- ARCHAIC NORTH WEBZINE ISSUE # 1 -

- Spring 2009 -

Thanks for checking out the first issue of the Archaic North Zine. This is the first issue and many things are still in the works, so you can expect twice as many reviews and interviews in the second issue. Many great interviews are in the works for the second issue as well as many more CDs, and we will be starting off the DVD and Features sections as well.

Archaic North Entertainment is pleased to announced that Wolven Ancestry has just completed work on their second album (technically their fist if you count their full length demo a demo) which is entitled "Silence of the Boreal". This album is dedicated to the history of the bands country of Canada, telling many tales of how the country came to be inhabited by who makes up the society today as well as telling of the countries well known natural Northern beauty. The album will be dropped in August 2009 and an extensive Eastern Canadian tour is scheduled to commence with Will of the Ancients. Wolven Ancestry is also the direct support band opening for Mayhem in Montreal at Foufones Electriques on June 15th, and opening for Behemoth at the Opera House in Toronto on June 30th. Lots are in store from Wolven Ancestry so keep checking in to the site for updates.

Empyrean Plague has released their most recent full length album through Archaic North Entertainment, entitled "Ancestral Embers Shall Burn". Copies are now available through our website. The label is currently in talks for distribution so all of the titles avaialable through Archaic North Entertainment should see themselves surface in various locations.

Once again, thanks for taking the time to check out our most recent issue of the Archaic North Webzine, we hope you enjoy the issue.

- INTERVIEWS -

- CEPHALIC CARNAGE INTERVIEW -

Live interview with Lenzig by Mark Howitt

Mark Howitt - So what do you think of Sudbury's metal scene?

Lenzig - Its alright...I mean its not the greatest weve played but it dont suck either you know..its a cool place to be.

M.H -Marijuana is one of your main influences and it seems to fuel you to write music, but musically, what influences Cephalic Carnage?

L -Like old Death Metal, new Death Metal, the weird experimental stuff like Mr. Bungle. Like Sublime, Sleep, Mastadon, High on Fire, Bob Marley. Stuff like that.

M.H - How has touring with Hardcore acts such as Hatebreed and Madball been? You guys are more of a Grind/Death Metal band.

L - It just exposes us to crowds that don't normally see us y'know, and hopefully that expands things for us down the road. Right now were just kind of eating shit but at the same time we're exposed to more people in a different scene and thats a challenge. You can only do a death metal tour for so long. Now were just trying to make an impact on a different level.

MH - That's good for a band though. Alot of bands are doing that now like Morbid Angel and Slayer, In Flames with Soulfly. Alot of shows are mixed genres of metal now it seems.

L - We just cant really be one dimensional, and you know...close minded. So we feel that we can appeal to Hatebreed and Madball fans as well. It's just like weed. Weeds not for everybody, and neither is Cephalic.

MH - What are your future plans for touring? Anything scheduled?

L - After this one we go home for a day, and then we'll go to Europe and tour with Exhumed for a month. Then go home for another 2 months, then were back to Europe with Macabre.

MH - That's awesome. Those are both good bands. So I'd imagine Cephalic is looking forward to the European tour?

L - Yeah. It'll be our first tour over in Europe, but we've only played a festival there once before. Were just looking forward to doing the same thing like we're doing here. None of those people have ever seen us, so we're gonna go there and play our hearts out.

- From what I understand your recent Halls of Amenti CD is the first offering of a trilogy you guys are working on?

L -Yeah, we're trying to do a three cd set, and some day when theyre all out you can put them all on seperate stereos and play them all together, and it will all be one song interacting with eachother.

MH - Hmm..I don't think I've heard of that being done before.

L - It'll just be weird. The cd's will back eachother up.

Edit: I open a bottle of Jaggermeister and offer it to Lenzig, along with more tokes and some Ciclone Rum/Tequilla

MH - You liking the Jagg?

L - Not really, but..(takes a sip of the Jagg)

M.H - I'm sure that you guys will be more known after this tour with Hatebreed.

L - Yeah exactly. And when we go to Europe, we've never had a chance to utilize record sales there. We can now go there and promote Cephalic really hard, plus at the same time put our hearts out and try to get some new fans. It should be fun.

MH - So where do you guys get your lyrical content from?

L - Well, there's a store in Colorado called K-Mart, and they have a used lyrics section. We just buy cheap lyrics, or at the flea market you can get them on clearance. I just bought 10 books for a dollar one time. Right now im at chapter Lucid Interval.

MH - Well, cheers to the road, cheers to the tour and i hope you guys had a good time here.

L - Yeah right on. Thanks for the party favors and shit. That's fuckin metal.

____________________________

- HATE ETERNAL INTERVIEW -

Live interview with Erik Rutan by Mark Howitt

Mark Howitt - So how has the tour been thus far?

Erik Rutan - The shows have been great man. All the shows with Hatebreed have been fuckin' awesome. Phenomenal shows, some of the best of my career. Canada's been killer.

