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    • Interview: Les Evans

    Cryptic Slaughter, the quintessential 1980s thrash band, where thrash means crossover music of a simple and effective nature. their music, of short bursts of song with explosive drumming and ragged punkish speedcore riffs, projected a forerunner archetype of what grindcore would soon be. Albums like "convicted" and "money talks" displayed the formative techniques of death metal. But even independent of its historical role, this music crushes with its efficiency and organic texture. Les Evans, guitarist of Cryptic Slaughter, was kind enough to answer some questions for us via email. working on this interview has been one of the high points of the experience of writing about metal, and it is a privilege to interact with a founding mind of a band such as Cryptic Slaughter.
    do you think a generational difference exists between bands, in terms of how the thinking that inspires them to make their music changes?
    Sure, and every generation thinks that theirs is the most relevant! Your immediate surroundings, differing time frames included, will always impact your creative output. But music crosses generational, race, and class divisions. So even bands from different eras maintain a common thread. I'm just happy that there are still "thinking" bands out there.
    how was music composed in cryptic slaughter?
    cryptic slaughter as they looked at the time of the release of money talks. photo copyright 1987 les evans Generally, we wrote songs individually, after which we would present the rough sketches to the rest of the band. We would then tweak arrangements and embellish. Lyrics usually weren't written until the music was finished. A rare exception was Lowlife. Scott came up with that opening drum riff out of the blue, and I wrote the accompanying guitar part right on the spot. I can't remember if the rest of the song had already been written or not.
    do you conceive of songs as rhythms, or riff patterns, or abstract ideas or melodies? what has been for you normally the genesis of songwriting?
    This will be difficult to put into words. I can't say that I really have a conscious formula. Usually it's the melody first, then the rythym. Sometimes I'll hear music in my head and then try to translate it into something tangible. Or I'll just play around loosely with the guitar. If something promising comes up, I immediately record it and then attempt all manner of variations on the pattern or riff to see which sounds the best to me. After I come up with something I'm happy with, I'll put it aside for a few days and then listen to it again. If I still like it upon the second listen, it's a keeper. When Jimi Hendrix was asked a question similar to yours, he replied that he was like an antenna, or an open channel through which ideas were allowed to flow. In other words, his songs came from somewhere else. And while I would never, ever, try to compare myself to Hendrix, I do understand what he meant. Occasionally, I'll write music and suddenly, it's like it's not me playing. Almost as if I'm outside of myself as an oserver. There's a great mystery behind art.
    rap (and the synth music that inspired it) seems to be digital- technology-dependent, where other forms of music are less so. how does this affect the viewpoints of the artists?
    I embrace the technological advances, but I do believe that any artist that relies too heavily on technology runs the risk of having his music sound like it was written and performed by a computer. But then again, that's exactly what some bands are after. They want it to sound as cold and inorganic as possible because it evokes a very sinister feel. Whatever yanks your crank.
    of all the thrash guitarists, your work was seemingly the most unabashedly punk in raw dynamics while having a metallish sense of arrangement. in what ways did each genre influence your songwriting?
    When I was a kid, I was metal to the core. I turned on to hardcore right when Cryptic was first coming together. Back then, those styles of music were so underground that I automatically gravitated towards anything new I could get my hands on. And I was influenced by everything that was fast and raw. We wanted to do something different to stand out from the crowd. The ultra-speed stuff kind of just evolved without any direct intent. But as we got faster and faster, it definitely necessitated a change in the way I was playing. So what eventually developed as my style was never pre-meditated.
    what bands inspired you when you were starting out, pre- and post-convicted?
    Before Cryptic formed, the most important bands to me were Slayer, Metallica, Venom, and Motörhead. Then I started listening to GBH, RKL, Suicidal Tendencies, Discharge, and Minor Threat. I had friends in high school who were into punk, so we would borrow each others records. I think they really wanted to convert me, and I guess it worked. Before Convicted was even recorded, we had taken a definite turn towards hardcore. The earlier songs on that record, Rest in Pain, War to the Knife, & Rage to Kill, were more metal. Whereas M.A.D., State Control, & Nation of Hate reflected our new direction, lyrically as well as musically.
    do you think the metal genre has been obsoleted?
