Wonderbox Metal

Interview with All Seeing Eyes

Trinity Road by All Seeing Eyes is one of my favourite releases of 2104 and is a real treasure trove of delights for any Metal fan. Singer/guitarist Ben Colton, (also of Neverworld), was kind enough to give us a bit more background to this exceptional group.

What are your influences?

All our influences are quite different I’d say within ASE. Mainly within the metal genres but personally I just love great, well written, well played music. I have a huge CD collection and I think it’s probably fair to say all of it has influenced me in some way or another. I tend to lean towards music’s unsung heroes. I really admire bands like Fates Warning and Winger. Both genius, both criminally underrated. Both have never really repeated themselves but somehow they have retained their own sound. That is something that’s really hard to do. I’m big on a lot of bands though. Stuff like Van Halen, King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Redemption, Circus Maximus, Dan Reed Network, Thin Lizzy, Ratt, Guns N Roses, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, Manowar, etc. It’s pretty much an endless list. I’m also very influenced by the music of the director John Carpenter. He’s a very clever guy musically. I love music that can tell a story or just surround you in an atmosphere. John’s music definitely does that. Very simple stuff on the surface but it’s captivating, eerie and just plain awesome!

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

Well there’s several great bands out there that definitely aren’t getting the attention they deserve. I just mentioned Circus Maximus and Redemption. Two absolutely amazing prog bands. Every bit as good as Dream Theater in terms of musicianship and quite frankly much better song writers in my opinion. Never self indulgent. It’s all about the story, the music, the song. All Prog fans should be listening to them. As for good old heavy metal, there’s 3 bands that spring to mind. Wardrum, Hibria and Neuronspoiler. Mind blowing musicians. Stellar vocals. Great songs. What more can anyone ask for?! If you haven’t heard of them before go and check them out. You won’t be disappointed.

What’s the meaning/concept behind the album title?

Initially ‘Trinity Road’ came about as a private joke really. No one else will find it funny so I’ll spare you the finer details! We just used to go to a shop a lot when we were kids and the road opposite is Trinity Road. The title comes from that but we sat around one night and just thought of this concept of a road splitting off into 3 destinations, 3 different outcomes if you will. It’s like you’re at a crossroads and the future is down to you. You have the power. Make the right choice. We just sorta came up with the theme for the art work in our heads and just thought yes! That’s it!

Talk to us about the album artwork.

Basically the picture depicts the present and the future on the horizon. The road to the left leads to darkness. Apocalyptic, bleak. Like a nuclear wasteland. Straight ahead leads to an endless life of monotony. Watching TV, going to work, not thinking much. To the right leads to enlightenment. A bright future. Happiness and fulfilment. We really liked the premise behind it and thought it would make for a great cover. I think we were right. John Vincent took our idea and made it happen brilliantly. He’s a very talented artist and went above and beyond on the art for us. We are all very happy with the outcome

What did you want to achieve with Trinity Road?

Pretty much as much as possible. I’m a realist, I wasn’t expecting anything really but the reaction has genuinely blown me away. From the media and the fans, it’s just been so positive and already made the project worthwhile. Ideally I’d like to reach a much wider audience but that is hard. I understand why. It’s an over saturated market and people don’t often like going out of their comfort zone, especially with music. I’m fairly confident that most metal/rock fans would get something out of the album but it’s hard getting people to listen. We’ll keep trying, reaching out and hoping people bite. I mean we aren’t greedy, the album is available for a great price and there’s a couple of reasons behind that. One is we don’t want to rip anyone off and secondly we want to sell as many as possible! We hope the price tag serves as an incentive for people because at the end of the day you won’t find a double disc extravaganza like Trinity Road anywhere else. It’s 1 hour and 48 minutes in length, it’s completely different and it’s waiting to be discovered

Are you happy with how it turned out?

Musically yes I consider it my finest hour to date. We worked really hard on this. We wanted to make an album with great depth and that didn’t repeat itself. I think we’ve achieved that. As a musician I pushed myself like I’ve never done before. Both vocally and guitar wise. I don’t think I could have done it better than I did and the same goes for Kenny and James. We wrote and performed to the absolute limit of our abilities. The challenge is to better that in the future!

What can you tell us about the lyrics?