MH - That's great. I understand that you produce your own albums with Hate Eternal. Have you recorded any other bands besides your own?

ER - Yeah, I recorded Krisiun's 'Conquerers of Armageddon album, Internecine, Dim Mak, Dying Light, Massacre...I got a band Eternal Suffering coming in in December. Premonitions of War. I've done about 13 records now. I got about 5 more coming.

MH - So obviously you'll always produce all of the Hate Eternal records?

ER - Oh yeah. I love doing the Hate Eternal stuff.

MH - Yeah, it's pretty good production I must say. Are you a part of Morbid Angel anymore?

ER - No... I'm not part of Morbid Angel anymore. I helped write Domination and toured for the other two albums. Wrote a bit of Gateways to Annihiliation, but I'm not part of their new album.

MH - So you're totally done with Morbid Angel?

ER - Well not in a bad way, not like that. We're still friends and things. I'm just doing Hate Eternal full time now.

MH - So what are your biggest influences musically, for the style of technical music you play?

ER - Slayer. They're probably my biggest influence. And before that it was like Iron Maiden. I loved Iron Maiden growing up.

MH - What is your opinion on the Black/Death Metal scene today? Do you think it's growing, like more people are getting into it as the years go on?

ER - I think Death Metal is always gonna be here. There's nothing you can do to stop Death Metal. As long as bands like us and Nile and fuckin' Krisiun and all the old legendary bands like Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse still do our thing. I don't think that Death Metal is meant to be a popular form of music.

MH - I find that it is getting a bit more popular lately, like a lot more people are getting into it and hearing it.

ER - Oh yeah, but it's not like popping in a Staind record or Linkin Park. It's never going to be like that, but that's why there's a lot of Death Metal bands that are very loyal.

MH - What do you think the most memorable touring experience has been throughout the years?

ER - Probably this one, because Hatebreed are probably some of the coolest fuckin' guys I've ever met.They're one of the easiest to tour with, and Jamie the singer went out of his way to bring us on this tour so we can get exposed to Hatebreed fans, playing our music, and to show them loyalty between Hardcore and more underground bands. Even though we come from different genres we all share something in common, and that's what it's trying to prove. I'm glad he hooked us up.

MH - It definitely gives you new exposure.

ER - Yeah. Exposure to people that we would have never played for before.

MH - So what does the future hold for Hate Eternal fans?

ER - Well right now we're just between tours. We're doing nothing but touring right now. We got a main support slot with Deicide and Krisiun after this. We're also headlining Europe with Dying Fetus and Deeds of Flesh for like two months. So we'll probably do a new record sometime next year.

MH - Well, thanks for the time. Its been great talking metal with you.

ER - Yeah man, thanks.

____________________________

- HATEBREED INTERVIEW -

Live interview with Chris Beattie by Mark Howitt

Mark Howitt - So what do you think of the Metal Scene here in Sudbury?

Chris Beattie - It's good man. We're all having a good time except for the fuckin' border and all that bullshit. That sucks a fat dick.

MHYeah, there have been a lot of border problems since the terrorist incidents and all that shit. They're being more strict now.

CB - Yeah, but it's still a bunch of bullshit though.

MH - I bet. Do you think that Hatebreed will ever play Sudbury again at all, when you guys come back to Canada?

CB - What's the name of this place?

MH - Sudbury

CB - I thought it was Sadsberry or something, but ya of course we'd play here again.

MH - I like the fact that you guys are a band that aren't afraid to play small places, you guys get your name out that way. I was talking with the guys from Cephalic Carnage and Hate Eternal and they said that Hatebreed was right cool to play with because you're into all types of metal, not only your own style.

CB - Oh yeah. We grew up listening to it.

MH - So do you have any favourite bands?

CB - I listen to everything man, like Entombed, Carcass, Crowbar, Slayer. Madball I grew up listening to.

MH - What do you think of the band Acid Bath?

CB - Acid Bath? I never really got into them that much.

MH - They were pretty good. They have a unique style.

CB - That's more like grind ain't it?

MH - No... it's really mellow acoustic doomy metal stuff. It has Sammy from Goatwhore and Crowbar in it, Dax Riggs.

CB - Oh alright, yeah. Goatwhore rules man!

MH - You guys are going on tour with Slayer soon?

CB - Yeah... In two weeks. After this tour.

MH - Fuck, that's gotta be amazing. Slayer are like the Gods of Metal.

CB - It's gonna be a good tour... a great tour.

MH - You guys are looking forward to that I take it?

CBOh yeah, Fuck yeah!

MH - How was Ozzfest? Did you guys like playing that?

CB - Yeah. We did our thing. It was cool. We only had 25 minute sets, but that's about it. I think we only came here once at Ozzfest in Toronto. The shows were huge so it's cool.

MH - Yeah. Well thanks for the insight, good to see you here.

CB - Yeah talk to ya later.

