Amnis nihili-Christological escalation EP

Amnis nihili from Greece offered us with their first (!) record, the EP Christological escalation, one of the best black metal records for 2011. 

In their own word they play "harsh and mesmerizing metal.Their sonic inspiration originates primarily from the french and norwegian masters, as well as from select industrial & ambient acts.". 

That gives indeed a good idea of how sound their music. Must be added that the EP shows a band not only with great musicianship and songwriting qualities but also really mastering its music and following its own path. 

It contains four tracks, three songs are intense and complex black metal with a great atmosphere (with the help of strong and menacing melodies and noise in the background) and even the noisy instrumental is not a filler.

But their music speaks by itself and is their best advocate, so check it for ex on their BC page. You can also read their blog amnisnihili.com.

And your lucky because thanks to the guys in Amnis nihili that agreed to answer to my questions you can read it below :

-can you present the band, it’s history and it’s music?

A+D : Amnis Nihili has spawn from the ashes of a grindcore act that brought us two together back in 2006, and it has its beginnings in early 2008. Right now the band consists of D who handles guitars, ambience, programming, and of course being the creator, and A who handles guitars (from now), programming and ambience. Harsh and mesmerizing metal is the perfect description for the music that we perform. We strive to avoid boundaries and not to limit ourselves when we are in the mood of creation.

-do you play live? If so, do you usually share the scene with other black metal bands or with any kind of metal/hardcore bands?

 

A: We have yet to perform live mainly because the material is very challenging and besides me and D there are at the moment few persons that are able to transform the work into practical playing. But it will happen. The second part of your question is also not yet realised.

-I know that your singer P left the band recently. Do you already know who will handle vocals duty in the future? Will the band change a bit its musical orientation?

A: We have some possible candidates in mind, but there is no rush at the moment. And as for any change in musical direction, I wouldn't know since this is not how we do things in the Amnis camp. We simply do or do not. There are no fixed plans and no set scenarios.

-what is black metal in your opinion? What does it mean to you?

A: Black metal is a subgenre of metal music, an extreme form of art and expression, following some guidelines, some aesthetics and some concepts. To me personally it means a lot since I for the most part of the past 20 years have been dealing with it as a listener and as an artist. But it does not have any greater meaning than other genres of music, since again I have been studying music for the last 25 years. It simply speaks louder in my soul and touches some parts of my aesthetics harder than the rest.

D : In my opinion and as far as I am concerned, Black Metal, besides giving me aural satisfaction, is a genre that allows for more wide experimentations within its also wide spectrum. Although many think that Black Metal lies within a narrow band, it actually leaves a lot of space for Innovation.

-what I like in your EP is that you kept what’s the best in black metal, the atmosphere and dark intensity, but without being trapped in it’s formal limits, managing to add new elements in a way that keep the black metal sound and bring at the same time “new life” into it in a way. Is it intentional?

A: But of course it is! Everything is as it should be, and all is as it is for a reason. Nothing is left purely in luck. And thank you very much for taking such notice.

D : It is just how music emanates from within!

-I know you like the French BM scene, do you think you share with the best French bands this will to renew black metal to keep it at a high or higher level of “intense darkness with a sense of danger and impredictability” (one way to describe it maybe?).

D : What is important to us is to create music that sounds good and feels right. All else is irrelevant.

-in your opinion which are the elements in the music of Amnis Nihili that bring something new to the BM game?

A: I could not tell. This is not included in my concerns. Maybe D has more to say on the matter.

D : Something “new” is a big word to speak. Time will tell if Amnis Nihili has presented something new.

-which instrument is it in the middle of Infamous judeochristian seed? An accordion? The result is great anyway!

D : It is an ebow used on my guitar, with some clever use of delay and reverb.

-how do you add ambient/noise elements to your music, how do you see it? Tell us more also about your interest in noise and soundscapes.

A: Ambience and sounds are added when and where they are needed and when they have some meaning. Sometimes it is technical sometimes it is emotional. My interest is not so intence as that of D and P. They possess a fascination with soundscapes and atmospheres deeper than the depths of the ocean.

D: Because I am very into sound synthesis, I tend to make my own sounds when I need them, and not only then. Analog and digital processors help to form basic sound waves into complex atmospheres. Thus interesting elements come into being and of course into Amnis Nihili's music. Personally I am deeply involved with ambient/industrial/noise and experimental music in general, so it is a vital and natural part of Amnis Nihili.

-religion (especially Christian) is the main target in Christological escalation, I agree it deserves to be attacked, but isn’t money the god number one in today’s society? As a greek band I think you can easily relate to that, what do you think about it?