    I don't think any musical genre can be considered obsolete if there is still an active fan base. It's almost impossible to be original anymore because it seems like everything has been done to death. So hats off to the modern pioneers like Strapping Young Lad, who have brought something new and distinct to the scene.
    i could find no reference to cryptic slaughter demos anywhere on the web (the net is often useless). were there any and if so, can you give a brief demography?
    There was only one, recorded in May, 1985 entitled "Life in Grave". Five songs, two of which (R.I.P & War) we re-recorded for Convicted. It was much more metal influenced.
    "Before us there is certainly left only nothing; but that which struggles against this flowing away into nothing, namely our nature, is indeed just the will-to-live which we ourselves are, just as it is our world. That we abhor nothingness so much is simply another way of saying that we will life so much, and that we are nothing but this will and know nothing but it alone. But we now turn our glance from our own needy and perplexed nature to those who have over-come the world, in whom the will, having reached complete self-knowledge, has found itself again in everything, and then freely denied itself, and who then merely wait to see the last trace of the will vanish with the body that is animated by that trace. Then, instead of the restless pressure and effort; instead of the constant transition from desire to apprehension and from joy to sorrow; instead of the never-satisfied and never-dying hope that constitutes the life-dream of the man who wills, we see that peace that is higher than all reason, that ocean-like calmness of the spirit, that deep tranquility, that unshakable confidence and serenity, whose mere selection in the countenance, as depicted by Raphael and Correggio, is a complete and certain gospel. Only knowledge remains; the will has vanished." -- A. Schopenhauer, "The World as Will and Representation"
    how have your own musical tastes change through the years?
    Mainly they've broadened. I still like heavy music, but my CD collection is pretty eclectic. Around 1987, we realized that there was a revolution happening in music that was being led by bands like Jane's Addiction, Fishbone, Faith No More, the Chili Peppers, Mr. Bungle, Soundgarden, etc. Together with Wehrmacht on tour, we would get everybody from both bands on stage and play "Fight for your right" by Beastie Boys. People tripped on that because it was the last thing they expected.
    do you think the underground exists, still?
    I do. It's just that the underground has much more exposure now than it ever did before the advent of the internet. There is some real irony here. In 1985, it was hard to get any information on new bands outside of the mainstream. Now, there's so much goddamn information available on every band imaginable, good and bad, that you couldn't process it all in three lifetimes.
    some would say, as wagner did, that music is a form of paint one uses to create art (narrative, descriptive or poetic works, normally in structure); others would say that music provides art within itself and has no correspondence to a more generalized "artisticness."
    Both points of view are correct. It all depends on how you define and perceive "art". And that, of course, is a very personal distinction. Wagner and his contemporaries came from a much more rigid time in music history, which required a very strict adherence to form and theory. Imagine what those guys could have come up with had they been given complete musical freedom.
    do you see cryptic slaughter's lyrics as having more of an aspect of the political, or as being social commentary?
    Whenever we addressed a political figure or situation, I think that inherently, it becomes social commentary. For instance, when we bitched about Reagan, it was because he was making decisions that were affecting our lives. Political agendas, no matter how convoluted, eventually have a direct effect on the population. Of course, we were great about complaining, but offered very little in the way of solutions. But what do you expect from four young punks?
    you said "Around 1987, we realized that there was a revolution happening in music that was being led by bands like Jane's Addiction, Fishbone, Faith No More, the Chili Peppers, Mr. Bungle, Soundgarden, etc." - after some research, i am guessing this means a funk/rap revolution in music. do you think this revolution is still ongoing?
    Actually, I was referring more to the punk ethics employed by those bands. They all have roots in the underground and, against all odds, managed to break into the mainstream with varying degrees of success. Let's not forget, popular music in the early to mid 80's was abysmal. It was all about Richard Marx, Kaja Goo Goo, and an endless array of butt rock bands. Jane's, FNM, etc. were innovators and the driving force behind turning the tide. There was an enormous amount of creativity and risk taking in this respect from 1987-1992. And at the time, it was truly inspiring because it felt like the rest of the world finally got hip, and that meant that anything was possible for the rest of us. I should probably broaden my list by adding some more very influential bands; Ministry, Voi Vod, Primus, Butthole Surfers, Rollins Band, The Pixies, and it goes on and on. It's also important to note that these bands made their impact on their own terms. They didn't change for the masses, the masses came to them.
    how do you describe the music of cryptic slaughter, and do you assign it to any subgenres (thrash, crossover, metalcore)?
