Heavy Metal – Page 37 – Wonderbox Metal

Interview with Funeral Circle

Funeral Circle play Epic Doom Metal and have recently released their rather excellent début album Funeral Circle, the review of which you can read here. I’ve had the pleasure to ask the band a few questions, the results of which you can see below.

For people who haven’t encountered you before, how would you introduce your band?

Hello, Pilgrim here. Thanks for the interview.

To answer your question – We’re a bunch of guys from Canada playing Epic Doom Metal.

Your début album is incredibly well-developed for a first release – how did the writing of the songs come about?

Thank you, I’m glad you think so! As for the song writing itself… Some of the songs were written exclusively for the album, others were written when we first formed back in 2006 and refined over time. We write songs through different means, there’s no set formula. Either a band mate will have something partially or completely written and then we’ll go from there, or we’ll just build something together from scratch during rehearsal.

What are your main influences for the band?

Off the top of my head I would say quite a diverse range of classic sounding metal bands like Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Mercyful Fate Isole, Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass, Pagan Altar, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Solstice. Those were the bands that really helped us go in the Epic Doom direction when we first started off back in high school. Since then we’ve incorporated influences from more great bands and traditional folk forms of music over the years.

What are you listening to now and would like to recommend?

I’m all over the map right now, always listening to the metal classics and lots of progressive rock. Too much to recommend!

However, quite a few albums and EPs from this year are in heavy rotation as of right now. Here’s what I’m digging as of the moment – highly recommended and great records!

Procession’s To Reap the Heavens Apart, Atlantean Kodex’s The White Goddess, Argus’ Beyond the Martyrs, Borrowed Time’s debut, Gatekeeper’s Prophecy and Judgement, Cromlech’s Ave Mortis, In Solitude’s Sister, Tribulation’s The Formulas of Death, Bolzer’s Aura, Grave Miasma’s Odori Sepulcrorum, Blood Ceremony’s The Eldritch Dark, Dread Sovereign’s Pray to the Devil in Man… I’m really straining myself here, there are so many more. An insane year for heavy metal music across all genres.

Do you pay much attention to what is happening in the rest of the Doom scene?

I really try to as well as the rest of the metal scene(s) as well, but not as much as I used to. Life is particularly busy right, and right now I seem to be spending a lot more time catching up with my responsibilities to boring stuff like work when I really want to be writing music or catching up on this huge pile of records that doesn’t seem to stop growing.

But! People need to pay attention to Canadian comrades Gatekeeper and Cromlech when it comes to epic heavy and doom metal! Outstanding bands.

What does the future hold for Funeral Circle?

New releases is for certain, but we also have some plans we are going to announce in the near future… follow us on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/funeralcircle and we’ll divulge everything in the near future!

Finally….Ozzy Osbourne or Ronnie James Dio?

It’s very close, Heaven & Hell is one of my favorite albums of all time, but the first 6 Black Sabbath albums for me are just untouchable… I’ll need a few eons to think about this.

Thanks!

Cheers and thank you once again.

Ragestorm – The Thin Line Between Hope and Ruin (Review)

Italian Death Metal band Ragestorm chainsaw their way out of your speakers with enough introductory brutality and modern Thrashy Death Metal know-how to raise the odd eyebrow or two. Then the vocals kick in and you know you’re in for a wild ride. Alternating between deeper and darker, and higher and sharper, the singer can strip paint and cut skin at 100 paces.

This release boasts a tight, precise sound that helps the carnage come alive as it rips and tears everyone around it with a surgical slaughter. The songs are heavy and the band can play.

This is the kind of Metal that excites as it bludgeons. Death Metal it may be but there is also a firm Thrash sensibility at play that informs the songwriting dynamics with more than just mindless brutality. I can also hear a Lamb of God influence; particularly in the vocal department on occasion in certain vocalisations and vocal rhythms and patterns. As for the music I can hear similarities to Byzantine in places. So; imagine Lamb of God and Byzantine coming together to play some tasty At The Gates-style Melodic Death Metal; this should give you a good place to start with the sound they have. They also have guitar solos, which immediately makes me like any band just that little bit more.

This is just their début album and there is already plenty of ideas and talent on display to last them a few albums to come. These ideas are spread out over the entire album, but find a focus in Hari Seldon’s Speech.

