Rock – Page 35 – Wonderbox Metal

Interview with Blowsight

Blowsight’s new album Life & Death is a breath of fresh air for the more commercial side of hard music, and as I said in the review of the album it makes me realise that perhaps all is not lost for for this brand of Rock. Let’s catch up with the band’s singer/guitarist Nick Red to see what he has to say…

For those that are unfamiliar with your band, introduce yourself!

We’re a four piece Stockholm based rock band, formed back in 2003. We’ve been touring all over the world, mainly Europe but some shows in the states have also been done. Done a handful of albums and had a good time along the way, to put it simply…!

How did the band form?

Me and [guitarist] Seb started jamming on our favourite songs from our favourite bands, Machine Head, Pantera, Metallica, Sepultura, that stuff, in a smokey basement in Stockholm. I had been writing songs for a couple of years, he heard them and liked them. So we teamed up with [drummer] Fabz and [ex member] Flavia Canel and started rocking the Swedish underground scene. Nowadays we’re boosted by the bass lines of Mao, who joined the band a couple of years ago.

What are your influences?

It depends. My rock influences are Metallica, and in particular James Hetfield. The reason why I picked up a guitar in the first place. Amazing stage appearance, amazing rhythm guitarist… that dude is a machine. A soul filled machine. I picked up the guitar and jammed along to their latest album “Death Magnetic” the other day, and there’s some quite challenging stuff going on there that I didn’t think of while just listening to the tracks. So definitely Metallica. Apart from that, I have to mention Refused, Sikth and Machine Head in the metal area.

What are you listening to at the moment that you want to recommend?

At home, I rarely listen to a lot of metal music. Sure, I’ll pop some Slayer albums every once in a while, but I preferably spin a lot of Björk, Radiohead, Sofia Somajo, Frou Frou, more electronic and no-guitars-to-be-found kind of music. But to recommend? Mao played me this band called I See Stars, in the car the other day, and that was pretty damn brutal. Heavy stuff. I’d recommend them, check ’em out. Also, Fit For A King kicks some major ass. I would love to mention We Butter The Bread With Butter, but I haven’t heard enough. Fuckin’ love the name though! *laughs* Also, this Swedish band called Durango Riot rocks my shirt off, very energetic and fiery stuff, and contains one of the wittiest, nicest singers I have ever met.

What did you want to achieve with your album?

Achieve? To produce some good, high quality music. Music with passion, music that speaks to you. Previous albums, I’ve been showing my darker, angrier side, but I’ve become more mature and on the latest album came to realize that it feels better to sing about hope, joy, you know. Focus on the good things in life. That’s why I love the band Hatebreed, their lyrics are very “think for/believe in yourself”, and I endorse that. I think the next album, planned to be released this fall, will show a lot more of that. Those themes inspire me.

Blowsight

How did you come up with the songs on your album?

I write about 95% of the music, in our Studio “Shed Evil” here in Stockholm. I record almost every day. Not always Blowsight material, but for other artists or just to keep the creative muscle busy. When my band brothers come by, I play the stuff for them and they add their own flavour to the songs, pitch in ideas and “maybe try this?” or “I hear this instrument in the background”, whatever. The main idea for Blowsight that we had since day one, is to record whatever we wanna play live. Doesn’t matter if it’s punky, metal sounding, poppy, electronic. A lot of genres fit under the Blowsight umbrella. Hell, on the new album I even convinced them to go a tad country!

How did the recording process go?

We actually just refreshed the demo versions I recorded. Added [drummer] Fabz drums, recorded the guitars and bass lines over and threw in more dubs, more synths etcetera. That’s the benefit of having your own studio – you can go in and add, change, twist, rearrange whenever you feel like it. I produce and mix every project. I guess you can call me a control freak. I know what I like.

Are you pleased with the end result? Would you do anything differently next time?

There’s always, ALWAYS things you want to change. Every musician feels that. I’m my own most evil critic, hands down. I’m the one thinking “damn, I should’ve tried this scale on that solo”, or “maybe if I would have sung it THIS way”. But that’s what keeps me ticking as an artist. Imagine recording the “perfect” album. That would be horrible. Where would you go from there? *laughs*. But I am very, very pleased with the result.

What’s next for Blowsight?

We’re releasing this song called “Winter Show Mercy” at the end of February, dedicated to the homeless people having an extra hard time during the winter season. It will be a charity song. I recorded it and got help from my brother Kristofer laying the bass tracks, due to Mao being out of town. He’s an amazing bass player, so I know he’d do the job done. And Seb’s ears are surreal, so I put him on the task to master the tune. Turned out great.

