Interview with MASTERS OF DISGUISE

by Vpower

The Band: Masters of Disguise
Country: Germany

Answers by: Kalli Coldsmith (guitar)

https://www.facebook.com/MastersOfDisguise

https://mastersofdisguise.bandcamp.com/

Since I first listened to this German act some years ago I knew they had the essence of the classic Metal stuff. But with time they have developed their very own sound and they are not a child of Savage Grace any more, you can be sure of that listening to their new album "Alpha / Omega" out in October 20^th, addictive guitars and one of the best vocalists of the moment, Alexx Stahl. Enjoy this great chat with axeman Kalli.

 

 

Hello Kalli! "Alpha / Omega" is your third album, to be released in October 20th, how do you feel about it regarding your previous releases?

Kalli: Hi Alberto, regarding our past releases, we feel like we might have forged the hottest piece of metal in our career. Everybody who heared "Alpha / Omega" so far seems to like it as much as we do.

That sounds pretty good. Masters of Disguise was formed in 2013 and with "Alpha / Omega" you reach your third full-length, plus 2 Eps, you work hard…

Kalli: We released our first album "Back With A Vengeance" in 2013, that's right, but we formed the band in late 2010/early 2011 already. But you are right, we try to keep paces high and since "BWAV", we literally released new material each year.

One of those Eps is “The Fine Art of Aging Gracefully” released in 2016, where you deliver a bunch of great covers from fantastic bands of the underground as Cirith Ungol or Omen. How did you decide to go for it?

Kalli: "TFAOAG" was the first recording effort with our new guitarist Wolle. We wanted to try things out and I needed to know how we would work together in a recording situation. So we decided not to go the obvious way and record our third album but rather build a comfortable working atmosphere while recording some of our favorite songs. It was more like taking any pressure from the band and having some fun. Plus we were playing some gigs with the mighty MANILLA ROAD, so we wanted to offer something new for the tour. We did not release "TFAOAG" over our label Limb Music but wanted it rather to have that special touch of an underground release, strictly limited, with handnumbered copies, and no booklet and stuff. Just us and six cover songs. Pretty basic. And that's the story behind it.

A clever movement, indeed. So, it seems that Ep was a warming up for this great "Alpha / Omega", when did you start composing it and how was the process?

Kalli: You are right! After "TFAOAG" I knew how we would work together. Although I was not in a hurry, it took only three months to finish songwriting. I knew that Wolle would contribute tasty leads and I already had much confidence in our rhythm section. And I never worried about that Alexx, our singer, wouldn't do a great job. So it was pretty relaxed since this time I didn't try to follow the songwriting paths of the past, when I was wondering how SAVAGE GRACE, the band we emerged from, would sound nowadays. The songwriting for "Alpha/Omega" shows a cross section of my musical preferences, so to speak.

You are a band that follows the classic roots, two blasting guitars and a great vocalist to lead the sound, any guy leading the pace or more a team effort?

Kalli: It was always more or less Alexx and me playing "leader of the pack". As you can imagine, Alexx' voice is maybe the most important part for MASTERS OF DISGUISE, followed by the song material. Nevertheless, every band member contributes to the success of the band and I'm very thankful that we have such a great line-up. There are no big egos and we are more than five guys sharing rehearsal room and stage. It's more like a bunch of buddies accidently playing in the same band!

By the way, for those who doesn’t know  the origins of the band, you got your name after Savage Grace's debut album, but currently you stand with a sound totally of your own

Kalli: Yeah, SAVAGE GRACE was one of the big US speed metal bands back in the 80s and we actually were part of the SAVAGE GRACE revival in 2009/2010, at least Mario and me! We toured Europe and wanted to record a new album in late 2010, but SAVAGE GRACE leader and original band member Chris Logue did strange things and needed to leave the country and SG disbanded. Having a whole album in the tradition of SG's debut album "Master Of Disguise" from 1985 up our sleeves, we soon decided to form MASTERS OF DISGUISE and release the songs. This resulted in our debut album "Back With A Vengeance" from 2013. In 2015, we recorded the successor "The Savage And The Grace" with which we kinda veered away from the pure SG song writing for the first time. Now, for "Alpha/Omega", our third full length, the idea is reinventing the band instead of walking old paths. For the first time, we do not feature Knutson, the sadistic cop, on the album cover. Nevertheless, we still keep telling his story with the third part of our "Knutson saga" with "Knutson III: Nemesis (I Am The Law)". But this song in particular is maybe the most unorthodox song of our career and would have never fit into the narrow SG context.

Yes, it seems the beast has grown up and is totally unleashed. Alexx Stahl is a singer with a long curriculum, but maybe he is in the best moment of his career according to his performance on "Alpha / Omega"

Kalli: That's exactly what I think, too! Alexx always was a great singer, but his performance on "Alpha/Omega" really nails it! Our approach for recording the album was more loose and spontaneous, just like the songwriting was. Often, the first takes had such an intensity that we did not change them anymore. Alexx came, sung, and conquered!

Amazing. No filler in your album, and a big range of styles from speed metal, heavy metal and even some epic tunes

Kalli: Thanks, we tried to be a little more diversified compared to our past efforts. I mean I love albums that don't throttle down from the first to the last second, but if you get to write more than one album with your band, it will most likely happen that you want to keep things interesting. You don't want to write the same album over and over again.