    I still like the original tag line I came up with in 1985, "Hardcore Thrash". Pretty good marketing for an eighteen year old. It's simple, yet it tells the story.
    how has this revolution changed our perceptions and expectations of music as a whole?
    It effected me greatly, and certainly had an impact on music as a whole, because it was really more than just a fusion of metal/funk/rap/punk and whatever else. A new musical paradigm was created, one in which bands were no longer confined to specific categories. This, in turn, forced a shift in general perception that allowed for much more artistic freedom. The audience came to expect bands to be more multi-faceted and eclectic. It changed music forever.
    if you could do it all over again, what would you change about your discography?
    Well, I'd like to re-record the first three records. I was never happy with how any of them sounded, especially "Stream of Consciousness." And there are certain songs that I absolutely can't listen to, like Hypocrite. I realize that it's probably sacrilege for me to think these thoughts out loud. We really didn't know anything about recording or production, so we basically just plugged in and played. Maybe that was part of the charm.
    money talks is considered by many to be the best cryptic slaughter album two rumors: that your albums were to be re-released by a pennsylvania label, and that the new album will approximate "speedcore" or crustcore - can you tell me anything about these and their degrees of veracity?
    The plan at this time is to re-issue the first two individually, both with the original artwork. For bonus tracks, we will include the demo, along with a substantial amount of live and rehearsal material, most of which has never been heard outside of our circle of friends. Regarding the new material, I'm really happy with what we've written, but I have no idea which category it will fall into. We were always a band that people could never agree on anyway, in terms of genre, and I don't expect that to change now. It's fast, brutal, and angry.
    how did the members of cryptic slaughter meet and come together?
    We all played soccer, and had all been playing for years. That's the truth. american youth soccer association at soccer.org If not for the the American Youth Soccer Association, there would not have been a Cryptic Slaughter. Bill and I went on to both play for the same high school team, although not at the same time. I met Scott and Bill through a guy named Adam Scott who was actually one of the original members of the band. I used to give Adam guitar lessons and he was younger than me by a couple of years. He told me he knew a drummer through soccer. So when we first started jamming in the summer of 84', I had just turned 17, Adam was 15, and Scott was 14 & 1/2. We stank on ice, but just finding other pepole into the same music back then was so rare that we bonded pretty quickly. Bill, another one of Adam's soccer buddies, joined up after school started that Fall. We steadily got better, and played a lot of covers. I remeber that we did Ace of Spades, Aggresive Perfector, Welcome to Hell, and City Baby Attacked by Rats fairly well. Adam's parents, who were both teachers, began to put a lot of pressure on him to quit. They were just looking out for him. but he started to miss rehearsals so we kicked him out and became a three piece. Rob (who was not a soccer player) came into the fold about a year later, two months or so before we recorded Convicted. We didn't even know him, but it worked out better than any of us could have imagined. Rob's playing and songwriting had a huge impact on improving our sound.
    do revolutions in music like the one you describe exist until they get mainstreamed, and then somehow get consumed? or are they ongoing?
    Everything gets ruined when too many people find out about it. But you enjoy it while it lasts. Once there's a "new sound", every major label tries to jump on the bandwagon. That kind of over-saturation and dumbing down of the music is what kills originality. And what's worse, you've got these copy cat bands that emerge in an attempt to cash in. Remember how many Nirvana wanna-be's there were? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having influences, but when you're gearing your music towards what you think will be the next big thing, you've lost sight of what's important. Take Faith No More's example. They had a huge hit with The Real Thing, and then proceeded to turn their backs on commercialism in favor of following their instincts.
    was "stream of consciousness" a live or studio live album, or did it acquire its deliciously noisy production another way?
    It was recorded in an abandoned beer vat, previously owned by Pabst Blue Ribbon. No shit. It was basically a wherehouse. That record actually sounded a lot better before it was mastered. My buddy Jason, Cryptic's only real roadie, recently foud a test pressing for Sream that Rob had given him fourteen years ago. As is typical, it had a blank label with a section for comments. And what Rob had written summed it up with two words; "IT SUCKS". Don't get me wrong, I think the songs on that record are by far the best we ever wrote as a band, but none of us were happy with the production. And for all intents and purposes, by the time that record was released, we were already broken up. An interesting footnote, also thanks to Jason; we have a rehearsal tape of those songs that sounds better than the record, including a tune that was never released. We want to have it released with the re-issues.