____________________________

- KRISIUN INTERVIEW -

Live interview with Max Kolesne by Mark Howitt

Mark Howitt - Could you tell me a bit about the formation of Krisiun?

Max Kolesne - Well, we started out at the beginning of the 90's and we released our first demo tape called Evil Wage in 1990. Then in 92 we did our second demo, which is called The Plague.

MHI have'nt heard those yet.

MK - It's older material. It's very hard to find, and I think in Brazil is one of the only places you'll find it, but even now it's hard to find that stuff. In 93 we then released our first mini-cd called Merciful Order. We finally released our first full album in 95 called Black Force Domain, which was the album which opened alot of doors for us. We got to play Europe for the first time, and got a contract with a German label. We started playing Europe, and then we released Apocolyptic Revelation in 97, and we came to the U.S for the first tour over here in 99. We toured with Angel Corpse and Incantation, and we got really good responses. The guys from Century Media really wanted to help us out with our bill and shit. After that they released Conquerors of Armageddon. Since then we've just kept ourselves going, lots of tours, lots of shows. We released Ageless Venemous, and now we've just released Works of Carnage about a month ago. It's still a pretty new release.

MH - Yeah. Works of Carnage is a brutal album indeed. From what I've heard it's one of your strongest efforts to date.

MK - Thanks man, we appreciate that. It's a pretty straight forward, aggressive album. We have alot of influences from older bands like Dark Angel, Slayer, and straight forward bands from the 80's, so we're really inspired by those bands like Venom and Morbid Angel. I think this really shows on Works of Carnage, the older style we have. We play like real fast blast beats and shit, but we try to have our own personality for Krisiun. But I thin it shows that we have influences from those older bands.

MH - Have you guys always been called Krisiun?

MK - Yeah. We started as Krisiun, and we still have the same line up. We did have a rhythm guitarist at the beginning, but he quit for personal reasons. We decided to keep the band as a three piece. Alex has a really heavy sound with his bass, and it really fits in well with our music. When Moyses is doing the solos and leads it really fits well with the bass, so we decided to stay as a three piece.

MH - Does it simplify things while writing?

MK - Yeah man. We feel comfortable playing like that. It just came as a very natural thing. We like practicing and jamming. That's the way we write all of our music. Just practicing and jamming out. It's a very natural thing.

MH - Can you explain what the metal community is like over in Brazil?

MK - I'd say it is a very strong metal scene. There is alot of bands with different styles like melodic metal, black and death metal. It's a very old and strong scene in a way. We had bands from the early 80's playing some cool shit. Some bands are as old as Slayer, but they did'nt have the chance to show their music to the rest of the world. Alot of people go to our shows down there. There's alot of metal maniacs.

MH - How has your reaction been so far in Canada and the U.S?

MK - It's been good man. It's always a great pleasure and honour for us to play up here, and tour the U.S. We play everywhere up here and we fuckin' love it. Sometimes we play for only a few people, but sometimes when we play smaller shows it's more intense than playing in festivals like when we played the Wacken Metal Fest in Germany in front of 40,000 people. Sometimes we feel more comfortable playing small shows, and seeing the metal heads there.

MH - That's awesome. Do you have a favourite album?

MK - It's hard to tell just one band. I grew up listening to all the old metal like Motorhead and Judas Priest. We're kind of older guys, we're around 30 and shit, but for albums we listened to Reign in Blood, Altars of Madness, Darkness Descends, Welcome to Hell and Black Metal by Venom.

MH - Are those what inspired you to play and write brutal music?

MK - Oh yeah. The old Slayer, Morbid Angel, and Venom albums are probably the strongest influences we have.

MH - When do you think you'll be playing in Ontario again?

MK - I am really hoping that next year we will be around here again. We are already planning to come back here in the U.S and Canada sometime in the summer.

MH - Have you ever played in Montreal, or Ottawa?

MK - Yes. We actually played Montreal yesterday. It was a really good show for us. Everytime we come to Canada though we only play Toronto and Montreal. That's it. It's pretty fucked up.

MH - Fuck, we gotta get you some gigs in Ottawa, Sudbury, and other places around here. (Edit: Krisiun came back a few years later and played mentioned cities)

MKYeah, that'd be great for sure man. It would be a great pleasure to play those places.

MH - Well, you guys fuckin' rule for sure. Do you have any last comments for our readers?

MK - Yes. We thank you very much for giving us this opportunity to spread our word and music, and it's been great here in Canada. I also want to tell our fans that we will never wimp out. We will always keep true to the roots, and we'll always keep true to our roots. We're always going to play fast and extreme forever, until the day that we die.

____________________________

- LAPIDATE -

Live interview with Erich Kennedy and Gord Brown by Mark Howitt

Mark Howitt - To get things started, could you introduce Lapidate by giving us a brief history of the band?

Erich Kennedy - We started out in late 01/02 as a really shitty band (laughs). It was a different line up at that time. Darryl Kelly used to play guitar for us, and the rest was the same.