Sure, that’s the point! Shadows of Death is in my opinion a very complete song, a good picture of what will find in the album

Kalli: Yeah! "Shadows Of Death" is an epic tune, one of the band's favorite songs on "Alpha/Omega" and I can tell you that we're working on a lyrics video for it. This is a very special song because we never tried something like this before. Alexx' performance makes me shiver and maybe "Shadows" has the biggest chorus of our career. It's outstanding and unique while the rest of the album is slightly different: We got pure and pounding 80s heavy metal feeling delivered by "The Rise (And Fall) Of Kingdoms" and "Sign Of The Cross". The latter was written by Chris Logue and has never been recorded and released before. So that's something special for the old SAVAGE GRACE fans out there. But the biggest part of the songs is fast and speedy. We have "Sacrifice", "Witchhammer", "Killer's Redemption" and "The Leech" at a breakneck pace. "Demons From The Past" is fast, catchy and takes a little break before it comes to its fulminant ending. And last but not least there is the title track "Alpha/Omega", which is melodic thrash metal with another huge epic part. To me the best song on the album!

A great summary Kalli, and Nemesis shows your more aggressive face, for sure it will be a hammer in your gigs?

Kalli: Right, as I stated earlier, it's quite unconvenient for us, but has a powerful and catchy chorus. It will surely be a live smasher with hundreds of voices in the audience singing "I Am The Law".

Brilliant and addictive riffing and solos thoughtout  the whole album, any war between you and Wolle to be under the spotlights?

Kalli: The riffing is crucial to any heavy metal record! If the rhythm guitars suck, the whole album sucks! So to me, this is the most important instrumental part while recording and we put a lot of effort in it to deliver tight and scintillating rhythm guitars. Regarding leads: I like the different lead guitar styles on "Alpha/Omega" very much. Wolle has a smoother, maybe more technical approach while I'm a rougher player and I like to use the Wah pedal a lot. So you could say that we try keep the leads interesting with our different approaches and styles. But we both always keep the melodic aspect in mind and never shred just for shred's sake.

Talking about gigs, any tour already in your agenda to present your new album?

Kalli: In the past, we toured with our American friends from MANILLA ROAD and OMEN and always had a good time. For "Alpha/Omega", it will be difficult, because last year Alexx got an offer to join a bigger German band and now he can make a living on being their singer, which would have never happened with MASTERS OF DISGUISE, because we are too small and special. I really don't know any band in the speed or thrash genre that was formed in the new millenium and earns enough to quit their day jobs. So that was and is a great opportunity for Alexx and we respect his decision and support him in any which way we can. Alexx already offered to leave the band because of his tight schedule, but we all agreed that we want to keep him in the band, no matter if it effects touring and gigs. And I must say, I'm glad that he is still with us, because his singing is awesome on "Alpha/Omega" and he still gets better!

Well, I suppose you are talking about Bonfire, yeah, it’s a big deal for him. Many of you guys have played in many bands, but I suppose Masters of Disguise is right now your priority, right, apart of Alexx maybe?

Kalli: We have played and still play in other bands, but MASTERS OF DISGUISE is very special because there are not many bands playing this style any more. Close to thrash metal but yet melodic, not cheesy, with commitment and craftsmanship and a vocalist that acts beyond doubt. So it IS a priority to keep going and I think "Alpha/Omega" is the perfect album to express our attitude.

With your experience, what do you like and what do you hate of the current Metal scene?

Kalli: I like that the scene is still friendly, no brawls and stuff at gigs and that you can rely on most people being involved. I don't like that the more people and bands want to be part of the game, the more money gets lost. This means that you might barely cover your expenses. You only get peanuts for selling albums, with Spotify you literally earn nothing. I don't know any professional that works free of charge! Do you know any baker that gives away his bread?! Most records sound all the same because they need to be produced on low budgets. Many studios don't know how to properly record a whole drumkit anymore because it's usually all out of the box! I think people should regain awareness that if you don't want to pay for quality, you can't expect any quality in the long run.

Yeah, you are very right, future will tell what is to come. Great chat, man, thank you very much Kalli and congratulations for your great new album!

Kalli: Thank you for the interview! We're looking forward to the release of "Alpha/Omega" and also wanna say "Gracias!" for the great review we got from Metalbrother.es! The video for "Shadows Of Death" will be released around October 20th and I hope that many of you will check it out! All the best to you guys and keep the fire burning!

ZYPHRA – Revolución (2017)

1.Intro 01:08

2.Revolución    04:26

3.Dentro del cristal  04:22

4.Para siempre  05:18

5.Hijos de la ira  04:24

6.Frío   05:00

7.Inmortal  05:58

8.En la frontera   05:27

9.La muerte de un poeta  05:46

10.Reina de corazones  03:54

11.Vivo en Madrid

Christian Fernández - Drums

Samuel Castillo - Guitars

David Aldana   - Vocals

Héctor Cobo - Bass

Segundo album sobre la mesa de esta banda madrileña. Se formaron en 2005 y se estrenaron discográficamente hace tres años con Ciudad sin Ley, un album donde se movían en un sonido que creo que pesaba más el hard rock que el heavy, además de que era una grupo que estaba todavía perfilando su sonido. Con este segundo disco dan un paso adelante, ganan en grados de madurez y en calidad compositiva, además de que enfocan su sonido más hacia el heavy metal, pero vamos a verlo tema a tema. Por cierto, estamos ante un disco en el que cuentan con varias colaboraciones, como la de Alex Escorzo, Monserrat Muñumuel o la buena de Barbara Black, cuyo nuevo disco os hemos comentado recientemente.