    on the metal history page (http://www.anus.com/metal/about/history.html) metal is grouped into several waves, based on what worldview they had because of historical events current to the time of each wave. do you see a difference in the musical approach between bands of members born in approx. 1968, 1974, 1982 and 1986?
    Oh yeah, people from different eras grew up in different worlds. I came up in the laid back 70's when pot was decriminalized (thank you, Jimmy Carter) and sex couldn't kill you. Then, just as I was ready to start having some of that fun, along comes the "Just Say No" Reagan years and AIDS. And this was also when the Cold War got really ugly and the threat of nuclear war loomed large. I was confused as fuck. And pissed. Someone born in 74' would probably tell you about their fear of being drafted into the Persian Gulf War. But I think another reason for the difference in approach is simply the desire to do something unique. the same thing over and over again gets old, so music has to grow and evolve.
    some musical thinkers claim to be able to visualize music as shapes or patterns, and from there conceptualize the song as an aesthetic object. how do you conceptualize sound, or is it a conscious process at all?
    I tend to experience music more in terms of colors, but then again, I've eaten more acid than most people! For me, writing music is about intuition. There are no rules or perameters or formulas. It's either good or it's not, and you have to be objective enough to tell the difference. Because even the greats have written crap, but were smart enough to recognize it as such.
    what do you think of the overall prospects for humanity given the state of our current treatment of our environment and selves?
    Well, humanity will be going away, possibly within the next couple of hundred years. I believe that we're too far gone now to change our ways enough to make a signifigant difference. Some of us will probably take off for another planet so we can begin the cycle all over again. But after we leave, the Earth will eventually heal itself. Throughout the millenia, it's been through a lot worse than humanity.
    what was the best part about being in cryptic slaughter during the innovative days of 1980s thrash?
    The high point was the many many friends we made. I got to know people from all over the world, and I was lucky enough to experience a lot of great music.
    what future directions do you see opening for people wanting to create loud, heavy, violent music? do you think the ideals that make one wish to make such music have changed, or do you see the impetus as emotional?
    Music is accessable in way now that we couldn't have imagined in 1986. Back then, before the internet and MP3's, kids in Nebraska had a hell of a time even finding Cryptic records. Even in L.A., I couldn't find our records half the time. With the software available for home recording, there really are no limits. You just have to be motivated and creative in the art of self promotion. I'm sure the reasons vary depending on the person, but at the core it's always driven by emotion. That goes for all forms of music.
    was it difficult to start a band and make it successful at such a young age? i believe you were 17 when "money talks" came out.
    I had actually just turned twenty when Money Talks was released in July, 87'. Scott, if I recall correctly, was seventeen and a half. It wasn't difficult at all because we had no idea what we were doing. We didn't have anyone telling us what to do or what not to do, which is both good and bad. At the time, I don't know that we necessarily considered ourselves successful. We saw bands like Suicidal Tendencies as being successful. we were just happy to have a an outlet to create.
    cryptic slaughter original lineup in a rare group photodo young people today face a different world than young people of previous generations? how will this affect their music and the ideas they associate with the sounds they are making?
    Young people most assuredly face a different world, and the world at present seems to be changing more rapidly than ever before. As a result, any feeling of stability that existed previously is now deteriorating. I don't think anyone can accurately predict how this will affect how music is written and played. It wouldn't surprise me, however, if it turns out to be pretty fuckin' grim.
    how did you learn to play guitar?
    I took guitar lessons for years from the same guy, a studio musician. He was mainly concerned with teaching me advanced rythyms and chord structures that are most closely identified with jazz and music theory.I took music theory in high school and college as well. It's funny how I put so much energy into learning "the rules" of music, just to turn around and break them all.
    from who/where did the idea for the cover of "money talks" originate?
    It came primarily from the artist, Jeff Harp, who also played guitar for Final Conflict. We gave him a lot of freedom, and he created quite a statement of the time. That cover got us on Tipper Gore's list, and it wouldn't surprise me if the F.B.I. opened a file on us around the same time. They've always kept a close eye on politically-minded musicians.