A: The lyrical concept of Christological Escalation was done entirelly by P. At the time we felt ok with it but since then a lot has changed, we have progressed and formed opinions different from those of the mainstream or even underground “true” or whatever black metal We do not endorse any attacks on any religion. We even went one step further and distanced ourselves from the anti- everything point of view of black metal. We do not believe this brings humanity a step closer to its inner humble beginnings nor does it help people experience life with a positive perspective. Money, and material goods have been the driving force for over 2 millenias and sadly this is not going to change any time soon. The problem is again people and how they have lost contact with their values, actually never having been taught any. Why should we as a greek band relate more to such a global phenomenon, than yourself? I do not understand this. 

 

D : Epxect different concepts from us in the future, in terms of lyrics, meanings, messages!

-what can you say about the next record? Are the songs already written?

A: The only thing I can surely say is that it will be a work with depth and essence which Christological Escalation only hinted at.

D : We are in the process of writing new material, but it is safe to assume that it is a lot more challenging than Christological Escalation was.

-what is planned for Amnis Nihili in 2012?

A : We like to do things slowly and let them mature inside before they are worked and shaped into form. We will have to see what's in store for everyone in personal and professional level this year. No news is good news.

D : We will intensify the writing of new music and the finding of suitable personas to make Amnis Nihili a functional band.

-want to add something?

D + A: Thank You very much for taking the time to devour our work and this interview. We do wish that something good and positive will come out. Take care!

Morbus chron-Sleepers in the rift

Seeen this insanely cool cover art on the left? Morbus chron from Sweden sounds like that. Demented old school death metal at its best (somewhere between early Morbid angel and swedish death metal, and maybe a bit of Obituary for the cool vocals). They released in 2011 their first full lenght, a record called Sleepers in the rift (produced by Nicke Andersson) which is among the best death metal records for 2011. Its filled with viciously cool riffs and solos, and catchy as fuck songs with a weird atmosphere.

I can't recommend it too much for fans of old school death metal.

you can listen to it on BC

Six Brew Bantha

Six Brew Bantha is a canadian trio playing a typical but really well crafted and enjoyable grindcore / powerviolence. They released a self titled LP last month and if you're into this kind of music I recommend you try it. Everything that is cool in grind/PV is there, ridiculous speed and intensity, many rythm changes, frenetic blastbeats, some d-beat here and there, a few slower parts for the groove, chainsaw guitars, screams, the classical grind snare drum sound, shorter than one minute songs, etc... the real grind deal!

Check it on their BC page.

Domo

Domo plays a really psychedelic and spacey kind of rock with touches of rocking heavy blues and prog rock (the cover art is not cheating you, it really is spacey!). Their self titled record released in january 2011 is really a masterpiece and I cant' stress enough how good is it. Really one of the best discoveries for the year in psychedelic rock (with Pyramidal and Hollow mirrors. by the way Oscar Soler guitarist in Pyramidal plays the bass in Domo. You can read the review of the Pyramidal record with an interview that I did here). Great musicianship, great songwriting, great smoking riffs, good soli, trippy parts, rocking parts, a really cool listening experience. I could enter in long descriptions of the songs, but I prefer letting the music do the talking...

If you're into psychedelic rock you'll love Domo. If you're not, well, then chances are you'll get into it after listening to them (you've been warned)!

you can listen to this flawless record on the Domo bandcamp page.

and read this interview (tanks to them for agreeing to answer to my questions) :

- To start with can you present the band?

The band was formed on 2010. We are a power-trio of heavy-psych music from Alicante, Spain.

- How your first record Domo was composed and recorded? Was there an element of improvisation or jam?

Yes, there was an important element of improvisation and jam. Half record consists of some jams and improvisations that we played in the studio. We did some sessions based on different ideas and later we chose the best parts.

- Will the next one be a bit different musically?

It will probably be a little bit different,  some parts might be going in a different direction than the first album. We want to work a lot more on the structures of the songs and make it more progressive. It will be psychedelic and heavy but more sophisticated.

- Are the songs already composed? When will it be released?

We're working on some parts for the new record. It will be more conceptual so we have to think through how we´re going to structure and mix the different parts of it. Probably it will be released at the end of this year.

- Do you play your music live? If so how it is like?

Yeah, of course we do. Our performance is heavier and loud on stage but we still have that psychedelic groove on the gigs.

- On the record the songs are each one quite different, with a wide diversity of influences and sonorities, it seems to me that a song like Yamantaka has a kind of flamenco or (like other songs in the record) an oriental feel. Do you agree?