Tras la intro tenemos el tema que da título al disco, Revolución, es un tema de heavy metal a medio tiempo, con dos partes bien diferenciadas, una inicial más tranquila y una segunda con el cambio de riff que dinamiza el tema, lo acelera y hasta le da un ligero toque progresivo. Las melodías, como a lo largo de todo el disco, hacen constante acto de presencia y están bien elaboradas, lo mismo que los solos, ojo al trabajo que se marca Samuel Castillo, está inspirado y se viene arriba, con unos punteos melódicos que recuerdan a los mejores Dokken.

Dentro del cristal tiene un inicio con acústicas y en formato balada, van intercalando melodías y acústicas en un corte que me recuerda a los reyes del hard rock melódico que ha tenido este país, los Sangre Azul, buenos solos cristalinos y David Aldana nos deja una de sus mejores ejecuciones en el presente disco.

Para siempre es un heavy melódico con cambio de ritmo para introducir un estribillo con mucho gancho, de nuevo esa dualidad entre hard rock y heavy. Solo de calidad y luego una pausa que le da un plus al tema, sonido Sangra Azul, Sanvoisen, Axel Rudi Pell, melodías y temas muy disfrutables. Hijos de la ira sorprende por su inicio de carácter sinfónico, pero luego se queda en un tema rockero donde destacaría la pausa ambiental y como siempre las buenas melodías.

Frío es el tema en el que participa Barbara Black haciendo segundas voces y coros, participación bien escogida la suya pues es un tema que se adapta mucho a su estilo, un corte lento, con solo al ralentí, pero donde  reservan un tiempo para meter la parte y el solo heavys, uno de los temas más logrados del disco.

Inmortal es quizás el corte que más me ha sorprendido y el que más me ha agradado, ya que tiene un inicio de guitarras oscuras, con carga doom, luego ya se meten en su heavy pero primando un sonido más pesado y pausado que en el resto del disco. El solo pone la guinda al pastel, Aldana se explaya con un punteo lento y atmosférico, seguido de otro más heavy, diría que es el tema con más carisma del disco y que además deja abierta la puerta a nuevos caminos para la banda en el futuro, pues es solvente y está bien elaborado.

En la frontera es un tema muy a lo MSG, hard rock melódico con pausa bluesy donde la guitarra se convierte en la gran protagonista. La muerte de un poeta y Reina de corazones son temas más estándar, donde arriesgan menos y tiran más hacia el sonido del primer. El cierre lo ponen con un tema acústico, relajado y con mucha sensibilidad, al estilo de los Suaves, Vivo en Madrid es una forma elegante de cerrar este muy buen disco. Zyphra demuestra una muy buena progresión con respecto a su primer disco, los temas están más elaborados y tienen mucha más pegada, además, punto a tener en cuenta, demuestran capacidad para adentrarse en nuevos territorios, progresivo o heavy doom, una banda dinámica que puede darnos muchas sorpresas en el futuro y que nos deja un disco muy disfrutable.

Puntuación: 7,5/10

Pride and joy (by Steve Ray Vaughan)

EXARSIS – New War Order (2017)

1.Zionism (The Reaping) 00:44

2.Twisted Logic 03:24

3.The Underground 03:39

4.General Guidance 04:36

5.Just Buried 04:17

6.Chaos Creation 01:32

7.Prophet For Profit 05:02

8.Combined Disasters 03:45

9.HAARP Weapon 03:45

10.Human Project

Vocals: Nick Tragakis

Bass: Chris Poulos

Guitars: Kostis Foukarakis

Guitars: Tony Lambrakis

Drums: Achilles Kamzolas

Tercer disco para esta banda griega que sigue fiel a los cánones del thrash californiano, el guión casi al pie de la letra, si te gusta bien y si no a otra cosa. Tras la breve intro arremeten con Twisted Logic a modo de cruce entre el thrash bay area de toda la vida y por momentos, me parece lo más interesante del corte, unos riffs con mucho groove que recuerdan a los buenos tiempos de los Iced Earth y que le dan al tema un aire de power thrash.

The Underground es el típico tema bay area, a tope, con predominio de coros, un corte que te recordará a lo que han hecho cientos de bandas antes que estos griegos, suena bien, suena a thrash americano pero no sorprenden en ingún momento.  General Guidance es un tema a pedal de principio a fin, monoriff y monotiempo se podría decir, no tiene mas donde excarvar, con el solo limpio al estilo Megadeth.

A estas alturas te darás cuenta que el mayor rasgo de personalidad propia con que cuenta la banda en cuanto a sonido de refiere es su vocalista, que casi si siempre se ejercita en un tono agudo, chirriante y chillón, que a algunos les gustará y a otros les levantará dolor de cabeza, lo cierto es que no es habitual en este tipo de bandas, donde el perfil más clásico es el de una voz grave o medio gutural con agudos ocasionales. Eso es lo que más destaca en Just Buried y de nuevo el solo a lo Megadeth, Metallica.

Chaos Creation es una breve intro para el siguiente tema con un riff y ritmo mantenido, hasta que entra Prophet For Profit, otro tema bay area, suma y sigue, se mantienen en la zona de comfort y no arriesgan lo más mínimo, te vas acostumbrando a que el tema te arrope en la espera del solo que es la parte más interesante, aunque igual de previsible que el resto. Combined Disasters introduce una primera fase de heavy speed metal que hace que salgas del letargo al que el disco te iba induciendo, hasta que se produce el arreón, vuelven los agudos del cantante y el solo con melodía, es como ver la misma película una y otra vez.

