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2011 has died. And the end is near. December 12th 2012 will see the end of the world as we know it. So that gives me a few months to plague all of you with my rants and insults until we all meet our doom. Let me give you an update of what has been going on with me and my band of lunatics Gravehill. Matt and Bob have been pretty busy with Exhumed. Towards the end of 2011, they had another European run and then yet another U.S. Tour. Due to other personal commitments with work and other shit that comes in all of our lives, they have not been able to really be around to slay with Gravehill. Jason, Grimm and I had to move on with the November West Coast Tour dates with Impiety. So we asked our friends in Witchaven Henry and Erik to help us out with those shows. They agreed. There were 5 of them in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. They had literally 2 1/2 weeks to get a set of songs down and get ready for this trip. They nailed it and we were ready to go. The long road to hell called “the 5 fwy death march” started on an early Thursday afternoon. It finally ended on a late Friday morning. Seattle was fucking dismal with cold as fuck weather of rain and sleet everywhere. This was PERFECT for our arrival! hahaha. We decided to get some rest before the show, so we crashed for a bit before it was time to head to the venue.

Now the club in Seattle, Studio Seven, is located down in the industrial district of the city. It wasn’t opened when we got there. So we just hung out and waited for the club staff to arrive. We had our trusty roadie Bigg Robb with us on this trip. So he used his connections to try and figure out where the club staff was as we had now been waiting for an hour. Anyone that knows or has worked with Robb knows that he doesn’t fuck around. He wants shit done in a timely and professional manner. So he wasn’t happy and at one point Shyaithan from Impiety called Robb and then I got involved and we were able to get the club staff there and started load in a little late. No biggie as it was a Friday night and the show wasn’t to start for a bit. Burger King awaited. Now this place is fucking disgusting as fuck. I don’t like to eat there as my #1 option. But when one is on tour, one must save money and eat cheap at times, so places like Burger King are KEY! After that colon cleansing meal, Bigg Robb and I went upstairs to check the bar as Grimm finished setting up our merchandise booth. This place was a little weird with their rule of not being able to bring drinks downstairs. So the adults could go up to the 2nd floor and drink, but not bring them down to watch the bands. Fucking stupid as fuck in my opinion. This allows the people to just stand up on this balcony and watch from up there. Less headbangers up front and less people in general down on the floor getting crazy. But you know what, if the band is good enough, they can MAKE people come down and get crazy with them. Let’s see what happens. So after some sets by some local bands, it was our turn. The sound up on the stage was killer. And even before we went on, there was a row of headbangers and quite a few people out on the floor to kill with us. There was still quite a few people up on the balcony, but it was killer to have an army of maniacs with us down on the floor. In moments that happen to all of us up on stage, Grimm had a brain fart and forgot the change/transition of our set opener going from fast to mid paced. Erik also broke a string shortly after that and then had to borrow another band’s guitar when he realized that he forgot his strings. I think we had to cut 2 songs from the set because of this. But the olden death metal must go on! I just told a couple of funny stories and Henry helped me fuck with the crowd, especially those upstairs at the bar. After that, the set went OK. Not our best, but keep in mind it was our first show with these guys and shit also happens. After a killer Impiety set, and a hilarious set by Sleepytime Gorilla Museum(who happened to be in town and needed a show to play) it was off to get ready for tomorrow’s PDX show.

Portland has become one of our 2nd homes away from home. We have a lot of killer friends up there and we always have a lot of crazy maniacs that come up to the shows we play. We decided to head out of Seattle early and get down to Portland to hang out in the city and get situated at the killer Plan B venue. We got down to the PDX in the late afternoon and it was time to hit 2nd Avenue Records. It’s a killer record store in the city that has plenty of vinyl and shirts to add to the collection. Now it was also cold and rainy in Portland, so Saturday Market was a wash. This is where we decided to go grab food. But there were still quite a few food trucks open that had food choices from all over the world. We grubbed and then hit one of our favorite bars the Ash Street Saloon. On the way there we laughed at the stupid hipsters standing in the hour and a half long line at Voodoo Donuts and hung out at Ash Street. This place was the very first place that we played in PDX way back in 2007. So we have some great memories there. We then realized that we needed to get Erik some strings and Henry also decided to grab some new ones, so we went over to the Guitar Center outside of the city in Beaverton, after failing to find anything down by the 2nd Avenue area. Back to in the city, in the Plan B neck of the woods, we got ready at the venue and got everything situated for our assault. Plan B rules. Good people working there, cheap drinks, good food, crazy metal heads showing up. Can’t ask for much more. After catching up with some good pals and some pulverizing sets by our friends in Cemetery Lust and Weregoat, it was our time to bring the pain, blood and piss. Let’s just say that this show was MUCH better for us than Seattle. The crowd was fucking RELENTLESS and they went crazy as fuck! Pits, stage diving, singing along, massive head banging, tons of horns and fists. We even raped a Judas Priest song and they didn’t care. The PA went out 2 times and they didn’t care. It was an all out great time and it was one of my favorite all time shows! HAIL PDX! After catching up with friends and saying our goodbyes, we went out to take our long road through the mountains and get down for our Sunday San Francisco show the next night.

FUCK the Oregon pass in November! hahaha. Especially without snow chains. After driving all night, we were close to the California border. But we had to get through that pass. There were all kinds of warnings about snow fall and the need for snow chains on tires. We didn’t have them. So we stopped at a local Fred Myer super store (think of a high class Walmart). We talked a little and realized after talking with a worker at the Fred Meyer car repair area that we couldn’t afford the cost of 2 sets of snow chains ( we had 2 small size vans). After much deliberation and some bathroom breaks, it was decided that we say “FUCK IT” and we would tough out the mountain WITHOUT the snow chains. It was a HUGE risk and I was fucking pissed since I had been driving all night and no one could take over for me. But I said “FUCK IT!” along with everyone else. We would get as far as we could and if the cops stopped us and we had to wait, then we had to wait. Up the mountain at 30 miles and hour, down the mountain at 20 miles and hour. It was a surreal scene. Beautiful yet terrifying at the same time. EVERYTHING was covered in snow. A TOTAL WHITE OUT! It looked like a fucking Christmas card. After an hour or so of driving through this shit, we got further down the mountain and Bigg Robb wanted to find a rabbit to wipe his ass with after he took a dump. This is what he had said after our ordeal! hahahaha. We hit Cali and then it was cheap Carls Jr time for breakfast. The locals starred at us as usual and asked some questions if we were bikers or rockers. They were nice though. It was smooth sailing on our way to the bay and we hit The Mission District. This area of San Francisco is know for 2 things: transsexual hookers and KILLER burritos. Since we are all straight, we avoided chicks with adams apples and a surprise downstairs. The venue was next door to some sort of Cuban restaurant and that place was packed with people eating and joining in some sort of drum circle. Since we aren’t hippies, we just looked at them in disgust. Some dude that worked at the joint was trying to get us to grab food there, but we decided to walk down the street and grab burritos elsewhere. We got lucky and got our torpedoes of Mexican goodness before a massive dinner rush came in. Then off to the venue. Parking in San Francisco is a fucking nightmare. Especially in The Mission. And to top it all off, the promoters of the show were late. But it’s OK, once they showed up, Bigg Robb gave them some shit! It is fucking hilarious watching and listening to Robb get in someone’s ass who he thinks are lagging or being disrespectful. But these people who were doing the show were all killer. They even had a full home cooked food spread for us and Impiety. I tried to get a little rest backstage before our set, but here were too many friends to catch up with. The stage at this venue had a “cat walk” that lead out into the crowd. I had to take advantage of this and sing a little “I’m Too Sexy”! hahaha. There was a real severed pig’s head and some sort of candle and altar set up up in the very front of the cat walk/stage. I had to fuck with that thing as well. The local satanic hispanics started cussing at us in Spanish (it’s OK, this means they LIKE you! hahaha) So I let them have it with my retarded Spanglish which they started laughing at. Don’t underestimate any ol’ white boy. I can cuss in Spanish! All in all a great time as usual in San Francisco. We have a lot of killer friends up there as well. So a good show and turn out and another killer set by Impiety made for a great night! After hanging out a bit and saying our goodbyes to our Impiety brothers (we would meet up the following week in L.A. for the next 2 shows) we made the trek back home to Southern California. This ride would be a little easier, although we were all tired and burned out. We got home around 11am Monday and it was back to the work grind until the next 2 shows the upcoming weekend.

