UNDEAD CREEP INTERVIEW Aug 2012

Italian masters of the Old School Death Metal sound Undead Creep have had their 'The Ever Burning Torch' debut album out for a while now and with a new release on the cards soon, I spoke to vocalist Sandro and here is what he had to say...

Hi Sandro, how are you and what have you been up to recently?

Hi Matt! First of all thanks for this cool interview. I’m fine; I’m just passing my summer holidays in absolute calm, just like the Dudeism professes. Going to the beach, listening to music, getting drunk and so on. Good shit in short.

Can you tell us a bit about Undead Creep and how the band came to be in existence?

Undead Creep is mainly a side project founded by this “two freaky brains” that are friends of mine: Giorgio (guitar, backing vocals) and David (drums), who mainly play in Haemophagus, a really nice Grind horror band, I absolutely recommend them to you. Undead Creep was born (literally): “pushed by the urge to bring back the spirit of Old School Death Metal the way it was meant to be”. A tribute to the old way, primarily influenced by the sound characterizing that musical movement born in the early nineties in Sweden (in a few words, Sunlight Studio scene). After the entry of Maso (bass) and me (lead vocals) the band recorded its first S/T Demo in 2009 (on CD self produced and on Tape by Unholy Domain Rec.). A year later, the debut album with the american Dark Descent Rec. “The Ever-Burning Torch” introduced us to the European and global Old Death scene. After the exit of Maso this year, we’re really proud to have our two new members: Claudio (bass) and Fausto (guitar). We roamed around Germany (early this summer) to play some gigs and now we’re waiting for the d.i.y. Kill Town Death Fest (in Copenaghen) where we’ll play with: Master, General Surgery, Interment, Hooded Menace etc and where we hope our new work will be available: an EP 7’’ produced by Blood Harvest rec. entitled “Enchantments from the Haunted Hills”.

How did the demo sell? Were you pleased with the response you got from it?

The demo went well. We sold all the copies (both cd both tape). The response was really pretty cool.

To date, you have released one demo and one full length album, which has been your favourite and why?

For me the demo will always be important. Because it was our first work, and especially it marked my personal entry into this genre. For what concerns “The Ever-Burning Torch” it has characterized the first point of arrival for Undead Creep. A good step of maturation toward our identity. So, in the end, I think I prefer both in the same way.

How do you view the new wave of Old School Death Metal at the moment?

It’s nice. There are so many band that play so good, especially all the stuff produced by the mighty Dark Descent rec. is awesome. But seriously, personally I think that the return to the old school is primary a failure of the new scene. The twisted technicalities perpetrated by a portion of this new Death Metal has definitely made it: self-referential. Something that is not the real genre. Complicated riffs that seem like exercises, speed taken to the extreme consequences etc… to go where? Bitch please. So you know, when you've lost the right road the best you can do is to turn back to your own way.

How did you guys come up with the name for the band?

Is a simple union between two words that recall the sphere of horror movies. Undead and Creep. They don’t have a real meaning together, but if you want to see absolutely something… Undead Creep could be the “creepy walking of the undead”.

You are soon to release a new 7" EP, can you tell me a bit about it?

Yes, this 7” EP as I said before will be called “Enchantments from the Haunted Hills”, it will be released by the Swedish Blood Harvest Records. Hopefully it'll be available at the Kill Town Death Fest this Summer. This 7” includes the title track that you can listen to on Youtube and another track called "To Be Condemned" with an instrumental intro inspired to Fulci’s and Argento’s movies.

What UK bands are you particularly into?

We're especially into the old gods like SABBATH and PRIEST (eternal influences) Napalm Death, Monolith, Bolt Thrower, Benediction, Lords of Putrefaction, Sabbat, Iron Monkey, Acrimony, new acts like Cruciamentum and Indesinence... not to mention dozens of punk, crust and more experimental bands and artists. It was always such a hotbed for music of every kind.

Are there any plans for some new Undead Creep t shirts or merchandise?

Yes, thery are now some for sale, which wew printed a few months ago. When we went to Germany we have sold quite a bit. For anyone who wants them, please contact us by email.

Your debut album has been out for some time now, are you happy with the way it turned out?

Sure, we’re really proud about the result of the full-length. Matt of Dark Descent did a perfect job with the production and distribution

What kind of subjects to Undead Creep deal with lyrically?

They are different. We speak about classical horror b-movie stuff, post-nuclear scenery, esoteric and dark worlds (Lovecraft reigns) but I prefer those speaks about introspective states of mind, obscure ruminations and the correlations between the world of the living and other, black spheres of spiritual existence.

Do you listen to other forms of music besides Death Metal, and if you do, do you feel that this influences your part in Undead Creep at all?

I’m an ardent supporter of stoner rock, in fact it's been a year now since I've started playing in a stoner/sludge band with Giorgio too. It's called Elevators to the Grateful Sky. In Undead Creep there many influences but very often I don’t know their roots. You must ask this question to Giorgio (our first composer), He is a great musician with an infinite musical knowledge, you must listen to his personal projects: Furious Georgie, it's really amazing. So I think that he will be more capable than me to answer to you.

Have you been playing many shows recently?

As I said we played the “Into the Void Fest d.i.y.” fest organized in Bologna by our drummer David. Add to this two gigs in Germany. We can’t wait for the KTDF, it will be awesome.

On the first demo, I personally heard an influence from early Dismember. What bands are an obvious influence for you in the band?