Yeah, well we try to put together a bunch of influences of many different music styles when we are composing and recording music. Maybe that influences comes from something we heard on our childhood or maybe that just comes out depending on our mood that day. Most of the time, it's just depends on the moment, sometimes it takes you to a particular place when you're trying to create something.

- How did you get into this kind of spacey, psychedelic, prog and heavy music? Which band in this styles do you like the most?

Well, there are a lot of good bands on the underground scene right now, and the classic heavy. spacey and psychedelic bands from the seventies are a great inspiration for us too… Bands like Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Leaf Hound, Blue Cheer, Flower Travellin Band, King Crimson, Captain Beyond, Blues Creation... It's probably what we like most.

- Is there something special in the water in Alicante that helps bands to play this kind of music this well?

Haha, well we don't think so. Here, the scene it's not so big and of course it's a very underground scene. You don't have many options here and the people it's not very interested in this kind of music. Alicante is a tourist place where people come to party, drink and go to the beach. And beyond all that is where we are.

- What is planned in 2012 for Domo?

We're now very focused on composing the new album, that we expect to release at the end of the year, ... Before the world collapses and ends on the way that we know…We will keep doing heavy and psychedelic music for apocalyptic times...

- Something to add?

We really appreciate your support and thank you for your interest in our music!

Male mISANDRIA-E.DIN

Male misandria is an unconventionnal black metal band from Italy. What they play is a a kind of radical and apocalyptic black grind punk filled with full speed blastbeats, harsh vocals scremed fiercely in italian or in english and simple and straight to your ears guitar riffs. Only really short (less than one or two min) and intense songs. It's band that you'll like if you find that traditionnal black metal is not agressive and straight to your face enough. If you want a comparison I'll say that it's in a similar vein to Anaal natrakh but punkier and minus the heavy metal melodies and clean vocals. They released a really good full lenght record in 2011 called E.Din and in 2012 a good split with Maleillance (one man primitive black metal band form Quebec).

Check it on their bandcamp page.

Their drummer, Magris, answered to questions I sent them (thanks!). You can read it below :

-can you present Male misandria, why did you form the band, why did you choose that name, how the band evolved until now, etc…

Hi, Male mISANDRIA were born in 2007 as a one man band by Dario. After the release of the first demo “Ubermensch” at the end of that year I’ve joined the band as drummer and soon Puja complete the line up as bass player. Male mISANDRIA is a name and a lifestyle that is the way we relate to all the situations that we lived at that time, and in a different way we live today. If the origins of its meaning was to take leave from each label to show how each of these was an excuse to hide their limitations, the same name today means using the contradiction that each of us lives in every situation to learn about ourselves and build an essence that can be true and immortal.

-do you play or have played in other bands?

Yes we all played in other bands before forming Male mISANDRIA (Esequie, Athwart, Aurgelmir and others). The reason why we came out of these bands is the same even after 4 years for which none of us have started a new experience more than Male mISANDRIA: we managed to create a microcosm in which each of our ideas and all of our needs find the way to be developed without any limit. This is why if you open our facebook page instead of seeing attempts at friendship with other bands you will find a flyer that invites you to participate in our tournament of tekken 5.

-can you present your last full length E.Din?

I think to describe E.DIN just read what is being said in reviews or interviews: "They look like anaal nathrakh", "Their sound recalls yacopsae", "Send me the cold and the solemnity of the darkest black metal" "in their work feels the origins of punk attitude " “ It’s a mix of Black Whitchery and Nerorgasmo” " I open the cd expecting to find face painting and I see three young guys dressed like blink 182". I think E.DIN represents the totality of what we were up to his recording, and the reviews show us to be able to express every detail of what we were.

-what about the split with Malveillance?

The split was our chance to make ourselves known overseas as well, and so far the responses were positive. Personally I hope to have the same kind of opportunity with a full length, where we would be able to show more broadly our proposal. These splits are likely to obscure many aspects, and end up promoting a message that is likely to be understood one way.

-I think your music is quite unconventional, do you consider Male misandria a is black metal band? Or just an extreme metal band? How would you describe the specificities of your music?

As I said when I spoke of E.DIN, groped it is very difficult to define what we do in terms of music. Language is the primary cause of most of the biggest mistakes made by mankind. If we speak in musical terms, the choice is yours to define us. The name that you choose would depend, however, by the language game of which you belong.

-some elements in your music remind me of Anaal natrakh, is it an influence for you? What influences your music?

