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Your Time To Shine (Relapse Records) is Monolord's fifth full length release since exploding onto the doom metal scene back in 2014 with their excellent debut Empress Rising. To say their rise in this genre has been anything other than meteoric would be an atrocity, and even including 'rise' in that statement is misleading since their debut captured fans from across the globe and landed on many best of lists. Their sound has become the new standard in doom metal for anyone looking for something outside the 'paint by numbers' formula that's been around for so long. And, with every album since, their star shines ever brighter. Your Time To Shine continues this tradition and further cements their legacy in doom metal.
For this discussion, Buke caught vocalist and guitarist Thomas Jäger on the eve of the album's release as he was just starting to see the buzz surrounding the album get louder and louder. The two chat about the new album and how it came together, how they are hoping an upcoming tour will happen, his other profession as a music teacher and full on thoughts about that, whether the afterlife is a thing or not, and the amazing nugget of how the album cover art came together. They also cover the importance of not making the same album twice, having direction and rules within the band and how they enjoy a lack of all those most of the time, the choice to stick to five tracks and why, and a track pick that represents where the band are today. All this and so much more is covered so jump in and enjoy.
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The Edge of Existence (eOne) is Texas based Creeping Death's third EP, but follows from their bludgeoning 2019 full length Wretched illusions. Death metal had no idea what it was in for when this band formed and called it its own. Their sound is immediately violent yet has a groovy, melodic edge to it that makes for fast kinship amongst fans of metal far beyond just death metal. Reviews came fast and furious for the full length and it seemed the band was an overnight success, rightfully so since said full length was such a hammer to the face of death metal that so many just couldn't get enough of, and us included.
Just ahead of the EP's release, our maestro of the mic, Buke, had the chance to cross paths, yet again, with guitarist Trey Pemberton to discuss The Edge of Existence and how it came to be. They also discussed how the pandemic shaped the album and how that allowed them time to really focus on the album and their individual mastery of the puzzle pieces, their upcoming tour and what to expect, Trey's MMA training and how that has helped him in so many ways, the passing of Powertrip's Riley Gale and how hard that hit the band as well as fellow Texans and metal fans in general, and how Trey's Mom shaped his musical history since she was a huge metal fan and an absolute shredder on the drum kit. Plus, what song Trey feels perfectly encapsulates the Creeping Death sound off the new EP. All this and so much more is covered in this amazing chat so dive in and enjoy.
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No doubt you know how this works by now...team members take turns picking their favorite album from a given month and for August 2021, it was a shoe in for Deafheaven's Infinite Granite (Sargent House) across the board. And, while no one on staff disagreed, not everyone was on the exact same page. Since 2010, Deafheaven have yet to make the same album twice or even close to the same album. The way they transition from black metal to shoegaze has made them critical darlings of a controversy that can never quite get its controversy correct. And now that they've gone full on shoegaze, the internet will never be the same. So it seems. The gang covers Infinite Granite and just how different it is as well as how much it rules, the fact that this might well be their "Opeth" moment, lyrics and how good George Clarke is in writing them as well as their impact over the years with certain team members, spooky season, a huge set of birthdays, and, as always, what else tripped our triggers during the month of August 2021 which features lengthy segments on both BTBAM's Colors II and WITTR's Primordial Arcana, obviously. So, do have a pen and paper on hand.
All this and so much more as we dive head first into our eighth AOTM for 2021! So jump in and get an earful!
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With seventh full length, Primordial Arcana (Relapse Records), Wolves In The Throne Room literally have nothing else to prove to anyone. They make their brand of atmospheric black metal for themselves and their own spirits and have gained a massive following since their inception in 2002 due to their extremely nature inspired and spiritually grounded music and the feeling surrounding each release that fans have come to know and love. And, Primordial Arcana is no different yet is its own spirit animal as well as possibly their best release yet.