HAARP Weapon ofrece la misma combinación de elementos que hemos visto hasta ahora, únicamente introducen algo diferente combinando groove con melodías en las guitarras y blast beats al final del tema. Se acaba el asunto con Human Project, un tema de más de siete minutos en los que te esperas que hagan algo distinto y más fresco, pero no, es repetir y alargar todo lo visto hasta ahora, y te preguntas para qué dar la brasa con siete minutos de canción, quién sabe. Ninguna sorpresa y un disco que cumple con lo que se espera de una banda de thrash pero que por la falta de ideas y la reiteración va cayendo en una especie de anestesia y somnolencia que induce a que cada vez le prestes menos atención.

Puntuación: 5/10

Merciless Death (by Dark Angel)

Interview with WARFARE

by Vpower

The Band: Warfare

Country: UK

Answers by: Paul Evo

Rock & Metal Music is in need of bands and guys as WARFARE & EVO, with no doubt one of the celebrities of the 80s heavy metal and the great NWOBHM. His story during a show with Metallica is part of his legend, but there are more stories and we rescue some of them in this great chat with the man, and of course we talk also a little about his new album “Warfare”, because the band is back and kicking asses.

Hello man, 25 years of silence is quite a long time… but fans have never forgotten Warfare, what has moved you to get back to the stages?

I had a dream one night or maybe a nightmare that I was playing again, so the next day I dug out my old bass guitar and took it to my friends studio Fred Purser (ex Penetration/Tygers of Pan Tang) plugged it into a Marshal valve bass amplifier and hit the first chord at first I was a little rusty but I blew the pens off the office desk, so I turned it up even more and at that point I knew the Noise Filth & Fury was back in my blood it was then that I started writing again.

A return up to your legend. Warfare was born in 1982, you were apart of any band and so you got a place in metal history. What was the best moment of it all?

I created Warfare in 1984 before that I had played and recorded with Major Accident, The Blood & Angelic Upstarts, it’s very hard to say what was the best part of it, as it was total fuckin mayhem from the start, I enjoyed getting banned from venues because of my shocking behaviour , pissing into amps, burning drum kits, attacking security guards, throwing pigs blood at the audience you know all the usual things of being in the world’s first punk/metal band.

In this new album you have the collaboration of great guys as Fast Eddie Clarke and Lips, how was it?

What can I say Fast Eddie is one of the best fuckin guitarists in the world, I’d already worked with Lemmy,  so it was great to have Eddie help out on guitar, also Lips from Anvil is one of the fastest guitar players I have ever worked with he just lifted the track This man bleeds hate to another dimension , and when you buy the album you will see what I mean.

You also have worked with Algy Ward (Tank), is there any chance to repeat or to publish some new material together?

No that was a one off EP just friends jamming you know.. but my new album is the real deal going over the threshold of pain..just like it should be.

Do you know something about former mates Gunner and Zlaughter?

No I have never seen a lot of the musicians that played with me obviously I keep in touch with Fast Eddie & Algy.

Why did Warfare quit in 1993?

Basically I ran out of ideas I steered the project through good and bad times releasing many albums, but it was also becoming boring to me I had played professional music from the age of 16 to 30, working with some amazing musicians and in my opinion living through the most prolific time of rock music in every genre.

There is a great story about a gig with Metallica in the Hammersmith where you played in the garage, legend or not? How did it happen?

We played on the back of a truck as a protest, smashed up cars, causing absolute mayhem, bust noses, crow bars through the truck window by the security, throwing my mike stand thru the window of the  Hammersmith Odeons managers car, police chases ,it was a lovely day out I enjoyed every momement.

Amazing. Warfare has been always a band beyond limits and rules. For instance, you recorded a live show in a church. Are you thinking to take the new songs to the stage hiring some guys around?

 At the momement I have no plans to play live, however if I did it would be a full on show, playing all the Warfare classics plus several songs from the brand new album with an amazing session band and myself on lead vocals…and it would be so Loud…Fuckin Glorious.

Paul, you have always been surrounded by great musicians, as I said before Algy Ward, also teamed up with Venom, Lemmy Kilmister… With your experience, what can you say about Lemmy?

Lemmy was fantastic to work with a very well read gentleman and he pushed me so hard on the Metal Anarchy sessions and I learned a lot and we worked hard but boy did we play hard out every night down at Camden , Vodka a plenty, special brew, Wurzel  joined us also on a few occasions, both are gone but will never be forgotton nor will the album Metal Anarchy for that matter.

In the last years you have promoted several shows, as the Bliztallica fest, do you continue with that promotion activity?

No I stopped promoting rock gigs but had some really good sold out shows with Wilko Johnson and many others at my local civic centre.

Your new album is amazing, it’s like the time had stopped because it gathers all your previous legacy. These are new tracks or were composed long ago?

Thank you I am pleased you like it, I wrote it all in one year putting a track down one at a time until finished, it is just what the fans have waited for as it’s all the Warfare albums with played with the same anger and attitude with todays production and lyrics that stink of the street, a lot of people have described it as Bomber meets Pure Filth and I’m really pleased with it.

The title of the album refers to your legendary band, kind of claiming the recognition you deserve?

It really is just a brand new Warfare album and Im very pleased the recognition I am getting, for those lazy motherfuckers who haven’t bought it go get it, the real fuckin deal, get it from www.hrrecords.de.

