Dearth "To Crown All Befoulment"

    Sentient Ruin’s conquest for most dominate extreme music label continues with the release of Dearth’s debut full-length album, “To Crown All Befoulment.” Dearth proves to be a formidable blackened death metal force that does not wish to underwhelm listeners with the same generic approach, but instead invokes an inhuman nature full of extreme mind altering brutality. 

    The Oakland based band delivers one colossal bludgeoning with enough power to awaken sinister forces from beyond that dwell in starless realms. Overall, the production creates such an agonizing atmosphere that you feel as if the riffs consume you and leave you sinking into a pitch black abyss. I felt as though the musicianship never sounded sloppy and the band was very thoughtful in terms of how they developed their songs. There is a real strong cohesive sound that I think played an important factor in allowing the band to lay down some truly unforgiving compositions. 

    The opening song, “Writhing in Cellophane Cages,” is a ferocious assault of unapologetic musical attitude and contains some very ominous sounding guitar parts. I think the band’s guitar arrangements on this album leave a vivd impression on the listener and the opening track really sets the tone for the rest of the release. Track number two, “Autoasphyxia,” is delivered in a more blistering approach by unleashing a tsunami of blast beats and feverish guitar parts. Unlike some blackened death metal acts, I never found myself feeling like the band was stuck in a cycle of gimmicky repetitiveness. Their overall approach is refreshing and tracks like “The Reverence of Swine” and “Death Sown in Polluted Soil,” are dynamic cuts that keep you fully engaged. 

    Track number five, “Anthropocene Through Burial Mounds,” is another solid punishing piece of music and once again features some savage riff sections, as well as plenty of feverish drum parts. I thought the final song on this album, “Blight,” really summed up what this band set out to accomplish. The song’s erratic presentation and agonizing vocals paints a cataclysmic world for listeners to explore these endless mountains of ear shattering madness. 

    I can honestly say without any hesitation that Sentient Ruin sure knows how to find these extremely creative and atypical sounding metal acts. Dearth is a band I defiantly want to hear continue to explore those chaotic musical landscapes of uncompromising brutality, because their talents featured on, “To Crown All Befoulment,” are such that you know these guys will only get better with each new release. I believe this shall be the start of a destructive alliance between Sentient Ruin and Dearth which will hopefully spread darkness and terror for many years to come. 

Check out the track “Death Sown in Polluted Soil” below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp (Album comes out June 19th):
https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com

Dearth Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/dearthblackdeath/

Enshrouded "Sanctum of the Shadows (Demo 2019)"

    Bay Area blackened death doom maniacs, Enshrouded, demonstrate their unforgiving and destructive nature with the release of the band’s new demo, “Sanctum of the Shadows.” The band lays down some tormenting sounding pieces of music to achieve an extremely malevolent creation, culminating into an offering of malicious sounding chaos.

    Compared to most modern extreme metal bands that claim to push the edges of extreme music, Enshrouded simply goes for the jugular by crafting these monumental recordings of pure devastation. What stands out on this demo is the band’s ability to construct these massive sounding atmospheres, which allows them to transition into a variety of nightmarish sounding directions. There is thought put into their compositions along with a dynamic approach that helps to expand the band’s vicious and uncompromising vision.

    The album begins with a gruesome sounding death doom riff, establishing a monstrously slow and heavy foundation. Eventually the band dials in on a more intense onslaught of old school sounding death metal ferocity. I like how the drummer provides such a raw and bombastic background for the guitars to savagely hammer out sinister chord progressions. The production and recording quality is really solid for a demo release, especially pertaining to how it compliments the band’s songwriting style.

    The second track off of the release, “Transcendental Depravity,” is a song that begins with a more gritty sounding blackened assault, opening the gateways of instrumental annihilation and ushering in some haunting vocals. Each musician executes their parts with precision and the band sounds very tight throughout the song. Tracks like, “Sanctum of the Shadows” and “Gates of Awareness,” are delivered in blistering old school death metal like fashion and it reminds me a bit of Morbid Angel’s “Formulas Fatal to the Flesh.” The music is delivered with sheer chaotic brutal force, yet the overall compositions flow with a certain synergy.

    For the final song, “Awakened Through Desolation,” the band once gain constructs hellish sounding guitar riffs that effectively send seismic shockwaves through the musical landscape. You just get a sense that these musicians took their time writing this material and did not want to slap together some sloppy sounding riffs and vocals in an attempt to dress up like David Vincent and put on a show for their buddies at the local truck stop.