I guess you could say they cover various themes from love and life right through to government manipulation and the NWO. We like our music to have a message or tell a story. There’s a couple of deeply personal songs on there about stuff that has affected me in a big way. I’m quite happy with how it turned out lyrically because I’m not a big fan of writing them! I often dread that part of the writing. Sometimes it comes easy but most of the time I end up sitting there for bloody hours listening to the same songs/riffs over and over! Anyway quite a few people have said the lyrics really get to them, make them think. That’s great. Couldn’t ask for more than that

Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.

Well the three of us had worked together previously about 8 years before in a power metal band called Sentinel. We know each other well. I think we just hit a creative boom (hence why there is 18 tracks on the disc!) and the writing process just came really easy in terms of ideas. It was a cool environment to write in. No pressure whatsoever. We just had a lot of fun, had a lot of laughs and just got on with the task in hand. We knew what we wanted to achieve at the end of it. We wanted a quality product, a selection of songs that were all different. It was just a great experience to write without any rules. There was no one saying well we can’t do this or that because people won’t like it! So we got together a lot and just let the music flow

What’s your favourite song on the album and why?

That’s quite a hard one. I really like all the songs for different reasons but if I had to pick two tracks I’d say ‘Trinity Road’ because it’s just completely different to anything I’ve ever heard before and ‘Wild Life (The Tribe)’. ‘Wild Life’ is a track that kinda sums up the project. It’s got a bit of everything in it and I think it’s pretty infectious too. Proud of that one. It nearly didn’t happen because Kenny and James couldn’t stop laughing when I was trying to write the intro and using my acoustic as a bongo! I’m glad I persevered!

How do you see your position in the wider Power/Heavy Metal musical framework?

I don’t know really. I guess it doesn’t really matter how I perceive us. We are what we are. I just hope people like it and see us in the same light as the greats! Obviously I want us to be held in that regard but saying that we need to back up this release with another and it has to be better. There’s a lot more work to do

How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?

I’m excited right now. We are literally about to hit the studio again now so it’s gonna be interesting to see what we come up with. I think at this stage we are likely to make a more progressive album this time round. I don’t like the idea of treading water as a musician. If you can’t better what you did before then there’s no point. I think we can. We are better musicians now and the new songs will definitely reflect that.

What’s next for All Seeing Eyes?

Another album although this one won’t be a double! We’d like to follow this up quickly so we are hoping to get another 8-10 track album done in the next 6-7 months. It’ll be difficult because I’m also in the middle of writing the new Neverworld album too. Keep your all seeing eyes peeled and we’ll keep you posted on the albums progress! Watch this space.

Fleshworld/Gazers/Viscera/// – Split (Review)

This split is between Polish band Fleshworld, French band Gazers and Italian band Viscera///. All three bands play variations on Post-Metal/Doom.

Fleshworld kick off the split with 18 minutes of music spread across three tracks. We’ve met Fleshworld before with their début album Like We’re All Equal Again. They play Post-Metal with very harsh vocals that act as a counterpoint to the emotive music. Continue reading “Fleshworld/Gazers/Viscera/// – Split (Review)”

Cretin – Stranger (Review)

Cretin are from the US and this is their second album. They play Grindcore.

Cretin play Deathgrind with an Old-School flavour and lots of aggression.

The songs are high energy and blast all over the place in sprays of enthusiasm and accidental carnage.

The singer has a great voice that is driven by pure power and brutality but also contains no small amount of finesse. She sounds great and puts in a blinder of a performance.

Stranger has a strong sound that strikes a good balance between a full, well-rounded sound and a warm, organic feel that prevents them from sounding too modern or clinical. Cretin play vibrant, living Grind that just might bite your hand off.

This is one of the few Grind albums I’ve heard of late that has guitar solos, which is something I’m very pleased with and helps differentiate them from the Grindcore pack, although it’s not the only thing that does this.

Grind can be a one-dimensional affair if done poorly but Stranger is anything but. This is Grindcore that holds the interest throughout the 32 minute playing time. The songs are very well written and in addition to having lots of ideas they’re just plain catchy. Okay, so this is never going to be the kind of style to feature hooks that most radio shows would recognise, but you get the idea.