Gord Brown - And then our old bassist got kicked out cause we thought he was a dumb ass, his name was Luc. Darryl plays the bass now. We had split with him earlier for job reasons, but he came back in and we've been clicking ever since. We've been a four piece since about August now.

MH - Do you guys find that as time goes by you've evolved into something you always wanted?

EK - Me and Gord had ideas to start a band now for about 3 years. Basically I started playing drums with Gord. We always basically played what we could.

GB - We went from not being able to play Metallica covers to playing this stuff.

EK - Yeah, we always listened to heavier stuff but could never pull it off.

MH - You have definatly gotten heavy, in a good way. What kind of stuff do you guys listen to? I kind of hear a Dying Fetus influence in there somewhere?

EK - Grind! Like Ohio brutal death shit. Hemdale, Waco Jesus, the American Disgorged. We like to stick to the chunky, heavy shit. The sort of grindier stuff.

GB - Yeah, like Gutted and Hemdale, Anal Blast.

EK - We have mixed influences. Nothing like Limp Bizkit, Disturbed or anything like that though. (laughs)

MH - Being a newer band, how many songs have you written so far?

GB - What we played tonight. (laughs)

EK - No, we have about 15 originals, but we only play some of them.

MH - I really liked that White Stripes cover you guys played. It was some fucking sick ass shit.

EK - That was an idea we came up with 2 days ago. We were gonna play New Kids on the Block's the right stuff.

GB - (laughs) Yeah that was the other idea.

MH - So you guys have been playing shows for about 2 years now?

EK - Well, as what we are now about a year. Before that it was all shitty covers and we did'nt know how to play.

GB - It's slowly been evolving though.

EK - We used to be called another name and it was basically like Obituary covers and shit like that.

GB - We've been slowly evolving though. As we progress we kind of throw out the older stuff and do'nt play them anymore. It's the best way to do it. Any riffs from the old songs you like, you just take them and throw them into new and better songs.

MH - You guys are from Ajax? Can you describe it's scene?

EK - One word. Shit. Pure shit. It's a Sum 41 town, so it's really lame. It's all nu-metal crap, pop punk...all crap. About 99% of Ajax are Eminem wanna be's. It fucking sucks.

GB - The four of us is about all that listens to good heavy shit. The closest cool place for us to play is Oshawa. They've got a few good bands like Everest and Wetwork.

MH - Do you guys think that there are enough good metal bands in Ontario to make a really huge scene?

EK - Oh definatly. It's growing for sure. The black metal scene here is definatly getting up there, but our music is starting too. Our scene and the type of music we play is getting alot better. When we first started this, we said that we were'nt going to be a band who plays for people because they like it. We thought nobody would like it, but as it turns out people are getting into it, so that's cool.

GB - Like with Eclipse Eternal. They have a huge following. They came out with a great cd and that helped pull together the black metal side of things.

MH - It's all about playing what you want.

EK - Exactly. We're not going to play Korn just to make people happy. That just aint going to happen.

MH - What sort of stuff do you guys write about?

EK - I'd say about 40% of our stuff is about eating shit, shitting on someone, or anything to do with shit. We're very into Scheister. Just kidding. (laughs) And gore all the way. It's all about the gore, beer and shit.

GB - Yeah, were into the Italian gore flicks as well. Its all about Fulci, Romero and all those Italian movies.

MH - So you found out about noon today that Deicide was'nt playing, and you were opening for Hate Eternal and Krisiun?

EK - Yeah. I was at school.GB - Lori emailed me last night saying that if Deicide did'nt show up, we could play. We were'nt going to give up that opportunity. I got the call at about noon, so I ran over to Erich's school and said get your drums, we're going downtown.

MH - I saw the crowds reaction. Most were pretty impressed.

EK - We were very happy about the crowds reaction. The Toronto scene has gotten so much bigger and better in the last year or so. it's bigger than I've ever seen. It seems everybody's coming out to the shows and stuff.

MH - How many times have you played in Toronto?

GB - We play here alot actually. We've opened for Neuraxis before. The Toronto scene has really grown for local bands. We've got all sorts of young bands coming out now.

EK - Yeah, we play alot of little shows here. We played with Brodequin as well. That was our big show. But like we were saying before, we were'nt expecting anything because of what we play, but now everybody's just so open to it. If were going to give credit to anyone in the scene, it's gotta be the promoters. It's the promoters who get the scene constant and growing.

GB - Like the Toronto Undead has done alot, and Inertia Entertainment. They're bringing out alot of new bands.

EK - We respect them alot. Toronto Undead has just opened up, but they're giving bands shows. If you're in a metal band in Toronto and you call them, they hook you up with shows. That's why there's alot more bands playing here now.

GB - It's also good because the only way your going to grow as a band is to play live. You can play a million times in your garage or whatever, but you dont know how it's going to be when you hit the stage.

MH - Is there any Lapidate shows in the near future?