    Overall, Enshrouded has me interested in what they plan on doing next following the release of, “Sanctum of the Shadows.” I think there are some death metal releases I’ve heard that don’t even compare to the production of this demo, so Enshrouded is definitely on the right path. If you are a fan of extreme music then you need to check this out, because unlike those bands where they dress like douches and continuously play breakdowns, Enshrouded does not mess around and knows how to write extreme metal music.



Check out the entire demo below:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/EnshroudedDeath/

New Documentary: Rising from the Bay

   About a year ago my friend Yuvraj and I decided to make a documentary that would help promote some of the Bay Area's hardest working up and coming metal bands. Also, we wanted to bring awareness to the growing issue facing a majority of bands within the Bay Area, which is that there are fewer places to perform live. The bands who contributed to this documentary provide wonderful insight into how they have developed over the years and share some awesome stories regarding the current underground metal scene. We really do hope more people check these bands out, because the artists featured in this documentary are working hard to carry on the heavy metal legacy that was established by so many icon bands like Testament, Exodus, Autopsy, Sleep, Forbidden and many more of course. Please share and help promote the future of heavy metal which is right here...Rising from the Bay!

Follow us on the R & R Rocks Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/RNRROCKS2112/

Ethos "Two Song Demo"

  Hailing from the dark shadowy lands of Livermore, CA, the black metal band Ethos offers listeners two new songs of blasphemous grim sounding musical retribution. Building off their debut EP, “Empty Path,” that was released a couple years back, the band continues to write songs of blackened death like terror and keeps finding new ways to express their extreme music making talents.

    It was around two years ago that I interviewed the band's guitarist/vocalist for this blog and talked in-depth about the EP. I remembering hearing great potential on that debut EP and felt like the band had something to offer the extreme metal world. Compared to most black metal bands, Ethos wasn’t trying to go for the simple trim picking riffs and gimmicky simplistic satanic lyrical content that has been overused to death.

    The two new demo songs, “Unfathomable Essence” and “Decried by the Presence Beyond,” convey a more unapologetic and heavier tone. There are these thick layers of guitar that provide a more bombastic delivery. I find the recording of the vocals to be extremely well matched with the instrumental compositions which the band also did on “Empty Path.” Another strong area is the drumming and I notice a slight improvement in the playing and recording of the drum parts.

    “Decried by the Presence Beyond,” is probably my favorite of the two, mainly due to the heavier and slower riff sections that present more of a death doom sound, yet still conveys that raw black metal tone. You feel as though you are being sucked into a void of endless darkness falling through time and space with the sounds of guitar distortion and drums to lead you on through the cosmic infinity. Overall, it is a well crafted piece of music and one that I believe helps to separate Ethos from being labeled a generic black metal act.

    The other song on the demo, “Unfathomable Essence,” is a solid piece of music and definitely has the potential to become a strong song if featured on a full-length album. I just wish the drums would have been recorded slightly louder, because the drumming seems to get downed out by the guitars. The song’s overall atmosphere is what really captured my attention and the musical composition is also well thought out.

    After hearing these two songs I am definitely looking forward to Ethos releasing more new material, especially with what I think can be explored further if the band builds off the musical style that they established on these two tracks. If you enjoy raw black metal that opens your mind to the dark worlds beyond and shows no mercy, you need to check out what Ethos is currently doing.


Ethos “Decried by the Presence Beyond” :

Ethos Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/EthosBlackMetal/about/

Interview: Necrot

Even though they are busy touring and promoting the release of their new album, "The Labyrinth," Necrot was kind enough to answer some questions I had for them. Being one of the Bay Area's most talented extreme acts with a sound heavy enough to demolish a building, it was a true honor to interview these dudes. Here is the complete interview below...

Hi there guys, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. I notice that you are quite busy with playing shows in the Bay Area, small tours here and there, and now you have out this full-length release called, “The Labyrinth.” Necrot seems to be firing on all cylinders right now! Is there any time for rest?! 

Necrot: Hey! Thanks for the interview! As a matter of fact we are getting very little rest at the moment. We are driving to Michigan to play the fourth show of our East Coast/Midwest tour. We are having a blast with our friends, Skullshitter, from Brooklyn, New York. We have another week and a half to go but we're ready to raise hell and party hard!

I guess I’ll begin by asking, what finally made you guys want to release a full-length with all your past demo tracks? Also, these are remastered from what I have read, so how was that whole process and are you pleased with the remastered tracks? 

Necrot: Releasing this compilation album was always a goal for us but we never had anyone seriously commit to putting it out. We had been talking with Scotty from Tankcrimes for a while at different times and eventually he offered to release the record for us. To say the least, we were into it and started putting everything in motion. Dan Randall at Mammoth Sound remastered all eight demo tracks for the new record and we were happy with how they came out. 