Our mainly influences are: Carnage, Nihilist, Grotesque, Nirvana 2002, Evocation and early Therion and Unleashed but the list goes on and on. Primordial thrash like Bathory, Slaughter Lord, Mercilles and non-swedish bands like the masters of horror: AUTOPSY.

These days there seems to be a lot of fashionable scene kids defiling real Death Metal with this abomination they call Deathcore, which is something I hate. What are your views on this sub-genre?

I respect them, they do what they love. Ok, sure you know… but when they describe that stuff with the word Death, I just go crazy. Kids, come on. Death Metal is ANOTHER THING. Call your genre pink sky metal, or super cool metal. But DON'T use the word Death. As I said in another interview literally: Death Metal is born to be dead. This is the real essence of this genre, to lie in a rotten catacomb infected by the evil. Not jumping kids, with unlikely haircuts. Come on!

What is the Death Metal scene like in Italy these days? Do you gain a lot of support in your own country?

I don’t really know at this time. We have bands like Horrid, Eroded, Voids of Vomit and Blasphemophagher, but as my drummer David says: it seems like Death Metal (the way I mean it) will forever dwell in the dark corners of the Italian underground.

If you could tour with two bands of your choice, who would you choose?

This is really difficult to choose. If I had to keep my feet on the ground I would say: Hooded Menace, Bombs of Hades, Horrendous, Kaamos, etc. But the dream would be Autopsy, Asphyx, Repulsion, Entombed etc.

What plans do you musically at present and for the future?

I don’t have plans for the future. The only things in program are: playing the KTDF and recording the full length with Elevators to the Grateful Sky on September. Maybe next year we will do a European Tour with Creep or a gig in a big Festival, who knows… the only sure thing is that we should write new stuff soon.

Any last words?

What should I say? Matt, thanks for this cool interview and for the video reviews. We really appreciate your work! For the people out there, come on and listen to our new 7”, we hope you'll like that, and keep on supporting the old shit. Remember, the gates are open for you to see, the horror of the Undead Creep.

Thanks to you Sandro for doing this interview with me. Be sure to check out Undead Creep on Facebook, Myspace and Reverbnation.

ENTRAPMENT INTERVIEW Aug 2012

With New Old School Death Metal exploding on the underground circuit like never before, I thought I would catch up with the Michel who is the man behind Entrapment from The Netherlands, and see what's going on at the moment. This is the result...

Hi Michel, can you tell us who you are and what you do?

Hey Matt, first of all thanks for the support!

Besides Entrapment I’m running my own merchandise company, printing band shirts etc.

How is life in Entrapment at the moment?

Life is pretty ok at the moment. There’s a lot coming up and I’m busy with the full length which should be released by Soulseller Records within a couple of months from now.

You have only been around for a couple of years so far but already you have three solid releases. Are you happy with the way the demos turned out?

Yeah very pleased with all the support! Entrapment started off with some ideas I recorded on my pc. And now after 2 demo’s and a 7” things are starting to look pretty serious ha ha.

You are a one-man band, which seems to be something which is becoming more popular with Death Metal acts. Do you prefer working alone?

I still see Entrapment as a kind of personal project. My friends who help me out on stage are pretty busy with other bands as well so it works out just fine like this.

Your most recent release 'Crawling Morbidity' has been released as a 7" on Destest records. Can you tell us how this came about?

Detest records released the Infernal Blasphemies demo in 2010 and since the beginning we had plans to record and release a 7”. So last year I wrote and recorded the songs at a friends studio and Detest released the gem.

Which bands are you particularly into and which bands influence you when writing new material for Entrapment?

I have to admit I’m into all kinds of music but I get my influences basically out of old death metal bands like Autopsy, Nihilist, Asphyx but also old punk and hardcore bands too many to mention.

Lyrically, what are your favourite subjects to write about?

Serpent and the rainbow kinda claustrophic lyrics about being buried alive and that kind of nonsense haha.

What UK bands do you appreciate?

That’s a hell of a question since I’m also into punk, hardrock, indymusic but to mention some:

Carcass, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, Anathema, Benediction, Cancer, Desecrator,

Paradise Lost, Cathedral,The Ruts, Discharge, Crass, the Clash, Slaughter and the Dogs, Varukers, Amebix, Buzzcocks, Budgie, Blitzkrieg, Tygers of Pantang, Rudimentary Peni, Flux of Pink Indians and so on and so on.

How easy is the recording process in Entrapment?

Pretty easy I have to say, as soon I got the songs stuck in my head I record the drums. When the drums are done I record the guitars and the bass. Then I write the lyrics and do the vocals. At home I try to find nice melodies and solo’s as well as our live 2nd guitar player Jerome.

How did you come up with the band name and logo?

I stole the name from Asphyx’s side project Soulburn. The first song is called Hellish Entrapment. When I started to draw the logo it turned out a bit the same as the Dismember logo..well I like that band a lot.

Out of your three demos, which has been your favourite and why?

The first demo and the 7” are my favorites. The recordings went very smooth and that’s always a good sign.

Being a one man band, are you able to play live with a live line up or is this something that doesn't interest you?

Yeah we do live shows. I’ve got some friends helping me out. We rehearse once a while. The new death metal wave didn’t reach the Netherlands yet so we don’t play that often.

What kind of interest from labels have you had so far?

Quite a few, and on most of them Entrapment will release a split 7”, demo, or discography.

There are lots of bands playing traditional Death Metal in the vein of the old days now, are you proud to be a part of that?

