Wonderbox Metal

Interview with Fornicus

Having recently released their début album Storming Heaven, Fornicus are ready to make a mark on the Metal world with their bitingly aggressive take on Black Metal. Curious about the band, I asked their lead guitarist some questions…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

I am Kelly McCoy lead guitarist. The rest of the band is Scott Briggs-vocals/guitar, Chris Carver-bass & David Snow- drums. We are black/death metal from the bowels of central Kentucky that tends to appeal to old school ears.

Give us a bit of history to Fornicus – what are your influences?

Scott and Chris formed the band having known each other from a previous band they played in years ago. Scott had recorded David’s previous band and knowing they were no more he was asked to join. I came last to the line-up. Scott and I play in a blasphemous gore grind band together where he is on drums and I found out that Fornicus was looking for lead player so I gave it shot and made the cut. I personally am influenced by Carcass, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Death, Dissection. … I know the other guys like many of the same as well as Emperor and I recall Chris saying Miley Cyrus.

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

Visceral Disgorge, Ghost B.C., Abominant, Fornicus, Gorgy, Nevermore, Nifelheim, Watain, Broken Hope, Carcass, Vulkodlak. Just a few off the top of my head staying regular in the playlist.

What did you want to achieve with your new album?

Not to come across as arrogant but just to make and be a part of music I like to hear. I am sure all our goals may differ in way but short of world domination just enjoying our own music is most important to me.

Are you happy with how it turned out?

Absolutely, Scott owns the studio we recorded at and mixed, mastered and made it perfect for us.

Where do you see yourself in relation to the larger Black Metal scene?

Not sure… black metal purist may like us just as much as new comers to the scene however we are more refined sound wise. I don’t think any of us concern ourselves with whether or not we fit in anywhere.

What can you tell us about the lyrics?

Blasphemy, disappointment, anger, sorrow, rage and war all reflect our lyrical content. We are disgusted with herd conformity and the dogmatic monotheistic bullshit fed to the masses.

Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.

It’s rather simple really. We write riffs or become inspired by lyrics and put it all together in the jam room. No preconceived notions of what we should do.

Tell us about the Sepultura cover – why include a cover on your album, why Sepultura, and why that song in particular?

Antichrist was a great choice because we could make it more powerful than it was remembered. We are all Sepultura fans and it is paying homage to the metal we grew up enjoying.

How do you see your sound developing in the future?

Darker and more chaotic. As musicians we will always push ourselves but there is no formula for Fornicus just what naturally comes out. Evil spews forth from a deep well in our band.

What’s next for Fornicus?

Continuing to promote the first release with shows and writing new material. We are discussing a 4 way split to be released by our label Negative Earth Records. Other than that banging our heads and blaspheming.

Interview with Secret Cutter

This year Secret Cutter unleashed their début album Self Titled on an unsuspecting world. This was an avalanche of heaviness and naked hostility tempered down into a short shock of an album that was immediate enough to get the adrenaline flowing and featured enough depth to carry it for the long haul. If you haven’t already heard it I recommend tracking it down. Now.

I wanted to find out more so dived head first onto the cutting floor…

sc5 For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

Jared: We’re Secret Cutter, a 3-piece Sludge/Grind/Doom band from Bethlehem PA and we play heavy music!

Evan: We don’t have a bass player.

Give us a bit of history to Secret Cutter

Jared: Ekim and I’s old band (Oktober Skyline) broke up and we were in between bands and heard Evan, who put out the OS record, wanted to play something heavy, so we decided to try it out and a few months jamming we recorded our 7 inch in Ekim’s basement.

Tell us about the band name

Evan: It’s about the trap of self hatred. None of us cut ourselves on purpose.

What are your influences?

Jared: Impermanence, edibles, the human experience, love, hate, anything can be an influence if you let it.

sc4 What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

Jared: Nothing heavy really, Emil Amos from the Holy Suns is destroying me lately.

Evan: The “Off Your Parents ” Ep by The Yah Mos. It came out in 1994 one of the best 7 inch’s of the 90’s in my opinion.

Ekim: On the heavy side of things, Lord Mantis.

How did you decide upon the sound that your band has? Was this a conscious decision to aim for this or was it a more organic, natural process of just finding out what fit and felt right?

Jared : Definitely wanted to do something heavy. I think in time as we grow we’re constantly trying to bend our definition of ‘heavy’. But not on purpose…it just happens with time, and that moment when we’re chuckling with the hairs standing on our necks, we know it’s right.

sc3 Where/how do you think you fit in with the wider Metal scene as a whole?

Jared: I’m not sure where we fit in really. I’d hope it would be enjoyed by any fans of heavy music but I feel like we don’t appeal to just one genre.

Do you have any specific goals you want to achieve with this album?

Jared : Just to get it out to as many ears as possible.

Are you happy with how it turned out?