For, “The Labyrinth,” you worked with Tankcrimes and Sentient Ruin, who both put out the release on their labels and have given fans a chance to own a physical copy of the album in a variety of forms. What was it like working with both labels on putting out this release? Also, what is your favorite form of the album: vinyl, CD, or tape? I guess eight-track will be out next year...

Necrot: Working with Tankcrimes, Sentient Ruin, and Extremely Rotten has been very easy since we are all friends with each other. We've known all of them for years so it worked its way out naturally. My favorite form of the release so far is the LP. The vinyl was pressed on three different colors and includes a poster insert and a download card.

Being apart of the Bay Area metal community for a decent amount of time now, how has the scene evolved in your opinion? Also, before Necrot were any of you involved in other bands and did that help contribute to Necrot’s sound when you three came together? 

Necrot: When we were starting out there were a lot of great bands from the Bay Area that were playing death metal. Over the last few years, many have disbanded or are working behind the scenes writing new songs and recording albums. Most of the newer bands in the Bay Area are punk, black metal, or funeral doom. It seems like everything is getting darker which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Before Necrot was started, Luca was playing in Acephalix, Vastum, and Lawless. Chad was playing in Bruxers. Sonny was playing with Saviours and occasionally Word Salad. I think playing in these bands before Necrot helped us form our sound and ideology that we wanted to put forth for this band. 

I apologize in advance for asking the standard question, but could you list some of your musical influences growing up? As much as I’m sure old death metal bands played an important role, are there any other bands you listened to that might have shaped your musical identity? 

Necrot: We all grew up listening to punk and metal in its many forms. Some influence for Necrot would be Autopsy, Immolation, Death, Morbid Angel, Motörhead, Grave, Nihilist, Discharge, Repulsion, and Bolt Thrower

Over the years Necrot has shared the stage with a large amount of acts, however, who have been some of the most memorable bands that you guys have played with? 

Necrot: Extinction of Mankind, Hellshock, Undergang, Master, Exhumed, Brainoil, Skullshitter, Toxic Holocaust, Bone Sickness, Eyehategod, Steel Bearing Hand, Lightning Swords of Death, Trenchgrinder, Necrophagia, Venom Inc, Ghoul, Rude, Cannabis Corpse, Scolex, Mortuous, Cyanic

I was wondering, since Necrot seems to be a band that has a strong veteran like presence in the Bay Area extreme music community, what advice would you give to some of the young bands starting out? I think your strong songwriting skills and tour wisdom would be very helpful and informative. 

Necrot: Practice all the time, don't be an asshole to people who support you, believe in and think for yourself, don't sell yourself short, don't let drugs and alcohol overtake your passions, and most of all support other bands in your community. 

Looking ahead here, is there any chance us fans can expect a full-length album with new material? Plus, will it be as brutal and unforgiving as those past demo tracks, or will you throw listeners an extreme progressive curve ball? 

Necrot: We have a new album written and we will be recording it after the tour at Earhammer. To say the least, we won't disappoint!

Well, thanks again guys and keep destroying on the road and in the studio! Cheers! \m/ - Rob

Necrot: Thanks, Rob! 

Necrot Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/cyclesofpain/?fref=ts

Necrot "The Labyrinth"

    The unforgiving and brutal musicianship that comes from SF Bay Area Old School Death metal maniacs, Necrot, is unmistakable. Their mammoth sized riffs of distorted terror conjure dark noises capable of tearing apart listener’s ears and devouring their souls. Finally, after only releasing demos the band has put together an eight tack release titled, “The Labyrinth.” Thanks to Tankcrimes Records and Sentient Ruin, fans can finally get themselves a physical copy of the release.  

    The tracks featured on this album are actually the old demos remastered, which  gives the pieces a new breath of extreme and unholy life. Necrot is one of the most respected bands in the SF Bay Area extreme music underground, and even though they formed in 2011, they have influenced a fair amount of current acts. This trio captures the energy and passion of old school death metal, while grinding away at some of the most brutal sounding cuts of music. Singer and bassist Luca Indrio commands the attention of listeners with a vicious sounding vocal delivery. Adding to the band’s behemoth world demolishing sound, guitarist Sonny Reinhardt shows off his versatile guitar abilities, while maintaining a wicked sounding riff attack. Drummer Chad Galey is the guy in the back who feverishly pounds away at his kit. When he strikes that bass drum, the sound echoes like the sounds of a malicious thunderstorm. 

