Sonic Perspectives

A name eponymous with the dawn of extreme folk metal itself, Finntroll are poised to impress with their return album “Vredesvävd.” Seven years of studio silence were offset by filling those years with intensive touring, including top festival placements across Europe with folk metal compatriots including Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, and Turisas. Headlining tours celebrated both their 2013 album “Blodsvept” and the tenth anniversary of “Nattfödd” as the scene embraced their incessantly inventive sonic creations. Those seven years have given birth to something darker and more aggressive than Finntroll has explored before, even in their earliest full-length albums which were once the most extreme reaches of their discography. With this return to their roots in extreme metal, “Vredesvävd” offers fans blackened folk metal with an inventive twist that only folk metal pioneers such as Finntroll could spearhead. 

The Finnish septet has not just drawn from the chilling landscape of 90’s black metal, but has also leaned wholeheartedly into orchestrations for a fuller and more cinematic sound throughout the album. Featuring Swedish lyrics from original vocalist Katla while Trollhorn continues to serve as the mastermind behind Finntroll’s songwriting, current vocalist Vreth is shown to be at the top of his vocal game in an album which sees his voice mature and expand from its peak in “Blodsvept.” Finntroll’s vocalist since 2004, Vreth has recently taken the role as vocalist of black metal project …and Oceans, while 2019 also saw him join Festerday with his …and Oceans band-mates. “Cosmic World Mother,” released in May 2020, was the black-metal primer for Vreth’s performance on “Vredesvavd,” a title which translates to ‘wrath-woven.’ Harnessing the brutality of a vocal style which fits seamlessly with the influences on “Vredesvad,” this album presents a collection of journeys told through the eyes of a band that still has a hunger for innovative songwriting and talents which match with their ambitions. 

Vreth spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman on the band’s stylistic evolution and recent return to their more extreme roots, as well as the inspiration which brought “Vredesvävd” to life. Listen to the full audio interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

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Death metal band Kataklysm will be releasing their fourteenth studio album “Unconquered” on September 25th, following two years after their prior album “Meditations.” With the band’s 30th anniversary just around the corner in 2021, “Unconquered” brings a greater sense of aggression than the band’s prior work while maintaining their unmistakable signatures. Still retaining two of the band’s original members, both vocalist Maurizio Iacono and guitarist JF Dagenais, Kataklysm’s sound remains consistent and stylistically comparable to earlier work while still leaning into a more modern production. Despite having gone through a number of drummers throughout their discography, Kataklysm has kept drummer Oli Beaudoin across the last four albums, the longest tenure for a drummer in the band’s history. 

While the spirit of Kataklysm’s prior work persists strongly in “Unconquered,” the band has also begun to evolve their sound by changing to a seven-string guitar and a five-string bass. As a result, the sound of “Unconquered” branches into new sonic territory for Kataklysm while still pushing ever-harder on the heaviness and aggression fans have come to expect. The album’s release was delayed for over two months due to the pandemic, but the band had already completed the album as well as filming a music video for the first single “The Killshot.” A punchy showcase of the more aggressive edges of “Unconquered,” “The Killshot” is a small snapshot of what awaits fans in the complete album, one which Iacono says is more cohesive than their prior release. 

Iacono spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman on the making of “Unconquered” as well as the band’s upcoming 30th anniversary. Along with promising new music from his side act Ex Deo and discussing the beginnings of an upcoming solo project, Iacono describes the songwriting process which led to “Unconquered” and the direction the band is hoping to pursue musically in the future. 

Listen to the full interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

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Having first emerged from the Bay Area thrash scene in 1984 alongside the likes of Exodus and Testament, Heathen is preparing to release their fourth full-length album “Empire of the Blind” on September 18th through Nuclear Blast Records, following more than ten years after their third album “The Evolution of Chaos.” Heathen is no stranger to long gaps between albums, having taken 19 years between the release of “Victims of Deception” and “The Evolution of Chaos,” but throughout their decades-long career the band retains their commitment to sonic variety and enduring enthusiasm. Despite finding their footing alongside thrash metal mainstays, Heathen have always borrowed from a number progressive and melodic influences, with “Empire of the Blind” being no exception. From tracks filled with speed and aggression through epic melodies inspired by 70s rock, this latest opus is set to please fans of thrash and beyond.  