After the hell of real life shit like work for a week, we were back at Friday to play our local hometown show with Impiety. This would be at the infamous Black Castle. I had to work late that night, so once I got off work, it was a rush to get out to the show. Since we weren’t going on until later, it was OK though. I missed a couple of the local band’s sets as I rushed in to get ready for our set. We have been kind of the house band there all these years it has been open. It has been good and bad for us there though. But we have finally started to develop a strong following here in our area, so the shows haven been better there as of late. The maniacs came out in full force for this show! We had a killer set and a great response and I think that it was the best set we had ever played at the old Black Asshole (our nickname for it… Trust me, we love it, but it is fitting!) This show was much like Portland. I even had a fan jump up on stage and start headbanging with me. More catching up with friends and hanging out a bit as Impiety layed total waste to the crowd. Once the rain started coming down hard again, it was time to get the fuck out of south L.A. Of course the complete idiots that drive around this area were out in full force on the fwy on the way home. But then it was time to rest up for the trip down south to San Diego later in the day. Well, NOT San Diego proper, but a suburb called Escondido, right outside of San Diego. This placed we were playing was called The Metaphor Cafe. It is a DIY spot run by the local Pyrate Punx chapter. It is a cool little cafe, not an ideal place to throw shows, but ya know, a place to have shows is just that, a place to have shows! Locals Tombstoners cancelled and there was a cool set by a band that I can’t remember their name. Another local band Ruminations sounded OK, but they decided to play for a VERY long time and we felt that was a little disrespectful. They were told “one more” and they crammed 3 songs into one. This meant that the mighty Witchaven AND our Gravehill sets had to be cut short. ARGHHHHHH, thanks Ruminations. I was going to review your demo tape at some point ;> Witchaven SLAUGHTERED as usual. My boys Henry and Erik were back in their original element and they fucking KILLED! One of the best bands around and THE BEST thrash band in L.A. PERIOD! END OF SONG! We had a fun set. Some drunk girl started headbanging with me, then she started pushing me and other people. Or she TRIED to push me. She wasn’t annoying enough to really deal with. Sometimes people like that need to be layed flat on their back with a swift tackle. But I don’t believe in roughing up a lady. Plus I was in the crowd since the stage was small, so I liked getting into the action at times. This was a small crowd, but we also have some killer friends down in SD and we even had a great set of friends that came from both the L.A. and Orange County areas to come support us. HAILS! We said our good byes to our Impiety brothers and took pictures/exchanged contact info. It was sad to see them boys go as we made good pals with them, but end of tour is always a double edged sword. You are happy to be home, but you miss those road brothers/sisters you get close with! If you can make friends on the road, they are your friends for life! The road brings out the best AND the worst in people.

OK, if you survived my boring story of the Gravehill/Impiety shows, you now get a report about the GATHERING OF THE BESTIAL LEGIONS Festival that took place here Saturday January 14th. The fest had originally been scheduled for August of last year, but a few events lead to it getting postponed. Whatever the case was, fests these days in America have been plagued by mishaps. Either poorly run and organized, or stricken with bad luck, shit has hit the fan recently with fests like The Goregrowlers Ball and The Rites of Darkness. But as promised, The Gathering went on as planned. 3 bands had dropped off: Ares Kingdom, Infinitum Obscure and Grave Ritual. And Goreaphobia didn’t make the re-schedule date. But even big fests in Europe and the best fest in the U.S., Maryland Death Fest, has problems and cancellations at times. Plus the main 4 horseman that everyone wanted to see: Divine Eve, Acheron, Incantation and AUTOPSY were on there! So it was still a killer fest. I was born and raised in the area where the fest was being held: ECHO PARK. FUCK! How my home town city has changed! What happened to all the dope fiends and cholos? They have been replaced by fancy boutiques and hipsters! WHAT IN THE FUCK?!??! I had heard about this, but NEVER in my wildest imagination would I ever think the city would change that much. I guess it is better overall for the city. But I’m not a big fan of hipsters, so it’s fucking weird! hahahaha. Anyways, trying to park in this city is horrible. It is an old school L.A. type area, so it was built back in the 1800’s. Which means it wasn’t built to have this many people all packed in there and driving this many cars around. I had missed the first sets by some local friends that were playing the 2nd stage upstairs. But my Texas brothers in HOD were up on stage jamming as I walked in. They sounded great. But the faster bands didn’t fair nearly as well as the more mid paced ones on this night. When the fast parts came out in the sound mix, it was kind of muddy. But HOD raged with a fill in drummer and a new guitarist. It was great also hanging with them. In between sets of the bands it was all about trying to catch up with friends as I have been so busy working at the pharmacy. I didn’t get a chance to see my locals pals in Infernal Damnation, Ritual Combat, Sanguis Imperum or Winterthrall as I was catching the Texas sets of HOD and the mighty Divine Eve. To those locals, I’M SORRY! But I can’t miss my out of towners when they are here! Ahhh, Divine Eve. HOLY FUCK. Now the sound was a little thin on their first song, but the sound guy had it dialed in by the 2nd one. The Texans KILLED and played a slew of classics from the past that I had loved for so long. I think Divine Eve is one of the best death metal bands EVER! Ask anyone who saw this mighty set and they will say the same thing! The way the sound was going, their mid paced Frosty churns of death were PERFECT for the mix. Next up was Acheron. Another favorite of mine. I have seen them a few times now and as always they killed with their satanic death metal attack. Incantation was then set to show the clones how it is done. They were also killer, but since they are so low and dirty with their sound, the mix wasn’t as nice to them. It was pure mud, and a little lacking in power. But it is always awesome hearing those classic Incantation hymnals of death metal terror. Not one of their best performances sound wise, but still good. Now fucking AUTOPSY was up and they didn’t disappoint. Classic after fucking classic. “Severed Survival”, “Ridden With Disease”, “Gasping For Air”, “In the Grip if Winter”, “Critical Madness” and many, many more! The new songs fit perfectly within the set and the old guys were having a blast up there and raged with all of us! WHAT A CLASSIC SET! It was also killer catching up with old friends Chris Reifert of Autopsy and Xan Hammack of Divine Eve. As well as seeing my boys in HOD and the other local maniacs that I got a chance to hang with. My pal Bjorn from Mordbrand was in town, on vacation with his girl Isabelle. So he got lucky enough to see the mighty Autopsy and is also now a Divine Eve fan! hahahaha. Bjorn, Chris and I had to get a picture taken in our total state of death metal madness. When Bjorn asked Chris to take the picture, Chris said “OK!!!!! I’LL DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! YEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Thanks to Juan at the Iron Room for the hook up and for the fest. Also thanks to Jimmy Cabbs and Andy Ford for helping with the fest (glad ya liked the stickers!) I want to also say that there are NO better dudes in metal than Henry and Erik of Witchaven! NO BETTER! These guys saved our fat asses like you wouldn’t believe. They came in and learned our hardcore, technical, at times proggy, death metal, and NAILED IT! OK, it’s not THAT hard to play our shit, BUT STILL! They were a blast to hang out with on the road! I fucking love these dudes! You should all support the mighty Witchaven at ALL COSTS! They rule AND they deserve it! Keep an eye and ear out for DIRTY MIKE AND THE BOYS later on in 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! More news about our guitar player situation later in the month. SAME DEATH METAL CHANNEL! SAME DEATH METAL STATION!!!!!!

Most people know Gregor Mackintosh as the lead guitarist for doom metal stalwarts Paradise Lost. Yet the gloom and sorrow conveyed by that band could not match what Mackintosh endured in 2009 when he watched his father John Robert Mackintosh die of cancer.