A really good collection of songs and a really good start to what will hopefully be bigger things to come.

Top stuff.

Markradonn – Final Dying Breath (Review)

US band Markradonn unleash Final Dying Breath on an unsuspecting public that may not be ready for them, unusual that they are. But that can only be a good thing. In an age where so many bands sound the same individuality is hard to come by.

So, how to classify this…? Elements of Black Metal, Death Metal and horns all mixed up together. Symphonic Extreme Metal, but probably not in quite the way you’d expect. Like an Extreme Metal Therion only without the theatrics and operatics. There’s no cheese here – think less symphonic Black Metal and think more the start of Rameses Bringer of War by Nile. This is the territory we’re treading. The band themselves term it Experimental Atmospheric Metal Musical Expression and I think that’s as good as anything else.

Each song has its own atmosphere and a feeling of grandeur is strong on this EP. Each track feels like it’s heralding in some mythic event, or some majestic victory. Music for a glorious Metal triumph where the legions of the False Metal Gods lie vanquished and only the True Metal Pantheon remains. These songs are resplendent in Wagnerian pomp and bluster, crystallised in a hard Metal exterior.

The recording on this EP is functional but with access to a more expansive and complete sound I can only imagine how this band can soar. I’m really interested in what a full album would bring for Markradonn, especially if given complete freedom and resources to create even longer and more epic tracks than what we already have here.

Get into this band now while no-one knows who they are. Then years from now you can legitimately boast how you’ve “always been into Markradonn”. I think they will be worth the investment.

Hi-gh – Night Dances (Review)

Speed Metal played with plenty of melody and punkiness. With a low-rent album cover and low-rent sound, will the songs be similarly low-rent? No! It seems that all of the effort has gone into the songs to make them as pleasurable and memorable as possible.

The recording is not a bad one, it serves its purpose and allows the tracks to roll along on their speedy way. This is Speed Thrash made for the love of all things crossover, and not without talent either. This band know how to play as hard as they know how to have fun. Technicality added to an ease of riffing that combines to create something truly enjoyable, that seems to just slip into your consciousness and act like it’s always been there.

If they can keep this up for their next release then there should be a bright future in store for this band.

Soul Remnants – Black and Blood (Review)

Soul Remnants play song-based Death Metal with a nice thrashy edge to it. Predominantly USDM-style, they are not afraid to mix it up with the occasional keyboard highlight, some slightly more Black-Metal-esque passages, variety in vocals, etc. Eight minute epic Dead Black (Heart of Ice) is a perfect example of this. Mixing Death and Thrash is not too uncommon; less common however is integrating the odd Black Metal riff or section into the boiling pot, especially when it works well and seems natural.

Working with the confines of the Death Metal genre this is a surprisingly diverse album. They can, (and do), blast with the best of them of course, but they also do more than just that. Melodic, emotive passages sit comfortably next to brutality and harshness. Some good lead work over a solid structure of riffing and percussion means that they are clearly in touch with their thrash side while comfortably remaining of the Death Metal camp.

And there are some galloping riffs here! It’s hard to fault this album when it comes to the riffs and the feelings they evoke. Whether they are going for the throat or want to convey a sense of crawling malice they hit the spot. Solid songwriting and dynamics elevate this album higher than most.

This is the band’s second album – based on this release I wish them many more in the future.

Black Altar – Suicidal Salvation (Review)

Polish Black Metal band Black Altar start things off nicely with a bit of atmospheric piano, and when they’re ready they kick it up a gear and come out blasting.

This is Black Metal with a healthy amount of keyboards and orchestration, but it is used to create a dark atmosphere and accentuate the Metal, rather than swamping it with unnecessary pomp and overdone theatrics. The orchestral interludes work well also; minimalist and dark. In short, they have the mix right.

Whether mid-paced or faster, they have a good sense of rhythm and an ear for a good melody. The mid-paced parts of Pulse ov the Universe for example, are as good as anything Samael have ever done, with the faster parts being a bit more reminiscent of Marduk, or some such. There is even a guitar solo, that rarest of Black Metal things. Possibly my favourite track on this EP, but there is plenty to like here.

A well recorded and played sound complements the release well, and allows the band to sound tight and professional, without sacrificing the feeling of Black Metal darkness and awe that they foster so well.