I would not go to ridiculous, but I swear it before a few months ago, I had never even heard a song by Anaal Nathrakh. I'm sure Dario and Puja have listen to them, but I do not think are the main influences for composing songs. If you asked each of us what is the musical influence he used to write guitar riffs, the voice or the drums of a song, we would give you three different answers and totally embarrassing. Musically we are certainly influenced by all branches of more extreme metal, punk, hardcore and black metal, but it's just the musical, which in our case is a means not a purpose.

-what about your lyrics?

The lyrics deal with many themes and have evolved over the years. The guiding principle of all is the attempt to show how we see and live life in a way very different from that described in most texts in the field of extreme music. Ours is not a criticism of something, but an incitement to wonder why everyone always criticize something, society, religion, politics, their neighbor who does not want the music loud .... even the more mainstream songwriters write lyrics that are now out of fashion even for the times of Voltaire… Among Napalm Death and Lady gaga the only difference now is that they write the same things but she can buy an island in Hawaii and some decent clothes, and Barney would seem not.

What we want to convey is not a message of alarm, complaint or grievance. Hobbes said, "Homo Homini Lupus". We prefer to behave like lambs among wolves.

-with which kind of bands do you usually play, Black metal bands, grind, punk bands, all kinds of band?

Once we could just play with the younger bands of various genres, because the public and the band's most "true", when we played for them, came out of the place, probably because at that time to see Puja shirtless could embarrass those of its, that at the same age of us have the belly of a retired and not only the belly. But now it seems that things start to turn the right way and we have not had something goes wrong with anyone, in fact, ultimately we know great people of all ages.

-how is the scene in Italy? Which bands would you recommend?

I am not particularly interested in the current music scene in itself, so I can not give you a comprehensive answer. I think there are many bands that engage so much in what they do, rather they are aimed at themselves and therefore their produce is little useful, wasting a lot of energy. Culturally, however in our area began to be much excitement, and hopefully we can be of help to grow this air of creativity. In any case, there are some bands that really deserve to be heard in our area, such as Dominhate, Lamantide, veneror ..

-are you working on a new record? What can you say about it? What is planned for Male misandria in 2012?

We're working on a split with the above Lamantide for grindpromotion an Italian label. In addition to this we have already started working on our next full length and probably last in line with what has been done so far. We devote much time but we ensure a great job for the future.

-something to add?

Thank you for the opportunity you have given us to respond to this interview and for the attention given.

Arctic flowers-Reveries

Portland's Arctic flowers is a band (featuring an ex-signal lost on guitar and the drummer of Defect defect) renewing in a good way post-punk / new wave punk, and their music can please emo fans and crust fans alike. They merge the punk sound and urgency on one hand and melodies (guitar and the female vocals) and dark melancholic atmospheres on the other. they released their first LP, called Reveries, in 2011, and it is a really cool and catchy record (they also released casettes, an awesome demo and a really good split with Spectres).

you can stream some of their songs on their blog.

Seagulls insane and swans deceased mining out the void (2011)

This untitled album released by the polish duo Seagulls insane and swans deceased mining out the void (ouf!) in november 2011 is a really interesting and promising effort in slow cold darkness, or post black doom industrial metal if you prefer. The songs are based on repetition, noisy textures, vicious melodies, grim vocals and an overall desperate atmosphere. Maybe the first and last songs, and the end of the third as well, would have needed some editing and maybe it would have gained to be an EP, but the rest, songs II, most part of III and IV are really special and good, they really deserves you listen to it.

The Bandcamp page.

Laike-Långt från stadslivets dån

This time I present you something really different. Laike is a solo project by a swedish flutist and composer called Christofer Ståhle. Långt från stadslivets dån (which means far away from the noise of the city) was released in february 2012, it is a work inspired, among other things, by british folk rock bands of the 70'. Some parts are improvisations recorded in an oil cisterno in Shangai. The whole record has a somewhat "magic" atmosphere, with really enjoyable melodies, the singing in swedish adding to the eerie feling of the songs. All that makes a really special record. If you like folk, prog', soft psychedelia and 70' rock or just good melodies you should give it a try. You won't regret it.

you can listen to it on Bandcamp.

 Christofer Ståhle kindly answered to some questions I sent him so you can read it below :

-tell me about the birth of the Laike project, your first solo album after having played in bands for ten years isn’t it?

