Tombs - an interview

last month I posted a review of Tombs new and excellent album called Savage gold (it's HERE). I now have the pleasure to post what Mike Hill, guitarist, vocalist and fouding member of Tombs answered to the questions I sent him by mail (thanks to Relapse PR man Franck Liempd) about his band and the new album.
find it just below (my questions in bold, answers by Mike Hill)  :

-Tombs plays a very personnal music, had you a specific idea about how it would sound when the band was formed?

We pretty much just started writing music. The only idea was that we wanted to do something free and intense.

-On your previous records, influences from different music styles were already present but I think the death / black metal meets Killing joke thing is pushed further in Savage gold. do you think so? what was your project for this album?

The concept for the new album was to go a little more aggressive, a little more powerful but still retain the melodic characteristic from our earlier records.

-what is the writing process for Tombs?

I spend a lot of time on my own, writing the main song ideas. I take the raw materials to the practuce space and we collectively hammer out the arrangements. That's where everyone adds their parts.  I draw the lyrics from notebooks and journals.

-Eric Rutan is more famous for his death metal works so it's it's a bit surprising maybe to hear him produced Tombs which is more subtle than the music he usually deals with. the result is great I think, but did you saw it as a kind of challenge for the band and for him?

How do you feel about Rutan working with the Mountain Goats? He recorded one of their more recent albums. Erik is a great producer regardless of what style of music he works in. The power and clarity of his past work is what I responded to. I saw where the band needed improvement in our recorded output and Rutan was the logical choice for us. I've been a fan of his work for decades, as a musician and as well asn a producer.

-which song on Savage gold is your favourite, and why?

Deathtripper. It's a song that indicates the future of where the band may be going.

-what about your live shows, what do you try to transmit to the listeners?

The goal of the live show is to demonstrate in a more personal setting the emotion captured on the recording in it;s most raw, direct form.

-which new (or not so new) bands from New York would you recommend?

Black Anvil and Pyrrhon.

-Which evolution would you like to see for underground music in the future?

I think underground music is evolving well on its own

-What is planned for Tombs in the coming months? do you already have ideas or songs for the next album?

The rest of the year is dedicated to US touring. We have some regional dates and a tour with Pallbearer coming up. I always have a lot of song ideas kicking around.

AC4 - Burn the world (2013)

AC4 (2008-2013) was an excellent punk / hc band with Dennis Lyxzen (Refused, International noise conspiracy) on vocals. expect nothing like Refused experimentation in breaking hardcore limits here : AC4's music goes back to the very roots of hardcore with songs that could remind Black flag or Minor threat. straightforward but full of energy. Burn the world (released by Deathwish records) is their second and last album :  16 hardcore songs, not trying to bring something new to the style, just playing it in a faultless way wihich is also satyisfying and enjoyable. the quality of the songwriting and the excellent as usual vocals by Lyxzen being enough to make the album a very fine piece of classic hardcore, one of the best HC album released last year.

the BC page 

Sissy Spacek - Lead their exit (2014)

this one's very wild and I love it. Lead their exit is the new 7'' by US noisegrinder's Sissy Spacek and if you like the grind or any kind of crazy sonic assault I really advise you to give it a try for it's five minutes of pure joy and exiting audio destruction. I listen to it once. press play again. and then another time. and I'm doing that each days this week. maye I got a problem but to me i's highly addictive stuff. you've been warned. Sissy Spacek is Charlie Mumma and John Wiese doing grinding drumming, punishing bass guitar and noise. and the new singer Sara Taylor (who sing also in Youth code) is doing a really good job and her screaming fits the music well. each is different but we could say their music plays in the same league as thedowngoing or Sete star sept. which means it's excellent and daring  noisegrind. not for everyone's ears but highly rewarding for those who can take it. that been said, this new Sissy Spacek record is not their noisiest and could please the bravest powerviolence enthousiast as well, and not only noisegrind freaks. it's my favourite recent discovery in grind related music.

the Bandcamp page

their tumblr

Incantation - Dirges of Elysium (2014)

Incantation have now 25 years of existence, and with a new album like Dirges of Elysium they keep going stong! obviously the album won't be as memorable and important for death metal as were their early albums. nevertheless Dirges is a very fine album and people into old school death and doom / death should enjoy it. it has everything that makes a good Incantation album, the good riffing and tremolo guitar playing, creating ominous atmospheres coupled with the slow paced grooves, the John McEntee guttural growls, the dirty sound (even if it's not as dirty as it has been in he past), the epic songwriting (even if the closer song is maybe a bit too long) and also the more typycal old school death faster and trashier songs. globally it's really good stuff with some excellent moments.

their website

John Zorn - Psychomagia (2014)

John Zorn is one of the most avant-garde and versatile contemporary composer and his works goes from chamber music to grind through klezmer, jazz, surf and just anything he wants to deals with..on Psychomagia he had the band Abraxas performing some of his compositions. Abraxas is Aram Bajakian and Eyal Maoz on guitar, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on bass and Kenny Grohowski playing the drums. and as usual with musicians picked by Zorn, they are absolutely awesome, very skilled and personnal. the songs are inspired by the magical writings of Giordano Bruno and Alejando Jodorowski.  the music sounds like acid free-fusion jazz noise surf rock, from quiet to frenetic. at the same time challenging and fun. it's becoming one of my favourite Zorn albums. really excellent stuff.

the Web page on Tzadik, Zorn's label.

11 Paranoias - Spectral beastiaries (2014)

11 Paranoias is a highly experienced UK doom trio, with Mark Greening (ex Electric wizard, Ramesses) Adam Richardson (Ramesses) and Mike Vest (Bong). Spectral beastiaries is their first album (after the EP superunnatural) and without surprises it sounds a lot like Ramesses, but with a more psychedelic and weird side (Mike Vest touch maybe?). so they delivers horror psychedelic doom of the best quality, and they do it with a welcome personnal touch and originality. be prepared to be taken in a sinister and trippy journey.

the Bandcamp page.

Origin - Omnipresent (2014)

Since more than 15 years ago Origin means the most intense, dense and technical death metal. Omnipresent, released by Agonia records is their sixth album and carry on the evolution they undertake from Anthitesis, letting more "breathing space" for the listener, with less focus on technical playing and brutality and more on melody and songwriting (although they remains damn brutal and technical!). but on Omnipresent they put aside the more "progressive" elements of Entity in favour of a more direct approach, with shorter and less complex songs. it's probably their album with the more diversity, with fast ragers, melodic and very technical instrumental interludes with amazing guitar work, and even a nearly punk song! even if it probably won't stay as their most memorable album (but honestly their first ones created such huge shochwaves that the task is very hard for them now to top it..), they did a good in offering something sounding fresh and new while keeping their trademark style. looks like they just can't do wrong!

the BC page.