That life-altering experience led Mackintosh to take what initially were feelings and emotions he wrote down as part of the grieving process and slowly turn that into the classic-style death metal heard on his new band Vallenfyre’s first full-length album “A Fragile King.” It might sound silly to say that a death metal record focuses on death, but there aren’t many that approach it in quite this way. It’s a very human, vulnerable album when Mackintosh is reflecting on his loss and his father’s struggle. There are other subjects addressed on the album, too, but Mackintosh’s tribute to his dad takes center stage.

Mackintosh took time to talk with us about “A Fragile King,” his supergroup lineup that also features fellow Paradise Lost member Adrian Erlandsson on drums, Hamish Hamilton Glencross of My Dying Bride on guitar, Mully on guitar and Scott on bass, and what future, if any at all, this new band sees for itself. Oh, and stick around for some details on the next Paradise Lost platter.

MMM: It seems “A Fragile King” is getting a lot of very favorable reactions. We spoke very highly of it on our site, and we certainly weren’t alone in our praise. Are you happy with the reaction it’s gotten?

Gregor Mackintosh: Well I’d have to say yes, because I never expected anything at all. This was something that wasn’t even meant to be a record, let alone a band. We had no plan whatsoever. We’re just going with the flow and having fun with it and seeing what happens. Every good review is a bonus, and I’ve only seen a handful of reviews that have been a little bit derogatory, and the rest have been positive.

MMM: Now that the record’s been done for a while and you can kind of step back from it and look at it more critically, how do you feel about how the music turned out?

GM: I think it’s good. I would have liked to keep (the band) anonymous a little while longer, because when we released the EP (“Desecration”) first, we didn’t announce who was in the band or anything. But it was Century Media’s decision (to reveal the members). I mean, they paid for it to be recorded, so they wanted to announce who was in it. But apart from that, everything has been good. It’s nice because a couple of the guys from Century Media grew up in the scene where I came from and kind of knew what I was going for, from the production, to the artwork, to the vibe of it. So luckily I didn’t really have to explain myself.

MMM: Did you want to keep the lineup a mystery just because of how people perceive the “supergroup” concept? Expectations can be high and sometimes people can be overly skeptical.

GM: Yeah, that was it exactly. It was really our bass player Scoot’s idea, because he comes from the crust punk scene, and he said that having guys from bands like My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost may not be such a good thing initially. Wouldn’t it be better to reach people with no bias either way? I think that was a better way to approach it, and it was interesting at first because you’d read reviews online of the EP, and these people have no history to go on at all and no baggage – I mean that in the best sense of the word – and it kind of took the pressure off. It felt fresh to do it that way, and there were only a couple of guys in their reviews who said, like, “Hang on. This doesn’t sound like a bunch of teenagers doing this.” (laughs) I guess you can’t fool everyone.

MMM: Well, I guess that’s good they didn’t think it was a bunch of teenagers. That might have been a tough one to handle.

GM: Well, yeah. I’ve seen a lot of bands bandy about the term “old-school death metal,” but to me it really is just a term. They’re missing the whole vibe that I can’t really put into words. We were there, we did it, and we were involved in that early scene. It’s a vibe we can achieve but we can’t really explain. So yeah, I guess the fact that we’re old-timers (laughs), for lack of a better word, that probably helped.

MMM: Now you’re doing both guitar and vocals with Vallenfyre, as opposed to just playing guitar in Paradise Lost. Is this something you always wanted to do? Did you have that itch to front a band?

GM: Absolutely not. It’s something that never occurred to me in a million years, and it’s not something I imagined I would end up doing. I’m not really a mouthy guy, and I’m not really interested in being the center of attention, which usually is what vocalists are like. It kind of happened by accident, and I sort of became a reluctant vocalist. But I’m enjoying it, and it’s a new challenge. This album was borne out of my dad dying, and if that taught me one thing, it’s stop pontificating. Stop thinking about doing things and start actually doing them. What’s the worst that can happen, you know?

MMM: Well, let’s get into the album a little. “A Fragile King” … I don’t know if I should day it’s about your late father or it’s inspired by your father, so you tell me. Tell me what made you decide to make this record and how your father inspired you.

GM: It’s more for my father than about. The whole record is dedicated to him, but lyrically, only about 60 percent of the lyrics are about what I was going through, what I felt and what I thought when he was ill and the aftermath. It’s general observations and emotions and stuff like that. Some of it, some people have asked me if it feels weird putting it out there, but I think it’s better than keeping it inside. Also, why is it not OK to talk about this when it’s OK to talk about millions of other subjects that are as near to the bone? I just felt it was an important thing for me to do. It was a life-changing experience, and it made me want to do something.

MMM: Were the songs written after he passed away? Or was he aware you were working on what would become Vallenfyre and “A Fragile King”?

GM: No, because it really didn’t turn into a musical thing until a month or two after he’d gone. I started writing things down, feelings and stuff, when he was in the final stage, and that was a part of grief counseling really, but it wasn’t a thing where I thought, “Right, these are going to turn into songs.” That came slowly in the months following, and those thoughts turned into lyrics and then it turned into songs.

MMM: So it sounds like a really organic process.

GM: Absolutely. It’s just like the vocal thing you asked me about. I only became the vocalist because I couldn’t think of any of my friends whose vocals would fit with the music. As the lyrics progressed, I couldn’t imagine anyone else voicing those words. I just thought why not give it a go?

MMM: Was it cathartic for you to do the vocals? As you said, you wrote the words and you experienced this loss, so was it helpful for you to convey these emotions?

GM: I can say that while I was doing the demos for the music, yes. But when I was in the studio, I’d say it had turned into a straight tribute, and it was about having fun with friends, really. We just wanted to enjoy our time doing the recordings, and we all go back a long way. We’d never done anything together before, so it was fun just to do that.

MMM: Tell me a little bit about your father. What was your relationship like?

GM: He was cool. He was a really easy-going guy, a really affable guy. He was always kind of laughing about stuff and never took things too seriously. That’s how I aspire to be. It’s a great way to behave in life. People plan for the future too much, I think, and it’s a really daunting prospect. I think you should be happy for today and just roll with that. My dad was very much like that, and it’s a trait that hopefully I have in some aspects but I know I don’t have in others.

MMM: I thought I had read something about how he was into extreme metal or something along those lines?

GM: Well, that’s not quite accurate. But when I started Paradise Lost, he took a great interest in what I was doing, and he took it upon himself to actively pursue what I was doing. He drove us to our first few gigs, he drove us to our first demo recording, and he followed all of the things we did to the point where he started listening to other bands who we might be touring with. He said, “I really like the John Peel sessions on the radio by Bolt Thrower,” and that was purely because we were gigging with them at the time. It wasn’t the music he was into, but he followed the music that surrounded what we did.

MMM: You don’t always hear that kind of story from parents who have kids in bands.

GM: Yeah. He was an engineer by trade, and he was interested in how things work. So he became interested in how we did what we do.

MMM: What is the meaning of the title “A Fragile King” to you? Why did you choose that?

GM: It doesn’t have to do so much with the illness. It’s basically an observation where you look up to someone your whole life, and you kind of feel they’re invulnerable and nothing can ever happen to them. Then you’re faced with this stark reality where you see the person stripped bare, basically, and it becomes pretty raw. You build someone up so much that when you see the person get knocked down, it’s kind of shocking.

MMM: You’ve talked about the Vallenfyre lineup a bit and how you all came up in the same scene and knew one another. But how did these five people actually come together as Vallenfyre?

GM: Well, when I was writing a lot of the music, I’d travel a lot to my hometown to see family and friends, because it was still shortly after my dad died. So when I’d come home, I’d always end up at the pub with Hamish of My Dying Bride and having a few drinks. I’d mentioned to him I was working on this record and I was getting a little bogged down in it. It started to feel like I was wallowing. So we discussed the idea of turning it into a band and having fun with it. So he was the first person I asked to join, and we just started thinking about other people. Scoot I shared a house with about 20-something years ago, and I’d see him a lot when I went to my hometown, so it seemed obvious to ask him. The other guys just fell into place because they were friends of ours.

MMM: It sounds like the band came together much in the same way as the music.