On the heels of the album's release, Buke had the chance to chat with drummer Aaron Weaver about the album and its nuances, nature and specifically a piece of it that relates to his upbringing and how it has informed not only his life but his musical choices, how preserving history is important and why, his experience at the Fire In The Mountains Fest and how amazing the Grand Tetons are, how it's been working with Kody Keyworth, and how he stays close to the earth and his interests in early ways of building and surviving. They also cover Aaron's influences and how he either opens up to them or shuts down pending where he is in the creative process for new music, his go to gas station foods, and his song pick off the new album. All this and so much more is covered in this amazing chat so dive in and enjoy.
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Later this month, progressive / technical death metallers Rivers of Nihil will drop their fourth full length, The Work (Metal Blade Records), and by all accounts this album will be a crowning achievement for them as well as their fans and fans of extreme metal in general. 2018's Where Owls Know My Name really blew the lid off for them and received mountains of praise, as it should have. The Work finds the band at an even higher creative peak and, somehow, heavier than ever. We're foaming at the mouth over it and before long, you will be too.
Just ahead of the album's release, Buke had the chance to chat with vocalist Jake Dieffenbach about the album, creation of it, and how the pandemic actually helped them take their time with it. They also cover other jobs that Jake has had and some local (Pennsylvania) recommendations of must stops when in the area. Jake opens up about a hearing disability and how he's turned that into a positive, how he feels about expectations of new albums from a fan's perspective, upcoming touring plans, and he drops the album pick he feels is truly a showcase track for where they are right now. This is an excellent chat so dive in and enjoy!
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Burial In The Sky's third full length The Consumed Self (Rising Nemesis Records) is an absolute beast of progressive and technical death metal that easily stands out from the crowd with its clarity, punch, and originality. And, it blasts past their last two albums even though both of those were no slouches. This one is the culmination of all their hard work to date and should, by all accounts, make them household names for any fan of the extreme spectrum of metal.
Just on the heels of the album release, Buke had the chance to chat with James Tomedi, Brad Hettinger, Jorel Hart, Sam Stewart, and Zach Strouse about the new album and the state of their world post-release. They also cover how the pandemic shaped releasing it, what drove the members to the prog-tech spectrum of death metal, how they've evolved since forming, using the saxophone and a quick discussion on Kenny G, mechanics of songwriting within the band and lyrical content surrounding a story. Then they move into a history lesson and the importance of networking as well as their chemistry when playing. Unfortunately, we suffered technical difficulties near the end and lost them, but made the best of it in closing. Even with that, this was an excellent chat so dig in and enjoy!
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No doubt you know how this works by now...team members take turns picking their favorite album from a given month and for July 2021, Cat (Hera) yelled the loudest over Year Of No Light's Consolamentum (Pelagic Records). And, based on their heavy history, no one on staff disagreed. Since 2001, Year Of No Light have been churning out some of the heaviest post-metal by way of sludge, doom, and drone anywhere and this release finds them at their most vulnerable yet heaviest of the bunch in their discography. It's been said that any band choosing to go the instrumental route better have plenty of meat to make a statement and this band has the whole damn cow on the grill. The gang covers Consolamentum and how it stacks up to their past while standing completely on its own, comparisons to like minded bands and how Year Of No Light are 100% unique, how Hera's virtual Roadburn experience colored this pick as well as how this one fits in her spiritual tear as of late and the color she sees when listening to the album, new homes for certain staff, the relentless heat, branching out with different genres of music due to the pandemic, whether to move to the West Coast or not, Egypt and our resident Egyptologist, and, as always, what else tripped our triggers during the month of July 2021. So, do have a pen and paper on hand.
All this and so much more as we dive head first into our seventh AOTM for 2021! So jump in and get an earful!