Yes it’s great. We had the honour to play at the Kill Town Death Fest last year…it was really cool to see all the people going mad on bands like Funebrarum, Winterwolf, Vanhelgd or Sonne Adam.

How do you see Entrapment progressing over the next couple of years?

I have to admit that I'm not really ambitious at the moment. Death Metal have been my favorite genre for more than 20 years now. And I’m glad there’s an uprising of new bands playing the old style. It’s great that Entrapment is taking part in this before it’s over again, ha ha.

Can we expect a new release any time soon?

The full length on Soulseller Records will be the next release.

What plans do you have for Entrapment in the future?

There will be a Digipack with basically both demo’s, raw mixes and live track released by Godeater Records. Slap Bet Records will release the Putrefying Stench of Death demo on 7” vinyl. There will be a split 7” with Torturerame from Belgium. Also a split 7” with Massive Assault from the Netherlands. And there are plans for a split 12” with Pyre from Russia. And a limited Live tape released by myself.

Any last words?

Thanks a lot for the interview, I'm enjoying your Youtube channel!

Stay true - whatever that means!

Thanks to you Michel for the interview. Since doing this interview, Entrapment has released a special digi-pak CD featuring both demos and can be obtained here. Also be sure to check out Entrapment on Myspace and Facebook.

CODE INTERVIEW Aug 2012

Black Metallers Code have been around for a while now and have earned themselves a prominent place in the genres vast array of bands. I spoke to guitarist Aort about Code and his other musical projects...

Hi Aort, how are you and what have you been up to recently?

Hello Matt, I am just fine thanks. Keeping very busy as always, perhaps a little too busy. Over the years the number of projects I work on at any one time has varied a lot but I am happy with where I am now and am on the edge of what I can manage to do in the time I have, yet not let the quality slip. It's a balance sometimes, but right now, it is just about right.

First of all, how are things going with Code?

Things with Code are really great, actually the best they have ever been. We have never had a settled line up until now, and in addition, having members spread across Europe never made life easy. Now we are all based within 30 minutes of each other, we are playing great and really looking forward to taking the new incarnation of Code forward.

Code previously went by the name of Seasonal Code but changed the name in about 2002, what prompted the name change?

In actuality, Code really doesn't have anything to do with Seasonal Code. There is a lineage in terms of band name obviously, but everything else about the two are completely different. Seasonal Code was essentially a solo project, whereas Code was a much more serious attempt at creating music. We wanted to actually get somewhere with Code, whereas Seasonal Code was nothing more than a solitary dip in the water.

The style of Black Metal you play in Code is very individual, and for one thing features some well executed clean vocals. How easy is it for you to write original sounding material in a genre which can often feel rather stagnant at times?

In all honesty, the music of Code is not premeditated in any way. All the music in Code has been written very naturally without a thought as to how it may fit in the wider scheme of things. Vocal wise, that has always been created by listening to what the music needs and in that respect, it is quite an inward looking process. If what we do comes out as seeming original then that is by accident rather than any great design. The best music is always made for selfish reasons I think.

To date, you have released one demo and two full length albums with Code, which has been your favourite and why?

I am proud of both albums to be honest and they are very different in feel. It is hard to compare and decide what is my favourite as they give me very different things. I think Resplendent Grotesque was perhaps a more measured and personal album. There was a lot of self doubt with Nouveau Gloaming as it was a start from a blank piece of paper…and I think the tension in there is quite palpable which works in its favour. Resplendent Grotesque was a real exercise in paying attention to every detail and there is a lot of depth in there in terms of layering. Production wise I had a much better idea of how I wanted Resplendent Grotesque to sound too and for the most part, it turned out how I wanted it to.

Can you tell us about your other projects Indesinence, Decrepit Spectre and Blutvial?

Indesinence is a Doom/Death band from London who I joined a few years back. We have been playing a few gigs here and there over the years since I joined and we are now finishing recording for a new album which will be the first studio recording I will have been involved in. It is a great band to be a part of and playing bass is something I love to do whenever I can.

Decrepit Spectre as far as I know is dead now. It was the baby of Heimoth who is now restarting his old band Seth so the concentration has moved away from Decrepit Spectre. Whether anything happens again with that project, I don't know.

With Blutvial, we are in the process of reissuing Curses Thorns Blood on UK label Mordgrimm which I am very pleased about. The album was really killer and it needs to get heard by more people. Anything we can do to spread the hatred on that album, we will do!

My other main project is Binah which is a pure old school early 90s Death Metal entity. We are soon to release our debut album Hallucinating in Resurrecture on CD and vinyl. I may put it out on cassette down the line to complete the set. It has been an absolute blast working on this album and summoning the spirits of the early 90s, and I think there is a lot more mileage to be made.

You and I have known each other for over 20 years now. When we were kids did you think that by this stage of your life you would have achieved this amount musically? 

When we first knew each other, my goals were to trade as many tapes as possible and to release fanzines. I never thought of myself as a musical artist, especially as I didn't really start playing guitar until the mid/late 90s. When I did start writing, getting signed and releasing an album was my one goal. I am massively proud of Nouveau Gloaming for that reason. Everything else is a bonus, and I love being able to make music and get it released and for people to be interested enough to listen to it. Thinking back to the early 90s though, I remember my older brother telling me that I would grow out of metal by the time I was twenty…..I am glad that never happened.

Last year saw the release of the second Blutvial album 'Curses Thorns Blood'. Are you pleased with the way it turned out? 

