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Inter Arma ‘Sky Burial’ Relapse Records | Album Review
Inter Arma are one of the latest additions to the Relapse Records camp and are about to release their first album for the label March 19th, Sky Burial. The band is comprised of Virginia based musicians T.J. Childers (drums, guitars, synthesizer, lap steel, noise), Trey Dalton (guitars, vocals), Steven Russell (guitars), Joe Kerkes (bass, vocals), Mike Paparo (vocals) and Mikey Allred (stand-up bass, theremin, organ and noise). From Virginia, the five piece Inter Arma coalesce a wide range of genres into a sound that stretches to the heavens and the lowest depths of sonic possibilities. Doom, sludge, psychedelia, black metal and much more, every song has a defining relationship of different worlds that makes it all its own. The engineering on Sky Burial goes far beyond anything they have achieved, showering in a dominance of rhythmic insanity and melodic infirmary over a lengthy course through eight songs. Releasing materials with Forcefield Records, Toxic Assetts and Mirror Universe since 2009, the group has signed with one of the best metal labels in Relapse Records. Sky Burial is of course their first offering with Relapse and is a crowning achievement in modern doom metal and progressive forms of heavy music. Instead of naming bands or genres they tap into for every song, we want to dive into what really inspires us about Sky Burial.
The density and intensity of Sky Burial is felt immediately with the opening track “The Survival Fires”. The music is melted together as guitar moves from both sides of the mix over a very experimental sense of blast beats and thick hammer hitting bass. The guitars are soaked in a very dark shade, rising out of trails of fog and dust with clarity once they come out of this dreary state. The music takes a very dynamic shift into a much more mellow and transfixing mood where the guitars glisten instead of tower over and the drums play into the softest of areas around the pocket. You can feel the delicate nature of this form right away and the records identity completely alters because of it. It’s beautiful to feel points of counter reaction to what you perceived as there or what it was about. The angular harmonies and rhythms come back alive for another reprisal of massive and energetic shock-waves. Clocking in at a little over ten minutes, it’s a demanding listen that really takes from you just as much as it is giving in nature. The drums are mind blowing, guitar riffs have that very dark but dreamy vibe and the overall sense of the environment is one of the most chaotically beautiful yet controlled things I have experienced. The amount of atmosphere and energy is staggering in proportion and is an incredible foundation to Sky Burial.
The album takes a very different turn with the second song “The Long Road Home (Iron Gate)”, which is an alternate version to the one that graced 2012′s Destroyer EP. With the original showing the band in full step, the version prepared for Sky Burial is more minimal in design and features acoustic and electric guitar over one another. It’s the most gorgeous piece of music the group has created to date and sets the tone for a film set in the deep mountain ranges of the Americas, not a world of chaos and dark tones that most of their music stands for. This is a sonic leap forward for the album that removes a lot of the saturation for an ethereal and spiritual type of heaviness. The newly created full band recording of “The Long Road Home” is then placed after this acoustic piece for a track that reflects mid 70′s Pink Floyd for many moments. Sparkling guitar and synth over cosmic swirls of tones and steady rhythms creates a body of sound that is very special. By the middle section the intensity of the track transforms in full and the mix is fully alive and pulls the listen into some very dark states again. Incredible solo and layering is achieved in this energy reprisal section for one of the most detailed, dynamic and beautiful moments on the record. By the ending portion, the band is in full blast beat mode while still retaining the rich texture that separates this album from many others.
“Destroyer” continues Sky Burial‘s story, reveling in more sonically dark worlds where expansion and clever turns are a norm. Even when the music is very expansive and experimental, there is a very defined set of controls behind it. Primitive in its raw emotional impact, you can hear worlds of many past and present ages in “Destroyer”. The music stays very saturated from the guitars tones and constant swelling with the drums and bass keeping the tracks anchor in place. With the amount of angular guitar lines present and dreary atmospheric parts, the drums and bass play a very crucial role in this track. The band really hammers away with this song and the energy it takes to present this live must be unreal.