Cretin remind me a lot of Brutal Truth in some ways. Not in the sense that they really sound like them, (apart from the obvious similarities all bands of this ilk share), but rather the feeling they give me. Listening to Cretin reminds me of them as the Grind they play has the same song-based quality and feel as Brutal Truth, and when I listen to them it’s almost with a certain nostalgia as it really makes apparent how many other Grindcore bands these days neglect the importance of songs in their quest to be the heaviest, fastest, most extreme, most offensive, etc.

Cretin have the songs, the power, the feeling, the pure fucking class…wrap this up with the fact that they are very much in the here and now and ready to rock and you have a sure-fire recipe for a winner.

In Torment – Sphere of Metaphysical Incarnations (Review)

This is the third album from Brazilian band In Torment. They play Technical/Brutal Death Metal.

In Torment don’t take any prisoners. Indeed, they probably haven’t even heard of the concept of mercy if this album is anything to go by. It’s a relentless beating and an unrepentant assault all delivered in just under 34 minutes of compact and deadly music.

A professional recording yields a powerful sound that gives the band a strong foundation for their attack.

The vocals are deep growls accentuated with higher screams. The singer has a good voice and there’s no sign of weakness or faltering anywhere in the performance. The vocals have that very satisfying roughness to them that just seems to hit the spot deep inside.

The songs are bloodthirsty expositions on everything brutal. Technical riffs and chunky rhythms collide as the songs tear out of the speakers. There are a lot of good moments in these songs and overall the songwriting is of a good standard.

These are very strong tracks; a lot of thought seems to have gone into their composition. I like the way that the underlying rhythms are really good and they appear to have built the more technical aspects of the songs around this firm base. There are some really good solos on here too.

Sphere of Metaphysical Incarnations has enough brutality to gain your interest and enough technicality to keep it.

This is a solid Death Metal album from a professional band. Recommended for all Death Metal fans.

Slander – The Rush (Review)

Slander are from Italy and play Hardcore.

Short and to the point, this is just under 8 minutes of Punk-infused Thrashcore that’s recorded well and wastes no time in hitting the spot.

The band have energetic riffs and lively shouted vocals that power the short tracks along. The Thrash component to their sound is a little more noticeable in the guitar department than it is for some bands like this and Slander manage to get that Crossover feel just right.

I like this as it’s not done in some ridiculous retro-humour-style as is so often the case, instead the songs are tight, infectious and mean business.

Definitely a band to check out. Have a listen to them and let the music flow.

Putrid Evocation – Echoes of Death (Review)

Putrid Evocation are from Chile and this is their Death Metal début album.

Putrid Evocation play Old-School Death Metal with a strong reek of the grave and a palpable miasma of rotten flesh.

The band write ancient, primordial Death Metal tracks that are ultra-primitive in their assault. The songs may be simple but they’re also effective and Echoes of Death should satisfy any cravings you have for Old-School Death Metal.

A raw, murky production seals in the feeling of decay and Putrid Evocation are clearly not interested in any aspect of modernity. It’s an acquired taste of course, but if you’re not a fan of clinical, high-gloss recordings then you should feel right at home here.

Featuring a few Doom and even proto-Black Metal elements in their sound, the band successfully create their crypt-like tales with the love and care of a recently risen ghoul.

Early Incantation, Death, Autopsy, Dismember, etc. are your guides to the sound of Putrid Evocation.

Be sure to give them a listen.

First Dawn – Final Epoch (Review)

First Dawn are a Melodic Black Metal band from Finland. This is their début album.

First dawn incorporate synths and elements of Progressive Metal into their interesting sound. Melodic Black Metal can sometimes seem a bit one-dimensional but First Dawn manage to inject a decent amount of depth into their compositions.

The songs are nicely heavy and professionally recorded. The music is all balanced appropriately and they manage to keep up the atmospheres of the tracks without the synths becoming overbearing.

The music is well-written with an ear for dynamics and a good melody. It’s surprisingly powerful stuff, with lots of hair-raising moments and parts to get the blood pumping.

Rasped Black Metal vocals are the main mode of delivery and the singer has character to his voice.

These songs are instantly captivating and remain so on repeated listens. First Dawn have a talent for atmosphere-laden writing that also has enough direct appeal to satisfy. Add to this the Progressive solos/leads and the space-age feel of the synths and you have an album that merges Progressive Metal and Black Metal at the cellular level.

A very, very good release from an interesting band who are intent on doing things their own way and doing them well.