    santa monica has always seemed to me to be a hyper-accelerated version of america in transition. did it influence the topics of early cryptic slaughter songs?
    I'm sure it did, although indirectly. Santa Monica was a pretty ideal setting in which to grow up. I spent a lot of my youth on the beach as well as the soccer field. Much of S.M. is very rich, but I come from a middle class background. No place is perfect, but we had it better than many kids. By the time we started doing Cryptic, we had begun to realize that the world around us left a lot to be desired.
    do you work on music full time? family?
    I wish I could do music full time, but alas, I work 40 hours a week like most people. I'm married and have a son who will be four years old soon. So I can't afford to be an irresponsible slacker musician anymore. But I guarantee you that I rode that train for as long as I possibly could.
    do people ever beg you for re-releases of the cryptic slaughter albums?
    Not really, but I guess the fact that people were paying between $100-$200 on Ebay for our early CD's could be constued as a form of begging.
    now that the band has reformed, what do you aim to create in a different musical scene and perhaps style?
    What we're doing now is pretty over the top in terms of speed and heaviness. I don't know that we're breaking any new ground, but we are attempting to improve on what we helped to create way back when. And we're setting the bar very high for all aspects from song writing to production.
    do you watch television?
    I do, but not a whole lot. Through the influence of my son. our TV is usually set on the Cartoon Network. I'm absolutely addicted to the Sopranos and I usually still watch Letterman and Conan. One of my all time favs was Mystery Science Theater 3000, which finally ended it's run after twelve years.
    what do you think will be the effect of mp3 files and file sharing in a music industry controlled by a few titans, but with many smaller labels and distros?
    cryptic slaughter's stream of consciousness was a brilliant album with horrible production I think that Napster and the like was a good thing for music. But it was especially crucial to the relatively unknown bands because it helped to get their music out there. Back in 1985, what held the underground together was a network of hardcore tape traders. They circulated hundreds of live shows and demos and helped bands like Cryptic get on the map. No record stores would carry a demo, even if you could somehow get it distributed. Many fans obtained our tapes by trading through the mail, and of course didn't pay us for them. But the free publicity was well worth whatever we lost in short term profits. It got a buzz going, and pretty soon we were getting contacted from bands, labels, and fans who otherwise never would have heard of us. As far as major labels go, they've been bending over their bands and the fans for decades now so I've got no sympathy whatsoever. And besides, when I was a kid, I always bought the records I really liked and borrowed the rest from my friends and taped them. It's the same principal. If you want it but don't want to pay for it, you can always get it somehow.
    you said, "What we're doing now is pretty over the top in terms of speed and heaviness" - how can these things be increased in music? if you could describe more of your new music, that would be great.
    I didn't mean to imply that we're going to come along and redefine fast and heavy music. I just wanted to get the point across that this is not going to be "Speak Your Peace, Part ll". Don't get me wrong, I love that record, but it's not where we're at now. Our new stuff combines blast beats with good rythymic structure and it's not too complicated. It's paced well with a definite emphasis on speed.
    catch-all "did i miss anything?" and "anything you'd like to add?" question - if there is any information in those categories you would like to see published in this interview, please fill in now.
    Thanks to everyone for the continued support and interest after so many years. Please contact us if you want to be on our e-mail list. And thanks to SRP for probably the most comprehensive interview I've ever done.
    "[This] goes for writers and thinkers: if they resist the predominant use of time today, they are not only predestined to disappear, but they must also contribute to the making of a 'sanitary cordon' isolating themselves. In the shelter of this cordon, their destruction is supposed to be able to be put off for a while. But they 'buy' this brief and vain delay by modifying their way of thinking and writing in such a way that their works become more or less communicable, exchangeable; in a word, commercializable. But the exchange, the buying and selling of ideas and words, does not fail to contribute, contradictorily to the 'final solution' of the problem: how to write, how to think? I mean that they contribute to making even more hegemonic the great rule of controlled time. It follows that public space, Öffentlichkeit, in these conditions, stops being the space for experiencing, testing and affirming the state of mind open to the event, and in which the mind seeks to elaborate an idea of that state itself, especially under the sign of the 'new.' Public space today is transformed into a market of cultural commodities, in which 'the new' has become an additional source of surplus-value." -- J.-F. Lyotard, "The Inhuman"