Guitarist and songwriter Kragen Lum joined the band in 2007, and has since played a significant role in songwriting for Heathen alongside founding members Lee Altus and David White. Lum and Altus both spent much of the last decade on the road with Exodus, and have cited this aggressive touring schedule as contributing to the gap between the most recent Heathen albums. “Empire of the Blind” also boasts an updated lineup, joined by drummer Jim DeMaria (Toxik) and bass player Jason Mirza of Lum’s band Psychosis. With initial songwriting and demos dating back to 2012, “Empire of the Blind” is a collection of expertise and inspiration from thrash and beyond. 

Lum spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman on the songwriting process behind “Empire of the Blind,” the addition of Heathen’s latest members, as well as where the band stands in the past and present thrash scene. 

Listen to the full interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

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“It’s black, it’s death… and it’s incredible,” Cammie Gilbert tells me from somewhere in the city of my birth.

You might think she’s describing her band, Oceans of Slumber, or their upcoming eponymous album, or a particular cut on the record. But you’d only be partially correct. She’s actually telling me about the controlled burns prescribed in the Sam Houston National Forest, about an hour north of the megalopolis that bears the name of the first president of the Republic of Texas, and near which the father of Ms Gilbert’s bandmate and companion Dobber Beverly lives

“It gives nature the chance to renew,” Ms Gilbert continues, unraveling some of the densely packed critiques the scorching “Pray for Fire” levels. “From there we get green, and new saplings. There are certain trees that need the flames for their seeds to take.”

But first, it must all be destroyed.

It isn’t just the Oceans of Slumber sound, or their absolutely devastating songs, that set them apart. Ms Gilbert is not afraid to redirect the attention she receives towards the reality in which much of her country’s black population live. Just in the past few months, she has penned an op-ed for Kerrang; contributed to a Consequence of Sound piece that also included black members of Alice in Chains, Body Count, and others; and partook in a photoshoot that involved her, a white dress, and a noose.

Then there was that Billie Holiday cover. f**ing wow, dude.

Ms Gilbert does resent sometimes being seen as a spectacle simply for being one of the few black women in metal. But, despite being in a band with three Latinos and a Turk, “many times I’m the only person of color at our shows.” Undeterred by that she adds, “my goal is to make something that speaks to as many people as possible. There are so many ways to feel the same emotion, and there are so many experiences that will make you feel the same emotion. And that,” she asserts, “is what ties us all together.”

Cammie sat down to talk to Sonic Perspectives scribe Gonzalo Pozo on a recent afternoon. Listen on and enjoy their chat below, full of interesting information and details about the band’s upcoming self-titled record. For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

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It’s no secret that we at Sonic Perspectives are big fans of keyboardist extraordinaire Derek Sherinian. He was kind enough to give us the details of the first Sons of Apollo album when it came out, and also spoke at length with us during an interview addressing all of his career. Known by his versatility, and aggressive “guitaristic” approach to his keyboard style, the progressive rock world got to know Sherinian when he joined Dream Theater, however, he already had a rich history in music when these American prog metal giants brought him in. Derek had toured with Alice Cooper, Kiss and Jimi Hendrix‘ drummer Buddy Miles, and his career has continued to expand consistently after his tenure with the prog-metal giants.  Known for his distinctively heavy keyboard sound, he has developed a solo career with albums featuring a myriad of collaborations with names like Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde and many more.

In addition to his solo efforts, Derek was a founding member of Planet X, Black Country Communion, and more recently he formed Sons of Apollo, with his fellow Dream Theater partner-in-crime Mike Portnoy (drums), Billy Sheehan (bass), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (guitars) and Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), and the band as of now have released two studio albums and a live offering with an orchestra.