The second half of the record begins with the track “sblood”, an energetic song that is the thickest and most overpowering track of the album. Steeped into a very dense center of mass that relies on heavy and intense rhythms, you can feel every part of the lower end of the track as if it were outside of your house and about to crush it. The bass and drums are given a section entirely to themselves, something you don’t hear on a lot of metal albums. This really opens up how deep and dark the drums and bass are and adds yet another dimension to this album that you can’t find anywhere else. Once the guitar is introduced again, the music is pulled back under for more exploration into darkness. “Westward” is another cyclone of energy that rides over slow tempo rhythms and huge sounding guitar riffs. The ending guitar solo is a very beautiful compliment to the crushing state of control most of the song has. You can really hear the guitar go off and the highest level of musicianship is shown. Just hearing the solo once, you feel how technical and advanced this band is when letting it all out.
“Love Absolute” is another acoustic driven song on the album that is just as beautiful and remarkable as “The Long Road Home (Iron Gate)”. The song writing of the group is refreshing for metal and this song highlights their gifts in a clear lens. The dark minor scales they run through with the deep sense of atmosphere over this is stunning, showing where they take their electric melodies but in the acoustic domain. The ending section has some other worldly overtones that really heighten the music and take it to another world. It’s mind blowing to realize how far the dynamics have changed since the beginning of the album and up to this point. This seamlessly leads into the albums closer and title track of the record, “Sky Burial”. There is an open sense of space over the intricate drum work and thick state of guitars that rests in the rhythm and overall aura of the track. It rises up instead of downward, capping the album off with ethereal and surreal tones masked inside of formal riffs. It’s as if the band is collectively reaching into the outer stretches of the atmosphere and prying open a hole to leave this planet. As the energy begins to climax more and more, the guitars change tones for a more clear atmosphere and the openness under everything from the beginning reveals itself. This is shortly lived as the energy brought right back to extremes and sheets of guitar spreads over everything. As the longest track on the album – clocking in at 2 seconds over 13 minutes – the shifting exchange between soft, subdued and textural along with dark, heavy and chaotic takes in a constant back and forth motion. The very ending section fades out of the chaos of the band and showcases a hauntingly beautiful solo acoustic section that caps off the record in sublime form.
Sky Burial is a beautiful creation and something that I feel will shock the metal world. It’s hard to say what will exactly become of this band but this is one of the most promising creations for a group newly signed to a label like Relapse Records. One of the best metal albums in years.
-Erik Otis
Inter Arma release new music from their upcoming debut LP with Relapse Records | Music News
Relapse Records has been killin’ it in the metal scenes for years, bridging many styles and variations of harder based music that has collected some of the most legendary releases under one roof. Relapse is at it again with the signing of Inter Arma, a Virginia based doom, psych, sludge, grind, black and experimental band that has taken sound into their own hands and vision. Gripping vehicles of tones and textures are found in every pocket of space on their Relapse debut full length Sky Burial. It contains everything I love about a band who dives into extremes states of harsh music and in the end results comes out with one of the most forward thinking and progressive music on the much more darker side of the equation.
Sky Burial will drop in March and the band has released a track on the official Relapse Records YouTube channel along with a premiere on one of our favorite spots, the illustrious NPR. Check out the streams for the new material from this incredible band below. This is a group whose talents are going to go a long way over the next few years and we have no doubt in this after hearing Sky Burial all the way through. Don’t miss out on the beginning of it all.