We’re gonna go play some Swedish shows this spring, and then we’ll try to head over to the US in the summer. More info about that will be posted on our Facebook page, as soon as we got… that…. info *laughs*. I also have this EP that I recorded for a person I loved about five years ago called “The Eli EP” that might, MIGHT be released. We’ll see. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

Dinner Music for the Gods – Beautiful and Treacherous (Review)

Dinner Music for the Gods are from the US and play exotic instrumental Jazzed-up Metal.

This is eclectic and worldly Metal, with all kinds of different tempos and moods throughout. The band are adept at creating special atmospheres with their music rather akin to the feeling of different types of scenes in films. One can imagine slinking through high-class society, relaxing with the upper echelons and mixing with the elite.

This 47 minute album takes you on a tour through glamour and glitz, intrigue and drama. The destinations are heady and the journey fraught with danger, but for brave entrepreneurs it’s all worth it.

This could almost be movie soundtrack music.

The guitars gallop, solos are omnipresent and the drums and bass lock everything down. The band use their musicianship to traverse multiple styles across these 8 tracks; the core is one of guitar-based Rock/Metal but this is only the starting point on an expedition that takes in such genres as World Music, Flamenco and Jazz, to name but a few. Their musical skills and know-how are beyond reproach.

This is a good album to drive to; as the scenery changes so does the music. Have a listen and let them take you to a world of ballrooms and parties.

The Socks – The Socks (Review)

The Socks are from France and play a 70’s-style Stoner Rock.

The album art immediately drew me in, although I must confess that it is slightly marred by what is, for me, a really awful band name. Still, personal taste and all that.

But onto the important stuff – the music. The Socks, (ugh), play good, old-fashioned Rock in a retro style with a liberal dashing of era-appropriate keyboards that add to the feeling of having just stepped out of a time machine. Well almost anyway, as the production has a good modern sound to it. Rather than coming across incongruous though it allows the songs to sound much more alive than if they had gone with a usually-muted 70’s style “authentic” production.

They have songs that are upbeat and joyful, with groove, energy and vigour, while also having songs that are more laid back and introspective. Holy Sons is one of my favourite of this latter type.

The album has a good deal of variety across the 9 tracks, with even some contemporary influences sneaking in occasionally, (Next To The Light contains parts that sound almost Alice In Chains-y, for example).

The singer has a good set of lungs; relaxed and soulful. He makes his mark over well-played and written songs that are both catchy and involving.

This is only their début album but the band display a knowledge and experience of songwriting well beyond what other bands might have acquired by this point.

Despite my reservations about the name; the band acquit themselves nicely and this is a solid album of really enjoyable retro-style Rock. If you’re partial to a bit of this then you can do a lot worse.

Lune Kiri – Demo (Review)

Lune Kiri are a Post-Rock band from the US and this is their first release, containing 4 tracks at 35 minutes in length.

This is winding and exploratory, and pleasantly relaxed. Lune Kiri already seem to have mastered the art of mood and texture, and this EP would be really impressive if it wasn’t their first release, let alone the fact that it is.

Sometimes the meandering, wandering guitars paint a glorious picture and they sound so liquid you can almost imagine the brush sweeping them over the canvas. Other times they play heavier, murky, dirge-ridden riffs that want to suck you into their world. Stockholm contains both types in its 15 minute playing time.

My only real “complaint”, (and it’s not really a complaint), is why they called this a demo. The songs are so accomplished and the sound quality so good that this is essentially just a first EP. Apart from that head-scratcher I would advise anyone who likes bands like Red Sparowes, Pelican, Cloudkicker, etc. to immediately run to get this.

Blowsight – Life & Death (Review)

Blowsight are a Swedish Rock band, and this is their latest album. It’s nowhere near as heavy as most of the stuff I cover, but it’s good to have some variety in your Metal diet.

This has the requisite Rocky swagger and attitude, and the songs bleed confidence and self-assuredness. The band are right to have confidence in their abilities though as this is a veritable feast of chorus-heavy Rock songs with a shiny Metallic sheen underpinning everything.

The band play their instruments proficiently and ably enough to show what they can do with a good riff. Sometimes they remind of 80’s party/hair Metal bands only sans “irony” and with a hyper-modern sound, (Play Play Play), other times they’re more like Avenged Sevenfold in their approach, (It’s Me You’re Looking For), and other times they enter power-ballad territory, (Through These Eyes).