Between the busy schedule of Sons of Apollo and his session work for other musicians, Derek found time to write and record a new solo album, the first since 2011’s “Oceana”. Entitled “The Phoenix”, it once again has the renowned Simon Phillips wearing the production hat and the drummer’s seat, and an all-star cast of players: Bumblefoot, Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde and Kiko Loureiro, to name a few.

With such an eclectic guest list, it would be easy for an album like that to be a heterogeneous effort, but Derek and Simon managed to maintain a unified sound throughout the whole record. “The Phoenix” holds no punches and showcases the talents of all players through its eight tracks, exploring unique avenues with a clear direction. Once again Rodrigo Altaf had the chance to catch up with Derek, and they discussed the the upcoming album track by track and pretty much everything else happening on Sherinian‘s universe nowadays.

Listen to their chat in the links below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post DEREK SHERINIAN Reflects on His New Solo Album “The Phoenix” and The Philosophy Behind it: “We Kept Things Very Vintage Throughout the Recording Process” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The Tangent, the progressive group, led by Andy Tillison, is set to release their 11th studio album called “Auto Reconnaissance” on August 21st, 2020 through Inside Out. With their new record, the band continues to demonstrate that there are no limits to its progressive rock c**ktail. With an astonishing fluidity, it mixes a plethora of musical ingredients that includes prog, jazz, humor narrative, R&B, funk/soul, pop, among many others. 

The release of “Auto Reconnaissance” marks the first time in The Tangent´s history that its current line-up is exactly the same as on its previous release. It also constitutes the fourth occasion that Jonas Reingold, Theo Travis, and Luke Machin join Andy Tillison for a The Tangent album. The stability gained through the years allows the band to drop, with surprising ease, brilliant compositions that pay homage to classic prog acts, but also keeps stretching the concept of progressive rock and suggests what it could be in the future. 

Sonic Perspectives contributor Brian Masso got the chance to speak with Andy Tillison, The Tangent’s keyboardist and mastermind. They discussed about the current nature of The Tangent, if it has evolved from being a project to a full-time band, what “progressive rock” means to Andy and the band as a whole, and the musical direction taken for “Auto Reconnaissance”. They also touched upon the inspiration behind some of the new songs and how the listener can relate to the message contained in the new songs, among other topics. 

Listen to the full interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post ANDY TILLISON of THE TANGENT Discusses “Auto Reconnaissance” Upcoming Album: “I Am Really Writing Musical Questions and Hoping They Will Reach People Who Might Begin to Have Some of the Answers.” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Coming seven years after their last full-length release, thrash metal legends Onslaught will be releasing their seventh studio album on August 7th through AFM Records. “Generation Antichrist” is one of the band’s most brutal offerings yet, inspired by their old-school sound while drawing on the benefits of modern production. Stripped-back and overflowing with aggression, “Generation Antichrist” also sees the addition of Dave Garnett on vocals to replace longtime vocalist Sy Keeler. Having already performed with the band on the live stage before joining the roster as a full-time member, Garnett blends as a natural fit in Onslaught’s lineup.

Rockett spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman about the making of “Generation Antichrist,” including the album’s ties to current world events and bringing riffs from Onslaught’s early days into the modern day.

Listen to the full interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

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Canadian punk rock band The Fallaways have released their second EP “Sunset Ave,” following three years after their debut EP “Skiddish” from 2017. Balancing party rock music with substance from their personal lives, The Fallaways pursue a musical style that has been recommended for fans of Fall Out Boy and Green Day. Based in the rich Vancouver punk scene, the band has thus far proceeded with a strong focus on single-based releases, having released five singles from “Sunset Ave.” before its complete release.

Already having toured with bands such as The Lazys and opening for bands such as Red Fang, The Fallaways were able to partner FIDLAR producer Zac Carper to produce three of the six songs on “Sunset Ave.” With a touch from Carper’s experienced hands, “Sunset Ave” sees a broad sonic spectrum in genres that range from pop, to punk, to 90s grunge in six short tracks. Singles from the album having already gaining traction on Spotify and other streaming services, The Fallaways are seeing growth in both their sound and their fanbase with the release of their second EP.