https://www.facebook.com/INTERARMA
Stream the exclusive premiere of “The Survival Fires” via NPR by Clicking Here
Below is a stream of the track “sblood” from the official Relapse Records YouTube Channel
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Pre-Order from Relapse: http://bit.ly/InterArma
Pre-Order on Bandcamp: http://interarma.bandcamp.com/
Inter Arma – ‘Sky Burial’ Coming March 19, 2013 – N. America,
March 15 – Germany/Benelux/Finland, March 18 – UK/World
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Upcoming Tour
INTER ARMA Tour w/ Mutilation Rites:
- 3/10/2013 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL
- 3/11/2013 Fubar – St Louis, MO
- 3/12/2013 Jackpot Music Hall – Lawrence, KS
- 3/13-3/16/2013 SXSW – Austin, TX
- 3/18/2013 War Room – El Paso, TX
- 3/19/2013 Chasers – Phoenix, AZ
- 3/20/2013 Moustache Bar – Tijuana, Mexico
- 3/21/2013 Slidebar – Fullerton, CA
- 3/22/2013 Mayas – Corona, CA
- 3/23/2013 Rock City – Camarillo, CA
- 3/24/2013 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
- 3/25/2013 Colony – Sacramento, CA
- 3/26/2013 Highline – Seattle, WA
- 3/27/2013 The Shakedown – Bellingham, WA
- 3/28/2013 Rotture – Portland, OR
- 3/29/2013 The Shredder – Boise, ID
- 3/30/2013 Burt’s Tiki Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
- 3/31/2013 Aqualungs – Denver, CO
- 4/01/2013 Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
- 4/02/2013 Medusa – Minneapolis, MN
- 4/03/2013 High Noon – Madison, WI
- 4/04/2013 Franks Power Plant – Milwaukee, WI
https://www.facebook.com/INTERARMA
http://interarma.bigcartel.com
http://www.relapse.com
http://relapserecords.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords
Q&A with Call of The Void of Relapse Records
Hardcore, punk, sludge and grind metal four piece Call of The Void are one of the newest additions to the Relapse Records camp and have immediately brought a lot of energy and weight to the imprint. The band members history have been etched into the books through their restless efforts in the groups hometown of Boulder, Colorado. Formally known as Ironhorse, the new personnel has given these practitioners of heavy music an entirely new pallet of sound that sonically destroys everything around them. It’s a very big and chaotic sound that has room for dynamics and textures that is a demanding thing to pull off when in these zones of heated energy.
Call of The Void are gearing up to release their first full length record Dragged Down a Dead End Path March 19th on Relapse and with our newest exposure of music including every genre of metal, hardcore and punk imaginable, this was one band we knew would be an important addition to our interview archives. The lyrics stand for something dark and evil, but not in the obvious way. The lyrics reflect the human condition and its evils, pushing the music far beyond the conventional perceptions most have around heavy music and detailing what the bad conditions of modern society that they feel has gone on for far too long in this world.
Relapse is a label formed in 1990 that has produced some of the most prolific modern hard music in the 21st century with over a 100 former and current artists in their 20+ year run. They are one of the few metal based labels that have branched into other areas of sound but with the signing of Call of The Void, the roots of savage and beast like music is brought forth for something powerfully draining and exhilarating. When we sent questions to the band, we wanted to present them so anyone in the group could answer them and guitarist Patrick Alberts stepped up to the plate for some really revealing and inspiring answers. It’s really great when you respect a band from what they do musically, that is the root of where we start. It’s even greater when that respect for them increases even more more after realizing how much passion and dedication they have to their craft in dialogue form. Enjoy this exclusive interview with one of the newest bands that we feel will continue to extend the legacy of the Relapse imprint.
Check out the Pitchfork song premiere of the 7th track on Dragged Down a Dead End Path, “Napalm Lungs” by Clicking Here
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Q&A with guitarist Patrick Alberts of Call of The Void
Conducted by Clark Fuller and Erik Otis
February 2013
Erik:Wanted to first express our gratitude in doing this interview, your debut album on Relapse is an incredibly powerful album to me. We wanted to ask about the background behind how the band came up with the music that’s on Dragged Down A dead End Path? Were the sessions smooth or did complications occur that made the process a little more lengthy?