GB - Yes. We're playing the 2004 Northern Lighs metal fest on June 26th, and that's through Unrestrained magazine.

MH - Well thanks for your time, stay brutal. Any final thoughts?

EK - Cheers to everyone who supports us. You fucking rule.

- ALBUM REVIEWS -

- TRIBULATION [2008] The Horror -

Label: Pulverized Records

Review by Mark Howitt

RATING: 8 \m/

Yet another solid fucking slab from the good people at Pulverized Records. This labels roster is impressing me more and more, and Tribulation’s latest offering The Horror is no exception. Upon hearing the intro, I was perhaps expecting some keyboard soaked Black Metal but instead was treated to a menacing yet simplistic Thrash/Black/Death hybrid. Full of catchy hooks and upbeat tempos, Tribulation are a force to be reckoned with. From the first song “Crypt of Thanatophilia” to the closing and fitting Apocalypse now sample used as the outro to the album on “Graveyard Ghouls”, I was taken through Hell and back on a twisting roller coaster ride. The outro is perfectly fitting indeed, as the listener hears Marlon Brando’s repeated whispers saying “The Horror…”

It would almost seem that everything on the album is at its perfect blend, the drum beats and cymbal work used is very effective, and combined with great black metal influenced raspy vocals and catchy thrash based riffs, we are left with an album that demands repeated listening. Personal favourite tracks include “Sacreligious Darkness”, “Crypt of Thanatophilia” and “Beyond The Horror”. The band successfully blends classic sounding thrash solos in with the mix, however this in my opinion is the weakest point on the album. The solos are good, don’t get me wrong, but I think by the next album the skills will be much enhanced. By no means however are the solos lacking, because they fit the music quite well. Near perfection, is the best way to describe this.

All members of the band do their parts well, and the song writing skills contained on “The Horror” is excellent. Production is also done very well, leaving a fulfilling listening experience. The album art is also quite impressive, wrapping up the package quite nicely. Big things are in store for Tribulation in the future, and with Pulverized Records backing them up only time will tell what the next release shall hold. If you like Thrash/Black/Death hybrid bands then do yourself a favour and give this album a listen. I am almost certain you will be impressed by the outcome.

- SEANCE [2009] Awakening Of The Gods -

Label: Pulverized Records

Review by Mike Baricelli

RATING: 8.5 \m/

It’s the return of Séance, a Swedish Death/Thrash band that formed at the beginning of the Nineties. Before hearing their latest release ‘’Awakening of the Gods’’ I had never heard of their past releases and it’s been 16 years since their previous album. I did a bit of research on the band and I found out that those past 2 albums were gems in the early 90’s death scene. In 92, Forever Laid to Rest, and in 93, Saltrubbed Eyes. They had some new material in the late 90’s and were going to sign to a new label but the drummer left shortly after, and eventually in 98 they split up.

Ten years later Séance has reformed and are back with a healthy slab of Thrashy Death Metal, ¾ of their old lineup and a new home at Pulverized Records. This is some good shit here, it’s one of the better Death/Thrash albums out there for sure. The songs are full of groovy, chunky riffs that have a Slayer influence and maybe a hint of The Haunted but by no means are they cloning either band. In fact they have an aggressive American tinged approach to their sound which suits the album well. And back to those riffs, I’m really impressed with what they came up with. A good dose of melody and aggressiveness to break your neck to. The vocals remind me of Suffocation mixed with Pestilence but they’re not low guttural burps and you can understand to a certain degree what he’s saying. The production is tight, full of power and every member’s instrument can be heard perfectly. The drumming is tasteful and never goes on a blastbeat binge, only when it’s necessary. It goes from mid paced beats to fast then slow at times but then quickly picks up the pace again without losing your attention.

Perhaps my favourite track is called Flight of the Wicked, it’s guitar and bass meld together well, almost battling each other for 50 seconds. It’s quite interesting and weird I guess but definitely something I haven’t heard before. Most of the songs are very good with no added filler horseshit, the album keeps your attention to the end and my only complaint would be I wish it were a bit longer. It clocks in at just over 36 min. I hope this band keeps going strong and stays awhile, they’ve impressed me and I’m sure countless others. The Swedish scene rarely disappoints… Hail Séance \m/

- JANVS [2008] Vega -

Label: ATMF Records

Review by Mark Howitt

RATING: 9 \m/

Janvs is an Italian gem that is still quite an underground band, however they have the potential to climb the highest of mountaintops. This band is simply amazing, and it is quite a shame I had not come across them earlier, although their first album from 2007 entitled Fvlgvres is less powerful and overwhelming in comparison to the Vega album. Don’t get me wrong, Fvlgvres was a great album as well and had more use of acoustic guitars but the atmosphere that Janvs has captured on Vega is unmatched, bar none.