Jared : Very happy at this point. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Evan: The response has really been great. One review basically said we make music for the end of the world. I really enjoyed that..

What can you tell us about the lyrics?

Ekim: The struggles of everyday life for everyone. Each song is it’s own meaning for me, but could be relate-able through other people’s interpretations. No love making lyrics here.

sc2 How do you write your songs?

Jared : Evan brings the riffs to the table like a manic scientist and I basically learn the song and try to syncopate the rhythm. Then over time the songs just grow. It takes a really long time for some songs to be fully incubated.

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

Jared : If any more bleak than what we’ve been writing…I’ll want to swallow a bottle of Zoloft. And I’m OK with that.

What’s next for Secret Cutter?

Jared : All unknown! Except our next LP which is basically written. I’m very excited about playing out with this new material.

Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain (Review)

Cannibal Corpse are a Death Metal institution. If they need any form of introduction then you’re probably reading the wrong site.

This is their 13th album. Unlucky for some, maybe, but not this long lasting band of bloodthirsty veterans. A new Cannibal Corpse album is always something to get excited about and this one is no different.

There’s a reason that Cannibal Corpse are the biggest Death Metal band in the world. They know their stuff and they always deliver. Even the weaker of their albums is better than what most other Death metal bands can even dream of releasing.

So how does A Skeletal Season hold up against their sterling back catalogue? Pretty damn well is the answer. They’ve managed to release yet another class album of quality material.

By now any long-term fan of the band will know what to expect. Cannibal Corpse are remarkably consistent. Some see this as a failing, but the simple fact is that the Cannibal Corpse song formula is a winner and they always deliver the goods.

Cannibal Corpse are the very definition of timeless Death Metal. If you take any of their albums you can pretty much listen to any song and imagine it coming from almost any era of Metal. If you take any of their old songs they don’t sound particularly Old-School even today, (If you ignore the obvious differences in production), and if you take any of their new songs you can imagine them coming out decades ago, (again, production values notwithstanding). This, I think, is part of the Cannibal Corpse appeal – they always sound simultaneously established and fresh. That and the great songs of course.

This doesn’t mean that nothing ever changes though as each album brings something slightly different to the table. With A Skeletal Season the band have incorporated a hint of the more modern style of Death Metal into some of the riffs as well as some more atypical drum beats.

These are not things that stick out like sore thumbs or anything. You’ll never, ever mistake this for Deathcore, for example; but it’s apparent on a couple of tracks, most noticeably on the opener High Velocity Impact Spatter.

George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher is on great form as always. He sounds especially harsh on this album but also very catchy. Songs like Kill or Become show him at his visceral best; interesting vocal patterns, memorable hooks and stand out moments you just don’t forget – “Fire up the chainsaw! Hack their fucking heads off“. It’s a hairs on the back of your neck moment.

The instruments are all played to perfection, as always. Infectious riffs, solid bass, pounding drums. The album has it all. To pick just one example; Vector of Cruelty showcases all of these, with audible underpinning bass, catchy rhythm guitars, screaming solos and quality growling sailing over the top of it all.

Well, at the end of the day this is Cannibal Corpse, what can you say? This is yet another fantastic album from the masters of Death Metal. I fail to see how anyone who likes Death Metal can dislike this band.

Essential listening.

Ides of Gemini – Old World New Wave (Review)

Ides of Gemini are from the US and play Doom Metal. This is their second album.

This is haunting, Old-School, 70’s retro-influenced Doom with a ghostly feel and abundant depths.

It’s low key and lo-fi, with the strength of the tracks not coming form the recording but from the raw emotion and power given off by the essence of the songs themselves.

Ethereal female vocals soar over the top of the surprisingly subtle music. The singer has a heartbreakingly beautiful voice that captivates and enthrals. Combined with the downbeat, percussive music it’s a hypnotic dirge-fest that you can easily lose yourself in, suddenly realising that the album is over and you’ve just been zoning out, letting it seep into your every pore.

This is good.

There is somewhat of a ritualistic, atavistic feeling to this; a feeling that at the end of the record something will be different, something will have changed. It’s almost alchemical in nature. The band’s ability to create such a rich, textured environment is such that the otherworldly seems distinctly possible and ripe for exploration.

Old World New Wave is an album capable of wrenching real change in the listener, forcing them to have a good long look at the darkness and returning as a different entity, as an other.

Do you want this to happen to you? Of course you do. Press play. There’s no looking back.

Osmium Guillotine – Osmium Guillotine (Review)

Osmium Guillotine are from the UK and this is their début album. They play Heavy Metal.

This is 80’s style Heavy Metal with a sexy guitar sound and plenty of attitude. The production is largely apt for this kind of band, although in a feat of differentiation Osmium Guillotine have a guitar tone that’s both thicker and heavier than most bands playing this genre and it works very well for them.