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Between the Buried and Me have blazed their own path and done things their own way now for some twenty years and change. So with a pandemic raging and nothing much else to do, they decided to record the follow up to their 2007 opus Colors, lovingly titled Colors II (Sumerian Records). Whether you go the Wikipedia route and call it new wave polka grunge or the band's route and call it adult contemporary progressive death metal, it kind of all fits and this is why the band is so endeared by its fans or, on the flip side, at arm's length to outsiders. Either way you slice it, Colors II is epic, colorful, and wildly entertaining.
Just ahead of the August 20 release date, Buke had the chance to chat with vocalist and keyboardist Tommy Rogers about the new album, how it came to be, and behind the scenes. They also take a look back on Colors as well as band history and Tommy's background in music, becoming a vocalist, and how he came to play the keyboard. Time is spent on how the band doesn't pre-plan going into a new album and just how much time and effort goes into getting everything just right and sounding good, length of albums and the band's position on folks that say their music is too hard to get into, Tommy's solo work, and a discussion on their upcoming tour called An Evening with Between the Buried and Me. This is an excellent chat so dig in and enjoy!
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Allegaeon has fast become a household name in the tech death metal arena, and for good reason. Their last album Apoptosis (Metal Blade Records) was a beacon in the tech-melodic-death-metal arena and placed the band on the same wavelength as the giants in this genre. And maybe even head and shoulders above their competition. Eye of the beholder sort of thing, obviously, but these dudes are the real deal. Period.
In close proximity to Riley McShane's voiceover in the Resident Evil series, our maestro of the mic, Buke, had the chance to dig into the whys and hows of this voiceover, Riley's gaming background and favorite platforms, Riley's video game publishing platform and future releases, Cannibal Corpse vs Six Feet Under vocalists, a section on Apoptosis and the creative process surrounding that album, cover songs, and a ton more! Dive in for an excellent chat.
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You know how this works...team members take turn picking their favorite each month and this month was technically a landslide between the 9C members joining and the others not able to due to life and whatever else got in the way. De Doorn from Amenra is the band's fifth full length and first for new label Relapse Records who scooped them up on the strength of their discography, and what a strong discography it is! The fact that this is only their fifth full length misses the fact that they've put out six volumes of their out-of-body-religious experience Mass series and all the one-offs, splits, and EP's that are just as powerful. Amenra are all about the experience and each and every effort speaks volumes to how much they put into their music and to see them live is truly an otherworldy experience. The gang covers De Doorn and how this album stacks up to their previous works and how much of an impact the spoken word approach (in their native language) makes, the Church of Ra and its collective, and correct pronunciation of the band name. Following that is a "what else tripped our triggers" in June on the metal landscape which features several albums you'll want to take note of.
All this and so much more as we dive head first into our sixth AOTM for 2021! So jump in and get an earful!
9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Gwar is an absolute metal institution and one that has stood the test of time for 37 years strong. They've done things their own way and have carved their own path from the word go and have been inspiration to so many bands since their 1984 start and to be clear, not many bands can lay claim to as many accolades as Gwar is worthy of. Fuckin' legends, is what I'm saying. If anyone needs an intro to this band...leave the hall.
On the heels of their latest EP, The Disc With No Name, our maestro of the mic, Buke, chats with vocalist Blothar on this newest outing and details surrounding it as well as the decision to do some acoustic tracks. They also discuss the 30th anniversary remixed and remastered release of Scumdogs of the Universe and all the surprises surrounding this edition, whether or not they were to blame for Covid and whether or not they give a shit, a deep discussion on punk music that's kicked off by a mention of GwarBQ, some band history, Gwar as businessmen with all their new ventures, working with Brian Slagel (Metal Blade) and all he's done for metal and the band, LOADS (listen in), and so much more. This is an excellent chat so dive in and enjoy, and be sure to catch the 30th anniversary Scumdogs tour that was recently announced.
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Beyond Creation have become a giant in the tech death arena since forming in 2005 (under a different moniker) and, have done this with just three full lengths which is impressive to say the least. Beyond that, the band has a progressive side as well that went full tilt on their last album Algorythm (Season of Mist). Now, they've paired with Vox and Hops Brewtal North America and Overhop for a stout beer named closely after one of their songs.