Patrick: Essentially when the band started out it was just Gordon Koch our drummer and I writing songs. We had a few earlier incarnations of Call Of The Void, where songs were written, then scrapped and band members changed. The material that Gordon and I wrote together made up half the album that we recorded. The other half materialized when the current Call Of The Void roster came together at the end of 2010. There was a unexplained chemistry that came to fruition once our current bass player joined and we have not looked back since. The recording sessions went as smooth as one could ask for. We recorded 13 songs in just over 2 days at the Boar’s Nest in SLC with Andy Patterson. We have recorded at the Boar’s Nest multiple times with our other music endeavors and the engineer Andy Patterson. Andy is our very dear friend so it is nothing but good vibes and feeling comfortable while recording. I’m stoked to head back there in due time to record our follow up.
Erik: Where did you guys come up with the title for the new record and what type of vision did all of you have for this album that separates it from previous works?
Patrick: We came up with the title once we were able to take in all the lyrical content as one big piece. A lot of the lyrical content on the album focuses on organized religion and the consequences thereof. We also touch on other injustices and social observations we deem unacceptable. At this point society may be at a point of no return and we have no choice and are forced down the dead end path. Since this is our debut album, we don’t have anything to compare this to, we only have what we plan on doing for the future. That being said, in the future we will be straying a bit from our “bitchy” lyrical content.
Erik: There is a lot of intensity and power in your sound, something that is incredible about what you guys do to me. What kind of gear are you guys using to get these tones and what does this state bring out of you when in live situations and rehearsing in full with your band?
Patrick: I love this question, I’m a gear nerd. Alex the bass player and I play through cabinets made by our friend Petras Vazneliz of Atlas Cabinets. Combine that with RAT pedals, Sunn and Verellen amplifiers and you have yourself a crap load of tone. We are ear crushing loud live. If you have ever seen the Swans live you know what I’m talking about. Listening and participating in Hardcore, Sludge and Grind music is a full body experience and we make the effort to recreate that live.
Erik: Relapse is one of our favorite labels for heavy music. How’s it been so far working with their team? Any personal favorite records on the label?
Patrick: Everyone at Relapse has been friendly, down to earth and accommodating to us. Being signed to Relapse is an actual dream come true for us and we are excited and ready to work hard to make this work out for both parties involved. As far as personal favorites go, you can’t go wrong with Mastodon’s “Remission”, Dillinger Escape Plan’s “Calculating Infinity” and Neurosis’s “Times Of Grace” . These releases by Relapse are some of my favorite EVER.
Erik: Colorado is a place I have never been but really want to go for many reasons. Who are some of your favorite bands in the local community and what type of atmosphere has everyone created that’s in your circles?
Patrick: Colorado is a great place for everything, I really feel Denver is on its way to be the next great major city in the United States . Some of my favorite groups playing Denver currently are Primitive Man, Of Feather And Bone and Gravetorn. The heavy scene in Denver is really small, which has its negative effects when it comes to having a draw, but everyone is really encouraging and supportive within our tight knit group. Shows consists of many hugs, beers and just having a good time, it’s really great.
Erik: If you had to explain to someone who knew nothing about your band or even metal what they can expect when diving into Dragged Down A Dead End Path, what would you tell them?
Patrick: This is always the hardest question to answer to anyone who does not know about metal. Usually people have no clue what metal is outside say… Slipknot, so answering this question is always tough. What I usually say is take Black Sabbath and imagine them played 3x as fast and more in your face. This does not describe our album per se, but it knocks the relation down a level so that all parties are on the same page. Everyone knows Black Sabbath.
Clark: Blast beats in metal have gotten so popular over the last 5 years,what do you guys think it is that is making them so big..is it just because they are so versatile?
Patrick: I’m not sure why everyone has been getting into them lately. Maybe it is a reaction to the saturation of drum triggers and fast double bass that seems to plague the more popular forms of metal. Drum triggers are a bit lifeless if you ask me. Blast beats when done correctly are the exact opposite.
Clark: I like to know where bands stand with their fans, do you guys like to play small compact venues where you can be closer to your audience or a larger concert style where there’s mass crowds? What does each medium bring out of you musically that you really love?