The music is played with passion and obvious zeal and everyone seems to know their job well. Nice solos too.

This is Old-School Heavy Metal that manages to encapsulate quite a few different feelings from early Metal and distil them into this release. Classic Metal is a given, but Doom Metal, Proto-Thrash and NWOBHM all get a look in. There’s even a touch of Punk to things now and again.

The vocals are great, and there’s not a hint of Power Metal to be seen. I love Power Metal as much as anyone, but it’s nice to hear a band like Osmium Guillotine who are just pure Heavy Metal without the more extravagant ostentation inherent in Power Metal. The singer here has a great set of lungs and possesses the charisma to do the tunes justice.

These are a strong set of songs with plenty of hooks and choruses to keep you coming back for more. Memorable melodies and good riffs flow freely and everything feels just as it should.

Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Anthrax…if these bands float your boat then Osmium Guillotine are a logical band to check out. Along with the recent stellar release from Johnny Touch this proves once again what any real music fan already knew – True Metal isn’t dead.

Great stuff.

Solace of Requiem – Casting Ruin (Review)

This is the fourth album of Technical Blackened Death Metal from Solace of Requiem. They come from the US.

It’s fairly unusual for Technical Death Metal bands to have anything to do with the Black Metal style. It’s not unheard of of course, just relatively rare, so I was looking forward to hearing this band to see what they did with the style.

Straight away it’s apparent that they are very technical and they do wear their Black Metal influences on their sleeves.

The music is a dense, twisting affair. Technical Death Metal riffs fly everywhere at the speed of thought whilst Blackened keyboards and sounds add to the cacophony. High pitched Blackened screams add a further layer of evil and the entire thing reeks of a complicated rot.

It’s impressively harsh and the addition of the Black Metal influences to the Technical Death Metal core is atypical and done rather well.

The higher screamed vocals are joined by more traditional growls, once again sealing the deal between genres.

There are some great riffs here and the technicality doesn’t become overbearing or done just for the sake of it. Sometimes the band hits upon a great sounding mid-paced riff and they just let it settle in for a while and lot it flow naturally, which is a great thing to hear. This is frequently added to by keyboards and solos and the end result is very satisfying. As songs they work, and the entire album is top work by this band.

Everything is recorded well and the music is crisp and clear. These songs whirl by at lightspeed and you can’t fault the performances. As this is their fourth album they clearly know what they are doing by now and have the talent to achieve their goals.

This band remind me of someone like The Black Dahlia Murder if they had a lot more blazing technicality and Black Metal in their sound. It doesn’t completely describe Solace of Requiem of course, but it’s a good starting point; throw in some Spawn of Possession, Immolation and Arkhon Infaustus and you’re on the right lines.

Casting Ruin is a monster of an album and quite an achievement. By incorporating Black Metal into their sound they successfully differentiate themselves from hundreds of standard Technical Death Metal bands and immediately set themselves apart.

This is an album that is better than most and won’t settle for being ordinary. Solace of Requiem have their own identity that serves them well and they’re just waiting for you to discover them.

Do it now.

Majestic Downfall/The Slow Death – Split (Review)

Majestic Downfall are from Mexico and The Slow Death are from Australia. Both play Doom Metal.

This is a much longer split than the norm – 67 minutes in total with each band giving roughly half of that. It also boasts quite a striking album cover. Nice.

Majestic Downfall are first off with a crushingly heavy start to things. They play Doom Metal with a slow Death Metal influence – Death/Doom or Doom/Death, whichever you prefer.

Ready comparisons to newer bands would be the likes of Eye of Solitude and that ilk. For older bands think Paradise Lost/My Dying Bride gone full-on Doom/Death. Majestic Downfall are not a band who are totally mournful and miserable though as a lot of the riffs are more brutal or energetic and they have faster moments too.

The vocals are super-deep and the music is clear and strong. Melodies are a large part of the band’s sound and they make full use of them to produce enjoyable tracks that are largely colossally heavy but also show shading with their use of lighter sections.

With a generally more upbeat take on the genre this is a good listen and makes a decent impression.

After Majestic Downfall’s crisp energetic Doom Metal The Slow Death are like a funeral procession of depressive soundscapes. The Slow Death are a much more mournful proposition and big on proto-Gothic atmosphere.

They can be said to share similar influences and a base sound to Majestic Death but they process it in a different way and the results are therefore different as well. The Slow Death are a lot more downbeat in sound, (although they do still have upbeat moments), and the overall vibe is darker and more negative. Think a band like The Sins of Thy Beloved only with a more subtle Gothic influence.

Melodic guitars draped in misery and rotting dreams are the leading lights in this showcase of loss. The band create dirges that hold interest and have some good riffs in them.