Our main man on the mic, Buke, chats with Simon Girard about this new beer venture and how it all came about as well as the whys of picking a coffee stout to be their maiden voyage into the beer market. They also cover technical death metal in general, band and personal musical history and how Simon's Grandfather made a huge impact on him, the explosion of craft breweries in Montréal as well as stateside, some of Simon's favorite beers and favorite death metal, and how they continue to experiment with tech death without crossing the line of alienating fans. As a bonus, we get some talk about Simon's upcoming solo album. This is an excellent chat so jump in and enjoy!
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Thy Catafalque hold the great distinction of simply sounding like no other band out there. Hot off the heels of their stunning 2020 release Naiv comes Vadak (Season of Mist), and it's no secret to say the entire 9C crew is in the bag for more twisting songs that break genre convention yet maintain a level of heaviness that will induce even the most discerning of metalheads to thrash with abandon.
The Man with an Iron Voice Buke sat down with the mastermind behind the band Tamás Kátai to discuss the history and genesis of the band and that evolution from humble demo beginnings on a Commodore Amiga of all things to the lush melange of sounds that have permitted the most recent recordings and especially Vadak. From the opening synth of "Szarvas" to the sublime hints of Paul Simon of all people (does no one else hear that?) on "Köszöntsd A Hajnalt" all the way to the final seconds of closer "Zúzmara" you'll be in awe at where the album goes, and how successfully it marries everything onto a firm foundation of metal.
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Majestic Downfall trade in some epic doom that stretches and luxuriates in melancholic surges of blood and tears. Aorta (Personal Records) is their latest testament to the power of the morose, and it's a feat of stirring arrangements, mournful melodies, and a bass sound that burrows under your skin and lays its eggs deep in the flesh. It touches on the classic 90s era of the scene without mimicking it, and it's one of those albums you'll be feeling in your bones long after the last note is played.
Our Master of the Microphone Buke sat down with bassist/vocalist Jacobo Córdova and guitarist Alÿ to discuss the genesis of the band's latest record. Along the way all the usual detours are thoroughly explored, including the how's and why's of doom metal and the challenges of writing a long song and making it work (like the EXCELLENT 20-minute "Roberta" which kicks off the album), the differences between European and American audiences, and the growth found in writing and performing over the course of 15 years. This is one of those interviews that you just want to go on - a great conversation in service of an incredible record. Aorta lays its foundation in the earth of doom, but there are moments of blistering aggression balanced with delicate threads of hope.
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With Migration (Deathwish Inc.), Bossk are only on their second full length since forming in 2005, give or take little, but that hasn't stopped them from being one of the heaviest bands in post-metal this side of Amenra. There, we said it. And, it's true. Migration is chock full of mood, atmosphere, and plain old heaviness...the kind you could hammer hot steel with. It's also an overall better album than their debut, the band has really stepped it up in the songwriting department and the construct of each and every track and how it reacts with its surroundings. Bottom line; this is an album you need in your life.
Our maestro of the mic, Buke, chats with Tom Begley about the new album, its bleak industrial cover art, and building momentum off the static one might encounter from an old vinyl or radio transmission. They also cover Tom's musical background and what made him pick up the bass, the band's "wall of sound" stance, life for musicians in the Covid era, British food and beer, social media and whether it really helps anything, Star Wars and The Mandalorian, and several other topics. Tom opens up here and the back forth between him and Buke makes this an excellent chat so dive in and enjoy.
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You know how this works...team members take turn picking their favorite each month and As the Morning Dawns We Close Our Eyes (Prosthetic Records) was Vincent's pick. He had two reasons for doing so; one because it's up his alley and the other...you'll have to listen in to find out. The gang covers a slew of different angles and takes on the album, compares it to previous releases and attempts to get Buke up to speed on it as well as this genre crossroad. They also cover the slow maturation that An Autumn For Crippled Children has experienced since forming in 2009. Following that is a "what else tripped our triggers" in May section that prominently features the latest from Panopticon and several others worth taking note of.