When I first listened to the album, I did not quite understand fully the potential of this masterpiece. Perhaps it was part to do with the production or song structures themselves, but it did indeed take a couple listens for me to fully grasp what is going on here. However, since that moment I have listened to the album constantly, as it truly is original and refreshing. Taking its obvious influences from bands like Opeth and Amorphis, Janvs offer a great Black Metal side to their formula as well. Blending perfectly rich melodic harmonies with great Black Metal is something perhaps Enslaved has even tried to master. With another album, I am sure Janvs will be a force to be reckoned with.

My personal favourite songs are Saphire and the title track Vega. These songs are very well constructed and contain amazing clean vocal passages. Matteo "Vinctor" Barelli truly has a soaring voice, very full of emotion and quite unique sounding as well. I have not heard clean vocals quite like his, and he takes many different approaches to this vocal styling as well. His throat vocals are also well initiated, a very well rounded musician to say the least as he takes care of all vocals, guitars, synths and programming. Not drum programming either, as the drummer Massimo Altomare is a great Black Metal influenced drummer. There is truly nothing wrong with this album, except perhaps a few parts in a couple tracks that maybe drag on for a bit too long but they are so miniscule that it goes unnoticed. The intro section for Tarab is also quite entrancing, being very familiar to stuff heard on the Om album by Negura Bunget. \m/

Janvs has quickly reached a place into my soul, and for anyone who likes melodic/progressive type stuff with a very soul moving sound should definitely check these guys out, especially the songs Saphire and Vega. If the next album continues in this direction, there is no telling what Janvs will offer the world. Simply AMAZING Atmospheric/Progressive Black Metal!! A must have album for fans of Black Metal and Melodic stuff in general.

- THRONE OF KATARSIS [2009] Helvete - Det Iskalde Mørket -

Label: Candlelight Records

Review by Mark Howitt

RATING: 7 \m/

Throne of Katarsis have recently unleashed their second full-length attack in the form of “Helvete – Det Iskalde Mørket” on Candlelight Records, and I must say I am quite impressed with the end result. They have managed to capture the old school Norwegian Black Metal sound we have all grown accustomed to in bands such as Dissection, Emperor, and Burzum without exceeding or for that matter, cut corners with production. A raw, yet atmospheric production blesses this release, as a clear and mastered mix would not have done these songs justice. Perfection through imperfection, as they say.

What we have here are five solid tracks of Melodic Black Metal, with songs clocking in at over fifteen minutes in length. Very solid tracks, which never seem to stay too focused on riffs or sections of the songs. The riffing on this album, together with the vocals is very influenced by the late Dissection. Many bands are influenced by them, but it would seem that Throne of Katarsis have really studied their formula. This album sounds like it could have been the third Dissection album, if of course Jon was not imprisoned. Some riffs even sound like they are taken straight from the earlier Dissection albums. A very striking resemblance, however there is a significant difference in the approach that Throne of Katarsis has taken. For instance, the Attila influenced vocals near the 6:30 mark into the first track, “The Winds of Blasphemy”. There are several other comparisons to other bands that could be listed here, which does take from the originality factor but due to the variety and dimension of the songs, Throne of Katarsis are harvesting their own sound.

Personal favorites on the album include The Darkest Path, with its sluggish yet dark, atmospheric intro and the seventeen minute title track. This album is thorough in its intent, and full of solid Black Metal structures fans of the genre have grown to love. I would recommend this album to anyone who has been searching for a band that keeps the old tradition alive. Throne of Katarsis are not afraid to pay homage to the Kings of Black Metal Past, carrying the torch with yet another solid release of Norwegian Black Metal. Keeping the essence of Helvete alive and well, dark things continue to brew from our Scandinavian friends.

- IMPIETY [2008] Dominator EP -

Label: Pulverised Records

Review by Mark Howitt

RATING: 8 \m/

What a crushing release from Singapore’s Impiety. Dominator, the latest Mini CD from a very under rated band, this five song EP contains as much aggression as ten full length albums, and about as much evil as you can fit into a local church. Brought to you by Pulverised Records, the same people who brought us the crushing thrash release Blood Money by Guillotine, as well as several other thrash soaked gems in more recent years.

Impiety has a very strong thrash influence, however their sound is composed mainly of other genres in their hateful concoction, which comes in the forms of Black and Death Metal. Impiety take the most abrasive aspects of all three of these genres, and intertwine them in a chaotic scene similar to that of perhaps Hiroshima. The constant onslaught that comes from this album can be related to bands like Belphegor, Krisiun, and Arkhon Infaustus, but perhaps much more constant. Impiety are purposely trying to cave in your skull with every track. The drumming on this EP is super sonic in speed, and a sheer relentless attack on the senses. He must have downed six cases of energy drinks before doing his drum tracks for this release. A thoughtful warning to anyone that is now curious about this release. If you have had problems with seizures in the past, then please do not listen to this album as it will cause you to violently erupt into spastic convulsions where you stand. This album is truly that heavy and should not be underestimated. Upon conclusion of the opening introduction sequence, and its battle like structure, Impiety rip through four tracks of blasting madness right through to the finale track At War With Temujin.