I had been playing with a band called Mashbrick and the Horns of Plenty for over 10 years but for different reasons we got stuck with some recordings. The fact that I wanted to play, record and finish different recordings of my songs without being able to do so made me think about controlling the process myself instead. Since I had no experience in sound engineering it took a lot of effort to learn all that, but it was fun at the same time. During the period when I made the album I was very focused on my music and it was quite intensive. I sat mostly in my studio/bed room and recorded or went to different friends to fulfill my arrangements. It was great fun.

-how would you describe the music of Långt från stadslivets dån?

I guess I would say it is moody music, sometimes with an energetic groove, but always with focus on the melodies. I'm sure you can hear that my sources of inspiration mainly come from the 70s and in particular folk rock bands, but since I like more funky and groovy songs from that period as well I didn't want to confine myself to the folk genre.  

-what about the musicians playing on the record?

All the muscians on the album are my friends and people that I play with in other constellations. When I made the arrangements I thought about which musician would fit which song. After that I travelled to different places to record them. Without all these friends the record would have become something totally different, probably more boring. I like to get new inputs to my music from other minds

and I think the music benefits from that.

-Have you played the music of Långt från stadslivets dån live or do you intend to do it?

Yes I have. Sometimes I have played on my own and that makes the musical expression of my songs very different. Some songs fit better than other for this and I think it's more difficult to play on my own, but at the same time it is a very direct and naked expression to play on your own. When I play with a band the groove is better and the drums give more energy. I prefer to play with a band, but sometimes it's easier and more practical to play on my own. Lately I've been playing with muscians from the Stockholm-based band Lisa and Piu.   

-what about the lyrics? What are the main themes?

The main theme is a critique of modern society. Perhaps I have studied too much sociology and human ecology but I think about society and how it affects our behaviour a lot.

I guess some songs deal more with existential questions but I often write about how the individual is connected to social patterns. In a way you could say that my lyrics are pretty serious and sometimes a bit dark. It is not a very positive image of modern soicety that I portray, but I think about this very often so I think the lyrics say something about me too.

-the album was recorded part in Sweden and part in Shangai, tell us more about that, and especially concerning the Shangai part?

I studied sociology in Shanghai for one semester after recieving a scholarship. After meeting a friend (who was very interested in stocks) in yoga classes at the university, she asked if I wanted to come to a party in a suburb with "creative people living very differently". It sounded interesting so I went along and eventually we ended up in a Chinese hippie collective. The attributes were the same as elsewhere. Long hair, bearded men and colorful clothes. They liked the Doors and the Beatles... One of them was a sound artist

and he told me that he used to record with different sound artists in an oil cisterno close to their home. The day after we went with a shabby rowing boat to the cisterno and improvised with singing, overtone singing, hand claps and my flute. Fortunately another Chinese friend came along and filmed everything with her mobile phone. Back in Sweden I thought the recordings sounded very fascinating so I decided to use parts of them on my album between different songs.   

-was the time you spent in China an inspiration for your music, or not really?

I made some songs in China that later was used on the album, so in some ways I got inspired in China, but at the same time most of the hard work was made back in Sweden.

I had a lot of time for playing in Shanghai, but unfortunately I didn't find the right people to jam with so I mostly played on my own. I can't say I was that inspired by Chinese music. 

-I read that you took musical inspiration from british folk bands of the 70’, how did you get into this kind of music?

Hmmm, I'm not really sure. I think I borrowed a CD with Fairport Convention from the library in my home town and since I liked it a lot I started exploring different bands from that period. When I heard Pentangle and Steeleye Span I found an expression that I had been searching after for a long time without knowing exactely how it would sound. I think it is the direct, organic and restrained expression, quite sensitive but without getting sentimental that I fell for. Somehow it fits very well with my personality.

-is your next record already written? How will it sound?

I will record with musicians from the band Lisa and Piu in late June. I have made a demo for them that they are working with now so it will be very interesting to see what they come up with. Some songs will be more folky than last album and pretty monotonous, while other will be faster and more energetic. None will be that funky as two of the songs on the last album. There will be more clean electric guitar and Wurlitzer piano than last album. In some ways I think the songs are more complex on the new album.      

-what do you plan for 2012?

My plan is to record another album and to stop playing in most of the 10 musical projects i participate in so that I can get more time to my own music and to other things I want to do in life. I will continue to play with the psychedelic forest reggae band Storskogen (means giant forest) though and we will play about ten gigs this Summer.

-which bands playing in a “spirit” close to yours would you recommend?

Youngbloods, Steeleye Span, Espers, Mikael Ramel, Wolf People and In Gowan Ring.

-want to add something?

Not really, thanks for the interview!