    Cryptic Slaughter at the Dark Legions Archive.
    Interview with Scott Peterson.

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    The Metal Basement

    30 07 12 - 14:32

    New radio program DJ'd in part by one of our users:

    The Metal Basement with Maniacal Michael & the Basement Bunch.

    It airs every Tuesday night from 10-12 PM PST.

     

    przk | | underground metal |

    Metal Rising Worldwide

    30 06 12 - 08:34

     

    przk | | underground metal | 359 comments

    Beherit - "Celebrate the Dead"

    18 06 12 - 19:34

    Black metal + dubstep



    Numen - intention = essence
     

    przk | | underground metal | 134 comments

    Why this blog has been silent

    31 03 12 - 05:58

    We've moved it.

     

    przk | | underground metal | 573 comments

    Impiety - Ravage and Conquer

    03 03 12 - 06:07

    Impiety - Ravage and Conquer



    This album is thoroughly enjoyable energetic and simple death metal which incorporates enough hints of melody and harmony to give the songs memorability. However, on the whole it belongs to that category of bands which are guilty pleasure bands by design. They do not aim for profundity, but rather intensity. We might list Vader and Angelcorpse as well, or maybe early Grave, because they have a similar low-tech approach. There is not much that is musical about this release. It is pure rhythm, with the aforementioned musical elements tacked on to keep your interest. But as rhythm, it has the intensity of later Angelcorpse and the raging power of broad basic statements that propelled early Grave. Its songs are not as memorably constructed as those on Exterminate or Into the Grave, have more the intensity of mid-period Vader, but in a time of feeble self-pitying rock bands trying to be hipster "metal," it's gratifying to find something with heart. You will tap your feet to these energetic, propulsive tunes and appreciate the sheer violence out of which they are created. Unlike many recent albums which drag you along for the ride, Ravage and Conquer drops you into the middle of it and makes you fight your way out.

     

    przk | | underground metal | 262 comments

    Imprecation - Angel of Salvation's Doom (2012)

    29 02 12 - 19:08



    From their new blasphemous album. Sounds good, with a few nods to 1980s mainstream technical metal, pissing all over 2010s technical metal.
     

    przk | | underground metal | 21 comments

    DEAD CAN DANCE tour dates announced

    29 02 12 - 05:21

    SEPTEMBER

    19th - HCTAT, Istanbul, Turkey
    21st - Earth Theatre, Thessaloniki, Greece
    23rd - Lycabetus Theatre, Athens, Greece
    25th - MCV, Utrecht, Holland
    27th - Grand Rex, Paris, France
    29th - Cirque Royal, Brussels, Belgium

    OCTOBER

    1st - Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany
    3rd - Tempodrom, Berlin, Germany
    5th - CCH, Hamburg, Germany
    7th - Philharmonie, Munich, Germany
    8th - Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany
    10th - KCP, Prague, Czech Republic
    12th - Bkz Oktyabrsky, St. Petersburg, Russia
    13th - Crocus City Hall, Moscow, Russia
    15th - Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland
    17th - Papp Laszlo Arena, Budapest, Hungary
    19th - Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan, Italy
    20th - Batiment Des Forces Motrices, Geneva, Switzerland
    22nd - Auditori, Barcelona, Spain
    24th - Casa Da Musica, Porto, Portugal
    26th - Royal Albert Hall, London, England
    28th - Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin, Ireland