    Honestly, these guys have such a massive sound that you find yourself asking, is this really a trio, or is their some hidden member from a world beyond adding to the band’s sound? The opening track, “Consume Control,” begins with such a thick sounding guitar riff that is complimented by Chad’s rapid attack drumming from behind the kit. Necrot even adds a bit of sludge and hard punk into their sound which some listener’s might catch. It definitely shows how the band is able to offer more than just repetitive old school death metal worship. “Contagious Pain,” “Into the Labyrinth” and “The End,” are ferocious sounding tracks with perpetual sounding brutality inflicted upon listeners. 

    The final four tracks on this release remain very true to Necrot’s extreme music making identity. “Cycles of Pain,” happens to be one of my favorites and I really like the old school sounding guitar riffs Sonny hammers out. Songs like “Scattered” and “Rebirth in Chaos,” capture the spirit of old school Swedish death metal, which might appeal to fans of Entombed, Grave and other groups in that vein. The final piece to the album, “The Abyss,” is Necrot’s last intense sounding offensive. All three musicians contribute such an equal amount of talent and energy that you can really tell these guys are a solid band. 

    I think Necrot’s, “The Labyrinth,” has been well worth the wait for those fans wanting to get a full-length release from the band. Also, the recording of each song truly reflected their extreme songwriting skills, so whoever recorded this release deserves some major credit and respect. Necrot may not be the most progressive and technical old school style death metal band around, but their straightforward approach is undeniably top notch. If you are looking for a blazing no nonsense sounding release of old school death metal, you need to get this album! 

Necrot Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/cyclesofpain/?fref=ts

Concert Review: Satan, Night Demon and Hell Fire in SF

Night Demon

     Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday, happened to be the perfect night to see the legendary band called, Satan. San Francisco and Bay Area metal fans were given quite a show with three excellent heavy metal acts.  

    The line-up of Satan, Night Demon and Hell Fire sure delivered a solid live experience for those metal fans who attended. Being one of NWOBHM’s most respected bands, I knew that there was going to be a decent turnout. Honestly, I did not realize the amount of people who really fanatical Satan fans. When I arrived at the venue after searching almost an hour for parking, the line to get into the Elbo Room was surprisingly very long. Also, you had metal fans ranging from young to old, drunk to super drunk, but mostly looking ready to rock out to some killer music. 

    Opening the show was SF locals, Hell Fire, who were also celebrating the release of their first album. I saw Hell Fire play with Night Demon two years ago at the Knock Out, and was rather impressed with their take on classic style heavy metal. However, the band’s singer who I saw at the Knock Out was not with them anymore, and I personally thought he played a crucial role in their overall sound. Though, the band’s new singer was someone who I did find to be a suitable replacement. Jake Nunn, the band’s new singer, played in a band called Hysteria who I had seen a few times. I really enjoyed the band’s live energy and could tell they have been working hard at developing that tight heavy metal sound. The riffs were fierce and the music flowed with great synergy. For an opener they did a solid job getting the fans ready, especially when Jake challenged everyone to try and match his vocals. He may have lost 59 times before, but I think he can count last night as a win for putting on a wicked live set. 

Hell Fire

    Taking the stage next after Hell Fire, was Ventura, CA’s very own, Night Demon. One of heavy metal’s most electrifying and talented bands around, Night Demon take’s listeners back in time to the NWOBHM period with some brilliant songwriting and one passionate live experience. Once they took to the stage supported by a phenomenal lighting set up and epic looking background, the band owned that space and unleashed killer song after song. Also to point out, this would be the band’s first show with new guitarist, Armand Anthony. Again, I have a hard time adjusting to when certain bands make line-up changes, especially when the band was firing at all cylinders like Night Demon. However, Armand did a tremendous job for his first show and seemed to have all the guitar parts down. I also liked how he added to the band’s stage presence. Him and bassist/singer Jarvis Leatherby were a strong live presence and their playing matched up perfectly. Dusty Squires was a monster behind the kit and has such a powerful sound that maintains an extremely supportive rhythmic backbone. 

    Song’s like “Full Speed Ahead,” “Curse of the Damned,” and “The Howling Man,” sounded simply amazing. During their song, “The Chalice,” from Night Demon’s first EP, the band’s mascot “Rocky” made his way out and seemed to get a big pop from the audience. The band’s performance was one of their best in my opinion, which is saying something, because the other two times I have seen them were exceptional sets. I think the crowd also really enjoyed the band’s performance and people were throwing the horns up until the very end. 