GM: Yeah. I had a friend of mine working A&R at Century Media and I was talking to him about something else, Paradise Lost actually, and I mentioned I was doing this thing with some friends of mine. He asked to hear a demo, and I sent him a five-track demo, and he said, “You really ought to release an album of this.” I asked if anyone would want to hear it, so he played it for a couple of guys at Century and they told us we should do it.

MMM: Are you looking at this as a permanent band going forward? Is this a one-off? What are the plans?

GM: I’m looking at it as if we’re having fun doing it, we’ll continue. I have no expectations, none of us do, and like I said, it’s about having fun and stripping things back to the way they were when we were starting bands 20 years ago. If someone asks us to do a gig, and we can afford to do it, and all we get out of it is beer and a laugh, then we’ll do it. We have no plans to record anything else, but we’ll see how we feel a couple of years down the line.

MMM: So no touring plans at the moment?

GM: We’re getting offered stuff at the moment, and we’ll see where it goes. Oh, I mean, if someone offers us a tour and it looks like it might be fun, why not? We’ve gotten a few offers at the moment for tours in places like Finland and Greece and some festival appearances, but if I have one goal at the moment for Vallenfyre … I would really like to tour the States with this. In the process of doing interviews for this, I’ve noticed you guys missed out on a lot of the early European death metal, and there seems to be a hunger for it and a genuine understanding of it. I feel like Vallenfyre could help bridge that gap to 20-some years ago, but it’s going to take people going out, getting the record and pestering promoters.

MMM: Quickly to Paradise Lost, you guys have a new album in the works. Anything you can share?

GM: I’m actually talking to you from a studio in a converted chapel in the middle of nowhere recording the new album. We’ve only been here a few days so far. Adrian is about a third of the way through his drums, and I’m sitting around bored. There’s not even a pub here! There used to be a pub but it’s closed for refurbishments, so we’re kind of banging our heads against the walls. And we’re here until mid-December.

MMM: So if the new Paradise Lost is a little angrier, I guess we’ll know why?

GM: (laughs) No, it’s not angrier. It’s actually more melodic than the last one, but a little more guitar-oriented. There are no keyboards on it, and it’s more inspired by classic metal and classic doom metal. There’s a lot of lead work on it, a lot of harmonics, some acoustic stuff, more riffs. Doing Vallenfyre, I sort of realized where that line ends and Paradise Lost begins. It made me feel more positive and confident with what I’m doing with Paradise Lost. Had I not done Vallenfyre, some things might have leaked into Paradise Lost, and that wouldn’t have been fair to Paradise Lost or true to them.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.vallenfyre.com/

To buy “A Fragile King,” go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Artist/Vallenfyre/95067

For more on the label, go here: http://www.centurymedia.com/

Just a few days ago I posted the dates of Dark Funeral’s upcoming North American tour.  I was stoked more then ever to see them, especially since my band Immolith had the chance to be included as an opener for the Jan. 30th date in NYC.   Unfortunately news came down yesterday first that tour was canceled, followed by today’s more encouraging news that tour is being postponed.  Here is the official statement from Dark Funeral’s official website:

In the meantime, here is a youtube video of Dark Funeral performing with the new lineup at the 2011 Sweden Rock Cruise.  I for one look forward to seeing Dark Funeral when the dates are rescheduled and the Ineffable Kings of Swedish Black Metal return to American shores.

Dark Funeral’s official Website

Welcome to the new era of the metal underground. There are quite a few labels clawing their way out of the grave these days. In the underground, it is crucial the keep the quality of the releases top notch, and have that old school feel to what the music represents. It is also important to reach out to the digital age, on your OWN terms. It is a reality, that, if you want to run a successful label, you have to have the best of both worlds so to speak. Dan Fergeson has been involved in the metal underground for years. He decided to turn his passion into a full on record label and start up Abyss Records. I decided that it was time to get a talk in with Dan to give people an idea of how it goes running a label, and get some insight of how he views things these days. Check out our interview, then also check out the reviews section after that. I talk about a big group of CDs that Dan had sent me to listen to and review. Good stuff down there! And then there are links to get into contact with Dan and Abyss Records at the end of this article.

1. Hails Dan! Thank you for your time with doing this. Let’s get started shall we! I actually want to go back to the beginning. How did you get into heavy metal and what are your early memories and bands/albums that you first got into?

DAN: I would have to say the day I really was possessed by Heavy Metal is when I heard IRON MAIDEN “The Number Of The Beast” around W.A.S.P. first album around 1984, and soon after heavier stuff like Slayer, Celtic Frost, Kreator, Naplm Death, Anal Cunt, Old Lady Driver’s, D.R.I., Dead Horse, Immolation, Morbid Angel, Entombed, Carcass came around soon to be followed by Darkthrone, Mayhem, ect…. 1990 was the year it really took off for me Death Metal & start of Black Metal as we know it today.

2. Did you always live in Indianapolis? How was the metal scene coming up in your area? Any favorite shows that you can recall?

DAN: Indianapolis is pretty boring, but guess laid back city, the scene has had some great bands come from it as well bands that suck and never give up it seems. Sure the same in most cities, just some better than others. My favorite shows in Indy ever hands D.R.I., Slayer /Motorhead / Overkill, Dead Horse, Skeletal Earth, Radiation Sickness & F.U.C.T. shows back in late 80’s early 90’s.

3. So at some point, you just said “FUCK IT!” and decided to start a label. How did the start of Abyss Records come about? Didn’t you actually start as a distro back in the day?

DAN: Believe it or not by selling JL America releases while same time pushing Emperor Demos, Burzum cassettes, Black Funeral / Darkness Enshroud releases and merchandise. Use to work with Mike Ford front man & founder of Black Funeral doing “A View Into The Abyss ‘Zine”. The label thing started more serious fall of 2008.

4. You were/are obviously a fan, so did you have an idea of what release that you wanted to put out first? And even the next few releases after that first one?

DAN: No not really, just kind of started to fall in place and I said FUCK IT, let’s do this and give it my all and best to make a quality label like they use to be. A label where most fans you like your stuff are most likely going to be into most of the releases if not almost all or all. I only release bands I personal like and support, not about how much or how little they sell but quality music to my ears and hope others feel the same.

5. I think the misconception for a few people was that Abyss was just a “black metal” label at first. There are black metal bands on the label like Hat, Christ Beheaded and Eternal Helcaraxe. But, as with the formula of any successful label, there are other types of metal in the mix with bands like Pasadena Napalm Division and Dead Horse bringing the old school thrash/crossover, the next Swedish death metal kings Corrosive Carcass and the long lost classic Fester album re-release of “Silence”. Did you always set out to be an all around heavy metal label?

DAN: Yes, I agree a lot of people jump to conclusions on what my label is about and or maybe not give bands the chance because they are not on front page of every metal magazine. I say pick the shit up and give it a chance, might just knock your dick in the dirt….hahahaha I just wanted to release all genres of stuff I like and or grew up listening too and bands I would support rather on my label or not. It’s just great to be working with bands like PASADENA NAPALM DIVISON, DEAD HORSE, FESTER, TORTURE DIVISION, ect….. people I grew up listening to involved in other bands or same.

6. Now I have seen you set up your distro booth at both local shows and also bigger festivals around the country. You obviously need to make money and get the products out there, but do you also see this as a way to make new connections for your business, or just a big pain in the ass? It has to get boring at some point watching bands you don’t like and making sure assholes aren’t stealing stuff? hahaha.

DAN: I will be honest here…. You can get some great connections and most important new fans of my artist and or customers in general. As aspect of making money, ect….. it’s more a pain in the ass and cost more than it’s worth to transport the shit back and forth, ect….. never really made profit doing it, done best at old Milwaukee Metalfest one year, but even that year I was told by other sellers sales was down as well attendance. That was only place any fucks stole anything was in Milwaukee Metalfest one year. CIM was good because it was close, ect….. just fucking HOT !!!!