Ruined families

Punk/hardcore coming form Greece, Ruined families released in february 2012 an untitled 7' (four songs) after an LP called Four walls freedom in 2010. Both records really deserves you listen to it. The songs, chaotic and melodic at the same time, are soaked with a sense of desperate passion and urgency. The quality of the lyrics, with its good mesure of irony and dark poetry is also a good point for the band.

 If you like punk/hardcore bands playing with enough personnality and  keeping it as intense as it should be I recommend you check Ruined families!

Ruined families Bandcamp

Ruined families blog

thedowngoing - review (EP 2011) & interview

thedowngoing is a terrific grindnoise duo from Australia that remembers that grindcore is about pushing the boundaries. And they're doing a good job at it! 

Some would say they don't merely push the boundaries, they pulverize it! And those would have some good reasons to says so!

thedowngoing recipe? 

Noisy samples, screams, blast, drum bashing, guitar abuse, chaotic, short fast and merciless songs.

The results? 

Kicking you far away from your comfort zone, as far as it is meant to be! And doing it with a vicious groove that makes you ask for more!

Now that I gave you a warning I invite you to succumb to it, listen/download their last EP on their grindcore karaoke BC page, HERE.

You can also check what happens if you dare venture on their blog, thedowngoing.blogspot.fr/

Mathias Huxley for thedowngoing accepted to answer to a few of my questions (thank you Mathias!), so you can read it below :

-can you tell us the story of the band?

Muzz and I first met while we were both studying music at TAFE back in 2007. Shared musical preferences led to us performing together on class assignments (Slayer covers), and when the course had finished, we just continued to jam together and started writing our own material.

-is being a duo a choice or more a result of circumstances?

At first it was a result of circumstance, we’d tried jamming with a third member a few times but couldn’t find the right person to round out the band. So in the end, after several months of jamming as a 2-piece, we realised that we didn’t need a third member, as we had found a sound and direction we were both happy with.

-how are your live shows?

Noisy, fast and loud.
I replicate the samples from the recordings using a sample pad, which I play with my feet, while handling guitar and vocal duties while Muzz blasts away behind the kit. Anyone expecting to mosh along is going to be disappointed.

Two memories stand out in my mind from our shows, this one time when we made a classically trained violinist cry because we were “ruining music”, and this one time where a guy shot up heroin at the back of the room.

-is bringing noise and samples into the grind a way to make it sounding different, or just you like grind AND noise and wanted to do both at the same time instead of choosing one or doing it in different bands?

The main purpose of the samples is to provide some insight into the aural carnage, offering reference points amongst the chaos. The noise influence is due to just wanting to push ourselves and our sound as far as possible, it wasn’t so much a conscience decision to be “noise-grind” or anything, more just how our sound has come together through years of playing. We certainly weren’t as “noisy” when we started out, so maybe it’s a reaction to the market saturation of triggered, highly produced garbage that gets passed off as grindcore nowadays.

-your music is really noisy and chaotic, do you think traditional grind is too straightforward and sometimes a bit boring because of that?

There seems to be a lot of grindcore bands nowadays just playing it safe, content to continue putting out records that maintain the grind ethos without expanding on it. It all seems rather redundant to me, since grindcore is about pushing boundaries.  

-on one thing you follow the grind tradition, less than one minute songs! Do you think it helps keeping it intense? Or is it to have more possibility of drinking beer between the songs? or was it for being sure to be featured on one of the coming Monomaniac records?

Grindcore is for the kids with the ADHD, right?
I’ve never given much thought to the length of songs. My song-writing process just involves refining the songs until they hit with the most impact, and part of that process is cutting away unnecessary fat and repetition.
And funny you mention the Monomaniac Comp Series, because in true tdg fashion, we decided to cram 3 tracks into the 60 seconds. Never ones to conform

-what about the lyrics of the songs?

The lyrics are usually introspective, and reflect my personal life, relationships and struggles. They are focused on the negative and dark aspects of humanity, and act as an extension of the noise.
No gore, no porn, no misogyny, none of that bullshit.
I have to really care about the subject to submerse myself in it, to give my all to it, to shred my throat for it.

-what about your coming record?

It’s 12 tracks in just over ten minutes and in my opinion is way more abrasive than the Untitled EP. We have to thank Jono Boulet from Snakeface for recording, mixing and mastering it for us. He really pushed us and got the most out of the recording. We’ll be releasing it in Australia to coincide with our tour in July/August. More details about an international release in the next few months.

-you’ll be part of a coming US tour with Water torture and Cloud rat, tell us more about it?