    After Night Demon finished their killer set, the band of the night began getting ready. Satan definitely was the reason a lot of fans were there, and when they came out on stage, everyone seemed to make their way to the stage. The venue was so packed I felt like a sardine in a can. Holy crap! I did not realize how many people were fanatical Satan fans. Once the band cranked up the guitar distortion and kicked into the first song, I could understand why people showed up in full force. Satan for an older band sounded very solid and does not let their age prevent them from rocking out with kick jams. Singer Brian Ross has an amazing voice along with unbelievably great stage presence. The guttering playing from Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey was truly smashing, especially the lead guitar playing. Bassist Graeme English and drummer Sean Taylor were very good players as well and added to the band’s overall sound. 

    I respected how they played a decent balance of new and old material. Some fans were shouting for them to play more old songs, but I find those people to be either drunk, or just completely ignorant. Satan’s new songs sounded just as exciting and well written as the band’s work from, “Court in the Act.” Yes, “Trial by Fire” and “Blades of Steel,” were really awesome to hear live, but the new songs from “Atom By Atom,” happened to be well received. “Farewell Evolution,” hands down was my favorite song during their set. 

    Well, there you have it folks, an amazing night of heavy metal for Bay Area metal fans to always remember (unless they drank so much that they blacked out). I think this was a well put together bill that showed a classic metal band that still knows how to put on a killer live show, and also give a couple of up and coming bands the opportunity to offer their crushing heavy metal music. In the end, if you went to this show, you did not lose out on a great heavy metal evening...you might have lost some money thanks to parking, but the music hopefully made up for that.  

Satan

Interview with Wraith from Ethos

   Not too often do you discover a solid up and coming Black Metal outfit that is not from Europe and does not write gimmicky lyrics about their admiration for Satan. Ethos from Livermore, CA is definitely a band to be on the look out for as they continue to release new material. After hearing their EP, “Empty Path”, I decided to reach out and send some interview questions to the band member who is know as “Wraith.” Here are his responses to my questions...

Q1: Hi Wraith, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions about Ethos. After listening to your EP on youtube I really wanted to discuss your music and give the people who read this blog a chance to learn more about the band. To begin, when did the group form and start writing music? Also, what instrument do you play in the band? 

Wraith: The group formed in November of 2014. From the start I already had one song written which was empty path. After I was positive that this band was going to be a serious project for me, I got in contact with the person who is currently doing Bass/Vocals and he laid down the vocals on the very first recording of the song that we attempted. I recorded the drums and guitar for the first few recordings.

Q2: Your EP “Empty Path” is a really solid sounding release that reminds me of a variety of different Scandinavian Black Metal bands to the point where I don’t think it would be right to compare you to just a few names. Although, I was wondering if there are any bands who have influenced you as a musician and might have helped shaped your musical identity? 

Wraith: At the time I really was into old school Swedish death metal and the second wave of black metal that had hit Norway and Poland (Graveland,early Behemoth,early Immortal, Darkthrone) Although not Scandinavian Inquisition was one of my main interests in the black metal genre. I also believe that Finnish death metal is extremely well composed, I’m not sure what it is about bands from that country but they rarely have generic boring sounding music. Purtenance and Krypts are good examples of the Finnish death metal sound. And last of all, I take a lot of interest in Ambient music, such as the album Zeit by Tangerine Dream, or Sol austan mani vestan by Burzum.

Q3: I wanted to now talk about the overall recording experience of “Empty Path.” When was it recorded? Also, where did you record the EP? Were there are struggles when recording the EP? Lastly, how pleased are you with the final product? 

Wraith: There were many struggles with trying to get the right sound because that was the first legit recording that the four of us ever attempted. For the Ep's recording we had a drummer and a separate bassist (although now the vocalist plays the bass). At first I was very pleased with the final production, but looking back at it now, I think it could've been executed better.

Q4: Talking about the music making process, what do you think makes a strong black metal song? Sometimes bands just sound gimmicky by trem picking randomly and coming up with repetitive compositions. Do you try to push the boundaries of black metal by offering a more dynamic sound? 

Wraith: Of course I do, the last thing I want to do musically is be a generic gimmicky tremolo picking no feel band. The problem with a lot of bands nowadays is that they rush the music writing process just to be able to get the material done and perform on stage. I think anybody can make a black metal band and get big locally just by playing boring black metal, but that type of stuff only goes so far, in the end its not really original nor does it stand out. I would rather have 5 well composed songs on my Cd than 15 boring songs on it. In all honesty I think the songs " Empty Path and Myriad Visions " were the only good songs on the Ep. Im pretty sure that I can do a lot better than those last two songs on the recording, which I have done, there are quite a few new ethos songs that I have been working on and recording that i think completely top anything on the Ep.