Patrick: I love both mediums. On one hand at the local DYI venues you can really get in peoples faces and get close enough to be hurt if you’re not paying attention. There is nothing like being eye level while people are losing their shit to your music. On the other hand, playing a club with a nice sound system is equally gratifying, because you can hear your music get closer to the sound that is on your recording. There is nothing worse than playing a DYI venue that makes your expensive gear sound like shit.
Clark: While on the road do you guys like to bring a wide variety of gear or do you like to keep it as simple as possible? What do you guys bring with you or like to do on tour around the shows to really make it a nice experience?
Patrick: For the road we will still bring the same gear we use at local shows and in the practice space. Continuity with the sound is key. It only takes a few minutes to set up a little bit more gear to make your sound incredible. On tour for me it is books. As a band we all really enjoy each others company so conversation is key to making the hard times tolerable.
Clark: I noticed that in your Relapse bio it stated a “Napalm Death” influence… do you guys find strength in Napalm and study them at all to achieve a certain sound?
Patrick: Although we love Napalm Death a lot, I do not find them as a direct influence for our band. I think this was more of a description of our music by Relapse. Essentially when we write songs, we are just trying to write a song that we would want to listen to. Our love for heavy music spans multiple genres of metal and I think you can find that out by listening to our music. Live and die by the riff. Greg Anderson should take notice of this statement, wink wink.
Clark: And finally I’d like to ask, where do you see the future of Call of the Void going in the next few years? What are some of continents you’d like to take the band? Japan, Australia? Anything else you’d like to mention about the band before we go?
Patrick: The future for COTV is looking good. We are planning on touring the United States heavily first. We are still a unknown band so it is best to make a name for ourselves in our home country before venturing on further. We have a good friend in Japan who runs Karasu Killer Records who would be happy to have us come over and play as well as others in foreign countries that we have ties to. Although venturing outside the USA is not in our short term plans, if an opportunity should arise we would definitely take it on.
Erik: Thank you so much for your time and we wish you guys the best of luck and hope to meet in person soon. Cheers
Patrick: Thanks a lot, hopefully we can make this happen someday.
High on Fire “De Vermis Mysteriis” | E1, Relapse Records and Century Media
Being a recovering Metal addict (and am constantly relapsing), High on Fire has been one of the few bands. Although I have tried to stay clean from Metal (getting into other musical genre’s), I can’t seem to stop going back. Really, it’s addicting as all hell.
But I’m not just a Metal junkie. I am a very specific sort of Metal junkie. For example, I won’t just score because my body is running weak and my intestines feel like they are going to spill out at any minute. No, I’ll wait for the gold and let it slide through my veins and infect my entire body. Most of my Metal tends to lean in a psychedelic, slower more doomed progression. But thrash is welcome too, as long as the brutality is honest and well executed.
High On Fire’s Matt Pike was in legendary Sleep, a highly influential stoner metal group that I return to religiously time and time again. A band chalk full of raw, weed strung riff’s. If you don’t nod to “Sleep”, there is something terribly wrong with you.
After “Sleep” came thrash oriented “High on Fire” (and OM) which, since its birth, have done nothing but greatness for music in general. Their albums are brutal, dynamic and sometimes impossibly complex (because of the sonic insanity as well as the vicious time signatures that although complicated, relate little to progressive rock).
“De Vermis Mysteriis” or “The Mysteries of the Worm” is no different. It is much heavier and psychedelic than 2010’s “Snakes for the Divine”. From start to finish, the fifty plus minutes do not let the listener go. They engulf you in a world that is incredibly frightening and because of it, irresistible. It’s fucking delicious. As Pike said himself about the album, “…a nod to a fictional grimoire conceived by the late, great Psycho author Robert Bloch in 1935 and later incorporated into horror master H.P. Lovecraft’s renowned Cthulu Mythos.”
So, yeah, “The Mysteries of the Worm” is a concept album. Pike continues, “I got this idea about Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Conception: What if Jesus had a twin who died at birth to give Jesus his life? And then what if the twin became a time traveler right then? He lives his life only going forward until he finds this scroll from an ancient Chinese alchemist who derived a serum out of the black lotus, and then he starts traveling back in time.” Basically, an epic tale about time travel and horror. Which is perfect, almost as perfect and vicious as their release.