In a word….YES! I am really chuffed with how that album came out, the production is absolutely killer and the whole thing is a complete ordeal to listen to. It is brutal and aggressive, yet there is a lot of variation in the album and a lot of depth. The one regret so far is that it has not been heard by enough people…I think it is a really strong album and hopefully the re-release will help get word about that this album exists.

What UK bands are you particularly into? 

The band I always name drop whenever I am asked this is Ghast. They are one of the very best bands in black metal no matter what country is considered. Just the most amazing creation of absolute darkness and grimnity. Everyone needs to check this band out! 

Of course, I was really pleased to see Witchclan come back to life, and am very eagerly awaiting the Deadman's Blood EP (the advance track I heard a while back was very special!)

Are there any plans for some Code and/or Blutvial t shirts or merchandise?

There have been a few Code t-shirt designs over the years, all of which are pretty much sold out now. I have just got some new shirts printed for our next few shows…whatever doesn't sell at those will be put up on www.haintic.com. There has never been a Blutvial shirt to date….if there is enough interest in the future, I will make that happen for sure.

You always have been quite the collector when it comes to music. Can you tell us a bit about some of your favourite albums that you own?

I guess my favourite albums I own are the ones which are more obscure. We all love the classics, but it is the off the beaten tracks ones which I hold on to the most. Stuff that falls into that bracket are the likes of the Lord of Putrefaction / Mortal Remains split, Lubricant and Phlegethon EPs, stuff like that. Not the most valuable but those are the little gems that I consider my own little secrets. The Timeghoul demo is another like that. I do collect a lot of other music on vinyl now and one of my treasures is the Alex Sanders 'A Witch is Born' LP from 1970 which is a Wiccan witch initiation ceremony recording. It seems pretty kitsch these days but it was quite a big deal back then and was banned almost straight away so there are very few of them in existence. I have a lot of old prog and folk albums too which are quite sought after.

In your opinion, what would Black Metal look like in 2012 had the incidents in Norway between 1992 and 1993 never happened?

Difficult question in all honesty. We were both around at the time and I guess other than the odd tape traded demo or album, black metal wasn;t something that I was overly conscious of until the infamous edition of Kerrang came out. I didn't spend much time distinguishing the Blasphemy or Impaled Nazarene etc stuff I heard from the rest of the Death Metal that was infecting my soul back then. What happened in Norway obviously brought so much more attention to the music that was happening at the time then otherwise would have happened. But it is impossible to deny the greatness of some of the Norwegian Black Metal that came out around that time. The events also turned the attention more to Black metal from across the globe too so a lot of people benefitted. Norway as a whole have done a good job of exploiting what happened back then and have spun it many ways to make a lot of money. It is very hard to say how things would look without the incidents as it is obvious that the effect on Extreme Metal was massive.

In the early days when we were kids, you did a short-lived zine called Final Obituary, and you were very active in the tape trading scene. Do you have fond memories from back then?

Very fond memories indeed. As you know, writing and producing a sine was a real labour of love, and the rewards for me were to have an excuse to write to the bands that I worshipped, and to get hold of new music. I followed Final Obituary with a run of newsletters under the name Hringnum which were a lot more successful than Final Obituary was. It was hard work but very rewarding. Tape trading was a huge pleasure for me too, I spent hours after school recording tapes and updating my trade list…I counted down the hours each day until I could get home and get on with answering mail and checking out all the new music I was getting.

The style of Black Metal you play in Blutvial is far more aggressive than that in Code. What is your favourite style to play and why? 

Purely in terms of which style I find more rewarding to play, I would have to say that the more technical aspects of Code are a lot of fun to play, mainly because they are an extension of my natural playing style taken to logical extremes. Blutvial is more of a physical and endurance test of sorts which is great for developing the power and the feeling of the music, but it does end up being quite an ordeal tremolo picking for so long. I actually really enjoyed playing death metal with the Binah project which is something I have not spent a lot of time doing before, that was a blast to do.

Have you ever thought about trying your hand at vocals at any point?

I do a little backing vocals for Code when we play live and I also have recorded seem demo bits and pieces over the years. But when all is said and done, I know my limitations, I'm not a vocalist and I'm not a wordsmith. Music is my game.

For you, what has been the defining moment in your career so far and why?

I think getting the first album out was the biggest moment for me as it was something that I had been working towards for so long. To get that affirmation of what I was doing was a real buzz and I will never forget that. Everything past that is a bonus and I always enjoy recording and releasing new music. With regards to playing live, there is always something that doesn't quite work right or come together…..I'm still waiting for that perfect gig.

It has been almost three years since the last Code album 'Resplendent Grotesque'. Can we expect something new from you soon?

Well musically, the new Code album has been written for at least two years. It has been an arduous and painful journey trying to complete a solid and dependable line up and thank the heavens that we finally have. Recording is scheduled to start in the summer and will most likely take a good few months. Hopefully it will all be complete in the autumn and a release in early 2013 sounds sensible. I'm sure we will put out some teasers along the way though.

What do your band names mean and how did you come up with them?

I think if I remember rightly, Code was decided upon mainly for it's ambiguity and snappiness as a word. It can mean anything to anyone and we also knew that it was a word that would not fall out of suitability if our style changed. If we called ourselves Deathfuckingblackmetalkrieg, we would have painted ourselves into a corner. On the flip side to that, Blutvial is only ever going to be a barbaric Black Metal entity so we needed a name that reflected that with no room for ambiguity. With a name like Blutvial, you know it is going to be nasty black metal. Every other name (excluding Seasonal Code) were the work of others.