High Roller Records has been the smart guys to sign you, there will be any especial promotion for the occasion?

High Roller are a really good label and I also think they are going to release a live album of all the early Warfare shows, also I am on re mastering the first four Warfare albums which will be released in early 2018 on Universal records.

Great news for new and long time fans. This is the following to the mini-album "Damned Unto Death", there will be more chapters to come in the future?

The new album isn’t a follow up to the mini one..this is a WARFARE album, if it sells really well there is no reason why I can’t do a follow up, but only time will tell.

Thank you very much Paul it was great to chat with you and welcome back!!

Any fans that want to get in touch please do so via my facebook page   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010703193337   or with my PR Lucy at Mayhem Management  levans@tiscali.co.uk   or record company  info@high-roller-records.de  ……I raise a glass to all of my fans..play it fuckin LOUD!!!  Evo 2017

Highway star (by G3)

CORAXO – Sol (2017)

1.Your Life. Our Future 01:02

2.Of Stars Reborn  03:45         

3.Satellite  04:36           

4.Helios  03:05             

5.Retrograde    04:04    

6.Revenants     04:32    

7.Ascension     04:35    

8.Sunlight  04:20           

9.Sacrifices Made 04:43           

10.The Chase - In Hiding pt.1 01:20

11.Spearhead 06:13  

Ville Kokko - Bass

Ville Vistbacka - Drums

Tomi Toivonen - Vocals, Guitars, Programming

Esta banda sueca se formó en 2013 y tienen como peculiaridad que combinan el death metal con sonidos electrónicos y otros instrumentos. Hasta ahora habían publicado dos eps  y un disco, así que esta es su segunda entrega.

Primero una intro antes de acometer Of Stars Reborn, una canción que no suena para nada mal, combinando death atmosférico con partes más agresivas y otros elementos alternativos y nada habituales en el death metal como es el sonido del saxo, le da un aire progresivo y no le queda mal al corte, contra lo que se podría pensar inicialmente.

Satellite ya se mete en un ambiente totalmente distinto, dado que los sintetizadores cobran mucho más protagonismo y el sonido más comercial y de gaseosa se adueña del tema, se puede hablar de un híbrido entre power y death que no me acaba de convencer. Helios sigue con esa mezcla entre el death más comercial, inevitable pensar en los poperos Children of Bodom, y ramalazos heavys e incluso con toque session que le sube la nota y la calidad al tema, aunque nunca acaba de resultar redondo del todo porque es como si tratasen de contentar a todo el mundo, al final te quedas un poco en tierra de nadie.

Retrograde nos devuelve a la parte más comercial de esta banda, melodeath con power muy azucarado, metal para adolescentes y solo se salvan algunas partes ambientales, pero el conjunto es infumable. Revenants es otro tema excesivamente blando en el que introducen voces femeninas y van variando entre el pop, el rock y el progresivo, de nuevo el pupurri que no lleva a ninguna parte. Lo mismo ocurre con Ascension, le falta pegada en la base rítmica, totalmente insustancial, y me sobran teclados.

Sunlight es un death melódico muy blandito, con las partes atmosféricas como lo más destacado y un solo acompañado de teclados. Sacrifices Made es una extraña combinación entre sonidos oscuros y melodías, a veces suena progresivo y otras demasiado comercial e insustancial, te descoloca totalmente. Un breve interludio y acabamos con Spearhead, el tema más largo del disco pero no por ello el más interesante, dominio por completo de los teclados pero sin aliciente ni intensidad, soporífero por momentos.

Un disco con algunas buenas ideas y otros momentos en los que la sensación que dan es que no saben como enfocar sus ideas, tiran de todos los palos y eso al final hace que el sonido se diluya y no transmita sensaciones. Otro problema grande que les veo es que tienen una falta de pegada absoluta, la base rítmica es totalmente intranscendente y los teclados están sobrevalorados y acaban saturando. Ellos lo llaman electronic death metal, me parece muy bien, yo lo llamo sopor.

Puntuación: 3,5/10

HETEROCHROME – Melancholia (2017)

1.Cage  03:35

2.Hang  03:58

3.Regret  04:53

4.Purgatory  05:54

5.Paradise  03:55

6.Inferno  07:52

Mohammadreza Rezaei - Guitars (lead)

Mida - Vocals, Lyrics

Mohammad Mirboland - Drums

Armin Afzali - Bass

Metal desde Irán, amigos, y ya sabéis lo que eso significa, supongo. Es un país donde esta música no es precisamente bienvenida, tampoco cuenta con mucho arraigo, ya no digamos apoyos, todo lo cual lleva a concluir que tienes que estar muy convencido para hacer este tipo de música en un ambiente así, y eso por sí solo ya merece todo mi respeto. Pero veamos, que es lo que nos interesa aquí, que tienen que aportar esta gente al mundo metalero.

Se trata de su debut y se dan al metal progresivo. Un disco de 6 temas con unos títulos bastante elocuentes, tan sencillos como impactantes. Cage nos deja un tema de sonido heavy progresivo con excelentes guitarras melódicas y vocalista femenina que cumple. Con Hang hacen más fuerza en la distorsión y destaca por sus buenas voces pero también por la buena ejecución guitarrera, metiendo acústicas de por medio.