Q5: Now it can hard to pick one song, but if you were to pick your favorite track on the EP, which one would it be? I personally enjoy, “Myriad Visions,” because the intro riff to that song literally tears away at the soul in an unapologetic nature. 

Wraith: Myriad Visions is definitely my track of choice of the Ep, the song would be a lot more heavier if it was re-recorded with more accuracy. That is something I am actually working on right now.

Q6: Looking at your Facebook Page I was surprised to see that you guys are from Livermore, CA. I grew up most of my life in San Ramon, CA which is not too far from Livermore, so I was surprised to see a Black Metal band from the area. Honestly, I thought you guys might have been from Europe when listening to the EP. I was wondering if you could describe the metal scene out there in Livermore? Is there any scene? Do you get the chance to play live often? 

Wraith: There is not really a black metal scene out here from what I know. If there was I’m pretty sure I would've known by now or at least I would have run into somebody who listens to black metal since its a really small town. I actually get a whole lot of offers to play shows, some that might pay and some that are just for the local California scene, but unfortunately Ethos cannot play any shows right now because we don’t have a drummer. I could play the drums live without a problem but it wouldn't feel right for me to have someone else play my riffs on stage since I’m mainly a guitarist.

Q7: Lastly, I wanted to maybe get a glimpse of the future for Ethos. Is there any plans to record another EP or maybe a full-length album? 

Wraith: I recently got a studio to record, so maybe by spring time or early summer there should be some much better material finalized.The next release will without a doubt be a full length album, possibly followed by some shows if everything works out. I'm just waiting until the right time to release this material. 

Link to Ethos Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Ethos-690403637722759/?fref=ts

Listen to Ethos Here: 

Vastum "Hole Below"

    Creeping across the Bay Area like the shrouded fog of impending doom, Vastum purges the land with a behemoth death metal sound. Their new full-length offering, “Hole Below,” takes listeners on an old school death metal trip through brutal riff battle fields and skull crushing sinister ritualistic rhythms.

    Being from the Bay Area, I am proud to hear a band crafting such an extreme old school sound. I hear influences ranging from such greats as Bolt Thrower, Autopsy, Entombed and Master. When first listening to Vastum one can hear a very straightforward death metal sound, yet even pick up on elements of black metal and sludge. Overall, this album’s sound is captured in a brilliant manner which gives the band a vicious edge. Each of the six songs on this release conjures up some massive amounts of raw musical expression.

    Starting off the album is the track, “Sodomitic Malevolence. How can one go wrong with a song called, “Sodomitic Malevolence?!” Distorted noises slowly come screaming in and eventually explode into a forceful riff. The drums feverishly pound away to the main rhythm. Vastum’s overall sound is extremely dark and bombastic on this release. Songs like “Amniosis” instantly lay down aggressive verse riffs with vocals of tortured death growls. The artistic expression is down right unforgiving and undeniably heavy. I especially enjoy the mammoth sounding distorted guitar riffs that can lead to some wicked solos.

    Track number three, “In Sickness and in Death,” screams old school death metal, but also offers that bone chilling death doom vibe. The following track, “Intrusions,” starts out with a slow sinister pounding guitar riff. The guitar sounds like the footsteps of a giant coming out of his cave ready to unleash vengeance upon a village of fear stricken villagers. “Hole Below,” continues to show the band holding true to that raw death metal sound and keeping the brutality going strong. The album’s final track, “Empty Breast,” was one of my favorites. Vastum really put thought into the song and deliverers a creative morbid musical creation. The song’s tone and presentation is relentless to the bitter end.

    What more is there to say about Vastum’s new release, “Hole Below?” ...How can I keep you people from listening to such a solid extreme music?! Literally, stop reading this review and check out Vastum! Bay Area old school style death metal keeping the raw aggression alive with no remorse and plenty of heavy riffs to scare the neighbors.

Vastum Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Vastum-440192535391/?fref=ts

Interview with Jason "brainsplitter" Gluck from Rude

Hi, thanks for taking the time to do this email interview. Great job on “Soul Recall.” That album really captures the essence of old school death metal. Now that the album has been out for a while, what are some of the reactions that you have been receiving from fans? How satisfied are you with the album overall?


Jason: No problem dude! Thanks for the kind words. So far we’ve got almost nothing but praise. We ran into some bumps in the recording process that forced us to rush a bit to make the release date, but overall I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out.