What plans do you musicially at present and for the future?

Code: Live shows, recording in the summer, new album out early next year.

Binah: CD out on Dark Descent and vinyl out on En Saco Un Ojo in June/July

Indesinence: New album out on Profound Lore I'm guessing in the autumn

Blutvial: Curses Thorns Blood re-released by Mordgrimm in July.

Anything else is a bonus….

Any last words?

Hails to you Matt….I remember Crucifixion sine the first time around so it is killer to see some life being breathed into it again. Thanks for the support and….CHHHHEEEEEERRRRSSSS!

Thanks to Aort for answering these questions in so much depth. Be sure to check out his excellent projects by clicking these links - Code - Blutvial - Binah - Haintic.

NECROCURSE INTERVIEW June 2012

Of all the new bands playing old school Death Metal, Necrocurse from Sweden are one of the finest. With a string of impressive releases under their belt so far, a full length album is in the pipeline so I spoke to drummer Nicklas Rudolfsson and guitarist Stefan Rodin about the band...

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit of background information on yourself? 

NR: Nicklas “Terror” Rudolfsson, drummer and de-composer in Necrocurse. I have been involved in many bands of the swedish metal-scene over the years but since the past few years, I see Necrocurse as my main band.

SR: Stefan Rodin - guitar. I’ve played in all kinds of bands earlier like Masticator, Phobos, I played bass with John Norum from Europe (high Death Metal credits!?!? hehe) and some other projects. 

How are things going at the moment with Necrocurse? 

SR: Very good. We have a lot going on right now! 

NR: Great and miserable at the same time.. haha! We've made some great gigs here in Sweden and we will do more this year. Will try to get to other countries as soon as possible as well. but we are late with the recordings of a full album which sucks but we will deal with it again in the summer / early fall. So hopefully the label (Pulverised Records) can release the album late in 2012. 

Your first release was a demo called 'Shape Of Putrid Abomination' which is now very hard to come by. How many were made and how quickly did it sell out? 

NR: Only a few CDr copies spread to close friends. Early versions of some songs with myself on vocals. Will not be re-released! 

You play a very classic style of Swedish Death Metal, a sound which I am a very big fan of I might add. How do you feel about the new wave of bands who play in this style?

NR: New wave? Perhaps we are also part of the wave then? To be honest I don’t have full coverage on the scene and new bands. But I try to keep up and listen to new bands as I get some tips on new good things. 

You recently released a mini CD entitled 'Shape Of Death' which is a special edition shaped disc with some exclusive tracks. How has this sold and has it been accepted well? 

NR: It was a bit delayed due to problems with delivery, but it’s finally available now! The songs are all from the same recording made back in 2010 on the 7" vinyl 'Chaos Carnage Cataclysm' and 'Insane Curse of Morbidity' but re-mixed plus a bonus track. Do not have a clue about sales figures, but it should run out pretty quickly as it's only released in 500 copies. 

In your live sets you play a cover of a classic Sodom track called 'Blasphemer'. Are you big fans of early Sodom and what made you choose this song in particular? 

NR: Sodom are one of the pioneering bands of Death / Thrash / Black Metal and we have always liked them. 'In The Sign Of Evil' is damn good in an obscure way! 'Blasphemer' is an old classic that many bands have made cover of but it can be done again, so we did. 

You have released two 7" records, 'Chaos Carnage Cataclysm' and 'Insane Curse of Morbidity' respectively, of these two releases which has been your favourite and why? 

SR: I like both very much, but I think 'Chaos Carnage Cataclysm' is slightly better. 'Shape Of Putrid Abomination' is a personal favorite. Every time I listen to that or play the song it just gets better. 

NR: I like them both but may feel that the sound was better mixed on the shaped CD "Shape of Death". 

What UK bands do you appreciate? 

SR: Judas Priest, Saxon, Motörhead, old Carcass and stuff like that. 

NR: Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Judas Priest, Angel Witch, (old) Cathedral, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Venom, Electric Wizard... 

You have quite a lot of merchandise available, is this something that you fund yourself or do you have good financial backing from your label? 

SR: We make our own merch and pay for everything ourselves. I previously owned a screenprinting company so I have very good connections there. And Hellbutcher is an awesome screenprinter and graphic artist as well. 

What is the meaning (if any) behind the name and how did you come up with it? 

NR: It sounds hard and represents the music pretty well. Some of the first project/band names were “The Necro Project”, “Necromagick”  before we chose Necrocurse. Of course there are many "Necro*" bands already but what the hell, it's good enough for us! 

Have you been getting a good turn out at your gigs? 

SR: I think so. We try to make a huge impact on stage if possible. 

Are there some plans for a full length any time soon? 

NR: Well, as I said earlier, we hope that it (CD/vinyl) will be a release late in 2012 by Pulverised Records and vinyl license partner. We have quite a lot of material and have selected nine songs for the album. Some of the titles: Speed to the Grave, Infernal Rebellion, Strike of Sepulchral Terror, The Devil Cobra, Brain Raper, Morbid Maniacs, Havoc Rebels of Doom, Grip of the Dead. 

SR: We will possibly release another 7 "vinyl this year too. 

Who would you say, musically, are your main influences in Necrocurse? 

NR: old Death, Coroner, old Tiamat/Treblinka, Sodom, Sarcofago, Grotesque, old Morbid Angel, Slayer... 