Another bonus to this EP is that it also contains a disgusting cover of Sarcofago’s The Black Vomit, which is very well executed. It surpasses the original version in its heaviness tenfold, doing it great justice. Dominator also features a guest appearance by Lord Ashir of Infernal Execrator, another great Black/Death hybrid from Singapore. I am truly anticipating the follow up release to this album.

Perhaps the main reason I enjoy this release so much is how dark the songs are in their composition. A lot of newer thrash influenced bands are not that dark overall in sound, but Impiety surpass that with flying colors? I have not heard anything as fast as this since I first saw Anhkrehg from Canada, or perhaps the first time I recall listening to Belphegor. The intensity of what is happening musically here is truly crushing and encompassing, never letting up on its delivery and attack. These guys are definitely an under rated band, and with Dominator, they are putting themselves on the map as a band that is not afraid to go all out, and destroy all that is in sight. If you want evil destructive music at break neck speeds, then look no further than Singapore’s psychotic flesh ripping horde, Impiety.

- ABSU [2009] Absu -

Label: Candlelight Records

Review by Mike Baricelli

RATING: 8.5 \m/

Where to begin…. This was one of my most anticipated releases for the new year. I’ve known about Absu for many years but haven’t listened to any of their albums up until last year when I finally heard Tara, and was completely blown away by its sheer brutality and perfect blend of thrash, speed and black metal. A classic album in my opinion. After hearing Tara I started listening to their past albums but they didn’t seem to compare to Tara. Still good, don’t get me wrong, but I’d say ‘’The Third Storm of Cythraul’’ is their best from the nineties, Tara was the mountain to climb, could it be conquered? Now eight years later they have returned with three new members and the mighty Proscriptor behind the kit and doing lead vocals, a technique that’s incredible and requires much focus considering the speed he’s going at.

The new Absu album immediately lashes out at you and doesn’t let go, something that put a smile on my face from the get go. It has the same venom as Tara but isn’t a carbon copy of it. Black metal riffs are more prominent but don’t worry, there’s a solid thrash/speed background and a great deal of atmosphere and ambience too which was used in past albums before. It is just used slightly more on this release but to a good degree and not too much or overpowering. The production is a tad cleaner which makes all the instruments shine thoroughly. A first for an Absu album is the use of electronica but to good use (at the ending of ‘’of the dead who never rest in their tombs are the attendance of familiar spirits’’ it actually flows well). There is also some guests on here like Blasphemer (formerly of Mayhem) who contributes a couple guitar solos on ‘’Night fire Canonization’’ and ‘’Girras Temple’’ also Equitant who does a 58 second ambient closer called ‘’Twix Yesterday, The Day and the Morrow’’, however this should have been part of a song instead of an album closer in my opinion.

Proscriptor does what he does best but to a simpler degree, he’s not all over the place like on Tara, more controlled and less off timing beats but they’re still in the mix, just not as much. He’s still very fast with his fills, double kick and blasts. This might upset fans of Tara era Absu since the drumming was just mindboggling, his performance here is amazing but a couple notches below Tara. His vocals have changed slightly… maybe taken a toll on him over the years, they’re raspy but I miss the goblin like screams of the past. Overall it’s not that big of a deal but they could have been better.

In conclusion is this better than Tara? No, but it’s a wicked album considering the eight year gap. My hats off to them and horns to the sky for making an album of this calibre after such a long hiatus. How many other bands do you know that have been gone for a certain period of time and have comeback to make a record worth owning? At the moment I can’t think of any, and that’s probably not going to change. I just hope that their next opus is not too far in the distant future.

- FEN [2009] Malediction Fields -

Label: Code 666/Aural Music

Review by Mark Howitt

RATING: 8 \m/

When Black Metal was created, it was merely meant to be a form of dark ambience obtained with instruments. After Norwegian Black Metal was at its peak in the early-mid 90's, it seemed to create a worldwide surge of newer black metal bands that sounded very different than anything from its original region of origin. Fen has accomplished what black metal was always intended to sound like with their new album Malediction Fields. Using ambient tones rather than shifting classical inspired keyboard parts to achieve a dark sound while using perfectly crafted droning riffs. Malediction Fields is an album that all black metal fans should investigate into, as I am sure the follow up to this album will put them on a much higher position on the food chain. Fen is similar to bands like Negura Bunget, Drudkh, Agalloch and the likes yet contain their own sound almost entirely. This is perhaps because of their slight embrace with Post-Rock elements and ambient focus. If you are not familiar with Fen but enjoy the bands just listed then please do yourself a favor and order this album now. It will surely and quickly find its place amongst your most played albums of the year.