Super stoked about this. Both Water Torture and Cloud Rat and amazing bands. We’re looking at something like 40 dates in 45 days, touring with Water Torture for the first couple weeks down the East Coast and through the Midwest, and then hooking up with Cloud Rat for more Midwest, some Canadian dates and West Coast shows.
Looks likely the tour will kick off early November, so we’ll have more details on the tour in the next few months as we get it all together.

-which are your favourite grind bands?

Agents of Abhorrence, Cellgraft, White Eyes, Discordance Axis, GATE & Insect Warfare.

-how is the aussie grind scene?

There are some great Aussie grind bands kicking round at the moment, the established names are still going strong (The Kill, Agents, Capt Cleanoff) and newer bands starting what seems like every other week. It is funny to see how well represented Australia is on the world stage when it comes to Grind and extreme music, considering our low population. Every time we get out and play we are seeing more and more people supporting extreme music, and more bands participating in creating it. It’s exciting times for sure.

-tell us a joke!

Napalm Death circa 2012.

-something to add?

Swing by Grindcore Karaoke and take a listen to our 2011 Untitled EP, keep an eye on thedowngoing.blogspot.com for more news on our US tour and forthcoming release, and live life at 300bpm. 

Phobia-remnants of filth

Since their formation in 1990, Phobia from Orange county, California, delivers mercilessly their old school grind crustpunk. Their fifth LP, Remnants of filth (released by willotip) to come in june shows once again that it's not by chance that they are among the most respected grind act. The presence among them of Bryan Fajardo (Noisear, Kill the client, Gridlink) is also a good indication concerning "in which league they play". Don't need to tell you that with Remnants of filth you'll get a good dose of speed, blastbeat and d-beats, your crustmetal riffing and your angry vocals and fuck the system lyrics. Which is a really cool thing isn't it? not the least original, but really crushing and adrenaline fuelled!

Phobia myspace
Remnants of filth on BC

Batillus / Whitehorse split

If you like music that is heavy, slow, with a dark, cold and noisy atmosphere chances are you already know Batillus and Whitehorse because both bands recently released excellent records (Furnace for Battilus, progression for Whithehorse, both in 2011). Vendetta records did a good job in releasing this new split featuring these two bands. two songs for Battilus, one for Whitehorse, half an hour of cold and noisy doom with an almost industrial vibe. 

Thanks to Cvltnation you can listen to it HERE.

www.batillusdoom.com/

Whitehorse blog
Whitehorse bandcamp

Th'Empires

This is just a cool rockabilly/psychobilly trio from south Indiana. they say on their bandcamp that since 2008 they "have been tearing around the country playing shows in basements, bars, and on top of cars."

they play a modern take on rockabilly (or psychobilly more oriented toward rockabilly than punk ).And they do it right.

so check them out and enjoy your daily amounts of rock'n'roll!

you can listen to their records (last one released in march 2012) on their BC page.

Eddy Price, composer, singer and guitarist of Th'Empires agreed to answer to the questions I sent him about his band (thanks Eddy!). Read it below :

-can you present Th’empires, its birth and its evolution until now ?

th'EMPIRES began as a personal return to punk rock and a bit of a response to all the bullshit modern rockabilly.  I started the band November of 2008 just a month after my previous band expired. The band started out as a two piece with a bit of a Flat Duo Jets sound and setup. My friend Mandy Marie introduced me to Dex Romweber about a year after th'EMPIRES were started.  It made me feel good to know that someone else out there had done that garage-a-billy sound. My goal from the beginning was to play every opportunity presented, the drummer that I had at the time wasn't quite as roadworthy as I had hoped. Spring of 2009 I lost my home along with most of my personal possessions. This situation pushed me to go ahead and start booking us on the road as much as possible. We set up release of our first album and a short two week tour for support. Three days before this tour kicked off my drummer broke up with me via text at 7am. With three days notice I was not able to find a replacement drummer. My solution was a bass drum and hi-hat that I found in my Dad's barn. 