7. Running a record label is an interesting thing at this point of time. Obviously the “major” labels are dying off and CD sales are down. But heavy metal fans are a different breed of course. The underground is thriving and killer labels are all over the place releasing new music. The collectable aspects of metal are especially popular with vinyl and even tapes being put out to ravenous collectors. There are also labels embracing the whole “digital age” and getting involved with digital downloads. Where do you stand on this?

DAN: Even metal sales are down to be honest, can’t sell 1000 CD’s like use to 5 years ago, people who download free and are killing the music industry as well bands futures. People are just to disposable these days and don’t value stuff as much, but at least there is still the die hard metal heads who collect and keep things alive. I could give a care less about Ioad, Digital downloads, ect….. I’m 100% collector !!!

8. Do you plan on getting into the digital down load arena? You also embrace the “old school” way with the die hard collectors editions, with colored vinyl and limited pressings. Can you have it both ways? For label survival, why the fuck not right?

DAN: All Abyss Records releases are available on most all major download sites Amazon, Itunes, as well others to purchase the artist music. Also can find Abyss Records artist on Pandora.com, Last.fm, Facebook, MySpace, ect…..

9. Is Abyss Records now your full time job? If not what do you do for work to pay the bills?

DAN: Yes, it can be stressful and I don’t run it using loans, credit cards, ect….. I survive sometimes better than others….

10. The era of record labels having to have “major distrobution”, print TONS of CDs, have a fancy office and a staff of people, and trying to fight the digital file sharing is now over. People like you Dan have changed the game and brought everything back to it’s roots and in house. This also brings a quality and passion that got lost with the corporate fucks that sold their souls years ago. Tell me about the day to day operations of Abyss Records.

DAN: Well first off thanks for taking notice on how I do run things and do try to keep it old school and fair for bands, not taking the rights from bands and fucking them over like big labels do. I know some bands who want to release stuff through my label has asked their older labels for rights back; even though not in print anymore or been for some time. The label still horde the rights from those bands, leaving the music lost in their grips.
I just get up and work off and on most the day 7 days a week working from home, I pretty much give up my free time for this passion….. METAL !!!

11. Now if you had to get the fuck out of dodge, FAST, and you only had room for 10 albums in your suit case, what 10 would you pick?

DAN: That shit gets too hard, I would burn up debating……. Hahaha I would have to grab as much 1990 Swedish Death Metal and early Black Metal as possible…. My out of print stuff if possible….

12. Tell me about any future plans that you have for Abyss Records, upcoming releases and all of that.

DAN: Well as long as people buy my releases and support what I do, I will continue bringing metal to the fans and helping keep it all alive.

13. I want to thank you again Dan for your time. Now is the time to share links for the label and also any last words.

DAN: Thank you for your support metal brother and all those who have support Abyss Records to this day, spread the word and support !!!!! www.officialabyssrecords.com
Vote Ron Paul 2012 or Tyranny !!!!

REVIEWS SECTION:

DIE HARD “EVIL ALWAYS RETURN/EMISSARIES OF THE REAPER.

This is some bad ass death/thrash/punk&roll shit. It is heavily influenced by Venom. But what isn’t? hahaha. Die Hard do bring their own stamp to the satanic party though. This is a compilation of their original demo, their first EP and some rehearsal tracks. The “Evil…” EP was a good one when it came out and these maniacs started their world takeover from that. But the demo and rehearsal songs are where I drink the cup of blood! Those recordings are fucking awesome! The EP stuff is killer as well, I think the production is a little too clean for this ugly death noise though. The demo songs are where the band really stand out with the murderous material. It has that raw and evil vibe and sound, that cemetery/graveyard type recording that is fucking killer. Same with the raw rehearsal tracks. If you like the same shit that I do, GET THIS! BAD ASS AND ESSENTIAL!

HAT “VORTEX OF DEATH”.

This has both the good elements and bad elements of what represents black metal for me. But the good far outweighs the bad with this album. Hat play the typical good Norwegian black metal style. The only bad parts are the thin and powerless guitars and over all sound. This does come up from time to time with this music. But Hat does have some power with their riffs, so they can get away with it at times. The creepy spoken word samples on the first song “Inhumanus Revelatio” add a killer evil vibe over the top of the atmosphere of darkness that is already there. There are actually creepy smaples and elements throughout this album that drag me to hell. A very good thing when listening to black metal. There are keyboards here and there, but they are done well and fit what is going on.There is enough of teh good type of traditional black metal on here to appeal to fans of that style. It is raw and simple song structure wise for the most part. But there are parts that have experimentation and throw in some different type of stuff that fits the atmosphere of the album. It is not totally aggressive as far as the attack goes. But it kind of puts you in a dark trance with the way the music creeps in on you. Good stuff. If you are a fan of the early to mid 90s black metal stuff, with a few different twists thrown in, GET THIS!

THOUSAND YEAR WAR “TYRANTS AND MEN”.

Not my cup of blood, but this is very well done. If you like Amon Amarth, you will like this album. It is melodic death metal, which I don’t feel belongs in the same sentence for the most part. It has that “viking” vibe to it that those Swedish guys also have. TYW are from Alaska. VERY unique to say the least. It seems that mastermind Hiram Lohr knows what he is doing. The riffs are memorable to fans of this style and the prouduction is fat and crispy, heavy enough to punch you at times. Again, this is not the usual style that I enjoy, but I think that quite a few people would be into this band. For my tastes, I prefer when the band gets all out aggressive, like the fasts parts of the album opener “Defiance”. Fans of the more melodic style of heavy metal will also dig this album. It has plenty of riffs and notes that fit your coffin.

DIABOLICAL “ARS VITAE”.

These guys have been at it for a while now. They originally came from theie fellow Swedish brothers At The Gates/Dissection school of death/thrash/black/at times melodic metal. This is a compilation of sorts. It has some new songs, which are more “majestic” and atmospheric, almost doom metal, of the mid paced variety. It is slower to mid paced with a dark atmosphere. This is slightly boring to me and I wouldn’t really get into it enough to buy it to be honest. Next up are the live songs. These songs are much more aggressive and faster paced. There are slower and mid paced parts, but it is more attacking and thrashier. Pretty cool thrashy and at times melodic death. There are some technical parts thrown in as well. The live recording is very well done on a killer sound board it seems. And then the bands initial debut EP is also on here.The songs are raw and the production is a little off. The guitars sound weird as fuck. The vocals are total old school Kreator mixed with black metal. But the material will appeal to those who like death/thrash with some technical elements thrown in there. Not bad overall. This will be essential for fans of Diabolical!

NOCTIS IMPERIUM “NIHIL”.

This is an EP that has some studio material and also some live songs from these maniacs from Venezuela. On the drums here for the studio songs is Nick Barker in all of his triggered glory. I have never liked the sound of triggered drums. So this left a bad taste in my mouth from the start. But these guys play some good black/death from the Morbid Angel school. There is even a Morbid Angel cover “Maze of Torment” done in the studio and also live on this EP. Fans of MA, Deicide, Krisiun and the more death metal influenced black metal hybrid stuff will love this! The song “Noctis Imperium” is BAD ASS! Totally in your face riffs that kick ass! If these guys would get some old school sounding drums and have that graveyard feel to their sound, they would be deadly! But this will appeal to a wider audience with how it sounds now. It is very well done for sure.

SINCERA “CURSED AND PROUD”.

This is a side project from the members of Fester and Algol. It isn’t far removed from Fester in the way it mixes black metal and death metal in the classic sense. There are other elements thrown in there. This has the prodding mid paced banging of Norwegian black metal bands like the old Ulver stuff and the older Isengard material. There are some fast banging parts here and there, but it is mostly a mid paced style that the band plays. There are quite a few tempo changes throughout the album though, which you can hear in the opening song “Tall and Proud”. Now there are a few studio songs to open this album up. Then there are a few live songs thrown into the mix as well. The live songs are raw and were taken from the audio of a portable camera. Surprisingly, the sound isn’t horrible, as MOST recordings turn out horrible when done like this. But this is a cool album for those into the bands that I mentioned above, and the bands that play a more doomy and atmospheric form of black metal.

HYPERBOREAN “THE SPIRIT OF WARFARE”.