From the opening riff of Exile's Journey, to the epic outro of Bereft you are taken into a swirling spiral of perfectly crafted depressive and melodic black metal throughout the entire length of the album. The Malediction Fields continuously takes you only briefly into melodic passages, and then sweeping through buzzing riff after buzzing riff of dark harmonies similar to something one might hear from a band such as Watain. Each riff seems to keep you in tune with the raw perfection that is entering the confines of your skull cavity. Yet another noticeable attribute to Fen is their great bass incorporation. Whereas most bass lines on Black Metal albums remain similar to the guitar riffs, Fens bassist sweeps through each track harmonizing the riffs in non traditional fashion. Indeed it would be hard to pick a personal favourite song or to even highlight certain areas of the album because each song keeps you wanting more as it takes you on the journey through the fields of malediction. From front to finish, this album will remain spinning in my stereo for quite some time to come, and if you are a fan of the recent surge of post rock/black metal hybrids lurking amongst the horizon, then you shall surely enjoy what this band has to offer.

- SHOW REVIEWS -

- BENEATH THE MASSACRE-CARNIFEX-BLIND WITNESS-THE LAST FELONY-BEYOND WITHIN-THE KILLING FIELD -

DATE:Sunday March 8th 2009

LOCATION: The Serbian Centre - Sudbury, Ontario Canada

Review by: Matt Southern

It’s been a long five months for Sudbury metalheads since a metal show has been booked in our quiet mining town. The wait has been tough by anyone’s standards, but needless to say the crowd was hot with anticipation from the moment they walked through the door. They were all more than ready to see Beneath the Massacre tear up the stage with support from Carnifex, but first they were to be treated to a myriad of crushing openers.

The Killing Field from North Bay took the stage to begin the night. The vocalist had come down with a sore throat that rendered him unable to use the mic, so instead the story was told through their instruments. The lack of vocals allowed their seasoned technical ability to shine through even more than usual as the crowd hung on to every note. This wasn’t a band that brought mosh pits, but the audience certainly enjoyed banging their heads while watching the unorthodox playing style of this talented North Bay band. The Killing Field helped set the tone for the rest of the evening and fired up the crowd even more.

Sudbury metal veterans Beyond Within were next to take the stage and made their presence known immediately. The five month wait must have gotten to these guys as well as they played with unrivaled intensity as if they were letting out the months of pent up anticipation. The same could be said for the crowd as they passionately headbanged and broke out into mosh pits at any chance they got. Beyond Within added a number of new tracks to their arsenal, all of which were noticeably heavier than their previous offerings and the crowd ate them up. In an effort to keep the fans happy they also played several favorites off their Eternal Pestilence album. I personally love the old stuff as much as anyone, but I would have been just as happy to see an entire set of new material because it’s just that good.

The Last Felony from Montreal took the stage to mixed reactions from the crowd. They never quite found their bearings and the crowd never quite knew how to respond to what was in front of them. There’s no argument that The Last Felony is one hell of a heavy band, but hailing from a town that has a reputation for its metal bands having distinctly unique sounds I would also argue that ‘Felony brings nothing new to the table. Their efforts to get the crowd involved were met with minimal success. Maybe I’m looking at it differently than others who were in the crowd that night, but I felt The Last Felony was good but not great, and did little to add to the excitement of the crowd.

Blind Witness, also from Montreal, took the stage with many familiar faces in the audience. They are no strangers to Sudbury; having played here numerous times and developing an impressive following. They’ve never failed to illicit excitement amongst the crowd and this time was no exception. Every time they play here they sound heavier and each time they introduce something new. The vocalist opted out of singing the clean choruses of the older songs and instead left that up to the devote fans in the audience who knew every word. The new songs were punishing and left a good impression of what the new album might sound like. It was finally time, and we were all ready for the two headlining bands of the night.

Carnifex from San Diego, California took the stage as everyone rushed to get a prime spot to watch what was the favorite band of many people in the audience. As soon as they started playing, bodies started flying. Mosh pits broke out anywhere and everywhere and there was a seemingly endless stream of bodies flying off the stage and into the waiting arms of crowd as they body surfed while Carnifex tore the place down as only they could. Playing a healthy mix of old songs and new songs, there was not a disappointed fan to be found. To top everything off they played the song that everyone was dying to hear, ‘Lie to My Face’ which was the first single off of their first album. After destroying us with song after song, the fans still clamored for an encore but unfortunately time did not permit them to play one. I’d be just as pleased as everyone else in the audience if Carnifex made their way through Sudbury again in the future.

Montreal metal maniacs Beneath the Massacre took the stage to appease the masses that had been eagerly waiting all night to see them. From start to finish, these guys were simply unstoppable, playing an unrelenting setlist comprised of songs from all albums that sounded as good as studio quality with every strange time signature and skipped beat nailed with perfection (kudos to the fantastic sound crew for doing a great job all evening). The bodies were flying once again as BTM systematically dismantled all of our senses in an impressive display of intensity that won’t soon be forgotten. Heads were banging and horns rose to the sky all the way until the conclusion of one of the finest metal shows to hit Sudbury in quite some time. Beneath the Massacre are always welcome here in Sudbury and it probably won’t be too long before they come through here again… but until then there is the No Offense Festival to look forward to.