I look forward to seeing what else this band are capable of. Based on this EP they know their art and I for one admire it.

Switchblade – Heavy Weapons (Review)

Well this is a cracking good listen. Israeli traditional Heavy Metal played by 5 guys who were obviously born to be Metal.

Switchblade have been around since 2005 but this is their first album. As they say – good things come to those who wait.

Top quality guitar riffing and guitar heroics place this firmly in the First Class section. Nice leads abound and each and every solo is well thought out; all backed by a very competent rhythm section.

Bands like this live or die by their songwriting and thankfully the band are no slouches in this department. I enjoy every single song on this album without exception, and each one feels like it has its own identity and purpose.

The singer has a voice dripping with Metal that perfectly fits the band with plenty of power and presence. Sometimes a band of this ilk with good songs and a good sound are just let down by the disappointing pipes of their vocalist and I’m happy to say this isn’t the case here.

This is such a great album that it would be tempting to say something like “They don’t make them like this any more” but the fact is they do; you just have to find them! How many excellent bands are overlooked purely due to being an unknown name, or because they’re unsigned or on a small record label, or because geographically they’re not from somewhere people traditionally think of when they think of Metal? These bands deserve your support, none more so than a quality band like Switchblade – you may not have heard of them before but they deserve a place in your collection. True Metal has rarely sounded this professional, or just this damn good.

Final Curse – Way of the Accursed (Review)

Sometimes all you need is some good old-fashioned Thrash Metal. Final Curse deliver.

A strong, punchy recording means that the guitars crunch, the drums pound and the vocals hit the spot. Their brand of Thrash takes its cue from the Bay Area and has the riffs to prove it.

The vocals are very good – clear but with bite; the singer really enunciates his words and has his own character and so avoids the faceless-frontman-syndrome that plagues some bands.

Final Curse have also realised that speed is not the be-all and end-all of Thrash. They can Thrash out with the best of them when required of course, but mostly their song structures and tempo are more considered; based around the needs of the guitar, rather than having the drums set the pace. There are some lovely leads on this album – these are also considered and well-played.

Overall a very satisfying Thrash Metal album, with a foot in the past and an eye on the future.

Dotzauer – Deep (Review)

Italian Post-Metal band Dotzauer have released their first full length album Deep, which is a concept album about drowning. Viewed in this light the music can be seen to have a watery-feel, from a light tide to a full-on tsunami roar.

The songs ebb and flow, like waves crashing into each other before cancelling each other out and returning to calm in the aftermath. The subtleties of light and shade – the meat and veg of Post-Metal – are used to great effect by the band to create the watery soundscape that describes the last moments of someone being taken to the depths to their final resting place. Water Buries the Skyline is a good example of this where the mellow sections in particular give the impression of idling, waiting for the inevitable to happen; while the more muscular, heavy parts are more of a wild thrashing against the inevitable.

Vocals are predominantly shouted, with the singer having a good quality bellow on him. However there are also the occasional clean/cleaner vocals as well, which add a bit of variety and depth to the music.

Favourite track: Air Hunger. Starting off gentle with clean vocals the track gets progressively harsher and more frantic as time goes on, mimicking the lack of air and the desperation that this brings.

A quality album from a little known band. Time to get to know them better.

Craven Idol – Towards Eschaton (Review)

From the foetid corpse of Black Metal we have a surprisingly fresh release from this UK band, who also have a nice sideline in Thrash.

This is a strong album. In every sense of the word. A distinct sense of force and musculature pervades this Black Metal release. Fast, blasting, relentless. This release is all these things and more. This reminds me of the famous Abyss studio-era Black Metal onslaught, where bands such as Dark Funeral and Marduk unleashed their hells on the world. Craven Idol, spiritually, share common ground. And to be fair I’ve missed it!

Songs show good composition, instruments are played well and throats are screamed raw – exactly what you would want from this album. Thrash riffs and more traditional Heavy Metal influences are also incorporated into their sound, all of which help the album to gallop along at a highly enjoyable pace. Not only that though; these influences allow Craven Idol to side-step the problem of being too one-dimensional which has sometimes weakened many a furious Black Metal album.

This is Black Metal with its finger on the pulse just long enough to know when you’re dead.