SR: Eddie Meduza 

Were you around in the early 90's for the explosion of Death Metal and how do you think it's changed over the years? 

NR: Yes we where all playing in bands (Death / Doom / Thrash / Metal) in late 80’s / early 90’s. Me, Stefan and Johan played together in many bands like Masticator, Blasfemia, Crusaders of Death and so on. Martin played in metal/doom bands and Hellbutcher started Nifelheim. 

As for the change... I suppose some turned out crap and some good and of course the internet changed a lot. 

In your opinion, for you which band has been the most inspirational for you when you were first forming Necrocurse? 

NR: Hard to tell, but probably more or less everything (which is hard and good) we listened to over the years. 

What plans do you musically or the future? 

SR: Record the album, and hopefully play more live gigs next year.  

Any last words? 

NR: Thanks for the interview! Speed to the Grave!!! 

SR: Thanks a lot.

Thanks for your time in answering the questions guys. Remember to check out Necrocurse if you're serious about Traditional Death Metal. Visit their official website here, check them out on Facebook here, and Myspace here.

OLD CORSPE ROAD INTERVIEW May 2012

The UK has a lot to offer when it comes to Black Metal. One of those offerings is Old Corpse Road who have been making a real name for themselves over the last three years. I spoke to Steven Mills about how things are going with the band...

Hi Ste, how are you? How are things with the band?

Hi Matt. I'm great thanks. All is busy within the OCR camp as we are currently recording our debut album and preparing for its release this year. Over 2011, aside from playing numerous gigs around the country we crafted and perfected the tracks for the album and in November we began the recording process.

Everything is now recorded for the album with the exception of some acoustic guitar parts and a few more finishing touches. The mixing stage is getting very close indeed so hopefully we'll have some samples on line soon!

What is the history of Old Corpse Road?

There's a lot to tell, but I'll try to keep it brief!

In the autumn of 2007 myself and The Dreamer (Drums) were on a weekend break with another friend in the UK Lake District. We frequently visit the lakes to enjoy the outdoors and most importantly to listen to black metal. One day we visited Haweswater and came across a footpath named the Old Corpse Road. At the time we thought it sounded brilliant and after some research discovered what it was and decided it would be a great name for a band. I go into more detail about this later in the interview.

Anyway, we quickly began working on music in our practice room and also worked on a lyrical concept, choosing to write songs purely based on British folklore and legend. Over the following 6 months or so we drafted in the rest of the band, who are all friends and band mates from previous projects. The line-up has been consistent since.

We began work on the demo 'The Echoes of Tales Once Told' which we recorded at the back end of 2008 and released in March 2009. Receiving a great reaction we also secured a deal with Godreah Records to record a split album with the Worms of Sabnock (which contained 2 members of The Meads of Asphodel). Due to a number of reasons the split ended up changing to be with The Meads themselves which of course was great news to us.

We crafted and recorded 3 new hymns which we recorded during the latter half of 2009 and the split was then released in March of 2010, again receiving a great response. We also began our live crusade in late 2009, being invited to renowned folk metal festival Gathering of the Clans.

In 2010 we concentrated heavily on gigging around the UK and gained a slot on the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival where we played to a near packed out tent.

In 2011 as well as gigging, we wrote the material for the debut album which is currently being recorded and will be released this year. We also recorded a cover of 'Equimanthorn' for a Bathory tribute album released in May via Godreah Records. This about brings us to date.

How do you feel about the UK Black Metal scene these days?

Difficult question. There are a vast number of great and very diverse bands in the UK at the moment. Unlike for example Sweden or Norway which has a typical style, the UK always produces a great range of weird and quirky bands as well as more classic styles.

Back to how I feel about the scene, personally I'm extremely passionate about it. I like to know about every band that emerges and where possible Old Corpse Road try to play live with as many as possible. With gigging, it's about more than just playing for the fans. It's about meeting the other bands, buying each-others merch and most importantly making friends.

Where I think the scene fails in the UK is in promotion. Sadly we are in a scene where too many people are in bands and there are not enough dedicated promoters and fans. Gig attendance is not as good as it could be and here I sympathise with UK promoters having hosted a number of gigs myself. Of course there are still plenty of gigs which are packed out and the feeling you get at these gigs makes up for the gigs with smaller crowds.

Overall though, I feel the scene has been getting stronger over the last few years, and as our own popularity has increased we've obviously seen the impact at our own gigs.

You have in the past been compared to Cradle Of Filth. Is this something you're all ok with?

Absolutely. Cradle are one of my all-time favourite bands and we would never deny or dismiss any comparison made between us and Cradle.

They get a lot of stick over their recent material by black metal purists but a lot of people either weren't around, or seem to forget what they did for the UK scene in the mid-nineties.

It's clear to anyone who listens to Old Corpse Road the influence their music had on us, especially the likes of 'Principle...' and 'Vempire'.

Your style of Black Metal is quite polished. Is this the style of Black Metal that you prefer when listening at home?

I listen to all forms of black metal and have no specific preference. It all comes down to the mood of the day, or hour! When it comes to black metal I'll listen to anything from early Bathory through to the most polished of Dimmu Borgir's albums. The whole scene, in all its forms is very special to me and something I adore and live for.

I'd say if I had to define my favourite style of black metal it would come down to a period in time and that would have to be early to mid-nineties when a lot of bands put out some classic albums such as Cradle's 'Principle...', Emperor's 'Nightside..', Mayhem's 'De Mysteriis..' etc. 1994 it seems was a brilliant year for black metal.