I actually saw you guys open for Morbid Angel in SF at Slims. Being my first introduction to Rude, I was impressed by your very old school death metal sound and have to say you were the perfect opener for Morbid Angel. As fans of Morbid Angel, what was the experience like opening them? Do you think that helped get you exposed to a larger audience?

Jason: It was truly an honor. We really couldn’t have asked for a better show to play- it proved that to us that our work was paying off and gave us exactly the exposure we needed. Not only that, but people began to take us very seriously.

I was wondering if you could give the people out there a little background history on Rude. Is this the original line-up? How long has this current line-up been together?

Jason: Far from the original line up. Rude existed in 2008 with different members aside from Yusef. They played different music too, darker and dirtier metal, more primitive to what it is now. My old band played a show with them once which is how I met Yusef. Ended up bumming burgers off of him at his job in Berkeley for years to come... In those years, Rude kind of evolved into a short lived thrashier band called Forsaker, with a new line up including current Rude drummer Tony. When that ended, Yusef joined a band called Scolex, and eventually in 2012 he hit me up to record some new stuff he was working on that didn't quite fit with Scolex. Of course I was surprised how good it was!! That material became the Haunted demo, and since then its been the same drummer Tony and lead guitarist David along with Yusef. I joined the band just before the Morbid Angel show. But you can say I've been there along the way.

Also, what other bands have any of you played in before Rude, and what is different about those bands compared to Rude?

Jason: I also play guitar in a band called Limbs, a pretty looney death/grind band with some powerviolence and noisecore thrown in, so it's different from Rude in that we don't take ourselves very seriously, and the songs are shorter, more frantic. Before that I was in high school, playing guitar in a band called Lobotomizer. That project had a lot of old school death metal influences, but especially more technical bands like Atheist. It had some funky and groovy riffs with a lot of real heavy slap bass. When it comes to Rude, I don't write much of what I play, so the style is different. I like the style the band had before I joined, so I'd rather adapt to it than try to inject my own style and make it all funky and weird. I'll save that for when I get my own project going again.

Of course it does not take a rocket scientist to tell that you guys enjoy death metal. What are some of your favorite bands? Also, what is the one death metal album you could not live without?

Jason: I enjoy the technical and quirky stuff. Atheist is a favorite for sure, along with Gorguts, Ripping Corpse, Demilich, Edge of Sanity. Of course we all worship the classic masters like Morbid Angel, Pestilence, Entombed, etc. The album I could not live without is probably Piece of Time or Unquestionable Presence. It's not often you hear such heavy music played with such depth. And the BASS!!

Time to talk more about what I consider to be one of the best death metal albums of the year. When I first listened to “Soul Recall,” I noticed how all the songs sounded solid and there were absolutely no fillers. How long had you guys worked on those songs? Also, how long did it take to record the album?

Jason: Thanks so much for the regards!! Most of the songs are from the Haunted demo, so they've had plenty of time to develop. Although, newer tracks like Internal Ascension we kind of worked out as we recorded them. So there's really both sides of the spectrum!

To record the album, it took a few months total. The first sessions were done in Yusef's basement and we didn't really get the sound we were hoping for. Later we did everything again in our rehearsal space where everything went smoothly over a few days worth of tracking. By then we were under a lot of pressure from our label, so I spent a week or two mixing it and sent it off with a pretty rushed mastering job. Some things I would have liked to change, but again, pretty satisfied overall.

All the songs on the album are great in my opinion, but if you could only pick three, which would you say are your favorite songs? Also, what song is the most challenging to play?

Jason: My favorites are all the new ones! Soul Recall, Last of Us, Internal Ascension. I recorded the Haunted demo and listened to those songs over and fucking over mixing them. I'm too tired of them to like them so much! Not to say they aren't any good of course. The most challenging one for me is probably Haunted. Those long 16th note sections are tough on bass, using 3 fingers to play notes in groups of 4. Alternate picking is a piece of cake, but that kind of stuff trips me up a bit, and my fingers get pretty tired whenever we play it later in the set.

As much as I keep saying how great the music sounds on “Soul Recall,” I must not forget how amazing the album art work looks. Dan Seagrave did one spectacular job. How pleased are you guys with the album cover art?

Jason: Um, its god damn amazing. Thank you Lord Seagrave. It helps us fit in with the old school classics! Can't wait to see what he might do for us next....!!

Now practice makes perfect, unless you are Allen Inverson, so I was wondering how often do you guys practice together? Do you come up with most of your songs when you all practice together?

Jason: We don't practice enough if you ask me. But its okay, cause the style we play doesn't exactly call for surgical precision or anything. We're only starting to write songs together more recently, after Soul Recall. Before it was mostly Yusef with some input from David. Of course Tony is there laying down the most pummeling rhythm section to support their ideas.