Vocalist Jason Koster and bass player Daniel Prince spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman on the inspiration for the new EP, what it was like working with Zac Carper, and what the band is looking to accomplish in the near future. Read the full interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

I’m excited to be discussing the band’s just released EP  “Sunset Ave”. To start off, how are you feeling about the reception? This is your second release after the 2017 EP “Skiddish,” so what’s the feeling in the house right now?

Jason: It’s good. I mean, we did this one a little bit differently. So what we realized with that first EP was just doing singles and kind of pushing each song itself for a bit first is what was more effective for us. So we’ve basically gotten five singles out from the EP for people to dig in. The sixth song on the EP was like the bonus to package it all together. But just seeing it all come together for the last year or so, it’s been a lot of work and it’s nice to see a wind down finally.

That’s one thing that I noticed. It’s an EP so it’s shorter by nature, but you’ve really went hard on those single tracks. What exactly made you decide that this was the best way to get your vision out there?

Jason: I’ve seen a lot of local bands, a lot of our friend’s bands that are amazing bands. They have great songs. They released like a full EP at once with maybe one single before it, and the rest of the album just kind of seems to get washed under washed under the current. You kind of need to push everything individually, so people get a full experience of what you’re all about. I feel like there’s not enough of an attention span these days in music. People that are listening to Spotify and stuff like that, they’ll just add a song that they liked to a playlist. Just having each song kind of exposed a little bit at first has just given us that much more traction.

When the time comes for a full-length album, do you think you’re going to take the same approach?

Jason: I think with a full-length album that’s going to be a bit of a different deal. I mean, I think that might be what’s next for us. I’m not a hundred percent sure yet, we’re still working on details, but I took the stance this is going to be our last EP where we can kind of do whatever we want and test the waters. And then after that, it’s go time. With a 10 song album, we’d probably do two or three singles and then the album would be out.I’ve seen your music described as a mix of Fall Out Boy and Green Day. What qualities do The Fallaways take from both of those bands and how would you describe yourself separate from them?

Jason: The youthfulness, if anything. We all kind of grew up on like the punk vibe, the punk scene and both bands have a little bit of that, but they also have a lot of their own flavors. I think the way that we differ is that we’re a modern approach to like older style music, but I’ve never really been able to tie down our music as a one band sound. It’s a hybrid of a lot of other music, which I think is cool, and it kind of sets us apart in that sense

Which bands have been the biggest inspiration to you, both in the present as songwriters and when you were younger?

Jason: I grew up on Sum 41 and Rise Against and bands like that, and that’s the bands that got me into just wanting to do music. But once I really started buckling down with songwriting, I was into bands more like FIDLAR, which was kind of my high school, favorite band. And then we ended up working with Zac from that band, which was really cool. When I got to college, I started really digging into older Green Day and a band called Highly Suspect if you know them at all.

Daniel: I grew up really enjoying Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon. For Foo Fighters, I really respected the fact how the first album was just David Grohl tracking everything, and as a musician I can really appreciate that. Just knowing all the different aspects and angles of recording and songwriting, the lyricism. They’re both absolutely phenomenal. Highly Suspect is phenomenal, so is Royal Blood.  

It’s fantastic that you were a fan of FIDLAR and now you get to work with the same producer. What has that experience been like, and how did that happen?

Jason: Wow, it’s a great story. Essentially I’ve been following the band since grade nine or grade ten. I graduated high school in 2012, so that’s 2008, 2009, when I started. They were getting bigger on YouTube, that’s kind of how they blew up, but they weren’t really a big band yet. And it’s only two years before we started working with Zac when they started really getting big. Essentially what happened was we wrote this song “Dumb.” We didn’t even have the song finished, but halfway through writing it, I was like, ‘guys, Zac Carper from FIDLAR needs to produce this.’ This is such a Zac song and this is just has to happen. So I ended up sending him a message on Instagram and he got back to me right away.