The vocals alternate between clean, ethereal, haunting female singing and deep, dark male growls. It’s a contrast that was done to death years and years ago in the Gothic Metal style but one that’s not so popular these days. I find it makes me a tad nostalgic, even. Regardless, The Slow Death pull it off with style and it sounds almost refreshing to hear the clean female/rough male vocals trading off once again.

A top quality split from two bands who have presented two different takes on a core style. It’s especially worth getting due to the length as each band essentially contribute a mini album’s worth of material to this split.

Be sure to check this out and then track it down.

Unwilling Flesh – Between the Living and the Dead (Review)

Unwilling Flesh is a one-man project designed for a single purpose only – massive killing capacity…

Immediately as the first track starts it’s apparent this is Swedish Death Metal and it has That Sound in spades – the trademark Swedish Chainsaw Assault is in full swing. Blood and carnage is everywhere.

This is closely modelled on the early 90’s Old-School Swedish Death Metal style and this album is essential pure devotional worship of this. Even the album cover screams SWEDISH DEATH METAL at the top of its lungs. With all this in mind, your tolerance for this style of Metal will largely dictate how well you get on with this album or not.

As for me, long-standing readers of this site may have noticed that I have a giant, gore-stained soft spot for this style of music. Yes it’s been done to death and yes there’s little innovation to be had here, but all of this misses the point really. Albums like this from Unwilling Flesh just plain ROCK. I mean, here we have lots of chainsaw riffs; deep, evil growling; creepy, darkened melodies; drums that want to destroy; what’s not to like?

The songs on this release are as competent and enjoyable as any in this style. There is the odd effect and added interest to enhance the core sound and the riffs and vocals are perfectly judged. The melodies, leads and solos are all played well and the guitars drive this album forward with nothing but destruction in mind.

This is obviously a labour of love though; this is not the sound of someone slapping an album together quickly just for the sake of it. Time and effort has clearly been spent ensuring that this has an authentic sound and, more importantly, that the songs are as good as they can be. Top marks for this.

If you decry the state of modern Death Metal, (I don’t), and/or just love the older Death Metal sound, (I do), then Unwilling Flesh offer a time capsule of delights on this album.

Listen loud, and get ready to dig out that chainsaw that you have packed away somewhere. You’re going to need it.

TKNKNTJ – 2008-2009 – Takaisinvaellus/Täällä Helvetissä Olen Aina Valaistunut (Review)

Here we have two demo recordings from Finnish Black Metal band TKNKNTJ – Takaisinvaellus originally released in 2008 and Täällä Helvetissä Olen Aina Valaistunut originally released in 2009.

Takaisinvaellus is the longer of the two releases at just under 28 minutes, with Täällä Helvetissä Olen Aina Valaistunut clocking in at just under 16 minutes.

This is Underground Black Metal with a surprisingly satisfying sound that hits all of the rights spots for people who have a lust for all that is Blackened.

The vocals are scathing and full of razorblades. The rhythms and patterns of the vocalist are pleasingly interesting and although he pretty much has a standard Black Metal croak, it’s nonetheless a great voice delivered with passion. Not content with this, however, we’re also treated to a cleaner approach on occasion and the singer pulls this off admirably. He’s sometimes backed up by the odd deeper growl as well.

The band primarily play upbeat and fast but they also have enough slower, sinister passages to keep things varied and interesting. Blackened melodies seep out of the speakers like insidious rotting worms ready to corrupt the unwary and eat away at the unworthy.

This is evil music created for the love of darkness and sin. There is a malevolent aura to the grimness of the tracks on this release.

The fact that these were originally demo recordings is hard to believe in some ways as the quality of both the music and the recordings are better than some albums from similar bands.

Check them out.

Neverworld – Visions of Another World (Review)

Neverworld are from the UK and this is their début album. They play Power Metal.

Visions of Another World starts with a short, atmospheric intro track before launching into their first song proper which is immediately all double bass, speedy riffs and keyboards/horns. It’s a strong opening that clearly states the intent of the band and the genre they play. Once the vocals kick in it’s cemented and you know it’s going to be a good run.

The band specialise in long songs that make the most of their many talents. The songs are colourful, rich and above all Metal. Soaring guitar melodies and omnipresent keyboards ensure that there’s never a dull moment to be had. There are also more solos than you can shake a stick at and it all sounds goooood.

The band boast a strong vocalist with a grand voice. He carries the tunes effortlessly and provides a focal point to the extravagant and showy music. He delivers a sterling performance.

This is a band that could never be mistaken for anything other than pure fucking Metal. This is epic, grandiose and pure class. The UK is not really known for Power Metal as much as the rest of Europe is, but Neverworld have created a shockingly good album that will surely see them rival the best that other countries have to offer.

If you’re a Power Metal fan you should make it your mission to snap this album up as quickly as you can.

Favourite Track: Blood and Romance. An epic song, the longest here and also features a great duet with Christina Gajny, (ex-Interlock). Fantastic stuff.