Now, Rude is signed to FDA Rekotz, a great German label specializing in some of the best new extreme bands. How did you guys get in contact with FDA Rekotz? What have you liked most about working with them? 

Jason: Man, Yusef sent those tapes everywhere. He is relentless. I guess the demo just ended up in the right hands! It's been nice seeing so much recognition in Europe. They seem to be making great connections for us that we hope to utilize soon. Its awesome, seeing our pictures and interviews in magazines with languages I can't even read, haha.

Recently Rude just finished up a west coast tour with Derogatory and Skelethal. Overall, how did the tour go? What was your favorite venue to play at on the tour?

Jason: It was a lot of fun! The crowds weren't very big, but people really enjoyed the music bought a lot of records. And the West was introduced to Skelethal, who are doing a killer job bringing old Swedish style. My favorite venue was the Metro in Oakland. 3 tours all crossed paths that night making for one hell of a show. Also the biggest and most comfortable stage!

I know touring is becoming extremely difficult for bands. However, do you have any future tour plans in the works, or are you still working the local scene for the time being?

Jason: We are hoping to tour Europe next and reunite with Skelethal over there! It will be nice to play for people that have been waiting to hear us live. The local scene here is pretty apathetic.

Well, I guess that is all the questions I have. Thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions. Can’t wait for the next release, and highly recommend everyone reading this who has not yet listened to “Soul Recall,” do so now!

Jason: No problem!! Cheers! If you dig the sound of the album, check out my studio website www.brainsplitterstudios.com - I have killer deals for recordings and I'm happy to travel.

Review: Rude "Soul Recall"

Band: Rude
Album: Soul Recall

Review:

    Time travel has not been invented yet, right? I already know the answer since the Nocturnus android from “The Key” is not ruling the world, but I just needed to make sure after listening to this album. 
    Rude, an up and coming death metal band from Oakland, CA, captures the raw aggressive nature of old school death metal with their debut release, “Soul Recall.” I hear a wide variety of extreme music influences ranging from Pestilence, Death, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Master and Morbid Angel. Also, the production value for this album sounds like something that was recording during the late eighties or the early nineties.  
    Of course, Rude is one of many new bands following in the colossal foot steps set by those early death metal groups. With “Soul Recall,” Rude finds multiple ways to separate themselves from the usual suspects. The opening track, “Haunted,” dives straight into a fiery riff and double bass drum world of madness. Rude’s vocalist narrates gruesome lyrics with an awesome tortured sounding vocal delivery. As the music changes from verse to verse Rude always maintains a consistent brutal sound. The following track, “In Thy Name” continues the nonsense old school death metal style. I felt with this track the band offered up a shorter, yet still very intense musical piece compared to the opening song. 
    Now, the third track on this album, “Memorial,” is where the band really demonstrates their solid level of musicianship. One of the more longer tracks on this album, “Memorial,” creates a bone chilling atmosphere full of abrasive sounding riffs, fluid technical guitar leads and more insane double bass drum rhythms. My favorite part of the song is where the music stops and the bass player does this sinister sounding bass line. His bass fills sound like the stuff that Steve DiGiorgio would record for an album.
    The title track off of this album, “Soul Recall,” is another slamming old school death metal beast. Rude puts emphasis on the very percussive sounding riffs to create a fine extreme piece of music. Track five, “Forsaker,” unleashes more raw head banging rage with plenty of chaotic blast beats and machine gun sounding guitar riffs.
    Track six, “Conjuring of Fates,” happens to be my favorite song on this album. The beginning celestial echoing guitar effect creates this pleasant vibe that becomes instantly disintegrated by a monstrous slow Sabbath like riff. This track pushes the band’s musical talents to the threshold of extreme music, and the end product sounds damn good. The last two tracks “Last of Us” and “Internal Ascension” are both strong closing tracks. “Internal Ascension” especially caught my ear with its crazy guitar shredding solos and glorious palm muted bone breaking riffs.
    Rude just happens to play the style of death metal that I really enjoy, and they created their own distinct identity with “Soul Recall.” Compared to the other recent old school death metal sounding acts Rude knows how to play their instruments and can write well-crafted songs. I hate having to be rude, but some new bands I have reviewed can’t write songs for shit. I usually just hear random technical guitar riffs with subpar drum parts over a vocalist who sounds like he is constipated. That of course is definitely not the case with Rude. I highly recommend checking out this album if you desire killer classic sounding old school death metal. Was the best and is still the best style of death metal!