“De Vermis Mysteriis” does what Black Sabbath did when they first appeared. It frightens. It lures and basically rapes your ears for a little under an hour. Which is exactly what you want when you go into a “High on Fire” album. All the epic, transcendental weed shit is highly effective too. It’s awesome, just like their video for “Fertile Green” (which is one of my favorite video’s of 2012). “De Vermis Mysteriis” is hands down top metal albums of last year. I almost demand this on your ears…really, if I could, I would make you listen to it.
-Xavi Vilaplana
Order the limited edition clear vinyl from Relapse Records by Clicking Here
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More Press
- Pitchfork: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16478-de-vermis-mysteriis/
- A.V. Club: http://www.avclub.com/articles/high-on-fire-de-vermis-mysteriis,71706/
- Consequence of Sound: http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/04/album-review-high-on-fire-de-vermis-mysteriis/
- BBC Music: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/jdgw
- Metal Archives: http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/High_on_Fire/De_Vermis_Mysteriis/333307/
- Sputnik Music: http://sputnikmusic.com/review/48852/High-on-Fire-De-Vermis-Mysteriis/
- All Music: http://www.allmusic.com/album/de-vermis-mysteriis-mw0002320276
- Dusted: http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/7072
- OMG Vinyl: http://www.omgvinyl.com/2012/03/16/high-on-fire-de-vermis-mysteriis-2xlp/
Dallas, Texas band Devourment reveals title and art for their debut release on Relapse Records | Music News
New LP art for Conceived In Sewage on Relapse Records
Sound Colour Vibration is gearing up towards a plethora of media coverage in 2013 and heavier music will make more presence in our cover feeds. Relapse Records is one of the leading labels for content we will be paying close attention to in 2013 from the sheer level of insanity the label brings to the table in terms of releases from exceptionally gifted musicians. Dallas, Texas unit Devourment have been on the scene for awhile now and they are joining forces with the Relapse crew for their fourth album, and debut release for the label, Conceived In Sewage. EarSplit Compound has released the first track from this new LP which we have included as a YouTube stream below along with news on the LP itself. Doesn’t get much heavier or darker than Devourment.
-Clark Fuller
https://www.facebook.com/DevourmentOfficial
https://twitter.com/DevourmentBand
http://www.relapse.com
http://relapserecords.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords
From EarSpplit Compound
DEVOURMENT, one of the most brutal death metal acts on the planet, this week reveals the title and cover art for the outfit’s highly anticipated new album, due early next year via Relapse Records.
The fourth studio full-length from Dallas, Texas-based DEVOURMENT, Conceived In Sewage was recorded at Mana Recordings in St. Petersburg, Florida with legendary death metal icon Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel). The album promises to be their heaviest, most crushing release to date combining DEVOURMENT’s signature, hate-fueled death metal with their notorious, monstrously slamming brutality. In reference to previous releases from the band, Stereokiller has referred to the band as “a pure assault on your auditory senses,” with Teufel’s Tomb stating “DEVOURMENT have a simple goal; to put your teeth on the curb and stomp on your head.”
Conceived In Sewage will see release on February 19th in North America, February 22nd in Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Finland, and February 25 in the UK and rest of the world. The album’s disgusting NSFW artwork, created by Toshihiro Egawa (Cryptopsy, Defeated Sanity), and the very first auditory punishment fromConceived In Sewage can be acquired right here:
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Q&A with David Davidson of Revocation
When it comes to modern technical trash metal, you have to take your hat off to front-man Dave Davidson of Boston based four piece thrash unit, Revocation. His knowledge and expertise in the field is what it takes to bring the genre to new levels and horizons. Four albums released, members of the Relapse Records family, multiple tours around the world and the new material is just flowing. It’s as challenging making the kind of music Revocation creates as it is listening to it. You almost have to have a musicians ear to appreciate what they’ve accomplished and what the genre is accomplishing. With the boundaries and limitations that Revocation is pushing, it should be interesting to see what kind of new listeners will approach this sound. We had the honor of interviewing David Davidson of Revocation this year and it has become one of our most rewarding interviews and a true privilege. With that being said, we want to invite you to dive head first with ears open wide into the dialogue we shared with David. We hope very much to see Revocation sometime here on the West Coast! Enjoy.