    Dates for the North American, South American and Asian legs of the tour will be announced shortly, along with ticket sales information

    www.deadcandance.com
     

    przk | | underground metal | Five comments

    IMPRECATION update

    22 02 12 - 17:48

    New Imprecation tracks will be unleashed next week, the release should be ready by the end of March. The songs to come are entitled "Hosanna Ex Inferis" and "Angel of Salvation's Doom". - David Herrera
     

    przk | | underground metal | 22 comments

    SUMMONING working on new materail

    19 02 12 - 19:00


    19.02.2012
    After a longer winter-sleep summoning is back again and ow works constantly for a new release. We promise that in the near future we will regularly update the homepage again, so it will we worth the costs to check the page in regular intervals.

    The present situation of Summoning:

    In the past years we have worked on new material just very rarely because of different reasons (partly personal, partly being not motivated enough) but since the last months ,we intensified the work for new material and realised, that the old spirit is back again and we are very motivated for a cool new release and we are very committed in every terms of composing.

    Meanwhile there are two songs which are fix starters for the album. 4 or 5 songs are in a more advance state and we composed riffs for at least 10 or 15 songs in a very early state. Btw. we still have one finished song from the last oath bound session which also will be in one or another way. so probably this time we are in the luck situation that we have more songs left, so maybe there will be some special limited fan releases beside the normal release, but this is of course just a wish right now.

    We hope that until the end of this year most of the material for the new album can be finished. In the moment we have no concrete conception about the lyrical concept. All we can say right now is, that Summoning is still alive and middle earth will awake again. - SUMMONING official web presence


    This is encouraging.

    It does not sound like it will be soon, but so long as quality is high, it will be massively anticipated.
     

    przk | | underground metal | Eleven comments

    THRASH is not SPEED METAL

    18 02 12 - 16:52



    Mix together the early CIRCLE JERKS, early BLACK FLAG, MDC, MINOR THREAT, SSD, TERVEET K�DET, and GANG GREEN, and you have something approximating these DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES (so-called by their parents). What can I say--this is manic, intense, tight thrash with great lyrics, and I can't wait till these Houston boys unleash themselves upon the rest of us deprived people. 22 songs.
    -Tim Yohannan (from Maximum Rocknroll #5, March/April 1983)

     

    przk | | underground metal | 31 comments

    PROFANATICA - Sickened By Holy Host / The Grand Masters Session

    18 02 12 - 16:51



    This oddity features an all new 39 minute mini-album plus the "The Grand Masters Session" Box Set on CD for the very first time. Nearly 80 minutes of true blasphemy & perversion.

    PART #1 features 5 new songs plus 2 old classics written and recorded by Ledney with a session member. The performance on this work is much like their primitive NECROVORE-ous atrocities committed in the early '90s and allows for safe assumption of what could have been heard on their long-lost album, "The Raping of the Virgin Mary."

    Meanwhile, PART #2 features the same titles but written and recorded by Gelso alongside the same drums & vocals performed on part #1. The execution of this session continues in the more musical direction showcased on their first 2 albums and incorporates soundscapes sonically compiled by the late Aragon Amori. The end result is nothing short of devastating, and the vast contrast between these two sessions takes on the form of an album in itself that is sure to appeal to both old & new devotees of the black cult.

    Finally, "The Grand Masters Session" previously available as a vinyl-only 8" Box Set, is a raging 2008 "live in the studio" recording showcasing many of the classics, a few newer hits and an exclusive medley (a conglomerate of 5 songs).

     

    przk | | underground metal | Ten comments

    SUPURATION retrospective CD release

    17 02 12 - 10:10



    Yes, the mighty french legend SUPURATION (aka SUP) are back from the crematory in form of a retrospective collection CD which includes all the earliest and most brutal stuff of the band from '89 /'90 when they were in their most Death Metal shape right before they started to experiment with clean vocals and more varied sounds.