The singer has a great voice, full of power and attitude. His chorus lines are huge but not in a sugary commercial way, rather they have a more refined post-grunge feeling, which goes for the music as well. It’s more Audrey Horne than the majority of the radio-botherers, although almost all of these songs has the potential to be a radio-friendly unit-shifter; they even have a song called Hit on the Radio, which admittedly is a little more saccharine than the other tracks here.

A surprising album with a lot to give; varied modern melodic Rock that makes me realise that perhaps all is not lost for the more commercial sounding side of hard music. With the right exposure these could be huge.

Burning Full Throttle – No Man’s Land (Review)

Burning Full Throttle are a Hungarian Stoner Rock band.

The singer has an amazingly gruff voice, like he’s been swallowing wasps or something. It’s rough and ready to rock.

The music is fuzzy and smells of the desert; this is Stoner Rock through and through. It’s only a short album, full of songs around the 3:30 mark, but catchy riffs and catchy vocals are part and parcel of every song. As the album cover suggests; music to drive to.

In some ways there’s not much to say about an album like this; you either like this style of music or you don’t. If you do then you should have no problem getting on board with Burning Full Throttle.

Iron Tongue – The Dogs Have Barked, The Birds Have Flown (Review)

Iron Tongue

Iron Tongue play Stoner/Blues Rock and this album is all about the depth and feeling.

Morose and hallucinogenic without being maudlin or depressive; this album is rough around the edges in exactly the right way.

This is earthy, organic and honest music straight out of a Southern backroom bar. When first playing track one, (Ever After), it’s almost hard to imagine these songs will have or even need a Metallic content, as it really sounds like it doesn’t require it, reminding most of all of a band like Soulsavers.

When the distortion does appear though it gels perfectly with the rest of the song that all other thoughts are swept aside as you are presented with the full smoke-ridden package of musical depth and character.

Each song is veritably dripping with feeling and pain; the soulful vocals spinning out into the ether while the weighty guitars come crashing down in a tsunami of emotion. The highly talented backing female vocals adding further personality and Southern feelings to the passion-rich tracks.

A powerfully memorable release that will be sticking around the playlist for some time to come. If you have a passion for soulful Southern-tinged Rock then Iron Tongue are destined to become one of your favourites.

Black Space Riders – D:REI (Review)

Germany’s Black Space Riders play a diverse modern brand of Stoner Rock and their new album is a whopping 80 minutes in length, so there is loads of content to get your head around.

Sounding very confident and polished, they still have enough snarl to them to give the tracks a bit of bite when appropriate.

This is a very accomplished album, mixing Rock and Metal together with elements of Stoner Rock, Skyscraper-esque emotional Rock, psychedelia and Progressive tendencies to create a very long and very involved album. With a release of this length it would be easy to include filler and bore the listener, but there is precious little of that on D:REI thankfully.

The album has a perfectly configured sound, with everything both clear and slightly fuzzed-up in true Stoner Rock fashion. In fact I’ll coin the term Sophisticated Stoner Rock to describe Black Space Riders, (You heard it here first); at their core is a Stoner Rock Band, but they’ve taken on a heap of other influences and have evolved into something more than these relatively humble beginnings.

With so much variety, interest and ideas in these songs it’s no surprise really that they needed such a long album to showcase them all. Each track has a different mood; a different feeling all based on an essential Stoner Rock core but with ambitious designs on being even more. Every song has its own character and the longer nature of the tracks gives each one the time to develop naturally and embrace the aspect of Rock that it is portraying.

A very complete album that is long enough to provide a journey and deep enough to provide a meaningful one. Highly recommended and highly enjoyable.

Interview with Lethe

Lethe have been responsible for one of the best multi-textural dark-Rock albums of some time in their début album When Dreams Become Nightmares. I asked them some questions to see how it all came about…

Hi! For those who are unfamiliar with your band, introduce yourself!

Tor-Helge Skei (THS): Hi everybody! We are Lethe.. 🙂 We’re a Norwegian/Swiss band, or project, consisting of Anna Murphy (Eluveitie, solo, Fräkmundt, nucleus torn, and heaps of other bands/projects) and Tor-Helge Skei (Manes, Manii, Kkoagulaa, etc.).

As Lethe is comprised of members of other bands, how did this project come about?

THS: Mostly by chance, actually. I posted something on my blog a while ago, about me thinking abut doing an album of cover songs, and wondering where I could start looking for vocalists and contributors to that. Shortly after, I got an email from Anna, and we almost immediately started working on a few songs (among others, ‘Hutterite Mile’ by 16 Horsepower). It didn’t take long before we just knew we had to do more music together…and the idea about Lethe was born..