Regret se puede decir que es básicamente un corte diseñado para el lucimiento del guitarra solista, aprovecha su momento y da muestra de sus buenas aptitudes, consiguiendo un tema que conjuga el heavy melódico con una estructura más progresiva.

Purgatory es uno de los temas más elaborados de este ep, con ese nombre yo me esperaba un tema bastante intrincado en cuando a su composición y eso es precisamente lo que nos entregan. Por compararlo con alguna banda la que primero se me viene a la cabeza son los grandes Savatage, por su combinación de tiempos, de melodías y de fuerza, partes ambientales y grandes arreglos de guitarra, de libro.

Paradise parece una balada de principio pero luego trasciende hacia un corte de heavy progresivo donde una vez más las guitarras vuelven a brillar de modo especial y ya es algo tan reiterado que realmente se te queda en la cabeza. Para finalizar, el tema más largo de este disco con Inferno, melodías, toques de jazz fusion, aceleraciones y paradas, con el juego de la doble voz, un tema muy dinámico y con mucho gancho.

Sorprendente la calidad que muestran esta gente, un debut brillante donde demuestran tanto buenas ideas y calidad como buen gusto. Posiblemente si estuviesen en un entorno más favorable tendrían más repercusión, para seguirles la pista.

https://heterochrome.bandcamp.com/releases  disco completo

INVERTED SERENITY – As Spectres Wither (2017)

1.Dead Dialectics  06:11           

2.Mitral Genesis  04:50             

3.We Who Wander 04:49

4.Cornerstones  05:11              

5.Paragon  05:57          

6.Mechanical Gods  05:46

7.Grave  06:28

8.Lunar Cradle  09:23

Ben Deveau - Drums

Drew Thomas Peacock - Guitars

Tomas Ingham - Vocals, Bass

Marco -  Guitars

Estamos ante el tercer disco de esta banda canadiense que se formó en 2009. Su estilo va en la línea del death metal, sobre todo con un carácter técnico. Y han sacado este disco de manera independiente, no sé bien los motivos, si por deseo de la banda o porque no han encontrado un sello para su distribución, lo cual por un lado me parecería algo inusitado dada la calidad que atesoran, pero que el mismo tiempo deja ver que estamos en un escenario de la industria musical en el que todo es posible, que dé dinero ya es otra cosa.

Dan prueba de su calidad técnica desde el primer tema, Dead Dialectics, me gusta el relieve que le dan al aspecto técnico pero sin perder pegada y adictividad gracias al trabajo de guitarras, con el solista metiendo constantemente la patita y pidiendo protagonismo. Menos interesante me parece el típico juego de voces grave/aguda, está más que visto, aunque no les queda mal. Estamos ante un tema largo y elabarado que alcanza su cenit cuando se meten a hacer punteos, primero melódicos y hasta con aires a jazz, para acabar dando caña burra sin descanso, un derroche de solos que pone sobre la mesa tanto la calidad técnica como el buen trabajo realizado, los deberes cumplidos.

Mitral Genesis cambia el escenario ya que es un medio tiempo con los riffs como protagonistas, unos de corte técnico y otros melódicos, de la misma forma que el solo tiene ese carácter melódico, es un tema claramente más sencillo que el anterior, pero tiene su gancho. Nueva vuelta de tuerca con We Who Wander donde fusionan el brutal death con el death melódico y de nuevo gran cantidad de punteos que salpican el tema.

Cornerstones sigue mantiendo mi atención, saben como hacer cada tema interesante, aportando algo diferente aunque siempre manteniéndose dentro de la base del death metal en el que se mueven. Death técnico a los Schuldiner pero también incluyendo partes ambientales. Además, le meten más alicientes al tema acercándose en ocasiones a un sonido thrash o incluso heavy y por primera vez introducen voces limpias.

Paragon empieza a destajo y sin preámbulos para luego meter una pausa ambiental que podrían firmar los Iron Maiden, de nuevo como en el tema anterior haciendo cameos con el heavy metal y lo hacen de manera natural, totalmente solvente. Solo heavy y riffeo melódico con doble bombo, para después introducir una nueva pausa, otro tema muy elaborado y muy disfrutable, su ténica no es óbice para que hagan temas entretenidos, algo que puede parecer de libro pero ahí están los plomos de Dream Theather para probar que eso no es tan evidente, y que me perdonen sus fans, pero aquí siempre decimos lo que pensamos y sentimos con la música.

Faltaba algo en este completo bufet? Pues sí, un poco de brutal death con metalcore, death técnico y la chispa de sicodelia necesaria para decir que Mechanical Gods es un corte que se podría calificar más de corte progresivo que de otra cosa. Grave es un corte con momentos de death muy agresivos pero dominado por las melodías que se perfilan con el gran solo de guitarra. Cierran el despliegue con el tema más ambiental y oscuro del disco, Lunar Cradle, guitarras my distorsionadas y excelente ambientación por si faltara algo en este album.

Excelente disco el que se han sacado de la manga estos canadienses. Posiblemente haya pasado desapercibido para la inmensa mayoría de mundo metalero, ya no digamos para el 99% de las webs comerciales que solo comentan los discos de las bandas de siempre, pero creedme cuando os digo que este disco merece mucho la pena.