How did the split with Meads Of Asphodel come about Do you know the band well?

I knew the band since their first demo tape in 1998 when I saw a review of it in Kerrang! of all magazines. Since then I've kept up to date with every release. One of the UK's finest bands and legends of the experimental black metal scene worldwide.

We didn't know the band in person but JD Tait (guitarist) contacted us via MySpace after receiving the demo via his webzine The UK Legions of Black Metal. JD also plays in the Worms of Sabnock and he basically said himself and Crin (Godreah Records owner) were really impressed with our demo and would we like to do a split CD with them. As it transpired the split ended up being with the Meads of Asphodel which turned out great for us. Less than a year later, the split was released.

In 2009 you released the first Old Corpse Road demo 'The Echoes Of Tales Once Told'. How has the demo been selling? Do you have many left?

The demo has been shifting consistently over the last few years. We've only sold between 300 and 400 copies so far of the CD version, but in our eyes it's great news. We wanted to limit the demo, but not by such a small quantity that we'd run out any time soon. As it is limited to 1000 copies there's still a good 600 left.

Darkness Shade Records released a cassette version of your demo a couple of years ago. Can you tell me how this came to be?

We received an email from Darkness Shade asking if we'd like our next release to come out on tape via the label. At the time we had no new material to offer, aside from our ongoing album writing which had already worked out what we wanted to do release wise.

We did however have 2 unreleased tracks from the demo recording sessions which we always wanted to release at a later date. It seemed the perfect option to get those tracks available in a limited format. Something special for the fans. We agreed with Darkness Shade to re-release the demo with the additional 2 songs ('Hell's Kettles' and 'The Song of Amergin') limited to 100 copies and also with new artwork. The tape came out early 2011 and as far as I'm aware is now sold out.

How far do you think Black Metal has come since the glory days of Norway in the very early nineties?

Most of the darkness and mystery surrounding black metal has now gone. The days where you'd buy a release based on hear-say or a glimpse at a cool front cover are gone. Nowadays you can hear a full album before deciding if you're going to buy it and it will never be the way it was.

Still, for those of us who still care to look through the tiny cracks there's a really healthy worldwide underground scene with lots of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Black metal will always for me be a personal thing and as long as I respect it, it will respect me.

Musically black metal has gone from the simplistic and raw form it started out as, to a versatile beast. Nowadays there are so many varieties and blends with other genres and I think this is a great thing. Black metal has always been experimental and I look forward to hearing new incarnations in the future.

Where did you get the idea from for your band name?

As I mentioned before, we came across the band name in the lakes near Haweswater. This footpath as it is now travels over the hills from Haweswater to the town of Shap. The best way to sum up the meaning of a corpse road is with an extract taken from our most recent press release:

Corpse Roads provided a practical means of allowing the transport of corpses to cemeteries that had burial rights. In Britain, such routes can also be known by a number of other names: bier road, burial road, coffin road, coffin line, lyke or lych way, funeral road, procession way, etc. Such "church-ways" have developed a great deal of associated folklore regarding wraiths, spirits, ghosts, and such-like. Many of the corpse roads have long disappeared, while the original purposes of those that still survive as footpaths have been largely forgotten, especially if features such as coffin stones or crosses no longer exist.

Have you had much interest from any labels?

We've had interest from a few labels which I'm afraid we can't mention right now.

What's next from Old Corpse Road?

The Bathory tribute will be out in May which we are really excited about. The album will be finished and hopefully news regarding that will surface very soon. Aside from that we are looking to gig more this year to promote the album, with 4 shows already lined up in June and a few more for July, August and September so far.

Any last words?

Thanks for taking the time to ask us these questions. I hope you enjoy the read and please help spread the name of Old Corpse Road across the world!

Until then, farewell....

Thanks for the in-depth answers Ste. For those of you unfortunate enough not to have already checked Old Corpse Road out, you can visit them on Facebook, Reverbnation, and of course the bands own website.

DARKNESS SHADE RECORDS INTERVIEW May 2012

Darkness Shade Records is an underground record label from the UK, and has released some outstanding Metal artists over the last few years. The owner is also responsible for Orbis, so I spoke to owner/front-man Paul about a few things...

Hi Paul, for those who don't know, can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do? 


Hails, I'm the owner of  Darkness Shade Records, a label that specialises in releasing underground metal bands on cassette format. I also have my own Dark / Drone Ambient project Orbis.

What was it that made you want to start a record label?

I always wanted to start a underground metal label from a very young

age. So when I had money spare to invest into bands and learnt a bit

about the trade. I started in 2008 evolving the idea of DSR. With my

first releases being in the May of 2009 on cassette format.

My main aim was to keep the underground cassette scene alive by

spreading music I love and support on this wonderful format.

Can you tell me a bit about your ventures with your Ambient Black

Metal project Orbis?

This quote sums up my project Orbis in one hit -

"Dark / Drone Ambient hailing from the shores of the UK. Drowned in

pitch black ice cold depressed darkness. Capturing true emotions of a

barren desolate wasteland of a world drowned in darkness. My nightmare

I present in a atmospheric sound-scape giving you the listener an

extraordinary listening experience never heard before. Orbis is not

just samples / re-sampling, but original recordings done with real

gear and professional production."

What has been your favourite release on Darkness Shade Records and why?

I have done many releases on DSR so it's hard to pick out a favourite

one. I'm proud of the releases I have done so far and plan to keep on

going for years to come.