I practiced several times a day for three days and headed out, channeling Hasil Adkins. The tour was a success and I sold out all copies of "th'EMPIRES Go Crazy" (our first EP). As soon as I returned from this tour I hit the studio and recorded "th'EMPIRES Strike Back!" as a one man band. A few weeks after this album was completed I was back on the road with my friend (and amazing photographer) Molly Burkett, who joined me live on keyboard. 

here is a slideshow Molly put together from that tour:

http://vimeo.com/21327617

At this point I had realized that life on the road was much easier than couch surfing around my hometown. So, I headed back out again still supporting "Strike Back!"  Up to this point I had experienced amazing luck on the road. My "tour bus" at this time was a 1985 Pontiac Parisienne. The Pontiac had enough room for my equipment, sleeping space, and room for a couple passengers. On this run however the Pontiac started to wear out and show it's age. The transmission went out in Fort Worth TX. I left the car behind and took a bus to Austin to try and play some shows and raise money to have it fixed. About a month later I returned to Indiana on a train, drunk, but precisely on time to play the last show of that tour. After a couple months in Indiana raising money, my cousin and I set out hitchhiking back to Dallas where the car was being held and repaired. We made it back to the car (alive) after about a week and a half on and off the road. The entire trip was filled with amazing and completely terrifying experiences. The car was returned safely home and retired. Shortly after this trip my buddy J moved back from Austin and joined me on Upright Bass, then we added Zachary Jetter on Drums and headed back into the studio to record "We Are th'EMPIRES". We toured with the three piece and I toured separately, as a one man band on the road with Pretty Things Peepshow. In between those tours we returned to the studio again and re-recorded and compiled our originals from all the previous EP's and Singles. In addition to those we included two unique originals. This is the format we plan on using for the life of this project, mimicking the comic book format I suppose. We will be releasing singles on 7" Vinyl on a very regular basis then compiling everything after every few releases for a full length.  I don't know that evolution is the proper term for what this project has gone through. I believe adaptation would be a more fitting description. 

-do you play or have played in other bands?

I have been playing live since I was 16, mostly in shitty local punk bands that never made it out of the basement. My most recent before th'EMPIRES was a more traditional Rockabilly project called the Phantom Cruisers. In addition to th'EMPIRES, I am working on some solo projects including a lo-fi gospel project thru my record label Auris Apothecary. Also I am doing a bit of DJing and working on a project to create a kind of DIY "American Bandstand".  

-to me your music sounds rooted in rockabilly, but with a fresh, modern and more aggressive twist, a bit like psychobilly but without sounding as punk. Do you agree?

My favorites were always the artists who were pushing the limits and getting really wild. I love Gene Vincent, Little Richard, Benny Joy, Hasil Adkins, a lot of the classic jump blues artists like Wynonie Harris and Piano Red. Rockabilly, in my opinion was the first wave of punk rock. True punk rock always pushed the limits. I am an aggressive performer, I like my music in your face, sweaty and dangerous. 

 -what is the kind of gig which you prefer playing? Do you play sometimes in Kustom cars shows, tattoo conventions or things like that?

I like playing in basements, dive bars, garages, outdoors in unconventional spaces, anyplace dirty that has soul and a personality of its own.  Those are my preferences.   

-how did you get into rock’n’roll? What does rock’n’roll means to you?

While growing up living in Israel we only received two radio stations. They played a lot of Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Iron Maiden. I dug it. 

-I’m not completely convinced by the remixed version of th’march, but at least that’s a try. what is the story of this remix?

My buddy Wally Wonder (a local hip-hop DJ) did this dub of th'March. It came out exactly the way I wanted it. 

-Are there a lot of people into the rockabilly/psychobilly scene in your area? Which band (in any kind of music) would your recommend from your area?

We don't have much of a rockabilly/psychobilly scene around here. The town I am currently living in has a decent garage scene which works well with the style of rockabilly that i play. There is a fella by the name of Nate Gibson who is currently playing in the area, he is top notch. Also I can highly recommend Indianapolis native (and Rockabilly Hall Of Fame) Art Adams. He is the real deal, not into the politics, has always delivered real raw rock'n roll.  Chicago seems to have a lot of good stuff going on. 

-I read that you played as a one man band, do you still do that? How was it?

Read about it in the answer to the first question. It was really fun, very tiring but very fun. 

-have you started writing new songs, how will be the next record?

I have a few new songs ready for the next album. I can't say anything about it except that it will be recorded at the legendary Sun Studios and will be available on 7" Vinyl this fall 

-When will you tour Europe?

I'd do it tomorrow if someone were willing to set it up! Hopefully really soon. 

-what is planned for Th’empires in 2012? What can we expect?

We're gonna crash the party and get really wild! 

-tell us a joke.

Nashville TN

-want to add something?

folks should head over to our website and check out our music. The website address is www.thempires.com 

while they are there, they should pick up a copy of our newest album "Volume 1" on limited edition cassette tape. They come with all kinds of bonus materials and are only $10. 

Also, sign up for our mailing list by sending your email address to eddy@eddyprice.com