He was like, ‘hey man, send me the song, I’m stoked to check it out.’ I didn’t even have a demo recorded at this point. So I just spent like the next hour vigorously getting together a really shitty demo. It was like maybe the first verse and the chorus, but like that’s what I sent to Zac. And then he was really stoked on that. This was like a week before they played in Vancouver, so we ended up going for dinner before they played that night. And he was like, ‘I’d love to come and do three songs with you guys.’ And we just booked the date we made it happen.

Would you say that’s the most exciting thing that’s happened with you for the band so far?

Jason: There’s a more exciting thing in the works right now in terms of what’s coming after the EP. I can’t honestly talk about it, but it’s exciting to see that those things keep getting better and better. It shows that the work that we’re putting in, it’s going somewhere and it’s worth it, it’s paying off for us. That’s probably the most exciting thing, honestly.

I’ve seen a lot of growth between the first EP and this latest one. So how would you say that “Sunset Ave.” differs from “Skiddish?” Where have you seen the most growth for yourself?

Jason: I think just in terms of a songwriting, it’s more honest. I think “Problems” from the first EP was a very honest song and like it had some substance and that’s what I wanted to carry through to the next EP. I just wanted to make the songs more real, more true to ourselves while still being relatable. We love writing party rock songs, and people love those songs, but writing a party rock song with good substance is kind of hard to come by it. And that was the goal.

So what did you really focus on as musicians and as artists in those three years, and how long have you been working on this material for this season?

Jason: Some of the songs, probably three years. Sometimes you write a song and then it gets put on the back burner until you have the rest of the songs. Essentially what happened for this EP was we recorded three with our old producer. “Alive,” “Let Go,” and “I’m Electric” were done with another producer and then “Feeling Low,” “Dumb,” and “Still Alive” were done with Zac of FIDAR. So they were done at different times. I think we finished the first three songs a couple of months before we did the other three. It was never really envisioned to be on the same EP, but the way we looked at it was all these songs were written at the house that we were living at. They were all from the same experience. So we just figured throw them on the same collection and we’ll call it that part of our lives.

You described yourself just now as you do a lot of party rock songs, but you said you wanted to have them to have substance. So when I came to the EP, what do you want your listeners to really feel? Who do you want to be attracted to this music?

Jason: I’ve always wanted a wide range of people to be able to listen to our music. I think in a sense we do have that because a lot of the older classic rock guys that we know quite well, they love our stuff and that’s kind of  hard to come by, for older guys that really connect with a young band. So we’re trying to be as wide as we can in that respect, and that’s why we have songs like “Feeling Low.” “Feeling Low” is in my opinion, a pop song with a bit of grungy, nineties roots. We don’t want to have the same song six times on an EP. We want to be able to change it up. Still keeping that Fallaways sound, but a song for everybody in a sense.

What parts of your personality do you put into your music the most?

Jason: I guess the thing that comes out the most is just the hardships in life. I think for me it’s always more natural writing things in life that have kind of brought me down in a sense, and that came through and conquered and moved forward from. I feel like a lot of the times these days that’s what the world kind of needs in a sense, because it’s a very toxic world we live in. Just kind of having music about coming through that, I think it’s very needed.

What are some of the big concepts and narratives that really drive this EP?

Jason: “Dumb” is basically a song about wishing you didn’t care about the little things and that they didn’t affect you and that they didn’t bring you down every day. Then you’ve got songs like “Feeling Low,” which was essentially written about the band being in a weird situation. We all basically hated each other after this long Canada tour, and “Feeling Low” was basically a breakup song for the band in a way. In a weird way it brought the band back together because we were all like, ‘this is awesome.’ Then there’s songs like “Alive,” which was mainly written by me. And that’s just about my struggles with drugs and alcohol, and trying to just push that side out of my life. “Let Go” is kind of the song about getting through that. So it’s all got its purpose and its own inspiration behind every song. It’s all a journey about life and living through the band life.

How did The Fallaways get started?

