verses, catchy pre chorus, and a chorus that will leave you singing along within its first play. It does seem like they have slowed down a bit in their years, but they don’t lose anything by slowing down. In fact I would say it gave them a chance to focus on making this album a stellar addition to the Iron Maiden catalog. I needed to play this song more than once just to get the big picture of what the song had to offer. It’s a solid addition to the album.

10: The Man of Sorrows ( Murray, Harris)

Great intro with the guitar, very melodic and peaceful. It maintains the melodic feel for two minutes, when it picks right up in tempo and intensity. The song almost changes its whole dimension by that time, and both the first half and the second half of the song are great, in their own way very enjoyable. I find myself wanting the melodic first half to be longer, and also the same for the energetic anthem like second half.

11: Empire of the Clouds ( Dickinson)

This song, is a long melodic ballad, written about the 1930 R101 airship crash resulting in mass loss of life aboard the airship. This song we hear Bruce not only singing but playing the piano as well. This is a great song, a powerful song written very well. It almost connects the listener to the day the R101 crashed. The first half of the song is a slower melodic tune, with mostly Bruce and the piano, with guitars accompanying pleasantly without over shadowing anything. By the second half, the song picks up in tempo, with quite a few bars of guitar soloing, and we can hear synthesizers. It seems to give you that chaotic “danger, danger” feel. Maybe it was written to replicate that sense of panic the crew members must have felt. This is an absolutely great song to sit and listen to.

I really enjoy this album, it has all of the classic characteristics of an Iron Maiden album, and seems to have focused much more on the music quality. If Iron Maiden called it a day and hung up their “Irons”   they did so with a great album. I suggest to give this album a few plays, before forming any opinion. The first thing you will notice is the band has slowed down a bit, none of the songs are as energetic as say The Trooper, or Aces high. They don’t sacrifice anything for the fact that they have slowed down, because all of the songs still have the great guitar riffs, and solos. The band seems to have spent more time focusing on the music and wanting to deliver an album that does not have any tracks that you would choose to skip. The hardest part with listening to this album is finding the time to just listen to the songs in order non-stop without interruption to fully enjoy The Book of Souls in its entirety.  Its a great album, and worth the purchase.

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