All this and so much more as we dive head first into our fifth AOTM for 2021! So jump in and get an earful!
9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Over the course of, now, five albums with Family the Smiling Thrush (Ripple Music) Boss Keloid have gone from stoner metal to a progressive metal giant. They defy easy categorization and genre tags by keeping fans, and new listeners, on their toes with an amalgamation of styles and varying degrees of heaviness. To put it plain, no one else is doing what this band is doing, nor has the balls to put themselves out there like they do. And it works, tremendously so.
Our maestro of the mic, Buke, chats with Ste Arands about the new album and the pitfalls of jamming together in the midst of the pandemic, how the band has evolved over the years personally and in sound and scope, a more collaborative writing approach then in the past, and an enormous discussion on Ste's vast and eclectic ear for music and how his upbringing with music as a constant shaped him as a musician. They also cover upcoming tour plans, Toto, the negative effects of the social media age, a surprise family likeness, and Ste's background in drumming and how he got his start behind the kit. This is an absolute blast of a conversation so dive in and enjoy!
9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Synthwave is one of those genres that has become a go to for metalheads due to its horror movie kinship, its wildly creative sound and its imagery which at times can mirror some of extreme metal's most enduring gorehounds. Perturbator and James Kent have been at the tip of this spear since Terror 404 back in 2012 and has shown more and more growth and depth on each successive album. Now, with Lustful Sacraments (Blood Music), the band dive further into the industrial side of the synth coin but do so in a way that doesn't leave anything behind. Think of it as an experiment gone incredibly right.
Our maestro of the mic, Buke, chats with James about the new album and how it was conceived, his extensive background-and knowledge of-black metal, his deep rooted love for horror and how it has shaped his musical output, and how much time actually goes into making this type of music and being happy with final results. They also spend some time on synth and electronic shop talk, what James listens to and how it keeps him vibrant, a video game appearance and Alcest tie in, James' favorite Darkthrone album, and many other topics. This is an excellent conversation so dive in and enjoy!
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Technically Inclined is back! And Hera -- having NOW (but not at the time of recording) newly completed grad school -- has rejoined the fold once again! And this time out, we're talking about Greek progressive death crew Cerebrum and their third album, Iridium.
But we're also talking about other stuff! Like Gojira. And how Hera is synesthetic, which mesmerized the hell out of Buke. And also, bands in Greece. And also also, the line between prog death and tech death, and what each entails. It was a fun time! There's much laughter on this here recording.
Plus, Iridium! It dropped in 2018 on Transcending Obscurity. It's also quite good and you should definitely listen to it.
For more details, jump on in and give the fifth iteration of Technically Inclined a full listen!
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CEREBRUM LINKS: Listen to Iridium | Website | Metal-Archives
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Anyone familiar with Epitaph era Necrophagist or Obscura or Alkaloid, to name a few, will undoubtedly be familiar with Hannes Grossmann as he was an integral driving force behind all of it. Beyond drumming, he's also a sound engineer and producer with a long list of credits under his belt. As if all that wasn't enough, we're on the eve of his fourth solo album, To Where the Light Retreats, which promises to be as technical and heavy as anything he's ever been a part of.
Our maestro of the mic, Buke, chats with Hannes about the new album and what to expect, the different mindsets of drumming for his solo work and for other bands as well as the various mindsets that prepare him for producing music, his early days in drumming and how his fascinations and heroes paved the way, and a very long standing relationship with TAMA drums. They also cover how different drummers leave their own unique fingerprints on the music they make, plenty of shop talk, and a huge back and forth on Hi-Fi and headphones. This is a great discussion with plenty of nuggets all along Hannes' career, jump in and enjoy!
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