Jason: I broke up with a girl and also in the same week broke up with a band that I was playing drums for. They wrote great songs, but they could not keep it together ever. I was the drummer who wasn’t part of the songwriting, but I was the only one who was on it. Essentially I just wanted to start my own projects, and then I wrote three songs under a band called Toxic, which is essentially what formed into The Fallaways. Devin who plays for us now and our drummer, Josh were part of that line up. And then we essentially just rebranded from that about a year into the project as The Fallaways.

How did each of you get interested in music and specifically being creators and musicians?

Jason: I grew up in a small town. Music was the only thing that really got me excited about growing up and pursuing that. That’s just the only thing I could really see myself doing. I know it sounds stereotypical or cliche, but you can ask any of my teachers in high school. I’ve always said that I was going to do this, and now I’m doing it.

Daniel: I grew up kind of sheltered, so I didn’t really grow up listening to the crazy big rock and roll bands. I think I finally discovered it when I was 16, but I started playing guitar when I was around 11 in my church youth group. Then throughout high school I put music on the back burner, playing football, you know, life happens. And then I ended up going to this show where one of my old high school buddies was playing with this kickass band. And I’m like, what am I doing with my life? I want to do this! Two weeks after the show I went, ‘I’m singing up for guitar lessons and drum lessons.’ And now I’m actually roommates with that person and we’re actually both in The Fallaways. It’s worked out.

What’s the music scene been like in Vancouver?

Jason: Honestly, the Vancouver scene at first for us was very hard to get into. There’s one promoter I called from an agency called Live Acts Canada. He kind of gave us our first few shows and that’s how we started getting up and running and Vancouver. There are a lot of punk bands, but there’s not really a band that’s exactly like us. So essentially what we started doing last year is that we have this house where we rehearsed at all the time. It’s Zac from FIDLAR’s idea when he came up to work with us, he said, ‘why don’t you guys throw house shows here, get five bands on a bill, get a hundred people out here, let’s say you start your own scene.’ And that’s essentially what we did. I think the first house party, we had brought over 150 people, which was crazy. We were not expecting 150 people. It kind of kickstarted the scene for us in the way that we wanted it to, which is really cool. We kept doing those. We’ve done another two house parties since, and they’ve all been great. People respect us more on the scene for it because, because you can’t really get a show like that anywhere.

It seems like this has been a very much hands-on, DIY project. When did you start to realize that this was more than just a group of guys ready to jam?

Jason: I’ve always had the passion behind it to kind of make it more than that. There’s definitely certain situations where you feel like you’re growing. Moving to Vancouver was a big step for us, and I knew the rest of the guys in the band were taking it seriously because they moved to Vancouver for the band. It’s a big move and we all live together at a band house. Realistically, we probably don’t want to, living with a bunch of guys is not always the greatest thing, and you start to bicker. But the fact that we stuck it through, I think that shows more dedication than most bands around.

You’ve had the chance so far to support some pretty big bands and take a few good tours. What is the biggest thing that you’ve taken away from touring so far?

Jason: Pick and choose your moments. We’ve done a little run with The Lazys last year and that was only two shows. And then the third show they opened for Sum 41 – we didn’t play that, but I made some connections out of that show because I was guitar checking for them. We didn’t make any money on that run, but that run was huge for us because The Lazys are fairly well known down in Canada. Now they have some great radio songs and everywhere that we play with them, we some lifelong fans and people that are like genuinely stoked on everything that we put out. So in that sense, pick your battles.

We did that cross-country Canada tour, where we had our own buses. That was just own headlining tour per se, even though it was based around Indy Week in Toronto, but a lot of those shows were chaos. We lost money, we ended up losing our bus at the end. It was a lot of shit hit the fan. I say pick and choose your moments wisely. We’re at the point now where we’re not going to do that kind of a run again where we’re the headlining band. We’re gonna wait until we get a support slot for a good enough band. That’s going to be worth it for us.

What’s the next big milestone you’re looking forward to as a band?