I had never heard of this band at all before getting this CD. They come from Sweden and play “melodic black metal”. I didn’t even know that was a genre! Hahaha. Just hearing that term makes me CRINGE! But Hyperborean isn’t bad. They have elements of black metal, thrash metal and death metal in their music. They are technical and progressive as well. There are quite a bit of melodies and harmonies in this music. The songs can get long and with many time changes. NOT my cup of blood. But if you like blackened and proggy death/thrash, then this is your band.

THE GARDNERZ “THE SYSTEM OF NATURE”.

More Swedes. This time they are playing doom/death metal. It is like a death metal Solitude Aeturnus. Not a bad thing as I’m a SA fan. The name is weird, I was expecting some funny punked out crossover type of band. But the cover and layout looked so serious, I was confused. Anyways, I hear both the older and middle eras of Paradise Lost with these guys. The production is clean and the songs are written in rock formula, but these guys play the doom very well. “Lady in the Grave” could have been on one of the Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride demos. They do kill some killer momentum when they slow the build up and drop into the slower quiet parts. That’s what made some of that U.K. doom so legendary is that it never let up, it didn’t fuck around. It might have been slow, but it still kicked your ass. These guys aren’t as good as the other Swedish doom/death metal band Isole, but they have some promise. If you like the classic U.K. doom bands I mentioned (also older Anathema) then you should get this! The Winter and Vulcano covers are a cool idea, but I’m not a huge fan of either version.

FESTER “SILENCE”.

What a unique and classic METAL album. Some like to call it black/death. Some call it black/death/thrash. It might be a mix of all of those. Fester really created something special here with “Silence”. It might be one of the most well loved and respected metal albums in the history of the underground. It reminds me of a mix of old Samael and maybe some of the early Greek black metal bands like Rotting Christ and Varathron. But it also mixes in some creepy and weird elements like the original way these guys structure and write the songs. And the vocals can be all over the place with the usual shrieks and also some whispers. There is also quite a bit of traditional heavy metal influence thrown into the mix. Regardless of what anyone wants to call it, this is a fucking amazing album! One of the classics that no one has ever heard! Hahaha. Or should I say more people NEED to hear! It is a breath of fresh air. It is metal done RIGHT. And that means it just sounds good. It sounds natural. This is ESSENTIAL to anyone that is a fan of a great metal album! ADD THIS TO YOUR COLLECTION!

ANGREPP “PREPARE FOR THE ATTACK”.

Here is the demo from these Swedish maniacs that put out the killer “Warfare” album last year. I always dug this demo and this was a cool surprise in my Abyss Records package. These guys play angry black/thrash with some old death metal thrown in the mix. It has a style similar to fellow Swedish legends Bestial Mockery (though not as crushing or as great). They mix that with some Celtic Frost/Hellhammer type stuff. But this demo thrashes and pounds along with an attack that any fan of black thrashing mayhem will like. I woulnd’t say that this is essential, but it is a good demo with some kick ass songs. If you like good old standard black/thrash with touches of death, then you will want to get a copy of this demo! And if you are a fan of the “Warfare” album, then hunt this demo down now!

DEAD HORSE “BOIL(ING)”.

Dead Horse have always been such a unique band with their own sound. This is a re-release of their 1996 EP given the fancy 2011 treatment. I had never really gotten into them. But their debut album “Horsecore…” has developed quite a cult following over the years. I remember when they played here in L.A. in the early 90s, there were a lot of people that were excited to see them. Now the music on this EP is not the crossover/thrashy stuff that was on the debut. It is more mid paced. It has some explosions of fast stuff like on the song “Reach Around”. Now I will say that this stuff is better than any “new” metal band of the mid/late 90s, or even the grunge stuff that was so popular in the early 90s. But at times the music on here reminds me of that era of music. It’s not bad at all. Just not my cup of blood. I have used that one before obviously. At times the music seems to be ready to explode and get all crazy and fast, but it remains at the same mid paced style for the most part. This is just for the die hard fans of Dead Horse.

BODYFARM “BODYFARM”.

Here we have some killer death metal of the old school variety, that comes from The Netherlands. Now this was a self released EP that Dan had sent me. They will be unleashing a full length album on Abyss Records in the near future. And what we have here is some bad ass old school death metal. There is a very big Grave influence. I also hear a little Bolt Thrower and Asphyx at times. The attack is simple and crushing. The sound is heavy and the band moves at a deathly mid paced pace for the most part, but also slows it down and can speed it up with the best of them! This EP has a cool horror movie style intro that sets the bloody table for the 4 songs that come to destroy everything in sight. The production is crisp and clear, but not too polished. It is still heavy and does the overall sound of the band well. If you like old school death metal, then you need to hunt this EP down. And keep an eye out for that full length Dan will be putting out. BODYFARM KILLS!!!!!!

There are a few releases from the Abyss lair that I had already reviewed. Here are some links to check those out:

ENTRENCHED “INTEVITABLE DECAY”.
This is a great thrash album! Highly recommended!!!!!!
http://www.metalmaniacs.com/2011/entrench-%e2%80%9cinevitable-decay%e2%80%9d-album-2011-abyss-records/

MAAX “UNHOLY ROCK & ROLL”.
Some roaring black/thrash madness from these rocking heathens. My GoatBrothers as well!
http://www.metalmaniacs.com/2011/maxx-%e2%80%9cunholy-rock-roll%e2%80%9d-album-2011-abyss-records/

CORROSIVE CARCASS “ROT. IN. PIECES” 2010 DEMO.
ANOTHER Swedish death metal gem! Pure and raw old school terror! Album coming on Abyss soon!
http://www.metalmaniacs.com/2011/corrosive-carcass-%e2%80%9crot-in-pieces%e2%80%9d-demo-2010/

BANE “CHAOS, DARKNESS & EMPTINESS”.
Very well done blackened death BETTER than the Belphegors and Behemoths of the world.
http://www.metalmaniacs.com/2011/grom-records-feature/

MORE LINKS:

ABYSS RECORDS
c/o Dan Ferguson
8063 S. Madison Ave. #360
Indianapolis, IN 46227
Phone # (317) 887-2302

ABYSS RECORDS Official Label & Online Music Store:
www.officialabyssrecords.com

ABYSS RECORDS Official My Space:
www.myspace.com/abyssrecordsofficial

ABYSS RECORDS Official FaceBook:
www.facebook.com/pages/Abyss-Records/164573050232055

ABYSS RECORDS Official ReverbNation:
www.reverbnation.com/label/abyssrecords

ABYSS RECORDS Official Last FM:
www.last.fm/label/AbyssRecords

ABYSS RECORDS Official You Tube:
www.youtube.com/user/MinionfortheAbyss

Doors for this event will open at 7:30 PM, and the first band will begin at 8PM. This event is 21+. Advance tickets (which can be obtained at www.publicassemblynyc.com) are $20, $27 at the door. The running order will be posted as the festival nears.

Awhile back I spoke with Xaphan of American black metal legends Kult ov Azazel. We discussed the band’s long history and their latest release at that time, “Destroying the Sacred.” Now comes news that Forbidden Records is re-releasing an older Kult ov Azazel album entitled “The Order of the Fly.” The Forbidden Records pressing is being called “The Order of the Fly-The Ultimate Edition.” I figured now would be a good time to touch base with Xaphan and find out about this release, and what Kult ov Azazel has on its black horizons for this coming year.

Xaphan

Hail Xaphan! Tell us about “The Order of Fly” as it has recently been released from Forbidden Records. I understand it contains the tracks from the original Order of the Fly album, as well as demo’s, live material, and even some previously unreleased tracks.

Greetings Isiamon! Forbidden Records just within the last few weeks reissued our first mCD along with all the rarities you have mentioned. Basically what this reissue does is capture everything we recorded or released while we were still known simply as Azazel from 1999-2000. It has the 6 songs from the original Order of The Fly release, a previous unreleased version of Garden Of Shadows done in 2008 with Hammer on drums, our portion from the split with Krieg known as the Of Evil And Hatred Sessions, a live recording of Symbionic 666, a Mayhem cover and the Entering Erebus demo. So technically all Azazel recordings that have been long out of print have been put all into this one reissue.  That is why it has been deemed the Ultimate version.