Very impressive stuff.

Cold Snap – World War 3 (Review)

Cold Snap are from Croatia and this is their third album. They play Modern Metal.

World War 3 is a surprisingly varied album for what it is. I was expecting a straight Metalcore band for some reason, and although they have this side to them there’s more to Cold Snap than just this.

Mix Metalcore with a bit of Nu-Metal and you’ll have an idea of what Cold Snap are attempting here. Elements of Korn, Disturbed, Slipknot and Machine Head can be heard.

After Nu-Metal effectively stopped existing, (as far as I am concerned), a very long time ago it’s actually quite refreshing to hear something like this again, especially when it’s actually done quite well and without the majority of the generic nonsense that plagued the style.

So as I was saying; Cold Snap have a fair degree of variety in their sound and don’t simply repeat the same formula every song. Similarities exist between tracks of course, as is the same for most bands who play one style, but within their chosen framework they do attempt to mix it up a bit.

The singer has a decent voice and doesn’t fall too foul of the various vocal pit-falls that this style can have. Overall he gives a good performance.

The band are at their best when they let the Euro-Metal influences come to the front. Sections of some of the songs have influences from bands like Nevermore, Darkane and Soilwork, and these are the most enjoyable parts for me.

It’s quite a nostalgic listen in some ways; it’s a familiar style but without being overly so, probably because I haven’t really listened to anything like this in a while. If World War 3 had come out about 15 years ago Cold Snap probably would have been quite big.

If Nu-Metal is a best-forgotten nightmare for you then this will probably not float your boat, but if you want to hear a modern take on it with a beefy, professional production then check out Cold Snap and see what you think.

For myself, this has definitely grown on me and I’ll be spinning this again in the future.

Kouzin Bedlam – Longing for the Incomplete (Review)

Kouzin Bedlam are a Finnish Heavy Metal band and this is their début album.

This is expressive Heavy Metal that’s enhanced with keyboards as well as some Progressive Metal and Power Metal streaks.

Their sound is a very enticing one that mixes elements of bands like Queensrÿche, Iron Maiden, Kamelot and Queen. It’s very listenable and has instant character and appeal.

Longing for the Incomplete is a very strong collection of songs. The band know how to play and everything comes off silky smooth and ultra-polished, but with the important accolade of not losing the band any of their life or colour.

The music is textured, rich and involving. There are lots of hooks and bucketloads of catchiness. The songs have memorable melodies and tunes as well as many interesting ideas and a great deal of variety.

All in all these songs are ridiculously good! In some ways it’s hard to believe that this is a just a début album as the level of songwriting here is stellar.

The singer has a great voice that’s capable of dealing with anything that’s required of it. Pretty much any style is within his range and his performance on this album is staggeringly good.

When this style of Metal is done well it takes me back to when I was getting into music for the first time and everything seemed so exciting and new. Kouzin Bedlam fill me with the same kind of feeling; not so much because of nostalgia, but just because of how damn good this is!

This puts me in mind of Trinity Road by All Seeing Eyes; Kouzin Bedlam don’t particularly sound like All Seeing Eyes, but the comparison is apt as both bands have recently released a pure blinder of an album. Had I listened to this album earlier then it definitely would have featured in my 2014 end of year list.

What a great album by a great band. Essential listening.

Destroying Divinity – Hollow Dominion (Review)

This is the fourth album from Destroying Divinity, who are a Death Metal band from the Czech Republic.

Destroying Divinity play Death Metal without compromise and with plenty of brutality and aggressiveness.

Featuring influences from bands like Hate Eternal, Immolation and Morbid Angel in their sound, what we get here is straight-ahead Death Metal with no fancy bits, no ostentation and lots of killing capacity.

The band blast their way through the demolished landscape with ease, whilst twisting, churning riffs drill deeper into the earth in search of sustenance. Hollow Dominion is a ravenously hungry beast and only total destruction will sate its hunger.

The vocals are deep growls that relentlessly chew up and spit out the brutal anthems.

Hyperspeed riffs and malevolent rhythms blare out and a strong recording holds everything together. These songs are more than capable of holding their own in the war-torn Death Metal landscape.

Hollow Dominion is the sound of a band entirely comfortable with their style and ready to cause havoc wherever they go.

A recommended listen for any Death Metal fan.