    "Back from the Crematory" is the generic title of this cult release which is planned for an imminent release on September 16th. The CD includes the awesome band's debut self-financed mini CD "Sultry Obsession" ('90), their only demo "Official Rehearsal" ('90) as well as the impossible-to-find demo of the band's very 1st studio recording "Haunted" under their previous monicker ETSICROXE as well as a 9-song live show, both from '89.

    This masterpiece comes with remastered sound and packed in a total old-fashioned layout in contrat to their latter weird & sophisticated designs. Includes killer 12-pages booklet featuring an exclusive retro-interview, liner notes, cover and tons of old photos & flyers. This definitely a must-have release not only for every SUPURATION fan, but for every lover of the good old Death Metal from late 80's and early 90's!!

    http://www.xtreemmusic.com/
     

    przk | | underground metal | Six comments

    Lord Wind - Ales Stenar

    12 02 12 - 07:36

    New Lord Wind: not metal per se, but metal in spirit, and it will be hard to beat this impressive CD that I'm already calling as "album of the year."



    Note new URL.
     

    przk | | underground metal | Sixteen comments

    New SAMMATH

    11 02 12 - 12:07

     

    przk | | underground metal | Two comments

    YADENU (Yet Another DEMONCY "Enthroned is the Night" Update)

    11 02 12 - 12:06

    Demoncy (CD) jackets are in production and on their way to completion. No release date has been given yet but we are expecting them roughly around the 22nd of February. - Forever Plagued Records

    Can't fucking wait!
     

    przk | | underground metal | No comments

    BLASPHERIAN update

    09 02 12 - 17:24

    BLASPHERIAN UPDATE:
    NEW SONG FOR SPLIT 7" WITH IMPRECATION......FINISHED
    2 NEW SONGS,REWORKED VERSION OF 'TO WALK THE PATH...'.... FINISHED
    AND NOW WE BEGIN WRITING FOR THE UPCOMING SPLIT WITH CRUCIFIER 'THE POISONERS OF YAHWASTE'...
    AND THEN WE RECORD THIS UNHOLY MADNESS....HOPEFULLY SOMETIME IN MARCH/APRIL 2012 ANNO SATANAS...
     

    przk | | underground metal | Ten comments

    New footage of Quorthon

    09 02 12 - 16:42

    Part 1:



    Part 2:



    Part 3:


    See also our interview with Quorthon, one of the smartest men in metal.
     

    przk | | underground metal | Two comments

    VARG VIKERNES converting to Christianity?

    06 02 12 - 20:09

    A textual comparison:

    A Burzum Story: Part VIII - On Overgrown Paths

    'Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.

    Bible

    How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!' Matthew 7: 13-14

    All I can say is... oy gevalt. Ripped shamelessly from Faceplant
     

    przk | | underground metal | Four comments

    Another DEMONCY update

    06 02 12 - 19:55

    Okay FPR confirmed the updated jacket design. I'm waiting to hear back that everything is accepted and in production. Remember everything is done but the jacket so once the jacket is done everything gets packaged and sent to us. I'll confirm once the jacket is in production and then I'll confirm once they give us an exact shipping date. I'll feel so much better once these are in the hands of all who preordered as I know we are at fault for accepting these pre's so damn early, considering the time its taking to get this finished.- FPR
     

    przk | | underground metal | No comments

    Typical Gojira Fan

    03 02 12 - 01:34



    This from fans of the band who penned this lyrical turd:


    I hold my inner child within
    And tell him not to cry
    "don't fear the living"
    One day you will stand as a king
    And no fear can erase
    This light below us
    Each one of us is now engaged
    This secret we all have
    This truth is growing
    And as a warrior I have to fight
    I can already feel
    The love I'll discover


    Is it fair to point out that anyone who thinks this is "poetry" or "profound" is of the level of stupidity found mainly in Twilight fans?
     

    przk | | underground metal | Seven comments

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