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Interview with David Davidson of Revocation
Conducted by Clark Fuller
December 2012
Sound Colour Vibration: We wanted to first thank you for your contributions to music as we all feel you are, among many, one of the most important musicians out today. We have been listening to your music for years and it has been inspirational to see where your career has gone over the last decade. To start this interview we wanted to first ask, where would you like to see thrash technical metal head within the next five to ten years?
David Davidson: I would like to see bands further push the genre in new and creative ways. I remember when I first heard Extol’s “Synergy” and was totally blown away by how inventive it was while still being rooted in thrash. That record really inspired me when I was younger and opened my ears up to what thrash could be when approached a little differently. Currently I think the band Vektor is really putting a unique spin on thrash metal by bringing a Voivod influence to the table along with some other progressive elements.
SCV: Why do you think it is that a majority of people associate hard music/metal with Satan or evil? What does it represent to you?
DD: I think a lot of people associate metal with evil and Satan because that is sort of the purveying imagery that is often involved with the genre whether lyrically or visually. It can even be associated from a compositional standpoint with Satan because many times metal riffs often contain the “devils interval” also known as the tritone which was considered too dissonant for church music and was thought to be the work of Satan. Metal represents rebellion to me. It is never afraid to express subject matter that goes against the status quo and pushes boundaries that are often found in other types of popular music.
SCV: At what point in your life did you begin to get serious with the guitar and what are some of the things that attracted you to the instrument?
DD: I got serious about guitar about a year into playing it when I first started writing my own songs and riffs. I wanted to pick up the instrument because I saw Joe Perry from Aerosmith rip a solo and knew that was what I wanted to do.
SCV: Metal has been putting it down in the North East of the United States for the last two decades. Who would you say are some of the heavy hitters in the Boston scene that have helped make that dent.
DD: Well everyone knows bands like Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and Unearth since they have gotten really big and put Boston on the map in terms of popular metal in the past ten years but there’s also a lot of bands that don’t get as much attention that hold it down such as Ramming Speed, Sexcrement and Razormaze.
SCV: The definition of Teratogenesis is a wild one, did you see some type of diluted imagery or see a crazy mutation that made you pursue its title?
DD: I had that title kicking around in my brain for awhile and I really liked the meaning of it. It’s a medical term but I applied it to more of a supernatural meaning for the purposes of the song and theme of the EP.
SCV: What was your most challenging song to play on your new album Teratogenesis?
DD: Probably “Maniacally Unleashed”, that song is a ripper for sure!
SCV: How do you like being a part of Relapse Records and what have they afforded that you feel is invaluable and critical to how you guys present your band to the world?
DD: Well the biggest thing with Relapse is the fact that its a name that people trust. They also have good distro and promotion which are essential for getting your music out there.
SCV: If you had to switch roles with a band mate, who would it be and why?
DD: Probably drums, I would love to be able to tear it up on the kit.
SCV: If you could name one of the more important aspects of metal, what would it be?
DD: I would say that having good technique is a very important aspect of being in a good metal band. Metal can be very demanding from all players in the band so having your shit together is definitely a priority.
SCV: I’d like to know, over the years we’ve seen so many bands split over finances, styles of playing, drugs, time, etc. What would you say are some things that keep Revocation tight, on track and a well oiled machine.
DD: We’re all really close friends so I think that keeps us together. I’ve known Phil since I was in eight grade so there’s a lot of history there. Of course there’s always gonna be little disputes here and there and people are going to get on each others nerves but when you’re with each other for 24 hours a day there’s bound to be some bullshit from time to time. Playing shows every night can be very cathartic though so that helps keep moral high.