Puntuación: 8/10

I'm rock (by Brother Firetribe)

Interview with PROCESSION

by Vpower

The Band: Procession

Country: Chile

Answers by: Felipe Plaza (guitars, vocals)

https://www.facebook.com/doomprocession/

It’s been a privilege to interview Felipe Plaza, not only because PROCESSION is one of the heavy doom bands, or doom heavy, as you prefer, of the moment, the guy has also that attitude to really overcome any fucking obstacle between him and his goal. Their new album “To Reap Heavens Apart” offers a great collection of songs and emphasizes Felipe’s composition talent. Moreover, Felipe left us some words to remember, a very interesting reading.

Hello Felipe, four years since the release of “To Reap Heavens Apart”, what has changed in these last years inside the band?

Felipe: Hey! Well not much actually, we keep on moving on our own pace and under our own rules so things are pretty much the same and that's great!

In the current world it’s truly something to feel proud of, certainly. “Doom Decimation” is your new album to be released on October 31st , what can you tell us about it?

F: Yeah man, we're pretty excited about the released. We went down to Chile last January and spent 3 months there arranging, recording, mixing and mastering the whole thing. The result is a pretty heavy-ish slab of doom metal and the feedback so far has been killer so is just a matter of time, release in October/Tour in November.

Non Stop.  “To Reap Heavens Apart” is probably considered your best recording, if you had the formula for success you might consider: why change it? Is this the case with your new album?

F: Nope, is not the case of the new album. That "formula" you mention is just the way we have played in Procession from the beginning. The fact that you say or someone else says TRHA is"our best" recording is only subjective. I've heard all kinds of opinions and they vaguely affect the course of things. We did the album we wanted to listen to as fans of the band and genre and THAT's been the formula for our personal success. Besides, who wants to record the same album again right? We got new songs!

Hahaha well, Francisco, I could tell you more than one band recording always the “same” album, but that’s not your case! Procession has always been Felipe Plaza’s band. What percentage of the new album has been composed by the rest of the band?

F: We put together "As They Reach The Womb" at the rehearsal room just a few weeks before we started recording so that's the only song where everybody added its bits and i think it sums up the band at the moment, the personalities (according to who did what in the song, up to the listener to find out hehe) and most importantly wraps up the concept of both the cover-art and the pessimism of the rest of the songs. Thats why i waited till the end of the creative process to work on it, when i already had a perspective and vision of how the album would look and sound like. All other songs are mine and some of the lyrics i worked, as usual, with Claudio (bass).

Awesome. Felipe yo have relocated to Sweden. However, the new album was recorded in Chile. Any reason for it?

F: Mostly, a search for an original /non-standard european sound and also to put the band in a sort of un-safe scenario where it was just us and the creation. Also, there's a strong connection between the spirit of the south and the way we and I see things, music, life itself. So it just felt natural to go "back" to that corner of our "souls" to dig up a new album.

Although you live in Sweden , you still claim to be a Chilenan band, rigth?

F: Yeah well, half ofthe band is Chilean, the creative core to say so...so the address means nothing in this case. I moved myself and the band to Europe to get closer to better opportunities for the band, but i never thought of changing in any way. I guess is a good way to stay original in a sea of euro-clichés, standards, fame-hunters, etc. Our pace, our way.

What are the lyrics about on “Doom Decimation”?

F: Is a reflection on the uncorruptible duality of man as creator/destructor from the moment of birth.

You sing and play guitar, you demonstrate once again that it’s possible to be a good guitarrist and singing without scaring cats & humans around, it’s not easy and we have many examples of good guitarrists with awful singing skills…

F: It's a matter of practice i think! Playing guitar should become muscular/mechanical at some point so the effort and character brain focuses on the singing only...or something like that. Us metalheads that never went to guitar-school or singing lessons I guess we all find our own way so there aint a "formula" or book on how to be good or authentic at it. Just shut off the fucking Iphone and get to it. All your favorite artists and albums did all the research needed, so no need for school: use your time wisely, metal is the way.

“Shut off the fucking Iphone and get to it”, that’s the beginning! Probably I will point out All Descending Suns as the best song in the album, the guitars in this track are simply devastating

F: Yeah some mornings i wake up thinking that's one ofthe best ones too. Is the apocalypsis-stage of the album, when all goes to hell. And it had to have this constant drama, from the incessant drumming full of details, the struggling picking, solos, everything. Is gonna be great to do it live: pure doom metal aggression!

Sure. Lonely Are The Ways Of The Stranger was composed just a couple of months after recording To Reap Heavens Apart, it kind of influenced the rest of the songs in the album?

F: It surely did, to let it rest a couple of years and find the demo as a scratch point made me see it in a different way, its pretty dynamic in its own way. So is "Doom Decimation".

You feel more comfortable on pure doom ground or on a mix between heavy and doom?

F: They can't live without the other so question aint really valid in my book. Doom metal is just the bastard child of Heavy Metal. I'm a heavy metal maniac and have a big interest in good music, as much as I despise or just ignore bad music. I rarely use tags or definitions, i consider good metal (be it fast and slow) has the same roots. Is just that i found a language to quench my creative thirst and tell the stories I wanna tell through inter-changing slow and half-stepped tempos here and there just like the old doom metal bands always did. Doom Metal should always get heavier, if you get the kicks with a song like "Mourners Lament" you'll know what I mean.

Amen, The cover artwork has a more evil approach than your last album …

F: Well the themes and overall vibe of the album is more expressive and evil so...wouldn't have gone for another option. The symbols and dualities are there, so is the perspective and movement. Fernando Falcone did a killer job and it's been raising eyebrows since we published it, both positive and negative, as a Metal album cover should.

On November 24th you will be playing in Murcia (Spain) alongside Italians Epitaph. How do you feel about it?