How do you view the Underground Extreme Metal scene in 2012?

The underground scene in 2012 is still alive and pretty strong. Still

loads of bands recording strong albums and many older bands still

active. With many new artists coming into the extreme metal scene it's

still a good scene to be apart of.

Most of the releases on Darkness Shade Records are on cassette tape,

in your opinion is there still a strong customer base for tapes?

Support for cassettes is still about but in much smaller numbers. This

only effects the volume of tapes I get pressed but still enough

support and trading active to keep cassettes alive in 2012.

Witchclan's 'Misanthropist' album was your first CD release, do you

plan on more CD releases in the future?

I might do another couple of pro-CDs in the future on Darkness Shade

Records just see where the future  takes me and what bands come my

way.

What is your main inspiration for when you write and record Orbis material?

My main inspiration is my misanthropist / depressed mindset which I

really want people to feel within my music to create my nightmare

within my songs for people to hear and escape within.

If you had the choice, which band would you most like to release on

Darkness Shade Records?

I'm happy with the current roster of bands I have signed on Darkness

Shade Records, And pleased with the bands I have worked with over the

past couple of years and plan on working with over the coming months /

years.

What UK bands are you into?

Some off the top of my head -

Abwehrschlacht – Bal-Sagoth – Witchclan - Akercocke – Barad-Dur -

Hecate Enthroned - Myrrdin - The Meads of Asphodel - Venom – Acid

Regin – Lawnmower Deth – Xentrix - Black Sister – D.A.M. - Deathwish –

Decimator - Drunken State – Evile - Gama Bomb – Re-Animator – Sabbat –

Skyclad - Blind Fury - Pariah – Satan – Slammer - Tortoise Corpse –

Virus - Cerebral Fix

I've missed out loads but could go on forever the UK has an amazing

past of many hiden gems within the world of Thrash / NWOBHM.

I remember you saying that there might be some Darkness Shade Records

merchandise such as patches available soon, is this still on the

cards?

The patches will be avaliable with the new Orbis album details below -

DSR-EVIL-XIV- Orbis - "The Unquestionable Chapters Of A World Forgotten" Tape 2012 
The logo patches have been done and will be avalibe with the new Orbis album set, details below.
Dark / Drone Ambient hailing from the shores of the UK. Drowned in pitch black ice cold depressed darkness. Capturing true emotions of a barren desolate wasteland of a world drowned in darkness. My nightmare

I present in a atmospheric sound-scape giving you the listener an

extraordinary listening experience never heard before. Orbis is not

just samples / re-sampling, but original recordings done with real

gear and professional production.

The dust partials of ash blow in the wind like a sandstorm all that

was left behind from the destruction of planet earth. Molecules settle

building a new structure of dark grey waterless waste land. All life

disappeared, just nothingness. All that can be heard is the noise that

echo's out drowning you in darkness, my vision I present you!

Limited edition tape release first 25 come with -

2x Badges - DSR Logo / Orbis Logo + 2x Patches - DSR Logo / Orbis Logo

+ 2x Artwork Postcards + 1x Letter / Signed / Dated with lyrics /

poems + 1x Flyer + 1x Pro Doubled Sided Cover + 1x Pro-Duplicated Tape

with Pro-Stickers both sides + 1x Full Black Case + 5x Tracks of dark

cold drone ambient spanning over 50 minutes long.

Due out next month.

Any last words?

Thanks for the interview.
New releases out next month on DSR -

DSR-EVIL-XIII- Temple of Baphomet "Testament Of The Heretic Priest" Tape 2012
13 tracks from the ToB era 2000 to 2005. 6 classic ToB black metal tracks
and 7 experimental / piano songs - just a little under an hour of demo material.
Lots of unreleased tracks - and the first re-pressing of the originals
in over 8 years.
Marking the 15th anniversary of ToB...

DSR-EVIL-XV- The Stone - "Golet" Tape 2012
Praising the ways of old with modern strength and ineffable
persistence and dedication, The Stone deliver their 6th opus "Golet" -
sophisticated black metal mastery, renewed through 8 chaos invoking
spells; dynamic, heavy and harmonic, yet wickedly indulging,
accompanied by top notch musicianship. A new chapter of European
darkness has begun.

DSR-EVIL-XVI- Njiqahdda - "The Path of Liberation from Birth and

Death" Tape 2012
Limited one off cassette tape limited to 100 copies first 25 come with
pin badge and on special coloured tape! Once sold out this will be
history never to see the light of day again!
The strange dark spirit of Njiqahdda is summoned forth once again for
an epic journey into an ethereal maelstrom of mystic eccentricity.
Njiqahdda easily shatters the bonds of it's former self to present
over 75 minutes of technical, complex, progressive and melodic
Njimajikal art.
This latest spell incorporates multiple guest vocalists and a densely
diverse, technically-proficient instrument performance, delving into
previously undiscovered complex chasms of mind-altering mystery. With
their signature thickly-immersive recording production, Njiqahdda this
time lashes forth with surprising skill and virtuosity to carve
violent vistas of structure out of cosmic chaos using their seemingly
endless well of creative energies. Guest Appearances: Guest vocals :
Syntax A. and
S. Trombatore.

To order just go on the above web site.

Thanks Paul. Be sure to show your support to Darkness Shade Records, the label has some excellent releases so get yourself onto the website here, and be sure to check out Orbis. You can email Darkness Shade Records directly at darknessshaderecords@googlemail.com