SCV: What are some of your most essential metal albums? How about non-metal?
DD: Just to name a few:
Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
Martyr – Warp Zone
Exhorder – The Law
Guns n Roses -Welcome to the Jungle
Aerosmith – Pump
Pat Martino – Think Tank
Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Trio
SCV: What kind of things besides music do you like to indulge in?
DD: I would consider myself a foodie for sure. I do a food blog called Altars of Fatness were I review places I’ve eaten at on the road.
SCV: What should us Revocation fans expect from the band in the upcoming new year?
DD: We’ll be recording a new album soon that should be out in the summer that we’re really excited for.
SCV: We want to thank you for your time and for accepting our questions. You’re an inspiration to us and many other metal heads. Good luck and hope to talk to you again in the future, cheers.
DD: Thanks so much for the interview!
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Baroness “Yellow & Green” | Relapse Records
Coming from Baroness, this is a very strange, powerful and ultimately beautiful step. Baroness has always maintained a strong, melodic root but the melody is usually brutal, psychedelic and sludgy with punk progressions. It is the Baroness I knew, the Baroness I was attracted to. “Yellow & Green” is different.
I must admit that the first time I stumbled upon Baroness was because of “Red Album’s” artwork (done, like all the other album covers, by member John Baizley). “Red Album” lunged itself out as a metal punk album that oozed as well as ripped apart with its anthem-like melodies. “Blue Album” took further steps at making the music more epic and harmonic. Baroness is usually infiltrated with screams and whale-power moans. “Yellow & Green” takes Baroness to new places.
The vocals aren’t focused so much on screams as on power and howls. The Southern Sludge has taken in a sort of Pink Floyd Country feel with very danceable rhythm sections that even feature shakers (Take the song, “Cocainium”). The power and epic collision of sound is still very present, but the melodies wash over where punk infused math progressions used to be. Harmonies with heart-filled singing swim across fuzzed out bass lines and keys instead of screams. John Baizley has constructed epic qualities without screams in a way that doesn’t take but gives more to Baroness and their progression as a band. Emotions run thick and the colors yellow and green are present within every song. Perhaps Baroness is indeed where it belongs. It is incredibly adventurous, menacing and enjoyable.
Take “Mastodon’s” newest release, “The Hunter”. It is similar in its approach to expand from complex to simplistic, from exploring synth structures and dark obscurities with analog melodies. It is a texture driven release that is surprisingly poppy, yes poppy.
Baroness has made a pop record, and one that is incredibly successful in its effort. “Sea Lungs”, for example, is driven by dance drums and shake-your-shit guitar rhythms that could easily reserve a spot on the radio. The mad scientist alchemist synths take you into the depths of murky, warm swamps where all sorts of mysterious reside. “Yellow & Green” is one of these mysteries that has floated to the surface, carrying along its past but with a fresh start to a brand new, green and yellow world.
I highly recommend “Yellow & Green” as well as all Baroness records. A very strong release and one that grasps at the same time. “Yellow & Green” comes out June 17th, 2012 on Relapse Records, don’t miss it!
-Xavi Vil
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Porter Records
2935 S. Fish Hatchery Rd, #414
Madison, WI 53711 / USA
Porter Records was born in 2005 out of a love for crate digging in the basements of record shops. Porter’s founder, Luke Mosling, has a talent for finding the obscure, beautiful and strange recordings that may have previously gone unheard by a larger audience. This talent started the reissue portion of the Porter Records catalog.
When doing reissues, Porter works hard at creating strong relationships with the original artists or their estates. This allows Porter to respect not only the original vision of the artist and their recordings, but also to respect the vision the artist has for the future. Porter’s goal is to make these reissues more widely known and recognized as important pieces of art within their respected genres.
Porter Records is more than a reissue label. Porter has over 40 releases by modern composers and performers that bring something special to the current day music tapestry. Each release is like a hidden jewel providing its own unique color and brilliance. Porter Records is very proud to have such talented artists and a diverse catalog of genres in a time when the music industry is pumping out replica after replica.