F: Thats gonna be killer! The new Epitaph album was just released last week and is so original and obscure again. Such an honor to go out with such friends and legends. Yes, I've been in Murcia once and the bangers are crazy! Hopefully they´re thirsty for heavy riffs played slow too, us and Epitaph are so fucking ready! We'll catch up at the bar headbanging to some fucking MURO after the show!

Hahaha, that’s the spirit! Felipe, with your experience, how do you see the current Metal scene?

F: I dunno what to say really, it's indeed very active, there's an overdose of bands, festivals, tour and labels trying to cash-in before the cow runs out of milk again. I guess time will be the judge. Never forget the 90's...

It was a pleasure, thank you very much for your attention and congratulations for your new album

F: Gracias Alberto for your interest and support. NO DOOM, NO LIFE.

TYFON'S DOOM - Emperor's Path (2017)

1.Tyrant's Sceptre  (4:10)

2.The Hidden Hand  (3:19)

3.Sea Of Life  (4:10)

4.Beyond Treason  (3:30)

5.Endless War  (3:40)

6.Moonlight  (3:47)

7.Howling Danger  (4:31)

8.The Rider From Abandoned Town  (3:45)

9.Rising Earth  (6:10)

10. Strange Aeons  (1:50)

11.Emperor's Path  (5:58)

Tommy Varsala - all instruments / vocals

Cederick Forsberg – drums

Primer larga duración de este proyecto de Tommy Varsala, un músico mulifacético que hasta ahora había publicado dos Eps, así que por fin presenta su primer larga duración. Le veníamos siguiendo la pista desde hacía tiempo, comentando sus anteriores trabajos y entrevistándolo en ambas ocasiones. Así que sabemos como ha ido evolucionando el sonido del grupo, porque sí ha habido una evolución.

Lo primero que te sorprenderá si has escuchado sus anteriores trabajos es el salto de calidad en cuanto a la producción. Pasamos de un sonido muy under y más sucio y menos nítido a un sonido más pulido y claro. No me cabe duda de que su fichaje por la filial de Cruz del Sur ha tenido mucho que ver en ello, hasta ahora había publicado sus canciones de manera independiente y digital, en su bandcamp, otro punto donde se aprecia el gran crecimiento de este proyecto.

Y por redondear el análisis previo, Tommy cuenta en este disco con un batería, cosa que no había sucedido hasta ahora, y por supuesto ello también se aprecia en la calidad del sonido. El disco arranca con Tyrant's Sceptre, un heavy de grandes riffs y voz medio quebrada, una de las marcas de identidad de su música. Tommy es sobre todo un guitarrista y ello se aprecia en el excelente trabajo de guitarras, con especial enfoque hacia las melodías, más en este disco que en sus anteriores grabaciones. Como decía antes, la inclusión de Cederick Forsberg se convierte en un aliciente más del disco, pues los ritmos ganan en consistencia y variedad.

The Hidden Hand hace gala de un heavy epic a lo Ironsword con esa voz robusta que es capaz de producer este músico, un tema del tirón, sin momentos para tomarse un respiro y las melodías que van más en ese sentido épico. Sea Of Life es un tema con aires más ochenteros, a lo Heavy Load, las melodías siguen presentes y con mucho acierto, con ciertos matices viking y un gran solo. Beyond Treason es un heavy metal que por momentos se mueve a ritmos de speed metal y nos recuerda a los primeros temas del grupo en sus eps. Grandes melodías que recuerdan a bandas de ahora y de antes como Warlord o los mismos Amon Amarth.

Endless War es un medio tiempo de la vieja escuela, a lo Warlord o Heavy Load, sencillo en su estructura pero con el encanto de las cosas simples y bien hechas, un tema muy adictivo. Moonlight es otro tema que recuerda más a los orígenes de la banda, con un sonido mas sucio y under, con unas muy buenas twin guitars y un estribillo muy logrado al que le saca mucho jugo a lo largo del tema.

Seguimos avanzando con Howling Danger, heavy clásico a lo Heavy Load donde lo que destaca es el despliegue de solos, cuando se desata ya no hay marcha atrás y Tommy Varsala se dan un homenaje punteando sin descanso, y lo bueno es que lo hace de manera brillante. Por contra, en The Rider From Abandoned Town lo que domina son las guitarras melódicas para dejarnos otro tema de heavy clásico.

Rising Earth es un medio tiempo con una larga intro instrumental, riffs melódicos masivos y de nuevo esa carga de epic que recuerda a los portugueses Ironsword. Strange Aeons es un tema de heavy melódico al estilo del que sacó el año pasado el exHeavy Load, Eddy Malm. Y el punto final al disco lo pone Emperor's Path con un heavy de aires viking, con acometidas pountuales donde el ritmo se suelta un poco más la melena y un solo final explayándose a gusto.

En consecuencia, Tifon’s Doom sigue sonando a heavy clásico pero evoluciona hacia un enfoque mucho más melódico, pierde un poco del caracter under y agresivo que tenía en sus orígenes y los temas son también más lentos, en ese sentido se pierde un poco la frescura y la locura que se desataba en los viejos temas, donde pasaba del heavy al speed metal sin previo aviso. Echo de menos eso, pero hay que reconocer que el disco está trabajado, las melodías son estupendas y hay algunos temas que realmente te tocan la fibra sensible. La confirmación de que el grupo finlandés no era flor de un día.

Puntuación: 8/10