How did you wind up working with Forbidden Records?

I have known Fatherland Almighty since the early days of the band.  Just last year he contacted me with interest in reissuing it through a label he was working with. I had been kicking the idea around before his contact so it was a no brainer when he approached me about it.

The original Order of Fly came out a number of years ago.  Has anything been changed on them?  Was anything on the rerelease remixed or remastered for the Forbidden Records version?

Nope, no changes at all.  What you will hear is the same mix that was released back in 1999.  All we did different than the original was adding a shitload of bonus tracks and had the cover overhauled.

Tell us a little about the demo tracks in detail, do you remember anything about those recording sessions.

I remember some but not all as it was over 13 years ago.  Four of the tracks were written both musically and lyrically by Xul before we hooked up which has become known as the Entering Erebus demo.  Garden of Shadows and Forever Heaven Gone were written jointly between Xul and myself when we first formed the band.  The music for the two songs were mostly written by myself and Xul wrote all lyrics in the beginning.  The drummer was Von on this recording and we recorded all the music at a guy’s warehouse in Boca Raton, FL (who would later become our drummer) using a friend’s Yamaha MD8 digital recorder.  Then we did vocals using the same digital recorded in some office space in the slums of Oakland Park, Florida and mixed it down in the pro audio portion of Sam Ash were I was working at the time.  It was also there I ran into one of my old audio instructors from college who ended up mastering it at his studio. Don’t remember much other than that.

Kult ov Azazel Order of the Fly The Ultimate Edition

Garden of Shadows was rerecorded a few years later, and then not released again until now.  What is the story behind that?

The unreleased version of Garden Of Shadows was recorded 9 years later as a matter of fact.  We recorded it when we did Destroying The Sacred.  We tracked DTS faster than we had even expected so we had extra time to record some other songs so this was one of the old songs we decided to update.  We have kept it locked in the vault waiting for the right time to release it.  It was with the reissue of Order of the Fly that I felt the time was right to put it out there.

How about the live track, Symbionic 666, when and where was this recorded?  Is the live audio captured right from the soundboard, or was it recorded in another way?

This was released originally on the Order Of The Fly vinyl issue in 2003.  I believe the recording is actually the audio from live video captured.  It was recorded when we played the Culture Room December 26, 1999 with Hellspawn on drums.

Listening again to your older material as you prepared for this re-release, is there anything you would change about any of it, or are you satisfied with those older songs and demos being done just as they were?

Honestly I did not listen to any of the music as this was being prepared. I don’t like listening to my own music. I love writing it and playing it but I don’t sit around listening to my own band.  As for “would I change anything?”  That answer is absolutely no!

Included is a cover of Mayhem’s classic Chainsaw Gutsfuck. Kult ov Azazel has done a number of great covers over the years. Any reason this particular cover was chosen for this re-release?

This was originally recorded for a Mayhem tribute this guy from Tennessee was supposed to release back in the day. It was never used since that tribute never came to be. Vetis who also played on Triumph Of Fire is the drummer on this track. Also the only other time we released this cover was on the Of Evil and Hatred promo which only 100 promos were circulated.

Clearly the original Mayhem influenced so many black metal bands and musicians all over the World. Given that, do you care to offer us any opinion on the current Mayhem line up that just finished a tour of the States?

Can’t comment as I did not see that tour with the current lineup. Then again I don’t really care much for any post Euronymous versions of Mayhem to be truthful.

Xaphan

Is there any difference in how the band records an album now as compared to how you guys recorded the original Order of the Fly album?

It’s a night and day difference.  In the beginning we used whatever we could to record but since the Triumph Of Fire days we have used actual recording studios to do the albums.  Those studios have also stepped up the quality of recording as well.

Are there any more unreleased demos or tracks left in Kult ov Azazel’s back catalogue after this release?  Or has everything the band has left from its earlier days now been released?

There are still some surprises in the vault. We haven’t spilt our last load yet.

I know aside from Kult ov Azazel, you’ve been involved in a band called Heavy Bastard that specializes in covering old school punk like Black Flag, Dead Kennedy’s and so on. Can you talk a little bit about Heavy Bastard, and also how old punk can influence you as a musician even when it comes to the heretical black metal of Kult ov Azazel?

Heavy Bastard was started as sort of a tribute band but more so to a genre than any one band. We cover hardcore punk and crossover with some old school heavy metal thrown in from time to time. It’s something I started back in 2010 with the vocalist Remy who is an old friend from back in the beginning days of the band when we were still simply Azazel. But music wise Heavy Bastard covers stuff from 1979-1989. However we are starting to venture into originals as we just recently wrote the first Heavy Bastard song titled “You Can’t Call It Rock-n-Roll” which we posted a rehearsal version on the internet.  Check it out if you are so inclined by searching Heavy Bastard on YouTube. There are tons of live videos of us covering songs too. Influence wise I have been told by more than one person over the years they can hear punk influences in some of my riffing. Pretty much all four of my high school years I played in a punk band that towards the end turned anarcho-crust called Faust so punk has always been an influence just as much as metal but maybe not so evident?

What’s going on currently with the Kult ov Azazel line up? How about plans to write and record another album?  When can fans expect to hear some new blasphemy from one of the leaders in American black metal?

Well we have the split 7” with Teratism coming out within the next few weeks on Negativity Records. Then there is the 2 album contract we signed a few months back with Negativity so I am really hoping that when Hammer comes in town next week to begin rehearsing for our show with Cannibal Corpse on January 22 that we can start arranging the songs Armanen and I have written and get the ball rolling on a new album. Lineup wise it is still myself on vocals/guitar and Hammer on drums. Armanen who was added in 2009 on guitar has moved over to bass and I have brought Necrol who played with us from 2006-2007 back on guitar.

Finally, where can people get a hold of a copy of “The Order of the Fly- The Ultimate Edition?”

We had copies but have since sold out of ours. As of now the only place to obtain a copy is through Forbidden Records. Their website is www.forbidden-records.com.

Thanks again for taking the time to enlighten us on this release and Kult ov Azazel, Personally I want to wish you and Kult of Azazel continued success as we march forward into 2012. Horns up!

Thanks brother! I appreciate you giving this reissue and the band some “recent” exposure. I also always enjoy doing interviews with you since you ask insightful questions. Many hails and thanks to those that have continued to support Kult ov Azazel over the past decade and then some!

Getting their help from the aspect of farm life, Texans Design The Skyline who are signed to Victory Records have released their LP “Nevaeh” they have been hard at work touring and promoting at shows getting everyone in earshot to know all there is to know about Design the Skyline! The band discusses their LP where they got their start in it all and where they want to end up.

1. So most bands have the average of 5 members but your band takes it above average by having 7 members, why?

We have seven because we have an extra vocalist and a synth player for this reason we use a completely different technique that adds to the current style to today’s music scene. We like to use the synth player because we prefer to have a digital element that takes our music to a whole another level.

2. How did you the band get its start, where did you first promote yourselves and how did you go about getting discovered?

It got started because we were all connected through school and our previous bands. We first promoted ourselves through our self released music video entitled “Surrounded By Silence” which managed to get over 20k views in two weeks. It quickly gathered the attention of Victory Records due to its unique and creative aspects.

3. After you got discovered you got signed with Victory Records, how did this happen what was running through your mind when you got word about it?

It was surreal and took awhile to settle in. But we quickly adapted, as we had been working hard and were more than ready to go worldwide.

4. What about your name, Design The Skyline, what does that represent? Is there a story behind it, you’d like to share?

The name, it basically means to design your own limits. We’re here to inspire people to open their minds and break free from the enslavement of the corrupted modern society and reach for broader aspects of life.

5. Tell me about “Nevaeh”. Where does a title like that come in and what about the album artwork you have a bird infused with a heart? What’s up with that?

The name “Nevaeh” could be interpreted into many different forms, it’s basically a universal word based on ones judgment. The bird with his wings spread symbolizes freedom and the crystal heart with swords piercing through it symbolizes our brave endurance through life’s struggles.