Anna Murphy (A): A journalist (singer of Three Days of Silence) contacted me because Tor-Helge was looking for musical collaborators. So we got in touch, started on some music, finished some cover songs and decided to do a real project.

Is it important to keep Lethe a fully separate entity from Manes/Eluveitie?

THS: The chemistry in the various bands and between the members are quite different, and that influences how we approach music and presentation and everything, so there’s not much real effort being done keeping them separate, really. It comes naturally.

A: Well with Eluveitie it’s pretty obvious that Lethe has nothing to do with it apart from some members maybe pitching in from time to time, but Lethe and Manes share a lot of the same collaborators so there’s more connection there. I can imagine doing shows together and combined things like that, but of course they’re still to be looked at as separate projects.

What were the influences you drew on for the sound of Lethe?

THS: Oh, the usual, I guess. Life, death, mental processes, nightmares. Everything that happen/s/ed in our lives.

A: Lyrically as well as musically we have no limits, that’s probably what influences us most, because then we can draw inspiration from everywhere 🙂

The songs are multi-textured and very well composed. How did the writing process work for this album?

THS: I can only speak for myself, but it’s quite similar to how the ‘writing’ is done in the other bands/projects I’m involved with…chaotic, unplanned, whimsical…the music kind of grows on its own, and we just follow along 🙂

A: All hail the internet. Most of it was done by exchanging files back and forth. Most of the initial sketches came from Tor-Helge and I built my parts on top of them. To finalize everything and also record some things together I went on a trip to Trondheim.

Do you feel you accomplished what you set out to with this release?

THS: Yeah, since we had no concrete plans for the final result. It was more like pushing it in a direction we would like to see it go.

A: Yes!

What would you do differently next time, if anything?

THS: Hmm.. Anna talks about some smaller mixing and audio issues she would like to do better on the next album, but I don’t hear much of that 🙂 She works in a studio, and is a lot more focused on sound quality and frequencies and stuff like that, while I’m obsessed with the general feeling and mood only. I guess we’ll do it quite similar to how we made this album, but with other songs and ideas, of course. Actually, we’re working on a set of songs for the next album already, even if the first one isn’t officially released yet 😀

A: Nothing except maybe the mixing. I’m not quite 100% happy with it and I’m learning more and more each day so I think the next one will sound better 🙂

How do you feel this album fits into the wider music scene?

THS: A little on ‘the outside’ of everything, I guess. Never been interested in being in the middle of any genres or milieus. For me, the exploration of new and unknown musical paths is massively satisfying and motivating, but I have no idea if the ‘general music listener’ thinks like that. Can’t start focusing on the potential reaction while making music! The only thing that would do, is putting breaks on the creative process. No way.

A: I have no idea if it fits anywhere, but I don’t really care either.

What are you listening to at the moment that you want to recommend?

THS: It’s been a lot of Lethe and Manes lately, of course, because of the new albums from both. Apart from that…varied stuff, mainly…Dälek, Shpongle, Blut Aus Nord, Jega, Ggfh, Billie Holiday, Buddy Rich,

A: Frostmoon Eclipse, they’re cool

What does the future hold for Lethe?

THS: New music, new albums, new personal horror stories.

A: No idea, let’s see! 🙂

Thanks!

Coshish – Firdous (Review)

Coshish are from India and play Progressive Rock that is very well put together and realised.

Lighter than most of the bands reviewed on this site; this is for moments of introspection and contemplation, and fans of Tool, Porcupine Tree, (new) Opeth and (elements of) Orphaned Land should lap this up.

Firdous is an involved concept album documenting a young man’s journey towards attaining Mukti, (liberation or release), and the lyrics are entirely in Hindi. This story spills out into the detailed artwork and even the tracklisting, where the optimal order of the tracks is a puzzle to solve using clues from the complete digipak artwork. A lot of thought has gone into this release.

None of which would matter a damn if the music didn’t meet these high standards, but it so obviously does from the first track onwards. Coshish create a rich tapestry of sound and impression via expansive Progressive Rock.

The songs are very well crafted and full of an array of instrumentation and harmonic flourishes. The content of the compositions is warm and textured, and the tracks uplift and hearten without sounding trite.

The vocals are highly melodic and accomplished, providing the icing on the proverbial cake throughout this delicious album.

As Progressive Rock goes this is an exquisite release brimming with delicacies to satisfy even the most jaded palette. If this is to your taste then there is a feast to be had with Firdous. Eat up.