Jason: Radio, I think. Not this EP, but the stuff that we have ready to go record with somebody in Toronto whom I cannot name. I think it’s absolutely so many times better than what we have right now. Even radio people that support some of the biggest bands in Canada has spoken out about it and said that they’re really excited for these songs to come together because they think they’re above all else. So that’s really exciting to hear, and that’s a great goal to work towards.

The post THE FALLAWAYS Vocalist JASON KOSTER Reflects About Their Second EP: “It Shows the Work We’re Putting In Is Going Somewhere and It’s Worth It” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Bassist/vocalist Marcel ‘Schmier’ Schirmer co-founded thrash legends Destruction in Weil am Rhein, Germany, in 1984. Albums such as 1985’s “Infernal Overkill”, 1986’s “Eternal Devastation” and 1987’s “Mad Butcher” EP secured Destruction’s place in the German Big Four alongside countrymen Kreator, Tankard and Sodom. Their latest album “Born To Perish” was released in 2019, and received with open arms by the metal community, and we took the opportunity at the time to speak to Schmier about the release.

Now, a mere year after, Destruction are back, bringing great news for the metal community: not only are they set their mark and ended the concert break due to COVID-19 with two impressive live shows in front of 300 people each at the legendary Z7 Club with a capacity of 1600 people in Pratteln, but they also released a killer live album, entitled “Born To Thrash – Live In Germany” in digital format some weeks ago. The live release comes out in physical form July, 17th, with a world map, the fans named the destination of their very first Destruction concert in a previously launched campaign. The album will be available within the digipak and vinyl-version in black, red, transparent and picture vinyl. Your copy of “Born To Thrash – Live In Germany” can be purchased at this location.

Recorded live at the Party San festival in Germany when their last studio album “Born to Perish” was just released, “Born To Thrash – Live In Germany” showcases a new Destruction, with a four piece lineup. The addition of Damir Eskic as the second guitar player adds more depth and weight to their sound, and new drummer Randy Black wastes no time in showing his true colors on the live setting either. The end result is a skull crushing release, with the band’s trademark thrash sounding as fresh and relevant as it could – you can read our own review of this live album here –

Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the chance to catch up with Schmier one more time, and they discussed the live album, the plans for the upcoming show, the pros and cons of a four piece lineup and much more. Listen to their chat in the links below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post DESTRUCTION Main-man SCHMIER Reflects on Live Album and Band 4-Piece Line-up: “There’s Much More Power In Our Sound Now, And We Have a More Dynamic Stage Presence” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

On June 26th, acclaimed symphonic black metal band Carach Angren released their sixth full-length album “Franckensteina Strataemontanus” to eagerly awaiting fans of horror and extreme metal alike. With their own unique twist on the popular lore of Frankenstein, the Dutch duo step back from the bleak narratives which fueled 2017’s “Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten” and 2015’s “This is No Fairytale” for a more grounded feat of storytelling. It is not only in concept that Carach Angren has grown, as “Franckensteina Strataemontanus” sees even greater use of orchestration and theatrical components for an experience that is defined by cinematic experience in a way that surpasses their prior darkness.

Creative mastermind and songwriter Clemens “Ardek” Wijers partners his creative prowess with the darkness contributed by vocalist Seregor’s versatile range of screams for a horror experience like no other. With “Franckensteina Strataemontanus” crafted in such a way that it is designed for a full-album listening experience, the storytelling strength of this bellowed black metal icon only continues to grow. Including everything from spoken-word tracks through lofty orchestrations, the variety and intrigue of “Franckensteina Strataemontanus” effortlessly spans the duration of the 50-minute opus. While there stands a definite sense of growth in the work, there is no doubt that this album is yet another fitting addition to the Carach Angren discography. 

Ardek spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman about the unique inspiration which led to the album’s creation, how he continues to grow as an artist, and where the band hopes this album will take them in the future. For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post ARDEK of CARACH ANGREN Chats About New Album “Franckensteina Strataemontanus”: “Hopefully This Will Appeal to More People Outside Our Normal Fanbase” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.