6. How would you describe the overall sound of the new album?

We really wanted to step up our game and bring our music to the newest levels.

7. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this album?

Of course we did, we wanted to make an album that was as explosive and in your face as we could possibly make it, while conveying a bold positive message to our listeners.

8. Are you using any new instrumentation you’ve never used in the recording process before?

Nope, all the same.

9. When did you start writing for this album? How was the songwriting process different/similar to previous material you may have written or recorded?

The only difference we added to our song writing process was the implementation of a click-track.

10. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)

Each song speaks for itself. We wanted each track to flow together fluently as if the album is read just as a book.

11. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)

That’s always been a misconception with us, we do in fact write all of our songs. Actually seven out of ten songs from “Nevaeh” were written before the signing to Victory Records.

12. Who are your musical influences?

We have a very wide range of musical influences, it actually all varies through each band member.

13. You guys are from Corpus Christi, Texas, did the cows and chickens help you guys make this album?

OH, YES! Wouldn’t have been possible without em!

14. Can you go into one or two tracks on the new album? If so, can you give us the track title and brief description of how the track sounds and how it came about?

We have multiple new songs for our next album, although none have any names at the moment we know it will change the music industry of today as we know it. We usually work on our new ideas after we practice our current set.

15. Will you be touring this album? Or hitting the road anytime soon?

Already started there’s a lot of dates set up and more coming.

16. Are you worried about how the new tracks will translate live?

No, we already played them and they came out amazing!

17. How do you describe your music to people?

It’s an experimental concoction of devastatingly melodic and technically challenging metal infused with atmospheric, catchy pop tunes which also included many different electronic/jazz aspects. We’ve gathered the ability to radically change the moods and tempos multiple times during each song to stretch the boundaries and limits to your average song.

18. What would you do to Design The Skyline?

It’s very simple, just live life the way you’ve intended it to be and to basically design your own skyline.

My infernal brothers in devil metal legends NUNSLAUGHTER will be desecrating the stage at the St. Vitus Bar in Brooklyn tonight. These maniacs have been at it for YEARS now and continue to put out some of the best old school ugly death metal we have EVER heard in the underground! On top of the killer death noise is their “FUCK YOU” attitude. They really don’t care if you “get it’ or not! They will be slaying and mass murdering either way! Without Nunslaughter, life would really fucking suck! So if you are in the area, GET YOUR ASS DOWN THERE and show some appreciation for these metal gods! Old school crypt keepers MAUSOLEUM have also come to NY to slaughter souls. And local openers Vile Vindiction, Hypoxia and Demized will be there to share in the killing. This show is one not to miss (DUH! THAT’S WHY IT’S ON HERE! hahahaha) The live shows of the legendary Nunslaughter are NOT to be missed. They put the danger back in metal that’s for sure. So get down there, grab a tall can at the bar, find your buddies, get up front and RAGE YOUR ASS OFF AND HAIL THE HORNED ONE!

I have heard a few things about this magazine over the last month or so. It is brought to us by some of the people that work on the website The Left Hand Path, which is a site that is often entertaining as well as informative. Much like this website, the Chips & Beer magazine almost seems like the “cool guys at the metal party”. They don’t talk to just anyone. They only like “certain” bands. There is arrogance about them. There is some debate at times with some of these types of sites and zines. Like, are the people that run the show really just scensters disguised as old school die hards? At times some of these folk just try too hard to be “underground” or “old school”. For example, some of the pictures that were taken of the zine here are in front of an old cassette tape collection. This screams “WE ARE BAD ASS! WE ARE COOL!” hahahaha. To be honest, I have NO idea, I don’t know the people who run it. Plus I have an attitude like that at times and I would take a picture of shit in front of a cool collection myself! hehehe. I think my band is probably too boring and “party death metal” for them, maybe not EVIL and MYSTERIOUS enough, hahaha. But who gives a fuck about what people say or think in the end. Quality shit is quality shit and these guys do quality shit. If memory serves me correctly, my friend Matt “Putrid” Carr had a post about being featured in this zine. He mentioned that it was a killer interview and the zine itself would also be pretty killer. That peaked my interest for sure. There was a nice buzz about the zine and some of the response was both positive AND negative, which I got into already with what has been said. But I was still curious, so when I ran into a copy up in Portland I had to check it out. While on tour with Impiety, and at one of my all time favorite bars, PLAN B in the PDX, we had set up a merch booth with our good friend Timmy from a thousand Portland bands and also Parasitic Records. Someone had left a stack of the zines on the pool table/merch table. So during breaks in the action, I would read the zine. At that point I was sold and I was a fan of this mag.

Let me be honest here. I don’t agree with 100% of what these guys say or put out there. I mean, do you really need THAT long of a Negative Plane interview? Good band, but are they THAT good? The features on Christian Mistress and Vanhelg are similar. Nothing against these bands, just interesting choices I guess. I can see what they are trying to do as far as cover some DIFFERENT stuff than the usual, but CM gets a lot of press as it is, but to each their own for sure. Whatever, they are obviously fans of these bands and it shines through with the way the interviews turn out. Some of the reviews are cocky and a waste of space. But as a fellow cocky reviewer myself at times, I can’t talk too much shit on THAT one! Hahaha. The AC/DC “Let There Be Rock” DVD review is confusing at times. It’s as if a back woods ass/redneck Harmony Korrine wrote it. Is that a BAD thing? NAHHHHHH, it’s cool! But there are some fucking gems in here that just RULE. It all starts off with my pal Annick Giroux and her husband Francois giving some cool drink concoctions. Then my boy Putrid gets in the mix with a killer spread about what he does in the art/horror/music world. Next up is a killer feature on Eerie Von. It is done in a full comic book layout type deal that is fucking awesome! After the Negative Plane interview, there is a cool feature on my Glorious Times friends Brian Pattison and Alan Moses. Then there is a rad interview with Bobby Liebling talking about music collections, influences, as well as the normal Pentagram talk. Then comes the true gem of the issue, and I need to thank these guys on this one. The centerpiece of the mag is a big ass feature on Manilla Road. It has an amazing interview with Mark Shelton. It has some amazing pictures. And it has a killer timeline and breakdown of events in the career of the band and focuses on key albums (MOST of them) in the band’s discography. It is one of the best articles I have seen on a band. I think the conviction and heart really came through on this one!

There is more with a cool talk with the awesome artist Benjamin Vierling. The Christian Mistress and Vanhelgd interviews are there, with the AC/DC review that follows. The reviews show up towards the end of the zine and include everything from Cavalera Conspiracy (?) to Deceased. This also includes a cool review of the obscure Italian metal band Black Hole (does anyone remember the killer “Land of Mystery” album from the mid 80s?) This review covers the “Behind the Gravestone” box set that came out this year on the killer label that specializes in that kind of thing, Area Death Productions. There is a comic book/cartoon type spread that closes the zine out. All in all, this concept and idea RULES and should bring a whole new form of entertainment to the NEW generation of kids, to enjoy reading a REAL zine that is actually on paper. The “publisher’s note” in the beginning says things like: “Chips & Beer has been birthed to correct some of the wrongs with today’s metal mags. Too much SHIT is being covered.” It goes on more in depth with the gospel, and I fucking agree with it! It is a diatribe not much different than what I spew forth at times with the state of today’s heavy metal. The overall writing contained in the zine is clever and funny, and very well done. Even if I don’t always agree with their musical tastes, I look forward to meeting these fuckers, hanging out and talking metal. This mag is fucking killer and  I look forward to getting and reading the shit out of more issues! And guys, cool you were jamming Merciless “The Awakening” Osmose press LP while writing this, but I’ll be jamming my DSP press while on the pot re-reading this fucker for the 18^th time! Keep up the killer work guys! Maybe I can get invited to the “cool party” some time! Bahahahaha. This is ESSENTIAL and for $6, quite a bargain! GET IT! Get it from the Dark Descent web site. Type in CHIPS & BEER in the search engine.

www.darkdescentrecords.com/store/